Part 2
“Not really. He’s just introverted; he doesn’t like to talk.” Jiang Si lied through his teeth without blinking.
“Then look at me and say that again.”
Jiang Si met her gaze, opened his mouth, but the words were stuck in his throat.
The atmosphere turned awkward.
Fortunately, a knock on the door saved him. He didn’t hesitate for a second before going to open it.
Shen Hu stood at the door in a purple-red Taoist robe, a peach-wood sword in his left hand and a phone in his right.
Jiang Si was about to wait for him, but Shen Hu glanced at him and said naturally into the phone, “Jiang Si is with me.”
“?”
“Mhm, we’ll talk later.” Shen Hu hung up and got straight to the point. “Do you remember Hirakawa Haruhara? The mastermind behind the script-killing game.”
“I remember. Isn’t he dead?” Jiang Si had a deep impression of him, having watched the underworld emissaries take him away. By now, Hirakawa should be starting his punishment.
Shen Hu’s expression turned solemn. “A normal person couldn’t have thought of a way to spread a curse like that, nor would they have the power to do it. Even though he’s dead, we contacted the Japanese government to investigate. We found that the person who suggested dismembering the body and putting it in wooden boxes years ago was surnamed Gong. The Gong family were originally Buddhist monks who later returned to secular life and had families.”
Jiang Si was stunned. “That’s a coincidence.”
“It’s not a coincidence.” Shen Hu continued, “Following that lead, we found that besides Gong Tianye, other members of the Gong family arrived in China twenty years ago. They were mainly active in the southwest. They traveled under the guise of tourists for nearly three years. They only left after the Pinglang earthquake in S Province.”
At this point, Jiang Si didn’t know what expression to make. “Their goal from the start was to rob the tomb, to get the guardian beast and the Suihou Pearl. They just didn’t expect the pearl to end up with Shi Danhang by accident.”
Shen Hu didn’t comment on his guess, looking into the room. “Where is the figurine? I’ve contacted someone; we’re going to do the handover now.”
Jiang Si assumed he was no longer needed and told him to take the figurine. He brought out the box and handed it to Shen Hu, preparing to close the door. Shen Hu quickly stuck a foot in the doorframe, looking at him strangely. “What are you doing? Come with me.”
“What for? It’s a cultural relic handover; what does it have to do with me?”
Shen Hu said, “Forgot to tell you. It’s hard to tell the public that a figurine spirit donated it. We’ve all agreed that you’ll be the ‘kind-hearted donor.’ You need to come for the photos; there’ll be a press release.”
Jiang Si: “…”
He had seen “disasters falling from the sky,” but never a “commendation falling from the sky.”
“But the news will be delayed. The Gong family doesn’t know about the figurine yet. We’ll wait until all the relics are back.” Shen Hu said.
The car was waiting downstairs—a plain black business van. However, it was flanked by two police cars with their lights flashing, which drew the attention of the entire neighborhood.
Jiang Si regretted agreeing so quickly the moment he stepped out.
Luckily, Shen Hu’s Taoist robes were more eye-catching, otherwise people would think Jiang Si had been arrested.
The neighbors’ imaginations were, as always, impressive.
As he opened the car door, Jiang Si heard the old man who usually greeted him shouting excitedly, “The crackdown on feudal superstition is really something! Look, they’re taking the joss paper shop owner and a Taoist away together.”
Another added, “Exactly! The police actually went to the door to get them.”
“Maybe he did something illegal at home and got reported. Look at that box the Taoist is holding; looks like an urn.”
Jiang Si fumed silently. An urn? Does any urn look like that?
“…” He moved a bit further away from Shen Hu.
Shen Hu, being more experienced, didn’t get in the car immediately. Instead, he raised his voice slightly, “Mr. Jiang, congratulations! The police came specifically to take you for your commendation. Don’t be nervous when we get there!”
He emphasized the word “commendation” so the neighbors would hear, then got into the car.
Jiang Si gave him a thumb-up. “The Master is indeed a Master.”
Shen Hu straightened his sleeves. “I’m used to it.”
“Tell me more.” Jiang Si was curious for the gossip.
“Last year, the police went to the temple to ask for my help. The crowd thought I was doing illegal propaganda and called the police on me. The year before, I ran into a monk from Jiming Temple on a mountain and we were photographed; the netizens insisted we were fighting over territory.”
Shen Hu spoke with a flat tone, but Jiang Si could feel the bitterness. Being a Taoist was indeed a lot of trouble.
With police cars clearing the way, the journey was smooth. They drove straight to the Ministry of Information, where staff members were already waiting to open the doors.
