Ark Simulator, don't I have no physical form?

"...We're in trouble." Yan Rong swallowed hard.

Outside the painted world, Xi was observing the chaos of Poshan Town through a water mirror. A slight smile played on her lips, and with a light tap of her finger, another group of ink sprites leaped from her brush tip onto the paper and fell into the world reflected in the water mirror.

"Isn't this going too far?" Su Rui asked.

His current appearance is that of a handsome young man of about seventeen or eighteen years old, with long, jet-black hair tied up with a red ribbon, dressed in a snow-white robe, standing beside Xi and looking curiously at the water mirror. This is an avatar that Xi specially designed for him in the painting, to facilitate his activities in Poshan Town.

"They're just little ink sprites," Xi said dismissively. "They're only interested in things made of ink, and at most they can scare people."

In the water mirror, Kroos and Lava had already rushed out of the inn, fighting and retreating through the streets. Lava's fire spells were very effective against Mo Liang, but there were simply too many of them; Kroos's arrows were completely ineffective, the arrows piercing straight through Mo Liang's body and embedding themselves in the wall.

"It's your turn," Xi said to Su Rui. "Remember your role."

Suri blinked. "A mysterious traveler who happened to be passing by, knows a little about the town's legends, and is willing to help two outsiders?"

"Mm." Xi nodded, then added, "Don't make it too obvious."

Su Rui gave an exaggerated bow: "Yes, Director~" After saying that, he leaped into the water mirror.

Poshan Town, main street. Kloe and Yanrong stood back to back, surrounded by a circle of menacing Mo Liang.

Volume 9, Chapter 536: The Year in My Heart

"We need to find a narrow place," Yan Rong said, panting, "so they can't surround us."

"There's an alley over there!" Klose pointed ahead, but just as they were about to break through, a wild laugh came from the sky.

"Hahaha! My little darlings, have you found your prey?"

A fiery red figure descended from the sky and landed lightly on a rooftop by the street.

It was a woman dressed in a gorgeous red dress, her long hair dancing like flames, toying with a huge calligraphy brush in her hand. Most striking were the two curved horns on the top of her head—a feature exactly like Nian's.

"The Red-Clad Witch!" Klose exclaimed.

The "Witch Nian" on the rooftop grinned, revealing sharp fangs: "It is I! I heard someone is investigating my 'misdeeds'?" She sighed dramatically, "It really breaks my heart~"

Flame Lava raised his staff: "You're the one who stole my New Year's money—"

"Shh—" The witch Nian pressed a calligraphy brush to her lips, gesturing for silence. "Those trivial matters are not worth mentioning. Today, I'm going to give Poshan Town a great gift!"

She wielded her brush, drawing a complex rune in the air. The moment the rune was completed, the ink monsters on the street suddenly doubled in size and their numbers increased dramatically, surging towards the two operators like a tidal wave.

"Run!" Yan Rong grabbed Klose and rushed into the alley.

Just as they were about to be engulfed by the Ink Spirits, a white shadow flashed by. A handsome young man descended from the sky, holding an oil-paper umbrella. As the umbrella spun, the Ink Spirits seemed to have encountered something terrifying and retreated in all directions.

"This way!" The boy—Suri—held out his hand to them. "Come with me!"

Without hesitation, Kro grabbed his hand, with Yan Rong following closely behind. The three of them rushed into a hidden alley, and after several twists and turns, they finally shook off Mo Liang's pursuit.

"Th-thank you!" Klose said breathlessly, "What were those things? And that woman in red—"

"Mo Liang, the cleaner of the world within the painting." Su Rui folded her oil-paper umbrella and gave an elegant bow. "As for that one... I'm sure you've already heard of her infamous reputation."

Yan Rong cautiously sized up his sudden savior: "Who are you? Why are you helping us?"

"My name is Su Rui, and I am currently residing in Poshan Town," Su Rui replied with a smile, his obsidian-like eyes gleaming. "As for why I am helping you... how could I stand idly by while these two outsiders have traveled so far to rid this place of evil?"

