His Mother (Revised)
Liu Chang'an led Qin Yanan out from behind the stalactites. There were no natural paths in the cave. The rock surface formed by calcium deposits in the water was moist and smooth. In front of them was a relatively flat area resembling terraced fields, spreading out layer by layer. If it were developed into a tourist attraction, it would probably be given a name like "Dragon Palace Terraces".
This open area covers tens of thousands of square meters, no less than the largest underground palace in Yellow Dragon Cave, another karst cave in the Bow Family Realm. As for the height of the ceiling, it is probably even greater. At a height of sixty or seventy meters above the head, stalactite columns hang upside down from the top, like dense spearheads pointing straight to the ground.
"Hello," Liu Chang'an said.
The man with the rough voice clearly also had the ability to see in the dark. He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and said in a deep tone, "How did you find me?"
As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the robot's body beside him and the head he had removed and discarded. Could it be that this psychotic robot had leaked information?
Any smart device that can connect to the internet is unsafe. In this cave, all network signals are naturally blocked, so it seems they were tracked on their way here.
"You... you are Francis Crick." Liu Chang'an looked at the other person's surprised yet still arrogant expression and tone, and finally confirmed, "Yes, you must be Francis Crick."
The arrogance on the man's face was replaced by surprise.
"Which Francis Crick are you talking about?" Several people with the same name flashed through Qin Yanan's mind, but she couldn't be sure who Liu Chang'an was referring to.
"Francis Crick, who discovered the DNA double helix structure along with James Dewey Watson." Liu Chang'an showed a surprised expression. After all, he was a super scientist whose discovery was of epoch-making significance to all mankind since the birth of the Earth and the birth of life.
Liu Chang'an had gained nothing from studying himself, so he greatly admired those who could study themselves and discover profound insights.
"No way... Professor Crick passed away from colorectal cancer in 2004... Although it's a cancer with a high cure rate, Professor Crick unfortunately wasn't cured." Qin Yanan, after all, wasn't a teenager anymore; she remembered it vividly. "Back then, the school organized a memorial event, taking us to the biotechnology museum to see and learn from the exhibits. I remember the model of the DNA double helix structure very clearly."
"At first I wasn't sure either, after all, he looks like Professor Crick in the 80s or 90s now, but when we talked about his past, the expression on his face showed that he was him, and he didn't seem to care that we knew his true identity." Liu Chang'an sized up Crick, looking at the man in front of him wearing a black bodysuit, his muscles bulging, and apart from his face, he had nothing in common with the former Professor Crick.
"Because you're all going to die," Creek sneered.
"You really are... Professor Crick?" Qin Yanan remained in a state of surprise. Although Crick was very unfriendly, the person in front of her was, after all, a legend. The discovery of the DNA double helix structure was the only achievement in biology that could rival Darwin's theory of evolution. In terms of its practical significance to modern humans, the discovery of the DNA double helix structure may be even greater. It, along with relativity and quantum mechanics, is one of the three great discoveries of the 20th century.
Crick sized up Qin Yanan and noticed that Qin Yanan was speaking in a different direction, so he knew she was just an ordinary woman. He then said to Liu Chang'an, "Are you going to jump into the Yin River and be eaten by the water beasts, or are you going to become my bat food?"
"Crick was the first person in the history of science to explicitly propose that the problem of consciousness could be solved using natural science." Liu Chang'an ignored Crick's threat and continued to Qin Yanan, "Like many scientists, he began to look for solutions from philosophical and other perspectives. In the 1990s, I met Crick by chance at a forum. Although he was a leading figure in biological research, I showed him the technique of reconstructing the environment with consciousness to make memories appear as if they were from the past. Later, in 2003, he published a paper on the framework of consciousness in the journal Nature Neuroscience..."
"You're that amazing China Professor Liu!" Crick exclaimed in surprise. "I met Watson in the 1950s, and when I met you in the 1990s, I felt like you were another Watson I had encountered in my scientific research! Meeting Watson led us to discover the double helix structure of DNA, and I originally thought that meeting you would allow me to discover the truth about the framework of consciousness!"
"But now it seems you've given up on consciousness research and started raising bats... These strange bats, are they all bred by you using some kind of biotechnology?" Liu Chang'an said regretfully, "Since you're not dead, why don't you continue your long-planned consciousness research?"
"It wasn't until I discovered my cancer was incurable that I realized the significance of consciousness research wasn't as important as continuing to make progress in the field of cellular research." Crick looked at his weathered face but still strong body. "I'm satisfied with myself now. As for you, why have you become so youthful again?"
