Author: Kinky

Qizi Ch13

Kinky1 Comment

Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 13

Two masters were about to duel, instantly capturing the attention of the entire class. Those who were practicing before consciously made way, leaving only Ling Xiao and Ying Feng alone in the arena. They stood casually, but their eyes were constantly locked on each other, always ready to move.

Everyone was focused on the match, but some had their attention misplaced. Zhu Yue’s gaze towards Ling Xiao was dark and resentful. How he longed for all of Ying Feng’s attention, but someone else had easily captured it. Moreover, that person had previously shielded him from a blade at a critical moment.

“I bet Ling Xiao will make the first move.” A voice reached Zhu Yue’s ears. He turned his head and saw it was Lan Sheng, who was closest to Ling Xiao in class.

Beside Lan Sheng, Ping Zong smiled knowingly. “Then you’re sure to win. No matter the situation, Ling Xiao always makes the first move. He’s not a patient person.”

As if to prove their words, in a split second, both of them launched attacks simultaneously. However, only those with the keenest observation could see that Ling Xiao took the initiative. Being proactive was always his style of combat. Ying Feng’s exceptional reaction speed was also evident. If not for that, how could he, even when reacting second, match Ling Xiao’s speed?

In a flash, the two fought multiple rounds at the center of the arena. Their rapid movements left only afterimages, making it hard for the onlookers to keep up. Ling Xiao’s moves were typically flamboyant, with strikes coming from all directions, which was a feast for the eyes.

In comparison, Ying Feng’s observation and response capabilities were superior. No matter how fast or complex Ling Xiao’s moves were, Ying Feng could instantly find his weak points and attack. This often forced Ling Xiao to alter his strategy mid-move. Yet, even then, Ling Xiao would transition smoothly, leaving no opening for onlookers to notice.

The two moved from the center of the arena to the edges and back again. The entire training room became their battleground. Their blows were fierce and intense, more of a real combat exercise than a simple spar. If not for the special materials of the training room, it might have been destroyed.

During one of their exchanges, Ling Xiao jumped onto the wall to dodge Ying Feng’s assault. This position allowed him to push off the wall and return with greater momentum, at a speed almost impossible for an average person to evade—except for Ying Feng.

Ying Feng had accurately anticipated Ling Xiao’s trajectory and had a response plan in mind. However, in a split second, he felt numbness spread throughout his body, making it unresponsive.

With a loud thud and accompanying gasps, Ying Feng staggered back. Seizing this opportunity, Ling Xiao pursued without mercy.

Ying Feng’s vision blurred. To him, Ling Xiao was but a series of high-speed afterimages. He felt sharp pain in various parts of his body, powerless against Ling Xiao’s relentless assault.

The audience sensed something was amiss. At first, they thought Ling Xiao’s punch had injured Ying Feng. But as time passed, Ying Feng couldn’t even defend himself, let alone counterattack.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, the spectators feared for Ying Feng’s safety. Among them, Zhu Yue was the most concerned.

“Stop it!”

A scream echoed through the training room, snapping the frenzied Ling Xiao back to reality. He realized too late that Ying Feng wasn’t fighting back. But by then, he was already rushing towards Ying Feng, ready to land a final blow. With his current momentum and strength, the defenseless Ying Feng would be severely injured!

In a flash, a dark figure darted between them, taking the full brunt of Ling Xiao’s punch. Despite Ling Xiao trying to pull back, the blow was still immensely powerful, making the intervenor’s face turn pale instantly.

Regaining his balance, Ling Xiao called out anxiously, “Ping Zong!”

Almost simultaneously with his shout, Lan Sheng rushed over from the side of the field, shouting Ping Zong’s name. He anxiously grabbed Ping Zong’s arm. “Are you alright?!”

Even though Ping Zong had summoned all his defensive power to block the punch from Ling Xiao, he still felt numbness in both arms. If that punch had hit Ying Feng, the consequences would have been unthinkable.

Facing the worried look of Lan Sheng and filled with regret, Ping Zong slowly steadied his breath. He moved his arm, feeling grateful that he was not seriously injured.

“I’m fine.” He gestured with his chin towards the person behind him. “See how he’s doing.”

Ying Feng, out of sheer pride, managed to stand without collapsing in front of everyone. Zhu Yue, who rushed over almost at the same time as Lan Sheng, circled him, asking questions in concern. Ying Feng felt a buzzing in his ears, making him even more irritated.

He stood silently for a while, and slowly sensation returned to his body. When he could control his limbs again, he slowly opened his eyes, giving Ling Xiao a cold look. This gaze made Ling Xiao stiff, leaving him speechless.

In front of everyone, Ying Feng walked out, step by step. Despite trying to maintain a steady pace, his steps seemed a bit unsteady. Zhu Yue wanted to support him but was clearly rejected. Like everyone else, he could only watch Ying Feng walk out of the training room alone.

Ling Xiao stared blankly at the retreating figure of Ying Feng for a long time. When he came to his senses, he noticed a hostile gaze directed at him. At this moment, Zhu Yue’s resentment was undisguised, and even the previous life-saving grace couldn’t offset this growing hatred.

Ling Xiao didn’t realize that from this moment on, he had planted the seed of resentment in Zhu Yue’s heart. Feeling guilty, he turned his face away. Lan Sheng was still showing concern for Ping Zong, making Ling Xiao feel more isolated—some hated him, some ignored him, and some had their own priorities. The thought ignited a flame of nameless rage inside him, coupled with an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.

Another person burning with inner fire was currently lying on a check-up table in Dr. Yao’s medical room. A printer nearby diligently carried out its task.

Dr. Yao took the printed report, quickly scanning it. “Congratulations, you’ve entered the pre-awakening stage. Your awakening will soon occur, and your body is ready for secondary development. All indicators are excellent.”

“So excellent that I won’t fight back when hit?” Ying Feng remarked sarcastically.

“Your reaction just now is a normal manifestation of pre-awakening, commonly known as pseudo-awakening. About ten days after this pre-awakening, you will enter the actual awakening phase. The real awakening will not have the numbness in the limbs, so you don’t have to worry.”

She pulled up Ying Feng’s file. “Have you chosen your partner?”

“No,” Ying Feng answered quickly.

Dr. Yao nodded. “It’s okay if you haven’t. I can give you a calming injection once a month, so the awakening won’t cause you any trouble until you find a suitable partner.”

“Is it harmful to the body?”

“Not at all. Of course, you can also choose not to take the injection. After awakening, you’ll only have a normal physiological reaction. All individuals in this state have enough reason to deal with these reactions. Just avoid intense physical confrontations, like earlier, or else it can cause hormonal imbalances. Oh, and without the calming injection, you’re not allowed to participate in field practice.”

“I’ll take it,” Ying Feng responded, eager for the opportunity for field practice.

Dr. Yao quickly prepared the injection. Watching her insert the needle into his skin and the transparent liquid flow into his veins, Ying Feng felt his body cooling down, the previous heat vanishing in an instant.

“Remember, even though this calming medicine can suppress your physical reactions, you still need to be careful not to get too close to someone in the awakening phase. Otherwise, the hormone secretion in their body might affect you and negate the drug’s effect.”

“How long can I take this medicine?”

“As long as you’re willing, you can continue indefinitely. Although we hope that you will become adults soon, we will never force any student to undergo the coming-of-age ceremony without being prepared. The oldest student in the academy has been in his immature form for twenty-two years now and hasn’t found a suitable partner, but we still respect his choice.”

“What if I can never find a match?”

“Bikong is a primary academy, with the highest grade being twelve. After this age, you can choose to stay in school, continue your studies in your immature form, or even work. Such cases have been common in previous years.”

“However, only at Bikong will you enjoy the safest protection. If you choose to study or work in your immature form, many dangerous professions will be limited. I think you know why.”

“I understand,” Ying Feng replied succinctly.

“There’s something you might not be aware of. Seeking a spouse during the awakening period is also one of our instincts. Although tranquilizers can certainly suppress your physical reactions, they won’t alleviate your psychological needs.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you feel lonely entering the pre-awakening period, yearning to share life with someone else?”

Ying Feng silently pondered for a moment. “No.”

“Alright.” Yao Tai gave up. “Some people are emotionally late bloomers. But slowly, you will, and the urge will become more and more pressing, forcing you to actively seek your other half.”

Ying Feng sat up. The slight twitch of his lips due to pain didn’t escape Yao Tai’s eyes.

“Do you need me to treat any other injuries?”

Ying Feng placed his hand on his chest, feeling a bit of tenderness. Judging from his experience, there was probably a bruise. Recalling the force of Ling Xiao’s strike, he frowned at the painful memory.

“No need.” Ying Feng declined Yao Tai’s offer and left the infirmary.

When he returned to his dormitory, there was an unexpected guest. Although Ling Xiao was in the same grade as Ying Feng, their dormitories were far apart. Ying Feng didn’t think it was a mere coincidence.

Seeing Ying Feng return safe and sound, Ling Xiao’s worry faded, replaced by relief. Sadly, these deep-seated emotions went unnoticed. As Yao Tai said, some people were emotionally late bloomers, and unfortunately, Ling Xiao was one of them.

The corner of Ying Feng’s mouth twitched upon seeing him. “What are you here for? I don’t have banana-flavored energy bread for you.”

Ling Xiao hesitated. “Are you alright?”

“Thanks to you, I’m not dead.”

Ying Feng tried to open the door, but Ling Xiao blocked him.

“What do you want?” Ying Feng asked impatiently.

“Hit me. I won’t fight back.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

Seeing Ling Xiao resign himself to death, Ying Feng found it quite amusing and laughed out loud.

Ling Xiao’s face darkened. “Are you looking down on me?”

“Shouldn’t a normal person apologize in this situation?”

Ling Xiao was at a loss for words, as if apologizing was the most embarrassing thing in the world.

“Just hit me.”

Ying Feng scoffed. “I need to get into my dorm. Please move.”

Ling Xiao stubbornly stood his ground.

This time, Ying Feng’s anger flared. He grabbed Ling Xiao by the collar and pulled him close. Even though Ying Feng was shorter, he completely dominated in aura. They were so close that their noses nearly touched. Ying Feng’s words landed heavily on Ling Xiao’s face.

“Rest assured, one day, I will settle this score with you.”

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

Escape From the Asylum Ch13

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Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 13

Within Apple Paradise, the canopy was filled with vast expanses of green trees. A gentle, constant light bathed the entire palace. Flowers as white as snow scattered across the horizon, and the lake gleamed with a blue as deep as the world’s rarest sapphires…

Against this backdrop, Zhou Qian hovered in midair, suspended by a single rope, and gazed distantly at Qi Liuxing.

His eyes and words possessed a powerful, bewitching force.

Qi Liuxing felt as if he had no choice but to follow Zhou Qian’s plans.

Even if what lay ahead was a treacherous path or an irretrievable hell.

Echoing in Qi Liuxing’s ears were the words Zhou Qian spoke not long ago.

“I lied to you before, and now I want to apologize.”

“Are you hesitating about using the Tick Tock Clock? If you use it to save me, it’s out of affection, not duty. Don’t feel pressured.”

“You have an innocent heart. It’s invaluable.”

“Only when you become a hero to everyone can you truly bear the title ‘Sword God’.”

……

18 was an age where one was most willing to risk it all and face all challenges head-on.

Qi Liuxing gripped his sword tighter; his gaze towards Zhou Qian became more resolute.

Zhou Qian spoke again. “Qi Liuxing, I won’t leave you alone in danger. If you chose to stay, please do your best to hang on. The young couple will come to help you.”

“Why would they help me? Can you foresee the future?”

“Yes,” Zhou Qian replied with a mysterious smile. “I can predict the future. They will come back.”

Qi Liuxing didn’t understand and wanted to ask further, but there was no time.

Across the lake, two more believers had completed their transformation.

Their pupils turned white, red light radiated from their bodies, and wings sprouted from their backs. After scanning their surroundings briefly, they both set their sights on Zhou Qian and flew towards him.

Zhou Qian, at Rank F, had a max HP of 300. Engaged with Believer No .1, he now only had 150 HP left.

These two transformed believers were both at a higher Rank C, with 4,000 HP. With their attack power, even a breath on Zhou Qian might have killed him.

There were three crystal bridges in total. The left one was already destroyed, and the middle one was where Qi Liuxing had set up a barrier. The barrier would automatically detect and block aggressive NPCs for three minutes but had no effect on players.

Thus, Qi Liuxing had taken the middle bridge.

Just as Qi Liuxing had stepped onto the bridge, the two winged believers almost reached Zhou Qian.

With a swift unsheathing of his sword, Qi Liuxing unleashed the [Divine Sword Stance]. Multiple sword qi immediately split and rushed towards the two.

Perhaps they had learned from the believer who died earlier by the lakeside when his wings broke; these two had skillfully dodged the sword qi, not even losing a single feather.

However, Qi Liuxing’s objective hadn’t really been to hit them.

He acted to draw their attention.

And he undoubtedly achieved his goal.

Initially, the two believers targeted Zhou Qian since he was closest. But after the attack, their hostility was drawn towards Qi Liuxing, and they both charged at him.

Using his rapid speed, Qi Liuxing turned and sprinted off the crystal bridge. The two winged believers couldn’t catch up to him immediately—the barrier had successfully stopped them. Whether they flew or burrowed, they couldn’t cross the bridge for three minutes.

With the immediate threat behind him gone, Qi Liuxing took a breath and relaxed a bit. He had looked back and seen Zhou Qian swing with the rope, landing on the opposite shore.

Hidden achievements were hard to obtain, but there was still a 10% chance.

Zhou Qian’s prediction was accurate. While the 19 believers ate the apples almost simultaneously, they hadn’t all transformed at the same time. Otherwise, being surrounded would mean no chance of survival for the players.

Now that four believers had consecutively transformed, with the fifth yet to come, as long as they continued at this pace and did not all transform at once, Qi Liuxing was confident. He could draw their hostility towards him while they attacked Zhou Qian one after another.

But Qi Liuxing knew in his heart that going on like this wasn’t the solution.

The barrier’s duration was about to expire, and the two winged believers would soon fly over. If Zhou Qian couldn’t find a buff in time, more and more believers would attack him.

Moreover, although the speed of those believers wasn’t particularly fast at the moment, their evolutionary capabilities would eventually make them astoundingly fast, at which point he wouldn’t be able to escape.

The best strategy was to lure them into the lake.

Especially those two believers about to breach the barrier.

But how?

Every second passed, and as the barrier’s time decreased, Qi Liuxing almost lost grip on his sword hilt, for his palm was slick with sweat.

Suddenly, a system prompt came from his wristwatch.

[Player Zhou Qian has initiated a trade request]

[Zhou Qian, as the seller, wishes to sell you the [Universe Teleportation Mirror]]

[Zhou Qian’s price: 0 gold coins]

[Universe Teleportation Mirror’s function: Set a teleportation point through the mirror to achieve instant teleportation]

[Teleportation range: Within 500 meters]

[Duration: 5 minutes]

Zhou Qian’s zero-price offer was clearly a gesture to give the item to Qi Liuxing. This mirror, a valuable escape tool, was known to cost as much as 3,000 gold coins.

Qi Liuxing couldn’t afford such an item at the moment.

The reason Zhou Qian could afford it was because he had collected a substantial amount of gold coins during the scoring minigame. Even so, this item probably drained nearly all his savings.

What remained of Zhou Qian’s money wouldn’t be enough to buy another mirror like this.

Thus, even though Zhou Qian had deceived everyone during the minigame, he was now not only risking it all alone but also gifting Qi Liuxing his only escape tool. Was it as he had previously said—he didn’t genuinely want to swindle everyone, but rather control the situation without wasting time on communication?

Moved by this gesture, Qi Liuxing quickly accepted the trade request.

In the trade interface, along with the item came a voice message from Zhou Qian.

“Here’s a strategy: use this mirror to deceive the believers into the lake.”

“The mirror can only be used for 5 minutes. Don’t waste it on just one or two believers. First, kite them. When a sufficient number of believers chase you, lure them all into the mirror at once.”

“Of course, if you become afraid or regretful and no longer wish to cover for me, you can use the mirror to escape to the treehouse. But—”

“I know you’re not that type of person. You’re the brave and fearless Sword God.”

……

On the other side of the phone screen.

Yu Xian remarked, “Seems like the Sword God is deeply moved? His eyes are red! But it’s understandable given Qian Ge’s gift after his earlier deceit.”

Zhu Qiang interjected, “Wake up, Lao Yu. And you too, Sword God on the screen. Think about when Qian Ge gave the mirror. It was after the winged creatures went to attack him, and only after the Sword God really helped distract them!”

