The shirt that Secretary Chen brought wasn’t quite the right size, so Lin Chen rolled up the cuffs. However, he had difficulty moving his hand due to the wound in his palm. Without hesitation, Xing Conglian held his hand and took over.
When Xing Conglian’s rough and calloused fingertips brushed over his wrist, Lin Chen’s fingers trembled slightly.
Xing Conglian chuckled and said softly, “Why so nervous? You took off my clothes so easily earlier, didn’t you?”
In the darkness, Lin Chen could only vaguely see Xing Conglian’s hands, which were steady when holding a gun, carefully rolling up his sleeves. Lin Chen said in a low voice, “Maybe because I prefer to take the initiative.”
Xing Conglian pretended not to hear and took his other hand. After he finished rolling up the sleeve, he suddenly leaned in and kissed the corner of his lips. “From now on, I’ll take the initiative.”
Lin Chen smiled helplessly, feeling more composed. They didn’t have much time alone, so he quickly changed the subject.
“What about Wang Chao?”
Xing Conglian replied, “There was strange interference in the communication system at that time, and Wang Chao stayed at the scene to investigate what happened.”
Lin Chen found it hard to understand. “Interference? The killer is so smart that they can even hack into the police communication system? And was the arrest operation leaked in advance? Otherwise, how could Shen Lian react so quickly and create such chaos in such a short time?”
Xing Conglian shook his head. “I don’t know. We have to wait for Wang Chao’s investigation’s results. However, I think our channel was being monitored, so when we reacted, Shen Lian’s reaction would have been faster than ours.”
Lin Chen’s heart skipped a beat. The swift response process couldn’t be simply explained by being prepared. He continued to ask, “So, do you think Shen Lian really caused the trouble at the barbecue stand?”
“It’s hard to say, but we all know what those Gaomeng people who received drug trials are like. Today’s sudden madness among the barbecue customers is similar to that of those Gaomeng people. And both are involved. Besides Shen Lian, it’s either Duan Yang or us. I can’t think of any other suspicious person for now.”
Lin Chen nodded and quickly asked, “The next question is, how did the poisoned drugs get into the crazed customers?”
“It happened suddenly, and I didn’t think it through at first. But I suddenly realized that when the incident occurred, all the people who went crazy were very close to the barbecue stand… If it wasn’t food, then…”
Lin Chen suddenly realized, “Was it smoke?”
Xing Conglian neither confirmed nor denied it. “We still need to examine the scene to determine, but most of the smoke was blown into the sky. So when you explain it to the media later, you may need to remind nearby residents that if they feel any physical or emotional abnormalities, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible.”
“Let me think about it,” Lin Chen interrupted. “If we hastily notify the public of this news, it could easily cause panic. Human imagination is endless, and we’re not even sure if the problem really lies in the smoke from the barbecue stand. Should we wait for the relevant test results to come out before making a decision?”
Xing Conglian said solemnly, “We may not have time to wait for the test results. Since it may be a new type of drug that we have never seen before, the chemical substance will be difficult for us to detect. It will take a lot of time to determine the exact composition of this drug. If it were that simple, Lu Jia wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble to kidnap Duan Yang to Dana.”
“I understand, but let me think about it.” At this point, Lin Chen suddenly thought of something and said, “You’re right, we may have something else that could be useful.”
“What is it?”
“Since Shen Lian once sent research data on the new drug to Duan Yang, there must be a backup at Duan Yang’s place. Regardless of whether it’s true or false, the original data at that time may help us figure out what Shen Lian is up to.”
Xing Conglian asked, “So where is the original data? After Duan Yang was kidnapped, didn’t Shen Lian go to clear the scene?”
“In fact, I asked Duan Yang to hide his stuff in the beanbag on the second floor of the pet store where he used to work. Hopefully, the owner didn’t just throw it away.”
“I hope not.” Xing Conglian leaned in again and kissed Lin Chen on the forehead, then sighed. “Why are you so clever?”
Lin Chen was stunned. Xing Conglian’s sweet gestures were irresistible, and he could only steady his mind and say, “We still need to find an expert who can understand and analyze these things. Can we ask Mrs. Jiang Chao?”
“I will find someone who is relatively trustworthy. Don’t worry,” Xing Conglian said. “But this won’t help you solve the problem you are about to solve now. The responsibility is on me.”
Xing Conglian was referring to the issue of the swarm of media. Lin Chen frowned. Since Duan Yang’s appearance, all the problems kept piling up and turned into a very complex mess. The death of Professor Duan was more like a sharp sword, directly cutting through the tangle and leading them to the culprit. Unfortunately, they missed the best opportunity to catch Shen Lian during this process. Lin Chen could understand why Xing Conglian was so rarely frustrated and even self-blaming. He patted Xing Conglian’s shoulder and said seriously, “I’m not saying this just because I love you, but I think your judgment from beginning to end was correct. Shen Lian is extremely dangerous, and we must arrest her as soon as possible without hesitation. If there were problems during the arrest, that’s unpredictable…”
Xing Conglian lifted his head slightly and looked at him. ” Consultant Lin, what you’re actually saying is you’re blinded by love and think that I’m always right. That would make me even happier, really.”
Lin Chen felt that his worry just now about Xing Conglian being under too much pressure was a bit unfounded. But he couldn’t help but hug Xing Conglian again for what he had just said. “So, I’ve decided not to solve the problem you mentioned for the time being,” Lin Chen said.
“What do you mean?” Xing Conglian asked bluntly.
Lin Chen said, “I have decided not to disclose any information about Shen Lian to the media, pretending that we have not identified the suspect.”
“Why?” asked Xing Conglian straightforwardly.
“Because we don’t know what Shen Lian is up to,” Lin Chen said calmly, though he felt increasingly uneasy. “She used Duan Yang to set up a chain of false evidence against Professor Duan Wanshan, assassinate Tan Kang, and falsify Professor Duan’s DNA and fingerprints. While these actions might have been motivated by personal grievances, listening in on the police radio, poisoning people in a crowded market, and endangering public health have turned this into a highly complex social event. Assuming that Shen Lian was powerful enough to set up all these schemes in advance, it means that she was fully aware that the police would eventually find out and was prepared to escape while throwing us off her trail. Her modus operandi reflects her inner state; if she was behind the barbecue stall incident, it means she has a deep-seated hatred for society and is ruthless. Therefore, she is extremely dangerous.”
“If Shen Lian is so dangerous, shouldn’t we make the public aware of how dangerous she is and warn everyone to be on guard?” Xing Conglian asked.
“I believe that the public’s right to know is a delicate matter,” Lin Chen said seriously. “Everyone claims that they have the right to know the truth, but that doesn’t mean we have to report every step we take to the public. The key is that even we, the police, don’t know what’s going on. How can we explain it to the public? In uncertain situations, we must weigh the pros and cons. Let’s analyze the benefits of telling the public the name of the suspect, Shen Lian. First, we have a target to alleviate the pressure, and everyone will focus on Shen Lian rather than the police. Second, we can use the usual tactic of swarming people, drowning Shen Lian in the sea of the masses, and exposing her whereabouts. Does that make sense?”
“It can be said so,” Xing Conglian said.
Lin Chen nodded and asked, “We don’t need to release pressure, but what about the latter? Shen Lian not only managed to assassinate Tan Kang under the surveillance of the amusement park but also evaded police surveillance. It shows that her counter-detection ability is not only advanced but also sophisticated. I’m afraid that even using the usual tactic of swarming people, we can’t find Shen Lian in a short time. Moreover, if we make her feel tremendous pressure, she may suddenly use the toxic drugs in her possession to create a greater public safety event. What should we do?” Lin Chen paused, stood up, opened the curtain covering the hospital bed, and turned to Xing Conglian. “I remember that you used code names during the arrest operation, right? Therefore, we probably never explicitly mentioned the name ‘Shen Lian’ from beginning to end, did we?”
Xing Conglian was silent for a moment and then said, “As far as I remember, that’s right. We never mentioned ‘Shen Lian’ specifically from start to finish, but Lao Zhang whispered ‘Shen Lian’ to me in the police car. He turned off the microphone and spoke softly, so it’s unlikely that it was transmitted from my microphone.”
Lin Chen said, “Since that’s the case, I think we should hold off for now. First, we need to try and deceive Shen Lian, making her doubt that the police aren’t targeting her as the suspect. If we can’t do that, I need to see what Shen Lian is planning to do next.”
“You’re gambling!” Xing Conglian’s voice rose slightly.
“Psychologists are all game masters.” Lin Chen pulled Xing Conglian up from the bed. “If the enemy doesn’t move, I won’t move. Even if she does move, I can choose not to. Trust me. Otherwise, how could I have won you over?”
Lin Chen attempted to evade the issue with his last sentence, but Xing Conglian suddenly realized the problem. “Wait a minute, don’t think I don’t know that by choosing not to disclose information about Shen Lian, you’re taking responsibility for any problems that arise.”
Lin Chen looked at Xing Conglian in confusion. “What responsibility do I have? Don’t you have my back?”
Xing Conglian was at a loss for words.
Lin Chen continued, “So, during the time we can barely deceive Shen Lian, we need to first analyze the specific composition of this new drug or poison, and secondly, quickly track down Shen Lian’s whereabouts.”
“I understand, Consultant Lin,” Xing Conglian said helplessly.
“Then that’s settled…” While speaking, Lin Chen was about to leave the hospital bed to open the door, but Xing Conglian grabbed his wrist.
Lin Chen’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat. He thought it was some kind of farewell kiss or something, but Xing Conglian remained silent for a moment before asking in a calm tone, “One last question. Do you think this case has anything to do with the White Sand case? I mean the fruit vendor who went crazy and started attacking people.”
Lin Chen’s heart skipped a beat again. “I don’t understand what you mean. There is no evidence to prove any connection between these two cases. In the White Sand case, the fruit vendor’s body had a clear presence of stimulant ingredients… If you’re not sure, we can also compare the test results from back then.”
“I’m not unsure,” Xing Conglian said. “What I mean is, they’re both incidents of going crazy, and they both happened in Hongjing. If a journalist asks about Feng Peilin, how will you answer?”
*Problem-solving principle that recommends searching for explanations constructed with the smallest possible elements. It advocates that when presented with competing hypotheses about the same prediction, one should prefer the one that requires the fewest assumptions, and that this is not meant to be a way of choosing between hypotheses that make different predictions. || In this context, he’s basically saying, even if the White Sand case is related, he’s treating them as if they are not, as he’s choosing the path with the least number of variables. It will make the current case less complicated and easier to solve (in a sense).
“If there are no necessary entities, do not increase them?” Xing Conglian paused. “Philosophy can be more convincing than your psychology.”
In the depths of Otowa Yasuhiko’s character, there was a nearly obsessive admiration for strength. The reason he fell into madness was also because of his yearning and pursuit of great power. Long Shen’s immense power was the embodiment of his ideal spiritual weapon. In his eyes, Long Shen was like a perfect work of art. He longed to hold it in his arms, to admire and play with it every day. That was why he painstakingly created such a vast enchantment, intending to trap them inside. However, he didn’t expect Long Shen’s power to completely exceed his expectations. The opponent not only severed his surveillance, but also broke through all the barriers and reunited with their companions, forcing him to reveal himself in the end.
Of course, this betrayal also involved Ming Xian.
Otowa Yasuhiko glanced sinisterly at Ming Xian and waved his hand. Ming Xian was thrown out like a puppet with its strings cut, forcefully crashing into the wall. The impact was so strong that even the wall showed a crack.
Tang Jing clenched his fist but didn’t make a move.
Just now, Ming Xian suddenly appeared and volunteered to lead the way, with everyone following behind him. However, when he passed by Long Shen, he suddenly paused for a moment—just a short second—without doing anything. Later, when Ming Xian was leading the way, he paused again at a certain point, which was exactly where Long Shen believed the key point of the barrier was.
Long Shen knew that Ming Xian was giving him a hint, but he didn’t know if this was another deliberate loophole shown by the opponent under Otowa’s control. When his speculation coincided with the other’s hint, Long Shen decided to take a gamble.
And he made the right bet.
At the moment Otowa Yasuhiko appeared, he suddenly understood.
The so-called exit didn’t exist anywhere within this barrier. The only connection the key point had was with Otowa Yasuhiko. Otowa was the key to all the barriers. In other words, only by killing him could everything be completely ended.
This aligned perfectly with Long Shen’s intentions.
They traveled a long way to come here, not only to save people but, more importantly, for Ding Lan, Dong Jilan, and the countless innocent souls who died in the war, for those heroic spirits who still couldn’t find peace. They aimed to reclaim the blood debt from decades ago.
Whether it was Otowa Yasuhiko or Asaka Yasuhiko, they must die!
If the laws of the world were no longer able to pass judgment, then let him take action!
The brilliance of the sword intensified, as if echoing its master’s mood. The sword in Long Shen’s hand buzzed loudly, the movement and noise growing stronger and uncontrollable. It seemed eager to be released and thirsted for the enemy’s blood.
Long Shen’s figure suddenly vanished in place, and the next second, he appeared less than three meters away from Otowa Yasuhiko, with his sword slashing down fiercely!
Otowa Yasuhiko suddenly retreated. His body was ethereal and elusive, appearing and disappearing in the sword light.
The sword strike from Long Shen was incredibly powerful, causing a huge wave of energy that even Wu Bingtian and others felt the killing intent rushing towards them. They had to defend themselves with their swords, but surprisingly, Otowa remained unaffected. His figure almost transformed into a black demonic qi, within which faint white mist was intertwined.
Li Ying focused his gaze and noticed that Otowa also held a weapon in his hand. The sword’s blade resembled a cattail leaf, with a white and golden hilt and a slightly raised tip, appearing strange and peculiar, resembling both a sword and a knife.
“Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi.” He heard Wu Bingtian say beside him.
“Long Shen, I have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Today, I want to see if the Longyuan Sword is stronger than my Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi!”
Otowa laughed loudly, and his demonic qi suddenly rose several feet high, carrying a fierce sword qi, rushing towards Long Shen like an overwhelming force.
The lanterns seemed to be nearby, but in reality, they were outside the barrier. Even though there was flying sand and rolling rocks inside, and a fierce wind blowing, everyone was affected by the tremendous commotion caused by the duel between the two, continuously retreating until they had no choice but to press against the base of the wall. However, the lanterns continued to flicker and sway, completely unaffected.
But the faint dim candlelight was unable to allow everyone to see the battle clearly. Otowa’s demonic qi and Long Shen’s sword light intertwined, forming a massive vortex of airflow around them, roaring and howling, turning the heavens and earth upside down. If it weren’t for the restrictions of the barrier, Li Ying had no doubt that the Atsuta Shrine would already be reduced to ruins.
He didn’t care about the existence of the Atsuta Shrine; he cared about whether Long Shen could win this battle.
Enduring and enduring, Li Ying couldn’t help but say softly, “Boss Wu…”
Wu Bingtian seemed to sense his state of mind and said, “Long Shen possesses the body of a half-immortal. No need to worry.”
Li Ying was momentarily stunned.
In the era of rampant materialism, the chance to become an immortal was rare and unattainable. Even the body of an immortal wasn’t something an ordinary person could easily covet. Li Ying recalled the anecdotes he had heard from his senior mentors and looked at Long Shen with a gaze that carried a few traces of reverential fervor.
Kitaichi Eiko slowly climbed up from the ground. She had lost her own consciousness and awareness, so naturally, she wouldn’t attempt to escape. Her mind was filled only with Otowa’s commands.
And Otowa commanded her to kill everyone present.
She staggered toward the heavily injured Tang Jing, who had fallen to the ground.
Tang Jing was severely wounded. Since the day his spirit took on human form, he had acquired a flesh and blood body. Although he had stronger vitality than ordinary humans due to his original form, that didn’t mean he couldn’t die easily.
But not dying easily didn’t mean he wouldn’t die.
Kitaichi Eiko was getting closer to him. Yu Buhui and the others were on the other side of the barrier, with the battlefield in between, and distant water couldn’t extinguish the nearby fire.
Given Tang Jing’s current condition, he didn’t even need Kitaichi Eiko to make a move. Just an ordinary person with a dagger could inflict a fatal injury on him.
Tang Jing didn’t move.
He was simply too tired.
In his thousand years as an adult, he had seen the most splendid scenery, heard the most beautiful melodies, made friends with the most generous and open-minded people. He had lived in a tent at the border of a desert and a forest, built a cottage on the summit of a snowy mountain to admire the moon. He had ventured into the most dangerous and mysterious underwater caves and soared with the Kunpeng* in the sky.
*Species of mythical magical beasts in Chinese mythology that’s a hybrid between a bird and fish. Peng is a giant bird that transformed from a Kun, a giant fish.
The one thing he had never experienced was falling in love with someone.
But that was before he met Ming Xian.
Once upon a time, he had met a shy and cheerful young man on an airplane. Pointing to the book he had casually bought to pass the time; he claimed it was his own work. Ming Xian, without any embarrassment, instead felt an instant connection and exchanged contact information.
Others might find it hard to imagine that even spirits had their worldly escapades, but Tang Jing was one of them. Perhaps his background destined him to embody the romantic and bold spirit of the Tang Dynasty, an era long lost in the river of history, but always alive in Tang Jing’s heart. He fell in love with Ming Xian like a raging fire sweeping over him.
