bookbashuk Chapter 363 The Place Where We Had Been Three Years Ago
Chapter 363 The Place Where We Had Been Three Years Ago
Chen Anran stood alone in front of the long table, his gaze fixed on the ancient jade bearing the marks of time, for half an hour.
The jade pendant gleams with a subtle light, its patterns subtly following some mysterious trajectory. Gazing at it for a long time, one can almost hear the echo of the river of time flowing in the far distance.
The palace door was gently knocked on.
"Enter."
Lu Kong entered silently. He had changed into a dark blue close-fitting outfit, and his long hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin. He looked less gentle and more sharp than usual. He carried a flat wooden box in his hand.
"Uncle-Master." Lu Kong placed the wooden box on a corner of the long table and opened it. Inside were several scrolls made of special animal hides and sealed with gold thread, as well as several jade slips with a dark luster and densely engraved with tiny characters. "These are some precise records about the Great Qian Dynasty that I have compiled, as well as the known distribution of power and key points of local customs and traditions of that era. Although a long time has passed and the memory may be inaccurate, the general outline should be correct."
Chen Anran picked up the top scroll of animal hide. It was slightly cool to the touch and had excellent resilience. He slowly unrolled it. Instead of writing, it contained a map drawn with cinnabar, silver powder, and some kind of spiritual pigment.
Mountains, rivers, cities, passes, and even some special geological nodes are meticulously marked. In the upper right corner of the map, two ancient seal characters read "Da Qian".
"It covers quite a lot." Chen Anran looked at the territory that encompassed a large area of land and scattered islands.
"At its peak, it was indeed a regional hegemon." Lu Kong stood to the side, pointing his finger at several places on the map. "This is the capital, 'Tianjing.' My master was active in this area back then."
Just as Lu Kong was about to give Chen Anran a proper introduction to the situation in Daqian, he was interrupted by Chen Anran.
Chen Anran asked, "If I go back to the past this time, is it possible that I will encounter 'you' from that era?"
Lu Kong remained silent for a moment before saying, "Let's talk about it when we encounter it."
Chen Anran did not ask any further questions, and Lu Kong took the opportunity to change the subject, returning to the situation during the Daqian era.
The situation wasn't actually that complicated. At that time, the dynasty was subservient to the Immortal Alliance, and the common people suffered terribly from the exploitation by cultivators and powerful clans. The dynasty itself was also beset by internal and external troubles, with war breaking out in various places. The Immortal Alliance, high above, regarded mortals as worthless, and for the sake of resources and cultivation, massacres and the destruction of cities and countries were not uncommon.
"A... utterly rotten world." Chen Anran put down the map, his tone calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"That's right," Lu Kong said in a low voice. "It was in that kind of environment that Master witnessed too many tragedies. Immortals did not protect people, but instead devoured them; cultivation had no path, only plunder. The initial thought of 'Soul Extinction' was perhaps sown at that time."
Afterwards, Lu Kong talked about some details of the customs and culture of the Great Qian Dynasty, such as clothing, food, currency, and Mandarin accent. Chen Anran wrote them down one by one. Although he didn't know to what extent these preparations could offset the gap of three thousand years of time and space, every extra effort would bring more peace of mind.
They chatted for about half an hour before the conversation came to an end. The candlelight crackled softly in the hall, casting silent shadows on the two figures.
"If there is nothing else, this disciple will take his leave." Lu Kong put away the wooden box and bowed.
"Go ahead." Chen Anran nodded. "You should also... make some preparations."
A faint ripple crossed Lu Kong's eyes, as if he were recalling something, but it ultimately turned into a calm reply: "Yes."
He turned and left, his footsteps light and quiet. The world created by Qianfan Wang of the Wangchuan family is all contained in "Senior Sister, Stop Working, Come Home for Dinner." He quickly blended into the deep night outside the hall.
Chen Anran stood in front of the table for a while before blowing out the candle and walking out of the hall.
The night breeze outside rushed in, dispelling the lingering stuffiness in the hall and clearing his mind, which had become slightly drowsy from prolonged contemplation.
He took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs, but it couldn't quell the burning fire in his heart. Looking up, the night sky was cloudless, the stars sparse, and the Milky Way stretched across the horizon like a blurry ribbon. The pale moonlight spilled onto the silent eaves of the palace and the dark mountain ridges in the distance, outlining their silent silhouettes.
Everything seemed no different from countless other mountain nights, but he knew that this land beneath his feet, along with the people and things on it, would soon face a desperate migration.
"Standing here in the cold wind, figuring out how to be a savior?"
A slightly mocking, cool female voice suddenly rang out, breaking the silence of the night.
Chen Anran looked in the direction of the sound.
In the shadows of a corner of the palace not far away, Qi Lan leaned against a vermilion pillar, arms crossed, still wearing the same worn-out hoodie, her black animal ears twitching slightly in the night breeze. The moonlight only illuminated half of her body, her amber vertical pupils glowing eerily in the darkness, fixed on him.
"Why are you coming to me instead of preparing your 'time travel luggage'?" Chen Anran wasn't surprised; she simply turned around to face her.
Qi Lan emerged from the shadows, her footsteps silent, like a true feline. She walked to Chen Anran's side, mimicked his gesture, looked up at the sky, and then pouted.
"What's there to prepare?" she said casually. "Just buy some changes of clothes and bring a handy knife, that's enough."
Qi Lan's beast ears suddenly stood up, then slowly lowered. She stared at Chen Anran, her amber pupils shrinking to thin lines in the moonlight.
"The entire mountain gate?" she repeated, the sarcasm gone, replaced by genuine surprise. "And a resort? Are you sure that thing you have... can handle such a large area?"
Chen Anran did not answer immediately. He turned around and looked down the mountain—although he couldn't see it from this angle, he knew that there was a hot spring hotel, a fairy restaurant, the Feng family's herbal pavilion, a visitor center, that carefully tended spiritual field, and everyone in their rooms making final preparations for "time travel".
"The power of the Time-Traces Jade depends on the spiritual energy that drives it," Chen Anran said slowly. "Now, all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth is in my hands. Theoretically, as long as there is enough spiritual energy, the range I can take away... can be very large."
"Theory?" Qi Lan raised an eyebrow. "Chen Anran, this isn't cooking, where you can fix things if it's too salty or too bland."
"I know. That's why I need to confirm how much to take and how to take it."
Qi Lan remained silent for a moment, processing this information. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and a strange smile appeared on her lips: "So, if we really took the entire mountain and resort with us... when the people of the Great Qian Dynasty opened their eyes three thousand years ago, they would see a complete mountain gate with modern architecture, crashing down on their territory with a 'bang'?"
Chen Anran didn't know how to answer this question.
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