Chapter 231: That Guy Again

Almost the moment she left the courtyard, Heimu's figure already appeared on that street, near the bench where Huo Huo disappeared.

This place already differs from the scene she saw through Sai Fei Er's Memory.

Centered on that bench, an area about ten meters in radius has been surrounded by a bright yellow Alert Line with flowing runes.

Several Soul-catching Officers wearing Ten Kings Office standard black robes, with a cold aura, stand outside the Alert Line, expressionless, blocking any curious passersby who try to approach or watch.

Inside the Alert Line, Han Ya and Xue Yi are standing at the edge of the bench, whispering something, while beside them the red‑haired street performer Gui Naifen stands, answering questions with a nervous expression.

Heimu, like a non‑existent ghost, ignores the conspicuous Alert Line and the guards, and walks straight through.

Her steps are unhurried, making no sound.

When her figure brushes past a perfectly upright Soul-catching Officer, the officer doesn't even move his eyes, as if she were just a harmless puff of air.

In this way, under everyone's gaze, she crosses the Alert Line and reaches the core area of the incident.

Han Ya furrows her brows while listening to Gui Naifen's somewhat incoherent retelling, and Xue Yi crouches on the ground, scanning the area around the bench with some device.

Both of them remain completely unaware of Heimu, who is just a few steps away.

Heimu's gaze sweeps over everyone present, finally landing on the empty bench.

She doesn't rush forward; instead she slowly paces around, her violet‑black eyes meticulously scanning every inch, even the space itself.

Reaching the bench edge, she ignores Xue Yi, who is working nearby, extends her hand, and hovers her fingertips above the spot where Huo Huo likely sat before disappearing.

(The causal line... was deftly nudged, then blurred. The technique is quite masterful.)

She closes her eyes, extending her damaged yet still vast perception like a fine spiderweb, centered on the bench, spreading into finer layers to catch any trace that might be overlooked.

(Spatial structure stable... temporal flow normal... material layer unchanged...)

(... hmm?)

Just as her perception reaches a certain dimension, a whiff so familiar it makes her want to slap her forehead, like a sly swimming fish, flashes and disappears.

That is... Joy.

Though it is diluted to an almost unrecognizable degree, Heimu would never mistake that unique aura.

Aha.

It's that guy again.

Heimu opens her eyes, and a knowing clarity flashes in her violet‑black pupils.

If Aha is involved, then Huo Huo's bizarre disappearance makes sense.

At that moment, a calm, steady electronic tone from the system sounds in her ear, directly entering her consciousness:

【Lady, the cross‑universal wide‑area scanning protocol has completed targeting. Target entity 'Huo Huo' detected. Target's current coordinates locked: Plane Convergence Zone — 'Xingyue World'. Signal strength: stable. Existence status: confirmed alive.】

Almost as soon as the system's voice ends, a virtual panel visible only to Heimu "ding‑dong" pops into her view out of thin air, accompanied by exaggerated colorful borders and flashing effects:

【Joy Special Task: Rescue Soldier Huo Huo!】

【Task Description: Hey! Looks like our lost little fox has been "invited" by an interesting friend to a party! But the party location seems a bit far? As a Guardian, shouldn't you bring her back? And checking out the "fun" of that world wouldn't be bad!】

【Task Objective: Go to 'Xingyue World', locate Huo Huo, ensure her safety, and bring her back.】

【Task Hint: The world's Rules are complex, with various special power systems and a Suppression Force; please pay attention to adaptive adjustments. Joyful Star God Aha may have already pre‑placed a "surprise".】

【Task Reward: Repair Degree +2%】

【Publisher: Guess who? (wink)】

Heimu looks at the flippantly worded task panel, especially the "Rescue Soldier Huo Huo" title, and her mouth twitches slightly.

(What meaning... taste?)

She feels no ripple inside, even a slight urge to sigh.

