Author: Kinky

Criminal Psychology Ch286

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Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 286

Even the best TV show would become boring after watching it for over 12 hours, and continuing to watch it would make one irritable.

But since she was the one who asked for the TV, no matter how painful, she must watch till the end.

Shen Lian squirmed unhappily in her chair, while Lin Chen sat across from her, maintaining a pose of half-dressed light sleep, with no intention of talking to her at all.

“Consultant Lin, this is fatigue interrogation, which violates the United Nations Human Rights Convention,” she finally couldn’t help protesting.

Lin Chen half-opened his eyes. His dark and sleepy eyes stared at her, and his words were quite cheeky. “Miss Shen Lian, you should know that I nearly died of sepsis half a month ago, and in order to save you, I was injected with a drug that is very harmful to the nervous system, which has led to high levels of depression and even addiction symptoms. Despite this, I’m still here, accompanying you and talking to you, even though I’m sick. You should be grateful.”

“Then I should just die, so you don’t have to work so hard,” Shen Lian retorted irritably.

Lin Chen closed his eyes but spoke very lucidly. “Before the results come out, you’re not willing to die.”

Shen Lian didn’t know when Lin Chen started speaking so casually to her, but apart from his slow movements, Lin Chen himself didn’t seem to have any signs of depression. She stared at Lin Chen for a while and asked, “Are you upset? Do you want to talk about it to cheer me up?”

Lin Chen shook his head and turned his face to the other side, showing off his fair and fragile neckline, refusing to look at her.

“So, are you actually not confident about the voting results?” She leaned forward and asked, somewhat annoyed.

“You’ve been fretting over the same question so many times. It seems like you’re the one who’s not confident,” Lin Chen said. He straightened up with a self-control that Shen Lian could feel, opened the drawer, took out a file, and threw it on the table. “Since you want to talk so much, let’s talk about the time when you were molested.”

The abrupt change of topic left Shen Lian needing some time to wrap her head around it in order to face the document on the table.

It was an old file, and the name of the principal police officer was signed in the red box on the right bottom of the cover—Bian Yuan.

“Who do you want to talk about first? Chen Jianguo, Bian Yuan, or the old homeless man who saved you?”

Shen Lian knew that they must have thoroughly investigated her past, but when Lin Chen suddenly brought it up, she still found it inconceivable. “You really don’t care if you upset me.”

Lin Chen sat up straight, pointed to the TV, and said, “After all, that’s my biggest confidence.”

The program being replayed was an interview with a family member of one of the criminals. The mother of the murderer, Sun Zhen, was being interviewed. The woman should have been middle-aged, but her temples were gray, and she looked old and pitiful. She kept telling the reporter in front of the camera that her son had drunk too much and accidentally stabbed someone to death.

The judge had sentenced him to life imprisonment, which meant his crime wasn’t punishable by death. Moreover, her son had been very obedient during his imprisonment and would soon have a chance for his sentence to be reduced. The woman kneeled in front of the TV, weeping and begging everyone to give her son a chance.

Of course, the middle-aged woman omitted in her narration the history of Sun Zhen’s repeated violent assaults. In her mouth, Sun Zhen was just a little boy who made a mistake once.

Shen Lian snapped back to reality, looked at the file on the table, and had a vague sense of what Lin Chen was about to say.

“Are you satisfied with who you are now?” He asked her, but didn’t give her time to think and continued, “Overall, you’ve caused a lot of trouble, helped your comrades voice their opinions, and it seems you’re doing quite well. But since antisocial personalities are extremely selfish, I want to ask, setting aside the collective, are you satisfied with who you are now, proud and unregretful, feeling like you wouldn’t regret it even if you died right now?”

Stared at by Lin Chen’s cold gaze, Shen Lian found herself unable to move. She really wanted to find something to argue with, but at that moment, her mind inexplicably went blank.

She swallowed and, for a change, wanted Lin Chen to keep going so she wouldn’t have to think about this question.

But Lin Chen, being as sharp as he was, clearly knew how to seize every opportunity.

So he probably gave her about five minutes to think, which was so long that the program had started interviewing the family of the victim in the Sun Zhen case.

“I am very satisfied,” she said forcibly, with a tone of conviction.

Lin Chen nodded. “So, imagine for a moment that nothing happened back then. That man didn’t violate you, the old vagrant didn’t die, you as a girl whose personality differed from others, just stumbled and grew up; how would you evaluate such a you?”

Shen Lian narrowed her eyes, staring coldly at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen interrupted her before she could speak. “Your first reaction is to feel very lucky, isn’t it?” He paused and said, “What I mean is, you think that if nothing happened that night, it would have been the best, right?”

“But it happened.” Shen Lian licked her lips.

Lin Chen nodded. “So, you finally admit that this incident changed your life?” He leaned back in his chair and said seriously, “Just like Sun Zhen’s mother, who spoiled her son, thinking that the moment her son stabbed someone to death while drunk decided everything that followed.”

“Of course not.” Shen Lian looked at Lin Chen’s condescending face. “You see, this is where we fundamentally disagree. Even without this incident, my family, my genes, and my problematic mind would determine that I would inevitably be antisocial and that we would become enemies, Consultant Lin.”

“That’s just your personal view,” Lin Chen said lightly, as if those things were really not important.

Shen Lian laughed. She suddenly felt relieved that she even wanted to thank Lin Chen for his sharp questions that finally made her dare to face these things. “Admit it, Consultant Lin. Although you say it, in fact, born criminals in your society have only one way—a dead end.”

Lin Chen said seriously, “You’re wrong, Shen Lian. This is one of the wrong beliefs he instilled in you. In fact, people are experiencing different events every day, so choices are made every moment. As long as a person is alive, he has choices. Some choices are easy, some are difficult; some people are swayed by choices, some people really make choices.”

……

When Lu Xu was locking the door of the late-night snack bar, it was almost dawn. According to the instructions of the proprietress, he turned left, and the house with the light on not far away was the polling station.

Unlike what he had imagined, the polling station was neither too hot nor too cold, with an inexplicable sense of solemnity fitting the atmosphere of the early morning.

Across half a street, Lu Xu vaguely saw some sleepy journalists squatting at the location of the polling station, but no one had the energy to take pictures.

There were a few elderly people coming out of the polling station, and the only people who could get up and move at this point were the elderly. However, as he got closer, he discovered that those stooped figures he vaguely saw weren’t only early-voting elderly people. There was an old couple distributing flyers.

Lu Xu walked to the edge of the small flower bed at the door and was stopped.

The old woman with a small bouquet of flowers on her head handed him a flyer, but perhaps because he had a fierce face, she looked at him with a subconscious vigilance.

Lu Xu shrugged and walked away without paying too much attention. Under the light of the polling station, he glanced at the flyer.

It was an introduction to four criminals, which he had already seen a lot of on the TV in the shop today. But as he was about to put the flyer in his pocket, he realized that there was a letter written in blood on the back of the flyer.

The letter detailed how the usurer, Zhao Yi, had forced a desperate woman into a corner, eventually leading to her suicide.

The old woman’s crying voice came faintly from the wind. “Zhao Yi drove my granddaughter to death. I beg you, good people, that beast deserves his crime! My granddaughter was in debt to him because she wanted to treat her old grandmother. It should have been me who died, not my poor little granddaughter. I beg you! I beg you!”

The old woman knelt down as she said this, and the old men and women who had come to vote comforted her. The cries, the tragic accusations, and the comforting words were unsettling.

Lu Xu looked at the scene and suddenly remembered that his mother seemed to have knelt down in front of the police station in the same way.

The woman who failed to bribe with her body knelt in front of the police, begging the law enforcers to give her son another chance, but clearly, the strict law wouldn’t change because of a woman’s knees.

But today, it may change due to an old woman’s kneeling.

Lu Xu felt it was very gratifying, but also had a feeling of annoyance that he couldn’t describe. However, he was here for revenge today, so he unhesitatingly chose to walk straight into the polling station, and he must not turn back.

The time was still early, and not many people were in line at the polling station. There was a small, deep-blue tent partitioned off with a rainproof cloth in the farthest area. After lifting the curtain to go in and vote, no one would know what that person chose.

Lu Xu presented his ID to the staff. After it was checked and approved, the staff handed him a simple ballot, with a question he could almost recite backwards.

—I will vote in favor of executing four criminals who were not assigned capital punishment to save more people.

A. Yes
B. No

Lu Xu looks at the government worker next to him, at the old man coming out from behind the curtain, and then back down at the multiple-choice question on the ballot. He felt a sense of reality and absurdity he had never experienced before.

The staff member lightly pushed his shoulder, indicating that he could go in and vote.

He walked into the small tent, dumbfounded, like a marionette.

It was a tiny space that could only accommodate one person standing. The lighting was dim, which felt even more oppressive for someone as fat as him. In front of him was a surveillance camera, a simple pencil on the table, and a locked voting box. He peeked into the voting box, only seeing layers of white paper.

Lu Xu placed the ballot on the table, staring at the blunt 2B pencil, still feeling incredulous. Just by picking up the pencil, he could indirectly decide Qian Bao’s life and death?

He felt there was no reason not to fill in “Yes”, but every time he reached for the pencil, it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. He realized he didn’t even have the courage to pick it up.

From afar, the faint crying of an old lady made this cramped space even quieter. This might be the first time in Lu Xu’s life that he felt the world was so heavy yet so serene. The quietness made him question: This choice should be a no-brainer, so why can’t he choose “Yes”?

The light was still on, the pencil was still there, no one was rushing him. Time flowed meaninglessly. Gradually, Lu Xu seemed to see his dazed life. He saw the clueless boy standing at the dock facing the police, saw himself being pinned down by the police over and over again, saw the judge speaking time and again, the jail door closing time and again. And then, all these complicated images disappear, freezing at the simplest moment.

A young prison guard patted his shoulder and told him, “Be good and never come back again.”

It was only in such quiet moments that he finally understood the meaning of this phrase he had heard so often. This wasn’t some automated farewell, nor false advice, but a sincere hope.

“Reform and be a good person.”

This was probably the fairest chance the world gave to every criminal who didn’t deserve to die. It was also the maximum goodwill formed when all viewpoints converged. He had enjoyed such forgiveness many times before, but at that time, he didn’t think he still had a chance.

Looking at the paper on the table, Lu Xu felt he didn’t need to think any more.

When he left the polling station, Lu Xu started to cry.

The old man handing out leaflets in the morning light was hunched over and unsteady on his feet.In the distance was a weak sunrise. He raised his head, looking at the hazy daylight, and wished he could tell his 17-year-old self—Don’t go to the docks for 50 yuan, you fool.

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Full Server First Kill Ch23

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 23: True Attributes

At 3 in the morning, Nol, wearing a goat bone mask and holding a broken staff, stood atop the church bell tower.

Teest also wore a black cloak. He had tied his long hair into a bun, and used the Player skill “Anonymous”. Underneath his hood was complete darkness.

From this scene alone, neither of them was up to any good.

A week had passed since they discovered the truth about Margaret’s disappearance.

The City Lord, using his daughter’s name, still refused to let people leave the city. On the surface, he appeared to be working well with the Investigation Knights.

The merchant leaders complained bitterly, but they were helpless.

Only Nol knew that during this period, the City Lord was busy fabricating the works of the “Mad Monk”. He didn’t voluntarily show them to Nol, and Nol didn’t want to inquire further. He was only responsible for extracting the City Lord’s plans. Asking anything more could lead to mistakes.

Tonight was the day of the City Lord’s operation.

Not far from the church, in a dark alley, an Eternalist was transporting a skeleton wrapped in golden thread.

It was the remains of a young girl. The skeleton was pure white, bound by gold thread in a praying position. At the legs of the skeleton were ripe fruits, the ribs stuffed with blooming red roses, and the eyes were filled with balls of golden thread.

A layer of white gauze covered the top of the skull, hanging down behind the skeleton like folded wings.

The skeleton’s mouth was slightly open, as if chanting a prayer. Its teeth were wrapped in gold thread, with the ends fixed below the cheekbones, looking like a creepy smile.

Although the idea of blaming the “Mad Monk” was Nol’s, seeing this scene still made him uneasy.

“That guy, after killing people, always dismembers the bodies and then stitches them back with golden thread. He even arranges the bodies into images of followers from the scriptures and places them provocatively at the church entrance—that guy even sews a smile onto them!”

The appearance of the corpse was consistent with Mr. Kurt’s description, but…

[This isn’t exactly stitching a dismembered body back together,] Nol murmured, rubbing the goosebumps on his arm.

[Well, this represents ‘Skeleton Girl Margaret’, a follower from the Book of Life.] Teest’s thoughts came through. [The Mad Monk likes to transform bodies into images of followers. It can be said that he’s ‘staying true to the original’.]

[You still read the scriptures from the Temple of Life?] Nol scoffed.

[Don’t you ever read books?] Teest scoffed back.

Below them, more Eternalists carefully cast illusions in the shadows. The City Lord, dressed in black, watched from a distance.

With the city sealed for several days and the limited number of elites from the Eternal Church, the City Lord had to personally oversee the operation. Under Nol’s continuous hints and insinuations, he genuinely didn’t want to face failure again.

The illusion quickly took effect, and the skeleton and its transporter disappeared. According to the plan, it would be transported to the front of the church, while Nol, the “powerful external aid”, would take care of the Investigation Knights nearby.

…Like hell he would actually lift a finger!

Nol dropped a message into the communication crystal, saying “Everything’s going smoothly”, and, along with Teest, peered around to watch the action.

As expected, as soon as the body entered the church’s security perimeter, there was an anomaly.

Numerous white flames lit up around the church, illuminating its vicinity as if it were daytime.

The flames were two to three meters high, separated by just half a step, burning in the air. Under the bright light, the illusion disappeared like a bubble, exposing the transporting Eternalists.

The flames weren’t limited to the vicinity of the church. Centered on the church, there were three rings of flames, encircling the distant Eternalists.

They looked like bars of a prison.

Knight Eugene stepped out of the church’s main entrance, followed by a dozen knights in silver armor. He smiled brilliantly, his expression no different from when he met Nol.

“Good evening, dear sinners,” Eugene greeted cheerfully, pointing his sword.

Before the Eternalists could react, their heads exploded. Blood sprayed from the severed necks, staining the carefully prepared skeleton.

The decapitated body slowly fell and hit the ground heavily.

Nol stiffened with a curious expression still frozen on his face.

“As expected, it’s not the Mad Monk,” Eugene said calmly, seemingly unsurprised. “Gentlemen, it’s time for praise.”

The knights behind him scattered, rushing towards the Eternalists hiding in various corners. Flames rose into the sky as magic clashed, and the clear sound of blades piercing flesh was especially sharp.

Only one female knight lagged slightly behind—she opened her tightly closed eyes, filled with bright white light.

Afterward, she seemed to sense something and dashed straight in the direction of City Lord Swain. With a smile on his face, Eugene followed closely behind.

Lord Swain had no desire to linger in the fight. Clutching the mask on his face, shadows danced around his feet like living creatures. His silhouette grew more and more hazy, blending seamlessly with the night.

[Let’s head back,] Nol suggested.

Born in a peaceful era, he had no stomach for the bloody spectacle of battle.

