Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 93: Endless Nightmare

Fang Xiu watched as Meng Xiaomeng clashed with the teacher.

Lao Chen was fairly old, a typical old-school educator. He raised his voice multiple times, trying to get Meng Xiaomeng to behave in class. But she was quick-witted and sharp-tongued, refusing to back down. She even brought up legal rights, accusing him of having no authority to confiscate a student’s phone.

From a bystander’s view, it all seemed a bit overblown. But Fang Xiu had a sense of what was really going on.

A student with decent grades who rebels a little is often seen as the “cool” type among peers. If she gave in too easily, she’d lose face.

Strictly speaking, there wasn’t a clear right or wrong.

Meng Xiaomeng was only sixteen. It wasn’t fair to hold her to an adult’s standards of rationality.

Kids this age can easily get fixated or act out on impulse. He’d seen too many teenagers when he was working at the hospital who jumped off a building or overdosed after one bad fight.

In the end, Meng Xiaomeng stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Lao Chen didn’t dare physically stop her. He just sighed and headed to the hallway to contact Hu Die.

Fang Xiu thought for a moment, then went to the school gate ahead of her.

He lifted the concealment spell, smoothed his hair, and intercepted the red-faced Meng Xiaomeng.

“Who are you looking for?”

She clearly didn’t remember anything from the last loop. Her gaze was distant and unfamiliar. But upon seeing Fang Xiu’s striking face, her tone stayed polite.

“I’m a friend of Ku Yue’s.” Fang Xiu gave her a warm smile. “Something came up. He can’t make it today. I’ll buy you some dessert to make up for it. How about we go over there?”

He pointed at the ice cream shop across the street. It was winter, so the shop now sold hot milk tea, grilled sausages, and sweet potatoes. Given the prices listed at the door were incredibly affordable, it was no surprise it was a snack haven for teenagers.

Meng Xiaomeng eyed him warily. He looked young, but definitely older than early twenties. To a sixteen-year-old, he was already considered an “older guy”.

But the little black dog wagging its tail beside him made her hesitate. A guy with a cute dog probably wasn’t a creep, right?

“I already ordered cake from the bar. The delivery will bring it.”

Fang Xiu smiled. “I know you two wanted a date. You can save it for next time.”

Hearing those details put her more at ease. Her face showed a flicker of disappointment.

“Can I borrow your phone?” she asked. “I want to call him.”

“He’s in a meeting, so his phone’s with someone else.” Fang Xiu answered smoothly, pretending what he said was truly the truth.

Then he whispered to Bai Shuangying, “I don’t have any cash. Cast an illusion to make the shop owner think we’ve paid.”

After all, it was just a dream. The shopkeeper would forgive him.

Meng Xiaomeng’s expression darkened. “Why’s he in a meeting too?”

“Jobs like that aren’t as easy as they look,” Fang Xiu consoled her gently. “I have to go back to work soon myself. It’s not easy for anyone.”

“Still, no matter how busy, you can spare five or ten minutes. I’m not asking for 24/7 company. Doesn’t he even have time for a few words?” Meng Xiaomeng clearly disliked that excuse.

“I get it. You just want to be seen. Being alone all the time is hard.” Fang Xiu nodded in sympathy. “No matter how great classmates or friends are, it’s not the same. People still need their families.”

His tone was light. Bai Shuangying stared at him in silence.

Meng Xiaomeng’s face stiffened. She turned her head. “I didn’t say anything about family.”

Fang Xiu smiled and let the topic drop.

She zipped up her school uniform, tucking her chin into the collar. The two of them walked toward the crosswalk without speaking. The snow on the ground had just started to melt, turning the asphalt a deep, near-black gray.

“When the cake comes, we’re splitting it.” She stepped onto the crosswalk. “Tell Ku Yue to message me as soon as possible… Ugh, I bet Lao Chen called my mom. It’s going to be hard to sneak out again.”

Crisis mostly averted, Fang Xiu thought.

He was about to follow her across the street when he felt a tug on his shoulder. Bai Shuangying had grabbed him and motioned toward the side.

Hu Die was standing at the edge of a thicket, wrapped in a coat. In the pale gray-blue winter light, her eyes were stark black and white, dull and lifeless like those of a mannequin.

She wasn’t looking at Fang Xiu but staring straight at Meng Xiaomeng, her gaze clinging like spider silk. The girl had already stepped into the street, two or three paces ahead of Fang Xiu. Realizing he wasn’t following, she slowed and turned back in confusion.

In the next moment, a massive shadow swept past.

A heavy truck, apparently out of control, ran the red light and crashed straight into her. With a dull thud, she was thrown to the ground. Then the truck rolled over her body.

Blood spilled across the asphalt, dyeing it completely black.

In shock, Fang Xiu spun around to look at Hu Die. She remained in place, her expression disturbingly serene, as if the death of her daughter didn’t concern her at all.

When she noticed Fang Xiu watching, she tilted her head slightly and smiled faintly. Then she pulled a small pill bottle from her pocket and downed its contents.

Before Fang Xiu could react, the world went blank again.

He found himself back in front of the school.

The sunset burned quietly. Meng Xiaomeng was gone. So was Hu Die. Across the street, the ice cream shop sign now read “kexo dpjme8”, and the menu board beneath it was completely unreadable.

Fang Xiu touched his neck and straightened his posture to make sure his body hadn’t started changing.

Passersby kept glancing his way. He messed up his hair again, hiding his eyes beneath his bangs.

By his sense of time, he hadn’t slept for over a day. His thoughts drifted aimlessly through his mind. He bit the tip of his tongue hard and turned toward Guan He and the others.

The bar was a good distance from the school. Sleep-deprived, Fang Xiu’s legs felt like jelly. As he crossed the last intersection, he was nearly hit by a taxi.

The car slowly stopped, and the rear window rolled down. The little dog paused, sniffing the air in confusion.

Hu Die, wearing a leisure smile, greeted him calmly. “Isn’t this interesting?”

“What are you talking about?” Fang Xiu smiled back.

“No matter what you do, she dies tomorrow. Only the method changes,” Hu Die said indifferently. “Honestly, this was the first time I saw this version.”

“If the date goes well, Ku Yue sleeps with her and she kills herself afterward, unable to endure the blow.” 

“If it’s interrupted, she gets called to the police station, and he breaks up with her; if I go home and ignore her, she’ll jump off the building and commit suicide; if I scold her, comfort her, or monitor her, she still kills herself. Heart attack, jumping, overdose, take your pick.”

“If the date is stopped entirely, she gets into an accident after leaving school. If you stop her from arguing with the teacher, Ku Yue will come find her… No matter what, she dies on the 18th.”

Her tone was like discussing a game save file, not a real person—much less her own child.

“Why are you telling me all this?” Fang Xiu asked.

“Isn’t it sad enough you can’t sleep? Why make things worse? You should enjoy your last few days.”

She rested her hand on the window frame, calm and graceful. “That way, we all save some trouble. I don’t like being interrogated or killed out of nowhere, you know.”

Fang Xiu replied coolly, “You talk like we’re already beyond saving. We’re here to solve this, not to wait for death.”

Hu Die gave him a look of pity. “Then I wish you luck, handsome.”

The window slowly slid up, and her face vanished behind the glass. All Fang Xiu saw reflected back was his own.

“What do you think?” he asked his ghost after the taxi pulled away.

Rarely asked for his opinion, Bai Shuangying strolled forward, clearly interested. “……”

Then he paused for a long while and said seriously, “The spell isn’t complete. We need to observe more.”

Fang Xiu looked toward the sunset. He already knew that night and snowstorm were coming.

……

The nightmare didn’t end.

Zhuang Pengdao followed Hu Die to the school and witnessed Meng Xiaomeng’s death. He asked to switch targets with Fang Xiu’s group, naturally still the same group.

To get a full picture, Fang Xiu agreed.

On the night of the 17th, Meng Xiaomeng fought with a close friend and bombed her math quiz. She cried her way home to an empty house.

That night, Hu Die stayed late at the office for an emergency meeting. Around 9 p.m., she called home briefly to say she’d be back late.

On the morning of the 18th, Meng Xiaomeng skipped breakfast and headed to school, texting Ku Yue to set up a lunch date. After arguing with her teacher, she left school and went straight to the bar.

That same morning, Hu Die left for work as usual, leaving breakfast and a note on the table.

In the afternoon, Meng Xiaomeng skipped class again and checked into a hotel with Ku Yue. Afterward, disoriented, she climbed to the roof.

Hu Die came home on time, brewed tea, and headed to the stairwell window.

At exactly 18:00:00, both mother and daughter jumped.

Again.

On the 18th, she bought breakfast at a convenience store. Zhuang Pengdao knocked her out and hid her in a hotel room.

Hu Die skipped work and dined at a high-end restaurant. She flirted with a man at the next table, then sat in the snowy park for two hours reading.

At 18:00:00, she walked into the frozen lake.

Again.

On the 18^th, Zhuang Pengdao took action without consulting anyone and killed Meng Xiaomeng preemptively.

On the 18^th, Hu Die took out a medicine bottle and committed suicide by overdosing.

…Again.

Time kept rewinding. Fang Xiu began to lose track of what people were saying. It all sounded like some dialect he could barely understand. Yan Yan and Cheng Songyun hunched from fatigue, though they insisted it was nothing serious.

Guan He stopped talking much, often hugging the dog for comfort. Zhuang Pengdao and his disciples were surprisingly energetic, on par with Fang Xiu.

Shockingly, even Mei Lan, despite her age, was holding up well. If measured by real time, they had gone nearly three full days without sleep.

“What do we do, Fang Ge?” Guan He looked worried. “Shouldn’t we save Meng Xiaomeng somehow…?”

The problem was: if they didn’t interfere, both mother and daughter died. If they saved Meng Xiaomeng, Hu Die would kill herself. If they killed Meng Xiaomeng, Hu Die still committed suicide as if they were psychically linked.

Zhuang Pengdao had tried controlling both at once. But even before he got close, Hu Die would flash that chilling smile, capturing her alive seemed impossible.

They couldn’t figure out her plan or what she wanted. None of it made any sense. All this was like an illogical nightmare.

Guan He’s mind started to crumble. His head felt like it weighed a ton. He wanted to tear it off. Sometimes he thought, if he could just get some sleep, even death would be worth it.

Even if he transformed into that creature, the human-headed butterfly, like Da Luo, it only appeared in the fourth loop. It had quietly slipped away when no one was watching.

If he fell asleep now, surely Fang Xiu could solve the puzzle in the next few loops…. Fang Xiu was so capable…

Just that thought caused Guan He’s back to bend, twisting into an unnatural arc.

But Fang Xiu didn’t respond to his question.

At some point, he had also gone strangely quiet, occasionally giving a gentle smile to his ghost.

Almost as if he were waiting for something.

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The author has something to say:

This is what it means to be a “Disaster Resolver” difficulty.jpg

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 92: Mental Fortitude

Downtown hotel.

The scent of blood lingered in the cramped room. Hours passed, and Da Luo remained kneeling in place, unmoving. His fingertips kept tracing the carpet, his face stiff like he was wearing a mask.

No one could tell whether he regretted his actions or simply hadn’t been able to process them.

Cold wind blew through the broken window, making the corpse shell on the floor sway slightly.

Observing the entire mutation process of the sacrificial victim had indeed been quite helpful. Bai Shuangying tapped the shell with a finger, then looked up at Da Luo. If he guessed right…

Just as everyone was stunned, Da Luo’s body began to change.

With the sound of bones creaking and grinding, his head slowly sank into his chest cavity. As it did, his back arched backward and his sternum expanded forward, making room for the descending head.

Da Luo’s arms twitched. He instinctively resisted for a moment.

His face, aside from showing panic, now revealed a hint of fatigue, the kind that comes from giving up, from being too tired to fight.

The blow of his twin brother’s death, two days without sleep, the incomprehensible situation, and the realization that his mutation was irreversible…

Under everyone’s watch, the will to live faded from Da Luo’s eyes.

He sank into his own flesh, like someone sinking into a swamp. His mouth disappeared first, followed by his nostrils, nose bridge, and eyes. Soon, his face could no longer be seen.

He never even called out for help.

As the body distorted, the little black dog stood protectively in front of Fang Xiu, its beady eyes locked on Da Luo.

Fang Xiu remained still, his gaze brushing lightly across the room like a feather.

Zhuang Pengdao and his two disciples looked composed. Mei Lan showed no special reaction. Cheng Songyun and Guan He flinched briefly, but quickly composed themselves, their expressions turning to pity.

Guan He even glanced at Fang Xiu to make sure he wasn’t panicking. Once reassured, he tucked away the black eye veil in his hand. Jiao Jiao had a similar reaction, still tightly gripping her tarot cards.

As the wet, squelching sounds of flesh distortion echoed, Da Luo slumped forward, gradually turning into a “human cocoon”. The only silver lining was his transformation was slower than Xiao Luo’s, meaning he might live a few more hours.

Yan Yan stammered in shock. “Da Luo’s still conscious. What’s going on?!”

“Two taboos.” Zhuang Pengdao stepped closer, looking down at the monk waiting quietly for death.

“One taboo is mental instability, which distorts body and soul.”

“Sleeping or fainting can lead to loss of consciousness. A loop reset disrupts mental state. Falling into despair from trauma also counts as instability.”

Zhuang Pengdao patted Da Luo like he was petting a dog, speaking with ease.

Jiao Jiao translated bluntly for Yan Yan. “He means losing SAN* speeds up mutation.”

*Clarity: Sanity. Often in horror games, there’s some kind of “SAN” stats that affect the gameplay

Yan Yan’s confusion cleared. He just muttered, “How does sleeping count as losing SAN…” but didn’t argue further.

“The death taboo is also obvious. Emerge from the cocoon as a butterfly, return to the Yellow Springs.”

Zhuang Pengdao went on, still sounding like he was giving a lecture. “A death taboo usually doesn’t have overly complex conditions, and mutation doesn’t necessarily mean death. They’re likely two separate taboos.”

“This Immortal E’s powers lean toward mental influence. From now on, be careful with your mental defenses when dealing with the butterfly.”

Da Luo stayed completely still. Fang Xiu suspected he no longer understood human speech.

Two lives in exchange for two taboos.

It had to be said, Zhuang Pengdao’s deduction was quick and on point. His overall direction was hard to fault. His poised demeanor was certainly convincing, but Fang Xiu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was subtly off.

That night, Fang Xiu chose to stay at the scene.

Da Luo lingered in a corner, barely alive, looking like a breathing meat sack. His head was entirely retracted into his chest, leaving only a patch of scalp with a visible 卍 symbol. Xiao Luo’s body had been stored in Fang Xiu’s spatial pouch, the blood cleaned by Bai Shuangying’s spells. The room was relatively tidy.

Even so, Guan He couldn’t stand the sight of the human cocoon in the corner. To preserve his sanity, he went to rest in Cheng Songyun’s room, leaving Fang Xiu alone.

