Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 164: Outside the Ritual

The eight people present instinctively held their breath, waiting for the knocking to stop. The sound came from every door, making it impossible to determine a specific source.

“…A taboo,” Xiao Tian whispered.

Song Zheng nodded in agreement. His Murder-Intent Seismoscope still showed no reaction, clearly indicating that this wasn’t the work of vengeful spirits.

Lu Yang pulled his cloak tighter. “What do we do? Even if Fang Xiu’s not here, we should form a team first.”

Since the Fierce Wind E, he’d been lucky enough to survive a few rituals and was no longer that clueless, clear-eyed college student. The hospital was massive and complex. It was definitely not a place for solo exploration. Sticking together and finding a base was basic survival sense.

“I think so too, though picking a leader is tough,” Cen Ling added casually, showing no fear at all. “Why don’t we settle on a base first and decide the leader once we find Fang Xiu?”

Lu Yang found that reasonable.

“Ah, we’ve got the numbers. Let’s head off on our own first,” Xiao Tian said, raising her hand. “It’s still daylight, perfect time to look for people.”

Lu Yang: “!”

He preferred finding Fang Xiu over setting up a base. After participating in later rituals, Lu Yang had only one thought: during the Fierce Wind Calamity, Fang Xiu had bought him months of time. Calling him a lifesaver wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Plus, these three seemed friendly. They didn’t have Uncle Hou’s “streetwise” pressure or the strange aura of Jiao Jiao and Yan Yan. Just looking at them made him feel safe.

“I’ll go with them. I was heading to the morgue anyway,” Lu Yang quickly said.

Uncle Hou’s face twitched, but he said nothing.

Jiao Jiao glanced at Uncle Hou and Cen Ling, her eyes flashing. She rubbed the cards in her hand. “Oh? Then it’s just right—four and four. You four go find Fang Xiu, and we’ll establish a base.”

……

Once the groups split, Song Zheng finally exhaled deeply. Even though they were surrounded by wide-open doors in a creepy hospital, he seemed visibly more at ease.

“While there’s still light out, we’ll help you find the morgue first,” Song Zheng said to Lu Yang. “I heard you can control corpses? Corpses are dead things. The spirit screening won’t block them.”

Lu Yang nodded gratefully. “Thanks. Oh, and be careful, everyone. Places like morgues might have taboos. If it gets dangerous, I’ll go in alone.”

He raised his fists with a serious look on his face.

Xiao Li and Xiao Tian exchanged a glance. The guy wasn’t too smart, but he wasn’t dumb either. Honest, even. Given how much he respected Fang Xiu, it was obvious Fang Xiu had helped him at some point.

According to the signs, the morgue was in the basement.

While the sun was still up, the group followed the stairs down. Fortunately, the hospital lighting was still good. The halls were spotless, corners decorated with potted plants, and pastel-colored instructional posters covered the walls. It didn’t look so scary.

Lu Yang grew bolder and moved to the front. He stretched his hand forward as he walked, cautiously glancing side to side.

“Looks like the enemies are among the other four,” Xiao Tian said quietly as she lagged behind the others with her companions.

Everyone here seemed to know Fang Xiu. Based on what they knew about him, the team was likely handpicked by him.

They knew his temperament. Fang Xiu wasn’t some saint. He wouldn’t go through the effort of negotiating with the Underworld just to help people out of the goodness of his heart. Even if he suddenly turned angelic, he wouldn’t have hidden himself right from the start.

The trio agreed that among the eight, someone was clearly Fang Xiu’s target.

They, the ones who held goodwill toward him, were more like “insurance”—even if they couldn’t help, they wouldn’t harm him and could occupy potential traitor slots.

“Uncle Hou… doesn’t seem too likely,” Xiao Li muttered. “Fang Xiu doesn’t like him, but their grudge isn’t that deep. Uncle Hou knows how capable Fang Xiu is, and he’s too crafty to pick a fight straight away.”

Song Zheng mused, “The other three clearly know their metaphysics. The danger’s probably there.”

“I heard they’ve got some private forum. We regular folks can’t even access it,” Xiao Tian sighed. “Anyway, I’m betting on Cen Ling.”

Xiao Li and Song Zheng both looked over.

“Jiao Jiao and Yan Yan outfits has that kinda of… Er, how should I put it… a kind of aura? I doubt Fang Xiu would have some deep personal feud with people like that. And Cen Ling—he’s handsome, but I feel nothing. That’s suspicious.”

Xiao Li: “…”

He snorted. “What about Yan Yan? He’s not bad-looking either. Didn’t see you react to him.”

Xiao Tian replied, “Yeah, I don’t dislike him. But being near him makes my nose itch.”

“Huh? I thought you were only allergic to dog hair?” Xiao Li asked, seemingly confused.

“That’s not the point. The point is I don’t dislike him.”

“Alright, alright,” Song Zheng cut in before the tangent got worse. “My gut says we shouldn’t be with those guys. For now, let’s just stay on track.”

“When we find Fang Xiu, we’ll ask him directly.”

As the mushroom trio whispered among themselves, the group continued deeper into the hospital.

The basement lights dimmed and the informational posters disappeared. Only the black letters of the [MORGUE →] signs remained as guides.

“It’s way too clean down here,” Lu Yang muttered in amazement. “Normally, even if there aren’t ghosts, there should be some lingering spirits. But there’s not even a fly.”

At first, the normality was reassuring. But in a place like this, being too normal was unnerving.

Lu Yang slowed further. Nearing the morgue entrance, he practically crawled forward. Song Zheng held up the seismometer; Xiao Li moved into position for backup.

“Ah crap!” Lu Yang gasped at the morgue door, barely keeping his voice down.

Turns out, that knocking had opened more than just “doors”.

Every corpse drawer had been pulled open. The cold metal plates blocked their view of the contents, and no bodies were visible. However, drawers with bodies had neatly placed flower wreaths on them making them easy to distinguish.

The corpses weren’t exactly quiet. Several emitted faint, ragged breathing sounds, as if struggling in pain. Beyond that, everything remained disturbingly normal.

Lu Yang stopped at one drawer and clasped his hands together to offer a respectful bow.

“I’d like to borrow your body. I promise I’ll return it after the ritual. If you’re unwilling, please give me a sign—ahhhhh!”

A head suddenly rose from the top of the drawer.

It was a middle-aged man’s head, smashed flat on one side. His face was crushed like a rubber mask that was stepped on. His eyes opened, murky and expressionless, and locked onto Lu Yang.

“Who… are you?” it asked, voice slurred and breath rancid. If Lu Yang weren’t used to corpse stench, he’d have puked right there.

The room was already cold, but the temperature dropped even more.

