After a brief survey of the room, Feng Yi walked along the interior walls once more but still couldn't find the so-called ancestral scroll.
...the ancestral scroll...
Where could the ancestral scroll be?
As he muttered to himself, his gaze settled on a circular area in the middle of the room.
Upon closer inspection, he realized it was not a mere circle but a snake biting its own tail, forming a ring.
And as Feng Yi stepped into this circle, the coin amulet he wore around his neck automatically rose into the air.
The side of the coin with the snake pattern emitted a blue light, and at the same time, a high-frequency sound emanated from it.
Feng Yi heard it only vaguely because the high-frequency sound, after the initial short burst, gradually exceeded the frequency his ears could perceive.
Simultaneously, not far from him, a column rose about one meter high from the ground, with a seamless stone shaft unfolding an upper slab, supporting something resembling a book.
It only resembled a book because its covering looked incredibly strange!
Snake skin!
He might not identify other types of skin, but he would never mistake snake skin!
He had never seen such a pattern, but unlike the feel of Lu Yue's wallet, it didn't seem like the skin was directly stripped off; rather, it seemed to shed off automatically...
Serpent shedding!
Feng Yi even imagined what size of a snake would have such a pattern of scales!
No, that's not where his focus should be right now!
Looking at the zodiac coin still emitting blue light and maintaining its suspended state, then at the column that seemed to seamlessly grow from the ground, and finally, his gaze converged on the book upon the column.
He didn't know what material it was made of, ancient yet possessing an indescribable aura that made one's scalp tingle.
The book's pages turned automatically, flipping rapidly.
Feng Yi didn't see clearly what was written inside, discerning only that each page contained just a few words, varying in length, with different fonts and brushwork.
Were these the signatures the old butler spoke of?
Was this the ancestral scroll?
"This ancestral scroll...is very different from the one I had in mind," Feng Yi said.
Even if one were slow to catch on or typically uninterested in cutting-edge technology, Feng Yi knew that what was laid before him was not something ordinary people would encounter!
At this moment, Feng Yi realized the gravity of the situation he found himself in!
He stood frozen, every hair on his body standing on end.
Fear comes from the unknown.
He also realized that before him lay a path he had never contemplated or understood before.
He had a feeling, no, it was more like an instinct.
An instinct about what to do.
Just like a hen incubating eggs, a bird building a nest, a spider weaving a web, a bee making honey.
Innate knowledge!
It was memory etched into his genes!
If this "ancestral scroll" could be likened to a door, then the moment he signed his name, it was as if he truly opened the door to the unknown.
The "ancestral scroll" stopped flipping its pages, and a blank page opened up.
Feng Yi extended his hand and wrote his name on the open page with his index finger.
As the last stroke was made,
It was as if a mist suddenly dispersed.
Through the mist, Feng Yi saw a blurry shadow, like a coiled snake.
His consciousness gradually slipped from his control, as if he were running back and forth on the edge of ancient and future, dream and reality.
Just beyond the wall.
Mute Uncle stood quietly at the door, his phone buzzing with new message alerts. They could be from online card game buddies or acquaintances from the towns at the base of the mountain, but at this moment, he paid no attention to his mobile phone, completely ignoring its notifications.
After waiting for a bit longer, Mute Uncle cracked a silent smile, stretched lazily, glanced at the sky, and then took out his phone to send messages to several chat groups:
"The weather on the mountain will change tonight, with strong winds and rain. Descend early, don't go to the summit, those living on the mountainside should bring in all valuable outdoor items, herd the chickens and ducks into cages early, lock all doors and windows at night, park the cars in the garages, and stay inside if not necessary. No worries for those at the foot of the mountain, just fetch your laundry early; the air is heavy with moisture."
These groups consisted of residents and workers living in or near the mountain area.
On seeing Mute Uncle's message, there was a stir of activity.
"Really? The weather forecast said it's supposed to be sunny these days."
"Weather in the mountains changes fast. Mute Uncle is an old-timer on Xiao Feng Mountain, he's always right."
"My new waterproof car mats still smell a bit; they're under the eaves to air out for a few days. Do I need to bring them inside too? I'm staying on the mountainside tonight."
"Better bring them in. Didn't you see Mute Uncle say there will be strong winds tonight? What if they get blown away? Even if they don't, it's not great having all the mountain's dirt and dead leaves blown onto them."
People chatted in the groups as they found the time, and some even glanced at the sky outside.
"Not a cloud in sight, can there really be rain?"
It wasn't that they didn't believe Mute Uncle; anyone who had lived or worked on Xiao Feng Mountain for a while knew that Mute Uncle was remarkably accurate with weather predictions, far more so than any smartphone weather app.
Still, since Mute Uncle's warning seemed exaggerated this time, many harbored doubts.
As time passed, everyone began to notice something was off with the weather.
"Is it getting dark too early today?"
"Woke up from a nap to find the sunny day turned cloudy."
"It really is changing, the air feels heavy with water. My outdoor humidity meter has been sending me alerts all evening."
"Mountain weather is unpredictable. Let's listen to Mute Uncle and get moving!"
By nightfall, those who remained on the mountainside, eating their dinner and looking out from their windows, found the visibility reduced to less than five meters.
Turning on the courtyard light, nothing was visible.
"What dense fog!"
"Does fog necessarily mean rain?"
"That depends on whether it meets the conditions for rain formation. There's a type of fog called 'pre-frontal fog.'"
"Really? This kind of fog, at this time of year? Isn't that unusual?"
"Doesn't matter if it's normal or not, I'm going to record a video first!"
As that person spoke, they picked up their phone, opened the door, and began to record the scene outside.
"The snakes by the fence are gone!"
Normally, the audacious king ratsnakes that dominated the night were now nowhere to be seen. All that could be heard was the rustling of leaves in the wind.
The wind grew stronger.
Raindrops smacked against faces, the sting was sharp and painful.
The fog did not disperse, the moisture did not all turn into raindrops.
The excessively high humidity made breathing increasingly uncomfortable.
Unable to bear it, the person reluctantly retreated back into the house.
Soon, the rain intensified, and driven by the strong winds, it hammered against the windows with a clattering noise.
The mobile phone signal dropped from full bars to just one.
In a place they couldn't see.
The clouds in the sky thickened and pressed down from above!
Rolling thunder sounded as though a giant beast was trampling overhead.
The fierce wind swept up the water mist, rampaging violently through the mountains.