Author: Kinky

Evil As Humans Ch235

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Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 235: Placing A Bet

Haigu, The New Pedestrian Street, Donghe District.

Fu Xingchuan stood in mid-air, facing his former junior—Xiang Jiang, who was once seen as the “successor of the new generation”.

Xiang Jiang tightened his grip on his younger brother’s hand, and his facial expression twitched. “Fu…”

Fu Xingchuan clearly had no intention of exchanging pleasantries with him. With a raised hand, dozens of fire dragons roared and blasted towards Xiang Jiang like projectiles. Xiang Jiang swallowed the words he was about to say, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

Xiang Hai also waved his hand, and a torrent of corpses surged out from a sewer outlet. They gathered in front of them, forming a shield. When the raging fire met the rotting corpses, the smell of burnt flesh instantly filled the air.

“The so-called ghost generals are nothing more than corpse servants who can control ghosts. You don’t have the advantage,” Xiang Jiang said softly.

Beside him, Xiang Hai clenched his fist, causing the foul-smelling corpses to writhe continuously. Facing the bodies of his former villagers, Xiang Hai had an eerie innocence on his face, as if the pile of corpses before him was some kind of toy.

Having had enough fun, he opened his fingers again, pointing towards Fu Xingchuan.

“Kill,” Xiang Hai ordered softly.

Xiang Jiang formed hand seals with both hands, and the surrounding evil qi surged. Evil creatures within a radius of hundreds of miles stirred in response, all converging towards their direction. The nearby fierce ghosts boiled with excitement, and for a moment, evil qi surged like a torrential downpour, resembling naturally tilted dark clouds.

The myriad of evil creatures collided with Fu Xingchuan’s fire web, screaming in agony as they turned into fireballs. The frenzied fierce ghosts were suppressed by various members of the team on the ground, and only about half of them stood before Xiang Jiang. Xiang Jiang’s expression remained unchanged as the fierce ghosts entangled themselves around the corpses commanded by Xiang Hai, forming a layer of foul-smelling water film on their surfaces.

They screamed and laughed, with deformed shadows embracing deformed corpses. For a moment, it seemed as if a flower of human corpses exclusive to nightmares blossomed before Fu Xingchuan.

It extended its dark red petals straight towards Fu Xingchuan, aiming to devour its target.

Fu Xingchuan’s movements never ceased.

“The red-clothed old man’s corpse at eleven o’clock.” Professor Li’s instructions came through his earpiece. “It allows me to see most clearly, and the power there is the strongest.”

Fu Xingchuan remained calm while his ten fingers firmly held the Eight Trigrams symbol. Eight ghostly shadows surged towards the direction indicated by Li Nian. The crimson ghost burst, and the mixture of ghost and corpse was firmly struck. Decaying flesh fell down with a crackling sound, turning into a shower of corpses filled with evil qi.

The three individuals in the sewer weren’t spared and were drenched by it.

“This… is human flesh?”

Sun Qi’an grabbed a piece of flesh from above her head. The piece of skin still had some hair on it, emitting a strong stench.

“No, I can’t stay here. They need a doctor outside.”

Huang Jin couldn’t be bothered to waste words. With a swift chop of his hand, he knocked Sun Qi’an unconscious on the spot.

Currently, they were underground, affected by the evil qi to a lesser extent. If it weren’t for wanting to stay informed about the situation outside, Huang Jin would have sent Yellow Millet to block the manhole.

“So, we’re just going to wait?” Ge Tingting held the unconscious Dr. Sun, and her face was filled with worry.

Within the narrow hole, the sky occasionally turned red from the clashes of spells. Explosions mixed with the wailing of fierce ghosts created a sound that weighed heavily on the chest.

The dense evil qi leaked only slightly into the underground, causing Ge Tingting and Huang Jin’s faces to turn pale. Whenever they opened their mouths, thick white mist would be expelled. The temperature nearby continued to drop, and if this continued, they might freeze to death.

But leaving might be even more dangerous—all the evil creatures near Haigu were drawn to this location, and who knew what might come up from the sewer. Now, with Sun Qi’an in tow, it was inconvenient for them to move.

Ge Tingting didn’t like waiting in place, but she couldn’t think of a better solution at the moment.

Huang Jin forced a smile. “Let’s wait. We’re not at a level where we can intervene in that kind of battle. Surviving is already a victory.”

If the Emergency Management Department couldn’t stop the fierce ghost twins, Huang Jin could start considering the design of an urn.

“But we still need to make some preparations.” Ge Tingting scratched her head frantically. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“All the support that can be mobilized has arrived. Yin Ren and the others are on the Other Side. In this unfortunate situation, we can’t abandon the school hospital and the others,” Huang Jin said, sitting cross-legged on Yellow Millet, playing with his own spirit weapon carving knife.

Time passed minute by minute, and the circular sky at the hole’s opening seemed to go mad. The clouds churned frantically, and beams of sunlight intermittently emerged and disappeared from the broken clouds. Strong winds blew in all directions, and countless random objects rolled across the ground—from milk tea cups and snack bags to intact souvenirs and fruits. Huang Jin’s head spun from being hit, while Ge Tingting leaned forward to protect the unconscious Sun Qi’an in her arms.

Just then, something else fell from the sky.

A charred human skull tumbled down Yellow Millet and plopped into the sewage. Huang Jin finally couldn’t help but move his body, cautiously climbing a few steps up the ladder and peering outside.

As soon as he stuck his head out, his scalp was almost shaved off by the cold wind.

The situation outside couldn’t be clearly judged for the time being. The members of the Emergency Management Department were desperately trying to contain the disaster area, preventing the surging evil qi from leaking outside.

Fu Xingchuan still guarded the sky. His upper body was covered in blood, his braid had come loose, and his shoulder-length hair danced wildly on his shoulders. Originally, eight of the strongest fierce ghosts were supposed to be guarding him, but now there were only six left. However, Fu Xingchuan’s condition wasn’t too bad—countless skeletons gathered to form a giant roc, and the skeletal bird floated in the sky, providing him with a foothold.

The situation for Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai opposite him was even more precarious. The forms of the two fierce ghosts became blurry, with one having charcoal-black fragments on his shoulder and the other’s left leg rotten up to the knee, while evil qi surged madly.

Most of the corpse clusters in front of them had dissipated, leaving only two giant hands hanging lifelessly beside them. Behind the twins, there were still countless ghostly shadows, as if a mass of black smoke had gathered.

And above their heads, the enormous vortex of dark clouds continued to expand.

“The #1 Ghost General—worthy of the title,” Xiang Jiang commented without emotion. “Truly, cough, no mercy.”

Fu Xingchuan moved his lips, but in the end, he didn’t reply. By his side, the fiery red flames began to gather once again.

“So difficult to kill,” Xiang Hai complained. “Brother, this is so difficult to kill. When can we leave this place?”

“It’s okay, we’re almost ready,” Xiang Jiang said, placing his hand on his younger brother’s shoulder.

Huang Jin initially intended to retreat, but this statement made him stay at the scene. Almost ready? What do you mean, almost ready? Sunken Society couldn’t enter now, and these two brothers could only engage in a battle of attrition here. They may be difficult to deal with, but the situation was still under Shian’s control.

What exactly…

Huang Jin’s mind hadn’t turned the corner when he saw something shoot out from the swirling dark clouds. It was as fast as a bullet, and Huang Jin only had time to catch a glimpse of a white silhouette.

With a soft sound, it pierced through Fu Xingchuan’s chest.

Bright red blood splattered in an instant, staining the attacking object. It was a white arm, slender like that of a child but with a tangible presence.

Fu Xingchuan’s fighting instinct was terrifying. The moment he sensed the presence, he tried his best to dodge and avoid a critical hit. Then he tightly closed his eyes and roared at the people on the ground, “Don’t look!”

His voice carried a technique, revealing a fierce and intense aura.

Fu Xingchuan was severely injured. How would the situation develop? What would happen to Haigu? Would the people he cared about be safe? What should he do?

As he saw Fu Xingchuan’s red robe stained with blood in the blink of an eye, countless questions almost overwhelmed Huang Jin’s mind. Without Yin Ren, without Zhong Chengshuo… Now, he had no way out.

He had to find a solution. Haigu couldn’t descend into chaos—at least not now!

Ah, that’s right.

He couldn’t look at the true form of Love. Huang Jin numbly thought. But he had already seen it, so why was he fine?

Could it be…

Huang Jin suddenly wore an extremely ugly smile, and he turned his gaze towards the twins in the sky, the smile on his lips growing wider. Great, it was Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai who triggered this event. How wonderful.

‘It’s really strange,’ Huang Jin thought. Even in such an absurd situation, he had considered everything, yet he forgot to consider escape and the outcome. Perhaps he had been irritated by those noisy colleagues for too long, and he had become a little foolish as a result.

This time, he would take the initiative.

Huang Jin raised his carving knife and forcefully stabbed it into his own palm.

In an instant, fresh blood smeared the Tranquility Talisman. The Tranquility Talisman was countered by the newly applied blood, instantly changing its properties.

“Go—!!!”

Huang Jin raised his hand, and a freshly created Emotional Amplification Talisman shot towards Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai. Before the talisman could touch the two of them, it instantly exploded into fragments. Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai couldn’t resist in time and ended up being slightly affected.

“What kind of Divine Descent is that!” Huang Jin directly carved a series of talismans on his own arm, splattering blood everywhere. “Let me show you what a ‘Divine Descent’ truly is!”

When he saw Love’s arm, he didn’t have any special reaction. It was likely because he had been possessed by a Primordial Elemental in a proper manner, granting him some protection.

After all, when the Great Primordial Elemental possessed him, it had to use his eyes to see.

So, he only needed those two ghosts to be influenced slightly. Huang Jin knew their obsessions, understood their hatred, and also grasped the original emotion that caused all of this:

Sorrow.

Within a small range, a large amount of profound and visible grief gathered.

“Qi Xin!”

Just as Love was about to deliver a fatal blow to Fu Xingchuan after pulling out his arm, Huang Jin shouted loudly, stretching out his arm covered in spells of the Other Side.

“Look at me—!!!” Blood surged out from the wound, splattering in the wind. Huang Jin roared with all his might, his originally gloomy face looking solemn and fierce.

He didn’t know if Qi Xin would come. If the ghosts were affected by the Emotional Amplification Talisman, their power would only become stronger. If this move failed, he would definitely meet his end here…

But this was his last glimmer of hope.

……

Everything seemed to slow down as Love’s fingertips left Fu Xingchuan’s chest, gathering power, and then stabbed forward again. And at the moment when the blood-stained fingertips touched the blood-stained fabric, its wrist was tightly grasped by a hand.

That hand was still adorned with vibrant bloodstains; its five fingers were steady, making a cracking sound as it squeezed the arm.

Huang Jin lifted his head once again, with two traces of red appearing at the corners of his eyes. He swung Love’s arm away, and dense Evil Force suddenly exploded, forcefully pushing back the arm for more than ten steps.

“What a troublesome human.” Qi Xin clicked her tongue, slapping Fu Xingchuan’s chest with her palm, and the flesh and skin quickly closed under it. “Not even afraid that I wouldn’t come…”

Fu Xingchuan swallowed a mouthful of blood. “You’re… Sorrow…”

Qi Xin smirked without smiling. “Thank you both. Now that I have a falling-out with this guy, I can only bet on those two to win.”

After speaking, the Huang Jin version of Qi Xin turned around and protected Fu Xingchuan. “Forget it. When the chips are in your hands, you’ll have to place your bet sooner or later, right, Love?”

She shouted the last sentence towards the sewer.

In the depths of darkness, there came a faint sigh. Ge Tingting watched as Sun Qi’an opened her eyes, and a gentle smile appeared on her face. In a daze, Ge Tingting almost thought she saw her mother.

In the blink of an eye, Sun Qi’an disappeared from her embrace.

Ge Tingting hurriedly instructed Yellow Millet to float upwards. That amiable female doctor was now suspended in front of Xiang Jiang and Xiang Hai. She stood gracefully, looking towards “Huang Jin” and Fu Xingchuan on the opposite side with eyes filled with regret.

Behind her, among the clouds, more arms desperately tore open the vortexes and squeezed into the mortal realm. Ge Tingting’s head began to spin, and Yellow Millet swiftly extended a small tentacle, forcefully covering her eyes.

“My body will be born soon, while you’re here as a pitiful substitute.”

