Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 234: Twins

After recent trials, Huang Jin was well prepared for the mission.

He had even prepared a will for property distribution, waiting to be sent at a scheduled time. Huang Jin knew better than to underestimate any mission, even if it seemed harmless on the surface. There was always a catch behind it.

The search mission was no exception.

Huang Jin’s coat was adorned with Tranquility Talismans, and he had explosive talismans hidden in the cuffs, ready to escape at the slightest sign of trouble. Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned, and this time he didn’t have time to escape.

Upon discovering abnormal evil qi, the group traveled through the sewer and arrived beneath the newly built pedestrian street. As expected, Ge Tingting was the first to notice the rolling pieces of human flesh in the sewage.

Wang Zhou immediately reported the situation to Shian, but before he could provide further details, the communication suddenly cut off. Fortunately, everyone present wasn’t inexperienced or foolish. They all obediently waited in their positions for backup.

Around the four of them was a ladder that could be used to climb out of the sewer. The ladder was still sticky with the foul-smelling meat, and the dark sewer cover rested at the end of the ladder, black as an eye socket.

At this moment, Ge Tingting wasn’t needed. Even Huang Jin, the spirit smith, could smell the faint stench of corpses in the air. It was the afternoon, and the pedestrian street was crowded with people. Yellow Millet was a tangible evil, not something that could be thrown out immediately. Huang Jin sighed in his heart, with Yellow Millet hidden in his pocket.

Wang Zhou was the first to become restless.

“Continuing like this is not an option,” Wang Zhou said. “I brought a portable drone that can capture some footage. If things are still manageable outside, we can evacuate early.”

“Be careful of cognitive pollution,” Huang Jin grumbled.

“It’s fine. The footage has been processed and won’t be directly transmitted.” Wang Zhou smiled back at Huang Jin. “Besides, I’m a science post, so I have a strong resistance.”

Carrying the heavy equipment case, Wang Zhou moved the sewer cover aside and then climbed onto the ladder. He released a small, unmanned drone into the opening. A crescent-shaped light appeared in the darkness, like a mocking smile.

After just a dozen seconds, Wang Zhou put down the controller and suddenly started climbing outward.

“What are you doing?!” Bao Linlin stood up abruptly. “Wang Zhou, come down!”

Wang Zhou ignored her.

Struggling, he moved the sewer cover and climbed towards the street, without even looking down once. Huang Jin squinted his eyes; it was too dark here, and he couldn’t see what was going on in Wang Zhou’s thoughts.

“I’ll go and bring him back. You two wait here,” Bao Linlin said, stomping her foot. She quickly climbed up the ladder, following Wang Zhou. Her movements were clean and precise, while Wang Zhou clumsily climbed outward. Despite Bao Linlin putting her weight on it, she still couldn’t pull him back, as he was a fully grown man burdened with heavy equipment.

Huang Jin sighed and was about to go up and help when he saw Bao Linlin being pulled towards the sewer cover by Wang Zhou. In the next second, she leaped out of the cover and disappeared.

Huang Jin: “?!”

The two figures quickly vanished near the sewer cover.

This time, there was light outside the sewer cover, and Huang Jin could barely make out something—a fast-spinning stream of thoughts around Bao Linlin, with only one sentence.

[Must see.]

For a moment, only the two members of Unit 9 were left staring at each other in the sewer.

“Cognitive pollution,” Huang Jin said firmly. “There’s something extremely dangerous up there. Let’s wait here.”

Ge Tingting pondered for a while, then took out all the Tranquility Talismans on her and stuck them onto Huang Jin. “We can’t just wait. If the situation is really bad, we need to notify the Emergency Management Department.”

“We don’t need to protect the Emergency Management Department, do we?!” Huang Jin rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Ge Tingting: “But compared to Yin Ge and Zhong Ge, the Emergency Management Department is closer to our level of power, so they need protection too.”

Huang Jin: “…” Thanks to those two individuals, this girl’s understanding of metaphysical combat power had completely collapsed. He really couldn’t save her.

“Huang Jin, I’m not joking. If Xiang Jiang is planning a citywide attack, Ding Lizi may not be safe.”

“…Fine, I get it!”

Huang Jin pinched Yellow Millet, and the latter reluctantly expanded a little, becoming the size of an exercise ball. Huang Jin covered his body with Tranquility Talismans and cautiously floated towards the sewer entrance. His eyes couldn’t see the true appearance of humans and evil beings, naturally resisting visual cognitive pollution.

At the sewer entrance, Huang Jin poked out half of his head, looking around with a dirty face.

Everything on the street seemed normal. People were walking in groups of two or three, occasionally stopping to take photos or videos. Several influencers were live streaming with excitement. Bao Linlin and Wang Zhou, who had climbed out, had also found a corner and were adjusting something.

People’s thoughts were constantly washing over the street, but Huang Jin could only see one sentence as he carefully observed.

[Must see.]

[Must see.]

[Must see.]

……

“Puff! Puff, puff!”

Yellow Millet seemed to have sniffed something and wobbled its body, turning Huang Jin in a certain direction.

Huang Jin then noticed a stone tower not too far away.

This stone tower was a replica of a certain historical site in Haigu and was exquisitely crafted. Beautiful trees used for prayers and wishes were planted nearby, making it the most picturesque spot on the street.

Squelch.

The sound of flesh being torn apart echoed, and fresh blood flowed down the pale white surface of the tower. Countless vengeful spirits climbed and tore at something on the tower with all their might.

Squelch, squelch.

The wet entrails emitted hot steam as they hung from the beautiful eaves of the tower. The process was horrifyingly slow, almost like torture, and Huang Jin almost vomited.

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

Arms, legs, torso… and a head. A human figure mixed with cloth fragments was hanging in the most conspicuous position, drenched in blood. The person seemed like prey used for sacrifice in a tribe, torn apart into several pieces by the vengeful spirits, forming a gruesome totem on the stone tower.

