Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 84: Recovering the Lost Item

This ritual was unlike any before. For the first time ever, the paper figure actually gave them a briefing before departure.

After listening to the whole thing, Fang Xiu finally figured out what exactly a “Disaster Resolver” was supposed to do.

The Underworld officially classifies “E” into four types:

Type One – E’s highly likely to give rise to a Ghost Immortal, like the Mid-Autumn E. The Underworld deliberately sends in newcomers to feed them to the evil spirits.

Type Two – E on the brink of going out of control, like the Huanxi E. The Underworld essentially leaves these to fate. Whether the sacrifices survive is entirely a matter of luck.

The Underworld does not send Disaster Resolvers into these two types.

In other words, once you become a Disaster Resolver, you’re exempt from these essentially death-trap rituals.

Their work focuses on the remaining two types:

Type Three – Complicated cases where forming a Ghost Immortal is difficult, like the Weishan E and Fierce Wind E. If the situation becomes too dangerous, the Underworld prefers to send in Disaster Resolvers early to prevent it from affecting the living world.

Type Four – Which is what they’re facing this time: recovering a stolen and refined “Immortal E”.

“Some evil spirits manage to cultivate themselves into immortals and insist on hiding the refined E in the human world,” the paper figure explained with helpless resignation. “Once an E has been refined into an ‘Immortal E’, it’s basically on par with a top-tier celestial artifact. Some mortals always try to steal or seize them. Your task this time is to retrieve one such runaway Immortal E.”

“All the teams this time are handpicked by us. We only ask that you return alive. If you survive this ritual, you’ll be official Disaster Resolvers with real status.”

Fang Xiu wasn’t the least bit interested in having “real status”. He was more concerned about another issue.

“If you assembled the teams, what happens if we don’t get along?”

“Well, life and death are determined by fate. We don’t interfere,” Dian’er quickly replied. “All Disaster Resolvers have some skills. If someone dies, it just means they weren’t good enough.”

Bai Shuangying turned just in time to catch the flash of amusement in Fang Xiu’s eyes.

He figured his human hadn’t asked that question for his own safety.

This time the mission was unusual, and the second-floor staging area reflected that strangeness. Swirling multicolored clouds twisted and churned, reminiscent of the karmic interference Bai Shuangying used.

He gripped Fang Xiu’s wrist and drew close warily.

“This style looks quite like Van Gogh.” Fang Xiu scanned the kaleidoscopic scene as he and Bai Shuangying stepped through the distorted gate of color.

……

Inside the gate, the scene was… totally normal. In fact, too normal.

Fang Xiu stared, dumbfounded, at the bustling traffic before him.

At first glance, they had been teleported to the side of a busy road. It was rush hour. Commuters bustled about and breakfast stalls were thriving.

The pedestrians looked completely lifelike, and the smell of food was very real. It wasn’t like the hallucinations from the Mid-Autumn E. Behind them loomed a 30+ story office building with dark blue glass panels that looked very modern and imposing.

“Hey, you two newbies!”

Not far away, a young man with red-dyed hair called out to Fang Xiu. “Come over! We’ve been waiting for you!”

His eyes were amber, slitted like a cat’s, and he wore a delicate Taiji pendant on his chest. As Fang Xiu sized him up, he casually blew a giant pink bubblegum bubble.

He was leaning against the door of a board game café, dressed stylishly to match its trendy decor.

“Half-fox hybrid. Naturally gifted in metaphysical arts,” Bai Shuangying murmured after a quick glance.

Talentless Fang Xiu: “……”

Right, so on top of rogue black Taoists and evil monks, now they had fox hybrids. This group sure wasn’t what you’d call “mainstream orthodoxy”.

“Yan Yan, they’re not here yet? I calculated they should’ve arrived by now,” said a woman’s voice.

Out stepped a goth-styled girl in Halloween makeup, holding three tarot cards.

This time, both Bai Shuangying and Fang Xiu fell silent.

Let’s just say… she wasn’t orthodox either. There seemed to be a lot of “non-mainstream exceptions” in this group of metaphysical people. Compared to them, Fang Xiu’s team looked painfully plain.

“Fang Xiu.” Fang Xiu stepped forward and offered his hand to the redhead, Yan Yan.

Yan Yan sniffed cautiously and didn’t shake hands. He stared suspiciously at Fang Xiu. “Strong dog scent… are you a dog demon?”

“Pure human.” Fang Xiu smiled.

At his side, Bai Shuangying immediately leaned in and sniffed Fang Xiu’s hair. He frowned slightly and his Peach Bone Evil slid down Fang Xiu’s spine.

