Chapter 344: Mysteries of Mingsha: Unexpected Wonders

At this moment

Not only were countless live-stream viewers stunned, but so were Feng Xiangcai and Shi Yun from Fengdu Scenic Area.

They had been convinced that Mingsha City would be ruined by the dust storm, and now they were watching the live broadcast from the office.

“General Feng, how… how is this even possible!”

It wasn’t until much later that Shi Yun finally looked toward Feng Xiangcai.

Simply put,

in the live feed, Mingsha Fudi still looked as ethereal as ever, with its three lush central islands completely unaffected.

And that wasn’t all.

Through the mist, a red-crowned crane soared by—appearing noticeably larger than before—and more lotus leaves had spread over the lake.

Occasionally, golden carp leaped from the water, and along the shoreline of the central island, clusters of green bamboo now stood tall.

Especially since neither the golden carp nor the bamboo had been seen before.

Standing on the boat, one could easily feel as though a fairy tale had come to life.

“It’s clearly just dusty weather, so where did all this white fog come from? The air around Mingsha Ge and the islands is much fresher than elsewhere.”

Across from his desk, Feng Xiangcai felt as if he were losing his ability to think.

No one could fathom such a contrast—if Mingsha Fudi was even slightly affected, it might have been easier to accept. But instead…

Mingsha Fudi wasn’t damaged at all; it looked even more beautiful. Ridiculous! They had even brought in an expert to model the expected billions in losses and declines in visitor numbers. “How did this happen?! It defies all logic!”

Shi Yun couldn’t help but glance back at the live feed.

“Could it be that the streamer used beauty filters and effects? That would explain these visuals!”

After a long pause,

Feng Xiangcai spoke up again.

He desperately needed a reason he could believe in.

“Beauty filters and effects?”

Noticing a change in expression, Shi Yun replied, “General Feng, nearly every short video host uses beauty filters. Sometimes the scenery in videos looks several times more stunning than in real life. Many trendy spots have become famous precisely because of that.”

But

“But what?”

“If beauty filters can explain the appearance of the island and Mingsha Ge, then how do you account for the white mist encircling the islands?”

Shi Yun stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“With heavy filtering, even tawny, dusty haze can be transformed into pure white.”

Feng Xiangcai smirked slightly.

Modern beauty filters are practically as miraculous as ancient disguise techniques.

“That does seem possible.”

“But even if the streamer used filters, the losses in Mingsha City are far below our predictions—at least the Qing bricks weren’t buried under dust!”

After a moment of silence,

Feng Xiangcai, though somewhat comforted, still wore an unmistakable expression of displeasure.

“Leader, what do we do now? If Mingsha City isn’t ruined this time, what will ever bring it down?”

As he spoke, a trace of worry appeared on Shi Yun’s face.

They had expected the dust storm, boosted by that ‘ticket’ tactic, to at least cripple Mingsha City by half.

Instead, it seemed only a minor superficial impact had occurred.

“What now?”

Smack! Feng Xiangcai drew a cigarette from his desk box, lit it, and continued,

“Let’s hire some internet trolls to flood the web with posts claiming that Mingsha City was severely affected—all an illusion created by beauty filters. And then, let’s rally support by hyping up the Technology Expo! With the expo moved up by two months, Mingsha City has been caught completely off guard.”

“Hype up Mingsha City? General Feng, what exactly do you mean?”

Shi Yun paused for a moment.

“It’s simple! Imagine you visit Mingsha City in early July. You see landmarks that exude majestic and otherworldly charm, yet the expo venue appears plain. What would that tell you?”

Feng Xiangcai narrowed his eyes slightly, “Wouldn’t you think Mingsha City favors its cultural legacy over technological progress? Many of these buildings were erected for the Cultural Expo and International Magic Competition, not for the Technology Expo.”

“General Feng, I get it now! You’re deliberately portraying Mingsha City as neglecting the Technology Expo to provoke discontent among the authorities?”

Shi Yun’s eyes brightened with understanding.

Anyone in charge of a scenic area knows how important face is! The Technology Expo is orchestrated by another department, entirely separate from the Ancient Architecture Research Institute.

Snapping back to reality, he added quickly, “I’ll get those trolls to start posting right away.”

