"Beep—"
That familiar, utterly detestable sound rang out again.
Wu You touched the leather pouch hanging on his chest; it was now heavy, but not full—one last item was missing.
"Only three hours left. We've now collected six of the seven treasures of Buddhism mentioned in the Lotus Sutra," Wu You said, looking at the contents of the pouch, "gold, silver, lapis lazuli, giant clam shell, agate, and rose quartz."
Only one more item was missing—a pearl.
When several illusions appeared in the sky ahead again, the two decisively discarded the distracting "Stealing Tin" world.
Gu Qingqing looked at Wu You's expression: "What can you see in the other two parts of the sky? Is it something scary?"
"Not really scary, just quite eerie." Since experiencing the Crimson Agate World, Wu You's courage had grown considerably. "If I told you I saw a bunch of rabbits, you'd probably find it strange."
"Rabbits?"
"Yes, not a bunch, just two. Their fur was yellowish," Wu You continued, unsure how else to describe it. "I don't know what those two rabbits were eating, but I could hear a metallic sound. What's even more unbearable is that they were defecating as they ate, and what came out were all black iron beads that made a hard, thud when they fell to the ground."
Listening to Wu You's description, Gu Qingqing seemed to understand something: "There is indeed such an animal in legends. They like to eat all kinds of ironware, and they look like rabbits. It's said that two of these rabbits can eat all the weapons in an entire military camp."
Wu You looked incredulous: "Then what were they defecating? It certainly wasn't ordinary rabbit droppings."
"That thing is a treasure. It's said that when forging a sword, just one grain can create a rare divine sword."
Wu You learned something new again. She pointed to the patch of sky in the middle: "Let's just head straight ahead, that's our direction."
"Oh? You saw a pearl?"
"I saw a large clam in the sea. Although I didn't see the pearl directly, I could see its luster shining through the gaps between the clams." Wu You saw hope and quickened her pace.
Gu Qingqing affirmed Wu You's statement and also quickened her pace forward: "Do you think this world will make us go into the sea to collect pearls?"
"It's a pity Fang Fei isn't here." Wu You appeared relaxed, but inwardly she was somewhat afraid of the sea. She could manage a swimming pool normally, but she really didn't have the courage or ability to actually venture into the ocean.
"I always felt that Huatui had a particularly good grasp of the scale this time," Gu Qingqing suddenly said.
"So you're... praising him?"
Gu Qingqing smiled. "I'm just summarizing our world. Although it's not over yet, based on the search for the first six Buddhist treasures, I feel... that the knowledge we've gathered is all within our knowledge base, which is a bit too coincidental. I even wondered if I hadn't read some of the books that helped us find the answers, would Huatui have given us a different 'question'?"
Wu You pondered Gu Qingqing's words, feeling that she made a lot of sense. "I also had a thought earlier: if we hadn't chosen to search for the world of agate after the Silver Tree world, but instead chose the world of iron or tin, would we definitely have been eliminated?
"Could our treasure-hunting target have changed from the Seven Treasures of Buddhism to the Five Metals: gold, silver, copper, iron, and tin?"
Gu Qingqing listened to Wu You's somewhat absurd analysis and surprisingly nodded in agreement. "You never know."
"Then wouldn't we have lost out? We could have easily found seven with just five. Otherwise, we would have found the fragments and left by now!" Wu You made pointless optimistic assumptions.
The two walked forward, talking, and somehow stepped into some kind of barrier, suddenly finding themselves in a bustling marketplace.
"Pearls for sale! Pearls for sale! Top-quality South China Sea pearls!" someone shouted loudly.
The two hadn't expected to get to the point so quickly.
Gu Qingqing looked at the pearl vendors and the shops with signs saying "Pearls for Sale," then walked over to a stall and carefully examined the various sizes of pearls.
"It's so strange. Do they know we need pearls? How come everyone's selling pearls?" Wu You picked up a large, oval pearl from a stall, thinking that pearls, one of the seven treasures of Buddhism, should all be perfectly round.
