When Xing Conglian opened his phone, numerous messages flooded in.
The busy medical staff had already left the room, leaving Lin Chen peacefully sleeping on the bed, covered like a fluffy cloud. A floor-to-ceiling window stretched across the room, with the sea just a short distance away.
In the far distance, where the sea and sky met, it was no longer pure black. The sea appeared in a deep blue color, tranquil and profound, like the most soothing lullaby.
Lin Chen’s face was calm. His black hair obediently fell to the sides of his ears. There were kiss marks and accidental bruises on his neck, but they held no sexual implications.
Or perhaps, standing outside this room and looking at Lin Chen, he repeatedly recalled the events that had just taken place. There were no sexual motives in his heart, and of course, nothing to regret.
The taxi driver had repeatedly asked him why he had spent three and a half hours bringing Lin Chen here, but Xing Conglian truly couldn’t answer. Considering various reasons, perhaps it was because this place at home was quiet and undisturbed, or maybe it was to keep Lin Chen in a place within his control so that he could feel at ease. Of course, there was also the reason that he had lived in this room before and the view from the window was nice. However, Xing Conglian was well aware that these reasons were not entirely accurate.
He had spent three and a half hours taking a taxi to bring Lin Chen to this sanatorium simply because he felt lost. He couldn’t be like Lin Chen, always knowing exactly what to do to be right.
Until now, he could only act according to his primal instincts; in other words, being willful.
Xing Conglian lowered his head to look at the screen.
The result of his willfulness was countless missed calls, one progress report after another regarding the case, and even Huang Ze’s final ultimatum.
He scrolled through the phone, hastily reading through these things.
The morning light was gradually rising, casting a hazy golden hue, making one side of Lin Chen’s face even brighter. Bathed in the morning light, his eyelashes were distinct. A bunch of daisies sat on the bedside, looking beautiful.
Everything was filled with vitality, giving Xing Conglian the illusion that at any moment, Lin Chen would sit up on the edge of the bed and greet him with a “Good morning.”
But the high dosage of sedatives meant that this scene could only exist in his imagination. Also existing in his imagination was the peaceful life he fantasized about having with Lin Chen.
There was no one in this world who could be absolutely capricious and free.
Xing Conglian put his phone back into his pocket and turned to leave.
……
Standing in the underground parking lot of the sanatorium, Xing Conglian realized the troubles that would follow after he spent three and a half hours bringing Lin Chen here.
There was no other reason but the fact that this was the family’s sanatorium, naturally inhabited by many friends of the family.
One minute ago, he was ready to randomly find a car and drive back to Hongjing.
Suddenly, the corner of the underground garage erupted with the roar of an engine, and the car lights flashed. Before he could react, a sports car had already reversed out of the garage and was racing towards him.
The sports car was an extremely flashy bright yellow color, with a low body, scissor doors, and sleek streamline. It was like a hot and noble young girl, bold yet full of elegance. It was probably a flagship supercar from a certain brand, maybe even a limited edition worldwide. However, Xing Conglian didn’t understand these things, so he couldn’t tell how much the car was worth.
A few seconds later, the sports car came to a steady stop in front of him.
The car door opened, and someone sitting in the driver’s seat flashed a smile, revealing a set of white teeth. The first thing they said was, “Take me out to have some fun, and I promise not to tell your parents about you liking men!”
Sitting in the car was an old man who looked withered all over, thin to the point of being unrecognizable, completely mismatched with the high-tech interior.
One pant leg on the old man’s accelerator pedal was empty, revealing a metal leg brace. He had an extremely long scar on his arm, a Fu Manchu mustache, and a catheter bag hanging from his waist. However, his eyes were sharp and piercing. What was even more excessive was that the old man had a smoking pipe in his mouth, puffing out clouds of smoke.
It took Xing Conglian a moment to remember who he was looking at. He looked coldly at the old man sitting in the high-tech driver’s seat, and the old man happened to exhale a mouthful of smoke.
“You… You haven’t told them already, have you?” The old man stared at him with wide eyes, blowing his mustache.
“What if I did?” he retorted.
“Then I wish you all the best!” The old man reluctantly placed his bony hand on the steering wheel, feeling grumpy.
Xing Conglian didn’t want to continue the conversation. He bowed to the old man.
In the corner of the garage stood helpless medical staff. Xing Conglian signaled to them with his eyes, and soon someone came over and swiftly snatched the smoking pipe from the old man’s mouth, preparing to escort him out of the car.
“Wait! Wait! You gay people have no compassion!” The old man struggled and shouted.
The garage guard also approached him and asked in a low voice, “Are you planning to take this car?”
“This is my car! Mine!” The old man shouted with all his strength, sounding almost like he was about to cry.
“Find me a rental car,” Xing Conglian said.
“Why rent? I’ll drive you!” the old man exclaimed.
By then, most of the old man’s body had been dragged out of the car. Something hanging on his side waist caught his attention. Xing Conglian carefully looked at it and realized it was a transparent catheter bag. He stopped the medical staff on the scene.
During this gap, the old man swiftly climbed back into the car, holding onto the steering wheel and refusing to let go. “The doctor said I only have three months to live.”
“So what?”
“So you’re allowed to bring back a man in the middle of the night like King You of Zhou*, but I can’t go out for a short stroll?” The old man rubbed his face and then became excited again. He patted the emblem on the steering wheel, happily saying, “This is my newly purchased car. I haven’t even test-driven it yet. If I die, I won’t be able to step on the gas pedal!”
*Twelfth King of the Zhou Dynasty, who is infamous for his indulgent lifestyle and neglectful behavior towards his kingdom. One of his most famous references in literature is trying to please his concubine Bao Si, who wouldn’t laugh no matter what he did. King You then tried to amuse her by lighting the warning beacons and fooling his nobles into thinking the Quanrong nobles were about to attack. When the nobles arrived, they found themselves laughed at by Bao Si. King You continued to do this and eventually lost his nobles trust until the Quanrong really attacked. Unfortunately, his nobles didn’t answer the warning beacon’s call, thinking it was all a ruse. (However, this story seems to be fabricated, but now it is often tied to King You as a metaphor for a ruler who prioritizes personal desires over the welfare of his subjects.)
……
Huang Ze sat in the conference room, feeling completely exhausted.
In front of him were all the evidence presented by Zhourui Pharmaceutical regarding Xing Conglian’s bribery: including two villas in Anshan Scenic Area, records of an 8 million cash transfer, and some unsigned Zhourui equity transfer agreements.
These pieces of evidence were laid out in front of him. Except for the unsigned equity agreement, everything else seemed to be genuine. However, apart from the clearly accounted-for money, the remaining evidence wasn’t direct. The other party’s argument was that Xing Conglian hadn’t had the opportunity to sign, and the company decided to expose this corrupt cop without being coerced.
“Inspector Huang, you have been looking at these pieces of evidence for over an hour,” someone reminded him. “Captain Xing probably won’t come, right?”
Huang Ze gritted his teeth.
If Xing Conglian didn’t show up, Zhourui Pharmaceutical would insist that Captain Xing was a dirty cop. It was almost time for work to start, and they couldn’t continue detaining everyone present.
What made it even harder for him to accept was that Su Fengzi, after causing a commotion throughout Zhourui’s upper management all night, was now sleeping with his head on the meeting table, while his arm pressed on a real estate document, emitting a faint snoring sound.
Huang Ze’s face turned cold. He packed up everything on the table one by one and slammed them back onto the table. “You consider these as evidence, but I believe they are fabricated to frame someone.”
He spoke with righteous indignation, but what he didn’t expect was that the following scene would become extremely awkward.
At first, the roaring sound of an engine from outside the building drowned out the arguments in the conference room.
Everyone in the office looked bewildered. Some instinctively walked to the window, their mouths agape, unable to utter a word.
The thunderous noise from the high-performance sports car’s engine shook the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Huang Ze furrowed his brow. From the sound, it seemed like the sports car had stopped downstairs at Zhourui. A sense of foreboding flashed through his mind.
At that moment, Su Fengzi, as if feeling uncomfortable in his position, turned over and continued to sleep. Huang Ze clearly saw a strange smile on his lips.
“This… This is a sports car! Whose car is it from our company?” Someone at the window exclaimed at a loss for words.
Huang Ze immediately stood up and took a few quick steps to the window.
A bright yellow Lamborghini sports car arrogantly raised its door. Its sleek body, front and rear double wishbone suspensions, and even a somewhat wild and audacious rear spoiler made the car shine under the sunlight.
Huang Ze’s heartbeat quickened, and in his mind, he instantly recalled all the data about the entire car. Men always loved luxury cars, and this was the car model he had always dreamed of but couldn’t afford. His mind became heated, and he even had the impulse to go downstairs and get closer.
However, the figure stepping out of the sports car made him feel as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him.
The wrinkled clothing, scruffy facial hair, and those weary eyes that seemed as if they had just returned from a long journey…
Although Huang Ze recognized him at a glance, it took him a long time to confirm that he wasn’t mistaken.
He clenched his fist, took out his phone, dialed a number, and looked downstairs.
The person standing in the center of the square stood still and answered the phone.
A cold and deep voice came from the other end.
It was Xing Conglian, looking decadent and arrogant—even more like a dirty cop than those portrayed in TV dramas!
“What the hell are you doing?” Huang Ze struggled to restrain himself, feeling that everything he had argued on behalf of Xing Conglian just moments ago had become a joke.
“I didn’t feel like attending the meeting,” Xing Conglian replied indifferently.
“Do you even realize how dangerous your situation is?” Anger surged in Huang Ze’s mind. He wished he could rush downstairs immediately and grab Xing Conglian by the collar to question him if he knew what a critical moment, public scrutiny, and keeping a low profile meant!
Upon hearing this, the police officers in the square instinctively turned their heads and glanced at the flashy sports car.
At the same time, an old man with a limp quickly climbed down from his seat, still holding his bright yellow catheter bag, and looked at the building with great excitement.
Xing Conglian turned back and impatiently said, “I couldn’t find a taxi out in the countryside earlier, so I had to call for this car.” After speaking, he abruptly hung up the phone.
Huang Ze stood by the window, his face turning pale as the glass reflected his anger. At the same time, in the silent corner of the office, a long, cold snort could be heard.
He turned his head to look, and his Uncle Shi pushed up his glasses on his nose and smiled like a victor.
Xiao Zhang felt that wealthy people never spoke properly. There was simply no way to continue the conversation.
When the fuel gauge neared the critical zone, Xiao Zhang saw a guard booth. Perhaps due to the darkness, the booth seemed to have sprung up out of thin air, emitting a dismal white light in the desolate wilderness.
He abruptly stepped on the brakes, but the gentleman in the backseat, as if anticipating his reaction, had already held onto the handle, remaining perfectly still.
Xiao Zhang looked into the distance and saw hazy shadows of buildings merging with the darkness, making them indistinguishable. Various urban legends instantly popped into his mind, making his foot on the gas pedal tremble.
At that moment, the sound of roaring engines suddenly filled the empty plain. Xiao Zhang quickly released the gas pedal, and through the rearview mirror, he saw two trails of dust rapidly approaching. As they drew closer, he could clearly see that they were two imposing black SUVs. The taxi was sandwiched between the two heavily modified vehicles, like a thin filling in a hamburger, looking quite pitiful.
Only then did Xiao Zhang recall the mention of security levels by the gentleman in the backseat. He realized that the order of security and guards had been swapped, and the difference in severity was simply night and day. Xiao Zhang almost cursed out loud. He was just a nighttime taxi driver who stopped at a wave of the hand. He had hoped to earn some milk money for his child with this long-distance fare. Why did he have to experience this counter-terrorism operation in the middle of the night?
However, to his surprise, the two SUVs showed no intention of stopping, nor did they plan to conduct any security checks. Xiao Zhang looked left and right, feeling utterly perplexed.
Then, a soothing voice came from the backseat.
“It’s alright. Keep driving.”
Casually, his passenger said.
Xiao Zhang swallowed hard. He still felt that driving off so nonchalantly wasn’t appropriate, but when the boss speaks, you either comply or die. He forcefully stepped on the gas pedal. After he accelerated, the two security vehicles didn’t attempt to catch up. They simply followed at a distance. Xiao Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and suddenly felt a strange sense of confidence.
The next checkpoint was a guard booth, manned by heavily armed security personnel, standing upright.
Through the crossbar and illuminated by the streetlights, Xiao Zhang could clearly see a stretch of villas in the distance.
The villas had different designs and ages, some built against the mountains, others near the sea, varying in height and lacking any semblance of order. It resembled an ordinary suburban town with no distinctive features.
Just as the front of the car approached the crossbar, the bright yellow pole automatically lifted high up. They entered as if in a deserted place, without encountering any obstacles.
Xiao Zhang glanced at the rearview mirror, where the security personnel in the guard booth saluted them. The black vehicles continued to follow, like phantoms.
His courage grew, and he decided to treat it like a tour, continuing to drive forward along the road.
As they passed those buildings, he occasionally saw bronze plaques hanging on them, indicating various institutional sanatoriums or certain types of residences.
The roadside was filled with lush flowers and trees, and the scenery was serene. There were even stray cats dozing off by the road.
Xiao Zhang let out a yawn and suddenly felt a bit drowsy.
“Just stop up ahead.”
The passenger in the backseat said.
Xiao Zhang looked up and saw a building in the distance unexpectedly brightly illuminated. The main entrance was wide open, with a line of people standing at the entrance as if welcoming someone.
They had indeed stopped at the entrance of a hospital, or at least what appeared to be a sanatorium-like facility.
After the series of events they had experienced, Xiao Zhang had become numb. He smoothly pulled the car up to the entrance and stopped the meter.
The ticket machine began to clatter, and the customer in the backseat opened his wallet as if he were about to pay.
At that moment, someone opened the back door, and to Xiao Zhang’s surprise, it was the person who had come out of the black SUV that had been following them. They appeared extremely respectful. Xiao Zhang suddenly realized who exactly the so-called security personnel were protecting.
He trembled and looked out the car window. The medical staff at the entrance had also gathered around, and even a mobile bed was placed in the most suitable position.
The gentleman in the backseat didn’t say much. He emptied his wallet and handed the money to Xiao Zhang, including several one- and five-yuan bills.
“I still owe you 1,200 yuan. I’ll give it to you later. Please wait.”
After saying that, the passenger stepped out of the car and carefully placed the person he was holding onto the mobile bed.
A nurse pushed the bed, walking alongside the doctor and the gentleman as if they were discussing the patient’s condition. The security personnel followed behind.
Everything proceeded naturally, and Xiao Zhang didn’t even need to say anything. Everything was taken care of by someone else.
Xiao Zhang watched everything happening outside the car. The building appeared bright and clean, giving a very comfortable feeling. The lobby had a suspended structure, with a glass ceiling that allowed one to look up and see the stars in the sky, making him feel like he was in a dream.
When he snapped back to reality, the group of people had already entered the building in an imposing manner. Xiao Zhang tapped his forehead, glanced at the dangerously low fuel gauge, but hesitated when he saw the heavily armed security personnel at the back. He decided to wait until they left before quietly getting out of the car to ask questions.
To his surprise, someone actually turned back. Xiao Zhang rolled down the car window, and the person politely bowed, showing no trace of arrogance. They handed over the remaining unpaid fare with both hands and said, “Let me take you to refuel, this is the remaining fare, please keep it.”
Xiao Zhang was pleasantly surprised. He accepted the money, speechless for a moment. Finally, he asked a silly question, “Is that your boss? Are they very wealthy?”
……
Zhourui Building, 3 a.m.
The executive office resembled the aftermath of a bomb explosion. Every qualified Zhourui employee sitting in the office wore an expression of anger and frustration. Their faces were pale and twisted, as if they wished they could tear the man sitting at the other end of the circular conference table into pieces.
Huang Ze observed the scene, rubbed his temples, and took a sip of the black coffee on the table.
Just as he put the coffee cup down, The vice president of Zhourui slammed the table opposite him, shouting frantically and recklessly, “It’s clearly the incompetence of your police investigation, yet you want to shift all the blame onto our company! We won’t accept it! Tomorrow, there will be a press conference!”
“Well… That’s not bad.”
A leisurely tone sounded beside him. Su Fengzi opened his eyes, still half-drowsy, and continued speaking. “Your company has finally decided to confess its crimes in public. Admirable courage.”
Huang Ze glanced beside him and couldn’t help but raise his cup, focusing on his own thoughts, pretending he hadn’t heard anything. After Su Fengzi’s manipulations throughout the night, the entire Zhourui upper management had turned into a firework waiting to explode.
“Stop talking bullshit!”
As expected, the vice president of Zhourui finally crossed the line and cursed.
Su Fengzi rested his chin on one hand, pointed his index finger at the vice president of Zhourui, and waved his hand casually as he said lightly, “You’re incapable. Next, quickly explain and sign off on the Nordren matter so you can leave.”
Everyone in the office had been pushed to their mental limits. They scratched their heads and faces, trying every method to leave, but Su Fengzi didn’t relent. Even Huang Ze didn’t dare disobey this lunatic beside him.
In fact, even in moments of anger, he wouldn’t even have the thought of laying a finger on Lin Chen in Su Fengzi’s presence, subconsciously aware of the consequences.
People always bullied the weak and feared the strong.
Inspector Huang looked at the people in front of him and felt that they probably wished Lin Chen was here to reason with them.
“We really don’t know anything!”
The head of the R&D department nearly collapsed, shouting in despair.
“Don’t know what?” Su Fengzi turned his head and asked.
This was almost Su Fengzi’s favorite rhetorical question. At first, the Zhourui employees would respond to his questions, but as time went on and the same question was asked a hundred or two hundred times, this seemingly simple question became pure mental torture.
The head of the R&D department tried to open his mouth but seemed to lack the mental capacity to answer the question. He could only slump back in his chair, panting heavily.
The atmosphere became heavy once again, not because of emotions, but because it was the early hours of the morning. After an entire night of mental torture, nobody had the mental or physical capacity to deal with an interrogator who knew exactly how to make you uncomfortable.
Huang Ze glanced at Su Fengzi once again and could only massage his temples.
To be honest, after a whole night of interrogation, he finally realized that Su Fengzi had no intention of extracting any information from Zhourui Pharmaceutical. Even a novice knew that separate interrogations were the most effective, but Su Fengzi insisted on keeping everyone in the same room, using anxiety, crowded space, and repetitive and infuriating words to provoke each person. It seemed like he wanted to mentally torture these people repeatedly, rather than solve the case.
