King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 263

She abruptly tossed her hair and sighed, "Regret Slope, Regret Slope? Perhaps I should have advised him to fight his way out instead of trying to preserve the name of 'Overlord' by confronting the enemy head-on. The locals say that almost everyone who camps at Regret Slope regrets their actions, both before and after death; perhaps this is the reason."

Anyone who has read Chinese history knows that the Battle of Gaixia was the place where Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, met his tragic end. He not only lost his lover, brothers, and subordinates, but also his horse and the spear in his hand, and ultimately died tragically at the Wujiang River.

"You committed suicide for him, and now you regret it?" I wanted to break the monologue she was giving me. After all, those were ancient historical tales, and everyone had to look forward and anticipate the future. Dwelling on outdated history was the worst thing we could do. Besides, what exactly did all this long, drawn-out narration have to do with Shui Lan?

I'm not an impatient person, but right now Su Lun is trapped, my older brother is missing, the six-armed monster could break through the barrier at any moment, and Gu Qingcheng and the tiger are worried about me on the cliff top... There are too many things to worry about. I really hope to hear the whole story as soon as possible and then select the valuable information from it.

"I did die, but not for him, but by his sword." She smiled bitterly and recited with deep emotion, "My strength could uproot mountains, my spirit could cover the world, but the times are against me, and my steed will not run. My steed will not run, what can I do? Yu, my Yu, what will become of you?"

That was a famous quote from Xiang Yu that has been passed down through history and has been widely quoted by later generations of writers. Tang Xin is a knowledgeable modern person and should be happy about it.

"The death of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, created a timeless tale, and Yu Ji's suicide added a touch of chivalry and tenderness to the tragic song of heroes. Miss Tang, you should feel honored to have such a past life memory—" I was speaking from the heart. Although Yu Ji cannot be included among the Four Beauties of ancient China, historians generally agree that she has transcended the realm of "beauty and ugliness" and is close to the realm of "upright and honorable chivalrous heroine".

Throughout two thousand years of history's ups and downs, only one woman can rival Yu Ji in fame: the Heroine of Jianhu during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China. This glory is almost synonymous with the entirety of Chinese history.

"Honored? Mr. Feng, you didn't understand. I died by his sword, not by suicide. My memory differs too much from the historians' accounts. When that sword came slashing down, even I couldn't believe it. Because I always thought he would protect me for life, until his life was exhausted. I remember, when he heard the scout report 'Qin cavalry,' his face immediately changed, and he kept mentioning one person's name, sighing incessantly."

Tang Xin suddenly laughed sadly, and I was stunned and unable to respond.

The story of "Farewell My Concubine" has become the best vehicle for the theme of "love and death" for thousands of years. In addition to being widely popular in the Chinese-speaking world, it has been translated into languages around the world and widely published. Now, the protagonist of the story suddenly jumps out and says that it was murder rather than suicide, which is truly speechless.

"He was afraid, truly terrified of one person named 'Afang.' He said that four years ago, during the assassination attempt on Qin Shi Huang, he had been defeated three times by Afang, one of Qin Shi Huang's generals, utterly powerless to resist. Yet, Afang had released him without a second thought; otherwise, how could he be the 'Overlord of Western Chu' today? By day, he could be an invincible warrior, but as dusk fell, he became like an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in his large tent, losing even his appetite for dinner."

I listened quietly, and gradually became truly captivated by her narration.

General Afang was surely a modern-day Alpha, the square-eyed warrior, wasn't he? Admittedly, with modern martial arts skills and wisdom, defeating the reckless and impulsive Xiang Yu would be a piece of cake. So how could Xiang Yu bear to kill his lover? I truly cannot explain it.

The sound of snow falling softly from the rooftop came from both of us. We both looked up at the same time, and then looked down at the same time.

He said, "I had a dream. You fell into the arms of a golden-armored warrior, three crescent-shaped blades piercing his body. He carried you towards a brightly lit building. I will eventually lose you completely, body and soul. Yu Ji, in the dream, you loved that person, not me. My dreams are always accurate, and I use them to strategize and defeat Liu Bang." -- Now, I still remember the way his eyes were bloodshot when he said those words. In my heart, Yu Ji will forever belong to Xiang Yu, and no other man can win her heart. He buried his face in my knees, crying like a child about to lose his beloved toy…

As I listened to her narration, I tried to pinpoint the direction from which the drumbeats were coming.

