Chinese Superman

"So in the end, the Shuten-dōji whose true power has manifested is essentially more like a sword spirit, except that it thinks it is the beheaded Shuten-dōji."

He paused, then gave a more intuitive example:

"Just like the Zhenwu Emperor statue we just saw, it looks like the Zhenwu Emperor manifesting his divine power, but it is actually the result of the power of the relics that guard Wudang Mountain, combined with the guidance of Master Zhang's divine consciousness and the blessing of Wudang Mountain's thousand-year-old Taoist tradition. It is not a true celestial emperor descending to earth."

Gu Zhi Qiu seemed to understand only part of the meaning, but she grasped the core message.

"You mean... Shuten-dōji is fake, and Zhenwu the Great is fake too, and they're both manifestations of the essence and mysterious power of relics?"

"That's one way to understand it."

At this point, a hint of confusion and doubt flashed in Xia Xinghan's eyes, and he murmured, "So...may I ask you, is there a true god in this world?"

The incident involving Dojigiri Yasutsuna was just a minor episode.

Xia Xinghan continued happily collecting treasures.

Besides the three most important items, there are also relics such as the Peacock King statue, the gilt bronze flame-shaped reliquary, the Garuda mask of a musician, and the bronze plum and bamboo lantern with a hook.

Those Japanese weapon bearers were wiped out in one wave by the nuclear fireball spell, leaving no trace of their bodies. However, the relics they carried were surprisingly sturdy and were not destroyed in the "nuclear explosion".

There were as many as seven or eight items, covering various aspects such as defense, physical attack, support, transformation, and magic damage, all of which were around Grade A.

As Xia Xinghan took inventory, he exclaimed, "The Ying Kingdom really went all out to capture me this time. Just these Class A relics and weapon handlers alone are quite luxurious and comprehensive, not to mention a lot of weaponry."

"If they didn't only have one newly-entered expert, and the others weren't wiped out by my nuclear fireball attack, I would have had a real headache if they had formed a formation to surround and attack me."

Gu Zhi Qiu deeply agreed, and recalling the earth-shattering explosion still made her heart tremble.

My junior brother's fireball technique is just too ridiculously powerful.

Finally, Xia Xinghan's gaze was drawn to a small, exquisite box.

The box landed a little further away on some pebbles. Upon closer inspection, it was found to be made entirely with the "Makie" technique, featuring a beautiful eight-bridge pattern painted in gold lacquer and inlaid with shimmering mother-of-pearl flakes, making it exceptionally elegant.

"This is... a Yatsuhashi maki-e mother-of-pearl inlaid inkstone box?"

Xia Xinghan recognized the origin of the lacquerware at a glance.

He carefully opened the lid of the box.

The box wasn't empty; it contained neatly arranged bottled water, compressed food, first-aid medicine, and even several hundred spare spirit stones.

But the key point is that the inkstone box itself is only slightly larger than a regular lunchbox, so it is impossible to fit so many things in it!

Xia Xinghan's eyes widened slightly, bursting with surprise: "A spatial artifact! The lacquerware inkstone box has an expansion space inside!"

He reached inside and felt around, and found that although the box seemed to be full, there was still room inside, as if the space inside was more than ten times larger than it appeared on the outside!

This is simply a magical tool for home use, travel, murder, and robbery.

"Could it be like the Three Abundances and Nine Likenesses Jade Lock, which can be used without needing to choose a master?"

Xia Xinghan channeled his spiritual power into the Yahashi Maki-e Mother-of-Pearl Inkstone Box, and the exquisite box shrank again, from the size of a lunchbox to a miniature matchbox.

It can be easily slipped into a pocket with a simple tuck, making it incredibly convenient.

If it were enlarged, it could be as large as a factory.

"Great! I was just worried about how to carry all these belongings!"

Xia Xinghan was overjoyed and quickly began to put the found relics one by one into the inkstone box.

Of course, the weapons that survived the "nuclear explosion" were also confiscated.

