Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 59: In the Ashes

One chain breaking was a gasp for breath.

Eight chains breaking was a moment of relief.

Sixty-four chains broke. Something genuinely changed. Like the flicker of lashes just before a sleeping person wakes.

So that’s how it is, Bai Shuangying thought. His seal had nothing to do with Fang Xiu’s will. It was only related to Bai Shuangying’s understanding of him. The more he saw through this human, the looser the seal became.

Fang Xiu was just an ordinary human. What right did he have to shake a seal built on countless karmic threads?

…Let him get a little closer, then.

In the next instant, Bai Shuangying transformed into his true form and surged toward the blood-soaked Fang Xiu.

The sacrificial players threw themselves at the fire, trying to extinguish it, while Fang Xiu continued to ignite more without pause. The ghostfire blazed, and fewer and fewer red lights remained on the server.

In the flickering light, Fang Xiu’s ears were filled with a sharp ringing.

Cheng Songyun was yelling something anxiously, and Uncle Hou was shouting orders from afar, but Fang Xiu couldn’t hear any of it. It was like he was frozen beneath a lake, all sound muffled by thick ice.

Fang Xiu had only one arm and one leg left, and it was difficult to shift his position. He could only brace himself to withstand attacks. The stench of the sacrificial players, mixed with the smell of scorched corpses and the black smoke from the burning server, made it nearly impossible to breathe.

Blood dyed his vision red. As Fang Xiu turned his bloodied eyes, he caught a glimpse of the fire.

Everything was going well.

The noisy sacrificial players didn’t matter. The pain and dizziness didn’t matter. In this moment, Fang Xiu knew exactly who his true enemy was.

…He only cared about that fire.

Suddenly, something cold enveloped him. Before he could react, it forced its way into his mouth, nose, and ears.

In an instant, Fang Xiu felt like he was drowning.

The foreign substance made his throat convulse with the urge to vomit. But it surged in with overwhelming force, pouring into his body, seeping into his organs and flesh, radiating a strange icy chill.

His whole body went numb. He felt like a leather glove stuffed to bursting by a giant hand, bloated to the point of explosion. The pain across his body dissolved, and after a brief chill, his organs felt as if they were on fire…

So cold it felt like he was being burned.

It was Bai Shuangying. But this time, he didn’t merely flood Fang Xiu. He completely invaded… or soaked him?

But this time, Bai Shuangying’s goal wasn’t just to relieve pain.

Fang Xiu’s left arm and left leg tingled and itched and suddenly, new limbs sprouted. The new skin was snow-white, the hand elegant and beautiful. That was Bai Shuangying’s hand. The leg was the same, a little longer than Fang Xiu’s original.

The blood-soaked body now joined with pristine new limbs, an uncanny blend of coordination and dissonance.

But then, the bloodstains on Fang Xiu’s skin began to vanish, as if being absorbed into the flesh. His sweat dried, and grime turned to dust and drifted away.

The rod struck again, but his new left arm moved on its own, grabbing the rod-like weapon. With a painful crunching sound, the rod was crushed into powder.

His new left leg also acted on its own, practically forcing him upright. Fang Xiu stood, towering over the “human-shaped moths” still rushing toward the flames.

That left hand swung out into the air, and summoned the blossom-drifting Peach Bone Evil. Amid corpses and black smoke, its pale form was especially blinding.

Enduring the bloated sensation, Fang Xiu coughed twice. “Bai Shuangying…”

[Don’t waste time. You can’t withstand my possession. At most, one stick of incense. Then your body will collapse.] Bai Shuangying’s voice sounded directly in his mind, like the tip of a feather brushing against his brain.

[Why?] Fang Xiu responded in thought.

[I told you, as my friend, you don’t bow your head to trash.]

[If you’re determined to risk death, then bear my risk and die standing.]

Fang Xiu remained silent for a full five or six seconds.

Finally, under the firelight, he lifted his gaze, eyes brimming with pure mirth.

“Okay,” he said.

His unnatural left hand gripped the Peach Bone Evil, while his right hand gently covered it. In that instant, the previously ordinary ghostfire surged three feet high, spitting gold and crimson sparks.

Like fireworks blooming on the ground.