This relationship enriched his life but also left a scar in his heart that had yet to heal.
He still maintained his carefree attitude, his love for laughter. No one felt that his brief affair with Ming Xian had any impact on him, but only Tang Jing himself knew that he could never go back to how things were before.
Because someone once said to him, “If there’s a next life, I hope we can meet again with a beautiful start, hoping that we can be pure and untainted, without a speck of dirt.”
Every time Tang Jing remembered that sentence, it pierced his heart with pain.
In countless midnight dreams, he would dream that he was still on that airplane, and Ming Xian would point to the novel placed beside him and ask, “I wrote that. Do you want me to sign it for you?” Then, countless times, Tang Jing would eagerly tell him the ins and outs of everything, revealing that he knew Ming Xian’s true identity, hoping that Ming Xian would stop in his tracks and start everything anew. But the dream always ended with Ming Xian suddenly changing his expression and attacking him, or Ming Xian disappearing, leaving Tang Jing abruptly waking up.
It wasn’t until then that he understood that beauty and youth could never stay, and moments and scenes he wanted to preserve could never be retained in this mortal realm.
Tang Jing’s fingers twitched slightly.
He could sense Kitaichi Eiko approaching from behind, but he no longer had the strength to turn around, stand up, and fight back.
However, it wasn’t an expected attack. Instead, the sound of Kitaichi Eiko’s scream reached his ears.
Tang Jing’s heart trembled.
Summoning all his strength, he managed to turn his head slightly and indeed saw a familiar figure just within reach, as close as stretching out his hand.
Tang Jing grabbed the person’s hand.
Ming Xian made no resistance, allowing him to hold on, and his body fell down, with blood spilling onto Tang Jing’s hand.
Tang Jing trembled, never releasing his grip on the hand.
“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll kill you?” Ming Xian smiled.
Tang Jing calmly replied, “You can go ahead and kill me.”
Ming Xian reached out, but instead of killing Tang Jing, he covered his mouth and spat out a glowing bead.
“This is Ding Lan’s residual soul.”
Tang Jing’s expression changed.
Ming Xian coughed a few times, his voice hoarse and weak, as if he had exerted all his effort to speak from his throat.
“When Otowa was refining Ding Lan’s soul, I couldn’t stop him. But I did my best not to absorb the power of his soul, leaving behind this trace, insufficient to resurrect him. However… it can be considered as a remembrance for you, so that you can help him transcend. I’m sorry.”
Upon hearing those last words, Tang Jing finally couldn’t hold back, and tears streamed down his face.
He carefully took Ding Lan’s residual soul and placed it in his embrace.
“Go ahead and kill me,” Ming Xian said.
Tang Jing responded without hesitation, “No!”
“Kill me,” Ming Xian smiled, his face partly calm, partly ferocious.
As he firmly held Tang Jing’s hand, warmth emanated from their grip. However, on the other side of his body, Ming Xian’s hand had turned dark and purplish. Threads of demonic qi flowed from his fingertips, and he had to desperately cling to the ground to prevent himself from losing control.
“At first, Otowa wanted a pure spirit, so he only placed a restriction inside me. But the second time he resurrected me, due to my severe injuries and depleted energy, he infused me with demonic qi. I will eventually become like Kitaichi Eiko. If you don’t kill me now, I fear I won’t be able to control myself.”
Suddenly, Tang Jing spoke, “If I kill you and destroy the demonic qi inside you, will you still survive?”
“I don’t know.” Profound exhaustion emerged from Ming Xian’s brow, and his voice gradually grew faint. Tang Jing tightened his grip on his hand, feeling the other person’s temperature growing colder, as if he was holding onto ice. “Can you take me home?”
“Okay.” Tang Jing’s throat choked, and he forced himself to remain calm.
A half-smile crept up from the corner of Ming Xian’s mouth, while the other half of his face grew increasingly fierce.
“Do it… quickly,” he said.
Tang Jing closed his eyes, no longer hesitating. Suddenly, he made his move, grabbing the other person’s neck.
The force grew stronger and stronger. Ming Xian instinctively struggled, but his remaining consciousness held him back. As Tang Jing’s grip tightened gradually, Ming Xian’s face turned purple, and his breath grew weaker. The other half of his body twitched as if trying to resist but was quickly subdued by Tang Jing. Eventually, Ming Xian’s breathing stopped completely, and the dark aura refused to stay in the body, swiftly dissipating towards Otowa Yasuhiko’s direction. Tang Jing reached out, grabbing and squeezing it, enveloping the dark aura with a white light, completely dissipating it.
As Ming Xian lay on the ground, his form gradually became transparent, eventually transforming into a three-foot-long ancient qin.
The strings were all broken, the body of the qin was damaged to the point of near fracturing, and the decorative patterns on its surface were completely worn away.
This cold and broken ancient qin no longer revealed its original appearance. Even the most skilled restoration expert would consider it severely damaged, beyond repair.
However, Tang Jing carefully cradled it in his hands, treating it as if it were a rare treasure.
“I will take you home.”
……
In the midst of a massive cyclone, the battle between Long Shen and Otowa Yasuhiko continued.
Otowa truly lived up to being an earth demon who had absorbed demonic qi from the ancient stone box. He was far more difficult to deal with than any enemy Long Shen had encountered before. Otowa’s demonic qi and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi complemented each other, almost endless in their supply. As long as the sword was present, the demonic qi could regenerate and circulate seamlessly, leaving Long Shen helpless for a moment.
The demonic qi from the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi surged, constantly emanating from Otowa Yasuhiko’s body, sweeping towards Long Shen. Although it was temporarily blocked by Long Shen’s protective qi, it completely enveloped him, rolling and churning with black demonic qi, obscuring all light. Long Shen looked around with his eyes wide open, as if the heavens and earth were plunged into darkness, unable to see any trace of brightness.
However, it remained at this level. Long Shen remained motionless, seemingly unable to find a breakthrough, and Otowa Yasuhiko couldn’t find a flaw in Long Shen’s defenses, unable to make any further progress.
“Director Long, I have come up with a brilliant idea.”
In the unending stalemate, Long Shen suddenly heard the voice of the other person.
Otowa Yasuhiko’s tone remained unhurried, but Long Shen narrowed his eyes, catching a subtle hint of aging and hoarseness.
It seemed that this confrontation with him wasn’t an easy task for Otowa either.
Otowa was cunning and crafty. If there was an opportunity to kill the other person, Long Shen believed that neither of them would hesitate. But now, trapped in a stalemate, both Otowa and himself needed to find a defensive flaw that would shake the other’s concentration, in order to annihilate the enemy in one fell swoop.
Knowing that Otowa Yasuhiko was trying to find his weaknesses through words, Long Shen remained silent.
But Otowa continued, “Your power is the strongest I’ve ever seen in my life. However, I can tell that you’ve been stagnant for a long time, making no progress at all, right? How about I give you the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi? With its abundant demonic qi, it will help you further advance your cultivation. In this way, the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi can also be fully utilized. What do you think?”
Surrounded by the demonic qi, Long Shen adjusted his breath. Within his protective qi, Otowa couldn’t easily detect his presence or discern his life or death.
However, Otowa didn’t believe that Long Shen had no weaknesses at all. Everyone had desires—some wished for immortality, some for fame and wealth, some to return to the past, and others to resurrect their deceased loved ones. The variety of desires were endless, and as a former human, Otowa understood this well.
Although Long Shen’s true form was a sword, which meant his mentality was more steadfast than an ordinary human, not easily swayed, the previous illusions had revealed to Otowa that Long Shen wasn’t without weaknesses.
“Director Long, your disciple is just an ordinary person. He can’t be immortal like you. Sooner or later, he will grow old and may even change his heart. Mortals are always so fragile and unreliable. Only time, when frozen, can preserve everything. Even with your abilities, you cannot retain his years. However, if he possesses demonic qi, everything will be different. You can infuse him with demonic qi, making him, like you, immortal and eternal. Then, you can keep him by your side until the end of time.”
Otowa thought this idea was perfect. He didn’t actually hate Long Shen and hadn’t thought of killing him. He even admired Long Shen as a perfect weapon spirit. He was just regretful that Long Shen was born in China and had been brainwashed by the Special Administration Bureau or certain individuals, making his thinking rigid. If Long Shen was willing to absorb demonic qi, Otowa wouldn’t hesitate to offer the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi. He would be glad to have another comrade.
“Why haven’t you done the same for the person you love?”
Long Shen finally spoke up, his voice transmitting through the layers of protective qi and demonic qi, sounding slightly distorted but unmistakably his voice.
Otowa thought he had struck a chord, feeling pleased. “It seems Director Long doesn’t understand me. I have lived for hundreds of years and have never loved anyone, including my parents. They were just vessels that bore me. As for wife and children, they were merely tools for procreation! Only this demonic qi you see always exists, full of vitality. If it were human lifespan, I would have long decayed in the ground. But this demonic qi has given me a second life, allowing me to experience the most wonderful flavors of the world, making my body light and powerful. I should have turned into a demon long ago. I only regret not opening that stone box earlier, so the demonic qi could have entered my body decades earlier!”
Long Shen calmly stated, “In that case, you would accumulate even more blood debts. Although you haven’t fully repaid them now, I’m not interested in waiting and then having to dismember you.”
Otowa laughed loudly. “Director Long, I’ve never understood why, even though you’re not human, you would protect their interests more than humans themselves. Have you been brainwashed and turned foolish by them? Don’t forget, you are the Seven-Star Longyuan Sword, born from the hands of Ou Yezi—a divine weapon with countless incarnations. Among them, the Longyuan Sword is undoubtedly the one that Ou Yezi poured the most effort into. There is only one of you in the heavens and the earth, yet you choose to leave behind more powerful forces and instead spend your time on useless matters. I find it pitiful for you!”
“Humanity believes itself to be the superior species, but human hearts never know contentment. In Nanjing, there was a family that took in a penniless beggar on the verge of starving to death. They fed and clothed the beggar, helped him find work to sustain himself. But that beggar, after the Japanese army entered the city, voluntarily led them and was the first to go to the house of his former benefactors. Even I look down on such an ungrateful wretch. When he was reported to me, I had him killed, and his eyes were gouged out to feed the dogs.”
At this point, Otowa sneered. “You see, if it weren’t for these wicked desires that abound, the soil for the birth of demonic qi would be gone. Compared to pure demonic qi, it is human hearts that are the most filthy and dirty. Therefore, it is not demons but humans who should be eliminated!”
Long Shen remained silent.
He couldn’t deny Otowa’s words. Human nature was indeed impure. If we talked about ingratitude, when the Tatar soldiers besieged the city hundreds of years ago, Yu Qian stepped forward in the face of danger, saving an entire city and even the fate of a country. Afterward, he was framed by petty people and beheaded. Who had stopped all of that? The history books casually mentioned “the world’s injustice”, but how could that compare to what Long Shen had witnessed with his own eyes?
“But he has never regretted it,” Long Shen suddenly said.
“Who?” Otowa narrowed his eyes.
“Neither have I,” Long Shen replied.
The light of his sword surged in his hand, breaking through the layers of protective qi and striking the demonic qi, creating a sudden gap!
The darkness trembled violently. Otowa Yasuhiko was taken aback, quickly gripping the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi and thrusting it into the ground. The demonic qi instantly spread from the sword’s edge, billowing in black clouds and raging around, not only enveloping Long Shen but also surrounding Otowa himself, forming a new barrier that blocked the view of Wu Bingtian and the others.
A massive explosion rapidly spread from the center of the battlefield. Wu Bingtian acted quickly, using his remaining hand to grab Li Ying by the collar and drag him away. However, both of them were still knocked down by the residual shockwave, and Wu Bingtian was almost crushed to death by Li Ying’s weight.
“Get off me! You’re crushing me to death!”
Li Ying apologized repeatedly, quickly crawling off his superior. Unexpectedly, another wave of explosions followed. Before he could stand up, the force of the shockwave knocked him down again, and Wu Bingtian, with old wounds not yet healed, suffered new injuries. His face turned even bluer.
Within the vortex of airflow, Long Shen furrowed his brow slightly, feeling a flicker in his heart as if he had caught hold of a certain thread in the enemy’s plan.
“Yasuhiko Asaka, you detest human nature and detest even more the experience of being born as a human. That’s why you destroyed the stone tablet and opened the array, not just because you yearn for the depths of hell, but because you want to completely abandon everything from the past and enter a new world, isn’t that right?”
The demonic qi around them trembled even more violently because of his words. Long Shen quickly turned around, trying to find a breakthrough amidst the turmoil.
“Exactly!” Otowa’s angry voice resounded. “Japan could have achieved victory in the war, but because of the weakness and incompetence of those people, the opportunity was delayed, and in the end, the war reached our homeland! We could have dominated the world, but because of those incompetent fools, we became nothing more than a second-rate country, a lapdog to the United States. If they had listened to me, we would have…”
Long Shen coldly interrupted, “We would have perished long ago.”
Otowa smirked sinisterly and fell silent. But Long Shen could sense that beyond the qi, the demonic qi was overwhelming, rushing in like a tidal wave, roaring and howling, baring its fangs and claws as if it wanted to crush and shatter him before stopping. However, under the tremendous pressure, the enemy’s inner weakness was exposed.
Long Shen released his defenses, and the demonic qi immediately took advantage of the opening, infiltrating in wisps and tendrils. Seeing his slight vulnerability, it advanced further, wrapping around his wrist and swiftly spreading from there to his arm, neck, chin, and finally seeping in through his brow. Long Shen closed his eyes.
If he didn’t enter the tiger den, how could he catch its cubs? His approach undoubtedly carried significant risks, but if he didn’t do this, he feared he would have to contend with Otowa for a long time. He could wait, but Tang Jing and the others couldn’t afford to wait.
In reality, the invasion of the demonic qi wasn’t as painful as he had imagined. He only felt a coolness on his forehead, as if something had started to move within his body, gradually gaining control over his emotions and bringing negative fluctuations.
Whether it was influenced by the demonic qi or not, Long Shen suddenly remembered his cultivation on the peak of a snowy mountain many years ago. The swirling snowflakes were no longer the greatest obstacle. The more difficult part was the endless gusts of wind that felt like knives against his face. If the wind carried snowflakes, his face should have been numb from the cold, yet he could still perceive the pain. Even though his true form was much more resilient than an ordinary human, that didn’t mean he couldn’t feel pain.
The average person couldn’t even stand it for three days, but he stayed there for a whole thirty years. It was an extremely unforgettable experience. In the early stages of his life, his unstable physical body was tempered in the wind and snow, forging an ability that matched his willpower and further strengthening his determination.
Now, the demonic qi flowed through his limbs and bones, resembling the edge between persevering and potentially giving up in the past. He had been honed in various ways, yet his spirit became increasingly clear.
In the past, what supported him to continue was his perseverance in wanting to undergo a transformation. But now…
Now, it was the belief in upholding the righteous path in the mortal world, the life and death of his comrades outside, and the unwavering determination to meet Dong Zhi once again.
A faint flame ignited within his consciousness, but in an instant, it blazed fiercely. The demonic qi lets out a howl, hastening its pace, attempting to escape from this soil that prevented its growth.
The time is now!
Long Shen swiftly took out an object and held it in his palm.
It was given to him by Zong Ling before he left the Special Administration Bureau.
Yi Ning’s program could be described as a stone stirring up a thousand waves.
During the chaos of the Reunion Festival, the residents of the settlements had a relatively clear understanding, while the residents of Y City were mostly confused. All they knew was that the erosion storm had passed, and Y City had started a lockdown, with strange images spreading everywhere. Yi Ning was the first person to bring the crisis to light.
After the public learned that the enemy was synthetic humans, they became much calmer—synthetic humans were a distant concept for the majority of people. The player system had been around for two hundred years and had always been handled by experts, so there was no need to pay excessive attention to it.
However, as the public began to relax, some people became like ants on a hot pan.
“I don’t understand any of this. Yi Ning wants to completely turn against us,” Xia Yufeng said with a worried expression. He knew that Zhu Yanchen was alive, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it, feeling stifled and on the verge of exploding.
Zhu Sheng had a grim face as he fiddled with the head of his cane, remaining silent.
Yi Ning’s request was hard to refuse. At the moment, “Zhu Yanchen” had no urgent tasks to handle. If they declined again, his image would undoubtedly sink to an even lower level. Zhu Sheng had relied on locking down the city to rally the people, but by doing so, he had sacrificed some votes from the peripheral settlements. If Zhu Yanchen’s reputation worsened further, he would be beyond saving.
“We will provide you with dedicated headphones and have researchers feed you lines. The Tang Family’s research capital cannot compare to the command center, so they won’t ask too profound questions.”
However, they all knew that since Yi Ning dared to bring up this matter, he must have countermeasures in place. They could only deal with it as it comes—winning would lead to a turnaround in Zhu Yanchen’s reputation, while losing would undoubtedly make Zhu Yanchen the villain who plundered the hard work of a certain researcher.
In the worst-case scenario, Zhu Yanchen’s knowledge would be proven, and the “fact” of his death would be exposed. In comparison to Zhu Sheng, who had been using his son’s identity as a puppet, Yi Ning, who dared to expose the truth, would undoubtedly be more popular.
What a troublesome situation.
Xia Yufeng returned to his room with his mind still buzzing. But as soon as he opened the door, he bumped into Xia Liang, who was sipping fruit wine.
