Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 38: His Trump Card

After killing the Black Mirage, Guan He finally came to his senses.

Fang Xiu was truly formidable. That terrifying brute, Mazi that was as huge as a tower, was toyed with and killed as if he was nothing. Fang Xiu had only used his concealment, while also letting Guan He deliver the finishing blow. The efficiency was frighteningly high.

As expected of a professional operative from the authorities, he was indeed reliable.

As for what Fang Xiu and Lao Jin had discussed, “the Underworld raising a ghost immortal”, or “those with blood debts chosen as sacrifices”, Guan He didn’t believe a word of it. Lao Jin was a drug dealer who deserved to die, so Fang Xiu was definitely feeding him a line.

Guan He ran to a nearby shop to check the time and returned with excitement. “Fang Ge, it’s not even ten yet. We still have two hours!”

Now their only enemy left was Lao Jin!

With Guan He’s “Five-Ghosts Relocation” skill, he could start by snatching away the demon-revealing mirror. Without Mazi and that mirror, Lao Jin was like a tiger whose claws and teeth had been pulled. With Fang Xiu and Guan He, two young men, how could they not handle a guy around forty or fifty?

They’d already won, Guan He thought.

But Fang Xiu merely let out a breath, rummaging through the blood pool on the ground. “Come on, Xiao Guan, have a snack. You barely ate this morning.”

Guan He: “……”

He decided to rephrase. “Fang Ge, there are only two hours left until a quarter to noon. We still need to rescue everyone and then kill some more evil spirits…”

Fang Xiu: “Why save them?”

Beside him, Bai Shuangying was leisurely molding Mazi’s living soul. The ghost was eyeing the advertising sign at the mouth of the alley, carefully pressing the words “Mid-Autumn Festival” onto his “soul mooncake”.

Under the moonlight, one figure dressed in red, the other in white, huddled together. From head to toe, they exuded a relaxed vibe, giving no sign of wanting to move.

Guan He stared, dumbfounded. “?”

At a time like this, and he still wouldn’t rescue their own people? Why?

Fang Xiu smiled. “Xiao Guan, suppose you’re Lao Jin. Quarter to noon is almost here, and I haven’t shown up yet. What would you do?”

Guan He answered without hesitation. “I’d kill someone.”

The evil spirits that were left were quite strong. Lao Jin couldn’t possibly take them on alone.

“And of the four people in the mirror, whom would you kill first?”

Guan He frowned. “Che… Auntie Cheng…?”

Cheng Songyun was older and shorter, plus she’d been obediently tied up all night. Someone like Lao Jin would definitely pick the weakest.

At that, Guan He suddenly recalled, “But Auntie Cheng has her Resentful Ghost Shield.”

Fang Xiu laughed even more. “Then what?”

“Then…then Lao Jin discovers he can’t break the shield, so he won’t risk wasting any more time. Next, he’ll release Mei Lan…” Guan He continued to reason.

Among the remaining two men and one woman, Lao Jin would know which person was easiest to handle.

“Exactly. Cheng Jie’s shield can protect an extra person, and the shield isn’t affected by spells. Once they’re out of the mirror, they won’t be shoved back in. Then what?”

Guan He shook his head. “…I’m guessing Lao Jin won’t free Blondie and Jia Xu. He’s not that stupid. He wouldn’t release everyone so they could gang up on him.”

“…Then Lao Jin would just wait in place until he triggers the taboo,” Fang Xiu stretched, explaining casually.

“Going one-on-one with an evil spirit or continuing to release people would both be risky. He’ll figure there’s no need to take chances. Worst case, everyone triggers the taboo.”

“Even if everyone’s weak, he’s in better shape physically than Cheng Jie or Mei Lan. If he quickly kills one of them, that’s enough.”

Guan He was stunned. “But Cheng Jie…”

“Yes, Lao Jin doesn’t know that the Resentful Ghost Shield doesn’t rely on Cheng Jie’s own power. It’s sustained by the ghost’s energy. All it requires is for her to remain conscious, and the shield won’t break. She’s got decent willpower. Trust her.”

Guan He fell silent.

So Fang Xiu had sent Cheng Songyun into the mirror specifically to trip Lao Jin up.

He used trickery to separate Lao Jin from Mazi, ensuring their mutual destruction. Even at the cost of using his own companions… This so-called professional from the authorities seemed downright ruthless.

“I don’t have much choice,”

Fang Xiu said at just the right moment. “If we confronted Lao Jin right now, he wouldn’t release anyone, even if it meant triggering the taboo. Someone like him knows perfectly well that once he loses his bargaining chip, he’s as good as dead.”

As for Lao Jin’s “mirror imprisonment” ability, Fang Xiu had consulted Bai Shuangying about it.

But his ghost only stared at him for a while, indicating that the magic setup of an inanimate object was easy to read, but the “underhanded ways of humans” were unpredictable as far as gods or spirits were concerned. Fang Xiu had to let it go.

The more he thought, the more Fang Xiu sighed. “…Lao Jin will say that once he’s dead, anyone inside the mirror is trapped forever, forcing us to protect him. Who knows if that’s true. We can’t risk it.”

Guan He, confused, asked, “But according to your plan, he still won’t release Blondie and Jia Xu, right?”

Fang Xiu sighed more heavily. “If I can, I’ll save at least one person. I’m no bodhisattva. I can’t guarantee universal salvation.”

Guan He: “……”

It was logical enough, but he couldn’t help feeling Fang Xiu had a subtle “it doesn’t matter if those two die” vibe.

…Probably just my imagination, he thought.

While they spoke, Bai Shuangying finished shaping his “mooncake”.

The living soul was pristine white and round, topped with delicate patterns. It looked just like one of the snowy mooncakes sold outside. Bai Shuangying believed the shape really did matter. After fiddling for over ten minutes, he was now even more eager to eat.

He took the mooncake with deliberate care and took a small bite.

Indeed, Mazi, bearing heavier blood debts than Yan Jing or Dashun, tasted even better.

Whereas Dashun was rich and smooth, Mazi’s flavor was intense, a fiery taste that exploded in the mouth, making the ghost crave bite after bite.

The living soul revived his decrepit body a little more. Bai Shuangying felt slightly better, and as a result, even the humans around him seemed more tolerable.

He had to admit, his human was really a pro at picking which souls to harvest.

Sensing his ghost’s gaze, Fang Xiu tilted his head with a playful grin.

“Speaking of which, Half-Mountain hasn’t yet built up full strength, so how’d he manage to get recognized by the E? …Didn’t Shan Hunzi say cultivating an E is harder?”

