Chapter 1 Boom

The Capital Airport. An Airbus aircraft took off, leaving the bustling international metropolis, heading south towards the beautiful Shandong Province.

It was already April 2024.

The weather was gradually warming up, and people's minds were shifting from the festive atmosphere of the New Year, focusing instead on life and work.

At this time, there were still three days until the Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day) holiday, so it wasn't yet the peak travel season. Students were in class, and workers were at work, so the plane was very empty. The occupancy rate in first class was less than a quarter, with only a few scattered individuals.

In the semi-enclosed seat next to him, Gao Yang pulled down his eye mask, preparing to sleep:

"Lin Xian, wake me up when it's time to eat, and get me two portions."

Having said that,

He leaned straight back.

Three seconds later, the sound of snoring could be heard.

Sure enough, being carefree and having an empty mind helps you fall asleep faster.

Lin Xian turned his head, looking at the ever-falling white clouds and the ground getting further and further away outside the window.

Lately,

He felt like he was always on the move.

Running around, flying around, going up and down, he never had a moment to spare.

He suddenly felt a little envious of his previous carefree life.

Living a simple life, slacking off at work, enjoying himself in his dreams after work, there was no pressure at work, and life was relatively comfortable.

It had only been a year and a half, but his life had undergone earth-shattering changes.

But he didn't regret it.

The various events, big and small, that had occurred during this time had gradually made him aware of a sense of responsibility.

This was something he had never considered before.

In work, Zhao Yingjun led him, taking care of and planning everything for him.

In life, vv handled 99% of things for him; he only had to open his mouth and vv would complete it.

Even the exploration of the Genius Club and the dream realm was the same, with Huang Que giving him directions.

He only paid lip service to the cosmic constant, actually leaving it all to Liu Feng.

Although Gao Yang couldn't provide any practical help, he never dropped the ball at critical moments.

Chu Anqing… She really wasn't as simple-minded as he thought. She knew a lot of things, but she also buried them deep in her heart for his sake, accompanied him to space to capture space-time particles, and jumped off the plane at the end of her life, leaving him a crucial little note.

It seemed,

That he really hadn't done anything truly substantial himself.

Just as he had said to Huang Que that day.

His friends were too indulgent, everyone trusted him too much and helped him too much, so that he hadn't really grown up.

Now,

He had lost a lot of things, understood many principles, and also deeply felt the sense of responsibility and mission on his shoulders.

Recalling that night when the wind blew across the overpass, Zhao Yingjun stood in the moonlight, looking back at him:

"You must do what you love, do what you are willing to persist in, do something that is not to prove anything to others, but something you are willing to bet your life on."

The former self really only knew how to say pretty words.

But now it was different.

At this moment, he was truly willing and had truly found something he was willing to bet his life on.

So many people had sacrificed for this inexplicable and unknown battle. If he was still timid, hesitant, and reluctant to give up his life, then he would be unworthy of being a man!

"[I will find the answer myself.]"

He recalled the words he had said to Huang Que.

From now on,

He would use his own eyes and his own judgment to define everything.

Then, with his own hands and will...

"[Change all of this!]"

...

Mount Jiuxian.

In the entire Dragon Kingdom, there are many Mount Jiuxians. Any mountain that can have nine peaks counted out, even by counting the edges and corners, can be named Mount Jiuxian by the people.

Even man-made ones are acceptable.

In Shandong Province alone, there are two Mount Jiuxians, one located in Rizhao and one located in Qufu.

The name of Mount Tai, the leader of the Five Great Mountains, is too well-known, so the other mountains and peaks in Shandong Province seem less impressive, and their popularity and tourism heat are greatly reduced.

The city of Qufu is more famous as the birthplace of Confucian culture, the former residence of Confucius.

The Kong Family Mansion, the Kong Forest, and the Kong Temple are the main themes of tourism here, and they are also the places with the strongest incense before various national examinations are held every year.

Worship Confucius, and you won't fail your exams.

The superstition of the Dragon Kingdom people is in a Schrödinger state, calling upon heaven for blessings when needed, and adhering to materialism when not needed.

In contrast...

Mount Jiuxian, located in the north of Wucun Town, Qufu City, can only be considered a rarely visited tourist attraction.

With Mount Tai in front and the Kong Family Mansion, Kong Forest, and Kong Temple behind, there are not many tourists here all year round. Most of the activities come from local people's sacrifices.

It was daytime now, and Lin Xian and Gao Yang planned to scout the area first to find the specific location.

Gao Yang, as a golden sales representative, had excellent chatting skills. In less than half an hour, he had managed to extract all of Zhang Yuqian's family history.