…That person was dying, with only a faint layer of thoughts remaining. On his handsome and gloomy face, there was a slightly inappropriate smile of relief.

[Look at me.]

The thoughts slowly revolved and became sluggish.

[Look at me.] It repeated.

“Xiang… Xiang Jiang…” Seeing the mutilated head, Huang Jin couldn’t even articulate properly.

Has Xiang Jiang gone insane?

Does he just want to die in a more tragic manner, like an ordinary person who would make it to the news and be seen by everyone?

…Wait, be seen by everyone…

Huang Jin’s pupils suddenly contracted.

The various popular influencers around him were still happily explaining things. The young men and women who came to take pictures and go shopping were joyfully filming vlogs. The middle-aged and elderly people posed for selfies and quickly sent them to their family groups. However, all the phones, cameras, and camcorders were pointed in one direction.

Look at me.

That almost lifeless person emitted an extremely powerful corruption of evil qi.

Look at me.

In the dense atmosphere of evil qi, the scene of a tragic and painful death, the almost insane obsession… and most importantly, widespread cognition. The bloody and macabre scene couldn’t be suppressed or deleted fast enough. This blurry and gory footage was spreading through the internet to various parts of the world.

Huang Jin knew he should retreat.

He also knew that at the moment Xiang Jiang breathed his last breath, something incredibly sinister would definitely be born. He must escape, but…

“Ge Tingting, don’t come out! Yellow Millet, shake the atmosphere of evil qi!”

Huang Jin shouted loudly.

“Aren’t you a fucking A-A level evil? Right now, destroy all electronic devices!”

“Puff—!” Yellow Millet, sensing Huang Jin’s emotions, instantly exploded with a large amount of evil qi. Suddenly, a bone-chilling storm swept through the pedestrian street, and all the surrounding electronic devices went out as if hit by an electromagnetic pulse at the same time.

People continued their actions as if nothing had happened, still gazing at the corpse and enthusiastically capturing their poses.

Even though their screens were completely dark.

Huang Jin nervously surveyed the surroundings. No, there was still a faint light in the corner. Wang Zhou was facing the unmanned aerial vehicle, smiling and saying something. Devices from Shian were always resistant to the atmosphere of evil qi.

“Fuck!” Huang Jin threw an explosive talisman backwards, directly destroying the unmanned aerial vehicle. Throughout the entire process, he kept his peripheral vision on that deadly corpse.

There was nothing left in the thoughts of that corpse, and amidst the lively and joyous atmosphere, Xiang Jiang breathed his last breath.

Meanwhile, the totem-like pieces of the corpse slowly melted down the stone tower. The surrounding vengeful spirits didn’t have time to disperse and were devoured by the flesh and blood sponge. The fluctuations of the evil qi around grew more intense, and the dark clouds above the stone tower gradually spun, forming a vortex-like shape.

Huang Jin’s back hair stood on end. “Yellow Millet!”

“Puff, puff, puff!” Yellow Millet shook its eyeballs frantically, even trembling slightly in the face of the increasingly deformed corpse.

…Yellow Millet was, after all, a completely natural evil. It was impossible for it to risk its life for humans. It seemed that thing would transform into an A-A level evil. Huang Jin swallowed his saliva nervously.

In less than half a minute, the flesh and blood finally merged together. Countless viscous threads sprayed from its surface, gradually forming a huge cocoon. It was covered with black and red patterns resembling human faces, beautiful yet terrifying.

Xiang Hai spread his horrifying wings and lovingly extended his arms, embracing the cocoon that was about the height of a person. The cocoon seemed to possess consciousness, as its surface transformed into a swamp-like texture, gradually engulfing Xiang Hai.

Huang Jin clenched his teeth and pulled out all the explosive talismans, throwing them all near the cocoon. Numerous explosions occurred, shattering the exquisite stone tower into pieces. However, the cocoon inexplicably clung to the remaining stone wall, floating in the air. The surrounding evil qi grew denser, the dark clouds in the sky spun faster, and dozens of semi-transparent “umbilical cords” hung down from the vortex, swaying above the cocoon.

Faced with such a phenomenon, Huang Jin dared not even breathe.

Escape. He had tried his best. For heaven’s sake, he was just a spirit smith. How would he know how to terminate an evil like this?

Damn it, why couldn’t his body move?!

Just like a fledgling bird breaking through the eggshell, there was a slight cracking sound.

A pale and slender hand broke through the cocoon and reached out. Then came the shoulder, head, and body.

Intact bodies of Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai floated side by side in mid-air.

Both of them had human-like appearances, handsome enough to be called so, but their skin tone was much paler than a living person’s. They wore identical old-fashioned robes, one in red and the other in white. The facial wings on Xiang Hai’s back were gone, but their clothes now had numerous hidden facial patterns, each face twisted with pain and despair.

The chilly wind became chaotic, and dried leaves were swirling and flying everywhere. One leaf landed on Xiang Hai’s hair, and Xiang Jiang slightly tilted his body to catch it in his hand.

With a gentle squeeze, the beautiful yellow leaf turned into a black-gray frost and scattered from Xiang Jiang’s hand.

Huang Jin wished he could faint.

The good news was that he didn’t go crazy on the spot upon seeing these two, which meant they were not yet at the level of an Evil Spirit. The bad news was that they were undoubtedly, unprecedentedly powerful and formidable ghosts.

They even possessed true physical forms.

Yellow Millet was more panicked than him. It almost tore itself apart, desperately twisting in the opposite direction of the twin spirits. If not for the consideration of its master’s colleagues, Huang Jin suspected that Yellow Millet would have flicked him away like a flea.

It’s over.

