On the roof of the world, the thin air made every movement a struggle. Yet, the violent tremors of the earth forced the last heroes to confront the looming threat. Eight hundred meters ahead, a massive chasm was devouring everything on the mountainside. Lava flowed steadily from underground, pooling in the lower areas. The air was filled with swirling vortices of heat. The sky was dense with dark clouds, and the rolling thunder signaled the wrath of the heavens. Countless fiery angels crawled from the chasm, eagerly lapping up the melted snow from the high plateau. After a deep, ominous groan, a colossal figure emerged from the fissure. Its entire body was engulfed in the intense fire of hell, and from its back sprouted twelve pairs of terrifying wings of flame. The demon from the Bible had materialized before them. The ancient, defeated god of war, now leading his devoted champions, cheered as they welcomed their allies. The four lords of fire, with their minions, kept a close watch on the heroes across the way. Xiao Jie grasped her hand tightly and said, "You have to get out of here. Our child is in your belly. Even if I die today, you must ensure our child survives."
The appearance of the two major demonic kings from Eastern and Western mythology as allies signaled the fulfillment of the millennia-old calamity.
His parents were right: only by studying hard and striving for excellence could one truly make something of themselves. Tang Xiao Jie recalled what his parents had told him growing up. Now, Tang Xiao Jie was a liquor company's salesman, responsible for supplying spirits to hotels in Anshan, Liaoning Province. His company specialized in selling Snow Beer from Shenyang, as well as a variety of white wines, beers, red wines, and soft drinks. By all accounts, Tang Xiao Jie's performance should have earned him a promotion to sales manager, but the boss always said, "Xiao Jie, you're still young and have only been working for two years. Don't aim too high. You need to gain more experience at the grassroots level to compete in the workplace." However, Tang Xiao Jie didn't mind too much because he was currently enrolled in an adult education self-study program. After graduating from technical school at age 20, he began working but always had high ambitions. Yet, opportunities for advancement often slipped through his fingers. Nonetheless, Tang Xiao Jie was a clever man. He had enrolled in a distance learning program at the Steel College, studying e-commerce. He had already completed six of the sixteen courses. With both work experience and academic qualifications, he was confident about his future prospects. Now, he sat in the third lecture hall at the Steel College, attending a class on market information. Lately, he couldn't concentrate and felt restless. He wondered if something was about to happen.
When class ended, Tang Xiao Jie walked out of the college, thinking, "I should head home. I've been feeling off lately, and tomorrow is a workday." While he was pondering, he saw someone sprinting across the street. "If that speed were used at the Olympics, China would surely win a medal," he thought. "Oh, it's a woman! And she's pretty!" The young woman appeared to be in her early twenties, with medium-length hair tied in a ponytail. She had large double-lidded eyes, a high nose, and a perfectly proportioned mouth. Her complexion was pale, and she wore a sporty outfit with light pink sneakers. Her presence exuded youth and beauty. Some people on the street also noticed her, with two boys whispering, "Look, a beauty!" The woman passed by without stopping, heading eastward. Tang Xiao Jie didn't consider himself a lustful man, but he found himself watching her as she went by. However, he noticed someone else quickly following her—a man, athletic in build. This piqued Tang Xiao Jie's curiosity, so he followed them, albeit slowly. If they walked too far, he would let it go. After all, it was none of his business. But they turned into an alley by the east wall of the Steel College. That was where the college's garbage dump was located. It was almost 7 PM, and the area was generally empty. Could the man have ill intentions? This thought prompted Tang Xiao Jie to quicken his pace and follow them. He stopped at the corner, peeking into the alley. The man and woman had stopped by a pile of garbage bags and were facing each other, talking. Tang Xiao Jie's heart raced as he told himself, "Xiao Jie, if this man tries something bad, you must stand up and stop him. You can't let him harm such a beautiful girl." Perhaps influenced by his father's love of storytelling, Tang Xiao Jie enjoyed listening to the tales of Bai Mei Daxia by Shan Tianfang, with the white-browed hero being his childhood idol. He told himself, "Today, I'll be a hero and teach this scoundrel a lesson."
