Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 170: He Didn’t Understand

The modern hospital suddenly dissolved, and a new scene poured in like cream. The damp air turned into dry mountain wind, carrying the scent of dust, vegetation, and sweat.

Not far from the foot of the mountain lay a beautiful village.

A’Shou reacted first. “This is… a village near Xushan?”

Bai Shuangying had a clearer impression. That was Fang Xiu’s hometown, the village where his grandmother once lived.

And the time was—

“Dad, Grandma fell.”

Fang Xiu’s parents were fleeing toward the mountain, with over a dozen strong young men chasing behind. The young Fang Xiu was held tightly in his father’s arms, his little arms wrapped around his father’s neck, blankly watching as his grandmother’s body collapsed.

A dark red stain marked the tree trunk she had hit.

Luckily, their old home was deep in the countryside, and Fang Xiu’s parents were wearing casual clothes and sneakers. Both were in good shape and fled desperately along the rugged mountain paths.

The undergrowth was dense, and weeds grew waist high. They panted as they ran, finally managing to shake off most of the pursuers, leaving fewer than ten.

Cen Ling cast a speed-enhancing spell toward the pursuers, but the spell passed through as if through smoke, leaving no ripple.

“It’s useless.” Fang Xiu tightly held Bai Shuangying’s waist as they floated in midair. “I don’t intend to attack you using ‘story characters’. These are true phantoms in every sense.”

Cen Ling didn’t reply. He flung a green attack spell back, but again the energy passed through the smoke without touching Fang Xiu.

Covered by the story, he couldn’t even strike Fang Xiu, who was supposedly an “outsider”.

During the Grave-Sealing ritual, he had been played by this so-called “Hong Shuangxi” the whole time. In the garden conflict earlier, he had been toyed with like a monkey. Even with all his scheming and emotional restraint, a rage still flared in his chest.

“Shh, please keep quiet while watching a movie. Silence is required.”

Fang Xiu raised a hand and put a finger to his lips. “A story is just a story. You can’t attack us here, and we can’t attack you. Very fair. See? A’Shou Jie has good manners.”

A’Shou hovered two or three steps away silently. Her gaze was downcast as she watched the events unfold.

Ghost immortal A’Shou?

Cen Ling had expected that an Underworld envoy might be trapped in the hospital, but he hadn’t expected it to be A’Shou. At the sight of her red figure, he immediately quieted down.

A’Shou wasn’t a low-level envoy that could be brushed off. If this ritual failed, he’d die trying. He still didn’t know what Fang Xiu was planning, but he needed to conserve his strength.

The watchers in the sky fell silent again. The story on the ground continued.

Fang Xiu’s parents had crossed the foot of the mountain and now ran into the true wilderness. To throw off pursuit, they deliberately picked treacherous terrain.

The pursuers slowed, giving the couple a chance to catch their breath and avoid collapse.

The young Fang Xiu still didn’t understand what was happening. He clung to his father’s neck and murmured, “Grandma… Grandma said I’m a demon.”

“Dad, Grandma’s mad at me. What do I do?” His eyes were red.

“Don’t be afraid, Xiu Xiu.”

Fang Xiu’s father, Fang Qiongyu, comforted him. “Grandma isn’t angry. She just…”

He wiped his eyes, speaking with unusual solemnity. “…She was possessed.”

“Possessed?”

Fang Qiongyu forced a smile. “Remember the story Grandma told you? Half the village got possessed and thought they were the same person.”

“Grandma’s the same. The one you saw wasn’t really her, it was a bad person. Grandma loved you the most. How could she be mad at you?”

A glimmer of hope appeared in Fang Xiu’s eyes. “I remember, I remember!”

“She said a demon mixed blood into the well. Everyone who drank the water thought they were that bald guy by the village gate. Then a master came and cured them.”

“Yes, the evil people from the Guishan Sect made Grandma drink blood and turned her into someone else.”

Fang Qiongyu kept running, carrying the boy. “She’ll wake up after a while.”

“Okay!” The young Fang Xiu finally stopped crying.

Floating above, A’Shou cast Bai Shuangying a meaningful glance.

A textbook case of karmic contamination. A village near Xushan… She could guess the culprit without even thinking. This wasn’t about blood in the well.

But when she saw Fang Xiu’s expression, she chose to stay silent.

Even if Fang Xiu could make his physical body into an E, he couldn’t freely write the taboos for the “Fang Xiu E”.

Those taboos must come from his own obsessions, his deepest scars.

…The second taboo: With the blood of an outsider, your ties to your kins are severed.

…Back then, what did that child feel when he discovered the truth?

After fleeing for over half an hour, Fang Xiu’s parents were drenched in sweat.

The young cultists behind them hadn’t given up. As soon as the couple slowed, they caught up again.

The sun hadn’t even set. The pursuers were clearly human, yet their footsteps sounded like ghosts out for revenge.

“If we keep running into the mountain, we’ll get lost!” Fang Xiu’s mother, Wen Jiu, gasped.

“These people are all mountain folk. We can’t outrun them!” Fang Qiongyu gritted his teeth. “Let’s head into Xushan proper. They won’t dare follow this time of year!”

The couple dashed into a narrow trail beside a cliff. Fang Qiongyu let his wife go ahead while he followed with Fang Xiu.

“They’re heading for the mountain—after them!” The pursuers gave chase without hesitation.

After a long chase, Fang Qiongyu, used to office life, was no match for the young men of the hills. He was one step too slow. A villager hurled a pitchfork, striking through his lower back.

Fearing he’d fall with the boy, Fang Qiongyu lunged forward, shoving Fang Xiu onto the trail.

The young Fang Xiu’s left leg scraped over jagged rocks, instantly torn and bloody.

But he didn’t even register the pain. His father’s blood poured out, soaking his clothes.

“Dad!” Fang Xiu screamed, heartbroken.

“Qiongyu! Xiu Xiu!” His mother’s voice trembled with tears as she turned back to pull him away.

But she grabbed empty air.

“Don’t hurt my dad!”

Seeing someone raise a weapon at his father, Fang Xiu charged forward, uncaring of the cliff beside him.

The lead pursuer was caught off guard. He lost his balance and fell off the cliff.

There were no trees on the cliffside. His neck snapped against a jutting rock, killing him before he hit the ground.

The sight stunned the rest. Fang Qiongyu gritted through the pain, stood up, and grabbed his furious son with a blood-soaked hand.

“Daddy’s fine,” he said with a pale face. “My clothes are dirty now. Let Mommy carry you. Keep running!”

Seeing his father still able to speak, the young Fang Xiu let his mother carry him. The family barely made it past the cliff path.

Finally, Xushan loomed ahead.

At the border were crude fences and brush-written warning signs. Beyond that, the forest was wrapped in thick fog, nearly zero visibility.

Fang Qiongyu tied his wound with torn fabric and stepped into the fog with his family.

His blood vanished into the soft, black earth, leaving no trace.

As expected, the pursuers didn’t follow. They stopped outside the fence and stared into the mountains with fear.

Their fear wasn’t unfounded. Within just a few minutes, the family could no longer find their way. The woods were full of bizarre, moss-covered trees, and the mist was unnaturally thick.

Fang Qiongyu finally collapsed under a tree. Wen Jiu let go of Fang Xiu and knelt beside him.

The cloth around his wound was soaked. The pitchfork had pierced vital organs. Even in a city, this would be a critical injury, and here there was no chance of saving him. His gaze was beginning to fade.

Leaning against a massive tree, he looked up at the mist-shrouded sky.

“Dad…” the young Fang Xiu whispered, as if realizing something.

“It’s fine. Daddy’s just tired.”

Fang Qiongyu lifted his hand to stroke Fang Xiu’s face, but when he saw the blood, he slowly lowered it.

Wen Jiu held his hand, blinking away tears and trying to look calm.

Fang Qiongyu gazed at his son with warmth. “Daddy will rest here a bit. You and Mommy go first. I’ll catch up soon.”

“Then we all rest together.”

Fang Xiu plopped down beside him, unwilling to move. “I’m hurt too. We’ll rest together.”

His scraped leg still hurt, but it was only superficial. Wen Jiu tore some cloth and bandaged it. The bleeding had stopped.

Fang Qiongyu gave a weak smile and exchanged a glance with his wife, nodding subtly.

“I’m really fine.” He coughed and said mysteriously, “Actually, Daddy knows magic. Really powerful magic… Did you know, Xiu Xiu, there’s a god in Xushan?”

Fang Xiu tilted his head in confusion. Wen Jiu nodded.

“When I was your age, Grandpa and Grandma told me stories… They said if you get lost in the mountains, you can make a wish to the immortal, and the immortal will take you home.”

“I’m going to do a spell now, to ask the immortal to send you home. You can’t watch though. If you see it, it won’t work.”

“Liar,” Fang Xiu said hoarsely. “Grandma never told me that. You’re lying.”

“Grandma and Grandpa had different hometowns. That one’s from Grandpa.”

Fang Qiongyu managed a crooked smile. “I really didn’t lie to you.”

“Really?”

“Really. I told you, lying is wrong.”

Wen Jiu stroked Fang Xiu’s head. She held back her sobs while tears streamed down her face.

“Come on, Xiu Xiu,” she said. “…Don’t disturb Daddy.”

Fang Xiu held her hand and walked into the mist, looking back with every step.

After ten steps, he couldn’t resist anymore. He pulled away and ran back the way he came.

At the same time—

“God of Xushan, I don’t know if you really exist…”

Fang Qiongyu slumped against the tree, bloody hands limp. “They say you grant wishes, if you offer a life in return…”

The forest was utterly silent. There was no birdsong, no wind.

High above, Bai Shuangying silently mouthed the words—

“God of Xushan, if you truly exist, please let my wife and child return home safely.”

“I offer my life. Let them go… Don’t let them get lost… Let them return home safely.”

His lip movements matched Fang Qiongyu’s prayer exactly.

Of course he remembered. This was the third time a lost child had asked to go home. What an ironic cycle. Back then, Bai Shuangying hadn’t even bothered to answer.

