Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 46: Clearly Marked Prices

The fireworks burst with such overwhelming force that when the red light bloomed, Fang Xiu didn’t have time to react. And even when he did react in those first few seconds, his mind remained blank.

Bai Shuangying stood behind him, his chest lightly pressing against Fang Xiu’s back, cool and chill. Bai Shuangying’s hand held the Peach Bone Evil, his five fingers wrapped around the back of Fang Xiu’s hand, also cool and chill.

But Fang Xiu felt as if he’d just swallowed a gulp of boiling water. His whole chest was burning, and a layer of sweat surfaced on his back.

He had spent the whole day wandering about, yet always felt a subtle sense of detachment.

It was like watching scenery from a train window. He was merely a day-long passenger, separated from the world by a thick pane of glass. He was him, and the human world was the human world.

But now, the night sky was shattered by countless beams of light, and that unseen glass window suddenly splintered.

…He was no longer someone lurking in the shadows. These fireworks had bloomed for him. For just a moment, he had truly connected with this world.

Fang Xiu’s heart twitched. He tried to steady his breath and calm his heartbeat, but failed.

Maybe the first half of his life had been full of bad luck, but now he was ridiculously lucky…

Not only had he met Bai Shuangying, this “perfect friend”, he had even experienced that tingling flutter in his heart. For the first time in his life, Fang Xiu felt electric sparks at his fingertips, hot and itchy.

“This won’t do,” he couldn’t help saying to Bai Shuangying. “After today, I’ll want even more.”

Bai Shuangying tilted his head to look at him. “Then hurry and buy them. The holiday isn’t over yet.”

Fang Xiu knew his ghost didn’t get the deeper meaning, so he casually changed the subject. “…Why did you set off the fireworks?”

Bai Shuangying wasn’t a real seductive ghost, so it probably had nothing to do with emotional intelligence.

Bai Shuangying looked at Fang Xiu with confusion, as if Fang Xiu had asked something utterly ridiculous.

“Because you wanted to see them,” Bai Shuangying said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The tingling sensation returned. Fang Xiu rubbed his fingertips, suddenly wanting to touch that blood-red mole.

In the end, he swallowed hard and held back. He averted his gaze from Bai Shuangying and turned toward the glittering sky.

The heart palpitations hadn’t stopped. The slight pulling pain felt bittersweet and oddly satisfying, like drinking freshly opened iced Coke.

…Fang Xiu had never liked anyone before, so he didn’t know if this counted as a crush. He also didn’t know if indulging in it would affect his usual state.

…Whatever. Might as well experience it first. Maybe the feeling would fade in a few days.

Once his heartbeat settled a bit, Fang Xiu flipped his hand and grabbed Bai Shuangying’s wrist. “Come on, let’s go buy some stuff and head back.”

Bai Shuangying hummed and didn’t forget to grab his cotton candy before leaving.

In the night sky, the fireworks were still in full bloom.

……

The Underworld had said beforehand that any items they bought could be taken into the rooms of the Disaster Relief Tower, but not into the ritual itself. Yet when they returned, Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying were both lugging around a bunch of bags.

Following the principle of “must spend the whole budget”, Fang Xiu had purchased a ton of power banks, brand-name mini speakers, and tablets from the electronics store. The remaining money went toward snacks and drinks.

Compared to them, the others looked much more “lightly packed”.

Cheng Songyun’s eyes were red and swollen. She had probably spoken with her child on the phone. She deposited all the money into her account, saying that if she died in the ritual, the money could still go to her child.

Mei Lan and Guan He did similar things, though they hoped to survive and take more money out.

Jia Xu bought some high-end tobacco and liquor, complaining that the money wasn’t enough. Blondie, on the other hand, bought a giant box of brightly colored… sex toys.

Blondie grinned: “You guys don’t get it, I’m gonna have the time of my life for these few days…”

Bai Shuangying didn’t recognize the items and was about to lean in for a closer look, but Fang Xiu, without changing expression, dragged him away.

“Don’t look. All useless junk,” Fang Xiu said seriously, pulling his ghost back to their room.

He didn’t want to hear Blondie’s dirty jokes, and definitely didn’t want Bai Shuangying’s hands touching those things. His ghost’s long, slender fingers were made to hold a Peach Bone Evil, not that nonsense.

As soon as they entered the room, Fang Xiu organized the mountain of snacks into the storage cabinet. He connected a fully charged speaker to the tablet and tested playing the downloaded music.

Considering Bai Shuangying’s traditional appearance, he probably wouldn’t like modern, edgy stuff, so Fang Xiu had saved some nature-themed instrumental tracks. Now, accompanied by the sound of falling rain, a gentle piano melody filled the room.

His ghost instantly forgot all about Blondie’s stash. Like a curious cat, he gently stroked the speaker, trying to figure out how the sound was being produced.

As Fang Xiu listened to the soothing music and watched the scene, a small sense of happiness welled up in him.

While Bai Shuangying was fiddling with the speaker, Fang Xiu used his skill to heat up a bottle of osmanthus milk tea, then quietly climbed onto the bed.

