Lanpu - Chapitre 2
However, in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, this idyllic paradise suddenly disappeared, and the entire Yang clan quietly withdrew from the historical stage of Ruli County. There are no more records of them, and no one has ever seen the village. Some researchers even believe that this old paradise village is purely fictional, just like Tao Yuanming's story.
However, in recent years, the county museum has discovered a large number of ancient tombs there, as well as rare hanging coffins on a cliff hundreds of feet high.
I have always been very interested in the mystery of the hanging coffins and have always wanted to find out the answer. Now that I, the Heavenly Master, have supernatural powers, it is very convenient to find out the mystery. Just grab a spirit that has been bound to the earth for thousands of years in that place, and everything will be clear. Haha, in the field of archaeology, I am an academician of the folk academy of sciences.
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To enter Jianqi Valley, one must go upstream along Peach Blossom Stream.
Leaving the wider village road, we entered a mountain path winding with green grass on the right. The sound of the babbling brook was even clearer and more melodious because the valley isolated it from the noise of the outside world.
After walking only a hundred meters, the path led to the stream. The water was quite rapid, knee-deep, and crystal clear, with pebbles of all sizes on the bottom. On the other side of the stream was a small sandy beach. I waded into the water first, and the students followed suit, helping each other across. However, a little mishap occurred: Jing'er's sandals were accidentally washed off by the water, but luckily, a student below caught them.
Upon reaching the opposite beach, I discovered the breathtaking beauty of the mountain behind me. It was a Danxia cliff about thirty meters high, its summit covered with lush shrubs, making the entire mountain resemble a magnificent screen. I told the students that there used to be a tradition in Taoyuan Village where couples in love would make vows facing this mountain, promising to stay together happily for life—and some of these vows were believed to be true! That's why the village called it Lovers' Peak.
"Teacher, is this true?" Xiaoling asked with longing. When crossing the stream, she almost slipped several times, then grabbed my clothes tightly and I almost helped her across. When we reached the shore, I was covered in the fragrance of a young girl, while her face was flushed.
"God knows. Ha!" I laughed it off, shook my head, and ran away.
"It would be quite tragic to jump off a mountaintop," Zhu'er said. This little girl loves to daydream. Once, I asked my classmates a riddle in class: "If you only had 24 hours left to live, what would you do?"
"Big Mouth" Pearl answered. She spoke eloquently and fluently, winning rounds of applause and laughter, and I listened and nodded. Finally, she said, "In the last moment of my life, I want to stand on the top of the Oriental Pearl Tower, look down at the beautiful scenery, and then resolutely jump off from here." The classroom burst into laughter, while I was speechless.
After hearing this, Xiaoling meditated silently for a while before jogging to catch up with the group.
---janeadam
Reply [4]: Chapter Two Mountain God
"Teacher, Pearl said you can catch ghosts, is that true?" Xiao Hui asked earnestly.
"Have you ever seen a cat fly?" I asked with a serious expression.
"No." Xiao Hui was completely confused.
"That's right." I was very satisfied with what I heard, and secretly glared at Zhu'er. This girl who betrayed her master because of her looks, just wait and see how I deal with her.
Following the path upstream along Peach Blossom Stream, you arrive at the foot of the "Hundred-Foot Cliff." The stream disappears, and the path is obscured by the mountains.
Blocking the way stood a majestic cliff, five hundred meters high, its exposed surface clearly made of Danxia landforms. The sheer drop was insurmountable, truly a place where one felt they had reached the end of the road and had no way out.
"How spectacular!" the students shouted as they rushed over.
"Teacher, Danxia Stone was named by the brilliant and talented Lin Huiyin. Look how much those rocks resemble the red sunset clouds. I've watched the TV series 'April in the Human World' many times, and I like it more and more each time I watch it," Xiaoling said.
"Tch, the era of talented men and beautiful women is over. Now, Slam Dunk is the most popular manga. Old class monitor, you're so outdated and traditional!" Jing'er said with a look of regret. She admired Xiao Hui the most. He was the captain of the class basketball team's cheerleading squad and the founder of the girls' basketball team, but it was said that they always had a shortage of players.
I pointed to a small house built in a cave recessed into the cliff of "Baizhangyan" and said to my students, "The Yang Family Ancestral Hall, Qiyou Ancestral Hall, is right there, but strangely, there is no road leading up to it. This ancestral hall, along with the hanging coffins, is one of the two great mysteries of Jianqi Valley."