“…It’s you. There’s dinner on the table, prepared by the housekeeper. I’m here to please Zhu Yanchen.” Xia Liang raised her eyes and waved her hand as if chasing away a fly. “I remember that your tastes are similar to his, so go ahead and eat.”
“Got it.” Xia Yufeng glanced at the exquisite bowl and plate but felt little appetite.
“By the way, help me get a bottle of alcohol, chilled. There are leftover muffins in the fridge if you feel like having those.”
Xia Yufeng understood Xia Liang’s preferences, but he took it as sympathy between two people who had fallen on hard times. He obediently fetched two bottles of alcohol and took out a cold muffin, biting into it slowly. After a few bites, he also opened a bottle of alcohol and downed one-third of it in one gulp.
“Zhu Sheng wants me to go on that program.”
“Mm,” Xia Liang absentmindedly responded.
“You’re not even listening to me,” Xia Yufeng said, downing more than half a bottle of alcohol and exhaling heavily. “If I don’t do well and someone discovers a flaw…”
“If Zhu Yanchen isn’t getting involved, it means it’s unnecessary for him to do so. Just follow Zhu Sheng’s arrangements.” Xia Liang’s voice had a hint of drunkenness. “Anyway, both of us are just following orders. Why think so much?”
“At least you’re safe.” Xia Yufeng’s frustration grew. “All the dirty and tiring work is mine; all the embarrassment is mine. Just follow orders? It’s easy for you to say. Once something goes wrong, do you think Zhu Sheng won’t silence me?”
Xia Liang sneered. “What’s the matter? Didn’t you choose this path when you were ten? Before doing anything, you must ensure your own absolute safety; just look at you now.”
“If I were you, I would just confess on the program—take advantage of Yi Ning praising Zhu Yanchen, hic, and add more bricks to Marshal Zhu’s image as a martyr. Broadcast it to everyone and see if Zhu Sheng dares to touch you. Oh, I forgot, in that case, you would have to sever ties with Zhu Sheng.”
She smiled mischievously at Xia Yufeng for a moment and swirled the ice cubes in her glass. “Ha, you don’t dare. I knew it. I knew you wouldn’t dare, so why complain?”
Xia Yufeng finished the cold muffin slowly, without saying another word. Xia Liang, feeling bored and very drunk, curled up on the sofa and fell asleep.
“Is it wrong to be prudent?”
Xia Yufeng squeezed a piece of the muffin into crumbs, repeatedly kneading it between his fingertips.
“Is it wrong to want to do better? Why do I have to consider right and wrong?”
Xia Liang was asleep, and the room was dim. There was no one to answer him.
Drunk and drowsy, Xia Yufeng sat in Zhu Yanchen’s seat, wanting to throw those maddening documents to the ground but ultimately held back. He slumped weakly in the chair, looking at the only decoration on the table—
A decorative painting embedded in a frame with brilliant fireworks on it.
Unlike Xia Liang, Xia Yufeng spent the whole night awake.
When the program started, the atmosphere in the studio was unusually lively. Recently, Yi Ning and Zhu Yanchen had been absent from many shows, so their joint appearance was rare. With the new election ceremony about to begin, the program team put in a lot of effort, and the studio was prepared to perfection.
Yi Ning wore a neatly pressed uniform. Although he had applied makeup, the dark circles under his eyes were still visible, making him look much more exhausted. Xia Yufeng also played his part as “Zhu Yanchen” with a stern face and a frosty demeanor. The “Marshal Zhu” had bloodshot eyes, clearly having had a sleepless night.
“This kid really resembles you,” Tang Heyu and Zhu Yanchen were resting in the underground factory of the Old Fourth’s place. One old and one young, both covered in grease, with one of them holding a bag of nutritional supplements, and eyes fixed on the holographic screen in the air.
“Xia Yufeng followed me for a while,” Zhu Yanchen said seriously, holding the nutritional supplement in his hands.
They were sitting on various supply boxes, filled with semi-finished products of “Suppression” weapons. With the coordination of the Old Fourth, these supplies were mixed into the allocations for various settlements. Although it wasn’t possible for everyone to have one, it was feasible for a group of ten. Considering that there weren’t many synthetics with strong abilities, this ratio was sufficient in terms of efficiency.
To ensure that the products were in good condition, the old and the young supervised and tested them on-site, going without sleep for nearly three days.
“If you’re tired, you should rest first.”
“Why would I be tired? Don’t look down on your elders. When I was young, during the peak of my research, I only slept for eight hours every five days,” Tang Heyu said, sipping on the extra spicy nutritional supplement and drawing out his words. “But you—ever since you separated from that Shu Jun, have you even slept? Young people are energetic, I understand that, but be careful not to overdo it and harm yourself.”
Zhu Yanchen finished one bag and then took out a pack of fruit-flavored nutritional supplement, opening the packaging. “I’m used to staying up all night for research.”
“Hmph.”
“Don’t you like Shu Jun?”
“Like? Don’t even mention it! Brat, you’re the one who’s done research in that area. Don’t you know what he is? The last time, cough, that guy and I had a brief encounter, my legs turned to jelly. I’ve seen samples of his organization but seeing a living Erosion Swamp that’s evolved to that extent… Tss.”
On the holographic screen, the two Marshals, one real and one fake, exchanged pleasantries. Tang Heyu simply turned his head away and began scolding the younger generation.
“You better think it through. Cooperating with monsters is not a joke—even if Shu Jun appears to be a kind human, once he turns into an Erosion Swamp, he can’t be trusted. Not to mention he was originally a synthetic with animosity towards us… Moreover, the erosion substance has an effect on his brain. He can no longer think with normal human logic.”
Seeing Zhu Yanchen looking peaceful, almost falling asleep, Tang Heyu angrily slapped his thigh.
“I’m not against you cooperating with him, nor am I against you acting on stage. But don’t get too deeply involved. Even someone like me, who thinks the player system is inhumane, finds that thing too dangerous. If something really happens, you’ll be the first to go down! Once this old bone is finished, that’s it for me, so you better hold on.”
“I’ll handle him.” Zhu Yanchen took another sip of the nutritional supplement.
“Love, this damn thing ruins people.” Tang Heyu sighed, pained, and annoyed. “Why can’t you be like your father when you should be?”
“It’s not just that.”
Zhu Yanchen gave a vague answer and then quickly turned his gaze to the screen, unilaterally ending the conversation. Within the holographic screen, the atmosphere gradually grew tense, and the smell of gunpowder seemed to permeate beyond the screen.
Yi Ning first raised several relatively simple questions, asking Xia Yufeng to explain the role of the paper in preventing erosion. Xia Yufeng’s forehead was slightly sweaty, and his speech was slower than usual.
“This level of answer, it must be the researchers from the command center giving him prompts, right?” Tang Lao enthusiastically waved his hand. “Hehe, show me more materials, and I can even guess who’s giving him prompts. This level is almost enough to fool ordinary people.”
Zhu Yanchen made a sound of agreement.
“Too bad you can’t go by yourself. If you could, you would definitely argue circles around him, and your reputation would soar.” After watching for a while, Tang Heyu lost interest. “But if you do that, your old man will definitely recognize you, and it won’t be good for you to continue playing this game.”
With that, Tang Heyu shook his head with regret.
“My survival is tied to Shu Jun. It’s not easy to deceive Zhu Sheng. If we rush things, both the synthetics and the Old Fourth might be exposed. The next plan won’t be able to proceed.”
“I know. I was just saying, don’t take it seriously. We need an external breakthrough, an external breakthrough.”
They discussed for an hour or two, and the situation on the holographic screen entered a state of intense heat.
“Mr. Zhu, I’m curious. Since you have such a comprehensive understanding of erosion and the causes of the synthetic disasters, why did you turn to support the player system?” Yi Ning politely asked.
“In the face of the ongoing disaster, I reconciled with my father in order to help everyone overcome this difficult time. We will provide the new system with a more reasonable design and better protection to ensure that synthetic bodies can’t come into contact with erosion. The changes themselves may cause some pain, but I can guarantee that the new player system will bring greater convenience to everyone.”
“It sounds like you have a quite certain conclusion. I assume you have sufficient evidence. I have a question regarding the recent ‘X City Ruins Phenomenon’ circulating in the city. Did it come from your team?”
Xia Yufeng hesitated for a moment before reluctantly admitting, “Yes.”
“Based on the information we currently have; the leak of that footage was due to the unfortunate death of the device owner.” Yi Ning displayed the wreckage of the recording device on the holographic screen, with the emblem of the command center particularly prominent. “According to the level of erosion around X City, it was undoubtedly a suicide mission. Can you tell us the name of this hero?”
“Yi Ning is quite something. He’s quite skilled. A’Sheng must be having a headache.” Tang Heyu chuckled. “This is not a task that just anyone can handle. The researchers from the command center have records on file, and they are all watching this program now. It won’t end well if you lie.”
This time, Xia Yufeng hesitated even longer.
“That is our secretly developed anti-erosion machinery, which is extremely expensive. It cannot be used for general purification activities, so in order to make the most of it, we dispatched it to the ruins of X City. Everyone, the wreckage belongs to a probe sent to an unknown environment, and it currently has no name.”
“I see. However, we haven’t found any mechanical debris at the scene. Would it be possible to show the image data of this machine?”
“This belongs to the command center’s classified information and cannot be displayed.”
“I see, that’s understandable.” Yi Ning pressed on, step by step. “Then please introduce the designer of the probe. They have contributed a lot to uncovering the truth.”
The audience on-site became restless, as some people noticed something off about this conversation—Yi Ning seemed particularly persistent about the discoverer of that footage.
“After all, having machinery that can penetrate the erosion zone is beneficial for everyone. But when I think about it, Marshal Zhu, this seems contradictory to your paper—more than one of your papers has pointed out that machinery operation is inevitably affected under high erosion concentration. Regarding this groundbreaking invention, could you please explain it?”
Interesting.
Zhu Yanchen raised an eyebrow outside the holographic screen.
Hu Yan sat in the Longevity Tavern, feeling that something was off. Over time, he began to have a vague feeling of “just playing a game”.
However, what he ate couldn’t be faked. The flour in the tavern was dusty, and the rice porridge had a faint bitter taste. Even if it was called bean porridge, it had a strong bean odor that made his stomach uncomfortable.
He had never observed the “NPCs” so carefully before.
Some people lived a little better, burning bricks and mixing cement, while others lived in houses made from construction waste. In the settlement, there weren’t many fat people, and everyone looked thin and older than their actual age, bearing the signs of enduring hardships.
In fact, this place used to be livelier. Since the news of Y City’s lockdown spread, many well-off merchants had returned to Y City. Many stalls and shops had closed down, with only the Old Fourth shops still in operation.
As Hu Yan swallowed the slightly bitter porridge, he began to miss the “other side’s” milk custard and strawberry pancakes. Fruits here were considered luxury items, and the most popular ones were preserved wild fruits, with coarse and sour flesh that barely tasted like fruit.
In just one meal, he ate with great discomfort. But before he could finish the porridge, another person sat across from him.
Yu Jin, with his signature golden hair, plopped down opposite Hu Yan, causing a few drops of soup to splash out of the bowl. “Having a meal, huh?”
Hu Yan forced a stiff smile. “Yeah.”
“We sent away another five thousand people today, divided into ten teams, leaving quietly.” Yu Jin picked up a chopstick of noodles and made a loud slurping sound. “There aren’t many left now, and most of them are Blackbirds and the people from Groundwater. According to Captain Shu’s arrangement, this matter will be resolved in another week.”
“The situation on the Groundwater’s side is quite troublesome. They’ve realized there’s a problem since Luo Duan hasn’t shown up for so long. But for now, Chai Xuyang is keeping them in check, and their emotions haven’t gotten out of control.” Hu Yan wasn’t accustomed to being at odds with people, so he continued the conversation. “But the situation is stable now, and even if they want to cause trouble, they can’t.”
Thinking about recent events, Hu Yan began to daydream again.
Captain Shu was ruthless. During this time, the players gradually shifted from interacting with Luo Duan’s subordinates to interacting with the settlement’s residents. The recent lockdown had caused a large movement of people, providing players with a perfect cover.
The twenty-one people with the most intense hatred had left, and the various teams were gradually being separated. The players were relatively calm—they had undergone personality screening and received a higher education on “the other side”. Although they knew everything was fake, they couldn’t change their habits of dealing with people overnight.
After the conflict between Crooked Head and Chai Xuyang, the players couldn’t vent their frustrations on the settlement’s humans.
The adaptability of humans was terrifying. Over time, the players and the residents ate and lived together, gradually getting used to it. Uncle Pan collected the money from Zhu Yanchen, and the small inn was filled with bored synthetic humans from the underground stronghold. They would chat all day, turning a group of players into friends. They would occasionally gather for a drinking session, drinking until everyone hugged their bottles and cried.
A few days passed, and Uncle Pan even introduced some hunting jobs for capturing mutant beasts to the players, and everyone started earning money together. The players who didn’t want to move continued to idle.
With Uncle Pan’s affability and connections, he was given the recipe for the anti-erosion medicine. Uncle Pan didn’t tamper with it and managed to acquire a considerable amount, which he sold to the settlement’s residents. The surplus was taken by Uncle Xiong and sent to nearby settlements for sale.
After the business flourished, Uncle Pan even started selling the ingredients for the recipe. He had people sell the recipe to various settlements at a reasonable price. With the money earned, Uncle Pan exchanged it all for supplies and sold them at normal prices to the offline players.
With sufficient supplies and affordable anti-erosion medicine, the residents of the settlement didn’t complain much about the medicine’s troublesome side effects and its limited long-term effectiveness. At least they didn’t fall into panic when faced with the tightening distribution of medicine in Y City.
What was even more amazing was that Uncle Pan had a great reputation. Hu Yan hadn’t heard any rumors about him selling at high prices in other settlements. The Old Fourth must have contributed a lot to this, and it was clear that Marshal Zhu had intervened in this matter.
…Looking at it from a positive perspective, although this “sister-in-law” was emotionally complicated, for now, it seemed that their captain hadn’t chosen the wrong person. Zhu Yanchen had indeed put effort into the settlement and wasn’t the type of person to flip tables after a meal.
Every time Hu Yan thought of Zhu Yanchen, his expression became somewhat distorted—there were countless beautiful women in the world, and in <Erosion>, there were also pretty girls like Xia Liang. Why did the captain choose a man? Previously, Shu Jun had never shown the slightest interest in men. Could it be that he had to make sacrifices for the sake of his compatriots?
As Hu Yan was halfway through his meal, his face began to contort and distort again. Yu Jin coughed heavily. “By the way, when I was out earlier, Dr. Ai asked me to find you.”
“Dr. Ai?”
“Yeah, remember to go see her later.”
Hu Yan couldn’t taste the food anymore, worried that something had happened to Shu Jun.
“I need to go back to Y City.”
Ai Xiaoxiao was straightforward when they met.
“Huh?!”
“What’s with the surprise? It’s temporary.” Ai Xiaoxiao rolled her eyes dramatically. “I’m hitting a bottleneck in my research and need to get some new materials. The ones I have in stock can’t be used to come up with anything new, no matter how much I think.”
“Can’t you ask the Old Fourth for help?”
“They can’t help. I need to get supplies from the Tang family. The Old Fourth doesn’t have access to such advanced items. If I don’t go myself, those old foxes won’t provide the purest raw materials.”
“But what about the patients…” Hu Yan hesitated to speak.
“Recently, I’ve selected a few girls and boys who aren’t suited for fighting. I’ve taught them the basics of dealing with erosion, but they still can’t grasp it. They can memorize the medication for special circumstances. As for ordinary wounds, you guys who run on the battlefield should have medical personnel to handle them.”
Ai Xiaoxiao’s voice was calm.
“Taking care of patients by fellow compatriots can also make them feel better. I’ve made arrangements for a mudsled. We’re leaving at noon. If someone else comes looking for me, just be honest with them.”
As she spoke, Ai Xiaoxiao was packing her large backpack. Just as Hu Yan came back to his realization, Ai Xiaoxiao had already slung the backpack over her shoulder.
“To be honest, my research is almost complete. Once I bring back this batch of materials, I probably won’t need to keep going back and forth—by then, I’ll choose a few apprentices from among these people. During this period, keep an eye on them and observe their attitudes,” Ai Xiaoxiao said.
“There are plenty of people in the settlement. Wouldn’t it be better to find humans?” Hu Yan’s mood was complicated.
Ai Xiaoxiao was an expert in synthetic human care. Dealing with medical treatment for “synthetic humans” was one of the significant advantages humans had. However, when this information was passed on, it sounded like an insignificant home remedy for toothaches.
“People are more relaxed when receiving medical care from their own kind, and it’s easier to be honest. If the patient doesn’t trust the doctor, then how can they recover?” Ai Xiaoxiao waved her hand. “Besides, most of the people in the settlement can’t read or write. I’m not interested in being a teacher of the basics. It’s more efficient for me to teach you.”
“…Be careful on the road.” Hu Yan took a deep breath, and all the tangled emotions and conflicts in his mind instantly evaporated.
“Got it,” Ai Xiaoxiao said, biting a coffee-flavored lollipop. Her hair was tied up in a convenient bun for movement. “I also made a lot of erosion candies and left them in the usual place. Don’t forget to tell Shu Jun when he returns.”
