Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 66: Observation Diary

After setting up the human nest, Bai Shuangying officially began his grand observation plan.

Fang Xiu clearly liked the location. He heated up a can of food by the stove and ate it while watching some TV.

After a warm dinner, everyone smoothly split into two groups. Fang Xiu and Blondie took the first half of the night watch; in the second half, when the yin energy faded, Guan He, Cheng Songyun, and Mei Lan would take over for exploration.

This was only the first night. They planned to start with a defensive battle indoors.

Blondie idly took charge of combat defense, Fang Xiu focused on observing the evil spirits, and Bai Shuangying focused on observing Fang Xiu.

In the stillness of the night, the courtyard was indeed a “carnival of demons”. Evil spirits darted around like rabbits. But to Fang Xiu’s surprise, none of them were particularly strong, their main tactic was psychological horror.

For example, at this very moment, a group of evil spirits was forming a human pyramid outside the main room’s window. They pressed their faces hard against the glass while their butts were comically sticking up in the air, an indescribable pose.

Fang Xiu guarded with great enthusiasm for over ten minutes and finally complained, “Why aren’t they coming over?”

Such fresh ghost feed! Unfortunately, they had all targeted the newbies’ bedroom. They wouldn’t even approach the side wing, and barely a few gathered near Jiang Xun either.

Truly, how unfair. Some get nothing, while others drown in surplus*.

* The drought is too severe, you’ll die of thirst; if there’s too much rain, you’ll drown. (旱的旱死，涝的涝死。)  It’s an idiom describing extreme unfairness of two sides, where one side suffers from one extreme while the other suffers from the extreme opposite of the extreme. In this case, Fang Xiu’s group barely have any ghost haunting them, while the newbies are flooded with them.

Bai Shuangying couldn’t help glancing at the ghost jerky hanging on the wall and said nothing.

Blondie gloated, “All crammed up like that, those brats must be scared to death. How long do you think before they come begging?”

“I don’t think they will,” Fang Xiu replied casually, popping a candy into his mouth.

If they were truly smart, they’d never give up on contacting them. Even if the newbies didn’t fully believe Cheng Songyun’s explanations, they should at least understand the value of an experienced “ragtag team” in a brutal ritual.

But the newbies had still chosen the seemingly stronger lone wolf.

In other words, “decisive, ruthless strongmen” better matched this group’s preferences.

And such “strongmen” had an interesting trait: when weaker allies suffer nearby, they might not intervene; but if those weaker ones turned to others for help right under their noses, they might feel offended.

So unless it was absolutely necessary, the newbies wouldn’t rashly come asking for help.

Fang Xiu watched as a flickering light came from the west wing of the main room. After some muffled arguing, two figures finally opened the door. They were leaving the main room.

The moonlight revealed their faces: the couple who had drawn so much attention during the day. The moment they stepped into the yard, all the evil spirits melted into the shadows and countless glints of cold light flashed in the dark.

Even Blondie was shocked. “Wait, they’re going out in the middle of the night?!”

Even their own team, which had survived three rituals, stuck strictly to indoor defense the first night!

Fang Xiu stood up. “You stay here and keep watch. I’ll go see what’s going on.”

“Fang Ge, you’re going out to save them? Isn’t that unnecessary?” Blondie was stunned.

Fang Xiu blinked. “Their behavior’s too weird. I need to see what’s going on.”

Knowing Fang Xiu was good at staying hidden, Blondie thumped his chest. “Fang Ge, don’t worry! If any evil spirit comes, I’ll twist their necks myself!”

And so, a few minutes later, under the moonlight, a man and a ghost silently followed the couple.

“Leaving the house at night: no abnormality.”

“Leaving the yard at night: no abnormality.”

In hiding, Fang Xiu murmured observations, “But this forest at night… Haa.”

The moonlight was bright, the trees rustled, and the sound of insects was unusually clear.

Equally clear were the rising and falling murmurs. Countless voices were chanting incomprehensible syllables, forming waves of chill in the darkness. The distant town lights shone brightly as if they were from a different world.

Unlike in the yard, no evil spirits jumped out to startle them.

The shadows of trees swayed constantly, their silhouettes showing suspicious protrusions. The farther from the yard, the stronger the needle-like chill became. As the night wind passed through the treetops, Fang Xiu could barely tell if it was yin energy or just normal wind.

Fang Xiu instinctively tensed his back and gripped Bai Shuangying’s hand. Bai Shuangying, now warmed by Fang Xiu’s body heat, gave off a deceptive sense of warmth.

But the couple walking ahead showed no fear, as if the outside world had nothing to do with them.

Seeing the man’s movements grow increasingly stiff, Fang Xiu frowned. “That guy…”

“He’s dead,” Bai Shuangying said succinctly. “He was already a corpse when he left the main room. What moves now is a body possessed by an evil spirit.”

Fang Xiu drew a sharp breath. Since the ritual began, this was his first encounter with such a classical evil spirit.

As they spoke, the curly-haired woman was playfully asking the corpse to carry her on his back. The autumn night was chilly, and she hadn’t yet realized her boyfriend was cold as ice.

The corpse obediently carried her and headed straight for the wind barrier. Even as they approached the edge, it didn’t slow down.

Fang Xiu’s brow furrowed tighter.

He had no intention of saving the newbies, but he also couldn’t stand watching someone die right before his eyes. This situation looked far too unnatural. He still had questions for the curly-haired girl.

Just as Fang Xiu was about to speak up, a cold hand clamped over his mouth.

Bai Shuangying held him tightly, his arms like iron bands. His ghostly chest didn’t breathe. In that moment, Fang Xiu felt like he’d been locked inside a steel coffin.

The next second, the couple rushed into the wind.

The curly-haired girl’s scream was cut off instantly.

Fang Xiu watched with wide eyes as they collapsed. Within seconds, moisture drained rapidly from their bodies, and they shriveled into desiccated corpses. Then, with a gust of yin wind, the corpses were gently pushed back inside the wind barrier.

Their eyes sank; mouths slightly open. Their clothing had been torn to shreds by the wind, shoes and backpacks tossed aside. Under the hazy moonlight, they looked like two dead branches.

Fang Xiu held his breath, not daring to move.

The moment they stepped into the wind, he understood why Bai Shuangying had restrained him. Countless evil spirits emerged from the shadows, racing past him in a frenzy.

The wind barrier had barely spat the corpses back when the spirits swarmed like starving wolves, tearing the bodies to pieces. Flesh, soul, even their clothes—everything was devoured. Not even a strand of hair remained.

When they were done, the evil spirits even picked up inedible remains, like metal and plastic, and flung them outside the wind barrier.

No blood, no remains. The two had vanished as if into thin air. If Fang Xiu hadn’t witnessed it himself, he never would have guessed such a brutal form of “disappearance”.

Fang Xiu lowered his eyes, as if in mourning.

Bai Shuangying still had a hand over his mouth. His fingers nearly blocked Fang Xiu’s nose; Fang Xiu’s warm breath puffed onto his fingertips, soft and hot.

Bai Shuangying squeezed his human experimentally. What kind of reaction would he have after a failed rescue?

After a while, Fang Xiu sighed.

“Looks like the evil spirits here aren’t treated very well, huh.”

Bai Shuangying took a few seconds to confirm he hadn’t misheard.

