Chapter 52

"Surrounded by water, the ancient city is embraced by the green mountains."

This was Zhang Tianyuan's first impression of Dali. The ancient city lies to the east of the rippling Erhai Lake and to the west of the evergreen Cangshan Mountains. Since 779, when King Yimou Xun of the Nanzhao Kingdom moved the capital to Yangjumei City, it has a history of 1,200 years of construction!

In Dali, the Bai people have a riddle poem that has been passed down through generations. The poem goes: "Insects enter the phoenix's nest but see no birds (wind), seven people have green grass on their heads (flowers); fine rain falls on the horizontal mountain (snow), half a friend is gone (moon)."

The answer to this riddle poem is Dali's most famous four scenes: "Xiaoguan Wind," "Shangguan Flowers," "Cangshan Snow," and "Erhai Moon."

Zhang Tianyuan had heard about these before, but he never really knew what the wind, flowers, snow, and moon were. This time, coming to Dali, he wanted to take a good look. Adventure is one thing, but since he was in the ancient city, it would be a shame not to explore it.

Because of the shooting, Wang Zhigang's attitude toward Zhang Tianyuan had improved a lot. The group put the equipment they needed in the military camp, then changed into civilian clothes and drove into the ancient city of Dali.

The three girls had a good rest in the military camp and were now full of energy. Lan Fenghuang was enthusiastically introducing the scenery inside and outside the city to Liu Mengxun and Mu Ying, looking quite proud, as if she had returned home.

Growing flowers and planting trees has become a traditional custom here. Every household has a garden of varying sizes, with famous Dali mountain tea and azaleas competing for beauty and blooming in the snow. Various red flowers and green leaves extend beyond the walls, forming flower alleys, and the fragrant flowers bloom all year round, permeating the entire city.

Clear spring water flows from the Cangshan Mountains into the city, passing through streets and alleys, washing away dirt and pollution. The tinkling sound of water can be heard everywhere, like the plucking of a three-stringed instrument. "Every household has flowing water, and every household grows flowers" is not an exaggeration.

"If conditions permit, I really want to stay here for a few more days; it's too beautiful." Liu Mengxun couldn't help but exclaim.

It's no wonder she felt this way. The ancient city of Dali is different from the big cities of Shangpu and Taiwan. There are fewer traces of modern development here. Coming here, you feel closer to nature, as if you've returned to an era where humans and nature coexist harmoniously.

Zhang Tianyuan could also feel it; his whole body and mind seemed to become more relaxed, and the smog in the air was noticeably less.

"Unfortunately, we came at the wrong time and missed the March Festival, the Three Spirits Festival, and the Torch Festival. Otherwise, we would have had even more fun," Lan Fenghuang said, shaking her head.

"Fenghuang, why don't you take us to eat something? Coming to Dali without trying the local cuisine would be a shame," Zhang Tianyuan said with a smile.

"No problem, I know a restaurant that serves authentic Yunnan cuisine. Let's go!"

Since driving around the city was a bit troublesome, Snake Lin and Wang Zhigang parked the car in a parking lot as soon as they entered the city. The group walked and enjoyed the scenery, which was quite interesting.

"Wow, what a strong wind!" Xu Gang was wearing a hat, but the wind blew it away.

"This is the famous Xiaoguan Wind of Dali. You may have heard that Dali is also known as the 'City of Wind.' Especially during this period, the wind is quite strong, so it's best to wear your hat tightly," Lan Fenghuang said with a smile.

The group helped Xu Gang chase down his hat, and they were all out of breath.

Fortunately, they had arrived at the restaurant Lan Fenghuang mentioned.

It was clear that the owner of the restaurant knew Lan Fenghuang and Snake Lin. They chatted in the local language for a while, and the owner was very热情.

"Come in, I've arranged a private room for you. Let's try the famous Three-Course Tea first!" Lan Fenghuang said with a smile.

"What is Three-Course Tea?" Xu Gang asked in surprise. "Is there such a tea? I've only heard of Longjing, Tieguanyin, and Biluochun, but not Three-Course Tea."