When Huang Jin noticed the malevolent gaze of Xiang Jiang shifting towards him, he wanted to give himself a few slaps—Didn’t I tell you to escape immediately? Didn’t I tell you not to go up and make trouble? Now he would become someone’s punching bag. Whose fault was it?

“Yellow Millet, escape through the sewer!” he shouted in panic.

However, before he could utter the last word, flames suddenly lit up around him.

Bright orange flames tightly encircled the entire pedestrian street. The dense, dark clouds were almost illuminated by the fire, giving off a hint of warmth.

At some point, a figure flashed beside Huang Jin.

Huang Jin stiffly turned his head—

The person was surrounded by a fire dragon, and his tied-up black hair swayed in the cold wind. The eye-catching red attire and exaggerated fringe earring—The head of the Emergency Management Department, Minister Fu Xingchuan.

A fire dragon coiled around Huang Jin and Yellow Millet, assuming a protective stance.

“You manipulated the situation? Well done,” Fu Xingchuan said concisely. “Step back and be on standby.”

Before Huang Jin could respond, Yellow Millet deflated with a “puff”. It transformed into a soft cushion, carrying Huang Jin as they drifted downward. Along the way, Huang Jin took a glance. The Emergency Management Department personnel were busy on the street, evacuating tourists.

And just like that, Yellow Millet floated back into the sewer, narrowly avoiding crashing into Ge Tingting.

Huang Jin took several breaths before regaining his composure. “Ge Tingting, come up too. We might need to evacuate at any time.”

“Is the situation bad?”

“Hard to say,” Huang Jin said. “But with Fu Xingchuan there, we definitely have a chance to escape. What’s that?”

The well opening above their heads suddenly darkened.

Accompanied by a startled cry of “Ah”, a tourist fell down. Huang Jin immediately moved aside, allowing the person to fall onto the soft Yellow Millet.

Yellow Millet made a loud “puff” upon being hit.

“Oops…” The person scrambled to get up, adjusting their disheveled long hair. “Huang Jin, Little Miss Ge?”

This person’s thought pattern seemed familiar. Huang Jin’s mind slowly turned, and Ge Tingting reacted first. “Dr. Sun, what are you doing here?”

Huang Jin finally realized.

Right, it was Zhong Chengshuo’s friend who had been involved in Mr. Le’s campus case before. They had even had a meal together.

He remembered her name was Sun Qi’an.

……

The Other Side.

“I disagree,” Meng Huai said. “You don’t need to waste time contacting Shian.”

“Shen Mo’s presence here does indicate a major disturbance in the mortal world. But given the current situation, as long as Xiao Fu and Xiao Li haven’t been kicked in the head by a donkey, they know that a great calamity is approaching. Will you stay over there if you inform Shian of the situation?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “…” But the two Zhong elders were still in the mortal world, and he felt uneasy about his helplessness.

However, he also understood that to deal with “Love”, he and Yin Ren must not be separated.

“I know you’re worried about your parents. Your parents are also Chengfeng’s parents, and I care too.” Meng Huai shook her head. “But I trust Shian… and I ask you to trust them too. Your Charon abilities aren’t proficient, so it’s better not to complicate matters.”

Zhong Chengshuo: “I understand.”

“In that case, we only have one path left.” Yin Ren took over the conversation, and this time he didn’t smile.

“Yes,” Meng Huai curled her lips.

Yin Ren took a deep breath. “According to the plan. Minister Jiao will be responsible for the rear command. Meng Jie, Chengfeng Jie, and Fu Tianyi will form a team. You will deal with Shen Mo and lead the ‘Lonelies’ to rescue the missing people.”

“Zhong Chengshuo will take a detour with me and engage with ‘Love’ directly. Qi Xin is an unstable factor; if necessary, we will let her join the battle.”

After speaking, he paused.

“…Action will take place in three hours as planned. Kill ‘Love’.”

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The author has something to say:

When people fight, gods fight too.

That’s why there are two mascots! (Not really)

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Kinky Thoughts:

Lonelies MPV! I want a Lonely cat…

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 233: Wrong Image

“He will attack all of Haigu,” Fu Xingchuan said.

He stood in front of the map of Haigu with a solemn expression.

“Is it your intuition again?” Li Nian’s mocking voice softened a bit. Fu Xingchuan turned to look at his partner, whose face had turned pale and thin, resembling a corpse.

Since being entangled by the angel’s arm, Li Nian hadn’t been able to sleep well. Recently, his sleep was purely maintained by medication, but that wasn’t a long-term solution.

Fu Xingchuan wasn’t in the mood to argue with him and just sighed briefly. “I understand him.”

The stronger Xiang Jiang’s abilities were, the more paranoid he became.

Since Fu Xingchuan took on this new recruit, he tried to handle things gently and let Xiang Jiang handle cases that might suit his taste, such as dealing with criminals who harmed women and children. Compared to when he first arrived in Haigu, Xiang Jiang did seem to be more cheerful, but he still carried a sense of detachment.

He wouldn’t befriend anyone from Shian. When he wasn’t working, he would only buy expensive and comfortable clothes, cut them in half, and sew them back together.

Fu Xingchuan had talked to him several times, and Xiang Jiang always responded without showing any emotion. But there was one time, after they rescued a child who was being used as a living sacrifice, Fu Xingchuan said this:

“The times have changed, and now there are surveillance cameras everywhere in the city. Tragedies will become less and less frequent.”

Xiang Jiang, who was usually reticent and gloomy, reacted as if he had been stung.

“So what?” he asked.

“I know that tragedies will become less and less frequent, but that’s other people’s lives. My parents and brother died painfully and tragically, and the case has had no progress to this day… Should I just give up?”

“There were three lives in my family—the lives of the people closest to me. Should I just let it go because some strangers I couldn’t care less about might have a better life?”