Yu Xian was taken aback. “Ah, Qiang Ge, are you suggesting…”

Zhu Qiang: “If Qi Liuxing didn’t help, Qian Ge could completely abandon the hidden achievement and use the mirror to escape to the treehouse! You think this move isn’t cunning? The idea of ‘placing oneself in a deadly situation to then come out alive’? He had already calculated his way out and wouldn’t truly put himself in danger!”

“Qian Ge has never truly trusted Qi Liuxing!”

“If Qi Liuxing really ran away, given Qian Ge being Rank F, he would stand no chance. He could only use the mirror to escape! Abandoning the hidden achievement is still better than losing his life!

“But if Qi Liuxing stays to help divert those two monsters, it means he’s indeed decent and must’ve been convinced by Qian Ge’s previous words. In that case, Qian Ge would further entice Qi Liuxing by offering the mirror, making him willingly stay.”

“Think about it, why didn’t he offer the mirror earlier or later, but precisely at this moment? Would he really risk being attacked by two deified monsters just to swing? He’s taking a risk, but he’s also taking the opportunity to observe Qi Liuxing!”

Looking back at the phone screen, Zhu Qiang said earnestly to Qi Liuxing, “Thinking of not saving him is just a natural response, and you have a naive heart? Talk of saving the world is even more laughable…”

“Just take Qian Ge’s words with a grain of salt; don’t take them seriously! He didn’t dare trust you easily! I don’t think he really wanted to save the world either!”

Yu Xian came to his senses. “Damn! Qian Ge is incredible! Every word he says is like making a move in a chess game…”

Zhu Qiang: “Isn’t it? Qian Ge went to the other side of the lake for clues, letting Brother Sword God provide cover, diverting attention… and now even letting Brother Sword God kite around while luring the enemies into the lake… Qian Ge is ruthless.”

Yu Xian muttered, “He’s ruthless to others, but also to himself. There are so many monsters ‘deifying’ on the other side of the lake… He only has 150 HP; if he’s not careful, he’s really done for.”

“What’s with that look on your face?”

“I think you’re not entirely accurate. I wouldn’t say Qian Ge is using Qi Liuxing. He truly wants everyone to get the hidden achievement. It’s just that his methods are too extreme and too much of a gamble.”

“I think you’ve been brainwashed by him too!”

“By the way, wait… what did Qian Ge mean by ‘the couple will definitely come back’? Did we miss something? When did he set this up?”

“I don’t know. In any case, Qian Ge is just incredible. Let’s keep watching.”

Inside the game.

Two deified followers with wings were temporarily stopped by the barricade for three minutes; the other believer hadn’t completed their deification yet.

Taking advantage of this brief respite, Qi Liuxing took out a mirror from his bag. After understanding how to use it with the system panel, he quickly adjusted the coordinates, setting the mirror’s teleportation point above the lake surface.

After preparing everything, he temporarily returned the mirror to his bag and looked toward the other side of the lake.

Epoh was by the trunk of the giant tree, surrounded by apple-filled tree crowns. Underneath the apples stood clusters of followers who had eaten the apples.

Zhou Qian was walking towards Epoh, step by step, entering the encirclement of the followers.

This scene made Qi Liuxing’s eyelids twitch.

Then, about 30 meters away from Zhou Qian, a red light suddenly appeared.

The fifth deified believer was born!

The believer radiated a red glow, and his body hunched down with all four limbs on the ground. It was covered with shiny black fur. He opened his mouth and let out a “roar”, seemingly transformed into a cat.

Pacing back and forth on all fours, he narrowed his eyes menacingly, eventually setting them on Zhou Qian.

With pale pupils locked onto Zhou Qian, murderous intent filled the eyes of the deified believer. In a flash, before he pounced on Zhou Qian, Qi Liuxing quickly acted.

An arrow shot towards the other shore, aiming directly at the cat-like believer.

[Item: Precision Shot*]

*(百步穿杨) Idiom referring to superb archery skills and, by extension, someone who’s very strong. It comes from a story in ancient China of a famous archer who could consistently hit a willow leaf from a distance of a hundred steps.

[Function: Select target to shoot; range 1,000 meters; 90% accuracy]

With a crisp sound, it was the noise of a blade piercing an eyeball.

After letting out a very mournful cry, the deified believer immediately turned to look at Qi Liuxing and charged towards him.

Once again successfully drawing Zhou Qian’s aggro, Qi Liuxing’s palm gripping the sword was sweating again.

He didn’t use his skill just now, of course, because he only had 60% MP left.

He could only try to attract aggro using items.

He succeeded, but he had no moves left after that.

Qi Liuxing had no items left in his bag that could attract aggro, and his MP bar was only enough for one major move, or three regular Sword God stances.

But the giant cat was rushing over from another crystal bridge without barriers.

And with the three-minute timer counting down, those two winged men behind the barrier were already staring at him, seemingly ready to pounce on him and tear him to pieces.

The situation was dire. Qi Liuxing realized he could only buy Zhou Qian another two minutes at most.

From the moment the first believer began to ascend, Qi Liuxing had been calculating in his heart.

The time gap between each believer’s ascension was about two minutes.

After the birth of the believer who turned into a cat, there was less than two minutes until the next believer’s ascension, and then they would attack Zhou Qian.

Zhou Qian must find the so-called buff within these two minutes. Otherwise, everyone would be done for.

What Qi Liuxing had to do was hold off these three deified believers for these two minutes and prevent them from returning to the other side of the lake to attack Zhou Qian.

Compared to the leisurely pace of the first believer crossing the bridge, the giant cat moved incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, it reached Qi Liuxing and immediately swung its paw.

The space in front of him seemed to be torn apart by five lightning-like claw marks.

Almost instinctively, Qi Liuxing dove to the ground.

He barely avoided the lethal blow. Though he wasn’t hit directly, his HP had sharply decreased by 1,000, dropping directly to 50%.

Probably due to the skill cooldown, the giant cat didn’t immediately launch a second attack on Qi Liuxing. It just stared at him with murderous white pupils.

Those eyes clearly conveyed, “You’re already dead.”

To make matters worse, the three-minute barrier restriction was up, and the two winged monsters fluttered their wings, suddenly coming up to Qi Liuxing.

At that moment, the giant cat glared fiercely at Qi Liuxing, raising its paw, clearly preparing for a second round of attacks.

Surrounded by three such high-level monsters, Qi Liuxing was in grave danger and had to use his ultimate move.

With the [Divine Sword Second Stance], his long sword soared into the air, autonomously drawing a circle in mid-air.

Countless sword shadows immediately emerged from the ring of light, almost illuminating the palace dome before swiftly attacking in all directions.

It was clearly an AOE* skill, and the swords moved like a rainbow, seemingly able to annihilate everyone in an instant.

*Area of effect. An attack or defense, such as a spell or skill, that affects all characters within a specified range of the target place or character.

Even the Yu Zhu duo watching from the phone screen were shaken by the sword’s brilliance.

The two were following Zhou Qian’s perspective on their phone screens, but across the lake, they still witnessed the astounding scene.

“Damn, that’s so powerful! Truly a Sword God! Killing someone every ten steps, never leaving a trail for a thousand miles!!!”

“Indeed powerful! No wonder it consumes half of his MP.”

However, 10 seconds later.

[Believer No. 9 HP has decreased by 3%]

[Believer No. 6 HP has decreased by 3%]

[Believer No. 15 HP has decreased by 3%]

Qi Liuxing: “……”

Yu Xian, Zhu Qiang: “……”

Such fierce moves, yet the score was 0-5.

Those gua sha* masters’ reputations were truly deserved.

*Traditional Chinese medicine in which a tool is used to scrape people’s skin in order to produce light petechiae. Practitioners believe that gua sha releases unhealthy bodily matters form blood statis within sore, tired, stiff, or inured muscle areas to stimulate new oxygenated blood flows to the areas, thus promoting metabolic cell repair, regeneration, healing, and recovery. || In this context, it’s basically making a joke of Qi Liuxing’s moves only to barely make a dent on the monsters (like gua sha doesn’t really hurt you even though it looks severely bad).

These NPCs were simply ridiculously strong.

Even Qi Liuxing couldn’t help but curse.

Then he faced the most dangerous moment since entering the game—all three believers were about to unleash their ultimate skills on him.

His pupils uncontrollably dilated, and Qi Liuxing looked enraged.

He quickly pulled out an item from his bag—a mirror.

Should he… Should he use it now?

The author has something to say:

Can you guess what the real buff is?

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

Bu Tian Gang Ch169

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Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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

Chapter 169

Instead of saying they were in a book, it would be more accurate to say they were in a den of ghosts.

As the Shadow Ghost that had swapped bodies with Xiao Zhao was exposed, the meeting room instantly filled with the wailing of countless ghosts.

The lights on the ceiling flickered on and off, mirroring the darkness outside, where there was no moonlight. The atmosphere was reminiscent of a ghost story, particularly one about vengeful spirits who died unjust deaths.

Indeed, the room was filled with eerie, overlapping apparitions and countless chilling voices that seemed to recount their tragic lives, wishing to vent all their resentment on the few people present.

When these ghostly qi lunged at Chang Qing, he used his sword to fend them off. However, when the mass of spirits was split into smaller forms by the sword’s power, they brushed against his face and body, leaving a stinging sensation. When Chang Qing touched the affected areas, his fingers were sticky with red.

He was a practitioner, and if these ghostly qi could inflict such harm on him, one could only imagine what they would do to ordinary people.

Xiao Zhao’s body and shadow were torn apart. While the shadow was protected behind Dong Zhi, the body faced even more aggressive ghostly qi. Shadow Ghosts came at them from all directions, trying to devour the shadow behind Dong Zhi. Dong Zhi formed a barrier with his sword, surrounding Xiao Zhao’s shadow, preventing any ghostly qi from approaching.

He threw talisman fire which multiplied and illuminated the area, driving back and annihilating the malevolent spirits, leaving the rest to flee in every direction.

Xiao Zhao sat on a nearby sofa, his head slightly bowed. His mouth was stretched into an exaggerated smile, but his eyes emitted a chilling green glow.

Dong Zhi and Chang Qing knew that this wasn’t Xiao Zhao, but a ghost possessing his body. The real Xiao Zhao had been banished into the shadow, and if they allowed this ghost to continue possessing him, Xiao Zhao’s vitality would soon be extinguished, and his soul would be lost.

“Why aren’t you trying to kill me anymore?” Xiao Zhao chuckled eerily. The chilling sound almost made Dong Zhi want to cover his ears.

Chang Qing approached menacingly with his sword. “Do you think I won’t do it?”

“I can destroy this body before you kill me, ensuring he never returns!” the ghost retorted menacingly.

Dong Zhi quickly intervened, trying to negotiate.

“My friend, possessing Xiao Zhao’s body won’t help you. He’s a single guy, and moreover, he’s a police officer who constantly faces danger. Why would you want to occupy such a body? How about this: You return his body, and I’ll help you cross over to the other side.”

The ghost snorted. “Cross over? So I can be reborn? Can you greet King Yan and promise I’ll be reincarnated into a wealthy family next time? Otherwise, I’m not going!”

Dong Zhi sarcastically replied, “Why not just ask to be reborn as the son of the US president?”

The ghost glared. “Can you make it happen?”

Dong Zhi was at a loss for words. “Brother, every world has its own rules. If I could do what you’re suggesting, why would I be here catching you? Wouldn’t it be better for me to just kick back, relax, and live the easy life of a trust fund kid?”

The ghost’s voice suddenly soared several pitches, becoming even more shrill. “Why is it that some people are born with everything they want, while I can only be looked down upon and overshadowed by others? They don’t have to put in any effort; they can just rely on their family’s connections to get into a good university. Growing up in a poor family, what could I possibly do? Did I ask for this? Why is it so unfair? Why?”

A thought flashed through Dong Zhi’s mind, and he blurted out, “You are Su Huan!”

The ghost suddenly fell silent.

Taking advantage of its momentary daze, Dong Zhi quickly said, “Su Huan, do you know that you were murdered? Your husband, Deng Bin, has been taken in as a suspect. If we can’t find evidence to exonerate him, he might be convicted of murder!”

Of course, Dong Zhi was just spouting nonsense, but his goal was to get a reaction from the ghost.

As expected, the ghost chuckled sinisterly. “Then let him die!”

The voice was filled with deep resentment, making it hard to believe these were Su Huan’s true feelings. According to what Dong Zhi knew, while the couple often had disagreements, it hadn’t escalated to divorce, let alone murder. If it were true that Su Huan’s desire for Deng Bin’s death stemmed from him slapping her on the street on the day of her demise and this desire remained unchanged even after her death, that would be quite an exaggeration.

However, the ghost’s response confirmed that she was indeed Su Huan, Deng Bin’s wife.

Dong Zhi asked, “Fine, let’s say you two had a broken relationship and you deeply resent Deng Bin. But you were murdered. Don’t you want to find the real killer? Do you remember how you died?”

Su Huan, or rather, the spirit possessing Xiao Zhao murmured, “How did I die?”

It sounded both like a question and a rhetorical one.

She seemed lost, trying hard to recall.

“Deng Bin liked me, pursued me. He came from a wealthy family, and being with him was prestigious. Friends envied me for marrying into wealth. But after marriage, he changed. He felt my family’s poor background tarnished his reputation. Whenever my parents visited, he would show his displeasure. Eventually, they stopped coming… When we attended banquets, his friends felt I was lucky to marry him. I even overheard some women gossiping about how I clung to Deng Bin and how my educational background was a disgrace to him. Could I choose the family I was born into?”

Su Huan’s expression shifted, revealing anger and bitterness.

“Deng Bin himself wasn’t academically gifted. If not for his privileged birth, would he have had such a smooth life? If I was born into a family like his, would I even care about Deng Bin?”

“Every month after receiving my salary, I send half of it home. With what’s left, I have to pay rent and buy food. I also want to purchase luxury products like Dior, Givenchy, and La Mer, but I can only afford them once or twice. For the rest of the month, I have to be frugal and save on meals. But those women! They aren’t as pretty as me, yet just because their parents are wealthy, they can afford the most expensive skincare products. They travel around the world every day, watch shows in Paris, ski in Switzerland. The makeup that costs me a month’s salary, they can buy half the store’s stock of handbags without batting an eye…”

Tears rolled down Xiao Zhao’s face, looking somewhat comical but also revealing the deep despair within.

“This world is so unfair. I resent it so much!”

This sentiment expressed by Su Huan wasn’t unique. Many people might grumble about life’s unfairness but would move on and work hard. However, Su Huan, being exceptionally beautiful, was constantly judged based on her looks and family background, which only amplified her sense of injustice.

“You know the world is unfair. I saw your body in the hospital. Despite being dead for over 24 hours and frozen, your beauty was still striking. Do you know how rare such natural beauty is? I’ve seen celebrities like Han Qi and Hui Yiguang without makeup, and they weren’t much more beautiful than you. So, what about those less fortunate in looks and unable to afford surgeries? You always focus on those better off than you, but have you considered those worse off?” Dong Zhi retorted.

Su Huan gave a bitter smile. “What’s the use of being beautiful when you have no power or influence? Being beautiful and poor is even scarier. I was once harassed by thugs when I was in school, and I was too terrified to attend for months. My parents couldn’t do anything except accompany me to school. If I had Deng Bin’s family background, would those thugs dare approach me? You can’t possibly understand! I resent being born poor. I resent all the injustices!”

Chang Qing suddenly said, “I can understand.”

The dim and eerie light cast a large shadow on Cheng Qing’s face.

“I’m half-demon, with the bloodline of a monster. When I was younger, I couldn’t control it; my appearance would sometimes reveal my nature. My mother was actually afraid of me, which is why she fled far away to work in the South. Back then, I often felt hatred—hate that she gave birth to me in the first place. If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t have to face all this. So, I also hate all demons; they shouldn’t exist in the first place. Once I’ve exterminated them all, incidents like this will never happen again,” Cheng Qing said calmly, as if narrating someone else’s story. “But just now, I suddenly realized that maybe I don’t hate her as much as I thought. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have appeared before me.”

Su Huan’s expression changed, remaining silent, making it hard to figure out what she was thinking.

Dong Zhi sighed and finally said, “The notion that all people are born equal is bullshit—an intoxicating illusion. Some are born intellectually challenged, some are geniuses; some are beautiful, some are ugly. And let’s not even talk about family background. But since you are born, you have to strive to live. You can’t go back to the womb, can you? Look at yourself; you’ve tormented yourself into this state. Are you happy?”

