Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 67: The Villain Role

After the couple left, Lu Yang never managed to fall asleep.

Half of it was because he felt uneasy.

He had originally just wanted to sleep in the living room…to at least be closer to Master Jiang. But then everyone else followed his lead and moved into the living room too, making it look like he was spearheading some effort to ostracize the couple.

The other half was because the evil spirits were still active.

They hadn’t appeared due to the pierced-lip man violating a taboo. After the couple left, everyone was still trapped in a sea of terror.

Cold touches and breaths, unexplained bleeding—these were only the most basic abnormalities.

The truly terrifying things lurked at the edge of one’s vision: in the corners, between the sofa cushions, under the coffee table, within cluttered piles of objects. He constantly glimpsed what looked like parts of human faces, especially those rolled-back, lifeless eyes.

On the old wall calendar, the pupils of the New Year dolls shifted with their movements. Amid the sound of panicked breathing came the occasional out-of-place low chuckle, and nonsensical background noises echoed endlessly.

It felt like someone had crammed a dozen psychological horror films into a blender and splattered the results across this old house.

The evil spirits didn’t directly attack them, but they made it so no one dared move, all wishing they could shut their eyes and play dead.

“Damn, it’s too horrible at night. I’ll sleep during the day.” The long-haired artsy guy cursed and lit a candle in the living room.

Lu Yang remembered this guy quite well.

He called himself “A’Qiao”, a textbook artsy youth. A’Qiao liked to talk about obscure films and books in niche languages, and even more about his eight-hour-long romantic history.

But once the sacrificial ritual began, he immediately dropped his husky whisper-voice and started swearing frequently.

“Should we go call those two back?” The guy with glasses adjusted his frames.

This was Lu Wei. Usually quiet and introverted, he seemed like someone lost in his own world. Lu Yang didn’t know him well.

“Call them back for what? Weren’t they annoying enough already?” A’Qiao frowned.

“If that Auntie wasn’t lying, then the more people we have in the team, the better. Someone still needs to test the taboos,” Lu Wei pointed out.

A’Qiao sneered, “There are ghosts everywhere out there. If someone wants to go stop them, let them. I say everyone has their fate, and those two staying in the team were just dragging us down.”

Lu Yang felt that abandoning teammates like this was too rash. “At least they’re still two people… Why don’t we ask Master Jiang? If he won’t help, then we can try that other team in the side rooms?”

That Auntie Cheng had been very kind to him. Instinctively he felt she wasn’t a bad person.

But before he could finish, A’Qiao and Lu Wei both shot him a condescending look.

“You really think they want to help us?” A’Qiao shook his head.

Lu Wei: “Veterans obviously want other teams to test the taboos first. We newbies are at a disadvantage. Neither side is likely acting out of kindness, so we might as well side with the stronger one. If we align with Master Jiang, that’s picking a side.”

Lu Yang more or less understood what they meant.

Master Jiang was alone so he was bound to need external help and might protect them in return. The other team had five people. Abandoning them would be no big deal for them. Looking out for oneself is human nature, so could they really count on the morality of strangers?

Even so, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Unfortunately, after being awake so long, his brain felt like mush, barely functioning.

He mumbled, “Okay, then… let’s not ask the team in the side rooms. Let’s go talk to Master Jiang…”

“They’re dead, all dead!”

The gloomy woman in the group suddenly clutched her head and let out a hoarse scream. “The ghosts ate them. There’s nothing left…”

The living room fell silent.

Her underworld support ability was “Death Playback”. She could see the exact scene of a person’s death.

They’d known that going out at night was risky, but they hadn’t expected the couple to die so early. The two hadn’t been completely unaware, and they had Underworld support. Surely, they should have had some ability to fight back.

Lu Wei was the first to stand and began banging on the east bedroom door. “Master Jiang! Master Jiang, something’s happened…!”

No response came from the east bedroom.

Lu Yang’s scalp tingled. Abandoning all sense of politeness, he joined Lu Wei in hammering the door. “Master! People have died! Help!”

