Peach Blossoms in Chang'an

Chapter 278: Stormy weather and crises

"Bang!" A loud noise broke the originally joyful and peaceful atmosphere, and the crowd suddenly fell into chaos.

Xingchen's face changed, and he had an ominous premonition in his heart. He suddenly looked up at the source of the sound, and saw a group of men in black holding sharp blades, rushing towards the crowd. In the chaos, he vaguely saw a strange pattern embroidered on the cuffs of the men in black. The pattern seemed familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it before.

"Protect everyone!" Xingchen shouted, stepped forward and stood in front of everyone. He drew the sword at his waist, and with a flash of sword light, he forced back a black-clothed man who was rushing in front.

The members of the association also reacted. Although they had no weapons, they bravely picked up the things around them to resist and protect themselves and their companions. However, the men in black were well-trained and ruthless. The members of the association were outnumbered and gradually fell into a disadvantage.

"Xingchen, be careful!" a girl screamed, her companion beside her was kicked to the ground by the man in black. Xingchen was extremely anxious when he saw this. He fought hard to repel the enemy in front of him and wanted to rescue his companion, but was surrounded by more men in black.

"Damn it!" Xingchen cursed inwardly. He knew that today would not be a good day.

Wu Tao and Hu Bugui, who lived in the Tang Dynasty, felt something strange almost at the same time. Their eyes blurred, and they seemed to see the chaotic scene of the modern world and hear the cry of the stars.

"Oh no, something happened to Xingchen!" Wu Tao's face changed, he grabbed Hu Bugui's hand and said anxiously.

Hu Bugui's expression also became solemn, and he said in a deep voice: "Let's go and take a look!"

The two of them thought about it and disappeared from the spot in an instant.

When they arrived at the modern world, the scene had been controlled, the injured members of the association were sent to the hospital, and the police were maintaining order and investigating and collecting evidence. Xingchen stood on the outskirts of the crowd, his face gloomy and silent.

"Xingchen, are you okay?" Wu Tao walked quickly to Xingchen, looked him up and down, and asked with concern.

Xingchen shook his head and whispered, "I'm fine, it's just..."

He paused, and told Wu Tao and Hu Bugui in detail what happened today. Finally, he took out a piece of black cloth from his pocket and said, "I tore this off the man in black. It has this pattern embroidered on it. I always feel like I have seen it before..."

Wu Tao took the rag, looked at it carefully, and his expression gradually became solemn.

"What's wrong?" Hu Bugui asked.

Wu Tao took a deep breath and said slowly: "If I remember correctly, this pattern... is the logo of that mysterious organization!"

Hu Bugui's pupils suddenly shrank when he heard this. Wasn't that mysterious organization completely wiped out by them? Why did it appear again? Could it be...

He suddenly raised his head and looked into the distance, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice: "It seems that there are some things we must find out..."

Wu Tao's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart. The dusty horror memory was turned up again, lingering in everyone's mind. That mysterious organization, once upon a time, their claws almost touched every corner of the world, bringing endless panic and destruction.

"Impossible, this is absolutely impossible!" Xingchen clenched his fists and shook his head in disbelief. "That organization has clearly been completely wiped out. How could it be possible..."

However, reality did not allow him to escape. The patterns on the cuffs of the men in black and their fierce and ruthless methods all silently proved that the terrorist organization might never really disappear.

"Xingchen, calm down." Hu Bugui held his son's shoulders, his tone calm but revealing unquestionable firmness, "We must find out what they want to do and what conspiracy is hidden behind it."

In the next few days, they visited many old people who had fought with the mysterious organization, trying to piece together the truth from the fragmented memory fragments. However, the information they got was very little. The organization acted secretly and few people really knew their details.

The only thing that is certain is that the purpose of the mysterious forces is by no means simple. They create chaos in the modern world and try to infiltrate the Tang Dynasty. All this points to a chilling guess: they may want to break through the barrier between the two worlds and burn the flames of war to a wider world.

In order to find out the truth, Xingchen decided to take the risk and sneak into the enemy's interior, find their stronghold and uncover their mystery.

"No, it's too dangerous!" Wu Tao refused without thinking. She couldn't bear to watch her son take risks, not to mention that the opponent was that terrorist organization.

"Mom, I have made up my mind." Xingchen's eyes were firm and his tone was unquestionable. "Only by finding out their purpose can we find a way to deal with it and truly protect everything we care about."

Hu Bugui looked at his son deeply. He knew that he could not stop Xingchen's choice. All he could do was to support him with all his strength.

"Tao'er, let him go." Hu Bugui held his wife's hand and said softly, "I believe in Xingchen, he will definitely come back safely."

After careful planning and arrangement, Xingchen embarked on a journey to the unknown alone. He walked in the bustling city, but seemed to be in an invisible fog. Danger lurked in every corner, and he was the only player in this game.