The ley lines can lead to infinite distances, perhaps even to the magma ocean at the Earth's core, or any other place. When the great god Tu Liehan, along with Sahan, Youlian, and that pyramid-shaped flying machine, disappeared underground, it became a great wonder of Africa at the time, and was widely reported by media around the world.

If they've entered the ley lines and become invisible, why would they need to reappear? Could there be something in this place that interests them?

These questions will probably only be answered when the great god Tu Liehan and his followers actually appear; the sound of drums alone cannot explain anything.

I stroked his filthy hair and coarse, unruly beard, and softly sang to him, hoping he could sleep peacefully one night and rise again tomorrow to fight bravely. 'Yu Ji, I will not let any other man take you away,' those were his last words to me. Then, a brilliant sword light swept up, and the Overlord's sword, which had slain tens of thousands of enemies and drunk a thousand liters of blood, finally grazed my throat, and was held in the hand of the one I loved most—

Tang Xin suddenly raised her hand and touched her throat, her eyes filled with despair.

"He killed you? The Overlord killed Yu Ji? This is... this is truly an unimaginable ending." I couldn't help but rub my hands together and sigh. Although I had vaguely guessed the answer from her words, I was still shocked and my face changed when she said it herself.

"This is the truth. Every truth in the world is often the cruelest, because it strips away the romantic facade of praise and celebration. Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King, was a hero among heroes, a paragon of virtue, yet his heart was as fragile as a jade cup, unable to withstand any setback. In the instant I died, I saw a man clad in golden armor and wearing a golden mask stride in. 'Afang,' Xiang Yu called out. The man approached me, bent down, and whispered the name 'Dina Dori,' repeatedly. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, were soft and sorrowful, but I was already dead. Although I longed to answer him, I couldn't. Mr. Feng, the first memory ends here. When I awoke from the dream, I had become the daughter of Tang Junshi and Yu Baifan, a member of the Tang Clan."

She covered her face with her hands, her throat choked with sobs, so sorrowful that she wanted to cry but couldn't.

In this past life memory, she was killed by the Overlord because he feared the golden-armored warrior would take her away. The emotions between men and women are varied and complex, but the path the Overlord chose was the worst possible strategy.

"He must have regretted it, regretted that he shouldn't have camped at Gaixia, shouldn't have let Liu Bang go at the Hongmen Banquet, and even more so, shouldn't have sharpened his sword towards his lover's throat. But there's no magic cure for regret in this world, so the regret can only continue, can't it?" My nose also felt a lump in my throat. This truth was enough to make me doubt the authenticity of any historical event.

"Mr. Feng, in the second memory, Shui Lan appeared. It was a vast oasis in the desert, with a naturally formed blue lake at its center. The water was so clear and deep that one longed to dive in and swim to one's heart's content. I saw Shui Lan, though at first I didn't know her name; I was simply stunned by her beauty at first glance. She stood on a green bamboo raft, her hands behind her back, gazing lonely at the sky. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders and back, loosely held together by a shimmering silver beaded chain, its long strands trailing into the water. As the raft swayed in the wind, the strands of hair floating on the surface resembled graceful water plants—"

"She was absolutely stunning. After I saw her, for a long time I held my breath carefully, afraid to breathe too loudly, lest I startle her away. It was as if I were only seeing a beautiful reflection in the water, something that could be blown away by a gust of wind. I wished I could cup my hands in my hands and hold onto this moment forever. 'Water Blue' is the name that best suits her. The ancients said that the most beautiful women in the world have 'autumn water as their spirit and jade as their bones,' but even this poem might not be quite enough to describe her."

Tang Xin forgot the unpleasant memories of Gaixia and kept reciting the stunning beauty of Shui Lan when she first met her, which shows that she was truly a rare beauty.

Shui Lan is the girl my eldest brother Yang Tian falls in love with. When others praise her, I feel proud and comforted. I firmly believe that only a peerless girl is worthy of a hero like him.

"I heard the roar of a car engine, and a blue four-wheel drive SUV sped to the water's edge, screeching to a halt. The one who got out was none other than the golden-armored warrior, still wearing his golden mask, walking step by step towards the lake. I wanted to call out to him, but suddenly realized I was detached from this scene, like a moviegoer, disconnected from the ever-changing world before me, with only the right to silently observe."