Still no response.

The gloomy woman trembled all over. “Before they even went out… one of them was already dead… It was a corpse that took the other out. A corpse…”

A’Qiao’s face went pale. “Why didn’t you use your ability earlier?!”

“That skill uses physical energy! I didn’t know they’d die so quickly!” the gloomy woman shrieked.

She looked like she’d just run a marathon, soaked with sweat and about to collapse from exhaustion.

Lu Yang’s fist slid slowly down the wooden door. Remembering how the pierced-lip man had left without looking back, he felt as though a block of ice had lodged in his stomach.

One of their companions had turned into a corpse without them realizing and lured the living out to die… When had the pierced-lip guy died? How did it happen? Not a single one of them had noticed!

He had thought the rooms were safe, but now it seemed nowhere was.

Beside him, Lu Wei had already started slamming into the east bedroom door. But the flimsy wooden door now seemed like a bank vault. No matter how hard they hit it, it didn’t budge.

…Was it a trick of the evil spirits? Or had something happened to Master Jiang as well?

Lu Yang’s brain creaked as he tried to think. Panic gripped him as he looked around the room. The dim candlelight created layers of shadows, and vague forms writhed within them.

Something cold and wet brushed against his ankle. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed on the spot.

“Let’s go check the other team!”

Lu Wei couldn’t get Jiang Xun’s door open and abandoned his “pick a side” theory in an instant.

No one responded. Everyone had curled up in their own corners, like ostriches trying to bury their heads in the sand.

“Lei Ge, Da Niu, you two go ask for help from the side-room team.” Lu Wei swallowed. “You two have defensive abilities. We’re all useless.”

The two’s Underworld anomalies were “Dark Vision” and “Absolute Sense of Direction”, making it ideal for night operations. With the darkness outside, anyone else would be helpless.

But the two men protested furiously…

“Even the Master’s not responding. What the hell’s our little powers gonna do?!”

“Who the hell are you to order me around, huh?!”

A’Qiao sided with Lu Wei. “This is our last shot! Otherwise, we all die!”

“I’m so thirsty… so thirsty…” Amid the chaos, the gloomy woman croaked, clutching her throat like she’d swallowed a mouthful of sand.

“Water… get me water…”

She was drenched in sweat and her eyes bulged like a fish dying on land.

Lu Yang accidentally made eye contact with her. Her eyes were vacant, identical to the ghost eyes crammed into every crevice.

The scene before him pushed Lu Yang to the brink. He felt as if he had returned to the time when they were lost in the uninhabited zone.

The world had become a foreign place. Knowledge and logic had broken down. No one knew what to do. They could only watch helplessly as death drew near.

Lu Yang slumped against the wall, burying his head in his hands. His teammates’ shouting made his eardrums ache. Exhausted and terrified, he couldn’t even understand what they were yelling anymore. Tears flowed on their own.

Suddenly, something cold poked furiously at his face.

His frayed nerves finally snapped, and Lu Yang passed out on the spot.

……

The next morning.

Cheng Songyun hadn’t slept the second half of the night. As soon as the sun rose, she used the meat and wild vegetables left behind by Fang Xiu to make a hot soup, then washed some apples and persimmons.

There were enough dishes and utensils in the cabinet. In one corner of the side room stood an old, dusty folding table covered in cobwebs. Next to it were several small stools that clearly hadn’t been used in ages, but they were all still functional.

Outside, the sky was blue and vast, the sunlight bright and cheerful, and birds chirped crisply from the woods. Cheng Songyun wiped down the table and chairs. Once breakfast was laid out, the atmosphere became even more homey.

Fang Xiu woke up to the smell of food, nestled in his ghost’s arms.

After returning last night, as usual, he’d fallen asleep holding Bai Shuangying. When he woke up, Bai Shuangying’s sleeve was still draped over his face. It was cool and smooth, making it perfect for a sleep mask.

