Ark Simulator: Didn't I Not Have a Physical Body?

"Don't worry," Su Rui gently comforted Xi in her arms, "I'll take you to the guest room to rest..."

"Don't leave!" Ling slammed his chopsticks down on the stone table in front of Su Rui with a sharp, resounding thud. "We haven't even had the ' Three-Cup Heart Trial ' yet!"

Xi struggled to lift her head. "Wh... what test..."

Ling produced three uniquely shaped small wine glasses from who-knows-where and lined them up. "The first glass, to Origins Inquiry." She filled them with a bright green liquid. "Little friend, how did you catch the eye of my ice queen?"

Su Rui honestly recounted the process of transforming from a consciousness into Dragonkin, though she didn't tell the whole story. Xi kept trying to correct her ("It's not that I'm interested in him!" "That Ink Mark was an accident!"), but because she was drunk and her speech was slurred, it only made things worse.

After listening, Ling nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. Drink!"

The second cup is blood red and is called "True Heart Inquiry".

"What if Xiaoxi's personality changes drastically in the future, becoming cruel and violent?"

Without hesitation, Su Rui replied, "Lock her inside the painting and let her sleep. She'll be fine when she wakes up."

This answer caused Reiwa to spit out his drink simultaneously. Yu angrily bit Su Rui, but because she was so drunk, it was like a young dragon grinding its teeth, utterly intimidating.

The last glass of wine, as clear as water, was named "Eternity Inquiry."

"Dragonkin have long lifespans," Ling's eyes suddenly cleared a bit, "How can you guarantee that your feelings right now can withstand the test of a thousand years?"

The courtyard suddenly fell silent; even the sound of peach blossoms falling could be clearly heard. Xi trembled slightly in Su Rui's arms, whether from the alcohol or the problem itself, it was hard to tell.

Su Rui gently took Xi's hand and raised his glass. "I can't guarantee it," he continued before Ling could raise an eyebrow, "But I can fall in love with her all over again every day, just like the sunrise never repeats itself."

Peach blossoms suddenly bloomed all over the branches.

She stared at him for a long time, then suddenly tilted her head back and downed her drink in one gulp. "Fine!" She slammed her hand on the table and stood up, staggering towards the inner room. "Wait here! Your eldest sister will get you your gifts!"

Nian whistled, "Wow, your sister even brought out her ' Millennium Drunk,' she must be really touched!"

Xi seemed to sober up a bit, struggling to sit up. "What... what does she mean?"

"It means," Nian explained with a wicked smile, "You've struck gold, little ice cube."

When Ling returned, she was carrying a small jade jar sealed with a cinnabar talisman. "' Twin-Born Brew '," she solemnly handed to Su Rui, "Made from twin peaches, only this one jar is produced every thousand years." She suddenly pinched Xi's cheek, "Little girl, you're lucky. This kid... is reliable."

Xi wanted to argue, but the alcohol was taking effect, and she could only slump weakly onto Su Rui's shoulder. Ling laughed and opened another jar of wine, this time even the stone lanterns in the courtyard began to emit the aroma of wine.

That night, Su Rui carried the drunken Xi back to the guest room. She had been drunk in some peach grove earlier, while Ling was still drinking alone under the moon, singing an old, off-key song.

"Su Rui..." Xi rolled around on the bed, her tail tightly wrapped around his wrist, "Your sister's test of her heart... your answer was too cheesy..."

Su Rui wiped the fine sweat from her forehead. "But it's all the truth."

Xi was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked softly, "... Will you really fall in love with me all over again every day?"

Moonlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on the bed. Su Rui didn't answer, but gently kissed her burning dragon horns—they were shimmering with the same color as peach blossoms.

The next morning, when Nian found them with his hair all messy, Xi was blushing as he drank the specially made hangover soup, while Su Rui was learning how to warm wine with dragon's breath.

