The short two-hour drive left Zheng Ke drenched in sweat, which then dried and re-drenched, his nerves stretched taut throughout the journey.
In contrast, Lin Fan and the others in the back seat chatted and laughed, creating a much more cheerful atmosphere.
Li Yurou, like a happy lark, couldn't help but elicit gentle smiles from everyone.
Zheng Yue leaned on Lin Fan's shoulder, feeling an immense sense of happiness.
Watching the scenery blur past the car window, she let go of all her worries and troubles, wishing this moment could last forever.
As the airport terminal appeared on the horizon, Zheng Ke wiped a bead of nonexistent sweat from his forehead, his legs trembling uncontrollably.
Finally, they had arrived!
If this continued, he didn't know if he could handle it.
Not long after, Zheng Ke pulled the car up to the passenger entrance.
"Miss, we're here."
"Mmm, I know."
Zheng Yue opened her eyes groggily and sat up straight.
Lin Fan, with a wry smile, shook his slightly stiff shoulders, a result of maintaining the same position for so long.
Zheng Yue giggled, her heart filled with sweetness.
Wang Xiaoli, her expression unreadable, got out of the car just in time to see a white airplane roar down the runway, ascend, and then, with seemingly slow but rapid speed, disappear into the clouds.
Her gaze lingered on the spot where the plane had vanished, a sense of awe washing over her. In ancient times, gods, immortals, and demons were the true rulers of this world, capable of shattering mountains and rivers and flying through the air, seemingly omnipotent.
However, with the arrival of the era of dwindling magic, even the most powerful gods, immortals, and demons chose to lie dormant, ceding the stage to humanity.
No one knew why.
Now, humanity was gradually gaining the ability to change the world, albeit through different means.
"Hey, do you have an ID card?"
While Wang Xiaoli was lost in thought, Lin Fan appeared beside her without her noticing and asked in a low voice.
"Could you please not sneak up on me like that?" Wang Xiaoli glared at Lin Fan with disgust.
"It's broad daylight, how am I sneaking? And 'like that,' as if we're close," Lin Fan grumbled, feeling wronged, unsure what had angered her.
"Is this what you're talking about?" Wang Xiaoli pulled out an ID card from her pocket.
Lin Fan looked closely and found that the person in the photo bore a slight resemblance to her, though the aura was vastly different.
The date of birth on it...
"You're only twenty-two?!"
"I'm telling you, ID cards are scanned by machines. Fakes can be detected."
Lin Fan had flown twice before and was familiar with some of the boarding procedures.
"I found this," Wang Xiaoli said.
Lin Fan gave her a thumbs-up. "Impressive, impressive."
"You just wanted to know if I killed someone and took their identity, didn't you?"
Wang Xiaoli let out a cold chuckle. "Then I'll tell you. I took this ID card from a corpse. Next to her were two bottles of pesticide; she likely committed suicide by poisoning. Her face had already turned bluish-purple, and her body was bloated like a steamed bun..."
"Stop, please, I believe you." Lin Fan sensed trouble and immediately stopped her.
As expected, Zheng Yue and the others looked as if they had seen a ghost, staring at Wang Xiaoli in horror.
Earlier, they had merely thought she was aloof, arrogant, and unsociable – people like that existed.
But to calmly describe finding an ID card on a corpse and detailing its appearance was truly rare.
Even the burly Li Yusheng felt uncomfortable. His initial tentative romantic notions had completely vanished.
This person was definitely not ordinary, certainly not someone easily managed by a regular person.
Li Yusheng still desired a virtuous, homemaker-like wife, gentle and amiable, not someone like Wang Xiaoli with her eccentric and unfathomable temper.
The five of them boarded the plane smoothly and arrived in Yingkou at three in the afternoon.
They hailed two taxis and headed for their reserved hotel.
The driver was a tall, robust middle-aged man with a booming voice, both hearty and friendly.
Seeing a group of young men and women, he guessed they were tourists.
Lin Fan, Zheng Yue, and Wang Xiaoli shared one car.
Lin Fan nodded with a smile and then inquired about Qing Shui River.
"I see, you're here for rafting. The upper reaches of Qing Shui River have been turned into a reservoir, it's huge, and there are many tourists every day."
"Young people like this sort of thing, the more thrilling, the better. We older folks can't keep up."
The driver glanced back. "But your timing is a bit off. Spring is the dry season, and it's cold here. Rafting isn't ideal right now."
"It's fine, we just took advantage of everyone having free time to travel and see the beautiful landscapes of our country. Rafting or not, it doesn't really matter," Lin Fan said with a smile. xxs1
"I've been to Qing He Reservoir a few times. Let me think if there's anything else fun."
...
After some discussion, Lin Fan had a rough idea.
No wonder Li Yurou needed the Chi Pearl to find the Dragon Bone.
Qing He Reservoir was built by damming the upper reaches of Qing Shui River. Even in the dry season, it stretched over ten kilometers, and if the river channel was included, it was likely fifty kilometers.
It was five kilometers wide with a total capacity exceeding one hundred million cubic meters!
More importantly, Qing He Reservoir was the local primary water source.
This meant that a large-scale search was almost impossible.
Wang Xiaoli, sitting in the passenger seat, seemed to be deep in thought.
If she were alone, revealing her true form and using the Chi Pearl's sensing ability would make finding it much easier.
Within a day or two, the entire Qing Shui River could be scoured.
Lin Fan, well aware of her thoughts, cast a wary glance at the back of her head.
Upon reaching the hotel, his first order of business would be to retrieve the Chi Pearl.
No way was she going to cross the bridge and then burn it to keep everything for herself!
Soon, the five of them arrived at a five-star hotel.
Zheng Yue booked three luxurious presidential suites, each with three beds, enough to accommodate several more people.
As soon as they dropped their luggage, Li Yurou collapsed onto the soft, comfortable bed, exclaiming, "I'm exhausted! Brother, I'm going to lie down for a bit. Don't call me until dinner time."
"Mmm, rest first. I'll go next door to discuss our itinerary with them."
As Li Yusheng stepped out, he saw Lin Fan emerging from his room.
"Brother Lin, are you looking for me?"
Lin Fan shook his head and knocked on Wang Xiaoli's door.
"What is it?" Wang Xiaoli seemed to be standing behind the door and opened it a moment later.
"We're going treasure hunting tomorrow. Shouldn't that item be brought out first?" Lin Fan asked with a cunning smile.
"What item?" Wang Xiaoli feigned ignorance.
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow. "If you play coy like this, it's no fun."
"Gentlemen, let's talk this out. No need for any unpleasantness," Li Yusheng stepped in as a mediator.