Three Realms Inn
On the seventh day after leaving the Redwood Zen Temple, Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Pingcuo came to an area they had never set foot on before.
Located on the edge of a plateau, this place is home to three ancient trade routes, forming a peculiar three-way intersection. Even more surprising is the presence of a three-story, wood-and-stone house at the center. A weathered sign hangs in front of the door, inscribed in Chinese, Tibetan, and Sanskrit: "Three Realms Inn."
"Three Realms Inn..." Qi Diao Yanfei softly read out the Chinese characters on the sign, "This name has quite a profound meaning."
Tashi Phuntsok stared at the inn, his brows slightly furrowed. "I can sense that energy fluctuations from different time and space are converging here. This is not an ordinary inn."
As the two paused to observe, the inn's door creaked open, and a middle-aged woman dressed in a mix of Han and Tibetan clothing stepped out. She was about forty years old, with a pretty face, but her eyes revealed the vicissitudes of life.
"Dear guests from afar," the woman saluted with a smile, her eyes wandering between Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Pingcuo. "One is a soul-ferryman who has mastered the art of life and death, and the other is a guardian who transcends time and space. The Three Realms Inn welcomes you both."
Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok exchanged a glance, each seeing the surprise in the other's eyes. This woman had actually seen through their identities at a glance.
"My name is Su Li, and I'm the owner of this inn," the woman introduced herself. "I'm sure you two must be tired from your journey. Why don't you come in and rest?"
With a bit of curiosity and vigilance, the two followed Su Li into the inn.
The inn's interior was even more breathtaking. The lobby was spacious and bright, furnished with a variety of tables and chairs, including Han-style mahogany chairs, Tibetan-style low tables, and even a few Western-style couches. The walls were covered in calligraphy and paintings from various dynasties, ranging from Tang and Song landscapes to Ming and Qing flower and bird paintings.
Even more peculiar were the inn's guests. In one corner sat a few scholars dressed in traditional Chinese clothing, quietly discussing the Book of Songs; in another, a few Tibetan Buddhist lamas were reciting scriptures; and at another table, a caravan, clearly from the Western Regions, were engaged in a lively conversation in an incomprehensible language.
"Here..." Qi Diao Yanfei keenly noticed something unusual, "The time doesn't seem to be consistent."
Su Li nodded approvingly. "The Soul Ferryman is indeed perceptive. The Three Realms Inn is located at the intersection of time and space, welcoming travelers from different eras. Here, a general from the Qin Dynasty might drink at the same table with a scholar from the Ming Dynasty, and a poet from the Tang Dynasty might recite poems with a traveler from the future."
Tashi Phuntsok felt the space-time fluctuations in the air: "It's a miracle that so many space-time channels converge here and yet they can remain stable."
"It all depends on this." Su Li pointed to an ancient bronze bell in the center of the hall. The bell was engraved with complex runes and was vibrating slightly at an amplitude imperceptible to the naked eye, emitting an energy wave that harmonized time and space.
"This is the 'Space-Time Anchor', a treasure left over from ancient times," Su Li explained. "It maintains the stability of the inn, allowing travelers from different time and space to coexist peacefully."
Just as Su Li was introducing, the door of the inn opened again, and a young man dressed in tattered future clothes staggered in with a terrified expression on his face.
"Help...Help! They are chasing me!" the young man shouted in Tibetan with a strange accent.
Almost at the same time, three people in uniform silver uniforms rushed in from outside, holding weapons emitting blue light.
"Space-time fugitive T-87, surrender immediately!" the leader shouted.
The atmosphere in the inn instantly became tense. Guests from different eras stood up one after another, some curious, some wary.
Su Li's face darkened, and he strode forward: "No violence is allowed in the Three Realms Inn! This is a rule established since ancient times."
The man in the silver uniform turned to Su Li and said, "Ma'am, we are agents from the Space-Time Administration, and we have been ordered to hunt down the fugitive. Please do not interfere with our duties."
"I don't care what time and space you come from," Su Li said without giving in. "Once you enter the Three Realms Inn, you must abide by the rules here. Put down your weapons, or don't blame me for being rude."
The agents raised their weapons and pointed them at Su Li. At this critical moment, Tashi Phuntsok stepped forward.
"The Space-Time Administration?" He frowned slightly. "As the Guardian of Space-Time, why have I never heard of this organization?"
The agents were stunned when they heard this and exchanged glances.
"Guardian of Time and Space? That's just a legend!" questioned the leading agent.
Tashi Phuntsok held out his palm, and a miniature image of the time and space node appeared in his palm: "Do you still think that's a legend now?"
