Chapter 2: Plain Questions
"In ancient times, people all lived to be a hundred years old, yet their movements showed no signs of decline." Ye Fan closed the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon*, feeling a deep longing for the ancient era described in the Plain Questions chapter.
Regarding the ancient period, there were no detailed or precise written records. For people of today, it was a stretch of ancient history shrouded in endless mist, inspiring boundless imagination.
A gentle breeze stirred, causing several parasol trees in the courtyard to sway softly. Their lush branches and leaves rustled, and fresh air wafted in through the window.
Ye Fan enjoyed reading books on "strange curiosities." Brewing a cup of light green tea, he continued flipping through the ancient text in his hands.
"Ordinary people could all live past a hundred years, with no signs of aging in their movements. The ancient era—what kind of mysterious ancient history was that..."
As a modern person, he naturally wouldn't believe the claims about human lifespan in the Plain Questions chapter. What intrigued him was why the "ancient era" that the ancients yearned for was so vaguely referenced in many ancient texts. It seemed as if an ancient civilization, shrouded in endless fog, had vanished into the river of history.
Could there truly be an unknown chapter of ancient history? After a brief moment of contemplation, he continued reading.
The *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* is a treasured ancient text, compiled thousands of years ago. It is one of the three great strange books of ancient China. While not everything in it can be taken as fact, it is generally considered to be of immense value.
"Grasping Heaven and Earth, mastering Yin and Yang, breathing in vital energy, standing alone in spirit, with muscles as one—thus one can live as long as Heaven and Earth, without end. This is the way of life."
The Plain Questions chapter repeatedly mentions an ancient era where people who understood the changes of Heaven and Earth, cultivated their essence and energy, and achieved immortality existed. Modern people simply cannot believe such things.
Unnoticed, the red sun gradually sank westward. Evening glow spilled down, casting a faint red hue over the lawn and parasol trees outside the window.
Ye Fan put down the *Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon* and prepared to attend an important class reunion.
It had been three years since he left the university campus. After graduation, Ye Fan had stayed in this city. Looking back, the simple and pure student days were gone forever.
Three years—neither long nor short. Former classmates were now scattered across the world, each walking their own path in life.
A pleasant ringtone from his phone interrupted his thoughts. It was Lin Jia, a very sharp and beautiful woman. After graduation, she had moved to a neighboring city and, thanks to her exceptional skills, had been promoted to department manager a year ago.
As soon as he answered, he heard Lin Jia's teasing. She had shown remarkable social skills in college, easily building rapport with people.
"What, missing me?" Ye Fan countered lightly.
A melodious laugh came from the other end. "I'm not too sure about the meeting place. Let's go together."
After agreeing on a meeting spot, Ye Fan drove out. In college, he had pursued Lin Jia, but she had gently told him they weren't suited for each other.
Lin Jia was a strikingly beautiful woman, but her sharpness and rationality surpassed even her beauty. She knew exactly what she wanted and how to get it—one could say she was very pragmatic.
With ten minutes left until their agreed time, Ye Fan found a parking spot in front of Parkson Mall, got out of the car, and waited by the roadside for Lin Jia.
The entire city was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. Many buildings were coated in a layer of pale golden light. Vehicles streamed endlessly along the roads, and pedestrians flowed in an unending tide.
Seven or eight minutes later, a Toyota pulled up by the roadside, revealing a beautiful, delicate face. Lin Jia opened the door and walked over.
Ye Fan approached, smiling. "Fancy a private car to pick me up?"
"Don't mock me. I don't have a private driver. That's our classmate Liu Yunzhi."
Though they had kept in touch over the past three years, they had only met once two years ago. Lin Jia was as youthful and radiant as ever, dressed casually in tight jeans and a purple T-shirt that accentuated her tall, graceful figure.
"Over two years, how have you been?" Lin Jia's hair fell to her shoulders, jet-black, soft, and glossy. Her phoenix eyes, slightly upturned beneath long lashes, gave her a naturally alluring charm.
"Not bad." Ye Fan smiled and teased, "Lin Jia, with your natural beauty, you're doing yourself a disservice by not pursuing a career in entertainment."
"Looking for a beating?" Lin Jia laughed charmingly, her phoenix eyes slanting, light shimmering in them. Her red lips were very sensual, adding to her allure.
Just then, the window of the parked Toyota rolled down, revealing a familiar face in the driver's seat—their former classmate, Liu Yunzhi.
Like Ye Fan, he had stayed in this city after graduation. Thanks to a relative with some connections, he had started a small company and was considered somewhat successful among their classmates.
Though they lived in the same city, Liu Yunzhi had almost no contact with Ye Fan, mainly due to a conflict during their college years.
Liu Yunzhi didn't get out of the car. He smiled faintly and said, "Long time no see."
"Yeah. We should get together sometime." Seeing that the other party hadn't even stepped out of the car, Ye Fan merely responded casually.
"Came by taxi?"
Unfazed by this subtle disdain, Ye Fan brushed it off with a nonchalant reply.
Lin Jia, being a sharp and clever woman, naturally sensed the tension. She smiled at Ye Fan and said, "I rushed over in a hurry and called a few old classmates in this city. Let's ride with Liu Yunzhi."
Before Ye Fan could respond, Liu Yunzhi spoke up with a hint of feigned apology. "Sorry, but I've already arranged to pick up two other old classmates at the intersection ahead. It seems there's not enough room."
"No problem. You go ahead. I'll be there soon." Ye Fan turned to Lin Jia and smiled. "Coming with me, or..."
As Lin Jia hesitated, Liu Yunzhi urged, "Beautiful Lin, you'd better come with me. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll be drowned in spit."
After standing by the roadside for a few minutes, Lin Jia apologized to Ye Fan and, at Liu Yunzhi's urging, finally got into the Toyota.
As the window rolled up, Ye Fan vaguely heard Liu Yunzhi's disdainful mutter: "It's rush hour. Good luck finding a taxi!" Then the Toyota sped away.
In the past, Ye Fan had been something of a notable figure on campus. Today, being seen as someone who took a taxi naturally made him seem a bit down-and-out compared to Liu Yunzhi.
He simply ignored people like Liu Yunzhi. What surprised him more was Lin Jia's behavior.
But everyone has their own way of navigating the world. People have to live in reality, inevitably dealing with utility, pride, vanity, and so on. Ye Fan wasn't particularly bothered by it.
The red sun had already dipped below the horizon. The sky, as if stained with blood, gradually darkened. The city seemed to don a thick, gray coat as night was about to fall.
At that very moment, nine massive dragon corpses pulled a giant bronze coffin, suspended in the pitch-black, frozen universe. This shocking scene seemed frozen in time forever!
Several astronauts aboard the International Space Station had already transmitted this earth-shattering information back to the ground and were awaiting further instructions.