Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 997's Trace

This was cinnabar mixed with gold powder, specifically "red gold sand," reserved exclusively for the imperial court, used only by the Imperial Study and the Imperial Clan Court. He suddenly recalled an illustration from the "Records of the Netherworld": General Qin Yue's armor, with a fine ring of gold powder around the edge of the breastplate, mirrored the gold powder in the bloody writing. The book said that before each campaign, Qin Yue would use the red gold sand bestowed by the emperor to paint a protective amulet on his armor, praying for a safe return. "Captain Wang, come and see." Shen Yanzhi pointed to the mark next to the bloody writing: a faint palm print, with distinct fingers and a crescent-shaped scar on the palm. "The size and shape of this palm print suggest someone who wields a sword constantly." Wang Hu leaned in for a closer look, his face suddenly changing. "This scar... I've seen it in the county annals! General Qin Yue has a similar scar on his right palm, the wound he received during a duel with the Northern Di leader!" Just then, a wolf's howl erupted from outside the temple, followed by the constable's screams. Shen Yanzhi quickly extinguished the torch and pinned Wang Hu behind the altar: "Don't move!" He gripped his peach wood sword tightly, hiding behind the door frame and looking out. In the moonlight, he saw several tall, dark figures surrounding the constable. They were covered in black hair, but had human faces. They were none other than the legendary "Black Demons"—evil spirits driven by the Ghost King. The Black Demons' sharp claws tore through the constable's clothes, but when they touched the amulet, they let out a scream, and puffs of white smoke emerged from their claws. Shen Yanzhi knew his chance had come. He pulled out three talismans, muttered something, and then hurled them at the Black Demons: "The sky and the earth are boundless, the universe borrows the law!" The talismans ignited in the air with a golden light, enveloping the Black Demons like a net of fire. The Black Demons let out a shrill roar and turned to escape, but were trapped by the golden light. Shen Yanzhi seized the opportunity to rush out of the temple gate and stabbed the leading Black Demon in the chest with his peach wood sword. The sword blade made a "puff" sound when it pierced through, as if it had pierced a piece of rotten meat. The black evil spirit's body quickly turned into black smoke and dissipated, leaving only a rusty iron plate on the ground. Shen Yanzhi picked up the iron plate and found that the word "Qin" was engraved on it. There were traces of wear on the edge. It was obviously an item that had been worn for many years. He suddenly understood that these black evil spirits were not here to harm people, but to guard the bloody words. They dug up new graves in order to find corpses that could carry resentment; they left black ashes to guide people to find this place. "Mr. Shen, what is going on?" Wang Hu walked out with the injured constable, his voice still trembling. Shen Yanzhi put the iron plate away and looked at the bloody words on the wall: "This is the soul of General Qin Yue telling the world about his grievances. He is not trying to harm people, but to find evidence to prove his innocence." He looked at the bloody words again and suddenly found that the last stroke of the word "Qing" was very long, and the end pointed to the back of the altar. Shen Yanzhi stepped forward, removed the shattered head of the statue, and discovered a loose brick beneath. He pried it open, revealing an oilcloth bag. Opening it, he found half a jade pendant, identical in quality to the ghost-face pendant he'd found, except that instead of a ghost face, it was engraved with the character "Yue." Dried blood still stained the jade pendant, and as Shen Yanzhi wiped it with his fingertips, it suddenly glowed faintly, resonating with the ghost-face pendant in his arms. He joined the two pieces together, fitting perfectly into a complete Chilong pendant. The ghost face at the dragon's head and the "Yue" character at the dragon's tail juxtaposed, gleaming faintly in the moonlight. "So that's it," Shen Yanzhi realized. "General Qin Yue's spirit hid the evidence here, awaiting someone who could exonerate him. These two jade pendants hold the key to the truth." Just then, the mist outside the mountain temple suddenly dissipated, revealing a sky filled with stars. Shen Yanzhi looked up and saw that the position of the Big Dipper corresponded exactly to the copper coins in the soul-guiding formation, as if guiding the direction. He knew that this was just the beginning, and there was still a long way to go to uncover the injustice that happened a hundred years ago. The black ash on the ground and the bloody words on the wall all told the story of the general's unwillingness and injustice, waiting for the day when they would be known to the world. Wang Hu looked at the two jade pendants that had merged into one, and suddenly straightened his back: "Mr. Shen, no matter how dangerous this case is, I, Wang Hu, will investigate it with you! Even if the Ghost King appears, the truth must be uncovered!" His voice echoed in the silent mountain temple with an unprecedented determination. Shen Yanzhi put the jade pendant away and wrapped it with talisman paper - the resentment contained in the jade pendant was too heavy and could not be exposed to the air for a long time. He looked at the bloody words on the wall and said silently in his heart: General Qin, I will definitely get to the bottom of your injustice. Then, he turned to Wang Hu and said, "Let's go back to the county first and start by checking the county annals to see if we can find any clues about the former members of the Qin family." The group left the mountain temple in the moonlight. The bloody words behind them gradually faded in the night, but it seemed to be engraved in everyone's heart. The wind was still blowing on the mass grave, and the soul-calling flags were still swaying, but this time, there seemed to be less resentment in the wind and more anticipation of waiting. Shen Yanzhi knew that from the moment he picked up the half of the jade pendant, he had been involved in a grudge that spanned a century, and the outcome of this grudge might be hidden in the yellowed "Record of the Netherworld", hidden in a corner of the county, waiting to be revealed. His stall was set up beneath an old locust tree, covered with a black cloth, upon which were placed a number of rusted bronze objects—a chipped bronze mirror, an incense burner with a broken ear, and a palm-sized copper bell whose tongue was surprisingly made of thin bone. He hung his shroud on a branch. "Ghost soldiers passing through will carry away the souls of the recently deceased, but if they are merely summoning souls, they won't leave such traces." He recalled the account in the "Records of the Netherworld," which described ghost soldiers often wearing the armor they wore in life, carrying a strong smell of blood as they moved. The tooth marks before him carried the odor of rust—the scent of weapons long stained. After walking for about half an incense stick, the outlines of the mass grave finally emerged from the fog. From a distance, the new graves resembled raised mounds of earth, looming in the mist. The spirit-calling banners that had once been planted on the graves had fallen to the ground, their white surfaces torn into strips, making a humming sound in the wind, like the cries of the dead. "It's right here." Wang Hu pointed to a devastated empty space. The torchlight illuminated the ground littered with coffin boards. The boards were still stained with wet black mud, and some even had fresh cracks, obviously having been forcibly pried open. The most conspicuous was a vermilion lacquer coffin, its lid thrown several feet away. The "Shou" character on it was scratched to pieces, revealing the white wood underneath. Shen Yanzhi squatted down and pinched some black ash with his fingers. The ash was icy cold against his fingertips, and before he could get a closer look, it turned into a wisp of green smoke and dissipated.