Old Man Fu cultivated for ten years to become the village head, yet when his efforts collapsed, he went mad with rage. This pedestrian street seemed more modern than that, so it must have been built in the last decade. Half-Mountain’s cultivation time was even shorter, yet he’d already handled the E.

Half-Mountain’s power couldn’t be underestimated. Fang Xiu had no intention of letting his guard down.

Bai Shuangying recalled for a moment.

Oh, Half-Mountain, that almost ghost immortal.

“When an evil spirit cultivates an ‘E’, it also depends on whether they’re ‘in tune’ with it.”

Bai Shuangying, in a good mood from the mooncake, gave a rare explanation. “Once there was a fierce general among humans who died in battle, harboring powerful resentment. He became a vengeful ghost, and his beloved sword became an E.”

“The general had fought countless times with that sword, so they recognized each other on the spot, and he ascended to ghost immortality.”

Fang Xiu understood. Other evil spirits had to cram into a single-log bridge, but that general basically leaped straight into a PhD program.

“So the better the evil spirit ‘understands’ the E’s karma, the more easily it can cultivate it.”

Fang Xiu concluded, “Which means it comes down to compatibility. Most evil spirits have to ‘obey the superficial rules’ because that’s all they can do.”

Lacking compatibility would be like a scammer with a southern accent trying to pass as the grandson of a northern old man. It was essentially nightmare mode.

Some evil spirits remain stuck as the ‘village head’ for ten years, while others jump to ‘immortal’ in under a decade. In this case, rather than human envy, it’s ghost envy*.

*Clarity: This is a play-on of the idiom: comparing one person to another drives you to the brink of death, comparing one piece of merchandise to another make you want to throw it away (人比人得死，货比货得扔). In this case, merchandise is replaced with ghost, so the translation would come out roughly: just like humans, comparison for ghost is just as bad. The idiom refers to not comparing yourself or the things you have with others, since it will often lead to dissatisfaction or discouragement (AKA comparison is the thief of joy).

“Why are you suddenly asking about this?” Bai Shuangying inquired in turn.

“I was thinking if I should catch Half-Mountain for you to eat. But on second thought, maybe not,” Fang Xiu mumbled softly.

Bai Shuangying halted mid-bite. “You’re afraid of it?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Fang Xiu shook his head, looking unusually serious. He leaned on Bai Shuangying’s shoulder, gazing at the moon for quite a while.

“Bai Shuangying, later will you walk through the street with me again, please?”

“Mm.”

……

Quarter to noon.

Lao Jin glared resentfully at the Resentful Ghost Shield. He lay on the ground, gripping the five emperor coins with one hand and the demon-revealing mirror with the other.

At this point, he knew Fang Xiu had tricked him again.

Sure, Fang Xiu might genuinely have been delayed and not made it back, but specifically tossing Cheng Songyun into the mirror was clearly aimed at messing him up…

With time running out, he’d decisively tried to kill Cheng Songyun first. But that blasted shield was impervious. Next, he summoned that young woman, but before she could even react, Cheng Songyun pulled her into the barrier, all in one fluid motion.

He couldn’t break that damn ghost shield!

Eating that loss, Lao Jin had no choice but to stay put, waiting for the taboo to trigger.

It didn’t matter what that shield was. He couldn’t believe those two women would last indefinitely inside. It wasn’t as if they had any food or water. He himself carried a small supply.

Additionally, he had the five emperor coins to hide himself from evil spirits, so as long as he kept calm, he could still win…

Lao Jin forced his breathing to steady, a vicious glint in his eyes.

All these years in cutthroat business, he’d never expected moral integrity. But Fang Xiu was just too baffling.

Fang Xiu had the knowledge of the death taboo while he was holding Fang Xiu’s companions. They could have negotiated peacefully. Yet Fang Xiu insisted on turning on him for seemingly no benefit.

Could it be that kid was simply reckless, bent on stirring the pot for no reason?

“Boss Jin, my god, what happened to you?”

A voice that made Lao Jin’s vision go dark suddenly rang out.

Fang Xiu, red-clad and blood-stained, had arrived belatedly, with no sign of Guan He or Mazi by his side.

Lao Jin lifted his head with difficulty and spat in Fang Xiu’s direction. “What do you think?”

“Beats me. Ah, this mirror looks heavy. Here, I’ll take it.”

Fang Xiu spoke casually as he reached out to pluck the demon-revealing mirror from Lao Jin’s grasp, nearly making Lao Jin choke.

He lifted the mirror, glancing sideways. It still showed no reflection of Fang Xiu.

How was that possible?

How had this person fooled an Underworld prop? If not for the mirror failing to warn him, Lao Jin would never have let himself be manipulated…

“Don’t bother, it won’t work.” Fang Xiu patted Lao Jin’s hand. “When you’re cleaning trash, do you feel ‘hostility’ toward the trash?”

“Garbage is just garbage. All I’m doing is tidying up.”

He spoke with self-evident logic with no hatred, no murderous intent in his tone.

Lao Jin, exhausted, let go of the mirror. This is a so-called “underground Daoist”? A real underground Daoist shouldn’t be this abnormal!

This kid had come up with that cover simply because he knew they were clueless about the metaphysical, thus seizing the advantage.

Recalling how he and Mazi had been played, Lao Jin gnashed his teeth. “You’re not an underground Daoist… You’re really…who…”

Fang Xiu looked at him seriously. “Actually, I’m a hospital janitor.”

Lao Jin was so stifled he literally saw spots. “Fuck…”

He was in taboo-violation mode and stood no chance against Fang Xiu, who was still in top form. Very quickly, Fang Xiu snatched up the little brass mirror, casually tossing it in his hand as if it were a toy.

Lao Jin: “…I…I said…”

“Mm-hmm, you said that even if I get the mirror, I can’t free people,” Fang Xiu responded vaguely. “Next you’ll say that if I kill you, I still won’t undo the spell?”

Lao Jin: “……”

Lao Jin: “…Yes.”

Never had he wanted to kill someone so badly. But with Mazi gone, there was nothing he could do. Seeing Fang Xiu’s hands stained with blood, it was likely Mazi was dead too.

…Now he was completely on his own.

…Next, Fang Xiu would surely torture him, forcing him to release the people from the mirror.

That didn’t matter. It was just torture. He’d spent decades in this underworld life and had seen his share of blood.

Resources here were limited. Fang Xiu couldn’t have many ways to torment him. If he could hold out long enough, Fang Xiu still had to break the E, and once it was done, the Underworld would take them away, even if Lao Jin was on the brink of death.