“Speaking of which, now people aren’t allowed to leave Y City. Even if you manage to buy the ingredients for medicine, how will you get out later? Shu Jun has special abilities, but you—”
Suddenly, Ai Xiaoxiao smiled; a smile that wasn’t particularly attractive, with a hint of bitterness.
“When Y City collapses, people will naturally be able to leave.” She hummed with an unclear meaning.
As a “non-human” entity, Shu Jun had a simple way of sneaking out of the city.
People weren’t allowed to leave Y City, so supplies were transported outside using automated machinery. To prevent erosion, the supplies were sealed in boxes that were less than one cubic meter in size.
Shu Jun transformed his entire self into an Erosion Swamp and filled up more than half of a box. With the advantage of free water absorption of Monday, he spread himself thinly on the walls of the box, like a thin pancake. Thus, the two pieces of Erosion Swamps managed to squeeze into one box. The supply boxes were sealed in advance and covered with layers of anti-erosion packaging, so there was no need for further inspection.
Captain Shu successfully packed himself into a box and was about to be sent away when Marshal Zhu approached with a complex expression, even reaching out to touch the box several times, as if confirming the texture.
Just when he began to feel a sense of sadness that he was no longer human, Shu Jun was distracted by Zhu Yanchen. Annoyed, he extended an erosion vine, slowly pushing Zhu Yanchen’s hand away, and closed the lid of the box himself.
In this state, he didn’t have normal human vision, but he did hear Zhu Yanchen stifling a laugh.
‘This account can be settled when I return next time,’ Shu Jun thought discontentedly. Having adapted to the dark and narrow space, he gave up thinking about the pain of transitioning from human to non-human and pondered on “how to tease Marshal Zhu”.
The machinery moved slowly on the wet, muddy ground, taking several days to reach their destination. To prevent the people in the settlement from stealing the supplies, a part of the military didn’t return to the city but instead escorted the supply convoy.
According to Zhu Yanchen’s intelligence, these people would stop and rest every eight hours. As soon as the bumps stopped, Shu Jun eroded the lid of the box from the inside. He restored his hand structure, used his claws to cut open the anti-erosion packaging, and then quietly slipped out of the vehicle with Monday.
Once they were familiar with this process, they could take the opportunity to transport the “Suppression” weapons. After returning to his humanoid form, Shu Jun flexed his joints and felt satisfied with this “smuggling” experience.
The settlement was still the same, indicating that Hu Yan had managed things adequately during their absence.
After confirming that everything was normal, Shu Jun returned to the room of Uncle Pan’s inn. He immediately turned on the screen and checked the news from Y City—
Originally, he wanted to see the progress of the elections, but his face was covered with the residual images of X City. The video clips filmed by Zhu Yanchen were restored and magnified, looking quite horrifying.
In the footage, four-legged creatures crawled up and down, and Sweet Edge lay in the center of X City. Shu Jun didn’t feel scared; he only felt a faint sense of nostalgia.
“After expert analysis, it has been determined that this video is not artificially synthesized. X City has been abandoned for nearly two hundred years, and these four-legged creatures may be new mutant beasts. The giant human head in the footage has no reasonable explanation yet. Considering its size and appearance, the possibility of Erosion Swamp mutation cannot be ruled out…”
“…According to reliable sources, the machine that filmed this video belongs to a high-ranking official in the command center…”
The confident voice of the female host was full of determination and infectiousness. Shu Jun raised an eyebrow—if he remembered correctly, this TV station was sponsored by the Tang family. As expected, after the report, the main event began.
“Marshal Yi, what are your thoughts on the ‘Erosion Swamp mutation theory’?”
“We have received similar intelligence, and our researchers have made some progress. Theoretically, this possibility does exist, and it is highly likely to be related to synthetic humans.”
“The footage from X City was leaked less than a month ago, and it seems that our researchers have reacted quite quickly. Currently, this footage is being widely circulated. The Reunion Festival in Y City ended prematurely due to an ‘accident’, and Y City has recently been on lockdown. Our people are quite concerned about whether there is a connection between these events. Would you be willing to…”
“The Reunion Festival wasn’t terminated due to an accident but because of the synthetic human unrest. The abnormalities in X City ruins and the reinforced city defenses in Y City are all related to this matter—based on the current situation, some synthetic humans have gained the ability to control the Erosion Swamps, and their tolerance for it has significantly increased. The anomalies in X City were likely intentionally created by these synthetic humans to intimidate us.”
The program guests erupted into commotion, and Shu Jun snorted.
The Erosion Swamp mutation and synthetic humans weren’t the same thing, and Yi Ning certainly understood that. However, if the existence of the Erosion Swamp mutation was truly acknowledged, the people of Y City would definitely fall into panic. By focusing the issue on synthetic humans, it could still be defined as “the loss of control of military weapons”.
Regardless, he was ahead of Zhu Sheng in disclosing the information, and he could also gain a lot of favorable impressions.
“The situation was uncertain before, so we couldn’t disclose it. Now that we have gathered enough information, please rest assured, everyone. The current situation is still under our control, and the purifiers have been fully deployed. Y City is safe. These synthetic humans have no resource support and cannot last long. As long as we all work together…”
Shu Jun let out a massive yawn.
“…However, I have something to say about the player system.” After who knew how long, a sentence caught Shu Jun’s attention again.
“To be honest, the research on synthetic humans and Erosion Swamps has been stagnant for nearly twenty years. Under the control of the Zhu family, the research direction of the command center has always been focused on ‘optimizing the player system’. The reason we were able to determine the nature of the mutation so quickly is thanks to a special researcher.”
“Who is it?” the host asked cooperatively.
“Marshal Zhu Yanchen.”
Yi Ning answered crisply.
“We all know that Marshal Zhu has always been against advancing the player system. If it weren’t for Marshal Zhu’s years of dedicated research on the Erosion Swamp, we would not have discovered the connection so quickly and formulated a response plan. As far as I know, most researchers have halted their research on the player system and are now studying Marshal Zhu Yanchen’s papers, focusing on researching anti-erosion weaponry.”
Unexpectedly, the boss suddenly started praising his competitor. The program guests were momentarily stunned, and the venue fell silent.
“During the Reunion Festival, it was also Marshal Zhu who called for strengthened city defenses. If there are no unexpected circumstances, Marshal Zhu will be the biggest contributor to Y City’s handling of this incident. As a competitor, I have great admiration for his research on the Erosion Swamp, and I ask everyone not to spread unfounded rumors.”
“Uh.” The host was a bit dazed, attempting to redirect the conversation. “You just mentioned the player system. It is widely known that Marshal Zhu recently changed his stance and started implementing the player system. What are your thoughts on this matter?”
“I would like to invite Marshal Zhu to join us here for the discussion related to this incident, and you can consult with him then. To be honest, even our researchers can only understand a fraction of his papers. When it comes to professional matters, we still need experts to clarify.”
Yi Ning didn’t smile as he turned to the camera.
“This matter concerns the safety of the people in Y City and the settlements. I kindly ask Marshal Zhu not to decline.”
It seemed when all else fails*…. Xia Yufeng was completely clueless in scientific research, so if he were to participate, he would probably just stand there dumbfounded. If his identity were exposed publicly, things would become quite lively.
*This is related to the title, which is an idiom (图穷匕见) It refers to when the plan fails, the dagger (true intentions) is revealed. This implies that when someone’s schemes or intentions are exposed or their options are exhausted, their true nature or intentions are exposed.
That would be great.
Shu Jun happily turned off the screen and stretched his body.
That’s how it should be. The more chaotic, the better.
The author has something to say:
Marshal: A boxed boyfriend, rare sight. *pat pat*.
The command center was well defended, and intense purification would make Shu Jun uncomfortable. Zhu Yanchen changed his clothes and arranged to meet at a small hotel near the command center.
The room was small, but the soundproofing was decent. When he opened the door, the lights were off inside. The room’s window was next to a neon sign, and the flickering lights illuminated the floor. It was the most expensive room on the entire floor—in a world eroded by the Erosion Swamp, only colors provided solace.
Shu Jun didn’t enter through the main entrance but climbed through the window.
“I kinda miss Uncle Pan’s small inn,” Shu Jun said in a tired and hoarse voice as he jumped down from the windowsill.
“Me too.” Zhu Yanchen nodded and went straight to remove Shu Jun’s blood-stained uniform. The latter didn’t move, allowing Zhu Yanchen to handle it. His grayish eyes reflected hues of red and yellow under the lighting.
“So forward?” Perhaps Zhu Yanchen had exerted a bit too much force when removing the belt, so Shu Jun joked—however, even in his usual jest, Zhu Yanchen could sense the other’s weakness.
“I don’t like Yi Ning’s coat, to be honest,” he admitted quite honestly.
Shu Jun squinted his eyes. “No choice. Special circumstances call for special treatment. I can wear yours tomorrow.”
After saying this, Shu Jun fell silent again while his eyes were fixed on Zhu Yanchen. Zhu Yanchen took off his own coat, softening his tone. “How do you feel now?”
“Chilly.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“It really feels chilly, covered in sweat and blood. I’ll go take a shower first. If you want to join me, I’ll call for you later.” Shu Jun smiled again and turned to walk towards the bathroom.
However, he hadn’t taken a few steps when Zhu Yanchen grabbed his wrist. In an instant, that wrist eroded into the erosion substance and slipped out of Zhu Yanchen’s palm. Marshal Zhu didn’t give up. He swiftly executed a set of grappling moves, pinning Shu Jun down on the bed.
Shu Jun’s reflexes were also quick, but his condition was truly not good. They struggled back and forth, but seeing Zhu Yanchen’s determined actions, Shu Jun eventually gave up struggling and let him hold him down.
The neon lights stained the plain bedspread with a dark red hue.
“Is the killing intent still there?” Zhu Yanchen asked straightforwardly. “If you were your usual self, you would have dragged me to the bathroom together. Taking the first step and entering, were you trying to cool off with water?”
“Maybe I just wanted to wash away the smell of blood.”
“When I took off your uniform just now, your movements were quite stiff…and you’ve never managed to break free from my grip.”
“Sometimes it’s best to remain ignorant.” Shu Jun’s voice was very soft.
“I don’t want to be ignorant about you, Shu Jun. Answer me. Is your killing intent still there?”
“Mm.” Shu Jun sank into the thick mattress, unmoving. “It’s quite strange, like starving all along without knowing it, and suddenly getting a taste of food. The aftermath is a bit overwhelming, and I…”
“Do you want to kill me?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? Of course not! It’s just that the ones who died were humans, and I…” Shu Jun didn’t continue his sentence.
“I’m a human, and I’m the type of human that tastes the best to the Erosion Swamp. Since you can withstand me, you are still the Shu Jun I know.” Zhu Yanchen moved closer. “If you feel uncomfortable because of killing, do you know how many synthetic humans have died under my command over the years?”
Shu Jun held his breath.
“I have managed to reduce the sacrifice rate of synthetic humans to some extent, but there are still many who die each year during the Erosion Swamp purification. I have more blood on my hands than you do, yet you are still here.”
Zhu Yanchen released his grip on Shu Jun’s wrist and touched his cheek. When he spoke again, he changed the subject.
“I discussed this situation with Tang Heyu. Your impulse to kill indeed stems from the information implanted by Sigma. But it’s something that can be restrained, and it won’t endanger your life… So go take a shower.”
“… ” Shu Jun remained silent for a while, still not moving.
“I’ve changed my mind,” he said softly as his clothes made a sizzling sound, gradually being devoured by the erosion substance. “Distract me, Grand Marshal.”
“Aren’t you worried about losing control?”
“You have a point. I’ll give it a try.” Shu Jun bit down on Zhu Yanchen’s neck, exerting slight pressure. His teeth were sharp, and a droplet of blood seeped out from the wound, quickly licked away by his tongue.
“…I really can’t bear to.” Shu Jun released his bite, licked the small wound a few times, and sighed softly.
This time, Zhu Yanchen’s actions were incredibly gentle. Compared to the previous fiery passion, this night was slow and tender. Shu Jun held the other tightly, ensuring that the scent of Zhu Yanchen filled his nose.
“After resolving my issue, we should talk about yours.” After fully absorbing the warmth from the other person, Shu Jun’s mood improved slightly.
“It’s impossible for Zhu Sheng to cooperate with Yi Ning. If we just wait for him to push ‘me’ into the leadership position, we won’t be able to focus on dealing with Sigma. Zhu Sheng still holds expectations for the player system and won’t simply give up his leadership power.”
“Which means we have to overthrow him.” Shu Jun caressed the person’s hair. “As for Yi Ning’s side, I have already handled it. If we can’t convince Zhu Sheng…”
“I’ll take care of this matter.” Zhu Yanchen pressed his face against Shu Jun’s chest, feeling the other’s strong heartbeat.
“Okay, I won’t intervene.”
“I won’t lose.”
“I know.”
However, Luo Duan had already returned to Sigma’s side, and their time was running out.
The sun rose as usual, illuminating the clouds that hadn’t dispersed for a century. The faint light streamed through the window as Shu Jun held the person in his arms tightly.
As usual, Monday was curled up in a ball, occupying the corner of the room. It surrounded the candy jar at its center and slept soundly. When the faint light hit it, it made a distressed whimpering sound and rolled a few times to the side. Shu Jun glanced at it, and a tendril of erosion substance extended to close the open curtain.
“Okay, I’ll go talk to Ai Xiaoxiao.” Shu Jun used his claw tip to poke Zhu Yanchen’s back, as if he was playing an invisible piano. “Before the city is completely locked down, I’ll bring her in too. And then…”
His claw tip exerted a little force, leaving a red mark on Zhu Yanchen’s back.
“…And then celebrate your election as the leader with a ‘slaughter’.”
“Mm.”
At the seaside.
Luo Duan had never seen a real sea before. There was no sea in the virtual city; only a river that traversed the city. In reality, humans had always stayed inland, and their battlefields were far from the sea.
This sea was pure black—not beautiful at all, but rather inherently terrifying.
Sigma was at the seaside, which seemed reasonable when he thought about it. He sat on one of Sigma’s giant hands, looking towards the direction of Y City. Twenty-one graves stood silently beside the giant withered hand.
They were graves, but they only contained remnants of the clothes worn by those people. Small mounds of gray sand formed with a stone placed on top, serving as makeshift tombstones. In order to gather more information, Sigma consumed those people thoroughly, not even leaving their bones behind.
Things were somewhat different from what Luo Duan had imagined. Those twenty-one people were filled with vivid anger. After seeing Sigma, they voluntarily approached the giant Erosion Swamp without any conversation or hint of attachment to life. During the process of being swallowed, they didn’t scream or even look at him.
They were living more vividly than he was, with fresh hatred still burning within them.
Luo Duan listened to the sound of the rising and falling tides behind him, and his thoughts grew cold. He seemed to have become a part of the waves, mechanically calculating plans.
Among those twenty-one people, there was no “prodigy gifted by the heavens” like Shu Jun. After eroding those twenty-one veteran players, the Erosion Swamp acquired only one new ability—”Explosion”.
Considering the number of player deaths in the past two hundred years, having one ability out of twenty-one was already quite astonishing.
Luo Duan conducted some experiments with this ability. It caused the Erosion Swamp carrying the ability to explode on its own, splattering erosion substance like a suicidal explosion. This attack was effective against humans, but it probably wouldn’t harm Shu Jun, and it could easily harm synthetic humans at the same time, inadvertently helping humans. Overall, this ability was somewhat lacking at this stage.
Still not comparable to Shu Jun.
Shu Jun possessed a peculiar power. Based on Luo Duan’s personal experience, that ability seemed to forcibly halt the activity of the erosion substance. Unfortunately, Sigma didn’t have any information on Shu Jun’s abilities. Luo Duan could only speculate cautiously.
Sigma possessed a total of thirty-nine abilities, four of which had already been assigned, leaving thirty-five remaining. Among them were some peculiar skills, such as creating a specific “person” using the erosion substance or creating mirages of humans being killed. The strangest one involved turning the erosion substance on the ground into fragments of wedding dresses and formal wear.
Like the dying wishes of people.
Sigma didn’t discern the quality of these abilities; it collected them all as long as they were emotionally strong enough to manifest as abilities. Of course, the majority of these abilities contained despair and hatred, and they were mostly highly destructive. Luo Duan noted down each of these abilities and carefully planned them in his mind.
Planning was necessary. With Sigma alone, it would be impossible to eradicate humanity.
This Erosion Swamp King was clever yet pitifully childish. Its thinking was half-human, half-beast, somewhat resembling an overly intelligent baby. Its every move gave an unpleasant sense of dissonance, and it remains completely unaware of human cunning.
No wonder it found a small Erosion Swamp to hide in the command center, eagerly longing to capture live humans. If the small Erosion Swamp encountered Shu Jun first, there was a possibility that Sigma would be tricked by Captain Shu.
Luo Duan forced a bitter smile.
Now that he, a living human, had arrived, he was rapidly weakening in the erosion zone. Sigma used its own abilities to repair him, replacing his internal organs and the diseased limbs. Luo Duan was unsure if this thing had any concept of his abilities. In just one day, he had nearly been transformed by Sigma into an “Erosion” version of Frankenstein.
But he still had self-awareness.
Luo Duan looked at the disproportionately sized, dark gray hand in front of him and slowly clenched his fist.
