Author: Kinky

Full Server First Kill Ch35

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 35: Teest’s Gamble

In the midst of the snowstorm, a group of people slowly made their way. Among them, the figures of the old hunter and the white wolf stood out.

This wasn’t due to the request of Nol or Teest. They had just planned to hunt the Eternalist when they were blocked at the entrance of the igloo by the fully-armed old man. Hunter changed into a more efficient hunting outfit—even though it was a bit tight for him now. He carried a quiver full of crossbow bolts, and a long knife was added to his waist.

Even the white wolf wore an additional piece of leather armor, covering its vital parts slightly.

The old hunter panted heavily, looking as if he had run all the way back.

“I’ll go with you. The one you’re dealing with is a player, right? I’m afraid he’ll turn around and ambush my wolf,” Old Hunter said. “Besides, I’m easily affected by player rules. It’s better if you keep me close.”

Nol bent down to pet the white wolf’s head, and the wolf gently licked his hand. Even though it was old, its vitality felt incredibly real.

“Let’s go together then,” Nol said. “We’ll protect it.”

“This could be dangerous. Why not let the old man hide with the wolf?” Rosen seemed worried.

Before Nol could respond, Old Hunter interrupted with a curse. “Fuck, do you think I don’t want to? I have to guide the players! Unless there’s a player nearby, I can’t stray too far from the cabin.”

Rosen: “…Thank you for your hard work.”

……

The destination indicated by the coordinates wasn’t close. The old man and the wolf walked slowly, and it would likely take them from morning to evening. Teest and Nol led the way, while the old man and the wolf walked tensely in the middle, and the Luo Zhu couple brought up the rear.

By noon, the group stopped to eat. To avoid any mishaps from hunting, the old man took out dried meat from his backpack to share. He skillfully started a campfire, hung a small pot, and boiled soup with snow water and deer fat.

The dry, hard meat regained its tenderness in the water, becoming light and tender, slowly emitting the unique aroma of meat.

Nol didn’t eat, volunteering to patrol nearby so others could dine in peace. So, by the pot sat an instance NPC, a player-turned NPC, and two monsters-turned from another world. Without Nol, the atmosphere around the fire felt like distant relatives from both sides of a wedding sharing a table—related in a practical sense but emotionally distant.

Old Hunter looked around; his confusion palpable. Nol said they were there to protect friends, but none of them seemed close.

“You seem to have a problem with me, Mr. Law Enforcer.” Teest filled a bowl of soup and addressed Rosen.

After hesitating, Rosen replied, “You look like someone who could kill.”

“Just for that? Your place must be very peaceful,” Teest said, laughing, stopping his spoon.

“Not just that,” Rosen said seriously, his face not matching his cute looks. “I’ve caught many murderers. Some kill impulsively, some are psychopaths. I never mistake the latter—you and that burly cultist, there’s something off about your eyes.”

Teest slurped on the tip of his spoon. “Well, no wonder they chose you as a law enforcer. If you weren’t in monster form, you could have been an Investigation Knight here.”

This guy really couldn’t be bothered to pretend, even daring to accept the title of “psychopath”. Rosen awkwardly chuckled. “No, no, no, you might as well have ‘I’m suspicious’ written on your face. I’m not blind.”

Curious, Teest continued, “Since you’re good at reading people, what do you think of my companion?”

“He…” Rosen started but suddenly stopped, realizing something, and glared at Teest. “I don’t want to discuss this with you.”

“But I do,” Teest replied innocently. “We all enjoy discussing topics of interest. I’m interested in Nol. I can see you have some insights about him. Indulge my curiosity.”

Rosen looked Teest up and down. “I don’t like talking about friends behind their backs.”

“Oh, seems like you don’t have good things to say.” Teest smiled.

“No, I’m not—”

“Mr. Teest, if you have something to say, be direct. You don’t mind painting a dangerous image of yourself, and you’re prompting Rosen to recall Nol’s anomalies… In the end, you want us to be wary of Nol, right?” Julie interrupted, holding her soup bowl like a teacup.

Teest casually fished some meat from the pot and admitted nonchalantly, “Of course. You’re the unpredictable factor. You know when to advance or retreat, possess some brains and strength, and are from the same place as him. It would be strange if I didn’t care.”

Julie instinctively straightened her back—just for that fleeting moment, the wolfkin instinct in her sensed a nearly bloodthirsty hostility. A chill ran down her spine, and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

“If things are resolved smoothly, we will invite Nol to join us. Even if he refuses to leave you, we will suggest that he come with us.” After pondering for a moment, Rosen laid his cards on the table. “Nol is under a lot of pressure; he needs normal companions who can understand him. If you really care about him, please think about it.” He deliberately emphasized the word “normal”.

“Ah, but I don’t like moving with too many people.” Teest showed a troubled expression. “How about we make a bet—if he agrees to go with you, I will willingly back off, no second words.”

“But if Nol refuses both of you, you both will voluntarily leave, ensuring you don’t leak any information about Nol to other outsiders. Given your wisdom, you should recognize his uniqueness.”

“Do you want to bet, Mr. Law Enforcer, Ms. Healer? Fair and square, with one’s life as the penalty.” Teest playfully waved a spoon, his golden eyes filled with mischief. But his tone was soft and enticing, carrying an almost irresistible charm.

‘This guy must have pulled some trick,’ Rosen thought, completely unmoved.

Teest was indeed a formidable ally on the same front, but he was just too dangerous. Rosen’s detective instincts were screaming alarms.

However, Teest’s proposal was very tempting. Those with psychological disorders often have their own set of logic. If Rosen could win the bet, Teest might genuinely stick to the rules of the game. But if they ignored his hints and insisted on accompanying Nol, Teest might take their lives—he wouldn’t even have to do it himself, just expose them as “monsters” to humans.

If Rosen was alone, he would definitely stick with Nol, ensuring he wasn’t influenced by Teest. But now he also had loved ones to protect, and as for Nol…

Was Nol’s subtle madness truly only due to Teest’s influence?

Frankly, Rosen wasn’t sure. Nol was undoubtedly kind, but something felt off to Rosen. Regrettably, he wasn’t familiar with “Xu Yue” and couldn’t figure him out.

…To hell with it! Let Nol decide!

“We’ll take the bet.” Rosen gritted his teeth. Dr. Zhu sighed but didn’t object.

Teest gave a smile that could only be described as enchanting. “A wise decision, Mr. Law Enforcer. Then it’s settled.”

“What on earth are you all talking about?” Old Hunter finally couldn’t help but interrupt. “All this talk in outsider and wolfkin language—players really do know it all.”

Teest turned to the hunter and cheekily winked.

……

Nol had no idea what Teest was scheming behind his back. He was in a peculiar mental state—one half of his soul was shrieking from the overwhelming burden, while the other half had defensively transformed into a resigned shape for self-preservation.

Whether in body or spirit, the only way to escape the stimulus was to become numb. If it meant preserving his core kindness, sacrificing a bit was worth it.

At dusk, the group located the anomaly coordinates.

The spot was in a cold spruce forest, seemingly unremarkable. Snow was heavily falling, and the towering spruces were dizzying. Nol scanned the area and sniffed—he didn’t sense any bones nearby but detected a faint stench of decay.

He cautiously gripped the Staff of Sacrifice he had unstrapped from his back. The black candle, the core of his magical power, still seemed dormant. If it weren’t for its inanimate appearance, Nol would’ve thought it was dead.

“There’s the smell of a corpse nearby. Be careful,” Nol whispered, deciding to search around the coordinates. However, before he could even look up—

“Over there. I guess we have to go through.”

Teest casually pointed towards two identical spruces. “The traces on the ground lead that way; the grass beneath one of the trees has been stepped on. It’s that person; the footprints match.”

Speechless, Nol looked where Teest was pointing. All he saw was the pristine snow and naturally shaped dried grass. Even upon close observation, he couldn’t discern anything. What on earth were this guy’s eyes made of?

Teest patted Nol on the back. “Eternalists have a special footprint-erasing technique. Unfortunately, it has a tiny flaw. Let’s go; that person isn’t inside now.”

“You can tell?” Rosen couldn’t help but interject.

“The latest trace indicates that he left. Judging by the accumulated snow, he’s been gone for a while. His footsteps going out were heavier than when he came in, suggesting he’s carrying around 5kg of luggage. I bet he won’t be back anytime soon.”

Teest said, “Huh? Why are you looking at me? I don’t have a map on my face. Let’s go in and check.”

Inside, Nol revised his assessment of the Mad Monk’s danger level. If the target wasn’t a member of the Eternal Church, he might have even felt pity for Teest’s prey. This guy had evaded capture for over a decade, and it wasn’t just about combat skills.

“It’s a pity you’re a player; otherwise, you’d be the one to take my place,” Old Hunter said dryly. “You and the white wolf match in color.”

“It’s my honor, sir, but I prefer summer,” Teest responded with a chirpy tone, stepping through the symmetrical fir trees. In an instant, he vanished, as if swallowed by the cold wind.

Did he just go in? What if there’s a trap?

Nol tensed up, ready to follow, when suddenly a silver head appeared between the trees. Teest’s head hung eerily in the air with an excited expression on his face. “Come and see. It’s quite a sight!”

…Fine.

Nol’s worries faded. He followed Test into the trees.

Unlike Teest, Nol couldn’t smile at what he saw before him.

Twenty-seven log cabins were stacked in a cube, arranged with perfect precision, as if weightless models were simply placed in the snow. They all looked the same but were in varying states of decay; Nol guessed that was how they looked when their last owners died.

Near the closest cabin lay four or five naked bodies.

Their faces were upwards, half-buried in the snow, looking like dolls plucked from toy houses. Snowflakes settled on their dull eyes, which stared blankly at the sky.

Apart from the half-beastmen hunter’s body, the rest were male and female with no visible injuries. They had perfect proportions and exquisitely crafted faces—each wore a shining gold earring on their left ear. The warm gold now only seemed cold.

The dead neighbors, the dead NPCs… before Nol now, were the dead players.

Aren’t players supposed to be immortal? He thought blankly.

“Oh, you’re looking at the player corpses.” While Nol was in a daze, Teest had already made a round around the cabin. “They chose to log off, equivalent to ‘suicide’… Even in a different world, there must be those who choose that end, right?” He asked uncertainly.

Nol nodded gravely.

By this time, the remaining members had also entered, all stopping by the bodies. Rosen was silent, while Julie simply put her hands together in a prayer.

“The torture and punishment of the Eternal Church are world-class,” Teest continued, seemingly unphased by the mood. “But in a situation like this, players are lucky. No one can stop them from logging off. If it were locals, the Church has countless ways to prevent them from ending their lives during interrogation.”

“You seem to know a lot about the Eternal Church,” Rosen noted, his voice extraordinarily dignified. “If you weren’t on our side, I’d have thought you were one of them.”

Teest smirked and curved his eyes. “That’s not impossible.”

Nol bent down, trying to close the eyes of the dead, but his fingers were so cold, unable to soften the frozen eyelids to close them. Even though his palms felt icy and the corpses were equally cold, there was a stinging sensation.

Those cloudy eyes remained open, like amber filled with despair and pain.

Finally, Nol carefully removed one of the earrings. Once a player died, it would easily fall off.

The gold earring lay quietly in Nol’s hand, emitting a strong sense of rejection, like a lost dog missing its owner.

“That won’t be of any use,” Teest interjected. “Player’s earrings belong only to the respective player. They can’t be reused, or else they wouldn’t be left behind.”

“I just want to study it,” Nol responded. “So, that Eternalist isn’t here?”

“He’s not. He only left some things in the room… Hey, wait for me!”

Nol didn’t wait to hear the rest. He headed straight inside.

The old hunter followed him in, inhaling sharply. The primary furniture in the room matched his own cabin’s; only the position and details differed. The desk here was tidy, with a few scrolls of beast skin scattered on it, written in the beastmen language.

The saved hut seemed to not reject monsters and outsiders. The couple and the white wolf followed inside. The white wolf curiously sniffed around and finally growled softly at the burning fireplace, looking like it wanted to challenge it.

Nol squatted down in front of the scattered scraps on the floor.

“Wolfbane mushrooms, centipede grass, mystic river lotus.” He picked up the fragments with his fingers, smelling them one by one. “Blood of the grey spider-bird, saliva of the soul beast… all ingredients for the ‘Heartbreak Poison’.”

“Over here…these scorch marks were left by the lightning whips. Two of them, korot tree gum used for prop adhesive, and leather…”

He muttered while half-squatting on the wooden floor, right above a large black and red bloodstain.

This time, Nol didn’t show any signs of collapse. He calmly discerned every trace, emitting a subtly dangerous aura. At this moment, it seemed he didn’t care about the neighbors’ thoughts or speculations and displayed his abilities without hiding them.

Through the thick cloth, Teest rubbed the goosebumps on his arm, focusing even more intently.

“Don’t stray too far from me later.”

A few minutes later, Nol stood up. “The ‘Heartbreak Poison’ is specifically aimed at creatures other than players. It’s a lethal poison, and the poisoned won’t survive for more than five minutes… Other than that, this guy also made some sort of tool. I guess it’s for the shadow wolf. Prepare for the worst.”

“Like what?” Rosen asked.

Nol adjusted the folds on his robe. “For instance, he might have found a way to control the shadow wolf… Just in case, we need to make some preparations.”

……

As it turned out, Nol’s predictions regarding enemy tactics were always accurate.

As night fell, at the end of the trail, Nol smelled the familiar stench of corpses.

“Everyone, stop.” He raised the Staff of Sacrifice. “There’s an ambush ahead. The magical fluctuation isn’t right.”

“Ah, I was hoping to train the dog a bit more. What a pleasant surprise.” A cheerful voice rang out.

Burly Jack, riding the shadow wolf, emerged from the shadows of nearby rocks.

He sat on a peculiar saddle, which firmly fixed him on the back of the shadow wolf. Two lightning whips were modified into reins, connecting to a sturdy collar around the wolf’s mouth. The shadow wolf seemed restless and agitated, as if wanting to break free. A second later, electricity flashed, and the wolf let out a painful howl, obediently staying put.

[Top-level Lightning Whips] [Advanced Rider’s Saddle]… This guy really invested a lot. Daring to put a collar and saddle on a shadow wolf, only because the wolf wouldn’t attack him.

Truth be told, this set wouldn’t last long on the shadow wolf. But even if it lasted just half a day, it would be a huge disaster for them.

Nol narrowed his eyes, quickly strategizing.

On the other side, the burly man continued, “Have I not introduced myself? I’m Jack, a remarkable player—Hey, old hunter, you know right? I’m a player.”

“I know you’re an idiot,” Old Hunter coldly retorted.

Jack laughed. “Your bravery is only temporary. Listen, Hunter—come. Come to me quickly. I need your help—”

“Stop me!” The hunter seemed dazed, shaking his head desperately, shouting at the Luo Zhu couple. The white wolf was the first to bite his trouser leg, pulling him back with a concerned look.

Jack, riding the shadow wolf, grinned like watching a comedy. “I need help. I truly need you to come to my…”

Jack couldn’t finish. Nol smirked.

A white shadow swept from above the rocks. With a flash of cold light, a piece of purplish-red flesh fell into the snow, steaming and bleeding like pomegranate seeds.

It was Jack’s tongue.

“Good evening, Mr. Jack.”

Teest deftly leapt onto a tree branch, half-squatting on a thick one. He looked at Jack with a smirk as blood gleaned on “The Betrayer”.

“Don’t you think you talk too much?”

The author has something to say:

Physical silence.

Teest: Marriage is a world of two. One more is too many!

Nol, his anger gauge is about to reach 100%…

————————————

Some readers asked why the hunter could roam freely before. It’s because there were no players in the instance at that time. Once players arrived, his movement got restricted~

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

Escape From the Asylum Ch3

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 3

Inside the game.

The setting sun painted the entire sky a vivid shade of red. Not far away, the magnificent palace had just lit up with lights. Its semi-transparent walls gleamed golden from the lights, making it look like a heavenly palace amidst the desolate mountains, reminiscent of the Garden of Eden, symbolizing happiness and peace.

Zhou Qian heard Dong Xiang ask him, “How did you get an invitation?”

“I triggered a side quest during the tutorial,” Zhou Qian replied, sounding rather naive. “Oh? You don’t have an invitation? What about the other players?”

Dong Xiang gave Zhou Qian a few extra glances, his eyes seemingly saying, “Taking pity on the simple-minded.”

“Among us few players, only you have an invitation,” he said.

Zhou Qian looked genuinely surprised. “Why? I don’t get it. I felt sorry for the boy and comforted him a bit, and unexpectedly got a bonus. From this perspective, side quests should be easy to trigger—I shouldn’t be the only one.”

Dong Xiang patiently explained, “Firstly, there might be multiple ‘Apple Paradise’ running simultaneously. Simply put, the NPCs in the game are all fake, just data. Just like when we play online games, different teams can run the same dungeon simultaneously without interfering with one another.”

“Indeed, many might have triggered the side quest in the tutorial level. But there’s only one ‘Li Dafu’ in each instance, and the invitation can only be stolen by the boy once. So, now you understand, right?”

Zhou Qian nodded, half understanding. “Oh, so when the system matches players, it avoids pairing those who have obtained the invitation from the boy in the same ‘Apple Paradise’.”

“Exactly,” Dong Xiang adjusted his shirt casually. “You triggered this side quest, which is why you were allowed into this instance directly. We weren’t as lucky as you.”

Zhou Qian: ?

Dong Xiang continued, “Before entering, you saw the prompt, right? The hidden achievement rate for this dungeon is only 10%.”

