Chapter 286: Punklord Spirit (6)

"Huh? Why aren't you believing the omen? I told you it's on the right, the right!"

Under Yin Lang's repeated insistence, the left passage was simply blocked off, so Xing had no choice but to follow Yin Lang all the way down the right passage.

Along the way, Xing noticed that Luosi Gumu seemed very familiar with Yin Lang—not just her hacking skills, but even her temperament.

"You seem to know her well?"

"Just a brief encounter," Luosi Gumu nodded. "I once sparred with her, and Black Tower was present—she may have mentioned it to you."

Xing vaguely recalled that Luosi Gumu had won, but he refuted, "In my view, that wasn't a victory. It was more a test than a duel. She attacked, I defended; there was no winner, each side held back. She couldn't breach the differential engine sphere's defenses, and I didn't stop her from walking away."

——

Full‑time Hunter.

The sunset painted the sky orange‑red, and a breeze rustled the grass. Xiao Jie sat cross‑legged under a tree, hands behind his head, gazing up at the girl's silhouette against the heavens.

"Qi Ya, you think…" he suddenly said, his voice unusually thoughtful, "that girl called Yin Lang looks about our age, right?"

Qi Ya was twirling a coin, his silver hair flickering in the wind. Upon hearing, his finger froze, and the coin rang "ding" as it was flung into the air.

"Hmm… she looks three or four years older than us? You can't judge humans in the universe by looks alone," he nonchalantly caught the falling coin, "So, jealous that she can hack into the Simulated Universe?"

Xiao Jie shook his head, eyes still fixed on the distance: "A bit envious… that Luosi Gumu gentleman is a genius recognized by the Star God; to match his skill without falling behind… she must have worked hard behind the scenes, right?"

Qi Ya turned his head, looking at Xiao Jie's profile gilded by the sunset. This usually blunt fellow, when he shows such a serious expression, always reminds him of a crystal‑clear lake.

"Hey…" Qi Ya chuckled helplessly, "You phrase it as if you're lazy and unmotivated. You didn't skimp on effort to save Mr. Kai Te, did you?"

"Moreover, compared to Yin Lang, I think you have something even more special than she does," Qi Ya said seriously.

Xiao Jie, surprised by the words, turned his head and met Qi Ya's smiling blue eyes.

"What special thing?"

"It's…" Qi Ya looked at the distant forest, then abruptly changed tack and asked an unrelated question, "Xiao Jie, do you still remember those people we met during the Hunter Exam?"

"Of course I do!" Xiao Jie laughed brightly, counting on his fingers, "Lei Ou Li, Ku La Pi Ka, Xi Suo… and many, many others."

Qi Ya's mouth twitched upward involuntarily.

This is it... he thought.

Everyone can't help but be drawn to you, even a pervert like Xi Suo. Most astonishing is that even someone like me, who came from the darkness, is attracted by your light.

Perhaps... you've never realized how dazzling you are?

——

"While speaking, Yin Lang had already entered the next room."

"Finally near the end. Hilarious, there's a Black Tower little figure here," Yin Lang leaned in to scrutinize the Black Tower doll, "She's narcissistic, huh? The whole space station is her face—portraits, statues, and a ton of projections."

"The Ether Tape is in the next room, but Xing sensed a strange feeling."

Luosi Gumu: "Indeed, this sense of dissonance runs throughout. She came for the Star Core, yet she also showed keen interest in oddities, and after we became aware of the Ether Tape's existence, she appeared in the Simulated Universe at just the right moment."

"It feels as if we're not tracking her, but she appears on our path."

"I recall a story: in Punklord, graffiti is a special symbol. Hackers treat reality as a grand game, seeking life's 'clearance.'"

"Whether for competition or joy, they leave their marks wherever they go—one pattern after another, linking the long journey, scripting life's game." Luosi Gumu smiled faintly, "Doesn't it resemble our current situation? Perhaps she went to great lengths just to play a child's game with us."

Following Yin Lang into the final room, Xing saw the Ether Tape placed intact before Yin Lang and found the situation odd.

Luosi Gumu also read the doubt on Xing's face, noting that there was an untimely third party present.

"If the Yin Lang we see is a past image, she couldn't have reached here; otherwise the tape wouldn't be unharmed. So the hypothesis conflicts with reality."

Thus he believes Yin Lang indeed hacked into Black Tower's office but didn't linger. Confronted with the Simulated Universe's sea of data, to locate a specific target quickly, unless...

"Unless there is a suitable guide."

Yin Lang suddenly turned, speaking slowly.

——

Honkai 3.

"Leonard, Xing, Luosi Gumu, Black Tower... indeed," Bu Luo Ni Ya cleared her throat, beginning to mimic Ren's ultra‑magnetic bubble voice:

"There are five people, three actors, Xing..."

"Pfft—hahaha!" Qi Ya Na couldn't hold back, laughing and collapsing onto the desk, her twin ponytails swinging nonstop: "Bu, Bu Luo Ni Ya... you imitate me way too well!"

"I didn't expect Yin Lang to act so naturally; seems she has a bit of talent beyond hacking," Ji Zi smiled faintly.

"Of course, and let's see whose counterpart it is," Bu Luo Ni Ya lifted her chin proudly.

"Hey! Isn't your counterpart the Great Guardian in Bei Luo Bo Ge, the one the company just chased for debt repayment?" Qi Ya Na complained angrily, "How can you have two counterparts while I have none! Ya Yi doesn't either! This is unfair!"

"But that's just how it is."

Bu Luo Ni Ya smiled slyly: "Compared to that Great Guardian, Yin Lang's personality suits my taste better. Whether it's Yin Lang's nickname or hacker identity... Miss Yin Lang clearly resembles me more."