“Xiao Xiang, that’s not what I meant—”

“It’s been too long, so the police can’t find the criminals from back then. That’s just how things are. There were too many people spreading rumors and gossip, but they got away with it lightly, and no one was punished. That’s just how things are… I have to understand these realities and be happy to contribute to society. This is what you mean, right?”

Xiang Jiang twisted his mouth, revealing an ugly smile.

“I can’t look ahead, senior,” he said. “Xiang Hai is behind me, and I can’t raise my head.”

Fu Xingchuan had hoped that with the passage of time and experiencing enough love and hatred, Xiang Jiang would eventually be able to move on.

…But he didn’t.

“Even if Xiang Jiang wants to attack all of Haigu, there must be a focal point. Currently, there are three locations in the city with a large concentration of people.”

Li Nian’s voice brought Fu Xingchuan back to reality.

“The shopping mall in Xizhao District is having a promotional event. They set up a world cuisine venue outside, and currently, there are thousands of people gathering there.”

“Shangguang District is hosting an international furniture expo. The number of people is slightly fewer, but there are a large number of journalists gathered inside.”

“Donghe District is conducting a tourism and cultural promotion. They just opened a popular street for influencers.”

Professor Li’s finger pointed on the map.

“These three places are all near the city center. If they serve as the center for terrorist activities, they can create the maximum impact. A large number of people would ensure a wide reach. What do you think? Do you want to rely on intuition again?”

Fu Xingchuan silently looked at the three red dots on the map. He stood there for a while, then shook his head. “Contact Hao Wenzhe and have him gather information on the social media activities of Coral Reef Group.”

Fu Xingchuan flexed his finger joints.

“Xiang Jiang may not necessarily obey Sunken Society, but Sunken Society will definitely use Xiang Jiang.”

“Coral Reef Group?” Li Nian frowned.

“Yes, that unfortunate group that seems to be involved in every case. I looked into it before, and at least on the surface, they have no connection with Sunken Society,” Fu Xingchuan said. “But in the realm of the metaphysical world, there are not so many coincidences… That’s my intuition.”

Li Nian nodded and typed on the computer for a while.

“According to Hao Wenzhe, all three locations have anchors and influencers from Coral Reef Group. The most people are on the influencer street in Donghe District, but that place already has a strong online presence. You should take that into consideration.”

“Which team is closest to that area?”

“…The joint team of Unit 7 and Unit 9.” Li Nian’s voice instantly lost its emotion.

Fu Xingchuan’s face twitched twice. “Immediately reinforce the team and put them on high alert. I’ll inform Unit 7 and Unit 9 to be vigilant, and also have the Emergency Management Department on standby. Lao Li, do you have anything else to add?”

“Let’s go to the scene.” Li Nian picked up a scarf. “It’s stuffy inside. I want to feel the cold breeze.”

……

At the same time, on the Other Side.

Jiao Lian’s physical condition was special, and Yin Ren didn’t dare let her stay outside for too long. After he gained a preliminary understanding of the Charon technique, he hurriedly sent her back to the base.

Meng Huai wasn’t familiar with Jiao Lian. She was surprised but thought they had rescued someone from somewhere again. Fu Tianyi, on the other hand, had heard of this famous Charon and thought that nothing could shock him more—

“Wait, wait, you guys dug out Minister Jiao?!” Fu Tianyi almost bit his tongue. “According to this, doesn’t it mean that our ancestor is also…”

“He has been inside for too long, and I don’t know his exact location.” Jiao Lian looked at Shian’s familiar style with a sense of nostalgia in her eyes. “But if we have Mr. Yin and Mr. Zhong, they can definitely find him.”

Jiao Lian’s features appeared youthful, and she had cut her hair short, looking clean and lovely. However, her body was still connected to her unconscious partner, and it needed careful dissection to move. At first glance, it was quite terrifying.

Fu Tianyi’s expectant gaze immediately turned to the two of them.

“We don’t have time for that now,” Zhong Chengshuo solemnly stated. “We’ll save it for later.”

Practicing the Charon technique alone already took up all of their time—they even had to cut down their short naps together.

Fu Tianyi: “…Makes sense.”

Comrade Xiao Zhong’s tone was like discussing digging up radishes in the ground, making one want to be angry but not daring to be. But it was true—the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi was here. If his ancestor was dug out and treated, it was estimated the daylily would grow a second batch*.

*Idiom referring to events are happening too quickly. If they were to find and treat the Fu ancestor, the events outside would already have significantly advanced (thus a second batch of daylily would be produced).

I’m sorry, ancestor, but it seems that Shian isn’t lacking Charons right now. 

Fu Tianyi’s face remained expressionless as he continued to chop Elementals. The sharp arrogance of the young man had long been worn down into a high-quality bearing. Even when Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren would disappear while holding hands, there was no ripple on his face.

“Fu Tianyi!” Meng Huai called him. “Stop playing with the flesh and come help! We need to separate Xiao Jiao and Xiao Zhou—”

“Okay, coming!” Fu Tianyi wiped his hands and obediently ran over.

He rushed towards Jiao Lian while Yin Ren ran towards Love’s white net. The two new “gods” moved stealthily. Yin Ren restrained his aura and pulled Zhong Chengshuo along, poking their heads out to take a look.

The “Safety First” signs on their heads had also turned into appropriately colored camouflage, looking quite fitting.

The white net remained the same, and there were even more Elementals patrolling around—a large group of them.

The two of them maneuvered through the gaps between different Elementals like protagonists in a disaster film. Yin Ren carefully sensed the surroundings. The “heartbeat” in the center of the white net became increasingly clear. Fortunately, the atmosphere around them remained stable, with no signs of abnormalities.

Zhong Chengshuo carefully observed the structure of the white net. “The explosive points are well-configured. I can bring it all down with a blast.”

“But we also need to protect the survivors,” he murmured, lost in thought.

