Chapter 11

After an uneventful night, the group, accompanied by Zhong Shiwen and two servants, bid farewell to Mr. Zhong the next morning after breakfast. They left Huangshan Village and set off on the mountain path leading to Yuxu Palace. They had barely taken a few steps when they heard someone shouting, "Wait a moment!" Turning back, they saw Miss Zhong running towards them, saying she wanted to join them to seek martial arts instruction from Daoist Master Yuxu. Zhong Shiwen had no choice but to agree, as he couldn't do anything about his sister.

Although the straight-line distance was only six or seven li, the winding mountain path made it more than eleven or twelve li. The others were fine, but Young Master Zhong, who usually only read Confucian classics, was in poor physical condition, so they couldn't walk too fast. Fortunately, the mountain, though not very high, had a well-preserved natural environment. Walking through it, the mountain breeze was refreshing, and they didn't feel the heat, which made their mood pleasant. Additionally, Zhong Shiwen kept introducing the various scenic spots and historical sites of Nanjing's Yudu Prefecture, suggesting that everyone visit them when they had the chance, making the journey less tedious.

As they walked and talked, they unknowingly walked for more than two hours and arrived at a mountain fork. One path led in their direction, while the other turned left and then curved behind a small hill. Wang Xiaojun, considering that everyone was carrying a lot of things, suggested taking a short break to drink water and rest. The group then unshouldered their backpacks, sat down in the shade of the trees, and chatted while drinking water. Just as everyone was about to continue their journey after resting, a dull "bang! bang!" sound came from behind the small hill on the left. Zhong Shiwen, puzzled, said, "It's such a clear day, why is there thunder in the mountains?"

However, Zeng Zhilin and Liang Ziyue were startled. They exchanged glances and nodded at each other. Zeng Zhilin quickly walked to Wang Xiaojun and whispered, "Xiaojun, the sound is wrong, it sounds like gunfire." Wang Xiaojun, who was also a bit puzzled, became more convinced after hearing Zeng Zhilin's words and nodded in agreement, saying, "I think so too. It sounds like the target practice we did during military training in school." Although he didn't believe that people in this era could make firearms, since he could travel from the 21st century to the 10th century, what was impossible? He whispered to Zeng Zhilin, "You and Weixin, Ziyue, go check it out, be careful." Zeng Zhilin nodded and led Zhang Weixin and Liang Ziyue along the forked path towards the back of the small hill.

Zhong Shiwen didn't take the two sounds seriously and was about to lead everyone to continue their journey when he saw Zeng Zhilin and the others run towards the small hill. Confused, he came to Wang Xiaojun and asked, "Young Master Wang, what are they doing? It's just a couple of thunderclaps, no need to make a fuss."

"Nothing, they just need to relieve themselves," Wang Xiaojun said dismissively. Zhong Shiwen looked at the three retreating figures with confusion, not understanding why three people would need to relieve themselves at the same time. Just as he was about to ask again, the same sound came from behind the small hill, this time continuous and rapid "bang, bang, bang" sounds, like someone was frying beans in a large pot. Young Master Zhong felt even more puzzled and saw the shocked and tense expression on Wang Xiaojun's face. Then he heard Wang Xiaojun shout, "Everyone, take cover in the forest. Wang Feng, take care of Young Master Zhong and Miss Zhong. Youyuan, come with me." He then took a crossbow and quiver from his backpack and rushed towards the back of the small hill, with Youyuan following closely behind with a thick branch. The others, meanwhile, quickly ushered the Zhong family into the forest beside the path.

Except for the Zhong family and their servants, the other time travelers had already figured out what was happening. Although none of them had been soldiers or police officers, most had undergone military training in school and had shot targets, or at least seen military drills on TV. They could recognize the sound. Listening to the continuous gunfire, everyone looked at each other, all thinking the same thing: Are we really in a different era? Is this just a dream? Has the dream been interrupted by gunfire?

Young Master Zhong, still confused, was thoroughly puzzled by the series of events. When the strange sounds first started, three people ran over, and Young Master Wang said they needed to relieve themselves, which already seemed odd. Then, when the sounds continued, Young Master Wang himself ran over with another person. Could they also need to relieve themselves? He couldn't believe it. He wanted to ask the other Young Master Wang what was going on but noticed that the other Young Master Wang was breathing heavily, pale, and had a complex expression—tense, excited, and a bit hopeful. He couldn't bring himself to ask. Instead, Miss Zhong, pulling Wang Feng, asked impatiently, "Hey, what's going on? Why are you all acting like you've been bewitched? What's happening behind that hill that has you so scared?" Wang Feng, pulled and questioned, finally came to his senses. Looking at the classical beauty who was glaring at him with her hands on her hips, he managed to say, "We've seen a ghost." The classical beauty, clearly annoyed by his answer, shouted, "I think you're the one who's seen a ghost!" and turned away, ignoring him.

By now, the gunfire had stopped, but the time travelers were still tense, staring at the corner of the small hill, hoping to wake up from this dream. Time seemed to move slowly; although they had only waited for less than ten minutes, it felt like ten years. When Liang Ziyue and Youyuan finally appeared at the corner of the hill, some people were so nervous they could hardly stand. Liang Ziyue and Youyuan ran over, waving to the group, who quickly emerged from the forest and surrounded them, almost in unison asking, "What happened? What's going on?" Liang Ziyue, catching his breath, said, "It's the PLA, and their situation is basically the same as ours." Hearing this, all the time travelers looked disappointed and dispersed, sitting on the ground in dejection. The extreme disappointment after extreme hope caused some of the women to sob silently. Liang Ziyue, seeing this, didn't explain further but went to comfort his girlfriend, Hu Xueying. Zhao Dawei also comforted his wife, Zhu Xiaoyuan. And Hong Yan, who was originally alone, had someone whispering to her, another team member, Liu Wendong, who was also alone and had never had a girlfriend in his previous life.