“Thanks for holding me back. Otherwise, they could’ve trampled me to death.” Fang Xiu patted his chest in lingering fear. “…So, want to take a walk with me? The moon’s gorgeous tonight. It’d be a waste not to go on a stroll.”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

The reason he’d agreed to accompany Fang Xiu outside was so he’d see firsthand the consequences of leaving the yard, to make sure his human would firmly stay put.

…You can’t escape, but look, I can protect you. Only I can protect you.

…You don’t need to leave. Everything you need is here. In exchange, give me all of yourself.

It was a perfect plan, but what was with this relaxed reaction?

Those evil spirits just ate two people right in front of you! And you still want a moonlight stroll?!

Seeing Bai Shuangying unmoving, Fang Xiu offered, “If you don’t want to, we can just go back…”

Bai Shuangying gritted his teeth. “I want to.”

Fang Xiu’s eyes lit up. He grabbed Bai Shuangying’s wrist and led him toward the brightest moonlight.

Bai Shuangying followed behind in confusion, questioning everything he knew about humans, and about Fang Xiu. He just couldn’t make sense of it.

Despite Bai Shuangying’s concealment, plenty of evil spirits still wandered the night.

Fang Xiu calmly stepped over snake-women, ignoring the one-eyed birds crouching in branches. He stretched under the moonlight, basking in its glow, and casually slapped a giant moth flying at his face.

“This is my favorite ritual so far.” Fang Xiu pushed a skull spirit off a stump and sat down.

The skull, unable to see hidden Fang Xiu, spun its head around in confusion. Fang Xiu reached out and patted its head twice.

The skull sizzled, yelped, and literally rolled away.

Fang Xiu marveled, “So timid.”

Bai Shuangying said nothing, sitting slowly beside him.

Fang Xiu clearly misunderstood Bai Shuangying’s sullen look. “Don’t worry. That wasn’t the evil spirits’ doing. I’m not going to suddenly drop dead in the house.”

Bai Shuangying already knew what had happened. Since he hadn’t spoken up earlier, now all he could do was grunt awkwardly.

Fang Xiu, thinking he didn’t understand, explained patiently, “So far, the evil spirits in the yard are the weakest. If they could kill silently, they’d have gone on a rampage already, not fled outside.”

“And the choice of possession was interesting too. The pierced-lip guy kept violating taboos and wasn’t well liked. Even if he started acting weird, the others wouldn’t stop him. At most, they’d suspect something ritual-related.”

Bai Shuangying stayed silent and continued to play dumb.

“This feels less like evil spirits killing on their own and more like someone using the newbies to test the death taboo. At least now we know: ‘Don’t walk into the wind or you’ll die’.”

“Most likely,” Bai Shuangying admitted helplessly.

The possession trick had indeed been Jiang Xun’s doing.

Bai Shuangying had smelled the foul magic of a dark Taoist on the pierced-lip guy. He hadn’t spoken up immediately, wanting to confuse Fang Xiu’s understanding of the taboo… How long did that last? Maybe the time it takes to burn one incense stick?

It was only the first day, and Fang Xiu had already figured out the death taboo.

Why couldn’t his human be a little dumber?

Bai Shuangying slumped slightly, part of his body beginning to melt back into his true form.

Direct interference wouldn’t work. How could he make this human stay in the den willingly?

Beside him, Fang Xiu looked up at the stars. “Wow, you can see Orion so clearly.”

“Orion?” Bai Shuangying echoed blankly.

“In ancient time, they call it Shenxiu, referring to those three stars in the middle.” Fang Xiu pointed upward. “City lights are usually too bright. I can’t even remember the last time I saw it.”

“They’re just stars.” 

Bai Shuangying looked up at the sky. He’d been with these stars for so long but never cared about their names. Stars were just stars. Even if humans gave them strange names, they wouldn’t respond.

Fang Xiu had long been accustomed to his ghost’s cold way of speaking. He continued calmly, “The light from those stars takes over a thousand years to reach us. So what we see is what they looked like a thousand years ago. Isn’t that interesting?”

Bai Shuangying froze. “?!”

This was news to him. He’d thought stars were just smaller than the moon.

“…Even if a star died now, we’d still see its light for a thousand years.” Fang Xiu gazed at the sky. “Would you say that its ‘lingering light’ means it still exists?”

Bai Shuangying didn’t know how to respond. He was still stuck on “stars are really far away”.

But Fang Xiu looked at him earnestly, as if this trivial question were incredibly important.

Bai Shuangying was silent for a long time, then replied, “It still exists.”

“Why?”

“Because I can still see it.” Bai Shuangying answered honestly, “Like how souls linger after death, they’re like fading starlight. Until their obsessions fade, they still exist.”

Fang Xiu: “That’s not a great analogy. They can become evil spirits or cultivate into a ghost immortal.”

“Even if stars go out, they might not disappear,” Bai Shuangying said uncertainly. He just had a feeling they wouldn’t vanish.

Fang Xiu looked at him silently with some complicated emotion in his eyes.

Suddenly Bai Shuangying had a flash of insight. “Don’t tell me, you’re already dead?”

If Fang Xiu were a well-disguised evil spirit, it would explain his calmness toward death and his ease with ghosts.

Bai Shuangying pressed his hand to Fang Xiu’s chest, trying to find flaws in his heartbeat.

Fang Xiu: “……”

He burst into laughter. “…Touch all you want… I guarantee you, I’m alive.”

He grabbed Bai Shuangying’s hand and moved it directly over his heart.

Bai Shuangying felt for a while and detected no yin energy or spells. Fang Xiu was indeed a genuine living soul. His heartbeat was strong, albeit a bit fast.

“I see,” Bai Shuangying muttered, reassured by the warmth under his palm.

Fang Xiu let go of his hand, and the complicated look in his eyes was replaced by a smile. He leaned against Bai Shuangying and resumed stargazing.

Bai Shuangying, however, stared at the sky suspiciously. He now suspected he was seeing the souls of dead stars.

Soon enough, Fang Xiu shifted his gaze from the stars to Bai Shuangying, and Bai Shuangying heard him trying to stifle laughter.

Finally, after their fourth interruption by clueless evil spirits, Fang Xiu stretched. “Let’s head back.”

Bai Shuangying gave a muffled grunt.

After a whole night, Fang Xiu had discovered the death taboo. Meanwhile, all Bai Shuangying had learned was some weird astronomy knowledge, which wasn’t worth it at all.

Maybe next time he shouldn’t agree so easily, he thought.

But as they left, Fang Xiu looked back at the woods. “This place is perfect for walks. There are more evil spirits here than in the courtyard… I’m already starting to miss it, haa.”

Maybe next time, let’s just go out again, Bai Shuangying thought.

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The author has something to say:

A romantic night stroll for the young couple!!

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 65: Horror Comedy

Lu Yang felt like everything was a nightmare.

He knew the other eight people in his team, but none of them were close.

They were all adventure enthusiasts who had chatted online for a long time. Last year, they formed a ten-person group to explore an uninhabited area.

Back then, they were young and reckless, convinced those safety warnings were exaggerated. With ten people and good prep, how bad could it be?

…Then they got lost. The signal was lost, resources ran out, and they nearly all perished.

Two people died in the wilderness, and the rest were carried out by rescue teams.