Thinking of Lin Chen being tortured in the hospital, Huang Ze understood that this was revenge.
He lowered his head and scrolled through his phone. The emotions in the room affected him, making him restless, but he forced himself to concentrate.
The Zhourui executives were like tightly closed clamshells, refusing to cooperate.
There were numerous suspicious aspects in the entire case, such as why Zhourui Pharmaceuticals didn’t discover the drug issue in the early stages, and why they spent a significant amount of manpower and resources to cover up the truth after the discovery. Why were they able to anticipate police actions and expose themselves when the investigation was approaching the truth, destroying all of Lin Chen’s previous plans?
But the most crucial question here was what Shen Lian had done with the medication and how much Zhourui Pharmaceuticals knew about the drug itself.
Under normal circumstances, they would have had plenty of time to investigate. However, the materials related to Nordren were vast and endless, and new cases were constantly emerging. The time they had to solve the case was getting shorter and shorter.
They needed to swiftly pry open the mouths of these interest groups with a sharp knife.
However… Xing Conglian had turned off his phone.
Huang Ze looked down and read the text message that had just arrived, furrowing his brows even tighter.
The officer who had just gone to Tzu Chi Hospital replied to him, stating that Xing Conglian wasn’t at the hospital, and Lin Chen’s ward was empty as well.
Huang Ze couldn’t help but grip his phone tightly and handed it to Su Fengzi.
Just then, his uncle, who hadn’t spoken the whole night, asked with an extremely concerned tone from the corner. “Nephew, why hasn’t Captain Xin arrived? Could he have fled out of fear?”
The vice president next to him, like an uncontrollable mad dog, stood up and slammed the table. “Yes, why don’t you go and ask that corrupt cop who took the bribe what he really knows!”
Huang Ze’s heart trembled. Hearing such implications at this time wasn’t a good sign. But on the other hand, he was deeply disappointed. Even at this stage of the development, this family company, this building, almost everyone here was still trying to shift the focus by smearing the police, in a desperate and frantic struggle…
Huang Ze had no doubt that after dawn, all the morning news would push the Xing Conglian bribery case to a climax. When faced with a tainted police officer, the public’s hatred was always greater.
He lowered his gaze, almost unable to contain the anger in his heart.
Just then, someone tapped his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Su Fengzi handing the phone back to him, casually crossing his legs, and saying to the middle-aged man in the corner, “You better not seek death. I’ve been so gentle in chatting with you. You should cherish it.” He smiled; his tone leisurely as he pondered. “If he arrives, you will certainly have no way out. That would be terrifying.”
The Chairman of Zhourui Pharmaceutical paused for a moment, feeling that Su Fengzi was exaggerating the consequences of Xing Conglian’s arrival with such words. He responded with a half-mocking tone, disdainfully saying, “Is that so? Then I’ll be here, eagerly awaiting Captain Xing’s grand entrance.”
Lin Chen lay on the hospital bed, seemingly deep asleep or in a semi-comatose state.
Xing Conglian wrapped his arm around Lin Chen’s waist, with one hand encircling his side and the other holding onto his lower back. Delicate sweat covered Lin Chen’s skin from his neck to his shoulders. They pressed tightly against each other; their touch was sticky, damp, and warm, giving a real feeling.
Equally real were the scents of sweat, blood, and the air.
Xing Conglian pushed aside strands of Lin Chen’s black hair and leaned over, resting his chin in the crook of Lin Chen’s neck. He kissed Lin Chen’s cheek repeatedly, from behind his ear to his temples, from his neck to the crown of his head. Honestly, neither of them had taken a shower today, so the scent wasn’t pleasant, but this messy imperfection made it feel real.
Xing Conglian inexplicably thought of the time he cried in despair for the first time in his memory.
He couldn’t remember the exact cause of the specific event, but the underlying reason was that his parents felt that he needed to separate from the stuffed duck toy he had been hugging since childhood.
Because that duck was dirty and old, with exposed cotton and many repairs.
But he felt that he could only feel safe when he hugged that dirty and worn-out duck while sleeping.
For this reason, his parents read many books on child attachment, tried numerous methods mentioned in those books, and even took him to see a psychologist, but no method could solve his attachment to a tattered duck.
As time went by, one day, probably due to him beating up a classmate or some similar reason, his father couldn’t bear it anymore and made him throw away the duck.
Of course, there was no direct connection, but for angry parents, finding the most crucial thing to punish their son was essential.
It was a very dim evening when his father took him directly to the lakeside, with his mother present as well. They rowed to the center of the lake, with his mother holding him while his father smashed the duck into the water.
That was an utterly heart-wrenching scene for him. The autumn and winter cold winds, the blue and gloomy lake water, and his beloved possession gradually sank into the water. He still remembered every ripple of the water at that moment.
Losing a sense of security was extremely painful for every child, especially when it came to their most beloved toy. At that time, he almost wished to jump into the river together with the duck. If it weren’t for his mother holding him, he might have died right there.
What was even more extreme was that when they returned to the shore, his father slapped him and told him things like:
“You will have many things and people you love in your life, but one day they will all leave!”
“Even your parents will die, so you must learn to take responsibility for your mistakes!”
“Besides yourself, you cannot depend on anything or anyone!”
His father said many similar randomly stitched-together words, forcefully trying to educate him. For a six- or seven-year-old child, it was like a profound philosophical question. He grabbed at his runny nose and tears, not understanding any of it, only feeling pain. For a long period of time afterward, he was immersed in this pain.
Recovery was very slow, but eventually, he did recover. His father later apologized for his outburst, and his mother said she had wanted to do it a long time ago.
He later told Lin Chen about this incident. At that time, they weren’t in a romantic relationship yet, so of course, he wanted to hear Consultant Lin’s advice to untie his emotional knot or provide a proper psychological analysis of the matter.
However, Lin Chen remained silent for a long time and finally said that there aren’t so many explanations in the world, but for the human mind, growth was always accompanied by pain.
This was Lin Chen’s consistent theory. Sweetness made people numb; only pain gave a sense of reality.
Actually, Xing Conglian had long felt that he didn’t need to grow anymore. After all, he was retired, and society shouldn’t demand too much from senior citizens.
But now, as he recalled Lin Chen’s words, he couldn’t help but hold the person in his arms tighter.
Just a moment ago, after enjoying the long-lasting sweetness and happiness of love, he finally experienced the unbearable pain that ordinary people endure.
The pain of separation, the pain of understanding, and even enlightenment all carried a sense of pain.
But all the intolerable experiences were also constantly expanding the boundaries of the mind. This matter had no meaning, yet it was full of meaning. Xing Conglian thought that if Lin Chen were awake and they were chatting, Consultant Lin would surely educate him like this. It would be dull, scholarly, and clear-headed, making him unable to resist the urge to kiss him.
Xing Conglian kissed Lin Chen’s dry and cracked lips, which still had a hint of a bloody smell. He got up and began to dress Lin Chen.
Lin Chen obediently acted like a puppet. Xing Conglian hugged him and couldn’t help but laugh helplessly and self-mockingly. In reality, there weren’t so many twisted and absurd theories. All those soul-healing words were meant to give a glimmer of hope to those in despair.
It was difficult to keep going, but they had to keep going.
……
Late at night, taxi driver Xiao Zhang received a strange request outside the Tzu Chi Hospital.
The passenger stood by the roadside, and only after getting into the car did he mention that he wanted to go to the seaside in the neighboring province.
For any driver, hearing this kind of long-distance trip would initially bring joy, but the second thought was often to decline.
Long-distance meant high income, but encountering a situation where a man was holding onto another person in front of a psychiatric hospital was definitely abnormal.
However, Xiao Zhang made the mistake of letting the passenger get in the car first before asking for the destination. The time difference gave the passenger an opportunity to quote a price, and the down payment alone was enough to make Xiao Zhang unable to refuse.
After all, being in the taxi business, one saw and experienced a lot. Without courage, one couldn’t drive the night roads. Xiao Zhang took the money and made up his mind that if the passenger mentioned any remote side road, he would absolutely refuse.
But throughout the journey, the person in the back seat didn’t cause any trouble. Besides providing the address, the man with a buzz cut seemed immersed in his own world, dark and withdrawn. He would occasionally lean down to kiss the person in his arms, and other times he would gaze out of the window aimlessly. His eyes carried a hidden worry, uncertainty, and an inexplicable sense of composure.
The night grew darker, and the number of vehicles decreased.
Xiao Zhang even had a momentary suspicion that the person the man was holding in his arms might be a corpse, as the wrapped figure in the blanket hardly moved.
But he was also very aware of the faint and painful sounds coming from the backseat, unable to discern whether they were from a man or a woman. The sounds were desperate, like the alternative music that would only be played on late-night radio. Whenever the person in the man’s arms began to struggle, he would hold them close, almost helplessly comforting them with kisses. Apart from that, it seemed like there was nothing else he could do.
The eerie situation in the backseat continued throughout the journey.
When they exited the expressway and arrived in Louhai City, Xiao Zhang even considered whether it would be better to stop the taxi directly in front of the police station. However, as they passed by the police station, the man in the backseat seemed to have anticipated his intention and showed him his police badge.
In that instant, when Xiao Zhang saw the badge, the tension he had been feeling throughout the journey finally eased. The police always gave people a sense of security and could explain any strange and silent phenomena.
He couldn’t help but initiate a conversation with the person in the backseat, asking why they were traveling late at night and not using an official vehicle.
“It’s none of your concern.”
That was how the gentleman in the backseat answered, cool as ever.
Xiao Zhang rolled down the window. On one side was the pitch-black sea, while on the other side were various dazzling resort hotels. He blew a whistle, carried by the sea breeze.
But suddenly, he heard a deep voice from the backseat say, “Please close the window.”
Instinctively, he glanced at the rearview mirror and noticed that the blanket in the backseat was fluttering in the night breeze. Taking this opportunity, he finally saw the person the police officer had been holding all along—it was a man.
Xiao Zhang almost wanted to whistle again. He had transported a mentally ill person from the entrance of a psychiatric hospital to the seaside, traversing hundreds of kilometers. The experiences of a night shift taxi driver were truly rich, and he might even encounter some melodramatic stories like lovers jumping off cliffs. Should he save them or not when that time comes?
Bored, Xiao Zhang thought to himself. Following the navigation instructions, he made several turns and finally arrived in an area without even streetlights. The sound of the wind became more vast, covering the sound of the waves. Besides the narrow strip of road illuminated by his headlights, he could see almost nothing.
But based on his assumptions, this couldn’t be considered a remote side road because there wasn’t even a road here.
Xiao Zhang couldn’t help but turn around and say, “Sir, this road is too secluded. Are you sure you want to continue? I’m afraid I’ll run out of gas.”
The other person seemed to instantly understand what he was thinking and simply said, “Don’t worry, we can refuel once we reach our destination.”
Who knows which gas station will be found in the middle of nowhere! But turning back would be too timid. Xiao Zhang could only grit his teeth and continue.
After driving for a while, Xiao Zhang suddenly realized that his phone’s navigation hadn’t made a sound for a long time.
Feeling a chill run down his spine, he looked down and saw that there was no signal in the top right corner of his phone. He inwardly cursed his luck. It seemed like his calls to heaven went unanswered, and his calls to earth were ineffective.
Xiao Zhang broke out in a cold sweat and said, “Sir, I have a family to support. Is there something you can’t figure out…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted.
“Up ahead is a sanatorium,” the gentleman in the backseat said. “It’s quite special and has corresponding security measures, so the cellphone signal in this area is blocked.”
Xiao Zhang was dumbfounded. “T-This… It must be at a high-level, right?” After speaking, he felt that something was off. Who would just reveal the location of a classified place right away? It didn’t match the scenes depicted on TV. So, he thought carefully and attempted to test the waters. “Can I still go back home? Will I be…”
The gentleman in the backseat furrowed his brow. Xiao Zhang also felt that his question was quite nonsensical, but the other person still maintained composure and patiently answered, “No, you won’t.”
Though it was only a short reply, the solemn tone made Xiao Zhang feel much more at ease. The tension that had been gripping his mind loosened. After holding back his talent for chattering as a taxi driver throughout the entire trip, he stepped on the gas pedal, took out a cigarette, and tucked one behind his ear as well. He didn’t dare to light it, afraid that the person in the backseat wouldn’t like it. “You really scared me, traveling so late at night. Are you taking your loved one for medical treatment? What happened? Is that place like the ones in novels with renowned traditional Chinese medicine experts?”
He glanced at the rearview mirror. The gentleman in the backseat shook his head, denying his speculation. Then, he naturally extended his hand toward Xiao Zhang. Instinctively, Xiao Zhang handed over the cigarette tucked behind his ear before he worried that the other person might find it distasteful.
But the gentleman didn’t mind at all and lit the cigarette himself.
The flickering spark illuminated the man’s profile, making him appear incredibly desolate. Xiao Zhang noticed that his other hand remained tightly gripping the blanket, causing his knuckles to turn white and even tremble.
“So why are you going there?” Xiao Zhang repeated the question from earlier.
Xing Conglian was snapped back to reality by a tap, emerging from his jumbled and confused memories.
He lowered his head and heard the doctor say, “The second treatment option involves a large dosage of chloropromazine. However, this type of medication for psychiatric disorders may affect brain or cardiac functions, and the side effects are quite apparent. Nevertheless, it is one of the most effective medications for addressing similar issues…”
He couldn’t hear the rest of the conversation, probably because Lin Chen was whispering in the ward, babbling all sorts of incoherent words.
Xing Conglian carefully tried to discern what he was saying, but the air was too quiet. The fragmented and muffled voice seemed to fill the entire space like cotton, perhaps saying “don’t hit” or “please”. These voices, laden with pain, became increasingly oppressive, causing turmoil within him.
“…Consultant Lin didn’t reject this treatment option…”
Those crucial words brought him back to his senses once again. Yes, after they had finished their conversation, Lin Chen had explicitly requested to be treated at the Tzu Chi Hospital and had even selected a former professor at his university as the attending physician.
Lin Chen, like an outsider, swiftly discussed each treatment plan and detail with the doctor. He even chose a specialized department and room specifically for patients with schizophrenia, as he was an expert in that field.
However, Xing Conglian couldn’t comprehend how, in such a moment, Lin Chen could still handle everything so clearly, as if nothing was amiss.
He rubbed his face, forcing himself not to look into the ward or listen to Lin Chen’s voice. He asked the doctor, “You are the doctor. I want to hear your opinion.”
“After all, this is a new type of drug, and there is no literature available. Although it is indeed possible to proceed with the initial treatment plan as a trial, it is also undoubtedly risky. Honestly, I think we can wait a few more days, collect treatment plans from other cases, and then make a judgment.”
Xing Conglian interrupted the doctor, saying, “He wants to regain consciousness quickly. He must regain consciousness.”
The doctor’s face clearly displayed a fleeting expression of disappointment, but it was very subtle, quickly fading away. After all, this was a hospital specializing in the treatment of mental disorders, and the doctors were accustomed to dealing with harsh and demanding family members. Xing Conglian self-deprecatingly thought that he was merely an ordinary, harsh boss hoping for his subordinates to recover quickly and get back to work.
But what else could he do? Lin Chen had made it clear that he wanted to receive treatment like any other person. He had also said, “Remember to come and visit me,” hoping that Xing Conglian would urge the doctor to treat him.
At this moment, Xing Conglian finally realized that when it came to any decision made by Lin Chen, he had only one path to take—to accept and support it.
Because Lin Chen was always so clear, so correct, so exceptional, and always selflessly throwing himself into every situation, leaving others unable to resist.
That was the Lin Chen he loved.
Yet, a profound sense of disappointment and frustration overwhelmed him once again. Even though there were people around him speaking all the time, Xing Conglian felt as if he stood in a dark and desolate world. The frigid wind howled around him, making him feel more isolated than ever.
He took a deep breath, unsure of what to do. Lin Chen was inside, and he was outside. They were so close, yet it felt like an infinite distance separated them.
Just then, his phone rang.
He hadn’t put it on silent, so when the piano melody played in the cramped space, he even felt a sense of relief.
When one was lost and bewildered, something always reached out with an olive branch to save you, like work.
Xing Conglian apologized to the doctor and retreated to a dim corner, leaning against the wall as he answered the call.
Huang Ze’s voice came through. “Xing Conglian, why did Su Fengzi come here?”
He hadn’t expected Huang Ze to sound annoyed, even slightly fearful. There were sounds of someone smashing a glass in the background. Ultimately, such “power struggles” were no different from quarrels among children, with the expected anger and irrationality.
“He came because he wanted to. I can’t control him,” Xing Conglian replied.
“Do you know what he’s up to?” Huang Ze was furious. “He has no official position, but he’s forcing himself into the investigation!”
Huang Ze, as always, emphasized procedural justice.
“Well, you can just arrest him,” Xing Conglian said casually.
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and Xing Conglian frowned. The next moment, a very casual and cheerful voice came through the phone. “Lao Xing, how’s my shidi doing?”
Xing Conglian raised his eyelids and looked at the ward not far away. The doctor was administering new treatment medication to Lin Chen. The busy figures appeared hazy and ethereal, as if veiled in a layer of black gauze.
“He’s temporarily stable,” he replied.
Su Fengzi didn’t ask any further questions but changed the subject. “Since that’s the case, there’s something interesting happening at Zhourui’s place. Do you want to join?”
Xing Conglian instinctively wanted to refuse Su Fengzi.
He believed that he should be sitting outside the ward, going through this difficult time with Lin Chen, as Lin Chen had suggested, as any considerate lover would do.
But his rationality told him very clearly that he should leave. Staying would just torment the both of them. After all, his love was still too short-lived, and this torment would continue to erode the love between them.
Outside the hospital, the night was silent and still. Xing Conglian hung up the phone, took out his car keys, and walked away.
……
The car window was rolled down low, and the darkness of the night rushed in.
With one hand on the steering wheel, Xing Conglian held a cigarette in the other.
The sparks flickered.
Around eight or nine o’clock was another peak hour in the city, and the main roads were still crowded with vehicles. Neon lights outside the window surged like a tide, gliding across the car body.