“How… does it look?” Sigma’s manifestation protruded from the giant hand. It had used its ability to become a “specific person”, but the result wasn’t very good. The thing it created had a blurry appearance and twisted limbs, sending chills down one’s spine. Its feet were buried within the giant hand, resembling a strange growth.
Its voice was also unpleasant, as if some animal was trying hard to imitate human speech.
This was probably someone who had been desperately yearning for something before their death, Luo Duan thought. Only fragments of the victim’s brain were preserved in the Erosion Swamp, leaving Sigma with only partial information, which it used to recreate this appearance.
“I’m still thinking,” Luo Duan replied, coughing up a little bit of black blood.
“Thinking,” it repeated meaninglessly. “Thinking?”
“We won’t win if we rush towards Y City now. Humans will flee to other cities, and you won’t be able to go after all of them… Forget it, you wouldn’t understand anyway.”
The doll created by Sigma tilted its head, looking as if its neck had been broken with its two empty eye sockets. “Understand, I do.”
“It’s best for us to strike when there is conflict between synthetic humans and humans. Synthetic humans are manageable enemies for humans. They will inevitably defend their positions, making it easier for us to surround them.” Luo Duan glanced at the thing. “The problem is, with Shu Jun around, the synthetic humans might not fight against the humans.”
“Shu Jun?”
“The one you want the most.”
“Understood. Wait for them to fight. Then I will go and kill them.” Sigma visibly grew more excited as they discussed this topic. The doll then made a few strange sounds and gradually became more articulate. “If they don’t fight, wait for internal conflicts among humans. Is that possible?”
“That’s a bit challenging.” Luo Duan looked at the thing with surprise.
“Just need to kill some synthetic humans,” it said. “Synthetic humans can’t truly cooperate with humans, I know. Shu Jun hates humans, and I’ve shown him many things. He definitely hates humans, I know.”
“Mm, he is currently cooperating with humans, seeking their resources. Based on our last encounter, if a conflict arises, he won’t let the synthetic humans help Y City.”
“If the things he wants to protect are gone, he will come to my side. He will, I know,” Sigma declared confidently.
“You’re quite confident.”
“Everyone is like that.” Sigma made a strange gesture, pointing to its own core with a calm and placid tone. “You are like that too.”
“……”
“You’re going to die, and I’m a bit anxious. If you die, I won’t be able to understand human thoughts. Can you please think a bit faster?” The statement still lacked emotion, as if Sigma seemed to be describing an everyday triviality.
Luo Duan remained silent for a long time.
“According to those people, the majority of the synthetic human forces are still gathered in a certain settlement. Even if Shu Jun relocates some of them, there will likely still be a significant number of synthetic humans remaining in that settlement. We can take advantage of Y City being busy with the election and instigate conflicts in that settlement, provoking disputes between humans and synthetic humans… Sending an Alpha Erosion Swamp should suffice. By the way, you should have informants on the edge of the erosion zone, right?”
“There are many Corpse Parasites.”
“That should be enough.” Luo Duan closed his eyes. “Let’s first test the waters.”
With that, he sealed his lips and fell into silence once again, deep in thought. The sound of the tides entered his ears, seeping into his bones. The dampness and erosion made it difficult to breathe.
“…Xiao Yuan.” Luo Duan exhaled slowly, summoning the spirit of his deceased lover. “Speak to me again.”
‘It’s still a bit cold by the seaside,’ Luo Duan thought.
He just didn’t want to go back.
The author has something to say:
Shu Ge truly hates humans. It wasn’t a joke when I said he might become a world-destroying boss.
If Shu Ge is assimilated by the Erosion Swamp, he won’t take a path of dominion. Neither synthetic humans nor humans will survive. It seems the Marshal has successfully applied the brakes in the racecar (?) of events.
While the city was still under lockdown, Shu Jun brought Xia Yufeng back to Y City. Zhu Yanchen would continue to act as “Marshal” for a while longer, so Xia Yufeng was placed in the Ai’s Clinic—after all, Ai Xiaoxiao wasn’t there, so there weren’t many people in the clinic now.
Zhu Yanchen didn’t go to the command center that evening; he went straight back to the Zhu residence to meet Shu Jun.
When Zhu Yanchen’s mother and older brother were still around, the Zhu household was considered lively. Now, apart from the family doctor and the nanny, only Zhu Sheng and Zhu Yanchen remained in the Zhu household. The spacious and bright house had several unoccupied rooms. Zhu Sheng didn’t keep the rooms arranged for the deceased; the extra rooms were all cleared out, like discarded cicada shells.
The meal was plentiful, but there were only two people at the table.
Zhu Sheng informed him to come back for dinner. It seemed that even when he wasn’t around, Xia Yufeng would also come back to the Zhu residence for meals. Zhu Yanchen didn’t know if it was a performance for others or if Zhu Sheng didn’t want to dine alone.
Zhu Sheng wasn’t wasteful; the dinner consisted of three simple dishes. There was a clear stew of oxtail, a dish of cabbage and tofu, and a dish of minced meat stewed with eggs—all suitable for the elderly.
Zhu Yanchen took his seat and silently began eating.
“Your posture is much better today.” Zhu Sheng glanced at him.
“Practice pays off,” Zhu Yanchen replied calmly.
“Mm.”
Another awkward silence followed. Zhu Sheng ate slowly, and the large dining room was illuminated warmly by the lights. However, Zhu Yanchen sensed a coldness from the elderly man beside him. During this period, he interacted with Tang Heyu quite a bit. Although Tang Lao had some disrespectful tendencies, unlike an elder, he had a liveliness that Zhu Sheng lacked.
Although the Tang family didn’t like Tang Heyu, they lived together in a lively manner, taking good care of him. On the other hand, considering safety factors, there were no distant relatives living with Zhu Sheng.
Zhu Yanchen paused his spoon motion.
“…Zhu Lao.”
“Hmm?”
“Now that you know that the player system can cause various problems, should we consider cooperating with Yi Ning as a backup plan?”
As long as they eased up on the issue of the settlement’s residents, the conflict between the two could still be salvaged.
“Mm, I had someone look into Zhu Yanchen’s research. The reason the player system malfunctioned was because the Erosion Swamp consumed the synthetic human’s body and obtained a vast amount of information.” Zhu Sheng scooped a spoonful of stewed egg; his hand trembled with the characteristic tremor due to old age.
“…I see.”
“Then just make sure the Erosion Swamp doesn’t come into contact with them,” Zhu Sheng said casually. “After dealing with this batch of synthetic humans, I will find someone to optimize the new system. In the future, synthetic humans won’t need to venture deep into the erosion zone for operations. The loss of purification speed can be compensated by the productivity of the new ‘Players’.”
Then he paused and started talking to himself. “We need to make changes to the ‘campus training’ in the virtual city… the issue of separation between citizens and synthetic humans… hmm, and the handling after the service period…”
Zhu Yanchen tightened his grip on the spoon handle.
“What?” Zhu Sheng noticed Zhu Yanchen’s gaze and snapped out of his reverie. “Oh, you were just talking about cooperation with Yi Ning. Yi Ning is too softhearted and indecisive. If he becomes the leader, humans will be in big trouble.”
While saying this, Zhu Sheng stared at the spoon in front of him and didn’t even look at Zhu Yanchen.
Zhu Yanchen adjusted his emotions for a moment. “Why do we have to continue with the player system? Its flaws are glaring, and the risks are too great.”
“Do you know about nuclear energy towers? They were one of the important energy sources before the apocalypse.”
Considering Xia Yufeng’s knowledge, Zhu Yanchen answered cautiously, “I’ve heard a little bit about it.”
“It appeared hundreds of years ago, along with similar facilities like ‘nuclear power plants’. Compared to safe nuclear energy towers, nuclear power plants had the risk of leaks and even explosions. Once an accident occurred, the destruction that’s city-level wasn’t uncommon.”
Zhu Sheng showed an unusual interest.
“Of course, the probability of accidents was very low, but they did happen. At that time, it was crucial to various countries, and despite the risks, no one abandoned its benefits. The same principle applies to the player system. These are major matters concerning people’s livelihoods. If we stop progressing just because there are risks, humanity can’t develop at all.”
But life isn’t a machine.
“You…”
Zhu Yanchen took a breath, suppressing his emotions. “Are you sure you won’t consider abolishing the player system? Introduce the settlement’s residents as labor and let the machines handle the purification slowly. The difference would only be…”
“The efficiency would be too low, and the social burden too great.” Zhu Sheng interrupted, then glanced at Zhu Yanchen. “Xiao Xia, you’re quite talkative today.”
Zhu Yanchen remained silent for the rest of the time. After the meal was over, he stood up and left with one final question.
“Zhu Lao, have you ever regretted this insistence?”
Zhu Sheng didn’t directly answer. He sat in the bright and spacious dining room, his face reflecting the color of an old man. The dining room felt like a huge coffin.
“Continuing this is beneficial to the people, that’s for sure. If we give up now…”
Zhu Sheng didn’t finish his sentence until Zhu Yanchen left the dining room.
At the same time, elsewhere.
After hearing Zhu Yanchen’s words, Shu Jun didn’t taunt Yi Ning. As planned, he revealed some information to Yi Ning using the identity of “Gray Claw”, a resident of the settlement, and then politely declined Yi Ning’s recruitment request.
“I already have a boss.” Shu Jun whistled. “Sorry, Mr. Marshal.”
Yi Ning felt quite regretful, but he didn’t have the habit of forcing others. Under the protection of Yi Ning’s bodyguards, the two of them left the meeting restaurant.
“Mr. Gray Claw, where do you plan to go next? If you don’t have a place to stay, I can arrange it for you.”
“No need. I have to head to the outskirts to meet my boss.” Shu Jun waved his hand nonchalantly.
“I see. Then I…”
Before Yi Ning could finish speaking, he was suddenly pulled closer by Shu Jun. A bullet hit the spot where Yi Ning had just been standing.
“A sniper.” Shu Jun didn’t hesitate and tightly grabbed Yi Ning’s collar, swiftly entering the nearest alley. Yi Ning’s two bodyguards tried to follow but were shot in the head, one after the other.
“…The Zhu family.” Yi Ning gritted his teeth.
“What do you mean?” Shu Jun asked while observing the surroundings. “If you die, won’t the election be delayed? I remember Zhu Sheng wanted to settle things quickly.”
“Perhaps my recent actions were too noticeable, and he became aware of them.” Yi Ning furrowed his brow. “It’s a tense period now. Even if I die, Zhu Sheng can find a way to directly place Zhu… His puppet in power.”
“He’s really going all out this time.” Shu Jun adjusted the mask on his face. “By the way, with the city in lockdown like this, it’s unlikely that the residents from the outer settlements can vote. Lately, Zhu Yanchen has been quite active. Wouldn’t it be simpler to defeat you in a fair manner? Zhu Sheng seems lacking in confidence.”
“…Zhu Yanchen’s reputation isn’t good, and he has poor support among the people,” Yi Ning sighed softly. “Even if the settlement’s voting rights are cut off, my chances of winning against him are fifty-fifty.”
Once he exposed the evidence that Zhu Yanchen was a fake, he would win. Zhu Sheng must have realized his intentions and wanted to strike first, cutting off the source of trouble.
“I see.” Shu Jun smiled. “This is why I dislike all this political intrigue. Well, Lao Yi, you can’t die just yet.”
“Lao*…?!”
*Clarity: Since Shu Jun is addressing him as Lao, it means he regards Yi Ning on friendlier/closer terms now, which is why Yi Ning reacted like so (given they just met and shouldn’t be so familiar).
“Counting the sniper, we’re surrounded by about thirty people. They’re really determined to kill you.”
While speaking, Shu Jun scanned the dark alley with his gaze.
“To be honest, while you’re thinking about the settlement, aren’t you worried about Y City? What if you and Zhu Sheng cause trouble here, and the synthetic humans overthrow both of you? Wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse?”
“I don’t plan to kill Zhu Sheng. If things go wrong, he can protect Y City as much as he wants.” Yi Ning drew his sidearm. “I understand what you’re saying, but I can’t stand by and do nothing while my compatriots die before my eyes.”
Shu Jun: “……”
A’Yan’s judgment was accurate. Yi Ning was a kind person and would make a good leader, but he wouldn’t be qualified as a leader.
“Survive first, then give your speech, Yi Ning.” Shu Jun lowered his voice. “Now, it’s my turn to ask you. Where do you plan to go next?”
“The command center is definitely ambushed, and my own home is no good. If possible, I’d like to go to the Tang family.”
“No problem. Just remember to pay the fee.”
Unfortunately, they couldn’t fly. Shu Jun patted the backpack on his back. To deceive others, he had let it absorb some water and carefully wrapped the sword, placing it inside the backpack.
His powers couldn’t be used, and it was inconvenient to take out weapons, which made this battle truly exhausting.
Shu Jun sighed heavily, opened the communicator, and sent a few text messages to Zhu Yanchen. “Yi Ning, take off your uniform jacket and give it to me. Then hide in that trash bin over there. An hour later, someone from the Tang family will come to pick you up. Until then, no matter what you hear, don’t look outside, understand?”
“Gray Claw, how do you know the Tang family…”
“It’s my boss’ connection. Don’t ask further.” Shu Jun took off Yi Ning’s uniform hat and put it on his own head. “Hurry up and take it off. Once they surround us, you won’t have time to hide.”
Yi Ning had no choice but to take off his jacket and put on Shu Jun’s dirty settlement attire before getting up and hiding inside the trash bin. Fortunately, with the city on lockdown, there were fewer people throwing garbage, and the bin was relatively clean.
“The Marshal’s uniform looks pretty good.” Shu Jun laughed and tightened his belt. With one hand, he picked up the backpack and made a random gesture.
The “Duplication” ability activated, and another Yi Ning slowly stood up in front of him, whose eyes were lifeless and devoid of emotion.
Considering that the duplication could only create a superficial appearance, to ensure that the footsteps sounded authentic, Shu Jun added some erosion vines to weigh it down.
He thought for a moment, then opened the backpack, took out the balled-up Monday, and stuffed it into the “duplicate’s” body. Monday had been chewing a candy ball inside the bag, but suddenly being pulled out, it angrily made three clicking noises.
“Stop making a fuss.” Shu Jun glanced at the nearby trash bin, lowering his voice. “I’ll get you another candy. Stay inside this thing’s body—once you’ve shaken off the pursuers, sniff out my location and rendezvous with me.”
“Five.”
“What?”
“Five. Jars.”
“You’re exaggerating. If you keep making noise, I’ll lock you up in a can.” Shu Jun was both exasperated and amused.
“Two. Jars.”
“Fine, fine, two jars. Hurry up.”
“Happy.” Monday expressed its happiness.
“…As long as you’re happy.” Shu Jun ignored it and neatly stuffed it into the duplicate’s body, then gave the duplicate a command.
“They’ve run out! Yes, both of them ran out. One of them lost their backpack, which probably had another set of uniforms inside.” Nearby, an observing assassin began contacting his comrades.
“What should we do?”
“Chase. I’ll take teams A and B to chase the one on the east side, and teams C and D will go after the one on the west side. Lift the blockade on the alley… Yes, I’m sure there are only two people in the alley, and they both ran out.”
“Understood.”
About a dozen pursuers caught up. Shu Jun clicked his tongue, quickening his pace. However, his knowledge of the interior of Y City was limited. Even if he could traverse walls and roofs, there were still four or five people tightly pursuing him.
He didn’t know how Monday was doing.
Shu Jun shook his head and vaulted over a low wall with his bare hands. Unfortunately, he ended up at a dead end. It seemed like he had entered a residential area that had been converted from a factory, surrounded by intimidatingly tall walls.
Unless he used his powers or manipulated the erosion substance, he wouldn’t be able to climb over them.
“Wait, wait. I’m not Yi Ning.” Shu Jun pushed down the lower half of his mask and raised his hands. “Your target is Marshal Yi Ning, right? I’m just a worker from the settlement, doing tasks for money. Killing me won’t serve any purpose. How about we both take a step back? You can continue with your work, and I’ll just go home…”
“Get him.” One of the assassins made a gesture. “Ask him about Yi Ning’s whereabouts thoroughly.”
“No, no, no.” Shu Jun hastily waved his hands. “I really don’t know anything. I’ve been leading the synthetic humans all along, so I have a faster pace. Spare me, please.”
“There’s news from the other side. They confirmed Yi Ning’s death. The body fell into the river and was washed away. What should we do?” The reporter’s voice was very low, but Shu Jun heard it clearly.
The leader of the group glanced casually at Shu Jun. “Forget it, let’s go assist the other two teams. As for this one…”
Shu Jun stood at attention.
“Kill him. It’s better not to have any trouble.” The leader waved his hand. “He’s just someone from the settlement. If he disappears, no one will make a fuss.”
From behind the wall, the sound of dripping water reached Shu Jun’s ears. He sighed. “Everyone, I’m begging you. I haven’t seen your faces, and I’m not familiar with this place. How could I possibly leak any secrets? Yi Ning is dead, and I don’t want to offend anyone. I have a date tonight, and my lover is waiting for me—”
“That’s not what you said earlier,” one of them said coldly. “You said you were going to meet your boss. So, is your boss your wife? This guy is full of bullshit; we can’t let him live.”
“Can’t we negotiate?” The sound of water behind him was getting closer.
“Cut the crap. Do it.”
