Chapter 214: Jian Hui
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
“Of course I believe it,” Ruan Yesheng said, looking at Jian Hui.
Xi Mo sat to the side, her gaze fixed on Ruan Yesheng. Both she and Ruan Yesheng had experienced the bizarre phenomenon of soul swapping. If there truly were some higher-dimensional existences in this world, she naturally could accept such an understanding.
It was just that she felt subconsciously anxious. If they truly faced such an existence, and the other side had malicious intentions, then how could they save themselves?
Or is it that once you encounter it, you can only sink into an abyss of suffering?
Jian Hui was infected by the sincerity in Ruan Yesheng’s answer, and increasingly felt she had gained one more person she could talk with. She said, “Back when I participated in excavation work, I once saw an ancient corpse inside a coffin move. Its chest was also rising and falling, as if it was breathing.”
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo's expressions changed simultaneously, but they remained silent and continued listening to Jian Hui's story.
“This kind of thing where an ancient corpse shows signs of activity again, in the eyes of those scientific factions, can also be explained with reasonable causes.” Jian Hui slowly explained. “For example, as some ancient corpses pass through long periods of time, they may by various coincidences become parasitized by certain organisms. It looks like the corpse is moving, but actually it is the organisms hidden inside the corpse controlling its movements. This kind of situation is called ‘parasitism’ by the scientific faction. They believe biological parasitism can cause some corpse transformations.”
Ruan Yesheng nodded subconsciously. Both of her parents were biology professors, and even though she herself didn't have a deep understanding of biology, she could still understand the scientific explanations.
Jian Hui continued, “There are many kinds of organisms that can make a corpse move. They could be some strange insects, or some existences similar to insects. I heard places like Miaojiang have the concept of gu insects. Gu insects do not only refer to certain insect creatures. They can also be some other things. As long as they go through the refining process of gu, they are collectively called gu. If some special gu enters a corpse, it can control the corpse’s movements.”
Ruan Yesheng felt as if she had briefly entered a brand new world with broadened horizons. She listened with complete focus, holding tea in her hand and forgetting to drink it for a moment.
“Besides those, it can also be something else, for example certain fungi.” Jian Hui patiently gave examples. “The storage environments of ancient corpses vary greatly, so there can be situations where fungi parasitize ancient corpses. And some more complex fungi can control the corpse to perform simple movements, making it look like the corpse suddenly revived. But most fungi only rely on the corpse for nutrients. This is also why mushrooms grow inside many coffins. The mushrooms we eat are essentially fungi. Some ancient corpses can even grow clusters upon clusters of huge layered Lingzhi. Lingzhi* is also a fungus. Under some harsh conditions, certain Lingzhi can even naturally jadeify and become a kind of Lingzhi jade.”
*Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal mushroom, commonly called Reishi (Japan) or Lingzhi (China), traditionally used for vitality and longevity.
“Lingzhi jade?” Xi Mo pondered.
“Yes, this is exactly your uncle’s expertise,” Jian Hui said. “Lingzhi jade is extremely hard to form. The physique of the corpse growing the Lingzhi jade itself, the condition during burial, the air and moisture conditions of the burial place, none of them can be lacking. The environmental conditions mentioned here, if understood with another kind of metaphysical thinking, are what we call feng shui. In short, only under the right timing, right place, and harmony can Lingzhi jade form. Precisely because it is so precious, it can sell for sky-high prices in the antiques market. Even antique merchants with extremely high status, once they hear Lingzhi jade has appeared, will exhaust all channels trying to obtain it. Even if they cannot obtain it, just seeing it would be enough.”
Xi Mo asked, "Sister Jian Hui, have you ever seen Lingzhi Jade?"
Jian Hui's expression changed slightly, and she said, "I haven't seen Lingzhi Jade in person, but I... have seen photos. If that really counts as Lingzhi Jade."
"What do you mean by 'really counts'?" Xi Mo asked, somewhat puzzled.
Before this, Jian Hui had talked eloquently in front of them without any reservations, and had even explained things to them in detail with great interest. But now she only briefly said, “There are situations where something is believed to be Lingzhi jade, but actually may not be. Because Lingzhi jade has different colors, shapes, and so on, and it is too rare, so there is also the possibility of forgery.”
Xi Mo lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then decided not to ask any more questions.
