thefictionvixens Page 40
Page 40
Zhang Yunyuan had a sudden thought and called out to the newsboy.
He took out a few copper coins from his pocket and bought a newspaper.
When he went down the mountain, he also brought some gold and silver items with him, but he hardly used them while in the mountains.
He took the newspaper, which still smelled of ink, unfolded it, and his eyes immediately fell on the shocking headline on the front page. Then, he subconsciously glanced at the date in the upper right corner of the newspaper.
There, a line of small print was clearly printed.
May 12th, 1938
Zhang Yunyuan's mind went completely blank, as if struck by a thunderbolt.
He froze on the spot, as if struck by lightning, and the newspaper in his hand floated to the ground without him noticing.
1938?
How can it be? !
Before he went into the mountains, it was still the 20th year of the Republic of China!
He subconsciously thought that the newspaper had been printed incorrectly; in such chaotic times, printing the wrong date was a common occurrence.
But he picked up the newspaper with trembling hands and flipped through several pages. All the dates on it were clearly written as "the 27th year of the Republic of China".
He stood up abruptly, ignoring the stool that was knocked to the ground, and rushed to the teahouse counter. He pointed to the old almanac hanging on the wall, its edges curled from dampness, and his voice was dry and hoarse from extreme shock.
"Shopkeeper, what is the date today? What year, month, and day?"
The shopkeeper was startled by his distraught, ghost-like appearance. He paused for a moment before stammering a reply.
"Today...today is May 12th, the 27th year of the Republic of China...Sir, are you...are you alright?"
1938...
Zhang Yunyuan staggered back two steps, his back slamming heavily against the pillar behind him. He felt dizzy and the whole world was swaying before his eyes.
He finally understood.
"A day in heaven is a year on earth."
He had always thought it was just an exaggerated fabrication of a fairyland in ancient books, but he never expected it to be true!
That self-contained Qi formation, so rich in spiritual energy that it materialized, had a time flow rate completely different from that of the outside world!
While he may have been in seclusion for only seven days, seven long years had passed in the outside world.
The immense sense of temporal displacement, like an invisible giant wave, instantly engulfed him, leaving him feeling a dazed state of mind unlike anything he had ever experienced before.
Seven years have passed; the world has changed, and people and things have changed.
Countless questions and chaotic thoughts surged wildly in his mind, almost tearing his reason apart.
But after only a moment of confusion, an even stronger and colder sense of urgency, like a bucket of icy water, instantly extinguished all the bewilderment and shock.
The 27th year of the Republic of China.
This means that the catastrophe that swept across the entire land of China has fully erupted.
The true chaos has arrived.
Chapter 46 Visiting the Fire Virtue Sect
The shock of the huge sense of temporal dislocation was quickly replaced by an even stronger sense of urgency.
Zhang Yunyuan sat quietly in the teahouse for a long time before finally calming down his turbulent emotions.
Seven years have passed in the blink of an eye.
Now alone, he returned to this land that had long become unfamiliar, and for a moment he didn't know where to go or what to do.
Going back to Longhu Mountain?
The thought only flashed through his mind before he immediately rejected it.
He can't go back yet.
Seven years have passed, and everything has changed.
Is my master well?
What have Senior Brother, Senior Brother Huaiyi, and Senior Brother Jinzhong become?
He was filled with worry, but reason told him that going back at this moment was not a good idea.
Although his strength has increased dramatically, he is still no match for true masters.
At the level of heroes, they are already considered powerful figures in the world of supernatural beings, but looking at the whole world, every sect has at least a few of them.
The Quanxing and Longhushan sects, which have a history of thousands of years, have at least dozens of heroes and masters guarding their mountain gates.
Above heroes, there is the pinnacle.
They were truly at the pinnacle of the world of supernatural beings, whose every move could stir up the winds and clouds of the world.
To truly take the initiative in this magnificent yet bloody and cruel era, one must at least reach the pinnacle.
He needs more time and opportunities to continue practicing and to continue getting stronger.
He will only return to his master's sect when he has the strength to cope with all variables.