The incident got moderate media attention. The authorities just used them as a cautionary tale, warning non-professionals to stay away from uninhabited areas. But only the survivors knew the truth: those two deaths weren’t simple “accidents”.

After they got lost, one person was bitten by some kind of insect and developed a high fever.

They were just internet acquaintances. No one wanted to drag along dead weight.

The guy with the pierced lip was the first to speak up. Everyone was struggling to survive, so they might as well abandon the sick one. It was better to take all the resources and increase everyone else’s chances.

Lu Yang couldn’t bear it and voiced his opposition, only to be told, “Then you take care of him.”

So Lu Yang fell silent.

Another girl also seemed unwilling. Ever since they abandoned the sick person, she hadn’t said a word. As things got more desperate, her mind began to unravel.

She would cry when lucid and scream things like “We’ll all get punished” and “I’m calling the police.” during episodes. Until one morning, Lu Yang woke to find the girl gone and somehow, there was some extra meat at the camp.

In a daze, he asked the others and was told. “She was in a bad state. Might as well make use of her.”

They said there were lots of wild animals in this uninhabited area. It was better to just toss the body far away; no one would know.

They said they had no choice. She was useless, always going crazy with her episodes.

Lu Yang didn’t dare touch that meat.

But after being rescued, he said nothing. He once considered confessing the truth while facing the devastated families, but he was afraid…

If things blew up, irrational voices would emerge:

“You were so kind. Why did you let the sick guy die?”

“How do you prove you didn’t eat human meat?”

They were all hypocrites*. Everyone was just as guilty.

*The pot calling the kettle black.

And if he stood up, the other survivors would definitely retaliate and pin everything on him. There was no evidence. It was just one person’s word against another’s.

How could he face his friends and family?

He was still young. What if it ruined his future?

In the end, Lu Yang and the other seven survivors had a tacit agreement…no one would ever mention the past. They rarely even contacted each other… until they were dragged into this ritual.

So this is retribution, Lu Yang thought.

But thoughts were one thing. He still wanted to live.

Lu Yang had seen lots of media on similar topics. He knew the rule: If you’re not the expert, cling to the expert.

Now came the problem. As a newbie, you’re faced with:

A. A mysterious lone wolf who’s steeped in the metaphysics.

B. A ragtag group made up of an auntie, a blonde punk, a teenager, and a white-collar woman. Leading them is a skinny guy in a red T-shirt, with messy bangs that cover his eyes.

It was obvious who the expert was!

After benefiting from the expert and getting his fill of food and drink, Lu Yang finally relaxed. He decided to be upfront with Jiang Xun.

“Jiang Ge, my Underworld support ability is ‘corpse herding’.”

As long as he touches a human corpse, he can turn it into a puppet. But the effect only lasts for one ritual. The body resets after returning to the Tower.

Lu Yang had a whole explanation ready in his head, but Jiang Xun just gave him a quick glance and nodded casually.

So cool. Definitely a professional.

Aside from a little drama with that couple, the afternoon passed peacefully.

The newcomers started to relax and chatted about what to do at night.

“It’s too cold to sleep outside. We still need to stay in a house,” said a long-haired artsy youth.

Another guy with glasses said, “The map includes the courtyard and surrounding woods. The courtyard is the center, so the ‘E’ must be here. The main house probably has more clues but might be more dangerous.”

“What if we break a taboo going inside?”

“We shouldn’t die, right…”

As the discussion went on, Jiang Xun stood up on his own.

The front door wasn’t locked. He held a yellow talisman in his left hand and knocked on the wooden door three times with his right. “Excuse me.”

He glanced at the talisman and saw that there was no change, so he raised his hand and pushed the door open. He did the same for the two side rooms, opening their doors as well.

“No taboo triggered,” he said lightly after checking each room.

So cool.

Lu Yang sighed in relief. They were so lucky to meet a bigshot right from the start!

“Efficient.” From the corner of the courtyard, Fang Xiu wiped his hands and couldn’t help but admire.

Compared to shady Taoists who just coasted along, Fang Xiu preferred someone like Jiang Xun. The guy might not have the best intentions, but at least he was competent.

Bai Shuangying pinched his shoulder: “Stay away from that human.”

“Why?”

Bai Shuangying: “I don’t like his aura.”

After breaking dozens of chains, his senses had recovered a bit. Jiang Xun had traces of magic residue on him, a presence Bai Shuangying found as unbearable as humans find the smell of fermented stinky tofu. It wasn’t harmful but was revolting.

People with that kind of aura usually practice twisted forms of cultivation. They weren’t just hated by righteous sects, but even evil spirits despised them.

Still, the guy did have skills. Fang Xiu might not take Bai Shuangying’s opinion at face value. Just as Bai Shuangying thought that, Fang Xiu said, “Okay.”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

Was Fang Xiu too trusting?

As if reading his mind, Fang Xiu cheerfully went on peeling chestnuts. “If you’re warning me, I’m sure you have your reasons.”

Then he paused subtly.

“Just like when you don’t tell me certain things… You must have your reasons too.”

“…Mm.”

In a way, Fang Xiu’s team was pretty relaxed.

Cheng Songyun, Guan He, and Mei Lan were already used to the rhythm of the rituals. They found a sunny spot and napped. Blondie climbed onto the roof and chose to sleep there.

“I’m going to nap too. Watch the others for me.” After finishing his chestnuts, Fang Xiu stretched.

Before Bai Shuangying could respond, Fang Xiu had laid down on a warm stone slab and rested his head on Bai Shuangying’s lap. His fragile neck lay exposed, completely defenseless.

Bai Shuangying lowered his head. His long hair brushed Fang Xiu’s neck hollow.

…Sleep well.

With him here, this ritual would be safe, maybe even cozy. He’d given his human a warm place to sleep and even left him companions.

A stable, ideal environment shouldn’t bring many surprises.

Humans are fleeting. Their emotions are even harder to understand. Bai Shuangying didn’t get why Fang Xiu liked him, nor when that feeling might end.

So while Fang Xiu still liked him, he had to do his best to understand this human.

Bai Shuangying’s fingers slid from Fang Xiu’s soft ear to his neck, shoulder, and finally rested on his slim waist. Bai Shuangying remembered clearly: under the fabric were eight rough scars.

This was a rare chance, so he would slowly peel his human open and savor him.

……

After a spectacular sunset, the courtyard greeted its first night.

The air was fresh. The stars in the sky were unusually bright. If you ignored the “E”, the scene looked like a luxury retreat.

Fang Xiu yawned and woke up on Bai Shuangying’s lap. Almost no one else was in the courtyard. Only the main house’s window showed light; the side rooms were dark.

When Cheng Songyun saw Fang Xiu was awake, she rushed over. “I just checked the main house. The rooms have all been assigned.”

Out of respect for her earlier help explaining the rules, the newbies didn’t ostracize her. Once she woke up, she went to inspect the main house.

It was a classic old-style home. The living room had dark wood furniture and giant, vivid wall prints with slogans like “Longevity of Pines and Cranes” and “Peonies Bring Prosperity”.

There was a TV, a couch, and a cabinet full of bowls and utensils with not a speck of dust anywhere.

Each end of the house had a bedroom.

Both had multiple outlets, old but clean bedding, and lots of photos on the walls. This was clearly from wildly different years, but everyone in them was smiling.

