It was already the evening of May 8, 2149, when You Gege and his party arrived in Xi'an.
The fish-scale purple clouds in the sky are still clearly visible, and there seems to be some lingering mist between heaven and earth. The young monk talked with You Gege all night last night, but neither Momosawa Hanako nor Shimizu Masato was very clear about the details.
We can only roughly guess that You Gege wanted to find out the origins of the young monk Mi Tuoer and his master.
When we arrived at Xi'an City, as the first fully intelligent automation pilot project for China's fifth-generation super city since 2100, the new Xi'an City gave people an unreal dreamlike feeling. The huge city circle revolves around an axis.
The main body climbs upward, stacked like a large plate of mosquito coils hanging in the sky.
Although many people have complained about the overall appearance of New Xi'an City, before the sun sets, this place can definitely be regarded as one of the most advanced fantasy cities in the world.
Here, both the ground and air transportation systems are controlled by the super computing core in the center of the city. Private visitors will be connected to the network after arriving at the outskirts of the city. Then they only need to enter their destination, and the super computing core will handle the rest.
That's it. Residents live in a ring-shaped city belt called the "Top of the Whirling Cloud", and the energy they use comes directly from the sun, wind and rain.
But now, after the "sun disappeared", this super metropolis, which was built less than ten years ago, has been reduced to an ancient ruin in the dark, showing a sense of sadness and sadness.
After the snowmobile stopped on the outskirts of the city, Yougege did not rush to take the young monk to find his master. Instead, she first checked a message that had been sent two days ago and that she had just received today.
After reading it, Yougege's face became extremely ugly.
Although Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato have known Yougege for a short time, they know very well that this important man who has lived for more than a century rarely behaves like this unless something big happens.
What Momosawa Hanako is more concerned about is whether this matter has anything to do with Natsume.
After asking, I found out that there was no news from Natsume's side, but there was a big mess on the first axis.
The information was read by Hanako Momosawa and Masato Shimizu, and both of them were dumbfounded after reading it.
It turns out...there was an extremely serious internal commotion on the First Central Axis just two days ago. The specific reason was mainly related to the escape of a powerful being they had sealed deep underground. Logically speaking, the First Central Axis
The family is big and the business is big. If you dare to bury such a secret underground where no one knows, you naturally have a way to deal with it.
But no amount of preparation can prevent the inner ghost from breaking out.
Due to the repeated incidents in major shelters, the First Central Axis has conducted a comprehensive investigation and internal cleanup of the loyalty of its own personnel. However, it is obvious that the enemy is taking advantage of this kind of self-control.
The mentality that I thought I was cleaning up suddenly broke out at a special time point.
The information did not mention what this powerful existence was, but it did mention a more important piece of information, that is, the third batch of explorers originally planned to set out at the end of May suffered huge losses in personnel and materials, which may directly lead to
Humanity's overall plan to explore the specific causes of the "disappearance of the sun" and find solutions has been extended by another year or more.
Of course, if it is just because of a sudden internal riot, there is still hope of regrouping after enduring it. But at this time, the New American Alliance and the Southern African regime suddenly stated that they would withdraw from the "Beacon Parliament", and they have already
He dispatched his own armed forces and began to invade shelters in other unprepared areas, with the intention of seizing scarce supplies by force to ensure that he could persist longer.
This behavior is tantamount to cannibalism in times of famine.
But in this message, the informant also conveyed two other important reasons to Yougege.
First of all, due to its own reasons, the New American League government failed to strictly follow the strategy formulated by the original "Beacon Council" to build enough shelters with complete facilities and sufficient supplies. This directly led to the emergence of irreconcilable differences within the New American League.
Conflict. The powerful side sticks to the Great Lakes region of the new American League, which was the border area between the United States and Canada, while the disadvantaged side starts to counterattack from all parts of the new American League to the central area, trying to regain "equal rights", that is, the right to survive.
There is also a third-party helper in this struggle that definitely impresses Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato, that is, the "Warrior of the Country" who once caused the tragedy in the Mokono Ecological Zone. Although the world now knows that this "Warrior of the Country" is not the one from back then.
"Warriors of the country", but their deeds are even worse and have far exceeded the bottom line of people's tolerance.
As for the situation faced by the Southern African Regime Community, it is very similar to the intensified conflicts within the new American League.
The Southern African Regime Co-Prosperity was originally the light of black people headed by the new Bayetu government, but the same thing happened in this co-prosperity body that had just emerged less than five years ago. The masters of power built a gorgeous underground palace.
But ordinary civilians can only live in simple underground shelters that are as dark as cave dwellings.
The intensification of the contradiction between the two has been going on for a long time. However, due to the obstruction of information transmission, by the time the First Central Axis learned the specific situation, the disputes within the New American Continent United Government and the Southern African Regime Community had ended. But they did not
It didn’t stop there…
Internal strife has consumed a lot of resources, and now they must invade other areas to survive.
In the dark night, not only people changed, but all politicians also tore themselves apart in order to survive.
