Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 113: Misjudgment

Six yellow talismans lay in a row. A vermilion writing brush floated above them, wildly sketching in the firelight. Red ink formed sharp lines, gradually revealing a map of the tomb.

The map resembled the character “山*”. Three large burial chambers sat at the ends of the branching paths. At the central intersection, a small circle was drawn.

*Mountain.

“Our current base is here.”

Cen Ling pointed to the circle. “The central passage leads into the main structure of the tomb, constructed during the Kui Dynasty to house spirit coffins. The left path is newly built and holds the relics stored by our sect. It’s stocked with plenty of supplies.”

Bai Sui perked up. “I know the right path! It was only half-finished during the Kui Dynasty. The immortal objects are kept there, and someone used to guard it!”

Bai Sui didn’t seem all that impressed with Cen Ling’s generosity toward fellow sect members. But when it came to ghosts and strange things, the kid lit up with energy.

Cheng Songyun couldn’t help but ask, “How old are you?”

“Fourteen,” Bai Sui said proudly, puffing out his chest as though it were something worth boasting about.

“The tug-of-war between the Underworld and the living world settled on fourteen as the minimum age for disaster resolution rituals,” Cen Ling helpfully added. “By the way, the maximum is seventy-five.”

Age restrictions weren’t surprising to Cheng Songyun. Offerings too young or too old wouldn’t be very effective… But still, fourteen was too…

“I was afraid I wouldn’t be selected in time, so I made sure to kill two extra people,” Bai Sui said cheerfully. “Turns out I got paired with Cen Ge. Everyone’s so jealous!”

Cheng Songyun: “…”

Cheng Songyung: “You wanted to come in yourself?” 

Her skin crawled as she looked at his proud face.

Bai Sui rolled his eyes. “I get to be Cen Ge’s assistant and make a wish come true. Can you think of a better deal?”

“Kids are fast and healthy. Their spiritual sensitivity to ghosts is also sharper. Honestly, the younger the better—coming in older puts you at a disadvantage. You get it.”

Cen Ling pressed a hand on Bai Sui’s head. “That’s enough. Back to business.”

Bai Sui: “…Oh.”

Cheng Songyun forced herself to keep a neutral expression. She glanced toward Mei Lan, who was staring at Bai Sui with faint anger in her eyes.

Still, when she spoke, her voice was calm. “If the left path holds supplies, there must be many magic weapons.”

Cen Ling nodded. “I suggest we move the base to the left chamber. The enemy favors stealth. It’s best we take a defensive stance. That area is easier to defend and harder to breach. At least we’ll know what path they’ll take.”

“This ritual can’t afford chaos. If we panic, the rhythm breaks. As for daily needs, the left side has access to an underground river for fresh water.”

Mei Lan gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment.

Guan He: “Passive defense? What if there’s a time limit?”

Cen Ling’s logic was solid, but the idea of taking orders from him still rubbed Guan He the wrong way.

“There’s no evidence suggesting that yet,” Cen Ling replied patiently. “Usually, an E focuses on one mechanic. Since the Grave-Sealing E follows a mimicry theme, it likely won’t throw in a time-limit rule.”

…This guy really knew his stuff. Guan He grudgingly fell silent.

“In my personal opinion, we should relocate before midnight and fortify our position quickly.”

Seeing that no one objected, Cen Ling handed each person a copy of the tomb map.

“The enemy might strike before we’ve settled in. Tonight’s a perfect chance for them. It’s best if no one wanders and concentrate on defense.”

That last line was aimed at Bai Shuangying.

Bai Shuangying glanced at the map but didn’t take it or respond. His gaze drifted between the map and Cen Ling, finally settling on the wooden door of the temporary base.

Years of disuse had warped the door slightly, leaving a two-finger-wide gap at the bottom. Right now, a pair of upside-down black eyes was staring through it, fixed on the room inside.

Noticing Bai Shuangying’s gaze, those eyes met his without hesitation. They even curved slightly.

It was Fang Xiu.

After the silent greeting, Fang Xiu’s eyes slowly shifted toward Cen Ling.

Cen Ling seemed to sense something. He turned sharply toward the door, but in the darkness, it looked perfectly normal. The bottom was sealed with tidy edge trim.

He sighed in relief and continued, “Anyway, our goal tonight isn’t to defeat it. If we can confirm its true form, that’s already a win. Once we know what we’re dealing with, the taboo will—”

Cen Ling paused. Something felt off.

…Did this door have edge trim?

He turned back and looked again. The neat trim at the base was gone, replaced by empty blackness. He squinted, replaying what he’d seen—a fleeting image. What had blocked the gap wasn’t any trim. It had been fingers, curling inward through the door gap.

So many fingers squeezed together in perfect alignment, it had given an unnervingly neat appearance.

Worst of all, it had been just five steps away from him, yet he’d heard nothing. No breath, no presence.

Damn it—it had been here just now! When had it started eavesdropping? And how much had it heard?

Cen Ling wasn’t sure whether the enemy was arrogant or just fearless. The hiding technique was flawless. The Grave-Sealing E alone couldn’t achieve that. It had made no sound at all, like a spider creeping along a wall.

He stared at the darkness for a while, then closed his eyes and murmured a calming mantra. “Return to the mountain, return…”

While Cen Ling was focused on the door, Mei Lan gave Bai Shuangying a glance.

Five minutes later.

While the others packed up, Bai Shuangying quietly moved next to Mei Lan and activated a sound-silencing spell.

“It’s my fault.” Mei La’s face was pale as paper. “I should’ve told you earlier. I thought…”

Bai Shuangying clutched Fang Xiu’s head tighter. “Focus.”

“In the legends about the Grave-Sealing E ‘summoning guardians’, there’s another version.”

Mei Lan lowered her head, catching a glimpse of Fang Xiu’s head and quickly looked away as if shocked. “It’s said the E will summon the ‘strongest guardian’. That’s emphasized.”

“Guan He seemed unsettled, and that thing acts a lot like Fang Xiu. Do you think Fang Xiu… became the tomb guardian?”

“You thought it would pick Cen Ling.”

Bai Shuangying leaned against the wall, watching Cen Ling busy with preparations. “If Cen Ling had become the tomb guardian, he wouldn’t hide anything for the Guishan Sect. He’d fight with everything to protect the tomb.”

“With Fang Xiu present, there’d still be a chance to keep the rest of us alive. It wouldn’t be a complete massacre.”

Mei Lan’s strategies were more straightforward than Fang Xiu’s.

If her plan had worked, Fang Xiu would’ve gained credit for resolving the E, Cen Ling would’ve been eliminated, and the Guishan Sect’s conspiracy exposed. This could be called killing three birds with one stone. To showcase Cen Ling’s capabilities, she’d even summoned Underworld agents.

But Mei Lan never accounted for how “mysteriously ordinary” Fang Xiu was. To the Grave-Sealing E, he appeared more powerful than Cen Ling.

“A total mess,” Bai Shuangying said bluntly.

Mei Lan stood still, trying not to let the disappointment show on her face.

“…Still, I might’ve confirmed one of the taboos,” Bai Shuangying said softly.

Mei Lan didn’t even bother to hide her ugly expression. She turned to him at lightning speed and looked at him as if he was an alien.

Bai Shuangying: “…”

He said disdainfully, “The first taboo of the Grave-Sealing E is that the strongest’s karma will get contaminated. The corpse guardian rotates.”

He reluctantly elaborated.

The first taboo curses the strongest intruder, turning them into the tomb’s guardian. It even offers “body replacement” options to maximize utility.

If Fang Xiu’s soul had been completely destroyed, the E would’ve chosen the next strongest, repeating until no one remained.

From the E’s perspective, this was the ideal magic weapon.

But something puzzled Bai Shuangying—despite the contamination on his karma, Fang Xiu seemed relatively unaffected. His memory might’ve been wiped, but his personality was intact. He hadn’t turned into a mindless killer. This could be said to be even a bigger blunder than Mei Lan’s plan.

…He needed to get closer to Fang Xiu and confirm it.

……

Even knowing the plan might be exposed, Cen Ling insisted on relocating.

This site connected to three paths, which was good for exploration, but bad for survival. Since the enemy used sneaky tactics, it was best to strengthen defenses…

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The door thudded in a disturbingly familiar rhythm. Bai Shuangying looked up.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

No one answered. The knocking continued, now relentless as a storm.

Cen Ling raised his spear and stood at the front. Bai Sui dropped his usual grin, clapped his hands, and electric sparks danced between his fingers.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The door wasn’t sturdy. A strong man could easily kick it down. But whatever was outside knocked with unwavering patience—each knock perfectly timed.

Cen Ling stayed calm, not responding. The knocking suddenly stopped and a sigh came from the other side.

“I’ll take a look.” Bai Shuangying drew out his Peach Bone Evil and slipped past Cen Ling.

“No!” Cen Ling immediately stopped him. “For some evil beings, opening the door is an invitation!”

“This door has to open eventually. Why fuss over a few minutes?” Bai Shuangying didn’t care. “If you keep it shut, the thing can just sit outside forever. Is that how you want to resolve this?”

Cen Ling had never seen someone so confidently reckless. He was momentarily speechless.

Unable to stop Bai Shuangying from “seeking death”, he switched to defense and plunged his spear into the ground. A cage of light spears rose around the door in a half-circle.

Everyone but Bai Shuangying stayed behind the “cage”.

He placed his hand on the modern metal handle. The spring let out a high-pitched creak, and the latch clicked open.

He eased the door open. The Peach Bone Evil in his hand glowed faintly; its presence outshone even the light spears.

Outside, there was only pure darkness, and a figure in the distance.

The person wore a dark red burial shroud and stood stiffly like a statue. Countless corpse hands were plastered over his head, completely obscuring his face.

Bai Shuangying stepped past the threshold, facing the familiar-yet-unfamiliar figure.

After a long pause, the man slowly raised a hand and wiggled his fingers.

Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock. Knock knock knock.

The door behind Bai Shuangying thudded again. Even though he was ready, it startled him. His hand loosened, and the door slammed shut behind him.

He was now alone outside, surrounded by darkness.

“I caught you.”

The two spoke in unison.

---

The author has something to say:

Today is Xiao Fang’s birthday, but I’m late _(:з」∠)

Sorry, Xiao Fang! I’ll write you a sweet (?) kiss tomorrow!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 112: Puzzle of the Truth

Crack.

A tall, thin woman stepped back and accidentally crushed gravel underfoot in the tomb passage.

She clutched her paper lantern with such force her knuckles turned white. The flickering light couldn’t pierce the darkness. From that darkness, a slick dragging sound crept closer.

Raising the lantern in her left hand, she gripped a green jade pendant over her chest with her right. Her bracelet artifact was scalding hot, sending frantic warnings.

In the blink of an eye, all movement stopped—both footsteps and dragging.

The “thing” in the dark became visible: it looked like a skinned human, with teeth exposed and its eyes reduced to gory sockets. It dragged a sack-like object that, on closer inspection, turned out to be a nearly complete human skin.

The skin was stuffed with something unknown and was no longer human shaped. It was covered in mucus and bloodstains, like a rag doll that was crudely assembled.

The creature opened its tongueless mouth at her, releasing a sharp cry from deep in its throat. It sounded like a scream, or maybe a laugh.

A nauseating stench of rot and corpse poison hit her. She bit her tongue and spat blood onto the lantern, forcing out a barely stable “clean zone”.

Still gripping the jade pendant, she let a bronze dagger slide from her left sleeve. Her face was drenched in sweat.

Years ago, black Taoist priests performed spells regularly to maintain this holy land and ensured that the evil spirits here could be controlled. But ever since the site was sealed, there was no longer any maintenance, so those protections had collapsed.

In the years that followed, evil spirits had bred unchecked in the tomb, devouring each other. Any that survived were like lesser Ghost Lords.

The thing in front of her radiated yin and yang energy. She was sure she couldn’t win.

She should never have investigated alone. She should’ve regrouped with Mr. Cen.

If only…

A burst of white light flared without warning, nearly blinding her. When it dimmed, the evil spirit’s limbs and eyes were all sealed with yellow talismans. A spear of pure light had pierced through its chest.

Platinum-colored runes swirled around the spirit. Black smoke spewed from the spear wound like a burst dam. The creature shriveled rapidly, collapsing like an ice sculpture under sunlight.

Finally, with a crisp crack, it turned to motes of light, leaving behind only the bloated human-skin sack.

The entire encounter lasted less than two minutes.

“Mr. Cen!”

The woman turned in shock and relief.

The spear of light flew neatly back into Cen Ling’s hand. He spun it effortlessly and smiled reassuringly.

“You’ve done well,” he said gently. “The situation’s worse than expected. I should’ve come for you sooner.”

“I’m okay! Really. Everything else was minor. This one was just unusually hard to deal with.”

She hurried to explain. “It had traces of ghost immortal aura. My cultivation couldn’t suppress it…”

“This is likely due to the Grave-Sealing E.” Cen Ling helped steady her. “You did great. If you hadn’t held it off, I wouldn’t have had time to prepare that kind of spell.”

