第一百五十七章 投资型超度
Seeing this light approaching, everyone in the room exclaimed in surprise:
见着这光芒射来，屋内众人惊异道：
“It’s the deputy mayor of another hub town!”
“是另一座枢纽镇的副镇长！”
Although direct communication between the Silver White and Crimson Red models was a privilege exclusive to deputy mayors, such transmissions via hub towns had rarely been used in history.
虽然银白与绯红模型的直接沟通，是副镇长才有的权力，但历史上两边都很少借助枢纽镇直接进行通讯。
{Hao Fei, long time no see.}
{郝飞，别来无恙。}
Zhu Yin’s face twitched—the other party had actually known his true name.
逐银脸色抽了抽，对方竟然知道自己的真名。
“What’s the matter?”
“有什么事。”
{First, congratulations on your little minions entering the Illusion Company. Second, well, you know the deal too. Such an occurrence in the Loss-Frequency Land means some major unknown change is undoubtedly unfolding, and the only faction that knows the truth are people like Yang Zicang. Don’t you want to share something with me?}
{首先恭喜你们的小喽啰进入幻境公司了。其次嘛，呵，你也知道的。失频之地上出现这样的事，意味着肯定有什么我们不知道的大变故正在发生中，而现在唯一知道真相的势力就是杨子藏那几人，你不打算跟我分享什么吗。}
“You’ve said it yourself: he’s the only one who knows the latest. How would asking me help?”
“你都说了，唯一知道这消息的就是他。你问我又有什么作用。”
{Just spill a little intel, and I’ll consider granting you a divine stone—on the terms that suit me. Otherwise, no matter how you intend to play, whether it’s a hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, or a million, two million, I’ll follow along. So, how about a game?}
{透露点情报嘛，我可以酌情考虑是否给予神石喔。否则，不论你们打算怎么玩，十万二十万，一百万两百万，我都跟，怎么样，要不要玩玩。}
“Don’t talk about two million; even if you mustered all the cities’ collective timestreams, I could still handle it. Want to go big? Let’s bet big.”
“别说两百万，就算让所有城市给我集合时序，我也玩得起，要玩就玩大的，如何。”
In the sensory projection, the Crimson Red hub town’s deputy mayor, showing only a human silhouette, chuckled lightly.
感应画面中，只显示着人形轮廓的绯红枢纽镇副镇长轻笑了声。
{Bold move, kid, but in matters like this, none of us were born yesterday. I’ve got timestream to play with you, but I doubt you’ll have the time to enjoy it.}
{有魄力，小子，但这种事情大伙儿都不是吓大的，我有时序陪你玩，但你们恐怕没时间来消受。}
“Then let’s make it three million sequences. Each of us puts up three million sequences, whoever uses them up first loses. Let’s be straightforward about it—a word spoken is past recalling. My sequence actuary will be in position shortly. Let’s have a sequence war right here, a little practice for everyone.”
“那就三百万时序吧，我们各出三百万时序，谁先用完谁认输，大家都磊落点，一言既出驷马难追。我这边的时序精算师马上就位，咱们就以这里来一场时许战争好了，大家都练练手。”
{Fine, fine, fine. I underestimated you, Deputy Mayor Zhuyin. Since that’s the case, let’s settle on two million to save you some time.}
{好好好，我之前是小瞧咱们逐银副镇长了，既然如此，那就定下两百万吧，给你们也节约点时间。}
Everyone in the room heard the deputy mayor’s muttering to himself. Being sharp-witted, they could roughly infer what was happening from his words.
房间里的众人都听到了副镇长的自言自语，大家都是聪明人，从他的话中已经大概知道发生了什么。
In his heart, Zhuyin didn’t want to bother with this guy. Deputy mayors from Crimson changed as often as soldiers going through a revolving door, almost one every year, while he himself had been firmly holding his position for two or three years.
逐银内心不想甩这家伙，绯红的副镇如同流水的兵，几乎每年就换一个，而自己已经稳坐钓鱼台两三年。
But the other party had come knocking with a provocation in person. If he didn’t respond this time, they would think he was easy to push around, and then his influence in the Frequency-Lost Land would take a serious hit.
