Chapter 0002: The Theft of the Golden Talisman (Part Two)

Mu Sanshou remained silent, not even glancing at the person beside him. He drew out a dry tobacco pipe from his waist, with a mouthpiece made of Hetian jade, crafted from the finest Hetian seed material. The jade was warm and smooth to the touch, delicate as fat, and notably, there was a trace of yellow seed skin where it met his lips. The smoke and fire had not only failed to affect the quality of this beautiful jade but had instead enhanced the vibrancy of the yellow and the delicacy of the white. The brass bowl of the pipe was adorned with intricate carvings of two dragons, a masterpiece by the renowned Qing Dynasty craftsman Zhou Mengqi. The yellow seed skin remained where it touched his lips, and the smoke and fire had not diminished the jade's quality; rather, they made the yellow more radiant and the white more refined. The brass bowl of the pipe featured exquisite carvings of two dragons, crafted by the famous Qing Dynasty artisan Zhou Mengqi. The small nan bamboo pipe, having been handled for many years, had turned a rich yellow and glossy, with a purplish-red patina that surprisingly resembled the texture of red jade. This seemingly ordinary pipe had its unique charm; the approximately two-foot-long bamboo pipe, as thick as a thumb, was engraved with the complete set of the Diamond Sutra, a work by Xun Baoshi, the foremost micro-sculptor of Suzhou. Both of these artisans have passed away, and their works have naturally increased in value. Even the brocade tobacco pouch used to hold the tobacco leaves was crafted by the top embroiderers of Suzhou. The approximately two-foot-long bamboo pipe, as thick as a thumb, was engraved with the complete set of the Diamond Sutra, a work by Xun Baoshi, the foremost micro-sculptor of Suzhou. Both of these artisans have passed away, and their works have naturally increased in value. Even the brocade tobacco pouch used to hold the tobacco leaves was crafted by the top embroiderers of Suzhou.

Luo Liedao said, "But you need not be afraid; there is not much money in the wallet, nor is there anything of importance. Such trivial matters should not alarm Master Mu." He patted the blind man's broad shoulder and added, "Rest assured, after hiding for a couple of days, everything will calm down."

Luo Lie nodded

Luo Lie's deep gaze fixed on his excited, flushed, and plump face: "Greed is like a snake swallowing an elephant; you may have exposed yourself."

Luo Lie, with his exceptional insight, immediately detected the issue. He furrowed his brow and asked, "What is it? Is there something else you are hiding from me?"

Luo Liedao: "Shit!"

Luo Lie stood up and walked over to him, grabbing his collar firmly. The area where he held felt somewhat hard. He tore open the blind man's collar, pulling out a golden pendant attached to a red string. It is not uncommon for pendants to be made of gold; the most common types are various protective Buddha figures and zodiac signs. However, Luo Lie had never seen an object like this before. It measured five centimeters in length, with a base as thick as a thumb, tapering in a spiral shape towards the front, narrowing to a point at the top, resembling a spear tip. The spiral spear tip had tiny characters engraved along the curve of the spiral, but the characters were so small that even with Luo Lie's keen eyesight, he could not make them out. He spread his large hand, signaling the blind man to hand over the pendant to him

The middle-aged man beside him could no longer endure the strong smell of smoke, turning his chubby white face to the side. With a delicate gesture, he pinched a handkerchief to cover his mouth and began to cough softly, his shoulders shaking as if he were a wronged little girl

The blind man, with a mournful expression, picked up the newspaper from the ground and immediately saw the photograph on the front page. The image of Ye Qinghong in the newspaper was beautiful and enchanting, captivating and charming, even more alluring and graceful than in the photograph. However, the blind man dared not indulge in fanciful thoughts any longer

Luo Lie sneered, "Your eyes are merely for show. This is fundamentally a key. Prince Rui was a strong advocate for reform and gained the favor of the Empress Dowager, receiving a considerable amount of silver. Shortly after he was attacked, however, he was suddenly reported for embezzlement. The Empress Dowager personally issued an order to raid the prince's residence, and the entire palace was searched thoroughly, yet not much silver was found in the end. It is rumored that Prince Rui had hidden his wealth in a secret treasury during his lifetime."

Father Luo raised a finger to his lips and hissed softly, as footsteps approached from a distance. He heard someone gently knock on the door outside: "Father Luo, your letter!"

Mu Sanshou's daily life is highly structured. Every morning, he takes a walk along the Pujiang River with his beloved thrush. At 8:30, he routinely visits the Chunxi Teahouse for breakfast. The old gentleman has a dignified appearance but is amiable towards others. Whether dealing with high-ranking officials or common folk, he always greets them with a smile. However, in the French Concession, no one dares to question his strength, nor does anyone have the courage to challenge his authority. Even the lofty French consul addresses him respectfully as "San Ye." This is even more true for those rough characters who roam the streets and engage in brawls.

Just give it to me, don't dirty your hands, Reverend Luo Da!

During this time, the teahouse always reserves the best seats by the window facing the river. The zitan wood table is polished to a shine, and there is only one intricately carved armchair made from the same wood, positioned to face west. To the left, outside the window, flows the ever-moving Pujiang River. Master Mu hangs the birdcage on the carved rosewood stand beside him, listening to the melodious chirping of the thrush, watching the various boats traversing the Pujiang, savoring the finest Dongding Oolong tea, and tasting the assorted delicacies meticulously prepared by the chef, feeling detached from the world and at peace with himself.

The blind man swallowed and said: "I have disguised myself, no one recognizes me! Brother, we are going to prosper..."

The blind man forced a calm smile and said: "I am not afraid; at worst, I can melt this thing down and turn it into gold ingots to sell."

