Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 201: A Set Up

Schools, like hospitals, were considered special places. The current situation was unclear, and Li Nian couldn’t mobilize the same manpower that surrounded the hospital like before. He could only do his best to deploy several teams to evacuate crowded areas near the school and cut off all access routes to the school.

Xiang Jiang, on the other hand, commanded various special task forces to set up sealing arrays around the school. Although Xiang Jiang had never directly fought against a Primordial Elemental, he had made significant progress in “sealing gaps and corruption”.

Before the protective measures could be fully prepared, a Shian police car honked, attempting to enter the school area.

At a glance, Li Nian recognized the license plate of that car.

He waved off the staff and approached personally. “…Fu Xingchuan, have you gone mad?”

“Good morning, Lao Li. Want some fried dough sticks? I have one left.” Fu Xingchuan rolled down the car window.

He wasn’t wearing a red uniform and was dressed casually, with a breakfast bag in his arms. “I was actually going to ask what madness you’re up to, wandering around outside for no reason… Or did Unit 9 cause trouble again? There’s no need to mobilize the Emergency Management Department for that, right?”

Li Nian neither took the fried dough stick nor responded to his remarks.

Fu Xingchuan glanced at the surrounding sealing measures and made clicking sounds with his tongue, expressing sentiments like, “Only witness the laughter of newcomers, but never see the tears of the old¹” and “It’s heartbreaking to be this cautious²”.

¹Proverb conveying the idea that people often focus on the positive and happy aspects of new or unfamiliar situations, while ignoring or being unaware of the challenges, hardships, or difficulties faced by those who have been through similar experiences before.
²Saying that conveys the sentiment that investing a great amount of effort, time, or resources into preparing for something can lead to emotional distress or anxiety.

“There’s a suspicious situation, and there may be a gap risk. Xiang Jiang and I happen to have some free time, so we came to take a look around.”

Li Nian pressed the veins on his forehead while his gaze swept toward the back seat of the sedan—Sun Qi’an and Zhang Hejun were sitting there, wearing identical expressions of confusion.

“Ah, gap risk?” Fu Xingchuan patted the steering wheel and raised his voice. “Hey, Dr. Sun, it’s not appropriate to go back to school now. Why don’t you persuade Xiao Zhang to wait another day if she has any questions? She still needs to take care of her health. It’s not urgent.”

Without hesitation, Sun Qi’an turned around. “Hejun, the authorities are still investigating. Shall we go back for now?”

Zhang Hejun stared at the school gate, not answering.

“It was against the rules for you to come out this time. But you kept insisting, so the hospital made a concession by having me accompany you.” Sun Qi’an sighed. “Considering your physical condition, in case… if your parents start causing trouble later, it won’t be easy for me either.”

“I want to see Luo Chunlei. I must see her.”

Zhang Hejun finally responded.

“I have hallucinations every time I close my eyes. In those hallucinations, she keeps throwing dirt at me, sprinkling it all over my brain… I have to talk to her face-to-face. I must see her…”

Zhang Hejun’s eyes were wide open, unblinking like a cold-blooded animal. Her gaze was directed into emptiness, and her tone carried a peculiar excitement typical of a patient, sending chills down one’s spine.

Seeing this, Sun Qi’an shook her head helplessly.

“See?” Fu Xingchuan shrugged at Li Nian. “I went to the hospital to check on my leg, and I saw this little girl rushing out like she had gone mad. To be honest, her case doesn’t have much direct relation to the corruption source. I thought since I had nothing else to do, I would bring her here.”

“Her physical recovery is going well, but there are some issues with her mental state. If it continues like this, something might happen, and the hospital can’t do much about it. Minister Li, can you make a compromise?” Sun Qi’an tidied her slightly messy hair and turned to Li Nian.

“And what about Luo Chunlei’s safety? She’s still a minor, and this behavior is simply reckless.” Li Nian pointed out directly.

“We’ll let her into the school, and she’ll come out later. Mr. Fu and I will keep an eye on her.” Sun Qi’an stepped out of the car, lowering her voice. “We won’t let them meet for sure. Bringing her here is just an attempt to calm her down… Look, this is the certificate from the hospital.”

Li Nian observed it for a while.

“Li Nian.”

Not far away, Xiang Jiang impatiently interjected.

“Fine, go ahead.” Li Nian stepped back from the car. “You can move around within the campus, but you’re not allowed to enter classrooms, the playground, or the back mountain. Fu Xingchuan, keep an eye on them.”

“Got it.” Fu Xingchuan stepped on the accelerator.

Li Nian watched the black sedan slowly move forward and head towards the school gate. After a while, he faintly saw Fu Xingchuan rolling down the car window and talking to the security guard.

Fu Xingchuan’s maroon jacket was slightly wrinkled, indicating that he hadn’t had time to change clothes yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon.

As usual, Fu Xingchuan was investigating the corruption source near the school, diligently fulfilling his duties as a consultant. However, he couldn’t dress too conspicuously while patrolling the streets, so he wore this maroon outfit.

At least that was how Mr. Fu was dressed when Li Nian arrived. At that time, the two of them met in a noisy private room of an internet café, looking as if they were about to engage in some illicit activities. Li Nian subconsciously searched for the color red and glanced at Fu Xingchuan three times without stopping.

“Yin Ren contacted me suddenly, using a strand of hair.”

Fu Xingchuan dragged his old partner into the conversation without beating around the bush.

“There’s a large Elemental inside the school, and there seem to be other Elementals cooperating outside the school. Sun Qi’an and Zhang Hejun from Haigu Municipal Hospital… well, they have some ‘unfavorable background’.”

Li Nian: “…”

It was known that the Evil Spirits were monsters formed from the remains of a Primordial Elemental, and Shian had to exert all its strength to control them. It was also known that two powerful Elementals were lurking near the school, and Qi Xin, who was wandering outside, had not been found yet. Including the deceased Mr. Qiu, there were enough Elementals who had descended to form a table of Mahjong.

At this point, what else could their Haigu branch do?

Li Nian suddenly felt an eerie calmness. “Go on.”

“According to Yin Ren, the Elemental he killed before represented ‘Disgust’, and Qi Xin represents ‘Sorrow’. If his information is correct, the Elemental in the school represents ‘Joy’, and the external cooperation is most likely…”

“’Love’,” Li Nian completed the sentence. It was the missing piece of the four classifications separated by Shian from emotional data. Fantastic! The four leaders from the Other Side came to inspect.

“So, why did Yin Ren contact you?” Professor Li politely swallowed back the words, “What use do you have?”

“It’s similar to Mr. Qiu. These bastards just poked their fingers over here. Their true bodies are still on the Other Side, and the avatars here are not invincible.”

Fu Xingchuan lowered his duckbill cap, wearing a mischievous smile on his face.

“If they could truly be invincible, why would they specifically target this school and set up a trap for Yin Ren and the others?”

In a split second, Li Nian realized.

Humans didn’t have the means to kill these Elementals, yet Mr. Qiu died unexpectedly, spreading fear to the Other Side. Before dealing with external threats, those Primordial Elementals wouldn’t let go of the “unknown kind” lurking in the shadows.

And Unit 9, this unfortunate group—especially the two cunning individuals who weren’t entirely human—always represented Shian’s frontline in dealing with imminent crises. They were also present when Mr. Qiu died. Even if the unknown Elemental wasn’t part of Unit 9, it was closely related to Shian.

If he was an Elemental from the Other Side, he would probably come up with the same plan.

Boldly showcase the school as a special area, openly declaring one’s existence. Shian’s investigative team would undoubtedly relay the message, and sooner or later, that hidden Elemental in Shian would notice the information.

They wanted to lure that highly aggressive “unknown kind” out into the open.

Seeing Li Nian’s changing facial expression, Fu Xingchuan slyly winked and cleared his throat, “Our esteemed Professor Li is indeed quick to react. Impressive, impressive.”

“…” Li Nian rubbed his face. “Speak up. What other ideas do those two have?”

“It’s simple. Go along with the Other Side’s intentions.” Fu Xingchuan’s smile gradually faded. “But I called you here for another matter—”

“Xiao Ge and Xiao Huang volunteered… Ah, no, Xiao Ge volunteered to be the bait. She said if the Elemental doesn’t find any flaws, they’ll be more cautious. To ensure that everything goes smoothly, it’s best for them to sell a flaw.”

The expressions of “approval” and “disapproval” mixed together in Fu Xingchuan’s eyes, engaging in a passionate dispute.

“And to confirm Yin Ren’s speculation, probing is necessary.”

“If the Other Side doesn’t have ill intentions towards Yin Ren and the others, they wouldn’t disturb Shian’s ‘patrol sentinels’. If they do have ill intentions, it could potentially cause an incident and escalate the impact. There is a risk of death for the bait.” Li Nian muttered to himself. He naturally knew what these young people were thinking, and Professor Li felt his headache worsening.

Fu Xingchuan chuckled bitterly. “So, that’s why I came to find you—reporting is secondary. The Great Celestial Master needs to prepare protective spells, and the small shop doesn’t have the ingredients.”

“You’re using me as a delivery person?”

“And also, ah… Xiao Zhong and Xiao Yin have worked so hard. We can take advantage of being associated with a big tree and enjoy the shade while bringing a net along the way.”

……

Yes, since yesterday, Li Nian’s headache hadn’t stopped.

At this moment, he watched the car disappear into the campus while his face grew longer.

“Our protection isn’t enough! Surrounding security comes first. Sort that out before discussing anything else!” He turned around, raising his voice. An A-level special task force hurriedly ran in the direction Li Nian pointed, earnestly performing their spell.

“It’s almost done.” Xiang Jiang’s hazy pupils turned towards Li Nian.

“It’s far from enough. You yourself said to be careful with the accident rate. I see that the southwest corner is still lacking.” Li Nian glanced at him sideways. “It’s surrounded by residential areas, and the type of disappearances those two had is very dangerous. This was your own judgment.”

“I also said that those two lives are also up to fate.”

Xiang Jiang’s expression was extremely grim.

“You can continue hesitating here; I’ll take my team in to investigate first.”

“…Fine, you can go.”

Li Nian closed his eyes, and his expression was tinged with bitterness.

“But as partners, I suggest you stay. You said you want to follow the rules, so carry it through to the end.” Professor Li emphasized each word. “Of course, it’s not mandatory.”

Xiang Jiang didn’t answer.

He tugged at his asymmetrical windbreaker and walked towards the school without looking back.

The sun rose, and the sky turned pale. A faint mist emanated near the school, gliding along the ground, hazy like a dream. When Li Nian opened his eyes, Xiang Jiang had already disappeared from his sight.

Li Nian raised his head and saw a group of drones flying towards the back mountain.

“…Forget it.” He sighed at them.

These unmanned drones were slightly smaller than birds, gliding through the morning sky and quickly reaching the back mountain.

The back mountain was supposed to have a water pavilion, but the pond was dry. A bit of muddy soup accumulated at the bottom, and it looked more like an ordinary construction site. The pavilion was partially built, with sparse vegetation and piles of soil between construction materials, resembling countless mounds.

Haigu Secondary School once planned to develop and build on the back mountains, but funding issues arose when half of it was already constructed, leaving the construction awkwardly halted. The students loved this unfinished style. Even though the school strictly prohibited it, students still frequented the area from time to time.

