Volume Three: The Fox Immortal Tomb — Chapter Fifty: Bronze Artifacts

When Xu Tian saw Li Kun tilt the bottle toward him, he hurriedly dropped to the floor and peered at its base. The moment he saw the stamped seal there, his face lit up with delight. Turning to Li Kun and me, he exclaimed, “This is more than a fine treasure. This is worth a fortune!”

After hearing Xu Tian, the rest of us gathered around him and examined the bronze vessels before us. Yet after studying them for quite some time, all we could discern was that they were unusually heavy and decorated with beautiful carvings. We found nothing else remarkable.

Xu Tian glanced at our puzzled expressions and said, “You amateurs clearly need me to explain what these things are. Otherwise, our Flowing Cloud shop is sure to go bankrupt one day.”

Li Kun and I exchanged embarrassed smiles. Xu Tian pointed at the first bronze vessel and said, “You both know what bronze ritual objects are, don’t you?”

Li Kun and I exchanged another glance, astonishment in both our eyes. I asked, “Old Xu, don’t tell me all of these are bronze ritual objects?”

Xu Tian nodded. “That’s right. Every one of them is. Look at the inscriptions and carvings on this one. It clearly dates from the early Western Zhou period.”

As he spoke, Xu Tian carefully examined the bronze before him. “Bronze craftsmanship reached its peak in the late Shang and early Western Zhou periods. These objects in front of us are all ritual vessels, used in ancient times for ceremonies and sacrifices.”

“Look at the body of this bronze vessel.”

Xu Tian raised a finger toward a dragon head carved into the vessel. “There’s a person inside the dragon’s mouth. That person represents the chief priest of the time, while the dragon’s head symbolizes Heaven.”

Li Kun asked doubtfully, “Old Xu, why is this vessel that color? Could it be a fake?”

Xu Tian rolled his eyes at him. “What would you know? In ancient times, bronze was called metal or auspicious metal. It was an alloy of copper, tin, lead, and other metals. Newly cast bronze was golden in color, but bronze unearthed from the ground rusted over the centuries and gradually turned a blue-green hue.”

He looked over the several bronze vessels before us and continued, “If I’m not mistaken, these are all artifacts from the early Western Zhou. During that period, bronze vessels came in a great variety of forms. They were solid and imposing, their inscriptions grew longer, and their decorations became increasingly elaborate and magnificent. The inscriptions on these vessels are all quite lengthy, which makes it obvious that they belong to the Western Zhou period.”

He then turned to us. “But because these were ritual vessels, each one was generally cast from its own mold. No two were exactly alike. If identical examples existed, they would not have been made from the same mold. If they were, they would be fakes.”

“But the objects around us are genuine. They were probably discarded after these ritual vessels fell out of use and were then purchased and preserved by someone. Otherwise, they would never have ended up in a place like this.”

I asked, “Old Xu, are these things worth much?”

Xu Tian nodded. “Much? They’re absurdly valuable. Every one of these bronze vessels is priceless. A single one could easily buy dozens of the white-and-green jade belt plaques we previously handed over to the museum.”

At that, Li Kun and I fell silent. There was no doubt that these bronzes were priceless, but we had no way to take them out. We might have been able to carry them away one by one, but no one would dare buy such things from us. If we handed them over to the museum, the authorities would certainly investigate us. By then, we would be unable to explain ourselves, no matter what we said.

Xu Tian, however, clearly had no such concerns. He rose and walked back and forth among the bronzes. Just then, he spotted a small object and hurried over.

When we saw what he was doing, we followed him. In a corner, Xu Tian picked up a comparatively small jue. It was the kind of wine vessel frequently used by ancient nobles and emperors. It had a rounded body, a spout at the front for pouring wine, a tail at the rear, and a handle on the side. Two posts rose from the rim, while three pointed legs supported it from below.

The moment Xu Tian saw it, he burst out laughing. After picking it up and examining it carefully, he nodded. “This is probably also from the Western Zhou period, but it’s an imitation. Even so, it has some value and would make a decent collectible.”

He handed the jue to me. “Old Liu, put this in my backpack. We can display it in the shop later. Remember, it must never be sold. It’s for collecting only, or we’ll invite trouble.”

I nodded and placed it in Xu Tian’s backpack.

