After absorbing and fusing hundreds or even thousands of souls, Zhou Ziwei's knowledge was arguably the most extensive in the world. However, even he found it difficult to understand the working principle of the Tower of Divine Wishes.
The decomposition of metallic substances in the Divine Wish Pool seemed to be exactly the same as the ability of the white light that Zhou Ziwei possessed. However... since the Divine Wish Tower could also restore the metallic substances it had swallowed, could he do the same? If he could, wouldn't he become another small, portable Divine Wish Tower?
Zhou Ziwei had just swallowed a lot of metallic substances, but he didn't feel any increase in his weight. So he was worried about where all the metal had gone. If he could really recover the metallic substances he had swallowed, that would be a good thing, at least he wouldn't have to be so anxious.
Moreover, with this ability, you could go back to Earth and open a scrap metal recycling company and make a fortune!
After spending a night in the Tower of Divine Wishes, Zhou Ziwei and the other two, accompanied by the old charlatan and a middle-aged general, were escorted, or rather, escorted, by a guard of a thousand men straight to Xianjing, the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty.
The old charlatan prepared a very luxurious carriage for Zhou Ziwei and his two companions. The carriage was pulled by four creatures that looked like both oxen and horses. These creatures possessed the strength and stamina of oxen, as well as the speed of horses. They ran fast and steadily, and were always the most common mounts in the army.
The carriage was comfortable and provided shelter from the scorching heat constantly emanating from the giant fireball in the sky.
However, Zhou Ziwei was unwilling to rest inside. Instead, he always sat on the carriage shaft, chatting with the old charlatan in a simple carriage next to him. At the same time, he greedily absorbed the scorching heat released from the fireball, converting it into attribute-less energy and storing it in the almost completely dried-up acupoint space in his Tanzhong acupoint.
Through casual conversations with the old charlatan, Zhou Ziwei gradually gained a better understanding of the world.
According to the old charlatan, there are countless countries of all sizes in this world, and the Great Xia Dynasty is located on a relatively rich land on this continent. It has always been considered the center of the world, so it is naturally subject to the covetousness of its neighboring countries and almost endless harassment.
Fortunately, the existence of the twenty-seven Towers of Divine Wishes in the Great Xia Dynasty allowed it to weather one crisis after another without serious harm.
Of these twenty-seven Divine Wish Towers, the largest one was established in Xianjing, the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty. The other twenty-six were located in twenty-six strategically important border fortresses.
A city guarded by the Tower of Divine Wish is almost impossible to fall. However, in order for the Tower of Divine Wish to exert its full power in each war, an astronomical amount of metal materials must be consumed. Therefore, even if some benefits are gained in the war, a heavy expense will be incurred afterward to replenish the Tower of Divine Wish.
Over time, almost all the mines with metal deposits in the Great Xia Dynasty were exhausted. To supply the needs of the twenty-seven Towers of Divine Wishes, it was necessary to import raw ore or scrap metal from abroad.
This was an enormous expense, and with the blockade imposed by several hostile neighboring countries, importing these goods was extremely difficult. As a result, the once prosperous Great Xia Dynasty was dragged into extreme poverty by these twenty-seven Towers of Divine Wishes.
Zhou Ziwei glanced at the strange crops growing on both sides of the official road where the carriage was traveling, and couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly. According to Zhou Ziwei's analysis, the crops planted in the surrounding land should be something similar to potatoes, but the growing conditions here are obviously much harsher. The plants grow very fast, but the yield is pitifully low. Is this considered a wealthy place? According to the old charlatan, the yield of such plants is less than 100 catties per ten rows (roughly equivalent to one mu).
However, Zhou Ziwei later learned that land that could yield 100 jin per mu was indeed considered a very good place. For example, in this world, if you went to the Frost Country in the far north or the Endless Sands in the south, you could hardly grow any crops all year round. Living in such places would be much harsher.
Even the old charlatan didn't quite understand how the people there survived.
