Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 34: Three Days of Despair
After speaking, Bai Shuangying looked expectantly at Fang Xiu, waiting for a brand-new reaction. He had never seen Fang Xiu panic before.
However, Fang Xiu merely scratched his head. “Okay.”
He wasn’t even as excited as when Bai Shuangying had told him “Yan Jing tasted good.”
Bai Shuangying: “?”
He felt his question wasn’t obvious enough, so he turned Fang Xiu’s face toward himself.
Bai Shuangying tilted his head slightly, once more: “?”
Fang Xiu quickly responded, “This information is indeed valuable. Thanks to you, I’ve learned something I never could have discovered on my own.”
Then he softened his voice. “But right now, what’s more important is to resolve the ‘E’ here. If we stake our lives on ‘the Underworld is kind’ or ‘the enemy isn’t that strong,’ that’d be too lame.”
“Who cares if it’s a ghost immortal or the Underworld? As long as it’s possible to win by following the rules, we just need to focus on winning.”
Bai Shuangying looked at Fang Xiu’s dark eyes. Right now, they were filled with a bright gleam. It wasn’t the naive confidence of someone who didn’t know his limits, but rather a burning enthusiasm for snatching victory.
It was like fireworks.
Bai Shuangying didn’t like humans, but he didn’t dislike fireworks. He would remember the brilliant fireworks here, and he thought he would probably remember Fang Xiu as well.
“…What are you planning to do?” Bai Shuangying let go of Fang Xiu’s face.
Fang Xiu mischievously scratched the back of Bai Shuangying’s hand, then mouthed, “Of course, we’ll test with people.”
“But right now, it’s not the right time.”
……
The second “Bloody Night” arrived at exactly six in the evening.
Before six, everyone had tied four evil spirits outside the shop door.
These four little evil spirits had violated the taboo and were so weak they couldn’t move. By looking through the small window in the door, they were in clear view.
Very soon, the storm-like breathing sound reappeared.
Though the breathing was still some distance from the base, the evil spirits by the door let out shrill screams, as if being flayed alive. The sound was indescribably agonizing.
A few seconds later, only the eerie breathing remained outside, accompanied by the sticky sound of liquid dripping.
This time, even Lao Jin didn’t bother putting on a pleasant face. This place’s taboo struck indiscriminately. If the evil spirits ended up like that, humans wouldn’t fare any better.
The second taboo was very likely the death taboo here.
Even after the breathing receded, no one dared to look outside.
The ritual had actually started in the morning, so by calculation, they hadn’t rested properly for a day and a half. They already had the result of their test, so everyone decided to sleep in their own corners. At least there was no shortage of food and water, and the evil spirits weren’t all dead yet. People weren’t desperate enough to turn on each other just now.
Fang Xiu chose the darkest corner.
He faced the base’s door, arms wrapped around his knees, with the lower half of his face hidden by his arms. The breathing outside rose and fell, sometimes near, sometimes far. Beneath his bangs, Fang Xiu’s eyes slowly curved into a smile, concealed carefully.
Then he leaned slightly, resting against Bai Shuangying, who sat next to him, and quickly fell asleep. Whether intentional or not, his cheek was pressed against the long hair cascading over Bai Shuangying’s chest, gently rubbing with each breath.
Bai Shuangying looked down at Fang Xiu.
Now Fang Xiu, asleep, wouldn’t cling to him as tightly as before. Instead, he was quite relaxed as he leaned over, seemingly trusting him a bit more.
Trust…
Using half a plastic mannequin, Bai Shuangying replaced himself with it and slipped away.
He could sense that almost ghost immortal was on the move. Unfortunately, it used the power of the E to conceal itself, so Bai Shuangying couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.
The good news was that the powerful evil spirit hadn’t truly reached ghost immortality. It likewise had to abide by the rules of the E.
Right now, it could move freely outside, meaning if the method was correct, it was possible to go out during the Bloody Night as well.
In fact, Bai Shuangying had weighed his options: this “E” here really couldn’t suppress him. But if he forcibly resisted the death taboo, the Underworld would definitely take notice.
Bai Shuangying decided to find a “permitted way” to go out under the taboo.
He’d been sealed for too long and hated being cooped up indoors for twelve hours every day. Besides, that half-step ghost immortal was swaggering around outside. The thought of it made him annoyed.
Bai Shuangying concealed himself fully and melted into his true form, then stuck a small tendril out of the door crack.