Moreover, he basically didn't ask anything.

The old lady told it herself during casual conversations, casually mentioning it in a very relaxed and natural way, like chatting with a familiar person.

So, Gao Yang only knew that Zhang Yuqian really liked to eat pomegranates, liked them since she was a child, and after she passed away, her parents buried her on Mount Jiuxian.

At that time, Gao Yang sighed while lamenting the heart of a parent, and even squeezed out tears that seemed real:

"Oh... you two old folks, it's really not easy. Mount Jiuxian is so high... it must be very difficult..."

He said this sentence to try to find out the unknown details of the burial, but in reality, Gao Yang had only heard of Mount Jiuxian for the first time yesterday.

The old lady shook her head and smiled at that time:

"Mount Jiuxian is not high, and the western side is very low, just some mounds, not even considered mountains."

Later, after chatting for a while, Gao Yang extracted another key piece of information—

A pomegranate tree.

At the place where Zhang Yuqian was buried, the old lady personally planted a pomegranate tree, as a way to express her longing.

"Then regarding the details of the car accident, and whether or not there was cremation, are there any clues?"

Lin Xian asked as he climbed the mountain, looking back.

"Definitely not."

Gao Yang supported his waist, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and shook his head:

"You can't get that kind of information by asking around. Asking in such detail is equivalent to directly ending the conversation. The old lady definitely can't handle it emotionally."

Lin Xian nodded.

Being able to find out the specific location of the grave was already very good, and it was already enough. The rest of the matter... only needed to open Zhang Yuqian's coffin, and everything would be revealed.

Considering what Gao Yang had said before.

Zhang Yuqian's birth time was probably around 1:00 AM on January 21, 1980, not even 1:00 AM.

So, there was a high probability that the birth time was coincidentally 00:42.

Connecting it to the time of death...

Lin Xian often speculated whether Zhang Yuqian didn't die in a car accident, but like Chu Anqing, at the moment she turned 20, at 00:42, she turned into tiny blue stardust and disappeared?

But if that were the case, there definitely shouldn't be any remains.

So what burial or cremation could there be?

There must have been lies told somewhere, by someone, in that car accident more than twenty years ago.

Which link specifically lied...

Guessing back and forth was meaningless.

Once Zhang Yuqian's grave was dug up and her coffin was opened, the truth of the car accident would naturally be known; if there really were residual remains, and they could be compared with Chu Anqing's hair to get a DNA match, then even more mysteries could be solved; if not... then it would probably point to another answer.

"Lin Xian, that way is west."

Gao Yang pointed to his left:

"We can't go any higher. This kind of place is definitely not allowed for burials. Zhang Yuqian's parents probably buried her secretly back then... First of all, coffins are so heavy, you can't carry them that high, and you wouldn't be stupid enough to carry them that high anyway. It's not like Mount Tai Feng Chan, why bury it so high."

"The western slope of Mount Jiuxian is relatively low, so the probability of being buried near there is relatively high. Even if it's to ensure the deceased has a quiet and undisturbed resting place after death, they will definitely bury it in a place that is far away from the mountain road... I think the feng shui there is good, let's go there and look for the pomegranate tree."

Lin Xian nodded and stopped walking up the stone steps.

He bent down and, together with Gao Yang, used their arms to shield themselves from the leaves as they entered the nearby wild bamboo forest.

On the plane here, Lin Xian had also analyzed it.

He had also roughly determined the location of Zhang Yuqian's grave and drawn a circle on the map.

The nine peaks of Mount Jiuxian have a maximum elevation of more than 500 meters and a minimum of more than 200 meters, which are not considered low.

Normally, climbing a mountain with this elevation wouldn't be anything, easy peasy. But carrying a coffin to bury someone... Forget about 200 meters of elevation, even 100 meters or 50 meters would be tough.

Moreover, it seems that in the traditional concept of the Dragon Kingdom, fallen leaves return to their roots, and burying people in a place that is too high is also unlucky or has some taboos. Lin Xian didn't quite understand, but he intuitively felt that the location where Zhang Yuqian was buried would definitely not be too high.

Moreover, the geology of the mountain is mostly stone, which is not suitable for digging pits. The soft soil at the foot of the mountain is more suitable for burying coffins.

Taken together,

The western area of Mount Jiuxian has no peaks, mostly jungles and forests, and the terrain is flat, with mountains and water, and lush flowers and plants, which is indeed a good place.