The place where Zhang Hejun was buried alive wasn’t far from here.

Zhong Chengshuo painfully swallowed two energy bars for breakfast and slowly walked towards the pavilion. The seating area of the pavilion was covered in floating dust, so Zhong Chengshuo looked around for a while and decided to stand upright beneath the pavilion.

Yin Ren, as usual, completely sealed off his aura and stuck to Zhong Chengshuo’s back like a spirit.

Before long, Luo Chunlei appeared.

She wasn’t wearing a school uniform but a pricey-looking dress. With her left hand holding a thermos cup and her right hand gripping the phone hidden in her bedroom, her fingers swiftly danced across the screen. Her shoes were polished to a shine, but after taking a few steps in this place, they quickly became covered in dust.

[Good morning, I’m livestreaming now.]

Yin Ren lowered his head, and Dog Thing quickly displayed the messages from that anonymous group.

[After Brother Cockroach dies, those who doubted me should livestream themselves eating cockroaches 😘.]

After typing that, Luo Chunlei stopped in front of a patch of withered grass, adjacent to a dead decorative tree. She locked her phone, and a sweet smile bloomed on her face.

“Alright, I’ve informed my parents.”

Luo Chunlei’s killing intent wasn’t particularly strong. At this moment, it seemed that she still thought everything in front of her was just a game.

“Come here. I buried the evidence under the tree… What? Do you expect a girl to dig it up herself?”

As she puffed up her cheeks, a dissatisfied expression filled her face.

A childish and clumsy trap. Zhong Chengshuo scanned the patch of grass with a calm expression. He only made a sound of acknowledgment and obediently walked over.

As soon as his right foot touched the patch of grass, the ground beneath him suddenly gave way. In the next moment, everything spun around.

Beneath the grass was a deep pit left from construction.

Zhong Chengshuo almost instantly reached out with his hands and clung tightly to the uneven walls of the pit. The collapsing grass fell to the ground, revealing the tangled steel bars at the bottom of the pit. The steel bars were thin and sharp, even more dangerous than the previous elevator shaft.

Luo Chunlei didn’t waste any words. She immediately unscrewed the thermos cup and poured the scalding hot water onto Zhong Chengshuo’s hands. Zhong Chengshuo clenched his lips, executed a beautiful somersault, and voluntarily jumped into the thicket of steel bars. The thorny steel bars surrounded him, but miraculously, Zhong Chengshuo emerged unharmed. He lifted his head and looked straight at Luo Chunlei.

She casually kicked the loose soil at the edge of the pit, causing it to fall down with a rustling sound.

“Wow, this angle is really nice—actually, I really wanted to take some photos, but if I post them in the group, it would be troublesome as evidence.”

Luo Chunlei kicked the soil a few more times and squatted down at the edge of the pit. Judging by her expression, she was genuinely troubled by this.

“Your expression isn’t as entertaining as Zhang Hejun’s back then. She was so scared that her face turned pale—people’s faces can actually turn that pale. It’s especially thrilling.”

With another kick, a large pile of soil fell down.

“Do you know you’re killing people?” Zhong Chengshuo disregarded the piles of soil embedded with steel bars.

“Of course I know, and I also know that I won’t be caught. Even if I were caught, I’m not even fourteen yet.”

Luo Chunlei seemed to be wary of Zhong Chengshuo’s words as she panted and pushed out a wheelbarrow from the debris, starting to pile up soil at the edge of the pit.

“Besides, my family is wealthy. My parents run around doing errands, and they can’t imprison me anyway.”

Her smiling face could be described as innocent.

“…My parents once told me that life is precious.” Zhong Chengshuo reached out and touched the nearest steel bar. The sharp end lightly grazed his skin. “You—”

“No way, you want to lecture me now?”

Luo Chunlei laughed even more.

[Hilarious, Brother Cockroach is going to die, and he still wants to preach to me.] She held up her phone with hands covered in dirt.

“I know what you want to say—you want to say that when I grow up, I’ll regret these things and lose sleep at night. You want to say that when I become vulnerable and get bullied, I’ll understand the feelings of Zhang Hejun and you.”

[Moral bitches will always be moral bitches.]

“Haha, you crack me up. Look at those adults. Do the kind-hearted ones become rich or take advantage of others? They’re constantly feeling down and upset over this and that, unable to live well themselves but constantly worry about others. Let me tell you, people like you are the ones who get eliminated through natural selection.”

Zhong Chengshuo remained silent, tilting his head slightly. His eyes were fixed on Luo Chunlei, who was in a good mood.

[It’s not interesting to sacrifice heroically. I will definitely make him cry w.]

Luo Chunlei squatted down. “Let me tell you what I’ll be like in the future. I’ll eat whatever I want and buy whatever I want. Even if I don’t work, I’ll live better than my stupid classmates. Why should I make myself feel miserable? Am I doing it just because I’m full?”

“If I’m unlucky and get bullied in the future, I’ll only hate the people who bully me, right? What does that have to do with me bullying you? I don’t care about your feelings. Whoever makes me feel bad, I won’t let them off easily. It’s that simple.”

She made a grimace at Zhong Chengshuo in the pit.

“Only the pitiful ones who get bullied would dream of waiting for others to realize their mistakes. When I’m old and think of you, my impression will definitely be like, ‘Wow, I’m more amazing than most people. I could deceive a group of adults when I was a child’.”

“The teacher always said to live happily, and this is how I live the happiest.”

[It feels so refreshing to speak my mind. When I was with Sister Cockroach, I couldn’t speak so openly, missing out on so many dramatic effects]

Next, Luo Chunlei paused for a long time. She looked at Zhong Chengshuo at the bottom of the pit expectantly. Her eyes were fixed on his lips, unblinking.

“My parents once told me that life is precious.”

“Not again.”

“…But I don’t consider your life within the realm of ‘precious’. Well, I’ve made up my mind, I won’t save you either. From now on, take care of yourself.”

[Oh, a little twist~]

Luo Chunlei clicked her tongue. “Fine, so you have superpowers, what do you think? I know about it anyway. Well, I… I…”

Under her gaze, Zhong Chengshuo reached into his pocket and pinched Yellow Millet. With a pop, the illusion dissipated.

The adult Zhong Chengshuo adjusted his glasses and looked at Luo Chunlei with eyes devoid of warmth. And behind him floated the most beautiful “ghost” Luo Chunlei had ever seen in her life.

With his long hair flowing and a smile in his crimson eyes, Yin Ren wrapped his arms around Zhong Chengshuo’s neck; his chin resting on his lover’s shoulder. The red robes around Yin Ren fluttered, exuding a strong ghostly aura.

The temperature dropped suddenly, and white vapor formed around Luo Chunlei’s mouth and nose. Two hands emerged from under Yin Ren’s ribs, hugging Zhong Chengshuo’s waist tightly, effortlessly lifting him out of the deep pit.

The two of them gently stopped in front of Luo Chunlei, only two or three steps away from her.

Her opponent suddenly transformed into two adult men. After a moment of confusion, Luo Chunlei shuddered and instinctively took a step back. She took a deep breath and, without hesitation, pulled out the compact mirror, fiercely smashing it onto the ground.

“Save me!” Luo Chunlei screamed. “Kill them to silence them!”

The mirror instantly shattered into countless pieces, each reflecting the pale red dawn. In the next moment, numerous cracks appeared in space, accompanied by a burst of vacuum suction, and the school janitor with heavy eye bags stepped out of the rift, coughing miserably.

He was no longer wearing the gray school uniform but instead a long gown resembling a comedian’s outfit, and his feet were clad in a pair of worn-out cloth shoes.

“Joy,” Zhong Chengshuo said with a confident tone.

The man took a few breaths and revealed a faint smile, ultimately acquiescing.

Zhong Chengshuo didn’t act recklessly. He stood upright on the barren land, assuming a vigilant posture. Behind him, Yin Ren’s ghostly aura grew so dense that it was suffocating. The ground around them frosted, and the once yellowed grass withered and turned black, crumbling into dust.

The might of the thousand-year-old Ghost King quietly revealed a glimpse of his power.

“Kill them quickly!” Luo Chunlei rushed over and grabbed the janitor’s sleeve. “We agreed that you would send them back, and I will personally bury them!”

The janitor, Mr. Le, lowered his head and glanced at her. He reached out his withered and cracked hand, gently patting the head of the young girl.

“Yes, I will kill them,” he said. “You are the one I have chosen, and I will protect you well.”

With that, he turned to Zhong Chengshuo. His gaze became particularly complex. Despite being born of “Joy”, the sadness in his eyes resembled that of a human.

“Sorry about this, cub.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 200: Performance

[Your attempt to eradicate evil for the people has failed again lol. Where’s the livestream? http://www.]

[I was at the scene. Brother Cockroach vomited a ton of blood. I heard it’s nothing serious and he’ll be back to class tomorrow.]

[Did you guys notice? Our female warriors make a lot of noise but do little. Sister Cockroach and Brother Cockroach are both fine. Who was it that said we will see it in the news~~~?]

[Who asked her to make a big deal out of this 3D stuff? But maybe the Cockroach family just has strong vitality. 👍]

……

In the dimly lit room, chat bubbles popped up on the screen like boiling water, quickly emerging from the bottom. Faced with the sarcastic remarks of the group, Luo Chunlei unexpectedly remained calm and didn’t reply. Until—

[I get it, so we’re just going to let this matter end like this? Can’t keep the promise? If you can’t fulfill what you’ve promised, as a female warrior, you should at least say a few words.]

Luo Chunlei: [When did I say it’s going to end? Do you really think exterminating the Cockroaches can be done in a day? ❤️]

Yin Ren’s gaze shifted from the phone, and he looked out at the night sky through the window.

While the school infirmary was empty, he secretly infused some Evil Force into Zhong Chengshuo’s body. Zhong Chengshuo’s physical injuries were obviously not as severe as losing his head, and he quickly returned to his original state. In Yellow Millet’s illusion, the young Zhong Chengshuo was lying peacefully on the bed, dutifully devouring energy bars—it was “Zhang San’s” condition, and he wasn’t supposed to eat today.

Yin Ren broke off a small piece of Shian’s specially made energy bar, which was full of chocolate and sugar. He quite liked it, and as Zhong Chengshuo ate more, his face became increasingly wrinkled.

“Are you sure you won’t return to the base tonight?” Zhong Chengshuo swallowed the last bite of food and asked quietly.

“I’ve discussed it with Lu Xiaohe. Starting today, I must…”

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound of knocking echoed, and Yin Ren frowned, quickly moving to the corner of the room. Zhong Chengshuo immediately closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep, conscientiously furrowing his brows.

Knock, knock, knock. The knocking sound continued persistently, as if determined not to stop until it woke someone up. After a while, Zhong Chengshuo finally answered with a hoarse voice, “Come in.”

Luo Chunlei turned on the lights with a “snap”. She was dressed formally, holding a small bouquet of flowers, and her eyes were swollen from crying. Making sure only Zhong Chengshuo was in the room, she gently closed the door and locked it with a click.

Zhong Chengshuo “struggled” to sit up, weakly leaning against the head of the bed. “What’s the matter?”

