Generally speaking, nighttime was the most dangerous time in the Frontier Forest, but after the baptism of the worm and Pandorater, Nemo had lost the concept of the word “danger”. Whenever he thought the situation was turning from bad to worse, fate always seemed to give him new surprises. It was barely a week since he’d left his original life, yet he had almost forgotten the concept of “normal”.
Oliver’s erected ice shield was still standing firmly, emitting bursts of cold air. Nemo peered out between the ice crevice and saw that the demons and monsters who were whipped up into a frenzy because of the superior demon’s flesh had not dispersed. They began to collide and tear at each other, trying to get extra flesh by devouring their enemies. The night was getting thicker and the scattered corpses and blood looked like boring shadows, giving the illusion of safety.
Unfortunately, battles in reality never pick a suitable time to end. It usually came with misfortune, exhaustion, fear, or pain that didn’t seem to hinder them.
There were still a few sparse monsters advancing towards the place where Pandorater was, hoping to pick up some leftovers. This time, they weren’t so anxious. From time to time, lanky demons would drill through the thick gaps of ice and bare their fangs and claws, showing hostility to them. Nemo wasn’t sure if it was because Oliver was bleeding, but the demons invariably chose him as the primary target.
Oliver once again showed his tarrying perseverance. He broke the horn of a small demon with his bare hands. When the next demon tried to bite off his head, he put his injured left arm around its neck and inserted the horn that he had previously broken off directly into its throat. The sticky blood sprayed all over the two of them, and the fishy smell dispersed instantly.
Nemo had to deal with those sticky tongues and malicious fangs empty-handed. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be interested in him, and it was relatively easy for him to attack from the side. His strengthened physical strength finally came in handy, although breaking off spines made him uncomfortable.
The corpses of the demons were quickly dragged away from the ice crevice by smaller demons, competing for food, and the remnants of flesh and blood caused more monsters to stop near the ice shield.
“We can’t keep going on like this,” Oliver said breathlessly. The ice shield was starting to shatter which made him and Nemo stick back-to-back to guard against any malicious attack that could come from their blind spots. Nemo didn’t dare use magic anymore and instead used a broken horn purely as a dagger, only relying on physical strength to stab at the thick skin of the monsters. His physical strength was rapidly depleting.
“You’re right.” Nemo gritted his teeth and twisted something in his hand; he didn’t know whether it was a tongue or a neck. “Sooner or later, they will find that there’s nothing left to eat, so they’ll turn their attention to ordinary dishes, like us, to regain their strength. They can even take some back as they return to their homes.”
“Run back?” Oliver jabbed the broken horn into a huge eyeball causing its owner to hiss in pain.
“…Run back.” Although Nemo didn’t know if Ann was still there.
Ann didn’t move. The milky white barrier had long since disappeared.
The alternation of hope and despair was very painful. The appearance and death of the Seymour Worm resulted in the appearance and departure of a superior demon. When the gathered group of monsters and demons began to disperse and attack frantically, several people around her completely collapsed, curling into a ball as they held their heads with their hands, while pressing their foreheads against the ground, praying to their respective Gods while tears rolled down their faces.
Ann didn’t care about those ordinary demons. It was better to say that this was the real level of the test. The superior demon left and she was still miraculously alive, but the female warrior didn’t feel the joy of survival, but some unknown grief gripped her heart.
She cursed numerous times. The worm that ran through her countless nightmares was so easily repelled.
The grief was not out of envy or jealousy. It was more like a tomb dug before the burial of a loved one, filled with remorse, anger, and rejection from one’s own incompetence.
She couldn’t remember when she started to give up and when she decided that “the Seymour Worm was invincible”. Her world was full of the smell of corpses and smoke, which had long solidified and formed indestructibly. Those insurmountable things gave her some kind of strength, similar to the darkness, allowing her to calmly ignore the cries and begs for help.
No one could save them. They were destined to die.
There was nothing wrong if she didn’t stretch out her hand again. She had tried and failed too many times. She owed no one kindness, and naturally she didn’t have any responsibility. It should’ve been like this. She had thought about it countless times and was clearer about this than anyone else.
But at this time, the pain almost penetrated her heart.
She wanted to scream hysterically. There were still people around her who were being ripped apart and eaten by monsters; people who were praying to God for a savior; people who were showing their defenseless back to hungry demons; and their choking crept into her ears.
‘Why?’ She thought painfully and blankly. ‘Why ask for a miracle?’
‘Why don’t you stand up and resist? Why are you giving up now?’
Like herself all this time, who felt at ease with her own incompetence, who framed countless rigid laws in the world, and never took a step out of the boundary. Ann suddenly had a wonderful feeling. For a certain reason, she participated in this test over and over again, perhaps for this moment.
She had been looking forward to death and was waiting for this pain.
The female warrior straightened her back and gradually showed a slightly distorted and ugly smile on her face. She gripped the last page of her spell book with trembling hands as countless names and faces that had long disappeared flashed through her mind. Those who still had hope until the last moment when they were crushed to death by the worm, those who rushed to their deaths firmly for their loved ones, and the young man who clumsily attacked the worm for atonement.
How stupid.
Ann Savage ignited the last spell.
Dazzling lightning cut through the night, glowing a hint of bright red through the purplish white brilliance. Ann thrust the hunting spear into the soil and held it firmly with both hands so she wouldn’t lose her balance. She coughed up a mouthful of blood as a sharp pain pierced into her bones, making her unable to tell whether she was still alive or dead. After all, she never had the courage to use this for so many years.
Her soul was burning, and all her magic potential was released, which was an extremely delicious bait for the demons who swarmed her, bypassing the lightning cage.
The wisdom of ordinary demons was no different than that of beasts. They rushed straight towards the lightning cage and turned into charred cinders before becoming ashes on the ground, filling the air with a disgusting scorching smell. The lightning cage remained motionless, piercing the night sky sharply. From time to time, electric arcs flashed and disappeared around it.
From a distance, it looked like a banner.
Ann knew that if she kept going like this, she wouldn’t make it through the night. She also knew that she could not kill all the demons in the forest and could not save everyone, but at this moment, she just wanted to keep up this stupid and meaningless persistence; perhaps because it was more painful if she did nothing at all.
The subordinate demons kept dying to the lightning, but the ones with a bit of brain dared not approach. People began to shiver and gather towards the electric light, and even people in the distance became attracted to it. Ann couldn’t see them clearly. She couldn’t even keep her eyes open for long. Her blood was burning, the skin on her arms was cracking, and her mouth was full of blood.
How long has it been?
The female warrior’s legs began to soften, and her skull seemed to be filled with red-hot molten lava. The terrible lightning kept swallowing her magic so that she was unable to support it.
Suddenly, something passed through the lightning cage and hit the back of her head, causing her to faint in surprise.
“That… won’t kill her, will it?” Nemo hurriedly supported Ann’s limp body.
Oliver seemed to have the same doubts. He felt Ann’s feeble breath. “…I don’t think so.”
The two of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Nemo carefully set the female warrior on the grass. Ann was almost enveloped in blood from head to toe. Her skin showed a frighteningly blueish white, and her entire body felt cold, like a corpse.
Nemo and Oliver looked at each other helplessly. If it was something that could simply be bandaged, they could make do, but in this state, no matter how they looked at it, they needed a professional to help her. However, as an ex-librarian and an ex-innkeeper, they didn’t possess any knowledge related to the medical field. Nemo tentatively sprinkled the wound medicine in his backpack on her, untimely thinking that he was sprinkling seasoning on a BBQ. It didn’t seem to have any effect at all, so he stopped his hands bitterly.
“…Let me do it. I’m a healer,” a trembling voice stepped in. Nemo turned his head sideways and saw a thin man tremblingly raise his hands. His face was covered in dirt and snot, seemingly as if he had been crying a lot just now. “Give her some space… This lady’s condition isn’t serious. She just needs proper treatment and rest.”
Nemo and Oliver hurriedly retreated.
“Then… If you don’t mind, I can also examine that person’s arm…”
“Take a look at Ann first. Thank you very much,” Oliver hurriedly thanked him.
The man grinned, showing an ugly smile.
“No, you’re welcome. It was you who saved us… Speaking of which, what the hell was that? I have never seen that kind of spell before.”
“We don’t know.” Nemo scratched his head. “To be honest, I still don’t know whether she started that thing by herself or was attacked.”
“No, not this lady. That gentleman…”
“You mean Oliver?”
“Yes, yes.”
Nemo turned his head and looked around. The indifferent expression on his face was a little numb. “I know it’s a bit exaggerated, but we can only think of this stupid way… At least it can block most of the demons. Hey Oliver, do you have a name for this ability?”
“Lack of imagination breaks people’s bones.” Oliver squeezed out a grin as he held his left arm limply on his shoulder. “Just call it this.”
Nemo almost laughed out loud. Considering the scene, he tried his best to turn his smile into a cough.
The healer’s lower lip quivered, and he buried his head, focusing on treatment without saying a word.
Most of the survivors from the test had gathered here because they were attracted to the lightning. Around them, on the edge of the vast lawn, icicles more than ten meters high melded into a solid ice wall, which stood firmly and tightly surrounding the people.
The lightning banner that illuminated the night was extinguished in silence and was replaced by a huge ice crown.
At around 8-9 PM in Lucheng, people who had work and needed to rest early had already had their dinner and were gathered in front of the TV to watch their programs. Huang Wendong had come home early tonight, as he usually didn’t get home until at least 11 PM.
“You came back so early today. Didn’t you go socialize?”
Hearing the opening of the door, his wife came out of the room.
“Originally, the customer temporarily canceled. I brought you and our kids some takeout from Happy House, but you guys must’ve eaten already, right?” He raised the bag in his hand.
The wife took it and joked, “Oh, how rare. You work so much every day that you haven’t brought food back for so many years!”
The Liang family wasn’t short on money. It can be seen from just the decoration of the house and the jewelry on his wife. Even in Lucheng, an economically developed city, their family background was well-off, which is enough to stand out from most families.
However, her appearance was given by God. Even if she exhausted the best skin care products to maintain herself, her wifely skin still sagged day by day, as fine wrinkles began to appear more.
Of course, Huang Wendong wasn’t much better. For a man over forty, it was inevitable that he’d start to gain weight, but he still had glimpses of his handsome self when he was younger.
“Where’s Xiao Wen and Xiao Hong?” Huang Wendong asked.
“They are all watching cartoons in the room.” His wife opened the bag and saw boxes neatly packed with snacks, including her favorite, begonia cakes and dried bamboo shoots, as well as shumai that the kids like.
“Why did you buy so much?” She complained, showing that she had a stubborn heart. After all, her husband used to socialize constantly and had never brought them back anything to eat. Although she didn’t lack food, how could she be unhappy knowing that her husband still remembered her preferences.
Huang Wendong said, “It’s fine. If you don’t want to eat it, just give it to the nanny.”
“Who said I wouldn’t eat it?” His wife glared at him.
“We want to eat shumai! We want to eat shumai!” The two children shouted as they ran out when they heard the news.
His wife couldn’t resist them, so she had to agree and asked Huang Wendong, “Have you eaten? I can ask the nanny to make a few dishes for you.”
Huang Wendong smiled and said, “I’ll take a bath first before eating. You can start without me and give me some hot porridge later. I’m tired of eating out all this time.”
It was past dinner time now, so they had already eaten, but what Huang Wendong brought back was more like a snack than a meal. What was more, the pastries couldn’t be kept for long. When it got cold and had to be reheated, it tasted much worse. The two children were clamoring about, wanting to eat. She asked the nanny to put it on the plate, and the greedy children followed her like little tails attached to her.
Huang Wendong took a bath for an hour. In normal times, his wife would knock on the door, thinking that he had fallen asleep in the bathtub, but tonight, she didn’t come to check on him. She was probably distracted by the two naughty children, or maybe she was too busy watching TV, or perhaps she was busy eating the pastries he had brought back.
Huang Wendong stepped out of the bathtub slowly, put on a clean bathrobe, fastened the tie, opened the door and walked out.
The dining table was strangely quiet. His wife, two children, and nanny were all unconscious. The son was only four years old. He had fallen off the chair and his head had a large bump on it.
Huang Wendong was not shocked at all. Let alone yelling, he walked up to his wife, patted her cheek lightly, and called her name. His wife did not respond.
He got up with satisfaction, walked to the kitchen, and scanned the knives with his eyes. He took a sharp porcelain knife and a kitchen knife and returned to his family.
Huang Wendong’s face was red and a little nervous, but more excited. His gaze shifted between his wife and children, as if he wasn’t sure where to begin, before settling on his four-year-old son.
He thought it should be easier since children had delicate flesh. Tremblingly, he raised the knife in his hand, gritted his teeth, and waved it at the youngest son’s elbow!
—
At that moment, Dong Zhi didn’t know that his inner thoughts had been discovered by Long Shen. He was standing in front of an old residential building in a residential area, looking around blankly.
According to the address given by the other party, Lucheng’s office should be on the first floor, which should be easy to find, but he found that the building here was so old that there weren’t any number plates hanging and the security guard for the property was nowhere to be seen. After looking around for what seemed like hours, he had to call the other party to find the destination under the guidance of the person who had answered the phone just now.
Yan Nuo thought that after the other party arrived, he would explain a few things and leave. He could have dinner and a few drinks with his friends. As a result, he waited from 9 PM until nearly midnight for this long-overdue newcomer.
According to the normal process, a group of newcomers, like Dong Zhi, should’ve reported to the branch first and then gone to various offices with the personnel arrangements from the branch, but that would have delayed too much time. Besides, they had come directly from the General Administration Bureau, which had issued the documents, so they didn’t need the branch office to be involved.
There were only three people in the Lucheng’s office, and they weren’t very keen on newcomers, because newcomers generally don’t understand much. They have to learn everything from scratch. They could also be reckless and arrogant. What’s more, this newcomer had a background. It’s said that he’s a disciple of a Deputy Director.
With such a big Buddha, their small temple can’t hold it. Yan Nuo felt a headache when he thought about it.
He waited until midnight when he was awakened by a phone call from the newcomer, and after patiently giving directions on the phone for a long time and teaching the other party where to go, what little of Yan Nuo’s patient was completely exhausted.
He saw Dong Zhi standing at the entrance with his luggage and shook his hand hastily before saying, “Welcome. Dong Zhi, right? My name is Yan Nuo. The Yan from serious1 and Nuo from promise2. It’s too late now for a proper reception. Why don’t we order some takeout first?”
1The [Yan] (严) from [yan su] (严肃) which means serious, solemn, earnest. 2The [Nuo] (诺) from [cheng nuo] (承诺) which means promise to do something.
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “It’s okay. I’m not hungry. I’m really sorry about this. I’d encountered some issues when I got off the plane, or I wouldn’t be here so late.”
He didn’t mention much about Han Qi, nor did Yan Nuo ask. He stuffed the key into Dong Zhi’s hand and said, “Okay. Then help yourself. I’ll go back and get some rest first.”
Dong Zhi was taken aback for a moment, and hurriedly grabbed the other party. “Yan Ge, where am I staying for tonight? Didn’t you say that the unit allocates dorms?”
Yan Nuo: “Yes. This is an office converted from a private home. It has two bedrooms and one living room. You can choose whichever room you want to stay in. If you feel that the conditions aren’t good, you can go out and rent a different place!”
He was in a hurry to leave. Suddenly, a call came in at that time. Yan Nuo frowned when he looked at the number before picking it up.
“Hello, Zhao Branch.”
Dong Zhi didn’t know what the person on the other end of the line said, but it made Yan Nuo’s expression change slightly. After saying that he would go immediately there, he hung up.
“Xiao Dong, something urgent just happened with the Public Security Bureau. They had called me to go help. You can take care of yourself, right? Call me if you need anything!”
He left without waiting for Dong Zhi to react. Dong Zhi saw that the other party didn’t look back, so he dragged his suitcase in.
The walls hadn’t been painted for many years, and there were bits and pieces falling off. There were cobwebs and dust accumulated in the corners of the ceilings. The living room had no desk, just a sofa set, a coffee table, and an old TV. While Yan Nuo had told him that the place had 2 bedrooms and a living room, one bedroom was full of junk and couldn’t accommodate a person, and the other room had a bunkbed, but the sheets, pillows, and blankets hadn’t been changed for a long time, so there was still the smell of grease. He didn’t dare sit anywhere. Looking around, he couldn’t help but grimace.
Even the warehouse office opposite the cemetery in Yancheng was better than this! Not only is Lucheng not a backcountry town, it’s also a well-known tourist destination in the country. It had beautiful scenery and ample finances. Why is the Lucheng office in such a place? Was this intentionally harassing him?
Dong Zhi wanted to sleep on the sofa for a night, but when he looked at it again, he didn’t know how many years had been put on the leather sofa. The outer leather had long been cracked and spotted, revealing the sponge below. When he touched it with his hands, it felt oily and there was a faint smell of food residue. Even though he wasn’t a neat freak, he really couldn’t lie on this sofa.
Helpless, he had to carry his luggage and go out again. He found an express hotel nearby and rented a room to temporary rest for one night. If the dormitory provided by the office referred to that old house just now, then starting tomorrow, he’ll find a different place to rent.
He turned on his phone and sent a message to Long Shen. After a while, he didn’t get a reply back.
The other party was probably working overtime again. As he lay in bed, the fatigue from his trip was completely released; he didn’t even want to get up to take a shower, so he fell deeply asleep.
The second before he drifted off, he was still thinking about whether he should tell Yan Nuo about the incident on the plane.
The next day, Dong Zhi slept until half past noon before waking up.