Beautiful, Fang Xiu thought. Maybe even more beautiful than the fireworks of the world of the living.

Given his plan, Fang Xiu hadn’t wanted Bai Shuangying to interfere in breaking the E. He’d said in advance “don’t attack”, and thought his ghost would obediently stay out of it.

Fang Xiu had rarely been so wrong.

He thought he’d end this all in humiliation, but here he stood, spine straight.

Whether it was from possession, exhaustion, or something else, Fang Xiu’s heart was racing. Meanwhile, Bai Shuangying’s body surged through his blood and nerves like a second, larger heart.

…A second heart that kept him going.

As sparks danced, Fang Xiu pressed his palm to his chest.

What a surprise. He’d gained more than he expected.

But it wasn’t enough. He wanted more.

What now?

……

The mushroom trio had long pulled Guan He into a corner. Xiao Li enlarged the nuclear boat, and the four of them squeezed into the cabin. The carved wooden boatman stared at the firestorm outside, mouth agape with classical flair.

“No water is one thing, but you set a damn fire? I’m made of wood, you brat! Set a fire, will you?!”

It flailed its oar at Xiao Li, who shrank into the corner in guilty silence.

The wooden monk inside sighed and spun its prayer beads. A thin water membrane rose around the peachwood boat, shielding them from heat and smoke.

Standing in the doorway, Song Zheng looked at Guan He. “Your team’s always been this badass?”

Guan He couldn’t answer. He had never seen Fang Xiu like this…

Fang Xiu had alien limbs growing from one side of his body. His right eye was pitch black, his left pure white, with a blood-red mole beneath.

All the blood and grime on his body had vanished. His slightly long hair fluttered in the heat. At his feet, red ghostfire raged on the wrecked service counter like a living beast.

The flames formed a spectacular wall, erupting and engulfing the approaching crowd, incinerating the corpse-pile into smoke.

All kinds of attacks were launched, weapons of every sort raining down. But whether magic weapons or spell, everything was swallowed by the fire.

It all happened so fast.

That left hand merely lifted the Peach Bone Evil slightly, and the flames rose like a dragon, burning in all directions.

Jia Xu, burned by the fire, burst into tears. He still screamed hoarsely, urging others to attack Fang Xiu.

“He’s not destroying things at random. He’s found a way to break the E…”

“Stop watching and protect Huanxi World…”

“If this continues, it’s going to be a disaster…”

His desperate screams echoed as the luxurious casino flickered, glitches spreading like corrupted game graphics.

The warning messages began stuttering, turning into garbled screeches. The beautiful service staff melted into bright-colored liquid and vanished into the carpet.

Even the smug high-roller chipholders finally screamed, instinctively cramming toward Uncle Hou.

In the crowd, Guan He spotted Blondie.

Blondie hadn’t helped Jia Xu fight the fire. He’d cowardly stayed back to watch. But the stampede knocked him off balance, and he slammed his head on a table, falling unconscious.

As he collapsed, others tripped over him like dominoes. If Uncle Hou’s guards hadn’t been so solid, he would’ve fallen flat on his face too.

Misfortune blanketed the scene like a storm cloud.

Uncle Hou tried to maintain order, but his voice was always drowned out by “coincidentally timed” crashes. His subordinates grew disoriented in the flickering chaos. When they realized the fire-fighters had burned to ash, the front line fell into chaos.

No one dared charge forward. Instead, they scrambled backward, triggering a deadly stampede.

In the confusion and panic, only the fire continued to burn, faster and fiercer.

The circular service counter lost all its luster, burned into a twisted wreck.

Not a single staffer remained. Chips of all kinds scattered across the floor, their numbers spinning madly, screaming silently.

In Guan He’s stunned gaze, Fang Xiu clasped his right hand over his left, gently pressing his lips to the thumb joint.

It was hard to say whether the gesture was a spell, a prayer, or a declaration of victory.

…The next moment, everything fell into darkness.

No, not darkness. Just the light vanishing too abruptly.

There was still moonlight. It wasn’t bright, but enough to see clearly.

Guan He couldn’t help scanning the surroundings again, seeing the ragged sacrificial players, the corpse-strewn floor, and the maggot-ridden blood “congee” to the rotting organs in fruit baskets.

