Chapter II

The Mystery of Silk

Hearing Xiaoxue's shout, Fang Xin ran over from the study in a panic and threw himself on the bed at once. He saw Xiaoxue clutching the quilt tightly, her forehead was already sweating profusely, and her whole body was turning over and over on the bed.

I only heard Xiaoxue crying incessantly: "Fire, fire...... Help, help...... Help me, help me!"

Seeing Xiaoxue's expression, Fang Xin was first startled, and then he smiled. He knew that Xiaoxue must be dreaming, and it was a very bad nightmare.

Thinking of this, Fang Xin leaned down and held Xiao Xue's face flushed with fear with both hands. Try to keep Xiaoxue's body calm and not let her move anymore.

Fang Xin thought to himself: Fortunately, my bed is big enough, otherwise, I would be tossed by you like this, and it would be strange not to be thrown under the bed. A lady who is so dishonest when she sleeps. What an eye-opener for me! Hahaha......

I don't know what kind of dream Lu Dao Xiaoxue had, and she was scared like this.

He called softly: "Xiaoxue, Xiaoxue, wake up, wake up!" It's me, it's me, I'm Fang Xin."

He just called for about a minute, and Xiaoxue suddenly opened her empty eyes. Then, without saying a word, he hugged Fang Xin.

And Fang Xin was taken aback by her sudden move. Not only that, Xiaoxue was still in a trance and said, "Help me, help me, Fang Xin."

Xiaoxue hugged her very tightly, and Fang Xin finally squeezed out a few words from her almost flattened throat: "Xiaoxue, you let go, I can't breathe. I'm Fang Xin, you can see clearly, I'm Fang Xin!"

As soon as Fang Xin said this, Xiao Xue's eyes immediately had brilliance. She was stunned for a moment, and then pushed Fang Xin away, hugging the quilt beside her tightly with both hands, and staring at Fang Xin viciously with a pair of eyes. She actually said, "What do you want to do, Fang Xin?"

Fang Xin, who was finally freed, coughed a few times, and then relieved himself. He said, "What do I want to do, and I have to ask you, what do you want to do?"

Xiaoxue didn't suddenly remember anything until this time, and she stammered, "I...... What's wrong with me?"

"What's the matter, you almost strangled me to death." After Fang Xin finished speaking, he sat next to Xiaoxue angrily, "What's the matter with you, what are your nerves?"

"You're just getting nervous, get out!" As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, and quickly lifted the quilt to take a look. Fortunately, I was dressed and not as bad as I thought.

When Fang Xin saw her action, he couldn't help but get angry again: "What do you think of me, do you think I will take advantage of the fire to rob and do such a lazy thing!"

"Who knows the way, knows the face but doesn't know the heart!"

"You ......" Fang Xin was speechless for a moment.

Xiaoxue smiled and grimaced. Fang Xin asked Xiaoxue seriously: "What happened to you just now?" It scared the hell out of me, and I thought something had happened to you. Is it a nightmare? What kind of dream scares you like this?"

After Fang Xin's reminder, Xiao Xue's face immediately sank. The memory was reviving, and gradually, she recalled the thrilling scene in her dream.

Even now, she still feels that this dream she has is really terrifying. She thought for a moment before saying, "Fang Xin, do you know the Dao, I'm trapped in a cave. There are countless thousand-year-old corpses around, and all of them are alive. They called me a princess and said I was their patron saint. Don't you think this dream is ridiculous and ridiculous!"

Hearing Xiaoxue say this, Fang Xin also frowned. He said: "This dream is really strange. Zhong Qiong said what kind of princess you are, I don't care too much. Maybe you're a princess in the real name."

"How is this possible, what are you kidding!"

"You don't understand what I mean, Xiaoxue, I mean you might be a descendant of the royal family of an ancient country. That's why they will recognize you as their princess."

"Don't you think that kind of thing sounds ridiculous?" Xiaoxue still looked incredulous, "Moreover, it's just a dream, it can't be true. You won't tell me that these thousand-year-old corpses are dreaming of me, asking me to save them!"

"Alright, alright." Seeing that Xiaoxue was so excited, Fang Xin had no choice but to comfort her and say, "Let's not talk about this first, you tell me, what kind of cave you dreamed of, and where is it?"

