Chinese Superman

Gu Zhiqi abruptly turned to look at Xia Xinghan, her voice filled with disbelief: "Junior brother, who...who have you offended?"

"Or rather, what do you possess that warrants such a large-scale operation?"

"You didn't dig up some important person's ancestral grave, did you...?"

Even with Gu Zhi Qiu's calm and composed nature, he was starting to lose his composure.

This isn't just a "main dish," it's practically a "Manchu Han Imperial Feast"!

Even if she broke through to the Innate Realm, she alone would never dare to say she could escape unscathed facing so many experts, let alone protect Xia Xinghan.

Xia Xinghan uttered three words in a low voice: "Commissioner Chen."

"Commissioner Chen?"

Gu Zhi Qiu was taken aback and quickly searched his memory.

"That guy at the base? Qian Lao's right-hand man?"

She had some impression of Commissioner Chen at the base; he seemed shrewd and capable, and was one of Qian Lao's right-hand men.

"You dug up his family's ancestral graves?"

"Pah, pah, pah, what are you talking about? He betrayed the base."

Xia Xinghan's voice became heavy.

Are you sure?!

Gu Zhi Qiu's heart trembled violently.

Commissioner Chen holds a high position; if he betrays the party, the consequences could be severe.

"Could it be a misunderstanding?"

"Senior sister, I also hope it's a misunderstanding."

Xia Xinghan shook his head, his eyes filled with disappointment.

"But that's probably the truth."

He quickly gathered his thoughts and explained, "My classmate Chen Miao created a Class B martial art called 'Water Dragon Chant,' which is quite powerful. I was curious at the time what kind of relics he studied to comprehend such a profound meaning."

"Later, I used the martial arts concept of 'Water Dragon Chant' to deduce and reverse the most likely 'original appearance' of that relic."

Gu Zhi Qiu was stunned. The shock in his heart even temporarily overshadowed his tension about the current crisis.

Through the essence of martial arts, can we deduce the artifacts used to create this martial art?

What incredible insight!

What terrifying depth must one's understanding of martial arts and relics reach?

Imagine this: while others are still painstakingly and racking their brains to learn martial arts, you are able to reverse-engineer the relics themselves through martial arts.

They're not even in the same dimension anymore!

The look in her eyes as she stared at Xia Xinghan was one of utter shock, and a ridiculous thought even crossed her mind:

Even the Martial Ancestor, who created dozens of profound martial arts from scratch and laid the foundation for modern martial arts, could only have such insights into martial arts and relics.

Xia Xinghan ignored her shock and continued, "The image I created is a Tang Dynasty staff-scabbard sword."

"Later, after consulting a lot of information and comparing various sources, I finally confirmed that the Tang Dynasty staff-scabbard sword had been lost overseas. It was once the sword of the Japanese King Shomu, and was also loved by the Meiji Emperor, who specially remade the scabbard for it and named it 'Water Dragon Sword'."

"Water Dragon Sword..."

Gu Zhi Qiu murmured, not knowing much about the belongings.

"I originally thought that perhaps Commissioner Chen had retrieved this relic that had been lost overseas through some special channels or secret operations, so that Chen Miao could view it, just like the Yongle Sword and other relics that had been retrieved before."

Xia Xing's Chinese accent gradually turned cold.

"But later, Chen Miao, Chen Hao, and Huang Tao went overseas under the guise of exchange and study, and have not returned to this day."

"Before I left the base, Grandpa Qian specifically sought me out and subtly reminded me that this trip might involve a 'terrifying ambush' or even a 'life-or-death crisis,' asking me if I was afraid."

"I understood right away."

Xia Xinghan looked at Gu Zhiqi.

Gu Zhi Qiu: "!?"

Wait... what did you understand?

Xia Xinghan continued, "So, Grandpa Qian and I tacitly set up a trap."

"I told Commissioner Chen that I wanted to go back to my hometown, Wangjia'ao, for a visit. If Commissioner Chen is innocent, this news will naturally not be leaked. But if he is guilty... then those who have designs on me will set up ambushes near Wangjia'ao in advance, waiting for me to make my move."

Gu Zhiqi suddenly realized: "So, whether there's an ambush or not is the touchstone for testing Commissioner Chen's loyalty!"

"That's right."

Xia Xinghan nodded, gazing into the distance at the direction where the ambush was lying in wait, his eyes filled with utter disappointment and coldness.

"And now, the ambush has appeared."

"Furthermore, I just heard them communicating in hushed tones in Japanese."

"Commissioner Chen, Commissioner Chen, it's one thing for you to sell information to powerful families and conglomerates, and it's another for you to use Huang Tao and Chen Hao to try and probe my background when I first joined the Kaitian Class, but why... did you have to collude with Japan!?"

"How heartbroken and furious Grandpa Qian must be when he finds out."

Xia Xinghan gazed towards the base and murmured, "You should leave it to Grandpa Qian to handle personally."

……

the other side.

In the airspace deep in the mountains where the base is located, a helicopter is flying in the designated direction.

Inside the cabin, Commissioner Chen looked out the window at the snow-covered mountains and fields rushing by, his face calm, but his slightly clenched fists betrayed his inner turmoil.

"Chen Mo, will you be able to safely reach the 'other side'?" he wondered, clenching his fist.

Suddenly, the pilot's slightly puzzled voice came through the communicator: "Commissioner Chen, there seems to be smoke in the mountains ahead..."

"It doesn't quite look like smoke from a farmhouse cooking fire. The color... is a bit strange. Hmm, it smells quite nice though."

Commissioner Chen's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately leaned over to look out the porthole.

Above a snow-covered valley below, two wisps of pale golden smoke began to rise.

The smoke was not thick, but it condensed and did not disperse, intertwining and rising straight up, appearing particularly abrupt and mysterious against the gray sky, vaguely giving off an extraordinary aura of soaring straight into the clouds and surpassing the purple clouds.

Upon seeing the golden smoke, the last trace of color drained from Commissioner Chen's face, replaced by a calm that bordered on resignation.

He murmured softly, as if reciting an ancient poem:

"The incense burner in Boshan burns... its twin plumes of smoke rise into the purple clouds..."

He spoke into the communicator, his voice unusually calm: "Don't bother trying to change course or climb, it's useless. We... have already been 'taken in'."

The pilot was puzzled and wanted to say something, but he was horrified to find that the scenery outside the porthole was beginning to change strangely!

The snow-covered mountain ranges quickly lost their color, as if a painting was being soaked in water, the ink melting and spreading, then reforming, gradually transforming into strange peaks with a bronze texture!

The mountains rise one after another, surrounded by golden auspicious clouds.

Further away, there seemed to be ethereal images of fairy mountains and palaces, surging blue seas, winding dragons, and strange and exotic birds and beasts...

All sorts of incredible elements intertwine to create a magnificent picture scroll that is as beautiful as a fairyland in legend!

In the blink of an eye, they seemed to fall from the sky of reality into a vast alien space composed of bronze and gold!

"Where...where is this? What happened to us?!" the pilot's voice rang out again.

"Western Han Dynasty Gilt Bronze Boshan Incense Burner..."

Commissioner Chen gazed out the window at the unimaginable sight, his tone complex. "A priceless relic with the ability to 'store'."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.