[Go back now?] Teest responded in disappointment. [The show has just begun.]

[We’ve achieved our objective. Staying any longer will only put us in danger,] Nol said, sincerity evident in his voice.

By now, the Investigation Knights could ascertain that the case wasn’t the work of the Mad Monk. And without Nol, the powerful ally, the City Lord had made several blunders in his operations. Regardless of whether Swain managed to escape, having captured many Eternalist, they were sure to extract some confessions.

In this way, without any further intervention, their mission would be a success.

However, a sense of unease gnawed at Nol.

One thing still puzzled him—Margaret had falsely claimed to have seen the Mad Monk. The disappearance case had nothing to do with the Mad Monk, so why was there a requirement in the mission to “witness the Mad Monk”?

Even if the Mad Monk were in Whitebird City, the quest description shouldn’t be written like that. It could seriously mislead the Players.

It didn’t seem like the work of an AI creating and releasing quests into reality. Instead, it felt more like a system summarizing events and mechanically extracting quests.

Suddenly, a strong scent of blood wafted from behind. Instinctively turning his head, Nol was met with the cold gleam of a sword blade mere inches from his face.

Teest had drawn his blade, the “Betrayer”, in the nick of time, deflecting the incoming dagger.

The assailant, a figure in a cloak and mask, gave a whistle and gracefully jumped to the other side of the bell tower. Beside him was another tall, similarly dressed figure.

In the dim night, four cloaked figures faced each other.

Nol’s senses were instantly on high alert. The two figures had approached without him sensing them at all.

They were skilled, and they meant harm.

“To think we’d have guests. What a pleasant surprise.” The assailant laughed, sounding quite young.

Knowing that the Investigation Knights were below, it wasn’t wise to stay here long. Just as Teest was about to pull Nol to make their escape, both froze in place.

…A petrification status effect.

“Not so fast.” The assailant’s tone was teasing and sly, akin to the flick of a snake’s tongue over the skin.

His mask was made of dark gray metal with a delicate black gem embedded in its forehead. After a few seconds, Nol recognized the damn item—

[Predator’s Gaze: Consumes 1,000 MP per use, unlimited uses. The item compares the average attributes of both teams. If the user’s side is stronger, the enemy team will be petrified for 30 seconds. If the enemy is stronger, the item has no effect, and the consumed MP won’t be returned.]

‘I’m sorry, Teest. It’s my fault,’ Nol lamented inwardly.

Regardless of Teest’s exceptional attributes, being averaged with Nol’s cursed ones significantly lowered their combined strength.

Worse, the assailant drew a high-grade magic stone from his pocket, which contained 10,000 MP. With this stone alone, he could control them for over five minutes.

Suddenly, Nol sensed a presence approaching rapidly—the metallic scent of armor.

[Petrification is the effect of an item, and that item needs to be activated manually every 30 seconds.] Nol quickly relayed this thought to Teest. [If you get a chance to escape, leave without me.]

[What about you?]

[I’ll figure something out.] Was Nol’s decisive response.

Teest was silent for a few seconds. [Why?]

[That item compares the average attributes of both sides. We lost and were petrified because I dragged you down,] Nol admitted candidly.

Being a Player, perhaps Teest wouldn’t truly die, but the penalties for death were severe, and the near-death experience would be genuine pain.

Even if they were truly married, Teest had no obligation to sacrifice himself for him, especially since they really weren’t.

[I understand.] Was Teest’s response.

In the very moment of their silent exchange, the person Nol sensed rushed up to the tower.

A young Investigation Knight with his sword radiating a brilliant light, charged at the assailant holding the magic stone. In response, the magic stone emitted a milky-white glow.

Now’s the time! Nol held his breath, waiting for the moment the assailant would be too preoccupied to notice…

In the darkness of night, countless dark red light traces burst open in an instant. These were the trajectories of the short sword’s blade, blooming like abrupt flowers on the young knight.

The knight halted in his movements, seemingly unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Tiny droplets of blood oozed from his skin, slowly connecting into bloodlines. The next moment, the knight shattered on the spot into hundreds of fragments.

Blood and chunks of flesh instantly covered the ground, and the smell of iron and gore was so strong it was dizzying. Whether it was the sturdy armor or the soft skin, their edges were incredibly smooth, like cut butter.

From his appearance to his death, the knight’s end came in just a few seconds.

“Aren’t you going to say anything? Petrification shouldn’t affect your ability to speak.”

The assailant spoke with an air of casualness, as if he had just swatted a mosquito. He reached out to remove Nol’s mask, but the petrification effect kept it firmly in place, not budging.

The man grunted, suddenly lifting his short sword and plunging it into Nol’s eye socket, where a blue flame burned. The tip of the sword entered an empty cavity, but still caused damage.

[HP: 75/100]

“Interesting. A puppet? A golem? …Ah, I should ask your master.” The assailant held his sword, ready to turn to Teest—

“Are you a ‘Demon’ of the Eternal Church?” At this moment, Nol spoke in the muted tone of the undead.

This guy was dangerous. He needed to divert his attention to give Teest a chance.

“It’s actually kind of funny that you’re wearing a goat mask while asking that. Well… I can’t deny it. I suppose so.” The assailant turned back.

Nol had guessed right. This guy was quite talkative, so maybe he could gather more information. But just as Nol was about to speak—

A magic fluctuation from a communication crystal emanated from the assailant.

“My Lord!” The desperate cry of Lord Swain came through the crystal. “Please, please save me… I can’t deal with Eugene. I know you’re nearby! Please…”

“I decline,” the assailant replied cheerily. “What’s the point of this play without its main actor like you?”

“But we… You clearly…”

The assailant smirked. “Don’t you get it, Swain? Your clumsy framing has been exposed. We’re here to complete our mission. ‘Completing the mission’ and ‘helping you’ aren’t the same thing.”

“Good luck, dear Lord Swain.”

With that, he crushed the communication crystal.

He then turned to Nol and Teest, smiling as he took out a black candle from his pocket. Nol had seen this candle in the City Lord’s secret passage, and it still emanated a powerful sense of disharmony.

The assailant held it gently in his palm.

“Well, it’s time for work.” He stepped over the fragments of the knight’s body, leisurely approaching the two. “It’s an honor to be a sacrifice. You can thank me.”

“Thank you,” Teest said, naturally reaching out with his left hand and taking the black candle. The move was so smooth that it looked as if the assailant had just handed him a seasoning bottle.

Assailant: “…?”

Nol: “…???”

Before Nol could express his shock, Teest hugged his waist and leaped towards the base of the bell tower. Meanwhile, the system prompt echoed in Nol’s head—

[Your teammate has deactivated the passive skill “Camouflage”. Attributes refreshed… Enemy item in effect, recalculating average team attribute values…]

[Your team’s average attribute value is higher.]

[Petrification status has been removed.]

“Leaving alone isn’t fun,” Teest whispered in his ear amidst the howling wind.

“Let’s go together, Nol.”

The author has something to say:

End of free chapters! Entering VIP chapters after. Nol obtains a powerful weapon, Teest encounters a setback!

——

Preview of my next work. For details see the author’s column~

<Help!>

Recently, there’s been a terrifying legend circulating among the monsters: If, while hunting humans, you encounter a frail young man wearing a red T-shirt shouting “Help!”, you must not approach him, or else you might suffer immense psychological trauma.

Confident demons and monsters: Really? I don’t believe it. I’ll give it a try.

Later on, the monster leader, holding a cup of tea and speaking with a grave tone, said, “What exactly do you want?”

The young man in the red T-shirt shyly smiled. “I was wondering if I could join you guys. Is that alright?”

Monster leader: ?!?

A story of a clueless monster gong x peculiar-minded shou.

Pseudo-infinite flow(?) related. A bizarre adventure tale where the monsters are outrageous, but the humans are even more so.

Kinky Thoughts:

This is the last of the free chapters on jjwxc. If you’ve been enjoying the novel so far and are able to, please consider supporting the author by buying the raws. You can use Google Chrome with their auto translate and this guide on how to buy novels on jjwxc. Remember, only with your (financial) support can artists continue to produce more great works.

The author’s note is a summary of her next work. I look forward to it, as I love infinite/unlimited flow, and of course, anything by Nian Zhong.

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Evil As Humans Ch240

Kinky4 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 240: Revenge

[Now that Yin Ren and the others are fighting against Love, Shen Mo won’t retreat on his own.] With the assistance of Dr. Cat, Jiao Lian’s communication entered everyone’s minds. [Delaying time and protecting the people is the priority.]

[I know. This guy is originally a coward who fears death.]

Meng Huai caused another explosion, forcing Shen Mo to teleport again.

The use of the Charon’s teleportation required a significant amount of power and a great deal of physical stamina for attacking and defending against the Meng and Zhong duo. Surprisingly, Shen Mo, with the help of his Charon ability, was able to hold his ground against the two of them. The surrounding Elementals scattered in disarray, with some larger Elementals openly preying on smaller ones. Blood splattered, creating a chaotic scene.

Fortunately, the survivors on the white net were completely cleared out and sent to Fu Tianyi’s imagined stronghold. Shen Mo still clung on without letting go, evidently taking advantage of the absence of the stronger high-level Elementals, determined to gain some benefits.

If they had the upper hand, Shen Mo could temporarily escape and bide his time; if they had the lower hand and weren’t careful, they could lose their lives here.

[Xiao Jiao, your Charon ability is quite troublesome.] Meng Huai said. [This won’t work if it continues.]

[Wait until Yin Ren and the others are more secure.] Jiao Lian calmly reiterated.

[Time is difficult to control. If one of us, either me or Chengfeng, goes down, the other definitely won’t be able to hold on. Even if that kid Fu Tianyi guards the secret, Shen Mo can still find the survivors by interrogating the “Lonelies”.] Meng Huai said. [The risk is too great; we must quickly resolve it… How many more times can he use his current strength to teleport?]

[According to the data model provided by Minister Jiao, around seventeen times. However, the past is too long ago, and there’s insufficient data, so there will definitely be errors.] Dr. Cat interrupted.

Jiao Lian: [The data isn’t accurate. It can only serve as a reference. With Shen Mo’s personality, he won’t push himself to the limit. Once he doesn’t have enough teleportation left, he will retreat.]

[Tsk.] Meng Huai clicked her tongue heavily.

Not far away, Fu Tianyi’s red attire emerged from the group of Elementals. Shen Mo instantly teleported, extending his hand towards Fu Tianyi’s chest. Zhong Chengfeng’s bullets poured down, causing Shen Mo to hastily retreat several steps. He evidently had reservations about his own stamina and only used teleportation when necessary.

Doesn’t he have any weaknesses?

To transfer a large number of survivors, it would undoubtedly require reception in the human world and a relatively long transportation time. In this process, if even one survivor was snatched away, it would bring endless troubles. Simply delaying time and pushing the troublesome matters onto the “stronger individuals” as a matter of course, Meng Huai’s chest felt a bit uncomfortable.

In the past thirty years, her thoughts had never been so active.

Though Shen Mo had some issues with his head, he was cautious and cunning, employing vicious methods… But people always have weaknesses, and he definitely has weaknesses on the battlefield…

[Don’t force yourself.] Jiao Lian’s voice sounded in Meng Huai’s ear. [Pay attention to stamina consumption. You and Chengfeng must maintain your distance…]

[I have an idea.] Meng Huai said.

[What is it?]

[Fu Tianyi, retreat to the operational stronghold!] Meng Huai didn’t answer and instead directed her thoughts to Fu Tianyi. [Chengfeng and I will join you shortly!]

As a backup in the operation, Fu Tianyi quickly took action. With a flick of the black and white fragmented flesh, he disappeared into the air.

[Chengfeng, you’re next. I’ll cover you.]

[Okay.] Zhong Chengfeng didn’t waste any words.

In the next instant, Zhong Chengfeng also disappeared.

With the sudden disappearance of the two enemies, Shen Mo quickly became vigilant—was Shian giving up on capturing him and prioritizing self-preservation?

…How naive.

Seeing Meng Huai also using Elemental flesh, Shen Mo gathered his strength and teleported behind her. Just as her spell took effect, he suddenly hugged Meng Huai.

At the same time, Shen Mo prepared for the next teleportation. If it turned out to be a trap, he would escape immediately.

Colors distorted and shadows flew. Shen Mo was faced with multiple layers of darkness and an extremely strong Evil Force.

However, apart from Meng Huai herself, he didn’t sense any surveillance or hostility in the surroundings. There were a few people not far away, and they didn’t deliberately suppress their aura, giving off a very relaxed feeling.

It really was Shian’s imagined stronghold.

As his thoughts raced, Shen Mo hesitated for a moment.

However, at that moment, Meng Huai spun around—she broke free from Shen Mo’s restraint, twisted her body, and jumped. Her legs directly locked around Shen Mo’s waist from behind. Meng Huai grabbed Shen Mo’s neck with one hand and held a small Elemental’s corpse hanging nearby with the other.

The position they were in happened to be Shian’s “Other Side arsenal”.

Blinding white light suddenly erupted, releasing a powerful aura of magic.

Sensing the danger, Shen Mo activated his teleportation.

‘Too naive,’ he thought. Holding onto her was useless; as long as he didn’t want to, Meng Huai could only fall foolishly back to the original spot. However, he had memorized the location of Shian’s stronghold…

…Wait.

His body felt heavy.

Shen Mo lowered his head and was horrified.

The white light magic from earlier wasn’t a magic attack at all—Meng Huai’s entire left lower leg had fused with his abdomen, completely sticking them together.

Meng Huai was now a part of him.

And this part showed no mercy. Meng Huai held a handful of Elemental flesh and blood, directly covering Shen Mo’s temple—

“Boom!”

Shen Mo instantly teleported, sending the explosion to another space. If not for that, his head would have been blown off.

Lunatic.

At such close range, if he didn’t move, Meng Huai behind him would undoubtedly die as well. But Meng Huai didn’t hesitate in the slightest. Before Shen Mo could say anything, Elemental flesh and blood were once again pressed against the back of his neck.

Boom—!!

Teleport, teleport, teleport again. Meng Huai continuously triggered explosions, not giving Shen Mo any chance to attack.

This woman was truly insane.

She had no idea how many more teleportations he had left. If she made the wrong judgment, both of them would explode and die here. Shen Mo couldn’t understand at all—why risk their lives like this? They should have waited for Yin Ren to come and clean up the mess.

She clearly had countless opportunities for follow-ups and could make so many plans!

Boom! Boom!! Boom!!!

With each explosion forcefully thrown behind him, Shen Mo desperately dug at the leg fused into his abdomen. However, after a few harsh attacks, besides the excruciating pain, he could see his own internal organs. Faced with the dripping blood and slippery innards, Shen Mo gave up on further self-harm.

Damn it!

He was like a person on fire, constantly teleporting to various dangerous places, hoping to shake off the crazed woman behind him. However, this woman only knew how to do one thing—casting spells and causing explosions.

The Other Side, the Interstitial Space, the Mortal Realm, and then back to the Other Side.

He had tried the most distorted places on the Other Side and the most bustling neighborhoods in the Mortal Realm. Once he arrived in the Mortal Realm, this woman would always use a spell to sever the nearest dead thing and aim for his carotid artery. Helplessly, Shen Mo had to return to the Other Side and let that lethal inanimate object vanish into thin air.