Like a snail’s eye stalk, the little tendril wriggled for a moment in the red glow, and sure enough, nothing happened. So he extended himself a bit more to test the waters, and then…
A pair of warm hands scooped him up entirely, dragging back the part that had just poked outside in one swift motion.
Bai Shuangying: “!”
It was Fang Xiu.
He had formed a pact with his human, so Fang Xiu was immune to his concealment.
Fang Xiu hugged Bai Shuangying’s true form like a bolster pillow, hauling his ghost back in. He buried his face in that weightless, airy shape, mumbling, “…I told you I’m a light sleeper…”
Bai Shuangying struggled desperately, afraid to use too much force and accidentally kill Fang Xiu, but he couldn’t shake himself free.
“Don’t test the taboo… dangerous… leave it to me…”
Fang Xiu mumbled sleepily, “You have to stay with me… until the very end…”
Fang Xiu kicked aside the plastic mannequin, then shrank back to his original spot, as if he wanted to nestle entirely into Bai Shuangying’s body.
“Mmm…” He rubbed his cheek against that alien-like creature, letting out a contented sound.
Unable to move, Bai Shuangying unleashed his trump card: he shifted back into human form.
The cold, pliable fluid by Fang Xiu’s side instantly morphed into smooth, firm skin, snapping Fang Xiu awake.
He realized Bai Shuangying was sitting there disheveled, and he himself was clinging to Bai Shuangying’s waist, face buried against his chest and belly.
Fang Xiu: “……”
Fang Xiu swallowed hard, stammering, “Um… I-I swear it wasn’t on purpose. Do you believe me?”
Bai Shuangying enunciated clearly, “You lecher.”
Fang Xiu silently let go of him. He wanted to explain, but didn’t know how. Should he say “sorry, I was half-asleep and treated you like a bolster pillow?” That sounded pretty rude too.
“Next time, don’t wait until I’m asleep to test the taboo. It’s dangerous.” Fang Xiu quickly changed the subject.
This time, Bai Shuangying found himself speechless… He couldn’t exactly say he was annoyed because that big evil spirit was swaggering around outside and he wanted to go for a stroll too.
Finally, they both fell silent, ending in a stalemate.
“Let’s keep resting.” Fang Xiu sat back down, patting the space next to him.
“Mm.” Bai Shuangying also resumed his seat beside Fang Xiu. The man and the ghost once again leaned against each other.
This time, Bai Shuangying gave up on trying to go out. He took out that small white porcelain vase and began to toy with it in his hand.
……
At six o’clock the next morning, the Bloody Night ended, and the ritual officially entered its third day.
Once the base’s door opened, people immediately saw what happened to those four “test subjects”.
They lay sprawled on the ground, flesh and skin ripped to shreds, wounds covering their entire bodies. Judging from the blood stains around them, all those injuries appeared in an instant.
Seeing how horribly they had died, no one showed much surprise, only falling into even greater silence.
Such an impossible way to die. There was no doubt it was the death taboo.
Fang Xiu scrutinized the four corpses, finding them quite interesting.
Three of them had collapsed facing the direction from which the breathing had come, their backs on the ground. The remaining one had apparently tried to run away, managing to crawl a few steps before dying in the middle of turning its head.
Noticing Lao Jin looking at him, Fang Xiu put on a fearful expression and kept his observations to himself.
Next came the third “white day”, and everyone had the critical task to figure out exactly how many evil spirits were left on this street.
Now, it was a matter of life and death for them all.
Guan He was “injured” and couldn’t move. This time, Cheng Songyun and Guan He remained in the base, while the other seven all set out.
Lao Jin’s team of three refused to separate. Jia Xu was unwilling to give up on Blondie’s combat abilities, and Mei Lan wasn’t keen to deal with Lao Jin’s group. Eventually, the two sides split up: three on one side, three on the other, leaving Fang Xiu as the extra.
“Perfect timing. We’ll split up and each do a count,” Jia Xu called to Fang Xiu.
“Boss, I’d like to go with Lao Jin’s group,” Fang Xiu said. “Our side already has enough people, but Lao Jin’s abilities are pretty one-note. We should give them a bit of support.”
With that, he bit his lip. “Besides, about Yan Jing Ge’s death yesterday…I bear some responsibility, and I want to make it up to them in my own way…”
Jia Xu didn’t understand but was quite impressed. Fang Xiu sounded genuinely remorseful, with no hint of putting on an act.