"When the golden-armored warrior waved to Shui Lan on the bamboo raft, I saw Shui Lan awaken from her reverie. Her eyes, as gentle as water yet sharp, swept across the shore. Then, she bent low and steered the raft towards the bank. What followed was a conversation between them that I couldn't understand at all; I'll just repeat it verbatim for you—"

The following is a conversation between the beautiful girl Shui Lan and the golden-armored warrior Alpha. Not only Tang Xin couldn't understand it, but I was also a little confused.

"Tell me, where exactly is this place? Is it the Northern Alliance's virtual home? Or the Western Alliance's 'Pioneer Simulated Desert'? I need to see the Supreme Alliance Commander. This exploration mission has failed; a serious error occurred in the spacetime coordinate calculation, and we've returned to Earth. And who are you? Why are you wearing this strange armor?"

The golden-armored warrior replied, "Miss, that's a question I should be asking you. This is indeed Earth. Which planet did you come from? Mercury, Saturn, or Mars? Please follow me; our colleagues at the space laboratory are waiting to welcome you!"

Shui Lan gave a wry smile: "I come from the Central Alliance Advanced Spaceflight Department on Earth, my personal code is 'Shui Lan,' and my execution level is 'Special Nine.'"

The golden-armored warrior shook his head in confusion: "The Central Alliance? What kind of organization is that? We only have one core laboratory on Earth, my code is 'Alpha,' and our executive authority is undifferentiated."

They looked at each other almost simultaneously and exclaimed, "What year is it in the Earth calendar?"

Alpha then continued: "Earth calendar 2007."

Shui Lan also announced: "2007, Earth Calendar, Western Year."

The two of them looked up at the clear blue sky, standing there in astonishment and bewilderment.

After a long silence, Alpha finally spoke: "One of us has definitely gone mad, or been brainwashed by the 'secondary hypoxia' of space travel, causing memory drift. Come with me to the lab; perhaps we can help you return to normal."

He reached out to grab Shui Lan's wrist, but the seemingly thin and frail Shui Lan reacted with lightning speed, her hand slashing across Alpha's right arm with a "crack," causing him to stagger backward in pain. At the same time, Shui Lan's other hand brushed past Alpha's face, deftly removing his golden mask.

It was the face of an Earth man, handsome and dashing, but where there should have been a pair of deep, affectionate eyes were a pair of strange, three-dimensional cubes.

Shui Lan flipped backward, landing on the bamboo raft, and sneered arrogantly: "You? Are you some kind of mutant prisoner modified by the Underground Alliance? Dressed like this, aren't you just burying your head in the sand?"

The cube on Alpha's face rotated slightly; it was still a pair of clear black and white eyes, only its shape had changed.

He didn't fly into a rage; he simply calmly extended his left hand: "Give me the mask. It's the tool I use to absorb energy. Everyone on Earth has one, and you'll have one too someday."

Shui Lan bent her knees and exerted force, pushing the bamboo raft towards the center of the lake again, further and further away from the shore. It seemed that she wanted to get away from this strange square-eyed man, but suddenly, the lake water surged, pushing the bamboo raft all the way to the shore, and no matter how hard she tried to control it, it was to no avail.

"Miss, please don't do anything rash. We mean no harm." Alpha continued walking towards the shore.

A blue helicopter appeared in the western sky. The whirring sound of its rotors made Shui Lan calm down immediately: "Okay, I'll believe you for now and see what tricks you can pull—" She went ashore, looked up at the sky, her brows furrowed, still clutching the heavy mask.

A team of fully armed warriors in golden armor disembarked from the helicopter. Without exception, they wore golden masks, but were equipped with standard modern firearms, rather than the swords and spears commonly used by people in ancient times.

Tang Xin's narration ended there, followed by a long, concluding sigh: "Mr. Feng, I saw the blue water, and I also saw Alpha. My only feeling at the time was, 'That's not Earth,' but a strange region. The water was so blue; even dozens of meters deep, you could see the seashells and aquatic plants at the bottom. And I truly saw more than a dozen schools of grass carp, common carp, and crucian carp swimming among the aquatic plants. There's no such body of water on Earth; it was like a giant aquarium being filtered by a purifier every minute."

"Not Earth? What about those fish and seaweed? Aren't they the most common underwater scenery on our planet?"

I asked back, and pondered Tang Xin's words repeatedly.

Assuming that what Tang Xin saw actually happened, then it can be seen as "Shui Lan arriving in Alpha's world." Regardless of whether this "world" is called "Earth," in short, Shui Lan accidentally entered it from her own world.