The Other Side was still better. Even if his neck was pierced, he wouldn’t die immediately.

Shen Mo initially thought that this high-intensity teleportation would make Meng Huai, who rarely appeared in the Mortal Realm, hesitate or weaken. Who knew that amidst the thunderous explosions, she even let out a series of laughter, as if mocking him.

With this humanoid burden, the number of times Shen Mo could teleport was directly halved. What was even more fatal was that he couldn’t think calmly while being chased by the God of Death.

Could he shake off this woman the next time? And the time after that? And the time after that?

The spells cut through Meng Huai’s shoulder and pierced through her thigh, but she held onto him like a drowning person clutching onto a piece of driftwood; her fingers almost digging into Shen Mo’s flesh.

His strength gradually faded, and finally, Shen Mo only had two chances left.

This couldn’t go on. He would end up like Jiao Lian, trapped in an unknown corner. He absolutely didn’t want such an ending.

…Right, he had experienced a desperate situation when facing Shian.

He had also practiced methods to deal with these people.

After another explosion, Shen Mo immediately teleported back to the initial location—the small cold storage filled with Elemental corpses.

At this moment, Meng Huai was bleeding profusely; her body had almost twisted into a mass of shredded flesh. Shen Mo was also gasping for breath, in an unusually disheveled state.

The cold storage remained empty as usual, but the presence of the Shian team could be felt next door.

“Explode?” Shen Mo grabbed a nearby piece of Elemental flesh with one hand and spoke in a weak voice. “If you have the ability, explode everything, including those next door… Let me see… Five people buried together. I won’t be at a loss. The more, the merrier.”

“We either die together,” his voice became increasingly mocking, “or you shut up and don’t make a sound… Quickly pull out your leg…”

Amidst the blood, Meng Huai’s gaze slowly shifted, looking at Shen Mo’s hand gripping the Elemental flesh. That hand was trembling, and it was difficult to tell if it was due to nervousness or spasms. A strong aura accumulated within it, ready to burst forth.

This guy was truly getting ruthless.

Jiao Lian and her colleagues, Zhong Chengfeng, Fu Tianyi, and even Dr. Cat, were all next door, perhaps still waiting for her.

She lowered her eyes expressionlessly. “…I understand. I’ll pull it out.”

“You’re only allowed to use the severing spell, and I’ll be watching your every move. If you make any other actions, I’ll immediately detonate this place,” Shen Mo said hoarsely.

“Mm.” Meng Huai didn’t waste any more words. She extended her bloody right arm, gradually forming the severing spell. A dark blue light blade appeared in front of her right hand, touching the edge of the leg.

In the next instant, Shen Mo initiated the teleportation.

He couldn’t give that woman any chance to attack him. He was mentally prepared—if he just shifted his body slightly, he could intercept and sever Meng Huai’s leg at the knee. With the burden of an extra leg, his teleportation wouldn’t go wrong.

Stupid woman.

Whether it was Jiao Lian over twenty years ago or Meng Huai now, kind-hearted people always fall for this trick.

He succeeded, and as long as he recovered his strength in Sunken Society, he could… he could…

Shen Mo’s thoughts suddenly stagnated for a second.

In front of him, there was only unfamiliar darkness and chaos. He should have teleported to the vicinity of the passage in Sunken Society.

A jumble of miscellaneous items formed a pile, constantly wriggling on the tunnel wall. The scene here was disorderly, as if it were the most chaotic place in the interstitial space. The ecstatic feeling of surviving against all odds crashed down heavily, leaving behind an unbelievable mess.

What’s going on…

Shen Mo lowered his head and looked at his abdomen.

What the woman left behind wasn’t just a piece of a leg. His abdomen was connected to the entire left leg, and the leg still had a layer of flesh hanging on it. At the end of the flesh, it carried the entire left arm and part of the left shoulder. Like this, the complete arm and leg were intertwined with soft flesh, heavily coiled in his abdomen. Fresh blood flowed, dyeing Shen Mo’s body half-red.

Meng Huai directly cut off almost half of her own body and very accurately avoided vital organs.

He completely miscalculated the weight on his body.

The teleportation failed.

Shen Mo lifted his blood-stained hand, touching the limb still warm with body heat. After leaving the torso, they gradually turned into cold, lifeless objects.

Why? How could this happen?

He could only think of one explanation—Meng Huai knew early on that he had nowhere to go and would return to the Shian base. She knew what kind of threat she would face and even knew that she needed to strike instantly and with careful consideration.

From the retreat of the Shian team to Meng Huai sacrificing almost half of her body. From the beginning, everything was planned.

But that couldn’t be. When Meng Huai was in the Mortal Realm, they had little interaction. Before he betrayed them, Meng Huai had already disappeared, and he couldn’t access detailed records.

How could Meng Huai understand him as a “Charon” like this?

Speaking of which, who was the rear commander in this battle?

Shen Mo raised his head, looking at the boundless chaos. Exhausted to the extreme, the surrounding miscellaneous items began to slowly merge into his body. He struggled to push those items away, but it was like wading into a swamp—no matter how hard he tried, the items would keep coming.

Tattered leather jackets, a leaking bag, cracked belts… Shen Mo knew that the more frantic his emotions became, the faster the chaos invaded. But the faster the chaos invaded, the more frantic he became.

After all, no one could deceive their true feelings.

It shouldn’t be like this. It shouldn’t be like this.

It wasn’t the end for him yet. He had to escape from here as soon as possible; he still had many things to do. Even that mortal, Wei Huaqian, was still running around in the Mortal Realm. How could he perish here…

Regret, fear, and madness intertwined as the miscellaneous items wriggled even faster.

They infiltrated his wounds, climbed up his body along Meng Huai’s flesh, and covered his senses. Amidst the silent compression, blood vessels clung to worn-out leather jackets, strands of hair crawled over the cracked bag, and bones and belts were inseparable. Shen Mo’s features flowed along the worn-out leather, gradually becoming uneven in size. In just over ten minutes, he lost his human form.

In the boundless silence, amidst the surging miscellaneous items, there was only a pile of leather goods with facial features, all tinged with a reddish hue.

It shouldn’t be… like this…

At the end, Shen Mo couldn’t figure out why all of this had happened. Fortunately, he would have nearly infinite time to contemplate.

Shian’s base on the Other Side, the weapons arsenal.

Meng Huai mustered up her last bit of strength and grabbed hold of a nearby Elemental flesh. The healing magic glowed as if it cost nothing, and she frantically smashed it onto her body. After struggling for a while, she finally managed to stop the bleeding.

“Haha, serves him right.”

Having barely controlled her injuries, she collapsed into her own pool of blood. The cold storage room was still the same one she had seen for nearly thirty years, with countless shadows of small Elementals swaying before her.

Taking a deep breath after catching her breath, Meng Huai exclaimed, “Help, everyone—!!!”

The author has something to say:

You didn’t expect this, a battle of humans against humans—

Otherwise, Xiao Yin would be too busy! (…

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

Sendoff Ch73

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 73: The Arcane Arts

Tired to the point of exhaustion didn’t delay someone’s early rising.

At the hour of the tiger, Shi Jingzhi writhed around Yin Ci’s side a few times before pulling himself up. Little did he know that this time his talented disciple didn’t laze in bed either. Like peanuts being pulled, he followed Shi Jingzhi and emerged from the blankets.

There was no trace of Yan Qing in the room. Ever since he acquired the Sword of Compassion and the “Jade Bell Sword Technique”, it seemed like Yan Qing had firecrackers tied behind his head. He would explode whenever he slacked off. Only Su Si slept sprawled on the mat, with Lord Bai curled up like a snowball pressing against his chest.

Shi Jingzhi kicked the blanket near his feet and covered Su Si, whose hands and feet were exposed. Then he dragged his drowsy disciple back to the front hall, moving quietly.

The elderly seldom slept much. Granny Wei was already busy in the hall. The sky outside was still dark, but it was adorned with a beautiful indigo color when illuminated by the snow. They didn’t know whether Elder Chen had slept or not, but he was still glued to the table, most likely still pondering his path to immortality.

“The young man with red eyes went out to practice swordsmanship.”

Granny Wei smiled warmly as she fetched a basin of hot water. The soup in the pot was still the same, with a consistent aroma, though it was uncertain if salt was added today.

Shi Jingzhi glanced at Chen Qianfan out of the corner of his eye. This old man was at least from the Jianchen Temple and had also been beaten by the Sword of Compassion. He definitely wouldn’t overlook anything. Unexpectedly, when Chen Qianfan saw the descendant of the Yan family wielding that sword and leaving, he remained as steady as Mount Tai, composed and unruffled, without a hint of surprise.

He was too calm.

Chen Qianfan seemed to sense Shi Jingzhi’s gaze but couldn’t be bothered to lift his eyelids. “Today, I’ll take that girl to dig for materials. You all should contribute as well. Tell that dead-faced boy to come with me. And as for you, think carefully about whether you want to discard your memories or gamble your life.”

Shi Jingzhi made a quick decision. “I’ll go too.”

Finally, Chen Qianfan raised his precious eyes and glanced at Shi Jingzhi. “What are you going for? Itching for something to do? I only need one of you, too many eyes are annoying.”

“Master’s diagnoses is clear, so it’s best to deal with the problem efficiently*. His medical treatment isn’t like those people in the martial world, asking for strange rewards. Actually, I’m also suffering from a peculiar illness and would like to ask Master for advice.”

*Cut the mess quickly (快刀斩乱麻) Metaphor referring to handling things decisively, grasping the key points, and solving the problem quickly.

“You’ve got some nerve, even holding in a fart until the next day. Well, fine. I do hate it when people ask for too much at once. Come over here.”

After half an incense stick’s time.

“Can’t be cured, can’t be cured. Either wait for a stroke of luck or wait for death,” Chen Qianfan said bluntly.

Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci: “…”

Chen Qianfan glared at them. “What’s wrong? This is an inherent ailment. I’ve lived this long seeking immortality. Why should I bother with someone else’s problem from birth? But your condition is too peculiar. I’m afraid no one in the Central Plains can diagnose it.”

Shi Jingzhi didn’t have high expectations to begin with and didn’t show disappointment. “Senior has sharp eyes. This illness is indeed extraordinary, and I am currently seeking desperate measures to save myself.”

Shi Jingzhi remained calm, and Chen Qianfan’s temper softened slightly. “Hmm, it’s an unconventional solution. I’m somewhat interested in that desperate measure, but my old arms and legs can’t compete with a young person.”

Speaking of this, he showed a somewhat regretful expression. “There is still more than half a year of lifespan left… It’s a pity. Your inner force is so abundant—clearly a good material for spellcasting.”

“Senior is too kind. To be honest, this junior wants to accompany senior on this journey to learn—”

Elder Chen returned to the table with his hands behind his back and began manipulating the monster corpse again. “I wasn’t praising you. I just said that your body is full of inner force, suitable for use as material for crafting weapons and formations.”

Shi Jingzhi: “…”

So “material” was meant literally.

It turned out that this old man wasn’t regretting his own short life but rather lamenting that he couldn’t die at this moment, allowing him to skin and dissect Shi Jingzhi for research.

Shi Jingzhi took two steps back, half hiding behind his disciple. The politeness in his tone wavered. “…This junior still wants to go.”

Elder Chen looked him up and down; his semi-long beard trembling slightly. His tone became somewhat gentler. “Alright.”

Shi Jingzhi suspected that this kindness wasn’t directed at him but rather at his physical body. He guessed that Elder Chen felt the excellent material was out of reach, so he could at least take a look. Fortunately, with the assurance of the Jianchen Temple, Chen Qianfan couldn’t possibly be a person who killed and desecrated corpses. Shi Jingzhi mustered up his courage and joined the expedition.

The breakfast soup this time had salt in it, and the taste was unexpectedly good.

After the meal, Granny Wei continued to embroider her flowers as usual, humming a vulgar tune she had picked up from somewhere. “The warm breeze loves the charming peach branches, the spring river is calm, whose home is filled with spring…”

Her dialect wasn’t quite accurate, but the melody of this song was spot-on. Even when sung in an elderly voice, the melody remained soft and pleasant, carrying a touch of lingering notes, adding a hint of southern water vapor to the northern land.

Chen Qianfan chewed on cud like a cow, pretending not to hear. He took the food prepared by Granny Wei, turned himself into a luggage rack, and leisurely walked out without even saying goodbye.

The snow didn’t reach their calves. Chen Qianfan led the way at the forefront, and the group walked at a moderate pace.

Yin Ci remained silent throughout the journey, resisting the impulse to glance at Shi Jingzhi. He still couldn’t figure out how to intervene in this matter in a gentle manner. Poor him; he had never acted as a father to anyone in his hundreds of years of existence. This was the first time he experienced a feeling of helplessness.

Although he picked up Sun Huaijin when Sun Huaijin was only eleven or twelve years old, Yin Ci always felt that something was different.

Shi Jingzhi didn’t really “expect” anything from him.

Sun Huaijin was indeed an ordinary person who needed guidance in every aspect. But the Little Mute never truly regarded him as a father, and Shi Jingzhi didn’t need his care either. With his exquisite senses and dexterous skills, even though he liked to cause some physical pain to himself, Shi Jingzhi knew it wouldn’t endanger his life.

Ever since his inner demon emerged, Shi Jingzhi’s understanding of human emotions had grown rapidly. On the other hand, Yin Ci, since his birth, had never treated people with a gentle and soft demeanor. Even when he previously felt distressed about someone’s injury, his actions were filled with the dominance of a superior.

Shi Jingzhi fully accepted it, thinking that it wasn’t because he was indecisive or soft-hearted but rather to avoid conflict with him.

Neither of them knew who was taking care of whom, and the more Yin Ci thought about it, the more powerless he felt.

For trivial matters, forcing Shi Jingzhi to make such a big decision would probably put an end to their hard-earned friendship. The tangled mess in his hands became warm and alive, and Demonic Lord Yin’s swift blade couldn’t cut through it, giving him a headache.

Yin Ci wasn’t the only one pondering this. Shi Zhongyu also cared about her sect leader and had already run halfway with her three souls and seven spirits. Her knees were almost stiff. Shi Jingzhi walked at the back of the group, feeling bitter in his heart.

Clearly, he was the one facing life and death, yet at this moment, he had become a gravedigger, urging two young and beautiful bodies forward. With the addition of the silent Elder Chen, no matter how he looked at it, he was the most energetic one among the group.

However, Shi Jingzhi’s enthusiasm didn’t last long. As the sun rose, the sky became clear, and the snowscape seemed like a paradise on Earth. Unfortunately, Chen Qianfan insisted on taking the darkest path. The further the group walked, the more desolate the surroundings became, and the cold wind grew increasingly chilling. The scenery gradually became eerie, and a bone-chilling cold seeped into the depths of their bones.

Elder Chen stopped in front of a glacier.

The glacier was covered in pristine white snow, and embedded in the snow was a dead deer. The deer appeared aged, as if it had frozen to death in that spot. Its carcass lay on its side within the snow, relatively intact with no visible signs of blood.

The antlers of the deer were covered with strange-looking flesh bulbs, indicating that it was a deer monster with subtle transformation.

