Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 78: A Lovely Vacation

Before the kiss, in order to stay rational, Fang Xiu had built a full-scale mental defense system in his mind in advance…

Drawing from all the romance films he’d watched, he simulated various scenarios in his head. On the left he propped up: “It’s not like I haven’t chewed on his actual body before,” on the right: “Evil spirits don’t understand human emotions. Don’t get too obsessed,” and on top of his head: “Everything will come to an end.” It was just a kiss. He could absolutely suppress his feelings.

…But it was completely useless. Things went nothing like he expected.

Bai Shuangying’s tongue suddenly split and filled his mouth and throat. Fang Xiu’s eyes widened, staring at Bai Shuangying’s face that was right in front of him. He even forgot to react with discomfort.

The moment Bai Shuangying’s tongue tip grazed his throat, Fang Xiu felt like he was being scalded by the heat of an iron smelting furnace and shut his eyes against the explosion of warmth. His heartbeat lost all rhythm, thumping wildly like a rave. For a second, he worried he might be having a heart attack.

Surely the Underworld-made body was durable enough?

After two seconds, he mentally berated himself for being useless. Who the hell thinks about this during their first kiss?

…Then he couldn’t think at all anymore. His thoughts scattered like a snapped string of colorful beads, bouncing chaotically in his brain.

Fang Xiu’s body was now under spinal cord control. Instinctively, he grabbed Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, then his arm. His windpipe was blocked, and under the dual effect of oxygen deprivation and excitement, his vision turned white and hazy, as if he was drunk.

This was nice. It felt like temporarily slipping out of the world.

Fang Xiu didn’t know what other people’s first kisses were like, but for him, this one melted him on the spot for five whole minutes. He only barely got his footing when he saw his grandmother’s familiar courtyard.

“It’s recreated so well. There are places even I didn’t remember.”

His eyes swept over every corner of the courtyard, touching the wall in wonder. “So, you looked at my memories?”

Bai Shuangying: “I only looked at the karma between you and your grandmother. We didn’t kiss long enough to see more.”

Fang Xiu touched his lips. “True. Someone forgot to even absorb my essence.”

His mouth was unforgiving, but his actions showed a hint of unease, like he’d only just realized he had lips after all these years.

Such a fresh reaction. Bai Shuangying stared at him for quite a while.

Speaking of which, when facing his grandmother’s courtyard, Fang Xiu’s face only showed faint nostalgia. He didn’t display the typical human breakdown or tears. The weight of this emotion didn’t match the hatred he had for the Guishan Sect.

…It seemed he hadn’t grasped the key karmic link. Bai Shuangying felt a strange emptiness, like he’d just stepped into thin air.

“You’re very calm,” Bai Shuangying commented.

“It’s been nearly twenty years.”

Fang Xiu let out a long breath, finally removing his hand from his lips. “I really loved my grandma, but we didn’t have that much time together. Her death wasn’t enough to break me.”

“So your hatred for Guishan Sect is because of your parents?” Bai Shuangying asked bluntly.

“Not just that. It’s a long…very long story.”

Fang Xiu glanced over half-smiling, half-exasperated. He pressed a finger to his lower lip. “If you really want to know, remember to sneak a better peek next time.”

“Okay,” Bai Shuangying said seriously.

Fang Xiu shook his head and laughed again. “You really are something…”

Bai Shuangying perked up his ears, but Fang Xiu didn’t finish the sentence.

His human walked to the center of the courtyard and hugged the persimmon tree that had turned into a jujube tree. Fang Xiu closed his eyes, resting his cheek against the trunk like he was embracing a family member.

The little black dog followed at his feet, front paws on Fang Xiu’s leg, wagging its tail in innocent ignorance.

“Thank you. This place really is perfect.”

He mumbled, arms loosely wrapped around the tree. “When I was little, my arms could barely reach around it.”

Bai Shuangying slipped in a question. “How long do you plan to stay here?”

“I don’t know.”

Fang Xiu looked at Bai Shuangying, then lowered his gaze to the little black dog. “Until I figure something out. Or until I have no choice.”

Good. It seemed Bai Shuangying didn’t need to interfere further. He was satisfied.

Even if this karmic cycle yielded no results, watching how Fang Xiu handled the little black dog would give him more insight into this human.

He adjusted his posture and leaned toward Fang Xiu in a deliberately serious manner, whispering to him, “Take your time.”

Bai Shuangying’s murmur held no emotion but carried a strangely unreadable smile that sent chills down the spine.

…Then, just as he leaned closer, Fang Xiu caught him in the act.

Fang Xiu leaned affectionately against Bai Shuangying’s arm, burying his face in his hair and sleeve, rubbing insistently.

“Of course I’ll take my time,” he muttered. “To me, this is a sacred ‘Friday night’!”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

Fang Xiu: “Don’t worry, once you’ve had a job or gone to school, you’ll understand.”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

……

Lu Yang felt this sacrificial ritual was abnormal.

As soon as he woke up, he rushed to apologize to Fang Xiu. Upon hearing that all his teammates had been wiped out, he cried in despair for a long time.

