Peerless Bodyguard of a Stunning Beauty

Hearing their doubts, Zhao Rong approached the ashes with a test tube. ”Don’t underestimate this,” he said, inserting the tube into the pile. ”It’s a soul DNA extraction tube. As soon as I place it in the ashes, it automatically collects the necessary data.” As he spoke, Zhao Rong removed the tube and transferred the extracted DNA into the DNA tracker.

”Brother Zhao Rong,” his assistant asked curiously, watching the procedure, ”we have Zhou Xiaoer’s soul DNA, but his father, Hong Ju, won’t have the exact same DNA, right? How can the DNA tracker find Hong Ju’s location with this?”

”You have to understand,” Zhao Rong explained to his assistant, ”that a father and son’s DNA always shares a certain degree of similarity. This DNA tracker I’m holding uses that similarity to locate the person we’re looking for.”

As he spoke, Zhao Rong began operating the device, initiating the search for the mastermind, Hong Ju. Once the tracker established a lock, Zhao Rong took out a compass. Using its coordinates and a GPS, he began to lead the group outside.

The Phoenix Dance Hall wasn’t large, and the group exited quickly. When the five of them stepped outside, they found themselves standing in the middle of a city.

Zhao Rong was astounded. He stared around and said with great curiosity, ”I never would have guessed... This Phoenix Dance Hall is an extraordinary place. Its entrance is in the heart of a bustling city, but its exit is in a remote, deserted canyon. It’s truly unexpected.”

The assistant looked at the surrounding streetscape, pointing out the signs. ”In front of us is Defu Lane, behind is the Bell and Drum Tower, to the left is Daxingshan Temple, and to the right is the City God Temple.”

Lili watched the bustling traffic and the crowds of people on the street in front of the dance hall. ”I can’t believe it,” she said, amazed. ”To think the Phoenix Dance Hall is right in the city center, surrounded by so many shops and people...”

Yu Lan recalled what it felt like when they first entered the Phoenix Dance Hall and said, ”Back then, we were walking through a desolate canyon and suddenly stumbled upon the building. We assumed it was abandoned and that no one would be inside. But when we entered, we found it was full of people. At first, we were just confused, wondering where they all came from. Only now that we’ve come out the other side do we realize the entrance is in the middle of the city!”

Xuelian asked Zhao Rong, ”Brother Zhao Rong, do you think it’s possible this dance hall is a tunnel connecting two different spacetimes?”

”Xuelian, you’re probably right,” Zhao Rong nodded in agreement. ”This dance hall must be a spacetime tunnel connecting the city center to that desert canyon. They’re two completely different worlds, different spaces, different places.”

”Wait,” the assistant asked in surprise, ”are you saying the canyon we were just in isn’t part of Earth or even Xijing City, but a separate space humanity hasn’t discovered yet?”

Zhao Rong nodded. ”That’s right. The desert canyon we were in is definitely an independent space.”

Lili stepped forward. ”Brother Zhao Rong, does that mean only we can enter that canyon? That no one else can get in?”

Zhao Rong nodded uncertainly. ”I think so. At least, that’s my guess. Otherwise, how could you leave a building in the city center and step out into a remote desert canyon? It’s impossible.”

”So, you’re saying only we can travel back and forth through this spacetime tunnel?” Yu Lan asked, intrigued. ”Other people can’t use the Phoenix Dance Hall to get to that desert canyon like we did, right?”

”Yu Lan, you should ask that bald man over there,” Zhao Rong suggested. ”See where he ends up when he leaves the Phoenix Dance Hall.”

Following Zhao Rong’s advice, Yu Lan immediately stopped a bald man who was about to enter the dance hall. ”Excuse me, bald man,” she said. ”Can I ask you a question?”

The man took ten yuan from his pocket, bought a ticket at the entrance, then turned back to Yu Lan. ”You can ask whatever you want,” he said with a lecherous grin, ”as long as you give me a free dance once we’re inside.”

Seeing his lecherous expression, Yu Lan slapped him across the face. ”I just wanted to ask a question! I’m not one of the dancers in there! Why are you looking at me like that? Get lost!”

The bald man, stunned by the slap, retorted defiantly, ”Every woman who comes to the Phoenix Dance Hall is a dancer! And you’re still putting on airs, pretending you’re not?”

Furious, Yu Lan kicked him squarely, sending him tumbling down the stairs. ”Damn it, didn’t I already tell you?! I’m just passing by, not a dancer from this place! Why are you still arguing? Talk back again and see if I don’t kick you to death!”

The man scrambled up from the bottom of the stairs, dusted himself off, and defiantly headed into the dance hall with his ticket. He paused at the door to glare back at Yu Lan. ”Just you wait, lady! If you ever do become a dancer here, I’ll make sure I never dance with you! I’ll make sure you have no business, that you don’t even make 500 yuan a night! I’ll force you to quit so you can never come back!”

Before he could finish his rant, Yu Lan snatched an empty beer bottle from the ground. ”You dare talk back again? I’ll smash your head in!” she shouted, hurling the bottle at him. It struck the man squarely on the back of the head, sending him sprawling face-first onto the floor.

Having dealt with the man, Yu Lan grabbed a young man who was about to enter. ”Hey, let me ask you something,” she said. ”If you go into this dance hall and then decide to leave through the back door, do you end up in a desert canyon?”

The young man looked at her, completely baffled. ”Lady, what are you talking about? If I go out the back door, I’ll just end up in one of the private rooms.”