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
After calming himself, Tang Xiao Jie listened intently to their conversation from behind the wall.
The woman said, "You've been following me for a while. You seem pretty patient."
The man replied in a harsh, dry voice, "You should say it's you who are patient. You've been following us. Wherever we go, you're there. Isn't it annoying? If you're so bold, why not come out and fight? If you don't dare, stop acting like a savior."
The woman responded, "I don't know why you're here, but I know you don't belong here. Your presence must mean something, and I need answers. I think it's time for you to explain."
The man said, "Fine, but I don't like wasting time with lowlifes like you. If you want to know what we're doing, show me something valuable. Otherwise, you won't get a word out of me. Oh, and since we're face-to-face, you won't leave here alive. If you want to know any secrets, you'd better get ready to become a plaything for the devils below."
As he listened from the corner, Tang Xiao Jie felt a strange force, like a magnetic field, binding him. He couldn't move or even make a sound. He only heard faint scratching noises and a whisper of light. About two minutes later, as Tang Xiao Jie felt a sudden jolt, the unusual sensation disappeared.
"This is strange," he thought. But his curiosity was aroused, and he turned into the alley. What he saw confused him even more. There was a pool of thick, dark purple fluid on the ground, and the young woman was crouching over it, collecting it in a test tube. Tang Xiao Jie was utterly bewildered. "What is this? Where did the man go? What just happened?"
The woman murmured, "Curiosity is never good. Today was just an accident." It was unclear if she was talking to Tang Xiao Jie or to herself.
Finally regaining his composure, Tang Xiao Jie found himself unable to find the words to respond to what he was witnessing.
The woman asked, "What's your name?"
Tang Xiao Jie replied, "Are you talking to me?" He was completely disoriented, his mind filled with questions.
The woman said, "Since you've seen this, there's no other choice. But remember, don't tell anyone about what happened today, or you'll be in big trouble."
Tang Xiao Jie asked, "Who are you? What happened to the man? What are you all doing?"
The woman said, "Your curiosity is dangerous. I might have to take measures." She stood and flashed a faint smile at Tang Xiao Jie, but to him, it seemed oddly sinister. He responded with an awkward smile. The woman waved her hand, and a faint golden light shot from her fingertips into Tang Xiao Jie's forehead. His smile froze, and he couldn't move or speak. He could only watch the woman with confusion, fear, and anger. Tang Xiao Jie felt helpless. He thought, "I wanted to be a hero, but now I'm stuck here. If I had the skills of Bai Mei Daxia, I'd be competing in martial arts tournaments, not working as a liquor salesman."
While Tang Xiao Jie was lost in thought, the woman walked past him and headed towards the street, with Tang Xiao Jie following her like a puppet. His only power was to wonder and imagine what was happening to him.
They left the alley, and the woman hailed a taxi, taking Tang Xiao Jie to a place near Qianshan. It was a typical Northeastern courtyard, about 800 square meters. It had a row of north-facing rooms, with six golden peach trees in the courtyard, surrounded by red brick paving. The woman led Tang Xiao Jie into the building, where a large living room had four doors, likely leading to bedrooms. Once inside, the woman waved her hand, and the light flashed, allowing Tang Xiao Jie to move freely again. He sat in one of the chairs, feeling uncertain but no longer scared. He figured he might as well make the best of the situation. He noticed that the chairs were well-crafted, even if not made of rare wood. Each chair had a small table beside it, adding a touch of classic style. The woman sat down beside him and pulled out her phone, making a brief call. After a few words, she hung up and said, "Let's talk. How about introducing ourselves?"
Tang Xiao Jie replied, "Okay. I'm Tang Xiao Jie, 22 years old, unmarried."
The woman nodded, "You must be from Steel College. You must be wondering who I am and what I'm doing here. But don't bother guessing—once I'm done, you won't remember anything. We'll make sure you forget everything that happened today. But don't worry, we won't harm you. We'll just erase your memory of what happened outside the college and here."