Chapter 106: The Owl-Head Spike

Everyone was still immersed in astonishment at Hou Qiankun’s masterful technique for dispelling malevolent energy. It took a full half-minute for the group to recover their senses. Dragon King glanced at Fatty Xu, who was standing to the side, and knowing that the Nuo corpse was now purged of its baleful aura, he gave him a look, signaling him to step forward and extract the two nails from the corpse’s eye sockets. Fatty Xu nodded in understanding, walked over to the Nuo corpse, and bent down, ready to pry the nails loose.

"Wait, wait."

Just as Fatty Xu was about to pull the nails, Iron-Crutch Liu hurried forward a few steps, sneered, and turned back to look at Dragon King. "Old Seven Sha, you really do know how to squeeze into any crack. Second Brother just risked his old life to dispel the evil energy, and now you and your apprentice have come along to reap the rewards without lifting a finger. That’s not exactly honorable, is it?"

"Uh..." Dragon King was rendered speechless by this remark. In truth, he had been hoping to pick up a bargain, banking on the fact that no one would bother to interfere, but having his intentions laid bare by the miserly Iron-Crutch Liu left him in a tight spot. After a moment, Dragon King managed a forced smile. "Old Eight, I can't accept being accused of 'reaping rewards' like that. Every man we’ve lost since leaving the Xu Yang passage up to this point has been one of my own; the compensation for their families all comes out of my own pocket. You already claimed the first look at this tomb with your crutch, and I didn't say a word. Now that I want to pull a couple of measly nails, you’re throwing up roadblocks. Is that supposed to be honorable?"

Dragon King’s argument was reasonable enough. These two nails were of unknown value; even if they were "divine treasures," they would likely only be worth a million or so—hardly a fortune. But Iron-Crutch Liu wasn't having it. He tapped his "Two-Person Snatch" weapon and sneered. "Old Seven Sha, you’re nothing but a fisherman. You used to scavenge corpses from the river, and the Big Brother only promoted you because he admired your swimming skills. Now that you’re the gatekeeper of the Seventh Gate of the Jingjiu Sect, I really don't appreciate people like you coming here and acting like you’re above the old ways."

It is said that one should never strike a man in the face or expose his shortcomings. With Iron-Crutch Liu dredging up his "dark history," how could Dragon King just let it slide? He sneered, lunged toward Iron-Crutch Liu, and reached out to grab him by the chest.

"You..."

Just as Dragon King was about to strike, a black shadow instantly appeared beside him, gripping his raised wrist. Dragon King turned to look—it was Second Brother, Hou Qiankun.

"Old Six, Old Seven, why resort to violence over such a trivial matter among our own?" With that, Hou Qiankun shook his hands, pulling the two apart as if they were mere chicks. They exchanged looks and let out cold snorts, saying nothing more.

Hou Qiankun looked at the still-fuming pair, smiled, and waved his hand. "In my opinion, Old Six’s point is not without merit. This journey has been fraught with perils—the Nine-Headed Bird, the water dragons—and his faction has suffered heavy losses. The compensation for the dead is a significant burden. I suggest we let Old Six have the nails."

As soon as Hou Qiankun finished speaking, Dragon King nodded with a beaming smile. "Thank you, Second Brother! Thank you!"

Iron-Crutch Liu snorted from the side, "I'll defer to Second Brother's judgment."

Seeing that the two nails were now securely in his grasp, Dragon King gave Fatty Xu a knowing look. Fatty Xu nodded, walked over to the Nuo corpse, and pulled a sharp little dagger from his pocket. He pressed the tip against the edge of the nail, but the moment he made contact, something unexpected happened.

The Nuo corpse let out an inexplicable "creak," which startled Fatty Xu so much that he shivered. But after waiting for a long time, the corpse remained motionless.

"What was that?" Dragon King muttered under his breath.

"Maybe... maybe it was just the sound of the bones and skin weathering after being exposed to the air for so long," Fatty Xu stammered. The explanation didn't seem particularly convincing, yet beads of cold sweat had already broken out behind his ears, and his legs trembled so violently that he couldn't even convince himself.