但对方亲自上门挑衅，这一次若不应下，会被对方认为自己这边好拿捏，到时候在失频之地的影响力都会丧失很多。
However, just as the two were subtly locking horns, they suddenly heard exclamations from their respective sides.
然而正当两人隐隐间针锋相对之时，忽然听到双方身旁都传来道惊呼。
“That person has vanished!”
“那人消失了！”
{Where’s Liuyun?}
{流云人呢？}
“What? It seems Yangzicang just passed by over there.”
“什么，刚才好像杨子藏从那里过去了。”
Hearing the exclamation through the Mental Link, Zhuyin was taken aback.
听到心灵链接那边的惊呼声，逐银愣了下。
“The one who can attack psionic bodies has really disappeared!” the person beside him said in surprise.
“那能攻击念力体的人真的不见了！”身旁人惊讶地道。
Suddenly, Zhuyin remembered Mori’s ability and broke into a smile.
逐银忽地想起了莫里的能力，顿时脸上一笑。
“Mr. Yaotong, that’s right—your strongarm is gone. How do you plan to fight this, then?”
“徭桐先生对吧，你们的打手人都没有了，这场战还打吗？”
The other side fell silent for a few seconds, then snorted and cut off the link.
对方沉寂了几秒，哼了声后将链接断掉。
Inside Crimson Hub Town, in a screen room similar to the silver-white one, Yai Tong, with his hair slightly tousled, had a grim look on his face.
绯红枢纽镇内，类似银白这边的荧幕房间中，头发揉得有点乱的徭桐脸色铁青。
“What just happened? How did he disappear? Did he run off out of fear?”
“刚才发生了什么事，他怎么消失了，难道他害怕跑掉了？”
“No, vice town head, it seemed Yang Zicang just made an investment for him.”
“不是，副镇，刚才似乎杨子藏给他进行了投资。”
“How is that possible!”
“怎么可能！”
The crowd exchanged bewildered glances; this guy had been deeply engrossed in chatting with the other side moments ago and hadn’t been watching the screen closely. In an instant, the battle had turned, and now the vice town head looked completely lost.
众人面面相觑，这家伙刚才跟那边聊得投入，没怎么盯着屏幕，只是霎那间战局便扭转，现在的副镇一脸茫然。
“Other than Rose Queen’s passive defense, no one can threaten that strange millipede with a tiger-wolf head anymore.”
“玫瑰女王那边除了被动防守，已经无人能够威胁到那条长着虎狼头的怪异大蜈蚣了。”
In Rose Creek, inside and outside the main hall, there was a sense of chaos.
玫瑰溪，大殿内外一片兵荒马乱之感。
Energy monsters clashed with transparent flowers everywhere inside the hall, while outside, a crowd eagerly chased after the escaping illusion train, shouting and wielding weapons.
殿内能量怪物与透明花朵四处碰撞，殿外，人群一窝蜂追着跑出来的幻影列车喊打喊杀。
Faintly, the screams of girls and Rose Queen’s curses could be heard from within.
隐约可以听到里面女生们的尖叫和玫瑰女王的怒骂。
“Did it succeed?” Luo Bin and Zuo Feixian asked tensely, while Little Liu also stood by gripping the handrail, staring at Yang Zicang.
“成功了吗？”洛宾和左非闲紧张的道，小刘也在一旁拽着扶手杆盯着杨子藏。
“It went well, but it costs quite a lot in terms of timing and Ability Spheres.”
“成功了，就是，有点费时序和能力球。”
A sly, gratified look crept across their faces, like they had just snuck into a village and managed to pet a dog without being caught.
几人脸上顿时有种成功进村摸到狗子的猥琐感。
By then, half of the bag of Ability Spheres Molly had given him were already used up.
当时莫里给自己的一袋能力球已经花掉一半。
“As long as it works, that’s what matters,” Little Liu said, clenching his fist in excitement.
