560 AD
Gao Changgong rode a white stallion, standing atop a hill, gazing at the endless rolling mountains in the distance.
Hearing hoofbeats approaching from behind, he knew that at this time only his personal guard Han Ye could come looking for him, so he didn’t turn around.
“Your Highness.” Han Ye reined in his horse behind Gao Changgong, staying half a step back, not daring to stand alongside the prince.
“Is it time?” Gao Changgong sighed.
“Yes.” Though Han Ye was reluctant, he had no choice but to answer thus. The prince, as Northern Qi’s fourth prince and the Prince of Lanling enfeoffed by the late emperor, was the current emperor’s elder brother. With such noble status, he should have been enjoying wealth and honor in the capital, yet now he was dispatched to military camp.
This seemed incomprehensible, but Han Ye knew the emperor wished nothing more than for his own prince to die miserably on the battlefield. Since Northern Qi’s founding, in just ten years there had been five successive emperors, with uncles, nephews, and brothers killing each other—the struggle for imperial power was truly horrifying. So to some degree, Han Ye still hoped his prince could escape that man-eating imperial city. Even on the battlefield, he would desperately protect him, which was better than dying inexplicably in the capital.
Gao Changgong was not unaware of Han Ye’s thoughts, but he was powerless as a scholar, having read few military texts. On the battlefield, never mind whether soldiers would obey his commands—probably any random enemy soldier could strike him from his horse. Gao Changgong tugged the reins, inexpertly urging his mount to turn around, and said with a bitter smile: “Since it’s time, let’s head back.” In a few days they would reach Hangu Pass, and then probably even this leisurely time for sightseeing would be gone.
Looking at Gao Changgong’s handsome face, Han Ye couldn’t help but be momentarily dazed. Though he had served by the prince’s side for six years, every time Han Ye saw that otherworldly beautiful countenance, he couldn’t help but stare in fascination. If even he reacted this way, what about others?
Han Ye hesitated for a long while before finally making up his mind, gritting his teeth as he pulled something from his chest and handed it over. “Your Highness, going to the frontier, I believe this item could assist Your Highness.”
Gao Changgong looked down at the fierce yellow mask, narrowing those beautiful peach blossom eyes, his voice growing several degrees colder: “Han Ye, where did you get the money for this?”
Han Ye’s heart rejoiced, because the prince wasn’t blaming him for offering the mask, but was angry about the mask’s value. He quickly explained: “Your Highness, this was given to Your Highness by a hermit who wouldn’t reveal his name. It’s said to ensure Your Highness is invincible in battle, victorious in every campaign.”
Hearing this, Gao Changgong shook his head and sighed. If a mask could accomplish such feats, what need would there be for armies to defend the country?
However, his guard’s good intentions couldn’t be dismissed lightly. The ever-gentle and soft-hearted Gao Changgong, though completely disbelieving, still accepted the golden mask.
Feeling its heavy, cold weight in his hands, Gao Changgong steadied his mind, casually placing the mask in his chest, then pulled the reins and led the way down the hill.
2011 AD
Xiao Li clutched a box in her hands, ignoring her mother’s nagging beside her as she eagerly rushed toward her room.
She still remembered randomly filling out a beta test application for some online game long ago. This delivery should mean her application was successful, right? Such a moderately-sized box!
She knew her final exams were approaching, but one should enjoy life when possible! What was wrong with playing games? Xiao Li quickly closed her door, perfunctorily answering her pursuing mother through the door, then rubbed her hands together and carefully opened the sealed package.
On top was a poster. Xiao Li casually unfolded it, then was immediately stunned.
The poster had none of the huge titles or sensational slogans popular nowadays—not a single word appeared on it, only a CG image. The picture showed an incomparably handsome man wearing dark armor, riding a white stallion, gazing into the distance from atop a hill. In his hand he held a fierce golden demon mask, which made his jade-like face seem even more like a descended immortal, too dazzling to look upon directly.