Chen Qianfan muttered indistinctly, took out a logbook, and made a mark. “We’ll use this as a guide today.”

Upon hearing that they were searching for materials, Shi Jingzhi initially thought they were going to hunt monsters or unearth some heavenly treasures. Now, facing a dead deer, he was a bit confused. “Guide?”

Chen Qianfan revealed a faint smirk. “Spells are difficult to make, but I have experience dealing with such difficulties. Materials are hard to find, so of course, the young ones should contribute too. Don’t babble nonsense. Shut up and watch. It’s not easy to find a big monster corpse. You all better work hard later so we don’t miss this opportunity.”

The other three people obediently stood in place.

Chen Qianfan first took out a bowl of dried, black-red fruits and scattered them on the deer corpse. Then he melted snow to make a small pot of thick medicinal juice, which he carefully poured around the deer corpse, forming a deep red pattern. The thick substance, like blood, didn’t disperse with the melted snow but instead formed clear traces.

Chen Qianfan meticulously painted the pattern; his steps were light, not stepping on even a trace of the medicine.

When the formation was complete, the intricate details dazzled the eyes, resembling the techniques used by Granny Wei.

Whether it was an illusion or not, Shi Jingzhi felt that the deer corpse seemed fresher now, not as stiff as before. It appeared to have recently died, emitting steam as if it were still warm.

Chen Qianfan touched and felt around, took out four dark-brown, coarse incense sticks, and stabbed one into the eyes of the deer monster. Once ignited, the incense emitted a blue flame, and the black smoke rose straight into the sky, causing one’s hair to stand on end.

Shi Jingzhi took a breath of cold air, feeling his teeth ache. No matter how he looked at it, this thing seemed more like dark magic than immortal arts.

“It’s done.”

Chen Qianfan turned around and leaped out of the formation. He shook his bundle and took out a bottle of dirty pills, pouring four into his hand. He didn’t care about the dirt and ash on his hands.

Those pills emitted a pungent and sour odor with a suspicious oily sheen.

Elder Chen didn’t mind and took one, crunching and chewing on it.

Shi Jingzhi held back a cry of despair and struggled to pick up one pill. He had some lingering hope, thinking that maybe it would only smell nauseating but not taste as extreme. However, as soon as it entered his mouth, it felt like a layer of rotten mud enveloped his tongue, bitter and greasy.

He stuffed a handful of snow into his mouth to suppress the strange taste. Even Shi Zhongyu grimaced, while Yin Ci remained indifferent.

“That was the Breath Halting Pill. In theory, you should hold your breath for a long time, but you youngsters definitely can’t do that… Using this, you can breathe slightly. Remember not to make loud noises or breathe heavily.”

Shi Jingzhi whispered, “Senior, can you hold your breath for a long time?”

“Naturally.”

“Then this pill…”

“About three to five years. It’s still fine.”

Shi Jingzhi wanted to cry without tears.

Finally, the incense stick inserted in the deer’s eye suddenly brightened. The black smoke on the incense abruptly changed direction, all pointing towards a nearby glacier like four taut black ropes.

“The Arcane Arts of the Queen of Milan. It’s here, it’s here,” Chen Qianfan said. “Listen to my commands later and don’t act rashly—especially you, boy with the fox eyes. Your inner force is too strong. If you recklessly damage the Arcane Arts, you’ll be opposing the entire Mishan Sect.”

Yin Ci couldn’t help but exclaim, “The Arcane Arts?”

He had heard of it before. According to the Mishan Sect, the Arcane Arts contained complex and profound spells. The Arcane Arts itself was also quite dangerous, and even the members of the Mishan Sect were reluctant to touch it unless necessary.

Yin Ci himself couldn’t perform such arts, and the masters of the Mishan Sect specialized in their own fields, so not many people were willing to study the Arcane Arts. He had skipped this clue and only investigated the existing arts of the Mishan Sect.

Who would have thought that today they would stumble upon it?

However, it was unexpected that the Arcane Arts wasn’t stored in a secretive location.

While everyone was speculating, the four incense sticks burned out.

At this moment, without Chen Qianfan explaining, Yin Ci already understood why the Arcane Arts couldn’t be stored and where the danger lay—

A sizable group was approaching in a grand manner.

The main composition of the group consisted of peculiar-looking insect and rat monsters, interspersed with several hundred larger monsters. The group of monsters swayed as they marched, lined up neatly like a funeral procession.

They surrounded a monstrous figure that was about five to six zhang tall.

Judging by its figure, the monstrous being resembled a woman, but her body wasn’t complete. Instead, it was made up of numerous pieced-together naked corpses. Her head was composed of thousands of heads, with densely packed faces stacked together, like something from a nightmare.

The bodies didn’t rot or bloat, emitting no foul smell of decay. On the pale skin, numerous dark red, ink-like worms crawled around, resembling living creatures.

Maintaining a kneeling position, it slowly moved forward with the group, and the countless heads on its “head” jostled and pushed, revealing a seam in the middle. Then, with its patched-together giant hands, it picked up the deer monster’s corpse and inserted it into the opening on its head.

After chewing slowly, it spat out a pile of broken bones. The surrounding smaller monsters swarmed over and devoured the remains.

“This is the Arcane Arts of the Queen of Milan. The ancient corpses on the Arcane Arts are essential materials for warding off disasters, and the spells on the ancient corpses are a unique creation of the queen herself. She dedicated her life’s study to it. With her own body as the core, she refined the most vicious weapon of Milan using her own corpse.”

Chen Qianfan whispered.

“This place is rich in resources, but in the past two hundred years, the original residents of Milan have all moved away, and only the Mishan Sect, skilled in the arts, has remained. Young ones, the Mishan Sect never settles in one place without reason.”

“Two hundred years ago, wherever humans and animals gathered, it would easily attract a group of monsters guided by this weapon. The weapon would devour those with the strongest inner force to sustain itself, while the monsters would consume their remains, coexisting with each other. Initially, it wasn’t called the Arcane Arts but was referred to as the ‘Queen’s Funeral’.”

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

Sendoff Ch72

Kinky4 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 72: Disaster Warding

Receiving such results, Yin Ci felt somewhat disappointed.

He lacked inner force and was unable to delve deep into the study of techniques. To unravel formations, one had to skillfully and precisely apply inner force, which required a great deal of practice. He only possessed theoretical knowledge, but when it came to the battlefield of “formations”, he was nothing more than an inexperienced scholar.

This formation was set up by a master, and Chen Qianfan could unravel half of it, which theoretically meant he was no ordinary person. Unfortunately, Sect Master Shi’s life was at stake, and the fifty-fifty bet was too thrilling.

Shi Jingzhi cherished his life above all else.

It was no wonder the ban remained untouched, and there was no movement from the person behind the scenes—it seemed they had a clear understanding. Although there were people daring enough to gamble their lives, Sect Master Shi wasn’t one of them.

Not to mention that Shi Jingzhi valued his own life, Yin Ci also had no intention of letting him take such risks.

From this perspective, erasing memories was a certainty.

If they talked about the memories triggering Shi Jingzhi’s ban… it should have started with the trip to Hualian Mountain initiated by the Lord of Greed. Memories were easily rekindled and connected, making it necessary to completely erase them, including the cause and effect, in order to be truly clean.

The nights spent together at the lone pavilion, the gazes exchanged at sunset by the Buddha statue—from now on, only Yin Ci would remember them.

Yin Ci’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat.

Just at that moment, Shi Jingzhi spoke. “Senior, do I have to make a decision now?”

Contrary to Yin Ci’s expectations, he didn’t immediately come to a conclusion.

Chen Qianfan put away the small cymbal. “It’s none of my business. You can choose whenever you want; it’s not like I have the headache. If you’re going to stay here for a long time, just pay the rent.”

Shi Jingzhi breathed a sigh of relief. “…I’ll think about it some more then.”

Yin Ci approached, intending to say something, but Shi Jingzhi gently shook his head and made a gesture for silence.

“A’Ci, shh.” After turning his face away from Yin Ci, the elegance and composure on Shi Jingzhi’s face disappeared, leaving only a pleading look tinged with confusion. “Don’t say anything. Let me think it through on my own, okay?”

Yin Ci frowned, but Shi Jingzhi whispered again.

“After all, I can’t ignore your thoughts.”

Yin Ci’s heart softened once again at his words, so he could only sigh and agree.

This matter concerned human life, so Yan Qing and Su Si weren’t too surprised to see Shi Jingzhi hesitate. Shi Jingzhi straightened his clothes and regained a solemn expression. “Yan Qing, Su Si, help Granny Wei tidy up the room, and don’t let her tire herself out as the host.”

His words were impeccable and flawless.

Unfortunately, when Chen Qianfan realized that there were no memories to be erased, he instantly lost interest in Shi Jingzhi. He forcefully squeezed himself into the “pile of garbage” filled with monster corpses, spread out his precious record book, and started hurriedly recording.

Throughout the entire process, Elder Chen never lifted his head, treating all the elegant guests in the room as if they were wooden stakes.

Fortunately, Granny Wei was a reasonable person. She didn’t stop the two servants from the Kushan Sect who were running around cleaning the house and instead sat down at the table willingly. She kept herself busy by taking a piece of coarse cloth and embroidering on it.

Granny Wei’s embroidery skills were astonishing. She embroidered a peach blossom branch so vividly that it seemed about to burst out of the fabric.

“Master Chen is just like that. Don’t mind him. He has a good heart,” she explained in a somewhat uncertain tone while embroidering.

Shi Jingzhi once again displayed his likable talent and sat next to Granny Wei, pulling up a chair. “Before I came here, I had also heard some stories about Chen Qianfan… Master Chen. He is indeed remarkable.”

Yin Ci couldn’t help but cast a sidelong glance at Shi Jingzhi—the stories he heard most likely were specifically researched and sent from those exhausted messenger sparrow demons.

Unexpectedly, Shi Jingzhi didn’t pursue the topic further. He changed the subject. “Granny, it’s getting dark. Aren’t your eyes tired from embroidering? Should I brighten up the lights for you?”

“My eyes are good, and they still work well.” Granny Wei smiled and extended her hand, showing the traces of formations on it. “I used to have health problems, and many ailments. Even these eyes were treated by Master Chen with his immortal techniques.”

Shi Jingzhi was quite adept at conversation. Before Yan Qing could finish washing the pot, he already brought up Granny Wei’s identity—considering Granny Wei’s ordinary background, it didn’t seem like a big deal.

Granny Wei was getting old, and she couldn’t remember many things clearly. Nevertheless, they were able to piece together her background from her ramblings.

Granny Wei’s real name was Wei Chun, and she had some Milan lineage. When she was young, she was bought by a wealthy merchant from Twin Rivers. Due to unbearable abuse, she injured her owner and escaped. Afraid that someone would be waiting for her on the way to the Central Plains, she took a decisive action and ran towards the Mishan Sect, where the population was sparse.

When Chen Qianfan found her, Wei Chun was on the verge of freezing to death. Chen Qianfan silently treated her illness and was about to send her away.

“Seeing him living in such a miserable state every day, looking disheveled and I had nowhere else to go, I struck a bargain with him and stayed here.” Granny Wei laughed. “I clean for him, and he treats me and feeds me… Time flies so quickly. It’s been thirty years in the blink of an eye.”

Yin Ci asked, “Master Chen has been living here for thirty years?”

Granny Wei smiled and squinted her eyes. “Yes, researching the path to immortality. Master Chen is the best healer I’ve ever seen. He always said those elixirs and panaceas were unreliable. If you want to become immortal, you have to eliminate pain and cultivate an incorruptible body on your own.”

So, he was someone who specialized in healing techniques. No wonder the abbot felt the need to introduce him. However, it was peculiar for an eminent monk to pursue the path of longevity, making one wonder what extraordinary experiences he had been through.

Seeing Yin Ci hesitating to speak, Shi Jingzhi pulled him aside and whispered in his ear, “Actually, I looked into it. Master Chen is a complex person. When he entered the Jianchen Temple for the first time, he was completely heartbroken. He was considered a top scholar, but he was rejected by the girl he adored. Without even taking the exam, he turned around and left the secular world.”

Yin Ci: “……” Yet he still managed to enter the Jianchen Temple. He’s truly a talented individual.

Shi Jingzhi: “According to the abbot’s words, he was extremely intelligent but also full of pride and emotions. Chen Qianfan didn’t accept it and went to retrieve the Sword of Compassion—although I didn’t get any specific information, his situation seems similar to Su Si’s.”

That meant he was mercilessly beaten by the sword.

Yin Ci: “And then?”

“He had a great awakening and realized that he wasn’t suited to be a monk. He found the swordsmanship of the Sword of Compassion fascinating. So the next day, Chen Qianfan returned to secular life and joined the Mishan Sect, attempting to become an immortal.”

Yin Ci was speechless.

If it weren’t for Chen Qianfan’s sharp mind, just looking at the trajectory of his life, he was clearly unreliable.

However, as Yin Ci looked at Chen Qianfan’s expressionless face, he couldn’t help but feel that something was off. This person was completely absorbed in his own little world, indifferent to outsiders, and had a sharp tongue. No matter how he looked at it, he didn’t seem to have much to do with being “emotional”.

Throughout the night, Chen Qianfan remained seated at the table. He would cook something for a bit and jot down some notes for a while, resembling a fully wound-up puppet more than a passionate living person. He didn’t say a word, and Granny Wei didn’t pay him any attention either, focusing on her embroidery.

But in the middle of the night, she would specially pour him a cup of warm tea before going to sleep.

Yin Ci was waiting for this moment. He briefly diverted Shi Jingzhi’s attention and walked up to Chen Qianfan.

“I’ve never heard of a disaster warding talisman.” Yin Ci got straight to the point.

Chen Qianfan raised an eyebrow. “I made them using curses myself. It’s normal if you don’t know. What do you want?”

“Can the risk of unraveling formations be blocked with a disaster warding talisman?”

A look of blatant disdain flashed in Chen Qianfan’s gaze. “To unravel formations, you must first break and then establish, dividing the formation with force. You bear the injuries, while he’s the one being broken by the hammer—forget about formations. It’s like me cutting you and the poison blood oozing out on its own. Can a talisman block that?”

Yin Ci remained silent.

Chen Qianfan’s sarcastic and strange manner was quite different from the orthodox nature of the Jianchen Temple. Monks, at the very least, possessed some compassion, but this person was different. Every word he spoke carried a hint of mockery, asking if you were stupid.

For a moment, Yin Ci really wanted to give this old man a piece of his mind.

Yin Ci took a deep breath and continued with his humble inquiry. “Can a disaster warding talisman prolong one’s life?”

Chen Qianfan raised an eyebrow. “I’ll tell you the truth. This disaster warding talisman was created by the Queen of Milan. Originally, it was a curse called ‘Transferring Calamity’. The cursed person carries the sub-talisman, while the cultivator holds the mother talisman. The cultivator can mutilate themselves without pain or injury, but as for the cursed person… Hmph.”

He snorted twice and glanced at Yin Ci, who maintained a calm expression, before continuing, “Even if I have made some improvements, its essence is still transferring external diseases and injuries, not altering one’s fate. It can’t save the diseases one carries since birth. When the time of life is up, it can’t save you.”

