Chapter 205: A Living Qingming Scroll

Well, every hour on the hour our team resets. At that moment, aerial panoramic photos are taken so that the leaders can meticulously compare our images with the Qingming Scroll!

When it was first completed, we even took a shot—the replication accuracy was over 99.7%.

Take a look. This is the earlier aerial shot.

He was asked.

Xu Hao nodded and pulled out his phone, opening the previous photos before handing it over.

“This…”

Upon hearing about the aerial photos, Li Jue and several other leaders immediately gathered around.

After a minute or two, when everyone looked up again, their gaze toward Xu Hao completely transformed—as if they were witnessing a marvel! Who but a phenomenon could replicate every blade of grass and tree so perfectly? Who in their right mind would expect that?

Even if someone imagined it, who could ever accomplish it?

The phone’s aerial shot was astonishingly similar to the Qingming Scroll.

“Dean Xu, can we do another aerial shot? Let us fully experience this living Qingming Scroll.”

The chief leader turned his gaze toward Xu Hao.

“No problem at all! I’ll have someone pull the boat over immediately.”

Xu Hao replied promptly.

“Thank you, Dean Xu. This truly is an eye-opening experience!”

The chief leader, visibly moved, surveyed both riverbanks. He was practically beside himself with excitement—he’d never imagined he’d get the chance to walk within a living Qingming Scroll in his lifetime.

“You’re too kind, Leader!”

Xu Hao smiled.

Meanwhile, a still-recovering Li Jue discreetly gave Xu Hao a thumbs-up.

At that moment, he completely understood.

That live rendition of the Qingming Scroll was truly Xu Hao’s masterstroke.

Honestly, with something like this, what expert could resist? Whether it’s the Ancient Architecture Academy or Mingsha Ancient City, success is guaranteed beyond doubt!

How ridiculous—he had worried all along.

They never see the forest for the trees! As the lead boat slowly docked, the following vessels drifted to the riverbank. Initially, the accompanying experts and leaders were puzzled, but once they realized they were walking through a living Qingming Scroll, they could hardly keep their composure.

One after another, they couldn’t resist stopping to snap photos—even the trees lining the riverbank deserved a snapshot.

And that wasn’t all.

Not only did the Qingming Scroll astonish the experts, it also amazed the on-site cameramen from three television stations.

While recording non-stop with their cameras, they couldn’t resist posting a status update.

“Walking through a living Qingming Scroll feels absolutely incredible!”

Almost immediately, the post drew a flurry of attention and inquiries from friends, many baffled and even wondering if the cameraman was losing his mind.

How can a real, living person possibly walk inside a Qingming Scroll?

Time flew by—it was three hours in a flash.

The expert and research teams, originally slated for the Protectorate of West Liang, continued to walk along the riverbanks, occasionally pulling out their phones for comparison.

“Director Wang, what do you think of the ancient structures here? Do they have what it takes to host an Ancient Architecture Academy?”

At that moment,

Cao Jun, in high spirits, turned his gaze to a man beside him.

At first, he shared the same excitement as Li Jue, but the moment he realized this was a Qingming Scroll, all his enthusiasm vanished.

Honestly, this masterstroke trumped the Yeguang Cup landing in Mingsha by leaps and bounds!

While the Yeguang Cup was certainly captivating, nothing could compare to the immersive, magical experience of walking through a Qingming Scroll. Every object—and every figure dressed in ancient costume—was part of the painting, making every backdrop social media gold for days.

“If a place can’t flawlessly replicate the Qingming Scroll, then what location is worthy? All other ancient architectural feats pale in comparison!”

The man glanced at Cao Jun with admiration.

“Shall we submit the relevant documents to you when we return?”

Hearing this, Cao Jun brightened and immediately added.

This man was in charge of university approvals—if he nodded in agreement, getting the Ancient Architecture Academy approved would be a breeze; all that remained was the bureaucratic process for funding.

He had mentioned it earlier simply to gauge the atmosphere.

“Hold on a minute!”

To Cao Jun’s surprise, the man shook his head upon hearing this.

“Huh? Didn’t you say Mingsha was qualified to host an Ancient Architecture Academy? Why…”

Cao Jun immediately asked in confusion.

“Dean Cao, don’t you think our scope and vision could be broader? Simply setting up an Ancient Architecture Academy here would be a real shame!”

The man looked at Cao Jun.

According to the plan previously submitted by the Ancient Architecture Research Institute, Mingsha would apply for an academy affiliated with the Institute that is qualified to confer undergraduate degrees, focusing on ancient construction and restoration with modest enrollment.

“A shame?”

Cao Jun paused.

“Well, haven’t you noticed that the traditional cultural atmosphere here far surpasses that of other places, especially as showcased in the Qingming Scroll?”

So I believe we can even introduce some derivative majors—like classical dance, ancient costume design, studies in traditional etiquette, and even archaeology—to further the legacy of our Long Kingdom’s traditional culture.

The man looked back at Cao Jun.