Zhou Qian nodded again.

Dong Xiang added, “So this is a rare hidden dungeon. Not everyone has the chance to enter. Our game’s dungeons adopt a customized invitation mode. Whether the system allows a player who didn’t get the [Invitation Letter] in the tutorial level to enter depends on luck.”

“Just like me. I ran three level one dungeons, leveled up to Rank E, and finally waited for the system to allow me access to ‘Apple Paradise’. I heard that there’s a very rare item inside.”

Zhou Qian looked worried. “You said I’m lucky, but I don’t feel that way. This dungeon must be challenging, but I’m only Rank F…”

“It’s okay. In this game, we need to help each other out.” Dong Xiang patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll cover you. Let’s go! I’ll accompany you into Apple Paradise! You just walk in normally, and I’ll take the opportunity to observe the gatekeeper, see if I can find any loopholes, and see where the other three players are.”

“Alright.” Zhou Qian forced a smile. “Ah…”

After the conversation, the two walked through a small forest, heading towards the majestic palace.

On the way, they occasionally came across a few scattered devotees.

Each time, Zhou Qian would check their data through his system panel.

His face grew more worried. “These devotee NPCs are all at least Rank E, and there are a few Rank D… They’re tough. What if we have to fight them later on? Am I doomed?”

In front of the screen, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang both sighed heavily, like worried mothers.

“If these NPCs are such high levels, stealing invitations from them will be tough! Be careful of Dong Xiang beside you! If he doesn’t steal from you, who else would he target?”

“Stop focusing on NPCs! Pay attention to the people around you!”

Inside the game, Zhou Qian suddenly froze.

A pink foggy mist appeared before him, bubbly and ethereal.

The mist gave an overwhelmingly pleasant sensation, causing Zhou Qian to involuntarily wear a blissful, silly smile.

Three seconds later, the mist disappeared, and Zhou Qian snapped out of it. Simultaneously, a system notification arrived: [Player Zhou Qian, has lost the item—Li Dafu’s Invitation.]

Zhou Qian immediately looked for Dong Xiang, only to find him about ten meters away.

“Dong Xiang! Did you steal my invitation?” Zhou Qian shouted, his tone full of accusation and anger.

Probably due to being only 1.70 meters tall, Dong Xiang displayed nimble agility.

He waved and said to Zhou Qian without looking back, “Newbie, here’s a lesson for you. This is called ‘all is fair in war’.”

In front of the screen, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang both held their foreheads.

“Ah, I knew it.”

“The news report wasn’t wrong. He really is a clueless second-generation rich kid.”

But Zhou Qian’s expression suddenly changed on the screen.

The innocence, foolishness, and disbelief in his eyes vanished, replaced by a deep and icy gaze. The landlord’s foolish son seemed to have encountered some drastic change, shifting into a dark mode.

Zhou Qian quickly ran towards the edge of the woods, shouting, “Li Dafu, it’s the guy in the plaid shirt! Catch him!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a very sturdy, fat man charged out from the edge of the woods.

Dong Xiang had just exited the woods and was unexpectedly tackled to the ground by the fat man.

Before he could utter a word, Dong Xiang’s throat was tightly squeezed by the fat man.

“You stole my invitation. You’re asking for death!!!”

Watching from a distance, Zhou Qian picked up a stone and calmly approached the two.

He successfully set them against each other, and now he was looking for an opportunity to benefit when both were weakened, just like the fisherman who profits while the clam and the snipe quarrel*.

*Idiom referring to while the main parties are engaged in their dispute, a cunning third party can seize the opportunity to gain an advantage or profit. It derives from a fable, which you can read in my Kinky Thoughts.

Ten minutes earlier, after recognizing Li Dafu, Zhou Qian started thinking about how to complete the side quest.

Back then, Li Dafu had been lingering near the palace gate, seemingly realizing he couldn’t get in, so he hid at the edge of the woods.

Zhou Qian saw through him—Li Dafu was probably lying in wait.

The devotees visiting Apple Paradise to meet the deity Yipo would have to pass through these woods.

Li Dafu’s invitation had been stolen by the little boy. To enter the park, he would have to steal another.

So he hid at the edge of the woods, watching from the shadows for an easy target, ready to ambush and snatch their invitation.

Zhou Qian kept his composure, hiding in the shadows, thinking of a plan.

Soon, he saw Dong Xiang and discovered that, like Li Dafu, he too was at Rank E and, surprisingly, was skilled in theft.

Dong Xiang didn’t recognize Zhou Qian. But Zhou Qian recognized him.

Dong Xiang also resided in the Spring Hill Mental Asylum, specifically in Ward 2.

In Spring Hill Mental Asylum, harmless patients were housed in Ward 1, a relaxed environment almost like a sanatorium, which was where Zhou Qian stayed.

But Ward 2 was different. It held threatening or even criminal patients.

Dong Xiang was in Ward 2. He had killed someone.

He assumed his wife was cheating on him and, thus, murdered her. Despite his seemingly frail appearance, he dismembered her into dozens of pieces and disposed of them in various places.

Yet, he was given a suspended sentence because he was deemed mentally ill.

The detective investigating the deaths of Zhou Qian’s parents, Chen Yangzhou, also happened to know about Dong Xiang’s case. During a visit, he once said to Zhou Qian, “Dong Xiang is definitely not mentally ill. He deliberately killed his wife. But I don’t know how he fooled the doctors. Although you’re not in the same ward, you should still be careful.”

While Dong Xiang was scum in real life, Li Dafu was scum in the game.

Facing these two, Zhou Qian couldn’t overcome either with his current level. So, he decided to pit them against each other.

So, ten minutes ago, Zhou Qian approached Li Dafu. “Did you lose your invitation?”

Li Dafu’s eyes widened. “How did you know? Did you steal it?!”

Li Dafu’s temper was volatile, just as the system’s hint had indicated.

Seeing Li Dafu clenched his fist and was about to punch him, Zhou Qian, who had been prepared, quickly lay down, avoiding the blow which landed beside his ear, leaving a substantial dent.

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 95%]

Before the next punch landed, Zhou Qian quickly said, “It wasn’t me! But I know who stole it. Hide here and don’t show your face. When that person passes by, I’ll tell you.”

……

Returning to the present.

Li Dafu, being an excellent boxer, quickly deformed Dong Xiang’s face with a few punches.

During their confrontation, Dong Xiang was clearly at a disadvantage.

After all, his skill was agility-based, specialized in theft or assassination. In close combat, he had no edge.

Li Dafu pinned Dong Xiang to the ground, pummeling his face.

In less than 5 minutes, Dong Xiang’s HP had dropped to 30%.

When Li Dafu raised his fist high with his right hand, ready to smash it down onto Dong Xiang, Dong Xiang finally relied on his agile movements and quickly used a prop.

It was evident that the prop was very valuable because Dong Xiang showed a very pained expression.

Immediately afterwards, a streak of light shadow flashed in the void, and Li Dafu’s figure halted instantly before falling sideways.

Zhou Qian looked at Li Dafu and saw a needle sticking out between his brows.

That needle only immobilized him; it was uncertain if it could truly kill him.

Regardless, Zhou Qian’s goal had been achieved.

Li Dafu lay motionless on the ground, while Dong Xiang had lost nearly half his HP.

Indifferently watching everything, Zhou Qian walked slowly to Li Dafu’s side.

Taking advantage of his inability to move, Zhou Qian picked up a rock and ruthlessly smashed it onto his head.

Amid the blood, Li Dafu looked at Zhou Qian in disbelief. Zhou Qian responded with an elegantly curved smile.

His voice was soft and gentle but as cold as a deathly wraith. “I didn’t really want to dirty my hands. But I promised that bullied little boy that I would avenge him. So, you…”

His voice suddenly turned horrifyingly deep. Zhou Qian said, word by word, “Can go to hell!”

Moments later, Li Dafu was completely immobilized.

Zhou Qian received a notification: [Player Zhou Qian completed a side quest and received a treasure chest].

Zhou Qian put the chest into his bag without opening it. He then accessed the system’s marketplace and spent 5 gold coins to buy a towel from the system store.

Standing in the red sunset next to a lush green forest, Zhou Qian expressionlessly wiped the bloodstains from his fingers with the white towel. He then approached Dong Xiang, who was still recovering on the ground.

Seeing Zhou Qian approach, Dong Xiang’s pupils dilated in fear, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

Zhou Qian squatted down and, as if not wanting to dirty his hands, placed his hand on Dong Xiang’s neck through the towel and began to strangle him without emotion. “I don’t feel like searching you. Die or hand over the invitation. Choose one.”  

Left with no choice, Dong Xiang mustered his remaining strength and handed over [Li Dafu’s invitation].

Holding the invitation between his index and middle fingers, Zhou Qian stood up, looking down at Dong Xiang, and said softly, “All is fair in war. I’ve learned. Thanks for the lesson.”

Dong Xiang: “……”

He couldn’t hold back and coughed up blood, gasping for breath.

He had been angered by Zhou Qian to the point that he was literally coughing up blood.

Yawning, Zhou Qian then turned around and walked towards the magnificent palace without looking back.

Behind him, Dong Xiang, in anger, coughed up another mouthful of blood.

In front of the phone screen.

Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang: “………”

“Holy—”

“Got it wrong. Who is this ‘Xiao Qianqian’? I’m calling him Qian Ge* first!”

*Brother (哥). When used with a name, it’s a friendly way of addressing someone you’re familiar with or close to, or out of respect (in this case, it’s the latter).

“Kneeling for Qian Ge… Let’s see what he does next!”

“Qian Ge, the rich second generation. He only has 300 gold coins, but he spent 5 to buy a towel. Aren’t those utility props tempting? Look at the other items in the market…”

“Is he a germaphobe?”

“Or maybe he’s just used to being extravagant. This kind of young master probably never worries about money.”

“Hey, it’s hard going from extravagance to frugality.”

“I hope he learns to save…”

……

What would the palace of a god that was located deep in the mountains look like?

From the exterior, the palace looked resplendent and magnificent. Did the god inside live an unmatched, luxurious life of wine and roses?

At the entrance of the palace stood two guards. After handing them the invitation, Zhou Qian entered as “Li Dafu”.

Entering “Apple Paradise”, he was filled with curiosity. But what he saw inside was unexpected—it still looked like a forest.

Large trees filled the hall, but their roots weren’t planted in the ground and were intertwined above it.

In the center of the palace stood a gigantic tree, as thick as five people hugging it and about ten stories tall.

Since it’s called Apple Paradise, these are probably apple trees, right?

But why isn’t there a single apple in sight?

With these questions in mind, Zhou Qian continued to walk forward, observing the structure of the palace’s interior.

In front of that massive tree, there was a lake, with water so blue it seemed bottomless.

At this moment, many believers were standing in front of the lake, observing. Anger and resentment were evident on many of their faces. Some were even openly cursing, with no hint of solemnity in their demeanor.

Why?

They were believers, after all. Shouldn’t this place be their temple in their eyes?

The palace inside was vast. From a distance, Zhou Qian vaguely noticed something on the trunk of the tree in the center of the hall, but he couldn’t quite make it out.

As he walked down the main path to the edge of the lake, getting closer, he saw it clearly.

—There was a person there.

That person was naked. It was unclear whether he was tied to the tree by the vines and leaves or if he had grown out from the tree, as if he were part of it.

His bare body was mostly covered by the tree’s foliage, with one leg casually resting on the ground, glowing softly in the light from inside the palace.

The shadows of the leaves swayed with the wind, creating a play of light and darkness on his distinct face.

With every shift of the shadows, his features seemed to change, as if he had countless faces, leaving one to wonder which was his true face.

In front of him stood a stone tablet bearing his name: “Epoh.”

It seemed he was the great god Yipo.

Yipo is the phonetic transliteration of “Epoh”, with the “h” at the end being silent*.

*Clarity: In Chinese, his name is [Yipo] (羿泊). Pronunciation-wise, it sounds similar to Epoh (which the author has specifically written in English).

By the lake, someone suddenly cursed. “You useless god. You should die!” As he said this, he spat in the direction of the Great God Epoh.

Once he began, several other believers around him also started cursing.

It seemed they truly had no respect for the god they worshiped.

Across the lake, high up on that tree trunk, Epoh’s eyes remained tightly closed. He appeared sorrowful yet peaceful, as if he were asleep, seemingly oblivious to the blasphemous words of the believers.

Zhou Qian looked at him closely, then shifted his gaze back to his name.

Epoh?

These four letters seemed to carry some deeper meaning.

The author has something to say:

This game’s trading system has two types. One is similar to online games where players can trade amongst themselves, with sellers competing against each other, like in “JX Online 3” or “World of Warcraft“.

The other is more like a standalone game’s system, following the “system store” model.

In the early stages, the level classification for players S-F followed the most common model: Healers, Tanks, Melee Assassins, Ranged Mages—roles typical in battle, or legions (similar to player guilds or factions). These are commonly found in games like “JX Online 3”, “Honor of Kings“, or “Onmyoji“. However, for the sake of writing convenience, this novel has been greatly simplified. The specific skill setups, descriptions, and functionalities are original and self-designed.

It’s fine to make references to game-related jokes. Please avoid excessively referencing other novels. Much appreciated.

Kinky Thoughts:

The Sandpiper (Snipe) and the Clam

One day, taking advantage of the sunny weather, a clam opened up its hard shell to bask in the sun on the banks of the river. A sandpiper saw it and quickly put its beak into the clam shell to peck at the meat inside. The calm hurriedly closed its hard shell and sealed the sandpiper’s mouth shut. The sandpiper couldn’t peck at the meat, and its mouth was sealed shut, so it threatened the clam and said, “If you don’t loosen your clamp on me, you will eventually die of thirst.” The clam responded without showing weakness, “Your mouth has been clamped by me. If you can’t pull it free, you’ll starve to death!” In this way, the clam and sandpiper fought each other on the beach, and neither would relent. Over time, they became exhausted. A fisherman happened to pass by, and when he saw that they were tightly entangled and neither could move, he easily caught them and took them both home.”

This story was told during the Warring States Period, when the Qin Empire was strongest. On one occasion, the Empire of Zhao declared war on the State of Yan. At the time, the king’s younger brother, Su Dai, was entrusted to go to the Empire of Zhao to persuade the King of Zhao not to send troops. When he arrived, the King of Zhao demanded what he was doing here, to which he told the fable.

After finishing, Su Dai said to the King of Zhao, “If the Empire of Zhao and the State of Yan go to war, the two sides will inevitably be at a standstill for a long time, eventually becoming exhausted. In this way, the mighty Qin Empire will be like the fisherman, who just needs to sit back and reap the benefits. Your Majesty, please consider it carefully before making a decision.” The King of Zhao felt that what Su Dai said was reasonable and dispelled the idea of attacking the State of Yan.

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

Qizi Ch3

Kinky1 Comment

Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 3

Yao Tai’s statement ignited a romance fever within Bikong Academy. Every fledgling about to enter their awakening phase started actively looking for their future spouse. Couples started sprouting everywhere on campus.

This was the most beautiful romantic season of the year on the Tianxiu planet. Witnessing fledglings in the early throes of love, shyly whispering sweet nothings to each other, even the adults working within the academy couldn’t help but be drawn back to their own naive memories of the past.

However, not every memory was so pleasant. For example, the principal was one of those.

“Every year at this time, your mental state becomes a cause for concern.” Yao Tai worriedly looked at the report in her hand. It was the result of the principal’s visit to the infirmary to get medicine, only to be forced by her to have a health check.

The principal, somewhat helplessly, pulled out the wire attached to his temple. “I just came for some medicine. Those test results were expected. There wouldn’t be any improvement either way, so why bother?”

“I’m the health physician here. I have the duty to understand the mental condition of everyone in the academy,” Yao Tai firmly said, not backing down even though he was the principal. “Your current mental assessment has reached a dangerous level…”

“And it’s been dangerously high for over a hundred years. I could feel the urge to end my life every second,” the principal said, cutting her off. “But after all, I’m still alive, and never thought of giving up.”

“You…”

The principal gave a wry smile. “Since medicine can’t cure me, at least give me some relief medication.”

Yao Tai was frustrated for a while, but eventually sighed and took out the principal’s usual medication from the cabinet—most of it being sedatives to alleviate insomnia. For thirty years, he had taken countless bottles of such medicine from her. This man, with a high-risk mental assessment, had lived beyond anyone’s expectations for over a century. Only Yao Tai knew what he had relied upon to barely survive.

“Your recent medication dosage seems to have decreased?” Yao Tai noticed, comparing past records, her tone hinting at some relief.

“Yes, that’s because I need less sleep now,” the principal honestly replied.

The fleeting relief she felt was instantly extinguished. Yao Tai handed him several bottles of medication with a stern face. “Take as little as possible. You know the mental harm these medicines can cause.”

Regarding her warning, the principal seemed relaxed. “Of course, I’ve been very restrained.”

“Your mental report is dangerous. I have the duty to report to the Disease Control Center.”

“Sure, but don’t forget to mention my excellent self-control.” The principal smiled, albeit a bit bitterly. “I never want to go back to a place like the Disease Control Center in my life.”

Yao Tai sat down to record the examination results and medication dosage for the principal. The principal casually picked up a tablet on her desk to pass the time.

“That’s a file for the tenth-grade students,” Yao Tai said without lifting her head. “Part of it contains students I’ve flagged for special attention this year.”

The principal scrolled through the tablet until he paused at one particular profile, gazing intently at the photograph.

