Between mountains and seas

Chapter 148 The Mystery of the Map

"I don't know which mountain is at the end?" Shao Jingxing asked a little question.

He also had the same doubts as the operatives in the meeting room. Everyone looked at the blank space on the map—every mountain on the entire map was marked with a name. These operational personnel who are familiar with the "Shan Hai Jing" can also distinguish the patterns of exotic animals or plants cast on them - only this place between Zhaoyao Mountain and Zhongshan Mountain is completely blank.

"Yes." Gu Sheng nodded, "The logistics department analyzed it, and finally concluded that this place is not recorded in the "Shan Hai Jing". Or it can also be said that this is the outskirts of Zhongshan, which is used by Nuwa to protect Zhongshan Place. Once someone tries to enter Zhongshan and disturb the talisman array, then this place is likely to - it will immediately change into another look."

According to the internal records of the special affairs department, someone had been to Zhong Shan's location, but in the end they didn't see anything.It seemed to be just a dark wilderness there, neither Candle Dragon nor traces of strange beasts could be seen, only the occasional soft rustling in the weeds at the foot proved that this place was not Not a dead place without life.

"This mountain may be that wilderness." Gu Sheng clicked on the projection screen, "Usually it looks like a lifeless barren land, but if Zhong Shan's rune array is disturbed, it may change. . But until now, we couldn't be sure how it would change."

Su Zheng looked around and spoke first: "The worst case scenario is to release a group of strange beasts. Anyway, we have to enter Zhongshan, and we must act no matter what happens to it. I think we can go to the scene and see Let’s make a temporary decision.”

Ji Xiaojiu twitched the corner of her mouth: "Isn't this too reckless? Don't you just go without making any preparations? If you arrive at the scene and find out that you are not prepared enough, you won't have time to regret it..."

Yes.Although other opinions are not unified, all the people involved in the research have reached a consensus on the danger - as long as Zhongshan is opened, this wilderness will become extremely dangerous!

Because, in the records, there are still many strange beasts that do not indicate their habitats.

Most of the alien animals in "Shan Hai Jing" live in one place. For example, the famous Kunpeng lives in Beiming; Yu Qingqiu's mountain; let's say Changyou, Nafu, Lili and so on that Shao Jingxing had seen in various mountains before.These have well-defined habitats and do not easily wander around.

However, there are many other beasts that are not like this. For example, the tiger eagle they met in Changyou Mountain before was flying around without a fixed place.For another example, Jiao Jiao, who besieged them in Guishan, only mentioned "in the west" in Gao You's commentary to Huainanzi.

There is also the famous ferocious beast 梼杌. It is written in "Shen Yi Jing": There are beasts in the western wilderness... disturbing the wilderness.In other words, this thing is running around in the Western Wilderness, wherever it wants to go.

But there is still a range of activities for people like Wuwu. For the invention that Shao Jingxing killed before, the records are even more vague. It is obvious that they are flying around and are more free than ordinary animals.

"It is very possible that these strange beasts with unknown whereabouts may appear in that wilderness." Gu Sheng concluded the analysis of the logistics department simply, "We must prepare as much as possible, and we cannot completely place our hopes on on-the-spot judgments .”

He glanced at Su Zheng gently: "I know that everyone is not afraid of sacrifice, but the sacrifice that can be avoided should be avoided as much as possible. We need to repair the barrier, but we also need to cherish everyone's life. life.” Sacrifice is inevitable, and the staff of the Special Affairs Section are always prepared, but it must not be unnecessary.

Su Zheng lowered his eyes slightly, and swallowed back his rebuttal to Ji Xiaojiu.Bai Xin next to him stretched out his hand, and quietly shook his hand under the table.

Ever since Qi Tongmin lost contact, and later it was confirmed that he killed He Feng, and even the evidence of using two generations of Miao Yinniao to kill people continuously broke out, Su Zheng became more gloomy and silent day by day.Bai Xin understands his feelings very well, but she doesn't know how to comfort him—although she is also a member of the second action group, compared to Su Zheng, who grew up with Qi Tongmin, her feelings for Qi Tongmin are far less deep than Su Zheng— ——That is the emotion that is like a teacher and a father. It was as painful as it was before.

