Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 111: Absolute Rationality

Tomb stronghold.

After the wailing stopped, Cen Ling signaled to Bai Sui, then looked to Bai Shuangying. “…Looks like this isn’t the time to rest.”

His friendly expression vanished. Worry and anger were written clearly on his face.

“That brother’s life force has vanished. His soul has returned to Guishan. One more is still alone. I have to go support him.”

Bai Sui finally looked a little tense. “The enemy moved way too fast.”

Guan He asked, “Could it have been a normal evil spirit attack? Or a trap?”

“Don’t lump the people of my sect in with amateurs.” Bai Sui rolled his eyes. “Everyone in my sect can fight. No way someone dies that pathetically. And this is our sect’s holy land. How would traps even—”

“Bai Sui, show respect to your fallen brother.” Cen Ling barked. Bai Sui immediately shut his mouth and stared intently at his toes.

Still, while Cen Ling agreed on immediate action, the group split along two different paths.

“I’ll check the body.”

Bai Shuangying had no interest in these remnants of the Zhuang family. Honestly, he’d be happy to see them all dead. He wasn’t invested in resolving the E either. He just wanted to recover his human’s soul.

With that, he turned and left.

The little black dog whimpered and tilted its head toward him. Cheng Songyun patted the warm head, exchanging glances with the others.

“I’ll go with him,” Guan He offered, clearing his throat. “I’m good at concealment and scouting. If anything happens, I can escape.”

Cheng Songyun and Mei Lan chose to join Cen Ling’s group, saying they specialized in defense.

Cen Ling glanced at them both and gave a grateful nod.

Splitting up to investigate and provide support wasn’t a bad move. The team divided, not quite evenly, but agreed to regroup later.

Only the little black dog gave Cheng Songyun a sad, crescent-eyed look. It clearly wanted to follow Bai Shuangying more. She rubbed its ear to comfort it.

……

Time returned to the present.

Guan He’s heart was in his throat. He felt like it might leap out of his mouth.

As the scent of blood thickened, Bai Shuangying instinctively disappeared into the shadows, acting as if Guan He didn’t exist. Realizing the ghost had no interest in saving him, Guan He covered his eyes with the black veil and prepared to rely on himself.

That veil, it was Fang Xiu who had picked it out for him. If something had really happened to Fang Xiu…

…And then he saw “Fang Xiu”, wearing a dark red burial robe, half of him drenched in blood.

For a moment, Guan He thought he was seeing Fang Xiu’s twin. The man before him looked exactly the same, physically intact, but his gaze carried none of the familiar warmth.

He brushed his bangs aside, revealing a handsome, shadowed face. His pitch-black eyes, gleaming faintly under the dim light, were cold enough to chill one’s spine.

What was going on? Wasn’t Fang Xiu unconscious?

Cen Ling had talked about soul contraction and a living corpse… So who was this?

The whole situation was too strange. Since the ritual began, Guan He had never been so afraid. Compared to this, that accursed Weishan village felt like a vacation.

“Are you Bai Shuangying?”

The “Fang Xiu” before him smiled. The pool of blood beneath his feet looked darker than the shadows.

“No,” Guan He croaked. He took two steps back and licked his cracked lips. Goosebumps had shot up all over.

“That’s good,” Fang Xiu said lightly. “It’d be pathetic if I were obsessed with some kid.”

He knows Bai Shuangying? He’s obsessed about Bai Shuangying?

Hope suddenly sparked in Guan He. “Fang-Fang Xiu… You still remember—”

“Who’s Fang Xiu?” Fang Xiu blinked in confusion.

He stepped forward towards Guan He. Behind him, dozens of demon hounds turned in unison, red eyes locking onto Guan He. Their mouths were smeared with leftover meat and innards.

The spark of hope in Guan He’s heart died on the spot.

He searched Fang Xiu’s face for any sign of familiarity. Instinct warned him. If he turned and ran now, he might not make it.

“You… you look like someone I know.” Guan He closed his eyes and stammered. “I… I’m one of Fang Xiu’s teammates. So is Bai Shuangying. We came here to resolve the E.”

Then, without thinking, Guan He added, “But don’t call yourself Fang Xiu, and don’t say we’re teammates. Another group is looking for revenge…”

Fang Xiu was stunned, then he burst out laughing, finding this quite amusing. It took him a long time to stop. “But we were enemies to begin with.”

Great. Just great. Those two words flashed in neon inside Guan He’s head.

Whatever this thing was, it looked just like Fang Xiu.

With Fang Xiu, survival was possible. Without him, there was still a fighting chance. But if Fang Xiu was the enemy… giving up might be the more realistic option.

Fang Xiu idly petted a demon hound while several corpse-hands circled above his head like a twisted halo.

He stared at Guan He. “How about this. Before I kill you, tell me the story of ‘Fang Xiu’ and ‘Bai Shuangying’. If it’s interesting, I’ll kill you last.”

