Chapter 51: Chapter 52: Panlong City of Another Time and Space
At this time, the Chipa Plateau’s water supply was exceptionally abundant. A few water wheels, taking advantage of the natural changes in elevation, were all it took to provide an automatic, round-the-clock water supply.
This was understandable. The Panlong Wasteland had always been a key transport route connecting the Xiluo Kingdom to the Exotic Realm. The strategic importance of Panlong City’s location far surpassed that of the later Black Water City.
Besides, if its resources weren’t abundant, how could Panlong City have held out for over thirty years while surrounded by powerful enemies?
Of course, as he walked through such a historic city, Hee Lingchuan felt not only a sense of wistfulness but also a growing wariness.
’These two have already searched the Divine Temple and the Red General Temple. Why didn’t they look for Zhong Shengguang’s old home then? Why wait for me to join them?’
’There’s probably something wrong with that place.’
Hee Lingchuan was secretly anxious, but he put on a calm face and asked Sunx Fuping, "National Preceptor, do those Resentful Souls really live here year after year, only venturing out every September?"
"I’m afraid so."
"If they can live and work here in peace, why go outside at all?"
"We will only know the answer to that once we have the Grand Square Pot."
’As expected of the National Preceptor,’ Hee Lingchuan thought. ’He can express the three words "I don’t know" so gracefully.’
Nian Songyu had already gone looking for the Zhong Mansion when they first divided up their tasks, so he now led the way with practiced ease.
But when they arrived, Nian Songyu stopped in his tracks.
Before them stood a gray-brick residence with a black roof and a high lintel. The facade was immaculate, and clusters of green bamboo peeked out from over the high walls, truly befitting a wealthy household. Two large characters were inscribed on the door:
Ryun Garden.
"This is it?"
Nian Songyu hesitated for a moment. "This is the right place, and the right residence," he finally said. "But I already went inside to check. The family living here is named Chen!"
Hee Lingchuan was baffled. "What?"
Walking into Ryun Garden, they found a large residence with four successive courtyards. The materials used for the architecture and furniture were exquisite. Hee Lingchuan even noticed the spirit screen was made of brick carvings from Tongzhou. Over three hundred bricks were joined together to depict figures, landscapes, and even entire scenes, creating an exquisite story like a sequential art panel. This type of brick carving was still highly sought after in the present day; it took over four months to transport them from Tongzhou to Black Water City.
Hee Lingchuan knew this so well because the Hee Residence in Black Water City also used these carvings to adorn its entrance.
Such an exquisite place as Ryun Garden naturally had a garden, complete with the standard rockeries and flowing water. Tall red maples were planted in the garden, and rare flowers and herbs were hidden in the corners beneath them.
He could vaguely identify the shapes of the first dozen or so plants but didn’t know their species. Those further back were half-hidden in the dim shadows of the trees, too obscure for Hee Lingchuan to see clearly.
Nian Songyu pointed at the garden. "In the version of the Hee Residence in the Desert Ruins, this spot is a wooden storeroom filled with cabinets and a complete mess. And in the side hall, I saw several calling cards indicating the master of this house is surnamed Chen, with the courtesy name Huisheng."
Hee Lingchuan was stunned. "What period of Panlong City is this, exactly?" The land was rich and watered, the people lived in peace, and the city was prosperous, with no shadow of war. And a famous figure like Zhong Shengguang wasn’t living where he was supposed to.
He suspected he had stumbled into a Panlong City from an alternate time.
Sunx Fuping spoke up. "If Zhong Shengguang doesn’t live here, he must have a residence elsewhere. Young Master Hee, can you think of where that might be?"
"Me?" Hee Lingchuan pointed at his own nose. "How would I know?"
Nian Songyu said, "Think. Think hard!"