Jian Hui quickly recovered her expression and said, “So you see, many things indeed can be understood through science. But besides that, there are also some situations science cannot explain, like when there are no organisms parasitizing an ancient corpse, yet it still moves. Nobody knows exactly how the corpse rose. Some knowledgeable people call this type of corpse a ‘zongzi’. This is an underground slang.”
Ruan Yesheng had heard of this saying before, so she did not raise any questions here. After all, Yan Tinghuan had said many such things before.
Jian Hui said, “Besides this kind of corpse rising that cannot be explained scientifically, there are also some beings very hard for our understanding to believe in. No... they cannot simply be defined as living creatures. More accurately, they should be some kind of thing, or... monster. Although I have not seen one, one of my colleagues did.”
Ruan Yesheng and Xi Mo held their breath. Ruan Yesheng hurriedly asked, “...What kind of monster?”
Jian Hui said, “My colleague once participated in excavation work on an ancient sunken ship under the sea. That ship had sunk at the bottom of the sea for so many years, yet it had not rotted. The hull was covered with thick sea stains and coral. While my colleague was diving and searching inside the ship, she saw a human figure. The other side had a huge fish tail.”
“...Mermaid?” Ruan Yesheng had seen many related works like this, and there were many films too, so she blurted it out.
“It can’t be considered a mermaid. My colleague said that the thing looked terrifying, with a mouth full of fangs and a pitch-black body. She was terrified at the time, and her first thought was to run away.” Jian Hui said, “Moreover, people from the team that participated in the excavation of the shipwreck went missing one after another. Later their bodies were found, and they had almost been eaten clean, like they had been torn apart by some sharp-toothed sea creature. My colleague suspected they were eaten by that thing with the fish tail.”
Ruan Yesheng imagined it and shivered all over.
Luckily that thing was in the sea and would not come onto land.
Jian Hui's expression turned somewhat grave: “This was an experience my colleague told me, but I have never doubted the authenticity of this experience. I think that thing with the fish tail belongs to a higher-dimensional existence. We humans are too weak in front of this kind of existence. Ancient books say this kind of thing is called a jiaoren*. I heard there are also several kinds of jiaoren. Some are cruel by nature, with vicious appearances. They like using songs to create illusions to lure humans over before eating them. There are also some jiaoren that are not very skilled in combat, but the fat on their bodies can be used to make everlasting lamps. So some emperors organized special armies or capable people to kill them and refine their corpses into lamp oil, lighting them inside imperial tombs to ensure they would not extinguish for a thousand years.”
*鲛人( jiāorén) - translated as merfolk is a fish-like person in Chinese folklore whose tears turn into pearls, also a master of weaving dragon silk. 美人鱼 (měirényú) - (the term RYS mentioned) is the usual western depiction of mermaids. According to a zihu post, many people confuse jiaoren with meirenyu, thinking they are the same species. But jiaoren is actually characterized by a human body and a dragon's tail. In their respective mythologies, one is based on a fish and the other on a dragon.
After saying that, she sighed: "We are indeed very weak in front of most 'non-humans,' but if the 'non-humans' we encounter have no aggression and poor self-defense capabilities, humans will also use tools and enormous manpower and resources to crush them. Since ancient times, the law has always been the strong feeding on the weak. The strong crush the weak. Sometimes that crushing does not even need any reason.”
"It's like some people see an ant on the road and, for no reason, suddenly step on it and kill it, right?" Ruan Yesheng asked tentatively.
Jian Hui seemed to understand Ruan Yesheng's meaning very well, and followed her lead, saying, "Yes. So of course there will also be powerful 'non-humans' who see us as if we were ants, and one day, for no reason at all, they will crush us to death, or take pleasure in toying with us who are so insignificant."
At that moment, Ruan Yesheng felt a chill run down her spine.
"Is it possible that some 'non-human' beings don't have such terrible temperaments?" But she still held onto a sliver of hope and asked the question.
“That should exist,” Jian Hui said. “I believe so. Like the jiaoren we just talked about, some races eat people, and some are hunted by humans to be used for oil because they don’t have much fighting ability. But I’ve also heard of a kind of jiaoren that is very powerful in combat and generally kind-hearted, even willing to help humans. In particular, these jiaorens are extremely beautiful. Perhaps the so-called ‘mermaid’ legend originated from this kind of being.”