“His name is Ying Feng, the most significant concern for this year’s batch,” Yao Tai said, standing beside the principal, also looking at the profile. “Just looking at his eyes. He won’t settle for being second best. If he becomes a Qizi, the consequences are unimaginable.”

The principal silently turned to the next page. In the photo, a young man was smiling at the camera, exuding youthful vitality. Even in a static image, his confidence and flamboyance couldn’t be concealed.

“That’s Ling Xiao, not exactly a simple character*. He has too much pride and competitiveness in his nature. It’s hard for someone like him to accept the fate of failure. Fortunately, both he and Ying Feng are quite strong. They are the cream of the crop in their generation. It would be difficult for most people to surpass them in the coming-of-age ceremony, unless…”

*Not a fuel-efficient lamp (不是省油的灯) Metaphor referring to someone who’s not easy to deal with.

Yao Tai didn’t continue, and the principal didn’t ask. He put the tablet back in its place. “It’s going to be a tough year for you again.”

Yao Tai shook her head, about to say it wasn’t a big deal, but then thought of something else. “For the next physiology class, I want to take the students to visit the base.”

“Oh?” The principal was surprised. “Why?”

“I think it’s important for the students to understand their origins. It’ll help them improve their self-awareness.”

The principal pondered for a moment. “That’s a good suggestion. I know you have contacts at the base, so I’ll leave the arrangements to you.”

Yao Tai nodded in agreement.

……

“Hey! Did you hear? Rumors say that for our next physiology class, the academy will arrange for us to visit the base…”

Ling Xiao, without even knocking, barged into the other’s dormitory. His sentence gradually became stiffer, and it seemed he was finishing it out of sheer momentum.

Within his line of sight, his best friend No. 1, Lan Sheng, and his best friend No. 2, Ping Zong, were sitting on the bed, intimately embracing and…kissing.

“Sorry,” a shocked Ling Xiao mumbled, took a step back, closed the door, and tried to process the overwhelming information.

“Darn it!” Recovering from his shock, Ling Xiao kicked the door open again. “What the hell is going on?!”

The two had separated. Lan Sheng sat comfortably, while Ping Zong blushed and avoided his gaze.

“It’s exactly what you saw.” Lan Sheng openly embraced Ping Zong. “We’re dating.”

“You, you…” Ling Xiao was flabbergasted. “Since when?”

To his surprise, Lan Sheng began to count on his fingers. “Let me think… One, two, three… About three years ago.”

Three years ago…

Feeling awkward, Ling Xiao went to sulk in a corner. Lan Sheng gave him a disdainful look, and Ping Zong, finding it funny, disregarded his embarrassment and went over to comfort him.

“Stop it. I feel so betrayed. You two went from gay friends* to actual gay friends and kept it from me for three whole years. I’ve been the third wheel without even knowing it! Have you guys even considered my feelings…”

*Clarity: The term he’s using is (好基友) which refers to good gay friends, but nowadays widely used as just good (male) friends.

Ling Xiao continued to grumble, while Lan Sheng dug in his ear with his pinky. “It’s only because Ping Zong was considerate about your feelings that we didn’t tell you. He’s just afraid of shattering your fragile heart.”

“Enough,” Ping Zong complained. “He’s already like this, don’t provoke him further.”

He forcibly pulled Ling Xiao up from the ground. “This is mainly my fault. I felt embarrassed to mention it to you and didn’t want you to feel awkward in front of us, so I asked Lan Sheng to keep it a secret and not bring it up.”

Even after hearing that, Ling Xiao couldn’t bring himself to cheer up, looking dejected.

“See, I knew you’d have this ghostly expression. How could we dare to tell you?” Lan Sheng sarcastically remarked.

“You should’ve told me earlier!” Ling Xiao retorted.

“Would you have believed us?”

“You’re not a good friend!”

“You’re slow-witted!”

“Traitors*!”

*Seeing colors and forgetting the meaning (见色忘义) Idiom referring to giving up one’s morality once you meet someone (beautiful) that you like.

“Cuck*!”

*Big Tortoise (大乌龟).

Ping Zong, seeing the two bickering energetically, was relieved. This was the Ling Xiao he knew.

“Alright, enough messing around.” Ling Xiao patted his face as if trying to wake himself up. “Even though I’m still trying to accept this… What are your plans for the future?”

Lan Sheng, who was usually playful, turned serious. “You heard what Dr. Yao said. After our awakening, Ping Zong and I have decided to hold the coming-of-age ceremony and become partners.”

When he said this, his attitude was serious and solemn, mature beyond his fledgling state.

Ping Zong quietly extended his hand to him, and their fingers intertwined tightly. All of this was witnessed by Ling Xiao.

“Then, I must congratulate you in advance…” Ling Xiao sounded a bit desolate. “But between the two of you, who will be the Qizhu?”

Lan Sheng gripped the other’s hand tighter. “That will depend on our capabilities.”

Ping Zong gave a slight smile, offering no opinion.

“After the coming-of-age ceremony, won’t you both be going on to further studies? Leaving me all alone…”

“Speaking of which,” Ping Zong said with concern, “Ling Xiao, you should also think about your lifelong matters. Ever since Dr. Yao began mobilizing preparations, many in our class have settled into romantic relationships. The number of singles is decreasing.”

“I know.” Ling Xiao scratched his head in frustration. “But it’s not something you can find just by saying so. There has to be someone you like first, right?”

“What about Ying Feng? Didn’t you say last time you wanted to take him as your Qizi?” Lan Sheng interjected.

“That’s a joke.” Ping Zong nudged him. “He said it out of frustration.”

“Really? I thought you had feelings for him.” Lan Sheng shrugged. “Recently, Zhu Yue has been pursuing Ying Feng quite actively. It’s as if he’s afraid people wouldn’t know.”

“Zhu Yue?” Ling Xiao paused. “The one who’s not very good at fighting?”

“That’s the one. I truly wonder how there can be such a weak exception among the Tianxiu people. He’s a disgrace to our kind. With his capabilities, he’s destined to be someone’s Qizi.”

“Being Ying Feng’s Qizi isn’t bad. He’s so strong. Looking across our entire grade, there aren’t many who could surpass him during the coming-of-age ceremony,” Ping Zong said.

“Maybe not. Older students might have their sights on him. Remember, Dr. Yao mentioned that the Qizhu will gain the powers of their Qizi. Just for that, it’s enough for some fearless ones to get ideas.”

Their discussion reached Ling Xiao’s ears, and a feeling of annoyance surged in his heart. He wished he hadn’t heard any of it. But having heard it, he couldn’t help but care.

“By the way,” Lan Sheng recalled, “What did you say when you came in? Visiting the base? Is that true?”

……

The term “base” became the most frequently mentioned word among the tenth graders in the following days. For these fledglings, the base was both familiar and filled with mystery. It was where they slept and awakened; the first thing every person of Tianxiu saw upon waking up in this life was the energy tank ceiling of the base.

However, after brief medical examinations and registrations, these newly awakened individuals were randomly allocated to various primary academies, embarking on a fresh start in life. The base, in their memories, was but a fleeting moment.

The news of the chance to revisit the base thrilled every tenth grader, and they all eagerly anticipated the next physical health class.

Ling Xiao input commands into his personal terminal, connecting to the Tianyuan Network.

The Tianyuan Network was the public network of Tianxiu. Its original designer proposed the feasibility of a 3D network and successfully built the first 3D virtual community, pioneering the prototype of realistic networking. This happened more than five hundred years ago.

Regrettably, he passed away before his grand vision was fully realized. Decades later, successors inherited his aspirations, refining the 3D network further and successfully popularizing it.

The third successor achieved a miracle in the history of networking. He developed an interdimensional transmission device that allowed physical objects to switch between virtual and reality, ushering in the golden era of 3D networking.

Today, with the original community at its heart, the Tianyuan Network had expanded its domain endlessly. Every industry found its place within, essentially creating a bustling space parallel to the real world and fully realizing the dream of the first generation when it was named—Tianyuan, the new era of Tianxiu.

Ling Xiao’s fledgling status meant his activities on the Tianyuan Network were restricted by its hierarchy, barring him from entering over 80% of the adult-only zones. Fortunately, the few zones that fledglings were allowed into were prosperous, catering to the needs of these minors.

Besides personal terminals, every awakened Tianxiu person also received a real-name card after awakening. This card served various purposes, one of which was for making purchases.

Every fledgling received a monthly stipend, sufficient for their expenses. This amount would increase when they undergo the coming-of-age ceremony and enter advanced institutes for further studies, and it would continue until they graduate and have their own income. Only then would they start paying education tax, nurturing the next generation of Tianxiu just as they were nurtured.

After shopping in the supermarket, Ling Xiao strolled along the commercial street, his attention caught by a shop named “Everything Sold Here”.

“What do you sell here?” He walked in, only to find no goods but a fledgling inside.

The fledgling pointed at the sign above with a cheeky grin. “Everything.”

Skeptical, Ling Xiao looked him up and down. “Are you a student working here?”

“No, I’m the owner.”

“Owner?” Ling Xiao exclaimed. “But you look just like me—a minor fledgling.”

“It’s true, but I’ve been one for twenty-two years.”

Just as Ling Xiao’s jaw was dropping, another person entered the shop.

“Hello there, what can I help you with?” The owner greeted warmly.

Upon entering, Ying Feng spotted someone he’d rather not see. As he was about to leave, Ling Xiao noticed him due to the owner’s greeting.

“What are you doing here?” Ling Xiao asked curtly.

Perhaps because it was online, Ying Feng wasn’t as indifferent as usual and replied, “Why can’t I be here?”

“Everyone’s a customer once they enter.” The owner welcomed Ying Feng warmly. “Ask for anything you like.”

“But you have nothing here,” Ling Xiao retorted.

“As long as you can name it, I’m confident I can procure it for you.”

“Such as?”

“Like the latest gaming consoles, extraterrestrial biological specimens, and autographed photos of celebrities. Let me think… What would fledglings of your age like? Ah, yes.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “Even those spicy adult discs, I can discreetly get them for you.”

Ling Xiao felt embarrassed when he suddenly heard Ying Feng ask, “Aren’t you a student from our academy?”

“What?” Ling Xiao’s eyes widened. “This twenty-two-year-old fledgling is from our academy?”

“He’s Zhen He. You don’t even recognize him?” Ying Feng responded disdainfully.

Zhen He’s renowned name finally rang a bell in Ling Xiao’s memory. There was a celebrity in Bikong Academy—a twenty-two-year-old fledgling who hadn’t matured, neither advancing in his studies nor being held back, always remaining in the twelfth grade, the highest grade in the academy.

Although Zhen He was famous, he was elusive. Many students had heard of his name but never seen him in person, so it wasn’t surprising Ling Xiao didn’t recognize him.

Zhen He wasn’t bothered that he was recognized. “I know you both are from Bikong. Ling Xiao, Ying Feng. Am I right?”

“Damn.” Ling Xiao was shocked to hear his name. “How do you know?”

“Of course,” Zhen He’s demeanor shifted, no longer the enthusiastic shopkeeper but a more worldly figure, “I sell everything, which includes information. As an informant, I always need to know more than others.”

“Unfortunately, I’m not interested in what you sell.” Ying Feng turned to leave, and Ling Xiao hastily added, “Neither am I.”

“Aren’t both of you in the tenth grade?” Zhen He’s words halted their departure. “I’ve heard the tenth graders will be visiting the base for a field trip in a few days.”

“Yes, everyone in the academy knows about this. It’s not surprising that you do too.”

“How about I sell you some information that you might find interesting? Secrets about the base, perhaps?”

“Secrets?”

“Secrets on how to find your partner from a past life.”

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

Sendoff Ch86

Kinky7 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 86: Formation

Shi Jingzhi had a not-too-long nightmare. He was well aware that he was dreaming, which gave him some comfort.

The Queen of Milan wasn’t like Yan Budu; she had no intention of leaving detailed memories for the world. The vast hatred and despair came crashing down on him, almost causing him to lose consciousness.

The Queen’s temperament was even more ruthless than Yan Budu’s, and she showed no mercy to her “kind”. Shi Jingzhi felt some regret—had he not received assistance from Yin Ci and Chen Qianfan, he might not have been able to defeat the Arcane Arts. To deal with the full force of the “Queen’s Funeral”, he would have needed at least a well-trained army.

She hoped to leave her last words to a strong and capable member of her kind.

Shi Jingzhi wasn’t sure if he was being crafty or not; he just had a vague feeling. The Queen of Milan’s last words were definitely not something he could easily digest.

Sure enough, in the beginning of the nightmare, Shi Jingzhi saw the vast glaciers of the North. The Queen of Milan stood at the edge of the glacier, dressed in a blue and white imperial robe, exuding a chilling elegance.

There was no one by her side.

And opposite her stood Great Yun’s tens of thousands of troops, mixed with thousands of Milan soldiers. Leading them was an elderly man on a white horse, dressed as the Great Yun’s Imperial Preceptor of that time.

“What am I? A monster or weapon created by you?”

Under the dark clouds and storm, she asked calmly. Her voice was transmitted through magic, and the surrounding generals and soldiers were indifferent, as if only the Imperial Preceptor could hear.

The Imperial Preceptor raised an eyebrow and looked at the Queen of Milan up and down. She coughed up blood and smiled sarcastically, like a diseased plum standing atop the glacier.

“When I was treating my illness, I found a formation in my own blood. The formation was so complex that it didn’t seem like something from this world, but it did indeed have traces of human alteration. It has been with me since birth, and my short-lived illness and terrifying desire are all related to it, right?”

Rather than asking a question, the Queen of Milan’s tone was more like a reproach. The Imperial Preceptor’s eyes showed some admiration, but that admiration quickly turned into regret.

“To be able to detect the blood formation, you are indeed a talented magic prodigy as rumored. Unfortunately…”

His voice was very low, also transmitted through magic, and it felt like needles stabbing.

“No need to regret anything. Today, I just want to die with a clear understanding. Old man, if you dare to lie in front of me, even if I have to go to hell, I will take the lives of the tens of thousands behind you.”

The Queen of Milan interrupted him with a cold laugh.

The Imperial Preceptor looked compassionate, as if looking at a child being unreasonable. He looked at the countless spells gathered around the Queen and hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Great Yun has had generations of talented individuals, brilliant and unparalleled. A Saint sacrificed himself to the heavens, and heaven granted such blessings. You’re not monsters, but rather the fate of the heavens. We are sending you to a place of freedom with great care.”

“Unfortunately, it’s a pity… women are shallow in their hearts, and their fixed desire is too biased, making it difficult to bear the mandate of heaven in the end.”

The Queen of Milan’s smile grew larger and larger, and the cold wind lifted her long sleeves, blending her killing intent and immortal aura.

“Children of Desire? Fixed desire? Let me ask you, is the ‘bloodline disease’ that nearly took my life a fixed desire?”

The Imperial Preceptor nodded gently. “Indeed.”

The Queen clenched the handkerchief in her hand, and her smile became somewhat twisted. Dark clouds rolled in under the clear sky, and thunder rumbled in the clouds.

Her despair became even heavier, carrying fragments of chaos. Memories from the fixed desire were difficult to say whether they were blessings or curses, and she was destined to never escape from them in her lifetime.

Queen Xu Luo was afflicted with a disease that caused her to cough up blood, making it difficult for her to bear children, and thus was neglected by the royal family. After entering the palace for many days, the royal family treated her as a beautiful decoration and gave her a female slave named A’Tao.

Unexpectedly, the two met by chance, and A’Tao became the Queen’s first friend in her life.

One spring day, she received this handkerchief. Under the sunlight, the servant girl A’Tao’s eyes were sparkling, and she smiled brilliantly—

[Take it, I embroidered it! I remember today is your birthday. Haa, the two of us are trapped here all alone, so we have to support each other.]

[I learned Great Yun’s songs from my sister, and I’ll sing them to you! How does it go… The warm, warm breeze caresses the pretty peach branches…]

[Unfortunately, my family are all imperial slaves. Otherwise, I would definitely travel all over the country, singing everywhere. A’Luo, what do you want to do in the future?]

It was obviously just a smile, but it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her life. No matter what, she wanted to see it again.

Perhaps she could fulfill that person’s wish.

Several years later, beside the pile of corpses of the royal family, on the blood-stained throne, the new Queen happily announced to her friend—

“I will abolish the system of imperial slaves, and you can sing freely.”

“I will take care of your family and take care of this country… Now I will do whatever I want.”

“…A’Tao, why aren’t you smiling?”

The slave girl A’Tao knelt trembling under the throne, not daring to raise her head. When she heard those words, she looked up and forced out a smile that was even uglier than crying.

Not long after, A’Tao’s family was besieged by the people as “betraying the royal family and supporting a tyrant”. A’Tao didn’t seek help from her former friend. By the time Xu Luo found out, they had already crossed the border and fled to Great Yun.

She could never find that smile again.

A’Tao hurriedly escaped, and no matter how hard she tried to govern the Milan people, in their eyes, she would always be a usurper who killed her husband and family with sinister intentions, an outsider with ill intentions. She was caught in a dilemma, and her time was running out.

She knew in her heart that she would never see that kind of smile again.

What a pitiful and ridiculous life, only to exchange it for the frivolous phrase “shallow in their hearts, and their fixed desire is too biased.”

Then what was “right”?

The Queen let go, and the wrinkled handkerchief danced in the wind, falling down the mountains and rivers. She looked directly into the Imperial Preceptor’s eyes and said in a slow, deliberate manner, “Great Yun has had generations of talented individuals, brilliant and unparalleled. Knowing that I won’t be the last one… That’s enough, it’s enough.”

