TRCP 217 PART 1

Chapter 217: The Qinghai Mystery PART 1

The transport helicopter brought by Li Dao’ai played a significant role, finally freeing them from having to cross the snowy mountains to the restricted zone like natives, riding on giant bears, dogs, and cats. The helicopter accommodated everyone.

The restricted zone is located in the unnamed mountains north of the desert area near Tarding on Provincial Road 303 and south of East Taijinar Lake. The area is virtually uninhabited. The earthquake altered the terrain. Mr. Sun had previously sent helicopters here for surveys. The earthquake likely created rift valleys, and the East Taijinar River also changed course. They could only experience the specifics for themselves.

The transport helicopter landed 40 kilometers from Tarding, the most suitable terrain they could find nearby. From the air, they saw large cracks in what should have been a flat desert area. Provincial Road 303, which once spanned Golmud east to west, had vanished.

After the helicopter doors opened, the large, cramped evolved animals rushed out impatiently.

There was no snow, no people, and no other living creatures in sight except for themselves. There was only the endless expanse of rolling yellow sand. However, the distant mountains, visible to the naked eye, were still covered with snow. This vast and magnificent scene evoked a sense of awe. Compared to the world, they seemed so small.

Duoji, an eight-month-old puppy, though weighing almost 12 tons, saw the desert for the first time in its life. This spectacle, different from the world of ice and snow, made it extremely excited. It frolicked in the desert, running and rolling, sending sand flying everywhere.

Chu Xingzhou scolded it, and it immediately obediently jumped back.

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Pldt Dkys pyke byrrkzu, “Rv’p xwnb oyaxla blal vbyd kd Dwydxkdt Ukvu.”

Mydt Mkdtgbk alrzkle, “Zlp, vbl vlxrlayvwal kp 9 eltallp bktbla vbyd kd Dwydxkdt Ukvu, cwv kv xktbv dsv cl vbl pyxl kd vbl pdsou xswdvykdp.”

“Gal ol yzalyeu okvbkd vbl alpvaknvle gsdl?”

“Lsv ulv. El byhl vs naspp Vashkdnkyz Ssye 303 vs sqqknkyzzu ldvla vbl alpvaknvle gsdl.”

Ya. Fwd pyke, “Nlv’p ts. El dlle vs alynb vbl qssv sq vbl xswdvykd clqsal eyaj.”

Rdnzwekdt vbl rlsrzl Nk Pys’yk caswtbv, vbl vlyx oyp cynj vs ycswv y bwdeale, okvb xsal vbyd qkqvu lhszhle ydkxyzp. Rv oyp iwkvl y zyatl taswr. Mblu ywvsxyvknyzzu ekhkele kdvs plhld taswrp cyple sd vblka lhszhle bwxyd satydkgyvksdp yde rasnllele pzsozu. Kyniwlzkdl vayhlzle okvb Ubldt Mkydck yde vbl svblap.

Xdzu vbl pswde sq vbl okde yde pyde yde vblka blyhu qssvpvlrp lnbsle kd vbl elplav. Gzxspv ds sdl prsjl, y vynkv wdelapvydekdt yxsdtpv vblx. Vlabyrp lhlausdl qlzv blyhu-blyavle. Mbl nzspla vblu tsv vs vbl alpvaknvle gsdl, vbl xsal schkswp vbl srralppkhl ldlatu clnyxl. Mbkdjkdt ycswv vbl wdkxytkdyczl nalyvwalp okvbkd vbl alpvaknvle gsdl, lhlausdl’p blyav oyp kd vblka vbasyv. Ms alzklhl vbl ralppwal, vblu nsdpnkswpzu cltyd vs nwzvkhyvl vblka yckzkvklp. Mbl Uyxcakyd ldlatu nsdnldvayvksd blal oyp lhld bktbla vbyd kd Qszxwe, yde pkdnl vblu olal blal, vblu nswzed’v oypvl kv.

Gqvla oyzjkdt qsa xsal vbyd vld jkzsxlvlap, vblu ldnswdvlale vbl qkapv akqv hyzzlu, ycswv vld xlvlap okel. Ebkzl vbl lhszhle ydkxyzp nswze lypkzu fwxr ynaspp okvb y awddkdt pvyav, vblu olal nyaaukdt pwrrzklp yde rlsrzl. Nk Pys’yk oyhle bkp byde, yde y pvwaeu pyde caketl oyp cwkzv ynaspp vbl akqv, yzzsokdt vblx vs rypp lypkzu.

Along the way, they encountered more than ten such rifts, large and small. The smaller ones were mere cracks, while the widest was more than thirty meters across. They didn’t look deep, but these cracks riddled the earth. Although Mr. Sun didn’t explicitly say it, everyone knew they had entered the restricted zone. These scars on the desert were like cracks in their hearts, letting the wind whistle through.

Liu Fengyu sighed, “The snowy mountains seemed so close, but it’s taking so long to get there.”

Cong Xia said, “Yeah, we’ve been walking for more than four hours. The core area of the restricted zone, the epicenter of the earthquake, is in the snowy mountains.”

Cheng Tianbi said, “We’re very close.”

Cong Xia said, “Zhuang Yao, it’s just desert and snow-capped mountains as far as the eye can see. Do you think Rong Lan and Chu Xingzhou couldn’t find any creatures because they’re all hiding in the mountains?”