It had been a long time since he’d felt this relaxed during a sacrificial ritual.

He opened his eyes and unabashedly admired his ghost for a while, then buried his face back into Bai Shuangying’s sleeve and inhaled the fresh scent of grass and trees.

“Good morning,” he mumbled lazily from inside the sleeve, stretching his limbs in contentment.

“Mm.” Bai Shuangying gently patted Fang Xiu’s head.

Cheng Songyun, wiping the water from her hands, called out enthusiastically, “You’re up! Come, come. Have some hot soup while it’s fresh!”

In the morning light, the steam from the soup curled upward like mist. The water droplets on the fruit sparkled like diamonds, looking tender and delicious.

Blondie let out a huge yawn, then squinted as he wandered over. “I’ll head out later and catch a couple more rabbits so we can switch up the flavors… Oh right, Fang Ge, you went out with those two last night, yeah? See anything?”

The others hadn’t heard about this yet, so they looked curiously at Fang Xiu as they ate breakfast.

Fang Xiu sipped some hot soup and replied casually, “There are too many evil spirits outside the yard. I lost track of them. I wandered around a bit and couldn’t find them.”

“But going out at night doesn’t seem to trigger taboos. The challenge is dealing with those spirits. The ones outside the courtyard are stronger than the ones inside. Everyone should avoid going out at night if they can.”

His tone was as normal as ever. No one could tell there was any fabrication behind it.

As expected, the other four took Fang Xiu’s words at face value and continued eating peacefully.

Seated on a small stool, Fang Xiu ate with more focus than he had even in the Disaster Relief Tower, showing none of the tension that had hung over the previous three sacrificial rounds. Bai Shuangying watched him from head to toe, increasingly confused as to why Fang Xiu had lied.

Blondie was the first to voice a new thought. “You know, there’s water, electricity, and food here. Why don’t we stay a few more days?”

“It’s a good place to rest,” Mei Lan agreed, unusually.

Cheng Songyun didn’t quite agree. “We haven’t even found the death taboo yet. How can we relax so much?”

But Guan He didn’t chime in. He just stirred the chipped bowl in his hands, head lowered in thought.

Fang Xiu finished gnawing a chicken leg and smiled at Cheng Songyun. “I also think there’s no need to rush. Balance matters.”

The last three rituals had been intense. He’d been forced to operate at full throttle. By comparison, this place really was a chance to catch his breath… and to carry out some very particular plans.

Just then, a cold breeze blew past his ankle. Fang Xiu casually rubbed at his pant leg with his shoe with an unchanged expression.

Cheng Songyun couldn’t sit still. “I’ll go walk around the woods today and gather more food. Xiao Fang, do whatever you want. You don’t need to worry about chores.”

“If I spot anything unusual, I’ll write it down and let you know,” she added solemnly.

“I’ll go with you,” Guan He suddenly spoke up.

Blondie: “I’ve got rabbit duty. Someone’s gotta stay home.”

Mei Lan followed up, “Then I’ll stay in today.”

After everyone had voiced their plans, Fang Xiu finally added, “I’m not going out either. I’ll investigate the courtyard. That way, Mei Lan and I can back each other up.”

Mei Lan pursed her lips and glanced at him but said nothing more.

The weather was perfect, and after a warm chicken soup breakfast, Fang Xiu was in excellent spirits. Their side had made it through the night unscathed. He wondered how things had gone in the main house.

He hummed a little tune and opened the side room door… and the tune stopped abruptly.

Seeing Fang Xiu pause, Guan He came over to check. The moment he looked out, he stumbled back two steps and landed hard on the bed. “O-Outside—”

The scene outside was horrific.

A girl had died in front of the hand-pump. She was on her knees, mouth wrapped around the water spout. The spout had pierced through her mouth and out the back of her skull.

Her hands clutched the pump tightly, as if she’d struggled. But her arms and neck were covered in deep ligature marks, as if something had yanked her forcefully, preventing her escape.