Klose's cheeks flushed slightly—this young man was simply too handsome; every movement he made was like that of an immortal stepping out of a painting. Yan Rong, however, still squinted suspiciously: "How could you repel those monsters with just an umbrella?"

Su Rui mysteriously shook the oil-paper umbrella: "This umbrella was a gift from the storyteller, and it's painted with exorcism runes." He lowered his voice, "In fact, the strange occurrences throughout Poshan Town may all be related to that storyteller..."

"A storyteller?" Klose and Flame asked in unison.

Just as Suri was about to continue guiding them, a commotion arose from the alleyway entrance. The Red-Clad Witch Nian stood on the edge of the rooftop, looking down at them: "Found you! My little ink sprites are starving!"

With a wave of her hand, dozens of ink sprites surged forth from every corner, blocking both ends of the alley. The witch jumped down, laughing, her brush tracing brilliant arcs in the air: "Let's play a game! If you can answer my questions, I'll spare this town!"

"What's the problem?" Flame Lava gripped his staff, ready for battle at any moment.

The witch tilted her head, revealing a sly smile: "Why is it that younger sisters always hold grudges more than older sisters?"

Klose and Flamebringer exchanged bewildered glances. Suri, meanwhile, barely suppressed a laugh—this was entirely Xi using the witch's words to question Nian.

Before they could answer, Witch Nian suddenly clapped her hands: "Time's up! It seems you don't know the answer either~ So..."

She suddenly swung her brush, and all the ink spirits rushed towards the three of them at the same time! At the critical moment, Su Rui opened her oil-paper umbrella, and a golden light flashed. The witch Nian and the ink spirits froze as if they had been put on pause.

"Hurry!" Su Rui pushed the two of them towards the other end of the alley. "This spell won't last long!"

The three of them ran frantically, finally shaking off their pursuers. In a secluded teahouse, Klose finally couldn't help but ask, "That witch... she looks just like Miss Nian! And the question she asked..."

Su Rui poured tea for the two of them and said mysteriously, "There's a legend in Poshan Town. Long ago, two sister painters lived here. The elder sister was outgoing and loved excitement; the younger sister was quiet and reserved, devoted to art. One day, a prank by the elder sister hurt the younger sister's feelings..."

"And then the younger sister drew her older sister as the villain?" Yan Rong pointed out astutely.

Su Rui smiled without saying a word, simply turning the teacup in her hand gently. Tiny ripples appeared on the surface of the tea, forming a blurry character "夕" (xi).

Klose suddenly realized: "Wait! That storyteller...could he be...?"

Just then, the teahouse door was pushed open. The storyteller (Xi) walked in, fanning himself with a meaningful smile: "I heard you were looking for me?"

Outside the painted world, the real Xi is watching all this through the water mirror. She holds a paintbrush in her hand, its tip hovering above the water mirror, ready to add a new twist to this "drama" at any moment.

"Do you think they can guess the truth?" Xi asked.

Suri, residing in Xi's mind, manipulated her reflection in the water mirror to interact with the two operators: "Kroos seems to have noticed something, while Lava is still suspicious. Should we add some more hints?"

After a moment of thought, Xi lightly touched the pen, and the scene in the water mirror changed instantly—the sky over Poshan Town suddenly darkened, the enormous Mo Liang King rose from the ground, and the witch Nian stood on its head, laughing wildly as she announced that she would "devour the entire town."

"Let's make the game even more exciting," Xi said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "After all, my sister loves drama, doesn't she?"

Looking at Kroos and Flamebringer fleeing in panic in the water mirror, and herself following closely behind, constantly providing clues, Suri couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the two operators—they had no idea that they were in the midst of a carefully designed sisterly rivalry.

However, seeing Xi's unusually lively expression, Su Rui decided not to point it out. Let her enjoy this prank on Nian; after all—she'd been tricked by her sister so many times, it was only right to retaliate occasionally.