But his sobbing dwindled quickly. The reason: this sacrificial ritual was just too long.

Like a schoolkid waiting in a long line for a shot, Lu Yang’s despair and fear gradually numbed.

Fang Xiu had no intention of breaking the E. He moved the remaining three teammates into the main house. The two women stayed in the west bedroom. Lu Yang and Guan He shared the east bedroom. The whole house became lively.

As for Fang Xiu, he turned the sofa into a bed and slept alone in the living room. Even for one person, that sofa was quite oversized, so two could fit comfortably.

…Maybe he just liked big beds.

Thus began Lu Yang’s new life: with water, electricity, peace, and eerie strangeness.

Fang Xiu’s teammates treated him politely, but only like casual roommates. If he asked questions, they answered. If he said nothing, they didn’t bother him.

They had no demands on him. It was literally just setting an extra pair of chopsticks.

Every morning at 5:30, Cheng Songyun got up on time to prepare breakfast for everyone.

Breakfast usually consisted of wild vegetable soup with meat and sweet pastries, paired with winter jujubes that looked just like persimmons. All in all, a well-balanced meal.

At 6:00, Guan He, who shared a room with Lu Yang, also woke up.

This kid ran laps around the courtyard every morning, rain or shine. Afterward, he’d go hunting with Mei Lan and Cheng Songyun.

Every time he returned, he’d be drenched in sweat like he’d just climbed out of water, and often had a few new scars. Sometimes he came back with rabbits, sometimes with wild ghosts, occasionally both tied together, making it quite the visual spectacle.

…Rabbits were one thing. But Guan He always hung the caught ghosts outside the window. Lu Yang had no idea where he learned that.

These evil spirits were hard to kill. The ghost heads and hands swaying outside the window would shake on their own, sometimes even let out weird screams. Lu Yang was terrified and couldn’t sleep, while Guan He slept like a log, possibly treating the ghost noises as white noise.

Thankfully, the effect was double-edged.

Ever since Guan He started making ghost jerky in the window, the ghosts stopped sticking to it. The outside became peaceful with bright moonlight and soft breezes, creating a lovely scene.

Compared to Guan He, Lu Yang felt more like the ghosts’ pitiful brother.

…The weirdest one among them was Fang Xiu.

As the team leader, Fang Xiu never went hunting or collected ingredients. His teammates indulged him, and he blatantly slacked off…

By day, he sunbathed in the courtyard. By night, he watched TV on the couch. Wherever there was a place to sit or lie down, he’d randomly appear there.

That young man in red always stretched out lazily, smiling, clearly enjoying himself.

Of course, Fang Xiu did go out. But even when he did, he always went alone, never with companions.

And so, several peaceful days passed in this ritual. Lu Yang was getting uneasy.

He could understand Jiang Xun’s logic but couldn’t figure out what this team was trying to do. No matter how outrageous Jiang Xun’s actions were, at least he was trying to break the E. But this group? Were they planning to live here forever?

Or were they raising him as part of some powerful occult ritual?

The free meals no longer tasted good, and he couldn’t sleep well. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore and volunteered to do work… while secretly spying on Fang Xiu.

That day, under a high sky and drifting clouds, Fang Xiu hummed a tune, heading alone into the woods outside the courtyard.

Lu Yang carried a body and a basket, trailing from afar.

The forest floor was covered in golden fallen leaves. A breeze stirred the branches and scattered more leaves like golden rain. Just the rustling sound was soothing to the soul.

“Fetch!” Fang Xiu picked up a stick and tossed it into the distance.

Next second, leaves swirled up. A gust of wind blew toward where the stick had landed. In a few moments, the stick bounced and floated back on its own.

Lu Yang: “???”

“Good boy, good boy.” Fang Xiu smiled warmly, petting the air.

Then he turned his face, looking toward the empty space beside him.

“Yeah, I really don’t plan to name it. I can’t be with it for life anyway.” Fang Xiu smiled at the air.

Lu Yang was stunned to find that even without seeing Fang Xiu’s eyes, that smile was incredibly beautiful.

As a straight guy, Lu Yang rarely complimented another man, unless they really exceeded all standards. But that smile just now… even top actors would struggle to imitate it.

It was too gentle, completely out of place in this bloody ritual.

The issue was…Fang Xiu wasn’t even smiling at a living person.

Lu Yang knew the team followed ghosts, but was this how one followed a ghost? Something didn’t feel right!

Nearby, Fang Xiu’s “one-sided” conversation continued.

The man burst into laughter like he’d heard something funny. “Oh come on, what do you mean ‘I’ve named you too’! You and it aren’t the same at all. I…”

He laughed twice, then his smile dimmed a little.

“I really will stay with you for life,” Fang Xiu said.

Leaves rustled without wind around him, as if something was drawing near.

“…Of course, that’s if I die in this ritual.” Fang Xiu patted the air and his smile brightened again. “It’s already the fourth ritual. How are you still this easy to fool?”

After saying that, he reached out and slid his fingers through the air.

