We have fought to the Arctic Circle, and you want me to inherit the throne?

Chapter 1021 Trip to Yunmeng Mountain (1)

1949, 10, 01.

For Li Che, this string of numbers is something that needs no memorization and will never be forgotten.

On that day, atop the ancient Tiananmen Gate, a great man solemnly declared to the world:

"The People's Republic of China has been founded!"

"The Chinese people have stood up!"

That predecessor came from that era of burning passion, and using this great day as the final code was almost an inevitable choice!

This combination lock doesn't test any kind of chance, but rather the resonance deep in our blood, the camaraderie that transcends time and space!

If Li Che were a fellow countryman from Earth, he could only obtain those books from outside, out of consideration for their shared hometown.

Only comrades from the same country can see the ultimate secret!

Sure enough, when Li Che moved the last '1' to its correct position, a 'click' sound came from inside the iron gate, a crisp and pleasant mechanical noise.

Then came a deep, powerful hum, and the mechanical device, which had been dormant for a century, was awakened anew.

Under Xu Jiezi's incredulous gaze, the metal gate that had blocked the Yunmeng Mountain successor for a full sixty years slowly and steadily slid inward, revealing an increasingly wide gap.

Behind the door was a deep darkness.

“This…this…”

Even with his hundred-year cultivation, Xu Jiezi could not hide his shock at this moment. Looking at the wide-open door, he was momentarily speechless.

He had anticipated that His Majesty might actually be able to open this door, but he never expected it to be so easy!

Xu Jiezi took several deep breaths to barely suppress his shock. He couldn't contain his curiosity: "Your Majesty, what exactly does this string of numbers mean?"

Li Che turned to look at Xu Jiezi, but instead of answering his question, he exclaimed, "What I said before was wrong. Your teacher is not only a great sage who has mastered both ancient and modern knowledge, but also a truly unparalleled national hero!"

"A national hero?!" Xu Jiezi was shocked.

In any era, the term "national hero" represents the highest praise.

A national hero is not merely someone with talent, but someone who becomes a spiritual leader whose legacy can be passed down through generations.

He never expected that His Majesty would give such high praise to his teacher, whom he had never met, based on just a string of numbers!

Li Che's gaze seemed to pierce through time and space as he slowly explained, "This number is actually a date."

"On that day in our world, the Chinese nation, after a century of humiliation, and countless patriots who sacrificed their lives, finally stood tall again in the East and established a brand new country."

October 1, 1949!

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiezi first seemed to understand, then frowned and asked in confusion, "This doesn't make sense, Your Majesty... If this is the case, was my late master a member of the royal family or a founding noble in that world?"

He instinctively thought that the teacher's use of this day as a password must have a deep connection with that country.

After all, the concept of family and country held by famous scholars in ancient times was different. Only those who were loyal to the court would have such a strong sense of belonging to the country.

Li Che glanced at him and shook his head: "There are no emperors in our world anymore."

"What?!" Xu Jiezi was struck dumb. "Without an emperor, then... then who will govern the world? How is that possible?!"

Li Che did not answer him directly, but instead turned his gaze back to the door leading to darkness, yet saw boundless light in his eyes.

"Now, I understand my teacher's thoughts a little better."

He paused, trying to process his equally excited emotions.

"He didn't want to create an ideal country in this world; he probably just wanted to go back, back to the homeland he longed for."

"Since a person cannot transcend time and space, he devoted all his knowledge to transforming the world beneath his feet, little by little, into the image of the motherland he remembered, a motherland he was incredibly proud of and loved."

After he finished speaking, the cave fell silent.

Li Che sighed: "It's a pity... he failed."

Only the open iron gate came to a gentle stop, like a silent invitation, waiting for those who came after to explore the secrets buried by that unparalleled strategist for a hundred years.

Li Che took a deep breath and looked at Xu Jiezi beside him: "Sir, would you like to come in with me?"

A strong light of longing shone in Xu Jiezi's eyes, but it only lasted for a moment before he forcibly suppressed it.

After a violent struggle, Xu Jiezi painfully closed her eyes and firmly shook her head:

"No, it is His Majesty who deciphered the code. You are the one our master was waiting for."

"I am too dull to have thoroughly studied what my late master left behind. How can I have the face to step into it?"

Li Che glanced at him silently, sighing inwardly: This old man is incredibly stubborn; once he's made up his mind, not even nine oxen could pull him back.

The senior only said that "those who are destined" can open this door, but there was no rule that others are not allowed to enter after the door is opened.

However, Xu Jiezi's decision to give up entering was exactly what he wanted.

Li Che couldn't help but wonder what astonishing things that ancestor from that special era had left behind in the secret room.

If it's something like the schematic diagram or formula for a 'mushroom egg,' or some kind of taboo knowledge that could revolutionize the world, then naturally the fewer people who know it, the better.

If the contents are unimportant, it's not too late to share them with Xu Jiezi later.

He then looked up and saw that behind the secret room door was pitch black, so deep that he couldn't see anything.