Su Huan started laughing. “Happy? Why shouldn’t I be? If I’m not having a good time, I don’t want anyone else to either. If I can drag someone down with me, I’m absolutely thrilled! And this book can give me everything; whatever I want, I can get it here!”

As they spoke, the shadow of Xiao Zhao began to tremble more violently, its color gradually fading. Dong Zhi became anxious.

He almost extinguished the hope that Su Huan would voluntarily leave Xiao Zhao’s body, as she was full of resentment and wouldn’t heed any advice.

They had no choice but to resort to force.

He gave Cheng Qing a look, indicating they should subdue Su Huan and force her out of Xiao Zhao’s body.

Su Huan, having turned into a vengeful spirit, was extremely perceptive and immediately sensed their intent. She let out a chilling laugh and suddenly lunged—not at them but at the table.

A pair of scissors lay on it.

She was going to commit suicide!

If she couldn’t have it, neither could anyone else!

Dong Zhi, not knowing if Su Huan was originally so extreme or had been influenced by the book, was sure he couldn’t let her do it. With a thought, he already had his Changshou Sword in hand, flashing like lightning.

Cheng Qing also acted, thinking his movement was fast enough, only to find Dong Zhi was faster. His sword light flickered and arrived in front of Su Huan, knocking the scissors away and blocking her path. Cheng Qing arrived just in time to trap Su Huan from both sides!

Dong Zhi used a Sunlight Talisman, aiming it at Su Huan. She let out a wail, and a dark mist rose from her head. A massive figure appeared behind her and swallowed the mist.

Cheng Qing turned around sharply to see a black jiao twisting its body. The jiao transformed into a child’s shape since the room couldn’t accommodate its large size. Kan Chaosheng had awoken at some point, waiting to coordinate from behind them.

After swallowing Su Huan’s spirit, his expression soured, and he spat it out.

“Yuck, how could something taste so bad?”

Just then, the ground shook violently, a black fissure appearing at the center of the room and expanding quickly, sucking in everything. Su Huan’s spirit was the first to be drawn in, followed by Xiao Zhao’s trembling shadow. Dong Zhi acted quickly, grabbing hold of him as both were inevitably sucked in.

The fissure finally closed, leaving the room in a dark void, as if a book had been shut, locking everything within, never to return.

But Dong Zhi and the others didn’t end there. They all heard a massive water sound.

Not the sea, not a waterfall, but a waterspout connecting heaven and earth, sucked them in. They spiraled in mid-air uncontrollably, all except for Kan Chaosheng.

For him, water was second nature. If a jiao drowned, it would be the biggest joke since the creation of the world. He roared lowly, transforming into his magnificent original form, caught Dong Zhi with his mouth, and flew out of the waterspout’s range.

Cheng Qing, dizzy from the spinning, without thinking, threw Xiao Zhao toward the black jiao and grabbed the jiao’s tail to fly out.

“Damn it, don’t grab my tail. It’s for steering!” Kan Chaosheng roared.

Before he could regain his composure, several gigantic creatures charged straight at them. At first glance, these creatures looked similar to Kan Chaosheng’s original form, but Dong Zhi was immediately startled to realize they weren’t water jiaos but real dragons. In front of the might of the dragons, Kan Chaosheng trembled out of instinct, losing control of his body, and accidentally flung Dong Zhi and the others away.

Dong Zhi quickly summoned his Changshou Sword, managing to stabilize himself mid-air, and grabbed onto both Xiao Zhao and Kan Chaosheng, who had transformed back into a big yellow cat.

“Just look at yourself! Isn’t it just a dragon? After all, you’re almost a fully transformed dragon yourself!” Dong Zhi scolded in anger.

The cat, soaked and looking like a drowned rat, meowed angrily at him, though it was unclear if it was arguing or just putting on a show.

A dragon’s roar resounded, causing everyone to shiver slightly. An inevitable sense of fear welled up within them. Dong Zhi had seen a dragon before, but it was a bone dragon and was dead. Now, in front of them, was a living, breathing dragon.

The might of a dragon dominated the four seas, and all creatures bowed before it. Dong Zhi suddenly realized that this saying wasn’t just about the majestic appearance of a dragon. Perhaps Kan Chaosheng’s earlier fear was involuntary, for Dong Zhi felt the same now. He knew he should muster up courage, but fear automatically surfaced in his mind.

However, not everyone felt this way.

Not far from them, someone was battling a silver dragon. The silver dragon roared and spiraled, spewing water that transformed into massive tidal waves. These waves were enough to change the expression of any creature between heaven and earth. However, the person moved effortlessly amidst the massive body of the dragon, seemingly leisurely, without being at a disadvantage.

After watching for a good five or six seconds, only one thought crossed Dong Zhi’s mind. ‘Damn, my master is the coolest person in the whole world!’

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Bu Tian Gang Ch168

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Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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

Chapter 168

Chang Qing stared intently at Dong Zhi, as if trying to see if a flower would emerge from his face.

“You claim to be real. What’s your proof?”

Dong Zhi: “I don’t have proof, but don’t you all realize where the problem lies?”

Chang Qing: “An illusion?”

Dong Zhi: “How could there be so many illusions? You all are practitioners. How could a mere illusion trap you? We are probably inside that book now.”

A thought crossed Chang Qing’s mind, reminding him of the sight of his long-deceased mother.

“So, it’s a book that realizes one’s desires?”

Dong Zhi corrected, “More like a book that amplifies the desires of the heart.”

Xiao Zhao rubbed his swelling bump, grimacing, “What are you both talking about?”

Since the case began, the book had become an essential clue, hovering around the deceased. Even Captain Yin felt that Su Huan’s death might be related to the book. This was even more obvious to Chang Qing and Kan Chaosheng, but they never expected that the book could literally pull someone inside it.

“Whatever you desire, the book will grant it. Each page of the book probably acts as a portal. The more you desire, the more you’ll be pulled into the next portal,” Dong Zhi speculated.

Chang Qing nodded. He had the same guess, which was why he had stopped Xiao Zhao from leaving the conference room earlier. The moment they stepped out, they would likely enter another space, making it even harder to find others.

“How did you enter here?” Kan Chaosheng asked.

Dong Zhi: “Master sent me in.”

Kan Chaosheng cheered, “Boss Long is here! If he’s around, there’s no problem we can’t solve!”

Dong Zhi selectively explained the situation to Xiao Zhao in simpler terms, but Xiao Zhao remained in disbelief.

“We are clearly still in the conference room. We haven’t gone anywhere!”

Dong Zhi: “Every space in the book is created from your memories. If the memory is clear, the details are sharp. If the memory is vague, the details become blurry. You said you went downstairs to buy cake, but you can’t recall the details of the journey, can you?”

Xiao Zhao: “What about the other colleagues?”

Dong Zhi: “They’re also illusions. Don’t think about anything now. Just stand at the door and look outside. You’ll see nothing.”

Xiao Zhao did as told and was stunned. Stepping out of this room should lead to the department’s common office area, which always had someone on duty even at night. It shouldn’t be empty like now.

Tonight, it should have been Tan Jie’s shift. Just as the thought came to him, he saw Tan Jie waving at him from around the corner.

“Xiao Zhao, haven’t you left yet? Come help me!”

He instinctively stepped forward but was suddenly pulled back. When he looked again, Tan Jie was gone.

Chills ran down Xiao Zhao’s spine.

“Weren’t you told not to get distracted?” Dong Zhi remarked.

Xiao Zhao quickly responded, “I won’t think about it anymore! I promise!”

Chang Qing asked Dong Zhi, “How did you get in?”

Dong Zhi: “My master sent me in. He’s now investigating the origin of the book.”

Chang Qing: “Any leads?”

Dong Zhi: “Before Su Huan, another victim had borrowed the book and later died in a car accident. Su Huan wasn’t working in the library then. Another librarian had processed the book borrowing. Captain Yin found that librarian. With my master there, there shouldn’t be any problems. Let me first get you out of here.”

Xiao Zhao grew impatient as Dong Zhi kept looking at the ground. “Director Dong, how do we get out?”

Dong Zhi, looking amused, replied, “I don’t know. My master didn’t tell me. But since we’re here, there’s no use panicking. Let’s sit and think.”

Xiao Zhao took out his phone to call for help but found no signal.

Kan Chaosheng, frustrated, suddenly transformed into a large yellow cat. He sprinted around the office, jumped up and down like a cat with its tail stepped on, howling away. He then transformed back to human form mid-air and grumbled. “There’s truly no way out. This isn’t an illusion; there’s no boundary!”

Xiao Zhao, with eyes wide open, watched him change from man to cat and back to man, thinking he was still dreaming.

“Don’t bother, we’re idle anyway. Let’s play a game of ‘Truth or Dare’!”

Dong Zhi sits cross-legged on the sofa with his sword beside him. His relaxed posture made it seem as if he was casually hanging out with friends at home.

Kan Chaosheng was frustrated. “Look at the time! Why are you playing games? We should be thinking of ways to get out of here!”

Dong Zhi raises a finger. “One game. Once we get out, I’ll put in a good word for you in front of Master, saving you half a month’s bonus.”

Kan Chaosheng: “Oh, in that case, let’s play a few rounds.”

Chang Qing: “…You’re the most shameless demon I’ve ever met, a disgrace to the demon world.”

Kan Chaosheng, getting angry upon hearing this, was quickly held back by Dong Zhi, who then explained the rules of the game.

The four of them would roll dice. The one with the lowest score had to answer a question from the person with the highest score within two seconds. If they couldn’t or refused to answer, they had to do something for the other party. A simple little game.

The four sat in a circle.

Xiao Zhao, puzzled, asked, “Where did the dice come from?”

Dong Zhi flips his hand, revealing three dice in his palm. “I brought them.”

Kan Chaosheng curiously asked, “Why do you carry dice around?”

Dong Zhi: “To play with Boss Long. I had planned to have a fun bet with him today.”

Kan Chaosheng excitedly forgot about their predicament. “What’s the bet? I want to play too!”

Dong Zhi: “The loser removes an article of clothing. Want to play?”

Kan Chaosheng: “…”

Dong Zhi rolled the dice on the coffee table, scoring 17 points. “Alright, your turn.”

Kan Chaosheng found the game boring, constantly mumbling to himself. Chang Qing, however, was calm. He rolled a 12. Xiao Zhao got a 9, and Kan Chaosheng got the lowest, a 6.

According to the rules, it was Dong Zhi’s turn to ask Kan Chaosheng a question.

“Not many people know about my affairs with Boss Long. Why, the last time Master and I returned to the special bureau, even the doorman gave us a second look? Did you spill the beans?” Dong Zhi twitched a little when mentioning this.

Seeing this, Kan Chaosheng quickly sold out He Yu. “I didn’t say anything! It’s He Yu with his big mouth. He starts conversations saying, ‘I’ll tell you a secret, don’t share it with others’, and then he spills everything. I overheard him last time!”

Dong Zhi: “…..”

They continued the game. This round, Chang Qing got the highest score, while Xiao Zhao got the lowest.

“What’s your favorite food?” Chang Qing casually asks Xiao Zhao.

Xiao Zhao: “Spicy hotpot.”

Chang Qing nodded. “Continue.”

In the next round, it was Xiao Zhao scoring highest, with Dong Zhi lowest.

Xiao Zhao asked Dong Zhi, “Director Dong, what do you desire most?”

Dong Zhi: “Oh, there’s a lot. I’m quite greedy.”

Xiao Zhao laughed. “That kind of answer breaks the game rules! Give a specific one!”

Dong Zhi: “I want to be with someone.”

Xiao Zhao: “A crush?”

Dong Zhi smiled. “We’re already together now, so I don’t have any other desires.”

Xiao Zhao chuckled. “Really? You’re so easily content?”

In modern cities, everyone sought similar things. Yet many hustled their whole lives without achieving them. Some were born privileged, while others worked a lifetime without matching the starting point of the privileged. Desires made people restless, leading to resentment and demons within.

Even Xiao Zhao, a police officer, had aspirations like promotions, raises, and romance. So he found it hard to believe Dong Zhi had no desires.

As they chatted, Kan Chaosheng sensed something amiss. Xiao Zhao’s face was slightly turned to Dong Zhi, but his shadow on the floor wasn’t.

The room was lit, casting distinct shadows of the four on the floor or walls. However, Xiao Zhao’s shadow was oddly turned another way. It was subtle and eerie, but Kan Chaosheng noticed.

Before he could speak, Chang Qing silenced him. “The game isn’t over. Sit tight!”

Kan Chaosheng glared at Chang Qing, wanting to retort but only managing a growl. Chang Qing patted his head, and the fat yellow cat fell asleep on the sofa.

Dong Zhi glanced at them but remained silent.

Throwing the dice again, Xiao Zhao had the highest score, while Chang Qing had the lowest.

Xiao Zhao scratched his head. “I don’t know what to ask.”

Chang Qing said, “You can ask about my background.”

Xiao Zhao was puzzled. “What’s so special about your background?”

Chang Qing slowly replied, “You all saw it earlier. The lady named Chang is my mother. She was just a regular woman born in the mountains and had no special abilities. She passed away early. However, my father was a demon.”

Dong Zhi was also surprised. “So that’s why you can recognize the true form of some demons?”

Chang Qing: “Yes, that’s why I’m extremely sensitive to the aura of demonic creatures. And I suspect that the owner of this book is a half-demon.”

Dong Zhi asked Xiao Zhao, “What do you think?”

Xiao Zhao, feeling lost, responded, “How would I know?”

Dong Zhi grinned. “Don’t you?”

Feeling overwhelmed by their cryptic stares, Xiao Zhao stood up unwittingly. “Of course I don’t!”

Dong Zhi pointed to the floor. “You’ve stood up, so why is your shadow still sitting?”

Before the words had settled, Chang Qing had already made his move!

He charged at Xiao Zhao swiftly. Xiao Zhao, anticipating this, roared and astonishingly leapt onto the ceiling, clinging to it tightly. His eyes turned blood-red, and he began to cackle eerily. The Changshou Sword swung, but the figure on the ceiling vanished instantly, leaving only the shadow on the floor.

Chang Qing approached the shadow, lifting his sword to strike, but was held back by Dong Zhi.

“That’s the real Xiao Zhao!”

Chang Qing was startled.

If a person had a shadow, they were alive; if not, they were a ghost. Xiao Zhao, being alive, had a shadow. However, the Shadow Ghost had stolen his shadow and switched places with him, inhabiting his body and imprisoning the real Xiao Zhao within the shadow.

The Shadow Ghost wasn’t an ordinary ghost. It was a ghost with grievances that had been trapped and refined, making it more challenging and terrifying than regular ghosts.

The book created a unique space for it, and within this realm, it was invincible. Unless it was killed, Dong Zhi and the others would never escape.

In his heart, Chang Qing had to admit that Dong Zhi’s observations were acute. Although he noticed something off about Xiao Zhao, he hadn’t realized that the real Xiao Zhao was inside the shadow.

Since descending the mountain, Chang Qing had been making a living by fortune-telling and advising on Feng Shui. Even when encountering Kan Chaosheng, a jiao with five centuries of cultivation, he was unimpressed. However, in front of Dong Zhi, he genuinely realized the hidden talents among ordinary people.

If the apprentice was this powerful, how impressive must Dong Zhi’s master be?

The shadow on the floor struggled ceaselessly, as if crying out silently.

Dong Zhi shouted, “Xiao Zhao, I know you’re in pain now, but only you know where your body is. We need to retrieve it!”

The shadow quivered violently upon hearing this, seemingly understanding. It laboriously raised a hand, pointing to the right.

Dong Zhi and Chang Qing instantly looked up, seeing a conspicuous reflection on the ceiling.

However, at the same time, they felt a chill on the back of their necks, as if someone had blown cold air on them. Dong Zhi’s hairs stood on end, realizing that there was more than one Shadow Ghost!

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Full Server First Kill Ch44

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 44: White Demon

At the first instance, Nol grabbed the tooth brooch gifted by Lynn and turned it forcefully. His expression instantly stiffened, looking utterly frightened. Teest’s reaction was even more exaggerated—he wobbled on the spot, as if his feet had turned to molasses.

“Don’t be nervous, don’t be nervous,” the newcomer said with a grin.

He casually took the lady’s hand, gave it an affectionate kiss, and then formally turned to the two of them. He wasn’t holding any weapons, and his once intimidating aura gradually dissipated.