The mushroom trio also scanned quickly, their faces turning pale green.

Seconds later, all four passengers retched loudly on the boat, as the terrified boatman swore nonstop.

……

A dozen meters away, Jia Xu had no time to vomit.

His hands were ice-cold, his heart barely beating.

He saw Fang Xiu standing atop the melted server.

Ghostfire burned calmly. In the charred brain matter and mechanical ruins, only a few flickering red lights remained.

…Jia Xu could guess what that meant.

…The Huanxi E was beyond saving.

The surroundings looked strange. Fang Xiu’s appearance was bizarre. But the information flowed past Jia Xu like water, leaving no impression.

Because half his mind was screaming “It’s all over,” while the other half cried “I don’t want to die.”

Right, Fang Xiu was breaking the E. Once the system stopped completely, he could return safely to the tower.

They were bound teammates. He still had value. Fang Xiu wouldn’t kill him.

Fang Xiu was a rational person. He still had a chance…

He was lucky. He excelled at survival in desperate situations…

Jia Xu scrambled forward, half-walking, half-crawling. “G-Great job!”

Fang Xiu looked at him calmly, only his black right eye blinking normally.

Under the moonlight, the white left eye was especially chilling.

“You have something to say to me.” Fang Xiu stated.

The Peach Bone Evil swayed gently. Several firewalls rose again, sealing off the others.

Cheng Songyun stood alert, still holding up the Resentful Ghost Shield.

Jia Xu’s voice trembled, but he tried to sound confident:

“I only followed Uncle Hou to investigate on your behalf. Classic infiltration… I even invited you earlier, remember?”

“I saw everything tonight.” Fang Xiu smiled. “Including your blood debt exchange.”

Jia Xu choked. He licked his dry lips; his tone became nervous. “Fang Xiu, no need to put it like that.”

“I admit I lost it tonight, did some stupid things, but I didn’t harm you directly, right? You’re fine now!”

“A-And, I lost all thirty-some-thousand chips I won from karma… You destroyed them. We’re even, aren’t we?”

The Huanxi E’s red lights dimmed further, down to just a few.

Jia Xu stretched out a hand, smiling as if to say “let’s let bygones be bygones”, but his hand was shaking.

“If you’re still upset, I sincerely apologize. I’m sorry. Truly.”

“I just got confused. It’s human nature… You still need me. I swear I’ll obey you, alright?”

Fang Xiu tilted his head. “Hmm, I do have something I want to ask.”

“Anything!” Jia Xu brightened.

“In your blood debt, you held gambling parties in your own house. I saw a young man with a green jade pendant. Ring a bell?”

Fang Xiu pointed to his chest. “He usually tucked it under his shirt, but it slipped out a few times.”

No way I’d remember, Jia Xu thought. Gamblers came and went. Many were one-time faces.

But to survive, he nodded despite his uncertainty: “Yes, I remember. His name was…”

“You’re lying,” Fang Xiu said, smiling. Jia Xu’s deception was clumsy. “But don’t be too disappointed. Even if you told me, I wouldn’t let you go.”

What?

Jia Xu swallowed, staring blankly at Fang Xiu.

“I-I didn’t kill anyone! She couldn’t handle losing the cat. That was Du Zhichao, not me!”

Fang Xiu stepped down from the wreckage, walking toward Jia Xu.

The last of the red lights flickered out, save for a pitiful few.

Seeing the flaming Peach Bone Evil, Jia Xu panicked and scrambled backward. “Even the human world wouldn’t give me the death penalty. You-You can’t—”

Fang Xiu stopped and laughed. “When did I ever say I wanted to ‘serve justice’?”

“You’re just not useful enough and too troublesome. Even Blondie’s better.”

His tone was so matter-of-fact that Jia Xu’s blood ran cold.

…He suddenly remembered the scarred man Fang Xiu killed.

…He suddenly realized Fang Xiu was really good at killing, and didn’t mind it.

…He suddenly saw just how abnormal Fang Xiu truly was.

They were standing on a high floor of a skeletal building with just four open steel beams. Jia Xu had nowhere left to retreat.

Desperately, he summoned his painted-skin ghost, but under those mismatched eyes, it never appeared.

