Free Web NovelChapter 640: Chapter 608: Discovery_1
Mr. Fang pursed his lips tightly, knowing he couldn’t argue with Liu Yufei. After all, her words struck right at his heart. Zhao Xinli waved his hand with a smile and leaned in.
"Mr. Fang, there’s no need to be anxious and upset. It’s actually safest for Mrs. Fei to go there in the guise of a tourist. We’ve been here for several days now, and whether they’re vendors or just any local, when they hear our accents, they all try their best to speak Mandarin, each one of them so excessively enthusiastic.
When we went to the Colorful Danxia, we met many herders. Even from a distance they would greet us and take photos with us, offering us food and drink. The locals are very simple and honest. They know that these tourists are bringing them money, which also boosts the local economy."
"It’s the 21st century now. Don’t talk to me about enduring hardships in this life for blessings in the next. Who doesn’t know to live in the moment and that you can change your life if you’re willing to work for it? Why suffer and discipline yourself, oh, as for whether you will be a human in your next life, who knows? Isn’t it better to strive for a good life by oneself?"
And to tell the truth, Mr. Zhao had a real knack for comforting people.
Although there are still conflicts, like disputes over grazing, and even occasional altercations, isn’t it all ultimately about money?
Back in the ’50s, out of respect for local customs and because there wasn’t spare money to settle their lives, nomadic migration was just a way for livestock to eat more so they could get the necessities in exchange.
Now, there are rows of brick houses everywhere. Grazing is done cooperatively, with scientific management of the grasslands and the harvesting of fodder for feeding. The cattle and sheep raised are not dying from minor illnesses due to the addition of various grains and necessary feed.
Life is affluent. Many families have built their own small western-style houses, bought cars, and even purchased apartments in the city. Some have gone out to broaden their horizons and set up tourism and cultural industries."
Mr. Fang looked over at Mr. Zhao and burst out laughing.
"I didn’t expect it, but after being here for three days, Mr. Zhao sees things more clearly than I do. Just like the old lady said, there haven’t been any ceremonial activities here for sixty years. ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
The reason is quite simple, there’s no need for them. What clan? What afterlife? What prayers? It’s more practical to work squarely on something tangible.
If you want to disguise yourselves as tourists to investigate, I won’t oppose it. However, our people will follow at a distance for protection, to prevent accidents, and to ensure we can provide support when needed."
Liu Yufei gave an OK sign, while Zhou Ning pursed her lips and remained silent for a long time.
"Zhou Xiaozhou, what are you thinking?"
Zhou Ning shook her head.
"It’s not that I thought of something, but I feel that, according to what the old lady said, if the existence of this knife and the rituals to summon Asura are real, it would be akin to creating a god.
Wouldn’t that require spreading the word and needing believers? This place could be considered the origin, yet without believers, just performing the ritual alone is meaningless, right?
But from the old lady’s expression, it seems that such things have never occurred around Ganzhou. Even though it’s called Ganzhou Su’nan Yugur Autonomous County on the map, it’s clear that there are many ethnic enclaves here, each with its own complex set of beliefs. How could a god without origins be promoted?"
Everyone fell silent. The question Zhou Ning asked was very crucial. No matter how mysterious and solemn you make it, it’s in a closed location. If no one has heard of it, what kind of god is that, and what influence does it have?
After a moment of silence, Zhou Ning continued:
"I think we can report this matter and request information on organizations within Hua Country, and those that are affiliated with Hua Country, over the past twenty years, to see if there are any similar gods.
Also, didn’t Mr. Fang contact people from the ZJ Association? They might have their own opinions. The process of opening the coffin must be accelerated."
"We can also do a second survey of the scene, retrieve the remaining cocoons, and continue to explore that cave on the west side. After all, there’s a breeze inside, and I think there might be another exit."
Fang Dongsheng felt overwhelmed, jotted down some notes, and then said:
"In that case, I’ll invite our bureau chief over for a case meeting shortly. Whether it’s to report and inquire about the organization’s information or carry out a second survey, we need the support and promotion of our leaders. As for those coffins, that should be easier to deal with. What do you all think?"
Liu Yufei waved her hand.
"We have no objections. It’s getting late, so let’s hurry up with the arrangements. This way, we can set out on two different tracks for the investigation first thing tomorrow morning. After all, I don’t want to lose our only lead."
Fang Dongsheng went to make a call for instructions, while Liu Yufei made arrangements for tomorrow’s follow-up. She was ready to set out at any time, but Chen Cheng wasn’t a professional, so how to soothe him and how to motivate him emotionally required a conversation from Liu Yufei.
Mr. Zhao followed Zhou Ning, and the two returned to the small building at the back. Some people were observing around the barrel of Lu Feier’s concoction, while others were in front of the whiteboard, looking at Zhu Xingxing’s autopsy records.
Mr. Qu, holding a notebook, was tinkering with something with Xia Momo, while Peng Shinian, by their side, was happily observing the microscope, presumably still examining those plants.
Mr. Zhao gave Mr. Qu a cough to signal his presence, causing everyone to turn their heads. Mr. Zhao glared.
"What are you looking at? Get back to your work."
Zhu Xingxing and Xia Momo came over, looking at Mr. Zhao inquisitively. Mr. Zhao gave them a look, and they all moved to the next room and closed the door. Zhu Xingxing hurriedly asked:
"So it seems that the old lady has left, did you find out anything?" frёeωebɳovel.com
"Don’t ask so many questions. The old lady said a lot, but it’s not something that can be explained in a few moments. However, prepare yourselves, as we’ll be going back to that cave for another survey, and this time we’ll have more people."
Xia Momo turned her laptop around for everyone to see.
"Mr. Qu and I adjusted the software parameters, and these are the facial reconstructions of the two victims. Since this is our first time doing facial reconstructions for individuals under ten years old, look at the faces of these two children. Don’t they look different from the Han ethnicity?"
Zhou Ning leaned in closer, and it was clear that the two children had deep-set eyes and prominent noses. Despite the dehydration indentations caused by long periods without food or water, the shape of their noses was very telling of their closer resemblance to the ethnic groups from the Tianshan region—in other words, the Europa Race lineage.
After all, the local Yugu People don’t have such features; they rather resemble the Mongolian People, with their inner eye corners covering the tearful ridge, the outer eye corners higher than the inner ones, high cheekbones, and non-protruding mandibles.
"These children’s features tend to align with the ethnic minorities from the Tianshan region. I wonder if DNA can be extracted from the samples sent for examination before, at least to conduct kinship comparisons."
Xia Momo looked up at Zhou Ning and was somewhat surprised to see him speak so calmly.
"Aren’t you guys surprised? We’ve just examined the hair from the two mummies, and it is all brownish-red, the natural hair color, with no dyeing. The temples, behind the ears, the back of the neck, as well as the curliness—all indicate they had natural curls. And upon scanning, we found that all their fingernails have longitudinal striations."
Zhu Xingxing quickly added:
"The hair was also dry and frizzy. The few molars left in the mouth were severely worn down, and upon close examination of the X-rays, although this child seemed to be about six or seven years old, there were less than six permanent teeth buds in total, indicating severe developmental delay."