So many years passed. With the Guishan Sect’s “God of Calamity” teachings, few remembered his true name. To him, that father was just another human clinging to him, another thread of karma to sever.

…Let it be a farewell to human ties.

In front of Wen Jiu, who was searching desperately, a pale hand appeared.

From within the swirling mist, it pointed the way, guiding her toward the direction Fang Xiu had run.

In the end, Fang Xiu never found his father. He could hear his voice, but no matter how hard he searched, he couldn’t find him.

He cried in the thick fog until his mother found him and took his hand.

Wen Jiu lifted her bloodied, exhausted son and bowed toward the misty forest.

As his consciousness faded, the young Fang Xiu saw the mist receding from view.

Something white glowed among the fallen leaves, but his tear-blurred eyes couldn’t tell if it was a mushroom, a flower bud, or something else.

“Dad…” He stared intently at the forest.

“Thank you.” High in the air, Fang Xiu held Bai Shuangying tightly, his face calm.

“You let me know that in our final moment, my father didn’t lie to me.”

“…We really did make it home.”

“Mm.” Bai Shuangying held his warm human close. “I remember where he is.”

“If you want, I can recover his remains.”

“Okay.” Fang Xiu smiled.

Beside them, A’Shou remained silent. Cen Ling looked dismissive, as if he had just watched a farce.

Fang Xiu didn’t care about either of them. He reached out and made a gesture at the sky. Like a curtain being drawn, the scene abruptly changed.

……

The spacious mountain scenery was replaced by a dim apartment.

The apartment was old and cramped, with lattice windows from the last century. At the moment, both windows were open wide, without screens or security bars.

From the view outside, the apartment wasn’t on a high floor, probably the third or fourth story. It overlooked a dense cluster of aged buildings, likely an old district of a small city.

Inside, the TV was on, broadcasting the news: “Public security authorities are cracking down hard on cult activities. Cult leader Zhuang Chongyue has fled overseas.”

Wen Jiu was slicing vegetables at the counter. Her once-beautiful face looked haggard, and she had lost a noticeable amount of weight.

“Mom, can we not move again?”

The young Fang Xiu asked, “We’ve moved four times this year. I haven’t been to school for a whole year. Dad hasn’t found us. It’s probably because we move too much…”

He hadn’t grown much, and his cheeks had thinned. There was still a sparkle in his eyes, but not as bright as before.

The chopping stopped.

“Mom’s just worried the bad guys might find us. The police suggested we be careful too.”

Wen Jiu wiped her hands and hugged her son. “Now that the bad guy has run off, things should calm down. I’ll find you a school soon, so you won’t miss any more classes.”

“Then Dad can find us sooner too,” the young Fang Xiu said seriously.

Wen Jiu pressed her lips together. “Yes, Dad can find us sooner too.”

“I want to change my birthday wish,” the young Fang Xiu muttered. “Before I wished we wouldn’t move. Now I want to wish for Dad to come home.”

Wen Jiu smiled naturally and went back to chopping. “Today we’re making lots of meat dishes. Let’s make Dad drool with envy. He didn’t even come back for his son’s birthday.”

Bai Shuangying suddenly realized that when Fang Xiu lied, he looked a bit like his mother.

It seemed that after fleeing the village, Wen Jiu didn’t return to normal life right away. Instead, she lived cautiously, hiding. Considering how rampant the Guishan Sect had been at the time, her caution was understandable.

…Come to think of it, Fang Xiu killed someone for the first time when he was nine. This must have been his tenth birthday.

Wen Jiu made a full table of dishes.

Fried fish, cucumber salad, stir-fried chili pork, braised ribs, sweet-and-sour cabbage, and vegetable meatball soup—six homemade dishes filled the table. Three bowls of rice were neatly placed. A gap between the plates was just enough for a small cake.

Fang Xiu opened the fridge to find drinks. He hummed a little tune, and a trace of happiness returned to his expression.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The apartment door sounded in a steady rhythm.

“Mom! The cake’s here!” The young Fang Xiu, holding a big bottle of soda, called out happily.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The knocking was calm and unhurried.

Fang Xiu set the soda on the table and ran to wash his hands at the sink. His mom untied her apron and scolded him with a smile, “Greedy little cat.”

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The delivery person seemed unusually patient today.

Creak—

Fang Xiu caught a scent in the air.

It was a distinct smell, one not even soap could cover. He had smelled it last year, and it had etched itself into his bones.

The moment it drifted in, his brain hadn’t even processed it yet, but his body froze with instinctive fear.

Blood.

Mom.

Water splashed from the faucet as the young Fang Xiu stood frozen at the sink.

His neck felt like it had turned to stone; he couldn’t even turn his head.

“Jump!” his mother screamed behind him. “Fang Xiu, jump!”

“Jump out the window! Call the police!”

“Run!”

In her screams, Fang Xiu could hear the muffled thuds of a blade stabbing into flesh.

The smell of blood grew stronger, and his vision began to blacken.

Why?

Hadn’t the cult leader run away?

Hadn’t it been a whole year of peace? Why now?

Why couldn’t they just be left alone?

His thoughts were in chaos, but his survival instinct kicked in.

Jump. Call the police. Jump. Save Mom. Jump. Jump. Jump.

The young Fang Xiu leapt from the open window.

There was a small courtyard on the first floor with a grape trellis. His body hit the trellis on the way down.

His right leg hit the ground with a crack. The bone fractured severely and pierced through the skin.

Through the agony, Fang Xiu forced himself to stay awake.

He stared at the lit window of their home and screamed.

“Help—!”

Fang Xiu was lucky.

An elderly couple lived on the first floor. They took him in, called the police and an ambulance, and bolted the doors tight.

…The attacker that day was a Guishan Sect believer. Strictly speaking, he was even distantly related to Fang Xiu; they were both from that same mountain village.

He ranted that Fang Xiu had ruined his parents’ path to becoming cult members, caused the deaths of two “family” members, and stolen what should have been the cult’s “family property”.

Three unforgivable sins.

Now their living god had been driven away. The man said he would kill the mother and child with his own hands and complete his offering to show his devotion.

The young Fang Xiu didn’t understand this insane logic. He only knew that from that day on, his mom couldn’t find her way home either.

He cried nonstop in the hospital and refused treatment.

It was all his fault. He was the reason Grandma hit the tree, the reason their family fell apart.

If not for him, Dad wouldn’t have been stabbed with that pitchfork.

If not for him urging Mom to open the door for the “cake delivery”, none of it would have happened.

If he had opened the door instead of Mom… How great that would have been.

…Why was he still alive?

The man who killed his mother had been executed quickly. Other than himself, he didn’t even know who else to hate.

“So you cried a lot when you were little.” Bai Shuangying stood pensively.

“I was just a kid,” Fang Xiu muttered, tugging on his ghost’s hair.

“I know human children cry easily. I thought you’d be the exception,” Bai Shuangying replied.

Fang Xiu played with the sleek strands of Bai Shuangying’s hair.

Sure enough, the Corner of Heaven’s Will wouldn’t feel things like “sympathy”. That was perfect. Sympathy was the last thing Fang Xiu needed.

As for those memories, that despair, he kept it all buried in his heart. He never forgot. Showing it to others didn’t change his emotions one bit.

“Showing me this is pointless.” Cen Ling sneered coldly. “No matter your age or how ignorant you were, you disrespected the leader and killed our family. You deserve to die.”

He had seen death plenty of times. His family had to abandon their “fake families” before joining the Guishan Sect.

Painful as death might be, what really mattered was whether one died with virtue. A perfect death was something to celebrate.

Fang Xiu raised an eyebrow. “God, don’t tell me you think I’m trying to convert you.”

Cen Ling: “…”

Cen Ling: “Then why show this?”

“Take a guess.”

Fang Xiu clapped his hands. The crying child and the white hospital room shattered and vanished.

……

“Brother!”

In a warmly decorated living room, a slightly hoarse teenage voice rang out.

The image of Fang Xiu turned around.

He looked about thirteen or fourteen now, noticeably taller and sturdier. His face had lost its baby fat, gaining the gentle handsomeness of youth.

His hair was much longer, his bangs a mess covering his brow. A vague resemblance to his present self was emerging. But what had completely changed was his expression. Teenager Fang Xiu wore a sullen face with no trace of a smile.

His black eyes held no light at all, like two paper cutouts.

“Yuan Yongan, don’t call me ‘brother’,” Fang Xiu said. “Uncle and Auntie didn’t adopt me.”

The other teen clicked his tongue. “What’s the difference? It’s been over two years. I call you ‘brother’, so you are.”

This “Yuan Yongan” had thick eyebrows and a righteous look, though he seemed a bit simple. He grinned wide and laughed.

Fang Xiu didn’t respond.

“You ranked third in the whole grade. That’s amazing.”

Yuan Yongan didn’t care about the silence. He chattered away. “You missed so much school and still did this well. You’ll totally get into A University or B University someday.”

His eyes darted. “Tomorrow is New Year’s. Mom and Dad are giving us money. I bet Dad will give you a bonus too. Since I’ll witness it, you gotta treat me to barbecue.”

Fang Xiu sighed. “…So, how were your final grades?”

Yuan Yongan fell quiet.

After a while, he grumbled, “It’s New Year’s. Let’s not talk about bad stuff.”

Fang Xiu: “…”

Fang Xiu: “You want to go to police academy, don’t you? They don’t just take anyone.”

“I’m still in middle school, a year behind you. I just… uh… haven’t started working hard yet.” Yuan Yongan changed the subject. “Anyway, I got first place in PE this year!”

Fang Xiu gave him a resigned pat on the head, acting like a little adult.

“Show me your report card. I’ll tutor you.”

“Brother—”

“Not your brother.”

Yuan Yongan rubbed his head, pouting. “Fine, fine. But if I let you tutor me, will you accept me as your brother?”

“…We’ll see next year’s grades,” Fang Xiu muttered after a pause.

“Forget me for a second. Are you finally going to accept my parents?” Yuan Yongan leaned in and whispered, “They’ve been waiting these past two years. You can’t call them ‘Uncle’ and ‘Auntie’ forever.”

Fang Xiu fell silent again.