Shen Hu shoved the box into Jiang Si’s arms. “Perform well. Once the handover is done, it goes for appraisal.”
A crowd was already waiting inside—dozens of eyes were fixed on him. On the steps above, several officials in suits were waiting with warm, amiable smiles.
Jiang Si: “…”
The last time he saw a scene like this was at his graduation ceremony.
Jiang Si carried the box up the steps. Under Shen Hu’s introduction, he greeted the officials one by one.
“This is Mr. Rong, the deputy curator of the Rongcheng Museum. This is Director Zheng from the Information Department…”
“Mr. Jiang is so young. Truly, heroes come from the youth, hahahaha.”
“Mr. Rong, Director Zheng…” Jiang Si’s gaze landed on the next person and he froze. Wasn’t that Old Zhao?
“Director Zhao,” Shen Hu introduced.
Jiang Si forced a polite smile. “Director Zhao.”
Old Zhao hadn’t expected to see Jiang Si here either, let alone as the protagonist. They were old acquaintances by now, so he waved it off. “Ah, we know each other. No need for formalities. Let’s head inside.”
Jiang Si knew enough about social etiquette to follow them. He whispered, “You didn’t say there’d be so many people. I just told you about this; how did they all gather so fast?”
Shen Hu whispered back, “You seem to have no idea how important the Suihou Pearl is.”
Jiang Si: “Fair enough.”
He tapped the box. It was a specially made wooden box with hidden compartments containing talismans to suppress any spirit energy, preventing the figurine spirit from escaping.
He cracked the box open slightly and slid his finger in. A round, warm bead fell into his palm.
“We thank Mr. Jiang for his generous donation. We will remember your contribution. On behalf of the government and the people, I thank you.”
Under the lights, Curator Song gave a long speech. The invited media reporters were snapping photos of the people on stage.
Finally, it was Jiang Si’s turn. In the hall of only a dozen or so people, a thunderous applause erupted.
Do civil servants have to act as the hype crew too?
Facing the crowd, Jiang Si gave a slight smile. The white lights shone down, making him look as delicate as a piece of fine porcelain. He was a natural focus for the cameras, causing the drowsy reporters to wake up instantly.
God, the Suihou Pearl is enough of a headline, but with a donor like this, the traffic will be insane.
Jiang Si hadn’t prepared a speech. He didn’t intend to say much. When he took the microphone, he simply spoke from the heart: “I hope our cultural relics lost overseas can return to their ancestral land soon. People have roots to return to; relics should have them as well.”
“That day will surely come,” Curator Song promised solemnly.
Jiang Si handed the box over. Curator Song, assuming the pearl was inside, signaled for an assistant to hold it and carefully opened it.
The cameras zoomed in, focusing on the box.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the legendary Suihou Pearl to appear.
Curator Song’s hands were trembling, his eyes misty with anticipation. When he saw the contents, he froze.
“Eh?” he uttered, genuinely confused.
The audience shared his blank expression.
Jiang Si introduced, “This is a Tang Dynasty tri-color funerary figurine.”
Curator Song: “I can see that.”
“The Suihou Pearl is here.” Jiang Si opened his palm, revealing the glowing white bead he had been holding.
“!?!!” Curator Song was shocked. “You’ve been holding it in your hand the whole time?!”
Jiang Si looked innocent. “I couldn’t find a box for it.”
In the audience, Shen Hu covered his face. He had forgotten about that part too.
Curator Song was terrified Jiang Si might drop it. He spoke as gently as possible, “Careful, give it to me. Slow down, don’t drop it.”
Seeing his extreme caution, Jiang Si felt a sudden mischievous urge. If the curator knew where this pearl came from, his expression would probably be even more priceless.
“So this is the Suihou Pearl.” Curator Song was moved to tears. “To see such a rare treasure up close… my life is complete!”
He admired the pearl for a moment and placed it on a tray. He then grabbed Jiang Si’s hand, facing the cameras, and said with fervor, “The Suihou Pearl, lost for so many years, has finally been found by our generation!”
The cameras captured that moment, a moment destined to explode across society in the coming days.
Translator’s Note
Tang Sancai (唐三彩): Also known as Tang Tri-color glaze, a versatile type of ceramics from the Tang Dynasty using glazes of predominantly three colors: brown (or amber), green, and creamy white.
Heroes come from the youth (英雄出少年): A common saying implying that great talent often shows itself at a young age.
Marquis of Sui (随侯): As mentioned in the previous chapter, the legendary figure who received the pearl from a grateful snake.
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