bookbashuk Chapter 228 Scarface Asks Three Questions About Time Travel
Chapter 228 Scarface Asks Three Questions About Time Travel
Chapter 228 Scarface Asks Three Questions About Time Travel
Picking up where we left off, Harry was startled when someone called his name. He turned around quickly, his wand already in hand, pointing straight ahead.
Looking closely, one couldn't tell when a man had appeared beside the hollow tree. But there he was:
His beard and hair were disheveled like straw, his face weathered and scarred. His tattered robe hung haphazardly, unable to conceal his rough chest. His hemp shoes trod through the mud, his steps unsteady and unsteady. Even in his wretched state, resembling a ghost, his eyes gleamed with a cold, piercing light.
Harry, seeing that he recognized his own name and could use his time-stopping abilities, thought to himself:
Could this be the great being who is struck by heavenly tribulations every day, just as Salazar's brother said?
Although his thoughts turned to this place, he dared not lower his wand even slightly, for fear that it might be a trap set by Voldemort.
He turned his head and called Salazar a few more times, but received no reply. He then realized that the fellow, like Ron and Hermione, was also permanently trapped in time.
Harry held his wand horizontally across his chest and asked suspiciously, "How do you know my name, sir? And why are you waiting here?"
The man remained calm upon hearing this, a relaxed smile appearing on his face. "Of course I figured it out."
"It's just some superficial divination and finger-counting techniques, not worth mentioning."
Despite hearing these words, Harry was still worried.
Seeing that he was as tense as a bowstring, the man plopped down on the ground, patted the muddy ground beside him, and laughed, "Young master, sit down. Don't you want to talk to me?"
"I bet Salazar has kept you in suspense all these years, hasn't he?"
Upon hearing the name "Salazar," Harry finally felt relieved, certain that he had finally found the right person.
Harry quickly suppressed his surging emotions, tucked his wand back into his belt, sat cross-legged on the spot, clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, and said, "I am Harry James Potter, greetings, sir."
The man simply raised his hand in return, saying, "Just call me Yuan Tiangang."
The moment he heard the name, Harry's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and he jumped up, exclaiming, "Good heavens! Have I heard correctly? Is this gentleman really the same fortune teller Yuan from the Tang Dynasty who predicted the rise and fall of the world by deducing the 'Tui Bei Tu'?"
Dear reader, please listen carefully: This "Tui Bei Tu" was originally created by Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, who invited two great masters, Yuan Tiangang and Li Chunfeng, who were proficient in astronomy and physiognomy, to deduce the national fortune and dragon energy of the Tang Dynasty.
Yuan and Li were no ordinary people. They also borrowed the fortune of the Tang Dynasty and were able to predict the future of the country two thousand years later, including the rise and fall of the sun and moon.
Back in Jizhou, Harry had heard Master Luo, the Venerable Master of Gongsun Sheng, mention this book. The Venerable Master sighed, "Although this book was written by a man, it has seized the secrets of creation. Its publication was met with divine jealousy, and thunder and fire raged for forty-nine days."
After Yuan and Li both passed away, the "Tui Bei Tu" was lost. When Zhao Kuangyin seized power, he issued an imperial edict, sending the imperial guards to search the entire country, but ultimately, it remained elusive.
Harry thought to himself: This place was once part of the Eastern Roman Empire, and the Tang Dynasty had trade routes connecting it with the Western Regions.
It seems that after Yuan Tiangang revealed the secrets of heaven, he fled westward to avoid divine punishment, eventually ending up deep in the Albanian forest.
When Yuan Tiangang saw that Harry was stunned and silent after hearing his name, a hint of impatience appeared on his face. He waved his hand and said, "Who I am is not important. What's important is that you think clearly about who you are."
Upon hearing this, Harry frowned deeply and asked suspiciously, "Who am I?"
Yuan Tiangang ignored him, lowered his head, picked up two pebbles from the ground and played with them, saying without looking up, "When there is a problem, someone will think about it; when someone thinks about it, someone will ask it; when someone asks it, someone will give an answer."
"Think it over carefully. I can answer a maximum of three questions for you."
Hearing this, Harry became even more confused and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Sir, what you say is very perplexing. You are a hero who has endured divine punishment for years without suffering any harm, so why can I only ask you three questions?"
"Because I was targeted by the law of equilibrium, I have been able to survive until today by using special means."
"I've probably reached my limit by handling three of your questions."
The moment the words were spoken, the world changed drastically.
The once pitch-black sky was now permeated with a purple halo, illuminating the entire Albanian forest as if it were daytime. Withered branches and fallen leaves, jagged rocks, were all tinged with a purple glow.