“Come, let me teach you two things—first, when a person is about to die, their words may not be virtuous. I lied to you when I said I wouldn’t kill anyone. Second…”

After letting go of the handkerchief, she smiled even more beautifully.

“You should guard your secrets. The dead may still talk.”

As soon as the Queen’s words fell, countless crimson spells shot out. The Imperial Preceptor’s expression changed, attempting to resist with magic, but his heart was instantly pierced. Splashes of blood caused the massive glacier to shatter, and tens of thousands of troops fell into the icy sea in an instant.

“Old man, let me show you the hatred of a ‘woman’.”

The Imperial Preceptor’s corpse was dragged closer by the spells, and the Queen tightly embraced it. After a burst of blood-red light, more corpses swarmed in. Before being engulfed by the corpses, the Queen’s face turned ashen, and her lips moved slightly.

“I will let you all know that when a Saint sacrifices himself to the heavens, it’s not blessings that heaven bestows, but calamities.”

“I will become this calamity.”

For decades, for hundreds of years, there would always be others of her kind coming to this northern land. Even if there was only a slight possibility, she wanted them to pay the price.

In boundless hatred and despair, she finally shed tears. In the final moments of the nightmare, Shi Jingzhi saw the Queen of Milan move her lips and then stubbornly swallow her last words.

Looking at that tiny movement of her lips, she seemed to want to call out the name “A’Tao.”

The information in the nightmare “testament” was terrifying, and the sensation of the corpses piling up was too horrifying. Shi Jingzhi gasped in shock, suddenly sitting up.

He struggled wildly, like he was drowning, and then a warm hand grabbed him.

Shi Jingzhi instinctively grasped the hand, holding onto the person’s hand tightly. The despair and oppression almost drowned him, but he still had a piece of buoyant wood that would never sink.

“Are you awake?” Yin Ci sighed with relief.

Shi Jingzhi didn’t know if he could be considered awake—the aftereffects of the Living Puppet Curse were like a hangover, and the influence of the Queen of Milan’s “testament” made his brain feel like it was bubbling. Sect Master Shi let go of his disciple and frantically clutched at the sides of the boat, trying to vomit.

But there was nothing in his stomach to vomit, and he dry-heaved for a long time before recovering.

Memories from the age of three returned, and Shi Jingzhi knew that the matter of “fixed desire” was undoubtedly related to the previous Imperial Preceptor. Unexpectedly, this “connection” started over two hundred years ago.

There was not just one Imperial Preceptor involved; it was a group.

The Queen of Milan, Yan Budu, and himself were all some kind of living being called “Children of Desire”. Their strange hemoptysis and twisted desires were all due to this identity.

Great Yun produced generations of Children of Desire. Apart from the particularly troublesome Queen of Milan and Yan Budu, how many people were buried in the shadows?

According to the words in the testament, after the first Imperial Preceptor sacrificed himself to the heavens, the “Children of Desire” appeared. But what exactly were the “Children of Desire” meant for?

Shi Jingzhi wished he could fly to Yidu right now and interrogate Jiang Youyue with severe methods. Unfortunately, Jiang Youyue was well protected, and he was under the watchful eye of the royal family, so it wasn’t easy to take action.

Moreover, at this moment, he had more important things to consider—

How could there be a short-lived, strange disease? He only had a mysterious formation in his blood. The formation had been with them since birth; even the Queen of Milan couldn’t remove it, which indicated it wasn’t easy to deal with.

The aftereffects of the Living Puppet Curse had passed, and Shi Jingzhi lost Chen Qianfan’s magic reserves. He couldn’t deduce deeper clues. He could only grasp Yin Ci and look around weakly. “Where are Senior Chen and Granny Wei?”

The wooden boat seemed to be some kind of magical tool, and it was stable on the snowy plain. Shi Zhongyu and Yan Qing were still unconscious, but Chen Qianfan and Granny Wei were nowhere to be seen.

Yin Ci lowered his gaze and said casually, “They’re gone.”

Shi Jingzhi’s chaotic thoughts froze immediately. The magical artifact was still warm, and they must have just stopped. There was undoubtedly only one meaning to what “gone” meant in such an empty and desolate place.

After half a day, he finally thought a bit slowly—when he left, the two elders were clearly fine. How could they suddenly disappear after he took a nap?

He immediately held Yin Ci’s hand, as if afraid that the person in front of him would also vanish.

Since his ban was lifted, and after the fierce battle and the testament, Shi Jingzhi hadn’t had any rest. Yin Ci looked at him, and he felt that the person in front of him was filled with exhaustion from head to toe. The vigorous vitality of the past had diminished somewhat.

Yin Ci pondered for a moment and didn’t inquire about the matter of the testament, but continued calmly, “Shi Zhongyu and Yan Qing aren’t in good condition. They need a warm place to recuperate from their injuries. We are not far from Twin Rivers. We can rest there for a while.”

“It’s just sunrise now, and the yin energy is receding. I will go find Su Si. You wait here.”

Yin Ci’s tone was calm, with a touch of unquestionable composure, which made people feel reassured.

Just like many years ago.

…Right, Yin Ci was immortal. He thought belatedly and couldn’t help but drift away in his thoughts again.

In just an instant, Shi Jingzhi deeply understood the pain of the Queen of Milan—if there wasn’t such a thread of worldly attachment around him, when the heavy truths came crashing down, he might have fallen into despair too.

He felt a strange sense of having survived a great calamity, and cold sweat soaked his back.

Yin Ci seemed to misunderstand Shi Jingzhi’s blank expression, thinking that he had not fully recovered from the nightmare.

He took out an exquisite brocade and placed it in Shi Jingzhi’s palm. “Woven by Granny Wei, inside there’s a tranquility charm written by Chen Qianfan. Remember not to open it casually… I’ve accepted your ‘flower lantern contract’, so I should return the favor.”

After speaking, Yin Ci took out another tranquility charm and waved it in front of Shi Jingzhi. “This one is mine, and I’ve put your flower lantern contract in place.”

Oh, Yin Ci was coaxing him.

Shi Jingzhi suddenly felt that this person had been using the same three tricks for the past twenty years, which meant that there weren’t many tricks left. Despite carrying a heavy burden in his heart, he was almost amused by his disciple’s actions.

Yin Ci continued clumsily playing the role of a father, his tone somewhat uncertain. “When we get to Twin Rivers, I’ll cook fish for you.”

Shi Jingzhi carefully held the tranquility charm and put it in his pocket, looking at Yin Ci. “Master has already passed three; I was just thinking about serious matters.”

He was no longer the little mute from years ago; this small bribe couldn’t fool him anymore.

“But I really want to eat fish with fruit juice.” After thinking for a moment, he added seriously.

Yin Ci’s expression loosened. He let out a sigh of relief, about to say something, when his brows slowly furrowed.

Shi Jingzhi turned his head and followed Yin Ci’s gaze—not far away, a white smoke billowed. From the shape alone, the approaching object seemed somewhat strange, but the demonic qi was quite faint.

As the object drew closer, the two of them could make out the general outline. It was a small sled pulled by rabbit demons, and standing on the sled was a figure holding… a large goose.

The large goose had two fleshy antennae on its head, and its eyes were stern and dissatisfied. They were very familiar with it.

Lord Bai had a warm jade hanging from its chest and looked somewhat frightened, but fortunately hadn’t suffered any injuries. Su Si was unconscious at the back of the sled, wrapped tightly in thick clothes; his face was stained with blood but still showed signs of breathing.

“Long time no see, Sect Master Shi. Did your Kushan Sect lose something?” The sled stopped beside the wooden boat, and the person on the sled smiled sweetly.

Shi Jingzhi: “…Thank you, Miss Shen.”

He found it somewhat amusing and couldn’t help but play along with Shen Zhu’s act. Based on Yin Ci’s experience, he probably discovered their connection back in the Ghost Tomb. Now, Shen Zhu was pretending not to know them face-to-face, and he was momentarily unsure whether he should introduce this subordinate.

The atmosphere was so awkward that it felt strange whether they spoke or not.

Sect Master Shi had just gained some true emotions, and the initial excitement hadn’t subsided yet. He was afraid he might slip and break it. He was at a loss for words, unable to come up with a smooth response.

On the other side, Yin Ci indeed remembered the face of the newcomer; it was Shen Zhu from the Ghost Tomb.

When they were in the Ghost Tomb, Shi Jingzhi had sneakily spent time alone with this person. Disciples of the Yueshui Pavilion were always running around, investigating various peculiar things. Now that they bumped into each other here, he could barely explain it as a coincidence, but…

Yin Ci glanced at the bird whistle hanging on Shen Zhu’s chest and thought of the sparrow feathers on Shi Jingzhi and understood the situation. But now that Shi Jingzhi was pretending not to know her, he didn’t know if Shi Jingzhi had mentioned this matter to her.

Regardless, they had been avoiding any direct contact with her, so it seemed a bit hurtful to expose everything right now. With Shi Jingzhi not saying anything, he seemed unable to speak up.

The two of them looked up and down, and the atmosphere fell into a suspicious silence.

Shen Zhu observed the inexplicable atmosphere for a while, and her eyebrows rose higher and higher. Seeing that neither of them spoke, she gradually grasped some clues—

Shen Zhu pulled Su Si onto the wooden boat and then turned to Yin Ci. “Alright, you know who I am. I am indeed Shi Jingzhi’s subordinate, but he didn’t tell me anything about you. The Yueshui Pavilion’s news is always fast, and as soon as I heard that you openly acknowledged your Master at the city gate, I recognized you.”

She smiled and tried to ease the tension.

“Yin Ci, right? I had quite an impression of you from our time in the Ghost Tomb. I’ve only seen one person who dared to talk back to their Master like that, and that’s you.”

The author has something to say:

Shen Zhu: I’m just a bot that brings up embarrassing past events…

…Demonic Lord Yin, do you remember what you did before?

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

Bu Tian Gang Ch159

KinkyLeave a comment

Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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

Chapter 159

From the door’s crack in a compartment, a middle-aged woman was seen holding a struggling child who seemed to be trying to wake up. However, a man next to her gave the child something to drink, and in a blink, the child fell back into a deep sleep.

Kan Chaosheng narrowed his eyes.

The people inside were very alert. Almost the moment Kan Chaosheng stopped to look, another man noticed his silhouette outside the door and swiftly approached to open it. Kan Chaosheng didn’t plan on running; he stood his ground, looked up, and gave a smile that he thought was foolishly naive but which others might interpret as innocent and pure. “Hello, Uncle.”

Glancing around and seeing only a child, the man’s guard dropped significantly.

He said absent-mindedly, “Go find your parents; this isn’t a place for kids!”

Kan Chaosheng pointed to the sleeping boy inside. “That little brother is so cute. Can I play with him?”

The man, now annoyed, warned, “Whose annoying kid is this? If you don’t leave, I’ll call the police!”

Kan Chaosheng, on the verge of tears, pleaded, “But my parents didn’t come with me. Please don’t let the police take me away!”

The man hesitated, and his stern expression softened immediately, becoming more cordial.

“Little friend, you say your parents didn’t come with you? Who brought you on the train?”

Kan Chaosheng shook his head. “I came by myself, going to my grandparents’. My parents got divorced.”

The man’s heart leapt with opportunity, suppressing his excitement. “Then, would you like to come in and play with the little brother?”

Kan Chaosheng feigned hesitation. “Isn’t he sleeping?”

The man reached out, trying to coax him. “When he wakes up, he can play with you. I have delicious candy here.”

Kan Chaosheng did indeed come in with great enthusiasm. The man took out a large bag of candies from his bag and gave it to him, and he also lent him a phone to play with.

“Little friend, where are you from?” the man asked.

Kan Chaosheng mentioned a place name, which was a suburb next to the capital city.

The man confirmed again, “Did you really come here by train alone? How could your parents be at ease?”

With candy stuffed in his mouth, his cheeks puffing with each chew, Kan Chaosheng frowned and said, “My parents are divorced. They have to work and don’t have time to accompany me, so they let me go by myself.”

The woman holding the child also asked, “Wasn’t there someone with you on the way?”

Kan Chaosheng rolled his eyes. “I’m a grownup; I don’t need someone with me!”

The man laughed. “Yes, yes, you’re a grownup!”

He turned to his companion and said, “I think he’s a runaway.”

To prevent the child from understanding, their conversation was conducted entirely in a tricky and hard-to-understand dialect.

However, Kan Chaosheng didn’t need to listen; he could guess what they were probably saying.

The woman said, “Maybe we should forget it. What we have now is enough. Any more and we might overextend ourselves.”

“Women are always so timid!” Another accomplice sneered disdainfully. “One more means more money. Look at his fair and delicate face; he’s definitely well-raised. Most likely, he sneaked out without his parents knowing. Kids like him are top-notch merchandise; once kidnapped, they’re hard to find!”

The third accomplice appeared uneasy. “But when he got on, someone must’ve seen him. What if the passengers in the same car notice he’s missing and call the police?”

Another accomplice thoughtfully said, “So, we should wait for about half an hour. If no one comes looking for him by then, we’ll get off at the next stop. At that time, we’ll hand this kid to Lao Lei. If anyone asks, we’ll say he got sick, the hospital in Beijing couldn’t treat him, so we’re taking him back to his hometown.”

There was continuous rustling from the other end. The man who had opened the door for Kan Chaosheng turned around and was dumbstruck.

“How the hell can you eat so much?!”

He snatched the bag from Kan Chaosheng’s hands, then picked up the snack wrappers from the bunk, pinching a few to confirm that all the snacks inside had been eaten.

“Damn, it’s all gone! Are you the fucking reincarnation of a starved ghost? How can you eat so much from such a big bag?”

Kan Chaosheng looked aggrieved. “Uncle, if you scold me, I won’t play with the little brother. I’m leaving!”

Saying so, he tried to jump off the bed.

The man hurriedly stopped him. “No, no, no, I was just joking with you. There’s still food!”

He then motioned to his companions. “Quick, whatever snacks you have on you, take them out!”

The man quickly handed another bag of snacks to Kan Chaosheng. “Here, eat these for now. Uncle will go buy you a drink, okay?”

“Okay!” Kan Chaosheng happily started opening the snacks without lifting his head. “I’ve already bought a Coke. Get me two bottles of Sprite!”

“Alright, alright!” The man gave a signal to one of his companions, who immediately got up and left.

The man stared at the empty snack wrappers in disbelief. “How did he eat so quickly? Did any of you see him eating? Is he some sort of eating machine?”

One of the accomplices teased him, “He was sitting right behind you eating, and you didn’t even notice! How would we know?”

The man turned his head to see Kan Chaosheng eating and his greasy fingers typing on his phone simultaneously. Despite his nonchalant demeanor, he was eating at an astonishing speed. In no time, he finished a chicken wing and picked up another.

Looking at the greasy fingerprints covering the phone, the man resisted the urge to lash out at Kan Chaosheng.

“This damned kid. Before selling him off, I really want to beat him up,” he muttered furiously in his dialect.

The accomplice returned with drinks. Meeting the man’s inquisitive gaze, he silently nodded and handed over the drinks.

“Kid, you must be thirsty. Have a drink. Uncle went out especially to buy it for you!”

Kan Chaosheng took it and gulped down a big sip.

The only woman among the traffickers tried to make conversation. “Little friend, what’s your name?”

Kan Chaosheng glanced at her, curled his lip, and arrogantly replied, “My parents told me not to tell my name to ugly women!”

The middle-aged woman, holding back her anger, gave a fake smile. “Didn’t your parents teach you to be polite when speaking to adults?”

Kan Chaosheng giggled. “Why should I be polite to someone as ugly as you?”

He finished the last chicken bone and tossed it onto the bed.

“I’m done eating. Is there more?”

The man: …

“None left!” He replied irritatedly, staring at Kan Chaosheng. Seeing the boy still full of energy, he suspiciously asked his companion. “Was the drink ‘fresh’?”

The accomplice replied with discontent, “Of course it was ‘fresh’. I even added a bit extra!”

The man was puzzled. “Then why didn’t he faint?”

Kan Chaosheng wiped his mouth nonchalantly. “My elder told me never to ask others for snacks, but if they offer, it’s fine. You guys won’t snitch, right?”

The man, seeing the boy hadn’t fainted, snapped impatiently, “What are you babbling about? Here, drink this Sprite as well!”

Kan Chaosheng grinned, showing an innocent smile. “Since you don’t have any more food, I guess it’s my turn.”

……

Deng Po waited for a long time without seeing Kan Chaosheng return with the cola. Feeling uneasy and regretting letting the boy go alone, he followed the directions to the dining car. From the staff, he learned that Kan Chaosheng had returned. Deng Po hurriedly searched each compartment, ready to call the police. But then he saw a compartment door open, and Kan Chaosheng’s head peeked out, waving at him.

“What are you doing?” Deng Po rushed over and peeked inside, his jaw dropping.

Inside the compartment, there were five people: three men, one woman, and one unconscious child.

One man clung to the bedpost, screaming in terror, “Stay away, or I’ll call the police!”

Another sat on the small table by the bed, laughing maniacally and pretending to gather something. “Gold, so much gold! I’m rich!”

The other two burly men were strangling each other. One spat out angrily, “You traitor, daring to cheat behind my back!” while the other sobbed, “I didn’t! I didn’t kill anyone.”

Deng Po: …What just happened here?

He slowly looked at Kan Chaosheng. “Is this a group of mentally ill patients on their way to a mental hospital?”

Kan Chaosheng rolled his eyes. “What are you thinking? These are human traffickers, and that kid was kidnapped by them!”

Deng Po was shocked. “What?! And you…?”