There was a noise at the door, and Yuan Yongan shot out of the room—his mom had returned, carrying a large load of fresh meat, vegetables, snacks, and drinks for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Fang Xiu followed him out and took one of the bulging grocery bags.

“Your useless dad’s working overtime tonight. The three of us are celebrating the New Year ourselves!” the woman declared loudly.

She looked ordinary, with rough skin and a plump figure, far from as beautiful as Wen Jiu. But when she looked at Fang Xiu, her eyes held the same kind of gentleness.

“Overtime again?” Yuan Yongan grumbled. “Every day it’s overtime. I bet he’s just trying to avoid giving us New Year’s money.”

“No worries, I already nagged it out of him yesterday,” Yuan Yongan’s mom said smugly. “You see that, Yongan? This is what it’s like being a cop. Don’t say I didn’t warn—”

“I still want to be one. Cops are cool,” Yuan Yongan replied.

“Cool my ass.”

“If he’s not cool, why’d you marry him?”

“You little brat, what nonsense are you spouting now?”

The mother and son looked about ready to wrestle. Fang Xiu sighed and cleared his throat. “Auntie Qin.”

Auntie Qin pulled her hand back from Yuan Yongan’s ear. “Xiu Xiu, what do you want for dinner? We bought everything—anything goes!”

She laughed heartily. The mother-son war disappeared in an instant. Yuan Yongan quietly gave Fang Xiu a thumbs-up.

That night, the dinner table was filled with food, and fireworks lit up the sky outside.

Teenage Fang Xiu paused with his chopsticks, staring blankly at the scene outside with an expressionless face.

“I guess you could say Yuan Yongan picked me up. His dad’s a cop with an excessive sense of justice.”

Adult Fang Xiu spoke like he was chatting casually. “After what happened to my mom, I went back to school. We happened to go to the same middle school. After he heard my story, he talked his parents into taking me in… Though I guess it wasn’t really adoption.”

“My parents left me a huge inheritance. I never had to worry about food or money. His parents didn’t touch a cent. They just took care of me.”

“Yuan Yongan’s dad being a cop meant staying at their place could keep distant relatives with bad intentions away and intimidate those cultists… Or so everyone thought at the time.”

Bai Shuangying: “Sounds pretty good.”

To him, even though the teenage Fang Xiu seemed gloomy, his body and complexion looked healthy. The Yuans clearly took good care of him.

“Yeah, looking back, those two years were probably the happiest I’ve ever been.”

Fang Xiu looked at his teenage self. “It’s just a shame that thirteen-year-old me was too naive.”

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

Yuan Yongan chewed on beef while talking with his mouth full. “Mom, someone’s at the door.”

Teenage Fang Xiu’s hand trembled, and a meatball slipped from his chopsticks, rolling to the floor.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

“Who is it?” Auntie Qin got up and walked to the door.

“Delivery!” came the reply from outside.

Teenage Fang Xiu swallowed hard. His instinct was to scream, “Don’t open it,” but he reasoned that it was just trauma response and didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

“Must be your dad’s groceries,” Auntie Qin muttered as she walked in slippers toward the living room. “Even delivery folks work during the holidays. Tough job.”

Fang Xiu stared at the living room entrance, hands shaking so much he couldn’t hold his chopsticks.

Yuan Yongan glanced at him, a little worried. “Brother…?”

Creak—

“What delivery… huh?!”

Ah.

That smell again. Blood.

It had to be a hallucination. His mom had been gone for three years now. Why?

Why couldn’t they leave him alone?

“What are you doing? Call the police—call now!”

Auntie Qin screamed. “Help! Murderer!”

Sounds of struggle came from the doorway, followed by a loud thud.

Outside, fireworks burst in celebration, and the music drowned out the heavy sounds on the floor.

“Mom?” Yuan Yongan stood up in a panic, only to be grabbed by Fang Xiu.

“Hide and call the police.”

Fang Xiu spoke almost automatically, his voice shaking. “Hide—now!”

“My mom’s out there!”

Yuan Yongan’s eyes turned red. He broke free and grabbed a kitchen knife, charging into the living room.

Fang Xiu clenched his jaw and followed.

The moment he saw the scene in the living room, his blood froze.

Auntie Qin had been stabbed multiple times in the stomach, and her throat was slashed. She lay on the warm-toned wooden floor, unable to make a sound, blood spreading fast.

…It can’t be like this.

…I haven’t even called her Mom yet, Fang Xiu thought, strangely out of place.

Auntie Qin was still conscious. When she saw Yuan Yongan and Fang Xiu, her eyes filled with tears and despair.

“Run,” she mouthed. “Run.”

Standing over her was the killer—a tall, dull-looking man in an ill-fitting courier uniform.

He looked blank and sluggish.

The man slowly turned his head to look at Fang Xiu.

He gave a dull smile, revealing crooked, yellowed teeth.

The moment he took a step forward, Yuan Yongan pulled Fang Xiu and ran toward the master bedroom.

Once inside, he locked the door with trembling hands and pushed a nightstand against it. “Call 110, 120, hurry!”

His voice shook uncontrollably.

Fang Xiu ran to the landline like he was sleepwalking. He called the police, then the ambulance.

His mind was blank. His hands were icy cold.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The man outside began kicking the door with massive force. The door groaned under the pressure.

Yuan Yongan had no time to cry for his mother. He dropped the knife in his trembling hands and ran to Fang Xiu’s side.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The man didn’t care if they called the police or not. He just kept banging on the bedroom door.

The lock was warped by the impact. The nightstand trembled violently.

“Let him kill me,” Fang Xiu said, stumbling toward the door. “Let him kill me. He’ll leave you alone.”

“He came for me.”

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The door burst open.

At that moment, Fang Xiu was yanked backward.

Yuan Yongan dragged him back and shielded him in the corner between the bed and the wall.

Fang Xiu tried to push him away, but Yuan Yongan was stronger, more solid… Of course he was. His brother always got top scores in PE.

His brother wanted to be a police officer someday.

He didn’t understand.

By the time the real police arrived, Yuan Yongan’s body had just been pulled off of Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu’s abdomen had been slashed open, blood soaking the room. It was impossible to tell whose blood was whose.

That night, Auntie Qin and Yuan Yongan both died on the spot.

The killer, seeing the police arrive, screamed “My offering is complete,” then slit his own throat with a grin.

Thirteen-year-old Fang Xiu was rushed to the First People’s Hospital of Taiyi City, Gui Province.

Due to massive and prolonged blood loss, his brain suffered severe damage. He fell into a deep coma.

From that moment on, he never woke again.

By the hospital bed, Fang Xiu’s soul hovered faintly, tethered to his body.

He drifted blankly at the bedside, watching people come and go, mourning in front of him.

He watched Officer Yuan cry in secret, overwhelmed with guilt… He watched ghosts and specters wander the hospital day and night.

They were curious about his out-of-body soul and would gather to watch from time to time.

This teenage soul looked more like a ghost than any ghost. He stood frozen at the bedside, motionless.

“At first, I thought if Uncle Yuan hated me enough, he might kill me. Then I could die unjustly, turn into a ghost, and get revenge.”

Adult Fang Xiu shrugged. “Too bad. He didn’t even want to hate me.”

“Everyone in the ward treated me well. I couldn’t even manage an unjust death.”

“Then I thought, even if I did become a ghost, who would I take revenge on? Who could I even kill?”

Fang Xiu looked down at his comatose body.

“I had no idea where the cultists were hiding or who else was involved. Zhuang Chongyue fled overseas. Even gods can’t leave their gates easily, let alone a ghost.”

“I thought about it nonstop, until the day I turned fourteen.”

A’Shou’s expression changed. “Fourteen? You didn’t… No, that’s impossible…”

Fang Xiu’s eyes curved slightly.

He raised a hand and pointed to the red T-shirt hanging by the bed.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 169: Preparation Complete

Uncle Hou truly hadn’t grasped the current situation.

He remembered reaching an agreement with Cen Ling, remembered providing supplies to the cultists. Then, after a wave of dizziness, he suddenly realized his body was no longer his own.

It was a woman’s body, currently standing in a corner of the garden. In his hand was a comb-like Immortal E, but for the moment he had no idea how to use it.

…What kind of evil magic was this?!

Startled, he looked up and immediately spotted “his own body”. But that Uncle Hou appeared perfectly normal, showing no signs of being soulless.

“Are you confused about the current situation? Is the pain from your leg distracting you?”

“Hand over the Immortal E’s, or kill Cen Ling. Do that, and I’ll spare your lives.”

It was Fang Xiu’s voice.

Only then did Uncle Hou realize that this body’s right leg seemed broken. The piercing pain swept through his brain. He needed pills—badly. But this wasn’t his body. His medicine was on his real body.

He turned sharply and saw “his body” running frantically toward the garden exit, limbs intact. He only had the offensive tools and Immortal E he’d just obtained. As for healing medicine… He didn’t even know whether the owner of this body had any, or where it might be stored.

Frantically, he reached into the clothing pockets, rummaging desperately.

At the same time, everyone around him, about a hundred people, was doing the same thing. Their movements were almost identical.

Something was seriously wrong. This had to be a taboo.

Now crippled, killing Cen Ling was too difficult. The only option was to hand over the Immortal E. After all, this wasn’t his body. Buying time would be to his advantage.

“How do we hand it over?” he shouted with this body’s throat, and at the same moment, the same question echoed all around him.

“Xiao Tian!” Fang Xiu tossed the hairpin back into the garden, and Xiao Tian caught it steadily.

The sharp hairpin was still covered in blood, though less than before.

Upstairs, Fang Xiu quietly clenched his fist, hiding the bleeding wound in his palm.

Xiao Tian caught the hairpin and slid it into her grip. Jiao Jiao drank down a bottle of dark potion and suddenly unfurled a pair of raven wings from her waist.

She wrapped her arms around Xiao Tian and launched into flight, shooting toward the people shouting, “How do we hand it over?” Like a raptor diving for prey, Xiao Tian snatched the Immortal E’s from their hands in the blink of an eye.

In a flash, she tossed them accurately toward the boat.