“Want to try some osmanthus milk tea? Just milk and osmanthus tea, no bubbles.”

Fang Xiu slipped behind Bai Shuangying, twisted off the cap, and held the drink toward him.

Bai Shuangying scrutinized the bottle cautiously, then turned and took a sip.

From this angle, his collar was slightly open, revealing elegant collarbones. The Peach Bone Evil was stuck diagonally in his robe, and the flower ornament looked as fresh as if it had just bloomed.

Before, Fang Xiu had been able to view it all with pure appreciation. Now, he just felt like the heated milk tea was attacking his hand.

“Not bad,” Bai Shuangying drank a few more sips and licked his lips.

Fang Xiu caught a glimpse of that flickering tongue. “That’s great. Well, we should totally go to sleep now good night Bai Shuangying.”

He darted under the covers like a shot, leaving the milk tea untouched.

Bai Shuangying: “?”

By the end of the day, his human was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.

Seeing that Fang Xiu intended to sleep, Bai Shuangying reluctantly left the speaker and floated back to the ceiling.

Truthfully, after sleeping on the bed that night, Bai Shuangying thought it was more comfortable than the ceiling. Having experienced the warm, soft mattress and Fang Xiu’s body heat, he now found the hard ceiling somewhat unpleasant.

Even if there was a risk of being gnawed on by Fang Xiu, the bed was still preferable.

But Fang Xiu had cocooned himself entirely in the blanket, shutting himself off from the world. Bai Shuangying couldn’t just rip the covers open and ask if he wanted to share the bed.

…Better to maintain the current status quo, Bai Shuangying thought.

Inside the blanket.

Fang Xiu exhaled and berated himself for being so useless.

What was there to be embarrassed about?! …Bai Shuangying had already seen him naked, so what if he saw the tip of his tongue?!

Life is short. He should look and look hard(er next time). What’s the point of having eyes if not to admire beauty?

Then it hit him: Bai Shuangying didn’t need sleep and could spend all night watching him from the ceiling.

That thought made Fang Xiu unsure how to fall asleep. They might as well sleep back-to-back, just like eating with a friend, sitting side by side was less awkward than face-to-face.

But suddenly inviting Bai Shuangying to share the bed might sound like a serious proposition.

…Better to maintain the current status quo, Fang Xiu thought.

That night, Fang Xiu dreamed of brilliant red fireworks and a bright full moon.

Unlike reality, the fireworks in the dream exploded with booming sounds, like a heartbeat.

……

The next morning, everyone had developed a kind of numb acceptance.

They each carried their magic tools. Cheng Songyun silently clutched her prayer beads; even Blondie solemnly strapped a family crest to his back.

Before breakfast, Fang Xiu finally received the promised qiankun bag.

It looked like a small white cloth pouch, embroidered with the word “Fang” in red thread at the opening. Once he tucked it into his pocket, it instantly turned into an inner lining, turning Fang Xiu into a real-life Doraemon.

The bag could hold about one cubic meter. Anything stored would have negligible weight. But it could only hold dead objects and magic tools, not evil spirits or living people.

The Underworld had sealed off most avenues for cheating.

After handing over the bag, the paper figure hesitated. “Yesterday at the commercial street…”

“I know,” Fang Xiu replied solemnly. “If the human world wants to punish us, we’ll fully cooperate.”

Punish in the human world? The paper figure was stunned.

Fang Xiu eyes were full of sincerity. “Didn’t we violate fire safety regulations?”

paper figure: “Uh, your evil spirit used magic in public, causing a supernatural phenomenon. At least ten Underworld officials witnessed the ghost flames.”

Fang Xiu: “Oh, but that has nothing to do with the ritual. If you believe we’ve leaked Underworld secrets, feel free to provide proof… I won’t argue.”

The paper figure was speechless.

They couldn’t prove it was a secret leak. Ghost flames were still just fireworks, and nobody thought they were an Underworld operation. The fireworks weren’t even dangerous.

Damn, it hadn’t done its homework. If only it had just said “no magic allowed”!

Now all it could say was, “…Ah well, never mind, just watch out next time.”

Fang Xiu gave it a “sure, next time for sure” kind of polite smile.

After a hearty meal and a good drink, the third ritual arrived as scheduled.

This time, the second floor became a pale blue, scratched-up wall, and the entrance door was a somewhat worn apartment door.

Fang Xiu grabbed Bai Shuangying’s wrist and brought up the rear. Once they passed the ritual gate, they saw an incredibly ordinary apartment lobby…

The lobby had green plants, sofas, and directly opposite the entrance hung a portrait of Zhong Kui. The lighting was a bit too bright, and there was even a messenger ghost sitting at the reception desk.

The ghost was a paper figure too, dressed similarly to Dian’er. It had five eyes on its face, arranged like a lotus blossom.

Seeing them enter, the five-eyed paper figure sluggishly looked up. “Welcome to ‘Huanxi Xin’. I’m Dian Wu, a special Underworld appointee.”

Jia Xu: “Why are you here? Aren’t Underworld officials supposed to show up only after the ritual ends?”

