Chapter 135: White Bone Legend, State Attention! (Second Update)

The villagers of Longyuan Village may have, due to ignorance or rumor, exaggeratedly described this big mountain, which is why there are so many mythological elements.

It cannot be ruled out that they secretly did something to create this atmosphere.

Take Hu Xiaocao for example; I originally thought this little girl would be the easiest to get clues from, but after interacting and talking, I found that even adults may not necessarily have such insight.

Moreover, Sun Zhenbang is a veteran policeman; it would not be easy to deceive him, and besides there are Captain Zhou, Bai Yanfei, and many other police—surely at least one of them would see through the trick.

Furthermore, those files have detailed records, making the possibility of fraud small.

If there really is some behind-the-scenes black hand capable of deceiving heaven and earth, keeping so many police in the dark, what a massive organization that would be!

"Surely it can't be the Blue Light Project spread by ignorant self-media, right?"

Besides, the members of the institute's archaeological team have also experienced extremely bizarre things—just the fact that everyone had the same nightmare is something humans could not possibly achieve.

Professor Zhang and his colleagues are engaged in academic research; unless they have no choice, they would absolutely not give up the excavation of the ancient tomb, and given their status and position, they could not be bribed.

Moreover, trying to bribe so many top professionals from all sectors of society at once is nothing short of wishful thinking.

The members of the 749 Bureau originally thought that these few trips could uncover the secrets of Longyuan Mountain, but as they delved deeper into exploration, they found that the mysterious veil was not lifted; instead, it became even more perplexing.

As for the mist over Longyuan Mountain, it is increasing, and everything is heading toward an unknown.

"Captain, where should we put our next objective?"

Xu Tiancheng's voice pulled Wang Xuehao's thoughts back to reality.

Wang Xuehao looked at the long list of names, pondered for a moment, and said.

"Let's go see that Professor of Zhouyi again; I heard he has studied feng shui and once stayed a few days on Longyuan Mountain—I don't know if anything strange happened to him."

Based on the previous examples, it can be inferred that anyone who has been on Longyuan Mountain will, to some extent, experience something—big or small, but indispensable.

Perhaps these strange events are somehow related to the feng shui of Longyuan Mountain in an indescribable way.

The 749 Bureau could only send someone to temporarily return to the capital, then personally go to the Social Sciences Academy and find the old professor.

Looking at their credentials and confirming with the authorities, Professor Zhang furrowed his brows slightly, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "What do you want with me?"

"Professor Zhang, we came to learn about matters concerning Longyuan Mountain."

Professor Zhang invited them into his office; along the way, many students curiously watched, wondering what this group of people with a special demeanor was up to.

Professor Zhang is usually busy, focusing his efforts on feng shui research and Qimen Dunjia, and pays little attention to those online matters.

At this moment, seeing Wang Xuehao hand over the materials, he curiously took them, but the more he looked, the more surprised he became.

Until a 749 Bureau member asked: "You previously said Longyuan Mountain's feng shui terrain is special; could you elaborate on your experience and whether any strange things occurred?"

Professor Zhang nodded and gave a cooperative answer.

"That place is indeed special; in decades I have rarely seen such a superb feng shui position where heavenly timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony are all present—but if I were to say what strange things happened—"

His tone paused, he fell into contemplation, and said, "It seems there really isn't anything particularly strange, except that I had a very weird dream—I don't know if that counts."

"A dream?"

The 749 Bureau members exchanged glances, recalling the shared nightmare of the archaeological team members, and immediately felt there was much to be uncovered here.

Wang Xuehao hurriedly asked: "What dream?"

Professor Zhang seemed to fall into a certain recollection: "In the dream, a woman led me to a patch of mist, where a person was hidden; I conversed with them, discussing much knowledge about feng shui and Qimen Dunjia."

After I left, I heard that the mountain was about to be developed, and not long after, people who came to the mountain experienced strange things, and at the time I even felt it was like falling into a formation within Qimen Dunjia.

The last sentence Professor Zhang said offhandedly, with a hint of joking.

The speaker meant nothing by it, but the listener took it to heart.

Compared to the unbelievable things the 749 Bureau members had heard earlier, what happened to Professor Zhang seems much more ordinary.

He also experienced nothing on Longyuan, merely having a weird dream.

This dream differs from that of the archaeological team members; there was no White Bone chasing, but the term "mist" appeared, which had been heard during the earlier investigation.

