146 part 2
Deng Xiao sniffed the scent, “Definitely not a roasted piglet. Oh my, it smells so good!”
They placed the object on the table, and the head chef excitedly said, “It’s not easy to find such ingredients. They were airlifted back when they were investigating in the South China Sea.”
“What is it?”
The chef pulled away the black cloth, revealing a coconut the size of a grinding plate.
“Wow, a coconut!”
“It really is a coconut, and it’s huge! You could fit a person inside it.”
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Mbl nblq awccle bkp bydep vstlvbla, “Vasqlppsa Usdt vssj y pyxrzl qsa alplyanb, yde vbl alpv kp qsa usw vs ldfsu. Mbkp nsnsdwv pvlole nbknjld kp y dswakpbkdt elzknynu qasx Tykdyd. Mbl nbknjld kp cale cu vbl Gnyelxu kvplzq. Psd’v cl elnlkhle cu kvp pkgl; kv’p ynvwyzzu y pxyzz nbknjld okvb vldela xlyv. Bpwyzzu, vbkp jkde sq xwvydv nbknjld kp yzzsole vs taso vs shla vos xlvlap clqsal clkdt pzywtbvlale, cwv Vasqlppsa Usdt xyel y prlnkyz yaaydtlxldv qsa usw. Odfsu kv; usw’al vbl sdzu sdlp kd Jlkfkdt obs nyd vypvl vbkp.”
Pldt Dkys lmnkvlezu yzxspv fwxrle sd vbl vyczl, “El osd’v zlyhl y pkdtzl easr!”
Usdt Dky pxkzle yde pyke, “Mbkp zssjp qydvypvkn! Mbydj usw, Yypvla Ublq. Uyd usw rynj psxl vs plde vs Vasqlppsa Usdt?”
“Psd’v osaau; kv’p yzalyeu ralryale.” Mbl nblq kdvasewnle vbl ekpb kd elvykz, yde yqvla plahkdt vbl svbla ekpblp, bl zlqv vbl assx.
“Tlu, Dkys Eydt, fskd wp qsa y xlyz.”
Dkys Eydt blpkvyvle yde oyhle bkp byde, “R nyd’v es vbyv.”
Usdqwple, Usdt Dky ypjle, “Ebyv’p oasdt?”
“Mbkp elzknynu oyp yrrashle cu Vasqlppsa Usdt qsa yzz sq usw. Mbl nbknjld kp qkdl, cwv vbkp nsnsdwv kp sdl sq vbl zsnyz rzydv pyxrzlp caswtbv cynj qasx vbl Fswvb Ubkdy Fly lmrlekvksd vlyx. Ohld Vasqlppsa Usdt bkxplzq pyke kv eslpd’v nswdv yp yrrashle. Rv oyp prlnkyzzu aliwlpvle yde yrrashle cu Usxxydela Uys. R ycpszwvlzu nyddsv lyv kv.”
Amused, Liu Fengyu said, “You’re really silly. If you don’t tell, I won’t tell. Who would know?”
Xiao Wang shook his head repeatedly, and with a good-natured smile, he said, “My job is hard-earned, and I can’t afford any mistakes. You guys go ahead and eat. I get to eat a full meal every day, and I’m already content. I’ll leave now, give me a call if you need anything.”
After Xiao Wang left, the dining hall was left with the six of them, feeling somewhat empty.
With no one around, Zhuang Yao spoke while eating, “The materials for the thumb box and the nine incense sticks have been identified.”
“Oh, what are they made of?”
“The box is made of yīn-ironwood, commonly known as ebony. This wood is as hard as stone and was once mythologized in ancient times. Using this wood to make containers ensures a stable temperature and humidity inside, making it fireproof and impact-resistant. It’s an ideal material. As for the nine incense sticks, our initial judgment is that they are made from the tendons of some kind of animal, but we can’t determine which animal it is.”
“Is it a species that’s extinct or a new species?”
“At least, we can’t find the DNA of this species in the gene database of extinct species. However, after examination, both of these items have a history of over a thousand years. There were so many things we didn’t know about a thousand years ago; it’s not surprising.”
