The door to room 405 was carefully pulled open, and the young man wearing a human-skin mask glanced outside.
The corridors to the left and right were both empty.
As he focused his observation, Little Bird was already downstairs in the bar, drinking freely and happily amidst the music.
“Truly a fine brew. ” The delicate little Cuckoo, colored like a franc, vividly buried its head in the small wine glass, took a sip, then lifted its head, squinting its small round eyes, and contentedly swallowed the liquid down its throat little by little.
“There’s a hint of sweetness in the front, hmm~ and a subtle, lingering finish as well.” It smacked its beak, took another sip, swished it around in its mouth a few times, “Then the mid-notes change, and the fragrance really comes through, though there’s a slight undercurrent of burnt caramel, and… hmm, a faint floral and fruity scent, very long-lasting.“
“You’re a true connoisseur among these travelers. What about the finish?“
“The finish?” The little Cuckoo Mallard slowly swallowed, feeling a gentle warmth in its throat, then let out a long breath, as if chasing the last vestiges of that mysterious energy:
“The aftertaste is rich and full-bodied, with a lasting fragrance. Even several seconds after swallowing, Buk can still pick up that aged incense in its nostrils, lingering on the teeth and cheeks, refusing to fade.“
“If you like it, you could have another small glass.” The conductor and bar pianist Cocoro Lang clapped lightly as he spoke.
“No, I still have some folks to set straight. This single glass, just this much…” Little Bird smacked its beak, “Well, maybe just a little more couldn’t hurt.“
……
Back in Room 407, ‘Medwiser’ watched as the botanist brought out a bundle of grass to present and explain.
Each one had been plucked from the roadside by this honest, burly man during their journey, and after careful selection and identification, they were deemed anomalous specimens.
“I had originally planned to bring them back to the Association, but, well, it’s a pity.” The botanist Edmund, wearing a frayed old shirt washed pale by the villagers, bore a look of sorrow when he said this.
“What’s wrong?” Kim Crist asked with concern.
Edmund turned to Medwiser. In his eyes, this mysterious and powerful man had, in an instant, carried them away from danger through means that were extraordinarily formidable. What’s more, he knew the White Violet Hero, which surely marked him as an exceptionally powerful figure.
“Actually, after entering, I felt that I must have run into bad people earlier. My guild members were all killed when a building they were in for a meeting was hit by rebel artillery shells and collapsed. They died in the ruins.“
Edmund continued, “Actually, after coming in, I felt I might have been deceived. Because my guild members perished when the building they were in for a meeting was struck by rebel shells and collapsed, claiming all their lives.“
“You never said anything about this before.” Kim Crist’s expression turned to one of sudden astonishment.
“I no longer had their funding, and I am not some profound botanist. It was only to infiltrate that organization to gain some funding that I had taught myself a great deal of related knowledge. As it turns out, not having the qualifications to attend the senior-level meetings saved my life.“
“What exactly happened?“
Edmund was overcome with a sense of dejection. “By the time I arrived that day, Ms. Millie inside was barely clinging to life. What a pity I didn’t get her to the hospital in time. Before she died, she urged me to find this person called the Blazelight Herald and tell her about the plants’ anomaly…“
Medwiser raised his head. “The Blazelight Herald isn’t a person, but a codename for a group. I’m barely one of them.“
“What? “
“Is this the only anomaly you discussed in your meeting? “
As he spoke, the youth took a leaf and gently rubbed its surface texture. If he weren’t a botanist, he himself wouldn’t have noticed any difference. He fixed his gaze on some tiny, silk-like filaments on its surface.
“These little fuzz shouldn’t be here? ” The youth’s eyes were locked onto the man before him. “Is this what killed your association members? “
Edmund wiped his eyes with his sleeve:
“Yes. This is usually a characteristic of plants from high-altitude regions. They really shouldn’t be appearing here, in these ordinary mountain areas we’ve been passing through. “
……
Having told the few to rest and not to wander off, Yang Zicang picked up his brown leather suitcase stored in the room and walked out.
This matter was too bizarre, but the ambush this time was unmistakably telling him that this matter seemed extremely important.
Suddenly, he felt a terrifying aura surging from beside him.
Instantly, Yang Zicang’s body erupted with the yellow-based, orange-gleaming Chrono-Void Flame. He whipped his head around and saw a humanoid creature with spots and a ferocious aura leaning against the tunnel wall, yawning.
