"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
After Shawn Young unleashed the last few bolts of heavenly thunder on Orochi's body, he withdrew his hand seals and gathered the last of his true energy. He felt utterly exhausted—the monstrous defense of Orochi had drained almost all his strength.
Once Shawn Young stopped his spell, he spun around and ran. After sprinting for a few dozen meters, his legs began to feel weak and his speed slowed—it turned out he'd burned too much true energy just now. With the pressure gone, Orochi in the sky let out a wild roar, its massive body stretching out as it lunged at Shawn, furious and eager to swallow him whole!
Luckily, Luna Xiao and May Gu were right by his side. The two women gathered their energy and hurled their weapons at Orochi—not that it did much, but it slowed the beast's crazed assault just enough. Seizing the precious moment, Luna and May each took an arm, grabbed Shawn Young and Rachel Sasaki, and dashed away with all their might.
Orochi was just about to give chase when a sudden wave of rich, fragrant wine drifted over on the wind, making the massive serpent pause instantly.
All sixteen eyes on its eight heads lit up, glowing an eerie green. Orochi turned, stretching its necks and scanning the area. Soon, it spotted eight deep pits on the ground, each overflowing with fine wine. Orochi twisted its huge body around, its eight hideous heads squawking in excitement like a pack of bizarre night fiends, their cries chilling in the darkness.
The aroma of the wine was so tempting that it stirred memories from a thousand years deep within Orochi's mind. Forgetting all about chasing Shawn Young and the others, it couldn't resist the allure of the eight pits brimming with wine. Orochi lunged forward, sprawled its body on the ground, and with its eight ferocious heads, shrieked in excitement, craning its necks to plunge into the pits and drink greedily.
Shawn Young and his group made it five hundred meters away, safe and sound. The others were waiting for them there. Shawn ran all the way to the woman in black before stopping, then turned back just in time to see Orochi sprawled out, guzzling wine on the ground—everyone was just as stunned as he was.
"Whoa, I never thought that monster loved booze so much!" Shawn Young exclaimed in amazement.
"Heh, there are records of it in history—just not many people know. The creature's detailed story is in the 'Celestial Anomalies Compendium,'" the woman in black replied calmly.
"Oh, so that's how it is. You really know a lot..." Shawn Young said, astonished.
"Heh heh... I've lived a long, long time, of course I know plenty!" the woman in black chuckled.
"Oh... Excuse me... Miss, who—who exactly are you?" Shawn Young, still in shock, realized he knew nothing about this mysterious woman in black.
"Miss!? Hahaha, kid, you're funny—calling me 'miss'! Hahaha..." The woman in black burst out laughing at Shawn Young.
"Uh... What's wrong? 'Old me'? Wait, does that mean..." Shawn Young blushed at her laughter, but suddenly sensed a world-weary tone in her voice.
"Heh... Of course I'm a young lady! Well, I was, once... Alas, yesterday is gone forever, and time never comes back." The woman in black smiled again, her words full of melancholy and nostalgia.
"Wait... you're not a young lady, you're... a senior?" Shawn Young asked hurriedly.
"Heh heh... Of course I'm a senior! I'm already over a hundred and fifty years old—more than enough to be your great-grandmother!" the woman in black laughed, speaking to Shawn Young.
"What? You're over a hundred and fifty years old!?" Shawn Young was shocked. Despite her silver hair, she had the face and figure of a youthful beauty, easily rivaling any young woman.
"What, you don't believe me? Fine, I'll tell you—I'm Annabelle Hung, the Heavenly King's Sister from the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom!" the woman in black declared, her voice tinged with excitement and sorrow.
"Ah!! Annabelle... Annabelle Hung!! This... this is unbelievable!" Shawn Young's jaw dropped in shock.
As a history major, Shawn Young naturally knew all about the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom movement at the end of the Qing Dynasty. It lasted for eighteen years and was the deadliest conflict in world history. Annabelle Hung followed her brother, Hong Xiuquan, from start to finish, playing key roles at critical moments. It's been over 170 years since then! (Note: The Taiping Rebellion left the land littered with bones and thorns. At least fifty to seventy million died, and with the Qing army's pillaging and plagues, the real death toll was likely over a hundred million—forty percent of China's population at the time! The prosperous provinces along the lower Yangtze suffered most, with nearly every home burned and pillaged. Survivors were pale and dying, groaning in despair. Truly a catastrophe in Chinese history.)
"What, you still don't believe I'm Annabelle Hung? Then surely you've seen this before?" The woman in black—Annabelle Hung—waved her elegant white right hand in front of Shawn Young.
On her right thumb was an exquisite, ancient, dark green jade signet, shimmering with a mysterious glow.
"Hmm... That's the Phoenix Rising Jade Signet!" Shawn Young recognized it instantly.
"To be precise, it's the 'Phoenix Rising Jade Signet,' the symbol of the Heavenly King's Royal Sister. This senior is undoubtedly Annabelle Hung!" Luna Xiao stepped forward to explain.
"Heh, this young lady has sharp eyes—she recognized my 'Phoenix Rising Jade Signet' right away! You must be a descendant of an old friend, right? So, why are you still wearing a mask in front of me?" Annabelle Hung smiled at Luna Xiao, instantly noticing she was wearing a human-skin mask.
Luna Xiao quickly reached up and peeled off the exquisite human-skin mask, revealing her breathtaking, peerless beauty.
"Oh! What a stunning girl! No wonder you wear a mask—looks like that face could drive men mad! If I were a hundred years younger, I'd be jealous of you! Heh..." Annabelle Hung gazed at Luna Xiao, full of admiration.
Luna Xiao blushed, quickly bowed and saluted Annabelle Hung. "Luna Xiao, great-granddaughter of Nathan Xiao, the King of the West's personal bodyguard in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, greets Senior Hung!"
"Hmm... King of the West... Xavier Xiao!! That charcoal-burning rascal died so young! Sigh..." Annabelle Hung's eyes reddened at the mention, her voice filled with loneliness and sorrow.
Hearing this, Shawn Young was moved. From his studies, he knew that Xavier Xiao and Annabelle Hung had an unusually close relationship—they were, in fact, husband and wife in hardship.
In the early days of the Taiping Rebellion, Xavier Xiao was a key leader, titled King of the West. His rank was just below Hong Xiuquan and Yang Xiuqing, and even above Feng Yunshan, Wei Changhui, and Shi Dakai.
To win over the brave and respected Xavier Xiao, Hong Xiuquan married his own sister, Annabelle Hung, to him. So, the two were truly 'revolutionary comrades and partners!'
Though Xavier Xiao was brave and skilled in battle, he died young—mortally wounded in the battle of Changsha against the Qing army, passing away at just 32.
After Xavier Xiao's death, Annabelle Hung became a woman without a master, drifting through the tides of history. She endured countless years of hardship, and on the eve of the Taiping Kingdom's fall, vanished mysteriously with the royal treasures, disappearing without a trace...
The most surprising thing to Shawn Young was meeting Annabelle Hung, this legendary and controversial woman, in a foreign land today!
...