Kan Chaosheng shrugged. “Thankfully, I’m clever and skillful. Otherwise, they would’ve succeeded. The boy seems to be another one of their victims.”

Deng Po struggled to reconcile the bizarre behavior of the people with the idea of them being traffickers. As he was still processing, Kan Chaosheng frowned. “Why are you standing there in a daze? Quickly call the police!”

Deng Po didn’t think much about it and turned to look for the train police. Halfway there, he realized a problem: How did Kan Chaosheng, having just fallen into the hands of those people, manage to do this to them?

He dared not think about it deeply. A shiver ran down Deng Po’s spine, with a vague realization that perhaps the kid wasn’t as simple as he seemed on the surface.

……

When Dong Zhi received a call from Kan Chaosheng, he was on his way back from a commendation ceremony.

This commendation ceremony was also a memorial service.

The battle began and ended with the stone tablet. Che Bai, Zong Ling, Ding Lan, and others had sacrificed their precious lives. Long Shen, Dong Zhi, Yu Buhui, Liu Si, and others almost didn’t make it back from the abyss. Wu Bingtian, Tang Jing, and their peers were seriously injured, and they paid a heavy price for a pyrrhic victory.

Although the abyssal channel had been sealed and almost all of Otowa Yasuhiko’s side had been wiped out, with only insignificant figures left who couldn’t cause any more trouble, it was still a profoundly painful experience for the Special Administration Bureau.

Everyone, dressed in black Chinese tunic suits, stood in the cemetery. The summary of the battle and the eulogy for the deceased by Song Zhicun echoed in their ears. The heavens seemed moved, sending a light drizzle as if mourning the heroes.

Under such circumstances, even when Dong Zhi was informed that he had been awarded a second-class individual merit and promoted to assistant director of the Yangcheng branch, he couldn’t feel any happier.

Only when he sat side by side with Long Shen on the way back and received a call from Kan Chaosheng did he begin to shake off the sadness, replaced by a mix of laughter and tears.

“You’re saying you used an illusion technique to turn those four traffickers into lunatics?” Dong Zhi asked.

“I had to do something! By the time the police arrived, everything would’ve been over! They’re perfectly fine now; they’re just pretending to be mad to avoid police interrogation. Anyway, I’ve handed them over to the police, so it’s out of my hands now!” Kan Chaosheng ranted.

Dong Zhi smirked. “Since the situation is resolved, you wouldn’t specifically call unless something else happened, right?”

As expected, there was a pause on the other end. Kan Chaosheng hesitated for a moment. “It’s not a big deal! I just plan to take on a disciple and was wondering if you guys are free to come and witness the ceremony?”

Dong Zhi: …

Without needing to relay the message, Kan Chaosheng’s voice was loud enough for Long Shen to hear.

Long Shen couldn’t help but rub his temples. “We really shouldn’t have let him go out alone.”

He thought that after all this time at the Special Administration Bureau, Kan Chaosheng deserved a chance to go out on his own. Little did he expect that he would find himself a disciple while delivering an octopus.

Long Shen took the phone from Dong Zhi. “You’re not ready to have a disciple yet.”

Upon hearing Long Shen’s voice, Kan Chaosheng’s tone softened. “Boss, his name is Deng Po. I met him on the way. He seems to have a good nature. Without knowing who I am, he still took care of me when he knew I was traveling alone.”

Long Shen calmly replied, “Choosing a disciple is not only about their nature but also their potential. And being a master is not just about the master’s abilities. Besides magic, what else do you think you can teach him?”

Kan Chaosheng: “Eat… eat faster than others?”

Long Shen was silent. Dong Zhi tried to hold back his laughter. Long Shen glanced at him and saw him leaning in to listen, stretching his neck like a giraffe, so he just turned on the speakerphone.

Kan Chaosheng’s dejected voice came through. “Alright, I understand.”

Still, he wanted to try one more time. “But I really want to take on a disciple. Ever since you guys left the capital, I’ve been so bored. Zhong Yuyi is so slow to respond. Sometimes it takes him forever to reply.”

Long Shen patiently explained, “A disciple is not a playmate to keep you entertained. You have to be responsible for their future.”

Kan Chaosheng: “I can do it! Like you do with Dong Zhi, isn’t it just sleeping in the same bed? I can do that too!”

Dong Zhi: ……

Without a word, Dong Zhi hung up the phone.

But it was already too late.

The driver was from the Special Administration Bureau and wasn’t a practitioner but a logistical staff member. He was relatively familiar with the affairs within the bureau. This commendation ceremony was an official outing. Originally, Long Shen and Wu Bingtian were in the same car, but on the way back, Wu Bingtian and Song Zhicun had matters to discuss. Meanwhile, Dong Zhi had to go back directly to pack up to catch a flight to Yangcheng early the next morning. Long Shen accompanied him, so they shared a car. Although Long Shen’s resignation wasn’t approved, the higher-ups allowed him to take an indefinite sick leave, only requiring him to report in urgent situations when needed.

The reason Long Shen wanted to resign was partly that he felt a bit exhausted and wanted to spend more time with his apprentice. On the other hand, it was due to the lingering demonic qi. He didn’t want to have any accidents while in the position of deputy director, which would cause even more trouble. But now that he was allowed to take sick leave, he didn’t insist on leaving. Unlike Tang Jing, who loved freedom, the word “responsibility” was deeply ingrained in him. The Special Administration Bureau, and the people within it had long become a part of his life, and he was reluctant to leave casually.

During Kan Chaosheng’s rant, the car happened to stop at a red light at a crossroads ahead. The driver took a sip from his water bottle, and, caught off guard by the overheard conversation, he spit the water directly onto the windshield.

He coughed a few times and sneaked a glance at the two of them through the rearview mirror. Trying to cover up his embarrassment, he coughed a few more times and loudly mumbled to himself, “Ah, the weather is so conducive to catching a cold. I’ve been having a runny nose lately and even ringing in my ears. I can’t hear anything; what should I do about this?”

A deathly silence pervaded the car’s interior.

Kinky Thoughts:

That’s treading dangerous waters there Kan Chaosheng. In your case, your new disciple might go directly to jail.

<<< || Table of Contents || Lore Glossary || >>>

Bu Tian Gang Ch158

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Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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

Chapter 158

Under Kan Chaosheng’s persistent entreaties, he was finally allowed to set out with 300 yuan and a backpack.

He once managed to spend an entire month’s salary in a day, so 300 yuan might not even be enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. Although he wouldn’t die from not eating for half a month, as a creature living in China’s capital and being surrounded by a plethora of cuisines daily, he had developed an insatiable appetite, regardless of whether he was actually hungry or not.

However, under Long Shen’s imposing authority, Kan Chaosheng didn’t dare to protest and could only try to cram as much as possible into his backpack—after all, he could carry it!

Kan Chaosheng brought the octopus to the train station to get tickets and board. After shrinking, the octopus stayed in his pocket. Kan Chaosheng used a blinding spell, so the security personnel neither stopped the octopus nor raised any concerns about him, a child traveling alone.

The octopus peeked its head out of the pocket, looking at the plane overhead, a small black dot in the sky, and said enviously, “Big brother, why can’t we fly? I came from America by plane, and it was really quick!”

Kan Chaosheng responded impatiently, “Taking you to find a master is a personal matter. I’ve spent all my salary; where would I get money for a plane ticket? The train ticket was paid for by the boss. You should be grateful that he, that tightwad1, even paid. Stop complaining!”

The octopus asked curiously, “So, the boss is actually a rooster made of metal1?”

1Clarity: The term Kan Chaosheng is using is an iron cock (铁公鸡) which refers to a stingy person. The octopus, not knowing Chinese well, thinks Long Shen’s true form is a rooster and thus replied like so.

Kan Chaosheng replied, “…No, I was just saying he’s stingy. Your Chinese still needs work, Xiao Zhang!”

Octopus protested, “My name is Meika!”

Kan Chaosheng responded, “Exactly, and since you’re an octopus, shouldn’t your surname be Zhang*? In China, everyone has a surname. It’ll be convenient for you once you transform.”

*[Zhang] (章) means octopus.

Octopus queried, “Can’t I have the surname Mei?”

Kan Chaosheng arrogantly retorted, “Zhang sounds better. You can be Zhang Meika, or you can take my surname: Kan Meika or Kan Zhang! Haha, Kan Zhang sounds fun! When someone asks your name, you can say ‘Kan, Zhang!’*”

*Clarity: The joke here is [Kan] (看) means look. So if Meika takes on Kan Zhang, his name would literally mean look, (an) octopus.

At this point, he couldn’t contain his amusement and kept laughing.

Octopus: …

Unable to understand his big brother’s sense of humor, it finally compromised, saying, “Fine, my Chinese name will have the surname Zhang.”

In its original form, Meika was as large as a small island. In terms of size and power, it wouldn’t be inferior to Kan Chaosheng. But after arriving in China, while Dong Zhi and others rushed to Kunlun Mountain, the octopus spent time with Kan Chaosheng and naturally grew close. Kan Chaosheng treated it like a younger brother. Perhaps due to both being aquatic creatures, the octopus was content following him.

As for playing games, Kan Chaosheng led the octopus astray. Using its eight tentacles to play games was unimaginable for others. Dong Zhi initially wanted Kan Chaosheng to teach the octopus basic cultivation techniques, but without supervision, Kan Chaosheng altered the lessons, turning out an octopus that only knew leisure and games.

Upon Dong Zhi’s return and inquiry, Kan Chaosheng felt a bit guilty. So when asked to take the octopus to the Wuzhiqi, he didn’t hesitate and quickly departed.

“Also, don’t keep popping out. The train is crowded, and I can’t use the blinding spell on everyone. If someone sees you, it will cause trouble!”

Kan Chaosheng pushed the octopus’s head back and sternly warned, “Do you want to be turned into grilled octopus?”

Terrified, the octopus quickly retreated. After a while, its muffled voice said, “I can get big; I’m not scared of them.”

Kan Chaosheng snorted, “You underestimate Chinese people. As long as it’s edible, the bigger, the better. Can you eat human flesh in return?”

Octopus: “…I like to eat fish.”

Kan Chaosheng replied, “See? You don’t want to eat them, but they want to eat you. With over a billion people, can you swallow them all in one bite? But with me around, you’ll be fine as long as you stay in my pocket. Once I’m on the train, I’ll get you a phone to play games.”

The octopus’s phone was confiscated in the capital and couldn’t be retrieved until their return. Hearing this, it brightened up. “Thank you, big brother!”

Seeing that he frightened the octopus, Kan Chaosheng further established his authority as the boss, feeling quite satisfied.

After passing security, Kan Chaosheng headed straight for the train. Long Shen had booked him a soft sleeper berth, which had fewer people and thus fewer problems. Of course, he wasn’t worried about Kan Chaosheng’s safety. Those who would be truly concerned would be those who got in the way of Kan Chaosheng. If Kan Chaosheng caused more trouble, it would eventually be Long Shen who had to deal with it, so the fewer problems, the better.

Inside the soft sleeper compartment, there were four beds—two on each side, one above the other. Kan Chaosheng’s reservation was for the upper left one. Below him was a young man who had arrived earlier. The two beds on the right were still vacant.

The young man, seeing a child with a backpack enter without any parent, found it odd and asked, “Where are your parents, kid?”

Kan Chaosheng casually replied, “They’ve been long dead.”

Young man: ……

Kan Chaosheng then realized he forgot to use his “blinding technique” and hastily added, “They divorced when I was very young. I consider them as good as dead.”

The young man sighed, sympathizing with the mature kid. “So, you’re traveling alone? No adults with you?”

Growing impatient, Kan Chaosheng said, “No, I’m returning to my grandparents’ house in the countryside. Uncle, I’m tired and need to rest. My teacher told me not to talk too much with strangers.”

The young man felt embarrassed, thinking about how precocious kids are these days.

At that moment, a family of three entered the compartment. They booked the two beds on the right. Their child, around five or six years old, was quite noisy—wanting to play a game one moment and eat an apple the next. However, after a few bites of the apple, he complained it wasn’t sweet, then demanded chips. Upon hearing an ice cream vendor outside, the kid clamored for ice cream. His mother tried to appease him gently, but when he didn’t get his way, he began crying loudly. His father tried to silence him with a slap, but it only made the child cry even louder. Realizing they couldn’t be too harsh, the parents continued to coax him, only making the child even more demanding.

For the passengers nearby, this situation was extremely annoying. Those with short tempers could start arguing on the spot. The young man looked at the mischievous child and the parents, barely restraining himself from cursing out loud, when suddenly a loud shout from above said, “Shut up!”

Kan Chaosheng poked his head out from the upper bunk, ominously warning, “Cry again, and I’ll conjure a snake to bite you!”

To others, it looked like a cute kid trying to act tough. If the young man had said that, the parents might have argued, but coming from Kan Chaosheng, it just made things awkward. The child’s mother even tried to pacify her son, saying, “See, even the older boy is getting angry. Try being naughty now!”

However, in the child’s eyes, Kan Chaosheng’s face transformed into a giant snake’s head, with large, blood-red eyes and a long, hissing tongue. The sight was so terrifying that the child fainted.

The parents were shocked. The father whispered, “Our child is so timid!”

But since they treasured him so much, they quickly carried him to find the train conductor.

With their departure, the compartment quieted down. The young man, relieved, took out his phone to play a game.

But after a while, he felt something off. Looking up, he almost screamed. Kan Chaosheng’s head was peering down from the upper bunk, staring at him.

“Little friend, you scared me!” the young man said. He found Kan Chaosheng odd but still preferable to the earlier noisy child. “Want to come down?”

“I’m watching you play,” Kan Chaosheng said mysteriously.

The young man chuckled. “I forgot. Many kids play this game. Want to join?”

Kan Chaosheng looked pitiful. “I can’t on my phone.”

He showed his old Nokia 1280.

Laughing, the young man exclaimed, “Who still uses this kind of phone these days!”

Then, realizing Kan Chaosheng might come from a financially struggling background, he handed him his iPad, saying, “Here, play with this.”

Excited, Kan Chaosheng replied, “Thank you, brother. You’re a kind person!”

The young man smirked. “You just called me ‘uncle’. Now that there’s a game, I’m ‘brother’?”

Kan Chaosheng, engrossed in the game, said, “It’s your kindness that makes you seem younger.”

Young Man: ……

After some back and forth, the two quickly became acquainted. Kan Chaosheng learned that the young man’s name was Deng Po, a senior in college. With few classes left, Deng Po decided to travel solo, planning to visit Tianjin first before heading further south.

“Have you found a job yet?” Out of gratitude for the iPad, Kan Chaosheng shared a bag of snacks with Deng Po and engaged him in casual conversation. “It’s hard for graduates to find jobs these days. You shouldn’t get lost in fun. If you lack self-control, you can give me your phone to keep for a while. I can play games on dual modes and help you earn points.”

He didn’t forget that he still had a little octopus minion eagerly waiting on the upper bunk.

Deng Po couldn’t laugh or cry. “Why do you sound so mature for your age? I don’t need to find a job. I’m interning at my uncle’s company. Everything’s already set up for me. Many of my peers are all about partying, cars, and spending money. Compared to them, me taking a train trip is practically saintly.”

He wasn’t too guarded around a child like Kan Chaosheng.

Kan Chaosheng glanced at him and calmly remarked, “Oh, so you’re a rich second-generation.”

Deng Po found this even more amusing. Most children he had met were either like the mischievous child from before or were polite and obedient. None were like Kan Chaosheng.

“You’re playing games at such a young age, and you’re lecturing me about getting lost in fun?”

“I’m combining work with leisure! I’ll leave the iPad on the upper bunk on auto-play mode and go buy some drinks. What would you like? My treat.”

Without waiting, Kan Chaosheng jumped down from the top bunk, landing safely and effortlessly, startling Deng Po.

“Hey, be careful! Never mind, I’ll go. What do you want to drink?”

Kan Chaosheng responded impatiently, “I said I’m going. Are you having a drink or not?”

Deng Po hesitated. “…Alright, get me a bottle of Coke.”

Kan Chaosheng waved and quickly disappeared beyond the door.

Scratching his chin, Deng Po mumbled to himself, “I’ve never seen such a fierce kid before.”

He himself had a temper, but for some reason, he just couldn’t get mad at Kan Chaosheng. On the upper bunk, two tentacles emerged from a backpack, skillfully playing the game.

Soon, Kan Chaosheng returned with the Coke.

As he passed by other compartments, most had their doors open, while some left just a small gap. He wasn’t interested in the rooms with open doors, but those with a gap caught his attention. A quick glance into one of them made him notice something unusual.

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Sendoff Ch85

Kinky8 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 85: Good or Bad Luck

The dusk had passed, and the night grew deeper. More than ten li away from Chen Qianfan’s residence was an icy cave.

Lord Bai huddled in Su Si’s arms, feeling confused for the first time.

There must be some major problem with its ability, but it couldn’t figure out where it went wrong.

Was it when it left the Chigou Sect?

The Chigou Sect took exploring the world’s great tombs as its responsibility, and they especially revered matters related to fortune-telling. When they went to tombs, they even brought talismans to ward off evil spirits and caught special ability monsters to offer them as sacrifices.

Lord Bai was transferred from a side branch of the Chigou Sect to the main branch. It had a strong natural intuition and knew how to ward off evil spirits, making it worthy of the title “a living spirit artifact” in the Chigou Sect.

The main branch of the Chigou Sect was located in the northwest desert. Despite the dry environment, it had its own clean pond. Normally, it slept on the freshest and cleanest straw and ate the most tender grass and fish fry. Those minor noble tombs weren’t even worthy of inviting it to preside over the ritual.