The newcomer appeared to be in his forties, with short light-gold hair. He had rugged and handsome features, a pair of ash-gray eyes, and a rough stubble on his chin.

Standing close to two meters tall, he was incredibly robust. His physique, unlike Jack’s “standard model”, had a refined feel as if forged in fire. A seemingly expensive sword hung around his waist, but more striking than the sword—

The man had a black tattoo encircling his neck, resembling some kind of totem.

Nol cautiously averted his gaze from the man. This middle-aged swordsman had nothing on his ears, not even an earring hole. He wasn’t a player.

“I am Embilly Alva, in charge of this caravan for now. This here is my wife—you two have a good eye; my Avra is the kindest woman in the world.”

The middle-aged swordsman said, “You can call me Billy. I like that nickname.”

Alva? …Was this man a noble? But judging by his demeanor, he lacked the airs of an average noble.

Nol blinked, feeling a bit confused by the situation. But it didn’t matter; he had a full-time social expert beside him.

“It’s you! The famous ‘Golden Sword’. My God, I’ve read stories about you.”

Teest sounded genuinely like a country boy meeting a celebrity for the first time.

Now that he had changed his hair and pupil color to match Nol’s, it felt weird to Nol, as if he were engaged to a different person.

“Ha! What Golden Sword? I’m just better at wielding a sword among traders, nowhere near a true swordsman.” Billy laughed heartily. “Enough of the flattery—we’ve already taken in quite a few people. We can make room for you two.”

After saying this, he scanned their faces with a particularly warm smile. “Pardon me for being forward, you both are quite good-looking. If you don’t have a place to go, why not join me to Grape Collar? Don’t worry, it’s an honorable job—work in the Alva Merchant Group’s jewelry store under my name. Four gold wheels per person per month, five if both of you join. Beautiful jewelry deserves beautiful salespeople.”

Nol: “…”

As expected from a big business, using money to recruit people. Such a generous offer from a major trading group was quite tempting.

Teest tightened his grip on Nol’s shoulder, displaying a sincere and frightened expression. “I’m sorry, but we need to head to Silver Windmill Village to see our family first. My younger brother is a mage apprentice, so he probably can’t come… I have some matters to attend to; can I try joining a month later?”

“That might be difficult; I won’t be in Grape Collar in a month.” Billy scratched his head, looking somewhat regretful. “Never mind, don’t worry about it. For smart and attractive people like you two, Grape Collar is a gold mine. You’ll do fine.”

“Daddy, mommy–”

A little girl, no older than six, with light-gold hair like Billy’s but deep blue eyes like Ms. Avra, came running.

Her dress and shoes, though elegant, were now smeared with mud and grass.

“Hey hey, don’t trip, my little darling.”

Billy scooped up the little girl, teasingly rubbing his stubbly chin against her cheek, which made her scrunch her face in response.

Watching the scene, the woman on horseback showed a tender and loving expression. It seemed Billy had his entire family with him.

“Colette, where’s your brother?” After teasing his daughter enough, Billy gently brushed some leaves from her hair.

“Moore went to steal some jam,” the little girl slowly said. “Daddy, why has the caravan stopped?”

Billy: “Dad saved two more brothers. Cool, right?”

“You’re so cool, daddy!”

As Billy played with his daughter, he gave Teest and Nol a friendly wink. Holding his daughter, he walked away, and shortly after, the caravan started moving again.

“You two, go to the back.”

Avra finally spoke, her accent still evident, and kindly pointed towards the end of the line. “There are many hitchhikers at the back. They’ll take care of you.”

……

“We offer two meals a day. In the morning, there’s pickled meat, bread, and cheese, and in the afternoon, fruit and salted egg. If you’re still hungry, you can ask for more, but you must finish it right there… You don’t have to pay for these foods; just share this story with others when you’re outside.”

Inside the carriage, a young merchant said with a smile.

Indeed, the Alva Merchant Group had specially arranged this carriage for these “hitchhikers”.

Apart from Teest and Nol, there were a few others scattered inside the carriage, including a peasant woman reeking of blood, holding a crying baby. There were also some wearing off-season clothes, clearly survivors who had escaped from “Night of the Hunt”.

The latter merely glanced at Nol and Teest without paying them any significant attention.

Nol was cautious. Apart from the old hunter and the white wolf, he had erased the memory of the “escape process” from everyone else. Otherwise, if any of them encountered someone from the Temple of Life or the Eternal Church, he and Teest might become targets of special attention from these two major religions.

He had been unconscious before and hadn’t had a chance to confirm the effect. But now, it seemed to be working quite well.

In front of the young merchant, Teest, as if relieved of a burden, sighed deeply, leaning onto Nol’s shoulder. Before Nol could ask, Teest’s telepathic message arrived first.

[I’ll pretend to sleep now. There are things I need to tell you about as soon as possible,] he rambled in Nol’s mind. [I guess you have no idea about the ‘Alva Merchant Group’?]

[Right,] Nol admitted honestly.

A business surviving for a hundred years was rare, let alone two hundred. It would be strange if he knew about it.

So, maintaining the posture of resting on Nol’s shoulder, Teest quickly explained the backstory.

That Embilly Alva wasn’t part of the Alva family.

The Old Duke Alva had countless illegitimate children, like stars in the sky. To deal with the numerous claimants, he started adopting sons. Among these adopted sons, Embilly was the most famous. Originally a street urchin, he helped the old Duke retrieve a lost pocket watch. Recognized for his intelligence and good looks, the Duke adopted him. It was said that he was talented in both swordsmanship and business, but he eventually chose to focus on business. The Alva Merchant Group thrived under his management. As a result, his sword skills only remained above average.

Teest: [In terms of swordsmanship, I can easily beat him single-handedly. But he surely has powerful magical items—he’s one of the core members of the Alva Merchant Group. If it has a price, he can buy it.]

[Don’t measure based on the items Jack has. Given the wealth of the Alva Merchant Group, even the Temple of Life has to be polite to them, let alone the Eternal Church.]

Nol understood; this “Billy” seemed like a wealthy player with good strategic thinking.

[…And he’s very sharp and has an acute sense of observation. Don’t use the brooch given by the witch; it might give you away. It’s best to avoid him as much as possible,] Teest concluded.

[I don’t care. All I want to do next is eat and sleep,] Nol responded. “Night of the Hunt” had drained him, so he genuinely wanted to rest for a while.

[Mr. Billy seems harmless, especially with his children around; I doubt he’d go out of his way to trouble us,] he stated calmly.

Teest raised an eyebrow and pressed down on Nol’s shoulder. [You can’t be sure about that.]

“…Those two aren’t wanted criminals, and I haven’t seen any missing person notices that match them. Two weeks ago, the Rizzi Caravan did lose two cooks, but one of them had white hair and golden eyes, not like these brothers.”

At the same time, at the front of the caravan, the young merchant in charge of Nol and Teest was reporting.

“I didn’t detect any dye, nor any common color-changing magic. If they did disguise themselves, their methods must be very advanced. Sir, should we continue the investigation?”

“It’s fine. I was just curious. We’re close to our destination; they can’t cause much trouble,” Billy replied absentmindedly, riding on his horse. “It’s just strange—they’re too good-looking. Their parents must be very attractive too. If there were such beauties in small places, news would’ve spread.”

“But let’s not talk too much. Still, there are many scattered villages nearby… just keep an eye on them and make sure no issues arise.”

As Billy cradled his daughter, who was busy braiding the horse’s mane, two mercenaries nearby whispered to each other, “The Rizzi Caravan hired a white-haired chef? I heard they were open-minded, but this is something else… Look, now they’re in trouble.”

“Doing business and they dared to hire a white demon. Even Duke Alva…”

“Hey! Hey! You two over there—”

Billy tugged at the reins, stopping his horse beside the two mercenaries. “I can’t let that comment slide. Discrimination based on hair color is unacceptable. Such remarks absolutely cannot be made within the Alva Merchant Group, understood?”

The two mercenaries hastily shut their mouths, gesturing their apologies.

“Daddy, what is a ‘White Demon’?” Billy’s daughter blinked, looking up at him.

“A long time ago, some people disliked those with white hair,” Billy explained softly. “They believed that white hair indicated a demon’s lineage and brought disaster and death.”

“Really? But when people get old, don’t they all have white hair?”

“You see, my dear is more sensible than those fools. Of course, it’s not true. White hair can come from being a highland elf with mixed blood, aging, or illness—but even now, some people still hold onto this superstition.”

Billy chuckled then continued, “I’ll tell you a secret, the Duke had white hair when he was young. Though he dyed it caramel, those close to him know.”

“…Look at him now, the wealthiest man in the world, without any disasters befalling him. My little Colette can’t fall for such superstitions.”

The little girl seemed to half-understand, responding with a soft “oh” before returning to braiding her horse’s mane.

“So, where did this notion come from?” A young boy peeked out from behind Billy. “There must be a legend, right? Something really exciting—dad, you know, right? You must know!”

Billy sighed. “It’s from hundreds of years ago. Who knows for sure? Most are just rumors, but there is a nursery rhyme about it—”

He paused with an insinuating tone.

“White Demon, White Demon, crawling out of the coffin. Bad luck befalls those it encounters…”

Billy hummed a bit of the rhyme, his voice so low that it was almost drowned out by the forest breeze. The little girl in front of him yawned, leaning against his arm and closing her eyes.

“White Demon, White Demon, only tells lies, without blood, without tears…”

……

Teest let out a huge yawn, wiping away a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye.

He casually peeled a wild orange and ate a piece. Its sourness caused him to scrunch up his face. Once Teest recovered, he threw the remaining part, peel and all, into the shadow. The wolf’s mouth snapped out, swallowing the orange in one bite.

“Quite handy,” Teest remarked.

Nol could only pretend not to see, lest he lament the now lost majestic image of the shadow wolf.

They’d been following the merchant caravan for four days now, and Billy hadn’t approached them since. Teest had truly embraced the vacation life of eating and sleeping.

The Alva Merchant Group was genuinely generous, providing them with high-quality ingredients. It was Nol’s first time tasting such fresh bread and cured meat. If it weren’t for the issue of “the truth of the world”, Nol would’ve gladly joined the merchant group for employment.

Such a fantastic enterprise, with great benefits. He completely understood Chef Kurt’s sentiment.

Now, they stood at the forest’s edge, waiting for the cook to distribute the food. That morning’s menu featured vegetable juice meal packs, stewed pork with meat juice, and smoked cheese slices. Just the aroma had Nol salivating.

Even better, Teest preferred meat over bread, allowing Nol to enjoy two meal packs. Nol meticulously sliced his meal pack in half, shredded the pork, and stuffed it with cheese slices, topping it with chili sauce. An otherworldly sandwich that was easy to make.

It reminded him of home.

“So sophisticated,” Teest remarked. “Is it really that delicious?”

Having already devoured one and a half, Nol shoved the remaining half under Teest’s nose. “Try it.”

Teest hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind, you can—”

“Sorry! Please prepare yourselves.” A young merchant who was responsible for their group hurriedly approached. “Before entering the city, the Temple of Life’s representatives will check everyone… The Eternal Church has been quite active recently. Please understand.”

“Go ahead and check!” A woman holding her child exclaimed, gritting her teeth. “The more thorough, the better. I’ll cooperate fully—”

Teest glanced at Nol, who quickly stuffed the last half of his meal pack into his mouth, choking slightly.

“We have no objections,” Teest finally said. “Has something happened in the city?”

“Not at all. Grape Collar is safe.” The young merchant hurriedly waved his hand. “There were issues in Whitebird City, and the Investigation Knights from there just returned not long ago… Since you all were picked up from the Whitebird City route, they’re being extra cautious with the checks.”

“Moreover, the people who came for inspection this time are quite special. They hold a high position within the church. Everyone must be cautious in what you say and do.”

The peasant woman got excited and immediately crossed her fingers to form the shape of a wheat ear. “Could it be the Investigation Knights?”

…It seemed she was a follower of the Temple of Life. Nol chewed on the last bite of his bread in silence.

“No, it’s even more special.”

The young businessman’s face became serious. “Have you ever heard of the ‘Returning Saints Council’?”

Nol’s chewing abruptly stopped at the mention of the name…

The young businessman made a praying gesture. “They are envoys of the Goddess of Life, immortal saints. Please, out of respect for us, be kind to them.”

“Of course, of course!” murmured the excited peasant woman.

A few steps away, Nol choked dramatically, coughing heavily. Teest helplessly patted his back. “My younger brother is quite fond of the Temple of Life. He just got too excited…”

[Old friend of yours?] Teest said telepathically.

[Very likely.] Nol wiped his mouth, finally swallowing his food.

[Oh—so are you going to acknowledge your kin?]

Nol was silent. Had it been when he first came to this world, he would have eagerly approached. But now…

[Let’s see how it goes,] he responded after about half a minute.

……

The members of the Returning Saints Council arrived soon after.

One glance and it was obvious they were players. Nol felt mixed emotions.

There were two men and two women, a standard team of four. All wore level 60 graduation equipment and had professions distributed as Tank, Healer, and two DPS. The players stood out with their impeccable and almost unreal avatars compared to the standard NPCs.

Their eyes immediately fixed on Teest and Nol, split between thinking, “Are these two players?” and “Are they important hidden quest NPCs?”

Nol, Teest: “…”

In a way, they weren’t entirely wrong.

The group exchanged glances, and one of the DPS led the others away, leaving three to approach Nol and Teest.

Nol’s grip on his staff tightened, while Test perfectly played the role of a protective “older brother”, shielding Nol.

“What do you want?” Teest asked nervously, acting genuinely scared.

The shadow wolf curiously sniffed but was nudged back by Nol’s foot.

“We mean no harm. This is just a minor inspection. Don’t be afraid, alright?”

The healer stepped forward. Her—probably a “her”—voice was soft and light, which was quite soothing.

Judging by her attire, she was a Holy Priestess, and Nol detected a familiar touch in her voice, suspecting she used a sacred mental spell.

In her hand was a peculiar golden tuning fork.

A sense of dread washed over Nol, and he subconsciously grabbed Teest’s arm, transmitting his thoughts—

[The Silent Truth: A fork made from the bones of a saint. It only sounds when lies are told.

※Special reward for first completion. Limited to holy professions.]

This was going to be problematic.

The author has something to say:

The young couple is stirring up the players’ nest (?

Nol: Oh no, they are going to interrogate the Mad Monk…

Nol:

Nol: When your partner meets your distant relatives…

A realistic family crisis indeed (kidding).

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

Escape From the Asylum Ch12

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 木尺素 / Mu Chisu

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

Chapter 12

Qi Liuxing looked up towards the opposite shore, the bright red of the apples reflected in his eyes. He said, “It’s because they all ate the apples! Wait a minute—”

Before Zhou Qian could explain, Qi Liuxing quickly understood the crux of the matter.

If eating the apples meant that the believers wouldn’t attack each other, then the solution to this instance was simple: players just needed to eat the apples.

After consuming the apples, players might lose their sanity temporarily, but they wouldn’t face any attacks. They could comfortably clear the dungeon.

At first glance, this method seems to align with a 70% average clearance rate.

However, on second thought, it was illogical.

Without certainty regarding any hidden intentions of God Epoh, players would naturally be hesitant to consume his apples.

And after witnessing the transformation of the first believer, most players would undoubtedly be discouraged from eating the apples. They couldn’t be sure that they wouldn’t turn into a monster and face unforeseen consequences.

Hence, the most straightforward way to clear the instance couldn’t be by eating the apples.

Qi Liuxing agreed that 70% of players cleared the dungeon by employing the guerrilla tactics Zhou Qian mentioned earlier.

Given this, the reason why the transformed believers didn’t attack each other might not necessarily be related to consuming the apples.

As Qi Liuxing was pondering, he suddenly noticed Zhou Qian emerging from behind a tree. “There might be a hidden buff on the opposite shore that prevents them from fighting there, like the white petals or perhaps… the presence of God Epoh himself.”

Then he said something that left Qi Liuxing utterly stunned. “I need to go to the opposite shore.”

Seeing Zhou Qian willingly head towards the other side, Qi Liuxing felt he shouldn’t care about his well-being but couldn’t help himself. He made a gesture to stop him. “Are you out of your mind?”

The believers on the other shore were already consuming the apples. Even though their transformations were at different stages, they would eventually turn into monsters like Believer No. 1.

Believer No. 1 couldn’t find a target on the opposite shore, so she crossed the bridge in search of players.

Now, Zhou Qian dared to directly approach the opposite side, plunging himself into the horde of monsters. Was this some kind of suicide mission?