Fang Xiu was more than happy to enjoy some alone time with his ghost. Feeding Bai Shuangying freely in front of others was difficult. The human cocoon couldn’t see or hear anyway, so they wouldn’t be disturbed.

Dinner time came.

Fang Xiu lay on the bed, savoring a long, quiet kiss.

The dopamine rush brought clarity. Bai Shuangying gripped his hand a little harder, clearly enjoying himself too.

At that moment, Bai Shuangying loomed over him, his black hair falling down like a curtain over the world. The icy, inhuman tongue in his mouth was almost invigorating, its tip teasing like a plucked string, jolting his nerves.

Fang Xiu stroked the cool sleeve of his partner, his thoughts tangled. Perhaps sensing his distraction, Bai Shuangying let him go after just ten minutes.

“I’ve discovered something…”

“I’ve discovered something…”

They spoke almost simultaneously once the kiss ended, their breaths still unsteady.

Fang Xiu looked at Bai Shuangying in surprise. “You first.”

“I’ve deciphered what’s going on here.” Bai Shuangying sat beside him, casually rubbing Fang Xiu’s ear. “This place is a dream.”

Fang Xiu shot upright. “What do you mean?”

“Techniques that overturn reality typically fall into illusion or dream. This one involves the entire city’s living souls. If it were a powerful illusion, the mortal world would have intervened… so it must be operating through dreams.”

Bai Shuangying’s tone was firm but lacked Zhuang Pengdao’s methodical air. “One cannot fall asleep within a dream. This is a law of the Heavens.”

Fang Xiu thought aloud, “Then what about everyone else? We’re not the only living souls here.”

“The others are already in dreams; they don’t need to sleep. The Immortal E simply connected their dreams and took control,” Bai Shuangying replied smoothly.

Fang Xiu understood now.

No wonder the Immortal E could affect a whole city, yet only their group had been dispatched by the Underworld. Everyone else was just sleeping. The chaos was only happening in their dreams.

In that case…

“Time here is just a dream. Even if we spend months in this place, maybe only a few hours pass outside.”

Fang Xiu chuckled. “That means we entered this dream fully conscious. Our minds are running at full power. If we suddenly lose consciousness, the crash would naturally cause problems.”

Like a precision machine in a factory suddenly losing power; it could cause irreparable damage.

Bai Shuangying nodded and glanced at the cocoon in the corner.

“If your minds waver, the dream invades. Madness follows. Then comes soul damage and physical mutation.”

“The true taboo should be ‘dream invasion distorts body and soul’. That surname Zhuang skipped a crucial step.”

Having finished his analysis, Bai Shuangying was quite satisfied. Thanks to Fang Xiu, he felt like he was getting smarter.

He savored the feeling for a while, then asked in a competitive tone, “So what’s your discovery?”

Fang Xiu turned, resting his head on Bai Shuangying’s thigh. “I suspect Zhuang Pengdao is hiding something. And after hearing you, I think he already knows this is a dream.”

Did that mean he was about the same level as that little Taoist? Bai Shuangying scowled down at Fang Xiu.

As if hearing his thoughts, Fang Xiu reached up with a warm hand and covered those pale eyes. “Of course he’s not as good as you. I just think he has access to other sources. Clearly, he has deep connections to the metaphysics. Maybe he’s heard of the Immortal E before.”

Bai Shuangying was satisfied. He slid his eyes to another part of his face and blinked gently.

“He’s far too goal-driven, and doesn’t act like someone investigating.”

Fang Xiu mused, “Hu Die hasn’t officially turned against us. There’s no reason for him to try to kill her right away. And after seeing Xiao Luo’s corpse, he ignored all the oddities and jumped straight to deducing taboos.”

“It’s like he doesn’t want us getting too close to Hu Die, or learning the truth of this place.”

Guys like Jia Xu, who make things up out of thin air, are easy to handle. Zhuang Pengdao, who blends seven parts truth with three parts lies, is far trickier.

Even worse, he’s genuinely powerful. Compared to an obvious outsider like Fang Xiu, Zhuang Pengdao is much more convincing.

“I just don’t know what his end goal is.”

As Bai Shuangying’s eyeballs slid around his face, Fang Xiu chased after them with both hands, treating it like a focus game. “By the way, if we kill whoever’s controlling the Immortal E, would the ritual end?”

“The Immortal E isn’t like regular E’s. It doesn’t affect the surroundings indiscriminately. If its controller dies, its influence ends too,” Bai Shuangying confirmed.

He grabbed Fang Xiu’s wrists and pinned his hands to the bed, putting his eyes back in place.

Fang Xiu let out a short laugh, not resisting. “But killing Hu Die didn’t end the ritual. It only triggered a reset.”

“There are plenty of ways to fake death in a dream. After a few more rounds, we’ll figure it out,” Bai Shuangying said confidently.

“We,” Fang Xiu muttered under his breath.

Bai Shuangying: “?”

Yes, we, as in Fang Xiu and him. What’s the problem?

Fang Xiu smiled without answering. A few minutes later, he rolled over on Bai Shuangying’s thigh. “I’m going to rest a bit. Good night.”

No sooner had he shut his eyes than the little black dog clumsily hopped onto the bed and curled up in the blanket. Bai Shuangying’s cool robes brushed Fang Xiu’s face. The dog’s warm body pressed against his feet. Fang Xiu relaxed instantly.

His body still ached and his mind was still foggy, but he’d never felt so at ease.

Only mental disturbance could let the dream invade. So long as the mind stayed strong, the damage could be kept minimal.

Luckily, he’d grown used to this level of chaos and despair long ago.

Soon, a false sunrise arrived again.

During breakfast, Zhuang Pengdao announced the day’s plan as usual: his disciples rejoined him, taking Jiao Jiao and Mei Lan to observe Hu Die and track her behavior during the loops.

As a new Disaster Resolver, Fang Xiu was tasked with watching Meng Xiaomeng. Since killing was off the table, intel gathering was the top priority.

It sounded logical enough, but…

“We want to observe the Hu Die.”

Fang Xiu shredded roast chicken and stirred it into his porridge. “I’ve interacted with her before. She has a good impression of me.”

“She likely remembers the loops. If she remembers you killing her, we’ll have an easier time talking.”

Zhuang Pengdao smiled. “Hu Die is the loop’s core. It’s too dangerous for regular folks.”

Guan He shot him a disgruntled look. Wasn’t that just a roundabout way of calling them weak?

Fang Xiu: “Then swap Mei Lan in with me. We’ll watch Hu Die. The rest can follow Meng Xiaomeng, who’s less risky. Well?”

Previously, Mei Lan had been assigned because “as a woman, she’d be better for communication”. Now that they weren’t trying to talk, that reason no longer held.

Zhuang Pengdao paused his chopstick. “Meng Xiaomeng might encounter an emergency. Yan Yan isn’t in great shape. He needs a clear-headed leader.”

Mei Lan stared at her bowl, saying nothing in defense of her team leader, showing no intention of switching.

In the end, the groups remained unchanged.

Zhuang Pengdao and his team departed with ease to observe Hu Die, leaving Fang Xiu’s group behind with a groggy Yan Yan.

“I’m so tired.”

Yan Yan yawned, his eyes watery. “Do we really have to follow that girl around all day? My nose is about to fall off…”

Fang Xiu watched where Zhuang Pengdao had vanished, a thoughtful glint in his eye.

……

The weather was clear, but Meng Xiaomeng was in a foul mood.

She and her mother had been in a cold war for nearly a week, and her most recent test had gone unexpectedly badly. She had been distracted during an evening quiz and ended up misaligning the answer sheet. Her usually strong subject, math, ended up a complete mess.

As for how it all started…

“Mengmeng, your mom trying to make you two break up again?” Her deskmate turned around with a gossipy smile.

Several boys nearby instantly started joking with the tired “your mom made you do it” bit, which earned them a sharp glare from Meng Xiaomeng.

“No, she’s too busy trying to get promoted. She didn’t say a single word to me last night,” Meng Xiaomeng muttered irritably. “Which is just as well. Saves me from having to report my quiz score.”

“Then you’ve got it good,” the girl in front said seriously. “I scored 20 points lower than last time. My parents acted like it was the end of the world, so annoying.”

Meng Xiaomeng gave a dry laugh and nervously played with the zipper on her pencil case.

The girl looked around, confirming the teacher hadn’t arrived yet, then lowered her voice. “So… are you two still in touch?”

“Of course we are.” Meng Xiaomeng nodded and pulled an old phone out of her desk. “We use this. My mom doesn’t know about it.”

“He bought it for you? That brand’s kinda…” The girl trailed off.

“I told him not to buy anything too expensive,” Meng Xiaomeng said quickly. “Can’t take too much from someone. This was only a few hundred yuan. I just wanted to avoid my mom.”

The girl gave her a knowing look. “…Oof, put it away. Lao Chen’s coming!”

Meng Xiaomeng stuffed the phone back in her desk and picked up her textbook. But her thoughts were still scattered. Her mother weighed on her mind.

She didn’t like her home.

Her family wasn’t complete.

Meng Xiaomeng didn’t remember her father. For as long as she could remember, it had just been her and her mom. Her mother had called her father a scumbag, saying they’d broken up long ago. There wasn’t even a single photo of him in the house.

Her mom looked a lot younger than most other kids’ moms. Maybe they never married at all. But that was something Meng Xiaomeng never dared to ask about.

Her family wasn’t well-off.

When she was younger, she and her mother lived in a cramped old apartment. It had just one bedroom and a living room, and the living room was piled with clutter. The bedroom didn’t even have air conditioning. They’d share a bed, and in summer, all they had was a mat and a fan.

The neighbors were uncivilized, often throwing garbage right outside the door. In her memory, “home” always came with the smell of mold and the stench of rotting trash water.

She wasn’t yet old enough to care about comparing homes, but even then, she was embarrassed to invite friends over.

Still, back then, her mom was at least around most of the time. Whenever she got hurt, her mother would carefully apply medicine and say soothing words.

But then her mom changed.

She got incredibly busy, dumped her into a middle school dormitory, and was barely home.

When Meng Xiaomeng got sick in the dorm and wanted to talk to her mom, her calls would be cut short with a “I’m in a meeting.” Outside of grades, they had very little to talk about.

You’re sick? Didn’t take care of yourself again? Go to the hospital, take your meds, drink more water.

How were your scores? You did this badly again? I told you to focus. Why can’t you just be more careful?

…Every call ended within five minutes.

Her mom only cared whether she took her medicine and what scores she got. Her emotional state was never addressed.

Dorm drama, fights with classmates—she didn’t even know where to begin, so she kept it all inside.

She’d watch her classmates talk about family trips, hear about birthday surprises their parents planned, and see kids with worse grades being hugged and fussed over by their parents.

That was a kind of life she’d never experienced. She only fit in with the kids whose parents “didn’t act like people either.”

Later, they moved. She no longer lived at school and finally had her own small bedroom.

But her chances of seeing her mom hadn’t changed at all. Her mom was often expressionless, sometimes looking exhausted. Dinner conversations still revolved around grades and college prep. She could barely remember what her mom’s smile looked like.

…Even a dog gets a pat on the head when one comes home, doesn’t it?

So, she began to rebel.

If her mom didn’t care about her anyway, then why not push back?

During morning self-study, the homeroom teacher’s gaze swept the classroom. Meng Xiaomeng used her textbook as cover and sneakily pulled out her phone to reply to “Bitter Moon’s” messages.

[Bitter Moon: Morning, baby]

[Sweet Dream Pudding: Math class this afternoon is gonna be hell. So annoying.]

[Sweet Dream Pudding: Bombed my test. Can dodge my mom but not Lao Chen. Save meee.]

[Bitter Moon: Come out during lunch. Hubby will buy you cake. Let’s heal a little.]

[Bitter Moon: [Image] This place, all the desserts are made fresh. Delicious.]

[Sweet Dream Pudding: That one’s too far. First class after lunch is math…]

[Bitter Moon: Skip it. Not your first time. Baby won’t get scolded.]

[Bitter Moon: I only scored 15 in math back in school. Didn’t stop me from counting money later.]

Then he sent a cute cat sticker, followed by a barrage of tempting dessert photos.

Meng Xiaomeng smiled at the tiny screen.

He was her boyfriend from the internet.

They’d met in person before. Bitter Moon was very handsome and generous. He was seven years older, twenty-three this year. He’d once attended this very high school but left after graduation to work, so technically, he was her senior.

He was always attentive to her feelings. He noticed every mood change and sent her little gifts and snacks all the time. A few times, he’d waited for her at the school gate with a bouquet. Their relationship had become somewhat well-known at school.

When her mom found out, she confiscated her phone. The moment she heard Bitter Moon was twenty-three, she went ballistic, so rigid and old-fashioned.

She didn’t understand how they got along, how pure it was. Meng Xiaomeng scoffed inwardly. It wasn’t even affecting her grades. When they went out, Bitter Moon hadn’t even held her hand.

Luckily, her oh-so-busy mom couldn’t stop their true love.

[Sweet Dream Pudding: Fine, I’ll come find you at lunch.]

Before she could finish typing, a hand snatched the phone away.

Homeroom teacher Lao Chen stood beside her, glaring and wagging the phone. “Scores like yours and still playing with your phone? Keep this up, and I’ll call your parents!”

Whispers rippled through the class.

“Lao Chen splitting up lovebirds again.” “Campus CP Public Enemy #1 strikes!”

Clearly, Lao Chen had heard about her situation. He glanced at the chat screen, frowning even more. “…Come to my office after class.”

Meng Xiaomeng exploded. “That’s a violation of privacy!”

“Come after class. Did you hear me?” Lao Chen repeated.

“I’m not going!” she snapped. “Just say it here, everyone’s listening.”

Lao Chen paused, then spoke more sternly. “Fine then. Meng Xiaomeng, bring your parent tomorrow.”

“She won’t come. She has to be in a mee—ting—” Meng Xiaomeng rolled her eyes. “Just tell me directly.”

“Meng Jie’s so cool.” “Math Goddess is on another level.”

The back rows erupted in murmurs.

Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying, cloaked in invisibility, stood at the back of the classroom. From their angle, the girl’s back was straight, exuding the defiant energy only teenagers possessed.

So vibrant, yet so misdirected.

A few streets away.

“I smell that ‘Bitter Moon’ guy.” Yan Yan was crawling on all fours and sniffing the sidewalk in distress. “The phone’s scent is faint, but no doubt about it… Look, that’s him.”

A man was shopping at a convenience store near a bar. Guan He covered his eyes with his black veil and approached the target like a ghost.

“Bitter Moon” really was good-looking, with a mischievous charm in his features. Though he was nowhere near as good looking as Fang Xiu or Zhuang Pengdao, he was still decent. At the moment, he had a cigarette in his mouth while picking snacks off the shelf.