Lord Bai thought it could comfortably spend the rest of its life there.

A few months ago, after it happily finished wringing the neck of one of the human subordinates, it suddenly had an uneasy premonition—the feeling was complex and dense, difficult to explain. It felt like it needed to leave this place, but it didn’t know where to go.

So it could only lie despondently in its nest, using its small brain to think hard about its life as a goose.

Who could have expected that on that evening, a pair of wicked hands would reach into the goose pen? Lord Bai was furious, about to turn back and wring the person’s neck, but its mouth was caught in a noose. The whole goose was stunned—it was a premeditated attack!

However, the premeditated attacker had a good appearance and was skilled in martial arts. He silently picked it up, holding a glistening blade close to its neck.

Lord Bai didn’t struggle, and one of its fleshy antennae tingled, sensing the man’s fortune.

Although Lord Bai always looked down on humans, its brain wasn’t as good as a human’s after all. At that moment, it opened its small, bean-like eyes and made a simple and straightforward judgment—there was something ominous here, but the man’s fortune was very auspicious. So, it followed him without hesitation. What else was there to hesitate about?

Following the wrong person, it would end up being grilled at some restaurant, while accompanying the right one would bring it a joyful life full of food and drink.

However, ever since its “new servant” joined the Kushan Sect, it hadn’t encountered anything good. The declining fortunes of these humans made it almost doubt its goose life. Fortunately, everything seemed to go smoothly for the time being, and the group of people didn’t encounter any major disasters. Su Si became increasingly lively and active, and its premonition wasn’t completely wrong.

Until now.

At this time and place, its “joyful life” was in terrible condition, and it was about to breathe its last breath.

Su Si was huddled in a corner of the cave, his lips turning purple, his face pale, and the blood on his clothes had frozen. A few steps away, a tragic corpse lay on the ground, the robe of the Mishan Sect torn and tattered.

Lord Bai was firmly held in Su Si’s arms, its bean-like eye, in a rare instance, showed not severity, but concern.

Su Si smiled and rubbed its head with his chin.

“You’re not very good at seeking good fortune and avoiding disasters… But you’ve already helped me a lot. Everyone has their own fate, and I’m afraid I can only support you until here.”

Anxiously, Lord Bai twisted its body, breaking free from Su Si’s somewhat cold embrace. While raising its head and making a low honk, it continued to think, trying to find the place where it went wrong and led them astray.

According to its intuition, both of them should survive.

Could today be different?

Early in the morning today, Lord Bai sensed an extremely strong ominous aura. So it nudged Su Si awake, intending to save its own servant.

As expected, Su Si put on his clothes and chased after it murderously.

Over the past few months, Lord Bai had learned about its servant—Su Si was always vigilant, and he never left his butcher knife behind. He was also good at survival and would definitely be able to walk out of the snowy plains alive.

The most convenient thing was that Su Si was quite calm and ruthless, never doing anything useless. Su Si had used other humans before, but he was better at withdrawing in time than anyone else.

What a stable and useful rice bowl.

Lord Bai’s premonition came just in time. As soon as Su Si found the goose demon and was about to run after it, they saw a large group of monsters.

Seeing fresh human flesh, a few small monsters broke away from the group and pounced towards them. Su Si lowered his eyes, and the blade of his butcher knife flashed, splattering blood all over the ground.

So far, this was normal. However, what happened next was that the usually calm human seemed to make a wrong decision—

Faced with danger, Su Si didn’t escape. Instead, he kicked away the corpses of the monsters near his feet and was attracted by the broken runes on the monsters’ skins.

As the young Patriarch of the Chigou Sect, Su Si didn’t need to learn spellcasting and formations. However, he had to learn the basic formations often used by enemies and the sinister arts commonly used in tombs.

“Before, I only found these ghostly talismans annoying, but now I have to thank that old hag.”

Su Si picked up the inconspicuous pale piece of paper and carefully examined it in his palm.

“You called me out for this? …It’s just a simple formation-breaking technique. But someone deliberately tore the symbols into snow and spread them among the monsters, concealing the spell within the monster’s qi.”

“Did they want to weaken the protection formation without anyone noticing? Hmm, San Zi, Sect Master Shi, and Senior Yin should be fine…”

Lord Bai blinked its eyes, eagerly waiting for Su Si to take it away—the goose demon didn’t understand any spell or formation, and it was annoyed by the ominous aura of this place.

If it were before, Su Si would have run away already. But this time, he stood still, muttering incomprehensible words like “chasing the culprit” and “breaking the formation”.

It didn’t come to save him and be idle!

Lord Bai was furious, and it bit Su Si’s leg with one bite. Unfortunately, it was freezing cold, and Su Si’s clothes weren’t thin enough. Its bite was in vain, and it could only flap its wings anxiously.

“I know, we need to find the person who cast the spell quickly.” Su Si glanced at Lord Bai. “I don’t understand the spell, and Chen Qianfan’s protection formation won’t hold up for too long.”

“Honk!!!” What do you know? What does it matter what they’re doing!

However, Su Si only tightened his clothes, wrapping Lord Bai inside his robes, and continued forward following the horde of monsters.

…Fine, it didn’t care anymore. Anyway, it didn’t sense any ominous signs of trouble. As long as it and its servant weren’t going to die, it didn’t mind dawdling a bit longer.

Lord Bai felt somewhat disgruntled.

Of the three people from the Kushan Sect, except for the one with red eyes who was somewhat still human, the other two were much stranger. Su Si didn’t have fresh grass and fish fry, nor did it have its own clear pool. It couldn’t understand why Su Si was so attached to the Kushan Sect.

Half a day later, Su Si successfully found the remote spellcaster. However, the person was more cautious than they imagined and stronger than they anticipated.

The two fought for a full three hours while Lord Bai trembled behind a giant rock in the cave the entire time—it could only predict fortune and misfortune and had no knowledge of any spells. Any random spell that came their way could instantly send it to its demise.

Moreover, the spells that exploded in front of them were more than anything it had seen in its entire life.

Its servant exhausted all his strength before finally ending his opponent’s life. But when the enemy fell, Su Si was also covered in injuries, and he could barely stand steadily.

Under normal circumstances, these injuries wouldn’t be enough to take his life in one go. But here was the desolate and uninhabited northern region, where even someone in good health could easily freeze to death.

Lord Bai was almost frightened by Su Si’s situation.

His servant’s death was imminent, and it would be left alone in the icy and snowy wilderness, uncertain about its own fate.

Yet, it still couldn’t sense any ominous aura. Did its fleshy antennae get frostbite? Or was it too cold here, and it was weakened due to hunger and lack of vitality?

“Honk! Honk!” Lord Bai stumbled and ran towards the corpse, hopping and yelling on the body.

According to Su Si’s character, he should have gone to gnaw on the corpse. If he ate something, he might have more strength to support himself.

But Su Si just shook his head wearily.

“They will definitely come looking for me. Unfortunately, the horde of monsters won’t disperse for a while, and this place is well hidden. They probably won’t arrive until after sunrise… Even if I eat the corpse, I won’t survive until then. I don’t want them… to see me in that disgusting state.”

He exhaled a breath of cold air and even revealed a trace of a weak smile.

“Besides, even if I want to eat something, I should eat you first.”

“Honk!” What the hell! This is completely outrageous!

“Lord Bai, come over here.” Su Si’s voice suddenly became steadier.

Lord Bai stomped the ground, trying to appear majestic, and walked over. It hadn’t even stabilized its posture when something warm was added to its body. It lowered its head and saw a piece of warm red jade.

“I found it on that bastard’s body. It’s probably a little gadget they used to warm their fingers when casting spells. You wear this and go far away… You can go anywhere.”

“Honk?”

When something was unusual, there must be something demonic behind it. It was freezing cold here; how could this person bear to give away such a treasure?

“You’re small in size, so you can use this to protect yourself. In my current condition, just warming a finger won’t help… I don’t want to struggle to survive for a short time. It’s not worth it.”

Su Si seemed to have figured something out and smiled even more brightly.

“Doesn’t this line sound quite ‘heroic’?”

What a mess! Lord Bai, with the warm red jade on its chest, went to twist Su Si’s hand again.

However, Su Si didn’t respond anymore. He half-closed his eyes, not knowing if he was resting or already unconscious. Lord Bai nudged the palm of his hand with its head, feeling the icy coldness of Su Si’s palm.

‘Things shouldn’t be like this,’ it thought sluggishly.

Maybe it should wait here for a while. It couldn’t say for sure that it wasn’t mistaken, and perhaps there would be a turning point. It had lived for so long by warning about fortune and misfortune and leaving everything to fate. As long as it found a suitable human servant to attach to, it wouldn’t need to think or do anything.

Its ability had never been wrong.

Considering this, Lord Bai tried to twist Su Si again. Su Si still didn’t respond. It drooped its head and sat there dumbfounded.

Su Si’s life force was feeble; he was really about to die.

Maybe it should listen to him and leave this place, find the next person with good luck and live comfortably. Even if its predictions were half wrong, at least it wouldn’t have to worry about its own life.

But Lord Bai still felt somewhat displeased; the warm jade on its chest was making it uncomfortable.

Su Si probably came all the way here alone, relying on it to remain silent, right? The extent of its abilities…

Forget it.

Lord Bai straightened its neck, raised its head high, and let out a loud honk. Its fleshy antennae drooped completely.

It didn’t want to think about the existence or absence of abilities or the good or bad outcome of the situation. Those things were too complicated, and it gave it a headache. Being just a goose was fine. If it received benefits, it would return the favor. Even as a goose, it had to uphold principles.

Lord Bai flapped its wings for a moment, then rushed out of the cave. Its body was pure white, and as soon as it stepped on the snow, only its orange-red beak and feet were visible. The wind and snow subsided, and there was silence all around. Lord Bai ruffled its feathers, ran to the most open space, and lifted its head to keep honking.

It honked until it was thirsty, then it lowered its head and took a bite of the snow. It didn’t know how long Su Si could hold on or if there were any people nearby. It just kept honking like cursing, getting more and more exhausted, but also feeling more and more relieved.

It didn’t want to die, so it would shout until it had just enough energy to survive. That way, it could leave the northern region with its head held high.

If it owed its servant a favor, wouldn’t it be so humiliating?

Lord Bai couldn’t remember how long it had been honking. It was making so much noise that it started to feel dizzy. It only remembered that when the dark clouds dispersed and the stars appeared, a pair of feet stopped in front of it.

It lifted its head and saw a young woman. The woman wore a dark red cloak, with delicate makeup and radiant eyes.

“I was wondering what it was. It turns out to be a little goose demon.”

She said with a playful smile while caressing the small silver whistle hanging around her neck.

On her shoulder, three chubby sparrows crowded together, curiously tilting their heads.

The author has something to say:

Actually, it’s like this: At the beginning of this chapter, I was writing from Su Si’s perspective, but halfway through, I felt that something was off _(:з」∠)

I thought everyone probably wouldn’t want to read a one-man show and another fight scene, so I rewrote it.

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Full Server First Kill Ch34

Kinky4 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 34: Found You

Fifty-one years ago, the hunter woke up on the bed in the cabin.

The flames in the fireplace roared, the crackling of burning wood mixed with the howling of the blizzard outside. Despite the loud sounds, the room felt incredibly silent.

The grogginess of sleep faded from his mind, and the hunter got out of bed, wandering around a bit aimlessly.

He soon found a mirror, and the dirty mirror reflected a young face—the hunter had light blue eyes and deep brown hair that was thick and curly like bear fur. His lips were full, and the corners of his mouth turned up, as if he always carried a hint of a smile. But in his eyes, his face only showed confusion.

‘My name is Hunter, nineteen years old, a hunter,’ he thought to himself, looking around the familiar yet unfamiliar cabin.

There wasn’t much in the room. The cutlery and wooden chairs were simple, hunting equipment neatly arranged against the wall. Other than the bed, there was only a round dining table and a long desk. The desk held a few miscellaneous books and an opened letter.

A small letter opener lay beside the letter, gleaming new.

The letter’s writer claimed to be his friend, greeted him simply, and brought news of his long-lost relatives—they were all “players”, often busy, and it was uncertain when they might visit.

[This is fate, my friend.] The letter ended.

Relatives. Hunter thought blankly. Indeed, he had been orphaned since childhood, raised in this empty log cabin, always longing to see his family. When the players come to visit, he must treat them well and face them honestly. If all his relatives were good people, he could tell them the story of the white wolf…

But why couldn’t he go find his family? Why did he have to wait here?

With these thoughts, Hunter packed his bag, took up his weapon, and prepared to leave the snowy wilderness.

Strangely, on one hand, he felt like he was encountering these weapons for the first time, but on the other, he knew “how to use” them by heart. Hunter traveled through hills covered in snow, crossing towering forests, making marks along the way, marching enthusiastically.

He was going to find his family. The hunter’s cabin was cozy, but it was too empty. Hunter didn’t know how he had endured before, but he couldn’t stand being alone.

He walked from day to night and night to day. When hungry, he hunted pheasants and rabbits; when thirsty, he melted some snow to drink. He crossed snow-covered hills, crossed frozen rivers, encountered polar bears, and avoided wolf packs.

He walked for a month… maybe three months, or even half a year. Hunter didn’t count those endless days and nights. His hands became incredibly rough, his beard grew curly, covered in grease and dirt, but hope remained in his heart.

He had to keep moving. This snowy land must have an end.

At last, Hunter spotted a small log cabin in the vast snowfield. Warm light shone through the cabin’s window.

There’s someone!

Overwhelmed with emotion, Hunter shouted and rushed towards the cabin. But as he approached, his heart raced. Was it a hallucination? This cabin looked incredibly familiar.

No, no, perhaps it just looked alike. He had been away for so long; the fire should have gone out.

The door was unlocked, and Hunter cautiously pushed it open.

The fireplace roared with flames, and in the center of the table was an open letter. The lamp next to the letter shone quietly, and the letter opener still gleamed.

This was his hunter’s cabin; everything was exactly as he had left it.

[This is fate, my friend.]

Hunter felt as if all his bones were removed, leaving only the cold wind in his body. He collapsed at the door, silent for a long time.

At twenty-one, the young man would never give up easily. Hunter believed he had just taken the wrong path. Year after year, time and time again, he tried new directions, new ways to remember the route.

Ten years passed, then twenty. The starting point was always the cabin, and the endpoint was always this same cabin.

Along the way, Hunter saw countless desperate messages from those trapped. He once thought of saving an ordinary person, just to have someone by his side. But he couldn’t do it—

Once, he encountered a young man nearly frozen to death. The man cried out for help, but in a split second, Hunter completely forgot his rescue plan.

He had to wait for the players; this man didn’t deserve to enter the hunter’s cabin.

He had to wait for the players; this man was a disgraceful intruder.

He had to wait for the players…

So, he left the young man in the freezing night. When Hunter came to his senses and hurriedly returned, all he found was the man’s head left behind after being eaten by a wolf pack.

Time trudged on slowly, and the passionate youth turned into a dispirited middle-aged person.

Hunter no longer tried to leave. During the day, he chopped wood, hunted, and daydreamed. At night, he patrolled the forest. To not lose his ability to speak, he began talking to the air, imagining nonexistent friends and family.

It was then that Hunter encountered the white wolf.

He had, of course, tracked this suspicious white wolf before, but ever since he discovered the secret that the “white wolf was constantly being replaced”, he no longer bothered to investigate. The white wolf was gentle by nature, and out of a certain shared misery, he didn’t hunt it.

But this time, the white wolf looked only a few months old, recently weaned.

The little wolf was pure white—not the usual color for a wolf cub. It looked around in terror, instinctively calling, trying to summon its mother and pack. No wolves came for it, and the accumulating snow almost buried it.

Hunter glanced at it, then numbly turned away. This chance occurrence wasn’t great; it would die soon and be replaced by another white wolf.

‘If I died, someone else would replace me too,’ Hunter thought. Perhaps he should end it all… The thought surfaced briefly before disappearing. Hunter looked out of the window again; the fluffy wolf cub was still howling.

So noisy.

Half an hour later, cursing, Hunter stood up and warmed some deer blood. He put it in an old water bag and approached the cub.

The wolf cub, terrified, bared its teeth and shivered. It wanted to escape but only managed a feeble attempt with its limbs.

“Come, drink.” Hunter crouched down, opened the bag’s cap, releasing the pungent smell of fresh deer blood. “Drink before it gets cold.”

Probably starving, the cub hesitated, then cautiously approached. Its cold nose touched the hunter’s hand. It then turned its mouth to the bag, licking and sucking hurriedly and making continuous whining noises.

The cub was fluffy, warm, and soft to touch. Hunter’s hand trembled slightly, and he held the blood bag more firmly.

After quenching its thirst, the cub sniffed Hunter intensely, as if imprinting his scent into its soul. After sniffing, it tentatively licked his hand, rubbing its mouth against his fingers.

Hunter was stunned, his eyes inexplicably teary. Every creature on the snowy plains, from the mightiest to the weakest, was always alert and would never approach humans. When was the last time he experienced kindness from another living being…?

He stretched out his trembling hand and gently stroked the cub’s head.

From then on, the white wolf cub stayed nearby. Hunter fed it deer blood, roasted organs, root vegetables, and mashed meat. His mundane life was enriched by this new “entertainment” of caring for the wolf cub. The cub grew quickly, as young predators often do. Month by month, the white wolf developed sharp fangs and claws and could hunt the strongest stags.

Afterward, its visits to the cabin became less frequent. Hunter didn’t really mind; after all, it was a wolf, not a dog. He didn’t expect much affection from a beast.