(Aha, you fun‑loving person, you have to make this whole thing even for a task release? And this reward... 2% Repair Degree, that's rather generous.)

Xingyue World...

Heimu has some recollection of the name, seeming to refer to a plane cluster famed for a complex Magic system, Heroic Spirit summons, and numerous Parallel World lines.

The Rules are indeed troublesome, and the Suppression Force is something that requires careful handling.

However, since the location is locked and Huo Huo is confirmed alive, we have to go there anyway.

She gives one last glance at the diligently investigating yet doomed Han Ya and Xue Yi, then another glance at the empty bench.

(Joyful jokes... the price has to be paid by me. Isn't the cost of this fun a bit high?)

She sighs silently, and Heimu's figure becomes ethereal again, like a shadow merging into sunlight, disappearing without a trace, leaving no evidence of her presence.

Inside the Alert Line, Han Ya seems to sense something, suddenly looks up, her sharp gaze scanning around the bench, but only sees empty air.

She slightly furrows her brows; just now, it seemed for a moment there was some heart‑pounding sense of being watched there?

Was it an illusion?

The cold night wind blows across the Siberia wasteland street, Du Ya walks mechanically, feeling their nerves numb to the point of freezing.

It's not because of the severe cold, but because the amount of information received today is absurdly overwhelming.

Sai Xi Li Ya, Kalian, Bachongying, Ya Mama...

Chang Ye Yue and that star, wherever they are on a mission, it's as if they're doing a final sweep of this world's "Record of the Deceased"!

What on earth are those two trying to do?

Collecting figurines of deceased Valkyries?

Her mind is a tangled mess, and she can only follow the silhouettes of the two ahead like a marionette on strings.

Chang Ye Yue, who was walking ahead, suddenly stops, her crimson eyes turning toward A Xing beside her.

A Xing also stops almost simultaneously; the two silently stare at each other for a second, as if exchanging some wordless information.

"What's wrong?"

Du Ya asks weakly, too lazy to guess the tricks between these riddling people.

Chang Ye Yue turns her head, the enigmatic smile on her face standing out clearly in the night: "It seems we have a new task again, Miss Du Ya."

"Huh?"

Du Ya was startled; before she could digest the words, and before she could even ask whether the Task wasn't finished yet, the anomaly suddenly erupted!

The empty street air beside them suddenly glowed, and a door whose edges swirled with chaotic colors abruptly, without any sign, just sprang out!

Inside the door was a continuously rotating stream of light.

"Whoa!"

Du Ya was frightened and jumped back, almost losing her footing.

Could you at least give a heads‑up with that entrance?!

What surprised her even more was that when A Xing saw the light door, not a hint of surprise crossed his almost expressionless face; it was as if he were looking at his own house door, and he stepped in, his figure instantly swallowed by the light.

Chang Ye Yue turned sideways, and to the dumbfounded Du Ya she gracefully waved, a sly smile in her crimson eyes: "Well then, I'll leave this part to you. Farewell, Miss Transmigrator~?"

As the words fell, she too stepped lightly into the door, which immediately, as abruptly as it had appeared, contracted and vanished, as if it had never existed.

On the cold street, only Du Ya remained, staring blankly at the empty air where the light door had been.

The night wind lifted a few snowflakes, brushing her face.

After several seconds of absolute silence.

"Heh… hehehe…"

Du Ya lowered her head, her shoulders beginning to tremble, emitting a series of incomprehensible low laughs.

"This is… really not acting at all."

She raised her hand to her forehead, laughing even harder, "'Miss Transmigrator'… fine, fine. Very good. You're busy, you're impressive. Me? I'm just a local native, unworthy, unworthy of playing with you."

She exhaled a deep breath of white vapor, as if to expel all the suffocation from her chest.

Then she turned, without hesitation walking toward the direction opposite the light door's emergence, her back written with the resolute thought, "Whatever, I'm going back to check how much money is left in my island account."