Upon seeing this, the agents immediately put away their weapons and saluted respectfully: "Sorry, Lord Guardian! We didn't know you were here."
"What crime did this young man commit?" asked Tashi Phuntsok.
"He is a time-travel smuggler who specializes in stealing important artifacts from various eras and disrupting the course of history."
The young man called T-87 hurriedly defended himself: "No! I'm not a smuggler! I'm a time-space archaeologist! I'm protecting cultural relics from destruction!"
Qi Diao Yanfei stepped forward and gazed into the young man's eyes. Her years of soul-crossing experience allowed her to see through a person's soul.
"He's not lying," she turned to the agents. "At least, he believes he's telling the truth."
Seeing this, Su Li proposed a compromise: "Since both sides insist on their own opinions, why not stay here for one night and discuss it tomorrow? The Three Realms Inn has a way to find out the truth."
The agents hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed. Su Li arranged for them and the young man to stay in separate rooms and sent the inn's staff to secretly watch them.
That night, Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok were accommodated in an elegant room on the third floor of the inn. Looking out the window, they saw an incredible sight—a single bright moon and two moons of different shapes simultaneously hung in the night sky, and the arrangement of the stars completely misaligned with any known celestial phenomena.
"This truly is the intersection of time and space," Qi Diao Yanfei exclaimed, "the skies of different eras overlap here."
Tashi Phuntsok nodded. "I can sense dozens of time and space passages intersecting here. It's no small feat for Su Li to manage a place like this with a mortal body."
As the two were talking, there was a light knock on the door. After opening the door, they saw the young man called T-87 standing outside with a pleading look on his face.
"Please help me," he whispered, "I'm not who they say I am."
Qi Diao Yanfei let him in and handed him a cup of hot tea: "Tell me slowly, what's going on?"
The young man called himself Kai and came from the 25th century. He explained that he was a time-space archaeologist who specialized in rescuing cultural heritage that was about to be lost forever in the course of history.
"I came to this era to search for the legendary 'Authentic Works of Tsangyang Gyatso,'" Kai said. "In my time, most of Tsangyang Gyatso's poems had been lost, with only scattered fragments left. I heard that his handwritten manuscripts still exist in this era."
Qi Diao Yanfei and Tashi Phuntsok exchanged a glance. An authentic work by Tsangyang Gyatso? This was indeed exciting news.
"Why is the Space-Time Administration chasing you?" asked Tashi Phuntsok.
Kai smiled bitterly, "Because they believe that any interference with history is a crime, even if it's to protect cultural heritage. But I don't think so - if you know that a cultural treasure is about to disappear forever and you stand by and watch, that's the real crime!"
Qi Diao Yanfei could sense the sincerity in Kai's words. This young man might have used inappropriate methods, but his intentions were pure.
The next morning, Su Li summoned everyone to the lobby. She held an ancient bronze mirror in her hand, the frame of which was engraved with mysterious runes.
"This is the Mirror of Truth," Su Li announced. "It can reveal a person's inner truth. Since both parties hold different opinions, let the Mirror of Truth determine the truth."
She first had the agents of the Space-Time Administration look in the mirror. The mirror reflected them performing their duties and maintaining the order of space-time, proving that they were indeed following orders.
When it was Kai's turn, he hesitated before approaching the Mirror of Truth. What it revealed startled everyone—Kai had indeed searched and rescued artifacts across time and space, but his methods had unintended consequences: his removal of an ancient tome deprived a civilization of its vital intellectual heritage; his "rescue" of a work of art cost an artist his chance at fame...
"See?" the agent leader said, "Whatever his original intentions, his actions have distorted history."
Kai's face turned pale: "I...I didn't know it would be like this..."
At this moment, a new picture suddenly appeared in the truth mirror: a conspiracy group hidden within the Space-Time Administration is planning to use Kai's behavior as an excuse to carry out a larger-scale space-time intervention.
"What is this?" The agent leader looked at the scene in the mirror in shock.
The Mirror of Truth continues to reflect: the purpose of this conspiracy group is to falsify history and establish a time and space empire controlled by them.
The three agents looked at each other, obviously knowing nothing about this.
"It seems that things are more complicated than we thought." Su Li thought thoughtfully.
Tashi Phuntsok stepped forward and said, "As the guardian of time and space, I cannot tolerate any attempt to tamper with history. I must intervene in this matter."
Qi Diao Yanfei held his hand and said, "Let's go together."