This energy was suffocated in his heart, and it was almost driving Su Zheng crazy.He wished he could rush into the world of mountains and seas now, and kill all those strange beasts, to prove that Qi Tongmin's education to him had never deviated from the right path, never taught him to use supernatural powers to eliminate dissidents, and to do whatever he wanted for his own benefit. kill.

Deep down in his heart, he also wants to prove that Qi Tongmin, who can teach him, is by no means a selfish and insidious villain, a villain, and a murderer who seeks power by himself, as Yang Shuming said!

But, he just doesn't have this chance now!Huo Qing and Shao Jingxing were the ones who showed their faces recently!

The new generation of Wonderbird was discovered and captured by the two of them.It was the two of them who stopped Ratbeast and Invention from invading the real world.Now the two of them also discovered the map cast on Jiuding, which allowed the Special Affairs Section to confirm this big operation.

All the results belong to the two of them, and although Su Zheng has also entered the world of mountains and seas these days, he has basically not achieved any outstanding results-although according to Baosheng, every action of theirs is important. It is to contribute to the analysis and deduction of the talisman array by the logistics department, but he doesn't want to hear such words now.

He needs to do something to prove himself and Qi Tongmin, even if he dies in the world of mountains and seas for this, it will be fun for him, and it may be more fun than living aggrieved like this!

But he didn't want to contradict Gu Sheng.Gu Sheng is also someone he respects, although not as close as Qi Tongmin.Gu Sheng and Qi Tongmin used to be close comrades-in-arms who fought side by side, and Qi Tongmin told him repeatedly that Gu Sheng was a really good person—this was also admitted by the Special Affairs Department.

And what Gu Sheng said is right, human life in the special affairs department is also life, and he, Su Zheng, is willing to risk his own life, which does not mean that he can recklessly bring others into danger. From the day he became the team leader, Qi Tongmin taught him that sacrifice should start with himself, not others.

There was silence in the entire conference room.But this silence hides firmness. For the members of the action team, this is indeed what they are always prepared for...

The only one who panicked was Shao Jingxing.At this moment, he felt that he was in a panic—why did this talk about sacrifice?And it seems like "Don't worry, everyone will sacrifice anyway"?

Sacrificing this kind of thing - there is a saying that "it is easy to be generous, and it is easy to go to death". When he was fighting with Invention in the quicksand before, Shao Jingxing gave up the chance to escape with enthusiasm, but thinking about it now, Knowing that going to Zhongshan might mean death, but still going...Although, he is still afraid!

"That, that, I think we can refer to this map..." Maybe it's because the adrenaline surges when a person is extremely scared, which can instead stimulate the brain to work more actively. Shao Jingxing's head, which has never been used much, suddenly had a flash of inspiration , let him discover one thing!

"Well, I think the reason why this map is chosen in this way may not only be the need for the array arrangement, but also have other meanings!"

Shao Jingxing felt that his desire to survive had never been stronger, so that his thoughts were very clear now: "Look here—this is Longchao Mountain."

On Longchao Mountain, there is Danshui below, and there are Danfish in the water.The fish floated out of the water, with a red light like fire, caught with a net, cut its blood and smeared its feet, and could wade through the water as if walking on flat ground——"Shu Yi Ji".

In the commentary of "Taiping Yulan", it is said in more detail: cut off his blood to smear his feet, he can walk on the water, and live in the abyss for a long time.

In other words, the blood of Danyu can temporarily awaken the ability of water system, allowing people to freely enter and exit the water.

"Look here again." Shao Jingxing pointed to the back of Longchao Mountain, "This is Yiwang Mountain, right?"

Yiwang Mountain is not a particularly famous place, but there are two kinds of strange beasts in the mountain, both of which look very strange and are quite recognizable.One is a lynx, which looks like a lynx, but it has one eye and three tails; the other is a chiyu bird, which has three heads and six tails, and often laughs.