Xiao Tian swiftly drew her hairpin. Xiao Li’s hand went to his pocket. Only Song Zheng still stared at the seismometer—since entering the hospital, this thing had no reaction. He was beginning to doubt it even worked.

“I’m Lu Yang,” Lu Yang replied stiffly.

He knew giving his real name was risky, but lying to a spirit face-to-face was worse.

“Lu Yang. Lu Yang controls corpses.”

The spirit repeated his name, scanning him up and down.

“…Lu Yang, not enemy.” 

“You can use the body.”

All four froze. “???”

What kind of spirit was this? Why was it so cooperative?

“Everyone, back down.”

The spirit twisted its head with an awful crunch, calling to its neighbors. “He’s that person’s friend.”

With a chorus of unsettling movements, nearly every wreath-marked drawer produced a head. Twelve in total, young and old, all turned to stare at the stunned Lu Yang.

“Use carefully. Return after.” The flattened-faced corpse warned, “We still need cremation. If damaged, families will be sad.”

Lu Yang: “Okay. Got it.”

Why were they all being so polite?

He couldn’t help but ask nervously, “If—just if—I accidentally damage your bodies… what’ll happen to me?”

That head fell silent for over ten seconds. Though its face was warped, Lu Yang still saw a very meaningful look in those cloudy eyes.

“We will find you,” it said clearly. “You will pay monetary compensation—a lot.”

“If you refuse, that’s corpse desecration. A criminal offense.”

Lu Yang: “…”

That… was very realistic.

And to a college student who hadn’t entered society yet, criminal law violations were terrifying.

Xiao Tian honed in on a key point. “You said ‘that person’s’ friend? Who’s that?”

The head slowly turned toward her. Decaying flesh twitched until a crooked smile formed.

“The master here. Our god.”

“The real monster.”

“You’ll understand.”

……

Taiyi City First People’s Hospital, Gui Province.

A middle-aged man walked briskly toward the hospital building, hands in his pockets. Halfway there, he paused and looked toward the hospital entrance, frowning.

Several people loitered nearby. Most looked healthy, not like patients, and they kept exchanging glances at a high frequency. They hovered near the entrance like they were debating going in.

…Some of them even looked familiar.

“Lao Yuan, you’re early today.”

The voice pulled his attention back. A middle-aged nurse passed by, nodding in greeting.

“Xiao Cai,” Officer Yuan replied with a nod.

Nurse Cai: “Came for a check-up, or…?”

“Here to visit Fang Xiu,” Yuan Ye said. “Work’s been busy lately so I didn’t have time in the evenings.”

Nurse Cai sighed gently. “If you’re that busy, you really don’t have to come every day. Xiao Fang’s condition is stable. We’re all taking good care of him.”

“…It’s not that I don’t trust you.” Yuan Ye smiled, fine lines creasing his face. “It’s like coming home. I’m used to it.”

Nurse Cai’s gaze grew complicated. “Alright. I was heading that way too. Let’s go together.”

Before leaving, Officer Yuan glanced once more at the suspicious group outside the hospital. He suddenly remembered: one of them—at least one—had been involved with the Guishan Sect. They’d been released for lack of evidence.

…What were they doing here?

Then, their actions answered his question.

Yuan Ye’s vision blurred. When it cleared, a few of those people had vanished, right in front of him. They walked toward the hospital and disappeared into thin air.

…Something was wrong.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 163: His Invitation

Looking at the “Fang Xiu” lying silently in the hospital bed, A’Shou suddenly realized she had completely misjudged the situation.

Fang Xiu was an E.

To be precise, Fang Xiu’s body was an E.

No wonder his knocking had no trace of magic yet could suppress other E’s. That was simply his own taboo.

A’Shou bit her thumbnail.

It all made sense now.

Fang Xiu wasn’t dead. Even if his living soul couldn’t return to his body, it was still karmically connected to it. Every time he killed a criminal in the Underworld or destroyed an E, the karma generated fed back into his flesh.

Using a damaged human body to form an E… since the founding of the Underworld, this was utterly unprecedented.

A’Shou had long known that the human world had cases of “deep comas” or “vegetative states”.

In her time, such people wouldn’t have lived a day. Even now, they could only survive with life support machines and meticulous care, costing enormous sums.

Theoretically, these soulless bodies could indeed be considered “objects”.

But no sane person would connect them with “E’s”. Typically, the deeply resentful dead became vengeful ghosts, and at most their corpses were used as materials in dark rituals.

And so, Fang Xiu’s soul was summoned to the Underworld, and no one noticed anything was wrong.

A’Shou had carefully reviewed the ghost envoy’s report afterward. It simply stated Fang Xiu was in a coma in a hospital and required no escort from the Underworld. That alone showed that although his soul had left, he still maintained some control over his body. He had hidden his condition extraordinarily well.

In the end, that kid had precisely exploited a loophole in the Heavenly Law, creating an E that had self-awareness and could consciously grow stronger.

No matter how she looked at it, the words “meticulously premeditated” were written all over this.

If anyone told her that Fang Xiu entering the Disaster Relief Tower was a coincidence, she wouldn’t believe it for a second.

But how had Fang Xiu known he would be chosen by the Tower?

“You understand why my karmic chains were breaking.” Bai Shuangying’s sudden statement shook A’Shou from her thoughts.

He poked the lifeless Fang Xiu in the bed again. “Humans become immortals through merit. Ghosts become immortals by cultivating an E. I am half-divine, half-demonic, so I guess I walk the ghost-immortal path.”

“The chains broke simply because I was unconsciously refining an E, growing stronger.”

Like a beast once restrained by chains. The immortals had struggled to seal him, the karmic chains barely held. But his power had shifted—even a slight increase was enough to loosen the seal.

Bai Shuangying was amazed to find the world far more interesting than he’d imagined. Even he didn’t know what would happen if he refined Fang Xiu into a full-fledged Immortal E.

Fang Xiu scratched his head awkwardly, glancing around as if searching for the hidden A’Shou.

“Honestly, my original goal was to become the most powerful seal in the Disaster Relief Tower,” he said, surprisingly frank.

“If I succeeded, I could have… Never mind, talking about it is meaningless now. I’ll never seal you.”

As expected of his human. Bai Shuangying nodded in approval.

…Was this really a casual conversation topic?!

In the shadows, A’Shou almost spat blood.

It was already nearly impossible to restrain a Corner of Heaven’s Will. The only reason they hadn’t turned the world upside down was because they were usually simple-minded and distant from humanity. But now, the Guishan Sect had forced out a Bai Shuangying who could think.

Not only had he returned at full strength, but he was now refining an E into immortality.

And the E he was refining was full of wild ideas.