Love manipulated Sun Qi’an and spoke with a voice as gentle as water.

“Sorrow, you have ultimately chosen the wrong path. Go back. This is your last chance… Ah!”

Mid-sentence, Love suddenly furrowed her brows, and a hint of pain appeared on her face.

“Do you think I’m foolish? Do you think I won’t look at any situation and let humans come and go as they please?”

Huang Jin’s version of Qi Xin sneered.

“Don’t speak so confidently, fool.”

……

The Other Side.

As planned, the human team led by Shian quickly attracted the attention of the Elementals. Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo circled around to the rear.

Ensuring there were no obstacles around, Yin Ren instantly reverted to his original form. He held Zhong Chengshuo’s hand in his palm with one hand while the remaining three hands cast spells simultaneously, opening a narrow passage on the giant hemisphere.

The moment it was destroyed, the white passage quickly restored itself. Yin Ren wouldn’t miss this opportunity; he darted through the narrow path like an arrow, leaving behind a trail of red silk.

In this manner, while destroying and advancing, Yin Ren swiftly slipped into the interior of the giant hemisphere.

Just as he had expected, this place was also pure white. However, the space here formed a massive spherical shape. The upper half was the pristine white they had arrived in, while the lower half was a shallow, transparent state, allowing a faint view of the chaotic scenery outside.

The lower half of this “spherical egg” seemed to have forcefully embedded itself in the interstitial space of chaos. The bottommost part of the sphere emitted a swirling grayish-white color, spinning into a dazzling vortex.

Something was squeezing its way into the vortex.

That thing was connected to numerous thread-like “umbilical cords” that criss crossed towards the outer wall of the sphere. Amidst the entanglement of these cords, Yin Ren could vaguely make out the shape of that thing.

Yin Ren couldn’t quite describe what that thing “was”.

Its body roughly resembled the torso of an infant, with no discernible gender. The neck of the torso and the positions of its limbs lacked a normal structure, with only white wings woven from slender arms.

At first glance, it appeared as if someone had severed the head and limbs of a human baby, neatly inserting snow-white pigeon feathers into the cut openings. The “child” assumed a curled-up position, as if sleeping within the confines of a maternal womb, with the white wings tightly guarding something against its chest.

Thump, thump, thump.

That was a beating snow-white heart. Countless blood vessels coiled around, leading towards the infant’s body, while a large vertical eye adorned its surface, tightly shut.

Yin Ren: “…”

For the first time, he felt that his own form was perfectly normal. He had some psychological barriers about consuming something like this.

Zhong Chengshuo, sensing Yin Ren’s hesitation, carefully nudged his palm. At the same time, the peculiar embryo seemed to sense something as well. The vertical eye on its heart suddenly opened wide, and its pitch-black pupils swirled as it gazed at Yin Ren.

Amidst the pure white monstrosity, a single speck of black appeared.

A mass of red silk surged around Yin Ren as he swooped down, his pitch-black wings covering the sky.

“Hello there, Love.”

The author has something to say:

The Paw Patrol has accomplished a great feat. (Huang Jin: ?)

However, Love isn’t so easy to fight against——

Kinky Thoughts:

Huang Jin is so handsome. This is your chapter!

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Criminal Psychology Ch279

KinkyLeave a comment

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 279

It was a river meandering through the green hills.

During the rainy season, the river surged and roared, but between the narrow green mountains on both sides, it appeared as a turbid and narrow stream.

Like an old man’s runny nose, it exuded decay and a pungent smell.

This was the initial impression of the Min River, not because of the river itself, but due to the surrounding buildings.

Looking up, one could see the crisscrossing power lines spanning the sky and the towering concrete walls. Approaching the prison, the only thought that filled one’s mind was awe. This was the Min River No. 1 Prison, where over 95 percent of the province’s serious offenders were incarcerated. Most of them would never breathe the air of freedom again.

However, Yan Guiqiu was different from those people; he was among the fortunate five percent. He was a thief, to be precise—a habitual thief, and being in and out of detention centers was nothing new to him. But being locked up in the Ming River No. 1 Prison was a first for him.

To be honest, he was skilled at his craft, and he never got too greedy while stealing. Getting caught this time was purely due to bad luck. While trying to evade the owner of the house he was robbing, he had the sudden idea to jump onto the outdoor air-conditioning unit. Unfortunately, he slipped and fell from the fifth floor, only breaking his leg.

The judge probably thought that if he could survive such a fall, they might as well give him the maximum sentence and let him “recuperate” in prison.

Today marked Yan Guiqiu’s 350th day in No. 1 Prison, which meant that in less than a week, he would be released after completing his sentence. Perhaps due to excitement, he ate a bit too much for lunch and couldn’t fall asleep during nap time. In the afternoon, during outdoor time, he limped around the playground.

The most formidable troublemakers in the entire prison were at the parallel bars in the northeast corner, while the second most difficult character, the black boss, was at the base of the southwest wall. Yan Guiqiu took one glance and decided on his walking route. Prisoners of his rank needed to be discreet and cautious during their outdoor time, trying their best to go unnoticed, much like black mice.

Around the tenth minute of his walk, a commotion appeared at the parallel bars in the northeast corner. Two prison guards were talking to a troublemaker there. Yan Guiqiu watched for a moment, then changed his direction.

He lowered his head and massaged his leg, but when he looked up again, he suddenly realized that the black boss was nowhere to be seen from the southwest corner.

Yan Guiqiu had a bad feeling about this; two big shots being taken away without any apparent reason wasn’t a good sign. Just then, someone tapped his shoulder.

He turned around and saw someone standing behind him—smartly dressed, with cold and stern eyes.

It was a face he had never seen before.

……

The more people there were, sometimes, the quieter it got.

The subway carriage was packed with commuters and students returning from school, crammed together with the distinct smell of egg waffles, leather, and resin seats. The air was stifling, and the atmosphere in the carriage seemed to have been crushed by some earth-shattering news, leaving it in absolute silence. No one was talking, and everyone was glued to their phones.

The sound of the television mounted on the wall was turned extremely low, leaving only the suppressed noise of the train wheels rolling on the tracks.

A girl wearing a Fengjing school uniform was squeezed into the corner by a group of commuters. She tried to make herself smaller between the door and the seats.

Although they all took the same subway, her classmates kept their distance from her. After all, no one wanted to commute with a “criminal” like her.

Her face was pressed against the closed subway door, and outside the window was a dark tunnel. She closed her eyes and seemed to doze off. With her short black hair trimmed thinly, she looked more like a cool young boy, but she was indeed a girl.

The silence and oppressiveness continued.

After passing through a dark and gloomy tunnel, shiny billboards appeared on both sides. The girl’s fair face was illuminated with various colors.

Perhaps it was the sudden appearance of bright lights, or maybe because the train had finally stopped, bringing a trace of flowing air into the stuffy subway carriage.

The silent carriage started to stir again. The commotion had no specific reason; it arose from the restlessness of each individual.

The high school students, squeezed into the aisle, began to talk, whispering and exchanging messages on their phone screens.

You didn’t even need to listen; just by looking at their expressions, you could tell what they were talking about.

“Do you really have to vote? Where would you choose to go?” The girl with a ponytail finally finished scrolling through her Weibo and pulled the handrail while asking the person next to her.

“Fuck me, why are you so loud? And why are you asking me before telling me your own answer?”

“I’m just asking, but I think the most correct way is to abstain from voting.” With the gradually noisy atmosphere in the train compartment, the girl’s voice grew louder. “If everyone abstains from voting, then everything would be fine.”

The other person lowered their voice and said, “If you don’t vote, you’re giving the decision-making power to the psychopaths. That’s what he said.”

“Do you just believe everything he says? Do you really want to vote? Making a choice means indirectly killing someone. No one has the right to decide on someone else’s life.” The girl’s voice grew louder again, impassioned.

As if someone pulled the emergency brake on the noisy atmosphere, the surroundings suddenly quieted down. The passengers pretended to be busy with their own things, but it seemed like they were all stealing glances at the girl who was speaking. Perhaps sensing the attention of those around her, the girl became even more courageous, and she continued her advocacy. “This is a moral game; he wants us to kill each other. It’s impossible to solve, so the best choice is to do nothing and avoid making mistakes!”

In the stuffy and oppressive subway space, the girl’s words resonated.

Every person who heard her words on the subway had their own thoughts, but nobody would discuss morality and law with a young girl on the subway, as it didn’t concern them. So, the only one who would challenge the girl was another girl—a confident and sharp young girl.

In the next moment, someone in the corner between the seat and the train door spoke up.

She said, “That’s not right.”

Her voice was calm yet refreshing, and the passengers instinctively turned to look, only to see a slim girl pressed in the corner.

Her hair was very short, and her eyes were amber-colored. When she slightly narrowed her eyes and lifted the corners of her lips, you couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth.

The girl with the ponytail who was criticizing pursed her lips, as if she felt insulted. “Fang Aizi!”

“Uh, that’s me,” Fang Aizi said while straightening her posture and adjusting her backpack hanging lazily on her arm.

The girl with the ponytail shivered, as if feeling some kind of conspiracy or something else in the air. She mixed her words, saying coldly, “What were you saying just now? I didn’t hear clearly!”

“I said you’re wrong,” Fang Aizi repeated.

“Why am I wrong?”

“You don’t have the qualifications.”

“Why do you say I don’t have the qualifications?!” The girl with the ponytail was still angry. “Everyone has the freedom to express their opinions. Why don’t you let me speak?”

“Because not everyone has the qualifications to make others stop and listen to what they have to say,” Fang Aizi paused and said calmly, “at least you don’t.”

“You sound like you have the qualifications. Who do you think you are, a bad girl who has been in a juvenile detention center?”

“I certainly don’t.” Fang Aizi felt bored quarreling with this girl. “But I believe that if she makes a choice, it’s her choice. You can’t criticize others for indirectly killing someone just because it doesn’t align with your views. Killing is a serious accusation.”

“You make such a good point. Then what do you suggest we do in the current situation?” The girl with the ponytail gritted her teeth and asked again.

The train announcement sounded, indicating that the train was about to arrive at the station, knocking on everyone’s stifling and suppressed hearts.

All eyes turned to the girl again, but this time, it wasn’t out of gossip or curiosity. They genuinely wanted to hear something useful from her.

However, they were disappointed.

The girl furrowed her brows in thought, and in the end, she shook her head earnestly and said, “I don’t know.”

“You still don’t know!” The girl with the ponytail retorted, raising an eyebrow.

Fang Aizi didn’t say anything further.

Their hope of getting an answer was shattered, and the passengers’ moods became somber and gloomy once again.

They were just ordinary people.

As ordinary people, they had ordinary loved ones, friends, and mentors. They had various ordinary concerns and ties to this city or that city. Therefore, when faced with the need to make a decision, they truly didn’t know how to choose, not even as resolutely as a high school girl.

The dilemma of indecision tormented everyone; the air grew tense again, but the areas outside the train windows finally started to brighten.

The train came to a stop, the guardrail opened, and the doors opened. The girl with short hair, carrying her backpack, slowly walked off the train, following the somber crowd.

But suddenly, as if realizing something, she didn’t look back, nor did she look at anyone else. She just gazed up at the old-fashioned lights on the old subway platform and said, “But I think there will always be someone who knows what to do.”

The girl’s voice was as clear as water, and in the dim underground space, the television screens slowly lit up.

On Yongchuan TV, the female anchor sat quietly at the news desk and slowly pulled out a piece of ordinary stationery from an old leather envelope, bearing the header of the Hongjing Municipal Bureau.

She lowered her head to look at the stationery, then raised her head, and with slightly parted lips, she calmly said, “Hello, I hope this letter finds you well.”

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Criminal Psychology Ch278

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Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 278

Hongjing Detention Center.

In the dreary interrogation room, the program of the open letter recitation by the female anchor from Yongchuan TV came to a temporary end.

A fresh glass of water was refilled in front of Lin Chen.

“Your government is even ‘braver’ than I imagined,” she almost admired. “I can’t tell anymore who the real sociopaths are.”

“Of course, it’s still you guys.” Lin Chen could only respond helplessly, using a tone of not daring to compete with her.

“What’s your next move?” Shen Lian asked curiously, then smiled. “Since you’re here, it seems you have no intention of leaving, which means you have been prepared from the beginning.”

Lin Chen held the glass of water without giving any committal response.

