This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 211 Reuniting with an Old Friend
The dream and past memories seemed to merge at this moment. Duan Kang didn't care about anything else and took the bag from the young man and put it on the display table.

People gathered around, some confused, rarely seeing the old dean so excited, while those who had just been with Duan Kang knew that they had probably found what they were looking for, and they were curious about what it was.

Duan Kang immediately untied the burlap sack, which contained a pocket inside another pocket, but both were full of holes and scraps of paper, making Duan Kang's heart leap into his throat.

However, when the sack was finally opened, what they saw were rolls of tattered documents, and everyone's hearts sank.

It's ruined, everything's ruined!
Duan Kang looked distressed, reached into the debris, and then was overjoyed to find a scroll of documents inside. Although this scroll was also damaged, it was relatively intact.

Soon Duan Kang found several more scrolls, some of which were almost perfectly preserved. The rat holes in the room were connected one after another, making the ventilation better than in the dilapidated storage room.

With an excited expression, Duan Kang untied the binding rope on one of the scrolls and then slowly unfolded it.

The old paper had some mottled marks, and the elegant calligraphy on the document was revealed to everyone. Although it was dark, it had a lively and agile feel to it.

A familiar feeling welled up inside me; the care and reprimands I had received seemed to echo in my ears.

This is Duan Kang's own handwriting. He can't remember when he copied this piece, but judging from the control of the pen, he should have been an adult by then!

"Dean, what is this? Is this what you're looking for?"

Someone asked a question, and Duan Kang's eyes filled with tears, which he barely managed to hold back.

"This is my previous homework."

As they were talking, Duan Kang had already started reading. The content of the document was, of course, not his original work, but rather a copy from elsewhere.

The document begins directly in the standard format of the Imperial Observatory, indicating the author and content, but it is obviously from a very early period. It does not even mention the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations, only using the name of the Imperial Observatory, and the official titles are still in the ancient system.

(Recorded by Jiao Yusong, then Director of the Imperial Observatory)

In the thirty-second year of the new calendar, the heavens and earth trembled, and the dragon veins of various mountains began to hide or dry up, foreshadowing the complete end of the imperial system.
I was ordered to go to the mouth of the Yangtze River to negotiate with the last members of the Dragon Clan. We all felt that this might be our last meeting.
Duan Kang wasn't the only one reading the documents; others were also reading them to varying degrees. The paper was written in traditional Chinese characters, but understanding it wasn't a big problem.

The more they looked, the greater the shock became. The dragon vein was drying up? Negotiating matters with the dragon race?
Duan Kang was even more excited as he watched, his face showing emotions such as reminiscence and regret, but that familiar feeling returned.

This is something I copied so many times back then, but I only remembered it now!

"I initially thought it was just a story, I thought it was just a story."

Duan Kang murmured, his voice tinged with sorrow.

Outside the warehouse, Zhuang Lin and Wuming stood there, the latter holding an umbrella to shield Zhuang Lin, so that even if someone passed by, they seemed not to see the two of them.

At this moment, Wuming frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

"This book was clearly written by you, sir, and I didn't see the whole picture in my dream. So why does this passage seem so familiar to me?"

Zhuang Lin thought for a moment and said.

"The human brain and mind are very complex. Sometimes memories are embellished, and sometimes rationalizations are added in the mind. For example, the old dean in this passage is 'clear' in his heart that he had this period, but he has forgotten it. So the memory should become more reasonable. Hence, this scene appears when he sees this document!"

Of course, Duan Kang, who was in the Imperial Observatory at the time, must have heard many strange stories. This memory may have been embellished and incorporated into his official documents. It just goes to show how amazing the brain is!
"Alright, we don't need to get involved anymore!"

The nameless man nodded slightly. Just as the gentleman said, most people only believe what they believe.

Moreover, the information obtained in this way seemed to have a sense of inheritance and sanctity; just by listening to the heavy breathing of the group of people in the room, one could tell how excited they must be.
-
Significant progress has been made in organizing the Bureau of Investigation's outdated data, seemingly by luck, or perhaps it was simply destiny's will.

Given that it is almost certain that the original documents had long been destroyed as feudal dross, Duan Kang's copying work was unexpectedly preserved. Eight complete scrolls have reappeared, while others are damaged to varying degrees, with the most severely damaged being almost completely gnawed by rats.

Many experts and staff put aside their own work to piece together the fragmented documents.

If all goes well, I estimate we should be able to piece together about a dozen more volumes.

What Duan Kang said were all important documents left by the heads of the Imperial Observatory and the Bureau of Investigation of Strange Things throughout the ages, and they were all directly related to real metaphysical anomalies, with clear and well-founded content!

From the beginning of the New Calendar of the Great Yan Dynasty until the volume in the year 292, there are a total of 30 volumes!
It was also defined by the Bureau of Investigation and Statistics as thirty volumes of unusual records.