Until one evening when Hunter was fifty-three.

During a hunt, Hunter had an accidental fall. His foot got stuck in a crevice beneath the snow layer, his ankle cut, rapidly spreading the scent of blood. He cursed silently as cold sweat formed on his forehead.

There was a pack of wolves nearby.

Sure enough, before he could free himself from the pain, pairs of glowing wolf eyes appeared from the darkness.

…This was the end. With a deep sigh, Hunter slowly put down his crossbow.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, a white figure darted in front.

His white wolf, now in its prime, stood tall and robust. It stood before Hunter, baring its fangs, growling deeply from its throat. However, being a lone wolf, its intimidation was limited. In the relentless cold, the wolf pack was always in need of food. The pack circled them for a bit and finally charged.

The first gray wolf to pounce was tackled by the white wolf, its throat bitten fiercely. Another wolf attacked the white one, tearing its flesh, staining its white fur with blood. But the white wolf stood its ground, fiercely biting back.

This time, Hunter didn’t hesitate to grab his crossbow. “You came for me, didn’t you? Come on!” Biting down hard, he aimed at the wolves attacking the white one.

……

The night grew darker. The accumulated snow melted from the warm blood, turning the surroundings muddy. Hunter’s arm had chunks of flesh torn away, and the white wolf was also riddled with wounds. After killing seven or eight wolves, the pack finally retreated.

The white wolf quietly walked up to the old hunter, signaling for support. With the wolf’s help, Hunter managed to free his stuck foot. He knelt on the blood-streaked mud, holding the blood-stained head of the white wolf tightly. The white wolf turned its face and licked away the blood and tears from his face.

“Friend,” Hunter said hoarsely. “…my friend.”

……

“After that, we’ve always looked out for each other,” Hunter said as the white wolf lay silently beside him. “I’m seventy this year, and it’s gotten so old, I thought we wouldn’t meet any players.”

Considering the white wolf and the couple couldn’t enter the hunter’s cabin, the group decided to chat in the igloo, which made it feel extremely crowded.

Hunter’s gaze towards Teest remained wary, but he had no choice but to recount everything that had happened.

Nol was deep in thought.

In the design of “Tahe”, such enclosed instances were separate maps. But the lich’s instance was placed underground, and the “Night of the Hunt” instance had become an alternate dimension. From the hunter’s description, it was almost like a miniature planet.

The strangest thing was the letter.

There was no such letter in the game. At the time, they felt that “a hunter living alone” seemed a bit lonely, so they added letters of correspondence between the hunter and his friends and family in the scene. Those letters were piled together, and they didn’t create any specific content. After all, this was just a game scene; they didn’t need to consider questions like “how the letter got in”.

Now all those blank letters had disappeared, leaving only this cryptic one emphasizing “fate”. Given this was a closed instance, how did the letter get in?

Nol suspected it had something to do with the mysterious force behind the game’s reality.

“Do you still have that letter?” Nol asked.

The old hunter gave a wry smile. “Of course, there’s so little to read here. I know what you’re looking for. The signature on the letter just reads ‘Your Friend’. The paper and envelope are nothing special.” He paused. “…No, I can’t really say that. After all, it’s the only letter I’ve received like this.”

Nol nodded. “Please find it for me. When we return, I’d like to take a look.”

“You’re going back? … Aren’t we leaving together? Didn’t we agree to stick together until the end?” Old Hunter questioned cautiously. “I really don’t mind if you stay in the house.”

Nol smiled. “It’s not that simple. We have friends to protect and the ‘intruder’ to deal with. If you’re worried, you can go back with the white wolf.”

“We will fully assist them, rest assured,” Rosen said to the old hunter, revealing a bit of his policeman demeanor.

After reassuring the old hunter, Rosen turned to Nol and said with a relaxed tone, “Thinking that we’ll be out in just over a week makes me so happy. This place is always so gloomy, and I really miss the blue sky.”

Nol guessed Rosen wanted to lighten the mood, trying to keep him from feeling guilty for potentially burdening their comrades. Unfortunately, the mood was instantly shattered by the old hunter’s question—

“What is ‘the blue sky’?” the old man asked with his cloudy eyes, cautious and curious.

The igloo fell into a deafening silence.

“…You should go back first,” Nol said with a forced smile.

The old hunter stared at him for a long time, then patted the white wolf’s head and left the igloo. As the old hunter’s figure disappeared, so did Nol’s smile.

He immediately pulled out a parchment from his bag and began scribbling calculations. Teest leaned against the wall of the igloo, unabashedly peeking at what he was doing.

Rosen took a glance, and the characters looked a bit like programming statements. Not being a programmer, he couldn’t make sense of it.

“What are you doing?” he asked curiously.

“My companion is researching magic.” Teest tilted his head. “…Hmm, it seems this is not a common research method for people from other realms.”

Rosen gritted his teeth—this kid was too sharp. Despite having a fellow countryman right in front of them, they still had to be cautious. So, Officer Rosen refrained from asking further. He instinctively reached into his pocket, seemingly searching for his phone.

“What are you doing?” Julie patted his head.

“I just find it weird,” Rosen whispered. “I have a buddy who’s a programmer. When they develop something, they release new versions and make changes from the backend… I’ve never heard of someone writing code directly in a game.”

“I’ve also never heard of growing up to be a two-meter-tall male wolfkin,” Dr. Julie replied. “We’ve already experienced something as unscientific as transmigration; why fuss about this?”

“If Xu Yue is a technician, wouldn’t he find it strange himself?” Rosen frowned. “How would he come up with this method?”

“We’ve discussed this before. Given the current unusual circumstances, don’t be suspicious of our companions.”

“Sorry, sorry. Occupational hazard…”

“I think my companion knows what he’s doing.” Teest ghosted behind the two, one hand on each person’s shoulder. “He can hear everything—both of you.”

Nol could indeed hear everything, but he didn’t care. A certain level of skepticism was necessary. If Rosen was someone who merely followed orders and acted foolishly, it’d be better for the police force to fire him sooner.

Right now, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

A quill pen glided swiftly on parchment, equations and structures forming rapidly. Nol’s eyes remained unblinking as lines of characters gradually transformed into magical runes.

[Bone Divination: Consumes 1,000 MP. Toss human or animal bones to receive a somewhat vague indication. ※ This is a trade. Your price is set. Please choose your question wisely.]

In the game, there were similar divination skills like [Divine Revelation] and [Whisper of Wisdom], but they belong to the light-oriented professions and weren’t related to a lich.

On the dark magic side, there was [Blood Gnome’s Bargain], which demanded the user offer animal blood or even life, which Nol disliked.

Clapping his hands, a skeletal rabbit emerged from the soil, obediently dispersing into random bones. Nol picked up several thin bones, his magic forming a black mist that wrapped around the white bones, creating intricate patterns.

The exchange had to be of equal value; his question couldn’t exceed the value of 1,000 MP. The higher the level or complexity of the answer, the greater the possibility of failure. He couldn’t directly ask “the truth of the world”, or the bones might respond with a string of obscenities.

His question had to be clear, concise, and have a definite answer.

Nol smirked, throwing the bones. “Tell me the incorrect coordinates of this map.”

…A basic mapping question.

This was his game, and he knew the rules of map creation—all locations had fixed coordinates. If there were hidden spaces on the map, an additional parameter would be added to the existing coordinates. Hidden spaces only existed on the universal map and couldn’t be set in instances.

The attribute of “Night of the Hunt” itself was a hidden space. According to the rules, there couldn’t be another hidden space within. Yet, with the trapped entities running all over the place and the fact that these physical save files remain undiscovered was truly strange. Knowing that the instance map had been tampered with makes things clearer.

If someone misused the rules of “Tahe”, forcefully creating hidden spaces, there would be “errors”.

Indeed, the bones danced on the ground for a moment, forming a string of parameters.

[Coordinates: 23, 7, 59, 0.1x, 0.03x?]

“Found you,” Nol whispered. “I hope this is your home, Mr. Cultist.”

“That’s it?” Teest crouched down, poking at the coordinates. “You always surprise me.”

“No, we’re far from done.” Nol waved, and the rabbit bones disappeared under the snow. “I’ve only provided a potential target. The rest is up to you.”

Teest blinked, feigning confusion.

“You’re best at hunting Eternalists, right? It’s the Night of the Hunt, Teest.” Nol stood up.

“As you command, my hunter.” Teest also stood, brushing snow from his clothes. “That guy is also from another world. If you want me to be gentle—”

“No need.” Nol smiled. “He treats this place as a ‘game’, so we’ll respond in kind.”

The author has something to say:

Jack: Hehe, I’m hiding in the physical save files. Bet you didn’t think of that.

Nol: Who’s causing trouble in my beautiful instance? Investigate every anomaly!

…Bullseye, Jack.

Mr. Teest, the bug-fixer, is itching to move.

Actually, wolves don’t usually live this long. Just consider it a miracle of the magical world! (…

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

Qizi Ch2

Kinky10 Comments

Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 2

The slap that Yao Tai struck on the sensory board also heavily struck the hearts of the young Tianxiu students.

“A fledgling Tianxiu person, on average, will enter the awakening period about ten years after awakening. There are mainly two conditions that induce awakening. The first is that it occurs automatically with age, and the second is that if someone reaches sexual maturity, the fledglings around them are easily influenced and induced to awaken, so the awakening of each class of students is likely to occur on a large scale.”

“If anyone finds that their body has undergone changes different from before, do not panic, as this is a normal reaction before awakening. Everyone will experience this; it’s just a matter of time.”

“When you officially enter sexual maturity, you will have the desire to mate and the craving to find a partner. This desire is controlled by reason, so no one needs to feel anxious. If you cannot find a suitable spouse, you can continue to stay in the fledgling period until you find the ideal partner, complete the coming-of-age ceremony, and formally step into adulthood.”

“Question.” A student raised his hand. “What exactly is the coming-of-age ceremony?”

“Idiot, it’s mating,” a student beside him whispered mockingly, causing a round of laughter.

The commotion below didn’t escape Yao Tai’s ears. She waited for everyone to finish laughing and then said, “Wrong, mating is not the coming-of-age ceremony, and it’s not even part of it. The real coming-of-age ceremony is obtaining the first drop of blood from the heart.”

“In each pair of spouses, only one person can get the other’s heart’s blood. This person, we call the Qizhu, and the one whose blood is taken will become his Qizi.”

“Whether male or female, anyone can become a Qizhu, and likewise a Qizi. The distinction of status depends entirely on the result of the coming-of-age ceremony and has nothing to do with gender or roles in love.”

“What should we do if one of the two parties in the relationship is awakened but the other isn’t?” a student asked.

“You can only wait. A fledgling that has not awakened cannot give or receive blood. But as I just said, awakening is easily induced by others. If it’s a couple that’s close and spends a lot of time together, they can easily synchronize into the awakening period.”

“So how can we get the heart’s blood?”

“This is our instinct; no one needs to teach it. During the coming-of-age ceremony, you will grasp it automatically.”

Yao Tai waited for a moment, and when no new questions were raised, she continued her lecture.

“The relationship between the Qizhu and the Qizi is a one-on-one spousal relationship, but they do not enjoy equal rights. The Qizhu has absolute control, and the Qizi can only obey the Qizhu’s orders. In other words, the result of the coming-of-age ceremony determines a person’s status in life.”

“This is the hierarchical system I mentioned earlier. It is the only unequal relationship on Tianxiu, but it is also the most stringent and inviolable class relationship. Whether you are willing to comply or not, you must accept it.”

“This relationship is lifelong and cannot be dissolved. Even if one party dies, the other cannot awaken again to find a new spouse. In this regard, Qizhus and Qizis are treated equally, without exception.”

Yao Tai snapped her fingers, and the human silhouette on the sensory board began to automatically change. “After the relationship is successfully established, both parties will enter the second development, with the Qizhu’s development being more noticeable. Taking males as an example. Male Qhizus will experience a noticeable increase in height. Their muscles will become more developed, and both strength and stamina will surpass those of the male Qizi.”

“Simultaneously, the secondary sexual characteristics of the male Qizhu will undergo significant changes. The Adam’s apple will protrude, the vocal cords will thicken, the reproductive organs will enlarge, and body hair will grow.”

“The same is true for the female Qizhu. Their body curves will change noticeably. Statistics show that female Qizhus are, on average, at least fifteen centimeters taller than female Qizis, and their physical fitness will also be superior.”

“Then, Dr. Yao, does that mean that the Qizi will stop developing from then on?”

“Of course not; everyone will develop. It’s just that compared to the changes in the Qizhu, the Qizi’s development seems more limited and is easily influenced by the Qizhu’s mental state.”

“How is it influenced?”

“For example, if the Qizhu likes someone who weighs two hundred catties*, then do not doubt, the Qizi will most likely develop in that direction as well. Even if they don’t reach the standard, they will come as close as possible. So, don’t assume that male Qizi will be short or female Qizi will be flat-chested; these are misconceptions. A Qizi’s development depends on their innate physical quality, environmental influence, and the Qizhu’s subconscious mind.”

*1 catty = 11⁄3 lbs.

Her words sparked a new round of whispers among the students.

“What distinction will there be in abilities between the two parties?”

“The most important aspect of the coming-of-age ceremony is that the Qizhu will gain the Qizi’s abilities. Simply put, the stronger the Qizi, the stronger the Qizhu. This is why the people of Tianxiu are naturally attracted to stronger partners.”

“Just as some birds are attracted to bright feathers of the opposite sex and many mammals compete for mating rights through strength, those biological instincts aim to provide the next generation with superior genes. Our instinct is to become stronger. To gain more substantial abilities, one must conquer stronger individuals, provided you have the strength to conquer them.”

“Our earliest souls, through generations of inheritance and evolution, to combat harsh environments and ferocious enemies, gradually evolved this survival of the fittest mating relationship. It made the victorious become even more robust, strong enough to protect the entire clan.”

“Although we live in peaceful and prosperous times, without survival pressures or wars, it doesn’t mean we can slack off. The master-servant relationship is the best incentive bestowed by our ancestors, making the descendants of Tianxiu people strive not to be dominated, even in peaceful times.”

“In the past decade, the academy has been committed to training you to be strong. Yet, the real victory depends only on the moment of the coming-of-age ceremony. This is the lifelong pursuit of every Tianxiu person—become strong, conquer the strong, and become stronger.”

The words “conquer the strong” stirred something in Ling Xiao’s heart, and he stopped paying close attention to what Yao Tai was saying afterward.

“That concludes the pre-awakening mobilization given by the school to the students about to enter the awakening period every year.”

“Every year, we emphasize to our students that they must win, gain dominance, and become Qizhus. This is our survival rule. However, the outcome is often not as beautiful as we imagine.”

“As a healthcare physician, I have to deal with several cases every year of depression caused by defeat in the coming-of-age ceremony and the inability to accept becoming a Qizi. The most severe consequence is even death.”

With her voice transitioning from passionate to subdued, an inevitable heaviness sank into everyone’s heart.

“The chance of becoming a Qizhu is fifty percent, and the chance of becoming a Qizi is also fifty percent. Among the students here, one in two will be defeated in the coming-of-age ceremony. If that person is you, will you accept it?”

As she posed the question, many were quietly asking themselves, their eyes filled with apprehension.

“If you lose, your lifetime will be controlled by someone else, who has the right to dictate everything about you… Does anyone here think this system is unreasonable?”

After waiting for a while, finally, a trembling boy raised his hand.

The woman on the podium smiled silently and, in the blink of an eye, disappeared from sight. As everyone realized she had vanished and started looking around, a hoarse cry sounded from the classroom. Yao Tai had unnoticeably appeared behind the male student with a dagger in hand that was pressed against his throat.

Even Ying Feng, who sat in the last row and always had keen observation skills, was stunned. Her movements were so swift that he only caught a shadow.

This sudden turn of events frightened the entire class. No one expected that a mere healthcare physician would have such agile skills, nor could anyone guess her intention.

Under the horrified gazes of everyone, Yao Tai said with nonchalance, “With my ability, I could easily kill you in a moment, and not only you, but anyone in this classroom would be a trivial matter.”

She said this first to the boy, then to the whole class. After she finished, she looked around and asked, “But now that I am here, do you feel your lives are threatened?”

Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads in unison, even including the one being held hostage.

Yao Tai withdrew her hand. “That’s right, although I have this ability, I have no intention of using it, so you are not afraid, nor do you feel it as a threat. You might even find security in it.”

“The relationship between the Qizhu and the Qizi is the same. Although the Qizhu possesses a strong controlling power, if it is a pair of true lovers, this power will not work at all. Their souls are equal, and their status is equal.”

She walked toward the podium. “What you hear today is the first time I’ve revealed it in front of students. I’m not teaching you how to lose but want you to know that everyone wants to be a winner, and that’s fine, but becoming a Qizi doesn’t necessarily mean your life is hopeless.”

“In true love, there is no hierarchy, no winners or losers. The rules may be cruel, but the executor of the rules is the one you choose. Whether he will hurt you, you know better than anyone else.”

She passed by Ling Xiao’s seat and woke him from his reverie.

“Can you tell me what I just said?”

“I…” Ling Xiao stammered and couldn’t answer.

“If you didn’t listen, I’ll repeat it for you. Yes, the Qizhu has supreme control over both, but if you want to use this power against your enemies, think carefully if you want to spend the rest of your life with someone you hate.”

Ling Xiao’s eyes flickered, but Yao Tai pretended not to notice.