Lao Jin eyed Fang Xiu coldly as he reached out, assuming the man was about to take him apart. Instead… Fang Xiu patted him down from head to toe, like an airport security check, seizing his solid gold bodhisattva and his gold-plated lighter.

Luckily, Fang Xiu didn’t take the five emperor coins.

Just as Lao Jin was about to rejoice, the little bastard ran his hand over them… and the coins vanished in a shower of glowing motes.

Right after that, Fang Xiu flicked his wrist, and two headless evil spirits materialized in place. They stood there docilely, as if ready to be slaughtered.

Lao Jin: “???” Isn’t that fucking cheating?

“All right, Cheng Jie, come on out and deal with the taboo,” Fang Xiu tapped the Resentful Ghost Shield.

Then he gave Lao Jin a meaningful smile. “You don’t really think I have no way of dealing with this mirror, do you? Taking time to lift the curse is no big deal. I can wait.”

Right… That kid was definitely some kind of practitioner.

Lao Jin swallowed hard, a chill sinking into his heart, as if he heard his last bargaining chip shattering.

No, hold on, he told himself in a panic. Fang Xiu didn’t kill him yet, meaning he still had some use. He just had to hold on…

He wouldn’t release the people in the mirror until the last second.

……

Bai Shuangying couldn’t make sense of Fang Xiu’s next moves.

Not long ago, Cheng Songyun and Mei Lan had been freed from the taboo, and Fang Xiu sent them back to the base. He only told them to eat something and rest, acting as though everything was under control.

Now, here they were again, walking the lively street.

The two walked side by side, neither fast nor slow, blending perfectly into the crowd of faceless people enjoying the night.

Following behind them was a rather puzzled-looking Guan He, who in turn was dragging a much more bewildered Lao Jin. His hands and feet were tied with plastic rope and his mouth was stuffed with a rag, being dragged along like someone’s luggage.

Half-Mountain still trailed them from a distance, making no move to attack.

Bai Shuangying was too preoccupied to bother chasing Half-Mountain away. He had too many question marks in his mind, and only enough energy left to stroll around.

The street remained as bustling as when they had first arrived. Bright ads flickered on electronic screens. In the gift shop, everything sparkled. Sweet osmanthus scents wafted from a milk tea shop. At the barbecue stand, the young folks clinked glasses, while parents let children ride on their shoulders. The entire street was peaceful, the same as always.

Fang Xiu clung to Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, fireworks reflected in his eyes.

Bai Shuangying could sense a faint reluctance in Fang Xiu. He never let go of the ghost’s sleeve, repeatedly pointing out interesting details, as if this might be their last walk together.

Strange. Fang Xiu looked even more reluctant to leave than Bai Shuangying himself.

“Let’s play a new game.”

After strolling the whole street, Fang Xiu took hold of Lao Jin’s lead rope and turned, smiling at his ghost. “Bai Shuangying, do you know the apple biting game the bride and groom play?”

Bai Shuangying shook his head honestly.

Fang Xiu gestured enthusiastically. “You hang an apple between the bride and groom on a string so they both try to bite it. Then you yank it away.”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

Seeing his ghost not getting it, Fang Xiu said dejectedly, “And then the bride and groom end up kissing, you see.”

Bai Shuangying frowned. “Mouth to mouth—what’s the point?”

From his perspective, a mouth was meant for attacking or eating. Using it for something else seemed quite odd.

That stumped Fang Xiu as well. “I…I guess I don’t really know either. I’ve never tried kissing.”

Yet almost immediately, Fang Xiu’s spirits rebounded. “Anyway, I plan to do a version of that apple-biting game.”

A small matter, not impossible.

So Bai Shuangying leaned in close, then froze. “Do you have an apple?”

At this point, Bai Shuangying bent slightly, hair slipping like water. His pale eyes fixed on Fang Xiu’s lips, their noses nearly touching.

Fang Xiu stammered, his face slowly turning red, like he was about to play the role of the apple himself.

After a few seconds, he jerked his head away. “No, no, not that. It’s not for us to play. I’m going to use Lao Jin as the apple and lure the big evil spirits so they fight each other. Won’t that be fun?”

An appallingly malicious plan, but Fang Xiu made it sound as innocent as a children’s rhyme.

He spoke so rapidly that he bit his tongue at the end.

Bai Shuangying’s attention shifted. “But I don’t want to eat those evil spirits.”

Another quarter to noon had passed, leaving six large evil spirits total. But Bai Shuangying was waiting to taste Lao Jin’s living soul. The others didn’t appeal to him just yet.

Fang Xiu thumped his chest a few times, face still flushed. “We’ve got to wipe out all the evil spirits first. Only then can we go after Half-Mountain.”

Bai Shuangying mulled it over.

Half-Mountain still hadn’t made a move, likely aiming to swoop in at the end or otherwise protect the E. Fang Xiu wanted to clear the field first to avoid interference while confronting Half-Mountain. His caution was praiseworthy.

“So this time you’re planning to kill Half-Mountain before destroying the E,” Bai Shuangying surmised.

Fang Xiu closed his eyes briefly.

“Pretty much,” he said quietly. “Think of it as me gathering my bargaining chips.”

For the first time in a while, Bai Shuangying saw that look of sorrow on Fang Xiu’s face.

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The author has something to say:

After all, Lao Jin is basically useless in a fight, so he can only serve as bait. 

In this chapter, the fisherman gets fished instead (×

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 37: A Two-Person Game

The Blood Night had vanished. The group, which only had four people remaining, didn’t rush outside right away.

Fang Xiu helped himself to roasted chicken and apples, plus two cans of Wangzai soda, starting his breakfast right then and there.

Guan He also received a canned yellow peach, for which Fang Xiu’s explanation was that “it’d be troublesome if he fainted.”

With Guan He’s hands still bound, Mazi fed him forcibly like stuffing a duck; Guan He choked now and then, coughing violently, yet Mazi showed no intention of slowing down.

At the table, Fang Xiu and Lao Jin ate as if nothing was happening.

“Is the third taboo ‘No Fire Allowed’?”

After Lao Jin finished describing it, Fang Xiu raised his eyebrows.

Lao Jin tossed him the lighter. “If you don’t believe me, try it yourself.”

Fang Xiu easily caught it. The lighter felt heavy and was a warm gold color, engraved with an elegant coin pattern. It was clearly expensive.

Click.

Fang Xiu lit the flame. Within the shadows, tiny fireballs appeared like fireflies, sizzling his flesh.

Yet Fang Xiu didn’t seem to feel pain. He contemplated for a few seconds, then closed the lighter with a snap, only to open and light it again.

Click. Click. Click…

Over and over, he repeated this process. The smell of scorched flesh hung in the air.