A gentle breeze brushed Fang Xiu’s skin, carrying Bai Shuangying’s fresh, herbal scent.

“Hmm, the dog smell’s gone. You actually smell pretty good,” Yan Yan said in surprise. “Not bad.”

The goth girl scoffed. “Okay, let’s go. All you ever do is sniff. One day if you smell a fart, you’ll probably be ecstatic.”

“I can’t help it, it’s instinct!” Yan Yan wailed.

The goth girl ignored him and beckoned to Fang Xiu. “Name’s Jiao Jiao. This guy’s my partner. Everyone else is here, follow me.”

She nodded toward the board game café with the casual air of a meetup host.

The café was relatively new and decorated in a modern style. One wall was lined with books, manga, and game cards, with karaoke booths and a computer room in the back.

Snacks and drinks were plentiful. The owner looked a bit awkward, clearly surprised to have business on a weekday morning and suspicious of this odd group’s motives.

They weren’t entirely innocent, Fang Xiu thought, withdrawing his gaze.

Jiao Jiao led them into a private room.

It was decorated like a haunted classroom, complete with an old blackboard at the front, which was actually quite convenient.

Inside were five others, each with their own distinctive style. Compared to the mismatched crowds in previous rituals, this team actually looked respectable.

Yan Yan was a handsome, fox-featured young man with a lively aura. Jiao Jiao, despite her exaggerated makeup, had sharp, well-defined features.

As for the other two teams…

“Da Luo, Xiao Luo.” A pair of bald twins introduced themselves.

They had decent looks and were dressed in plain robes; Da Luo in yellow and Xiao Luo is gray. Their necks and hands were wrapped in Buddhist beads, and each had a large 卍* tattooed on their scalps. They looked about 25 or 26.

*Clarity: While the swastika symbol is often associated with the German Nazi Party, it originally is a Buddhist symbol that symbolizes interconnectedness of all things. 

Clearly they were black monks and didn’t attempt to hide it.

Fang Xiu glanced at the 卍 tattoos and had to suppress a laugh. Geniuses. He couldn’t imagine what they thought every morning looking in the mirror.

He composed himself and looked at the final team.

“Zhuang Pengdao, Taoist,” said a man in his thirties, rising to introduce himself. “These two are my disciples. Pleasure to meet you.”

Even after getting used to Bai Shuangying, Fang Xiu had to admit, Zhuang Pengdao was really handsome, on par with celebrity idols. Using that face as a black Taoist was a waste; he should be in showbiz.

Fang Xiu felt a little regretful. Maybe the mushroom trio should’ve come instead of his group. Xiao Tian would be thrilled.

Zhuang Pengdao glanced over Fang Xiu’s group and smiled. “You’re quite the hidden expert. I can’t tell your lineage at all.”

Fang Xiu: “……”

Yan Yan raised his hand. “I sniffed him. Not a hybrid.”

Jiao Jiao pondered. “Maybe he’s like me who learned some Western witchcraft.”

Fang Xiu: “…………”

The Luo twins chimed in, “Please, do guide us.”

Even his own teammates were looking at him curiously.

Fang Xiu: “………………”

Fang Xiu: “A battle-tested materialist warrior.”

The twins blinked in confusion.

Yan Yan shook his head vigorously. “Bro, if you don’t want to say, just say so. This is kind of lame. You’re a Disaster Resolver already. How can you not know any magic?”

Zhuang Pengdao added meaningfully, “I heard you resolved the Huanxi E. That’s not something most Disaster Resolvers could handle.”

Fang Xiu said innocently, “Because I know gambling, prostitution, and drugs are bad.”

Zhuang Pengdao narrowed his eyes. “And the Mid-Autumn E? That almost bred a Ghost Immortal…”

Fang Xiu continued innocently, “Because I know gambling, prostitution, and drugs are bad. Is that a problem?”

So what if he’s an ordinary person? He was the literal Chosen Ordinary Person.

The three other teams clearly weren’t satisfied with Fang Xiu’s vague “lineage denial” and didn’t change the subject.

Jiao Jiao grew anxious. “Fang Xiu, we’re not prying into your privacy. It’s just standard protocol for all Disaster Resolvers. We need to know what kind of abilities you have before we plan our approach.”

Fang Xiu sighed. “Fine. You got any talent-assessing stuff? Go ahead and test me.”

As soon as he said that, everyone turned to look at Zhuang Pengdao.

He nodded and waved his hand. A golden talisman unfurled mid-air, and with elegant strokes, he drew… a Four Symbols Spirit-Viewing Array.

Fang Xiu nearly groaned aloud. Bai Shuangying’s look toward Zhuang Pengdao was tinged with pity.