Luo Chunlei didn’t answer immediately. She casually picked up the vase from the medical office desk, inserted the newly bought flowers into it, and placed it on Zhong Chengshuo’s bedside table. After completing all of this, she plucked two petals from the prettiest flower, squeezed them in her hand, and kneaded them.

The bouquet was delicate and expensive, with a slightly mature aesthetic that resembled her mother’s taste.

“Are you happy now?” Luo Chunlei pulled over a chair and sat down angrily.

“What are you talking about?” Zhong Chengshuo skillfully pretended to be ignorant.

“My parents know about your situation and insist that I improve our relationship. They are keeping a close eye on me now, and even the teachers are paying extra attention to me. I can’t do anything.”

Luo Chunlei crossed her legs and spoke with the air of reciting a prepared script.

“I’m just unlucky; my good intentions resulted in bad outcomes. You’re generous; have a little mercy on me—”

“Are you implying that you had nothing to do with tampering with the soda?”

Luo Chunlei snorted. “Of course not. I’ve only just come back. Where would I even get poison? Let me tell you, it’s probably the culprit who harmed Zhang Hejun. They found out that both of us were investigating, so it was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.”

Zhong Chengshuo: “……” If he were a hot-headed teenager, he might have been led astray by this girl.

However, in reality, no one would go through such trouble to harm a child. The victim hadn’t even died yet, and they were already coming up with excuses. It didn’t make much sense.

At this moment, all he could do was silently observe Luo Chunlei’s performance.

“Don’t you understand? I just gave you the lead on Wu Cheng, and now this happens.” Luo Chunlei wiped her eyes, and her voice was filled with vivid resentment. “It’s the violent gang in our school. They want to harm us!”

She even included herself in this fantasy story. According to the usual plot, the boy and girl should shake hands and work together to find the culprit.

Unfortunately, Zhong Chengshuo was skilled at treating atmosphere as irrelevant.

“That’s just your speculation.” Zhong Chengshuo adjusted his glasses. “I will investigate on my own.”

Luo Chunlei clenched her fists, almost crushing the flower petals in her hands.

Zhong Chengshuo coughed at the right time. “Or maybe you have more clues for me? According to your logic, telling me about Wu Cheng had serious consequences. Classmate Luo, you better take care of yourself.”

“I can see that you don’t really want to find the culprit! Everyone is going crazy now, and we are being targeted. They will never let us off the hook… Tomorrow morning at 6:30, I’ll be waiting for you at the water pavilion near the back mountain. I’ve hidden the evidence there,” Luo Chunlei said resentfully.

“If you don’t come, I won’t leave.”

Zhong Chengshuo looked at her expressionlessly.

“And I know you’ll come for sure!” She finally left these words and ran away, seeming pitiful and aggrieved.

Zhong Chengshuo immediately looked at Yin Ren, but Yin Ren shook his head and remained by the bedside. Only a strand of hair followed her as she rushed down the stairs. The resentment and anger on her face vanished, leaving only a radiant smile.

The corridor was empty. She secretly took out a compact mirror with a hint of satisfaction on her face. “I’ve set it up just as you said.”

“Since they can deceive Wu Cheng with their superpowers, I can’t poison him either. So what should I do… I’m willing to gamble. As long as I can personally take action, it’ll be fine.”

“Hmm, I understand. There won’t be any problems. What? Look at the ceiling?”

Luo Chunlei’s expression stiffened, and she suddenly looked up. In the darkness, she saw a dark red eye. It seemed like it wanted to retract, but the girl caught sight of it.

One ghostly eye and two human eyes silently confronted each other in the darkness.

Luo Chunlei didn’t scream or shout; instead, excitement filled her eyes. “What the hell. I thought it was a person.”

After saying that, she continued to gaze with interest at the ghostly eye, and that carefree joy once again adorned her features. Once she confirmed that the eye had disappeared into the shadows, Luo Chunlei hummed a tune and walked into the corridor, heading towards the school gate.

Even with streetlights, the school gate remained dim. The holly bushes were pruned into round shapes and were concealed by the darkness, resembling heads scattered in the flower beds. Luo Chunlei couldn’t help but reach out her hand, dip it into the lamplight, and draw smiling faces on those “heads”.

“Luo Chunlei, stop.”

At the moment when Luo Chunlei was about to leave the campus, a familiar voice came from behind her.

In the shadows, a semi-transparent “Zhang Hejun” wore a wry smile. Half of her body was submerged in the holly bushes. She lowered her head, and her hair covered most of her face. But the voice undoubtedly belonged to Zhang Hejun herself.

“You shouldn’t have touched those things, let alone listened to their commands. It’s not too late to stop now.”

Luo Chunlei halted her humming. She squinted her eyes and looked at the girl she had almost killed. After a few seconds, she rolled her eyes and let out a contemptuous sigh.

“Oh, are you a ghost?” Luo Chunlei clapped her hands, showing no trace of guilt on her face. “Let me think, let me think. You’re almost dead, and your soul left your body?”

The apparition in front of her fell silent.

“As classmates, I’m sincerely warning you. Don’t go to the back mountain.” After a pause, “Zhang Hejun” sighed gently. “I do dislike you, but you might also be influenced by the ghost in the mirror. I… I don’t think you should die because of something like this.”

Under the dim streetlight, the shadows on Luo Chunlei’s face deepened, giving her a peculiar and aged appearance.

“Haha, you’re hilarious. This is my genuine superpower—my dad knocked on my head, so I can see you guys. Where does this ghost influence come from?”

Luo Chunlei laughed, and the shadows on her face deepened even more.

“Oh, but someone is now a ghost themselves and can see ghosts, right? Comparatively speaking, I’m not that special~ Little Roach, if you’re not dead yet, remember to die quickly!”

“Zhang Hejun” shook her head, and her figure finally dissipated.

At the same time, Yin Ren in the school infirmary opened his eyes.

“You don’t plan to save her forcibly,” Zhong Chengshuo stated.

“If Fu Xingchuan were here, he would probably follow the rules.” Yin Ren sat on the edge of the bed, leaning against Zhong Chengshuo’s stomach. “But there are some paths you can only choose for yourself—I am an evil, remember?”

“I remember. What about Lu Xiaohe…”

“She won’t make any mistakes.”

Yin Ren stretched lazily on his lover’s stomach.

“I trust her.”

……

“Two members’ equipment from Unit 9 went offline. Lu Xiaohe from Unit 9 didn’t submit a report, and it was only discovered during the headquarters inspection.”

Xiang Jiang slammed the report on Li Nian’s desk.

“They were just investigating a minor corruption source, and Unit 9 ended up like this? The rear commander knew but didn’t report it?”

Li Nian unscrewed the thermos, took a few sips, and said with no discernible emotion, “I didn’t realize you cared so much.”

“Ge Tingting and Huang Jin are both black seals, theoretically under my command. I am responsible for their situation.” Xiang Jiang’s face grew stern. “This is the first mission of Unit 9 as a B-level investigation team, so naturally, I have to keep an eye on them. It’s almost the end of the year. Do you want the accident rate to increase again?”

Li Nian averted his gaze while his tone remained unchanged. “If Lu Xiaohe didn’t report, then Unit 9 may have their own plans. That’s just their style. The regulations allow a tacit approval period of twenty-four hours, so let’s stick to that.”

Xiang Jiang: “…It’s not just a simple disappearance of the signal! The magical markings on their phones were all deactivated. Even evil spirits couldn’t erase them so cleanly.”

Behind him, Xiang Hai exhaled with a bloody ghostly aura.

“What? The magical markings were deactivated?”

Li Nian stopped his tea-drinking motion, and his brow furrowed slightly.

He quickly scrolled the mouse and pulled up today’s report from Unit 9, quickly reading it. Xiang Jiang crossed his arms as his gaze followed the movement of Li Nian’s mouse, occasionally turning towards Professor Li’s face.

“Indeed, something seems off. Lu Xiaohe’s report to me is a mess.”

Several minutes passed, and Li Nian finished reading the report carefully.

“Alright, I’ll contact Lu Xiaohe and ask Fu Xingchuan to go to the school.”

“Fu Xingchuan? Theoretically, I’m your partner. Why can’t I go?” Xiang Jiang sneered. “Ge Tingting and Huang Jin are just involved employees, not important at all. If Fu Xingchuan goes, who knows what conclusions he might draw… He’s more skilled than anyone when it comes to sacrificing minor characters for the greater good.”

“He’s like half your teacher, so watch your tone.”

Li Nian’s expression turned cold.

“Consultant Fu is powerful and convenient to mobilize, so that’s why he should go. If you, as the minister, are still so concerned, you can come along. Just remember to submit a report, and I’ll sign it.”

They stared at each other across the office desk for a long time.

Li Nian maintained his poker face as usual, while Xiang Jiang’s usually lifeless features showed a hint of anger, making him appear more alive.

“I’ll provide a detailed investigation request tonight,” Xiang Jiang said, each word deliberate. “After that, I’ll take full command and responsibility for the Haigu Secondary School area. Is that okay, Minister Li?”

“It’s in line with procedures,” Li Nian answered softly.

Xiang Jiang snorted and immediately began filling out the report. Li Nian glanced at him and connected to Lu Xiaohe’s communication channel.

“Where are Ge Tingting and Huang Jin?” Li Nian got straight to the point.

Lu Xiaohe replied, “They went out and are not here.” Her voice sounded cold, with a drawn-out tone at the end.

“Their communication is completely cut off, and the magical markings malfunctioned. It’s the highest level of danger—disappearance… Lu Xiaohe, did you confirm according to the regulations and on time this afternoon?”

“My mother also had the highest level of disappearance.” Lu Xiaohe’s tone was flat. “It hasn’t been twelve hours since those two disappeared.”

“Lu Xiaohe.” There was a hint of warning in Li Nian’s tone.

“Well, they went out and are not here. It’s after work hours now. If there’s something, contact me tomorrow.”

After saying that, she abruptly ended the call.

“…It seems I have to go with you.”

Li Nian tightened his grip on the thermos slowly.

“The situation there seems off. Let’s set up protection in the area and ensure safety before making contact.”

Xiang Jiang raised an eyebrow in response.

“Do you need a specially deployed task force? If not, I’ll arrange it myself.”

Midway through writing the application, Xiang Jiang suddenly asked.

“No, you arrange it.”

……

Early the next morning.

Beeping electronic notifications sounded. Lu Xiaohe had stayed up all night making her eyes sore and dry. She poured the remaining energy drink into her throat.

The devices of Huang Jin and Ge Tingting once again showed a location signal; this time at the water pavilion near the back mountain. Lu Xiaohe wiped her face and looked at the two strange talismans attached to the monitor.

Two peculiar talismans silently adhered to a powered-off monitor. Their vermilion marks were bright, like blood.

Lu Xiaohe weakly smiled, reaching for the communication button. Her movements were shaky, and she accidentally knocked over the stack of beverage cans, which scattered and rolled around with a clattering noise.

“What’s wrong?” Yin Ren’s voice came through, accompanied by chewing sounds.

“The devices of Huang Jin and Ge Tingting suddenly lost their response, and they didn’t come back last night. Their location just appeared near the back mountain. There might be something going on.”

Lu Xiaohe glanced at the label “Shian Public Channel” and cleared her throat as she spoke in an icy tone.

“They didn’t come back? Why didn’t you tell us yesterday?” Yin Ren stopped chewing, and his voice instantly became louder.