Yao Ruotong, for some reason, impulsively asked, "Do you think that mountain might contain some kind of power?"

Professor Zhang, looking at the materials they brought, unconsciously fell into thought.

"This is hard to say, since I haven't personally experienced it, but I can tell you a bit: that mountain indeed has some peculiarities; I think you should ask the people who initially participated in the development project."

The information Professor Zhang provided here is not much, but it's better than nothing.

After leaving the capital, the 749 Bureau members did not go to Wu Du but headed straight to another city.

In that city, they found Li Minghai and others who had initially participated in the scenic spot survey; all of them had been involved in the Longyuan Mountain development project.

As for why they didn't go to them right away, it was because Wang Xuehao and the others had previously examined the relevant materials.

After waking from the hospital, their memories were deficient; they had forgotten some of the things that happened on the mountain.

Since then, Li Minghai has not introduced any new projects, nor conducted any investment promotion; when the 749 Bureau came to his door, he was resting at home.

"Hello, Mr. Li; we're looking for you to learn something about Longyuan Mountain—"

Li Minghai's face slightly changed; upon hearing the words "Longyuan Mountain," his body reflexively trembled, as if he feared the place from the bottom of his heart.

Before Wang Xuehao could finish speaking, he immediately interrupted: "I know nothing."

After so long, the shadow that Longyuan Mountain left on Li Minghai has not faded; instead, it has grown day by day and become an untouchable forbidden zone.

Seeing his strong reaction, the 749 Bureau members knew this couldn't be rushed; Wang Xuehao gave a glance, and Yao Ruotong understood implicitly.

"Mr. Li, don't be nervous or afraid; we're here to help you."

Yao Ruotong has studied psychology and can be considered an expert in this regard; after her gentle soothing, Li Minghai's emotions gradually calmed.

"Actually, we came this time mainly to resolve the series of problems concerning Longyuan Mountain; this matter has attracted the state's high attention, and we hope you can cooperate with us."

Wang Xuehao and Xu Tiancheng appealed to emotion and reason, and Li Minghai's attitude finally loosened somewhat.

His expression complex, he began to recount everything that happened in the mountain.

"Actually, I don't want to mention it, because inside that mountain there is a White Bone Great Immortal……"

Even now, recalling it, Li Minghai still feels chills down his spine.

Upon hearing his words, the 749 Bureau members stood frozen in place.

Daoist Qingwei and the Wu Du archaeological team have both mentioned White Bone, just like that 'mist', it is a term that appears very frequently.

Now, I've heard it again.

Xu Tiancheng's expression became indescribable, 'White Bone Great Immortal?'

Li Minghai nodded, 'Back then our group got lost, and as a result a heavy fog arose in the forest; in a daze we saw a Daoist temple, inside which there was a Daoist with a skeletal appearance wearing a Daoist robe— isn't that the White Bone Great Immortal!'

'In short, the White Bone Great Immortal was cultivating in the mountains; surely we disturbed him, but fortunately the Immortal is kind-hearted and let us go, so when we woke up we were already in the hospital.'

The 749 Bureau personnel recalled encountering Daoist Qingwei in Longyuan Village.

'Is the temple you mentioned the Shangqing Temple?'

Li Minghai nodded, not expecting them to know this: 'Exactly, later I also encountered an identical temple in the suburbs of Wu Du!'

Hearing this, the 749 Bureau people felt it strange; although quite a few people had gone up the mountain, only Li Minghai and his group had encountered the temple.

As for the so-called White Bone Great Immortal, it is thought-provoking, because many people have mentioned White Bone…

Does the temple deep in the mountains really exist, or is it merely an illusion of Li Minghai and the others?

A temple far in the suburbs of Wu Du actually gives rise to countless thoughts connected with Longyuan Mountain.

It cannot really be as the village chief and Hu Xiaocao said, that the Mountain God once went to the Shangqing Temple— such a claim is hard to believe.

Li Minghai, due to memory loss, provided relatively little information, but this person is extremely important; one could say he serves as a link between past and future.

Wang Xuehao had also suspected earlier whether villagers or someone else were secretly sabotaging things, not wanting the mountain to be developed.

But they simply could not do that.

Not only Li Minghai, but the accounts of others who initially went into the mountain for exploration were similar, all mentioning that heavy fog and the mysterious temple in the mountains.

Up to now, the investigation has made no progress; the 749 Bureau personnel feel for the first time that it is somewhat tricky, whereas previous cases were unraveled thread by thread, gradually restoring the truth.

