Chapter 285: A Mysterious Visitor and a Miracle in the Skies

Daoist Yougong?

Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng were taken aback.

Especially Luo Peng, who instinctively leaned back at the mere mention of Daoist Master Cangshan—clearly, the psychological shadow still loomed over him.

Hmm!

Didn’t he mention why he was here?

Snapping back to reality, Luo Peng couldn’t help but ask.

By the way, the foundation pit at Wuzhuang Temple was only halfway dug out. Once it was complete, Xu Hao would personally oversee the construction, leaving the two of them with no further involvement.

Chances are, this Daoist Master came specifically for Wuzhuang Temple.

“He didn’t say a word—just that he wanted to meet General Zhu!”

The staff member quickly added.

“Meet me?”

Zhu Qiang was momentarily taken aback.

Just a moment ago, when Daoist Master Cangshan was mentioned, he assumed the visit was for Luo Peng. After all, during the planning of Wuzhuang Temple’s construction, Luo Peng was the one handling the arrangements, and he had never dealt with the Daoist before.

Hmm!

“Alright then. Bring the Daoist to the meeting room; we’ll head over shortly.”

After a moment’s thought, Zhu Qiang said.

Guests are guests—might as well have a meeting while they’re here.

“Alright, General Zhu!”

Time flew by, and before they knew it, it was 7 PM.

At that moment,

it had been exactly 26 hours since the plane vanished. The trending topic online about its mysterious disappearance was gradually fading away. Just half an hour ago, a spokesperson from New Country Airlines held a press conference, promising to reach out to the passengers’ families and handle the aftermath.

Obviously,

by now, many had lost hope of the plane being recovered.

Over at the Ancient Building Courtyard, Xu Hao sat frowning at his computer. An hour earlier, Li Jue had learned of the incident and mentioned that a report had been submitted to the relevant authorities, urging Xu Hao to head to New Country as soon as possible.

“This really shouldn’t have happened!”

Ding-ling! Just as Xu Hao was about to make another trip to the rear hall of the Langya Mountain Altar, his phone suddenly rang urgently.

“Hm?”

He picked it up quickly to see a call from Xu Chen.

“Third Brother, Grandfather. Now–”

Before Xu Chen could continue, Xu Hao jumped in with a question.

He was most worried about Grandfather’s health, fearing he might not withstand this sudden blow.

“Old Six, Old Four, and Old Five have been reached!”

In the next moment, Xu Chen’s excited voice crackled through the phone.

“They’ve been reached? Has the plane been found?”

Hearing this, Xu Hao felt a surge of relief as his anxious heart finally eased.

It turned out

that his sixth sense wasn’t off, and the omen had proven true.

“Yes! Just over ten minutes ago, near a deserted island beach in the vicinity of New Country Airlines’ sea area, this flight was found! I just spoke with Old Four and Old Five. Everyone on board is safe! The airline’s preliminary assessment is that the plane experienced an in-flight malfunction and managed a lucky emergency landing on the beach.

They couldn’t establish communication on that uninhabited island until satellites picked up some clues, which led to the discovery of the plane!”

Xu Chen’s voice brimmed with disbelief.

He continued, noting that even an emergency landing at an airport carries great risks—let alone a landing on a beach! Even more miraculous, apart from some wing damage, all passengers remained unharmed. “So, what about Old Four and Old Five?”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Hao asked further.

“The airline just called to say that the passengers, overwhelmed by shock, are now undergoing psychological treatment and won’t return for a few days.”

Xu Chen replied immediately.

“Psychologists?”

Xu Hao was puzzled.

In theory, passengers should be reunited with their families as soon as possible—that’s the best way to put them at ease.

“Exactly! As long as everyone is safe, whether the treatment takes a few days or even a couple of months, it’s fine. Besides, when I called Old Four and Old Five, I found out they too need some psychological counseling.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Xu Chen added.

“Are they just too shocked?”

Xu Hao frowned.

“They must be. I called to ask how the plane ended up landing on that deserted island beach, and they said everything was normal until a passenger by the window suddenly noticed numerous dark specks on the clouds. On closer inspection, it turned out to be an old man in a gray robe with a beard, flying midair wielding a sword. After that, they remembered nothing! By the time they woke up, the plane had already landed on the island!”

“What? An old man in gray flying by wielding a sword?”

Xu Hao was stunned.

“Yes, Old Four said that it wasn’t just her—every passenger, including the captain, saw it!”

“This…”

“I told her it must have been a hallucination—how could a person soar above the clouds wielding a sword? That only happens in xianxia dramas! But Old Four and Old Five insisted it wasn’t a hallucination, and even the captain reported it to the airline!”

Xu Chen then added.

“So what did the airline say?”

Xu Hao fell silent, choosing not to ask further about the sword-flying incident.

“The airline brought in experts who suggested it might have been an optical illusion—small water droplets and ice crystals in the air reflecting light, causing visual distortions that, combined with collective dizziness, led to hallucinations.”

“Oh, that makes sense!”

“Old Six, if that’s the case, you don’t need to come to New Country anymore. Focus on your work! Grandfather will surely wait for Old Four and Old Five to return. It’s a shame our family got all mixed up during the New Year.”

Xu Chen’s tone was cheerful, though tinged with regret.