“I thought you had arranged it. Are you sure you want to discuss this now?”

“Never mind, how far is the water pavilion near the back mountain from here?” Yin Ren’s voice suddenly turned serious, mixed with just the right amount of urgency. “That girl caused trouble again last night and said she would go to the back mountain in the morning—”

“It’s right at the water pavilion near the back mountain.”

“…We’ll get prepared on our end and go there. You should quickly report the situation.”

“Understood,” Lu Xiaohe responded indifferently.

Finally, she ended the communication, wiped the sweat off her forehead, and looked at the two talismans.

Beside those two talismans stood a movable blackboard, covered in densely written words:

[1. When in contact with others, there will be sudden intense emotional fluctuations within five minutes, lasting for more than 30 minutes. √

2. Emotional fluctuations lead to a large number of negative thoughts about current work. √

3. Negative thoughts specifically involve strong hatred and suspicion towards team members and colleagues. √

All of the above are applicable, and it is highly suspected of being affected by psychic interference. It is best to act according to the affected style and immediately contact the most hated companion privately and explain the situation. Remember, companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]

[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]

These words were repeated over and over, filling every corner of the whiteboard. The handwriting started becoming incredibly messy, resembling a child’s practice, but then those sentences became neater and bolder, indicating that the writer had exerted more force. The subsequent ink faded, and the writing turned into a suspicious reddish-brown blood color.

“This is the first time I’ve been affected… It feels like hell.”

Lu Xiaohe extended her bandaged right index finger, tore open a packet of bread, and took a fierce bite. She glanced at the task assigned to Shian on the public channel, then opened a can of energy drink.

“A fragile mental state really isn’t suitable for staying up all night.”

She swallowed the soft bread and couldn’t help but close her eyes. The image from yesterday at noon seemed to still be before her eyes—

After communication from the hospital was cut off, Lu Xiaohe’s heart sank into an abyss. She quickly skimmed through the janitor’s information and closed the page, but the intense hatred toward Yin Ren was like a potent poison, constantly corroding her nerves.

Pain and worry filled her mind. She didn’t want to do anything, didn’t want…to be affected.

Her current state absolutely couldn’t be affected.

Lu Xiaohe gritted her teeth and struggled to stand up, picking up the pen next to the whiteboard.

She almost squeezed out all of her rationality before she could summarize the current situation. During the writing process, the surging rejection seemed to grip her brain, forcing her to abandon writing and immerse herself in the worry for her loved ones.

[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]

But Zhang Hejun’s description of the characteristics was so accurate…

[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than strangers.]

However, Yin Ren’s attention wasn’t currently focused on exploring the Other Side, which was also a fact. The promise to save her mother was merely a verbal agreement…

[Companions around you are always more trustworthy than…]

She wrote it countless times until the ink of the marker ran out. Lu Xiaohe tightly grasped the pen, gasping for breath. Sweat covered her whole body, making her look as if she had just crawled out of water.

She bit her fingertip hard, using the pain to forcefully write the last word.

[Trust.]

The entire whiteboard was filled with words. Lu Xiaohe pressed the communication device with trembling hands. Just as she was about to speak, she saw the mark of “Shian Public Channel” and swallowed the unspoken words.

“Yin Ren, come to the base. Your signature is needed for the incident involving the puppet being poisoned.” Lu Xiaohe suppressed the trembling in her voice and spoke with a flat tone.

On the screen, she opened the janitor’s information again and forced herself to read it repeatedly.

“A signature?”

Not long after, Yin Ren swiftly returned to the base. He deliberately displayed his figure, hovering in the air without any proper form.

“I’m here. Where are the documents? I need to sign them quickly and go…”

Before he could finish speaking, the young Yin Ren’s red eyes suddenly turned, locking onto Lu Xiaohe.

“It’s rare to see killing intent in you.” Lord Ghost King floated in front of Lu Xiaohe. His previously relaxed tone vanished.

Before Lu Xiaohe could reply, Yin Ren directly pressed his hand against her forehead. Seeing the real person suddenly appear in front of her, hatred surged within her, and Lu Xiaohe instinctively wanted to dodge. However, under the strength of that hand, her feet felt as heavy as a thousand kilograms, and she became like a stone sculpture, unable to even move her fingers.

Yin Ren muttered an obscure and unintelligible spell in a low voice, and a warm white light gradually lit up around them, as gentle as the morning sun.

In the next moment, Lu Xiaohe felt as if she had stepped from a stuffy and foul-smelling room to the outdoors. A cool breeze blew, and the hatred and pain instantly dissipated. Her drowsy mind became much clearer in an instant.

Those poisonous emotions seemed to be separated by a thick barrier. They could still touch her heart, but they could no longer interfere with her thoughts.

“…A thousand years ago, your current state would be the standard ‘losing control’ state, the kind that can be fatal.”

After the spell was completed, Yin Ren didn’t show a relieved expression. He leaned closer to Lu Xiaohe’s face, gently sniffing the air around her. His voice became more serious.

“But there are no traces of magic nearby. The technique was too clean. Lu Xiaohe, tell me everything about who you just interacted with, what they said, and what they did. Don’t leave out a single word.”

Lu Xiaohe took a long sigh and opened the refrigerator, taking out two bottles of chilled drinks and casually tossing one to Yin Ren.

“Coincidentally, I was planning to do that.”

Lu Xiaohe pressed the cold drink against her temple, still feeling a lingering fear.

“Oh, right. Remember to contact Ge Tingting and Huang Jin later. I don’t dare to use the public channel, in case it alerts the enemy…”

“I saw them just now. They were heading towards the cafeteria. Don’t worry, I guarantee that I can stop them before they leave the cafeteria.”

Yin Ren stood in front of her, instantly transforming back into an adult appearance. His long black hair flowed like water, and his oversized school uniform transformed into a dark red robe. The once Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi had a solemn expression on his face as he moved his hands intentionally or unintentionally, as if performing finger gestures.

“Now you can speak. Remember, don’t leave out any details.”

……

Another round of beeping sounded, interrupting Lu Xiaohe’s hasty recollection. She leaned back in her chair—

The marker representing Yin Ren had moved to the water pavilion near the back mountain, in close proximity to the markers representing Ge Tingting and Huang Jin. Although she couldn’t be detected, that girl named Luo Chunlei was most likely also at the scene.

“It’s time.”

Lu Xiaohe clenched her fists tightly and then slowly released them. She took a deep breath and sent out the drones. They would patrol around the back mountains and capture any changes, then present their data in front of her.

“Make sure to win, all four of you.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 199: Joy

Before Yin Ren’s mind could react, his body rushed to Zhong Chengshuo’s location.

Zhong Chengshuo, with great effort, supported himself on the desk, and his face was pale like a dead person.

His chin was covered in black-red blood, and even blood was seeping from the corners of his eyes. Combined with his youthful face, he looked fragile, like a snowflake tinged with the reflection of firelight. It was evident that Zhong Chengshuo wanted to try to wipe it away, but his slender fingers were stained with speckled bloodstains. After a few seconds, he vomited a mouthful of blood and then collapsed onto the chair.

The school uniform he wore emitted a horrifying sweet and bloody scent, and the table was covered in crimson marks.

The students’ faces turned pale, and they scattered to the front half of the classroom in a panic. Their voices were filled with confusion and discussion. Several students clutched their throats against the wall, directly vomiting onto the classroom floor.

As Yin Ren looked at Zhong Chengshuo, who was covered in blood, his thoughts paused for two seconds.

The bloody scene of Mr. Qiu’s attack on that day crashed into his memory, and he could barely contain his breath.

Fortunately, Zhong Chengshuo pretended to groan and moan earnestly, showing some confidence and a rather… incomplete emotional state. As soon as Yin Ren appeared, this person’s gaze seemed to have found a target and firmly locked onto Yin Ren.

Yin Ren: “…”

Given Zhong Chengshuo’s actual abilities, pretending to have a stomach ache was out of the question. To be able to vomit so much blood in one breath, he must have eaten something he shouldn’t have.

In a daze, he seemed to have returned to a thousand years ago—when he first met that messy-looking rabbit that had no understanding of the purpose of a “mouth”. The former black rabbit used to chew on stones in front of him and even attempt to swallow the gravel.

The current Comrade Xiao Zhong was no longer in the age of indiscriminate chewing and didn’t have a greedy and ignorant character. Yin Ren gradually calmed his breathing and nodded at Zhong Chengshuo. Only then did Zhong Chengshuo retract his gaze and continue to pretend to be in distress.

Yin Ren made an effort not to look at the puddle of blood that stung his eyes. He floated back behind Zhong Chengshuo and embraced his neck. The scent of blood wafted over, and Zhong Chengshuo’s skin felt cold, with a layer of sweat.

There was a sealed bottle of mineral water on the table, which Zhong Chengshuo usually carried with him, but he had only taken a few sips. On the other side, there was a 300ml small bottle of fruit juice soda, with the cap missing and only a layer of orange-yellow liquid at the bottom.

Looking around, almost every student’s desk had a small bottle of soda, most of which had been opened and partially consumed.

Yin Ren released his hold on Zhong Chengshuo and leaned in to sniff the mouth of the bottle. Amidst the strong scent of oranges, there was a hint of a strange medicinal odor. There was no evil qi or force present, indicating that it was definitely a human-made poison.

“What’s going on? What’s going on?” The homeroom teacher arrived late, followed by the school doctor.

“It’s my fault!” Luo Chunlei tried to squeeze herself out from the mess of students. Her eyes were red and swollen.

“Teacher, I’ve been absent for too long. I missed everyone, so I ordered a case of soda… It was bought from the small shop outside the school, and the owner helped with the delivery!”

She forcefully sniffled and lowered her voice.

“I… I thought of sharing it with everyone during the break, but then Zhang San just finished drinking it and started vomiting blood…”

Meanwhile, Zhong Chengshuo, in cooperation, let out a low groan.

“You, you, and you. I know you’re carrying phones. Hand them over.” The male teacher glanced at Luo Chunlei and pursed his lips, pointing at several students. “Don’t blabber to anyone else, remember that.”

“The situation is fine. He’s stable now. No need to call an ambulance.” The school doctor made a preliminary diagnosis. “It might be an injury to the digestive tract. I’ll take him for further examination.”

The homeroom teacher visibly sighed in relief.

“Hand over the bottles you just drank. Hand them over! Luo Chunlei, come to my office. The students on clean up duty will clean up the blood. It’s nothing serious.”

Luo Chunlei: “But Zhang San…”

“Come to my office,” the teacher repeated absentmindedly as he put the bottles in a plastic bag.

Meanwhile, the school doctor helped Zhong Chengshuo up, and Zhong Chengshuo subtly nodded at Yin Ren, secretly pointing at Luo Chunlei. Yin Ren furrowed his brows, unable to take his gaze off Zhong Chengshuo’s blood-stained clothes. Unfortunately, the situation was right in front of him. The righteous Great Celestial Master eventually gestured and followed Luo Chunlei.

It was during the midday break, and there was no one in the teachers’ office.

Luo Chunlei sat on a chair, sobbing pitifully, evoking sympathy. The homeroom teacher threw the confiscated phones on the table and repeatedly examined the soft plastic bottle filled with fruit juice, unable to find any issues on the surface.

“You said you bought them from outside the school?”