Cong Xia asked, “Can we infer that the ancient jade is also at least a thousand years old?”
Zhuang Yao nodded, “Ancient jade is truly a puzzling mystery, more perplexing than the Cambrian consciousness and puppet jade. The content inside the ancient jade is written in Sanskrit, but the runes are from the Taoist tradition, while the use of energy is full of elements from modern technology. It’s quite extraordinary. However, all these elements point to one possibility.”
“What possibility?”
“The creator of the ancient jade foresaw the future of humanity, but couldn’t live to a thousand years later to prevent it. So they had to store all the useful knowledge in the jade and let the chosen one open it to counter the Cambrian consciousness.”
Cong Xia sighed, “To predict events a thousand years in the future… Why didn’t it appear earlier to warn humanity and be prepared?”
Zhuang Yao said, “The question you raised is very good. I was thinking about it for a long time yesterday. It involves the timing of when you discovered the ancient jade. Consider this: If it wasn’t for Zhuang Yu’s discovery of the Cambrian energy, and the subsequent dispatch of the scientific expedition to Qinghai to excavate puppet jade, the puppet jade wouldn’t have emerged, triggering the massive earthquake, and subsequently leading to the Second Cambrian Era. Based on our observations of the Cambrian energy released by the puppet jade, the global evolution was advanced by at least a century due to that scientific expedition. In other words, if Zhuang Yu didn’t exist in this world, we wouldn’t have experienced the apocalypse, but our descendants would have.
A hundred years might be just a drop in the ocean in terms of Earth’s history, but for people a thousand years ago, it’s impossible to predict the future with such a large time frame as a hundred years. If the mastermind behind the ancient jade could really foresee the awakening of the Cambrian consciousness, could they have also predicted the early triggering of the puppet jade by us? If they could accurately calculate the triggering time, why didn’t they try to stop us?
They even taught humanity to use the Cambrian energy. Couldn’t they have created some kind of coincidence to prevent Zhuang Yu from leading the scientific expedition to activate the puppet jade ahead of time? However, if they didn’t accurately calculate the triggering time, why did the ancient jade appear shortly after the emergence of the puppet jade?”
Cheng Tianbi frowned, “So, the ancient jade might not have accurately predicted the awakening of the Cambrian consciousness.”
Zhuang Yao said, “Exactly, we should say that the ancient jade was awakened by the Cambrian energy. It was sleeping alongside the puppet jade, and when the puppet jade appeared, it awakened too. The current question is when and how the mastermind behind the ancient jade came into contact with the puppet jade and Cambrian energy.”
“It seems that this mastermind must have engaged in a long exploration of Cambrian energy. Otherwise, how could they be so familiar with how to use the Cambrian energy and design a method to awaken the ancient jade?”
“If the Cambrian consciousness had awakened in human history, it would have been impossible for us to have no records of it. Such a significant change in human society and the transformation of species couldn’t be concealed. Even if there were no written records, there would have been millions of years of unwritten history. Based on geological and archaeological research, no such history has been found where such a tremendous change in species occurred within a year.
Therefore, whether the Cambrian consciousness awakened in human history, how the ancient jade was manufactured, and the relationship between the mastermind behind the ancient jade and the Cambrian consciousness, are our biggest mysteries. If we can unravel this puzzle, we might have already found a way to seal the puppet jade. That mastermind likely sealed the puppet jade back then, which allowed humanity to develop for thousands of years.”
“The history of Buddhism’s introduction to China is only over two thousand years, and the usage history of Sanskrit won’t exceed this time frame. In other words, the age of the ancient jade won’t exceed two thousand years. In these over two thousand years, did any significant event similar to the awakening of the Cambrian consciousness occur?”
Zhuang Yao shook his head, “None of them fit. Alternatively, the awakening of the Cambrian consciousness may have shown different manifestations each time, with species evolution being just one of them. During the Cambrian, it influenced the planet in different ways, such as triggering mantle plumes to erupt, causing massive volcanic eruptions on the Earth’s surface, reversing the North and South poles, accelerating tectonic plate movements, and other means to bring about mass extinctions.
