Chapter 1935

Thinking of this, Guiyi Fuluo shuddered. His hands clasped together uneasily, and after long contemplation he said: "Is destroying the airship the only way to eradicate this hidden danger?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Destroying the airship would indeed be the only way to force the phantom to reveal herself, but doing so before we have a sure grasp on how to deal with her would be somewhat rash."

Guiyi Fuluo nodded. Hu Xiaotian's analysis made sense. The phantom hasn't acted rashly because she wants to use them to repair the airship; in other words, they still have some use value. If they try to destroy the airship, the only result would be to force the phantom to appear. Although he spoke of destroying the airship, he was reluctant in his heart, for this airship is his only hope of returning home; even if he cannot return alive, he can still send back everything he has learned here.

Guiyi Fuluo said in a low voice: "No matter how powerful the phantom may be, she is alone and weak; if we join forces we can certainly destroy her."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Although I have never seen the phantom, I know that she was the culprit behind the Heaven Mandate's airship crash; the Heaven Mandate possessed powerful weapons and equipment, yet even together they failed to annihilate her, which shows how strong she is."

Guiyi Fuluo coughed and said: "Could Ling Jiazi really be the phantom?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If Ling Jiazi had not been pregnant and giving birth, would you all have been a match for her back then?"

That question struck a sore spot for Guiyi Fuluo, and he slowly shook his head.

Hu Xiaotian said: "According to the Heaven Mandate, the phantom is constantly evolving to adapt to this world; now she is only stronger than before."

Guiyi Fuluo said: "You said the Heaven Mandate left behind a weapon that can counter the phantom?"

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said: "It should be, and this weapon is very likely hidden in the underground palace of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda."

Guiyi Fuluo said: "Did Liu Yuzhang tell you that?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "He also doesn't know what exactly is hidden in the underground palace."

Guiyi Fuluo said: "Do you want to join forces with him? I advise you not to indulge in foolish fantasies; Liu Yuzhang hates the Heaven Mandate intensely, and his current neither-male-nor-female state is entirely thanks to the Heaven Mandate. He also hates Xu Mingying deeply, as well as us companions who originally came with him; he believes we abandoned him, and his purpose in living is revenge."

Hu Xiaotian nodded in deep agreement, then suddenly thought that Liu Yuzhang's earlier assistance to Hu Buwei must have had ulterior motives; he must have laid an ambush inside the Xu family long ago. Hu Xiaotian said: "At least he has curiosity; on the point of opening the underground palace, our wishes align."

Guiyi Fuluo said: "You must never spread word of destroying the airship."

Guiyi Fuluo said in a low voice: "In life, one always has some ideals; for such an ideal one may even willingly sacrifice one's life, or devote one's whole life to striving and persevering. If he knew you wanted to destroy his dream, then……" He covered his mouth and burst into violent coughing.

Hu Xiaotian instantly understood that Guiyi Fuluo was referring to Hong Beimo; to Hong Beimo, wealth and honor are like fleeting clouds, he holds nothing dear, lives alone, avoids women, has no descendants; the only explanation for his persistence in repairing the airship day after day for decades is the word "ideal". Guiyi Fuluo was right—if Hong Beimo knew someone wanted to destroy everything he had devoted his life to, he would spare no expense to defend it.

Guiyi Fuluo sighed and said: "The process may have been twists and turns, splendid, but alas I cannot see the ending!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "What choice would you make?"

Guiyi Fuluo said: "My choice is no longer important; I can only guarantee that Hong Beimo and you will cooperate sincerely, but you must also promise me one thing: if we succeed in eliminating the phantom, you must help him repair the airship and return home."

Hu Xiaotian secretly mused: Even if he could return, what would it mean? To that world, Hong Beimo is merely an outsider, a strange visitor. Could it be that Guiyi Fuluo, while rescuing Hong Beimo back then, also implanted his mission and belief into his consciousness?

Hu Xiaotian pondered for a long time, but in the end he shook his head and said: "I cannot agree to this; that airship is likely to bring a catastrophic disaster to this world."

Guiyi Fuluo stared at Hu Xiaotian, then broke into violent coughing again; after it subsided he caught his breath and said: "At least you didn't deceive me." His eyes dimmed and bewildered: "Have you fallen in love with this world?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am someone who goes with the flow; I came here without any mission, and even living like this is fine, so I also don't want to make any changes."

