Mountains and seas can be flat

"Even if there are animals here," Zifeng raised his eyebrows, "such a small piece of excrement may not be as big as a little spirit."

Fang Zheng said: "You can't take it lightly when you are small. If you have a lot of people, it will be troublesome. But those people just didn't remind us. Either they don't know, or...forget it." According to Fang Zheng's previous thinking pattern, people will think It's bad, he has learned to control himself now, at least he believes that these "old men of the same family" have no reason to harm him. "It doesn't appear to have caused much harm."

Although jade mine is very precious to human beings, it is a barren and barren land for living things, lacking organic matter.Fang Zheng looked around, and saw that the small particles of excrement extended all the way to a large piece of mud and rock in the middle, and there must have been a big hole in there.Small creatures from the ground have come out.

Fang Zheng asked Zifeng not to lean over there, and re-observed the mine.There are clearly visible, age-old scratches on the cave walls.There are also some stone pillars and stalagmites formed by calcium carbonate, and the ends are crystal clear crystal stones.Zifeng looked at the fun and reached out to touch it, but broke it off easily.

"I'm useless..." Zifeng said innocently.

"It's easy for you. Ordinary objects may not be able to withstand it." Fang Zheng was annoyed and funny, and then his eyes rolled, "Wait, this stalagmite can be touched with one's hand, why didn't those jade pickers take this stalagmite?" Have you knocked a big piece?" Just like in an orange grove, there is usually no fruit where you can pick it.

"It's very difficult for them to come down once, and can they do it only under the command of Prince Houkang? Maybe they are not allowed to pick." Zifeng was careless.

Fang Zheng shook his head again, the younger brother of the monarch is not a modern person, and there is no reason for natural protection of the jade mine.It is not the same as the recovery period when ordinary livestock need to fallow and fallow.For humans, this is a non-renewable resource.It took tens of thousands of years to form, so there is nothing to choose from.Since it was so easy, it should have been cut off long ago.

"Maybe they think it's more troublesome, and it's easier to dig." Zifeng admitted embarrassedly, "Well, when I broke it just now, I used a little bit of strength..."

Fang Zheng couldn't help laughing, but shook his head again, "They won't break it with bare hands like you. They must have tools. Both the emery wheel and the sand rope are good for cutting... and the crystal of the stalagmite head is the best to cut." Fang Zheng suddenly He frowned, looked around, and said meaningfully, "It can only be that they haven't been here before."

Just as Zifeng wanted to laugh and say that brother Zheng would still make such jokes, he pointed to several clear cracks on the cave wall, "Why haven't I been there, there are not chisels everywhere—"

He heard Fang Zheng's next words that made his hair stand straight, "Xiao Feng, where is our rope?" It was still hanging nearby.Fang Zheng raised the warm red fog stone to shine in that direction, and it disappeared.

Zifeng was furious: "Did those people take them in and want to harm us?" He couldn't help saying that he grabbed Fang Zheng's waist, flapped his wings and flew up, and flew into the midair with a "bang" to hit the top of the cave wall, feathers It was a mess, but fortunately his wings touched the hard ones in advance, and he retracted his force in time so as not to hurt him, and he resentfully protected Fang Zheng and flew down.

Zifeng looked at the sky in bewilderment.When they flew down just now, the light was very dim, and the upper passage could not be seen clearly.Didn't even notice when it disappeared.The lighting range of the stone in Fang Zheng's hand is limited.Zifeng didn't think too much about it.Fang Zheng looked around again, "When we first came down, we saw abandoned candlesticks and light plants. Now they are gone."

Fang Zheng thought of the past when Tai Sui gnawed Si's corpse clean in the belly of the mountain.But the soil layer of the jade mine is barren, and it is not like a place where such a huge and plump Tai Sui can grow.There is no need for fungal spores to gnaw candlesticks.The crystals under the stalagmites here are large and full, and are easily accessible, like a fruit forest that is rarely visited.

The jade carvings and antique relics that were originally valuable for information were searched and taken away by Tu Shan and the Xia family. When they first came down from the cave, they were bare.But now, there are many small jars, bottles, and beads around, and there are some engravings on the cave wall.