A’Shou swallowed two more heart-calming pills and reached out to contact Dian’er. However, as her hand extended halfway, it stopped.

…No. Stay calm. The situation was abnormal, but not urgent.

Fang Xiu had only completed about one full ritual cycle.

True, he had killed a fair number of heinous criminals, collecting eight trigrams. A’Shou could roughly estimate how much karma he’d built.

The “Fang Xiu E” was powerful, but not enough to threaten the Underworld.

Bai Shuangying hadn’t fully broken his seal. Even if he was refining this kind of E, his power hadn’t grown explosively. And they were still within a screened realm. No innocent mortals could be harmed.

After wrestling with herself, A’Shou’s instincts as a battlefield veteran won out. She lowered her hand and kept watching.

……

Inside the ward, Cheng Songyun and Guan He were speechless.

Real? Tragic? Bizarre? They didn’t know how to describe what lay before them.

Fang Xiu’s condition was far worse than they had imagined, by countless degrees. Anyone looking at the hospital bed could see there was no hope of recovery.

“The E for this ritual is here. You can treat this room as your base,” Fang Xiu said brightly, as if the person in the bed were a stranger.

“You don’t have to worry about taboo restrictions. Do as you like. I only have one request—”

“You two, survive.” He waved his hand, summoning the little black dog.

The dog sniffed the unfamiliar world in shock, sending the surrounding vengeful spirits scuttling to the ceiling in a panic.

Thankfully, the dog had no interest in them. It settled by the bedside, black-bean eyes shifting between Fang Xiu and the body on the bed.

“Go follow Cheng Jie and Xiao Guan. Don’t mind me,” Fang Xiu said softly.

“Woof!” The black dog wagged its tail vigorously, nudging the body in the bed with its nose.

Guan He pressed his lips together, a realization slowly forming. “Fang Ge, you said there’s no need to worry about taboos… Does that mean…”

“Yeah, I’m the E here,” Fang Xiu replied conversationally, like he was just talking about a part-time job.

“My case is a little unusual. You can just think of it as me as if I’m a spirit.”

Cheng Songyun and Guan He: “…”

Guan He slowly closed his mouth and swallowed the ten thousand questions in his throat.

It all sounded insane, but since it came from Fang Xiu, maybe believing it was fine.

Still, if Fang Xiu was the E, didn’t that make this area completely safe for them? …Then why did he insist they survive?

As Guan He looked at him in confusion, Fang Xiu’s smile slowly faded. He raised his right hand.

He knocked three times into the air, gently.

A short while earlier, in the hospital lobby.

“Eh? A hospital? Such a classic setting?”

One of the mushroom trio, Xiao Tian, was amazed. “We’ve never had a hospital before, have we? Wow, this place looks so modern. Is there really an E here?”

She looked much better than before. Her hair was pinned up with an eye-catching coral hairpin.

Xiao Li muttered, “It’s definitely creepy. There’s not a soul in sight.”

“Alright, enough chatter. This one won’t be easy,” Song Zheng warned his two young teammates.

He cautiously activated his “Murder-Intent Seismoscope”. After several checks, he still couldn’t detect any murderous intent nearby—the place was too clean, which made it all the more eerie.

“There’s a familiar smell…”

Elsewhere, Yan Yan shuffled carefully along the floor like it was scalding hot. “So strange. I know I’ve smelled this before… But where?”

He sniffed again, but the disinfectant smell was too overpowering. Reluctant to take beast form, he gave up.

Beside him, Jiao Jiao was quietly observing their surroundings.

This ritual was unusual. The paper figure hadn’t given them any background, but just a dry list of participants.

Song Zheng, Xiao Tian, Xiao Li. A trio she didn’t know well, likely newly promoted Disaster Resolvers. They seemed decent, not like members of some cult.

In a corner crouched a college student, cloaked in a filthy dark robe, faintly reeking of corpses. Unfortunately, that sinister attire couldn’t hide his youthful face.

A young loner, Lu Yang.

Jiao Jiao had never heard of him among the Disaster Resolvers.

Near Lu Yang stood a thin, scholarly man in a suit.

He looked older than the others, with a natural smile and a glass prosthetic eye. His large earlobes were hard to miss.

This one Jiao Jiao recognized: “Uncle Hou”, a survivor of the Huanxi E ritual. He was famous for having tons of gear and doing business with many.

Currently, Uncle Hou was eyeing the student with keen interest, clearly sizing up a new customer.

And the final participant…

Cen Ling entered the hospital with a smile, also alone. Xiao Tian turned hopefully toward the new arrival, only to see a stranger’s face.

“I thought Fang Xiu was in this one?” she frowned.

Xiao Li: “That guy’s pretty handsome though.”

Xiao Tian rolled her eyes. “So what? I don’t just go by looks. That guy…”

Her brow twitched. She lowered her voice. “That guy gives me a really bad feeling. Stay away from him later.”

Hearing this from their luck-boosted teammate, Xiao Li instantly sobered up and nodded seriously.

An awkward silence fell over the lobby. Everyone glanced around, searching for a red figure, but after several minutes, no one else arrived.

“Looks like the ritual already started,” Uncle Hou said, lighting a cigarette and blowing a smoke ring. “Brother Fang Xiu jumped the gun.”

As soon as he said that, Lu Yang deflated like a balloon. He tugged his hood down lower and sighed quietly.

Yan Yan: “You’re all looking for him too? Ow, Jiao Jiao, why’d you step on me?”

Song Zheng said nothing. He stepped forward slightly, shielding Xiao Tian and Xiao Li behind him.

“How convenient. Seems everyone knows ‘Fang Xiu’.”

Cen Ling gave his signature bright smile. “Must be karma at work.”

He walked past the mushroom trio and the Jiao-Yan duo, heading straight for Lu Yang.

“Want to go find Fang Xiu together? He helped me out too.”

Lu Yang’s eyes lit up. “You said too? You know me?”

“Yeah, I heard you’re good at controlling corpses.”

Cen Ling patted him on the shoulder, acting just like another college student. “Neither of us has a team, and we’re the same age. Want to team up?”

“We could…”

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

A knocking sound drowned out Cen Ling’s words. Everyone turned their heads, trying to locate the source.

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

They realized that every door in the hospital—grand double doors, isolated metal doors, even small supply closets—was knocking in perfect unison, as if countless invisible hands were rapping from within.

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

Creak.

Every door within sight… opened.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 162: In the Hospital Bed

First People’s Hospital, Taiyi City, Gui Province.

This was the top Class-A hospital in the entire province, with a national reputation and an unending stream of patients. It was a logistical nightmare to use a hospital like this as a ritual site.

Next to A’Shou, the ritual records she had been sorting through had piled into a mountain, threatening to bury her. She sat upright at the desk, her pen tapping steadily in the inkstone.

