Chapter 61: Lin Fengzhi Returns Home

"...A tourist has fainted and requests assistance and medical aid. To reiterate, a tourist has fainted and requests assistance and medical aid."

Lin Fengzhi woke up in the medical room of the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum. Before she could see anything clearly, she heard a calm female voice.

"...The tourists are awake?" A young female voice, filled with surprise, rang out from the side.

Lin Fengzhi opened her eyes very quickly. What came into view was neither the antique wooden building of her residence in Langya County, nor the familiar layout of the Xianyang Library. Instead, she saw a modern, cold, hard building with clean lines.

She was on a slightly hard, makeshift hospital bed, and a thin blanket covered her body.

She turned her head to follow the sound and saw a woman in a work uniform talking on a walkie-talkie.

The familiar, modern objects and people brought tears to her eyes almost instantly.

You're back?

The thought, once it arose, exploded in her still-confused mind like a thunderbolt. The turbulence of the sea receded into the distance, and without the dazzling light of time travel she had imagined, she returned.

Just like when she traveled through time, she only tripped and fell in front of the statue of Qin Shi Huang, and when she opened her eyes, she was in the Qin Dynasty.

Memories surged like a flood bursting its banks, crashing against her nerves.

The three years she spent in Daqin flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.

She recalled An's calm and warm eyes when they first met. She remembered Xiao Shui kneeling by the roadside in Sanchuan County, her thin shoulders trembling slightly at her call. She remembered Qi's expression in Langya County, filled with shock and despair, which ultimately turned into a sigh.

Suddenly, she saw the deep, sharp eyes of the First Emperor Ying Zheng, eyes that seemed to see through everything, looking at her with a complex gaze amidst the swaying light and shadow of the shadow puppet show.

Did he also sense something? Yet he still let her stay in Langya.

Let's just assume it's the First Emperor's goodwill.

Lin Fengzhi thought of many people she hadn't been able to say goodbye to properly. If she had known it was the last time she would see them, perhaps she wouldn't have been so consumed by her emotions, but would have said goodbye to them with a smile.

The last part of her recollection was her inexplicable perception at sea.

There, amidst the misty sea fog, she saw the Black Bird that the First Emperor had longed for.

It resembles a giant swallow with long tail feathers, its entire body shrouded in a mysterious halo, and flames burning at the base of its tail feathers.

It hovered above the sea, its wings fluttering as if controlling the rhythm of time and space. It lowered its head, gazing at Lin Fengzhi with eyes that seemed to hold the stars.

This monstrous thing opened its mouth and spoke in a voice that was ancient, majestic, and utterly devoid of emotion: "Soul of another world, the time has come. Your mission here..."

"My mission is yours!!!"

Lin Fengzhi's pent-up grievances, anger, confusion, and countless moments of near despair erupted like a volcano at this moment! She didn't even wait for the black bird to finish speaking before leaping up from the boat.

Heaven knows where she got her strength and agility from; she grabbed the brightest feather on the black bird's neck!

"You damn bird! Now you know to come out?! Where were you before?!"

As she roared, she used all her strength to clench her other hand into a fist and slam it hard into the head of the seemingly noble bird.

"You dumped me in this unfamiliar place, in the Qin Dynasty. Did I agree to this?! Three years! Do you know how I've lived these past three years?! I came to the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and Terracotta Army for tourism, who told you to send me to watch them make terracotta warriors, huh?! You're a lunatic, what's the difference between you and human traffickers?!"

The black bird was stunned by her sudden and utterly disrespectful "attack." It flapped its wings symbolically a couple of times, letting out a few disgruntled cries, attempting to maintain its divine beast dignity: "Insolence! I am..."

"I'm your grandpa!" Lin Fengzhi threw another punch, this time with full force, venting all his frustration and dissatisfaction: "Pretend! Keep pretending! You didn't say a word when you kidnapped me! Now you come here acting all high and mighty?! Let me tell you, this counts as a work injury! Compensation for emotional distress! Compensation for lost youth! Not a penny less!"

She grew angrier and angrier as she spoke, her eyes reddening as she recalled those nights when she longed for her hometown but had no one to confide in. Her blows became even heavier. She even picked up a bamboo pole and began to smash it against the black bird.

Black Bird: "......"

The aura surrounding it was shaken and trembled, and its majestic image was about to crumble. It seemed that it had never encountered someone so unpredictable and so aggressive.

But it felt somewhat guilty, so it stood still and let Lin Fengzhi vent her anger.

After enduring a few more punches and a barrage of insults like "dead bird," "dog," and "human trafficker," the Black Bird finally gave up its airs. It shrank back somewhat listlessly, even with a hint of grievance, its majestic voice weakening slightly: "Enough... I know your demands... This is... compensation."

Ha, still have the nerve to act aggrieved? Lin Fengzhi was about to make another move.

The black bird immediately opened its beak, and a sliver of light fell into Lin Fengzhi's sleeve. Then, as if afraid that she would make another move, it flapped its huge wings, and a gentle breeze brushed against Lin Fengzhi's body.