"Next stop!" the young man announced energetically, not at all like someone suffering from a hangover, "Second brother Chongyue! His family's martial arts school is so much fun!"

Xi's spoon clattered into the bowl. "Wait! Second Brother Chongyue? That martial arts fanatic?"

Nian nodded with a grin. "Don't worry~ At most, he'll let Su Rui break through the Eighteen Bronze Men Array or something..."

Su Rui's tail fur stood on end. "What formation?!"

Ling, who was leisurely sipping his morning wine, raised his glass upon hearing this. "Good luck~ Remember to bring back some of his bone broth wine, I heard it's an aphrodisiac~"

Xi's furious roar startled the peach blossoms covering the mountain, "Sister! Sister!"

Volume 9, Chapter 555: "Sister, go get me some wine."

"Oh, right, I need your help with something~" Ling said, slightly drunk, while holding a blanket in his hand.

"Help? Help with what?" Xi took a half step back warily, her tail unconsciously curling around Su Rui's wrist. Years of experience had taught her that Ling's "help" was never anything good.

Ling shook the wine jug in his hand, and the liquid inside emitted an eerie seven-colored light. "A small matter~ it's just..."

She suddenly moved with lightning speed, grabbing Su Rui by the collar and pulling him to her side, while simultaneously forming a hand seal with her right hand. Instantly, complex teleportation array patterns lit up the ground beneath Xi He Nian's feet.

"Wait! Sister, you—" Nian only managed to utter half a sentence.

"Let my sisters borrow it!" Ling laughed and smashed the wine jug on the ground, causing a burst of smoke.

When Xi and Nian opened their eyes again, they were already standing in an unfamiliar bamboo forest. The sun was setting, the bamboo shadows were swaying, and the howls of unknown wild beasts could be heard in the distance.

"..." Xi's silence was more terrifying than any roar. Her dragon scales all bristled, and her nails had turned into sharp claws.

Nian scratched his head. "Ah... your sister's 'Drunken Immortal Teleportation Art ' is still so capricious~"

"Nian," Xi's voice was cold enough to freeze magma, "You'd better explain yourself in three seconds."

"Well..." Nian chuckled awkwardly and stepped back, "Your sister probably... just wanted to create some time alone for us sisters?"

Xi's tail snapped off a bamboo stalk as thick as a bowl.

Meanwhile, in Ling's courtyard.

Su Rui looked helplessly at her drunken eldest sister, Ling, who had already kicked off her shoes and was leaning lazily against the stone table, toying with the jar of "Twin-Born Brew" in her hand.

"Don't worry~" Ling hiccuped, "Those two little brats won't get lost." She suddenly leaned closer to Su Rui, her breath reeking of alcohol, "But you... while they're away, why don't you keep your older sister company for a chat?"

Su Rui's dragon tail twitched uneasily. "What... are you going to talk about?"

Ling mysteriously held up one finger. "Tell me how you put up with my quiet, reserved younger sister~"

In the bamboo forest, Xi and Nian are... well, cultivating their relationship.

"I told you to go left!" Nian angrily kicked aside the bushes blocking her way. "This ' Lost-Trace Bamboo ' is your sister's prank spot; the more you rush, the harder it is to get out!"

Xi walked ahead with a cold face, her tail slapping the ground impatiently. "If you hadn't insisted on visiting this drunkard, we'd already be on our way to Chongyue's place."

"Ha!" Nian spread his hands exaggeratedly, "Who was it that was clinging to that bottle of wine that someone gave us just now?"

Xi's ears turned red. "That's... etiquette."

The two sisters bickered as they walked, and before they knew it, the bamboo forest began to change—the originally chaotic bamboo gradually arranged itself into peculiar patterns, like some kind of ancient maze.

Nian suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Wait... something's not right."

Xi also noticed something amiss. She crouched down, her fingers lightly touching the ground. "There are traces of magic. Not your sister's... it's much older."

