Chapter 191
For a lifespan of 300 years, Xia Er wasn't particularly enthusiastic about it—at least not at the moment.
In a world brimming with insane and extraordinary powers, longevity didn’t necessarily equate to a blessing, especially within this extraordinary system where the mind held paramount importance.
Time would wear away your anchors, and when you looked back only to find nothing to support your will to exist, madness would be just around the corner.
The concept of "natural" forces became one of Xia Er's investigative targets.
A flash of silver light appeared, and the **Endless Manual of Forgetfulness** materialized in her hands.
She picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began to write in Chinese.
**“The exploration of the prefix ‘natural’ may become a breakthrough in finding information about that sealed object.”**
**“I found Aivina to borrow the ‘Death Substitute Sacred Corpse,’ but it can only be activated when possessed and unable to control the body. You’ll need to help come up with a plan since you have much more time than I do.”**
After pausing to think for a moment, Xia Er continued writing.
**“To make the feather seal manifest, Lucy and Opode must die. If you can’t think of a way, let Tara go back early to gather people.”**
**“Good luck, simulated me.”**
Xia Er set down her quill, and with a flash of silver, the Endless Manual vanished back into the system's repository.
After tidying up her desk, she slipped off her shoes and lay down on the bed, closing her eyes.
In this simulation, she had a full 27 days of freedom to act. To be honest, Xia Er hadn’t planned too many tasks for her simulated self.
Previously, she had packed her schedule so tightly that the originally intended 96 days of simulation had only lasted 44 days before her simulated self met an untimely end.
After all, circumstances had changed. Previously, she needed to expend 100 fate points, so Xia Er naturally sought more information.
But now, it only cost 10 points, and her point crisis was not as severe. In this case, she only needed to complete the most important tasks.
As for the free time, she would leave that to her simulated self to manage.
With her eyes closed, silver light flickered in the darkness before her, revealing the system's screen.
Xia Er slowly spoke in her heart.
“Coming day.”
“No.0.”
The silver light enveloped everything in front of Xia Er, swallowing all her senses.
Seconds later, a cacophony of noise reached her ears, and Xia Er opened her eyes.
...
**Coming Day**
**Year 741 of the Holy Era, July 21, 16:00**
**Countdown - 23:59:59**
The system countdown began, and the interface gradually faded from Xia Er's view.
The double vision before her merged, and the noise transformed into coherent speech.
Bang, bang, bang—
“Silence!”
A somewhat familiar voice emerged from behind her. Xia Er turned to see Baron Hastings seated at the head of an ornate wooden table, wearing a silver-white curly wig and a serious expression.
The sign in front of him clearly stated his current role—Judicial Officer.
Xia Er turned back to her desk, quietly nudging the sign in front of her back a little, revealing the text.
Clerk.
Before her lay a notebook, and Xia Er, dressed in a plain black outfit, held a quill, recording the case before her.
On either side of the courtroom sat prosecutors and defense attorneys, while a jury of several angry citizens shouted loudly, seemingly hurling insults at the criminal awaiting judgment in the center.
This was the Public Security Court?
The job Baron Hastings had promised her?
Why was her simulated self working here?
Xia Er didn’t see a notebook in front of her or on her person; the information from the Endless Manual wouldn’t be shared.
But she didn’t panic. Instead, she took a deep breath and patiently continued recording based on her previous notes.
The notebook explaining the situation wasn’t even nearby...
And she had somehow found a job...
Even if her simulated self might have minor disagreements with her real self due to differing tasks, she would never do anything so nonsensical.
There had to be a reason for her actions.
The trial seemed to be nearing its conclusion, and Xia Er decided to observe quietly. After quickly finishing her notes, she flipped through what she had recorded earlier.
Bolen City Mint?
After skimming through the records, Xia Er had a rough idea of what the case was about.
It was a case where a factory worker had sued the factory owner. This case wouldn’t have gone to court under normal circumstances, but previous worker protests and strikes had pushed it to the Public Security Court.
The initial cause was the sudden deaths of two workers due to excessive working hours, yet the mint had provided no compensation, and their bodies were still lying outside the factory.
The factory manager was a businessman from a noble family who had not received a title. In this awkward position, his behavior reflected the arrogance of nobility and the self-interest of a merchant.
To avoid compensating these “lowly” workers, he had directly contacted members of the Blackwater Party to intimidate the families of the deceased.
The families only sought an apology but were brutally beaten, leaving them severely injured. In such dire circumstances, the factory workers, who had long endured poor conditions and low wages, finally ignited and took to the streets to protest.
This protest seemed to have the backing of the Church of the Savior, as the workers were primarily their followers, and they needed to demand accountability.
Previously, Xia Er hadn’t paid attention to the events in Bell Tower Alley, so she had no records of this protest and march. However, now that she was working in the court, she had learned about it.
But... that wouldn’t change anything.
As Hastings declared the businessman not guilty, Xia Er’s workday came to an end. After bidding farewell to Baron Hastings, she picked up her canvas bag and boarded the carriage home.
Xia Er recognized this carriage because of the Russell family crest on it. Riding this carriage to work was akin to delivering takeout in a Rolls-Royce in her past life.
She had no intention of standing up for those workers, as Xia Er knew that it wouldn’t be long before that businessman would “miraculously” convert to the Church of the Savior and pay a hefty sum in penance.
As for whether he would survive, that depended on his fate.
Xia Er opened her canvas bag and found a notebook inside. She took it out and began flipping through it.
Chapter 121: The Suicide Experiment and “Killer” Xia Er.
After quickly flipping a few pages, Xia Er returned to the first page and began to read carefully.
This notebook didn’t record daily events like a diary; instead, it concluded with a summary statement.
**“Dear Self:”**
**“I’ve organized everything I’ve written over the past few days and made a summary.”**
**“Since I spent most of my time in a peaceful daily routine, there wasn’t much worth recording, so I condensed it into highlights for your convenience.”**
**“If you want to see the full version, it’s in another notebook; you can check it yourself.”**
**“I calculated the time, and when you arrived in the simulation, it should be around when I was at work.”**
**“You must be wondering why I didn’t do ‘serious work’ but instead took a regular job, right?”**
**“This is the ‘serious work.’”**
Xia Er turned the page.
**“We’ve both had a question: why did Lucy and Opode receive unexpected ‘rewards’ while adhering to the established rules, while we gained nothing?”**
**“Because we never truly embraced a ‘peaceful life,’ or rather, ‘ordinariness.’”**
**“In the first few days, I tentatively backtracked the meaning of the rule ‘no contact with the extraordinary.’”**
**“This rule is somewhat abstract; it seems to contradict my initial desire to ‘grow stronger for self-preservation.’ This concept is a bit abstract and not specific enough.”**
**“In contrast, Opode used the ‘Evil Eye’ to experiment little by little, testing the specific rules and living a life of torment he had never imagined before.”**
**“Lucy, relying on the ability of the ‘Fated One,’ gradually figured out the specific rules and began to ‘seriously’ work—she certainly didn’t come here intending to work hard; she had other things in mind.”**
Xia Er turned the page.
**“As for me, I tentatively began to live a truly ‘peaceful life,’ sharing a roof with my sister, finding a well-paying job, moving away from Bell Tower Alley, and previewing law courses.”**
**“Guess what?”**
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