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“Let me show you something special tonight.”
Even such words from Shen Qiao's lips sounded pure and innocent. And, most likely, they were. However, Yan Wushi strongly disagreed with this fact!
“Why wait?” he asked, approaching with clear intent.
“I meant something completely different,” Shen Qiao countered, taking the hint.
He didn't move away. On the contrary, he hugged him back.
And he didn't even blush. Long gone are the glorious days when simple provocations worked. But it's even more interesting.
“This venerable one is extremely sad to hear such words,” said with a sigh Yan Wushi.
“The moon must take a certain place in the sky,” explained Shen Qiao, and after kissing his lover, he added: “I calculated. This night is favorable for travelling. You'll like it”.
“You've convinced me,” said Yan Wushi.
He reluctantly released his lover from the embrace, and then Shen Qiao went to fulfill the duties of the head of the Mount Xuandu Sect.
Yan Wushi wished he could hasten the approach of night. But, unfortunately or fortunately, Shen Qiao he was the only one the Time listened to a little more than the others. Or, to be precise, he obeyed Time according to completely different laws than the rest. It all started when Shen Qiao switched places with himself as a child one day. Messing with the young version of him for Yan Wushi turned out to be unexpectedly difficult, but interesting.
However, the oddities didn't end there. The following fall, Yan Wushi met an older version of Shen Qiao at their house, with whom he almost got into a fight while figuring out exactly where his A-Qiao was. The alien from the future with a smile told an incredible story about his superpower to move in time and space, which had just begun to manifest itself in the current time. He left a scroll with detailed information in an unknown language for his younger self. After that, they still exchanged a couple of tricks. Yan Wushi could not miss the opportunity to find out what level of martial arts Shen Qiao would reach in twenty years, and he was pleasantly surprised by the result.
His Shen Qiao then in the future learned the basics of moving through space and time. And, after having returned, he periodically disappeared, setting off on another journey. Of course, letting his love go to in an unknown direction was especially difficult for Yan Wushi. He would never admit that his heart was restless with anxiety at such moments. Although Shen Qiao could certainly stand up for himself, the Yan Wushi’s habit of watching him and intervening when necessary made itself felt.
But is it easy to stop a turbulent river with your hands? Shen Qiao was drawn to other worlds with an irresistible force. He felt responsible for them. His superpower was somehow directly related to maintaining balance in the entire Universe.
However, time took pity on Yan Wushi and his students, who got hurt because of his change in mood. Night came, time to fulfill the promise!
Shen Qiao led him to the cave.
“Joint meditation?” suggested Yan Wushi, when they entered.
“Not exactly,” replied Shen Qiao, and, highlighting the space in front of him with the help of Qi, added: “There, further on, an underground lake begins. We're almost on time.
Yan Wushi did not elaborate. In the distance, in the darkness of the cave, a white pillar began to grow. There seemed to be a crack in the rock somewhere ahead, through which moonlight came in from the outside.
Shen Qiao took his hand, sharing unfamiliar energy with him. She was neither light nor demonic. Rather, another word arose in Yan Wushi’s head to describe it - “eternal”.
“See?” asked Shen Qiao.
Yan Wushi nodded. There, on the other side of the lake, a column of white light trembled, and red and pink lights barely appeared in it and ... some vague outlines. Echoes from other worlds?
“Water is the way,” said Shen Qiao.
And he abruptly rushed forward, dragging Yan Wushi along with him.
They ran like moths flying into the light. The outlines of the cave disappeared in the haze, that unfamiliar energy spilled around and ...
... The world flared up with lights, loud voices, strange sounds and smells. Yan Wushi looked around - they found themselves on a busy street. People around in clothes of a strange cut did not even pay attention to them. It seemed that they were more worried about some kind of luminous tablets in their hands (though Yan Wushi was also interested in them) than strangers appearing from the air. However, maybe for this world, this is in the order of things.
Indistinct outlines in the distance were embodied in bizarre buildings across the river, similar to mountain pillars. Were they built by humans?
“Where are we?”
“Not far from the Jiang River Delta, or called Yangtze locally,” replied Shen Qiao, clearly well versed in space. “In a city where neither the moon nor the sun can be seen, called Shanghai.
(art by Lina Laro)
Yan Wushi turned his gaze to the sky. Indeed, the cloudy haze, which reflected the lights surrounding them, blocked the view of the stars.
“And why did the heavens turn away from this place?” asked Yan Wushi.
“In order to achieve what you see around, people conquered a special energy: ‘electricity’,” explained Shen Qiao. “It doesn’t require meditation or training to use. Only money. Some produce, others buy, but more and more is needed. However, everything has its consequences”.
“As expected,” said Yan Wushi.
“At least a thousand years have passed between our time and the current one,” added Shen Qiao. “No one here knows anything about martial arts, there are no Sects, no emperor. But people are still trying to reach the clouds. These large buildings are called skyscrapers.”
“And don't they fall?” asked with interest Yan Wushi.
“Very rarely,” Shen Qiao replied. “I haven't seen it myself, I've only found records. I can show you it later.”
“Wow, what a beautiful suit you have!”