When he was in the General Administration, he would have to get up early, around four in the morning. He hadn’t slept so comfortably for a while now. He rolled lazily on the bed, thinking to himself that if he had slept on that sofa last night, most likely he would be greeted with a backache today.
Picking up his phone, he saw that there weren’t any messages. There seemed to be silence on Long Shen’s side, and no one from the branch office had urged him to go to work. His job, though, was irregular as it wasn’t a 9-5 business. There would always be a few emergencies throughout the year, and there was no time to rest when things got busy.
Dong Zhi wanted to send another message to Long Shen, but after thinking about it, the people in the Bureau were recently busy with the excavation of the stone tablet from Liang Weiqi’s tomb. His master must have seen his message, but he may not have had time to reply, so he temporarily gave up.
He wanted to stay in bed for a while longer when he suddenly got a call. It was Yan Nuo.
“Where are you?!”
The other party’s tone wasn’t very good. Dong Zhi didn’t want to admit that he was still sleeping in, so he hurriedly said, “I’m outside. What’s the matter?”
“Mu Duo is waiting in the office, looking for you. Hurry up!”
After speaking, Yan Nuo hung up the line. As for who Mu Duo was, Yan Nuo didn’t make it clear, leaving Dong Zhi confused. He couldn’t greet people in such a state, so he quickly got up and took a shower, then changed his clothes before going over.
The door of the office was ajar. Honestly, there was nothing of value in such a dilapidated house that even if thieves were here, they wouldn’t be interested.
Dong Zhi pushed open the door and saw a young girl sitting on the sofa.
“Hello?”
The girl raised her head, slightly impatient, and was taken aback when she saw Dong Zhi. Her attitude improved a little bit.
“Are you the new colleague?”
Dong Zhi took the initiative to extend his hand. “I am Dong Zhi. Who are you?”
The girl shook his hand. “Mu Duo.”
Dong Zhi: “Hello. Yan Nuo asked me to come over and said you were looking for me?”
Mu Duo nodded. “Yes, there was a murder case in our city last night. The police judged that the case was unusual and asked us to help, which is why we didn’t have time to pick you up on the first day. Sorry.”
Dong Zhi said it was okay and asked if there was anything that he could do to help.
“The quarterly report hasn’t been written yet and needs to be submitted in the next few days. We’re busy with the current case, so it’s estimated that we won’t be able to hand it in before the deadline. Can I trouble you to write it?”
Dong Zhi looked confused. “But I only arrived yesterday. I don’t know what you guys did last quarter!”
Mu Duo handed him a piece of paper. “I have written an outline here. Everything is roughly listed, but I have to trouble you with refining it. If you’re not sure, just do what you feel best.”
A newcomer was a newcomer. He couldn’t refuse the task assigned to him by his senior, so he could only agree.
“Do you need my help with the case?”
Mu Duo smiled and said, “No, there are three of us, so I will ask you for the report.”
Dong Zhi scratched his nose. “Well, be careful, and just ask if you need help. I may go out often during the day these days.”
Mu Duo: “Why? To catch up with friends?”
Dong Zhi said honestly, “Looking for a place to rent. Yan Ge asked me to live here, but I really can’t…”
Mu Duo looked around helplessly.
“That’s okay. The report doesn’t need to be rushed. You can write it when you have time. I’ll leave first and call you if I have something for you.”
Mu Duo, like Yan Nuo, didn’t feel very good when they heard that there were new people coming. They felt that three people in the office was enough. They would only cause trouble if more arrived, but they couldn’t refuse the arrangements from above, so they had to hold their noses and put up with it. She had thought that it would be the same as last time since the newcomer had a deep background. A newborn calf was not afraid of tigers, and they set their eyes above the top. However, after chatting with Dong Zhi, her impression had changed a little. Although he had a background, at least this newcomer looked good and had a good attitude.
After she left, Dong Zhi picked up the outline and looked at it. He immediately understood why he was asked to write the quarterly report. What outline? What do what you feel best? It was clear that they were too lazy to write the report and just pushed it onto the newcomer who just happened to join.
Dong Zhi felt flabbergasted. Still, there was no other way. As a newcomer who had just entered the workplace for the first time, he inevitably had to put up with being ordered around. Fortunately, he had been in the workforce three years before, so he wasn’t a rookie. There was no resentment or dissatisfaction. He turned on the computer and started the report.
The next few days were calm.
It was different from the exciting life he imagined, being involved in chaotic messes and slaying demons all day long. Although there were three people besides him in the office, Yan Nuo and Mu Duo were often elusive* so he rarely saw them, while the other, Xiao Qi, he hadn’t even met yet.
*The dragon sees the beginning but doesn’t see the end. (神龙见首不见尾) Use to describe the mysterious whereabouts of people without revealing the truth.
They seemed to be very busy with a murder case, but they had no intention of letting Dong Zhi participate. When Dong Zhi asked, they would give vague and perfunctory responses. With no other choice, all Dong Zhi could do was write the quarterly report and find a place to live. After a week, no one had urged him on the progress of his report, which made it obvious that asking him to write it was just a cover, and they didn’t want Dong Zhi to get involved in the case.
Since they all got along, they all made a group comprised of only newcomers. Although everyone was separated far and wide, they would say a few words in the group every day. It gave them the same feeling of getting along daily, like they had been when they were together. It also gave them the comfort of home as they could feel the warmth of their companions.
Ba Sang was the luckiest of them all because he was assigned to an office that was in the province of his hometown, so he was close to where he lived, which only made Gu Meiren and Dong Zhi envious. Gu Meiren was assigned to Yinchuan, which was just the area where the Liang Weiren’s Tomb is and where they had experienced their life and death and discovered the second stone tablet. As a participant last time, it made sense for her to continue following up on it. She was familiar with the process, so she had something to do. Liu Qingbo and Li Ying weren’t bad either. He heard that they participated with Group One and Group Three in searching for the other stone tablets. Everyone else seemed to have good jobs, while he was the only one stuck here writing quarterly reports.
Dong Zhi laid down on the table and typed for a while and couldn’t help but send another message to Long Shen.
[Master, are you busy today?]
Long Shen did not reply immediately. It took about half an hour before Dong Zhi received a response: [There have been many meetings recently. If you have questions about your cultivation, you can call directly.]
The implication is that if it’s a trivial matter that has nothing to do with cultivation, he shouldn’t be contacting him.
Dong Zhi stared at the message on the phone screen for a while. He wasn’t sure if he was overthinking things, but he felt that Long Shen seemed to have become a little colder lately.
It had only been two days since he left the capital for Lucheng. Before he left, he was still sitting with Long Shen for dinner as they talked about the future and their parting. Long Shen had asked him not to take Longlong away, saying he would help feed it in his spare time since he’d have a full workload once he joined the branch office. There would be a lot to deal with and adjust to, so he wouldn’t have the energy to care for the cat in a short period of time.
Everything was fine then, so why did it suddenly change?
Dong Zhi was puzzled.
Empathetic farewells, terminal illness, and other dog-blooded* scenes played through his mind. He even found it so funny that he couldn’t help but laugh from his imagination.
*Refers to cliché overly dramatic.
How is this possible? Not to mention that it had only been two days. Even after another twenty years, his master most likely remained unchanged.
After thinking about it for a while, he finally decided to focus on his job first. At least he had to wait until he knew the situation here before calling. Otherwise, if Long Shen asked, how could he tell him that because he was a newcomer, he was excluded from participation? Such a useless excuse would never make his master happy.
Dong Zhi put aside the messy thoughts and concentrated on completing the quarterly report at hand. In fact, writing this report had some merit. At least by doing this, he had roughly formed an understanding of Yan Nuo’s and the others’ daily work.
In the last quarter, the office did a total of three relatively large tasks.
One was the international conference that Lucheng hosted, and many world leaders participated in. In addition to ordinary security work, special-level security must also be done properly. In this regard, the people of the South China Branch of the Special Administration Bureau were responsible. The three from this branch mainly cooperated with them.
The second thing was a transnational drug smuggling case. The police had asked Yan Nuo and the others for assistance, but in the end, it was confirmed that it was only a criminal case between ordinary people and did not involve practitioners.
The third thing was that an internationally wanted practitioner had fled to China. Rumors had it that he was hiding in Lucheng. The South China Branch had sent someone to hunt him down. Yan Nuo and the others cooperated with them as well. In the end, they successfully arrested the fugitive and brought him to justice. With the integration of the world, the portals of various countries have opened wide, allowing practitioners from foreign countries to come and go. This also meant international crime had also increased. As a coastal and port city, Lucheng bore the brunt of the responsibility.
Mu Duo’s outline was very simple. What Dong Zhi had to do was nothing more than expand the details of these three tasks. He had to affirm the contributions made by the Lucheng Office in the last quarter so that they could receive funds and bonuses from above, which will also be good for their future promotions.
One thing Dong Zhi found in common with all these three tasks was that Yan Nuo and the others had never taken the initiative to accomplish them, but they always cooperated passively after it had happened.
Combined with the dilapidated environment of this office, he felt he had arrived at an understanding.
Before leaving Beijing, Dong Zhi did not inquire with Long Shen about the origins of several colleagues in Lucheng. He only heard that the Special Administration Bureau does not recruit as high of a number of employees as this year. There have been several years where there were no applicants and they had a shortage of staff, which made the Special Administration Bureau occasionally relax their criteria. They had many offices in China, but the General Administration could not cover everything, so experts were installed in every place. Lucheng has Yan Nuo as part of a group of three, which was considered a very good configuration, compared to Yangcheng, which only had Zhang Chong and Lin Jun.
Thinking about it now, though Zhang Chong and Lin Jun were half-buckets of water, with limited abilities and a lack of ambition and talent, they were both very active. On the top floor of Tianyuan Building, Zhang Chong even risked his life and almost died heroically. When others spoke, they would praise the disciples from the Longhu Sect for being brave and not being afraid of death, which was a reputation that was well deserved.
Long Shen also said that as a practitioner or a practitioner of a state institution, you must first have the courage to take the initiative, because even in a small office, the safety of ordinary people in the entire city is their responsibility.
Obviously, Yan Nuo and the others hadn’t done well, at least not good enough that it would give them an outstanding reputation.
The author has something to say:
Dong Zhi doesn’t know it yet… hahaha.
Lucheng is the starting point for Xiao Dong Zhi’s job entry, and it will also the be the starting point for him to move towards the vast sky that’s filled with a sea full of stars in the future~
Seeing that he had nothing to say, the airline security personnel said, “Your ID was so good that you almost fooled me.”
Because it’s real!
The corners of Dong Zhi’s mouth twitched. “Don’t lose my ID, otherwise I won’t be able to report in.”
The other party was incredulous. “Report to who?! Yourself?! Do you need to be accompanied by someone to transfer you to a mental institution?”
Dong Zhi: …
It was really impossible to talk about it. He had the urge to overturn a table.
He gave up and said, “I have other documents on hand. Do you want to take them together for inspection?”
The airline security personnel. “That’s just right. We do have to verify your identity. Thank you for your cooperation.”
He took Dong Zhi’s backpack, found the ID documents inside, and also found a pile of yellow paper and cinnabar.
“You’re really devoted to the act. Fortunately, you didn’t bring any controlled weapons. Otherwise, we really would have to turn around.”
Dong Zhi said weakly, “There are controlled weapons. They are in the checked baggage. I have already said that I am from the Special Administration Bureau.”
The airline security personnel did not believe him. “Are you joking? At any rate, this didn’t cause any major disasters this time, or you’ll be looking at three years in prison!”
He rummaged through his backpack, then checked Dong Zhi’s pockets and couldn’t help but sigh.
“You didn’t bring a lighter or matches. How did you ignite it just now?”
Dong Zhi: “It was talisman fire. The talisman paper ignited spontaneously. Do you believe me?”
The airline security personnel. “I don’t believe you.”
Dong Zhi rolled his eyes. “Then I’m a pyromancer and I can spit out fire when I open my mouth!”
The other party showed him an expression of: “you just said you didn’t escape from a mental hospital”.
Dong Zhi had finally experienced what it meant to be indisputable.
Han Qi didn’t wake up, and her bodyguard and assistant both agreed that Dong Zhi had done something to her. If it weren’t for the airline security personnel, they would have pummeled him by now. Dong Zhi told them that Han Qi was fine, but they didn’t believe him, so he could only keep his mouth shut.
The other passengers thought that it was some kind of terrorist attack and could only cradle themselves in fear. They endured the difficult few hours of the plane ride. It wasn’t until it safely landed that they felt reborn. Dong Zhi was taken to the airline security office, while Han Qi was transported to the infirmary for examination.
“Let’s talk about it. Why did you create panic on the plane? Do you know that your behavior almost caused a catastrophe!”
Facing the interrogation, Dong Zhi said helplessly, “I am really from the Special Administration Bureau. Please contact them. Either He Yu or Long Shen can verify my identity. I have their number on my phone.”
The person in charge of the integration was a young man who had just graduated from college. When he heard this, he said suspiciously, “How do I know that you’re not all in cahoots with each other? And what is the Special Administration Bureau? I haven’t heard of it at all!”
Fortunately, the person he caught was Dong Zhi. If it had been Kan Chaosheng, he would have turned the security office upside down a long time ago.
In the next moment, the young man watched Dong Zhi break free from his handcuffs. It stunned him for nearly three seconds before he became furious and was about to slam the table.
Dong Zhi said politely, “As you can see, it’s not like I can’t run away, but it’s not necessary. Would you please verify my identity? Your boss may not know, so his boss must. If we have to jump through all these hoops like this every time a special event happens in the future, it will greatly delay the Special Administration Bureau’s ability to take action. Do you want to stand idly by and watch as passengers on a whole plane die together?”
The young man stared at him for a long time before finally calling for his superiors.
Dong Zhi lay down on the table, took out the phone, and rummaged through his contact list. He originally wanted to call Long Shen, but he was afraid of being scolded for getting into trouble so soon, so he called He Yu instead.
“Hello?” There was a weak response from that end. “Xiao Dongdong, have you landed?”
“I’ve landed, but I ran into trouble. Now I’m in custody and being treated like a prisoner.” Dong Zhi briefly explained what happened.
He Yu listened and said, “I see, it’s just a trivial matter. The Special Administration Bureau has docking channels with other departments. Most likely, they haven’t had time to enter the newcomers on the list yet, so that’s why you didn’t appear. I’ll just call and explain.”
He spoke easily, and Dong Zhi also breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you, don’t tell Master. I’m afraid he’ll scold me.”
He Yu wailed, “When you were here, the boss took care of you, and he didn’t have time to bother with us. As soon as you left, he remembered that we still exist. Laozi’s legs are still broken, yet he actually had the heart to let me go on a business trip! This is too inhumane! No, he’s not human, but does he have any reason left in him!”
With black lines covering Dong Zhi’s face, he quickly hung up the phone and stopped the continuous wailing from the other end of the line.
As soon as he hung up the phone, Dong Zhi saw the bodyguard who had accompanied Han Qi coming in from outside. He looked around and saw Dong Zhi sitting on the table and strode forward aggressively, looming as most of his body covered the table. His hand reached out and pulled at Dong Zhi’s collar.
Dong Zhi avoided it and kicked the table forward, catching his opponent off guard and causing him to fall onto the table. Another bodyguard wanted to rush up and hit him when the staff reacted and stopped them.
“What are you doing?!”
“How dare you fight in the security office?!”
Dong Zhi shouted, “Brothers and sisters of the police, they want to beat me up!”
Due to the stark contrast between Dong Zhi’s harmless face compared to his opponent’s dressed in suits and sunglasses, security didn’t have time to ponder why Dong Zhi wasn’t wearing his handcuffs but instead subdued the bodyguards who seemed to be more threatening.
The bodyguard didn’t dare to resist, so he could only yell at Dong Zhi, “Miss Han hasn’t woken up yet, and it’s all your fault! You must be responsible! Officer, you can’t let him go. This person caused personal injury to Miss Han on the plane just now and should be locked up!”
At this moment, the young man in charge of the integration just ran back panting. “Dong Zhi, our leader wants to see you!”
The bodyguards thought that they were colluding and were planning to let Dong Zhi go, so they kept hollering and yelling. The scene became chaotic, and it wasn’t until the leader of the young man came over that the chaos calmed down.
The other party was a middle-aged man. He said to the bodyguard, “We have verified that this comrade is indeed a public servant of our system. At that time, there was something wrong with Miss Han, so he had to take action to stop it.”
The bodyguard shouted, “What kind of public servant? Why don’t you dare say which department he’s in? You officials are just protecting each other. Just you wait. We’ll expose this to the media immediately, so that you can’t afford to get away with this!”
“Then you plan on exposing the way Miss Han was acting just then?” Dong Zhi spoke up unexpectedly.
The bodyguard was taken aback for a moment and said sternly, “I don’t know what you are talking about!”
Dong Zhi smiled and said, “You’ve been by her side all this time. Haven’t you seen her behave strangely? This shouldn’t be the first time she has done something like this on a plane, right? This you should know in your heart.”
The security personnel next to him looked weirdly at him when he heard Dong Zhi’s unscientific words.
Dong Zhi narrowed his smile and said stiffly, “If I hadn’t happened to be on the plane and stopped a catastrophe in time, let alone her, even you, and everyone on the plane, would have suffered!”
The bodyguard was frightened by his words; his face turned pale, and he was unable to speak. He didn’t know whether it was because he was too frightened or felt guilty.
