Chapter 231 Sea-view Pavilion

Just as the name implies, Sea-view Pavilion was the place where the Dragon King used to come to watch the sea. The pavilion is grand and splendid.

Of course, Dongting Lake is a lake, not a sea. However, the Dragon King insisted to name the pavilion “Sea-view Pavilion”.

Thousands of years ago, the pavilion must be popular. Now, the grand hall is empty.

Lin Luoran never expected the trip to be so smooth. She is glad that she has reached the Sea-view Pavilion without encountering any danger and the treasure vault of the Dragon Palace is just around.

“Miss Lin, look! It’s the Sea Stairs!”

In the center of the hall, there are some stairs that lead to the second floor. It is said that the Dragon King usually took the stairs to the second floor to observe the water.

The story is all recorded by the bamboo sheets. Lin Luoran wonders whom the tomb belongs to and why he was so familiar with the Dragon Palace.

Usually, Lin would check on the occupant of the tomb. Nevertheless, she now only wants to know where the treasure vault is.

Many benthic plants grow on the right side of the pavilion. It looks like a “garden”. Where is the treasure vault anyway? What is wrong…? Is the story on the bamboo sheets fake? However, the truth is that the story really helped Lin avoid many “traps” along the way here.

Is it possible that the treasure vault itself is the biggest trap?

“Let’s split up and search the place.” Lin Luoran walks out of the side door and heads to the garden.

Rong nods. He takes the stairs to the second floor.

There are various flowers and gra.s.s in the garden. Except for the rocks of different sizes and shapes, some well-known flowers that grow on the land are blooming. It is spring. Peonies and vines live by each other’s side, casting an attractive shade on the ground of the underwater world.

Who can imagine that peonies can live underwater?

Lin Luoran looks around. She even sees several plants of gloiopeltis growing between the red corals. Gloiopeltis is a kind of spirited herb of the nature of water. It mostly lives in the deep sea around the cave of sharks. Lin is not sure whether there are sharks in Dongting Lake, but the gloiopeltis is precious for cultivators. It is planted here only for the view… The dragons must be rich and powerful.

Why did the dragons disappear? Lin Luoran is in a daze. The phoenix, the Kylin, and all the other mythical creatures on earth have all disappeared.

A fire phoenix lives in Lin’s s.p.a.ce. Has it already been in the s.p.a.ce before the disappearance of its nationality? The previous owner of the bead was able to catch a phoenix and put it in his s.p.a.ce… He must be extremely powerful. Lin looks up to him.

The leaves of the gloiopeltis are purple, which implies that the plant has been there for a very long time. Of course, Lin will not just walk away. She picks some of the plants and puts them into her s.p.a.ce.

After that, Lin finds that something brown is under the sand. She brushes off the sand and sees a broken clamsh.e.l.l. It is larger than a table. There is only half of the sh.e.l.l of the dead clam. A black pearl in the size of a baby’s fist is lying on the sand. Clearly, the pearl must be the product of the clam. In terms of quality and size, the black pearl is better than any other pearls in the Dragon Palace.

The dragons love treasures. They didn’t even take such a nice pearl when they left. They must be in a hurry.

What happened back then? The history of the State of Huaxia from the primitive time to the beginning of the Xia and Shang Dynasties is so mysterious.

Then what is missing in history book? Looking at the bead on her wrist, Lin Luoran thinks of its previous owner. He might have witnessed that prosperous time.

Lin puts these thoughts behind her. She puts the black pearl into her s.p.a.ce and starts to search the garden.

There is a strange tree covered by spikes. The tree has no leave. The sense of style of the Dragon King is so unique.

All of a sudden, Lin Luoran feels a sense of weirdness. The tree doesn’t fit the environment at all.

She reaches out her hand. Meanwhile, she hears a scream from the second floor. It is Rong Donglin’s voice. Is something bad happening to him?

Lin forgets about the tree and flies up to the second floor.

The windows are shaking because of the wind. The second floor is wide. Curtains flutter. Rong is nowhere to be found.

Lin walks to the third floor. There are seven floors in total and the lower floors are larger than the upper ones. Lin gets to the top floor within a few seconds.

It’s empty.

There is not a single furniture in the entire Sea-view Pavilion. Rong Donglin, a living person, just vanished!

