Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 114: Four People

At dusk, Haigu Municipal Hospital.

A woman in her mid-forties left the gift store with a lifeless bouquet in her arms. The petals of the pink carnations were yellowing at the edges, and the surrounding baby’s-breath had fallen apart into pieces.

The woman hunched her back and had a lackluster expression. She was wearing a colorful t-shirt that didn’t match her age, and the bouquet of flowers in her arms couldn’t cover up the faint smell of sweat.

She lowered her head and walked towards the inpatient area, passing by pedestrians who would glance at her for no more than two seconds.

The unremarkable woman approached the ward of the inpatient area slowly in this way.

“……”

Not long after, the door of the ward closed behind her.

An old man in the ward turned his head, and after seeing the person who came, he slowly put away the smile on his face.

“It’s you.”

In the ward surveillance, the woman in her mid-forties who was holding flowers was still standing, but in the eyes of the old man, the “person” in front of him was completely different—

Simple black work uniform and cheap flats. The woman’s eyes were slender and red, as if she had cried, and the hair on the back of her head was tightly tied in a bun.

“You can continue to call me ‘Qi Xin’,” she said. “Qi Xin from Gengsheng Town is dead, and there are no other Qi Xin nearby. I quite like this name.”

The old man made no effort to hide the disgust on his face.

“What are you doing here?”

He sat up from the hospital bed.

“There’s no rally today—you messed up on the affairs in Gengsheng Town, and we haven’t settled that matter with you yet.”

“Um… Messed up?” Qi Xin opened the bouquet and replaced the half-dead flowers in a vase with them. “You asked me to go and you clearly promised that I could ‘eat as much as I want’.”

She bared her teeth at him.

“I went to see the situation with Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian and found food that could be eaten, so I ate.”

Her tone was calm, as if she were describing how she had eaten a few ingredients before the meal was served.

The old man gritted his teeth tightly, as if he wanted to scold her, but when he was looked at by those slender eyes, he couldn’t say a word.

Qi Xin fiddled with the bouquet of flowers, and the withered baby’s-breath fell down as she picked at it. The setting sun shone through the window, dyeing the white dried flowers a light shade of red, like fresh meat shavings. She didn’t stop her movements and played with them attentively.

The old man, Mr. Qiu, looked at the side of her face, and disgust seemed fixed on his expression.

Qi Xin rushed towards Mr. Qiu, and her cheek twitched. A crack opened on her profile, and the gap wriggled for a few seconds, transforming into a slender eye.

“If you think I disrupted your rhythm, you can delay the operations by ten, twenty, or even a hundred years. I have no objections.”

Qi Xin’s mouth was closed tightly, and her voice seemed to come from nowhere.

“Humans grow old fast and forget even faster. I thought you knew the truth.”

“We’re not here to play.” Mr. Qiu frowned as he hissed back.

“Well, you three aren’t here to play, but I am.”

Qi Xin swept away the baby’s-breath with the back of her hand, and the shriveled white flowers fell on the table, silent like snowflakes. The extra-grown eye looked at Mr. Qiu happily, without blinking.

“…Don’t think that ‘you’ can be so unscrupulous because you’re older. There were people older than you before, and you know their endings.” Mr. Qiu was silent for a while before he responded with a hiss.

“I don’t need you to survive. Although I’m a different breed than those two, I enjoy working with them more than you—”

Qi Xin’s movements of fiddling with the flowers stopped.

The thin woman turned her head, and all her facial features disappeared, leaving only a vague dark vortex. Qi Xin’s neck was folded ninety degrees, and her joints clicked as her deformed face rushed straight towards Mr. Qiu.

The old man jolted.

“Shh—be careful what you say.” A blurred voice of indeterminate gender came from deep within the vortex. “If you want to act low-key, you need humans from Sunken Society to help you with your research…”

Qi Xin’s slender body stopped by the bed. Her neck stretched softly as if it were boneless, and the dark vortex stuck to the tip of Mr. Qiu’s nose.

“You won’t like the news of ‘collective suicide of the members of Sunken Society’… You’ll have to wait for another batch of collaborators to be trained, and the result won’t be any different. Be patient, young one.”

A blatant threat.

Mr. Qiu’s withered throat bobbed.

He began to understand why “that one” wanted to bring down this old trouble.

Considering Qi Xin’s “nature”, her strength as a teammate was average, but her ability to be a hindrance was unparalleled. As long as she wanted to, she could cause them huge trouble at any time.

So far, Qi Xin had basically ignored commands, but fortunately, she hadn’t deliberately sabotaged their actions, though it was difficult to say in the future. It was as if “that one” liked putting in unstable factors to monitor them more than pulling combat power.

And he couldn’t interfere with “that one’s” plan.

“…It’s my fault.” Mr. Qiu laughed dryly. “I spoke out of turn. I just want to save my compatriots, so I became a little anxious.”

The swirl on Qi Xin’s face gradually changed back to her original facial features, but her brows remained extremely cold.

“Compatriots? Your rhetoric is becoming more human.” She retracted her neck and continued to fiddle with the flowers. “It sounds really uncomfortable.”

Mr. Qiu didn’t respond.

“I came back because I wanted to say one thing. I don’t care about your heroism, but I don’t want to be hungry either,” Qi Xin said. “A little advice. You’d better keep your plans to more than 50 years. This generation of humans is interesting, so it’s best to wait for them to weaken before acting.”

The cub was guarding “Zhong Chengshuo” and she couldn’t see through that strange man.

And looking at Shian’s attitude, they only suspected the cub was related to an Evil Spirit. Regarding the truth about Evil Spirits, those poor humans’ understanding wasn’t even skin deep. However, with Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian leading this generation, it was difficult to say how things would develop.

So it was better just to wait another fifty years.

Fifty years later, Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian would be six feet underground and wouldn’t pose any threat. Zhong Chengshuo would become an old man of about eighty years old, and it would be hard to say if he could even get up and down the stairs by himself.

At that time, after the dust settled on the relationship between Shian and the cub and when everything came to fruition, she could just decide how to act.

But… in addition to herself, it was still unknown whether “the other three” were willing to wait another fifty years.

For example, like this Mr. Qiu.

As she expected, Mr. Qiu’s voice suddenly became excited. “Why wait? Did you find anything in Gengsheng Town? I heard that Yellow Millet disappeared without a trace and even Snake Swallowing was taken back by Shian and arranged to go to some ‘rare evil creature reserve’. Can this be done with just Fu Xingchuan’s level alone?”

“Is it the pair of partners that Sunken Society has been paying attention to…?”

Qi Xin’s tone was extremely calm. “Fu Xingchuan did it. He was lucky. Those two evils were not controlled by the imitation and lost their will to fight… As for the two boys from Unit 9… They are considered normal humans.”

She lied smoothly.

“I just comprehensively evaluated the situation of the leaders of Shian and gave you my advice.”