"What are those gouging marks?" Zifeng pointed to the messy notches on the white jade crystal on the cave wall.

Fang Zheng observed: "It was drawn directly on the spar. Jade workers want to fill up the large chunks of minerals, and they will not scratch its surface with sharp tools. They will dig the whole piece from the edge. This mark is like an animal's claws. of."

The mine originally had only one exit, but now it is blocked even from flying upwards, and this place has become a secret room. Fang Zheng will say something to hell in future generations.But in ancient times, it is estimated that the construction of the underworld has not even begun.

Fang Zheng looked down again and observed that they were still in place when they saw the small animal feces just now.Speaking of which, after they saw this thing, the surrounding environment changed silently.

Fang Zheng's mood is quite different.He was terrified when he was alone in the cave.Later, when Zifeng and Zifeng wade into the underground Cangwu Abyss, their spirits are tense.But now the two have unique skills and trust each other.Fang Zheng was also calm and indifferent, thinking about it slowly.He looked back at Zifeng and couldn't help smiling.Zifeng said: "What is Brother Zheng laughing at? It's so strange, when Brother Zheng smiles, even if I don't know the reason, I will feel happy for no reason."

"Just now I wanted to tell you, 'Xiao Feng, don't be afraid'." Fang Zheng's smile grew stronger, "I suddenly thought that there are really some small monsters and monsters in here, and I should comfort them not to be afraid of you."

Zifeng: It makes sense and I can't refute it at all.

--

The jade supervisors by the tree vines above waited for a long time, but the hanging rope did not move. They tentatively called, "Clan Chief Fang? Chief Fang?" But there was no response.The mine is only tens of meters deep. When they were mining in the past, if something happened from above, they could be heard from below.

"Let me go down and have a look." One of the jade supervisors nimbly slipped down the rattan rope, and a surprised voice came from afar, "Clan Chief Fang? Patriarch Fang and the others are gone."

The jade supervisor felt great fear, and even crawled and pulled the rope up.The companions did not dare to go down, for fear of "disappearing suddenly" like the Fang patriarch.

They said worriedly, "I heard from the elders that when the Tu Shan family was in charge of the mining decades ago, there were several pit collapses, and then they were not allowed to ignite. There has been no accident since then. The ground has not collapsed either. We didn't hear the sound of collapse either. Why did patriarch Fang disappear? Could it be some other magical ability of their Chinese race?"

Of course not, Fang Zheng and Zifeng are still unbelievable.They were looking for a way out when suddenly Fang Zheng and Zifeng's five senses sensed a small animal slipping past the edge of the collapsed pit.Zifeng didn't even need to hunt, he released the mighty majesty of that dragon-beast bloodline, and the small animals behind the stone pile froze in place immediately, not daring to move.

Zifeng walked over and picked up a small animal with straight hair, gray satin color and short snout, which looked like both a mouse and a little fox.The front paws of the two pads were still covering the eyes, and he dared not look at Zifeng.

"What is this?" Zifeng grabbed the nape of its neck and brought it up for Fang Zheng to see.

"Like an otter." Fang Zheng doubted, but this little thing has four more fluffy horns on the top of the otter's head, and a tail like a braid on the back. The "little otter" let go of its front paws for a moment, Zifeng glared at it intentionally to scare it, and the little guy covered his eyes again with a "sigh".As long as you don't look or listen, it's not dangerous to be held by Zifeng.

Fang Zheng had seen a similarly described little thing in the engraved edition of "Shan Hai Jing", "Four horns, ox tail, called Ruying. This thing is called '峳峳'." Now it seems that it should be a mutant otter.

Fang Zheng and Zifeng carefully approached the place where they grabbed the little animal just now.There is a depression in the collapse pit, which is its lair.There are a lot of dead branches and soft grass cushioned inside.There is also another small otter of similar size and several pure black and furry cubs in the nest.They didn't dare to move, they were picked up one by one by Zifeng.The two small front paws of the young otter cover their eyes.Fang Zheng couldn't help laughing at being teased.On the other hand, Zifeng caught and rubbed each one unceremoniously, and scolded while rubbing: "Are you guys playing tricks!"