If it weren’t for the stopped clocks and cracked soap, Cheng Songyun might’ve thought the owner had just stepped out for a bit.

Jiang Xun chose the small bedroom on the east as his base. The eight-person team opted to share the larger west room. The beds were limited, but there were plenty of quilts in the closet for sleeping on the floor.

“The east side room also has a guest room. We can stay there.” Cheng Songyun pointed to the opposite wing. “I checked. It’s okay. Only… it just has one double bed that’s not enough for all of us.”

Blondie grumbled, “Why’d they get to pick first?”

Fang Xiu didn’t mind. “Less karmic entanglement means more safety. The side room’s fine.”

Blondie: “…Fang Ge’s right. It’s safer in the wing. Those people are idiots anyway!”

The others were used to his 180-degree personality shifts. Guan He led the way and opened the wing room’s door…

Then jumped back in shock. Above the threshold hung a pale human face.

Its features were uneven, like a child had squished them randomly, and its mismatched eyes were full of malice.

As Guan He retreated, it grinned, revealing black and yellow sparse teeth and prepared to screech…

Whoosh!

Fang Xiu rushed up and caught the head like a basketball, yanking it down with a bounce like he was harvesting turnips.

The head struggled madly, but with a few cracking sounds, Fang Xiu pulled it off.

In the dark, the body rustled away. The head twitched, then went limp.

Everyone: “?”

Fang Xiu looked sad. “What a waste. There’s not much meat on the head.”

Everyone: “……”

Guan He suddenly felt so tired he couldn’t even muster the strength to be scared. He vaguely felt it was unnecessary to retreat just now.

Now that he thought about it, the thing was just…ugly? Being ugly wasn’t so bad…

Thus began the chaotic night.

Cheng Songyun lit the indoor stove for some light.

In the flickering fire, a pair of bluish-white feet approached. It paused when illuminated by the firelight and moved silently when it was in the shadows.

As it got closer to Cheng Songyun’s back…

Snap.

Fang Xiu activated his anomaly skill and flipped on the lights. The warm glow lit every corner causing the severed feet to freeze in confusion.

Fang Xiu threw a bed sheet over it and pounced like a cat.

The ghost feet flailed like rabbits, but their nails couldn’t scratch through the sheet.

Mei Lan poured “Holy Water” on them, and they went limp. Fang Xiu tied them up and hung them next to the ghost head, right beside garlic and chili peppers. It actually looked pretty harmonious.

Cheng Songyun opened her mouth to comment… then closed it.

Bai Shuangying’s mouth twitch. “That’s unnecessary.”

Fang Xiu insisted, “The head and feet don’t look that good. It’s better save them as rations.”

Meanwhile, Guan He turned on the old TV.

Through static, a shadow appeared. Guan He didn’t even flinch. He just stared at the black shadow for a moment and turned to Fang Xiu. “Fang Ge, there’s one here too!”

Five minutes later, under the ghost jerky hung a jar of pickled ghost. A translucent hand weakly patted the lid, looking deeply aggrieved.

Fang Xiu wiped his sweat, satisfied.

This thing had a nice texture. Bai Shuangying could snack on it if he gets hungry.

There was lots of yin energy around the E, so there were plenty of evil spirits at night. But if they were so rare during the day…Where had they all gone?

Fang Xiu tugged on the ghost hand and fell into thought.

Meanwhile, Guan He managed to tune the TV to a working channel. The very first program that popped up was the evening news. The anchorman’s firm and upright tone plunged the room into a brief silence.

Bathed in that aura of righteous authority, Cheng Songyun quietly fetched a few buckets of water from the courtyard to boil for washing and soaking feet.

Fang Xiu, having secured enough ghost provisions, got hungry himself and took out some canned food and roast chicken to warm by the stove.

Outside, the moon was bright. The stars twinkled, the insects chirped, and even wild birds could be heard cooing. Inside, the electric lights glowed, the television played the news, the stove boiled water, and the chicken skin crackled in the fire.

Compared to the previous Huanxi E, this place’s atmosphere was like heaven on earth.

Blondie muttered, “Why does this ritual feel like a fucking countryside B&B? One more chicken and we’ll all live happily ever after.”

No one refuted him.

To be fair, the accommodations here deserved four stars. The fifth star was only missing because of the unrelenting wave of evil spirits.

All in all? Not bad.

……

Back in the main house guest room…

“I can’t take it anymore! There’s a ghost pulling my hair!”

The curly-haired woman was wailing. Her eye makeup was completely ruined and there were black streaks running down her face. The pierced-lip guy looked pale, holding his girlfriend and murmuring reassurances.

Lu Yang huddled in a corner, absolutely exhausted but afraid to fall asleep.

These Underworld rituals were seriously messed up. After nightfall, everything in the house changed…

From the wardrobe came faint baby cries. From the walls came wet, scratching sounds. The blanket was neatly spread, yet a greenish-white ghost hand drooped limply from its edge.

They all rushed to Jiang Xun for yellow talismans, but they were like a drop in the bucket.

The baby’s cries vanished, only for a sharp, screeching children’s song to take its place. The wall-scratching sounds stopped, and became rhythmic creaking from the rafters, like something heavy was swinging.

One person couldn’t take it and tried to jump out the window. The moment they pulled back the curtain, they saw a glass pane full of twisted, deformed faces. They grinned together, mouths pitch-black.

There was no way to get any rest.

And yet, they couldn’t keep running to Jiang Xun.

Last time they asked for help, his face already showed hints of impatience.

He wasn’t obligated to protect them. If they annoyed him over this, they’d have bigger problems later.

What now… Why didn’t any of them have exorcism abilities?

Lu Yang was still racking his brain when the others started arguing…

“This is all your fault!” The artsy guy from earlier pointed at the pierced-lip man. “You broke a taboo earlier! That’s why all the evil spirits showed up!”

The glasses guy adjusted his specs. “Yeah, I think so too. Master Jiang’s side has barely any trouble.”

The pierced-lip man was already aching from his wounds. Hearing this, he exploded. “You talking shit about me? You’re as useless as a fart! You think I wanted to break a taboo?!”

“Then you two go sleep in the living room!” A gloomy woman’s voice spoke from the corner.

“I stay or go, what’s it to you?”

“We’re all getting no sleep, how are we supposed to clear the E?”

“Ahhhh it’s pulling my hair again!!”

Lu Yang was about to go insane. He clutched his head and squeezed his eyes shut but as soon as he did a chilly wind crawled down his neck. It was like something exhaling cold air against his skin.

At the same time, something sticky flowed out of his ears. It was too cold so it couldn’t be blood. It squirmed slowly and forcefully, releasing a nauseating stench.

“I’ve had enough!” Lu Yang finally snapped. “If none of you are going, I will!”

He grabbed his blanket and stormed off to the living room couch. Seeing this, the artsy guy perked up and dragged the glasses guy with him. Others followed in silence. Soon, the bedroom was left with only the couple.

The pierced-lip guy yanked open the curtains. The glass was still packed with distorted faces. They smiled even wider now, their pupils flattened by the glass while slime slowly dripped down.

“Fuck,” he cursed, shivering, and snapped the curtain shut. Then he slung on his backpack.