“So your suggestion is to ‘wait fifty years’ before taking action? Do you want me to repeat this over and over again for this worn-out idea?” Mr. Qiu showed an expression of speechlessness.

“Yes, because I hate you, and I hate the other two even more.”

After speaking, Qi Xin straightened her back. She patted the dried flower crumbs on her hand and walked to the door without turning her head.

Mr. Qiu: “Hey.”

The cheap flats knocked against the ground, making a regular tapping sound.

“Hey!”

Qi Xin grabbed the door handle with her right hand and moved in a fluid manner.

“Is it because of ‘his’ death that you’re treating us like this?”

Qi Xin’s hand paused.

She didn’t answer. After a while, Qi Xin left the room quietly, and the door to the ward was gently closed.

“…Bastard.”

Mr. Qiu fell back on the soft pillow at the head of the bed.

With Qi Xin’s perfunctory attitude, he didn’t bother to share the latest information with her. Mr. Qiu just got news in the morning that Shian was about to usher in their triennial joint exercise tournament again.

Shian had always suspected that those two boys from Unit 9 were related to an “Evil Spirit”. The execution mission caused such a big uproar that the subsequent observation wouldn’t stop immediately.

“But since those two in Unit 9 are just humans, it’s not a big deal.” He moved his withered fingers. “It doesn’t matter if I play around, right?’

……

“Wow.”

One of Mr. Qiu’s targets was amazed.

Yin Ren shifted his attention away from Zhong Chengshuo and looked at the information on the wall—one after another, all of them were special murder cases that occurred after the ‘Divine Descent’.

“Officially, they are my biological parents.”

Zhong Chengshuo paced to one of the newspaper clippings and pointed at a young man and woman above.

The words “serial killers” next to it were particularly eye-catching. Taking a closer look, the words “has been executed” were also written in fine print.

Yin Ren: “……”

He never thought that the process of meeting Zhong Chengshuo’s parents would come a second time, and this second time was even stranger.

For a moment, thoughts swirled in his feverish mind. Lord Ghost King squinted at the information that covered an entire wall, and countless dog-blooded stories quickly turned up in his heart.

“Stop.” He raised his right hand and said confidently, “Wait, let me guess first! When you were a teenager, you found out that you were adopted and decided to investigate the mystery of your own life. During the investigation, you discover that your parents were actually serial killers.”

“You discovered the existence of the Divine Descent and decided to step into this world. You thoroughly understood the events of the year, your parents’ motives, and traced the fate of the previous generation. During your investigation, you gradually became King Yama.”

Yin Ren shook his finger and was satisfied with the script he had written.

“Ah, to add a little more suffering element—you discovered your personality problem earlier on and decided to use hunting evil things and murderers to relieve your desire for destruction—am I right?”

Zhong Chengshuo applauded with a blank expression.

Yin Ren snorted. Before he could finish saying “old ginger is spicier*”, his boyfriend solemnly commented.

*(姜还是老的辣) Idiom referring to older, more experienced people are usually wiser and more capable than younger people. || In this context, he’s saying that because he’s older than Zhong Chengshuo, based on his life experience, he can come up with this kind of story about Zhong Chengshuo’s life.

“Amazing.” Zhong Chengshuo stopped applauding. “I can’t believe you got nothing right.”

Yin Ren: “?!”

The corners of Yin Ren’s mouth twitched. “If… If Shian finds something wrong in the future, let’s use this to mislead them!”

Zhong Chengshuo tilted his head and thought for a while, then nodded reluctantly.

“So what’s the situation with your biological parents?” Yin Ren continued, asking cautiously.

“Scums like Guo Laifu. These are just the usual investigations. I have no special interest in them.”

“What about hunting evil things?”

“Researching equipment and gear burns money, and I need money.”

“What about… torturing murderers?!”

“Need subject data.” Zhong Chengshuo explained seriously. “Do you want to see their brain CT and blood hormone index?”

Yin Ren was stunned.

Every time he felt that Comrade Xiao Zhong’s plan was too far-fetched, this person could always bring him back down to earth with a thud.

“Then you’re studying Divine Descent,” Yin Ren asked almost hopelessly, “It’s not out of personal interest, right?”

This time, there was no answer from Zhong Chengshuo.

“Step by step.” He thought for a while before replying. “When our relationship goes further, I’ll tell you. Just like a bank card pin, these are secrets belonging to the degree of marriage.”

“Well, if that’s what you say…”

Inwardly,  Yin Ren felt extremely frustrated and couldn’t refute him.

So he decided to spread this pain.

Yin Ren took out Dog Thing and prepared to slap it on the table. Just as he was about to do so, he suddenly hit the brakes, carefully removed Yellow Millet and the little hamster, then slammed Dog Thing onto the table.

Dog Thing: “Woof, woof, woof…”

“Now you’re barking.” Yin Ren cracked his knuckles. “Honesty is the best policy. This is the perfect place to explain yourself.”

“What the hell is up with Qi Xin?”

The author has something to say:

This is a clash between the Riddle Master and the straight-forward Emperor Xiao Zhong!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 113: Two-way

Gengsheng Town.

Li Nian stood blankly in front of the wonton stall. This time, there was no Fu Xingchuan by his side. Instead, he was replaced by several groups of official staff. The closed loop line was empty, and under the setting sun, the exposed steel and concrete looked like dusty bones.

The fog had cleared, and order in Gengsheng Town was gradually restored.

The situation of the elderly wasn’t optimistic. After such a loss, a little more than half were still resistant. The younger people were relatively better. According to a young girl, the previous state was “like a long dream”.

“No one thought this place was run down before.” She pointed to her own bakery. “We find it very comfortable and no different from a new area. The surroundings are the same too. We’ve never heard anyone say it’s dirty or old. It all looks perfectly normal.”

“It’s the same for attacking outsiders. I don’t know what’s going on, but I really feel that ‘everyone is like this’, ‘this is how things are done here’, and ‘they brought it upon themselves by coming into our territory’… At the time, I didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. I was just focused on the idea that once the ‘enemy’ was gone, we could go back to living our lives like before.”

The girl smiled awkwardly.

“Guilt? I feel a little of it occasionally… But everyone around me is like this, with strong conviction, so…”

But now they were awake.

This kind of sudden change in thinking could easily induce psychological problems, so relevant medical personnel took over. Li Nian was rubbing his voice recorder while taking detailed notes.

Over this small mountain town, there were still puzzles, like dark clouds.

The problem with the town itself could be explained by Shian’s existing theories.

Both evil beings and humans were affected by the perception of specific emotions. The perpetrator of the evil qi corruption was extremely powerful, such that it surpassed that of ordinary ability users, and the value of the remaining traces was close to that of half an Evil Spirit.

Coupled with Yellow Millet, who was good at influencing cognition and was used as a “megaphone”, it wasn’t impossible for the perpetrator to use his ability to cover the entire mountain town for a long time.

…The problem was that there was a serious issue with the identity records of the perpetrator.