The leaves danced again. That presence seemed to step even closer.

“As for the little dog, I haven’t found a better solution yet.” Fang Xiu shrugged. “But this place is a perfect training ground. It was low intensity but with endless evil spirits. What a rare opportunity for practice.”

“As for Lu Yang, we’ll see how far he wants to go. Cheng Jie’s already said what needs to be said. The rest, no one can teach.”

A gust of wind scattered the leaves again.

A white-robed figure appeared out of nowhere, standing between Fang Xiu and Lu Yang with his back to the latter.

Without turning around, he spoke in an impatient tone. “I didn’t ask about him. You might as well tell him yourself.”

Fang Xiu leaned against the man’s shoulder, cheek brushing against ink-like long hair. He looked toward Lu Yang hiding behind the tree, raised his hand, and waved in greeting.

Then he withdrew his hand, resting his forehead lightly on the white-robed man’s shoulder, ending the silent conversation.

The pose was intimate. Strangely, Lu Yang didn’t feel scared. He just felt awkward, like he was intruding.

He turned his gaze away, looked at the stiff corpse beside him, and fell silent. Just like the past few days, Fang Xiu made no move to “guide” him.

Funny how, near death, he had decided to follow his own thoughts. But once safe, he instinctively waited for direction again.

Tomorrow morning, he’d get up with Guan He and run laps. Maybe—maybe he could even catch a couple ghosts and hang them out to dry.

The hidden fear melted away like snow. Lu Yang’s mind relaxed. Speaking of which, Fang Xiu’s ghost with the long black hair turned out to be a woman… No, wait, the shoulders were too broad, the height was wrong, the voice too deep.

Wait, did Fang Xiu just smile that gently at a male ghost?!

That guy’s definitely something else. Lu Yang’s thoughts snapped back to full alert.

……

Far away at Disaster Relief Tower, Dian’er’s nerves were stretched taut.

It perched on the edge of an incense burner, gnawing its fingertips with loud crunches, mouth full of paper scraps.

Fang Xiu’s group had been gone for a whole week. No previous team had ever stayed away this long! Even worse, a paper figure responsible for Disaster Resolvers secretly contacted it, saying that Jiang Xun had died several days ago.

He was killed by a black Taoist priest, the one on Fang Xiu’s team. Could that priest be the one behind it all, trapping the team in the ritual?

No, that didn’t make sense. Fang Xiu wasn’t that dumb. He’d definitely notice something off with Mei Lan. And Mei Lan knew Fang Xiu’s abilities. She wouldn’t turn against him.

…So was it the Wind E’s fault?

Still no. That black dog evil spirit only used the Wind E to hide. It hadn’t disappeared. Even if Fang Xiu broke a taboo and couldn’t enter the courtyard, that dumb dog would’ve run outside by now.

As long as Fang Xiu saw through the E and lured out the black dog, there would be ways to deal with it.

…So what exactly was holding Fang Xiu back?

The paper figure Dian’er was utterly baffled.

After much deliberation, it decided to check out the ritual site ahead of time. Last time during the Mid-Autumn Festival, it broke the rules out of malice. This time, it was for a good reason. The punishment shouldn’t be too harsh, right?

It solemnly thought: It’s just collecting material for the report ahead of time.

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The author has something to say:

Time to file the love report. How could you not wear sunglasses, Dian’er. 😎

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Regarding the previous chapter about Fang Xiu’s parents discovering the grandma’s cult ties. I initially wrote it too fast, then tweaked a few hundred words… Still not satisfied, might revise slightly later.

Some context below ↓

While writing, I took too much for granted. I assumed everyone already understood the environment, and ended up skipping too much _(:з」∠)

In the 90s, a certain cult was rampant. They had tons of followers, and their disruptions were hard to control. When I was very young, a neighbor of mine believed in that stuff. They got obsessed with “practicing” and ruined their whole family.

Back then, people knew it was bad, but were so numb to it most didn’t react strongly. Hearing someone believed in it was like hearing they had a gambling problem. The first instinct wasn’t even to call the police.

There were even public gatherings of followers in residential areas. It wasn’t something you could just “quarantine” or “persuade to convert” away.

Even today scams are hard to stop. Imagine back then, but with cults.

Police had a hard time; it took years for the country to root out the tumor. That atmosphere back then is hard to imagine now.

So many things we take for granted today are actually incredibly precious. If you’re curious, look into cult situations in Japan or Korea. It shows what happens when regulation fails.

And don’t let your guard down completely. It’s already 2024 and that cult is still causing trouble overseas. Terrifying.

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Kinky Thoughts:

This is the end of this arc.

Regarding the author’s note, I am assuming, based on the timeline Nian Zhong provided, she’s most likely talking about Falun Gong. You can read more about it by going to the Wikipedia.

Funnily enough, when reading the author’s note I had a sneaking suspicion it was based on them… because of the play Shen Yun that is constantly advertised everywhere in the states. While I’m a big fan of plays and musicals, I’ve never actually seen this since I thought it was mainly just propaganda… and once I found out it was tied to a cult, it was a hard pass.

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