Today is the sixth night, and summer has arrived. The weather is getting hotter, making it perfect for chatting and listening to stories. What will my friend share today? I had already prepared two cups of tea early on.
I waited for a long time without seeing him. Just as I was about to look for him, he came in from outside, and we nearly bumped into each other.
"In such a hurry?" my friend reproached. "I went to get something. This is a precious item; if you damage it, it'll be a grave sin."
"What is it that's so valuable?" I curiously looked at his hand and saw a black object the size of an egg, smooth like agate, quite beautiful. I couldn't resist reaching out to touch it, but he nimbly dodged.
"Listen to the story behind this item first. After you hear it, you won't be in such a hurry to touch it," he said with a mysterious smile.
"Alright, go ahead," I said, sitting down eagerly and sipping my tea as I listened.
"Last Christmas, I was alone in Shanghai. Suddenly, I received a letter—not an email, mind you. What was puzzling was that the sender's name gave me a chill.
It was from Li Wei, a friend who had died several years ago.
Speaking of Li Wei, I need to explain. He was an antiquities dealer—note, I said dealer, not scholar—because he made a living by selling artifacts.
Although we were friends, our relationship was superficial. I always despised such people, but sometimes he came across things that piqued my curiosity, so we met a few times. The last time, I saw his corpse with my own eyes.
His death could be considered an accident or perhaps divine punishment, as he often sold Buddhist artifacts. He died from a fall while digging up a Buddha head. I was there along with three of his other friends. We hastily dealt with his body and sent it to his wife. Strangely, she showed no sadness and firmly declared she would bring him back to life. We thought she was simply grieving too deeply.
"What about the letter? What did it say?"
"Why are you in such a rush? The letter was indeed written by Li Wei. His handwriting was unmistakable. I have a knack for remembering people's traits, even if I've only met them once. Li Wei's handwriting was distinctive. After all, it's rare to find someone who writes letters with a brush nowadays.
The letter said he had encountered something miraculous and asked us not to be afraid. He had also sent letters to the other three, hoping we would visit him at his home in a small town in Gansu.
I had lost contact with the others, but the letter intrigued me, so I packed up and went to that small town and followed the address to Li Wei's home.
To my surprise, he lived in a very luxurious villa. Although it was in the suburbs, it must have cost a fortune.
A servant greeted me and led me to the living room, which amazed me even more. It was filled with the finest artworks from various eras: Wu Daozi's 'Son of Heaven Delivering the Crown Prince', 'Along the River During the Qingming Festival', and calligraphy by Liu Gongquan, along with Ming and Qing dynasty official kiln porcelains. These replicas were incredibly lifelike and must have cost a fortune themselves.
"I knew you would come," I heard a familiar voice just as I was admiring the art.
Though I was mentally prepared, seeing someone I had seen die years ago now walking towards me energetically still startled me.
Li Wei was no longer the antiquities dealer I once knew. Dressed in a sharp suit with gold-rimmed glasses, his slicked-back hair shone like a lightbulb in the dim room. Only his large, red nose remained the same.
"I knew you would come," he repeated, seemingly very excited. I frowned, "Stop repeating yourself. I can hear just fine."
"Sorry, I'm just thrilled. Imagine, a dead man seeing an old friend again. How could I stay calm?" he said, stepping closer. I noticed a deep indentation on the left side of his head, the injury from his fall.
I extended my hand to shake his. It felt normal, though his palm was a bit harder than usual.
"Tell me, what's this all about? I'm busy and don't have time to marvel at you," I said half-jokingly.
Li Wei's face twitched but quickly returned to normal. "Still the same old temper. Since you're direct, I'll get to the point. Let's talk upstairs." He led me to his study.
If the living room's artwork was for show, the study was a museum. Most of the items were unidentifiable to me, but I could feel their unique souls. Good artifacts have souls.
"You must be puzzled, but you're better than the others who were too scared or skeptical to come. You're the only one who came, and I'm glad I didn't misjudge you," Li Wei said confidently, sitting on the sofa. I found his confidence irritating.
