Merchant of the Underworld

I had noticed before that the bottom of the small bronze tripod was engraved with some complicated patterns, but because of the patina, I didn't pay attention to it at the time.

When I looked carefully, I realized that it was indeed an ancient Chinese character, but I had no idea what it was.

The old witch doctor smiled and said: "This is the character for Zhou."

The character Zhou?

It’s a fine bronze tripod, but why is the character Zhou engraved on the bottom?

The old witch doctor continued: "Do you know King Zhou? He was the last king of the Shang Dynasty and a famous tyrant in history. He invented tortures such as cannon burning, eye-gouging, and heart-ribbing. When he killed Jichang, the Hou of Xibo, My son Boyikao, then chopped Boyikao into meat paste and cooked it into broth, using this tripod..."

After hearing this, I felt quite horrified. This small bronze tripod is probably the oldest one among the evil objects I have come into contact with, right? It actually involved the Shang Dynasty.

The story of Ji Chang Torma is almost a household name among the people.

It is said that King Zhou was afraid that Jichang, the Marquis of Xibo, would rebel, so he imprisoned him. At the same time, Ji Chang's son Boyikao was captured as a hostage and played music in the palace.

In order to insult Ji Chang, King Zhou actually found a large bronze tripod and boiled Boyikao alive, and gave the cooked meat soup to Ji Chang to eat. Because he heard that Ji Chang was a saint, and a saint would not eat his own son's flesh.

Unexpectedly, Ji Chang endured the humiliation and finally ate the bowl of meat soup! Since then, he won the trust of King Zhou and was soon released and returned to his country.

Before Ji Chang left, King Zhou deliberately invited him to visit the large bronze tripod used to cook Boyikao. Boyikao's body had been chopped into pieces, but his head was placed in a small bronze tripod next to it.

Ji Chang naturally knew that the cooked head was actually his son...

However, he did not go crazy. Instead, he asked King Zhou to give him the small bronze tripod containing his son's head. After returning home, Ji Chang held the small bronze tripod and cried bitterly for three days and three nights. He vowed to avenge his son and even carved the name of Zhou on the bottom of the bronze tripod!

Sure enough, a few years later, Ji Chang's country overthrew the Shang Dynasty, and King Zhou was forced to set fire to himself.

Looking at this small bronze tripod, I just felt terrified.

An inconspicuous little bronze tripod actually contains such an inhumane and inhumane history.

No wonder the little bronze cauldron ran towards Li Mazi’s head last night. Could it be that he wanted to cook Li Mazi’s head?

Zen Master Baimei couldn't bear to hear this cruel thing, so he recited two lines of Amitabha and walked out.

Chu Chu was also stunned. After all, the ghost doctor saves people, but this bronze tripod kills people.

Although she grew up in a bad environment in Baisha Village, no matter how evil the villagers were, they would only fight with neighbors. Such inhumane things would never be done. So when the old witch doctor said this, Chu Chu's eyes turned red with anger and she gritted her teeth.

Since the other party was able to find such a bronze tripod as a negative object, he must have put in a lot of effort!

If this bronze tripod is handed over to the country, it will definitely be a first-class national treasure.

Even if it is living among the people, it can still be sold at a good price.

However, I have no intention of selling the bronze tripod. After all, this thing is too powerful. If it falls into the hands of someone with evil intentions, I am afraid it will cause endless troubles.

The old witch doctor put down the small bronze tripod and took Chu Chu out, saying he wanted to buy some things.

I was worried that it would be dangerous for the two of them to go out, so I asked to go with them, so that we could take care of each other.

But the old witch doctor told me to just keep an eye on Li Mazi in the shop and never let anyone get close! If Li Mazi was tampered with again, she would really be helpless.

I nodded, put my thoughts away, and stayed by Li Mazi's side.

The old witch doctor's worry was not entirely unfounded. I found several strange faces sneaking around in front of the antique shop. I want to catch them and interrogate them, but there is no evidence. If the matter gets bigger again and the police are alerted, then you can imagine what will happen to Li Mazi tonight...

I had no choice but to hold back the anger in my heart and never take my eyes off Li Mazi.

The sky quickly darkened and everyone gathered in the room. I took a look at the old witch doctor and found that the old witch doctor only bought a red rope and a big rooster.

I looked at the old witch doctor inexplicably, wondering what on earth she was doing? He glanced at Chu Chu again, but Chu Chu's expression was extremely worried.

It must have been the old witch doctor who said some unoptimistic words to Chu Chu, right?

I have no way of knowing what the old witch doctor said to Chu Chu, and I have no intention of asking. Since the old witch doctor doesn't want to tell us, why should I ask? Isn't that annoying?

After dinner, the old witch doctor began to take action. First, he cut off the rooster's comb with a knife. Immediately, blood dripped down the chicken's head, and the rooster struggled in pain.

Then the old witch doctor asked me to dig a hole in the yard, tie the rooster's legs with a red rope so that it could not move, and then bury it in the soil.

I took a breath and couldn't figure out why the old witch doctor did this? Originally I thought she was going to use live chickens.

But I still obediently buried the big cock in the backyard. Probably because he was worried that the rooster would be suffocated, the old witch doctor trampled the soil tightly to make sure there was no movement. Then he walked back to the room and put the rooster's comb into one of the small copper cauldrons.

I suddenly became a little confused. Didn't Xibo Hou Jichang only bring back a small bronze tripod?

Why are there two in front of us now? What's going on with the other small bronze tripod?

I saw that the old witch doctor had been taking care of Li Mazi, so I didn't ask any more questions. Chu Chu happened to be by my side, so I asked Chu Chu with the attitude of giving it a try.

Chu Chu smiled slightly and said: "Why are you reacting so slowly? It took you a while to realize that there is something fishy..."

I replied helplessly. It wasn't that I was slow-minded, but that I was too worried about Li Mazi so I didn't think too much.

Chu Chu told me that the other small bronze tripod was actually made by later generations, following King Zhou's example, by reducing the size of the large bronze tripod used for cooking meat and recasting it in order to make a pair.

I was speechless.

Chu Chu and I were fine, just waiting at the door.

The man in the T-shirt, Zen Master Baimei and the old witch doctor sat next to Li Mazi, forming a triangle.

I sat like this until eleven o'clock in the evening, when I suddenly heard the sound of a rooster crowing in the yard.

I immediately looked into the yard and was scared out of my mind!

I saw that the big rooster that I had buried under the soil had come to life again and was standing on the mound where it was buried. The head of the chicken was still bleeding and its eyes were soaked.

Its bloodshot eyes looked at me eagerly, as if filled with endless hatred...

I was a little scared and turned around quickly.

The old witch doctor suddenly said: "Here we come!".

Suddenly, all three people in the room sat upright, squinting their eyes, motionless, as if they were meditating.

I saw the big living rooster, making a "clucking" sound in its throat, and started walking leisurely along the backyard. When he walked to the door, he suddenly stopped, flapped his wings, and flew to my shoulder.

I was so frightened that I subconsciously reached out to pat the big cock and drive it away.

But Chu Chu immediately stopped me: "Don't move!"

I had no choice but not to touch the big cock, but my whole body was soaked with sweat.

What is this big cock going to do? It is obviously dead, but what force is supporting it?

I looked at the old witch doctor tremblingly, hoping that the old witch doctor could do something as soon as possible and take care of this big rooster.