Lord of the Desert

Chapter 514 Destiny
Fear, anxiety, even wavering...

These things that plagued him after he left Zi Wuchang did not simply stem from a fear of death, but rather from the bewilderment brought about by the unknown, like a snake lurking in the shadows.

He recalled the intense emotions he experienced while contemplating the revolution of the textile machine, and the horrifying feeling of "being a historian in this world."

He recalled the black and white landscapes he shared with Qu Luoyi under the vast snow, and the mission of "this world to accomplish things through me";

And also during the time in Huaiyang Kingdom;
The setting sun was brilliant and bright, illuminating the waters of Yishan Lake, and Duan Tiannan's silhouette was still embedded in it after so many years.

I was already confused once back then—how could the idealism of a mere few people fight against an entire large and stubborn social system?
But in any case, in Longqiu Town I only felt that the road was difficult to travel, but I was not afraid that there was no road.

Until, in the realm of impermanence, the scarlet-purple tissue actually covered the surface of the planet's liquid.

Everything changed from that point on.

What do the Earth of the past, the modern society of the past, the science and technology of the past, all those wonders, machines, weapons, and information networks, even if they were all bundled together, amount to when the celestial spheres meet?
Faced with such terrifying life forms capable of reshaping the biosphere and influencing planetary gravity, what are my proud culture, ideas, and civilization worth mentioning?
When people see God, they realize that the trajectory of history is not absolute, that "following in the footsteps of God will lead to the same destination" is just a daydream that has never been awakened, and they feel a bone-chilling fear.

This is because denying all of the above is also denying the destiny that the time traveler believed he was born with.

Hong Fan was stunned for a long time, then finally relaxed a little as if he had come back to his senses.

At that moment, he felt a gentle warmth coming from his cold and sweaty palms, and realized that Xiao Chu had intertwined his fingers with his without him noticing, and they hadn't let go yet.

The fruit tea was still warm.

The fragrance of fruit and flowers surrounds the scent of a young woman.

The shimmering gold in the tear-like light gradually overshadowed the crimson purple of the planet's surface and the boundless darkness beyond.

Never before had Hong Fan been so clearly aware of Xiao Chu's unparalleled and extraordinary nature.

In this bustling world, no one else could have uttered those words, nor could anyone else see themselves as clearly as she did.

They know it even better than I do.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"His Highness is not here..."

A moment later, Hong Fan got up to take his leave.

Xiao Chu did not see him off as usual, but leaned back in his chair and quietly watched the other's departing figure, watched his unadorned hair with a single hairpin, and watched his powerful, top-tier physique take fragile yet resolute steps.

Reality becomes blurred under our gaze.

She saw ten years later, and saw that the two of them had already lived together, worked hard, and had children.

A child, whose features were indistinct but who clearly resembled both him and her, was tugging at her skirt and asking a question:

"Mother, do my eyes and eyebrows resemble yours or Father's?"

Just as he was laughing absentmindedly, Xiao Chu suddenly realized that there was a black-robed figure standing silently in the corner of the room, his cold eyes watching Hong Fan from under the hood, ready to lead him to another world at any moment.

Of the twenty-six people, only one returned.

Xiao Chu held his breath, overwhelmed by lingering fear.

She was filled with fear that she hadn't stopped Zi Wuchang, knowing he was in danger, and feared that she had almost lost him.

The sound of heavy footsteps came closer and closer.

"Your Highness, Banban has just died."

Hu Zhuang stood outside the door and said in a low voice.

Banban is the name of a budgerigar, and also Princess Xiande's favorite pet.

But Xiao Chu simply nodded.

The pet budgie lived to be ten years old and died a natural death, while she was only eighteen years old when she hatched it, having served in the army for only two years.

"Does Your Highness wish to bury it yourself?"

Hu Zhuang asked again, surprised by his lord's coldness.

"Go ahead."

Xiao Chu sighed deeply, having made up his mind.

"Ten or twenty years? It's just a passing breeze or a fleeting storm; send someone to the palace to inform them in advance that I need to see my father."
March 13th, Shenjing (Beijing).