Sunx Fuping prompted him, "The legends of the Panlong Desert have circulated in Qiansong County for decades. You grew up hearing them, so you should be familiar with many anecdotes that aren’t in the official histories, even the trivial ones. For instance, Zhong Shengguang must have risen to the rank of Commander-in-Chief one step at a time. Where did he live before he was promoted?"
It dawned on Hee Lingchuan. "National Preceptor, you suspect we’ve arrived in Panlong City before Zhong Shengguang became Commander-in-Chief?"
"It’s very likely." Sunx Fuping nodded. "Searching for clues in a city this large is like finding a needle in a haystack. The most accessible variable for us to track right now is Zhong Shengguang himself."
Although he had done his research, his knowledge was ultimately limited. He couldn’t possibly know every single detail, which was why he had to ask Hee Lingchuan, the local.
Hee Lingchuan fell into deep thought for a good while before shaking his head. "No, I can’t remember anything."
His knowledge of Panlong City was no greater than that of the average person from Black Water City. Trivial matters like how many times Zhong Shengguang moved before he became famous, how many times he’d been sick, or how many women he’d had were clearly beyond what he could be expected to know.
"You’ve been in Black Water City for more than a decade, just to become a useless glutton?" Nian Songyu said coldly. "We really would have been better off bringing Hee Chunhua down here instead."
"You..." Hee Lingchuan’s face flushed with anger.
Nian Songyu clenched his fists, ready to teach the scoundrel a lesson as soon as the insults started flying. To his surprise, however, Hee Lingchuan changed his tune. "You’re right. We should go back and get help." He turned to Sunx Fuping. "National Preceptor, how do we go back?"
’This kid really knows how to read a situation. Is he a coward, or is he just clever?’ Before Sunx Fuping could even speak, Fuzzy Peach, the Sand Bandit, came running from the corridor, shouting excitedly, "I found something! I found something!"
The three of them had forgotten the kid had wandered off. "What is it?"
"A dead person! There are skeletons in the cellar."
Nian Songyu said irritably, "What’s so special about a dead per—" ’What’s the big deal?’ The Desert Ruins were littered with skeletons; they saw them all along their path, a testament to the bloody massacre of the city by the Immortal Ba Alliance Army.
But he caught himself and swallowed the rest of his sentence. "Let’s go take a look."
This wasn’t the outside world. This was Panlong City, where time stood still. Anything out of place was a precious clue.
The group hurried to the cellar. Lighting a candle, they descended and, sure enough, found partial skeletal remains.
Panlong City had hot summers and cold winters. A wealthy household like the Chen Family would have more than one cellar, used for storing meat, fruits and vegetables, pickled goods, and ice.
That’s right—they stored solid ice in winter to enjoy chilled drinks in summer. The stored ice could also be used to make frozen fruit desserts and iced wine, or even to cool their beds during the dog days of summer. It was a luxury exclusive to wealthy households.
The cellar Fuzzy Peach had found was the ice cellar. It was probably early summer in this version of Panlong City, and a biting chill filled the air inside. The moment they descended, they saw skeletons scattered in a corner. A count of the skulls revealed three victims.
Sunx Fuping picked up a skull and examined it closely. "They’re real," he said in a low voice.
This was highly unusual. Why would real human skeletons appear inside the Illusion World?
An idea flashed through all four of their minds. Nian Songyu cried out, "The expedition from the Baling Kingdom! They entered the Illusion Realm, too."
That was it. The entrance to the Illusion Realm had been discovered by the Baling Kingdom’s expedition in the first place. Of course they would have had the opportunity to enter this Panlong City.
The crucial question was: how did they die?
"Judging by their positions, they were moved after they died." Fuzzy Peach squatted down for a closer look, then suddenly gasped. "No, that’s not right. The skeletons are all jumbled. If they weren’t disturbed by someone else later, it means... it means..."
"They were dismembered right after death." Nian Songyu held up a radius bone, then found a scapula, holding them both up to the light. "There are cut marks from a sharp tool on the bones. Every piece has them. These don’t look like injuries sustained while they were alive."
