Chapter 34: The Anxious Production Team

On the outskirts of the Shennongjia Nature Reserve in Jingzhou, at the former site of Muling Primary School where Zhuang Lin once taught, a strange transformation had taken place. This school, which originally belonged to the local mountain residents, had not been razed as the locals had expected before the demolition; instead, it had been expanded.

The original schoolhouse remained, but new labor sheds and a sterile laboratory had been added, and the playground was now dotted with sturdy tents equipped with state-of-the-art instruments. Dozens of people were now permanently stationed at the Muling Primary School site, which served as the headquarters for the "Project Breaking Delusion" and the base for the production team.

Zhou Xianglin, a world-renowned director, could not possibly stay at Muling Primary School every day, but he was here now, looking disheveled with a thick beard and a weary face. In the tent’s telecommunications room, Zhou sat in a chair, smoking, his nerves frayed by the constant, rhythmic beeping of the equipment.

He remembered the day he received the call: "The project has run into a major problem. A dense, persistent fog has settled over the economic forest area of the reserve, and Hidden Immortal Valley cannot be found."

At the time, Zhou had thought it absurd. Even a large economic forest had its limits, and Hidden Immortal Valley was hardly small. It was just fog; surely, once it cleared, they would find it. Under normal circumstances, after the project was underway, the outside world would not initiate contact with the valley, and the valley was forbidden from contacting the outside except in special cases. However, since the project had just begun and Young Master Liu had only recently "transmigrated," information needed to be exchanged between the two sides.

The fact that they had lost contact completely shocked the project team, and the subsequent days of failing to locate the valley had terrified everyone. Upon confirming the news, Zhou had skipped an international awards ceremony, flown back to the country, and rushed straight to the Jingzhou reserve.

To this day, over half a month had passed since the loss of contact, and Hidden Immortal Valley remained unfound. They had sent people in period costumes into the economic forest in teams to search, but everyone who entered the fog lost their sense of direction. One group had even wandered for three days before finding their way out, shaken and nearly convinced they would die in the primeval forest. Later attempts using walkie-talkies and wireless equipment failed due to constant interference. Liu Shihan still did not know about this; his most trusted subordinates were shielding him, but the pressure on everyone was immense.

Suddenly, a staff member wearing a headset froze. He instinctively clutched the headset, his pupils dilating slightly. "Are you sure? Are you certain?" he asked, his voice trembling with excitement. Upon receiving confirmation, he jumped to his feet.

"We have news from the valley! Station 16 reports that the fog has thinned, and they’ve spotted the valley’s herb-gathering team!"

The room fell silent instantly. Zhou Xianglin bolted from his chair and rushed to the staff member. "Are they still on the line?"

"Yes!" The staff member handed over the headset. Zhou grabbed it and spoke into the microphone: "This is Zhou Xianglin. Repeat the report!"

"Director, this is Observation Station 16 at the summit of Bamboo Shoot Peak. We clearly saw a group of herb-gatherers in ancient attire through the telescope. They even gave us a subtle gesture. It is confirmed to be people from the project valley!"

"How many people? Did you track their path?"

"Five in total. They seem to be gathering herbs as usual. We saw them return to the valley. The general outline of Hidden Immortal Valley is visible through the thin mist in the distance. Visibility is low, but based on the coordinates, we are certain!"

Zhou Xianglin exhaled a long breath. Just then, another staff member spoke up. "Observation Station 9 reports seeing a hunting team from the valley. They caught a wild boar and released a goral trapped in a snare. Their activity is normal."

A smile finally broke across Zhou’s face. He looked at the room and said, "I told you, how could such a large place just vanish? It’s cold in the mountains and it hasn't cleared up for days—the fog is normal. It’s fine, everyone back to work!"

The tension that had gripped the camp for days evaporated. When Zhou stepped out of the tent, lighting a cigarette, he felt significantly lighter. Catching his reflection in the metal of his lighter, he realized how haggard he looked and hurried off to wash up.

Later that evening, in an apartment in Zhonghai City, Liu Lei hung up the phone and exhaled while looking out at the beautiful river view from his floor-to-ceiling windows. Logic had told him from the start that the valley couldn't be in danger—there had been no earthquakes, floods, or wildfires—but the pressure of lying to Liu Shihan had been immense. Though they shared a surname and were distant relatives, that connection was actually a liability in Liu Shihan’s eyes. Thankfully, he had held his ground and filed his reports as usual during the blackout. He took a deep drag of his cigarette. "Even the boss is human," he thought, "and can be fooled."

***

The events outside did not affect life in Hidden Immortal Valley. Zhuang Lin wasn't sure what the situation was like in the reserve during the time the valley was in the ancient era—whether the valley remained an empty shell or vanished entirely—but he was certain that the project team could not contact them.

Given that Liu Hongyu had been in the valley for less than a month, the early stages required frequent information exchange. The fact that the production team had maintained such great restraint, even after finding the observation stations, proved that their promise of "not interfering lightly" was not just empty words.

Days in the valley passed peacefully. People worked from sunrise to sunset, and thanks to the excellent environment, tending to the crops was effortless. While they lacked modern conveniences, they didn't feel the need for them, nor did they feel the anxiety of the outside world.

As spring turned to summer, the peach forest outside the valley was lush and green, the blossoms replaced by young fruit. After dinner, Liu Hongyu returned to his room as usual to study. Old Master Mu, while wiping his hands, pulled his grandson aside. "Xiao Wen, look at Young Master Liu—so thirsty for knowledge and diligent. Look at yourself! You used to compete with him, why don't you now?"

Mu Hongwen pouted. He used to laugh at Liu Hongyu for being less capable than a child, but after three months, Liu Hongyu had become the top student in the school. "I don't know how his brain works... He used to ask me for help after class, but now he remembers almost every article after reading it once, and understands it after reading it a few more times."

"Well, you should learn from him," the old man urged.

After his grandfather left, Mu Hongwen crept over to Liu Hongyu’s room and peeked through a hole in the paper window. Liu Hongyu was studying a scroll of silk, looking completely focused. Mu Hongwen pushed the door open, and Liu Hongyu looked up with a smile. "Xiao Wen, is there something in your lessons you don't understand?"

Mu Hongwen felt conflicted. "No! I just wanted to see why you learn so fast!"

Liu Hongyu chuckled. "It’s not that I’m smarter. I’m many years older than you; my body and mind are more developed. I can hold a brush more steadily, for instance. Your body and mind are still growing. When you grow up, you will learn much faster too."

Mu Hongwen’s eyes widened. "Really?"

"Er, yes!" Liu Hongyu replied, feeling a twinge of guilt. He knew his rapid progress was linked to his spiritual cultivation, something ordinary people could rarely compete with.

"By the way, what book is that?" Mu Hongwen asked, reaching out to touch the scroll. Liu Hongyu didn't stop him, knowing his master had said the Immortal Classics contained Taoist essence; an ordinary person might recognize the words, but they would feel a sense of confusion and vertigo.

As soon as Mu Hongwen stared at the complex text, he became dizzy. If Liu Hongyu hadn't caught him, he would have collapsed. "Whoa, Xiao Wen, are you alright?"

Mu Hongwen shook his head, rubbing his temples. "I'm not looking at it anymore. It gives me a headache." He walked out, leaving the door open.

Liu Hongyu watched the child leave, feeling a mix of pride in his own cultivation and a sense of melancholy. He stood up and closed the door, returning to his quiet study.