‘Indeed, there are no miracles in this world,’ Yin Ci thought. After all, if a disaster warding talisman could block everything, the emperor would have become an undying old monster a long time ago.

After pondering for a moment, Yin Ci lowered his head. “If it’s not too much trouble, I still want to request a pair.”

Even if it couldn’t save Shi Jingzhi from his congenital ailment, his cheap master was still a mortal with a fragile body. He couldn’t die anyway, so it would be better to have some protection against life-threatening disasters.

Chen Qianfan narrowed his eyes. “I would call you filial, but you don’t seem much like that kid’s disciple. What are you to him?”

Yin Ci was about to organize his response when the person in question twirled his beard again and muttered to himself, “Forget it. It’s not my concern anyway. If you want a disaster-p warding talisman, go out tomorrow with that little girl to gather materials.”

Yin Ci replied numbly, “Thank you, Senior, but this matter must only be privy between you and me*.”

*(天知地知) Idiom referring to only heaven and earth knows (but no one else).

Chen Qianfan widened his eyes. “Why should I listen to you?”

Yin Ci picked up a clump of mud from the side of the table and made a slight alteration to the incantation on the slate. Although he couldn’t perform magic, his theoretical knowledge was on par—at least enough to disturb the old man’s peace of mind.

Chen Qianfan: “Alright, heaven knows, earth knows, only you know, and I know… Kid, come back here and finish modifying this incantation!”

Naturally, Yin Ci didn’t turn back. He happily left behind Chen Qianfan’s roar.

He would help him correct a few theoretical aspects of magic another day, considering it as repaying a favor.

Granny Wei and Shi Zhongyu slept together, while a separate room was provided for the four men. Granny Wei spread a thick and soft monster skin on the ground and placed four sets of bedding.

After spending a whole day in the shuttle and walking through the snowy plains for most of the day, everyone was exhausted. Su Si and Yan Qing slept on top of each other, while Lord Bai took Su Si’s pillow, dozing off lazily.

Even Shi Jingzhi couldn’t wait for Yin Ci and leaned against the bedding, falling asleep while sitting.

Just as Yin Ci approached, Shi Jingzhi twitched his nose.

Smelling a familiar scent, Shi Jingzhi didn’t bother to open his eyes. He didn’t speak, but his brows slightly relaxed, and the gloom on his face dissipated somewhat.

As soon as Yin Ci sat down beside him, Shi Jingzhi relaxed completely and fell into a deep slumber.

However, Yin Ci couldn’t sleep.

Now that he had some free time, he thought he would contemplate the concepts of the yang fire, examine the benefits and drawbacks, and prepare for a detailed conversation with Shi Jingzhi tomorrow. But his mind was unusually chaotic.

[What are you to him?]

Yin Ci couldn’t come up with an answer immediately to Chen Qianfan’s unintentional question. Then, from what standpoint should he interfere with Shi Jingzhi’s own choices?

Having been in seclusion for too long, Yin Ci had long forgotten how to control others without being overbearing. Encountering someone he wanted to handle with care now made his centuries of experience useless, and he felt utterly clueless.

How troublesome.

…Well, forget it. He would have plenty of time to think about it tomorrow when they set out.

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

Criminal Psychology Ch285

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Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 285

The starry sky was bright tonight, a rare clear day at the end of summer.

Many people had gone to bed with their worries, while others considered this just another ordinary day.

Lu Xu, as usual, had a bit of drink while tidying up the tables and chairs at the late-night snack shop. Of course, what he called “as usual” referred to his life in the past month.

After all, he had done some very bad things, and it was only by becoming a tainted witness that he was able to negotiate a plea deal and replace imprisonment with community service. He worked during the day and helped out at the snack shop at night, leading a life of starting anew.

It was almost four in the morning, and the bustling stands were about to close, so there was only one table of customers left in the shop.

However, those customers showed no signs of leaving early. To be honest, even though he had spent most of his time dealing with the wealthy and the powerful, he had also seen plenty of people at the bottom. They would order a plate of peanuts and a portion of smashed cucumber, get a bottle of Red Star Erguotou, and stay in the shop until five in the morning without any remorse.

He wiped most of the tables clean, flipped the chairs over, and swept and mopped the floor, but the two people at that table still hadn’t stopped chatting.

“Lao Zhang, what you’re saying makes sense. We have a distant relative working at the police station. He said there’s a big government action behind all this. Let me tell you…”

Lu Xu really didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but their voices were so loud that every word seemed to be drilling into his ears, unstoppable.

“Lao Pei, you always know so much. You had insider information and didn’t share it. This is not treating your brothers as your own!”

“Hey, this is all inside information that we’re not allowed to talk about. Those four people are actually just ordinary people who offended someone and got thrown in. Otherwise, why was there no sound at all during the live broadcast?”

The middle-aged man raised his small wine cup and, with half-closed eyes, spoke in a mysterious manner.

Lu Xu suddenly froze in place.

The man across the table slapped the table and asked drunkenly, “Brother, are you telling the truth?”

“Absolutely, it’s all true!” As he spoke, he intentionally lowered his voice and pretended to warn, “You mustn’t let this get out. These are life-threatening matters. We might get in trouble if…”

As he was speaking, a dirty rag suddenly fell into the empty cucumber bowl. It didn’t splash any liquids, but the crushed garlic mixed with the dirty rag looked extremely disgusting. The two men turned their heads in unison, angrily looking at the fat man who had been cleaning up the shop.

“I’m sorry, sir, my hand slipped just now.”

The fat man was wearing glasses, and his eyes were bulging, making him look like a greasy toad. Although his eyes seemed kind and humble, he couldn’t hide the shadow of the world that passed through them.

“What are you up to? Picking a fight?” The man slammed down his wine cup. With blood rushing to his head, he stood up and rolled up his sleeves.

At this moment, he heard a pleasant female voice from behind. “Sir, I’m truly sorry. Please, calm down…”

Lu Xu also turned his head along with her. The proprietress, dressed in her nightgown, had just come down from the second floor. She leaned against a pillar with her arms crossed, posing seductively.

Men, faced with such a scene, would undoubtedly have their minds racing.

Sure enough, the men at the table who had been drinking were about to take action. But at this moment, the proprietress said, “My shop isn’t very lucky.”

The two drunken men stopped abruptly.

The proprietress continued, “The last person who drank until five o’clock in my shop was hit by a car on his way home and died.” The woman revealed a chilling, genuine smile. “It was really my bad luck. The family came with a Daoist priest and caused a scene in my shop, saying my shop is unlucky and that it killed their husband. The Daoist opened his heavenly eye and said it was because there were ghosts in my shop, and if a customer stayed past five o’clock, the ghosts would be displeased. It’s already 4:20 now… I… am genuinely concerned for you.”

The two middle-aged men were already quite drunk. The shop was half dark because it was about to close, and outside was pitch black except for the streetlights. At this moment, they were facing a woman who resembled a vixen, the atmosphere was indeed eerie.

Sure enough, the two men looked at each other, sobered up instantly, threw down their cups, and ran out of sight.

Lu Xu watched the proprietress with an ingratiating look, only to hear her say, “The bill will be deducted from your salary.” With that, she began to move gracefully back upstairs to sleep.

Her footsteps seemed to hammer Lu Xu’s heart. He watched her enchanting back, dry-mouthed, wanting to speak but unable to.

At this moment, the woman suddenly turned around and looked down at him from above, asking, “So, what’s going on with you today?”

Lu Xu sat under the lamp, sipping the cheapest rice wine in the store, and began a long and uninteresting narrative.

He never thought of himself as a good person. After all, according to his track record, he could basically be considered total social trash, not much different from those four pieces of garbage now locked in the small dark room waiting to die. But his mood now was complicated and sad, not because of the sorrow of kindred things hurting each other, but because he found fate really strange.

The first time he saw Lin Chen, he was severely beaten because he made a move on him. Later, Lin Chen treated him like a useful dog, leading him to investigate a case. Although it offended many dignitaries in Fengchun, it also gave him a chance to start anew. Now, fate once again linked him with Lin Chen in an unpredictable way, and he probably had to thank Lin Chen again. After all, he became a pile of social trash, all because of Qian Bao.

When Lu Xu got to this point, he looked at the woman across the small square table. It must have been because his story was too uninteresting that the lady boss was drinking on her own and didn’t care about him at all.

He awkwardly picked up the wine cup in front of him and drank it all. The hot and spicy wine slid down his throat in a straight line, giving him the courage to continue the story below.

“Don’t look at me now, being fat and ugly like a toad. In fact, I was terribly poor when I was young.”

“My father died early, and my mother, in order to raise me, messed around with men in the village. I didn’t understand the difficulty of life when I was young, and I just thought she was dirty and stupid.”

“I’m uneducated, and people from families like mine basically have no chance of turning their lives around through education. So after middle school graduation, I took a vocational school exam in a big city. It was my mother who forced me to go there. She thought that since I had relatives in that city, I would be able to graduate and find a good job. The relative was Qian Bao’s father, my distant cousin. My mother slept with him for about a week, and this distant cousin agreed to take care of me.”

As Lu Xu spoke, he felt more and more drunk, and he couldn’t even distinguish between reality and the past.

He said: “It wasn’t until I arrived in Fengchun that I realized that Qian Bao’s father was not really a car mechanic but a car thief. Qian Bao was younger than me and my cousin, but he started school early, so he was already in his first year of high school. Qian Bao wasn’t like his father—he didn’t want to do risky things with low returns, like car theft. Although his car theft skills were better than his father’s in high school, he had big ambitions and always wanted to do ‘finance’.”

He laughed, seemingly mocking but also admiring. “A first-year high school student, knowing how to cooperate with the owner of a video game store, investing in slot machines. I was short and fat at that time, but I had some strength. As his brother, I felt I should take care of my younger brother no matter what, so I helped him watch the venue. He gave me some money. I have been poor since I was young, and that money was astronomical to me. I was so happy that I would do whatever Qian Bao told me. I thought I would live like this for the rest of my life, the best scenario being owning my own small game hall, marrying a wife, until one day…”

When Lu Xu got here, the woman across from him still didn’t move. Her black hair shone lustrously under the light. Lu Xu didn’t know why he became so wordy and messy; it was simply uninteresting. Suddenly, he didn’t want to go on.

Just as he was about to get up, the woman hit the table with her wine cup and called him to continue in a long tone. “Continue, I don’t like to listen to stories halfway through.”

Lu Xu stood still by the table.

He would never forget that day, even though it was nothing compared to what he had done later, but after all, all the first times are unforgettable.

It was a weekend, and as usual, he had to get up earlier than usual to watch the venue for his cousin. However, when he was having breakfast, Qian Bao came in and bought him a delicious beef roll. Although he rejected it, he hadn’t eaten meat for a long time, and he didn’t think about whether there was any conspiracy behind a simple roll. While he was wolfing down the roll while pretending to be reserved, he heard Qian Bao tell him that he didn’t need to go to the game hall.

His beef-swallowing motion slowed down a beat.

Qian Bao said, “There is a new machine coming in today, smuggled goods. Brother, you go and help me carry it, and I’ll give you 50 yuan.”

Even today, he could clearly recall every bit of Qian Bao’s expression and tone change when he was speaking, but these were all meaningless things now.

Of course, he went to the dock later. It was indeed a new slot machine, but there were also other things hidden in the slot machine.

What happened later was a blurry nightmare of life—one that would continue to this day.

The police came, cracked open the slot machine, and found bags of colorful little pills inside. He was familiar with this stuff since Qian Bao often asked him to deliver them. However, it wasn’t until he was interrogated that he realized they were not refreshing mint candies but ecstasy pills.

He tried to turn Qian Bao in, but then he discovered that all along, Qian Bao had been dealing under his name. Even the account for receiving the illicit money was secretly set up in his name. Moreover, since he was the one delivering the goods, both person and material evidence were present, and the police wouldn’t believe any ungrounded accusations.

From the day he got into trouble, he never saw Qian Bao again. His mom did come to the police station to see him, even attempted to seduce the police to save him, which was utterly shameful.

At that time, that was what he thought. Shame, regret, pain, resentment—these intense emotions completely transformed a 17-year-old boy.

He was expelled from school and went to jail.

An elder in jail helped him analyze the situation. It was likely that Qian Bao had received a tip, which was why he had been sent to pick up the goods. In unflattering terms, he was the fish that Qian Bao had baited for the police.

However, all this no longer mattered. He knew he couldn’t go back.

What followed was a cycle of getting out of jail, going back in, getting out again, and going back in. In between, his mom contracted an STD and died. He mixed with the elder he met in jail for many years, struggling step by step to climb up from the gutter. After all, the underworld was a place with strict hierarchies.

Eventually, he became a pimp, having a handful of girls under him. He often abused those boys and girls, doing things similar to what Qian Bao had done to him.

But, he never saw Qian Bao again. He didn’t even know when Qian Bao was arrested and put in jail.

If it weren’t for the live broadcast he saw on TV yesterday, he would have been unable to associate his mischievous cousin, always with a smiling face, with the grim, overweight middle-aged man on the screen.

And now, the wheel of fortune had turned, and he even held a precious vote that could get Qian Bao killed.

When Lu Xu came to this point, somehow, he lowered his head and looked at his own hands. He thought this shouldn’t be difficult at all. Many people waited their entire lives for such a chance to exact revenge. And the only reason he hadn’t voted yet was because he needed to bathe and change clothes—to send Qian Bao to the guillotine with reverence, just as it’s shown on TV.

When he finished speaking, a low and boring voice came from behind.

“Oh…” His boss stood up from the chair, swaying towards the staircase, and as she walked, she said, “Turn left and go three hundred meters out the door, and you’ll find a voting station in the square. Go on.”

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

Criminal Psychology Ch284

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 284

The only person who had a clearer understanding of the outcome than Lin Chen was Xing Conglian.

Since being with Lin Chen, he felt that everything he had experienced before was nothing compared to the thrilling and real days he was living now.

He had to watch his beloved take life-threatening risks, and he thought this was an extremely wise and intelligent choice, well-considered. Moreover, he had to endure some idiots questioning it. He never thought his temper could deteriorate to this extent; Lin Chen must have spoiled him.

In front of him, the public opinion expert was still seeking advice, but Xing Conglian knew that it was just a report for Shen Heming. However, when he saw the widely circulated analysis article on the internet, he couldn’t help but feel angry. The article was written by a well-known online commentator named Zhai Yong.

This commentator used to be a famous host and had accumulated a large number of fans during his time in the media platform. Later, he transitioned to self-media because he could always write sharp critical articles that attracted many… as Wang Chao put it, they were like patients with a touch of chuunibyou. The number of such people far exceeded imagination; this was Xing Conglian’s first reaction when he saw the actual number of reposts and comments.

The article mainly explained these viewpoints from the perspectives of legal principles and social contract, reflecting Zhai Yong’s consistent stance.

—This is the responsibility that the government should bear, yet the government merely shifts this responsibility onto individuals, making individuals pay the price for the government’s incompetence. Do we really want to become indirect murderers under the guise of democracy, which is, in reality, a forceful imposition of incompetence?

—Not choosing is a form of protest. It’s not cowardice but rather the optimal choice based on rational analysis.

—Let those who are desperate to make decisions decide. This matter itself doesn’t concern us that much.