The only thing that can be considered a good thing now... is that there is a long distance between mainland China and the above two regions. Even if the New American League plans to cross the Pacific to grab things from China, it has to weigh the price behind it. But things are different today.
In the past, if such a concentrated outbreak of internal strife occurred before the "sun disappeared", the first central axis could have enough time to mediate. Now that the "sun has disappeared", the earth is shrouded in darkness, and human beings have no real sense of security.
A community of destiny was formed.
If mankind still cannot unite as one at this time, then it is estimated that before the "sun" rises again, mankind's once glorious civilization may be completely extinguished in this darkness.
Momozawa Hanako, who became angrier as she watched, said angrily: "What is this! In what age are we still fighting?! Are these people crazy?"
"It's just crazy." You Gege said calmly: "Survival is instinct, selfishness is nature, and the principles alone cannot solve any problem."
"Then...then just watch them fight?" Momosawa Hanako didn't have the kind of character that worried about the country and the people before, but after the past few years, she became more and more like the kind of person she once dismissed.
How important world sentiment is to everyone.
Yougege said again: "What else?"
"Ah? Shouldn't we step in to stop it?" Momosawa Hanako didn't understand.
"You can defeat a person, a group of people, or even a country, but you can never defeat the stupidity and short-sightedness of the vast majority of people in the world. It is simple to advocate a community with a shared future, write slogans, and shout slogans, but only those who have personally experienced that kind of
Only those who are in despair and pain in front of nature will deeply realize that these slogans are not just shouting... Therefore, what is more often afraid is not that you don't understand anything, but that you have only a little knowledge and are smart." Yougege smiled half-heartedly.
He said some words that made Momosawa Hanako feel very cool.
Masato Shimizu was silent for a long time, and she suddenly said: "Once the war starts, no one can survive alone... Even if the New American Alliance cannot cross the Pacific to invade Asia, they can still destroy or rob the Pacific Rim.
Use the energy of the nuclear power system to fight for its own interests... When the time comes... internal and external troubles, and if the first central axis's control and core leadership capabilities continue to decline, the 'Beacon Council' will fall apart sooner or later... Then what awaits all mankind may be
After adding insult to injury, he fends for himself..."
After hearing this, Yougege glanced at Qingshui Masato and asked, "Is this your opinion or the opinion of Master Huan in your clan?"
Qingshui Masato shook his head: "None of them... This is sir's deduction."
"Sir?" Yougege was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then said with emotion: "Sir...it turns out to be like this."
Momosawa Hanako didn't understand what a gentleman meant, so she frowned and said, "Doesn't that mean that no matter what we do now, it's impossible to reverse the end of mankind's demise?"
Qingshui Masato was silent, but Yugege saw that she was hesitant to speak, so Yugege first said: "It's not impossible. As long as the big problem of 'the sun disappears' is solved, people will naturally do it when they see the sun."
To regain sanity.”
Momosawa Hanako said with a bitter look on her face: "If what you said is really that easy, do we still need to fight?"
At this time, the young monk asked inappropriately: "I seem to hear Master calling me."
Yougege, who was about to say something, looked at the young monk and asked, "Are you sure your master is in the city?"
The little monk nodded dully: "Master is here, but he seems to be injured, I have to help him." After saying that, the little monk turned around and walked towards the exit of the snowmobile, making a gesture to open the door.
Momosawa Hanako was startled, and quickly stepped forward to stop her: "Hey, hey, hey! Don't be impatient! At least wait until we have changed our clothes before we go together!"
The young monk raised his head and glanced at Momozawa Hanako. His eyes suddenly turned red: "Master is dying... Can you hurry up?"
Momosawa Hanako was shocked when she heard this, and looked back at Yu Gege and Shimizu Masato, who had already stood up and started to change clothes.
They were not slow and quickly completed the change. However, since the city had been blocked, it was impossible for snowmobiles to drive in. Now they could only walk to where the little monk sensed the master was just like before entering Xuzhou City.
place.
Compared with this fifth-generation super city, Yougege and his party are not even ants.
Braving the wind and snow, they finally found the dying old monk Yuankong sitting in front of the monument in the center of the city before the young monk lost contact with his master. The great monk's body was already frozen stiff at this time, and if it weren't for his mouth
Still breathing hot air, I'm afraid it has long been regarded as a corpse.
After seeing the monk Yunkora, Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato immediately built a temporary cold-proof tent. It was an emergency rescue tent that could only maintain room temperature for three hours in the extremely cold conditions of more than 120 degrees Celsius below zero.
Mainly to deal with the treatment of wounded that may continue to occur at any time.
The tent was put up quickly.
After Yuan Kong was carried in by the two girls, the young monk took the Zen staff and stood guard outside the tent, unwilling to go in.
Yougege asked him if he felt any threat, but the young monk remained silent and only said: "My master has something to say to you... You'd better go in quickly."
Yougege's heart trembled and he quickly entered the tent.
In the tent, Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato hurriedly untied the monk Yunkora's clothes, and then discovered that his skinny body was covered with wounds, as if he had been stabbed a thousand times with a knife. The wounds were shocking.