“Yes, yes, I bought more than a case according to the number of people. I remember one case was unpacked.” Luo Chunlei appeared truly terrified and at a loss. “I also found two friends to help me pack the bags and distribute them. They can testify for me, teacher! What should we do now? Someone poisoned us. Should we report it to the police?”

“The school regulations prohibit bringing in a large quantity of food from outside.” The homeroom teacher stared at the screen, speaking calmly. “Now that you’ve caused a problem, it damages the school’s reputation. Zhang San seems to be fine, so let’s wait for the results from the school clinic.”

Yin Ren was floating above the two of them. His eyebrows couldn’t help but twitch.

“But poisoning is illegal. We should report it!” Luo Chunlei widened her eyes. Her tone was so innocent that it made one’s teeth ache.

“Report it? Sure, then the school will handle it officially, and you’ll face severe punishment.” The homeroom teacher’s voice became stern. “And when your classmates’ parents start causing a fuss, won’t your classmates’ studies be affected? Won’t the school be impacted because of you?”

He spoke with authority, secretly clenching his fist, causing the veins in his hand to bulge. He was even more nervous than the faux-crying Luo Chunlei. Following the teacher’s arm with his gaze, Yin Ren saw the teacher evaluation application that had been started.

“Zhang Hejun hasn’t recovered yet, and if you make things worse by posting it online, do you know how those people will criticize you? Teacher is doing this for your own good!”

Seeing that Luo Chunlei didn’t respond, the man’s spit flew as he spoke with frustration.

Luo Chunlei’s eyes were red, and another round of tears welled up. “I… I just wanted to treat everyone to soda… I understand now…”

“Let me tell you the truth. Zhang Hejun’s parents are out of town, and her condition doesn’t seem too severe. I will contact your parents. They’ll know what to do. This is an adult matter, so adults will handle it.”

The teacher switched his tone quickly, softening his voice, and handed her a tissue.

“Alright, Teacher knows you didn’t have any malicious intent. When the time comes, apologize to Zhang Hejun and mend your relationship. It’s not a big deal. You can go now.”

“Thank you, teacher,” Luo Chunlei said softly, forcefully sniffling.

Watching this exchange between the old and the young, Yin Ren’s eyes nearly rolled to the sky. If it were in the past, he would have wished to curse both of them.

It was highly likely that Luo Chunlei was the one who poisoned Zhong Chengshuo, and based on the current situation, it wouldn’t reach the police.

But Luo Chunlei was just a middle school student. How could she obtain a mildly poisonous substance within two class periods? Ge Tingting and Huang Jin were guarding outside the school, and ordinary metaphysicians wouldn’t be able to come and go unnoticed by them.

…Using a gap to administer poison was plausible. Could it be the work of the Elemental spreading corruption within the school? Helping a middle school student while causing the death of a Shian staff member. Not to mention that it was completely unnecessary, like using a sledgehammer to kill a chicken.

Creating a renewable source of corruption in the school and indulging in the mischief of children. If the dominant Elemental occupying this place was indeed Mr. Le, what exactly did he want to achieve?

Yin Ren didn’t follow Luo Chunlei anymore. He swiftly flew towards the direction of the school clinic.

……

Zhong Chengshuo lay obediently on the clinic bed, covered with a neatly arranged blanket. He had an IV drip hanging beside him, and the bloodstains on his body had been wiped clean. Now, looking at him, aside from his pale complexion, there didn’t seem to be any major issues on the surface.

When Yin Ren entered the room, Zhong Chengshuo was staring at the medicine dripping down the tubing.

Sitting beside him was a middle-aged male janitor in his forties. Despite having a cheerful appearance, he had two large bags under his eyes, and his breathing was accompanied by wheezing and phlegm sounds. He seemed even weaker than Zhong Chengshuo, who was lying in the hospital bed.

The man held an outdated joke book in his hands, reading it with great concentration. The school doctor wasn’t nearby, so this person was probably here to look after “Zhang San”.

With a rustle, the janitor licked his fingertips and turned the pages of the book gently.

The bottle of water from Zhong Chengshuo’s desk had been brought over. It was still nearly full, and as the sunlight passed through the transparent plastic bottle, it created a radiant spot of light on the wall. As the janitor flipped the pages of the book, the shimmering spot of light moved and swayed like a living creature.

The temperament of this janitor was somewhat peculiar. If one had to describe it, he appeared to be alive, but there was an air of decay in his features. Every movement he made was filled with a heavy sense of depression, making him resemble an elderly person nearing the end of their life.

Yin Ren carefully investigated but didn’t detect any traces that he was a cultivator.

Nevertheless, Yin Ren instinctively tightened his own aura. He completely ceased his breathing, slowly moving closer to Zhong Chengshuo’s bed.

With his back turned to the janitor, Zhong Chengshuo curled up and mumbled a few words under his breath. He covered his head with the blanket, and Yin Ren cooperatively lowered his body. Shifting his shape had its advantages. With his hands gripping the edge of the bed, he could just see Zhong Chengshuo’s face through the gap in the blanket.

In the shadow beneath the blanket, two black hole-like eyes stared directly at him. Zhong Chengshuo didn’t immediately speak. Instead, it seemed as though he wanted to caress Yin Ren with his gaze, examining him for a while.

[I didn’t drink the soda. Luo Chunlei had opened the bottle she gave me in advance.] After a moment, Zhong Chengshuo silently mouthed the words. [While Luo Chunlei wasn’t paying attention, I poured the drink into my bag.]

Yin Ren was momentarily speechless.

…Thank you waterproof backpack specially provided by Shian. It probably didn’t anticipate that the first thing it would be protecting against wasn’t an external invasion, but an internal crisis.

[And then?] Yin Ren blinked. Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t the type to passively wait for his demise. There must be a next step in his plan.

[Initially, I planned to pretend to feel unwell and see how Luo Chunlei would react. But my body really had a problem… Before I started vomiting blood, I only drank my own water. That bottle of water was the one I took from the Shian’s temporary base. It was sealed and had never left my sight today.]

Yin Ren suddenly turned his head and looked at the crystal-clear mineral water bottle on the bedside.

Zhong Chengshuo deliberately unscrewed the cap, and the water vapor carried a slightly bitter taste, no different from other mineral waters. It didn’t emit any evil qi, and no matter how he looked at it, it was just a bottle of ordinary water.

Yin Ren glanced at the janitor, and a black hair strand silently infiltrated the bottle cap, gently dipping into the water.

It was cool and slightly sweet, tasting completely normal.

Before Yin Ren could furrow his brows, a corrosive pain suddenly surged from the tip of his hair. It felt as though his hair had been immersed in strong acid, and all his nerves were screaming in agony simultaneously. The Evil Force in his hair was forcibly destroyed as if it was being dismembered.

Such a potent poison… but it couldn’t kill him.

Yin Ren didn’t sever the hair strand. He endured the pain and continued analyzing the toxicity of the water. Under the intense pain, Yin Ren almost couldn’t suppress his aura, and his hands gripping the edge of the bed clenched into fists. Zhong Chengshuo swiftly reached out and placed his warm palm on the back of Yin Ren’s hand.

Yin Ren pressed his cheek against the back of Zhong Chengshuo’s hand, regulating his breath for a while.

He had witnessed this ability to destroy evil before. In the abandoned amusement park, Mr. Qiu had used a gun to shatter Bai Yongji’s contaminated coin.

Undoubtedly, it was the ability of an advanced Elemental, one that Yin Ren himself hadn’t mastered. The current Primordial Elemental didn’t employ sniper tactics, but its ability wasn’t inferior to Mr. Qiu’s.

Yin Ren could taste that the toxin contained a powerful biological poison combined with specially treated Evil Force.

If the person who drank this bottle of water were Yin Ren himself, they would undoubtedly suffer a gruesome and agonizing death. Zhong Chengshuo was partially immunized against the Evil Force, but he still reacted to the biological poison.

…No, if Zhong Chengshuo was just an ordinary human, this toxin should have killed him.

What was worse was that the toxin had been handled very discreetly. Even if Yin Ren had been present at the time, he would have only watched as Zhong Chengshuo drank the water.

Despite knowing Zhong Chengshuo’s identity, a chill ran down Yin Ren’s spine. One of his hands discreetly slipped under the blanket and gently touched Zhong Chengshuo’s cheek.

[When we go back, I’ll give you some Evil Force to speed up your recovery.] Yin Ren forcefully suppressed his anger and silently responded. [The situation here is dangerous. I’ll inform Shian.]

Zhong Chengshuo closed his eyes and lightly leaned his head towards that hand. The familiar sense of rejection danced between their skins, giving a strangely comforting feeling.

“Hehe.”

With a rustle, the janitor turned to the next page of the joke book. Perhaps he found something amusing because he chuckled to himself twice.

Yin Ren retracted his hand, and Zhong Chengshuo followed suit by slipping out of the blanket. In the brilliant afternoon sunlight, the young Zhong Chengshuo pointed to his dry and wrinkled lips. Yin Ren thought that he was about to say something and instinctively leaned closer.

Taking advantage of the movement of turning over, Zhong Chengshuo subtly adjusted his posture, and his lips brushed against Yin Ren’s nose.

[See you in the afternoon.] Zhong Chengshuo solemnly wagged his finger, forming the final gesture with his mouth.

Yin Ren touched his nose, and the inner fury in his heart immediately dissipated by a third. A surge of heat spread like sparks from his nose, crackling and rushing towards his ears, igniting a faint burning sensation. Perhaps they burned away his resentment, as his mind became clear as snow.

After leaving the ward, the strange sour-sweet sensation quickly dissipated, and Yin Ren directly contacted the base—

“There’s a high possibility that there’s a large Primordial Elemental hiding in the school. Be careful, and don’t let Ge Tingting and Huang Jin separate. Keep a close eye on Luo Chunlei’s home. Oh, right, is Zhang Hejun still recovering in the hospital? Don’t let her come to school.”

“Is it that serious?” Lu Xiaohe sounded somewhat surprised. “If it’s just corruption, regular Elementals can do it too, right?”

After all, Evil Force was akin to the flesh of a Primordial Elemental. As for whether it came from a mosquito’s leg or a dead elephant, no one could tell. Having a large Elemental guard this place… compared to Mr. Qiu, who started a massacre as soon as he made a move, this seemed too small-scale.

“I’m very certain.” Yin Ren emphasized his tone. “My, cough, flesh puppet almost got damaged.”

“The poisoning of ‘Zhang San’ wasn’t intentional on your part?” Lu Xiaohe actually stopped typing this time and took a breath. “I thought you deliberately arranged it—”

“No, that was a deliberate attack. Report it to Li Nian and Fu Xingchuan on your end and have them prepare emergency plans near the school.”

Lu Xiaohe calmly agreed. “Mm, since the motives of the other side are unclear, it’s better to be cautious. That’s all for now, I received a message from the hospital. I’ll go and take a look.”

“Wait, help me investigate someone.” Yin Ren stopped her. “A janitor in the middle school department, around forty years old, with a gloomy appearance despite having Maitreya-like features. Look into this person’s background.”

“Okay.”

Just as Lu Xiaohe hung up the call with Yin Ren, she hurriedly answered a video call on WeChat—it was a video request from Sun Qi’an, and she had ignored it for quite a while.