The eight volumes that are complete today record interactions with dragons, demons, immortal cultivators, and even spirits. Some are righteous, some are evil, but even though the content is concise, it is not hard to imagine how exciting the process was.
After reading it, many experts, scholars and staff of the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations couldn't help but have endless imaginations. After the Xuan Tian Yi and Yangtze River Gui Jian incidents, the people of the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations certainly knew that the contents of these thirty volumes might all be true!
But imagine the era decades ago; anyone who saw these things would probably think that all the heads of the Imperial Observatory throughout history should see a psychiatrist. Therefore, this earliest portion of the "dross" was destroyed. If it weren't for the old director's work, it probably would never have resurfaced. And how much of this kind of material can still be recovered?
When the work report reached the highest level of the council, even the most powerful figures in the Great Yan Dynasty couldn't help but sigh upon seeing the report's contents.

Fortunately, fate must have been watching over us, at least it wasn't completely destroyed.

Moreover, the thirty volumes of Strange Records at least prove one thing: in earlier times, although the Xuan Turtle had not yet appeared, the Imperial Observatory and the Bureau of Strange Investigations already knew a lot of things, such as the depletion of spiritual energy and the loss of spirituality.
-
Master Ban and Master Gong are finally on holiday.

Although the Bureau of Investigation is very busy, the Lunar New Year still needs to be celebrated. Craftsmen like Master Ban and Master Gong are very important, but they are not suitable for specialized research work, and their work is relatively easy.

However, the two can only return to their "old home in Jingzhou" now. They can only go to Hidden Immortal Valley for a while and then have to come back. They cannot disappear from their old home for a long time, since there are people secretly protecting these old experts.
-
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, a simulated fireworks show was being held on the shore of West Lake in Qiantang City, with countless colorful sparks exploding in the sky.

Although it was just a simulation, many people still gathered around West Lake to watch. Countless people watched, and each fireworks test drew praise and exclamations from countless spectators. Some television stations even broadcast it live.

"Dear viewers, this is the Mirror of West Lake program. Although there are still two days until Lunar New Year's Eve, the festive atmosphere is already very lively. What we are seeing now is the rehearsal scene of the Spring Festival West Lake Gala. This gala will be the first to be performed on a stage set up at West Lake, and the entire program will be directed by the famous director Mr. Zhou Xianglin."

"The best seats for the audience, located next to the stage, are designed in the style of a pleasure boat, which is quite creative."

Reporters on the scene were enthusiastically reporting on the event, while many spectators on the shore of West Lake showed their support, either making way for the cameras or trying to make funny faces in front of the cameras.

The venue on West Lake has been set up recently, and the show has reached the final rehearsal stage. Therefore, the rehearsals are being held directly on the venue, which has attracted a large number of tourists to come and watch in advance. Even if the curtains are blocked, they can still feel the atmosphere and see some of the actors.

On the lakeside stage, the actors rehearsed together with great enthusiasm, while Zhou Xianglin personally arranged every step and checked every detail.

The stage didn't quiet down until midnight when they finished work.

The staff and actors left one after another, some by boat, and some through the connecting passage at the back.

Although Zhou Xianglin was very tired, he was still satisfied. At least there were no problems with this rehearsal. He ignored the other staff members and walked to the front of the stage alone. Facing the West Lake and the shore not far away, he lit a cigarette.

On the other side of the shore, there were still tourists reluctant to leave in the middle of the night. They were looking at the stage, while Zhou Xianglin was also looking at the people who were boating on the lake in the middle of the night.

After working hard for most of my life, have I really run out of creative ideas?
This year, Kyoto had extended a warm invitation to Zhou Xianglin to direct the National Spring Festival Gala, and he agreed after consideration. However, he was unexpectedly replaced as director, which he found humiliating. Out of spite, he learned about the West Lake Spring Festival Gala and wanted to surpass it, but it must be said that his influence has declined.

"Dulu lulu. Dulu lulu"

The phone rang, but it wasn't Zhou Xianglin's phone; instead, an assistant came running over quickly with a phone in hand.

"Director Zhou, is that you on the phone?"

"OK, thanks!"

Zhou Xianglin took the phone and opened it. To his surprise, it was Liu Hongyu calling. He immediately perked up.

"Hey, Hongyu, you finally decided to call me."

Liu Hongyu's voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Uncle Zhou, I was just worried you'd be too busy. I waited until you finished your work before I dared to call. Didn't you say last time you wanted to see the Master?"

Zhou Xianglin smiled.

"Yes, but didn't you say it wouldn't work? What, are you disregarding the agreement?"

"Oh, no, but if the Master also wants to see you, then there's no problem since both sides are willing. If it's convenient for you, we'll come to find you."

"Hahaha. I'm not in Zhonghai City."

"I know you're at West Lake. Look at the lake to your left!"

Zhou Xianglin's heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously looked to his left and, after searching for a while, saw a pleasure boat approaching. Two people were standing at the bow, one of whom was waving his phone.

Zhou Xianglin stared blankly as the pleasure boat stopped at the berth at the edge of the stage. The two men quickly dressed and jumped onto the stage, walking towards him.

The two men were dressed in ancient costumes. One of them was shaking his phone, while the other, Zhu Zishen, had a half-sleeved shirt hanging outside his robe and a smile on his face beneath a scholar's cap. Who else could it be but Zhuang Lin?

(End of this chapter)