“成功了就好。”小刘激动的握紧只拳头。
Moli’s ability is to “store time on coins” and “extract the time stored on coins.”
莫里的能力是在“钱币上储存时序”以及“提取钱币上所储存”的时序。
As the owner of this ability, Moli can also activate the time on coins at will for investment, much like how, in the dream world of the psychic field, Moli collaborated with Yang Zicang to create that “miracle.”
作为这项能力的拥有者，莫里也可以凭自己的意愿来激活钱币上的时序进行投资，就像曾经在念力场的梦境世界里，莫里配合杨子藏所制造的“神迹”一样。
For others to achieve “active remote time extraction” through Ability Spheres, they must spend one sphere when storing time and another when actively activating the contained time, and all that time must be entirely their own stored.
而其他人要借能力球达到“主动远程提取时序”的效果，除了存入时序时要使用掉一个，主动激活它蕴含的时序时还要再花掉一个，且那时序必须全部是自己所存入的。
Although Yang Zicang knew he only had about a dozen Ability Spheres left, this one was well spent.
虽然杨子藏明白自己只剩十来个能力球，但这一个此时却花得很值。
Zuo Feixian sighed relentlessly: “That’s over nine thousand years, just given away to that brat.”
左非闲叹息不已：“那可是九千多年啊，就这么便宜那小子了。”
Luo Bin remained silent, but he also looked pained.
洛宾则没说话，不过看样子他也很心疼。
Yang Zicang paused, gazed at the group chasing the train outside, and said: “When something needs to be spent, you spend it.”
杨子藏顿了顿，看着外面追着车跑的一群人道：“该花的就要花啊。”
“Stop!”
“站住！”
“A coward who only knows how to run.”
“只晓得逃跑的软蛋。”
The crowd outside hurled curses.
外面人群咒骂。
Even with the crowd lying in ambush around the area, the train sped too fast to cause much damage.
哪怕一圈都围着人守株待兔，奈何这列车速度太快，根本造成不了多少伤害。
Yang Zicang ignored the shouting outside, pinching another Ability Sphere and a few self-cast ancient coins.
杨子藏无视了外面的喝吗，他再次捏起个能力球，以及几枚自己铸造的古钱币。
“Charge! Ma Chao, we’re going back in.”
“冲！马超，咱们再进去。”
{Barge in!}
{进去！}
The train crashed into the wall of the palace hall beside it, amid the panicked screams of the women, like a wolf entering a sheep pen, exuding a fierce and menacing aura.
列车一头撞向旁边的大殿墙壁，在众女的惊慌声中，犹如饿狼进羊圈般露出凶神恶煞的气息。
This time, the Rose Queen finally lost her former cold and composed demeanor, shouting in shock and fury:
这次玫瑰女王终于没有了之前的冷艳沉静，她惊怒的道：
“Yang Zicang, you bastard, what did you do to the Baleful Thought Blade!”
“杨子藏，你这个混蛋，你把邪念刀怎么了！”
She only saw Yang Zicang’s train dash past Liuyun in a flash, toss something, and then that person vanished.
她只看到杨子藏那艘列车从流云身旁一冲而过，丢了个什么东西那人就消失了。
“Sent him to the afterlife!”
“超度了！”
Yang Zicang scattered the iron coins in his hand.
杨子藏手上铁币一撒。
They arced through the air and landed on a red-clad figure charging at him with a weapon.
它们划出抛物线落到了个浑身红色冲来想砍自己的人身上。
Slap! The moment the iron coins collided with him, this person also vanished into thin air.
啪！铁币与之相撞的瞬间，这人也消失不见。
“Ah, they really disappeared!”
“啊，真消失了！”
With a thunderous crash, the crowd in the hall swarmed out in panic.
轰地下，殿内一窝蜂的往外跑。
This time, they saw it clearly—it was indeed a lifespan investment
这次他们看清楚了，的确是寿命投资。
It didn’t even require a model; just tossing out coins could make people vanish.
竟然不需要模型，砸出钱币就能将人送走。
The train rampaged recklessly through the hall; the bonfire flickered and danced in gusts of eerie wind, casting shifting, unsteady light as screams erupted everywhere.
