Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 36: A Sudden Drop in Numbers

Blood Night, inside the base.

Things seemed to have developed as tonight the heavy breathing wasn’t making its usual patrol rounds. Starting at some point, it passed by the base far fewer times. No one knew where it had gone.

Before leaving, Fang Xiu obediently left a large supply of food. Jia Xu popped a piece of candy into his mouth, feeling slightly better.

Right now, Fang Xiu was out investigating on everyone’s behalf, so Jia Xu didn’t have to take any risks. It was a feeling like traveling for business by plane or waiting in a car wash while sitting comfortably inside your car. It was a “legitimate” way to pass the time.

Jia Xu was well aware that, in both psychological endurance and intellect, Fang Xiu outclassed him. But so what if Fang Xiu was stronger? In a company, there were plenty of high achievers more capable than the boss, yet they still had to rely on him for negotiating deals and allocating bonuses.

For a leader, the most important skill was managing people.

Anyway, even without Fang Xiu, Jia Xu had his own role to play.

Clearing his throat, Jia Xu looked toward Lao Jin. “Since we’re idle anyway, let’s talk about the previous sacrifice we experienced. The more we know, the better.”

Lao Jin let out a laugh. “Sure.”

Then he said nothing more, clearly signaling for Jia Xu to go first.

Jia Xu didn’t hold back. He briefly recounted the events in Weishan Village.

In Jia Xu’s telling, he was the one who outwitted Brother Scar, uncovered the local thugs’ tricks, and discovered the rules of the taboo. Fang Xiu became little more than his follower, merely getting lucky at the end by being the first to bite into that piece of candy.

After all, Fang Xiu had already told them a lot. Jia Xu only needed to revise it slightly. Right now, Fang Xiu was playing the obedient subordinate, and Jia Xu was helping him keep up that cover.

Everyone could tell something was off. But not even Blondie wanted to tear down one of their own in front of Lao Jin, so nobody said anything. Only Guan He, hidden behind Cheng Songyun, silently mouthed several curses.

Lao Jin listened intently. “So that ‘abnormal change’ ended up being a good thing. I might have fallen for that deception if I’d been there.”

Jia Xu: “Exactly. I nearly fell for it too. …What about your side?”

“That’s a long story…”

Lao Jin felt around for his cigarette pack and stuck a cigarette between his lips.

Since they’d sealed the windows so thoroughly, and the heavy breathing wasn’t making an appearance, he took out his lighter, planning to indulge in a smoke.

Click.

The instant he lit the lighter, the flame turned into countless tiny fireballs. Lao Jin’s hand shook, and his expensive lighter fell to the floor.

Each little flame was about the size of a cigarette tip, scorching and pressing against his skin from every angle. Accompanied by sizzling sounds, Lao Jin barely stifled a pained outcry.

He took pride in maintaining his skin well, but now it was covered in burns, as if countless lit cigarette butts had been pressed against him.

Cursing under his breath, Lao Jin hastily put away the unlit cigarette. Jia Xu was so shocked he nearly fell over along with the dropped lighter. “This is…triggering a taboo?”

“Seems like it,” Lao Jin growled irritably. He kicked the lighter toward Mazi. “You try.”

Saying nothing, Mazi picked up the lighter and lit it in turn. As expected, a flurry of small flames emerged again, burning him enough that he dropped the lighter on the spot.

Jia Xu grew excited.

…The third taboo, it had to be the third taboo!

…Weishan Village was just an exception. Ultimately, they still needed him here.

But this might be a setup by Lao Jin, so Jia Xu forced his face to remain composed, adopting a studious tone. “Then we should test it thoroughly. We’ll try as well.”

He had Blondie and Mei Lan tear off pieces of a can label to hold in their hands, then picked up the lighter himself.

Right after he flicked it on, Jia Xu tossed it aside, escaping with only a minor burn. The flames caught the scrap of paper in Blondie’s hand first, and before Blondie could swear, Jia Xu was already using it to ignite Mei Lan’s piece of paper.

An instant later, Mei Lan let out a shriek as she was scorched in more than a dozen spots.

She immediately flung the burning scrap to the ground, stomping it out in a fluster, finally snuffing out the flames.

“…Looks like it’s not the lighter. Any fire triggers the taboo, and whoever has the fire gets burned.” 

Ignoring Mei Lan’s furious glare, Jia Xu declared, “Obviously, the third taboo is that fire is forbidden here.”

Blondie rubbed the burns on his arm, sounding pissed off. “How can that be? There’s a barbecue stand right outside!”