The curly-haired girl’s eyes was hazy, filled with tears. “Babe?”

“We’re not staying here. This damn ritual. Screw it.” He cursed, “That bunch of losers are useless. No point in sticking around.”

Curly-haired girl: “But it’s dangerous outside. Shouldn’t we go ask Master Jiang again?”

“Ask, ask, ask… What’s the point? Those talismans don’t even work.” The pierced-lip guy shouted, “He doesn’t give a damn! We might as well take our chances outside. Maybe the ghosts only haunt the house.”

The curly-haired girl trembled all over. Something instinctual told her she shouldn’t leave the main group and the courtyard. 

But something kept tugging at her hair. Invisible hands yanked her toward the ceiling beam… She wanted to run. She couldn’t take it anymore.

While she hesitated, the pierced-lip guy gave her a nasty look.

“What? You think I’m bad luck too?”

“No, babe…”

“Then pick—either hang with them or come with me!”

Soon, the two shouldered their bags and, under their teammates’ wary gazes, opened the door and left the main house.

Lu Yang asked weakly, “Where are you going?”

The pierced-lip guy ignored him and didn’t even look back.

Outside the courtyard, the woods seemed surprisingly normal.

The moon was bright, the leaves rustled in the breeze, and the insects chirped clearly. There were no signs of any evil spirits.

In the distance, you could even see the twinkling lights of a town.

The curly-haired girl was missing a shoe, hobbling as she walked.

Not long after, she cried out. She’d stepped on a sharp twig.

“Baby, I can’t walk anymore. Carry me.” Now that no ghosts had shown up, her mood improved a little. The pierced-lip guy said nothing and just bent down and let her climb on his back.

She hugged his neck.

“There are no more ghosts pulling my hair. Babe, you were right. The ghosts were just in the house. They totally blamed you for nothing!”

“All the weird stuff happened in that courtyard… It’s definitely the house. Babe, if we can’t make it out tonight, we can build a treehouse in the woods…”

“…Babe, why aren’t you saying anything?”

She had been babbling for several minutes when she suddenly sensed something was wrong.

Her boyfriend was too quiet. Eerily quiet.

A cold wind blew through her hair…then stung her skin. The wind picked up violently, making it hard for her to breathe.

But the pierced-lip guy carrying her kept walking forward, totally unaffected.

“Ba-Babe…”

The curly-haired girl lifted her head and found that her boyfriend’s head had somehow turned 180 degrees at some point. He was still carrying her, but his face was now also facing her.

His pupils had vanished, and the corners of his mouth were grinning exaggeratedly. Inside his mouth was nothing but pitch black.

---

The author has something to say:

Some people are experiencing a horror movie, others are enjoying a cozy farmstay (.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 64: Multiple Taboos

Disaster Relief Tower.

Dian’er hummed a cheerful tune as it happily prepared the ritual log.

This time’s “Fierce Wind E” would surely be easy to resolve. It had even drafted the report’s beginning and ending in advance.

Fang Xiu wasn’t a Disaster Resolver yet, so he couldn’t be assigned specific E-resolution tasks. Dian’er still had to follow procedure: draw a few candidate rituals from the Causality Furnace and then assign them accordingly.

…And even the heavens seemed to favor it. It had drawn the Fierce Wind E!

The scenery around Fierce Wind E was beautiful, and its taboos weren’t particularly dangerous, but it was oddly hard to deal with.

Due to certain special reasons, the Underworld had given up on using it to cultivate ghost immortals. But it wasn’t as ridiculous as the Huanxi E either, so the Underworld just let things run their course, letting sacrifices handle it on their own.

Almost all previous sacrifices had died due to personal reasons. For someone like Fang Xiu, this ritual was just right. There was no need for excessive physical exertion, just some brainwork.

To be safe, Dian’er had even selected a lone Disaster Resolver. If Fang Xiu messed up, the resolver could at least guarantee the ritual’s success.

Dian’er felt this arrangement was absolutely perfect.

Even that nightmare Huanxi E had been handled by Fang Xiu in just three days.

This little Fierce Wind E? Should be child’s play.

Once Fang Xiu became a Disaster Resolver, as his assigned handler, Dian’er’s own compensation would get a discount too. Fang Xiu might even thank it!

……

“The Underworld gave us another pain-in-the-ass job,” Fang Xiu concluded after listening to Cheng Songyun’s summary.

He had just returned to the courtyard, only to find his teammates looking subtly weird, while the group of eight newcomers flocked around the lone man, chatting noisily.

Compared to Fang Xiu’s own team of “the old, the young, women and children,” these young folks clearly preferred this “metaphysics master” type.

The lone man had introduced himself as Jiang Xun, a practitioner of Taoist arts. He had chiseled features, a reserved expression, and an aura of sophistication.

Jiang Xun had been the first to help the newcomers by providing food. He had performed a divination in front of everyone and then easily picked persimmons and greens from the yard.

Along with three to five wild rabbits he had caught, everyone’s meals were secured.

Fang Xiu knew that even if he brought out the offerings from Weishan Village now, they wouldn’t impress anyone much. Compared to familiar, mundane food, these young people probably preferred “campfire-style foraging”.

At least for now, Jiang Xun was quite the center of attention.

With food in hand, the young ones had relaxed. They sat around Jiang Xun, chattering away with questions. Jiang Xun hardly responded and just enjoyed his meal leisurely. His aura of power was unmistakable.

“Auntie Cheng already explained a bunch of stuff, and they didn’t take in any of it,” Guan He grumbled, having overheard parts of their talk. Fang Xiu just patted his shoulder and shook his head.

They’d already done their part by voluntarily explaining the rules.

Since Jiang Xun wanted to build his own rapport, Fang Xiu wasn’t interested in interfering.

As long as the newbies didn’t go berserk, there was no need to battle over popularity. They were here to resolve the E, not win elections.

After calming the indignant Guan He, Fang Xiu kindled a ghost flame in the other corner of the courtyard.

While tending the fire, he casually described the area beyond the courtyard. Under the blue sky and white clouds, with the scent of roasted chestnuts in the air, it was hard to feel upset.

“…So we’re near a normal town, but a wind wall is blocking the way. Fang Ge, you sure that’s not something the Underworld set up?” Guan He asked, now calm and trying to analyze again.

Fang Xiu: “The Underworld wouldn’t bother with something so convoluted.”

The wind wall had an unnecessarily complicated feel to it, unlike the crisp boundaries of past rituals. Not to mention Bai Shuangying had verified it as a taboo, and even the Mid-Autumn E’s borders were more straightforward than this.

“We can’t leave this place. Maybe that’s a death taboo. Then there’s that couple… No screaming? No stealing? No fighting…? Hard to say.”

Guan He thought hard, nearly letting the fire that was roasting the chestnut almost ignited his shoes.

Fang Xiu nudged the chestnuts with a stick. “Don’t worry. It’s only the first day.”

Then he got up to wash his hands at the hand-pump.

The pump was rusty but functional. Fang Xiu poured some canned syrup in as a primer and began working the handle.

With loud creaks and wheezes, water gushed out from the spout and splashed onto the ground.

Bai Shuangying leaned over curiously. It was his first time seeing such a device.

Fang Xiu smiled. “Old folks used this a lot. It’s mostly obsolete now. Not just you. Even those newbies probably don’t recognize it.”