A man was dead in the persimmon tree. His limbs were broken, and his body was twisted grotesquely between the branches. His innards spilled from a torn-open abdomen.

Another man had used his own intestines as a noose, hanging himself midair. His feet dangled half a meter above the ground, with nothing underneath… God knows what he stepped on to get up there.

His right shoe was gone, leaving a bare foot swinging gently in the morning breeze. The smell of excrement mixed with blood tainted the autumn air with an acrid stench.

In the midst of the crisp, golden autumn, the three corpses were jarringly grotesque.

Fang Xiu said, “…Wow.”

He was genuinely surprised. The real death taboo was outside the courtyard, and for this group to die in such bizarre ways… It was almost impressive in itself.

Bai Shuangying stared at Fang Xiu, whose mind was already working through a prepared explanation.

It was easy to see that these people had been killed by evil spirits. If Fang Xiu asked about the cause, he could describe it as terrifyingly as needed to keep Fang Xiu on guard…

But just as Bai Shuangying was eagerly preparing to explain, Fang Xiu patted Cheng Songyun. “Cheng Jie, let’s go check the main house later.”

After three sacrificial rituals, Cheng Songyun had become a pragmatic realist. Even in the face of such carnage, she regained her composure quickly. “No problem.”

Bai Shuangying continued to stare hard at Fang Xiu.

“When we come back, everyone else stick to the plan. Don’t touch weird stuff, and don’t get into fights,” Fang Xiu said.

The others slowly came back to themselves. Guan He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to look at the bodies outside.

Bai Shuangying kept staring at Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu tugged at his red T-shirt, making sure there weren’t too many wrinkles.

Then he finally turned to Bai Shuangying, scratching his head sheepishly. “I don’t know these guys, and I can’t tell how tasty their souls are… Sorry I couldn’t pick something better for you.”

At no point did he ask how the three had died.

Bai Shuangying looked away in disappointment and began thinking of new ways to scare people. Just as his gaze shifted, Fang Xiu wrinkled his nose and gave a tiny, smug smile.

As soon as Fang Xiu and Cheng Songyun reached the main house, they were “warmly welcomed” by what was left of the newbie group… No, more accurately, the three surviving newbies.

The three were huddled inside, looking completely shell-shocked, not even glancing up at them. Jiang Xun stood just inside the main house door, subtly blocking their way.

Jiang Xun frowned slightly. “You’re here?”

The tone was a little off, but Fang Xiu kept smiling. “Just coming by to check things out.”

“They already know what you did,” Jiang Xun said. “One of them could see the moment of death.”

“You tampered with that boy, made them test the taboo for you. Unfortunately, they didn’t realize it in time and even wanted to go out and ask you for help…”

He glanced meaningfully toward the three corpses outside.

Cheng Songyun’s eyebrows shot up. “It wasn’t us—”

Fang Xiu ignored the slander and said with curiosity, “Weren’t they sharing a room with you? Why would they go out of their way to seek us out?”

“I was entangled with evil spirits all night,” Jiang Xun replied calmly. “I couldn’t spare the effort.”

Fang Xiu: “So tragic. We had a peaceful night. How about we switch? Tonight we’ll stay in the main house?”

Jiang Xun: “……”

Cheng Songyun was furious. “Xiao Fang, we need to clarify this. We didn’t…”

“It’s pointless,” Fang Xiu cut her off. “This guy’s already pinned the blame on us. Like he’d ever admit it was his doing.”

“And besides, if I’m not wrong, the one who could see the deaths is probably dead too. That way, someone can keep pulling strings without anyone noticing.”

Jiang Xun let out a cold laugh, his presence oppressive. “Save the sowing discord for someone else.”

Fang Xiu looked at the nervous newbies and said peacefully, “Say whatever you want.”

“Oh, and make sure you clean up the bodies. Everyone needs the pump. If no one takes care of it by the afternoon, we’ll do it for you.”

Unfortunately, judging by Jiang Xun’s attitude, investigating the main house wouldn’t go smoothly.

