Beiguan, military camp.
The sunset is like blood, gently casting its glow across the rolling hills, adding a layer of golden brilliance to the serene border landscape.
Today there was no north wind, the weather was relatively mild, even the air seemed to be permeated with a leisurely feeling.
Han Lei sat on the hillside, softly singing—
"My hometown is in Rikaze
There's a beautiful river there
Ama says the hills are full of cattle and sheep
That's because the Bodhisattva blesses it
Blue skies with white clouds floating
Beautiful river water rippling
Eagles spread their wings and fly here
Leaving behind that touching song
Om mani padme hum..."
The ethereal and sweet singing voice floated over the hillside, adding a touch of vitality to the surrounding desolate grass and trees.
Zhao Zun leaned on a cane, his pace slow but steady, step by step walking towards Han Lei's back. Finally, sitting down slowly beside Han Lei, his gaze gently fixed on the distance.
"Your singing is really beautiful."
Han Lei tilted her head, "Your leg is inconvenient, how did you manage to come here?"
"You hid on this hillside, so to find you, I naturally had to come up." Zhao Zun didn't mind. He hadn't injured any tendons or bones, and his injuries were mostly healed these days, though his walking wasn't agile yet.
"Looking for me for something?"
"Can't I look for you without a reason? Besides, if I didn't come, how would I know your real hometown is not in Huaxia, but in Rikaze?"
"Haha..." Han Lei was amused, "My hometown is indeed in Huaxia, this is just a lyric. If we had you sing, your hometown would be in Rikaze too."
"Didn't you say, after this busy period, you would tell me exactly who you are? Can you talk about it today?"
Han Lei looked deeply into Zhao Zun's eyes, meeting his gaze, thinking to herself, is this guy still thinking about this matter?
Sooner or later it needs to be said anyway. Han Lei decided she might as well tell him everything.
Besides, even the fact that the system can buy food with silver, Zhao Zun saw with his own eyes, what else is there to hide!
However, she felt it necessary to give a warning first, to avoid being caught as a monster or burned to death later.
After all, in front of her was a relic from several thousand years ago.
"Since you're so persistent, I'll tell you! Just don't treat me as a monster."
"Monster? Haha, how could I!" Zhao Zun chuckled lightly, "I've led soldiers for many years, surely I possess a little insight?"
"That's good!"
Han Lei picked up two small sticks, arranging them into two parallel lines next to Zhao Zun's feet, beginning to explain.
"Look, this is the Da Jing Dynasty you live in, and this is the Huaxia I live in."
Han Lei pointed to the two small sticks, observing Zhao Zun, nodding as he indicated he understood, then continued.
"The spaces we live in originally have nothing to do with each other, but something happened, causing a reversal in time and space, like this..."
Han Lei rotated the two parallel sticks in the air, placing them in a cross, then pointed at the intersection point.
"The two spaces intersect, and I just happened to pass through this intersection to your Da Jing Dynasty. Perhaps one day, I will pass through this intersection again back to my original Huaxia, but for now, I haven't found a way back."
"Ah? This..."
Zhao Zun slightly opened his mouth, his expression bewildered and shocked, seemingly as if he had heard a tall tale.
"Does it sound incredible? But it really happened."
"Reversal of time and space? So this is what you mean by crossing dimensions." Zhao Zun heard this term for the first time, feeling almost unbelievable. "It sounds like myths."
Han Lei chuckled lightly, not knowing why, she actually liked to see Zhao Zun look so ignorant.
"Haha! The term crossing dimensions might be unfamiliar to you, but it's popular where I come from." Remembering the modern novels about time travel, Han Lei couldn't help but talk cheerfully. "The time, place, methods of crossing dimensions are all varied."
"How did you cross over?" Zhao Zun was not interested in others' crossing dimensions, he was only concerned about Han Lei in front of him.
"I don't know! I was a military doctor in the army, just received an order rushing to carry out a mission, the car fell off a cliff on a mountain road, and here I am."
"Can you go back?" Zhao Zun stared at Han Lei's beautiful eyes and asked.
"I don't know! Some people who crossed dimensions went back, some never returned in their lifetime."
What Han Lei didn't say was, it's up to the author's writing.
Hearing Han Lei talk like this, Zhao Zun bit his lip, touching his chin thoughtfully.
Zhao Zun asked again, "Then when you bought food, who were you talking to in mid-air?"
"That, is the system that accompanied me during the crossing dimensions." Han Lei thought to explain as simply as possible, "It's like carrying a store with me, everything is for sale inside, and it can be purchased using silver rewarded by the system."
"Oh, like this!" Zhao Zun was very perceptive, quickly took out a few silver notes from his bosom and handed them to her.
"I know you spent a lot of silver buying food and medicine for me. This is all I have, I'll give it to you first, then let everyone gather a bit together when we return."
Han Lei didn't hesitate, grabbing them directly; these were all silver notes valued at a thousand taels each, counting them, there were a total of five, five thousand taels of silver, equivalent to five hundred taels of gold returned.
"Haha, you're sensible, though the silver you gave can't purchase items in the system, it can be considered compensation."
Han Lei counted the silver notes, smiling sweetly.
Zhao Zun sneaked a glance at the Love Lock hanging on her chest, raised his hand to cover his lips, secretly raised the corners of his mouth.
Looks like, this Love Lock has some effect, at least they talked happily today, their feelings seemed to have progressed a step. Their titles have naturally changed from Prince and Miss Han to—I and you.
Han Lei finished counting the silver notes, had just tucked them into her bosom, then the system emitted a ding.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for earning income for the first time through personal effort, rewarded with fifty taels of silver."
Hmm? Can chatting complete tasks too?
Han Lei thought this system was really lousy.
It said completing tasks would get rewards, but she never actively took a task. It's like the system had already arranged all the plot lines, and she had been walking along the set line.
When she reached a certain point, the system said there was a reward, then there was one! If the system said there wasn't, then there wasn't!
Whether there was a reward and how much was completely controlled by the system. And she, had no say at all.
Han Lei wanted to vent a few words to this lousy system, but upon considering it, decided to forget it.
Though fifty taels of silver was so little it was almost negligible, as long as the system remembered her at crucial times, it was enough.
"Do you have time tomorrow?" Han Lei asked.
"Yes!"
The battle was over, and this month's rations had also been delivered, apart from drills, there was nothing significant.
"Your injury is almost healed. In the morning I'll remove the stitches, in the afternoon can you accompany me to the side of the mountain trench where we saved you all that day?"
"What are you going there for? Did you leave something behind?"
Han Lei shook her head, "No. I just want to see if I can find a way back to Huaxia."
People were saved, food was delivered. The mission of her crossing dimensions to this place should be completed, right? Moreover, she gained five thousand taels of silver, if she doesn't go back now, then when?
"You want to go back?" Zhao Zun's always calm face instantly took on a trace of loneliness.