“That’s fake fire, just like the barbecue is fake. They’re all illusions,” Jia Xu explained. “Otherwise, you could step outside and see if the charcoal can light your paper.”

Blondie glanced at the sealed window. “…I don’t wanna die. I’ll wait till daylight.”

He did recall that those charcoal grills looked blazing hot yet gave off almost no real heat.

Jia Xu seated himself on a battered table in the base, striking a pensive pose.

“All that’s left is for Fang Xiu to figure out the second taboo. Once we have all three taboos, we can finally deduce the cause and effect of this ‘E’.”

“Any leads so far?”

Lao Jin picked up a can of almond milk, pressing the cold metal to his burns.

Jia Xu pondered. “The first taboo forces us to kill each other; the second forces us to stay indoors at night; and this third forbids any open flame… Considering the outside situation, I think this ‘E’ may be related to fire.”

Blondie said, “Fire?”

“That’s just my guess. Maybe fireworks or a cigarette butt started a fire, and for some reason, a lot of people were burned alive indoors.”

“Before dying, someone wanted to get revenge on society, which gave birth to the ‘E’. It wants us to experience the despair of being trapped and dying.”

Though Jia Xu spoke as if he was “guessing”, he sounded quite certain.

Cheng Songyun, half-shielding Guan He, knit her brows. “Doesn’t make much sense. You’re saying everyone burned to death, so the ‘E’ empathizes with them but at the same time is forbidding any fire? Isn’t that contradictory, considering it wants us to die in the same way?”

“Also, how do you explain the first taboo demanding killing, or all the faceless people outside?”

Jia Xu answered breezily, “Actually, that’s all simple.”

“When the fire started, everyone was stuck indoors. If they didn’t trample others to get out, they’d be stuck at the back inhaling toxic smoke, causing weakening. That’s our forced mutual slaughter.”

“As for the faceless people, it indicates that those outside refused to help, turning their backs on the victims. It’s reproducing the despair those people felt as they died, a condemnation of societal apathy.”

Lao Jin remained silent, hidden in the darkness, seemingly in deep thought.

Cheng Songyun still found Jia Xu’s explanation forced, full of incongruous patchwork.

When Fang Xiu had explained Weishan Village’s truth, she felt a “So that’s it” sense of enlightenment. But hearing Jia Xu prattle on here, the more she listened, the more confused she got.

Seeing she kept quiet, Jia Xu raised his voice slightly. “If you ask me, there might have been a subdivided basement apartment for migrant workers here. Whoever created the ‘E’ died at night, which is why the ‘Blood Night’ happens then.”

“And the patrolling breath at night represents government workers cracking down on those illegal apartments. As soon as they discover them, they chase out the poor tenants. That forced these group-rental units to be hidden, leading to huge fire hazards.”

Jia Xu sighed dramatically.

“Trapped inside, the underclass turned on each other, while outsiders were indifferent and officials unfeeling… Haa, faced with something like that, it’s no wonder an underclass victim would want revenge on society.”

Cheng Songyun: “……”

This all feels so contrived.

After these few days, they’d basically scoured every nook of the pedestrian street, finding no trace of a fire. She had a hunch that if she brought that up, Jia Xu would say, “Well, it was demolished long ago, so it’s hard to find evidence.”

Guan He finally couldn’t hold back. “Even if officials discovered the apartment, they wouldn’t sentence anyone to death. Using it as a death taboo seems strange. And cracking down on illegal housing is necessary for public safety, right…?”

He glanced at Fang Xiu’s official ID in his mind, finding Jia Xu’s words increasingly grating.

“And Auntie Cheng asked why they’re re-enacting a fatal fire but forbidding us from making fire didn’t explain that at all. Nor did you mention the ‘three quarters before twelve’. What’s the significance of that time? It all seems fishy.”

Jia Xu paused, sounding profound. “You’re still young. Society’s darker than you realize.”

Guan He: “……”

Fuck, then at least explain!

He suddenly missed his teachers. Even when they were in a bad mood, they explained problems methodically. Jia Xu just picked whichever points he could justify and glossed over the rest.

If it weren’t for Fang Xiu telling him to keep quiet and act injured, Guan He would have argued with Jia Xu until he was hoarse.

“No point arguing. Let’s just wait for Fang Xiu to come back,” Jia Xu continued.

Who’s arguing with you? I’m making a reasoned point! Guan He tried to rise, only for Cheng Songyun to gently press him back down.

“No point in quarreling, we’ll wait for them… If they’re still alive to come back.” Lao Jin broke in slowly. “In the meantime, take a look at this.”