Yin Ren couldn’t help but look at the small cocoons containing the survivors. If the huge semicircle in the center was a stadium, these smaller cocoons were at most the size of basketballs. They were scattered around the vicinity of the large hemisphere, making them difficult to handle.

“I can remove the cocoons, and Meng Huai and the others can command the ‘Lonelies’ to transport them,” Yin Ren muttered. “As long as we evacuate the innocent, we can go all out.”

Zhong Chengshuo recalled the horde of Lonely cats for a while. “Are they capable?”

It wasn’t that he discriminated against Elementals, but those “Lonelies” didn’t seem to be very bright and had little courage.

“If this plan succeeds, they will have officially cooperated with Shian, and Shian will definitely be willing to bear this cost.” Yin Ren quickly calculated. “They are already skilled at cognitive attacks, and with Meng Huai’s command, they are very suitable at escaping… What do you think?”

Zhong Chengshuo nodded. “It’s feasible.”

Being accustomed to working alone, at most he would incorporate Yin Ren into his plan. When it came to group fights, the Great Celestial Master himself had more experience. Zhong Chengshuo continued to calculate the points of destruction, his dark eyes scanning between the strands of the white net.

After this inspection, they could go back and develop a battle plan.

Suddenly, those black eyes were fixed in a certain direction.

In a corner, the massive white web seemed to have gathered some gray particles, with vertical black traces. The black spot was positioned high and maintained a distance from the surrounding swarm of Elementals.

Strange, he had just scanned the area with his gaze, and there was clearly no such “dust” before. Zhong Chengshuo imagined a telescope and looked towards that faint black impurity.

As Zhong Chengshuo’s eyebrows went from furrowed to relaxed and then raised again, Yin Ren curiously squeezed over. “What’s wrong?”

“There’s someone.”

Zhong Chengshuo tried hard to think about the internal structure of the telescope, envisioning a higher magnification.

“…Indeed, it’s a person, and still moving.”

“Let me see.”

Yin Ren swallowed the “impossible” that nearly slipped out of his mouth—all surviving members of Shian were in the stronghold, and the ancestor of the Fu family was still buried in the interstitial space. It was impossible for someone to freely move here. Could it be a talented survivor?

However, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t hand him the telescope.

“I have seen this face,” Zhong Chengshuo said in a deep voice. He pressed down on Yin Ren’s “Safety First” helmet and said slowly, “In the personnel files of the Charon Ability Branch, there is Shen Mo, a traitor of Shian and a current high-ranking member of Sunken Society.”

Yin Ren immediately clicked his tongue. “It seems that there are more than just us trying to use humans to command the Primordial Elementals.”

Charons weren’t easy to catch; they had to be eliminated with a single blow. However, the person’s position was delicate. If they acted recklessly, it would definitely alert “Love”. “Love” reacted quickly, having suffered a setback last time, so this time it found some help.

Zhong Chengshuo: “Retreat?”

“Retreat.” Yin Ren sighed. “It seems that Minister Jiao has beaten this guy before. I need to go back and do some research.”

But as he took a few steps back, Zhong Chengshuo disappeared. Yin Ren quickly turned around, only to see the person frozen in place, seemingly contemplating something.

“Zhong Ge?”

“Not right.”

Zhong Chengshuo moved his fingers, gesturing in the empty air as if writing and calculating on an invisible notebook.

“Sunken Society itself is weaker than Shian. A ‘Charon’ is a force that can reverse the situation at critical moments. Why would Wei Huaqian allow Shen Mo to act on the other side?”

“If a Charon wants to leave, Sunken Society wouldn’t be able to stop them, right?” Yin Ren halted his steps.

“No, Sunken Society seeks revenge for any slight. Even if it’s a Charon, they wouldn’t risk offending Sunken Society at this moment.” Zhong Chengshuo pondered for a bit. “If Shen Mo is here with Wei Huaqian’s consent, then things are troublesome.”

“This shows his confidence—confidence that Haigu will fall into chaos to the point where Shian has no energy to deal with him.”

After speaking, Zhong Chengshuo raised his gaze, his expression unusually serious.

“Something is wrong. We need to contact the human world as soon as possible.”

……

Shian Building. Lu Xiaohe patiently listened to the on-site reports.

“…Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District. We are rushing to the scene…”

“…Evil qi reaction has occurred near Yinhua Road in Donghe District, with an evil qi value fluctuating around 3.21fR…”

Wang Zhou’s voice came through the earpiece.

Lu Xiaohe: “Data analysis complete. The epicenter of the evil qi radiation is approximately at the new pedestrian street on Yinhua Road in Donghe District. Emergency Management team members have arrived in the vicinity. Minister Fu and Minister Li have rushed to the scene.”

“Everyone, be cautious and don’t act rashly,” Xiao Zhao said with seriousness. “Let the main force of the Emergency Management team handle this. The concentration of evil qi is not something to be taken lightly. Especially Linlin Jie—Wang Zhou, you must keep an eye on her.”

“…” There was only silence in response.

“It’s no use being silent. We must restrain her!” Xiao Zhao rolled his eyes in frustration.

Lu Xiaohe wanted to laugh, but then she realized something, and her smile vanished.

There was no background noise without electromagnetic interference, no warning of equipment malfunction. The communication channel was silent, and even the sound of everyone’s breathing couldn’t be heard. If it weren’t for the normal data, Lu Xiaohe would have suspected that she accidentally muted herself.

Lu Xiaohe cleared her throat. “Can you hear me? Huang Jin? Please respond if you hear me.”

Still, there was no response.

“Hello? Unit 7, please respond!” Xiao Zhao gradually straightened up. “Don’t act rashly, don’t act rashly!”

The communication equipment wasn’t damaged, and the physiological indicators of the individuals were within the normal range. Theoretically, there was no problem.

But there was an inexplicable silence in the earpieces.