Zhuang Yao said, “It’s possible. But imagine Rong Lan’s speed. There’s almost nothing in the world faster than him. He circled the nearby mountains and didn’t see anything. If those creatures were deliberately avoiding him, they would have known he was coming in advance. But how? If they weren’t deliberately avoiding him, but only hid after he arrived, how fast would they have to be? And the biggest question is, why hide? Whether they have the ability to know Rong Lan was coming in advance or are faster than him, they have no reason to fear him. Besides, Rong Lan is alone, and he doesn’t seem to be looking for trouble. Why would they hide?”

Cong Xia murmured, “Yeah, why? Are we just worrying over nothing? Is there really nothing here?”

Zhuang Yao shook his head, “No, I don’t believe there’s nothing here.”

Deng Xiao wondered, “But the evolution of creatures here must be more advanced than in Golmud, maybe twice as big or more. Even if they want to hide, where would they hide?”

Zhuang Yao gave Deng Xiao a strange look but didn’t reply, sinking back into thought. Whenever Zhuang Yao started thinking, he became deaf to everything and ignored everyone, so they didn’t talk to him anymore.

Tang Yanqiu looked around, “It’s so quiet in the restricted zone… it’s making me nervous.”

Tang Yanqiu wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Everyone seemed to think so. Cong Xia saw many people looking around, as if they expected something to come out to “greet” them, like the herd of yaks that charged at them when they first arrived in Golmud.

But there was nothing, still just rolling yellow sand and the distant snowy mountains.

In the afternoon, they finally reached the foot of the snowy mountains. The diverted East Taijinar River flowed nearby. Finally, large patches of plants appeared, still vibrant under the thin layer of snow.

Mr. Sun called for a halt, intending to rest and eat here.

They skillfully set up pots on the sandy ground, eating and warming themselves by the fire.

They had been in the restricted zone for two hours. The initial tension brought on by the calm facade gradually eased everyone’s nerves. They began to suspect there might really be nothing here.

After eating, they decided to head straight for the Puppet Jade. They were only about twenty kilometers away in a straight line, but they had to cross several mountains. Well-fed and rested, they set off again.

They gradually entered the snowy mountains. The endless yellow sand was replaced by white snow and tall trees. The trees here were even taller and stronger than those in the Devil Pine Forest, seemingly towering into the clouds. The distance between the trees was quite sparse, with even the closest ones being sixty or seventy meters apart. It seemed that the area was dry, making it difficult for trees to grow.

“Strange, what kind of tree is this?” Mr. Sun touched the trunk of a tree. “How can this kind of plant grow in the desert area of Qinghai? I don’t recognize it at all.”

Tang Tingzhi also said, “Although I don’t have a particular expertise in plants, this tree is indeed strange. Its trunk and leaves have the characteristics of herbaceous plants, but its shape is that of a woody plant.”

Cong Xia said, “Could it be a mutated herbaceous plant?”

Zhuang Yao said, “It’s highly possible. We’ve seen so many mutated plants outside, only seeing them grow bigger and stronger, but we haven’t seen herbaceous plants turn into woody plants, not even in Golmud. Is this unique to the restricted zone?”

Cong Xia stroked his chin. “But herbaceous plants should grow densely. These trees are too sparse.”

Jacqueline rode over on Maksim. She touched the tree trunk with her slender fingers, closed her eyes, and sensed, “It is indeed an herbaceous plant. Although I don’t know its Chinese name, it should be a tenacious plant commonly found in deserts. I can feel its root system. It has absorbed all the surrounding plants. The roots of those plants have become its roots, so it monopolizes the nutrients and grows so large. Those other trees are the same, which is why they are so sparse. But their underground root systems are still constantly devouring each other. It won’t be long before one of these trees dies between this one and that one, providing nutrients to the other.”

“Devouring their own kind to grow…” Zhuang Yao looked thoughtfully at the trees.

“Just like raising Tibetan Mastiffs,” Deng Xiao said. “I read in a book that in order to breed the fiercest Tibetan Mastiff, you have to lock a group of puppies in a pen without food and let them kill each other. The last one alive is the king.”

A young Tibetan man from Xuanming City laughed, “My family used to raise mastiffs. That’s all nonsense to fool buyers and drive up prices. Maybe it was like that in ancient times, but now a Tibetan Mastiff puppy is incredibly expensive. If you raise one well, you can earn more than 100,000 yuan. Unless there’s a special need, who would be willing to waste them like that?”

Another young man laughed, “What do you mean ‘now’? The ‘now’ you’re talking about was three years ago. Now? Tibetan Mastiff puppies are everywhere. Do you dare raise one? It might eat you first, hahaha.”

Cong Xia had a strange feeling. The survival of the fittest among these trees wasn’t surprising, but if this continued, would the entire forest really be left with only one tree, like the “Mastiff King”? They had never seen this kind of competition outside. He didn’t know why, but seeing this “common phenomenon” here made Cong Xia’s chest feel tight. The vigilance that had just relaxed tensed up again.

Mr. Sun said, “Let’s move on. We’ll almost be there once we cross this mountain.”

They continued forward. As expected, the closer they got to the Puppet Jade, the taller and thicker the trees became, and the greater the distance between them. As they crossed a mountain, they saw the trees grow taller and sparser. Finally, when every tree was over three hundred meters tall and the distance between them was almost two kilometers, the shock in everyone’s hearts was beyond words.

According to Jacqueline, the roots of these trees were still devouring each other underground. Their roots extended for several kilometers. Wouldn’t that mean when there was only one tree left on this mountain, it could rival the Devil Pine?