Normally, when the Underworld needed to requisition a site, it would inform the living side with excuses like “unexpected incident” or “maintenance closure”, temporarily barring human entry.

But hospitals were a special case. Disrupting treatment procedures was out of the question, and many patients could not be relocated casually. If they cleared the site with brute force, there was no way the living world would accept it.

It was giving her a headache.

“W-why would there be an E there?”

Dian’er stood to the side, visibly shaken. “The yin energy is already heavy enough. If an E shows up too, the number of spirits it would attract—!”

“And with so many people coming and going, even minor taboos could cause chaos… the mortal world would definitely alert us. It wouldn’t make sense!”

It suspected Fang Xiu had picked a trap-laden location and was using the Underworld as a tool, but it didn’t dare say that aloud.

A’Shou examined the report in front of her and said nothing.

Indeed, in the modern world, people were everywhere. The mortal side’s metaphysics practitioners were no amateurs. If any taboo began to affect a densely populated area, they would report it to the Underworld within a day. If an E had ever been left in the human world, it would’ve been in remote, deserted places.

The best hospital in a major city—this location was too strange… Still, going back on her word now would only make things worse.

A’Shou didn’t answer Dian’er’s question. She circled a few more lines in her report. She had to find a way to establish the ritual site while minimizing disturbance to the mortal world.

“All the participants this time are metaphysical practitioners. Have the ghost envoys set up a spirit-screening array.”

Her voice was soft. “It’s troublesome, yes, but it’s feasible. We’ll just need to alert the local practitioners around the hospital.”

Seeing A’Shou ignore its concerns, Dian’er didn’t press further. Scratching its paper-made head, it tried to act like nothing had happened. “S-spirit-screening array?”

“It filters ‘reality’ into a space where the living and dead overlap. It has range limitations, but one hospital should be manageable.”

A’Shou explained patiently, “Once the array is active, only beings connected to the Underworld and spirits can enter.”

“To explain it to humans, just say ‘a mirrored world’. Young people will get it.”

This was something A’Shou had picked up in her past life as a ghost immortal. Before her assignment to the Disaster Relief Tower, she occasionally used it to minimize civilian casualties when handling powerful spirits in urban settings. Ironically, she had never used it during rituals, which were usually held in remote places.

If this had been any other ghost immortal, they wouldn’t have known what to do.

Was this also fate? She gave a bitter smile.

Speaking of fate…

“Dian’er, bring me the Heart-Stabilizing Elixir. Put the whole cost on my tab.”

As A’Shou drew up the new plan, she gave her orders. “Prepare some for yourself too—it can help resist karmic contamination. I’ve left some letters here. If Fang Xiu and his people attack me, send them out immediately.”

This was expensive, but in the face of a major event, there was no such thing as too much preparation.

The Heart-Stabilizing Elixir was extremely hard to refine and incredibly precious. The Underworld reserved it specifically for treating karmic contamination. Low-ranking ghosts couldn’t even apply for it. A’Shou had once wondered why the Tower treated this stuff as a strategic resource. Now she understood.

Dian’er, trembling, accepted the order and soon returned with a round blood-jade bottle.

A’Shou opened it on the spot and took out a pitch-black pill. The stench was overwhelming. She chewed through its bitter, sticky texture and reopened a record beside her.

[Seductive ghosts are poor at possessing bodies; damage to the flesh and vessel is common.]

[■■ ghosts ■■ possession, ■■ flesh ■■ tool. This is ■■.]

[This ghost’s possession is abnormal; it fuses flesh into a killing tool. This is a taboo.]

…This was from the Huanxi E ritual.

It had been corrupted by Bai Shuangying’s influence, but now she could forcefully read it again. With complete focus, she could just barely discern the original text.

No wonder Fang Xiu’s body had ended up like that during the ritual. “Seductive ghosts are poor at possessing bodies”? More like the Corner of Heaven’s Will had violently descended and wrecked his vessel.

Looks like the elixir worked. It could hold back a karmic surge when it counted.

A’Shou let out a breath and closed the report, tossing it back into the scroll pile. It landed on a slightly older scroll and nearly knocked it off the table. She grabbed that one by instinct and glanced at it.

A ritual report from ten years ago. There was nothing valuable—wait.

The report itself looked fine.

But in the section recording the ritual team, there was an odd blank space. Like two extra indents at the beginning of a paragraph. A’Shou stared at the blank patch over and over but couldn’t detect anything wrong.

Why hadn’t she noticed this before?

She checked several other reports. Most of them had similar empty gaps. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make sense of it.

Maybe it was just a formatting quirk, she thought. These records didn’t feel disjointed. There was no hint of the usual chaotic pollution seen in tampered documents.

Besides, even if Bai Shuangying had casually messed with the reports, his level of karmic distortion wasn’t something ordinary people could comprehend. Maybe she was just getting jumpy after being tricked by Fang Xiu too many times.

She set the thought aside and stood up. “Prepare for the ritual.”

……

The final ritual had arrived.

Fang Xiu walked up to the second floor and caught the familiar scent of hospital disinfectant. The floor was covered in clean PVC tiles, and pale overhead lights reflected in soft pools across the ground.

The familiar double doors of the hospital stood before them. This time, Fang Xiu didn’t bring up the rear with Bai Shuangying. He held his ghost’s hand and was the first to pass through.

The lobby inside was spotless and brightly lit. Automated service machines were running normally, but not a single person was in sight. The entire hospital was steeped in an eerie silence.

Outside the hospital doors, a muddy fog like thick sludge cut off any path of escape.

Before the ritual, Dian’er had explained the spirit-screening array.

This was a “mirrored world”, where unlucky patients and staff wouldn’t be caught up in the mess. But if they damaged the building or equipment, it would still affect the real world.

Just as Fang Xiu expected. Under the pretense of “protecting mortal infrastructure”, A’Shou had requested a large number of spirit weapons and brought them in with full legitimacy.

To maintain fairness, she was observing from the shadows, with no plans to accompany Fang Xiu directly.

It was Bai Shuangying’s first time in a hospital. Everything looked novel to him. After a while, he leaned in and whispered, “The yin energy here is heavy, but the spirits aren’t active.”

Fang Xiu smiled. “It’s a hospital. The living world keeps a close watch. They don’t dare act up.”

Guan He looked around and suddenly had a realization. “Fang Ge, you said you worked as a hospital janitor. Did you work here?”

“That’s right. I know this place like the back of my hand. See that corner? There’s even a convenience store over there.”

Fang Xiu grinned, pointing down a hallway. “But not yet. You guys, follow me for now.”

“We’re not waiting for the others?” Cheng Songyun looked surprised.