Gu Qingqing whispered, "Don't you think this place is very unnatural?"
"Yes, they're so 'eager to understand what we need,' they're practically like mind readers." "After saying this, Wu You felt a little scared, and even had a thought: could Huatui be living inside the thirteen members like a tapeworm?
Gu Qingqing said, "You're right, this is too strange. Take this market for example. Even if it's positioned as a pearl market, it's impossible for it to only sell pearls and not have anything else. Think about it, aren't the pearl-selling centers we've been to before different from this place?"
Wu You put herself in their shoes and thought about it for a while: "I don't like wearing pearls either, but I did buy some for my mom and aunt when I traveled before... You're really right. Whether it's Dalian, Qingdao, or Beidaihe, even if it's a pearl-focused market, it's impossible for it to only sell pearls. The shop owners will always sell some shell ornaments and the like as a side dish."
Gu Qingqing nodded, looking at the various sizes of simple pearls displayed by the vendors, and suddenly felt a strange sense of fear.
"I think Huatui might be in a hurry," Wu You said, offering her analysis. "He really wants us to find the right pearl so that we can successfully release the painting." "
If we follow your line of thinking, the painting 'Harmony' might actually allow all thirteen of us to leave safely," Gu Qingqing stated her conjecture.
Wu You's eyes brightened, but her voice was somewhat somber: "But this matter will definitely not end here. Who knows what the painting enthusiast is planning to do by gathering all thirteen of us together—I don't think he's up to anything!"
Gu Qingqing was amused by Wu You's unfiltered words: " We're in someone else's painting, after all, so let's watch what we say."
Wu You was about to say something when her gaze was suddenly drawn to a large black pearl. She quickly pulled Gu Qingqing along, and the two of them headed towards the shop displaying the black pearl.
Wu You first inquired about the price of the black pearl, which was indeed very expensive. Then, with the owner's permission, she picked up the pearl, pretending to examine it, but actually placing it near the closure of a leather pouch to test the pouch's reaction.
Sure enough, things weren't so simple. When Wu You placed her hand near the pouch, she felt a strong, magnetic repulsion.
It seemed this wasn't the right one, so Wu You put the pearl back.
"Miss, is there anything you're not satisfied with about this pearl?" the owner, who had observed everything, asked as he approached.
"Do you have any better pearls here?" Wu You asked.
The owner first looked Wu You and Gu Qingqing up and down before finally saying, "Better?" "Young lady, please tell me first, what kind of pearls are considered better? Is it a larger size, a rarer color, or a more unique shape? You need to give me some direction."
The shopkeeper clearly didn't take these two plainly dressed young women seriously.
Gu Qingqing thought for a moment and said, "We two are from out of town, just maids from a wealthy family. Our matriarch wants to find the best pearls in the city, no matter the price. Boss, if you have any connections, please help us. Our matriarch will definitely not treat you unfairly."
Gu Qingqing's words indeed piqued the boss's interest. He looked the two young women up and down, but ultimately wore an ambiguous expression: "You out-of-towners wouldn't know, the truly good pearls aren't in our hands."
"Then who have them?" Wu You asked hastily.
"Naturally, in the hands of the Persians," the boss replied.
"But I haven't seen any Persians in this market," Wu You asked. "
The Persians in this city have committed crimes and offended the authorities. Many have been implicated. I heard the government has sent a large ship to transport them back to their country." The boss didn't seem to be lying.
Gu Qingqing and Wu You exchanged a glance, sensing that the boss had a clue but was unwilling to speak.
"Boss, if you know anyone who has the best quality pearls, please point us in the right direction. If those pearls satisfy our matriarch, we will certainly reward you handsomely," Wu You said. Wu
You quickly responded by placing a small pinch of gold dust on the shopkeeper's counter: "A generous reward will be given after the matter is settled."
The gold worked, and the shopkeeper's expression relaxed a bit.
