Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 1174 Dragon Pattern

There were vendors in light blue dresses, and maids in light purple dresses. Some of them set up stalls to sell cloth, the cloth was brightly colored and embroidered with exquisite patterns; some carried loads on their shoulders to sell fruit, and there were many kinds of fruit. In addition to the light pink fruit in the Qinghe bamboo basket, there were also red and yellow fruits, exuding an alluring fragrance; others rode white horses on the road, the white horses had very soft hair, and the saddles were padded with colorful cushions. The women on horseback wore silver armor, and they must be soldiers from the city. When they saw Lin Yanzhi, they all stopped and looked at him curiously, their eyes full of surprise and curiosity, but no one came forward to watch. They just smiled from a distance, and occasionally whispered a few words to the people around them, their voices so soft that they couldn't hear what they were saying. Lin Yanzhi felt a little uncomfortable. He had never been watched by so many people before, especially the eyes of these women, which were pure and direct, without any malice, but made him feel a little helpless. "Don't mind, sir." Seeing his awkward expression, Qinghe explained with a smile, "People in the city haven't seen a man from another place for a long time, so they are curious. Since our Jinghua Territory was established three hundred years ago, no man has entered it - it's not that we exclude men, but this Liusha River is too dangerous and ordinary ships can't pass through it. In three hundred years, you are the first outsider to arrive here safely." Hearing this, Lin Yanzhi became even more confused: "Miss, I heard that women in Jinghua Territory can reproduce without relying on men. I wonder if this is true?" Qinghe nodded. He nodded, a hint of pride on his face. "That's right. The women of our Jinghua Domain all rely on the water of the 'Jinghua Spring' to reproduce. This Jinghua Spring was found by the immortals. When a woman reaches the age of eighteen, she only needs to go to the spring and drink the water. After three months, she will give birth to a child, and all the children she gives birth to are girls. Over time, the people in the city gradually forgot about the outside world and the existence of men. If I hadn't met you today, I'm afraid I would never see a man in my life." "Rely on spring water to reproduce?" Lin Yanzhi was stunned and almost dropped the bookcase in his hand. The ancient books he had read recorded all kinds of strange stories, but he had never seen anything so bizarre. He was about to ask where the "Jinghua Spring" was exactly and why the spring water had such magical effects, but he saw a magnificent palace appear in front of him. This palace was taller than any other building in the city. The roof was covered with golden tiles, which shone brightly in the sun. The eaves were carved with a phoenix pattern, its wings spread out, lifelike, as if it were about to take flight. The palace gate was made of red wood and inlaid with gold rivets. On either side of the gate stood eight maids in red dresses, their dresses embroidered with golden phoenixes and their hairpins adorned with golden hairpins. Upon seeing Qinghe, they immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Miss Qinghe, the queen is waiting in the palace. Please bring the foreign young man in." Qinghe turned to Lin Yanzhi and said, "Young master, the queen wants to see you. Please go in with them. The queen is a very kind person and will not embarrass you. I will wait for you outside the palace. If anything happens, you can call me at any time." Lin Yanzhi straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and suppressed his nervousness. He knew that by meeting the queen, he might learn more about the secrets of the Mirror Flower Realm and find a way to leave. He followed the maids into the palace, and the scene inside amazed him again. The hall was covered in a thick red carpet, silent underfoot. Embroidered with a lotus pattern, the lotus blossoms were pink, their leaves green, the workmanship exquisite, as if actual lotus flowers were blooming. The pillars were made of white jade, engraved with golden patterns similar to those on the city gates. Draped from the pillars were colorful gauze curtains, which fluttered gently in the wind like clouds. At the far end of the hall stood a platform, approximately two meters high. Atop it rested a white jade chair, its armrests shaped like phoenixes. The chair was covered in red cushions embroidered with golden dragon patterns. Lin Yanzhi was startled. Dragon patterns were a symbol of royalty in the Central Plains; he hadn't expected the queen of the Mirror Flower Realm to adorn her chair with dragon patterns. A woman sat on the white jade chair. She wore a bright yellow dress, its hem trailing on the ground. Embroidered with a golden phoenix, its eyes made of red gemstones, shimmered in the light. A phoenix hairpin, its tassels strung with pearls, swayed gently with her movements. Her face was bare of makeup, her skin as white as porcelain, her eyebrows and eyes as picturesque as a painting, her gaze as clear as a spring. She exuded a touch of royal majesty, yet concealed a touch of feminine gentleness. She looked like a fairy from a painting, one dared not look directly at her. "Young master from outside the region," the queen began to speak, her voice as clear and pleasant as the sound of a spring, yet with a touch of majesty. "I am the Queen of Mirror Flower Domain, Mingxi. I heard that you were lost here due to a storm and had a hard time on the way. Are you injured?" Lin Yanzhi hurriedly bowed, his movements standard and respectful: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. I am Lin Yanzhi, and I am fine. It's just that I know nothing about Mirror Flower Domain. I don't know where this place is, and I don't know the way back. I have important matters to attend to. If I can't return in time, I am afraid I will miss something important." He was telling the truth. He had not found the "Yujitu" yet, and he didn't know if his mother at home was safe. He had to leave here as soon as possible. When Mingxi heard this, a complex look flashed in his eyes. There was surprise, regret, and some difficult-to-speak emotions in that look. She was silent for a moment before she spoke slowly, her voice a little deeper than before: "Mr. Lin, it's not that I don't want to tell you the way back, but the channel of this Flowing Sand River is extremely special. Only once every three hundred years does a channel open to the outside world. The rest of the time, the river is riddled with reefs and whirlpools, making it impossible for ordinary ships to pass. Now, the channel to the outside world is closed. If you wish to leave, you must wait three hundred years." "Three hundred years?" Lin Yanzhi was horrified, stumbling and almost losing his balance. He looked up at Mingxi in disbelief, his voice trembling: "This... How is this possible? In three hundred years, I will have long since turned to dust. How can I wait until then? Queen, are you kidding me?" He preferred to believe it was a joke rather than accept the harsh reality - he was still young, with so much left to accomplish. He couldn't be trapped here until he died of old age. Mingxi looked at his anxious expression, a flicker of sympathy in her eyes. She stood up and walked down from the high platform with an elegant and slow pace. She walked to Lin Yanzhi and said softly, "Young Master, don't panic. I didn't lie to you. The navigation path of the Liusha River is a rule set by the immortals, and no one can change it. However, although the Mirror Flower Realm is isolated from the world, it is also peaceful and comfortable. There is no war or conflict in the outside world, and the people live and work in peace and prosperity.