After reporting the issue, Lu Xiaohe and Xiao Zhao quickly adjusted various parameters. The programs were working properly to an exasperating extent, and there were no abnormal communications from other teams. The current situation couldn’t be explained at all.

The deadly silence lasted for more than ten minutes.

Just when Xiao Zhao was anxiously stomping his feet, a new signal finally appeared.

“…Hello, there was a communication problem just now.” Wang Zhou gasped for breath. “I took out my drone. Make do with watching through it.”

With a beep, the same scene appeared in front of the two rear commanders.

The angle of the image was facing the sky. Under the dark clouds, the stone tower on the new pedestrian street exposed its tip, as if about to pierce through the sky. This was clearly the central scene of the new pedestrian street.

“The image is wrong!”

Lu Xiaohe’s hair stood on end.

Ever since they learned about the threat from the Other Side, Shian had further tightened equipment restrictions—even the investigation drones used by the science posts were only allowed to transmit processed visual data.

What could have been used to capture such a clear image?

“Xiao Zhao, don’t look at the screen!” Lu Xiaohe shouted sternly. “Wang Zhou, what did you use to capture this?!”

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

The image shook for a moment and turned to Wang Zhou’s face. Xiao Zhao stared blankly at his familiar teammate—Wang Zhou was missing an eye, and his left eye socket was bloodied and empty.

And behind him, on top of the stone tower, was Xiang Jiang’s fragmented and broken body.

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The author has something to say:

The shopping mall in Xizhao District is doing promotional activities, and a world cuisine venue has been set up outside. ←

Xiao Yin: Look at what I missed.

The hatred for “Love” intensifies!

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 232: Good and Evil

Wei Huaqian walked down the street. He took a deep breath—the icy air cut into his lungs, causing pain.

Compared to last year, the streets of Haigu were much quieter. There were many cloudy days in winter, and the recent sky was always gloomy. Walking from indoors to outdoors felt like hitting a higher ceiling with his head.

The shops along the street were withering, and about one-third of the stores had “For Rent” signs hanging. The surrounding atmosphere was like the remaining autumn leaves, almost disappearing in the cold wind.

But Wei Huaqian’s business was doing well.

The companies on the surface were diligently managed by the people under his control. As for the transactions in the field of metaphysics… Recently, countless people turned to believing in these things, spending a fortune for peace of mind, which made Wei Huaqian’s assets soar.

But all of this was meaningless.

Wei Huaqian examined his body—once he was tall and sturdy, as elegant and handsome as Shen Mo. Now his skin was sagging, his organs aging, and illness was relentlessly eroding his body. No matter how much money he spent, he couldn’t stop the march of time.

But he would soon be relieved.

With a flick of his hand, one of his arms disappeared completely into thin air.

Corruption was intensifying, and the space in Haigu had become increasingly fragile. Just a little more wait, and he would truly become a real Charon. Then his diseases and the limitations of lifespan would no longer be a problem.

Money, power, immortality. Throughout history, these were the desires of the privileged. People always wanted to rise higher. Even Shen Mo, the lunatic, couldn’t resist these temptations.

Wei Huaqian retracted his arm and slowly entered his favorite restaurant. His reserved seat was already prepared, secluded and comfortable.

Speaking of which, he hadn’t seen Shen Mo much lately. Wei Huaqian took a sip of hot tea.

Since acquiring the useful tool Xiang Jiang, Shen Mo rarely showed up in front of Wei Huaqian. That guy was sensitive to power and didn’t like the presence of other Charons in the world… Wei Huaqian remembered that Charon with the surname Jiao, who was disabled by Shen Mo.

The memory of that day was vivid for Wei Huaqian.

It was the first and only time he collaborated with Shen Mo.

At that time, Shen Mo had just joined Sunken Society not long ago, and Wei Huaqian wasn’t yet the leader of Sunken Society of Haigu. He was still relatively young and was assigned to assist Shen Mo due to his slight involvement with Charons.

Back then, Shen Mo was still officially a member of Shian. In order to gain a high position in Sunken Society, he proposed a crazy plan—to steal research data on “the Other Side” and the “Divine Descent” phenomena from Shian, as well as a large number of precious spirit weapons, using them as a letter of introduction to join Sunken Society.

“Jiao Lian and I are the only ‘Charon’ in Shian. Their procedures don’t matter much to ordinary cultivators, but for Charons, they are full of loopholes.”

“I will communicate with the higher-ups and arrange for a relocation. I’ll say that the Charons will cause spatial instability and chaotic evil qi, necessitating a reorganization of storage and laboratories.”

Shen Mo casually tossed a stack of printed papers to Wei Huaqian.

“Your Charon abilities are somewhat useful, but you’re decent enough to handle things from the safe. I’ll teach you a few key points…”

Wei Huaqian patiently listened as Shen Mo spoke confidently, but he raised one question.

“What about the other Charon?” he said. “Once she realizes something is amiss, she won’t let you off easily. I heard that her Charon abilities surpass yours.”

Shen Mo’s smile carried a hint of disdain. “Abilities are just abilities. I work in the investigation department, and she works in the appraisal department. Our combat levels are not on the same level… But yes, I truly dislike that woman overshadowing me. It’s better if she disappears.”

Wei Huaqian remained silent, but a trace of contempt showed on his face. Shen Mo had worked at the Shian for many years, and he didn’t believe this guy could deal with his former colleague without obstacles.

It might be a trap set by Shian.

“I know you don’t believe me, but I’ll just say one thing.” Shen Mo glanced at Wei Huaqian. “What do you think is the biggest flaw of Shian?”

“Adhering to regulations and following the rules,” Wei Huaqian said.

“No, no, there are always a few mavericks, like the talisman user I brought with me, Fu Xingchuan—he’s not someone who follows the rules.”

Wei Huaqian remained silent.

