Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 114: Broken Walls and Ruins

Even by the ghost immortal A’Shou’s standards, Fang Xiu right now looked strikingly like an evil spirit.

His head was veiled in corpse hands like dry twigs, arms casually folded behind his back. A’Shou didn’t mind the corpse hands. Those things were equivalent to tomb rats. As long as a spirit was strong enough, they could control them with ease.

What shocked her was the knocking.

There was no trace of magic, no corpse hand acting as proxy. Fang Xiu hadn’t touched the door, yet it pounded continuously. Dian’er had filed reports on mysterious knocking like this twice; once during the Huanxi E, once during the Fierce Wind E.

Since there were no signs of evil spirits attached, she’d dismissed it as a minor puzzle. Who could’ve guessed it was far more sinister than expected?

There was no external force at work at all!

To compare: normally, a person can boil noodles with a pot. In metaphysical terms, a house pet could be enchanted to boil the noodles. But what she was seeing was more like the pot suddenly getting up and cooking by itself.

It defied logic. Not even gods could pull off something this absurd, let alone ghosts.

If not for Underworld restrictions, A’Shou would’ve rushed over and grabbed Fang Xiu by the collar to ask him what exactly was going on.

Just as her curiosity peaked, Fang Xiu leisurely turned his head, and his gaze brushed over the hidden corner she was in. A’Shou face froze for a moment, and before she could react, Fang Xiu casually turned away.

He fixed his attention on Bai Shuangying, stepping forward like a predator stalking its prey.

“So,” Fang Xiu asked cheerfully, “will you come with me willingly, or should I carry you off? You ran from me last time. I was so heartbroken.”

Bai Shuangying idly played with the Peach Bone Evil, fingers brushing over the delicate petals. “I don’t know what state you’re in.”

He realized, unexpectedly, that he missed talking to Fang Xiu.

“Fair enough. After all, my instincts are telling me to kill you all.”

Fang Xiu reached out a hand to Bai Shuangying, smiling brightly. “But you don’t need to worry. My powers don’t work on you, and you look like this… There’s no way you’re human.”

“Come here, Bai Shuangying.”

Bai Shuangying’s eyes flicked to Fang Xiu’s fingertips.

At that moment, a gust of ghostly wind rose. The “Fang Xiu” before him vanished like mist. The real Fang Xiu stumbled backward in the wind, while the ghost hands shielding him were scattered like leaves.

Bai Shuangying knew Fang Xiu’s tricks too well.

“I’m here to investigate, not negotiate.” Bai Shuangying shook his head. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you, and I don’t trust you.”

Fang Xiu had always been a top-tier liar when sober. This situation was no exception.

His human kept too many secrets, and with an Underworld ghost immortal watching them, Bai Shuangying had no desire to test anything firsthand.

“No wonder I liked you.” A low whisper brushed past Bai Shuangying’s ear, cold breath tickling his skin. “If you trusted me too easily, I’d be disappointed.”

Before him, the Fang Xiu who had been “blown away” smiled and vanished like fog.

Another illusion!

At the same time, accompanied by that soft whisper, countless corpse hands slithered up Bai Shuangying’s arms, pinning them behind his back.

In a seamless motion, Fang Xiu leaned in, resting his chin affectionately on Bai Shuangying’s shoulder. He caught the head and casually plucked the Peach Bone Evil from Bai Shuangying’s hand.

In an instant, a second gust of wind hit. Snake-like ghost hands darted forward and just like during the earlier rescue attempt, yanked both of them into the dark.

Everything was fast, precise, and brutal, only taking a few heartbeats.

Fang Xiu didn’t take him back to the main base but to a small empty tomb chamber. It was barely ten square meters, devoid of spirits, clean and silent, except for a towering heap of bones.

Fang Xiu shut the door and ignited ghost fire.

Countless corpse hands locked across the door, creating a bone-sealed room. Red light shimmered over the bones, turning the tight space into a hellish cell.

When the ghost hands let go, Bai Shuangying nearly lost balance and almost crashed into the pile.

“You know my style so well. We must’ve had a good relationship.”

Fang Xiu hopped onto the pile and sat cross-legged, clearly delighted. “Since we knew each other, how about telling me our story?”

He twirled the beautiful Peach Bone Evil but didn’t unbind Bai Shuangying.

Bai Shuangying scowled at the Peach Bone Evil. Fang Xiu had clearly forgotten that his power wasn’t limited to that one tool. Though his tone was affectionate, it reminded Bai Shuangying of how he used to perform in front of people like Jia Xu and Blondie.

That rehearsed, formal “sincerity” made Bai Shuangying’s chest tighten.

“You want me to talk while I’m tied up?” He leaned against the bones.

“You’re the one I trust most,” Fang Xiu beamed. “That’s why I only tied you up. I didn’t do anything worse.”

Bai Shuangying: “…”

“If you cooperate, I won’t hurt you. Isn’t this room nice? Quiet, cozy. You could live here forever.”

He poked his “sleeping” head with the Peach Bone Evil, voice softening. “I really don’t like being alone. It’s so boring.”

