cover the sky

Chapter 2: Plain Questions

"In ancient times, people lived to be over a hundred years old, and their movements did not weaken." Ye Fan closed the "Huangdi Neijing" and felt a longing for the ancient times described in the Plain Questions.

As for the ancient times, there were no detailed and accurate written records. For the modern people, it was a period of history shrouded in endless mystery, giving rise to endless thoughts.

A gentle breeze blew, and a few plane trees in the courtyard swayed gently. The lush branches and leaves rustled, and the fresh air blew in through the window.

Ye Fan liked reading books about "curiosities." He brewed a cup of light green tea and continued to read the ancient book in his hands.

"Ordinary people could live over a hundred years without any signs of aging. What a mysterious ancient history the ancient times must have been..."

As for the age of ancient people mentioned in the Plain Questions, he, as a modern person, naturally wouldn't believe it. He was curious about why the ancient times were mentioned obscurely in many ancient books, as if there was a mysterious ancient civilization shrouded in endless mist that had disappeared in the long river of history.

Could there really be an unknown ancient history? After a brief reverie, he continued to read.

"Huangdi Neijing" is a treasure-level ancient book that was written thousands of years ago. It is one of the three great wonders of ancient China. Although the whole book cannot be entirely trusted, it can be said that it is generally of great value.

"Drawing on the power of heaven and earth, grasping the Yin and Yang, breathing the essence, maintaining the spirit, and keeping the muscles as one, one can live as long as heaven and earth, without an end. This is the way of life."

The ancient times mentioned many times in the Plain Questions, where people could understand the changes of heaven and earth, cultivate their essence, and achieve immortality, are simply unbelievable to modern people.

Unconsciously, the sun gradually set in the west, and the evening glow spread across the lawn and plane trees outside the window, casting a faint red glow on them.

Ye Fan put down the "Huangdi Neijing" in his hands and prepared to attend an important classmate reunion.

It had been three years since he left the university campus. Ye Fan stayed in the city after graduation, and the simple and pure student days were gone forever.

Three years was neither long nor short. Former classmates had already gone their separate ways, and everyone had their own different life trajectories.

The pleasant ringtone of his phone interrupted his thoughts. It was a call from his classmate Lin Jia, a very smart and beautiful woman who had moved to a neighboring city after graduation. With her exceptional skills, she had been promoted to department manager a year ago.

As soon as he pressed the answer key, he heard Lin Jia's teasing. She had shown excellent communication skills in college and easily built relationships with others.

"What, missing me?" Ye Fan replied casually.

There was a pleasant laughter from the other side, "I'm not quite sure about the location of the gathering, so I'll go with you later."

After agreeing on the meeting place, Ye Fan drove out. In college, he had pursued Lin Jia, but was tactfully informed that they were not suitable to be together.

Lin Jia was an incredibly beautiful and charming woman, but her intelligence and rationality surpassed her beauty. She knew clearly what she needed and how to achieve it, making her quite practical.

There were still ten minutes before the agreed time, so Ye Fan found a parking spot in front of Parkson Shopping Mall and then got out of the car to wait for Lin Jia on the roadside.

The entire city was bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, and many buildings were covered with a layer of pale golden light. The roads were filled with an endless stream of cars and pedestrians.

Seven or eight minutes later, a Toyota car stopped by the roadside, revealing a beautiful and delicate face. Lin Jia opened the door and walked over.

Ye Fan greeted her with a smile, "You even have a chauffeur."

"Don't tease me, I don't have a personal driver. That's our classmate Liu Yunzhi."

Although they had kept in touch over the three years since graduation, they had only met once two years ago. Lin Jia was as youthful and beautiful as ever, dressed casually in tight jeans and a purple t-shirt, which accentuated her slender and graceful figure.

"It's been over two years, how have you been?" Lin Jia's shoulder-length, shiny, and smooth hair framed her face. Her phoenix eyes, under the cover of long eyelashes, slanted slightly upward, giving her a unique charm that was enchanting and attractive.

"I'm good," Ye Fan smiled and joked, "Lin Jia, with your natural beauty, it's a pity not to pursue a career in the entertainment industry."

"Are you asking for a beating?" Lin Jia's laughter was charming, her phoenix eyes glanced at him, and her red lips were incredibly sensual and alluring.

At that moment, the window of the Toyota parked on the side of the road rolled down, revealing a familiar face in the driver's seat, their former classmate, Liu Yunzhi.

Like Ye Fan, he had stayed in the city after graduation. Thanks to the support of a somewhat influential relative, he had opened a company of modest size and was considered successful among his classmates.

Although they were in the same city, he had hardly any contact with Ye Fan, mainly due to a conflict during their university days.

Liu Yunzhi didn't get out of the car, he just smiled faintly and said, "Long time no see."

"Yeah. We should catch up sometime." Seeing that Liu Yunzhi didn't even get out of the car, Ye Fan greeted him indifferently.

"Did you take a taxi here?"

Feeling the obvious disdain, Ye Fan didn't bother to argue and casually responded.

Lin Jia was a very clever and smart woman, and she could naturally sense the atmosphere. She smiled at Ye Fan and said, "I called all our old classmates who are still in this city when I rushed over. Let's take Liu Yunzhi's car together."

Before Ye Fan could say anything, Liu Yunzhi spoke with a hint of apology, "I'm sorry, but I've already made arrangements to meet two other old classmates at the intersection ahead. It seems there won't be enough seats."

"No problem, you go ahead, and I'll be there soon." Ye Fan turned to Lin Jia and smiled, "Would you like to walk with me, or..."

As Lin Jia hesitated, Liu Yunzhi urged, "Beautiful Lin, you'd better take my car first, or I'm afraid I'll be drowned in saliva."

After standing on the roadside for a few minutes, Lin Jia expressed her apologies to Ye Fan. Under Liu Yunzhi's urging, she eventually got into the Toyota.

As the car window rolled up, Ye Fan faintly heard Liu Yunzhi's slightly disdainful whisper, "It's rush hour now, good luck getting a taxi!" And then, the Toyota sped away.

In the past, Ye Fan was also a prominent figure in the university campus. Today, being considered as someone who took a taxi, he naturally seemed a bit down on his luck compared to Liu Yunzhi.

As for someone like Liu Yunzhi, he simply ignored him. However, Lin Jia's performance did surprise him a bit.

Nevertheless, everyone has their own way of dealing with the world, and people inevitably have to live in reality, which naturally involves utilitarianism, self-esteem, vanity, and so on. Ye Fan didn't find it too repulsive.

The sun had already set below the horizon, and the blood-stained sky gradually dimmed. The entire city seemed to be draped in a layer of gray, with nightfall fast approaching.

At this moment, nine colossal dragon corpses were pulling a massive bronze coffin, suspended in the pitch-black and icy cold universe. This shocking scene seemed to be eternally frozen in place!

The astronauts on the International Space Station had already transmitted this earth-shattering information back to the ground, waiting for further instructions.