The bone diagrams aren't simply pieced together to form a map. These nine diagrams, representing the Nine Tripods version of the Classic of Mountains and Seas, are incredibly complex, encompassing mountains, rivers, flora, and fauna. Originally, each was a separate drawing. If Wei Dong hadn't discovered that certain lines could be connected to form a larger image, no one would have imagined that a map was hidden within them.
Now, Wei Dong uses a red pen to outline the hidden, connectable lines. Ignoring the other miscellaneous lines used to conceal the connection, the red-pen drawing reveals a vast, boundless mountain range with rivers, valleys, gorges, and abysses.
"Look at this valley in the middle," Luo Yu points to the valley-like lines on the map, "I know this shape very well. This is—the Nalenggele Canyon in the Western Plains region.
"I and some friends once took a road trip to the Western Plains. Before going, we thoroughly researched the terrain of the places we wanted to visit." The reason I have such a deep impression of the Nalenggele Canyon is because it's known as the 'Valley of Death,' and it also has another name... 'The Gates of Hell.'
"As its name suggests, the Nalenggele Canyon is no safe place. There are many eerie rumors about it, like people and animals that never return after entering.
"My buddies, who are known for their incredible courage, drove right in, but they all ran out in terror shortly after. I certainly didn't dare go in. They said that shortly after driving in, all their wireless devices lost signal, and even compasses stopped working."
"They ventured a short distance in, but suddenly dark clouds gathered and thunder roared. They said they'd never heard such terrifying thunder in their lives; it felt like the entire sky was pressing down on them, as if a colossal bolt of lightning would strike them down and obliterate them at any moment.
They didn't dare go any further and ran out in fright. I waited for them at the valley entrance. When they told me about the thunder, I didn't believe them, because from outside the valley, the sky was clear the whole time, there was no wind, only fluffy white clouds, and no thunder.
We all thought it was too eerie and gave up the idea of going back into the valley. Later, one of our friends, being very curious, tried to use the drones we brought to film the valley. We used three drones in total, but all three went out of control after entering the valley and never returned.
Brothers and sisters, if this map really points to this place, I think we might have to prepare for the worst." Luo
Jin's words cast a shadow over everyone's hearts. Zhu Haowen pulled up a map of the Nalenggele Canyon in his notebook and showed it to everyone: "Luo Jin is right. This map from the Classic of Mountains and Seas points to the Nalenggele Canyon."
"I also remember seeing a saying that the Nalenggele Canyon is one of the four major uninhabited areas in China, on par with Lop Nur, and also one of the world's five famous death valleys," Gu Qingqing said.
"When I was young, I went to the Xiyuan region to teach," Yue Cen said slowly. "In my spare time, I traveled around and heard local herders talk about the legends of the death valley. It is said that the valley is rich in water and grass, a paradise for animals, but the herders are unwilling to enter the valley to graze their livestock."
"I also wanted to go into the valley to take a look, but unfortunately, no herder was willing to guide me. They mentioned that more than 30 years ago, a geological survey team had entered the valley to investigate. It was the height of summer, and while it was unbearably hot outside, a blizzard suddenly struck inside.
The team found the body of a herder in the valley, without any wounds. He was holding a loaded gun when he died, his face filled with extreme terror.
Fortunately, the team emerged from the valley unharmed, claiming that the so-called anomalies were due to an excessively strong underground magnetic field. It was said that the magnetic anomaly was very pronounced, increasing the depth of the valley.
Now it seems that the magnetic anomaly there, besides natural geographical reasons, may also be related to the painting incident. I remember you mentioned that the painting 'Reboot' showed magnetic anomalies, such as the chaotic growth of tropical, temperate, and frigid plants. Therefore, the occurrence of snowfall in the height of summer, thunder in the depths of winter, and electronic device malfunctions in that valley becomes plausible." "
Hearing what Sister Cen said, it seems that the painting 'Reboot' had already given us some hints." Ke Xun stroked his chin and said, "Since we can confirm that the map points to this… something-or-other canyon, then no matter how dangerous it is, we have to go."
Luo Yu looked at him anxiously: "Do we really have to go? This time, the painting didn't give us a time limit, we don't have any tickets, and nothing strange has happened in the past ten days… Can we not go? Or can we go a few months later?"
"Great-Grandma said, what's meant to be will be," Ke Xun patted his shoulder, "Whether we go early or late, we can't avoid this trip. And I don't think the whole incident is over yet, and the painting won't be so kind as to give us a few months to buffer. Although there's no specific time this time, I think that once we exceed the time limit, we might directly suffer a backlash, or even be caught off guard. Rather than being caught off guard, it's better to take the initiative. What do you all think?" "
I agree," Zhu Haowen said. "The sooner the better. The sooner this matter ends, the better. Even if the final result is certain death, it's still better than dragging it out like this. A sudden death is better than a slow, agonizing one."
"Brother Wen, what you're saying makes me even more upset…" Luo Yu said, clutching his chest in frustration.
"I also think it's better to go sooner," Wu You said. "While we're still in the auspicious atmosphere of the New Year, I feel there will be fewer evil spirits and monsters…"
Seeing that everyone had no objections, the trip to the Lengger Canyon was finalized.
"This time, our trip may very well touch upon the core of the whole incident," Mu Yiran said, and everyone understood the implication of his words—this trip could very well be a journey to their deaths. "We must be fully prepared. This time we'll drive directly. I need to bring some equipment, so we can't use public transportation." "
Yes, we don't necessarily need to stay in the Nalengele Canyon for many days. We need to prepare enough for tents, bedding, clothes, food, water, and medicine. We can only go by our own car," Shao Ling said. "Let's see who can provide a vehicle. I have a sedan, which is fine for long distances, but it has limited capacity and can only be used for passengers."
