Chapter Thirty-Four: The Hiding Turtle Entrusts the Sea, Revealing Heaven’s Will

It seemed as if I hadn’t heard a word, and I dashed over to gently lower the glowing golden dragon-tortoise into the aquarium. Instantly, a cloud of steam billowed up, and then the tortoise slowly settled to the bottom. The poor fish inside, terrified, darted frantically in all directions.

“Yan Hui, what does this mean?” Gu Anqi asked, her curiosity piqued.

“‘The hidden tortoise supports the sea to reveal heaven’s will’—I never really understood this phrase before. It turns out I’d been thinking about it from the wrong angle all along,” I said, my eyes fixed on the golden dragon-tortoise in the tank. “According to legend, the only recorded instance of a tortoise supporting the heavens was when Nuwa repaired the sky. The four pillars holding up the heavens collapsed, so she killed a giant tortoise and used its four limbs to support the sky.”

“Yes, that’s what I thought too. Is there a problem with that?” Gu Anqi asked, puzzled.

“Of course there is. A dragon-tortoise is not the same as an ordinary tortoise. I was misled—there’s another story entirely.”

“What story?”

“Have you ever heard the Song of the Fisherman on Misty Waters?”

Yue Qianling, heartbroken for her beloved fish, glared at the tank and spoke through gritted teeth, “You act like you’re the only one who’s read anything, like the rest of us are fools. I know the Song of the Fisherman, too: ‘The mysteries of yin and yang are endless; the two solstices return to the palace of nine. Understand the principles of yin and yang, and the world rests in your palm. The Yellow Emperor battled Chiyou, for years the strife did not cease. By chance, he dreamt of a heavenly god who bestowed a talisman and incantation. He ascended the altar, made sacrifices with reverence. The divine dragon bore the map out of the Luo River, the phoenix carried the book from the azure clouds. Thus, the Wind Marquis was ordered to elaborate the text, and from this the arts of divination and strategy began…’”

Yue Qianling, in a fit of pique, seemed determined to recite the entire Song, but Gu Anqi suddenly interrupted her.

“The divine dragon bearing the map from the Luo River… Here, the ‘divine dragon’ actually refers to the dragon-tortoise. So the second line of the riddle—‘the hidden tortoise supports the sea to reveal heaven’s will’—must be about this.”

“I don’t get it, Brother. What’s this about bearing a map and the Luo River? All I know is that the dragon needs to come to the surface. But this golden dragon-tortoise is made of gold. No matter what, it shouldn’t float,” Xiao Lianshan said, craning his neck for a better look.

“Just wait. You’ll see soon enough!” I replied calmly.

Everyone’s attention was riveted on the golden dragon-tortoise in the tank. Only Yue Qianling stared at her goldfish in dismay. Suddenly, my eyes widened in surprise as I watched the dragon-tortoise resting at the bottom.

The golden dragon-tortoise, motionless until now, began to sway and then slowly rose upward. It was as if a divine dragon, dormant for a thousand years, was swimming to the water’s surface. Everyone stared, stunned, as the piece of solid gold actually floated.

The dragon-tortoise clutched a rolled-up slip of paper in its open jaws. I carefully retrieved it.

“How did you know the golden dragon-tortoise would rise?” Gu Anqi asked, her eyes still wide with disbelief.

“I was inspired back at the teahouse. I saw someone pour water over a red-hot kettle, and suddenly it clicked—those tiny holes in the dragon-tortoise’s body had a purpose. The design is ingenious: once the golden dragon-tortoise is heated, it expands, filling with hot air. When placed in water, the water seeps in through the small holes, triggering a mechanism inside the hollow body, just like the ballast tanks of a submarine. The hot air and water are expelled, and a protective mechanism is activated. Since the dragon-tortoise is hollow, the principle of buoyancy makes it float.”

Gu Anqi nodded in sudden understanding, amazed at the cleverness of an object designed centuries ago.

“You really are lucky—stumbled right into the answer,” Yue Qianling said with a helpless, wry smile.

“Brother, quick, see what’s written on the paper! Does it say where the Fourteenth Tomb is?” Xiao Lianshan leaned in eagerly.

I carefully unrolled the slip of paper.

“‘The dragon’s head is awakened, mountains and rivers move; the master upends the world in the eighth month…’”

“That’s it? Just those two lines?” Xiao Lianshan looked crestfallen.

I nodded, pondering the meaning of the lines for a long while without success.