Here, the more we explore, the more shrouded in mist it becomes.

Seeing the dejected Xu Tiancheng and others, everyone in the team fell somewhat silent.

Yao Ruotong, always optimistic, showed a bright smile, patted his shoulder to comfort him, saying:

'Everyone, cheer up; if we are so easily defeated by difficulties, wouldn't we be smashing our own sign?'

Her clear voice, like a spring flowing from a mountain stream, dispelled the low pressure in the team.

Wang Xuehao nodded in approval, 'Ruotong is right; we've been through so much, we've never seen any big wind or waves, but we can't capsize in a gutter and tarnish the name of the 749 Bureau.'

Xu Tiancheng, not knowing what he thought of, joked, 'Even if we capsize, it's fine; we can still swim.'

Wang Xuehao gave him a sideways glance, 'You brat, you just don't feel comfortable unless you pour cold water on things, right?'

After everyone's joking around, the team's atmosphere improved considerably, and it was no longer heavy as before.

There are still many names on the list; if we were to ask them one by one, it would certainly take a lot of time. These people are related to Longyuan Mountain, but not deeply.

Wang Xuehao pondered for a moment, and already had an idea in mind.

'Xu Tiancheng, take a few people to the Astronomical Bureau to investigate the Heavenly Fire incident thoroughly; make sure each person checks carefully.'

'Ruotong, go to the Wind-Gathering program team to see if there are any new discoveries; the team also encountered some things during filming.'

Everyone had clear divisions of labor and immediately sprang into action, respectively heading to the astronomical observatory and the Wind-Gathering program team.

As time passed, unnoticed a day had gone by; the sun set westward, the buildings of the State Secrets Bureau were shrouded in a faint glow, the clouds on the horizon layered and blended, resembling a fine painting.

Wang Xuehao was organizing the documents and information in his hands; the creases between his eyebrows were almost enough to pinch a mosquito.

Xu Tiancheng and Yao Ruotong, meanwhile, were reporting their investigation findings.

'At the astronomical observatory, aside from capturing the special Heavenly Fire phenomenon, nothing particularly unusual occurred.'

'At the Wind-Gathering program team, they first encountered strangely behaving animals, all gathering in one place; then they also discovered fog rising in the mountains, and subsequently captured eerie footage.'

'We also questioned those internet celebrities and bloggers who had come out of curiosity; they all said that fog arose in the mountains, they got lost and couldn't find their way out, and later they even encountered the White Bone chasing them.'

'Everyone on the list has been thoroughly questioned by them; it can be said that anyone who had any connection with Longyuan Mountain was investigated.'

'If someone were pretending to be supernatural or there were other reasons, it would be impossible to leave not a trace, because there is no flawless case.'

Where water passes, it leaves a sound; where geese pass, they leave a trace.

'But although we originally thought we could find clues, all the various clues actually point toward some mysterious, uncontrollable force drawing near.'

Hu Xiaocao, Sun Zhenbang, Xie Yixuan, old Daoist, Team Zhou, Bai Yanfei, Professor Zhang, Li Minghai

Looking at these names on the list, it's as if an invisible pair of big hands has linked them all together; although they seem to have no connection, they actually share a common point.

That is Longyuan Mountain!

Everyone is connected with Longyuan Mountain; a vast relationship network appears in Wang Xuehao's mind, with the center being that towering, majestic green mountain!

Wang Xuehao rubbed his temples; the constant running around these past days has made his head ache a bit.

'Tell us your thoughts.'

Xu Tiancheng looked at the data he had gathered and said, 'People have died on this mountain, but they were all lawbreakers; could it be understood that they offended this great mountain, thus receiving punishment and losing their lives?'

'Moreover, the manner of their deaths is strange; to this day, no murder weapon or killer has been found.'

Li Minghai and the others are somewhat special; although they are not bad people, they disturbed the mountain's tranquility, which is why they encountered this.

The same reasoning applies to the archaeological team; that force merely stopped them, simply expelling Professor Zhang and the others, letting them withdraw knowing the difficulty, without causing any casualties.

As for ordinary tourists, as well as the people from the astronomical observatory and the Wind-Gathering program team, they have no particular purpose and won't stay long.

Therefore, the strange occurrences won't be many; there is nothing as mysterious as what the archaeological team and Li Minghai experienced— at most just a minor punishment serving as a warning.