Xiaoxue recalled carefully: "I can't say it either, I just feel that the shape of the cave is like a sickle, in the shape of a crescent moon. It seems like...... It seems to be in the small hairy mountain."

"Little Maoshan?" Fang Xin was very surprised.

Xiaomao Mountain is located on the north side of Fenshui Forest Town, and Fang Xin's hometown Jiangwan Village is at the foot of Xiaomao Mountain. He grew up at the foot of Xiaomao Mountain when he was a child, but he had never heard of a hole in Xiaomao Mountain, let alone a thousand-year-old corpse. This made Fang Xin very incomprehensible.

Although Xiaomao Mountain has a mountain character, it is actually a large mound of yellow stone and yellow mud, and its altitude is only tens of meters. It seems impossible to say that in such a large mound of earth, it is impossible to open a big cave.

After thinking about it for a long time, Fang Xin could only shake his head.

Suddenly, he seemed to remember something. He turned his head to Xiaoxue and said, "Xiaoxue, do you remember the ancient ship on the Grand Canal?"

"Of course I remember, what do you remember, Fang Xin?" Xiao Xue blinked a pair of small eyes, staring at Fang Xin.

Fang Xin continued: "If I remember correctly, on the inside of the coffin lid at the bottom of the river, there is a picture of a bronze gate located at the foot of the mountain."

"No, it won't!" Xiaoxue was also surprised when she heard this, "You won't tell me that the picture depicted is Xiaomao Mountain?" Impossible, how is this possible? Even if it's really Xiaomao Mountain, where is the bronze gate?"

"I don't know why." Fang Xin sighed lightly and said, "Who knows what kind of earth-shattering secret is hidden in this Dao."

As soon as she heard Fang Xin mention the big secret, Xiao Xue was also interested. She turned sideways, approached Dian Fang Xin and said, "Yes, yes!" They say I'm the guardian they've been waiting for for a thousand years, and they want me to guard the secrets of their people. Moreover, only I can keep their secrets. You say, 'Do I have that much power?'

"Did they say they wanted you to keep a secret?" Fang Xin asked.

Xiaoxue said impatiently: "No! I just don't know what secrets they are hiding in the mountains, and I have to protect them. That's ridiculous, isn't it?"

Fang Xin said very seriously: "I don't think so. There is always a reason for everything. In my opinion, this is not the end of the story. Not only is it not over, but on the contrary, it has just begun. There are many things that we still don't have a corresponding conclusion about. Perhaps, in this watershed forest, on this Xiaomao Mountain, there is really a big secret hidden that has not been solved for thousands of years."

"What do you mean?" Xiaoxue listened with curiosity.

And Fang Xin just shook his head, he said, "I don't know what to do. But you wait and see. Something is going to happen, maybe tonight."

Xiaoxue couldn't help but shudder, she said, "You mean, those terrible things will happen?" Will anyone die? Are we going to live in such fear?"

"Maybe!" Fang Xin got out of bed and said to Xiaoxue, "Come on, I'll show you something." With that, Fang Xin left the room and walked in the direction of the study.

Xiaoxue was at a loss, and she didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in the new gourd of Lu Dao Fang, so she had to follow stupidly.

The study is on the north side, right door to door from the bedroom. Therefore, no matter how familiar Xiaoxue is, you can see it at a glance. Because Fang Xin just walked into the study.

When Xiaoxue walked in, she saw the silk spread on the table at a glance. Xiaoxue's mind was blank at first, and after two seconds, she suddenly realized. Pointing to the silk and saying, "Isn't that ......?"

Before he finished speaking, he was snatched away by Fang Xin. He said, "That's right, it's the piece of silk you found from the ancient ship. I have a hunch that this is no ordinary piece of silk."

Xiaoxue approached and said, "What are you doing with this piece of silk?"

"I'm researching."

"Research? What to study? Studying silk? Fang Xin, when did you become an archaeological expert. I've looked at this piece of silk many times, but I don't see any way to it! In my opinion, it's just an ordinary piece of silk."

Fang Xin didn't immediately refute her words, he pointed to the silk and said, "Didn't you find the four small black dots on the silk?" Or did you not look closely enough and didn't see it at all."

"No, I saw it, what does that prove?"