Finally, he casually grabbed two boxes of condoms from the counter, as naturally as if they were cookies.

Guan He: “…”

He suddenly had a bad premonition.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 91: Deadly Loop

“You’re the fastest ones so far.”

…Hu Die said this lightly, right in front of her daughter.

A trace of confusion flashed across Meng Xiaomeng’s face. She didn’t seem to understand what her mother meant.

Fang Xiu noticed that the mother and daughter, standing side by side, had extremely similar facial features. One could tell they were related at a glance.

But Meng Xiaomeng still carried a sharp youthful energy in her expression, the essence of a teenage girl. Hu Die… wore a detached expression so unnervingly serene it was almost terrifying. Compared to a living person, she resembled something else.

This stark difference in temperament concealed their facial similarity. No wonder when they first saw Meng Xiaomeng, no one thought of Hu Die.

“We reviewed the security footage and didn’t see the suitcase you mentioned. Are you sure you—huh?”

Officer Xiao Zhou arrived belatedly with files in hand. The moment he stepped through the door, he saw Hu Die, who looked remarkably like the “scammer” they’d been describing.

“It’s just a misunderstanding among acquaintances.”

Before Fang Xiu could speak, Hu Die replied with practice, even though she had no idea what reason Fang Xiu had used to call the police.

Fang Xiu remained silent.

Running into Meng Xiaomeng had been a pure coincidence, but he didn’t mind Hu Die misunderstanding it.

Officer Xiao Zhou scanned both groups seriously. Seeing that everyone’s emotions were stable, he sighed in relief. “Okay, you folks talk it through first. Let me know if there’s an issue.”

“So you came here for them.”

As soon as Officer Xiao Zhou stepped out the door, Meng Xiaomeng turned to Hu Die impatiently. “I knew it. It’s midday. You wouldn’t have come all this way just for me.”

Hu Die looked at her calmly. “Do you want to go back to school or stay here? Your teacher called me. There’s a quiz this afternoon.”

That calmness seemed to enrage Meng Xiaomeng. Her breath quickened. “Would it kill you to just answer my question directly?”

Hu Die was silent for two seconds. “Of course I came for you.”

“Bullshit!” Meng Xiaomeng shouted.

“She’s just having a mood swing. Please don’t mind her.”

Hu Die didn’t continue arguing. She turned to Fang Xiu and his group apologetically. “Now, about your…”

Bang!

Before she could finish, a small iron sword shattered the glass and shot in from outside. It struck Hu Die squarely in the forehead, blasting away the upper half of her head.

Her body hadn’t even fallen yet, her tongue and lower jaw hung exposed, blood gushing from her throat. From within the blood-filled windpipe came a gurgling sound, as if she were laughing.

Meng Xiaomeng was splattered with her mother’s blood and brain matter. Her eyes went wide as she called out dreamily, “Mom…” Officer Xiao Zhou spun around in shock, mouth open like he was about to shout something.

The next moment, the world turned blank again.

The white flash still lasted only a moment. In the next instant, the bright sun outside the window became a blood-red sunset.

The shattered window was restored, Hu Die and Meng Xiaomeng were gone, and the blood on the floor had vanished. The tea was no longer on the table, the blanket gone from their laps. Only the clock in the break room kept diligently ticking…

【18:0〇:5厶】

…Time had reset to around 18:00 the day before.

The loop had erased all changes, but not their fatigue or sleepiness. Fang Xiu pressed his temples hard. Earlier he could clearly see the label “Reception Room” on the door; now all he saw were the strange characters garbled “Eik w3(8”.

Yan Yan’s eyes were wide, his expression wary. Guan He stood up instinctively, scanning the room with caution.

Fang Xiu patted the little dog. “Don’t panic yet. Just wait. Someone will explain it.”

Sure enough, within five minutes, Zhuang Pengdao’s group entered the reception room. Compared to Fang Xiu’s team, their expressions were far worse.

Mei Lan was, as usual, quiet. She simply stared at the spot where the mother and daughter had vanished, eyes dim.

Jiao Jiao looked pale as a sheet. “We followed that woman for most of the day. Her name’s Hu Die, a mid-level manager at that company. She just had a fight with her boss this morning. There was nothing unusual about her behavior… Zhuang Ge suddenly attacked, and I, uh…”

She clearly disagreed with Zhuang Pengdao’s decision to kill without warning.

But Zhuang Pengdao was unfazed. He gave a satisfied smile. “That woman is indeed the center of the loop. The loop ends with her death, not at a fixed time.”

“When she dies, time resets to 18:00:00 on the 17th. Everything reverts except for us. Hu Die likely retains her memories, though her daughter may not.”

Zhuang Pengdao analyzed this calmly, like he’d just run a simulation. To him, Hu Die and Meng Xiaomeng were just data points.

“Killing someone in front of their child is going too far.” Cheng Songyun couldn’t hold back. “What if the kid remembers the loop? You killed her mom right in front of her!”

“I acted ‘suddenly’ because of concerns like that.”

Zhuang Pengdao replied courteously. Coupled with his cultured appearance, his words were strikingly persuasive. “Timing is everything. There’s no time for discussion. Did you all make it this far by putting things to a vote?”

Cheng Songyun couldn’t refute him, though her brows remained tightly knit.

Next to her, Yan Yan pursed his lips into a thin line. If a slacker said those words, they’d deserve a beating. But from a strongman, they were hard to argue with.

That bloody scene had been too much. He and Jiao Jiao weren’t the ruthless type, so they struggled to stomach it.

Zhuang Pengdao’s reputation was awe-inspiring, but standing in the thick smell of blood, Yan Yan recoiled. Even with a fox in his bloodline, he knew what it meant to kill a mother in front of her child.

Suddenly, Zhuang Pengdao didn’t seem so admirable.

“…Next, we should investigate while preventing Hu Die from killing herself, if she still intends to.”

Fang Xiu, who hadn’t joined the previous argument, spoke mildly. “The reset has a huge impact on us. We should proceed carefully.”

Even if they didn’t sleep, going through the loop over and over would still drive them mad. Sleep or no sleep only determined how fast they died.

Zhuang Pengdao looked approvingly at Fang Xiu. “Hu Die probably suspects a Disaster Resolver acted. You were all present. She likely has a good impression of you.”

“Try playing good cop. Act friendly.”

As he spoke, he curiously glanced at the little black dog. But before he could approach, the pup wrinkled its nose and growled “grrr…”

Fang Xiu scooped the dog into his arms and stroked its head twice.

“This division of roles works,” he said. “Then I’ll act according to my own plan.”

……

The plan was sound, but reality was harsher than anyone expected. They returned quietly to the hotel to reunite with their teammates.

But as soon as they opened the door, hell rushed out to greet them.

Xiao Luo had completely transformed into one of those fragmented souls.

His monk robes had fused into his flesh, forming mushroom-like bumps. His body was twisted like a legless spider. His head was gone. Judging by the hollow in his neck, it had probably retracted into his chest.

At the same time, a shallow split had opened on his arched back, slowly oozing blood. He crawled around the room in silence, looking more like an alien than a ghost.

Da Luo’s face was etched with panic. He chanted scriptures nonstop, voice hoarse and barely audible. Zhuang Pengdao’s disciple frowned as he watched, face grim as if mourning a father.

The little black dog sniffed Xiao Luo, tilting its head in confusion as though it had discovered a new species.

Bai Shuangying approached curiously. Xiao Luo froze, spasming uncontrollably. When Bai backed off, he started crawling again like a headless fly.

According to Zhuang Pengdao’s disciple, Xiao Luo had been stable. But the moment the loop reset, he deteriorated rapidly. He couldn’t even make sounds, let alone speak.

Spells couldn’t contain him. Only Da Luo’s chanting kept the transformation at bay. If he stopped even for a moment, the mutation resumed, so he hadn’t dared stop once.

At this moment, Da Luo’s eyes were filled with despair.

He was the only dark monk left. No one else could recite the cleansing scripture. He was bound to run out of strength. All he could do now was delay his brother’s death.

His back arched under the weight. It was unclear whether the robes clinging to his skin were from seat or transformation.

Zhuang Pengdao thought for a moment. “You should give up. There’s no way we’ll end the ritual in the next 24 hours.”

Da Luo’s chanting wavered. Fang Xiu’s brow twitched.

“With the ‘stay conscious’ taboo in play, stamina is crucial. Keep this up, and your life will be forfeit.”

Zhuang’s tone blended sympathy with persuasion. “If you give up now, at least one of you might survive. I understand your love for your brother, but don’t be foolish. He’d want you to live, wouldn’t he…?”

Da Luo’s chanting softened. He turned his face toward Zhuang Pengdao, wavering.

At the same time, Xiao Luo trembled violently, flesh audibly tearing.

Everyone was stunned by the grotesque mutation. No one spoke. Da Luo seemed ready to give in…

“Just think it through,” Fang Xiu suddenly said. “If you keep chanting and manage to eat little by little during the gaps, it’s not impossible for both of you to survive.”

Da Luo looked at him, eyes bloodshot and dazed.

Bai Shuangying also turned around, pale eyes fixed on Fang Xiu’s lips. His tone was different from usual.

Fang Xiu lowered his gaze, staring at a patch of blood on the floor. He flexed his hands slightly and then relaxed, arms hanging casually at his sides.

“What Mr. Zhuang told you is one possibility. I’m just telling you that ‘not giving up’ is another.”

“If you choose the ‘reasonable’ path, the outcome will also be ‘reasonable’. You’ll never get a miracle that way.”

The little black dog quietly stayed by Fang Xiu’s feet, softly growling. It too seemed to sense something.

Da Luo licked his chapped lips, glancing between Zhuang Pengdao and Fang Xiu before settling his gaze on his deformed brother.

Fang Xiu was right. They’d trained hard… If they moved quickly enough, maybe they could hold on…

But more likely, the taboo would destroy them both. If he gave up, he wouldn’t be trapped here. Xiao Luo’s death could help them observe the full process and increase survival odds…

Exhaustion and sleepiness strangled his thoughts. His mind trudged like through a swamp. A moment of distraction, and he missed two lines of the scripture. Xiao Luo jolted and his back split further.

No good… he couldn’t go on…

Hope was too slim. One more loop and they’d be done…

…He wanted to live.

Da Luo’s voice grew lower and hoarser. At last, the chanting stopped.

The moment the cleansing scripture ceased, the silent creature let out a wail.

Its back bulged violently, like a baby kicking inside a pregnant belly. The cry came from its warped chest cavity, making everyone itch all over.

Squelch. Blood sprayed everywhere.

The hunched back tore open and a lump of flesh burst from the wound…

It was a grotesque butterfly.

Its body was just a lone human head, with an insect-like segment of spine dangling from the neck. Blood-red legs sprouted from the mouth and nose, while two pairs of dark red wings unfurled from its ear holes.

The wings were still damp and membranous, faint capillary patterns forming eye-like designs that made everyone dizzy.

Fang Xiu and Zhuang Pengdao were fine. The others couldn’t handle the pattern or stench and threw up on the spot.

The butterfly smiled with Xiao Luo’s face. Its insect limbs twitched, and it fluttered its wings, smashing through the glass and vanishing into the dusk.

Before anyone could react, it dissolved into the sunset, gone in a flash.

On the blood-soaked carpet lay Xiao Luo’s headless corpse.

It lay limp on the floor with only skin and bone remained. His organs were nearly gone. Half of his intestines were torn out by the human-headed butterfly, while the other half still bore human teeth marks.

Seeing the butterfly with his brother’s face fly off, Da Luo’s knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

……

That night, Hu Die returned home.

Meng Xiaomeng had locked herself in her room. Empty containers from convenience store meals littered the desk. Hu Die stared at them blankly for a moment before throwing them away.

She didn’t go to the kitchen. Instead, she unlocked her bedroom and gently locked the door behind her. She turned on the computer and played soft music.

As the music played, Hu Die drew the curtains. She walked to the wardrobe, shedding her outerwear like molting skin; even her undergarments were discarded on the floor.

At last, she stood at the wardrobe door and slowly opened the frosted glass.

Inside a specimen case sat two or three human-headed butterflies, their pale eyes tracking her every move.

Hu Die scanned them, then picked the one closest to her.

“I’m sorry, but I’ll have to sacrifice you today.”

She said softly, “I don’t have a choice… I need to survive.”

“As a sign of respect, I’ll eat every last bit of you.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 90: An Unexpected Meeting

After finishing the ID checks, Officer Xiao Zhou began making phone calls one by one. Bai Shuangying could only hear the repeated tone in the receiver. None of the four calls went through.

“Why are out-of-town calls still unreachable? What kind of infrastructure takes this long to fix?”

Xiao Zhou muttered and set down the receiver. “Hey, when was the last time outsiders came in to file a report…?”

He shook his head hard and pulled out a tube of extra-cool mint candies from the drawer, chewing one quickly. Whether it was the mint or not, his mouth and back both felt cold.

Bai Shuangying stood silently at his side, observing.

He could now confirm that this officer was indeed a living human—at least, one with a human soul. If Xiao Zhou were some illusion meant to fool Fang Xiu and the others, he wouldn’t act so naturally when unobserved.

It seemed this environment still had some connection to the outside world. The info Xiao Zhou found mostly matched what Bai Shuangying already knew, except for Fang Xiu’s family.

…So Fang Xiu still had other family members alive.

Bai Shuangying had secretly glanced at the screen and memorized Yuan Ye’s information.

Judging by the birthdate, Yuan Ye was much older than Fang Xiu, old enough to be his father. He shared a surname with Fang Xiu’s adoptive brother Yuan Yongan, making it very likely he was Yongan’s biological father.

This meant Fang Xiu had lost all his blood relatives early on and was later adopted by the Yuan family.

How strange. Bai Shuangying pondered seriously.

If Yuan Ye had treated Fang Xiu badly, Fang Xiu wouldn’t trust the police so much. But if he’d had a normal upbringing, Bai Shuangying wouldn’t believe that either.

While Xiao Zhou had his back to the screen, Bai Shuangying snuck closer to the mouse and clumsily tried scrolling with the wheel. Sadly, modern computer skills couldn’t be mastered in a day. He nearly flung the mouse onto the floor.

In the end, the only thing he managed to remember was Fang Xiu’s birthday: December 24th.

Before Xiao Zhou could gather himself, another officer knocked and entered. “That girl Meng Xiaomeng is back again.”

Officer Xiao Zhou rubbed his forehead. “What now?”

“She cut class, snuck out, and used a fake ID to get into a bar. The owner thought she didn’t look like an adult, tried to stop her, and they got into it, so the cops were called.”

The young officer said helplessly, “She’s throwing a fit now. You better contact her mom.”

Xiao Zhou sighed. “Again, that girl?”

The young officer also sighed. “What can we do? Give her a lecture, sure, but contacting the parents is the real priority. We can’t scold someone else’s kid.”

