The assembled company stood atop the city walls, their hearts heavy as they watched Dragon Mountain City, only just restored, once again reduced to ruin. I offered comfort to the Dragon Girl, saying, “It’s a blessing the giant worms burrowed today; if they had emerged from the earth on the day of the siege, we would have been completely defenseless.”
The Dragon Girl sighed, “Indeed. Kang Hui grows ever more insidious. Who knows what other schemes he’ll devise if this one fails.”
I mused, “What puzzles me most is which one is the real Kang Hui. Most of his bases should have been captured by us, and the clone production lines destroyed. So, does Kang Hui even have a true body, or is every version of him genuine?”
Zhu Da grumbled loudly, “Who cares which one he is? Kill one if he comes, kill two if they come! Are we supposed to be afraid of him?”
“I’m not afraid of Kang Hui himself, but his cunning grows deeper. After repeated failures, he is bound to hatch even crueler plans, and then we might find ourselves unable to guard against them.”
Long Xi addressed the four of us, “I will take you to see the treasure Kang Hui desires. Let’s all board the flying saucers.”
Eager to see the treasure, Zhu Da and Cai Bao’er were naturally delighted. They rushed off to start the saucers, and the group departed Dragon Mountain City, heading east. We flew over the Bohai Sea, past the Shandong Peninsula, and entered the East China Sea. To our utter astonishment, the area known as the East China Sea six thousand years ago was actually a vast expanse of land!
Cai Bao’er exclaimed, “Impossible! There hasn't been any major crustal movement in the East China Sea for six millennia! Where did this land come from? Even if the future elevation were higher, it couldn't account for such a massive difference.” When they arrived from the Americas, considering the flight capabilities of the pterosaurs, they hadn't traversed the central Pacific but had flown along the northern Pacific landmass, entering Asia via the Bering Strait.
The Dragon Girl declared, “This isn’t land. We’ve seen ten flying ships, and we see nine of them—can’t you all figure it out?”
“The Dragon Clan is indeed a royal lineage. This one ship alone is so massive that the previous nine pale in comparison. The Korean Peninsula, the Japanese Islands, and Taiwan Island are all connected by land. We initially thought the entire East China Sea was the ship, but the saucer didn't stop; it flew straight into the Pacific. It turns out the East China Sea is only a corner of the vessel, and half the East Pacific is its true hull!”
Even I couldn't help but praise, “Impressive, truly impressive. The sheer size of this ship speaks volumes about the prominence of your lineage. I’ve been calculating the volume issues for creating the moon using ten ships. Based on the size of the nine ships we saw earlier, the resulting moon would likely be much smaller than the future moon. But now, seeing your family’s ship, I am certain: our moon-building project is one hundred percent viable.”
The Dragon Girl said, “Since all ten ships are now accounted for, Dragon Envoy, shouldn't we expedite the moon construction? If the creation of the moon isn't finished, you can't return home, and if you can’t return home, my illness cannot be cured, correct? For your future happiness, and equally for the better adaptation of us prehistoric people to Earth’s environment, this cannot be delayed.”
Elena laughed, “Dragon Girl, I think you’re just eager to get back and be Zhao Qian’s wife.”
The Dragon Girl showed no embarrassment, “Don’t you want that too? Watching you two busy yourselves every night looks exhausting.”
Elena moved to hug the Dragon Girl, “It seems you’re burning with desire again. Tonight, I might have to let off some of that heat for you.”
As the two women giggled, the flying saucer, at Long Xi’s signal, began to descend. Following a passageway, we flew directly into the ship’s interior. Soon, everyone disembarked and walked into the control room. The equipment here looked far superior to that on the other nine ships, and many machines were still operational.
Long Xi led us into a secret chamber. It was here that I finally saw the treasure that would one day belong to me six thousand years in the future: four energy stones—one large and three small. The large one pulsed rhythmically, clearly functioning as a heart.
Long Xi stated calmly, “This is what Kang Hui wants. Although I don't know their exact function, I will defend what my ancestors left behind with my life. Kang Hui probably never dreamed I would leave these treasures on the ship; otherwise, he would have attacked the ship instead of Dragon Mountain.”