He turned on the car radio, keeping the volume low. The radio host didn’t mention anything related to the case anymore; nighttime radio shows mostly played emotional songs.
The female host’s affectionate words flowed out, but due to the noise of passing traffic outside, Xing Conglian couldn’t clearly hear what she was saying. It was probably something along the lines of “he loves her, but she doesn’t love him,” a content he had never heard before.
It was only then that Xing Conglian recalled why he had rarely listened to similar emotional midnight radio programs in the past.
When Lin Chen wasn’t around, he sneered at these sentimental programs. Honestly, deep down, he never believed that he could have such a beautiful love. Whether it was due to pride or loneliness, he, a person who inherently rejected many things in the world, believed that ending up lonely was the most suitable outcome for himself.
Now, looking back, he realized how foolish that self-set image of a solitary hero was, because he had met Lin Chen.
After getting to know Lin Chen, the passenger seat had always belonged to him.
Lin Chen didn’t talk much, but their casual conversations were more soothing to Xing Conglian than the mellow jazz music in the night.
In his memory, there was a time when they returned from a business trip, driving through the night.
In the early morning hours, even the night traffic on the highway had become sparse. Wang Chao was snoring in the back seat while Lin Chen, wearing a seatbelt, nestled in his seat, exhausted but still chatting with him.
Both of them were tired, but they would lightly and cheerfully discuss the scenery of the city they had just passed, reflect on touching details from the meetings, and occasionally mention a broken light bulb at home that needed to be replaced when they returned.
He couldn’t remember the specific details anymore, but he remembered that they had talked a lot. It was all because Lin Chen was afraid that he would get drowsy while driving, so he kept talking.
Those voices, relaxed and comfortable, accompanied by yawns and sleepiness, kept sounding, both ordinary and considerate. Now, with those voices suddenly gone by his side, Xing Conglian felt a disturbing emptiness in the car. Unconsciously, he unbuttoned his shirt collar and rolled down the car window to the lowest point.
The night breeze flowed into the car, and memories of that journey resurfaced in Xing Conglian’s mind.
Later, they drove into a rest area. Xing Conglian smoked in the parking lot while Lin Chen went to buy two cups of hot coffee. The highway rest stops rarely had freshly ground black coffee, so it was mostly instant coffee.
There were only a few trucks in the surrounding parking lot, and the stars in the night sky were bright and brilliant. Lin Chen came back holding two steaming paper cups, handing one to him.
The coffee had a layer of foam on top, and the liquid was rich and flavorful. Some steam dispersed into the air, much like the gaze Lin Chen had on him at that time.
They both took a sip of coffee without saying a word, gazing at the velvety night sky. Perhaps they felt warmth and tranquility in each other’s presence, so neither of them spoke.
Xing Conglian couldn’t help but glance at the passenger seat. He always felt like he could still see Lin Chen’s lower lip stained with coffee, carrying a sweet scent, and his eyes gleaming brightly.
It was in that moment that Xing Conglian suddenly realized that whenever he drove at night, Lin Chen hardly ever slept. Those words and coffee, hot tea, and the waiting while he smoked—they were the most ordinary yet extraordinary companionship.
He hadn’t been aware of this before, and now that he had suddenly lost it, he realized how terrifying habits could be, making his whole body tremble.
Xing Conglian felt panic once again. He picked up his phone and started scrolling through his contacts without any specific purpose, trying to distract himself from the memories by focusing on work.
But before he could find someone to talk to, he received a call from Guanghua Chemicals.
Wang Chao sounded excited because Xiao Zhan had made some progress in the drug research.
As Xing Conglian answered the call, Wang Chao spoke a lot, using lengthy technical terms. Xing Conglian didn’t have the mental capacity to listen to them, but in order to avoid thinking about Lin Chen randomly, he forced himself to take note of the contents and repeatedly confirm his understanding.
This phone call consumed the duration of about seven or eight traffic lights. If it weren’t for Wang Chao asking at the end, “How is A’Chen Gege doing?” Xing Conglian might have truly escaped from his memories.
However, his efforts had clearly failed. Lin Chen was right—there was so much work, and he couldn’t finish it all in his lifetime.
He hung up the phone and turned up the volume of the car radio.
The ambient sound reverberated loudly, yet he felt the car cabin becoming even quieter.
Lin Chen was good to Wang Chao, not because he had a secret crush on him or was influenced by a herd mentality. Xing Conglian was well aware of this, just like with the chubby kid who introduced them. Lin Chen had a strong protective instinct toward these innocent beings.
They had also discussed Wang Chao’s education when he couldn’t hear them.
In the face of Lin Chen, Xing Conglian had asked him in confusion whether Wang Chao was too naive, as his mental age seemed too childish.
At that time, Lin Chen furrowed his brows, deep in thought, and didn’t immediately answer his question.
Xing Conglian thought that perhaps Lin Chen was reluctant to criticize him directly. But maybe it was a few hours later, deep into the night, when Lin Chen handed him a book titled <The Psychology of Abnormal Children>.
The book was filled with various colored tabs, and many paragraphs inside were marked with special annotations.
They sat by the window, and Lin Chen flipped through the book page by page, explaining about gifted children and teaching him to understand the concept of mental age, among other related topics. Like a devoted scholar, he was both serious and adorable.
The desk lamp cast a dim yellow light, the spring breeze was gentle, and the reflection of the river water fell on Lin Chen’s face. Xing Conglian wondered if, at that moment, he had already developed feelings for Lin Chen without even realizing it.
He kept thinking and thinking, his mouth dry and tongue parched, only to realize that the cigarette in his hand had burned out without him noticing. There was a pile of scattered cigarette ash on his pants.
He flicked away the cigarette butt and thought of lighting another one, but just as the traffic light turned green, he happened to turn into a small road sandwiched between residential areas.
Many of the shops on both sides had already closed, but the late-night snack shops had just opened.
This place was very close to their home. Countless mornings, he and Lin Chen had come here side by side to have breakfast.
Their shared memories were as pervasive as the morning mist permeating the South.
Lin Chen always knew where to find the best breakfast spots, even though he loved to sleep in. Every once in a while, in the early morning, he would wake Xing Conglian up without being so considerate.
They would traverse through bustling streets and alleys, arriving at lively markets, joining the old men and women who had risen early to wait for soy milk or buy noodle soup.
For example, on Nanlin Street, there were the best buns in the entire Hongjing. Lin Chen liked the rose bean paste ones, while Xing Conglian preferred curry beef. They would each buy two and eat them as they walked.
On the side of the road, there were camphor trees with a light fragrance, and the river flowed gently through the shops along the street. Near the end of the street, wooden signs advertising houses for rent would hang from the trees—all of these images appeared vividly in his mind.
At that time, he thought it was normal for good friends to walk together to find breakfast. Now, he realized how foolish he had been.
Why did Lin Chen always know where to find delicious food? Why didn’t Lin Chen call Wang Chao? And why, no matter how far the distance, was Lin Chen willing to walk with him rather than take a car?
The answers to these questions made Xing Conglian’s heart ache with bittersweetness.
It was because Lin Chen loved him and just wanted to spend a little more time with him; that was all.
Xing Conglian dared not smoke. He even felt that any movement would shatter the scene before his eyes.
Lin Chen didn’t like spicy food but was willing to accompany him to eat spicy crayfish. Lin Chen had a good daily routine and disliked staying up late, yet he would stay up all night with him to watch soccer matches. Lin Chen always reminded him to fasten his seatbelt, and when Xing Conglian was parched and didn’t even notice it himself, Lin Chen would hand him a bottle of water with the cap already unscrewed…
All these details were too vivid and apparent. He enjoyed the love and care that went beyond friendship, but he remained completely unaware, like a complete fool.
The Zhourui Building was now within reach, but Xing Conglian felt that he couldn’t continue thinking any further. Otherwise, he would definitely abandon everything and turn the car around to rush back to Lin Chen’s side.
He stubbed out the cigarette and found a parking spot by the side of the road, deciding to walk.
The night in the bustling city was also coming to an end.
Milk tea shops were closing, bakeries displayed signs with an 80% discount on all items, and bus stops were crowded with couples.
He was surrounded by pedestrians preparing to return home; the flow of people bustled and supported each other. Under the bright neon lights of the shops, every face wore an expression of exhaustion and happiness, radiant and lively.
Xing Conglian walked forward with his hands in his pockets, constantly brushing shoulders with countless couples.
Girls coquettishly hooked their arms around boys, boys hugged girls and kissed them, and close friends bantered with each other. People talked about various topics—clothes, shoes, work, loved ones. The cacophony of voices filled the entire night, but Lin Chen’s voice was absent.
He received another phone call. His subordinate was reporting the latest progress on the drug investigation. Zhourui Pharmaceutical refused to cooperate, and they couldn’t find any breakthroughs for the time being.
Xing Conglian responded half-heartedly, informing the person that he would be there soon.
But in that instant, as he looked around, he suddenly realized that the entire world had lost its colors. Loneliness had penetrated his bones, and it was terrifying.
He even felt that no matter how much Lin Chen loved him, he might not be able to endure a similar moment again. It was too bleak, too lonely, too unbearable. He felt like a patient going through withdrawal, losing the meaning of life.
He reached into his pocket and found that the cigarette box was empty. He was forced to walk to a small cigarette stall on the street.
An old man opened a trunk under a streetlamp, displaying various kinds of cigarettes. The dim light from the streetlamp scattered down, casting everything in a dull yellow hue.
He squatted down to choose a cigarette, with couples beside him selecting jewelry. The girl was sweet-looking, and the boy appeared to be an athletic type, tall and handsome, the kind who never lacked attention from girls.
The boy questioned why the girl made him wait for so long, and the girl replied that she had to wait for her parents to fall asleep and finish applying makeup before sneaking out.
“I love you no matter how you look,” the boy said, lowering his head.
“Without colored contacts or false eyelashes, you wouldn’t like me,” the girl responded cheerfully.
Xing Conglian couldn’t help but turn his head. The girl beside him had glamorous makeup, long eyelashes, and her eyes seemed to shine in the darkness.
Perhaps he had been staring for a bit too long. The girl pointed at him and said to the boy, “See?”
“You don’t trust me.”
“It’s not about trust, but my own vanity. I want to appear beautiful in front of you every day.”
Xing Conglian averted his gaze, feeling that such a conversation would never occur between him and Lin Chen.
Lin Chen always tolerated and cared for him like a polite stranger. What was happening around him was what normal conversations between couples would sound like.
He didn’t want to listen any further, so he picked up a cigarette, asked for the price, and started to take out money.
The boy was still concerned about the issue of makeup and asked the girl, “So, if you’re sick, can’t I come and take care of you? What if you get old and take medication that drives you crazy?”
“Even if I’m sick, I’ll still put on makeup. If I get old, I’ll just die. If I take medication that turns me into a lunatic, you better not come see me. The farther away you stay, the better!”
The girl stomped her feet, frustrated, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
Xing Conglian’s hand, in the process of receiving change, froze. He looked at the old man’s withered fingers, feeling as if his whole body had turned to stone.
“You’re not allowed to come see me.” The girl beside him had said those words. What about Lin Chen? How would Lin Chen say it?
Xing Conglian felt as if he had returned to the ambulance. It was already dark outside, and Lin Chen’s face was blurry in the evening sun, but his voice was firm and gentle.
Lin Chen said, “You have to walk with me.” He said, “You need to focus on your work and solve the problems.” He also said, “You have to remember to come see me.”
He kept recalling every word Lin Chen said, over and over again. That incomprehensible feeling, that sense that something was off, resurfaced, like the immense shadow of an iceberg beneath the water’s surface, suffocating.
It wasn’t the girl saying, “You’re not allowed to come see me,” but rather, “You have to remember to come see me”…
Xing Conglian finally understood what was wrong with that statement.
He had always been aware of Lin Chen’s love for him. When Lin Chen kissed him, he loved him. When Lin Chen was gravely ill, he loved him. Even when Lin Chen chose to inject Shen Lian’s medication, he still loved him…
But the depth of love was too difficult to measure. He used to think it was deep affection and love that he couldn’t repay.
Yet in this moment, under this ordinary streetlamp, as he listened to the most ordinary story of a couple, he suddenly realized just how profound Lin Chen’s love for him truly was, like a roaring wave crashing down upon him.
There was a time when he felt a ringing in his ears, and Lin Chen’s voice kept echoing in his mind.
If he were to turn into a crazed, inhuman figure, the first thing he would do is drive Lin Chen away, refusing to appear before his loved one in such an ugly state.
And yet, Lin Chen cared too much for him. Even in such moments, Lin Chen would restrain his instinctive fear of exposing his own ugliness, carefully considering how to better support him. Not pushing him away, but finding ways to mentally support him during the remaining time they had together.
Lin Chen wanted him to be better, to give him hope. That’s why he appeared so incredibly strong. Lin Chen chose treatment plans solely aiming to make him less miserable. Lin Chen was even willing to completely expose his own flaws in front of him, dignity becoming completely irrelevant.
All of this was because in Lin Chen’s mind, his feelings were more important.
But how was that possible? It was Lin Chen, and how could dignity not be important?
This kind of intelligence, rationality, and care, even striving to become stronger for him in his most vulnerable moments, made Lin Chen completely irresistible. Xing Conglian stood under the streetlamp, going insane as he rushed towards his car.
At that time, Lin Chen’s gaze was too tender and affectionate, softer than the fading red glow on the horizon. He couldn’t see the fear, the unease, and the overwhelming love hidden within it. He only felt that Lin Chen was too rational, too clear-headed. He felt abandoned, he felt too lonely, so he overlooked that simple and ordinary statement.
His oversight was only natural because Lin Chen had always loved him like this. Lin Chen tried to do his best, while he simply immersed himself in it, enjoying it as a matter of course.
But how many things in the world could be taken for granted?
Xing Conglian stood in place for a long time, his ears buzzing as everything rushed past him. It wasn’t until the silhouette of that young couple completely disappeared under the streetlamp that he snapped back to reality, crazily rushing back along the same road he came.
Against the flow of people, pushing through the crowd, his hands trembling like never before. He even struggled to insert the key into the car’s ignition.
He ended the call, stepping on the gas pedal like a madman, only hoping that he hadn’t left that hospital ward.
The night had become pitch black. He had turned into a frantic, irrational beast. Everything about Lin Chen filled the space around him, and apart from running wildly, he saw no way out.
As vehicles raced on the streets, he ran down the corridor as countless frames of images roared past him.
Lin Chen laughing, Lin Chen crying, Lin Chen speaking, Lin Chen walking, Lin Chen handing him documents, Lin Chen walking out the door, Lin Chen hugging him and saying “thank you”, Lin Chen holding his hand and saying “I love you”…
The simplest scenes were the most unforgettable, resurfacing from the depths of his memory, compressing time and space infinitely.
He locked the door, turned off the lights, and pulled down the curtain. When he realized what he was doing, he was already standing in front of the hospital bed, and everything came to a sudden stop.
All the sights in the world receded like the tide, leaving only the solitary bed in space.
The surroundings were extremely dark, with moonlight slanting through the window, like drifting snow, about to bury the person on the bed completely.
Xing Conglian vaguely saw the familiar face, but at the same time, he felt like he didn’t recognize the person at all. He wanted to reach out, but he was like a person trapped in a nightmare, using all his strength but unable to move.
Time passed aimlessly until a faint, unconscious moan cracked the frozen space.
Xing Conglian looked at the hospital bed again, finally seeing Lin Chen clearly.
Lin Chen was in a dazed state, unable to speak clearly due to the medication’s side effects. His throat was swollen, and saliva even dribbled down from the corner of his mouth. He looked nothing like the clear-headed and composed person before.
Xing Conglian tried to move his fingers, recovering some control, but this recovery made his heart ache to the extreme.
“Why are you treating me like this?”
Xing Conglian’s heart painfully ached and the pain made him climb onto the bed without hesitation. He bit Lin Chen’s neck and with his other hand untied Lin Chen’s restraint.
The person on the bed soon struggled, as if wanting to beat him, even kill him. But Xing Conglian would rather have Lin Chen kill him. Dying together would be the best relief.
He forcibly pulled Lin Chen’s hands over his head and tied him tightly to the iron frame at the head of the bed.
Lin Chen’s upper body contorted in pain, but Xing Conglian felt it wasn’t enough, so he forcibly pulled down Lin Chen’s hospital trousers and underwear. He untied one after another of the white restraints that bound Lin Chen. Lin Chen’s instincts made him struggle frantically, like a true psychiatric patient.
Xing Conglian pulled Lin Chen’s underwear to his legs, and it pressed against Lin Chen’s ankles. He knew that there was no point in suppressing a madman except by pure force.
Lin Chen’s whining filled the space. Xing Conglian finally untied the bound around Lin Chen’s mouth, tore off his shirt, and kissed him vigorously.
Lin Chen was biting wildly causing their teeth to collide, which made the pain all the more unbearable. This chaos was too wild that it didn’t look like a kiss at all.
“Get… Get away!”
Lin Chen shouted with a slurred voice. His body became hot under Xing Conglian.
“Who do you want to get away?” Xing Conglian leaned in close to Lin Chen’s ear and took off his pants. He raised his voice and asked again, “Who am I? Who do you want to get away?”
“Get… Get away!” Lin Chen could only utter incoherent syllables.
Xing Conglian felt like he had completely turned into a madman himself, trying to find a definite answer in this irrational world. “Who am I? Why do you want me to get away?”
Lin Chen trembled all over, reciting mechanically in a tone buried deep in his mind that he dared not forget: “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian…”
He pressed his penis against Lin Chen’s and grinded twice. Both of them were hot and hard.
Lin Chen trembled all over and mechanically yet in a tone that was buried deep in his mind that he didn’t dare forget, said, “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian…”
Clear and distinct words came from Lin Chen’s mouth, each one choking Xing Conglian up. He didn’t understand the mind and brain, didn’t comprehend the human soul. He had no idea how important he was to Lin Chen, to the point where even in the depths of Lin Chen’s mental chaos, he couldn’t forget his name.
Xing Conglian reached toward the head of the bed and grabbed the cream used to help heal the wounds on Lin Chen’s body. He indiscriminately squeezed it on his finger and forcibly inserted it into Lin Chen’s hole.