Dong Zhi guessed that it was the latter because what he said just now was also nonsense. He had been with He Yu and the others for a while now and had picked up on some of their skills and become quicker-witted. Judging from the bodyguard’s behavior, it was possible that his guess was right.
“Miss Han is fine now. I just put her to sleep for a while, and she will wake up soon. I have to verify my identity with their leader, so I won’t leave for a while. If she doesn’t wake up, you can come find me. My documents are still here.” Dong Zhi said.
As he finished speaking, the bodyguard’s phone rang, and a girl was talking hurriedly at the end. The volume was so loud that even Dong Zhi could hear it.
“Where are you? Miss Han was woken up. Sister Zheng said to not let that person go before Miss Han goes to the hospital for an examination and to make sure everything is okay!”
The two bodyguards looked at each other and finally decided that one would go back and the other would stay here to watch Dong Zhi to prevent him from running away.
Dong Zhi was led back into the office by the middle-aged man. He seems to be a leader who was higher ranked than the officers here.
The leader took the initiative to get up and shake hands with him and said, with a smile, “I’m sorry. As you know, the Special Administration Bureau is not well known to the public. Our colleagues failed to verify your identity for a while, so it caused you some trouble.”
Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “It was I who caused you trouble. This time it was all a misunderstanding.”
The leader was very satisfied with his calm attitude and became even more enthusiastic. “Is there a confidentiality regulation for this accident on the plane? If so, you can write a report and directly explain it to your leader. If Ms. Han’s side insists on holding you accountable, we’ll try our best to stop it.”
Dong Zhi said, “This time she was the cause of it. There’s something corrupt on her body that caused the accident. If she still wants me to be held accountable, let her come to me.”
The leader had heard of the mysterious Special Administration Bureau, but only in name, as he had never seen anyone from it. He only heard rumors that they were hiding talented and powerful people. Looking at Dong Zhi, who had a calm and gentle demeanor, he found that he wasn’t as surprised as he thought.
Listening to what Dong Zhi had said, the leader couldn’t help feeling curious, but he knew that he shouldn’t ask according to discipline, so he had to hold back.
The young man saw that his leader had personally taken Dong Zhi in, and after a while, he was personally sent out. They were talking and laughing with each other that he couldn’t help but feel uneasy, worried that Dong Zhi would be petty and scold him in front of his leader, so he hurried forward to apologize.
Dong Zhi smiled. “Now do you believe that I’m not crazy?”
The young man felt very embarrassed. “The incident on the plane happened so suddenly that they had to deal with it urgently. I acted in accordance with the regulations, so don’t hold it against me!”
Naturally, Dong Zhi would not make things difficult for him. Everyone had their own duties to perform. He looked at the trembling appearance of the other party and guessed that they had just joined the workforce, so he said, “Can I trouble you with one thing?”
The young man hurriedly said, “Of course!”
Dong Zhi took out the registration card Long Shen gave him. “I had checked in an item that needed to go through a special channel, so I had to go to the baggage claim office to get it. With this incident that happened just now, I don’t know where my luggage is. Can you please get it for me?”
With such a trivial matter, the other party agreed immediately and went to help him pick it up.
At this time, several more people came into the security office. A woman wearing a mask and sunglasses, a big hat on her head, and a silk scarf wrapped around her neck was leading them. She was covered from head to toe, and coupled with an entourage next to her, they were more likely to attract people’s attention.
“There he is!” The assistant next to Han Qi pointed to Dong Zhi, and the group of people walked towards him.
The staff member next to him stepped forward to stop them. “Is there anything wrong?”
Before Han Qi said anything, the assistant girl next to her said to Dong Zhi, “You just caused unknowable personal injury to Miss Han on the plane. Miss Han is going to the hospital for a physical examination, so we ask that you please come with us.”
While the contents of her sentences were polite, her tone was the opposite.
Dong Zhi felt annoyed. “I had saved her just now. How could I cause her any harm? Even if there is harm, she did it herself.”
The little girl raised her eyebrows and said. “Don’t try to avoid responsibility!”
Dong Zhi said to Han Qi, “If you really suspected me of wrongdoing, you wouldn’t come here just to ask the guilty party to follow you. You’re just here because you want to know what you’re entangled with!”
Han Qi finally took off her sunglasses and mask and said. “My assistant was impolite just now. I apologize on her behalf. Would it be convenient to find a place to talk?”
Dong Zhi refused. “It’s inconvenient.”
Han Qi: …
It just so happened that the young man came back with his sword case. Dong Zhi thanked him and then said to Han Qi, “I can’t solve your problem, Miss Han. The person who tied the bell needs to untie it*. You must know who to look for. Also, before the matter is resolved, I suggest you stop flying and implicate other innocent people. Otherwise, your sins will be even greater.”
*(解铃还需系铃人) Idiom referring to who the person who caused the trouble, is the one who has to solve it.
Han Qi’s face changed color, turning red and pale.
Dong Zhi didn’t bother waiting for her to react as he picked up his things and left.
With the delay of the flight, coupled with the incident he just went through, it was almost midnight when he got onto the bus to head towards the city.
Lucheng was a famous tourist city, and it was currently in peak tourist season. Even this late at night, the lights were still bright, and voices could be heard endlessly. However, he was originally said to report at 8 PM, but now it was past midnight. Feeling annoyed, he quickly dialed the contact number of the branch office, and it rang for a long time before someone came to pick it up.
“Who?! It’s the middle of the night!” The other party’s voice was lazy, most likely due to being abruptly awaken from bed.
Dong Zhi hurriedly said, “Hello, I am Dong Zhi. I’m the newcomer who was supposed to report in today, but the plane has only arrived just now due to delays. I’m really sorry. Should I go directly to the office or report back tomorrow morning?”
The other party yawned and said, “Just come directly!”
—
The meeting was a bit long, so when it was adjourned, everyone was hungry. Long Shen didn’t follow them to dinner but went back to the dorms.
When he came to his room, he was about to open the door when he suddenly remembered Dong Zhi’s words before they parted. He paused the movement of inserting his key into the keyhole for a while before picking up another key and opening the room opposite to his.
The occupant had left, and the building was empty. Everything was all packed up neatly, so Long Shen spotted the item on the coffee table with just a glance.
It was a painting. To be more precise, it was a sketch. The picture was drawn in pencil and had only been colored halfway through.
In the deep underground, the glazed grass grew slightly in the corners. Under the cliff, there were thousands of corpses and ghosts, which showed a terrifying scene. Standing on the cliff was a man with his back against the mountain wall. He was slender as he held a sword in one hand while looking down to the bottom of the cliff.
His face was cold, but he seemed compassionate. In the darkness, he was fearless and held no hint of sorrow or joy, incompatible with his surroundings, as if he was a god who had fallen from the heavens.
Thousands of bones covered the landscape as if it was hell on earth, and he, above the hell, in the corner of the light of that day, was not tainted with any filth.
Long Shen hadn’t thought about that scene when he was in the cave, but it turned out to be like this from his apprentice’s pen. He couldn’t help but be stunned.
Perhaps because it was done in a hurry and the other party didn’t have enough time to put it into a frame, all he saw was a lonely piece of paper that was almost too thin to hold in his hand.
A white cat passed by his feet and its tail curled along his heel. Long Shen put the drawing on the table and turned to feed it.
When he finished changing the cat’s water bowl, he turned around and saw that Longlong had jumped onto the chair and was resting his two front paws on the coffee table, looking at the drawing curiously. His nose was extremely close, as if he was eager to try it.
Long Shen stretched out his hand and pinched the cat’s neck, causing it to let out a dissatisfied meow, as if it was protesting his stinginess. He took the drawing away and back to his room, opened a large book, and sandwiched the painting in the middle of it.
The furnishings in the room are as simple as they can be. While it seemed like his five internal organs* were complete, there was still a feeling of emptiness. In the past, Dong Zhi had often complained that there was no feeling of home here. He complained that Long Shen lived too simply and didn’t know how to enjoy life, so he bought some pillows and furnishings to put in his room.
*(五脏) Refers to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys.
It wasn’t because Long Shen had no aesthetics. He just rarely cared about things outside of his body, but he didn’t interfere with the layout either and let Dong Zhi tinker to his liking.
Every night before Dong Zhi left Beijing, he would stay here and talk until he was driven back to bed. There was a half-opened bag of nuts on the coffee table and there were even indentations on the sofa where he had sat and laid down.
If he forbade him to eat more, Dong Zhi would act pitiful and say that he was too hungry and couldn’t sleep. Later, Long Shen had bought him nuts that were good for his health, so he ate them as snacks. After dinner, his mouth wouldn’t remain idle.
Long Shen shook his head and picked up the snacks and put them back in the cupboard, thinking that when Dong Zhi returned to Beijing, he would have to look for food all over his house again.
His gaze inadvertently swept across and stopped on the pot of plants, the yulu that was given to him before Dong Zhi became his apprentice.
Since he couldn’t raise it, he could only use a cheating method by forcibly injecting vitality into it to bring it back to life.
Now it only needed to be watered once in a while when he remembered to. There was no need to fuss over taking care of it as it would live happily until the end of its life. Its leaves were like petals flowing brightly under the lamp, glittering and translucent, telling secrets in silence.
Dong Zhi didn’t know that injecting vitality into the yulu had more than one effect.
At this moment, Long Shen stretched out his hand and touched its leaves gently. The yulu trembled slightly, as if it had been awakened from a nap and couldn’t wait to pour out all the words that were hidden in the bottom of its heart.
The thoughts of someone were held deep within the plant and flowed from it through Long Shen’s fingers and into his mind.
“Boss Long is too good. Do you think I can really catch him?”
“He doesn’t even have a girlfriend. If we just skip directly to a boyfriend, will that scare him?”
“In his eyes, I should be a candidate to be his apprentice. If I confess, will he kick me out of the Special Administration Bureau? Would it be safer to wait until after the training exam is over?”
“If I can gain his favorability again, maybe he’ll understand.”
A familiar voice, a familiar intonation. It sounded a little worried, a little uncertain. It seems that someone was playing with the petals on the yulu and was talking to himself.
Long Shen remained motionless. He looked at the yulu, but his eyes became colder and colder, as if he could completely freeze it.
A powerful breath came from his finger that caused the delicate yulu to instantly be covered with a thin layer of frost.
“Meow~”
The doors to both rooms weren’t closed. The white cat, who didn’t know what being full of food and drink was, had wandered in from the other room. It seemed to be frightened by Long Shen’s breath as it stood by the door, only daring to show one side of its fluffy head.
Long Shen’s cold and hard jawline slowly melted with its cry. He stretched out his hand and touched the yulu, causing the frost to melt, allowing it to regain its vitality.
The cat seemed to sense that the danger alarm had been lifted, so it moved towards Long Shen and looked up at him. Long Shen stood there for a moment before he bent over and picked up the white cat and sent it back to its room. Then he turned around and took the Qingzhu Sword with him to the rooftop.
Pushing the door open, he was greeted with a sky full of stars and the sound of the gurgling streams. In this space, there were no seasons, only day and night.
Long Shen raised his head and stood still for a moment, then suddenly threw the sword up, jumped up, pulled it out of its scabbard while in midair, and spun his body as he whirled the sword around.
If Dong Zhi was here, he would be able to recognize that it was the Bu Tian Gang that he had been practicing continuously these days. However, Long Shen’s moves were more proficient and experienced. It matched the sword seamlessly, exerting Bu Tian Gang’s power to the extreme.
Tian Gang footwork, Tian Gang swordsmanship, and Tian Gang qi were all combined into one.
The roping technique which united the heavens, the axis which bound the earth, the brilliance which turned the wheel of the sun, the splendor which blended the stars and the moon, crossing the big dipper. The army order was too weak, beckoning qi of the world, gathering might from far and wide, the plumage of the palace goes under change as the five mountains* collapse.
*General term used for the five famous mountains in Chinese traditional culture. They are Huashan, Hengshan, Tarzan, Hengshan (different [heng] character), Songshan.
This is Bu Tian Gang.
Long Shen’s figure almost turned into light and shadow under the starlight. Wherever he went, grass and leaves would whirl, boulders would shatter, and the waterfalls would flow backwards. Even the stars in the sky began to rotate slowly around him.
A bright glow appeared in the sky in the distance. Before the long night passed, it was like dawn was approaching. Suddenly, lightning flashed in the sky, as if someone had torn a hole in the night, quickly spreading down.
In the next moment, a pair of hands came out of the middle of the lightning and tore apart the darkness on both sides.
The elegant woman walked over from the other end of the “night curtain” with a smile. “I must say, the weather has changed so suddenly. It seems that you are dancing with your sword here, so I came to quickly stop you. Although there’s an enchantment here, your energy is too large, and it can easily affect the weather outside. It’ll cause an uproar if you’re attracting the sun and moon towards you.”
She stretched out her hand and turned two stones into stools, then walked over and sat down. Starlight fell to the ground as he stood there. Long Shen raised his hand, causing the Qingzhu Sword in his hand to fly out, inserting itself back into the scabbard that was on the ground with perfect precision.
“Why is Zong Lao here?”
“You’ve been making such a ruckus for a while now. How could I not come?” Zong Ling pulled out a tea set from nowhere, scooped some water into the teapot from the stream nearby, and covered it with her hand for a moment. The water inside was immediately steaming hot enough to boil the tea.
“It’s been a long time since I saw you practicing your swordsmanship. It was truly a feast for one’s eyes. Unfortunately, I’m afraid you’ll pierce through the enchantment, so I had to stop you. What’s going on? You’re in a bad mood?”
Long Shen sat down on the other stone stool and did not deny it. “It’s a bit messy.”
Zong Ling laughed. “How rare. I thought you have never been happy or sad with things concerning yourself. Is it because of what’s going on inside the bureau? Wu Bingtian? The Japanese?”
Long Shen shook his head.
While the matter of the stone tablet was difficult, he’s not the only one in the Special Administration Bureau, that’s investigating it. With the joint efforts of everyone, sooner or later, there would be results.
While Wu Bingtian could seem difficult, Long Shen had worked with him for many years now and knew that it was mainly due to their different ways of thinking.
There were many powerful figures in the Special Administration Bureau. One could say it was a department that held a lot of resources and potential. Therefore, there were many who paid close attention to it and many who intervened. It was inevitable that you would run into numerous opinions and contradictions. Long Shen didn’t want to deal with these trivial things, so he hadn’t made much progress for so many years in the Bureau. Otherwise, with his ability, he wouldn’t just stop at his current rank.
Zong Ling smiled slightly. “Since it’s not a business matter, then is it a private matter? I haven’t heard that you have a girlfriend or boyfriend!”
Long Shen: “Zong Lao is still so humorous.”
Zong Ling: “If you live longer, you should be happier. Otherwise, how can you be worthy of existing in this world? You’re too oppressive and self-suffering. Why bother living so meticulously? When you’re free, just like humans, you should sing, dance, play, and fall in love. Isn’t that a great feeling?”
Long Shen paused for a moment before saying. “Mortals have a limited life span. Their lives are only like spring and autumn for me. No one wants to see themselves aging while their lover’s face doesn’t change.”
Zong Ling chuckled. “That’s just an excuse. If that’s truly so, why haven’t you fallen in love with Tang Jing or Yu Buhui? However, recently, I found that you’ve changed a bit.”
Long Shen picked up his teacup and took a little sip, then looked at her when he heard her words.
Zong Ling said, “If I had said this before, you would only say that life is a lifetime of plants and autumn*, and each has its own ways of living. This time, though, it’s different. Did you encounter an opportunity?”
*(人生一世草木一秋) Saying referring to one’s life is very short, like spring and autumn.
Long Shen put down the teacup. There was still half remaining, but he was no longer in the mood to drink.
Zong Ling: “Is it related to your apprentice?”
Long Shen was silent.
Zong Ling smiled and said, “I have seen that child a few times. He has a soft heart, but there is no shortage of determination. With your help, he will definitely be able to become a great weapon in the future. However, I don’t believe that you’re worried because he’s not training hard or is being disobedient, right? Can you tell me?”
Seeing that Long Shen still didn’t answer, she stopped asking questions and looked up to see the cirrus clouds in the sky being pushed away by the wind.
“If you’re not saying anything, it means that your heart is already a mess. It must be that something has happened to you concerning Dong Zhi.”
Long Shen finally confessed. “He said he likes me.”
Zong Ling raised her eyebrows. “Isn’t this normal? A disciple would normally admire their master. Do you not like this disciple?”
Long Shen’s expression finally showed a trace of discomfort. “It’s not like between a master and apprentice, but one between a man and a woman.”
Zong Ling’s face showed surprise, which then turned into a smile.
“I see. It’s no wonder that the child was very close to you as soon as he came in. Everyone else usually backs away from you, yet he was wholeheartedly determined to worship you as his teacher.”
Long Shen said lightly, “I’m afraid he worshipped me as a teacher, but he had no intention of learning anything.”
Zong Ling: “Why do you think so? Is he not devoted to his studies? Or did he ever overstep towards you?”
No. He didn’t think so.
In retrospect, the other party did take the initiative to hug him, and there were peculiarities in his words and actions. In fact, Dong Zhi had already vaguely expressed his tendencies, but because he had never accepted an apprentice before, hearing Wu Bingtian and Song Zhicun talk about the importance and love for their disciples and children, he inadvertently followed suit and wanted to give his best for Dong Zhi.
Long Shen thought that this was the way to show his love for his apprentice by being strict and demanding of him in regard to his cultivation while being tolerant and making concessions to him in private affairs.
When he heard the voice inside the yulu, he was so surprised that there was even a trace of anger.
