Do you have his photo or any distinguishing features?
"There are no photos either, because back then we only had a business relationship with him. We didn't even know his real name or background. All we knew was that people in the underworld called him 'One Fortune Teller'."
"Accurate divination in one go?"
"That's right, it was a single divination. This person's expertise in divination and fortune telling is unfathomable. So many years have passed, I wonder what he looks like now, but I'm certain that he's still in Sichuan, and still pursuing the secret to immortality. The reason I want to find him is not only to avenge my brothers from back then, but also because he has a map about the place to become an immortal. I'm sure you all want to get this map too, right?"
"We really want the map, but we have absolutely no clue about the person you mentioned. How can we help you find him?"
Gui Qianshou shook his head. "Actually, the biggest clue is that he is still pursuing the secret of becoming an immortal and exploring the Shu Tomb. What I mean is that he may very well appear among you, interact with you, and become your rival or partner."
We all understood what he meant: this was indeed a major clue, and it was very likely that the mole had already appeared, perhaps among us, or perhaps secretly following us.
In addition, Ghost Thousand Hands mentioned a clue: this person knows some evil magic and can use illusions to deceive others, so we should be careful not to be fooled.
We talked for a long time after that, and I learned that Gui Qianshou and his group were robbing the Shu tombs around the late 1980s, which is about 30 years ago now. After the incident, he investigated alone for more than ten years but still found nothing. Later, he simply gave up and started selling antiques in this place, while also secretly trying to find out about that person, because he felt that person would definitely come to Sanxingdui.
But more than ten years have passed, and that person has never appeared. "Perhaps he has changed his appearance?" Ghost Thousand Hands said.
This is not impossible. This person knows some kind of evil magic, and changing his appearance is not a problem for him. This makes the matter even more complicated. This person is following us like a ghost in the dark. We already had one demon, which was troublesome enough. Now we have another ghost.
After finishing our meal, we said goodbye and exchanged contact information, promising to come again sometime.
Back at my lodgings, I drank a glass of water. The sake from Oni Senju was indeed a rare find, but it was also quite potent. I started to feel the effects, but after drinking the water, I felt a little better.
I sat down and sorted out my thoughts, then said, "Could it be that the demon and the ghost are actually the same person?"
“It’s not impossible, but the key is that the devil already existed in the Republic of China era, while this traitor appeared later,” Xiang Fei also said.
Uncle Liu from Hunan suddenly said, "You've all overlooked one point. If the devil appeared during the Republic of China era, then could this mole have simply changed the way he appeared, which is why people who came into contact with him have different opinions about him?"
"Hmm, that makes sense. How come I didn't think of that? But who is this devil or mole?" I said calmly, glancing at Xiang Fei and Uncle Liu from Hunan. I was the least suspicious among them. Firstly, this matter was closely related to me, and I was also passively involved. Secondly, the mole should be quite old, not as young as me. So the suspicion lies with anyone other than me.
Xiang Fei and Uncle Liu from Hunan clearly saw through my thoughts and immediately became a little awkward.
"Don't worry, I would never hurt you, no matter who else I hurt," Xiang Fei said, patting my shoulder.
"Ahem," Uncle Liu from Hunan coughed twice, "Although I come from Hunan, I have inherited the Liu family's skills, that's for sure. If you don't believe me, you can go to Hunan and see for yourself when you have time."
The atmosphere became a little awkward, so to avoid further embarrassment, I changed the subject, "Do you think the purpose of the Demon Thousand Hands is really that simple?"
"Hmph, how could it be that simple? This old fox is hiding his true colors. If I'm not mistaken, he is the real owner of the animal skin scroll. He's just pretending to be mysterious to cover his tracks."
What do you mean by that?
"The reason is simple: he has now 'washed his hands of the business,' but who knows what he's been up to in the shadows? He gave us the animal skin scrolls just to make us his pawns, to do things for him so he can reap the benefits. Don't forget that he was also involved in the search for the secret to immortality back then. There are definitely many inside stories we don't know. Even what he just told us might not be entirely true. After all, it concerns the secret to immortality; how many people can resist the temptation?"
After discussing it for a while, we still couldn't come up with a solution. The effects of the alcohol kicked in, and we started to feel dizzy. We all went to bed early, planning to finish what we needed to say tomorrow, go back to our hometown, and then head to Mount Emei. The place where immortality was attained was very likely there. I already had a feeling that there would be an unprecedented contest there, fraught with danger.
Two days later, we found Professor Zhang and his team, explained everything that needed to be explained, and told them to be careful not to take any rash actions if they discovered anything suspicious, and to wait for us to come and make a decision.
After explaining everything, I took a bus back to my hometown. I rested for two days before heading to Mount Emei. Now I try to spend as much time at home as possible. My mother is getting old and needs more company. I can't let her worry too much, or I'll feel guilty.
When I got home, it was lunchtime and my mom was cooking. I brought back some tonics from the city. I told her I was going to Sanxingdui to take care of some business in the city and to have a big boss look at the feng shui. My mom didn't say anything. But now I'm really conflicted. If this continues, I'll eventually be unable to hide it. My mom is now strongly against me participating in any archaeological or tomb raiding activities.
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