Chapter 82 Remembrance: Despair

Many things in the world are arbitrary and random, their results even more unpredictable. Feng Luodi had never imagined that she would end up in such close proximity to Remembrance after being separated from the group, but her path was blocked by a mult.i.tude of traps. The Guqin was suspended in mid-air by a mult.i.tude of strings that glinted silver in the low light, the strings blocking the Guqin from every angle. A light wind breezed into the room from the ventilations, music spilling out into the maze as  the wind washed over the Guqin.

“Natural carvings as fine as the hair on the back of an ox, the broad face of the Guqin, and the deep and resounding sound of the strings…this is definitely Remembrance.”

Feng Luodi stumbled towards the Guqin without a care in the world, enchanted by the closeness of it. In the spa.r.s.e prayer room, the only object was the floating Guqin in the air. She took a few steps forward and reached out to touch Remembrance, but all she touched was one of the silver strings around the Guqin.

A sharp whistle sounded through the air, and Feng Luodi ducked just in time to narrowly dodge the poisoned darts that sliced through the air. All that is beautiful, is deceptive. But that, is my Remembrance. She took a few more steps forward unconsciously. This time, she felt the cold of the silver strings on more than three parts of her body.

Holes swished open on the walls in the room silently, spitting out a flurry of poisoned darts that dove straight for Feng Luodi. She froze on the spot, unable to move out of fear. Suddenly, a figure dashed into the room, and dragged her out of the path of the darts.

“Why did you go closer even after knowing that the entire area is rigged with traps?” Situ's rage was barely contained. Cheng s.h.i.+fei and the other Covert Guards and soldiers quickly filled up the room, and they all heaved a sigh of relief upon seeing Feng Luodi in the room. Sensing the weird atmosphere in the room, they quickly turned their gazes elsewhere.

“Look at that, Situ! It's Remembrance, the Guqin that I have been looking for!” Feng Luodi tugged on Situ's sleeve excitedly, pointing at the Guqin in the air, completely missing the anger written plainly on Situ's face.

Situ took a deep breath, and placed his hands on Feng Luodi's shoulders, turning her back to face him. “I know that it's Remembrance, but do you know how dangerous it is to even go near it?”

Feng Luodi looked him in the eye. “I know very well the danger of the traps. But like I'd said before, I'm willing to put my life on the line to get the 12 Guqin.” I hate it when others try to tell me what to do.

“Do they really mean that much to you?” Situ drew another deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “Why won't you just tell me the reason already!”

“I'm sorry about this, Situ.” Feng Luodi tried to calm herself down as well. “But I will not tell you my reason. I will not tell anyone about the reason behind my quest.”

Situ released her shoulders, and looked around the room expressionlessly. He strode over to a pillar by the side of the room, and smashed it to smithereens with a simple kick, expressing his frustration. Regret flashed through Feng Luodi's eyes, but she quickly covered it up.

I didn't do anything wrong. She tried to comfort herself. The soldiers and Covert Guards in the room looked at each other helplessly, trying to minimise their presence in the room.

Cheng s.h.i.+fei stepped up to Feng Luodi and Situ, a grave expression on his face. “Situ, Miss Feng. There is something serious you two need to know about right now.”

Covert Guards Two and Quattor exchanged looks. Can anything be more serious than the General getting angry?

Cheng s.h.i.+fei's face was serious. “I've checked the room and the maze as we came along, and the only way to stop the maze is to destroy the Guqin. It is the key to the entire mechanism of the maze, and the maze will only stop if we remove the Guqin. However, taking into account the fact that the maze will immediately start sinking into the quicksand the moment the Guqin is removed, and the traps that guard the Guqin, it is impossible for anyone to make it out alive if we remove the Guqin physically. The only option is to plant enough explosives to blow up the entire room once we've retreated out of the maze.”

The moment his words ended, Situ looked at Feng Luodi. As expected, she looked destroyed by his words. Mustering up her courage, Feng Luodi turned back to Cheng s.h.i.+fei. “General Cheng, is there no other way? This Guqin is very important to me; you can't destroy it. You can't!”

After joy, came desperation.

Cheng s.h.i.+fei took a look at Situ before replying the question. “Yes, Miss Feng. This is the only way to stop the maze from leading more people to their demise. If we do not destroy the maze, civilians will continue to be attracted to the music from the Guqin and lose their lives in the maze and quicksand.”

Feng Luodi did not back down. “Can't we just warn everyone of the danger of the maze? Or we could just guard the entrance of the entire maze such that n.o.body can enter!”

Cheng s.h.i.+fei shook his head. “Even if we do not account for the vastness of the desert, and the sheer impossibility of spreading the warning to all those living around the desert, the maze is mobile, and it is futile for us to attempt to guard its entrance.”

“What if we take down the Guqin? Surely the maze will be stopped as well!” Feng Luodi is unable to accept the possibility that she will never be able to return home.

Cheng s.h.i.+fei sighed, and glanced at Situ. He removed his water canteen, and poured some water on his palm. With a wave of his hand, he cast the water into the air between him and the Remembrance.

“Look for yourself, Miss Feng.”

Following his instruction, Feng Luodi saw the amount of tripwires in the air between them and Remembrance, each of them now revealed by the water dripping off the strings. Countless strings sliced the area before the Guqin, and it was nigh impossible to even reach Remembrance.

