After her death, Qing Ya spent tens of thousands of years drifting through the river of history. One day, as she gazed at the mural of a celestial maiden playing a pipa behind her back, a familiar hum suddenly rang out in her mind. It was neither the sound of wind nor shifting sand, but a cold, clear electronic tone etched deep in her soul. It sounded gentler than it had a thousand years ago, yet still carried its distinctive mechanical rhythm.
“Energy fluctuations successfully matched. Host Qing Ya’s soul signal locked. System 009, restarting connection across a thousand years.”
Qing Ya’s soul shuddered, as if struck by lightning. She stopped in disbelief. Wind and sand passed through her body, but could not carry away the sudden flutter in her heart. That voice... Was it 009? The System that had accompanied her through the chaos of the Southern Song, taught her medicine, helped her establish herself in Lin’an, and finally fallen silent with the passage of time? “009?” she called out tentatively in her mind, her voice trembling in a way she herself did not notice. “Hello, Host. I am System 009. 009.” The electronic voice remained steady, but somehow sounded warmer. “Detected that Host has left the physical body and existed in soul form for over a thousand years. Current coordinates: Mogao Caves, Dunhuang, China. Energy replenishment complete. This restart establishes a permanent connection.”