列车在殿内横冲直撞，篝火在阵阵阴风中呼呼闪动，将光华照得摇摆不定，尖叫声一片。
Yang Zicang tossed out a handful of copper coins again like scattering blossoms from the goddess.
杨子藏手中一抛，再次天女散花般将一把铜币洒出。
“Ah, help, I don’t want to disappear!”
“啊，救命，我不想消失啊！”
“I’m too young, I can’t go!”
“我还小，我不能过去！”
“Rose, call for help quickly—he’s insane! Ah, I got hit by money!”
“玫瑰姐，快求救，这是个疯子！啊，我被钱砸中了！”
Wailing and howling filled the hall, the two basins of bonfire were overturned by people, and burning charcoal rolled across the ground, spraying sparks in every direction.
鬼哭狼嚎声响彻殿内，两盆篝火都被人掀翻，火炭在地面翻滚溅起四散的火星。
“Yang Zicang, how dare you!”
“杨子藏，你敢！”
The Rose Queen’s pretty face flushed with anger; she wished she could lunge over and take a bite out of this man.
玫瑰女王俏脸气得泛红，她恨不得扑过去啃上这男人两口。
Then, before her eyes, two iron coins shot straight in.
随后在她目光中，两枚铁钱币直射而来。
“Stop it! Yang Zicang, don’t send her away!” Two men glowing red from outside the hall shouted.
“住手！杨子藏，不要送走她！”殿外浑身放红光的两人大喊。
A young woman beside Queen Rose spotted the flying iron coins, showed a look of resolve, and threw herself forward without hesitation, standing in front of Xu Aiyuan.
玫瑰女王身侧一姑娘瞧见这飞来的铁币，她露出抹决绝神色，奋不顾身地扑了过去，挡在徐爱媛身前。
“Xiaoying!”
“小英！”
Thuds-thuds—The iron coins landed in the woman’s embrace, and she quickly hugged them, then slumped to the ground.
噗噗，铁币落在女人怀中，她一把抱住瘫软下去。
Xiaoying, collapsed on the floor, caught her breath, then looked down at the coins in her arms with confusion: “Huh? I’m fine?”
摔在地上的小英喘息了口气后，疑惑地埋头看了眼怀中的钱币：“咦，我没事？”
At that moment, Luo Bin and Yang Zicang had hastily tossed a rock into the car and were grabbing a second one.
就这功夫，洛宾跟杨子藏已经敏捷地将一块岩石给丢上了车，正在薅第二块。
Queen Rose’s full chest heaved up and down; she bent down and picked up an iron coin:
玫瑰女王浑圆的胸脯起伏不定，她弯腰捏起枚铁币：
“A treasury treasure of the heavenly flower? Hmph, what first year of an era—Yang Zicang, do you even deserve it!”
“物华天宝？呸，什么元年，杨子藏你也配吗！”
“Whoosh!”
嗖！
The glowing iron coin launched sharply toward Xu Aiyuan.
带着莹莹辉光的铁钱冲着徐爱媛疾射而来。
Instantly, two more young women appeared in front of Xu Aiyuan, and the iron coin veered to the side, but two more jumped over.
徐爱媛身前瞬间多了两道姑娘的身影，铁币拐了个弯出现在一侧，又有两人扑了过来。
More girls rushed in, hugging the woman like flower buds, wrapping her in layers inside and out.
更多女孩扑了过来，她们就像花蕾般抱住了女人，将她里三层外三层包裹。
“You!” The Queen Rose, now shrouded in darkness, could feel the resolute determination of the women clinging tightly to her.
“你们！”陷入黑暗的玫瑰女王能感受到身旁紧紧保住自己的女孩们的决然气息。
“We can’t do without you here,” a girl whispered softly.
“这儿不能没有你。”一位少女小声道。
“I should have died long ago. Even if I disappeared, it wouldn’t matter,” another girl said, her voice also trembling.