"In your opinion, is Shui Lan a human from Earth?" I stood up and added firewood to the fireplace.

"Of course," Tang Xin answered without hesitation. "An extremely beautiful Earth girl, and with unparalleled skill. The palm strike she used to thwart Alpha was unbelievably fast, as if the movement was automatically controlled by powerful electricity, striking instantly and arriving before Alpha."

I suddenly had a strange idea, so I placed a piece of pine wood upright in front of the fireplace and slowly took a step back.

"Miss Tang, look closely at my left arm and the pine branches—"

Tang Xin, unaware of what was happening, nodded slightly. A flash of light, and the pine branch was cleaved in two, falling silently to the ground. I wanted to demonstrate to her whether Shui Lan's move in repelling Alpha was similar to "Over-the-Distance Blade."

She was quick-witted and immediately replied, "That's right. The way Shui Lan exerted her power was very similar to your swordsmanship, exceeding the range of human 'persistence of vision.' However, she was much faster than you, probably more than three times faster. With one advance and one retreat, Alpha was caught off guard. If there had been other people on the shore at the time, I would have thought she hadn't even made a move."

I bent down to pick up the pine firewood, then turned back to Tang Xin with a smile: "Miss Tang, please come and take a look at this cut; perhaps you'll find something."

She got up and came over, taking the firewood from my hand, her voice barely audible: "Mr. Feng, there are people on the roof."

I nodded calmly. "Yes, that's why I asked you to come here. If the enemy launches a surprise attack, don't move. I'll handle everything."

When I first heard the sound of snow falling, I realized that the enemy was lying in ambush in the northwest corner of the roof. Now, the enemy has silently fallen down and is hiding under the window on the southwest side of the room.

"Is that Tang Qing?" Tang Xin threw the pine firewood into the fire, and unconsciously frowned again.

"She's no longer Tang Qing or the Longge Witch; she's an enemy whose body has been mutated and whose mind has been controlled by a monster." He had encountered the Longge Witch several times in the mountains, and the Flying Eagle team accompanying him had been attacked and suffered heavy casualties—all thanks to her. This debt must be repaid, no matter what.

As long as the Longe witch lives, the mountains will never find peace. The crucial issue is that I need to uncover the secrets within her heart. When I first met her, she revealed that she knew the whereabouts of Suren—"Fifteen Ridges."

"Don't kill her, Mr. Feng, I only have this one request." Tang Xin reached out to warm her hands by the fire, the firelight gradually turning her pale face into a warm blush.

"Why? She will only become an enemy of humanity. Even if I don't kill her, there will definitely be forces from the underworld or the government to eliminate her. I just don't want any more innocent people to lose their lives."

Tang Xin and Tang Qing belonged to the same sect, and she didn't want to see her fellow sect members killed; this was the most obvious reason.

Tang Xin sighed, "Mr. Feng, do you remember the story of 'Regret Slope' I told you? Killing her will surely lead to your regret, and you'll be consumed by guilt for the rest of your life. Believe me, don't fall into that vicious cycle."

She gradually raised her voice, clearly intending to speak to the person outside the window.

The window paper was semi-transparent, and my peripheral vision remained fixed on that window, fearing that Tang Qing would jump out and attack again. This time, it wasn't that I couldn't bear death, but that I was unwilling to sacrifice Tang Xin's life again because of my womanly compassion.

"I can see the ending. The power of fate is so strong. If someone really has to die this time, I hope I'm the first. Mr. Feng, she's not our main enemy. The real enemy comes from underground. My life will end at the hands of a foreigner in a gray robe."

She pulled out a half-burnt piece of firewood, blew out the flame, and quickly drew a few lines on the white wall next to the fireplace: "Look, these are the weapons they use."

Part Two: Asian Gears, Chapter Five: Vipers Everywhere, Snow Everywhere

Those were two extremely curved daggers, like the crescent moon on the third night of the lunar calendar, likely weapons unique to the Middle Eastern deserts or North Africa. In Cairo, almost every man in a camel caravan carried one of these at his waist.

"This is the southwestern border region, where there are very few desert scimitars, so don't worry," I reassured her with a smile.

"Fate is inescapable..." She smiled bitterly and wrote the name "Shui Lan" next to the scimitar.

"Where is the aquamarine?" I promptly steered the conversation to the core issue that concerned me.

