By this point, I had learned most of what had happened. The Heavenly Principle Diagram eventually fell into the hands of Tao Heru, the leader of the Ghost Dao Sect. However, not long afterward, he was apprehended by agents from the Religious Affairs Commission. Tao Heru, to his credit, was a clever and formidable figure—right under the nose of the Commission, he split the Diagram in two, using half of it to barter for his freedom. By the time the Commission realized what had happened, Tao Heru had already gone into hiding. He remained underground until 1975 CE, when he was finally killed by Gao Liang, Xiao Sandao, and Xiao Heshang. That event, however, also planted the seeds of division among the three.
None of this is recorded in the general files of the Bureau of Paranormal Investigation—only those at the Director level or above have clearance to view these details. It made sense that Sun Fatty, as Deputy Director, would be privy to them. But Gao Liang treating me as an insider? That was more generosity than I expected.
After Gao Liang finished his explanation, Sun Fatty laughed awkwardly and said, "Director Gao, not to criticize, but you've just covered almost two thousand years of history, and I still don't know what the Heavenly Principle Diagram actually is. I don't care where it came from or how it went missing. I just want to know—what is it? And… wait—you're not saying even you don't know?"
"Of course not. I was just trying to put it in terms you could understand." Gao Liang gave him a sidelong glance, then continued, "Sun Desheng, you are the Deputy Director of the Bureau. Would it kill you to actually learn a bit of professional knowledge?"
Sun Fatty chuckled and replied, "With so many people in the Bureau, who's going to miss me if I don't?"
Before he could finish the joke, Gao Liang had already lost patience. He turned his attention to me and said, "Shen La, from your perspective, what do you think the Heavenly Principle Diagram is?"
"The Heavenly Principle Diagram, huh…" I hadn't expected Gao Liang to suddenly toss the question to me. I was caught off guard, but I quickly recalled Xiao Sandao's recollections, that mysterious shadowy figure, and Wu Rendi's dismissive attitude toward the Diagram. After sorting through these thoughts in my mind, I responded, "I don't think it's a cultivation manual. But it seems to be capable of enhancing certain abilities in its users. The contents of the Diagram are extremely strange, and there seems to be a risk of it rebounding on whoever tries to harness it. Also…" I hesitated, then continued, "It feels more like a power that can manipulate life and death itself."
When I finished, Gao Liang came to a halt. He stared blankly ahead. Sun Fatty and I also stopped behind him. I didn't dare break the silence, but Sun Fatty never cared for decorum. He looked ahead, saw nothing out of the ordinary, then turned to Gao Liang and said, "Director Gao, not to criticize, but could you at least tell us if he got it right or not?"
Gao Liang turned to glance at the two of us. Then, out of nowhere, he asked, "Desheng, what do you think? How was his answer?"
Sun Fatty was caught off guard. He muttered, "If I knew, would I still be asking?"
"I wasn't talking to you," Gao Liang interrupted. He turned back to face forward and said, "I know you came down here ahead of us. Come out. You're the better person to explain the Heavenly Principle Diagram."
There's someone else here? I followed Gao Liang's gaze, but there was nothing ahead—just empty space. Not even a shadow. As I stood there, puzzled, the air in front of me suddenly warped, and a man seemed to step straight out of thin air.
Had this happened before I joined the Bureau, I probably would've collapsed on the spot. Now, though, it wasn't that big a deal. Even so, I reflexively took a step back.
The man was dressed in white, with white hair, and carried an aloof, disinterested expression. Who else could it be but Wu Rendi, the legendary Director Wu? But… the fourth basement level of the Bureau was supposed to be off-limits to all but directors. What was he doing down here?
Still, Gao Liang showed no surprise. Smiling, he said, "You know more about the Diagram than any of us. Better that you be the one to explain it."
"Me?" Wu Rendi glanced at Gao Liang and gave a small smirk—a rare display of goodwill—but his words remained as barbed as ever: "Why don't you just let me give a lecture on The Origin of Species instead? That Heavenly Principle Diagram—a thing of half-life and half-death, neither here nor there—isn't worth discussing."
Gao Liang was clearly used to Wu Rendi's attitude. He smiled faintly and replied, "If you don't explain it, how would they even know it's something half-dead and twisted? A thousand people have a thousand different opinions on the Diagram. To understand it, we need the insight of the one who sees most clearly. Director Wu, if not you, then who in the Bureau could I possibly ask?"
That seemed to earn Wu Rendi's cooperation—at least a little. He glanced over at me and Sun Fatty and said, "You're in luck—I happen to have time right now…" As he spoke, he turned around and extended a hand. To our astonishment, he pushed open a door in midair. At first glance it looked like he'd created it out of nothing. But on closer inspection, I realized there was actually a wall perfectly camouflaged to blend into its surroundings. If Wu Rendi hadn't opened that hidden door, we probably would've walked right into it without noticing.
I might be forgiven for not noticing such a thing, but Sun Fatty looked just as surprised as I did. And for someone at his level in the Bureau, that was a bit harder to explain…
"Let's go inside first," Wu Rendi said as he slowly stepped through the door. Gao Liang followed behind him with a broad smile. As Sun Fatty and I followed, I leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Haven't you been here before? You didn't know there was a hidden door?"
"Lazi, not to criticize," Sun Fatty replied in a hushed tone once Wu Rendi and Gao Liang were out of earshot, "but how long do you think I've been Deputy Director? I only came down here once before—just walked a loop after getting off the elevator, and Gao the Fatty brought me right back. If Old Wu hadn't shown up today, I wouldn't even know this door existed." After that, the two of us followed them in.