Gunshots rang out, but it wasn’t Shu Jun who was hit. Another figure appeared out of thin air—a distorted and contorted figure, limbs twisted, vaguely resembling a human but more like a pitiful corpse.
“Well done, Monday. I’ll get you three jars of candy.”
“You. Promise.” A few responses came from the body’s cavity. Shu Jun smiled, then directly tore open the “corpse” with one hand, gripping the wet hilt of the sword tightly.
The next moment, the assassins didn’t realize what had happened, and their thoughts sank into darkness.
“Within an hour, dispose of the bodies and bloodstains, including the clothing and metal. Don’t be picky.” Shu Jun gave orders to the erosion substance around him. “After finishing, disperse individually and ensure that you are at least ten kilometers apart.”
After cleaning up the scene, Shu Jun let out a long sigh of relief. Leaning against the wall, he stared at the slowly disappearing body with a face devoid of any expression. The air was cold and damp, intensifying the stench of blood.
At that moment, his communicator vibrated. Shu Jun swiftly answered the call.
“It’s me,” Zhu Yanchen’s voice came through. “I just spoke with Mr. Tang, and the Tang family has taken Yi Ning in. They will strengthen his protection until the end of the election.”
“Mm.”
“…In a bad mood?”
“You can tell?” Shu Jun laughed dryly.
“You killed people.”
“Spot on. Did you hide a camera on me or something? Yeah, I killed about four or five people. It feels…strangely exhilarating.”
It was a peculiar sense of pleasure. Shu Jun was acutely aware of his own sensations, and he was certain that something inhuman within him had been satisfied. On one hand, he felt discomfort, but on the other hand, he experienced a strange kind of pleasure—a sensation that could almost become addictive.
This contradiction threatened to tear his emotions apart. If this was the reward mechanism created by the Erosion Swamp through “hatred”, it was indeed quite troublesome.
“Does it feel truly pleasant?” Zhu Yanchen seemed to see through his thoughts.
“A’Yan, have I ever told you that you can be quite intimidating sometimes.”
“No,” Zhu Yanchen earnestly replied. “In this situation, I discussed it with Mr. Tang a few days ago. Your emotions are unstable right now. Don’t stay there for too long. Come back home first.”
“Go home?”
“…Come to me.”
Shu Jun no longer looked at the body on the ground. He lifted his head and gazed at the sky covered by dark clouds. The emotions that had nearly torn him apart were slowly calming down now.
Fu Xingchuan didn’t faint on the spot and instead went to sleep normally last night. To be precise, out of the five people trapped inside the abandoned building, only Fu Xingchuan remained conscious from beginning to end.
Otherwise, the heart of the Corpse Cage wrapped in a dark red shroud would most likely hit the space cracks, old scaffolding, damaged electrical wires… In short, there was a 99% chance that it would get stuck inside the building and not flow out smoothly with the Evil Force.
The rotten heart wrapped in the dark red shroud was quite conspicuous in the translucent stream of Evil Force. Zhou Gong, the “#1 Evil Craftsman” who could also control corpses, noticed this thing in less than five seconds.
Fu Xingchuan strained himself to lift the corpse-retraining spell. The members of Unit 9 and Fu Tianyi all fainted due to the excessively strong Evil Force.
Minister Fu… No, Advisor Fu, supported it for nearly 48 hours, confirming that all reports and samples were completed before falling into a deep sleep on the sickbed.
The high-risk evil, Yellow Millet, was held tightly in his hand like a stress ball that he refused to let go.
The next day, Li Nian arrived at 6 in the morning. Fu Xingchuan, who had slept for most of the day, woke up slowly.
“The situation is special. The participating team will stay in the hospital for recuperation for the time being, Zhou Gong and Qiao Shang will also stay behind. The base built in interstitial space is being cleaned up. Most likely it’s an internal stronghold of Sunken Society, so we’ll be quite busy after.”
Professor Li moved a chair, crossed his legs, and clasped his hands on his knees. He was dressed cleanly, with a shaven, smooth chin, but his eyes were full of exhaustion.
“As for the on-site data and samples, they have been followed up on. From the current research, this incident is very helpful for the study of ‘Evil Spirits’ and ‘the Other Side’.”
When he said the second half of the sentence, there was a bit of brilliance in his eyes.
Minister Fu turned his head on the pillow and grimaced. “Why are you telling me all this? I’m just an innocent advisor—I’ve been up for two days straight!”
Professor Li shot him a piercing glare.
“The person you brought up, Xiang Jiang, is so ‘capable’, that there’s nothing I can do about it.” Li Nian sneered.
“I didn’t die in the accident, so that kid is probably a little disappointed.” Fu Xingchuan finally let go of Yellow Millet in his hand. The latter made a small puff and then quickly slipped under the pillow.
Li Nian pretended not to see this tangible evil.
“Let’s talk about business. You wouldn’t be so bored as to ask me here just to have a chat.”
“Yin Ren sealed himself in the interstitial space. Be careful when you investigate.” Fu Xingchuan turned his head and looked at the ceiling. “I announced to the public that he died.”
Professor Li: “……”
He didn’t answer directly.
Fu Xingchuan chuckled wryly and said, “Lao Li, I guess we’re thinking the same thing.”
Sealing himself off might be a good outcome for everyone when it came to Yin Ren.
“The Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi sealed six Evil Spirits. I have never had doubts about this historical event.” Li Nian sat motionless in his chair and lowered his gaze slightly. “Even if it’s possible for one person to subdue countless evil beings, or even if those evil beings were helping him, it’s an exaggeration to say that ants can kill elephants.”
“Zhong Yi is definitely a very powerful evil. According to records, his strength is at least on par with or even greater than the Evil Force.”
“I know what you want to say—regardless of what kind of species Yin Ren is, his danger is no less than the Evil Force.” Fu Xingchuan pointed to Yellow Millet, who was peeking over the pillow, and it quickly scurried back under.
“There is no record of why Huajisi didn’t leave any information about Zhong Yi or why the Great Celestial Master was sealed for a thousand years. To trust an evil after only a few months of contact is too risky.”
Professor Li remained calm and composed.
“The current situation might not be a bad thing—Sunken Society has already reached interstitial space, so it would be nice to have fewer ‘unknown forces’ to worry about.”
“I’m just thinking, he has the ability to seal himself off and even break free, but still… Yin Ren is a very emotional and loyal person. Now I understand why the Fu family admired Zhong Yi so much,” Fu Xingchuan said softly.
“Now that Yin Ren has sealed himself off, and Zhong Chengshuo is dead, we can put the investigation aside for now. As for comforting the family, we’ll just follow Zhong Chengshuo’s own arrangements…”
After their musing, Fu Xingchuan put on a serious expression and intended to discuss important matters with Professor Li. Suddenly, he felt his pillow shake violently, and something shot out from underneath.
A loud bang shortly followed.
The flying Yellow Millet had smashed open half of the door of the isolation ward. Fu Xingchuan frowned and was about to perform a spell, but his gaze froze.
On the other side of the broken door, there was a familiar face.
The “emotional and loyal” Yin Ren was standing outside the door with a smile on his face, but his smile was a bit…no, very stiff. Yellow Millet was sticking to Yin Ren’s chest and making soft, puffing noises.
Fu Xingchuan: “…”
He stiffly turned his head to look at Li Nian, whose eyes widened slightly in rare surprise.
Oh no, it’s not an illusion.
‘Truly you can’t trust an evil being’s words,’ Fu Xingchuan thought blankly. Not to mention sealing himself off, Yin Ren’s skin looked radiant, and his hair was silky smooth—his condition was much better than before.
Fu Xingchuan straightened up solemnly, and he decided to find a serious expression in his head to at least calm the situation down—but as he moved, his angle changed, and he saw another familiar face behind Yin Ren.
Zhong Chengshuo stood expressionlessly behind Yin Ren with his hollow black eyes without focus.
Fu Xingchuan laid down.
Since the appearance of the small Divine Descent, this #1 Ghost General had been working tirelessly, yet his spirit had never been as exhausted as it was now.
Forget it, let’s talk while lying down. Anyway, he couldn’t win in a fight, and he didn’t feel like fooling around anymore. Fu Xingchuan even slowly turned over, leaving his back to Yin Ren outside the door.
Yin Ren: “……”
In the end, it was Li Nian who spoke, but the person he spoke to was Zhong Chengshuo. “What’s your situation?”
Zhong Chengshuo glanced at Yin Ren, maintaining his expressionless state, and responded with a calm, AI-like tone. “I am a flesh puppet created by Yin Ren to take care of the two Zhong elders and help them live out their later years in peace.”
After speaking, he even bowed properly.
Yin Ren quickly switched to a mournful tone and added, “That’s right. Zhong Chengshuo’s sudden departure was too abrupt, and I also wanted to use him to help me cope.”
“You’re saying this is a spirit weapon?” Li Nian frowned, completely ignoring the deep sadness.
As a result, Professor Li waited for a while but didn’t get a response from his partner. Li Nian turned around and saw that Fu Xingchuan was resolutely playing dead, facing away from them.
Without hesitation, Professor Li pinched him.
Fu Xingchuan squirmed in his blanket for a while before saying softly, “It’s hard to investigate these flesh puppets. Naturally the things made by the Great Celestial Master can certainly pass as genuine. If we want to check properly, we need to completely dismantle the flesh puppet.”
‘”Protocol”. Is this word even relevant in this room?,’ Fu Xingchuan thought mournfully.
Whether or not they could dismantle the flesh puppet depended on Yin Ren—to be honest, Fu Xingchuan had no interest in this so-called flesh puppet. With nuclear warhead Yin Ren right in front of them, it wasn’t necessary to worry about whether the warhead had been poisoned or not.
“No need to dismantle it.” Sure enough, Yin Ren quickly spoke up. “I can guarantee that as long as we’re inside Shian, I’ll be with him all the time, and won’t let him wander around on his own.”
Finally, Fu Xingchuan slowly sat up again with an expression that was hard to describe.
“You want to go back to Shian? I’ve already written your death report.” Fu Xingchuan looked melancholy. “It’s not impossible, but at least explain the situation first.”
After living for more than forty years, Fu Xingchuan suddenly felt that his life was really heavy, and he was afraid that even after death, he would have to carry a tombstone made of lead. The Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi was indeed a very emotional and loyal person, but his temperament was a bit too much, making it really difficult to judge.
For example, at this moment, Yin Ren instinctively grabbed the hand of the flesh puppet and held its fingers tightly.
It’s hard to say whether this was pitiful or creepy.
……
Under the abandoned building, Sunken Society Haigu Branch.
The stronghold in the interstitial space was mostly destroyed, and the other half was completely cut off from the original space, hidden in the vast expanse of interstitial spaces. Unless Shian could find a “Charon” who was proficient in breaking open space, they would never be able to dig here.
Shian did have a Charon named “Jiao Lian”, but she had long been disabled and was no longer a threat.
With the loss of the underground corpse vault, the Haigu Branch suffered heavy losses. However, the members coming and going in the stronghold had no worries on their faces. Instead, they showed a subtle excitement—
“Minister Shen has sent a signal!”
The group rushed towards the surface, their faces flushing.
“Quick, inform Boss Wei. Minister Shen is coming back early. He said next week, but he’s coming back early!”
Their destination was the deepest part of the Haigu Branch, almost as deep as the underground corpse vault.
Before the split in the interstitial space, along with the underground corpse vault, these two parts formed a perfect inverted pyramid structure, connected to form two sharp peaks. Now that half of the underground corpse vault was gone, the only thing left was the “brain door”.
The group of people in white coats hurriedly rushed towards the underground. They crossed the equally complex, infinite corridors and reached the deepest part.
There were no doors here; only a vast and empty darkness.
In the darkness, there stood an old-fashioned, dark white “city gate” about three meters high. There were no walls on either side, nor anything behind it, and it was only as thick as a hair.
The team cautiously stopped ten steps away from the gate.
At this distance, they could clearly see the brain-like structure on the city gate—or rather, it was a genuine brain. Hundreds of brains were interconnected, emitting a faint shimmer under the illumination.
The capillaries on their surface were semi-transparent black, and their orange-like convolutions were twisted and distorted.
Under the cover of the black blood vessels, hundreds of brains emitted soft squeezing sounds, twitching and trembling non-stop. Countless soft tubes were inserted into these brains, tangled like a snake, extending in the darkness and leading to machines placed in all directions.
As long as he didn’t turn around, he could treat that voice as an illusion and hold onto the positivity and relief he felt just a few minutes ago.
The terrible evil hadn’t let him go—it patted Huang Jin’s shoulder with one hand, and Yin Ren’s tone became gentler. “I actually wanted to visit you first, but now I don’t have to. Do you know where Fu Xingchuan is?”
Yin Ren’s hand lightly pressed on Huang Jin’s shoulder, and Huang Jin could feel the lingering Evil Force within him being quickly suppressed and drained. The coldness in his organs faded away, replaced by a warm flow like some kind of healing magic.
Thanks. Huang Jin painfully closed his eyes, realizing his full salary sick leave was being shortened again.
He tremblingly leaned on the IV stand, struggling to turn and face Yin Ren.
“I don’t know where Fu Xingchuan is,” Huang Jin said dreamily.
Yin Ren was still dressed in Zhong Chengshuo’s clothes, and his long hair was casually tied back behind his head. The warm sunlight slanted down, neutralizing the eerie atmosphere in Yin Ren’s eyes, giving him a look of classical beauty.
But in Huang Jin’s eyes, the mosaic was still there, appearing a lot calmer than before, without any signs of weakness.
And not far from him, there was another person standing. That person’s footsteps were as light as if they had pads on their feet, and Huang Jin hadn’t noticed them earlier.
The familiar pattern operated, and the familiar edge “diffused” into a fuzzy state. Huang Jin stared blankly at the person, only to see a thought slowly rolling by. “Is today a supermarket member day? I remember beef is 20% off. I can make some fresh beef slices on the weekend.”
People’s thoughts were like fingerprints—similar at first glance but with significant differences in features.
Huang Jin remembered this thought pattern, and this thought pattern belonged to a dead person.
Zhong Chengshuo.
So that’s it. Huang Jin thought peacefully. I’m dreaming. Now everything makes sense!
Thinking of this, even a smile like a stone Buddha statue appeared on his face.
Yin Ren saw through him but didn’t expose him. “Scared you? This is my flesh puppet. I found Zhong Ge… a part of Zhong Ge there.”
Although Yin Ren knew Huang Jin couldn’t see his expression, he still faithfully sprinkled sadness around.
Huang Jin’s eyes were blank.
What are you talking about? A flesh puppet can’t think.
Yin Ren sorrowfully stroked the face of the “flesh puppet”.
And the thoughts of the Zhong Chengshuo-brand “flesh puppet” shifted to “Oh right, Yin Ren likes to eat beef dumplings. We should buy more scallions and ginger when we go back.” and “We can make some extra and give it to the elders.”
“I can only bring him back this way.” Yin Ren lightly touched Zhong Chengshuo’s face. He “put on a forced smile” and said, “His parents are both criminal police officers, and a tangible ‘illusion’ is more reliable. It’s also more comforting.”
Huang Jin: “…” This dream was too weird that he couldn’t understand it.
Comrade Huang Jin stood like a statue in place.
Yin Ren let go of Zhong Chengshuo’s face and took two steps forward, pressing both hands on Huang Jin’s shoulders, adding a little force. “Huang Jin, with your expertise as a spirit smith, this is still qualified to be considered a flesh puppet.”
He spoke very slowly, with an extremely sad tone that made listeners feel heartbroken and brought tears to their eyes.
Huang Jin really did feel like crying.
Yin Ren’s pressure on his shoulder was neither light nor heavy, making him shudder. The pain was so real that Huang Jin couldn’t deceive himself any longer.
The gruesome scene of Zhong Chengshuo’s head being blown off was still vivid in his mind, while the “Zhong Chengshuo” with a complete thought process in front of him was contemplating ten different ways to wrap beef dumplings and his exact division of labor with Yin Ren. This scene was so fragmented that Huang Jin couldn’t comprehend it.
He foolishly stuttered a few “ahs” with empty eyes.
Yin Ren didn’t let go of Huang Jin, and his words became even more solemn and slow. “Do you really have no suggestions for my flesh puppet?”
Huang Jin: “Uh…um…”
“Great. If there are any shortcomings in the future, I’ll come to you for advice first.” Yin Ren forced a smile.
Huang Jin’s eyes were numb as they shifted, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
Wait a minute.
Regardless of what this Zhong Chengshuo was, he was definitely not a flesh puppet. Yin Ren dared to bring him back so brazenly, indicating that this thing was either Zhong Chengshuo himself or a creature that couldn’t be detected like Yin Ren.
Either situation was terrifying. Yin Ren came to find him specifically, probably to give him a heads-up.
Anyway, he was stuck dealing with these two scourges! As a small fry, he shouldn’t get involved in the fights of the gods.
Huang Jin wilted like a dying flower in the scorching sun. “Um, this, ahem, flesh puppet is perfect. I have nothing to add…”
It’s up to you to reveal the truth, Minister Fu. Huang Jin thought to himself.
“Good.”
Yin Ren not only didn’t leave, but his hands tightened even more.
“What about your wish?”
Huang Jin almost blurted out, “Can I never see you guys again?”, but he instinctively closed his mouth.
He couldn’t make wishes casually. If he had to make one, it must be within human capabilities.