This kid had been so ruthless in Weishan Village, yet maybe he was fair with his grudges and gratitude? …Perhaps it was because Lao Jin’s group hadn’t attacked them?
Then again, both Jia Xu and Mei Lan were good at stealth and had Blondie for combat. Although Fang Xiu’s “concealment” was handy, it wasn’t strictly necessary.
“Fine, go on over,” Jia Xu said, glancing at Lao Jin with a magnanimous air.
“What a thoughtful young man.” Lao Jin nodded at Fang Xiu.
That said, Lao Jin didn’t walk alongside Fang Xiu. He had Ma Zi guard himself while Da Shun stuck close to Fang Xiu every step of the way.
Da Shun was just over 1.7 meters tall, looking like a shar-pei in human form. He wore only name-brand clothing, and his hair was plastered close to his scalp in a greasy sheen.
All along the way, Fang Xiu seemed not to notice Lao Jin’s vigilance. He went out of his way to chat with Da Shun.
“Da Shun Ge, your clothes are brand-name, huh.”
“Da Shun Ge, is that a Rolex Submariner? Whoa, I’ve never seen the real deal before.”
…
“Watch out, brother!” Fang Xiu darted forward, shielding Da Shun from an evil spirit’s attack. His arm ended up with several bloody gashes.
Fang Xiu’s sweet words and protective actions flattered Da Shun, and with relatively few evil spirits around, they started chatting for real.
When Da Shun heard that Fang Xiu was an orphan who worked as a hospital janitor, he burst into laughter.
“A janitor? A month’s pay isn’t even enough for my night out,” he said derisively. “You’re in Taiyi City of Gui Province, right? If we see each other outside, I’ll take you under my wing as a lackey, and guarantee you’ll earn thirty to fifty thousand a month.”
Lao Jin gave them the occasional glance which made Da Shun quickly clear his throat. “The evil spirits really have gotten a lot fewer, huh.”
“Mm, we need to count them over and over.” Fang Xiu looked worried. “Looks like there aren’t even a hundred. We have to hurry and find the E.”
Using the Five Emperors’ coins’ power to “bewitch the evil spirits”, they combed every nook and cranny—streets, alleys, even garbage bins.
Most small evil spirits were already wiped out, leaving only medium and large ones. There were no more than seventy in total. With so many stronger evil spirits, it was getting difficult for Lao Jin’s group to control them using the coins. Lao Jin’s expression grew grim.
They counted three or four times in a row. Within that short time, the evil spirits killed several more of their own, still revealing no additional clues about the “E”.
The fireworks in the sky went on crackling incessantly, which made things increasingly irritating.
At noon, the two groups met in the middle of the street.
“Plus the ones left at the base, there are sixty-four evil spirits,” Fang Xiu called out.
Sure enough, Jia Xu immediately contradicted him. “It’s already three-quarter past noon, so subtract the two that Cheng Jie and Xiao Guan killed. Only sixty-two evil spirits remain on this street.”
Blondie: “Still good.” A decent number still remains.
Jia Xu: “Good? What’s good about it? There are nine of us. If we rely on evil spirits alone, we can last at most two more days.”
The first taboo halved the daily kill quota indiscriminately. If they insisted on killing only evil spirits…
Tomorrow would halve their number again, leaving at most twenty-six evil spirits. By the day after tomorrow, there would only be eight evil spirits… Then before noon on the day after that, they’d be stuck with nine humans and eight evil spirits.
That was if the evil spirits only killed one of their own per day. In reality, it was likely worse, as that group of brainless creatures attacked on sight.
Lao Jin weighed his thoughts. “Once the evil spirits get even fewer, we could isolate some of them. If they break taboos, so what… It’ll slow the rate of reduction a bit.”
After saying that, he frowned again. “But that’ll only buy us a day or two at most. It won’t solve the problem.”
…If they couldn’t find the “E”, they’d have to start killing each other eventually.
No wonder that big evil spirit wouldn’t show itself, Fang Xiu thought.
Even without its interference, humans would auto-destruct. It only had to pick them off in the chaos to fill its quota, then act like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind*. Once all the sacrifices and evil spirits were dead, it would simply wait for the next batch.
*Idiom referring to a situation where someone is focused on taking advantage of another party that they fail to notice a third party taking advantage of them.