With that, he pulled a small bagua mirror out of his coat pocket.

The mirror was palm-sized, made of brass, tarnished and dark. Only its center was shiny, a shallowly recessed surface.

In the darkness, it emitted a faint glow that drew everyone’s eyes.

The next instant, Guan He heard a soft sound. The previously quiet room became even more silent and some people’s breathing had disappeared.

Instinctively, he reached out for Cheng Songyun, touching her thin, bony hand. She gripped his wrist in return, speaking nervously…

“Xiao Mei? Xiao Du? …Xiao Jia?”

No one replied.

In the darkness, Lao Jin let out a quiet chuckle or two. Then they all saw that in the center of the bagua mirror, three distorted silhouettes had appeared.

Cheng Songyun instantly pulled Guan He close, ready to deploy the “Resentful Ghost Shield” at any moment. “Fang Xiu told us…”

“Calm down, ma’am. I didn’t kill them. I just locked them away.”

Lao Jin’s tone remained cordial, except now a hard-to-describe ruthlessness colored his words. “The real leader of your group is Xiao Fang, isn’t it?”

Cheng Songyun and Guan He both fell silent.

Lao Jin clicked his tongue. “That slippery brat almost fooled me, but sadly that Jia guy doesn’t have any real talent.”

Cheng Songyun grounded her teeth. Lao Jin had deliberately left only her and Guan He unconfined, presumably to use them as bargaining chips against Fang Xiu.

She was short and older, while Guan He was injured. The two of them were easiest to control.

Meanwhile, the “uncooperative” group had already been shoved into the mirror. By noon tomorrow, those inside the mirror would be forced into violating the taboo, leaving them defenseless. Lao Jin could take them out at leisure, fulfilling the kill quota without risk.

“Next, we’ll see how far your real boss is willing to go. If he cooperates, we’ll kill the ones in the mirror first. If not…”

Lao Jin laughed but didn’t finish the sentence.

Cheng Songyun pressed her lips together, lightly patting Guan He’s back.

She’d lived long enough to know that resisting at the wrong time only invited more violence. If she had to strike, she needed the right moment.

For now, her best move was to protect Guan He. It was just as Fang Xiu had told her before leaving… Wait?

“Cheng Jie, take good care of Xiao Guan.” She recalled how Fang Xiu had specifically reminded her of this when he left, whether by chance or on purpose.

Maybe that wasn’t a coincidence. Cheng Songyun exhaled slowly.

Now wasn’t the time to risk everything. She was sure of that.

……

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Finally, the Blood Night ended, and the lights came on. The instant fireworks reignited, a knock on the door sounded.

“It’s me,” came Fang Xiu’s voice from outside.

Inside, Cheng Songyun and Guan He had their hands and feet bound, old clothes stuffed in their mouths, unable to speak.

Though it wouldn’t stop her from using the Resentful Ghost Shield, Cheng Songyun was still tense, wriggling in place. Guan He mumbled a couple of times, blinking at her.

A small, bluish-black hand emerged from behind him, forming a clumsy “OK” sign.

Cheng Songyun’s eyes lit up in relief.

The child ghost was perfect for delivering messages, so Fang Xiu already knew about their predicament!

On the other side, Lao Jin clenched the mirror, exchanging a look with Mazi.

Mazi crept over to the door, pressing himself to one side before reaching out to yank it open in one swift motion.

The moment the door opened, Mazi lunged, grabbing the figure outside and slamming him to the floor. He was confident he could break a few bones without killing the target outright.

But the moment he completed the throw, he realized something felt wrong…

With a sickening thud, Dashun’s corpse crashed to the ground, spattering a mess of blood.

“No need to be so rough. I just figured out the ‘death taboo’.” Fang Xiu clicked his tongue from the doorstep.

He glanced at Cheng Songyun and Guan He, all tied up in a corner, with no apparent change in expression.

Just earlier…

After taking a commemorative photo, Fang Xiu dragged Dashun’s corpse back. Dashun wasn’t tall yet lugging him was enough to leave Fang Xiu gasping for air, feeling like he might keel over.

“Hah… I really miss the Spirit Binding Chains…” Fang Xiu muttered between ragged breaths.

Bai Shuangying said nothing. He’d argued that living humans were too frail and lacking in stamina. How was Fang Xiu going to survive on his own given his poor physical strength?

Dragging this heavy body, Fang Xiu looked like a baby beast attempting to haul its prey without fully grown claws or fangs.