Zong Ling’s tone was very relaxed. “If you think that he is not sincere in worshiping you as a teacher, has no intention of learning from you, and does not study seriously, you can expel him. Why be so angry? With your capacity, there must be many young heroes rushing to worship you as their teacher. Isn’t there one name Liu Qingbo? His qualifications seem to be good. I heard that he was competing with Dong Zhi to be your disciple, no?”
Long Shen looked at the Qingzhu Sword in front of him and unexpectedly remembered the scene of Dong Zhi holding it cautiously as if he had obtained a treasure.
“I won’t accept apprentices anymore.”
Zong Ling: “I understand your mood. You feel as if you have been deceived, but what if he had never thought of deceiving you?”
Long Shen was silent.
Zong Ling smiled. “You’re smart. Don’t tell me you didn’t notice anything at all. Perhaps you’re just subconsciously refusing to admit it and didn’t want to think about it. Looking back, why is it just him that’s special to you? There are so many hardworking and talented people, but why did you lean towards Dong Zhi instead of them? Since you mention life expectancy, why didn’t you recruit an apprentice that’s like you? In my opinion, it seems your reasons are just trying to convince yourself otherwise.”
She raised her head and looked at the stars, and the flickering light made her eyes distant and deep.
“Even if we have a much longer life span than mortals, we still have many regrets that we can’t ask for and miss in our whole life. Long Shen, don’t be like me. You won’t know regret until you lose it.”
She slowly closed her hand, as if trying to grasp the stars. Unfortunately, the seemingly close distance was as vast as the sea.
“Don’t betray your heart.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Dong Zhi’s busted. This was a very good chapter. Long Shen, listen to Zong Lao. She’s wise.
Long Shen’s concern regarding life expectancy is pretty valid. This reminds me of my other translation I did: When You’re Older. It’s related to my other translation project: Your Rival in Love Gets Prettier Every Day. It’s a story about a couple where one person suffers from a disease that prevents them from aging and the other is a normal person.
It’s a short read (only 8 chapters) but it’s pretty dog abusive, but if you can handle sadness, I do recommend you read it as it describes similarly the situation Long Shen envisions by falling in love with a mortal.
“Vance, are you sure there’s nothing wrong with your eyesight?” A hearty male voice responded back from the crystal. “I have watched the image carefully, and there is no deformation on Nemo Light.”
“Telaranea, imagination.”
“I only assess what I have seen.”
“I know it’s nothing to be able to suppress a Seymour Worm with your aura, but he restrained Pandorater.”
“His demon left a piece of flesh attached to the bird. It doesn’t look very powerful. Do you have any records of it?”
“No, I checked. It wasn’t introduced to the ‘Butcher Shop’. I can only assume it was an accidental summoning, so the type cannot be determined yet.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Continue to watch the show,” the man known as Vance responded calmly.
“What a bad guy. Honestly, I’m not very interested in Light. His body will be consumed once his wish is fulfilled. It’s the key to figuring out the identity of the demon.”
“This is the interesting part, Tela. I didn’t sense a contract on him. His contract should have been completed long ago.”
“In other words, it’s not Light, but the demon who has successfully obtained his body? How incredible that it managed to hide itself so well that even I didn’t notice it… It does make sense in this way and explains why there are no signs of deformation. A superior demon outside the rules, hehe. Do you want to maintain the original plan and take him back for ‘education’ while his position remains undecided?”
“He is indeed a demon warlock, but not a superior demon yet.”
“Based on what?”
“Intuition.”
“…Do as you want and tell me about the results after. Also, don’t call me Tela.”
The communication crystal was cut off. Vance raised an eyebrow at it, then continued to watch the struggle not far away with relish.
The people who ran the Mercenary Guild never thought that there would be a demon warlock who was focused on escaping this world.
Demon worshippers could only be considered as madmen who work with ordinary demons and have no bottom line. They were essentially still pure human beings. Demon warlocks were completely different. Usually, they were top mages before they formed a contract with a superior demon. If they weren’t, they must still possess excellent magical abilities. The deformation brought by the superior demon amplified the negative emotions in their body, distorting their soul and mind, and turned the contractor into a paranoid and crazy monster.
They would either show their strength and push back their enemies, forcing them to give up in the beginning, or they would fight to the bloody end. They wouldn’t do such worthless things like run away after provocation.
It was a pity that Mr. Light didn’t even accept his identity as a demon worshiper. To him, the great figures of demon warlocks and the Mercenary Guild were basically equivalent to the deceased celebrities in history books; he’d never be able to contact them in his life, let alone understand the undercurrents of the rules under the table.
He escaped decisively, without hesitation, and with a clear conscience.
Strictly speaking, he didn’t escape by himself. Nemo hung on Oliver’s shoulders like a sack as he controlled the dark shadows in shock. His neck was so sore that he dared not even blink. God knew why the shadow shield, which was only used to intercept spells, suddenly had a more binding effect. At this time, Nemo didn’t want to delve deeper into it. He had a more serious problem to deal with.
He couldn’t command the shadow at will.
The manipulation was as difficult as stabilizing a high pile of slippery dinner plates; three points relied on instinct and seven points relied on hard work. If he didn’t pay careful attention, it would get out of hand. Like now, when he tried to stretch out his hand and turn his palms, the black shadow instantly boiled violently and the smoke column was directly bent a few degrees lower, its shape changing from a magnificent tornado to a trumpet clasped on the ground.
Nemo: “……”
He really didn’t know if this was due to the subjective will of the opponent or the power of the dark shadow. He only knew that the noise-like murmur became even more piercing. The effect of this indiscriminate tossing was not ideal. Pandorater didn’t follow them and kept twisting in place. The metal block on his chest was getting hotter, and it was beginning to show signs of melting.
Nemo patted Oliver on the back with his free hand, motioning him to put him down. Oliver stopped and complied, then lowered his left arm, which was still dripping with blood.
“It doesn’t seem to be chasing us… Are you okay? Should we bandage it?” Nemo carefully looked at the bloody arm and hissed.
Oliver moved his left arm. “…It looks scary, but it’s just a flesh wound.”
“You have to find a better sword.” Nemo turned back to the direction of the pillar of smoke, trying various gestures indiscriminately. “What happened to it?”
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t look like it’s looking for you to fight one-on-one.” Oliver took out some bandages from Nemo’s backpack and wrapped himself up. “At least it didn’t spread out anymore. Well done.”
“Don’t praise me.” Nemo shook his hands nervously causing the dark shadows in the distance to twist around. “To be honest, I don’t know what I’m doing right now.”
His heart sank in the next second. It turned out that Oliver should’ve kept his mouth shut during battle; the column of smoke stopped twisting and began to drift away slowly. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop it. Unlike the previous powerful and purposeful dispersal, the smoke pieces rustled and fell off like dead leaves in autumn.
He turned to Oliver and gave him an involuntary look of condemnation and aggravation. Oliver crossed his index fingers in front of his lips and blinked.
A scorpion-tailed wolf suddenly passed by them and went straight in the direction of the column of smoke. It wasn’t the only one. Pale bone crows flew in groups, and poisonous insects fluttered their wings as the forest began to stir. Hordes of demons and monsters ran past them one after another. They bypassed the wave-like ice layer and rushed towards Pandorater, creating a dusty sandstorm. Amazingly, not a single demon or monster tried to attack them at this moment; rather, being trampled was the more realistic danger. Oliver reacted quickly. He suddenly put his arms around Nemo and quickly turned around and pointed, creating a thick ice shield that was erected on both sides of them. The bandage on his left arm was stained with blood again.
An alarm rang through the headquarters of the Mercenary Guild.
The demonology mages were breaking out in cold sweat as they surrounded a black cube in the underground hall. The massive cube stood silently in the center of the hall; their crisscross magical formation and runes gleaming bright red. The warning tone was broadcast in a loop without the slightest intention of stopping.
“Pandorater’s power is declining rapidly. What’s going on?!”
“I don’t know. The magic pressure around it is too strong for the surveillance bug to stay.”
“It’s self-destructing!”
“Are you insane?! It’s still a baby!”
The power of a superior demon resided in its body, and some species would feed part of their bodies to their offspring or injured companions, thereby conferring them power. Pandorater could be regarded as one of the more extreme types. When the number of diversities in the group was too low, the oldest one in the group would self-destruct, allowing its companions to share its corpse so they may overcome difficulties.
“This is indeed self-destruction. All indicators are right—”
“God! Get it back first!”
An old man with a head and beard full of white hair was stroking his long beard as he spoke. “What about the emotional monitoring?”
For a moment, discussions instantly stopped. Being stuffed into a dark and narrow box wouldn’t make any life happy. The mood value of the Pandorater had never changed, always remaining stable at its lowest point. After so many years, everyone had habitually ignored that value.
“It… It’s…” The mage closest to the emotional monitoring array swallowed his saliva as he stammered. “By human standards, it’s laughing maniacally.”
It was a joy full of resentment and hatred. When this kind of emotion appeared in a hostile party, it would always lead to nothing good, but they were destined to not know the reason for its ecstasy.
Only young superior demons could be weaponized. In terms of power, better control was one of the reasons, but the main reason, and the most important, was that the baby would not commit suicide because of despair since they haven’t learned what despair was. Even if they were stuck in the cracks of the Abyss, even if they were cut by spatial magic from time to time, no matter how painful they felt, they wouldn’t understand how to resist, because they would think that the world was originally like this.
Pandorater had a docile temperament and belonged to an innate superior demon line. The baby stage was particularly long, which made it suitable for being targeted. While its power was a minor hindrance among superior demons, it was more than enough as a weapon to use on the surface. This one had been used for a long time. It was always quiet and obedient, and it had never done anything wrong.
When it was captured by a magic array, it was still too young, and it hadn’t even had time to master the language of its own species yet. Even with the help of the emotional monitoring array, no creature in this world would be able to understand its specific thoughts.
That should be the case, in theory.
[Destroy them…]
Nemo covered his ears, and the noise became fainter as the column of smoke drifted away, and the melodious murmur came back.
[Destroy them!]
Countless demons and monsters tore through the smoke column, like a swarm of flies swarming carrion.
[Eat me and fulfill my wish…]
The column of smoke slowly drifted towards them. Oliver was just about to drag Nemo away, but it suddenly disappeared into the air, just as quick as when it appeared. Pandorater should have been taken back by the Mercenary Guild, although he didn’t know why.
[…Please…]
“Nemo, Nemo!” Oliver patted Nemo’s face with the hand that wasn’t covered in blood. In the midst of the chaos, the black-haired young man was stunned motionless.
“Huh…?” Nemo responded with some confusion.
“Why are you crying?” Oliver stared warily at the demons and monsters not far away who hadn’t dispersed yet.
“Nonsense, how could I… Huh?” Nemo wiped his face. His fingertips touched traces of moisture.
“…Maybe I was blinded by the sand just now.” He shrugged.
Nemo took a step back subconsciously causing the metal trinket on his chest to begin to get hot. They were still some distance from the red mist, so they couldn’t see clearly, but even from where they were, the scene of flesh and blood flying everywhere still made their backs cold.
“We’re near the border.” Nemo grabbed the little metal square.
“There’s no point in saying that now.” Ann took out a half-torn parchment book from her pocket and flipped through it quickly. “It’s no longer a question of eligibility. We have to live first.”
Nemo recognized what she was holding. Although most ordinary travelers used simple magic, complex magic was difficult to learn and use. Few occupations could use them smoothly like experienced mages. When one couldn’t afford a full-time mage, it was more convenient to buy a spell book, which one could then tear off a piece of paper from and use magic to burn and trigger the spell. It was simple and fast. There was nothing wrong with it, except that it was frighteningly expensive.
For ordinary adventurers who weren’t from an aristocratic background, such a thing was equivalent to a last resort to save their lives.
“Can that thing be stopped?” Oliver said, sounding a little lost. He had lost his sword and was now empty-handed.
“We can’t outrun it. Trying to fight it will only lead to a faster death. It’s not a complete superior demon, so its power is scattered. We still have some hope.” Ann tore off a piece of parchment. The hand that was holding it was trembling slightly. “Do you two have faith? If so, it’s time to pray.”
A milky white hemispherical barrier unfolded, with them being at the center of the circle. It covered those who were fleeing in their direction. Despite that, the people didn’t slow their running speed even though they were protected by magic. When the red mist touched the edge of the barrier, it slowed down before tentatively climbing up the barrier.
Ann’s lips looked bloodless. She panted as sweat condensed all over her forehead.
“No, the barrier is too weak,” she said in a hoarse voice.
Nemo looked at the twisting red mist intently. Since they encountered the Seymour Worm, the world had begun to lose its sense of reality that it should have. At this moment, he had a strange feeling that it should be a very dangerous creature, but unlike when he was facing the Seymour Worm, where he could still taste the bitterness of death when looking at the worm’s eyeballs, he couldn’t even hold up a formal sense of fear at this moment.
Although both Oliver and Ann said that the sense of oppression was unbearable, something other than that entangled him. A melodious murmur accompanied by the vibration of the air struck his eardrum. It wasn’t the sound of footsteps running on the grass, the wailing of the people, or the breathing of animals. It didn’t originate from nature, let alone a certain language, but the melody accurately contained thoughts and emotions.
[I’m very scared.]
He analyzed the complicated emotions suspiciously.
[I want to go back.]
A few thin pillars of gas emerged from the red mist, pressing hard against the milky light barrier.
[Don’t come over.]
The murmur came from all directions, causing Nemo to swallow with difficulty. His throat was burning from the dryness.
“Oliver.” He didn’t dare disturb Ann, who was frantically lighting up the spell paper. “Do you hear that?”
“Hear what?”
“Strange voices.” Nemo began to wonder if it was a good idea to ask others for proof. He sounded stupid.
“I can’t hear anything. You can ask the bird. Maybe it’s something unexpected.” Fortunately, Oliver didn’t immediately doubt or deny him.
“I didn’t hear anything.” The gray parrot watched everything happily. “Anyway, this kid and I can’t die. As for you, can’t you be more open-minded? Human beings can’t even live for a hundred years, so don’t be sad if you die a few decades early.”
“If you know its thoughts, can you communicate with it?” Nemo licked his lips nervously.
“We’re different species. What do you think?” The gray parrot said as it groomed its feathers. “I already told you not to pay attention to this. She won’t hurt her kind*. They never hurt their kind, as they’re notoriously gentle and kind. Just stay here and she can smell you. Of course, if you want to fight her, that’s a different story.”
*Clarity: Kind is in reference to all monsters/demons of the Abyss, while species divides up those demons (think animal kingdom vs species in that animal kingdom). This is referenced throughout the novel, so I want to give the distinction.
The “gentle and kind” Pandorater was squeezing the protective barrier with her body, creating a crunching sound that made people’s teeth ache. She didn’t seem like she planned to give up this bone as she was bound to gain dozens of living flesh inside the barrier.
“Different story?”
“You have to confirm the territory before killing. Now, this is her territory, the entire area. I’m warning you, she’s not some stupid insect, but a real superior demon. We can have an enthusiastic fight in the Abyss, but not here. I can’t fuck with her. Although I don’t know how she did it, she gave away at least a tenth of her body, and I got a small piece of her fingernail! If you go and provoke her now, she’ll concentrate all her strength on getting rid of you first, which can be easily done.”
“I always wanted to ask… What would happen to you if I died?”
“I don’t know!” the gray parrot exclaimed angrily. “I gander, nothing good. The worst part would be that I can only be this damn parrot this time around. Do you know how hard it is to come up to the surface?”
“In other words, you will not die.”
The parrot stopped talking and stared at Nemo suspiciously.
“Normally, let alone listening to humans, a superior demon will not be bound, but judging from Ann’s attitude just now, the mercenary guild should have a way to control superior demons,” Nemo said slowly, with some uncertainty in his tone. “In theory, they shouldn’t allow it… But, she’s running around. That means…”
Oliver seemed to have guessed what he wanted to say. His emerald eyes showed a hint of surprise.
“…Assuming that Bagelmaurus is not lying and it truly is a superior demon, and superior demons need to fight first. I… Then I might be able to attract that thing’s full attention. As long as I can find the boundary set by the guild, she can’t reach me, and I can continue to stall for time. I don’t believe they will allow her to wander outside for too long.”
“Are you crazy?” The gray parrot was so angry that it almost flapped its wings. “Mind your own business!”
“…But this method is theoretically feasible, isn’t it? If I don’t try it, I’ll have nightmares for the rest of my life. Oliver, you and Ann, take those people away, and I’ll try to lead it away. If I don’t succeed—”
“I’ll go with you,” Oliver interrupted him with a solemn expression.
“You…”
“You have no combat experience, and you may be caught before you could find the boundary,” Oliver pointed out. “Don’t worry about weapons. I also have my means.”
“You don’t know the power of superior demons!” The gray parrot looked insulted. “You two stupid—” the words were stuck in its throat. It was so angry that it couldn’t think of a more vicious word to call these two idiots who didn’t know the height of the sky*.
*(天高地厚) Idiom referring how deep or profound something is. || In this context, not knowing the height of the sky is basically calling them naive/ignorant.
“A powerful demon warlock can destroy an entire town. I really can’t imagine the power of a superior demon,” Oliver murmured. “So what? Should we lie on the ground and pray for someone to save us? I don’t like to relax while waiting for someone to work hard for me, not to mention I owe this guy enough.”
Ann’s spell book was about to be torn apart. People fleeing the forest instinctively curled up in the corner of the barrier farthest away from the red mist.The milky light became transparent, and the cracking sound became louder.
“Ann!” Nemo yelled in the direction of the female warrior.
