Sanxingdui

An old Hongqi sedan left Ba City and headed toward Luo City.

Luo City had been founded during the Eastern Han Dynasty and had a long history. Most people would have no idea where it was if someone mentioned it, but far more would recognize the name Sanxingdui.

Sanxingdui was in Luo City.

The matter Ye Yiming had asked him to help with had arisen at Sanxingdui.

"Uncle Ye, tell me what's going on. I need to understand the situation first, or I'll be at a disadvantage when we get there." They had left in a hurry, so Luo Yang hadn't asked for details. The drive was a good chance to talk.

Ye Yiming spoke to Luo Yang as he drove. "Here's the situation. The current director of Sanxingdui used to work under me. His name is Ma Zhonghua, and he's an honest, upright man. We've always been on good terms. Yesterday, he came to Ba City on business and stopped by to visit me. He told me about something strange."

Sanxingdui was already shrouded in mystery, and Luo Yang's curiosity was immediately piqued. "What was it?"

Ye Yiming gathered his thoughts before answering. "Ma told me they've been excavating a new sacrificial pit at Sanxingdui recently. There aren't many artifacts inside, but they're all very strange, and their style differs from the bronzeware unearthed before. An entire team of archaeological experts fell ill during the excavation, and their conditions are serious."

Something stirred in Luo Yang's mind. "What are their symptoms?"

"I'm not sure about that," Ye Yiming said. "Once we arrive, I'll have Ma explain everything in detail. You can talk it over with him."

"Uncle Ye, was it Curator Ma who asked me to come, or what?" That was another point Luo Yang needed to clarify.

"When Ma told me about this strange incident yesterday, I brought you up myself," Ye Yiming said. "I said I could ask you to come take a look, and that you might be able to help. He agreed."

That cleared things up.

Luo Yang was somewhat speechless. This retired old gentleman had only to open his mouth to generously offer someone help, but who was Luo Yang supposed to ask for his consultation fee?

Money really was a problem.

He hadn't charged Ye Zi a cent, and curing Song Meiqi had earned him a mask. Treating Liu Youshui had earned him a villa, but again, not a cent. So he was, in fact, a miracle doctor who lived in a villa but was so poor he could barely afford to eat.

They arrived at the Sanxingdui Museum.

Since Ma Zhonghua had made arrangements beforehand, Ye Yiming led Luo Yang straight through the staff entrance without buying tickets. Once inside, Luo Yang wanted to look around the exhibition halls, but Ye Yiming took him directly to Ma Zhonghua's office without pausing.

Ma Zhonghua was forty-seven or forty-eight, with black-framed prescription glasses and fairly pale skin. Both his build and his face were lean, and he had a rather scholarly air.

As soon as they met, Ye Yiming got straight to the point. "Ma, I've brought Divine Doctor Luo here for you. Let me introduce you."

Ma Zhonghua looked surprised. "Sir, Divine Doctor Luo is... this young?"

Ye Yiming frowned. "What's wrong with being young? That way of thinking is mistaken, Ma. This world belongs to young people. Divine Doctor Luo has extraordinary medical skills. His abilities are genuine."

Ma Zhonghua hastily said, "Please don't be angry, sir. I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just a little surprised."

Luo Yang extended his hand. "Hello, Curator Ma."

Ma Zhonghua shook his hand. "Sir, Miracle Doctor Luo, please have a seat."

Luo Yang smiled. "I wouldn't presume to call myself a miracle doctor. I'm younger than both of you, so just call me Luo."

"Then I'll take the liberty of calling you Luo. Sit, sit. I'll make you both some tea." Ma Zhonghua was very polite.

"There's no need for tea," Luo Yang said. "Curator Ma, please take me to see the patients."

"There's no rush. Have some tea first." Ma Zhonghua carried a tin of tea leaves and two glasses over to the water dispenser.

Luo Yang looked around Ma Zhonghua's office, and a photograph hanging on the wall caught his attention.

The photograph showed a bronze mask with bulging eyes, a large nose, and distinctive ears that looked like the wine vessels and square sacrificial cauldrons used during the Warring States Period. Grandmaster Yingma's mask closely resembled the bronze mask in the photograph, except that it had no ears. If ears were added, the resemblance would be even stronger.

Luo Yang quietly pondered, Some say Sanxingdui civilization predates even the Xia Dynasty. Grandmaster Yingma lived in the pre-Qin era, only a little over two thousand years ago. With the two masks looking so alike, could he have inherited something from the ancient Shu civilization? If so, wouldn't that mean Sanxingdui civilization had a shamanic culture, and the Ancestral Shaman lineage was connected to Sanxingdui?

There was no way to know.

Ma Zhonghua brought over two glasses of jasmine tea, then said, "Luo, please sit here for a moment. I need to discuss something with my former superior."

Luo Yang nodded.

"Sir, would you come with me?" Ma Zhonghua walked toward the door.

Ye Yiming looked a little displeased. "What is it that you can't say here?"

"Oh, sir, it'll only take a few minutes. Come on, let's talk outside." Ma Zhonghua went out first.

Ye Yiming followed him. Their footsteps faded into the distance, then became inaudible.

With a thought, Luo Yang heightened the super-sense state of his ancestral witch spirit body.

Ma Zhonghua's and Ye Yiming's footsteps became audible again, crystal clear. They soon stopped, and then he picked up their conversation.

"Ma, what exactly is this about? Luo's time is valuable. I had to call in a personal favor to get him here, and you've left him sitting in your office. That's hardly polite."

"Sir, it's precisely this Luo I wanted to talk to you about. He's so young. How could he possibly be a miracle doctor?" It was Ma Zhonghua's voice.

"So this is what you dragged me out here to discuss?" A hint of anger entered Ye Yiming's voice.

"Please don't be angry, sir. I'm only concerned about you. Could that Luo have tricked you?"

"Nonsense! Didn't I tell you? My granddaughter was in a car accident, and both her legs were crippled. We took her to several major hospitals in the country, but none could cure her. Yet after Luo treated her, she was running around in just a few days."

"Sir, sometimes it's actually a coincidence. Scams are very sophisticated these days..."

Ye Yiming flew into a rage. "Nonsense! If I'd known this would be your attitude, I wouldn't have brought him here. I invited him as a favor to you. Don't get that wrong! And don't come visit me again. Just seeing you makes me angry."

Ma Zhonghua hurried to smooth things over. "Please don't be angry, sir. I just wanted to understand things better, that's all. Since you trust him so much, there's nothing more for me to say. How about this? I'll take him to see the patients in a moment."

"That's more like it."

"There's one more thing I need to tell you, sir. I'm worried you'll be angry with me again if I don't mention it."

"What is it?" Ye Yiming asked.

"The city officials have requested help from higher up. They're currently assigning specialists to put together an expert team. I expect they'll arrive tomorrow."

"That doesn't affect anything. Our goal is to solve the problem."

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right, sir."

"Enough of that. Let's go back."

The two headed back.

Luo Yang drew his spiritual power back into his dantian, and his super-sense state quickly subsided to its natural level.

When Ma Zhonghua had suspected him of being a fraud, he had genuinely wanted to leave and wash his hands of the matter. But the photograph of the bronze mask on the wall, along with his earlier far-fetched speculation, had rooted him to the sofa.

Ordinary people had no chance to examine artifacts up close, but through Ma Zhonghua and the archaeologists who had fallen ill, he could. That might allow him to obtain some information and clues.

Ma Zhonghua and Ye Yiming returned to the office.

"Luo, if you have no other questions, I'll take you to see the patients now." This time, Ma Zhonghua wasted no words.

Luo Yang rose. "No problem."