Chapter 4 The Fourth Generation of Humanity

  It's already evening, and the streets are lit up with lights. After being in the desert for a long time, I'm a little excited to be back in the city. Maybe everyone thinks this way, so people intentionally slow down their pace. Urumqi is still bustling at night, with all the families gathering together to have dinner. A few months ago, I was like that too. But now... it turns out that the most ordinary things we see every day can sometimes be a luxury in other people's eyes.

  "Xiao Lao, what's today's date?" In the desert, it was almost impossible to distinguish between day and night, let alone keep track of dates. Everything had become a blur long ago.

  "August 3rd, 2014," said Old Xiao.

  I sighed, "Have we been in the desert for almost a month? I think I arrived here in July, time really flies."

  "This month seems to be longer than a lifetime." Fu Ma echoed, "I think School Master Jun Yang won't be able to return, it's definitely not safe, and there are many prying eyes and ears around here, we'd better be careful."

  I smiled slightly: "Brothers, this is thoroughly abandoning the hidden arrangement, right? Has the corpse poison on your bodies been resolved?"

  "If it were that easy, would the counterfeiters have threatened us with this?" Yang Cangcang said discontentedly.

  Xiao Lao chuckled, with an air of having seen through life and death. "Don't worry, Junyang, my young friend. While you were asleep, I've found a way to control the corpse poison. It won't flare up for now. Since Old Zhou told us to go to Qipan Mountain before he died, there must be a way to cure this poison there."

  Walked a piece of high-rise buildings, far away can see a continuous high mountain, three peaks tightly dependent and standing, although it is August, the top of the mountain peak is still white snow, like a huge silver pyramid, rushing to the sky, straight into the clouds, the main peak and the left and right two peaks are connected by shoulders, majestic and magnificent, with an atmosphere like a rainbow.

  "This is——" I was shocked by this magnificent mountain.

  "That is Mount Tianshan, Bogda Peak. The name translates to 'God of all mountains' in Chinese." Xiao Lao had a self-satisfied expression again, looking up at us with his head tilted back.

  Yang Cangcang covered her mouth and said, "Old Xiao, watch your step, be careful not to step on dog poop." We all burst out laughing, Old Xiao's face turned red with anger and he stopped talking, after walking for a while, Yang Cangcang ran ahead two steps and said, "We're here, it's right here."

  This is a three-story old house, it looks like it has been around for years. The windows in the corridor are broken and can't be used anymore. The wall skin falls off from time to time. As soon as I enter the house, there is a musty smell coming out. I am extremely sensitive to this smell, covering my nose and saying: "Can Can, can't you rent a better place?"

  Yang Cangcang gave me a white eye: "Do you have money? Xiao Lao and Fu Ma's accounts were all frozen by the police, this is still our way to make up for the money, there are many places that need money in the future, we will go to Qipan Mountain in a few days." Yang Cangcang now has a housekeeper-like attitude, I was speechless and could only shut my mouth.

  Entering the house, this is an old-fashioned suite, three bedrooms share a bathroom and kitchen. Yang Can Can began to assign: "Two people per room, I'll be with that sleepy big sister."

  Wu Zihan didn't say a word all the way, and Hong Tian was still in a daze behind him. As soon as he heard Yang Cangcang make such arrangements, he said: "No, I have to watch her."

  We were all shocked for a moment, why Wu Zihan, who didn't care about anything, was so concerned about this girl. We still haven't figured out where she came from and why she appeared in Gui Yun, and there are many questions that need to be answered by her.

  Yang Cangcang immediately became angry: "You're a bachelor and a spinster in the same room, what's going on? Are you afraid I'll take advantage of her?"

  Wu Zihan didn't think much of it just now, and after listening to Yang Cangcang finish speaking, he also felt that it wasn't right, so he stopped talking. Wu Zihan carried Hongtian back to the bedroom, gently placing her on the bed, and then gently covering her with a quilt, before turning around and leaving. Yang Cangcang stood beside him, still pouting in dissatisfaction.

  Xiao Lao called us into the larger bedroom, saying to prepare for studying the next step of the plan. Everyone gathered together, no one speaking, silent for half a day. Yang Cangcang couldn't bear it anymore and said: "I say why aren't any of you speaking?"