After calming the women, Wang Xiaojun, accompanied by a soldier in camouflage, turned the corner and quickly walked towards the group. Upon reaching them, under their questioning gazes, Wang Xiaojun introduced the soldier, "Let me introduce you to this gentleman, Captain Qian Yuan of a PLA tank company, also a survivor who has returned from overseas." As he spoke, Captain Qian Yuan saluted and said, "Hello everyone, I represent the fifteen PLA soldiers who have unexpectedly arrived here. I hope we can work together and strive for a better future." His words lifted the spirits of the time travelers, who had been feeling dejected. Seeing the young, sturdy officer, they felt a sense of security, just like ordinary people in their previous lives who felt safe when they saw the People's Liberation Army during natural disasters or major accidents. Everyone rushed forward to shake hands with Captain Qian, expressing their warm welcome, making him a bit overwhelmed.

While the group was introducing themselves, the Zhong siblings and their servants were stunned, completely baffled by what was happening. They didn't understand why a person dressed in colorful clothes, even with a colorful hat, could cause such a significant emotional reaction from these strange foreigners. Although they wanted to ask someone for an explanation, the current situation suggested that no one would pay attention to them for a while.

The lively scene continued for a few more minutes. Just as the Zhong family was about to lose patience, Wang Xiaojun, Zhang Weixin, Zeng Zhilin, and three other people in colorful clothes appeared from behind the small hill. Unlike the first colorful person, these people were holding something in their hands—black, strange-looking objects. Zeng Zhilin, while walking, was pointing and talking about the objects and their holders. Finally, Miss Zhong, unable to bear it any longer, rushed to Wang Xiaojun and shouted, "Mr. Wang, what's going on? You have to explain this to me, or I won't let you off."

Looking at the angry classical beauty, Wang Xiaojun didn't blame her for her impolite words and patiently said, "Miss Zhong, please don't be angry." He then pointed to the person called Captain Qian, "This gentleman and his companions are also Han people who have returned from overseas. They were lost in the mountains for three or four more days than us. Naturally, everyone is emotionally excited to meet each other."

"But what did he mean by 'PLA'? What was the noise from behind the hill, and why did you all react so strongly to it?" Miss Zhong was clearly unsatisfied with Wang Xiaojun's answer.

"Oh, it's like this. These gentlemen were soldiers in the overseas army. 'PLA' is the local term for the army, meaning soldiers. Our ancestors, after settling there, adopted the local customs and called it that. They encountered some bandits on the other side of the hill and fought back. The sounds you heard were from their weapons. Since such weapons don't exist in the Central Plains, we were naturally very excited to hear them," Wang Xiaojun continued to explain patiently.

"What kind of weapon makes such a loud noise? Can I see it?" Young Master Zhong, clearly interested, asked.

"It's not really a weapon, but a magical artifact," Wang Xiaojun said, taking a Type 95 assault rifle from one of the PLA soldiers. "This magical artifact is enchanted by a local wizard and can kill silently within three hundred steps. However, each use reduces its power, and after a certain number of uses, it becomes useless. Without the wizard's re-enchantment, it's just scrap metal." Wang Xiaojun used the people's superstitions to fabricate this explanation for the loud sounds and the items in the soldiers' hands.

When he mentioned that it could kill silently within three hundred steps, a glint appeared in Young Master Zhong's eyes, but it dimmed after hearing the rest. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Do you or Captain Qian have such a wizard?"

"Of course not. Such a powerful wizard is extremely rare, even in the overseas lands, let alone among us few," Wang Xiaojun answered straightforwardly. He understood what Young Master Zhong was getting at and knew that he, like Young Master Zhong, hoped that his team could quickly produce firearms to ensure their safety.

Hearing Wang Xiaojun's answer, Young Master Zhong's last hope was dashed. He could only shake his head and say, "What a pity. What are these soldiers planning to do? Where are they going?"

"These soldiers, though from different ancestral homes, can't return to their families for the time being. Their current appearance makes travel difficult, so they also want to stay at Yuxu Palace for now. Do you think it's convenient, Young Master Zhong? Also, these soldiers are just the scouts. They have about ten more brothers in the mountains. If we all go to Yuxu Palace, there will be thirty-one of us. Should you inform Daoist Master Yuxu first?" Wang Xiaojun understood Young Master Zhong's thoughts and went along with them.

"Of course, it's no problem. A few more people won't be an issue. We can all go together," Young Master Zhong readily agreed. He knew his father's thoughts and was confident that his father wouldn't refuse the additional people. As for Daoist Master Yuxu, he would deal with him later, confident that he wouldn't refuse his father's request.

Seeing Young Master Zhong's quick agreement, everyone was naturally very happy. They discussed and decided that most of the group would go to Yuxu Palace with Young Master Zhong. Zhang Weixin, Zeng Zhilin, and Captain Qian would return to the army's camp to lead the other soldiers out. They would meet up with the group in the afternoon and head to Yuxu Palace together.

Following the plan, the group split into two. Zhang Weixin and Zeng Zhilin handed their backpacks to the soldiers going to Yuxu Palace, and one soldier gave Zeng Zhilin a Type 95 assault rifle and a magazine for protection on the way.