roccoschili Chapter 92: Unpacking and Verifying Authenticity, the Third Case's Cold-Blooded Nature
Chapter 92: Unpacking and Verifying Authenticity, the Third Case's Cold-Blooded Nature
Only one kerosene lamp remained in the main room.
The lamp wick was pressed low, and the dim yellow light fell on the octagonal table, making the stainless steel insulated bucket look old.
The aroma of the braised food hadn't dissipated yet.
Zhou Banxian sniffed, clutching the wine jug to his chest.
"This scent can suppress yin energy; there's actually some trick to it."
Tong Kexin glanced at him.
Would you like a bowl?
Zhou Banxian shook his head, his Adam's apple bobbing.
"If I eat this now, I'm afraid the ancestral master will choke and come to me in a dream to scold me."
Cheng Xiaojin sat at the table, his hands tucked into his sleeves.
"Mystic, what you said is quite hygienic. Even the patriarch would have to find a basin to wash dishes after hearing that."
Tang Wan glanced at him.
"Say less, save your energy."
Cheng Xiaojin raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Tang, my words don't carry any evil."
"Your mouth is more likely to cause trouble than a demon."
Tieguai Li had already spread out his tools: wrenches, scissors, and copper tweezers were laid out on an oilcloth.
"Move to the back of the station. There's a layer at the bottom of the bucket. I'll start by setting up the copper mesh."
Master Ma sat by the lamplight and began to speak.
"Wait a minute."
Tieguai Li nodded, used a thin wrench to hold the bottom ring, lowered his wrist, and turned it outwards in circles.
A faint sound came from the bottom of the insulated container.
Tong Kexin stared at Cheng Xiaojin, her eyes red from staying up all night.
"We'll verify it later, don't try to be a hero."
Cheng Xiaojin looked at her.
"If I don't touch it, it can still talk on its own?"
"Tang Wanqing can't be seen?"
Tang Wanqing placed the compass beside her.
"I can detect the aura of the gate, but I can't recognize the aura of the third pillar. The array diagram leads to the root of the Zhenhai Iron Chain. The Cheng family's method is more accurate."
Tong Kexin pursed her lips.
"Just this once."
Cheng Xiaojin smiled.
"Boss lady, this is more expensive than Master Ma's tea."
Master Ma picked up the teacup and placed the lid on the rim.
"I'll listen to her this time."
Cheng Xiaojin immediately sat up straight.
"Okay, just once."
Tieguai Li pried open the bottom copper mesh.
The ash from the mugwort seeped out first, while the dried ginger slices, already frozen solid by the cold air, made a dry sound when they hit the wooden tray.
In the middle of the red line lies an old iron plate the size of a palm.
It is not entirely copper.
The edges are bluish, the base color is black, and dark green rust is inlaid on top. Water patterns radiate from the center to the four corners.
The lines are very fine; some connect into small grooves, while others break off halfway.
The flame of the kerosene lamp dipped downwards.
The heat in the main room has subsided.
Zhou Banxian hugged the wine pot even tighter.
"As soon as this thing appeared, the yellow paper by the well started to move."
Tang Wanqing turned and looked at the courtyard.
The three layers of yellow paper at the wellhead were attached to the edge of the brick, with undulating corners, and moisture seeped in along the edges of the paper.
Master Ma said, "Don't let the moisture get into the house."
Tieguai Li used a dry cloth as a pad to move the array diagram onto the wooden support.
"Cheng Xiaojin".
Cheng Xiaojin extended his hand.
Tong Kexin held a dry towel to his mouth.
"Bite down."
Cheng Xiaojin frowned.
"I'm not a dog."
"No matter how much you talk nonsense, I'm really going to stuff it in."
Cheng Xiaojin took the towel and bit it between her teeth.
Tang Wanqing wrapped a red thread around his wrist, with the other end pressed under the compass.
"I'll give you half a breath of air to let out, just probe the root, don't go too deep."
Cheng Xiaojin nodded.
Mr. Ma pushed the ashtray to his left.
"Shouyi is here."
Cheng Xiaojin glanced at the ashtray but didn't say anything.
He pressed his hands onto the diagram.
The coldness pierced my palm, seeping into the bone through the old wound.
The next moment, the main hall receded into the distance.
The dull thud of earth being tamped down filled my ears.
Someone is calling out numbers.
"One, two, three, drop!"
The iron chain dragged the heavy object, and the iron and stone collided with a low hum.
On a rainy night, with torches, a black-robed monk stands by the pit, his wide sleeves pressed down by the wind at his sides.
Thousands of craftsmen filled the pit with soil, and the Zhenhai Iron stood in the center of the pit, its body covered in moisture.
Someone is reading out the measurements.
"The water flows south, and the three channels return to the foot."
Someone pressed a diagram into the edge of the earth's veins; the bronze was still rusty, and the patterns shone brightly.
Cheng Xiaojin bit down hard on the towel between her teeth.
Tang Wanqing called out to him.
"Cheng Xiaojin, don't go any further!"
Cheng Xiaojin pressed her fingernails against the water ripples, and a low dragon's roar emanated from her palm.
He saw the shadow of Zhenhai Iron.
Below the shadow, several broken black roots appeared.
One end of the black root connects to the city's waterways, while the other end is empty.
Gray water was seeping out of the opening.
In the grey water, Aunt Zhang sat in front of the stove, still holding the faucet in her hand.
One hundred and forty-six.
Cheng Xiaojin lifted his eyelids, and the taste of blood wafted from between his teeth.