They always waited for the group to assemble before starting. Although Cen Ling was on the roster, most of the others were “on their side”.

Fang Xiu shook his head. His smile deepened.

And so, shoulder to shoulder with Bai Shuangying, Fang Xiu led them deeper into the hospital. Elevators, corners, corridors, courtyards… He walked confidently, clearly knowing the place inside and out.

Fang Xiu’s pace was brisk. Guan He could keep up, but the shorter Cheng Songyun had to jog to match him. Despite this being one of the most ghost-infested kinds of places, they hadn’t seen a single spirit.

Under the spirit-screening array, nurse stations were empty, and the wards held no patients. Rows of metal chairs gleamed under the lights. A soft, female voice echoed in the waiting area, announcing appointment numbers.

This place didn’t feel like real life, but more like a game environment loaded with assets but no NPCs.

Maybe there really was a secret organization nearby, Guan He thought. Even if Fang Xiu wasn’t with the authorities, with his skills, he must have had contact with them.

Maybe there was a hidden underground space or a secret door behind one of the walls. Fang Xiu and his colleagues could have been using the crowd to conceal an exorcism base. Maybe the hospital was in on it too…

As for the “hospital janitor” story—he hadn’t believed it for a second. Fang Xiu was too confident walking these halls. Maybe some of his metaphysical colleagues were still lurking around under the effects of the array.

Guan He followed deeper into the hospital, imagination running wild.

Eventually, Fang Xiu stopped in front of a patient room.

The room looked unremarkable. Through the door came the soft beeping of medical machines. Fang Xiu rested a hand on the door and exhaled.

Finally, the moment had come.

He gripped Bai Shuangying’s hand. He wanted to smile, but his mouth twisted slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Bai Shuangying staring at the door, growing increasingly confused.

Not far away, A’Shou was surely watching this as well.

“Fang Ge, is this where you used to work?” Guan He asked curiously.

“Yes.”

With a creak, the door opened slowly, revealing the scene beyond.

Cheng Songyun instantly stepped back. Guan He was frozen as if struck by lightning.

Bai Shuangying raised a hand and touched his lips in silence.

…The room wasn’t large. There was only one bed.

A pot of thriving pothos sat on the windowsill. A bright red T-shirt hung from the bedframe.

Lying in the bed was an extremely thin person.

Eyes shut, unkempt bangs covering the face. He wore a loose hospital gown, a respirator over his mouth, and was connected to a tangle of tubes leading to a machine by the window.

He looked exactly like Fang Xiu.

The chair next to the bed was filled with evil spirits. Like family members, they guarded the patient solemnly. All of them turned to the door at once, gazes expressionless.

“You’re back,” said the elder ghost, grinning eerily as he bowed toward Fang Xiu.

“Nope. Still in the middle of the ritual. You’ll all have to wait a bit longer.”

Fang Xiu waved cheerfully, tone unnervingly light. “So, any updates from the doctor?”

“Your body is even weaker than before, but fortunately there’s no immediate danger,” said a female ghost with her eyes rolled back. “Officer Yuan still visits every day. He—”

“No need to say more. I know,” Fang Xiu interrupted gently.

Bai Shuangying walked up without hesitation and pressed a finger to the forehead of the “Fang Xiu” in the bed. After a brief pause, his brows tightened deeply.

“You… your body is severely damaged. Your soul can’t return. Your living soul is wandering outside, which is why you can see spirits.”

Judging by the body’s condition, Fang Xiu’s soul had been out for over ten years.

Bai Shuangying withdrew his hand and raised his eyes.

Souls with obsession, tainted by yin energy, become “ghosts”.

Objects with obsession, soaked in karma, become “E’s”.

An E could only be a lifeless object, something without a soul. Like a body that had lost its soul and was on the brink of collapse.

So that was it.

No wonder Fang Xiu’s knocking was so unique. No wonder he was obsessed with killing and resolving E’s to collect karma. No wonder the more Bai Shuangying learned about him, the more karmic chains broke.

From the very moment they met, he had been refining an E called “Fang Xiu”.

The author has something to say:

Some readers had already guessed very close!

Xiao Fang’s living soul is intact, and he is a mortal. Just… his body (.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 161: Ritual Site

After Fang Xiu finished speaking, Ghost Immortal A’Shou fell silent. She pondered for a long while before finally nodding.

Until she could see through Fang Xiu’s hand, falling out with him would do more harm than good. The bait Fang Xiu dangled was perfectly calculated. This eighth ritual was clearly designed to expose his cards.

“Fine. You can decide the location, content, and participants of the eighth ritual,” A’Shou said coldly. “That’s the biggest compromise I’ll make. It doesn’t mean I trust you. At the same time, I will inform the Heavenly Court and Underworld and prepare for the worst against you.”

“If you try any tricks, you’d better watch your head.”

“A wise decision,” Fang Xiu agreed without a trace of fear.

Bai Shuangying, however, was slightly displeased. “His life belongs to me.”

A’Shou: “…”

A’Shou sighed and added, “Watch your heads.”

Bai Shuangying looked inexplicably satisfied.

What a joke. As if he could be sealed the same way a second time by those immortals. He was no longer that clueless God of Xushan of the past.

Besides, he had Fang Xiu now. His human clearly had a plan, and if he had a plan, the odds were in their favor.

As for what that plan was, Bai Shuangying didn’t share A’Shou’s anxiety. He and his human were already joined in matrimony. His criteria were much simpler.

As long as Fang Xiu was alive, he would stay by his side. And if, in the most unlikely of cases, Fang Xiu died, then he would simply go on a rampage without holding back.

Hmm. But from what he’d heard, marriage wasn’t the endpoint of mortal emotions. Human hearts were unpredictable. Bai Shuangying understood his own nature. His interest in Fang Xiu would last at least a thousand years, but what if Fang Xiu’s heart changed?

Now that was a harder problem than dealing with the immortals. Bai Shuangying began to contemplate it seriously.

A few steps away, Dian’er looked like it was about to cry.

Whether the paper figure wanted to hear it or not, these outrageous remarks kept pouring into its ears. Worse, it had nowhere to run—A’Shou held absolute authority over its life and death, and she was clearly cooperating with Fang Xiu.

After working in the Disaster Relief Tower for so many years, Dian’er, for the first time, felt like “a helpless victim”.

It drooped its head, trying not to look at Bai Shuangying, but still trembled uncontrollably.

In A’Shou’s eyes, the Corner of Heaven’s Will was already an overwhelming existence. For a low-level ghost like it, Bai Shuangying was scarier than a natural disaster.