Confirming the encryption of the connection, Lu Xiaohe turned off the camera and then accepted the call.

In the video, Sun Qi’an was pushing Zhang Hejun in a wheelchair, basking in the sun in the hospital courtyard.

“Hey, Xiao Lu.” Sun Qi’an waved at the camera and smiled softly. “Sorry to bother you, but Hejun wants to talk to you… I don’t really understand your work, so why don’t you two have a chat?”

“I’m a bit busy right now…” Lu Xiaohe was about to refuse when her vision suddenly shook violently. Before she could react, the phone was already in Zhang Hejun’s hands.

“Are you Lu Xiaohe Jie?”

Zhang Hejun’s voice carried an indescribable sense of fear. Before Lu Xiaohe could speak, she started speaking rapidly.

“I… I took a nap at noon and dreamt of a very thin aunt. She was crying and shouting for ‘Lu Xiaohe’. I thought it was a nightmare, but then Sun Jie mentioned that she actually has a friend named ‘Lu Xiaohe’.”

Lu Xiaohe’s heart skipped a beat, and she reflexively covered her mouth. It took her a moment to regain her calm tone. “Hejun, can you describe the appearance of that aunt in detail?”

“She had short hair and was very thin. She was barefoot and wearing grass-green checkered pajamas… Oh, right, her eyebrows were particularly light, and there was a red mole below her right eyebrow.”

Lu Xiaohe closed her eyes.

That was her mother, He Huan.

Her mother disappeared while wearing grass-green checkered pajamas. Her mother had a particular fondness for green, and Lu Xiaohe had given her that set of pajamas as a birthday gift last year.

The hand holding the phone turned cold, and the sound of blood flowing through her ears became exceptionally noisy. Her heartbeat pounded against her eardrums. Zhang Hejun’s voice was light and soft, like warm feathers, but every word she uttered intensified the dizziness in Lu Xiaohe’s head.

“She was crawling on the ground, crying and screaming non-stop, looking particularly distressed… Xiaohe Jie, do you know her?”

“I know her. I know her,” Lu Xiaohe murmured, lifting her eyes to the flickering screen in front of her.

“Who is she?” Zhang Hejun asked. Even Sun Qi’an leaned closer, and their eyes were fixed on Lu Xiaohe.

Two gentle and melodious voices merged together—

“Lu Xiaohe, who is she?”

With a click, Lu Xiaohe failed to hold onto the phone, and it fell onto the table. The video call was still connected, although Lu Xiaohe’s face wasn’t visible. However, those two gazes seemed to pierce through the radio waves, stabbing into the depths of Lu Xiaohe’s heart.

The two people in the video seemed frozen in the frame. In the clear sunlight, they wore smiles, motionless, waiting for Lu Xiaohe’s answer.

“…Who is she?” they repeated.

Lu Xiaohe stared blankly at her own hand.

Zhang Hejun was pitiable, and Luo Chunlei was detestable. But in the end, it was just a conflict between children that shouldn’t escalate to a matter of life and death. The atmosphere at Haigu Secondary School was strange, but it was also governed by the 1,000-year-old Great Celestial Master Yin Ren. Whether she was there or not wouldn’t make much of a difference.

She came to Shian to take a risk and earn money for her mother’s medical expenses… But now her mother was in so much pain, what was she doing? Even if Shian could open the passage to the Other Side, what could she do?

She couldn’t do anything at all. She was just a joke.

“…She is my mother,” Lu Xiaohe murmured in response.

“Oh, I see.” Sun Qi’an approached the camera to the point where her face almost stuck to the camera. The brilliant sunlight was blocked behind her, leaving only a dark, meat-brown color in the frame, along with an unmoving pair of eyes.

“Sorry, it was just a dream. Maybe this child had seen Auntie somewhere before.” Sun Qi’an spoke softly, as if coaxing a child. “Don’t take it to heart.”

Lu Xiaohe didn’t answer.

Dark thoughts, like mold, grew wildly in her mind. They emitted a deadly bitterness that enveloped all her thoughts.

Her mother had been resting inside the house, so Zhang Hejun couldn’t have seen her. The Other Side was to some extent connected to dreams, and what Zhang Hejun saw must have been her mother.

Her mother was suffering. She was left alone in the unknown Other Side, suffering every minute and every second.

Yin Ren had promised to save her mother, but now he was busy playing the Great Celestial Master on campus, showing no intention of researching how to save people from the Other Side… Since that Primordial Elemental hadn’t caused any serious trouble, wouldn’t it be better to focus on rescuing the missing people first? Why create unnecessary complications at such a critical moment?

Worry, anger, disgust, panic… Various emotions surged like a tide, and Lu Xiaohe’s vision darkened. When she realized it, she had already angrily thrown the keyboard and phone onto the ground.

She didn’t know when the video call had been disconnected. Lu Xiaohe slowly touched her cheeks, finding tears streaming down her face.

She wiped her nose with the back of her hand, slumping onto the couch. After a few minutes, she sent a message to Ge Tingting and Huang Jin, then limped back to the computer. With an expressionless face, she pulled up the information on the school janitor.

As she scrolled through the photos, she quickly found a male who matched Yin Ren’s description.

Xin Qule, male, 45 years old, single. He used to be an ordinary office worker until the game company he worked for went bankrupt when he was 38. Unable to find a job after being unemployed, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol and ended up in the hospital. Eventually, he came to Haigu Secondary School to work as a janitor. His background seemed clean, without anything suspicious.

Lu Xiaohe stared at the photo for a while before closing the page.

……

Amidst the autumn leaves, Mr. Janitor carried his outdated joke book and slowly walked back to his office.

His office was an extremely small room that could only fit a single bed and an old desk. The surface of the desk was covered in scratches, with cold food and a plastic-framed desk mirror on top.

The janitor—Mr. Le—dragged the chair and positioned it above the mirror.

However, while his face moved away, his reflection in the mirror remained.

“How’s the situation?” asked the gentle voice.

“It’s similar to your speculation,” Mr. Le said, poking at the cold stir-fried vegetables with his chopsticks.

“A Primordial Elemental has infiltrated Shian and is currently opposing us.” His voice carried subtle fatigue. “Being able to withstand my poison, it should be a cub that’s a descendant of ‘him’. When ‘he’ disappeared, the new offspring didn’t appear for a long time. It turns out it was born on this side.”

“…Do you regret it?”

The image in the mirror remained silent for a long time, calmly inquiring.

“You are close in age to ‘Sorrow’, and compared to her, you are more influenced by humans. I want to hear your thoughts—if you were to bring this cub back now and raise it carefully, perhaps the ‘Other Side’ could return to its former state.”

“Do you regret it, ‘Joy*’?”

*Clarity: This Elemental is called ‘Joy/Happiness’ (快乐) while the alias he uses, Mr. Le (乐) which means happy (derived from 快乐).

Mr. Le didn’t answer immediately.

“I really like human games. From the early stone-throwing games to the current electronic games, I’m very fond of them.”

After a long silence, Mr. Le suddenly spoke up.

“Do you know, this body used to belong to a game developer. I have earnestly played the games he created. <The Legend of Resurrection>… You should have come across it when you were investigating Unit 9 of Shian.”

The image in the mirror remained silent.

“For humans, ‘escaping death’ is a mystery worth pursuing for thousands of years. The theme of <The Legend of Resurrection> is the same. According to the game, you have to endure countless hardships to successfully clear it.”

Mr. Le showed a nostalgic smile.

“We have all seen the best of the world, haven’t we? Everything now is just a so-called sequel to saving the world… How can there be challengers who, after the sacrifice of their companions, don’t want to continue but instead demand to delete their saved progress?”

“… ” The image in the mirror didn’t answer, only showing a bittersweet smile.

“I understand. You don’t intend to turn back.”

The image continued to speak in a gentle female voice.

“I will contact Luo Chunlei according to the plan for the upcoming task.”

“Go ahead.”

Mr. Le put down his chopsticks and carefully put away the joke book. After tidying up the desk, the image in the mirror returned to normal. Mr. Le made a few gestures to his hair in the mirror, and strands of striking white hair scattered among his black hair.

“I am no longer suitable for this role,” he said softly.

Outside the janitor’s office, on the corridor one level below.

“After Lu Xiaohe warned us, why are you so proactive?”

Huang Jin’s plaintive voice echoed in the corridor.

“You’re investigating so diligently; be careful not to get mistaken for the thief you’re trying to find… Why isn’t there an elevator in this damn building!”

“Maybe you’re getting old. Why don’t you rest here now, and I’ll explore the upper two floors myself,” Ge Tingting coldly spat out the harsh truth.

“Bullshit, I’m still young! And didn’t Lu Jie say we shouldn’t separate?” Huang Jin retorted, gasping for breath. “And she clearly said we should take a break. Do you not understand things selectively?”

“We’ll finish patrolling this building! We can’t give up halfway,” Ge Tingting firmly said. “After the lunch break, we’ll go back.”

Mr. Le tidied his hairstyle and straightened the wrinkled collar of his uniform. He grabbed his thermos filled with sweetened water and opened the door.

He held onto the handrail and descended the steps one by one, coincidentally encountering two young people arguing.

At the sight of Mr. Le, Ge Tingting’s pupils contracted. She politely lowered her head. “Uncle.”

Huang Jin took a few steps forward and stood on the same step as Ge Tingting. He cleared his throat. “What a coincidence, you also… you also…”

Before he could finish his sentence, the thoughts in the janitor’s mind turned into a mosaic in an instant. Huang Jin hadn’t had a chance to warn them when a tremendous feeling of joy engulfed him.

He had never experienced such happiness before.

It was like soaking in warm and sweet pool water, where all worries and troubles transformed into honey coating his throat. All the weight seemed to disappear, and his body felt as light as if only his soul remained. In boundless delight, Huang Jin’s thoughts almost ceased to turn.

He only felt that his previous life was filled with pain, and at this moment, he was truly born in the true sense.

The allure of money, the joy brought by friendship and infatuation… they were nothing but sugar residue in the midst of the current sweetness. Having tasted this flavor, he would willingly die.

Supreme joy, supreme…

Suddenly, that happiness vanished without a trace.

An immensely heavy life struck Huang Jin head-on, and the bitter, sticky memories once again enveloped him. He instantly collapsed to the ground, nearly rolling down the stairs. He wanted to move, but his mind felt numb. In the midst of extreme emotional fluctuations, he was on the verge of losing the strength to breathe.

Huang Jin widened his eyes significantly. In his vision, Ge Tingting also collapsed on the ground, foaming at the mouth while experiencing epileptic-like convulsions.

And that mosaic figure slowly approached, grabbing hold of their collars and dragging them toward the office.

“Human beings are such interesting creatures.”

The words spoken came with a phlegmy tone from the mosaic figure. The voice was low, making it hard to tell if it was speaking to them or muttering to itself.

“Every time you experience happiness, you always seek stronger thrills. Your judgment of happiness is always changing, and I’ve been watching. I thought that your increasing reproduction would be a good thing for me…”

“In the past, you would be happy with simple and straightforward little things, then it became about group identity, and after that, more complicated concepts. Lately, many people have been using various chemicals, attempting to achieve instant gratification…”

Mr. Le opened the cramped office and placed the two individuals against the wall. He panted for a moment, then two gaps opened up. Shian’s communication devices flew out of their pockets and were tossed into the gaps.

