Ink-Clad Creator

The banquet was in full swing, and the fragrance of plum blossom wine filled the courtyard.

Mu Sheng and Ling Yu were already asleep in the arms of the little Taoist Yun Xiang, the two little dolls still having candied fruit stains on their lips. The Holy Gate sisters sang and danced around the bonfire, and Miss Chun Meng, unusually, shed her usual strong personality, leaning against Li Xian, her brows and eyes showing complete relaxation.

At this heartwarming moment, Li Xian suddenly stiffened.

In my mind, it was as if a long-sealed iron door was slowly pushed open. A cold, mechanical voice, yet carrying a certain mockery, flooded into my consciousness like a tide:

"Host, long time no see. Energy reserves restored to 41%, consciousness reconstruction complete. Current environment detected... Hmm, a party? Looks like you've been doing well."

managers.

This high-dimensional consciousness, which had been dormant for months, has finally awakened.

Li Xian's wine glass wobbled slightly, spilling a few drops of wine. Xiao Lingshan, standing beside him, was the first to notice something amiss and asked softly, "Brother Li, what's wrong?"

"It's alright," Li Xianqiang said calmly, responding in his mind, "You're awake."

"You're awake, and you've discovered something interesting." The administrator's voice carried a metallic chuckle. "After the twenty-sided crystal in your brain shattered completely, it actually freed me from my constraints. Now... we're equal partners, Mr. Li."

Equality? Li Xian was wary. Would this being, who had once used the guise of "transaction" and even threatened to take over his body, truly be willing to accept equality?

"Don't be nervous." The administrator seemed to be able to read his surface thoughts. "My goal has changed. I initially wanted a physical form because being trapped in your consciousness was too boring. But now..."

It paused, its tone becoming subtle: "Through your senses, I've experienced many...interesting things. The taste of food, the feeling of the wind on your skin, and those complex emotional fluctuations. Honestly, you humans, though fragile, live quite interesting lives."

Li fell silent. It was difficult to discern whether his words were true or false.

"The time to prove our sincerity has come." The administrator's voice suddenly turned serious. "Three hundred Imperial Guards have come down from the mountain, led by Chu Huaizhou, carrying an imperial edict. The Emperor wants to 'invite' you to the palace—to be precise, he wants your creation techniques, and those two little ones."

Li Xian's expression changed drastically.

Almost simultaneously, the Daoist nun Miaozhen put down her wine cup, looked down the mountain, and frowned slightly: "A large group of people is coming up the mountain, and their killing intent is very strong."

The courtyard fell silent instantly. Chunmeng stood up, and the Holy Gate sisters quickly gathered behind her, their hands on their weapons.

"How did the imperial court know we were here?" Peng Shitao's face turned pale.

Miaozhen sighed, "It was my oversight. Chu Huaizhou sent a letter yesterday, asking if you were in Yunmeng Mountain. I didn't hide anything when I replied... I didn't expect him to act so quickly."

"Nun, there's no need to blame yourself," Li Xian said. "What's meant to happen will happen."

He took a deep breath and asked himself, "What can a manager do?"

"Many," the manager said with a hint of excitement. "For example... like this."

Before he finished speaking, a faint silver light suddenly emanated from Li Xian's body. The light wasn't dazzling, but it possessed a quality that transcended this world. Then, the silver light surged from his body, intertwining and coalescing in the air—

A spiderweb-like entity composed of countless silver rays appeared in the center of the courtyard.

The entity had no fixed form, constantly changing, sometimes resembling unfolded wings, sometimes a blooming flower, and sometimes a precisely operating mold. It hovered in the air, radiating a suffocating pressure.

"Nice to meet you all." The spiderweb entity spoke in the same voice as the administrator, only with a slight three-dimensional quality. "I am the administrator, Mr. Li's... partner."

Everyone was stunned. Even the Daoist nun Miaozhen stared wide-eyed—with her Divine Origin Realm cultivation, she couldn't see through the essence of this physical form at all.

"What kind of technique is this?" Binglan subconsciously gripped the sword hilt.

"It's not a cultivation technique." The administrator's entity swayed gently, light flowing around it. "It's a preparatory form for 'dimensional reduction attack.' Simply put, I can temporarily... slightly modify the physical rules of three-dimensional space."

It turned to Li Xian: "Do you want me to deal with those people down the mountain? It's easy. Just increase the gravity in that area by fifty times, or turn the air into a solid."

Li shook his head: "Don't kill anyone."

"Then kick them out." The managing entity seemed somewhat regretful. "Alright, watch me."

The spiderweb suddenly dispersed, transforming into billions of silvery-white specks of light that surged down the mountain like a cascading galaxy. These specks of light traced graceful arcs across the night sky before disappearing into the depths of the forest.