He tried to pull out the Luck Borrowing Dice, but his hands trembled too badly, and the die rolled off the edge.

Realizing he had nothing left, Jia Xu collapsed to his knees, snot and tears streaming.

“I helped you with the ghost house, I steadied Lao Jin for you—I, I had a bad attitude, but I’ll change… Please, please…”

Fang Xiu said nothing.

He reached out with his right hand and pressed two fingers to Jia Xu’s forehead, increasing pressure. Jia Xu stared blankly, body tilting backward.

Instinctively, he tried to grab something, but there was nothing.

His body tipped into open air. He flailed, barely catching the ledge with bloody fingers. Jia Xu tried to climb, but he had no strength. He’d eaten poorly for days, his mouth reeking of rotten flesh.

“If you kill me, others will fear you. They’ll definitely fear you…”

His voice was no longer human, hoarse and raw.

“Help… help me, Fang Xiu… I can’t die here… I was going to break the E… I want to go back… I don’t want to die…”

“I have my reasons too.” Fang Xiu sighed, routine and indifferent. “…If you can’t accept it, go ahead and sue me.”

Just before the Huanxi E was completely destroyed, Fang Xiu sparked a fire and lit all ten of Jia Xu’s fingers.

Wind howled behind him. The Huanxi E crumbled entirely.

Too bad Jia Xu didn’t get to see it.

With a dull thud, his body hit the ground far below.

It was exactly 00:00:01.

The E was broken. A tsunami of karma swept through Fang Xiu’s mind. It was vast and chaotic, like scattered sand. There was no coherent thread; just a strong, boring dizziness.

Whether it was the E or humanity, both were shallow and hollow.

……

After karma brushed past, Fang Xiu shook his head hard.

“Dispersing calamity, dispelling the E—protection from all evil. The ritual is complete. Let us return to the Tower—”

Two shrill voices pierced his ears. Everyone was suddenly bathed in golden light.

Paper Figure Dian’er and the “apartment receptionist” Dian Wu descended left and right from the sky.

Dian’er didn’t have time to speak before Dian Wu burst into sobs.

Its five eyes streamed tears as it leapt onto the Huanxi E’s ruins, stomping and cursing wildly, slipping in a few complaints about its vacation.

Dian’er: “…”

Dian’er rubbed its hands ingratiatingly at Fang Xiu. “Oh my, it’s you again.”

It stared at Fang Xiu’s mismatched eyes, showing no surprise, like it hadn’t noticed anything unusual.

Fang Xiu ignored it and scanned the surroundings. With the Underworld’s “protection from all evil” shield, the sacrifices could now pass through his firewall. He had to stay alert, especially for Uncle Hou.

But after more than ten seconds, the outside was unnaturally quiet.

Fang Xiu lowered the firewalls to look.

The moment he appeared, many people began cursing loudly. Their eyes bulged like rabid dogs, clearly unwell. But they were all lying on the ground, blood pooling at their feet.

Song Zheng was still standing, giving Fang Xiu a thumbs-up. But barely three seconds later, he remembered something, and started vomiting against the wall.

The other two mushrooms were stuck to a corner, retching nonstop. Beside the mushroom team, Guan He was lying peacefully. It wasn’t clear if he fainted from puking or simply passed out in relief.

Fang Xiu: “…”

He turned toward Uncle Hou.

To his surprise, Uncle Hou didn’t attack.

Instead, he waved amiably. In his other hand was a hooked scythe, fresh blood still on the blade.

“Don’t worry about that trash. Before the Huanxi E collapsed, I cut all their Achilles tendons.”

He seemed rather impressed, eyeballs swaying in his sockets.

“Not bad, kid. Want to chat with Uncle?”

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The author has something to say:

Finally took one offline… don’t worry, I’ve got plans for everyone who deserves to die (…

Next chapter: goodbye to the mushrooms and reward distribution!

This arc isn’t completely standalone. Anyone who survives could show up again~

Also, just to clarify: there’s no rebirth element in this story. The warrior in the last chapter isn’t Xiao Fang.

It’s not a spoiler. I’m just personally not into that trope. To me, people before and after rebirth are different.

This story is iron-willed 1v1. It’s just my personal preference _(:з」∠)

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