Book 5 Chapter 19 – A Hidden Domain

"What? You’re saying that this domain is being hidden?" Li Yiming asked in surprise.

"Yes. I thought it was an open domain when I saw you. But it seems like you were also dragged into this against your own will." Sai Gao tried to decipher whether Li Yiming was feigning his shock.

"But how... did we get inside here without a key?" Li Yiming asked another question. He did not know about camouflagers, but he did know for certain that normal guardians like Liu Meng and Eyeglasses would never be able to enter a domain without it.

"That’s because this domain has already begun to merge with reality." Sai Gao revealed another shocking fact upon realizing that Li Yiming was not pretending.

"What?" Li Yiming remembered what Bai Ze said. ’Well, the people that appear and disappear, the trees, the impossible alignment of the stars... It would make sense if the domain has become interwoven with the fabric of reality...’

"But if the domain is about to merge with reality, then surely Heaven’s Laws wouldn’t ignore that..." Li Yiming what kind of catastrophe it would mean for Heaven’s Laws if the domain was to completely integrate itself into reality.

"Remember the statue you’ve seen outside of the Southern gate?" Sai Go brushed his hair back with an effeminate expression, which made Li Yiming quite uncomfortable. "There are two more at the Western and the Northern gates. A Thunderbird and a Turtle."

"What are you trying to say?" Li Yiming remembered the pictures that National Security had shown him. ’So that giant bird...’

"Those aren’t just statues. Their flash has been sealed into stone." Sai Gao said with a rather low mood.

"Sealed?" Li Yiming knew from the feeling he had when he saw the statue at the Southern gate that there was more to it.

"These statues are part of a formation. Someone used these three mythical beasts to hide the entirety of Lianyun city from Heaven’s Laws."

"You mean they blocked Heaven’s Laws?"

"I wouldn’t call it blocked, but tricked, yes."

"For how long have you been here?" Li Yiming composed himself. ’I need to make sure that we have some common ground. At least in this domain.’

"Almost a month."

"What’s your purpose in all of this?"

"I was simply confused at first, just like when you guardians enter a domain for the first time. But then I grew scared. I was led to this place by the aura of Teng She. I wanted to rescue him..." Sai Gao paused and stared at Li Yiming with cold eyes. "But now, I want to know the truth."

"Why talk to me then?"

"I have a feeling that you can lead me to the truth." Sai Gao let out a charming smile.

"I’m just your average guardian. I’m not sure what’s going on..."

"Shangbei..." Sai Gao interrupted Li Yiming’s explanation with fiery eyes.

’Well then, Shangbei is a hard one to explain...’ Li Yiming knew that he did not have the most convincing argument on his side, so he tried switching to another topic. "Do you know about the will of this domain?"

"I’m not sure."

"What?" Li Yiming was confused. ’But... he’s the camouflager. If he doesn’t know, then who does?’

"Normally, I’d be either pushed out of this domain, or I would integrate into it, but I haven’t felt anything of the sort until now, except..." Sai Gao hesitated.

Li Yiming waited patiently for the big revelation that was about to come.

"...I can’t leave this place." Sai Gao finally resolved to tell Li Yiming the truth; if he was going to seek an answer from Li Yiming, then he would at least need to trust him somewhat. Furthermore, Li Yiming gave him a feeling unlike any other guardian he had encountered.

"You can’t leave?" Li Yiming frowned, unsure of what Sai Gao meant. ’Does he mean that he can’t leave the domain? Is that something camouflagers are supposed to be able to do?’

"I’m not talking about the domain. I’m talking about Lianyun City. I can’t go beyond the walls of this city. That formation is keeping me prisoner here.

’A domain that locks its will inside, three mythical beasts that guard it, a runic formation, and merging into reality?’ Li Yiming went over the information he had just received in his head. ’Seems like I’ve been dragged into something big. But who’s behind all of this? I thought Bai Ze said that no guardians had powers beyond that of a sage? But this... even a sage wouldn’t be able to do this.’

"You’ve told me about the three statues at the gates, but you didn’t mention the Eastern gate. What’s guarding that entrance?" Li Yiming tried asking for more information.

"There’s no statue there, but there’s a wok."

"A wok? You mean a big, golden wok?" The question slipped out of Li Yiming’s mouth.

"Yes. Exactly that." Sai Gao’s eyes sparked with interest: he knew that talking to Li Yiming was a good decision.

"Can you bring me there?" Li Yiming pressed on without noticing his slip up.

"Let’s go." Sai Gao stood up, wiped away at his perfectly clean back, and walked away like a model at a fashion show.

Li Yiming had to look away. ’Are you serious... this guy... He could be on the cover on one of these phishing socializing websites...’

* * *

"Hey, I’m telling you, we’re not going to feed you for free. You better earn your right to stay here." Li Rong handed a dull knife to Shen Jianming.

"Ah, yes, yes." Shen Jianming took the knife, tightened his belt, and walked toward a corner of the yard with his half-bare chest. He could not help but glance once or twice at the door to the other room of the house.

"Hey, are you... okay? I did put a lot of strength into my hit..." Li Rong seemed hesitant when Shen Jianming actually obeyed him.

"I’m okay." Shen Jianming turned around and gave a strong tap on his chest.

"Just be careful, okay... we don’t actually need the wood now." Li Rong’s seemed to have regretted her rather rash order.

"It’s okay, you can go rest inside now. Tell me if you need help with anything else." Shen Jianming let out a broad smile, picked up a piece of firewood and split it in two perfect halves.

Shen Jianming looked as Li Rong went back inside the building and turned his head toward the walls of Lianyun City. ’Did I really... transmigrate? The little sister who doesn’t mean what she says, and... Xu Yurong...’ Shen Jianming smiled.

* * *

"Seems like late-Tang from the way the things are built. Are you sure we didn’t transmigrate?" Chen Quan tightened the piece of cloth around his body and asked Eyeglasses.

"Just think of them as ghosts in a grave." Eyeglasses crouched down in a corner while using his straw hat to hide his tablet, and gave out commands to his little spybots.

"Shit, if I could bring this city outside, I’d be able to buy the White House..." Chen Quan gulped down a mouthful of saliva. "Everything that doesn’t move here is worth a fortune!"

"Hey! Come have a look. Is that him?" Eyeglasses suddenly called over.

"Oh? It really is him. It seemed like he’s good at scamming people wherever he goes." Chen Quan was surprised when he saw the footage.

It was a classroom inside which a dozen children sat. The teacher at the front was You Fang, who had disappeared a while ago. He had such a natural air with his blue robe and his teacher’s ruler that Eyeglasses almost failed to recognize him.

"He’s in that direction. It’s not very far away." Eyeglasses put away his tablet. ’This Lianyun City... How did we ever get here without a key? Also, why is this Chen Quan here too? And You Fang... he’s already used to this place?’

A really song btw, on a off topic https://com/watch?v=DA_LZFaksSw&list=RDDA_LZFaksSw&start_radio=1 , especially the lyrics.