"roll."
Tong Kexin's face turned pale.
"What did he say?"
Tang Wanqing pressed down on the compass, her fingertips turning red.
"The water element is used to trigger a counterattack."
Master Ma's teacup lid clicked once.
"Suppress it."
Zhou Banxian grabbed the wine jug and splashed it towards the threshold.
"I've given you this drink, don't come inside!"
The yellow paper rustled beside the well.
In the direction of the kitchen, the red line sealing the water pipes began to turn black.
The water patterns on the array diagram lit up briefly, and gray energy climbed up Cheng Xiaojin's palm.
Cheng Xiaojin loosened the towel, and the old wound on the tip of his tongue was reopened by his teeth, and blood welled up.
Tong Kexin reached out to pull him.
Tang Wanqing quickly stopped her.
"Don't touch his hand!"
Cheng Xiaojin looked up, her eyes bloodshot.
"Trying to dig up Aunt Zhang's secrets in Master Ma's courtyard?"
The formation diagram produced a muffled thud.
Cheng Xiaojin pressed Xin Jinqi into his palm.
He forced that gray aura back little by little.
The gray mist swirled twice around the back of his hand, and a bluish tinge emanated from beneath the skin.
Tang Wanqing's red thread was straightened, and the needle tip in the compass celestial pool trembled slightly.
Tieguai Li picked up the abacus made of lightning-struck wood and slammed it down on the edge of the table.
"Cheng Xiaojin, take it this way to the abacus!"
Cheng Xiaojin turned his palm, forcing the gray energy back into the water patterns drawn by the array diagram.
The iron beads on the lightning-struck wooden abacus began to get damp, rolling one after another until they finally stopped between three and seven.
Zhou Banxian stared at the bead position, forgetting to screw on the lid of the wine pot.
"Three is the third pillar, seven is the connection of the gate qi, the third pillar is the true bone, it cannot escape."
Cheng Xiaojin pulled his hand away from the array diagram and leaned backward.
Tong Kexin immediately supported his shoulder.
"Look at me."
Cheng Xiaojin spat out the towel, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"Boss lady, you have to pay for this towel."
"I'll pay you back, you old man."
She pressed the dry handkerchief to his mouth; the back of her hand was cold.
Tang Wanqing untied the red thread and looked down to examine his hand.
The bluish tinge at the base of the nail had already crept up to the back of the hand.
Her brow furrowed.
"You read too deeply just now."
Cheng Xiaojin took a couple of breaths.
"It insisted on showing it to me."
"You can leave."
"Aunt Zhang is inside counting the water; I can't get out."
The room fell silent.
Master Ma lowered his head, looking at the array diagram.
The lid of the teacup was stuck to the rim, and there was no more noise.
After a while, he put on his reading glasses and used a magnifying glass to get close to the back of the array diagram.
Tieguai Li asked, "Master Ma, is this the real deal?"
Master Ma didn't answer, but slowly traced the lines on the back of his hand with his finger.
The kerosene lamp illuminated his face, making his wrinkles appear even deeper.
Zhou Banxian leaned closer.
"What happened?"
Master Ma tilted the battle formation diagram up slightly.
Look here.
The earth vein lines on the back side, which should have been closed, were broken in three places.
There is a crack in the middle, which is quite old, like an old wound torn from the root when the stake was pulled out.
Tang Wanqing bent down to examine it.
"Did the thread come undone?"
Master Ma nodded.
"The original pile sites throughout the city are not just empty."
Cheng Xiaojin raised her head.
"What do you mean?"
Master Ma put down the magnifying glass, and the lid of the teacup finally clicked.
"The pile position is off-center."
Zhou Banxian almost dropped the wine pot in his hand.
"How much more off?"
Master Ma looked at the well in the courtyard.
"It counts."
Cheng Xiaojin stared at the broken line on the back of the array diagram.
"How about now?"
Master Ma nodded.
Tong Kexin stopped Cheng Xiaojin.
"You sit down."
Cheng Xiaojin pointed to himself.
"I'm practically just a decoration on the table, and you still want me to sit?"
Tang Wanqing picked up the compass.
"You don't need to touch it this time."
Zhou Banxian unscrewed the wine pot, brought it to his lips, and then put it down.
"I'm not drinking anymore."
Tieguai Li looked at him.
"There's a time when you don't drink?"
Zhou Banxian carried the wine jug and walked into the courtyard.
"I'm not going to drink to bolster my courage tonight, lest I misunderstand the numbers."
Cheng Xiaojin stood up, but his legs felt unsteady.
Tong Kexin helped him up.
He didn't dodge this time.
The yellow paper at the wellhead in the courtyard was pressed down by the wind.
A small water stain slowly seeped out between the three layers of paper.
Master Ma placed the array diagram into the wooden tray and set it three feet away from the edge of the well.
Zhou Banxian sat down cross-legged, with his compass resting on his knees.
He looked at Cheng Xiaojin.
"Kid, don't cough up blood, it's affecting my math."
Cheng Xiaojin grinned.
"Don't worry, I'm poor, so I'll use my blood sparingly."
Zhou Banxian raised his hand and turned the dial.
The compass needle spun half a circle and then stopped.
The watermark at the wellhead crawled out along the yellow paper, crooked and twisted, forming the character "偏" (piān).
The lid of Master Ma's teacup rattled once more in the main room.
Zhou Banxian looked up and gazed at Cheng Xiaojin's feet.
"This stake is positioned incorrectly."