Yang Zicang quickly used the business card to return to his room and inspected the items in his hands.
With awhoosh, as soon as he appeared in the room, Cuckoo was already at the door, pecking away with a knocking sound.
“Open up! Open up! “
Yang Zicang glanced that way and strode straight to the head of the bed. He unwrapped the cloth and suddenly realized the fabric had faint patterned lines.
He rubbed it eagerly, took out a stack about the thickness of a deck of cards, and carefully examined the markings on the card on top.
Then his brow furrowed.
It was perhaps just decoration, for the surface bore the pattern of a broken yin-yang checkerboard grid. Storing it away for the moment, Yang Zicang picked up the business cards. Most of them featured the shape of a pair of shears on the back. Five others, however, bore a turquoise totem traced with curved arcs, giving an icy sensation to the touch.
He now turned his attention to those cards with gardening shears on their reverse side and names printed on their front.
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Zhao Xuemei.｝
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Boboli.｝
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Zhao Anlong.｝
Yang Zicang’s eyes widened.
He flipped through the stack of cards and continued to look.
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Zhao Yun.｝
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Cheng Yunze.｝
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Ning Jiajia.｝
“These are… the Xiongying Squad and the Sixiang Heavenly Group? “
｛Cross-Fate Track Locator Card: Zhao Xuemei.｝
“Another Zhao Xuemei card! “
Yang Zicang shuffled through them and sure enough, several of these people had duplicate cards.
A thought struck Yang Zicang as he continued flipping. Soon he saw the names “Luo Bin ” and “Liang Xi, ” as well as the names of a few from “Headquarters, ” including the codename of that Miss Yeji, but…
“None from Rose Creek. “
Yang Zicang let out a breath, put them aside, and picked up the folded piece of paper.
“Thump thump thump. “
“Open the door! Open the door, thump thump thump!! “
Written on the paper was some text in a familiar handwriting.
— I know you’re doubting your own reality. But don’t worry about that.
— Those recorded on these cards are all individuals approved by us in the future. They are absolutely qualified to stay in this inn.
— The material for making the name card is found in every continental epoch. Its formula is: 1 petal of the Star-bound Blazing Rose, 10g of Mist Sea Rime Ice, 5g of Powdered Sleeping Shell Pearl, 1 sheet of Moon-Trace Grass Paper, and an appropriate amount of Shadow Lacquer Tree Sap.
— An alchemy workbench is required. Grind the Rime Ice, mix it with the pearl powder and crushed flower petals, use the lacquer tree sap as a medium, and inscribe the rune on the grass paper. Don’t worry, you have an alchemy workbench too; it’s on the Absolute Desperate Duel.
They have a Karl 2 as well?
Gaze strays downward.
— Hmm… on our timeline, the Absolute Desperate Duel does not exist. Remember, when an Angel beyond the fifth ring reaches the sixth ring, they no longer possess separate consciousness avatars. Although this wealth was originally one of the “Clout ” from the seventh ring, the Wealth Ring. But the saints have compensated us for this deficiency in resources.
— Additionally, those five “Cross-boundary Contract Name Cards ” that can return you to the Old Fate Trajectory are still half-finished. The manufacturing process for these name cards is different. If I complete them for you, they will only be usable by me. You’ll need to go to the Mist Sea yourself and search for the “Mist Sea Rime Ice. “
— Now, you may bid on room 410. If you miss these three days, he will try a method nobody wants to see to leave the motel, and by then, it will be too late for everything.
“He. “
Yang Zicang touched his chest, which was nearly fully healed.
“Who could it be in Room 410, to actually be killed by me… that boy, damn it… How long will I have to regret this?“
With these thoughts, feeling his reality beginning to fracture, Yang Zicang sat there with a rather blank mind for a moment.
“Open the door, open the door, give me back my bed!“
Yang Zicang rubbed his forehead, and in his mind, began to visualize the magic pattern of the “Hat Trick.” With his ability to communicate with the “Elemental Field,” he could no longer rely on the energy stored in gemstones.
