Chapter Thirteen: The Sealing of Mount Tai

Feng Yisheng figured that he would never manage to wait for a tourist to lead him out.

…

At the main entrance of the Mount Tai 5A-level scenic area, a force of over a thousand soldiers was swiftly setting up camp. The troops had arrived at five in the morning, and now, just as the sun began to rise, the entire unit had assembled in full formation.

This military contingent was directly subordinate to the Central Command Headquarters of the Huaxia Armed Forces, making it an off-the-record operation not publicly listed among official units. As such, it wielded considerable authority, answering straight to the central command.

…

It’s worth mentioning that the previous night, a thirty-second news flash had interrupted the evening national broadcast. The message was as follows: “After over a month of continuous heavy rainfall nationwide, experts forecast the possibility of landslides on Mount Tai in the near future. In the most severe scenario, mudslides and other disasters may occur. The relevant departments are urged to take precautionary measures, and tourists should be mindful of their safety.”

The moment this announcement aired, the head of the Mount Tai Scenic Area confirmed the news via their official public channel, stating that for the safety of all visitors, the mountain would be closed to the public for half a month as a precaution.

The official channel also announced that any tickets purchased for entry within these two weeks could be fully refunded or postponed for use after the closure.

However, Mount Tai is located in Ludong Province, which is predominantly flatland, with only a few hilly regions. It’s rare for mountains in these hilly areas to experience mudslides.

For a time, the internet was abuzz with commentary about Mount Tai. Of course, there was no shortage of cheeky internet users:

“I suggest the so-called experts predict an earthquake at our school—let’s close it for half a month too!”

“Haha, why not suggest they predict an earthquake for your entire region?”

“Maybe they could predict a tsunami in our Western Sichuan province so we can get some time off as well.”

“How about they predict I’ll win five million in the lottery tomorrow?”

“Or, better yet, predict that I’ll get a boyfriend tomorrow—tall, handsome, and rich only, no ugly guys, please.”

—For the sake of the plot, it’s acknowledged that even hills can experience mudslides, but in this story, none will occur.

…

With the full unit of a thousand soldiers assembled at the entrance to the Mount Tai scenic area, and after a brief reorganization, they began erecting military tents on the open ground. Aside from the main entrance, soldiers were also stationed at every other access point to Mount Tai.

To outsiders, the thousand-strong force claimed their presence was to guard against potential mudslides on Mount Tai and to lead flood control efforts, all in the name of protecting lives and property.

In total, over a hundred military tents were erected, each bearing banners with slogans such as: “In times of crisis, extend a helping hand—though the flood is ruthless, humans are compassionate!”

…

At the heart of the encampment stood the largest tent, serving as the command center and currently occupied by more than twenty people. Eleven were seated around a rectangular table, with several others standing nearby, and two communications officers posted at the entrance.

On each side of the table sat five officers. The man seated at the head, in the center, bore two stripes and four stars on his shoulder—clearly marking him as a Senior Colonel of the Huaxia Armed Forces. He appeared to be under forty—an impressive achievement in peacetime—and his career prospects were nothing short of promising, even if he came from a privileged background.

On his left sleeve was a shield-shaped insignia that read: “Central Command Special Operations Battalion, Huaxia Armed Forces.” A large five-pointed star gleamed in the center of the badge.

His brows were sharp and commanding, his very presence inspiring awe. He swept his gaze over the ten seated officers and addressed them with grave seriousness: “You should all be familiar with the situation from the journey here. Does anyone have further questions?”

“Commander, with all due respect, are we really still talking about monsters in this day and age? I don’t believe those eyewitness accounts. Everything needs evidence, and the higher-ups haven’t even provided a single photo, yet they’ve mobilized our entire special battalion—one thousand men! I was in the middle of a joint exercise with Central Command. We hadn’t even started when I had to rush here to Mount Tai. Who knows how they’ll mock me for abandoning my post before the exercise even began.”

The speaker, clearly dissatisfied with the scale of the operation, sat at the far left.

“Commander, Xiao Jiang’s words may be blunt, but he’s not wrong. Frankly, even on our anti-narcotics missions at the border, we’ve never seen such a large-scale mobilization. And now, for an animal that may or may not even be a monster, is it really necessary to call up over a thousand men?”

This time, it was the officer at the far right, equally skeptical.

The commander listened in silence, then gestured with his right hand. One of the standing officers stepped forward, opened a box on the table, and pulled out a neatly folded white cloth. He hung it on the tent wall behind the commander and tugged it downward, revealing a projector screen. From his breast pocket, the officer retrieved a military-grade smartphone—the latest model, restricted to internal use.

He aimed the phone at the screen, where six stark black characters appeared: “Top Military Secret.” As he prepared to proceed, the commander raised a hand.

“Hold on,” the commander said, standing with a solemn expression. “I know you all have many questions, but the world is far beyond what you imagine. Documents alone cannot explain everything. I want you to know there are things you can’t even begin to conceive of. Watch this video first.”

The officer nodded, focused the phone on the screen again, and put it away as the footage began to play.

The first scene showed the summit of Mount Everest, at the border between Huaxia and the Indian subcontinent, filmed from an aerial perspective. The mountain’s myriad forms and the rare, magnificent ice towers were all captured in the shot—Everest, vast and majestic, radiated an awe-inspiring presence.

As the officers watched in silent awe, a valley on the mountain seemed to ripple and distort. Suddenly, a rift appeared in the sky. From this rupture, ten figures emerged, floating in midair—each standing atop identical flying swords. In an instant, the ten soared away in the same direction, vanishing from view within seconds. The rift closed as if they had never been there at all.

Before the officers could process their astonishment, the footage abruptly cut to the next scene.