The gaunt man froze at my words, his tension instantly rising as he stared at me cautiously for a long time.
His reaction unnerved me, and I turned to leave, intending to open the door and depart, but he called me back.
"Are you a feng shui master?"
I stopped, looking at him with a touch of surprise. "How did you figure that out?"
Hearing my confirmation, he visibly relaxed, patting his chest. "Young sir, you scared me half to death. I thought you were one of the cops from upstairs!"
"Cops?"
Seeing my confusion, he quickly explained that "cops" meant police officers.
I frowned slightly, looking at him with doubt. "Could it be that this is a dodgy establishment of yours..." I trailed off. If it wasn't a shady place, why would the police be investigating?
"Oh, don't go saying things like that. My little shop has been here for almost ten years. Recently, I don't know what's gotten into them. I heard they're looking for something, and they've been going house to house, asking everyone to reveal their hidden treasures, but they still haven't found it. Apparently, they're conducting covert investigations."
The man explained the reason in a hushed tone, all the while keeping an eye on the street outside to see if anyone was passing by. It made me want to laugh, as it reminded me of spy rendezvous I'd seen on television.
After he confirmed multiple times that no one was following me, he finally closed the door securely. He then introduced himself, stating his surname was Zhou. Because he was thin and small, his nickname was Zhou Monkey, and he asked me to call him that.
Although I found the nickname amusing, I couldn't address him that way, as it would make me seem very ill-mannered. After a moment's thought, I addressed him as Brother Zhou. He grinned widely, chuckling, and declared that he would definitely bring out his most prized possession for me to see.
After passing through three iron doors, each nearly half a meter thick and secured with combination locks, we arrived at the backyard. Looking up, I saw walls five meters high all around, topped with barbed wire. Occasional sparks indicated they were electrified. The ground was paved with large stones, which felt a bit rough underfoot. Judging by the defensive measures, it would be difficult for not only a thief but even a small troop to breach it.
Seeing my puzzlement, he explained, "It's unavoidable. This village, Molu, doesn't have much of anything else, except for grave robbers. Some of these scoundrels not only rob graves but also steal from businesses like ours when their greed takes over. They've caused us so much trouble that we're at our wit's end. We had no choice but to spend a fortune to fortify our property like this. Alas! Just talking about it brings tears to my eyes!"
I nodded without speaking, unsure if his story was true. However, I did admit that there were many grave robbers, especially since the eight hundred li of Qingfeng Mountain were said to contain the burial site of a true dragon. No grave robber wouldn't want to explore it, and I myself was eager to observe it firsthand to improve my Yin-Gua skills.
Once inside the room, Zhou Monkey was exceptionally hospitable, offering tea and water.
"Young brother, please sit here for a moment. I'm going to retrieve a treasure that I'm sure you'll find impressive." Without waiting for my consent, he turned and left the room.
Fortunately, he didn't keep me waiting too long. Soon after, he returned carrying a long wooden box. The slight sweat on his forehead indicated that the item he was carrying was quite heavy.
*Bang—*
He placed the wooden box on the table with a dull thud.
"Oh, this fellow is really heavy. It's been here for many years, and it's finally time for it to see the light of day again." Zhou Monkey patted the wooden box and then gently stroked it, as if speaking to an old friend.
Although I didn't know what was inside the box, its shape suggested it was some kind of weapon. This made me excited. I had always envied Zhang Dabiao's cleaving mountain saber; it was incredibly effective against ghosts and demons, and a great help in fights.
Ever since I saw Zhang Dabiao use it to hack at Sui Wan'er, I had wanted to borrow it to examine, but he always refused. He even used excuses like "my wife can be borrowed, but my personal weapon absolutely cannot be lent out," which infuriated me to the point where I almost lost my temper. If I hadn't considered that I couldn't defeat him, I would have certainly taught him a lesson. What kind of nonsense was that?
However, on second thought, I understood. It was his life-saving item; how could he not cherish it?
Looking at the long, narrow wooden box before me, my heart burned with anticipation. I hoped it contained a weapon suitable for me. Although I generally didn't engage with Yin spirits and malevolent entities, having a weapon imbued with fierce energy would be more beneficial than detrimental.
Zhou Monkey wiped the dust off the box. As I watched with eager eyes, he opened it. I had envisioned a short knife or a dagger, or even a short sword would have been acceptable. But when I saw what was inside, I nearly popped my eyeballs out.
"Brother Zhou, this is the treasure you mentioned."
I looked at him carrying the wooden box, which was so heavy. I had assumed it contained some kind of metal object. But I had no idea that instead of any metal item, there lay something that looked like a fire poker, about half a meter long, emitting a faint, dark luster.
"Shh..."
Zhou Monkey's expression changed slightly, and he quickly put a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
Seeing that the "fire poker" in the box showed no change, Zhou Monkey carefully closed the lid again and looked at me with some displeasure.
"I say, young brother, don't you understand even this basic rule?"
"What rule?"
"When examining a treasure, you mustn't speak ill of it in its presence. If you encounter a treasure with fierce energy, not only will you suffer misfortune, but I, the introducer, will also be implicated!"
Seeing his serious expression, I found it a little amusing but replied earnestly, "Is there such a rule? I didn't know! Perhaps you could explain it to me, Brother Zhou?"
Regardless, weapons are inanimate objects. Even if some weapons possess sentience, they are extremely rare. As for sentient weapons, I had barely heard of them. If they existed, it would have been in the mythical era, and no one knows if such an era truly existed.
Zhou Monkey appeared somewhat helpless, sighing and giving me a wry smile. "If I were to explain this properly, it would take at least three days and three nights. If you insist on knowing, just consider it a rule of our trade in funerary objects."
Seeing that I no longer pressed the issue, Zhou Monkey immediately asked, "So, what do you think? Have you taken a liking to it?"
I shook my head. "You closed the lid before I could get a good look. How can I tell if it's a treasure or not?"
Sensing my interest, Zhou Monkey's smile widened, revealing only a row of white teeth, his eyes narrowed to slits. "Don't be fooled by its appearance; although it's made of wood, it's incredibly heavy, comparable to ordinary steel. If you don't believe me, you can pick it up and feel its weight." With that, he stepped back a couple of paces.
I sneered inwardly. How heavy could a wooden rod, half a meter long and no thicker than a child's wrist, possibly be? If it was heavy, the trick must be in the wooden box itself.
With that thought, I reached out with both hands towards the wooden box.
"Hmm?"