“Wow, let me guess, are you so hypocritical that the next step is to play the sacrificial tactic?”

This was probably the most relaxed and exciting moment for Shen Lian since she met Lin Chen again. When a woman was excited, she tended to be talkative. “I have an idea; do you want to hear it?”

“Please speak.”

“In this way, considering various economic and population factors, select one city from nearly 20 cities in the three provinces that is most suitable for sacrifice and control. Manipulate the accounts to disguise them as willing sacrifices from the local residents and induce everyone to cast their votes for that poorest and most backward city. When the results are out, wow, the spirit of voluntary sacrifice of humanity triumphs over the wicked sociopaths, successfully breaking the deadlock. And after the incident, you can write some brilliant reports—it will be so magnificent. What do you think?”

Shen Lian asked Lin Chen this way.

Holding the water glass, Lin Chen looked at the lady in front of him, who rarely showed her claws. He replied with four words, “This is not beautiful.”

He answered.

……

Not beautiful.

It referred to the means not being beautiful, the matter not being beautiful, and human nature, which was also not beautiful.

Lin Chen was an idealist, and this was a fact that Xing Conglian had long understood clearly.

Therefore, when he heard the solution he had once proposed being spoken by this strategy expert, Xing Conglian felt himself being severely mocked. For a moment, he couldn’t find the words to respond.

“Will this plan be seen as the government compromising with the sociopaths?”

“I think it’s feasible, and it can turn the tables on them.”

“But after the voting ends, won’t the sociopaths become desperate?”

“They will only ruin themselves by breaking the rules they set. They will become a laughingstock.” The strategy expert spoke coldly. “I’m 70% sure.”

Everyone in the small glass room started to discuss this plan seriously.

Xing Conglian knew better than anyone the feasibility of the plan. The only way to counter selfish human nature was through the great spirit of voluntary sacrifice.

If they manipulated a batch of accounts using Wang Chao, they wouldn’t have to worry about the risk of exposure.

But Xing Conglian thought it was indeed not beautiful to do it this way.

He looked at the people in the glass room and also at those outside the glass room, who seemed to have sensed something and cast clear gazes at him. He felt as if he had returned to his earliest and youngest days, when he hadn’t seen so much darkness and bloody killings, when he was full of passionate persistence and trust in this world.

Trust, that was extremely important.

Xing Conglian finally made up his mind.

He raised his left hand, not too high, and looked at everyone. He spoke his words with solemnity. “I don’t agree.”

All the eager discussions in the glass room came to a halt.

Except for Minister Shen and a young man fiddling with a computer, the others in the room couldn’t fully comprehend the unwavering determination contained in this short phrase.

Shen Heming fell silent.

However, since the young man standing in front of the glass panel raised his hand to express his stance, he had to stop and listen to the other person’s words seriously.

So, he also raised his hand and said to the others in the glass room, “Everyone, leave, except Xing Conglian.”

……

National Yongchuan Television Station.

The skyrocketing viewership ratings and the banging on the door complemented each other. Deputy Director Zhao Ren stood in the main control room outside Studio 1.

In front of the main control station, dozens of televisions were playing various programs, and the dense electrical noise made people’s heads ache. Zhao Ren picked up the intercom on the table and shouted inside, “Tell the security not to knock randomly. I haven’t been kidnapped!”

His irritable voice was transmitted through the earpieces to every staff member. Soon, Zhao Ren heard a chorus of complaints through the earphones.

“Are you going through menopause, boss?”

“Lower your volume; I’m going deaf.”

Zhao Ren didn’t bother responding to these insolent remarks. He lowered his head to watch Yongchuan TV, which was broadcasting weather news, and then glanced up at the clock above the main control station. Only five minutes left until the agreed time, but his phone remained silent.

To make matters worse, his assistant came over with an urgently prepared video file and asked anxiously, “The things that Consultant Lin requested are all ready, but there’s still no word from the higher-ups. Are we really going ahead with the original plan?”

“And what else?” Zhao Ren replied with impatience.

“Although the satellite broadcasting truck and positions are set up at the Min River, should we ask them to withdraw if it doesn’t work out?”

“Scram!” Zhao Ren cursed.

However, his assistant, as stubborn as a rock, refused to leave. “Boss, didn’t Consultant Lin say that if they can’t persuade the higher-ups, we shouldn’t take matters into our own hands? This is a big responsibility we’ll be taking!”

Zhao Ren raised an eyebrow and said coldly, “Responsibility, huh? I love taking responsibility the most.”

……

People left quickly.

During the process, there were some slight doubts, but both he and Xing Conglian had such expressions that no one dared to speak up.

The glass door closed again, and Shen Heming looked at Xing Conglian and asked, “Conglian, do you really want to stand and talk to an old man like me?”

Xing Conglian didn’t sit down immediately. He casually reached into his pocket, took out a flattened box of cigarettes, and then sat down next to Shen Heming, offering him the cigarettes.

Shen Heming didn’t care about the row of “wooden stakes” standing outside the glass room. He picked up the cigarette, and Xing Conglian took out a lighter and respectfully lit it for him.

Then Xing Conglian began to speak in a low voice, speaking quickly and systematically. Shen Heming listened silently throughout.

After 15 seconds, Xing Conglian stopped narrating.

15 seconds. Indeed, it was very short.

But within this time, Shen Heming felt unprecedented ups and downs in life.

At first, he thought Lin Chen’s plan was really clever, avoiding traps and minimizing losses. He should have readily agreed without hesitation.

Then he felt anxious; at his age, there were few moments when he was overwhelmed by fear in an instant.

He began to speculate on possible outcomes and then realized the source of his anxiety: he and the young strategist both fundamentally lacked a deep sense of trust in people.

This was their biggest difference from Lin Chen.

Shen Heming took a deep breath and finally felt a sense of inexplicable shock. He didn’t know where this shock came from, but he hoped that Lin Chen was right.

After blowing out a smoke ring, Shen Heming looked at Xing Conglian with a burning gaze, as if he were eagerly waiting for his answer.

“Is this not the same brand of cigarettes?”

Holding the cigarette butt, Xing Conglian slowly turned it around, and it was empty, with only a very ordinary white cigarette.

Xing Conglian was stunned, as if he didn’t expect Shen Heming to play him like this. So he said somewhat irritably, “That brand is expensive.”

The young man had moss-green eyes, deep and serene. This was the impression Shen Heming had of him when they first met.

At that time, Xing Conglian was still very young, but of course, he wasn’t considered old now either. Shen Heming had asked for assistance from the international organization that Xing Conglian represented during the evacuation of nationals. They effortlessly completed the communication work that would have cost countless manpower and resources.

He stood on the deck of the returning ferry, looking at the devastated foreign territory ahead and the fellow countrymen huddled together on the ferry behind him. At that time, Xing Conglian stood on the coastline and waved at him.

Shen Heming could never forget that scene.

Amidst the blue sea and sky, a handsome mixed-race youth stood tall in the wind, covered in dirt, looking exhausted, but his green eyes were deep and calm, like mountains and seas.

At that moment, Shen Heming thought that despite humans constantly fighting against each other, there was still goodwill between them. Malice was real, and so was goodwill.

As Shen Heming recalled this memory, Xing Conglian interrupted him, “What do you think?”

Shen Heming said, “In theory, I should trust your judgment since you have a lot of experience dealing with difficult problems. But while your plan seems to minimize losses, it also has the potential to lead to irreparable consequences. I need to ask, why did you agree?”

“The reason I agreed is the same as yours,” Xing Conglian said firmly.

Shen Heming sneered, “Is that so?”

Xing Conglian searched for words and thought for a moment before saying, “According to Lin Chen, his plan minimizes losses, and it is easier for superiors like you to accept.”

“Why do I feel uncomfortable hearing you say that?” Shen Heming asked.

“You feel uncomfortable because, deep down, you don’t agree with the term ‘superiors’. It often implies a lot of coldness and calculation, deception, and the use of state force to maintain social stability. In short, it’s not a good term.” Xing Conglian paused. “Lin Chen said that too.”

“What else did Lin Chen say?” Shen Heming asked, somewhat annoyed.

“He said that if you feel uncomfortable with the term ‘superiors’, it means you don’t truly agree with the other plan deep down. You have an idealistic nature, and you hold immense trust and goodwill towards the world. Because of that trust, you dare to take a risk. Of course, I don’t entirely agree with his view, but whatever he said, it applies to me too.”

Shen Heming furrowed his brow, “He is indeed better at talking than you.”

Xing Conglian earnestly nodded. “He also wanted me to tell you that if you doubt that the sociopath won’t agree to his plan, it’s because he understands him better than you. What the man wants is not killing or bloodshed; all he wants is to expose the ugly side of everyone’s hearts, to make people lose hope in human nature. So, a fairer and more effective game that aligns with his goals is bound to be accepted.”

Shen Heming fell into contemplation; what Lin Chen said was indeed enough, yet still not enough to persuade him.

He turned around and saw Wang Chao, who was ready with a laptop in hand, standing outside. He also noticed the various expressions on the faces of the people around the young man—excitement, earnestness, worry, and determination. Suddenly, he realized that he really wanted to find something beyond “benefits” and “gains”.

With this in mind, Shen Heming finally countered Xing Conglian, “You’ve said it all. What else can I say?”

Xing Conglian gazed at him, gradually unfolding a smile, and said firmly, “You can say, let’s go with this plan.”

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

Sendoff Ch69

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 69: Broken Horse

Seeing the dagger, the leader on the ground chuckled in pain. “It would have been better if you had just watched from the sidelines. Protecting an insignificant fool, you’re just digging your own graves…”

However, the following scene nearly made him bite his tongue.

Yin Ci maintained his grip on the dagger with his two fingers, and sword qi surged around him, leaving deep sword marks in the mud. Although he had no inner force, the bursting killing intent was no less than that of the dagger.

Immediately, he let out a cold snort and exerted force with his shoulder and wrist. The dagger flashed with a cold light as he flung it back to its original trajectory.

The frosty blade shattered the wind, faintly producing a sound of breaking through the air.

When masters faced off, they could tell each other’s capabilities with a single move. Intimidated by the returned dagger, the faint and blurry aura from afar instantly dissipated, leaving no trace.

The three “bandits” looked as if they wanted to grind their teeth, but Su Si coldly smirked as he pressed their acupoints one by one, then dislocated their jaws and pulled out three bloody venomous fangs. Seeing that the leader was losing too much blood, Su Si grabbed a handful of still warm wood ashes and applied them directly to the man’s wound.

The “bandits” mixed their saliva with blood, and their eyes filled with resentment.

On the other side, Shi Jingzhi was ready to seek revenge. Unexpectedly, Yin Ci immediately counterattacked and frightened away the formidable opponent that had come. As a result, Shi Jingzhi’s spirit deflated quite a bit.

Ignoring the three men at his feet, he turned to Yin Ci with a dejected expression. The latter gave him a faint smile, and the previously brooding and sinister aura vanished without a trace.

Su Si and Yan Qing were accustomed to this. However, Jin Lan’s impression of the Kushan Sect was still stuck on the temporary sect formed in the Ghost Tomb in order to “make up the numbers”. He only knew that Shi Jingzhi could barely fight, but in the span of about a month, the Kushan Sect had gained another truly formidable master.

Not to mention the person who threw back the dagger had an otherworldly demeanor, leaving everyone breathless, there was also the exquisite and exaggerated beauty of the current Sect Master’s face. Even the newly dressed servant-like member looked as enchanting as a peach blossom, unlike an ordinary person.

…The number of suspicious members in the sect had increased.

The group of people looked so refined that it was frightening, and they happened to be squeezed in a desolate and dilapidated house in the remote wilderness, with gloomy and rainy weather. No matter how one looked at it, it seemed like the beginning of a supernatural story. Jin Lan quickly took a step back, and his instinct to exterminate demons and evil made his heart pound.

He ignored the enemies and looked at Yan Qing, his expression filled with terror. Could it be that your Kushan Sect is really not from some demonic sect?

Yan Qing slowly turned away, avoiding that inquiring gaze.

On the contrary, Shi Jingzhi recovered from his grief and pain, and kindly spoke up. “Brother Jin, this group of people who came is undoubtedly ill-intentioned. There must be a reason behind it. May I take a look at the medicinal herbs?”

