Nobita's Time Heist

"What on earth are they doing so late at night?"

"It's a long story... Anyway..." Nobita reached into his pocket and touched the [Memory Display]—!

(Memory Display: Composed of an extractor and a projector. The extractor resembles the equipment used for perms in hair salons. Attached to the head, it extracts what the user sees and projects it as a video recording from the user's first-person perspective. From the original manga "Memory Display," Nobita asks Doraemon to retrieve his lost New Year's money. After searching high and low, he can't find where it's gone. He eventually discovers that he entrusted his money to Doraemon for safekeeping before leaving home.)

The pitch-black interior served as a perfect backdrop for the projection.

"Crack!"

Nobita skillfully connected the electrode wires from the gadget to his head and pressed the button.

A scene that could be directly inserted into a horror movie without any editing is slowly projected.

Chapter 168: There is no distinction of high or low in personality.

Ordinary camera lenses would undoubtedly fail to capture ghosts, but the principle behind the memory display is that it connects to the area of ​​the brain where the user stores visual memories, processes that content slightly, and then presents it in the form of a video recording. Therefore, Shizuka and Asur were also "lucky" enough to witness the terrifying creature with chicken feet and a human body, especially when that rotting face lowered towards the camera. Shizuka instinctively grabbed Nobita's arm, her face turning deathly pale.

"..." Asur, standing beside them, rolled his eyes at the two of them, shook his head inwardly, and sighed, "What you saw was the Chicken Foot God."

"Chicken feet...what?" Nobita was completely bewildered, having never heard such a strange name before. "Does it mean exactly what it says? A god with chicken feet?"

"It is a rather ancient belief with a long history. In some parts of southern China, the Chicken Foot God is a local deity worshipped in the countryside. Legend has it that he has the characteristics of both a chicken and a human, with a ferocious and terrifying appearance. He is the deity responsible for guiding the souls of the dead and the souls that return on the seventh day after death. He looks so terrifying in order to scare away evil spirits."

"Is this a god?!" Shizuka exclaimed in surprise. Looking at the eerie figure in the picture, she couldn't help but swallow hard. "I thought gods were the kind who were impeccably dressed and had holy light behind them."

"The Yin spirit, as the name suggests, spends more time in the underworld than in the mortal realm. The Chinese mythological system is different from the Japanese one. You can think of it as a huge bureaucratic system. Don't be fooled by its terrifying appearance. In reality, it is just a civil servant in this bureaucratic system and is unlikely to actively harm people."

Asur took a sip of water and continued, "In this land, there is a common saying called 'the first seven days'. They believe that on the seventh night after a person dies, the soul will return from the underworld to the human world to say a final goodbye to their relatives and friends."

"This step is carried out by the Chicken Foot God. He will escort the soul of the deceased to the human world for a brief visit to prevent them from lingering here due to excessive attachment to the human world. After bidding farewell, he will escort them to the underworld to determine their reincarnation arrangements based on the good and evil deeds they have committed in this life."

"Eh~~~"

The two of them, like elementary school students hearing new knowledge, drawled out their "eh" sounds.

"Asur-chan is so knowledgeable, just like Kosuke," Shizuka praised sincerely. "Even Kosuke might not know such obscure folk knowledge."

"Huh?" Asur seemed to snap out of a daze, looking slightly flustered. She subconsciously reached out and played with her long hair. "It's nothing, it's just... in the 22nd century, there are themed cultural museums that introduce these customs, and I just happened to visit one, haha..."

Knowing that her identity was somewhat strange, Da Xiong didn't have the energy to expose her at the moment—he already had too many things to worry about.

"It seems this village definitely holds some secret, and quite a big one at that." Da Xiong sighed, somewhat annoyed. "It's been like this since I was a kid, my luck is just terrible... How come I can run into such strange things just by randomly choosing a village to stay in after landing?"

"So that's what Narniadis meant when he said I was bound by karma."

It was only then that he suddenly realized what it meant to be entangled in karma. He encountered problems wherever he went, which was exactly what it meant to be entangled in karma.

Many of his grand adventures begin this way; his luck always seems to trigger events that might not happen for centuries. For example, in the South China Sea Adventure, Nobita used the "Treasure Pole" to make an incredibly lucky stab, successfully finding the treasure on the world map, much to Doraemon's astonishment. However, this also marked the beginning of Nobita's adventures. He was shipwrecked, washed ashore on an island, and lived a life of savagery for a while.

He doesn't dislike this kind of luck, but after it happens so often, he gets inexplicably annoyed. If there really is a god, it must be some kind of behind-the-scenes manipulation, accumulating all his luck and then giving him a big burst of good fortune at this particular moment.