"I owe my resurrection to my wife," Li Wei said slowly, with a touch of melancholy.
"Of course, without a certain legendary artifact, I wouldn't be here," he continued. I sensed an unknown power sustaining his body.
"After you handed my body to my wife, she didn't bury me. Instead, she used all our savings to have me cryogenically preserved and set out to find a treasure to bring me back to life."
"A treasure?" I asked, my mind racing through the legends of items that could revive the dead.
"The Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense!" we exclaimed simultaneously.
"Impossible," I immediately rejected the idea. "That's just a legend. Historically, Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense didn't have such powers. At best, it could heal severe injuries."
"Hmph, I thought a well-read person like you would believe, but you're just as ignorant as the rest," Li Wei sneered. "If it's just a legend, how am I alive?"
"Heavens know, maybe you never really died, just fell into a deep coma," I said dismissively.
Li Wei's eyes turned cold, the kind of gaze I had only seen in corpses. "I invited you here to help, not to lecture on medicine. If you don't believe me, I'll show you proof," he said, activating a hidden mechanism that revealed a secret chamber.
"Come, but once you're in, don't regret it," he said, entering the chamber.
The darkness represented the unknown, and though I was scared, curiosity prevailed. Though I later survived by sheer luck, I don't regret it because I witnessed a treasure only spoken of in legends.
The passage was long, about two hundred meters, lit by old wall lamps with rust that indicated years of neglect. The dry passage surprised me, given the region's heavy rainfall.
At the end, we entered a large fan-shaped room with stone walls covered in ancient murals. I wasn't an expert, but they seemed pre-Tang dynasty due to the distinct styles of clothing and painting.
Li Wei lit a lamp in the room's center and began to undress. Confused, I asked why, but he said nothing and stripped naked, turning to face me.
Seeing his body, I understood his earlier words. His torso from the chest down was just a spine with tattered flesh hanging from it, and his left leg was severely decayed. This was not the body of someone who had simply survived a fall.
"Enough, put your clothes back on. I'm going to be sick," I said, turning away. When I looked back, Li Wei was dressed again, looking at me with a mocking smile.
"What do you want from me?"
"I need an assistant to help me re-enter the Yin Chamber!" Li Wei said firmly.
"Historical records indicate that Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense first appeared during Emperor Wu of Han's time when the Yuezhi people offered three pieces of incense. It was black as mulberry fruit, and when burned, its fragrance revived the dead within three days. Did your wife find it within three days?"
"I told you, cryogenic preservation extends the body's preservation time. You're right; the Yuezhi were the source, but it has been extinct for years," Li Wei said impatiently.
I thought about the Yuezhi's location, west of Lanzhou to Dunhuang in Gansu. This area thrived during the Warring States period and declined after the Huns drove them out. If the incense originated there, this place must have Yuezhi cultural traces. But how could Li Wei single-handedly open an ancient tomb?
"You can guess where this is. I'll tell you; it's Zhang Qian's tomb."
"Nonsense, Zhang Qian's tomb is in Hanzhong. Don't lie to me," I snapped.
"I knew you wouldn't believe me. This tomb was built by the Yuezhi for Zhang Qian. There's no body, but there's something more valuable."
"You mean the Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense?" I asked.
"Yes, the Yuezhi placed valuable treasures in this tomb. It's insignificant in historical records but a lifelong pursuit for antiquity enthusiasts like me."
"What's the Yin Chamber?"
"The Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense is precious. The Yuezhi hid it in the tomb's center. Imagine a typhoon's eye, the incense is like that, surrounded by entities trying to return to life using its power," Li Wei explained, surprising me.
"The incense once caused a war between humans and spirits in Japan, turning Kyoto into a ghost town. Its power is immense."
"But it can only revive the dead within three days, right?" I asked.
"That's not pure Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense. Zhang Qian's brought back unrefined incense, stored improperly and mixed with other herbs. Even diluted, it could heal severe illnesses, hence the historical records," Li Wei continued. I listened intently, fascinated by the stories, especially about Abe no Seimei's chaotic era in Japan.