"I'm different from you." Liu Chang'an thought for a moment. "I'm in a dilemma. I'm not really willing to kill you, but it feels like not killing you is quite troublesome."
Crick let out a defiant laugh, and biographies of him recorded his ever-present arrogance, which is most easily provoked by the arrogance of others.
"Professor Crick, why did you steal our coffins?" Qin Yanan had located Creek's exact position through his several conversations, and after so long, she could vaguely see a blurry, dark figure of him.
"Yours? What makes you think it's yours? Did you get the original owner's permission before digging it up from the ground? Since you can take it for yourself without permission, what's wrong with me doing the same?" Creek said with a sneer.
Qin Yanan was speechless for a moment. What the other person said made so much sense that she found it hard to refute.
"She's asking why, not condemning your actions. I don't object to you stealing; I just want it back," Liu Chang'an said calmly. "Let's talk things out first. I have more reason to possess this coffin than you do, because its original owner... was me, was my... that... you know..."
"Is it your... someone?" Qin Yanan became a little nervous. Liu Chang'an insisted on keeping this coffin with him; could it be because Ye Sijin was inside?
"It's his great-grandmother!"
A soft female voice rang out, tinged with a chilling laugh.
Creek raised his leg and kicked the robot's head far away. It took a long time before the sound of it hitting the water was heard.
"I'm not going to reason with you anymore." Liu Chang'an frowned. "Did you jump into the Yin River yourself and get eaten by the water beasts, or did you let the bats you fed eat you?"
Qin Yanan felt a little regretful. After all, Crick was a scientific giant and a rare treasure of mankind. But there was nothing she could do. Liu Chang'an wanted to do it, and she couldn't very well undermine him. As the saying goes, "a wife follows her husband's lead"... no, it's more like, "An elder has a command, and one dares not disobey."
Upon hearing Liu Chang'an repeat his original words, Creek burst into laughter. His laughter seemed to ripple outwards in concentric circles, followed by a rumbling echo that spread outwards in waves. In the distance, the sound of rushing water surged, as if some dormant water beast had been awakened and was angrily stirring up the Yin River.
"I'm curious, how did you manage to change your appearance and regain your youth? Or did you just hear about my interactions with Professor Liu back then from your elders?" Crick's laughter stopped, and he raised his hand, as if the water beast in the dark river had received a command and was calmed down, and the deafening sound of water no longer came from the distant abyss.
"And you?" Liu Chang'an did not answer.
"I'm twelve years older than Watson. As I waited to die, I thought a lot. I wondered if, without Watson, I could have independently discovered the double helix structure of DNA, and the paper we published in Nature on the molecular structure of nucleic acids—a possible structure of DNA—which later led to the central dogma, laying the foundation for molecular genetics. Ingerlam and I discovered the role of genetic material in determining protein properties... I'm known as the father of molecular biology, yet I'm helpless against the tumor in my body. Isn't that ironic?" Crick's lips curled slightly. "That's when I met Mrs. Karnstein."
"The Mrs. Karnstein that the robot mentioned earlier, she really exists?" Qin Yanan exclaimed in slight amazement.
"Mrs. Karnstein certainly exists. She gave me a second life and the wonderful colleagues I've always dreamed of working with. She showed me a new direction in life research. We don't need to pursue the origin of life, but rather explore the limits of life's evolution, such as... immortality." Crick's eyes revealed a kind of fanaticism. There was no doubt that he greatly admired or even revered Mrs. Karnstein.
"Have you achieved immortality?"
"Immortality isn't so easy to achieve... This is our ultimate goal, but right now our experiments are focused on evolution and modification." Crick was getting impatient as he approached Liu Chang'an and Qin Yanan step by step.
"Then what do you need this coffin for? What does it mean to Mrs. Karnstein?" Liu Chang'an was very curious about this question.
"This coffin... may hold the secret to immortality." After saying this, Creek walked to a cluster of stalactites not far from Liu Chang'an.
There were stalactites everywhere, moist and refreshing. Some looked like jade pillars hanging vertically from the top to the ground, while others looked like clouds and rain hanging upside down in the air, or like white waves surging to the sky. It was truly a magnificent and ever-changing spectacle.
Suddenly, Creek grabbed a long stalactite pillar and broke it in two.
"Such a large one, it must have taken at least hundreds of thousands or even millions of years to grow." Liu Chang'an said as he casually picked up Qin Yanan and tossed her onto a stone platform some distance away.