His tone and expression were warm, like he was talking to a real sister. “Thank you for your hard work. Take a break at the base.”

Cheng Songyun watched Cen Ling closely.

During the exchange, the light-spear disappeared into thin air. It was either a special magic weapon or one of Cen Ling’s anomalies.

Cheng Songyun knew Fang Xiu was powerful, but he relied more on intellect than brute strength.

Cen Lin was undoubtedly strong, but this strength was overwhelming. Just approaching that skinless creature had made her skin prickle painfully. But before it could act, Cen Ling had already neutralized it like it was nothing.

Not even the Zhuang Pengdao encounter had been this forceful.

“Wow, it’s full of chopped-up hands.” Bai Sui pried open the “skull cap” of the skin sack and exclaimed, “They’re all black and shriveled like cured meat. Gross.”

“The ghost hand that dragged that person off looked the same. They wouldn’t be breeding these things in bulk, right?”

He pulled out a Samadhi True Fire talisman from his pocket and tossed it onto the human skin bag.

“Ghost hand farm’s closed!” he cheered.

Cen Ling gave him a helpless look. “That’s enough. Get everyone back to base. We still need to check in on Mr. Bai.”

“Pfft. Boring,” Bai Sui muttered. “Fine, fine. Brothers and sisters come first. You are most important.”

“What about Brother Wu?” The woman seemed to be accustomed to Bai Sui’s nonsense.

“Brother Wu has returned to Guishan.” Cen Ling showed a flash of regret. “Another group went to investigate. We’ll know more once we’re back.”

The woman nodded. Walking beside Cen Ling, her fear vanished. She looked full of confidence. Cen Ling, for all his power, didn’t flaunt it. He simply retraced their path without hesitation.

Faced with a teammate like this, Cheng Songyun wasn’t sure how to feel.

Zhuang Pengdao also had his inhuman “rationality”, which repelled people. Cen Ling, by contrast, didn’t even seem like a cultist. The young man was warm, likable even.

But the grudge between Fang Xiu and Mei Lan wasn’t groundless.

So she kept quiet, taking it all in. Once Fang Xiu… once Bai Shuangying returned, this information would be useful.

“Heehee.”

Suddenly, a giggle came from the darkness behind them.

That voice was oddly familiar. Cheng Songyun froze mid-step while Mei Lan turned stiffly.

“Why are you setting fires in someone else’s home?” The voice continued, “You broke into my house and burned my pets. That’s just mean.”

Bai Sui recognized it too. “That’s Hong Shuangxi’s voice!”

Cen Ling stared at the darkness warily, aiming his light spear towards the sound.

Clatter. Something rolled from the dark.

A black ball came to a stop at their feet. The paper lantern lit up Fang Xiu’s face—no, it was a freshly severed head, cleanly cut, with a frozen smile.

“Isn’t that…”

Isn’t that the head Bai Shuangying had been carrying? Cheng Songyun’s scalp prickled.

What had happened to Fang Xiu? Where was Bai Shuangying? Were they both…?

“Run!” Mei Lan yanked Cheng Songyun back. She stumbled, then retreated several steps.

Cen Ling pointed his spear at the head, almost touching Fang Xiu’s nose. His expression was grim, trying to assess what he was seeing.

“Too cruel,” the head repeated, grinning. “Too cruel.”

Cen Ling: “Mr. Hong Shuangxi, do you still remember who I am?”

The head blinked, its mouth curling up. “Do you remember me?”

“If you have even a sliver of memory or consciousness, show it—otherwise, I’ll treat you as an enemy.”

“I’ll treat you as an enemy.” The head’s grin widened into an impossible arc, distorting its once-handsome features.

Bai Sui crept behind Cen Ling. “Cen Ge, it’s mimicking you!”

“Mimicking you.”

The head bobbed dangerously. “Really? Really?”

As soon as the voice fell, the entire head was covered with crimson ghost fire, lighting up the space. Cen Ling didn’t hesitate. He thrust the spear forward and impaled the head.

But unlike the earlier spirit, it didn’t burn. Instead, it burst into a shrill, unsettling laugh.

“…Gotcha.”

It stuck out its tongue.

That was the last thing it said.

The next moment, the woman Cen Ling had just saved collapsed.

Her neck was bent at an unnatural angle. While everyone had focused on the head, something had silently snapped it—like a magic trick.

As she fell to the ground, a ghost hand stuck out of her mouth. It forced her tongue down so she couldn’t make a sound.

She’d tried to activate a talisman in her hand, as if she was trying to save herself, but failed.

Shock flashed across Cen Ling’s face, quickly turning to rage.

“Run!” He quickly made a decision. This was obviously a trap set up by the other side. Fighting now was too dangerous.

From the darkness, another giggle.

More ghost hands crept out, slowly dragging the corpse into the shadows.

……

Base Camp.

Bai Shuangying was anxiously cradling a head when a group burst in.

Cen Ling’s face twitched when he saw the familiar head. Cheng Songyun sighed in relief—Fang Xiu’s real head was intact. So the other one must’ve been an illusion.

But why hadn’t the little black dog reacted?

In fact, the dog was wagging its tail gently at the head, brushing her arm. That was the only reason she hadn’t cast a spell.

Cheng Songyun couldn’t make sense of it.

Bai Shuangying, seeing the group’s expressions, protectively hugged the head. “Where’s the person you went to save?”

The four exchanged subtle looks. “……”

Way to hit the sore spot.

“We didn’t save her,” after a long while, Cen Ling finally said.

Bai Shuangying’s face twisted in mockery. He shot Cen Ling a look. “I confirmed the other one’s body. He was eaten by a demon hound. There was only scraps left.”

He omitted the part about seeing Fang Xiu directly. Guan He nodded along.

Cen Ling wasn’t surprised. “There are demon hounds in the tomb. If the body was devoured, it’d be hard to determine cause of death.”

Bai Sui peeked over. “So there’s just six of us left. Cen Ge, this is wild.”

“Bai Sui. Show some respect for the fallen.” Cen Ling sighed. He looked as if he was about get a headache. “Anyway, I’ve figured out a bit of their methods.”

Bai Shuangying paused his stroking of the head. “?”

“That thing is very clever. It knows how to manipulate people and avoids direct confrontation.”

It had gone after the most relaxed member—the woman who had just escaped danger. Not even Bai Sui had been that defenseless and she was weaker than him. It was a perfect target.

“It can probably disrupt spells, but its real strength isn’t that high. It relies on sneak attacks. If it had overwhelming power, it wouldn’t bother with tricks.”

Cen Ling’s tone sharpened. “From now on, no one should act alone. Stay alert. Most important: we need to flush it out.”

Bai Sui: “Hey, I’m on it! I’m great at this stuff. But Cen Ge, why’d it use Hong Shuangxi’s face? And where is Hong Shuangxi…?”

“Maybe to show it could replace people, stir up suspicion within our group.”

Cen Ling’s face darkened. “That’s just a guess. We don’t have enough data.”

“Either way, be mentally prepared. This is going to be a tough battle.”

……

At the stone coffin plaza.

Under ghost fire light, a jade pendant glowed dully.

Fang Xiu held the red cord, gently rocking it. He rested his cheek on one hand as he stared at the engraved “Guishan” symbol.

He had dumped the woman’s corpse into the water inside the stone coffin like discarded vegetables.

“When my head appeared, the two women recognized me. The two men didn’t.”

“When the lone woman was killed, the men reacted while the women didn’t have any special reaction.”

He sat on the coffin lid, muttering, “The two men are close, and don’t know ‘Fang Xiu’s’ real name…”

That kid’s comment had been interesting if he thought about it carefully.

If “Fang Xiu” was being hunted but couldn’t reveal his name, then the enemy likely didn’t know his face.

So, a stranger still hunting him meant either a personal connection, a hired killer, or gang vengeance.

Those group of people called each other brother and sisters, but they looked quite different, and they all wore matching “Guishan” pendant that irked him. One of the dead had claimed to be from the Guishan Sect. So…

“‘Fang Xiu’ came from outside, holds a grudge against Guishan, yet traveled here with their members.”

Fang Xiu calmly processed the info. “What a fun setup. So they have to cooperate despite the grudge. Why?”

Mid-thought, he grabbed his head and hissed.

Even after killing two intruders, his instincts screamed to murder all the living. It was a thirst from the depths of his soul that he could barely suppress.

…Don’t think. Don’t reason. Just kill.

…Destroy them. Crush them. Erase them.

Fang Xiu rubbed his temples hard, then rolled up his sleeve and looked at the bloody words. “Mine, Bai Shuangying.”

Just picturing that awkwardly handsome young man cleared the fog a little.

That guy matched his aesthetic perfectly. The blood writing had to be his own work. Yes—he didn’t belong here. He didn’t need to feel guilt over the urge to kill.

…He just had to trust the hint.

If he couldn’t hold back, he’d start with the Guishan people. That couldn’t be wrong. And meanwhile, he had to find a way to return to “normal”.

Tracing the scars on his arm, he thought carefully.

“Hmm. Maybe I should drag Bai Shuangying back and ask directly…”

---

The author has something to say:

This time the boss is solving riddles (Xiao Bai: what about me?)

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 111: Absolute Rationality

Tomb stronghold.

After the wailing stopped, Cen Ling signaled to Bai Sui, then looked to Bai Shuangying. “…Looks like this isn’t the time to rest.”

His friendly expression vanished. Worry and anger were written clearly on his face.

“That brother’s life force has vanished. His soul has returned to Guishan. One more is still alone. I have to go support him.”

Bai Sui finally looked a little tense. “The enemy moved way too fast.”

Guan He asked, “Could it have been a normal evil spirit attack? Or a trap?”

“Don’t lump the people of my sect in with amateurs.” Bai Sui rolled his eyes. “Everyone in my sect can fight. No way someone dies that pathetically. And this is our sect’s holy land. How would traps even—”

“Bai Sui, show respect to your fallen brother.” Cen Ling barked. Bai Sui immediately shut his mouth and stared intently at his toes.

Still, while Cen Ling agreed on immediate action, the group split along two different paths.

“I’ll check the body.”

Bai Shuangying had no interest in these remnants of the Zhuang family. Honestly, he’d be happy to see them all dead. He wasn’t invested in resolving the E either. He just wanted to recover his human’s soul.

With that, he turned and left.

The little black dog whimpered and tilted its head toward him. Cheng Songyun patted the warm head, exchanging glances with the others.

“I’ll go with him,” Guan He offered, clearing his throat. “I’m good at concealment and scouting. If anything happens, I can escape.”

Cheng Songyun and Mei Lan chose to join Cen Ling’s group, saying they specialized in defense.

Cen Ling glanced at them both and gave a grateful nod.

Splitting up to investigate and provide support wasn’t a bad move. The team divided, not quite evenly, but agreed to regroup later.

Only the little black dog gave Cheng Songyun a sad, crescent-eyed look. It clearly wanted to follow Bai Shuangying more. She rubbed its ear to comfort it.

……

Time returned to the present.

Guan He’s heart was in his throat. He felt like it might leap out of his mouth.

As the scent of blood thickened, Bai Shuangying instinctively disappeared into the shadows, acting as if Guan He didn’t exist. Realizing the ghost had no interest in saving him, Guan He covered his eyes with the black veil and prepared to rely on himself.

That veil, it was Fang Xiu who had picked it out for him. If something had really happened to Fang Xiu…

…And then he saw “Fang Xiu”, wearing a dark red burial robe, half of him drenched in blood.

For a moment, Guan He thought he was seeing Fang Xiu’s twin. The man before him looked exactly the same, physically intact, but his gaze carried none of the familiar warmth.

He brushed his bangs aside, revealing a handsome, shadowed face. His pitch-black eyes, gleaming faintly under the dim light, were cold enough to chill one’s spine.

What was going on? Wasn’t Fang Xiu unconscious?

Cen Ling had talked about soul contraction and a living corpse… So who was this?

The whole situation was too strange. Since the ritual began, Guan He had never been so afraid. Compared to this, that accursed Weishan village felt like a vacation.

“Are you Bai Shuangying?”

The “Fang Xiu” before him smiled. The pool of blood beneath his feet looked darker than the shadows.

“No,” Guan He croaked. He took two steps back and licked his cracked lips. Goosebumps had shot up all over.

“That’s good,” Fang Xiu said lightly. “It’d be pathetic if I were obsessed with some kid.”

He knows Bai Shuangying? He’s obsessed about Bai Shuangying?

Hope suddenly sparked in Guan He. “Fang-Fang Xiu… You still remember—”

“Who’s Fang Xiu?” Fang Xiu blinked in confusion.

He stepped forward towards Guan He. Behind him, dozens of demon hounds turned in unison, red eyes locking onto Guan He. Their mouths were smeared with leftover meat and innards.

The spark of hope in Guan He’s heart died on the spot.

He searched Fang Xiu’s face for any sign of familiarity. Instinct warned him. If he turned and ran now, he might not make it.

“You… you look like someone I know.” Guan He closed his eyes and stammered. “I… I’m one of Fang Xiu’s teammates. So is Bai Shuangying. We came here to resolve the E.”