But Cen Ling’s golden cage still held, blocking all except Cen Ling himself from leaving.

Uncle Hou used a series of magic weapons and charged frantically at the exit of the garden, while the boat crashed against the cage multiple times in midair but failed to leave the central park.

After a failed strike, Cen Ling landed atop a pile of ornamental rocks in the garden’s center. His gaze locked onto Fang Xiu as he slowly drew a bronze sword from his robe, sinister winds surging around him.

The boatman shouted in panic, furiously paddling to avoid being blown away by the dark wind. Without even looking, Cen Ling slashed his sword toward the boat, breaking through the wooden monk’s water shield.

Had the ferryman not turned quickly, and had Xiao Li not pulled the boat, that sword wind would have split it in two.

Even so, the sudden evasive movement sent the boat crashing into the golden cage. The boat nearly capsized.

Seeing things go awry, Jiao Jiao folded her wings and dragged Xiao Tian back into the panicked crowd on the ground.

Fang Xiu wasn’t surprised.

Cen Ling had distributed so many Immortal E’s, so of course he kept a few powerful ones for himself. With a soul nearly at the level of a ghost immortal, the destructive power of his Immortal E’s far exceeded those of ordinary cultists.

He wasn’t attacking fully yet only because he was concerned about the cultists on the ground. Whether or not they were family didn’t matter—if they were crippled here, there would be no one left to help him smuggle out the E’s.

“These cultists are injured and don’t even have Immortal E’s anymore. Lady A’Shou, please finish them off!”

Yan Yan, who was outside the cage, looked only at his partner, sweating anxiously.

This was a golden opportunity. If they took out these reckless Guishan cultists now, they could proceed with a clean, aboveboard resolution of the E.

A’Shou agreed that this was the right move. Fang Xiu had handled things beautifully.

She began chanting softly. Black and red talismans appeared around her, brimming with power. Then—

They were casually scattered by Bai Shuangying.

A’Shou composed herself and asked politely, “What is the meaning of this?”

Bai Shuangying said, “I don’t understand the scheming of humans, but I understand their methods.” He pointed at Cen Ling. “Now is not the time for you to act.”

A’Shou furrowed her brow. “This chance won’t come again. Please step aside.”

“No. Fang Xiu wants you to stay out of it.” Bai Shuangying stood calmly in front of her, blocking her path. “If brute force could solve this, he would have told me to act long ago.”

“He just wants revenge, personally.”

“No,” Bai Shuangying shook his head. “Cen Ling is just Cen Ling. Killing just one young heir and a hundred core figures, will that really end the Guishan Cult?”

“To give everything just for revenge? My human is not that shallow.”

His voice brimmed with certainty.

Beside Bai Shuangying, Fang Xiu was watching Cen Ling’s furious expression like a spectator at a play.

“We handed over the Immortal E’s! All of them!” the cultists who had been taken over by Uncle Hou’s mind shouted around Cen Ling. “You promised to spare us!”

“Yes, I didn’t kill you.”

Fang Xiu smiled. He leaned on the windowsill, tapping the window frame lightly with his fingers. “Your legs are broken, but you’re still alive. This place is a hospital. Medical supplies are everywhere.”

“Too bad that golden cage is Cen Ling’s spell. I can’t undo that.”

At once, all eyes turned toward Cen Ling. There wasn’t a trace of warmth in them.

Cen Ling gripped the bronze sword, veins bulging on the back of his hand.

No, stay calm. No need to panic.

As long as he lived, the golden cage would hold. Though the Immortal E’s were no longer on the cultists, Fang Xiu’s people couldn’t take them away either.

All he needed to do was wake the cultists up quickly and make sure the Immortal E’s got transported out.

Even if this round ended in total failure, he could just return the Immortal E’s and try again next time. After all, Guishan had many elite members. It wasn’t just him.

The Underworld had yet to fully understand the situation at the Shrine of All E’s. One failure meant nothing. He would keep trying until he succeeded.

With that in mind, he steadied his breathing. The sword tip turned in a half arc, pointing at the real Uncle Hou who had tried to stay hidden.

Seeing things go south, Uncle Hou’s expression finally changed. He activated his defensive tools in desperation, layering jade rings, protective barriers, and talismanic circles in a dazzling display.

Unfortunately, he could defend against magic but not taboos.

Uncle Hou’s lips went numb. He knew full well that for people like them, when things went sideways, a promise was nothing more than scrap paper.

The cultists had lost their sanity. His magic weapons were useless to them. Amid this chaos, he had no bargaining chips.

In the end, he could only whisper, “Spare me…”

The moment the words left his mouth, Cen Ling seemed to take it as permission. His bronze sword traced a flourish in the air, and with one slash of the sword wind, Uncle Hou was torn apart—limbs, head, and organs scattered in heaps. Blood sprayed in every direction, splashing the cultists nearby.

Uncle Hou was dead.

But his personality still ruled the remaining cultists.

This time, their gazes shifted. Limping and staggering, they rushed to his body, frantically rummaging for pills.

In the chaos, several cultists fell and were trampled to death.

Cen Ling tried to use a spell to stop the mob, but it didn’t work at all. Those who found pills first stuffed them into their mouths as fast as they could, afraid they might not eat enough. The ones behind shoved forward recklessly, terrified they’d get nothing.

Uncle Hou’s body was ground into mush. Blood mixed with pills. His mutilated head rolled along the stone tiles and got stuck in a tangled bush.

The “Uncle Hous” who had taken pills then unleashed all their magic weapons, fighting each other once more. Under Fang Xiu’s cold gaze, this “veteran Calamity Resolver” who had hoarded equipment like a weapons depot was torn to pieces in an instant.

Fang Xiu himself hadn’t moved a single step the entire time.

It was Cen Ling who had killed Uncle Hou and triggered the carnage.

On the boat, Song Zheng and Xiao Li shivered. Even Yan Yan, who wasn’t familiar with Uncle Hou, took two steps away from Fang Xiu.

Once Cen Ling confirmed his people had taken Uncle Hou’s gear, he pulled a bronze shield from his robes and struck it with his sword. A burst of powerful yin energy knocked the cultists on the ground sprawling and shook the boat in the sky.

This time, he didn’t waste time speaking. He charged directly at the boat.

Xiao Li grabbed the oar. Song Zheng touched his bracer. Then they heard Fang Xiu’s calm command—

“Collapse the boat. Target the spatial pouches!”

They acted without hesitation. Just as Cen Ling rushed in, Xiao Li shrank the boat to its original size. With nothing to anchor them, the spatial pouches filled with Immortal E’s fell, along with the ones they had just collected.

Song Zheng activated his anomaly. Leaves in the garden turned into flying blades, slashing the pouches apart instantly.

Thousands of Immortal E’s fell like rain.

On the ground, Jiao Jiao pulled out two more potion bottles. One contained a swirling black-red liquid that looked like human blood.

She looked up at Fang Xiu, then smashed both bottles.

Smoke rolled out again, flooding the fallen Immortal E’s, thick with a pungent scent of blood.

“Again?” Cen Ling cursed and stirred up another dark wind to blow the mist away.

This time, the tactic was familiar. Within half a minute, the people hidden in the smoke reemerged. Most cultists had healed their legs with pills, regained their protective gear, and had much less hostility toward Cen Ling. They practically had “keep my head down” written on their foreheads.

Cen Ling finally relaxed.

His people were steady now. The one upside of being polluted by “Uncle Hou’s” personality was that they knew how to stay alive.

Just as he was about to resume hunting the enemies in the cage, he saw Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying leap out the window, voluntarily entering the golden cage.

Fang Xiu stepped onto the scattered Immortal E’s below.

They should have been treasures enshrined in the Shrine of All E’s. But now, scattered across the ground they looked more like gray garbage.

Fang Xiu snapped his fingers. A small black dog reappeared by his side.

Seeing the sea of Immortal E’s, the dog wagged its tail excitedly, sniffing around before digging up a red collar from a corner.

It seemed to treat this like a game. With the collar in its mouth, it returned to Fang Xiu. Fang Xiu simply placed the collar—the Fierce Wind E—back around the dog’s neck and sent it away again, back to the hospital room upstairs.

Watching this strange act, Cen Ling felt an ominous premonition.

Then, before his eyes, Fang Xiu pulled out an old book that looked all too familiar.

…Wait, that couldn’t be…

“Yes, I think the timing is just about right.”

“After all this bloodshed, you must be tired. Let’s try something new.”

Fang Xiu spoke lazily. “Let me reintroduce myself. I’m not ‘Hong Shuangxi’. My name is Fang Xiu.”

Before Cen Ling could respond, Fang Xiu opened the book.

He didn’t need to use the Immortal Encounter E to kill anyone. He just needed to use it to tell a story. That way, he didn’t even need full control of it.

Telling a story would be enough.

Targeted individuals: Cen Ling, A’Shou… and Bai Shuangying.

---

The author has something to say:

Xiao Fang’s plan was ready. Someone should be able to see it~

Next up, at least, it’s time for Xiao Fang’s past.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 168: Second Taboo

Blood bloomed like fireworks, staining the pristine white walls.

The legs of the two cultists were a mess of mangled flesh, the injuries identical. Especially their right legs, which were twisted at horrific angles, bones snapped and protruding pale through torn skin. 

They clutched their abdomens in confusion as blood streamed through their fingers. It looked like someone had opened them up. Beneath them, a massive pool of blood quickly formed.

And yet, it was as if they didn’t notice.

As the blood drained, the two seemed to turn into statues. Their pupils dilated, and even their eyelids ceased to blink. Fang Xiu, wearing a pleasant smile, silently watched.

In less than a minute, the gray hue overtook their faces, and the last glimmer of life disappeared from their eyes.

Silence fell over the corridor.

“A d-death taboo?” Yan Yan swallowed hard and nearly choked on his own spit.

He had been watching Fang Xiu the entire time. Fang Xiu hadn’t cast any spells. Those two had truly triggered a taboo.

“Doesn’t seem like a death taboo.”

Jiao Jiao looked at Fang Xiu with cautious eyes. “From their state, it looks like they bled out rapidly… It’s probably just a standard taboo.”