What lay beyond that door was like a different world entirely. The moment Sun Fatty and I entered, our eyes were overwhelmed. The chamber was packed with artifacts—row after row of relics that looked ancient, yet were in pristine condition. Each item was sealed beneath a glass dome, grouped and labeled with its origin and significance.
This was the true treasure vault of the Bureau's fourth basement level.
Sun Fatty seemed mostly nonchalant, glancing over everything without lingering too long. But for me, the sight sent chills down my spine. I had seen hand-drawn copies of many of these items in Ouyang Pianzuo's archives, nearly all annotated with entries like "last seen in such-and-such year and location, whereabouts now unknown."
Wu Rendi continued walking ahead in silence, not even mentioning the Heavenly Principle Diagram. But judging by Gao Liang's foxlike smirk, it seemed he had full confidence that Wu Rendi would speak eventually. Since the Director himself kept quiet, Sun Fatty and I also held our tongues, simply following along. I didn't believe Wu Rendi would hold out forever—not with Gao Liang staring him down.
After walking for a while longer, Sun Fatty suddenly stopped. I wasn't paying attention and bumped into his back. Before I could say anything, he pointed toward a particular display up ahead and asked, "Lazi, am I seeing things?"
I followed the direction of his finger. In front of us stood a massive white jade platform—the very same platform we'd discovered beneath the desert months ago. It was the Moon-Cradling Jade Coffin of the ancient Kingdom of Zhi.
The coffin was now open and empty. However, beside it stood several glass cases displaying what looked like human specimens. One contained a blue-skinned, lifelike corpse—it was exactly like the blue-faced king I had seen under the influence of Soul-Dissolving Incense in the Corpse-Securing Bronze Coffin. Nearby were several oddly shaped jade figurines—humanoids and beasts alike—clearly grave goods meant to accompany this man in death. Outside this display was a large glass cabinet containing dozens upon dozens of gemstone-sized jewels. I recognized them too—three of the same kind had been sold by Sun Fatty to Ma Xiaolin for a dirt-cheap price.
"Director Gao, Director Wu—hold on a minute," Sun Fatty called out to them, pointing toward the Moon-Cradling Jade Coffin. "You moved everything from the desert site here? We nearly died down there. I don't mind you taking the artifacts, but shouldn't you at least explain what happened under the desert? Not to brag, but I think I'm authorized to know that much."
Wu Rendi didn't respond, but after exchanging a look with Gao Liang, he did something rare—he stopped. Gao Liang turned, glanced at both Sun Fatty and me, then looked at the Jade Coffin and the blue-skinned corpse. He gestured for us to follow and said, "There's nothing that can't be told. Let's talk while we walk."
The story of the desert site was, in fact, a tragedy.
The blue-faced corpse in the Moon-Cradling Jade Coffin was King Baijie of the ancient Kingdom of Zhi. Long ago, his daughter, Princess Hezhuo, was married off to Prince Bian of the Shang Dynasty as part of a political alliance. However, once she arrived in Zhaoge, her family's distinct skin tone and complexion led people to believe she was a reincarnated demon. The Shang prince, deceived by court sorcerers, ordered palace guards to execute the princess outside the palace gates.
When King Baijie received news of his daughter's death, he launched a campaign against the Shang Dynasty in blind fury. Unfortunately, the strength of his forces was no match for the Shang army, which swiftly overran several Zhi cities and advanced to the royal capital.
Realizing that even his nation's full might couldn't shake the Shang, and seeing only ruin befall his people, King Baijie performed a sacrificial ritual. As the Shang forces breached the capital, a massive sandstorm—summoned through arcane illusion—swallowed the royal city along with the invading army, burying all of them beneath the desert sands.
Centuries later, the region came under the control of the Kingdom of Great Yuezhi. Following a massive sandstorm, the ruins of the Kingdom of Zhi resurfaced—but so did the nightmare.
Tens of thousands had been buried alive beneath the sand. Their resentment had fermented for centuries, filling the underground ruins with a staggering amount of vengeful aura. Once exposed to the sun again, the locals of Great Yuezhi began to hear nightly howls and wails from malevolent spirits. Despite repeated attempts by their shamans, no method could subdue the wrath.
In the end, it was a young Taoist mystic from the Han Dynasty who proposed a solution.
He first replicated the burial customs of the Zhi royal family and constructed a false necropolis (this is why Qiu Bulao initially mistook it for a Great Yuezhi relic).
Once the mausoleum was built, the mystic led a group of brave volunteers into the ruins at high noon, when the sun was strongest. They gathered the corpses and funerary items from the ruins and reinterred them inside the new tomb.
The mystic also created a false corpse of King Baijie and placed it inside a Corpse-Securing Bronze Coffin. Around it, he arranged the corpses of Shang soldiers—those with the heaviest vengeful aura—to form a sealing array, neutralizing their rage by forcing them to revolve around a fabricated core.
As for the real corpse of King Baijie, it was buried beneath the false tomb, in a chamber that had once been the resting place of an ancient desert ruler. The mystic displaced the original tomb occupant, who had been laid to rest under a luminous pearl, and reburied him elsewhere. Then, somehow, he found a genuine Moon-Cradling Jade Coffin—a funerary vessel exclusive to Zhi royalty—and used it to house the remains of King Baijie.