With Su Li's help, they devised a plan: Kai would serve as bait to lure out the conspiracy within the Space-Time Administration, while Tashi Phuntsok and Qi Diao Yanfei would be responsible for collecting evidence to expose the conspiracy.
For the next three days, the Three Realms Inn became the center of this battle of time and space. Guests from different eras spontaneously stayed behind, watching closely as events unfolded.
Qi Diao Yanfei uses his soul-ferrying abilities to communicate with souls from different eras in the inn, gathering more information about the conspiracy. Tashi Phuntsok uses his powers as a space-time guardian to monitor any unusual activity in the space-time tunnel.
On the third night, the conspiracy finally came to light. The deputy director of the Space-Time Administration personally led a team to the Three Realms Inn and demanded to take Kai and all relevant evidence away.
"Deputy Director, I didn't expect it to be you." The agent leader said disappointedly.
The deputy director sneered: "The Space-Time Administration has become corrupt. We need to establish a new order. And all of this begins with controlling this intersection of time and space!"
He waved his hand to signal his men to take control of the inn, but Su Li stood up fearlessly.
"Do you think I've been running the Three Realms Inn for so many years that I'm not prepared?" She gently tapped a small bell in her hand.
Suddenly, all the time and space channels in the inn lit up at the same time, and guests from different eras stood up one after another - the generals of the Qin Dynasty drew their bronze swords, the poets of the Tang Dynasty raised their inkstones, the warriors of the Ming Dynasty drew their bows and crossbows, and even a few travelers from the future era showed off their high-tech weapons.
"The rules of the Three Realms Inn are simple: peaceful coexistence and non-aggression." Su Li's voice was stern. "Anyone who tries to break this rule will become the enemy of all travelers of all times."
The deputy director's face turned pale. "You rabble, you dare to become enemies of the Space-Time Administration?"
Just as the situation reached a stalemate, Tashi Phuntsok walked to the center of the hall. He closed his eyes, and his whole body radiated the light of a guardian of time and space.
"I, Tashi Phuntsok, Guardian of Spacetime, hereby declare: Any attempt to tamper with history or disrupt the balance of spacetime will be punished by the Guardian Council!"
Following his announcement, three guardians, Liana, Kyle, and Tomac, appeared through the space-time portal and stood beside him.
"The Guardian Council..." The deputy director's expression changed drastically. "Impossible! That's just a legend!"
"Now you see the truth," Liana said coldly.
Under the joint confrontation of the Guardian Council and all the guests of the Three Realms Inn, the deputy director and his followers were finally captured.
After the incident subsided, Kai decided to give up his identity as a time-space archaeologist and stay to work at the Three Realms Inn to help Su Li manage this special place.
“Perhaps,” he said with emotion, “the best way to protect history is not to change the past, but to cherish the present.”
The agents of the Space-Time Administration returned with the prisoners and promised to thoroughly clean up the corrupt elements within.
Before leaving, the agent leader bowed deeply to Tashi Phuntsok and Qi Diao Yanfei, saying, "Thank you both for your help. The Space-Time Administration will review our mission and methods."
After the storm, Qidiao Yanfei and Tashi Pingcuo prepared to continue their journey. Su Li gave them a special gift when they said goodbye - a blank thread-bound book with the words "Records of Three Realms" written in gold powder on the cover.
"Record your journey," Su Li said with a smile, "so that future travelers can see the wonders of time and space through your eyes."
Qi Diao Yanfei was overwhelmed with emotion after receiving the gift. She thought of her own book, "Poetry Biography of Tsangyang Gyatso," which recorded the wisdom of life and death, and now she had a new journey to record.
Tashi Phuntsok held her hand and said, "Our story has just begun."
Leaving the Three Realms Inn, the two set out on their journey again. Ahead lay an unknown passage of time and space, leading to an even wider world.
Looking back through the lacquered smoke, the Three Realms Inn was looming in the morning mist, like a phantom connecting the past and the future, dreams and reality.
“That day, we stepped into the Three Realms Inn and witnessed the intersection of time and space;
That month, we faced the crisis together and safeguarded the truth of history;
That year, we recorded what we saw and heard, passing on the flame of wisdom;
In that life, we traveled through countless time and space just to witness the miracle of life."
She recited softly and wrote the first line in her new notebook.
Tashi Phuntsok looked at her with a smile: "Do not let down the Tathagata, do not let down you?"
"I will not let down Tathagata and I will not let you down." She answered affirmatively and stepped into the new space-time channel with him.
The road ahead leads to infinite possibilities, and together they will explore every miracle in this vast space and time.
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