One of the puzzles.

According to existing information, Shian only knew that the source of the disaster was a human, and the corruption was caused by Sunken Society. As for whether the perpetrator was a man or woman and where they came from, there were no records.

Not broken, not blank.

The metaphysical post could no longer see the words or hear the recording. While top science posts could still do it, they couldn’t get any information…

Li Nian clearly knew that there were relevant records, and those words were lying quietly there, but whenever he read the corresponding paragraph, his brain seemed to suddenly lose its ability to analyze information.

The knowledge flashed through his eyes and slid through his ears, but he couldn’t understand it.

Even if it could be logically inferred that “it’s related to the last mayor of the mountain town”, Li Nian’s attention would be diverted once he turned away.

This was probably a “cognitive distortion” of extremely abnormal intensity.

But the principle, where it came from, and the constant interference of attention were things that Li Nian couldn’t deduce.

It was dinner time at this moment. Li Nian was playing with the recorder, and his eyes unconsciously turned to the chopsticks in the hands of the owner of the wonton shop.

That was the second puzzle.

Not long after Unit 9 left, backup found the real Qi Xin in the abandoned mines. When she was discovered, Ms. Qi was dying and was transferred by Shian to a large hospital at the foot of the mountain.

The real Ms. Qi wasn’t seriously injured and woke up quickly. However, after waking up, she kept crying and didn’t recognize anyone or respond to anything.

While a nurse was getting her medication, Ms. Qi inserted a chopstick into her own heart.

There was no residual evil qi on her body, so Shian could only identify the incident as suicide.

Li Nian had personally drawn a portrait of the “Qi Xin” who acted with Unit 9 and the police quickly returned the results…

It was Anonymous who had been missing for several years.

The unnamed woman was in a car accident, and the hospital was barely able to save her life but couldn’t treat her brain trauma. While the hospital was looking for the woman’s family, the woman herself removed the ventilator she was on and disappeared one night.

Many years later, she appeared alone in a remote mountain town and devoured the unknown perpetrator.

Devour.

This was the testimony given by Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo, which also explained the strange distribution of corruption in their data.

…They hadn’t even settled accounts with Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo yet. If those two were really spies from some other organization, things would be much simpler.

Li Nian sighed and pinched his brows fiercely.

The situation was bizarre and outrageous, and the clues were pitiful. There were all kinds of incomprehensible situations and inexplicable traces in front of him. He vaguely recalled the events of 28 years ago, when the Divine Descent caused chaos everywhere.

As a result, Professor Li was just about to fall in reminiscence when his phone vibrated.

“Hello?”

He listened for a while.

“National joint exercise competition… Fu Xingchuan, have you finally gone crazy?”

“Isn’t this an opportunity delivered to our door? If Yin Ren is really… ahem, that person, dealing with this small situation is as easy as cutting vegetables. We can also keep an eye on Xiao Zhong, so it’s like killing two birds with one stone.”

Li Nian also pinched his brows red.

He understood Fu Xingchuan’s subtext.

Those two despicable guys were still officially classified as C-level, but they really couldn’t assign them C-level tasks. Special Operations Unit 8, which was actually C-level, had already dug through half of the city’s sewers.

Fu Xingchuan didn’t think that “investigating the sounds coming from the sewers in the middle of the night” could test anything. It was better to throw these two hot potatoes on a big stage to see what else they could do.

The national joint exercise competition gathered masters from all over the world. This was indeed a safer direction, but…

“Besides, the matter of Gengsheng Town won’t be finished for a while. It will be a long-term case.” On the other end of the line, Fu Xingchuan whispered devilishly. “Lao Li, people have limited energy, so we can’t just ignore it, right?”

“That being said…”

“Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo have spoken openly, and those two haven’t done anything bad for the time being, so we just need to be cautious. The priority is Sunken Society and that ‘Qi Xin’,” Fu Xingchuan continued to persuade.

Li Nian: “……”

Li Nian: “Do you just want to find a few top non-science posts to suffer with you?”

Fu Xingchuan: “Fuck off. This is official business.”

Professor Li snorted openly, with no intention of hiding it.

“All right,” he said. “If Yin Ren’s identity is true, then Sunken Society would have less interest in him and Zhong Chengshuo. It might be better to let them go on stage.”

Perhaps it could even lure out a few evil spirits.

……

In the distant city of Haigu, the two people who knew nothing about their upcoming fate.

Yin Ren’s lips slowly left the corner of Zhong Chengshuo’s mouth.

Zhong Chengshuo pursed his lips like a clamshell. His ears had turned red all the way to his neck. He seemed surprised by his own intense reaction and took a quick step towards the fridge, grabbing a glass jar and pressing it hard against his neck to cool down.

“Don’t you want special treatment?” Yin Ren approached him happily.

“Come on, let’s do it again…”

But when he saw what was inside the jar, Yin Ren’s smile slowly faded.

A head of an evil spirit with a solid entity was floating in the glass jar. Its protruding single eye happened to drift over to their side, and the brownish-yellow liquid contrasted with the pale red skin, causing quite a visual impact.

My god, help.

Lord Ghost King watched Zhong Chengshuo roll the glass jar around his neck and carefully put it back into the fridge. Finally, he dug out a can of apple juice from the pile of evil creature specimens and asked, “Do you want a drink?”

Yin Ren: “No… How amazing, Zhong Ge. I’ll drink it. I’ll drink it.”

He almost subconsciously said “no”.

Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes had a rare sparkle in them, and he swiftly set up a chair as he said, “You rest here. I’ll take care of the problem.”

It was rare to see Zhong Chengshuo act so easily and happily.

It would be better if that chair wasn’t the one that he used to tie up Guo Laifu. Yin Ren recognized the torture char in Guo Laifu’s memories at a glance, and his inner panic took a sharp turn.

He held the juice solemnly with both hands and couldn’t help but ponder for a few seconds whether the “problem” that Zhong Chengshuo was going to solve was himself.

But he also felt that this person was very cute, which meant he must have gone crazy. Ah, perhaps this was a manifestation of an Evil Spirit… 

There were no outsiders in the basement, so Yin Ren spread his wings on the ground, watching Zhong Chengshuo wade through the sea with one foot deep and the other shallow.

“Give me the phone.” He stretched out his hand.

Dog Thing instantly came back from the dead and shook wildly. “Woof, woof, woof!!!”

“Puff, puff, puff!” Yellow Millet, who was tied to the phone, also shrank back in horror.

Zhong Chengshuo ignored them and shook his hamster keychain. “Or maybe you can take that hamster keychain off and give it to me separately.”

Dog Thing suddenly became quiet, and the ornament kept shaking, pretending to be just another innocent phone accessory.

Yin Ren was taken back.

“This was the first gift you gave me,” Zhong Chengshuo said solemnly. “It has strong evil qi on it. Did you give it to me to ward off evil spirits?”

“…Yes.” Yin Ren was in a daze.