Li Che said, "A-Qiang, go and fetch me a lamp."

Xu Jiezi quickly said, "I'll come."

He turned and strode to the cave wall, picked up an oil lamp with a steady flame, and handed it to Li Che with both hands, solemnly instructing him: "Your Majesty, the situation inside is unclear, please be extremely careful, and under no circumstances should the lamp be lost."

Li Che did not go to take it, but instead gestured to Hu Qiang: "Qiang, you light the lamp and come inside with me."

Hu Qiang responded in a deep voice, "Yes, sir!"

Then, he stretched out his large, fan-like hand to catch the lamp.

Seeing this, Xu Jiezi pulled the lamp back, a look of hesitation on his face: "Your Majesty, this..."

Li Che understood and explained helplessly, "Don't worry, sir, A-Qiang is just lighting the lamp for me and will never spy on anything else."

Xu Jiezi shook his head again, insisting, "Your Majesty, it's not that I'm heartless, it's just that my late master left behind instructions..."

Seeing that the old man was getting stubborn, Li Che had no choice but to change his approach and said directly, "Sir, you are overthinking it. A-Qiang cannot read."

"Can't read?" Xu Jiezi was taken aback upon hearing this, and a slight softening appeared on his face.

He looked at Hu Qiang, whose eyes were clear, hesitated for a moment, and finally sighed.

Then, he carefully handed the oil lamp to Hu Qiang, adding with concern, "General Qiang, please hold it firmly."

Hu Qiang took the lamp as if it were a rare treasure, holding it tightly to his chest: "Old sir, my surname is Hu."

Xu Jiezi: ...

With the arrangements made, Li Che no longer hesitated and stepped into the secret room first.

Hu Qiang held up the oil lamp and followed half a step behind him.

The dim light dispelled the darkness behind the door, barely illuminating what lay ahead.

The situation inside the secret room was beyond Li Che's expectations.

The furnishings inside were simple, even rudimentary.

The space is not large, about the size of a regular room.

There were no mountains of strange things as expected, no odd instruments, and no vast collection of books.

The entire secret room was empty except for a wooden desk in the center, in front of which sat an old futon.

On that wooden table, two envelopes lay quietly.

Yes, they were just two ordinary-looking envelopes.

Li Che's heart involuntarily quickened. He subconsciously turned to look at Xu Jiezi, only to find that the latter had already turned his back, stubbornly refusing to look back like a child playing hide-and-seek.

Li Che smiled helplessly and could only slowly walk forward, his gaze falling on the envelope.

Perhaps because the room was relatively sealed, the envelope was only covered with a thin layer of dust.

He reached out and picked up the one closest to him, brushed away the dust, revealing the slightly yellowed paper underneath.

Then, following the light, they looked down:

[To my disciple:]

When you read this letter, you will surely be old and gray, while your teacher will have long since transformed into a gentle breeze in the Yunmeng Mountains and become a stubborn rock in this cave.

Time flies, there's no need to be sad.

Your ability to obey your teacher's instructions and see this letter without forcing your way in proves that your knowledge and character far surpass those of your teacher, which greatly pleases me.

At this moment, I have something to say, something I've kept in my heart for decades, and today I can finally tell you frankly:

I am not a person of this world.

This statement may sound absurd, but it is indeed true.

My teacher comes from a world called 'Earth', which also has mountains, rivers, lakes and seas, and hundreds of millions of people. Its historical trajectory is similar to this world, but also completely different.

I, your teacher, do not know what circumstances led to my soul drifting away and landing in this body, where I was reborn.

The learning of that world emphasizes the investigation of things and the pursuit of knowledge, exploring the fundamental laws of the universe and all things. Its knowledge system, though different in approach from the way spoken of by the sages of this world, ultimately leads to the same goal, but it places greater emphasis on empirical evidence and deduction.

The books I left behind are just a fraction of the wisdom accumulated over thousands of years in that world.

Knowing its difficulty, I have selected its basic outline and recorded it, hoping that future generations can follow this ladder and glimpse a broader world.

The purpose of leaving this secret room and setting this password is not to make things difficult, but to screen people.

Now that we're entering the secret chamber, I have a few more words of advice for you.

......

My disciple is kind-hearted and persevering, and is my most outstanding disciple.

The purpose of receiving this knowledge is not to have you spend your life studying in isolation, working in isolation.

The purpose of learning is to benefit society.

I hope you can uphold your original intentions, make good use of the knowledge you have gained here, and if you encounter a wise ruler, you should assist him; if you see the people suffering, you should help them.

Only by transforming the wisdom of the past into blessings for this world can we live up to the original intention of our teacher in transcending time and space to leave behind these words.

There was another letter in the secret room, which was left for the 'destined person' who was his teacher.

Now that you are here, if there is no one destined to read it, you may read it on your own, or you may wait for someone to come to you.

The future of Yunmeng Mountain is yours to decide.

That's all I have to say. Take care of yourself.

Teacher: Wang Yuanshan

Written at Guigu Cave in Yunmeng Mountain, as my final work.