Most terrifying of all, A’Shou was upright and predictable, so Dian’er could at least guess her moods. Bai Shuangying’s thoughts, however, were completely inscrutable. At the moment, the Corner of Heaven’s Will was happily using magic to slice fruit, tossing pieces into Fang Xiu’s mouth without care. He paid zero attention to Fang Xiu’s insane demands, as if it was only natural for that lunatic to do whatever he wanted.

God help it. Why did it end up serving this bunch of walking nightmares?

…Well, since things were already this bad, A’Shou could deal with the fallout. Dian’er quickly decided to surrender to fate.

It forced itself to pretend nothing had happened. “We’ve prepared the reward from the previous ritual. What skill would Mr. Fang like to select? We’ll arrange it right away!”

Fang Xiu stepped forward cooperatively. “The God of Xushan.”

Dian’er: “?”

It suspected its ears had crumpled under pressure and caused it to mishear the most outrageous request imaginable.

It instinctively looked at A’Shou, who was gripping the edge of her veil so tightly it looked like she was trying to strangle herself. Sensing its gaze, A’Shou didn’t say a word and just tugged harder.

Dian’er numbly turned its head back.

Heh. What was it, a wishing well? Granting request after request after request, constantly being forced to live again. Was the God of Xushan something the Underworld could recreate? Wasn’t having one standing right there already enough? Why not just go with some flashy “divine descent” visual effect? At least that would be easier to stage.

Unfortunately, this awful human didn’t let it off the hook.

Fang Xiu tugged on Bai Shuangying’s sleeve. “The ‘existence of the God of Xushan’ is already a supernatural phenomenon. I want the God of Xushan.”

“You’ll probably say the Underworld can’t recreate such a strong ‘phenomenon’. That’s fine—I don’t need you to recreate anything. I just want the Underworld to officially acknowledge that the entity I formed a ghost contract with is the God of Xushan.”

Dian’er, amid its despair, saw a sliver of hope. “…Wait, just an acknowledgment?”

Fang Xiu nodded, voice gentle. “I’ve made all my points. There’s no need to make this difficult for you. Thanks for your hard work over the past few rituals.”

Fang Xiu’s sudden change in tone gave Dian’er the surreal sense of being promoted straight from the Underworld to the heavens. Dazed, it nodded rapidly and zipped in front of Fang Xiu in fear he’d change his mind.

“The Immortal Encounter E pertains to the mountain. The Underworld grants you the ability to ‘meet the God of Xushan’. As you have already formed a ghost contract with the God of Xushan, Bai Shuangying, the Disaster Relief Tower hereby recognizes your contract as valid and binding.”

It hurriedly pressed the “Gen” trigram symbol and retreated a few steps like it was escaping disaster.

Bai Shuangying popped a strawberry into his mouth and looked at Fang Xiu in confusion. Whether acknowledged or not, he was still by Fang Xiu’s side. Wasn’t this like giving up a free skill?

Then he saw the upward curve of Fang Xiu’s lips.

That smile radiated sincerity—so much so that Bai Shuangying instinctively grew wary. The more sweetly his human smiled, the more elaborate the trap. This he knew well.

A’Shou was equally puzzled, but she was so mentally exhausted that she had no energy left to analyze it.

“We’re ready for the location and participants. Just give us the list and we’ll begin preparations,” the paper figure offered cheerfully.

“The mushroom trio—ah no, Song Zheng, Xiao Li, and Xiao Tian. Jiao Jiao and Yan Yan as a duo. Add Lu Yang if he’s still alive.”

Fang Xiu began listing the teams. “Assuming they all survived.”

“That’s six people. Add the three on your side and that’s nine. Is that everyone?” The paper figure scribbled notes frantically.

“Of course not. Uncle Hou and Cen Ling too.”

Fang Xiu grinned. “That’s everyone. The rest can be in whatever rituals. I only require Cen Ling to appear in the eighth. If he’s not there, I’ll wait.”

“No problem. Got it. And the location—?”

Fang Xiu raised a finger to his lips in a “shh” gesture.

“I have my secrets too. Since I’m choosing the site, I’ll let you know right before departure.”

……

That night.

Cheng Songyun was tidying her bed when she heard a knock. She opened the door to find Guan He hesitating outside.

“Child, what’s wrong?” Cheng Songyun asked gently.

The Underworld had already arranged everything. Because the participants needed to coordinate schedules, they had a short break before the eighth ritual. It was supposed to be a peaceful night. Guan He had no reason to be so tense.

Was it the lingering shock from the previous bloodshed, or—

“Auntie Cheng… I don’t know what to do. Fang Ge… I think he’s not with the officials,” Guan He whispered. “He said he’s not just dealing with the Guishan Sect—he’s going to fight Heaven and the Underworld too. There’s no way someone from the official camp would go that far.”

“I’m not saying Fang Ge is bad. He’s helped me a lot. I really trust and admire him. But… I just…”

Cheng Songyun: “…”

Honestly, the delay in realization wasn’t surprising. Young people sometimes had longer mental processing time. She hadn’t expected this to be Guan He’s concern.

After their talk with the Underworld, Fang Xiu had told them a few things. That Bai Shuangying was some kind of mountain god. That they had struck a deal with the Underworld. That the final ritual might be incredibly dangerous.

Cheng Songyun could see that A’Shou and the paper figure were terrified of Bai Shuangying. But since she and Guan He weren’t spiritual practitioners, they didn’t have a deep understanding.

To them, every ritual was dangerous, and every spirit terrifying. Rather than dwell on Bai Shuangying’s identity, Cheng Songyun was more concerned about how Guan He was handling the fact he had killed “a high-level cult member”.

Now it seemed Guan He had come to terms with it surprisingly well. The kid was stronger than she thought.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Guan. I understand what you’re feeling,” Cheng Songyun said softly.

“You still trust Fang Xiu. You still want to help him. But what he said this time was too bold. You’re afraid of making a mistake by following him.”

In short, when Fang Xiu used to act recklessly, Guan He still saw him as an official figure. Now that illusion was gone, and he felt lost.

“And… you feel guilty for doubting him. Like you’re betraying the one who’s led us this far?”

Guan He looked down, his face slightly red.

Cheng Songyun took out two bottles of pear juice and handed one to him. “Sit down, child.”

Guan He cradled the bottle in both hands and sat primly at the table.

“I’ve known for a long time that Fang Xiu wasn’t with the official side. He only said that to comfort you. See? I knew and kept it from you.”

Cheng Songyun’s tone was warm. “These rituals are too dangerous. From the start, you needed courage more than you needed the whole truth.”

“I know, but still…” Guan He pursed his lips.

“Fang Xiu came right out and told us everything. That shows he doesn’t care whether we doubt him. He has his own goal.”

“I have mine too. I want to survive and go home to see my daughter. You have a goal too, don’t you?”