What shocked Zhou Ziwei the most was that... there were actually wizards in this world. In the Wusang Kingdom, which had an archipelago across the sea from the Great Xia Dynasty, there were many powerful wizards. These wizards were skilled at crafting and using strange magical artifacts. Powerful wizards could even fly through the air using their artifacts.
Moreover, these wizards are also extremely powerful in individual combat. If ordinary generals of the Great Xia Dynasty encountered these wizards, they would hardly gain any advantage. If the Great Xia Dynasty had not happened to possess the Tower of Divine Wish, which could suppress aerial enemies, it would probably have been overrun by those ruthless wizards who breached several fortresses along the coast, causing the entire country to fall.
The desolate Gobi Desert that Zhou Ziwei and his group had passed through was an uninhabited area. The reason was that there was a group of terrifying black hard-shelled insects there. According to the old charlatan, ten years ago, that place was a very powerful country. However, because the king of that country was licentious and dissolute, he offended the gods and was thus cursed with a black disaster. A group of small insects spread rapidly throughout their country and became a plague. In less than half a year, the entire country became a dead land. On that land, apart from those black hard-shelled insects, no other living thing could survive, not even plants.
If the Great Xia Dynasty hadn't acted quickly enough, mobilizing the entire nation to connect several rivers along the border before the black disaster spread, completely isolating the two countries, the entire Great Xia Dynasty might have become a dead land if they had been a step slower.
The beautiful and fertile plains were transformed in the blink of an eye into a boundless, desolate Gobi Desert. The old charlatan wasn't surprised that Zhou Ziwei and his companions had managed to get there, since he had already heard that Zhou Ziwei possessed the ability to fly.
Since there have always been people in this world who possess the ability to fly, regardless of what strange magical artifacts they used, Zhou Ziwei's ability is not so unacceptable.
The Great Xia Dynasty also witnessed the boundless white fire on the Gobi Desert, but they were already terrified by the black hard-shelled insects in that dead land. Although they saw that the Gobi Desert seemed to have changed, no one dared to go and investigate.
Zhou Ziwei struggled with this for a while, hesitating whether to tell the people of the Great Xia Dynasty that he had completely burned the black hard-shelled beetles in the Gobi Desert to death, and that even the stones in the Gobi Desert had disappeared. He thought that he should go and occupy that land as soon as possible, and that it would probably become very rich in the future!
Volume 2, The Assassin's Nightmare, Chapter 398: If You're a Man, Prove It!
What kind of world is this? Zhou Ziwei was filled with doubt as he watched the huge fireball in the sky slowly descend towards the horizon, and the darkening sky still showed no starlight. Zhou Ziwei felt that everything he was experiencing seemed unreal.
As darkness finally began to fall, the convoy came to a stop at the foot of a desolate hillside.
"Set up camp here!" A short, stout man, who looked half a head shorter than Zhou Ziwei but was twice as thick, shouted to the messenger. He then jumped off his horse, which resembled both an ox and a horse, ran to Zhou Ziwei, greeted him, and gave a brief report on the day's itinerary.
Even without the commander's report, Zhou Ziwei already knew that they hadn't traveled very far that day. Although the daytime in this world lasted for more than thirty hours, the problem was that the weather was extremely hot for nearly ten hours at noon. Even if humans could endure it, the cattle and horses couldn't.
As for the nights, they are relatively cool, but the problem is that this godforsaken place has no stars or moon at night, so it is completely impossible to travel at night in this pitch-black world.
Therefore, at most, one can only walk for fifteen hours a day.
According to the centurion, it would take them at least another twenty days to reach Xianjing, the capital of the Great Xia Dynasty, which gave Zhou Ziwei quite a headache.
He didn't want to stay in this godforsaken place for even a day longer. If he could find a way back to Earth now, he wouldn't care about the so-called divine inheritance, no matter how curious he was about it.
But what could he do when he couldn't find his way home? He had no choice but to stay here and take it one step at a time, hoping to find some information in the divine inheritance. Otherwise... Zhou Ziwei would have to turn back and go to the desert area where they came from to search for a space wormhole high in the sky.