Otherwise, he would be “followed” by “certain things”, which may not be a good thing.
…If he wished for wealth and riches right now, perhaps Yin Ren could really figure out a way to make it happen. With the bottomless power of this evil, producing some mystical treasures was probably not a problem.
Thinking about the wish, Huang Jin quickly became focused, and his limbs weren’t as stiff as before.
“Can I really make a wish?” He swallowed his saliva.
“Mm, I found him.” Yin Ren smirked. “We had a deal.”
Fear, numbness, desire, tension… Countless emotions pelted Huang Jin like hail.
He wanted to wish for money—to escape from everything and live a carefree life.
The idea buzzed in his head like a hornet’s nest. As long as he had a lot of wealth, he could spend his life in anonymity and comfort.
“Remember. Be cautious when making a wish,” Yin Ren answered softly. “I will only help you realize it, and I am not responsible for after-sales.”
Huang Jin looked at Yin Ren’s distorted mosaic, and suddenly became a little sober.
No matter how powerful an otherworldly evil was, it couldn’t alter the digits in a bank account. Even if it could, banks had skilled technicians and lawyers who could track the money. And if Huang Jin couldn’t explain where the money came from, he could get into trouble.
No matter whether it was a large amount of gold that Yin Ren offered him or some rare treasures to sell, with the advanced technology of modern times, anyone with a will could trace the whereabouts of the money. Whether he could protect himself when that happened was another question.
Unless the amount wasn’t too large, in the range of several million or tens of millions, at least it wouldn’t alarm those big shots. But if that were the case, this hard-won opportunity would lose its meaning.
Not everyone had the opportunity to make a wish to a “relatively friendly” evil.
Wishes must be made cautiously, and one shouldn’t be too greedy*.
*Beware of a snake’s stomach being too small for its prey (切忌人心不足蛇吞象) Idiom referring to one should not be too greedy or overreach oneself.
Huang Jin bit his nails.
Yin Ren let go of Huang Jin’s shoulder. “If you can’t think of anything, I’ll put it on credit for now and pay it off later.”
“Heal Ding Lizi’s eyesight, without leaving any other effects,” Huang Jin said.
Yin Ren was slightly stunned.
“Are you sure?” he said seriously.
“Yeah.” Huang Jin scratched his head. “I’ve thought about it, and this is the best wish.”
Under the thick mosaic, Yin Ren’s eyes and eyebrows curved, and he clicked his tongue twice. “I see. You rest, I’ll go find Fu Xingchuan myself.”
“Wait!”
Yin Ren had just taken a few steps when Huang Jin called out to him from behind.
Is he regretting it? Yin Ren raised his eyebrows and turned around.
“Don’t tell her that I made the wish. Just say that Shian found a treatment plan,” Huang Jin stared at the floor crack. “And please symbolically charge her some money. Thank you.”
“Huang Jin.”
“What?”
“Did I ever tell you that you might make a big achievement in the future?”
“No, you didn’t!” Huang Jin forgot about going to the toilet and started limping towards the ward. “Ah, what did you say just now? I didn’t hear anything…”
……
“The spatial partitioning is complete. According to the plan, we abandoned half of the base as a transition space and used it as a barrier layer. Theoretically, Shian can’t detect the remaining half. After careful processing, the base can still be used.”
Wei Huaqian returned to the top floor of the luxurious hotel.
He savored the liquid in the wine glass while listening to the incessant report in the communication line.
“The materials in the corpse vault are almost all destroyed, leaving only digital samples. There is no loss in the research data, but if there are to be any sacrificial activities in the future…”
Wei Huaqian moved his finger and cut off the line.
“Has the Minister of Technology returned from his investigation?” Wei Huaqian asked the newly cut line.
“Reporting, no. According to the current progress, Minister Shen and his team will not be able to return until next week.”
“I see.”
“Regarding the loss of sacrificial materials…” the voice on the other end trailed off.
“I’ll figure out a way,” Wei Huaqian replied impatiently and cut off the line again.
The large hotel room suddenly became quiet. The top-level manager of Sunken Society didn’t move, staring at the shaking wine in the glass.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Someone was knocking on the door. The sound was very light, and the interval was exactly the same.
“Come in,” Wei Huaqian said in a flat tone.
Click.
The soundproof and tightly locked door was pushed open by someone.
The man who came in was wearing a black coat and old-fashioned cloth shoes. He looked around forty, with a bald head. This person should have had a round and cheerful face, but he was so thin that he looked disfigured, matched with two huge bags under his eyes, and his face looked gray and harsh.
The man sat opposite Wei Huaqian, panting heavily, and his throat made a heavy sound of phlegm. Even through the fabric, one could see the sharp corners of his bones, making him seem like a shriveled, dry leaf that could be blown away with just a breath.
“It’s really not easy to see you. After so many years of cooperation, I don’t even know what your organization is called,” the man said.
Wei Huaqian stood up and poured him a glass of wine.
“This is the first time I’ve seen ‘you’. What should I call you?”
“My surname is Le, just call me Lao Le.”
Lao Le wrinkled his face and showed a bitter smile, not saying anything more. Wei Huaqian didn’t know if he didn’t understand his sarcasm or pretended not to understand.
Wei Huaqian’s gaze moved from Lao Le’s gray hair to his dusty cloth shoes.
“You have shown your face, which is considered a gesture of goodwill. Our branch suffered heavy losses this time. We hope that your side can provide some support in terms of sacrificial materials.”
Mr. Le looked at him bitterly. “There was a small Divine Descent in your base, and the remnants left behind are enough to use.”
“That’s the second thing I want to say—with all this commotion, our base’s location has been exposed to Shian. Whatever the minor Divine Descent left behind has fallen into the hands of Shian. Their elites have not been harmed but have gained a large amount of data.”
“I had to divide the territory in half, allowing those hypocrites from Shian to think they found the complete Haigu stronghold. Before we transfer to the backup stronghold, we can only play in the dark like this.”
He paused meaningfully for a moment.
“We couldn’t get the things we needed and instead added a lot of risks. If your side still wants to continue funding the research, you’ll have to show more sincerity.”
Mr. Le sighed loudly, wheezing for a while before turning his cloudy eyes to him. “Your research cannot stop. We can help you find another safe interstitial space, like before. As for the materials…”
He grabbed his hair in distress. “We don’t have much on our hands either. So, for the next six months, we will compensate you with six tons of Evil Force corruption sources—the high-quality type…yes, yes… it’ll be free.”
Wei Huaqian instinctively wanted to raise the price, but at this moment, a subtle sense of satisfaction and happiness rose from the bottom of his heart.
Enough. He made a lot of money. He needed to celebrate this successful negotiation. With six tons of Evil Force corruption sources, he didn’t know how much material he could produce from it. This made him truly happy…
It wasn’t until Mr. Le left coughing that Wei Huaqian realized that this compensation was almost worthless—the other side was willing to provide Evil Force corruption sources just to invest in the human experiments conducted by Sunken Society. The money collected wasn’t much to begin with.
That mysterious organization had only agreed to help them find a new place—but Sunken Society had already prepared a backup stronghold, so this “assistance” wasn’t substantive.
Wei Huaqian’s face turned black like the bottom of a pot.
This negotiation wasn’t even worth being called a negotiation; it was more like a scam. But when Mr. Le spoke, he genuinely felt excited and satisfied from the bottom of his heart.
And when he tried to recall Mr. Le’s face, he could only remember a blank space.
“Damn it.” Wei Huaqian gritted his teeth and cursed.
Forget it. For the sake of their goal, he would endure it.
……
At the same time, in Haigu Municipal Hospital.
After wandering around, Yin Ren finally found Fu Xingchuan’s ward. Fu Xingchuan had a leg injury even before the incident, and unlike Huang Jin, he was someone who knew about Yin Ren’s “self-sealing”.
Yin Ren hesitated for a moment, and the corners of his mouth drooped involuntarily.
“It’s over, it’s over.” The former Great Celestial Master was full of pain. “I gave him such a big melodrama. Even if I know how to explain it, it’s still too embarrassing!”
It’s just like if Romeo announced the death of Juliet, declared he was going to commit suicide, and then went home as if nothing had happened.
He needed to brew his emotions and adjust his state of mind. Moreover, he needed to be careful in his approach. In case Fu Xingchuan was seriously injured and weak, he might startle him…
“Puff—Puffffff—!!!”
As Yin Ren was contemplating, a shrill scream accompanied by a loud bang echoed, and a colorful ball smashed through the door, pouncing straight onto his chest.
Through the broken door, Yin Ren quickly scanned the area and locked eyes with Professor Li Nian along with Fu Xingchuan, who was lying on the bed.
Yin Ren: “……”
Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian: “……”
The “flesh puppet”, Zhong Chengshuo, had a serious face on while quietly taking half a step back.
The author has something to say:
Fu Xingchuan immediately set his new mobile phone ringtone: I don’t believe you asshole, you old rascal*.mp3
*This comes from an internet meme that refers to not believing what someone is saying. It spawned from a clip of a food delivery boy who took a short video and said this sentence, which was later made popular by netizens.
Kinky Thoughts:
You know, a lot of people don’t seem to like Huang Jin, but I feel for him. Poor guy is constantly met with misfortune in life, and he’s the only one (besides Fu Xingchuan) who somewhat knows the truth about Yin Ren (and also Zhong Chengshuo).
As Zhong Youde spoke, Zhong Chengshuo was calmly picking up garlic vegetables stir-fried and chewing them in small bites.
Half of the dishes on the dinner table were missing, and all kinds of aromas were mixed together. There were smiles on the faces of the two elders, as if they were treating it as an amusing little matter.
Yin Ren almost choked on his beer and had to hold back from coughing.
“Did you make a wish?” he asked, pretending everything was normal.
“How could we? We’re both too old to be fooling around like children.”
Cheng Xuehua laughed, making her wrinkles gather as she did. She had cut her hair short and dyed it black to look younger than her actual age.
“It must be that I told him that it was for the birthday boy to make a wish, and we didn’t want to interfere.”
Zhong Chengshuo continued chewing on his vegetables as if it had nothing to do with him.
“Really?” Yin Ren began to suspect something was amiss.
Seeing Yin Ren had a strange reaction, the two elders looked at each other.
“What happened at the time—I went to answer the phone after I finished speaking. Lao Zhong, you didn’t really make a wish, did you?”
“Isn’t this a way to get closer to children?” Zhong Youde was slightly drunk, shaking his head, “Xuehua’er*, you were too stubborn back then, so I was a bit more lax…”
*Adding an [er] (儿) to the end of a name when used as an address is a common way to express endearment towards that person.
Cheng Xuehua clicked her tongue and took the wine bottle away. “After drinking just two sips, you can’t even remember your own name. Cut it out.”
“What did you wish for, uncle?” Yin Ren looked at Zhong Chengshuo from the corner of his eyes and asked while still smiling.
Comrade Xiao Zhong was undoubtedly aware of Yin Ren’s gaze. He thought for a moment, then pushed the garlic vegetables in front of Yin Ren.
Zhong Youde was about to answer, but then something seemed to occur to him, and his expression became somewhat gloomy. Seeing her husband’s expression, Cheng Xuehua’s face suddenly became serious. “Lao Zhong, what did you say at that time?”
“It was nothing,” Zhong Youde said, shrugging his neck. “I couldn’t deceive the child. At that time, Xiao Zhong was so insistent, so I said, Dad will make a wish with you. At that time, we couldn’t let go of that case…”
“Zhong Youde!” Cheng Xuehua called out her husband’s full name.
“I, ahem, I just said that, ‘Daddy and Mommy hope to find your sister soon.’ Our son was so young and hadn’t heard about the case, so I just mentioned it briefly.”
Cheng Xuehua opened her mouth but only sighed. “You…”
Zhong Youde scratched his head and handed Cheng Xuehua an egg. “Don’t be mad.”
Yin Ren timely changed the topic. “Uncle and Auntie, shall we stay here tonight? We’ve just finished dinner, so let’s clean up the guest room. We haven’t seen each other for so long, let’s spend some more time together.”
Cheng Xuehua’s displeasure disappeared instantly. “Ah, that sounds good!”
The guest room in the elder couple’s house wasn’t big, with only a bed and a wardrobe, and the bedside table was squeezed into a small gap. When Yin Ren closed the door, it made the space even more cramped.
Zhong Chengshuo sat on the bed with his hands on his knees, innocently looking at Yin Ren. He wasn’t wearing his glasses now, which made him look even more innocent.
“…So you investigated the Divine Descent because of your sister. And you investigated your sister’s case just because your father made a wish on your birthday?” Yin Ren cut to the chase.
“That’s right.”
Without explaining or using ambiguous words, Zhong Chengshuo answered directly. He even seemed to wonder why he was being asked such a simple question, making Yin Ren speechless.
Since elementary school, Zhong Chengshuo had been conducting outrageous investigations. On the one hand, he transformed into “King Yama” and slew evil spirits to accumulate funds, while on the other hand, he was studying the “Divine Descent”, a huge topic that even Shian couldn’t handle. He even took the risk of exposing his own anomalies and joined Shian to gather more intelligence.
And all of this was just because his “sister”, whom he had never met, went missing during the Divine Descent.
This was already ridiculous enough, but it could still be explained by the desire to “repay his foster parents”.
But the reason this person started investigating in the first place was only because of a joke-like wish made by his adoptive father… And all of this investigation still hadn’t stopped to this day, all for the cost of a cake.
Sometimes Yin Ren really couldn’t tell if Zhong Chengshuo was too smart for his own good or if he was really a bit foolish.
When he was the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi, he also listened to all kinds of wishes.
When faced with someone much stronger than themselves, many people liked to make wishes, from small things like stealing chickens from one’s neighbor to grander things like destiny and their future—Yin Ren didn’t know how many wishes he had heard.
And yet, those were just wishes.
As for him, he helped as much as he could, and if he couldn’t, he would tell them straight up. He had too few contacts, and compared to listening to wishes from a higher position, he believed his approach was more like “helping neighbors”. People gave him daily necessities and food, and he sold his strength in return. It was a fair exchange.
This was how he, as a “person”, perceived things. Even if he lived like an Evil Spirit, he was a child born of humans. His physique prevented him from belonging to the human world, but he still yearned for the sights and sounds of the other side.
The problem was, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t care about any of that.
…So where did Zhong Chengshuo’s idea of “fulfilling other people’s wishes” come from?
Yin Ren reached out and cupped Zhong Chengshuo’s face. Zhong Chengshuo blinked and lifted his head to cooperate.
“Why?” Yin Ren’s voice was a bit hoarse.
Zhong Chengshuo clearly understood the question. He smiled very slowly, and his black eyes were still dim.
“Because everyone thinks this way,” he said. “People offer sacrifices to gods, and gods fulfill their wishes.”
Yin Ren’s palm was as cold as ice. “You said before that you didn’t know what you were.”
“That’s right, I don’t know.” Zhong Chengshuo tilted his head slightly and leaned against Yin Ren’s palm. “But this ‘concept’ has been acknowledged by someone before. So even if I do become a human, I still have to keep the promise.”
Someone had acknowledged it before.
In other words, before Zhong Chengshuo’s elementary school days, someone had acknowledged it.
“How long ago was that?” Yin Ren subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
“I don’t know. Actually, I’m quite interested in myself.” There was a hint of anticipation in Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes. “Now we can study each other to our heart’s content, Yin Ren.”
Yin Ren: “……”
Just when he thought he wouldn’t be surprised by any weirder things, Zhong Chengshuo always managed to surprise him.
Perhaps Yin Ren’s expression was too serious that Zhong Chengshuo’s face went from expectant to uncertain, and then to a slight nervousness. He stared at Yin Ren’s face fixedly without blinking.
“I have confirmed that except for being particularly healthy and having good physical fitness, I am no different from an ordinary person.”
Zhong Chengshuo sincerely added, “There’s nothing special about me, and I will bleed if I am injured. I have always guessed that if I were fatally injured at the human level, I would also die.”
Maintaining the posture of holding each other’s faces with both hands, Yin Ren leaned down. His smooth black hair slid down Zhong Chengshuo’s shirt as he spoke, swaying gently.
It was a kiss.
“I understand,” Yin Ren said gloomily. “The secret of the degree of marriage you mentioned refers to the difficulty of obtaining a marriage license, right?”
With his own situation already unclear and coupled with the even more unpredictable Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren was already worried for the people of Shian.
Zhong Chengshuo hesitated for a moment before reaching out his hand, then held Yin Ren’s waist with bated breath and focused attention.
He rested his forehead on Yin Ren’s chest, visibly relaxing his body.
“It seems that this time, we can’t avoid returning to Shian.”
Yin Ren stroked Zhong Chengshuo’s nape, and the soft hair brushed through his fingers.
The level of trouble with the current problem wasn’t something they could solve on their own. Compared to the infinite unknowns in front of them, the mediocre card of the “Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi” should be played out.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Xiao Yin, Xiao Zhong, do you want some fruit?” Zhong Youde cautiously greeted them from outside the door. “Dad just peeled some pomegranates, and the seeds are soft.”
“We’re coming!” Yin Ren replied loudly, then turned to see that Zhong Chengshuo had already gone to the closet to look for a nightcap.
The Ghost King couldn’t help but smile.