After doing it more than a dozen times, Fang Xiu’s arms were covered with burn marks which was ghastly to look at. But his brow gradually relaxed.

“No need to do that yourself.” Lao Jin glanced at Guan He, who was coughing violently.

In between motions, he quietly checked the bagua mirror. As before, only Guan He’s image was visible, showing nothing of Fang Xiu.

“I have no choice. For those of us in my line of work, there are some things you have to experience firsthand.”

Fang Xiu handed the lighter back to Lao Jin. “…This ‘taboo’ is pretty interesting.”

Lao Jin seemed intrigued. “Did you figure something out?”

“Mm, I have a guess. Let’s handle the first taboo this morning, and we’ll talk in the afternoon.”

Fang Xiu continued chewing his chicken, smoothly changing the subject.

A flash of displeasure crossed Lao Jin’s face. Fang Xiu didn’t look up, yet it was as if he had eyes on top of his head. “Boss Jin, there’s no point in pushing me. There’s an almost ghost immortal here. Undoing this ‘E’ won’t be simple.”

He then explained to Lao Jin what an almost ghost immortal was.

A human ascends to immortality by cultivating virtue; a ghost ascends by cultivating “E”.

The tidbits that Shan Hunzi had mentioned back then, Fang Xiu now explained thoroughly. Hearing how casually Fang Xiu presented it, most of Lao Jin’s suspicions eased.

“The Underworld using living humans to nourish a ghost immortal? Sure sounds that way,” Lao Jin quickly deduced.

Fang Xiu gave a cryptic “Mhm,” neither confirming nor denying.

Lao Jin stroked his chin and bluntly said, “So the mortal realm isn’t interfering. Maybe all these so-called ‘sacrifices’ carry blood debts?”

“Probably so. I’m sure you and I both have plenty of blood on our hands.”

Fang Xiu gestured for Mazi to release Guan He. “Perfect timing. Hey, Xiao Guan, tell us who you killed.”

Guan He spat out bits of peach, only regaining his breath after a while. Mazi clamped a hand around his neck again, clearly ready to use force if he wouldn’t talk.

“I…” Guan He hesitated for quite some time, his voice hoarse. “I caused my younger brother’s death.”

Fang Xiu: “More details.”

Guan He shut his eyes. “When I was eleven, I took my four-year-old brother across a red light. He was run over by a car and killed.”

At that, his voice began to tremble. “It-It was really late, though. There shouldn’t have been any cars… The driver was a speeding drug dealer…”

“Well, aren’t you good at shifting blame, kid,” Lao Jin sneered. “You being dragged here proves the heavens deemed you more guilty…”

“We call that ‘the karmic chain of a life’.” Fang Xiu cut in casually, as if by chance.

Lao Jin’s attention returned to Fang Xiu. “No wonder the Underworld specifically picks us as ‘sacrifices.’ All these ruthless folks I’ve met on the way, I was curious. Now it makes sense.”

He laughed coldly. “The state wants my life in the living world, and the Underworld wants my life here. At least after we finish this ritual, there’s a reward. The Underworld is kinder!”

“Funny enough, I prefer rituals too,” Fang Xiu responded, finishing off the chicken and licking his fingers.

He sounded genuinely at ease, and he wore a smile to match.

……

Bai Shuangying sat at the table, not caring to listen to their chatter.

He tilted his head slightly. In his pale eyes, countless chain-shadows were reflected. These were chains of karma that were slowly turning, forming a cage too dense to breach.

Bai Shuangying disliked staring too long at these chains. They constantly reminded him he was still a “prisoner”. Day by day, his corruption steadily crept along those chains, surging and receding like waves, like Jingwei filling the sea*.

*Idiom referring to unyielding determination in face of overwhelming odds. In this context, it’s used like a metaphor to describe a slow, almost impossible, process. It comes from the story of Jingwei, the daughter of Emperor Yandi, who drowns in the Eastern Sea. She is transformed into a small bird who then vows to fill the sea by endlessly carrying pebbles and twigs and dropping them into it.

So slow.

Bai Shuangying knew it was already the “fastest speed that wouldn’t draw the Underworld’s attention”, yet it was still too slow.

For countless centuries, these chains had held his true self tightly, rationing only enough yin energy for survival. In recent decades, that yin energy had dwindled sharply. If he did nothing, he would inevitably grow weak, then go mad.

The fresh living souls Fang Xiu caught were delicious, but they were only a drop of blood on the tip of the tongue, a fleeting respite for a starving beast. Nice, but not life-saving.

Bai Shuangying shifted his gaze to the chain that Fang Xiu had broken, his eyes devoid of any emotion.

When he finally escaped this seal, he would definitely destro…

Something warm brushed the tips of Bai Shuangying’s hair.

His thoughts, along with the illusory chain, were scattered by this sudden warmth.

Looking down, Bai Shuangying saw his long hair spread across the tabletop, right next to Fang Xiu’s arm.

As Fang Xiu moved, the strands occasionally grazed Fang Xiu’s burnt skin. Each time it happened, Fang Xiu would visibly relax, if only for a moment. The gently swaying ends of Bai Shuangying’s hair rose and fell in tandem with Fang Xiu, as though he had grown a second respiratory system out of thin air.

Bai Shuangying blinked.

Right, Fang Xiu seemed pretty confident in resolving this “E”, so his plan for a “two-person world” unsealing might fall through…

…Better hold off on destroying the world. The pressing task was to break his seal first.

With that in mind, Bai Shuangying nonchalantly nudged Fang Xiu’s head. Fang Xiu nearly choked on his drink but didn’t pull away.

The seal showed no reaction. Some of the drink splattered, prompting both of them to sigh softly in unison.

……

Right before heading out, Fang Xiu grabbed an old piece of cloth and wrapped it around Guan He’s head, like a condemned prisoner being prepared for execution.

Lao Jin: “His hands are bound tight. He can’t run.”

“I’m no match for Mazi Ge physically. Controlling him isn’t easy for me,” Fang Xiu said without looking up.

Lao Jin felt no extra pity for minors. After hearing that explanation, he couldn’t be bothered further.

During Fang Xiu’s rough “packaging”, Guan He’s wrists loosened a bit, and he felt something cold in his palm.

Fang Xiu discreetly retrieved the jade Buddha from Guan He’s pocket and slipped it into his hand. If Guan He cut his finger, he could activate it any time.

With the child ghost leading the way, covering Guan He’s face was no problem. If anything, it made him better at hiding his expressions.

More importantly, this way he wouldn’t see the bagua mirror. When Lao Jin locked people inside, he made them “look into the mirror” first. There had to be some trick there.

