CHAPTER 265: CHAPTER 139 BRIDE MASK_3

Qin Shi wore no rings on her hands, no bracelets on her wrists, nor any gemstone necklaces around her neck.

"Could it be that it’s not the Demon Spirit Gemstone causing trouble? Then there’s real trouble." Li Xiu was not a doctor; if it was indeed some mysterious illness, he had no way to handle it.

At this point, there was nothing else to be done but to leave it to fate. Li Xiu reached out to turn over Qin Shi’s clothes pocket, wanting to see if she had any gemstones on her.

Qin Shi was dressed in a patient’s gown, with only two pockets in her jacket; a quick feel revealed nothing inside.

"It seems I can’t be of any help here either." Li Xiu stood up preparing to leave when he suddenly noticed a backpack hanging next to the bed.

Li Xiu remembered having seen this backpack before; it seemed to have been with Qin Shi all the time, and she treasured it even more than the Phoenix Magic Armor, keeping it close even while sleeping.

Li Xiu’s intuition stirred, and he reached out to grab that backpack.

The moment he grabbed it, Li Xiu realized the backpack was made from special materials, appearing like fabric but was actually a type of composite material, with alloy wires and some special fibers embedded inside.

Not only was it waterproof and fireproof, but also extremely resilient, unable to be cut by ordinary knives.

Previously, in the Space City’s laboratory, many researchers wore work clothes made of this material.

The backpack had no zippers, and its opening was drawn close by a cord of the same material, tied in a special knot that required intricate work to untie for those unfamiliar with it.

Li Xiu effortlessly untied the knot, opened the backpack, and found a metal box inside, likely made from some alloy, with nothing else in it.

He took out the box, noticing it had a fingerprint lock installed on it.

Luckily, with Qin Shi right beside him, Li Xiu tried her fingers one by one and quickly unlocked the box.

Lifting the lid with utmost care, Li Xiu immediately saw a red gemstone, resembling a crystal formed from blood, its rich, deep, vivid color having an indescribable beauty with a devilish charm under the lamp’s glow, akin to flowing magma inside.

Just a glance told Li Xiu there was something wrong with this gemstone, as he suddenly felt a strong hunger pang.

The gemstone was cut in a marquise shape, wide in the middle, tapered at the ends, resembling a red gemstone shuttle.

And this marquise-cut red gemstone was inlaid in a Golden Mask, right at the brow center, appearing like a blood-red vertical eye.

The mask was complete except for hollowed-out eye areas, resembling a woman’s face, and, combined with the gemstone, exuded an inexplicable, sinister allure.

Seeing this object, Li Xiu breathed a slight sigh of relief. He might not know how to treat illnesses, but dealing with Demon Spirit Gemstones was something within his capabilities.

"Qin Shi, oh Qin Shi, I’m not trying to take your gemstone; I’m trying to save your life. I don’t have any other options." Li Xiu spoke to Qin Shi and then pricked his finger, letting his blood drip onto the marquise-shaped red gemstone.

As soon as the blood contacted the gemstone, the red gem flashed an internal light, instantly evaporating Li Xiu’s blood.

"Huh!" It was Li Xiu’s first time encountering a Demon Spirit Gemstone resistant to his blood, causing him to feel startled.

With a slight frown, Li Xiu called Kun Sha and Pa Shan in from outside.

"How’s it going? Is Qin Shi going to be alright?" Kun Sha hurriedly inquired upon entering.

"Have you seen this thing or know of it?" Li Xiu didn’t answer him, holding up the Golden Mask to show Kun Sha and Pa Shan.

Kun Sha and Pa Shan inspected it for a while, both looking perplexed.

As Li Xiu felt a hint of disappointment, he suddenly heard Shale shouting as he came in, "Li Xiu, you came without giving me a heads-up, that’s really inconsiderate."

Shale walked over to greet Li Xiu, but upon seeing the Golden Mask in his hands, he suddenly exclaimed.

"Where did you get this thing? Is it real?" Shale pointed at the Golden Mask and asked.

"You know this thing?" Li Xiu thought to himself, realizing, "How could I have overlooked Shale?"

"Of course I know, it’s the Bride Mask isn’t it? Whether yours is genuine or not, if it is, you’ll be rich." Shale said.

"What do you mean?" Li Xiu quickly asked.

Taking the mask to examine it closely, Shale explained, "The Bride Mask is worn by brides, a mask used by brides during weddings in an Ancient Country."

Shale elaborated on its detailed origin, leaving Kun Sha and Pa Shan bewildered.

Before the Southern Cross Federation existed, there was an ancient country on this land, which upheld a tradition that brides had to wear masks on their wedding day, not taking it off until allowed by the groom during the bridal chamber candlelight night.

Initially, bride masks were typically made of wood, and some noble families would craft them from silver.

Gold Bride Masks were rare even then; legends mention how a favored princess of the emperor had one at her wedding.

However, that wedding ended tragically with the princess perishing in flames, marking the Golden Bride Mask as a symbol of misfortune. Since then, no one has used the Golden Bride Mask, which became known as the Princess Mask.

"The more I look at this Golden Mask, the more it seems like an actual Princess Mask," Shale remarked, his expression changing.

"How can you tell if this is a genuine Princess Mask? Earlier you said the Princess Mask is just a legend, and no one knows if it’s real," Pa Shan questioned.

"Look at this red gemstone, doesn’t it seem off?" Shale pointed at the red gemstone inlay at the mask’s brow and commented.