Crossing Realms

Returning to his apartment with the joy of his breakthrough, Huang Tian washed an apple and began to eat it with a crisp crunch.

Whoosh~

Whoosh~

Just as he was eating, several messages suddenly popped up on his phone.

Huang Tian tapped to open them, surprised to find they were from his girlfriend, Zong Wenjun.

[Petting cat head.gif]

[Are you free for a video call? I miss you a bit.]

Huang Tian: [I am.]

The second the message sent, his phone began to vibrate, and Huang Tian tapped to accept.

Zong Wenjun's fair, delicate face appeared on the screen. She seemed to be sitting on a brown bench with a pond rippling with silver light behind her. The cold, pale light illuminated her silhouette from the side, and her orange-yellow tea-break dress swayed gently in the night breeze.

Zong Wenjun didn't speak, just watched him quietly with a gentle smile on her face.

Watching her smile, Huang Tian couldn't help but smile back. The two looked at each other through the screen, not saying a word, yet it felt as if they were held in each other's arms.

It felt like a long time had passed before Zong Wenjun spoke softly, "I haven't seen you in so long."

The last time they met was in early August when they went to Hang City for two days, right before Huang Tian was called back to Chang City by a phone call from his company.

After they parted ways, they only chatted on their phones occasionally. Mostly, it was because Huang Tian was too busy working overtime, and Zong Wenjun didn't want to disturb him, so they rarely talked, and they hadn't had a single video call.

"How have you been lately?" Zong Wenjun asked.

Huang Tian thought for a moment, feeling there was nothing to hide, "Not bad. I've basically been 'delivered to society' as talent by the company, so I'm preparing to find something else to do."

Zong Wenjun's delicate brows furrowed slightly, "Changing jobs is for the best. You were working overtime almost every day at your old company; how could anyone hold up under that?"

Huang Tian laughed, "That's how it is everywhere now. Everything is a rat race."

Zong Wenjun pursed her lips in silence. After a long while, she finally said, "Do you have any plans for National Day?"

Huang Tian: "Not yet. I might research where to interview, or maybe just take a break for a while?"

Zong Wenjun blinked, "Then I'll come to Chang City to see you."

Huang Tian was curious, "Our little busybody actually has time to come to Chang City?"

Every time there was a holiday, Zong Wenjun would either stay in the library reading literature or do freelance translation work, so she rarely had any free time.

Zong Wenjun rolled her eyes at him, "It's because I miss you, silly."

Huang Tian knew she wanted to come and keep him company to comfort him. Feeling a warmth in his heart, he joked, "Then I shall await the arrival of the little busybody with great anticipation."

Hearing this, Zong Wenjun puffed out her cheeks and waved her fair, delicate little fist at him.

Huang Tian was amused by her sudden display of cuteness, "Once you arrive, where do you want to go?"

The two had studied at Chang University for four years, so they had basically visited all the surrounding scenic spots.

Zong Wenjun thought for a moment and said, "I don't want to travel too far. Let's just walk around and see the sights in Chang City."

Huang Tian said, "Alright, let's go to Wanshou Palace and Tengwang Pavilion. Otherwise, there isn't really much else to do in Chang City."

"Mm-hmm." Zong Wenjun nodded, "See you on National Day then."

"See you on National Day."

Hanging up the video call, Huang Tian leaned back against his bed, thinking about what he should do in the future.

He didn't yet have the ability to go without eating beef, and it was foreseeable that he wouldn't be able to do so in the short term, so a proper career was still quite important to him.

Should I be like the protagonists in web novels—go fight in rings, enter competitions, heal people, act like a charlatan, or grow spiritual herbs to sell?

He fell into deep thought, but after pondering for a long time, he still couldn't make a decision. No rush. I'll wait and see. Things will work themselves out when the time comes.

The morning light broke, and the sky shifted from pale cyan to orange-red.

Huang Tian, having risen early, sat cross-legged in meditation. His lips were lightly closed, and his chest rose and fell slowly with his breathing. Wisps of invisible spiritual energy gathered into his body, circulating through his meridians and condensing in his Yellow Court.

Time flowed slowly.

At exactly twelve o'clock noon, Huang Tian exited his meditative state with clear eyes. With a shift of his intent, various calls and voices suddenly echoed in his ears.

Suddenly, a familiar voice pierced through to him.

"The Blue Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall stand! In the year of Jiazi, the world shall be blessed!"

Huang Tian pondered for a moment, then, just like last time, he tried to gently touch the voice coming from the Late Han Dynasty World with his intent.

Another wave of dizziness washed over him as a sliver of his consciousness detached from his body and slammed hard against a crystal-like barrier.

Crack~

The sound of shattering crystal echoed, and that sliver of consciousness successfully passed through the space-time barrier, following the direction of the voice into the vast, dark void.

July, the seventh year of the Guanghe era.

Ji Province, inside Guangzong City.

With a withered face, Zhang Jiao gripped his Nine-Section Staff tightly in his right hand, struggling to rise from his sickbed.

"Big Brother, why... why must you force yourself? I can handle the defense of the city myself." Kneeling to the side, Zhang Liang's eyes reddened as he reached out to support Zhang Jiao.

"The most pressing matter now is likely no longer the defense of the city." Zhang Jiao sighed. "Lu Zhi has already surrounded Guangzong completely, hasn't he?"

Zhang Liang lowered his head. "The Han Army builds walls and digs deep trenches day and night. I have sent men out of the city many times to destroy their high walls and fill their trenches, but the results have been minimal. Now, Guangzong... this brother is incompetent!"

Zhang Jiao's withered palm pressed down on his brother's arm. "If anyone is incompetent, it is I. Had I not suffered defeat after defeat against Lu Zhi, I would not have been trapped in Guangzong by his army, becoming a bird in a cage."

He slowly pulled away from his brother's support, steadying himself with the Nine-Section Staff, his expression exceptionally calm.

"We have retreated to hold Guangzong for over a month now, yet no reinforcements have come to our aid, and it seems none will.

Since there are no reinforcements, we cannot remain trapped in this isolated city, for a long defense will inevitably lead to failure. The only path left is to defeat the Han Army in a grand, open battle."

Zhang Liang's face showed hesitation.

If they could defeat the Han Army in open battle, how could they have been forced into Guangzong in the first place?

Zhang Jiao saw through his thoughts and said gently, "While I can still move, I will personally command the troops for one final stand.

If I win, the predicament will resolve itself.

If I show signs of defeat, you must take the opportunity to flee Guangzong."

Zhang Liang's face filled with indignation. "How could this brother abandon Big Brother and flee alone?!"

He suddenly drew a short blade from his waist and held it against his throat. "If Big Brother insists that I flee, I shall commit suicide here and now to prove my heart!"

Zhang Jiao let out a long sigh and gripped his arm. "Then come with me."

Zhang Liang replied solemnly, "I am willing to die with my brother!"

A moment later, the thunderous sound of drums echoed through Guangzong, and the Yellow Turbans scattered throughout the city converged like small streams into a surging sea.

The heavy city gates groaned with a teeth-aching sound as they slowly swung open. Countless Yellow Turbans, dressed in simple tunics or bare-chested, surged out of Guangzong City wielding crude pitchforks, farm tools, and spears, forming ranks amidst shouts and cries.

Before long, over a dozen banners—including those reading "General of Heaven," "Great Virtuous Teacher," "General of People," and "Yellow Heaven Descends"—appeared before the crowd. Looking up at the towering banner of the General of Heaven, tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans shouted with fanatical fervor:

"The Blue Heaven is dead; the Yellow Heaven shall rise! In the year of Jiazi, the world shall be blessed!!!"