When only the last golden seal of the King of Han-Wei Nu remained, a sudden change occurred!

The once silent golden seal seemed to be summoned from a distant place and suddenly trembled.

The golden seal shimmered with light and suddenly broke free from Xia Xinghan's small hand. With a "whoosh," it soared into the air, like a fledgling returning to its nest, and was about to shoot towards the direction of Ying Kingdom!

"Um?!"

Xia Xinghan reacted extremely quickly. Almost at the same instant the golden seal flew up, he reached out with lightning speed and firmly grabbed the golden seal that was flying in mid-air.

When it was picked up, the golden seal was still trembling violently, its power astonishing, trying to break free of its restraints.

"What's going on?!"

Gu Zhi Qiu was startled by the sudden turn of events. He instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword and looked around warily.

Xia Xinghan gripped the struggling golden seal firmly with his small hands, a thoughtful look on his face, and soon he made a guess.

"It seems that the royal family of Ying Kingdom is trying to remotely summon this relic that is so closely associated with them through some kind of bloodline secret method or sacrificial ritual."

Looking at the golden seal in his hand, which seemed to possess a life of its own, he suddenly had an idea. Instead of forcibly suppressing it, he slowed down his strength, held it in his palm, stared at it intently, and said calmly, "Don't even think about escaping. You can't escape."

"Without the blessing of its master's life or spiritual power, unless it depletes its reserves and revives on its own, it simply cannot escape my grasp."

"Buzz"

The golden seal trembled, the snake-shaped knob twisted, and ripples spread out in circles, as if some mysterious power was being activated.

This quasi-national relic is currently being tested.

But soon, it gave up.

Because what Xia Xinghan said was true, his superhuman body was truly terrifying. His five small fingers were white and tender, seemingly weak, but in fact they had infinite strength. He held the square seal base and did not loosen it at all!

Seeing that Jin Yin had given up struggling, Xia Xinghan's lips curled up slightly as he continued to persuade him, "I know you are no ordinary being; you have already developed a spiritual nature. Therefore, you should see the situation clearly and abandon darkness for light."

"Your name is the Golden Seal of the King of Wa of Han, which carries the investiture and recognition of the Wa Kingdom by the great Han Dynasty of China. Your roots, your name, and your legal system all originate from this."

"Now, the Ying Kingdom is no longer the former vassal state of Wei. It has abandoned the etiquette of a vassal state and even attempted to use your power to turn against its former master. This is a violation of the established order and a betrayal of its origins."

"The Xia Kingdom of today, inheriting the orthodoxy of the Han Dynasty, is experiencing a renewal and shines as brightly as the sun."

"Since you are a Han official, you should uphold loyalty and righteousness and return to the rightful path, rather than continue to be driven by traitors and villains to do unjust things."

Xia Xinghan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a peculiar infectious quality, as if he wasn't talking to an object, but rather explaining the advantages and disadvantages to an ancient spirit who had lost its way.

「!?」

Gu Zhi Qiu, who was standing to the side, was dumbfounded. He wondered if his junior brother was talking nonsense because he was too tired from the battle.

Can an inanimate object understand these profound truths?

However, what happened next left Gu Zhi Qiu completely dumbfounded.

As soon as Xia Xinghan finished speaking, the golden seal, which had been trying to fly away, actually calmed down and lay motionless in his palm.

"Senior sister, look."

Xia Xinghan raised his palm and showed it off to his senior sister.

"This...how is this possible?!"

Gu Zhi Qiu rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

She knew that the belongings possessed a spirit.

But is someone so spiritually gifted that they can understand human speech and be persuaded by reason?

This completely blew her mind!

"Indeed, a prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold. You are very good. We will find another wise master in the future."

Xia Xinghan looked smug, then coughed lightly.

"Actually... if you choose me as your master, I might consider it."

"..."

The golden seal remained silent, offering no response.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

(Yahashi Maki-e Mother-of-Pearl Inkstone Box)