Normally it wouldn't be so bad, but... right now, Nobita and his group have been on an adventurous journey for almost a month and a half, from the lost voyage of the Santa Maria in the Atlantic, to the snow-covered landscape of 1899, to the hidden golden land in the desert, and then to ancient China in 8 AD, spinning like tops. Their bodies and minds have been put to a considerable test. Now, this sudden side story is truly exhausting.

"Ugh……"

With a soft sigh, Shizuka understood his meaning, a hint of heartache flashing in her eyes. But she didn't say anything, simply standing silently behind Nobita, as if to show that she would always support his decisions.

"Wait a minute, you..." Asur looked incredulous, "You don't mean you're planning to stay here, do you?!"

“I collected a blood sample from a villager. I don’t think Doraemon has any gadgets that can analyze blood samples, right? Well, I guess I’ll just have to use the Invention Machine to make one.” Nobita’s tone was somewhat helpless. “Once we analyze the cause, we’ll think about what to do next.”

"Why?" Asur was completely bewildered, and his voice rose as his emotions surged. "The most important thing now is the succession between the Han and Xin dynasties! If we want to change the future, we must nip the Xin dynasty in the bud. That is the most important thing. And the succession of dynasties will only happen in the political and economic center of a country, which is Chang'an, not in this small mountain village."

"In times of chaos, the combined survival of everyone in this village would not even leave a single mark on the thick pages of Chinese history."

"Even if that village chief drained all their lifespans, it wouldn't affect the course of history in the slightest. While you're wasting your time here, the Apairon Foundation is taking action to change the course of history! Where would you find the time to play house with ancient people or film a Nightmare on Elm Street?"

……

After her conversation, Asur's breathing became somewhat rapid. Seeing the surprise on both of their faces, Asur calmed down and realized that her change in attitude had been too sudden. She lowered her head slightly, and in the light of the emergency light, her long, black hair, draped over her shoulders, looked disheveled, making her appear somewhat lost.

“Asur…” Da Xiong tried to calm her down with the gentlest tone possible, and asked, “Is restoring this history particularly important to you?”

She remained silent, her once bright eyes dimming, neither admitting nor denying.

However, it was clear that her attitude just now was a bit too abnormal for a scavenger who had wandered through different eras.

"When you're out in the world, everyone has their own secrets, that's perfectly normal. Maybe... you're right, though I'm reluctant to admit it, but you're right. In terms of the course of history, people's importance is indeed divided into different classes. They are just villagers from the mountains, and their status is incomparable to those who can be written into history books."

"But there should be no distinction of high or low, noble or base, in terms of personality. In my view, all human lives are equally important."

He said in a resolute tone, "If we can't even handle the affairs of a small village..."

"How should we begin with such a momentous event as the change of dynasties?"

Chapter 169: Exploring the Earth's Core Lake

The poor brother and sister returned as the morning star rose in the sky, as did everyone else in the village. Like robots programmed with specific actions, they stiffly returned to their respective homes, climbed into bed, and rested, without a trace of water on their bodies. Perhaps, like the Fountain of Death in the Temple of Eternity, what was located at the Earth's core wasn't real "water," but rather the embodiment of some concept—Da Xiong thought to himself.

"Are they okay doing this?" Shizuka asked worriedly. "It's like they haven't slept much all night, won't they be sleepy the next day?"

“There’s no need to worry about that. Given their lack of food and clothing and their malnutrition, and the amount of work they have to do every day, even if they keep regular hours, they’ll still feel sleepy the next day. In traditional Chinese medicine terms, it would be called qi and blood deficiency.” Asur shrugged and said, “Instead of worrying about that, we should worry about whether we will unknowingly join their ranks while we sleep and have our lifespans drained by that old geezer.”

"about this……"

“【Dream Wind Chimes】!” Da Xiong pulled a string of wind chimes from his pocket and laughed, “Since he’s going to pull this stunt, let’s fight fire with fire.”

(Dream Wind Chime: Shaking the wind chime can forcibly wake a sleeping person, making them obey the user's commands, but without actually waking them. It is worth noting that the person being woken will still be in a deep sleep, so they can only obey commands, but cannot speak or make logical responses.)

"Before falling asleep, I ring the dream bell and give us instructions: don't follow the crowds outside, stay in your sleeping bags and sleep soundly until dawn, that's all."

"Wait a minute, are you going to ring the bell?" Asur noticed the blind spot. "Then you won't be able to hear the bell yourself?"

"Don't worry." Nobita waved his hand with a smile, saying in a matter-of-fact tone, "From the time the bell rings until it completely disappears, it takes about five seconds, right?"

"As long as I fall asleep during this time, I can share the effect of the wind chimes."

……

Regardless of Asur's later astonishment, the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the rooster crowed, and the villagers gradually rose. In this era, working at sunrise and resting at sunset was not merely an adjective, but the most authentic way of life. Education was a privilege reserved for the children of the nobility; for children from ordinary families, from the moment the first rays of sunlight entered their homes, they had endless chores to do.