"Don't you think it's strange? A good piece of silk, why will there be four small black dots? And, you notice that there is no pattern to these four little black dots. If you connect these four points, it is just an unequal quadrilateral. That is, on the surface, there really isn't anything to see. The point is, what do these four little black dots appear on the silk?"

Xiaoxue was messed up by Fang Xin, she scratched her head and said, "I can't see anything wrong. Perhaps, it may be that the ink that the ancients accidentally dropped on it when they were writing, this is also possible."

Fang Xin shook his head, he opposed Xiao Xue's idea. He said, "No, I have thought about this situation as you said. But you notice no, if it's a falling ink, it will form a splash of ink on the silk. You take a look at these four black dots, and their perimeter is very smooth. So it's definitely not the effect of what ink drops on it. Then you look at the size of the black dots. The four black dots are all the same size, and if it were ink or any other juice dripping on, it would never have formed such a neat effect."

"I don't quite understand."

"It's very simple, someone deliberately got these four black dots on the silk."

"Who did it, why did you do this?"

"Come and see." With that, Fang Xin pulled Xiaoxue into the living room.

The coffee table in Fang Xin's living room is fully tempered glass, and at this time there is an orange table lamp on the coffee table, and there is a cute hellokitty on it.

The silk was spread flat on the coffee table, and Fang Xin put the table lamp at the bottom of the coffee table, so that the bulb was facing the tempered glass. After plugging it in, press the cute hellokitty and the desk lamp will come on.

Xiaoxue was inexplicably seen, and she didn't know what the hell this guy was doing.

After everything was done, Fang Xin pulled Xiaoxue and asked her to squat at the coffee table with him to watch. Xiaoxue didn't know why, so she had to follow obediently.

The soft table light shines on the silk, making a hazy color appear on the silk. The advantage of this is that you can see the silk more clearly.

I remember some cartoonists, they like to create comics from such a workbench. It is said that this is the only way to reflect the softness of the lines.

At this time, Fang Xin pointed to the almost translucent silk and said, "Xiaoxue, now you take a closer look and see what is different about this piece of silk."

Xiaoxue's eyes widened, and after looking at it for a long time, her willow eyebrows drooped, and she pouted and said, "What's there, it's not the same as before, nothing."

"You widen your eyes, take a good look again." Fang Xin pointed to the surface of the silk. But Xiaoxue still didn't understand anything, she had to blink her eyes and look at Fang Xin affectionately. It means: you just stop playing pantomime riddles, hurry up!

Fang Xin didn't feel sorry for Xiao Xue anymore, he lowered his head and pointed to a certain place on the silk and said, "I found that there are not only four small black dots on the silk, but also some other things. Xiaoxue, come and see, look here."

Following the position of Fang Xin's finger, Xiao Xue got closer curiously, and her whole face was almost attached to the coffee table.

Fang Xin said slowly: "In addition to these four obvious small black dots, here, here, and here, there are also some faint lines. It's hard to spot if you don't look closely."

Through the illumination of the table lights, under the guidance of Fang Xin, Xiaoxue really saw the faintly visible lines. She said in surprise: "It's really there, Fang Xin, it's really there!" But what is this for?"

"I reckon that the lines are initially noticeable. It's just that, as the years go by, these lines gradually fade and fade away. However, there is another possibility. That is, someone did it on purpose. The aim is to hide these lines so that they are not unaware or seen through by the hostile elements."

Xiaoxue was even more puzzled: "What are you doing?" What do these lines, with the four little black dots, represent?"

"Can't you see? You don't think it's a map." Fang Xin looked at Xiao Xue's eyes, from her eyes, Fang Xin saw surprise, and surprise.

Sure enough, Xiaoxue was surprised and said, "Map?" After a while, she said even more exaggeratedly, "Treasure map?"

Fang Xin poked her little head, and said angrily: "What are you thinking about, you think this is making a movie, so easy for you to get some treasure map. Childish!"

Xiaoxue whispered aggrievedly: "Didn't you say it's a map!"

"It's just my personal conjecture, and I can't say exactly what it is. My first impression of seeing it was like a map. Xiaoxue, come and see." As he spoke, Fang Xin took a piece of paper from the side and said, "I have drawn all the lines I can find."