It was obviously not long ago, but at this moment, it felt like that was from a previous life. At that time, he thought that this “boy next door” was just a simple layman.

Yin Ren removed the little hamster with “Blessing and Luck” written on it and put it in Zhong Chengshuo’s palm.

It joined Zhong Chengshuo’s “Wealth and Prosperity” model, and both were placed in the center of the workbench.

Zhong Chengshuo moved quickly, like an assembly line. He walked around the shelves and collected a pile of strange and peculiar tools, gathering them in his arms. Comrade Xiao Zhong was precise, as if his arms were mechanical, as they pinched and carved the two poor hamsters.

Yin Ren watched with a slight pang of heartache—if this person had a bit of metaphysical talent, he would definitely be a top spirit smith.

In less than half an hour, Yin Ren hadn’t finished drinking his apple juice yet, and the hamster with “Blessing and Luck” had met its end. The other hamster with “Wealth and Prosperity” was hung back on its owner’s phone by Zhong Chengshuo.

The appearance of the two hamsters was intact. Except for the more refined coating, no other traces of modification could be seen.

“Okay.” Zhong Chengshuo took off the magnifying glass, normally used to repair watches, from his right eye. “Regarding the conflict between you and me, this is my ‘answer’.”

Yin Ren dangled the hamster in a festive color scheme. Yellow Millet, who was on one side, quickly changed itself into the same golden-red color scheme, which looked extremely harmonious.

“This is?”

“Emergency positioning communicator.”

Zhong Chengshuo cleaned up the workbench like a tornado.

“We can check each other’s position at any time. If there is an emergency, just pull it off the phone, and the other side will receive an alarm.”

“The other side?” The former Celestial Master was stunned.

“It works both ways. If you encounter danger, you can call me at any time.” Zhong Chengshuo looked confused. “Is there a problem?”

“No.”

Yin Ren gripped the hamster so tightly that, incidentally, Yellow Millet became slightly deformed.

“I just like you a little bit more.”

Zhong Chengshuo’s hand stopped, causing the tools in his arms to click lightly as he stared at Yin Ren intently. The red that had just chilled down had a huge resurgence.

After a few moments, he hesitantly put away his tools and walked up to Yin Ren.

The positions of the two were reversed compared to when they were fighting at home. This time, Yin Ren was being circled in the torture chair and had to raise his head.

Zhong Chengshuo, with a solemn face, slowly lowered his head, inching his face closer. When he was about to touch Yin Ren, his movements stopped subtly for a second.

“Chu.”

He gently kissed the corner of Yin Ren’s mouth, with a few tentative pecks. The next moment, without waiting for Yin Ren to see his expression, Zhong Chengshuo instantaneously moved to the front of the refrigerator.

Yin Ren: “……”

Yin Ren rubbed his face. “I want a glass jar too. Do you have any more?”

Zhong Chengshuo generously gave him a specimen jar. Yin Ren tried his best to ignore the five-legged spider in the jar.

Two people were holding a glass jar as the air around them solidified for a few seconds.

“You didn’t bring me here just to change a keychain, right?” After all, this kind of thing could be done at home.

Yin Ren put down the cold jar and touched the corner of Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes. The latter narrowed his eyes in response and let Yin Ren’s fingertips slide over.

“Nn.”

Zhong Chengshuo took off his glasses.

“I want to, um, invite you to join my research. I have been studying this topic for more than ten years. Now it seems that it is also closely related to you.”

“What subject?” Yin Ren’s wings swept across Zhong Chengshuo’s calf, making a swishing sound, encouraging him to continue.

Zhong Chengshuo’s gaze moved along Yin Ren’s facial features. It brushed past his hair and stopped on the information wall that was full of red lines behind Yin Ren.

“Divine Descent,” he replied.

The author has something to say:

Let’s continue with the main storyline! …Actually, each arc is the main storyline _(:з”∠)_

They really are a stupid couple!

Xiao Yin: Hehe, isn’t it just dating? I have read 10,000 removed novels. I’m an elder and definitely won’t have any…

Xiao Yin: Thank you for the glass jar.

——Some trivia that no one cares about (?)——

Q: Why doesn’t Xiao Zhong put apples in the refrigerator?

A: Because apple juice has a longer shelf life than apples——

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 112: Special Treatment

Yin Ren quickly went through all the conversations they had in his head. He had never taken a mortal imperial examination or test, but at this moment, Lord Ghost King fully tasted the tension of reviewing before an exam.

“I’m ready.” Yin Ren’s face was solemn.

Zhong Chengshuo: “Mm.”

He lowered his eyes, clasped his hands together, and his gaze slid along his knuckles. The taxi compartment slightly trembled. The driver was a bald and chubby man. With two remarkably good-looking people sitting in his back seat, he occasionally glanced at them through the rearview mirror.

But he definitely didn’t look as serious as Yin Ren did.

Before going out, Zhong Chengshuo had taken a shower. His black hair was clean and fluffy, and the taste of shampoo was refreshing and light, giving him the smell of a cool summer night.

On closer inspection, this person’s eyeballs didn’t protrude as commonly seen in myopic patients. Zhong Chengshuo’s eyes had a soft shape, and his eyelashes weren’t short, more similar to a certain type of herbivorous animal.

When Zhong Chengshuo finished saying “uncomfortable”, Yin Ren wanted to touch those eyes.

Unfortunately, Comrade Xiao Zhong fell into a long silence after sending out the announcement. The memories in Yin Ren’s head had been flipped over several times, and instead of alleviating his nervousness, his symptoms gradually deepened.

Was Zhong Chengshuo sulking, or did he decide to hang him dry, returning an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth?

Yin Ren thought that he was quite good at dealing with interpersonal relationships, and Zhong Chengshuo was a man without fancy. But at this moment, he couldn’t guess what Zhong Chengshuo was thinking.

Every unlucky guess took root in Yin Ren’s mind, and countless “bad endings” emerged. His brain didn’t seem to be his own, and Yin Ren wanted nothing more than to turn it off.

Thousands of years ago, he hadn’t thought about things in such a long-winded manner.

The children around him couldn’t keep up with him for too long. He taught them spells, and they taught him to read. If there was conflict… Well, he was a hundred-year-old man. How could he really be annoyed with children?

The officials at Huajisi who corresponded with him weren’t children.

However, their communication was only through ink and paper. The best was through a spirit device that conveyed sounds. The attitude on the other side was always cautious. Even if he encountered a difficult person who didn’t speak, for the sake of “smooth operation”, troublemakers would be replaced.

Communication with people was nothing more than skimming the surface of water for him. If they were destined to meet, they would; if not, they would part ways. Yin Ren had always been accustomed to moving forward and never looking back.

Not to mention the question of not looking back now, he almost didn’t even know how to move.

After the world perished in Yin Ren’s head 180 times, Zhong Chengshuo opened his mouth. “I have thought about it.”