"Let's go now. Your body seems unstable," I said, pointing to his decayed form.
Li Wei smiled bitterly. "The incense my wife used was impure. Though she sacrificed herself to revive me, I'm still like this. I must find pure incense."
I agreed, driven by my own curiosity for legendary treasures, despite the potential danger.
"Why not bring more people?" I asked.
"Numbers don't matter. A hundred useless people aren't as good as one capable assistant," he said, glancing at me. He moved a few blocks on the wall, and a circular hole about two meters wide opened in the floor, looking dark and ominous.
"It's not too late to back out," Li Wei teased.
"Don't use reverse psychology. Once I decide, I won't change my mind. But how do we get back up?" I asked, looking into the bottomless hole.
"There's an electric winch. We have limited time; it's safest now. If we miss this window, we'll have to wait ten years, and I don't have that long," Li Wei said, adjusting his gear. I noticed he had changed into climbing gear and brought out a machine with a large wheel and climbing ropes.
He handed me a set of clothes and a tool kit. "Change into these for easier movement."
Minutes later, we were ready. Li Wei checked his watch and then made a jumping motion. We jumped into the hole simultaneously.
The hole was about ten meters deep. We descended slowly with the ropes, but the smooth walls made it difficult. After half an hour, we finally reached the bottom.
We lit our portable flashlights. Li Wei explained we had two hours before the winch would pull us up automatically. We should hurry and not stay longer than necessary.
The tomb was hourglass-shaped, with the lower part much larger. The flashlight's beam was weak but illuminated the surroundings. The lower part consisted of several square stone walls, each inscribed with strange symbols and drawings. The first depicted a monk in meditation, but his attire didn't seem Chinese. The second showed a fox watching the monk, who lay on a pyre, seemingly being prepared for cremation by disciples. The third depicted a woman with a king, her eyes fixed on a box beside him.
I asked Li Wei about the murals.
"These murals tell the origin of the Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense," Li Wei replied, searching the floor.
"Really? What's the first one about?" I asked.
"It shows a high monk in meditation. A famous demon, the nine-tailed fox, wanted his relics and transformed into a woman to marry the king, the monk's son," Li Wei explained.
"The monk had a son? Monks can't have children," I said, puzzled.
"The monk, Chandragupta, founded the Maurya Dynasty and was a devout Jainist. After his death, he left three relics. The nine-tailed fox wanted them and married his son, Bindusara, who later became known as Ashoka," Li Wei continued. I was intrigued.
"How do you know this?" I asked, surprised by his knowledge of Indian history.
"My wife is Indian," Li Wei said quietly, then fell silent. I continued examining the murals, which depicted the fox being expelled from the palace by a young man, presumably Ashoka. The later scenes showed figures from China's Warring States period.
One mural showed a king holding a round, transparent object with a concubine, who was the nine-tailed fox. The object resembled the legendary He Shi Bi jade.
"Explain this part; I can't understand it," I asked Li Wei again.
"An Indian monk brought one of the relics to China and had a jade craftsman embed it in a famous piece of jade, the He Shi Bi. The jade was said to have magical powers. The fox tried to steal it but disappeared during the wars," Li Wei explained. "The monk's relics were divided: one stayed in India, another was taken to Japan, and the third was hidden by Zhang Qian's descendants."
"So, the relic is the Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense?" I asked, enlightened.
Li Wei nodded. "This treasure has caused chaos for over a thousand years."
"Enough talk, we don't have much time. Let's find it," Li Wei urged. We searched together and found the final mural after half an hour. It depicted an Indian monk building the tomb. The mural could be pushed, revealing two small doors.
We split up, each taking a door. I chose the right, not knowing the danger ahead.
The narrow passage barely accommodated my frame. After about twenty meters, I found uneven steps that felt strange underfoot. The dim light obscured the details. At the bottom, I saw an unusual light at the end of the passage. There, a mummified monk sat with a black box on his lap.