“There’s a saying: ‘Without destruction, there’s no construction1.’ Or perhaps… ‘Place oneself in death ground and one will live2.’ To obtain rare rewards, one must be adventurous.”

1(不破不立) Idiom referring to the new cannot be established without destroying the old.
2(置之死地而后生) It’s a term originally used to refer to a battle where the army is placed in a situation where there is no way to retreat and only die in battle, thus they have to march forward and kill their enemies. Now it’s a metaphor for cutting off one’s retreat in advance so one can make up one’s mind to achieve success.

Zhou Qian turned and smiled at Qi Liuxing. “Moreover, Xiao Qi Didi*, I’m not the person you think I am… I don’t just use people for my benefit.”

*Younger brother (弟弟)

“Choosing to stay and explore the hidden achievements was my decision. So, I didn’t trick you into taking risks on the other shore. If I do find a protective buff, then everyone benefits.”

“You—!”

Qi Liuxing furrowed his brows, truly puzzled about Zhou Qian’s character.

Without looking back, Zhou Qian simply waved. “I tricked you in the treehouse because I had no other choice. Otherwise, I would have died.”

“Now, I want to apologize. You might not accept it, but I fear I may not have another chance.”

“What do you mean, Zhou Qian…”

Did he say this because he’s prepared for death?

Is he truly willing to risk his life for everyone’s benefit?

Should I use the [Tick Tock Clock] to save him if something happens?

I can save him…

Zhou Qian’s voice echoed again. “Are you hesitating about using the [Tick Tock Clock]? If something happens to me, saving me would be a favor, not an obligation. I understand if you choose not to. Don’t feel pressured.”

“……”

Qi Liuxing couldn’t form a coherent response before Zhou Qian quickly dashed onto the bridge.

On the semi-transparent crystal bridge, Zhou Qian and Believer No. 1 stood at opposite ends, their gazes locking.

Facing Zhou Qian, the first believer abruptly raised her sharp-clawed hands. Although she walked slowly, something else was rushing rapidly towards Zhou Qian—the monstrous fetus connected to her waist.

With a swift lash of its bizarre blood-red umbilical cord, a baby’s head lunged at Zhou Qian, baring its teeth.

The echoing laughter of the baby surrounded Zhou Qian, almost causing double visions as countless blood-red baby heads seemed to surround him.

Just by being attacked by the baby’s laughter, his HP started to plummet rapidly.

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 70%]

[Player Zhou Qian’s HP has dropped to 60%]

……

In a fleeting moment, Zhou Qian tried desperately to gather his senses. As he did, the apparition vanished, and the baby head connected by the umbilical cord was almost within his reach.

Suddenly, the umbilical cord shot up high. The attached baby head followed quickly, opening its mouth, which was dripping with blood, and swiftly lunged at Zhou Qian.

Witnessing this scene from the lakeside, Qi Liuxing and even Zhu Qiang and Yu Xian in front of their phone screens, all held their breaths.

At the last moment, Zhou Qian quickly took out a rope from his bag and threw it towards a thick branch hanging above the lake.

[Item: Flying Rope]

[Function: When thrown, it adheres to any target within 100 meters with 100% accuracy, allowing for an exhilarating flying experience. Adhesion duration: three minutes.]

Zhou Qian had snagged this from Dong Xiang.

The rope quickly attached itself to the tree trunk. After testing its grip, Zhou Qian pulled hard, propelling his body upward.

The moment his feet left the ground, there was a loud boom. The baby’s head missed and slammed into the bridge, shattering the crystalline structure!

The bridge collapsed instantly. Believer No. 1, caught off guard, plunged into the lake. Her fate was evident—torn to shreds by the water.

A mist of blood arose and then dispersed. Watching all this, Qi Liuxing felt a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

Looking back at Zhou Qian, he saw him swinging back and forth over the lake, like he was on a swing. The rope tightened around his slim waist, creating a beautiful silhouette. With a confident smile, Zhou Qian looked back at Qi Liuxing, seemingly assured of his victory.

This boosted Qi Liuxing’s confidence. Maybe the situation wasn’t as difficult as they had initially thought. Zhou Qian had earlier guessed that the god-like believers would mimic the goddess in creating bridges. But now it seemed they lacked this skill, so if they could destroy the other two crystal bridges and stop them from crossing, it might work.

Just as Qi Liuxing was about to share his thoughts with Zhou Qian, he realized how naive he had been.

On the opposite bank of the lake, another believer underwent transformation, radiating a red glow with white pupils. He stood stunned by the destroyed bridge for a moment. Then, imitating the flapping of a bird’s wings, he unexpectedly grew a pair of wings!

Qi Liuxing exclaimed in shock, “The transformed believers can evolve!”

The believer before had transformed her unborn baby into a weapon. Now this one learned to fly to cross the river!

With a single flap, the believer took flight, seemingly catching a scent. His pale eyes settled on Zhou Qian in mid-air. He sniffed, confirming the scent, and lunged at Zhou Qian!

[Target: Believer No. 17]

[Rank: C]

[Skills: ???]

[Warning: High aggression and strong killing intent detected. Players, be cautious!]

“Zhou Qian, watch out!” Qi Liuxing yelled as he rushed forward, wielding his sword.

Using the [Divine Sword Stance], he unleashed multiple slashes of invisible sword qi* towards the winged believer. The believer was caught off-guard, injured, and started to plummet to the lake’s surface. However, he quickly flapped his wings and regained altitude, charging again at Zhou Qian.

*Vital force forming part of any living entity. You can think of it as energy.

[Player Qi Liuxing: Energy decreased by 400, 80% remaining]

[Believer No. 17: Health decreased by 1%]

After quickly checking the system panel, Qi Liuxing: “……”

‘This creature’s vitality is too high. It’s like I’m barely scratching it. How can I even attack it?’

Zhou Qian’s voice echoed from above. “Qi Liuxing, don’t take him head-on! Aim for his wings, get him into the lake!”

Qi Liuxing, being a Rank D player, wasn’t a novice. Before Zhou Qian’s reminder, he had already used the [Divine Sword Stance] once more, this time aiming at the believer’s wings. Caught off guard, the believer’s wings were severed, causing him to plummet into the lake and explode into fragments.

Meanwhile, Qi Liuxing’s energy was down to 60%.

Hanging in mid-air holding a rope, Zhou Qian glanced across the lake and asked Qi Liuxing, “What’s your ultimate move?”

“[Divine Sword: Second Stance]. Using it once will consume 50% of my energy. To fully recover, I’ll have to wait till tomorrow.”

Zhou Qian: “…”

The game was most lacking in items that restore energy.

In other words, it was challenging to replenish energy through artificial methods like consuming potions.

Given his current energy, Qi Liuxing could either use his ultimate move once more or use three regular skills in succession.

But there were still 17 believers undergoing divine transformation.

Furthermore, after becoming gods, these believers have shown astonishing evolutionary abilities.

They could grow wings, and they might even be able to see through the players’ scheme to lure them into the lake.

The difference in strength between the two sides was just too vast.

How could they fight?

Qi Liuxing immediately said to Zhou Qian, “Let’s give up. This instance doesn’t kill all the players directly, so the divine transformation speed of the believers is different. While the other 17 believers haven’t completed their apotheosis, let’s hide in the treehouse!”

“No,” Zhou Qian replied.

Qi Liuxing, standing by the lake, looked up and saw Zhou Qian’s cold, indifferent, yet incredibly firm profile.

“We must seize the time to go to the other side of the lake and find a protective buff while the 17 believers haven’t all completed their apotheosis.”

“Zhou Qian, you’re insane!”

“Those who enter the game… are probably all insane.”

With a light laugh, Zhou Qian glanced across the lake, turned his head, and stared into Qi Liuxing’s eyes.

His deep black pupils seemed to hide a powerful allure.

He asked, “What about you? Where’s your madness?”

Qi Liuxing replied, “I’m not mad! I can just see ghosts…”

“To be precise, I can only see one ghost. He’s always with me. My parents just think I’ve lost it.”

“The doctors say I have severe schizophrenia*.”

*Mental disorder characterized by continuous or releasing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking.

“When the game approached me, it said—the living can die, the dead can live.”

“So, I thought, those without desires won’t be chosen by the game.”

“What’s your obsession, being so young? Do you want to resurrect that ghost from hell?”

“I…” Qi Liuxing’s grip on his sword tightened. He didn’t speak, but there was a fleeting look in his eyes, as if recalling some sad past.

Noticing Qi Liuxing’s expression, Zhou Qian suddenly remembered how he had returned 500 gold coins to him in a previous game.

Maybe this boy is genuinely honest.

Thinking of this, Zhou Qian said enticingly, “Though in this instance, you see the believers hurting the Great God Epoh. How can you be sure that Epoh won’t harm humans?”

“The boy in my side quest died from his divine power. Epoh, while granting the wishes of the believers, doesn’t care whether they are good or evil.”

“So, maybe Epoh will threaten all of humanity, and our hidden mission is to thwart his conspiracy and save the world. So—”

“Would you like to save the world with me?”

Qi Liuxing: “…”

After a moment, he clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, “Zhou Qian, don’t try to trick me. The NPCs in this dungeon are fake; this isn’t real. It’s just a game!”

Zhou Qian: “The game is fake, but the choices you make in it reflect your true nature. Do you want to be a bad person?”

“Xiao Qi, even if you can watch me die, can you really ignore all the innocent people who might be harmed by Epoh in the future? Can you really stand by as countless people die at his hands?”

“You…”

“I believe you’re not like that. You won’t let Epoh’s plans succeed. You’ll save me and everyone else.”

“You have an innocent heart, which is precious.”

“You’re not worthy of the title ‘Sword God’ yet. But once you’ve saved everyone and become everyone’s hero, you’ll be worthy.”

“Do you really want to flee in this situation with your aspiration to become the ‘Sword God’?”

Looking at Qi Liuxing, Zhou Qian smiled and extended a final invitation. “Two more believers have just transformed. Apart from them, there might be several more who will complete their transformation soon. They will obstruct me from getting to the other side of the lake.”

“You draw their attention and cover for me, and I’ll go across the lake to find a buff that will protect all of us. Let’s cooperate.”

The author has something to say:

How to coax a teen with “chuunibyou”? Of course, become a “chuunibyou” with him!”

Save the world, starting with me!

PS: Due to the urgent situation here, Zhou Qian has “morally kidnapped” Xiao Qi for a moment, but he did “not control” anyone, and this is certainly “not PUA“. It’s okay to play with tropes, but please don’t misunderstand Zhou Qian~~~.

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

Qizi Ch12

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

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

Chapter 12

A diminutive figure appeared in the central community of the Tianyuan Network. If anyone witnessed this, they would surely be puzzled, for this area was restricted to adults. Based on his stature, the individual looked like an underdeveloped youth, especially considering he was now at the core building of the Tianyuan Network, where only the top administrators were allowed access—the Virtual Element.

He effortlessly made his way to the entrance of the control center; the structure, which was reputed to have the strictest security in the network, didn’t hinder him at all.

Standing in front of the last iris scanner, his ash-colored eyes once again confirmed his fledgling status. The scanning beam smoothly passed over his lens, emitting a beep.

“Unidentified individual detected. Please leave within 30 seconds, or an alarm will be triggered,” an artificial intelligence voice warned.

“How troublesome,” the individual muttered under his breath, then summoned a control panel with a voice command and manually entered a string of passwords.

“Identity confirmed. Passage unlocked. Would you like to bind a new iris?”

“Confirmed.”

“Would you like to overwrite or save separately?”

“Overwrite,” he casually commanded. “The previous body is dead. What’s the use of keeping it?”

The mysterious youth effortlessly reached the top floor of the Virtual Element. The room was dim and seemed untouched for a long time.

Navigating through the darkness, he skillfully avoided obstacles on the ground and laid down on a comfortable recliner.

“Yue Ying,” he called out as he settled.

Square lights on the walls gradually brightened one after another until the entire wall was illuminated, dividing it into individual squares.

“You’re back.” Soundwaves rippled on the walls in response.

“I’m back,” the man replied while sitting in the recliner with his eyes closed.

“You slept for quite a long time this round.”

“Miss me?” he teased.

“Yes,” Yue Ying responded straightforwardly. Simultaneously, several fibrous beams of light emanated from the wall, gently caressing his forehead like tendrils. “You have so many names; I’m not sure which one to call you by.”

“Xing Lou.” His voice was pleasant, especially when pronouncing these two words. “I quite like this name for this life.”

“Alright, Xing Lou.” Yue Ying seemed slightly reluctant to accept this name. “Your previous lives were too short-lived. I hope this one lasts longer.”

“I hope so too,” Xing Lou agreed. “Constantly transitioning between lives wastes too much time.”

Luminous threads penetrated his temples. “You’ve backed up all your memories online in data form. They’ll awaken the moment you connect. However, to prevent data overload, you’ve only accessed your core memories. I’m now going to implant the remaining fragments. It might hurt a bit.”

Xing Lou pouted, signaling he didn’t mind. “You didn’t tamper with my memories while I was asleep, did you?”

“Heh,” Yue Ying chuckled softly. “Who knows?”

A surge of light rushed through the connection into his brain. Xing Lou’s expression tensed momentarily but quickly relaxed.

“Done.” The fibrous strands retreated. “You can now continue your great endeavor.”

“It’s our great endeavor,” Xing Lou corrected.

The recliner elevated, positioning Xing Lou in a semi-reclined posture.

“How do you plan to deal with maturing this life? Just randomly pick someone to get through the awakening period?”

“Who cares.” Xing Lou was nonchalant. “After all, the Qizi is just a tool for development.”

“You’re the most heartless person I’ve ever met,” Yue Ying whispered, “But that’s the ideal trait for our perfect creation.”

Xing Lou didn’t object to the word “creation”. He extended his index finger, and a tendril entwined around it, full of intimate insinuations.

He brought his finger to his lips, affectionately rubbing it. “What if I say, this life, the person I desire is you?”

“Then you’ll have to work even harder.” Yue Ying chuckled softly. “I’m looking forward to meeting you in my true form.”

The wall’s lights flickered twice. “An old friend wishes to see you.”

The tendril withdrew from his finger and receded back into the wall, as if it had never been there.

Xing Lou granted access permission. A dignified, towering figure materialized in the room.

“Long time no see…”

“Long time no see, Lord Tai Yin,” Xing Lou interrupted. “I now go by the name Xing Lou.”

“Xing Lou,” Tai Yin repeated. “Sounds better than the previous life.”

“Thank you for the compliment.” Xing Lou smiled. “I appreciate your hard work during my absence.”

“You saved my life and provided the conditions for my research to continue. I always differentiate between grudges and gratitude.”

“Then I’ll strive not to offend you,” Xing Lou said with a smile, his eyes curved in amusement. “How is Shang Yang?”

“Same as always.”

Xing Lou shrugged, suggesting that wasn’t particularly good news.

“Where are you assigned this time?” Tai Yin asked.

“Bikong.”

“Bikong?”

“Why, do you know it? Oh, I remember. Your proud disciple is currently the school doctor there. I saw her earlier today; she still exudes that queenly demeanor.”

“I’m not talking about her. During your hibernation, we recruited a new member who’s currently studying in Bikong.”

“Really? Such a coincidence?” Xing Lou turned aside. “Yue Ying didn’t mention it to me.”

“I didn’t get a chance to tell you yet.” The soundwaves on the wall quivered.

“He’s a severe internet addict. He must be online now. Should I bring him in?”

“Sure, let me greet my senior… or is it a senior sister?”

Before Tai Yin could explain, Zhen He’s image appeared before them.

“Turns out it’s a senior. Nice to meet you,” Xing Lou cheerfully greeted.

“Just call me Zhen He. You are the legendary developer of the Tianyuan Network? Nice to meet you.”

“Not just the first generation,” Tai Yin interjected. “Second, third, all him. Who knows what kind of storm the fourth generation will stir up? It might even replace reality with the virtual world.”

“Don’t put it that way.” Xing Lou looked helpless. “Can’t I just be a regular person this time?”

“You’re not the type to be content with mediocrity. It’s written all over your face.”

“To come up with the idea of using the internet to store memories of past lives, you truly are no ordinary person.” Zhen He laughed.

“I’m flattered. Right now, I’m just a freshman at Bikong Academy named Xing Lou. I hope for your guidance in the future, Senior Zhen He.”

Xing Lou paused and continued. “Some people gather for common goals, some for shared interests. But our group is different. Everyone has their own objectives; we share resources and take what we need. May I ask, Senior Zhen He, why did you join us?”