Suddenly, a gust of wind rose from the ground.
My senses were fluctuating, as if I could feel a vast and unparalleled flow of energy surging in the Hundred-Foot Cliff canyon, but it was purely a natural force. I observed the terrain and silently sensed it.
After passing the bottom of the rocks and crossing a small bridge, a new vista suddenly opens up before you. Nestled among the mountains, there is a field and several earthen buildings, originally used by farmers for their midday rest while working in the fields. However, due to its remoteness, the field has now fallen into disrepair.
But this place is surrounded by valleys and the water flows in a winding path. It is a dragon vein, a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth gathers. It is the best place for cultivators to escape the world. So why is it so desolate?
On the cliff behind, a dozen empty stone coffins sat shadily in a pit halfway up the mountain.
"There really are hanging coffins!" Xiao Hui shouted, his eyes gleaming with excitement, just like Fang Long. "I wonder what kind of gold and silver treasures are inside. If we can go up and take some gold, we'll be rich!"
“It was all stolen long ago, not even a single bone (possibly from a mummified corpse) is left,” I said.
"How could that be? The teacher went up there?" Jing'er asked curiously.
"Nonsense, I can fly up there, of course I'm just guessing!" I said, while Xiaoling and Zhu'er made faces at me, mocking me for lying without thinking.
Of course I went up there, not to make money, but to see if there were any earthbound spirits, to understand the true purpose of the mountain people's practice of hanging coffin burial, and how the indigenous people placed the hundreds-of-pounds-weight stone coffins on it, and what their religious beliefs were. Moreover, I wanted to know how the Yang clan and their village disappeared into thin air.
But I searched all the hanging coffins and found nothing. I just felt that hanging coffins could actually prevent the formation of earthbound spirits to the greatest extent. Their location allowed them to absorb the purest spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making the soul complete. Since they were not on the ground, they could ascend to heaven as soon as possible. And their descendants would not need to offer incense and worship, which would save them a lot of trouble.
Then, we had a picnic on a sandy beach by a stream.
We built a stove out of pebbles, placed a small iron pot on it, and laid a tablecloth on the flattest part of the ground. We then arranged fruits and various snacks, and the staple food was noodles. Once the fire was lit, I led a group of boys to collect dry branches on the hillside.
"It would be great if rock climbing tourism could be developed here. I've climbed Guanshan before, and it was really exciting!" Xiao Hui said. His father is the school's academic affairs director and often takes him sightseeing during summer vacation.
"Actually, it's best not to develop natural ecosystems. The more people there are, the greater the damage will be," said another bespectacled scholar.
"A lively atmosphere is good; it can boost the local economy."
"I still prefer the ancient way of traveling, where there are no entrance fees, no crowds, and you can compose poems and inscribe them everywhere, living a carefree and leisurely life."
As I listened to their debate—a principle I often advocate in class—I realized that debate sparks ideas and fosters innovation. But at that moment, I was more focused on the direction of the psionic energy filling the valley. I felt as if it were watching us. When I scouted the area last time, I didn't detect this powerful psionic energy. As a wizard, the presence of any unknown psionic energy is a challenge.
Fortunately, it is neutral, so I don't need to worry for the time being.
---janeadam
Reply [5]: "Oh no, help!" When I heard a girl screaming by the stream, I immediately ran over as fast as I could. The other boys were also invigorated. They shared my thoughts: these girls usually acted arrogantly and rarely got into trouble. Let's have a chance to be heroes and save the beauties!
When I ran over, Jing'er had already half-carried a girl named Xiao Hui, who was soaking wet, to the shore, while Xiao Ling comforted her.
"What happened? Why were you screaming so loudly?" I asked, exasperated.
"When Xiaohui was scooping water, she saw a water snake and ran away in fright. She stepped on the slippery moss and fell into the water. Luckily, the stream wasn't deep." As Xiaoling spoke, she suddenly noticed that my gaze was off. It turned out that Xiaohui was wearing a plaid skirt and a round-neck shirt. After it got soaked, it was visible through a scarf on her chest, revealing her body and two pink buds that were just beginning to develop.
"The teacher is so mean!" Xiaoling muttered under her breath, blocking me in front of her. At that moment, the group of boys also ran over. I quickly blocked them, saying that it was not suitable for children, and told Xiaoling to bring out the dry clothes she had prepared for Xiaohui to change into.
To avoid being exposed, they formed a human wall, while the group of boys and a bad teacher could only sneakily watch.