I called Li Wei, but the signal was poor. I pulled the rope as a signal and approached the box.
Using a tool to probe for traps, I found none. The heavy box seemed metallic, with no visible lock. My curiosity got the better of me. I opened the box with trembling hands, forgetting the corpse beside me.
The box released a captivating fragrance that invigorated me. Inside, a smooth, egg-sized object was held by four dragon mouths, with what seemed like Indian inscriptions.
I secured the box in my bag, unaware of the danger behind me.
The walkie-talkie crackled, Li Wei's voice urgent: "Did you get it? Don't open the box, just get out."
"Why not open it?" I asked, feeling a cold breeze. Turning, I saw skeletal warriors with ancient weapons, their flesh crumbling. They had awakened.
I realized the steps were their bodies. They advanced with weapons, and I backed away, shouting into the walkie-talkie, "No time to explain, come help!"
I heard Li Wei cursing and gunshots as skeletal heads shattered. I dodged and ran to Li Wei, who urged me to run.
"Skeletons can't jump, can they?" I asked, but they were climbing over each other. They were smarter than I thought.
In danger, I followed Li Wei's lead, running through the passage. We shut the stone door just as the skeletons reached us, their blows futile against the door.
Exhausted, we sat down. I asked, "What were those things?"
"Tomb guards. Touching the box awakens them. I warned you not to open it. If you hadn't got the box, I wouldn't have saved you," Li Wei scolded. I smiled sheepishly.
"The Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense is powerful. We need to leave quickly. Moving it will disturb this place soon," Li Wei said, pressing a remote. We heard the winch starting. Checking my watch, we had five minutes left.
But the winch didn't work. Li Wei pressed the remote repeatedly, with no response. Suddenly, a scorching wind blew, and I saw the nine-tailed fox descend from the mural.
Its flames lit the room like daylight, its enormous body nearly filling the space, its nine tails bristling. I was petrified by the sight of this mythical creature.
"I didn't expect it to appear," Li Wei said, frustrated.
"Isn't it supposed to be sealed?" I asked.
"This isn't its true form, just a manifestation of its obsession with the Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense. Its only thought is to kill us and reclaim the box," Li Wei explained.
If we could fight the skeletons with guns, we stood no chance against the fox. It approached, eyes blazing with fury, focused on my bag containing the box.
"What do we do? The winch isn't working, and we need to hold out for five minutes," I said, panicked.
"Don't be scared. It's just a manifestation, likely not very strong," Li Wei said, but the fox shattered a stone tablet with a swipe, and we swallowed hard.
I could feel its heat, my clothes starting to smoke. "Think of something! You know this tomb, right?" I pleaded.
Li Wei quickly pulled out two semi-circular transparent objects from his bag, fitting them together to form a round jade disc.
"The He Shi Bi?" I exclaimed.
Li Wei ignored me, muttering a prayer before throwing the disc at the fox.
"Are you crazy? That's the He Shi Bi!" I shouted.
"It's useless now, having lost its power. But it might appease the fox's spirit," Li Wei said.
The fox was indeed distracted by the He Shi Bi, playing with it like a cat with a toy. Its anger subsided, and its size reduced.
"Two more minutes. Let's hope it doesn't notice," Li Wei said, checking his watch.
Time dragged, each second feeling like a year. The winch finally engaged, pulling us up. Just then, the fox bit Li Wei's leg.
I screamed, but Li Wei calmly drew a knife and severed his leg, with no blood flowing.
We watched the enraged fox below as we ascended. "Are you alright?" I asked.
Li Wei grunted, his face expressionless.
We emerged from the hole, only to be knocked out. When I woke, I was tied up beside Li Wei, who was equally restrained. Familiar faces surrounded us.
"Hey Li, I came as soon as I got your letter. See how loyal I am?" a short, bespectacled man sneered. I recognized him and the others as Li's old friends who had witnessed his death. They had come after all.