Then, without thinking, Guan He added, “But don’t call yourself Fang Xiu, and don’t say we’re teammates. Another group is looking for revenge…”

Fang Xiu was stunned, then he burst out laughing, finding this quite amusing. It took him a long time to stop. “But we were enemies to begin with.”

Great. Just great. Those two words flashed in neon inside Guan He’s head.

Whatever this thing was, it looked just like Fang Xiu.

With Fang Xiu, survival was possible. Without him, there was still a fighting chance. But if Fang Xiu was the enemy… giving up might be the more realistic option.

Fang Xiu idly petted a demon hound while several corpse-hands circled above his head like a twisted halo.

He stared at Guan He. “How about this. Before I kill you, tell me the story of ‘Fang Xiu’ and ‘Bai Shuangying’. If it’s interesting, I’ll kill you last.”

Guan He: “…”

Fang Xiu: “Not willing? If not, then I’ll just…”

“I’ll tell it! I’ll tell it!” Guan He’s voice cracked.

At that moment, a pale hand reached for Fang Xiu’s neck from behind. Unfortunately, it only grabbed air. It was another illusion from his anomaly skill.

The next moment, Fang Xiu caught the hand. Grinning, he activated A Single Thread to Sever Heaven, but nothing happened.

Fang Xiu (spell failed): “…”

Bai Shuangying (now visible): “…”

In the dim tomb passage, a red and a white figure stared at each other in silence.

Guan He shouted instantly, terrified of more mishaps. “That’s Bai Shuangying!”

Fang Xiu: “!”

He scanned the new arrival from head to toe, finally locking eyes with Bai Shuangying. “Now that’s more like it. As expected of me, I have such good taste.”

Bai Shuangying: “………”

He hugged the head in his arms tighter. “Didn’t you forget me?”

His face twisted, unsure if he should be mad, and finally settled on bunching his brows awkwardly.

“I did,” Fang Xiu said seriously. “But whether friend, lover, enemy, or rival—still, excellent taste.”

Fang Xiu said solemnly, “That head in your arms really looks like me. It must be a very sophisticated magic weapon. You’ve got good taste too.”

Joking aside, Fang Xiu gave a subtle signal to the demon hounds. They started moving, ready to strike. Bai Shuangying frowned, and the hounds turned back toward Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu glanced at them, and they flipped again. Soon the hounds were stuck bobbing their heads between the two men like they were watching a toy car drive back and forth.

Both stared each other down. One looked frustrated, the other intrigued.

Guan He tiptoed backwards but hadn’t gone far when a corpse hand caught his ankle and nearly dropped him flat.

Before he could panic, Bai Shuangying waved the Peach Bone Evil. A flurry of white mist surged out. Guan He felt a pain on his arm and was quickly yanked away from the scene by a huge force.

He realized the air around him was warping, like some kind of spatial shielding. Bai Shuangying had cloaked him.

…Did Bai Shuangying just save him?

…Was this a hallucination before death?

A few seconds later, Guan He steadied his breathing. Yes, Bai Shuangying was hauling him like poultry, nearly yanking his arm off.

“Why did you save me?!” he gasped.

“What? Want me to send you back instead?”

“N-no! Definitely not!” Guan He quickly rejected.

Bai Shuangying snorted then said with a bit of strain in his voice, “That is Fang Xiu. His anomalous powers are soul-bound and can’t be faked.”

“His tongue is the Grave-Sealing E. Its karma has contaminated him, leading to cognitive disruption.”

Guan He wilted.

As expected of a seductive ghost. The thing it focused on was on the other person’s tongue!

“What now? How do we help him?” Guan He asked breathlessly.

Bai Shuangying fell silent.

It was obvious: the E had parasitized Fang Xiu and chosen him as its host. If they removed it without understanding the taboo, they could potentially harm his soul.

Worst case, even with the contamination, Fang Xiu’s soul was in great condition.

…But he looked at Bai Shuangying like a stranger.

Bai Shuangying was increasingly irritated with the E.

If he hadn’t sensed the presence of the ghost immortal A’Shou nearby, he might’ve thrown a tantrum.

“Preserve your strength.” Bai Shuangying finally replied after some thought. “Fang Xiu killed a Guishan disciple but still talked to us calmly. That means he retains some subconscious sense of friend or foe.”

“Cen Ling should take point. You help me break the E’s taboo. Once I understand its limits, I’ll know what to do.”

You’re going to solve the E? Guan He tried to hide the skepticism in his eyes, but some of it slipped out.

Bai Shuangying ignored him and ran faster.

……

In the distance, Fang Xiu wandered through the mist and returned to the stone coffin plaza.

He scooped up some flesh and blood to use as ink and began sketching on a coffin lid to organize his thoughts.

Meeting Bai Shuangying had come sooner than expected.

But even after seeing him, Fang Xiu remembered nothing. All he knew was this comfortable, dark tomb and its centuries of solitude.

Strangely, those memories were vague and fragmented, filled with gaps.

Fang Xiu tapped the coffin with a blood-stained finger.

That boy didn’t seem to be lying. So, he lacked external memories, yet outsiders knew him.

“…I’m being manipulated. I likely come from outside. Due to some external factor, I’ve forgotten many things.”

Bai Shuangying hadn’t looked hostile. In fact, Fang Xiu saw worry and grievance in those white eyes. They must’ve been close.

“…‘Mine, Bai Shuangying’ must be a positive reminder.” The dark red smear stained the coffin lid.

He’d left himself a message he couldn’t yet understand, the only hint was Bai Shuangying’s name.

“…Only Bai Shuangying is trustworthy. Other humans may not be allies.”

Fang Xiu whispered to himself, filling the coffin lid with blood-written words.

Next, he had to clarify the intruders’ goals and eliminate potential threats. As for his own true condition…

“…That sort of thing doesn’t matter much.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 110: Half-Human, Half-Ghost

It was like suddenly forgetting the name of a familiar person, memories of the ritual faded like a dream upon waking.

Yet the oppressive darkness around him gradually became pleasant. Fang Xiu breathed more easily, like a fish returned to water. Just a few steps away, the human-skin pajamas looked mild and refined, and even the coffin-bed seemed cozy and welcoming.

…Someone has trespassed in your home. Someone has trespassed in your home.

…You did not invite them. They are not your family. They must be expelled at once.

Fang Xiu rubbed his temples hard. Thoughts not his own echoed in his mind. More memories were being consumed. He could no longer recall why he was here or what he had intended to do.

…Other than protecting your home, what else is there for you to do?

Fang Xiu instinctively reached into his pocket, then remembered this wasn’t his body. The pouch wasn’t on him. The only things that had followed him were the anomalies tied to his soul… His body had been swapped? Had it really?

…Your appearance hasn’t changed. You’ve always been here.

…Those stray thoughts are just delusions born from the dark.

“Heh.” Fang Xiu covered his face with one hand and laughed.

“This thing’s skill is a bit sloppy. At least I didn’t think I was a tree.”

Bai Shuangying’s trick had been much stranger. His ghost seemed tailored to such situations. If he really had lost his memory, others might take advantage of him. But Bai Shuangying definitely wouldn’t. Professionally or personally, his ghost would always stand by him.

The thought gave Fang Xiu an inexplicable sense of peace.

He removed his shirt and sat on the stone coffin, dragging sharp nails across his chest. Blood immediately welled up.

In a slanted line across his chest, he carved the words: “Mine, Bai Shuangying.”

By the final stroke, his memory was nearly gone.

Fang Xiu rubbed his eyes with blood-stained fingers. When he opened them again, the warmth in his gaze had vanished, replaced by a cold cunningness.

Instinct guided him forward. He stopped at the edge of a “plaza”, where countless sealed stone coffins were neatly arranged. Each had a tiny tomb guardian carved on top, a gold plaque beneath it listing birth and death dates, and a brief biography.

He walked past rows of coffins, trailing his remaining hand lightly over them, leaving faint streaks of blood. He gazed at the shadowed coffins with satisfaction, like admiring a well-stocked wardrobe.

Soon, he picked a corpse of a young man.

It was unclear where his strength came from, but he slid the heavy coffin lid aside with one hand. He dragged the pale corpse from its liquid-filled chamber. The body twitched like an insect struggling without a head.

Then Fang Xiu bowed his head and spat out a mass of red threads. They slithered like blood vessels into the corpse, writhing beneath its skin. A jade cicada fell with the flow and burrowed into its mouth.

In the next instant, Fang Xiu’s field of view changed to that of someone leaning back in the coffin.

With the red threads transferred, he felt an itch on his back. With a tug, his old skin peeled off smoothly, revealing pale new flesh beneath.

Good. He had a whole body again.

After dealing with his missing limb, Fang Xiu cleaned up with the medicinal fluid from the coffin, then dried the new “shell” with ghost flame. The robe he now wore was a dark red funeral garment embroidered with silver longevity patterns, far grander than his previous outfit.

Fang Xiu looked down at the tattered “old clothes”. Beneath the open shirt, the words “Mine, Bai Shuangying” were carved across the chest.

He smiled, then copied the words onto his left arm using the medicinal liquid to ink his nails. The robe was loose, and a lifted sleeve revealed the writing.

Even without memories of this “Bai Shuangying”, he was willing to trust a message left by his past self. He didn’t know why, but the habit felt etched into his very bones.

Once the inscription was done, he licked the wound with his jade-cicada tongue, which deepened the red glow of the creature.

The discarded body slumped to the ground in shallow, almost imperceptible breathing.

To preserve corpses as backup vessels, each had a believer’s soul sealed inside, serving like a mothball for the body. With the transfer, the original soul curled unaware into the ruined husk.

Fang Xiu snapped his fingers and the remains of the corpse on the ground was engulfed in red flames.

The fire consumed it entirely, from feet to head, scattering sparks and ash. Not even dust remained. The soul, floating aimlessly without a host, was caught and shoved into his mouth.

The jade cicada that served as his tongue absorbed the soul completely, leaving no trace.

Fed and rested, it was time to get back to business.

…This was his home.

…Intruders must be handled. All who enter are enemies.

Coincidentally, footsteps echoed nearby. By the sound, it was a single human male, around eighty kilograms. The steps were careful, almost stealthy, but to Fang Xiu, it was like someone stomping on his nerves.

Since he was refreshed now, this was perfect for a warm-up.

He danced through the dark, nimbly avoiding traps. He passed hanging hands, eyeballs embedded in walls, hides of beasts and humans spread like tapestries and greeted each evil spirit along the way.

Unfortunately, they fled faster than mice before a cat. How boring.

After a ten-minute stroll, he encountered the intruder.

The man appeared about forty, with a decent face spoiled by puffy eyelids. Not the look of a good person.

Fang Xiu stepped from the shadows with a bright smile, hands behind his back. “Are you Bai Shuangying?”

The moment the man saw the red funeral robe, he drew a peachwood sword and began forming seals at lightning speed. He began chanting rapidly, too busy to answer Fang Xiu.

The sudden figure of the young man before him was pale, delicate, and handsomely dressed. That pristine robe screamed “not human”.

Unfortunately for him, all of it was just an illusion.

Anomalous skill: “Illusion Creation”, aligned with Dui trigram.

The real Fang Xiu was hidden in the dark, silently approaching from behind. Within a step, he reached out and touched the man’s neck.

Immediately, the man’s brewing spell failed completely, and his peachwood sword dulled.

Anomalous skill: “’A Single Thread to Sever Heaven” aligned with Qian trigram.

The illusion vanished. A warm hand rested gently on the man’s carotid artery. He froze, terror-stricken, swallowing hard.

In this sealed tomb of over a decade, a “person” in full dress and with a warm body was far more terrifying than the grotesque ghosts. The latter could be explained. This one couldn’t.

“Are you Bai Shuangying?” Fang Xiu asked softly from behind.

The man didn’t answer right away. Veins bulged on his temple. He was clearly calculating something desperately.

“I know Bai Shuangying,” he finally said after half a minute. “He’s not here, but I can take you to him.”

“Ah.” Fang Xiu tilted his head shyly. “No need. I’ll find him myself.”

His fingers slid along the man’s neck. The man reached into his pocket, trying to cast something, but nothing happened.

Cold sweat streamed down his face as his panic grew.

Fang Xiu’s hand brushed a red string. With a flick, he hooked out a green jade pendant.

“I’m a disciple of the Guishan Sect!” the man cried, drenched in sweat. “You’re the divine being enshrined in our holy land. Please… show mercy. Return… Return…”

The smile vanished from Fang Xiu’s face.

His instincts said visitors must offer incense and recite the proper prayers to be allowed in. His heart told him, whatever the reason, he deeply disliked this man.

He waved casually, summoning a ghost hand from the tomb ceiling. It yanked the man upward. The man lunged at Fang Xiu, but didn’t even graze his clothes.

“This is my home.”

Fang Xiu toyed with a ghost flame in his palm, watching the man struggle above him. “You’re not welcome. Please leave.”

Sensing new prey, nearby low-level evil spirits crept forward. They resembled hairless, skeletal dogs with bluish-black skin.

