HBWMA -Chapter 82 Countdown to Erasure

“Ah!”

Jiang Huashan rolled down the slope for a full minute, clutching her head. Her back slammed hard into a tree, and the pistol slipped out of her hand.

“Mm…” She let out a muffled groan. Only after collapsing to the ground did she finally manage to catch her breath.

In recent years, the forestry industry in Xiangying had developed well. The roads were carved along the mountainside, and the slope was lush with greenery. Sunlight filtered through in broken layers, casting faint, scattered shadows.

Jiang Huashan stared blankly at the canopy above.

The extra vehicles, the bulletproof glass, and the meaningful glance between Shen Zhi and the Old Madam before they left…

So Shen Lanxi had also been staying at the old residence for the past two months.

She lifted her hand and looked at the cuts and abrasions across her palm and the back of her hand. Her gaze gradually sharpened.

Slowly, she closed her eyes and lightly pressed her injured fingertips against the center of her brow.

Instantly.

The surrounding scenery blurred and dissolved. Night descended, and the door to the stage-world appeared.

【Welcome to the Dramatic World】

Welcome your head!

Killing intent surged in Jiang Huashan’s eyes. Without hesitation, she rushed forward.

The Dramatic World took the form of a book, wrapped tightly in green vines. Each vine was covered in leaves, glowing faintly green like countless small hands waving in all directions.

After staring at it for a moment, Jiang Huashan suddenly snapped.

She grabbed a vine and began tearing at it like a madwoman. In no time, an entire branch was stripped bare.

【Warning! Warning! Do not damage the Gate of Drama, otherwise…】

“Otherwise my ass!”

Jiang Huashan’s face twisted in fury. She grabbed the escaping vines and ripped at them mercilessly.

“The mission was given by you. I finally completed it, and now you want to erase me? Are you messing with me?”

“Didn’t I warn you? Don’t provoke me, or we’ll go down together!”

“I just noticed—there are more vines now, and the leaves are even bigger. Looks like I’ve been contributing after all? What I hate most is being used without fair compensation. You dare trick me? I’ll strip every last leaf off you. It’s so dark here—without leaves, you can’t even do photosynthesis. Let’s see how you survive!”

She meant every word.

The Gate of Drama trembled. All the leaves curled up, but even so, they couldn’t escape her hands.

The green glow grew weaker and weaker. Seeing that she had no intention of stopping, the gate suddenly flared with light, shrinking into an ordinary-sized book and trying to flee.

“Trying to run?”

Jiang Huashan grabbed a vine and yanked it back forcefully, slamming the book down at her feet. She raised her foot, ready to stomp.

“Let’s die together!”

A blinding flash exploded before her eyes, and she was forcibly ejected from the consciousness world.

【Ding—】

A mechanical voice echoed in her mind.

【Erasure countdown: 23:59:59】

【Dramatic Arc Notice: “Golden Bond” is currently in progress】

This time, the electronic voice was different. It carried a faint, unstable crackle of static.

Golden Bond?

Jiang Huashan suddenly had a flash of insight.

Right—when she originally bound Fu Sui’er, the mission requirement was: to willingly die for the other person once.

Was this the trigger?

Half in doubt, she picked up the fallen pistol and slowly stood up.

At that moment, the countdown in her mind had already changed.

【23:49:35】

Could it be… this was Fu Sui’er’s life countdown?

In other words, Sui’er was still alive now—but if she failed to rescue her within the time limit, there would be no second chance.

Suddenly, a chill rose in Jiang Huashan’s heart.

She regretted it. She shouldn’t have rushed in so recklessly. Sui’er was still so young—forcing her to endure all this now was too cruel.

BOOM—

A sudden thunderclap exploded overhead. Clouds churned and were swept away; the sky darkened and winds picked up.

Jiang Huashan looked up.

“Beep—beep-beep-beep—”

Without warning, heavy rain poured down, slamming into the dense forest leaves like steel needles, drilling into the soil.

It was raining…

At the same time, in a ravine in the forest.

Steel-like rain struck Fu Sui’er’s face drop by drop, and the girl slowly regained consciousness.

Where am I?

She clutched her buzzing head and looked around anxiously. “Shanshan?”

The darkening sky made the forest look eerie and terrifying. After calling out a few times without response, she gave up.

She struggled to sit up, only to realize her lower body couldn’t move at all.

When she rolled down earlier, she had fallen into a deep ravine filled with cut tree trunks. The impact scattered the stumps, and both her legs were trapped beneath them by accident.

Panic rose in Fu Sui’er’s chest. She desperately kicked and struggled, but had no strength.

“Is anyone there?! Help me! Help!”

Elsewhere.

Shen Lanxi sat in the car, rain pounding against the window like splashing water.

The young man glanced at the clock inside the vehicle. Half an hour had passed since the mountain road incident.

After thinking for a moment, he lowered half the window.

“Gao Zhi.”

A man not far away immediately walked over after hearing the call. “Young Master.”

“Any news?”

Gao Zhi handed a red cloth through the window. “Not yet. We still haven’t found the two young ladies, but we did find this. Not sure who it belongs to.”

Shen Lanxi had initially no intention of taking it, but a corner of the red cloth revealed itself—and he recognized it as the Old Madam’s personal longevity lock.

Rain poured heavily, soaking the boy’s bright red cord as it splashed against the window.

He glanced at it and took the lock.

Knocking on the window, he said, “Call Shen Zhi into the car. Leave half the people searching. We’re returning to Xiangying to gather more manpower.”

With that, he pressed the window button. The glass slowly rose, sealing off the outside world.