Chapter 6
During her time at school, Xia'er adhered to the principle of keeping a low profile, avoiding offending anyone and not getting too close to anyone. It wasn't just the nobles, officials, and wealthy merchants; even among their children, there were various open and covert rivalries. Standing on the wrong side could lead to her demise, which would be easier for them than squashing an ant.
As for the reasons? Disliking someone was a perfectly valid excuse.
Perhaps it was the existence of the simulations that allowed her future self to boldly discuss the issues of the Black Water Party with Ai Mi. Unfortunately, the results were minimal.
Xia'er shook her head gently.
However, the actions recorded in her notebook served as a reminder to her present self: in the simulations, she could afford to be bolder.
As long as the outcome was favorable, she could repeat the simulation countless times to find the optimal solution.
She turned to the next page, and the content made her pause slightly.
[June 18, 741 AD, 11 PM]
[A nervous maid knocked on the door and handed me a letter. The envelope bore no signature, but from the family crest on the maid's carriage, it was clear that the letter was from Ai Mi.]
[It seems Ai Mi has managed to find out my address—she might have known it all along. Confined at home, she could only rely on the maid to deliver messages to me.]
[She had received quite a bit of information from her father, all of which Ai Mi had written in the letter.]
[The Black Water Party is the largest gang in the Bell Tower Alley, primarily engaged in the brewing and transportation of illicit liquor, controlling all the bars in the area. Their leader, Blade Solari, has connections with many nobles.]
[Recently, her baron father received news that the leader of the Black Water Party had spent a fortune to get close to a certain church member, obtaining something from that member. Her father warned Ai Mi to steer clear of the Black Water Party and not to meet with Xia'er, who was inquiring about the gang's leader.]
[In the end, Ai Mi asked if I was facing any difficulties. If so, I could go to her house to hide for a few days—but that was impossible. Given her father's cautious nature, the moment he discovered me, he would hand me over to the Black Water Party to distance himself from the trouble. He wouldn't get involved in such matters over a commoner.]
[June 19, 741 AD, 6:29 PM]
[Ai An is dead, but this time, I killed him.]
[The intelligence I currently possess is still too limited. The most critical point is that I lack the means to protect myself. Many investigations have no starting point; acting blindly would only lead me into a trap. It would be best to acquire some stronger weapons.]
[I can only follow the planned course of action, trying not to reveal any flaws. I used my birthday as an excuse to have my sister wait for me at a café in the city center while I lingered around the area where I was preparing to rent a new place.]
[This division of action serves as a control group to determine whether the "ritual" targets me or my sister. It’s clear now; they changed their plan. The stalker provided information, leading the thug Ai An to find me—they were after me.]
[I had prepared a knife in advance. This time, only Ai An came, without any other thugs, and he was surprisingly weak, almost as if he had come to die, ensuring that I could stab him! The bloodied knife is still in the compartment of my canvas bag.]
[Be careful.]
The last entry... was just moments ago!
“Bang—”
As soon as it hit six-thirty, the bells of the towers rang out, sounding dull and oppressive in the rain.
This is bad! Why is the timing so tight this time?
Xia'er quickly reached into her canvas bag, her fingers soon brushing against a bloodied, sticky wooden knife handle. Her gaze instinctively darted to the right, where several shadowy figures were approaching through the rain-soaked night.
One of the figures, thin and wearing a newsboy cap, was unmistakably the stalker from her notebook.
Without a moment's hesitation, Xia'er tossed aside her umbrella and sprinted toward the left side of the road, but just a few steps in, she saw several figures waiting for her at the end of the path.
Xia'er halted, standing her ground, fists clenched tightly.
“Six thirty-one... Why is the ritual off?”
The words she had heard before echoed again, accompanied by the familiar, aged voice and footsteps drawing closer behind her. When those footsteps stopped, the familiar sound of a hammer being cocked followed.
[It would be best to acquire some stronger weapons.]
The words from her notebook flashed through Xia'er’s mind.
“Blade Solari!” Xia'er shouted.
“Hmm?” The shout startled the elderly man holding the firearm, who seemed puzzled as to why the sacrifice before him knew his name.
In that brief moment, Xia'er turned with the knife in hand.
Less than two meters! So close! Just three steps away!
She lunged directly toward Blade, her left hand swinging the bloodied short knife toward his head.
Three steps away, the gun was quick.
Within three steps, the gun was both accurate and fast.
“Bang—!”
A bullet roared toward Xia'er’s head, shattering her cheekbone, the projectile lodging itself in her skull.
The intense pain nearly knocked her out, but her left hand had already grasped the warm barrel of the revolver.
The sudden turn of events startled Blade; he instinctively thought the gun was about to be taken from him. He intended to pull it back, but the girl before him moved faster, pressing her forehead against the gun's muzzle.
What’s going on? Is she insane?
Blade's gaze met the blood-smeared face of the red-haired girl. In her calm, blood-stained eyes, he saw no fear or panic; her expression was eerily serene, as if she were not a dying person facing an unexpected fate.
The girl’s left hand gripped the gun barrel tightly, while her right hand released the short knife and quickly reached forward, blocking the trigger before Blade could retreat!
“I won’t let... your ritual... succeed...”
“Bang—!”
The girl, drained of all strength, collapsed to the ground, her blood washed away by the rain. Blade, splattered with her blood, felt his heart race as he stared at the girl’s lifeless body, unable to regain his composure for a long time.
He hadn’t pulled the trigger; it was the girl before him who had done so...
What was her situation? How did she know my name, even the details of the ritual?
She even said she wouldn’t let my ritual succeed? But she was clearly dead!
And that calm look in her eyes...
“‘Revenge’ has been fully realized; what are you waiting for?”
A figure in a black robe emerged from the alley, snapping Blade back to reality. He pulled out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face, taking a deep breath, but felt no sense of satisfaction or peace after “revenge.”
“Bang bang bang—”
He raised the revolver and fired several shots into the girl’s corpse until the bullets ran out and the chamber spun empty, slowly lowering the hot, smoking barrel.
Just now, he felt a long-lost emotion... that of fear of the unknown, just like when he first encountered that figure in the black robe.
---
**Chapter Five: Reversing Death**
**“Reality”**
**“June 17, 741 AD, 6:44 PM”**
**“Evaluation: Compared to the first simulation, your ability to gather intelligence has significantly improved. You have also begun to fear death less... Is this a good thing?”**
**“Take this; it’s a reward for those unafraid of death.”**
**“Reward: Fate Points *3, [Death Reversal Lv.1]”**
**“Fate Points: 14”**
“Ha—”
A sharp intake of breath echoed as Xia'er propped herself up and sat up abruptly in bed.
The left side of her face still throbbed with phantom pain; no matter how composed she had appeared earlier, the agony of torn flesh would not lessen in the slightest.
Xia'er ignored the system's comments and directly summoned the system interface in her mind.
**“Simulation”**
**“Skills”**
**“Warehouse”**
**“Point Store”**
She focused her consciousness on the Point Store, and a silvery, ethereal list unfolded before her, revealing several new items.
Her gaze swept over the clothing items, and she was instantly drawn to one particular object.
I did it...
**“[.450 Revolver (Battle-Tested)]”**
**“Fate Points: 1”**
What?
Xia'er blinked, struggling to believe what she was seeing.
Previously, items like school uniforms and diplomas cost 1 Fate Point each, and Xia'er felt that was a rip-off, considering they were just ordinary items.
But when she saw that the revolver was priced at only 1 Fate Point, she found it hard to believe.
If spending 1 Fate Point on clothing felt like a scam, then spending 1 Fate Point on a gun was worth far more than any piece of clothing.
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