The Hundred Paces Sword

My name is Ge Tianzhong. I just turned twenty this year. I was born into a family of antique dealers. For generations, my family has been in the business of buying and selling antiques. It's hard to say exactly how many generations have been involved in this trade, but according to my dad, our ancestors have been doing this since the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, back then, it wasn't really buying and selling; it was more like looting from the dead.

Yes, my ancestors were tomb raiders.

However, it's said that my oldest ancestor died in a large tomb, and since then, none of our descendants have dared to touch a tomb again. By the time it got to my generation, we couldn't even touch antiques anymore. I was born prematurely, and my mother passed away early due to complications during childbirth. As a result, I was born with a weak constitution. In my father's words, my fate wasn't strong enough, and I lacked innate vitality. I was more prone to encountering unclean things, and being in the antique business was practically like courting death!

After all, while antiques may sound elegant and historic, they're essentially burial objects, things that belonged to the dead! Engaging in this business is like stealing from the dead. If your fate isn't strong enough, what good can come from dealing with these things? With generations in my family working in this field, we've encountered numerous strange occurrences due to the superstitions, which is why my name, Tianzhong, was chosen.

My dad said that the Dragon Boat Festival is the day with the strongest yang energy in the year, and it's also called the Tianzhong Festival. Naming me Tianzhong was an attempt to draw on the cosmic energy to compensate for my weak yang energy.

So, under my old man's protection, I lived a peaceful life for twenty years. I haven't suffered much or endured any hardship. Life was relatively calm until half a year ago when something happened, and my routine life began to change.

That day, I was in class as usual when my dad's assistant, Uncle Li, suddenly came and insisted on taking me out of university without any explanation. It was only later that I found out—my dad was in trouble!

About a month before my dad got into trouble, a group of tomb raiders discovered a burial site in the Qinling Mountains. This burial site had been around for some time, containing many large tombs dating back to before the Sui Dynasty. This group of tomb raiders managed to loot one of the tombs and flooded the antique market with nearly two thousand items. Somehow, word of this got out.

This was a rare occurrence in recent years, and the entire antique world was shaken!

Suddenly, there were countless people "mining" the Qinling Mountains. In reality, they were all tomb raiders using the guise of mining permits to dig graves! Even some local villagers joined in.

When my dad heard about this, how could he sit still? He immediately packed up and rushed to the Qinling Mountains to collect "buried treasures." "Buried treasures" is a term in the antique world, referring to antiques scattered in rural areas, buried by villagers who couldn't recognize their value. Most of the antiques in today's market are "buried treasures." However, these treasures are not all of equal quality. Without a discerning eye, one cannot succeed. But my dad was one of those with "sharp eyes." For example, ten years ago, he was passing through a rural area to collect "buried treasures" when he noticed a woman poking the stove with a black object. With just one glance, my dad realized that the black object was actually a Han Dynasty sword. It was said to have been dug up by the woman's husband while farming. He managed to buy the sword from the woman for 200 yuan and sold it for 430,000 yuan!

This is the benefit of collecting "buried treasures." If luck is on your side, you can make a fortune in an instant. In our line of work, we say, "Open shop for half a year, and feast for the other half!"

So, my dad going to the Qinling Mountains to collect "buried treasures" was quite normal. I knew about it, but I didn't ask much at the time. After all, with such a large burial site in the Qinling Mountains, there was a high chance of antiques being exposed due to erosion or collapse of the mountain. Going to collect "buried treasures" might result in a big profit.

However, I never expected that my dad would never return.

The bearer of bad news was a fellow antique dealer who had gone with my dad. Exactly how my dad died, I had asked Uncle Li, but he said I wasn't ready to know yet. It wouldn't benefit me. He said he would tell me when I was capable.

I knew my dad's death couldn't be that simple, but if Uncle Li wouldn't say, I had no choice. For survival, I had to take over my dad's antique shop. Even though I wasn't suited for this business due to my weak fate, I had no choice. Fortunately, with Uncle Li's help, I could still manage my studies.

So, I began to live a life shuttling between the antique shop and university. Unfortunately, after half a year, the antique shop had very little business. Instead, the savings my dad left me were dwindling by the day. I was not only anxious about my financial situation, but I also couldn't stop thinking about my dad's death. I had hardly slept well in the past six months.

I knew that until I figured out what happened to my dad, I wouldn't be able to live in peace. My dad and I depended on each other. If someone else's fate ended mysteriously, I couldn't just let it go.