“I want to go home. But I also want to help Fang Ge. I just… don’t want to abandon him at the last moment out of doubt.” Guan He gripped his short hair.

“You see? You already know your answer.”

Guan He looked at her, a little dazed.

“Whether to doubt or trust, to help or not—those are ‘your’ decisions.”

Cheng Songyun gazed at the juice in her bottle, the liquid shimmering as it swayed inside the glass.

“Decision-making isn’t easy. You can’t always expect others to tell you right from wrong. If it works out, you hold your head high. If it doesn’t, you take responsibility and do your best to fix it.”

“That’s what it means to carry a ‘blood debt’… don’t you think?”

Guan He rubbed the cold glass in silence for a long time. At one point he opened his mouth to ask something but then closed it again.

Finally, he cracked the bottle open and chugged the whole thing.

“Even if Fang Ge is fighting the gods, I’ll help him. Unless I find undeniable proof something’s wrong, I’ll do everything I can to support him.”

His voice was firm, and his former nervousness had vanished completely.

Cheng Songyun smiled with relief. “I know what you wanted to ask earlier.”

“I’ll help him too.”

Guan He rubbed his face embarrassingly. His earlier emotion was slowly calming down.

“Thank you, Auntie Cheng.”

He bit his lip. “If we make it through the eighth ritual, I’ll take responsibility and properly apologize to my mom.”

“I hope we do make it…”

……

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.

Dian’er finally finished coordinating all the participants. Luckily, all the teams Fang Xiu selected had survived. Aside from Lu Yang, the mushroom trio and the Jiao-Yan duo had all become official Disaster Resolvers, making scheduling easier.

“All your requests have been met,” A’Shou said. She personally came to the floor during breakfast, hands resting on the table. “Like before, I’ll supervise this one as well.”

“It’s time, Fang Xiu. Where is the location for the eighth ritual? We need time to clear the area—”

Fang Xiu twirled a strand of Bai Shuangying’s hair, not even looking up at her.

“First People’s Hospital, Taiyi City, Gui Province.”

He said.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 160: Extreme Negotiation

A certain floor of the Disaster Relief Tower

Cen Ling yawned and pulled up his loose sleeve. Beneath it, another bagua symbol appeared. He had easily cleared the seventh ritual. No one survived but him.

It was a pity he couldn’t bring these powers to the mortal realm. Even if he had free access to the E’s sealed in the Shrine of All E’s, power was always something worth accumulating.

After confirming everything, he strolled over to the offering table, casually pricked his finger, and drew talisman patterns on its surface. As the blood-formed talisman was completed, countless streams of yin energy flowed toward his fingertip, absorbed into his soul.

Cen Ling quite enjoyed this feeling—outside the tower, he could also draw yin energy from it, but absorbing it directly within the Tower felt entirely different. It was like drinking iced cola straight from the bottle versus sipping it through a straw on a hot day.

Time to replenish…

…Huh?

Cen Ling wasn’t happy to find that his icy cola was nearly gone. The yin energy was thin and sluggish, like flat sugar water left at room temperature.

The Underworld interference? Did they catch on? Cen Ling’s expression suddenly darkened.

Knock knock.

There was a hesitant knock at the door. Cen Ling wiped the blood away from the table with a flick, and by the time he opened the door, his face wore a cheerful smile.

“Y-yes, it’s me, sir!”

A skinny paper figure stood outside. Its eyes wrapped around its entire face in a neat circle—fourteen in total. All fourteen pupils focused squarely on Cen Ling.

“Mr. Dian, what’s the matter?”

“Well… let’s see… Lady A’Shou asked us to notify everyone,” the paper figure said timidly. “Something went missing inside the Tower recently so she’s very angry.”

“She’s going to restructure the Tower, which may cause the yin energy inside to fluctuate. Recently… recently, metaphysical practitioners should be extra careful. The yin energy will become extremely thin…”

After speaking, it stole a quick glance at Cen Ling before lowering its head again. “This won’t affect normal people much, but since you’re someone of the metaphysical path, I thought I should be clear…”

“Thank you.” Cen Ling patted the paper figure’s head.

So that was it.

The missing Immortal E from the Shrine of All E’s had finally been discovered. It was sooner than expected. It seemed that ghost immortal A’Shou was quite competent.

It wasn’t surprising that she was strengthening the Tower’s security by adjusting its structure. That explained the yin energy disruption. The fact that he could still draw some proved the karmic ties left by the Hierarch weren’t yet severed.

It was a pity she hadn’t waited until he left the Tower to start meddling.

After closing the door, Cen Ling shook his head. He picked up a jade pendant and placed it reverently in the center of the offering table before bowing deeply.

As a successor of the Guishan Sect, he knew well that the Hierarch had prepared the Immortal Encounter E just for him. It was hidden within Xushan, like a seed full of vitality.

That seed had been personally documented and preserved by one of his ancestors. It was linked to him by karma, flowing in his bloodline.

He also knew the “Immortal Encounter E” was registered in the Underworld and, in theory, could be destroyed.

But by now, with or without its help, it no longer mattered much to him.

The God of Xushan above… He would not allow their plan to be exposed to any risk.

“All is ready, only the east wind remains,” Cen Ling prayed softly. “The momentum is in place. Once the eighth ritual ends, my final wish shall be granted.”

“Return, return…”

Right, he might as well tell the paper figure. For the eighth ritual, he wanted to be in the same session as Fang Xiu.

He needed to personally draw the perfect ending to this great work.

……

“I want to be in the same ritual as Cen Ling.”

At the breakfast table, Fang Xiu mumbled the request with a bun in his mouth. After last night’s vigorous activity, he felt he could eat half a cow. While his two teammates stared at him in shock, Fang Xiu stuffed food into his mouth nonstop, still whispering to the paper figure beside him.

As for Bai Shuangying… the seductive ghost sat right next to Fang Xiu, occasionally feeding him soup dumplings with unwavering focus.

Dian’er was certain something fishy was going on between those two, but it firmly held back its questions. “Yes, the eighth ritual is the most special one. It’s not that flexible. But since you asked, of course I’ll report it.”

Fang Xiu nodded. “Perfect. I also have a few participants I’d like to assign…”

The paper figure’s face collapsed. “Ancestor, the eighth ritual isn’t simple. Every participant must be chosen personally by the ghost immortal guarding the Tower.”

“Even if you’re the strongest Disaster Resolver, you still have to follow orders. Getting a quiet slot reserved for you is already Lady A’Shou’s way of showing favor for your efforts…”

While the paper figure was still pleading, A’Shou materialized behind it like a ghost, her blood-stained wedding robe fluttering despite the still air.

“Who do you want?” she asked, voice slightly hoarse.