As the intricate pattern unfolded in his memory, a pinch of pale-ashen virtual flame in his hand spat and twisted, abruptly yanking a black top hat out of thin air, as if flipping reality itself.
“Give me back my home!“
Plop!The metal box was tossed into the hat, and he followed by throwing in all the cards and the square cloth.
“If it’s time to bid, then let’s bid now.” Yang Zicang stood up solemnly. “No one is more suited to take up residence in Room 410 than them.“
He strode over and pulled the door open. Cuckoo Bird darted in with a whir, circling the room in less than two seconds before darting straight to Yang Zicang’s shoulder, pecking his cheek like a woodpecker,tok tok tok. “Give me back my home! Give me back my bed!“
“It is mine.“
With icy indifference, Yang Zicang sprinted down the stairs.
……
Zhao Anlong sat on the toilet, muttering, “Damn, this shit’s got me in a real pickle.“
His expression was filled with deep contemplation.
“This bastard, that tour group leader named Cuckoo. Anyone who can get in here and still act so arrogant… hmm, definitely no ordinary man. But that waste Wager won’t tell me who I’m up against. “
-｛The feilü Hotel manager is notifying me.｝
“Huh? “
-｛**feilü Hotel Manager Coco Lang: Hello, guest in Room 410. Your current room is being bid on by someone.
-｛Please prepare a true story that will resonate with Room 410 to tell next.｝
“Huh? Hah, this piece of shit. I wasn’t even looking for him, and he’s coming to me instead. Got some guts. “
Pulling up his pants, Zhao Anlong washed his hands, ran his fingers through his hair, and then looked at his own fists.
“Stories about endings? I’ve got a whole damn truckloadfullof ’em. What have you got to compete with me, you squeaky-voiced bastard named Cuckoo. “
He swung his arm fiercely, the sheer force of his fist causing the very air to ripple as if it were about to shatter.
……
Yang Zicang moved heavily down the hallway toward the stairs. She Liqing, having gotten the news, ran up after him from behind—there was no way he was staying alone over at Manager Pear’s next door anymore.
Right now, She Liqing only wanted to know who would win this bid: President Buchen, or the man he’d never met—the one whose single punch had nearly slammed She Liyu into the wall, leaving a human-shaped dent.
Cuckoo had already landed early, sinister and silent, on the brass horn pipe at the end of the corridor.
“Let’s settle this once and for all, you beast who stole my bed! “
Yang Zicang shot it a glance, then raised his hand and knocked on the door of room 410.
Click.The sound of the lock turning came from inside, and the door slowly opened a crack.
“—Bidding for Room 410 is now officially open. “
Behind the crack in the door, a young man lifted his gaze to look outside.
Bearing a faint scar on his face, a tall, slender figure, towering over himself by a head, stared back at him with a cold and grave expression.
Their eyes locked, and astonishment flashed across both of their faces in that instant.
“You? “
“Who are you? “
Yang Zicang and Zhao Anlong both spoke at the same time.
Immediately afterward, Yang Zicang felt his scalp crawl.
Zhao Anlong scrutinized the chilly face of the man outside for a moment—the burn scars on it convinced him that this was one hell of a man, capable of eclipsing even his own aura of destruction!
This one indeed had the makings of a worthy opponent!
Though his voicewasa bit high-pitched.
“Come on, you who call yourself Cuckoo! You’ve got the audacity to challenge me, me, Grand Marshal Anlong—reckon that takes some guts and nerve! “
The corner of Yang Zicang’s mouth twitched.
“I’m the one who’s Cuckoo! ” A flustered voice came from the wall beside them. Little Bird Cuckoo flapped its wings within. “Sock it to him! Make him give me back my bed! “
“What the hell is that? ” Hearing that oh-so-familiar voice from an unexpected angle, Zhao Anlong craned his head and cast a sidelong glance upward—only to find a weirdly colored bird doing the talking.
Then, suddenly, understanding dawned on him.
“Was that you speaking just now? “
Cuckoo also craned its neck: “Never said it wasn’t me! Great Marshal! “
Zhao Anlong’s face suddenly flushed red-hot.
