Chapter 328: Crossing the Past of the Same World

Shangguan Ying has far too many mysteries about her, and Ning Jingli knows nothing at all about her past and secrets.

Even her age—if she hadn't said it herself, Ning Jingli wouldn't dare believe it.

Thinking carefully, when she first met Shangguan Ying, she was in her early forties; after she herself fell into a fifteen‑year coma, her appearance had hardly changed.

Shangguan Ying no longer had the strength to answer in detail, and only said to Ning Jingli:

"Even if I die, you… you must not be sad. I've been content with my life; after you discover the truth, please never try to change my fate. Moreover, we will… we will meet again, in your future, in my past. The Repair Plan now… is finally officially beginning…"

"Miss Ning, the time has come," the medical staff said as they approached.

Ning Jingli's eyes reddened as she stepped back two paces.

The medical staff activated the hibernation device, and the heavy sealed capsule slowly closed.

Outside the ward's glass wall, a group of Huaxia senior officials stood at attention and saluted.

Then the hibernation capsule was sent to World No. 1.

Several months passed—

With Xiao Qidi's help, the battlefield of the great decisive battle was not only cleared but also turned into a city that could accommodate tens of millions of people.

The whole world was in a state of desolation awaiting reconstruction.

Huaxia Guo suffered the heaviest losses, yet it was also the first to restore order.

Moreover, with the wholehearted assistance of World No. 1 in personnel, technology, equipment, resources and everything else, and with armed forces patrolling the globe, the nations and regions that tried to exploit the chaos were firmly restrained and dared not act.

With Xiao Qidi holding the fort, Huaxia's vitality was restored and it would soon stand atop the world again.

During these days, he stayed by Ning Jingli's side, often accompanying her to gather with her family.

Until one day.

Ning Jingli stood on the balcony, looking at the many newly built skyscrapers in the distance, and said, "Everyone is working hard to build; I've rested for so long, it's time I do something too."

Xiao Qidi gently wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, "I would actually like you to keep resting, but if you say you want to do anything, I support it."

Ning Jingli touched the large hand at her waist, smiled and said, "I still haven't figured out what Sister Shangguan Ying's final words to me mean, what the 'historical mission I handed to her' is, what '…we will meet again, in her past, my future…' means."

"She has her own reasons for saying that," Xiao Qidi said softly, "You will certainly understand later."

Ning Jingli nodded and said:

"But I already understand what the Repair Plan is: it uses Spacetime Portal technology to, in different periods of various parallel worlds, reduce or even prevent the massive catastrophes that could occur in human civilization or other life civilizations."

"I think, Sister Shangguan Ying assembled such a team because of her own experiences. She lived over a hundred years, so in her childhood she must have witnessed Huaxia's life‑or‑death crisis; she certainly hoped… that at that time there would be a powerful force to help Huaxia, and she also surely hopes that in countless parallel worlds, such tragedies will not happen again. The world is flawed, but there is a chance to repair it."

Regarding this, Xiao Qidi expressed strong agreement and asked Ning Jingli when she intended to start.

Anyway, with the level of technology he controls, they can already travel freely and stably through time, but for other parallel universes that had never been connected before, the first connection cannot choose the time autonomously.

In other words, when linking a new parallel universe, the first anchor point—i. e., which period within that universe—cannot be determined.

So even with ultra‑advanced technology, danger is not completely avoided.

Xiao Qidi demanded that she accompany him on every operation.

"There's no time to waste, then let's start today," Ning Jingli was already eager.

Xiao Qidi smiled, "Alright, then from today onward."

Because Ning Jingli herself can open a Spacetime Portal, but each opening heavily drains her physical stamina and Internal Strength, Xiao Qidi placed a miniature power device and a traversal‑assist instrument inside her combat suit.

This way, she could traverse easily, opening a Time‑Space Gate as effortlessly as opening an ordinary room door.

The two of them were already ready.

Ning Jingli suddenly said, "With your technology backing me, my ability will be stronger; can we try to traverse a past time segment of the same timeline?"

Xiao Qidi showed interest, "Then let's try; in theory, it can be done."

Ning Jingli squeezed his hand, "Alright, I'll give it a try."

The next second, the two vanished from where they stood, having traversed without opening a portal.

In an instant, they appeared in front of a small warehouse.

Xiao Qidi glanced at the detection device on his wrist, "It really worked; this is your world, the time is—"

"Thirty years ago." Before Xiao Qidi could finish, Ning Jingli said it outright.

"Huh? How did you know?"

"Hehe, look closely—didn't you recognize it?"

Hearing that, Xiao Qidi paced and surveyed.

After a careful look, he suddenly realized this was the small warehouse of the old factory, though the displays and arrangement now had a stronger sense of era.

"Ha ha, fifteen years ago I burst out from here, scared you into thinking you saw a ghost, right?" Xiao Qidi said, pointing at the back door, "So this warehouse has existed for thirty years."