The female warrior turned her head, showing a pale face as she saw a black-haired young man who had a calm smile on his face.
“We have an idea. We’re going first!” Nemo turned towards the hideous red mist as he shouted. Oliver followed him, scanning the grass carefully, hoping to pick up an abandoned weapon. “Stay away and remember to help us pick a task tomorrow—”
Supported by blind optimism and slim hope, they ran towards the direction of death. Ann was familiar with this kind of youthful aura, naivety, and stupidity. They always accepted that miracles do happen and that they would become a special case among millions of people.
Just like herself, many years ago.
She didn’t stop or respond to them. No one knew how long the Mercenary Guild intended to let this thing wander outside. It may not end until the sun rises tomorrow, or maybe even a few days or more…
But there was nothing she could do. Ann’s heart was beating wildly, and her internal organs were sore from tension and fear. There was nothing worse than the feeling of waiting to die; it was humiliating to the victims right before their deaths as it highlighted their incompetence.
She opened her spell book. There were only three pages left. Two of them were for the shining barrier, while the last page she glued on herself. It was dirty, old, and full of creases. It wasn’t surprising when it fell off. Ann ripped the page with her hand, and lowered it in a complicated mood, as if the old and smelly parchment paper was like a sharp blade between her fingers.
No, there was one more thing she could do.
Nemo and Oliver stopped at the border of the barrier. It wasn’t a good idea to get too close to the red mist, and they didn’t know how they could successfully provoke it if they were too far away. The gray parrot didn’t follow, so Nemo could only guess at the method of provoking it. He didn’t know why he couldn’t generate hostility like he did so easily a few hours ago. As he approached the red mist, the melodious noise became clearer and more desperate. It seemed like it was a wounded cub whining in front of him. No matter how cruel a hunter was, it would still make him hesitate for a few seconds, not to mention how a former librarian would feel towards a harmless animal.
The emotion infected him, and sadness and despair pierced into his heart, like poisonous snake fangs. Before he thought of “hoping the other party will disappear”, he was pressed down by another thought.
‘Hey, I’m here.’ Nemo thought unconsciously.
This was by no means hostile, but there was no doubt that Pandorater had discovered him.
Countless thin plumes of smoke rose from the corners of the forest and merged. From a distance, they didn’t feel it. When her body really gathered, the two realized how huge their opponent truly was. The smoke no longer flowed but condensed into a liquid-like texture. The scarlet color became thicker as the smoke gathered and, in the end, was almost dark brown. The demon’s body in front of them was like a huge tornado with life.
The noise temporarily stopped at that moment.
In those few short seconds, Nemo almost gave birth to some hope, praying that maybe they could avoid possibly fighting, or rather unilateral pursuit, through communication. However, his hope was soon dashed as trees and dirt began sweeping into the sky.
The murmur that sounded for the second time turned into pure noise that pierced his head in an instant. Instead of directly attacking Nemo, it indiscriminately attacked everything around the forest, whether dead or alive. Under the piercing noise, Nemo had no time to distinguish his emotions. He had to squat down and hold his head with his arms, exhausting all of his concentration. Oliver, who couldn’t hear the noise, tried to be helpful. He grabbed Nemo’s waist, picked him up, and started to run away.
Nemo’s face was against Oliver’s back. He raised his head laboriously and saw that Pandorater was not chasing after him but was still standing at the same spot. The sky was covered with stones and tree debris, while the piercing noise made him feel nauseous. Oliver stretched out his free arm and threw it back, causing waves of ice to surge up, blocking the large piece of debris that was flying towards them. At the same time, Oliver’s hand became instantly bloodied.
Nemo gritted his teeth and desperately squeezed the noise out of his mind. He stretched out his hand and an idea filled his head.
This was his plan, so he couldn’t drag Oliver to his death.
A black barrier suddenly rose. It didn’t unfold flatly like last time but climbed up the dark brown mist tornado like a living thing, wrapping it from all sides, like vines entangling a tree. The thick shadows bound the dark brown mist, as if a weird and unpleasant totem pole had been erected in the forest.
There were no spells, no arrays. He was sweating nervously as he clumsily explored the secrets of the unknown.
They couldn’t hear the slight applause on the cliff not far away. Above the gap where the three of them had used as their stronghold, there was a small cliff. A hooded man stood at the edge, applauding insincerely.
“Poor little girl… After so many years, they still forbid you to go back?” He looked at Pandorater, who was still fighting the shadow, and muttered softly, “Jude really is a fool. No, humans probably have long forgotten how to accept new things long ago. There’s no doubt that he’s a demon warlock.”
He pulled down his taupe hood and let out a long sigh at the communication crystal in his hand. “It’s a pity that we may not be able to get him this time.”
“The Seymour Worm at test site 327 died of unnatural causes.”
“Who’s in charge of Noer?”
“Troy Fenrir’s Steel Wolf Mercenary Regiment.”
“Show the images from the bugs.”
“Eighty-three minutes ago, there were two records of two effective attacks, one physical and one mental spell suspected to be bewitchment. None of them died.”
“Let Troy report the reason. After determining the attack, release Pandorater at the test site in Noer.”
The tin badge on Fenrir’s chest suddenly vibrated up and down like a living creature. He skillfully removed it and turned on the message from the Guild Headquarters on the back. He was instantly shocked.
Out of boredom, Thorne was directing a surveillance bug to do a figure-eight dance in the air. Fenrir’s movement wasn’t small, causing him to become distracted and the figure-eight dance suddenly dispersed.
“What’s the matter?” Thorne yawned.
“Retreat!” Fenrir didn’t answer his question but looked at the crystal flakes in his pocket and crushed them, then ordered angrily, “Everyone, retreat immediately!”
“The Seymour Worm is dead.” Fenrir grabbed the back of Thorne’s collar and rushed towards the still black shadow in the forest. “Damn it!”
“Impossible! My bug just confirmed ten minutes ago that it was still alive! The two kids who came into contact with it recently have already run away, and no one has touched it again. Even if I missed it, it’s impossible to kill it this quietly… Ow, take it easy—” Thorne’s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he was strangled by his collar.
“Headquarters won’t make a mistake. Its vital signs have disappeared.” Fenrir stepped on the branches and hurried forward, squeezing out his words one by one through gritted teeth. “They want us to confirm the cause of death immediately, and then start remedial procedures.”
“Wait, wait. Is the remedial procedure the legendary…”
“It’s because a legendary fool attacked it!”
They weren’t far from the huge worm. There were still icicles and broken corpses left at the scene. The trees staggered after being crushed by the worm while the sun exposed the bare ground, revealing a deep cold and the smell of blood that permeated the air.
Fenrir made an extremely ugly face. Without even taking a breath, he threw Thorne to the side and took out an identification crystal and stabbed it directly into the body of the huge worm. The worm lay there quietly. All the eyeballs that had surfaced during the battle sank into its body at this moment. The originally slimy black skin had lost its water and color, leaving behind a fragile figure that was like pudding.
“Someone did this on purpose. It’s ‘sweet dreams’.” Fenrir squinted his eyes at the muddy crystal. “It stands to reason that the worm can drink ten full barrels of wine. I don’t know why this one…” He pulled out the crystal and carefully observed the lines on it. “…Its magic power is severely exhausted.”
“Sweet dreams?”
“A demon toxin that has just become popular recently. The price is quite high. It’s not difficult to buy, but we can’t trace its source.”
“Even if someone did this on purpose, there’s no need to start the program—”
“It’s useless. Hurry up and leave this damn place quickly. The others in the group should have successfully retreated.” Fenrir took a deep breath and smiled wryly. “We can’t determine the motive of the murderer. It’s just a few hundred Black Chapter reserves. Headquarters won’t mind.”
“You mean…”
“I mean, this place is going to be wiped out. Remember to get your bugs back.”
Meanwhile…
“…Escape with that person? You’d better cure your idealism quickly,” Ann remarked indifferently. There was no resonance at all. “People who live in peaceful areas are sentimental. When someone puts a knife to your throat or your wife’s, you’re probably not in the mood to consider whether that person is innocent or not.”
Oliver chuckled but didn’t respond. He stretched out and laid on the grass. The summer sky was amazingly blue. Fatigue distracted his mind as he unconsciously stretched out his hand towards the dark blue, but before Oliver could straighten his arm, he was directly pinned back by another arm.
Nemo was still fast asleep and had thrown his arm around Oliver’s neck with considerable strength. Oliver’s throat was numb from the blow and he almost coughed. He moved out helplessly and suddenly felt a slight vibration.
He was puzzled for a few seconds. Although “being hugged unconsciously by someone in his sleep” sounded exciting, he didn’t think he would feel moved because he was slammed on the neck by a man. Suddenly, he found that the whole world was shaking slightly, and he hurriedly got up. Ann had already assumed a vigilant posture, ready to fight at any moment.
Nemo frowned slightly because his arm was lifted, muttered a few words in an unclear manner, and then snored slightly.
At the same time, the tremors became more obvious.
“An earthquake?” Oliver asked loudly amidst the increasing clear cracking sound of the ground shaking.
“I don’t know!” Ann yelled back. “There shouldn’t be an earthquake. I haven’t encountered this situation before!”
The gray parrot suddenly used magic to split the vines apart, as if its state of helplessness just now didn’t exist. It flew around them, fluttering its wings excitedly: “Finally!” it screamed. “The smell of the same kind. The smell of the same kind—ow!”
With three living things around him making noise, even the dead would rise. Nemo got up groggily and looked at the bird that was acting crazy in the air.
“What’s going on?” he asked in a low voice.
Nemo’s brain was still in a chaotic state after just waking up. His hair was messy as he didn’t have time to tidy it up. His slightly long hair was resting on his shoulders in a scattered manner, rubbing against his neck, giving him a slight itch. He almost thought he was dreaming. All of this was a ridiculous and long dream. Geographically, there shouldn’t be any earthquakes in Noer, so this was completely unrealistic.
Seeing that the man was about to lie down again, Oliver hurriedly went over and grabbed him by the collar.
“…What are you doing?” Nemo said, slightly annoyed.
“Now is not the time to take a nap.” Ann looked around. “Thank him because you need to get on your feet now!”
“It’s coming!” The gray parrot was still wailing, as if its secret crush was about to come over. “It’s coming—!”
Nemo rubbed his eyes and immediately woke up. No longer muddled, he soon found that the culprit had appeared. A scarlet column of gas spewed out from the worm, but it didn’t spread out naturally like ordinary gas and instead split up like octopus tentacles and rushed to the ground. The vibration gradually became slower as the gas continued to spew, which didn’t reassure them much.
“What is that?” Nemo stared at the pillar of gas. There was no doubt that it was rushing in their direction.
“Pandorater, the Beauty of the Abyss.” The parrot’s unpleasant voice was full of longing. “So they dance like that… Ho, ho.”
The other three couldn’t understand and didn’t intend to understand its aesthetic at all. They couldn’t even distinguish between an arm or a leg on that thing.
“What will it do?” Ann stared warily at the gas column.
“How would I know?!” The parrot rolled its eyes. “Not all superior demons know each other. Would you know what a beautiful girl walking down the street wants to do?”
“But I can at least understand her expression,” Ann gritted her teeth and replied.
They didn’t care whether it was the parrot’s dream lover or not. The humans present had more important concerns… Although no one wanted to believe it, there was some truth in what the parrot said. The thing that was about to collide with them was a superior demon.
“Well, she doesn’t look very happy,” the parrot whispered. “It must be you humans who made her unhappy.”
“I have read in a book that the body of a superior demon shouldn’t be able to leave the Abyss—” Nemo frowned, trying to recall more details from the autobiography of a clergyman he had once read.
“Yes, well, to put it in a way you can understand; that thing is at most, one of her arms,” the parrot said. “What a pity…”
Nemo didn’t feel much loss at all. He turned his head to ask Ann what to do next, but found that the remaining two were sweating and their faces were horribly pale.
“Are you alright?” He swallowed his original question back and replaced it with a different one.
“Don’t you feel it?” Oliver shifted his position to make himself stand more firmly. “…The sense of oppression.”
Ann’s situation seemed slightly better than Oliver’s as she nodded silently in agreement.
Nemo closed his eyes and felt hard. “No.” He shook his head in frustration and looked at Oliver. “Is it uncomfortable? Do you want me to help you?”
Oliver smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he could still stand while Ann glanced at Nemo, giving him a deep look.
“I heard about it once,” she said in a hoarse voice. “I always thought it was fake… But…”
“When I was drinking, I heard mercenaries mention that a demon warlock was mixed in a Black Chapter test once, and she scared off the Seymour Worm… But that was nearly a hundred years ago.”
“Scared off?”
“Yes. I was also very curious. Demon warlocks are not the peace-loving types, so I inquired more about it. The result I found was… The Black Chapter is a means used by countries to maintain stability, and they will not allow the existence of someone too powerful and aggressive to exist.”
“Aren’t there many solutions? For example, don’t give that person a black badge, or wait for him to join the Black Chapter before rescinding…” Nemo suddenly had a bad feeling.
“You two deserve to be comrades. Two idealistic fools of the same mold.” Ann grinned weakly. “It’s a night long dream*, and the guys above understand that better than anyone else. The Seymour Worm is the Black Chapter’s ceiling, which refers to more than just its strength… Maybe we shouldn’t have resisted it at all.”
*(夜长梦多) Idiom referring to letting something prolonged could make the situation change unfavorably. || The context here is that if a power could defeat the Seymour Worm, then it’s too unstable in strength and needs to be wiped out (thus the idiom) before it becomes uncontrollable.
“You think too much,” the parrot interjected disdainfully. “That worm is still very healthy. It’s no different from cutting your finger with a knife. Fuck, I hate this way of speaking in metaphors in order to make you understand. I’m becoming a god damn poet; in short, it has enough magic for it to recover three to four times over when it’s on the verge of death, and the taste was particularly quite rich.”
“You killed it?!” Nemo strangled the bird’s neck and shook it a few times.
“Bah, no!” the parrot roared, looking like it wanted to spit in Nemo’s face. “Don’t you think I didn’t want to? Do you think I could eat something like that with my size? I can only take in a few mouthfuls of magic from it. It still has a lot left. It’s alive and well—!”
Before it finished screaming, the shadow of the worm in the distance shattered like foam as red mist rolled over.
“…Well, now it’s dead.” The gray parrot added bitterly, “I didn’t do it though.”
“In other words, you’re saying they will bring in a more powerful demon than the Seymour Worm to get rid of the ‘instability factor’, right?” Oliver concluded as he pointed to the red mist that had touched the edge of the grass. “Basically, to eliminate us?”
The mist was like a scarlet tide, pouring into the forest. It seemed difficult to tell whether it was a gas or a liquid being so close to it. It swept the shrubs and tree trunks, though the plants seemed to be unaffected by it. At the edge of the red mist, more than a dozen people and several animals were rushing in their direction.
A deer that was seemingly injured was running slower, got one of its hind legs caught in the mist. The mist that touched the fresh flesh suddenly came to life and enveloped the deer—
The gray parrot was tied into a spindle by the vines and looked pitiful. It seemed to have suffered a major blow. After all, no one would think that normal vines could trap an intermediate demon. It swayed around without saying a word while staring at them.
“An expert?” Nemo hung the gray parrot firmly on the top of his staff and rubbed the vine debris still stuck to the palm of his hands onto his clothes as he tried to continue the conversation.
Ann, who silently witnessed the whole process of Nemo tying up the gray parrot, was momentarily stunned. “Oh… Oh, I mean you need to ask an experienced cleric. Demon worshippers only know about the demons that have served them. You’ll also run into those who will try to steal other people’s demons. Your demon is relatively rare, so it may cause trouble.” She glanced at the gray parrot, which exuded a lifeless aura. “Besides, I have never heard of a contracted demon who can attack its own master*.”
*Clarity: This is not to be confused with when one first summons the demon to be contracted. They can still attack and test their summoner before a contract is formed, like in the (supposed) case of the deadwood jellyfish.
Only God knows if the contract between them was still valid. Nemo wiped his face.
“Won’t the clergy just kill me?” he asked cautiously.
“Hailam has a confessional church,” Ann said. “The most wildly spread religion in Alban is the old sect of the Laddism Church, and they are the most hostile to demons. The Woden Sect is more popular in Garland, and they will give demon worshippers a chance to repent. After all, some people do not voluntarily cooperate with demons.”
‘Like me,’ Nemo thought bitterly.
“If things go well today, you can choose a mission near Hailam tomorrow. Hailam is the capital, so getting there is easy, but you have to note that the first task is also part of the test. If you fail, you’ll need to take the test again next quarter.”
“What?!” Nemo called out, while Oliver buried his face in his palm.
“My suggestion is to choose a simple one, and I’ll help.” Ann stopped in an area with relatively open grass and arched her shoulders. “Let’s take a break here.”
Her words were like a curse of gravity. Before she even finished speaking, Nemo and Oliver collapsed on the ground together. The deformed staff was casually inserted into the ground with the gray parrot still tied up in a ball, dangling from it, like a cocoon hanging from branches in the summer. The backpack was also thrown on the ground by him, and the area where his backpack had been had long been soaked with sweat.
Ann opened her backpack and took out a few pieces of dried bread wrapped in leaves. Long and slender fingers crossed the air, then several water balls condensed in front of her. She dipped the dry bread into the water, and the place wet by it showed some brown.
“Have something to eat,” she said as she turned her head to hand it to Nemo, but found that the other party had already fallen asleep.
Nemo fell on the grass and was sleeping soundly. His short ponytail was scattered, and medium length black hair stuck to his cheek, revealing a soft image belonging to a scholar.
