mud falling painting beam empty

Chapter 1128 The Flowing Years

The Great Wall was shrouded in thick fog before dawn. Zhao Wuji stood by the battlements, watching the soldiers busy preparing their luggage. Today they would go to Bianliang to carry out an almost suicidal mission - to rescue the emperor from the Taotie army.

"System, can you confirm today's plot points?" he asked silently in his mind.

"There are three main scenes: the sacrifice of the Palace Commander, the Bianliang breakout, and the Magnet Project." The mechanical voice replied, "Special reminder: The Palace Commander's fall scene must be presented in full, do not interfere."

Zhao Wuji clenched his fists. As a loyal fan of "The Great Wall", he could never accept the sacrifice of the general. The white-haired old general reminded him of his grandfather.

"If I try to save him"

"Erase the host's memory and deduct one resurrection card." The system interrupted coldly.

“Will I be kicked out?”

"No, as long as you have enough resurrection cards, you can continue to save people, but the consumption will be doubled."

Tovar came over and handed him a piece of hard bread: "Eat it, you'll be busy today."

Zhao Wuji chewed mechanically.

In the distance, Lin Mei was reviewing the Crane Army. In the morning light, her blue armor shone faintly, like a perfect sculpture.

"Are you engrossed in it?" said Torvald, nudging him mischievously.

"Shut up." Zhao Wuji replied subconsciously, and then was stunned - the tone was exactly the same as William in the movie.

The horn sounded, and everyone quickly gathered. The palace commander stood on the high platform, his silver hair flying in the wind.

"Warriors!" The old man's voice was as loud as a bell. "Today we are not fighting for the court, nor for rewards, but for the millions of people behind us!"

Zhao Wuji stared at the palace commander's resolute face, and his chest tightened. He knew what would happen next - a sudden attack by the gluttons, a chaotic battle, and then...
"Taotie! West side of the city wall!"

Screams broke the silence. Zhao Wuji turned around and saw that more than a dozen Taotie had climbed up the city wall and were frantically attacking nearby soldiers. One of the particularly large Taotie went straight to the palace commander.

"Protect the Marshal!" Lin Mei shouted and rushed over.

According to the plot, Zhao Wuji should have stood still and observed. But his legs moved forward uncontrollably.

“Warning! Deviate!”

The pain was more intense than ever before. Zhao Wuji fell to his knees, his vision blurred.

"This is a bullshit system. I'm willing to pay the price, right?"

He struggled to look up and saw the Palace Commander fighting with the Taotie. The old general's swordsmanship was still sharp, but after all, he was old and his movements were gradually slowing down.

"No," Zhao Wuji gritted his teeth and dug his nails deep into the cracks in the stone, trying to resist the control of the system. Blood oozed from his fingertips, but he felt no pain.

Taotie's tail swept fiercely, and the palace commander stumbled back to the edge of the city wall. At this critical moment, Lin Mei arrived and stabbed Taotie's eyes with a sword. The monster screamed and retreated, but accidentally bumped into the palace commander.

Time seemed to stand still. Zhao Wuji watched the old general's body leaning back and slowly falling off the city wall. The palace commander's expression was surprisingly calm, and he even smiled at Lin Mei.

"Master!" Lin Mei's scream was heartbreaking.

Zhao Wuji was finally able to move. He stumbled to the city wall and saw the commander's cloak spread out in the wind like a white bird, then disappeared into the mist.

"System! Didn't you fucking say that I could just deduct the resurrection card?" he roared in his heart.

"The role of the Palace Commander has been completed according to the script. He has been evacuated safely. He is also a script player, but one of your resurrection cards has been deducted." The system replied calmly, "This is 10, host, the next one is to deduct 20 from you"

Zhao Wuji was shaking all over, not knowing whether it was out of anger or sadness. Lin Mei knelt beside the city wall, her shoulders heaving violently. According to the plot, he should have walked over and said something comforting, but he was so angry that he didn't want to move.

Tovar pulled him and said, "William, we have to get ready to go."

On the way to Bianliang, the team fell silent. Lin Mei walked in front, her back as straight as a pine tree, but Zhao Wuji could see that her hands holding the reins were shaking slightly.

"System, does Lin Mei really exist?" he couldn't help but ask.

“Trade secrets,” the system replied. “In this world, they are all their true selves.”