Lin Chen was in intense pain. His body was tensed up, and his head kept shaking. He heard Lin Chen say, “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian, get away…”
Xing Conglian knew that he couldn’t leave now. He had a question that he must ask, an answer that was heart-wrenching, but he had to get that answer.
He couldn’t even bring himself to look into Lin Chen’s eyes. Once again, he forcefully held onto Lin Chen and leaned in close, speaking in the coldest and most ruthless tone, “With me, you can be willful, selfish, unreasonable. I would even die with you if you didn’t want to live anymore. I just need you to answer my question, just tell me the truth.” He spoke, but soon he couldn’t hold on any longer and his voice choked. “Please, tell me the truth.”
It seemed that his pleading had worked, or perhaps it was the tears falling on Lin Chen’s face that truly brought him back to clarity.
Lin Chen’s movements came to a halt as he looked at him in confusion.
“What do you think of me?” He pressed his penis against Lin Chen’s hole as he asked.
“Don’t look at me.” In that moment of stillness, Lin Chen’s gaze was heartbreaking.
“Who doesn’t want to see you?” he asked again.
“Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian don’t look at me… Xing Conglian don’t look at me like this!” Lin Chen sobbed, like a child who had made a mistake, extremely agitated and desperate. “Xing Conglian won’t like me. Xing Conglian can’t not like me…”
Every syllable uttered by Lin Chen stabbed into his heart like a knife. Indeed, it was just like that.
All of Xing Conglian’s movements ceased, and even his heart felt like it stopped beating. He had completely stripped himself and Lin Chen. They were facing each other, naked, and the surrounding was a mess, but he had lost all ability to act.
Perhaps it was half a minute, or maybe an infinitely long time, Xing Conglian felt the blood slowly flow back to his limbs. He didn’t understand what he was doing anymore.
He propped himself up on his elbow and kissed Lin Chen’s cheek, releasing the restraints on the bed, and got up. At that moment, Lin Chen suddenly yanked him violently and said to him, in a voice that was clear, unequivocal, unambiguous, and agonizing, with an instinctive human desire for love and sex, “Enter me…”
Lin Chen’s voice was full of fear, but his eyes were crazed with love.
Xing Conglian was once again filled with overwhelming grief, tightly embracing Lin Chen.
It was an incredibly painful and firm world, just like Lin Chen’s heart. Besides bleeding and forcibly tearing open, there was no other way.
Lin Chen gasped in pain writhing out of shape as he groaned, roared, and shouted “go away” and “please” incessantly.
Xing Conglian couldn’t experience any sexual pleasure but felt that such a painful union was too suitable for lunatics like them. He kept thrusting inside Lin Chen’s, going deeper and deeper.
“Ah… Nn…” Lin Chen’s voice had long since become hoarse, unable to form complete sentences. “Love you… I…”
Xing Conglian kissed his neck vigorously, thinking if he wrecked Lin Chen’s belly*, they would no longer have to face such difficulties.
*Figuratively as in his dick is so large it makes his stomach bulge.
He had never truly understood Lin Chen, starting from the moment Lin Chen appeared at his doorstep. He had never really understood Lin Chen.
“Tell me the truth. Tell me what you’re thinking!” He pulled out and suddenly grabbed onto the roots of Lin Chen’s hair, questioning Lin Chen forcefully.
“I, I… it hurts… it hurts.” Tears overflowed from Lin Chen’s eyes. “Xing Conglian… Xing Conglian…”
“Tell me!” he roared in anger.
Lin Chen shouted almost mournfully, “I love you. I don’t want to be your friend or colleague. I want to be with you.”
“Go on!” He pulled out again and thrusted his dick back into Lin Chen’s insides.
“Why don’t you like me? Why don’t you know that I love you? My luck is so bad. I encounter so many bad people, I could die at any time. Please fall in love with me, because if I’m not careful, I might not live to see that day.” Lin Chen was in complete pain, and he couldn’t feel any erotic pleasure. His words were jumbled and illogical. “I will die. I will die soon… If I die, you won’t know that I loved you… That’s good… It’s good this way…”
Xing Conglian understood very well that he would never hear these words from Lin Chen when he was clear-minded. This filled him with immeasurable heartache, and he couldn’t find any other outlet for his emotions. He could only continue to embed Lin Chen with his penis.
“I love you, but you can’t know. But Song Shengsheng died. He was such a good person, and he died. I can’t help it. I really can’t help it… I want to give it a try. I really want to try… I shouldn’t have done that, but I really couldn’t control myself. I love you!” Lin Chen bit into his shoulder in pain.
Xing Conglian tasted the bitterness of blood and tears in his mouth. “I’m sorry… I didn’t know… I really didn’t know…” He held Lin Chen tightly. He felt more helpless and terrified than Lin Chen. Besides continuously saying “I love you” and “I’m sorry”, he was at a loss for what to do.
“I didn’t want to do that. I didn’t abandon you. Shen Lian can’t die… Even if I die, she can’t die. But I have no way out. I really can’t think of any solution… Why am I so stupid… Why am I so stupid…” Xing Conglian didn’t know what Lin Chen was thinking. He started to desperately hit his head with his hands. “Don’t be sad, don’t be upset. It’s my fault, I’m so stupid, so stupid.”
“I know… I’m sorry, truly sorry… I know you tried your best…” Xing Conglian held onto Lin Chen’s hand, feeling ashamed for the momentary thought of breaking up. “But I really don’t know what to do. I have nothing good about me. I’m not good at all. I’ve killed many people. I’m foolish and selfish. Thank you… really, thank you…”
It was so difficult for Xing Conglian. Clearly, he should be cherishing Lin Chen, treasuring him, and loving him endlessly. But no matter what he did, he could never match the love Lin Chen had for him.
He stopped all his movements and gently kissed Lin Chen’s eyelashes. He tried to slow down his movements, but he felt that only pain could resolve everything.
“Xing Conglian… I’m sorry!”
Lin Chen shouted with the last of his strength with his hoarse voice, and the pain pierced through his heart.
At that moment, Xing Conglian realized that he had already lost himself when it came to Lin Chen. He was in complete disarray.
Apart from staying with Lin Chen through life and death, he had no other path to take.
Kinky Thoughts:
Okay, I didn’t realize that there was actually smut in this novel. When I first translated it, I was extremely confused as a few chapters after this, there was mention of them having sex and I was baffled as nothing of that nature was mentioned at all. It wasn’t until much later that I found out all the sex scenes were cut out in the JJ version, so I had to do a little bit of dicktective work and find the uncensored version. To replace the uncensored version, the author added bits to the censored version, so this chapter is actually a combination of both the uncensored and censored version.
I tried my best to combine them as smoothly as possible, but there might still be some areas that’s a bit disjointed. Still, it’s a lot better than reading and finding out they fuck and is completely lost as that was never mentioned (like I did in my first go).
For those concerned, there is one more sex scene chapter that was cut, but that’s not until the extras. As far as I can tell, no other smut was cut out.
He had always had a good temper, but after consecutive experiences of “financial freedom is at hand but then transformed into a small monster mob”, “nearly falling to death due to a collapsing ground when descending the mountain”, and “a high-level dungeon’s hidden boss attacking out of nowhere”, anyone would become irritable.
“Stop!” Nol shouted sternly. Accompanied by the hoarse voice of a skeleton soldier, this command was especially intimidating.
However, Teest didn’t slow down for even half a second.
“Water!” Teest retorted succinctly.
“The water will be intercepted by the Lich! If you keep running, your life will also be intercepted by the Lich—”
Teest finally stopped.
The roaring sound of water still echoed behind them, but the rumbling gradually grew fainter. The rock passage was originally surrounded by only mud, but now there were broken stone bricks scattered around. They were uneven, carrying the regularity characteristic of man-made objects. Compared to the dry riverbed, the surroundings looked more like the remnants of a corridor.
Teest waited in place for a few seconds, and the water flow indeed didn’t approach further. He raised an eyebrow. “You indeed know the monsters very well.”
“The Lich is a high-level undead. As another undead monster, I can sense it.”
In fact, Nol’s understanding of the Lich went far beyond this. Not to mention that he had personally tested all the dungeons; he had even seen the modeling of Lich Valdorlock without clothes.
To enrich the game world, the development team designed a few special professions that could only be obtained through hidden dungeons. Hidden dungeons were limited; once cleared, they disappeared, and the requirements to conquer them were very strict. If a Player failed to clear it, there would be no second chance.
Despite hidden dungeons adjusting their difficulty according to the number of Players, they were still class-changing dungeons and had strict level requirements. If the level wasn’t sufficient, one couldn’t even enter the dungeon.
Teest, in his rookie gear, looked like a newbie and Nol wasn’t even considered a Player; they shouldn’t be here at all!
Even going ten thousand steps back, to awaken the boss Valdorlock, one must first clear the hidden dungeon “Forgotten Royal Court”. To enter the Forgotten Royal Court, one must first complete a complex prelude quest.
No part of the journey included an “underground river corridor”, but they had ended up right at the Lich’s doorstep.
Nol had a foreboding feeling. Each dungeon had an independent map. There shouldn’t be a bug like “being air-dropped somewhere after external destruction”.
Something was wrong with this world.
“Any suggestions, Mage?” Teest leaned against a relatively intact brick wall. “Apart from dealing with that Lich, we seem to have no other choice.”
“No, it’s best to avoid it and find a way back to the surface,” Nol said. That Lich wasn’t something they could handle now.
“The back is all water, and ahead is a Lich. If we slowly dig a hole here, I’m sure I’ll starve to death,” Teest said lightly. “I’d rather try to fight the Lich.”
‘You’re dreaming,’ Nol thought helplessly.
A lone wolf challenging a lion could barely be called “trying”. But if it dared to attack a dragon, that wasn’t trying, it was courting death.
A cold laugh echoed in the darkness, as if agreeing with his opinion.
The next moment, the corridor in front of the two twisted. They were violently grabbed by spatial magic. The narrow and crumbling passage silently shattered, and the surroundings turned into a spacious hall.
The grand hall was slightly tilted, and knee-deep water had accumulated on the floor. The dark water surface reflected the mineral glow on the ceiling, as if the galaxy had fallen to the ground. On both sides of the hall, exquisite armor was covered with rust, golden red curtains were full of mildew, and no trace of life could be seen in the vast hall. Only the Lich—huge and floating in the center of the hall—was visible.
It stood three meters tall, draped in a tattered mage’s robe, and was bound in the middle of the hall by hundreds of translucent chains. The decaying edge of the robe just touched the water surface, causing ripples to spread.
At this moment, it looked down at the two with a sneer.
Lich Valdorlock was pale, with a thin and elongated face, devoid of hair or beard. His dry skin was tightly stretched over the skull, the cheekbones were high, and his pair of eyes were deeply recessed, with only two pinpoints of cold light visible in the shadows. Just being watched by him, Nol felt the illusion of being crushed.
“Go to the throne, quick!”
He didn’t want to wait for the Lich to give an opening speech. To Valdorlock, they were no different from cockroaches—the normal reaction to seeing a cockroach is to grab a slipper, not to make small talk with it.
Teest heeded the advice this time. He leaped from the water’s surface and rushed towards the throne. The moment he jumped away, massive shadow spikes thrust out from the water, piercing where they had once stood.
Missing his mark, the Lich remained expressionless.
He raised his skeletal claws, and the shadow spikes splintered into countless black arrows, their tails gleaming with dark green light, aimed directly at Teest.
Teest seemed to have eyes behind his back. He gracefully leaped across the ruined hall and occasionally skimmed over the chains that bound the Lich. Many black arrows that seemed to hit him were blocked by the chains. In less than ten seconds, he landed on the spacious throne.
“What now?” He asked the skull without even breaking a sweat.
‘Not bad in terms of motor skills,’ Nol thought, a bit surprised.
“Now rest for a while and wait for my body to grow back,” Nol said. “The throne is the only safe place here.”
Teest just hummed in response and started observing the Lich with interest. In contrast to their leisure, the Lich wasn’t in a happy mood—
“Sacrilege.”
The Lich indeed didn’t attack again. He pointed at them with his gaunt finger, his voice sharp and cold as ice water.
“Vermins trying to touch the throne—this is sacrilege.”
“I agree.” Teest put the skull beside his leg and sighed. “If you’d just send us back above ground, I’ll get off right away and even help you clean your precious chair.”
“No one can leave alive,” the Lich whispered ominously. “Not heroes, not traitors, and certainly not a knight without a master.”
“Don’t talk about people as if they’re pet dogs. I’m not the one that’s chained up.” Teest shook his head.
The Lich’s chains rattled, and the blue light in his eyes flickered.
So the kid’s profession is a knight, but he doesn’t even have a sword. Nol touched his newly grown rib, feeling numb.
No matter how sharp-tongued Teest might be, he couldn’t really harm the Lich. The Lich knew this and didn’t show anger, only gazing down at them maliciously.
“Living things need to eat. You can’t hide forever. Knight, your fate has only two endings—die on the throne in cowardice or die in despair by my hands.”
Teest groped beside the throne for a few seconds, grabbed a thumb-sized stone, and with a whizz, the stone flew through the air, hitting the Lich’s forehead.
[HP – 0]
This hit had no power; it only triggered the Lich’s combat state.
A dark red health bar appeared above the Lich’s head, long enough to make one’s eyes spin. Teest paused and stared at it thoughtfully for a few seconds before the bar disappeared.
“Aren’t you fully grown yet?” He poked Nol’s skull.
Nol didn’t answer right away.
As his body gradually became whole, he could finally take in his surroundings. Above the throne, the entire hall was visible—more real and beautiful than Nol’s memory.
Even the Lich, though a creature of death, radiated a subtle vitality.
The Dragon Tomb Garden was always dim, far inferior to the splendor of the hall before him. When the world he created turned into reality, no creator could resist the shock.
“…Don’t rush. I’m growing legs.” Nol snapped back to reality as Teest poked him again.
“With all due respect, even if you grow legs now, they’re of no use,” Teest said. “Until we take down that guy, we’re not going anywhere.”
This was true.
Given their weakness, one direct hit would be enough to bid farewell to this place. For Teest, “here” might mean “this dungeon”; but for Nol, “here” meant “this world”.
Even worse, if Teest was eliminated, Nol would also undoubtedly die. The undead had strong upper-level suppression. Even if he thought of a solution, he couldn’t implement it.
He managed to pick up a companion underground, which could be considered a balance of luck.
“Did you bring any healing herbs?” Nol asked.
“No.” Teest was still sizing up the Lich.
“Do you know healing magic?”
“No.”
“Have you ever learned how to engrave a tombstone?” Nol decided to withdraw the thought of “balanced of luck”.
“Aren’t you giving up too easily?” Teest finally turned his head back.
“Then at least tell me what you can actually do,” Nol said dryly. “Besides jumping and dodging.”
Teest counted on his fingers. “Swordsmanship, holy light spells, fireball spells. I guess these are the only things that will work on it.”
Nol fell silent; the blue flames in his eye sockets flickered.
Attacks within the safe zone couldn’t cause damage, and simply attacking and dodging wouldn’t work either. If anyone stayed in the safe zone for more than five seconds, the Lich would automatically disengage from the battle and recover to full health.
Someone must continually battle it.
Lich Valdorlock belonged to the high-IQ boss category. He had over sixty common attack combinations, which would continue to change with the battle.
The fighters must recognize those brief pre-casting animations.
Many of the Lich’s moves were area of effects* attacks that couldn’t be avoided entirely. And this would be a protracted battle where physical exhaustion was inevitable. Without healing methods, even the most experienced Players were doomed to fail.
*(AOE) An attack or defense, such as a spell or skill, that affects all characters within a specified range of the target place or character.
Fighters must have healing items or healing magic.
…These were the basic requirements for a normal raid*. But they were so underleveled that it was appalling, and they didn’t even have equipment or weapons.
*Raid boss. It’s a boss that’s specialized and designed to be fought by multiple players, typically of significantly higher difficulty than a normal boss and requires specialized strategy and/or loadouts.
A game puzzle.
Yes, this was just a game puzzle. Nol looked at the hall filled with starlight, and the thinking made him calm, as if he had returned to that familiar office.
“Your legs have grown back.” Teest spoke after an unknown period. “Mage, Mr. Mage?”
Nol raised his head from his thoughts. He had thought long enough. During that time, his body was restored, and his hit points were full again. This was a good start. Nol smiled, though Teest probably couldn’t recognize the grin on a skull.
“We need to sign a contract first to prevent us from attacking each other.”
“Is that a good idea? I’m human, you’re a monster. I’ve only heard of a similar contract…”
“No, not signing a ‘Master-Slave Contract’. Even if you were my biological father, it wouldn’t work,” Nol interrupted. No matter how dire the situation, he wouldn’t do something foolish like entrusting his fate to someone else.
Of course, he knew Teest meant no harm. For Players who wanted to team up with monsters, a “Master-Slave Contract” was the only known method.
But he wasn’t an ordinary monster.
He had a brain, and he was familiar with all the rules and loopholes of “Tahe”.
“We’re going to sign a different kind of contract.”
The skeleton on the throne announced, word by word.
“…In simple terms, we have to get married first.”
The author has something to say:
Teest: (Pupils quaking)
Being proposed to by a skeleton in an underground ruin is super exciting. Congratulations to the two for achieving the fastest marriage achievement (?
When Yin Ci released his grip, the pile of thorns grew back vigorously.
Yin Ci: “…”
Shi Jingzhi’s eyes were still red, and he struggled to appear calm. Unfortunately, the Buddha Heart Formation showed no mercy and gave him no face. Shi Jingzhi’s state of mind fluctuated like a withered willow in the wind, experiencing ups and downs. His inner demon followed suit, changing in a rather straightforward manner.
Yin Ci suddenly felt that the thorns on the ground weren’t the thorns of his inner demons, but Shi Jingzhi’s fox tail.
Demonic Lord Yin, who was usually carefree, chuckled when this thought flashed through his mind. Shi Jingzhi remained thunderstruck, his fragile expression not yet fading as it transformed into a shocked “How could you do this?”
“Do you care about me that much?” Yin Ci laughed.
Shi Jingzhi tried to muster a mixture of sorrow and heroism but encountered Yin Ci, who remained unmoved like a rock. In an instant, his emotions became feeble. He irritably withdrew his hand into his sleeve, transforming his earnest indignation into frustration.
After struggling for a moment and forcing the color back into his face, Shi Jingzhi managed to ask, “A’Ci, what do you really think about my inner demon?”