According to the centurion, their location wasn't actually that far from Xianjing. If Zhou Ziwei could use wind power to fly without restraint, he could probably reach his destination on the last day.
However, Zhou Ziwei had no idea of the exact location of Xianjing City. Based solely on the centurion's description, the chances of finding it directly were extremely slim.
Furthermore... so far, only the old charlatan recognizes him as the divine son, so even if he immediately flew to Xianjing, it wouldn't make a difference. It's estimated that the charlatans stationed in Xianjing might not recognize his identity, and naturally, they wouldn't give him the divine inheritance so easily.
Furthermore, this is the territory of the Great Xia Kingdom, and there are no flying people in the Great Xia Kingdom. Therefore, in this country, once someone is seen flying in the sky, they will immediately concentrate all their forces to shoot you down without any explanation, just like the treatment they received when they flew to the riverside castle yesterday.
Therefore, unless absolutely necessary, Zhou Ziwei would not dare to lead his men to fly around aimlessly in the sky anymore.
The group accompanying Zhou Ziwei back to Beijing this time consisted of well-trained elite soldiers, whose experience in setting up camp in the wild was naturally extremely advanced. In just ten minutes, a temporary campsite was set up at the foot of the hill.
The centurion personally invited Zhou Ziwei and his two companions, along with the old charlatan, to rest in the camp. Given Zhou Ziwei's status as a divine son, he was naturally assigned a separate tent... Originally, Zhou Ziwei wanted to ask Wang Xuewei and Chu Qiutang if they had been assigned separate tents, but when he went in and saw three sets of bedding already laid out side by side on the floor covered with thick carpet, he could only laugh speechlessly.
"What are you laughing at... I hate it."
Seeing Zhou Ziwei grinning at the three sets of bedding on the ground, Chu Qiutang blushed and couldn't help but reach out and gently twist Zhou Ziwei's waist. Then she pouted and said, "Don't think about anything bad!"
Zhou Ziwei chuckled wryly and touched his nose, saying, "Did I think about something? You don't have mind-reading abilities, do you? Can you read my mind?"
Chu Qiutang pouted, intending to say something to tease Zhou Ziwei, but after glancing at Wang Xuewei, she swallowed the words she was about to say.
After all, Wang Xuewei is Zhou Ziwei's wife. Although Wang Xuewei knows about Chu Qiutang's feelings for Zhou Ziwei, and... it seems that Wang Xuewei is not only not jealous, but even encouraged Zhou Ziwei to have both of them... However... at that time, Wang Xuewei said those words when she thought they were all doomed. Now that time has passed, I'm afraid Wang Xuewei would no longer have such absurd thoughts.
People are selfish, especially when it comes to feelings. Putting herself in her shoes, if Zhou Ziwei were Chu Qiutang's husband, Chu Qiutang believed she would absolutely not be willing to let another woman share her husband, so...
Wang Xuewei certainly didn't want anyone else to share her man, but the question was... was this man, whom she had always thought was weak and incompetent, really Wang Xuewei's man?
In fact, Wang Xuewei was very clear about her current situation. She knew that her relationship with Zhou Ziwei might not even be as good as that of the women who had ambiguous relationships with him. Regardless of whether those women had received any promises from Zhou Ziwei, they at least still had the opportunity to get him.
As for her... once she returns to Earth and they complete the divorce proceedings as agreed, she will have completely lost this excellent man, and lost him forever, with no second chance.
She understood the principle that spilled water cannot be gathered up again, so Wang Xuewei was now more anxious and insecure than Chu Qiutang. She absolutely did not believe that just because she and Zhou Ziwei had a legal marriage certificate, she could control Zhou Ziwei's behavior or prevent him from being with other women…
Wang Xuewei gently patted Chu Qiutang's shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Say whatever you want! Even if you want to flirt with him, I can't stop you...hehe...In this world, our marriage certificate isn't protected by law. And...I bet the system here isn't monogamous, so...your chance has come! If you like my husband, don't miss it!"
These words made Chu Qiutang blush, but at the same time, she was also deeply moved.