Fang Xiu truly was protecting him.

Relieved, Guan He drew a long breath through the cloth.

Finally, Fang Xiu used a plastic cord to lead Guan He’s bound hands. The four returned to the bustling Mid-Autumn festival street, the bright, pleasant music surrounding them once more.

After four days of this, almost no evil spirits remained on the street.

Those that did survive were large, troublesome ones. With just over two hours until noon, they couldn’t afford to waste much time.

“I marked their locations last night. Let’s start by targeting the weakest one.” Fang Xiu volunteered, leading the way.

At the same time, he lightly tugged a strand of Bai Shuangying’s hair. That was their agreed signal to “start the game.”

Lao Jin, oblivious to their silent exchange, nodded. “We’d better hurry, or some other evil spirit might beat us to it.”

He was still speaking when a crowd of faceless young people pressed in. Dressed in vibrant outfits, they waved their arms silently, like college students about to start their summer break.

Pushed by the tide of people, the four nearly got separated. Fortunately, their destination was just ahead, and they managed to slip into a dim alley.

They’d barely gone a short way in when Mazi abruptly halted, standing stock-still.

“What’s the matter?” Lao Jin frowned, reflexively casting a glance at Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu turned around to look at Mazi trailing behind, his expression taut but doing nothing suspicious. “Something’s off,” Fang Xiu whispered. “Mazi isn’t right.”

Lao Jin focused his gaze, sucking in a cold breath…

There at the alley’s mouth stood Mazi, his back to the light.

His face was entirely blank, with no features at all!

Behind him, countless faceless passersby came and went, fireworks exploding in the sky without pause. Shadows flickered into the alley like some silent carnival.

A chill crawled down Lao Jin’s spine. For a moment, he dared not speak. Mazi stood motionless, like a statue.

“That crowd just now was the problem. That isn’t Mazi. The real Mazi got taken,” Fang Xiu said softly, stepping forward.

“Boss Jin, you stay hidden here. I’ll handle this.”

After a pause, Fang Xiu seemed to make up his mind. “I’ll take Guan He. If I don’t come back before quarter to noon, feel free to kill any of mine.”

Lao Jin nodded, gripping the demon-revealing mirror.

He had the five emperor coins for concealment and the ones trapped in the mirror for backup. There was nothing to worry about. Fang Xiu wouldn’t run off. He still had companions here.

He stole a quick glance at the mirror. Once again, Fang Xiu’s reflection didn’t appear.

Quietly, he stayed put, watching Fang Xiu’s departure.

Fang Xiu approached Mazi, now only a dozen steps away.

Mazi’s featureless face showed no emotion, but Fang Xiu knew he was standing there, warily eyeing Lao Jin. He stared at the man a dozen paces away who likewise lacked facial features.

From opposite ends of the dim alley, the two “faceless people” eyed each other with mounting suspicion.

Fang Xiu turned his back to Lao Jin and murmured softly to Mazi, “That crowd was the problem. That’s not Boss Jin. The real Boss Jin was taken.”

“Don’t alert him. Come with me. We can still make it in time!”

With that, he grabbed Mazi’s wrist firmly.

Alarmed by the suggestion that his boss might be in danger, Mazi didn’t resist. The two quickly left the mouth of the alley.

At the instant Mazi and Lao Jin split up completely, Bai Shuangying canceled the feature hiding both men’s facial features.

That had been their plan all along. If Fang Xiu pinched his sleeve, Bai Shuangying would hide the enemy’s face.

At first, Bai Shuangying had thought it was a baffling request. Wasn’t it just a bit of childish concealment to kill someone?

…Now he sort of understood. Humans truly were devious.

Fang Xiu led Mazi swiftly away from Lao Jin’s alley, jogging toward the far end of the street.

Mazi spoke in a low voice, “You reacted even later than I did just now. If something’s happened to the boss…”

“I don’t want him dead either, all right?” Fang Xiu snapped, pulling Mazi into another alley.

Fog rose up around them, concealing Fang Xiu’s laughter.

He had confirmed last night that this place was home to an evil spirit known as the “Black Mirage”, a slow-moving creature shaped like a rotting clam. Among the remaining evil spirit, it was the weakest.

But it excelled at illusions, enough to create a small “ghost wall” scenario.

All around them, gray fog spread quickly, and the narrow alley lengthened into a seemingly endless spiderweb of paths.

The environment warped and twisted, the air thick with a foul stench. Mazi soon sensed something was off. Worst of all, Fang Xiu suddenly released his wrist.

Startled, Mazi whipped around. “Hey, Fang—”

But the words died in his throat.

Fang Xiu stood a few steps behind him, face erased, completely blank.

Guan He, who’d been trudging along in a cloth hood, was nowhere to be seen, and in the foggy alley, all that was visible was Fang Xiu’s red figure.

A chill spread through Mazi’s scalp.

Over the years, he’d preferred solving things with his fists.

Colleagues or cops, as long as it was flesh and blood that he could beat to death, Mazi never flinched. He even relished the screams as blood and gore flew. Even with evil spirits, he could still fight.

…But what if the enemy was just an illusion?

…At what point had he actually lost track of his real companion?

Gritting his teeth, Mazi swung a fist at the faceless red-clad youth. The figure floated backward with ease, melting into the fog.

“Bai Shuangying,” Fang Xiu’s hidden voice came through, brimming with amusement. “Let me show you something fun.”

He let go of his ghost’s hand, rapping his fingertips lightly on Bai Shuangying’s wrist.

Bai Shuangying lowered his eyes, easily controlling the concealment…

Fang Xiu brushed his hand, hiding his face.

Fang Xiu caught hold of him, hiding his entire figure.

…They remembered each step.

An instant later, behind Mazi’s tense back, the faceless Fang Xiu appeared again. Bai Shuangying’s sleeves drifted like clouds behind him.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Fang Xiu softly applauded.

Then he turned his hand and gripped Bai Shuangying’s right hand. The moment Mazi realized something was happening, that red figure vanished.

“Show yourself!” Mazi bellowed, charging through the illusory alley in a fury.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

To his left, the faceless Fang Xiu reappeared, lightly clapping his palms.

Mazi roared and flung himself at him, but the red figure again melted into the fog without a trace.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Against Mazi’s ragged footsteps, sometimes Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying’s hands were linked, sometimes not. Fang Xiu’s fingertips brushed Bai Shuangying’s cold hand, causing his body to appear and disappear.

Man and ghost spun happily within their concealment, like partners in a dance.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Accompanied by those ghostlike applause sounds, Fang Xiu’s faceless form flickered here and there.