However, Xiao Ling was not here and could not obtain the suspect's confession.

Little otters: Hey.

Fang Zheng said: "There is water near here. Look for it." There must be a source of water in the otter habitat.Might be able to find a way out.

Seeing that Zifeng had played with them enough, the little otters did not eat. After a long time, they began to test the edge of danger, covering their eyes and quietly moving out of the nest.Seeing that Zifeng didn't stop them, they immediately ran towards the collapsed mudstone pit and burrowed into the cracks in the rocks.

Zifeng and Fang Zheng looked at each other, and they could hear the sound all the way and sense the position of those small animals.Found them hiding under a few rocks.Zifeng was sure that they were hidden safely, so he walked over with light steps - easily lifting a few big rocks without changing his face.A nest of gray-black hairballs underneath is exposed.They all screamed "嘤" in unison, and stretched out their paws to cover their eyes at the same time.

However, Zifeng discovered a new miraculous thing: "Brother Zheng! They are soaking in hot springs!"

Fang Zheng also saw a few puffs of white air rising from below at the moment Zifeng lifted the big rock.It turned out that there was a small puddle there, less than a foot long, like a spring, and it was steaming.At this moment, several otters were soaking in it, and the warm water moisturised their fur as smooth as gray satin.The Great Demon King Lian Zifeng brutally broke the umbrella of Otter Happy Spring.

The white mist of steam in the water became thicker, and Fang Zheng felt dazzled again, and then realized that something was wrong around him.With sharp eyes, Zifeng glanced at the corner of the nearby jade mine with the faint warm red light, and suddenly embedded in the root of an old tree.It's like the roots of the ancient banyan tree growing into the stone mine.

The jade ore materials on the surrounding cave walls are more numerous and purer in color.Antique utensils are more abundant than just now.There are even large items such as jade vats and jade bottles.

Fang Zheng looked around in surprise, feeling very strange, but the hot spring eyes under his feet, the otters huddling together to take a bath, and the algae nests on the shore were all still in place.Why do they seem to go deeper?There are more jade carvings.

At the same time, Fang Zheng and Zifeng both smelled the intoxicating fragrance from the roots of the big tree in the corner.A few otters loved the smell even more. They struggled out of the hot spring and crawled to the tree roots with their limp bodies stretched out their front paws to hug them, and began to suck on the tree.Seeing Fang Zheng and Lian Zifeng approaching, he stopped covering his eyes with his paws.

Fang Zheng scratched the root of the tree with the tip of his ordinary fingernail. The bark was very soft, and black sap leaked out from the cracks, and the fragrance became stronger.Fang Zheng thought, "I remembered that in the records, there was a big tree in the cave, shaped like a maple, and the fragrance was hundreds of miles away. The juice was like ink, and it was called the fragrance of returning to life. It was said that it was so fragrant that the corpse could smell it. It can be brought back to life. It is said that this kind of tree grows in the netherworld. It is not a human being." He was half joking, "Are we dead?"

Zifeng suddenly hugged Fang Zheng, bit Fang Zheng's cheek, leaving a small tooth mark, "Really?"

"Hiss." Fang Zhengban pushed him on the root of the tree, "If we really died, we wouldn't be so comfortable. I don't know how many ghosts have killed us."

Zifeng suddenly had an idea, and took advantage of the opportunity to hug Fang Zheng into his arms, licking his lips to test: "Brother Zheng, should we do something to prove that he is a living person?"

Fang Zheng pushed Zifeng's hairy head away, raised his eyebrows and said, "Did I forgive you?"

"It's been half a year!" Zifeng reminded stubbornly.

Fang Zheng had mixed feelings, but he didn't agree.He glanced at the happy family, as if he wanted to watch a drama while having a big meal, staring at him and Zifeng who were watching the otters non-stop, and said, "...No, it won't affect well. There are still children here."