Oh well, the truth had been exposed. The real body of the sniper appeared, leaving many clues pointing to the Other Side—they had already caught a glimpse of the truth.
Zhong Chengshuo was still Zhong Chengshuo, and life had to go on.
The origin of the Divine Descent and Evil Spirits, the truth of the Other Side, and his mysterious lover. Let them unravel these mysteries one by one.
……
When Huang Jin woke up again, he saw the pale ceiling of the hospital.
His whole body felt like it had been run over by a truck, and every joint in his body creaked when he moved. Huang Jin nervously raised his head—luckily, his limbs were still intact and he hadn’t turned into a mutant or become disabled.
Huang Jin laid heavily back on his pillow.
This was a single-person ward, and his field of vision was filled with lightly colored IV drips. The palm of his hand, which had been cut open during the battle, was wrapped in thick gauze, and it was both painful and itchy. However, based on Huang Jin’s experience with injuries, this was already the result of scientific and metaphysical dual treatment.
They had come into close contact with a high concentration of Evil Force corruption, and just dealing with the contamination had probably exhausted all the efforts of the black seals of Shian. If they had left it alone, not only would his wound not heal, but it might even twist into a mouth.
Huang Jin grinned self-deprecatingly and struggled to recall his recent memories…
He remembered Fu Xingchuan repeatedly using sealing techniques to reinforce the flesh walls, and soon there was no place to apply his own tranquility talismans. He didn’t know what was happening outside, but the flesh walls they were in shook violently.
Although the flesh was relatively soft, it was still very dangerous. Lu Xiaohe came up with a clever idea and had everyone take off their jackets and tear them into strips to tie everyone together.
No one cared about gender differences, and everyone hugged tightly together. Within the spinning and swirling flesh cavity, Huang Jin quickly lost consciousness.
Since he had woken up, things were probably not too bad for the others.
Huang Jin instinctively breathed a sigh of relief, but then felt uneasy about it.
He chewed on the short few seconds of the outbreak of Evil Force, and the miraculous cooperation of the group. If he had been alone in that situation, he would have lost all his bones long ago.
This feeling of having support behind him was a bit exhilarating.
Huang Jin struggled to twist and finally sat up halfway at the head of the bed. Outside the window, it was already bright daylight, and the leaves had been dyed golden-red by autumn.
Maybe he shouldn’t have been so hostile to Shian… Even if they were sometimes excessive, they were the most reliable organization for metaphysicians. Maybe if he accepted this job, set his mind straight, his life would be more comfortable.
After this battle, it showed that his tranquility talismans were truly effective. Maybe he could use this to negotiate a raise?
Lu Xiaohe and Ge Tingting were also good partners. They had formed a bond through life and death, and it would be easy to get along with them in the future.
And… and King Yama was already dead, and according to Fu Xingchuan, Yin Ren, that monster, had also “died”. Although it was sad, without these two big obstacles, their future tasks would definitely be much more normal.
Next, even if the sky fell, it had nothing to do with their small C-level investigation team.
From today on, he would embrace life with optimism, and a peaceful life was ahead!
He had been on the IV drip for too long, and his bladder couldn’t take it anymore. Huang Jin took a few deep breaths and decided to solve the problem himself. He reluctantly got out of bed, propped up the IV pole, and planned to go to the bathroom.
This was Shian’s special campus, and the birds were singing outside. Huang Jin held the IV pole and basked in the sunshine of the corridor. The temperature was just right, and the air was filled with a sense of release.
Footsteps sounded behind him, and they sounded like those of a man.
It was probably a hospital staff member, so Huang Jin didn’t turn around and continued to feel the first ray of sunshine in his new life.
“Huang Jin, are you okay? That’s really great.”
A familiar voice sounded from behind him. The voice was soft and pleasant, and Huang Jin recognized it even if he turned to ashes.
Yin Ren.
Comrade Huang Jin’s face turned pale, and the warmth of the sun just now turned into ice and snow. His whole body was stiff, and he couldn’t move at all.
Although it was a bit immoral to say so, Fu Xingchuan had said it himself—Yin Ren was already dead! How could an evil die once and then become an evil again? What exactly was Yin Ren—some kind of evil matryoshka doll?
Fuck Shian, the world is really going to be destroyed!
The author has something to say:
The three-day period is up, and the Ghost King returns!
Yin Ren posed the question, but unfortunately, it didn’t successfully enter Zhong Chengshuo’s mind.
Unusually, Comrade Xiao Zhong was absent-minded.
The memories of the past three days kept spinning in his head, and Zhong Chengshuo found it hard to describe his feelings.
He had always been cautious, trying to minimize contact with others—just as bad habits could lead to disease and dirtiness, so could contact. Truthfully, Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t sure whether his condition could cause illness in ordinary people or what the consequences might be if they were infected.
All he could do was “raise” himself scientifically. Contact with people was too exhausting.
Perhaps due to his origins, Zhong Chengshuo had never had much sense of affiliation with “humanity”, let alone emotional needs. He knew very little about his physiological condition and had to be careful in every respect when he was in contact with his adoptive parents. Friends were naturally unnecessary, and he would never seek a romantic partner.
He had thought that he wouldn’t have any physiological desires—after all, he hadn’t even seen a member of his own kind.
Zhong Chengshuo had never thought that there would be a “person” who would instinctively make him wary, who was as afraid of the light as he was but attracted him in every way.
A few days ago, he felt more like a child who had never eaten ice cream.
Naturally, if he never tasted it, he wouldn’t crave it.
Sharing secrets with another person, creating secrets. The freshness of this “sharing” hadn’t yet passed, and it was an even greater shock.
‘What’s written in books wasn’t entirely right,’ Zhong Chengshuo thought.
If there was one word to describe the intermittent absurdity of the past, he would choose “safe”.
Even if this was the most dangerous situation of his human life.
Zhong Chengshuo’s fingers slid over the soft bundle of wings, passed over the firm and smooth skin, and finally delved into the fluttering wings. When Yin Ren breathed rapidly, those soft wings would tighten, and some would tremble slightly.
His monster accomplice was also unfamiliar, but extremely proficient in “how to adjust the state”. Yin Ren was still the calm Yin Ren. The Great Celestial Master of a thousand years ago, had never taken his eyes off him.
There was no infatuation or dissipation in those non-human red eyes; only the joy of being lost and found again, and a reassuring nonchalance.
But a strand of black hair always wound around his fingertips and never let go.
Perhaps they had never been so close to another person before. In their violent movements, there was tranquility. All uneasiness was expelled by those biting kisses, while worries faded by the skin sticking together, gradually disappearing without a trace. Zhong Chengshuo’s innate vigilance kept sounding the alarm until he became numb.
The only things left were desire and attachment.
Sensory and psychological stimulation hit at the same time, and Zhong Chengshuo didn’t want it to stop.
Inside the room, a sea of wings surged, and strange limbs that didn’t exist in the world passed over his fingers. Underneath his fingertips, there were slightly darkened, pale red marks. Yin Ren hung his head, and his soft hair scattered on Zhong Chengshuo’s chest.
For an Evil Spirit, his skin was slightly cool, probably specially controlled, and there was no sweat.
There was only Yin Ren’s strong and pleasant scent.
…And mint.
As the wings swayed and shook with the rhythm, Yin Ren involuntarily tightened his waist. He held a piece of mint facial tissue in his hand and had a smile on his face.
“You sweat just like a human.”
In his rapid breathing, the thousand-year-old Ghost King muttered in a low voice.
The slightly cool tissue gently swept up Zhong Chengshuo’s throat, all the way up. Compared to the hot skin, it was as cold as ice, licking away the sweat on his cheek.
The wing cluster on Zhong Chengshuo’s back swayed slightly, teasing and embracing at the same time. At that moment, Yin Ren bent down with difficulty, looking down at him, and that beautiful face was incredibly close.
His crimson eyes emitted a faint light, like wine shining by candlelight.
Zhong Chengshuo felt for the first time that this person’s beauty wasn’t simply attractive to mortals.
It was a shocking impact that belonged to him alone.
The last of the sweat was wiped away, and Yin Ren’s eyes curved with a smile. This time, the thing that brushed past his cheek was Yin Ren’s hand, and although his body trembled, his movements were extremely gentle.
From his cheek to his throat, it returned to the position where Zhong Chengshuo’s head had been severed.
…The weakness was exposed, and the instinct sounded the alarm, but the fierce sense of security surged more and more, almost overwhelming Zhong Chengshuo.
This feeling might be what humans call “happiness”.
Zhong Chengshuo lay on his lover and carefully analyzed his memories.
And whenever he stopped to think like this, Yin Ren would always give him a kiss—whether he was naked or not.
“You were distracted just now.” Yin Ren pointed out seriously. “So do you have confidence in playing an illusion?”
He waved his hand, and a figure exactly like Zhong Chengshuo stood by the sofa. The illusion was dressed neatly, expressionless, and wearing the loose clothes that he often wore.
Zhong Chengshuo: “……”
Zhong Chengshuo looked at Yin Ren in amazement, and his ears were dyed pink again.
“Yes, I remember you very clearly.” Yin Ren didn’t blush at all. “Do you have any objections, Mr. Zhong?”
“I can simulate this state.” Zhong Chengshuo rubbed his ears and turned his gaze to the illusion. “But this is an illusion, right? Once I touch something, I might reveal the truth.”
Yin Ren chuckled, and his eyes crinkled in amusement.
“Do you remember the ‘flesh puppet’ made by Fang Yuanyuan?”
“The fake Fang Yuanyuan that was used to test employees’ adherence to the rules when we joined the company?” It took less than half a second for Zhong Chengshuo to recall. “I remember, it’s a type of spirit weapon. Its breathing and heartbeat are indistinguishable from a living person’s, and even ordinary evil creatures can’t tell the difference.”
It was something that only high-level spirit smiths could create, and as “King Yama” of the Nightwalkers, Zhong Chengshuo had heard of it.
“I am the Great Celestial Master of Huajisi. Even if I’m only a spirit smith, I can still do it. It takes about three days… Well, top-level spirit smiths can make this kind of flesh puppet in three to four days, so that’s about right.”
Looking at the phantom sitting on the sofa, Yin Ren quickly calculated in his mind.
Even though he had been hesitant about the idea of “self-sealing” and felt embarrassed about changing his mind, he still didn’t want to stay outside for too long.
When the Evil Force erupted, he left Yellow Millet outside and made all the necessary preparations. With the symbol array suppressing the area and the incident happening in the hospital, his colleagues wouldn’t be wiped out on the spot.
But corruption was still a possibility.
If those corruption weren’t handled properly, there might be after-effects. Putting aside unfulfilled wishes, at least they were colleagues, and he didn’t want Unit 9 to end up with disabilities.
Even if the worst-case scenario happened and both Fu Xingchuan and Unit 9 were in danger… the world wouldn’t be in chaos. As a force to be reckoned with, he had to be at the forefront of Shian.
……
That night, the two of them, dressed in the same clothes, knocked on the door of the Zhong elders.
The one who answered was Cheng Xuehua, and her expression of surprise turned into delight when she saw her son and his boyfriend at the same time.
“Oh my, why didn’t you give us a heads-up before you came?” Zhong Youde’s voice boomed like a bell. “Your mom and I were just making plain noodles… Wife, bring out the lamb and make some more. There’s still time!”
“No need to trouble yourselves. We can just order takeout.”
Yin Ren squeezed Zhong Chengshuo’s hand tightly when he smelled the familiar scent of smoke.
Looking at the intertwined fingers of the two, Cheng Xuehua smiled and said, “Why order takeout? The oil and ingredients used outside aren’t good, unlike the food made at home. I just tried cooking lamb the other day, and it’s delicious—you two don’t move and just wait to eat!”
The old lady took out a full glass container from the freezer, which looked like it had been prepared carefully for a long time, and the amount of food inside didn’t look like leftovers at all. Even in its frozen state, the tempting aroma of the meat whetted their appetite.
“What’s wrong with you, Xiao Zhong? Your phone has been off for days, and your dad was worried sick!” Cheng Xuehua scolded as she heated up the lamb, throwing a sharp look at Zhong Chengshuo.
“In these past few days, I didn’t have time to prepare my phone.”
The two suspects had colluded with each other, and Zhong Chengshuo gave a straight-forward answer.
“It was our fault that Yin Ren happened to be busy as well.”
Zhong Chengshuo silently took two steps back, partially shielding himself behind Yin Ren. Cheng Xuehua shook her head with a smile and resumed her busywork.
Yin Ren: “…”
Perhaps Zhong Chengshuo hadn’t noticed it, but since stepping into this house, he had become more ordinary than ordinary people.
“We’ve been really busy these past few days, and as soon as we’re free, we came to see you guys. It was Zhong Ge’s idea to give you two a surprise.”
“You have a sweet tongue, but too bad my son’s brain can’t think that far ahead.”
Cheng Xuehua covered the pot with a lid.
“Don’t cover for him next time. You young people are really…”
Yin Ren inwardly smiled bitterly. If he were to be completely honest about his and Zhong Chengshuo’s “real work” in front of the Zhong elders, the old lady might have a heart attack.
But he suddenly realized a benefit—before, he felt a bit guilty facing the Zhong elders, but now that he saw that Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t really human, he didn’t feel guilty anymore as an ancient evil eating young grass*.
*(吃嫩草) Idiom referring to an older person having a romantic relationship with a much younger person (usually it’s a negative connotation implying the older person is taking advantage of the younger one).
Yin Ren happily sat down.
Tonight’s dinner at the Zhong family went from “vegetable and egg noodles” to “braised lamb noodles with garlic stir-fried vegetables and green onion omelet with tofu”, and the small dining table was nearly full of dishes.
The braised lamb was red and shiny, tender, and fragrant. The green onions paired with the chewy hand-pulled noodles emitted a warm aroma that made people’s appetites soar.
“This lamb is especially delicious when freshly stewed,” Cheng Xuehua said, poking at the meat and sighing. “Next time, give us some advance notice.”
“Going back to work tomorrow?” Zhong Youde casually picked up the conversation, handing Yin Ren a bottle of beer. “You’ve been so busy. Hasn’t Shian given you any time off? I heard there was a big incident at the Municipal Hospital.”
“Yeah, we’re going back to work tomorrow.”
Yin Ren paused in opening his beer.
“Uncle, what did you hear?”
“Isn’t Lao Sun’s daughter at the hospital? That girl, Sun Qi’an, works there. You guys met her—she was on duty there recently, and there were a lot of people yelling about ghosts in the hospital. There were also many suspicious-looking people around the hospital, and their abandoned building even collapsed… It was a disaster.”
Zhong Youde took a few sips of beer.
“Fortunately, that building had been abandoned for a long time, and there weren’t any homeless people in the hospital. No one died. Shian has been investigating it, and there were no signs of you two anywhere, so I thought you might be on some secret mission there…”
Yin Ren tightly gripped his beer bottle, his eyes shining slightly. “No one died?”
“We weren’t involved in the hospital operation.” Zhong Chengshuo truthfully added.
“Right, I heard a few people were injured and treated on-site.” Zhong Youde breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s good as long as everyone’s safe… Yin Ren, let’s have a drink together!”
“Xiao Yin, what month is your birthday?” Cheng Xuehua smiled at the “elder and younger” pair. “Xiao Zhong’s is at the end of this month. It’s almost here. If it’s close, why not celebrate together and let Lao Zhong make a double-layer cake?”
“Twenty-ninth of the twelfth lunar month*.” Yin Ren smiled and looked at Zhong Cheng. “It’s still a bit far away.”
*Basically Chinese New Year’s Eve (which normally varies depending on the lunar calendar).
Zhong Chengshuo hummed lightly.
“Well, that’s a hassle. I’ll have to make two cakes.” Zhong Youde laughed loudly. “Did Zhong Chengshuo never tell you about his childhood? It’s quite interesting.”
This time, Yin Ren became genuinely interested. “His childhood?”
“Yes, my silly son’s first proper birthday party.”
Zhong Youde’s gaze stopped in the air; his face was slightly reddened from alcohol, and a hint of nostalgia appeared on his face.
“At that time, Zhong Chengshuo was so young… We thought, since he had just started first grade, let’s celebrate together and buy him a big cake. I’m ashamed to say that my wife and I hadn’t retired yet, and we hadn’t had much time to spend with him.”
The Ghost King listened with a smile, and a strand of long hair inadvertently draped over Zhong Chengshuo’s sleeve, wrapping around his arm.
“Then what happened?” Yin Ren asked eagerly.
“Then? Then we put candles on the cake and sang ‘Happy Birthday’. Do you know what his first reaction was?”
Zhong Youde chuckled.
“He asked very seriously, ‘Is this fresh milk, oil, sugar, and wheat for me?’ We said yes, and this kid still didn’t stop asking.”
“Then he asked, ‘Are these candles and the song for me too?’ My wife and I were amused and said yes, they’re all for you. Xiao Yin, can you guess how he responded?”
Zhong Youde put down his wine glass and laughed out loud.
“He said, ‘Okay, then you guys can make a wish.'”
The author has something to say:
When writing about Xiao Yin’s return, I suddenly remembered the story I had seen before about an “Indian couple jumping into the river for love, with one person faking the jump and the other knowing how to swim”…
After Xiao Yin and Xiao Zhong’s situation is revealed, I’m afraid it will become:
“Shian couple sealing their love by dying together, with one person faking death and the other not sealing.”
Kinky Translations 