“I see!”

Cao Jun let out a long sigh of relief.

“And besides, Mingsha Tourism has plenty of projects, offering numerous job opportunities to graduates, breaking the cycle of unemployment that plagues some traditional fields.”

“That’s true!”

Cao Jun nodded slightly.

Previously, many universities had launched programs related to traditional culture design, but dismal employment rates meant no one enrolled, and eventually all were scrapped.

“Once we return to Yan City, let’s sit down and decide exactly which majors to offer. Naturally, funding for construction will also increase—but this time, it might mean a slight compromise for your Ancient Architecture Research Institute!”

The man added.

“Compromise us?”

“Exactly. In that case, calling the new institution ‘Ancient Architecture Academy’ might not be fitting. Mingsha Academy sounds much more appropriate.”

“Director Wang, that’s trivial! Call it Mingsha Academy, if you want.”

Hearing this, Cao Jun laughed, indicating it was perfectly fine.

No matter what this academy is called in the future, it will remain under the Long Kingdom Ancient Architecture Research Institute with Dean Xu at its helm, boasting top-notch programs in ancient restoration and construction. As for other majors, if the relevant departments approve, they’re ours to offer.

There are no walls that won’t leak secrets.

After the cameraman explained his reasoning in a social post, more and more people took notice and began sharing. Soon, even tourists on site whipped out their phones to compare.

At first, they didn’t pay much attention, but once comparisons were made, everyone was stunned—the cameraman’s post was completely validated.

And so,

tourists at the scene went wild, and the internet exploded with reactions!

Glancing at the breaking news on forums,

many netizens were left dumbfounded; some sat in stunned silence for over ten seconds before snapping back to reality—especially those who had already left after witnessing Mingsha Tourism’s earlier feat.

At that moment,

they couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out, “Damn, the ancient street I rushed over turned out to be a Qingming Scroll… I…”

Just last night,

they had happily declared that after visiting the Protectorate of West Liang and the Yeguang Cup, they had no regrets—only to now feel gut-wrenching remorse.

At that point, netizens began to realize that this was truly Mingsha Tourism’s trump card.

They were so misguided to think the Yeguang Cup was the main event! “That’s it—I must book my ticket to Mingsha tomorrow!”

“Mingsha Tourism, I hate you! Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”

“When you have something good, show it all off! What’s the point of hiding it? Now I’m wasting money on extra flights!”

Coming back to reality,

these netizens once again packed their bags for Mingsha.

Thus,

by 9 p.m., unsurprisingly, Mingsha Tourism had once again seized the top trending spot! What a feeling.

At this point, there was no need for a live broadcast of any opening ceremony or motivational speech—the cultural heritage forum on ancient architecture was a resounding success. Its impact on the youth far surpassed any lecture.

Of course,

netizens and tourists were ecstatic, and even members of the Ancient Architecture Institute were grinning from ear to ear—though not everyone was smiling. In Yan City, within the Director Association, Ding Xiaoping was ceaselessly massaging his temples.

He had barely managed after Mingsha Tourism’s Yeguang Cup incident yesterday, but the revelation of the Qingming Scroll now completely shattered his composure.

At that moment, a real sense of dread set in.

Had the film festival proceeded as planned, it would have lost all relevance by now.

“Are we still holding the film festival?”

After a long pause,

Ding Xiaoping looked up toward Bai Ming on the opposite side.

The impact of the Qingming Scroll was overwhelming—once something like this surfaces, its buzz won’t fade quickly. If Mingsha Tourism deliberately targets the film festival, there’s no way it can go ahead!

“Leader, the film festival must go on—there’s no way we can let it crash completely!”

Bai Ming took a deep breath.

“But how do you propose we do it now?”

Ding Xiaoping frowned deeply.

He now regretted that if the Director Association had softened its stance a bit back then, things might not have turned out this way.

“Leader, Mingsha Tourism’s hype will eventually fade—just like all the buzz from this forum. Soon, only an opening act will remain, and once that concludes, neither the experts’ meetings nor their discussions will capture public interest.”

Bai Ming spoke up hurriedly.

“Hype will fade? You’re underestimating Mingsha Tourism! Let’s not forget, they recently announced a new xianxia drama!”

Ding Xiaoping shook his head once more.

If Mingsha Tourism turns the xianxia drama into a big ordeal, it will steal the spotlight from the film festival once again.

“But Leader, if we abandon the film festival, the Director Association might lose all relevance—a blow that’s simply fatal. Mingsha Tourism won’t ever calm down on its own, and once the xianxia drama is over, who knows, they might even roll out a historical drama next.”

At that, Bai Ming instantly grew anxious.

In the current situation, Mingsha Tourism just won’t stop on its own.

“Won’t stop on its own? That gives me an idea. Hold on, let me think.”

He got up.

Ding Xiaoping rested his chin on one hand, deep in thought.

“Hmm? I’ve got it!”

A few minutes later,

he suddenly had a breakthrough as his eyes lit up.