The white, plump man's eyes were slightly reddened from the smoke. He wiped the corners of his eyes with a handkerchief, quickly patted his chest with his left hand, and assumed a face full of grievance: "Third Master, you must take charge for this servant."

The blind man sat heavily on the sofa, and his originally excited round face instantly turned pale. Master Mu San was not just a person of some renown; he was a prominent figure in the French Concession. Not only did the Chinese respect him, but even the French greeted him with smiles. He was adept at navigating both the underworld and the upper echelons, wielding significant influence in Huangpu. Since this photograph belonged to his goddaughter, it indicated that the owner of this wallet was likely connected to Master Mu San. If he were to be angered, it was feared that he would search the entire concession to the depths of the earth to find the thief.

Mu Sanshou took a strong puff, causing the tobacco to glow red. Then, a large amount of white smoke poured from his mouth and nose, making the resolute contours of his face somewhat blurred, while his deep-set eyes became increasingly elusive.

"Are you saying ... ... Mu Sanshou ... ... " The blind man's voice trembled slightly

The blind man smacked his lips: "A chubby, white, and plump swindler!"

In a person's lifetime, the moments of true tranquility are indeed few and far between, especially for someone from the rivers and lakes. Living in the world of the rivers and lakes, with a heart hanging in the Wei court, one can see the ease of others, yet who can truly empathize with the pain of others? Mu Sanshou's gaze fell upon the colorful flags fluttering on the boats in the river, vibrant and beautiful, but the sight brought pain to his heart. At times, he would rather see the Great Qing Dragon Flag, which had already been discarded by the times, still floating before him.

How could you recognize me? Just from a photograph?" The blind man immediately thought that Luo Lie was likely playing a prank, deliberately trying to intimidate him, which was also this kid's usual tactic

The blind man opened his mouth wide: "Are you saying that this thing might be the key to Prince Rui's secret treasury?" His small eyes could no longer conceal the greedy glint.

Mu Sanshou's brows relaxed as the smoke spread, and he slowly uttered a single word: "Speak!"

The blind man dared not go against his wishes, yet felt somewhat unwilling, muttering: "Like a pile of dung, you actually have an interest in it." He took off the pendant and heavily stuffed it into Luo Lie's palm. Luo Lie weighed it in his hand; the pendant weighed about 2 taels, no wonder the blind man was so reluctant.

Open the drawer, take out the magnifying glass, and place the pendant under the magnifying glass. The text above can be recognized as Manchu when magnified. Luo Lie has some research on Manchu and quickly identifies that this is an excerpt from the Tao Te Ching—"The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete. This is the virtue of humility; therefore, the rivers and seas can be the kings of the hundred valleys because they are good at being low, thus they can be the kings of the hundred valleys. There is nothing softer and weaker than water, yet nothing can surpass it in overcoming the hard and strong. This is the virtue of softness; hence, the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak overcomes the strong and firm. Soon it becomes clear that this is from the Tao Te Ching—'The highest good is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete. This is the virtue of humility; therefore, the rivers and seas can be the kings of the hundred valleys because they are good at being low, thus they can be the kings of the hundred valleys. There is nothing softer and weaker than water, yet nothing can surpass it in overcoming the hard and strong. This is the virtue of softness; hence, the soft overcomes the hard, and the weak overcomes the strong and firm. Because it has no substance, it can enter into the realm of the void. From this, it can be understood that the teaching of non-verbal instruction and the benefits of non-action are significant.

The blind man shook his head firmly, but his flickering gaze could not deceive anyone

The blind man, somewhat excited, grasped Luo Lie's arm and said, "Brother, does that mean that as long as we find Prince Rui's secret treasury, we can enjoy a life free from worries about food and drink for the rest of our lives?"

Mu Sanshou calmly filled the pipe with tobacco. A middle-aged fat man wearing a melon-shaped hat approached, struck a match with a sharp sound, skillfully lit the tobacco for Mu Sanshou, and then bent down extremely respectfully, his face full of smiles and flattery.

Luo Lie picked up the Pujiang Daily from the table and threw it at him: "Open your eyes wide and take a good look. The front page headlines of the newspapers from the past week are all articles praising Ye Qinghong by Master Mu San, most of which are accompanied by photographs. Unless one is blind, who wouldn't recognize her?"

The blind man curiously leaned closer, and in his eyes, it was just a golden lump: "What is written on it?"

At such times, very few dare to disturb Master Mu San's tranquility

God knows

"Third Master!" A sharp and cautious voice rang in his ear. Mu Sanshou frowned; regardless of who had come, he did not appreciate being disturbed at this moment

Luo Lie did not speak, as the blind man was still in the room. Before long, a yellow kraft paper envelope was pushed through the gap under the door. After the postman left, Luo Lie walked over to pick up the letter and noticed that the return address was from Fengtian, Manchuria, which puzzled him, as he seemed to have no relatives or friends in Fengtian.

Ro Liem narrowed his eyes and said, "Blind man, you better honestly explain where this thing was stolen from"

Luo Lie flicked the pendant into the air, then deftly caught it, whispering, "You might have caused some trouble"

This text, aside from being written in Manchu, does not possess any other peculiarities. However, Luo Lie was still able to discern some clues from the arrangement and distribution of the characters. On the spiral body, in addition to the characters, there were pits of varying sizes. Luo Lie turned the bottom over, where a small seal was engraved, the seal of Prince Rui. Luo Lie took a deep breath, realizing that this was the Prince Rui who had been assassinated at sea seven years ago while returning from a visit to the United States. There was no need to ask; the owner of this pendant was most likely related to the Manchu royal family. Although the dynasty has changed, the remnants of the Manchu influence are still deeply intertwined. The blind man had undoubtedly stirred up a considerable amount of trouble.

The expression of the blind man did not calm down due to Luo Lie's words of comfort; instead, it became even more anxious.