He wanted to open up proactively. Shi Jingzhi restrained the panic in his heart, silently meditating.
Yin Ci maintained his indifferent demeanor as always, but this time, he didn’t make any jokes. He answered quite seriously. “It’s growing well—full of vitality, making others envious.”
Shi Jingzhi: “…” Is it really too late to find another disciple now?
Seeing Shi Jingzhi’s uncertain expression, Yin Ci couldn’t help but suppress his laughter. “What else can I think? Love and hate are intense emotions, and it’s better to resolve them than suppress them. It’s a good thing to be able to understand.”
Shi Jingzhi and his inner demon breathed a sigh of relief, and the chaotic thorns on the ground finally settled down.
However, Yin Ci wasn’t finished yet. He added with a smile, “But Shizun’s true nature is even more adorable than I expected.”
Shi Jingzhi’s heart, which had just settled down, suddenly jumped back into his throat. After a moment, he stammered, “What nonsense are you talking about? Finding the demon lords is more important.”
But he did take his hand out of his sleeve again.
Yin Ci finished laughing and spoke seriously. “Just now, the Su and Yan duo led the demon lords, and I pursued the demonic qi to the edge of the cliff. However, I couldn’t locate their positions, which is suspicious. Your inner demon is external to your body, and it’s spread everywhere like a spider’s web. It happens to be useful in this situation.”
Shi Jingzhi caught on immediately. “Let’s go. Take me to the edge of the cliff.”
Shi Jingzhi’s inner demon was somewhat similar to Lord Bai. It wasn’t directly connected to him and didn’t affect his actions. However, the thorns were scattered all over, densely packed, and occasionally surging, making the path particularly difficult to traverse. Shi Jingzhi originally wanted to carry Lord Bai along, but the goose demon stayed by the unconscious Su Si’s side and refused to budge no matter what he said.
So he had to give up and proceed towards the edge of the cliff with Yin Ci.
The inner demon’s illusion shattered, but the blue sky remained unchanged. Mist rolled at the edge of the cliff, and the spiritual qi of Huilian Mountain floated in the air, exuding a majestic and unchanging presence.
Yin Ci stood at the edge of the cliff, furrowing his brow as he sensed the surroundings for a while. Then, he pointed in a certain direction outside the cliff and said, “The strongest demonic qi is concentrated over there, but it’s scattered and elusive.”
Shi Jingzhi understood. If it were him, he wouldn’t act recklessly by probing. Without a foothold in the void, a wrong judgment could lead to an attack by the demon lords in mid-air, resulting in an irreparable disaster.
“I’ll do it. I’ll expand the thorns to cover the nearby area.”
Yin Ci shook his head. “You’ve just developed your inner demon, and your emotions are unstable. It’s best not to exert too much effort. With my own inner demon as support, you only need to find their approximate locations.”
Yin Ci’s tone carried a natural sense of tolerance. In the past, Shi Jingzhi would inevitably question and analyze such statements. But now, he refrained from deep thought and accepted it wholeheartedly, finding it quite useful.
Shi Jingzhi took a few deep breaths. Despite his fatigue and headache, he extended over a dozen thorny branches of his inner demon towards the empty space outside the cliff. The sensation of the external body was no different from his actual body, and as soon as the thorns shot out, Shi Jingzhi felt a surge of demonic qi brushing against them.
“A’Ci, move forward thirty-five steps and left twelve steps!”
Yin Ci stopped at the edge of the cliff, and then he leaped towards the empty space outside the cliff. The Hanging Shadow Sword danced, resembling a storm, encompassing a radius of five steps. Soon, a cry of pain echoed within the gusts of the sword wind. Two demons gradually revealed themselves.
Outside the cliff, there was only empty space, without even a crooked-neck tree to lean on. Yin Ci couldn’t stay suspended in mid-air, so before the demons fully manifested, he used the shadow chains behind him to swing back.
The black fire in the headlamp didn’t flicker even a bit.
With the demon lords exposed due to the injury, the two of them could finally see their appearance.
Undoubtedly, they were the mountain guardians of Huilian. Though, including the Lord of Greed, not a single one resembled a fierce beast. On the outer side of the cliff, there was a floating and moving invisible stone platform with a bull demon and a monkey demon standing on it.
The bull demon seemed both real and illusory, appearing like a faint shadow at first glance, somewhat resembling the shadow hand on Yin Ci’s body. However, upon closer inspection, one could only see a small portion of its body that garnered attention, while the rest outside the line of sight dissipated like mist. Trying to forcibly observe would only lead to headaches and restlessness.
In short, its true form was elusive. It was likely that the demonic qi of the two demons had fragmented and become unpredictable, most likely due to this particular demon’s characteristics.
Blinded by anger and oblivious to the bigger picture, it was probably the Lord of Hatred.
The Lord of Ignorance was easier to recognize—sitting on the back of the bull demon, it had two faces growing from its left and right sides, but its four eyes were misplaced and still located on the front of its head. It stared coldly in their direction, and both of its mouths grinned, emitting low squeaks and chirps.
As soon as their traces were exposed, the two demons turned their heads and fled, disappearing into the air. This time, they didn’t use any concealment techniques—they didn’t entirely vanish but rather concealed themselves from head to toe, as if running into an invisible doorway.
Yin Ci and Shi Jingzhi exchanged glances.
Immediately, Yin Ci hugged Shi Jingzhi and leaped swiftly onto the invisible stone platform. The blood of the Demon Lords was still dripping on the platform, and upon closer inspection, it appeared as if a few drops of blood were moving freely, which was a strange sight indeed.
The floating stone platform fluttered in various directions, but Yin Ci had already memorized the location of the doorway. He tugged at the chain of shadows and looked at Shi Jingzhi. “Shizun, are you ready? If you need to rest, we can wait a little longer.”
Shi Jingzhi stared fixedly at the spot where the two demons disappeared and answered without hesitation. “Follow.”
Yin Ci snorted and leaped into the air once again.
His qinggong was much more solid than Shi Jingzhi’s. Even if the stone platform floated far away, he easily leaped into the invisible “doorway”.
Shi Jingzhi instinctively tightened his grip, and the two of them plunged into the void.
In just an instant, the daylight and mountains disappeared from view, and they fell into a cold shadow. Then, they landed solidly on the ground somewhere.
Within the darkness of the doorway, there was a secluded space. Yin Ci released his hold on Shi Jingzhi and felt around, only touching cold and rough rocks.
Beneath their feet was frozen soil, and the entrance had become a dark gray giant rock wall. It felt as if they hadn’t jumped into the empty space at the edge of the cliff, but rather fell into a narrow cave.
The cave was silent, with only a faint light coming through the distant opening. The formation here was different from the Buddha Heart Formation, and it seemed that the Lord of Hatred and Lord of Ignorance wouldn’t be trapped here; they had likely escaped long ago.
Shi Jingzhi rushed towards the cave entrance. Outside the cave, there was an expanse of vastness, with fierce winds and snow that enveloped the entire world in a white blur. He cautiously reached out his hand to touch the wind and snow outside the cave, but he only encountered emptiness.
It was the boundary of the formation.
Shi Jingzhi turned back and looked at Yin Ci behind him. The thorns that had been wrapped around his waist before were gone, and the shadow hand on Yin Ci’s body was nowhere to be seen.
He took a deep breath and decisively shared his discovery. “The inner demons have vanished. It seems we’re not inside the Buddha Heart Formation anymore. From the looks of it, someone has solidified a small formation here, and the two formations are incompatible.”
Yin Ci looked at Shi Jingzhi with some surprise and continued the conversation. “Indeed. The scale of a small formation should be the work of an individual… To be crazy enough to tamper with the Buddha Heart Formation—we only know one person capable of that.”
Shi Jingzhi leaned against the cave wall with a worried expression. “Did he have to draw spiritual qi from the Buddha Heart Formation? Couldn’t Yan Budu have left a message without resorting to that?”
“It means he wanted to convey multiple clues, which is a good thing.” Yin Ci sat down in place and stretched lazily.
The moment they stepped in, the small formation was activated. Although the formation was created by Yan Budu, it was rare that there was no trace of hostility. It was mostly safe.
Despite being an illusion, the coldness within the formation remained. It seemed to be preserving the integrity of the formation. Shi Jingzhi had lost his inner demon, but his inner force was still suppressed by the small formation. He stood there, exhaling white vapor for a while, before finally giving in and leaning towards Yin Ci.
“May I lean on you for a while? I feel a bit cold,” he politely asked.
Yin Ci looked at him, finding his act quite convincing, and promptly made some space. “No need to be so polite. Come here.”
Shi Jingzhi, exhausted from the recent development of his inner demon, leaned on Yin Ci for a while, carefully adjusting his posture, half-hanging on Yin Ci’s body. His fatigue intensified, and he became drowsy.
Yin Ci hugged him, guiding him to adjust his breathing while keeping his eyes fixed on the entrance of the cave.
Yan Budu wouldn’t be so cruel as to let them freeze to death after playing around like this.
As expected, not long after, a figure stumbled into the cave.
The person wore dark red armor, and his white fox fur was stained with blood and snow. With one arm hanging limply, he was obviously severely injured. From a distance, the red jade smoking pipe at his waist was infuriatingly familiar.
Yin Ci quickly nudged the half-asleep fox. “He’s here.”
In the short time it took to burn two sticks of incense, Shi Jingzhi’s face was buried on Yin Ci’s shoulder as fragments of dreams scattered about. Now suddenly awakened, he was momentarily dazed and almost jumped up entirely. “What? Who’s here?”
His voice wasn’t low, but Yan Budu seemed as if he hadn’t heard it.
Squinting his crimson eyes, Yan Budu tore open his clothes and skillfully tended to his wounds. After setting the broken bones, he leaned against the rock wall and let out a long breath.
At that moment, he had tied his hair into a high ponytail, and the disheveled strands touched his pale skin, exuding a hint of charm. However, this charm, when applied to Yan Budu, carried an additional sense of dangerous intentions.
Yan Budu didn’t stay calm for long. After a while, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he covered his mouth, unexpectedly spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci: “…” This scene looked strangely familiar.
After vomiting out the blood, Yan Budu remained expressionless. He didn’t show any surprise and simply wiped away the fresh blood with a snowball he held in his hand. Then he wrapped himself in the fox fur and attempted to rest his eyes—yet every time he rested for a moment, he would turn his head and spit out a few more mouthfuls of blood.
Yin Ci’s expression turned strange. “Does he have this condition? I’ve never heard of it.”
Shi Jingzhi also held his breath and focused. “I haven’t come across any records either. It’s possible that the Ling Sect values strength above all and doesn’t want to admit that their own Hierarch can also fall ill… Or perhaps he has been enduring it in front of others. If it were me, I could endure it when necessary too.”
Yan Budu continued to sleep and vomit, vomiting and waking up, barely regaining some color in his face. Seemingly tired of sleeping, he weakly turned his head and looked towards the snowstorm outside the cave.
After observing for a while, Shi Jingzhi started to peck at imaginary grains again. Unexpectedly, it wasn’t Yin Ci who woke him up this time, but Yan Budu.
“Now that you’re here, you might as well come in and sit.”
Yan Budu’s voice was languid, filled with a strong sense of hostility, without a hint of weakness. He turned his head and greeted the outside of the cave.
“…I mean, Venerable Kongshi, with the situation outside like this, do you still want to immediately capture me and bring me out of the mountain?”
The author has something to say:
Yan Budu pulled a power cord from the monks’ formation, stealing electricity to power a video recorder (×
Fox Shi: What should we do? It’s so dangerous to enter the mortal world, and it’s so difficult to open up one’s heart.
“The person who came to negotiate conditions with you that day is indeed lifeless.” Shen Mo stretched his limbs on the sofa in the meeting room, in a relaxed posture. “Unfortunately, they fought too fiercely, and I could only watch from a distance. If I had gotten closer, maybe I could have seen more.”
“……”
Wei Huaqian’s face darkened.
“They can fight against those things? Since when does Shian have such a trump card…”
Seeing Wei Huaqian pondering with a solemn expression, Shen Mo chuckled. He poured himself a cup of hot tea. “It’s already this late, and you’re still worried about Shian’s trump card. No wonder Sunken Society has been declining year after year. Xiao Wei, if you don’t want to be a Charon, you’re better off running an underground workshop.”
Wei Huaqian took a few deep breaths and suppressed his anger gracefully. “What do you think?”
Shen Mo waved his hand casually, and an arm disappeared crisply into thin air, revealing a deep darkness where it used to be.
“The more corruption sources we release, the easier it is for us to come into contact with the Other Side. Even if you’re only half a Charon, you must have noticed something.”
“Those things on the Other Side want to merge the two worlds and control the human world?” Wei Huaqian’s response showed a hint of impatience.
“That’s why I said you’re more suited to be a boss of an underground workshop. The Other Side is similar in nature to the internet. Do you think the internet needs any ‘merging of two worlds’?” Shen Mo spoke while retracting his hand, which had disappeared into the void. His movements were slow, and the muscles on his arm were tense, as if he had caught something heavy.
“Controlling the human world… that statement is somewhat relevant. I think Shian will eventually realize that our collaborators from the Other Side can’t rely solely on Sunken Society to diligently spread corruption sources. Do you think those formidable things would leave the initiative in the hands of the inept Sunken Society?”
With a thud, a bloodied, naked body fell onto the carpet. Xiang Jiang’s eyes were tightly closed, his breathing shallow, as if unconscious or asleep. And beside him, Xiang Hai crouched closely. Only a faint shadow remained of the fierce ghost. Even so, it still opened its huge mouth and vigilantly exuded a ghostly aura.
“The Other Side definitely has other means to influence the human world, so I specially invited our esteemed guest.”
Shen Mo retracted his hand, and his face revealed an undisguised interest.
“Enough with the detours. You don’t really have a sense of existential crisis for humanity.” Wei Huaqian glanced at the fallen Xiang Jiang without much care. “Since you know that the Other Side has an ace up its sleeve, the more you know, the faster you’ll die.”
“If we are willing to assist them at all costs, they won’t be foolish enough to turn against us.”
Shen Mo shrugged his shoulders.
“We’ve come this far in the conversation, you surely understand, right? Xiao Wei, our interests are aligned.”
Wei Huaqian: “…”
He looked up and down at the handsome man in front of him, whose smile was full of charm.
Yes, he had long known that Shen Mo would never be satisfied with the current Sunken Society. After gaining the abilities of a Charon during the Divine Descent, Shen Mo betrayed Shian without any warning, assisting Sunken Society in stealing a large amount of classified information and precious spiritual weapons from Shian.
At that time, Shen Mo held a significant position in Shian. He even produced the “Evil Fruit” knife that was sealed by Shian.
A person like him could easily utilize his abilities to escape abroad and sell everything, living a more prosperous life than anyone in Sunken Society. However, Shen Mo chose to join Sunken Society and devoted all his energy to exploring the Other Side.
Wei Huaqian’s greatest ambition was to become a Charon, obtaining an extraordinary lifespan and formidable abilities. But what Shen Mo desired was something even more insane—
“You want to assist the Other Side and completely disrupt the existing order.”
Wei Huaqian moved his lips.
“…You want the current situation to turn into chaos.”
Without Shian’s suppression and police jurisdiction, powerful cultivators could roam freely in the dark corners of society, indulging in their nature and desires through the law of the jungle. Under the corruption, more people would see evil creatures and even awaken their own abilities, plunging further into madness.
With these creatures running rampant and the world in chaos, someone like Shen Mo would become a legendary figure, surpassing billions of people, almost like a myth.
Just like the legendary Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi.
Faced with Wei Huaqian’s speculation, Shen Mo didn’t answer. He merely tugged at the corner of his mouth with a burning and pure gaze, as if questioning—
Is it not allowed?
So Wei Huaqian gave his answer.
“Our interests are indeed aligned. Do as you please. I don’t care.”
……
“Ah? Do as you please. I don’t care.”
After Yin Ren was awakened by Zhong Chengshuo’s shaking, his spinal cord bypassed his brain and gave an automatic response.
He fell asleep, but he couldn’t be blamed. The meeting in Shian had been going on for nearly six hours, and Professor Li and Fu Xingchuan had argued internally at least ten times. Of course, the main focus was on the handling of the subsequent situation, which inevitably involved Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.
Not long ago, Minister Li Nian of Shian officially introduced the two of them—
Yin Ren, the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi from a thousand years ago, and the master of Shian’s founding ancestor. Mr. Yin was a senior evil with a thousand years of experience, recently forced to switch to being a “Fear” Elemental cub. He could fight—very well in fact—but seemed reluctant to do so.
Zhong Chengshuo, the former Fear who was kicked out of the retirement home on the Other Side, currently deeply fused with a human body. The advantage was that he couldn’t be killed no matter what, but the downside was that, apart from this advantage, his combat power was quite limited. He held a master’s degree from A University, currently passionate about scientific research while searching for his sister, and if possible, he still wanted to publish research papers.
Also, the two of them were currently in a passionate cohabitation relationship, and their relationship was relatively stable.
For a moment, the meeting room fell silent—including Qi Xin. She looked at Zhong Chengshuo with an extremely complicated expression that almost distorted her features.
Zhong Chengshuo innocently locked eyes with her, as if he were only a step away from wearing a sign around his chest that read “Purely Innocent”. Beside Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren couldn’t bear the long meeting and tilted his head on Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder, blatantly taking a nap.
Good news, two Fears.
Bad news, they both seemed useless.
Watching Qi Xin’s face grow increasingly displeased, Zhong Chengshuo decided to wake Yin Ren up. Yin Ren’s first reaction was not to check on Qi Xin but to scan his companions.
Ge Tingting had a serious expression, seemingly calm in the face of “everyone being formidable”. Lu Xiaohe looked at Zhong Chengshuo with a complicated expression, but there was no hidden anger on her face. Huang Jin—Huang Jin covered his face with both hands, emitting an aura of despair, as if he had lost all hope and no one knew what he was thinking.
Fu Tianyi, who was next to Huang Jin, was unconscious.
So this was the case. Yin Ren calmly withdrew his gaze. It seemed that everything Shian needed to say had been said while he was dozing off.
“I really don’t mind. I can cooperate with any work.” Faced with the various expressions of his colleagues, Yin Ren quickly patted his cheeks and straightened his posture.
