Chapter Two: The Five-Four Pistol from Two Thousand Years Ago

Old Liu, hearing the dissatisfaction in my tone, continued helplessly, “Three years ago, my supervisor called and asked me to participate in other archaeological research on the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an.” He paused, lit a cigarette, and went on, “According to my supervisor’s record at the time, in March 1994, a batch of bronze swords was unearthed from the second pit of the Terracotta Warriors. Each was eighty-six centimeters long, with eight facets along the blade. My supervisor measured the facets with a vernier caliper and found the error was less than a strand of hair. Nineteen bronze swords were unearthed, all with such precision.”

Hearing this, I was startled. As far as I knew, the bronze swords found with the Terracotta Warriors had always been described as extremely sharp and without any rust, but there were no more detailed explanations. If, as Old Liu said, the error among nineteen swords was less than a hair's breadth, then even with today’s advanced scientific technology, few nations could achieve such precision.

I couldn’t help but light a cigarette and take a drag. “Go on.”

“These bronze swords have a dense internal structure, their blades are bright and smooth, and the grinding marks on the edges are delicate and intertwined. They slept beneath the loess for over two thousand years, yet when unearthed, they emerged shining brightly, sharper than ever. The surface of each sword had a ten-micron-thick layer of chromium salt compound—a chromium salt oxidation process that only emerged in modern times, first patented by Germany in 1937, then by the United States in 1950. Our own country mastered this technique only in 1996.”

Ren Tianxing’s face darkened. “These swords are certainly strange.”

I was also amazed. Such advanced technology being mastered two thousand years ago was highly unlikely—though, of course, the world is full of marvels. Although I thought this, I replied, “That’s quite normal. Our nation is an ancient civilization; strange things abound, just like the rumors of ghosts and spirits passed down from antiquity. If there were no real cases, these tales would have vanished long ago. I wonder, Mr. Ren, do you believe in ghosts?”

Ren Tianxing, angered by my nitpicking, retorted, “Talk of ghosts and spirits is pure superstition!”

I replied coldly, “Is that so? Perhaps you simply haven’t seen them.”

Old Liu, seeing us at odds, hurried to interject, “Besides the bronze swords, there was also a legendary blade recorded in books—the Sword of Goujian, King of Yue. Its discovery was extraordinary.”

Hearing mention of the Sword of Goujian, I grew interested. Sensing there was something remarkable about its unearthing, I signaled for Old Liu to continue.

“When the Sword of Goujian was unearthed, it was stainless after a thousand years. Professor Wang analyzed it with instruments and found a layer of chromium-containing metal coating the blade. But more than that, as soon as it was exposed, the sky, previously clear, was suddenly shrouded in clouds, thunder rumbled and lightning flashed.”

I drew a sharp breath, marveling, “Whenever a treasure is unearthed and the heavens respond, it means the relic possesses spiritual energy. Once awakened, if it finds its master absent, it will rage—such signs are not unusual.”

Then, after a moment’s thought, I continued, “The curious thing is the chromium content of the sword.” I analyzed aloud, “I once studied chemistry in depth. Chromium is a rare metal, highly resistant to corrosion, found in only minute quantities in the Earth’s crust. It is extremely difficult to extract and can withstand high temperatures, with a melting point of around four thousand degrees Celsius. In ancient times, there was simply no way to solve this problem.”

Liu and Ren were both surprised—by my knowledge of chromium’s properties and by my explanation of the heavenly signs as a response to the sword’s awakening.

Old Liu accepted my reasoning; after all, he had witnessed the ‘shadow transformation’ incident with me during our university days—a story for another time. But Ren Tianxing was deeply dissatisfied, thinking my explanation evasive and perfunctory.

Old Liu sighed and said to me, “When I first arrived at the Xi’an research institute, I followed Professor Wang and was shocked by all this, unable to sleep for days. Our supervisor even conducted a simulation experiment at a metallurgical institute in Beijing. They mixed aged vinegar, potassium nitrate from the earth, and chromium ore, heated it to eight hundred degrees, turning it into liquid, and coated the sword’s surface with it. Some tried rubbing sapphire against the blade to apply the chromium, but the success rate was extremely low and the necessary instruments were very advanced. How, in those ancient times, was such a sword forged?”

He had spoken at length about his work, yet still hadn’t addressed why he had come to see me. Surely it wasn’t just to discuss this topic? It couldn’t be that simple.

I smiled and said, “Brother Liu, it’s rare for you to come by today just for a chat. It’s almost noon—how about we eat and talk? We haven’t seen each other in years; you can tell me about your work and life.” I wanted to see what Old Liu’s real purpose was.

“This time, I came because of a handgun.” Ren Tianxing, sensing my impatience, cut in bluntly.

Hearing it was about a handgun, I laughed and teased Ren Tianxing, “Mr. Ren, you certainly have a sense of humor. A policeman loses his gun and doesn’t look for it, but has Brother Liu come tell me stories first!” Rarely did I get the chance to poke fun, and I certainly wouldn’t let the opportunity slip by—especially when it came to someone who had just shown displeasure towards me.

Ren Tianxing flushed, about to retort, but Old Liu shot him a look, prompting him to grunt and fall silent.

Old Liu smiled wryly. “If it were just a policeman losing a gun, it wouldn’t be a big deal. And if it was a lost gun, there’d be no need to ask you for help, Changfeng.” He took a sip of water and continued, “This handgun is not ordinary.” Then he looked to Ren Tianxing, signaling him to continue.

Ren Tianxing looked at me cautiously and said, “This involves a national top secret. I hope, Mr. Changfeng…”

He hadn’t finished his sentence when I interrupted angrily, “If you don’t trust me, there’s no need to say anything.”

“Not at all! It’s just that the matter is so serious—if word got out, it could cause public panic and even attract the attention of other nations.” Ren Tianxing quickly clarified.

I pondered whether it was really that serious, but outwardly remained nonchalant and nodded slightly.

Ren Tianxing recalled, “Two years ago, Professor Liu and Professor Wang were researching the Terracotta Warriors at a military base in Xi’an. During an infrared scan, they discovered an anomaly within a warrior. After technical processing, they cut open the anomaly and extracted it, only to find a stone box inside. When they opened it, it contained a handgun—a domestic Type 54 pistol.”

I was astonished—a handgun extracted from a Terracotta Warrior? It sounded utterly fantastical.

But seeing the seriousness of the pair, I refrained from laughing and instead analyzed, “Is it possible that someone deliberately placed it there during previous excavations, or that it was some sort of prank?”

“Absolutely impossible!” they both declared in unison.

Old Liu explained, “The warrior in question was found two years ago, twenty kilometers from the first pit, in a mountain valley. After a rainstorm caused a landslide, half the warrior’s head was exposed. Someone discovered it and reported it, and we were notified and sent to excavate. We used detection equipment to scan a ten-mile radius, and found only this single warrior. Moreover, it wasn’t in the shape of a soldier, but a charioteer. When we brought it back to the institute and examined it in detail, we discovered the anomaly inside. When we opened it, it was a stone box containing a handgun, which had been fossilized. According to our instruments, there were no signs the box had ever been opened.”