“Every string in the air is a trap waiting to be triggered. It is impossible to reach the Guqin without triggering them. Moreover, once the Guqin is removed, the maze will immediately start to sink into the quicksand. n.o.body can get out alive with the Guqin.”

“Is there really no other way?” Feng Luodi's face was ashen, her frame shaking as she tried to stop herself from falling to the ground. Situ held in his urge to go to her. If I let her have her way this time, she will continue to put herself in danger just to get to the other Guqins.

Cheng s.h.i.+fei dared not look at Feng Luodi in the eye. Her expression was filled with such desolation and despair as if the might die any moment. This isn't the composed and witty woman that I'd known! What's with her obsession with these zithers? In his opinion, the Guqin had to be destroyed. And, just to make certain of it, they will destroy the entire room with it as well. If Situ can't bear to tell her the truth, I'll do it for him. I just hope that this wouldn't cause a rift between the two of them.

Everyone in the room looked at Feng Luodi, waiting for her to nod her head. Whatever her decision was, they knew that their General will abide by it. Situ stared hard at Feng Luodi, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly.

She broke out into sharp laughter. The sound was shrill and harsh, sending a chill down the spines of the soldiers and Guards. “We should destroy it, shouldn't we? It isn't up to me, is it?”

Situ took a step towards her. She doesn't look good at all.

She suddenly remembered something, and hollered out into the empty s.p.a.ce before her. “Phantom! Come on out! I know you can solve the problem here! I know you can!”

Is she alright? The soldiers exchanged quizzical looks. Situ couldn't take it anymore, and placed both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to look at him. “Who is Phantom? There isn't anyone else here!”

Feng Luodi looked at him, but murmured to herself. “Why are you not here when I need you, Phantom? What do I have to do to see you again? Do I have to faint?”

Situ looked at Feng Luodi who seemed to have retreated into her own world. He frowned. “Quattor, take care of her.”

“Yes, General.” Quattor walked over and guided Feng Luodi to a corner of the room. “Miss Feng, rest here for a while instead.”  Feng Luodi followed his lead, her eyes empty and devoid of life.

Meanwhile, Cheng s.h.i.+fei were already instructing the soldiers, deploying the explosives such that they might take down the entire room together. Situ approached him. “s.h.i.+fei, I have a question to ask you.”

“Oh?” Cheng s.h.i.+fei turned to look at him, and shot a glance at Feng Luodi in a corner of the room. “Is it regarding Miss Feng?”

Situ nodded, and the two exchanged words. The soldiers continued laying down the explosives as instructed by Cheng s.h.i.+fei, and the Covert Guards set off to secure a safe pa.s.sage out of the maze. Feng Luodi stared at the ground, her head seemingly frozen, unable to come up with any coherent thoughts at the moment. She did not know how long it took for the soldiers to finish their preparation, but Cheng s.h.i.+fei approached her when they were ready.

“Miss Feng, we have to return.”

Feng Luodi got to her feet and shuffled along, following the group as they retreated out of the maze. As she walked, she felt her brain slowly unfreezing, and thoughts began to form in her mind. Now that Remembrance is out of the question, it wouldn't amount to anything even if I can find the remaining 6 Guqin – the quest still stands uncompleted. I will not be able to return to the 21st Century, and I will never be able to see my parents again. I will have to live out the rest of my life as Feng Luodi in this world.

But I will not accept that! I am from the 21st Century, and there is no way the past one year in this world can have more importance than the 24 years that I've spent in my world! Fear fills me up whenever I think about spending the rest of my life in this world – I just can't do it! I need to speak with Phantom again. Maybe we can change the rules of the mission, such that I can still return to my world. Surely, there must be a way!

Why can't my soul leave the body right now? Why can't I speak with Phantom now? Suddenly, she remembered something Phantom had said to her. “The rules set down by the G.o.d of Death cannot be reversed, and even if they were, the final result will change as well. It is something that I cannot control.”

Why am I thinking of that right now? Am I doomed to never to return to my own world?

Do I have to stay in this ancient world?

NEVER!

I will rather return to my own world and die, than to spend the rest of my life here. At least my parents wouldn't have to spend the rest of their lives waiting on a daughter that will never be able to return to them.

As soon as the group exited, a huge explosion sounded in the depths of the maze, and a shockwave washed through the area, sending tremors into the earth. Feng Luodi was jerked out of her thoughts as she came to her senses, and she immediately noticed something amiss.

“Where is Situ?” Feng Luodi looked at Cheng s.h.i.+fei.

He looked at her, a mixture of emotions in his eyes. “General had stayed behind for the Guqin. He is the most skilled amongst all of us, and has the highest chance of making it out alive.”

What?! Feng Luodi was dumbfounded as she stared at the entrance to the maze. Because of the use of explosives shaking up the area, large amounts of sand were already swarming into the maze. Even on the surface, one could feel the collapse of the maze beneath the sands.

Cheng s.h.i.+fei continued. “Our original intention for exploring the maze was to send a clear signal to the neighbouring countries, and to help solve the mystery for our civilians. But now, just because of a simple Guqin, Situ's fate becomes unknown. If something were to happen to him, the entire world would be thrown into chaos.”

How did this happen? Feng Luodi did not hear what Cheng s.h.i.+fei had said, staring at the entrance to the maze dazedly.