Chapter 626: The Location of the Red Dust Base

Chen Ling could not possibly misidentify this small town full of willow trees and peach blossoms.

This was the first place Chen Ling arrived at after reaching the Red Dust Domain. He still remembered that he was being chased by the Jester, ran all the way into the white flower fields of the Gray Realm, and fell into a coma on the spot because he couldn't find the entrance to the Red Dust Domain...

When he woke up, he was already in Willow Town.

Even now, Chen Ling still didn't know how he had suddenly moved from the Gray Realm to Willow Town... To enter the Red Dust Domain, one had to find the most inconspicuous flower in the field and perform certain actions. If he was in a coma at the time, who brought him to complete the ritual and enter the Red Dust?

Moreover, according to Li Qingshan, he had found him in a mountain forest in Willow Town, which was completely different from the starting point when Chen Ling entered the Red Dust Domain on his own... What caused this difference?

And why, out of the hundreds of towns in the Red Dust Domain, was it Willow Town???

Returning to Willow Town as a prisoner, more and more doubts surged in Chen Ling’s mind. He looked at the peaceful willow trees and the village, and everything suddenly seemed to be covered with a mysterious veil... His way of thinking was completely different from when he first entered the Red Dust Domain.

After arriving in Willow Town, Yang Muquan did not stop but walked along the damp bluestone path toward a certain direction.

If Red Dust Main City was now turned upside down and flowing with blood, Willow Town remained as peaceful as ever. The war at the center of the Red Dust Domain had no impact here. Willow catkins still danced in the wind, peach blossoms still bloomed on the embankments, curling smoke rose from the low white-tiled houses, and a cowherd boy passed Chen Ling on the bluestone path.

Chen Ling leaned against the comic frame, looking at this quiet little town, and suddenly felt as if a lifetime had passed...

"The Yang family generals sacrificed their lives to protect the nation, their loyal and heroic names will be praised for ten thousand years~~"

In a distant alley, the melodious sound of opera came from a radio. Perhaps the radio was a bit old, and the singing was accompanied by the crackling of static, which gave it even more charm amidst the misty rain.

Chen Ling turned to look and found that it was Li Qingshan’s house.

At this moment, Li Qingshan’s door was open. An old woman with white hair sat on a small stool with a radio beside her, picking vegetable leaves while occasionally singing along with the radio, shaking her head.

She didn't notice Yang Muquan passing by the door, and naturally didn't see Chen Ling, just singing to herself. The firewood beside her crackled and burned, and the fragrance of food wafted out.

Chen Ling only saw this much before he was carried past the door by Yang Muquan... It was also then that he realized this was the very road where Li Qingshan had found him and brought him home.

The willow trees on both sides swayed in the wind, the scent of earth filled the air, and familiar scenes flashed before his eyes. At this moment, Chen Ling felt as if he were back on Li Qingshan’s firewood cart, moving slowly in the exact opposite direction of the past.

"I seem to have... seen this scene somewhere before."

Chen Ling pondered, as if realizing something, and a memory suddenly surfaced in his mind.

……

"Sister Zhiwei! I brought you a gift!"

Yao Qing’s voice echoed in Chen Ling’s ears, and the embroidery in the exquisite gift box became clearer in his memory.

The scene in the embroidery gradually overlapped with everything around him, and at this moment, Chen Ling remembered the source of this familiarity.

August 9, 2024, Yao Qing to Sister Zhiwei:

——《Red Dust》.

……

Chen Ling remembered that when he first saw this embroidery, he was shocked by its similarity to Willow Town. At the time, he just thought the two were extremely similar, and combined with the inscription "Red Dust," he had almost confirmed Su Zhiwei’s identity.

But when Chen Ling walked this road again, he realized that it wasn't just "similar"... This road was exactly the same as the one embroidered on "Red Dust," even down to the number of willow trees by the road, the length of every willow leaf, and the outline of the mottled wall skin by the house—they were all identical!

But... how could this be possible?

How could an embroidery that appeared hundreds of years ago be completely similar to the current Willow Town? Even if someone deliberately arranged it this way, it couldn't be so accurate. After all, no one could control the height of these willow trees or the number of willow branches... And the appearance of willow trees would change with the seasons, how could it be exactly the same??

The moment he realized this, a chill ran down Chen Ling’s neck... Behind this seemingly insignificant detail lay too many secrets and unknowns, like a giant iceberg lurking beneath a calm sea.

This was definitely not a coincidence.

Just as Chen Ling’s brain was racing, Yang Muquan had walked along the bluestone path into a wild mountain forest.

This seemed to be the outskirts of Willow Town, with no sign of human life. Everywhere he looked, there were only dense trees and dead branches and leaves on the ground. The sun left light and shadow grids through the complex branches, like light and shadow codes covering the earth.

Yang Muquan arrived in the forest, stood still, and spoke calmly to the light and shadows interlaced between the branches:

"Eighth Hall, Yang Muquan, requesting return."

Chen Ling was stunned. He looked up at the sky in confusion. The next moment, the interlaced light and shadows in the forest suddenly seemed to come alive, concretizing into reachable lines, pulling open to both sides like a curtain!

Entering the Red Dust Base actually requires identity verification? But there didn't seem to be anyone else here. Who was he verifying with?

Successive questions flashed through Chen Ling’s mind. Then, Yang Muquan raised his hands and clapped them gently in front of his chest!

Clap—!

A feeling of the world spinning surged in his heart, and the scene before Chen Ling’s eyes distorted instantly.

Chen Ling was too familiar with this feeling. It was the same feeling he had when he crossed the edge of the domain and arrived at the Gray Realm from the Red Dust Domain... When he opened his eyes again, he saw the familiar white flower field before him.

"This is..." Chen Ling’s pupils contracted slightly.

Lead-gray clouds covered the sky, and the world seemed to be left with only black, white, and gray. Chen Ling’s bright red opera robe fluttered in the comic frame, and Yang Muquan had completely turned into a spotted character in a black-and-white film, standing quietly beside him.

Beside the two of them was an endless field of white flowers. As a breeze blew across the black earth, petals swirled around them...

The Gray Realm?!

The Red Dust Domain was not in Willow Town, nor was it even in the Red Dust Domain... but in the Gray Realm?

How could this be...

Chen Ling turned his head blankly and saw the small flower carrying the "Red Dust Domain" floating gently in the soil not far away... At this moment, a thought exploded like thunder in his mind!

"The more important something is, the more it will be hidden in an insignificant place."

"For Su Zhiwei, the most important thing is not her own life, nor the Red Dust Base..."

"But the Red Dust Domain."