Yin Ren: “……”

Only then did he realize that he hadn’t breathed for more than ten minutes.

“I can’t breathe well. My chest feels like cotton is being stuffed into it. It’s swollen and bloated.” Zhong Chengshuo truthfully described his feelings. “I tried to recall the samples that I managed to get a hold of several times, but I still couldn’t get excited and just wanted to lie down.

Yin Ren: “…Is it because I hardened my feathers just now?”

The taxi driver raised his puzzled eyes in the rearview mirror.

“No. The first time the symptoms appeared was when you said, ‘Even if we are just friends, I will be scared to death if you do this.’ Then when you said, ‘Who told me to be an elder?’ the symptoms became more serious.”

Yin Ren hissed and suddenly realized the problem with what he said. “I didn’t mean that…”

“Anyway, the symptom appeared, and I’m just describing the facts truthfully.”

Zhong Chengshuo had an expression of ‘I can’t do anything about it’.

“I have been thinking about it just now, and I’ve figured out the arguments to refute it.” Zhong Chengshuo turned his head and looked at the car window. “First, I’m your boyfriend, and I want more special treatment. Second, you have never been in love before, so we have the same starting point. I don’t like your ‘modesty’.”

After speaking, Zhong Chengshuo seemed to have realized something and chewed on the sentence “Don’t like…?” repeatedly.

The driver began to raise his eyes frantically in the rearview mirror again. The doubts in his eyes turned into intense curiosity.

Yin Ren exhaled slowly. He had the feeling that he had finally beheaded the tiger.

Although Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t in tune with the world, this person always knew how to identify the key points—whether it was an opponent or a human heart.

He understood. He understood, but…

Lord Ghost King’s gaze began to wander. He stared at the back of Zhong Chengshuo’s head, and his words got stuck in his mouth for a while.

Zhong Chengshuo’s rebuttal was like a heavy hammer, knocking open the walnut shell of Yin Ren’s “self-proclaimed elder”, revealing a little thoughtfulness that he had just noticed.

“I want more special treatment”…

Yin Ren groaned. He knew that he should show his open-mindedness and have an open conversation. Unfortunately, his hot face betrayed him now, making his throat cramp, and he couldn’t utter a word.

No, if he took into account the surroundings, his brain wouldn’t be enough.

Yin Ren pinched his hands, causing the driver’s vision to be blocked by illusions and seals. In the eyes of the driver, the two passengers in the backseat suddenly sat upright, expressionless, without any squinting eyes or anger.

The driver was so frightened that he hurriedly retracted his gaze.

Under the barrier of illusion, the real picture was a bit more frightening…

Without the driver’s inquisitive gaze, Yin Ren’s tense mood relaxed a little. The red cloth and wings fluttered and stretched out. He buried his face in the red cloth, and the wings at his feet uncomfortably curled up, brushing against Zhong Chengshuo’s ankle intermittently.

Zhong Chengshuo was waiting for a while for Yin Ren’s response. He twisted his head suspiciously and saw a certain Evil Spirit had shrunk into a ball.

It wasn’t quite the same as when Yin Ren was closed off to him. This time, the wings looked soft—so soft that they seemed to disappear in the next second.

It also had a suspicious tinge of red.

“I’m sorry.” There was a murmur from the depths of the red cloth.

Two pale arms peeked out from within the red cloth and held Zhong Chengshuo’s face.

Zhong Chengshuo’s glasses were pushed crookedly by Yin Ren’s palm. Behind the lenses, those black eyes blinked.

“Thinking of it this way, my bad parts are a bit like yours.” Yin Ren’s voice was a little low. “Anyway…”

In terms of performance and words, they just went to two extremes—Yin Ren had a caring attitude towards everyone, while Zhong Chengshuo evaluated everything and anyone with rationality.

He was indeed worried about Zhong Chengshuo, but there was also a considerable part of his unhappiness that wasn’t reasonable.

“Now I, ahem, I can tell you clearly. If a friend does something regardless of their own safety, I will definitely be angry too… but I won’t be as angry as if it were you.”

Yin Ren pressed his fingers on the other’s cheek and felt the warm and soft skin.

“But I don’t care how my friends see me or whether they worry about me.” The red color within the translucent wings grew stronger. “Can’t I just care about your attitude towards me?”

He cared that Zhong Chengshuo acted without saying anything; cared that he went into a dangerous place alone; and even cared that he didn’t show “caring” when he acted alone.

He just cared.

No wonder he understood the reasoning, but his anger remained stubborn. Like Zhong Chengshuo, he also wanted that “special treatment”.

Now Yin Ren realized that, when facing a young mortal, it was really… a bit embarrassing to say it out loud directly.

The problem was he chose the person who insisted on getting to the bottom of things, and there was no room for “that’s enough, we understand each other”—he had to speak his mind.

All the wings under Yin Ren’s feet curled up, scratching up the floor.

“I didn’t give in to you. I just didn’t know what to do,” he explained in a whisper. “You feel ‘angry’, which is very similar to why I was angry before… After all, we all feel that we’re ‘not special enough’.”

Zhong Chengshuo looked at him solemnly for a while, thinking for a long time.

“Nn, I agree.”

Yin Ren stretched out his two arms slowly, carefully lifting the red cloth in front of his face, and coughed dryly. “Then, in the future, you and I can give up some shame. I will also, uh, learn more from you.”

“But I don’t have any ‘shame’,” Zhong Chengshuo said puzzledly.

Yin Ren: “……” Uh, that’s pretty much what I meant.

“If you don’t mind, I can tell you all about my abnormalities.”

Yin Ren breathed out a sigh of relief. “Alright, I’ll take it all.”

“But I’m still uncomfortable. Is this ‘angry’?”

“Probably.” Yin Ren saw sweat on his forehead and felt the tendency to shrink back to the red cloth again.

“Obviously, we have initially solved the problem, so why am I still angry?” This person even took out a notebook and wrote a record, as if he wasn’t in a relationship with his lover but was bitten by a rare poisonous snake.

Yin Ren: “…I have an ancient recipe. When we arrive at our destination, I’ll treat it for you.”

“Nn.”

In the panicked expression of the taxi driver, the car stopped near the old town.

At this moment, it was around five in the evening. There was a faint yellow in the sun, and there was an endless stream of pedestrians walking around the old town. Most of them were the elderly wandering around. Unlike the streets of Gengsheng Town, all the elderly had smiles on their faces. The surrounding buildings were old, but they were well maintained, giving the old street a sense of vitality like a hundred-year-old tree.

Under one of the giant trees, there was a stall selling beef skewers.

“Since we were angry at each other this time, let’s AA for now.”

Zhong Chengshuo quietly gathered a strand of hair between his fingers. The soft hair happily rubbed against his knuckles, slowly relaxing.

“I have tried this shop before. Herbs are added to their soup, and the ingredients are also very good, so it’s really delicious,” Zhong Chengshuo commented pertinently. “It’s a suitable place to bring ‘friends’ to eat.”