Oh, according to Bai Shuangying, it might not even need to wait for the next batch. This time might let it become an immortal.
“Tonight we’ll test the evil spirits again,” Fang Xiu suggested in a small voice. “Actually, I found something odd about how those evil spirits died this morning…”
Lao Jin raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
Fang Xiu put on a slightly uncertain look. “The ones facing that breathing sound died instantly. The one that had its back turned held on a few seconds longer… It died while turning its head. Maybe the taboo is ‘you cannot look directly at it’…”
Before Fang Xiu could finish, Jia Xu immediately perked up. “Tonight we’ll blindfold the evil spirits and put them outside to see what happens!”
Lao Jin let out a long groan. “We have no choice. Let’s try it.”
They spent the entire “white day” accomplishing nothing apart from the evil spirit census. As the Bloody Night approached again, Jia Xu tore some cloth strips to blindfold the evil spirits.
“One won’t be enough.” Ma Zi grabbed another evil spirit. He didn’t bother with cloth, instead gouging out the creature’s eyeballs.
All four eyes landed on the ground with a splat, giving off an unpleasant stench.
The little evil spirit screamed as Ma Zi subdued it with practiced ease with a completely blank expression.
Jia Xu’s voice quivered, “R-right now, we don’t have many evil spirits left. They’re very precious…”
Ma Zi shot him a sinister look, making Jia Xu instantly shut his mouth.
Two evil spirits were set at the old spot, each forced to face the same direction. But everything went the same way…
The breathing drew near. While it was still some distance away, the evil spirits once again shrieked and died.
The next morning, people checked and found the evil spirit with gouged eyes lying flat on its back, dead as could be.
The other evil spirit had torn off its blindfold, running a few steps farther. It likewise died mid-turn.
Jia Xu immediately looked at Fang Xiu. “Your guess was wrong. The taboo isn’t ‘you cannot look directly at it.’ We wasted two evil spirits for nothing, haa.”
Fang Xiu lowered his head so that his face showed guilt and despair.
……
In this manner, the third Bloody Night ended, and the fourth white day arrived.
They searched the street yet again, as they had predicted. After their day’s required kills, only a bit over twenty evil spirits remained.
What drove them to despair was that three days had passed, yet the pedestrian street looked the same as ever.
Faceless passersby went on merrily enjoying the night, the music still light and airy, fireworks beautifying the sky under a round moon. As if the Mid-Autumn Festival here had no end in sight.
They could see the fourth night was about to arrive, a precious day about to be wasted in vain.
In the base, Lao Jin took out a pack of cigarettes, staring grimly at it. Ma Zi stood silently beside him, evaluating each person with his gaze.
Even Blondie was now glaring at Guan He.
He scratched his chin and quietly asked Jia Xu, “You think killing a ghost under contract counts?”
Jia Xu actually answered. “No. If a contracted ghost also counted as part of the quota, we’d have to kill two evil spirits a day.”
Blondie glanced at Guan He again. “Tch. Then there’s no solution, huh.”
Sensing danger, Guan He inched closer to Cheng Songyun, and Cheng Songyun glared back at Blondie like an enraged mother beast. Mei Lan gripped a can of food tightly, ready to smash it on the floor at any moment to create water for hiding.
Undercurrents swirled in the base, tension high.
Fang Xiu tugged on Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, whispering, “You’re sure we can move around outside during the Bloody Night?”
“Yes. That almost ghost immortal is roaming every night,” Bai Shuangying responded irritably.
Fang Xiu thought for a moment, then smiled. “I think I get it now.”
Bai Shuangying warily asked, “Are you sure?”
“Yesterday I was about sixty percent sure. Today it’s more like ninety. That last ten percent requires a test, but it’ll be worth it.” Fang Xiu said quietly, “…I think things have gotten tense enough that I won’t even need to volunteer.”
Bai Shuangying was about to ask what he meant, but Lao Jin spoke up, giving him the answer.
“Little Fang, tonight you go out and try.”
Lao Jin’s tone was especially warm. “Our five emperor coins only work on evil spirits. They won’t help against the taboo. There’s no other way. If this goes on, there’ll be chaos.”
Fang Xiu visibly shrank back, faltering a little. “But I still need to provide everyone with food…”
“You just need to leave enough supplies.”
Lao Jin gave him a kindly smile. “Your ability is concealment, so you’re best suited for reconnaissance. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not forcing you.”
