The old man was beside himself with excitement at the magnificent sight about to unfold.
On the other side, the black python's life or death no longer mattered to him. In his eyes, Zhang Heng, riding atop the serpent's back, had become a dead man as well. The old man firmly believed that as long as the figure beneath the Forbidden City awakened, any enemy could only tremble beneath its terrifying might.
When that time came, let alone mere humans, even the gods of Asgard would meet their final twilight.
And as the herald of that great being, he would have the fortune, as a mortal, to witness the coming of the apocalypse with his own eyes—the final battle beyond the description of any words.
Weeping excitedly, the old man bent down and kissed the earth beneath him. But then, a lazy voice drifted over from in front of him.
"What, did your boss call you again?"
The old man froze at the words. He lifted his lips from the red soil, raised his head, and saw the unexpected visitor before him.
She was a woman in a T-shirt and jeans, with a rather cold expression. She carried a Boston shaker in one hand, as if she had been busy mixing some drink not long ago, only to receive an urgent message that had sent her rushing out before she even had time to put down her work.
The old man was astonished to realize that he had no idea when she had slipped onto the island. There was clearly no transportation anywhere nearby, making him feel as if he had encountered a ghost. Could this woman have flown here through the sky?
As though she could see through his thoughts, the mysterious woman spoke again. "Stop guessing. I swam