"Ah, if you don't work hard when you're young, you'll only regret it when you're old! You talk too much. The Three-Course Tea is a custom of the Bai people, used to entertain guests at weddings. Now it's also a feature of Dali, a kind of performance and tea art," Zhang Tianyuan said, shaking his head.

"But I've heard that the preparation of the Three-Course Tea is quite complicated. Usually, it's just three cups of tea served one by one. The first is bitter, the second is sweet, and the third is a reflection. After drinking, you might not feel the original meaning, which can be a bit disappointing," Mu Ying sighed.

"Don't worry, this is absolutely authentic Three-Course Tea. You don't come to Dali often, so we can't be casual about it," Lan Fenghuang said, leading the group into the private room of the restaurant.

The Three-Course Tea, as the name suggests, has three steps.

The first course is called "Bitter Tea," symbolizing the philosophy of life: "To succeed, one must first endure hardship."

The second course is "Sweet Tea." After the guests finish the first course, the host uses a small clay pot to prepare the tea, roast it, and boil it. At the same time, a small amount of brown sugar, milk fan, and cinnamon is added to the tea cup, and the tea is poured to about eight-tenths full.

The third course is called "Reflection Tea." The method of preparing the tea is the same, but the ingredients in the tea cup are changed to a moderate amount of honey, a small amount of fried rice, a few grains of Sichuan pepper, and a pinch of walnuts, with the tea poured to about six-tenths full.

Each course of tea has its own meaning. The saying "bitter, sweet, and reflection" is the essence of it.

After drinking the Three-Course Tea, one's realm is elevated.

"Unmoved by honor or disgrace, one watches the flowers bloom and wither in the courtyard; indifferent to departure or stay, one follows the clouds as they gather and disperse in the sky."

Whether bitter or sweet, as long as one faces it calmly, one can always be happy!

After tasting the Three-Course Tea, the dishes were served, all local specialties, such as Dali clay pot fish, papaya chicken, Midu rolled trotters, milk fan, and cold chicken noodles. The Midu rolled trotters have a history of over 500 years and were even listed as a royal dish during the Ming Dynasty.

During the meal, Lan Fenghuang asked the owner about the current situation in Shenlu Valley. To her surprise, the owner's face changed, and sweat appeared on his forehead, showing great fear.

"Fenghuang, listen to Uncle. Don't go there; it's a place where devils live, too dangerous. No matter who goes, they can only go in but never come out. Recently, a child from our village accidentally entered Shenlu Valley, and the next day, his body was found at the entrance of the valley, carried out by a wild dog."

"What! He said someone came out?" Since they couldn't understand the local language, everyone was shocked when Lan Fenghuang translated what the owner said. Even Professor Wang couldn't sit still.

"Didn't the army station there? How could a child get in?" Liu Mengxun asked.

"Shenlu Valley doesn't have just one entrance. In fact, it can be said to have no entrance at all. You can enter from any position in the forest, and the area is very large. It's impossible to completely secure it," Snake Lin explained, shaking his head.

"Fenghuang, did the owner say if the child's body was examined?" Zhang Tianyuan asked.

"He died from a very strange poison," Lan Fenghuang explained.

"Then let's not waste time here. Let's go back and prepare. Fenghuang, you should contact the army and try to develop an appropriate antidote as soon as possible. I'm worried we might encounter similar situations when we go in," Zhang Tianyuan said, tapping his forehead. He couldn't eat anymore.

Although they had drunk the Three-Course Tea, some things in life are still hard to face calmly. This was the first time they heard that someone had died in Shenlu Valley. Before, when people went missing, it could still be associated with some positive things, like the Peach Blossom Spring. But now that someone had died, the dream of the Peach Blossom Spring should be over.

"Okay, let's go. We need to anticipate all possible dangers, or we'll have a lot of trouble," Snake Lin agreed with Zhang Tianyuan. He suddenly turned to Liu Mengxun and said, "Miss Liu, why don't you stay and rest in Dali City? We men will go. Professor Wang, you shouldn't take the risk either; you're older, and it could be very dangerous if something happens."