All four energy stones were equipped with protective devices, so there was no need to fear being irradiated like I was when Peach tricked me into taking the red one, which knocked me unconscious.
I advised Long Xi, “We should guard them strictly. Kang Hui must have realized their value, or he wouldn't be risking his life to steal them. We will rely on these four for our lives going forward, so they must not be lost.”
Long Xi inquired, “Does that mean the Dragon Envoy knows the purpose of these four stones?”
“Of course. I share a profound destiny with them. Without them, I couldn't have arrived here, and arguably, the current me wouldn't exist—I’d still just be a purveyor of medicinal herbs.”
“A medicinal herb collector?” The Dragon Girl skipped translating my words to Long Xi and instead questioned me directly.
Elena, having heard these stories before, explained, “I’ll tell you when we get back. This fellow angered his boss and was demoted to a small town to collect herbs. That’s where he rose to prominence and met six girls all at once—and those six girls are all his women now.”
The Dragon Girl clapped happily, “Wonderful! Sister Nana, you absolutely must tell me everything tonight. I want to know everything about the Dragon Envoy.”
Long Xi, having heard the translation from the Dragon Girl, concluded, “Since the Dragon Envoy understands them so deeply, let’s keep the energy stones with us. This place isn't secure, after all. The safest place right now is by your sides, the four of you.”
Zhu Da couldn't wait any longer. He knew the critical importance of these four stones in the future. Upon hearing they could be carried with them, he was the first to move, finding a box, stuffing the stones inside, and clutching the container tightly to his chest.
I turned to the Dragon Girl, “Go find your best scientists—physicists, mechanical engineers, astronomers, mathematicians, everyone. Building the moon isn't child’s play; it involves countless aspects. We start work tomorrow. First, activate all ten ships, then have them converge and dock above Dragon Mountain City to the northwest. Once successful, ascend immediately. Our time is tight. Better find a few young and sharp scientists. Give the old, weak, and infirm some retirement pay and send them home. I don't need their vast knowledge; I will teach them the procedures. As long as they learn quickly enough, it will suffice.”
The Dragon Girl confirmed, “Understood. Rest assured, Dragon Envoy, I will not disappoint you.”
With that settled, everyone took the energy stones and returned to Dragon Mountain City to begin the moon construction. I taught them how to monitor subterranean sounds to guard against surprise attacks from the giant worms. Simultaneously, the Crash Course for Moon Building officially commenced. Before construction, I needed to explain the repair plan I devised after inspecting all ten ships. Only by teaching them could we save time.
All ten ships used standard Helium-3 reactors—a fact I had fully grasped a year ago. As for the mechanical sections of the ships, they were straightforward, but since the central computers were all destroyed, most controls had to revert to manual operation. Manufacturing new computers was impossible in time, so that aspect had to be shelved. Fortunately, we weren't critically short of manpower for the manual work, which was one less thing to worry about.
After the tutorial sessions were complete, everyone dispersed to various locations. They would restore the ships' propulsion and anti-gravity systems, successfully start them up, and fly them back over Dragon Mountain City. Then, I would teach them the next step: docking. I hadn't pre-calculated the moon construction, relying solely on my imagination. Luckily, I had participated in many of the Five Women’s research projects six thousand years in the future, and my mind was growing sharper; I believed docking wouldn't be difficult. I simply needed to replicate the surface morphology of the later moon.
The following period was spent in waiting. With Elena and the Dragon Girl by my side, intimacy was naturally unavoidable. Every night brought fresh milk and mad passion with two beautiful women accompanying me. Life seemed exceptionally leisurely, but having been in the prehistoric era for four months now, I genuinely missed home.
One evening, after making love with Elena, the three of us lay entwined. Elena murmured drowsily, “So sleepy. You two take your time; I’m drifting off.”
Listening to Elena’s steady breathing, gently caressing the dew-kissed peaks on her chest, and feeling the Dragon Girl humming an unknown little tune in my arms, a profound sense of happiness swelled within me, letting my thoughts wander freely.