“Tsk, computer graphics are really advanced now—Photoshop rules! Who could actually look like this?” Xiao Li stroked her chin and sighed, but couldn’t help developing greater interest in this game.
Holding up the poster was too tiring, so Xiao Li simply stuck it on the wall. She stared at it for a long time before forcing herself to tear her gaze away from the “virtual” handsome man and continue looking in the box.
Inside was a well-packaged wooden box. Xiao Li opened the wooden box’s clasp and looked with amazement at the golden mask lying quietly inside. This golden mask was a demon face, looking just like the one the man held in the poster. The demon mask had glaring eyes, a protruding forehead, and sharp fangs—if glimpsed suddenly in darkness, it would probably scare someone half to death. But now under the lamplight, the golden luster shimmered brilliantly with flowing lines—truly an exquisitely crafted artwork.
Xiao Li hadn’t expected beta access to include such beautiful merchandise. She wasn’t in a hurry to play with it, instead searching the box for a beta disc or card. But after searching inside and out, she found nothing else—not even half a slip of paper with writing.
Could it be she still hadn’t gotten beta access? Was this merchandise just a consolation prize? Xiao Li unwillingly searched everywhere but couldn’t even find the game’s name. The outermost package only had her home address written on it, with the sender’s address blank. Were they really being so mysterious? Without even a game name, she couldn’t even search for it!
Xiao Li was extremely frustrated but had to admit the game’s developers had aroused her powerful curiosity.
But she really had forgotten what game she’d applied for beta testing… Xiao Li paced around her room several times in agitation before finally closing the wooden box containing the golden mask and shoving it in a drawer—out of sight, out of mind.
Gao Changgong sat in his tent, reading a scroll by flickering candlelight.
Military camp life was harsher than he’d imagined—truly worlds apart from the capital Ye City’s prosperity and luxury. He had been assigned to guard Hangu Pass, named for being located in a valley as deep and narrow as a letter box.
Though Han Ye said Hangu Pass stretched from Mount Xiao in the east to Tongjin in the west, all called Hangu and renowned as a natural barrier—the pass was located in a deep, dangerous valley bottom with treacherous terrain, so narrow in places that only one wagon could pass, truly a case of one man defending against ten thousand—Han Ye claimed guarding here wouldn’t be dangerous, but Gao Changgong still dared not be careless. He set down his scroll and pressed his slightly aching temples. Such strategic locations had always been contested by military strategists. Northern Zhou’s Yuwen Yong had ascended the throne and was eyeing Northern Qi covetously. Recent days had seen increasingly frequent troop movements—obviously they had designs on Luoyang.
If Hangu Pass fell, Luoyang would be in immediate danger. Luoyang was so close to the capital Ye City that if Northern Zhou pressed them to such straits, Northern Qi’s destruction would be imminent.
Gao Changgong sighed deeply. His imperial brother’s tyrannical nature really wasn’t suited for being emperor, but he didn’t think he had the ability to seize that throne either. His heart wasn’t ruthless enough—he still remembered his father commenting on him years ago, words that still applied today.
So he simply didn’t know what he could accomplish in this military camp. These past days he’d grown tired of the soldiers’ disdainful or contemptuous looks. His appearance wasn’t his choice, and his lack of martial skills was because he’d been raised in deep palace chambers since childhood. Had he known he’d one day be sent to battlefield, he would naturally have prepared early.
Gao Changgong reached into his chest, his fingertips touching something ice-cold. The golden demon mask Han Ye had given him—he’d never left it behind but had never worn it either.
Invincible in battle, victorious in every campaign? Gao Changgong smiled bitterly. When had he, the dignified Prince of Lanling, come to place hope in mere dead objects?
Just as he was about to place the mask on a nearby cabinet, Gao Changgong heard sudden sounds of neighing horses and battle cries outside, like giant hands ruthlessly tearing apart the entire quiet night. The military camp immediately erupted in chaos, with clamoring voices rising everywhere. Through the tent curtains, running figures could be seen in all directions.