Jin Lan didn’t know whether he should be grateful or on guard, his tone drifting. “Y-You can take a look. Senior Sister entrusted me with this task, and there’s no need for any concealment.”

As he handed over the medicine box, his gaze even swept toward the other three people behind them, as if trying to find the tail of a monster.

Shi Jingzhi took it in stride, leaving behind an even brighter smile, and then proceeded to examine the medicinal herbs.

As Jin Lan had said, the box of medicine contained only medicine—precious medicinal herbs that could be purchased anywhere in the world—without any extraordinary items like the Ice Peak Snake Lotus. There was nothing unusual mixed in the herbs, and the box, though made of expensive materials, showed no signs of hidden compartments.

This box of medicine was just as orderly as Shi Zhongyu herself.

“These are all mildly nourishing medicines.”

Shi Jingzhi carefully sniffed them and sealed the medicine box back in its original state.

“The Taiheng Sect is indeed wealthy and powerful. This box of medicine is worth at least seven to eight hundred taels of silver.”

Jin Lan chuckled absentmindedly.

Shi Jingzhi: “However, the quantity of medicine is quite large, and these medicines don’t target specific ailments. They can only be used to sustain life. Is someone in your sect seriously ill?”

Jin Lan looked away and fell silent.

“These three men are assassins from the Chigou Sect. They have scorpion tattoos on their bodies.” Su Si rummaged through the clothes of the three men. “Their skills are not particularly refined, likely belonging to the lowest level. They disguise their identities by traveling in groups of three, secretly accompanied by a skilled master. This is a typical assassination technique of the Chigou Sect.”

As a fugitive former young Patriarch of the Chigou Sect, he was more than willing to expose them.

Although they weren’t qualified to know Su Si’s identity, upon hearing his words, the three assassins could still guess that he was a former insider of the Chigou Sect. The three men immediately became anxious, writhing on the ground, and their resentful gazes turned into disdain.

Su Si pretended not to see them. “Even if they are the lowest-level assassins, they are more than capable of killing this young man. Although the Chigou Sect is a demonic sect, they have their own rules and would not engage in such a boring act of robbery. I believe the target is not the medicine but the life of this young man.”

“Nonsense! I, Jin Lan, have no enemies and hold no position. Why would they need to go to such lengths to kill me? Moreover, even if I fail to deliver this box of medicine, it wouldn’t truly affect that person—”

As he spoke, Jin Lan hastily closed his mouth and looked at the ground.

Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci exchanged glances.

Yin Ci: “Su Si, do you have any confidence in getting these three men to talk?”

“It’s impossible. If we used any torture methods to extract information, the ‘Red Scorpion Foot’ wouldn’t dare accept such a hefty payment. Rules are rules. Even if Matron Wuxue herself were here, these three would not betray their client.”

“I suppose so.”

Even if these three men lied, there was no way to verify it. Seeing that the rules he had established were closely followed, Yin Ci didn’t know whether to feel gratified or resigned.

“These three individuals do seem to have some principles. Since our sect’s information cannot be exposed, let’s give them a quick and painless end.”

Jin Lan, after all, came from a reputable sect, and he quickly interjected, “There’s no need for that. Let the Taiheng Sect handle it. If I don’t return on time, Senior Sister will definitely send someone…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Su Si swiftly snapped the necks of the three assassins, silencing them instantly.

Jin Lan took another step back, pressing himself against the wall.

…This was undoubtedly a demonic sect.

It wasn’t until the sound of horses coming from outside that Jin Lan remained pressed against the wall, resembling a raised mural.

As Jin Lan had said, the Taiheng Sect had indeed sent people to find him. However, the two who arrived weren’t ordinary members but influential figures in the Taiheng Sect—Shi Zhongyu, the senior disciple, and Qu Duanyun, a top-ranked member of the Taiheng Sect.

“Senior Sister!” Seeing his savior, Jin Lan hugged the box tightly, finally feeling a sense of returning to the human world from the realm of demons.

When he turned his head, the four members of the Kushan Sect had already put on their Nuo masks, transforming from ethereal immortals to monstrous demons. Shi Jingzhi boldly unfurled his “Medicine Cures Illness” banner, deliberately indicating his identity.

Jin Lan: “…” Why wasn’t he treated this way?

Shi Zhongyu, dressed in sturdy clothing, had an unpleasant expression. As soon as she saw the banner, she promptly dismounted and respectfully greeted Shi Jingzhi, “Sect Master Shi.”

Qu Duanyun remained seated on his horse. “Shi Jingzhi of the Kushan Sect?”

Shi Jingzhi maintained his composure. “Indeed.”

“I am Qu Duanyun. I’ve heard much about you.” Unlike the troubled expression of Shi Zhongyu, Qu Duanyun politely smiled and dismounted.

Through the Nuo masks, Yin Ci silently assessed Qu Duanyun.

This person had sharp eyebrows and a commanding presence, appearing to be a typical member of the Qu Clan.

A hundred years ago, Taiheng’s Qu Tinglei, along with Yan Budu, Kongshi, and himself, were collectively known as the Four Greats. Qu Duanyun was the direct disciple of Qu Tinglei and ranked among the top ten of the younger generation in martial arts. He was polite and had a good reputation, no less than Shi Zhongyu.

It was rumored that he was highly favored within the Taiheng Sect and had basically been designated as the future Taiheng Sect leader.

Yin Ci swept a glance out of the corner of his eye. Indeed, Su Si had already hidden behind Yan Qing, using his Sword of Compassion to half-conceal himself—his whole being on the verge of exploding. Yan Qing was clearly familiar with Qu Duanyun’s identity and considerately stepped forward, making his friend appear more inconspicuous.

“Senior Sister, Senior Qu, why have you both come?” Jin Lan finally regained his senses, feeling surprised by the attention he was receiving.

“I was on my way to the Qu Clan’s residence, but since you haven’t returned for a long time, we decided to look for you,” Shi Zhongyu said with a stern face. “You smell strongly of blood. How did you end up in such a sorry state?”

“Don’t stand here asking questions.” Qu Duanyun mediated. “It’s damp outside. Let’s go to the branch of my family’s residence first, find shelter from the rain, warm ourselves by the fire, and have some tea while we talk.”

Shi Zhongyu pursed her lips, remained silent for a while, and eventually sighed in agreement.

Half an hour later, at the Qu Clan’s branch residence.

The branch was conveniently located near this wilderness, adjacent to a small grove of trees, offering a serene and tranquil atmosphere. The room had been warmed by a brazier, devoid of annoying dampness, with a faint scent of pine in the air.

The furniture in the room was ordinary in material but elegant in design. There were no pretty maidservants in the courtyard; only a few kind-hearted and gentle old servants, and the tea and snacks were of ordinary style.

This place was different from the simple direction of the Jianchen Temple but emitted a similar pure aura.

At the table, Jin Lan rambled on, recounting the details, while Shi Zhongyu didn’t even touch her tea, allowing it to slowly cool down.

“Jin Lan isn’t capable enough. Thank you, members of the Kushan Sect, for your help.” She lowered her head and expressed her gratitude on Jin Lan’s behalf.

Qu Duanyun shook his head and replaced Shi Zhongyu’s cup with a hot one. “So, it was the Chigou Sect causing trouble. That old hag suffered a loss in the matter of the treasure map and is still trying to provoke us like this… Sect Master Shi, your two disciples won’t join us for tea? I’m not that formal here.”

“No need. Our sect’s White Goose Demon was frightened earlier and needs care.” A twitch appeared at the corner of Shi Jingzhi’s mouth.

Joking aside, those two youngsters, one being a descendant of the Yan family and the other the former young Patriarch of the Chigou Sect, wished they could hide hand in hand in the kitchen stove. If Qu Duanyun discovered their identities, the next generation’s conflict between the righteous and the evil in the martial world could start ahead of schedule.

Qu Duanyun didn’t insist. “Alright, later on, I’ll have someone prepare some warm meals to drive away the cold and deliver them separately to them.”

Jin Lan’s situation was already suspicious, and the appearance of the two remarkable individuals from the Taiheng Sect made the strangeness of the matter double. Unfortunately, Shi Zhongyu transformed into a gourd with a saw-toothed mouth*, while Qu Duanyun kept diverting the topic and didn’t mention anything about the medicinal ingredients. Shi Jingzhi could only temporarily give up on probing.

*Metaphor for someone who is silent.

The people from Taiheng were honest but not foolish. Clearly, something inconvenient to disclose had happened within the Taiheng Sect. If they were to press for answers, it would only waste the hard-earned goodwill.

“In fact, the purpose of our sect’s visit to Taiheng this time is twofold.” Shi Jingzhi began following the prepared script. “I obtained a rubbing left by Miss Shi at the Jianchen Temple. However, there happened to be some matters at the Jianchen Temple, making it inconvenient to have it delivered promptly, so I have decided to personally bring it here.”

Shi Zhongyu didn’t delve deeper and absentmindedly responded, “Mm, thank you, Sect Master Shi.”

“And the other matter is that our sect is planning to head north to visit a member of the Mishan Sect. However, the northern region is vast and bitterly cold, and it would consume too much time to travel back and forth. So, I would like to borrow some Arrow Horses…”

Creak.

Shi Zhongyu pushed back her chair and stood up. Surprisingly, she completely changed her previously despondent appearance, gripping the table with both hands and staring intently. “The members of the Mishan Sect have always been reluctant to see people. How do you expect to find them?”

Shi Jingzhi: “Venerable Juefei knows someone who is acquainted with a senior from the Mishan Sect and helped us write a letter of introduction.”

Shi Zhongyu showed a hint of relief on her face. “I—”

“Senior Sister,” Qu Duanyun warned.

Shi Zhongyu didn’t back down. “What’s wrong? This is a stroke of luck. It’s just borrowing some Arrow Horses; it can’t be considered ‘needlessly wasting manpower and resources’, right? This time, I won’t involve others. I’ll go by myself.”

Qu Duanyun shook his head and looked helpless. “Sect Master Shi is still here; let’s discuss this matter later.”

“Sect Master Shi isn’t someone who is greedy and forgets loyalty. He is trustworthy, and I saw it with my own eyes.”

Shi Zhongyu gritted her teeth.

“Duanyun, even if you don’t believe him, you should at least believe in the Buddha Heart Formation of the Jianchen Temple and the discerning eye of Venerable Juefei… That Venerable is most knowledgeable about cause and effect and wouldn’t help someone with just a casual request. Before, when I wanted to seek help from Venerable Juefei, didn’t you stop me with this reason?”

“That’s different. Besides, even if we find someone from the Mishan Sect, they may not have a solution. Senior Sister, please calm down—”

Jin Lan kept his head lowered and dared not make a sound.

Shi Jingzhi put down his teacup decisively. “Enough with the evasiveness. Just speak up. What illness has afflicted your sect’s leader?”

The two individuals from Taiheng froze in mid-action.

“Others may not be able to tell, but I have… come across very similar medicine. Those medicines are used to prolong life, a ‘life and death soup’. Those who use this method to prolong their lives are usually afflicted with strange illnesses, on the brink of death, with no other prescriptions to take, and can only rely on this to sustain their lives.”

“If it’s your elders, friends, or relatives of the two of you, the expenses would truly be immense. Taiheng isn’t lacking in resources, but they wouldn’t squander them for personal reasons. I won’t mention Jin Lan, but the two of you are being secretive about it as well, so it’s not difficult to guess.”

Qu Duanyun pressed his forehead and looked bitter. “Senior Sister, I’ve told you not to bring up this matter anymore.”

“This time, you invited me to your family’s branch residence precisely because of the instructions from the elders and to privately discuss this matter with me, right? Sect Master Shi has connections, and I didn’t intend to hide it.”

Shi Zhongyu spoke frankly.

“That’s right. Our sect leader suddenly got ‘Broken Horse’, and the sect’s renowned physicians are helpless. If we don’t quickly find the root cause, even the life and death soup won’t sustain them for long.”

“Broken Horse?” Shi Jingzhi asked curiously.

Qu Duanyun let out a long sigh. “It’s an internal term within Taiheng. Even the strongest and most valuable steed, once its leg is broken, can only wait helplessly for death. Our sect leader, despite being spirited and energetic until a few days ago, couldn’t withstand the onslaught of the illness.”

“In that case, if it’s a matter concerning the sect leader, why did you stop Miss Shi from saving them?”