Ge Tingting and Huang Jin just stared with wide eyes without moving their fingers, like soulless puppets.

The haggard “janitor” crouched in front of them and let out a long sigh. Mr. Le extended his wrinkled hand and ran it through Ge Tingting’s slightly longer black hair.

“I used to be the ‘priest’ in the group. I was supposed to be the ‘priest’ in the group.”

With unblinking eyes, Ge Tingting watched as Mr. Le sorrowfully lowered his gaze.

“It was you who turned me into the ‘Lord of Curses’ with your own hands. I can’t be blamed for that.”

“Farewell, little girl, young man.”

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Here’s the connection to arc 2. Mr. Le possessed the body of the game developer who worked on <The Legend of Resurrection>, which foreshadows why Zhong Chengshuo represented Death and why Feng Qi saw Yin Ren as Oberskras (the darkness… the offspring of Death).

Ah… These links… so good.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 198: Ambivalence

Luo Chunlei had a good foundation, and her appearance carried a unique youthful innocence. Unfortunately, the person opposite her, “student Zhang San”, not to mention his physique, was already approaching middle age in terms of mentality. Zhong Chengshuo responded with an “mm” and continued to focus on packing his bag, saying, “Go on.”

The tone was as cold and unfamiliar as a textbook stranger.

“In fact, everyone wasn’t this extreme before. I just came back from being ill, and everyone started acting strange, including what happened to Zhang Hejun. The teacher said it was an accident, but I don’t believe it.”

Luo Chunlei blinked her large eyes as she spoke worriedly.

“I’ve been paying attention to you today, and you’re a person with a strong sense of justice. Zhang Hejun is my good friend. Can I join you in finding the culprit?”

After speaking, she put on a determined look, as if she was ready to fight for justice for her friend*.

*Beat the yamen drum to demand justice (击鼓鸣冤) Refers to the old system in ancient China where people would beat the drum to air out their grievances and demand justice.

Zhong Chengshuo said honestly, “But I don’t know you. What if you’re the culprit?”

The determination on Luo Chunlei’s face faltered for a moment but quickly regained its composure. “It’s fine if you don’t believe me. I’ll just find the culprit on my own.”

Yin Ren hissed near Zhong Chengshuo’s ear.

This girl’s acting skills were good; even better than those third-rate melodrama actors he had watched. What was even rarer was that she didn’t show any nervousness or guilt but rather a faint confidence and excitement.

For a child, this level of confidence was a bit peculiar. If he could get close to her, he might be able to further understand the source of her confidence…

“I know Hejun better than you, and I understand this class better than you. Whether you want it or not, I will help you!” Miss Luo Chunlei continued her assault by sending the pillow while he was drowsy*.

*It’s a metaphorical way of saying he’s looking for help, and she just happens to be the help he needs.

“Then, do your best.” Zhong Chengshuo nodded.

Yin Ren: “…” Alright, his attempt to get closer to her failed miserably.

Luo Chunlei: “…”

Luo Chunlei took a deep breath and forced a smile as she continued, “Let’s talk about Wu Cheng. He’s the one who came to find you today. I’ve been suspicious of him for a long time. He’s been running around after school a lot recently, and he even had a big fight with Hejun because Hejun accidentally bumped into his backpack… Believe it or not, I’ve given you a clue!”

With a slight blush on her cheeks, she huffed heavily, grabbed her bag, and ran off.

“Do you want to go to the cafeteria for a snack? I think you’ll like the braised pork here.” Zhong Chengshuo turned to Yin Ren smoothly and shifted the conversation to the next topic. Luo Chunlei deliberately abandoned her poetic teenage sentiments and transformed into a mature adult who had just blown through the door.

“Let’s go eat nearby. Since she handed us a clue, we can’t let her good intentions go to waste.”

Lord Ghost King’s mind was momentarily swayed by the mention of braised pork, but Zhong Chengshuo pointed out that a child who appeared to be eleven years old devouring four to five catties of braised meat would likely become a legend in the cafeteria by tomorrow.

“Well, let’s go to the nearby pork cutlet shop. My classmates used to love it there,” Zhong Chengshuo suggested earnestly, making an effort to recall.

“It’s close by, so we should be able to finish eating before nine.”

“Isn’t it too late to go for a late-night snack now? Wu Cheng might be waiting outside, ready to tail you,” Yin Ren said with a smile.

Wu Cheng had fought with others, collided with Zhong Chengshuo’s table, and repeatedly caused trouble. This time, he was clearly furious. Meanwhile, Luo Chunlei glanced over every now and then, but her gaze wasn’t as simple as “paying attention”. It seemed she was eager to push Wu Cheng into the spotlight, indicating that the two of them had likely reached some kind of agreement.

Perhaps this trickery might deceive children of the same age, but it fell far short for a thousand-year-old Great Celestial Master.

“After we finish our snack, Luo Chunlei should be close to home by then.” Zhong Chengshuo carefully calculated. “You can enjoy your meal, and I can also determine if she has any specific plans.”

“Then I shall reluctantly comply.”

As Yin Ren was about to leave, he hesitated for a moment at the classroom door. Half of the corruption source was left at the school by the students, and as his dark hair brushed past, all the Evil Force of the corruption source was absorbed without a trace.

Hmm, it tastes average.

……

Inside the small fried pork cutlet shop, steam wafted through the air. The freshly cooked pork cutlet was crispy and juicy right out of the pan. It was perfect for this chilly autumn night. With a crisp sound, the tender meat and fat burst of warm juices inside the mouth.

However, Yin Ren found it a bit difficult to eat as he was still in his invisible state. Zhong Chengshuo would symbolically pick up a small piece and discreetly feed it to him, taking advantage of the corner for cover, mouthful by mouthful.

The chopsticks danced over the food. Though this person usually had a cleanliness obsession and stayed away from the greasy table edge, at this moment, he didn’t even frown. Lord Ghost King could have used his hair to discreetly consume the food, but at the moment, it seemed like he had forgotten about that as he took each bite confidently.

At the edge of the frenzied vortex, two non-humans sat in the corner. They were currently both wearing school uniforms and listening to outdated foreign songs. Yin Ren took a bite of the pork cutlet, and Zhong Chengshuo had a mouthful of cabbage slathered in sauce along with mild fish meat, enjoying their meal in a harmonious atmosphere.

Another wave of customers entered the shop, and the music couldn’t drown out the sound of tables and chairs rubbing against each other. Yin Ren scanned the shop with his gaze and indeed spotted Wu Cheng.

That brat deliberately sat in the most conspicuous spot in the shop. Unfortunately, his pocket money was limited, and he only ordered a small bowl of udon noodles. When he looked at the pork cutlet and fish in front of Zhong Chengshuo, his gaze was full of resentment.

Yin Ren shook his head with a sigh. Almost at the same time, Lu Xiaohe’s voice came through his headset.

“Luo Chunlei is on the move again. She said in the anonymous group that she’s going to conduct a ‘textual execution’ livestream. Be cautious and make sure to control the situation in a timely manner.”

“No problem, let me switch to the screen.”

In the next moment, the updates from the group appeared on Dog Thing in real-time. Yin Ren put down his phone and gestured for Zhong Chengshuo to watch together.

[The bitch’s relative is also a bitch. I’ve vomited eighteen times today. That guy really thinks highly of himself. He’s just a hypocrite claiming to be looking for the culprit. It’s laughable.]

Luo Chunlei swiftly posted in the group.

[It sounds so stupid that I can’t stand it. Execution, execution!]

[Is it an inherited disease? www so severe http://www.]

Luo Chunlei: [Definitely knocking him off his moral high ground. Tonight is the second episode of <Eliminating Evil for the People>~]”

[How are you going to deal with the new transfer student, o’ chivalrous knight?]

[It’s a secret ❤️.] Luo Chunlei responded this way.

Zhong Chengshuo carefully chewed the last strands of cabbage and took a sip of hot tea. “It seems like she did indeed discuss it with Wu Cheng.”

“Shall we go?” Yin Ren stretched his muscles contentedly.

Seeing that they had finished eating and were about to pay, Wu Cheng quickly stood up, deliberately making a loud noise. He exaggeratedly slung his backpack on his back and leisurely walked towards the exit of the shop.

“Follow him.” Zhong Chengshuo swiftly settled the bill.

Wu Cheng was twelve years old and had matured early. He had already reached a height of nearly 1.7 meters, making him an easy target to spot. In the illusion, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were both around 1.5 meters tall, so they followed him without much concealment, gradually deviating from his path as they walked behind him.

Wu Cheng led them to an old and abandoned workshop in the old town area.

It was a deserted five-story building with a locked door. It was just past nine, and there were few lights in the vicinity, with hardly any people around. Wu Cheng skillfully jumped through a window and entered, immediately illuminating the corridor with a flashlight.

Zhong Chengshuo diligently followed, going deeper into the building with Wu Cheng. The place was damp and decaying, covered in spiderwebs. Mold stains formed patterns in the corners of the walls, buried in shadows like twisted faces crowded together. The actual faces on the posters had lost their color, and their features blurred into a mess.

Several resentful spirits with stretched-out arms and legs, like spiders, lurked behind the broken door, and their dirty hair dangled through the door crack.

“There’s no corruption source here, but there’s enough evil qi nearby. Something might have happened here before. In another three to five years, perhaps a Resentment Basket will form.”

Lord Ghost King savored the delicious pork cutlet while his tone sounded a bit like a museum guide.

“This time, it’s probably just children causing trouble without the involvement of any other forces.”

Zhong Chengshuo nodded. He played his part thoroughly, occasionally using his phone’s flashlight for illumination. The two of them strolled through the building as if they were exploring a haunted house, but poor Wu Cheng was struggling in front of them—

Wu Cheng was breathing heavily; whether to attract attention or bolster his courage, his footsteps were unusually loud. He circled the first floor twice, then tremblingly ascended to the second floor. In less than half a minute, he disappeared into a dark doorway, and his flashlight suddenly went out, making him seem to vanish into thin air.

Zhong Chengshuo: “…His breathing is still quite loud.”

Yin Ren: “Mm, I can hear his heartbeat. That kid is standing close by inside.”

A few strands of hair playfully crawled through the shadows, probing into the doorway, only to find it empty. Yin Ren’s smile faded for a moment, and he tapped his earpiece.

“Xiaohe, Wu Cheng is trying to lead us into the elevator shaft.”

The first floor was over four meters high, and the reserved space at the bottom of the elevator shaft was nearly two meters. Falling from a height of six to seven meters, even if there were no sharp objects at the bottom, breaking a leg would be inevitable.

Lu Xiaohe: “…What do you plan to do? By the way, according to regulations, you should withdraw at this point.”

“I’ll teach him a little lesson.” Yin Ren happily ignored the latter part of the sentence.

“Such behavior is despicable.” Outside the earpiece, Zhong Chengshuo nodded in agreement.

Zhong Chengshuo stretched his joints and walked confidently toward the elevator shaft without hesitation.

There was no longer a door near the elevator shaft; it looked like a slightly larger doorway. The surrounding area was covered in fine gravel, making it a bit slippery to walk on. The elevator buttons were covered in dust, and in the darkness, they almost blended with the walls.