Fang Xiu sighed and turned to leave.

Lu Yang stared at Fang Xiu’s back for a long time.

He’d collapsed by the wall last night and only regained consciousness in the morning. By then, only A’Qiao and Lu Wei were left in the living room, along with a terrifying silence.

According to A’Qiao, the gloomy woman had gone mad with thirst and rushed outside. Because her “Death Playback” ability was so valuable, Lei Ge and Da Niu followed to catch her.

None of the three ever returned. They became the grotesque corpses in the courtyard.

To be honest, even when surrounded by evil spirits, Lu Yang had still held onto a shred of hope. Fang Xiu’s group still had five people, each with different strengths. It proved that maybe the sacrificial ritual wasn’t that hopeless.

As for Master Jiang, perhaps he just didn’t want to be dragged down by teammates or had bad luck. Who really knew what went on in the world of big shots?

After all, they were all young people and had teamed up before. How bad could things really get?

…And then, overnight, they’d lost five teammates.

This morning, Jiang Xun appeared, exhausted, claiming he’d fought evil spirits all night. After hearing A’Qiao’s recounting, he insisted it was Fang Xiu’s team who had done something.

Then he gave the newbies several talismans for protection and told them to stay close to him and never act alone.

A’Qiao and Lu Wei took the talismans with trembling hands, repeatedly thanking him. But Lu Yang felt uncomfortable. If you were going to talk about control, didn’t Jiang Xun seem equally suspicious?

But with no proof in hand, and the fact that Jiang Xun had actually helped them, he didn’t dare voice doubt.

Lu Yang lowered his head and rubbed the talisman Jiang Xun had given him.

The yellow paper was marked with complex red cinnabar symbols—completely unfamiliar to him. It was in his hand, yet he had no idea if it worked.

He didn’t know who to trust. He didn’t even know who he should fear. But he did know one thing he could do right now…

Lu Yang activated his support ability.

The three corpses in the courtyard began to stir and slowly stood up again. Their knees locked stiffly as they shuffled across the ground with unnatural movements, entering the vacant wing of the side house.

There was an empty storage room there, with just concrete flooring and four bare walls. Lu Yang had them lie down inside and then locked the door tight. He didn’t want to experience a repeat of corpses getting possessed by evil spirits.

After it was all done, he rubbed his red, swollen eyes and looked out at the autumn scene beyond the window.

What had been beautiful yesterday now carried a sinister edge. The persimmon tree was stained with blood. Yesterday it had been full of wild rustic charm; today, it could only be described as “horrifying”.

That young man in red—what was his name again, Fang Xiu—was leaning against the tree, looking thoughtfully at the bloodstains on the ground. His posture was too casual for a murderer, and too detached for someone innocent.

Dressed in red, just standing there, it made all the persimmons seem to tinge with blood.

Lu Yang peeked at him for less than three seconds before Fang Xiu noticed and turned to smile at him. Startled, Lu Yang backed away and retreated into the corner of the living room.

Under the tree.

Fang Xiu picked up a stick and began idly drawing on the ground.

Bai Shuangying watched him scribbling what looked like worms and grew increasingly uneasy.

Right now, Cheng Songyun, Guan He, and Blondie were all out looking for food, while Mei Lan stayed behind in the side room. As team leader, Fang Xiu seemed to have decided to slack off completely.

He had been playing with mud for an entire incense stick’s time!

Bai Shuangying hoped Fang Xiu would linger here longer, but Fang Xiu’s strange behavior made him uneasy. Even without a heartbeat, Bai Shuangying was beginning to understand what it meant to feel his “heart in turmoil”.

“What are you drawing?” Bai Shuangying looked down at the squirming-worm picture.

“You,” Fang Xiu said seriously. “Doesn’t it look like you?”

Bai Shuangying pondered deeply and asked politely, “Is this your drawing of my human form, or my true form?”

Fang Xiu: “……”

He wilted. “Let’s go with your true form.”

