Xiao Xun stood up and knocked on the cell door, "I don't have time to waste with you. The Scourge is already gathered at the border, and it's only a matter of time before they break through. They might even be fighting the Phoenix Army right now."
Then Xiao Xun added, "Those are all troops you led out. Can you bear to watch them die at the hands of the Scourge?"
"I... I..."
Horton lowered his head, lost in thought. As Xiao Xun turned to leave, he reached out and shouted, "Wait, I'll talk."
Xiao Xun turned back and walked to the cell door, looking at Horton, who had sat down on the ground again.
He fell into a memory, saying, "It was a cold and damp day, and it had been raining for a month in my territory. As I sat alone in my castle, a servant below informed me that His Majesty wanted me to preside over a funeral. Before I could even ask whose funeral it was, the servant suddenly turned into a skeleton. He said to me, 'Horton, if you want the nation of Saint Roman to exist, and the Guangyan family to exist, push Selepeth off the throne and become the Emperor yourself.'"
Xiao Xun crossed his arms, "What did you say?"
"Of course, I first asked his identity. He said he was an envoy of the King of Arrogance, and because he was from the Guangyan family in life, he wanted to spare the Guangyan family and Saint Roman."
Xiao Xun's eyes deepened, "Did you believe him?"
"I didn't believe him at first, but he did prove his identity as a member of the Guangyan family."
Xiao Xun squatted down, "The Guangyan family has six dukes. I inquired, and although your territory isn't the largest among the six dukes, your strength is the greatest, and you are also His Majesty's cousin. Why would the King of Arrogance entrust such an important matter to you?"
After waiting for three minutes, Horton remained silent.
Xiao Xun roared, "Ah? I'm asking you, do you have something that gives you the qualification for regicide?"
Horton slammed his hands on the ground, "My father used that very gun to kill my uncle, Selepeth's father. Later, my father gave that gun to me."
Xiao Xun thought it was a sniper rifle, "A gun? Where is that gun now?"
Horton's right hand stopped, and his left hand continued to pat the ground, "I kept it with me all the time, but after I was captured, Rangnousky disappeared."
Xiao Xun found the name familiar but couldn't recall where he had heard it, "What is Rangnousky?"
Horton explained, "That's the name of the gun?"
Just then, a sound like a massive wave crashing against rocks echoed from the corridor outside the cell, followed by a hoarse roar.
Xiao Xun looked behind him in surprise, but there was nothing. Horton, however, remained expressionless, still beating the ground.
"What is that noise?"
Horton finally stopped what he was doing, "It's that old madman. He does this every day."
Xiao Xun frowned, "Old madman?"
Horton explained, "A water mage imprisoned at the bottom of the dungeon. I've never seen him, but I heard he was imprisoned there from the founding of the nation. This dungeon was specifically built to hold him."
Xiao Xun stood up and said to Baiyang, who was hidden in the darkness, "Let's go."
Horton asked softly from behind, "Will you come see me again?"
The answer was the roar from the fifth level below ground and the sound of iron chains closing.
Xiao Xun had Baiyang take him back to the Twelve Palaces of Time. He didn't return to the Temple of Time but went to the Seventh Palace, where Libra resided.
"Libra, how is your gunpowder research coming along?"
Libra took off his goggles and walked up to Xiao Xun, "Your Majesty, you told me one sulfur, two nitre, three charcoal, but I still can't understand. Charcoal is easy, but what are sulfur and nitre? And what are 'one, two, three'—is it a ratio or a sequence?"
Xiao Xun wasn't good at chemistry either; he only knew that mnemonic.
"I'll explain it to you when I've figured it out. Perhaps the names of the ingredients are different. What have you been using for your experiments recently?"
Libra displayed his experimental results. Xiao Xun thought for a moment and then said to Baiyang, "Remember to bring him along when we leave. Someone will definitely want to see him."
Baiyang bowed and said, "Yes!"
Xiao Xun turned and returned to the Temple of Time, leaving Libra bewildered. However, he would never discuss anything with Baiyang.
Upon entering the Temple of Time, Xiao Ke flew into the air and said, "Welcome home, my master."
Xiao Xun thought to himself: Since Xiao Ke can buy things online, it means it's connected to the internet.
"Do I have any packages?"
Xiao Ke replied, "Master, you have two packages. They are in the parcel locker and have been automatically signed for."
Xiao Xun remembered that the flow of time here was much faster than outside. Living here for a month was equivalent to less than a day outside.
He walked to the parcel locker, took out the cola and the book, and eagerly opened a can. The carbonation was strong, and he took a big gulp.
The cola tasted like medicine, "Peh! Why is it a bit bitter? Has it expired?"
He picked it up to check the production date: October 5th, 3011.
"Good heavens, cola from a thousand years in the future. Won't it give me diarrhea?"
He glanced at the clock on the wall; there was no calendar.
"Xiao Ke."
"I'm here."
"What time is it now?"
Xiao Ke replied, "It is now December 12th, 3011, 3:24 PM."
Xiao Xun placed the remaining cola in the refrigerator, thinking it might taste better cold.
He opened the other package. Inside was a book. Looking at the text and language, he felt like he had become illiterate again, just like in his childhood.
Xiao Xun calculated the time, figuring he just needed to be back before dark. He asked Xiao Ke to set an alarm for him and then began frantically recording the language and writing.
He felt like several of his hairs had turned white, but finally, he felt he had done enough, "Due to my lack of understanding of these characters, I can only rely on rote memorization."
Just as Xiao Xun was about to try it on the computer, Xiao Ke flew to his side, "In three minutes, you will reach the time set by the master."
Xiao Xun glanced at the clock on the wall. It was already 6:30 PM in the other world; it got dark early.
"Then I'll come back next time! A day or two won't make a difference."
When Xiao Xun left, he took the glasses with him. The box and instructions instantly turned to ash. If Xiao Xun hadn't acted quickly, the glasses would have fallen to the ground.
"Well, that's a waste."
He held the glasses in his hand and asked Baiyang to take him back. Libra was also standing there waiting to leave together.
After spending several days in the Temple of Time, he had forgotten about Libra. He tried hard to recall and finally remembered.
However, he didn't say anything because they had already arrived at the capital of Saint Roman. He said to Baiyang, "I can go back by myself. You take Libra to the Military Academy to find Lori Gaard. Tell him I sent you, and have him research gunpowder and other weapons and equipment with Libra."
Baiyang agreed and left with Libra.
As Xiao Xun walked into the castle, someone descended from the sky and hovered in mid-air. It was Tie Saihou, the champion of "The First Under Heaven."
"I told you I wouldn't fight you. Why are you looking for me again?"
Tie Saihou thumped his chest, "I'm not here to fight you. Your words inspired me. I've decided to follow you, just like Hecaste. But I don't want to be a general, I want to be like him."
As he spoke, he pointed at Baiyang, "I want to be your personal guard, protect your safety, and fight the Scourge with you."
Xiao Xun waved his hand, "Thank you for your kindness, but I already have twelve personal guards."
"You have twelve, you might as well have one more! Besides, your twelve combined aren't enough for me to deal with."
Xiao Xun thought to himself: Boasting.