On a piece of white A4 paper, Fang Xin drew several zigzag lines. I counted it, and there were 8 in total. There are a few thick ones, a few thin ones, a few long ones, and a few short ones.

At first glance, there really isn't any pattern to be found in these lines. In different places on the white paper, Fang Xin depicted the four black dots very deeply.

When you look at it this way, you can't see any connection between all the lines and the four black dots. It's just that each black dot will have one or two line segments connected to it. However, that's all.

Xiaoxue took the piece of paper and looked at it for a long time before saying, "This is the map?" It's too simple, isn't it? This is how the ancients drew maps thousands of years ago? This is where and where. Fang Xin, if this thing is a map, then tell me, where is the map?"

If the traces left on the silk do represent a certain place, then it is indeed too simple for anyone to understand.

However, Fang Xin said: "We assume, just assume. Assuming this is a so-called map, then these curved lines are most likely roads. And the four little black dots on the map, according to your will, let's treat them as four treasure spots! Anyway, I think it's a true map."

"So, you say, what does this place represent?" Xiaoxue swore and asked.

Fang Xin held his chin and pondered for a moment. Indeed, for him, it is impossible to guess what the place is just by relying on a few line segments.

"I think." Fang Xin said, "These lines are almost impossible to find on silk. So, maybe there was something else on the silk. It's just that, as time passes, the things that represent mountains and rivers have long since disappeared without a trace, just like these almost invisible lines."

"But......" Xiaoxue picked up the piece of silk cautiously, looked at it carefully again, and said, "I can't even see the lines you said, how can there be any mountains and rivers?" Fang Xin, you will be mine!"

"Am I that bored?" Fang Xin smiled and said, "Xiaoxue, you come with me. It occurred to me that I could prove if this thing was a map or not."

"Oh! What is it?" Xiaoxue is also very excited.

The two of them came to the study, and Fang Xin turned on the computer. Using the Internet, he quickly found a map of the town of Fenshuilin. The first thing that came to his mind was whether this silk map, since it appeared in Watershed Town, would it depict Watershed? With a glimmer of hope, Fang Xin found the watershed forest town on the Internet.

Fenshuilin Town is actually just a small town in the south of the Yangtze River, and it is not eye-catching. i.e. there is not much cultural value and there is not much historical background. But what Fang Xin didn't expect was that the waterlogging town on the Internet was actually depicted in great detail.

Where are the roads, where are the villages, where are the fields. The name of each village, the name of each road, is marked on the map. Even the silver island bathroom he had been to, Hualian supermarket or something, he could actually find it. It can be described as detailed and could not be more detailed.

It's a pity that Fang Xinjia doesn't have a printer. If you can print out the map and compare it with it, I believe the effect will definitely be better.

Xiaoxue stared at the computer for a long time before saying, "You don't think that this is the map of our water-dividing forest town, right?" It's incredible."

"It's just a conjecture." Fang Xin said calmly, took out the piece of silk casually, and pasted it on the computer screen. Then, he adjusted the scale of the map of the watershed town that he searched on the Internet to try to be as close as possible to the one on the silk.

After adjusting, both of them put their heads on the computer screen, carefully observing the difference between the computer and the map on the silk.

It's not better than not knowing the road, and it's more frightening.

It turned out that the map searched on the Internet was completely different from the one on silk. It's not just different, it's just not close at all.

Xiaoxue sighed and said, "Look at it, what I said, what kind of map is this. Where there are lines, there are either villages or fields, this is where and where. Fang Xin, are you thinking too much?" After saying that, Xiaoxue sat down and stopped looking at the computer screen.

Seeing this, Xiaoxue was also puzzled. He muttered, "Is it really my own fault?" Are you really thinking too much?"

Xiaoxue snorted coldly on the side and said, "You are. In my opinion, this is just an ordinary piece of silk, nothing magical about it."

"I still don't understand, if it's just an ordinary piece of silk, why should it be put in a small clay pot? Why does it appear on a mysterious ancient ship? I don't think it's going to be that simple. You wait." Fang Xin seemed to think of something again, and his fingers tapped quickly on the keyboard a few more times. After a few clicks of the mouse, a new map appeared on the computer screen.

Xiaoxue was curious again, she leaned in and stared at the old man for a long time before asking, "What is this?"