This answer was meaningless, but Zhao Wuji did not ask any more questions. He rode his horse to catch up with Lin Mei and prepared to say the line about "trust".

"General Lin," he opened his mouth, but suddenly forgot the words.

Lin Mei turned her head, her eyes were red and swollen but there were no tears: "What's the matter?"

Zhao Wuji looked at her tired but strong face, and the prepared lines got stuck in his throat. This Lin Mei didn't look like an actor, maybe she was a native, this was a living person who was suffering from the pain of losing a loved one.

"I'm so sorry, maybe the good master just went to another world." He finally said, a line that was not in the script.

Lin Mei's eyes softened: "You don't need to apologize. This is not your fault."

"But I said that Taotie will learn and change its tactics." Zhao Wuji finally remembered the lines, "If we had done it earlier--"

"That's enough." Lin Mei interrupted him, "Now is not the time to blame yourself. The commander chose to sacrifice himself to save me, and I will not let this sacrifice go to waste."

She gave Zhao Wuji a firm smile and urged her horse to speed forward. Zhao Wuji froze in place. This conversation deviated from the script, but strangely achieved the same effect.

The scene outside Bianliang was even more horrifying than what was depicted in the movie. The entire plain was covered with Taotie, which were crashing against the crumbling city walls like a tide. Inside the city, flames shot up into the sky, and screams could be heard even from a long distance away.

"Oh God!" Torvald crossed himself.

Lin Mei quickly deployed tactics: "The Crane Army and the Bear Army will attack head-on, and the Eagle Army will provide long-range support. William, you and Tovar will be responsible for detonating the black powder and creating chaos."

Zhao Wuji nodded, his heart beating like a drum. Next came the climax of the script - they were going to use magnets to control the beast king and destroy all the Taotie. In theory, he only needed to follow the instructions, but the system's previous warning made him dare not take it lightly.

"Remember," he whispered to Tovar, "when you see the Beast King, shoot your lodestone arrows immediately. Don't hesitate."

Tovar frowned: "How do you know there is a beast king?"

"I guessed." Zhao Wuji hesitated, "The Taotie is so organized, there must be a leader, right?"

The loud noise of the city gate being breached interrupted the conversation. Taotie poured into the city like a flood. Lin Mei raised her sword high: "Shadowless Forbidden Army, charge!"

The following battle was like an absurd dream. Zhao Wuji swung his sword mechanically, the system assisting him in completing some key actions, but his consciousness seemed to float above his body, watching the bloody massacre with cold eyes. When they finally broke through the siege and came to the palace square, the beast king was sitting on the dragon throne, surrounded by layers of Taotie guarding him. The monster was more than three times larger than an ordinary Taotie, and the tentacles on its head flashed with strange light.

"Shoot!" Lin Mei shouted.

Tovar drew his bow, but a glutton suddenly pounced on him, and the arrow went astray. Zhao Wuji knew it was his turn to take action next, but just as he raised his bow, a crazy idea flashed through his mind.

If he follows the system's requirements completely, what's the difference between him and a puppet? Since he can't change the script, at least he should perform it in his own way!

“For the Master!” he yelled, reciting his lines in an exaggerated stage-play voice. “Look at me, you green cutie!”

The soldiers around were stunned, and even Taotie seemed to hesitate for a second - could it be a script player as well? Zhao Wuji took the opportunity to shoot an arrow, and the magnet arrow accurately hit the tentacles of the beast king.

"Beautiful!" Torvald cheered, completely forgetting that this was not part of the plan.

The beast king was controlled by the magnetism and roared in pain. Lin Mei seized the opportunity and stabbed its eyes with a sword. But at this moment, a guarding Taotie pounced on Lin Mei.

According to the plot, Zhao Wuji should rush to save her, but he suddenly decides to do something else. He leaps into the battlefield, spinning like a ballerina.

"William! Are you crazy?" Lin Mei shouted while fighting with Taotie.

“Maybe!” Zhao Wuji laughed and chopped down two Taotie with exaggerated gestures, “But isn’t it more interesting this way?”

To his surprise, the system did not punish him at all. It seemed that as long as the key actions and lines were in place, this kind of performance could be played freely.

The Beast King finally fell, and all the Taotie collapsed to the ground like puppets with their strings cut. The square was silent, and then a thunderous cheer broke out.