“Eat while it’s fresh.” Fang Xiu patted their heads.

At his word, seven or eight spirits leapt and tore the man limb from limb. Fang Xiu stayed within arm’s reach the whole time to prevent spellcasting.

Blood poured down from the cultist’s head amidst his inhuman screams, raining onto Fang Xiu’s hair and face. His freshly cleaned robe was now soaked again. But…

“Blood smells better than the medicinal fluid.”

He flung away a stray piece of intestine, sniffed his sleeve, and decided to look at this problem more optimistically.

Too bad that soul probably tasted great. He should’ve saved it for… someone…?

Regret filled him as he watched the man’s remains vanish, devoured completely. Only half a skull dangled from the ghost hand.

Fang Xiu signaled, and the ghost hand released it. The spirits pounced, stripping even that to nothing.

Around a nearby corner, a panicked heartbeat echoed.

Fang Xiu snapped his head around, eyes piercing the shadows…

There stood a young man, face covered with black gauze, startled and tense. This boy looked far more pleasant than the last, not in terms of appearance, but there was something about his presence.

Even if he was an intruder, Fang Xiu could let this one live a bit longer.

He instinctively smiled at the blindfolded boy, but the boy’s expression grew more conflicted.

Ah, right.

Fang Xiu touched his cheek. Half his face was still caked in blood. Of course a human would be afraid.

“Are you Bai Shuangying?” Fang Xiu asked again, wiping away the blood, smiling faintly.

……

Not far away, deeper in the shadows…

Ghost Immortal A’Shou blended perfectly into the darkness, silently observing.

She had told Mei Lan the ritual would be monitored by the Underworld. But Dian’er was too naive, and this time involved the notoriously troublesome Fang Xiu… With few tasks at hand, A’Shou had decided to watch in person, curious about the so-called “Danger of the Disaster Relief Tower”.

But she hadn’t expected this.

She had a general idea of how the Tomb-Sealing E worked from the Underworld’s inspection.

This thing was unique. It would follow taboos and cling to a recognized controller until that person’s soul was completely destroyed.

Once chosen, the controller’s original personality would vanish. They would come to believe they were the tomb’s rightful owner, becoming a proper tomb guardian.

…But Fang Xiu’s condition wasn’t right. He clearly retained some of his self.

…Just what is that kid?

---

The author has something to say:

Xiao Fang, now a brand-new species of ghost.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 109: The Tomb Owner

Mei Lan entered the stronghold, visibly anxious, and gently placed her hand against the newly constructed wall.

This room had been entirely rebuilt by the Guishan Sect, with a clearly modern style.

It was about forty square meters in size, with smooth marble tiles on the floor. Small tables and sofas lined either side, and near the door stood a metal filing cabinet.

On the wall opposite the entrance hung portraits of Zhuang Guiqu and Zhuang Chongyue.

Below the portraits stood an offering table, holding plates of meat cast in pure gold and imitation fruits carved from gems and jade. The flickering light made them shimmer with a dreamy beauty.

Cen Ling lit the eternal lamp and respectfully knelt before the portraits, offering three sticks of incense. After the ritual, he stretched. “All done. This place is absolutely safe.”

Bai Sui proudly lifted his chin. “Every tile here has been inscribed with charms by a master. No evil… ‘celestial’ object of the Guishan Sect will be able to enter.”

The bones of believers were returned to the mountains, and their relatives would always come to bid farewell. According to them, this room served as a rest area for visiting followers.

Bai Shuangying scanned the space. It was indeed protected with many hidden wards. If the previous state was like sleeping under open sky, this place was like having a tent over one’s head.

He chose a soft sofa and gently laid the unconscious Fang Xiu onto it. Then he checked his eyelids, pressed lightly on his lips, but there was no reaction at all.

He hadn’t sensed any residual spell earlier. Fang Xiu must have triggered a taboo. But his human had been very cautious and hadn’t done anything unusual… so why him?

Bai Shuangying trailed his fingers down Fang Xiu’s body, from his brow to his throat, then to his chest.

Strange. He used to mock Fang Xiu for being too talkative. Now that the guy was completely silent, it felt entirely wrong. After poking for a while, Bai Shuangying leaned down and whispered hopefully, “Are you pretending to sleep?”

The body didn’t even twitch an eyelash.

After a long wait, the corners of Bai Shuangying’s mouth and his hair both drooped.

…A living corpse.

From a metaphysical standpoint, this meant the connection between body and living soul had been severed. The soul was trapped in the “flesh coffin”, unable to perceive or respond to the outside world. Modern people would call it a “deep coma”.

But Fang Xiu was still breathing on his own, which meant it wasn’t too serious. If he stopped breathing, he’d be halfway through death’s door.

Bai Shuangying pinched Fang Xiu’s nose and thought with a frown.

Since the soul was still present, destroying the Tomb-Sealing E should restore him. The logic was sound, but Bai still felt uneasy… The human he valued couldn’t possibly fall this easily.

Something had to be off. His divine instincts told him so.

“Brother Bai, best not to touch him for now.”

Seeing Bai Shuangying staring blankly at Fang Xiu, Cen Ling offered a gentle warning. “When body and soul are unstable, the soul curls inward. If we try to thoroughly examine him now, we’d have to harm the body, which defeats the purpose.”

Kid, you think I don’t know that? Bai Shuangying ignored him.

Cen Ling wasn’t offended. “Just to be clear. May I ask, what exactly is your relationship…?”

Bai Shuangying turned to glance at him, then quickly turned back. His disinterest was written all over his face.

“There’s no way they’re just ‘buddies’. They’re obviously lovers,” Bai Sui muttered. “Just end the damn ritual already. So dramatic.”

“Bai Sui!” Cen Ling snapped.

“Sorry, Cen Ge. But I’m just being honest. Look, everyone else’s time is being wasted.”

Bai Sui didn’t seem the least bit worried, even acting playful.

Cen Ling sighed and turned to Mei Lan. “Miss, your thoughts?”

Under Cen Ling’s gaze, Mei Lan grew slightly nervous but steadied her voice. “Since Mr. Hong triggered a taboo, we should focus on investigating that earlier cry for help.”

“If we run around aimlessly, we’ll waste time dealing with unrelated spirits and lose precious energy.”

“…Agreed. The most pressing threat must come first.” Cen Ling looked at her for a while, then smiled warmly.

“And you, Brother Bai? What’s your plan? It’s not exactly convenient to carry around someone unconscious the whole time.”

Cheng Songyun tried to keep her worry in check. “It’s a shame to give up now. Is there no other way?”

“There is.”

Cen Ling hesitated, rubbing his nose. “We could sever the limbs and trim the torso, preserving only the essential organs for survival. That’d make him easier to carry. I’m familiar with the technique and can help.”

“But not everyone’s comfortable with that, so I asked about your relationship.”

Cheng Songyun: “…”

Just a few words completely changed her impression of the Guishan Sect.

Normally Bai Shuangying would ignore humans’ babbling, but one word stuck in his mind and refused to leave:

…Their relationship?

A sudden intuition struck. He turned urgently to look at Fang Xiu.

“We have a ghost contract, tied by karma,” Fang Xiu had once explained with a smile after a failed probing attempt.

A ghost contract, issued by the Underworld, was stamped directly onto the soul. It wasn’t a “disposable body” created by the Underworld. If Fang Xiu’s soul had really been damaged, it would affect the contract.

He quietly focused power in his eyes and tried probing again.

This time, his vision pierced through the body and locked onto the soul’s karma directly.

In an instant, Bai Shuangying saw countless scenes…

A young man diagnosed with a terminal illness, falling into despair.

That same youth joining the Guishan Sect, praying daily to Zhuang Chongyue’s portrait, hoping for a cure-all miracle.

He became obsessed, donated all his savings and property, and even tricked his high school sister into joining. Eventually, he earned a small status… Int eh end, in order to become the “First Saints of Guishan”, he gave up treatment completely and lay down inside a special stone coffin prepared by the Guishan Sect.

His karma was fanatical, stupid, and dull.

…And it wasn’t Fang Xiu’s soul at all.

…His human was missing!

A soul without a body would quickly perish.

The moment this hit him, an unfamiliar sensation clawed at Bai Shuangying’s chest and back—an icy, burning pain that made it impossible to stay calm.

Focus. He forced himself to think.

Fang Xiu’s body had been swapped and put into a coma. Without his presence, no one would have noticed. A Death Taboo was meant to intimidate. No E, no matter how dangerous, would create such a complex condition.

If the enemy went through all this, they must have had use for Fang Xiu’s soul… meaning it likely still existed, just placed in another vessel.

It had to be that.

Fang Xiu was powerful enough to shake his seal. He couldn’t possibly be gone just like that. Bai refused to even consider other possibilities.

His human had to still be somewhere. He needed to find him fast.

“…In a two-person team, I still suggest we do something about this.”

Cen Ling was still patiently trying to persuade him.

“It’s too conspicuous like this. It’ll slow you down. It may seem cruel, but practically speaking…”

“Not your business.”

Bai Shuangying abruptly stood up, cutting him off.

He waved his hand, summoning the Peach Bone Evil. Its flower-covered white branch gently touched Fang Xiu’s chest.

In the next second, shimmering particles scattered. With a crisp ding, Fang Xiu’s black hair ring fell to the floor and rolled a few times.

As the white light dissipated, everyone watched in stunned silence as Fang Xiu’s body disappeared—limbs, torso, chest, even his neck—vanishing like it had been cremated by invisible flames, leaving no trace.

What was left was a solitary head on the sofa.

Bai Shuangying’s brows knit in pain as he pulled out a large white cloth from his pocket. It glowed faintly, and its texture was hard to discern. Oddly, it seemed to twitch.

He quickly wrapped the neck stump with it. The cut was clean without a drop of blood.

Fang Xiu’s face remained peaceful, the head so pristine it looked like a stage prop.

After completing all this, Bai Shuangying picked up the fallen ring and put it on his own left hand.

Guan He: “…”

His voice cracked a little. “What the hell are you doing?”

Even if survival in the ritual meant just staying alive, this was still insane. What if Fang Xiu woke up? What could a severed head possibly do?

“It’s just a container. What’s the problem?” Bai Shuangying said matter-of-factly.

He knew Fang Xiu wouldn’t wake until the missing soul was found.

This shell wasn’t Fang Xiu. The body wasn’t Fang Xiu. As long as it functioned, that was enough. Nothing else mattered.

Bai Shuangying picked up the head, wrapping it tightly in his arms. His other hand held the Peach Bone Evil, his face still twisted in pain.

Clap clap clap.

Witnessing such an extreme scene, Cen Ling actually applauded. “Impressive. Really impressive. You’re quite powerful. I couldn’t even tell what spell you used.”

“Improvised.”

Considering Cen Ling had given him a bit of inspiration, Bai Shuangying reluctantly responded.

He cradled the head against his chest in a protective grip. Compared to earlier, his hold now left no room for mishap.

“Since you’re so reasonable, things should go smoothly now.”

Cen Ling breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s rest a bit, then track down the one who called for help.”

“Rest again?” Bai Shuangying frowned.

“Yes, we’re still missing two teammates. They’ll meet us here.”

“Suit yourselves.” Bai Shuangying patted the warm head in his arms. “I can move alone…”

Before he finished speaking, a terrible scream rang out nearby.

Hearing the scream, Cen Ling’s expression immediately shifted.

……

Not long ago, elsewhere in the tomb.

Fang Xiu suddenly felt a chill at his neck. He touched it suspiciously but found nothing strange.

Oddly enough, after realizing he’d been chosen by the Grave-Sealing E, Fang Xiu felt… a bit relieved. He already knew the opposing force. Familiar enemies were better than unknown ones.

But he had a bigger concern.

Even if it was an Immortal E, it was still a dead object. The Grave-Sealing E had no mind of its own. There was no way it had chosen him on its own will.

Which meant it still couldn’t comprehend complex human behavior. A controlled person could choose to sacrifice themselves or try to reach out and work with others.

The tomb guardians were all lazy. There was no way they’d want to do extra work.

If the Guishan Sect had chosen this as their sacred treasure for their holy land, there had to be more to it. It couldn’t be that simple. There had to be hidden intricacies to its taboo. If only Mei Lan knew about this…

Come to think of it… Who was Mei Lan again?

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 108: Life or Death

The moment Cen Ling saw that face clearly, his smile faded.

He casually stepped back half a pace. “Seems he’s not one of ours.”

With that, he pointed. A flash of green light sliced through the air. “Fang Xiu’s” right arm was blown clean off in a spray of blood and shredded flesh. The imposter let out a hoarse scream and fell to his knees.

Cen Ling sniffed lightly. “Smells pretty fresh.”

He strode forward, intending to capture the man and see what he was. But just as he stepped under the dangling “hand decorations”, the dried corpses’ hands suddenly elongated and lashed out at him.

Quick as lightning, Bai Sui clapped his hands at his chest, triggering a burst of golden light around Cen Ling. The spectral hands were kept at bay, but the gusts of foul wind roared in the tight space. Cen Ling’s lantern fell, and as it rolled, its light rapidly died out.