"I'll drive my G-Class," Luo Yu said.
"Let's not say G-Class, let's be civilized," Ke Xun said.
Luo Yu: "…"
Everyone: "…"
"I can provide a Land Rover SUV," Yue Cen said.
"Wow, Sister Cen, you're a hidden millionaire too!" Wu You exclaimed.
Yue Cen laughed: "I'm far from being a millionaire. I just have similar hobbies to Luo Bo. I like to travel and enjoy the scenery. I've saved up some money and spent it all on a sturdy car that can travel long distances and on travel expenses and entrance fees." "But I still can't use a wheelchair and can't drive, so I need someone to come home with me and bring the car over."
"I'll go, anyway I don't need to go home. I can buy clothes there," Fang Fei said.
"No need for a sedan," Mu Yiran said, first casually addressing Shao Ling, then telling everyone, "I'll provide two SUVs, plus Cen Jie and Luo Yu's two cars, four will be enough."
Shao Ling: "..." He felt discriminated against. Can't you just admit you're the boss?
"We'd better discuss what we need to prepare again," Qin Ci said. "I'll prepare the emergency medications and any simple medical equipment we might need."
"I'll take care of the tents, blankets, stoves, and cooking utensils for camping," Luo Yi said. "My buddies all have several sets ready-made; I can just borrow them."
"Then I'll prepare the food," Gu Qingqing said eagerly, seeing everyone contributing their labor and supplies.
"Me too!" Wu You shared the same thought.
"I don't have much to help with, so I'll take care of the cooking," Li Xiaochun said, patting his chest.
Everyone chimed in with a few more items, making a list. Each person copied a copy, arranged for picking people up, agreed on a meeting time and place, and then dispersed to go home and begin preparations.
Mu Yiran didn't go back to Z City with Ke Xun because he needed to prepare the car and equipment; they agreed that he would pick him up by car, and they parted ways temporarily at the airport.
Ke Xun and Wei Dong returned to Z City and, without delay, immediately prepared and purchased the necessary items according to the list.
Ke Xun also took some time to visit a law firm and drafted a will. The will stipulated that if he died, the gym would be handed over to his friends from impoverished backgrounds, and he purchased insurance for himself, listing Wei Dong's parents as the beneficiaries in the event of an accidental death—the elderly couple had treated him the same way they had treated Wei Dong all these years.
Finally, he entrusted his house and all its contents to the relevant departments for auction or resale, with all proceeds donated to the city's orphanage.
Then, back home, he reluctantly deleted the several terabytes of pornographic videos from his computer.
Actually, aside from some basic household items, there wasn't much else to get rid of.
After packing the clothes, bedding, and other necessities he needed, Ke Xun packed the remaining clothes, shoes, blankets, mattresses, clean cooking utensils, microwave oven, and other small appliances into cardboard boxes, sealed them with tape, and attached a note that read: "Please hand over to the second-hand recycling charity." He
also attached similar notes to the few pieces of furniture he owned, such as the refrigerator, washing machine, tables, chairs, sofa, and carpet.
Finally, Ke Xun took the photos from the closet, put them in an album, and then stuffed the album into his travel bag.
The day before his departure, Ke Xun turned on his computer, imported all the photos stored on his phone, cleared all the hard drives, and finally logged into his Weibo account and posted a message: "
Corgi has a human: One reason I like Weibo is that when we have to leave this world someday, it leaves a trace of our existence.
When I'm bored, I've thought about what kind of epitaph would be on my tombstone to make my final moments in life look beautiful and complete."
For example, there are those phrases I've seen online, like "Life is like a wave, I will disappear like a dewdrop," or "Excuse me, I won't get up," or even imitating Marilyn Monroe by leaving behind my measurements and penis size.
But only today did I realize that all the thousands of words I had imagined are as light as dust in the face of death, powerless and useless.
I thought that my habit of giving teammates pep talks, pumping them up, and shouting overly dramatic slogans, cultivated over many years as a team captain, would give me a lot to say to myself at this moment.
But I discovered that all these rich, magical, and profound words, in the end, only three simple words truly express what I want to say most in my heart.
If Weibo can leave a trace of my existence in this world, then I hope that the last mark I leave for this world is these three words:
I love you.
I love you, Dad.
I love you, Mom.
I love you, my pet owner, my lover.
I love you.
Author's Note:
The epitaph for those who have been depicted:
A renowned chef sleeps here. —Li Xiaochun
Life is like a gentle breeze and a bright moon, now I lie here watching the seasons change. —Hua Jiqiu
Look, that nameless flower on the mountaintop, that's me. —Yue Cen
Thank you, my life. —Gu Qingqing
Please bring me the latest lipstick. —Wu You
One radish, one hole; don't pull me out. —Luo Yu
The tomb owner was cautious and self-disciplined throughout his life, with no bad habits, including wearing elephant trunk underwear. —Shao Ling
Has dived to the deep sea. —Fang Fei
404 not found. —Zhu Haowen
Sorry, I'll be leaving the operating table for a long time. —Qin Ci
Finally, I don't have to worry about my hairline anymore! —Wei Dong
Suckling. —Mu Yiran Woof woof woof
! —Ke Xun
("Suckling" is a reference to the unconscious sound humans make when trying to flirt with a dog.)