"We won!" The soldiers hugged each other and cried.

Lin Mei walked up to Zhao Wuji, her face a mixture of confusion and admiration: "What kind of fighting style did you just use?"

"Improvisational battle." Zhao Wuji grinned, "Do you like it?"

Lin Mei shook her head but couldn't help laughing: "You are such a weirdo, William Garin."

The emperor personally held a celebration banquet for them. At the banquet, Tovar was drunk and dragged the beautiful palace maids to dance. Zhao Wuji sat in the corner, sipping the wine in his glass slowly.

"Not going to celebrate?" Lin Mei sat down next to him and changed into a plain blue dress, no longer in military uniform.

"I'm not used to this kind of occasion." Zhao Wuji answered. This was the truth, both for Zhao Wuji and William Garin.

Lin Mei looked at the starry sky and whispered, "You are leaving tomorrow, right?"

Zhao Wuji's heart was shocked. Indeed, according to the plot, the mercenary William would leave after completing the mission. But this question suddenly made him realize a fact - he might never see Lin Mei again.

He whispered, "The West has unfinished business."

What a cliché line, but it rings so true at this moment.

Lin Mei turned her head, her eyes as bright as amber in the candlelight: "You know what? At first I thought you were a liar, then I thought you were a lunatic, but now..."

Her voice gradually faded. Zhao Wuji knew that this dialogue was not in the script, but he didn't care.

"What do you think I am now?" he asked softly.

“It’s a mystery.” Lin Mei smiled. “Maybe one day, I will go to the West to solve this mystery.”

Zhao Wuji's chest tightened. He knew this couldn't happen because his "role" was about to end. But looking at Lin Mei's expectant eyes, he couldn't tell the truth.

“I’ll wait for you,” he said, and then, summoning his courage, he added, “Wherever.”

This sentence triggered the system's prompt: "The main plot has been completed. The host can return at any time or continue to stay. Do you want to leave now?"

Zhao Wuji looked at Lin Mei's face, which was so close to him, and answered in his heart: "Wait a little longer."

After the banquet, Zhao Wuji climbed up to the top of the city wall of Bianliang alone. The night sky was dotted with stars, and in the distance the Great Wall was winding among the mountains like a giant dragon.

"System, what will happen to this world after I leave?"

"Your filming is over, archived and sold." The system replied, "The natives will continue to live their normal lives."

"Lin Mei. Will she remember me?"

“She is a native, of course she will remember you.”

Zhao Wuji smiled bitterly. He should have known the answer would be like this. But the strange thing was that even though he knew that all this was just a performance, Lin Mei's feelings for him were extremely real.

"I'm ready." He took one last look at the starry sky of this world, "Let's go back."

"Happy wrapping, host."

A familiar white light flashed by, and Zhao Wuji felt dizzy.
Zhao Wuji raised his hands and saw no longer William's calloused hands, but his own familiar, slightly pale hands, without sword calluses or scars.

“A dream?”

"This is impossible"

"You didn't erase the memory?"

Zhao Wuji sat up suddenly, but saw that everything was normal on the monitor. The first thing he did was to watch the rerun of The Great Wall. When "his" clumsy but sincere performance appeared on the screen, he wanted to laugh and cry. All the "mistakes" in his memory were preserved - the magnet arrow hitting his buttocks, the exaggerated fighting style, and the impromptu dialogue with Lin Mei.
What shocked him most was a new shot added to the ending: Lin Mei stood on the Great Wall, looking towards the west with a faint smile on her lips.

As the end credits rolled, Zhao Wuji stared at the screen. At the end of the special thanks list, there was indeed a line of small words:
【Special starring: Zhao Wuji】

The setting sun was shining on the huge poster. Zhao Wuji stopped and stared at Matt Damon's face, and suddenly smiled.

“That’s a good performance, Matt,” he said quietly. “But mine wasn’t bad either.”

The phone suddenly rang, and it was a text message from an unfamiliar number:

[The new script "The Great Wall 2" is about to start filming, looking forward to returning. Salary is negotiable. ]

Zhao Wuji stared at the message for a long time. In the end, he did not reply, but he did not delete it either. He looked up at the distant sky, where countless stars were quietly shining.

"This crappy system has so many tricks, but it just doesn't make money. I guess I was lucky to be able to make money in the first place?"