Zhuang Pengdao’s voice was gentle. “This is an ancient celestial array that invokes the Heavens to assess spiritual aptitude. If you take this test, we’ll have no further doubts.”

Fang Xiu pretended not to know what was coming. “Sure, since you don’t believe me. But if it says I’m trash-tier, I want compensation.”

Zhuang Pengdao agreed readily.

Fang Xiu didn’t let him touch his hand. He just spread his fingers and slapped the array center. As expected, the Heavens once again gave him a big, fat [?].

This one looked even sloppier than last time, full of indescribable frustration. Others might not understand, but Fang Xiu was pretty sure the Heavens was tired of this prank call of a test.

Sorry, Heaven. It’s not my fault I have monkey-level aptitude.

The room went dead silent before the question mark.

Five minutes later, Fang Xiu was handed a bottle of spirit-repelling pills by Zhuang Pengdao, used to treat spirit possession and mental fog. The rest of the group tried to digest the reality that one of the teams is “literally just a bunch of normal people” and began the strategy meeting.

For some reason, Zhuang Pengdao naturally became the overall commander of all three teams.

“The stolen E this time was cultivated by a Shrike Demon into an Immortal E,” he explained. “It wasn’t that strong and was killed decades ago by someone who took the E. The ghost never contacted the Underworld, so we have no intel.”

Fang Xiu looked puzzled, face full of the confusion of an outsider. “What’s the difference between a normal E and an immortal one?”

Zhuang Pengdao sighed but explained patiently. “The taboos stay the same after refinement. But whoever possesses the Immortal E can use its abilities freely, like how we use the skills the Underworld grants us.”

“The difference is that Immortal E powers don’t weaken, and may even get stronger. The holder can even manipulate the death taboo at will.”

Fang Xiu nodded. “Got it. Before, the sacrifices were fighting over unclaimed fortresses. This time, we’re attacking a fortified enemy stronghold.”

Yeah… being a Disaster Resolver was never going to be easy. The Underworld wasn’t a charity.

Zhuang Pengdao agreed. “That’s a good way to put it.”

Guan He, sitting at a desk, tilted his head at Fang Xiu. “I don’t quite get it.”

Fang Xiu muttered, “Take the Fierce Wind E. It’s always blowing at the edge of the zone. Anyone can see something’s off… But if someone disables the wind on purpose, lures us outside the boundary, then reactivates it… What do you think happens?”

Guan He and Cheng Songyun inhaled sharply and fell silent.

At the blackboard, Zhuang Pengdao moved on.

“This time we’ve got numbers. My team will take the Luo twins. Yan Yan’s team will take Fang Xiu. We’ll split up to investigate. Settle lunch on your own and meet back here at night.”

Yan Yan grunted, clearly not thrilled about babysitting the normal people, but didn’t object.

Jiao Jiao rested her chin on her clasped hands and gave a thoughtful look. After a few seconds, she whispered to him, “I think it’s a good thing. If a bunch of normies made it this far, they’d have to be tough.”

“C’mon, sticking with Zhuang Ge would be safer. Now those fake monks are getting the easy ride,” Yan Yan grouched.

Jiao Jiao shrugged. “Well, it can’t be helped. We’re a marginal faction. The other teams are more conventional so it’s easier to coordinate with.”

“Ugh, like I had a choice.” Yan Yan sighed, draping his arms behind his head. “black Taoist, evil monks, witches… At least you guys chose your path. I’m like this ‘cause my mom liked furries’.”

Jiao Jiao snorted loudly.

…All of this was relayed into Fang Xiu’s ears by Bai Shuangying’s ghostly whisper.

Not bad. Seems like their teammates weren’t the scheming type. Fang Xiu politely suppressed a laugh.

Bai Shuangying leaned in. “That half-fox has low cultivation so there’s no threat. The girl in black is harder to gauge, but she doesn’t seem bloodthirsty. Fox demons instinctively fear humans who are good at killing, they won’t approach them.”

Fang Xiu rubbed Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, quietly agreeing.

Honestly, compared to the oddball duo of Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao, he was more wary of Zhuang Pengdao.

He didn’t have this person on his blacklist, but he radiated a confident charisma that made others naturally defer to him.

And that surname of his was… very interesting.

In the corner of the room. 

Mei Lan sat spinning a cheap plastic pen between her fingers. She watched Zhuang Pengdao at the front of the room with a blank expression, though her grip on the pen cap was so tight that her fingertips turned white…

Snap. The cap cracked with a soft pop.

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Alright, the fake fox demon meets a real fox demon now (×

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