Qin Yanan landed with a start, only to find herself standing firmly. Just as Liu Chang'an had knocked Zhu Juntang, he hadn't actually hurt her. Liu Chang'an's control over force was incredibly precise and miraculous.
Creek swept the stalactite across Liu Chang'an, smashing it down hard.
The stalactite, carrying moisture and the whistling wind, landed with a "thud" on Liu Chang'an's outstretched right hand.
The feel of stalactites is like that of a dead beauty, smooth and cool.
Liu Chang'an reached out with his other hand and hugged the stalactite pillar with both hands.
Creek tried to snatch it, but found it wouldn't budge. Suddenly, he realized he was standing on air; Liu Chang'an had actually lifted the huge stalactite column vertically.
Creek was lifted high into the air, released from the stone pillar, and with a push of his feet, landed far away on the ground.
Liu Chang'an turned the stalactite pillar upside down, held it securely in its original place, and used a few small stones to cushion the bottom, making the pillar stable.
"Who exactly are you? There's no way you could be a naturally mutated enhanced human." Krieg took a step back, staring intently at Liu Chang'an.
"I am the Blood Ancestor!" Liu Chang'an jumped up and slammed his fist down in mid-air.
A swarm of bats, like a black cloud, suddenly gathered in front of Creek, forming an impenetrable bat wall. Accompanied by their trembling wings, tiny eyes, and rat-like bodies, they writhed densely. When Liu Chang'an's fist struck them, it felt as if he had struck a highly elastic net.
However, Liu Chang'an possessed immense strength, and despite the net formed by no fewer than a thousand bats, he still managed to strike Creek in the chest.
Creek's chest caved in, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, which landed on the bats. Apart from some of the bats that had been crushed to death, the other bats seemed to be stimulated and desperately crowded around, sucking up the blood that gushed out from Creek.
The greedy rat heads huddled together and wriggled, and gradually, bats couldn't resist approaching Creek's lips and chest, pounding and gnawing at his body.
The sound of flapping wings and wind came from the air. Liu Chang'an looked up and saw that the entire dark part of the cave ceiling was covered with a dense swarm of bats. These bats, which could blot out the sky when they flew out, seemed to have been attracted by Creek's blood.
"Bats everywhere!" Qin Yanan noticed it too. She was already at a higher position, desperately swatting at the bats that were approaching. For her, if she encountered a pack of tigers or wolves, she would at most turn pale, but these ugly little creatures made the hairs on Qin Yanan's body stand on end.
She heard Liu Chang'an let out a howl, the sound gradually rising until it almost pierced Qin Yanan's eardrums, but then it vanished in an instant, disappearing without a trace. At the same time, the bats overhead began to behave abnormally, struggling and flapping their wings, and then falling down like black goose feathers and snowflakes, one after another, covering the sky.
After a while, the bats scattered and fled, or crashed to the ground, flapping their wings and struggling to fly away, finally bringing peace to the scene.
Liu Chang'an picked Creek out of the horde of bats. Humans always try to create supernatural evolved creatures, but almost every time they end up being devoured.
However, such experiments are not without meaning or necessity.
Humanity itself progresses through explorations that many of our contemporaries deem meaningless and unnecessary.
Liu Chang'an mentioned Creek, looking at the face he had seen in the 1990s.
"I'd like to meet Mrs. Karnstein, or something else behind the scenes. Could you pass on a message for me?" Liu Chang'an asked gently. He didn't actually harbor any disgust or aversion towards Crick.
Most of the time, human behavior is just like that of ants—busy and insignificant, and no one evokes much emotion when watching ants behave.
Krick didn't say anything, but looked at Liu Chang'an with a complicated expression. Compared to himself, Liu Chang'an seemed to have evolved to be more powerful. What kind of organization was behind him? Mrs. Karnstein probably knew that Liu Chang'an was capable of creating enhanced humans, but she hadn't revealed any relevant information to him.
Crick recalled the lady's stunning beauty... He had never seen her face, but she was already breathtakingly beautiful in his mind. Over the years, he hadn't even thought of visiting his family. Partly due to secrecy requirements—the idea of her resurrection and rejuvenation was too shocking—and partly because he seemed to be under her spell, having no other emotional needs.
"I can wait... I don't care about your current aggressiveness and your way of doing things as if you were ruling the law. You will all return to dust, but immortality will belong to me." After saying this, Liu Chang'an threw Creek into the abyss ahead.