You’re doing this on purpose, right? Yin Ren couldn’t laugh or cry.

Unexpectedly, this kid could hold a grudge.

Yin Ren deliberately squeezed Zhong Chengshuo’s palm and let out a long cry, “Then where do you want to take your boyfriend?”

Zhong Chengshuo stared at him for a long time.

“You’ll know in a while,” he said.

……

After a satisfying dinner, Zhong Chengshuo took him through the spider-web-like alley. When they reached their destination, Yin Ren instantly forgot the delicious taste in his mouth.

He had seen the space in front of him before—once in Guo Laifu’s memory.

Shelves full of specimens and steel barrels, windowless walls, and air that had the faint smell of medicine. The computer screen emitted a faint light, and next to it, he saw the strand of hair that Zhong Chengshuo had taken away.

Behind him, the basement door slammed shut, and the entire room was filled with inexplicable death, like a square tomb.

It turned out that this was the “suitable place to bring your boyfriend” in the concept of a science post. Lord Ghost King had never seen such a sight, and his heart was almost terrified.

Contrary, Zhong Chengshuo looked a bit excited.

“This is my secret research room in Haigu.” There was a weird shyness in his tone. “You can come here in the future too.”

“Ah, very good!”

The wall facing the entrance was covered with various newspaper clippings, photos, and handwritten texts. Red silk threads were connected in all directions, like a weird spider web. Yin Ren saw that he had occupied half the wall, and his heart started sweating profusely.

But… Did this mean that “King Yama”, surrounded by mysteries, had finally opened a corner of his heart to him?

Although the corner of his heart wasn’t particularly bright.

With a smile on his face, Zhong Chengshuo put the sample bags full of samples on the table. It was rare that he didn’t immediately deal with these “treasures” but stood in front of Yin Ren.

Yin Ren was still observing the “Evil Yin Ren observation data” that occupied half the wall in a daze and didn’t react for a while.

“It’s really nice here!” Yin Ren tried his best to sound sincere.

“It’s not about this.”

Zhong Chengshuo was standing upright.

“I have a little bit of ‘anger’ left, so you still have time to use that ‘ancient recipe’.”

Yin Ren stared at the person in front of him steadily. Zhong Chengshuo was standing in the middle of this dark space, like a ghost, commanding the area. This person knew that he was an Evil Spirit, and knew he was also the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi, but his gaze wasn’t the same as when he first met him.

Zhong Chengshuo looked up at him intently. Curiosity was hidden in his dark eyes, and the excitement of “sharing secrets” on his face hadn’t dissipated.

“Alright.”

Yin Ren heard himself say.

Their petty fight needed an end.

And their new accomplice career may need a proper start.

Yin Ren brushed away a few strands of hair that were in the way, leaned forward, and gently kissed the corner of Zhong Chengshuo’s mouth.

……

At the same time, Fu Xingchuan’s mobile phone rang loudly.

“Hello?”

Minister Fu had the misfortune of just finding out about his “longevity” and was still in a trance. He even forgot to check to see who the caller was.

“Ah, what? National Special Operations Group joint exercise competition? Haigu isn’t available this year. We don’t have many new recruits here… Wait a minute.”

Fu Xingchuan showed a meaningful smile and looked a little less upright.

“Nothing, nothing. Pretend I didn’t say anything just now. Haa, Haigu haven’t participated for at least three years. This year’s C-level investigation team has really good seedlings, so we’ll definitely join.”

Kinky Thoughts:

Ah, this is why I love Nian Zhong’s works. There’s no unnecessary drama or conflict, and when the couples do fight, it gets resolved through communication.

Minister Fu, you devious fox.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

Chapter 111: Ancestral Hall

The mountains in Haigu were different from those in Gengsheng Town. They lay on the outskirts of the city and were dangerous and steep. The cliffs were sharp like knives, and the teeth of the mountains were jagged. Many areas prohibited tourists from entering, saving the time to even find their bones.

The Fu family lived on such a mountain.

The Fu family mansion had been passed down for hundreds of years and was considered a cultural relic. The Fu family had lived here for generations, and the original residence had expanded, similar to the ant’s nest. They were embedded in the strange peaks and stones, forming a scene of their own.

In the wide courtyard, from time to time, old giant trees twisted their branches, casting large shadows. The chirping of the cicadas from the tree trunks sounded so loud that it gave people headaches. Fortunately, the mountains were much cooler than the city center, so at least the environment wasn’t as irritable.

After his older sister notified him, Fu Xingchuan finally got permission to enter the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was at the very center of the entire complex.

The topography of that place was particularly weird, like a depression in the gap squeezed out by several mountains. It was shaped like an inverted bell, and the bottom was always filled with endless mist. To enter the ancestral hall, he had to walk down a spiral of wooden steps.

Of course, after the Fu family entered the new era, the wooden steps were all reinforced with alloy materials, and solid handrails were installed so people wouldn’t die when trying to meet their ancestors.

The body of the “ancestor” was very fragile. Before seeing the “ancestor” the less impurities on his body, the better, so it was best not to meet anyone before.

Fu Xingchuan went to an empty room alone to bathe, shave, and burn incense. He cleaned himself up from head to toe and put on a red tunic smoked with fragrant wood. Even the tassel earring he was wearing was also specially treated.

After taking care of himself, he dipped a willow branch into the cold mountain spring water and walked towards the deepest part of the courtyard.

There were corridors leading to the ancestral halls in different regions. The above-mentioned stone and wood materials were repaired, and they were all painted in bright red colors. Fu Xingchuan walked on the promenade, waving the willow branch lightly and sprinkling water beads in front of him from time to time.

Oddly enough, the water on the willow branch was endless. Even though Fu Xingchuan had swung it multiple times, the jade-like willow leaves were still stained with dew.

Birds chirped and cicadas buzzed along the corridor, while the shrubs rustled in the wind, casting their shadows in the corridor. On occasion, a few cats would run across the promenade. One black cat stared at Fu Xingchuan curiously for a while. In its clear eyes, the red figure moved forward intently without raising his head.

The black cat shook its tail, jumped lightly on the beam of the room, and followed after its companion.

The deeper he ventured into the complex, the lower the surrounding temperature. When he walked in front of the “ancestral hall pit”, a thin mist overflowed from around the mountain pit and spread against the turf.

Fu Xingchuan chanted a few times silently, and the water droplets on the willow branch dispersed. The willow branch stood straight up, and a cluster of spherical blue flames ignited at the end. The mist dissipated as soon as it was touched, forking a path.

On the rock wall of the pit, countless statues of gods were carved, and bright murals were painted in places where it was inconvenient to carve. Compared with the cold air of the ant’s nest, the murals here were quite charming. Those statues also had different expressions and were upright and awe-inspiring.

It was just that they had a new and old look, and some seemed as if they were moved from elsewhere.