He had actually argued for a good while with a bird! Turning his head back to look at the man outside the force field, he had already completely relegated gestures of sentiment and awe to oblivion.
Spectral shadows erupted from his body, brimming with images of carnage and killing upon all things and people.
“Come on, step inside. Let me see how you plan to catch this fist of mine. “
So it was… him.
Yang Zicang fell silent for a moment, then turned his head toward the speaker beside the Cuckoo and said: “For challenging Room 410, besides me there are two others. “
“Who else? Come at me together. ” Zhao Anlong exuded an audacious momentum, akin to a rampaging dragon.
He watched as the man with the utterly ruined face, clad in a long black coat, raised a hand.
“Ground-Haze Bedchamber. “
A fold of light on Yang Zicang’s chest flashed swiftly down to his fingertip, tracing a phantasmal golden coffin into the air. It rapidly coalesced, and through its semi-translucent shell could be glimpsed two human figures asleep facing one another within.
“What is this? “
“This is the experience I want to recount. “
Yang Zicang addressed the figure before him with grave solemnity:
“My two friends, who lost their lives, traveled with me from the last Track of Fate to arrive here. Though their life force has halted, their bodies can endure for eternity. What I must do—seek out a way to eventually awaken them. “
“Resurrection? What insane nonsense are you spouting? “
—Ding-a-ling!
“In the current experience witnessed by the hotel, Chairman Yang, who has been bidding on this room, has already demonstrated a life experience remarkably suited to Room 410. “
“Wait, what do you mean? Are there two corpses inside here? “
“They are a pair of lovers, an engaged couple who had vowed to grow old together. This also perfectly aligns with the contract of marriage, binding two people together until the very end. “
Zhao Anlong’s face suddenly changed.
“Hey, are you kidding me?! What kind of damn place is this?! This is worse than any shady inn you could imagine! “
“Please have the current occupant of Room 410 narrate or demonstrate your experiences and story. “
“Me! ” Zhao Anlong looked at his own fists, urgency filling his face. “I once shattered the heart of that giant evil nightmare vessel with a single punch! “
“That is far from enough to defend your room. ” The voice in the speaker remained as steady and gentle as ever.
“I’ve also resonated three Chaos Pulse Rings that carried bloodline of destruction within less than three months, and purified them! “
“Wait, I have plenty of experiences and stories. I… I’ve lost count of the monsters I’ve taken down. “
“If it were just an ordinary bid, sir, these experiences of yours would already surpass others. But even if you took all of them together and compared them to this experience, you’d still come up short. Current score: 0 to 1. “
“How is that possible?! “
Zhao Anlong’s face was a mixture of fury and contempt.
“They’re just a couple of corpses. If stuff like that can be counted as a successful bid… “
His eyes were filled with murderous intent as he stared at the man before him, as well as at another plain-faced man on the corridor nearby who was already stunned by the sight.
“I think I can find a ‘thing’ like that to bid with, too. “
The loudspeaker fell silent.
Yang Zicang knew the manager, who was watching closely, could tell where the difference between the two sides lay. However, if he himself didn’t speak up, the value the current “bid item ” had shown would go no further.
Zhao Anlong swung the door wide open.
“Bring it in here. Just you wait, I’ll punch you to death with one blow, and then count you as part of this story too. “
Seeing Zhao Anlong flying into a rage, Yang Zicang let out a faint smile.
“Don’t be so hasty. My story isn’t finished yet. Earlier I said what I wanted to do was revive them in the future. “
“And talk about resurrection counts as part of your experience? Hah! If so, I can say it too—I, the great Commander Anlong, vow to resurrect all those people and creatures I’ve killed, in the future! “
—————————— “That wish is acceptable. Current score: 1 to 1. ” A voice rang out from the loudspeaker immediately.
“What? That counted? “
Zhao Anlon paused for a second, then clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.