“…It’s not that simple.”
Li Nian rubbed his temples, not bothering to conceal the weariness in his tone.
“The corruption outside is spreading, Xiang Jiang has betrayed us, and Fu Xingchuan personally defeated him. I can, for the time being, request his reinstatement. But whether it’s your and Zhong Chengshuo’s identities or Qi Xin’s situation, it’s difficult to coordinate them in a short period of time.”
“Mm, the opponent has become clever.”
Fu Xingchuan added, supplementing his old partner.
“If it were the Divine Descent twenty years ago, the situation would be critical, and decisions would be made quickly. Now, the corruption is simmering, seemingly under control. If your situations were to be reported, who knows how long it would take to resolve them.”
Yin Ren rubbed his temples. “So?”
Li Nian fell silent for a moment and then spoke with some difficulty. “My suggestion is to wage a protracted war. Since Love intends to continue its continuous assault on the gaps to interfere with the human world… We should utilize the power of Yin Ren and Qi Xin to reinforce all weaknesses and seal Love on the Other Side. During this time, we’ll mobilize all of Shian’s forces to completely destroy the sources of corruption. Love will be trapped in the gaps, either retreating back to the Other Side or deteriorating within the gaps. We just need to persevere through generations, and we will eventually find better solutions.”
‘Orderly and moderate, not much different from sealing,’ Yin Ren thought. In the past, he had sealed the Six Evil Spirits at the request of Huajisi because he couldn’t completely eliminate them. After so many years, it seemed that Shian’s approach to handling things hadn’t changed much.
“The way I see it, Love clearly has other ambitions, and delays can lead to unforeseen changes.”
Fu Xingchuan took a sip of tea and cleared his throat forcefully.
“According to Qi Xin’s statement, a new Joy and Disgust will be born, and Love can still persuade them to return. I suggest fully supporting Yin Ren to become stronger and deal with Love in one go.”
With the leader of the Human Harvesting Project gone, the next Love wouldn’t have the aura of a “Hero that slayed Fear”. It was hard to say what the situation would be on the Other Side. If the Elementals continue to cause chaos for tens of thousands of years, humans may disappear on their own in the river of history.
“But if Yin Ren becomes the main force, the higher-ups will certainly be concerned about this ‘new threat’ posed by Yin Ren,” Li Nian said helplessly. “His life will be severely affected.”
Fu Xingchuan smiled calmly. “Well, we can’t beat Yin Ren right now anyway. When the time comes, we can bring out the ‘Great Celestial Master’ card and scare those administrators—there are different ways to deal with strength.”
“You can do whatever you want, but I have only one request,” Qi Xin chimed in elegantly, turning her head to the side. “Once things are settled here, I want the Fear cub to willingly come back with me and restore order on the other side.”
As they spoke, Yin Ren’s mind was filled with endless chatter, like a never-ending parent-teacher conference. He stood up straight, causing the chair to emit a sharp creaking sound.
The arguments in the meeting room came to an abrupt halt.
Zhong Chengshuo: “Yin Ren?”
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry,” Yin Ren said in a deep tone. “Unit 9’s mission is to find the missing people; investigating the school’s corruption is just a side task. Now that Mr. Le, who was planning the school corruption, is dead, the mission on this side is complete.”
Lu Xiaohe suddenly raised her head, and even Li Nian was visibly taken aback. “You…”
“Unit 9 still has work to do. The missing people case hasn’t been solved yet, and the passage to the Other Side has been established, hasn’t it?”
Yin Ren waved his hand.
“You guys can argue about the follow-up tasks all you want. I’m definitely going to continue investigating the missing people case. Once the assignments are settled, we’ll do the assigned tasks and calculate the bonuses accordingly. I’ll cooperate.”
His tone was not much different from any other Shian employee, just with a touch of weariness, as if this was a regular work report meeting.
“Ma… Master Yin, this decision affects the future direction of humanity. In the worst-case scenario, the whole world could descend into chaos! How could you—”
Fu Tianyi finally caught his breath and exclaimed incredulously.
His hair was still standing on end from his “fortunate participation in an important mission to safeguard the world”.
“I was never interested in the bigger picture, and I don’t remember when I became a superhero. Let humans deal with their own affairs.”
Yin Ren forcefully rubbed his face.
“But I promised Lu Xiaohe that I would save her mother. Now, does anyone have anything else?”
“There’s a special sale at the supermarket tonight, so I need to leave work early.” Zhong Chengshuo stood up as well. “Now that the situation has been explained, can I have my ‘relic’ phone back?”
After speaking, he solemnly nodded to several members of Unit 9 and sincerely apologized for keeping them in the dark, saying, “The situation was special, and I’m sorry for hiding it for so long.”
However, only Ge Tingting was able to respond with stable emotions, while Lu Xiaohe covered her mouth and her eyes turned red in the flickering light.
As soon as the two of them reached the door, the roots of the willow tree trembled as if afraid of being burned, and they moved aside. No one in the meeting room spoke until they left the room.
“Hahaha, I told you!” Fu Xingchuan punched Li Nian and laughed out loud. “Does that guy look like the type who cares about the world?”
Li Nian’s expression was somewhat complex, with a mix of surprise and melancholy, as if he had a bitter feeling that he couldn’t express.
“It seems we can’t come to a conclusion for now.”
“Well, it’s not urgent for the next day or two. Let’s take it step by step.” Fu Xingchuan shrugged his shoulders. “Yin Ren is right. The case of the missing corruption sources hasn’t been resolved yet.”
……
In the early evening of the dark autumn and winter days, the sky was already adorned with faint stars.
In Shian’s cafeteria, Yin Ren served himself six pieces of pan-fried duck breast. The six pieces of meat piled up into a small mountain on his plate, sizzling and emitting the aroma of oil and spices. Next to the duck breast were steaming fish-flavored shredded pork, scrambled eggs with scallions, and braised tofu skin with vegetables. With a side of piping hot multigrain rice and a simmering white fungus soup, it was another hearty work meal.
“What are you thinking?”
Yin Ren took a bite of the duck meat. The crispy duck skin released the flavor of the spices, while the tender duck meat oozed with juices, making him close his eyes in satisfaction.
“What do you mean, what am I thinking?”
Zhong Chengshuo was still faced with a plate of garlic-flavored boiled vegetables and a soft-boiled egg, but now there was also a dish of piping hot stewed beef with potatoes. He was currently using a spoon to mix the mashed potatoes and meat broth into the rice with an expression just as serious as if he was conducting an experiment.
“About what’s next.” Yin Ren puffed out his cheeks and his voice was slightly muffled. “Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian want to maintain the bigger picture, while Qi Xin wants to save the Other Side in her own way. They all have their own stances.”
Zhong Chengshuo paused his chewing motion and lifted his gaze, looking intently at Yin Ren.
Yin Ren picked up a piece of braised tofu skin with vegetables and held it out to him. “The problem is, you are the real party involved; it’s a murder case related to you. Now that things are clear, as the victim, what do you think?”
As the “Fear” on the Other Side, he had no thoughts, surviving solely on instincts. Since the inception of the Other Side, he lived a regular and comfortable life, eating and sleeping. But one day, he was suddenly trapped in a sack and beaten mercilessly, his body torn apart, and then left to die in the interstitial space.
He may not have had thoughts initially, but he felt pain. Perhaps one of the motivations was the chaotic rabbit climbing the cliff, fighting against endless pain.
If the two of them hadn’t met by chance, Fear would probably have perished in ignorance a thousand years ago.
“To be honest, I just don’t like everyone turning into lunatics. But I don’t believe I have an obligation to prevent all disasters.”
Yin Ren lowered his voice.
“But someone tried to murder my target, and now that I’ve found the culprit, of course, I want to ask about their intentions.”
“…Honestly, I don’t have any particular thoughts.”
Zhong Chengshuo bit onto the tips of his chopsticks thoughtfully.
“When I was being hunted by them, I didn’t have thoughts yet, nor did I harbor any hatred. Even if I did, prey resisting predators is only natural. If you want to seek revenge for me, personally, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Hmm.” Yin Ren played with the end of his hair.
“But I do have some thoughts about the Other Side. No matter what decision we make, it wouldn’t be wise without proper investigation.”
Zhong Chengshuo toyed with the vegetables on his plate with a faint gleam shining in his black eyes.
“You want to fulfill Lu Xiaohe’s wish, and I want to conduct ecological research. Yin Ren, let’s go to the Other Side together.”
Yin Ren blinked in surprise.
Familiar location, familiar person. The only difference was the sight of fallen leaves and bare branches outside the window, compared to the vibrant green trees and sunshine back then. Compared to the Zhong Chengshuo he had first met, the person before him now exuded an indescribable liveliness.
At this moment, Zhong Chengshuo still looked at him with seriousness in his eyes. However, there was a hint of anticipation and barely detectable unease on his face. For this guy, the human crisis, the battle of the Elementals, and everything else probably paled in comparison to the importance of “finding Zhong Chengfeng and giving an account to the two elders”.
He truly deserved to be the cute accomplice he had personally chosen.
“Yes, we should definitely go together.”
Yin Ren took a bite of the last piece of duck breast, hiding the sudden surge of laughter.
“If the science post isn’t there, I can’t go out to do field work.”
……
Haigu Municipal Hospital.
Sun Qi’an opened her eyes, and the hospital’s snow-white ceiling welcomed her. She instinctively moved her head, but immediately winced—it was just a slight movement, yet her head throbbed painfully.
Her previous memories were hazy and vague. She racked her brain to recall but couldn’t make sense of anything.
She was working normally when suddenly there was commotion in Zhang Hejun’s ward. She went to see… to see… and then what?
Right, how is Zhang Hejun doing? The little girl’s condition remained poor even after being rescued. Earlier, her father was investigating her case and mentioned that the main suspect was particularly troublesome… The main suspect? Who was the main suspect again?
Her memories became increasingly chaotic, and the pain in her head intensified. Sun Qi’an gritted her teeth and let out a muffled groan.
Could it be that the tumor in her head worsened? Enduring the excruciating pain, she reached out her hand towards the nurse call button.
A hand pressed it down for her.
Yes, a hand, connected to a lone floating arm in mid-air.
The hand was fair and rosy, with a gentle and beautiful shape. The arm it was connected to had an extremely graceful curve, and the overly elongated arm gradually became transparent at the end, disappearing into thin air. However, just when she wanted to observe it more closely, the hand seemed to be enveloped in clouds and mist, obscuring the details from her view.
Shouldn’t she scream?
Sun Qi’an stood frozen in place, forgetting her headache completely.
The hand seemed to sense her tension. Its fingertips slowly left the nurse call button and gently caressed Sun Qi’an’s head. She stiffly withdrew into the covers, and the hand tucked her in with movements exuding utmost tenderness.
It was the same way her mother would tuck her in with the blankets.
Sun Qi’an tightly shut her eyes as a chill ran down her spine. Just when she didn’t know what to do, the door creaked open, and a nurse hurriedly walked in.
Upon hearing the footsteps of a living person, Dr. Sun forced her eyelids open, cautiously scanning her surroundings.
That arm had vanished in the blink of an eye.
The nurse seemed completely unaware of it, and only a black cat silently stared from the doorway, standing still for a while.
The author has something to say:
This arc is over!!!
Kinky Thoughts:
Arc is over. Summary below.
With Yin Ren’s memory uncovered, Sunken Society moved on to implement their next phase—a mass spread of corruption sources from Evil Force all over Haigu. With the spread of corruption source, Haigu saw a rise in crime and reckless behavior.
One such case was Lu Xiaohe’s mother, who, upon coming into contact with a corruption source, vanished out of thin air. This led Unit 9 to start investigating the case, which seemed connected to the rise in corruption sources that were spreading across Haigu.
While investigating, they stumbled upon Haigu Secondary School, which seemed to be a mass source of corruption and also a high-profile case of a live burial of a middle schooler. The mastermind behind the burial was Luo Chunlei.
In order to go undercover, Yin Ren used Yellow Millet to project a middle school version of Zhong Chengshuo while he remained invisible, sticking to Zhong Chengshuo’s side. While Zhong Chengshuo investigated the classroom, Ge Tingting and Huang Jin investigated the school and stumbled across an old janitor.
It was later revealed that the janitor is actually a Primordial Elemental representing “Joy” from the Other Side and had been providing the corruption sources to Sunken Society, which then distributed them across Haigu.
Yin Ren devised a plan to lure out the Primordial Elemental and eventually faced off in a confrontation against Joy in the interstitial space. It was then revealed by Joy the true background of the Other Side and why the events of the Divine Descent of over a thousand years ago happened (which I summarized in the previous chapter). The spread of corruption sources from the Other Side was to plummet the human world into madness and chaos, which would allow humans to produce twice as much emotional resonance that would feed the Elementals of the Other Side, which was going through famine.
Eventually, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were able to defeat Joy, who then sacrificed himself to Love (the true mastermind behind everything). They were able to narrowly escape with the help of Sorrow, who wants to restore order on the Other Side by reinstating the Fear that was killed.
Meanwhile, Xiang Jiang turned out to betray Shian, and he faced off against Fu Xingchuan. With the help of Ge Tingting and Huang Jin, they were able to subdue him until Love interfered, allowing Xiang Jiang to escape with the help of Shen Mo.
With things coming together, Unit 9 now plans to embark to the Other Side to rescue the missing people with the help of Sorrow.
The snow-white arms stretched out in unison, forming a horrifying flood of flesh. Although it was only a portion, its momentum far surpassed that of the previous Mr. Le. It was most likely the legendary “Love”.
Yin Ren desperately dodged those arms. His instincts were frantically warning him. Once influenced by those arms, things would likely spiral out of control.
Even the presence of “pure thoughts”, a human-made item, was enough to throw off his movements. Now he was working with Zhong Chengshuo. If they were to be affected by the genuine “Love”…
Yin Ren was exhausted, and the spirit of the Primordial Elemental within the vortex was at its peak. If they blindly fought, he might end up as a side dish to Mr. Le.
In an instant, Yin Ren suppressed his fighting spirit and focused all his energy on evading and escaping.
He dodged layers of swinging arms, swiftly shrinking his body to take on the appearance of Zhong Chengshuo. Amidst the thousands of extended arms, Yin Ren wrapped the real Zhong Chengshuo in red silk and hoisted him up, running toward the spot where the gap had appeared earlier.
Gaps like these only appeared in weak points of space. Even if it had somewhat recovered now, the space there was still weaker than elsewhere.
Obviously, Love was aware of this too, as more arms surged toward Yin Ren from the opposite direction. Yin Ren squeezed out his remaining strength, building layer upon layer of defense, stubbornly inching forward.
Perhaps due to his nature, Mr. Le wasn’t as easily digested as Mr. Qiu. After hastily consuming a large amount of the pale “Joy”, Yin Ren’s body felt uncomfortable, and his steps became heavier. More arms pressed against his defenses, making it increasingly difficult for Yin Ren to advance. If it weren’t for Zhong Chengshuo giving him his eyes, Yin Ren doubted he would be able to move at all.
Is he going to fail?
They’ve come this far, haven’t they?
Yin Ren held Zhong Chengshuo tightly, almost grinding his teeth to pieces. Explosions resounded around him, breaking through a layer of defense, which he added another. If his strength waned, he burned his flesh and blood.
Just a little bit more, just a little bit more… Zhong Chengshuo’s life was in his hands, and the purpose of the Other Side had yet to be revealed. He couldn’t allow himself to be trapped and die here.
Step by step, even if it was as slow as a snail, Yin Ren kept pushing aside the overwhelming arms, resolutely moving towards the exit. The “turtle shell” couldn’t chew him up. The snow-white arms swiftly descended from the clouds, piling up like mountains against Yin Ren.
They had reached their destination!
One of Yin Ren’s hands transformed into a winged sickle, fiercely cutting through space. At the same time, he madly activated his hair to transmit messages, preparing his companions outside to assist him in tearing open the gap. However, for some reason, his transmitted messages seemed to vanish into thin air, and there was no response from Fu Xingchuan.
The joy of surviving a calamity had just ignited, only to be extinguished by a bucket of cold water.
What’s going on?!
Did he have to fight head-on?
Yin Ren stopped at what should have been the exit and swallowed a mouthful of saliva. He was nearing exhaustion, and he didn’t even have a chance to communicate and delay. The massive Primordial Elemental in front of him clearly wasn’t as easy to deal with as Mr. Le. Its movements carried a strong intent to kill, and countless palms pressed down fiercely from above Yin Ren.
Bang!
Before Yin Ren could react, a dull sound rang out.
A thick barrier of corpses had risen beside him.
…No, perhaps it wasn’t truly corpses in the literal sense.
Countless small whirlpools emerged around Yin Ren, revealing legs and feet of various creatures. They maintained their normal size but became twisted and entangled, like intricately woven knots. Numerous legs and feet intertwined and remained motionless, emanating a chilling silence.
From the depths of the entangled limbs, various subtle mournful sounds could be heard. They were like sighs, like murmurs, and just a few earfuls of hearing them were enough to bring tears to one’s eyes.
The barrier in front of Yin Ren writhed incessantly, barely forming a human shape. Decaying and withered limbs sprouted fleshy membranes, and a human face slowly emerged.
It was Qi Xin’s face.
“The presence of Joy on the Other Side has disappeared.”
She moved her pupil-less eyes and revealed a satisfied smile.
“Not bad, cub. You still have some use.”
Yin Ren had no time for questions and took advantage of Qi Xin’s protection. He clawed at the space, tearing it apart with all his strength. At the same time, Qi Xin’s power was fully unleashed. The previously fragile space was vigorously torn apart by the two large Primordial Elementals. The space emitted a grating sound, and they managed to tear open a gap of over a meter.
Yin Ren plunged headfirst into it, and Qi Xin quickly followed, making their escape.
In the next moment, the sea of white arms surged forward, but unfortunately, it missed its mark.
Yin Ren held onto Zhong Chengshuo tightly as the two of them crashed heavily onto the ground of the school’s back mountain. The dust settled, and Yin Ren no longer had the strength to maintain his disguise, reverting back to his true form.
Finally, it was over. Yin Ren wearily stood up. “Fu—”
Before he could finish speaking, the tone changed. Just a few steps away from Yin Ren, Fu Xingchuan’s two white tigers were facing off against Ge Tingting and Huang Jin.