“Then how do you?”

Fang Xiu paused. “There was one just like it in my grandma’s yard.”

“You mean your grandmother who died violently,” Bai Shuangying recalled.

He remembered… It was the woman who had died suddenly in front of Fang Xiu, harboring resentment toward him before her death. Yet Fang Xiu’s tone held only distant regret when he mentioned “grandma”.

“She called it the ‘Water Snake Trick’ and used it to tease me.” Fang Xiu said softly. “She’d summon little water snakes and said washing with them kept me healthy, helped heal wounds, washed away all worries…”

He hummed the rest in a local dialect, quiet and gentle like clear water over stone.

Then he chuckled self-deprecatingly and stretched his arms to wash.

As if responding to his lullaby, with a squelching noise, the water suddenly changed color…

From crystal clear to murky blood-brown, mixed with bits of flesh and long strands of hair.

In the golden, idyllic light, this streak of blood red was violently out of place. Chunks of flesh slithered through the water, squirming and glimmering darkly. Tangled hair emerged slowly from the spout, alive with eerie grace.

The blood and flesh crept along the ground and the hair curled forward in a stench of rot, inching toward Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu: “!!!”

He gripped the handle tighter and pumped even faster in surprise. This wasn’t water to wash one’s hand. It was ghost food full of promise!

The flesh: “?”

Fang Xiu panted as he furiously worked the pump. The evil spirit inside hesitated…its flesh quickly melted into the blood, the red growing faint. Even the dangling hair started to shrink back into the water pipe.

“Wait!” Fang Xiu lunged for the hair, grabbing only the tip.

It was sticky and wet, making it hard to grip.

He looped it around his finger and tugged like in a game of tug-of-war. The thing in the pipe resisted just as fiercely. In the end, Fang Xiu lost due to brute strength and nearly fell backward.

The pump water returned to clear, as if nothing had happened.

Fang Xiu exhaled heavily. He sulkily washed his hands and returned to the fire. The roasted chestnuts now felt hard to swallow.

He couldn’t help but poke Bai Shuangying. “There’ll be more evil spirits tonight. We’ll grab a few together.”

Bai Shuangying nodded. “How do you know it wasn’t a strong one?”

“After seeing Old Man Fu and Li Shuo, I’ve got a theory… Ordinary ghosts will pull jump scares. Powerful ones don’t bother.”

Fang Xiu gestured seriously. “Like little animals puffing up in fear, while massive beasts leave only giant claw marks. The latter doesn’t try to scare you, but they’re way more terrifying.”

Bai Shuangying watched him for a while.

When Fang Xiu said this, his nose wrinkled a bit and his lips curled into a smile. He looked at Bai Shuangying with unguarded affection.

Just as Bai Shuangying was beginning to understand that gaze, Fang Xiu looked away, toward Jiang Xun.

Suddenly, another scream rang out. It was from that same couple again.

The curly-haired girl cooed “babe” endlessly as she fed her boyfriend, like he’d hurt his brain instead of his leg.

A few eyes flicked over. The lip-pierced guy flushed red and shouted, “I’m not disabled!”. He then slapped the girl’s hand away.

Her face changed instantly. Just as she was about to lash out, the guy screamed again…

This time, he collapsed to the ground, gasping and wide-eyed, as if buried by unseen rocks. He flailed helplessly and groaned, eyes bulging like they might pop out.

Jiang Xun rushed forward. The pierced guy sat up dazedly, seemingly recovered.

“What the hell? Another taboo?”

The lip-pierced guy coughed and complained, “We didn’t even figure out the last one, and here comes another?”

Lu Yang licked his lips nervously and stepped up. “Maybe we’re not allowed to hit each other?”

It was noon and the autumn light was warm, yet all this weirdness felt even more unsettling.

Jiang Xun thought for a moment, then gave Lu Yang a light smack on the back of the head, but nothing happened.

“These two incidents were vague. There may be more conditions involved,” he said calmly, his voice deep and clear, instantly reassuring.

The curly-haired girl started sobbing. “I wanna go home. This place is scary…”

Before she could finish wailing, she shrieked again. “Fuck, my shoe…!”

Before everyone’s eyes, her right shoe vanished.

She had been wearing expensive, tightly laced Doc Martens. But in a blink, one shoe vanished like it evaporated into thin air. The girl panicked and huddled with her boyfriend, the two of them chanting “don’t be scared, babe” in unison.

The other newbies: “…”

Lu Yang glanced at Cheng Songyun and asked Jiang Xun, “Wasn’t it just three taboos?”

“You said: the wind outside is a barrier. That’s one taboo. The couple argued and lost a piece of flesh. That’s another possible taboo. He hit her and collapsed. Maybe that’s another. Now her shoe disappeared… That’s four?”

Jiang Xun replied coolly, “Three taboos are common, but it’s not a rule.”

Lu Yang responded with an “oh,” then looked toward Fang Xiu’s group with a bit of disappointment.

Fang Xiu, on the other hand, was quite enjoying the show, openly watching it enthusiastically.

Beside the ghost flame, Cheng Songyun mused aloud, “There’s so many taboos… Could it be like Weishan Village?”

Guan He shook his head. “It feels different. Back then, at least the ‘taboo punishments’ were consistent. These… are all over the place.”

Fang Xiu turned to Mei Lan: “What do you think?”

She had been quiet until now and didn’t respond right away. “I-I don’t know. I’m not good at analyzing this.”

Then she added, as if realizing something. “If you need help with anything else, just let me know.”

Fang Xiu just smiled at her and didn’t press further.

“Oh right, Bai Shuangying…”

Fang Xiu turned to his ghost…only to realize something was wrong. “Bai Shuangying?”

Bai Shuangying was gone.

……

Inside the abandoned main house.

Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Bai Shuangying’s white robes.

He stood with his back to the light, his pale eyes locked onto a shadowy corner.

“I know you’re the master of this place. Don’t worry, I’ll pretend not to know.”

[……]

“Just remember, don’t interfere with my human.” Bai Shuangying spoke calmly. “If you act rashly, he’ll definitely see through everything.”

Static crackled from the darkness.

“You ask why?”

“Because I want to understand him. But he always gets distracted looking at others.”

So he needed more time… More, and more, and more attention.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 63: Courtyard in the Forest

The beginning of the fourth ritual was remarkably quiet.

Fang Xiu wasn’t the type to hold big or small meetings casually. He simply issued a formulaic statement, “Everyone follow orders and don’t mess around”, and wrapped up the pre-ritual briefing.

At this point, anyone with half a brain already understood the basic ritual routine.

To be honest, Fang Xiu didn’t feel responsible for “protecting everyone,” so his expectations weren’t high. As long as no one went against him, everything was negotiable.

With Jia Xu’s self-destruction as a cautionary tale, no one objected.

The paper figure Dian’er led the group to the second floor. At the moment, golden-red leaves blanketed the floor, and the entrance to the “Hall of Disaster Resolution” had turned into a familiar countryside courtyard gate.

Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying, as usual, walked at the rear of the group. Fang Xiu instinctively reached out his hand and Bai Shuangying habitually extended his wrist.

Fang Xiu hadn’t expected such cooperation. He didn’t stop in time, and his fingernails lightly scratched Bai Shuangying’s hand making his heart skip a beat.

