Everyone couldn’t help but gasp in alarm and quickly scattered in all directions. The giant serpent plummeted from the air, landing precisely where the group had stood moments ago. Its vividly colorful body was now marred with numerous wounds, oozing blood.
Upon hitting the ground, the serpent raised its head, its blood-red eyes glaring at the tree from which it had fallen. Its body undulated rhythmically, its mouth wide open, its long tongue flickering rapidly in and out, producing a sharp hissing sound. Then, everyone witnessed a pair of peculiar giant birds emerge from the dense canopy of the towering trees above. Letting out a cry, the birds gracefully spread their wings and descended majestically from the heights.
As the two birds soared through the air, Jia Zhuangyuan couldn’t help but exclaim in astonishment, “They are phoenixes! Real phoenixes!”
As the birds approached the ground, they gently folded their magnificent wings and landed not far from the giant serpent. At this moment, everyone was overwhelmed with excitement, forgetting their perilous situation, standing motionless in awe as they beheld the most legendary and mystical birds from ancient Chinese mythology just a short distance away.
One bird was slightly smaller, standing about six feet tall, while the other was somewhat larger, nearly ten feet in height. They had long slender necks, their backs arched like they were wearing turtle shells. Their beaks were long, sharp, and golden yellow. Their entire bodies were covered in dazzling red feathers, like burning flames, interspersed with long, multicolored plumes. Their tails were raised high, split like fish tails, long and slender like a peacock’s, mostly deep purple with a sprinkling of vibrant colors. Their legs were tall, their posture like cranes. After landing, they slowly advanced toward the serpent, walking with dignified pride, heads held high, appearing incredibly noble. Their feathers constantly shimmered like a magical flame, emitting dazzling multicolored light, an awe-inspiring sight.
The phoenixes, with their long, beautiful eyes, ignored the onlookers and fixed their gaze on the giant serpent ahead. Together, they opened their slender beaks and let out a ringing “clang-clang” call, step by step closing in on the serpent. The serpent, in turn, rapidly flicked its tongue in and out, its body coiled tightly like a taut bowstring. Its blood-red eyes were wide open, as if they might burst with blood at any moment.
Just as it seemed an extraordinary battle between the colorful serpent and the mystical phoenixes was about to erupt, Jia Zhuangyuan whispered to the group, “Now that the divine phoenixes have arrived to confront the serpent, we should leave quickly. Although phoenixes are legendary divine creatures, they might not necessarily be friendly to us. We should seize this opportunity and make our escape.”
Although everyone longed to witness how the phoenixes would deal with the serpent, they all understood the wisdom in Jia Zhuangyuan’s words. Reluctantly, they stole a few more glances at the majestic and wondrous phoenixes before silently retreating behind the trees, leaving the dangerous area behind.
As they journeyed on, the group couldn’t stop discussing the legendary creatures they had just seen—Qinglong (the Azure Dragon) and the phoenix. They were filled with awe and amazement. Only Jia Zhuangyuan seemed indifferent, walking silently with a somewhat gloomy expression, lost in thought, speaking little, and whenever he did, it was only to urge the group to hurry along.
Observing this, Liu Dashao deliberately quickened his pace and caught up with Jia, who was walking at the front. He drew his dagger and, side by side with Jia, began cutting through the undergrowth ahead. Quietly, he asked, “Master Jia, you seem troubled ever since we saw the phoenix. Is something on your mind?” Jia Zhuangyuan’s expression darkened, and without a word, he continued swinging the entrenching tool he had borrowed from Fan Debiao, probing the underbrush ahead.
Feeling the conversation had fizzled, Liu Dashao gave up and silently continued walking beside him.
Suddenly, Jia Zhuangyuan murmured to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, do you think dragons and phoenixes really existed on Earth in ancient times?”
Liu Dashao hesitated for a moment before replying, “I think they must have. Otherwise, how could ancient texts contain such detailed descriptions?”
Jia Zhuangyuan fell silent for a moment, then asked, “Then do you believe what we saw today are the same divine beasts and birds described in those ancient texts?”
Liu Dashao looked puzzled and replied, “I suppose so. The dragons and phoenixes we saw matched the descriptions in the ancient texts exactly.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded and said, “I know that. What I mean is, where exactly are we now—inside the Earth’s core or in another dimension? Could these dragons and phoenixes possibly be creatures from another realm?”
Liu Dashao looked at Jia Zhuangyuan in confusion. He had thought Jia had long accepted the existence of parallel dimensions. Puzzled, he said, “Master Jia, I still don’t understand what you mean.”