With the hosts up, the guests naturally felt embarrassed to linger any longer. It was Nobita and Shizuka, who lived in the city, who weren't used to this schedule. Plus, they'd been up most of the night and were yawning constantly, their eyes barely open.

However, the things that need to be done still need to be done.

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.

"You want to come with me to gather herbs?" Huang Amao was so startled he almost dropped his bowl, his face filled with fear as he waved his hands repeatedly, "This...this...I'm afraid that won't do! You are our guests, and you gave us such delicious food last night. Making guests do chores is unheard of! Besides, you two are..."

He quickly glanced at Shizuka and Asur, then lowered his head, a hint of self-consciousness in his expression. It wasn't that he had any other intentions; it was simply that, from their attire to their demeanor, these two were far beyond the reach of their peers in ancient society, making it hard not to think they were young ladies from some wealthy family.

From Huang Amao's perspective, they were most likely descendants of some noble family in Chang'an, sneaking out into the wilderness seeking some excitement. It was already unimaginable that they would condescend to stay overnight at his place; if he let them both gather herbs with him, and something went wrong…

These days, what's the value of someone like me, even if it's just a few heads?

"It's not as serious as you make it out to be. We just want to find something to do. After all, we'll be staying in the village for a long time, and it would be very boring if we were just sitting around doing nothing." Shizuka put her hands together and smiled softly. "Don't underestimate us just because we're two girls. We're definitely strong enough and won't cause you any trouble."

"With nothing else to do..." Huang Aru emptied her bowl of thin rice porridge, looked at Jingxiang, and asked in an incredulous tone, "Isn't it good?"

The little girl couldn't understand this mentality. In her opinion, how happy it would be to have a whole day without doing anything, even just staying in bed and sleeping!

"Aru!" Huang Amao gently scolded her, then turned around and said with a forced smile, "If you want to find something to do, I can ask the old man to help you find something respectable..."

"What do you think we were doing in the mountains at the beginning?" Asur interrupted him directly, a little impolite, but in this situation, a little pressure was surprisingly useful. She looked about the same age as Huang Aru, but their auras were worlds apart. With a press forward, she quickly took control of the conversation. "Picking mushrooms, gathering wild fruits, Miss and I love doing that kind of thing."

"Miss?" Shizuka looked at her with some suspicion, inwardly thinking, "What kind of role are you playing...?"

“Fine… alright, since you insist…” Huang Amao suddenly felt a ton of weight on his shoulders and began planning the route. He quickly filtered out any routes that were dangerous, risky, or unsuitable for a beginner. He shifted his gaze from the two girls to Da Xiong, hesitating to speak.

"Don't worry about me." Da Xiong smiled and nodded at him. "I'll wander around the village by myself, and if there are any shops, I'll buy something while I'm there."

"Oh, don't worry too much about them, they can take care of themselves."

Since things had come to this point, there was no point in objecting further. Huang Amao could only tidy up the situation, mainly preparing a leather jug ​​and filling it with drinkable water. He didn't know what the two "ladies" would drink later, so he could only wait and see.

"Then, see you at dinner."

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.

"Ka!"

"Ka!"

"Ka!"

……

The cawing of crows circled in the air, but not a single bird could be seen. Copperheart Village was nestled at the foot of the mountain, beside a stream, bathed in bright sunlight. Yet, the moment he reached the ancestral hall, the world seemed to suddenly turn cold and gloomy, even the light fading away. The pitch-black wooden door stood there, the lion on the decaying bronze ring seeming to stare intently at him.

Before arriving here, Da Xiong had done his homework. He first casually mentioned the ancestral hall to the locals, understanding its significance in the villagers' hearts. Then he released the [Imitation Robot], transforming it into his own appearance, and had it wander around the village to confuse the village chief's spies as much as possible—if there were any.

After doing all this, he disguised himself, using a camera to change into the most inconspicuous clothes made of the same material as the locals, and secretly slipped away to the vicinity of the ancestral hall. For this small village, this place was almost another sacred site, so much so that no one usually approached it.

The wooden door stood silently, conveying an unparalleled sense of oppression.

He had sent Meijin to secretly protect Shizuka and Asur, meaning that at this moment, he was truly fighting alone.

"Phew... okay."

Letting out a deep breath, Nobita took out the Pass Ring from his pocket, placed it on the wooden door, and muttered, "Let me see your true face."

Chapter 170: No matter how high one's cultivation, it cannot surpass the heavens; no matter how profound one's talent, it cannot surpass the earth.

"【Artificial Mini Sun】—!!"

Unable to bear the gloomy environment, Da Xiong took out one of the components of his three-piece farm work kit that had brought him great success in Golden Village. With a loud bang, the artificial sun burst forth, its power comparable to a thousand candles, instantly illuminating the room.