Zifeng's eyes lit up: "Brother Zheng means to go back—"

Fang Zheng: "I didn't say that."

Zifeng looked at the little otter innocently: "Oh."

--

While the otter family was happily sucking trees, Fang Zheng and Zifeng looked around for the utensils scattered on the ground.Some engravings have many symbols on them, which are worth collecting and deciphering.There are also utensils engraved with complicated and beautiful patterns, it is hard to imagine that they were made by people in ancient times hundreds of years ago.Fang Zheng even picked up a few "jade pendants" that symbolized his identity.The shape of the jade pendant has two heads of pigs, cows and horses, which is the so-called "joint seal".

Of course, this space has no exits in all directions except for the old tree roots squeezing in and the steaming spring.Fang Zheng asked Zifeng to lift up more rocks and look for cracks in the spring below.However, just as Zifeng moved a few blocks away, both he and Fang Zheng saw that the spring suddenly darkened, as if a large shadow had slid past.

The otters seem to have got some kind of signal, and they all got into the spring, which is really strange.Just now Fang Zhengming felt that it was so shallow that he could see the bottom at a glance.But the otters were all submerged, taking turns to pull out a lot of branches, grass balls, and mud piles in their nests on the bank with their small paws.The spring eyes are clear and bright again.They continue to soak happily in it.The fog was thicker than before.

Fang Zheng and Zifeng's sense of smell at the tip of their noses seemed to fade at the same time. They suddenly looked around, and the scented tree roots disappeared again.This time, it is not tree roots hanging from the height of the jade mine, but a few long shade-loving plants.The leaves are round, and one of the long branches even bears a long vine fruit like a small papaya, magenta.

Fang Zheng didn't recognize this species, like Tangli.After carefully identifying it, Zifeng suddenly trembled and said excitedly, "Brother Zheng, this is a raccoon tree. I only saw it once."

Fang Zheng took a closer look, and found that this feature really matched the description of this plant in the Shan Hai Jing. According to legend, it bears a fruit that makes people grow stronger after eating.Zifeng said: "This is an important raw material used by Yu Qiangying to make medicine to stimulate the soldiers' physical strength. It is specially guarded by the witch leaders. It is in the hidden place in Shoutong Mountain. I was taken to see it once when I was a child. It grows in the deep In the rift valley pit. Every year to pick this kind of fruit. Many people will die."

He climbed to the cave wall to pick off the magenta fruit, held it carefully in his palm, and was puzzled again, "But the shaman said that this kind of tree... only Yu Yi has it. It is a treasure given to Yu Yi by God."

Fang Zheng said: "Maybe where it transported us to." Fang Zheng's mouth floated into a smile.This is different from gentleness or fun. It is Fang Zheng's determined expression when he is grasping something.

"It?" Zifeng saw that Fang Zheng had been staring at the spring.

"Er Tongya and Xiao Xiezhi were dragged into the water back then, and encountered a strange fog, which carried them to different places. According to Er Tongya, sometimes they could see different scenery outside. He found the exit in the north. At that time, he passed Xuanyuan Hill and met the Maomin people in the north of Xiazhu. The fog that wrapped him in it was spit out by the mirage.

"Mirage?"

"Some say 'phantom' is a huge shell, others say it is a dragon, and some say it is a large octopus with eight-clawed whiskers."

Zifeng still didn't understand: "Mirage? Where is it?" He looked at the white steaming spring with sudden enlightenment, "That's it?" He picked up a few soaked otters whose legs and feet were limp, and stretched out his hand to explore the spring. , "There is nothing below, or is it too small? Can't see it?"

Another shadow passed under the spring and disappeared in an instant.Zifeng let the water flow through his hands, feeling no difference.

"On the contrary," Fang Zheng shook his head and said, "This spring must be its...eyes. The change of color means that the eyeballs are moving. It seems that it likes the jade of the Huaxu people. The jade veins are wide and deep underground. It just moves right below it... how big is it..."

Zifeng stared at the nest of otters: So, are they bathing in the eyeballs of others? ? ?