For several seconds, the entire area was engulfed in absolute darkness.

Then crimson ghost flame ignited. This time, however, it wasn’t Fang Xiu who lit it, but Bai Shuangying. He wore a grave expression and held the limp Fang Xiu in his arms, looking deeply unsettled.

In the darkness, Fang Xiu had fainted without warning.

His body had gone completely limp, like a sack of cloth, slumped against Bai Shuangying. His breathing was so faint it was barely there. His pulse was incredibly slow, like someone in deep, unnatural sleep.

The imposter on the other side had vanished, leaving behind only a long blood trail down the damp tomb corridor, as if he had been dragged away.

Bai Shuangying carefully laid Fang Xiu flat on the ground.

The little black dog looked on in confusion, sniffing at Fang Xiu’s body helplessly.

Mei Lan rushed forward, pouring sacred dew water on Fang Xiu. His hair was soaked through, but his body didn’t react at all. It didn’t appear to be a curse.

She pressed her lips together, visibly distressed, clutching her own arms. Guan He almost called out Fang Xiu’s name but stopped himself just in time.

“I’ll take a look,” Cen Ling offered, stepping forward. Just as he was about to grab Fang Xiu’s wrist, he was stopped dead in his tracks by Bai Shuangying’s cold glare.

That glare held no ambiguity. It wasn’t just about hostility, it was contempt. Like a tiger warning off a scavenging dog. Not metaphorically, but fundamentally.

It was the look of someone viewing another as utterly beneath them.

Cen Ling hesitated, then smiled as if nothing had happened. “Well, this is our holy land, after all. I’ll just check to see if it’s one of our sect’s spells.”

“If it is, I’ll undo it. If not, that thing we saw flee might really be tied to the Grave-Sealing E, and we’ll track it.”

Only then did Bai Shuangying shift his gaze away, still watching Cen Ling’s hands intently.

Cen Ling boldly took Fang Xiu’s pulse, then lifted his eyelids. His expression grew heavier as he worked.

Bai Sui: “Cen Ge, what is it?”

“The Grave-Sealing E,” Cen Ling said bluntly. “His soul has curled up inward, unresponsive to the outside. Like a living corpse… He must’ve triggered a taboo.”

Guan He frowned deeply. “Isn’t this your sect’s doing? How come you don’t even know?”

“You don’t know the difference between an E and an Immortal E? What kind of Disaster Resolver are you?” Bai Sui snapped back. “E’s are brainless. They release taboos indiscriminately. But Immortal E’s are like magic weapons. There’s always someone behind them… How dangerous they are depends on the wielder.”

“We don’t know what we’re dealing with, so how are we supposed to explain it?”

Cen Ling raised a hand to calm him. “We should have some basic knowledge about the Grave-Sealing E, yes, but…”

He paused, a hint of sadness crossing his face.

“When our sect was taken down, most of the higher-ups were either jailed or killed. I was too young at the time and never got access to the key information.”

Guan He’s facial muscles twitched. From the way Cen Ling spoke, it sounded like they’d been tragically persecuted. But at least now he understood the situation…

The “holy land” had been sealed off by the government. The Guishan Sect had since abandoned it. No matter how powerful they once were, they couldn’t withstand the combined efforts of official cultivators and the authorities.

This site was essentially a construction project frozen for over a decade, and even the sect didn’t fully remember the details anymore.

The good news: they weren’t at an information disadvantage compared to these cultists. The bad news: without Fang Xiu, handling the Grave-Sealing E would be far harder.

Cheng Songyun caught the real issue. “You said someone’s behind it… There’s someone in the tomb?”

“Not necessarily a person. It could be an evil spirit.” Cen Ling let go of Fang Xiu’s wrist and stood up. “We need to find a base quickly. You all—”

He stopped mid-sentence. Bai Shuangying had silently lifted Fang Xiu into his arms and was walking into the darkness, without even lighting a single ghost flame.

“Brother* Bai, don’t go off alone!” Cen Ling called out.

*He’s using [Xiong] (兄). It’s a term of address men use to call their close friends or comrades. Often used in sects and between different sects.

“Going with you would be pointless,” Bai Shuangying replied without looking back.

Cheng Songyun gasped. After a brief pause, she called out, “If we stay together, we can help look after him! He can’t move on his own. What if something happens?”

Bai Shuangying paused.

Normally, he would’ve scoffed at such a comment. With him around, Fang Xiu didn’t need anyone else. These mortals weren’t worth much.

…But “not worth much” wasn’t the same as “worthless”.

After a long silence, Bai Shuangying turned around and walked back to the group with a stony expression.

Cen Ling was speaking to Mei Lan about something, but Bai Shuangying didn’t hear a word. He just looked down at Fang Xiu.

In this state, Fang Xiu’s soul was curled up, inert. There were no emotional fluctuations, no response. Even if Bai Shuangying kissed him, not a wisp of energy would escape.

But that wasn’t the main problem.

Usually, even in sleep, Fang Xiu had a faint smile on his lips, as if he was hiding some quiet satisfaction. But now, his face was blank, indistinguishable from the dead.

His body temperature had even dropped. Bai Shuangying could endure hunger, but he hated seeing Fang Xiu like this, half-dead.

He rarely felt strongly about these rituals, but now he decided: he hated the Grave-Sealing E.

……

His throat burned. It was as if sandpaper had scraped through it and his tongue felt like it was on fire.

Fang Xiu slowly opened his eyes. His vision cleared, but everything looked slightly blurry. His right arm ached dully. His mouth tasted foul, and the air reeked of blood and rot, like he’d just clawed his way out of a corpse pile.

Before he could fully process that, he hit the ground. His nose slammed into stone, adding insult to injury.

…What the hell?

He lifted his hands. Only his left arm showed up. It was dirty, and the cuff soaked in some unknown grime, the fingernails caked with mud.

…No way.

That “guy” who ran up asking for help looked exactly just like him. His right arm had been blown off by Cen Ling… and now Fang Xiu’s was missing too, blood still dripping from the wound.

Fang Xiu: “…”

He must be cursed. Out of everyone there, the weird thing targeted him.

He struggled to sit up and leaned against a wall.

He tore off a piece of cloth to bite down on, lit a ghost flame with his left hand, and seared the wound shut. He didn’t know what this body was anymore, but dying here wasn’t an option.

The flame hissed as it touched flesh. The air filled with the smell of burning meat. Pain wrung sweat from his body, but at least it meant the body was alive.

Once the bleeding slowed, he stumbled away from the scene. The stench and light might attract things he didn’t want to meet.

From waking to treating himself to hiding, the whole process took under ten minutes.

Darkness pressed in like a burial shroud. All he could hear was his own breathing.

He walked a long way without seeing any doors. The space was large, not open-air. The floor was tiled with intricate patterns, probably the outer edge of a round chamber. Please don’t be a boss room, he silently prayed.

Then the smell got worse.

Wet rot and medicinal decay thickened the air. He pushed forward anyway, hoping his sense of smell would adapt. Eventually, when his nerves were stretched to the limit, something appeared in front of him…

A stone coffin with its lid open.

A white garment lay draped over the edge, and the stench here was overwhelming.

It looked exactly like one of those horror movie scenes where a character is just asking to die, like a mousetrap waiting for an oblivious side character.

His first instinct was to retreat and ask Bai Shuangying’s opinion. Then it hit him. Bai Shuangying wasn’t here. That realization sobered his pain-clouded brain like a splash of ice water.

So that was it. It wasn’t just his sense of smell that had gone numb, his heart had too.

His actions up to this point had been instinctive. He was too used to having his ghost at his side that he hadn’t realized they’d been separated.

But he couldn’t seek Bai Shuangying out like this. Just look at Cen Ling’s attitude. Next time they meet, he might lose his head instead of just an arm.

He stood by the coffin and tasted solitude once more.

He could feel phantom pain from the missing limb. But losing Bai Shuangying… that pain had no clear source. It twisted his soul.

It was always easier to go from poverty to luxury than the other way around.

Still, he had only one option.

After a moment, he crept toward the coffin. His left hand was ready to strike with ghost flame at any sign of danger.

As he neared it, the “white garment” revealed its true form…

A pale human skin.

Half of it hung over the coffin edge; the rest was submerged in liquid. Judging from the chest and general smoothness, it had once belonged to a young man. The back had split open, but the limbs were intact.

The liquid inside the coffin was surprisingly clear, with a jade-like tint. Through it, the skin was clearly visible, and it was the only thing inside.

Fang Xiu exhaled and leaned over the stinking coffin, using the surface as a mirror.

The reflection showed his own face still smeared with some egg-white-like fluid. He grimaced. Everything else matched: hair, hand shape… aside from the right arm. If not for his memories, he might have believed this was his original body.

And then…the teeth. Fang Xiu opened his mouth to check the reflection.

And got the second cold splash of the day: his tongue was gone.

To be precise, rather than “gone”, it was replaced. Where his tongue should have been, a dark red jade cicada lay nestled. It emitted faint yin energy and had fused with his tongue root. At first glance, it looked just like a normal tongue.

…The Grave-Sealing E?!

He instinctively reached up and gently pinched the jade cicada.

The moment he pulled, darkness overwhelmed him. His heart lurched wildly. His organs felt like they were rotting on the spot. His mind went blank.

His body went ice-cold. Blood, or something like it, flowed from his nose. For a few seconds, death crushed down like a mountain.

When he let go, the cicada returned to place and everything returned to normal.

Fang Xiu: “…”

He suddenly remembered a conversation from before the ritual started.

“So you know what the Grave-Sealing E looks like, but not what it does?”

Back then, he had asked Mei Lan curiously.

“Yes. I only heard a bit of legend,” she had whispered. “With it present, no tomb raider leaves alive. It can summon powerful guardian beasts to wipe out all intruders.”

“But that’s just folklore. You can’t take it all seriously.”

Fang Xiu: “Right. If it’s really like that, it shouldn’t leave the tomb at all.”

Whoever touched it was said to die. It wasn’t like the thing had legs and walked out on its own.

As for the “summon powerful guardian beasts” part, that had seemed more plausible. A tiny item like that probably couldn’t chase tomb raiders around. But it could probably emit enough yin energy to draw in powerful spirits.

He didn’t like speculating. His guesses had been shallow. But now, it was clear… He had been very wrong.

Disaster Resolvers either recovered the Grave-Sealing E or destroyed it. And the moment it left him, he would die.

He didn’t know what had happened to his original body, but even if it was intact, reuniting with it might not be possible.

Until he found a solution, he had to protect the Grave-Sealing E at all costs.

“So it really did summon a guardian beast.” 

Fang Xiu looked at his remaining left hand and let out a bitter laugh.

“…And it actually picked me as its wielder.”

---

The author has something to say:

This round’s a duel of worthy opponents (?

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 107: A Man from Nowhere

Cen Ling held up the lantern and smiled genially, as though this creepy tomb were merely the backyard garden of his private villa.

Upon hearing his shockingly candid introduction, everyone, except Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying, looked visibly stunned. Cen Ling scanned the group quickly and smiled even more warmly.

Fang Xiu stepped forward and shook his hand with great enthusiasm. “Oh wow, you wouldn’t happen to be the ‘Cen Ling’? I’ve heard so much about you. It must be fate that we ran into each other here.”

His expression was flawlessly sincere, like he had longed to join the Guishan Sect.

This time it was Cen Ling’s turn to be surprised. “And you are…?”

“I’m Hong Shuangxi, and this is my partner Bai Shuangying.” Fang Xiu beamed, wearing an expression of heartfelt relief at having found his people.

“Ah, I’m not anyone important. Just someone who does a few ritual jobs here and there. Too bad the Guishan Sect isn’t recruiting ‘teachers’ anymore. If they were, I’d definitely try my luck.”

He threw a look at Cen Ling so loaded with implication it was practically begging to be read as “please network with me.”

Bai Shuangying began to suspect Fang Xiu had been possessed by Dian’er. How could a person be this transparently flattering? He instinctively raised a sleeve to shield his eyes, only to remember his current outfit lacked sleeves, so he just wiped his face.

The boy beside Cen Ling was equally bewildered. “Huh… huh?!”

They had known that Fang Xiu was a young man with some bloody grudge against the Guishan Sect. Just earlier, Cen Ling had even said they’d start with a big reveal to provoke genuine reactions.

But neither of the two young men present reacted at all. They looked like seasoned veterans of the metaphysical trade and didn’t seem to hold any grudges against the sect.

Surely the legendary Fang Xiu couldn’t be the kid traveling with two women?

That guy didn’t look much older than the boy himself. Could he really be that capable?

Or… did Fang Xiu had the ability to transform and was actually the little black dog being carried by that auntie?

While the boy was still deep in thought, Cen Ling casually slung an arm over his shoulder. “Bai Sui, say hello.”

Bai Sui gave a half-hearted nod, still staring suspiciously at the black dog. The dog wrinkled its nose and growled softly in warning.

“Well, now that you all know what’s going on, it’ll be easier to work together. The founder left behind a lot of hidden traps here. We best move as a group,” Cen Ling said directly. “We don’t even know if it’s day or night right now. Let’s find a proper base first.”

