Liu Peng waved him off. The site manager looked as if he had just been granted a royal pardon, turning and hurrying back toward the iron fencing with a step much lighter than when he had arrived.
Liu Peng stood there, watching the man’s retreating back as he muttered, “Useless. Can’t even handle a simple thing like this.”
He then adjusted his collar, turned, and walked back to Gu Huaian’s side, his face once again composed, as if nothing had happened.
Su Wan, standing not far away, had witnessed the entire exchange.
Watching the site manager’s hurried departure, she began to follow him.
Su Wan trailed behind the site manager, walking along an inconspicuous path near the edge of the iron fencing.
The fencing opened into a narrow gate here. The gate was made of the same tin plating and color as the surrounding fence, making it nearly impossible to spot unless one was looking closely.
There were no security guards at the entrance, only two men in work clothes squatting in the shade and smoking. When they saw the site manager approaching, they quickly stood up.
“Li Gong,” one of the men said, stubbing out his cigarette and nodding obsequiously.
The site manager, addressed as Li Gong, gave a curt grunt and walked straight through the narrow gate without stopping.
Su Wan followed a short distance behind him, walking in quite openly.
The two men at the gate merely glanced at her and did not stop her.
They likely assumed she was someone Li Gong had brought along.
Passing through the narrow gate, the view suddenly opened up.
Su Wan’s footsteps paused for a moment.
Before her was a stretch of land even more open than the area outside. The weeds had already been cleared, revealing the grayish-brown soil beneath.
At the far end of the clearing, near the edge of the plot, stood a temple.
Su Wan’s gaze fell upon the temple, and her feet came to an involuntary halt.
The temple didn't look particularly large.
It featured gray-blue brick walls and a roof in the traditional Yingshan-style. The gray tiles were layered thick, though several corners were damaged, exposing the blackened wooden rafters underneath.
There was no plaque or any writing above the temple’s entrance.
In front of the temple stood an old locust tree with a thick trunk and a canopy like a massive umbrella. Its roots bulged from the soil, gnarled and twisting. Several roots had even extended into the stone cracks of the temple’s foundation, as if the tree were using its entire body to hold the small structure in a firm embrace.
As Su Wan looked at the temple, an indescribable sense of incongruity welled up within her.
It was as if this temple didn’t belong here.
Yet, the moment she saw it, a powerful urge to investigate surged in her heart.
She desperately wanted to use her mental power to see exactly what was so special about this place.
However, remembering Zhou Yuanqi’s presence, Su Wan suppressed the desire.
If she leaked even a sliver of energy fluctuation, someone with his Level 4 strength might be able to catch it.
The temple was located very close to the edge of the plot. Less than two hundred meters to the north was a village road.
Across that road was a scattered collection of houses with white walls and gray tiles, arranged in a staggered fashion. This appeared to be the village the site manager had mentioned.
The temple was so close to the village that one could see the tops of several old camphor trees at the village entrance from the temple’s front door.
Su Wan withdrew her gaze and continued following Li Gong forward.
The closer they got, the noisier it became.
The roar of machinery, the shouting of the crowd, and the constant sound of arguing merged into one, like a boiling pot of porridge bubbling over with steam.
The clearing in front of the temple was packed with people.
Men and women, young and old—there were at least a hundred of them.
Some held hoes and carrying poles, some held children, and others leaned on canes, surrounding the temple entrance so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Several excavators were parked on the periphery of the crowd, their cabins empty. Something black and oily had been splashed onto the ground in front of the treads, emitting a pungent odor.
Sitting on the treads of the foremost excavator were three elderly women. They sat cross-legged with their arms folded, staring straight ahead with expressionless faces, looking like three rooted stone statues.
Li Gong had already squeezed into the crowd and was speaking to an old man wearing an old-fashioned Zhongshan suit. His expression was sincere, and his posture was humble.
The old man’s face was cold and hard as he shook his head, his lips moving as he spoke. Though Su Wan couldn't hear him, the constant shaking of his head and his furrowed brow made it clear there was no sign of him relenting.
Su Wan stopped at the edge of the crowd. From a distance of about a dozen meters, her gaze traveled over the shifting heads and landed on the temple.
Now that she was closer, the sense of incongruity did not fade; instead, it grew stronger.
The intense feeling of attraction also became increasingly severe.
Su Wan was almost at the point where she could no longer control herself.
Just then, a slight breeze blew from the direction of the temple, brushing against her cheek.
Su Wan’s body suddenly froze.
Accompanying the breeze was a scent.
The scent was very faint—so faint that if her five senses hadn't been enhanced to Level 4, she wouldn't have been able to catch it at all.
But now, the scent was incredibly clear in her nostrils.
It was the unique scent of the Apocalyptic Plane!
Su Wan was all too familiar with this scent.
Aside from the Apocalyptic Plane itself, she had only smelled it in one place on Blue Star: Room 102 of Jinxiu Garden where she lived.
And now, in this dilapidated little temple in the wilderness on the outskirts of Jiangcheng, she had smelled it again.
Su Wan’s heart gave a sudden thud. Almost at the same instant, the long-silent system notification exploded in the depths of her consciousness.
【Ding—!】
【Travel anchor point detected! Coordinates: Blue Star, China, Jiangcheng, edge of North City Industrial Zone, inside unnamed temple building.】
【Anchor Point Level: Level 2 (Stable).】
【Description: This anchor point has a stable spatial channel connection to the Apocalyptic Plane. The energy fluctuation frequency is highly consistent with Room 102 of Jinxiu Garden where the host resides.】
【The host can freely travel between Blue Star and the Apocalyptic Plane through this anchor point.】
【Note: This is a Blue Star native anchor point, not system-generated. Its stability and safety have not been verified by the system. The host is advised to use it with caution.】
Su Wan stood in place, motionless.
Her gaze remained fixed on the temple, her pupils trembling slightly.
Could this be the anchor point the Yuansou organization is looking for?
To think there’s another anchor point on Blue Star just like Room 102!
It seems Yuansou was willing to get this land at any cost for the sake of this anchor point.
The so-called “Guixu Project” is likely centered around this location.
At that moment, Su Wan suddenly sensed a surge of energy.
The fluctuation came without warning, like an invisible wind sweeping over her. It was incredibly fast, gone in the blink of an eye.
Su Wan’s heart tightened. She immediately held her breath and focused, completely retracting all the mental power within her body.
The energy fluctuation swept over everyone and then moved off into the distance.
Just as Su Wan let out a sigh of relief—
The energy fluctuation swept back. This time, it didn't leave; it remained fixed on this area.
Rate on N.U.