A standard taboo with the strength to rival a death one. Unless someone wore advanced healing or life-preserving magic weapons, almost no one could survive that.

“I will repay all Guishan Sect followers in kind.”

Such a heaven-defying taboo could exist only because of its narrow scope—it worked exclusively on the Guishan Sect members.

While Jiao Jiao was still thinking, Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying had already begun looting the blood-soaked corpses. Fang Xiu worked fast and clean, stripping their magic weapons in an instant. As expected, both of them had identical-looking spatial pouches.

Bai Shuangying, meanwhile, casually snatched up the lingering souls and devoured them without a trace of care. His expression resembled someone forcing down leftovers rather than enjoying a gourmet meal.

Song Zheng asked bluntly, “Fang Xiu, are you carrying an E?”

“You could say that.”

Fang Xiu lifted the pile of magic weapons and dodged the question. “I wouldn’t drag you all into this without reason. I know all three taboos of this ritual.”

Yan Yan finally recovered. “Damn, you could’ve said so sooner. Scared the hell outta me.”

Then he frowned again. “Even if you know the taboos, what about all those Immortal E’s out there—?”

Fang Xiu smiled. “Which is exactly why I need your help. Come on, let’s talk payment.”

At this point, the difference in experience became obvious. The mushroom trio glanced around without concern. Lu Yang was more focused on the two fresh corpses and didn’t seem to care what Fang Xiu offered.

Jiao Jiao sighed. “We’re willing to help proactively for free. But if you want full command over me and Yan Yan, that will cost you.”

“If the ritual succeeds, I’ll grant two wishes.”

Fang Xiu said it plainly.

Jiao Jiao: “…What?”

“I’ll do everything I can to ensure you finish the ritual. And regardless of how many you’ve already completed, this one can count as your final one.”

“The original offer was ‘eight rituals, one wish’. I’ll make it two… Is that a fair enough deal?”

Fang Xiu delivered it with polish. Were his hands not covered in blood, he’d have passed for a top-tier salesman.

Yan Yan: “Huh?! Two wishes? What are you, King Yama going undercover?”

“Well, I’d love to say, ‘Trust me,’ but odds are you wouldn’t.”

Fang Xiu turned and shouted down the empty corridor, “A’Shou Jie, what do you think—?”

A’Shou, hiding nearby: “…”

“Just look outside! The Guishan Sect is practically looting the entire Disaster Relief Tower!”

“And check out these lovely friends of mine. Most aren’t even trained in metaphysics! Giving them one more wish within personal karmic bounds won’t cost the Underworld that much.”

A’Shou felt a surge of suffocation.

She had just finished fighting off another karmic migraine from Bai Shuangying. Thankfully she had taken a Heart-Stabilizing Elixir beforehand or she might’ve been contaminated again. These two bastards were clearly up to something, and she knew it.

…But it was an offer she couldn’t refuse.

At this point, all she had to do was show up and promise a few nobodies one more wish. That would boost Fang Xiu’s credibility immensely and rally everyone against the Guishan Sect.

A’Shou wished she were stupid. Someone oblivious to the big picture. But her rational mind always ended up pushed to the brink. Fang Xiu would corner her with the best possible solution that was just barely within her limits, every single time.

With a long sigh like a funeral song, the bloodstained wedding robe fluttered as A’Shou descended gently in front of the group.

The others didn’t recognize her, but Yan Yan did instinctively. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed, caught at the last second by Jiao Jiao.

“Ghost Immortal? …The Tower’s warden is here?”

His voice wavered. “Outside—outside—”

“I’m aware of the Immortal Es,”

A’Shou said formally. “The Guishan Sect tampered with this space. It’s currently cut off from the Underworld.”

“Your flesh-bound magic weapons follow protocol. Unless the E here is resolved, or turns into an Immortal E—you can’t return to the Tower. Not even I can override that.”

Jiao Jiao: “Can’t you kill the intruders? They broke the rules first!”

Another headache.

The girl had nailed the issue. Just looking at the Guishan Sect made her sick.

These people wielded Immortal Es. If they could sneak in, they could sneak out. If she acted officially, Cen Ling might just go scorched-earth, sending his followers to scatter with the Immortal Es in tow. It was like opening a drawer full of cockroaches—if even one escapes, the infestation spreads.

In her opinion, if most Immortal E’s were lost, Bai Shuangying’s unstable seal would be the least of their problems. The mortal world would descend into chaos.

It was better to hand this job off to a pest extermination expert like Fang Xiu.

Before she could answer, Fang Xiu spoke up.

“It’s not that bad yet.”

He cut her off cleanly.

“There’s no need to overthink it. You all just have to answer one question: Is it worthwhile to fight alongside me in exchange for ‘going home immediately’ and ‘two wishes’.”

The mushroom trio and Lu Yang nodded like bobbleheads. Yan Yan was too busy staring at A’Shou, his fox tail bristling like a frightened cat.

Jiao Jiao locked eyes with Fang Xiu. “Understood. You’re in charge.”

A’Shou nodded solemnly at the side.

Fang Xiu extended a bloody spatial pouch and smiled brighter than ever.

“Simple. All you need to do is…”

……

Ten minutes later.

Xiao Tian and Jiao Jiao, disguised by witchcraft, took on the appearance of the dead cultists and hurried toward the central garden. 

They wore the original bloodied clothing; Jiao Jiao even mimicked a leg injury and hobbled convincingly.

“I heard Cen Ling watches his teammates closely,” Xiao Tian whispered. “You sure they won’t notice?”

Earlier, Bai Shuangying had simply attached two red threads to them and said they were good to go. Xiao Tian had been too distracted by his face to ask how the spell worked.

“Probably fine.”

Jiao Jiao didn’t elaborate. The moment Fang Xiu paid her, the nature of this battle changed.

A professional never asks too many questions.

……

At the central courtyard, the Immortal E distribution was nearly complete.

Over a hundred people crowded the small garden. Everyone’s pouch was stuffed to bursting, and the air was thick with yin energy.

“What happened?” Seeing two people covered in blood, Cen Ling frowned, concern appearing on his face.

“Some of the sacrifices caused trouble… cough…” Jiao Jiao said. “Didn’t expect them to be so difficult.”

Cen Ling thought for a moment and pulled a stone pestle from his robe. “This Immortal E has healing properties. Take it. You’ll need it for treating the wounded after the E is resolved.”

“I’ve got extra elixirs too. Don’t be shy,” Uncle Hou called cheerfully nearby.

Xiao Tian and Jiao Jiao gritted their teeth and “tainted” their Immortal E’s. Since they arrived last, most of the Immortal E’s were already gone so it wasn’t enough to fill their spatial pouch.

And speaking of spatial pouch, theirs wasn’t as good as Fang Xiu’s. His had no weight at all. These ones were so heavy they’d pull your pants down, so everyone wore them on their chest like satchels.

Cen Ling looked around in satisfaction and walked to the center of the garden, seemingly planning to give a speech. All eyes turned to him.

Xiao Tian and Jiao Jiao exchanged a quick glance and nodded subtly.

Xiao Tian gripped her hairpin. Jiao Jiao held a potion bottle in each hand. Then she smashed the bottles together, releasing a thick cloud of smoke that instantly filled the area.

In the chaos, unsure if they were under attack or had triggered a taboo, people scattered. Then—

“No water? This’ll do!” A call with a thick accent sounded and Xiao Li’s boat flew out of the window and hovered on the surface of the smoke.

Inside, Xiao Li swung a sickle, bouncing off the deck like a cannonball. Even with the Immortal E’s, the cultists couldn’t react fast enough to his boosted strength. 

The spatial pouches were snatched en masse and tossed into the cabin.

Song Zheng stood beside the wooden monk. He pointed wherever there was killing intent, and the monk summoned defensive water screens. 

When magic came their way, Song Zheng would sneer and press on his arm. The bottom of the boat would float up into the air and rush away diagonally. It was clearly an anomaly given to him by the Underworld.

Compared to the Guishan Sect members crowded in the small garden, the tiny wooden boat was far more agile.

From a window, Bai Shuangying watched, amused. It looked like a fisherman casting his net.

But the fun didn’t last. Cen Ling quickly responded. He calmly touched a wall and golden characters flowed upward and merged into a glowing cage in the sky.

Another anomaly skill.

Wind whipped through the cage, dispersing Jiao Jiao’s smoke. All eyes locked onto the wooden boat.

“You’ve got guts, stealing from my family,” Cen Ling said coldly. “Kill them.”

……

Upstairs.

Yan Yan paced by the window, fox eyes fixed on Jiao Jiao below.

“Fang Xiu, what do we do?”

“Even if they grabbed most of the pouches, the cultists still have Immortal E’s on them! We can’t take them all in one go!”

“Let me help! They can’t hold out forever!”

Fang Xiu shook his head.

“Come. Watch the show. Count to ten. They’ll give us the Immortal E’s willingly.”

“I’m seriously counting. One, two…”

……

In the courtyard, all eyes were on the wooden boat.

Song Zheng’s Murder-Intent Seismoscope shrieked nonstop. He frantically used his anomaly to lift the boat higher.

The wooden monk and boatman worked together to erect a spherical water barrier.

“Three, four…”

The cultists started to rally. Under Cen Ling’s lead, spells and taboos targeted the boat.

In the shadows, Xiao Tian snuck behind Uncle Hou. Her hairpin slashed across his back, drawing blood.

Whether due to the chaos or Xiao Tian’s luck, Uncle Hou didn’t notice the shallow cut.

“Five, six…”

She flung the hairpin upward. Fang Xiu caught it cleanly, licked the blood from its tip, and pointed at Cen Ling.

“Seven, eight…”

“Second taboo: With the blood of an outsider, your ties to your kins are severed.”

Suddenly, all the cultists except Cen Ling froze. Their attacks stopped. They looked at each other in panic, clearly confused.

“Nine, ten…”

“Uncle Hou, can you hear me?” Fang Xiu opened the window and waved out. “How are you feeling?”

Then he pointed and flicked his finger downward.