Bai Shuangying showed no reaction. Fang Xiu took the opportunity to adjust his grip and tried to act like the handholding was perfectly natural.

Then he became unsure about how tightly to hold Bai Shuangying’s hand.

Too loose and it might slip, too tight and he might hurt the ghost. After hesitating for too long, he started worrying whether his palm would get sweaty. That would certainly be embarrassing.

Fang Xiu began questioning the romance stories he had seen. In those, the protagonists all seemed born with innate mastery of handholding, hugging, flirting; everything was timed perfectly.

In practice, he was nervously readjusting his grip every other second. Those screenwriters were all liars. Even he, a liar himself, had been duped.

…Even killing someone didn’t make his heart beat this erratically!

There was an upside, though: Fang Xiu suddenly noticed his observational skills had improved dramatically. The whole world looked like it had been given a dreamy filter, looking vibrant, crisp, and clear.

For instance, he noticed the toe of his left shoe was scuffed, and his pants were overly wrinkled. He noticed how Bai Shuangying’s hair ends were so clean they looked synthetic, and his white clothes shimmered with a faint, soft glow.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fang Xiu saw Bai Shuangying watching him intently. He turned his head to meet his ghost’s gaze directly.

Though Bai Shuangying’s sclera looked human, they lacked visible capillaries, like flawless porcelain.

Noticing the human looking at him again, Bai Shuangying blinked.

His gaze had been fixed on Fang Xiu’s lips.

Yesterday, Fang Xiu had sucked his injured fingertip, and Bai Shuangying still remembered that burning warmth and comfort.

Unfortunately, once saliva left Fang Xiu’s mouth, the vital energy quickly dispersed into yin energy. If he wanted to taste Fang Xiu’s soul essence, kissing or having sex were the most efficient methods.

But Fang Xiu didn’t agree. He’d said, “Only if you like me.”

Bai Shuangying had seen countless expressions of joy, anger, sorrow, love, and hatred, both among humans and animals. He had seen a herd of pigs run but had never tasted pork himself*.

*Clarity: It’s a colloquial way of saying you haven’t experienced it personally, but have heard about it, seen it, so you have a slight understanding of it.

…Had he ever truly liked anything?

He had existed for so long, he’d grown used to being alone, never needing to “cling” to anything external.

Yes, he had been curious about many things, but everything lost its novelty eventually. He had never liked anything, only disliked.

“Understanding Fang Xiu” was proving to be difficult, Bai Shuangying thought, but at least it wasn’t unpleasant.

Before stepping through the gateway, they both turned their heads in unison toward the direction of the “Shrine of All E’s.”

Sure enough, under the Underworld’s illusion, they couldn’t see the shrine at all.

Fang Xiu muttered a few words regretfully. If it were truly a top-secret place, the paper figure wouldn’t have shown it to them at all. Compared to some “millennia-old dark secret of the Underworld”, the shrine felt more like a “restricted factory zone” of the human world.

“If we get the chance, I’ll take you inside to see,” Fang Xiu said, squeezing Bai Shuangying’s wrist.

“Mm.”

……

As they stepped across the threshold, a crisp autumn breeze greeted them.

The morning sun illuminated a forest of golden-red trees. Birds chirped clearly, accompanied by the low drone of autumn cicadas. The air was fresh and dry. Fang Xiu instinctively took a deep breath, his lungs feeling freshly rinsed by the wind.

Before them lay a modestly sized country courtyard.

Though it was an abandoned courtyard in the forest, Fang Xiu didn’t sense anything ominous. The walls were freshly whitewashed, and the layout was clean and dignified. It was clearly once cared for meticulously.

The surrounding shrubs were a bit overgrown but artfully arranged.

The season was right. Red berries dotted the bushes, and unknown wildflowers bloomed along the fence. At a glance, Fang Xiu spotted a disused vegetable garden, a chicken coop, and a dusty air conditioner unit.

Compared to this, Weishan Village had felt steeped in cursed yin energy.

Without Jia Xu around to yap and point, the others scanned the area and then turned to look at Fang Xiu. He sighed, paused at the half-open courtyard gate, and knocked gently.

“Coming!” a voice called from inside, surprisingly warm and welcoming.

Then the wooden door creaked open, revealing a slightly nervous round face. It was a very young man in a brightly printed hoodie. His soft, pampered skin and trendy outfit didn’t match the rustic courtyard at all.

Sure enough, the young man scanned the five of them and cautiously asked, “You guys are sacrifices too?”

Fang Xiu: “…Yeah.”

Amazing. Without even being asked, this guy had blurted out, “I’m a newbie,” “I’m a sacrifice,” “I’m not cunning”…all at once.

After scrutinizing them for a moment, the youth gave an “oh” and awkwardly opened the gate wider.

Inside were already two other groups, visibly distinct in style.

One group was all young people. Exactly eight of them, looking so fresh-faced it was almost touching. Like the round-faced youth, they radiated the naïveté unique to students.

The other group consisted of only one man. He was well-groomed, with a strange aura, appearing in his forties or fifties.

His attire was plain, revealing no obvious magic weapons. He stood silently in the shadows, observing Fang Xiu. He was definitely a veteran.

A gust of wind stirred the fallen leaves. Fang Xiu’s ankle felt a chill, and he shuffled his pant leg down.

“What a big courtyard,” Guan He couldn’t help but exclaim.

Guan He followed Fang Xiu closely, but his attention was drawn to the scenery rather than the people…

The inside of the courtyard was even more refined than the outside.

It held a main house and two wings. Handwritten couplets graced the doors, bold and powerful, though the red paper had faded.

Several beautiful persimmon trees stood in the courtyard, branches heavy with fruit. An old-fashioned hand pump stood in the center and there were even scallions and chili peppers grew in the corners. Everything evoked a sense of comfort.

With the surrounding forest scenery, the place looked entirely untouched by any E.

The round-faced youth hesitated briefly, then introduced himself: “This is our first… first time participating in a ritual. If we cause any trouble, please forgive us…”

The other seven nodded anxiously.

It all felt like a lifetime ago.

When they had met Lao Mian and Mai Zi in Weishan Village, the couple had also been in their fourth ritual, while they were pure rookies. Only half a month had passed, and the roles were reversed.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He looked thoughtful. Cheng Songyun smiled and nodded at the young group, who visibly relaxed.

During their conversation, the lone man in the corner quietly slipped out of the courtyard.

Fang Xiu said, “Cheng Jie, Guan He, Mei Lan… You three set up camp here. Don’t touch anything in the rooms yet. I’ll scout around with Du Zhichao.”

Cheng Songyun and Guan He nodded steadily. Mei Lan gave her usual quiet response without any particular reaction.

Cheng Songyun kept glancing toward the new kids, so Fang Xiu added quietly, “You can tell them the basics, but keep your distance.”

He’d chosen these three because they had reliable self-defense skills. If there were any threats among the new kids, they could handle it.

As for basic information… newbies didn’t even know what taboos were. Better to warn them ahead of time than risk disaster.

With everything settled, Fang Xiu left the courtyard with Bai Shuangying and Blondie.

Blondie wore his usual ingratiating smile, eyes darting around. “Fang Ge, this place is incredible. There’s nothing’s lacking… Hey look, these wild greens are edible, and I even spotted rabbit droppings. There are wild hares here!”