Yes... This place is clearly still in the era of feudal monarchy, and monogamy is basically impossible to exist under this social system.
Whether the three of them, who have been stranded in this world, can return to Earth in their lifetime is still unknown. So... if I continue to adhere to the laws and regulations of Earth, wouldn't I be missing out on this good man for nothing?
Thinking of this, Chu Qiutang's heart began to pound wildly...
Two oil lamps were burning inside the tent, their light casting a faint, dark red glow that made Chu Qiutang's pretty face appear even more radiant, like a blooming rose.
Zhou Ziwei sniffed lightly, a thought suddenly occurring to him. He leaped down and took one of the oil lamps hanging on the tent ceiling. He reached out and dipped a drop of the lamp oil under the lamp, examined it carefully, and then smelled it gently. He was finally certain of his guess: this stuff was indeed the viscous liquid contained in the endless patch of dark red vines they had seen in the sand.
However, the liquid used as fuel in this oil lamp was obviously diluted with water. It is probably because the oil extracted directly from the plant is too violent. If it were placed directly in the lamp and lit, it would burst into a violent flame, which might even set the tent on fire.
Moreover, in that case, the fuel inside the lamp wouldn't last long before it went out. But as it is now, using diluted vegetable oil as fuel, it probably won't go out even after burning for most of the night.
He reached out and touched the two sampling bags on his combat uniform, and found that after all that trouble, the plant seeds he had taken from the sand last time and the whole dark red vine were still there, and he was immediately relieved.
Regardless of whether they obtain anything else of value this time, the seeds of this vine plant alone would likely be enough for them to complete their mission.
This thing might even spark a new energy revolution... Of course, that's assuming the three of them can safely return to Earth.
Zhou Ziwei even began to consider whether, after returning to Earth, he should develop this plant-based project, which could trigger an energy revolution, under the name of the Zhou Group, or hand it over to the state for operation.
Undoubtedly, if the development of this energy source were in their own hands, it would bring the Zhou family unimaginable profits. However… would the country allow a private enterprise to control the economic lifeline of the nation, or even the entire world? This project would indeed bring the Zhou family enormous profits, but it would also likely bring them a huge crisis. Is it worth it?
Zhou Ziwei gently rubbed his slightly aching head, deciding to put aside this difficult decision for the time being, since whether he could return to Earth was still unknown...
Dinner was eaten around the campfire. Although the food grilled by these soldiers was really not very tasty, the deliciousness of the natural food could not be completely masked by the poor cooking skills. In short, it was incomparable to the food made from ingredients produced by chemical fertilizers or feed that are now rampant on Earth.
This sometimes gave Zhou Ziwei a fantasy: if he could travel freely between the two worlds in the future, he could easily make a fortune by reselling some of the local organic ingredients back to Earth!
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, Zhou Ziwei chatted casually with the old charlatan for a few more minutes, then turned around and led the two beautiful women back to their spacious tent.
"Sigh... I'm going to sleep for over thirty hours straight again? Oh my god... the time difference in this world is really hard to adjust to... Hmm... I slept so much last night, I'm not sleepy at all today. You two... you two go to sleep first! I'm going to go outside for some fresh air. Hmm... I might be back in two or three hours, so you don't have to wait for me!"
Faced with the three clean sets of bedding tightly folded together, Chu Qiutang blushed and couldn't lift her head. However, she felt that Zhou Ziwei seemed to be constantly looking at her and Wang Xuewei, so she mustered up her courage and muttered something under her breath. Then she prepared to say that she couldn't sleep and needed to go outside for a walk...
They are a legitimate married couple, after all. It's not right for me to be such a third wheel constantly following them around. It's fine during the day, but it's nighttime now. I can't just not give them a chance to be intimate, can I? Although Chu Qiutang also had some feelings for Zhou Ziwei, she wasn't the kind of woman who was promiscuous. Even if men in this world could really have multiple wives and concubines, even if Wang Xuewei didn't care that Zhou Ziwei would take her too, Chu Qiutang still couldn't accept having a third person watching while they were doing that kind of thing.