Xiao Zhou returned to his desk and pulled up Meng Xiaomeng’s file. Her emergency contact was her mother, Hu Die.

This time, Xiao Zhou had no trouble getting through. “Hello? Ms. Hu? This is Huangsu Police Station…”

After he introduced himself, the woman on the other end gave only a couple of terse replies.

Her voice sounded familiar. Bai Shuangying, who had been about to leave, silently slipped back toward the phone.

“…I understand. I guess she doesn’t want to return to school. Please take her to the station first. I can’t leave right now.”

After hearing the situation, Hu Die’s tone remained cold and emotionless. “I’ll pick her up after work. Sorry for the trouble.”

Xiao Zhou reluctantly agreed.

……

In the lounge.

Fang Xiu sat curled under a blanket in the warm room. The heat felt like a soft wrap around him, but it didn’t bring peaceful sleep.

Humans could function on six hours of sleep, but foxes needed ten or more. Yan Yan was the most wrecked among them. He groaned, scratching the table with his nails.

With each sound, his mouth seemed to elongate, his hair beginning to grow out unnaturally.

“Is there a theme to this ritual?”

Guan He quickly spoke to distract him. “The ‘don’t lose consciousness’ rule is really weird. If it was just about not sleeping, then being knocked out shouldn’t count.”

“And with that woman jumping off a building before, could this be about overwork? Like one of those 24/7 on-call taboos?”

“Hmm… normal jobs don’t ask that much. Maybe something like the police or hospitals.” 

Cheng Songyun hesitated. Because of personal reasons, she’d endured many sleepless nights, so her body had adapted.

As she spoke, she instinctively glanced at Fang Xiu.

He was wrapped in a blanket with only his nose and eyes exposed, staring at a fixed point in space, as if lost in memory.

The little black dog lay quietly at his feet, chewing a biscuit gifted by a kind female officer, on the condition she got to pet its head.

“Enough thinking about it. It’s an Immortal E we’re facing. The ‘theme’ doesn’t matter that much.”

Yan Yan tried to pull himself together. His elongated mouth returned to normal. “Immortal E are controlled by people. The so-called ‘taboos’ are just skills the other side casts. If they want to screw with you, they will. What theme?”

“Even if we figure it out, it won’t help solve anything. The only way is to catch the one controlling the E.”

He gulped down half a cup of hot tea and slumped. “I hope Zhuang Ge can deal with that woman quickly. This ritual’s exhausting… I’d rather eat ten rats raw…”

Fang Xiu didn’t even lift his head. He gave a soft “mm” but remained deep in thought.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang! A girl had pushed the door open, or rather, kicked the door open.

“Wait for my mom here, right?”

She rolled her eyes at the officer who’d escorted her. “Yeah, yeah, I know… She’s busy. She’s always busy, 365 days a year. Next time don’t call her. I’m nothing to her anyway.”

Once inside, she scanned the room. Spotting Fang Xiu and Yan Yan, her expression softened a bit.

She dialed down her rebellious energy, pulled out a chair, and sat in the corner.

Meanwhile, in the unseen realm…

“That’s Meng Xiaomeng. She’s a regular here,” Bai Shuangying whispered near Fang Xiu’s ear. “Her mother is Hu Die, the same woman who jumped. She’s coming later to pick her up.”

Just as he finished, Meng Xiaomeng’s phone rang.

She stared at the screen for a moment, then declined the call. A few seconds later, it rang again. She declined it again. Everyone in the lounge looked at her, and she seemed a little embarrassed.

The third time, she finally picked up.

“What now? Aren’t you busy? Then go be busy and stop sticking your nose into my life.”

“What’s wrong with me? Not getting grades you approve of? I just went out with friends during lunch. I ordered a Coke, there’s even a receipt!”

She fell silent for a while. Muffled words came through the speaker. Her brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

“I’m drinking and doing drugs? Are you serious? Stop talking about what’s legal or illegal. That asshole bar owner called the cops… I can’t help that. People run red lights too, but you don’t see cops arresting everyone.”

“All you ever do is forbid this, forbid that. I get it. You think I’m an idiot! Yeah, yeah, I’m just a worthless dog!”

Her voice rose sharply, filled with anger and resentment. Before the other side could reply, she ended the call with a slap and muttered “bitch” under her breath, eyes red.

Fang Xiu quietly exhaled and smiled warmly. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

His gentle tone made Bai Shuangying recoil instantly in discomfort. After a moment of thought, though, he edged back closer to observe carefully.

Charming men were dangerous. Just those few kind words, and Meng Xiaomeng’s eyes reddened even more.

“It’s nothing. Just my mom,” she muttered, trying to sound casual while sniffling.

“We’ll be here a while too. You can talk if you want. It might make you feel better,” Fang Xiu said gently. “We were just talking about family. That auntie over there has a daughter too. Maybe she has some advice.”

Cheng Songyun caught the cue. “Yes, go ahead, sweetie.”

“She doesn’t care about me at all.” Meng Xiaomeng gave a bitter smile. “It’s always about grades, grades, grades. Oh, and I’m not allowed to hang out with friends. Like it’s some disease. She never even takes me anywhere. Auntie, do you take your daughter out for fun?”

Cheng Songyun said, “I used to, but…”

But that was before her husband gambled away everything they owned. Back then, they traveled the world. After that, they barely left the house.

Meng Xiaomeng caught the first word and exploded. “See? That’s what normal parents do. Mine? Doesn’t give a damn. I’m half an orphan.”

“Even if I got stabbed to death on the street, she’d wait until after work to identify my corpse. Don’t believe me? Try it.”

Guan He, also a high schooler, couldn’t help interjecting. “Maybe your mom’s just really busy. My mom is too…”

“We’re not starving. Is a few bucks more important than your kid? She just kisses up to her boss all day,” Meng Xiaomeng sneered. “Like I don’t have emotional needs. Even a dog gets spoiled.”

The black dog perked up at the word and looked over. Meng Xiaomeng noticed it too, her expression softening.

“C’mere, little guy…”

She cooed like a typical sixteen-year-old. The dog tilted its head, then laid its snout back on Fang Xiu’s foot.

Fang Xiu was about to diffuse the mood, but Guan He blurted out, “If the conflict isn’t that bad, you could still talk it out. Maybe she just doesn’t know how to express herself…”

Meng Xiaomeng’s face went stiff. “‘It’s for your own good,’ ‘You’ll understand when you’re older’. Those don’t count as communication? Please. Classic lines. Don’t tell me you’ve never heard them.”

He hadn’t. Guan He pursed his lips, a little sad.

He seemed to want to say, “At least she still talks to you,” but he swallowed the words.

Meng Xiaomeng looked smug again and went back to playing with the dog. Cheng Songyun looked from her to Guan He and sighed quietly.

Speaking about how she raised her daughter would probably just add fuel to the fire. Not far away, Yan Yan blinked repeatedly. This time, he was the one who couldn’t relate to the humans.

The argument was all too familiar. For a few seconds, the atmosphere felt entirely normal. It was almost enough to make them forget they were in the middle of a bizarre sacrificial ritual, until…

Creak.

Right at noon, the lounge door opened.

Hu Die stepped in, hair in loose curls, burgundy sweater under a down coat. She looked travel-worn from rushing to the station. When she saw Fang Xiu’s group, she paused slightly, but didn’t seem too surprised.

“Thank you for watching her.” Hu Die looked at Fang Xiu and smiled. “You’re the fastest ones yet. Much more interesting than the other team.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 89: Family Relations

The sun rose as usual, and the city outside gradually woke up.

Each of the cultivators took turns checking on Xiao Luo’s condition, but none of them could do anything. No one knew exactly what had gone wrong, only that he had probably triggered a taboo.

With no way to treat him, they had no choice but to leave him in the room. Thankfully, Xiao Luo was an experienced Disaster Resolver. Though his speech was impaired, he remained relatively calm, quietly curling up in a corner.

Da Luo stayed behind to watch over him, and Zhuang Pengdao assigned one of his disciples to assist. Fang Xiu made sure they had enough food and water.

With that, the group heading out for investigation was reduced to eight.

In the morning sunlight, the Disaster Resolvers sat around with heavy heads, eating mechanically.

“You can’t lose consciousness? That’s a brutal rule.” Yan Yan’s hair was a mess, and he kept muttering, “This is killing me. I’m so tired I could die…”

Jiao Jiao: “A human can survive about a week without sleep. As long as we break through soon, we’ll be fine.”

“But by day two or three we’ll all be brain-dead! I can barely think already.” Yan Yan gnawed on a chicken leg mournfully.

“Think of your true form. If your body curls into a ball, you’ll look even more like a haunted wig.” Jiao Jiao reminded him solemnly.

Yan Yan shut up instantly and started pinching his thigh hard.

Fang Xiu slowly drank something sweet, trying to adjust to the heaviness in his head. After finishing, he buried his face in Bai Shuangying’s sleeve for a moment, then looked up and asked, “What’s the plan for today?”

Zhuang Pengdao’s expression was serious. “We’re running out of time. It’s best to split into two teams again. Four per group. One group investigates the woman, the other examines environmental changes.”

“Since Fang Xiu was recognized yesterday, we’ll handle the woman this time. To ensure objectivity, each team should send one member to accompany the other.”

Jiao Jiao thought for a moment. “We’re only tailing her to confirm her identity. There’s no need for Yan Yan’s nose. I’m not good at combat, so I’ll go with Zhuang Ge.”

Fang Xiu glanced at his three teammates instinctively.

Cheng Songyun’s ghost shield was too valuable. Sending her with Zhuang Pengdao would be a waste. Guan He was great at tracking, but too young and easy to read. That left…

“I’ll go with Miss Jiao.” Mei Lan unexpectedly took the initiative and stood up. “My abilities aren’t suited to field investigation. And if communication is needed, it’s more appropriate for a woman to approach.”

Zhuang Pengdao turned to look at her. He didn’t say anything and his polite smile remained unchanged.

Fang Xiu quickly agreed, eyes shifting between Mei Lan and Zhuang Pengdao.

……

For those who hadn’t slept all night, even gentle morning light felt blinding.

Once the teams split, Yan Yan wandered the streets with Fang Xiu’s group, looking groggy and unsteady. The streets looked the same. Aside from strange characters on some signs, people went about their business, and the atmosphere was oddly peaceful.

After confirming the split, Fang Xiu activated his special skill and summoned the little black dog. A gust of wind later, the dog plopped onto the ground and bounded excitedly between him and Bai Shuangying.

Fang Xiu patted its head. The little dog nosed eagerly at his palm.

Then it spotted Yan Yan. Its ears shot up, tongue tucked in, and its gaze locked onto him. Yan Yan instinctively shivered. “What is that…?”

“My anomaly skill,” Fang Xiu explained.

The dog was a ghost immortal and immune to taboos. Even if it couldn’t fight, it was an invaluable asset.

The little black dog crept to Yan Yan’s feet and sniffed around meaningfully. Yan Yan pulled his legs back and laughed awkwardly. “Cute… what’s its name?”

“It doesn’t have one yet. You can just call it Little Dog.”

Fang Xiu paused a moment before adding, “It’s not really my pet. Let’s just say this little guy specializes in reconnaissance. It’ll help take some pressure off your nose.”

The dog lifted its head proudly and barked twice.

Fang Xiu pulled a piece of rope from his pocket and looped it around the dog, just in case. Even Yan Yan needed a leash in this place. It was better not to stand out.

Yan Yan relaxed slightly and mumbled, “They’re doing the big stuff. What about us? This place is huge. How long’s it gonna take us to check everything…”

“We’re going to the police station.” 

Fang Xiu pulled out the wrapping paper the helpful shopkeeper had given him. A simple map was drawn on it.

Yan Yan: “……”

“Bro, in this situation, what good is reporting to the cops gonna do? They can’t fix Xiao Luo. If anything, we should be heading to a hospital.”

“But a visit to the police could tell us if this place is real, and how sealed off it really is.”

Guan He responded firmly, “Police stations are hard to fake. And they have to communicate with outside agencies. We can just ask.”

As expected of a sixteen-year-old full of energy, Guan He was the most alive among them after a sleepless night.

Yan Yan grumbled, “Fine.”

He figured this was busywork for mortals, like being a sub on a soccer team, doing something just to avoid wasting time.

He’d rather be investigating the woman. That sounded serious and exciting. But he was tougher than Jiao Jiao, so this group division wasn’t exactly wrong.

As he thought, he reached out to pet the dog. It immediately bared its teeth and growled. Its tail didn’t even wag.

Yan Yan: “Seriously? Animals hate me in the human world, and the Underworld’s pets hate me too!”

Fang Xiu was surprised to find someone with worse animal luck than himself. “I thought fox demons would be popular with animals. Guess you’re not meant to have pets.”

Yan Yan’s face twitched into an awkward smile. “We have a pet at home. My mom didn’t marry my dad with a marriage license. They filed for a pet license. My dad doesn’t have a human ID. Ha.”

Cheng Songyun was stunned. “Then how do your parents take planes or high-speed trains?”

“If the distance is short, my dad runs there using spells. If it’s far, they put him in pet transport. He transforms back into human form when they meet.” Yan Yan spoke blankly. “Magic-based fake IDs might fool normal folks, but airport security’s tough.”

Cheng Songyun, who had lived half her life, had never heard of such a bizarre family.

She cleared her throat and changed the subject like a pro. “Sounds complicated. You didn’t get a household registration until you took human form, right? Wasn’t it dangerous for your mom to give birth outside a hospital?”

Maybe it was the dull walk, or maybe insomnia had lowered his defenses, but Yan Yan actually replied, “It wasn’t too bad. She’s rich. Hired metaphysical doctors and private nurses for the birth.”

“When I was born, my dad’s whole family came to help—grandparents, uncles, aunts, the lot. They used spells to assist. My mom met the whole extended family that day. She was thrilled.”

Cheng Songyun: “…”

“Out of all the foxes in the world, I’m her least favorite.” Yan Yan grumbled, “She said I wasn’t cute as a baby. I ran around like a Roomba with a wig. My dad always said I didn’t work hard enough at transforming. And look who’s talking. He got caught by my mom because he left his ears and tail exposed, and that’s why my mom took a fancy to him!”

Fang Xiu had no idea how to respond. He’d never encountered a family dynamic so incomprehensible.

Even though Yan Yan seemed genuinely annoyed, the three humans couldn’t relate at all.

“Your family sounds well-off. So how did you end up with a blood debt?” Guan He thought for a moment and asked.

Yan Yan didn’t dodge the question. He lowered his head. “Got drunk after graduating college. Slipped up and showed my true form. My roommate freaked out, fell… hit the back of his head on a table corner. That’s it.”

“I took full responsibility. Haven’t touched alcohol since. Who knew there’d be an Underworld sacrifice ritual after that…”

His tone was full of guilt, regret, and frustration. There wasn’t a hint of a lie. It was hard to say whether he or a generic magical girl had the more absurd backstory.