“Your Highness! Northern Zhou forces are attacking the camp!” Han Ye burst into Gao Changgong’s tent, his usually composed face showing unavoidable panic.
Seeing him in such a state, Gao Changgong knew tonight’s attack was different from usual—Northern Zhou was getting serious.
“Your Highness, please don’t wander around the camp. I will definitely protect Your Highness.” Han Ye steadied himself, barely regaining some composure. Though he came from a guard background, this was his first time in military camp. He’d never experienced battlefield bloodshed—maintaining calm now was already remarkable.
Remembering the soldiers’ cold mockery from recent days, Gao Changgong couldn’t sit still. He stood abruptly, walking toward the armor in the tent’s corner.
“Your Highness!” Han Ye was shocked.
“Help me don the armor.” Gao Changgong spoke calmly. He too was a fine man of Northern Qi—if others could take the field to defend the country, why couldn’t he?
Han Ye had followed Gao Changgong for years, knowing his prince was decisive. Though gentle by nature, once he made up his mind, no amount of persuasion could change it. He could only walk over and help him into the heavy armor.
The armor’s weight pressed down on him—Gao Changgong had never experienced such a feeling, but this heaviness settling in his heart aroused an indelible sense of responsibility. He picked up a rather heavy steel blade, and walking to the table, saw the golden demon mask reflecting golden light in the candlelight. In a moment of supernatural impulse, he actually picked it up and put it on his face.
Invincible in battle, victorious in every campaign?
Xiao Li finally finished today’s homework with great difficulty, snuck to the kitchen for a cup of honey milk tea, then began pacing irritably around her room.
Because her mother discovered she’d failed her final exams due to playing online games a few days ago, after summer vacation started, she ruthlessly removed the computer from the house entirely. Confiscated along with it were PSP, Wii, MP3, phone, and other electronic devices—she wasn’t even allowed to use an electronic dictionary, given a brick-sized Oxford English-Chinese dictionary as replacement.
Was this a joke? Who still used dictionaries to look up words nowadays? It seemed her mother was determined to make her study hard, but she was so bored she’d already obediently finished all her homework—was she supposed to voluntarily do another practice test?
This was too torturous.
Xiao Li bit her straw, and being tired of walking, half-reclined in her chair staring blankly at the handsome man poster on the wall. What was this game’s name anyway? When she still had a computer a few days ago, she’d asked almost every online friend—not one person knew what online game this was. Though one person guessed that this handsome man holding the golden demon mask should be the historically famous Prince of Lanling.
Prince of Lanling? Never heard of him. Xiao Li had no interest in this person—only in this poster!
Feeling crazy with boredom, Xiao Li remembered there seemed to be an actual mask that came with this poster a few days ago. Xiao Li jumped up from her chair, tossed the milk tea aside, and took the golden demon mask from the wooden box.
It was unexpectedly heavy, almost like it was made of real gold. But this was definitely cheap gold-plated stuff—otherwise how could it be given away as merchandise?
Xiao Li played with the golden demon mask in her hands, then inexplicably moved it closer and closer. When she realized what was happening, her cheek had already touched something ice-cold—she had actually put the golden demon mask on her face.
Just as she was about to find a mirror to see how it looked, Xiao Li suddenly felt everything go dark before her eyes. What appeared wasn’t her extremely familiar room, but an ancient battlefield filled with the fires of war!
What? Could this golden demon mask actually be the legendary full-immersion gaming helmet? Xiao Li was beside herself with excitement.
Gao Changgong stepped out of his tent, looking at the chaotic military camp, shouting for soldiers to calm down, but his voice scattered in the cold wind—not one person followed his orders.
“Your Highness, let’s go to the command tent first!” Han Ye suggested from beside him. Looking at his prince’s handsome face covered by that golden demon mask, he felt something was eerily wrong.