  Xiao Lao sighed and said, "Alright, I'll speak first. Everyone can see if there's anything that won't work and add to it later. Old Zhou mentioned Chessboard Mountain is in Shenyang. From Urumqi to Shenyang is a very long way. Our identities are sensitive right now, and Ceng Ceng doesn't have an ID card. I suggest taking the long-distance bus, but it will take longer."

  "Are we going to take that woman with us?" Yang Cangcang asked Wu Zihan.

  Wu Zihan looked at Yang Cangcang seriously: "Must bring her along, I can't just abandon her."

  Yang Cangcang was anxious: "Do you know what kind of person she is? Whether she's friend or foe, it's unknown, and whether she's a personal matter or not, all we know is that she sleeps all day. We're going to Qipan Mountain, can you protect her?"

  "If you don't bring her, I won't go either. You guys be careful yourselves." Wu Zihan turned around and was about to leave, Yang Cangcang was stunned, and Fu Ma hurriedly went up to intercept him and mediate: "We didn't say we wouldn't bring her, just that it's not convenient. Since Brother Zihan insists, then we'll take her along."

  Yang Cangcang stopped talking, we all knew clearly that the chessboard was unpredictable and dangerous, without Wu Ziheng following us, we probably couldn't succeed.

  "Right." I asked Zihan, "I remember when Hongtian came up, he was holding a box in his hand. Where is that box? I want to take a look."

  "In my backpack." Wu Zihan pulled out a golden, palm-sized box from his bag. It was very light and he hadn't had a chance to examine it carefully in the grand hall earlier. The material of the box seemed similar to that blood basin, with a golden color that didn't seem like copper or gold. On the lid of the box was an exquisite relief carving of a withered tree, without a single leaf on its branches, but at the top of the highest branch hung an oval-shaped fruit. I suddenly remembered seeing this tree in the murals on the corridors of the ancient country of Dài Yǔ. Before I could take a closer look, I was interrupted by the blue-faced men they had brought with them. It seemed that this box still had a great connection to the ancient country of Dài Yǔ. I wanted to open it, but found that it was seamless and didn't seem to have any openings. Was it solid? I shook it gently and it seemed like there was something inside.

  Xiao Laozi studied it carefully for half a day and said: "This box... should have an outer lock on it."

  "Outer lock?" Fu Ma frowned and asked, "I didn't see a keyhole at all, and this box seems to be integrated."

  "What we usually see with a keyhole is called an inner lock. An outer lock, on the other hand, can only be opened under specific conditions, at a specific temperature and in a specific climate."

  "Is this the heart of Gui Yun? Mother, Director Wu, and a group of people rushed over, planned so much, killed so many people, just for this broken box?" I asked in puzzlement. "And what material is this thing made of?" I casually picked up Wu Zihan's dagger and stabbed it towards the box, only to hear a piercing sound of the blade vibrating, but not even leaving a scratch on the box. I was shocked, my mouth agape, "What's the use of this, even if we get it, we can't open it."

  "It's Shan Tong." Wu Zihan said with narrowed eyes.

  "Shān Tóng?" Xiao Lǎo's voice rose by eight degrees, "Shān Tóng is a rare material said to be found only in the legendary Penglai Immortal Realm, it can store spiritual energy and memories, and is as hard as anything. Could it really exist? If it does, then the legend of the fourth generation of humans seems to be true."

  "Fourth-generation human?" I, Yang Cangcang and Fu Ma shouted in unison, startling Old Xiao.

  "When did you guys become so tacitly in agreement?"

  "Xiao Lao, hurry up and tell me, what's going on?"

  Xiao Lao cleared his throat, and we all stared at him with sparkling eyes, waiting to hear the story. "Hmmm... a bit thirsty."

  Yang Cangcang pouted and went out to pour him a glass of water, urging: "Hurry up and say it—"

  "No tea?" - Xiao Lao drew out the words.

  Yang Cangcang hummed and said: "If you don't speak, I'll play the flute to summon a group of mosquitoes to bite you, hurry up."

  Xiao Lao sighed repeatedly and waved his hand, saying: "Alright, I'm afraid of you all, let's just talk about it, this piece of history is also..." Before Xiao Lao could finish speaking, Yang Cangcang took over, "I saw it in an ancient book."