“Let him sleep for a while,” Oliver said softly. He moved his body and naturally brushed away the hair that was stuck on Nemo’s face with his hands.
“You’re not sleeping?” Ann blinked and stuffed the bread into her mouth.
“I’m used to getting up early in the morning. After all, at home…” Oliver was stunned and didn’t continue. The word “home” had become like a fishbone that was stuck in his throat. It started to hurt faintly every time it was mentioned. He always carelessly forgot that… He no longer had a home.
He gave Ann a reluctant smile before burying his head in the bread.
“I’m sorry,” Ann murmured. “The taste must be very uncomfortable.”
“If they didn’t insist that I maliciously murdered him, I would be willing to be arrested,” Oliver said without looking at Ann. “I am indeed a murderer.”
“How idealistic.” Ann smiled bitterly. “If you ask me, it’s fortunate that you didn’t foolishly throw yourself into their net. If anyone finds out about your strength, you won’t be safe in prison.”
Oliver stopped chewing, frowned slightly, and showed a polite expression of inquiry.
“They cuff a cursed collar on you and throw you to the front lines of the battlefield. Trust me,” Ann said. “Even if you can survive, you won’t be ‘you’ anymore. That kind of place is hell, which is why I can’t really figure it out. The world is so chaotic. How could your father bear to give up on such a talent like this?”
“I chose the path myself,” Oliver said as he looked down at his hands. His palms were covered with thick calluses from his daily manual labor, and his fingers were slender and powerful, but they were not the hands of a warrior.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“It doesn’t matter,” Oliver said. “Didn’t I mention it before? Except for the last… I have never seen my father use a spell once.”
“Hmm.”
“That was my last lesson. I was about fourteen or fifteen at that time, and my father said he wanted to teach me something new,” he said. “He took me to a cave on the edge of Frontier Forest, our secret base, and then kicked out a man in front of me. The man had a strong body odor and weighed more than 300 kilograms. I still remember the smell. My father threw a sword at me and told me to kill him. The man cried and begged for mercy, even peeing in his pants.”
The female warrior finished chewing on the piece of bread and brushed the crumbs off her hands. “What happened next?”
“My father said the man had killed his wife with his own hands and turned her body into a potion. According to Alban’s law, this was worthy of the death penalty.”
“Did you do it?” Ann took out a water bag and took a few sips.
“I didn’t dare. It was the first time I’ve seen someone that scared. It was like… Like a whining animal. He said all kinds of flattery to a fifteen-year-old kid and desperately stressed that he was innocent. It was his wife who attacked him, and he just responded in self-defense.”
“I couldn’t do it because he was still alive… I can’t describe the feeling. I was hesitant for a while when suddenly a little girl rushed in with a tracking spell on her. She started crying and begging us not to kill her father, screaming that her mother was the bad one. I immediately dropped my sword and had no idea what to think. After all, my father had never lied to me before, and I couldn’t understand what he was thinking at that time.”
Ann held her cheeks with her hands and raised her brows.
“After a while, several soldiers came in. One came to protect the girl and the other inquired what was going on. The soldier said the man had controlled his wife and daughter using abyssal magic for a long time. His wife was finally able to break free and wanted to take her daughter away. Their whereabouts are currently unknown. He wanted information about the man’s wife, claiming that he could not be convicted if the body was not found. I thought this crazy lesson was about to end, but when they were about to leave, my father picked up the sword and killed the man with his backhand. A sword was thrust into his chest and blood spurted everywhere. You know what, though? For a moment, I thought my father was awesome. He killed a bastard that couldn’t be punished by the law.”
“The soldier who went to check the man’s heartbeat suddenly shouted, pointing out a witch’s emblem that slowly appeared on the neck of his corpse. You should know… Eastern Witches like to deceive men. When their daughter reaches the right age, they will pretend to die and escape, putting the blame on the husband, so that the child can accumulate enough pain to become a new witch. In other words, the man didn’t lie. He was innocent from the beginning, but…”
“It’s not supposed to appear that quickly.” Ann curled her lips. “Your dad wasn’t taken away?”
“No.” Oliver lowered his head so that Ann couldn’t see his expression clearly. “I was scared to death. Suddenly, the soldiers and the little girl disappeared, leaving only the corpse staring at me from behind. My father then asked me do you know what ‘to kill’ means?”
“’This is just one person. If you want, I can teach you how to kill thousands in one breath, but do you really understand what that means?’ he said at that time.”
Yes, he remembered every detail. At that time, he was just a teenager and was a little complacent about his strength. He often couldn’t help but fantasize about resisting thousands of troops in a heroic war and becoming a hero who was qualified to meet the king.
But it all ended in that dark cave.
“Ollie, you have to know that reality will not give you time to investigate the innocence of each enemy. Girls will not come, soldiers will not come, and emblems will not be discovered. Many times, when you kill a person, you kill part of the truth in this world.” His father’s tone in his memory was cold. “Telling yourself that they deserve to die is the easiest way. If you can’t fool yourself in this way, then try to emphasize how miserable you are—ah, a tragic existence is the most effective self-anesthesia. Of course, if you don’t have a tragic past, then you can preach that you had no malice. Remember, this is a common practice among cowards.”
“Killing itself is never worthy of praise. It should be your last resort, not a tool to show off your strength, and unfortunately, when you find out that you’re wrong, you just have to bear this mistake for the rest of your life. There is no escape. All you can do is take responsibility.”
“And to make matters worse, actions borne of goodwill may not necessarily lead to the ideal ending. The flowers and glory that idlers extol may never appear, and you may be faced with animosity, stupidity, or indifference. At this time, you hold the power to make them surrender. Can you control yourself?”
“If you pick up the sword, then this is all you’re destined to experience. Everyone likes to say that there is a price for doing evil. Let me tell you now that there’s also a price for doing good. Those who can understand this pain are qualified to be called ‘heroes’. I don’t want you to accept all the silly songs and then be disappointed with reality.”
“Answer me now. Ollie, do you want to pick up this sword?”
He raised his sword, which was still stained with the man’s blood.
“So how did you answer?” Ann’s question pulled Oliver out of his memories.
“I said I couldn’t imagine it,” Oliver replied calmly, “so I gave up.”
“Because of fear?”
“No, because I know how selfish and ignorant I am. I can only work slowly by protecting the people around me… I don’t think this requires the power to kill thousands in an instant.”
“It’s hard to say. What if you have to make enemies with the majority of people for the sake of the one you love?
Oliver thought for a moment. “…I’ll run away with that person. We’ll escape together.”
Thinking about it carefully, that should be the only time he saw his father look so serious. Before they left the cave, he had asked his father a question.
“So, all this is fake?” He looked at the disappearing body of the man on the rock.
“No, it used to be true. I just adjusted the scenes a little faster.” There was no smile on Piper Ramon’s face. “I’m glad you didn’t do it, Ollie. You’re not like me.”
It wasn’t easy to run through the intertwining woods. Seemingly dense places could be full of rotting leaves and curly roots, not to mention the annoying vine-like cobwebs. Ann ran steadily ahead, while Oliver struggled to follow because his body hadn’t recovered. After Nemo tripped over a tree root for the fifth time, his enthusiasm for fleeing for his life was mostly gone. If it weren’t for his resilient body that was fused with demon flesh, he would have sprained his ankle ten times over by now.
Nemo deeply suspected that he was not of the same species as the other two. Those two were seemingly born with more than a pair of eyes, as they could see through the thick moss and dead leaves and avoid all the pitfalls.
Nemo gritted his teeth and tried to get up and continue running, but his ankles were tangled by a slender vine, and he couldn’t break free for a moment. He looked back subconsciously; the Seymour Worm was still frozen quietly in place, looking like a bulging black abscess from a distance.
“Hey, you two!” The staff was stained with worm mucus and was covered in dirt and grass clippings that were glued to it. He was currently using it as a walking stick. “Wait for me—”
Oliver stopped first. He held onto the trunk of a tree and panted for a while. His injured left leg wasn’t fully recovered, and the wound had started to slightly bleed. Due to his smooth movements these past few days, Nemo thought Ann had used some powerful healing technique.
“Did you fall?” Oliver had no intention of caring about his own legs. He gently stretched out his hand towards Nemo.
The corners of Nemo’s mouth twitched. He didn’t have any clean habit of hating touching other people, but at this moment, he had a weird feeling. Oliver was deliberately increasing the number of physical contact with him. The last time he felt this atmosphere was when he saw the little boys in the orphanage rushing to tease the neighbor’s guard dog.
But when his gaze glanced towards Oliver’s bleeding left leg to the gentle emerald eyes, Nemo couldn’t help but soften his heart and thought about what they’d been through these past few days. Besides, he wasn’t a noble lady, and between the two of them, there was no need to show off. He obediently stretched out his dirty hands, stood firm against Oliver, and then poked those annoying vines with his staff.
As soon as Nemo shook off the last piece of vine from his ankle, he looked up and saw Ann’s complex eyes.
Oh, how embarrassing. These days, he urgently needed the book titled “Three Hundred Ways to Resolve Embarrassment”. Why couldn’t he have bothered to open it because the cover of that book was too ugly?
“Miss Savage, we…” He subconsciously wanted to apologize to the oppressive feeling but swallowed his words. Although he didn’t know what he had done, the fact that they were still alive was a victory, so he had nothing to apologize for. He didn’t think Ann would really care about their lives. “We managed to escape with those who were supposed to be ‘dead’.”
Ann pursed her lips into a tight thin line, causing Nemo to shrink his head back for fear of a temporary breach of contract due to anger by the female warrior, who would suddenly decide to take the three thousand gold coins.
But she didn’t.
Ann took a deep breath and slowly spat out some words. The volume was so low that it seemed like an inaudible whisper.
“Thank you.” Although her voice was small, the tone was serious.
Nemo inserted a finger into his ear and dug into it, suspecting that something was wrong with his hearing. Oliver was one step faster.
“Why?” Oliver asked. The soft expression on his face was fading, apparently still concerned about Ann’s behavior.
“I don’t know why.” Ann raised her voice. Nemo felt there was a bit of carelessness as he detected traces of sadness on her face that she didn’t have time to cover up. “Well done, but I don’t think I’m wrong. Next, we have to go together. Someone has to say it, assuming you’re still willing to go with me.”
Does this mean she’s letting them go?
Oliver turned his head and cast an inquiring look, and Nemo nodded slightly.
“We survived, so the agreement is still valid.” Oliver smiled at Ann.
“Then follow me. It’s just afternoon, and we still have the night to pass.” Ann turned around decisively and didn’t continue the topic.
“Say, Sav… Ann.” Nemo hesitated for a moment, but still spoke up. “I don’t mean to blame you, but just now, you did make a mistake.”
Ann turned her head and stared sharply at him with those amber eyes. In the dim forest, her eyes looked close to golden, like the eyes of a beast.
“That… uh,” Nemo stumbled awkwardly and found that he didn’t know the name of the dead young man. This made his momentum wilt as soon as it rose. “If he hadn’t rushed out at that time, I… I might have escaped with you. I hope you know this.”
Nemo didn’t think he was a saint, let alone a hero. His life was so ordinary that almost all the blood he had seen came from books. He didn’t know why he was saying this, and he didn’t even think it was about righteousness, but the young man had died so easily; the people he was protecting were busy fleeing and didn’t even know what he had done. Even one of the witnesses commented that it was “meaningless”. This recognition made him a little sad.
It wasn’t out of pity or survivor’s guilt. He simply felt that he should tell her that the deceased young man was worthy.
“Meaningless things are meaningless,” Ann said quietly as she turned around and moved onwards. “I won’t change my point of view. What you think is your business.”
“I—” Nemo wanted to speak but was stopped by Oliver with one hand. He shook his head slightly at Nemo.
“How much do you know about the demon’s tavern in Noer?” Oliver followed Ann’s footsteps and returned to his usual tone.
“You’re talking about ‘Dawn’, right? There is such a place. Demon worshippers are generally not welcome in taverns—to be more precise, they’re not welcome anywhere.” Ann kicked away the withered grass in front of her. “The owner is quite interesting. Few people dare to declare their neutrality in front of the church these days. Over time, all demon worshippers have gathered there. We’ve been betting when it’ll end.”
“Then what?” Nemo couldn’t help but interject.
“Then, as you can see, it still remained booming for so many years. Perhaps the owner has some background.” Ann shrugged. “Why? Are you starting to be interested in your compatriots?”
Nemo imagined a tavern full of Judes and felt a bit sick from the bottom of his heart. “No. Just asking.” The word “compatriots” made him feel nauseous.
“I suspect that what the parrot said has some truth. It’s always good to be clear,” Oliver said slowly. “In case the Knights of Judgement come to our door one day, we can’t be unprepared.”
“How rare that you know of this.” Ann glanced at Oliver in surprise. “Speaking of which, where’s the parrot?”
Nemo hurriedly looked around. Not to mention the parrot, he didn’t even find ordinary bird hair. He was stunned for a moment and hesitated for a second about whether he should feel relieved or worried. Bagelmaurus had never been away for too long before, and he had grown accustomed to its sarcasm that would buzz around him from time to time.
“Don’t worry too much.” Ann smiled. “It knows where you are and will always find you.”
“But in case it’s killed…”
“Oh, that would be a problem, but I don’t think so.” Ann paused. “You have no idea what you did, right? Judging from your performance just now, there’s nothing in this forest that can hurt it.”
As she said this, she looked directly into the young man’s silver eyes, but she didn’t find anything other than surprise. There was no fear, no joy, not even cautious expectations. This made her unexpectedly anxious.
“Do you know how to control a Seymour Worm? If it’s mercenaries from Horizon, then at least three would be required. A mage to maintain the magic formation, while the other is responsible for long-range spells, and the warrior must be equipped with a blunt weapon with a first-level shock spell. It takes at least five hours to draw the restraint array, and at least two hundred kilograms of freshwater elephant meat must be prepared to lead it to the center. It should be noted that Horizon is currently the number one mercenary group.” There was a certain complex emotion in Ann’s tone.
“Ramon’s abilities are still within my understanding. As for you… I didn’t notice any fluctuations in your abilities at that time. You didn’t cast any spells, and even if the parrot is a top intermediate demon, this is too exaggerated.”
As she was talking, she fumbled with her waist bag for a while before something metallic flashed between the cracks of her clenched fist. Ann threw the thing in her hands at Nemo, who subconsciously caught it with both hands and lowered his head to look…
A familiar pendant was shining with the unique luster of gold in his palm.
“I bought it from Oni. This thing is very important to you, right? After all, it’s a rare style that’s only available in the capital of Alban. Generally, I don’t investigate the origins of my teammates. I know it’s not polite.” Ann stretched out her hand and rubbed her forehead. “But now I have to. I’m using this to buy a question from you. How much do you know about your life?”
Nemo didn’t say much. He carefully pulled out the picture hidden on his body, gently embedded it back into the picture frame of the pendant, and then showed it generously.
“That’s all I know,” he said.
Ann approached closer to look while Oliver struggled for a few seconds, but he was unable to restrain his curiosity and eventually leaned in.
It was a portrait of a girl painted with delicate brushstrokes. Unfortunately, whether it was because the picture was too old or poorly kept, the pigment had faded. The young girl in the painting wouldn’t be considered a top beauty, but she was still considered beautiful and lovely. She didn’t pose in the popular demure that’s common when posing for pictures, but instead made a funny face. Her hair looked like silk, was slightly curled, and the color of her eyes was indistinguishable from cyan or green.
“I don’t know if this is my mother, grandmother, or some other female relative,” Nemo said. “This was the only thing on my body when I was discovered.”
“Why don’t I remember this?” Oliver stared at it in surprise.
“Because Patrick had a hard time pulling it out of my throat,” Nemo replied bitterly.
Ann studied the small picture for a while but found no clues.
“I’ve never seen such a person,” she said, somewhat frustrated. “Have you tried to find her?”
“No,” Nemo replied decisively. “I said I don’t remember what happened before. If I’m lucky, perhaps one day I will be able to meet her naturally. It’s fine if we don’t meet either. I still have my relatives. Yes, I do cherish it, because… it proves that I may not have been abandoned.”
No one would put such a valuable thing on an abandoned child. It proved that, at least at a certain moment, he was loved by his true family; at least he believed so.
Ann picked up the pendant and flipped it over and found a line of small print on the inside of the case.
“The flame will never die.” She struggled to recognize the handwriting. “The signature… No, the signature is too worn out.”
“I couldn’t find the source of that sentence,” Nemo said. “Look, that’s all I know. The amount of information was a bit small… Did you want some change? It’s fine to count it as arrears in addition to the staff.” He stared at the pendant eagerly.
Ann shook her head with a smile and returned the pendant. “Forget it,” she said. “Put it away.”
“Don’t you want to ask anything else?” Nemo didn’t want to feel like he owed her too much. He could still talk about his experience in recent years.
“No, since you—”
Before she could finish, a black light suddenly appeared. Ann fiercely blocked them from it.
The gray parrot was flying towards them happily, with spells and incantations everywhere, fluttering as if it had drunk too much wine. It approached Nemo. He thought it was going to stop on his shoulder again, so he didn’t move. Unexpectedly, the bird stretched out its claws and scratched his shoulder, causing a gaping hole to open up. It used its hard beak to stab into the flesh as blood overflowed.
Nemo was more experienced this time. He directly grabbed the gray parrot’s body and threw it hard. The parrot slammed into the ground with an unnaturally long purplish-black tongue still sticking out of its mouth.