These passages roughly explain these viewpoints from the perspectives of the legal system and the government’s responsibility in the social contract, which align with Zhai Yong’s consistent stance.

If Fang Aizi’s classmate, Miss Wang, were to read this article, she would undoubtedly idolize Zhai Yong. Of course, based on the timing of Zhai Yong’s previous Weibo posts in response to the sociopath, it’s also possible that Miss Wang agreed deeply with the content after reading his Weibo and then attempted to convey this viewpoint to more people.

The public opinion expert said, “Minister Shen, the situation is roughly like this. It’s possible that there are online influencers manipulating the situation, but it could also be an expression of public opinion. Based on our calculations, the growth rate of online voting has decreased by 72% compared to the previous hour. Considering the margin of error due to the time difference, we believe that this article is causing more citizens to abstain from voting. Should we take measures regarding this?” He paused for a moment and probed, “If you have a specific desired outcome, perhaps early guidance is necessary. After all… people are easily influenced.”

This statement was extremely cryptic, implying that if they didn’t take the initiative, they would indirectly hand over the initiative to the other side.

Minister Shen frowned, and Xing Conglian knew that the old man might have been full of confidence and willing to take a gamble at some point, but the higher one’s position, the less one could act on a whim. He had to bear more pressure and consider more factors.

Thus, at this moment, Xing Conglian refrained from interjecting to influence the old man’s decision.

However, at this point, the old man looked at him and said, “Conglian, this is really difficult…”

Xing Conglian could fully understand the immense pressure weighing on the old man. In a certain sense, the old man bore more responsibility than him or Lin Chen.

“He probably told you something, like predicting the trend?”

“He did.” Xing Conglian nodded.

“Then why didn’t you tell me?” The old man inquired.

At this moment, Xing Conglian was genuinely puzzled about what the old man was up to. His eyes and facial expression gave away nothing, so he could only answer truthfully, “Because I didn’t want to influence your choice. You have your own considerations and judgments, and I should respect that.”

Upon hearing this, the old man lowered his head as if pondering something, his expression becoming obscure and indecipherable. Just when Xing Conglian was about to add something, the old man suddenly lifted his head and pointed at him with his thumb while addressing the public opinion expert, “Did you hear that?”

Both the expert and Xing Conglian were a bit baffled, and the expert asked, “What do you mean?”

“We always shout about respecting the people, but when it comes to a critical moment, you drop the ball, Xiao Chen. Your organizational consciousness still needs improvement.” The old man sighed lightly, speaking casually.

The strategy expert looked at the old man suddenly, feeling a sense of trepidation from the implications of his words. “Are you saying…”

“Although the world is noisy, it’s quiet late at night. The stillness of the night is so beautiful. So, we don’t have to insist on broadcasting our own foolish ideas to the world. It’s interesting to stay quiet and let everyone think for themselves, isn’t it?”

The old man finished speaking and turned towards the window.

Xing Conglian followed his line of sight and saw the vast and serene starry sky outside.

The room fell silent again.

……

Zhai Yong had irregular sleep patterns.

People like him tend to be active during the night, as that is when their thoughts flow like a spring.

It was past three in the morning when he finished reading those comments on Weibo, analyzing and organizing all the viewpoints, making notes, and preparing to counter them effectively tomorrow. Unlike those who speak for money, Zhai Yong expressed his own views and wasn’t manipulated by others.

It was already very late, or rather too early, and most of the people still engaging in online discussions at this time were probably students from different time zones. Zhai Yong found this group of people intriguing; they were often his most reliable allies and the most challenging enemies to conquer.

For example, the most popular reply to his post said:

—Teacher Zhai has always advocated democracy. Isn’t one person, one vote democratic enough? But when true democracy appears, you suddenly start hating that the government isn’t doing anything to save you. Have you ever thought that the very mechanism you disdain is at work every day, from the teachers who educate your son to the high-ranking officials who make political decisions? Their existence fundamentally helps you share various social responsibilities. Now it’s just returning some of that responsibility and returning to a more straightforward voting system, and you’re scared? How pathetic…

Initially, Zhai Yong was very angry when he saw this comment. It clearly distorted his original intentions and even the significance of his continuous effort to voice his opinions.

Regardless of the social mechanism, there is a need for people like him to speak some harsh words that may sound difficult to hear. False peace and cleanliness hold no meaning whatsoever.

This is the reason why he chose to speak today because, throughout the entire development of the event, he saw the government’s incompetence and lack of guidance. His speech was an act of taking on his social responsibility. What would those young kids who haven’t even grown a single hair understand?

With this thought in mind, Zhai Yong clicked on the image accompanying the comment. It was a screenshot from the government’s voting website.

—I will vote to support the execution of four criminals who were not previously sentenced to death to save more people.

A. Yes
B. No

The person who posted the comment had chosen “Yes”.

Zhai Yong remained silent for a long time. He pushed the keyboard tray and stood up to get a glass of water.

His thin-soled indoor slippers made a soft sound on the floor as he opened the study door. To his surprise, he found someone sitting outside.

“Dad, you’re up early, or you haven’t slept yet?”

His elderly father was sitting in the living room on the leather sofa, with the television on but the volume turned down. The changing light and shadows highlighted the wrinkles on his weathered face.

Zhai Yong’s father didn’t immediately answer him, as he was still watching the TV. So, Zhai Yong took a seat next to the old man, carrying an empty glass of water. At this late hour, there were no live broadcasts on TV, only replays of daytime news.

The scene displayed was from when the clothing market in Meicun had an incident. A large number of ambulances had arrived, and customers and store owners covered in blood were helping each other evacuate. In contrast, medical personnel were moving in the opposite direction, forming a stark contrast in the flow of people.

“I went to see your Uncle Su today.” Zhai Yong’s father began speaking, putting his glasses back on from the coffee table, not as if he genuinely needed to see something clearer, but as if to conceal some true emotions.

“Principal Su?”

“Who else could it be?”

Zhai Yong had indeed heard his mother mention some issues Uncle Su was facing.

But at their age, they often heard about old friends passing away, so they had grown accustomed to such news. So at this moment, he connected the term “Uncle Su” with the old principal of Yongchuan University.

“Didn’t the news say that, due to timely discovery, the large-scale adverse reactions caused by Nao Kangning didn’t fully erupt? It only mentioned that elderly people who took the medication might have hidden safety hazards…”

Zhai Yong’s mind worked quickly, and he seemed to have finally realized the key to a person’s relationship that had been vaguely sensed but never fully understood.

“It’s clear that his good student has been causing him trouble all along. This time he was probably implicated. Xiao Cui said he was fine before going to the university.”

The old man’s tone carried a hidden anger, but more than that, it was a melancholy from being hurt by one of their own kind.

“Lin Chen is Principal Su’s student?” Zhai Yong’s mind was racing. “So, he proposed this new plan really to save President Su…”

“Who knows what that good student of his is thinking,” his father coldly interrupted him. “Based on Lin Chen’s usual approach, he wouldn’t consider his teacher’s life or death in his considerations.”

“Dad, don’t beat around the bush. What do you want to say?”

“Delete your article,” his father said straightforwardly, turning his head to look at him.

He looked at his father in disbelief. This was probably the first time his father asked him since he became an independent writer and in the media industry. And he knew it wasn’t a request; it was a plea.

“We, a few old buddies, have already contacted many friends tonight. Tomorrow morning, the media’s direction will change.” His father stood up, as if he had just finished explaining something unimportant. “If possible, I appeal to more people to vote in favor.”

The old man picked up the remote control and decisively turned off the TV, leaving Zhai Yong stunned and speechless in the living room.

As the room fell into silence, his father slowly walked away. Watching his father’s back, Zhai Yong called out, “Dad!”

“If you can call me dad, then do as I say.”

Zhai Yong stood up. “Do you really believe that as long as the majority votes in favor, this society can exchange the lives of four innocent people for the chance for more to live?”

“Stop talking about society with me. Isn’t this the democracy you advocate every day? Besides, your little knowledge of the law was taught by me, wasn’t it?”

“Dad, this isn’t democracy; it’s lynching. No, it’s even more despicable than lynching!”

“Then you tell me, what is democracy?” The old man exuded a terrifying aura, reminiscent of his days as a lawyer. “Within a certain class scope, democracy means the majority rules over the minority!”

“You are avoiding the most important question: Is it legal to execute criminals by bypassing legal provisions through a vote? This is not a nationwide vote, but only the opinions of three provinces. Even if our three provinces are independent states, we have no right to bypass legal provisions and directly determine the fate of the criminals through a vote. This approach is inherently wrong. Therefore, I believe that not voting is the right stance!”

The old man turned to look at him, his eyes almost popping out, making Zhai Yong feel as if a slap from his childhood might come at any moment.

He subconsciously closed his eyes, but the feeling of pain on his cheek never came.

When he opened his eyes again, his old father had turned back, looking at the dark night outside the window, saying nothing.

“Everyone is selfish,” his father said. “Hasn’t the law always sacrificed the minority to protect the interests of the majority?”

However, Zhai Yong walked to the window and lowered his head. In the dimly lit interior of the high-rise building, he could see the faint outline of the city in the night.

“I suddenly feel that this is indeed a good method.” Some corners of the city were still illuminated, but most places had already darkened. “You have your views, and I have my principles, but we can only represent ourselves.”

He looked at his father and said, “No matter what the outcome is, you will respect the opinions of the majority, right?”

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

Evil As Humans Ch239

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 239: The Best Accomplices

In the boundless red light, there came the sound of space twisting and shattering behind Ge Tingting.

“I heard it.”

A voice answered Ge Tingting.

Unlike Yin Ren from the past, in that joy, there was also a hint of sadness and melancholy. It seemed like a response to Ge Tingting, as well as a response to the spirits of this land from a thousand years ago, as if traversing through time and space.

From the gap in space, countless wings surged out. Black wings enveloped Ge Tingting, Huang Jin, and Fu Xingchuan. Darkness completely wrapped around them as the healing magic swept over the three of them. Yellow Millet crawled out of Ge Tingting’s pocket and excitedly rubbed against them.

At the same time, the red light suddenly converged, transforming into numerous chains of light and instantly imprisoning Love in place.

Considering it was Sun Qi’an’s body, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t use excessive force.

Seizing the opportunity with severe injuries, Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai disregarded everything and burrowed into the endless debris underground. 

In such a critical situation, they dared not divert their attention and could only focus all their energy on Love.

Yin Ren also bent down, gazing at Love within the red chains. Currently, most of its original essence was missing. It couldn’t summon the white space, and its usable magic was limited. However, it was still capable of taking Sun Qi’an’s body down with it. Love was adept at scheming and wasn’t an object to let one’s guard down against.

Within the chains, Love merely stood there.

At the end of the road, Love neither resisted nor pleaded. It simply stood quietly in its place, with a hint of surprise in its eyes, as if witnessing a child’s mischief.

Facing the endless red chains and swirling red veils, it tilted its head slightly.

“Go ahead,” Love said.

Yin Ren didn’t move. To eradicate Love now, the body would have to be destroyed along with it.

“Indeed, you still care about this human.” Love gradually revealed a smile.

It stood up straighter, revealing the human body stained with blood.

“I know what kind of person you are, perhaps even clearer than those humans.” Seeing that Yin Ren didn’t attack, Love spoke softly. “You came to deal with me not for the sake of human righteousness, but because I hurt your lover, I hurt your friends… Yin Ren, you’re really easy to see through.”

“You won’t kill the innocent Sun Qi’an.”

Her voice remained gentle, as if engaging in a casual conversation.

“Or would you pass this dirty work onto someone else? No, if you were to do it, you would definitely do it yourself… Hmm, then I can consider it a small victory for myself.”

Either spare her, the enemy of humanity, and give up on pursuing past grievances, or kill the innocent friend and stain his own hands with blood. Either way, Yin Ren couldn’t achieve a complete victory—he would live carrying the curse called “guilt” until the day he died.

This was a game that carried a thousand years of planning, and conceding midway wasn’t Love’s style.

It patiently waited for Yin Ren’s decision; its movements relaxed. It was as if it wasn’t facing life and death itself, but the frozen figures of Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.

At this point in the situation, it was just unfortunate. Even if its physical body perished, its spirit hadn’t been defeated.

“Aren’t you afraid?” Yin Ren remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, his tone strangely calm.

“I stand here for my ideals.” Love’s tone was calm. “What I seek is a higher righteousness, not petty selfishness… I have envisioned countless outcomes long ago, so why should I be afraid?”

Just like when they first met, Sun Qi’an’s hair had a slight curl, and her features were incredibly gentle.

But the expression on that face didn’t belong to the respectable young doctor, no matter how he looked at it.

“I see.”

There was a chilling hint of laughter in Yin Ren’s voice.

“Then I can rest assured.”

No, this wasn’t the attitude it anticipated. Love calculated quickly in its mind.

Before it could make sense of it, suddenly the chains wrapped around it, cocooning it completely, and the surroundings rapidly changed—

The space flickered, and an entrance opened. Ge Tingting, Huang Jin, and Fu Xingchuan were sent back to the pedestrian street. The three of them were carried by the excited Yellow Millet as they quickly searched for Professor Li’s location.

The space flickered again, and this time the exit was pitch black.

It was like stepping out of a swimming pool. As everyone stood on solid ground, their bodies suddenly became heavy. The gap behind the three of them quickly closed. The red light from the chains illuminated the surroundings, and Love lifted its eyes.

This was a space of about forty square meters, with no windows in the room; only shelves filled with bottles and jars on both sides. There was a whiteboard hanging on the wall directly across from the door with countless articles, photos, and messages suspended connected by spiderweb-like red thread.

The secret base of the “King Yama”.

From the Other Side to the human world, Zhong Chengshuo’s lantern remained lit. The crimson chains tightly bound Love’s hands and feet, firmly restraining it in the interrogation chair.

Yin Ren also regained his human appearance. He swung a strand of long hair like a cat’s tail, and the tip became extremely sharp. “Zhong Ge, you’re in charge of lighting control of Fear. I’ll take care of the rest.”

This person, who had changed from his previous silence, seemed eager and full of joy.

Love: “…?”

“Okay.” Zhong Chengshuo also regained his human appearance and nodded earnestly. He hung the Karma Lantern high up, muttering, “The Evil Fruit can sterilize, so this thing should work too. Let’s consider it a sterile environment.”

He jogged to the nearest drawer and pulled out two pairs of sterile gloves. With a swish, a cloth roll containing various ominous instruments unfolded in front of Love.

Love: “…???”

“That’ll do.” After fussing for a while, Zhong Chengshuo finally spoke up.

The two “gods” put on their masks and wore sterile gowns as they carefully disinfected the surroundings. Even Yin Ren’s little wing blades were sprayed with alcohol several times. The light from the Karma Lantern above their heads was extremely bright, like a scorching sun, and the liquid-like light spread over everything, leaving no trace of shadows.

Suddenly being removed from the familiar environment and completely suppressed by the light of Fear, Love found it difficult to breathe. It tentatively tried to move its physical body, but it found that under the authority of Fear, its movements were extremely sluggish.

These two people wouldn’t be thinking of connecting it to a Karma Lantern and using the power of Fear to continuously restrain and imprison it in the human world, would they?