Fang Xiu stepped on the soft leaves and gave two absent-minded replies.

The area was indeed well-stocked. They hadn’t gone far before seeing chestnut and apple trees laden with fruit. Mushrooms and greens were abundant, making this a far better ritual than the ones.

But he hadn’t brought Blondie along to test survival skills.

“You used to hang around Jia Xu a lot. Did he ever mention gambling?” Fang Xiu asked casually.

Blondie answered immediately, “Course he did! That guy never shut up about how good he was. Yeah right. He couldn’t play for shit!”

Fang Xiu filtered the nonsense. “He invited a lot of people to gamble at his place. You knew about that, right?”

“Yeah, but they weren’t really friends…”

According to Jia Xu’s bragging, he brought “tasteful and well-off” “high-class people” to his place. He hosted sessions himself, offering fine tobacco and liquor.

Besides the app, they also livestreamed betting sessions in a private room, betting on stones, horses, anything. It was a full-on upscale gambling den.

Jia Xu made a lot of money from this “service”, but it all became his gambling fund.

“He acted like such a big shot, but he was just a setup guy for a scam ring. Who knows what he was so proud of,” Blondie sneered.

But Fang Xiu didn’t think it added up.

Jia Xu came from an average background, young and recently rich. Under normal circumstances, it would’ve been hard for him to mingle with middle-aged elites or wealthy second gens, let alone host such events.

Plus, he had a day job and lived with his girlfriend at night. There was no time to run a gambling ring.

…More likely, someone else had set it up and just used Jia Xu’s name.

Fang Xiu frowned. “He never mentioned anything else?”

Blondie shook his head, then remembered something. “He complained once that the person managing the house was rude to him. That’s it.”

“Someone managing his house?”

“Like a housekeeper or something. He didn’t say much.”

Fang Xiu sighed. He’d known it… Anything that didn’t sound cool, Jia Xu wouldn’t elaborate on.

As he mulled it over, he rubbed his arms. Maybe it was just his imagination, but the forest wind seemed stronger now.

Blondie, fit as ever, darted around happily. Suddenly he climbed a jujube tree. “Shit… There are people outside the forest! Someone’s working in the fields!”

He leapt down and headed that way. Fang Xiu frowned and followed cautiously.

But after just a few steps, the strange wind intensified.

It didn’t stir a single leaf yet made it hard for Fang Xiu to stand. If Bai Shuangying hadn’t grabbed him, he might’ve toppled over.

Blondie pressed forward another few steps. The wind distorted his face and peeled at his skin. Finally, he retreated, crawling back with wind-chapped skin.

Fang Xiu looked behind them. The wind wall’s placement was uncanny. Just a few more steps, and the farmhouse courtyard would’ve vanished from sight.

“This is a taboo… Not a ghost or Underworld doing,” Bai Shuangying said concisely.

He’d been strangely quiet the whole time. Fang Xiu rubbed a tree trunk and asked softly, “Did you sense anything unusual?”

Bai Shuangying: “The yin energy is thick here, but there are very few ghosts. Too clean.”

“…?” That sounded eerily like the Huanxi E. Fang Xiu tensed immediately.

Bai Shuangying spread his fingers, feeling the wind normalize. “Yin energy is suppressed during daylight. It’s best to investigate again at midnight.”

As he’d said, daytime was boringly peaceful. They walked around the “wind wall boundary” with the courtyard as center.

Aside from finding part of a taboo, Fang Xiu picked up chestnuts and jujubes, and enjoyed the autumn scenery.

There were no creepy tombstones, hidden chambers, or twisted sacrificial altars.

The ritual zone was so normal it felt like a Class 4A scenic area, and the resources were outrageously rich. If not for the taboo, Fang Xiu would’ve assumed this was a “reward level”.

He glanced at Bai Shuangying.

Bathed in golden autumn light, Bai Shuangying’s ghost aura was subdued. Dressed in flowing white, standing quietly among the trees, he seemed like one with nature.

But Bai Shuangying caught him staring. After a pause, he solemnly handed Fang Xiu some sweet jujubes, instantly breaking his ethereal vibe.

Under that intense gaze, Fang Xiu obediently ate the jujubes.

They were crisp and sweet. Bai Shuangying really had a knack for picking fruit. Damn, if he hadn’t brought Blondie, this scouting trip would’ve been perfect.

They had been out nearly all morning. It was time to return.

……

Back in the courtyard.

After Cheng Songyun’s “Taboo 101”, the eight newbie players looked confused, then shifted into ultra-cautious mode, classic rookie behavior. Now aware of the death taboo, they didn’t even dare sneeze, eyes tearing up from the effort.

A few wanted to pick some persimmons for supplies but backed off. Their faces were filled with unease.

Cheng Songyun suddenly understood how Mai Zi must’ve felt watching over them before. These newbies really did look harmless.

“I’m Lu Yang,” the round-faced youth introduced himself. “Thank you so much for explaining. Otherwise, we’d be totally lost.”

Though he didn’t seem very reliable, compared to his panicking companions, he was relatively “emotionally stable”.

At least he had the presence of mind not to mention the Underworld’s support outright.

Just as Lu Yang was expressing thanks, a loud shout startled Guan He, who nearly pulled out his black gauze veil.

A couple among the new eight had started fighting.

“Are you fucking psycho? What the hell’s wrong with you?!” shouted a boy with pierced lips.

“I brought that food. If you’re gonna eat it, ask first!” the girl snapped. She wore a cute backpack and had huge wavy curls. Her voice clashed wildly with her appearance.

Lu Yang: “…Ignore them. They fight every few days and make up fast.”

The other five acted unsurprised, turning their heads or muttering complaints under their breath.

The couple’s argument devolved into local dialect, their pitch rising and vocabulary growing incomprehensible.

Cheng Songyun, as an outsider, couldn’t intervene and just waited quietly.

But after a few minutes, the boy suddenly screamed. The newbies scattered in panic.

The girl froze, face turning pale. “What’s wrong, babe?”

The boy didn’t answer and just stared in horror at his right leg. His pants were quickly soaking with blood, and the smell filled the air.

Before Cheng Songyun could react, the lone man from before appeared out of nowhere. “Take them off.”

The boy winced, sweating. “What the f—”

The man cut him off calmly. “If you don’t want to die, take them off.”

Faced with spreading blood, the boy caved. He pulled down his jeans, and everyone gasped.

A chunk of flesh the size of a walnut was missing from his thigh.

The wound’s edge was rough, as if the flesh had vanished into thin air and blood was flowing freely.

The lone man crouched down, inspected the wound, then pulled a yellow talisman from his pocket. He dipped it in the blood and drew an unrecognizable symbol.

Then he snapped his fingers, and the paper burned with a pure white flame.

“It’s not the death taboo. Just bandage it up. You’ll be fine. I’m off.” He stood and left.

The girl threw herself on the boy, sobbing like he’d just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. The rest stared at the man in awe.

Cheng Songyun’s long theoretical lecture couldn’t compete with this dramatic scene.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He watched too.

After checking the wound, the man turned back and lean against the wall to smoke with a relaxed expression.

When he crouched down earlier, a red string had peeked from his collar. It seemed something was hanging from it.

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The author has something to say:

After three stressful instances, time for a light interlude!

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