Once again, blood sprayed. This time, only their legs were broken. The garden echoed with cries of pain.

Uncle Hou stood tall amidst the chaos, shaking his head wildly. He saw his own expression on every face. There seemed to be hundreds of twisted versions of himself. He was horrified that he didn’t dare to breathe.

“What did you do—!?”

Before Fang Xiu could answer, the furious Cen Ling charged toward the window surrounded by the brilliance of magic.

Unfortunately, as soon as he touched the window, he was knocked away by Bai Shuangying’s sleeve and fell back with his magic.

Simple. You triggered the taboo.

Not that I’m going to tell you.

Fang Xiu smiled. “You really did treat them like family.”

“I used Uncle Hou’s blood to overwrite their ‘identities’. Now they’re all ‘him’. A hundred versions of him, and none of them trust you.”

“Are you confused about the current situation? Is the pain from your leg distracting you?”

Fang Xiu called pass Cen Ling to the hundreds of people downstairs. “Hand over the Immortal E’s, or kill Cen Ling.”

“Do that, and I’ll spare your lives.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 167: The First Taboo

Not long ago, at the central hospital courtyard.

Uncle Hou finished his cigarette and methodically began distributing supplies. He didn’t hand out his most valuable stash right away, only providing reliable bulk goods.

Naturally, he wasn’t completely off guard either. One hand continued to fiddle with two odd red walnuts, which likely carried some sort of power.

Seeing this, Cen Ling didn’t get angry. If Uncle Hou had been careless enough to lower his defenses entirely, then Cen Ling would have questioned the man’s character.

“There’s just one thing I can’t figure out,” Uncle Hou asked kindly. “Since you all dare to go this far, you must have some assurance. What if the Underworld forcibly interrupts the ritual? What’s your plan then?”

Cen Ling smiled faintly. “They won’t notice.”

“Oh?”

“The Immortal E’s hidden inside the Disaster Relief Tower are sealed extremely tightly, with layers of protections.”

“The ritual site is linked by karmic cause to the Tower. Now that I’ve taken them out here during the ritual, it’s just a matter of ‘relocating’ them. They’re still functioning within the Tower’s system.”

Cen Ling conveniently left out how he had “borrowed” them but otherwise explained casually.

“It’s the same logic as surgery—when doctors temporarily move organs during an operation, they still keep working normally.”

This way, the Shrine of All E’s would show no anomalies, and the Underworld wouldn’t raise any alarms.

Besides, the “God of Calamity” himself had created cover via karmic pollution, which meant that even if an Immortal E got damaged or a seal was disturbed, the impact on the Underworld would be minimized.

As long as his people didn’t leave the ritual site and trigger spell failure, the Underworld would not react in time.

That said, there was no need for him to tell Uncle Hou all of this.

At present, Uncle Hou only thought they were trying to steal a few Immortal E to pull some tricks on the side, not realizing this was an all-out “rebellion”.

Cen Ling stepped back two paces and quickly tallied the Immortal E’s in his mind.

The most powerful relics needed to be bound to their first recipients. But there were over a million Immortal E’s in the Tower, and the Guishan Sect didn’t have nearly that many people.

Once the second wave arrived, the less critical relics could be packed in spatial pouches and smuggled out in batches—

The key to the whole plan was catching the underworld off guard and sweeping the Tower clean in one go. If even one person left early and alerted the Underworld, the whole thing would fall apart.

Cen Ling took a deep breath and softly chanted, “Return.”

…That was why he memorized the life histories of all the Guishan Sect believers and selected only the most devout and powerful.

His family would never betray the glory of their Divine Sect.

……

“We have to help them,” Fang Xiu said seriously, hands braced on the windowsill as he gazed down at the busy courtyard full of Guishan Sect followers.

“Help?” Bai Shuangying looked down at the cultists with disdain.

He had no affection left for humanity. If Fang Xiu hadn’t stopped him, he wouldn’t have minded squashing these mortals into meatballs and rolling them down the hallway for fun.

Besides, with the ritual site cut off from the Underworld, he didn’t understand why Fang Xiu hadn’t just let him start killing.

“Of course we’re going to help. It’s not every day someone pulls all the Immortal E’s out into the open.”

Fang Xiu kept staring down at them, smiling without warmth. “And you—don’t touch your seal just yet. In fact, you should amplify your karmic pollution.”

Looking at his expression, Bai Shuangying could tell his human was up to something again.

Bai Shuangying: “The Guishan Sect is still linked to the ‘God of Xushan’ by karmic pollution. If I amplify it, the Underworld will completely forget about me. That’s basically handing over my identity as the ‘God of Xushan’.”

“Relax. I have a plan,” Fang Xiu said confidently.

Bai Shuangying sighed. It looked like he wouldn’t get to feast on yin energy from the Tower again. Still, if Fang Xiu insisted…

He raised a hand. Pollution surged through the partially broken chains, dyeing the faint karmic threads pitch black.

The side effect hit immediately. The energy that had been steadily feeding into him stopped almost entirely. Hunger returned in full force, clawing through his body.

Bai Shuangying was just about to sigh again when Fang Xiu suddenly darted forward, practically diving into his arms.

“Hungry?” Fang Xiu grinned. “We’ve got work to do. You can’t fight on an empty stomach.”

With that, he wrapped his arms around Bai Shuangying’s waist and yanked him into the room. Fang Xiu kicked the door shut behind them.

Bai Shuangying was about to say something, but Fang Xiu kissed him instead.

His arms hugged Bai Shuangying tightly, fingers weaving into that cool, silky hair. Before Bai Shuangying could even ready his forked tongue, Fang Xiu’s slipped past his lips.

Bai Shuangying knew lovers often fed each other, but he had never been fed this fiercely before.

He placed a hand on Fang Xiu’s nape and deepened the kiss without hesitation. Fang Xiu’s essence tasted just as delicious as always; no surprise there. He was, after all, the “Fang Xiu E” in both body and soul, saturated in karmic weight.

In theory, the more aroused Fang Xiu became, the richer and sweeter the essence.

But this time, Bai Shuangying noticed a strange undertone beneath the sweetness.

Beneath the heat and affection was something faintly bitter. The taste had more depth, but it didn’t sit well with Bai Shuangying.

Because he realized Fang Xiu was trembling slightly. He still wore that calm, confident expression, but the way he clung to Bai Shuangying, the way his fingers trembled in his hair, told another story.

As if he feared Bai Shuangying would vanish.

Instinctively, Bai Shuangying softened the kiss. Ever since he began analyzing Fang Xiu’s every action, his thoughts had never stopped.

…What had Fang Xiu’s original plan been?

…If he’d never met Bai Shuangying, never encountered the Corner of Heaven’s Will—how would he have ended the eighth ritual?

…Even if he succeeded, even if he made his physical body into the strongest “E” ever created—what then? Would his soul be traded to the Underworld, trapped in the Shrine of All E’s forever?

If they had never met, and Fang Xiu had become part of the karmic chain, then his human would have been the one to bury him in the end.

They would have gone to ruin together.

Bai Shuangying suddenly broke the kiss, cupped Fang Xiu’s flushed face in both hands, and stared into his eyes.

“Don’t be afraid,” he said solemnly. “Every cause has its effect.”

“I won’t blame you for your original plan, and you don’t need to dwell on what didn’t happen. In the mortal world, only what comes to pass counts. That is the way of Heaven.”

Fang Xiu’s lips were swollen from the kiss.

He looked at the white eyes of his ghost and tried to smile habitually but failed.

“I’m just… a little nervous,” he admitted. “It only counts once the dust settles. And the dust hasn’t settled yet.”

No matter how many times he rehearsed the plan, execution always felt different.

Bai Shuangying’s brow twitched. He squeezed Fang Xiu’s cheeks gently. His human really was fascinating—so tough, yet so tender. There were so many layers to his flavor.

“Why?” Bai Shuangying asked, confused. “Aren’t I right here with you?”

“You just do your part. Even if the mortal world burns, I’ll help you slaughter the Guishan Sect. If the gods come after you, we’ll take them too. Unless…”

He faltered.

“…Unless you want to separate from me now. That I won’t allow.”

Fang Xiu stared at him in silence for a long time.

Then he let out a heavy sigh and buried his face into Bai Shuangying’s chest.

“Do you know something?” Fang Xiu mumbled. “I really like you. It’s kind of amazing. I didn’t know I could like anyone this much.”

“Mm.” Bai Shuangying found it perfectly reasonable.

“…” Fang Xiu’s face twitched, as if he was holding back a laugh, grumbled, “You’re supposed to say, ‘I like you too,’ at a time like this.”

Bai Shuangying was startled. “Of course I like you. Why else would I be here?”

“I liked that little porcelain idol for a whole century. With you, it’ll be at least a thousand years.”

Now Fang Xiu blushed slightly. “Just say ‘I like you too.’ That sounded a little intense.”

But he didn’t give Bai Shuangying another chance to speak. He raised his face and kissed him again, so fiercely and affectionately that the earlier bitterness was gone, replaced by sweetness thick as honey.

…….

“Song Ge! A monster! A crow’s carrying a red rat!”

“You’re the red rat.”

“Weren’t you two going to find a base—”

At the sound of the others arriving, Fang Xiu pulled away. He quickly tidied up his clothes and opened the door. “If they’d stayed a second longer, Cen Ling would’ve killed them.”

Bai Shuangying hadn’t eaten his fill, but he grudgingly followed. This was no time to indulge.

Outside stood six mortals, all familiar faces from earlier.

Song Zheng nodded politely. Xiao Li waved. Xiao Tian beamed. “I’m so glad to see you two again. This is exactly what I needed!”

Lu Yang nodded wildly beside her. Fang Xiu wasn’t sure they were excited for the same reason.

As expected, the non-cultists took it relatively calmly. The same couldn’t be said for the other two—

Before Jiao Jiao could speak, Yan Yan exploded.

“Dude, if you need help, we’re happy to lend a hand. A little danger for a friend, whatever.”

“But this—this is like repaying a peach with a nuclear warhead! Damn, there are Immortal E’s everywhere out there!”