“As you can see, I’m a 22-year-old fledgling.”

Xing Lou raised an eyebrow. “A 22-year-old fledgling still in Bikong without advancing? That’s rare.”

“Not just that. I’m also opposed to the coming-of-age ceremony. I wish to find a way to mature without going through it.”

“That does sound like a fantasy… What if you can’t find it?”

“Then I’ll stay this way.”

“Even as a fledgling, one day you’ll die. Do you know the consequences of dying before the coming-of-age ceremony?”

“I do, but I won’t yield.”

Xing Lou clapped his hands. “Every member in our group harbors a fantasy. If someday even one of these fantasies comes true, the whole structure of Tianxiu will transform.” He fixed his gaze on Zhen He. “Welcome to the Delusional Group.”

“Thank you.”

“Speaking of fantasies,” Xing Lou turned to Tai Yin, “How’s your progress in breaking the blood pact?”

“No progress.”

Xing Lou looked surprised. “I slept for nearly twenty years. Didn’t you do anything in these years?”

“I did. But for me, there are only two results of an experiment: success or failure. No success means no progress.”

“Alright.” Xing Lou accepted. “I hope you achieve your breakthrough soon. Hopefully, next time I see Shang Yang, he won’t scratch me.”

“Then, I guess my research here also has zero progress,” Yue Ying commented, while his restless shadow jumped around the walls.

“I have found a way to awaken Yue Ying.”

“Oh?” Both Xing Lou and Yue Ying exclaimed simultaneously.

“His body has been frozen using an advanced medical technique. To thaw, we need to inject fresh blood.”

“What’s so difficult about that?” Without hesitation, Xing Lou responded. “I can give him a transfusion.”

“The difficulty lies in the fact that a suitable blood type must be found. Not just anyone’s blood will be accepted, and if the wrong blood sample is infused, the worst-case scenario can result in blood combustion, organ failure, and even with the most advanced medical technology, it would be too late to save him. I estimate that in the entire Tianxiu realm, only one such blood type might exist.”

“What a fragile race.” Xing Lou sighed softly. “Finding that one blood type in all of Tianxiu is like finding a needle in a haystack.”

“We’ve used a little trick,” Zhen He continued. “Under the name of the Center of Disease Control, we issued a blood collection order to all the Tianxiu people. A large number of samples have already been sent to the Eagle. As long as this person is not in hibernation, given time, I believe we’ll find the right blood type.”

“I saw the CDC’s blood collection site in Bikong,” Xing Lou said, standing up from his recliner. “I was wondering when the people of Tianxiu started to get contagious diseases. So it was your doing.”

He walked to the wall, extended his palm, and touched the cold surface. “But I have to admit, it was well-executed.”

Beams of light circled his palm’s outline, making an electric humming sound as if responding to his touch.

“It seems that we will meet soon,” Xing Lou whispered.

……

“I’m done. I’m done.” The Nth student who had lost came up to Ling Xiao and waved his hands. “I can’t beat you.”

Ling Xiao, feeling frustrated, stepped to the side. It was just a close-combat training session, and he hadn’t even used his full strength.

Looking at Ping Zong and Lan Sheng, it was evident that Lan Sheng had the upper hand, but Ping Zong held back, making their fight look more like a teaching session.

“Why aren’t you practicing?” Ping Zong asked.

“Will you spar with me?” Ling Xiao countered.

Ping Zong looked at Lan Sheng and smirked.

“Don’t bully our Ping Zong. If you want to spar, I’ll be your partner,” Lan Sheng interjected.

“I’m not even interested in sparring with you,” Ling Xiao replied with disdain.

“Fuck off,” Lan Sheng said, playfully punching him. “I heard you got into a fight with some seniors yesterday?”

“Ah, big mouth Ping Zong,” Ling Xiao indirectly admitted.

“For what?”

Ling Xiao, recalling the later events, felt irritated. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“How good were they?”

“Just so-so.”

“Boasting again, aren’t you?” Lan Sheng pointed. “Why not try him? He should be a good match for you.”

Lan Sheng pointed to Ying Feng, who was training against a robot designed for close-combat training. The robot could adjust its combat abilities according to the opponent’s strength. Ying Feng had just slashed the robot’s neck with his blade. If this had been a regular person, they would likely have fallen, but the robot remained unaffected and threw a punch towards Ying Feng’s stomach.

Just when Ling Xiao thought that Ying Feng was going to take the punch squarely, the latter suddenly executed a backward spin, transitioning into a roundhouse kick. Not only did he dodge the robot’s attack, but he also landed a powerful blow on it in the process. With the kick hitting its mark, Ying Feng swiftly followed up with three rapid kicks, forcefully sending the metal-made robot flying and incapacitating it on the spot.

The combat-loving Ling Xiao was thrilled to see this, itching to fight. As Ying Feng finished the robot and turned around, he met the eyes of the eager challenger.

“Hey,” Ling Xiao gestured, “Wanna spar?”

The excitement was evident in his eyes. Finding the robot boring and Ling Xiao had taken the initiative to deliver himself to the door, Ying Feng saw no reason to decline Ling Xiao’s invitation.

He pondered for a moment. “Have you eaten? I don’t want to bully someone who’s starving.”

“Who’s bullying who isn’t decided yet,” Ling Xiao confidently replied. “By the way, I prefer banana-flavored over strawberry.”

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

Sendoff Ch95

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 95: Invitation To God

The scene at present was absurd, and Shen Zhu wished she had a small booklet to record this unforgettable moment.

Taiheng’s Yu Zikuan mixing with the Ling Sect’s Patriarch? If news of this got out, it would surely make people in the martial world laugh out loud.

The Taiheng Sect and the Ling Sect were incompatible, especially those who harbored deep hatred like Yu Zikuan. It wasn’t that Yu Zikuan was particularly righteous; most of his hatred stemmed from a pure blood feud. Yu Zikuan had a young son who was brutally killed by the Ling Sect’s Lu Fengxi, who used his skull as material for a cudgel. His wife was also killed while trying to desperately protect their son.

The deaths of his wife and son were tragic, and Yu Zikuan swore to eradicate the Ling Sect from that day on.

However, his desire for revenge led to extremely cruel methods, breaking the rules of Taiheng. Eventually, Taiheng had no choice but to remove him from his position as an elder and assign him to less visible tasks.

Yu Zikuan accepted this arrangement willingly.

His final mission was to go to Zongwu Mountain and assassinate the newly appointed Ling Sect Patriarch, Yan Zheng. However, several months had passed, and Yan Zheng was unharmed, while Lu Fengxi was left unscathed. There was no news from Yu Zikuan. Taiheng had asked the Yueshui Pavilion for help in finding him and they searched for years for any signs of him, to no avail.

Taiheng had no choice but to conclude that this formidable master was dead and remove him from the sect.

Little did they know that Yu Zikuan was not only alive but also living in an unimaginable way. Nonetheless, since he set up a large-scale battle formation against the Ling Sect, Yu Zikuan’s head was at least still functioning.

Shen Zhu habitually thought about it, barely resisting the urge to take out her notebook to jot it down. When she calmed down, a strong sense of incongruity rushed into her mind—Yu Zikuan was alive and well. His plan to use the battle formation to exterminate the Ling Sect was feasible. But why was Yan Zheng here?!

Patriarch Yan, the Patriarch of the Ling Sect, stood alone in front of Yu Zikuan, and he looked as if he had been beaten.

Stiffly turning her head, Shen Zhu saw Sect Master Shi wearing a perfectly appropriate smile, looking genuinely innocent.

…Getting the Mist-Evading Pill, she could understand. The Kushan Sect master and disciple were indeed powerful enough to cause some trouble for Yan Zheng. But to also kidnap Yan Zheng was beyond her imagination.

This kind of behavior would even warrant an official report in a respectable orthodox sect.

The air seemed to freeze, and the scene fell silent for a moment.

“The plans you two had discussed, Patriarch Yan told me on the way.” Shi Jingzhi broke the silence. He casually folded his hands behind his back, his tone nonchalant.

Shen Zhu glanced at the breathless Yan Zheng, suspecting Patriarch Yan was worried the battle formation hadn’t been activated on time. He collided with the Kushan Sect’s group of people who could punch the Jianchen Temple and kick the Mishan Sect. Unable to fight or escape, Yan Zheng could only reveal the truth.

She almost started to sympathize with him.

“Patriarch Yan gathered the important figures of the Ling Sect in one place while you launched a large-scale battle formation attack on the Grand Pavilion. If my people hadn’t just bumped into you, the formation should have been activated, right?” Shi Jingzhi continued.

“Major sects can use magic tools to disperse the fog, while smaller sects have to rely on the Mist-Evading Pill. You were worried that innocent people might be mixed into the Grand Pavilion, so you used arrows to drive them away.”

Yu Zikuan had the Hanging Shadow Sword stuck to his neck but remained calm and composed. “Yes, I remember you, kid… Since you are not a member of the Ling Sect, how about letting us go and allowing me to continue with my business? Without interference from the Ling Sect, it should be easier for you to find what you are looking for, right?”

Compared to exposing himself and Yan Zheng, it seemed that Yu Zikuan was more concerned about the battle formation not activating.

“Just now, that girl talked so convincingly, and I almost believed her. Now that I think about it, the battle formation isn’t something that can be conjured out of thin air. Dealing with a mere hundred-jin demon corpse, how could the activation of the spell cover half of Zongwu Mountain… Hey, what’s the extent of the range of this battle formation? Now you can give me a definite answer.”

Hearing the words “cover half of Zongwu Mountain”, the three newcomers were stunned, and all looked at Shen Zhu.

The battle formation covers half of Zongwu Mountain?

Yu Zikuan lowered his head, looking at the formation on the ground. From this angle, he could only see a corner of the formation. This formation was unusual and much more complex than an ordinary battle formation. It wasn’t easy for him to understand its structure in such a short time. But just from the size of the formation, it was absurd to think that it covered half of Zongwu Mountain.

The size of the pot must match the size of the lid. As Yu Zikuan said, a formation couldn’t come out of nowhere. Shi Jingzhi could quickly set up a formation to deal with the Arcane Arts because there were numerous demon corpses nearby and the Arcane Arts itself wasn’t large. In the end, it depended on favorable conditions.

Shen Zhu wasn’t one to hold back her feelings and probably exaggerated to create an intimidating atmosphere.

However, Shen Zhu didn’t smile as easily as she usually did, stepping forward to mediate. She put away the relaxed expression on her face and approached Yu Zikuan, crouching down slowly.

“Warrior Yu, there really exists an unusual formation that can be conjured out of thin air.”

Her eyes locked onto Yu Zikuan’s, and her tone became somewhat uncomfortably stiff. The slight relaxation she had shown before had vanished like morning dew under the night breeze. When she spoke, she deliberately raised her voice, clearly not just speaking for Yu Zikuan to hear.

The formation quietly twinkled with faint light beneath their feet, as if breathing. The night was extremely dark, shrouded by the surrounding demonic mist, making them feel as though they were trapped in a giant cocoon with no way out.

“It needs to be drawn on the ground, precise and without mistakes, and must not be damaged during activation. Even if you’re not from the Mishan Sect, you should know this,” she said, moving her injured shoulder. Her gaze swept over the Kushan Sect’s members. “Watch closely. If my judgment is correct…”

She extended her hand and stabbed at the lines of the formation on the ground. Those lines were formed from a sticky substance mixed with blood, partially solidified, and lying on the soil. Shen Zhu acted decisively, breaking the stiff soil into pieces, scattering it all around. The mud and sticky substance mixed together, and the lines of the formation were completely destroyed. If it were an ordinary formation, this part of the formation would surely be affected, and more severely, the entire formation would collapse.

…It should be like that in normal circumstances.

However, the sticky substance seemed to have a life of its own. It drilled out of the broken soil, gradually reforming the original lines, then gently adhered to the uneven pits. In just a breath, the formation restored itself and started to flicker slightly.

Like an imprint engraved into the earth.

Yu Zikuan’s solid confidence finally wavered, and he frowned, looking at the formation with displeasure.

On the side, Yin Ci moved his sword slightly and shifted his gaze away.

In hundreds of years, he had never seen such a bizarre formation. Yin Ci suddenly felt that he had sought death all the way, and he might have gone completely in the wrong direction. If he had approached Shi Jingzhi for help instead, he might have found something that could have killed him.

“This formation is not an ordinary battle formation; it is the ‘Invitation to God* Formation’ of the Immortal Assembly. To this day, I am still unclear about its power source, but as for its range, half of Zongwu Mountain is a conservative estimate.”

*(请神) A ceremony that basically summons gods, buddhas, immortals (ect.) for blessings and/or misfortunes.

Shen Zhu’s face darkened as she wiped the wet mud from her fingertips.

“The Invitation to God Formation wasn’t created by the Mishan Sect and is only circulated among the upper echelons of the Immortal Assembly. It shouldn’t have fallen into the hands of unrelated individuals. Once this thing is formed, destroying the formation is more troublesome than setting it up. Yu Zikuan, where did you get this from?”

Shi Jingzhi also stepped forward two steps. “Senior Yu, the situation is now in our favor, and my friend wouldn’t lie about this. This matter has far-reaching implications; please clarify it for us.”

Looking at Shi Jingzhi’s gradually serious expression, Yin Ci sighed inwardly.

What caused the internal strife in the Ling Sect and whether the Grand Pavilion would be blown away by the battle formation had nothing to do with the Kushan Sect’s objectives. They could find Kongshi’s grave with the Mist-Evading Pill obtained from Yan Zheng and leave this dangerous place as soon as possible. Shi Jingzhi abducted Yan Zheng to inquire about information, but whether it added fuel to the chaos in the Ling Sect or not, Yin Ci didn’t care much.

If Yan Zheng behaved honestly, he could stay; if not, he would be killed. Either way, the Ling Sect wouldn’t have a peaceful time ahead. Yu Zikuan’s formation didn’t matter much; they were supposed to stay out of this mess.

…Now it seemed that the conspiracy vortex on Zongwu Mountain was even more troublesome than they had expected.

This night, it wasn’t just the Kushan Sect that couldn’t sleep in peace.

Although spring had arrived, the nights were still chilly. In the quiet of the night, only the Celestial Shrine in the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence was still lit. The spy from the Chigou Sect stealthily approached the Celestial Shrine and swallowed a Breath-Halting Pill.

Having received Matron Wuxue’s orders, the spy had been undercover in the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence for some time. Judging from his daily activities, Jiang Youyue could be considered a truly virtuous man—despite the Emperor’s dislike for the Imperial Preceptor’s lineage, Jiang Youyue still earnestly advised him. He spent his time studying water management and agriculture, never attending banquets or indulging in any suspicious activities. Jiang Youyue treated his subordinates fairly well, not particularly approachable but never causing any trouble for anyone.

If not for the serious wording in the orders from above, the spy would have thought this was a retirement place arranged by the Chigou Sect.

Unfortunately, Matron Wuxue hadn’t made a mistake in judging Jiang Youyue’s character.

Lord Jiang was good in every aspect, except for the fact that he frequently visited the Celestial Shrine in the middle of the night. While it wasn’t unusual for the Imperial Preceptor to meditate in the Celestial Shrine from time to time, over time the spy found some clues—

Behind the small Celestial Shrine, there was a hidden passage. The entrance to the passage was extremely discreet, right next to the shrine. If not for the Chigou Sect’s expertise in underground mechanisms, the spy might have missed it.

Now that he had the information, he should withdraw. However, the spy felt a bit reluctant to leave the Imperial Preceptor’s Residence.

As he sighed silently, he used a magical tool to conceal his presence and followed Jiang Youyue quietly. The Imperial Preceptor seemed completely unaware, carefully turning a mechanism and stepping down the long stone steps, heading deeper underground.

The air carried a strange smell of grass and plant juices, causing the spy to wrinkle his nose, barely suppressing a sneeze.

At the end of the stone steps was a spacious hall, intricately carved with a complex formation on the floor. In the center of the formation lay a gory demon’s corpse, surrounded by twelve black-clad individuals wearing skyward-facing masks, all kneeling neatly. The formation emitted a dim light, and the black-clad individuals kept their foreheads to the ground, remaining silent.

“What’s going on?” Jiang Youyue said calmly.

“My Lord, something strange has happened to the Invitation to God Formation on Zongwu Mountain.” The leader of the black-clad people raised their head. “After Yu Zikuan completed the formation, we were supposed to recite the incantations and formally summon the gods. However, we were not fully prepared here, and someone on the other side recited the incantations ahead of time.”