“Their biggest flaw is ‘goodness’.” Shen Mo stopped smiling. “The actions of ‘good people’ are very easy to predict.”

“Let’s make a bet. If I disable Jiao Lian, all the research on the Other Side will be under my control. If I lose, I will hand over everything I stole this time, without any conditions.”

……

As it turned out, Shen Mo was right.

It was a day in late November when the Shian’s relocation convoy was ambushed.

When Wei Huaqian arrived at the scene, he witnessed a confrontation between two “Charons”—Jiao Lian and Shen Mo. They were exhausted from countless traversals. Several Shian personnel lay wounded around them, but there were still three or four people standing, and the situation seemed unfavorable for Shen Mo.

“Shen Mo, that’s enough.” Jiao Lian held a sword spirit weapon made of coins with her brows furrowed. “Now you only have enough energy for one more traversal. You can’t escape.”

“And you have a little more than one left.” Shen Mo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “I know, you always have a tiny bit more ability than me. Oh well…”

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly raised his hand.

Instead of using the final transversal to escape, Shen Mo commanded it to throw a wooden crate, directly smashing Jiao Lian’s partner—a girl who was holding a laptop and checking the data from a distance without any defenses.

“Xiao Zhou—?!”

Everything happened very quickly. When Jiao Lian realized what had happened, the girl had already been crushed by the heavy crate, her shoulder shattered. Xiao Zhou slid down the wall in confusion, still clutching the laptop tightly in her arms.

Blood gushed out in an instant.

“She is a science post, and no one here is capable of treating her. In two minutes, she will die from blood loss.” Shen Mo raised his hands. “Well, explanation complete. Now, continue to guard against me.”

Jiao Lian hesitated for less than ten seconds.

She rushed to her partner’s side, tightly embracing the girl, and both of them disappeared on the spot. Only the blood-stained laptop fell to the ground, its screen flickering incessantly.

Wei Huaqian knew that when a Charon forcefully traversed while lacking energy, they were easily drawn into a chaotic space. Jiao Lian’s remaining power was barely enough for her own traversal, and now she had an injured person by her side.

…All for a glimmer of hope.

Truly foolish.

The subsequent events unfolded just as Shen Mo had anticipated. Without Jiao Lian’s interference, Shen Mo teleported directly to another relocation vehicle. The spirit weapons and documents in that vehicle ultimately became the possessions of Sunken Society.

“Jiao Lian will die over there.” Shen Mo evaluated afterwards. “Once entering the chaotic space, a Charon cannot determine the destination of the traversal. She couldn’t afford to gamble with two people… Staying in such a place for a long time would drive anyone insane.”

However, Shen Mo’s judgment had its first mistake regarding this matter.

Indeed, Jiao Lian didn’t abandon her partner, but she also didn’t give up on survival. The deranged woman utilized the power of the Charon to sever parts of her own body, only returning a portion to the mortal realm.

The blood-soaked and damaged laptop was dismantled and sent to the junkyard after being handled by Shian.

There was a short video clip that circulated briefly at that time. It was on a late December night, when the screens on the garbage mountain suddenly lit up, and organs and chunks of flesh slowly grew around them. Amidst the snowy landscape, those pieces of flesh emitted steaming heat, trembling uncontrollably.

“Shian. Shian.”

From a nearby damaged radio, a voice emerged. It sounded like a synthesis of countless voices, causing a tingling sensation throughout the body.

“Foreign Object, Identification, Group, Jiao Lian. Shian. Shian…”

……

The recollection ended, and Wei Huaqian put down his chopsticks.

In the end, Shen Mo obtained the position he desired. Jiao Lian didn’t die, but her body underwent separation and transformation, becoming indistinguishable from waste. She and her partner were alive, but it was merely an existence.

Stupid woman.

If she had abandoned that dying science post, maybe she could have come back to seek revenge against Shen Mo. But now, she had nothing left.

The Other Side.

“So that’s how it is. She’s only half—no wonder the fusion turned out like this.”

Ms. Zhou, the science post, was treated by Yin Ren and was still unconscious. Qi Xin examined the fused parts of their bodies, making clicking sounds with her mouth.

“I can peel it off, but the other half of this woman is in the mortal realm. Humans will have to treat her themselves.”

[I’m fine. Shian has treated cases of fusion with objects before.] Jiao Lian’s thoughts were coherent, filled with delight. [Please send Xiao Zhou back first.]

“Oh. That depends on how hard your people work.” Qi Xin remained unmoved. “Yin Ren, Old… Zhong Chengshuo—there’s a ready-made teacher here. Figure it out yourselves.”

After speaking, Ms. Qi pet Gao Mengyu’s cat. “I’ll go back first, so that guy doesn’t realize something’s wrong.”

“Wait—” Yin Ren’s paw just reached out, but Qi Xin disappeared like Dr. Meiqiu.

Beside him, Zhong Chengshuo was already seated with his knees crossed, his notebook and pen in position. “Ms. Jiao, please proceed.”

The “Safety First” helmet on Zhong Chengshuo’s head hadn’t even disappeared yet.

“Zhong Chengshuo, let me rest for a while.” Yin Ren moaned in a plaintive tone. His heart and stamina fluctuated greatly, and he hadn’t even eaten during the period. “And we need to clarify the situation first. Where did you just go? …How did you dig the person out?”

Zhong Chengshuo: “Oh.”

He imagined another “Safety First” red helmet and placed it on Yin Ren’s head. “Ms. Jiao, please start from the space just now.”

Jiao Lian: […Alright.]

……

At the same time, in the underground water system of Haigu.

It hadn’t rained for a long time, so the water level underground was low. The four of them cautiously moved along the dirty side passage, with Bao Linlin in the lead and Ge Tingting at the rear. Huang Jin and Wang Zhou were in auxiliary positions, protected in the middle.