Then came a deafening roar, and thousands of bolts of purple lightning descended from the heavens. Dense as a torrent, they splashed across the land, surging and howling like electric pythons. The dense forest hissed and crackled, and where the lightning struck, a dazzling light shone. Truly: Purple lightning drenched the sky, startling gods and demons; its light captivated the soul, piercing the very essence of the universe!
Harry jumped to his feet in surprise, quickly drew his wand and tapped Ron and Hermione twice, shouting, "Protect Yourself!"
Two beams of clear light shot out and enveloped the two of them like a glass dome.
No sooner said than done, a torrent of purple lightning crashed down from the sky, only to collide with an invisible iron curtain a hundred feet above the ground.
All that could be seen was the splashing of molten metal and the wild flashes of purple lightning, yet none of it could fall even a fraction of a second, only crackling and popping, like thousands of copper beans being stir-fried in an iron pot.
This continued for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before the thunder gradually subsided.
When the last wisp of purple lightning dissipated, Yuan Tiangang's figure was much more unsteady, and when looking at him, one could vaguely see the withered branches of the old tree behind him.
Just then, Yuan Tiangang slowly extended two fingers and said in a faint voice, "There are two more questions."
Harry realized what was going on when he heard this, and cursed inwardly.
Damn it! That reminder just now was counted as a question!
Seeing his brows furrowed tightly, Yuan Tiangang added, "You have endless time to think before you finish asking your questions."
This time, Harry learned his lesson and didn't respond at all. He simply sat cross-legged, but his mind was like boiling water in a pan, constantly churning over Yuan Tiangang's words.
He pondered to himself: Yuan Tiangang said he was being targeted by the "Law of Equilibrium", but he refused to explain the reason. Could it be that the "Tui Bei Tu" revealed the secrets of heaven, which brought about this calamity that has lasted for thousands of years?
But this fellow insisted on sending me to the territory of the Great Song Dynasty, and I don't know why.
The more he thought about it, the more confused he felt, his mind tightening, and he wished he could shake Hermione awake immediately to discuss the matter.
However, time seemed to stand still around him, so he could only force himself to calm his mind, sit cross-legged, and recite some scriptures to purify his heart.
Once the anxiety in his heart subsided, he picked up the abacus again.
After sitting and pondering for two or three hours, Harry suddenly had a flash of inspiration and grasped a key point that he had previously overlooked.
What do you think he has realized?
It turns out that when he discussed with Liu Tao how to capture the Death Eaters in the Ministry of Magic, Liu Tao mentioned "causality".
Today, Yuan Tiangang, the ancestor of the East, is called Balance, so why do his descendants call it Cause and Effect?
As soon as this thought arose, another matter that had been on his mind also surfaced.
In the West, very few people know this law, as rare as a night traveler trying to cover a candle; yet in the East, it's known to everyone, and everyone dares to talk about it openly. How strange!
The more Harry read the term "balance law," the more he realized how weighty it was, and how he had underestimated it in the past.
He took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and asked solemnly, "May I ask, sir, what exactly is this law of equilibrium?"
Yuan Tiangang shook his head and sighed, "This question is far too big to be answered by others; you must figure it out for yourself."
"If I were to say it now, not only you, but everyone in Eastern Europe would die; no one would be spared."
"All I can tell you is that it is the foundation of this world."
Before the words were even finished, the thunderclouds in the sky overturned like a giant cauldron, and the purple lightning condensed into the force of a celestial river pouring down on the barrier.
With this single strike, Yuan Tiangang suddenly became transparent, even fainter than the ghosts at Hogwarts, and the texture of the old tree behind him was clearly visible.
When the thunder subsided, he struggled to raise one index finger and said in a weak voice, "There's one last question."
Harry, however, paid no heed to any of that. He abruptly stood up and began pacing back and forth, his boots crunching on the gravel as he felt a storm raging within him.
Damn it! This so-called law of equilibrium is so dangerous! Just one more question and millions of souls will be scattered!
Harry paced back and forth in deep thought for a full day and night before he began to have some understanding.
He thought to himself: It seems that the West has never heard of the law of equilibrium. Perhaps the ancient sages foresaw the dangers involved and deliberately concealed the truth to prevent future generations from recklessly interfering with the secrets of heaven.
Although the Eastern Lands have studied this for generations, they have mistakenly identified "balance" as "cause and effect," much like going south when they want to go north or trying to put out a fire in a well. Even if they exhaust their efforts, they will never be able to grasp the real key.
Upon realizing this, Harry gasped, his heart pounding with shock.
As Harry pondered this for another day and two nights, another strange thing came to mind.
What does this strange event of my time travel have to do with the law of equilibrium? Why did I end up in the Song Dynasty?
Harry carefully reviewed the unusual aspects of his life and, without much thought, knew that it must be the prophet's prediction that he was the savior.