…But why did they put on sterile surgical gowns?

“I’m ready. Are you sure you don’t need more support? Like blood bags or something.” Yin Ren ignored the question marks on Love’s face and nodded to Zhong Chengshuo.

“I have experienced the fusion of Primordial Elementals through my body, and I have a clear understanding of treating Meiqiu as well,” Zhong Chengshuo answered solemnly. “I’m confident.”

“As expected of my Zhong Ge.” Flapping his little wings behind the mask, Yin Ren blew a kiss to Zhong Chengshuo.

The latter’s ears flushed, and he lowered his head, picking up a knife.

“You… What are you…?” Love struggled to squeeze out a voice from its throat.

“Earlier, we were worried that you might be so eager to survive that you would merge with Dr. Sun’s body regardless of everything,” Yin Ren cheerfully explained.

“But since you’re so obsessed with ‘righteousness’, you definitely don’t want to meld with a weak product. Well, it’s unfortunate. I can see through you too.”

In the end, Love was just a part of human nature.

Currently, Love’s body was damaged, its power weak, and Dr. Sun was a genuine ordinary human. As long as Love still desired a comeback, it would never leave Dr. Sun’s body and would never fully devour Dr. Sun’s consciousness.

Sun Qi’an was its best hostage and would only be a temporary vessel for it.

“Unfortunately, my dear Zhong Ge here has been studying the Other Side and the Primordial Elementals and has quite a bit of knowledge about the human brain.” Yin Ren’s gaze swept over a row of metal cans on the shelf. “Although I’m nothing special, my expertise over the centuries lies in sealing techniques.”

Love gradually began to understand. Fear finally appeared on its usually calm face.

“…So we are the best accomplices.” Another voice took over.

As if sensing the fear in Love, Zhong Chengshuo’s pupils suddenly dilated, and his two eyeballs turned into pitch-black “god eyes” once again. He leaned closer to Love’s head, sniffed it, and then turned on the recording device—

“Sealing a Primordial Elemental in the designated part of the human body—this is a new technique. Cooperation is required between experienced science posts and cultivators skilled in sealing techniques.” Zhong Chengshuo enunciated each word clearly and deliberately.

“The operation starts now.” Yin Ren supplemented in a tone similar to Zhong Chengshuo’s.

The knife cut through the skin, followed by powerful healing magic. Layers of sealing techniques piled up, and the surgical knife moved swiftly and sharply. Love’s perception gradually disappeared.

Colors faded away, and its vision became nothingness. Sounds receded, and the surrounding noises became sporadic and muffled, as if separated by a layer of water film. Even the perception of emotions gradually faded away.

“Sealing preparation complete; guide me a bit. I need to avoid those blood vessels and nerves… Yes, just like that,” Yin Ren said.

“There is a certain risk in sealing it into ordinary organs,” Zhong Chengshuo muttered. “Sun Qi’an has a tumor in her brain. What can your sealing technique accomplish?”

Yin Ren’s tone became proud. “Hmph, a complete seal; not a single drop leaks.”

“Let me think… The tumor cells can’t withstand the power of the Primordial Elemental. By sealing it over there, the tumor won’t grow anymore.” Zhong Chengshuo’s voice softened a little. “It’s a good choice, and if necessary, we can remove it as well.”

“Cut it off now!”

“No, the brain requires specialized expertise. My surgical skills aren’t sufficient.” Zhong Chengshuo’s voice tightened again as he spoke.

“…I see.”

Love desperately wanted to merge with Sun Qi’an’s body but was pinned in place by the light of Fear. It wanted to speak, but it realized that it had lost control over its tongue and vocal cords. Like being caught in a tight spot, all its senses quickly turned into nothingness.

It knew that its remaining body was being sealed layer by layer by Yin Ren and guided by Zhong Chengshuo to merge into that tumor. Once the fusion was complete, there would be no possibility of returning to its original state… and it would be unable to perceive anything anymore.

[Zhong Chengshuo has been trapped like this for hundreds of years, while you would have at most a few decades.] It couldn’t hear the sound, and only Yin Ren’s thoughts came through. [A few decades later, you will enter the incinerator along with this body. After all, human life is too short for an Elemental, but you got a bargain.]

Love wanted to respond, to negotiate, but it didn’t know where to direct its thoughts.

Its world was reduced to emptiness.

[I can probably understand your motives, but personally, I don’t approve of your actions.] This time, it was Zhong Chengshuo’s thoughts that came through. [Unfortunately, our positions will always be different.]

Old Fear spoke like so.

[…Farewell.]

In the end, they didn’t let it go, nor did they kill it. Instead, they chose a third path; a path that it never thought existed.

Perception completely vanished, and Love suddenly recalled the moment thousands of years ago when Fear heavily fell, with countless Elemental flesh and blood splattering and all sorts of demons and monsters running rampant in the Gong Dynasty. Many years later, the red-robed Great Celestial Master walked alone through the desolate mountains and hills, carrying corruption. Enduring the pain, that person developed the first sealing technique specifically targeting Evil Force.

Perhaps everything had been predetermined since that time.

With a soft sigh, Love left its final trace in the emptiness. It could never see what would become of the Other Side.

What awaited it was boundless silence and a subtle but lingering sense of fear.

……

While the two gods were performing the sealing surgery, the war on the Other Side raged on.

However, with Love gone for too long, the army of Elementals began to show signs of confusion. The Elementals had simple minds to begin with, and now that Love’s presence was absent, many great Elementals saw the situation wasn’t favorable and quietly slipped away.

In the center of the White Web, the deflated giant hemisphere gradually dissipated, and the White Web itself quickly decayed, turning into a dense white mist.

“Your master is finished!” Meng Huai sneered. “Shen Mo, if you have any sense left, surrender—”

“It’s not my “master’.”

Shen Mo’s voice came from behind Meng Huai, and in the next moment, Meng Huai was swept away by a swipe of his arm.

“It was just a useful knife, but unfortunately, still not good enough.” Contempt was evident in his tone.

Shen Mo dodged by tilting his head back, and the magical spells floating around him exploded towards Meng Huai. This attack was slightly delayed, and Meng Huai’s flesh and blood magic barely managed to block it, narrowly avoiding a facial explosion.

The sneak attack failed, and with a flash, Shen Mo appeared in the distance. Just as he regained his footing, Zhong Chengfeng’s sniping attacks came one after another. Shen Mo grabbed a nearby small Elemental and used it to block several bullets.

Meng Huai gasped for breath and kept on mocking. “You have such a big knife that can pierce through the heavens. What’s wrong? Your knife is gone, and here you are flapping around like a dog… Trying to stay in shape?”

“The corruption is still rampant outside, and people’s hearts are uncertain.” Shen Mo took a few steps back and hid behind another Elemental. “If I kill you all, those survivors will be mine.”

“Fuck you!” Meng Huai immediately cursed.

Shen Mo’s plan was about to fall apart—those civilians who had been missing for thirty years hadn’t aged a day. If they were thrown directly into society, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar. When the time came, Shen Mo would step forward and claim this “miracle”, and it would be difficult for Shian and the government to explain.

This person’s Charon ability was already suitable for deceiving and manipulating as a false god. It wouldn’t be impossible for him to start a cult. Sunken Society was insane, but its goals were mostly worldly wealth and power, and its level of danger was somewhat controllable. Shen Mo, on the other hand, was a complete lunatic who didn’t see people as people. Who knows what he would do?

They absolutely couldn’t let this guy go.

The author has something to say:

The Power of Science & Metaphysics (×

This great battle is coming to an end—

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

Full Server First Kill Ch22

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 22: Sharing the Same Bed

Teest had changed into a hotel robe—a linen nightgown that just went past his knees. Nol wasn’t sure if it was an illusion, but he felt Teest was somewhat gloating.

Who said he couldn’t manipulate dreams? He could figure it out! But thinking of the starting cost of the spell being 200 MP, Nol quickly compromised. “I can’t, and I’m not a succubus.”

“Then lie down quickly. Just holding hands will suffice.” Teest quickly took the left side of the bed, letting his long hair spread across a pillow.

Nol changed into the same kind of nightwear and climbed onto the bed with a bitter expression.

From infancy to adulthood, he had never shared a bed with anyone. With the added weight of another person on the bed, no matter how he lay, it felt awkward.

Both of them lay on their backs, with Teest’s left hand tightly holding Nol’s right hand. The curtains were drawn, surrounding them in darkness. Their body warmth was seemingly the only thing present.

The undead didn’t need sleep, just as some people didn’t need a nap—it was fine without it, but napping wasn’t bad either.

Nol closed his eyes, trying hard to feel drowsy.

“Haha.” Teest suddenly chuckled in the dark.

The sleepiness that Nol had just caught vanished. “Why are you laughing?”

“It’s like going back to being three years old.” Teest’s voice was filled with amusement. “I kind of miss my childhood.”

Nol: “…Alright, goodnight, little knight.”

The room returned to silence, which lasted less than two minutes—

“Pfft!” This time, it was Nol who laughed.

Teest: “What are you laughing at now?”

“I just thought of sea otters,” Nol said. “Did you know? They lie back on the water’s surface and sleep holding hands.”

Teest: “……”

Teest tried hard to stifle his laughter. “…Then goodnight, dear Mr. Sea Otter.”

With the atmosphere lightened, Nol relaxed, and he quickly fell asleep.

……

He was running.

No, she was running. Nol couldn’t feel Teest’s presence. His telepathic connection was also gone. He was experiencing some memories from Hannah’s first-person perspective.

Hannah ran through the forest, her feet touching the soft grass. Her emotions were almost blank, with fleeting scenes flashing in her mind—

Margaret Swain hid in an abandoned wooden house with a smile that was pure and genuine.

“I still wanted to see you,” she said. “You’re my little sister.”

“I’m the older one,” Hannah corrected. “Enough, Maggie. Now you know you’re not blood related. We’re both children of slaves. The City Lord must have bought you willingly.”

Hannah lowered her voice, and her tone became a bit harsh. “He hid the truth from you, dyed your hair black, and made everyone believe you’re his biological daughter. If he found out about me now—your twin sister—can you guess what he’d do?”

“Daddy won’t hurt you,” Margaret said. “When I realized our relationship, I was indeed a bit upset. But even without blood ties, Daddy has always been particularly good to me. He loves me.”

Hannah looked into those green eyes, identical to her own.

They differed in hair color, physique, and clothing, but the biggest difference was in their eyes—Margaret’s eyes were open and clear. She seemed to trust everyone.

“He always buys me the best things, hires the best tutors, never gets angry with me… Oh, the last time I got sick, he stayed by my bed all night and even made cream soup.”

“What you said—if I had a puppy, I could do all that for it too,” Hannah responded unhappily.

“Our grandmother used to tell us that there are only three kinds of love in the world—love for pets, love for gods, and finally, love for people. Often, these three kinds of love seem the same…”

Margaret interrupted her, “I’m not a pet! So tell me, how should I prove it to you?”

“You can’t,” Hannah replied. “Rather than worrying about this, think about what you’d do if he betrays you.”

Margaret opened her mouth, a hint of anger flashing across her face, but she quickly suppressed it.

“I didn’t come here to cause trouble.” Her expression turned serious. “Listen, Hannah, I want to save Little Spoon.”

Hannah looked up abruptly.

“I know she’s very ill. Tom told me. She needs a doctor—a regular one won’t do. She needs our family’s doctor. I must ask Daddy for help.”

Hannah didn’t make a sound. She wanted to say that Little Spoon would make it through, but she wasn’t sure. Just like she wasn’t sure if the City Lord was a “good person”. What if she got it wrong?

“Daddy loves the desserts from the Egret Restaurant the most,” Margaret continued, her expression a bit mischievous. “Lately, he’s been busy outside. I had someone deliver it to him, and he would definitely be thrilled. Then I’ll jump out and give him a surprise.”

“When the time comes, I’ll introduce Little Spoon to him. I’ll tell him she helped me a lot before, and Daddy will treat her illness.”

Hannah bit her lip, pondered for a long time, and finally nodded.

“Trust me, Little Spoon will be fine.” Margaret smiled again.

A wave of emotion suddenly overwhelmed Hannah. She felt anticipation, confusion, joy, and worry simultaneously.

“Why go to such lengths?” she asked. “It’s better for both of us to end this relationship. I won’t pester you… Little Spoon doesn’t even like you.”

“I know your friends always disappear. Daddy must be very distressed. As the heir to the City Lord, this is what I should do.”

“I also know, they’re more like family to you. You’d do anything for them.” Margaret kept smiling and continued, “…As Margaret, I’d do anything for my family too.”

Naive, innocent Margaret Swain.

The City Lord could easily see through her little tricks. She’d likely fail, Hannah thought.

“Thank you,” Hannah said, looking at that smiling face and suppressing her suspicions.

Nol sighed in his heart.

[If the Demon Lord hadn’t killed Young Kurt in front of me, and Maggie happened to witness it, I wouldn’t need to deal with the Investigation Knights at all. Do you know how troublesome it was to deal with Margaret? She’s my heir.]

The errand boy from the Egret Restaurant, Young Kurt, and the Margaret who wanted to surprise her father… Now it all made sense.

They were at the wrong place at the worst possible time.

……

Hannah continued to run in the dark forest, her feet stepping on vein-like tree roots. She gasped for breath, tasting the metallic flavor of blood in her throat.

A void of emotions gradually filled with panic. She was sweating profusely, but her insides felt cold.

Her memories continued to play back.

Just as Hannah guessed, on the promised introduction day, Margaret didn’t show up. Fortunately, she had given them enough money, and Little Spoon barely survived.

What Hannah didn’t expect was to see Margaret next at the Evergreen Church entrance.

After so many days, Margaret looked much thinner. Her hair was messy, and her nightgown was dirty. Guards blocked the view of the public while maids held Margaret, dragging her away from the church’s main door.

“Miss Swain is undergoing mental treatment,” they explained.

Margaret struggled desperately, looking at the church. She tried to scream, but no sound came out.

“The City Lord is truly pitiful.” The people sighed. “How did his lovely daughter go mad?”

“He really dotes on her. Everyone knows that when Miss Swain was sick last time, the City Lord personally watched over her and even cooked cream soup.”

“Please don’t discuss this in public,” the guards instructed the church personnel proficiently. “Miss Swain is only fourteen. It’s not good for this to get out.”

Margaret froze in place. Everyone knew her father was the City Lord, and this was his city.

She looked at the church doors again, suddenly bit her tongue, and with a magical glow, formed a sentence in the air with her blood—

[I saw the Mad Monk.]

After doing all this, Margaret noticed Hannah in the crowd.

She smiled weakly, her green eyes hollow and terrifying. Then she mouthed words clearly.

[Pet.]

[Betrayal.]

[Run.]

But Hannah didn’t run.

She waited anxiously near the City Lord’s mansion day and night, unsure of what she was waiting for.

Margaret couldn’t have just gone mad; something was wrong with the City Lord. Hannah thought of seeking help, but who could she turn to? The local church close to the City Lord? Or the City Lord’s guards?

At best, since Margaret was the heir to the City Lord, her death would need confirmation from the Investigation Knights. As long as she didn’t resist, the City Lord wouldn’t easily kill her.