“Hahaha, and here I thought this inn was some high-class place. Turns out one bit of bullshit is enough to fool it? What a low-grade Demon Hero Hall! Hell, it’s not even that ！ This cell for luring people in doesn’t deserve the name ‘Demon Hero Hall’ at all! “
Cuckoo stretched its neck, tilting its head to look down at the top of Yang Zicang’s head, a flicker of doubt and contemplation in its gaze.
Amidst the loud laughter echoing from the room, She Liqing walked over from the hallway. “Captain… is what you said true? Was that really a long-held wish of yours?“
A shadow fell over Yang Zicang’s eyes.
“Bullshit like that, anyone can say it. Because that’s simply not—a-hee hee-li, o-ho-ho-keke.” Zhao Anlong stuck out his tongue:
“Hmm, alright. Now I can tell you about my other experiences, including the part about me punching your head right off your shoulders next. That makes it 2 to 1, doesn’t it? My turf, so my score goes first!“
Ignoring the ceaselessly ringing voice, She Liqing sighed softly and said to Yang Zicang:
“It’s true… Even I have wished for that. I, too, desperately wished my friend, who came into this world with me only to die half a day later, could have been revived. If he had made it this far, he’d definitely be doing better than I am.“
He lifted his head, his gaze filled with deep respect.
“But your wish, Captain, is different. You truly believe in it and are acting on it, not like…“
He cast a glance towards Zhao Anlong in the room, who was insincerely laughing and jeering at everything outside.
“…Not like someone who just mouths it off for fun. I know you’re not saying it casually. I knew from the very first moment I met you that you must be carrying a burden of your own.“
“Thank you,” Yang Zicang replied with a quiet, appreciative voice, feeling a sense of solace.
“Just like in an anime.“
“……“
The group fell into a momentary silence.
“Hahaha, what a joke! So these are the members of your travel group? From group leader to members, turns out you’re just putting on a show. Come on, enough with the nonsense, get in here. Let me take you out with one punch, then I’ll take your floor. Hurry it up. “
— “Chairman Yang, do you have anything else to add? “
The cuckoo bird flapped its wings and chirped out:
“You bastards, what else could you possibly have to add? Since you still have a trace of that mindset you share with my old friends, give me back the bed, and I’ll help you send off your suicide note. “
“Chairman! ” She Liqing stared at him with a grave look.
Yang Zicang’s chest rose and fell gently as he drew a deep breath, then evened out just as slowly.
“I have something to add. “
“Oh? Still not giving up? Come on, whatever you add, I’ll match it. “
Zhao Anlong seemed to have found the secret formula to counter him as he crossed his arms, cocked his head, and stared back at the face at the door, now stripped of its air of mystery by his own hand.
“I’ve already found a way to bring them back to life, Brother Anlong. “
“What! ” Zhao Anlong was stunned for two whole seconds. “I-I-I-I… hang on, you have a way to resurrect people? Wait, you know me? Ah, no—I told that damned my my name. That bastard bird almost pulled a fast one on me. So tell me, how does your method work? “
His tone suddenly faltered. “And how the hell can you prove it? “
— “I’m ready and, am waiting for ready to be disclaimed your proof. “
The cuckoo bird swiftly flown, whipping itself up swept whistled leasant circle drappeared ring on Yang zicang’ Should handle set a reversed ineffect hold looking at the shimmering na, gio in mid stkine. As flustered as a leek ram, it tilted out strangely neat shiny cloud Bright icon across I n chest.
The rotating quadrilateral within slowed down, becoming square, and then one of its corners lit up.
“What are you going to do? “
｛I begin to reveal: Ancient Gold-level secret.｝
A golden light point was guided by his finger following the impulse surging in his heart, unfolding phantom curtains of light between his fingers.
“Isn’t that light point… ” Zhao Anlong’s expression shifted repeatedly. That bastard Wager, how could something like this manage to break into the hotel?
｛I can reveal the content of the Ancient Gold-level secret I want to manifest based on memory and imagination.｝
Trembling images flashed chaotically.
Amidst these disorganized scenes, it was hard to discern anything useful from the visuals alone, but the trio of people and one bird present seemed to read something absolute through these frantic pictures…
A summary of information about the departed, rising from death in a skeletal form in some place.
