Goodbye, Your Majesty the Emperor

Ma Shilong moved with the speed of a flying horse, his retreating figure still carrying the surging momentum of the King of the Big Black Pigs. Qin Luming felt a sense of health and vitality from him, something rarely seen in typical overweight individuals.

Reborn as a pig, roaming the mountains and forests.

This is indeed an interesting theme. As long as the reader's aversion to pigs can be dispelled, and the image of pigs as dirty and stupid can be overturned, describing them with wit and bravery, contrasting their appearance and inner self, their actions, and their moments of showing off, I believe some readers will be able to relate.

Qin Luming kept pace with Ma Shilong and soon arrived near the dam. Qin Luming saw the passage leading into the dam that he had seen people coming and going from.

People were also searching with lights from above the dam. Qin Luming noticed signs of the road having been cleared, suggesting someone had likely entered the dam's interior for inspection.

The vines and branches underfoot made soft, rustling sounds as he stepped on them, so real... Was this already within the range of Zhou Nan's magic circle?

Qin Luming maintained a distance from Ma Shilong, slowing his pace slightly. He wasn't worried about losing Ma Shilong.

Since Ma Shilong had specifically come to find him, he wouldn't just run off if Qin Luming walked a bit slower, forcing Qin Luming to make an extra trip.

Ma Shilong walked into the dark passage. Qin Luming hesitated for a moment, then saw a circle of azure ripples emanating from Ma Shilong as he entered the passage. The ripples, filled with the sci-fi feel of spatial distortion, swirled around him, separating him from Qin Luming in a manner similar to how gateways were depicted in most movies and TV shows.

Qin Luming couldn't resist the magical and wondrous scene and quickly followed.

Inside the barrier, it was also night.

The darkness seemed to have boundaries, like a semicircular canopy covering the sky. In the distance, lights similar to comet tails flickered at the edge of the horizon. It also resembled the aurora Qin Luming had seen in Northern Europe, encircling the skyline.

Beneath this dark dome, Qin Luming was already standing on the dam. The majestic dam seemed to reveal its true, towering form at this moment, appearing much more expansive, sturdy, and tall than Qin Luming had seen it during the day.

Intricate runes were engraved on the ground, like a reinforced protective magic circle, giving Qin Luming a sense of invincibility and the confidence to withstand anything.

Ahead of him was the missing Men'gangou Steel Bridge. One end of it was built on the dam, and the other end extended towards the missing Zinc Factory.

The steel bridge had been completely renovated, showing no signs of disrepair, abandonment, or the gradual growth of rust. It was as if an old man had suddenly straightened his back, and the wrinkles on his forehead and age spots on his skin had vanished without a trace.

On the bridge's railings stood statues of figures tens of meters high. Some wore crowns, others stood on strange beasts. Some looked down on the world with indifference, while others gazed forward with concern. There was even a statue of a white-haired elder holding a scroll, who occasionally looked up, gazed into the distance, and stroked his beard, appearing like a majestic sage from the river of time, his voice and smile brought back to life.

"Let's go." Ma Shilong glanced back. Ma Shilong was very satisfied with Qin Luming's shocked expression at everything before him. He beckoned with a smile and walked towards the other end of the bridge on his own.

Qin Luming looked around and followed behind Ma Shilong. He had seen many strange and unusual things in his life, but this was the first time he had personally witnessed and experienced such a fantastical scene from another world.

This was probably what it felt like to cross into another world for the first time, even though Qin Luming knew he was still in the real world.

All of this was created by Zhou Nan. What incredible power! It was like a creator deity. And Ma Shilong's novel was the root of it all. It was truly marvelous.

Qin Luming was a little excited. He also wanted to experience the feeling of creating all of this. Ma Shilong, that damned author who abandons novels, was truly enviable.

The bridge was long, and Ma Shilong's steps were quick. Qin Luming couldn't help but stop to observe the statues. These were definitely not statues whose aura could be expressed by human sculptors in reality; they contained traces of many divine arts.

Qin Luming recalled the statue of Jesus on Corcovado Mountain, which appeared in countless movies, and the statue of Jesus with open arms that he suddenly saw when he walked out of his room during his vacation in Manado... These statues, imbued with religious faith and the collective belief of devotees, were only slightly similar.

Qin Luming felt the closest experience was when he accompanied his mother and sister to worship Buddha at Nanshan Temple. That night, they stayed in a hotel in the Nanhai Guanyin Cultural Park. A sudden downpour occurred, and the entire black sea looked like a ferocious beast about to devour the coast. Amidst the lightning and thunder, illuminated by the white flashes, Qin Luming looked up and saw the one-hundred-meter-tall Guanyin Bodhisattva of the South Sea. Her face was serene and peaceful, instantly calming Qin Luming's mind.

Even then, it was only in a special environment and atmosphere that one felt the divine aura emanating from the statue. But these statues before him, without any embellishment or background, were enough to evoke an urge to worship them.

Finally crossing the bridge, Qin Luming looked back and realized that he hadn't had time to observe them. At both ends of the dam, two statues, each a hundred meters tall, stood guard. One held a long sword, and the other held a staff, seemingly symbolizing two different power systems.

Qin Luming gasped. Was this the magnificent and awe-inspiring human landscape of another world?

"Is he really better at writing novels than you?"

As Qin Luming was marveling, he suddenly heard a young girl's voice. Her tone was commanding, mixed with a hint of childishness, and her voice ended with a slight sharpness, as if she were constantly trying to imitate adults but, by trying too hard, had developed an unnatural intonation.

In short, she didn't speak properly, as if she thought she was acting.

Qin Luming turned his head and his eyes widened in anger as he glared at Ma Shilong.

Ma Shilong cupped his hands, a smile plastered on his face. "Brother Qin, I apologize. After all, I am just a pig and truly don't want to write novels anymore, so I had to find Brother Qin to fill in. Brother Qin, you don't need to take it to heart. Think about Zhu Bajie in Journey to the West; was he a trustworthy fellow? Brother Qin's mistake was treating me like a human, forgetting that I am a pig... I am now a Black Rider General under Her Majesty the Empress, and naturally, I must help Her Majesty solve her troubles."

Qin Luming's teeth itched with hatred. Ma Shilong was right; Qin Luming's mistake was still treating him like a human.

Even though Ma Shilong kept claiming he was a pig, Qin Luming saw him looking like a person. His ingrained way of thinking couldn't change immediately. How could he think that after turning into a pig, he no longer possessed integrity, humanity, or a conscience?

Ultimately, another reason was Qin Luming's excessive curiosity... He didn't blame himself. The telescope to peer into another world was right before him; how could he not take a look?

"Your Majesty, we meet again." Qin Luming calmed down and bowed respectfully to Zhou Nan. Even if he had the urge to disembowel Ma Shilong, that pig, at that moment, he had to suppress it and deal with this beautiful empress, the likes of whom he had never seen before.