His voice kept rising. He was practically squeaking in fox-voice already.

Fang Xiu didn’t reply right away. He looked at Bai Shuangying instead.

“Another group of mortals has entered,” Bai Shuangying said. “Over a hundred this time, just as you predicted. Probably here to carry the loot.”

“Any of them traveling in pairs? Draw them over. Quietly. Don’t alert the rest.”

Bai Shuangying brushed the karmic threads.

In less than five minutes, two cultists wandered toward them, appearing to have lost their way. Song Zheng’s Murder-Intent Seismoscope flared. Xiao Li leapt forward and broke their illusion spells in one swift move.

“Nice,” Song Zheng, not knowing the truth, praised Bai Shuangying.

Fang Xiu smiled at Yan Yan and approached the stunned cultists. They clutched their jade pendants, activating their defense charms.

“It’s no use. You have violated a taboo.”

Fang Xiu’s voice was calm and gentle, like a hospital nurse.

“The first taboo: I will repay all Guishan Sect followers in kind.”

He raised a finger and curled it downward.

In the next instant, blood bloomed.

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The author has something to say:

The cats are going on a killing spree.jpg

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 166: Successful Rendezvous

Cen Ling made his way toward the hospital courtyard.

The central courtyard was a scenic rest area for patients and staff. It was beautifully maintained, but open on all sides, with no cover. Clearly it wasn’t ideal as a base of operations.

“This place is perfect,” Cen Ling said.

Yan Yan couldn’t help shooting him a look that screamed “are you nuts?”. Did he want to stand under a spotlight? Why pick the most conspicuous location possible?

Jiao Jiao quietly played with her tarot cards without saying a word.

Uncle Hou wasn’t in a rush either. With his hands behind his back, he asked, “So how are you planning to set up this base?”

“Truth be told, I’ve got a skill called ‘Beans into Soldiers’, It’s a special ability awarded by the Underworld, usable only once across all eight rituals,” Cen Ling explained patiently, as if it were totally normal. “Once I cast it, I’ll summon a decent fighting force. A place like this gives the best deployment range.”

Uncle Hou bit down on a cigarette and hummed meaningfully.

Yan Yan couldn’t make sense of it. If Cen Ling had a trump card like that, why wasn’t he using it to hunt down Fang Xiu? Or did the ability have a time limit? If so, placing a base in a wide-open and hard-to-defend spot was like cooking dumplings just for the dipping sauce.

He watched as Cen Ling pulled out a handful of jade beads and hurled them onto the ground.

As soon as they landed, a thick, greenish mist billowed up. It smelled both foul and strangely sweet, the color clinging to the eyes, blurring everything beyond half a meter.

Not good.

His beast instinct caused every hair on Yan Yan’s body to stand up.

The moment the smoke rose, his pupils contracted into slits, taking on a bestial shape. He grabbed Jiao Jiao by the arm and leapt toward a thicket, narrowly dodging a gleam of cold light.

This wretched smoke had blinded his sharp senses and dulled his movement. He couldn’t afford a drawn-out fight.

There was no time to question anything else. Still clutching Jiao Jiao, he raced toward where he remembered Uncle Hou had been. If anyone here knew how to stay alive, it was that walking arsenal.

Sure enough, as they reached him, Uncle Hou turned the jade bracelet hidden in his sleeve. A swirling jade ring expanded to cover all three of them and blocked a volley of needles from seemingly nowhere.

The needles clinked harmlessly to the ground, tips stained black-green with obvious poison.

“What the hell, Cen Ling?!” Yan Yan growled.

After being backstabbed by the Guishan Sect during a previous ritual, he’d already distrusted Cen Ling. Now he was downright furious.

“That brat chose this spot because the karma threads here are weak. It’s less likely to trigger taboos,” Uncle Hou said leisurely, blowing a smoke ring. “Funny thing, though—‘Beans into Soldiers’ doesn’t summon living people.”

He puffed again, then pulled an old-school pipe from his pocket and took a drag. Instantly, the thick green smoke was sucked into it like greasy vapor under an extractor hood.

As the smoke cleared, not only did the courtyard come into view, but more than twenty living, breathing people had silently appeared.

They looked between their twenties and forties, healthy and dressed in everyday clothes. If not for the identical expressions on their faces, it would’ve been hard to tell they were together.

Even a fool could see they were outnumbered. Yan Yan immediately shut up and edged back.

“Mr. Cen, the first group has arrived.” A middle-aged man stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Cen Ling scanned the group with a warm smile that gave Yan Yan goosebumps.

Then he reached into his pocket and took out a rust-covered iron weight, handing it to the speaker. It gave off a wave of stinging yin energy. It was clearly an Immortal E.

The man thanked him profusely and cradled it in both hands like it was a second heart. Then he began to chant, pulled out a jade pendant from his neck, and smashed it against the weight. A faint wail rose as threads of soul energy wrapped around the object. He sliced his palm and anointed the weight with fresh blood, continuing his incantation.

Meanwhile, Cen Ling had moved on to the next person.

“Sister Li Shanghua, here’s a willow-wood comb. This taboo suits your temperament.”

“Brother Cheng Xin, this is a blood-stained seal stone. Matches your casting style best.”

“……”

In front of the three of them, he handed out the Immortal E’s one by one, by full name, matching items to people with pinpoint precision. Each recipient bowed in deep gratitude and immediately began casting their spell.

The three observers stood by. Uncle Hou remained within the jade ring, watching calmly. Jiao Jiao muttered while handling her tarot deck and herbal pouches. Yan Yan, meanwhile, was already sweating.

Though only half-fox by blood, he was a trueborn spirit. He knew what this meant.

All those pendants worn by the cultists contained living souls they had personally killed. Normally, such souls could be used in rituals or as substitutes for death. But their most important function was to store a “personal” karmic imprint built from killing.

These souls alone, with very little karma, weren’t enough to create an E, but using Immortal E’s to destroy them, and merging with the karmic imprint, gave the Immortal E a unique “signature”. With special techniques, even non-owners could use about eighty percent of an Immortal E’s power.

“That ritual… It’s not something you whip up overnight. It must’ve taken years just to create,” Yan Yan muttered, drenched in cold sweat. “Damn, the Guishan Sect planned this whole thing just to steal the Immortal E’s. They’re not even trying to hide it. We’re gonna get killed as witnesses!”

“Uncle Hou, got anything else? Let’s get out of here.” Yan Yan’s legs went numb. “Come on!”

Uncle Hou finished his cigarette, tossed the butt to the ground, and casually stepped it out. Then he snapped his fingers. The jade ring began to slow and eventually stopped.

Yan Yan waited for him to unleash a new gadget, only for a handful of coarse herbal powder to be slapped onto his face.

“Big sis—ack!”

Before he could turn around, his body rapidly shrank. He’d returned to his red-furred fox form, except he was now the size of a mouse.

It was Jiao Jiao’s magic.

Just as he was adjusting, something yanked at his scruff. A black crow grabbed him and soared toward an open window.

In mere seconds, the jade ring had vanished, the smoke had settled, and only a few feathers remained drifting on the wind—feathers with the same lacy edges as Jiao Jiao’s dress.

“Gotta admit, I can’t compete with the reflexes of the young,” Uncle Hou said with admiration.

He calmly shed his defenses and strolled up to Cen Ling.

“Let’s work together, Mr. Cen. Just having Immortal E’s isn’t enough. I have all kinds of magic weapons and spells. You want someone to muddy the waters or cover your tracks, I’m your man.”

Cen Ling paused mid-distribution. “You’re straightforward.”

“I’m a businessman. I know a golden opportunity when I see one. You laid your cards on the table. I’d be a fool not to act.”

He lit another cigarette.

“Relax. I won’t covet your Immortal E’s. This is a trade, pure and simple.”

Talking to someone smart was always refreshing. Cen Ling was pleased.

Uncle Hou was sharp, and he didn’t trouble himself with pesky things like morals. He’d made a name for himself loan-sharking before entering the Tower and would never pass up a profitable deal.

And the current setup was obvious: by siding with the Guishan Sect, he could ride this ritual to the end. Even if the Underworld later hunted the sect down, all he had to do was say he was forced into it by an Immortal E’s taboo. He’d still get the reward.

And all the Guishan Sect wanted was for this walking armory to not side with Fang Xiu. That alone was enough.

Pity that gothic girl reacted too fast. Otherwise, Uncle Hou wouldn’t have minded tossing two corpses their way.

“I really did mean it when I said this would be a good base,” Cen Ling smiled. “Lend me some scouting items and offensive talismans. Just stay here—my people will keep you safe.”

Uncle Hou blew a perfect smoke ring. “Much obliged.”

……

In the stairwell.

“Fuck! I’ll curse this guy’s ancestors into the next life!”

The miniature fox clutched in crow talons trembled, speaking in a tiny, buzzing voice.

“Is the Underworld full of useless idiots?! Things are falling apart, and they’re doing nothing?!”

“I’ve never seen that many Immortal E’s in one place. Eight hundred taboos all slapped on my face! This is more than the divine law! What the fuck!”

Jiao Jiao flapped her wings and wordlessly turned in mid-air.

“There’s something fishy going on in this ritual. Is the ritual guardian dead or what? Did someone reincarnate and forget to file the paperwork?”

Having nothing to do, the fox curled his tail and continued ranting. “Fang Xiu dragged me into this mess. We’re even now. Next time I see him, I swear I’ll—ow!”

Jiao Jiao made a sharp dive. Her claws yanked on the fox’s neck fluff, nearly yanking tears from his eyes.

They almost crashed into an open skull.

Wait—a literal skull, pried open.

Sniffing instinctively, Yan Yan caught a familiar scent. The group of four, led by Lu Yang, was marching his corpse army through the hall. Spooked by the crow, they turned and locked eyes with Jiao Jiao.

“Song Ge! A monster!” Lu Yang shouted. “A crow’s carrying a red rat!”

Before Song Zheng could react, Jiao Jiao elegantly landed. Her skirts flared, and her heels tapped the floor softly.

She gently blew on the fox and tossed him forward. Reverting to human form midair, Yan Yan nearly collided with Lu Yang.