“Mm!”

At his computer, Feng Xiangcai reassured himself as Sangou’s live stream also echoed similar questions from viewers.

“Beauty filters? Come on, friends! That can’t be it! Anyone who knows Sangou knows I’m all about keeping it real on my stream!”

Seeing this, Sangou immediately denied it.

“I’m just one of Sangou’s loyal fans! Other streamers might use filters, but Sangou never would.”

At that moment,

a few viewers jumped in with their own comments.

“But if no filters were used, then Mingsha Fudi is nothing short of miraculous.”

Some in the chat still expressed doubts.

“If you don’t believe it, come to Mingsha City right now! Sangou is a conscientious host—if you spot any differences between Mingsha Fudi and the live feed, I’ll cover your round-trip tickets!”

Then Sangou added,

“Umm, so how on earth did Mingsha City pull this off? Could it really be a divine land? If it is, I’m booking a stay at those guesthouses for at least six months.”

Sangou’s firm tone convinced nearly all the viewers.

“Divine or not, I’m sold. If it weren’t for the ‘Long Road of Life’ resort built behind Mingsha Fudi, I might even commit to living here. Just a leisurely stroll by the site would be a luxury—and who knows, it might even add a few years to your life.

And as for booking those guesthouses, at 8,000 a day, it’s not something ordinary folks can afford!”

Glancing back at the three islands, Sangou couldn’t help but express his amazement.

For some reason, he even felt a bit nervous, worried that his presence might disrupt this enchanting atmosphere. Watching from a distance was pure bliss.

“Host, why don’t we check out another location? I just can’t believe Mingsha City is completely unaffected!”

After several minutes of interaction, one viewer commented,

“Another location? Like Langya Mountain Altar? Or perhaps Mingsha Academy?”

Sangou paused for a moment.

“Forget it! If Mingsha Fudi isn’t affected, neither will the surrounding structures be!”

“I suspect that Mingsha Fudi’s survival is linked to its location. To the north is Entertainment City, south is Taiyi Hospital, west is Mingsha Academy, and east is the Qingming Scroll with its surrounding waterways. It all adds up.”

At the mention of these names, many viewers immediately dismissed Sangou’s suggestions.

“Then where should we go?”

Sangou pressed on,

“I think Lutai or Five Emperors City would be dull. Let’s head to the Xianxia Zone!”

At that moment, a viewer voiced his opinion,

“Xianxia Zone?”

“Exactly. The Xianxia Zone lacks city walls, and the areas around Demon-Locking Tower, Wuzhuang Temple, and Lanruo Temple were only fitted with temporary grass lattices last year—they’ve likely been smothered by sand.”

“Alright then, let’s head to the Xianxia Zone!”

Hearing the analysis, Sangou made a swift decision.

He was one of the first streamers to enter Mingsha City, and if he discovered sand-buried spots, it would certainly draw a fresh wave of viewers.

Thus, ten minutes later,

Sangou mounted his fast horse and set off for the Xianxia Zone!

“Friends, the situation here seems much graver than at the City Gate. The Xianxia Zone might indeed be affected.”

After passing Qixia Town,

as he rode along the Qing Brick Avenue toward the Xianxia Zone, Sangou’s expression suddenly changed as he began describing the scenery on either side of the road.

With no buildings lining the sides—only scenic trees had been planted—

at that moment, several staff members were busy clearing yellow sand from the avenue, while others were straightening tilted landscape trees battered by the dust.

“That’s more like it! Hurry on to the Xianxia Zone!”

Seeing this, many viewers urged immediately,

as the scene before them matched their earlier expectations and heightened their anticipation of what buried secrets the Xianxia Zone might hold.

They believed that if Mingsha City’s structures were indeed buried, centuries from now it might transform into the next ‘Loulan Ancient Kingdom’, silently bearing witness to history.

“Mm!”

“Let’s ride! Let’s ride! Let’s ride!”

Qixia Town was about thirteen kilometers from the Xianxia Zone, and the horses were not overly slow.

Half an hour later, Sangou finally reached a fork in the road within the Xianxia Zone. To the left lay Nanzhao Ancient City, while to the right were Demon-Locking Tower, Blood Lake, and Wuzhuang Temple.