Someone unceremoniously intervened in their conversation. It seems that these luminous tablets sometimes still let people look around.
“Are you an actor by any chance?”
The speaker turned out to be a girl in blue pants and a shirt with obscenely short sleeves. What are with her manners? But Yan Wushi restrained himself and only cast a contemptuous glance at her. He did not know the local customs, so for the time being it was wise to scout the situation and observe Shen Qiao in his element.
“No, we’re cosplayers,” he said.
“Oh! Can I take a picture with you?”
““Take” what?” thought Yan Wushi. But Shen Qiao seemed to know what she was talking about.
“This poor Taoist is flattered by your attention to his humble person,” he replied with a soft smile.
“Wow, you even speak authentically,” for some reason the girl was enthusiastically surprised and fearlessly shoved that luminous tablet into Yan Wushi’s hands. “Together in full growth, okay? Here, you need to click on the white circle.”
The tablet was pleasant to the touch and quite warm. It reflected what was happening on the other side, and when you touched the circle, the movement on it froze, and the inscription “saved” flickered next to it.
Most likely, "to take a picture" meant to preserve in some way a reflection of reality in a small device, like an artist creating paintings with paint and paper.
How does this little thing work? Is it also controlled by this ‘electricity’?
Yan Wushi caught a few moments in the device. And every time A-Qiao looked great. Yes, Yan Wushi needs own luminous tablet like this too!
“Oh, thank you,” the girl said, taking the it back. “Looks great, you take great pictures!”
Yan Wushi smiled wickedly. Did someone doubt his abilities?
“If it’s not difficult for you, then when you post a photo, add the hashtag Thousand Autumns,” asked Shen Qiao, using again incomprehensible words.
“I’m sure, I’ll do it right now so as not to forget,” answered the girl. “I haven’t heard of such a fandom, but your costume… and yours too,” she turned to Yan Wushi. “I just couldn't get past it. Sorry to bother you, have a nice day!”
“And the same to you,” Shen Qiao said goodbye to her.
“What was it?” asked Yan Wushi. “And where to get the same device?”
“A mobile phone is a useful thing,” replied Shen Qiao. “In addition to capturing pictures, it is capable of transmitting messages and even a voice to an interlocutor located at a distance of a thousand kilometers. Thanks to that girl's interest in us, we gave a secret signal to my ally in this world. We will get through it.”
“An ally? I see you make friends easily,” remarked Yan Wushi, letting a few notes of jealousy seep into his voice.
“ As it turned out, the ability to cause a desire to help me is a consequence of my superpower,” replied Shen Qiao. “Otherwise, it is impossible for a traveler to survive, finding himself in an unfamiliar world.
“Did you also fall at his feet?”
“I almost got hit by her self-propelled wagon. Or, in the local language, a car.”
“And who is your ally?”
“Easier to show than to tell.” smiled Shen Qiao. “Try not to kill her. She grew up in a distant country and behaves completely differently.”
“I have already noticed that manners in this time have been forgotten just like martial arts.”
“Not all, but many,” confirmed with humility Shen Qiao. “Get ready, I can feel it coming.”
“Hi fossil!” someone called him. “Are you captivating your fans again? Wow, there are two of you now?”
“Bai Rong?”
Yan Wushi was surprised, looking at her more closely.
“And you too,” snorted a young girl with a similar appearance. “I must say right away that I don’t believe in any kind of rebirth, but if it’s easier, you can address me by this name. Shen Qiao! Here's the data you asked me to collect, and the keys to the motorcycle.”
“Thank you,” replied Shen Qiao. “We are now going home to study the information.”
“Whoa, are you going like this? And won't your clothes wrap around the wheel?”
“No,” replied Shen Qiao.
“Well, we'll see,” the girl drawled incredulously. “Or… Is it your magic stuff again?”
“Something like that,” replied evasively Shen Qiao.
“Got it,” she nodded. “Good luck with your investigation, call when you're ready for the fire party. Chao!”
“How far away did she come from?” clarified Yan Wushi as soon as Bai Rong disappeared from their field of vision.
“Very far away,” replied Shen Qiao. –“It takes more than a month to sail to the United States of America by ship to the east. But local people have mastered flights on iron birds. On them the whole world can be crossed in a few hours.”
“Comfortable,” said Yan Wushi.
“But, in fact, we are not here by chance,” said Shen Qiao. “Someone with an ability similar to mine, found a way to transfer weapons from this world to ours. I need to find him and stop him. Would you like to join?”
Giant buildings, small devices and self-propelled waggons were impressive. It was easy to guess that weapons in the future could be also very dangerous. And… even approximate calculations of the consequences of Yan Wushi categorically did not like. The balance of political forces will change, and it was hard to believe that for the better.
He looked towards the skyscrapers, looked down at the reflection of the lights in the river. So, water is the way. It leaves no traces, and it can lead anywhere. And if you squint, then there, on the other side behind the buildings, you could see the outlines of familiar places.
They can always come home in their own time. But it's too early. This seems to need some sorting out.
Curious.
“Of course, let’s go,” replied Yan Wushi.
(art by Konia)