The Cambrian consciousness has various methods to make a species disappear from the Earth. Perhaps the maker of the ancient jade encountered different circumstances than we did. In general, the humans of a thousand years ago didn’t possess the same dominance over the planet as we do today. The Cambrian consciousness isn’t targeting the human race specifically; it opposes any force that disrupts the balance of the Earth.
Maybe at that time, humans hadn’t caused such a disturbance, so the Cambrian consciousness had different ways of expressing itself. In any case, the mastermind knew about the Cambrian consciousness, as well as the puppet jade and Cambrian energy, and foresaw the future of humanity. That’s why they left the ancient jade for us to resist the Cambrian consciousness. This much we can be certain of. As for the puzzles within, we’ll have to solve them one by one.”
Deng Xiao complained, “Xiao Zhuang Yao, can we just have a peaceful meal? Every time I listen to you talk, I feel like sleeping.”
Zhuang Yao gave him a disdainful look, “Sleep if you want.”
“That won’t do, I haven’t finished eating yet.” Deng Xiao gulped down another bowl of soup, wiped his mouth, and exclaimed, “It’s so delicious, bring another pot.”
Liu Fengyu added, “These things are too mentally taxing; I’d rather leave them for you guys to ponder.”
Cong Xia shook her head and sighed, “Being a brain-enhanced individual must be exhausting.”
Zhuang Yao retorted sarcastically, “Living in a state of confusion is what’s truly tiring.”
Liu Fengyu scowled at him, “You little brat, always looking for trouble.”
Zhuang Yao continued, “By the way, about those nine incense sticks, though I haven’t figured out their exact material, I’ve thought of a great use for them.”
“Oh? What use?” asked Tang Yanqiu, surprised.
“After soaking one of the incense sticks in water, it… um, came alive, fully expanded, becoming somewhat soft but not excessively so. The crucial point is that it possesses astonishing toughness and elasticity, more than fifty times stronger than the modified mutant cotton that Cong Xia created. This material would be perfect for making bowstrings.”
Zhuang Yao smiled at him, “I think I’ve found a bowstring that will allow you to fully exert your arm strength.”
Tang Yanqiu showed a hint of excitement, “Really? Does it have such incredible strength?”
“It’s true. We tested it with machines, and you won’t find a second material on Earth that can rival its toughness and elasticity with the same volume. Even nano-materials pale in comparison. Its thickness and length are just right. Now, we have two main issues. First, whether the Academy will give us the incense sticks. Second, whether Cong Xia can connect the nine incense sticks together seamlessly.”
“Why wouldn’t they give it to us?” Deng Xiao slapped the table, “It was Cong Ge who brought them out.”
“That’s true, but we also brought back the puppet jade, and other organizations brought back many puppet jades too. They were all handed over to the Academy. If only I and Professor Cong knew about this matter, it wouldn’t be a problem. However, before taking it for testing, I never expected it to be so suitable for making bowstrings. The incense sticks, due to their mysterious and special materials, are now preserved as a research object by the Academy. To take them out again, we need to go through some procedures, especially getting Commander Cao’s approval.” Zhuang Yao looked at Cheng Tianbi, “I’m afraid we’ll have to rely on you for this.”
Everyone turned to Cheng Tianbi. They all knew that Cheng Tianbi had a distant and cold relationship with his father, not even sharing the same surname. He had never actively acknowledged their father-son relationship in public. Now, asking Cheng Tianbi to get the approval from Commander Cao for the incense sticks, they didn’t know if he would agree.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Tianbi showed no change in expression and just nodded, “I
Understand.”
Tang Yanqiu said, “Tianbi, thank you.”
Cheng Tianbi replied, “The enhancement of individual strength contributes to the enhancement of team strength. It’s only natural to do this.”
