Baiheng led Jingliu, stopping before a seemingly ordinary courtyard gate with gray tiles and white walls.
A small wind chime hung above the door lintel, emitting a crisp but unobtrusive sound as the night wind blew.
Following the instructions in her mind, she crouched down and fumbled beneath a potted plant beside the door that was growing glowing moss. Sure enough, she touched a cold, small object—it was an antique-looking key.
(The Master truly is... omnipotent!)
Baiheng sighed in her heart once more and quickly used the key to open the lock on the door.
Accompanied by a faint "drip" sound, the courtyard gate silently slid inward.
"Guest, please come in."
Baiheng stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.
Jingliu nodded slightly and stepped inside.
The courtyard was much more spacious than it looked from the outside. The ground was paved with smoothly polished bluestone slabs, outlining elegant geometric patterns in the night.
In one corner of the courtyard stood an ancient tree with gnarled, intertwining branches, yet beneath it was a streamlined, suspended tea table.
In the other corner was a small pond where several koi fish, shimmering with phosphorescence, swam leisurely.
"A very good place."
Jingliu's voice was still calm, but it seemed to carry a hint of approval.
She looked at the main building of the courtyard, a two-story house that blended the classical upturned eaves of the Xianzhou with modern minimalist lines. The windows were smart glass, currently emitting a soft, warm white light.
"Ahaha... yes, yes! The location is quiet and the environment is nice, but the rent is a bit pricey..."
Baiheng chuckled dryly in agreement while leading Jingliu toward the main house.
Curiously, as she moved, various details about this "home" naturally surfaced in her mind, like a pre-written script.
She pushed open the door of the main house. The interior was decorated in a typical cyber-ancient style.
There were automatic sensor coat racks in the entryway.
In the living room, a holographic projection of a landscape painting slowly flowed across the wall, yet next to it stood a technologically advanced open-plan kitchen, where a smart cooking machine was in standby mode.
The furniture was a combination of solid wood and alloy, possessing both Eastern charm and a futuristic feel.
"This is the living room. I usually... well, organize invoices and check the Interstellar News here."
Baiheng pointed to the living room, her tone becoming increasingly natural, as if she had truly lived there for a long time. "The kitchen uses the latest smart appliances, but I don't use them much, hehe. I usually eat out or have nutrient paste."
She led Jingliu through the living room and pointed to a room on the first floor: "This is the Guest room. It's usually empty, and the bedding is brand new! You should stay here tonight; it's absolutely clean and comfortable!"
Detailed information about the Guest room was automatically supplied in her mind: the mattress was memory foam, the temperature control system was adjustable, and it included an independent silent fresh air system.
She then pointed upstairs: "I live upstairs. There's also a small meditation room up there. Sometimes at night, I go up to look at the stars... er, through the data projection of the astronomical telescope."
She even "recalled" her nonexistent, high-magnification virtual telescope connected to the Interstellar Network.
Jingliu listened quietly, occasionally nodding slightly. The black eye mask seemed to be meticulously "observing" every detail of the space, as well as Baiheng's increasingly smooth "introduction."
"Miss Bai Heng, how long have you lived here?" Jingliu suddenly asked.
"Ah? Oh! It's been... quite some time now!"
Baiheng answered almost without thinking, the "background setting" in her mind instantly taking effect. "I chose this place because it was quiet and not too far from the Trade District, so I gritted my teeth and rented it. It's also convenient for organizing inventory."
She felt like she had become a master of improvisation; all the lies were woven seamlessly, and she was almost starting to believe them herself.
Paradise · New Area
The discussion in the Paradise Hall temporarily came to an end. Although the Flame-Chasers had different thoughts, as Pardo muttered: "Sigh, since we're already here and Can't leave for now, and since we have plenty of food and drink and the environment is much more varied than before, let's just... make the best of it!"
With this mindset, combined with curiosity about the new environment, the Flame-Chasers began to disperse and explore this "upgraded" Paradise space.
Besides the original Council Hall, Training Ground, and Personal Domains, many new functional areas had indeed been added, such as a fully equipped kitchen (which even Kalpas rarely considered researching), a reading room filled with strange books, and... the "Entertainment Room" right before Pardo, which made her eyes widen.
The light in the Entertainment Room was soft, furnished with comfortable cushions and unusually shaped chairs. The walls held huge touch-sensitive screens, and in the corner were devices that looked like motion-sensing game pods.
Pardo, hugging her fat cat Can, was like a truly curious kitten, touching things here and looking there.
She pulled open a drawer that looked like a storage cabinet. Inside, stacks of square Optical Discs, shimmering with metallic luster, were neatly piled.
Pardo casually picked up the top few discs and looked at them under the room's light—
On the cover of the first disc, written in extremely exaggerated artistic font, was:
"Kevin, Otto, and Welt: Unspeakable Secrets!"
The cover illustration featured three chibi figures: the cold-faced Kevin, the smiling Otto, and the helpless-looking Welt. The three were intertwined in an extremely suggestive pose, with rose petals falling in the background.
Pardo: "!!!"
Her hand trembled, and she nearly dropped the disc.
Immediately after, she saw the next one—"Overbearing Kalpas: Where Can Shy Kosma Run?!"
On the cover, the fiery Kalpas (chibi) was pinning the red-cheeked, shifty-eyed, steam-emitting chibi Kosma against a wall in a standard "kabedon" pose.
"Waaahhhh—!"
Pardo finally couldn't help but let out a short scream, like a cat whose Tail had been stepped on, and the discs in her hand clattered onto the floor.
The commotion immediately attracted Vill-V, who had just walked into the Entertainment Room.
"Oh my? Has our little Pardo found some treasure?"
Vill-V walked over enthusiastically. Her "Magician" persona seemed to be online, and her eyes were shining with the light of discovering a new toy.
"V-Vill-V Sis! Look at this!"
Pardo seemed to have found a savior, or perhaps an accomplice, and quickly picked up the discs from the floor, shoving them into Vill-V's hands, her voice trembling. "W-What are these?! They're t-too terrifying!"
Vill-V took the discs. She only needed one look at the covers for her eyes to instantly light up, and the corner of her mouth curled into an extremely excited arc. "Wow!!! This is... a brand new 'art' form?! Transcending drama, transcending painting! Presenting characters and relationships in such an... hmm... 'intuitive' and imaginative way! How fascinating!"
She flipped through the other discs: "Pure Mobius: Serpent Eyes Melt Only for You," "Idol Elysia's Private Swimsuit Special (Fake)." The cover of every disc was filled with an irreverent aura that severely contradicted the image of the Flame-Chasers themselves.
"Who put these here? Is it the personal hobby of the 'System'? Or Black Herta's... twisted sense of humor?"
Vill-V speculated excitedly, her gaze sweeping across the Entertainment Room, quickly locking onto a playback device connected to the huge screen.
Holding the discs, she looked like an archaeologist who had found a peerless treasure, a dangerous yet brilliant smile spreading across her face. "Come on, little Pardo! Let's enjoy just what kind of shocking 'performance' this is! I'd bet this is absolutely one of the greatest 'discoveries' of the century!"
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