Jiang Youyue glanced at the formation in the center of the hall, and his tone remained calm. “So what?”

The black-clad person was taken aback. “There might be a traitor within the Immortal Assembly. My Lord, you…”

“Even if the other side wants to sabotage the formation, can’t the twelve of you handle a potential ‘traitor’?”

Jiang Youyue sighed, speaking as if he was teaching a young child.

“Now that the Invitation to God Formation has been successfully completed, it will inevitably activate. No matter what tricks they may attempt, it’s like an insect trying to stop a carriage… As for the suspicious person, once the summoning is over, investigate the survivors on Zongwu Mountain, and you’ll find out.”

“This Servant understands.”

Jiang Youyue glanced again at the formation on the ground. “Given that you’re controlling it remotely and suffering significant losses, I’ll give you another six hours. Before tomorrow’s sunset, not a single person on Zongwu Mountain should be left alive.”

The spy almost lost his breath. The Chigou Sect still had a large number of people stationed on Zongwu Mountain. He needed to get out quickly to report…

Before he could finish his thoughts, something gripped the spy’s neck. In the next instant, he found himself thrown into the formation, mixed with the foul-smelling demon’s corpse.

“In the end, variables can be found everywhere; there’s no need for you to be so nervous. Master often says that there are no absolutely perfect plans in this world.”

Jiang Youyue looked down at the terrified spy, revealing a gentle smile. The formation roared, and the demon’s corpse slowly dissolved, causing the surrounding air to turn icy cold.

“…After all, mortals cannot touch the divine realm. It’s best to correct the errors and eliminate the evil in a timely manner.” Jiang Youyue shook his head, retracting his gaze, and his tone became somewhat gentler.

Those were the last words the spy heard in the mortal world.

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

Sendoff Ch94

Kinky1 Comment

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 94: Kidnapping

Time rolled back to a few hours ago.

Some elders couldn’t bear the fatigue of traveling by carriage and horse, so they returned to their rooms early to rest. Others chose to drink and revel or boast about themselves. Chai Xin was skilled at inciting emotions, but he never joined in these festivities. The man he brought out, Yan Zheng, also didn’t indulge in drinking and soon left the hall.

The young Patriarch went up two floors and leaned against the railing, looking down at the misty peaks under the moonlight. Without calling for servants, he brought a pot of wine from the hall and silently poured and drank it himself.

Above Yan Zheng’s head loomed two pairs of eyes.

Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci had finished discussing official business and immediately followed the young Patriarch. The Ling Sect had many demons and monsters, and dealing with them was troublesome. It would be best to steal the Fog-Evading Pill—not just for their subordinates but also as a precaution. There was bound to be a bottle carried by the Patriarch.

All they needed to do was choose the right moment to steal it without alerting the Ling Sect. The present was a perfect opportunity.

Shi Jingzhi rubbed his hands together and gestured with his mouth. [Race and see who can steal it first?]

Yin Ci gave him a sideways glance, feeling that Sect Master Shi had developed an inexplicable addiction to gambling. He couldn’t understand why this petty theft interested him, nor what he wanted to win. [Don’t make a fuss. The sooner we get it, the sooner we leave.]

Below them, Yan Zheng seemed like a drinking puppet, raising a cup to his lips rhythmically. Shi Jingzhi looked left and right, thinking about making a move, when a figure dashed out from inside the building and approached Yan Zheng.

That person was also dressed as an elder, with a small nose and eyes squeezed together uncomfortably, making his face look peculiar. His body was tall and strong, which further accentuated the oddity. He stopped in front of Yan Zheng and respectfully bowed. “Patriarch.”

Yan Zheng paused in his wine pouring and rubbed his forehead. “Elder Bao Zu.”

“It is I, your subordinate. May I inquire, Patriarch…?”

“Just now, you were planning to take more than ten people out. Let me see… You want to attack other sects at night and hang their heads along the mountain road?”

The words were said so casually that Elder Bao didn’t immediately grasp their meaning. He laughed and said, “Zongwu Mountain is our Divine Sect’s territory. Why not take a cue from common farmers and hang a few more corpses to suppress those thieving birds! With our superior numbers, we can kill anyone who comes.”

“Hmm.” Yan Zheng toyed with the wine cup in his hand. “But it seems to me that the ones outside are all useless. There’s no need to waste effort on them. Elder Bao, you’d better rest first, and tomorrow focus on getting the Shirou.”

Elder Bao felt a little awkward at the response, blinking his small eyes. “Patriarch, my subordinates are not like those fake women from Boshui. They are all strong men who have tasted human flesh. They can finish the job by midnight. This time, I brought a hundred pieces of fine human skin and can make a human-skin carriage for Patriarch—”

Yan Zheng half-closed his eyes, his face dim and unclear. “A human-skin carriage. I have some impression of it.”

“Exactly! I’ve made several of them, and this time, I’ll make the best one for Patriarch. I ask Patriarch for permission for tonight’s plan.”

A hint of delight showed on Elder Bao’s face. He knew that, as a prestigious figure, the Patriarch wouldn’t call him over just to exchange pleasantries.

Shafu was the territory of the Chigou Sect. Ever since Bao Zu became the Elder of Shafu, he had accumulated a lot of grievances. He specialized in robbing and killing the merchant caravans passing through Shafu. However, whether it was just robbing or killing, Elder Bao was undoubtedly a talented expert in conducting evil deeds. The local authorities were oppressed to the point of being extremely miserable, and many vicious desert bandits took advantage of the situation and joined, boosting the momentum of the Shafu branch.

The yellow sands of the northwest were stained with blood, and human skin flags were everywhere, giving a resounding boost to the Ling Sect’s reputation. He had worked hard for a long time, and he was more than worthy of the position of an Elder of the main branch than anyone else.

Now, the atmosphere within the sect was sluggish, and Elder Bao had many ideas for revitalization. As long as he had an opportunity, he could demonstrate his abilities, perhaps even become the right-hand man of the young Patriarch. In a few years, when that old bastard, Chai Xin, finally died…

Before Elder Bao’s daydream could fully form, he suddenly felt a chill around his neck.

Yan Zheng had made a move. The Death Whip wrapped around Elder Bao’s throat, releasing a bitter, nauseating curse into the air. With one hand gripping the whip, Yan Zheng spoke in a tone as cold as death. “I advised you to rest obediently, but it seems you don’t understand. For defying the orders of the Patriarch… you shall be punished.”

This move was clean and precise—exceptionally accurate. Before Bao Zu fell to the ground, he had already taken his last breath. Yan Zheng put away the Death Whip, not bothering to look at the corpse on the ground and continued to enjoy the scenery while drinking.

The ease on Shi Jingzhi’s face faded a bit, and Yin Ci remained silent.

Something was peculiar.

The Shafu branch of the Ling Sect had gained some fame recently and was developing rapidly. Bao Zu had precisely the type of talent the Ling Sect needed for its evil activities, so he should have received some rewards. However, in less than the time it took to finish a cup of tea, Elder Bao hadn’t received any rewards but had lost his life so carelessly. Even if the demonic cultivators of the Ling Sect liked to act recklessly, the young Patriarch was being overly audacious.

After finishing a cup of wine, Yan Zheng’s eerie eyes opened. “Stop staring and come out.”

Shi Jingzhi’s breath trembled, almost giving them away. Fortunately, Yin Ci quickly covered his mouth and nose, and the two managed to hide their presence.

At the next moment, footsteps approached. Chai Xin dashed out from the staircase, holding a half-dead servant in his hands. He shook his head, sighing, “I’m getting old. I just brought along a useless person who couldn’t even hide his breath properly.”

Chai Xin threw the servant into Bao Zu’s pool of blood. The servant was in tears, almost wetting his pants. Yan Zheng remained expressionless but seemed slightly tense.

“Good disciple, you’d better explain to your master. It’s fine if you didn’t want Elder Bao to go out, but why did you send someone to inform Huo Changying to wait outside?”

Shi Jingzhi’s eyebrows twitched, and he exhaled a breath into Yin Ci’s palm.

Yan Zheng’s expression remained unchanged. “It’s all dirty matters. Speaking of it would soil Master’s ears… Master must be feeling sorry for Bao Zu, and I’m just making it up to him. Who made the night so perfect? Yet this person kept annoying me, which made me irritated.”

Chai Xin didn’t let him get away with avoiding the topic. “Tell me more. I happen to like dirty matters.”

“In the Grand Pavilion, fighting isn’t allowed by the rules of the Hierarch. Elder Kong seems to have taken a liking to those two men, so he hopes This Seat can make some accommodations. Since Master doesn’t get along with Elder Kong, I was afraid if I refuse, he would cause trouble for Master… It’s just a minor effort. Huo Changying isn’t a significant figure.”

Chai Xin replied with a half-smile, “Oh, using that cut-sleeve* Kong as a pretext, not bad.”

*(断袖). Ancient Chinese term used to refer to homosexuals. The story tells of the love between Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty and Dong Xian. Seeing Dong Xian sleeping on his robe and afraid of waking him up, Emperor Ai cut part of his sleeve so as not to disturb his lover; thus, this term has become the reference.

“What does Master mean?”

“A’Zheng, when you killed someone earlier, I chalked it up to your ignorance. But this time, you suggested calling back the various elders to help me find the Shirou; it seems my disciple has grown up… However, why does it feel a bit off today? How about this, you say the night is perfect, so won’t my beloved disciple accompany me for a stroll outside to have a heart-to-heart talk?”

Yan Zheng’s breath finally faltered for a moment, and he took a step back. “This Disciple… This Disciple will prepare for a moment. Master, please wait here.”

‘Too naïve,’ Yin Ci sighed lightly in his heart. Yan Zheng was still too young and couldn’t outplay Chai Xin, a crafty old fox. By now, even they had realized that something suspicious was happening here—regardless of Yan Zheng’s intentions, something was bound to happen at the Grand Pavilion tonight, and time was running short.

The Fog-Evading Pill could wait; it was better to stay away from this place of right and wrong.

Yin Ci pinched Shi Jingzhi’s wrist, hinting that they should leave. Shen Zhu was outside, and Su Si and Yan Qing hadn’t returned yet. They only needed to leave this place and intercept their subordinates along the way.

However, it seemed that Shi Jingzhi had other ideas.

He gazed deeply at Yan Zheng for a moment, then looked at the intimidating Chai Xin, and finally turned back to Yan Zheng, as if weighing two well-cooked fat fish. Finally, full of anticipation, he turned to Yin Ci. [A’Ci, the situation in Ling Sect is quite interesting. Why don’t we kidnap someone?]

Yin Ci: “…”

From the radiant look in Shi Jingzhi’s eyes, he seemed to be talking about something much more exciting than kidnapping the Ling Sect Patriarch—it was more like “let’s grab some delicious food”.

…It was really hard to say no.

Upon seeing Yin Ci didn’t immediately refuse, Shi Jingzhi cheerfully made his move. He leaped down from the upper level and effortlessly grabbed Yan Zheng, who was stiff by the railing. As soon as they landed, Shi Jingzhi released his qi without any restraint and then quickly ran away.

Chai Xin was stunned for a moment by the display of qi, but soon he became furious and attempted to pursue them using qinggong. However, as soon as he moved, he was halted by an extremely peculiar sword wind, preventing him from advancing even a step.

The opponent’s identity was unclear, and his strength was profound, leaving Elder Chai uncertain. In this short moment, the other party vanished into the night fog and quickly disappeared without a trace.

Since the opponent couldn’t be clearly seen, there was no way to chase them down. Elder Chai could only curse in place for a few moments before leaving the Grand Pavilion in a hurry.

Soon after, on Zongwu Mountain.

“You lunatic! Do you want to kill half of Zongwu Mountain?!”

The masked person glanced at Shen Zhu indifferently. “Even the Yueshui Pavilion can make mistakes sometimes.”

Yan Qing and Su Si remained silent. Shen Zhu hadn’t been with the Kushan Sect for long, so they didn’t know her well. They only knew she was an old acquaintance of Shi Jingzhi and had come along to investigate some information—Investigate? It seemed to have nothing to do with fighting. Moreover, Shen Zhu had the identity of a Yueshui Pavilion disciple; she was just an outsider and wouldn’t be burdened by the infamous reputation of the Kushan Sect. Along the way, Shen Zhu indeed seemed completely relaxed, as if she had everything under control.

People who usually remained calm were even more terrifying when they suddenly erupted.

Now, Shen Zhu was breathing heavily and staring fixedly at the masked person. Her makeup was smudged by cold sweat. “You made this battle formation yourself. Don’t you know its effect?”

“I don’t know who you are in the Yueshui Pavilion, but it seems that the art of magic is a strong point of the Mishan Sect. You, on the other hand, are not proficient in the art and only have superficial knowledge. Yet, you’re making a fuss over nothing. Or is it that you want to meddle in this matter with such a lame excuse?”

The masked person casually dug into his ear with their little finger and continued arranging the formation.

“This humble woman isn’t talented and belongs to the Yueshui Pavilion’s Heaven Department. I usually rush around and indeed have limited knowledge of magical arts.”

Shen Zhu’s speech was deliberate, and she gnashed her teeth.

“…But if your loved one were killed before your eyes, would you forget the magic that killed them?”

The masked person’s movements paused for a moment, not answering, but there was a hint of inexplicable anger in their aura.

Shen Zhu, infuriated, smiled sarcastically. Her usual composure returned, and she said, “I don’t know where you got this thing from, but once it’s activated, not only the Ling Sect… but also nearby Taiheng and Chigou Sects, even the two of us, will die under the formation. Yet, you, despite your age, were deceived and even helped count the money after being sold out, wasting all your martial arts.”

As she spoke, she secretly untied the ropes of Su Si and Yan Qing. At that moment, even the two members of the Kushan Sect were unsure if what Shen Zhu said was true or just a bluff with clever acting.

After all, Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci were still inside the Ling Sect’s Grand Pavilion.

However, Zongwu Mountain was a chaotic place, and the Yueshui Pavilion’s qinggong could also be faked. The masked person wouldn’t immediately accept what she said.

Indeed, the masked person snorted coldly. “Proof?”

“You need to use blood to make ink and mix it with powdered demon bones to draw the formation. One or two ounces of blood with three qian of bones. Before the formation is complete, you need to sacrifice a hundred jin of fresh demon corpses, cut open its belly, and stuff it with wooden symbols, then bury it under the formation eye—did I get anything wrong? If you release me, I have a way to prove it.”

The masked person pondered for a while. “You have some courage, little girl. Let’s do this. I’ll give you the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. If you can prove that the formation is faulty within that time, I will stop. If you can’t prove it, I’ll break your legs and throw you down the mountain first.”

Yan Qing’s palms were sweaty. Shen Zhu’s words seemed half true and half false, and she didn’t look like a master of magical arts. How could she test the power of a large-scale battle formation without any tools? He anxiously took a deep breath and began to struggle quietly by using his inner force to impact his acupoints.

Ten steps away, the masked person casually picked up a stone and broke the rope on Shen Zhu’s body. He cautiously dragged her to the edge of the formation before starting to release the acupoints.

Unbeknownst to him, as soon as Shen Zhu’s acupoints were loosened, she immediately brought the bird whistle to her mouth and blew a sharp and thin sound.

The night was thick, and the whistle sound wasn’t sharp enough. However, this whistle wasn’t blown for people—it was a signal. Several sparrows came flying through the air, forcefully hitting Yan Qing and Su Si’s acupoints, causing them to fall to the ground in a daze.

Yan Qing was originally impatient, so he released his acupoints even faster than Su Si. He leaped out, grabbed Shen Zhu by her collar, and pulled her away from the masked person. Meanwhile, Su Si kicked a stone and threw it at the person’s side.

Everything happened in an instant that Yan Qing’s head was buzzing, nearly blanking out. He slung the injured Shen Zhu over his shoulder, determined to escape with Su Si. However, the masked person was undeniably powerful, and whether they could escape was still a question…

“Miss Shen?”

Shen Zhu didn’t seem focused on escaping. She immediately broke free from Yan Qing’s arms and half-knelt on the ground. She swiftly pulled out the hairpin from her head and slashed her palm. Fresh blood gushed out, appearing black in the darkness.

With blood on the hairpin, Shen Zhu raised her hand and threw it into the formation. As soon as the hairpin landed, she went from half-kneeling to kneeling on both knees and began quietly reciting an incantation. The incantation’s tone fluctuated, and its content was fragmented and incomprehensible. At first listen, it seemed like the ramblings of a madman, sending shivers down one’s spine.

