Chapter 73: Returning the National Treasure Home!
Beautiful.
So very beautiful.
Her jet-black hair cascaded over the crimson phoenix cloak, and the exquisite curves of her voluptuous figure could drive anyone mad. Her skin was fair, tinged with pink, delicate enough to break at a touch. Her waist was slender, easily encircled by a single hand.
Lin Fan had never seen such a breathtaking woman.
Yet, faced with such beauty, not a single person dared entertain wicked thoughts.
A majestic presence exuding dominance over the world radiated from her.
The eternal empress!
In five thousand years of Chinese history, perhaps there were other women who ruled, but whenever an empress is mentioned, all minds recall only this woman!
Wu Zetian!
The ancestor of all phoenixes!
“Rise,” the legendary empress spoke, lifting her hand slowly. Instantly, warm flames enveloped Lin Fan and the others, gently raising them from their bows.
But.
In the next moment.
The empress’s face suddenly turned pale; her body trembled slightly, showing signs of weakness.
“You are among the outstanding figures of our China. Though I am frail at this moment, it is only right for me to meet you,” her breath was weak, “But now, I must fall into slumber.”
“I have been away from Great Xia for too long. Awakened so suddenly, I must rest well.”
“Return me to China! Restore the fortune of the nation!”
“My Great Tang wishes to guard China for another five thousand years!”
With these words, the phoenix cloak transformed once more into blazing flames, engulfing her entirely.
When the flames dispersed.
A splendid, crimson phoenix cloak fell into Lin Fan’s hands.
It was indeed worthy of being called a national treasure.
Its craftsmanship was so exquisite that Lin Fan could see no stitches, only sensing an unbelievable warmth within its lightness, as if a gentle fire burned inside.
The gilded phoenix embroidered on the cloak was lifelike; as the angle of light shifted, it seemed the phoenix was beating its wings, soaring gracefully.
The phoenix’s eyes were especially vivid, as if fire flowed within them.
“This is... the Empress’s Phoenix Cloak!” Dao Wanqian moved closer, unable to suppress his astonished cry, “The legendary phoenix cloak of the empress, the very first of its kind for Chinese women!”
That eternal empress once said,
“No matter their wealth or status, Chinese women may wear royal attire—the phoenix coronet and scarlet robe—upon marriage!”
This marked the rise of Chinese women!
The true matron of the world!
“A national treasure!” Mo Bu Zhi was shaken, “A national treasure! Even after a thousand years, its brilliance remains undimmed! It truly deserves the name!”
“To witness such a supreme treasure of China in this lifetime, I have no regrets!”
---
Compassionate Master raised his head to the heavens. In his eyes, the phoenix cloak radiated boundless fortune, vast and majestic, like a phoenix dancing across the skies.
“Such overwhelming fortune… Those thieves who stole our national artifacts and seized our national luck are truly despicable!” Even Compassionate Master, whose lips were constantly chanting Amitabha, could not help but clench his fists!
National fortune!
In this world, national fortune truly exists!
For example.
When Kameda Nation invaded Great Xia, they ravaged the three northeastern provinces, searching desperately for resources needed for war, digging everywhere but finding nothing.
Yet, after Great Xia’s founding,
Miraculously,
The Daqing Oil Field was discovered, helping the nation through its most difficult period.
The sheer incredibility of it is beyond the scope of fiction.
It can only be called—national fortune!
The fortune of Great Xia!
Five thousand years of accumulated national fortune!
And now, the phoenix cloak before them was infused with rolling fortune!
Lin Fan held the soft cloak, but it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.
This was a national artifact!
“First squad of the Godslayer Army, mission accomplished,” Lin Fan said solemnly. “New task: escort the national treasure home!”
The stolen fortune must return to Great Xia!
The slumbering ancestor of phoenixes would finally return to her homeland!
“Escort the national treasure home!”
The members of the first squad of the Godslayer Army clenched their fists and shouted loudly.
At that moment—
“Leave here, quickly!” Gongshu Ming, clutching his severed arm, face pale and urgent, said, “The people from the Liberty Nation… are coming!”
Faintly, the shrill sound of alarms could be heard in the distance.
Lin Fan’s expression darkened.
He was not afraid of a fight.
But no matter what, this was still the territory of the Liberty Nation.
If they were caught up in battle here, with planes and tanks bearing down on them, no matter how powerful he was, escape would be impossible.
Besides, before leaving Great Xia, the throne had warned them: if they were captured, Great Xia would not publicly acknowledge their identities, nor would rescue be possible.
Not only were the two nations separated by vast oceans,
But more importantly,
Such actions—sending people to kill in a foreign country—could be seen as a direct declaration of war!
---
“Go!” Lin Fan rushed toward the street outside.
Under the cover of night, the first squad of the Godslayer Army emerged from the ruins of the shattered two-story building. A jeep parked by the roadside rolled down its window, and Zhao Guochen, the young man who had previously assisted Lin Fan, waved and shouted, “Get in, quick!”
Bang!
Lin Fan and his companions jumped into the jeep, slamming the doors shut!
Vroom!
Zhao Guochen floored the accelerator, speeding into a filthy alleyway.
Three kilometers away.
On the street, armored vehicles roared by, packed with fully armed Liberty Nation soldiers.
The Liberty Nation’s military had mobilized directly.
“The Phoenix Society has been attacked! Hurry!” A middle-aged man in a white suit sat at the front of a military jeep, biting his words in English: “It must be Great Xia’s doing. We cannot let them escape!”
“Councilor Tang,” someone beside him whispered, “Is such a fuss necessary? Although the Phoenix Society’s president is a member of our Salvation Association, the military’s involvement seems excessive.”
“You know nothing!” Councilor Tang’s face was grim. “I can’t contact any member of the Phoenix Society!”
“This can only mean that the entire Phoenix Society is dead!”
“Even the president is dead!”
“We both know what he was carrying. If Great Xia retrieves it, the consequences would be troublesome!”
Councilor Tang’s expression turned sinister as he continued, “Moreover, to assault the Phoenix Society, those people from Great Xia must be extraordinary—at least powerful individuals with exceptional abilities!”
“Capture them!”
“To dare slaughter in our Liberty Nation—they must think we’re easy prey!”
Next moment.
“Councilor Tang,” a soldier handed over a tablet. “These are the surveillance feeds from the streets along the escape route.”
On the tablet,
Countless surveillance screens flickered at once.
Councilor Tang stared intently at the feeds, searching for the audacious Great Xia operatives. But then—
Flapping wings.
All the screens went black; wooden birds blocked every camera.
After that, nothing could be seen—total darkness.
Not even a glimpse of the Great Xia agents!
The middle-aged man in the white suit tossed the darkened tablet aside, took a deep breath, and muttered, “Chasing them is pointless now. These Great Xia people didn’t even show us their faces…”
“They’re probably long gone by now!”
“Alright, call Putin on behalf of the Salvation Association!”