Or perhaps she would have to watch Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei do *that* in front of her... Just thinking about it would be incredibly embarrassing, how could she possibly face it with a clear conscience?
Hmm... Anyway, there are more than thirty hours in the night, so it doesn't matter if I stay up two or three hours later. And after two or three hours, I think the two of them will have finished what they need to do, right? It won't be so awkward for me to come back after they've both gone to sleep.
Zhou Ziwei and Wang Xuewei could naturally guess Chu Qiutang's thoughts, which made them both feel a little embarrassed.
Wang Xuewei immediately grabbed Chu Qiutang's arm, biting her lip and complaining, "Xiaotang, what are you doing? The three of us have been through thick and thin together, and now what are you doing... If you really can't sleep, then... why don't you stay here and have a good chat with Ziwei? If you're embarrassed because I'm here, then... I'll go outside and wait for you..."
Zhou Ziwei was somewhat overwhelmed by these two beauties. Although Wang Xuewei and he were not a couple in name only, Wang Xuewei didn't need to act like a pimp for him like this!
Back when they were surrounded by that sea of insects, they said they would give their virginity to Zhou Ziwei together. But now that they actually have the chance, these two beauties are refusing to give it to each other. I really don't know what they're thinking.
Zhou Ziwei felt annoyed at the thought and snorted softly, saying, "Fine, you two stop fighting to run out. If you both feel unsafe sleeping in the same tent as me, then I'll go out and sleep with that old charlatan. That way, you won't have to keep an eye on me while you're asleep."
"Ah...we...we didn't mean that."
When Wang Xuewei and Chu Qiutang saw that Zhou Ziwei seemed angry, they panicked and instinctively grabbed Zhou Ziwei's arms on either side, carefully refraining from saying anything about leaving.
Chu Qiutang, being younger and more naive, couldn't bring herself to say anything suggestive while clinging to Zhou Ziwei's arm. Wang Xuewei hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and whispered, "Ziwei... I know I'm not a good wife, or that you're right to divorce me. But... I want to tell you, right now I really only want to be your wife, your real wife... even if it's just for one day, even if we get divorced tomorrow, but... let me give myself to you completely today, okay? What I said yesterday in that situation wasn't because we were about to die, so I gave up on myself. Those were my true feelings, Ziwei... can you believe me?"
After saying these words, Wang Xuewei's body went limp and she collapsed into Zhou Ziwei's arms.
If it were in the past, she probably would never have dreamed that one day she would say such things to a man, even if that man was her husband.
But now... she knows that if she doesn't say these words now, she might lose this man forever. After going through several life-and-death situations with Zhou Ziwei, she knows that she will never have the courage to leave this man in her life.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Ziwei's body trembled slightly, and he was filled with mixed feelings. He knew that if things continued like this, he would be in great danger.
He may not have had much affection for Wang Xuewei before, but he has never disliked her either. After spending time together, he can no longer bring himself to reject her.
But if I don't refuse her, am I really going to sleep with her here, and then heartlessly go through with divorce proceedings after we get back to Earth? Is that something a human being would do?
But if he didn't divorce Wang Xuewei, how could he face Liu Xiaofei? He had promised to marry her after divorcing Wang Xuewei...
Seeing their reactions, Chu Qiutang chuckled and said, "You two, you clearly love each other deeply, but why do you act like a pair of sworn enemies? I really don't understand you two... Why do you have to think so much? In my opinion... our hope of going back is very slim, so why not... live for the moment! Don't you think so? Director Zhou... I really admire you... You've managed to keep my sister Xuewei a virgin while you've had such a stunning beauty, hehe... If you're a man, then prove it to us today! Otherwise... I'll start to doubt whether you're... hehe... I won't say anymore, you know what I mean, right?"
Volume 2: The Assassin's Nightmare, Chapter 399: The Flying Machine
If you're a man, prove it!
Zhou Ziwei had to admit that those words were incredibly damaging to him, or rather, Chu Qiutang had given him a powerful excuse for his filthy thoughts.
It's often said that men are animals who think with their lower bodies, and that might be true.