Yin Ren held Zhong Chengshuo’s neck loosely from behind, and Zhong Chengshuo’s steps were extremely steady. When he stepped into that darkness, even his heartbeat remained calm.

As expected, Zhong Chengshuo stepped into empty space with one foot. A feeling of weightlessness instantly engulfed him, and the hair on his skin stood on end.

Just before the fall, Yin Ren caught sight of the hiding Wu Cheng—the boy with a swollen nose was hiding behind a damaged part of the elevator shaft wall, which had a large chunk peeled off, leaving just enough space for a person to stand on.

In an instant, Yin Ren twisted his wrist and threw Dog Thing into the elevator shaft.

The teenage Ghost King’s hair was the first to touch the ground, and his soft wings firmly caught Zhong Chengshuo. The bottom of the elevator shaft was filled with rusty metal debris, and if someone had actually fallen down, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Just as Zhong Chengshuo was about to speak, his lips were pressed shut by Yin Ren’s index finger. Yin Ren cleared his throat and imitated Zhong Chengshuo’s voice, letting out a series of cries.

“Help! Help me! My leg hurts! There’s so much blood!”

Zhong Chengshuo: “……”

Listening to “himself” wailing and sobbing was truly a new experience. He silently held onto the wings, observing the performance of the Great Celestial Master.

“Wu Cheng, are you there? …It was my fault during the day. You don’t need to save me. Just throw down my phone…” Yin Ren hoarsely choked, sounding desperate. “Or you can help me call for a doctor. If this continues, I’ll die, wuwuwu!”

A strand of black hair twisted up the floors, quietly forming an eyeball at the end. In Yin Ren’s vision, Wu Cheng carefully climbed back to the elevator shaft. He didn’t respond to “Zhong San’s” call but silently picked up the phone at the elevator entrance and fiercely slammed it against the ground twice.

The gadget was mercilessly beaten, and its battery plummeted. Within a few minutes, it angrily blacked out.

Once he confirmed that the phone couldn’t be turned on again, Wu Cheng used tissues to pick up the gadget and forcefully threw it down the elevator shaft.

“Idiot!” After completing all this, Wu Cheng covered his nose and shouted, “Serves you right! Serves you right for showing off! Serves you right for following me!”

“Save me…” Zhang San’s voice gradually weakened. “Ah… Ahh…”

“Just wait. I’ll go ahead, and you can stay here and maintain your dignity.” Wu Cheng’s voice trembled a bit. He turned his back, resolutely refusing to look down the elevator shaft.

Yin Ren remained silent, only softly whimpering and sobbing. He also released a bit of evil qi, causing a surging smell of blood to gradually fill the air.

Sweat trickled down Wu Cheng’s forehead as he muttered a few more curses, then walked away. Before leaving, he even remembered to take out a water bottle from his backpack and dilute the footprints on the nearby ground. After completing all this, he finally took out his phone, wiped off the sweat, and sent a message to Luo Chunlei:

[I haven’t finished my math homework yet.]

Immediately after, he left without looking back.

At the same time, Dog Thing laid in the pile of waste for a moment, reluctantly extending its small legs and running back to Yin Ren’s side. Its screen lit up again, and the messages from the anonymous group continued to flicker.

Luo Chunlei: [I calculated it myself; a despicable person will get what they deserve. Mission accomplished.]

[Double kill, awesome!]

[All talk, no action*. The little cockroach is still alive, but brother cockroach can die? I’m right in the city, watching.]

*Loud thunder but little rain (雷声大雨点小) Idiom referring to a situation where there’s a lot of noise and talk but little action or results.

Luo Chunlei ruthlessly countered: [Watch out. Don’t let me find out who you are.]

……

The next day, Zhong Chengshuo was the first to arrive in the classroom and sat in his seat with his homework neatly organized.

Yin Ren chewed on a tea egg in his mouth, casting a skeptical glance around—

Clearly, when he left, he absorbed all the Evil Force corruption, but as the night passed, they sprouted again, even more than before.

“Xiao Ge, Xiao Huang, did anyone approach the school last night?” Yin Ren struggled to swallow his breakfast.

“I didn’t notice anyone,” Huang Jin said bitterly. “Xiao Ge wasn’t feeling well yesterday, and she said her investigations might not be accurate. Remember to check on her at noon; something seems off with her condition.”

“I see. What about your side, Xiaohe?”

“Everything seems normal. There were no suspicious individuals or objects that approached.”

Lu Xiaohe retrieved specific data.

“The reappearance of Evil Force occurred shortly after the end of evening self-study, when there were still hundreds of people on campus. I can only determine one thing—those sources of corruption regained their intensity of Evil Force in an instant. Yin Ren, do you know what this signifies?”

It signified that the one who restored the Evil Force wasn’t human.

Since the sources of corruption weren’t external and couldn’t reproduce on their own, the only remaining possibility was that someone within the school was directly creating the sources of corruption. The divination of the origin of the carriers of corruption that indicated it came “from all directions” could now be explained.

Therefore, Yin Ren brazenly provoked and completely cleared out the corruption on campus.

Unexpectedly, the response from the other side was also… loud. It was as if they couldn’t wait to tell him that this matter involved a powerful entity that was “non-human”, rather than being the work of Sunken Society.

However, Mr. Qiu was hard to catch while Qi Xin was elusive. All the Primordial Elementals were doing their best to conceal themselves, so what was the meaning behind this inexplicable move?

Yin Ren leaned back against the top of Zhong Chengshuo’s head, who was gradually furrowing his brow. “Zhong Ge, let’s return to the Shian temporary base at noon. I have something to discuss with everyone.”

“I also—” Zhong Chengshuo was interrupted by a series of coughs before he could finish the word “also”.

When Wu Cheng entered the classroom with a milk bag in his mouth, he saw Zhang San sitting intact at the desk. Instantly, he choked on the milk and started coughing incessantly.

Following closely behind was Luo Chunlei. Seeing Zhong Chengshuo sitting unharmed, a flash of surprise briefly crossed her face, but the interest in her gaze grew deeper.

“Good morning!” She sweetly smiled at Zhong Chengshuo.

“Good morning,” Zhong Chengshuo politely responded.

“You…no. You…last night…it’s impossible…” Wu Cheng rushed to Zhong Chengshuo’s side, then instinctively took two steps back. He rubbed his bruised, purple nose and looked around in confusion. “Yesterday—yesterday there was such a strong smell of blood…”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying. I’m busy, so please don’t disturb me if there’s nothing else.”

Wu Cheng disregarded the onlookers nearby. His fingers trembled and sweat formed on his forehead. “Where were you last night? Tell me, where were you last night!”

“I grabbed some supper last night, then went home. Nothing special,” Zhong Chengshuo responded while staring at him with his pitch-black eyes. “Is that enough?”

“No, you followed me last night. We… We were eating at the pork cutlet restaurant. I know—I know you followed me…”

“I told you, I went home after eating supper.” Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes remained fixed on Wu Cheng without blinking—when he didn’t display any emotions, his gaze indeed sent chills down one’s spine, and Yin Ren knew it well. “And you were walking ahead of me. I remember it very clearly.”

“No, no, it’s impossible. Last night…last night…you followed…” There was a hint of sobbing in Wu Cheng’s voice. “If it wasn’t you, then…”

Zhong Chengshuo shook his head. “Classmate, it’s time for morning reading. If there’s nothing else, could you please leave me alone?”

He paused for a moment, forcing a somewhat stiff smile.

“I haven’t finished my math homework yet.” Zhong Chengshuo emphasized each word.

Upon hearing the familiar excuse, Wu Cheng swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and a sob escaped his throat. The next second, he rushed out of the classroom without even putting down his school bag, leaving behind a faint odor of urine in the air. The surrounding students looked at each other before chasing after him, howling.

On the other hand, Luo Chunlei remained motionless, with a relaxed expression. She neatly organized her desk and chatted with the girls around her.

……

During the long break, Zhong Chengshuo stood up enthusiastically, ready to continue his “annoy everyone” plan. However, to his surprise, Luo Chunlei, leaving behind her usually well-acquainted female companion, was the first to leave the classroom.

Yin Ren patted Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder, gesturing for him to stay in the classroom, and flew after her alone.

Luo Chunlei skillfully climbed the stairs, heading straight for the top floor of the school. She turned her head, finding no one around, and entered the women’s restroom on the top floor.

Yin Ren: “…”

The Great Celestial Master silently flew to the outer wall and summoned the fierce ghost Hu Tao.

When she was summoned, Hu Tao was still holding a bag of potato chips in her arms. She glanced back and forth between Yin Ren and the women’s restroom a few times with a puzzled look before showing a hint of satisfaction. “Not bad. You still have some principles. Why did you call me?”

“Help me confirm the situation of the girl inside.” Yin Ren pointed to the stall where Luo Chunlei was located. “I can listen to the sounds myself.”

Hu Tao made an OK gesture and dove into the old restroom.

As Yin Ren had expected, this girl didn’t come here for physiological needs. Before long, he heard Luo Chunlei’s whisper.

“The transfer student in our class is not normal. There must be something supernatural about him.” Luo Chunlei’s voice was very low, as if she was talking to someone. “Zhang Hejun’s relative is interesting. He might be from your side, like one of those self-proclaimed Taoist exorcists.”

Immediately, there was complete silence, and Yin Ren couldn’t hear any sound.

“Mm-hmm, I know.” Luo Chunlei, however, seemed to have received some kind of response. “Can I kill him then… since finding classmates is definitely not an option. Even the biggest guy in our class is useless. I thought it was just the girls before, but now even the boys are so cowardly.”

“To be honest, he’s the type of person I dislike the most. I feel uncomfortable just looking at him. I’ll be even happier if he disappears!” she added in a coquettish tone. “I can’t give up. Besides, Zhang Hejun is so stupid, but this person is more challenging, so it’s more fun.”

The following silence grew even longer.

“Huh? Do I really need your help? It’s not fun if adults help… How about I try again, and if it still doesn’t work, then you can help me.” Luo Chunlei’s coquettish tone became a bit eerie.

“Thank you, thank you so much—”

After a while, Luo Chunlei hummed a song as she left the stall. Hu Tao, who had been secretly observing the whole process while holding her potato chips, furrowed her brow as she left the stall.

“It’s very strange.”

Before Yin Ren could ask, Hu Tao spoke first.

“That girl was talking to her own mirror. I saw it. Besides her reflection, there was no one else in the mirror—is she mentally unstable? Talking to herself? Well, she couldn’t see me. I even brought my face right in front of hers, and her eyes didn’t even blink.”

“Thank you for your help.”

Yin Ren casually severed a strand of hair as payment for Hu Tao’s services. After confirming that there was no one else in the restroom, the Great Celestial Master entered with a stern face and circled the area several times, just as Hu Tao had described—he didn’t sense anything out of the ordinary either.

It was a peculiar situation.

Yin Ren descended from the top floor, checking the condition of the corruption on each floor. By the time he returned near the classroom, two classes had ended, and the break was about to be over.

After the next class, it would be lunch break, and he could discuss it with Zhong Chengshuo. Yin Ren floated a bit faster and slipped quietly through the back door crack.

However, before he could float into the room, he heard a scream from inside—

“Find a teacher quickly!”

A sharp female voice shouted.

“Zhang San is in trouble! Find a teacher—!”

---

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