“It’s still not working.” It lay on the ground and spoke aggrievedly before slowly retracting its tongue. “I still can’t get it back… I’m obviously full! Do I have to eat a superior—”
Nemo put his pendant away carefully, leaving the wound alone. It quickly healed under the watchful eyes of Oliver and Ann, leaving behind only bloodstains that had penetrated his clothes.
“Now I’m positive.” Ann sighed fiercely. “I’m afraid an ordinary demon worshiper won’t suffice… You need an expert.”
Nemo froze, as if he had been licked by a huge, barbed tongue. He could clearly hear the worms’ continuous angry hissing. Disgusting green mucus poured over from behind, reaching the soles of his shoes. This time, Oliver slashed it hard and had obviously angered it.
Nemo didn’t have the courage to look back at all.
At this time, the difference between a civilian and a soldier was starkly revealed. Ann didn’t pause at all as she kept carrying the man who was taller and bigger than her, which was an undoubtedly extremely difficult task. She adjusted her posture, lowered her center of gravity, and instantly prepared to retreat.
“Follow me.” She charged forward hurriedly. Oliver struggled a few times, as if he wanted to jump off, causing Ann to smack him hard on the back of his head. “This thing is very stupid. It will take the lead in attacking larger targets. As long as it runs to a crowded place, I can escape.”
“…But it’ll attack other people.” Nemo put down his just raised foot that had stepped into mucus, causing him to involuntarily shiver.
“I don’t want to have a moral debate with you now. Those people are dead. If you have an idea, just say it. If you don’t, then listen to my instructions.” Ann’s amber eyes were fixed on the worm that was still roaring and struggling. “You can choose to die senselessly, like that fool just now.”
Run away. His desire for survival whispered into his ears. Run away. It’s not wrong to want to live. Ann’s thinking wasn’t wrong. They had no other choice. Even if those people were still alive, they would eventually be eaten by the worm. Even if they survived, the test was far from over.
He didn’t know anything. Ann was more experienced and determined than he was. Yes, he didn’t know anything…
He closed his eyes in pain, as his instinct and conscience were about to tear his soul apart. His lungs were still aching, and his heart was beating vigorously. Every inch of his body was fiercely refusing to die while death was roaring behind him, trying to turn him into a rotten corpse.
“No,” he said with difficulty.
Ann looked at him blankly.
“No.” As if he was trying to convince himself, he raised his voice and repeated, no longer suppressing the trembling in his voice.
“I see,” Ann said, before she turned around and left quickly, but she couldn’t move far. While Oliver was knocked out, he wasn’t completely unconscious. He gathered some strength and broke free from her. He was exhausted and knelt down when he fell to the ground.
“We disagree.” Oliver staggered to his feet. “Miss Savage, you go. If I can survive, at least I’ll find…” Nemo seemed to know what he was going to say, glared at him, causing Oliver to quickly change his words. “…We’ll find you and fulfill the agreement.”
Ann glanced at the hilt of the sword that had happened to fall at her feet and bit her lip. Her expression was a little pale.
“Thank you for your care these days.” Oliver lowered his head.
The Seymour Worm finally shook off its ice casing, shattering it with its body. Ann didn’t respond or move. She just stood and stared at them coldly.
“Oh?” The gray parrot fluttered its wing and said calmly, “Seymour Worms taste great! I used to run to the shallows to eat a few. Since you have taken my power, you can’t be afraid of my snacks—”
“What do I need to do?” Without mocking or taunting, Nemo asked the question very seriously. He clenched the metal staff tightly and didn’t even realize that he had slightly deformed it.
“Just be hostile to it!” the gray parrot said. “I’m really surprised. Before, you didn’t have the slightest sense of confrontation in your barren head.”
Even if the worm laid flat and let them attack it, Nemo didn’t think he could cause any substantial damage. He took a deep breath, raised his staff at the worm, and thought how crazy he was. The worm ran over, as if it hadn’t even seen him.
A hand pressed on his back.
“What I’m going to say may be presumptuous,” Oliver whispered. “I trust you, Nemo. It’s not some hot-blooded pretty talk. Just this morning, the oppression you gave me was much stronger than this thing.”
Nemo panted in a panic, suddenly realizing that this was the first time Oliver had called his name. He squeezed out a little sobriety from the crazy fragments of his mind.
If Bagelmaurus’ power could return after his death, there would be no need for the gray parrot to protect him from Ann. In other words, the parrot wouldn’t lie to him and let him die in vain. It now looked like an old god and its words seemed to ring true that this thing wasn’t something to be afraid of. Yes, he must be capable of defeating it, as long as he—
Unfortunately, his eyes hurt when he stared at it. The Seymour Worm was still roaring forward and was about to collide with them. The front of his staff was close enough to touch its skin, and its teeth almost pierced his jaw.
Please, just disappear.
Nemo gritted his teeth, but kept his eyes open and was ready to pay for his foolish persistence.
But neither the cold sucking sensation nor the pain of teeth piercing his skin appeared. The worm stopped and even closed its round mouth. Several pale orbs appeared on its black skin, and its crossed-shaped pupils opened, staring straight at the prey that was too small for it.
Nemo tried to accumulate momentum by staring at it at first, but he soon found that there were too many eyes on this thing, and he didn’t know which one to look at. The Seymour Worm just kept staring at him and did nothing else. After the tension dissipated, Nemo even tried to take two steps back, and the cross-shaped pupils followed his movements.
One minute.
It stared at him.
Five minutes.
It stared at him seriously, causing Nemo to feel a bit awkward.
“I said…” As soon as he opened his mouth, the Seymour Worm roared. Nemo quickly closed his mouth, but it was still roaring intermittently with a much sharper cry.
Nemo turned around tentatively for a few seconds. The worm seemed to be stuck to the ground, as there was no sound of its body twisting. The red silk cage disappeared when the worm was frozen, and the people in the distance had already ran away. Nemo rubbed his chin and announced with some joy, “…I think we can run away now!”
He even turned around and forcibly gave Oliver, who was completely stunned, a high-five.
Ann opened her mouth and said nothing. She still didn’t show any emotions, but silently pointed them in a direction. After the three of them ran for a while, Nemo turned around to confirm. The Seymour Worm was still motionless, as if it was thinking about some difficult life problem. There was no doubt that he had succeeded.
“What’s going on?!” Thorne almost put his face into the light screen. “What did the black-haired kid do—”
Fenrir came out of nowhere and stared at the worm on the screen. “It noticed something. What are the origins of that young man?”
“Nemo Light.” Thorne snapped his fingers and a wanted warrant appeared in his hand. “He’s not a vagrant… Let’s see. Orphan. Used to work in the library at Roadside Town of Alban. He was charged with using demons to attack the village and murdered Piper Ramon together with Oliver Ramon. Wait, Savage picked two freshly baked wanted criminals?”
“Is he a demon worshipper? Where’s his demon?”
“It seems to be this gray parrot.” Throne pulled another light screen closer. “This is the first time I have seen this kind of breed. Logically speaking, the closer the appearance is to a normal animal, the lower its strength should be. Being able to suppress the Seymour Worm, it can’t be an ordinary demon. I say Fenrir, could it be…”
“No. Light doesn’t look like he has any deformations. I have seen a demon warlock fight against a Seymour Worm. After its opponent released their hostility, it ran away. This one didn’t escape. That bird is probably a type of intermediate demon.”
“I haven’t seen a demon warlock before.” Thorne muttered in a low voice, sounding a bit sad.
“Believe me, you don’t want to see one.” Fenrir narrowed his eyes and looked at the black-haired young man who was busy running away on the light screen. “In every sense, they’re all pure lunatics.”
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound under the tree, causing Fenrir to glance down. The giant snake that had been trying to attack them had finally given up. It slithered down the tree in frustration and quickly confronted a passing short-legged rabbit.
It raised its upper body and hissed, frightening the rabbit, causing it to tremble on the spot while it made soft wailing sounds.
That worm was startled.No, it shouldn’t be possible. Fenrir shook his head abruptly, as if to throw that absurd thought out of his mind.
“That Ramon isn’t bad either.” Thorne was still talking. “He can still stand after releasing so much power. If it weren’t for his sword breaking—”
“Thorne. Have the bugs go over and inspect his sword,” Fenrir said suddenly.
It was difficult since there was ice debris that was mixed with dust and mucus that was ejected by the worm. It was hard to find the metal fragments. It was like they were looking for a needle in a haystack. Fortunately, they were lucky. The hilt of the sword wasn’t submerged by the green mucus, allowing the bugs to send back a clear image.
“…Looking at the fracture, the sword’s body was probably turned into powder,” Thorne said. “What a shame. Had it been a better-quality sword, maybe it could have been more useful.”
“No.” Fenrir frowned. “You’re not a swordsman, Thorne, so you don’t understand. The destruction of the sword by the power itself is completely different from its inability to withstand the power.”
“What do you mean?”
“The former is more common. If the move is destructive, the sword can be easily damaged. The power is first stimulated, and then the sword’s body is destroyed from the outside… This is usually the case.”
“Isn’t that the case here?”
The handle of the sword was stained with some metal dust, which glowed beautifully in the sun. Fenrir retreated from the light screen. His expression became more cautious and serious. Thorne knew very well that once their leader showed this expression, something bad would happen.
“Ramon’s situation is the other kind. The swordsman’s strength was so great that the material collapsed from the inside because it couldn’t bear it. The move that he made only represented the limit of the material itself could withstand. Oliver Ramon isn’t weak because he swallowed back a part of his power that he had not successfully exerted. Do you know what this means?”
Thorne spread his hands and shrugged. He wasn’t a warrior, so it was difficult for him to understand such a complex explanation.
Fenrir sighed, reliving a long-lost feeling. He was past the age where he would be shaken by the excellence of others, but the fact that he had to say it made him feel a subtle sense of frustration.
“Putting aside his combat abilities and only considering in terms of strength—as long as Oliver Ramon’s sword was not made of papier-mâché, then his power exceeds mine.”
“I know Ann Savage’s style. She purposefully looked for these two young wanted criminals to cooperate. They haven’t had time to be wooed by other Black Chapters, so they don’t have any strange ambitions. The two of them are a bit powerful themselves, and they don’t look like the aggressive types. If I wanted to act alone, I would definitely form a Black Chapter team of this type.”
“A bit of strength… Ha. I think she should have discovered it by now. This time, she picked up two monsters.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Some clarity. In the original, the author uses demon (恶魔) to describe basically all monsters from the Abyss (which is the demonic realm of this world where monsters reside). I use demons and monsters interchangeably to make a distinction in my translations, as demons are closely related to things of demonic nature or higher ranking (like Bagelmaurus), while monsters are more general (like the deadwood jellyfish and the Seymour Worm). But just know that whatever term is used, it’s referring to a monster from the Abyss, unless otherwise stated.
On the same note, black badge/seal (黑章) is also used to describe the organization they are trying to join, but I’ve made distinctions with it. When it’s translated as badge, it refers to the badge that you get for passing the test, while the Black Chapter is the organization itself of all people who have black badges. This is to make the translation smoother.
Also, there are tiers establishing the power ranks among the demons/monsters:
Long Shen moved slightly, and it was like a quiet beauty had come to life and walked out of a painting.
“All packed up?”
Dong Zhi nodded and said worriedly, “I’m carrying the Changshou Sword. What should I do? Controlled weapons aren’t allowed to be checked in!”
Long Shen: “We’ll go through a separate procedure. I’ll take care of it.”
Dong Zhi felt relieved. If Master was going to handle everything, then there wouldn’t be a problem no matter how difficult it was. Long Shen was like a mountain, stable and reliable. With him, many problems could be solved.
As he was about to leave, he couldn’t help but think back to whether Long Shen had forgotten the things he had said so he couldn’t help but chatter.
“Master, when I’m away, take good care of yourself. Don’t forget to eat and rest, and don’t always stay up late and work overtime, otherwise your body won’t be able to handle it.”
“Master, how are you going to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival? Are you going to spend it with He Yu, Lao Zhong, and Kan Chaosheng?”
“You usually accept express delivery, right? I’ll mail you some specialty products from Lucheng later!”
The noise kept buzzing in his ears that Long Shen couldn’t help but say, “Be quiet for a bit.”
Dong Zhi finally shut up.
Long Shen said, “If I am not by your side, you must also practice diligently, and you can’t slack off.”
“Okay.”
“Although you have recovered most of your qi now, you must never invite god again in the future. Bu Tian gang works well with your kung fu tona, so don’t fall behind.”
“Okay.”
“If there is anything you don’t understand, just ask me. Also, if you don’t have enough money, tell me.”
Dong Zhi felt like laughing. His master had the mentality of an old father that was always worried about his children not having enough money, but this kind of Long Shen had a more human touch. Even if he didn’t need it, he would still take advantage of it.
“Master, I think many disciples in a sect will light a natal lamp when they leave for a long trip, so if something happens outside, the sect can know. Would you like to give me one too? If I lose my life outside, you may not even know.” He wasn’t afraid of cursing himself, so he said it straightforwardly.
The natal lamp was also known as the soul lamp, and it was related to a human’s life. When the candlelight was dim, it meant the person was in danger or in poor condition. When the light was extinguished, it meant the person was likely dead.
Long Shen said, “No need.”
After a pause, he added, “If something happens to you, I will know.”
Long Shen didn’t say any more, and Dong Zhi didn’t ask either. He thought to himself that his master had some methods that were secretive.
It wasn’t currently rush hour, so the car arrived at the airport quickly. Dong Zhi took his luggage and went to go through the check-in procedures while Long Shen took the Changshou Sword to check in. He was very efficient. Just as Dong Zhi had completed the formalities, he had already returned and handed over a card to him.
“After getting off the plane, just take this to the check-in office to pick it up.”
After that, Long Shen raised his hand and glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. Let’s go through security.”
Every line at the security checkpoint was very long. Usually it would take about 40 minutes to go through.
“Then, Master, I’m leaving!”
Long Shen nodded.
Dong Zhi tilted his head and smiled. “Is there anything else you want to tell me?”
Long Shen: “I said everything that needed to be said in the car.”
Dong Zhi opened his arms. “Then let’s have a farewell hug.”
Long Shen didn’t move. Dong Zhi had now developed a thicker skin. If the mountain refused to move, then he would go to the mountain. He took a step forward and hugged Long Shen.
The airport was always bustling with people coming and going, and partings and reunions were commonplace. Their hugs couldn’t be more common than those around them, but what wasn’t common was their appearance. One was cold and the other warm, just like complementary poles.
Long Shen let him hug him for a while before stretching out his hand and patting him on the back.
“You should go.”
Dong Zhi let go of his hand. “Master, I left you a parting gift. In my dormitory, before you hand over the key to He Yu, go in and take a look and take the gift away.”
Long Shen frowned slightly. “What gift?”
“You’ll find out once you go and have a look!”
Dong Zhi was afraid that he would refuse, so he quickly turned around and left after speaking. With every step he took, the farther away he got from Long Shen.
He picked a security line at random and started queuing up, but he couldn’t help but look back. The figure of the man was no longer there.
Dong Zhi took a deep breath, then picked up the phone to say goodbye to He Yu and Kan Chaosheng.
Long Shen drove back to the Special Administration Bureau. It was rare that he had a free day today, and there wasn’t any official business to deal with, but he still sat at his desk to read documents for a while.
His phone was buzzing, one after another. When he glanced at it, he saw it was a text from Dong Zhi.
[Master, I’m getting on the plane.]
[Due to air traffic control today, the flight was delayed, again.]
[Note that again was purposeful since every time I would depart from the capital, I have never arrived on time.]
[Master, I’m so hungry. It’s been over half an hour and the plane hasn’t even taken off yet. I regret that I didn’t eat more before I went out. Your cutest apprentice is afraid that he’ll starve to death on the plane.]
Long Shen ignored all the dribbled nonsense and finished reading his documents. The other party had stopped sending him messages, so he surmised that he was either too hungry and fainted or the plane had already taken off.
His landline phone on the desk rang, and Long Shen picked it up. After listening for a while, he put the phone down and thought to himself, “he knew it’, then sent separate texts to He Yu and the others.
Zhong Yuyi replied quickly, but He Yu and Kan Chaosheng did not text back. He didn’t know if they had seen his text or not. After waiting for a while without an answer, he got up and went downstairs to He Yu’s office.
Not surprisingly, he saw Kan Chaosheng with He Yu. They were both lying on the sofa, both with a phone in their hands, as their bodies staggered along with the fighting simulation in the game. They were so engaged that they didn’t even notice Long Shen when he opened the door and came in.
They were going to send Dong Zhi off, but when they heard that Long Shen was doing it for them, they didn’t show up at all. They just sent a text saying goodbye and hurried to play games.
Long Shen stood by the door. Seeing that the two were completely immersed and didn’t notice his arrival, he chose the most direct way to wake them up by cutting off the internet.
When He Yu saw the prompt that the game was offline, he couldn’t help but let out a cry, and when he raised his head, his expression immediately changed to a smile.
“Oh, boss, what kind of wind blew you here today? If you have any instructions, just tell me. Why bother to visit in person?”
Long Shen: “I sent you a message, but you didn’t reply.”
He Yu and Kan Chaosheng felt a little guilty when they heard his words. They were in mid-battle just now, so when they saw a message pop up, they quickly swiped it away. Now they’re cursing themselves for being so stupid and that they didn’t read the content.
Long Shen: “Next time, I’ll open an account and keep killing you until you stop playing.”
He Yu, Kan Chaosheng: ……
This threat was too cruel. The two of them followed Long Shen into the conference room with drooping heads.