“Sect Master Shi is not aware of everything. The ‘Broken Horse’ is not uncommon. Even in the mortal world, when an elderly person gets injured or falls ill, it is a hundred times harder to save them than an ordinary person.”

Qu Duanyun shook his head.

“Everyone has their own destiny. Even if we were to save Sect Master Qi and restore his consciousness, his vitality has been greatly damaged, and he won’t live much longer. The cost of this matter is enormous, and ultimately, it is bound to be futile. The elders are considering the best interests of the sect, which is why they sent me to persuade Senior Sister.”

“At the very least, Sect Master Qi should regain consciousness and make the decision himself.”

Shi Zhongyu’s tone was icy.

“Sect Master Qi is highly respected. For decades, he has managed our sect very well. Now that he is in trouble and we haven’t even identified the cause of his illness, do you expect us to give up on him? My Shi Clan has some savings. If you think the expenses are too great, I will use my own money to cover them.”

“Senior Sister, you are too stubborn. Your approach will only harm the overall situation. Even if Sect Master Qi wakes up, he will surely give up. He values Taiheng too much to jeopardize others for his own sake… Our sect has already invested a lot in the treasure map matter and is unable to handle both issues.”

Shi Zhongyu sneered. “Such lofty selflessness. Duanyun, I will make myself clear. I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly. I will use my own money, and if anyone has a problem with it, they can tell me themselves.”

Qu Duanyun furrowed his brow slightly, and his tone became stern. “Sect Master Qi’s life is his life, and Jin Lan’s life is his life. If it weren’t for your insistence, our sect members wouldn’t be traveling the same fixed routes every day and attracting the attention of the Chigou Sect.”

“If it weren’t for the assistance of several individuals from the Kushan Sect today, we would have barely managed to retrieve Jin Lan’s body. Can the Shi Clan afford these lives?”

Shi Zhongyu’s face turned pale, and she clenched her fist, causing veins to pop out on her fair hand.

“If I can’t find out the truth during this trip to the Mishan Sect, I will apologize publicly and leave Taiheng. If any of my sect members die during that time, I will personally go to each door and kowtow.”

“But saving Sect Leader Qi is our duty, and on this point, I, Shi Zhongyu, will never back down.”

Shi Zhongyu stood tall with a straight back. As a refined woman, she exuded an unyielding aura, appearing like an immovable rock. Qu Duanyun remained silent; his face filled with helplessness.

Yin Ci finally understood the subtle atmosphere between the two earlier. However, as an outsider, he genuinely didn’t care about Sect Master Qi’s life and death. Compared to the internal disputes within Taiheng, he was more concerned about another matter—

While Abbot Juefei was cursed and burned alive by yang fire on the front foot, shortly after, Sect Master Qi fell seriously ill. If it weren’t for Shi Zhongyu’s stubbornness, forcibly snatching someone from the hands of King Yama, Taiheng’s leadership would have already changed hands.

Qu Duanyun was still young—not to mention whether he could gain the support of the majority—his experience was incomparable to the elder generation’s Sect Master Qi. In this way, Taiheng wouldn’t be as tragic as the Jianchen Temple, but it would still suffer a severe blow, losing much of its former prestige.

Was it just a coincidence?

Shi Jingzhi clearly didn’t want to get involved in this matter. He simply cleared his throat and said, “If Miss Shi is willing to lend Arrow Horses, our sect is also willing to accommodate Miss Shi.”

“Then it’s settled. There’s no time to waste. We’ll leave tomorrow. Jin Lan, go back and inform the people around you that from now on, when delivering medicine, there must be a minimum of three escorts. Don’t stop the life and death soup. I will bring back a solution.”

Shi Zhongyu said coldly, no longer looking at Qu Duanyun.

“I’ll send a message to prepare the Arrow Horses.”

Qu Duanyun didn’t stop her and sighed. “…I understand.”

After Shi Zhongyu left, Qu Duanyun finally let out a sigh of relief. He turned to Shi Jingzhi. “Originally, I was here to be a host, but it turned into a conflict within our own ranks. Please forgive me, Sect Master Shi.”

He anxiously scratched his head.

“Senior Sister has a point. Sect Master Qi has treated us well, but given the current situation… Haa, during this trip to the Mishan Sect, please take good care of Senior Sister. I, Qu Duanyun, hereby express my gratitude in advance.”

Qu Duanyun respectfully lowered his head and bowed.

Shi Jingzhi looked at him for a moment, then returned the bow, giving a flawless response.

“I will do everything in my power.”

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

Sendoff Ch68

Kinky4 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 68: Herbs

The Taiheng Sect was located northeast of Yongsheng, which was not too far away. Shi Jingzhi didn’t want to leave too many traces, so he didn’t hire any transportation and instead took a shortcut on foot, disguising themselves from the public.

They walked for a full four days.

During the first two days, Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci traveled together, discussing and studying the Sword of Compassion whenever they had the chance.

Even divine physicians needed to observe and inquire about various symptoms, analyze formations, and examine difficult cases. They required a quiet room filled with incense, precise instruments, and medicinal concoctions for experimentation. However, in the wilderness, their conditions were limited. The two of them had nothing but their bare hands and couldn’t discern any special features.

One hand was about to be cooked while the other was about to freeze off, but they couldn’t find any clues left by Yan Budu.

Currently, everyone was heading to the Mishan Sect, so there was no urgency in searching for Kongshi’s grave. Shi Jingzhi simply handed the Sword of Compassion to Yan Qing and let him practice with it casually.

After all, only Yan Qing could handle that thing.

However, compared to before, the journey for the Kushan Sect was far from easy this time.

After four days of walking, except for Yin Ci, the other three had developed numerous blisters on their feet—Yan Qing’s being the most severe, with his shoes soaked in pus and blood.

But Yan Qing remained silent. As long as he had time and could move, his hand would rest on the hilt of the Sword of Compassion, with as many blisters in his palm as on the soles of his feet.

Perhaps the bloodline of Yan Budu had instilled some determination in Yan Qing, but he directed that determination entirely towards himself. He was originally serious in nature, and now he had become even more intense, carrying an air of wanting to break his bones with every move.

Seeing Yan Qing’s seriousness, Shi Jingzhi, as the sect master, couldn’t sit still and started to engage in self-torture as well.

So when Yin Ci prepared breakfast every day, the three of them were already exhausted, panting from their practice. If one disregarded their unrelated cultivation techniques, the Kushan Sect almost appeared like a proper martial arts sect.

On the fourth day, fine, cold rain started falling from the sky.

The surrounding area was filled with irritating darkness, and the road became extremely muddy and difficult to traverse. As they reached the boundaries of Taiheng, Shi Jingzhi didn’t force his disciple and found an uninhabited, dilapidated house where they luxuriously took a rest during broad daylight.

The house was in the middle of nowhere, with no village or shop nearby. It was also small, like a temporary shelter for hunters.

The ground inside was still muddy, without any gravel covering it. The amount of dust in the salt shaker exceeded the amount of salt, and the small iron pot was covered in reddish-brown rust with a few holes in the bottom. Fortunately, the house had drafty walls, allowing fresh air in, and there was no unbearable, strange smell.

Yan Qing brushed off the dust on the bed and spread a dry cloth on it, creating a dry spot.

Yin Ci started a fire on a makeshift stove and cooked some salted meat and wild vegetables into a soup. As the pot simmered, he turned his head to see Shi Jingzhi and Yan Qing using their inner force to dry their clothes. Their heads were emitting steam, giving off a pitiful appearance.

“Once we borrow the Arrow Horses, we won’t have to suffer like this anymore.”

The drizzling rain was annoying, and seeing the miserable state of the Kushan Sect, Shi Jingzhi quickly tried to stabilize their morale.

“The Arrow Horses are fast and stable. We can all sit inside the carriage. Each person can hold a small heater and be comfortable.”

Su Si hummed indifferently, treating Shi Jingzhi’s reassurance as a futile attempt to quench their thirst. Yan Qing caught his breath and began wiping the Sword of Compassion as if he wanted to polish it with a piece of cloth.

The goose demon, Lord Bai, lay motionless in the corner of the bed.

Speaking of the past few days, Lord Bai suffered the most.

Shi Jingzhi deliberately reduced his contact with the outside world, so it couldn’t have its tender and fresh vegetable leaves and had to search for some scraggly wild greens to eat. It couldn’t eat whenever it wanted; most of the time, Su Si carried it in his arms to feel the wind. The formerly plump Lord Bai had become noticeably thinner, losing much of its previous air of dominance.

Since comforting them didn’t work, Shi Jingzhi resorted to plucking two exceptionally tender wild vegetables to console the goose, whose brain wasn’t functioning well. But just as he handed the vegetable leaves over, Lord Bai slowly lifted its head and looked in another direction.

It didn’t have the strength to stare at the four people with its gaze, but it weakly “honked” twice and tugged at Su Si’s sleeve with its beak, pulling him towards the door—despite the fact that even during their previous trip to Huilian Mountain, it had never displayed such proactive behavior.

Everyone had blisters on their bodies, emanating a strong smell of blood, but Shi Jingzhi couldn’t detect anything unusual in the vicinity. Instead, it was Yin Ci who stopped stirring the soup, raising his eyebrows.

“Someone is coming this way,” he succinctly stated.

“Let’s hide. Lord Bai is warning us,” Su Si decisively responded. “This place is desolate and remote. The person approaching might not have good intentions.”

Yin Ci shook his head. “It’s too late to hide now. The smoke from the cooking can be seen outside. Besides, it’s an open field out there. We’ve been cautious enough on this journey, and the person might not be specifically targeting the Kushan Sect.”

After contemplating for a moment upon hearing this, Shi Jingzhi hastily rummaged through his luggage and threw a few old clothes to Su Si. “A’Ci and I will hide. Su Si, you handle the situation with the person.”

Su Si enjoyed seizing any opportunity to pick fights, but he never wasted words during crucial moments. He wrapped the clothes around his head like a turban and tied a cloth around the back of his hand, presenting himself as an elderly person. Yan Qing quickly blindfolded himself and covered the Sword of Compassion with a blanket.

At a glance, they looked like a poor father and son struggling to survive in the wilderness.

The room was narrow, and Shi Jingzhi and Yin Ci had nowhere to go except to roll under the bed. With a tattered cloth covering the bed from above, it served as a good hiding spot.

Yin Ci adjusted his position for a moment, tightly gripping the Hanging Shadow Sword, ensuring that if anything happened, he could rush out and attack first. Shi Jingzhi, on the other hand, hugged Lord Bai. Rather than appearing nervous, he seemed more intrigued.

He even had the leisure to steal a few glances at Yin Ci and help him brush off the cobwebs from his hair.

The cold and damp rain permeated the air, and the smell of mud filled their nostrils. Yin Ci had originally held his breath and concentrated, but now he couldn’t maintain much tension due to Shi Jingzhi’s restless movements.

[Aren’t you afraid?] Yin Ci couldn’t help but silently inquire.

[If I were alone, perhaps I would be afraid,] Shi Jingzhi replied with a smile. [But hiding like this, I just feel a sense of familiarity and amusement. It reminds me of the past…]

As he said this, he suddenly stopped abruptly, pressed his forehead, and his face turned slightly pale.

Yin Ci hesitated for a moment, but eventually freed one hand and gently pressed it against the side of Shi Jingzhi’s forehead. The latter let out a soft sigh, and his tense body relaxed slightly.

Having confirmed that Shi Jingzhi’s condition didn’t worsen, Yin Ci withdrew his hand and focused his attention back outside the bed. Shi Jingzhi didn’t speak anymore either; he and Lord Bai, along with the bubbling sound of the wild vegetable soup, maintained a calm atmosphere.

Half an incense stick’s worth of time passed.

Just as the pot of wild vegetable soup came to a boil, urgent knocking was heard at the door. Su Si cleared his throat and tremulously spoke with an old man’s voice. “Who is it?”

“Help! Please, kind sir, let me hide. I will be deeply grateful on behalf of the Taiheng Sect!” The person’s voice was hoarse and fragmented, accompanied by heavy panting.

Yin Ci’s movements under the bed paused.

…Taiheng?

Although this place was remote and desolate, it still fell within the boundaries of Taiheng’s territory. Could someone be so blind as to attack a Taiheng disciple here?

Su Si exchanged a glance with Yan Qing. Su Si climbed onto the bed, facing the wall, and unsheathed his butcher knife. Yan Qing took two steps forward and cautiously opened the door—

“It’s you?!”