Fang Xiu nodded and, without hesitation, wrapped an arm around Bai Shuangying’s waist. “Mm-hmm, we’ll follow your lead.”

The gesture was intimate, unlike that between good friends but the kind that said, “there’s definitely something going on between them.” Bai Shuangying relaxed into the embrace, not a wrinkle on his body signaling resistance.

A pair of openly affectionate gays?! Bai Sui stared wide-eyed, completely lost.

Maybe… maybe Fang Xiu hasn’t shown up yet, he reasoned.

With that introduction done, Mei Lan stepped forward as the leader of the “other group” and introduced herself as “Jiu Hong”. Cheng Songyun picked the simple alias “Cheng Jie”, and Guan He went with “Guan Lu”, which seemed to be his late brother’s name.

They claimed to be a trio of ordinary people, relying on Mei Lan’s background as a “folklore scholar” to survive.

Cen Ling gave Guan He a long look, seeing nothing in the boy’s eyes but innocent confusion.

“You called this place a holy land. What is it, exactly?” Guan He asked, genuinely curious.

As someone from the younger generation, his knowledge of the Guishan Sect was limited. He had no deep grudges either, so the question came out naturally.

Cen Ling had just opened his mouth to answer when Fang Xiu enthusiastically interrupted, “You don’t know?!”

Guan He: “…No.”

Fang Xiu launched into a speech. “The Guishan Sect wanted to turn this place into a sacred site, a place where believers from around the world could come to worship. Master Zhuang believed in ‘returning immortal bones to the mountain’. He encouraged followers to be buried on dragon veins, the same treatment as emperors, so they could earn supreme karmic merit in the next life.”

Bai Shuangying looked like he wanted to speak but held back.

This place was the tomb of the last emperor of the Kui Dynasty. It had been left unfinished a thousand years ago, and now, even a thousand years later, it was still unfinished. Merit? More like a cosmic joke.

If the Guishan Sect claimed this was a “dragon vein”, rather than a “dragon”, maybe they meant the belly of a dead “earth dragon*”.

*Clarity: Unlike the normal “dragons” , earth dragons in Chinese mythology are considered lesser and not “divine”. In this context, he’s basically saying rather than an auspicious place (above a “dragon vein”), it’s more like a place of misfortune (mistaking this dragon vein as part of an actual “divine dragon” rather than the belly of a lowly earth dragon).

Fang Xiu kept narrating like a cheerful tour guide. “…Later on, the Guishan Sect got busted by the government, and this place was sealed off. The ‘Ten-Thousand-Burial Blood Pool’ was only halfway completed. In the end, fewer than a thousand followers got buried here.”

“A bit more than a thousand,” Cen Ling added with a raised brow. “You really know your stuff. When the crackdown happened, you must’ve been just a kid.”

“One of my relatives was a ‘teacher’ in the sect. Back then, they had everything. Life was good. I missed out on all of it.” Fang Xiu shook his head vigorously, full of regret.

“Now look at us, reduced to rats in the gutter. Can’t even run a proper business without sneaking around.”

Cen Ling smiled knowingly. “What was your relative’s name? I might’ve met him.”

“Oh, he was just a teacher in a small city in Gui Province. Probably not someone you’d know.”

Bai Sui jumped in. “What are you talking about? My Cen Ge is blessed by God. He never forgets a name!”

Behind them, Mei Lan lowered her gaze to hide the tension in her eyes.

Cen Ling’s father had been the second-in-command of the Guishan Sect and the brother-in-law of Zhuang Chongyue. He definitely was part of the core leadership. During the government’s final crackdown, he was arrested and executed.

Zhuang Chongyue had always intended for Cen Ling to succeed him as sect leader. It was no secret within the sect.

Cen Ling himself was known as a prodigy. He had been raised entirely within the sect, never attended school, and was privately tutored by people Zhuang Chongyue personally recruited. That hadn’t stopped him from showcasing his talent.

Even now, he seemed completely relaxed, clearly not taking the ritual seriously at all.

And sure enough, Cen Ling didn’t let go of Fang Xiu’s “relative” story. “Tell me, maybe I really do know him.”

Fang Xiu didn’t hesitate. He scratched his head a little sheepishly. “Ah, that was my elder uncle. His name was Hong Chunxiang. He used to demonstrate ‘Guishan Immortal Arts’.”

“He specialized in water-based stuff—could lift mist off someone’s head and call it ‘internal cleansing’. It looked amazing in the winter.”

Cen Ling thought for a moment. “Hong Village in Luoshui Town, Gui Province?”

“Holy shit, you really do know him?” Fang Xiu acted genuinely surprised.

“I also know he ran off to a Southeast Asian country, remarried, and had two kids.” Cen Ling smiled brightly. “He’s doing pretty well now.”

Fang Xiu looked completely unbothered, full of admiration. “As expected of a genius from Guishan.”

“Flattered, flattered.”

With just a few exchanges, the group left the unstable outer corridors and entered a more solid section of the tomb.

Here, gray bricks mixed with red ones, like bruises beneath skin. But at least the floor was clean, with no obstacles, making it easy to walk through.

…Though not without issues.

Guan He began slowing down until he stopped altogether. He looked up at the ceiling and swallowed hard.

The red bricks at the top were newly laid, but dozens of desiccated human hands dangled from the gaps. At first glance, they looked like upside-down bats.

He had a strange, irrational fear, that the hands would suddenly launch off the ceiling and slap him in the face.

Then the fingers twitched, bending and straightening like spider legs.

Guan He gasped sharply and glanced over to Bai Sui, whose frown was deepening. If that guy really was Fang Xiu, then his acting skills were terrifying.

“Don’t worry. It’s just a bit of decoration.”

Seeing Guan He so on edge, Cen Ling chuckled. “They’re there for good luck. That’s all.”

Then he turned to Bai Shuangying with a tone of deliberate warmth. “This brother’s been very quiet.”

Bai Sui instantly redirected his focus, staring straight at Bai Shuangying.

Bai Shuangying remained unfazed. “Mm.”

And that was it. He ignored Cen Ling like he was nothing more than tinted air.

“Oh, he’s just not much of a talker,” Fang Xiu jumped in. “That’s just how he is. Don’t take it personally.”

“I understand,” Cen Ling replied with a shrug. “Hey, looks like someone’s ahead.”

He raised the lantern slightly, and the flame pierced the gloom. Ahead, a figure was waving at them.

The movement was smooth and natural, not stiff like a corpse. Whether it was a living person, though…

Guan He instinctively pulled out his black cloth. Cheng Songyun set the little black dog on the ground. Mei Lan wetted the cracked stone floor with sweet dew and murmured, “Everyone be careful.”

“Is someone there?”

Seeing them hesitate, the figure called out, “Police? Firefighters? Help—!”

It sounded like a young man, voice hoarse from dehydration, full of fear and exhaustion.

“A living person?” Fang Xiu looked at Bai Shuangying.

Bai Shuangying narrowed his eyes to sense more carefully. He could detect the person’s karmic threads. If this was just a possessed corpse, the karma should have dissipated.

But strange things happened in this world. This was an Immortal E, after all. Who knew what powers were in play?

“Can’t confirm yet,” he said quietly. “But from the headcount… there’s now one more ‘living person’ in the tomb.”

Fang Xiu: “…Wow.”

“Please, help me!”

As the voice rang out, the dangling hands on the ceiling began to wave more wildly. “There are too many freaky hands over there. I… I can’t go any farther. Please…”

Cen Ling tilted his head. “What do you all think?”

Fang Xiu answered without hesitation, “Ignore him. Doesn’t sound like one of the sacrifices.”

Mei Lan agreed. “Better to go around.”

Cen Ling sighed. “But what if he really needs help?”

“This place has been sealed off. No normal person just gets lost and ends up here. He’s either a dumb tourist or a tomb robber.”

Fang Xiu stood firm. “And if it’s a trick from the Immortal E, rushing in could be fatal.”

“Or a devoted believer coming to worship,” Cen Ling replied with mock concern. “If a fellow brother is in trouble, how could I just walk away…?”

“Y-you don’t have to save me. Just give me food or water, please…”

The figure staggered closer, pleading.

As he came into view under the lantern light, his appearance became clear.

The young man wore filthy clothes and carried a hiking backpack. His skin was intact with no signs of rot or corpse spots. He stood unsteadily, eyes bright with tears.

And he looked exactly like Fang Xiu.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 106: Disguise Team

The second floor was covered in damp, muddy soil.

It glistened with a dark brown-black sheen, faintly wet. The smell of earth pressed down like a suffocating burial. Even the doorway had turned into a makeshift wooden frame, beyond which lay pitch blackness.

After entering, they realized the “pitch darkness” wasn’t an illusion. It was true, ink-like darkness, so deep they couldn’t see their hands in front of their faces.

The four in the dark: “……”

Fang Xiu rubbed his fingers together and summoned a handful of ghost flames in his left hand. The red light illuminated their surroundings. They stood in what could have been a mine shaft or an ancient tomb passageway, flanked by heavy, silent shadows.

There was a foul odor in the air that was hard to describe. If the outside world was like clear running water, this air was more like rotting water from a flower vase. With each breath, Fang Xiu felt as though spores were setting up permanent residence in his lungs.

And that was before even considering the oxygen levels.

Now he understood why the Underworld sent a ghost courier along. In a place like this, they’d suffocate without intervention. The Underworld wouldn’t interfere in their fights with evil spirits, but if the environment itself became a threat, it would intervene.

Imagining an Underworld courier doubling as a giant underground ventilation fan, Fang Xiu couldn’t help but smile.

His teammates had toughened up too. In earlier rituals, this scene would’ve caused chaos. But now the other three were calm, almost monk-like, with a serenity that made them seem unshakable.

Even Guan He wasn’t trembling. He just looked around cautiously.

Fang Xiu flicked his fingers again and summoned the little black dog. The dog sniffed the soil, wagging its tail as it led them in a direction.

“Let’s go.” Fang Xiu walked ahead for once as the group’s “torchbearer”. Their shoes crunched over the gritty earth, the noise unnervingly loud.

While Fang Xiu kept an eye on the ground, Bai Shuangying watched the distant karmic threads.

“There are four other living people here, scattered far apart.”

After that truth-or-dare session, Bai Shuangying didn’t bother hiding his powers. “Three groups: one of two, and two solo. This time the teams are small.”

The black dog barked twice in agreement, licking the cool hem of Bai Shuangying’s robe.

Fang Xiu replied, “Makes sense. Disaster Resolver teams are never large.”

A “consecutive E resolution” required strong cohesion. The Underworld probably had strict team-size limits to reduce unpredictable outcomes.

The previous teams—the Jiao Yan duo, the twin monks, Zhuang Pengdao and his disciples—had all been tightly bound groups. In contrast, their own team was the odd one out.

That thought made Fang Xiu suddenly stop. Guan He, scanning the area, nearly bumped into him. “???”

“Let’s pretend we’re two separate teams.” Fang Xiu explained, “We’ve got too many people. Even with fake names, we’ll stand out.”

“Everyone knows ‘Fang Xiu resolved the Mid-Autumn E’, but all they know is that I’m a young man. They don’t know what my teammates look like.”

Guan He suddenly understood.

Their team, composed of men, women, and even a dog, was definitely memorable.

“Xiao Guan, you team up with Cheng Jie and Mei Lan. I’ll lend you the dog.”

Fang Xiu crouched and patted the black dog’s head. “We don’t know what kinds of traps are here. This guy can save your lives.”

After all, it was a ghost immortal, naturally sensitive to life-preserving paths.

Cheng Songyun asked calmly, “And you, Xiao Fang?”

“I’ll just conjure a teammate. Bai Shuangying, drop the disguise.”

Bai Shuangying stepped out of the shadows, and the others paused for a beat.

Understandably so… His new look was…

Perhaps at Fang Xiu’s request, this seductive ghost had dropped his usual ancient style. The flowing white robes were replaced with a crisp white T-shirt and matching pants and shoes that mirrored Fang Xiu’s outfit perfectly.

His long hair was pulled into a low ponytail, loosely tied behind his head. With that ethereal face, he now resembled a “modern exorcist”.

But standing next to Fang Xiu, they looked more like a couple.

And not just any couple. They gave off an ominous “red and white double specter” vibe. The colors and their appearance made it clear: these two were no amateurs in metaphysics.

Fang Xiu boldly took his ghost’s hand. “Now your ‘group of three’ won’t raise any suspicions. We’ve got two ‘young men’ on our side. It’ll be hard to tell which one is the real Fang Xiu.”

Guan He, apparently excluded from the “young man” category, looked like he had opinions but said nothing.

Mei Lan patted the black dog’s head. “You two are going to act separately?”

“No, just a bit of distance. We’ll say we allied partway through.”

“…Fine.”

Honestly, they didn’t even need to act. Those two clung to each other so closely that it created an unspoken bubble no one could break into. Mei Lan wanted to complain but couldn’t bring herself to joke around.