They were all things that Fu Xingchuan had seen since he was a child, and they carried the spiritual substance of the Fu family for thousands of years. Although other families would enshrine this person, after thousands of years, only the Fu family maintained an almost old-fashioned fear.

Portraits, stone statues, and the theme were all about the “Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi”.

Among them, the “big and round waist” style was the most popular. There were also some thin and long “xianweng*” models. Some of these images held nine-ring knives, while others were holding elegant long knives. His facial features and clothes were all different, so it was hard to say that they were the same person.

*(仙翁) Depiction of an immortal (god) in the form of an old man.

What had always remained the same was the unrighteous aura.

…Hehe, the unrighteous aura.

As Fu Xingchuan held the wicker, his facial features wrinkled into a chrysanthemum.

He hoped that the ancestor worshipped Zhong Yi only for some kind of “righteous spirit”. Otherwise, if the old man knew the truth, he would not know how disillusioned he would be.

Fu Xingchuan couldn’t help but think about what happened not long ago—

The matter of Gengsheng Town came to an end, and the first thing he did when he rushed back to Shian was to retrieve all relevant information about Zhong Yi. No one had investigated this Great Celestial Master thousands of years ago in detail before, so it took considerable effort to gather the statistical data.

The conclusion was shocking.

In the metaphysical world, everyone knew Zhong Yi’s name, but he couldn’t find any information that could be regarded as official records. Most of Zhong Yi’s records were specious unofficial histories and legends, or vague descriptions.

The only “true record” left by the Great Celestial Master was <The Book of Exorcism>, which recorded a large amount of information about evil things and countless exquisite spells.

This had been the case for thousands of years, and this had almost become the customary status quo. No one thought carefully about the hidden logic behind it.

To obtain such detailed information to compile <The Book of Exorcism>, Huajisi must’ve had contact with Zhong Yi himself.

Huajisi regarded this information as their life, so even if the emperor asked to destroy the records, they would always keep the truth. Unless Huajisi themselves wanted to deliberately conceal it…

If Zhong Yi was really a talented and cynical hero, what was there to hide?

Fu Xingchuan knew Shian and Sunken Society better than anyone else. It was impossible for such a special evil to exist that could make Sunken Society study it for more than a thousand years, yet Shian didn’t get a whiff of it?

A terrible conjecture gradually took shape.

Could it be that the man in red who commanded ten thousand ghosts was Zhong Yi?

And Yin Ren, who hinted and guided them all the way, exposed his terrifying strength in front of Qi Xin…

“Reasonable.” Facing Fu Xingchuan’s stumbling narration, Li Nian concluded with this word.

Perhaps this was the benefit of a science post, Fu Xingchuan thought sadly.

To them, “Zhong Yi” was the same as the “God of Nature, Balakabra”, who was worshiped by the indigenous people of the next hemisphere. It was just a cultural entry without the slightest impact of the collapse of faith.

When Fu Xingchuan thought of the pious pilgrimage in front of the statue of Zhong Yi before, his mood turned sour.

He almost had a heart attack.

“Based on what you said, Zhong Yi is the evil in red, and Yin Ren is most likely Zhong Yi himself.”

Li Nian ignored his partner’s distorted face. “When he first came to Shian, Yin Ren’s tone had characteristics of the ancient language of the Gong Dynasty. And if the evil qi vibration that night was caused by Zhong Yi himself, who sealed six Evil Spirits, such an exaggerated value would make sense… The abnormality that you and I observed in the cafeteria was also that kid teasing us.”

Professor Li tightened his grip on the thermos cup, but his face was calm.

“I have studied literature and materials related to Zhong Yi. Assuming that this inference is true, many contradictions can be explained.”

“You said that when Yin Ren fought Qi Xin, he was wearing a red outfit that was decorated with many seals and spirit weapons. In Zhong Yi’s record, there is a record that shows ‘walking alone, elusive’.”

“There are many unofficial legends and folk histories, but there’s no similar story of ‘encountering an evil thing and being rescued by Zhong Yi in person’. This is a classic routine of encountering strange people in ancient times, but there is no such record for the Great Celestial Master.”

Fu Xingchuan’s face was pale. He wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Are you trying to say…”

“Whether Zhong Yi is a human or a ghost, he should be surrounded by heavy evil qi, or even Evil Force. He self-sealed himself with spirit weapons and stayed away from the masses, which is why he rarely made contact with people.”

“However, there should be people who can see him from a distance. Sunken Society, who would risk people’s lives, would definitely find a way to meet him.”

As Li Nian spoke, he used a tablet to bring up a few pictures.

It was a very old ancestral hall mural, painted with a tall young man in red clothing with blurred facial features. His red clothes were adorned with armor-like things. There was another simple painting of him in a scarlet cloak. Zhong Yi wore a mask and was wrapped in the cloak, so only a part of the golden armor on his chest was exposed.

The Zhong Yi of the two paintings wasn’t burly, and his body shape was closer to that of ordinary people.

“This was the earliest portrait of Zhong Yi, something like a ‘painting of God’. Latecomers often use their impressions to make up for the omissions of the former and finally change their appearance.”

Li Nian moved his fingers, and countless portraits of Zhong Yi were arranged in chronological order.

Fu Xingchuan looked at the red figure with a blurred face. The youthful figure eventually turned into a strong man wearing a helmet and red cloth light armor. As time progressed, the painter’s painting skills gradually improved.

The rough red cloth armor turned into fine gold armor decorated with red lines. The helmet disappeared, revealing the appearance of a fierce general with a leopard head and ring eyes.

In a daze, Fu Xingchuan seemed to see “something” evolving.

…But conjecture wasn’t enough.

Maybe if he checked again, he would find that Yin Ren was just playing tricks!

Otherwise, how could he accept that a legendary figure… was a legendary evil?……

Thinking of the appearance of Yin Ren slumping in the beverage bar, sucking on a soda, he really couldn’t imagine how such a thing could seal six Evil Spirits.

After the painful thought, Fu Xingchuan decided to return home to find a “witness”. Li Nian happened to follow Hao Wenzhe back to the mountain town to investigate the “unidentified” imitation.

At that moment, Fu Xingchuan walked down step by step. The lower the terrain, the older the mural statues around him became. Unlike Shian of the past, this time he experienced a “back to basics”.

The golden armor turned into civilian clothes, and the nine-ring sword melted into a half-length weapon. The domineering face gradually blurred, blending into the pattern of the weird mask.

Click.

Fu Xingchuan’s feet touched the wet bluestone slab.

The ancestral hall was built after the fall of the Gong Dynasty but still retained the typical architectural style of that era. Its shape was close to the tower, and the decoration was full of stone materials with carvings that were simple and atmospheric. The entire tower presented the gray stone itself, and only two gates were painted in dark red.

…If there weren’t any antennas and air conditioners outside the tower, it was almost a sacred and solemn place.

