The land of China, one of the oldest lands in the world, is also the civilization with the most tenacious vitality.
While other ancient civilizations were submerged in the long river of history due to various disasters, only the people of this land continued to struggle, persisted tenaciously, and did not let the fire of civilization be extinguished.
Because of this, the countries and people on this land have their own system, with their origins, history, myths, legends, clothing, writing, and etiquette all having extremely distinct characteristics.
It once led the trend and became the center of the world. But it was also on the verge of decline because it was immersed in the glory of the king, arrogant, and closed its doors to the outside world. It was also regarded as fat meat by major powers and plundered at will.
Of course, whether it was prosperous or desolate, it is all a thing of the past. Today, this land of dragons is recovering its former prosperity at an astonishing speed, making it impossible for the world dominated by Europe and America to ignore the voice of the East, and more and more countries are turning their attention to this ancient country.
These gazes are not only secular, but also mysterious - the accumulation of time and the heritage of history are the most important mysteries. How many places can compete with China
As time went by, the ancient clock tower, one of the two poles of the mysterious world famous in the West for its long history, finally couldn't hold back and officially started cooperation and exchanges with the East.
Note that the word "official" refers to official communication. Private communication between individuals and families is not included. Communication between the East and the West can be traced back to BC. There are many magicians who are interested in the East. However, due to the turbulent situation in the past century and the chaotic international situation, official communication was cut off for a time, and it was not until the 1990s that it improved.
At the beginning of this new century, on the first day of spring, a delegation organized by the Clock Tower's top management and the first group of one-year exchange students set foot on this ancient land, and Shinji was one of them.
However, he did not move with the main force. He even entered the country without going through customs and directly crossed the border. But it was not an illegal entry, let alone smuggling. The official delegation had already completed the entry procedures, and the Chinese officials also knew about and condoned this behavior, which was considered an "open crossing."
On Mount Tai, one of the "Five Sacred Mountains" in China, two men, one tall and one short, climbed up an unnamed cliff that was rarely visited by people.
"Master, is this the place?"
The tall man relied on his height and length to climb up the cliff first. He was a young man, about 25 years old, and his appearance could be described in eight words: handsome, strong and broad. The former refers to his face, and the latter refers to his body. The seemingly contradictory styles merged into one in him, but it didn't make people feel abrupt.
"It's right here. I, your master, have been practicing martial arts in Mount Tai since I was a child. There is no one in China who is more familiar with Mount Tai than me."
Although the shorter man was a step slower, his movements were more relaxed, and he clearly had some strength left. He was an old man whose age was indistinguishable, with gray hair and no wrinkles on his face. The most striking thing was his arms, which were above his knees when they were hanging naturally, which was indescribably strange.
"Is there any special place nearby?" The young man looked around with a puzzled expression.
"No." The old man shook his head.
"Then why did you choose this place?" The young man didn't understand. "It's not the border, nor is it the only way to Beijing. The road is difficult to travel. Apart from being hidden, it has no advantages at all. But if you want to talk about hiding, there are so many places that are more suitable than here. I can't figure it out."
"I can't figure it out either." The old man walked to the edge of the cliff and cast his eyes toward the East China Sea below. "Maybe it's to show strength. Our relationship with the West is both cooperative and competitive. You've also read the information sent down from above. What do you think of the little foreign devils in the West?"
"Very strong, they are all elites." The young man answered honestly.
"That's right. Each of them is a descendant of an ancient family, with the same status as you. Do you think the Clock Tower sent these outstanding young people to us just to study?"
"Got it. They are the calling card of the Clock Tower."
"Yes, and our business card is you young people. What do you think? Do you have confidence?"
"Of course. People who practice martial arts are not afraid of challenges. Please rest assured, Master. I will definitely perform with the mighty power of 'Tongbiquan'."
Hearing his apprentice's answer, the old man laughed: "This is exactly the momentum we need. Times have changed. It is no longer necessary to be reserved and humble. Only fists can determine strength. What do you think, Mr. Clock Tower's special commissioner?"
"Eh?"
"Don't be stunned. Translate quickly."
"oh-"
The young man quickly cleared his throat and switched languages. His job was to translate. Not many older Chinese knew English, and even fewer in the mystical world. The younger generation, with official training, had become more proficient in foreign languages, and the most outstanding among them was this young man, whose secular identity was a master's student in the English department of a well-known university. His authentic London accent won praise from many foreign friends.
"What do you think?"
"I think what the senior said is very right."
A strange voice came from the bottom of the cliff. Was it Chinese or standard Mandarin? The young man couldn't guarantee that his Mandarin was more standard than this voice.
Now it's interesting. The Chinese speak with a London accent, and the special envoy from the UK speaks Mandarin. The old and young people don't know how to respond. No one knows what the special envoy's Chinese level is. What if he can only say this one sentence
"... "
"... "
Fortunately, the awkward silence only lasted for a few seconds before it was broken by a person rising from below the cliff.
Dressed in black, he was suspended in mid-air, carrying a huge backpack on his back. This trick alone impressed the old man and the young man. No matter where he was, flying magic was a high-end skill.
What was even more shocking was the appearance of this special envoy, with black hair and black eyes, and about the same height as the old man. That was fine, there were short people in the West, such as the modern emperor Napoleon. But this special envoy was too young, not an old monster pretending to be young, but really young. With the old man's attainments in Chinese martial arts, he could tell at a glance that the special envoy had a strong vitality, and that kind of youthful vitality would never come back once it was lost.
The Western envoy bowed to the two men and said in a voice that matched his appearance: "Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long."
"It's okay, it's okay, we just arrived too." The old man waved his hand.
"I haven't asked for your names yet." The young special envoy landed and bowed again.
"Qi family's 'Tongbiquan'; the sixth generation successor, Ji Lin."
"The seventh generation successor, Zhang Puzhuo, what is the name of the special envoy?"
"Shen Zhong."
The young man bowed for the third time, and that naturalness made Ji Lin and Zhang Puzhuo feel strongly uncomfortable.
"Are you... really a commissioner from the Clock Tower?"