The two exchanged a glance and temporarily ceased fighting. Nian took out a few copper coins from his pocket and placed them on the ground for divination; Xi closed his eyes to sense the flow of energy around him. The tails of the two dragons unconsciously came together, an instinct of the Dragonkin race to fight together.

"Found it!" Nian suddenly pointed northeast, "There's the scent of running water over there; it should lead to your sister's ' Drunken Immortal Spring '!"

Xi raised an eyebrow. "You actually remember geomancy?"

"I learned it from filming!" Nian proudly shook his head. "They used this trick in ' The Feng Shui Master Battles the Evil Dragon '!"

"... It really is a bad movie."

When the two followed the sound of water to a clear spring, the mystery was solved—a stone tablet beside the spring bore a hastily written inscription, "My dear sisters, retrieve the ' Hundred-Blossom Brew ' stolen by the golden monkey. The wine jar is on the old locust tree in the southeast. Love, your eldest sister."

Nian was so angry that he kicked the stone tablet (and then jumped around holding his foot for a long time), while Xi looked expressionlessly to the southeast—there was indeed a towering ancient locust tree there, with a reflective object vaguely visible on the treetop, and several furry figures jumping around it.

"... I hate this family," Xi said through gritted teeth.

Inside the courtyard, Su Rui had already drunk three rounds of drinks with Ling.

To his surprise, Ling, who appeared drunk, was unusually clear-headed on crucial issues. She inquired in detail about Su Rui's materialization process, especially the origin of those Ink Mark.

"So," Ling poured Su Rui another cup, "It was Xiao Xi who used her own blood as a catalyst to help you complete the final step?"

Su Rui's hand trembled, spilling wine on the table. "What? She didn't tell me..."

"Of course I won't tell," Ling chuckled. "The Dragonkin's ' Ink Mark ' is a bloodline imprint, usually given only to the closest relatives or..." She paused meaningfully, "... their dearest loved ones."

Su Rui's dragon horns turned pink. He remembered that when Xi completed his materialization that day, she did indeed bite her finger and add a stroke to the final rune...

Ling suddenly became serious. "Children, do you know why Nian wanted to introduce you to his family?"

Su Rui shook her head.

"Because of Xiaoxi's Ink Mark..." Ling swirled his wine glass, "They're all connected to us..."

Just then, the courtyard gate was kicked open with a bang. Xi and Nian stood in the doorway looking disheveled—Xi's sleeves were covered in resin, and Nian had a few golden monkey hairs stuck in his hair. Xi was holding a wine jar, while Nian was carrying a squeaking little monkey.

"Sister!" Xi roared, enunciating each word clearly.

Ling clapped her hands happily. "That was fast! I thought you guys were going to be up until midnight!"

Nian tossed the monkey to Ling (who easily caught it): "Your 'help' is making us babysitters for the monkey?!"

"Don't be angry~" Ling took the wine jar and magically produced three cups. "Come and taste the spoils!"

Just as Xi was about to refuse, Su Rui suddenly stood up. "Xi... your Ink Mark..."

All sound ceased abruptly. Xi's expression froze instantly, and she glared at Ling: "You told him?"

Ling blinked innocently, "You only scratched the surface~" She swayed in front of Xi, suddenly pinching her younger sister's chin, "Little girl, you've grown up, you've even learned to use Blood Pact?"

Nian's ears perked up. "Blood Pact?! Xi, you—"

"Shut up!" Xi's scales all popped open, and she grabbed Su Rui. "Let's go. Now. Right now."

Ling laughed and didn't stop them, but as the two turned around, he called out, "Wait a minute, I have something else to say~"

Xi originally didn't intend to pay attention, but Ling waved his staff, and mist spread, enveloping Xi and Nian. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from the mist, leaving only Su Rui, looking at the drunkard next to her, swaying back and forth on the table with some confusion.

"What happened?" Su Rui looked at Ling with some curiosity. As Ling waved his magical artifact, Su Rui saw the scene below the mountain through the billowing mist and couldn't help but murmur in surprise:

"I never expected things to turn out this way."