Guan He: “…”

Fang Xiu: “Not willing? If not, then I’ll just…”

“I’ll tell it! I’ll tell it!” Guan He’s voice cracked.

At that moment, a pale hand reached for Fang Xiu’s neck from behind. Unfortunately, it only grabbed air. It was another illusion from his anomaly skill.

The next moment, Fang Xiu caught the hand. Grinning, he activated A Single Thread to Sever Heaven, but nothing happened.

Fang Xiu (spell failed): “…”

Bai Shuangying (now visible): “…”

In the dim tomb passage, a red and a white figure stared at each other in silence.

Guan He shouted instantly, terrified of more mishaps. “That’s Bai Shuangying!”

Fang Xiu: “!”

He scanned the new arrival from head to toe, finally locking eyes with Bai Shuangying. “Now that’s more like it. As expected of me, I have such good taste.”

Bai Shuangying: “………”

He hugged the head in his arms tighter. “Didn’t you forget me?”

His face twisted, unsure if he should be mad, and finally settled on bunching his brows awkwardly.

“I did,” Fang Xiu said seriously. “But whether friend, lover, enemy, or rival—still, excellent taste.”

Fang Xiu said solemnly, “That head in your arms really looks like me. It must be a very sophisticated magic weapon. You’ve got good taste too.”

Joking aside, Fang Xiu gave a subtle signal to the demon hounds. They started moving, ready to strike. Bai Shuangying frowned, and the hounds turned back toward Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu glanced at them, and they flipped again. Soon the hounds were stuck bobbing their heads between the two men like they were watching a toy car drive back and forth.

Both stared each other down. One looked frustrated, the other intrigued.

Guan He tiptoed backwards but hadn’t gone far when a corpse hand caught his ankle and nearly dropped him flat.

Before he could panic, Bai Shuangying waved the Peach Bone Evil. A flurry of white mist surged out. Guan He felt a pain on his arm and was quickly yanked away from the scene by a huge force.

He realized the air around him was warping, like some kind of spatial shielding. Bai Shuangying had cloaked him.

…Did Bai Shuangying just save him?

…Was this a hallucination before death?

A few seconds later, Guan He steadied his breathing. Yes, Bai Shuangying was hauling him like poultry, nearly yanking his arm off.

“Why did you save me?!” he gasped.

“What? Want me to send you back instead?”

“N-no! Definitely not!” Guan He quickly rejected.

Bai Shuangying snorted then said with a bit of strain in his voice, “That is Fang Xiu. His anomalous powers are soul-bound and can’t be faked.”

“His tongue is the Grave-Sealing E. Its karma has contaminated him, leading to cognitive disruption.”

Guan He wilted.

As expected of a seductive ghost. The thing it focused on was on the other person’s tongue!

“What now? How do we help him?” Guan He asked breathlessly.

Bai Shuangying fell silent.

It was obvious: the E had parasitized Fang Xiu and chosen him as its host. If they removed it without understanding the taboo, they could potentially harm his soul.

Worst case, even with the contamination, Fang Xiu’s soul was in great condition.

…But he looked at Bai Shuangying like a stranger.

Bai Shuangying was increasingly irritated with the E.

If he hadn’t sensed the presence of the ghost immortal A’Shou nearby, he might’ve thrown a tantrum.

“Preserve your strength.” Bai Shuangying finally replied after some thought. “Fang Xiu killed a Guishan disciple but still talked to us calmly. That means he retains some subconscious sense of friend or foe.”

“Cen Ling should take point. You help me break the E’s taboo. Once I understand its limits, I’ll know what to do.”

You’re going to solve the E? Guan He tried to hide the skepticism in his eyes, but some of it slipped out.

Bai Shuangying ignored him and ran faster.

……

In the distance, Fang Xiu wandered through the mist and returned to the stone coffin plaza.

He scooped up some flesh and blood to use as ink and began sketching on a coffin lid to organize his thoughts.

Meeting Bai Shuangying had come sooner than expected.

But even after seeing him, Fang Xiu remembered nothing. All he knew was this comfortable, dark tomb and its centuries of solitude.

Strangely, those memories were vague and fragmented, filled with gaps.

Fang Xiu tapped the coffin with a blood-stained finger.

That boy didn’t seem to be lying. So, he lacked external memories, yet outsiders knew him.

“…I’m being manipulated. I likely come from outside. Due to some external factor, I’ve forgotten many things.”

Bai Shuangying hadn’t looked hostile. In fact, Fang Xiu saw worry and grievance in those white eyes. They must’ve been close.

“…‘Mine, Bai Shuangying’ must be a positive reminder.” The dark red smear stained the coffin lid.

He’d left himself a message he couldn’t yet understand, the only hint was Bai Shuangying’s name.

“…Only Bai Shuangying is trustworthy. Other humans may not be allies.”

Fang Xiu whispered to himself, filling the coffin lid with blood-written words.

Next, he had to clarify the intruders’ goals and eliminate potential threats. As for his own true condition…

“…That sort of thing doesn’t matter much.”

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