[Game cleared: Blood Night Abyss. Level evaluation in progress——]
[Level evaluation: B (Just so-so)]
[Passive triggered! Obtained clearance points: 600]
[Drawing formal player clearance reward item——]
[Ding! Congratulations to the player for obtaining [Utterly Ordinary Alarm Clock]]
[Special mark detected!]
[Beep! Please enter the next game within seven days! (Or forced entry after 168 hours)]
[Return to Nirvana Space by teleportation?]
No.
Mu Anqi casually stored the alarm clock into her storage ring. The Black Mirror vortex disappeared, and the building naturally vanished with it. In an instant, she went from night to dawn; this place looked like a forest park.
After all, the Black Mirror vortexes appear completely at random.
The park was empty in the early morning. When Mu Anqi followed Ji Huaichu out, she discovered that the park had been closed off and fenced in.
What is life like for the ghosts and monsters? Over here in Taiyin… it seems to have everything—parks, hotels, circuses, and so on. In the Underworld Metropolis, there are even food delivery services. Mu Anqi noticed that General Ji didn't force her to teleport back to the city, so she walked by her side, looking at the tall buildings and couldn't help but ask.
"It's just an ordinary life," Ji Huaichu said. "Most demons and ghosts are in the transitional phase. They have obsessions and hatred, but deliberately choose to forget or escape from the past. Their strength is very weak. When the Black Mirror vortex descends, it easily influences and corrupts them."
"Ghosts and monsters gain power from past emotions. After breaking through barriers, they gain a new beginning, and this 'beginning' means a true rebirth."
Mu Anqi nodded thoughtfully. So, for those ghosts who have forgotten their past and hatred, or those unable to face their past, even if they haven't broken through, they can still live in the Shattered Mirror Continent. However, their emotions are not very stable, and they never know when they might be triggered by their past. This made Mu Anqi think of inner demons in cultivation—the ghosts who avoid their "heart demons"… it was natural that their strength would be weaker. Of course, this comparison wasn't completely accurate. After all, judging from the current state of the Shattered Mirror Continent, even weaker demons and monsters could live normally. It's just that scum like that "giant lizard" still existed on the continent, bullying the weaker demons.
"General, then in the eyes of the beings of the Shattered Mirror Continent, what kind of existence are players?" Mu Anqi looked at the traffic on the road; the ghosts walking outside were all in human form, looking no different from ordinary humans.
"In the eyes of players, what kind of existence are the beings of the Shattered Mirror Continent?" Ji Huaichu asked back. "Everyone has different thoughts."
"Emotion generators? Companions? Toys?" Mu Anqi looked at the general, hesitantly voicing one word after another. "Tools? Pets? Or perhaps disposable chess pieces, punching bags for venting emotions?"
"Little money trees," Ji Huaichu replied. "Potential subordinates, future comrades-in-arms. If you want to know what you are in my eyes, just ask directly. I don't know how others see players, but I have only recruited you."
"…The general is also one of a kind." Having her thoughts seen through, Mu Anqi wasn't embarrassed. She could sense the general was in a good mood, and… hearing her say that, she was truly happy. "Have you watched every one of my games, General?"
"Occasionally kept an eye on them," Ji Huaichu pressed her lips lightly and said calmly.
"When will the General teach me dagger techniques?" Mu Anqi smiled. Even if it was only occasional attention, the fact that the General always knew her evaluation grade was already good enough.
"Right now." Ji Huaichu led Mu Anqi across the street to a milk tea shop on the other side. "Want one?"
"Yes!" Mu Anqi looked inside. Behind the counter was a ghostly young woman wearing a staff uniform. "General, let me treat you?"
"You already treated Guan Si." Ji Huaichu declined politely. "What do you want to drink?"
"A cup of roasted milk tea, hot, seventy percent sugar." Mu Anqi obediently placed her order.
"Two cups of roasted milk tea, hot. One seventy percent sugar, one full sugar." Ji Huaichu ordered calmly, then took out the Guan Si card to pay.
Before long, the milk tea was ready.
Holding her roasted milk tea, Mu Anqi took a sip, and her whole body relaxed. She glanced at the General, thinking that she really did like sweets. Carrying her milk tea, she followed closely behind her—only to see her turn towards a dessert shop.
With a calm face, Ji Huaichu skillfully bought four boxes of small cakes. When she turned and met Mu Anqi's gaze, he explained evenly, "They're for Xia Fenghua."
"…" Mu Anqi blinked. In her heart she thought, 'Xia Fenghua doesn't even eat sugar, so why would she eat little cakes?' But since those words were clearly not suitable to say out loud, she simply nodded seriously. "Then I'll buy some too. Can this food be brought into Nirvana Space?"
"Yes," Ji Huaichu said. "But once brought there, it can't be eaten, nor can it be sold."
"Alright then." Mu Anqi picked out a strawberry cupcake and also bought a chocolate one. She took the packaged cake bag, planning to save the chocolate one for Xiaobai—maybe Mu Xiaobai could even unlock a baking skill.
Hmm, if that's the case, wouldn't Xiaobai have the chance to become the General's most valued resident?