This time, it was wearing an additional piece of worn-out leather armor, making it look exceptionally vicious.
The gazes of the distributors flared up.
Little Bird stood atop its head, fluttering its wings.
“Yang Zicang, you’re getting bolder and bolder! “
Medwiser let out a snort, peeled off the mask from his face, and looked at the creature before him. “Why did you bring it out? The degree of temporal abundance I possess now is hardly what it used to be.“
Little Bird jumped up and down in an exasperated fury.
The creature below, however, grunted with a chuckle and said in a raspy voice, “I just didn’t want to offend you—you who can enter this place and have already taken control of so many rooms. The unfortunate Chosen One, the one perched on top of me is actually a being of formidable power. You might as well offer up a room for it to stay in and improve the relationship between you two. I don’t fancy listening to all this caustic chatter every day either.“
“Hey, I didn’t tell you to ask for a room on my behalf; I told you to have it fix him.“
The monster, leaning against the wall with arms crossed, let out a haughty laugh. “If it can be solved with words, why resort to fists?“
Yang Zicang shifted his footing slightly.
“If you’re willing to clarify precisely the function of that bed, then I might consider this exchange.“
With that, he flashed a feigned smile and said to Little Bird, “Have your employee put away, I’ll treat you to a drink.“
“I just had one,” Little Bird replied, staring very seriously at the man smirking at her from the corridor. After a few seconds, her small, nimble face twitched. “I want the most expensive thing you’ve got.“
……
Following Little Bird down to the basement, the temporarily stashed-away creature was set free again.
Cuckoo reasoned that since someone else was footing the bill for the drinks, naturally they should squeeze out every bit of value at the highest possible rate.
Even if a fight broke out in the bar, there would be no temporal or Stellar Yuan damage. So Yang Zicang was happy to get to know this lazy employee of Little Bird’s.
“The most expensive one, ‘Heartbroken Queen,’ costs ten thousand years of Time Sequence per glass, but you two aren’t qualified to order it yet. “
“Damn it. Then what’s the second best? “
Coco Lang looked over at the person being stared down by the Defender and Little Bird as the one footing the bill: “Hmm, I recommend ‘Forgetfulness Spring Water,’ a thousand years of Time Sequence per glass. “
“Let’s go with that. Just two cups. Give me a glass of juice worth one day of Time Sequence. “
After dealing with those two, Yang Zicang carried the metal bird, which smacked its beak and had a slightly distant look in its eyes, toward Room 405—now registered under Zhao Anlong, but still unoccupied.
“Only… the wine of the Divine Hotel… can truly… let one drink to oblivion… ” Little Bird mumbled, its voice growing softer.
The room was very quiet. Yang Zicang set Little Bird down to let the strange creature sleep soundly. Then he opened his suitcase and started checking the contents.
Clothes, a notebook, and the deep, Indigenous-style wood carving he had acquired—he took it out and examined it closely.
“Park Myung… this time, should it be called Park Silver Group, or Park… Hmm, I wonder how Jin-Yin is using the info we brought out. “
He gently rubbed it, then put it down, and took another look at the neatly folded clothes inside, as well as the Bloodline Statue beside them. Suddenly, the drowsy Little Bird beside him flapped its wings, flipped over, and jumped up. It fluttered over to stand on the edge of the suitcase and peered inside.
“What’s in there? “
“What do you mean, ‘what’? “
“Lemme smell. ” Little Bird stretched its head, swaying left and right in a circle, then hopped down to peck around. Suddenly, it stretched out its wing and flipped the folded clothes, causing a soft, thumb-sized object to fall out from within.
Little Bird paused, slightly dazed, then stretched its head toward the small, dent-like opening. A faint, ethereal shadow suddenly rushed out, wavered beside it for a moment, then retreated back inside.
“Resentment of Injustice. “
Yang Zicang recognized this small hive.
This hive… when he first arrived in this world, Yang Zicang had tied it to his arm together with a silk scarf. But later, it became really too uncomfortable, and aside from occasionally helping him detect people around him who harbored malicious intent in their thoughts, it didn’t have much of a practical use.
Because Yang Zicang, who carried this thing, soon discovered that people who smiled on the surface but radiated malicious intent in their minds were everywhere in the village and on the streets. Many of those evil thoughts were merely anger in their hearts and fantasies of venting. In the end, they were never acted upon.
Therefore, Yang Zicang, having thought its resentment-detecting ability was meant to warn him, eventually just put it away in the suitcase.