"Get out of here! You human trafficker! If I see you again, I'll pluck all your hair out and make you into shuttlecocks!!" Lin Fengzhi roared in defiance as he was swallowed by the spatial power.

Lin Fengzhi sat up abruptly in bed, suddenly remembering that she had indeed fought with that dead bird. She belatedly felt a chill of fear; the dead bird had actually come back to her, showing remarkable understanding.

"Madam? Madam? Are you alright? You suddenly fainted in front of the First Emperor statue at the Terracotta Army Museum. It's best not to do anything strenuous right now." The staff member looked at her gently. "You seem to have some signs of heatstroke, and possibly low blood sugar. How are you feeling now? Is anything bothering you?"

Lin Fengzhi opened her mouth, but her throat was too dry to make a sound. She could only shake her head with difficulty.

Heatstroke? Low blood sugar?

No, that's not it.

Seeing that she was conscious and had no injuries, the staff checked her condition and returned all her belongings to her—a chain bag containing her cell phone, ID, and a half-empty bottle of mineral water.

She slowly took it and then said, "Write."

She then touched the phone's cold screen and unlocked it. The date and time that popped up on the screen clearly told her that only thirty minutes had passed since she fainted.

Three years.

Thirty minutes.

She spent a long time in that era, poured her heart and soul into it, left her mark, and may even have... altered the slight course of history. But for the world, it was nothing more than a brief lapse.

Perhaps it was because she had been away for too long, but the phone she used to love had become somewhat unfamiliar, and she couldn't even remember the password.

A profound sense of absurdity and alienation gripped her. Who was she? Was she the divine messenger whose every word and action in the Qin Dynasty could influence the empire's fate? Or was she just an ordinary tourist who had fainted in the museum and needed care?

She struggled to get out of bed, declined further examinations, and staggered out of the medical room under the concerned gaze of the staff.

She found herself walking once again toward the place she had "left"—the square in front of the Terracotta Army Museum.

The colossal statue of Qin Shi Huang still stands majestically, receiving the gazes, photographs, and comments of tourists from all over the world. Behind the statue, in the distance, lies a small hill, which Lin Fengzhi, according to the tour guide, is Mount Li.

The statue is cold, lacking any of the oppressive vitality and complex humanity hidden beneath the majesty of the real Qin Shi Huang.

She stood outside the crowd, gazing at the statue from afar, her heart clenching with a sharp pain.

All those days spent together, those clashes of ideas, those careful guidance and probing, those changes we witnessed together... was it really just a dream that lasted for years, caused by a fainting spell?

She subconsciously raised her hand, wanting to tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

This reminds me that in the Qin Dynasty, she had long been accustomed to wearing her hair in a bun.

Lin Fengzhi had no desire to stay there any longer. She awkwardly opened her phone, found the hotel's address, and then, somewhat unskilled, hailed a taxi back to the hotel.

Remembering the compensation the Black Bird had mentioned before it left, Lin Fengzhi touched her pockets, but found nothing.

Then, in the innermost compartment of her bag where she kept her change and ID, her fingertips touched a... stiff piece of paper.

She took it out without any emotional reaction.

It was a lottery ticket—brand new, clearly printed, dated the night she crossed the border.

The so-called "compensation" from the Black Bird turned out to be a modern lottery ticket?

Lin Fengzhi stared at the lottery ticket for a few seconds, then a feeling of indescribable relief, a mixture of absurdity, amusement, and a sense of finally getting some justice, welled up inside her.

She clutched the lottery ticket tightly in her hand, tilted her head back and fell back onto the soft hotel bed. Gazing at the magnificent chandelier on the ceiling, she suddenly burst out laughing. But as she laughed, tears welled up in her eyes.

"At least you, you damn bird, have some conscience after all..."

She murmured to herself.

Abducted without warning to the Qin Dynasty for three years, she was utterly helpless and desperate. If it weren't for her relatively good knowledge, she probably would have died there. Living in constant fear and longing for her family and friends back home, she nearly became depressed. Whether she wins the lottery or not, this lottery ticket is at least a fitting "compensation." It's a... barely modernized end to that bizarre experience of being abducted.

She carefully put the lottery ticket away, and in a corner of her heart, the resentment that had accumulated for three years seemed to finally dissipate a little.

Okay, for the sake of the lottery, let's forgive that dead bird for now, 10%.

In the first few days after returning to the modern world, Lin Fengzhi fell into a near-manic compensatory behavior.

After contacting her relatives and friends, she stayed in her hotel room, isolating herself from the outside world. She spent almost every night scrolling through videos, playing games, and browsing various online platforms.

She sleeps when she's tired, and then continues playing on her phone when she wakes up. It's almost as if she's trying to make up for the three years her phone was absent from her life.

The light from the phone screen illuminated her slightly pale face 24 hours a day.

She frantically scrolled through short videos, numbing herself with the overwhelming flow of information. It was during this time that big data seemed to have uncovered her deepest secret, and a notification appeared on her screen: "Breaking News! New Discovery at Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum! 'Her' Figure Spotted Among the Millennia-Old Terracotta Army!"