He then recited: If it was because of the prophecy of the "savior" that I went to the Great Song Dynasty, then the prophet is of utmost importance.
Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated, cupped his fists towards Yuan Tiangang, and asked, "Sir, please tell me, where do those prophets' ability to make prophecies come from?"
Upon hearing this question, Yuan Tiangang grinned and said with a hint of appreciation, "You're quite good at grasping the key issues."
"The source of their prophetic power lies in the same place as the source of the law of equilibrium."
As soon as he finished speaking, the thunderous liquid in the heavens burst forth like a celestial river bursting its banks, condensing into hundreds and thousands of giant pythons that crashed down upon him.
Upon hearing this, Harry's forehead veins bulged, and a surge of anger welled up inside him. He roared, "You son of a bitch! Is that even a reply?!"
"Of the three questions, two were roundabout, and both were just excuses using the concept of 'equilibrium law'!"
"What's the point of racking my brains for days and nights? A good night's sleep is far more satisfying!"
Yuan Tiangang didn't respond, and his body disintegrated like an autumn leaf in the wind.
First, her sleeves transformed into countless fireflies, then her features faded to a faint wisp of smoke, leaving only a hazy silhouette.
Just as the sound was about to dissipate, the lingering echoes drifted over.
"Harry Potter, the future of humanity rests entirely on your shoulders—"
Before they could finish speaking, a sudden buzzing of mosquitoes and gnats erupted from the woods. The dark clouds that had been hanging in the sky began to churn, and withered leaves swirled down from the branches. Ron and Hermione's boots crunched on the gravel. It was truly a scene of utter chaos, a moment of utter silence.
Harry stared at the hollow old tree, its bark still mottled and untouched by any moss, as if the moment before had been nothing but a fleeting dream.
After standing there frozen for a while, he finally bent down, grabbed a handful of withered leaves, tapped his wand lightly, and cast a transformation spell, turning them all into yellow paper money.
They stuffed the paper money into the tree hole and lit a fire to burn it all.
The flames continued to leap and dance inside the tree trunk, casting shifting shadows on Harry's face.
He pondered by the fire: "My three questions were not entirely in vain. According to what Yuan Tiangang said on his deathbed, the methods of prophecy and the law of equilibrium are of the same origin."
If it was because of the savior's bird prophecy that I was thrown into the Song Dynasty, then Voldemort, that scoundrel, might also be entangled in the law of equilibrium.
Thinking of this, Harry grew increasingly agitated, feeling a surge of rage rising in his chest, wishing he could immediately drag out that scoundrel Voldemort, chop him into mincemeat, and feed him to Noberta.
Just as he was grinding his teeth inwardly, he suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Hermione was beside him, asking in surprise, "Harry? What are you burning?"
Harry shook his head and sighed, "Just burn some paper money to commemorate a complete stranger."
After saying that, he strode away again.
Ron and Hermione exchanged bewildered glances, both filled with doubt. Seeing Harry walking briskly, they had no choice but to put aside their conversation and hurry to follow.
After taking only three or five steps, Salazar suddenly asked, "You've met him?"
Harry continued walking, snorting, "Only today do I realize why you were so cautious in your words and actions, brother. You must have known the power of the law of equilibrium all along."
"Ah, I'm so glad that there's another smart person in the world. If everyone were like Rowena, the world would be in chaos long ago."
Harry ignored this and instead sent the Death Diary to search through several ancient secrets in the Albanian forests, but unfortunately, he couldn't find any trace of Voldemort.
As dawn broke, Harry and his group met up with Liu Tao's men.
After exchanging messages, Liu Tao heard that Harry was burning paper money in the hollow tree as a form of mourning, and his expression immediately turned strange.
While Harry made no progress, Liu Tao made great strides, as evidenced by Lockhart's animated gestures and exaggerated expressions.
He had only discovered the location of Voldemort's ambush, but through his embellished words, it seemed as if he had personally captured Voldemort.
Harry wanted to go and take a look, but Liu Tao advised, "It's better not to alert him now. If Voldemort escapes, it will be harder to catch him."
"My idea is to wait until the final of the three-way battle and then lay in ambush."
Harry nodded in agreement and smiled, "Sir, you are absolutely right. The saying 'the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind' perfectly describes this situation."
The group immediately packed their belongings, climbed onto Norbert's back, and headed straight for Hogwarts.
Although the fire dragon was young, it knew the way and, without waiting for guidance, spread its wings and returned along the original path.
Amidst the howling wind, Lockhart remained atop the dragon's back, speaking eloquently and loudly, his spittle mingling with the morning mist, yet no one responded to a single word he uttered.
Liu Tao rubbed his wand in his hand for a long time, then suddenly looked at Harry and said, "You're not British, are you, Harry?"