While Xingchen was desperately searching for clues, he met a girl named Yueying by chance. The girl had a graceful figure and a beautiful face, but she was mature and mysterious beyond her age.

"Are you... a time traveler?" Xingchen asked tentatively. He felt a familiar aura from Yueying, which was the telepathy that only existed between time travelers.

Yueying smiled slightly and did not answer directly, but asked: "Are you looking for that mysterious organization?"

Xingchen's heart moved, and a premonition arose spontaneously. This girl might know something...

Taking a deep breath, Xingchen lowered his voice, with a barely perceptible tremor in his tone, "You know them?"

Yueying did not answer immediately. She turned her head and looked at the brightly lit Chang'an City in the distance. Her eyes were deep, as if she had penetrated time and space and saw the distant history and future. "Not only do I know them," she said slowly, her voice as clear and cold as the moon, "I also know their purpose."

Xingchen's heart trembled, and an inexplicable feeling of fear surged in his heart. He had a premonition that Yueying's next words would completely overturn his cognition.

"They come from a place called 'The Realm of Nothingness'," Yueying continued, with a barely perceptible sadness in her tone, "There is no time, no space, only nothingness and chaos. They are eager to conquer, to occupy, and to drag all worlds into endless darkness."

"The Realm of Nothingness?" Xingchen muttered to himself. The name sounded full of ominous signs. "Why did they do this?"

"Because they believe that only in this way can they gain true power and break free from the shackles of nothingness." Yueying turned to look at Xingchen, her eyes full of sympathy and understanding. "Just like us time travelers, they are also looking for something, but they chose the wrong path."

“They want to use the power of the time-travel magic weapon to open the door to all time and space and spread the war to every corner.” Yueying’s voice became lower and lower, as if she had foreseen the coming of the catastrophe in the future.

Xingchen clenched his fists, and an unprecedented sense of responsibility surged in his heart. He knew that he could not sit idly by and do nothing, he had to stop this catastrophe from happening, even if it cost him his life.

"Do you want to stop them?" Yueying seemed to see through Xingchen's determination. She asked with a hint of temptation in her tone.

"Of course." Xingchen answered without hesitation, "This is our common responsibility, isn't it?"

Moony smiled, as if she was comforted by Star's answer. "Very well," she said, "I will help you, but you must promise me that no matter what happens, don't give up hope."

"I promise you." Xingchen said firmly.

Yueying nodded, then took out an ancient jade pendant from her bosom and handed it to Xingchen. "This is..." Xingchen looked at the jade pendant in his hand in confusion, and a familiar feeling came to his heart.

"This is the key to open the Realm of Nothingness," Yueying explained. "Only with it can we find their lair and stop their conspiracy."

Xingchen took the jade pendant and held it tightly in his hand. He knew that a great war was about to begin...

Xingchen put the jade pendant close to his body, his eyes firm, "I will do my best." He knew that this was not only about the safety of the two worlds, but also about his parents and his home. Yueying nodded and took Xingchen through the prosperous Chang'an City. Under the seemingly calm streets, undercurrents surged. They needed to find the traces of the mysterious force, and find a way to crack it before the other party did.

With Yueying's knowledge of the "realm of nothingness", they set their sights on an abandoned temple on the outskirts of the city. There was no incense burning there all year round, but it was always shrouded in a strange atmosphere. Xingchen used the mechanical skills he learned from his mother to crack the temple's many mechanisms and finally found the entrance to the underground secret room.

In the secret room, the candlelight flickered, illuminating the strange runes on the wall, and the air was filled with a suffocating sense of oppression. Xingchen and Yueying moved forward cautiously, knowing that the secret of the mysterious force was hidden in this secret room.

"Be careful!" Yueying suddenly shouted, pulling Xingchen back quickly. A black crack suddenly appeared on the empty wall, and thick black fog poured out of the crack, bringing a creepy breath.

The black fog gradually condensed and formed a tall figure. The figure was wearing a black cloak and a hideous mask on his face. His features could not be seen clearly, only a pair of cold eyes emitting a frightening light.

"You shouldn't come here." The figure's voice was low and hoarse, like a call from hell.

Xingchen and Yueying stood back to back, looking at the mysterious man in front of them with caution. They knew that this was the leader of the mysterious force, and a fierce battle was inevitable. However, just as Xingchen was about to attack, the mysterious man suddenly sneered.

"Out of control."

Before he finished speaking, a powerful force enveloped Xingchen and Yueying. Xingchen only felt his eyes go dark before he lost consciousness.

When he woke up again, Xingchen found himself trapped in a small stone room, with his hands and feet chained by thick iron chains, unable to move. Yueying was unconscious beside him, and her life or death was uncertain.

The door of the stone chamber slowly opened, and the mysterious man wearing a hideous mask walked in, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"Do you think you can stop me with your strength?"