"General, Xiaobai's cooking is really good," Mu Anqi hinted. "She has great talent in making food. If there's a chance, you could get her some recipes, or invite a couple of ghosts who are skilled in cooking. Xiaobai is very interested in food—things like baking and desserts, she might be able to make them well too. Milk tea is simple to prepare, she'd be able to make it once taught."
At this point, Mu Anqi worried her hint might have been too obvious, so she quickly added, "I think this is a business opportunity. It might even attract lots of people to come spend in the main city."
Carrying a big bag of little cakes, General Ji looked at her, and Mu Anqi responded with an innocent smile.
"I understand." After a moment of silence, the General said so.
Not buying anything else, General Ji held milk tea in one hand and cakes in the other. "Come here." She reached out her hand.
Mu Anqi hesitated for a moment, then grabbed the General's arm. In the next instant, the two appeared at the main city gate.
"Go find Mu Xiaobai."
At the city gate, Mu Anqi bid farewell to the General. Only after Ji Huaichu had walked far away did she glance at the milk tea and cakes in her hand, unable to stop herself from laughing.
Mu Anqi didn't know whether the General did it intentionally or not, but she had to admit—every side the General showed struck precisely at her weak spots.
With light steps, she arrived at Mu Xiaobai's doorstep and knocked. Before long, Mu Xiaobai opened the door. "Xiaobai, I bought you some little cakes, let's eat together."
Before Mu Xiaobai could even speak, little Xia Fenghua shot out like a gust of wind: "What about me, what about me? Do I get little cakes too?"
Mu Anqi: "…Ah, this." She glanced at the strawberry cake in her hand and still handed it over. "This one's for you."
"I'm also a guest~ Did you bring me little cakes too?" The familiar white fox beauty actually came out as well.
"…" Mu Anqi really had nothing left. She looked at the half-finished milk tea in her hand and fell silent. "White Fox Demon King, you… why haven't you left yet?" Wasn't she supposed to go back and reward Wu Sansheng!
"Because I got to know the White-faced Scholar~" Bai Yulai covered her mouth with a laugh, endlessly charming. Her peach blossom eyes turned to Mu Xiaobai, and she even threw her a flirtatious glance—but Mu Xiaobai didn't seem to notice at all.
Mu Anqi: "…Then is General Ji a general-scholar?"
"Mm… a ghost-faced scholar?" Bai Yulai thought for a moment before replying, "If she doesn't make a move, don't you think she's an absolute beauty?"
"But the General is also a beauty when she's fighting."
"…" Bai Yulai fell silent. "That's only because the one she's fighting isn't you."
And just like that, the topic came to a clever end.
Mu Anqi looked at Xia Fenghua. "The General bought you a few cakes. Go to the General's residence to get them, alright? As for this strawberry cake, since the White Fox Demon King is our guest…"
"You just said this one was for me!" Little Xia Fenghua widened her eyes, glaring angrily at Mu Anqi as if she were looking at a heartless scoundrel. "I don't care, I want this strawberry cake! White fox spirit, you go to the General if you want cake!" What a joke, going to the General's residence for cake?
That wouldn't be receiving cake—that would be receiving a beating.
Bai Yulai: "…"
"Wuwuwu~" The white fox spirit covered her face and wept. A pair of fluffy fox ears popped out, and her soft, bushy tail wrapped around herself pitifully. "I-I only wanted to taste the flavor of strawberry cake~ I, a peerless beauty capable of toppling kingdoms, can't even have a little cake?" Those peach blossom eyes brimmed with longing and sorrow, just one glance enough to stir pity, making one want to offer up everything they had, only to see this beauty smile.
Mu Anqi's gaze was fixed on that fluffy, soft fox tail.
Bai Yulai's body leaned softly toward Mu Anqi, her snowy tail brushing lightly against Mu Anqi's wrist. Just as she was about to fall into Mu Anqi's arms, Xia Fenghua yanked her away and dragged her aside.
"I'm warning you, if you keep randomly using your charms, I'll pluck all your fox fur and make it into a doll!" Little Xia Fenghua's face was deadly serious. "The strawberry cake is mine!"
Bai Yulai was about to say something more, but Xia Fenghua pulled out her ultimate weapon: "If you keep this up, I'll tell the General!"
Bai Yulai: "…"
"Such a small matter, no need to trouble her." Bai Yulai pouted. "I won't eat it then."
And just like that, the strange conflict over a single little cake was resolved. Mu Anqi, holding the cake, let out a sigh of relief. She pulled Mu Xiaobai into the living room, unwrapped the packaging, and placed the two little cakes on the table. Then she herself sat obediently on the sofa, hugging her roasted milk tea.
"Is it good?" Mu Anqi asked.
"Mm." Mu Xiaobai took a bite of the chocolate cake and nodded.
"Then, are you interested in baking?" Mu Anqi asked. "You could make cakes like this too! Not just cakes, but all kinds of desserts. Oh, and milk tea is really simple to make as well!"
Mu Xiaobai forked another bite of cake and ate it. She looked at the palm-sized chocolate cake, thought for a moment, and then nodded. "I'll work hard to learn."
"Next time you come, I'll make some for you."