A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

An entrance appeared in mid-air.

The entrance was about ten feet high and five feet wide, with golden edges, like a border woven from sunlight.

Inside the entrance, there is a deep, flowing play of light and shadow, so indistinct that only vague outlines can be seen.

But soon, those outlines became clear.

The first thing that catches the eye is two huge flags.

The flag descended from the heavens, obscuring the sky and fluttering in the wind.

One side is red, with a golden sun embroidered on it;

The other side is also red, with a silver moon embroidered on it.

The sun and moon shine together, reflecting each other's brilliance, fluttering in the wind, making a "whooshing" sound, like the shouts of a thousand troops.

That was the banner of the Ming Dynasty.

The sun and moon flag.

As Ji Zuodao looked at the two flags, a feeling he couldn't quite put into words suddenly welled up inside him.

He wasn't a history enthusiast; his understanding of the Ming Dynasty was limited to things like "Zhu Yuanzhang was a monk," "Zhu Di moved the capital," and "Emperor Chongzhen hanged himself."

But when he saw the two flags fluttering in the wind, he still felt a strange sense of awe.

That was a power that had transcended six hundred years.

Then, more scenes emerged from the entrance.

The golden glazed tiles reflect a dazzling light under the sun, covering the sky and the earth like a golden ocean.

The light was so intense that it was almost blinding; one could only squint and peer through their fingers to see a majestic city standing at the end of that golden expanse.

Forbidden City.

It's not the Forbidden City that was later transformed into a museum, not the Forbidden City teeming with tourists, filled with selfie sticks and tour guide megaphones.

Instead, it refers to the Forbidden City, which was newly built six hundred years ago, full of vitality and majesty.

The city walls are towering, the city gates are majestic, and the corner towers stand in rows.

Every brick and stone exudes the scent of freshly carved stone, and every edge is as sharp as a knife.

Sunlight shines on the glazed tiles, refracting a rainbow of colors and enveloping the entire city in a dreamlike glow.

Ji Zuodao opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that he couldn't say anything.

He saw that on the walls of the Forbidden City, on both sides of the city gates, and behind every crenellation of the city tower, stood countless soldiers.

The soldiers wore red armor with a dull sheen, clearly well-preserved equipment that had been tested in actual combat.

They held long spears, wore curved swords at their waists, and carried heavy bows on their backs. They stood straight as pines, their eyes blazing, staring straight ahead.

Thousands upon thousands.

No, it's 100,000.

One hundred thousand Ming soldiers in red armor stood in formation, surrounding the enemy.

Their breathing blended into a low, rumbling sound that echoed above the city walls.

Their heartbeats merged into a deep, resonant drumbeat that trembled across the earth.

Their gazes all turned toward the entrance, toward the few people standing in the courtyard of Chengguzhai.

There was no hostility.

It was just a gaze.

A silent, solemn gaze, imbued with a sense of mission.

Ji Zuodao felt a fine layer of cold sweat seep out of his back.

This is a completely different kind of oppression.

It doesn't come from a difference in strength, but from something more primal—discipline, order, and a belief that one is willing to die for.

Then he heard it.

A dragon's roar.

The sound came from the depths of the Forbidden City, deep and long, like magma gushing from the earth's depths, or like a call from ancient times.

The sound pierced through the city walls, through the palaces, through layers of buildings, and soared straight into the sky.

Immediately afterwards, a five-clawed golden dragon rose into the sky from the Forbidden City.

The dragon was entirely golden, its scales shimmering brilliantly in the sunlight. Each scale was the size of a palm, arranged neatly like the finest armor.

Its head was held high, its horns were prominent, its beard and hair were flowing, and its golden eyes, like two small suns, looked down at the earth below.

It opened its enormous mouth and let out a deafening roar.

The roar was like a thousand thunderclaps, shaking the entire world.

The stone table in Chengguzhai's courtyard was shaken by the sound waves and jumped up, shattering teaware all over the ground with a clatter.

Tiles from the eaves fell with a crash, shattering on the ground, and even the air seemed to tremble, as if being torn apart by the sound.

Qiqi was so frightened that she hugged Ji Zuodao's leg tightly, burying her face in his leg and not daring to look up.

Ji Zuodao's eardrums also hurt from the dragon's roar, but he did not back down.

He stood there, one hand protecting Qiqi, the other shielding his eyes, watching through his fingers the five-clawed golden dragon circling above the Forbidden City.

He suddenly remembered something.

He remembered that Qi Qi also possessed dragon energy.

He remembered that Doggy had said that the dragon energy in Qiqi's body and the dragon energy in Zhu Cheng's body were of the same origin.

He recalled that Zhu Cheng had said that Qiqi was Princess Yongning of the Ming Dynasty and the daughter of Emperor Chongzhen.

He gazed at the golden dragon circling above the Forbidden City, at the 100,000 Ming soldiers arrayed in battle, at the sun and moon banner fluttering in the wind, and a thought suddenly popped into his mind—

Perhaps what Zhu Cheng said is true.

Perhaps, Qiqi really was a princess of the Ming Dynasty.

Perhaps, the Forbidden City that appears at the entrance really was her former home.

He looked down at Qiqi, who was clinging tightly to his legs.

Qiqi buried her face in his lap, not daring to look up, her small body trembling slightly.

She could feel the dragon's oppressive aura, the gazes of the 100,000 soldiers, and the ancient and solemn atmosphere emanating from the city.

But she didn't know what it was.

All she knew was that everything felt foreign and frightening to her.

All she knew was that she didn't want to loosen her brother's legs.

Ji Zuodao reached out and gently stroked Qiqi's head, his voice as soft as if he were coaxing a frightened kitten: "Don't be afraid, your brother is here."

Qiqi didn't say anything, but buried her face even deeper, her little fingers tightly gripping his trouser leg until her knuckles turned white.

Ji Zuodao raised his head and looked at Zhu Cheng.

Zhu Cheng stood in front of the entrance, his back to the dazzling golden Forbidden City, his face still bearing that gentle and refined smile.

But there was something in his eyes that Ji Zuodao had never seen before.

That's a kind of expectation.

A cautious, apprehensive anticipation.

"Mr. Ji, please come with me." Zhu Cheng spoke, his voice calm, but if you listened carefully, you could feel a slight tremor.

After he finished speaking, he turned around, took a step, and walked into the golden light.

His figure paused slightly at the entrance, then was swallowed up by the light and shadow and disappeared.

Ji Zuodao stood there, looking at the entrance leading to the Forbidden City of the Ming Dynasty, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he lowered his head and said to Qiqi, "Qiqi, would you like to go see the place that big brother mentioned?"

Qiqi looked up, her eyes were a little red, and her little face still had a look of lingering shock.

She glanced at the glittering golden entrance, then at Ji Zuodao, hesitated for a moment, and asked softly, "Will brother stay with Qiqi?"

"Of course." Ji Zuodao smiled and reached out to wipe away the tears that hadn't yet fallen from the corner of her eyes. "I won't go anywhere; I'll stay with you."

Qiqi nodded, loosened his legs, and reached out her small hand to grasp his large hand.

Ji Zuodao gripped her small hand tightly, took a deep breath, and then strode towards the entrance.

step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

He stood at the entrance, looking at the dazzling Forbidden City, the five-clawed golden dragon circling above the city, and the 100,000 Ming soldiers arrayed in formation.

He suddenly grinned and muttered to himself:

"Damn, this is truly an eye-opener."

Then, he took Qiqi's hand and stepped into the golden light.