Chapter 710: NO.79: Let the Bullet Fly for a While

NO. 79: Let the bullet fly for a while

【Broken Immortal Mountain

You caused massive damage to the immortal mountain; a mountain need not be high, if there are immortals it becomes spiritual, and now it is more spiritual than Heavenly Peak.

Acquisition method: Destroy more than one-tenth of the mountain's structure】

【No sound of the loom

Your companion tried to destroy the Weaver's divine loom; although it failed, it still accidentally caused someone to trigger this etching mark.

Acquisition method: Use force sufficient to cause ordinary destruction on the Weaver's loom】

【Striped segment by segment

You discovered the truth of the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is less friendly than the legend; humans reject the foreign races, and the foreign races also reject humans.

Acquisition method: Learn about Xi'e's past】

【Seven Sister intimidated

You and the Seventh Sister became close, and made her feel fearful.

Legend says the Seventh Sister (Weaver Star) weaves clouds and is a textile artisan; she is the protector of lovers, women, and children, and Qixi was anciently called "Seventh Sister's Birthday," "Seventh Maiden Gathering," "Seventh Mother's Birthday," etc., and because worship was held at night it came to be called Qixi.

Nowadays, activities such as worshipping the Seventh Sister have been forgotten, because the deities are no longer worthy of reverence.

Acquisition method: Oppose the revealed true form of the weaving place, and gain an overwhelming advantage】

Four achievement-like texts, four strange hexagonal badges that hold text, flicker in the air, covering the original passage that reads "Heaven has the Hanwei, the supervisor also has light…", obviously a reward granted after reaching a certain stage.

But it is inevitably too obscure and lacking substance, letting Aomo guess that this matter isn't finished yet.

Coincidentally, Ludaofu Xiangzheng also asked at this moment:

"What does 'not having such a traditional classic story' mean?"

He raised his hand, gesturing for calm, and said: "I think everyone just now more or less heard my conversation with Miss Weaver."

"I don't get it~" someone blurted out, speaking frankly as if singing a counterpoint.

Regarding Yi, regarding Xi'e, regarding the Heavenly Emperor and Sui—these things, not to mention her, even the two "locals" on the world level would be completely bewildered.

"That really matches my impression of you, Miss Xintiao."

"What does that mean? Little Snake, explain it clearly."

"Originating from the customs of Dongyan, it's not just you who's unaware," Aomo said lightly, "Put simply, I uncovered a segment that simultaneously involves the past of the Weaver and the Cowherd, and that matter also ties into the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is the original tale of the 'Fifteenth Night' festival as called in Jidong."

"I think everyone knows that the story of the Cowherd and Weaver, common to both worlds, is always a mortal and an immortal, or a deity. No matter the premise of their meeting and understanding, they ultimately fall in love, then are torn apart by a sudden obstruction, gazing at each other from afar, meeting only once a year, and thus people commemorate it with Qixi."

"But in the historical research of the Holy Terra Federation, the Cowherd and Weaver story has spread into many versions and continues to the present; this is indeed the result of generations of secondary creation and elaboration."

"The Qixi festival originally came from astral and numeric worship; at that time there was neither Cowherd nor Weaver, only the stars divided by imagination into the Ox constellation and the Weaver constellation, and this is largely why the script team added Miss Xingji."

"But aren't there Cowherd and Weaver here?" Kong asked doubtfully, then glanced at Chelenenina beside him, "And they're also very much like Miss Nian and the others."

"Yes, this is the upcoming focus," Aomo nodded, slightly raising his hands and spreading them, "In their homeland, just like Miss Nian and Miss Xi, deities are one of the real existing species, and they themselves can turn into colossal beasts, defined in Dàyán research as 'giant beasts'."

"Therefore, in their homeland, astral worship is very likely not the original prototype of the festival."

"Then the very beginning should be a kind of giant beast worship—that is, first worship the giant beast, the giant beast takes human form to show the divine, then returns to giant beast form to be worshipped, and during this worship process—"

Aomo said up to this point, paused, took a few steps aside, making way for everyone's view so they could see the place that houses the two wooden cabins.

"People link their image with the stars, thus feeling they are incarnations of the stars—so the creative team also includes folklore expert Ms. Huo'erhaiya and Ms. Linqingyan, who might know much of ancient Yan affairs."

"According to this reasoning, the Cowherd should also be a kind of giant beast, right?" Qianming, the representative who easily followed the talk, seized the pause in his speech to ask.

"Moreover, its true form really looks like an ox, which is why someone defined the star as the Ox constellation."