Most of them have scabs, and a few are still bleeding.
Seeing this scene, Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato both knew that no matter what they did, they might be unable to save themselves.
After Yougege entered the tent, Yuankong opened his eyes. He first glanced at Yougege, and then at the two unfamiliar girls next to him, and then said: "The poor monk's name, Yuankong, was originally
A monk who broke the ordination in a ruined temple on a barren mountain escaped into Buddhism only because he fell in love with the person he loved when he was young...I never thought that after entering Buddhism, I, a shaved-headed monk, could not escape the secular world. In the temple
I broke my precepts and had divine intercourse with a woman, and I, the little monk, am both my son and my disciple..."
Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato heard that the monk actually said that he could make peace with others, and they were both surprised and confused at the time.
Yougege listened quietly, and Yuankong continued: "Later, in order to stabilize my mind, I became an ascetic monk who traveled around. I just hoped that one day I could see my disciple... Who would have thought that it turned out that
, seeking fate is just an extravagant hope. The good thoughts in my heart give me the ability to save all sentient beings. This is the knot in my heart that I need to devote all my efforts to untie... When I was in Xuzhou, although I had never met the two donors, we had already met.
After forming a good relationship, my disciple was saved by two benefactors and survived... Logically speaking, I shouldn't have expected anything more... It's a pity that my heart has not yet settled, and I am on this long journey of being lost.
The Middle Way has lost its strength... Therefore, I was thinking if I could hand over the Zen staff in my hand to one of the three of you, hoping that you can continue to complete my unfinished knot on my behalf?"
The three girls looked at each other in shock when they heard this.
The old monk had a good relationship and asked his apprentice to bring them here not only to tell them some unknown secrets, but also to hand over the burden.
But here, Yu Gege is a god-like woman who has lived for more than a century, and Momosawa Hanako and Shimizu Masato are still young. How could these three people want to take the Zen staff and escape into Buddhism?
But what's even more surprising is that Masato Shimizu, who seemed a little gloomy along the way, suddenly smiled and said: "Master, look...can I do it?"
Both Yougege and Momosawa Hanako looked at Masato Shimizu next to them in shock.
Why did this young woman, who came from a prominent family and had a century-old legacy of the Qingshui family, suddenly decide to escape into Buddhism?
But Yuankong smiled: "If that's the case, then it's my fault, Miss."
After saying that, before Yu Gege and Momosawa Hanako could stop him, Yunkong had already handed out a ball of golden light in his hand. Masato Qingshui sat there motionless, but after a while, the whole body was filled with a golden light that made it difficult to look directly at him.
At that moment, if Masato Qingshui said that this was the incarnation of the Buddha, then Hanako Momosawa and Yu Gege were also willing to believe it.
But the next scene made the two of them even more shocked and uneasy.
As Masato Qingshui took the "Zen Staff" from Enkong, a loud and long cry suddenly came from the city. The sound sounded like a crane, but also like a whale singing in the water.
When the sound sounded, the entire city of Xi'an was lit up with blue light spots.
But if you look closely, you will see that the light is not just the fluorescent dots that decorate the city, but they are clearly one after another like human souls.
As if hearing some kind of call, they emerged one after another and began to converge towards the center of the city.
Yugege's field of view module reported that a large number of high-energy polymers were approaching. This was feedback from the new built-in sensing element that she had improved after getting back the data she had collected in Xuzhou.
Momosawa Hanako's attention was mainly focused on her good sister Shimizu Masato.
However, this young girl, who had transformed into a golden Buddha, now had her eyes closed tightly and was sitting cross-legged, as if she was in meditation listening to the Sanskrit sounds.
And the monk Yuan Kong passed away quietly.
Outside the tent, the young monk Mi Tuoer, who was Yuan Kong's son and Yuan Kong's disciple, burst into tears. He held a Zen staff and looked up at the sky. He only saw layers of clouds pushing back and forth like waves on the seaside. In the blink of an eye, they were already there.
It is no longer as dense as before.
And the dense atmosphere between heaven and earth gradually returned to clarity.
The light and shadow in the city merged into several ribbons like the Milky Way. They continued to shrink and gather, and eventually the center of the city was surrounded by water.
Momosawa Hanako tentatively touched her good sister Shimizu Masato a few times, but every time her hand was pushed away by an invisible force before she got too close. She looked at Yougege for help, but
However, Yougege got up and left the tent.
When they got outside, Yougege looked up at the sky over the city.
Sure enough, the situation is exactly the same as what I saw in Xuzhou before... Except for the things that are constantly gathering on the ground and it is unclear whether they are ghost souls or energy bodies, whenever this kind of phenomenon occurs, there will always be something in the sky.
A force is swirling and condensing.
At first there were only a few traces to follow, but then it grew larger and larger until it descended like a giant.
Outside the tent, the little monk wiped away the tears that had frozen into ice crystals when exposed to the wind and asked You Gege: "Sister, my master... has left?"