“我早该死了，就算消失也无所谓。”另一人也嗓音颤抖着道。
The now-weak iron coin landed on a girl’s [body/mark], causing her to flinch tensely, yet she still refused to let go of her grip on the Ceiling Boss.
失势的铁钱落在一个姑娘身上，她身体紧张地抖了下，但依旧不愿松开抱住这位棚主的手。
The Rose Queen calmed down. She did not stop them.
玫瑰女王平静了下来，她没有阻止众人。
Within the hall, two distant red shadows came running near. A silver spear suddenly appeared and, with a loud thud, struck one of them in the instep. The red flame on that person instantly faded… to a pale white color.
殿堂中，远处两道红影跑近，银枪忽然出现，咚地声砸在其中一人脚背上。他身上的红焰霎时减退为淡白。
“I’ll handle them. You guys hurry up.”
“我来对付他们，你们赶快。”
Yang Zicang raised his hand, and the silver spear appeared in his grip. With a flash of the spear’s shadow, he sent the two people beside him flying.
杨子藏手一抬，银枪出现在手上，枪影一闪将身旁两人挑飞。
Unhindered by Slash of Evil Thoughts, Yang Zicang fought like a war god, a one-man army facing many. Coordinating with the iron “coins” in his hand, ultimately no one dared to approach, and they could only watch helplessly as the few suspicious people behind a*Jian (armor servant/jia-style proxy generation name per previous glossary) carried away the Divine Stone.
没有了邪念斩的干扰，杨子藏宛若战神以一敌十，配合着手上的铁“铜钱”，最终无人敢过来，只能眼睁睁看着甲子间背后几人偷感十足的将神石给抗走。
In the Scarlet Junction town, before a flickering video wall, a group of people were talking in low voices.
绯红枢纽镇内，闪动的荧幕墙前，一群人低声交谈。
“How are we supposed to fight this? The low-sequences can’t beat them, and the high-sequences get sent off without a fight.”
“这怎么打，低时序者打不过，高时序者直接送走。”
“How shameless can they be?”
“真不要脸啊。”
“Even the Rose herself is being wrapped up tight, too scared to even show her face.”
“连玫瑰都被人包裹得严严实实，面都不敢露。”
Couldn’t Lai Tong, burning with anger, tore a document recording the sudden incident to shreds.
徭桐愤怒地将一份记载着突发事件的纸张撕得粉碎。
“Deputy administrator please calm down.”
“副镇，消消气。”
“I made a two million Sequence bet! Will it be okay it all disappears meaningless cause someone ‘Flowing Cloud’, that idiot, dies just like this?! Calm down, my reputation, where will it stand/where can it go?!”
“我两百万时序的赌都打了！流云那个蠢货，就这么没了？！消气，我面子往哪搁！”
Everyone could understand the deputy mayor’s feelings. After all, she had only been in office for half a year and wanted to use this opportunity to assert dominance over the neighboring town, never expecting this outcome.
众人能理解副镇长的心情，毕竟刚上任才半年，想借此杀杀隔壁威风，哪想到出现这茬。
Two scraps of paper with traces of ink on the desktop caught Yao Tong’s attention.
两片落在桌面上的碎纸张上的字迹吸引了徭桐的目光。
—Breaking News: The editor-in-chief has personally visited the Lost Frequency Zone to expose the naming corruption issue.
——突发新闻：主编已亲至失频之地，揭露名气腐败问题。
Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Hub Town was completely opposite.
另一边枢纽镇内气氛则完全相反。
“What a relief! That woman couldn’t get the better of anyone, but today, Yang Zicang’s private funds took her down.”
“解气啊，这女人，谁都吃不下他，今天被杨子藏的私钱给收拾了。”
“Private funds?”
“私钱？”
“Oh, you didn’t know? Back when he was near those mountains, he was already minting his own small copper coins. The junior reporters spotted them.”
“哦，你不知道啊。之前还在那几座山附近的时候，他就在铸造属于他自己的小铜钱了。小记者们瞧见过。”
Everyone exchanged puzzled glances.
众人面面相觑。
“That troublesome kid actually minted his own currency?”
“那倒霉孩子自己造货币了？”