This Immortal E they were after was tricky. Even knowing what it looked like in advance wouldn’t help much.

It was just too well-hidden.

……

“It’s too well-hidden,” a young man said lazily. “Rather than hunting it down, might as well wait for it to find us.”

“Cen Ge, you know a lot about the ‘Grave-Sealing E?” asked the youth beside him.

“Not really. But there are records in the sect.” The man swung a white lantern, smiling brightly.

“I remember bits and pieces about most of the Immortal E’s acquired in the past twenty years.”

The candlelight filtered through the yellowed paper, casting a soft glow. “Cen Ge”, Cen Ling, walked normally, but the flame inside the lantern didn’t flicker at all, as if frozen in place.

The light revealed their faces.

Cen Ling wasn’t quite as striking as Zhuang Pengdao, but he was handsome in a “just right” kind of way.

With soft features and warm energy, he gave off an approachable, boy-next-door charm. The kind of guy women liked and men didn’t dislike.

The boy beside him was also bright-eyed and quick-footed.

“I only heard it was an old jade cicada with blood staining…about this big.”

He cupped his hands to show the size. “It seems someone found it in an antique shop and used it to seal a tomb.”

“Sounds about right.”

Cen Ling chuckled. “That thing is drawn to the living. It’ll come to us on its own. If we go looking, we’d be searching forever.”

“Huh, drawn to the living?”

The youth shivered, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms.

“Yeah. But we’ll be fine. We’ve got each other’s backs.”

“The two moving solo are the ones in trouble. Once we regroup, it’ll be fine. We’re all from the same side. We know how to play it smart.”

“Hey, what’s up with that ‘Fang Xiu’ guy?”

“I’m curious too.”

Cen Ling spoke as if commenting on a local legend. “He resolved the Mid-Autumn E. He should be somewhat well-known, but he’s staying so low-key I’m starting to suspect he’s government-affiliated.”

“Government or not, doesn’t matter.” The youth said with disdain, “No one on either side, yin or yang, can control our sect leader. The officials up top are just cannon fodder.”

Cen Ling didn’t respond, smiling faintly. But the expression didn’t reach his eyes.

“Alright, we don’t get many chances like this. Let’s take in the sights.”

He lifted the lantern, casting light on the rugged, ancient tunnel.

“Even if it’s abandoned, this place is still our holy land. Many of our brothers and sisters are buried here.”

“Wait… you think the leader raised monsters here? I mean, uh, Immortal creatures?”

Cen Ling’s smile widened. “Of course.”

“What do you think the ‘Grave-Sealing E’ is sealing, hm?”

……

After walking two or three hours, the passage opened up.

“Opened up” wasn’t exactly right. The atmosphere was still heavy, but at least there was more space. At the end of the corridor lay a massive hollow chamber, scattered with remnants of ancient buildings.

In the limited lighting, the ruins were clearly in disrepair. Vines crawled over stone, moss covered what had once been colorful paint. It looked centuries old. Yet some parts seemed suspiciously new, new enough to have been built last week.

The only upside was the presence of several recently installed eternal lamps. Fang Xiu didn’t hesitate to light up every dark spot, bringing a faint sense of life to the place.

Guan He looked around, appalled at the hybrid architecture. “This is heritage destruction, isn’t it?”

The modern repairs were obviously unprofessional. Some areas used contemporary masonry techniques that clashed violently with the original structures, like red bricks shoved into a gray-brick wall.

Cheng Songyun clicked her tongue. “It’s a massive mausoleum…”

“The imperial tomb of the last emperor of the Kui Dynasty,” Mei Lan said softly. “It was never finished. The Kui dynasty fell before it was completed. The Guishan Sect turned it into a stronghold. It’s been officially sealed by the government.”

Guan He was confused. “But there’s no sign of government work here?”

If the authorities found it, shouldn’t there have been full-scale excavation and preservation efforts?

Mei Lan gave a bitter smile. “The things inside were too dangerous. All they could do was seal it and deal with it slowly.”

Guan He: “……”

So they were standing in a thousand-year-old tomb, once occupied by a cult, and now marked by the state as “too dangerous to excavate”. How lovely.

He moved stiffly, staying within half a step of Cheng Songyun.

Fang Xiu touched the ancient stone wall. Mei Lan’s explanation matched his research. The architecture clearly followed the Kui Dynasty style.

The Kui had been one of the strongest dynasties in history.

Like many others, it had risen in glory, flourished, and collapsed into a century of chaos. Most people forgot its last emperor, but they remembered its last “immortal”: Zhuang Guiqu.

According to legend, Zhuang Guiqu was half-human, half-immortal, and could split the heavens with one hand. In the dynasty’s final days, when ghosts ran rampant, he and his disciples traveled the land, resolving disasters.

Even in recent centuries, his name lived on in countless stories and operas. But as metaphysics waned, those tales became mere superstition.

…Until someone decided to make use of them in modern times.

Fang Xiu’s fingers clenched tighter around the stone. His nails dug into the cracks.

“Oh, you all got here first!”

A cheerful voice called from behind. “Good evening, everyone.”

“Welcome to the holy land of our sect. My name is Cen Ling.”

---

The author has something to say:

Disguised identities ×

Publicly showing affection √

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 105: A Short Break by the Roadside

“Did you hear? Zhuang Pengdao died. His whole team was wiped out.”

“Yeah, I heard. There’s a Guishan Sect member on our side too…”

Whispers filled the darkness.

“No way. That guy was a big name. He had four anomalies. Normal evil spirits shouldn’t be able to kill him!”

“Then someone else must’ve done it. Caught him off guard, stabbed him in the back~”

“Why kill him, though? Wasn’t he focused on resolving E’s? Never heard of him causing trouble.”

“Hey, that’s because anyone he couldn’t use… ended up dead.”

“If Master Zhuang’s dead, how did those two slackers survive?”

Yan Yan finally couldn’t hold back. “Who are you calling slackers?!”

Soft laughter echoed from all directions.

Yan Yan rolled his eyes in frustration but no one could see. Right now, they were all inside a private metaphysical gathering.

Only darkness surrounded them, lit by flickering candles of various lengths. The flames stretched endlessly into the shadows, too many to count.

Each candle was like a “vest” representing a metaphysics practitioner. They came in all shapes and sizes, forming a strange sort of landscape.

Voices drifted from the flames, soft yet close, as though someone were whispering right beside the ear regardless of distance.

This was a soul-projection illusion built through arcane means: a VR-style anonymous forum.

While Yan Yan fumed quietly, Jiao Jiao spoke up, swearing loudly. “Surviving to the end is winning! What, you only respect full DPS parties in games and look down on support?”

The two of them did have unorthodox skill sets, which were better suited for investigation than combat.

Jiao Jiao specialized in divination and magical potions. Yan Yan’s offensive strength was somewhere between a fox spirit and a police dog. They’d gotten lucky so far as none of the rituals they’d been in were chaotic battle royales. That’s the only reason they were still alive and whole.

This time, they still weren’t frontline fighters. But so what? Zhuang Pengdao was dead, and they were still breathing!

“Yeah yeah, you two know how to turtle up. You’re soooo amazing.”

A sarcastic voice came from the other end, then changed the subject. “Anyway, no way it was you two who killed him. Those two monks are gone too. Must’ve been that new team?”

“Oh, right. They went for an evaluation. That means it was the new Disaster Resolvers.”

“Has anyone talked to them? There wasn’t a peep beforehand… Fox, say something.”

Yan Yan stayed quiet.

He didn’t really remember. After watching Fang Xiu “destroy” the Yellow Millet E, he’d assumed the paper figure would show up soon. So he and Jiao Jiao had sprawled out and gone to sleep like the dead.

When they returned to the Tower, they found out Zhuang Pengdao was dead. His whole three-person team was gone.

Was it really Fang Xiu’s group who did it…?

Zhuang Pengdao had been brutal, but toward the end, it seemed like all three teams had worked together to break the final puzzle. Why would Fang Xiu’s team strike after it was over?

And succeed in killing Zhuang Pengdao no less!

Yan Yan was now unsure whether Fang Xiu’s claim of being a “normal person” meant anything at all. He didn’t seem remotely “normal”.

“Zhuang Pengdao and his two apprentices were strong. If it came to a real fight, it should’ve made a big scene. Who the hell are those guys?” The conversation continued during Yan Yan’s silence.

“Anyone who could resolve that Mid-Autumn E must be tough. No doubt about it.”

“Whatever. They’re proper Disaster Resolvers now. Someone’s bound to meet them.”

“Heh, with how hard they hit last time, the Underworld will just assign them an even harder ritual. We’ll see then… Fox, can you at least tell us how they look? So we can recognize them.”

After some thought, Yan Yan decided to remain silent.

His family had always emphasized repaying favors. He’d heard every fox-family bedtime story about it.

The feud between Fang Xiu and Zhuang Pengdao was their business. As far as results went, he and Jiao Jiao had contributed the least. They basically got pulled along.

So there was no need to sell out Fang Xiu’s info for a little benefit. Who knew how many grudge-holders lurked among the Disaster Resolvers?

“I don’t remember.”

Yan Yan said slowly, “The Yellow Millet E messes with the mind. My head’s been killing me.”

Jiao Jiao caught on immediately and played along. They both stuck to the story: fuzzy memory, can’t recall the other team at all.

In the distant shadows, a stubby red candle burned quietly. A low sigh emerged from the flame.

The paper figure had said they’d be assigned to the same team as Fang Xiu next time. What a shame. There was no way to get information ahead of time.

Zhuang Pengdao had been mid-tier in the Guishan Sect.

He was Zhuang Chongyue’s blood relative—sharp, charming, and skilled at recruiting followers. Zhuang Chongyue had planned to secure him a nice position, but now he was gone.

Since someone had dared cross Guishan Sect, that strange team no longer had the right to live.

……

“For the next ritual, please don’t use your real names.”

At breakfast, Mei Lan stood and bowed slightly to the other three. “I killed someone very troublesome. There’s a high chance we’ll encounter someone seeking revenge.”

Cheng Songyun and Guan He glanced at each other, then looked toward Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu, meanwhile, was happily being fed by his seductive ghost. Bai Shuangying, having thoroughly enjoyed eating Fang Xiu earlier, was now graciously returning the favor—preparing a delicious breakfast just for his human.

At the moment, Bai Shuangying was seriously deboning fish, neatly stacking the snow-white fillets on Fang Xiu’s plate.

He watched intently as Fang Xiu chewed and swallowed each bite before calmly processing the next piece.

As for the less perfect scraps, Bai Shuangying would casually flick them off the edge of the table with his chopsticks, where the little black dog waited below to gobble them up.

The other three: “……”

The worst part was that Fang Xiu didn’t seem to find anything strange about this. His gaze toward Bai Shuangying was openly soft.

To put it mildly, the atmosphere refused to stay serious. Combined with those two faces, the whole scene gave off a strangely decadent air. Anyone walking in might think they’d stumbled into some sort of pleasure den.

“You’re talking about Zhuang Pengdao, huh.”

Fang Xiu swallowed a mouthful of fish and popped open a soda. “You don’t have to worry too much. Even if you hadn’t killed him, I would’ve.”

To be honest, he was a little disappointed he hadn’t gotten to do it himself. But seeing how furious Mei Lan had been at the time, clearly fueled by both personal vendetta and righteous fury, he hadn’t had the heart to steal the kill.

Guan He asked in a small voice, “What exactly happened?”

Fang Xiu shrugged. “The guy was part of a cult. I’ve got a personal grudge with them. If I’m not mistaken, Miss Mei’s in the same boat.”

He paused meaningfully but chose not to mention Mei Lan’s past ties to the Guishan Sect.

Mei Lan’s eyes flickered. “You guessed right.”

“Good that it’s out in the open now. In the final three rituals, if we don’t all pull in the same direction, things could get messy.”

Fang Xiu smiled. “Using fake names is no big deal. There’s a good chance we’ll run into more of their people in the next trial.”

With that, he cheerfully bit into another piece of fish, completely at ease. He was clearly ready to move on from the topic.

Mei Lan stood frozen beside her seat, stammering. She had clearly prepared a long explanation, but Fang Xiu had given her no opening to deliver it.

“I’d advise against giving your life story at a time like this. You might not survive the next ritual.”

Fang Xiu said, “See, I never talk about my past.”

Mei Lan: “……”

Guan He: “……???”

“Don’t worry, Xiao Guan. You can talk if you want. You’re underage. You’ve got a built-in immunity clause.” Fang Xiu patted his shoulder with the tone of a serious elder, as if that clause actually existed.

After that string of nonsense, the tension completely fell apart. Everyone seemed on the verge of speaking, only to swallow their words in the end.

Beside Fang Xiu, Bai Shuangying’s hands slowed in preparing the fish.

He pried apart a piece of pale meat, exposing the translucent spine beneath. His gaze drifted from the sharp bones to Fang Xiu.

Here we go again.

No questions. No explanations. No concern. Fang Xiu’s three golden rules for interpersonal relations.

The longer Bai Shuangying observed him, the more clearly he sensed a line in the sand.

