This is what an immortal should be like

Chapter 256 Conjecture Verification
Based on several rough maps, the reconnaissance platoon was divided into three groups.

One class went south under Liu Hongyu's supervision, another class went west with Gao Ran, and the third class went north with Xiong Xuguang and Mu Hongwen.

In general, because it is unclear when the next opportunity will come, Xiong Xuguang and the Bureau of Investigation have developed a comprehensive plan in order to make the most of the opportunity.

If it's simply about transmitting information about time and space traces, then the deep mountains and forests right outside Hidden Immortal Valley would suffice, although that would be rather limited in scope.

However, this is clearly not the only objective; it is also necessary to collect as much information as possible in order to understand this spacetime.

People from the three directions need to pass through villages, cities, and other human settlements to record information, including the era, country, and territory, before they can find suitable historical markers.
-
In the group heading north, Mu Hongwen and Xiong Xuguang led a class of students along the mountain path.

Xiong Xuguang would take out the map to look at it from time to time, while Mu Hongwen would look back from time to time.

"Brother Mu, why are you looking back? Is there something behind you? Is there danger in the mountains?"

One of the class monitors couldn't help but ask a question.

Mu Hongwen is relatively young and lively. He has already become familiar with the soldiers, so it is the easiest to communicate with him.

Xiong Xuguang glanced behind him subconsciously, waiting for Mu Hongwen's reply, while the latter chuckled.

"There's nothing there, and there's no danger. I was just checking on my senior brother's presence to see if they've gone far enough!"

"Hmm? Have they gone far? So what if they have?"

"Yeah, what does it matter to us whether they've gone far or not? Aren't we all busy with our own missions?"

The squad leader couldn't help but ask a question, and the other soldiers echoed him.

"Hehe, of course there's a connection. Hmm, it's been so long, they should be quite far off by now!"

Mu Hongwen chuckled, then leaned closer to Xiong Xuguang's map and took a look.

"So, you mean we should go to this place? Which one specifically?"

Xiong Xuguang didn't hide anything at this moment and nodded.

"Theoretically, it's in the Nanyang area."

"Okay, you're the furthest away, so I'll help you!"

Before he finished speaking, Mu Hongwen almost immediately began to cast a spell, and with a wave of his sleeve, a gust of wind suddenly arose from the ground.

The person next to them swayed for a moment, and before they could react, they were swept up by the gust of wind and lifted into the sky.

Xiong Xuguang already had experience flying once, while the soldiers in the platoon around him began to exclaim in surprise.

After a period of shouting and yelling, the group calmed down as the wind speed stabilized. Mu Hongwen then made a hand seal and pointed, riding the wind and clouds straight in one direction.

Xiong Xuguang's heart was pounding, and he shouted through the wind.

"Brother Mu, does this count as three moves?"

Mu Hongwen was overjoyed.

"Only those times you begged me to help count as three times. If I want to help myself, then that doesn't count, hahaha. Calm down. If you're tired of standing, you can sit down. We'll be in Nanyang soon!"

"Alas. Alas."

Amidst the whistling wind, the group sped through the sky, not far from the ground below.

Compared to the previous night when Liu Hongyu simply flew to Hidden Immortal Valley, this time was incredibly exciting for the warriors, who exclaimed in amazement as they flew through the air.

Xiong Xuguang finally understood why Mu Hongwen kept looking back to see if Liu Hongyu and the others were far away. It turned out that he was afraid his senior brother would blame him for casting spells casually, and he had no intention of behaving himself at all.

"Oh, by the way, we'll go to the place you're looking for first, and then we'll take you to any villages, towns, or cities you want to know about. That way it'll be more convenient—"

After saying that, Mu Hongwen turned back and smiled.

"Don't feel pressured, it doesn't count as being within the three times, hahaha!"

Xiong Xuguang grinned, it seemed like he wouldn't be able to use it all up in these three uses.

"Thank you very much, Brother Mu!"

In the southern part of the country, Liu Hongyu was leading a squad of soldiers forward when he suddenly turned around and glanced north. After calculating with his fingers, a smile appeared on his face.

"That restless fellow."

"Mr. Liu, what's wrong?"

Seeing Liu Hongyu smile, the class monitor couldn't help but ask him a question, to which the latter shook his head.

"It's nothing, Squad Leader Guan. We need to speed things up; time is still tight."

"Yes, I know. Everyone, speed up! Let's try to cover 100 kilometers today. Sigh, we're not the furthest, I wonder if Young Master Xiong and the others will make it in time."

"Don't worry, they'll make it in time!"

Liu Hongyu chuckled and sped things up. He told Xiaowen to do what he wanted, but he wouldn't offer any extra help. He just told her to do what he said.

The situation was the same for Gao Ran and his platoon leader's squad. They didn't provide much extra help, but they weren't rigid either. They would give out some simple pills to help the soldiers recover.
-
Just half a day later, Xiong Xuguang, Mu Hongwen, and others appeared on the streets of Nanyang City.

Although the group still looked like country bumpkins visiting the Grand View Garden, it was much better than when they first arrived in Wuling.

Mu Hongwen walked ahead in high spirits, which naturally made Xiong Xuguang and the others more relaxed, and they quickly integrated into the atmosphere in a relatively relaxed state.

"Study hard, watch carefully. You're the first batch to come here, and you might even be teaching others in the future. You're always so nervous; anyone would think there's something wrong with you!"

Mu Hongwen said this with a smile, leading everyone on a tour of Nanyang City, which was also his first time visiting. In this atmosphere, as everyone looked around, they seemed to gradually appreciate the beauty of ancient times. Compared to the tension in Wuling City, they were truly starting to immerse themselves here and experience the everyday life of ancient times.

"That's more like it! Hmm, we're almost there!"