Well, Mr. Yan, Fang Xiu thought, your parents were right. You really didn’t try hard enough to master your transformation.

Guan He was straightforward. Since Yan Yan had been honest, he also came clean about his own blood debt. Unlike his earlier breakdown, he could now talk about it himself.

Being similar in age, Yan Yan and Guan He quickly drifted into a conversation about parent-child relationships. Chatting away, the group eventually arrived at the police station.

……

Huangsu Precinct, Youzhao City.

Officer Xiao Zhou took a sip of strong tea from his thermos. Lately, he’d been sleeping poorly and often felt groggy during the day, getting chewed out more than once.

Luckily, his precinct was peaceful. The bloodiest cases were drunken brawls, and the scariest involved telecom fraud. He hadn’t seen a single homicide since he started working here.

Today was unusual. Four out-of-towners showed up, claiming their suitcase had been stolen.

“Our IDs and everything were in that suitcase,” said a young man wearing a red T-shirt. He hugged his arms tightly, lips slightly blue from the cold. “Please, Officer… It’s really important to us.”

Xiao Zhou scanned the group.

One middle-aged woman, one underage boy, and… a red-haired anime guy. It was a strange mix, but not suspicious.

The young man in the red T-shirt was unusually good-looking. His clear, bright eyes had nothing in common with “bad”.

According to him, they were from a southern city and had been tricked by someone who was supposed to pick them up. The four of them lost everything—suitcase, phones, the works. Total disaster.

He even gave a detailed description of the scammer: a woman in her thirties or forties wearing a burgundy sweater with permed hair and no nail polish.

Once the report was filed, Xiao Zhou led them to a warm reception room and brewed a large pot of tea.

“Please give me your ID info too.”

Officer Xiao Zhou said professionally, “I’ll contact your families. We’ll check the office building’s security footage. Don’t worry, get warmed up. We’ll feed you lunch at noon.”

He then ran back to his office and started checking the ID numbers provided.

What he didn’t know was that a white figure stood silently behind him, staring unblinking at the screen.

“Let’s see… Cheng Songyun, daughter listed… Guan He, mother available… Yan Yan—damn, the son of business tycoon Yan Jiaqian?”

Xiao Zhou quickly jotted down notes, murmuring aloud.

“Fang Xiu… Fang Xiu… Got it. Emergency contact: Yuan Ye.”

“Well, what do you know. A fellow professional.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 88: Fatal Mutation

The feeling of insomnia was miserable. It was like drinking too much coffee: the body felt heavy, the mind scattered, but the brain refused to quiet down.

Fang Xiu let out a long sigh and tugged at Bai Shuangying. “Come on, let’s eat.”

Winter’s cold made it perfect for doing things that warmed the body, like kissing his ghost. Since he couldn’t sleep, he might as well become more awake.

With habit of their “feeding” came fluency; their kisses had grown steadily more practiced.

Bai Shuangying was very good at teasing a living soul. His skill soon outpaced Fang Xiu’s. Fang Xiu suspected his ghost had developed a liking for “mouth-to-mouth” intimacy. Bai Shuangying had once commented that Fang Xiu’s soul had a delicious flavor. The kiss resembled slow savoring, enjoying the texture.

Food and sex are both primal drives, Fang Xiu thought breathlessly. There’s a kind of overlap.

The invading ghost tongue could shift shape. Amid pleasure and shivers, Fang Xiu would sometimes hallucinate that he was truly being devoured. Lately, his ghost had even begun adding touches. Cool fingers occasionally brushed over his nape and back.

Bai Shuangying was a bit taller. He leaned slightly when they kissed, his silk-black hair swaying near their cheeks and blocking out the ambient light.

Fang Xiu sometimes peeked with one eye to admire him. He didn’t find it frightening, only safe. That darkness felt like a dreamless night.

Tonight, hidden in a quiet corner, Bai Shuangying’s kiss was particularly long.

Where their skin touched, something cool seeped into Fang Xiu’s body. He opened his eyes in confusion, meeting Bai Shuangying’s unblinking pale gaze.

“I just examined your soul.” After the long kiss ended, Bai Shuangying whispered, “There’s some mutation on the surface of your soul. It might be caused by a taboo.”

“Mutation?” Fang Xiu forced himself to focus.

Bai Shuangying nodded. “Your physical body looks fin with no visible abnormalities. The distorted text you’ve been seeing is one sign of soul mutation.”

Fang Xiu, still groggy, tried to make sense of it. Everything had seemed normal before. Why had Bai Shuangying suddenly thought to check his soul?

He thought slowly. “Do you recognize those monsters from earlier?”

It was the only lead that came to mind.

Bai Shuangying pondered. “They weren’t remnant souls. They were husks.”

In his long life, Bai Shuangying had seen this twice. Once, when a Taoist’s soul was attacked after leaving the body. The second, when a curse failed and the person’s soul shattered.

Without a soul to anchor it, a living human’s body could be warped at will by spells, like soft flesh without a skeleton.

“When living beings die, the spirit (po)¹ should disperse first, followed by the soul (hun)¹ departing. If the soul is destroyed first, the body is prone to mutation,” Bai Shuangying explained. “Those creatures were human shells after such mutations.”

¹Clarity: He’s referring to hun and po. Together, [hunpo] makes up the soul.

So those creepy crawling things were running on spinal reflex alone.

Fang Xiu rubbed his temples. “Is this kind of method common?”

Bai Shuangying shook his head. “Preserving the body just to attack the soul is like keeping the eggshell and removing the yolk. It’s pointless.”

That was a more elegant way to put it. Less mildly, it was like taking off one’s pants just to fart.

To evil spirits, the human body was just packaging. As for humans who would do this to others, Bai Shuangying had never seen any. Only high-ranking Underworld officers might have that ability. Even ordinary enforcers couldn’t manage it.

He strongly suspected he was the only one who recognized those monsters among everyone present.

This kind of ritual really did need a Disaster Resolver. Regular sacrifices would be walking to their deaths.

Thinking of how even Zhuang Pengdao hadn’t figured it out, Bai Shuangying shot a smug glance at his human.

Fang Xiu reached out to stroke his hair, though his gaze was slightly unfocused. The effect of breaking a taboo… When had they violated one? How had they triggered it? Not a single sign had been noticeable. Compared to the clear-cut taboo responses before, this slow, silent mutation was far more terrifying.

Mental corruption, insomnia, and then body distortion leading to death. They had clearly triggered one or two taboos yet still knew nothing about them.

A whole city had been moved under their noses, encompassing all aspects of human life, and they couldn’t even guess the “theme” of the ritual.

This was exactly what made Immortal E a Disaster Resolver’s job. Five-star difficulty.

Fang Xiu took a deep breath and buried his face into Bai Shuangying’s neck, enjoying the ghost’s perfectly cool temperature.

“What are you doing here all alone?” Yan Yan had followed his nose and arrived, his fox-like eyes full of curiosity.

“Meditating,” Fang Xiu replied, lifting his head. “Why, need something?”

“Thought we could move somewhere else before it gets too late.”

Yan Yan let out a huge yawn. “This place is no good, neither of us can sleep. Zhuang Ge got us enough money for hotel rooms.”

‘It seems I’m not the only one suffering from insomnia,’ Fang Xiu thought.

……

Exhausted, the group returned to the city center. Zhuang Pengdao found a high-end hotel and booked three large suites. He even conjured up an ID on the spot using some suspiciously well-practiced spell.

Jiao Jiao, Cheng Songyun, and Mei Lan shared one room. Zhuang Pengdao and his two disciples, plus Yan Yan filled another.

That left Fang Xiu and Guan He. The twin monks split the last room, making sure everyone had a hot shower and a bed to sleep in.

At last, the noise of the KFC was gone. The beds were soft and comfortable. In the dead of winter, after a hot bath and a cup of warm water, slipping into cozy blankets felt like full-body anesthesia.

As expected, though, no one could fall asleep.

The Luo twins lay in bed for half an hour before sitting up and silently started chanting scriptures.

Guan He kept tossing and sighing under his covers. His child ghost had come out and was kneeling between him and Fang Xiu, worriedly tugging at Guan He’s arm.

Fang Xiu lay there with a pounding head, his mind spinning non-stop. He stared at the room’s little “Do Not Disturb” sign until his vision blurred with vertigo.

Thankfully, his ghost didn’t need to sleep. Bai Shuangying sat at the edge of the bed, fingers combing through Fang Xiu’s messy hair, casually massaging his scalp. The cool fingertips calmed Fang Xiu’s agitation by more than half.

Time passed silently. After who knew how long, one of the Luo brothers finally spoke. “If none of us can sleep, it’s probably a taboo. We’re going to try something.”

Fang Xiu tiredly sat up. “Be careful. Maybe just lie down and endure it for now.”

Typical troublesome dark monks. They were quite troublesome. These two were nothing like traditional righteous cultivators.

Both monks shook their heads like rattles. “You don’t understand, Patreon. Our magic depends on reciting scripture. If our minds aren’t clear and we mess up during casting, it could cost lives.”

One added, “If we used spells, there’d be risk. We’ll try a more direct method.”

The other: “Have you heard of a ‘a wake-up call¹’?”

Fang Xiu: “…”

Wait a second. Was this what he thought it was?

Before he could ask, one monk rolled up his sleeve to reveal a muscular arm, and punched his brother squarely on the head. The blow landed perfectly, like a textbook knockout.

The other monk collapsed and fell into a “deep sleep”.

Fang Xiu and Guan He stood frozen.

The remaining monk let out a sigh of relief, dragged his unconscious brother to bed, and tidied up. “We’ll take turns keeping watch. As long as we control the strength, it’s safe. Want help?¹”

¹(當頭棒喝) Idiom from A Compendium of the Five Lamps. Metaphorically it means a sudden awakening (like making someone come to their senses aka a wake-up call), but in this case… they are actually acting out the physical action of the source idiom, where a Master Monk would slap his disciples with a stick in the head or shout at them to wake them up. Not only is this more comical, the fact that they are monks, but what they are doing is actually the opposite of what the metaphor refers to.

“Kh.”

Before he could finish asking, the unconscious monk let out a low sound, mouth slightly open.

“Little brother?” The awake monk, Da Luo, called out in shock.

Fang Xiu leapt up and rushed to the bedside. Bai Shuangying followed, staring at the monk curiously.

“Kh… kh…”

Xiao Luo opened his eyes; only the whites were visible. A strange, wet sound escaped his throat, like something inside him was breaking apart.

His body twisted onto its side, curling up. His spine arched at an unnatural angle. His limbs twitched, the monk’s robe clung to his skin, and his neck shrank shorter and shorter.

Right before their eyes, he mutated.

Da Luo gasped and began rapidly chanting an exorcism. Guan He trembled slightly but forced himself to stay at the bedside, watching closely.

Golden light and characters floated up from Da Luo’s chanting, fluttering gently around Xiao Luo. But the mutation didn’t slow at all. His body curled like a shrimp, neck shortening until his chin touched his collarbone.

Splash!

Fang Xiu ran into the bathroom, filled a basin with cold water, and dumped it onto Xiao Luo’s spasming body.

…The icy splash seemed to work. Xiao Luo slowly opened his eyes.

“…Zzmw?” he murmured, confused.

Da Luo took a moment to respond. “…Little brother?”

Xiao Luo: “Nf str kf laoq… blu tmz yjdf!”

He tried to get up, but his misshapen body wouldn’t allow it. His bent spine pulled him forward until he dropped to all fours like a flesh-colored beetle.

Da Luo: “…”

Da Luo frowned and pressed on his brother’s deformed back, but it didn’t budge. Xiao Luo’s chest had expanded, his body stiffened, like someone hunched for years.

And his retracted head made it impossible to turn left or right. He could only face straight ahead.

“Lr zxx… fnl zf ypq???” Xiao Luo babbled unintelligibly, hands pawing at the carpet.

Fang Xiu stood with the dripping basin, now fully awake.

He didn’t understand what had happened, but his instincts honed by four rituals told him one thing: this person was done for. Just a few minutes of unconsciousness had turned him into this.

That posture looked a lot like the “predecessor form” of those monstrous corpses.

“Bai Shuangying,” Fang Xiu murmured. “Do you think we couldn’t sleep because our instincts were trying to protect us?”

“One of the taboos here might be: ‘Do not lose consciousness’.”

Bai Shuangying stepped forward and touched Xiao Luo’s panicked body. After a moment, he withdrew his hand. “His soul has undergone severe mutation, disconnected from his body.”

“It’s the same mutation type that’s starting in you,” he added softly after a pause.

Fang Xiu took a deep breath.

A mild mutation just made him illiterate. A severe one stole language and human form.

Wonderful. Sleep meant rapid transformation into a monster. But without sleep, the body wouldn’t last. This countdown was even more intense than the Mid-Autumn ritual.

That woman who jumped from the building had said, “Don’t die too fast.” In hindsight, that had been full of meaning.

“I get it now.” Fang Xiu’s voice was hoarse. “Looks like we need to wake everyone else up.”

……

In a corner of the city, inside a residential building…

“Sweetheart, talk to Mom, okay?” The woman who had jumped stood by a tightly shut door. “Just five minutes. Please?”

There was dead silence from within.

“I’m begging you. Just five minutes. If you come out and let me see you, I’ll be at ease.”

Though she said “I’m begging you,” her face remained expressionless, numb like she was performing a routine task.

There was a faint sound from behind the door, but still no reply.

“I’m doing this for your own good.”

She pressed a hand to the cold surface and murmured softly, “You’ll understand when you’re older.”

Her voice sounded full of sorrow, but her face split into a grin, like she was telling a joke.

“…You’ll understand when you’re older.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 87: Unable to Sleep

“She recognized you?” Zhuang Pengdao sat in the front row of the “classroom booth”, asking Fang Xiu gravely. “You’re saying she just greeted you and did nothing else?”

Yan Yan had returned to human form and gave a fairly objective assessment. “Fang Xiu acted convincingly. I didn’t see anything wrong.”

Jiao Jiao added, “He doesn’t have a single habit related to metaphysics. There’s no way she could’ve recognized him at a glance.”

“Don’t get worked up, I’m not saying Fang Xiu is the problem. That woman knows about Disaster Resolvers. She’s definitely not ordinary.”

Zhuang Pengdao smiled. “That’s a major discovery, even more valuable than our exploration so far.”

Zhuang Pengdao’s team had spent an entire day calculating the scope of the sacrificial ritual’s territory…

Taking the office building from which the woman jumped as the center, it expanded outward into a perfect circle. The area almost wrapped around the entire city, sparing only the outskirts.

The roads at the city’s edge were all blocked. Locals said there was a blizzard outside, and only certain vehicles were allowed through. Despite the outskirts being clear and sunny, no one found this odd, as if it were common knowledge.