Just like in the old theory of intersecting lines, Fang Xiu moved forward on a predetermined path.

His care for Cheng Songyun and Guan He, his attention and leniency toward Mei Lan… even his affection for Bai Shuangying. All these were things along the “side of the road”.

His human might pause to admire the view, slow down to touch a pretty flower, or lean against a tree to rest and bandage a bleeding heel.

But in the end, Fang Xiu would always move forward and eventually leave his field of vision entirely.

He’d said he would remember Fang Xiu, but now he wanted to remember more. Faced with a banquet, it wasn’t enough to only recall the first plate of appetizers.

…Three rituals left.

For the first time in his existence, Bai Shuangying felt that time was moving too quickly.

It rankled. He wanted to collapse right then and there like a tree, pin Fang Xiu in the middle of the road, and make him stay.

As Bai Shuangying paused, Fang Xiu’s fish supply dwindled. So Fang Xiu leaned forward and snatched the fish right out of his ghost’s hand, his tongue grazing Bai Shuangying’s fingertips.

Bai Shuangying muttered something under his breath, then licked the leftover sauce from his fingers.

“I have something else to say.”

Mei Lan raised her voice slightly, her tone laced with fatigue. “About the Immortal E in the next ritual… I know a bit about it…”

Fang Xiu finally looked up and stared at her in silence.

This time, all the ease vanished from his face, replaced by a predatory focus.

……

Three days later, the Underworld officially scheduled the next ritual, calling it a “special privilege for Disaster Resolvers”.

Fang Xiu wasn’t surprised. Clearly, when it came to reliable tools, the Underworld didn’t want to break them too quickly. They were willing to take the time to maintain them.

Another benefit came with it…

“This Immortal E is rather unusual, so the Underworld will be assigning a ghost courier to accompany you.”

Dian’er bowed and scraped. “I wish all of you the best of luck and great success!”

Fang Xiu ignored the paper figure’s empty flattery and walked side by side with his ghost to the second floor.

As soon as they reached the stairs, a strange fish smell hit them like a wave.

---

The author has something to say:

A new ritual begins—!!!

Come to think of it, Xiao Fang has been fishing all along… Setting a long line to catch Xiao Bai!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 104: Secret Dealings

Breaking dozens of seal chains felt like regaining feeling in one’s fingers. Bai Shuangying could sense the changes in human karma.

Breaking hundreds of chains was like being able to move a pinky. Bai Shuangying could tug at karmic threads on human bodies and observe or disturb them individually.

Breaking thousands was like freeing a whole hand. Maybe then, he could part the mists of the Heavens and glimpse the full scope of karma.

He pressed the increasingly feverish human onto his thigh, channeling all his power into his eyes.

Good.

The power sealed for a thousand years began to flow, sluggish but steady. Fang Xiu’s karmic threads shimmered and warped like summer heat waves, starting to take shape. If he just pushed a little harder, focused a little more…

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed the blood-colored mole on Bai Shuangying’s left cheek.

He flinched so hard he nearly lost his human form. The energy he’d just gathered dispersed instantly.

Something warm and damp touched the mole. It was Fang Xiu’s fingertip. He gently rubbed the mark, and the lingering pain vanished completely.

To be honest, Fang Xiu almost burst out laughing at how shameless this was.

As soon as the chains broke, his ghost had opened his eyes wide and leaned in like he meant to chew him up with his gaze.

Then the ghost contract between them got in the way, and Bai Shuangying reeled back with a sour face, like someone had poured lemon juice in his eyes. But he still kept holding tightly onto him.

It was so straightforward that it was kind of cute.

Fang Xiu couldn’t be bothered to hide his metaphysical knowledge anymore. “We have a ghost contract. Our karmas are linked. Even Jiao Jiao couldn’t divine Yan Yan’s fate, right? What’s that phrase again…”

Bai Shuangying drooped his head. “Heaven’s will must not be revealed*.”

*(天机不可泄漏) It’s a saying referring to confidential matters cannot be disclosed in advance before the time comes… but in this case, it also applies literally.

How frustrating. He had never been karmically bound to anyone before. In the excitement of regaining power, Bai Shuangying had completely forgotten about that.

Looks like the best he could do now was pluck a single karmic thread and glimpse bits of Fang Xiu’s past.

Unless the ritual ended and the ghost contract was lifted. Or he is fully liberated and forced his way past the rules… But by then, they would already be parting ways. There would be no point in probing further.

Bai Shuangying looked up. With nearly five thousand chains broken, the “cage of chains” around him had visibly changed. Where once a dense wall had encased him, now broken links jutted out like a frayed cloth.

The thrill of unsealing had faded. He was left with the quiet satisfaction of progress. But more than that, he was focused on something else—the deepening “understanding” between him and Fang Xiu.

Was Fang Xiu on the verge of collapse? …Then why couldn’t he tell?

He had seen countless humans break down before, and none of them looked this calm.

“Still playing?” Bai Shuangying asked dully.

The dare round was over. It was Fang Xiu’s turn to ask a question. As Bai Shuangying absently toyed with his human’s soft body, he felt an odd restlessness. This position was quite nice, and he didn’t want to let go just yet.

Fang Xiu didn’t move either. He sat on Bai Shuangying’s thigh, fingers idly twirling his ghost’s hair.

“What’s the first thing you want to do after unsealing?”

Bai Shuangying almost said “kill you”, but found that thought had quietly vanished. His human was far too unique to waste.

“Destroy the human world”? But then he thought of the billions of people and all the cities he hadn’t yet seen… and suddenly felt unmotivated.

Maybe something less drastic, something fun, like…

“Reduce the Disaster Relief Tower to ashes,” Bai Shuangying compromised.

Then he could settle some scores with the disciples of Zhuang Guiqu. After that, depending on his mood… As he made mental plans, his hand gently stroked Fang Xiu’s back.

Fang Xiu wrapped an arm around Bai Shuangying’s neck and chuckled lowly.

The tone Bai Shuangying used sounded like someone casually rearranging travel plans. If this ghost had any sense of subtlety, their relationship would be something entirely different.

“What are you laughing at?” Bai Shuangying stopped moving.

“Was that really a truth-or-dare question?”

“Mm.” Bai Shuangying was afraid Fang Xiu might dodge it.

Fang Xiu pinched his ear. “I was just thinking… Turns out you’re a powerful ghost half step away from being a ghost immortal. That’s reassuring. When we part ways, I won’t have to worry about you getting bullied by other ghosts.”

Half-truth, half-lie.

In his mind, his ghost had gone from a lazy, evil spirit slacker to a determined prison-breaker. That might explain the string of “death” words that appeared when Bai Shuangying was summoned—maybe it really was pure, honest rage.

Luckily, after all Fang Xiu had seen, Bai Shuangying’s nuclear-level hostility wasn’t at the detonation point just yet.

He’d keep an eye on the human world. As for fate in the Underworld… well that’s up to them to decide.

On the topic of being evaluated as a “half-step ghost immortal”, Bai Shuangying only frowned slightly, not denying it. The powerful evil spirit pricked his ears, waiting quietly for Fang Xiu’s next question.

Fang Xiu smiled with relief and shook his head lightly. “That’s all. I don’t have anything else I want to ask.”

At those words, a flicker of disappointment passed through Bai Shuangying’s eyes.

This was unfair. He still had so many questions. For a moment, he even wanted to reveal his true identity, just to spark Fang Xiu’s curiosity.

But not yet.

Fang Xiu’s morals had only degraded 99%. If that remaining 1% kicked in and made him act on behalf of humanity, Bai Shuangying’s only hope for unsealing would be gone.

No matter how poorly he understood the human heart, Bai Shuangying wasn’t going to trip over the same trap twice.

What a shame. When would Fang Xiu next open up like that?

He patted Fang Xiu’s soft, fluffy hair with a quiet sigh.

…Fang Xiu didn’t notice Bai Shuangying’s small frustration.

He rested his chin on the ghost’s shoulder, forcefully tamping down the heat in his body.

Then, with a pleased wiggle, he kissed Bai Shuangying on the lips. A warm feeling bubbled up, softening the glacier-like exhaustion in his chest.

“Want some snacks?” His breath was warm against Bai Shuangying’s skin.

Bai Shuangying cupped Fang Xiu’s cheek in response.

As the sound of kissing filled the room, broken chains clinked softly.

The little black dog watched as the kiss went from seated to lying down and pouted with a yawn. It bit on a chain angrily. With four hands in the room, why wasn’t even one used to pet it? They only know how to touch each other!

……

“Are you saying the Disaster Relief Tower is extremely dangerous?”

Beneath her hood, A’Shou raised a brow. “Girl, do you know what you’re saying?”

Mei Lan kept her head lowered. “Yes.”

“I’ve heard plenty of nonsense from sacrificial offerings. If I haven’t heard a thousand tall tales, I’ve heard at least eight hundred.”

A’Shou remained impassive.

“They say the Disaster Relief Tower harbors a shocking conspiracy, that the Underworld is in grave danger, or that they’re immortals sent down to undergo tribulations—all just to win special treatment and survive the ritual.”

“I’m not trying to convince you. I know the Underworld won’t mobilize over the words of a mere offering.”

Mei Lan respectfully bowed, giving a formal and old-fashioned salute. “I just want to ask if you know someone named ‘Cen Ling’.” She followed up by reciting his birth details from memory.

A’Shou waved at Dian’er, who hurriedly brought over a scroll thick as a log. A’Shou hooked her finger, and the scroll rapidly unfurled on both ends, revealing lines of wild cursive calligraphy.

“There is such a person.” A’Shou tapped a patch of ink. “And quite a capable Disaster Resolver at that.”

Mei Lan licked her dry lips, her breath trembling slightly.

“In the next ritual, please assign us to the same trial.” She spoke gently. “In exchange, I can offer a target. I’ll tell you the location of the ‘Grave-Sealing E’. It’s also an Immortal E. The Underworld likely hasn’t noticed it yet.”

“He’s a high-ranking member of the Guishan Sect. If you send someone to quietly tail him, you’ll soon see the truth.”

“The Underworld will verify the ‘Grave-Sealing E’. If what you say is true, I’ll agree to this exchange.”

A’Shou rubbed the dried characters. “But you bypassed your team leader and came directly to me? Girl, this could stir up trouble.”

“Whatever he says, I’ll still go through with it. Once you’ve confirmed it, I’ll explain it to them.” A hint of weariness showed in Mei Lan’s eyes.

“…And I’ll offer compensation.”

“Very well.” A’Shou waved her hand, her tone softening.

An undiscovered Immortal E was like a bomb hidden underground or a sealing opportunity served on a silver platter. The Underworld couldn’t refuse such terms.

Meng Xiaomeng turned her head slightly, listening in a haze.

She had only truthfully confessed to stealing the Yellow Millet E from her dad. The rest of the discussion was out of her depth.

But she did recognize the name “Guishan Sect”.

That sect had been hugely popular once, before the government cracked down on it over several years. Even her not-so-great school had taught about it in class.

Whether her dad had ties to Guishan, though, she really didn’t know. She had no memories of him. Her mother never spoke of him, and didn’t want her to meet him.

Thinking of her mother, Meng Xiaomeng swayed slightly, her soul energy suddenly thrown into disarray.

“You.”

A’Shou pointed at her. “Your soul is far too damaged. You’ll need to rest in a place of extreme yin for a while. For the next forty-nine days, you’ll serve as a wandering soul courier, running errands between yin and yang on my behalf.”

With that, she opened a drawer and took out a stack of fine xuan paper and an old pair of iron scissors.

The scissors snipped through the paper with a crisp sound. The cut pieces floated up on their own, pasting themselves over the gaps in Meng Xiaomeng’s soul.

After a short while, her limbs were whole again, and her head was restored. Only one side of her face was now drawn in ink lines, giving her a slight resemblance to a paper figure.

Meng Xiaomeng’s eyes regained some clarity. “Thank you…”

“You’re thanking me too early. I didn’t save you out of kindness.”

A’Shou put away the scissors without emotion. “You’re carrying the karmic debt of a Disaster Resolver. If your soul had scattered just like that, who would the Underworld go after to collect?”

Meng Xiaomeng: “…”

In an instant, her expression became a tangled mix of despair, regret, and a hint of grievance. She had no memory of what happened in the dream.

“Go see your mother.” Mei Lan suddenly interjected. “No matter how bad your relationship is, you still have a future together.”

“But my mom—” Meng Xiaomeng started to protest, then abruptly stopped, as if her mouth had a mind of its own.

Under A’Shou’s curious gaze, Mei Lan stepped forward and smoothed out Meng Xiaomeng’s hair.

“I hated my parents too, at your age. I carried a blood debt. But you still have a chance to atone for your sins. You’re still worth saving.”

“I’m not.”

She smiled faintly. “Turn back while you still can. Don’t become like me.”

“Goodbye, Meng Xiaomeng.”

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The author has something to say:

Xiao Fang: I’m such a bad guy. What if he still has a conscience and reports me?

Xiao Bai: I’m such a bad guy. What if he still has a conscience and reports me?

How is this not a perfect match (?

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