Jia Zhuangyuan replied, “Dragons and phoenixes have always been regarded as mythical beings from ancient times. Modern people have mostly dismissed them as composites of various animals and birds. But today, we have seen real, living dragons and phoenixes. For some reason, I feel something is off. Who is the master or creator of this ‘Ninety-Nine Heavens’? Is this place on Earth or in another dimension? And are the dragons and phoenixes we saw real creatures, or were they created by the master of this realm?”
Liu Dashao stared at Jia Zhuangyuan in shock, especially at his last words. Stammering, he asked, “Master Jia, are you saying that these dragons and phoenixes were artificially created?”
Jia Zhuangyuan smiled bitterly and said, “It’s just a guess. Think about it—accounts of dragons and phoenixes have been passed down since the time of the Yellow Emperor, with countless variations, but no single, unified description of their true forms. The phoenix, for example, is said to have a chicken’s head, a green crown, a snake’s neck, a crane’s body, a turtle’s back, and a sparrow’s tail. The male’s call is ‘ji-ji,’ the female’s is ‘zu-zu,’ and their duet is ‘qiang-qiang.’ Modern scholars believe these descriptions were synthesized from various birds and animals. But today, we saw a phoenix exactly as described. How do we explain that? There are two possibilities. First, phoenixes did exist in ancient times, whether from another dimension or originally on Earth. Second, the dragons and phoenixes we saw were man-made, created according to ancient Chinese descriptions. For example, maybe the creator was Zhang Daoling, a person from another dimension. He founded Taoism and created the ‘Ninety-Nine Heavens,’ and even created the dragons and phoenixes.”
Liu Dashao listened to Jia Zhuangyuan’s words, his mind reeling in disbelief.
Jia Zhuangyuan smiled faintly at Liu Dashao’s bewildered expression and added with a touch of self-mockery, “Don’t think my view is either right or wrong. You’ve seen what my body looks like now, haven’t you? Actually, I used to be taller and more handsome than you. But someone changed everything about me. So, the idea that someone could create any kind of creature based on descriptions doesn’t surprise me at all.”
With that, he continued swinging his entrenching tool through the underbrush as he walked forward. Liu Dashao stared at his retreating figure, suddenly feeling that Jia Zhuangyuan must have had an even more extraordinary experience than his own journey to the Golden City.
At that moment, Cai Qingchong patted Liu Dashao’s shoulder from behind and said, “Dashao, what are you thinking about? Why did you suddenly stop? Did you sense something wrong again?”
Liu Dashao quickly snapped out of his thoughts, shook his head, smiled, and replied, “No, nothing at all. I just slightly twisted my ankle. No big deal.” With that, he hurried forward to catch up with Jia Zhuangyuan, resuming his position at the front. Jia Zhuangyuan glanced at him but remained silent.
Still curious, Liu Dashao pressed on, “Master Jia, could you tell me about your experience? If, as you suspect, these dragons and phoenixes were man-made, do you think that might affect our mission in any way?”
Jia Zhuangyuan didn’t look at him but kept his gaze fixed ahead, his eyes distant as he softly asked, “Have you heard of the Nine Linked Mounds Warring States tombs in Xiangfan, Hubei Province?”
Liu Dashao hesitated briefly before quickly replying, “Yes, I’ve heard of them. They are the legendary tombs of a general from the State of Chu during the Warring States period.” The Wulian Mound tombs are located in the northern part of Hubei Province, between the Dafeng Mountains and the Tongbai Mountains, along an ancient transportation corridor known as the “Suizao Corridor.” To the north of this corridor and the city of Zaoyang lies a low ridge approximately 3,000 meters long, scattered with nine enormous “bun-shaped” mounds, which local villagers call the “Nine Linked Mounds.” According to local legend, during the Warring States period, a general from the State of Chu was renowned for his bravery and many military victories. However, due to a false accusation of rebellion, he was wrongfully executed by the king. After the truth was revealed, the king deeply regretted his decision. As an act of atonement, he bestowed upon the general a golden head and ordered the construction of nine tombs, burying the golden head in one of them to confuse grave robbers. For many years, the legend of the Nine Linked Mounds has fascinated archaeologists. From an archaeological perspective, these man-made mounds built upon a natural ridge might be ancient tomb structures. The scale and number of the mounds suggest they could be the burial sites of high-ranking nobles. However, all of this was previously based solely on ancient legends, as no excavations had been carried out due to concerns about damaging the site. It was not until 2002, during the construction of a highway connecting Xiaogan and Xiangfan, that the local archaeological team, with approval from provincial and national authorities, conducted an on-site investigation of a mound locally known as “Yingzi Bao” (Eagle’s Mound). The excavation uncovered astonishing discoveries, including numerous artifacts from the Warring States period. Yet, the identity of the tomb’s occupant remains a mystery to this day, leaving behind endless speculation and questions.
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded expressionlessly and said, “This tomb complex will eventually be excavated by the state, and when that happens, it will shake the world.”
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