"You really got the Fragrant Soul-Returning Incense. Impressive," said a tall man in a trench coat, holding the precious box.
"Give it back! If you want it, get it yourself!" I shouted, receiving punches in return.
"Calm down," Li advised. Then he shouted, "You want the incense and He Shi Bi? No need to kill a half-dead man like me. Let him go, and I'll show you how to use it."
"Great," said the bald man who had hit me. He was one of the three. They all came, knowing about the incense.
"We followed you after your wife revived you with impure incense. You two are remarkable, finding this tomb unrecorded in history. But your wife died from the effort, and you're in this state. Let us use it for humanity's benefit," the short man said, feigning nobility.
"Fine, but how can I demonstrate without a corpse?" Li said, and the bald man hesitated. The tall man shot him in the head without a word, silencing him forever.
The tall man untied Li, supporting him with one hand while holding a gun. I knew we wouldn't survive once they learned to use the incense.
Li took the incense, now free from its dragon-mouthed box. The black, smooth object was finally in our hands. Li rubbed it with his hands, releasing a soothing fragrance that made us sleepy. I dozed off.
"Wake up! Wake up," someone slapped me awake. It was Li. The others lay unconscious.
"What happened?" I asked, standing up shakily.
"Rubbing the incense induces temporary unconsciousness," Li explained.
"Why aren't you affected?" I asked.
"It only works on the living," Li replied. I asked what to do with the others.
"Throw them down. The nine-tailed fox is still angry," Li said, his tone chilling.
"Throw them down?" I hesitated.
"They tried to kill us," Li reminded me.
I couldn't argue, so I complied, throwing them down, including the bald man's corpse. The short man, not dead, pleaded for mercy, but his cries were cut short by the fox's roar and his screams. His final words echoed, "Li Wei, you will not die well!"
Supporting Li, I left the tomb, returning to his ransacked study. The machine had been sabotaged by the intruders.
"Take me to Lingyi's room," Li urged. I carried him to his wife's room, which was an ice chamber. Lingyi lay on an ice bed, unchanged but lifeless.
"She's been dead for years. I've searched for the pure incense to revive her. I'm already dead, not worth her sacrifice," Li said, crying. He wanted to save his wife, not himself.
"Can the incense only save one person?" I asked.
"No, but each use requires thirty years. Emperor Taizong of Tang revived after days due to the incense. The corpse must be preserved, hence this ice chamber," Li explained.
"Three pieces: one weakened in the He Shi Bi, one lost in Japan, and this last piece," I confirmed.
Li nodded. He lit the incense and held it to his wife's nose. I smelled the fragrance but didn't faint this time.
Miraculously, Lingyi's face regained color, while the incense dimmed, turning into an ordinary black stone.
Watching Lingyi awaken, Li's eyes lost their light. He fell onto her, rapidly decaying to ashes. When I touched him, he crumbled.
"He was foolish," Lingyi said, tears streaming despite her expressionless face.
"Indeed, but he died happy. Maybe you shouldn't have revived him years ago. Those meant to die should die, and those meant to live will live," I said, handing her the incense.
"This is his final relic."
"No, it brings too many memories. He trusted you to retrieve the incense, so keep it as a memento," Lingyi said, her breath still unsteady.
Looking at the mysterious stone, I couldn't refuse. This legendary treasure had fallen into my hands.
"What happened to Lingyi?" I asked my friend.
"We stayed in touch. She now works to preserve artifacts, believing in the mysterious powers of our civilizations," he said.
"Does it still have any power?" I asked, looking at the stone.
"Yes," he confirmed. "Though it can't revive the dead, it can treat stubborn illnesses and bring dreams of deceased loved ones."
"Really? Let me use it tonight," I said, reaching for the incense, but he refused.
"Not tonight. I'm going to sleep now. Tomorrow, you can borrow it," he said, escaping with the stone.
"So stingy," I complained, lying down. I noticed the date on my watch: July 14th. I suddenly remembered that his father died on this date.
"Hope you have a good dream tonight," I whispered, drifting into sleep.