"There are two kinds of strange beasts, and they are still ranked ahead of the Qiyu bird, but the one cast here is the Qiyu bird." Shao Jingxing pointed out, "Why is this?"

Someone wanted to say that they might have picked one at random, but they swallowed it again.Was it really a random pick?

"Because the effects are different." Huo Qing said in a low voice, "The meat can cure jaundice, and the chiyu bird will not have nightmares after eating it. You mean that Nuwa's choice is intentional, at least after passing through these two places, Can people have water abilities without having nightmares?"

Sounds plausible, but immediately the question arises: "What's the point?"

Shao Jingxing pointed to the pattern on the back of Yiwang Mountain: "I guess it's for here."

That pattern is a small mountain, and the lower part is a pattern of ripples representing water, occupying most of the space, obviously it is a large body of water.And in the water, cast a shell.

As Gu Sheng said just now, the logistics department deduced that this is the East China Sea, and this mountain is Penglai. As for the shells in the water, they should be mirages.

"Penglai belongs to the fairy mountains in the sea, but there is no careful marking here. There should be many strange beasts in the East China Sea, but only mirages were cast, which proves that the key point here is mirages." Shao Jingxing felt that his head was clearer than ever before, "Mirages In the sea, and can exhale to create illusions, so the function of Danyu and Qiyu Bird is to be able to dive into the East Sea while resisting the power of mirage."

Gu Sheng's eyes moved slightly: "Why did you sneak into the East China Sea instead of passing by?"

"If it's just passing by, why is it so troublesome?" Shao Jingxing asked back, "Can't we go around? So I think there is something in the East Sea that is very useful for entering Zhongshan, or after entering Zhongshan, so although it is dangerous, I can't help but go."

The conference room was silent for a while, and after a while, Deputy Section Chief Yan nodded: "I agree with Xiao Shao's words, it makes sense. The question is, what's in the East China Sea?"

This question is too difficult to answer.Someone has already murmured: "Does it mean that we still have to walk around this map?" This project is not small!

"I don't think it's necessary..." Ji Xiaojiu also murmured.

She already understood what Shao Jingxing meant: "Nuwa's map is arranged according to the fact that the people who enter have no powerful abilities. For example, if we have water-type abilities, we don't need Danyu. So the map on this map There are some places that you can skip, but here in the East China Sea—it seems very important.”

"That's right!" Shao Jingxing nodded again and again, "That's what I mean. On this map, there are places where strength is increased. I think these places are equivalent to telling us what kind of danger we will encounter when we enter Zhongshan .Only the East China Sea seems to be a special place, Danyu and Qiyu Bird seem to be preparing for it, so I think we should study it carefully."

"Could it be to catch a mirage?" Someone suggested, "After all, it is a mirage cast on it. Maybe Zhong Shan's actions need the ability of a mirage."

"This is really difficult..." Huang Yu's face wrinkled, "Could it be that we have to drag a mirage with us when we go to Zhongshan? It's so big..."

Huo Qing pondered for a while, then shook his head: "A mirage is not a red fish or a strange bird..."

After he simply said this sentence, Huang Yu was at a loss: "Ah?" What do you mean?

Shao Jingxing's eyes lit up, "That's right! Danyu cut blood and smeared its feet, Qiyu birds never tire of eating meat, there is only mirage, and it must be alive to make it hallucinate! If this is according to Nuwa's plan, along this path It may take several days for the map to travel from the East China Sea to Zhongshan, could it be that a water tank is used to drag the mirage away?"

This picture sounds so beautiful that someone has already chuckled softly.Gu Sheng nodded: "That's right. So now the question is, what exactly do you want to get from the East China Sea where Mount Penglai is located..."

Everyone started talking in low voices.This question is too difficult to answer.The ocean is originally a place rich in species, but there is no particularly clear record about the East China Sea. This problem is like finding a needle in a haystack, and it is completely irrelevant.However, we have to get the answer, because it is likely to be an extremely important thing in Zhong Shan's actions.