“We, the people of Tianxiu, are the most loyal to our spouses. We live together as a couple for life; never cheat, never betray. So I warn every student here,” she looked slowly at each young face, speaking both to Ling Xiao and to everyone present, “Don’t hastily choose your partner because of youthful anger. The one who stands beside you and accompanies you for life is not an enemy or a foe…”

Her eyes finally fell on Ling Xiao’s face, and she said slowly and firmly:

“It can only ever be your lover.”

The first physiology lesson of tenth grade thus ended, with the students gaining knowledge they had never understood before, excitedly discussing it together. But the usually lively Ling Xiao was now silently sitting in his seat, touched by Yao Tai’s words.

At the same time, Ying Feng, who had left the classroom, was stopped by Yao Tai.

“Did you hear everything you said in class?”

Ying Feng nodded silently.

“Although what I said in front of everyone is correct, for you, I have only one thing to say: No matter who the opponent is, no matter what means, in the coming-of-age ceremony, you can only win.”

Ying Feng narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Last year, 102 students completed the coming-of-age ceremony in the academy, but only 99 graduated successfully.”

“What about the other three?”

“They committed suicide.”

Ying Feng was secretly shocked.

“In fact, every year there are Qizis who give up their lives because of defeat. The school doesn’t want this tragedy to repeat, so this year’s awakening mobilization has been much softer. Even the real relationship between Qizhu and Qizi has been deliberately downplayed.”

“Real relationship?”

“The so-called coming-of-age ceremony is actually a process of survival of the fittest. The losers will be stripped of all rights, and the control of the Qizhu over the Qizi is quite cruel—an absolute domination in every sense, from psychological to physical.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“I have been working here for more than thirty years, and I have met thousands of fledglings. Some don’t care about subordination and can live happily even as a Qizi; others are born dominators and can only be dominators. I know what kind of personality leads to self-destruction, and what I can do is try to prevent this from happening.”

Ying Feng lowered his eyes and was silent for a moment. “I understand what you mean. You want to say, I have only one choice: either win or die.”

Yao Tai didn’t answer, which in itself was an admission.

He looked up. “Thank you, Dr. Yao, for the warning. I will keep it in mind.”

Yao Tai nodded, watched him walk a few steps, then stopped and turned back.

“Is the power of the Qizhu really as exaggerated as you say?”

Yao Tai’s expression was solemn. “I didn’t exaggerate a single word.”

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

Escape From the Asylum Ch2

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 2

Zhou Qian had a 70% clearance rate in “Apple Paradise”, so when Yu Xian bet 30,000 yuan, the probability of winning 1 million yuan was as high as 70%.

His principal of 30,000 yuan was actually a windfall.

This was equivalent to him not investing anything, so he wouldn’t lose in any way.

It was a simple calculation. After realizing it, Yu Xian was so excited that his hands started to tremble.

However, Zhu Qiang, who was by his side, became apprehensive. “It’s just 30,000 yuan, but now it’s 1 million yuan! When does such good fortune come? Who developed this game? Where did the players come from? Will they really die in the game?”

Yu Xian had an idea. “Baidu! Yes, let’s search for ‘Zhou Qian’ on Baidu and see if such a person really exists in reality!”

By comparing names and photos, they indeed found information about Zhou Qian.

There were many online reports about him.

Zhou Qian’s father, Zhou Chongshan, started out as a businessman. He owned many factories, had a lot of equipment, and owned a lot of land. However, this meant his assets weren’t very liquid.

Given this, Zhou Chongshan’s gambling addiction became a serious issue.

As a result, he eventually got into trouble because of gambling, lost all his money, the company’s funds dried up, and it ultimately went bankrupt.

But that wasn’t the most tragic part.

The most tragic event was when Zhou Chongshan decided to commit suicide with his wife and son by turning on the gas.

All three were rushed to the hospital.

In the end, both Zhou Chongshan and his wife died, and only Zhou Qian survived.

After being out of life-threatening danger and receiving treatment for some time, Zhou Qian was admitted to Spring Hill Mental Asylum.

Some say that after learning about the deaths of his parents, he couldn’t bear the psychological burden and went mad.

Others claim his brain was damaged due to inhaling too much gas.

After reading the news, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang looked at each other in shock.

Yu Xian exclaimed, “Damn, so the player I bet on is a psycho?”

Zhu Qiang frowned. “Lao* Yu, something’s not right. Think about it, the initial tutorial was so easy? Most players could pass it, and we would easily get 30,000 yuan. We naturally felt that there was no cost to continue…”

*Old (老) When used in front of a name, it signifies closeness.

“But I think this feels like bait. Let’s not continue. Together, we have 60,000 yuan now, enough for half a year’s rent. Let’s start looking for jobs tomorrow…”

Little did Zhu Qiang know, just as he finished his sentence, his phone vibrated. The system sent him a message.

[The player you’re following, Lu Mengmeng, has chosen to enter the new instance “Ghost Eyes”. The game difficulty is level one, with a clearance rate of 70%… If Lu Mengmeng successfully clears it, you will receive a reward of one million yuan.]

Just moments ago, Zhu Qiang was advising Yu Xian sensibly.

But now, with the opportunity to gain one million yuan right before his eyes, and personally experiencing this temptation, Zhu Qiang realized he couldn’t resist.

Swallowing hard, Zhu Qiang quickly searched for “Lu Mengmeng” on Baidu.

A moment later, his expression changed.

“I found a news article about him. He’s a college student. One day he suddenly attacked his roommate with a knife. He was proven to be mentally unstable and is now… also in Spring Hill Mental Asylum.”

……

Early the next morning.

Spring Hill Mental Asylum. Zone 1.

Room 302, Bed 57.

Zhou Qian woke up from the bed. Recalling everything from the previous night, it felt like he had a dream.

He yawned and sat up, seeing a girl with braided hair standing beside his bed.

Soon, the girl turned her head, and her face still had the same braided hairstyle.

With a deadpan face, Zhou Qian commented, “Such a clichéd way to scare someone.”

Hearing this, the person removed the braided wig, revealing a handsome and indifferent face. He was wearing a white coat; it turned out to be a male doctor.

Contrasting his childish act of wearing a wig to scare was his stern, rigid expression.

This was Zhou Qian’s primary doctor, Li Xuehai.

“Heart rate shows no change.”

Glancing at the indicators on the nearby equipment, Li Xuehai shook his head, picked up his pen, and solemnly jotted down in the notebook. “The patient, Zhou Qian, still shows no fear reaction.”

Zhou Qian laughed. “It’s just that your scare tactics are outdated, not that I don’t feel fear.”

“Alright.” Li Xuehai put the pen back in his breast pocket, looked at Zhou Qian, and suddenly said, “The patient in the room across from you passed away yesterday.”

Zhou Qian looked surprised. “The patient across the room? The little girl?”

Li Xuehai stared into his eyes for a moment and nodded. “Yes, that little girl, who was admitted around the same time as you. You’ve lived together for eight months. You often helped her with building blocks in the recreation room. She liked you very much and always clung to you, calling you ‘brother’.”

Zhou Qian asked nonchalantly, “So?”

With a grave face, Li Xuehai asked, “So hearing this news, you don’t feel sad? Not even a little bit?”

Zhou Qian shrugged, his tone sounding slightly aggrieved. “So, Dr. Li, is there hope for me?”

Li Xuehai: “Stop pretending. I know that right now you can’t even perceive feelings of grievance.”

After his act was brutally exposed, Zhou Qian calmly replied, “Oh.”

After his illness, Zhou Qian could no longer feel happiness, sadness, sympathy, or fear.

He felt like he was an ascended immortal, devoid of emotions, but sudden bursts of rage would quickly bring him back to reality.

He wasn’t emotionless; his brain just locked away all emotions. When they broke free, the accumulated emotions would explode, driving him into madness.

In Zhou Qian’s eyes, he wasn’t an immortal but a monster.

The last time he had an episode, he not only slashed himself but also wrecked Dr. Li Xuehai’s office.

While being restrained and sedated, he even managed to start a fire, ruining Li Xuehai’s suit.

“I’ll pay for it, Dr. Li,” he said afterward.

Li Xuehai replied, “Okay, 3,000 yuan.”

“?” Zhou Qian was surprised. “So cheap? Are there even suits that cost 3,000 yuan?”

Li Xuehai: “……”

After a while, Li Xuehai bluntly reminded, “Your family is bankrupt. The hospital bill for this quarter is 25,000 yuan. Can you pay on time?”

Zhou Qian: “……”

Seeing Zhou Qian’s expression, Li Xuehai couldn’t help but shake his head.

After a pause, he said, “Zhou Qian, I’ll do my best to help you. I’ll accompany you for some emotional stimulation experiments. You need to cooperate.”

Zhou Qian smiled again. “Alright. I trust you. Look, I haven’t been restrained for a while. I think I’m getting better.”

Facing the seemingly well-behaved Zhou Qian, Li Xuehai frowned again and asked, “Have you seen the dragon recently?”

Dragon…

Zhou Qian’s gaze shifted from the doctor’s cold face to the window.

Spring Hill Asylum was built on a hillside.

Through the window, he could see the light of dawn gradually covering the dark base of the mountain.

At that moment, Zhou Qian’s expression became mysterious. “No. Not anymore.”

“Good. The hallucinations have decreased. That’s it for today’s round. Go wash up and eat. I’m leaving.” As Li Xuehai turned to leave, he noticed something and asked, “Where did you get the watch on your wrist?”

Zhou Qian looked down at the special watch that allowed him to enter the game, reminding him that everything that happened last night wasn’t just a dream.

“A friend visited me yesterday. He gave it to me.”

Hearing this, Li Xuehai scrutinized Zhou Qian for a moment but didn’t comment further and left.

……

The ward was temporarily empty.

Zhou Qian picked up the watch, trying to access the game panel, recalling how he joined the game.

Regarding the tragedy of his family, the consensus among police, reporters, and bystanders was the same—after going bankrupt, his father, in despair, wanted to drag his wife and son with him to death, so he drugged them with sleeping pills and then turned on the gas.

But Zhou Qian knew that wasn’t the truth.

He knew of his father’s cruelty since childhood.

He believed that night, his father only wanted to kill him and his mother.

He didn’t know the details of what happened that night.

But he faintly remembered that a dragon had saved him.

He once thought that seeing the dragon was just a hallucination due to gas poisoning.

Until he saw it again in Spring Hill Mental Asylum.

Last night, under the guidance of the dragon, Zhou Qian found a watch.

[Player Zhou Qian, the gods have heard your inner voice—you’ve lost the most important thing in your life, harbored resentment towards those you shouldn’t, and now you feel life is unbearably dull. Everything you do seems meaningless.]

[Your life is filled with “nothingness”. Now, the gods have chosen you, inviting you to partake in a game.]

[By joining the game, you will have the opportunity to step into the realm of gods, rediscover the three thousand worlds*, and perhaps even obtain what you most desire.]

*Reference to the Buddhist concept “Three thousand realms in a single moment of life”, which refers to the (infinite) possibilities in each instant of our lives.

[The pursuit of immortality is not just a saying; where there’s a will, the living can die, and the dead can live*.]

*From Tang Xianzu’s “The Peony Pavilion”. See Kinky Thoughts for more details.

[You have ten minutes to decide whether to participate.]

Had the dragon that once saved him tried to convey something through this game?

The person he missed… could they really come back?

His life couldn’t get any worse.

Perhaps this mysterious game might bring the surprise he yearned for.

Guided by subtle intuition, Zhou Qian unhesitatingly chose to enter the game.

Before entering the tutorial stage, he found himself in the ward where he lived alone.

After leaving the game and returning to reality, he was still in the ward.

After a night’s sleep, the doctor made the routine rounds as usual, and Zhou Qian responded with his usual aloof attitude.

Every day in the mental ward seemed the same, as if nothing would ever change.

He knew he was trapped in an unbreakable prison.

Perhaps in that game, he could find the freedom he so craved.

…..

Two days later.

At night, the Spring Hill Mental Asylum was silent.

Zhou Qian closed the door to his room and re-entered the game using his watch.

[Loading Instance for Player Zhou Qian: “Apple Paradise”]

[Player count: 5—The 5 players will appear at random locations near Apple Paradise. Your first mission is: Find a way into the park.]

[The trading post is now open; players can buy and sell items here. Player Zhou Qian’s starting gold is 300.]

After reading the panel’s prompts, Zhou Qian found himself in a deep mountain.

Midway up the mountain, by the woods.

The sunset shone through the gaps in the leaves, and the babbling stream was dyed with the red-orange glow of the setting sun.

Several people were passing through the woods towards a grand building that looked like a palace—it must be Apple Paradise.

Despite having [Li Dafu’s Invitation] Zhou Qian didn’t rush to enter the park but instead hid in the woods by the roadside.

Leaning against a tree, he checked his stats on the system panel.

He saw two bars at the top left corner: a red one representing health and a blue one for mana, which depleted with each skill use.

But Zhou Qian hadn’t acquired any skills yet, so the blue bar was just for show.

Now, he was at the lowest rank, F, with a mere 300 points for both bars.

After checking his stats, Zhou Qian began observing from behind the tree.

It wasn’t long before he spotted the man he was looking for—a stout man with a fierce face.

This man must be Li Dafu.

With each step he took, the ground seemed to tremble under his weight.

Zhou Qian knew he was Li Dafu because the previous night, after opening the treasure chest in the game, he had seen a huge wedding photo in Li Dafu’s villa.

Now, lifting his watch towards the stout man outside the woods, Zhou Qian tried to access his data through the system.

[Name: Li Dafu]

[Rank: E]

[Specialty: Boxing; former national boxing champion]

[Note: He has a violent temper. Players, please avoid direct confrontation to prevent injury or even death.]

Indeed, this man is Li Dafu.

As a Rank E NPC, his red and blue bars were three times that of Zhou Qian’s.

Furthermore, he was a national boxing champion, while Zhou Qian had no skills at all.

The “Blessing of the Little Boy” buff that Zhou Qian possessed could only shield him from damage once when his health was almost gone, which made it practically useless.

Facing Li Dafu head-on would be equivalent to courting death.

Watching as Li Dafu slowly passed before him, Zhou Qian’s eyes grew more solemn.

If he wanted to successfully complete this side quest, it seemed he would have to think of a strategy.

……

10 minutes later.

Outside the game, inside the presidential suite of a five-star luxury hotel, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang, with dark circles under their eyes, sat up abruptly. They immediately grabbed their phones from the bedside table and found that Zhou Qian had been in the game for a while.

The reason they could afford such a place was that two days ago, Lu Mengmeng, despite having only 1% HP left, barely cleared the “Ghost’s Eye” level, allowing Zhu Qiang to receive a million yuan. With Lu Mengmeng not entering a new dungeon for the time being, Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang took the opportunity to splurge with the money.

After partying all night, it was only the constant vibrating of their phones that reminded them that it was Zhou Qian’s turn to play.

Skipping meals, both of them glued their eyes to their phones and noticed that Zhou Qian had teamed up with another player.

He was a male player in his 30s, dressed in a plaid shirt. At first glance, he looked scholarly and refined, but there was an indescribable cunning air about him.

Yu Xian noticed an icon flashing above the player’s head.

He clicked on it and was able to view the player’s information.

[Player Name: Dong Xiang]

[Player Rank: E]

[Specialty: Stealth skills, such as assassination and theft]

They heard Dong Xiang ask Zhou Qian, “I just went to the entrance of the park. Only those invited can enter. We don’t have an invite, so we need to figure something out soon. The park closes at 8 tonight.”

Yu Xian felt anxious.

Over the past few days, he had looked up news about Zhou Qian.

The way he was described in the reports could be summarized with phrases like: “The rich second generation who wouldn’t eat minced meat”, “naively innocent”, “God spent all his intelligence on his looks”, “He’s just a pretty face but is actually dumb and crazy”…

“I’m so worried about Xiao* Qianqian.”

*Little (小) When used in front of a name, it generally signifies closeness. In this context, it’s like an affectionate way he’s referring to Zhou Qian.

“Me too. The other players might try to steal Zhou Qian’s invite.”

“If he reveals that he has an invitation, he’s doomed. The player in front of him is an E ranked player who excels at both theft and assassination…”

“Please, Xiao Qianqian, just don’t say anything!”

The two anxiously stared at the phone.

On the screen was Zhou Qian’s smiling face.

He had a beautiful, radiant look, extremely photogenic, with deep, shiny eyes. Given his rich second-generation background, he looked like a delicate flower of wealth.

But at that moment, his demeanor and smile were just too naive.

The elegant, proud, delicate flower suddenly became the foolish son of a landlord—

He carelessly took out [Li Dafu’s Invitation] and said to Dong Xiang, “An invite? I have one. So, I can go straight in! I’m so happy!”

Yu Xian and Zhu Qiang exclaimed, “Fuck!!!”

The author has something to say:

“The living can die, and the dead can live” – from Tang Xianzu’s “The Peony Pavilion.”

Kinky Thoughts:

The quote “The living can die, and the dead can live” is from Tang Xianzu’s “The Peony Pavilion“.

This play touches on themes of love, death, and resurrection. The play tells the story of a young woman named Du Liniang who falls in love with a scholar named Liu Mengmei in a dream. After waking, she is unable to forget him and, consumed by her unfulfilled love, she becomes ill and eventually dies. Later, her spirit encounters Liu Mengmei, and through a series of events, she is brought back to life, and the two are united in love.

The phrase reflects the cyclical nature of life and death presented in the story and suggests that the boundaries between life and death can be porous, especially when influenced by profound emotions like love. It speaks to the transformative power of love and the idea that even in death, love endures and can defy the natural order.

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