Ark Simulator, Didn't I Have No Physical Body? Chapter 254

Ling slowly sipped his drink, not even looking up. "Go if you want to."

Xi paused, then pursed her lips. "... Your sister."

"What?" Ling chuckled lightly. "Didn't you say yourself, 'Even if the punishment is a little heavier, it doesn't matter'?"

Xi's fingertips tightened slightly, causing the scroll to rustle softly. She lowered her eyelashes and whispered, "... Thank you, sister."

"Hmph." Ling shook the wine jug. "But the punishment won't be light—when you get back, you'll have to help me organize three months' worth of ancient books."

Xi nodded without hesitation. "Okay."

Just then, Nian, who was bound by ink-wash chains, suddenly chuckled, "Sister Ling~ Since Xi Du went, then I'll--"

"Don't even think about it." Ling Yi glared at him. "Your punishment is to copy the ' Wine Classic ' three hundred times. Not a single time less."

Nian's face immediately fell. "Three hundred times?! Sister, are you trying to kill me?!"

Ling remained unmoved, simply pouring himself another glass of wine. "Who told you to burn down the entire screening room?"

Nian blinked pitifully, trying to put on the most innocent expression. "That... that Xi-mei going alone would be too dangerous! I'm doing this to protect her!"

Xi had already reached the door when she heard this, and turned back to glance at her. "No need."

"Xi-mei!" Nian stamped her feet anxiously, "Can you bear to see me copying books here all by myself?"

Xi said expressionlessly, "How could you be so heartless?"

Year:"..."

Just as Xi was about to push the door open and leave, Nian suddenly rolled his eyes and shouted, "Wait! Xi! Have you forgotten about Su Rui being kidnapped by that cat-eared girl last time? What if she does it again this time—"

Xi's steps suddenly stopped.

A smirk crept across Nian's lips as he pressed his advantage. "Besides, I heard that Miss Du's family has quite a collection of ancient books related to the Dragonkin! Who knows what her true motives are for getting close to Su Rui?"

Xi's back visibly stiffened for a moment.

Ling watched the performance with great interest and said leisurely, "So?"

"So!" Nian puffed out his chest, "Let me go with Xi-mei! I can help keep an eye on that cat-eared girl!"

With a half-smile, he asked, "Three hundred recitations of the ' Wine Classic '?"

The smile froze on his face, "... Two hundred times?"

"Four hundred times."

"Your sister!"

Five hundred times.

Nian immediately shut up, curling up into a ball looking aggrieved.

Xi finally turned around and sighed, "Sister Ling, let her come with me."

Ling raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Xi turned her face away, her voice very soft. "... She makes a good point."

Ling stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter. "Alright, alright! Nian, your punishment is reduced to two hundred repetitions—but you must complete it within a month."

Nian cheered, and the ink-wash chain snapped. She jumped up and hugged Xi tightly. "Xi is the best!"

Xi pushed her away with disgust. "Stay away from me."

Nian didn't care at all and excitedly ran to the door. "Let's go! If we're any later, Su Rui will be kidnapped by that cat-eared girl!"

Xi's forehead twitched, and she barely resisted the urge to tie her up again.

Ling watched the two figures disappear into the distance, shook her head, and tilted her head back to drink the wine in her cup. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting shimmering shadows on the wine cup in her hand—the wine had somehow taken on a faint bluish hue.

"It's really... lively."

Inside the Drunken Immortal Tower, the lights were on, and the auction was about to begin.

Su Rui and Du Yaoye sat in a private room on the second floor. Du Yaoye's cat tail quietly wrapped around Su Rui's wrist, and his fingertips gently caressed his dragon scales.

"Su Rui," she leaned closer, her voice soft, "if the price is too high later, we can—"

Before the words were even finished, the air in the private room suddenly became heavy.

A figure in ink appeared silently behind Su Rui, slender arms encircling his neck from behind, pulling him backward. Su Rui's back immediately pressed against something warm and soft, the familiar scent of ink lingering in his nostrils.

"... evening."

Su Rui didn't turn around, but simply called her name softly. Xi rested her chin on the top of his head, tightened her arms, and held him firmly in her embrace, without saying a word.

Du Yaoye's cat ears instantly stiffened, and her tail froze. "Miss Xi..."

Nian leaned lazily against the doorframe, watching the scene with a smile, "Oh dear, caught!"

