Chapter 430: The Great Hole

It was as if magma exploded in the mouth, electricity surged along the nerves straight to the Heavenly Spirit Dome, while the extreme spiciness of millions of fine needles piercing the tongue coating instantly swept over all of Bai Hang's taste and pain nerves!

That wasn't ordinary "spicy"!

It was a soul‑piercing burn!

"Cough cough! Cough! Ha—!"

Bai Hang coughed violently, tears welled up uncontrollably, her whole face flushed bright red at a visibly rapid pace, and her ears buzzed.

She felt her tongue was no longer her own, and her mouth, esophagus, even her stomach began sending protesting burning signals.

Too… too spicy! This is not food at all! It's a weapon!

She tried to vomit, tried to find water, but the violent coughing and the suffocating heat from the spiciness slowed her movements.

Her vision began to blacken, consciousness flickering like a dying candle in the wind.

Finally, under Yan Feng Qili's calm, unruffled stare, Bai Hang tilted her head, and with a "bang" her face slammed straight into the bowl of "Red Purgatory" before her, completely losing consciousness—overwhelmed by a bowl of Mapo Tofu ramen that made her dizzy with spiciness.

Yan Feng Qili watched her lie motionless in the bowl, then glanced at the ramen that had barely moved, his face still expressionless, and murmured softly:

"…It seems today's spiciness calibration is still a success."

He set down his cup, stepped forward, ready to deal with the poor guest knocked down by his "work of sincerity."

As for what will happen when this guest wakes up…

That is not within his current considerations.

He is merely acting on his own unique and steadfast understanding of the dish "Mapo Tofu."

Dongmu City's seemingly calm daily life, thus, with a bowl of Mapo Tofu ramen that spiced an otherworldly visitor into a dizzy state, once again ushered in the prelude to its soon‑to‑be unrest.

And Bai Hang's other‑world survival (?) journey, while she was unconscious, was forced to hit the pause button.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the star‑filled sky, the hidden carriage of the Star Dome Train.

Black Curtain Lady reclined on a soft sofa, her ash‑white long hair cascading like a waterfall, her violet‑black eyes contentedly scanning the multiple floating Light Screens before her.

The Light Screens displayed data streams from Pinokanni, the progress bar representing Data Collection steadily climbing.

"Efficiency is decent."

She whispered approval, "A Xing and Chang Ye Yue, though their styles differ greatly, both have high Task completion rates. At this pace, Pinokanni's data will be collected soon, and Repair Degree can be boosted further…"

She lifted the warm drink at hand, about to sip lightly and savor the moment's triumph, when—

【System】: Ding. Lady, there is a new event to report to you.

Heimu's movement paused slightly, raising eyes to the system's pop‑up prompt: "Speak."

【System】: Detected abnormal jump in Bai Hang's life signal and spatial coordinates.

She disappeared about 1.7 system hours ago from her residence in Xianzhou Luofu.

The disappearance showed no conventional spatial fluctuations, suspected to involve high‑dimensional interference.

Current coordinates unknown, conventional contact methods failed.

Status marked as: Missing.

Heimu's hand holding the cup hovered in mid‑air.

Her violet‑black eyes narrowed slightly, the earlier relaxed ease swept away, replaced by speechlessness.

"…Again?"

Pinokanni.

A Xing slipped both hands into pockets, expressionless, walking through the slightly dim alley.

His golden eyes had lost the (already scant) lingering shine for the "trash‑can treasure," leaving only a hollow emptiness.

That art‑like trash can… was fake.

It was an illusion, a trick, a prank by that guy called Huahuo.

She was deceived.

Expectations shattered, faith (?) collapsed.

So, in this dream city that seems full of surprises, not even a truthful trash can can be found?

What is the meaning of being alive?

Sifting through those possibly nonexistent, or even if existent, could vanish with a "bang"—false treasures?

Carrying out the Lady's Task, gathering data she doesn't truly understand?

Or… keep wandering aimlessly until the next prank finds its way to you?

Inside felt as if a huge hole was torn, a cold wind sweeping through the hall.

Desire turned pale and feeble, even the curiosity for "exploration" itself seemed blown away by that white smoke and Huahuo's shrill laughter.

At that moment, a male voice with obvious mirth came from the alley entrance:

"Oh? Look who I've found— a lone wanderer in the dark alley, as if a soul‑lost… friend."

A Xing slowly lifted his hollow gaze.

In the glow at the alley mouth, two figures stood.

Leading them was a youth whose lavish attire clashed with the surroundings.

He had radiant golden hair, wore a fashionable Top Hat and sunglasses, and his earlobes were adorned with sparkling ear pendants.

Most striking were his unique eyes, now looking at A Xing through the sunglasses with a playful, inquisitive gleam.

— Sha Jin, a senior executive of the Interstellar Peace Company, also participating in Pinokanni's "game."

Behind him stood a man in a tight blue combat suit, wielding a red polearm.

The man had disheveled short hair, beast‑like sharp eyes, and a wild smile at the corner of his mouth.

Just standing there, a blade‑sharp aura radiated like a sword drawn from its sheath.

— Lancer.

Sha Jin walked a few steps toward A Xing, posture elegant as if attending a high‑class cocktail party: "What a surprising and delightful encounter, isn't it? Looking at you, you seem… bored of this grand event? Or perhaps you've run into some petty trouble?"

Lancer, shouldering a spear and trailing behind Sha Jin, scanned A Xing like a predator eyeing prey, licking his lips: "Master, this guy… his aura is odd. Not like an ordinary person. Want to play?"

A Xing looked at them, her golden eyes still hollow, offering no reply.

Sha Jin's words, Lancer's hostility, seemed to come through a thick pane of glass—blurred, unable to stir even a ripple in her numb, void‑filled heart.

The lady's Task list… automatically surfaced in her almost stalled thoughts.

Target matched… Sha Jin.

Action command… use designated "small gift".

Current status… obstacle present.

Solution…

A hollow heart drives an almost numb body.

Sha Jin still wants to say something.

A Xing's right hand, like a programmed mechanical arm, with sudden speed and trajectory, reached again into that universal pocket.

What she pulled out was still that familiar and reliable—Immortal Salted Fish.

No warning, no prelude, not even an aiming motion.

She simply grasped the Salted Fish's handle, swung it horizontally toward the general direction of Sha Jin and Lancer, as if shooing flies.

"Hoo—crack! Plop! Plop!"

The wind‑cutting sound, the muffled thud of the Salted Fish, followed immediately by two almost simultaneous noises.

A Xing stood where she was, glanced at the two people who had instantly lost consciousness on the ground, then lowered her head to look at the "distinguished" Salted Fish in her hand.

In her golden eyes, still no emotion.

No joy of victory, no thrill of revenge, not even a hint of ease.

Only a deeper void.

(Solved. Can give the gift now.)

She mechanically slipped the Salted Fish back into the pocket.

Then, reaching into the pocket again, she fumbled and pulled out a gem that shimmered with flowing light.

She bent down and gently placed the gem on the chest area of Sha Jin's ornate coat.

Having done all that, she straightened, re‑inserted both hands into the pocket, not even glancing at the two on the ground again, as if they and that vanished illusionary trash can were merely insignificant "obstacles" on the road.

She turned and kept walking deeper into the alley, her figure quickly swallowed by the dim light.

What is the meaning of being alive?

She doesn't know.

Where is the next target?

She doesn't know.

But at least, walking itself seems to go on.