‘Please give up,’ Hannah prayed.

No matter what, first survive.

Yet her naive sister persisted. One night, Margaret, with an injured leg, tried to crawl out of the mansion gate. Her eyes were disturbingly determined, like a bird crashing into a cage.

This time, the City Lord didn’t drag her back to the mansion.

“This girl knows magic. The night is long and fraught with dreams*. We need to deal with her early,” the City Lord said irritably. “Let it be known she went mad, ran into the forest, and was attacked by wild beasts. Just like that.”

*(夜长梦多) Idiom referring to a long delay may give rise to trouble.

Margaret remained unusually calm. She allowed the guards to push and shove her, walking step by step away from the city and towards the forest.

Hannah could only follow from a distance.

She watched as they reached the depths of the forest and as they released the hungry monsters. Margaret fell to the ground, her entire left leg torn off in an instant.

One of the guards seemed to hesitate. His hand resting on his sword twitched, but a glance from the City Lord stopped him.

“She must be eaten alive by the beasts, not merely have her corpse gnawed at. The Investigation Knights can tell the difference.”

Blood flowed, soaking the fallen leaves a dark red. Perhaps due to some magic, Margaret didn’t scream. The only sound was the chewing of flesh.

Hannah collapsed among the bushes, her vision darkening. When she finally came to, everything was over.

Margaret… Only Margaret’s bloodied head and a portion of her torso remained. Her black hair was covered in blood and mud. Her eyes were half-open, with the corner of her mouth still holding a faint smile.

The heir to the City Lord had disappeared, and the Investigation Knights would be arriving soon.

Hannah finally realized Margaret’s intention. Whether it was her public claim of “seeing the Mad Monk” or her submission to death, she simply wanted to attract the Investigation Knights—a more powerful, neutral external force.

Naive, innocent Margaret.

The City Lord was clearly prepared, and your sacrifice was in vain.

…Yet, people always couldn’t help but do meaningless things. Hannah reached out her trembling hands towards the corpse.

……

Hannah ran into the deepest part of the forest. Her clothes were torn by thorns, her shoes were gone, and the soles of her feet bled without stopping. She didn’t know where she was. She just knew to head towards the darkest, most mysterious place.

In Hannah’s arms, Margaret’s remains were frighteningly light.

Exhaustion and despair intermingled. Hannah had only one thought left.

The oldest woman in the street used to tell the street kids that there were three kinds of love. She also told them that a terrifying witch lived deep in the forest.

Margaret had died not long ago, and her body was still warm.

Humans couldn’t save her, but what about monsters?

Her sprint became a brisk walk, which then turned into a stagger. Finally, Hannah found her destination. A decaying wooden hut, surrounded by parts of broken dolls. There was a faint light shining from its windows.

“Help!” she shouted with the last of her strength, banging on the door. “Help! Open the door!”

Silence from within.

“I’ll give you anything—my soul, my life, anything!”

Unable to stand any longer, Hannah slid down the door. “Esteemed One, I beg you. Please save her…”

She clutched the remains of her loved one, pleading until her voice became hoarse. Still, silence from within. Her foolish efforts seemed to have no results.

“It’s my fault… It’s me… If she hadn’t met me, she wouldn’t have ended up like this…”

She mumbled deliriously, finally choking back sobs in the vast darkness.

“Please save my sister. I beg you…”

Creak.

The door opened to reveal a doll that looked very much like a real person. She gazed down emotionlessly at Hannah’s tear-streaked face.

“How long has she been dead?” the doll asked.

“Not-not more than an hour…”

“Alright.” The doll—the Puppet Witch sighed. “Come in. I can save her.”

The tension left Hannah’s body. Before she could stand, she was dragged into the darkness by fatigue and blood loss.

‘Enough,’ Nol thought. He could guess what happened next.

[Puppet Legacy: Convert a female human NPC into a Puppet Witch. The converted must be alive or have died within 90 minutes.

※Unique skill of the Puppet Witch. Can only be used once.]

No wonder the City Lord was certain of Margaret’s death, yet the witch remained silent.

No wonder Hannah was reluctant to interact with the Investigation Knights. She wanted to protect not just Witch Lynn…

…But also a newly born monster, Witch Margaret.

Nol opened his eyes, looking at the inn’s ceiling. He found they were sore and filled with tears. They were Hannah’s emotions that hadn’t dissipated yet.

“It’s normal. I was also confused by these emotions at first.” Teest turned to the side without letting go of his grip. “Speaking of which, it’s my first time seeing a Lich cry.”

“What a coincidence, it’s my first time seeing it too,” Nol said with a hoarse voice.

“Do you need a hug?”

“I’m fine.”

“Alright, now we know the truth.” Teest finally let go of Nol’s hand and yawned. “Goodnight again, crying Lord Lich.”

With that, he turned over, facing away from Nol.

In just a few minutes, a cold sensation touched Teest’s neck and shoulder—Nol curled up, gently pressing his forehead against Teest’s back.

Teest pretended to be asleep and didn’t break the silence.

“Goodnight, Teest,” Nol murmured.

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

Full Server First Kill Ch21

Kinky6 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 21: Something’s Wrong with You

Sure enough, he knew something would go wrong! True to the reputation of a cult, even a phone call had to be made with a secret code. This was way too ceremonial.

Nol quickly regained his composure. He had limited knowledge about the Eternal Church and naturally considered the possibility of being exposed—as long as the target was alive, the plan wouldn’t be dead. Rather than switching from Plan A to Plan Z, Nol preferred to treat it as a flexible game.

[Don’t make a move yet,] he instructed Teest mentally.

Teest clicked his tongue loudly inside Nol’s mind.

“Do you respond to every gesture of a subordinate?”

Nol tried to use his most sinister voice. “Besides, I can tell you still doubt me. Why not use that girl to prove it?”

Lord Swain looked at him deeply. “Thank you for your understanding.”

The Lord’s close aide quickly brought the child. The little girl, as skinny as a chick, couldn’t break free from the grasp of the aide. From the newsboy cap and overalls she wore, it was obvious it was the street urchin Hannah.

Nol: “……” Kid, why is it always you?

On the way to the City Lord’s mansion, he and Teest were extremely cautious, making sure no one was following them. It seemed that Hannah’s tracking a few days ago wasn’t to monitor them, but she seemed more interested in the case itself.

[Interesting, what are you planning to do?] Teest asked with interest.

[Prepare the spell to conceal our presence,] Nol responded calmly. [I need your cooperation.]

[You’ve finally decided to confront this guy?]

[No. I’ll perform a trick for you first.] Nol flexed his fingers, silently preparing his spell.

Hannah suppressed the tremble in her body and bared her teeth at Nol, the “huge monster”. Her green eyes were wide open, full of hatred and fear.

“Fuck you! Monsters!” she cursed hoarsely. “Pussy liars, murderers, you all will meet a bad end!”

As Hannah cursed, she nervously looked around, trying to find a way out.

“This is my gift to you,” Lord Swain finally regained control and said politely. “Would you like me to kill her, or will you do it?”

Nol didn’t answer. He just stretched out his right hand and gently pulled.

Hannah, as if grasped by an invisible hand, was forced to walk step by step towards Nol. She screamed in both fear and anger, flapping her limbs like the final struggle of a drowning person.

Sadly, her struggles were in vain.

A cold wind swirled in the room, billowing Nol’s cloak, its tattered hem rolling incessantly. Like a vampire, Nol opened his cloak and wrapped Hannah inside, then tightened his arms across his chest.

Given the difference in their sizes, it was a terrifying embrace. A sinister light shone around the cloak, and the aura of death permeated. To Lord Swain, it seemed not to be a living being but an evil god.

The girl’s struggles and curses ceased. The cold wind dissipated, and Nol silently released the cloak.

There was a crisp sound. Ribs scattered, the skull bounced, leg bones rolled away—a child’s skeleton fell to the ground, shapeless.

The bones were pale and clean. Next to the scattered bones, the masked monster looked up, with blue flames flickering in its eye sockets.

Such a void death, Lord Swain didn’t even smell the blood.

When did the church get such a strange character? Or was it that he was too low-level before to encounter…? Either way, he couldn’t afford to offend this creature. For what’s to come, he would need him… or it.

Lord Swain, who had just straightened up, bent down again quietly.

“I like this gift,” Nol whispered. “Want to continue testing, Swain? Or do you want a polite embrace too?”

Swain swallowed hard. “My apologies, My Lord. Please give me a chance to make up for it.”

Got him! Nol sighed in relief internally.

Behind Nol, Teest was holding the unconscious girl, almost laughing out loud. The moment he embraced Hannah, Nol had relayed the plan into his mind. If Teest didn’t know Nol’s tricks, he might have been stunned too.

…The sequence of moves by Mr. Mage was comically terrifying.

Telekinesis, a life-class spell: Consumes 20 MP; moves objects within 100 kg over a short distance; only used for non-living targets.

So, while the girl was pulled over—Hannah couldn’t be the target, but her clothes could.

Cool breeze, a life-class spell: Consumes 10 MP; releases a cold wind within a radius of 1 meter around oneself; the cold wind lasts for 10 seconds and has no attack power.

Players would call it the “mage’s air conditioner”. Nol used it to set the atmosphere and cover his actions.

In the flutter of the black robe, Teest quickly grabbed Hannah from inside the robe, knocking her unconscious. His movements were incredibly smooth. The aura of the “Fallen Knight” disappeared, and Nol’s invisibility spell took effect at the same time, successfully hiding the girl.

Finally, there was the necromancer summoning, Nol’s original spell. Accompanied by a dim glow, he summoned the skeleton of a 13- or 14-year-old girl.

According to Nol, these skeletons weren’t even standard skeleton soldiers. They had no combat power, and their intelligence was limited. But when they heard that they were helping peers of the same age, they responded particularly positively.

Nol chose the best actor among them.

It was hard to imagine that someone could combine these seemingly weak spells to be so terrifying.

A good trick, Teest thought. It was indeed more interesting and safer than directly attacking the City Lord. This Lich was more dangerous and… more entertaining than he imagined.

What could Mr. Mage do if he wasn’t suppressed by a curse? Teest became a bit curious.

“Little girl, tell me, should I show him some sincerity?”

In a corner invisible to Nol, Teest leaned down and mouthed words to the unconscious Hannah.

“Like… um, consider him a half-friend.”

……

Before Hannah opened her eyes, she smelled a sweet scent.

She found herself lying on a large soft bed, with floral fragrances coming from the window. In Hannah’s memory, it was still night, but now the bed was covered with morning sunlight.

Fortunately, she was still wearing her clothes from yesterday. There was no pain, and all her limbs were intact. The moment she opened her eyes, Hannah instinctively jumped up and leaned against the wall.

Across from her, Nol was holding peaches boiled in sugar water, while Teest was busy packing things in the room—to say he was packing, he only had one backpack.

“The City Lord thinks you’re dead, so it’s best to lie down for another two days and not rush out.” Nol placed the peaches on the bedside table.

Hannah looked at Nol in a daze. Nol sighed and made a horn gesture on his head.

“That’s me. I used a little disguise trick,” he said. “We knew there was something wrong with the City Lord, so we had to take action.”

Hannah opened her mouth, then sniffled hard, holding back her tears.

“Thank you,” she said with a heavy nasal voice.

After packing his backpack, Teest gently sat next to the bed.

“You’d better not frequently see the witch. It’s clear that you care about the disappearance case. I guess you have some clues. You don’t want to inform the Temple because you fear implicating the witch, right?”

Hannah shifted backward, clearly wary of the cunning of the old. “We are very careful.”

“Really? I suspect the Investigation Knights are monitoring all exits from the city. They didn’t act before simply because you are children,” Teest said. “Everyone knows that the Eternal Church doesn’t use children as couriers.”

Nol was amazed. This must be the ruthlessness of hardcore Players, interrogating an underage girl who just woke up.

“You, Margaret Swain, and that puppet witch.”

Teest’s gaze was focused. His golden eyes that in the sunlight, seemed devoid of warmth. They no longer looked like gold but resembled dead leaves.

“How are you all connected… Ouch!”

Before Teest could finish, he was pulled into Nol’s arms.

“Sorry, Miss Hannah.” Nol gripped the struggling Teest, gritting his teeth with a smile. “This guy’s emotional intelligence fluctuates a lot, and he’s currently at a low point.”

“It’s not like—” Teest awkwardly tried to break free, his voice muffled by Nol’s chest.

Watching the two bicker, Hannah relaxed a little. After a few moments, her viciousness returned.

“Since you risked your lives to save me, I can tell you about Margaret. I don’t like owing favors.”

She made certain that they treated her as a human before cautiously providing information. It was very likely that Witch Lynn taught her this.

“I have something to say.” Teest struggled restlessly against Nol’s chest. “Let go of me first—”

Nol reluctantly released him. “Be gentle.”

“Your account may not be trustworthy. I want to look directly into your mind,” Teest said.

Nol: “……”

Such a gentle remark; he shouldn’t have let this guy go.

“Of course, I mean using magic to see. You just need to fall asleep normally.” Sensing Nol’s piercing gaze, Teest explained.

[I will use “Dream Manipulation.”] He added telepathically.

Nol: “…?! “

His astonishment was evident.

Wait, brother, how do you have a succubus’s skill?    

Dream Manipulation, an exclusive skill of the succubus, could only be used on intelligent humanoid beings.

If the target was unsuspecting, the user could enter the target’s dream, retrieve their memories, or control the content of the dream. Even if the target was awake, “Dream Manipulation” could create suggestions or illusions. The higher the target’s affection for the user, the easier it was to be influenced.

But Players couldn’t even choose the succubus race. Though Teest had the looks, he seemed entirely human.

[Before being cursed, I acquired this ability through… certain means.] Realizing Nol was about to find his succubus tail, Teest moved away a bit.

Is there such a method? Nol pondered.

Whether it was a Player or a human NPC, they couldn’t acquire monster skills; hence, they needed to form contracts with monsters.

Considering the quest AI had gone haywire and R18G quests were available, receiving some bizarre rewards wasn’t impossible. Moreover, “Dream Manipulation” wasn’t too extraordinary; some black magic could produce similar effects…

[Let’s go with Dream Manipulation.] Nol decided to accept reality.

……

No, he didn’t want to accept it.

In the dead of night, in front of the double bed, Nol suddenly understood how Teest felt when being “proposed to”—Do we really have to do this? What’s it all for?

Hannah was a young girl, so the two adult males should avoid suspicion. Now that Hannah was sleeping in Teest’s bedroom, Teest naturally had to spend the night in Nol’s room.

And also…

“To bring you into a dream, we both need to be asleep, and I need to have physical contact with you… There’s no other way since you can’t do ‘Dream Manipulation’,” Teest explained with a shrug.

The author has something to say:

Teest: Hmm, half-friends, let’s add a little succubus shock.

Nol: (Pupils frantically quaking)

Hahaha, the great Miss Hannah will have a bedroom all to herself. The two of you should sleep in the same room. It’s against the law for couples not to—

————————————

Many years later.

Teest: I just thought of something.

Nol: Hmm?

Teest: Back then, in the eyes of Lord Swain, did you eat Hannah’s clothes, shoes, and everything in her pockets…

Nol:

Nol: Monsters can do anything!

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