"Yes," Ning Jingli reached out and gently touched the warehouse wall, "I was still very young then, maybe only seven… I often went to the factory with my parents to play."

Xiao Qidi casually asked, "Could you open a Spacetime Portal here that connects to over two thousand years ago in my world?"

"What's so hard about it?" Ning Jingli raised her right hand, ready to open a Spacetime Portal between the two worlds, but stopped just as she began to gather energy.

"What's wrong?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Ning Jingli pondered, "This Spacetime Portal is special because it involves the pasts of both our worlds; therefore, to prevent chaos, I must limit the portal so that only you and I can see it."

"Hmm, that's correct," Xiao Qidi nodded in agreement.

So, Ning Jingli began to circulate her inner method again.

A nascent form of a Time‑Space Gate that only the two of them could see and pass through appeared at the back door of the small warehouse.

The two clasped hands and walked in together.

On the other side was indeed a cave; after exiting the cave, the view was of endless barren mountains and ridges.

"Hmm… this truly is over two thousand years ago in my world," Xiao Qidi said, probing with his device while scanning the surroundings, then frowned slightly, "I just remembered, I've been here before."

Ning Jingli laughed, "Of course you've been here—wasn't it the place where you hid from marauding bandits and were trapped?"

"No, no, no," Xiao Qidi, sounding a bit agitated, pointed at a uniquely shaped boulder in the distance, "I'm talking about when I was about three or four years old; I was still very young then, but that stone left a deep impression. Over ten years later I returned here, and without that stone I couldn't recall it."

Ning Jingli was surprised, "Weren't you a Hostage Prince in the Wasteland Nation when you were three or four? How did you end up here?"

Xiao Qidi thought carefully, recalling a buried memory, "It seems that at the time a noble of the Wasteland Nation was dispatched to a small country. My mother was close to that noble… so we were granted permission, and I was taken along to travel with him, passing through here…"

As soon as the words fell, the sound of a carriage came from not far away.

The two hurried to hide and looked that way.

They saw a massive ancient convoy approaching from afar, and from its decorations, the horsemen's attire, to the banners, it was recognizable as the Wasteland Nation noble convoy from the period over two thousand years ago when the feudal states vied for Zhong Yuan.

"What a coincidence?" Ning Jingli, still surprised, "When you were three or four, you couldn't have… you really were in this convoy, right?"

Xiao Qidi stared intently at the convoy, saying nothing.

After a short while, the convoy reached the strange stone.

On the most ornate carriage, the compartment curtains were drawn back, and the people inside gave a few instructions; then the entire convoy halted, and hundreds of guards began to smash and move the obstructing stone.

At the same time, in another carriage, a young beautiful woman stepped down holding a three‑year‑old child.

"That's right, indeed…" Xiao Qidi finally spoke, his eyes fixed on the beautiful young lady, his eyes suddenly reddening.

Ning Jingli knew this must have touched the tragic memory he shares with his birth mother.

"Alright, let's go," she said, gently pulling his hand.

Xiao Qidi did not hesitate, turned swiftly, but when he returned to the cave, he glanced back quietly.

After the two returned to the small storage, Ning Jingli saw his mood was low, so she did not linger and immediately began a traversal to another time.

After the two disappeared.

On this side of the cave, the young beautiful woman walked leisurely with three‑year‑old Xiao Qidi, admiring the surroundings.

"Ah, rabbit… bunny!"

Xiao Qidi saw a pretty wild rabbit dash past, let go of his mother's hand, and chased after it with his short little legs.

"Di'er! Slow down! Don't fall!" the young beautiful woman hurried after.

The wild rabbit finally ran into the cave.

Xiao Qidi still wanted to follow inside, but the young beautiful woman who had arrived grabbed him and lifted him into her arms.

"You, too, are a little wild rabbit; you almost vanished," the young beautiful woman poked his little nose, "You mustn't run around anymore. If I lose you, I won't survive!"

"Mother, I won't run around," Xiao Qidi said obediently, "You must live well."

The young beautiful woman's eyes suddenly grew watery, "Hmm, the two of us will live well, keep living…"

Mother and child left, while the wild rabbit sprinted wildly, like a headless fly darting through the pitch‑black cave, and then somehow passed through the Spacetime Portal Ning Jingli had just opened.

"Ah! Little bunny, where did you come out from?" a youthful, clear voice rang out.

A six‑ or seven‑year‑old girl, as cute and pretty as a porcelain doll, looked at the back door of the small storage in surprise.

The girl was no one else but Ning Jingli as a child.

The wild rabbit startled, turned and ran back, and at the back door of the small storage it suddenly vanished, a faint phosphorescent ripple spreading and then quickly fading away.

Ning Jingli was stunned for a while, about to walk over to investigate, when she heard her father and mother calling her.

She ran toward the direction of her parents, saying as she ran:

"Father, mother! Father, mother! I just saw a wild rabbit! Then it suddenly disappeared again!"

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