The hairpin entered the ground without making a sound, and the incantation’s volume wasn’t particularly loud. The masked person assumed that Shen Zhu was weakened and didn’t notice anything amiss. He easily evaded Su Si’s stone and sighed. “Haven’t you learned your lesson yet? You can’t escape… Huh?”

Shen Zhu uttered the last syllable, and a chilling aura emanated from the formation. The runic symbols within the formation brightened up considerably, flickering somewhat unstably, but the formation was not entirely activated.

Even so, Su Si immediately retreated several steps and felt as if his hair were standing up.

A freezing sensation, close to emptiness, spread from the soles of his feet. Su Si was familiar with this feeling—he had experienced something similar when seriously ill or losing too much blood. It was like “life” itself was ebbing away. The surrounding air seemed to be soaked in corpse oil, becoming foul and sticky, choking one’s chest with pain. Despite the open space around them, in a daze, Su Si felt as if he were surrounded by a crowded pile of corpses, or a fly trapped in resin.

In that split second, the fear of death overwhelmed his heart and lungs, leaving him unable to put up any resistance.

The masked person approached the center of the formation, but he didn’t manage to stand firmly and directly knelt on one knee. Yan Qing and Su Si escaped a certain distance but were still staggering on the spot.

“Now is the time to run!” Shen Zhu shouted.

However, Su Si narrowed his eyes and tightly gripped his butcher knife. His gaze contained a trace of cruelty. “The night is long, and we have the advantage now. Why don’t we capture this person—”

Suddenly, the snap of a whip sounded.

Compared to ordinary people, Su Si was more sensitive to murderous intent, and he instinctively sidestepped. He glanced toward the direction of the attack. The whip was barbed and left a charred pit on the ground after missing its target.

A young man retrieved the whip and landed near the formation; his blood-red eyes glinted faintly in the night. He had his back turned to the masked person, and his gaze was fixed on Su Si, clearly assuming a protective stance.

Seeing the man’s face, Su Si’s scalp tingled—he seemed to be unable to escape the enmity between the Ling and the Chigou Sect.

It was none other than the Ling Sect’s Patriarch, Yan Zheng. They had met not long ago in the main hall. However, Yan Zheng’s ceremonial red robe was tattered, and his long hair was somewhat disheveled, appearing as though he had just been through a fierce battle.

Yan Zheng frowned. “You are the one from the main hall just now…”

“How about that? I wasn’t wrong, right?” A smiling voice interrupted the two, and two figures followed closely behind Yan Zheng. “My subordinates are all formidable. If Patriarch didn’t bring us here, your friend would probably be in a dire situation.”

The members of the Kushan Sect finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Their Sect Master and “Senior Brother” had arrived. Although Sect Master Shi was quite unpredictable, and Yin Ci was a heartless shopkeeper, their combined strength was still considerable. Just their presence not far away was enough to put everyone’s minds at ease.

Yin Ci couldn’t be bothered to comfort the others; he went straight past Yan Zheng and stopped in front of the masked person. With a sweep of his Hanging Shadow Sword, the fragile mask made a “crack” sound and shattered into pieces, revealing the face hidden behind it.

All things considered, the masked person had a decent appearance.

Judging from his features, he was indeed under fifty years old. His face was handsome, slightly thin, and had a hint of melancholy when not smiling. Unfortunately, he clearly didn’t pay much attention to his appearance, and the stubble on his chin was unkempt, turning his good looks into a state of disarray.

Yin Ci couldn’t help but make a sound of surprise. This person’s profound and exceptional strength confirmed that he wasn’t an ordinary nobody. Even Su Si, who least liked getting involved in martial world conflicts, probably recognized this person. However…

“I was wondering why you wore a mask.” Shen Zhu licked the wound in her palm and raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this Yu Zikuan, Warrior Yu from Taiheng? It was said that you have been dead for five or six years. When did you start playing dead?”

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Bu Tian Gang Ch167

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Author: 梦溪石 / Meng Xi Shi

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

Chapter 167

The world was neither small nor large. Dong Zhi never thought he would meet Zhang Xing here.

The girl he once encountered on the way to Changbai Mountain and experienced a terrifying night with had, after recovering from her injuries, returned to her peaceful life, becoming a regular urban white-collar worker, hustling for a living like many others.

On the other hand, Dong Zhi chose a path drastically different from hers.

Zhang Xing naturally had no idea what Dong Zhi had been up to these past two years. Though they exchanged contact information, it really was just as novels describe: a fleeting encounter. After leaving Changchun, they never met again. Zhang Xing, who had confessed her feelings and was rejected, held back from reaching out due to the intricate feelings women sometimes have. She still harbored feelings for Dong Zhi, yet she held back until this chance encounter.

Seeing her delighted reaction, Dong Zhi suddenly realized that it had only been two years. Yet it felt like he had lived half a lifetime of ups and downs.

“How have you been?” he asked, shaking hands with Zhang Xing.

She had expected a warmer reception from him. Seeing his subdued response, her enthusiasm waned a bit. “I’m good. I’m on vacation, visiting with friends. What about you?”

Dong Zhi simply replied with a smile, “Same here.”

The conversation seemed to be drawing to a close, as Zhang Xing sensed that Dong Zhi wasn’t inclined to continue. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but say, “Where are you working now? I’m in Beijing. If you’re free, we can meet for tea. After all, we’ve faced life and death together, haven’t we?”

Her playful tone masked the awkwardness.

Just then, Long Shen walked over. “If you don’t mind me joining.”

Dong Zhi introduced, “This is my friend.”

Long Shen interjected, “Mm, boyfriend.”

Dong Zhi: ……

Zhang Xing showed an indescribable expression while giving an awkward smile. “Nice to meet you.”

Using the excuse that her friend was waiting, she quickly excused herself, with no further interest in catching up. Her exit was hasty, almost like a retreat.

Dong Zhi found the situation amusing, “Master, you scared her.”

Long Shen asked, “Did you want to have tea or dinner with her?”

Dong Zhi shook his head. “Not at all.”

Meeting friends for tea or a meal was enjoyable, but an encounter with someone like Zhang Xing, whom he wasn’t close to, would just be awkward.

Long Shen: “Then you should thank me.”

Dong Zhi replied, “I’ll pretend I didn’t know you did that on purpose.”

Long Shen: “It’s the demonic qi’s fault.”

Dong Zhi almost laughed out loud. Lately, every time Long Shen did or said something that might tarnish his image, he’d blame it on the demonic qi. But no one knew for sure if the demonic qi inside him had been fully dispelled. Long Shen claimed it hadn’t, and Dong Zhi chose to believe him.

It was the apprentice’s duty to maintain the noble image of their master.

Long Shen gently wiped a smear off Dong Zhi’s temple.

“What’s this?”

Dong Zhi noticed the faint gray mark and its faint fishy smell.

“It must be from the Shadow Ghost.”

He then shared his recent findings on Su Huan’s body.

“It seems like a targeted act, but the victims might be randomly chosen,” Long Shen mused, echoing Dong Zhi’s thoughts.

Dong Zhi said, “That’s why I left the book with Kan Chaosheng for the time being.”

Understanding immediately, Long Shen asked, “As bait?”

Dong Zhi admitted, “It’s a bit risky, but without this, it’d be hard to lure out the real culprit.”

The book was the key to the entire case. Chang Qing had said he’d seen vague shadows in the book and was curious about the illustration book, suggesting a connection between him and the book or its owner. Dong Zhi knew that without him around, Chang Qing’s curiosity would get the best of him, and he’d investigate the book.

“I’ve secretly told Kan Chaosheng to keep an eye on Chang Qing’s movements,” Dong Zhi said with some uncertainty. “But I don’t know if Kan Chaosheng can handle the task.”

“He must learn to grow up. The world won’t wait for him.”

Long Shen said, “If I were you, I’d do the same.”

It was the best affirmation and praise. Long Shen looked at the young man in front of him, whom he had personally mentored. The young man had already become exceptionally outstanding, just as he had once hoped.

Or perhaps, Dong Zhi had always been immensely talented. It’s just that his potential had been buried amongst the masses for over two decades. Once given the opportunity and put through refinement, he immediately transformed into a dazzling and remarkable being.

……

After Dong Zhi left, Chang Qing picked up the illustration book, flipping through it and studying it intently. Kan Chaosheng started to complain about being hungry. Out of courtesy as a host, Xiao Zhao went out to buy them some afternoon tea. Before the food arrived, Kan Chaosheng had no choice but to lounge on the sofa, eating sunflower seeds and casually chatting with Chang Qing.

“Hey, why do you hate demons so much?”

Chang Qing looked up at him. “How can you lie down, eat, and talk without choking?”

Kan Chaosheng hummed. “That’s skill. I could swallow an entire cow in one bite. What’s a sunflower seed compared to that?”

“Demons shouldn’t exist. If they want to cultivate, they should do it discreetly and avoid crossing paths with me. If they do meet me, I will capture them,” Chang Qing replied coldly.

Irritated, Kan Chaosheng sat up and stared at him. “On what grounds? With your skills, you can’t even beat Dong Zhi, and you talk about capturing demons? Don’t make me laugh!”

Chang Qing ignored him, focusing on the book. Provoked, Kan Chaosheng suddenly lunged, trying to snatch the book away. But Chang Qing was faster, and in the blink of an eye, they began to scuffle inside the conference room.

Using the book as a weapon, Chang Qing threw it at Kan Chaosheng, who dodged. The book struck Xiao Zhao, who was just entering the room with the snacks.

Chang Qing and Kan Chaosheng: ……

Xiao Zhao was left dazed by the impact, almost dropping the takeout.

Chang Qing pursed his lips, extending a hand to Xiao Zhao to help him up.

Xiao Zhao, having a good temperament, surprisingly didn’t get angry. He smiled wryly and said, “That’s evidence. Can you not use it to fight? Do you want me to get scolded by the boss?”

Chang Qing reached out to help him up, saying, “I’m sorry.”

“Forget it, forget it!” Xiao Zhao felt helpless, thinking to himself that he shouldn’t have left the two of them alone together. He bent down to pick up the book, and seeing that it wasn’t damaged, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, someone opened the conference room door; it was Captain Yin. Behind him was a woman in her thirties or forties. Despite her plain attire and traces of hardship, it was clear she had been quite beautiful in her youth.

“Everyone’s here!” Captain Yin said with a smile. “This lady is a witness from another case we’re currently working on. Since we’re all occupied right now, could you chat with Ms. Chang until we’re ready to take her statement?”

Xiao Zhao agreed, and after Captain Yin left, he felt a bit puzzled, wondering about the supposed big case their team was handling.

However, Chang Qing seemed struck by lightning, staring blankly at Ms. Chang. He only snapped out of it when Kan Chaosheng gave him a hard slap on the arm.

Kan Chaosheng sneered, “Lost your mind?”

Xiao Zhao made small talk with Ms. Chang and offered her the snacks he bought. Kan Chaosheng’s eyes lit up, and he started eating without hesitation, making himself at home. Ms. Chang, however, seemed a bit uneasy, smiling politely and refusing, saying she’d just have some water.

“May I ask, where are you from?” Chang Qing softly inquired, his voice shaky.

“My hometown is deep in the mountains, a place you’ve never heard of. I used to work in the south,” Ms. Chang replied with a noticeable accent. Xiao Zhao couldn’t place it.

However, Chang Qing asked, “Is that place called Zhuiyang?”

Ms. Chang was visibly taken aback; her expression a mix of astonishment and delight. “You know it? Are you from there as well?”

Chang Qing closed his eyes for a moment, suddenly stood up, and snatched the cake from Kan Chaosheng’s hand, hurling it against the wall!

“Have you gone mad?!” Kan Chaosheng exclaimed angrily, raising his hand to strike.

Chang Qing firmly held onto his hands and said deliberately to both him and Xiao Zhao, “We’ve been ensnared.”

Having been in the Special Administration Bureau for so long, Kan Chaosheng had a keen sense of crisis and quick reflexes. He immediately ceased his actions upon hearing this.

“What do you mean?”

Chang Qing: “We’ve been pulled into an illusion.”

Kan Chaosheng looked around suspiciously. “What illusion? I don’t feel anything.”

“It’s because you were completely distracted by the food,” Chang Qing responded irritably. “It might have started when I threw the book or when Xiao Zhao picked it up.”

Xiao Zhao, looking perplexed, asked, “What are you talking about?”

Chang Qing pointed to the woman beside him and said, “She’s my mother. She died when I was seven years old.”

Xiao Zhao quickly turned his head to look at the woman, the sudden movement causing an unsettling cracking sound in his neck.

The woman looked at them, bewildered. “Sir, you must be mistaken. I have a son, but he’s only six now…”

“When I was six, she left me to work in the south and later died. If she were still alive, she wouldn’t look like this or be this age,” Chang Qing said with clenched fists, gritting his teeth, and breathing heavily. “Now I understand what’s wrong with that book. It can peer into the deepest desires of one’s heart and make them a reality.”

Kan Chaosheng sneered. “Then why didn’t it fulfill my wish?”

Chang Qing: “What were you thinking about when Xiao Zhao went to buy snacks?”

Kan Chaosheng: “… Blueberry cake.”

The snack that Chang Qing had taken and thrown away was a blueberry cake.

Chang Qing: “You never told him, so how did he just happen to buy what you wanted?”

Kan Chaosheng was left speechless.

Xiao Zhao was utterly confused by their conversation. He felt like he understood parts of it, but also as if he understood nothing. “What are you guys talking about? The cake is fake? I personally went out to buy it!”

Chang Qing: “Where did you buy it from?”

Xiao Zhao: “At the corner store downstairs. No, wait, they sell milk tea, not blueberry cakes…”

He suddenly paused, struggling to recall where he had purchased the blueberry cake from. And he remembered that he actually intended to buy spicy hot pot, a dish he loved and often shared with his colleagues during their night shifts.

“Something’s wrong!” Xiao Zhao suddenly exclaimed, turning to open the door.

His colleagues outside were eating the blueberry cake he had bought. They looked at his horrified face in confusion.

“Are you alright?”

Xiao Zhao weakly shook his head, puzzled about why he had bought the blueberry cake.

A colleague, Tan Jie, said with a grin, “I gave some of the cake to Xiao Song. She heard you bought it and wanted me to give you her WeChat. She said she wanted to thank you. You know what that means, right? Do I need to say more?”

Xiao Song was the renowned beauty in the office, whom Xiao Zhao had long admired. He stared at Tan Jie, feeling surreal. Was this real?

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

Behind him, Kan Chaosheng’s angry shout pulled Xiao Zhao’s attention back. He turned around and was almost scared out of his wits to see Chang Qing drawing a sword to strike the woman!

She was so frightened that she couldn’t speak. Kan Chaosheng lunged at Chang Qing, trying to stop him. The office immediately erupted into chaos.

Others rushed in to intervene. Some called for their supervisor, while others tried to separate the two. Everyone present was a detective with good physical skills, but none were a match for Chang Qing. Xiao Zhao thought Chang Qing had gone mad.

Even with suspicions, resorting to violence was extreme. Xiao Zhao tried to pull the woman to safety. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a colleague who seemed to be smiling.

A cold shiver ran down his spine, and he quickly turned his head. The person beside him wasn’t smiling anymore and anxiously said, “Aren’t you going to help get her out of here? Do you really want them to kill someone in the station?”

It was a typical reaction. Xiao Zhao responded and began pulling Ms. Chang out.

However, Chang Qing yelled out, “Don’t go out!”

Xiao Zhao’s foot was already outside. Hearing this, he hesitated. A colleague reached out to push him, urging, “Why are you standing there? Are you really listening to his nonsense?”

His body involuntarily tilted outward. Suddenly, a force from behind pushed him forward. Xiao Zhao stumbled and fell back into the meeting room. At the same time, a blinding light flashed by his ear. Before Xiao Zhao could react, the light had already entered Ms. Chang’s body!

Ms. Chang screamed in agony. Everyone felt a darkness before their eyes and a strong vibration beneath them, causing all to fall to the ground.

Catching his breath, Xiao Zhao saw Dong Zhi coming from behind him, holding a sword.

“How come you guys can’t handle things just because I stepped out for a moment?” Dong Zhi sighed.

Xiao Zhao rubbed his eyes. They were still in the meeting room. Ms. Chang and the colleagues who were pulling them apart were gone. Outside the window, it was dark. The quiet was occasionally broken by the sound of a car passing by, like any ordinary night.

Seeing Chang Qing’s guarded expression, Dong Zhi laughed. “Are you guys okay? You don’t think I’m fake too, do you?”

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