Something seems off about Chapter 556 of Volume 9, "The Artifact Wraith"?

The echoes of Ling's words, "Do me a favor, sister," still lingered in her ears, but the world spun before her eyes. She instinctively reached out to grab something, but only grasped a handful of cold air.

"Ouch!"

The intense contact between her buttocks and the hard ground made her cry out in pain.

Nian rubbed the spot where he had fallen and looked around, only to find himself sitting in the middle of an unfamiliar cobblestone street. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a blood-red hue on the gray tiles and white walls on both sides, and the air was filled with the aroma of cooking smoke and food, but strangely, there wasn't a single person in sight.

"Xi! Xi, where are you?" Nian hurriedly got up, her voice echoing in the empty street.

"Here..." a faint voice came from behind.

Turning around, Nian saw Xi struggling to climb out of a pile of bamboo baskets. Her plain white dress was covered in dust, her hair was loose, and a few strands of black hair fell beside her pale cheeks. In her hand, she tightly clutched a Azure Jade Wine Cup —Ling's favorite item when drinking.

"What's gotten into that drunken sister now?" Nian stomped her foot, gritting her teeth, causing the stone slab to crack beneath her feet. "She just dumped us in a place like this without saying a word!"

Xi carefully tucked the wine cup into her sleeve, her brow furrowing slightly. "Something's not right... This city is too quiet."

Indeed. It wasn't until that year that I noticed the entire city seemed to be frozen in place.

The streets, which should have been bustling at dusk, were deserted. Shops on both sides had their doors wide open, and the pastries in the steamers were still steaming. The beads on the abacus of the silk shop were crooked, as if the shopkeeper had just left. A gust of wind blew through, and the hanging lanterns swayed, casting distorted shadows.

"Where did everyone go?" Nian walked towards the nearest teahouse and peered inside. The tea in the teacups on the table was still warm, a plate of peanuts was scattered halfway across the table, and a long bench was overturned, as if it had been knocked over by customers in their haste to leave.

Xi's fingers gently traced the doorframe, a thin layer of dust settling on her fingertips. "It wasn't leaving... it was disappearing. In an instant."

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She turned around abruptly, and something seemed to flash by at the end of the street.

"Who's there?" she shouted, her voice particularly jarring in the silence.

There was no response. Only a creaking sound came from afar, like a door being blown open by the wind.

Xi's face grew even paler. "Sister... I don't think we should be here."

Just as Nian was about to answer, a piercing metallic scraping sound came from the depths of the alley. The sound was like hundreds of swords scraping against each other, making one's teeth ache. The two sisters took a step back in unison.

"Artifact Wraith..." Xi suddenly whispered, her eyes fixed on the alley entrance.

"What?" Nian didn't hear clearly.

The next second, her question was answered.

Figures—if they could still be called figures—emerged from every alleyway. They were dressed in the clothes of ordinary people, but their faces were as stiff as wax, and their eyes were two pitch-black glass beads, reflecting an eerie, cold light.

What's most terrifying is their movement; it's so synchronized it's inhuman, and their joints make a "clicking" mechanical sound when they turn.

"Back off!" Nian instinctively shielded Xi behind him, his hands igniting two balls of orange-red flame. The "people" revealed their true forms in the flames—their skin had a wood-like texture, and sharp metal claws extended from the tips of their fingers.

The leader of the Artifact Wraith —a tall man dressed as a constable—opened his mouth, and a gear-like sound came from his throat, "Found... a living thing... transformed..."

"Transform my foot!"

With a wave of his hands, two fiery serpents shot out, striking the constable squarely in the chest. The flames instantly engulfed the humanoid figure, but what was chilling was that it didn't let out any screams. It simply stood there, letting the flames burn it, until the outer skin carbonized and fell off, revealing the intricate gears and spring mechanism inside.