Ruan Yesheng's eyes lit up as she said, "Then I believe it too."
Perhaps, people always need to believe in the existence of something beautiful. Otherwise how could they catch their breath?
Over the years, the investigations she had been involved in were always so bizarre that they suffocated her. Over time, she sometimes felt truly exhausted and desperate. Even though she had never seen the beautiful 'non-human' beings that Jian Hui described, she was still willing to hold onto some warm hope in her heart.
The more Jian Hui looked at Ruan Yesheng, the more she admired her, and the more willing she became to tell Ruan Yesheng things she normally would not tell others. If she told others, they might think she was talking nonsense. But Ruan Yesheng would believe her and even express that belief to her. This undoubtedly was a kind of encouragement.
Ruan Yesheng was also happy to have met Jian Hui. Not only did she benefit greatly from Jian Hui's extensive knowledge, but more importantly, Jian Hui's open-mindedness brought her a very different feeling.
Jian Hui was very tolerant. She believed in some metaphysics, but she was also willing to use science to explain the phenomenon of corpses rising from the dead, since it was indeed true sometimes. And when science couldn't explain it, she would also think about it, believing that there might be some more bizarre and mysterious reasons that led to the strange things she saw.
After listening to her words, Ruan Yesheng seemed to have a broader understanding of things.
Jian Hui glanced at Xi Mo and deliberately said, "Ruanruan, do you know that when Xi Mo was in school, I also talked to her about some things like this, but Xi Mo didn't believe me. She's always been a logic freak, and she only believes what she sees."
Xi Mo's face flushed, and she quickly said, "That was before. I believe it now. I've believed it for a long time."
Seeing her anxious expression, Ruan Yesheng couldn't help but laugh.
Jian Hui successfully teased Xi Mo, and she laughed. It seems she's done it quite often before.
“Like Xi Mo, I didn’t believe it a long time ago either,” Ruan Yesheng said truthfully. “But I came to believe it later.”
Some things happened that forced her to believe it.
“That is true too.” Jian Hui lightly smiled. “That friend of mine from the scientific faction also absolutely did not believe before. But during the second half of last year, who knows what wind blew by. When chatting with me, she suddenly actively discussed some so-called ‘unscientific’ phenomena she previously disdained. She even started studying many strange ancient books. See, people change. From not believing, to believing, there is always a process of change.”
"Then why did you say that about me just now?" Xi Mo said in a low voice, "I can change too."
Perhaps it was because Jian Hui was her elder, and she had a good relationship with Jian Hui, that saying these words in front of Jian Hui always felt like a subtle murmur.
Jian Hui patted Xi Mo's head and said, "It's funny. It's funny when you're anxious."
Xi Mo: "..."
Ruan Yesheng deeply understood, raising an eyebrow at Xi Mo: "I also think it's funny."
Xi Mo: "..."
Xi Mo lowered her head and tidied her hair. Jian Hui then shared many similar experiences with them, saying, "However, although there are many strange situations in our work, most of them can actually be explained by science, or rather, the higher-ups want to explain them by science. Over time, during the excavation process, scientists from fields such as biology and paleontology will appear and work together with us archaeologists to conduct joint scientific research investigations."
Ruan Yesheng's heart skipped a beat, and she glanced at Xi Mo.
Xi Mo glanced at her, signaling to ask Jian Hui for more information.
“My parents are also biologists,” Ruan Yesheng said, feigning curiosity. “I wonder if they have ever participated in scientific research in this situation.”
"Really?" Upon hearing this, Jian Hui seemed to scrutinize her carefully before falling into deep thought, a subtle change in her expression.
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Then, Jian Hui asked her, "What are your parents' names? We've worked with some scientists before, so we might have met them or heard of them."
“My father’s name is Yan Biechun, and my mother’s name is Ruan Xijian.” Ruan Yesheng tried to keep her breathing steady as she looked at Jian Hui: “Have you heard of them?”
Jian Hui paused for a moment, then fell silent and did not reply.
Ruan Yesheng's heart suddenly raced, and she could no longer hold her breath: “Could it be that you really have heard of them?”
Author's Note:
There will be more tomorrow. If not tomorrow, then the day after tomorrow.