The person at the door exclaimed.

Although the person’s voice wasn’t loud, it was clear enough for everyone to hear—a familiar voice. This time, everyone recognized it without a doubt. It was Jin Lan, one of Shi Zhongyu’s followers at the Ghost Tomb.

Naturally, Yan Qing also recognized him. He quickly spoke, his tone filled with inquiry. “It’s Jin Lan.”

“Let him in,” Shi Jingzhi muttered from under the bed.

With permission granted, Yan Qing pulled Jin Lan inside and immediately bolted the door shut. “What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you the same question. Who’s that old man on the bed? …Never mind that. Let me find a place to hide quickly, and make sure you lock the door tightly.”

After speaking, Jin Lan took a deep breath and hurriedly crawled under the bed with his bundle.

Shi Jingzhi, Yin Ci: “…”

Jin Lan: “…”

During their expedition to the Ghost Tomb, Shi Jingzhi almost always wore a nuo mask. Jin Lan hadn’t seen Shi Jingzhi’s face before, so suddenly encountering these two faces made him feel a bit dizzy. It took him a while to regain his ability to speak.

“Yan Qing! There are two fox.. fox demons under the bed… Mmm!”

Jin Lan was about to crawl out, but Yin Ci mercilessly pulled him back under the bed, covering his mouth. Yan Qing also patted the bed to signal him to stay calm.

Jin Lan had seen a lot in his life, so he quickly regained his composure. His eyes were nervously fixed on the outside, tightly clutching the package in his arms.

The next group of visitors wasn’t as polite—they kicked down the wooden door and brazenly barged in.

“Search!”

Yin Ci saw a pair of feet approaching in front of him. Based on the legs, the leader appeared to be a robust middle-aged man dressed like a bandit. They didn’t ask questions as Jin Lan had anticipated, instead treating the “father and son” inside the room as inconsequential and immediately began rummaging through everything.

Listening to the footsteps, it seemed there were three pursuers.

Two of the subordinates kicked and struck the dilapidated cabinet and straw pile near the door.

The freshly cooked salted pork soup was spilled on the ground, causing Shi Jingzhi’s eyebrows to instantly furrow and his face to grow even paler.

“You, blind man, where are you hiding the person?” The leader grabbed Yan Qing by the collar.

“We are just passing travelers seeking shelter from the rain. We haven’t seen anyone,” Su Si replied, still with the elderly voice, while his back was facing everyone. “The New Year is approaching. Why shed blood unnecessarily?”

“I do want to shed blood today,” the leader sneered. “Let’s kill these two first to prevent any trouble. Hurry and search. Don’t keep the boss waiting—hiss!”

Before the leader could finish his sentence, Yan Qing tightly gripped his wrist. Yin Ci emerged from under the bed. His Hanging Shadow Sword flashed, directly severing the man’s ankles.

Yin Ci’s sword strike was swift and without hesitation. Both ankles of the leader were severed to the bone, and blood gushed. The burly man’s eyes widened, and his heavy body slowly fell backward.

At the same moment, blood spattered.

Shi Jingzhi shattered the bed frame. With his palms emitting golden flames, he struck the bandit’s subordinate closest to him. The subordinate took a solid blow, crashing into the dilapidated wall. The long knife he used for self-defense was distorted by the golden flames.

Su Si let out a light laugh, leapt into the air, and subdued the last person. He pressed his butcher knife against the man’s throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

Everything happened extremely quickly. Before the leader’s body even hit the ground, all three of them were already under control.

The leader clenched his teeth. The pool of blood from his ankles gradually spread on the muddy ground, emitting a strong bloody scent. The three men looked at everyone with a gloomy expression, but none of them pleaded for mercy or screamed in pain.

Jin Lan, holding his bundle, opened his mouth wide, locking eyes with Lord Bai. The latter looked at him with a complicated gaze but eventually stuck its head out and gave his nose a strong twist.

Tears welled up in Jin Lan’s eyes, and he quickly crawled out from under the bed, rolling away in a mess.

“You three have quite a backbone. You don’t seem like ordinary bandits but rather martial artists,” Yin Ci said as he sheathed his sword, pressing his foot onto the leader’s wound. The leader’s forehead veins bulged, but he remained silent.

“Jin Lan, how did you provoke them?”

Jin Lan looked at Yin Ci apprehensively and swallowed back the question “Who are you?”.

“I-I didn’t provoke them! I was entrusted by Senior Sister to collect some medicinal herbs from Yidu, but I was followed by these villains all the way here… I always thought they were after the herbs and didn’t consider other possibilities.”

As the pool of blood from the leader reached the soles of his boots, Jin Lan took a deep breath. “The herbs are valuable, but it shouldn’t come to this extreme—”

Before he could finish his sentence, a dagger grazed his cheek and directly aimed at Yin Ci beside him.

Yin Ci quickly turned his head to dodge. With his two fingers, he firmly stopped the dagger in its tracks. Even so, the dagger’s force broke off several strands of his hair, and the powerful inner force transmitted through the thin blade, causing his fingers to go numb.

If the herbs were as precious as the Ice Peak Snake Lotus, it wouldn’t have been Jin Lan’s responsibility to escort them. It was indeed unlikely for things to escalate to this extent for a box of medicinal herbs.

Regardless of the purpose, the person who made a move this time was undoubtedly a true master.

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Criminal Psychology Ch277

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Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 277

Mu Wenhua was also watching TV.

A kind-hearted colleague covered her shift, allowing her to get away. Before going downstairs, she passed by the entrance of the opposite electronic chain store.

The crowd had already dispersed a lot, but as she passed by the row of shop windows, it felt as if she had stepped into a surrealistic story. The characters on each TV screen were moving in a uniform manner. The anchor seemed to be trying to connect to a mysterious network, and a large block of text appeared on the screen.

Although the flow of people in the mall didn’t visibly decrease, there was an eerie silence around her, and she could only hear the sound of her hurried and quiet footsteps.

She stepped onto the escalator, and the black steps moved slowly downward. During this time, she kept checking her phone and saw thousands of messages in the WeChat group for her child’s class. Although the teacher had repeatedly explained that their kindergarten was very small and the children were very safe, many parents kept asking about their children’s well-being.

Mu Wenhua held her phone and even saw some forwarded messages in the WeChat group about detoxification methods. She felt it wasn’t right, but she didn’t have the courage to say anything. In special times, people could only take care of themselves. She put her phone away and looked up. For some reason, she felt that everyone in the mall was whispering.

The cashiers were huddled close together, and customers were talking in hushed tones.

Although she couldn’t hear the exact words, it seemed like everyone in the world was discussing drugs and poisons—things that were once distant but suddenly became dangerously close.

Everyone’s eyes gleamed with panic, fear, excitement, and fanaticism. This scene finally made her feel scared.

She stuffed her phone in her bag and rushed down the escalator in her sneakers. She ran past the corner, then descended another level, repeating this process until she finally reached the mall’s exit. However, when she looked up, she saw a large screen on the square directly in front of her. Under the logo of Yongchuan TV station, a simple letter was being slowly opened.

A grand and splendid female voice descended from the sky—

“Dear fellow citizens. I hope this letter finds you well.”

The same female voice gradually echoed in subway stations, on buses, on passersby’s phones, and inside the small shops at the school entrance.

It belonged to the female anchor of Yongchuan TV station.

“I apologize for meeting you all in this manner. I have no intention of introducing myself because who I am is not important. You can call me a sociopath or a terrorist, as I represent a portion of abnormal individuals who cannot integrate into society.”

These voices had the same frequency and identical pace, yet they presented different textures through various electronic devices. When combined, they collided and resonated like blooming flowers, reverberating between the small cities in this vast universe.

“Here, we announce our responsibility for the riot at Meicun Clothing Market; we take responsibility for the attempted attack at Meicun Train Station; we take responsibility for the recent sporadic incidents of violence in Yongchuan; and we take full responsibility for the collective adverse reactions to Nao Kangning.

Our actions disturb your daily lives, but they are necessary. We hope for your understanding. However, throughout human history, there have been moments that arrived without warning, appearing as misfortune in incomprehensible ways, yet, to a great extent, they changed the world.

Since the 6th century B.C., the Greeks established the earliest democratic system through voting. Now, the group I represent hopes that even in our resistance against society, you can obtain such rights as well.

To ensure the fairness of the game and uphold your spirit of freedom and democracy, if your government agrees, we will grant each resident the right to choose the next target for our attack. The specific process of granting this right can be supervised by representatives from both sides.

If your government chooses not to let you have this right, I have no choice but to follow our interests in determining your fate.

I look forward to your response and wish you an enjoyable game.

Best regards.”

The last note lingered in the air, dissolving into the vast horizon. The contact information on the letter was shown on the screen, and then the image faded away.

The whole process was quick and straightforward, yet it felt slow enough to require a long time to regain one’s composure. As the letter was put away, the female anchor’s face reappeared. One could imagine how many people were left in shock and bewilderment in front of countless screens, big and small.

Hongjing Municipal Bureau, inside a glass-walled room.

Someone raised the remote control and turned off the TV with a snap. The entire transparent room felt like it was made of solid ice, emanating a cold and stern atmosphere filled with icy shards.

Xing Conglian looked up, gazing at the elderly man who had turned off the TV. Each of Lin Chen’s stages of deduction had been realized one after another, and for those long-standing figures in power, it was nothing short of a challenge.

The old man’s gaze, hidden behind his glasses, was deep and meaningful, but none of them spoke first.

Therefore, the public opinion expert who rushed into the glass room from the outside became the first person to break the ice. “Captain Xing, Yongchuan TV station may have been bought off by the other side. We must send someone to take control.”

Xing Conglian looked at this Director Chen and, for the first time, felt that most people were overly kind-hearted. He put one hand in his pocket, and Minister Shen pointed to an empty seat, gesturing for Director Chen to sit down and close the door.

“Private stations like BAS are one thing, but Yongchuan TV station, without our approval, broadcast the letter from a sociopath under the guise of a national TV station, causing social panic and shifting the pressure of dialogue onto us. It is a huge challenge to the government’s authority… We can’t tolerate it; otherwise, other online media will be even harder to control…” The public opinion expert explained while walking, and Minister Shen listened thoughtfully, rubbing his chin with the back of his hand, glancing at Xing Conglian.

“No need,” Xing Conglian said.

At this, the elderly man with a profound expression said, “I thought so too. It’s not easy to explain so much to us.”

Xing Conglian knew that, in that instant, the old man probably understood all of his thoughts. Indeed, while explaining to these people, he was also delaying them, preventing them from interfering with Lin Chen’s plan.

But it had come to this point, and no one could turn back time to when they entered this glass room.

He and Lin Chen never intended to control the situation in such a dark way.

Because since this was about igniting the fire of human nature, Lin Chen wanted that fire to burn even more brightly and majestically. That was Lin Chen, more audacious than anyone else.

And he stood here only as a representative of Lin Chen, and naturally, that was what he thought.

“Captain Xing, Yongchuan TV… It was you?” The public opinion expert asked in shock.

“It was my idea,” Xing Conglian said.

Several glances in the glass room darted towards him. Some were suspicious, some were contemplating, and some were restraining their anger.

Suddenly, another government strategy expert who rarely spoke slowly spoke up, “I also agree with Captain Xing’s approach.”

That young man sat in the shadow of the light, and Xing Conglian could only see the several drafts spread out on his desk, covered in dense lines and paths. “Since this matter will inevitably erupt into a public opinion frenzy, it’s better for the national TV station to step forward and represent the government in releasing information openly and effectively. Moreover…” He paused, “This is why Captain Xing and Consultant Lin previously reported the news of Shen Lian’s arrest. The psychological exposure effect means that people are more likely to have a natural favorability toward familiar people. I think… Captain Xing and Consultant Lin probably have a series of response plans prepared, right?”

Xing Conglian admired the calm and composed strategy expert in the corner. In a certain sense, when he looked at the other, he seemed to see Lin Chen.

But he also knew that this person could never be Lin Chen.

Minister Shen lightly tapped the table and asked his subordinate sitting in the corner, “You tell us your thoughts and handling suggestions for the current situation.”

