flstandardbreds Chapter 135 The Secret of the Monastery
Chapter 135 The Secret of the Monastery
After returning home, Li Yue began to study the box.
At this moment, Patton and the appraisal team arrived at the manor.
"Boss." Patton came up and greeted Li Yue.
"Patton, come here."
Patton came to Li Yue, and Li Yue handed the box to Patton: "Can you tell what material this box is made of?"
Patton looked it over. "It looks a bit like tropical teak from the Amazon."
knock knock --
Patton knocked on the box again: "This is not a wooden echo, it may be made with special technology. Boss, how about I take it to a professional institution for monitoring?"
Li Yue shook his head: "What is the special process you are talking about?"
"Most ancient wooden products were protected from decay and cracking by applying oil, wax, or honey. A small number of religious items were also made by sewing wooden products into the stomachs of animals, allowing the animal's fat to seep into the surface of the wood, thus changing the texture of the wood. This method was mostly used during the ancient Egyptian and Inca periods."
"Are you saying that this box is also made using this craftsmanship?"
"I'm not an expert in this area." Patton shook his head. "But the style of this box is very similar to Europe from the 5th to the 15th century. This period was Europe's most glorious and turbulent period, with the Renaissance, the Black Death, witch hunting, the Age of Exploration, and wars. As a result, many unique cultures were born, such as Gothic culture and Satanism. The relief on this box is actually similar to a symbol, and this symbol represents its origin. Boss, you can put ink on the lid, then print it on paper and take it to a nearby pawn shop. They often deal with this kind of things, and there may be someone who recognizes the value of it."
"There's a devilish pattern on it. It should be something from a cult, right?"
"In that era, even the church used patterns with demonic motifs, and many nobles also liked to use these dark patterns. So the pattern alone doesn't mean much."
Li Yue immediately printed the pattern on the box lid on paper and then found a nearby pawn shop.
"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?" The pawnshop teller came forward immediately upon seeing Li Yue coming.
Li Yue took out a piece of paper with the pattern of the box lid printed on it and asked, "Excuse me, do you have any experts here who know about European classical culture?"
"Sir, we don't have any in our store, but if you need one, we can help you get one." The teller said, "But you'll have to pay for the expert's labor costs yourself."
"Okay, please invite an expert for me."
The teller picked up the phone, dialed a number, and hung up after a brief conversation.
"Please wait a moment, sir. The experts will be here in twenty minutes."
Li Yue waited for less than twenty minutes, and sure enough, a white-haired old man came. He was the expert invited by the pawnshop.
After a brief greeting, the expert asked, "Sir, do you have something to be identified?"
"Yes." Li Yue took out the paper and handed it to the expert.
The expert took the paper and looked at it carefully for a few seconds, then looked up at Li Yue and said, "Sir, can you show me the real thing?"
"Sorry, that's inconvenient, but could you tell me the origin of this box?"
"Do you know the Priory?" asked the expert.
"I've heard of this organization occasionally."
There is always various information on the Internet, and this hermitage is quite famous in America.
According to legend, there are twelve people in each generation of the monastery, all of whom are elites in their respective fields.
"If we look at the imprint alone, this is the pattern of the monastery," said the expert.
"Does this pattern have any special meaning?"
"The predecessor of the Priory was Satanism, which was the name used before the 17th century, or rather the name used by the church. It should actually be called the Alchemy Society. After the 17th century, with the rise of industrial civilization, the Alchemy Society changed its name to the Priory. In the Bible, demons often traded with humans, which just happened to align with the alchemy principle of equal exchange, so the Alchemy Society used the demon as its emblem." The expert said: "The demon in the center of this pattern sits on a sphere, which represents the earth. The sun is on the left hand and the moon is on the right. The Priory has always regarded the sun, moon and earth as the three most important treasures of mankind. The Priory attaches great importance to the concept of class, which is reflected in all aspects. Even if it is just a ring, they will use various things to indicate their identity. The sun, moon and earth are the symbols of the highest level. The appearance of the sun, moon and earth in this pattern represents the Priory's most important treasure."
"Thank you for clearing up my doubts." Li Yue said.
"Sir, are you interested in selling this to me? I'm willing to offer you a price that will definitely satisfy you."
"Sorry, I don't have any plans for now."
"Okay, if you're interested, feel free to contact me. This is my business card." The expert said with some regret, "Can you please leave this piece of paper with me? I want to continue my research."
"No problem at all."
The expert happily put away the drawings and returned to his studio after receiving his payment, only to find someone waiting for him in his studio.
"Escher, where have you been?"
The visitor was Bamba, a colleague of Escher's when he was teaching at the university and a professor of archaeology.
Bhanla is currently in the studio, studying a clay pot with a magnifying glass.
Escher just greeted him perfunctorily when he returned.
Escher put down his briefcase and made a cup of coffee for Bumrah.
"I went to help someone identify something." Escher took out the drawing.
When Bamba saw the pattern on the drawing, his pupils suddenly contracted.
"Escher, where did this come from?"
"I got it from a customer at the pawn shop who wanted to authenticate the pattern," said Escher.
"Do you know the identity of that person?" Bamba asked.
"No, the pawn shop might know, but if you want to buy the real thing from him, it's probably difficult. Judging from the way he's dressed, he shouldn't be short of money."
Bamba's expression changed, and he stood up and said, "I'm leaving first."
Escher smiled and shook his head, not taking Bumrah's actions to heart.
After leaving Escher's studio, Bumrah picked up the phone and said, "Hello, there's a clue about that thing."
Escher was unaware of Bumra, who was a member of the Priory.
However, the monastic order is not a behemoth that controls finance and power. On the contrary, since being suppressed by the church, they have dismissed most of their members, and only three core members have continued to this day.
There is no difference in status between these three core members, and they are not even considered an organization. They only contact each other occasionally on weekdays.
The core of the Priory is alchemy, real alchemy.