67 City on City 01
◎The charge? Collaboration with the enemy.
At the same time that Zhu Heng and He Lan Dao successfully entered the next instance, the entire "History of the Universe" world received several announcements.
The first one is: [Zhu Heng and other viewers in the Eastern District successfully cleared the S-level dungeon "Tokyo Dream".]
Another S-rank? Upon hearing this system announcement, all players in the game world fell silent for a second.
This. Just. How. Long.
Why are you here again?
Before the players could react, another system announcement reached everyone's mind: [Attention all viewers! A time-domain wanted order has been issued for Zhu Heng. Regardless of life or death, please actively provide clues. Those who obstruct will be exempted from the game rules and may be hunted down at will. For outstanding contributions, the minimum reward will be 10,000 copies, and the maximum reward will be the completion of the "Universal History" game. The scope of the order extends to everyone.]
Players: ...
Fuck.
Augustus calmly issued the system wanted order, then retracted his weapon and cast his gaze on the water where Zhu Heng disappeared, his eyes deep.
Liu Qiao'er watched him do all this and suddenly said, "I thought you and Helan Dao grew up together and you wouldn't kill each other."
"It depends on his choice," Augustus said calmly. "Side with humanity, or...side with that person. Since he's already chosen his side, I won't show any mercy. I understand him, and he certainly understands me, too."
"Besides..." Augustus turned to look at Liu Qiao'er. "Even if I don't take action, do you think they can escape unscathed? 'Universal History' was created because of your prophecy. Since its inception, this system has been at the center of the galaxy's vision. Now that the protagonist of the prophecy seems to have appeared, do you think the entire third-level civilization can resist taking action?"
In this case, Zhu Heng's fate can be imagined.
Liu Qiao'er's eyes darkened, and she asked again, "What about Helan Dao? How will they deal with him?"
"Go to the Human Tribunal."
"The charges?"
"Tonga."
-
Zhu Heng suddenly opened his eyes and saw the antique wooden beams above his head. Above the capitals, simple-shaped brackets were stacked layer by layer, supporting the beams of the entire house.
Chilled air surged up from the cool floor and invaded Zhu Heng's body. He sat up and called softly, "Helan Dao?"
No one responded, but a loud baby cry suddenly sounded, echoing in the empty room.
Zhu Heng looked around but didn't see Helan Dao. He followed the only sound in the room and saw a swaddled baby lying on a low couch not far away.
He walked towards the couch, and the command issued by the system came to his mind.
Welcome to the series "City upon City." Unfortunately, we must inform you that you have entered a fourth-dimensional space. The ancient capitals of various dynasties throughout history—Qin Xianyang, Han Chang'an, Northern Wei Luoyang, Sui and Tang Chang'an, and Northern Song Bianliang—were originally located in different times and places. Now, the order of time and space has been disrupted, folded together, and indistinguishable from one another.
Four-dimensional space? Zhu Heng was stunned, and a thought flashed through his mind.
The system continues: [The baby before you is a key figure in history, one who will have a profound impact on human history. However, due to a time-space fold, he accidentally arrived in the wrong time and space. The main quest of this dungeon, "City upon City," is to find the baby boy's hometown and return him to his own world.]
Zhu Heng paused for a moment. For some reason, as he looked at the baby, he suddenly felt a urge to get closer, yet also a bit resistant.
He walked over to the low couch and looked down at the tightly wrapped child on the bed.
There was a card next to the swaddling clothes. Zhu Heng looked over and saw two short words written in small seal script on it - "Western Han Dynasty".
Small seal script? Isn't that the unified writing system of the Qin Dynasty?
Zhu Heng raised an eyebrow and glanced around. Peering out the large windows, he saw palaces and halls stretching for dozens of miles. Buildings atop elevated platforms were stacked one upon another, a magnificent spectacle. From the center, a long road stretched out, connecting with the distant green mountains and blending beautifully with the shimmering river.
I guess this must be the Qin Xianyang City.
Zhu Heng picked up the baby, and the baby immediately stopped crying and lying quietly in Zhu Heng's arms.
little things.
"Are you from the Western Han Dynasty?" Zhu Heng stroked the baby's cheek with the back of his finger and guessed, "How should I send you back..."
While he was teasing the child, there was a sudden "bang" sound behind him. Zhu Heng turned around immediately and saw that the door behind him was ajar and a figure flashed by.
"Helan Dao?" Zhu Heng frowned and asked tentatively.
The wind blew in, and the wooden door turned gently, rubbing against the door hinges and making a slight creaking sound.
The little thing's face wrinkled into a ball, and his little hands clenched Zhu Heng's collar. Zhu Heng held him tighter in his arms with one hand, walked to the door, and pushed it back.
The scene outside the door left Zhu Heng dumbfounded.
What comes into view is a garden with a completely different style. The palaces are all built on yellow rammed earth platforms. There are tall phoenix towers in front of the palaces, and bronze phoenixes are decorated above the roofs of the houses. There are rivers, green mountains, and lakes in the gardens. Three fairy mountain islands rise in the lakes, dotted with exotic flowers, rare plants, birds and animals.
Zhu Heng looked back at where he came from, and the room behind him was still the same as before.