In the end, Bai Shuangying couldn’t bear to watch and grabbed one arm of the corpse. The two of them dragged one arm each, moving in a “夹*” shape.

*It means to clamp/clip.

Had it not been for the long bloody trail behind them, it would’ve looked like they were supporting a drunk friend home.

Arriving at the base, Fang Xiu paused outside. “Bai Shuangying, go in first and take a look around. Remember to stay hidden.”

‘Now he wants me to slip through the door crack,’ Bai Shuangying thought.

But then he recalled there were two tasty “mooncakes” inside, so he swiftly melted into his true form, sliding in through the gap. Sure enough, he bumped right into the lurking child ghost.

Within a few minutes, Bai Shuangying slipped back out.

He gave Fang Xiu a quick summary: the others had been taken prisoner, and Lao Jin was using some sort of bagua mirror.

Bai Shuangying had recognized it at a glance as a proper Underworld magic weapon: a basic demon-revealing mirror. Its recessed surface reflected anyone harboring hostile intent toward the mirror’s owner, effectively distinguishing friend from foe.

As for the dire circumstances inside, Bai Shuangying didn’t have a strong opinion.

Whether or not people were held hostage had nothing to do with him. He only hoped Fang Xiu wouldn’t get sentimental, causing him unnecessary trou… ble…?

Bai Shuangying watched Fang Xiu with suspicion. Was he misreading something? Because Fang Xiu looked… pleased!

Indeed, Fang Xiu’s lips were twitching as though stifling a laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

Bai Shuangying suddenly felt he might need to lower his moral baseline even further; if he truly had one in the first place.

“I’ve been wondering how to persuade everyone to risk violating a taboo. Lao Jin’s basically done the work for me.”

Fang Xiu stifled a grin. “And he’s even proactively exposed his ‘unusual ability’… That’s convenient…”

With that, he pulled Bai Shuangying aside, whispering his plan of action.

……

Back to the present.

Stepping into the base again, Fang Xiu made no attempt to conceal the murderous aura that surrounded him.

“Boss Jin, you’re being a bit rude here,” he said casually, placing one foot on Dashun’s corpse.

Hearing him call “Boss Jin”, Lao Jin’s face twitched slightly. “Likewise.”

Both men looked too lazy to bother pretending anymore. From the corner, Guan He lay motionless, eyes wide.

“…Kid, you killed two of mine. I haven’t even made a move yet.” Lao Jin waved a hand, signaling Mazi to hold off for now.

Fang Xiu shook his head. “That’s going a bit far. Yan Jing’s death was an accident. He messed with an evil spirit, and I had no obligation to save him, right?”

Lao Jin snorted, half-convinced.

“Da Shun is indeed my doing, but that was to test the death taboo. It benefits all of us.”

Fang Xiu shrugged. “You already suspected me when you sent him along. You never expected him to come back alive, so there’s no point hashing it out.”

Lao Jin narrowed his eyes. “…Who exactly are you?”

“Aren’t you going to guess I’m a cop?” Fang Xiu scratched his face in disappointment.

Lao Jin sneered. “I’ve met plenty of cops. None as ruthless as you.”

“Well, I’m not the police,” Fang Xiu admitted. “I’m half an underground Taoist priest… I do rituals for the people on our side of the law.”

“Just take a look at your mirror. It’s a bagua demon-revealing mirror, used specifically to expose the unrighteous. It’s particularly good at sorting friend from foe.”

Lao Jin aimed the mirror at Fang Xiu, yet it reflected no image of him.

Underworld magic weapons never lied. At this moment, Fang Xiu clearly bore no hostile intent toward him.

Lao Jin’s brows relaxed a little. “…So you’re an ‘underground Daoist priest’.”

He was in the sort of business where guilty consciences were common, so there was indeed demand for shady practitioners. Mainstream exorcists wouldn’t cater to them, leaving a market gap filled by so-called underground Daoists or corrupt monks. They often went down crooked paths, not formally recognized by the metaphysical community.

Fang Xiu, being able to identify the bagua demon mirror at a glance, evidently had some real ability.

Sensing the momentum, Fang Xiu pressed forward. “Boss Jin, your name is famous all over Gui Province. I was thinking of finding a chance to work with you, but who’d have expected us to meet in a place like this first.”

As he spoke, Bai Shuangying stealthily flitted over to Lao Jin’s side, and with a smack, slapped the mirror.

It flew in a neat arc and landed securely in Fang Xiu’s hand.

Casually waving it, Fang Xiu remarked, “See? I can do telekinesis.”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

Fang Xiu really had the vibe of a lowlife thug, putting on quite the act.