"If you trust me, come with me. I'll take you to see someone," the shopkeeper said, instructing his employees to watch the shop.
Gu Qingqing nodded: "We'll go with you."
Wu You added, "Our matriarch has sent bodyguards to secretly follow us."
This was partly to bolster her own courage and partly to intimidate the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper smiled: "My shop is right here. We're not doing this as a one-off deal, so why would I harm you?"
So, the two girls followed the shopkeeper out the back door and through the streets and alleys until they arrived at the shopkeeper's residence.
"Could the pearls be in your house?" Wu You asked unconsciously.
The shopkeeper didn't answer and closed the courtyard gate.
Both girls were somewhat nervous, but for now, they could only grit their teeth and move forward, ready to act at any moment.
The two followed the shopkeeper into the house and saw a terminally ill Persian man on the bed.
"This man has fine pearls, but he denies it and refuses to hand them over," the shopkeeper said with certainty.
The Persian man looked at the two unfamiliar girls with his blue eyes without speaking.
"Can he understand what we're saying?" Wu You asked the shopkeeper softly.
"Yes, he understands. He's been here for over ten years, he understands everything, and he's especially good at bargaining," the shopkeeper seemed to know the Persian very well.
"But he's so down on his luck now, and so seriously ill. Even if he had valuable pearls, he would have already pawned them to pay for his medical treatment," Wu You thought, not believing that the Persian man could still have priceless pearls.
"You don't understand the Persians. They always keep one last pearl for themselves until they die," the shopkeeper said, looking at the Persian. "And that pearl must be the best pearl this Persian has ever found in his life."
Gu Qingqing listened to the shopkeeper's words, recalling some relevant historical records, and nodded in agreement.
"Then where is this Persian's pearl? If he died here, even if he hid a pearl a thousand miles away, would it still be his?" Wu You asked.
"So, that priceless pearl can't be a thousand miles away. The pearl should be very close to this Persian, but he just won't say," the shopkeeper said with some helplessness.
"Since you can't get him to hand over the pearl, we certainly can't," Gu Qingqing said, looking at the shopkeeper. "What's the point of you letting us see him?"
The shopkeeper sighed. "I'm doing this out of desperation. I don't want to tell my colleagues about this, and I can't get the pearl's whereabouts out of this Persian myself—I genuinely consider you the buyers of this pearl, so I hope you can find a way to get it from him."
Suddenly, a long sigh rang out, as if from a throat that had been dried up for decades.
The Persian man lying on the bed sighed, slowly turning his head. His slightly curly beard had turned grayish-white, and his blue-gray eyes sized up the two unfamiliar girls. He sighed again.
"Is he dissatisfied with buyers like us…" Wu You said softly.
The Persian uttered a long string of strange words, as if singing.
The shopkeeper, unfazed, crossed his arms and muttered, "That cunning Persian!"
Wu You listened for a while, then looked at Gu Qingqing and asked, "What is he saying? Is it related to the beads? But it sounds like he's singing to me."
"Sigh, I don't understand either," the shopkeeper said helplessly.
After a long pause, Gu Qingqing finally asked the shopkeeper, "Are you sure the most valuable bead in the whole city is on him?"
"I saw it with my own eyes," the shopkeeper said with certainty. "It's a rare blue bead the size of a pigeon's egg. It would be priceless as jewelry, and I've heard that the powder from that bead has the effect of prolonging life."
Gu Qingqing looked at the Persian man who was still speaking a foreign language, placed some gold dust in her palm, and piled it into three small heaps: "From three comes all things. If you can sell us the bead, we can not only promise you wealth, but we might even be able to find someone to cure your illness."
The Persian man stopped talking, seemingly uninterested in Gu Qingqing's words. He mumbled a few more strange words, then closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.
"How interesting. Is his bead more important than his illness?" Wu You said to the shopkeeper. "We two need to go back to the old lady to report and see how she plans to handle this matter. We'll come back tomorrow."
"Alright, that's the only way."