A little over fifteen minutes later, the group stopped at Tianbao Temple on the edge of Nanyang City, which was also Xiong Xuguang's chosen destination.

Tianbao Temple, which was renamed Baolun Temple during the Great Yan Dynasty, has a history of nearly two thousand years according to historical documents and related legends.

Although it has been destroyed and rebuilt several times, some things were there from the beginning.

Seeing that Tianbao Temple truly existed, Xiong Xuguang was filled with emotion.

This Tianbao Temple was far more magnificent than the ancient temple that existed in later generations, and it was clear that even the restored temple in later generations was far inferior to its current appearance.

Seeing pilgrims entering and leaving the temple, Xiong Xuguang and the others were about to go over, but Mu Hongwen suddenly stopped them.

"Note: Once inside, don't have too many thoughts. Just donate money for incense and ask the abbot for help. This temple is surrounded by Buddhist incense offerings, so I can't do anything reckless!"

Gods and Buddhas!

This is an unavoidable topic, and a mystery that the Bureau of Extraordinary Investigations has been trying to solve.

"Do gods and Buddhas really exist?"

I've met immortals, but I've never encountered gods or Buddhas.

Mu Hongwen smiled.

"Of course there are. Besides, we've already met that one from the Innate Diagram. Although his incense offerings are still weak, he's already taken on the rudiments of a mountain god. Over the years, he'll be able to form a part of a golden body. Don't underestimate this little god!"

Too
"What about inside this temple?"

"This isn't some minor deity, so everyone needs to be careful!"

Everyone nodded, and Mu Hongwen then led them along. Of course, at this moment, he reverted to his usual boyish demeanor, showing no intention of being the leader, and seemed more like someone accompanying the adults to the temple for fun.

Xiong Xuguang finally adopted the demeanor of a young master, holding Mu Hongwen's hand as they walked forward, with six men on either side clearing the way like six strong servants. He had finally gotten into the swing of things.

When the abbot of Tianbao Temple heard that a noble young man from out of town was willing to give a hundred taels of gold just to bury a token in the temple for peace, he immediately chose to meet him in person.

Xiong Xuguang had no qualms about taking the gold from Hidden Immortal Valley, since he could simply return it to them later.

In that era, gold had extremely strong purchasing power, so much so that Tianbao Temple directly dismissed other worshippers, reserving a private space just for this young nobleman and his entourage.

An hour later, the monks of the temple took matters into their own hands, moved a large blue stone in the backyard of the temple, and then dug a two-meter-deep pit with hoes.

"Benefactor Xiong, how about this?"

"Master, this is enough!"

As he spoke, Xiong Xuguang bowed to the old monk and handed him the box wrapped in a red silk scarf with both hands.

The old monk had already received one hundred taels of gold. With a kind smile on his face, he accepted the box. Then, a monk stepped forward and placed Xiong Xuguang's small box into a glass treasure box prepared by their temple.

"This glass box is also a treasure of our temple. Seeing your filial piety, we are giving it to you to protect your mother's keepsake and ensure your family's eternal peace!"

"Ah, thank you so much, Master! This item is far too precious. Well then, I have no way to repay you, but I hope you won't mind my current smell of money and will accept it!"

Seeing the old monk's expression, Xiong Xuguang naturally understood what he was thinking. He took the wooden box from a soldier and gave the old monk the remaining one hundred taels of gold inside.

Amidst the praises of the temple monks, the glass box, now encased in a large wooden box, was buried underground, covered with soil again, and then placed on top of the bluestone slab.

Following this, the monks of Tianbao Temple chanted sutras and offered prayers together. A three-day prayer ceremony will then be held at the entire Tianbao Temple.
However, Xiong Xuguang's mind had already wandered elsewhere.

Tianbao Temple, later known as Baolun Temple, has been damaged and restored several times over the long years. Most of the original items are gone, except for the bluestone paving of the temple, which is said to have been passed down from the beginning.

I hope that's true!
-
Fifteen days later, the three groups returned to Hidden Immortal Valley unharmed. Xiong Xuguang's first action was to leave the valley and make a phone call.

The Investigation Bureau, which was already prepared, immediately ordered operations to begin in several locations.

The Baolun Temple scenic area was also sealed off by relevant authorities that day, supposedly because some remarkable historical information had been discovered and required emergency excavation.

The truth is that the bluestone slabs in the backyard of Baolun Temple today are not from ancient times. However, after digging one meter under the current bluestone slabs, another layer of bluestone slabs was found.

At 3 p.m. that day, relevant personnel from the Bureau of Investigation and some military police surrounded the backyard of Baolun Temple.

There are huge pits everywhere, but the large excavation equipment has stopped, and now it's all being done manually.

"Found it, it's here—"

Someone shouted, and suddenly a lot of people gathered around.

The other outer shells had long since decayed, but the glass box was relatively intact. After the actual archaeologists peeled away the soil bit by bit, the glass box, which seemed ordinary in modern times but was rare in ancient times, was revealed.

The personnel on site couldn't wait to return to the laboratory or similar places, and wanted to open the glass box on the spot. At the same time, the situation was also transmitted directly to Kyoto and other places through the equipment.

"Be careful, go slowly!"

"Know!"

The archaeologists personally cleaned the glass box bit by bit, and because they were not worried about the keepsake weathering, they remained relatively calm.

As the ancient wax seal on the glass box was scraped away, the inner box was revealed, but it immediately weathered away, and the color and wood of the box instantly faded.
But today, the archaeologists didn't hesitate; instead, they took out the small wooden box and carefully opened it under the watchful eyes of many people and on camera.

Inside the wooden box, a copper alloy national emblem pin lay quietly, quickly oxidizing and changing color upon contact with air.
(End of this chapter)