This is so much like what happened to Baojia in the desert. Rong must have found something and triggered some kind of inhibition and was transported away.

s.h.i.+t! Lin blames herself for letting Rong be alone.

Even after the Dragon Palace is abandoned, it is not a safe place for anyone to go inside. Maybe the dragons didn’t want outsiders to come and ruin their house so they set traps before they left.

Lin only hopes that no other creatures live in the Dragon Palace now.

Especially, not those creatures like the “saintess” who likes to possess other people.

It can’t be, can it?

Lin Luoran is not sure.

While Lin is feeling upset, something on the roof flashes before her eyes.

The thing…looks like a telescope.

That’s right. This thing reminds Lin of a telescope, which shouldn’t exist in the Dragon Palace. Lin flies up and grabs the telescope. Suddenly, a chair shows up beside her.

Should she sit and watch?

Lin sits down carefully and looks into the telescope. What? Is there a shark?

The telescope can see outside of the pavilion. Lin tries to look at the lake.

When she thinks about this, the view of Dongting Lake appears in front of her eyes. Not one fis.h.i.+ng boat is on the lake. Lin a.s.sumes that the closed fis.h.i.+ng season has come. Then she sees Mount Jun and the tourists at the harbor.

Is there a chance that the telescope can help people see every corner of Dongting Lake?

While thinking about what she wants to see, Lin sees the crabs that are making nest under the lake and the dam on the lake through the telescope. She sees the fish swimming in the water and people walking along the bank… This is so amazing! Lin finally knows how the Dragon King used to observe his territory!

Through this telescope, the Dragon King can see everything that is happening in his territory without going outside!

Lin Luoran is stunned. Suddenly, something attracts her attention.

Liao is on his dirty little boat. He seems to notice that he is watched by someone. He looks around and smiles and waves to Lin!

Liao can see me?!

Lin Luoran is startled. The chair she is sitting on starts to shake. It is “attacking” her!

To be exact, maybe the chair has found out that the one sitting on it is not the Dragon King, so it throws Lin down!

In a hurry, the only thing Lin notices is that the pattern on the floor tile is weird. The second she falls on the ground, she disappears.

At the same time, the chair and the telescope disappear.

On the other side of the lake, Liao accidently drops his cigarette.

“What? Is this girl so timid?” Liao feels gloomy. He doesn’t realize that everybody would be more astonished if the same things happened to them.

“Liao, what are you talking about?” The closed fis.h.i.+ng season has come and the fishermen start to pack their things and prepare to leave the lake. The fishermen have house in the Yueyang City. Of course, they shouldn’t leave on the lake anymore during the closed fis.h.i.+ng season. They will come back in summer and start fis.h.i.+ng again.

Liao puts out the cigarette and says, “Huasheng’s dad, I asked you whether you want to buy my boat.”

Huasheng’s dad is surprised, “Are you giving up fis.h.i.+ng? What would you live by?”

Liao glares, “Nonsense! I have children, ok? They will support me!”

This is the first time Liao ever talks about his children… The other fishermen are all excited. They have been fis.h.i.+ng together for so many years. They congratulate Liao for leaving the lake and going to enjoy his remaining years in happiness.

In the end, Huasheng’s dad buys Liao’s boat for 1,000 yuan. Later, Liao leaves Dongting Lake and never comes back again.

Other fishermen sometimes blame Liao for never coming back to see them, yet they feel happy for him.

After all, Liao has worked as a fisherman for sixty years.

Liao is happy. He smiles gladly when he leaves. He even gives all of his daily life supplies on the boat to his friends.

He waves goodbye to everyone and leaves.

Liao feels so relaxed after he finally fulfilled his mission.

********

The Sea-view Pavilion is quiet. The curtains flutter when there is no wind.

An appears on the seventh floor.

He seems to be standing there for a long time. His feet are numb.

“Isn’t Master Lin trying to test me? Where did she go?” An frowns.

He has been following Lin along the way here. He managed to hide his trace by using a magic figure. He saw Lin disappear with his own eyes and he thought that Lin has found out she was being followed and used a trick.

An waits for half a day and Lin doesn’t show up. He comes out of the dark.

Staring at the floor tile, An is immersed in thoughts. Suddenly, he stamps on the tile.

Pah— He is still standing there. Nothing strange happens.

This is so strange. How did Lin disappear?