Behind Fu Xingchuan stood Zhang Hejun and Dr. Sun. One held a utility knife, the other gripped a shovel handle. Together with Ge Tingting and Huang Jin, all four of them wore the same gentle and chilling expression on their faces.
Love.
This was definitely not a simple emotional influence. Setting aside the others, Huang Jin could never reveal such a maternal expression.
Right, Love was different from the other Elementals. It existed between the gaps, closer to the “human world”, naturally having more ways to interfere with living beings… Yin Ren knew that he had left someone outside to provide support, and it seemed that Love had also kept an ace up its sleeve.
Yin Ren’s entire body felt almost powerless, but he still struggled to gather what little strength remained, hiding it in the palm of his hand.
Fu Xingchuan might have never encountered so many “traitors” in his entire life. He didn’t know whether to take action or not. The two white tigers were circling around him. Moreover, judging by their physical condition, Fu Xingchuan and Yin Ren were almost the same—his long robe was stained with blood and dirt, and the skin of one of his hands was completely missing, exposing the bright red muscles.
Fu Xingchuan was breathing heavily, and his strength was extremely unstable. It was clear that he was at his last breath. Judging from the scene of the battle and the residual evil qi around him, there should have been a powerful person here before. Now that powerful person was nowhere to be found; perhaps they had escaped.
A little further away, Li Nian and his A-level investigation team were standing. The sealing techniques in their hands were ready to be unleashed, and it was a critical moment. Everyone’s gaze was focused on this side, showing varying degrees of astonishment.
Yin Ren: “…”
Well, it turned out Shian was already prepared, but his appearance was untimely.
However, when it came to the lives of their companions, it was better to resolve the matter sooner. Yin Ren subconsciously wanted to take action, but Qi Xin easily grabbed his wrist and pulled it aside like squeezing a balloon.
Then Qi Xin extended both hands and made a twisting handkerchief gesture.
Ge Tingting, Huang Jin, Sun Qi’an, and Zhang Hejun felt as if they had been hit by a heavy blow. They held their heads expressionlessly, tears streaming from their eyes. In front of everyone, the four of them curled up in place, and the hostility around them dissipated in an instant.
“I smell the scent of a Charon. Those from Sunken Society are watching the show.”
Ignoring the piercing gazes of Shian and the others, she whispered to Yin Ren with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Yin Ren covered Zhong Chengshuo’s head tightly with a red silk spirit weapon, concealing his empty eye sockets. Qi Xin glanced at the nearby humans and once again extended both hands, gently twisting them.
A faint sadness, like moonlight, enveloped everyone present. All the spellcasters came to a unified pause, and in that moment, Qi Xin’s figure flickered and disappeared without a trace.
“It’s okay. I’ll come find you again.”
With that, Qi Xin’s presence neatly disappeared.
Yin Ren stood in a daze in the same spot, watching as Ge Tingting and Huang Jin were controlled by Shian. He felt his nerves relax, and exhaustion and pain washed over him. Yin Ren exerted all his strength to hold Zhong Chengshuo tightly, finally losing consciousness.
……
When Yin Ren woke up again, he was still holding Zhong Chengshuo in his arms.
But the surroundings were a bit strange. The room was decorated in Shian’s style, with no windows, and cameras quietly attached to the corners of the room, but they weren’t active.
Beside him, Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes were already covered with gauze, emitting a faint medicinal scent. Comrade Xiao Zhong maintained his strong composure, still indifferent even if the sky were to collapse, and fell asleep while being held like this. His expression was extremely relaxed, as if he were sleeping in the safest place in the world.
As one of the villains in the fairy tale, this person really had no self-awareness… But then again, neither did he.
Yin Ren took a deep breath and lay there dazed for a while.
The expression before Mr. Le’s demise kept spinning in his mind—
If Mr. Le brought Luo Chunlei here, it wasn’t for escape but to conveniently offer himself to “Love”, right?
When he was killed by his own hands, Mr. Le’s reaction wasn’t particularly surprising. His own downfall was probably within Mr. Le’s expectations… Rather than waiting to be devoured by the enemy, Mr. Le left his remains to his companion.
If it weren’t for Qi Xin’s timely intervention, both Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo would have lost more than their lives. Their strength had already been thoroughly discovered by Mr. Le.
Fortunately, they held on until the end and kept their final card—at least for now, Love still didn’t know that there were two true “Fears”.
“Two tigers, two tigers, run fast…”
Yin Ren hummed a song as his palm caressed Zhong Chengshuo’s cheek. The latter murmured a couple of words in his sleep and gently leaned into Yin Ren’s hand.
“One without eyes… Hmm, can’t be without eyes.”
Yin Ren’s palm covered Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes, and he propped himself up slightly, leaning in for a kiss.
The crisis was averted, and there was no one around. Yin Ren gathered the Evil Force on his tongue and transferred it into Zhong Chengshuo’s body. Zhong Chengshuo was startled awake by his actions, and he gently embraced Yin Ren’s waist, turning it into a real kiss.
A hazy warmth, a kiss that could make all the troubles in the world fade away.
The two of them kissed affectionately for a few minutes before Zhong Chengshuo reached up to undo the bandages. He cautiously opened his eyelids stained with blood, revealing two new, pitch-black pupils.
Yin Ren: “…” The left pupil of this person was as small as a button, while the right pupil almost filled the entire eye socket. Behind the pitch-black pupils, one could vaguely see something surging.
Yin Ren coughed desperately. “The sizes of the left and right sides are different, adjust them again.”
Zhong Chengshuo acknowledged and went to the bathroom to find a mirror. When he came back, he returned to the “ordinary human” appearance familiar to Yin Ren—handsome face, smooth and clean skin. Zhong Chengshuo also brushed his teeth and took a shower, emitting a refreshing scent of shower gel.
After completing all of this, he poured two cups of warm water and even compared the water levels of the two cups. Seeing that both identical cups were filled with the same amount of water, a faint sense of satisfaction appeared on Zhong Chengshuo’s face.
He really wanted the Elementals from the Other Side to see this. Yin Ren reluctantly took the warm water.
Having gone to great lengths to eliminate Fear, the result was that Fear didn’t disappear but instead became two Fears—one deeply engrossed in studying, the other longing for a vacation. It was hard to say whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Yin Ren slowly laid back on the pillow, stretching out like a character.
However, Lord Ghost King didn’t have much time to rest before a familiar person knocked on the door.
Fu Tianyi looked at Yin Ren absentmindedly. “Second Uncle has been going in and out of the hospital again. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
Yin Ren: “…”
Yin Ren: “Just say it.”
“Professor Li is looking for you.”
……
When Yin Ren arrived, Huang Jin was watching a slideshow of his life in the isolation room.
After returning to Shian, he and Ge Tingting were separated into two isolation rooms for treatment. Even though he didn’t know the specific regulations of Shian, he could tell the level of secrecy here. The ones who came to inquire about them were none other than Li Nian and Minister Jiao with her portable phone.
The questions asked were all about what had happened before.
Huang Jin recounted everything in detail.
Not long ago, Yin Ren personally wrote a tranquility talisman for Ge Tingting and Huang Jin, who volunteered to act as bait. He also added a protective talisman with his own hair, worried that they might encounter life-threatening situations. If that happened, the warning talisman from Lu Xiaohe’s side would immediately ignite, and Yin Ren would personally take action.
Despite all this, Yin Ren was still very worried.
“The opponent’s strength is unknown, and my protective talisman may not be able to completely protect you. You have to think it through.” He emphasized it repeatedly.
Fortunately, their predictions were quite accurate. Killing them directly or throwing them into the gap would trigger extreme circumstances, as Shian could sense their “death” through his techniques. Mr. Le only took away their phones and left Huang Jin and Ge Tingting in the office, leaving them to fend for themselves.
The next steps were simple. Yin Ren successfully rescued both of them and instructed them to hide their presence near the pavilion in the back mountains and act accordingly. Fu Xingchuan was aware of this matter.
As for Fu Xingchuan’s confrontation with Xiang Jiang and their opportune attacks, it could be considered successful.
The problem arose after arresting Xiang Jiang.
Huang Jin remembered that they were supposed to assist Fu Xingchuan in controlling the spells and help Yin Ren escape in time. However, just before he could handcuff Xiang Jiang with a spirit weapon, he lost consciousness.
All he remembered was the excruciating pain in his head.
When he regained consciousness, Huang Jin found himself kneeling on the ground, shedding tears uncontrollably. His heart was filled with an overwhelming, inexplicable grief. The A-level investigation team from Shian surrounded him with unfriendly gazes.
…No matter how he looked at it, the situation was quite dire.
Did he kill someone? Did he kill someone important to him? No, for him, the most important person was only Ding Lizi… Could it be because Shian erased another important person?
After all, when Huang Jin recalled the entire case, he realized that there were large gaps in his memory. It would have been fine if he didn’t think about it too much, but the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. It seemed like someone had disappeared from the case, and he couldn’t remember who it was, no matter how hard he tried.
Huang Jin had applied to see the case files before. There was a name among them, and all the information related to it became unreadable. The words were right there on the paper, but no matter how hard he tried, those lines of text couldn’t enter his mind.
It’s over. Everything’s over. He had landed himself in big trouble.
Huang Jin curled up in a corner, holding his head, filled with regret.
What the hell was going on! If he had known, if he were given another chance by fate, to go back to the time when he only needed to worry about the high-interest loans from Sunken Society—he should have taken a submachine gun and fired it at the members of Sunken Society, rather than joining Shian under reformation.
As Huang Jin tearfully wove this tragic story, Yin Ren couldn’t bear it any longer and pounded on the glass.
“The door has been open for fifteen minutes! Come out!”
“My brain is broken.” Huang Jin stared at the corner of the wall. “The previous case feels wrong… Someone is missing, and I can’t remember… “
“○○○, right? When someone is directly devoured by a creature from the Other Side, it can cause this phenomenon.” Yin Ren explained with patience as he tapped his head against the glass. “Let’s not talk about you as a black seal not remembering her, even Li Nian doesn’t remember her. That case is closed, and it has nothing to do with you.”
Just like the mayor of Gengsheng Town, when Love devoured Luo Chunlei, everything related to that girl was erased from their “cognition”.
Her desk and stationery were still there, her room and clothes were still there, and her chat records in the anonymous chat group were still there.
But people would simply scan over them with wide eyes, unable to leave any trace in their minds. In this world, it seemed that only Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo still remembered that arrogant and domineering little girl.
Even if someone like Huang Jin was aware that there was a “role vacancy”, they couldn’t obtain any more information and would only be truly frightened.
“I lost a long stretch of memory too! I woke up crying in pain!” Huang Jin clung to the corner of the wall, refusing to move.
“That’s because you were under the control of a Primordial Elemental from the other side.” Yin Ren patted the glass again. “We’re still investigating the specific reasons, but I can assure you that you’re safe now.”
“…Oh.” Huang Jin wiped away his tears.
Was he really okay?
No, it couldn’t be that simple. After all, the Great Celestial Master himself was here, and he couldn’t escape even with ten legs. Huang Jin, in a daze, followed Yin Ren out of the room and into a meeting room.
This meeting room was a bit special, with tree roots covering the walls. The areas without roots were filled with deliberately drawn red-brown liquid filled with talismans. There were no windows inside, but also no electrical appliances; only an oil lamp flickered on the table. Along with the eerie surroundings, this place was like a scene from a horror movie.
The people present were all familiar faces.
Li Nian and Fu Xingchuan, the two leaders, and Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo, the two beasts. They were always involved in every troublesome situation.
Lu Xiaohe and Ge Tingting were also present… Well, after all, they were colleagues from Unit 9. Fu Tianyi was there, probably because he was an informant and had collaborated with them before, so it was understandable.
However, sitting in the darkest corner of the long table was a slender woman.
She had tightly bound her hair into a bun, slender eyes and brows, with a hint of pale red at the corners of her eyes, as if she had just been crying. She was securely tied up to the chair with ropes, and each rope was adorned with powerful sealing weapons imbued with a strong Evil Force.
Even though she was tied up like a zongzi, her thoughts were calm and content. Huang Jin had seen that shape of thoughts before in Gengsheng Town.
…Qi Xin.
Huang Jin turned to leave, but in the next instant, the door slammed shut in front of him. Countless tree roots extended rapidly, sealing the door tightly.
“Can I not participate?” He painfully pressed against the wall.
“Unfortunately, no.”
In the flickering fire, Qi Xin stretched her neck nonchalantly and narrowed her slender eyes. As Huang Jin looked at her elongated figure, a wave of goosebumps spread across his back.
“You and that girl have the same brain damage.” Qi Xin pointed her head at Ge Tingting. “Maybe there could be some good use.”
He was wrong, Huang Jin thought dazedly.
Now, he truly had landed himself in big trouble.
“In the following matters, I will find an opportunity to inform the leaders of the Yandu Branch and the Linnan Branch. The situation is highly sensitive, and it should not be disclosed to ordinary employees until countermeasures are determined.”
Li Nian cleared his throat and spoke first.
“Considering the remarks made by Xiang Jiang during his betrayal, combined with the testimony obtained by Yin Ren from Mr. Le, along with the recent activities of Sunken Society… I believe we can ascertain the intentions of the Other Side.”
For the next ten minutes, Huang Jin’s mind went blank.
The Other Side had been providing sources of corruption to Sunken Society, and the creatures from the Other Side had found a way to stably infect humans using Evil Force.
The next step was to fully corrupt humanity, causing the human population to descend into madness to some extent. This would increase the production of various emotional energies and solve the problem of famine caused by the explosive increase of Elementals from the Other Side. For this purpose, the leaders from the Other Side came to the mortal realm.
Among them, “Love” showcased great determination, personally opening up the gap between the Other Side and the mortal realm, facilitating the influence of their companions on the human world.
Should he say it’s touching? After living for so many years, Huang Jin felt the absurdity of being “a bystander listening to agricultural news in the farmland” for the first time.
“No,” he muttered dazedly.
“If Mr. Le is prepared for self-sacrifice… Mr. Qiu is gone, Mr. Le is gone, and Ms. Qi is here—without someone to guide them, how can Love continue with its plans?”
“And after all that has been said, why is ‘Sorrow’ here? By betraying the Other Side, she won’t gain anything!”
In a sense, this could be considered the Primordial Elemental side of “crime against one’s own kind”. Huang Jin pressed his temples frantically. Sharing a room with Qi Xin, he didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly, fearing that his own tears would choke him in the next moment.
“Oh. You haven’t told them yet, have you?” Qi Xin smiled and looked at Yin Ren.
“I haven’t betrayed the Other Side—I came here to restore the true ‘order’.”
……
Shen Mo hummed a tune as he returned to the underground office of Sunken Society.
“Feeling good?”
Wei Huaqian asked indifferently.
“After watching such a great show, I feel really good.” Shen Mo laughed heartily. “Fu Xingchuan is getting old after all. If he were twenty years younger, Xiang Jiang wouldn’t last five seconds against him. But now, Xiao Fu still needs to shed some skin… Xiao Wei, time doesn’t spare anyone.”
Wei Huaqian, with a face full of wrinkles, didn’t even bother to lift his head. “Is that all?”
“Of course not.”
Shen Mo leaned in his young face full of smiles.
“Xiao Wei, we’re in for a great time.”
Kinky Thoughts:
The breakdown of the world of the Other Side is basically in the beginning, there was Satisfaction and Fear. From Satisfaction, other Primordial Elementals were born, while Fear played the role of death.
With the rise of humans and their emotions, certain Primordial Elementals that reflect human emotions became more powerful, such as the main four that was categorized by Shian: Love, Sorrow, Joy, and Disgust (I think Disgust is supposed to replace Hate as the top 4 emotions classified by Shian, so you can think of it as also hate/malice.)
[Side note: The rise of Disgust is most likely attributed to the rise of the internet. With the protection of anonymity, people can type pretty disgusting things online without fearing repercussions. A prime example was all the comments made to the girl who literally escaped from being human trafficked and was still bullied.]
Love, seeing its elemental compatriots dying to Fear, wanted to end the cycle, and thus, joining with the other great Elementals, they managed to defeat Fear and scatter its body through the “gaps”. One such gap fell in the Valley of Bones, where Yin Ren made his residence, and thus that is how Zhong Chengshuo first met Yin Ren… explaining the events of the “dream history arc”.
However, without Fear, and thus death, the Elementals continued to grow unchecked, and famine started. They began to eat each other (forming that food chain). Unable to bear the situation, Love devised a plan to plunge the human world into insanity. When humans become insane, they give off more potent emotions, twice as much as normal, which could feed the never-ending birth of Elementals.
Like always, everything in the previous arcs ties in with the main story… And this is why I love Nian Zhong.
The night sky was covered with dark clouds, pressing down on the forest like a coffin lid. Thunder rumbled as heavy rain poured down, turning the soft soil gradually into mud. Muddy rainwater continuously washed over the cliffs, coating the rocks with a layer of leaping water film.
Even in the pouring rain, high-level monsters still wandered out of their caves. Skeleton soldiers had no flesh and blood so they couldn’t be used as a midnight snack, but Xu Yue couldn’t be sure; maybe some feline monster would play with his skull as a ball.
The heavy rain masked all sounds, making the night destined to be more dangerous. But when one carried the status of “Automatically perish in sunlight”, one really didn’t have many choices.
Amidst the rumbling thunder, Xu Yue’s hit points were rapidly decreasing.
[HP: 60/81]
[HP: 51/81]
[HP: 39/81]
……
At this moment, his head was wrapped in bush branches, rapidly rolling down along the cliff. Xu Yue gritted his teeth, ensuring that the thick bush branches in his mouth wouldn’t be knocked off. Even though he took measures to cushion the fall, the falling damage was still frightening.
But he had no other choice. For a skeleton soldier, this was the only feasible way down the mountain—
After saying goodbye to his neighbors, Xu Yue decides to go to the nearest novice village. “Nearest” was a beautiful term, but it wasn’t actually the case.
The novice village was called “Three Forks Road”. The three kingdoms of Gemino, Inato, and Shidina took the Dragon Mountain Range as their border, and the village of Three Forks Road was at the junction deep within the mountains. As Players leveled up, they could occasionally witness the magnificent sight of dragons flying across the sky.
However, the Dragon’s Lair was on the rugged peaks, while Three Forks Road was in a depression between the mountains. To prevent reckless Players from wandering in, the area around the Dragon’s Lair was full of cliffs, ferocious beasts, and frequently occurring bad weather.