Although the mud there is muddy and there are no roads, and machinery and vehicles can't pass, isn't this exactly what Zhang Yuqian's parents wanted? Quiet, remote, and undisturbed, they definitely hoped that their daughter could be buried in such a sparsely populated, quiet, and beautiful place after her death.

As for the matter of carrying the coffin...

Money makes the world go round. Zhang Shi was so rich back then, and these problems that could be solved with money were not problems for him.

Of course,

The most conspicuous reference point was still the pomegranate tree that Yan Qin had planted with her own hands, growing on top of Zhang Yuqian's grave.

The growth period of a pomegranate tree is generally about six to eight years, and then it enters the fruiting period, which can last for decades.

According to the time of Zhang Yuqian's death, that pomegranate tree was fully 24 years old, and after so many years of unmanaged growth... it must have grown very large, strong, and lush.

Therefore,

The most crucial clue at the moment is to find that pomegranate tree!

...

Rattle, rattle.

Lin Xian and Gao Yang were cutting their way through the original ecological jungle. Their clothes had been torn in several places by unknown plants, and there were also a few scratches on their arms, which were a little itchy.

Wilderness survival is not something that ordinary people can do, and their current situation was similar to wilderness survival.

"It's a little harder to find than I thought..."

Gao Yang complained:

"I checked online and it said that the area of this mountain is only 2.45 square kilometers in total. I thought this area wasn't very large, just over a kilometer in length and width. But I didn't expect that when you actually walk into it, this mountain is really big!"

"2.45 square kilometers is actually very large." Lin Xian pushed aside a branch, looked over there, and then withdrew his gaze:

"Not to mention that mountains are three-dimensional, with far more area than a flat surface. We have to find a pomegranate tree in this mountain, in a jungle with obstructed views... it's actually not much different from finding a needle in a haystack, finding a rebar in the sea, not as exaggerated as a needle."

"Moreover, look at Zhang Yuqian's father, Zhang Shi, the way he looked alert and flustered when he faced us. Since he had something to hide, he would definitely deliberately choose an inconspicuous, hard-to-find place that only they knew when choosing the location to bury Zhang Yuqian, so that it would be hidden enough and able to cover up his 'guilt'."

"Could it be that he was guilty of not cremating her back then and secretly burying her?" Gao Yang turned his head and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve:

"That shouldn't be the case. It's been more than twenty years. Even if it's really discovered that she wasn't cremated, what can they do? They can't reassemble the skeleton and cremate it again... I really don't know what that uncle is hiding."

"It's useless to guess anything now. No matter what we guess, we have to open the coffin to find out the truth. Let's go, let's go take a look over there."

Lin Xian led Gao Yang to drill deeper into the jungle.

When Lin Xian was a child, there was a pomegranate tree planted in his uncle's yard.

Whenever that pomegranate tree started to bear small fruits, Lin Xian would take a look every day when he passed by after school to see if it was ripe and when he could eat it.

Therefore, he was relatively familiar with the growth cycle of pomegranate trees. Generally, in March or April, pomegranate trees start to bloom, and soon after, they will bear fruit, and then they will ripen in autumn.

So at this time, the pomegranate tree planted on Zhang Yuqian's grave must have already blossomed.

The fiery red pomegranate flowers should be very conspicuous and easy to find in this wilderness, as long as they are within sight, you can see them from a distance, after all, they are too bright.

As they went deeper and deeper into the mountain forest,

The ground under their feet became more and more moist and soft.

It was years of accumulated fallen leaves and dead grass, mixed with dry branches, fallen rainwater, deposited dust, and stagnant time.

Stepping on it,

You can really feel the traces of time, the silence of time, and the silence of history.

Birds have vanished from the myriad mountains, human tracks have disappeared from the myriad paths.

For some reason, Lin Xian thought of this five-character quatrain, which was just like this moment.

It seemed that what they were stepping on was the long river of history that had been nailed with thousands of years of stakes, and the rays of sunlight leaking through the high branches and leaves in front of them were like the barrier between life and death, which they were crossing.

"Lin Xian! Look quickly!"

Gao Yang suddenly shouted in front, laughed, and hurriedly pulled Lin Xian behind him, pointing to a concave bottom below the earth slope—

"Look! Do you see it! Where my finger is pointing! On that lawn!"

Lin Xian hurried over.

Following Gao Yang's finger, he looked diagonally downwards.

A lawn with no signs of management, but with vibrant greenery, laid a carpet swept by a gentle breeze for this paradise.

And in the middle of this lawn where time had stopped, a pomegranate tree that shouldn't belong here was growing!

Its green leaves were lush.

Its flowers...

Were bright red and swaying.