Chapter 4: Ancient Bronze Carvings
Night had long since fallen, neon lights flickering on both sides of the road. The city at night still radiated boundless vitality, with skyscrapers standing in close array, piercing into the high sky.
But if one looked down from space, all of this seemed insignificant, merely a tiny patch of land.
This was an extremely unusual night, destined to be far from calm. Dozens of main monitoring rooms on the ground had completely locked onto the pitch-black firmament.
In the desolate universe, nine dragon corpses shimmered with a metallic, cold luster. Their bodies were covered in black scales the size of palm-leaf fans, dotted with dark light.
Dragons—legendary beings that should not exist in the world—but at this moment, they truly hung across the sky.
The images captured from the dark void of space shook the soul, inspiring awe. Their massive dragon horns resembled forked ancient trees, exuding both strength and mystery. Their bodies were like mountain ranges, robust and imposing, their scales like blades, gleaming with cold light, radiating an overwhelming grandeur.
Nine lifeless, colossal corpses—this was a tremendous shock to human cognition, overturning certain ingrained beliefs.
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"Ye Fan, how has your life been these past three years?" Many people showed concern for Ye Fan, asking with care.
"It's been alright. My life is very ordinary. Nothing particularly special has happened in three years..."
Just then, Liu Yunzhi's table came over to toast, offering many well-wishes. Everyone clinked glasses repeatedly, creating a lively atmosphere.
Those who had earlier wanted to punish Ye Fan did not approach him individually for a toast. It wasn't until later, when Lin Jia and Prince Wen each came over to drink a glass alone with Ye Fan, that things shifted.
By then, many were tipsy. The group went to karaoke, and the singing seemed to transport everyone back to their youthful student days.
"How many once adored your youthful face, who knows who would bear the relentless changes of time? How many came and went by your side, who knows that through life, I'll always be with you..."
Perhaps because they were truly drunk, a pair of former classmates who had loved each other during their student days but were forced to part after graduation stood speechless, gazing at each other.
As the song echoed, the female classmate lost control, her eyes blurred with tears, and she broke down sobbing. Everyone tried to console her.
Due to various reasons, not a single couple among the classmates who had dated after graduation made it to the end. Though they had carefully nurtured those campus romances, none bore fruit in the end.
Graduation meant separation—perhaps this was a curse. Every year, college graduates reenacted the same tragedy.
Unfortunately, this tragedy was likely to persist for a long time, tied to youthful impulsiveness, employment pressure, social realities... and perhaps other factors.
Almost everyone chose songs from three years ago. Some sang with deep emotion, pulling everyone's thoughts back to that time. Scenes and events from their student days remained vivid in their minds.
Finally, the "mic hog" appeared. The drunk classmate monopolized the microphone for a long time, but his voice was truly unbearable—like heaven collapsing and earth splitting, ghosts wailing and gods howling. While torturing everyone's ears, it also brought a wave of joy, making everyone laugh together.
It was very late when everyone finally left the Sea and Moon Bright City. There were activities planned for tomorrow, including a return to their alma mater.
Most of the classmates who had traveled from afar had booked rooms at the same hotel, and a few who had cars would be responsible for driving them there.
"Lin Jia, I'll take you back to the hotel." Liu Yunzhi parked his Toyota beside Lin Jia.
Some classmates considered taking taxis, as the seats in the nearby cars were limited, and they felt awkward about asking to ride in Liu Yunzhi's car.
Just then, a Mercedes pulled up to the curb. Ye Fan got out and walked over to the pale, haggard female classmate. "I'll take you back," he said.
Ye Fan felt sympathy for her. In college, she had been a cheerful, innocent girl who loved cheering for classmates outside the soccer field and sometimes shyly handed them bottles of water.
But now, life's hardships had left her looking gloomy, pale, and in poor spirits. She had spoken very little all evening.
Seeing Ye Fan stop the car and invite her in, she was both grateful and flustered. No one had paid her any attention all night, and she seemed unaccustomed to the stares of her classmates.
On the other side, Liu Yunzhi was stunned to see Ye Fan driving up, and his expression immediately darkened.
Around them, everyone's reactions varied—some were puzzled and confused, others surprised and conflicted.
All eyes unconsciously turned to Liu Yunzhi. What they saw contradicted everything he had said.
At that moment, Liu Yunzhi felt his face burning, as if he had been slapped hard.
The few classmates who had earlier condescendingly "lectured" Ye Fan also felt extremely awkward. They wanted to say something but didn't know how to begin.
A few others wore amused or peculiar expressions, especially those who had clinked glasses with Ye Fan earlier, as if this scene had humiliated Liu Yunzhi's little clique.
Just then, two others walked over, pulled open the car door, and climbed in—classmates who were as familiar to Ye Fan as could be.
The Mercedes had already driven off into the distance, but many were still processing what had happened. Liu Yunzhi stood rigid, feeling the weight of everyone's strange gazes like needles on his back...
At that very moment, in the distant void of space, aboard the International Space Station orbiting Earth, several astronauts wore grim expressions, their nerves constantly taut—extremely tense.
In the dark, cold expanse of space, the nine massive dragon corpses seemed eternal. Thick iron chains as wide as bowls stretched across the void, connected to a giant bronze coffin, evoking an endless sense of desolation and antiquity.
Ground-level decision-makers had long since agreed: if a major anomaly occurred, they would immediately destroy the nine dragon corpses and the mysterious ancient bronze coffin.
But no one wanted that to happen.
The Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin, arriving from the dark, desolate depths of the universe, held immeasurable value and significance!
Suddenly, the main monitoring room on the International Space Station detected a set of mysterious signals—an unusual fluctuation. The source was right nearby: the bronze giant coffin pulled by the nine dragon corpses. Mysterious waves were emanating from the ancient, blurry patterns on its surface.
"Impossible to decipher..." The signals were transmitted back to Earth and analyzed by the most precise supercomputers, but still, no clues could be extracted.
The ancient patterns on the bronze coffin were covered in verdigris and rust, making them hard to see clearly.
"Preliminary analysis suggests these bronze carvings are related to ancient Chinese legends." All national monitoring rooms reached a similar conclusion: "The beast-shaped carvings on the bronze coffin resemble certain primordial ferocious beasts recorded in the Chinese 'Classic of Mountains and Seas,' while the human figures in the bronze patterns are suspected to be deities..."
Though they had identified the origins of some bronze carvings, the extremely faint mysterious signals remained indecipherable, with no leads whatsoever.
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