“You still have the power to produce food, so even if we start killing each other, we’ll spare you until the end… If you don’t want to go, we’ll all understand.”
He spoke each word slowly, making sure everyone could hear.
Fang Xiu’s own teammates fell silent, except for Cheng Songyun, who bit her lip and said, “What do you mean? Xiao Fang has no obligation—”
But before she could finish, Guan He tugged on her sleeve.
Faced with Cheng Songyun’s puzzled look, Guan He shook his head and carefully mouthed, “Brother Fang isn’t refusing. He definitely has a plan.”
Seeing Guan He’s determined eyes, Cheng Songyun fell quiet.
“All right, I understand.”
Fang Xiu took a deep breath, his expression resolute.
Lao Jin was just about to smile when Fang Xiu added…
“But I have no combat power. I’ll need someone with me. I want him to come.”
Fang Xiu pointed straight at Ma Zi. “Xiao Guan’s already hurt, so if another two from our side die, that would be… Sorry, Uncle Jin, but I have to think about my companions too.”
He was practically writing “I’m already risking my life, so you’d better meet me halfway” on his forehead.
Lao Jin gripped the cigarette pack, hesitating. “Da Shun, you go with him.”
“Boss?!” Da Shun was shocked.
“Xiao Fang’s concealment can protect you. Don’t you two work well together?”
Lao Jin said calmly, “Against the taboo, strength doesn’t matter much. I just need to send someone… Isn’t that right, Xiao Fang?”
Fang Xiu pursed his lips. “…Yes.”
Only Bai Shuangying noticed Fang Xiu’s mouth twitching for a while, as if suppressing a smile.
…So that’s it. This human’s target all along was Da Shun.
If he was forced to bring the tall and brawny Ma Zi, Fang Xiu would have had a hard time managing him.
“We’re off, then.”
At 5:50 p.m., Fang Xiu gathered a few old clothes and stepped across the threshold. “Promise me, no one kills anyone else tonight… If I come back and find someone dead, I won’t say a word!”
“Cheng Jie, take good care of Xiao Guan.” Before leaving, Fang Xiu specifically added.
There were only ten minutes to go until six. Fang Xiu led Da Shun in a sprint toward the archway on the right side of the base. Since the breathing always came from the left archway, moving from left to right and back again.
They quickly reached the end of the street and stopped at “Treasures of Huai Zhen”, panting for breath.
With only three minutes left before the Bloody Night descended, Da Shun trembled. “X-Xiao Fang, are you sure your concealment will work?”
Fang Xiu tossed him an old piece of clothing. “Later, use this to cover your face, and don’t make a sound.”
Da Shun’s brow twitched. Fang Xiu’s tone had changed, no longer that of the “naive young man” he was used to. In this moment, the youth spoke like someone in charge.
Like Boss Jin, who could casually snuff out a life.
Da Shun suddenly sensed danger. “Why do we need to cover our faces…”
“Because I said so.” Fang Xiu didn’t bother to explain. Time was short, and Da Shun wouldn’t make it back to the base.
Then Fang Xiu turned to Bai Shuangying, his voice suddenly gentler. “Bai Shuangying, you cover your face too. Just use your sleeve… ack!”
Bai Shuangying directly made his facial features disappear, leaving only a blank patch of skin and that single bright red mole.
Fang Xiu lamented instantly, “What a waste—!”
Then, letting out a small sigh, Fang Xiu picked up an old piece of clothing and pulled it over his own head.
Unlike Da Shun, he cut two holes in it so he could at least see outside.
Immediately afterward, the three of them hid at the mouth of the alley beside the arch.
Bai Shuangying concealed himself more carefully, then lightly nudged Fang Xiu. “What exactly is going on?”
He truly was curious how they would walk around during the Bloody Night.
Fang Xiu smiled, lowering his voice.
“I watched very closely how those evil spirits screamed, moved, and died.”
Bai Shuangying leaned his blank face closer. Fang Xiu looked at that featureless visage and tapped the single red mole with his fingertip.
“…Once we confirm with Da Shun, I’ll tell you everything,” he whispered. “Then you can devour his living soul while you listen.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the fourth Bloody Night fell.
The author has something to say:
The surface-level peace is over. It’s time to strike.
As for Bai Shangxian, it’s best not to casually reveal his true form; not only does it fail to intimidate, it also makes it all too easy for a certain someone to scoop him up as a hug pillow (???
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