The person nodded and said, “Captain Xing’s analysis just now reminded me to pay attention to the deep motivation of these sociopaths. Although I’m skeptical about whether he can achieve his ultimate goal, the letter indicates that they have several objectives in creating the poisoning case.” He paused for a moment and continued, “First, they want to attract some deeply hidden sociopaths in society to join their frenzy. Second, they want to design it so that every voter who has no choice becomes the murderer. Third, they aim to use bystanders to accuse residents of the three provinces, intensifying internal conflicts among the people. The fourth and most important point is to prove that selfishness and ugliness are the true nature of humanity. All those self-righteous moral standards are just decorations that hide ugliness, causing contradictions and distrust among people.” He asked, “Am I right, Captain Xing?”

Xing Conglian nodded.

“In that case, to achieve this series of objectives, although he appears to be manipulating ‘medicine’ as a tool, he is actually influencing people’s minds through planning the direction of public opinion. And public opinion is the public’s perception of the events.” The seasoned strategy expert said, “His brilliance lies in the fact that when the first person votes, a sense of mistrust has already arisen. And if you abstain from voting, you pass the fate-deciding opportunity to someone else. Therefore, in the short term, since voting cannot be avoided, we must manipulate public opinion.”

“Captain Xing didn’t communicate with me and acted on his own; this part of the work is difficult for me to carry out.” The public opinion expert still felt uneasy.

“There’s nothing wrong with Director Chen’s approach of controlling and guiding public opinion to avoid the public’s distrust towards society and human morality; of course, this is something we must do,” the young man in the corner said solemnly, “but the premise of all manipulation lies in the viewpoint. What kind of public opinion do we want to guide? What kind of views do we want to instill in the public to prevent the achievement of the sociopath’s goals?”

Xing Conglian felt the dark yet faintly burning gaze from the corner and calmly said, “I would like to hear the details.”

Then, he heard the word.

—”Sacrifice.”

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

Criminal Psychology Ch276

KinkyLeave a comment

Author: 长洱 / Chang’er

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

Chapter 276

At the time of the incident, Mu Wenhua was working.

In a sense, Song Shengsheng once again changed her life.

She gave up being a housewife and chose to send her daughter to daycare, trying to be a little braver and open a new chapter in her life.

She took on a receptionist job at a children’s playground in the mall. Although the job wasn’t great and the pay was low, she had to shuttle back and forth every day. Nevertheless, it was her first brave step to face life after being away from society for over two years.

At first, she didn’t realize what was happening. She bent down to take off a child’s shoes while a grandmother wiped the boy’s sweat with a large towel. Suddenly, Mu Wenhua noticed the old woman’s ears twitching as if she heard something. The grandmother’s actions to comfort her grandson came to a halt.

The elderly always had keen senses, and Mu Wenhua followed the direction of the sound to realize that the commotion was coming from a chain electronics store diagonally across the children’s playground.

Since it wasn’t yet mealtime, the mall was relatively empty, but a crowd had gathered at the entrance of the electronics store. People were standing on tiptoes, looking like something magnetic was attracting each passerby’s footsteps.

Mu Wenhua couldn’t help but rise on her toes as well. She saw the distinctive red mark of breaking news flashing on the window display TV, but she couldn’t hear any sound. She felt lost and didn’t know what to do, thinking to herself, ‘If the world has become this bad, what else could be terrifying?’

So, she just furrowed her brows, took a deep breath, and turned around to take out the clothes for the children from the cupboard.

Around that time, her phone rang.

“Honey, quickly take a leave and pick up our daughter from daycare. They said all public places are dangerous!” Mu Wenhua answered her phone, and her husband’s voice was trembling and loud, catching the attention of the elderly lady nearby.

“What happened, dear? Calm down and tell me slowly,” she said apologetically to the old lady, lowering her voice.

“There’s an attack. They announced that they will attack all public places. Online, they said that malls and schools are high-risk areas.” The man’s words were urgent and incoherent. “I still have a meeting now; there’s no time. Go and pick up our baby; just listen to me! I also need to call my parents!”

“Honey, what’s going on exactly?” Mu Wenhua’s heart tightened, but she felt lost and didn’t know what to do. “What happened?”

However, the man had already hung up the phone, and the rapid “beep…beep…” sound seemed to signify something.

The old lady snatched the coat from her hand with a look of distrust in her eyes, but Mu Wenhua didn’t hesitate and wrapped up the child before leaving.

As she looked around, more and more people gathered at the entrance of the electronics store, and those stuck inside were trying to get out while those outside were trying to peer inside for news. The mall’s transparent roof cast a grayish light, making the vast space feel both noisy and ominous.

……

Hongjing Municipal Bureau.

After Xing Conglian put down the handwritten letter, the heavy tone he had while reading the letter seemed to reverberate in the small glass room.

After listening to the entire content of the letter, the public opinion expert who had been challenging Xing Conglian no longer had time to say another word to him.

He looked at Minister Shen, and the old man nodded. With permission granted, Xing Conglian immediately turned and left, arriving at his most proficient battlefield within thirty seconds.

The most elite online public opinion monitoring team in the entire Jiangxia Province was by his side, with Wang Chao still in the small glass room. The intensity of the online events continuing to escalate gave these officers no spare time to adapt to the change of command.

They seemed to act like machines, following each order one by one, but a gloomy cloud gradually spread across everyone’s faces.

Within a few minutes, there was a qualitative change in the public opinion situation compared to when Wang Chao discovered the anomaly and reported it.

——Listen to me, I’m an insider. Don’t go to public places. The more crowded the place, the more likely it is to become a target of attack!

——That thing is as dangerous as mustard gas. The government has been hiding the truth from us. They have no solutions at all!

——What should we do then? Can we only compromise? The government won’t really agree to their demands, right? There are so few of us in this small place, we’ll be doomed!

Online discourse had already taken a very frightening turn.

The public opinion expert calmed his breath and quickly deployed the tasks. Deleting posts, banning accounts, controlling large-scale internet water armies to flood major forums, gripping the sources of information, and preventing false information from spreading in a short time—this was what he excelled at.

“Notify all major provincial and municipal television stations and online media for a video conference.” He glanced at the time. “In three minutes.”

The telephone conference started quickly.

The video conference screens of the emergency contact persons from various major media gradually lit up.

The public opinion expert sat in front of the display screen, watching one image after another and one face after another, and his expression grew colder and colder.

Clearly, even though the police had issued orders again and again, private television stations didn’t care about administrative prohibitions.

The video window of BAS TV, the first to release the news, was pitch-black, and they didn’t even bother to send representatives to attend the conference, displaying an arrogant and infuriating attitude.

The emergency contact persons for each media outlet were visibly agitated and anxious.

With a stern face, the public opinion expert cleared his throat, but before he could speak, the local television station, which had taken the lead in the video conference, began a series of attacks against him.

“Our news hotline is about to explode!”

“We don’t know how to report this. The anti-social elements are sending their messages to our mailbox!”

“Even if you don’t let us broadcast, online self-media is already making a huge fuss about it.”

Chaotic voices rang out, and the public opinion expert slammed the table. “Quiet!”

The water glasses on the table shook, and the screens followed suit.

And at that moment, he suddenly noticed something. In the upper left corner of the telephone conference screen, the video grid that originally belonged to the National Yongchuan Satellite TV was also pitch-black from beginning to end, with no response.

……

The public opinion expert’s intuition wasn’t wrong; something indeed happened at the National Yongchuan Satellite TV.

The atmosphere in Studio 1 of the TV station was tense. Every staff member present had turned off their phones and all other communication devices. The emergency contact person who should have been coordinating with the police stood grimly behind the camera. To prevent any unforeseen situations, they even locked the studio door from the inside using a rusty key found on the spot.

The previously energetic female anchor, who had been exchanging arguments with the expert, now seemed like a different person. She sat upright at the anchor desk as the makeup artist was busy giving her a more solemn look.

At this moment, solemn applause echoed in the studio.

Everyone, who had been busy in the hall, instantly turned their gaze to a chubby man standing under the spotlight.

He was the Vice Director at the National Yongchuan Satellite TV, named Zhao Ren. Several months ago, it was he who went against public opinion and decided to broadcast the confrontation between Lin Chen and Li Jingtian via satellite.

Zhao Ren held a rusty key in his hand.

“Anyone unwilling to do this can raise their hand now.”

The hall fell silent, and everyone looked at the chubby man with a gaze as if they were looking at someone with a mental disorder.

“Boss… that’s enough…”

“Stop acting,” said the No. 1 camera operator.

“Anyway, at most, we’ll receive administrative punishment, and if someone has to go to jail, it’ll be you,” the female anchor said earnestly.

……

The sense of panic continued to spread, and the invasion of the realm of consciousness was always silent but irresistible; it was human nature.

In the entire area of the three provinces, the only government department that remained quiet was probably the Hongjing Municipal Detention Center. There was a glass of water on Lin Chen’s desk, and there was no tense atmosphere between him and Shen Lian.

The news on Yongchuan Satellite TV came to an end.

While other television stations were actively following the latest developments in the event, Yongchuan Satellite TV was playing a very light and pleasant potato chip advertisement.

Shen Lian hummed a tune to the familiar music and seemed very satisfied after seeing Lin Chen’s manipulation of public opinion.

“Consultant Lin truly keeps his promise.” Miss Shen Lian’s toes gently swayed under the table, filled with the joy of a young girl.

Lin Chen took a sip of water, put down the cup, and said, “The attack in Meicun happened as scheduled. After proving his abilities, he’s probably going to declare the next phase of action to the whole society?”

Shen Lian didn’t even look at him. Her full attention was completely absorbed by the piles of potato chips.

“Yes, that’s about right,” she casually replied. “You have a phone, why ask me? Just make a call or check Weibo.”

“Does that mean he’ll directly start a public opinion frenzy online and declare war?” Lin Chen asked.

Shen Lian glared at him, showing her dissatisfaction with his clichéd question.

Lin Chen smiled calmly and explained, “The continuous series of events will cause a domino effect in public opinion. The ubiquitous self-media and grassroots opinion leaders will replace the government as the voice. Their evaluations will lead to a ‘diffusion effect’ of panic. In the process of public opinion spread, netizens act as detectives, continuously analyzing and summarizing the hearsay information, leading to a greater ‘inflation effect’. Finally, the government becomes the center of all pressure and tends to make some mistakes, ultimately igniting the explosive emotions in everyone’s hearts… Suspicion, distrust, and hatred, the darkest and most distrustful emotions in human nature will be aroused again. At that time, all he has to do is extend a helping hand to these people, and he might be seen as a benefactor. It’s somewhat like Stockholm syndrome. This is probably the pattern. Am I right?”

Lin Chen’s explanation was a bit long that the advertisement for the potato chips had already ended. Yongchuan Satellite TV moved on to another very quiet and atmospheric kitchen and bathroom advertisement.

Shen Lian didn’t respond to him. Her eyes shone brightly as she admired the half-naked handsome man on the TV. Lin Chen knocked on the table, and she reluctantly glanced at him, saying, “If you know so much, go and command the public opinion battle to save the country and the people. Why are you standing in front of me?”

“I’m here to accompany you to watch TV,” Lin Chen said straightforwardly.

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

Evil As Humans Ch234

Kinky8 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 234: Twins

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

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

The search mission was no exception.

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

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

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

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

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

Wang Zhou was the first to become restless.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wang Zhou ignored her.

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

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

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

Huang Jin: “?!”

The two figures quickly vanished near the sewer cover.

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

[Must see.]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“…Fine, I get it!”

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

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

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

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

[Must see.]

[Must see.]

[Must see.]

……

“Puff! Puff, puff!”

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

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

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

Squelch.

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

Squelch, squelch.

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

Squelch, squelch, squelch.

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

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

[Look at me.]

The thoughts slowly revolved and became sluggish.

[Look at me.] It repeated.

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

Has Xiang Jiang gone insane?

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

…Wait, be seen by everyone…

Huang Jin’s pupils suddenly contracted.

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

Look at me.

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

Look at me.

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

Huang Jin knew he should retreat.

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

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

Huang Jin shouted loudly.

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

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

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

Even though their screens were completely dark.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Damn it, why couldn’t his body move?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Huang Jin wished he could faint.

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

They even possessed true physical forms.

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

It’s over.

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

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

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

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

At some point, a figure flashed beside Huang Jin.

Huang Jin stiffly turned his head—

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Is the situation bad?”

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

The well opening above their heads suddenly darkened.

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

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

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

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

Huang Jin finally realized.

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

He remembered her name was Sun Qi’an.