Huo Qing stared at the projection on the screen for a long time, then suddenly pointed to a place: "I remember it's different here."

There, at the bottom of the ripples that represent sea water, there is a small area where the pattern changes, forming a small, somewhat vague triangle.

Because it was not a real object but a photo, this small piece of triangle was really inconspicuous, and Shao Jingxing didn't even notice it when he took the photo.But when the picture is zoomed to the maximum, it can be barely seen. These are nine protruding small dots, in the shape of a pyramid, and there is a little bit of shimmer when illuminated by the flash.

Obviously, this is by no means sea water.

"Does the triangle represent the mountain peaks on the seabed?" Someone immediately raised an opinion.

"No—" Deputy Section Chief Yan almost lay down on the screen, "It's too small to be called a hill. But I think it represents something piled up on the bottom of the sea without a doubt."

Huang Yu whispered: "Could it be Xi Rang?"

Ji Xiaojiu hit him immediately: "Is Xiran useful for Zhongshan's talisman and candle dragon?" Nuwa asked someone to pick it up, and it must be something useful for Zhongshan's trip.

"Then what did you say?" Huang Yu asked angrily.

Now Ji Xiaojiu was also scratching her head, and after thinking for a long time, she sighed: "The information Nuwa left is too little...even if I leave a few words on the cauldron...just like Ao Zuzhu... ..."

This sentence suddenly reminded Gu Sheng: "Nuwa may have left hints elsewhere." She gave the map to Dayu, but left the five-color moth eggs to her descendants.This may be to prevent Dayu from holding all the secrets in his hands, and no one can restrain him. Maybe he wants to leave a little bargaining chip for his people, or he just doesn't dare to put all his eggs in one basket...

Deputy Section Chief Yan also reacted quickly: "Note!" All they can find now is the note left by Qi Tongmin.

"Donghai, there is Dragon Food hidden." In another room, Qi Tongmin said to He Maochuan slowly, "Do you know what Dragon Food is?"

Fukui Hidemi's expression was blank, and he didn't know whether he was not interested or completely confused, but Masao Komatsu's eyes flashed, and he said eagerly: "Is it like green mud, with a fragrant smell, but it will harden like a stone when it sees the wind?" s things?"

"Mr. Fukui knows a lot." Qi Tongmin nodded with a half-smile, "It's that kind of thing. I think Nuwa might have used it to lure Zhulong back then, but because the water quickly lost and deteriorated after seeing the wind, so I had to Still stored at the bottom of the ocean."

Xiao Song couldn't help asking: "I heard that if dragon food is fed to scale creatures, it can also make them upgrade into dragons?"

"That's called metaplasia." Qi Tongmin corrected his poor Chinese, "but dragon food is not that magical. Dragon is the strength of fish, and it's true that dragon food can strengthen fish, but it's not just eating anything. If you eat dragon food, you can transform into a dragon. Moreover—it’s a hooligan to talk about the effect without the dose. If you want to expect to eat dragon food to transform a dragon, it’s not enough to take one or two bites.”

Xiao Song was a little disappointed, but still said: "But it is true that they can enhance their abilities?"

"It's true." Qi Tongmin glanced around him and said with a smile, "It's difficult to change the quality of a non-dragon into a dragon. But it's easier to produce a quantitative change."

"Kamo——" Komatsu immediately turned to Kamogawa, and switched to Japanese.

But He Maochuan shook his head: "We can't go to the East China Sea now." He pointed to the shell pattern, "With our current strength, can we sneak into the East China Sea to get Dragon Food? Instead, go to Zhongshan to get the living stone first, and then go to The East China Sea is more secure."

Komatsu Masao was a little disappointed, and looked at He Maochuan suspiciously: "He Maojun, dragon food should be very useful to Zhulong, right? Don't we need it?" He was a little suspicious that He Maochuan didn't want to help him, after all, the dragon food Shikigami is not of much use to Ka Mogawa's subordinate shikigami, but to him, it may be more useful than those living stones.