"The second memory ends there. I keep thinking, those jeeps, helicopters, lakes, seaweed, and fish—everything is something from our real lives. Seeing those things on Earth is perfectly normal, including their phrase 'Earth calendar 2007.' What confuses me is that there are no square-eyed monsters on Earth, yet the square-eyed monsters are absolutely certain that that place is Earth—Mr. Wind, it's also Earth calendar 2007 now. Around us, there's neither the 'Central Alliance,' 'Northern Alliance,' 'Western Alliance,' or 'Underground Alliance' that Water Blue mentioned, nor warriors clad in golden armor. What kind of world are they living in? Unless—"

"Unless that's a world you've made up, right?" I promptly provided the conclusion for her.

In the fantasy world, everything "impossible" in the physical world can be turned into "possible." People can fly, transform, resurrect, become demons, and do anything they want, controlling the vast world at their fingertips.

"Of course, there's another possibility: our Earth has experienced several major cataclysms. Between each cycle of human destruction and rebirth, there were always peak moments of highly advanced technological civilization, making space travel and leaving the Milky Way effortless. Imagine, boldly, that memories you can't comprehend could be seen as some Earthlings who broke through the limitations of time and space, moving from one Earth's timeline to another—"

There is only one Earth in the Milky Way, but it can have countless independent time periods that are not interconnected. When a spacecraft travels faster than the speed of light, it will naturally transport the astronauts into other time periods.

The explanatory theory I adopted has been discussed and researched by American scientists for decades, and it is theoretically feasible. As Alpha told me, his voyage began on Earth and ended on Earth, but he could not find his original home, which coincides perfectly with my "Earth Time Period Theory".

"According to your reasoning, Shui Lan is in another growth ring on Earth? But my third memory completely contradicts that." Tang Xin's brows furrowed even more; it seemed my explanation hadn't eased her mind.

I made a "please speak" gesture, returned to the recliner, and focused my mind. As long as the enemy launched an attack, they would be shattered to pieces under the "Extreme Distance Blade".

The firewood crackled and burned in the fireplace, providing the perfect backdrop for Tang Xin's storytelling.

"The third memory begins on an Arctic glacier. I'm certain it's the Earth's Arctic, a landscape of white icebergs and slowly drifting icebergs. A dozen weary polar bears are crouching on an ice floe, their eyes fixed on the fish swimming beneath the surface. Suddenly, all the bears look up at the sky, and a deafening roar erupts, like the combined roar of thousands of heavy bombers taking off. A few seconds later, a massive shadow engulfs the ice floe where the polar bears are, rapidly expanding until it covers everything in my view. With a deafening crash, the polar bears vanish, and a colossal metal structure descends from the sky, replacing them."

"It was an enormous aircraft. As it crashed, a distant white iceberg suddenly exploded, like a skyscraper struck by a nuclear bomb. The ice shattered into fragments, scattering across the blue sky. Mr. Feng, I've been training in concealed weapons since I was three years old, and my eyesight has always been at least three times that of a normal person. That's why I was able to see a person hidden among those sudden fragments—a living, normal man. His running and leaping abilities were indescribable; he was incredibly fast, reaching the aircraft in the blink of an eye."

"At that moment, a circular hatch popped open on the spacecraft, and a long-haired girl in a silver spacesuit, but without a helmet, leaped out. The two met on a circular ice floe, staring intently at each other. Undoubtedly, the girl was Shui Lan, while the man who broke through the ice wore a gray outfit resembling sportswear, his shoulder-length hair casually draped back, his features sharp and handsome. Their first words to each other were even stranger: both asked, 'Earthling?'—"

I suddenly interjected, "Miss Tang, please describe the man's facial features in more detail, the better."

Tang Xin turned around in front of the fireplace and nodded in agreement: "Okay, that man..." Her expression suddenly changed, and her body swayed and leaned back. If I hadn't sprang up like lightning to support her, she probably would have fallen into the fire.

"What's wrong?" I asked in a low voice, feeling her shoulders trembling rapidly.

There was no sound outside the window, and I was certain that no external force entered the building the moment she suddenly fell.

"My memory... my memory is fading. Help me to the recliner... the man's appearance is... is..." The light in her eyes disappeared suddenly, and her pupils were strangely dilating and contracting, contracting and dilating again. The hot breath she exhaled was surprisingly hot.

I quickly picked her up and put her back on the recliner. I placed my palms on her Baihui acupoint on the top of her head and used my internal energy to create a gentle warm current to infuse it into her.