The others standing further away had heard the eerie sound as well. They didn't react much, but a sense of inexplicable dread filled the air, making me feel deeply uncomfortable and giving me a dark, ominous premonition.

Fatty Xu stood frozen for several minutes. Seeing that the Nuo corpse made no further sound, he steadied his nerves, let out a long breath, and bent down again. He pressed the tip of his dagger against the nail once more and applied a bit of force. The nail in the eye socket shifted slightly outward. Fatty Xu, being meticulous, paused for a moment longer. Seeing that the corpse remained unchanged, he felt a surge of courage. With a firm flick of his wrist, a crisp snap echoed out, and one of the nails popped from the eye socket.

Seeing the nail fall to the ground and looking at the Nuo corpse, Fatty Xu felt a jolt of terror. The corpse was already terrifying in appearance, but with the nail removed, the empty eye socket was truly chilling. He quickly snatched up the nail and, without looking back, returned to the group and handed it to Dragon King.

Dragon King took the nail and examined it repeatedly, his brow furrowed. Although he was the gatekeeper of the Seventh Gate of the Jingjiu Sect, when it came to dating and authenticating ancient artifacts, he was essentially a layman—or, to put it bluntly, blind to such things. After a long while, he handed the nail to Kaleidoscope, who was standing nearby. "Brother Six, take a look and tell me which era this belongs to, and give me an estimate."

Kaleidoscope took the nail, adjusted his glasses, and widened his eyes as if he were trying to press his face against the object. After scrutinizing it repeatedly, he turned to me and smiled. "Great Nephew, you are a well-known antique dealer in the capital. Why don't you help your Seventh Uncle take a look?"

Hearing Kaleidoscope ask for my appraisal, I nodded. For an antique dealer, the desire to examine an object is like an addiction—perhaps even stronger than a man's carnal urges.

I took the nail and began to inspect it closely. It was a long pin, about thirty centimeters in length, with a diameter roughly that of an adult man's thumb. The head of the nail was four or five centimeters wider than the shaft, resembling a slender mushroom. About one-sixth of the way down, the shaft curved at an angle of roughly thirty degrees—not quite a hook, but not straight either. The entire body was cast in bronze, with the head fashioned into the shape of an "owl's head," incredibly exquisite and covered in green and red patina. The shaft was decorated with fish-scale patterns overlaid with kui-dragon motifs. Perhaps because it had been embedded in the Nuo eye, protected from erosion and weathering, it remained dark, lustrous, and remarkably intact, with the feel of a "mature pit" find. This combination of coarse and fine craftsmanship was a classic hallmark of the early Shang and Zhou dynasties, a rare masterpiece of its time. The kui motifs were so intricate that it was difficult to tell if they were dragons or phoenixes. The grooves were filled with dried blood that had likely been there for countless years; one could only imagine how terrifying it must have been when this nail was driven into the eye socket. Ghost-Face Zhang’s strike, which had severed the corpse in two, had finally brought its tragic existence to an end.

After studying it for a while, I smiled faintly and handed the nail back to Kaleidoscope. "Sixth Uncle, Seventh Uncle. Based on my experience in dating, this should be an artifact from the Shang or Zhou dynasty. Its full name would be 'Shang-Zhou Kui-Pattern Owl-Head Nail'."

Kaleidoscope and Dragon King both nodded upon hearing this. Kaleidoscope smiled, full of admiration. "My, oh my! I never imagined that my great nephew, only in his twenties, would have such a sharp eye. It truly makes us elders feel ashamed of our own incompetence."

I waved my hand dismissively and offered a faint smile.

"Hey, Great Nephew, you still haven't told us how much this thing is worth!" Dragon King hurriedly added.

I scratched my head. Estimating the value of antiques has always been a troublesome business. Everyone has a different perspective, which is why many experts are reluctant to put a price on someone else's collection.

"Speak up if you have something to say! Don't keep us in suspense!"

Just as I was feeling awkward, Ghost-Face Zhang, who was smoking to the side, clearly lost his patience. I glanced at him, smiled, and nodded. "Sixth Uncle, Seventh Uncle, please don't blame me if my estimate is low; after all, my learning is still shallow."