Chapter 10 (1/2)
Dense fog suffused the air while vines as thick as an arm listlessly hung amidst it. Under the guise of the gloomy weather, the world became a picturesque scene depicting the surrealistic mixture of fact and fantasy. As one's ability to see had been prevented, their perception of truthful reality was intertwined with unreal fantasy.
It was an immense artificial satellite entangled by many vines. It had landed on the train car with great precision, yet now, it was but a lifeless ma.s.s, stranded here in muteness.
This was a striking scene indeed. After all, it was a satellite. It was not something that earthly beings could witness striking down from the sky everyday. It had been programmed to stay on its...o...b..t, but then what made it fall?
A shudder ran down the backs of both Chu Feng and Zhou Quan. Their initial astonishment had given way to terror and fright. They could not help but raise their heads once again, looking into the bleakness above in great perplexity. What was there, they wondered, in high and above, that decreed the happening of all the calamities they were witnessing.
”Don't tell me that you believe that these vines are actually hanging from the vault of heaven.” There was a certain rasp in Zhou Quan's voice and a look that seemed hara.s.sed and drawn.
Zhou Quan could hardly believe what he was witnessing. It was too surreal for him to be certain.
Chu Feng kept his muteness. He came nearer the vines and peered through the green vines. He looked carefully, again and again; then at last, he grew certain that this was a satellite indeed.
”What is actually happening?” Zhou Quan had never felt so confused.
Chu Feng debated whether staying here for any longer would do any good. He mused, then he realized that he and Zhou Quan had not been hearing any words from anyone for this long. So, at long last, he decided to leave for the others.
”Hey lad, what're you doing?” Zhou Quan was finally out of his trance. He saw Chu Feng fondling with the vines, so in curiosity, he asked.
”I want to go to visit the vault of heaven.” Chu Feng replied.
”How do you still have the mood to joke around here? I'm almost scared shxtless,” Zhou Quan cursed under his breath.
Zhou Quan had always had a benevolent and kind countenance. His face had always looked joyous, and the more one looked at it, the more it resembled to a Maitreya Buddha.
But today was not one of those days. As the floodgates to an outbreak of upheavals and strange events had been seemingly opened by some mystical forces in nature, Zhou Quan could no longer situate himself in this disorderly world with a positive and indifferent att.i.tude. He was mystified, and at the same time, he was profoundly scared about all these clutters and chaos he had witnessed.
”Boost me up. I want to take a look up there,” Chu Feng said. He wanted to reach higher to give the satellite a better examination.
”No, no, no. I don't think it's a wise choice. Everything to me seemed all too dangerous. This is a b.l.o.o.d.y satellite dropped out of the sky for G.o.d-knows-what reason. I know you just said you wanted to visit the vault of heaven, but I don't reckon this is exactly the way to go, man,” Zhou Quan mumbled in objection. He was worried about Chu Feng's safety.
”It's okay. I just want to know what's up there. I won't climb up too high though. I can take care of myself.” Before having hardly finished speaking, Chu Feng had already mounted himself onto the entangling vines. His superb stamina and agility proved themselves advantageous in a situation like this. In the blink of an eye, Chu Feng had already reached a few meters of height.
At this time, Chu Feng was completely inundated by the fog around him. He had become hardly visible to those watching from sea level. Visibility was very poor.
”Hey man! You're alright there?” Zhou Quan shouted from down below.
”All good!” Zhou Quan answered. He climbed up in full gallop for dozens of meters before he finally stopped.
”The vines here has become thicker and bigger. They are hanging vertically, going straight up and down. It seems very unlikely that their roots originate from the mountains at the flank. It indeed looks like they are hanging down from the sky.” Chu Feng frowned.
”This is unbelievable. How did such a shocking event manage to occur overnight?”
Then, he recalled the news he had seen earlier. Those trees and the other hovering plants that appeared in the s.p.a.ce were all species that belonged to Earth. The strange contrast between the empty deep s.p.a.ce and the luxuriant foliage of these plants prompted many thoughts on Chu Feng's mind.
Chu Feng slid down along the vines; for him to go even higher was an unnecessary risk to take.
”I'd like us to leave this place right now,” Zhou Quan suggested. ”I feel a little creeped out just by standing here.”
Chu Feng nodded. The train was beached, and their communicators had yet to regain connections to the outside world. He felt that they needed to come up with something that could help them leave this area before the situation suddenly took a left turn.
This succession of strange encounters was unsettling to say the least, so they couldn't just pa.s.sively wait here.
”Oh Gos.h.!.+ What am I looking at?” Suddenly, an outcry broke out.
The few other vigorous and robust young men had also climbed on top of the train car. They saw that fallen satellite as well. Everyone became so awed at the sight of it that no-one could hardly speak.
They looked as if they had seen a ghost. Their faces were all stiffened.
Soon, this news began circulating in the carriage. Having heard the news, many of them jerked upright in surprise. Clearly, the discovery of a satellite on top of the train had caused quite a sensation along with panic among the pa.s.sengers. Everyone got off the train. Weeping and blubbering were mixed with all kinds of noise. People could no longer persist on their calm and composure.
Incidents and disturbances would most likely happen in a disorderly situation. But then, who would be able to preserve public order in such circ.u.mstances? Train attendants and other crew members had all become muddled and stunned, living in a haze of bewilderment. They were at a loss of what to do.
”How is that ancient doing?” Chu Feng asked.
”Quite dead, or what else can he be?” Zhou Quan replied. ”I went to check on the body just then, and I heard someone saying that it might not be an ancient. He was carrying a communicator.”
”Really?” Chu Feng was rather surprised at this. He had seen everything about that body. His costume was not a mere retro imitation of the past. It embodied an authentic archaic rhyme.
”There's no point in overthinking right now. Hurry! Let's go,” Zhou Quan urged. He wanted to leave without sparing even a single second at this place.
Meanwhile, everyone else was also hurriedly taking actions. They were keen on leaving this place immediately.
Chu Feng weighed the black stagger in his hand, thinking over the fact that a one-inch stagger could weigh this much. Its density could easily beat that of any other metals known to him, and this had made him very doubtful.
”What about that man's communicator? Where is it? I want to see with whom has he been in contact.”
Regrettably, Chu Feng's wish could not be realized. With these many people hustling around in panic, the whereabouts of that communicator had long been forgotten.
”Let's go!”
Chu Feng and Zhou Quan did not hold up for any longer. Before long, they hit the road again.
Hordes and hordes of people started leaving. Everyone was in each other's close company, slowly progressing towards the nearest town.
Chu Feng and Zhou Quan walked along the railway track. Zhou Quan was more familiar with this pathway after many itinerary journey he had spent travelling between the west and the east. According to him, a town should be right within a dozen li.
”Who did this? No wonder the train had to get stuck midway. Whoever did this must have got a mean streak.” Zhou Quan became all agitated and indignant on the way.
He saw a section of the railway track had been disconnected after having walked for a few li. This could mean a major accident for any trains that ran on this line.
”Wait a minute! This is not right!”
It was another two li before they saw another disconnection on the railway track. However, this time, the site of disconnection seemed quite odd. It did not look like the work of someone's intentional vandalism. There must have been something behind it.