Bai Shuangying watched Mazi shift from wary to enraged, and then from enraged to terrified. The self-assured predator in him had vanished, leaving only helpless prey in its place.

“Ma Haoben, age thirty-seven, from Yin Province. You’ve served as Boss Jin’s enforcer for twenty-one years, personally torturing and killing thirty-five people—two of them undercover cops…”

“Countless were injured at your hands. Many would love to see you die in agony…”

The voice drifted eerily, sometimes near, sometimes far.

“Get out here… out here…! Damn it, damn it…” The phantom applause closed in, and Mazi yelled as he backed away.

For the first time, his voice shook.

He kept backing up until he tripped, stumbling into a damp, squishy mass. A lid-like surface snapped shut, and a rank odor filled the air.

He’d finally found the evil spirit’s physical body, and it gave Mazi a shred of clarity.

Having been toyed with by an “illusion” all this time, he was boiling with rage. Tensing his muscles, Mazi forced open the evil spirit’s shell, ripping into the creature’s soft flesh with his bare hands.

Snarling, the Black Mirage sprayed him with a toxic corpse-laden slime.

Fuck, that creepy clapping had stopped. Sure enough, this thing had created that hallucination…

Mazi roared, unleashing all his strength, grappling with the Black Mirage. As an evil spirit specialized in illusions, it was poor in close combat. Its aura weakened…

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Mazi stiffened. He couldn’t help turning his head.

In that split second, a sturdy plastic cord looped around his neck.

…That was the same plastic rope Fang Xiu had used to tie Guan He, Mazi thought dimly.

The moment he grasped that fact, the rope drew tight.

Fang Xiu now appeared behind him, back to back. He pressed his entire weight onto the cord. Mazi’s body was slippery with that slime. He couldn’t get a grip on the strangling rope nor shake off Fang Xiu.

Shit… He’d exhausted himself fighting the evil spirit…

A warm body behind him… It was definitely a human… Fang Xiu… It was Fang Xiu all along…

Mazi’s eyes bulged, turning dark purple. His throat made a gurgling sound. He wanted to snap Fang Xiu’s limbs and twist Fang Xiu’s head clean off, but all he could do was flail uselessly.

After struggling madly for half a minute, Mazi slumped to the ground, dead, eyes still wide.

Fang Xiu let go of the plastic cord, nearly stumbling.

As expected of Boss Jin’s henchman. Even worn down, Mazi had almost been too much for Fang Xiu. After all that, the cord had cut Fang Xiu’s own hand so badly it was bleeding.

But that was perfect. Fang Xiu dipped his fingers in his own blood and drew a small circle, setting out a banquet for his ghost on the spot.

“Hah… If I were on my own, I could only lure people to kill each other…”

Having finished the circle, Fang Xiu leaned against Bai Shuangying, boneless and exhausted. “A two-person game really opens up a lot more possibilities…”

Bai Shuangying didn’t grab the living soul right away. He observed Fang Xiu with a thoughtful gaze, then nodded lightly.

Not far away, the Black Mirage, having been beaten nearly to death by Mazi, was no longer able to maintain the illusion.

As the mirage dissipated, Fang Xiu immediately called out to Guan He, who stood frozen in place. “Hurry, hurry, while it’s still alive, give it a few stomps.”

Guan He, still shell-shocked: “……”

But he obeyed, hopping on top of the Black Mirage’s soft body. After a round of trampling, the evil spirit followed Mazi’s fate.

Fang Xiu had achieved one kill.

Guan He had achieved another.

Thus satisfying the requirement of the first taboo.

They still had two hours left until a quarter to noon.

---

The author has something to say:

Fang Xiu (to Lao Jin): “I’ll tell you this afternoon.” 

Fang Xiu (to himself): “But you won’t live to see the afternoon.” 

This round is a two-player game ☆ 

Xiao Bai be like, “City people sure are devious…”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 36: A Sudden Drop in Numbers

Blood Night, inside the base.

Things seemed to have developed as tonight the heavy breathing wasn’t making its usual patrol rounds. Starting at some point, it passed by the base far fewer times. No one knew where it had gone.

Before leaving, Fang Xiu obediently left a large supply of food. Jia Xu popped a piece of candy into his mouth, feeling slightly better.

Right now, Fang Xiu was out investigating on everyone’s behalf, so Jia Xu didn’t have to take any risks. It was a feeling like traveling for business by plane or waiting in a car wash while sitting comfortably inside your car. It was a “legitimate” way to pass the time.

Jia Xu was well aware that, in both psychological endurance and intellect, Fang Xiu outclassed him. But so what if Fang Xiu was stronger? In a company, there were plenty of high achievers more capable than the boss, yet they still had to rely on him for negotiating deals and allocating bonuses.

For a leader, the most important skill was managing people.

Anyway, even without Fang Xiu, Jia Xu had his own role to play.

Clearing his throat, Jia Xu looked toward Lao Jin. “Since we’re idle anyway, let’s talk about the previous sacrifice we experienced. The more we know, the better.”

Lao Jin let out a laugh. “Sure.”

Then he said nothing more, clearly signaling for Jia Xu to go first.

Jia Xu didn’t hold back. He briefly recounted the events in Weishan Village.

In Jia Xu’s telling, he was the one who outwitted Brother Scar, uncovered the local thugs’ tricks, and discovered the rules of the taboo. Fang Xiu became little more than his follower, merely getting lucky at the end by being the first to bite into that piece of candy.

After all, Fang Xiu had already told them a lot. Jia Xu only needed to revise it slightly. Right now, Fang Xiu was playing the obedient subordinate, and Jia Xu was helping him keep up that cover.

Everyone could tell something was off. But not even Blondie wanted to tear down one of their own in front of Lao Jin, so nobody said anything. Only Guan He, hidden behind Cheng Songyun, silently mouthed several curses.

Lao Jin listened intently. “So that ‘abnormal change’ ended up being a good thing. I might have fallen for that deception if I’d been there.”

Jia Xu: “Exactly. I nearly fell for it too. …What about your side?”

“That’s a long story…”

Lao Jin felt around for his cigarette pack and stuck a cigarette between his lips.

Since they’d sealed the windows so thoroughly, and the heavy breathing wasn’t making an appearance, he took out his lighter, planning to indulge in a smoke.

Click.

The instant he lit the lighter, the flame turned into countless tiny fireballs. Lao Jin’s hand shook, and his expensive lighter fell to the floor.

Each little flame was about the size of a cigarette tip, scorching and pressing against his skin from every angle. Accompanied by sizzling sounds, Lao Jin barely stifled a pained outcry.

He took pride in maintaining his skin well, but now it was covered in burns, as if countless lit cigarette butts had been pressed against him.