“Well, that’s fine as long as everyone is safe! There’s plenty of time ahead.”

Xu Hao nodded.

Since everyone was safe, he reckoned there was no need to go over—after all, Mingsha City had plenty of work to keep him busy.

“Mm!”

Meanwhile, the passengers’ families had already learned the news.

About half an hour later, New Country Airlines’ announcement finally appeared on various online forums, sparking widespread discussion.

“I’m in awe! This is undoubtedly the biggest miracle of the century!”

“You said it. We all thought there was little hope for the passengers, yet not a single injury was reported. They merely suffered shock-induced hallucinations that can be remedied with some counseling.”

“Hallucinations are normal—anyone would be terrified!”

“No doubt about it. An emergency landing on a deserted beach would normally involve injuries; yet, there were none. I remember a landing at an airport once where several passengers were hurt.”

“Isn’t it miraculous?”

“At this moment, I truly believe in destiny.”

“But at the end of the day, as long as everyone is safe, that’s what matters.”

“Mm!”

“The passengers’ families must be the most thrilled.”

“Absolutely!”

Little did they know, just as online debates ramped up, Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng arrived at the Ancient Building Courtyard with Daoist Yougong.

At that moment,

seeing the news online left both of them elated. This miracle was crucial for Mingsha City; otherwise, many plans would be disrupted—and, most importantly, their own boss would take a hit! “Daoist Yougong, whether you represent Mingsha City in the competition isn’t up to us; it ultimately depends on our leaders!”

Snapping back to reality,

Luo Peng glanced at the Daoist by his side.

Just two hours earlier, they had met Daoist Yougong. He greeted them in a familiar manner, introducing himself and explaining his purpose—

he even performed two flawless tricks for Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng—one drawing water from an empty cup and another, the classic ‘Three Immortals Enter the Cave.’ He mentioned he could perform several traditional magic tricks, both grand and small; these were just small feats.

Thus,

feeling both surprised and intrigued, Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng decided to introduce Daoist Yougong to Xu Hao.

After all, the final decision for the magic competition rests with Xu Hao. Although the Daoist seemed competent, even ordinary performers of traditional tricks can execute them flawlessly—the true extent of his abilities remains to be seen.

Moreover, the Daoist claimed to be an old acquaintance of Daoist Master Cangshan and asserted that if Mingsha City granted him the opportunity to compete, he could even help with the construction of Wuzhuang Temple!

And that brought them to this very moment.

“Alright, thank you, both of you bosses!”

Daoist Yougong nodded in agreement.

“After you!”

“Brother Hao, this is Daoist Yougong.”

A few minutes later, the three arrived at the meeting room, where Luo Peng recounted Daoist Yougong’s background in detail—he had already phoned Xu Hao on the way.

“Greetings, Daoist. I’m Xu Hao!”

He nodded.

Xu Hao couldn’t help but size up Daoist Yougong, a fleeting trace of doubt passing through his eyes as he noted the robe and beard.

“Greetings, City Master. I am the venerable Daoist Yougong!”

As Xu Hao scrutinized Daoist Yougong, the latter returned the look. His eyes even showed an unusual glint—almost a trace of fear. If not for Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng nearby, he would have surely pressed for answers.

“I heard you want to represent Mingsha City in the International Magic Competition?”

Once everyone was seated and Daoist Yougong had been served a cup of tea, Xu Hao spoke up.

“Indeed! You see, I already performed some traditional magic for both our leaders, and if you participate, I can even help repair Wuzhuang Temple.”

Snapping back,

Daoist Yougong quickly interjected.

“Oh, Qiangzi, Little Luo! The Daoist and I will discuss matters here while you prepare things at Small Lake. If all goes well, we’ll deploy all machinery for excavation as early as tomorrow!”

After a brief pause,

Xu Hao first nodded in acknowledgment, then turned his attention to Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng.

“Alright, Brother Hao!”

At his words, Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng immediately rose.

They didn’t think twice—after all, work awaited! “Mm!”

After a moment,

once Zhu Qiang and Luo Peng had left, only Daoist Yougong and Xu Hao remained in the meeting room.

“Daoist, how did you make it here? I heard from President Zhu that your dojo is located on the southwest frontier of Long Kingdom, over two thousand kilometers away. It must have taken a lot of effort!”

Xu Hao smiled as he looked at Daoist Yougong.

“Me? I took a train and then a bus! It was quite a journey, and the Spring Festival travel rush made it even tougher!”

Daoist Yougong chuckled awkwardly upon hearing this.

“I was wondering why you were so dusty—turns out, it was the crowded train ride. Anyone might have thought you just emerged from a desert.”

Xu Hao sipped his tea and laughed again.

P.S.: Guys, the plot has reached a deadlock. To avoid censorship, even Lao Ba must keep his head down. The protagonist’s status has hit the ceiling, and the opponents are already at the top—we simply can’t introduce any higher beings.

Continuing would only rehash clichéd background-building plots. Moreover, as Mingsha City grows, the protagonist’s inability to level up further will only limit his actions and cause more frustration—I believe you all understand.

So, we’ll have to find alternative ways to advance the city’s development storyline.

But rest assured, infrastructure remains the main focus of this book. The map won’t change—Mingsha City will continue to evolve, and various marvels will keep unfolding.