Chapter 1 What Does This Mean?

"What does this mean?" Everyone naturally noticed the triangle, its interior filled with red paint, unique on the entire map.

Yao Shunyu paused, then replied, "I asked the old shopkeeper at the bookstore, and he said he didn't know what it meant. The map was like this when he acquired it. He thought it was an old item and sold it cheaply, so he kept it."

"When did this happen?" Zhu Jie asked, looking at him.

"The old shopkeeper said he couldn't remember, but it must have been a few years," Yao Shunyu recalled what the old shopkeeper had told him, nodding.

The fatty swallowed, asking cautiously, "I read in a book that there's a Bermuda Triangle in the Atlantic Ocean, and it's a scary place. Ships and planes often have accidents and disappear, with no trace of survivors or bodies. That area is called a forbidden zone for humanity, the place where God's halberd broke. Many unsolved mysteries happen there. It's said there are pyramids built by aliens underwater that can open time tunnels. Could this triangular area on Spring God Lake also..."

The fatty's remarks really embarrassed everyone. Jiang Cheng endured for a long time, but in the end, he was too embarrassed to correct the fatty. Zhang Qizheng, ever the serious one, coughed a couple of times, helping the fatty save face. "Brother Wang, you jest. The so-called Bermuda Triangle is just a gimmick. The real situation isn't as supernatural as the books make it out to be. However... Brother Wang's words have given us some new ideas."

"Do you remember the story told by Shopkeeper Qian, about the government soldiers disguised as bandits who kidnapped fishermen and went deep into the lake at night? Could that ghost building be located within the area marked by the triangle?" Zhu Jie gazed at the map, as if he had already seen through the strangeness of that Paradise Pavilion deep in the lake.

Everyone agreed that this was very likely.

Tang Qisheng stroked his chin, his expression turning strange. "If that's the case, then the person who drew this map also knew about the ghost building. Perhaps he was one of the people in the know back then."

"Not necessarily." Jiang Cheng placed both hands on the map, shaking his head slightly. "Perhaps the person who drew this map didn't know about the ghost building. I remember Shopkeeper Qian saying that the fishermen near Spring God Lake were very reluctant to sail their boats into the depths of the lake. They said the weather there was unpredictable. It might seem calm, but the weather could change suddenly, and if they didn't react quickly, their boats could be destroyed, and they could die. Marking it out could very well be a warning to later generations not to venture too far into Spring God Lake, that the triangular area has complex water conditions."

Compared to Tang Qisheng's guess, everyone thought Jiang Cheng's guess was more plausible and practical.

Tang Qisheng flipped the map over but couldn't find the name of the map's creator. He ran his hand over the material used for the map, his eyes narrowing involuntarily. "Although it looks old, the material is good, and the workmanship is exquisite. This is definitely not something an ordinary family would have the energy or financial resources to make. It must have come from a wealthy family. It's a pity there's no name left behind; otherwise, it could have been a clue."

"What's this?"

The moment Tang Qisheng put down the map, the fatty suddenly shouted. He pointed to a corner of the map, but looking there, there was nothing to be seen.

The fatty carefully lifted the damaged map, slowly bringing it closer to the candlelight on the table. Looking through the light, something actually appeared in that spot.

Everyone crowded together to look. It wasn't a word but something like a simple drawing, a few simple lines combined together, not showing any practical meaning, more like some kind of totem.

"What does this thing represent?" Li Bai widened his eyes. This discovery was truly unexpected.

But Tang Qisheng quietly nudged his partner Zhu Jie with his elbow, then glanced at the fatty's location out of the corner of his eye. Zhu Jie nodded slightly, his eyes full of vigilance.

This Wang Fugui was indeed not simple. Spouting the dumbest opinions, yet able to discover the most hidden clues. To say it was accidental or luck, Tang Qisheng and Zhu Jie, these two old hands, wouldn't believe it. This was clearly playing dumb to get the better of someone.

Jiang Cheng noticed that Zhang Qizheng's expression was strange, so he asked, "Mr. Zhang, have you noticed something?"

The oldest Zhang Qisheng hesitated for a moment, first shaking his head, then inadvertently nodding. This confused everyone. Fortunately, Zhang Qisheng finally spoke, saying, "I don't know if what I'm saying is right. I heard a saying a long time ago that some maps with special functions can't be signed. Once a name is written on them, it's bad for the cartographer, so they choose to put their mark in a remote spot, or the totem of their family."

Mr. Zhang's statement didn't gain everyone's approval because no one had heard of a similar idea. Tang Qisheng shook his head bluntly. "Mr. Zhang, I've studied folk culture for a full 30 years and have achieved some success, but I've never heard of this saying you mentioned."

Mr. Zhang wasn't annoyed, just staring at the map, not knowing what he was thinking.

"Masters, you're all here."

Just as everyone was thinking, the sound of footsteps came from far to near, followed by General Yuwen's voice. Following the sound, General Yuwen walked in with a group of people, and Lu Qin and Shao Tong were actually among them.

The fatty and Tang Qisheng quickly formed a human wall, blocking the table. Yao Shunyu immediately rolled up the map and put it in his arms. It was impossible to let Shao Tong and Lu Qin know about this.

Originally, General Yuwen's keenness wouldn't have missed it, but he seemed not to care, with a faint smile on his lips, and his gaze towards Jiang Cheng and the others also revealed some strangeness.

"Sorry, we're late. We ran into General Yuwen as soon as we entered the door. What a coincidence," Lu Qin said, still with the same face. The slightly chubby face with glasses looked almost harmless.

General Yuwen smiled and replied, "This master is joking. You didn't run into me; you ran into our Lord. It's the masters who have a connection with our Lord."

Hearing this, Jiang Cheng raised an eyebrow, but his expression and tone were normal: "Is the Lord feeling better?"

"Thank you for your concern, masters. The Lord is feeling a little better. He's worried about tonight's spirit shifting ceremony, after all, it concerns the late Lady, and the masters should have already sensed the Lord's feelings for the late Lady. Such a large mansion, it took a lot of effort to build it in the first place. To say something irreverent, even the Lord's own mansion wasn't built with such care."

"Enough said, masters, please." General Yuwen raised his hand, inviting them. "The Lord is waiting for you outside the Yizhuang."