This might be self-inflicted.
Xu Yue disassembled his bones, binding them neatly with vines like a bundle of firewood, then wrapped them in bush branches. He rolled them down the cliff on a gentle slope. When his body arrived at the bottom in pieces, he struggled to reassemble himself again.
He had done this three times tonight. Fortunately, the skeleton didn’t feel pain.
……
[HP: 30/81]
[HP: 16/81]
[HP: 11/81]
The health loss gradually stopped. The bush branches scattered, causing the skull to roll slower and slower among the rocks. The heavy rain washed the skull to a ghastly white, making the will-o’-wisps in Xu Yue’s eye sockets dim significantly.
‘HP is still at 11. Not bad.’ His worst estimate was 9, so everything was still within expectations…
Crack.
Under the impact of rainwater, a rock from the cliff suddenly smashed down, causing the ground to make an ominous sound.
Xu Yue’s vision shook wildly. His skull fell into a freshly formed crevice, bouncing around like a ball on a pool table, knocking about in the narrow rocky path, and falling with the water towards the ground.
[HP: 8/81]
Xu Yue: ???
[HP: 5/81]
Xu Yue: …!
[HP: 3/81]
…Such a death would be too ridiculous!
Everything happened so suddenly that Xu Yue hadn’t had time to think carefully when he fell onto something soft.
[HP: 2/81]
Xu Yue’s hit points finally stop flashing, resting at the blood red “2”. During this time, fate had indeed been unkind to him.
Wait a minute. Why did he have a soft landing?
Just as the question popped up, a pair of hands grasped Xu Yue’s head on both sides and turned his face in a different direction.
Necronomicon creatures possessed night vision. Before Xu Yue saw the person’s face, the first thing he saw was hair—silver white, loose, long hair.
It wasn’t the white hair of an old man; it was smooth and clean, shimmering with the youthful gloss unique to young people. With movement, the long hair gently slid over the person’s chest, its soft reflection slowly swaying as if it had a life of its own.
And above that was the face—a very handsome face.
It wasn’t one that had those cold, furrowed brows, nor was it pretentious and self-important. This face gave the impression of a “handsome friend of a good friend”, making one subconsciously feel friendly and approachable.
The other party looked younger than thirty. His face still showed surprise, and his light golden eyes were fixed on Xu Yue’s… skull.
A Player.
Xu Yue judged immediately.
On this person’s left ear was a golden earring with a small square emblem hanging below it—the game logo of “Tahe World”. The will-o’-wisps in the skull’s eyes were the only source of light here. Xu Yue stared at the earring. The familiar logo flickered softly in the blue light.
Fortunately, in the midst of misfortune, this Player didn’t attack Xu Yue immediately. He only held the skull and examined it carefully with very gentle movements.
Xu Yue was about to cry out for help, but rationality stopped him at the last moment.
In the design of “Tahe World”, Players should wear golden ear cuffs, not earrings.
By touching the ear cuff twice, Players could summon the game’s main interface. Considering aesthetic differences among Players, the artists designed the ear cuffs to be simple and delicate, hardly noticeable. If the Players were willing to pay extra, the ear cuffs could even become invisible.
However, the earring in front of him was ostentatious and tasteless, so Xu Yue couldn’t help but think of an animal ear tag.
It wasn’t time yet. He needed more information before calling for help. Moreover, he didn’t yet know this Player. If the other party’s character wasn’t good, it would only bring more trouble.
As Xu Yue rapidly thought, the white-haired young man casually found a rock and set the skull on it. He seemed to regard Xu Yue as a mere lighting tool.
Xu Yue kept quiet and took the opportunity to look at the Player up and down.
He wore a loose linen shirt with the cross-neck strap undone, and the fabric was covered with dust and grass. The belt was rough, holding an old hunting knife, a water pouch, and a fist-sized cloth bag. The dark trousers were like hunting clothes, slightly more fitting than the shirt, tucked into mud-splattered boots.
His profession was unclear, but his level seemed low. Probably an unlucky fool who had run around after leaving the novice village.
The young man found a relatively dry spot and pulled out a piece of jerky from his bag, eating it leisurely.
This guy sure had guts to eat alone with a skull underground in the dead of night. But what type of Player that person was, or even the gender of the Player behind the handsome appearance, Xu Yue couldn’t discern.
But he had his advantages.
“Nice to meet you, young man.”
After the Player finished the jerky, Xu Yue spoke politely. The voice of the skeleton soldier was husky and unpleasant, sounding particularly grating in the small space.
The man turned his head sharply, like a beast ready to attack. But when he steadied himself, all that remained in his eyes was polite curiosity, as if a talking skull was an everyday sight.
“Hello,” the Player replied succinctly.
“I used to be a mage. As you can see, unfortunately, I’ve become an undead.” Xu Yue fabricated without hesitation. “Please take me back to my hometown. I dream of returning to that beautiful place. Of course, I will reward you handsomely.”
A standard sidequest, not too important but enough to pique curiosity.
Even if the other party couldn’t receive a mission prompt, he would only take it as a hidden fun task. Who would doubt the characters of the game world?
The man was silent for a while. “You say you’re a mage.” He asked conversationally, “What’s your name?”
“Nol,” Xu Yue answered quickly.
“Nol” was a variant of “No. 1”, a name Xu Yue once used for a test character, representing that he was the first Player of “Tahe World”. In fact, he used it as his ID in college. He liked the implication of “first”, and he was indeed always first.
In such a situation, a familiar name was easier to adapt to.
The Player looked at him seriously and was silent for even longer. Xu Yue waited for a good while before receiving the second question.
“I just have to take your head back?”
“No, I accidentally fell down the mountain, and my body is outside,” Xu Yue explained patiently. “You don’t need to go find it specifically. If my head and body are separated for more than thirty minutes, my body can regenerate.”
But once the body was regenerated, his HP would be reduced to 1 as a penalty. For safety reasons, Xu Yue usually didn’t choose this method.
But now, with his HP at 2, it met the standard of desperate measures*.
*Breaking a broken pot (破罐子破摔) Idiom describing a situation where someone has given up on something, so they feel there’s nothing left to lose (AKA in for a penny, in for a pound).
“Indeed, taking me with you might cause some inconveniences. But I can help you deal with some monsters, as I know their weaknesses,” Xu Yue added.
“It seems like you know a lot about ‘monsters’,” the man mused.
“When I was alive, I loved studying various monsters.” This was actually the truth.
“Then you must know about different places in the world. Mage, can I specify what your ‘generous reward’ will be?”
“Specify?” This guy was quite cunning. Few Players would turn around and make demands for a set task.
“Don’t worry, I don’t want money or treasures.” The man smiled. “I’m more interested in your knowledge about monsters and the world.”
‘You’ve come to the right person then,’ Xu Yue thought to himself.
He couldn’t figure out why this person would want such information. Was he an experienced Player in a rush to create a game guide? But he had to admit, it was a good proposal. Providing knowledge within controllable limits was indeed more convenient than dealing with gold coins or rare items.
“Deal,” Xu Yue stated reservedly.
“Then we are companions.”
The young man with white hair smiled as he patted the skull on the head.
“Good evening, Nol. You can call me Teest*.”
*His name written in Chinese is (忒斯特) which is pronounced similar to tester. See the author’s notes for pronunciation.
His voice had hardly faded when a loud noise of rocks crumbling came from nearby, mixed with the sound of a rushing torrent hitting the walls.
Right, it was raining heavily outside, and this was a dried-up underground river.
Water was coming.
Xu Yue—now it should be called “Nol”—was just about to warn. Teest grabbed the skull and ran in the opposite direction of the water noise, into even deeper darkness.
And at the far end of the distant darkness, a pair of muddy eyes slowly opened.
Accompanied by an unreasonable sense of oppression, clear system prompts simultaneously boomed into both their minds.
[You have entered a hidden area.]
[You have triggered a special quest: The Fallen Guardian.]
[Lich Valdorlock is about to awaken. Good luck.]
The author has something to say:
Now, let me provide the phonetic notation for everyone: (忒)斯特 (tè)…
Actually, the first character has this pronunciation XD. Anyway, that’s the end of the prologue! My main characters always meet in the prologue of my stories (?
System: Good luck
Nol: Laughing my ass off. There was no luck to begin with!
The night scene outside the window was pitch black. Xing Conglian and Su Fengzi stood at the window on the second floor of the police station. Xing Conglian lit a cigarette and asked, “Why did you come here?”
Su Fengzi casually inserted one hand into his pocket and rested the other on the windowsill, casually gazing at the night scene. “Your opening remark is quite polite. At least you should address me as Shixiong along with Lin Chen.”
The person beside him still hadn’t responded. Su Fengzi turned his head to look. Xing Conglian remained silent; his face dark, clearly in a bad mood.
He could only helplessly continue, “Mrs. Su feels guilty and worried, thinking she did something wrong. She asked me to come and see if I could help in any way.”
“How is his teacher?”
“Tsk, calling him teacher so smoothly,” Su Fengzi half-jokingly said, then continued, “I don’t know. The old man is at such an age, life and death are predetermined.”
Xing Conglian frowned, and the atmosphere became awkward and silent once again.
Su Fengzi wanted to say something, but Xing Conglian’s sharp and slightly self-mocking gaze swept over. “He knew you would come to clean up the mess for him, so he was at ease and made a bet with Shen Lian.”
Clever people were so troublesome since they couldn’t be deceived with random excuses. But considering Xing Conglian’s mood, Su Fengzi decided to keep quiet. He loosened his tie a bit, saying, “Alright, I want the negotiation video between Lin Chen and Shen Lian.”
“I thought you knew everything,” Xing Conglian said.
“You can’t possibly have control over everything, so how could I know everything?” Su Fengzi retorted to Xing Conglian with a smile.
Xing Conglian’s face darkened once again, and he remained silent. Instead, he took out a pair of headphones and placed his phone on the windowsill, stepping back two steps and leaning against the back wall.
Xing Conglian trusted him so much, probably to give Lin Chen face. Su Fengzi directly put on the headphones, opened the video, and lowered his head to press the play button.
The air was filled with the smell of smoke, and after watching for a while, Su Fengzi couldn’t help but turn around and ask Xing Conglian for a cigarette and a lighter. He anxiously held the cigarette in his hand, lit it, and took a deep drag.
Then he turned to Xing Conglian and said, “Promise me, when he regains consciousness, be gentle with him.”
“Are you certain he will regain consciousness?” Xing Conglian seized the most critical point.
“He won’t do something purely reckless. Shen Lian knows very well that she can only continue playing when Lin Chen is alive and regains consciousness. So, you see, your Consultant Lin has tightly connected their fates using a small technique.” Su Fengzi turned around and looked at the screen, speaking admiringly.
Xing Conglian had finished his cigarette and was now looking at him with an extremely cold gaze. Feeling the gaze behind him, Su Fengzi helplessly turned back and patiently explained to this man who had just been abandoned by his lover and was extremely unhappy. “I’m not just making excuses for Lin Chen. Making a bet with Shen Lian is a classic negotiation technique. If the other party agrees to one small thing, it’s easier for her to agree to the subsequent requests. He did it for the sake of the next arrangement.”
“Do you think I care about all this?” Xing Conglian interrupted him decisively and retorted, “Why he did it, how clever and correct he was, how much he suffered and had no other choice—do you think I care?”
Xing Conglian’s voice was very calm, with a hint of hoarseness as if he had just finished smoking, making it extremely suppressed. The corridor was dimly lit, and Su Fengzi didn’t know how to respond.
“What do you care about then?” Su Fengzi asked involuntarily.
Xing Conglian lowered his head slightly, and his eyelids lifted. His gaze was dark and deep as he looked at him. Just when Su Fengzi thought Xing Conglian wouldn’t answer, he heard him say, “I care about him.”
The complete meaning of this sentence was that even if Lin Chen didn’t care about him, he still cared about him.
Su Fengzi’s breath hitched; he didn’t expect Xing Conglian to be so straightforward and direct. Thinking about how difficult it must have been for Xing Conglian to restrain himself throughout the negotiation process, he could only take another deep drag of his cigarette and say, “There are too many difficulties in this world, and unfortunately, he encountered some particularly tough ones.”
As if confirming something, just as he finished speaking, Xing Conglian’s phone rang.
Su Fengzi looked at the screen with the words “Dr. Wang from Tzu Chi Hospital” and instantly understood what was happening.
But Xing Conglian reacted even faster.
The police captain stepped forward and quickly answered the phone, even forgetting about the fact that it was connected to his headphones.
On the other end of the line was a police officer or a doctor arranged by Xing Conglian at the hospital, anxiously informing him that Lin Chen’s condition had deteriorated after falling ill, and the first treatment plan had failed, among other things.
Xing Conglian just listened quietly, and for a moment, he seemed helpless and desperate.
Su Fengzi silently took off his headphones, and Xing Conglian also hung up the phone.
They stood facing each other, and Xing Conglian spoke first. “I’m going to the hospital.”
“Then I’ll go to Zhourui Pharmaceuticals.” Su Fengzi turned around and waved his hand at Xing Conglian.
“Zhourui?”
“You didn’t really think I came to help because of Mrs. Su, did you?” Su Fengzi turned back and smiled.
……
Xing Conglian didn’t care about what Su Fengzi was going to do. He quickly drove to Tzu Chi Hospital.
Located in the southeast corner of Hongjing, the hospital primarily dealt with mental illnesses and psychological problems, and it was the treatment location that Lin Chen himself had chosen while still maintaining his sanity.
Late at night, some patients fell into a deep sleep after taking medication, while others refused to take their medication and fought a grueling battle against the mental torment that normal people couldn’t experience, such as hallucinations and anxiety.
But Lin Chen chose to suffer the pain of the latter.
In the ward, two doctors were securing the struggling patient to the bed with restraints.
Xing Conglian stood by the window, and the soundproofing effect of the hospital was so good that he felt like he was watching a silent film, quiet and illusory.
The diagnosis room was partially covered by medical curtains, creating a dim and gloomy atmosphere. Lin Chen’s upper body was completely obscured by a light blue medical curtain. He saw some hazy lights and shadows. Lin Chen arched his neck in pain, and his shoulders were forced down as a three-finger-wide restraint tightly pressed against his shoulder, securing him firmly to the bed.
Next came his arms. The restraints were ruthlessly fastened around Lin Chen’s elbows, followed by his wrists. The doctor’s movements were skilled and unrelenting.
Lin Chen’s hand was exposed outside the gaps of the medical curtain. Through those openings, he could catch a glimpse of his own hand—the hand he was so intimately familiar with. However, at that moment, Lin Chen’s fingers contorted into twisted shapes, completely beyond his control, as if reflecting his current state of anguish and torment.
Xing Conglian marveled at the fact that he could even stand there. It truly felt like a miracle.
The doctor produced a new dosage of medication, preparing to administer it to Lin Chen via injection.
Perhaps due to the unnerving silence surrounding them, there were moments when he felt as if his soul was splitting into two or even multiple entities.
One part of him barged into the ward, frantically driving everyone else out, gripping Lin Chen tightly and pulling him close, just like the desperate and passionate men portrayed in television dramas. Meanwhile, another part of him existed in a different space, where he suddenly realized that he had experienced a similar scene before.
It was as if they were in a rainforest filled with the acrid smell of decay, obscured by the dense smoke of battle. Lin Chen stood on the brink of death, and Xing Conglian exerted all his strength to pull him back.
He held Lin Chen in his arms, making it clear that he wouldn’t hesitate to threaten him. If Lin Chen ever prioritized the safety of others over his own again, Xing Conglian vowed to use a chain to bind him, preventing Lin Chen from taking a single step outside ever again.
He vaguely remembered Lin Chen expressing how much he missed him at that time, or something along those lines. It evoked both sweetness and heartache within him.
However, he soon realized that his supposed threats held no power over Lin Chen when similar situations arose. Lin Chen would always act magnanimously, stepping forward with great valor, while subjecting him to the same pain and sense of helplessness in an extraordinarily cruel manner.
Such moments had occurred before, and undoubtedly, they would happen again.
In a fleeting moment, Xing Conglian felt as if someone was speaking to him, suggesting that breaking up with Lin Chen might be for the best. After all, Lin Chen was strong and didn’t need his protection. His mere presence seemed to burden him.
That voice must have belonged to the most agonizing part of his own psyche. Alternatively, it could have been a result of auditory hallucinations triggered by the opening and closing of the ward door as the doctor went in and out.
In any case, within this brief span of time, right at the entrance of the ward, everything he experienced felt completely unreal.
He could still hear Lin Chen’s voice—a voice he never knew Lin Chen possessed.
That high-pitched, ear-piercing scream seemed to transcend human capabilities, as if his vocal cords had been forcibly torn apart and haphazardly reassembled, rendering the words indistinct. Nonetheless, he could still barely decipher that Lin Chen was shouting phrases like “get away” with an extreme sense of anguish.
Lin Chen’s hand flailed desperately, as if trying to break free from the bed. However, the doctor’s hand held the syringe firmly and relentlessly pierced Lin Chen’s arm. The needle penetrated deep, and the liquid was injected, gradually calming the struggling figure on the bed.
The doctor emerged from the door, as if intending to say something to him. However, he could only barely see the movement of their lips without hearing any sound.
Only then did he recall why he was standing there.
A few hours earlier, when they had come out of the Zhourui Building, the crimson glow had faded, leaving only a faint line of light on the horizon.
Lin Chen lay in the ambulance, requesting to be alone with him for a while.
His subordinates had thought that Lin Chen probably wanted to report some confidential information or make final arrangements to him. But only he knew that it was a moment of Lin Chen’s remorse and desire to make amends.
Sitting in the vehicle, Lin Chen held his hand and spoke to him with a gentle and affectionate tone, saying, “I’m really sorry. Regardless of the circumstances, you have to walk through this with me. I also need to receive treatment like an ordinary patient, to see if conventional psychiatric medications can effectively address the mental disturbance caused by this drug. You need to focus on your work and handle things well, but also remember to come and visit me.”
There was nothing wrong with that statement—logical and clear.
If it weren’t for the lack of reflective film on the ambulance window, he believed that at that moment, Lin Chen would have kissed him.
And he just watched Lin Chen, feeling that something was off, but unable to articulate why.
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