"The Tang Dynasty had already fallen."
"Yes, it had fallen long, long ago. More than twelve hundred years had passed."
"Not only had the Tang Dynasty fallen, but the Great Song, the Great Ming, and several other dynasties after it had fallen as well..."
"However, the Western Regions had returned to us. Ahem, the way they returned might be a little different from what you imagined... Anyway, the books and videos are all here. You can take your time looking through them..."
Shen Le had only explained a few sentences when the door was pounded so violently that it boomed and rattled. After soothing the Tang Dynasty Iron Armor sitting across from him, Shen Le hurriedly jumped up to open the door. A wave of heat immediately rushed into his face.
"It's fixed? All of it's fixed?! Can I take a look?!"
With one hand braced against the doorframe and the other carrying a bag containing who-knew-what, Professor Zhang, the Curly-Bearded Guest, strained up onto his tiptoes and desperately peered past Shen Le into the room.
He leaned forward as though he wanted to charge straight inside, but propriety kept him from entering before receiving an invitation from the host. Shen Le smiled, stepped slightly aside, and gestured inward.
"Professor Zhang, please, come in—this is Li Xingtang, Mr. Li. And this is Professor Zhang, an expert in armor restoration. He helped me a great deal when I was restoring the Iron Armor before..."
Professor Zhang sucked in a sharp, excited breath and froze in the doorway, unable to move. His chest rose and fell rapidly, the hand pressed against the doorframe trembled violently, and his whole body seemed on the verge of collapse.
Right before his eyes, a suit of Iron Armor raised its head at the sound and stood