Guiyi Fuluo said: "Are you worried that if people from our side learn of all this, they will flood in en masse, occupy this place, and turn it into a colony?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The universe naturally has its laws; there are infinitely many unknowns in the universe, the universe is infinite, yet our lives are limited—why not enjoy our limited lives? No one can forever possess everything here; even as powerful as the Heaven Mandate, they are destined to be mere passersby, don't you agree?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "If there's nothing else, I'll go first."

Guiyi Fuluo nodded, his lips trembled slightly, and with difficulty he uttered a sentence: "Perhaps we have unintentionally made too many mistakes; heaven sent you here to correct them!"

Hu Xiaotian smiled; to him it was merely a coincidence.

Guiyi Fuluo pointed to his own skull and said: "After I die, you can dissect me and take out what's inside."

Hu Xiaotian nodded, opened the door and walked out.

Fine rain drizzled, Baobao leaned lazily against the window, gazing at the misty rain; she was wholly immersed in this picturesque scene when a light knocking came from behind.

"Come in!" Baobao did not turn her head; hearing the door open and footsteps approaching from afar, she then turned and saw Hu Xiaotian's sunny smile, yet she did not laugh or show any surprise, for she had long known Hu Xiaotian would come.

"How come? Seeing me, you aren't the slightest bit excited or thrilled!" Hu Xiaotian said with a grin.

Baobao spat: "Anyway, the person you most want to see is never me, so why should I act all humble? Even if I'm clearly thinking of you, I have to pretend indifference."

Hu Xiaotian burst out laughing: "Are you angry?"

Baobao said: "I'm not angry; if I were angry, I'd only be angry at myself. Why am I so worthless as to have fallen for you, this fickle big radish?"

Hu Xiaotian swept her up in his arms; Baobao laughed as she leapt into his embrace, her slender legs twining around him like ivy, she lowered her head and kissed his lips. Hu Xiaotian still worried about her neck: "Neck, neck!"

Baobao flexed her neck smoothly, elegantly tossing her hair behind her: "It's fine, I've fully recovered!"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Then I can rest easy."

Baobao said: "I've been bored to death these days; do you know what I most want to do right now?"

Baobao said: "Just to go out and stroll around, sampling all the best eateries in Kangdu."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "I'll treat you!"

While the two were playing around, Hu Xiaotian set Baobao down, for he heard footsteps outside; this place is the Bureau of Heavenly Secrets, not his own home. The comer was Hong Beimo, who appeared before Hu Xiaotian with a solemn, deep expression, bringing news that startled Hu Xiaotian: Guiyi Fuluo had died.

Although Hu Xiaotian knew Guiyi Fuluo would die, he hadn't expected it to happen so suddenly; they had just had a deep conversation, and now he was already dead.

He temporarily parted from Baobao, then went together with Hong Beimo to the place where Guiyi Fuluo's body was kept; Guiyi Fuluo lay still, motionless, devoid of any sign of life. The mute stood guard beside his corpse, eyes red and swollen, expression gloomy, clearly having just wept. As Guiyi Fuluo had said, the mute was someone he had raised to adulthood, and their bond was extremely deep—indeed it seemed so.

Hong Beimo signaled for the mute to step out; aside from Guiyi Fuluo's corpse, only he and Hu Xiaotian remained in the room. He said to Hu Xiaotian: "My foster father has already explained everything to me; this is now entrusted to you."

Hu Xiaotian nodded; Hong Beimo pointed to a cart nearby, on which surgical instruments were neatly arranged.

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Hong Beimo, who made a gesturing invitation.

Hu Xiaotian said softly: "Excuse me!"

After opening the scalp and cracking the skull, Hu Xiaotian first saw the numbering on the skull cap: 2034-1. He was certain he hadn't misread; it wasn't just this bone that bore numbers—though Guiyi Fuluo's bodily tissues showed no abnormality in texture or appearance, every one of his bones was inscribed with a code.

Even Hong Beimo, who had been watching from the side, was filled with wonder: who had stamped these marks onto Guiyi Fuluo's bones?

Hu Xiaotian had already made a judgment in his mind: the ghost doctor Fu Luo was absolutely not a living being like himself; he was merely a life created by humans, a clone or an artificial person. Hu Xiaotian never imagined that in the thirty years after he left, human technology had actually developed to such an extent, and even when he and Fu Luo talked face to face, he detected no abnormality in him—not only did he possess complete thought and clear logic, but he even possessed normal human emotions, and of course a normal human life.

Hu Xiaotian used tweezers to extract from the brain of the ghost doctor's talisman an object the size of a soybean, spider-like in appearance, its eight black long legs already fused with the brain's blood vessels.