……

The Other Side.

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

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

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

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

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

Zhong Chengshuo: “I understand.”

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

“Yes,” Meng Huai curled her lips.

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

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

After speaking, he paused.

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

The author has something to say:

When people fight, gods fight too.

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

Kinky Thoughts:

Lonelies MPV! I want a Lonely cat…

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

Evil As Humans Ch233

Kinky3 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 233: Wrong Image

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“So what?” he asked.

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

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

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

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

Xiang Jiang twisted his mouth, revealing an ugly smile.

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

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

…But he didn’t.

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

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

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

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

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

Professor Li’s finger pointed on the map.

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

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

Fu Xingchuan flexed his finger joints.

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

“Coral Reef Group?” Li Nian frowned.

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

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

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

“Which team is closest to that area?”

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

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

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

……

At the same time, on the Other Side.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fu Tianyi: “…Makes sense.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zhong Chengshuo nodded. “It’s feasible.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

“There’s someone.”

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

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

“Let me see.”

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

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

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

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

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

Zhong Chengshuo: “Retreat?”

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

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

“Zhong Ge?”

“Not right.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

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

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

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

Wang Zhou’s voice came through the earpiece.

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

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

“…” There was only silence in response.

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

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

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

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

Still, there was no response.

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

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

But there was an inexplicable silence in the earpieces.

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

The deadly silence lasted for more than ten minutes.

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

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

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

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

“The image is wrong!”

Lu Xiaohe’s hair stood on end.

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

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

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

Unfortunately, it was already too late.

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

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

The author has something to say:

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

Xiao Yin: Look at what I missed.

The hatred for “Love” intensifies!

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

Full Server First Kill Ch18

Kinky2 Comments

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 18: Demon Lord

[Rare Area Quest: The Missing Lady]

[Normal Achievement Condition: Find the missing Margaret Swain (alive or dead)]

[Perfect Achievement Condition: Find the missing Margaret Swain (alive or dead); successfully witness the Mad Monk and report his physical features to the Temple of Life.]

[Quest Reward: Monetary reward [Normal]; Friendship of the Lord of Whitebird City [Normal]; Huge bounty on the Mad Monk [Perfect]; Friendship of the Temple of Life [Perfect]]t

‘Indeed, the requirement of this quest was “alive or dead”,’ Nol thought.

His speculation was too optimistic. Perhaps Witch Lynn just found the crime scene of Margaret and accidentally learned something, hence coming up with the theory of “man-made disaster”.

Finding Margaret and gaining the friendship of the City Lord… Thinking about this reward was somewhat sickening. The City Lord was waiting for unrelated people to find the body, so he could wash his hands of the matter.

But what about the “Mad Monk” serial killer? Could the City Lord be the legendary Mad Monk?

No, that couldn’t be right. They’ve “witnessed” the City Lord several times, and the system never gave any hints. Or did they need evidence, or to be certain that he’s the Mad Monk, for it to count?

[Could the City Lord be the ‘Mad Monk’?] Nol decided to seek his teammate’s opinions.

[Definitely not,] Teest responded firmly. [It’s said that the ‘Mad Monk’ likes to commit crimes in big cities. Lord Swain doesn’t have that much time to go out. Moreover, according to Kurt, the ‘Mad Monk’ likes to flaunt his victims openly—just now, the City Lord was complaining about the “Demon Lord’s” flamboyant actions.]

[Before Margaret’s death, she proclaimed everywhere that she had seen the Mad Monk,] Nol muttered.

Teest shrugged. [Maybe the whimsical ‘Demon Lord’ is the Mad Monk. Who knows?]

Nol sighed. As expected of the “perfect achievement condition”, it was indeed challenging.

In front of them, the conversation between two Eternalists continued.

“Your prudence is reassuring, Swain,” the raspy voice said, hinting a bit of amusement.

A hand emerged from the enveloping darkness, stretching towards the City Lord. It wore a featureless white glove, and it looked old.

The hand held a round, three-necked flask. It looked like a heart made of glass, filled with a blue-black ink-like liquid, shimmering like stars.

Lord Swain bowed lower, taking the flask. “All for the Eternal Son.”

“There’s one more thing.”

When the hand retracted into the dark, Swain spoke again. “A few days ago, the Demon Lord almost killed an Investigation Knight. Please advise on my behalf… With the Investigation Knights here, it wouldn’t hurt to be a bit low-key. Even if Eugene is investigating the disappearance of the stray children, I can handle it myself.”

“The Demon Lord does as he pleases,” the voice repeated. “God’s test, Swain, God’s test.”

The moment the voice faded, the candle’s flame went out, plunging everything into darkness.

Swain sighed deeply. He wrapped the candle and the flask in soft silk and carefully tucked them into his pocket. Finally, he whispered a spell, and a ball of white light appeared in his palm.

Nol patted the skeleton hound’s head. The creature wagged its tail reluctantly and sunk into the ground. He then signaled Teest to follow closely—while undead creatures had night vision, living humans like Teest didn’t.

Lord Swain, maintaining the light spell, ventured deeper into the darkness.

At the end of the secret passage was a large room, originally a bedroom for the City Lord’s secret rendezvous. Swain pushed the heavy wooden door and threw the ball of light onto a lamp holder. The room was instantly illuminated.

Thankfully, the old door closed slowly. Nol and Teest squeezed in hurriedly, almost making a noise.

The sight inside sent chills down Nol’s spine.

Bones. Piles and piles of bones. At a glance, it resembled the underground catacombs of the capital of country F. Leg bones, skulls, and other bones were neatly and tightly stacked, covering the stone walls, forming a new “wall”.

The skulls were delicate, and the leg bones were slender—all were the bones of children.

Because of the invisibility spell, Teest still stood behind him. Now, sensing something, Teest moved his arm to embrace Nol and comfort him.

The warmth of the living was ever more pronounced for Nol after he transformed into an undead. As Nol was gently embraced by Teest against his chest, the scorching warmth from his back made him take several deep breaths before finally exhaling silently.

[Thank you,] Nol said.

[You’re welcome. Any normal person couldn’t stand this,] Teest replied, releasing his embrace.

As things calmed, Nol shifted his attention to the center of the room.

There was a… device there. It was difficult to describe, resembling some sort of complex alchemical apparatus.

Various glass containers connected to one another, with distillation equipment, filtration systems, and heating tools all available. They were several times larger than their typical sizes, arranged in a chaotic manner yet still giving a sense of eerie order, akin to the innards of a beast.

From ceiling to floor, these giant devices occupied about a quarter of the room’s space. Various reflections intermingled until both stopped at a particular spot, revealing the core of this apparatus—

Inside a vertically placed glass cylinder was the body of a child.

It was a naked boy, pale and skinny, with numerous scars of varying depths covering his body, indicating malnutrition. His eyes were wide open, and his body was swollen and discolored, showing he had been dead for some time.

Lord Swain frowned deeply, examining the body closely. He seemed displeased with the state of the corpse.

“Damn Temple,” he cursed silently.

With that, he took a small bottle from his pocket and connected it to an inlet of the massive apparatus, then carefully attached a tube.

Thump. Thump.

Once connected, the three-necked flask began to beat like a real heart.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

The dark liquid quickly diluted into a beautiful translucent azure. It swiftly flowed over the corpse, seeping to the base of the cylinder, only to be redirected back to the top. The body, like an ice cube under running water, began to melt.

Nol morosely thought how much he had grown. Now he could even resist the urge to retch and force himself to watch.

Flesh and blood disintegrated, and hair dissolved. The azure liquid gradually turned muddy, taking on a deep, meaty hue. After being filtered multiple times, it became a clear, purplish-red color, similar to ripe grapes.

Finally, after hundreds of cycles, only a pale skeleton remained inside the glass cylinder, while only gritty impurities were left on the sieve. The purplish-red liquid underwent distillation and condensation, turning into a dark-red viscous substance, dripping into a silver flask.

…This was the so-called “rejuvenation potion”.

Much like the best perfumers extracting essential oils, Lord Swain extracted something from the pitiable corpse—perhaps its flesh and blood, or perhaps death itself. Nol couldn’t be sure.

After securing the flask, Lord Swain adeptly removed the skeleton and built it into the bone wall.

“May everything be eternal,” he muttered, drawing a perfect circle over his chest.

[What if we kill him? Two against one, ambush him now,] Teest mentally communicated. [Then fabricate the scene, leaving clues to point towards the ‘Demon Lord’, killing two birds with one stone.]

Always rushing towards death because you can’t die, aren’t you?

[No,] Nol immediately responded. [We don’t know what he has up his sleeve. A blind attack is unwise. Judging by the decay of the body… while the Investigation Knights are still around, the City Lord won’t act recklessly. We still have time.]

[It’s because he won’t act in the short term that this opportunity is precious,] Teest lamented. [Don’t you know the weak points of monsters?]

[…Lord Swain is still somewhat human,] Nol replied, rubbing his temples.

Being a prominent figure, with major tasks at hand and being a backbone within the Eternal Church, it would be foolish to believe that Lord Swain didn’t have any ultimate safeguard.

Even when battling the same boss, there was a stark difference between “exploring unknown territory” and “having a strategy guide”. Nol was reluctant to act recklessly.

Teest rested his chin on Nol’s shoulder and sighed dejectedly. [Guess I’ll have to compromise. Maybe this is the hardship of marriage.]

[However, about how to deal with this guy, I have an idea,] Nol said, glancing at the wall of bones. [I think you’ll like it.]

……

“No, I don’t like it.”

Teest sat cross-legged on the bed, sounding rather morose.

“You get to do all the fun stuff. It’s not fair.”

“If you hadn’t been so eager to hurt yourself yesterday, I could have come up with something more fun.” Nol took a sip of hot tea, imitating Teest’s tone. “That’s what you get for being impulsive, honey.”

Nol’s proposal was simple—communicate with Witch Lynn and hide Margaret’s corpse. If the body couldn’t be found, the Investigation Knights would stay longer, which was what Lord Swain didn’t want.

Once the City Lord started to feel anxious, Nol, as a “mysterious member of the Eternal Church”, could stir things up. As for what story to come up with then, Nol already had several plans in mind.

Teest lay down in bed resentfully, turned over, and buried his face into the pillow. “Haa, I also wanted to play a part…”

Nol took another sip of his tea. “Your hair and eyes are too distinctive.”

“I can dye them with magic,” Teest replied, full of hope.

Nol put down the teacup and deactivated his “Physical Form” skill. Teest turned his head to see his handsome companion turn into a skeleton. Even though he couldn’t read the skeleton’s expression, he knew Nol was laughing.

“Is any disguise better than mine?” The skeleton said in the cold voice characteristic of the undead.

Teest lay back and slowly covered himself with a blanket. “…You win.”

……

Near Whitebird City, deep in the forest.

“Oh my, the little girl’s body is missing,” a playful young male voice said.

“Probably taken by wild animals,” another, deeper voice replied, sounding older. “That Swain is an idiot. He should have someone watching the body.”

“Hmm? I think he’s quite clever. If someone had been nearby, they would have left traces. It doesn’t matter if animals took it. Some bones should remain… Tell me, big guy, are you one of those fools who ‘always return to the scene of the crime’?”

“……”

“Really?! And you’ve never been caught?”

“I was caught once. Lucky to still be alive.” The “big guy” sounded a bit annoyed. “Of course, I can’t compare to a famous person like you. How many people have you killed?”

“Secret.” The playful voice laughed. “All I can say is, everything is God’s will.”

“Haha.” The big guy chuckled. “Let’s go back and tell Swain.”

“Why? That guy is incredibly boring, and his method of killing lacks taste. I’d rather see him stressed out,” the playful young man said. “Let’s go back and have a drink.”

“We are on the same side, after all.”

“Doesn’t matter. Didn’t I tell you? Everything is God’s will. Ah, it’s so boring, and we can’t kill that knight captain. Lord, I pray to you—”

The young man began praying sweetly.

“—I want a more interesting opponent.”

The author has something to say:

Lord above for the one praying: Your order is on the way (×

I must admit, very effective.

This story tells us to find a reliable job. It’s not godlike opponents that are to be feared, but teammates who are just in it for the fun…

————————————

The underground tomb in this chapter is referenced from the Catacombs of Paris. This is pure fiction, and real-world country or city names won’t appear~

Kinky Thoughts:

Country F most likely refers to France, which is where the Catacombs of Paris are.

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