"That's right, but at the same time I need to popularize for those who don't know Miss Xi an entity called 'Sui', and explain its relation to Miss Xi…"

【Tracing Back to the Source

You have clarified the origin of the Qixi festival; the Weaver has a loom, the Cowherd has a cart, and the truth of the other world may leave you fascinated.

Acquisition method: Verbally explain the truth with over eighty percent accuracy】

【Dye

You share the festival's origin with another (crossed out) several others, thoroughly dyeing that scenery and the past. Civilization and emotion are always transmitted this way.

Acquisition method: Orally share your experiences of Qixi and Mid-Autumn with other experiencers】

When the new hexagonal article rose, Aomo's reasoning clarification for the girls also obviously gained official approval, but from the phrasing "another (crossed out)" it appears these writings were not fixed from the start.

Also unknown whether it's AI or……

Aomo wordlessly looked at his own wrist.

Inside that cuff hangs a chain of small bracelets, which, though appearing tiny, can actually transform into a person‑high iron coffin, suitable as a somewhat unstable storage tool, capable of holding things like the secret key that look fragile but are actually sturdy.

Being able to draw something from what should merely be a fictional character—of course it couldn't be blood; drawing blood would merely deceive the painted figure who thinks she is the Weaver, though it isn't entirely a deception, since Aomo indeed followed the blood‑drawing specifications, only he knows he probably can't draw any.

What he originally intended to try was merely a proof of concept—whether one could extract from the painted figure the same "drawing the void into substance" power that Miss Xi possesses, through the power of the work's chief author.

This really is a somewhat twisted and eccentric idea.

Of course, this is also very unlikely to succeed, and he is fully aware of that.

After all, even if Miss Xi, to paint a lifelike person, certainly expended creative‑spirited effort, that power is at best a mere fraction of her strength, and after his tiny extraction—the energy unit would be too small to discern, and even harder to condense into the secret key.

So he only mentioned it offhand, and never really thought he could actually draw anything out.

He merely thought that as long as the secret key could be successfully activated, it would prove that this space is absolutely not just some simulated imaging.

Because that little venue also ought not to be able to hold a 60‑meter‑plus Evil Ash Jiedun.

So he merely wanted a proof, but the result……

It seems something really was drawn out, and it was even blue‑colored energy.

What the heck is this?

Does this space have any power closer to the secret key's fixed point than "drawing the void into substance"?

Or perhaps I mistakenly drew the power of the GM who manages this project's operation in a higher‑dimensional form, which cannot be directly seen?

Being filled with such doubts, Aomo, upon seeing the lively text on that six‑pointed emblem, first suspected the conjecture about the GM.

"Unbelievable, Little Snake's deductions actually turned out to be true; I feel like some achievement has popped out here."

"The words 'unbelievable' and 'actually' are really too saddening, Miss Xintiao."

"There isn't a shred of physical evidence; relying solely on testimonies' reasoning actually works, which is truly unbelievable—this isn't some grandiose reasoning game."

"Yes, Lindon, do you all who run offices also work part‑time as detectives?" In an instant, thinking of Old Carp's emptiness, I also felt it unbelievable.

"The Lindon office indeed accepts detective business," Aomo said in a business‑like tone, "but so far no one has come to me to handle such commissions."

He felt quite hurt by this.

Whether it's looking for stray cats and dogs or catching cheating partners, it's not that I can't do it, but it seems more people are looking for me to help them fight, or hoping to hire me to fight.

He isn't some famous detective Lu Bu, solving cases purely with strength; he clearly has that ability, yet it seems only Zhouri Ningjing has used it— and even then, only by accident.

Because Zhouri Ningjing didn't initially expect him to actually be able to handle things.

At most, the genuine person‑finding commissions are still those seeking the New Cosmos—and that hardly counts as a regular detective's person‑finding commission.

"What, Aomo wants to compete with me for business?"

"I've always doubted whether you truly have the chops to be a detective, Miss Qianming; shouldn't you be spending all your youth in the central infirmary?"

"How outrageous! I'll do detective work during the long vacation! Even a short break can squeeze out time!"

"What excellent time management, Miss Qianming; someone who manages time like you must have plenty of free time, right?"

"Guh…"

"Aomo."

"What's wrong? Qieli Naina."

As the topic gradually ceased to be solemn and was about to be covered in jokes, it was that taciturn, bland‑faced Qieli Naina, whose disposition seemed equally dull, who suddenly called his name and asked a question that seemed about to be overlooked by everyone:

"As giant beasts, did the Weaver Girl and the Cowherd ever have a Cowherd‑Weaver Girl relationship?"

"... That really is a good question; we might as well wait a moment to wrap up this so‑called 'simulated imaging project.'"