Volume One - The Hundred Coffins Mound Chapter Thirty-Eight - The Golden-Handled Dust Whisk

I asked in confusion, “A golden-handled horsetail whisk? What is that?”

Xu Tian poured a cup of tea for Li Kun and me, then continued, “As the name suggests, the handle of this whisk is blackened because it’s made entirely of gold, while the tail is crafted from the hair of a white horse.”

“But preserving a horse’s tail like that isn’t simple. Several rare medicinal herbs are used to refine and treat the hair, making it so resilient that it can last for a thousand years without decay.”

“My suspicion that the Taoist in question practices dark arts stems from his use of this particular whisk. Before the Song Dynasty, the tails of whisks were indeed made from white horsehair, and the handles from sandalwood.”

“Later, many great Daoist masters discovered that whisks made with white horsehair could attract ghosts and evil spirits. That’s when they replaced the tails with more common materials—wool, hemp, strips of cloth, tattered items, or even twigs and branches.”

“As for the gold handle, it’s a tool used to command spirits and specters. When combined, the result is what Daoism calls a golden-handled horsetail whisk. However, it’s neither a sacred implement nor a magical artifact, but something known as a mysterious implement.”

Li Kun and I were taken aback. I asked, “A mysterious implement? What’s that?”

Xu Tian went on, “Mysterious implements are what the Daoist sects call tools specifically used to summon and control spirits. Magical implements are for breaking evil and dispelling misfortune, but mysterious implements gather spirits and invite haunting. That’s why they’re called mysterious.”

Hearing this, Li Kun and I finally understood—there was so much depth to these matters. Indeed, the world is vast and full of strange things. Whether sacred implements, magical artifacts, underworld tools, or mysterious implements, each has its own place. As for mysterious implements, whether they are used for good or evil depends on the user’s heart. If one harbors ambition, they are no ordinary villain.

Thinking of this, Li Kun and I exchanged glances, secretly amazed. Xu Tian was indeed formidable. Li Kun joked, “Xu, you’re wasting your talents not being a detective. Your reasoning is top-notch.”

Xu Tian scratched his head and said, “Actually, I learned all this from the books my grandfather collected. He loved collecting odd and rare books, and I loved reading as a child.”

I said to Xu Tian, “So, your grandfather was fond of collecting this kind of ancient book?”

Xu Tian nodded. “That’s right. He collected mostly esoteric works on geomancy and secret techniques, though most are incomplete volumes, long since lost to time.”

I nodded. “It seems your grandfather truly had deep knowledge in this field.”

Xu Tian nodded again, then said, “By the way, did you bring out that golden-handled whisk? Let me have a look. It’s not exactly a national treasure, but it’s still worth quite a lot—at least enough to buy a car.”

Upon hearing this, Li Kun’s eyes widened. “What? That shabby whisk is worth that much?”

Seeing Li Kun’s reaction, Xu Tian immediately realized they hadn’t brought out the golden-handled whisk. He sighed heavily and said, “Oh, Li, why didn’t you bring it out? Even if you’d just brought the handle, it would fetch a fortune.”

When Xu Tian finished, Li Kun slumped back into his chair, muttering to himself, “Gold… it was gold…”

Seeing Li Kun like this, I couldn’t help but laugh. “Come on, we didn’t know it was gold at the time.”

Xu Tian nodded in agreement. “It’s a pity, though.”

After chatting awhile longer with Xu Tian, Li Kun eventually returned to normal. Somewhat embarrassed, he said, “Liu, when we were down in the tomb, we ran into some trouble. Used up all the bullets, but don’t worry—the guns are still in perfect shape.”

Xu Tian waved it off. “Ah, that’s no big deal.”

At this point, Li Kun said, “Xu, your explosives are way too powerful. Next time, bring some with less force, and some with more, and mark them clearly.”

Xu Tian asked, puzzled, “What do you mean by less powerful?”

“The kind that can take out just a small section of wall, and the stronger kind that can blow up a whole passage.”

Xu Tian drew out his response, then said, “Sounds like you two had quite a few mishaps in the tomb.”

I said to Xu Tian, “Indeed, those explosives were too powerful. If I hadn’t run fast enough, I might not have made it. In an emergency, you have to cut the fuse, but that can get you hurt while escaping.”

Xu Tian nodded to show he understood. “Got it. I’ll remember that.”

Then I said to Li Kun, “Let’s head back for now.”

Xu Tian quickly interjected, “Come on, Liu, stay and eat before you leave. Our homes aren’t far apart anyway.”

I shook my head, stood up, and said, “I’ll leave this badge to you. I’m sure you know what to do. Li Kun and I won’t interfere.”

Xu Tian nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. I’ll call the museum soon and have someone come authenticate the badge. If it’s what I think it is, the nation won’t forget our contribution.”

I nodded, not asking how Xu Tian would explain the origin of the jade to the museum staff. Clearly, he’d have his own way. Anyone in this line of work would never admit their find came straight from a tomb. Besides, if the badge truly was a national treasure, the museum staff would have their share of the credit too.

Li Kun walked over to me and said to Xu Tian, “We’ll go back and wait for your good news, then.”

Xu Tian nodded. “Don’t worry, just leave it to me. If anything comes up, just give me a call.” With that, Li Kun and I made our way downstairs.

At the counter, the new shop assistant saw us coming down and nodded. “Take care, gentlemen.”

Now, Li Kun and I took a closer look at the young woman. Clearly, Xu Tian had good taste. She was about twenty-two or twenty-three, around one-seventy in height, slim, with delicate features. Not exactly a beauty, but her pure, fresh look was undeniably attractive.

As we stepped outside, the woman didn’t follow. Li Kun grinned mischievously at Xu Tian and said, “You’ve got a good eye, Xu. Is this what they call ‘keeping a beauty hidden away’?”

Xu Tian was momentarily at a loss, not understanding Li Kun’s meaning. When he glanced back at the woman behind the counter, realization dawned.

He forced a smile and said, “Li, stop teasing me. She’s actually my cousin.”

At this, Li Kun and I looked at the woman again, surprised. “What? She’s your cousin?”