“You’re the red rat,” he snapped, grabbing Lu Yang by the collar and dragging him back.

Song Zheng blinked. “Weren’t you two going to find a base—”

“If they stayed a minute longer, Cen Ling would’ve killed them.”

Creaaak.

A nearby door opened.

Fang Xiu stepped out with a smile, casually closing the door behind him. At his side stood Bai Shuangying with a frosty expression.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 165: Phase One

The yin energy rippled gently; the spirit-screening formation trembled slightly.

Someone had broken in!

A’Shou noticed the disturbance immediately and checked the formation’s status. The massive array had been tampered with—an additional one-way barrier had been added. In short, cultivators from the outside could still enter, but nothing from within could get out.

The site of the eighth taboo had become a completely sealed room.

This shield had appeared silently, without any signs. It was clearly part of a taboo. Coincidentally, when reviewing past files, A’Shou had just read about this one. She distinctly remembered this “one-way” taboo belonged to an old key-type Immortal E, not the will of the “Fang Xiu E”.

Which meant there was only one suspect—

Cen Ling was currently wandering through the lower levels of the hospital with three others. Hands in his pockets, he wore a casual smile while his fingers moved subtly beneath thick fabric, as if operating something.

In the face of this completely chaotic scene, A’Shou should have panicked. But the thought of Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying wandering around trapped in a “sealed room” made her feel strangely reassured. Keeping those two locked up wasn’t a bad thing. It brought a comforting sense of safety.

To be fair, if the ritual had been managed by some indecisive senior Underworld officer, Cen Ling’s move would’ve been devastating. With abnormal conditions, a communication cut-off, and unknown Immortal E’s involved, any officer would crack.

But she was one of the most powerful ghost immortals in the Underworld.

A’Shou thought for a moment, tore off a piece of paper, picked up a pen, and scribbled a line of text. With a snap of her fingers, the paper turned into a white moth and flew toward Fang Xiu’s hospital room.

If they were going to collaborate, it had to be real collaboration.

At the same time

“They said something about a ‘master’ or a ‘god’. Don’t tell me they meant Fang Xiu?” Lu Yang was briskly leading a procession of corpses toward the basement exit.

“He is good-looking,” Xiao Tian said, “but he still seems like a mortal. He doesn’t have that… you know, divine vibe?”

“Think hard. Do you know any mysterious big bosses?”

Lu Yang was almost in tears. “I don’t have any other friends.”

Thanks to his ability, which became stronger the more corpses there are, plus his lone-wolf nature, most teams had suspected he’d stab them in the back. His survival so far had been thanks to his harmless college-kid vibe and the desperate survival tips Fang Xiu had given him.

Xiao Li: “But it doesn’t make sense for the Underworld to throw a god into a ritual. That’s way too unfair.”

He made an effort to walk ahead of Lu Yang to avoid walking shoulder to shoulder with the zombie army.

“No point overthinking this,” Song Zheng cut in. “Those spirits clearly aren’t hostile. That’s good enough. First priority is finding Fang Xiu. Xiao Tian, can you manage?”

Xiao Tian nodded solemnly.

At the basement entrance, she veered into a duty room and rummaged around until she pulled out a clean glass food container and a pair of sharp metal scissors.

She filled the container with clear water, opened the scissors so one blade pointed toward the hospital entrance, then bit her finger and scrawled a big, wild character for “Fortune” on the table in blood, circling it.

She placed the bowl and scissors in the middle of the blood array, then sucked on her finger. “It’s done.”

Lu Yang: “…”

That looked awfully familiar. His ex used the same method to find her lost cat. Was this really legit?

But Xiao Li and Song Zheng looked completely unfazed, so he swallowed his doubts and watched quietly.

Xiao Tian clearly called Fang Xiu’s name three times toward the scissors. A second later, the scissors slowly lifted, one blade balancing on the water, the other tilting toward a direction.

A few seconds later, it dropped like a dead chicken, going limp.

“Looks like he’s upstairs somewhere. Just a general direction,” Xiao Tian said, wiping away the blood on the table. She put the scissors and bowl back in place.

“Let’s go find Fang Xiu,” Song Zheng declared.

……

“Song Zheng and the others will come looking for me.”

Fang Xiu didn’t leave the hospital room right away. Instead, he picked up a watering can and tended to the green pothos plant by the window.

“They’re a larger group and have a high favorability toward me. They’ll definitely act. Lu Yang knows I’m here, so he’ll be the first to look for me… Odds are the four of them will team up.”

Water moistened the leaves, making the plant look vibrant and lush.

“Jiao Jiao and Yan Yan aren’t particularly strong in combat. Jiao Jiao will be curious about my goals and will proceed cautiously, most likely teaming up with the other two to find a base.”

“As for that base…” Fang Xiu chuckled. “I wonder how A’Shou is feeling right now.”

All the vengeful spirits in the room stayed silent, their eyes following Fang Xiu wherever he moved. The little black dog sniffed around the small hospital room. Cheng Songyun and Guan He were silently inspecting everything, especially the person on the bed.

Seeing a lively, powerful person now so weak and pale was jarring. Looking at the unconscious Fang Xiu, skin waxy and barely breathing, made it hard to focus on anything else.

Bai Shuangying, on the other hand, was quite entertained. He didn’t understand mortals, but he liked watching Fang Xiu manipulate them.

As for the physical body—well, the Underworld’s craftsmanship wasn’t bad. If need be, he could always grab a dozen new ones for Fang Xiu.

“What does finding a base have to do with that ghost immortal?” Bai Shuangying asked curiously.

Fang Xiu smiled at his ghost. “You’ll see soon.”

Barely thirty seconds later, a folded paper moth tapped against the window. Fang Xiu cracked the window open, and it fluttered inside.

He quickly read the message. “See? She noticed.”

Bai Shuangying stroked his chin and closed his eyes to sense the intruders. In almost no time, he detected the cultivators sneaking into the ritual space—a group of mortals slipping right through the formation. The Underworld’s reputation was in shambles.

Wait a second. Cen Ling could steal Immortal E’s from the Shrine of All E’s. Maybe this intrusion was the work of one too.

Immortal E’s…

A spark of clarity hit Bai Shuangying.

“Once this ritual ends, Cen Ling will leave the Tower. He won’t get another chance to smuggle out Immortal E’s like this.”

He tried to keep pace with Fang Xiu’s thinking. “So he’s using this moment to get his people in and smuggle them out.”

“Once they each get one, they’re basically holding divine weapons. That’s quite dangerous.”

Fang Xiu crumpled the note and tossed it in the trash. “Exactly. Once he distributes the goods, Cen Ling can safely finish the ritual. By the time the Underworld catches on, they’ll already be long gone.”

“And with the Shrine of All E’s suddenly emptied, the ritual Tower’s sealing power plummets. The enraged Corner of Heaven’s Will will descend, and the Underworld will be too busy cleaning up the mess to care about the stolen Immortal E’s.”

Bai Shuangying, who wasn’t particularly enraged: “…Hmm.”

If he just refused to finish the sealing and stayed here enjoying the show, wouldn’t Cen Ling be in trouble?

Wait. There’s a catch.

Cen Ling wouldn’t let his allies escape before the sealing was done. If they fled with the powerful relics and he died mid-ritual, that’d be a hilarious ending.

…And the one relic they had to seal together was called “Fang Xiu”.

At this moment, the final safeguard to the Guishan Sect’s victory, the core figure of the ritual, was leaning against the window, smiling ever wider.

“Isn’t this perfect?” Fang Xiu rested his face on his palm, gazing out at the white mist. “Everyone sent to claim an Immortal E must be a key figure from the sect.”

“I can’t wait.”

As he spoke, he pulled out Mei Lan’s silk scarf and tied it around his wrist.

Bai Shuangying keenly noticed that when Fang Xiu moved, a corner of a familiar book peeked out of his pocket—for some reason, he had brought the Immortal Encounter E with him.

……

Song Zheng’s group returned to the first floor. As soon as they set foot on solid ground, the Murder-Intent Seismoscope in his hand erupted with static. Strangely, the killing intent was coming from all directions.

“Enemy ambush!” Song Zheng called out.

Lu Yang jolted to attention. A dozen corpses quickly spread out, forming a protective ring around them. They opened their mouths and sprayed foul, yellow corpse mist in all directions.

“Huh?” Lu Yang frowned. “I’m sensing suitable material.”

Seeing his teammates’ confused expressions, he quickly rephrased. “I mean, I smell living humans. If they touch the corpse mist, I can track them.”

Song Zheng asked gravely, “How many?”

“Five or six just now. All ran off. But wait, there shouldn’t be this many people here… and they’re hiding.”

Lu Yang shivered.

How could there be so many people? Extra living people were scarier than ghosts in a place like this.

“Killing intent from living people?” Song Zheng clicked his tongue and grabbed Lu Yang’s robe. “No more sightseeing. We’re finding Fang Xiu. Something’s off.”

“Shouldn’t we warn the others?” Lu Yang nearly tripped from the tug.

“They’re Disaster Resolvers, not daycare kids waiting for their parents to pick them up.”

Xiao Li ran up the stairs with Song Zheng. “Let’s find Fang Xiu. This whole thing’s his setup. He knows what’s going on.”

The corpses split into two groups. The swift ones cleared the path, while the slower ones brought up the rear. Xiao Tian sprinted ahead, out of breath, trusting her instincts at every fork in the corridor.

Behind them, a few muffled coughs echoed through the corpse mist.

“Don’t chase them? That team’s trouble.”

“No need. Ignore the irrelevant ones. Find Mr. Cen first. The leader ordered us to help him complete the ritual before sunset.”

“Once we get the Immortal E’s, the rest of them are just ants.”

“And if there are others near Cen Ling?”

“Kill them all.”

Swish.

In a shadowy corner of the first floor, Jiao Jiao quietly drew a tarot card.

“Hmm~”

She toyed with the upright Death card and clicked her tongue.

“…The fun’s about to begin.”

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The author has something to say:

Of course Xiao Tian’s cat-finding method works for finding two cats (?

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