Cursing under his breath, Lao Jin hastily put away the unlit cigarette. Jia Xu was so shocked he nearly fell over along with the dropped lighter. “This is…triggering a taboo?”

“Seems like it,” Lao Jin growled irritably. He kicked the lighter toward Mazi. “You try.”

Saying nothing, Mazi picked up the lighter and lit it in turn. As expected, a flurry of small flames emerged again, burning him enough that he dropped the lighter on the spot.

Jia Xu grew excited.

…The third taboo, it had to be the third taboo!

…Weishan Village was just an exception. Ultimately, they still needed him here.

But this might be a setup by Lao Jin, so Jia Xu forced his face to remain composed, adopting a studious tone. “Then we should test it thoroughly. We’ll try as well.”

He had Blondie and Mei Lan tear off pieces of a can label to hold in their hands, then picked up the lighter himself.

Right after he flicked it on, Jia Xu tossed it aside, escaping with only a minor burn. The flames caught the scrap of paper in Blondie’s hand first, and before Blondie could swear, Jia Xu was already using it to ignite Mei Lan’s piece of paper.

An instant later, Mei Lan let out a shriek as she was scorched in more than a dozen spots.

She immediately flung the burning scrap to the ground, stomping it out in a fluster, finally snuffing out the flames.

“…Looks like it’s not the lighter. Any fire triggers the taboo, and whoever has the fire gets burned.” 

Ignoring Mei Lan’s furious glare, Jia Xu declared, “Obviously, the third taboo is that fire is forbidden here.”

Blondie rubbed the burns on his arm, sounding pissed off. “How can that be? There’s a barbecue stand right outside!”

“That’s fake fire, just like the barbecue is fake. They’re all illusions,” Jia Xu explained. “Otherwise, you could step outside and see if the charcoal can light your paper.”

Blondie glanced at the sealed window. “…I don’t wanna die. I’ll wait till daylight.”

He did recall that those charcoal grills looked blazing hot yet gave off almost no real heat.

Jia Xu seated himself on a battered table in the base, striking a pensive pose.

“All that’s left is for Fang Xiu to figure out the second taboo. Once we have all three taboos, we can finally deduce the cause and effect of this ‘E’.”

“Any leads so far?”

Lao Jin picked up a can of almond milk, pressing the cold metal to his burns.

Jia Xu pondered. “The first taboo forces us to kill each other; the second forces us to stay indoors at night; and this third forbids any open flame… Considering the outside situation, I think this ‘E’ may be related to fire.”

Blondie said, “Fire?”

“That’s just my guess. Maybe fireworks or a cigarette butt started a fire, and for some reason, a lot of people were burned alive indoors.”

“Before dying, someone wanted to get revenge on society, which gave birth to the ‘E’. It wants us to experience the despair of being trapped and dying.”

Though Jia Xu spoke as if he was “guessing”, he sounded quite certain.

Cheng Songyun, half-shielding Guan He, knit her brows. “Doesn’t make much sense. You’re saying everyone burned to death, so the ‘E’ empathizes with them but at the same time is forbidding any fire? Isn’t that contradictory, considering it wants us to die in the same way?”

“Also, how do you explain the first taboo demanding killing, or all the faceless people outside?”

Jia Xu answered breezily, “Actually, that’s all simple.”

“When the fire started, everyone was stuck indoors. If they didn’t trample others to get out, they’d be stuck at the back inhaling toxic smoke, causing weakening. That’s our forced mutual slaughter.”

“As for the faceless people, it indicates that those outside refused to help, turning their backs on the victims. It’s reproducing the despair those people felt as they died, a condemnation of societal apathy.”

Lao Jin remained silent, hidden in the darkness, seemingly in deep thought.

Cheng Songyun still found Jia Xu’s explanation forced, full of incongruous patchwork.

When Fang Xiu had explained Weishan Village’s truth, she felt a “So that’s it” sense of enlightenment. But hearing Jia Xu prattle on here, the more she listened, the more confused she got.

Seeing she kept quiet, Jia Xu raised his voice slightly. “If you ask me, there might have been a subdivided basement apartment for migrant workers here. Whoever created the ‘E’ died at night, which is why the ‘Blood Night’ happens then.”

“And the patrolling breath at night represents government workers cracking down on those illegal apartments. As soon as they discover them, they chase out the poor tenants. That forced these group-rental units to be hidden, leading to huge fire hazards.”

Jia Xu sighed dramatically.

“Trapped inside, the underclass turned on each other, while outsiders were indifferent and officials unfeeling… Haa, faced with something like that, it’s no wonder an underclass victim would want revenge on society.”

Cheng Songyun: “……”

This all feels so contrived.

After these few days, they’d basically scoured every nook of the pedestrian street, finding no trace of a fire. She had a hunch that if she brought that up, Jia Xu would say, “Well, it was demolished long ago, so it’s hard to find evidence.”

Guan He finally couldn’t hold back. “Even if officials discovered the apartment, they wouldn’t sentence anyone to death. Using it as a death taboo seems strange. And cracking down on illegal housing is necessary for public safety, right…?”

He glanced at Fang Xiu’s official ID in his mind, finding Jia Xu’s words increasingly grating.

“And Auntie Cheng asked why they’re re-enacting a fatal fire but forbidding us from making fire didn’t explain that at all. Nor did you mention the ‘three quarters before twelve’. What’s the significance of that time? It all seems fishy.”

Jia Xu paused, sounding profound. “You’re still young. Society’s darker than you realize.”

Guan He: “……”

Fuck, then at least explain!

He suddenly missed his teachers. Even when they were in a bad mood, they explained problems methodically. Jia Xu just picked whichever points he could justify and glossed over the rest.

If it weren’t for Fang Xiu telling him to keep quiet and act injured, Guan He would have argued with Jia Xu until he was hoarse.

“No point arguing. Let’s just wait for Fang Xiu to come back,” Jia Xu continued.

Who’s arguing with you? I’m making a reasoned point! Guan He tried to rise, only for Cheng Songyun to gently press him back down.

“No point in quarreling, we’ll wait for them… If they’re still alive to come back.” Lao Jin broke in slowly. “In the meantime, take a look at this.”

With that, he pulled a small bagua mirror out of his coat pocket.

The mirror was palm-sized, made of brass, tarnished and dark. Only its center was shiny, a shallowly recessed surface.

In the darkness, it emitted a faint glow that drew everyone’s eyes.

The next instant, Guan He heard a soft sound. The previously quiet room became even more silent and some people’s breathing had disappeared.