Wang Zhou clearly had complete trust in Bao Linlin. While his partner walked ahead, Wang Zhou didn’t even look at the path; his eyes were fixed on the changing numbers on the screen. Huang Jin didn’t have the detection mode of a science post, so he had to reach into a small pocket in his backpack and hold the ping pong ball-sized Yellow Millet.

This thing could sense abnormal evil qi, and it had a soft and slippery texture, suitable for keeping warm on cold days.

“Puff, puff.” Yellow Millet didn’t like being rubbed by Huang Jin’s cold paw, and it complained softly in Huang Jin’s hand.

“What’s that sound?” Wang Zhou turned his head.

“I stepped on some water. That’s the sound it makes when I walk.” Huang Jin shamelessly replied. “Right, Xiao Ge?”

Ge Tingting: “Hehe.”

As noon approached, they still had gained nothing. The sewer was peaceful, and the most vigilant enemies they encountered were just crawling cockroaches.

“Well, since we have nothing better to do, why don’t we think about where Xiang Jiang might go?” Bao Linlin was getting restless. “I’ll guess first! At a time like this, he betrayed Shian. Perhaps he might turn around and stab Shian, attack its compound…”

“Hmm… He doesn’t have any grudges against Shian, and Shian has treated him well. I have reservations.” Wang Zhou’s eyes remained fixed on the instrument screen. “Xiang Jiang is currently cooperating with Sunken Society, so he’ll probably act according to their intentions.”

“I don’t know him, so I have no idea.” Huang Jin showed little interest.

“He might also want to seek revenge on society,” Ge Tingting guessed seriously. “Cause a scene in a sensitive public place…”

“Pass, there are too many possibilities,” a voice interrupted in their earphones. It was the rear commander of Unit 7—Xiao Zhao couldn’t help but interject.

Huang Jin: “You see, what did I say? If we could guess these things, Shian wouldn’t have to deploy personnel with such great effort.”

Ge Tingting angrily kicked the back of Huang Jin’s heel. Then she noticed that one person had remained silent all this time.

“Xiaohe Jie?” Ge Tingting tapped her earpiece.

“…I’m just saying, can you understand his feelings? Do you believe it?” On the other side of the earpiece, Lu Xiaohe’s voice sounded a bit heavy.

The two members of Unit 7 exchanged glances. Huang Jin put away his sulking face. “What are you trying to say?”

Lu Xiaohe: “After Huang Jin and Tingting joined Shian, both of you obtained resonance spirit weapons, right?”

“Yeah, mine is a ballpoint pen that can suck blood and turn it into ink, and Huang Jin’s is a stress ball that screams. Weren’t they only used for identity verification?” Ge Tingting recalled.

“They can represent certain aspects of a person to some extent. Xiang Jiang’s spirit weapon is an eternal, unbreakable dagger.” Lu Xiaohe’s voice carried a bitter tone. “Xiang Jiang is stubborn in his actions. Someone like him won’t waver in their stance for a little benefit.”

“Unit 9, what are you trying to say?” Bao Linlin slowed her pace.

“Not long ago, my mother went missing. At that time, I also harbored hatred towards Shian and even towards my comrades,” Lu Xiaohe said.

“After being with Shian for so long and witnessing so much, knowing how many strong individuals exist in this world… My mother went missing, and they were well aware of it, with the ability to search and rescue, but they chose to prioritize other matters.”

Even though Lu Xiaohe knew this conversation would be recorded in the Shian public channel, she still spoke bluntly.

“Rationally, I understand that some things may indeed be more important. Others are not obligated to do everything for me. But my mother was suffering, and the power to save her was right beside me. It was difficult for me not to feel hatred.”

“There are so many powerful and kind people in this world, so why can’t they save her?”

For a moment, the sewer fell silent.

Lu Xiaohe sighed and continued.

“If I were Xiang Jiang… because of Xiang Hai’s kidnapping case, my family was torn apart, my education was ruined, and my youth was destroyed.”

“Afterward, I found my brother, but all I found was a corpse. He and his friend were mocked by the public, turning my brother into a vengeful spirit.”

“At that time, I came into contact with Shian and discovered that there were so many powerful individuals in this world… Just based on all of you here, breaking a kidnapping case would be easy. Shian has indeed treated him well, but if it were me, I would also find it difficult to feel a sense of belonging.”

After all, her mother was rescued from the hands of the Great Celestial Master, while Xiang Hai had turned into a vengeful spirit, constantly clinging to Xiang Jiang. They stood together, witnessing the power that could save them from hell.

Only if time could be reversed.

“You can’t say that. We also have our own work…” Bao Linlin couldn’t help but interject, but she was interrupted by Wang Zhou.

Finally, Wang Zhou moved his gaze away from the screen. He gently shook his head at Bao Linlin. “We all understand the general principles, but rationality and emotions are two different things. Miss Lu, please continue.”

“…Xiang Jiang’s betrayal is inevitable. However, even if he’s upset, he wouldn’t specifically target Shian. He has only one goal.”

Lu Xiaohe continued.

“He needs a target for revenge—someone to take responsibility for the suffering of his blood relatives. For example, the village where the kidnapping occurred and the people who spread gossip online.”

“But the village doesn’t exist anymore, right?” Wang Zhou pondered. “And we can’t be certain about the identity of the online gossipers, can we?”

After saying that, his expression changed. “Could it be…”

“If we can’t be certain about their identity, indiscriminate attacks are fine. They deserve a bit of torment, whether they are bystanders or evildoers… If it were me, that’s how I would think.”

Lu Xiaohe’s voice carried a hint of coldness.

“I would attack all of Haigu.”

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Huang Jin wanted to hold Yellow Millet in his palm, but Yellow Millet didn’t want Huang Jin to hold it in his palm. Huang Jin insisted on holding Yellow Millet in his palm (…

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