He once again took the role of leader, his tone quite confident.

Dian Wu held a thermos, blinking its five eyes in turn. “This is just a midpoint station in the ritual. We want to provide better service to ensure your swift success in getting rid of the ‘E’.”

Having just endured the Mid-Autumn Festival ritual, no one believed a word it said.

Dian Wu sighed. “Fine, don’t believe me. Either way, the sooner you finish, the sooner I clock out… Oh right, here are your room cards for ‘Huanxi Xin’.”

Jia Xu frowned. “Room cards now?”

Dian Wu recited mechanically, “‘Huanxi Xin’ is an apartment building and the site for this ritual. After entering, each of you will be assigned a room.”

“We’re intervening to match you with rooms that have karmic ties. If no match is found, we’ll assign a good one to maintain your health and peace of mind.”

Fang Xiu couldn’t help clicking his tongue. This was unusually considerate for the Underworld.

“The Underworld’s never helped us like this before,” Jia Xu noted sternly while crossing his arms.

Dian Wu seemed used to the question, sounding like a customer service rep, kind and robotic. “The ‘Huanxi E’ is special. The Underworld wants it gone ASAP, so we’re all-in.”

“Here’s your room card. Open it after the ritual begins.” It handed Jia Xu a red envelope.

Then it handed red envelopes to Cheng Songyun and Mei Lan as well.

Blondie and Guan He received white envelopes and looked visibly confused. Guan He relaxed slightly when he saw Fang Xiu also had a white one.

“Red means karmic tie; white means none. I wish you all success.” Dian Wu pointed to the nearby elevator. “That’s the real entrance. Please proceed.”

“Don’t move. It might be a trap,” Jia Xu warned.

Fang Xiu looked at Bai Shuangying, who said, “Dian Wu is indeed an official.”

Fang Xiu walked toward the elevator. Seeing him move, Guan He and Cheng Songyun followed, then Blondie and Mei Lan. After a few seconds, only Jia Xu remained behind.

His face twitched, and he grudgingly stepped into the elevator.

There were no floor buttons in the elevator. It looked like a wooden coffin, spacious, but still eerie.

Once everyone was inside, the elevator didn’t move. Instead, the doors closed, then reopened, revealing a new scene.

Beyond was a corridor lined with auspicious paintings and identical apartment doors. None of the doors had labels.

Once out of the elevator, Blondie was the first to open his envelope.

Out dropped a golden room card and a palm-sized card. Blondie glanced at the card and exclaimed loudly, “Damn.”. 

“So direct?” He muttered as he flipped the card over.

Seeing he was unharmed, the others opened theirs too. Everyone’s envelope had the same contents: a gold room card with their name and birthdate printed, but no room number.

The kicker was the card.

Fang Xiu picked his up and nearly gasped like Blondie. Seeing his rare shock, Bai Shuangying leaned over to read it too.

The card clearly displayed three lines:

First Taboo: You must win a game daily. Fail, and suffer harm.

Second Taboo: All stakes must be exchanged with life. Steal and be punished.

Third Taboo: You must always hold a chip. Lose it, and die. (※Note: This is a death taboo)

Starting off with three explicit taboos revealed? No one knew what to say.

…How desperate was Dian Wu to get off work?

Guan He: “Looks like the Underworld really wants to end this E quickly.”

Cheng Songyun hesitated. “This might not be true. And it’s vague. Where are we supposed to ‘win’ anything? It’s just apartments here.”

Jia Xu checked the back of the room card. “Says every door works. Du Zhichao, you try.”

Blondie grumbled, “Stop ordering me around.”

Even so, he still swiped his card on the nearest door.

It clicked open. Inside was a tidy hotel-style room with nice décor. Nothing seemed out of place.

He chuckled, closed the door, then swiped the next one. Same layout.

“Standard room?” he said curiously. “Hey, there’s even a guest menu! Check this out!”

The gold menu was placed squarely on the pillow, that it was impossible to miss. Blondie picked it up excitedly to show the others.

Before showing it, Blondie took a quick look at it himself. The menu design was gaudy and tacky, like something a nouveau riche would print. The contents were brief but jarring.

However, he found everyone’s expression gradually tightened. Blondie quickly turned over the menu and read it over carefully again.

[Huanxi Xin Service Price List]
◆ A Bowl of Veggie Rice: 1 chip
◆ Premium Meal Set: 10 chips
◆ Premium Clothing: 10 chips
◆ One Night of Pleasure: 100 chips
◆ Top-shelf Liquor & Tobacco: 100 chips
◆ Gold & Jewelry: 100 chips
◆ 13 Pounds of Human Flesh: 1000 chips

~Special Offer~
Free chip upon entry!
Rice gruel available 24/7!
Each room comes with special knives and a weighing scale!

At the bottom of the menu, a white chip was affixed, its center bore a bold black “1”.

The chip pulsed slightly, the “1” rotating like a vertical pupil, calmly eyeing the six sacrifices.

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The author has something to say:

The third ritual is starting!

Liars have always been doomed to get wrecked by straight shooters~ (said in *that* tone)

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