The whole city was like a strange, isolated island.

“We didn’t attempt to force our way out.” He glanced at Fang Xiu and added, “No matter what kind of ritual it is, crossing the boundary by force is pointless.”

After speaking, Zhuang Pengdao tapped the map in his hand. “The woman’s death site is the center of the ritual area, which makes everything easier to explain.”

The two monks said in unison, “She’s the key to the ritual, definitely tied to the Immortal E.”

“…And she’s not even trying to hide it. That’s very interesting.”

Zhuang Pengdao picked up the thread smoothly. “With that level of confidence, we’d better avoid deeper contact for now. Night has fallen anyway. Let’s go find the Disaster Resolvers who died here.”

He then turned to Fang Xiu to explain, “Knowing how those people died is very helpful in understanding the ritual.”

“What about those mutated characters?” Fang Xiu asked.

“Spiritual contamination. The source is unclear for now.” Zhuang Pengdao explained, “It’s like a fever. You can’t diagnose the illness from one symptom alone. You need supporting tests.”

Compared to Jia Xu, who faked understanding, and Jiang Xun, who acted mysterious, Zhuang Pengdao was willing to explain things outright; definitely acting like a proper “leader”.

Yan Yan looked at Zhuang Pengdao with admiration, then glanced at Fang Xiu’s bag of roast chicken, seemingly trying to rebalance his feelings.

In the end, roast chicken won. He stayed seated at the table next to Fang Xiu and didn’t bring up switching teams again.

……

The sun set and the moon rose. The city entered night.

By day, the city was full of vitality. From Fang Xiu’s experience, this time of evening was prime for nightlife, but the number of people on the street was far fewer than expected.

A few shops had lights on, but their front stalls were empty. It was nothing like the lively nights he remembered. The text on shop signs was oddly distorted, often replaced by incomprehensible characters.

More bizarre still, the number of stray cats had suddenly plummeted. Not even a sparrow could be seen on the roadside.

Bai Shuangying waved his hand to lower their concealment and murmured thoughtfully, “Something’s off. The evil spirits haven’t changed at night, and the yin energy hasn’t increased.”

“I haven’t sensed any karmic distortion either. It might be a taboo that only targets you living humans. Steady your mind. I’ll watch over you.”

After the explanation, the High Immortal Bai did something rare. He asked, “Do you have anything you want to ask me?”

Fang Xiu paused in surprise. “Not at the moment.”

Bai Shuangying stared at him with his pale eyes, not blinking, as if saying, ‘If you don’t ask, I’ll just keep staring.’

Suppressing his confusion, Fang Xiu gave in. “What do you think of Zhuang Pengdao?”

“He doesn’t carry much yin energy. His cultivation is decent,” Bai Shuangying replied in a scholarly tone. “But he’s wearing an artifact that prevents spirits from prying into him, and he’s hiding his karma very carefully. Human hearts are hard to predict. You’d best stay away from him.”

Before Fang Xiu could respond, he continued naturally, “Who is Yuan Yongan?”

Ah, so it was a question-for-a-question setup. So that’s what he was waiting for, Fang Xiu thought with a snort.

His ghost seemed to have picked up some interrogation techniques from the human world but hadn’t quite mastered them. This kind of trick only worked on the thin-skinned. Fang Xiu didn’t consider himself one of them.

Still, he answered obediently, “My brother—another brother, not a cousin.”

“You said you only had a cousin.”

Fang Xiu smiled helplessly. “My parents died early, and I couldn’t just live on the streets. That’s my adopted brother from my new family. We’re not blood related.”

Ah, so a sworn brother. No wonder they seemed so close, able to write out his birthdate from memory.

Bai Shuangying finally relaxed, though even he wasn’t sure why that comforted him. He lifted his head slightly and said in a deliberately formal tone, “This place is strange. Don’t reveal your real name and birth date so as not to let the evil spirits latch onto you.”

Fang Xiu was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Okay. I’ll be more careful next time.”

Bai Shuangying gave a satisfied “Mm” and resumed observing this city with its strange atmosphere.

Up ahead, Zhuang Pengdao led the group with firm steps, like someone born knowing which way to go.

The Luo twins followed with a look of conviction while Yan Yan glanced around nervously and sometimes counted his steps. It didn’t take long for him to give up and just trail after Zhuang Pengdao.

Fang Xiu was struggling more. After a full day of intense activity, his legs were turning to jelly. But seeing Cheng Songyun still moving energetically, he gritted his teeth and forced himself to keep up at the rear of the group.

“Almost there. Hang in there a bit longer.”

Bai Shuangying steadied him, eyes fixed ahead on Zhuang Pengdao’s back.

He saw it clearly: Zhuang Pengdao was moving using the principles of Qimen Dunjia*, with the office building as the center. They were now heading toward the Death Gate, where evil spirits tended to accumulate the most.

*An ancient form of divination from China.

Dark clouds covered the night sky, and fine snowflakes began to fall. Wind skimmed the ground, cold and damp, licking at their calves.

The farther they walked, the darker the road became. Cracks appeared on the asphalt. The streetlights flickered, and most shopfronts were shuttered, covered with faded “FOR TRANSFER” signs written in corrupted script.

Yan Yan visibly shivered and scooted closer to his teammate. Bai Shuangying pinched the corner of Fang Xiu’s T-shirt with two fingers, ready to grab him at any time.

Finally, Zhuang Pengdao stopped at a crossroads.

Right in front of everyone, he activated a skill. A flash of red light revealed a pitch-black puddle on the pavement. It emitted a foul, fishy stench, and ice chips occasionally struck the surface, but the water remained still and mirror-like.

“Honored predecessors, I come with a request.”

Zhuang Pengdao stepped beside the puddle and bowed solemnly.

“I ask no assistance or solution but only a word. If you would tell me your cause of death today, I will return another day to gather your bones and take you back to the Tower.”

The black water began to ripple in concentric circles.

“That’s a soul-summoning technique. It’s a minor trick of the Underworld,” Bai Shuangying commented casually. “He says he’s seeking instruction, but the sacrificial souls have long since been devoured by evil spirits. What he’s calling up is just a soul fragment, incapable of speech.”

“Just watch the appearance and behavior of those remnants. That should be enough to infer how they died.”

“Got it. Like a death replay.”

Fang Xiu nodded, eyes fixed on the ripples.

Visible external injuries were fine. But if these souls were still physically intact, they’d have much more to worry about.

The wind howled as the dead emerged from the puddle, appearing one by one before the group. Fang Xiu sighed softly. Yan Yan, however, stepped back in fright, his hair standing up unnaturally.

…The good news: the dead all had very distinctive corpses and the features were consistent. There was no need for wild guessing.

…The bad news: they couldn’t make sense of how they died.

These people had seemingly crouched down while hugging their heads, then toppled forward. Their clothes had fused with their skin, forming deep and shallow striped or dotted patterns.

Their bodies curled into an impossible ball, elbows and knees pressed tightly together, forearms and calves crammed into one space, like a grotesque four-legged spider.

These creatures crawled around the puddle. They didn’t breathe or speak. In the dark, only the soft scrapes of palms and soles could be heard as they dragged across the ground.

Fang Xiu looked around but couldn’t find any heads. All he saw were deep gashes at the base of their spines. The flesh was grotesquely turned outward and the inside pitch black.

After a few minutes, they plopped back into the puddle one by one, which then disappeared along with them.

The death reenactment was complete.

Two months of training paid off. Each person on Fang Xiu’s team had their private freak-out, but no one vomited. Instead, they gained a much deeper understanding of why surviving a ritual was enough to become an official Disaster Resolver.

They stood stiffly at the intersection, waiting for someone to interpret the scene. After two full minutes of silence, all eyes turned to Zhuang Pengdao.

Zhuang Pengdao: “…”

Zhuang Pengdao: “…I’ve never seen this type of mutation before. But for so many to die the same way, it has to be the effect of a death taboo.”

He stared at the now-vanished illusion with a grim expression.

Fang Xiu could probably guess why. The more absurd the sacrificial environment, the more dangerous the ritual. The weirder the death taboo and method of death, the harder the ritual. In short, the ritual’s difficulty was directly proportional to how abstract it was.

Compared to this, the earlier death taboos at least stayed within the bounds of physical trauma. This one needed a Resident Evil crossover.

“I knew it! Cyclical rituals are a total scam!” Yan Yan scratched his head furiously.

Fang Xiu rubbed his chilled arms. “Don’t panic. The Underworld sent us here, which means it’s not unsolvable yet. It’s getting late, why don’t we all find a place to rest?”

After a day of walking and stair climbing, he was at his limit. Add freezing temperatures on top, and his whole body ached. Every cell was screaming for a break.

“Yan Yan just gets anxious. He won’t delay the mission.” Even Jiao Jiao’s heavy makeup couldn’t cover her fatigue. “You’re right. I want to rest too…”

Zhuang Pengdao quickly composed himself and calmly agreed.

On the way here, they’d passed a 24-hour KFC. All eleven people marched inside. Warm air greeted them at the door.

Zhuang Pengdao checked the time inside the store, then magically produced some cash and bought everyone hot milk and fried chicken combos. They picked the warmest corner and ate in small groups.

Wrapped in warmth, Fang Xiu finished his milk and leaned softly against his ghost. “I’ll nap for five minutes, then I’ll feed you.”

Bai Shuangying hummed in reply. His cheek rested on the crown of Fang Xiu’s head, fingers idly sketching shapes, perhaps tracing the outline of those earlier monsters.

Fang Xiu closed his eyes with ease. He was great at falling asleep quickly. Just a few minutes of rest, and he’d be sharp again.

Then he realized, he couldn’t fall asleep at all.

It wasn’t tension. It wasn’t vigilance. It was like his body had lost the function of sleep. The exhaustion remained, his head was foggy, but no matter what, he couldn’t squeeze out a shred of drowsiness.

Things were getting tricky.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 86: The Death Protagonist

The white light lasted only a moment.

When their vision returned, the bloody setting sun was still in place. But the entrance of the building was spotless. There was no screaming, no corpse. The lobby guard and front desk staff stared at them in confusion, rubbing their eyes hard, then huddled together whispering.

Fang Xiu instinctively wiped his forehead. He felt the sweat and heat from climbing the stairs. What had just happened didn’t feel like an illusion.

“Time rewound a day,” Jiao Jiao said gravely, pointing to the digital clock on the lobby wall. “Let’s get out of here first. The guards look off, and the clock looks off too.”

Fang Xiu stared at the digital screen behind the front desk.

[20彡彳 Year αΩ戸 17^th]

[18:01:42 巠亓乂]

When they first entered, the date clearly said “18^th”. Time had just rewound in front of their eyes.

But Fang Xiu was certain… Just now, the display showed entirely normal characters, not this weird glitching script.

By this hour, white-collar workers were starting to get off work, and the crowd gradually surrounded them. Under the suspicious eyes of the guards, the group slipped out with the throng and found a bench to rest.

“Holy shit, that was way too weird.” Yan Yan thumped his chest. “Don’t tell me this is a time loop ritual. Why is my life so hard…”

Fang Xiu was curious. “What do you mean by a time loop ritual?”

He’d seen plenty of similar movies. At least in the public’s imagination, this scenario wasn’t uncommon.

Jiao Jiao thought for a moment. “There’s a basic rule in these rituals: the more the environment around you defies natural law, the more dangerous the ritual is.”

“It’s one thing if just appearances are weird, but if time or space is messed up, that’s real trouble. We have a saying, ‘Spin time twice, you’ll lose half your life’, that’s what it refers to.”

Guan He hesitated, then asked, “But during the Mid-Autumn Festival ritual…”

“We’ve heard about that one,” Jiao Jiao said. “That ritual just had ‘repeating illusions and a fixed setting’. The flow of time was still normal, right?”

That made sense. Guan He had nothing more to say.

Fang Xiu mused, “So basically, breaking the laws of physics around time isn’t easy. Either it’s a powerful E or a really strong illusion.”

Jiao Jiao winced. “…Yeah, something like that. But don’t go talking physics around me… It gives me a headache.”

Yan Yan nodded frantically beside her.

Fang Xiu cleared his throat. “Anyway, whatever kind of loop this is, I think we just saw the ‘loop protagonist’—that woman who jumped. She’s a good lead. Too bad I didn’t see her face clearly.”

She’d bled from every facial orifice, and her face was mangled from the fall. Before he could get a good look, the world had been swallowed by white light.

All he remembered were her blood-red eyes that looked numb, and full of resentment and unwilling rage.

If even Fang Xiu didn’t see clearly, the others had even less. Cheng Songyun remembered her wearing a wine-red sweater. Guan He recalled she had permed hair. Mei Lan, after thinking for a while, said she wasn’t wearing nail polish.

Jiao Jiao looked meaningfully at Yan Yan for a few seconds.

Yan Yan blinked, then shook his head like a drum. “What’s the rush? Let’s talk to Zhuang Ge first. He said not to act rashly, and this isn’t time-sensitive. I say we head back. We’ve already found out plenty for today…”

Jiao Jiao: “What if she jumps from a different spot tomorrow? What if this ritual has other constraints? I’m just asking you to sniff her out, not fight her solo. I know you caught her scent. Quit whining and do it.”

Yan Yan’s face flushed red, eyes darting like a nervous fox. “But there are outsiders around!”

“You think turning into a fox in front of me isn’t embarrassing?” Jiao Jiao hit him with a shot straight to his heart.

Yan Yan’s face twitched, looking like he’d accepted death. He stammered, looking to Fang Xiu for help.

Fang Xiu leaned on his ghost, watching with interest. “What’s up?”

“If he reverts to his original form, his sense of smell is over ten times stronger. We can use that to track her scent,” Jiao Jiao explained. “We’re not taking any action immediately. It’s just scouting. That seems reasonable to me.”

Fang Xiu nodded. “Sounds good to me. Besides, foxes are cute. Don’t stress about it.”

Yan Yan’s human form wasn’t as stunning as Bai Shuangying’s, but definitely above average. By that logic, his fox form couldn’t be that bad either.

Yan Yan looked crushed. “You don’t get it. None of you—”

“Keep talking and she’ll be gone,” Jiao Jiao interrupted coolly.

Yan Yan whimpered.

Eventually, he backed into the bushes, found a hidden spot, and began to shift. A rustling noise later, Yan Yan’s human form vanished, replaced by…

Fang Xiu: “………………”

He worked hard to maintain a neutral expression.

Yan Yan had indeed turned into a standard fox. Small and cute, black nose, elegant paws, fluffy tail, pointed ears, but the fur looked… wrong.

The texture and length were unmistakably like human hair.

He had dyed it red, which helped a little… but still…

How to put it… Well, it was kind of gross.

Guan He couldn’t help taking two steps back. Cheng Songyun and Mei Lan immediately looked away—one at the sky, the other at the ground—faces blank with forced composure.

“I knew it!”