The red flag stopped beside the gate of Zhangwu Academy, and Shen Hongyue got off the carriage and lifted the curtain.

Hong Fan entered alone, dressed in a purple silk robe that had been washed and mended.

The rain had just stopped this morning, washing away the dust from the copperware; he gazed at it intently and could see the fine fingerprints that had covered its surface over the past hundred years.

The entrance to the Siwu Department was bustling with people. As I passed by, I could vaguely hear the low, reprimanding voice of Assistant Commissioner Liu Guyan, which was probably related to the Hanzhou Incident.

The research and preservation of martial arts classics is the responsibility of the Martial Arts Department. Today, the person in contact with Hong Fan is He Xuanyan, the head of the Martial Arts Department.

After winding through hundreds of meters, stepping out of the connecting corridor, the Hidden Martial Pavilion in the northwest of the Martial Arts Academy comes into view.

The building has five floors, with a hip roof covered with dark gray cylindrical tiles at the top, and the roof ridge is adorned with ancient-style, strong-lined chiwen (mythical beast ornaments).

The courtyard is paved with square, flat bluestone slabs, the lawn is exceptionally neat, and a few old pine trees with vigorous postures are scattered around, meticulously trimmed, guarding the sky above them.

"We're getting there."

General Manager He was quite surprised to see that Hong Fan remained calm.

"Although the Hidden Martial Pavilion is not conspicuous, it contains more than 3,000 martial arts manuals and more than 100,000 killing techniques, covering half of all martial arts in the world. First-time visitors are often shocked, and few can handle it as effortlessly as Hong Zishou."

"How could one not be alarmed when meeting with the martial masters of the world? It's just that one doesn't show it on the surface."

Hong Fan replied politely.

As soon as he stepped off the eaves, he immediately sensed the difference—the innate spiritual energy was unusually stagnant, especially the concentration of thunder and fire elements, which was extremely low, clearly indicating human intervention.

"In addition to the jade marrow array that suppresses spiritual energy, the decorations inside and outside the Hidden Martial Pavilion are specially designed to guide people towards peace and solemnity, so as to prevent them from going mad with joy after their wishes are fulfilled. This may sound absurd, but there are actually several precedents."

He Xuanyan explained.

"The pavilion is divided into two areas, one for preserving the original texts and the other for storing copies. Some of the martial arts techniques selected for use by various departments of the imperial court are also versions revised by the headmaster or the various celestial admirals."

The Zangwu Pavilion offers a wide and unobstructed view of the surrounding scenery.

"Chief Commander He, this must be Hong Zishou?"

Your guards greeted you politely and respectfully.

"Yes, I brought him here to fulfill the agreement."

He Xuanyan handed over the prepared documents, which included a sketch portrait.

A few steps away, Hong Fan saw several guards casting their scrutinizing glances at him, and he could clearly sense that they were all only at the Enlightenment Realm.

Judging from appearances, the security here does not seem to be very tight.

Only a few dozen meters from the northwest outer wall, the guards, both overt and covert, numbered only three small teams totaling twelve people, none of whom were at the Qi Realm level.

As for the strength of the magic array underfoot, it is also limited, probably intended for fire prevention.

However, considering that there is at least one Martial Saint and an unknown number of Celestials and Primal Magnets within a few hundred meters, the above trade-off suddenly becomes ridiculous.

“Hong Zishou, please come with me.”

After the guards completed the formalities, they led the person inside without wasting time searching them.

In an instant, Hong Fan's pupils adjusted to the drastic change in light and dark.

The entrance hall of Zangwu Pavilion is narrow, and there are no candlesticks or lamp stands in the main hall. Only the black basalt floor tiles, polished like a mirror, reflect the sunlight that enters through the natural light channel.

"Open flames are not allowed inside the pavilion, so people are only permitted to enter during the day."

The guard explained and led Hong Fan to a small room that was about five meters square.

The furnishings here are extremely simple, with only a table and a chair fixed to the ground, and the walls are covered with textured, perforated stone, presumably for sound absorption.

"Purple Ribbon, please wait a moment. I will go and call the steward over."

The guard said, and then closed the door.

(End of this chapter)