Xu Tian searched the room once more. When he found no other small, portable objects, he finally lifted his head and turned his attention to the ancient books on the display shelves beside us.

Seeing him do that, Li Kun and I reluctantly tore our eyes away from the bronze vessels. If the bronzes had not been so large, we would certainly have carried several of them out and placed them in the shop as its prized treasures. Of course, we would then have had to remain constantly on our guard.

We examined the ancient books on the shelves. The first row on the left held bamboo slips, neatly rolled and arranged. The middle row contained silk manuscripts made of cloth and brocade. On the right were several wooden prayer tablets.

I was particularly curious about the bamboo slips. I walked to the first row and picked up a roll to examine it, but the moment it touched my hands, there was a rustle, and all the slips scattered across the floor.

I could only smile bitterly. No matter how fine an object had once been, it could not withstand the erosion of time. The two men beside me fared little better. Xu Tian’s collection was in comparatively better condition.

Li Kun picked up one of the silk manuscripts, but the moment his fingers touched it, it crumbled into a heap of scraps. Xu Tian, meanwhile, took down one of the wooden tablets. To his dismay, its writing had completely vanished, and the tablet was riddled with tiny holes left by insects.

Xu Tian returned the tablet to the shelf and came over to me. “It seems that the bronzes are the only things here worth looking at. The rest is useless. Let’s head out.”

We nodded. Li Kun asked, “Old Xu, do you think there are any other treasures in this tomb that are both worthwhile and easy to carry away?”

Xu Tian spread his hands. “I have no idea. But judging by my instincts, there must be. We’ve already come across Western Zhou bronzes, so there must be gold and silver treasures as well. I suspect we simply haven’t found the right place. There has to be some kind of treasure chamber in this tomb.”

Seeing Xu Tian speak so solemnly while bantering with Li Kun, I secretly laughed. His words immediately reinvigorated Li Kun. He stopped in his tracks and said, “That’s wonderful. If we find the treasure chamber, Master Li has to fill my backpack.”

Xu Tian laughed. “Stop dreaming. You think you can carry everything away? Remember the rules of the Order. If you violate them, our ancestors will come looking for you. And setting everything else aside, Senior Qiu Longshan would never let you off. You belong to his branch. If he found out you had broken the rules, he’d skin you alive and offer you to the spirits of the successive masters.”

Li Kun gave a sheepish laugh. “I was only saying. I’d never really do that. Isn’t that right, Old Liu?”

I nodded with a smile. “Exactly. Our comrade Old Li would never do such a thing. He’d have to clear the whole place out.”

At that, Xu Tian and I burst into laughter. Li Kun angrily slapped me on the arm. “Old Liu, do you suffer if you go even one day without mocking me?”

Xu Tian laughed. “All right, let’s get out of here and continue exploring ahead. We may really find a treasure chamber. We can’t carry anything away, but there’s no harm in feasting our eyes on it.”

Li Kun nodded hurriedly. “Then let’s get moving. I’ve never seen so much gold and silver treasure in my life.”

“Fine,” I said. “Let’s set out and continue searching ahead.”

With that, I led the way out, followed by Big Dog, then Xu Tian and Li Kun.

Big Dog said to Xu Tian, “Brother Xu, I had no idea you were so knowledgeable. You actually know about all this.”

Xu Tian smiled. “I’ve been tinkering with these things since I was a child. I’ve never seen a genuine bronze vessel with my own eyes, but I can still identify one at a glance.”

As we spoke, we continued forward in single file. We chatted as we walked, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed. None of us realized that danger was quietly closing in around us.

After a while, the passage began to widen. It also started curving slowly to our right.

Several minutes later, we saw the entrance to a great hall ahead. The moment we realized that a grand殿 stood not far in front of us, we all grew alert.

I said to Li Kun, “Number Two, take guard. Watch the left side. I’ll watch the right.”

Li Kun raised his weapon and pressed himself against the right wall of the passage, aiming toward the left side of the hall. I raised my Type 87 rifle and stood on the left, covering the right side of the hall.

“Number Two ready,” Li Kun said. “We can enter at any time.”

“Once inside, if you encounter an enemy, open fire and eliminate the target immediately. Over.”

“Received. Preparing to enter. Three, two, one—go!”

Volume Three: The Fox Immortal’s Tomb

Chapter Fifty: Bronze Ritual Vessels