Fine snowflakes swirled above the frozen ground as we headed up, escorted by NPCs. Now, I wasn’t so cold, but Lin Wan Er had been shivering non-stop since the beginning of the trip. She even gave me a pitying look and said “You actually work in this freezing hell-hole without heaters?”
Awkwardly I laughed: “Yea, but usually I’m skipping.”
“……”
……
Two of Dragon City’s guards led the way. Looking at me respectfully one of them asked: “Young Tomb Guardian, do you truly have the head of the ancient Hero Ran Min?”
I nodded in reply: “Yup. Please lead the way!”
In the air above Dragon City, fallen snowflakes danced about riding along strong gusts of wind. Tightening my cloak, I looked at Li Wan Er beside me and said laughingly: “You haven’t frozen to death yet, right?”
Wrapped tightly in her Rainbow Cloak and with a slightly pale face and faint purple lips, she replied: “No, no matter how cold it is, in the game nobody can actually freeze to death. This Dragon City is really big! Unfortunately, it’s a bit desolate…There’s not even a shop in sight……”
I couldn’t help but laugh out loud: “No average person would be able to live in this kind of place. Everyone who settled here are either warriors or people with special skills. Towards the north of the city, hoards of unknown monsters roam around. It’s suicidal for normal people to come out here.”
Li Wan Er nodded her head: “Eh, I see that …… This street is so long. Does it lead directly to the main hall of the general? Who is the big boss here?”
“Luo Lin, King of Dragon City”
“Oh, never heard of him……“
“……”
……
“Hua Cha! Hua Cha!”
Far away, on top of a set of stairs, roughly a hundred guards armed with long swords were split into two lines. From the depths of the city’s halls, a single person rushed out. He had jet black hair, a pair of shimmering blue eyes and was covered in dark red armor with heavy sword strapped to his waist. There’s no mistaking it, that’s the king of Dragon City — Luo Lin!
Luo Lin strode quickly to meet with us. He had an intimidating aura that made Dong Cheng Yue, Yuzi Chengshuo, and Darling Duck back away. He looked at me, bright eyed, full of hope and expectations with his voice booming “Young Dragon City warriors, was it you that brought back news of the spirit of hero Ran Min?”
Behind Luo Lin, there was shadow trailing him. It was Frost wrapped in a white leather cape. She looked at me and slightly bowed her head with a smile.
I looked back at Luo Lin and nodded in confirmation, “My friends and I have conquered many hardships and have entered the deepest parts of the Five Barbarians’ Desolate Tomb. We found the brave spirit of the hero Ran Min, as well as his head. However, upon hearing that Ran Min’s body was buried underneath the cold plains of Dragon City, we could only hope to put his soul to rest by reuniting them”
Luo Lin approved sincerely “Good. Young man, could you let me see, his excellency’s, Ran Min’s head?
I relaxed my arm that was gripping the head and unwrapped the cloak that was covering it. Underneath, Ran Min’s head stared straight at Luo Lin. Luo Lin, a bit startled at first, immediately knelt with one knee on the ground, and passionately greeted “I, Emperor of Dragon City —- Luo Lin, deeply pay my respects to your excellency, Ran Min!”
“Shua!”
Ran Min’s spirit appeared, separated from the head, and stood in the air before me. Looking at Luo Lin, Ran Min’s heroic soul calmly said “So, Dragon City is no longer ruled by the Mu Rong clan? Looks like I have missed out on many things that have happened in these past ten thousand years. Luo Lin, I hope to find my body and be buried together with it so that I can be at peace and finally go to the place where I belong.”
Old K raised his battle axe and stepped forwards “Ran Min, where are you going?”
The spirit of Ran Min grinned “I’m a spirit. Naturally I am going to the netherworld to drink Meng Po soup and cross the Na He bridge. I will accept the nine*nine cycles of reincarnations whether I become a man, a bird, livestock or even a demon. I’ll accept any fate that the gods command!”
TL: Chinese believe, everyone upon dying goes into the netherworld, drink the Meng Po soup to forget about the past, cross the Na He bridge to crossover to the land of the dead, and then only get judged as to which of the 9 cycles that they will go to (including heaven)
Old K tightly balled up his fists and said no more.
I stood up and said “ Master Ran Min, if you could only stay here, it would be so much better!”
The spirit of Ran Min looked a bit shocked “Young man…. You guys…aren’t willing to part with me?”
Lin Wan Er nodded “Yup!”
Suddenly, Ran Min’s spirit couldn’t help but yell to the sky “ I, Ran Min, one who has battled all his life, one who suffered such a pathetic demise, cannot believe that there would still be people who would take pity on this life of mine, life that left me 10,000 years ago. Regrettably, we are already separated by the boundaries of life and death and it is impossible for me to remain by your sides. Good bye youngsters, may you all forever maintain your dignity! It’s better to die than to be humiliated!”
On the side, Luo Lin stood up as well and solemnly said “Your excellency, Ran Min, this minor general has a suggestion, though I’m not sure whether or not you are willing to hear me out?”
The spirit of Ran Min nodded “Let’s hear it!”
Luo Lin grinned saying “With 10,000 years of hardships, your excellency Ran Min should possess god-tier powers and a strong spirit as well. This power should be enough to reconstruct your body and completely revive. Underneath the plains of our Dragon City, there is a hidden spring which is said to have the power of reviving the dead. With our Dragon City’s most powerful priests casting forbidden enchantments of life, we would be able to repair your body. Like this, you would basically be revived!”
The spirit of Ran Min startled for a moment and raised his fists and said “You want to repair my body? Doing this, are you hoping that I, Ran Min, will in turn feel obligated to help you fulfill some wish? Kid, I can tell, your eyes are full of ambition!
Luo Lin knitted his eyebrows and replied without any hesitation: “Yes, using my ambition, I hope to stabilize these lands. I wish to use my power to defend the last haven of the humans, the moon elves, the barbarians, and the wind elves. Your excellency Ran Min, if you choose to revive, I only have one request. Please stay and protect Dragon City, the border city of the human race. Your homeland lies towards the south. The youngsters behind you are all descendents of the people from your homeland. Are you willing, for their sake, to revive and go into battle once more?
The spirit of Ran Min looked at me, then at Lin Wan Er, and then at Old K and the rest of us. I nodded “Please stay!”