With this in mind, Zhang Yunyuan had already made up his mind.
He decided to first visit the friends he had met at Yinghelou seven years ago.
Firstly, it was to see what marks the past seven years had left on these future thirty-six thieves, and whether their destinies had changed.
Secondly, I also wanted to learn through them what major events had occurred in the world of supernatural beings over the past seven years.
After all, he had been "missing" for seven whole years to the world.
He took out the several yellowed name cards from his pocket and scanned them one by one.
The paper of the name card was slightly curled at the edges, and the name written on it with a brush had faded a bit, carrying an old and worn feel that had settled with time.
Gao Gen, Feng Ping, Zhao Tieshan, Lin Zifeng...
The familiar names evoked memories of that spirited gathering seven years ago.
After a moment's thought, he decided on the first stop.
The land of Shu, the Huode Sect.
He remembered that Feng Ping and Zhao Tieshan of Huodezong were the most forthright and righteous, and the easiest to get along with.
Using them as a starting point is undoubtedly the best choice.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Yunyuan didn't linger any longer. He paid for the tea and left the small town that had given him such a huge shock, heading towards the Shu region.
The mountains stretch endlessly, shrouded in mist.
Zhang Yunyuan stood atop a hill, gazing at the sprawling factory buildings below.
When reading the original work, I felt that Huo Dezong's kiln was nothing special.
When he actually arrived at Huodezong's kiln, he discovered that it was at least twice as large as he had imagined.
Those weren't just a few scattered cave dwellings, but a real industrial area.
Dozens of tall chimneys stood like a steel forest, billowing thick black smoke that shrouded half the sky in a gray hue.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of coal ash and scorching heat, yet it was also brimming with a primal, vibrant life force.
He walked to the gate of the brickyard, and the system notification sounded in his mind as expected.
[Ding! Check-in location detected: Huodezong Kiln Factory.]
【Check-in successful! 】
[Congratulations, host, you have received the reward: Fire Qi Blessing (Passive).]
[Effect: When the host uses their own cultivation technique, their resistance to "fire" attribute Qi is greatly increased, and they can be exempt from most burning damage.]
This is another useful passive ability.
Zhang Yunyuan was satisfied.
This means that in the future, if he were to face Huo Dezong or other people with fire-attribute techniques, he would have a huge advantage.
He concealed his aura, suppressing his Qi fluctuations to the lowest level, and slowly walked into the kiln.
As soon as he entered the gate, he saw two familiar figures in a spacious cargo yard, directing their disciples to load boxes of fired porcelain onto a truck.
It was Feng Ping and Zhao Tieshan.
Seven years have left clear marks on their faces.
Their bodies became more robust, and years of carrying heavy objects and practicing martial arts made their muscles as solid as rocks.
His skin, dark and rough from years of working near the kiln, had a bronze sheen, as if it had been repeatedly tempered by flames and sweat.
The youthful spirit of the past has faded, replaced by the composure and competence of an adult man, and fine lines have appeared at the corners of his eyes, etched by the hardships of life.
"Tieshan, this shipment is urgent. Tell your junior brothers to hurry up and get it to the city before dark!"
As Fengping wiped the sweat from his forehead with the towel hanging around his neck, he shouted loudly, his voice as clear as a bell.
"Keep a close eye on things over there too, don't let those kids get too rough and cause any bumps or scrapes. The sect leader will yell at us again!"
Zhao Tieshan responded in a deep, muffled voice, holding an account book in his hand and carefully checking the quantity of goods.
Just then, Zhao Tieshan's gaze inadvertently fell on Zhang Yunyuan, who was slowly walking towards them.
He was taken aback for a moment, feeling that the young Taoist priest looked somewhat familiar.
That figure, that gait, it's like I've seen it somewhere before.
Immediately, when he saw Zhang Yunyuan's face clearly, he was struck as if by lightning and froze on the spot.
My mind goes blank.
The inventory ledger in his hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and ink splattered onto his shoes, but he didn't even notice.
"Iron... Iron Mountain?"
What’s wrong with you?"