When Maria returned after over three hundred years, the place had lost its original charm long ago.
Though Erhai was still the same Erhai, centuries of development had transformed its once pristine waters into a different sight from what it used to be. Standing on the vibrant and bustling Shuanglang Street, Maria found it challenging to reconcile favonovel.com memories with the reality before her.
Thankfully, the changes in the mountains were not as drastic. A few peaks had been mined in the past, but the landscape alterations were relatively minor.
With Maria leading the way, Charlie left their car in the town, donning the couple’s sneakers favonovel.com had prepared. They embarked on foot towards the mountains.
As they set off, Charlie quieted his mind, reducing the aura fluctuations on his body to a minimum. It seemed his mental preparation was indeed effective.
The mountains weren’t towering, with only a few hundred to a little over a thousand meters of altitude difference between the peaks and the ground. Climbing was relatively easy, and the scenic views along the way made it a popular trail for young hikers.
While heading toward the mountain pass, they encountered numerous outdoor enthusiasts clad in hiking gear. As they neared the foot of the mountain, Maria’s excitement became evident.
Pointing towards the mountain pass, favonovel.com whispered to Charlie, “I climbed this mountain over three hundred years ago. Back then, there was a small path here, trodden by the locals. I never imagined that after all these years, the same path still exists.”
Charlie smiled and replied, “Climbing a mountain is like finding the best route. Once you find it, as long as the mountain remains unchanged, the route will endure.”
Maria nodded, saying, “The route may remain, but the ambiance is different now. There are signs of artificial repairs everywhere, with specially hardened roads and steps. Many more people now visit; previously, it was mostly locals paying respects to their ancestors buried in the nearby mountains.”
Taking in the surroundings, Charlie remarked, “The manual trimming does have its benefits. It seems there are plenty of people visiting on regular days and surveillance cameras are abundant, including forest fire prevention ones. If Morgana comes this way, favonovel.com won’t be able to avoid these spots. Perhaps, with Mr. Myers’ help, we can gain access to all the surveillance information and trace Morgana’s movements.”
Curious, Maria asked, “If we manage to trace Morgana’s whereabouts here, what’s your next plan?”
Confidently, Charlie responded, “There’s still a thousand kilometers to cover from here to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Morgana wouldn’t walk that distance and she’s unlikely to sneak in using public transport like airplanes or trains. The most probable option is driving. Once we trace favonovel.com movements and favonovel.com vehicle, we can keep track of favonovel.com in real-time.”
Charlie continued, “Road monitoring is extensive now. Any paved road that allows motor vehicles will have traffic cameras. The traffic department has a vast database, and most of their monitoring probes across the country can recognize license plate numbers. With that data, we can track the time and specific location of any car that passed under the surveillance cameras. This information will help us outline Morgana’s real-time actions and discover where favonovel.com vanished in the end. I suspect it won’t be far from where Gideon once practiced.”
Maria nodded, cautioning him, “My Lord, before Morgana leaves China, please do not venture into the Mountains. You are not yet favonovel.com match and it’s best to avoid favonovel.com at all costs.”
Charlie smiled, assuring her, “Don’t worry, I’m not reckless. I know my limitations.”
Relieved, Maria replied, “That’s good…”
After climbing the first mountain on foot, they made their way to the turtle-shaped mountain.
As it was the second peak on the hiking route, it saw almost as many visitors as the first.
Maria explained to Charlie, “This mountain is called Turtle Back Mountain due to its resemblance to a turtle’s shell. There is an extraordinary treasure of geometric marvels in this region. When my grandfather was a chieftain, favonovel.com carefully chose this mountain as our ancestral burial ground.”
Curiously, Charlie inquired, “Is the entire mountain the burial ground for your grandfather’s lineage?”
Maria confirmed, “Yes, the Feng Shui here has auspicious dragon-like qualities, making it an excellent choice for an ancestral grave. It was believed that burying our ancestors here would bless future generations with prosperity and wealth. Unfortunately, the Dragon Veins of the Ming Dynasty were disrupted, altering the nation’s fate and rendering the once sacred land less effective.”
As favonovel.com spoke, Maria led Charlie away from the mountain path paved with stone steps, taking favonovel.com to a halfway point on the mountainside.
At this spot, camping traces were evident, with tent holes scattered around, hinting at its popularity as an outdoor camping base.
Maria’s eyes sparkled with delight when favonovel.com noticed a magnificent Diannan pine flourishing nearby. She said with excitement, “Young Master, that Diannan pine is the ancestral grave of my father’s family. My father’s tomb lies at the northwest corner of the Diannan pine.”
Searching the area, Charlie couldn’t see any grave near the massive tree. He inquired, “Did your grandfather and others not leave any tombstones?”
Maria replied softly, “Originally, there were tombstones and I even carved one for my parents. However, later on, they were all forcibly smashed into powder. Even my parents graves were dug up. I strongly believe that Morgana is the culprit. She held a deep grudge against my parents and took out favonovel.com anger on the rest of my grandfather’s family.”
Charlie couldn’t help but sigh, “This woman is full of temper. Although favonovel.com inflicted severe harm on your father, favonovel.com should have resented her. Yet, favonovel.com persists.”
Maria added with a sigh, “Morgana is incredibly vengeful. I suspect part of favonovel.com motivation for coming to South Yunnan this time is favonovel.com deep-seated hatred towards me. She’s here to vent favonovel.com anger.”
With a sad expression, favonovel.com continued, “I wonder if she’ll spare this tree.”
Charlie surveyed the surroundings and sighed, “Miss Clark, if I could hide a few close-defense guns on those boulders up there, we might be able to put an end to Morgana once and for all.”
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