“This is…! “
｛I have read the Ancient Gold-level secret.｝
A mental resonance of the model sounded in the hearts of Zhao Anlong and She Liqing.
“What! You damned… you are… “
Zhao Anlong’s mouth clamped tightly shut, suddenly feeling his face turn blazing red.
“You actually… possess an Ancient Gold-level secret about revival, even if it be in the form of skeletons. “
He turned his head to look at the loudspeaker outside the doors, saying dejectedly:
“Is this your reason for being certain that he, using these two corpses, can surpass my lifetime of destructive experiences and win upon bidding terms? “
“—Precisely so, esteemed guest sir. He genuinely wishes to resurrect his friend and is acting towards that goal. He has even obtained a fruit already. It’s just… he doesn’t yet consider it perfect. Otherwise. “
Yang Zicang suddenly snapped awake.
Manager Mus from the horn seemed to laugh softly.
“—Keep it up, Chairman Yang. This goal of yours cannot be fully carried by just a fraction of radiance alone. So, this fruit you’ve forgotten, today, by this very turn of events, will be re-sorted and compiled into the annals of your life. Chairman Anlong, do you have any more experiences to add? “
A sudden surge of delight rose in Yang Zicang’s chest. So this also counted as a “Group Radiance Flash! “
Zhao Anlong was utterly defeated. “Even intelligence at the level of ‘Ancient Gold’ has been brought forth as proof, so naturally, I have no more stories to add in regard to this room. But—! “
He snorted coldly. “With the remaining rooms, I want to see what you’ve got to compete with. I’ll need… hmm, …Which room should I move into? “
“Congratulations, Chairman Yang. Now Room 410 is yours as well. “
Zhao Anlong lifted his head, looking towards She Liqing. “Hey, you want to come over to my side? I can give you a Key. “
“……“
“……“
Yang Zicang touched his forehead. This man still hasn’t recognized me to this very day.
“Room 404 is about confronting major health issues, 405 is about guiding the younger generation to share experiences, hmm… ” He was stroking his chin.
Yang Zicang now knew why his future… teammate… or… he shook his head, flicking the image of the boy from his mind, then a faint white virtual flame sparked at his fingertips as he made a flipping motion, invertedly holding the long black top hat in his hand.
Cuckoo dashed inward with a sharp chirp, and Yang Zicang quickly moved his hat under Zhao Anlong’s gaze, which stared at him like he was insane. His left hand moved as fast as lightning, pressing into the hat’s brim, snatching the iron box a millisecond before Cuckoo touched it, grabbing that stack of cards, and recalling the rune patterns in his mind to send them into the void.
“You beast! Peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck, peck! “
Yang Zicang waved his hand, shaking the bird that seemed stuck to him along with the gray mist.
“You mongrel! You even resonated with the Five Elements Force Field without a single bloodline fluctuation! Wow, what kind of spatial treasure is this hat? Sell it? “
“Can sell. But there’s something more fitting for you, hmm, maybe. “
“What do you mean? Heh, are you trying to bribe me? “
Zhao Anlong looked at the stack of business cards in his hand. “Could it be that kind of thing? No way, hehe, where did you crawl out from, you bastard? “
Back in the room, Zhao Anlong silently admired the man before him again—this guy’s ability to casually hide his tricks came so effortlessly, and he was filled with envy for such skills.
Yang Zicang selected a name card with the name “Zhao Xuemei ” on it, glanced at it, and presented it with its back facing upright within his kinetic field.
“I haven’t properly thanked you for last time yet; consider this my compensation to you. But if you fail to use it successfully, then you can’t blame me. “
Yang Zicang has no idea if they are real; for now, he can only give it a try.
Zhao Anlong studied the unfamiliar pattern on the back of the business card, momentarily unable to match it with anything in his memory. Could this be some kind of conspiracy?
Seeing that the man was actually hesitant to take it, Yang Zicang chuckled and said, “Mr. Zhao Anlong, don’t you want a girlfriend? “
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