The paper figure’s whole body crumpled in fear. It slowly turned and unfolded itself, trembling. “L-L-L-Lady—”

Fang Xiu gulped down the bun and half a bowl of soy milk from Bai Shuangying’s hand before standing up. A’Shou didn’t bother with ceremonial formalities. She just stared at Bai Shuangying sitting there, and her thousand-year-dormant stomachache returned with a vengeance.

Right. That’s a Corner of Heaven’s Will, that’s a Corner of Heaven’s Will, that’s a Corn… Fucking hell! Who was she kidding?! That guy looked exactly like a seductive ghost!

Bai Shuangying glowed with energy, radiating Fang Xiu’s unique scent. He looked no different from those fox spirits who gorged themselves on mortals after a night together. Clearly satisfied. Clearly stuffed.

She was furious. She wished she didn’t understand what she was seeing. She didn’t know if Fang Xiu had gone mad, if the Corner had gone mad, or if she had gone mad herself. If she had to choose, she sincerely it her.

Seeing A’Shou rub her eyes through her veil, Fang Xiu cleared his throat.

“Not just the people. I want to choose the location and content of the eighth ritual as well.”

This wasn’t just overstepping. It was like tearing down a temple to build a mall. Dian’er made a string of strange choking noises like a strangled chicken.

A’Shou tilted her head ninety degrees, deliberately not looking at him. “That’s not why I’m here.”

“I haven’t forgotten. You wanted to know the truth about the knocking and how I summoned Bai Shuangying.”

Fang Xiu grinned. “Well, this is how I’m telling you. Do as I say, and you’ll see the answer with your own eyes.”

A’Shou finally looked at him, her voice lower than before. “Mortal, my patience is limit—”

Bai Shuangying also turned his head, staring directly at her. His white eyes didn’t blink.

“…Unlimited.” A’Shou swallowed her irritation. She felt like she’d been baited and couldn’t back out. “We agreed to cooperate. I’m not your subordinate. Show some sincerity.”

Dian’er looked from Fang Xiu to A’Shou with question marks all over its face. Its entire paper body seemed to fade in confusion.

“Sincerity…” Fang Xiu tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. “I thought you’d already figured it out.”

“Figured what out?”

“You said earlier the knocking had no spell traces. But it could control the Six Ghost Remnants during the Grave-Sealing Ritual and locate the Immortal Encounter E during its own ritual. The answer is right in front of you.”

“I’m just a mortal. I don’t use complicated tricks. Most magic, when you know how it works, is pretty simple.”

The answer is in the question itself?

A’Shou frowned.

She had confirmed Fang Xiu was a complete mortal. The Six Ghost Remnants had no prior contact with him. After being tormented by the Guishan Sect, those spirits only had one obsession—an insatiable craving for “E’s”.

When it came to the Immortal Encounter E, Fang Xiu had claimed his knocking was like “echo location”. But without a similar power, reacting to an E was no different from reacting to rocks and grass.

Then just now, Fang Xiu had boldly demanded control over the eighth ritual’s setting and rules.

…Wait.

“You possess an E the Underworld doesn’t know about.” A’Shou said slowly, “I don’t know how you managed it, but you’re able to use its power to some extent.”

Dian’er gasped, almost at a lost for words. “Impossible! Fang Xiu didn’t carry anything! Even if the ritual happens in the mortal realm, if an E’s influence reached that far, the Underworld would have noticed—”

“That’s why I want you to see it for yourselves.”

Fang Xiu opened his hands innocently. “Some things can’t be explained with words. You’ll understand when you see them.”

“And besides, if the eighth ritual proceeds normally, we’d have to worry about unknown E anyway. I just want to throw the enemy into my home field… That’s why I’m asking to cooperate with you, A’Shou Jie.”

Dian’er was stunned. “Cooperate? Cooperate how? What are you two talking about…”

Its odd eyes darted between Fang Xiu and A’Shou, but when it saw that even Fang Xiu’s teammates looked equally lost, it finally relaxed a little.

A’Shou pressed her hand to her forehead. Her sigh lifted the corner of her veil.

Having a Corner of Heaven’s Will at one’s side—even if not fully unsealed—was already cheating. Now Fang Xiu wanted to fight using a familiar “E” as well? It was excessive.

But Bai Shuangying had been summoned properly. And resolving am E was part of the ritual process. Technically, all of it followed the rules.

This kid had planned it out, hadn’t he?

“You might think I’m being overly cautious,” Fang Xiu continued. “But after all this time, I don’t believe the Guishan Sect is following Zhuang Guiqu’s plan to the letter. They must have added their own agenda.”

“That’s why I can’t let Cen Ling obtain a wishing slot.”

“You’re underestimating—hmm?”

A’Shou glanced at the calm Bai Shuangying beside him.

No matter how outrageous the sect’s plan was, teaming up with a Corner of Heaven’s Will was like using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken.

“Not really.” Fang Xiu smiled even more brightly.

“Because while I’m dealing with the Guishan Sect, I also have to deal with Heaven and the Underworld.”

“You think if I just say, ‘Bai Shuangying is cute and harmless and I want to take him with me’, you’ll all happily let us go?”

As he spoke, Fang Xiu’s black eyes peeked out from beneath his messy bangs. His gaze sliced through A’Shou’s veil like a blade.

His smile was soft and obedient, but there wasn’t a trace of warmth in his eyes.

Caught off guard, A’Shou was momentarily stunned. She never expected Fang Xiu to say something so absurd right to her face.

“Real gods” and “those who encounter an Immortal E” weren’t the same thing. If the Corner of Heaven’s Will had been suppressed once, it could be suppressed again.

Dian’er was terrified by the whole exchange. It tried to curl into a ball and pretend it hadn’t heard anything. But before it could flee, A’Shou pressed it down with one hand.

“You’re insane. There’s no formal magical contract between us.”

A’Shou’s voice was cold as ice. “I can break this off right now and summon an Immortal to deal with you. Even if you kill me here, the noise will draw attention from the Underworld.”

Fang Xiu finished the last soup dumpling and licked the juice from his fingers.

“You won’t, A’Shou Jie.”

He said, “You know the truth. You’ve seen Bai Shuangying’s wrath… You’ve witnessed the tragedies of a world in chaos. That’s why you chose to cooperate with me—to fight the Guishan Sect together. No true strategist starts a war lightly.”

A’Shou said nothing.

Staring into those pitch-black eyes, she felt like she had walked into a trap and couldn’t pull herself out.

“Continue,” she said through clenched teeth.

“The eighth ritual,” Fang Xiu said, seeing her give way, “I’ll show you how I plan to bring ‘real stability’ to the mortal world.”

“If you’re still not satisfied after it’s over, you can expose me then.”

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