Chapter 136: Character Design

The words behind hadn't had time to burst out, and Bai Hang was already scared out of her wits!

She sprang forward in a single step, at Shana speed, and clamped Xi Tong's mouth, blocking all the potentially shocking words from coming out.

"Hehe… Xi Tong Jie just loves joking, humor, especially humor!"

Bai Hang, while tightly covering System Miss's mouth, gave Jing Liu a dry smile, feeling the cold sweat on her back nearly forming a stream, and said, "Sir, you've had a hard journey; the guest room is ready. Would you like to go rest first? Xi Tong Jie and I happen to need to go buy… buy some ingredients for tomorrow's breakfast! Yes, ingredients!"

As she spoke, she unceremoniously grabbed Xi Tong's shoulder and, half‑pushing, half‑pulling, led her toward the courtyard gate.

Jing Liu stood in place, the black eye mask watching the two's departing backs, silent.

In the air, a faint subtle aura still lingered.

The alley entrance outside the small courtyard

Once out of Jing Liu's perception range, Bai Hang immediately released her hand, let out a long sigh, feeling she was about to collapse.

"System Miss! I beg you!"

She lowered her voice, with a sob, "Did you just, off the cuff, want to say 'filthy beggar'? Is that something you can say to Jing Liu?! It could kill someone! It really could kill someone!"

Xi Tong, though wearing that neutral expression, let a hint of satisfaction slip into her tone—calmly smoothing the collar she had wrinkled, she replied, "The user's reaction speed under stress meets expectations. Rest assured, all actions follow the preset 'Xi Tong' character design logic. The 'hardworking conservative middle‑aged landlord' has an 87.5% chance of making disparaging and probing remarks when encountering a stranger renting a room, to protect his own interests and maintain the initiative. My behavior aligns with the logic and character design."

"Who on earth wrote this character design?!"

Bai Hang couldn't help but rub her forehead and complain.

System Miss remained expressionless, but her tone oddly carried a hint of pride: "Me!"

"Based on an analysis of 36,000 data points of Xianzhou urban culture, integrating landlord archetypes from 785 classic film, TV and literary works, distilling the essence and fusing them, this character design boasts high realism and dramatic tension."

Bai Hang: "..."

(She felt the twitch at the corner of her mouth was hopeless to cure tonight.)

"Fine… your character design is quite 'successful'."

Bai Hang, helplessly conceding, quickly got to the point, "So, what new orders does Black Curtain Lady have? What should I do next?"

System Miss resumed her usual formal tone: "Black Curtain Lady's directive is: continue maintaining contact with the target, Jing Liu. The subsequent identity maintenance and environment refinement tasks will be personally arranged by the lady, no need to worry. You only need to play Bai Xing well."

"Continue contact… fine, I understand."

Bai Hang sighed, feeling the burden on her shoulders grow heavier.

She turned back to glance at the little courtyard, which now seemed to her like a dragon‑pool tiger‑den, housing an old acquaintance she didn't know how to face, and a system that could at any moment "speak astonishingly" like a drama queen.

"Should we… 'buy' some ingredients before heading back?"

Bai Hang asked weakly, trying to accept this chaotic reality.

System Miss nodded, crossed her arms, slipped back into character, and said in a slightly critical tone, "Of course. Remember to buy what's on sale. Also, the dinner bill tonight, split the bill."

Bai Hang: "…Let's go."

Perspective shift.

Star felt as if she were sinking into a warm kelp forest, drowsiness sweet.

However, the comfort didn't last long; the solid feel under her feet and the shifting light around her made her snap open her eyes.

(Hm?)

She looked around blankly.

This was no longer San Yue Qi's familiar warm nest, but a silvery‑gray space shimmering with metallic luster, the floor a hard plane of unknown material stretching to the horizon.

Above, evenly distributed soft light sources illuminated this place that was nothing but "emptiness."

(What's happening? Wasn't I sleeping in a bed? Where am I? Dream?)

Star pinched her own arm hard—there was a sting, but it didn't feel like real pain.

(This dream is too realistic, right? Or… did Black Tower add some new plugin that loaded secretly while I was asleep?)

As she was bewildered, trying to summon a Train Group member or a system menu, on the other side of the empty space a figure silently coalesced into view.

It was a tall, upright man, his white short hair like snow on an ice plain, his face austere, ice‑blue eyes seeming to hold unfading ancient frost.

Just standing there, he exuded a heart‑pounding low‑temperature field and a heavy sense of oppression.

(This person… looks familiar?)

Star tilted her head, trying to search her memory bank.

Had I seen him on some promotional art? Or perhaps a wanted interstellar pirate leader?

Doesn't seem to be either.

Yet this icy, powerful aura feels like something I've sensed before…

She tentatively waved at him, "Hey! Hello? May I ask where this is? Are you also trapped here?"

Kevin gave no response.

His gaze fell on Star.

Having just finished the initial exchange with the system, a complex mix of emotions about this new "cage" and the unknown future churned inside him, and he was about to find a spot to stretch his limbs and sort his thoughts.

This training ground is part of Le Tu's new feature, capable of simulating various combat environments.

As soon as he entered, he noticed what seemed to be a randomly matched "training target."

(Training program?)

Kevin thought.

His eyes flicked over the Metal Ball Club in Star's hand; in his icy heart lake, a tiny stone seemed to have been dropped, sending a barely perceptible ripple.

(Club…)

Long, long ago, in the era before the previous civilization was fully devoured by Honkai, he had once been just an ordinary student.

To protect those important to him, he once clutched a similar, youthful "weapon," facing terrifying monsters far beyond ordinary understanding, fear filling his heart, yet he never took a step back.

That was a memory so distant it was almost covered by the ice and snow of The End.

Seeing this similar weapon now, it oddly evoked a faint… almost nostalgic illusion.

Xing saw the other party completely ignore them, only staring with those ice‑cave‑like eyes, and felt even more creeped out.

(What's wrong with this person? Mute? Or is this dream NPC bugged?)

She tried asking a few more questions, such as "Can you hear me?" "Any Task hint?" and even tentatively said "Open sesame?", but the other side remained as flawless as an ice sculpture, giving no response.

(In fact, Xing's voice and some visual traits were blurred by a Barrier preset by Heimu, so in Kevin's perception, she seemed more like a phantom used for sparring.)

Just as Xing considered whether to try striking the ground with a Metal Ball Club to see if any mechanism would trigger, Kevin finally made a move.

He slowly raised his hand, and with his intention, the training ground's Rule responded to his request.

A Metal Ball Club almost identical to the one in Xing's hand materialized out of thin air in his hand.

He casually weighed it, and his cold gaze locked onto Xing again.

(Then… let's try.)

No words, no Warning.

Kevin's figure suddenly vanished from where he stood, and in the next Shana, he was already in front of Xing's side, the club in his hand emitting a razor‑sharp scream that tore the air, simple, direct, yet imbued with terrifying power, sweeping horizontally toward Xing's shoulder!

(What the hell?!)