Bai Shuangying narrowed his eyes, studying him with suspicion.

Even with his lenient standards, this place was nowhere near “cozy”. Had the Grave-Sealing E fried Fang Xiu’s brain? Or had he lost all restraint?

No matter. He’d find out soon enough. But first…

“First, take the hands off your face. They’re an eyesore.” Bai Shuangying frowned.

Fang Xiu removed them without argument. “Better now?”

Bai Shuangying stared at his mouth and spotted a faint gleam, the trace of the Grave-Sealing E.

It might’ve been his imagination, but compared to before, the glow had changed slightly. The aura hadn’t shifted much, but… it seemed more “fused” with Fang Xiu.

“Better?” Seeing Bai Shuangying didn’t reaction much, Fang Xiu asked again, hopping down from the bones and stepping closer.

Crack.

Bai Shuangying answered with action. He easily broke free from the ghost hands and vanished into thin air. Fang Xiu immediately doused the ghost fire, calling protective hands around him.

But they parted like reeds as Bai Shuangying reappeared. His lower half morphed into spirit form and locked down Fang Xiu’s legs. With one hand he pinned Fang Xiu’s wrists above his head, trapping him atop the bone pile.

This time, it wasn’t an illusion.

Fang Xiu’s sleeve slipped, revealing the words: Mine, Bai Shuangying. The wound exuded the fresh smell of blood.

He lay limply in the bones, glancing aside. “Ah. That head that looked like me fell off…”

Bai Shuangying didn’t let down his guard, eyes locked on Fang Xiu. His hair brushed against Fang Xiu’s neck, light as a whisper.

“So that’s what you meant by ‘caught me’.”

Fang Xiu looked back without tension. “I figured you wouldn’t kill me. If you—”

Bai Shuangying didn’t let him finish. Instead, he kissed him.

The moment he was kissed, Fang Xiu’s eyes widened in genuine shock. As more tongues filled his throat, that shock turned to confusion and dizziness.

Yes, Bai Shuangying was relatively trustworthy.

But Fang Xiu knew this could only be used as a reference during negotiations. He knew better than to offer unconditional trust, not when Bai Shuangying hadn’t supported him unconditionally from the start. Things were complicated.

So he had mentally prepared for Bai Shuangying to attack him… but not like this! Were they really this kind of relationship?

The chilling pressure of the ghost restraints contrasted oddly with the softness. And Bai Shuangying kissed too well. They must’ve done this a lot.

…No, wait. That wasn’t the point.

The kiss dragged on until Fang Xiu’s scalp tingled and his head burned. In the deathly quiet tomb, the wet sounds of kissing echoed strangely, almost making him drowsy.

Until Bai Shuangying’s tongue brushed the Grave-Sealing E.

No.

Alarms rang in Fang Xiu’s mind. He squirmed, bones clattering beneath him, but the restraint held firm.

No. Absolutely not.

Bai Shuangying’s tongue traced the seam of the E. Fang Xiu froze. His mouth opened wide, summoning a small corpse hand that shot out, shoving Bai Shuangying in the face.

Bai Shuangying released him and stepped back. The ghost hand vanished, leaving Fang Xiu coughing and gagging.

There was no point continuing the kiss.

Fang Xiu had been a little moved, but not emotionally stirred. His soul’s reaction was faint, giving Bai Shuangying little to go on.

But even that limited insight left Bai Shuangying deeply puzzled.

The Grave-Sealing E had polluted Fang Xiu’s karmic thread. When Bai Shuangying traced the flow of that corruption, he was dumbfounded.

Karm pollution is essentially overwriting. It was like covering up a mural already painted on the wall by drawing new patterns.

The Grave-Sealing E had no will or subtlety. It followed a fixed “overwrite template”, replacing early memories one way, teenage memories another, and so on.

But Fang Xiu’s mind wasn’t a complete “wall”.

It was full of hidden gaps, more ruins than wall. The E, like a projector, had lit up all those voids.

…So the new polluted “mural” was patchy and incomplete. No wonder Fang Xiu retained his personality.

But that raised the question—how could a person with such fragmented consciousness still have a coherent “personality”?

Bai Shuangying wiped his lips, staring at Fang Xiu in shock.

Fang Xiu rubbed his own swollen mouth and gave him a complicated look.

“So that’s our relationship. No wonder.”

He touched the blood-written words on his arm and sighed. “I must’ve really liked you.”

Bai Shuangying forgot to guard himself, simply staring at Fang Xiu. That word “liked” stabbed straight through him. He shifted his foot and crushed a thin bone under it.

“And you?” Fang Xiu asked, picking up the fallen “original head”. “How much did you like me?”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

He didn’t know what to say. Maybe he should’ve denied it immediately. But the weight of that one word, “liked”, had hit him too hard to think.

“Ah, so not much,” Fang Xiu said with relief. “What a dumb question. You’re a ghost. That’s normal.”

“Good. If this is how we part ways, you won’t have to be sad.”

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The author has something to say:

A Christmas kiss, though it’s not exactly sweet (……

Merry Christmas to everyone—!

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