“Whew!”

However, after a short distance along the right-hand path, Sangou abruptly pulled his reins.

“W-where is Demon-Locking Tower?”

He muttered to himself.

As a popular streamer from Wei City, Mingsha City had provided him with endless material over the years. Normally, a simple right turn at a sand dune would reveal Demon-Locking Tower by the side of Blood Lake. But today, not only was Demon-Locking Tower missing, Blood Lake and Wuzhuang Temple had vanished, replaced by a vast forest of Ten-Thousand-Year Pines.

Moreover, above the forest, a subtle wisp of purple aura drifted mysteriously—a truly enchanting sight.

If the first impression of Mingsha Fudi was one of ethereal beauty, then the sight of this forest evoked pure mysticism, as if hiding an earth-shattering secret.

“Host, what’s going on here?”

Stunned, not only was Sangou speechless, but his live stream viewers were equally dumbfounded.

“I really have no idea!”

“Then,”

“Let’s go check it out!”

Time flew, and before they knew it, it was nearly 6 PM.

As the dust subsided, Mingsha City’s western side was already bathed in a soft sunset glow,

and over in Haishi in the east, there was no worry of dust storms at all. But at that very moment, in the office of Dino Park’s president, Cole was utterly dumbfounded!

“What? Not only is Mingsha Fudi completely unaffected, but Wuzhuang Temple has been exalted by netizens?”

Snapping back to reality, his eyes betrayed nothing but disbelief.

He had been busy with matters at the Magic Academy these past few days. In his view, after the dust storm, he should only be waiting for good news. Yet, unexpectedly, he heard something ‘impossible’.

“Leader, a lot of netizens are now burning incense there, saying it can help their kids get into their dream universities.”

Across from his desk, his deputy Adam mumbled apologetically.

“What on earth is happening?”

The moment Cole heard this, his worry deepened.

Having spent many years in the Long Kingdom, he knew that for some parents, their children’s future was paramount. If the rumor that Wuzhuang Temple could secure university admissions spread, wouldn’t the place be packed?

And as for ticket prices? Forget 288—even slapping on another zero wouldn’t dissuade them.

“Leader, here’s the thing: at noon today, a streamer visited the Xianxia Zone in Mingsha City and suddenly discovered that, over time, a large number of tall pines and other evergreens had been planted, completely encircling Blood Lake, Demon-Locking Tower, and Wuzhuang Temple.”

Adam hurriedly explained.

“A lot?”

Cole paused for a moment.

“From afar, it looks like a vast forest taking up quite a bit of space. Now Lanruo Temple, Blood Lake, Demon-Locking Tower, and Wuzhuang Temple are all enveloped by these trees!”

“In just a few days, they’ve created an entire forest? How is that possible?”

Cole shook his head in disbelief.

“Leader, it seems plausible! Mingsha City is renowned for its rapid infrastructure work. I suspect these trees were planted specifically to combat the dust storm.”

Speaking of infrastructure,

Adam sighed deeply.

Mingsha City’s construction speed is legendary—some even call it ‘infrastructure on steroids’, surpassing all expectations.

Looking at the engineering team they hired, nothing could compare.

“But even if the trees were planted, how did Wuzhuang Temple end up becoming a hotspot for incensing by the public?”

After a long silence, Cole couldn’t help but ask again.

“Leader, this is truly mysterious! A streamer from afar saw a faint purple aura hovering above the forest and went to investigate—then, well…”

Little did they know that while Adam was explaining the situation around Wuzhuang Temple, at a construction site north of the Protectorate of West Liang in Mingsha City, Xu Hao picked up his phone with the screen lit and dialed.

“Leader, hello! This is Xu Hao from the Ancient Architecture Institute.”

“Xiao Xu, I’m calling not to cause trouble but to ask about the heated discussions on major forums this afternoon regarding what’s happening at Wuzhuang Temple in Mingsha City.”

In the next moment, a voice full of frustration, helplessness, and curiosity came through the phone.

“Wuzhuang Temple, I…”

Xu Hao scratched his head and shot a look at Luo Peng, who was nervously toiling away in the distance.

PS: Brothers, something urgent happened yesterday. I’ll return to normal updates tomorrow.