'In summary, these people can be divided into three categories; their purposes differ, and so do the degree of danger they encounter and the strange occurrences.'

'It seems as if, in the unseen, a measuring rod is weighing everything.'

Xu Tiancheng's words were reasonable and well-founded, his logic clear; Wang Xuehao's eyes were full of praise, 'That was quite good.'

'Have you noticed that in these people's accounts, several words are frequently mentioned?'

Saying this, Wang Xuehao stood up, walked to the whiteboard nearby, picked up a pen and swiftly wrote several terms, then read them aloud: 'Mist, getting lost, animals, dreams, White Bone!'

'In total there are five terms, appearing frequently; I tallied them and each term appears on average more than twenty times, with the most frequent terms being mist and animals!'

"From this we can see, the fog in the mountains is very strange, and…… the animals are also very strange!"

"But among these, the most striking thing is this term 'White Bone'; each time it appears, it manifests in a different form, which is terrifying."

"If one person were a coincidence, then so many people mentioning it at the same time could not be called a coincidence."

"Fog, getting lost, and animals can still be explained by science, but regarding dreams, the appearance of white bones, and the strange encounters some people have in the mountains, these are fundamentally not forces that humans can create."

"It can be said that everywhere is filled with the color of suspense."

"Even the 749 Bureau themselves have experienced a wave; thinking of that lightning and the fire falling from the sky, as well as all the strange events afterward, they still feel lingering fear to this day."

"It seems like a warning from some mysterious power, and moreover a threat."

"Indeed, but what is the connection between these few terms?"

"The animals in the mountains……"

"How strange—what exactly does this 'white bone' refer to? It can't really be that white bones have become spirits, right? That would be too far-fetched; I don't believe it."

"Everyone discussed for a long time, but there was no result."

"Xu Tiancheng joked, 'Captain, why don't we go into Longyuan Mountain again to take a look?'"

"Yao Ruotong couldn't help but roll her eyes, 'How many lives do you have to be able to make that?'"

"Knowing there are tigers in the mountain, yet deliberately going toward the tiger mountain."

"Although the people of the 749 Bureau have their own ideas and procedures, they are not dogmatic; the lesson from the past is right before them—how could they possibly go into the mountains again?"

"Even Wang Xuehao himself has a premonition that if they explore Longyuan Mountain again, it is very likely to lead to incalculable consequences."

"In the past, when encountering these strange and special cases, after the truth was investigated, it was either human-made or some special phenomenon; even if it couldn't be explained, it still fell within the scope of science."

"Now, with all these clues laid out before us, every one points to the mountain indeed being strange, absolutely not man-made, or perhaps due to special geological influences."

"'Captain, what should we do about this case?'"

"'Regardless of whether the mountain god spoken of by the villagers exists, this mountain indeed has some strangeness; many people have already died, although they are said to be criminals, but there are too many uncontrollable factors among them.'"

"Ordinary people entering the mountains merely get injured or frightened, but no one can guarantee that nothing will happen later; after all, no one can say for sure about such things."

"Wang Xuehao and the others cannot gamble with public safety; he cannot bet on that one-in-ten-thousand chance, nor does he dare to."

"Just like this time, even they, who are agile, suffered serious injuries; if ordinary people were to face lightning and fire rain, they would have no way to resist."

"Moreover, the significance of the existence of their 749 Bureau is to solve all difficult and miscellaneous cases occurring domestically and to uncover the truth."

"Wang Xuehao's gaze fell on a not-so-distant place, carrying a sense of solemnity and gravity."

"'We can only first report it to the Bureau Chief.'"

"'I agree!'"

"'Then please let the superiors decide!'"

"Wang Xuehao directly reported the organized case and files; as an independent third department outside military and political affairs, the authority of the National Secrets 749 Bureau is very great—in emergencies, it even has the right to directly mobilize troops to cooperate in carrying out missions, and the local government must give it a green light."

"And as the leader of the 749 Bureau, the Bureau Chief naturally holds a high position with great power; the cases that can be brought directly to him are usually not minor matters."

"But Wang Xuehao still chose to report directly, because the case they encountered this time is indeed too strange; they are powerless and also lack the qualification to make a decision."

"The 749 Bureau's system operates very quickly; just less than an hour later, the response from above came down."

"It was only four short characters, yet it was a top-secret document with a red seal:"

"【Full Blockade!】"

"There will be an update during the day!"

"(End of Chapter)"