Depressed, he smoothed the dirt and began drawing a blob with a single dot as a face.

Bai Shuangying couldn’t take it anymore. He summoned his Peach Bone Evil and began sketching Fang Xiu in return.

His lines were clean and expressive, almost artistic. Wisps of white mist solidified in the air, forming ink-like strokes. In a few deft lines, the figure was clearly Fang Xiu. It was so precisely rendered that it was almost eerie.

In the drawing, Fang Xiu had no bangs covering his eyes. His smiling eyes and mouth carried a mischievous charm.

Fang Xiu stared at it for a while. “So this is how I look in your eyes?”

Bai Shuangying nodded, then froze mid-nod.

Something was missing from the drawing. He didn’t know what. Maybe once he fully understood Fang Xiu, he could draw the “real” picture.

“For now, yes,” Bai Shuangying concluded impartially.

Fang Xiu’s smile grew broader, almost silly. He pressed his lips together, unable to stop grinning, and finally had to smack his own face to calm down.

Bai Shuangying saw an opportunity and said, “You seem pretty laid-back.”

“This place has good vibes. Might as well treat it like a vacation,” Fang Xiu replied, standing right in the middle of the fresh bloodstains.

From his tone, it was like the three corpses in the courtyard were just fallen leaves.

Seeing Fang Xiu taking a liking to this place made Bai Shuangying light up.

He suppressed his victorious joy and added provocatively, “Oh, that Jiang Xun is quite proactive. If he finds the ‘E’ first, you’ll lose the reward for solving the E.”

Come on, say it.

If Fang Xiu showed even a hint of caution toward Jiang Xun, Bai Shuangying would be fully justified in sabotaging the man, discreetly orchestrating his demise. Even if Fang Xiu found out later, he’d have no reason to hold a grudge.

Fang Xiu looked at Bai Shuangying meaningfully. “Don’t worry. I’ll eliminate him myself. Anyone who uses people as taboo test subjects probably has a pretty tasty soul.”

He seemed to emphasize the words “eliminate him myself” on purpose.

Bai Shuangying: “……” Right, Fang Xiu was still hung up on fighting with his own hands.

And the reason he was targeting Jiang Xun wasn’t even about devouring him. This human might be even more bloodthirsty than himself.

“And here’s a secret.” Fang Xiu leaned close to Bai Shuangying’s ear and whispered, “This ritual is just too much fun. I’m planning to play an even more exciting game.”

Bai Shuangying tilted his head, moving his ear closer. “?”

Fang Xiu said mysteriously, “Saying too much would ruin the surprise. That’s all I’ll tell you for now.”

Still stubbornly maintaining his listening pose, Bai Shuangying waited, but Fang Xiu didn’t continue. Instead, he quickly brushed against Bai Shuangying’s ear.

The touch was too quick. His skin was too soft. Bai Shuangying couldn’t tell if it had been a cheek or the lips.

By the time he turned, Fang Xiu was already pretending nothing had happened, though his face looked suspiciously like a ripe persimmon on the tree.

Bai Shuangying stared at him for a few seconds. Then, with a wave of his Peach Bone Evil, a ripe persimmon fell into his hand.

It was perfectly ripe, its thin skin encasing a pool of soft, sweet nectar. Bai Shuangying’s grip was just right. It didn’t rupture at all.

He held the persimmon beside Fang Xiu’s cheek for comparison, then wordlessly fed it to him.

After slurping it down, Fang Xiu’s face color returned to normal. He licked the juice from his lips. “Now that you’ve bribed me so generously, I have no choice but to confess.”

Bai Shuangying: “!”

Fang Xiu leaned close again, this time speaking each word with a smile:

“From now on, I’m going to go against the ritual. This time, I plan to protect the ‘E’.”

……

In the Forest

Outside the courtyard, fallen leaves blanketed the earth, crackling softly underfoot.

Cheng Songyun had repurposed a woven basket from the yard and was now using it to collect chestnuts and mushrooms. She picked through the forest patiently, even making mental notes to dry some of the goods for preservation.