After a long while, the sound of falling into the water drifted over from afar, followed by a tumultuous crashing of water, waves surging through the mountain caves, and a howling wind carrying water vapor that rose up like scattered raindrops.
Liu Chang'an went to pick up Qin Yanan.
Qin Yanan held Liu Chang'an's hand tightly and followed behind him, because the area was almost densely packed with what were said to be bats, piled up in a thick layer.
"I heard what you were saying, but it seems you threw Professor Crick into the Dark River... and then I felt something in the water." Qin Yanan asked breathlessly, a little nervous. She had just realized what would happen if something happened to Liu Chang'an. Actually, after entering this cave, she had been naively believing that Liu Chang'an was invincible, after all, his abilities were just too powerful.
"You think this will prevent him from relaying messages?"
"Mmm." Qin Yanan grabbed Liu Chang'an's hand and shook it hard, finally managing to catch her breath.
"I think he commanded the bats to carry the coffin up, which means he has the ability to command these animals. How easy is it to encounter water beasts in the underground river? Ordinary people have less than a one in a billion chance of encountering one when exploring a cave, yet he wanted to feed us to the water beasts, which means the water beasts are indeed here... Is this a coincidence? Definitely not. It can only mean that he dispatched the water beasts here... My judgment is that his original plan was to use the water beasts to transport the coffin away, which is an untraceable path."
"It seems these people have infiltrated very deeply, surveying and exploring the hydrology and geography of many places in our area very clearly," Qin Yanan said with some annoyance, after all, this was South Hunan, the territory under her father's rule.
"Don't worry too much. For these people, once they acquire abilities and physical vitality beyond those of ordinary people, they often develop a sense of superiority that transcends nationality, ethnicity, and race. They believe that the various concepts in the structure of ordinary human society are meaningless to them. They will try to control data in any region. In their eyes, the earth only needs latitude and longitude, not national borders."
"And what about you?" Qin Yanan blurted out. She was different; she had a very strong sense of belonging and pride in her country.
"Me too... It's just that a long, long time ago, I met some cute little animals, and we lived happily together, taking care of them. Later, the offspring of these little animals were also very cute, so I continued to stay here. Slowly, I met some lovely people, people I liked, people willing to listen to their wishes, and so I continued this habit, wandering around and then returning here." Liu Chang'an smiled. "It's just that memories from so long ago, or when the emotions have been removed, leaving only the simple images, make one less concerned... But now, in recent years, people I like have appeared, and I've lived on this land for many years, so it's inevitable that I feel a sense of difference between this land and the people on it."
"What are you talking about?" Qin Yanan complained, annoyed by the first part of his statement, which was inexplicable, but the second part made her heart race. She wondered if she was included in the "person he liked"... probably just An Nuan.
"It's nothing." Liu Chang'an withdrew his hand, clapped his hands together, and said with a hint of disgust, "Why are your palms so wet? They must be sweaty. What I mean is, just like Ziqing asked me to take care of you, if you ask me to take care of your Sun Sun in the future, then I'll continue to look after them for hundreds of years without any problem."
"Can... can I still have children?" Qin Yanan finally couldn't help but ask the question that she had been pondering but had no answer to.
"Oh right?" Liu Chang'an hadn't thought of that and stopped in his tracks.
"Right to what?" Qin Yanan became nervous.
"It's nothing. You'll know when you try it with someone in the future. How would I know now?" Liu Chang'an waved his hand and continued walking forward.
"Try it my foot! You actually want to try something like this?" Qin Yanan punched Liu Chang'an on the shoulder.
Qin Yanan was actually worried about this issue, but not in a hurry. Hearing Liu Chang'an's nonchalant answer, a slight smile crept onto her lips. "Try someone? You know what happened to Ma Weiming. If someone really came to try and test Qin Yanan, they'd probably be killed before you even found out anything, right?"
Liu Chang'an didn't continue the topic with Qin Yanan. Now was not the time to discuss it, and he couldn't possibly try it with Qin Yanan, nor could he give her any other advice or answers.
He arrived at the depths of the underground palace, where the ground was exceptionally clean, and the dying bats around seemed to be struggling to move away from the coffin.
The bats, no longer under Crick's control, seemed to revert to their instinctive awe, distancing themselves from the cold, aloof coffin.
"By the way, who was it that you said was in the coffin?" Qin Yanan asked again.
"I am his mother."
A girl's sweet, childlike voice, fresh as water vapor, emanated from the coffin.
Liu Chang'an picked up the coffin and planned to throw Shangguan Dandan into the Yin River.
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