He Yu originally thought that it would be a general meeting, but when he arrived, he found that there were people in Group One and Group Three. Except for Song Zhicun, who went to Japan, Wu Bingtian was also there.
There was now an unwritten rule in the Bureau that if Director Jiang, who’s not in charge of any specific affair, wasn’t there, that would mean the meeting was business as usual.
He Yu and Kan Chaosheng looked at each other, and quickly sat up straight.
When everyone gathered, Wu Bingtian cut to the chase and said straightforwardly, “For this meeting, I hope everyone will strictly abide by the principle of confidentiality. The level of confidentiality involved in this incident is top secret.”
Everyone’s expressions became serious after these words came out.
Wu Bingtian: “I believe that everyone already knows about the previous situations. First on Changbai Mountain, and then in Yinchuan, we have found two stone tablets. According to research and verification from all parties, the history of these stone tablets is likely to be traced back to the Qin and Han Dynasties, and even before the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Although the runes on the stone tablets haven’t been cracked yet, it’s been preliminarily determined that the content should be related to the suppression of demons. In other words, these two stone tablets that have been unearthed may be part of a larger demon suppression array.”
“The current situation is that a group of foreigners may have obtained more information about the stone tablets from other channels than we have. Their goal is likely to destroy these stone tablets. The stone tablet on Changbai Mountain has been severely damaged, and even if it’s repaired, it will not be the same as before. Fortunately, Boss Long and Boss Song had led a group of people to stop the conspiracy in Yinchuan, recovered some of our losses, and managed to preserve another stone tablet.”
“Last time, Boss Long and the others found a mural in northwest Inner Mongolia with runes similar to the ones on the stone tablet. At that time, they had no idea what they were, so it had to be put on hold for the time being. Later, when they linked it with the Yinchuan incident, they learned that those murals were probably clues to the stone tablets. From Changbai Mountain to Yinchuan, it spans thousands of miles. It’s foreseeable that this talisman array will be unimaginably huge. Now, we hope to get inspiration from the discoveries from these two places, so it could lead us to find more stone tablets rather than passively waiting for the Japanese to get ahead again, leaving us to clean up their mess.”
This remark had become common now. The Bureau had held many meetings on this matter during this period of time. He Yu and Kan Chaosheng later went to Yunnan and didn’t participate, but when they heard this tune, they couldn’t help but yawn secretly.
Then they heard Long Shen said, “We tentatively divided the talisman array into eight regions. Assuming that the stone tablet on Changbai Mountain represents the northeast, and the stone tablet near the tomb of the Western Xia King refers to the northwest, then secret searches will be carried out in six places of east, west, south, north, southeast, and southwest. The southeast direction is tentatively designated as the Putuo Mountain area, and the south is tentatively assigned to the vicinity of the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King. He Yu and Kan Chaosheng are responsible for them. The north is tentatively designated as near Xiangshan and The Thirteen Tombs, which we have assigned to the Rong Sheng group. There are currently two in the southwest direction. One is tentatively designated as the Guanghan area, which is assigned to the Ding Lan group. The other is the area from Xi’an to Xianyang, which can also be extended to Weinan, and that’ll be assigned to the Zhang Heng group. The last area to the east is tentatively designated as the area of Zijin Mountain and the Qinhuai River. I will transfer Yu Buhui back and he’ll be responsible for it.”
If it was Wu Bingtian who said this, after he finished speaking, he would add another sentence like, “Do you have any opinions?” Although he may not have listened to them, it reflected on his approachable temperament.
However, since it was Long Shen, he had a completely different style. There was no fluff, and when he spoke, it was concise and straight to the point. There was no nonsense in arranging tasks and it hit all the key points that needed to be delivered.
He Yu was so frightened that he had to choke back his half yawn. Although Long Shen didn’t ask them for their opinions and simply gave the orders, he couldn’t help but say, “Boss, my leg is still lame, so why am I responsible for two places?”
Long Shen said, “Zhong Yuyi and Kan Chaosheng will assist you. When you’re there, the branch office will try its best to provide support, including the newcomers who’ve joined this year. They have been assigned to various offices, so you can put forward your needs to them.”
He Yu pointed to Chaosheng. “Can he help me? It would be nice if he didn’t make trouble!”
Kan Chaosheng stared at him fiercely but didn’t dare to make a move because Long Shen was there. Still, the small expression on his face clearly said it all, ‘Just wait and see. After this meeting is over, if I don’t bite you, Laozi can’t be called a Jiao.’
Wu Bingtian looked around at everyone present and said with a gentle smile. “Only by clarifying the division of labor and performing your respective duties can we be more efficient. If you have any questions, just ask them.”
Zhang Heng from Group One asked, “Leaders, I want to know the meaning of such a division? Can we really find the stone tablet if we go there?”
Wu Bingtian said, “Of course there is a reason for this division. Based on the previous excavation experience of the previous two stone tablets, they were found on Changbai Mountain and Helan Mountain. This is the common point that they both share, so we have reasons to believe that other stone tablets are most likely buried in famous mountains and rivers, or under a certain royal mausoleum. However, China is too big, and the people who laid this array obviously have deep intentions. When we can clarify the exact location, we can only roughly make such a judgment.”
Everyone nodded, obviously agreeing with this view.
Long Shen said, “Our speculation may be right or wrong, so you need to verify it. While looking for the stone tablet in the corresponding locations, you should pay attention to nearby cultural relics and monuments. They mainly contain clues about the stone tablet on them.”
After the bone dragon incident on Changbai Mountain, the Special Administration Bureau had already planned to find the whereabouts of the other stone tablets, but because they had too few clues, it was like finding a needle in a haystack, so ultimately it couldn’t be accomplished. This time, with the discovery of the stone tablet under Liang’s tomb, it gave them a glimmer of light in the heavy fog.
After the collapse of the alter, the Special Administration Bureau invited many capable people to go down and seal the alter again. They also added many talisman arrays, sealed the space of the alter separately, and watered the soil layer, burying it deep. In addition, they sent people there to continue guarding and patrolling the area. If there were no accidents, it’d be difficult to damage this stone tablet again.
—
Dong Zhi had sent several messages in succession, but they all failed. He wasn’t surprised, because he knew his messages were too flighty and his master was such a sullen person. When Long Shen was busy, he wouldn’t even recognize his own parents, so it was normal that he wouldn’t reply to his messages. It just so happened that the reminder that the plane was about to take off sounded, so he turned off his phone and fastened his seatbelt.
He was sitting at the front of the aisle, next to a middle-aged man, who was already fast asleep before the plane had taken off and was snoring from time to time.
When he looked outside the window, he saw the sky getting darker as the sun was setting, covered by dark clouds. The journey alone seemed long and lonely. No one would resist excitement. If there was any, it was because they were afraid of the desolation that would come when the excitement ended.
Dong Zhi originally thought that he was used to living alone and should adapt quickly, but the moment he walked through the security gate, he had already begun to miss his training days with the Special Administration Bureau.
Even when he was separated from the group in Liang’s Tomb, he knew there were countless companions walking in the dark, but now he had to set foot on the unknown road alone. There was also Long Shen. They had never really separated, and he had started to miss him.
Dong Zhi closed his eyes, took a deep breath, got rid of distractions, and began to simulate the whole set of the Tian Gang’s footwork and swordsmanship in his mind.
Under Long Shen’s two-week conditioning, his body had improved greatly compared to when he was first discharged from the hospital. He was no longer short of breath and there wasn’t any palpitation as before. As his Master said, even Zhong Yuyi may not be able to withstand the frequent invitation of gods, not to mention he had invited three righteous gods in a row, which was a great drain on his body and spirit. His illness hit him hard like a mountain, and it would come and go, so he could only slowly recover his vitality.
When the plane entered the stratosphere, the turbulence gradually decreased. The flight attendants dimmed the airport lights to allow passengers to rest. Some people were talking in low voices, while others chose to nap. Not far away, the flight attendants were tidying up their dining cart. This was the quietest moment in his several-hour-long journey.
Dong Zhi couldn’t help being distracted as he thought to himself how Long Shen would react when he saw what he had left behind.
As soon as this thought occurred, he heard a scream.
The woman’s voice was high, and her scream sounded like the noise of a dolphin, which made everyone’s ears tremble. It was full of horror, as if she had encountered the most terrifying thing in her life, causing the entire cabin to be alarmed.
Dong Zhi’s seat was in the high-end economy class, which was behind business class and in front of economy class. Together with the screams from the people in the business class, he had gotten up and reacted faster than others as he opened the curtain and moved forward.
The scream came from a woman with exquisite makeup on, who looked a little familiar at first glance, as if she had been in a TV series or movie.
Dong Zhi didn’t chase stars, so he didn’t think too much of it. He saw that the other party was still sitting in her seat but was shrinking back into it, and was waving her hands frantically, as if to prevent something from pouncing on her, but there was nothing but empty air in front of her.
Not only Dong Zhi, the flight attendant, the airline security personnel, and the people around her also reacted. They all looked around but didn’t dare to step froward. Her companion didn’t know why she was reacting like this and wanted to stop her, but it only made the woman even more frightened.
“Miss Han, what’s wrong with you?!”
“Qiqi, calm down!”
The airline security personnel rushed over when they heard the sound. “Miss, please calm down. If you need help, you can contact our flight attendant. You’re disturbing the peace and order of the airplane!”
The stewardess also tried to comfort her. “Miss Han, are you uncomfortable? I can try to see if there are any passengers on board who is a doctor!”
“Don’t come, don’t come. All of you, don’t come over!” The woman’s horrified eyes swept across them, as if there wasn’t a flight attendant in front of her but a hideous looking demon. Her complexion was blueish-pale, and her beautiful face was reduced to extreme fear.
From the names he heard others call her, combined with her recognizable face, Dong Zhi finally remembered who the well-known star was.
Celebrities and idols are everywhere these days. After making contact with Hui Yiguang, public figures were not particularly new to Dong Zhi. However, this Miss Han Qi was more famous than Hui Yiguang. Her status was close to that of the number one female in a big-budgeted TV series. If Hui Yiguang were to meet her, she would most likely try to curry favor with her.
Right now, Han Qi was behaving less like a public figure and more like a hysterical woman. Although she didn’t scream like she did just now, her behavior was becoming stranger and more erratic.
The flight attendant was overwhelmed, trying to appease her but was also stopping the passengers who came forward to watch the excitement.
“Miss Han, do you have any needs? If this continues and affects the flight, we can only ask the captain to land nearby or return back to the airport. In this case, the impact will be great.”
Han Qi’s lips quivered as she put her hand around her chest. Trembling, she lowered her voice. “Don’t you see it?”
See what? Everyone looked at each other blankly.
The flight attendants and the airline security personnel had begun to suspect that the big star might have mental problems.
Han Qi’s assistants and bodyguards were desperate. Everything was fine before they got on the plane, but suddenly this happened.
Dong Zhi saw that something was off. When the flight attendant came to persuade him to go back to his seat and sit down, he ignored her and took a step forward.
“Let me see her.”
“Sir, are you a doctor?” The flight attendant asked.
Dong Zhi shook his head. “Her condition is not quite like a mental illness.”
Han Qi’s bodyguards regarded him as a fan with bad intentions. Hearing what he said, they showed vigilance and stepped forward to stop him.
At this moment, Han Qi screamed again, “Where is it going?! Oh my god! It’s going to the captain’s cabin! Stop it, don’t let it go!”
The airplane they were on had no first class, with business class the highest tier. In front of business class was the cabin door, a bathroom, and a dining room. After that, there was a narrow aisle in the middle that led to the captain’s cabin.
No one knew what she was talking about. Dong Zhi followed her gaze and saw a pool of stains faintly appearing on the ground of the passage leading to the captain’s cabin, but before he could fix his eyes to see it clearly, it quickly flashed away.
Others may think that they were seeing things, but Dong Zhi was now an “insider of the industry” and could smell the unusualness at once.
Without a second thought, he took out a Sunlight Talisman and threw it in the direction of the captain’s cabin and recited a spell quickly in a low voice.
“The heavens give birth to water, the earth gives birth to fire, the heavens give birth to wood, the earth gives birth to gold. The five central palaces, subdue malignity, overcome disasters, and eliminate all traces of evil! Go!”
Before the talisman touched the hatch of the captain’s cabin, it had already caught fire in mid-air, and the fire instantly became larger and turned into a ball of flames. Everyone screamed, and before the airline security personnel could bring the fire extinguisher, the fire was already gone. It was like a picture of editing failure. Together with the talisman paper, the thing completely disappeared, not even leaving any ashes behind.
“It’s gone!” Han Qi murmured, finally calming down, but her eyes were still focused in the direction they were staring blankly.
Dong Zhi took out a brush and cinnabar, and while everyone was still unresponsive, he quickly tapped Han Qi’s forehead, causing her to close her eyes and fall softly back in her seat.
“What are you doing?!” The bodyguard was furious, thinking that he had done something to Han Qi, and swung at him.
Dong Zhi avoided sideways, stretching out his hand to stop the opponent’s strength.
“I’m not harming her. She’s just been haunted by a nightmare. She’ll be fine when she wakes up.”
Everyone looked at each other. The scene just now was still in front of them. It was too unbelievable and greatly beyond their usual understanding of the world. It was too idiotic for them to suddenly believe the words of a complete stranger.
The airline security personnel and the flight attendant glanced at each other. The former stepped forward and pressed on Dong Zhi’s shoulder, while the latter was quietly blocking Dong Zhi’s way.
“Your behavior just now almost caused a fire. You have violated aviation safety regulations. I hope you can cooperate with our investigation.”
After that, they tried to handcuff him. Dong Zhi thought it was funny as he shrank his hands away to avoid it and hurriedly said, “I’m from the Special Administration Bureau. You may not have heard of it, but your boss has. Please contact the ground. When we land, I’ll cooperate with your investigation, but the plane will not turn back. I am not a dangerous person, and my behavior just now will not cause any harm to the plane.”
The Special Administration Bureau does not disclose its identity to the outside world, so many people did not know that there was such a department. The airline security personnel were naturally suspicious. They felt that Dong Zhi was either a psychopath or a cunning criminal, but they also wanted to evade any kind of responsibility.
Dong Zhi reached into his pocket while his opponent was not slow to react. He thought he was going to draw out some dangerous weapon, so he was quick to stretch out his hand to stop him. Dong Zhi blocked the airline security personnel with one hand and took out his work permit.
“This is my ID. I can leave it with you for the time being. You can also contact the ground to check my identity.”
He stretched out his hand and took the initiative to let the airline security personnel handcuff him.
The airline security personnel was skeptical as he took the ID and went into the captain’s cabin while he asked the flight attendant to monitor Dong Zhi.
Dong Zhi didn’t expect his “courageous deed” to cause such trouble. The only advantage that he got from it was that he had upgraded his seat, free of charge, as there were many vacant seats in business class. Labeled as a “dangerous person”, he was arranged to sit here for surveillance.
The flight attendant sitting next to him felt that this young man with black hair and fair skin didn’t look like a psychopath, let alone a bad guy. More importantly, she had witnessed Han Qi’s strange behavior from start to finish.
When the big star got on the plane, she wore sunglasses and looked like she was thousands of miles away. She didn’t say much, and if she had any needs, all communication was done through her assistant. She had never spoken to any of the flight attendants in person. There were many fans of Han Qi among them, and they wanted to come forward to ask for a group photo, but after seeing her behavior, they decided against it. In private, they couldn’t help but think that the big star seemed bigger than an emperor, which made it difficult to get close.
Because of this, Han Qi’s arrogance was a stark contrast to her neurotic behavior just now. At that time, the plane had been flying steadily. The flight attendant had unbuckled her seatbelt and was about to prepare food when she suddenly saw Han Qi almost jumping out of her seat. She saw a ghost-like expression on her face and watched as she started screaming and flailing around. The problem was, there was a partition on one side and no one else was around.
Recalling Dong Zhi’s words and actions, the flight attendant couldn’t help but feel a bit strange in her heart. She couldn’t help but whisper, “What happened to her just now?”
Dong Zhi whispered back, “I couldn’t see clearly, but it seems there was something abnormal that was bothering her.”
The stewardess looked horrified. “Then, is it wiped out?”
Dong Zhi said, “I have already burned it with talisman fire just now. If it’s not something powerful, then it should be wiped out.”
What he didn’t say was that, after listening to Han Qi’s yelling just now, it was likely the aim of that thing was the captain’s cabin. If it was allowed to enter, who knew what would happen? Perhaps the entire plane would suffer an unpredictable, serious consequence. However, Dong Zhi felt that telling the flight attendant this would only make her more afraid, so he purposefully concealed it.
When the airline security personnel came out of the captain’s room, his face did not look around.
“We contacted the ground, and the Special Administration Bureau does not have someone like you.”
Dong Zhi blurted out, “Impossible!”
“What’s impossible!” The airline security personnel was angry as he was scolded for this. “The plane almost turned around because of you. You’re coming with us when we land!”
Dong Zhi was speechless. Just great. He was originally going to report for duty, but now he had become a suspicious person. Facing the eyes of the airline security personnel who looked at him like he was mentally ill, he helplessly said, “I can verify my identity when we get off the plane.”
Facing the eyes of the airline security personnel who gave him a look like he was mentally ill, he said helplessly, “I can verify my identity when I get off the plane. Have you ever seen a psychopath that can speak so coherently?”
The airline security personnel. “That’s hard to say. Last time, my colleague met one, and they talked about physics and mechanics for a long time. It turns out that he was suffering from a particularly serious condition. He had escaped from a mental hospital and was caught halfway.”
