Chapter Nineteen: The Power of Time (Part One)

He placed the jar into Lan’s hands and said, “Keep it safe. If the jar breaks, the shadow inside will escape, and she’ll return to normal.” Lan nodded earnestly. “Don’t worry! I’ll make sure nothing happens to it.” Glancing at her future self, she felt even more determined not to let that reckless demoness regain her powers.

The group left the cave just as the sun was setting. Suddenly, Sun Meng sensed something strange. When he turned back, he realized that the cave, which had once had two paths, now only had one. He looked at Future Lan perched on his shoulder—her form was fading, growing more and more transparent until she disappeared altogether.

Yet, he still felt a surge of power settle on Lan. At the same time, the system prompted him: he’d obtained a Contract Card, allowing him to form a pact with characters from quest or trial worlds. As long as both sides agreed, the contract would be sealed and they could accompany him out of their world as teammates for future tasks.

Additionally, the system notified him that he’d received the Baptism of Time, which had enhanced his basic physical attributes. He glanced at Long and the others, but they appeared unchanged.

“It’s getting late. We’d better hurry back!” With that, he quickened his pace.

“Lan, why are you carrying that jar?” Long asked, puzzled. Lan herself paused, realizing she didn’t quite know either. “I’m not sure! Besides defeating the Black Fox Gang, did we do anything else?” she wondered aloud, tossing the jar aside.

Hu scratched his head. “I can’t remember either. But why is Brother Shaotan with us?”

Long replied, “Of course, he followed us to make sure nothing happened to us! But I still feel like we must have gone through something more.”

That evening, Sun Meng visited Abbot Sanzo’s room to report the events of the Wheel of Time.

“You’re telling me that you, Long, and Hu traveled to the future and then saved the past? If that’s true…” The abbot frowned. He realized he’d overlooked the children’s emotional guidance, focusing only on martial training, correcting their mindset, and teaching basic morals.

Often, he’d left them to make choices on their own, and since things always turned out well, he hadn’t paid closer attention.

“Abbot, they’re still just children. I think they need more experience, not just to awaken the strength inside them,” Sun Meng said.

Sanzo nodded. “So, you know the truth—they are the reincarnations of the warrior monks who sealed the Black Fox King. I always thought that as long as they regained their former strength and resolved to destroy him, that would be enough.” He gazed into the night beyond the window. “Shaotan, would you consider returning to Shaolin?”

Sun Meng was surprised. He hadn’t expected this question, and suddenly realized that agreeing might complete two main quests at once. The room fell silent.

“A new main quest has appeared: Gather information on five rare artifacts. Time limit: one year. Each item will be scored separately, with a base value of five hundred points.”

Sun Meng’s mouth twitched—what was going on? The quest updated in less than a month! He quickly consulted the system, which replied, “Contestant has undergone the Baptism of Time; time spent in the future counts tenfold in the real world.”

In other words, the half day he’d spent in the future equated to over eight days in real time. Adding up the days, a month had just passed.

‘So, will another new quest appear when a month passes in normal time?’ Sun Meng asked, noting there were less than ten days left in the month.

“No.”

He breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the abbot. “I’ve always wanted to come back, Master!” He knelt on one knee, but Sanzo immediately helped him up.

“It was my lack of guidance that delayed your potential. From now on, training Lan and the others will be your responsibility. Unless it’s a serious matter, there’s no need to restrain them. These three always seem to attract trouble—no amount of caution can stop that.”

Sun Meng nodded. Even just wandering around, they’d managed to stumble onto the Wheel of Time, and their innate powers made them natural magnets for chaos.

In the days that followed, Sun Meng spent most of his time refining his own skills, though he still offered guidance to Lan, Long, and Hu. The Baptism of Time had boosted his physical abilities and inner energy, propelling him to the peak of the second tier. Still, these powers didn’t feel entirely his; he hadn’t yet mastered them as before.

With more free time, the three children stopped running wild and instead sparred with each other. Long and Hu, especially, found new enthusiasm for training.

At the end of the month, Abbot Sanzo summoned the four of them. “More and more wounded are arriving at the temple, and many are just simple villagers.” He sighed, watching as monks helped the treated villagers to rest. “Setting aside whether we have enough space for them, we’re already running out of medicinal herbs.”

“If I recall, the temple stocks enough herbs for three months for everyone here. Are there really more than five hundred patients?” Sun Meng asked in surprise.

“Not that many, but most are injured, with the worst suffering internal wounds,” Sanzo replied, helpless. Even with many warrior monks at Shaolin, their supplies weren’t all medical, after all.

“Is it the Black Fox Gang again, Abbot Sanzo? Are they plotting something new?” Lan inquired.

Sanzo nodded. “The Black Fox Gang has been harassing villagers everywhere, but their main target is mirrors. Many have confirmed this, and the gang is in such a hurry that they ignore other valuables, taking only mirrors.”

“So, the Black Fox King must have discovered a secret about mirrors in the Book of Power—or perhaps he’s searching for a magical mirror?” Long mused, stroking his chin. But there weren’t enough clues.

“I think it’s the first possibility. If he wanted a special mirror, he wouldn’t need to steal from so many ordinary homes. The key must be something the mirrors can achieve for him. Since the Black Fox Gang is desperate, there must be a time limit,” Sun Meng said, following the red prompt he’d received. He was starting to enjoy this kind of reasoning.

“I’ll check the temple’s archives to see if there are any relevant records. For now, you should visit Healer Li Mingzhen. He’s a skilled physician, and likely has extra medicinal salves. Go quickly and return as soon as you can. If you encounter the Black Fox Gang, don’t engage.” Sanzo handed them a simple map.

Li Mingzhen’s residence wasn’t far from Shaolin—if they hurried, the four of them could reach it in half a day and be back before sunset.

“No time to lose, Master. We’ll set out now,” Sun Meng replied, and led the three youngsters away from the temple. The journey was uneventful, and they soon reached Li Mingzhen’s house, explaining their purpose.

“I see. As it happens, I’ve just made a new batch of salves—you can take them straight to the wounded,” Li Mingzhen said, leading Sun Meng to the storeroom. Meanwhile, in the main hall, Lan noticed a mirror shrouded in cloth.

“This is a mirror, right? Why is it covered up?” Lan examined it closely, but saw nothing unusual.

“Maybe it’s just a personal habit,” Hu suggested, remembering the abbot’s warning not to cause any trouble.

“I think Healer Li might be hiding something,” Long suddenly remarked.

“How can you be so sure?” Lan asked, curious.

“He’s lived for over a hundred years, and he’s covered up the mirror at this particular time. There’s nothing special around it, and it’s the only mirror in the house. Normally, he’d use it, but now it’s hidden—there must be a reason.”