Fu Xingchuan clenched the green willow branch in his right hand, bit a finger in his left hand, and drew a complicated array on the stone gate with his blood.

In the rumble, the huge stone gate slowly moved away.

“Fu Xingchuan?”

An old, hoarse voice sounded from behind the door.

Fu Xingchuan lowered his head politely. “Great Ancestor.”

One of the ancestors of the Fu family, the director of the Huajisi 900 years ago, Fu Wuya.

According to today’s classification, this person should have been considered a powerful “Charon” 900 years ago. However, his ending was probably similar to that of Minister Jiao.

Fu Xingchuan raised his head.

There was no one in front of him; just a willow tree that led directly to the top of the tower.

The branches of the willow tree were green and were softly tangled together, like octopus tentacles. The green branches didn’t have soft willow leaves, but the hairs were the thickness of blood vessels.

The skin on the trunk was unexpectedly smooth, and the soft blue veins protruding from the thick fingers rushed straight to Fu Xingchuan’s side, revealing a human face that could vaguely be seen…

The man’s facial features were of different sizes, distorted and deformed, and scattered all over the trunk of the tree. One eye on the tree was as big as a human head, with an unnaturally large pupil, while the other was half as big as a human eye, barely counting as a “face”.

“It’s really Xingchuan. You’ve grown so big.” The man with long arms opened his mouth and spoke clearly. “What are you doing here?’

“To ask you about ‘Zhong Yi’.”

Fu Xingchuan didn’t look at the giant eye—the giant eye was pitch black and made people feel palpitations and uneasiness.

“Huh?”

Fu Wuya blinked, not hiding the surprise in his tone.

“A few days ago, I found an evil suspect who was ‘Zhong Yi’,” Fu Xingchuan continued respectfully. “That evil can perfectly disguise itself as an adult human. During battle, it was covered with red cloth, decorated with countless sealed spirit weapons, and wore bells on its ankles. It rides on Yellow Millet and can make such a powerful evil thing bow its head, so its strength is unfathomable.”

He decided to omit parts that were too shattering.

Fu Wuya: “……”

Fu Wuya: “My dear grandson. I was in charge of Huajisi 900 years ago. Grand Master Zhong was a figure from more than a thousand years ago. If it were you, do you know what happened in Shian hundreds of years ago?”

Fu Xingchuan: “I thought you would at least have knowledge of…”

“We were very busy back then and didn’t have time to investigate the legend in detail.” Fu Wuya lamented, twisting his deformed face. “I can only tell you one thing—at my time, there were no records of anything relevant to Zhong Yi in Huajisi except for <The Book of Exorcism>. If someone deliberately changed the record, it would definitely be before my generation.”

Speaking of this, Fu Wuya’s tone became serious.

“The Fu family has ancestral precepts and must not be disrespectful to Grand Master Zhong. No matter whether he’s an evil or a person, if you can verify it, you need to give him 120,000 respects. If that evil thing is messing around with Grand Master Zhong’s name, you must eliminate it.”

“Yes.”

“But since you want to investigate the matter in depth… Xingchuan, some things should be left unsaid. When you don’t need to delve into it, don’t.”

“There are some unnatural things. Since it has become ‘accustomed to’, naturally there’s a reason for it. If you explore too much, be careful not to end up like me.”

Fu Wuya continued in a slow voice as his deformed eyes turned.

“For example?” Fu Xingchuan couldn’t hold back from asking.

“You have memorized <The Book of Exorcism> since you were five years old and can easily recite it. Have you ever thought about the unnaturalness of it?”

Fu Wuya’s eyes, one big and one small, turned at the same time, and his scattered facial features twisted into a ball, looking extraordinarily terrifying.

“No matter how weak or rare an evil thing is, once discovered, it will occupy a separate record. Even if the evil species are countless, Huajisi still counts and classifies them carefully.”

“The six Evil Spirits, regardless of strength, ability, and form, are all different, with only a few commonalities that are general… But they are all classified as ‘Evil Spirits’ and have not been classified separately.”

“The records left by ‘people’ cannot be trusted.”

The “human tree” chuckled, but his voice was chilling.

“People can lie, Fu Xingchuan.”

The air conditioner in the tower was turned to the max, but Fu Xingchuan’s back was drenched in cold sweat.

The person in red controlled thousands of evil beings, and so did that imitation in Gengsheng Town. No matter how he looked at it, it should be this kind of “special evil” that commands all ghosts.

So who moved the title of “Ghost King”, the commander of those ghosts, to Evil Spirit?

There must be hidden secrets behind “Zhong Yi”.

“If you really don’t have a clue, I have a solution. Why don’t I do a divination to see how long you will live?”

Seeing that Fu Xingchuan seemed to have some understanding, Fu Wuya shook his branches.

Fu Xingchuan knew the subtext of his ancestor.

“Zhong Yi” reappeared in the world with thousands of mysteries. If there was a huge conspiracy behind him, his remaining lifespan could be used as a side reference.

Fu Wuya: “But you have to think about it. Knowing your lifespan isn’t a good thing…”

“Thank you.”

Fu Wuya was silent for a moment.

A wicker brushed against the back of Fu Xingchuan’s hand violently, leaving a light bloodstain. A few drops of blood stained the willow branches and were absorbed in an instant.

In the giant eyes, the dark pupils suddenly shrank.

“Fi…” Fu Wuya’s voice trembled a little.

Fu Xingchuan held his breath.

Five years? …Or five days?

“Fifty-three years,” Fu Wuya murmured. “This isn’t reasonable. As far as your physical condition is concerned, how can this be possible?”

Fu Xingchuan: “……”

Fu Xingchuan: “Goodbye, Great Ancestor.”

Fu Wuya clicked his tongue and waved the willow branches.

“Leave as soon as you can. I can’t stand the breath of the living.” Fu Wuya half-closed his eyes. “…Oh, before you go, remember to help me tighten the cable on the TV screen. The screen has been cutting in and out for the past two days.”

Fu Xingchuan was speechless.

With such a comparison, Yin Ren was probably, not so strange… Perhaps longevity could really change a person’s character.

……

Haigu, afternoon.

Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo got in a taxi. Yin Ren’s face was no longer gloomy as he looked around curiously, finally stopping his gaze on Zhong Chengshuo’s face.

Zhong Chengshuo was looking at him.

“No angry anymore?” Comrade Xiao Zhong asked solemnly.

“Nn, I’m not angry anymore,” Yin Ren replied confidently.

Zhong Chengshuo took a deep breath. “Okay, then I decided to start being difficult.”

“?” The smile on Yin Ren’s face froze at the corner of his mouth.

“I care a little about what you just said, and I decided to show it.” Zhong Chengshuo was sitting upright. “Are you ready?”

Kinky Thoughts:

LMAO, all these evil spirits just want to be salted fish. 

Just to clarify again, the term “evil” when used to describe these ghosts and monsters is not necessarily because they are inherently evil but it’s simply describing a supernatural being.

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