In the water mirror, Su Ruizheng "accidentally" discovers an ancient book recording the legend of the sisters, while the roar of the Ink Demon King echoes throughout the entire Poshan Town...

However, it's actually just an oversized, handsome Mo Liang.

Volume 9, Chapter 537: Don't get too hung up on the dialogue.

Su Rui felt like she was a piece of rice paper torn in two—one half of her consciousness remained in Xi's mind to chat with her, while the other half controlled the beautiful boy's avatar to move around in the world of the painting.

This state of "multitasking" left him flustered and disorganized, much like a puppeteer making his stage debut.

"The body you're controlling is clumsy and disjointed," Xi's voice rang in Su Rui's consciousness, tinged with a hint of mockery.

"It's easy for you to talk when you're not the one suffering," Su Rui retorted irritably.

The world depicted in the painting, on the streets of Poshan Town.

Suri stumbled, nearly tripping over his own clothes. Klose quickly steadied him: "Young Master Suri, are you alright?"

"N-nothing!" Suri forced a smile at Klose, "It's just that the stone path isn't very smooth..."

Meanwhile, outside the world depicted in the painting.

"Focus," Xi leaned against the easel, lightly tapping the water mirror with her fingertips, "You were laughing like a cat that had just stolen some fish."

"This is much harder than I imagined..." Su Rui's main consciousness whimpered in Xi's mind, "Controlling the body requires focus, speaking requires concentration, and you also have to deal with unexpected situations..."

Xi snorted softly and adjusted the water mirror's perspective: "He asked for it."

"Because it's fun!" Suri's two parts of consciousness answered simultaneously, resulting in her ink-made body crashing into a roadside stall again.

Klose looked at him worriedly: "You've been acting strangely since just now..."

"He needs a bowl of refreshing soup!" a clear voice suddenly interrupted. Everyone turned around and saw a petite wandering monk standing on the street corner.

She wore a wide conical hat, held a tin staff, and the Buddhist prayer beads around her neck jingled crisply with her movements. Most striking were her intelligent eyes—a remarkable woman from the Eastern Kingdom, a nun named Saga, who called herself "this humble monk."

Yan Rong immediately went on alert: "Another character from a painting?"

Saga laughed heartily, his voice like a clear bell: "This humble monk is merely a wandering monk. Seeing the spiritual energy of this world flowing like ink, I have come to beg for alms!"

She suddenly leaned closer to the handsome young man, Su Rui, so close she could count his eyelashes. "But this young benefactor... has a 'not quite dry' smell about him~"

Outside the painted world, Xi narrowed her eyes: "This nun is no ordinary person. She shouldn't be able to sense these things."

Su Rui's mind tensed: "How did she get in? I didn't draw this character!"

"She was a customer I threw into the painting before," Xi sneered. "She was also a troublemaker, so I ignored her."

Within the world depicted in the painting, Su Rui composed herself, forcing a calm demeanor, and attempted to change the subject: "Master, you jest. I am but a humble scholar..."

Saga blinked: "Scholar? Or 'painter'?" She emphasized the word "painter".

Klose tilted her head curiously: "What kind of Zen riddle are you two spouting?"

Yan Rong then grasped the key point: "What did the monk mean when he said 'the spiritual energy in this world is unusual'?"

Saga patted the gourd at his waist: "That's what I mean. Poshan Town is beautiful, but it's as contrived as a theatrical stage—the eaves are too neat, the passersby are too typical, even the sparrows there sound like they've been rehearsed."

She looked meaningfully at the handsome young man, Suri, and said, "He's like a living painting."

A cold sweat broke out on Su Rui's back. Outside the painted world, Su Rui's consciousness raced anxiously within Xi's mind: "She's going to expose us! Xi, think of something!"

Xi, however, remained calm and unhurried, and drew on the water mirror with her brush: "Since the audience is demanding more scenes..."