The sorrowful fox spoke in human tongue. “Even my parents hated it. Now you do too! I had to start learning transformation as soon as I was old enough to understand language. I only got registered after I could hold human form. Woo…”

Jiao Jiao held the fox down. “Quit whining. Start sniffing.”

The fox whined and sniffed around pitifully. After a while, he mumbled, “Got it.”

Jiao Jiao efficiently pulled out a leash and clipped it to the fox’s Taiji pendant—no, collar. With her dramatic fashion and his weird fur, they kind of looked like a failed designer dog pair.

She led him confidently into public view. The fox hung his head in shame, sniffing the ground diligently.

Fang Xiu’s team: “……”

As expected, mystic arts truly were a world beyond their understanding.

This time they were very cautious, avoiding the guards’ line of sight. The fox led them to the elevator and stopped on the 18th floor.

The entire 18th floor was occupied by a consulting firm. Just a few steps in was the front desk. Apparently, the company didn’t get off work at six as employees were still everywhere.

The Jiao Yan duo stopped at the elevator. Fang Xiu smoothed his hair and strode in confidently.

“Aren’t we hiding?” Bai Shuangying asked curiously.

“Not for now,” Fang Xiu whispered. “I need to leave an impression here, so we can spot what changes on the ‘next round’.”

It was risky, but they had no idea when this “loop” would end. Delaying might not be wise.

The receptionist smiled politely. “Do you have an appointment?”

“I’m here for an interview that’s scheduled for six thirty,” Fang Xiu replied with a courteous smile.

He had brushed aside his bangs, revealing his features. With the blessing of his handsomeness, the plain red T-shirt suddenly looked classy on him.

With his sincere eyes, the receptionist flushed a little, completely unbothered.

“Alright, please fill this out. Once you’re done, I’ll get HR.”

She led him to the tea area near the front desk, giving him a good view of most of the office.

Fang Xiu absentmindedly filled out the form while scanning the workstations.

Luckily, the woman who jumped was in sight. He stared at her for several seconds before recognizing her as the mangled corpse from earlier.

She looked to be in her thirties, quietly sitting at her desk sipping milk tea. She occasionally chatted and laughed with coworkers. There was no indication that she was someone planning to commit suicide.

Despite the late hour, the office vibe was good. People chatted freely, the tea and coffee were high quality, and there were no signs of people eating leftovers.

On the surface, nothing seemed off.

Fang Xiu calmly sipped some tea, his pen slowly tapping the form.

While Fang Xiu watched the company, Bai Shuangying watched him. His white eyes followed the tip of Fang Xiu’s pen, finally resting on the form.

Fang Xiu had filled it out casually with confident strokes. The name was “Yuan Yongan”, the job title and expected salary included. Birthday was two years younger than his actual age. Fields like current address and major were left blank.

With how naturally he wrote it, Bai Shuangying suspected it wasn’t random. “Yuan Yongan” was probably someone Fang Xiu knew.

Different last name, probably not a cousin. If it was a colleague, Fang Xiu wouldn’t know his info this well. A friend, then? …But didn’t Fang Xiu say he didn’t have any friends?

Yet here he was, clearly knowing someone’s exact birth date.

He listed elementary and middle school info, then stopped writing, as if intending to leave it there.

Another small insight into Fang Xiu, but it didn’t feel satisfying. Bai Shuangying stared at the quiet pen for a long while before shifting focus to where Fang Xiu was looking.

“She’s not cursed or possessed. I don’t sense any suspicious yin energy,” before Fang Xiu could ask, he explained quietly.

“Her emotions seem normal too,” Fang Xiu replied. “Doesn’t seem like a mental illness, at least not one I can tell.”

“It’s the evening of the 17th. She jumps on the 18th. Most likely, something happens that triggers her.”

“Of course, it could just be a coincidence that her death and the time reset overlap. We’ll have to wait for Zhuang Pengdao’s report on the ritual’s borders.” Fang Xiu added, “Still, this is the best lead we’ve got.”

As he spoke, the woman stood up, picked up her empty cup, and walked toward the tea area.

She wasn’t particularly beautiful, but her makeup was refined, and her expression had a quiet charm. As she approached, a faint perfume scent wafted through the air. It was warm, like a sun-heated wool sweater.

She stopped a few steps away and brewed herself some herbal tea.

“Here for an interview?” she asked with a cheerful smile.

“Yeah.” Fang Xiu smiled back, a little nervous.

“So late in the day, round after round. You job seekers have it rough.” She cradled her cup and sighed. “Oh right, let me give you a little tip.”

“What’s that?” Fang Xiu leaned in attentively.

“Don’t die too quickly, Disaster Resolver.”

She grinned slowly, her smile turning sly. “Better to live a miserable life than die. Once you’re dead, it’s all over.”

---

The author has something to say:

Tell me this isn’t a fox.jpg

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 85: A Dull Thud

Zhuang Pengdao’s meeting was worlds apart from Jia Xu’s. Fifteen minutes later, the strategy meeting was over.

His thinking was quite close to Fang Xiu’s: the first day was for mapping, prioritizing safety, and don’t get cocky just because you’ve got a bit of ability. As for everything else…everyone here was a seasoned Disaster Resolver. There was no need to belabor the details.

Zhuang Pengdao was quite handsome, had a nice voice, and carried himself with calm composure. Yan Yan’s foxy eyes sparkled as he looked at Zhuang Pengdao, practically starry-eyed. “A real boss. Damn, he’s handsome.”

Fang Xiu, seated on his other side, asked, “Is he famous?”

Yan Yan was surprised. “Very famous. This is only his fifth ritual, and he resolved the previous four all by himself. He’s got four different anomaly skills.”

Guan He: “Huh? But…” Fang Xiu seemed to have five.

He didn’t finish the sentence… Cheng Songyun lightly patted his arm. Guan He quickly caught on and changed the subject: “…But the paper figure never told us any of this.”

“It’s normal you don’t know. When us practitioners meet, we exchange contact info.”

Yan Yan snapped his fingers, releasing a few red sparks. “Even if we’re in different rituals, we can use magic to stay in touch.”

Guan He: “…” He felt like a newbie gamer staring blankly at pro players.

So that’s it… A private strategy forum! No wonder these people became Disaster Resolvers so easily. A living, breathing information gap!

The paper figure had told them the official requirement for Disaster Resolver status was “four successful E resolutions by one team.” Fang Xiu just did such a stellar job that Guan He assumed “one person resolving everything” was normal. Apparently, that was rare.

Looks like Fang Xiu was even stronger than Zhuang Pengdao. As expected of someone “official”!

Fang Xiu didn’t care about power comparisons. “Forget the Huanxi E, but for the Mid-Autumn one, none of the other sacrifices survived. How do you know about it?”

As Fang Xiu moved closer, Yan Yan seemed uncomfortable and instinctively scooted away. “Dian’er got publicly reprimanded by the whole Tower. Every paper figure was gossiping. We just joined in.”

Fang Xiu: “Got it.”

So it was Dian’er being disgraceful. Good. That meant this group didn’t know about the Weishan E or the Fierce Wind E. He didn’t want to draw their attention for now.

While they were chatting, Zhuang Pengdao had already mobilized. With a talisman between two fingers, he gave a casual flick. A blast of protective wind surged up and the other group of people disappeared in an instant.

“Cool as hell!” Yan Yan sighed loudly, his sharp canine teeth peeking out.

Jiao Jiao didn’t react, calmly fixing her hair. “Let’s go too. On foot. We’re broke and phoneless. No bike-share for us.”

Yeah… the gap really was brutal.

Following Zhuang Pengdao’s plan, they were to scout the “ritual terrain”. Fang Xiu’s shorter-legged group was assigned to sample paranormal activity on the streets.

The morning sun was bright as two groups with completely mismatched vibes walked down the street. The Jiao Yan duo looked like they were headed to a cosplay convention while Fang Xiu’s team was dressed more sensibly and drew a lot of stares.

But the Jiao Yan duo was unfazed, clearly used to attention.

Yan Yan sniffed here and there, muttering, “I don’t smell any evil spirits. This place seems pretty normal.”

And on the surface, it really was. The city was bustling, without any obvious weirdness. There was just some faint miasma and wandering spirits hiding in the dark, which vanished under sunlight.

Fang Xiu found some signs indicating this was Youzhao City, in Xin Province. It was a totally ordinary, no-name small city.

Unfortunately, with no phones and no cash, their options were limited.

So they trudged through the morning until noon. Jiao Jiao plopped down on a clean stone step and started doing tarot readings for everyone.

After a while, she frowned at the cards. “This place is soaked in yin energy. With the interference of the E, I’m only getting vague hints.”

“How about this, I’ll look for the most ominous building in town and we’ll go check it out… Oh, do any of you have anything to add?”

She glanced at the four ordinary folks, clearly not expecting much.

Fang Xiu thought for a second. “Cheng Jie, try calling your daughter.”

Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao: “…?”

Fang Xiu shyly explained, “We normal people do things like this. When something feels off, we check in with family.”

Cheng Songyun entered a nearby shop, saying she urgently needed to call her daughter but didn’t have her phone. The owner lent her one without hesitation. But after several attempts, the voice on the line was always: “Sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service. Please check and try again…”

Cheng Songyun frowned. She was certain she had the number right. Something was definitely off about this place.

Fang Xiu followed her into the store and asked, “Boss, where’s the nearest police station? This Auntie’s a bit confused. I should take her there.”

“Oh, sure!” the shopkeeper was relieved and gave clear directions, even drawing a simple map on packing paper.

The Jiao Yan duo: “…???” What kind of weird approach was this?

Fang Xiu: “We normal people solve problems by going to the police.”

Yan Yan wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words. This logic was sound… yet absurd. He wasn’t sure if Fang Xiu was too normal, or not normal at all.

Jiao Jiao smoothed things over. “It’s bright out, so let’s check out the ominous place first. The police station’s closer to our base, so we’ll hit it tonight.”

Fang Xiu blinked and agreed.

He’d offered his plan. The police weren’t going anywhere. Honestly, he was curious how these metaphysical types did things.

……

Ten minutes later, the group stood silently in an alley.

Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao had found a derelict corner without cameras and drawn a manhole-cover-sized magic circle. Jiao Jiao pulled out a bunch of mysterious jars from her LO bag and started burning herbs on the spot.

She was definitely a wild-card practitioner. Her gestures lacked the grace of traditional occultists and resembled a chef playing with spice jars. Gray-blue smoke swirled around the circle, making Guan He cough nonstop.

In the middle of all this, Yan Yan clipped his hair and nails, added a bit of blood, and arranged them around the circle. Then he held up his hands, fingertips lit with red flame, like he was cosplaying a candle.

Given their outfits, the vibe was distinctly… middle-schooler cringe.

Even Bai Shuangying covered his face with a sleeve and turned away; he couldn’t watch such a shoddy ritual.

No wonder Yan Yan idolized Zhuang Pengdao’s magic Fang Xiu thought. Compared to this chaotic “vibe casting”, Zhuang Pengdao’s spells were downright majestic.

At last, Jiao Jiao finished her chant. The flames on Yan Yan’s fingers snuffed out instantly. He gasped and choked on the herbal smoke.

Jiao Jiao stood solemnly, stomped the circle out with her shoe, and declared, “Remember that tall building we saw when we arrived? That’s where the death aura’s thickest.”

“Let’s get lunch and check it out this afternoon.” Still squatting, Yan Yan’s stomach rumbled. “That’s easy for you to say. We’ve got no money. No wild fruit here, either…”

Jiao Jiao looked at him funny. “What are you talking about? There are people everywhere… We’ll just beg for food.”

Yan Yan: “…”

“If it were anything else, sure, but people are always willing to share food,” Jiao Jiao said earnestly.

Fang Xiu sighed, opened his Qiankun pouch, and began pulling out drinks and fruit.

Yan Yan’s eyes lit up, then flickered with pride; he couldn’t beg from a mortal. But when Fang Xiu pulled out a whole roast chicken, that pride vanished. Yan Yan’s fox eyes followed the chicken like glue.

He poked Jiao Jiao. “They have roast chicken.”

“Wow. So dignified.”

“I don’t care. I’m not begging.” He folded his arms.

“Then you eat it. I’ll figure something else out.” Jiao Jiao shrugged.

These two were pretty funny. Half-fox Yan Yan was simple-minded, while human Jiao Jiao was polite but more suspicious.

Fang Xiu understood her, so he didn’t insist. Jiao Jiao’s movements were swift. She elegantly swept out of the alley and came back ten minutes later with a bag of steamed buns.

Cheng Songyun tried to give her some drinks, but she politely declined.

“Thanks, Auntie. If Yan Yan’s eating, I’ll skip it.” She added, “We’ve encountered food curses before. Someone’s gotta stay safe.”

“And someone has to test the local food,” she muttered, clutching a tiny potion bottle.

Thus the gloomy alley became their makeshift dining hall.

Yan Yan, now with two roast chickens, warmed up to Fang Xiu immediately. As he tore into the meat, he exclaimed, “How’d you even think of this? This anomaly skill is genius!”

Guan He perked up. “Right?!”

“If we had this skill, we wouldn’t have suffered so much,” Yan Yan said bitterly. “Our last ritual was in a ruined building. There was nothing but bugs and rats to eat… ugh, even thinking about it hurts.”

Jiao Jiao, munching on a bun, rolled her eyes. “Please. Wild foxes normally eat that stuff.”

Yan Yan: “I said it was painful, not gross! And I’m half human, okay? I only eat cooked rats!”

She ignored him.

She chewed her bun slowly, always ready to down a potion. But by the end of the meal, nothing had gone wrong.

After eating, she chanted another spell, condensed a pouch of water from a plastic bag, and drank it all.

Turns out, lunch was the most thrilling part of the day.

Their investigation into the “death building” that afternoon was a total bust. It wasn’t some creepy apartment or abandoned complex but a completely functional office tower.

The building had stylish décor and was squeaky clean. Dozens of companies occupied the thirty-some floors. The group hiked floor by floor, nearly losing the will to live. And worst of all, not a single suspicious sign from the underground parking to the rooftop.

Still stubborn, they trudged back down the stairs.

Fang Xiu, for the sake of dignity, was being subtly dragged by his ghost companion by the back collar…maintaining the illusion of a “mortal leader”.

He wasn’t vain; he just knew his limits. In a building this tall, he’d walk up on two legs and crawl back down on four.

“My god, sis—are you sure you read that right?” Yan Yan, drenched in sweat, gasped. “I’ve sniffed until my nose is bleeding. Are you sure that ‘death aura’ wasn’t my own impending doom?”

Jiao Jiao’s face was flushed with fatigue. “Keep whining and it will be.”

Fang Xiu looked silently at Bai Shuangying, who frowned slightly. “The aura here is strange. The causality is chaotic. The time isn’t right yet. Wait a little longer.”

