Chapter 00051: Panlong City in Another Time and Space
# Panlong City in Another Time and Space
Chapter 51
Novel: After the Immortals Disappeared
Chapter 51: Panlong City in Another Time and Space
At this moment, the Chipa Plateau was unusually rich in water sources.
Relying on the natural elevation difference, a few waterwheels could provide automatic water supply around the clock.
This was understandable, as the Panlong Wilderness had always been a crucial transportation route connecting the Western Luo Kingdom to foreign lands.
The strategic importance of Panlong City far surpassed that of the later Blackwater City.
Moreover, if the local resources weren’t abundant, how could Panlong City have held out for over thirty years surrounded by powerful enemies?
Of course, as He Lingchuan walked through this historic city, his heart was filled not only with nostalgia but also with vigilance.
These two individuals had already visited the temple and the Red General’s shrine.
Why hadn’t they gone to Zhong Shengguang’s former residence together, instead waiting for him to accompany them? There must be something fishy about that place.
He Lingchuan was secretly anxious, but on the surface, he turned to Sun Fuping for advice: “Grand Tutor, do those vengeful spirits just live here year after year, only venturing out every September?”
“It seems so.”
“If they can live peacefully here, why would they go outside?”
“That’s something we’ll only know after obtaining the Great Square Pot.”
He Lingchuan thought to himself, *As expected of the Grand Tutor, he can phrase ‘I don’t know’ so elegantly.*
Earlier, when tasks were assigned, Nian Songyu had already gone to Zhong’s residence.
Now, he was quite familiar with the place.
However, when they arrived, Nian Songyu stopped in his tracks.
Before them stood a gray-bricked mansion with a black roof and high eaves.
The entrance was neat and tidy, with a few clusters of green bamboo peeking out from behind the high walls, exuding the air of a wealthy household.
On the gate were two large characters:
**Run Garden.**
“Is this the place?”
Nian Songyu hesitated for a moment before saying, “The location is correct, and the house is correct, but when I went in, I found that the family living here is surnamed Chen!”
He Lingchuan was baffled: “What?”
They entered Run Garden, a large four-courtyard mansion.
The materials used for the buildings and furniture were of the highest quality.
He Lingchuan even noticed that the screen wall was made of Tongzhou brick carvings.
Over three hundred bricks were pieced together to form a continuous story with figures, landscapes, and even a plot, resembling a beautifully illustrated comic.
Such brick carvings were still highly prized today, and it took over four months to transport them from Tongzhou to Blackwater City.
He Lingchuan knew this so well because his family’s mansion in Blackwater City also used these carvings to decorate their entrance.
Of course, such an exquisite garden also had a well-maintained landscape.
Artificial hills and flowing water were standard, and the garden was adorned with tall red maple trees.
In the corners beneath the maples, rare flowers and plants were hidden.
He could barely recognize the shapes of the first dozen or so plants, but he had no idea what species they were.
The ones further back were half-hidden in the shadows, and He Lingchuan couldn’t even see them clearly.
Nian Songyu pointed to the garden and said, “In the He family mansion in the desert wasteland, this place was a storage room filled with cabinets and a mess on the floor. Also, in the side hall, I found a few calling cards, indicating that the owner here is surnamed Chen, with the courtesy name Huisheng.”
He Lingchuan was stunned: “What era of Panlong City is this?” The land was fertile, the people lived in peace, and the city was prosperous, with no shadow of war.
Even a famous figure like Zhong Shengguang didn’t live where he was supposed to.
He suspected that he had stumbled into a Panlong City from another time and space.
Sun Fuping chimed in: “If Zhong Shengguang doesn’t live here, he must have another residence. Young Master He, can you think of where that might be?”
“Me?” He Lingchuan pointed at himself. “How would I know?”
Nian Songyu urged, “Think, think carefully!”
Sun Fuping hinted: “The legends of the Panlong Desert have been circulating in Qiansong County for decades. You grew up hearing them, so you should know many anecdotes beyond the official history, even if they’re just trivial stories. For example, Zhong Shengguang didn’t become a commander overnight. Where did he live before he was promoted?”
He Lingchuan suddenly realized: “Grand Tutor, are you suggesting that we’ve arrived in Panlong City before Zhong Shengguang became the commander?”
“Very likely,” Sun Fuping nodded. “Finding clues in such a large city is like searching for a needle in a haystack. The most obvious variable right now is Zhong Shengguang himself.”
Although he had done some preparation beforehand, his knowledge was limited, and he couldn’t possibly know every detail.
That’s why he was asking He Lingchuan, a local.
He Lingchuan thought for a long while before shaking his head: “No, I have no impression.”
His knowledge of Panlong City wasn’t much greater than that of an average Blackwater City resident.
Details like how many times Zhong Shengguang moved, how many illnesses he had, or how many women he had before he became famous were clearly beyond his scope.
“You’ve been in Blackwater City for over a decade, and all you’ve done is become a good-for-nothing?” Nian Songyu said coldly. “We might as well bring He Chunhua down here.”
“You…” He Lingchuan’s face turned red with anger.
Nian Songyu clenched his fist, ready to teach this guy a lesson if he dared to spout nonsense.
But to his surprise, He Lingchuan suddenly changed his tone: “You’re right, we should go back and find someone.” He turned to Sun Fuping and asked, “Grand Tutor, how do we get back?”
*Is this kid good at reading the situation, or is he just timid?* Before Sun Fuping could answer, the bandit Mao Tao came running down the corridor, excitedly shouting, “I found something, there’s something here!”
The three of them suddenly remembered that this guy had wandered off at some point: “What is it?”
“Dead people! There are skeletons in the cellar.”
Nian Songyu said impatiently, “What’s so special about dead people…” What’s so special about skeletons? The desert wasteland was full of them.
They could see them everywhere they went, remnants of the Xianba Alliance’s massacre.
But he immediately realized his mistake and swallowed his words: “Let’s go take a look.”
This wasn’t the outside world; this was Panlong City, frozen in time.
Anything out of place here was a valuable clue.
They hurried to the cellar, lit a candle, and sure enough, they found some skeletal remains.
Panlong City was hot in summer and cold in winter.
Wealthy families like the Chens didn’t just dig one cellar; they had separate cellars for storing meat, fruits, vegetables, pickles, and ice.
Yes, ice was stored in winter and used in summer.
The stored ice could be used to make frozen fruits, chilled wine, and even to cool down beds during the hottest days of summer—a luxury exclusive to wealthy households.
Mao Tao had found the ice cellar.
It was probably early summer in Panlong City now, and the cellar was freezing cold.
But as soon as they stepped inside, they saw scattered bones in the corner.
Counting the skulls, there were three dead people.
Sun Fuping picked up a skull and examined it carefully, then said gravely, “They’re real.”
This was highly unusual.
Why would real human skeletons appear in an illusory world?
A thought flashed through their minds, and Nian Songyu exclaimed, “The Balin Kingdom’s exploration team! They also entered the illusion.”
That’s right.
The entrance to the illusion was first discovered by the Balin Kingdom’s exploration team.
Of course, they had the opportunity to enter this Panlong City.
The key question now was, how did they die?
“Looking at their posture, they were moved after death,” Mao Tao squatted down for a closer look, then suddenly gasped, “No, the bones are all disorganized. If they weren’t disturbed later, then it must be…”
“They were dismembered after death,” Nian Songyu picked up a radius bone and then found a scapula.
He held them up to the light and examined them closely. “There are sharp tool marks on the bones, every single one. These injuries weren’t inflicted while they were alive.”
(End of Chapter)