Chapter 31: Lying Low (Part ?) (1/2)

Chapter 31: Lying Low (Part ½)

Luo Nan was dazed to his core upon hearing Xie Junping’s words, but he ultimately was able to understand the most crucial issue. He looked around the tree house and was silent for some several seconds. In the end he made a decision: “First let’s head back.”

Luo Nan looked at the album projector within his hand and hesitated for a long time. However, he still placed it back to its original position to avoid destroying the original arrangements of the tree house. Then he closed the bionic tree bark over the window to make sure no one would discover this place.

After Luo Nan did all of this, he turned his vision to face Xie Junping. Xie Junping then immediately raised his hand to swear: “I absolutely won’t mention this tree house to outsiders. This matter will rot in my stomach.”

Luo Nan did not say a word and instead just bowed once again. Luo Nan was displaying a more respectful attitude ever since his last solemn expression of thanks towards Xie Junping. Honestly speaking, this really made Xie Junping feel secretly refreshed deep inside.

Now that they were done with everything here, Luo Nan took the lead going down and Xie Junping followed behind. Perhaps it was due to his brisk mood, but Xie Junping had an idea inexplicably pop up in his mind. He used his heightened boldness to prod Luo Nan in the shoulder:

“Junior Nan. If you don’t mind…… Is it okay if I leave behind a webcam?”

“Huh?” Luo Nan suddenly turned his head and stared at Xie Junping’s face.

His behavior was just this bizarre. Before, Xie Junping would have certainly been nervous if something like this happened, so much so that he wouldn’t have been able to speak out all his words. But his boldness increased accordingly after he could sense Luo Nan’s respect for him. His line of thought increased in clarity under Luo Nan’s steady gaze:

“This is what I’m saying. Don’t you feel that this place is bit too clean Junior Nan? There are lots of mosquitos in the marshlands and there is high humidity. A few days without cleaning would make this place unbecoming. Just look at this place. So clean, so refreshing. Yea, this place looks good, but I’m scared that……”

Luo Nan didn’t blink at all. He spoke with a hoarse voice and completed Xie Junping’s thoughts: “People have already discovered this place. And, they’ve lived here for a long time?”

“Cough. That’s what I’m saying. After all, the AI cleaning system of Gear most likely wouldn’t cover up to here.”

Luo Nan didn’t speak any further and his thoughtful gaze drifted a bit; it was unknown what he was thinking of. Several seconds passed before he turned around and walked slowly down. His finger was pasted to the inner tree wall the entire time, all the way until they walked to the stone steps where they started from. Then he suddenly spoke:

“It’s here. There used to be a door here, but right now it’s been padded with bionic material. It’s sealed dead-tight.”

Xie Junping aimed his illuminating light on top. He observed for a moment and spoke in favor: “It might have been an ordinary door left behind from the days when the sandbar still existed. Then the water levels rose and it was discarded.”

“Rising water levels……”

Luo Nan’s voice grew hoarser and hoarser, as if a blade was cutting across his throat. Speaking was growing more and more difficult: “When did the water level rise?”

Xie Junping looked up the information online: “Approximately in the year 87. The underground rockbed fractured at that time, diverting the route of some underground river. It increased the average water level of the wetlands by nearly half a meter. The lake area of Withered Tree Sandbar increased by a full 1.7 meters. Hic, the year 87……”

Yea. Didn’t Bu Qingwen’s death due to a difficult childbirth occur in the year 80? In any case, it was impossible for her to come and remodel this tree’s space seven years later.

His line of thought straightened and Xie Junping whistled:

“There really was someone!”

“Yes. There really was someone…..But who was it?” Luo Nan responded hoarsely and slowly stooped down. He touched the narrow and secret passageway that had clearly been cut in at a later time.

Xie Junping woke up with a realization and came over. There was a 99% chance that this passageway was carved out at the same time as sealing the door. They both had the same purpose of avoiding the rising water levels to still allow entry and exit.

And so, the differences between Bu Qingwen’s initial designs and the current layout could be explained.

Xie Junping watched Luo Nan who was stooped over and seemingly mulling over the structure of the hidden passageway. He casted his beam of light over to make it easier for Luo Nan to investigate. But he suddenly realized something was wrong after the light went over.