The headline was sensational, and the cover featured a close-up of a female terracotta figurine that had undergone initial cleaning and still bore the mottled paint. Although the image was not yet clear, the distinctive outline of her hair bun and the silhouette of her familiar deep-sleeved robe, which incorporated elements of Chu witchcraft and unique phoenix patterns, exploded like a thunderbolt in her chaotic mind.

Her fingers trembled as she tapped the video, listening to the archaeologist's excited explanation, the host's exclamations of amazement at this "groundbreaking discovery," and watching the countless speculations flying across the screen in the comments—

"Is she a female official?"

"These clothes don't look like those of an ordinary palace maid!"

"The First Emperor's harem? It doesn't seem like it, that aura..."

Upon opening the comments section, I found all sorts of comments.

[A colorful female terracotta figurine was unearthed, and a large group of people came.]

[The fashion pattern expert is here! The phoenix holding a pearl on the shoulder is a standard feature of Chu shamans, but the black bird and cloud pattern at the waist is clearly a Qin palace technique... This lady must be a top-tier female official who has connected the fashion chains of the six states.]

Did anyone notice the jade cong in her hand? A Chu shamanic ritual artifact + remnants of a Qin bronze sword... I bet five cents this is a shaman helping Zheng Ge communicate with heaven and earth.

[The archaeological community must be ecstatic! This is the first female terracotta figurine, not to mention it's painted.]

Re: [Qin Culture Circle Holds Overnight Discussion and Building a Thread]

It's worth mentioning that Qin Shi Huang is still contributing to GDP today, and the Terracotta Army's profits surpass those of many listed companies. The appearance of this female terracotta figure has further boosted local tourism.

[Very good, these cultural relics must be transported to the National Museum first so I can have a proper look at them [doge emoji]]

She turned off the video, her heart pounding in her chest. It turned out that the "newly unearthed painted terracotta figurines" she had wanted to visit before her journey was actually the focus of this whole thing.

It was this video that prompted her to leave the hotel where she had been staying for several days and step into the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses once again.

At this moment, she stood in the special exhibition hall, gazing through the glass at the meticulously preserved female terracotta figurine. Although the paint was faded, the serenity between her brows, the slightly clasped hands, and even the unique patterns on her clothes that she had once found novel... were all so familiar.

It's not a guess, it's not a coincidence.

Memories flashed by like a treasure chest being pried open.

Yes, it's at Mount Li.

For six months, she searched for her way home, traversing almost every corner of the mausoleum area, especially the area where the terracotta warriors were made.

She had spent much time there, interacting with the taciturn yet skillful artisans. She would occasionally tell them about the outside world and watch them transform clay into lifelike figures. She also helped their children escape the arduous work in the mausoleum area. In the depths of winter, she gifted them warm clothes to help them through the harsh season.

She remembered one of the older craftsmen, a father of a young boy, whose eyes always held a gentle wisdom that seemed to have seen through the ways of the world. Perhaps he saw the deep homesickness and longing in her eyes, or perhaps he saw her inexplicable obsession with the terracotta figurines.

In short, this terracotta figurine was secretly sculpted by the artisans without her knowledge, based on her appearance and expression. In this way, they recorded the extraordinary woman who had once appeared among them.

Later, she left Mount Li. And this terracotta figurine, which shouldn't have been there, was brought to Ying Zheng's attention by Meng Yi at her request. Ying Zheng then tacitly approved, and even formally ordered, the inclusion of it into his underground army.

Why did he do this? Was it to fulfill her request? Was it to commemorate her as the "God's Messenger"? Was it to incorporate this "variable" he experienced into his eternal plan? Or... was there also a trace of the ineffable attachment that belongs to a mortal emperor?

No one could give her an answer.

Inside the exhibition hall, visitors were still enthusiastically discussing the identity of this terracotta figurine. Scholars were trying to interpret her origins from her clothing, hairstyle, and posture, assigning her various historical roles: a witch? a female official? a special priestess?

No one knew that she was just a lost traveler.

No one knows that this terracotta figurine originated from the silent kindness and respect of a group of ordinary craftsmen, and ultimately received the approval of the first emperor of all time.

No one knows that the "she" frozen in the clay by time is standing here right now, silently gazing at "herself" across the dust of more than two thousand years.

Lin Fengzhi reached out, her fingertips gently touching the cold glass display case. It was as if she could feel the warmth from the Great Qin through it, the roughness of the clay on the hands of those silent craftsmen, and the incredibly complex gaze of the emperor who had once stared at her.

She didn't shed tears, but felt her chest filled with an extremely large and complex emotion—bitterness, melancholy, and a touch of absurd comfort.

The last and most solid evidence of her existence in that era is not history books, but this terracotta figurine.

She has not been forgotten, in a way she never imagined.

She slowly withdrew her hand, took one last look at the "self" that carried so many secrets, turned around, and once again merged into the bustling crowd that belonged to her era.

The truth of history may forever remain buried beneath the yellow earth, but she, carrying this unique memory and the seven-figure sum she won in the lottery on her bank card, continues towards her future.

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Author's note: Xiaolin is home, what a joyous occasion!

There are still red envelopes for comments! [dog head holding a rose][dog head holding a rose][dog head holding a rose]