Under the light, the chilling atmosphere within the ancestral hall seemed to vanish. This time, Da Xiong didn't see the chicken-legged, human-bodied Yin spirit again, but the densely packed ancestral tablets on the walls still sent a chill down his spine. The square Chinese characters seemed to twist and deform, sprouting eyes and watching his every move. Without further delay, he put on the [Super Ring] on his left hand, exerted a little force, lifted the stone slab pressing on the ground, pushed it aside, and crawled inside through the entrance.

"Tick."

"Tick."

……

The water droplets kept falling.

Last night, he arrived in a hurry, and with so many people around, Da Xiong hadn't noticed anything amiss. Returning today, however, he found the cave surprisingly spacious and quiet. Each step he took made a scraping sound as his shoes touched the slightly slippery ground. Da Xiong deliberately shuffled his feet, as if a heavy weight was on his mind, afraid of disturbing the tranquil atmosphere.

Unlike those horror stories where the underground lake disappears the next day, it still stands there quietly. There is no wind, and the surface of the lake is not rippled at all, as if the phrase "a stagnant pool" was made specifically for it.

What is your story...?

Da Xiong rummaged through his pockets, a confident smile on his face. Clearly, even a stagnant pool could be made to speak by the prop genius.

"【Water Image】—!!"

(Water Imagery: A water projector that, when any water is poured into it, can play back all its "memories" from its beginning to the present, including when it existed as gaseous crystals in the clouds, when it fell as rain, when it flowed into rivers, lakes, and seas, when it entered water treatment plants, and when it flowed through pipes, etc. This tool works on water in any form and, if used properly, is a rather powerful intelligence gathering method.)

One sunny afternoon, Nobita suddenly discovered that his favorite nap spot—those three unchanging concrete pipes in the open space—had been taken over by someone else. It was a dirty-looking middle-aged man with an unkempt beard and a rather fierce appearance. Still a primary school student, Nobita had no choice but to go home, only to witness Doraemon on the other side of the Anywhere Door—on the back hill—retrieving a transparent water bag hanging from a tree.

The story of water begins here, and in the end, it circles back to the old man lying in the open space, giving him a warm and entertaining lesson in knowledge. (From the original comic short story "Water Has Seen All")

But can water hidden deep underground really have such a moving story?

Da Xiong used the prepared plastic bottle to gently scoop up a little lake water.

At first, he was worried that the water, being intangible, might interfere with the use of the gadget. However, seeing the water in the bottle being poured into the device without any problems, he finally felt relieved. Following his memory of how Doraemon was used, he began to turn the knobs. The image on the screen seemed to be affected by some kind of interference, displaying a static-like effect with a buzzing sound and flickering.

"What's wrong? It's been too long since I used it, is it broken?" Nobita scratched his head and used his mother's unique Nobi Appliance Repair Master technique, delivering a chop to the machine at a 45-degree angle.

"Snapped!"

Surprisingly, this trick actually worked, and the flickering image became clear.

He saw many villagers, like walking corpses, walk into the lake one after another, and then stand there quietly without doing anything. White light detached from them, merging into the water and converging at the rock in the center of the lake.

"What happened last night?" Even through the screen, the eerie scene made Nobita a little nervous, and he subconsciously licked his lips. Although there was no one around and the sun shone brightly on him, he began to mutter to himself to bolster his courage, "Then... what if we go a little further ahead?"

Turn the knob.

He noticed that this scene didn't happen every day, but rather at intervals of several days. The further back in time he went, the longer the intervals became, suggesting some kind of pattern, though he hadn't yet discovered it.

"In other words, this behavior has become more frequent recently. Why?" Da Xiong pondered to himself, turning the knob again, hoping to hear some crucial information, but was disappointed time and time again. Just like last night, the whole process was unusually quiet. The hypnotized villagers didn't utter a word, nor did the village chief. Both sides understood each other implicitly, as if they were engaging in some kind of beneficial exercise.

"I really don't believe it..."

The knob was so worn it was practically sparking. Da Xiong kept turning the scale forward, when he suddenly realized that the water in the pool hadn't been changed for almost forty years. And it was stagnant water! Thinking of this, he felt inexplicably nauseous. Recalling the scene of scooping water earlier, he got goosebumps all over and wished he could take a bath immediately.

"clatter!"

Finally, an unusual sound came from the water image.

Footsteps.

The blurry face slowly became clear, and Da Xiong saw a slightly weathered yet somewhat familiar face. The man was dressed in yellow clothes and wore a dark-colored turban. He gazed at the calm lake with a serious expression. His thick eyebrows were almost knotted together, and there were some gray hairs and beards. Just by looking at his face, it was not hard to see how conflicted he was about this.

I clearly remember seeing it somewhere before, but I just can't remember where I've seen it.