Chapter 321: Pinokangni Chapter Ten

Bu Lusi nodded.

"Young Master Wei En, since you mentioned speculation, I also have some of my own views," A'erfuleide gently wiped the rim of his cup, "I agree with your 'the watchmaker is still alive' hypothesis—but I don't think he is imprisoned; rather, he stayed in Pinokangni of his own volition."

Bu Lusi furrowed his brow slightly: "Why?"

"Perhaps Pinokangni is closely tied to that watchmaker; this city of dreams needs him. The so‑called 'legacy' is to succeed him and bind deeply with Pinokangni," A'erfuleide said softly, "Of course, it may be a cage… but people are good at building cages for themselves and calling it a mission."

——

"After the chat, everyone returned to their own rooms. Xing just reached San Yueqi's door when she heard her excited voice."

"Wow! What a huge bathtub…"

Xing pushed the door open and saw San Yueqi jumping for joy; especially when talking about the current situation, she was not at all as solemn as Yang Shu or Ji Zi, but rather even more excited.

"At first I really thought this was a vacation, but now… I feel this 【Grand Event】 is definitely extraordinary! All factions are decoding riddles, vying for the legacy, just like a detective novel!"

"Maybe there will be classic twists like family members turning against each other, households shattered, yin‑yang separation, rivers of blood—how thrilling…"

——

Grim Reaper.

"Every time this little girl predicts, seven or eight out of ten are correct."

Under the night sky of Kuozuo Town, on the roof of Pu Yuan's shop, Ye Yi stretched lazily and watched San Yueqi with amused interest.

"Oh?" Pu Yuan Xizhu tipped his hat brim, the fan covering half his face, "I didn't expect you to be so interested in her."

"Can't help but pay attention. Do you remember back at Bei Luo Bo Ge? She said then that Dan Heng should use the 'hidden power'… and indeed she had it, and it was the power of Luofu Long Zun."

"The Ting Yun incident was similar… she said 'the person appearing at the port must be the mastermind', and it turned out that Ting Yun was actually a manifestation of Jue Mie Da Jun, so the girl was right again."

Ye Yi spread his hands: "I now think this girl's offhand words might be more effective than Aili O."

"But this time it's different, Pinokangni is a dream," Pu Yuan looked up at Ye Yi crouching on the eaves, "Yin‑yang separation and rivers of blood could happen when the Ming Huo Da Gong arrives, but family members turning against each other… could Zhigengniao actually clash with Xingqiri?"

"Not sure, but Xingqiri… I feel his mind is as meticulous as Shajin's. Still, to become the representative of the 【Tong Xie】 family, how could he be a simple person?"

——

"After talking with San Yueqi, Xing was about to return to her room, but as soon as she entered, she saw Shajin standing inside."

"Shajin greeted Xing warmly, smiling, 'Don't be nervous, I'm just here to share some good luck. It's your room now, but half the system time ago—still mine.'"

He used the room as an entry point, indicating he just wanted a simple chat with Xing.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Smart people are straightforward." Shajin smiled contentedly, "In short, friend, I need your help. You may not know yet that Pinokangni is far less simple than it appears; the family's eyes are everywhere here. I won't state it outright, you understand."

"My goal is simple: help the company reclaim some things that belong to it. If you help me, once it's done you'll receive generous rewards and the protection of 【Cunhu】."

"After all, you're different from others. You're special, special enough to overturn the whole table," the intonation rose like a meticulously designed magic act, "That power—don't you want to use it? Or… don't you want to get rid of it? Don't you want to fame the universe with it?"

"The power that everyone fears yet craves lies within your grasp…"

Shajin suddenly lowered his voice; his breath carried a dangerous yet alluring aura, like a hook dangling with bait.

"Miss 【Xing He】, am I right?"

Xing furrowed her brow: "How did you know?"

"I know now," Shajin said with a meaning‑laden smile.

——

Sword Art Online.

Ai En Ge Lang Te, 22nd Floor.

The cabin was warmed by the hearth, Asuna wrapped in a blanket, staring at Shajin's elegant yet dangerous expression against the sky, unconsciously leaning toward Kirito.

"Being friends with someone like this feels like there are no secrets at all," she sighed lightly, "It feels like you could be calculated against at any moment, leaving not even a bone."

Kirito added a log to the fire and laughed softly, "If he's a teammate, he's definitely the core of the core—good at reading hearts and cooperating with other factions. Aligning interests with him makes the whole team unstoppable; but if on the opposite side…"

Asuna rested her chin on her knees, hair hanging, "What then?"

"I don't know either; so far we haven't met such a person," Kirito said, watching the sparks burst in the fireplace, "But compared to the glaring threat of Ming Huo Da Gong, Xing should indeed be more wary of people like Shajin and Xingqiri… even if Shajin now shows goodwill."

In his view, Xingqiri and Shajin are like icebergs floating on the sea; it's hard to guess how massive they are beneath the water. Colliding with them recklessly would only end in pulverized bones.

——

"You don't need to answer me now; thinking takes time. When the moment is right, I'll naturally come to you. Of course, you can also discuss with your companions and turn the tables on me—I welcome it, because it shows your worth to me."

"Oh, by the way, before we part, let's play a game. Very simple: guess which hand holds the chip—just to get to know me better, your sense of my character and methods…"

The amber chip fluttered between Shajin's slender fingers like a tamed golden butterfly. He snapped a finger, and the chip traced an elegant arc in the air—then vanished into thin air.

"Friend, the game has begun."

Shajin's mouth curled into a half‑smile; he deliberately slowed his movements, his fingers opening like blooming petals, yet his palm was empty—the chip had long disappeared.

"Make a deal with me; you can't refuse, there's no reason…"

Xing suddenly felt a slight weight in her palm. In the spread hand, the vanished chip lay quietly. She jerked her head up, meeting Shajin's suddenly looming pupils—the beautiful, striking eyes now seemed to glow with a predator's faint light.

"…there's no room left."