Although their spellwork might be clumsy, they clearly had some real skill to have made it this far. Fang Xiu kept pondering as Bai Shuangying carried him down.

Guan He couldn’t hold back and whispered, “Does that foreign stuff really work here?”

Cheng Songyun: “No idea. I just know gods don’t like being crossed…”

Mei Lan glanced quickly at Fang Xiu, then softly said, “Depends on the situation.”

All three looked at her.

Mei Lan bit her lip nervously. “I heard that the rules for both realms are actually pretty similar.”

“The Underworld boundaries follow the living world’s borders. Spirits can’t cross without a reason. Some people even leave the country to escape hauntings.”

“The same goes for spells. Casting magic across borders is seen as provocation, but if the caster and target are in the same country, it’s fine. I think her magic should work…”

Fang Xiu raised his eyebrows. “Thanks. Didn’t know that.”

Just then, they reached the lobby. As they moved to inspect the elevators… Thud. Several screams followed the muffled sound.

“Someone jumped!!”

“Call 120*, hurry!!”

*Emergency number in China, (like 911 in the states).

“Which floor did they jump from?!”

Amid the chaos, Fang Xiu quickly turned around.

Outside the door lay a woman.

In the blood-red sunset, her limbs were broken, and dark red blood spread quickly like a blooming flower.

Her eyes were wide and bloodshot as they stared directly at the lobby, lips curling into a weak smile…

The next moment, the world turned white.

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 84: Recovering the Lost Item

This ritual was unlike any before. For the first time ever, the paper figure actually gave them a briefing before departure.

After listening to the whole thing, Fang Xiu finally figured out what exactly a “Disaster Resolver” was supposed to do.

The Underworld officially classifies “E” into four types:

Type One – E’s highly likely to give rise to a Ghost Immortal, like the Mid-Autumn E. The Underworld deliberately sends in newcomers to feed them to the evil spirits.

Type Two – E on the brink of going out of control, like the Huanxi E. The Underworld essentially leaves these to fate. Whether the sacrifices survive is entirely a matter of luck.

The Underworld does not send Disaster Resolvers into these two types.

In other words, once you become a Disaster Resolver, you’re exempt from these essentially death-trap rituals.

Their work focuses on the remaining two types:

Type Three – Complicated cases where forming a Ghost Immortal is difficult, like the Weishan E and Fierce Wind E. If the situation becomes too dangerous, the Underworld prefers to send in Disaster Resolvers early to prevent it from affecting the living world.

Type Four – Which is what they’re facing this time: recovering a stolen and refined “Immortal E”.

“Some evil spirits manage to cultivate themselves into immortals and insist on hiding the refined E in the human world,” the paper figure explained with helpless resignation. “Once an E has been refined into an ‘Immortal E’, it’s basically on par with a top-tier celestial artifact. Some mortals always try to steal or seize them. Your task this time is to retrieve one such runaway Immortal E.”

“All the teams this time are handpicked by us. We only ask that you return alive. If you survive this ritual, you’ll be official Disaster Resolvers with real status.”

Fang Xiu wasn’t the least bit interested in having “real status”. He was more concerned about another issue.

“If you assembled the teams, what happens if we don’t get along?”

“Well, life and death are determined by fate. We don’t interfere,” Dian’er quickly replied. “All Disaster Resolvers have some skills. If someone dies, it just means they weren’t good enough.”

Bai Shuangying turned just in time to catch the flash of amusement in Fang Xiu’s eyes.

He figured his human hadn’t asked that question for his own safety.

This time the mission was unusual, and the second-floor staging area reflected that strangeness. Swirling multicolored clouds twisted and churned, reminiscent of the karmic interference Bai Shuangying used.

He gripped Fang Xiu’s wrist and drew close warily.

“This style looks quite like Van Gogh.” Fang Xiu scanned the kaleidoscopic scene as he and Bai Shuangying stepped through the distorted gate of color.

……

Inside the gate, the scene was… totally normal. In fact, too normal.

Fang Xiu stared, dumbfounded, at the bustling traffic before him.

At first glance, they had been teleported to the side of a busy road. It was rush hour. Commuters bustled about and breakfast stalls were thriving.

The pedestrians looked completely lifelike, and the smell of food was very real. It wasn’t like the hallucinations from the Mid-Autumn E. Behind them loomed a 30+ story office building with dark blue glass panels that looked very modern and imposing.

“Hey, you two newbies!”

Not far away, a young man with red-dyed hair called out to Fang Xiu. “Come over! We’ve been waiting for you!”

His eyes were amber, slitted like a cat’s, and he wore a delicate Taiji pendant on his chest. As Fang Xiu sized him up, he casually blew a giant pink bubblegum bubble.

He was leaning against the door of a board game café, dressed stylishly to match its trendy decor.

“Half-fox hybrid. Naturally gifted in metaphysical arts,” Bai Shuangying murmured after a quick glance.

Talentless Fang Xiu: “……”

Right, so on top of rogue black Taoists and evil monks, now they had fox hybrids. This group sure wasn’t what you’d call “mainstream orthodoxy”.

“Yan Yan, they’re not here yet? I calculated they should’ve arrived by now,” said a woman’s voice.

Out stepped a goth-styled girl in Halloween makeup, holding three tarot cards.

This time, both Bai Shuangying and Fang Xiu fell silent.

Let’s just say… she wasn’t orthodox either. There seemed to be a lot of “non-mainstream exceptions” in this group of metaphysical people. Compared to them, Fang Xiu’s team looked painfully plain.

“Fang Xiu.” Fang Xiu stepped forward and offered his hand to the redhead, Yan Yan.

Yan Yan sniffed cautiously and didn’t shake hands. He stared suspiciously at Fang Xiu. “Strong dog scent… are you a dog demon?”

“Pure human.” Fang Xiu smiled.

At his side, Bai Shuangying immediately leaned in and sniffed Fang Xiu’s hair. He frowned slightly and his Peach Bone Evil slid down Fang Xiu’s spine.

A gentle breeze brushed Fang Xiu’s skin, carrying Bai Shuangying’s fresh, herbal scent.

“Hmm, the dog smell’s gone. You actually smell pretty good,” Yan Yan said in surprise. “Not bad.”

The goth girl scoffed. “Okay, let’s go. All you ever do is sniff. One day if you smell a fart, you’ll probably be ecstatic.”

“I can’t help it, it’s instinct!” Yan Yan wailed.

The goth girl ignored him and beckoned to Fang Xiu. “Name’s Jiao Jiao. This guy’s my partner. Everyone else is here, follow me.”

She nodded toward the board game café with the casual air of a meetup host.

The café was relatively new and decorated in a modern style. One wall was lined with books, manga, and game cards, with karaoke booths and a computer room in the back.

Snacks and drinks were plentiful. The owner looked a bit awkward, clearly surprised to have business on a weekday morning and suspicious of this odd group’s motives.

They weren’t entirely innocent, Fang Xiu thought, withdrawing his gaze.

Jiao Jiao led them into a private room.

It was decorated like a haunted classroom, complete with an old blackboard at the front, which was actually quite convenient.

Inside were five others, each with their own distinctive style. Compared to the mismatched crowds in previous rituals, this team actually looked respectable.

Yan Yan was a handsome, fox-featured young man with a lively aura. Jiao Jiao, despite her exaggerated makeup, had sharp, well-defined features.

As for the other two teams…

“Da Luo, Xiao Luo.” A pair of bald twins introduced themselves.

They had decent looks and were dressed in plain robes; Da Luo in yellow and Xiao Luo is gray. Their necks and hands were wrapped in Buddhist beads, and each had a large 卍* tattooed on their scalps. They looked about 25 or 26.

*Clarity: While the swastika symbol is often associated with the German Nazi Party, it originally is a Buddhist symbol that symbolizes interconnectedness of all things. 

Clearly they were black monks and didn’t attempt to hide it.

Fang Xiu glanced at the 卍 tattoos and had to suppress a laugh. Geniuses. He couldn’t imagine what they thought every morning looking in the mirror.

He composed himself and looked at the final team.

“Zhuang Pengdao, Taoist,” said a man in his thirties, rising to introduce himself. “These two are my disciples. Pleasure to meet you.”

Even after getting used to Bai Shuangying, Fang Xiu had to admit, Zhuang Pengdao was really handsome, on par with celebrity idols. Using that face as a black Taoist was a waste; he should be in showbiz.

Fang Xiu felt a little regretful. Maybe the mushroom trio should’ve come instead of his group. Xiao Tian would be thrilled.

Zhuang Pengdao glanced over Fang Xiu’s group and smiled. “You’re quite the hidden expert. I can’t tell your lineage at all.”

Fang Xiu: “……”

Yan Yan raised his hand. “I sniffed him. Not a hybrid.”

Jiao Jiao pondered. “Maybe he’s like me who learned some Western witchcraft.”

Fang Xiu: “…………”

The Luo twins chimed in, “Please, do guide us.”

Even his own teammates were looking at him curiously.

Fang Xiu: “………………”

Fang Xiu: “A battle-tested materialist warrior.”

The twins blinked in confusion.

Yan Yan shook his head vigorously. “Bro, if you don’t want to say, just say so. This is kind of lame. You’re a Disaster Resolver already. How can you not know any magic?”

Zhuang Pengdao added meaningfully, “I heard you resolved the Huanxi E. That’s not something most Disaster Resolvers could handle.”

Fang Xiu said innocently, “Because I know gambling, prostitution, and drugs are bad.”

Zhuang Pengdao narrowed his eyes. “And the Mid-Autumn E? That almost bred a Ghost Immortal…”

Fang Xiu continued innocently, “Because I know gambling, prostitution, and drugs are bad. Is that a problem?”

So what if he’s an ordinary person? He was the literal Chosen Ordinary Person.

The three other teams clearly weren’t satisfied with Fang Xiu’s vague “lineage denial” and didn’t change the subject.

Jiao Jiao grew anxious. “Fang Xiu, we’re not prying into your privacy. It’s just standard protocol for all Disaster Resolvers. We need to know what kind of abilities you have before we plan our approach.”

Fang Xiu sighed. “Fine. You got any talent-assessing stuff? Go ahead and test me.”

As soon as he said that, everyone turned to look at Zhuang Pengdao.

He nodded and waved his hand. A golden talisman unfurled mid-air, and with elegant strokes, he drew… a Four Symbols Spirit-Viewing Array.

Fang Xiu nearly groaned aloud. Bai Shuangying’s look toward Zhuang Pengdao was tinged with pity.

Zhuang Pengdao’s voice was gentle. “This is an ancient celestial array that invokes the Heavens to assess spiritual aptitude. If you take this test, we’ll have no further doubts.”

Fang Xiu pretended not to know what was coming. “Sure, since you don’t believe me. But if it says I’m trash-tier, I want compensation.”

Zhuang Pengdao agreed readily.

Fang Xiu didn’t let him touch his hand. He just spread his fingers and slapped the array center. As expected, the Heavens once again gave him a big, fat [?].

This one looked even sloppier than last time, full of indescribable frustration. Others might not understand, but Fang Xiu was pretty sure the Heavens was tired of this prank call of a test.

Sorry, Heaven. It’s not my fault I have monkey-level aptitude.

The room went dead silent before the question mark.

Five minutes later, Fang Xiu was handed a bottle of spirit-repelling pills by Zhuang Pengdao, used to treat spirit possession and mental fog. The rest of the group tried to digest the reality that one of the teams is “literally just a bunch of normal people” and began the strategy meeting.

For some reason, Zhuang Pengdao naturally became the overall commander of all three teams.

“The stolen E this time was cultivated by a Shrike Demon into an Immortal E,” he explained. “It wasn’t that strong and was killed decades ago by someone who took the E. The ghost never contacted the Underworld, so we have no intel.”

Fang Xiu looked puzzled, face full of the confusion of an outsider. “What’s the difference between a normal E and an immortal one?”

Zhuang Pengdao sighed but explained patiently. “The taboos stay the same after refinement. But whoever possesses the Immortal E can use its abilities freely, like how we use the skills the Underworld grants us.”

“The difference is that Immortal E powers don’t weaken, and may even get stronger. The holder can even manipulate the death taboo at will.”

Fang Xiu nodded. “Got it. Before, the sacrifices were fighting over unclaimed fortresses. This time, we’re attacking a fortified enemy stronghold.”

Yeah… being a Disaster Resolver was never going to be easy. The Underworld wasn’t a charity.

Zhuang Pengdao agreed. “That’s a good way to put it.”

Guan He, sitting at a desk, tilted his head at Fang Xiu. “I don’t quite get it.”

Fang Xiu muttered, “Take the Fierce Wind E. It’s always blowing at the edge of the zone. Anyone can see something’s off… But if someone disables the wind on purpose, lures us outside the boundary, then reactivates it… What do you think happens?”

Guan He and Cheng Songyun inhaled sharply and fell silent.

At the blackboard, Zhuang Pengdao moved on.

“This time we’ve got numbers. My team will take the Luo twins. Yan Yan’s team will take Fang Xiu. We’ll split up to investigate. Settle lunch on your own and meet back here at night.”

Yan Yan grunted, clearly not thrilled about babysitting the normal people, but didn’t object.

Jiao Jiao rested her chin on her clasped hands and gave a thoughtful look. After a few seconds, she whispered to him, “I think it’s a good thing. If a bunch of normies made it this far, they’d have to be tough.”

“C’mon, sticking with Zhuang Ge would be safer. Now those fake monks are getting the easy ride,” Yan Yan grouched.

Jiao Jiao shrugged. “Well, it can’t be helped. We’re a marginal faction. The other teams are more conventional so it’s easier to coordinate with.”

“Ugh, like I had a choice.” Yan Yan sighed, draping his arms behind his head. “black Taoist, evil monks, witches… At least you guys chose your path. I’m like this ‘cause my mom liked furries’.”

Jiao Jiao snorted loudly.

…All of this was relayed into Fang Xiu’s ears by Bai Shuangying’s ghostly whisper.

Not bad. Seems like their teammates weren’t the scheming type. Fang Xiu politely suppressed a laugh.

Bai Shuangying leaned in. “That half-fox has low cultivation so there’s no threat. The girl in black is harder to gauge, but she doesn’t seem bloodthirsty. Fox demons instinctively fear humans who are good at killing, they won’t approach them.”

Fang Xiu rubbed Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, quietly agreeing.

Honestly, compared to the oddball duo of Yan Yan and Jiao Jiao, he was more wary of Zhuang Pengdao.

He didn’t have this person on his blacklist, but he radiated a confident charisma that made others naturally defer to him.

And that surname of his was… very interesting.

In the corner of the room. 

Mei Lan sat spinning a cheap plastic pen between her fingers. She watched Zhuang Pengdao at the front of the room with a blank expression, though her grip on the pen cap was so tight that her fingertips turned white…

Snap. The cap cracked with a soft pop.

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Alright, the fake fox demon meets a real fox demon now (×

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