Xi Lian didn't even glance at Du Yaoye, but lowered her head, her lips almost touching Su Rui's earlobe, her voice so soft only he could hear. "Who gave you permission to touch other people?"

Su Rui's dragon scales bristled slightly, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "... I'm just here to investigate the wine cups."

Xi's fingers traced his Adam's apple, her fingertips gently caressing it as if measuring something. After a while, she finally loosened her grip, but her arms remained wrapped around him, keeping him within her own domain.

The auctioneer's voice rang out at the opportune moment. "Next up is the grand finale of this auction—an antique wine cup rumored to be related to the number 'year'!"

The red silk was lifted, revealing an antique wine cup that gleamed with a celadon glaze under the lamplight.

Su Rui's pupils contracted slightly. "It really is your sister's wine cup..."

Xi's gaze fell on the wine cup, her eyes turning colder. Her fingers unconsciously twirled a strand of Su Rui's silver hair, as if she were deep in thought.

Nian smiled and leaned closer, "Xi-mei, aren't you going to snatch it back?"

Xi glanced at her indifferently and said nothing.

Just then--

"Bang!"

Several dark figures burst through the window and rushed straight at the exhibition stand!

"Robbery!" the auctioneer shouted in terror.

Chaos erupted instantly as guests screamed and scattered in panic. The men in black moved with lightning speed; the leader had already grabbed a wine cup—

Su Rui instinctively tried to get up, but Xi's arm held her down firmly.

"Don't move."

Her voice was soft, yet irresistible.

The man in black successfully snatched the wine cup and turned to leave. Nian raised an eyebrow. "Xi-mei, are we just going to let them go like that?"

Xi coldly watched the backs of the robbers, and with a slight flick of her finger, a chain of ink-wash patterns appeared out of thin air, "just right" blocking their way. The robbers hurriedly dodged, and the chain "accidentally" missed, only grazing one of their sleeves.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the robbers rushed out of Drunken Immortal Tower and disappeared into the night.

Su Rui frowned. "Xi..."

Xi released her grip and finally stood up. Her gaze followed the direction the robber had gone, a cold smile playing on her lips.

"Follow them."

She reached out and gently touched Su Rui's forehead with her fingertip. "You, come with me."

Nian whistled. "Oh dear, are we going fishing?"

Xi didn't answer, but looked at Du Yaoye with icy eyes. "You, get out."

Volume 9, Chapter 563: The Dream Tapir? Little Pig!

In the darkness outside the Drunken Immortal Tower, two figures were fleeing in panic. The tall, thin man in the lead was carrying a wine cup, followed by a burly man with a face full of scars.

"Old Zhou, are you sure this thing is valuable?" the burly man asked, panting heavily.

"Nonsense!" the tall, thin man said in a low voice, "That lord said this wine cup can be exchanged for a house!"

On the rooftop not far away, Xi held Su Rui tightly by the waist with one arm, keeping him firmly by her side. Her gaze coldly followed the two thieves, her fingertips unconsciously caressing a small patch of dragon scales exposed on Su Rui's waist.

"Xi..." Su Rui shifted uncomfortably, "Are we just going to watch like this?"

"Don't move." Xi tightened her grip, her voice brooking no argument. "Stay close."

With a gentle wave of her other hand, the ink barrier silently unfolded, completely concealing their presence. Su Rui could feel Xi's breath brushing against his earlobe, warm and steady, as if everything before him was under her control.

The thieves slipped into a dark alley. Just then, a third figure silently followed them—a girl wearing a straw hat with a round, dark pig perched on her shoulder.

"It's that bounty hunter!" Su Rui's eyes lit up, her tail wagging involuntarily. "How come she also..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xi suddenly pinched the tip of his tail with her fingers. Su Rui froze instantly, his ears turning red.

"Quiet." Xi's voice was soft, but it immediately made Su Rui behave.

Deep in the alley, the thieves stopped in front of an abandoned teahouse. Just as the tall, thin man took out his key, suddenly, with a "clatter," all the teaware in the teahouse started moving on its own.

"Old Zhou!" The burly man backed away in terror. "How can these things move on their own?!"

Xi frowned slightly and tapped Su Rui's waist twice with her fingers—this was their secret signal, meaning "prepare to move." Su Rui immediately tensed up, her dragon scales faintly visible.

