Chapter 51 Modern Puzzle
The peace and tranquility of returning to the ruins of Junwu Mountain didn't last long. Suddenly, a thunderclap rolled across the horizon. Though the sky was clear, the thunder shook the earth. The jade pendant in Wei Wuxian's arms suddenly erupted with a blinding light, enveloping the three of them, along with Lan Jingyi and Nie Huaisang who had rushed over.
“What’s going on?!” Lan Jingyi’s exclamation was swallowed by the white light. Wei Wuxian only had time to hold Lan Wangji’s hand tightly before he felt the world spinning. There was the whistling sound of the wind in his ears, and a regular mechanical roar that he had never heard before.
As the light faded, the five of them fell to the hard, black ground, causing Wei Wuxian to grimace in pain. He pulled himself up and looked up, stunned—before him was a towering "stone building," its surface gleaming with the sheen of glass. Countless strange "iron boxes" darted through the "black river" beneath their feet, making a dripping sound. In the distance, a massive metal bird soared across the sky, its wings motionless.
"Where is this?" Nie Huaisang dropped his folding fan to the ground, his voice trembling. "When did Junwu Mountain become so... weird?"
Si Zhui clutched the corner of Wei Wuxian's clothes tightly, his little face full of confusion: "Daddy, there seems to be someone in those iron boxes..."
Lan Wangji's expression was equally solemn. He unsheathed his sword, but the light was suppressed by an invisible force, and he could only barely protect his body. "The resentment here is thin, but there is a strange energy flowing."
At this moment, an emotionless mechanical voice suddenly sounded in everyone's mind:
[An alien life form has been detected, and the space-time anchor point has been successfully bound.]
[Main Mission: Obtain 1 billion likes.]
[Mission Description: Only by accumulating enough emotional energy in this world can you unlock the truth of the time-space rift and begin your journey home.]
[Tip: Like points can be gained through others' positive emotions (appreciation, love, admiration, etc.), while negative emotions will deduct energy points.]
“Who’s talking?!” Wei WuXian looked around warily, but saw no one. “What’s that like value? One billion? Are you kidding me?”
[I am Spacetime Management System 001, in a non-physical form. This mission is real and effective. Failure will result in permanent entrapment in the real world.] The mechanical voice remained cold. [Newbie gift pack has been distributed: three copies of identity information, and basic real-world knowledge indoctrination.]
As soon as he finished speaking, a large amount of unfamiliar information suddenly flooded into the minds of Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji, and Sizhui - about this world called "modern times", about strange words such as "mobile phone", "Internet", and "currency", and three cards with their photos printed on them that appeared out of thin air in their hands.
"Is this... us?" Si Zhui looked at himself in "strange clothes" on the card, his eyes widened.
Nie Huaisang picked up the folding fan on the ground and said with a bitter face, "Brother Wei, Second Young Master Lan, this system doesn't sound very friendly... Where can we get 1 billion like points?"
Lan Jingyi was even more confused: "What is the likeability value? Is it like the admiration of the hundreds of immortal families? But 1 billion...all the people in the world combined don't have that many, right?"
Wei Wuxian pinched the "ID card," looking at the name "Wei Ying" and the unfamiliar address, and suddenly smiled. "What are you afraid of? We were able to survive in the mass graves back then, so why should we be afraid of not being able to make it in this 'modern age'?" He patted Lan Wangji's shoulder. "Isn't it just about earning some 'like points'? Watch me."
He was just about to try playing a tune to attract attention when he was stopped by a man in uniform: "Hey! What are you doing here? Are you filming a movie dressed like this? Show me your ID!"
Wei Wuxian had no idea what an ID was, and just as he was about to explain, Lan Wangji stepped forward and handed him his ID card. The "basic common sense" in his mind told him that this thing was equivalent to a "visiting card" here.
The uniformed officer glanced at their IDs, then looked at their ancient costumes, muttered, "Don't cosplay in the middle of the street!" and waved them off: "Hurry up and get out of the way."
Wei WuXian breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to lead everyone to find a place to stay, the system voice in his mind sounded again:
[Slight curiosity from passerby A: +10 likes.]
[Current total progress: 10/100000000.]
"..." Wei WuXian's mouth twitched. "So he made 10 in just half a day? How long will it take to make 1 billion?"
Lan Wangji looked at his angry expression, gently touched the back of his hand with his fingertips, and said in a calm but soothing voice: "Take it one step at a time." He looked at the flashing neon lights in the distance, "First, figure out how to 'survive' in this world."
Nie Huaisang had already opened the "mobile phone" that came with the system and began studying the "map" on the screen. "It seems... this place is called a 'city'. We need to find a 'hotel' to stay in first... I just don't know if the jade pendant can be exchanged for 'money'?"
Si Zhui was holding Mu Yuan, watching the "TV series" playing on the big screen by the roadside. Suddenly, he pointed at it and said, "Dad, look at that man in white. He looks like dad!"
On the screen, a man in ancient costume danced with a sword, drawing a barrage of "Ahhh, so handsome!" from the comment section. Wei Wuxian's eyes lit up, and he clapped his hands, "Got it! With our skills, are we afraid no one will like them?"
The distant thunder had long since faded, the hustle and bustle of the modern city drowning out the ancient aura of the immortal sect. The five stood on the busy streets, gazing at the bizarre world before them, clutching their flimsy ID cards in their hands and carrying the weight of one billion Like Points on their shoulders.
Wei Wuxian looked up at Lan Wangji and saw that although his expression was solemn, his eyes were still firm. Suddenly, he felt that this absurd task was not so scary.
"Let's go make some money!" He pulled Si Zhui up and smiled at Lan Wangji. "Let's start by making these modern people fall in love with our 'Ya Zheng'!"
Lan Wangji looked at the light in his eyes and shook his head helplessly, but he still followed him. The tassel on Bichen's sword swayed gently, reflecting tiny glints of light in the unfamiliar sunlight. Perhaps the key to unlocking the truth lay hidden in this seemingly absurd world.
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