A moment later, shouts of alarm, the neighing of horses, and Chu Huaizhou's exasperated cries came from the foot of the mountain: "What happened?! My sword is all bruised?! Where's the horse?! Why is it in the tree?!"

The sound grew farther and farther away, gradually disappearing.

The silvery-white light spots converged back into the courtyard, solidifying into a spiderweb: "All done. I turned their weapons into flowers, sent the horses to the treetops, and their armor... well, it's made of cotton now. They should need some time to adjust."

Everyone: "..."

Shui Liuli was the first to react, pulling out a jade slip and frantically recording: "Energy manipulation beyond comprehension! Form transformation ignoring the essence of matter! This is a miracle! No, this surpasses even a miracle..."

"Stop," the administrator entity interrupted her. "This is just basic operation. In my original dimension, even kindergarten children can do it."

The courtyard was silent. Only the crackling of the campfire could be heard.

"You should go now."

The Daoist nun Miaozhen was the first to regain her composure. She looked at Li Xian, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "After tonight, the imperial court will not let this go. Next time, it might be the old monster from the Hall of Offerings, or… a 'reclusive master' personally invited by the emperor."

She paused, then continued, "Moreover, news of your 'partner' appearing in the world will soon spread throughout the land. At that time, those who covet you will not only be the imperial court."

Li Xian understood. The power displayed by the administrators was so astonishing that it could drive any force to madness.

Where can we go?

"Xiao Lingshan asked softly, her hand unconsciously tightening its grip on Li Xian's sleeve.

Chunmeng also looked at Li Xian. The Holy Gate sisters silently gathered around, more than twenty pairs of eyes watching him.

Mu Sheng and Ling Yu woke up at some point, climbed out of the little Taoist boy's arms, staggered to Li Xian's feet, and hugged his legs.

The spiderweb entity—the administrator—spinned gently in the air: "Good question. Mr. Li, where do you want to go?"

Li Xian looked around. Xiao Lingshan, Peng Shitao, Chunmeng, Binglan, and Bingwei—five faces, clear and warm in the firelight. The trusting gazes of the Holy Gate sisters. Musheng and Lingyu's affectionate little hands. And the three hovering drones, their sensors all pointed at him.

"I want to..." Li began slowly, "go home."

"Earth?" the administrator asked. "Are you sure? That world doesn't have Xuan Qi (mysterious energy) or a cultivation system. Your power will be greatly weakened."

"Not the Earth as it is now," Li Xian said. "It's... the history I've read, the era I regret."

A complex light flashed in his eyes: "When I was a child, I read 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms,' and when I read about Guan Yu's defeat at Maicheng, I felt a deep sense of injustice. If only I could go back to that time..."

The courtyard fell silent once more.

After a long while, Chunmeng suddenly laughed: "The Three Kingdoms? That sounds more interesting than this place."

Xiao Lingshan nodded: "Wherever Brother Li goes, I will go."

"Me too." Peng Shitao grasped Li Xian's other hand.

Binglan and Bingwei simultaneously embraced their swords: "We will follow."

Shui Liuli's eyes lit up: "Time travel?! This is more valuable than any research!"

The sisters of the Holy Gate shouted in unison, "We swear to follow our leader to the death!"

As the Daoist nun Miaozhen watched this scene, she sighed softly, but then revealed a relieved smile: "So be it. I have lived for twenty-seven years, and to witness the wondrous sight of 'breaking through the boundary' today is enough to make my life worthwhile."

She walked towards Li Xian and took out a warm, smooth jade pendant from her bosom: "This is my natal spirit pendant. If you ever want to come back and visit, it will guide you."

Li Xian solemnly accepted it: "Thank you, nun."

The young Taoist nun Yunxiang was already sobbing uncontrollably, clinging to Musheng and Lingyu and refusing to let go. Musheng reached out his little hand and wiped away the tears from her face. Lingyu then gave Yunxiang her favorite clay rabbit.

The manager entity begins to change.

Spiderweb-like silver rays contracted, folded, and recombine towards the center. Countless complex geometric patterns flashed in the air, mathematical expressions that transcended three dimensions, the essence of space being peeled away layer by layer.

"Target timeline: Earth, late 219 AD, Jingzhou, China." The administrator's voice grew louder, as if coming from all directions. "Warning: This timeline is currently at war. Guan Yu's forces were ambushed by Lü Meng of Eastern Wu and retreated to Maicheng. Danger level: Extremely high."

Li Xian's eyes were firm: "It's time."