…
Gu Qingqing and Wu You left the shopkeeper's residence and walked a long, long way away.
Wu You then whispered, "I really didn't expect him to be speaking English."
"You noticed too?" Gu Qingqing asked.
"Yes, I could understand about 50-60%. His English was a bit archaic, and the grammar was different from modern English." Wu You said.
The two of them were pleased with their tacit acting just now.
"Strictly speaking, Old Persian should be closer to Iranian, but I don't know why he spoke more like modern English." Gu Qingqing said.
"Do you speak Iranian?"
"No."
"So, he had to speak in a way that we could understand but the shopkeeper couldn't…"
"…"
Just now, the strange language spoken by the Persian man on the sickbed was actually English, and what he said surprised the two girls greatly—
"This man is a demon. He's trapped here, preventing me from returning home. You two kind girls, if you can understand me, please take me away from here."
In that situation, Gu Qingqing and Wu You couldn't properly convey that they understood, so they could only cautiously respond with glances.
The Persian man continued, "If possible, please meet me at the back door of this house after three incense sticks have burned. There's a hidden door here; I need your help to leave. Remember, it's after three incense sticks. If you understand, please respond with 'three incense sticks' in your time."
Gu Qingqing had a sudden inspiration. She placed three small piles of gold sand in her palm, pretending it was 'three begets all things' to confuse the shopkeeper.
The Persian man's eyes showed relief, but he didn't show it on his face. He turned his face away and said, "You'd better find a boat; I need to go home."
...
"Does he know we're also after his pearl?" Wu You asked.
"Didn't the shopkeeper say he understands Chinese?"
"Then why did he ask us for help?"
"Probably because he had no other choice." Gu Qingqing and Wu You were currently renting a boat at the dock.
"We need to find a way to get the whereabouts of the bead from him later."
"We'll play it by ear. The treasures we've found these past few times have always been obtained by surprise, and this time should be no exception."
Wu You checked her phone; it showed 11:46—
the time for three incense sticks to burn was almost up, and there was only a little over an hour left before their last departure.
…
12:27
The impoverished and sick Persian finally lay down on the small boat as he wished. His blue eyes looked at the two girls rowing separately: "Thank you, you two angels."
Wu You wanted to ask about the bead, but didn't know how to start.
The Persian leaned on the side of the boat, seemingly trying to sit up.
Wu You stepped forward to help him. The Persian smiled, "I know you also want that bead. What if I can't give it to you?"
The two girls remained silent. Even if they forced the sick Persian at knifepoint, they probably wouldn't get the bead out of him.
"Even if we don't get the bead, it's good to send a stranger home," Gu Qingqing said.
The Persian seemed somewhat moved, but not quite moved to tears. He rummaged in his pocket for a moment and pulled out a knife.
Wu You nimbly dodged backward, and Gu Qingqing also retreated slightly, but the boat was small, with almost no larger space for them to hide.
The Persian, however, took the knife and slashed at his own thigh. He gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and pulled a bead from the deep, bleeding wound.
Wu You was stunned by this scene.
The Persian held the bead in his palm: "This is the finest bead I've ever possessed in my life. I originally intended to use it as a burial offering, but now… you can't help me for nothing. Take this bead, as long as you can help me find the ship the Persians left on and deliver my body to my fellow villagers so they can send me home."
"But…" Gu Qingqing tried to say something.
"Don't think too much. Consider this bead my repayment to you." The Persian placed the bead on the wound on his thigh, and miraculously, the bleeding stopped.
"This bead can cure illnesses; can't it cure yours?" Wu You asked.
"The bead can cure illnesses, but it can't reverse death." The Persian weakly lay down again, as if knowing his death was imminent. "Take this bead; I believe my fellow villagers will find a way to bring peace to my soul."
The Persian closed his eyes and fell silent.
Wu You checked his breath, confirming that he was dead.
The Persian died with a strange smile on his face, completely lacking the serenity one would expect after death.