He seemed to be standing on the threshold of an arbitrary door. If he took a step back, he would see the silent Qin Palace; if he walked forward, he would see the magnificent Han Palace.
Zhu Heng hesitated for a second, then stepped into the Han Palace and walked towards the palace complex on the rammed earth platform while holding the baby.
When he finally climbed the stairs and stood in front of the hall, a strong wind suddenly blew above his head, and dark clouds pressed down on his head. It was about to rain. The baby in his arms struggled twice, and Zhu Heng immediately protected the back of his head and rushed into the hall.
The light suddenly dimmed. Zhu Heng groped for a small bed in the dark hall, comforted the baby and put him on it.
The baby seemed to be uncomfortable and subconsciously grabbed Zhu Heng's collar. The card with "Western Han Dynasty" written in small seal script fell from him. Zhu Heng picked it up and placed it properly next to the child.
"The system only said to send you back to your world. I put you here. Should that be okay?" Zhu Heng said, looking at the baby on the couch.
He slowly backed away, pulling a door behind him, intending to leave the palace quietly.
Bad weather came and went quickly. Just as Zhu Heng closed the door, a gust of wind from outside brought the sunlight into the hall.
Zhu Heng glanced at it unintentionally and suddenly paused.
The layout of the hall... looks a little familiar.
His heart skipped a beat, his face changed slightly, he held on to the door tightly, and then pushed it forward carefully.
There was a new man in the hall.
The man turned his back to him, gently picked up the baby on the couch, held him in his arms and coaxed him softly.
Zhu Hengmu's face was sullen. His eyes scanned the hall and fell on the man again.
The same layout as the previous Qin Palace, a man with the same body shape and clothing as him, and familiar scenes and actions.
There was no doubt that the man in the hall was himself.
The wind was still blowing from behind, and the coolness penetrated Zhu Heng's back.
[Don't let yourself find out.] The system's reminder suddenly entered Zhu Heng's mind.
His hand trembled slightly and he closed the door with a bang.
The sound was not loud, but it was loud enough for me to hear in the hall.
Zhu Heng immediately dodged and hid behind the door, using the pillars to shield himself, but he knew that the other "him" in the hall had already seen him.
"Helan Dao?"
Zhu Heng heard "himself" in the hall asking questions in his direction.
He didn't make any sound.
After a while, the "self" in the hall chased out. When he reached the door, "he" stopped here for a moment, looking forward and backward at the surrounding scene.
Zhu Heng hid behind a pillar, holding his breath tightly.
It was not until the other "self" finally left the palace with the child in his arms and walked towards the Han Garden that Zhu Heng leaned his head against the pillar and took a deep breath.
He secretly thanked himself for not turning his gaze to check the surroundings more than ten minutes ago...
Zhu Heng's face suddenly froze, and his heart, which had just calmed down, quickly rose again.
If what he thought was the Han Chang'an Palace was actually the Qin Palace, then this child could not be said to have been sent back to his original world.
Zhu Heng's brain was working rapidly.
This is a cycle, starting with him arriving at the Qin Xianyang Palace, then carrying the child through the Anywhere Door into the Han Chang'an Palace, then returning the child to the Qin Palace, then walking out of the Qin Palace, and then welcoming the second "Zhu Heng", then the third, and fourth "Zhu Heng", starting an infinite cycle...
To clear the dungeon, he must break this cycle.
The only way at present is to take the child away after the "second Zhu Heng" brings the child back to the palace, and then put the child back into the real Han Chang'an City before the third "Zhu Heng" arrives to complete the copy mission.
The time interval between the departure of the second "Zhu Heng" and the arrival of the third "Zhu Heng" was not long enough for him to act. To be on the safe side, he had to find a place to hide in the hall in advance.
Thinking of this, Zhu Heng immediately pushed open the door and returned to the Qin Palace.
However, when he looked up, he was stunned.
Behind the gate is no longer the Qin Palace, but an open-air Buddhist temple.
Zhu Heng now stood before the Anything Gate. Before him lay a temple gate. Behind it, within a square courtyard, stood a nine-story wooden pagoda. Atop it were a golden pagoda and a golden vase. Golden bells hung from the golden plate beneath the vase and from the eaves of each floor. Behind the pagoda stood a magnificent Buddhist temple.
It wasn't Qin Xianyang, nor was it Han Chang'an. Since it was a Buddhist temple, Buddhism must have spread throughout the Central Plains. This must be the Northern Wei Luoyang City the system had mentioned earlier.
He carefully examined the words on the temple gate and vaguely made out the three words "Yongning Temple".
Zhu Heng looked back and saw the Han Palace and gardens behind him.
The foot that was heading towards the Buddhist temple in Luoyang City of the Northern Wei Dynasty was withdrawn - you can't go in, the child is not there.
Just as he was thinking, the faint sound of a baby crying floated into his ears.
Zhu Heng was suddenly startled. The noise came from the front, just behind the temple gate.
After some consideration, Zhu Heng finally decided to go through the temple gate in front.
Go see what's going on.
【Author’s words】
I've been very busy working overtime in the past two weeks, so I'm sorry for being late! There won't be much space left at the end, and I'll be entering the final stage soon. You can save some time and read it after it's finished.
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