Lao Jin wasn’t rattled, just pulled a long face. “Even if you have it, you can’t free those inside.”

Fang Xiu: “I know… It’s your ‘anomaly’, right? You can trap anyone shown in the mirror. But I’m guessing you’re limited to using mirror-type magic weapons.”

“…So an ‘underground Daoist priest’ knows that too?” Lao Jin murmured.

Fang Xiu gave a secretive smile, tossing the mirror back to Bai Shuangying, who hid it again. In Lao Jin’s eyes, the mirror simply vanished into thin air.

Then Fang Xiu spread his fingers. The mirror reappeared in his hand.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He’s eyes lit up hopefully, but Fang Xiu raised his arm and threw the mirror right back to Lao Jin.

“Consider it a gesture of cooperation. Once we kill the evil spirits, those people can be shared as a resource,” Fang Xiu said offhandedly, as if those trapped weren’t his companions.

“We’re all on the same side, so no need to turn on each other right now. Let’s hurry and break the ‘E’ so we can leave this hellhole.”

Lao Jin glanced at Cheng Songyun and Guan He.

“Oh, lock that old woman in there too.” Fang Xiu gestured at Cheng Songyun. “She’s old, not too mobile. She’ll just drag me down.”

“So generous?”

Fang Xiu grinned widely. “I’m guessing, Boss Jin, you won’t rush to kill my men for your quota. There are still plenty of evil spirits outside.”

Indeed, Fang Xiu was a valuable Daoist, and his dead subordinates wouldn’t revive. There was no need to flip the table just yet.

Lao Jin smacked his lips, then looked at Guan He. “Then why keep that boy?”

“Ah, just in case. I need someone I can kill as backup.” Fang Xiu sounded perfectly reasonable. “Not that I don’t trust you, but a person has to think about safety, right?”

“You saw how everyone looked at him. He’s just extra baggage.”

Recalling how, upon learning they might have to kill each other, Blondie and Jia Xu had both shot looks at Guan He. Also, the kid had a head injury. He was indeed a liability.

The logic was sound. If it were Lao Jin, he’d also pick Guan He as a sacrifice.

So this underground Daoist even treated his own people coldly. Lao Jin suddenly found Fang Xiu somewhat likable.

Cheng Songyun, however, was highly uneasy.

Fang Xiu’s attitude seemed too authentic. She couldn’t tell whether he was genuinely willing to sacrifice them. But she had chosen to follow Fang Xiu, so she gripped Guan He’s clothes, forcing down her doubts.

It was Guan He’s first time seeing Fang Xiu like this, and he was still reeling. He only remembered that Fang Xiu was “an official”, who’d even given him a longevity lock. This thought was his lone lifeline, helping him keep hold of his sanity.

“I-I’m okay.” He managed to produce some muffled sounds. “Fang Xiu must have a plan…”

Before he could finish, he felt the space next to him vanish. Cheng Songyun was gone. In the mirror Lao Jin held, another twisted silhouette had appeared.

“‘Fang Xiu must have a plan…’”

Fang Xiu mimicked Guan He’s tone in a mocking way. “He still trusts me that much. Cute.”

Guan He locked eyes on Fang Xiu, searching for some trace of reassurance, but he found nothing. Fang Xiu looked back at him, lips smiling, yet his eyes held zero warmth.

He looked at Guan He as one might look at an animal about to be slaughtered.

…Did Fang Xiu really have a plan?

…Or was his plan simply to treat everyone else as expendable, only wanting to destroy the “E”?

…Should Guan He expose how Fang Xiu was the one who killed Yan Jing? But what if Fang Xiu was genuinely acting? Would Lao Jin even believe him?

Across from him, Fang Xiu’s dark, lightless eyes watched calmly, fear and uncertainty swallowing Guan He whole.

Behind him, the child ghost clutched at Guan He’s back with cold little fingers, repeating some motion over and over. After a dozen seconds, Guan He finally noticed.

It was tracing letters on his back.

Since the child-ghost didn’t know how to write, someone else must have taught it. The letters were:

[Trust me]

At last, Guan He lowered his head.

It looked as though he’d resigned himself. He stared at no one and said nothing.

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The author has something to say:

The fake con man: Jia Xu. 

The real con man: Fang Xiu. 

Now that the area’s cleared, time to go wild √ 

Xiao Fang: “Who said I don’t know any Taoist arts? Check out my technique!” (strikes a Lion King pose, lifting Xiao Bai’s true form) 

Xiao Bai: ……………………. (quietly reverts to human form)

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