“Yan Hui, look at the dragon’s head—‘the dragon’s head is awakened, mountains and rivers move’—see?” Gu Anqi pointed at the golden dragon-tortoise floating in the tank.

On the dragon’s head, nestled between its two horns, was a lustrous cat’s eye gem.

“A dragon-tortoise is a Black Tortoise, but I’ve never seen one with an eye on its head. That cat’s eye stone clearly isn’t just for decoration. ‘The dragon’s head is awakened’—perhaps it refers to that very gem. As for ‘mountains and rivers move,’ I can’t figure it out just yet,” I sighed.

“Yan Hui, unlocking the dragon-tortoise is already a huge step forward. We’re closer to finding the Fourteenth Tomb. That’s worth celebrating,” Gu Anqi said with a smile.

I nodded helplessly and lifted the dragon-tortoise out of the water.

“Anqi’s right. At least we’ve uncovered its secret. Judging by the clue on the slip, the dragon-tortoise will be useful again.”

“Listen to you. Anyone would think you’d already found the tomb, the way you’re gloating,” Yue Qianling scoffed.

The phone in the living room rang. Yue Qianling answered and, with clear reluctance and a look of jealousy, handed it to me.

I’d never expected anyone to call me, so I hesitated before answering. Professor Jiang’s courteous voice came through, inviting me over to discuss something.

I remembered how Professor Jiang had deciphered the bronze mirror poem for Yue Qianling—“The endless beauty of the land, most exquisite is the person in the mirror”—and couldn’t help but smile; the old man was rather amusing.

On my way there, I suddenly understood Yue Qianling’s expression. Professor Jiang was, after all, a high-ranking official on a state stipend. Though his tone was polite, I could tell he needed something and, tellingly, he thought of me before his prized student, Yue Qianling. No wonder she’d been glaring at me the entire ride.

The car stopped at a Taoist temple. The mountain gate was grand and imposing, with layered eaves adorned with sculpted dragons and tigers—auspicious beasts—carved with exquisite detail and elegant lines. Atop the main hall, two dragons played with a sacred pearl, so vivid and majestic they seemed ready to come alive.

A gilded plaque hung above the gate, its calligraphy bold and vigorous.

Qingyang Palace!

Professor Jiang had invited me to Qingyang Palace?

I’d always been fascinated by Taoist culture. The city was full of temples, steeped in tradition. If not for the matter of the Fourteenth Tomb, I’d have long since come to explore.

“Brother, why are there so many soldiers and police standing around?” Xiao Lianshan asked in surprise as soon as he got out of the car.

Only then did I notice that the ticket office was closed, crowds of tourists were milling at the entrance, peering inside, while armed police and soldiers stood guard.

“Put this on, or they won’t let you in,” Yue Qianling said, handing us two badges.

The badges read: Institute of Archaeology, Temporary Observer.

I was a bit surprised by my new title. Sharing a glance with Xiao Lianshan, I smiled and followed Yue Qianling into Qingyang Palace.

Inside, the aroma of incense lent an air of solemnity, though the constant bustling of people disturbed the tranquility. Following Yue Qianling past the Doumu Hall to the rear garden, I saw a large number of people crouched on the ground, digging. Off to one side, a pit over a meter deep had already been excavated.

Professor Jiang, making his rounds, spotted me and hurried over with a beaming smile.

I smiled back and glanced around. “I doubt you brought me here just for a tour of Qingyang Palace today.”

“I do have a favor to ask, if you don’t mind,” Professor Jiang said affably.

“Professor, you don’t have to be so polite. Just say what you need. I doubt he’ll be of much help anyway, and there’s no point wasting your time,” Yue Qianling interjected acidly.

“Really, there’s no need for formalities. Whatever you need, just say the word,” I replied steadily.

“The night before last, during renovations to fix drainage issues in the rear garden, some workers unearthed porcelain. The temple officials alerted the police, and we began excavations, discovering a large cache of relics. The items are a mixed assortment from various eras, not arranged like a tomb. You’ve read many ancient texts, so I hoped you could take a look.”

I nodded and walked around the dig site. Indeed, there were numerous artifacts buried in the soil. I had just picked up a porcelain vase when someone snatched it from my hands.

“Song Dynasty, powder-blue glazed official kiln vase. The mouth is chipped, the base badly damaged, and there are three cracks running from the rim to the neck. Get a team to start emergency restoration at once.”

Looking up, I saw the speaker was a woman about my age, strikingly beautiful, her face composed and cool, exuding a sense of noble aloofness. Her hair was neatly pinned up, efficient and crisp.