“Do you know what this thing is? ” Yang Zicang asked.
Little Bird thought for a moment, then hopped down, saying, “Mm… I just smelled the scent of honey. I thought I was mishearing things. “
With that, it staggered a couple of steps on stiff legs, then collapsed onto the soft clothing and fell asleep.
Yang Zicang glanced at it a few times, picked up the nearby honeycomb that was wreathed in faint wisps of vapor, and tucked it into the inner pocket on the front of his jacket.
“Still need rest? If you do, I’ll leave you here.“
“As if.“
） “Then we’ll leave.” Yang Zicang picked up his luggage and walked out, but suddenly paused. He looked at the deep, closed doors on both sides of the corridor and, for a moment, didn’t know which room to put the suitcase in.
……
Shidefen’s World Ark headquarters building.
Two large airships are permanently suspended above it, always kept in reserve—though its very existence might also be a source of danger.
Hailikoni stood at the top floor of the skyscraper, gazing down at the bustling building below.
The distant city had become vast and desolate; any moderately loud noise could carry a long way. Yet compared to the quiet interior of the building down there, the people here seemed full of vitality—as if, after the whole world had fallen into unpopulated silence, here still remained the last spark of life representing humanity.
“Can you believe… we’ve actually been here this long.“
A girl with small freckles on her face stood by the side, swinging her arm somewhat boredly. Yet, a smile lingered on her face as she intently stared at the footage coming through the “Televizer, ” depicting scenes of a coastal country.
“The president of the Hevenor Science Heritage Preparatory Committee is actually reading advertising slogans for data collection on the Televizer. Hey, Koni, do you know that lecherous old researcher with those wandering eyes? “
“Mm, I don’t really know many people from the academy. “
“Ha, right. No offense to anyone, but I really dislike that old man. How did he even end up as president? Sigh. “
“Do you want to go back? ” Hailikoni turned her head and asked.
“I… ” Jennifer thought for a moment, then also turned her head to look at the crowd below. “Of course I want to go back. But, how do I put it… Even though back home there are also many people gathered together, especially now with it being crowded everywhere, compared to the crowding over there, I actually prefer it here a little more. And you? “
“I… ” Hailikoni looked at the vibrant, novelty-filled black-and-white images on the Televizer, alongside the sounds inside. She said, “I don’t know. “
“You don’t know? ” Jennifer looked quite surprised.
Hailikoni’s expression was calm, yet carried a hint of uncertainty about the future.
“My family wants me to stay by Lieutenant General Ross’s side. Though it’s hectic and I do like being busy, I’ve always felt it’s… someplace I don’t want to stay. “
“That’s because you don’t like that kind of old general, right? They can be so exasperating sometimes. Ah well, though some people really covet your position. But now that you’ve come out here, the family probably won’t have anything more to say about it, will they? “
Jennifer looked at the woman’s profile, nudging her with her arm. “You know, I actually think Chairman Yang doesn’t have any prejudice against you. “
Haili Koni turned her head.
“Still don’t understand what’s going on, little girl? “
Jennifer curved her lips into a mischievous smile. “Is it that you don’t want to go back, want to stay here, but you’re afraid of losing something? “
“I… “
“Ah, what a pity. The clothing stores here are all closed. Otherwise, I could go with you to pick out a few new outfits. “
As she spoke, there was a sudden knock on the door. The two of them turned around. Jennifer made a “shh ” gesture, then ran to open it. Panting heavily, Hua Mi said outside, “Ladies, we’re starting to move out. “
“Move? Move where? “
“Hmm, up into the sky. “
……
Sitting on a rock, her shirt fluttering in the sea breeze, Cheng Yunze gazed at the distant ocean, waiting for nightfall.
Beside him and Anxi—who was eating a local roasted wheat flatbread—were piles of paper that had all become old and worn: not a single sheet was an exception.
“So see, those ferriers on the Mist Sea who can see a few minutes into the future, the salvagers, and the unlucky ones out on the land—they’re all called du-min. “.
“Without such a mind-powered train, would it only be possible to find the storm wall into the Fog Sea relatively smoothly with the help of those Crossing People rejected by the land? ” Cheng Yunze turned his head and asked.
“Essentially, without them, one indeed cannot see where a storm will suddenly appear. ” Anxi chewed on some bread, swallowed, and said:
“This is what those Crossing People told me while I was at sea. I’m not sure if they were boasting. “
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