One day, as usual, after finishing my 10 a.m. class, I went to the antique shop my dad left me since I didn't have any more classes that day. But as I was about to start working upstairs, I heard voices arguing downstairs. I hurried down.

When I got downstairs, I found Uncle Li arguing with a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing camouflage clothes and carrying a long, thick cloth bundle on his back. Uncle Li kept pushing and shoving the man out while saying, "Sorry, we don't take 'ghost goods' here!"

The middle-aged man resisted being pushed out and, in a thick Shaanxi accent, said, "You haven't even seen my goods yet. Take a look before you decide. If you like it, you can pay less. My brother is waiting for this money to save his life!"

Ghost goods? I frowned. Ghost goods were also a term in our trade, referring to things dug up from tombs by tomb raiders. This kind of merchandise was not only illegal but also often carried malicious energy, harmful to one's health. Avoiding them was normal. My name, Tianzhong, was related to this.

I hadn't noticed from a distance, but now standing next to the man, I smelled a strong earthy scent on him. It was distinct from the scent of someone who works in the fields; it was sharp, like the smell of mossy water left out for too long.

This earthy smell was quite common on people who dealt with "ghost goods" all year round.

However, as a businessman, I had to consider every opportunity. I waved at Uncle Li to stop pushing the man and said, "Wait, let me see what goods you have. But remember, I'm only looking, not buying. We don't deal in 'ghost goods'."

The middle-aged man's eyes lit up. "Sure, sure! Young man, you're quite discerning."

He carefully put down the long cloth bundle and opened it to reveal a bronze mirror about a foot in diameter. The mirror's surface was already somewhat mottled and dull, but it was still possible to see that it had been polished to a high shine once upon a time.

"This is it!" the middle-aged man said proudly, "This is a Han Dynasty bronze mirror. Look, it's still shiny. And the patterns on it are rare!"

I looked at the mirror carefully. Indeed, the mirror was in good condition. The patterns on it were exquisite and intricate, depicting scenes of mountains, rivers, and forests.

I nodded. "Yes, the mirror is quite exquisite. But this is just a bronze mirror. It's not worth much. Maybe a few hundred yuan."

The middle-aged man's face changed slightly, and he hurriedly said, "No, no, this is not an ordinary bronze mirror. This is an authentic Han Dynasty bronze mirror, a national treasure. It's worth millions, millions!"

I frowned. "Are you sure?"

The middle-aged man nodded vigorously. "Absolutely sure! My brother's life is hanging by a thread. He was chased by tomb robbers while he was searching for antiques in the Qinling Mountains. He barely escaped with his life. This mirror was the only thing he managed to bring back. You must help us!"

I hesitated. It was true that an authentic Han Dynasty bronze mirror could be worth millions. But it was also true that most of the bronze mirrors unearthed in tombs were not authentic. They were either made in later dynasties and buried in tombs for burial rituals or were made as imitations for the antique market. Even if this bronze mirror was authentic, its current condition would significantly reduce its value. It was likely worth only a few hundred yuan.

However, seeing the middle-aged man's anxious and pleading expression, I couldn't help but feel a little moved. I had experienced the loss of my father, and I knew how painful it was. If I could help someone else avoid that pain, I should.

But I couldn't make a decision on my own. I looked at Uncle Li, who was standing aside with a worried expression. He shook his head slightly, indicating that he didn't agree.

I sighed inwardly. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn't afford to make a mistake in this matter. After all, I still had to live.

I smiled apologetically at the middle-aged man and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I suggest you go to the Cultural Relics Bureau and report this mirror. They will give you a fair price. If it's really worth millions, they'll definitely pay you."

The middle-aged man's face fell, and he looked disappointed. He hesitated for a moment before nodding reluctantly. "Okay, I'll listen to you. I'll go to the Cultural Relics Bureau and report it. Thank you, young man."

With that, he carefully wrapped up the bronze mirror and left the antique shop.

After he left, Uncle Li looked at me with a complicated expression. "Tianzhong, you did the right thing. We can't touch 'ghost goods.' It's not worth the risk."

I nodded in agreement. "I know. But it's a pity. If that bronze mirror had been authentic, it would have been worth millions."

Uncle Li sighed. "Yes, it's a pity. But in our business, it's better to be safe than sorry. We should focus on legitimate antiques. That's the right path."

I nodded again, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of regret. If only that bronze mirror had been authentic, I could have sold it for millions and solved all my financial problems. But now, I would have to continue struggling to keep the antique shop afloat.

As I stood there lost in thought, I suddenly felt a chill run down my spine, and a voice whispered in my ear, "Tianzhong, you're making a mistake."