The sky in the painting suddenly changed color, with dark clouds looming overhead. From afar came the witch Nian's signature laughter: "Hehehe~ I've found you!"

"It's the Red Witch!" Klose exclaimed.

Saga looked up at the sky, tapping the ground lightly with his staff: "Wonderful. We were just talking about the play, and the lead actor has already taken the stage."

Yan Rong made a quick decision: "Let's split up. Klose and Young Master Suri will chase after the witch, while I'll go with this monk to find the storyteller."

"Excellent, excellent." Saga smiled, clasped his hands together, and whispered to the handsome young man, Su Rui, "Please give my regards to the 'brush-holder,' and tell her... her ink painting skills have improved considerably."

Su Rui's pupils dilated slightly. Outside the painted world, Su Rui's main consciousness gasped: "She knows everything!"

"Calm down," Xi said coldly. "Proceed according to plan. You stick close to Klose; I'll handle these troublesome monks and nuns."

The team then split into two groups. Klose and Suri chased after the witch's laughter, while Flame and Saga went to the teahouse to find the storyteller.

Outside the world of the painting, Xi splits the water mirror in two, simultaneously monitoring two lines.

"Left mirror, follow Klose; right mirror, keep an eye on the monks and nuns," she instructed. "Suri, keep your main consciousness on Klose's side."

"Understood!" Su Rui's main consciousness responded, then hesitated, "But what about Saga..."

Xi smiled slightly: "I'll play with her myself."

The world depicted in the painting, towards the teahouse.

Saga skipped ahead, the jade pendants on his staff jingling. Yanrong followed behind, his brow furrowed: "The abbot seems quite familiar with this place?"

"No, no~" Saga turned and walked backwards, "It's just that I've traveled to so many places that I can tell which are 'man-made traces'." She suddenly pointed her staff at the sky, "Look at those clouds, they change shape every quarter hour, without the slightest error—where else can you find such a perfectly orderly natural phenomenon?"

Yan Rong followed the gaze and indeed found that the clouds were slowly but rhythmically changing shape: "So this really is..."

"A world within a painting? A life within a play?" Saga blinked. "Call it what you like. But that storyteller... he must be a key figure in this world?"

Meanwhile, on the way to track down the witch.

Suri was trying to keep up with Klose while receiving messages from Xi.

"Turn left! She's headed to the winery!" Suri saw the witch's trail through Xi's water mirror and provided information to Klose.

"Over here!" Suri grabbed Klose's arm. "I heard a noise coming from the direction of the distillery!"

Klose looked at him in surprise: "Your ears are amazing! I didn't hear anything..."

Her words were interrupted by the sound of shattering earthenware jars. The witch Nian was sitting on the roof of the winery, throwing wine jars down one by one. "Catch!" she laughed as she tossed a wine jar towards the two of them.

Su Rui instinctively tried to dodge, but then heard Xi's command: "Catch it! And then..."

He abruptly changed his movement, deliberately slipping the moment he caught the wine jar, falling backward. The wine jar flew out of his hand, tracing a graceful arc in the air—

It accurately struck one of the black goblins that was hiding in the shadows and observing.

"Agh!" Mo Liang screamed and turned into an ink stain. The witch's smile froze on her face: "Hey! That's my little darling!"

Outside the world of the painting, Xi nodded with satisfaction: "Very good, now say it as I taught you..."

Su Rui scrambled to her feet, hands on her hips, looking up at Nian high above, and declared righteously, "Witch Nian! You have allowed Mo Liang to wreak havoc on the people, today we will surely..."

"Stop!" Xi suddenly frowned in front of the water mirror. "You've misremembered your lines! It's 'poisoning the people,' not 'causing chaos'!"

Su Rui's main consciousness said aggrievedly, "The two words mean almost the same thing..."

"Far from it!" Xi angrily banged her pen against the water mirror. "'Poisoning' is much more literary! Let's try again!"