Zhuang Yao added, “Very well. After I bring back the incense sticks, let Cong Xia try to assemble them. I estimate that to draw this bow, you’ll need at least twice the strength, but your accuracy will improve by not just one fold, but several. By then, Tang Yanqiu, you may become a true long-range assassin and even have the potential to kill Natural Force Evolvers with a single shot.”
Tang Yanqiu clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly from excitement. Every man longed for limitless strength; it was the most intoxicating and alluring thing in this era.
Cong Xia didn’t expect that his casual action would lead to the ideal bowstring for Tang Yanqiu. Feeling a bit pleased with himself, he marveled at his good luck. Though Tang Yanqiu’s strength might not be as ostentatious as a Natural Force Evolver’s, as a top archer, his threat to enemies was no less than Cheng Tianbi’s.
With Tang Yanqiu present, enemies wouldn’t dare approach them carelessly. Tang Yanqiu had woven a protective net connecting heaven and earth within his range, and with each increase in his level, the distance of their safety zone expanded. Zhuang Yao truly wished Tang Yanqiu’s arrows could shoot as far as sniper bullets, but he knew that was impossible. Nevertheless, Tang Yanqiu’s role was much greater than that of a sniper.
As they chatted while eating, they finished the whole coconut and all the chicken inside it. Afterward, they began scooping out the coconut ròu with spoons, savoring it carefully.
Deng Xiao scooped a large plate of coconut ròu and set it aside.
Cong Xia asked him, “Why keep it? Are you planning to have a midnight snack? It won’t keep well until you digest it.”
Deng Xiao smiled, “I’m saving it for Abu. I’ll let it try some later.”
Cong Xia patted his belly, “That’s perfect. Let’s go play with Abu. It hasn’t been moving much during the day because of the heat, but at night, it can run around.”
Deng Xiao picked up the plate, and they went to the front yard to see Abu.
Abu was lying in the center of the courtyard, seeking relief from the heat. Upon hearing the commotion, it got up and affectionately rubbed against each person with its nose.
Deng Xiao tossed the coconut ròu into the air, and Abu opened its big mouth, swallowing all of it in one gulp. That small plate of food wasn’t even enough to tickle its teeth. After finishing it, Abu nudged Deng Xiao with its nose, indicating it wanted more. Deng Xiao was playfully nudged by Abu and burst into laughter.
Liu Fengyu suggested, “Why don’t we ride Abu outside for a spin? It’s been a while since we rode it.”
“Sure! Riding on Abu is so majestic. Let’s go!” Deng Xiao was the first to jump onto Abu’s back, and one by one, they all effortlessly hopped on.
Abu let out a joyful call and took off, leaping over the two-meter-high wall of the Academy and running towards the street. There weren’t many pedestrians on the street, and when they saw this large cat charging towards them, they all panicked and made way. Most people in the capital city were familiar with Abu and knew it belonged to that Natural Force Evolver with wind powers.
They craned their necks, wondering if the people on Abu’s back were the same as the ones they had seen in the newspaper. However, Abu was too tall, so they could only catch a glimpse of the six carefree figures after it passed by.
Abu ran faster and faster, leaping over streets and buildings effortlessly. The concrete jungle of the city was like flat ground to it. The cool wind brushed against their faces as they sat on Abu, making them feel incredibly comfortable.
They couldn’t help but reminisce about the time they spent on the road. During that time, despite facing hunger and danger, they felt truly free. They could slow down and decide where to stay according to their own plans. Looking back now, those days of traveling with Abu were the most beautiful moments they cherished.
Cong Xia looked ahead, his fist clenched, his gaze determined. He, his companions, and all those who persevered for the future of humanity would undoubtedly set the world right, rebuilding a better life for mankind and ensuring the survival of this powerful and intelligent species for generations to come!
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Translator’s note: I’m really amazed by the author of this novel. Chapter 146 is more than 5k words, this one, more than 4k. The author has so much drive! I can barely wrap my head around translating them. Just so you guys know, I don’t put part 1 and 2 if the wordcount doesn’t exceed 4k. Some, I don’t even divide. Its really long.
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