If one could forget the bloody scene in the courtyard earlier, the current view was practically idyllic. But after all that had happened, Cheng Songyun was no longer anxious about life or death. If Fang Xiu wasn’t in a rush, then this place likely wasn’t too dangerous.

Blondie had taken off long ago, hellbent on catching a rabbit for lunch. Guan He, on the other hand, stuck closely to Cheng Songyun, even pulling down the black veil over his eyes.

He was unusually silent today, glancing around nervously as if on high alert.

“It’s daytime so it’s not that dangerous. Fang Xiu must’ve considered safety before letting us out,” Cheng Songyun reassured him.

Guan He was still young. He was probably still shaken by the gruesome sight that morning. It was understandable.

But Guan He only shook his head and kept his focus.

Finally, just as Cheng Songyun’s basket was about full, Guan He found his target…

An evil spirit hiding in the shadow of a tree hollow.

It reached out a skinny, bluish-purple hand, trying to grab Cheng Songyun’s ankle. But instead of catching her, it accidentally grabbed Guan He’s hand.

Guan He braced both feet against the tree trunk, face flushed red from exertion. After several minutes of tug-of-war, with a loud pop, he forcibly yanked the creature out.

Its upper half looked like a desiccated corpse, its lower half curled and twisted like a snail tail drawn from a shell, reeking of blood and rot. Guan He trembled all over, clearly on the verge of vomiting, but he forced it down.

He pulled a hemp string from Cheng Songyun’s basket, the kind used to bundle mushrooms, and tied the spirit tightly to a nearby tree. Then he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

Cheng Songyun had already pulled out her “Resentful Ghost Shield”. “Xiao Guan, what are you…?”

“I… cough cough I figured, since this ritual seems easier, it’s a good chance to practice.”

Guan He wiped the sweat from his face, speaking with determined sincerity. “Those people this morning were way stronger than I was when I first entered the ritual… I’ve only survived this long thanks to Fang Ge looking after me.”

“The past three sacrificial rounds… I haven’t really done anything. I don’t want to be dead weight.”

Guan He knew well enough: in theory, he could’ve served as a scout, but with Fang Xiu around, who was far better at sneaking around, his own value was nearly zero. And when it came to actual combat, he was practically useless.

He’d always wanted to practice fighting. But in a dangerous ritual, acting alone was tantamount to suicide. The cost of trial and error was way too high.

This current ritual was a rare opportunity. Evil spirits that were strong enough to pose a threat, yet weak enough that Fang Xiu was comfortable letting them out.

Considering Guan He’s age, Cheng Songyun instinctively wanted to oppose the idea. She opened her mouth, but ended up swallowing her objections.

A few seconds later, she asked, “So, what’s your plan?”

“My ability is ‘wall phasing’,” Guan He said, nervously cracking his fingers. “If I can control it precisely, I can treat the enemy’s attacks like moving ‘walls’ and phase through them to defend without injury.”

He spoke while observing the writhing evil spirit.

It was grotesque and kept snarling. Back in the first ritual, it would’ve scared him into unconsciousness. Now, Guan He looked at it and focused only on finding its weak point so he could take it down quickly.

He knew he wasn’t as clever as Fang Xiu or as experienced as Cheng Songyun. But he did have one unique strength: he was young, and his reflexes were the fastest in the team.

If he could make “no-damage defense” a reality, not only could he free up the Resentful Ghost Shield for someone else, but, if the timing was right, he could even launch surprise attacks on his own.

Cheng Songyun was silent for a while, then sighed.

Maybe he was still being too idealistic. Guan He’s shoulders slumped, bracing for a lecture. But instead of scolding him, Cheng Songyun set down her basket and walked to his side.

“That’s a good idea. I’ll stand guard for you,” she said, her voice steady and firm.

“Go ahead and train, kid.”

---

The author has something to say:

Some people are falling in love, some are leveling up, and some are just about scared to death (.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>