Everyone began to rest in the tents, and by evening, An Ying found me and asked me to go for a walk with her.
Emerging from the tent, I wrapped myself up tightly, while she was only wearing a white sable.
I asked her if she was cold, and she smiled without speaking. However, judging by her expression, she didn't seem cold at all.
"Is there something you needed from me this trip?"
The snow had stopped, and we stood by the bonfire near the tents, watching the flames leap upwards.
"There are two Sui Hou Beads," I said directly.
She wasn't surprised at all, looking at me as if expecting me to continue.
"The Yang Zhu is in the hands of the Illuminati, and I've found the Yin Zhu." I recounted the events with Elder Zhang to her.
After listening, she said, "The suffering they endured is not a curse."
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"Xiao Fei, you should not continue to investigate this matter, nor should you have come here. Do you know where I am going this time?"
I shook my head.
She hesitated for a moment, then after a pause, said, "With the help of the Illuminati, I have recovered much of my memory..."
She paused, then continued, "Do you know what the Sui Hou Beads are?"
"What are they?"
"They are keys."
"Keys?" I was a little confused.
"That's right, they are the keys to my home."
"Home? Where is your home?" I suddenly recalled the legends Elder Zhang had told me. "You're not from outer space, are you?"
As I said this, I found it somewhat ridiculous.
She smiled faintly, "I am from Earth, but my home is not here."
"Then where is it?"
She fell silent and did not answer me. Seeing this, I asked again, "What's the deal with Chang'e and Yang Guifei?"
"Xiao Fei, don't ask so many questions. Listen to me, you should leave here tomorrow and return to your world."
"No!" I rejected her directly. "If I knew nothing about this matter, I wouldn't care, but now that I know so much and am on the verge of uncovering the answer, you want me to pretend I know nothing? Impossible, I can't do it!"
An Ying looked at me, her expression growing complex. At this moment, I was resolute; no matter what, I had to understand everything this time.
Seeing that she remained silent, I continued, "You said Elder Zhang's people are not cursed, so what is it? I promised them I would bring you to them..."
An Ying smiled, "As long as I return home, their so-called curse will disappear."
"Where exactly is your home?"
She pursed her lips, looking at the snow on the ground, and asked, "Have you heard of Shambhala?"
"Shambhala?"
I seemed to have some recollection, but I couldn't quite recall it.
"In your language, my homeland is in Shambhala."
"In our language?"
An Ying took a deep breath, "Don't you understand? I am different from you; I am not from your world."
My mind was in turmoil, and I suddenly remembered what "Shambhala" was.
Shambhala is a transliteration of Sanskrit, meaning "Pure Land" or "Land of Bliss."
I had read some books on Tibetan Buddhism before, many of which described Shambhala.
Numerous ancient texts mentioned Shambhala, and this so-called "Shambhala" was located at the Earth's axis, the so-called underworld.
As early as 1923, an explorer named Nicholas Roerich led an expedition to Tibet in search of this legendary kingdom. They eventually reached that kingdom, stayed for a period, and then returned.
Later, Roerich wrote a book about this experience, but no one believed everything he said.
Legend has it that the people of Shambhala live in the underworld, possessing extraordinary technology and the ability to live forever.
Thinking of this, I looked at An Ying in disbelief, "You mean you are from Shambhala?"
An Ying nodded, "I only recently regained those memories of my homeland. I didn't expect that one impulsive action would cause me to wander outside for so many years..."
I swallowed, and for a moment, all my hairs stood on end. I looked at her incredulously, "You... you..."
"Xiao Fei, the Sui Hou Beads are merely keys to open the gates of my homeland. Once I return, I will never be able to come back."
I sorted out my thoughts and thought to myself that I had personally witnessed An Ying's immortality, so what else could I not accept?
Based on the deduction that she was from Shambhala, it meant that a very long time ago, she had left her homeland and come to the surface. Afterward, because she lost her memory with each rebirth, she had been unable to find her way home.
"Does Shambhala truly exist in this world?" I asked.
An Ying said, "You know the Earth is round, and what your human race occupies is merely the surface area. You know nothing about the underworld. In fact, we had already relocated to the underworld before the Great Flood. During that time, our people did come to the surface, but each time it was to help you. Unfortunately, you seem to be full of hostility towards us..."
"Then you came out for..."
"Those who came out with me are all dead."
"Don't you possess the ability to live forever?" I asked.
"It's very complex to explain to you. In fact, immortality is not an ability... In your words, it is a form of technology."
"Technology?" I was a little confused.
"Xiao Fei, I've told you everything I can. As I said before, you should go back."
"What about Yang Hanxue and the others?"
"You are different from them; they have been granted the qualification to enter Shambhala."
"You mean they can also go to this Shambhala?"
An Ying nodded.
"Because they are Seekers?" I asked again.
She nodded again.
I originally wanted to say, "Can't you make others Seekers? I want to become a Seeker too."
But the words caught in my throat, and I swallowed them.
An Ying had mentioned making me a Seeker before, but at that time, I hadn't agreed. The situation was the same now.
Did I truly want to become a Seeker?
Or, to put it another way, was I truly willing to leave my world and go to this so-called Shambhala?
"Then can I escort you home?" My mouth felt dry, and I said slowly.
An Ying looked at me and fell silent. For a moment, everything around seemed to stand still.
The cold wind howled, and my heart became increasingly nervous.
After a while, she let out a sigh, "Alright. But you have to be prepared. If you end up going to Shambhala with us, you might never be able to return."