Senior sister, stop working and go home for dinner.

Chapter 230 Casual Chat Along the Way

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As soon as we drove out of the resort, we saw Zhang Nanshan's luxury bus, which was already parked by the roadside waiting.

The vehicles met up and drove away from Yunyin Mountain, heading towards Lincheng along the national highway. Li Pangzi's black minivan followed Zhang Nanshan's rather conspicuous luxury bus, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far.

The atmosphere inside the car was initially quiet. Huiming sat in the passenger seat, holding prayer beads, her eyes slightly closed, her expression serene. Chen Anran and Wei Qingyi sat in the back.

Wei Qingyi leaned against the window, her gaze fixed on the fields and distant mountains flashing past outside, her profile serene.

Chen Anran glanced at Fatty Li, whose palms were sweating with nervousness, and couldn't help but smile: "Fatty, relax, just treat it like a normal outing. The way you're holding the steering wheel makes my hands sore just watching you."

Upon hearing this, Fatty Li grinned, loosened his fingers slightly, but kept his back ramrod straight: "Master, I'm just a little excited. This is the first time I've gone on a long trip with you, Second Uncle, and Master Huiming."

"It's just a birthday celebration and a banquet, no need to be too nervous," Chen Anran said gently. He casually took out the oil paper package prepared by Fatty Li from his storage ring, opened it, and the aroma of vegetarian buns immediately filled the carriage. "You all got up early, have something to eat first. Fatty, you have two too, driving such a long distance is tiring." As he spoke, he handed one to Wei Qingyi beside him, and then handed another to Huiming.

Huiming opened his eyes, thanked her, and accepted the food. Wei Qingyi also quietly accepted it and began to eat it in small bites.

Fatty Li quickly shook his head: "Master, you guys eat, I've already eaten."

Chen Anran handed another steamed bun to Fatty Li. Fatty Li couldn't refuse, so he took it with one hand, took a small bite carefully, and kept his eyes fixed on the road.

Chen Anran took one for herself, chewed it slowly for a few bites, and then casually asked, "Second Senior Sister, you've been to quite a few places while filming this time, haven't you? Did you encounter anything special, or... hear any interesting rumors? About historical sites in various places, or old stories and legends or the like?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qingyi withdrew her gaze and looked at Chen Anran. She thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "The film crew travels around a lot, mostly to filming locations. We mostly interact with people in the industry, discussing scripts, schedules, lighting, and props. Historical sites and legends... are rarely mentioned." She paused, then added, "Wang Rui and the others sometimes talk about strange tales from the internet, which are hard to verify."

Chen Anran nodded; his intention wasn't to share his observations from filming. He considered his words carefully, deciding to be more direct: "Second Senior Sister, you're well-read and have a deep understanding of historical anecdotes. Recently, I've been reading some miscellaneous books and have become somewhat interested in the history of the Great Qian Dynasty three thousand years ago. It seems to have been a dynasty with a vast territory and a long history, but although there are many records about people's livelihoods, systems, and wars in the official and unofficial histories that have been passed down, I always feel... something is missing."

When the question was posed, the air in the car seemed to fall silent for a moment. Even Fatty Li, who had been listening intently in the front seat, subconsciously lowered his breathing. Huiming's fingers, which were twirling the prayer beads, paused slightly.

Wei Qingyi looked at Chen Anran, her cool eyes showing no emotion, seemingly unsurprised by the topic. She finished the last of her steamed bun, wiped her hands with a napkin, and then slowly began to speak: "According to historical records, the Great Qian Dynasty lasted for over four hundred years, from the first year of the Qian Yuan era until its eventual demise, through twenty-nine emperors. Its institutions, culture, arts, agriculture, industry, commerce, and trade are all well-documented and passed down through generations."

Chen Anran then asked, "Aren't there any records about ancient cultivators?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Qingyi recalled for a moment, "In official history, there is naturally no record of 'cultivation' or 'magic arts.' Unofficial histories and notes occasionally mention 'extraordinary people,' 'magicians,' 'auspicious omens,' and 'disasters,' but they are mostly vague and embellished with supernatural beings, no different from later supernatural tales, and are difficult to verify."

A brief silence fell over the car. Wei Qingyi's answer, like herself, was concise and objective, categorizing all supernatural traces as "vague and ambiguous historical legends."

Chen Anran was not surprised.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, Huiming, who had been listening quietly in the front row, suddenly spoke up.

"Amitabha. What Benefactor Wei said is indeed the history seen by the world. However, when I was traveling in my early years, I saw a damaged mural in an abandoned grotto in the Western Regions. The style was ancient and simple, depicting what seemed to be a grand sacrificial scene. The people's clothing was neither ancient nor modern. On the altar, someone was walking in the air, holding up a radiant light, while the surrounding people bowed their heads. In one corner of the mural, there were blurry inscriptions, and the characters 'Qian', 'Si', and 'Tian' could be vaguely discerned. At the time, I thought it was just an exaggeration of the ancients' imagination, but now I think..."

Huiming didn't finish speaking, but everyone in the carriage understood what he meant. The mural likely depicted a scene from the Great Qian Dynasty where cultivators openly appeared in the world and even participated in dynastic sacrifices.

Chen Anran quickly asked, "Where is the grotto?"

"In response to your question, Master, that place has long been buried by quicksand." Huiming lowered his eyes. "Less than three years after I left, I heard that the area was completely buried by yellow sand due to geological changes, and there has been no trace of it since."

The trail seems to have gone cold again.

Chen Anran had discussed this matter with Zhang Nanshan and Daoist Tianbao, but when they returned, they didn't learn much about the ancient cultivators from three thousand years ago during the Daqian era.

How the cultivation world and the secular dynasties coexisted three thousand years ago, and how they completely disappeared, remains a mystery shrouded in mist. Even the relatively well-preserved Taoist sects like Longhu Mountain and Maoshan only have a clearly verifiable history dating back a little over a thousand years. Records before that are mostly mixed with myths and legends, making it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

After finishing her bun, Wei Qingyi looked at Chen Anran and said, "I've heard a bit about what happened when you and Senior Sister went to Chongqing last time." She paused slightly, then continued, "Personally, I think that since that ancient cultivator has already given up all his power for Chongqing and gone into hibernation, there's no need to dwell on it anymore. We should focus on the present and the future."

It's because I care about the future that I can't let go of my worries.

Chen Anran sighed inwardly and said, "Second Senior Sister is right. However, understanding the past can sometimes help us better understand the present."

Wei Qingyi glanced at him, but didn't reply. She turned her gaze back to the window.

Finally, Fatty Li in the front row couldn't hold back any longer and cautiously asked, "Master, what you just said about those cultivators from three thousand years ago, could they really fly and teleport like we do now?"

"Perhaps," Chen Anran didn't give a definite answer, "but times have changed. Even if there was such a glorious era back then, it's all gone now. We should just focus on doing what's best in the present."

Fatty Li nodded as if he understood, but dared not ask any more questions and focused on driving.

The vehicle traveled smoothly along the national highway, gradually leaving the mountainous area and entering the plains and hills. About an hour and a half later, the bus carrying Zhang Nanshan turned on its right turn signal and slowly entered a highway service area.

"They're resting too?" Seeing this, Fatty Li also slowed down and drove into the service area.

The service area wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. There weren't many vehicles in the parking lot, making Zhang Nanshan's luxury bus quite conspicuous. After the bus stopped, the disciples from Longhushan and Maoshan filed out, mostly young people in casual clothes, chatting and laughing, no different from a regular tour group, except they all looked energetic. With light and agile steps.

Only one person remained frowning, with a bitter face.

That was Shen Zui.