Inside the teahouse, the Artifact Wraith had already surrounded the two thieves. The bounty hunter girl turned to leave, only to find her escape route blocked as well. The little pig on her shoulder let out a series of urgent grunts.

At this critical moment—

"Xi!" Su Rui suddenly broke free from Xi's arm, "That girl is in danger!"

"Wait--"

Before Xi could finish her warning, Su Rui had already leaped off the roof. Xi's pupils contracted, and almost instinctively reached out to grab her, but only managed to grasp a strand of black hair.

"That idiot..."

Her voice carried a rare hint of panic as the ink painting scroll instantly unfurled in her hands.

Su Rui landed steadily in the center of the teahouse, blocking the bounty hunter's path. He grinned. "Need any help?"

Before he could finish speaking, a teapot-shaped Artifact Wraith hurtled straight at his face. Su Rui hastily dodged, only to see a dark chain suddenly shoot down from the sky, accurately shattering the teapot.

"Fifteen minutes," Xi's cold voice came from above. "If you can't solve it, go back and copy books."

Su Rui looked up and saw Xi standing on the eaves, the moonlight gilding her with a silvery edge. Her expression remained indifferent, but Su Rui noticed that her fingers were tightly gripping the painting, her knuckles turning white.

"Roger that!" Su Rui's smile widened, and she turned to the bounty hunter, winking. "Want to team up?"

The girl paused for a moment, and the little pig on her shoulder suddenly started to squeal excitedly.

Xi sighed softly as she watched Su Rui begin his battle below. Her gaze remained fixed on the lively figure, and the ink barrier always enveloped him within three inches, blocking any possible sneak Artifact Wraith.

"Always so reckless..."

Her whispers faded into the night wind, but her hands never stopped moving, ensuring that every ink-wash spell was precisely aimed at protecting Su Rui's vitals.

A sudden gust of cold wind rose inside the teahouse.

Broken teapots, tilted cups, rusted ironware—all the objects trembled, emitting a grating "crunching" sound. Twisted features emerged from their surfaces, and black mist seeped from the cracks, coalescing into ferocious claws and fangs.

"How come these things are so hard to kill?!" The burly thief retreated in terror, his short sword cleaving through Artifact Wraith lunged at him, but the shattered pieces instantly began to wriggle and reform.

Ye Ban's eyes sharpened, and he tapped the top of the Dream Tapir's head with his finger. "Ink Shadow, devour them!"

With a "humph," the Dream Tapir leaped up, its body suddenly expanding in mid-air, transforming into a swirling cloud of black mist. Two scarlet eyes opened within the mist, and with a wide-open maw, it sucked the three Artifact Wraith directly into its belly.

"Wow!" Su Rui's eyes lit up. "This little pig—no, this Dream Tapir —is amazing!"

Before he could finish speaking, the screen behind him suddenly split open, and a silk cloth painted with a picture of a beautiful woman wrapped around his neck as if it were alive. Before Su Rui could react, a dark chain came flying through the air and "whoosh" nailed the silk cloth to the wall.

Xi Leng looked down from the eaves, her fingertips manipulating the ink-wash chains. Her gaze remained fixed on Su Rui, and whenever Artifact Wraith launched, a streak of ink light would always arrive first.

"Su Rui! To the left!" he suddenly shouted in the Ye Ban.

A set of tea Artifact Wraith in, spinning, their edges as sharp as swords. Su Rui swept his tail across, shattering two of them, but the third aimed straight for his heart.

"Clang!"

The scroll of the sunset unfolded at the critical moment, and the shield formed from ink and water precisely blocked the attack. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Su Rui thrust out with his dragon claw, his arm covered in blue scales piercing through the tea tray, and the black mist hissed and dissipated in the dragon's aura.

"Not bad teamwork~" He grinned at Xi.

Xi snorted softly, and the scroll in her hand suddenly expanded. A black dragon leaped from the paper, shattering Artifact Wraith and their accomplices in its path. The Dream Tapir seized the opportunity in the Ye Ban.

(Battle scene continues)

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, and all the broken Artifact Wraith and remnants began to tremble wildly. Black mist surged towards the center like a tide, condensing into a huge monster—a twisted humanoid figure pieced together from countless teapots, cups, and ironware, standing two zhang tall, exuding an aura of decay.