Fang Xin smiled mysteriously before saying, "This is also a map of Dividing Forest Town. It's just that this is a map from the Tang Dynasty. I finally found it on the Internet, how about it, admire me!"

"A map of the Tang Dynasty? Fang Xin, won't you tell me that there was a small town called the watershed forest in the Tang Dynasty? You're not reliable!" Xiaoxue was a little unconvinced.

Fang Xin rarely showed a smug look, he said: "I think, since it is silk from a thousand years ago, maybe it is a map from a thousand years ago. That's why I looked for it with the intention of giving it a try, and sure enough, there were."

To clarify, strictly speaking, what Fang Xin found was not a real map of the Tang Dynasty. Rather, it is a sketch drawn by later generations, through some books and folklore, plus some corroboration and wild history, after synthesizing a lot of information.

Moreover, what Fang Xin found was not exactly a map of the Tang Dynasty watershed forest town, but a map of the Jiangnan region in the Tang Dynasty. Also, this map is very simple and very crude. The reason why Fang Xin swore that he had found it was because on this map, there was really such a small dot as the watershed forest.

After zooming in, to Fang Xin's disappointment, there was actually nothing on this map. After magnifying it several times, it only turns the small dot into a large dot.

Fang Xin was greatly disappointed, he let out a long sigh, like a deflated ball, and sat softly on the computer leather chair.

Unexpectedly, he tossed for a long time, but found nothing. Could it be that I am really wrong in my thinking, that this is really just an ordinary, old piece of silk?

Fang Xin is unwilling, but what can he do if he is unwilling. He still can't find anything, he can't do anything.

Looking at Fang Xin's lost appearance, Xiaoxue patted Fang Xin's shoulder meaningfully and said, "Don't think about it, this is not what you should think about. Blind to worry. Now, let's solve the old lady's belly first! I've been hungry for a long time, and you don't have pity on me."

Fang Xin remembered it and looked at his watch: "Ah! It's almost eleven o'clock, and I'm hungry. Let's go, let's go for supper, brother has a treat."

Xiaoxue was startled and looked out the window. It wasn't until this time that she noticed that it was pitch black outside the window, and she couldn't see anything in the dark.

She asked suspiciously, "What time is it today?" She was so scared that she would sleep for eighty or ninety days.

Fang Xin smirked stupidly and said, "Besides, you slept like a dead pig, no matter how I told you to wake up." After speaking, he also glanced at Xiaoxue intentionally or unintentionally.

"How can you be like Ruan Xiaotian's mother-in-law."

"Okay, okay, I'm scared of you." Fang Xin raised his hands and said, "I surrender, today is the 19th, and you have slept for more than ten hours. This sleep, that's a comfort!"

"Get out of the way!"

The two of them flirted and scolded for a while, and then they heard a gurgling sound. Fang Xin couldn't help frowning, looking at Xiao Xue, a malicious smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

I don't know, this slight change was still caught by Xiaoxue. I saw her face sink and said, "What do you see, are you going to make fun of me?"

"How dare you, how dare you!" Fang Xin smiled.

"Then you don't mean it yet!"

"Xingle, Your Highness the Princess, please come here." After speaking, Fang Xin stood up, half-bent down like a gentleman, and made a gesture of please.

Xiaoxue walked out of the study with great satisfaction, and then said, "My stomach has been alarming for a long time, tell me quickly, where are you going to take me to eat."

Fang Xin opened the door and said, "Where else can I eat at this point, night stalls!" That kind of place, which is economical and affordable, and you can eat well, you are guaranteed to like it."

Xiaoxue snorted coldly: "Look at you, it's like I've never been there. Feed! Don't forget to bring money, I've got a penny gone. Don't sell me when the time comes, I don't even know what to do."

"How can I sell it, no one can sell my little snow sister!"

"Give me less poor mouths!"

The community where Fang Xin is located is a three-storey building with only three floors. And Fang Xin's home is on the third floor, which is not too high.

And just as the two of them turned a corner in the stairwell and went down to the second floor, they suddenly let out a sharp scream from Room 202 on the second floor.

The two of them suddenly stopped, and before they could react, room 202 suddenly opened, and a black shadow sprang out from inside, hitting Fang Xin's arms.