"Understood." The administrator's entity had completely transformed into a massive silver vortex, its center a bottomless abyss of darkness, with faint starlight visible within. "Prepare for teleportation. Everyone, hold each other's hands."

Li Xian held Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao's hands with his left hand and Chunmeng's hand with his right. Binglan and Bingwei held Xiao Lingshan and Peng Shitao's hands, the Holy Gate sisters held hands and formed a circle, Shui Liuli squeezed in the middle holding the monitoring equipment, the drones lowered their altitude, and the robotic arms connected with everyone.

Mu Sheng and Ling Yu were held in Li Xian's arms.

"Final confirmation: Target spacetime coordinates have been locked. The teleportation process may be accompanied by dizziness and a sense of spacetime disorientation. Upon arrival, my energy will be 90% depleted, requiring at least three months to recover. During this period, please fend for yourself."

"Understood," Li said.

The silver vortex began to spin faster. The air in the courtyard distorted, the campfire stretched into a long ribbon of light, and the branches and leaves of the ancient plum tree swayed like reflections in water.

The Daoist nun Miaozhen retreated to the temple gate and bowed deeply: "Everyone, take care."

The young Taoist nun, Yunxiang, cried out, "Come back and see us!"

The vortex swallowed everyone.

In that instant, Li Xian saw countless scenes unfold: galaxies shifting, civilizations rising and falling, time and space surging like a long river. He saw the azure of the earth, the smoke of war from the Three Kingdoms period, the crumbling walls of Maicheng, and the large banner bearing the character "Guan" fluttering in the cold wind—

Then, darkness.

cold.

Bone-chilling cold.

When Li opened his eyes, he found himself lying on a snow-covered ground. Heavy snowflakes were falling, blanketing the world in white.

He struggled to sit up and looked around. Everyone was lying not far away, gradually waking up. Drones hovered low, their outer shells covered with a thin layer of ice.

"It...it's a success?" Shui Liuli was the first to get up, trembling as she turned on the monitoring equipment. "Spacetime coordinates...confirmed! 219 AD, December of the lunar calendar, near Dangyang County, Jingzhou!"

In the distance, the outline of a city could be vaguely seen. The city walls were crumbling, and the flags on the city walls were askew—this was Maicheng.

Further away, the sounds of battle shook the heavens. A massive, dark army surged in like a tidal wave, completely surrounding Maicheng. The large banner bearing the character "Wu" of Eastern Wu fluttered in the wind and snow.

"We...we've really come," Peng Shitao murmured.

Chunmeng had already drawn her short blade, a long-dormant fighting spirit flashing in her eyes: "What do we do now? Help defend the city?"

Li Xian looked at Mu Sheng and Ling Yu in his arms. The two little dolls seemed to be affected by the severe cold, appearing somewhat listless. He quickly activated his orange-gold energy to keep them warm.

"The manager?" Li Xian thought to himself.

There was no response. Only faint energy fluctuations indicated that it was still there, but had fallen into a deep dormancy.

"It needs time to recover." Li Xian took a deep breath and looked at everyone. "Now, it's up to us."

Xiao Lingshan had already unfurled the Azure Wood Token, and the gentle wood-elemental vitality spread out, dispelling the chill from everyone. Binglan and Bingwei shook the snow off their swords and stood on either side of Li Xian.

Superman flew back to report: "Reconnaissance complete. The garrison inside Maicheng is less than three hundred strong, and their supplies are running low. There are about five thousand Eastern Wu troops outside the city, and their commander is suspected to be Pan Zhang. Guan Yu's troops are trapped inside the city, and the situation is critical."

Li Xian looked at the lonely city that was teetering on the brink of collapse in the wind and snow.

The regret I felt when I read this passage as a child is now right before my eyes.

"Spring Dream," he ordered, "You take Binglan, Bingwei, and the Holy Gate sisters to harass the enemy from the flank and create chaos. Lingshan, Shitao, and Liuli, you take Musheng, Lingyu, and the drones into the city and find Guan Yu first."

"And what about you?" the six women asked in unison.

Li Xian smiled, orange-gold light flowing around him. Although this world lacked profound energy, the energy accumulated within him was enough to sustain a battle.

"I'm going to meet that 'ignorant' subordinate."

He strode forward, leaving deep footprints in the snow.

Behind them, the six women exchanged smiles and went their separate ways.

A new legend begins at this moment.

On the city wall of Maicheng, an old general, covered in blood and clad in green robes and golden armor, gripped his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, preparing for a final breakout.

He suddenly seemed to sense something and looked out into the snowstorm outside the city.

There, a beam of orange-gold light pierced through the snow curtain, like the rising sun.

(The End, But the Legend Continues—The Return of the Three Kingdoms: Ink Collection)