Instinctively, he reached out for Cheng Songyun, touching her thin, bony hand. She gripped his wrist in return, speaking nervously…

“Xiao Mei? Xiao Du? …Xiao Jia?”

No one replied.

In the darkness, Lao Jin let out a quiet chuckle or two. Then they all saw that in the center of the bagua mirror, three distorted silhouettes had appeared.

Cheng Songyun instantly pulled Guan He close, ready to deploy the “Resentful Ghost Shield” at any moment. “Fang Xiu told us…”

“Calm down, ma’am. I didn’t kill them. I just locked them away.”

Lao Jin’s tone remained cordial, except now a hard-to-describe ruthlessness colored his words. “The real leader of your group is Xiao Fang, isn’t it?”

Cheng Songyun and Guan He both fell silent.

Lao Jin clicked his tongue. “That slippery brat almost fooled me, but sadly that Jia guy doesn’t have any real talent.”

Cheng Songyun grounded her teeth. Lao Jin had deliberately left only her and Guan He unconfined, presumably to use them as bargaining chips against Fang Xiu.

She was short and older, while Guan He was injured. The two of them were easiest to control.

Meanwhile, the “uncooperative” group had already been shoved into the mirror. By noon tomorrow, those inside the mirror would be forced into violating the taboo, leaving them defenseless. Lao Jin could take them out at leisure, fulfilling the kill quota without risk.

“Next, we’ll see how far your real boss is willing to go. If he cooperates, we’ll kill the ones in the mirror first. If not…”

Lao Jin laughed but didn’t finish the sentence.

Cheng Songyun pressed her lips together, lightly patting Guan He’s back.

She’d lived long enough to know that resisting at the wrong time only invited more violence. If she had to strike, she needed the right moment.

For now, her best move was to protect Guan He. It was just as Fang Xiu had told her before leaving… Wait?

“Cheng Jie, take good care of Xiao Guan.” She recalled how Fang Xiu had specifically reminded her of this when he left, whether by chance or on purpose.

Maybe that wasn’t a coincidence. Cheng Songyun exhaled slowly.

Now wasn’t the time to risk everything. She was sure of that.

……

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Finally, the Blood Night ended, and the lights came on. The instant fireworks reignited, a knock on the door sounded.

“It’s me,” came Fang Xiu’s voice from outside.

Inside, Cheng Songyun and Guan He had their hands and feet bound, old clothes stuffed in their mouths, unable to speak.

Though it wouldn’t stop her from using the Resentful Ghost Shield, Cheng Songyun was still tense, wriggling in place. Guan He mumbled a couple of times, blinking at her.

A small, bluish-black hand emerged from behind him, forming a clumsy “OK” sign.

Cheng Songyun’s eyes lit up in relief.

The child ghost was perfect for delivering messages, so Fang Xiu already knew about their predicament!

On the other side, Lao Jin clenched the mirror, exchanging a look with Mazi.

Mazi crept over to the door, pressing himself to one side before reaching out to yank it open in one swift motion.

The moment the door opened, Mazi lunged, grabbing the figure outside and slamming him to the floor. He was confident he could break a few bones without killing the target outright.

But the moment he completed the throw, he realized something felt wrong…

With a sickening thud, Dashun’s corpse crashed to the ground, spattering a mess of blood.

“No need to be so rough. I just figured out the ‘death taboo’.” Fang Xiu clicked his tongue from the doorstep.

He glanced at Cheng Songyun and Guan He, all tied up in a corner, with no apparent change in expression.

Just earlier…

After taking a commemorative photo, Fang Xiu dragged Dashun’s corpse back. Dashun wasn’t tall yet lugging him was enough to leave Fang Xiu gasping for air, feeling like he might keel over.

“Hah… I really miss the Spirit Binding Chains…” Fang Xiu muttered between ragged breaths.

Bai Shuangying said nothing. He’d argued that living humans were too frail and lacking in stamina. How was Fang Xiu going to survive on his own given his poor physical strength?

Dragging this heavy body, Fang Xiu looked like a baby beast attempting to haul its prey without fully grown claws or fangs.

In the end, Bai Shuangying couldn’t bear to watch and grabbed one arm of the corpse. The two of them dragged one arm each, moving in a “夹*” shape.

*It means to clamp/clip.

Had it not been for the long bloody trail behind them, it would’ve looked like they were supporting a drunk friend home.

Arriving at the base, Fang Xiu paused outside. “Bai Shuangying, go in first and take a look around. Remember to stay hidden.”

‘Now he wants me to slip through the door crack,’ Bai Shuangying thought.

But then he recalled there were two tasty “mooncakes” inside, so he swiftly melted into his true form, sliding in through the gap. Sure enough, he bumped right into the lurking child ghost.

Within a few minutes, Bai Shuangying slipped back out.

He gave Fang Xiu a quick summary: the others had been taken prisoner, and Lao Jin was using some sort of bagua mirror.

Bai Shuangying had recognized it at a glance as a proper Underworld magic weapon: a basic demon-revealing mirror. Its recessed surface reflected anyone harboring hostile intent toward the mirror’s owner, effectively distinguishing friend from foe.

As for the dire circumstances inside, Bai Shuangying didn’t have a strong opinion.

Whether or not people were held hostage had nothing to do with him. He only hoped Fang Xiu wouldn’t get sentimental, causing him unnecessary trou… ble…?

Bai Shuangying watched Fang Xiu with suspicion. Was he misreading something? Because Fang Xiu looked… pleased!

Indeed, Fang Xiu’s lips were twitching as though stifling a laugh.

“What’s so funny?”

Bai Shuangying suddenly felt he might need to lower his moral baseline even further; if he truly had one in the first place.

“I’ve been wondering how to persuade everyone to risk violating a taboo. Lao Jin’s basically done the work for me.”

Fang Xiu stifled a grin. “And he’s even proactively exposed his ‘unusual ability’… That’s convenient…”

With that, he pulled Bai Shuangying aside, whispering his plan of action.

……

Back to the present.

Stepping into the base again, Fang Xiu made no attempt to conceal the murderous aura that surrounded him.

“Boss Jin, you’re being a bit rude here,” he said casually, placing one foot on Dashun’s corpse.

Hearing him call “Boss Jin”, Lao Jin’s face twitched slightly. “Likewise.”

Both men looked too lazy to bother pretending anymore. From the corner, Guan He lay motionless, eyes wide.

“…Kid, you killed two of mine. I haven’t even made a move yet.” Lao Jin waved a hand, signaling Mazi to hold off for now.

Fang Xiu shook his head. “That’s going a bit far. Yan Jing’s death was an accident. He messed with an evil spirit, and I had no obligation to save him, right?”

Lao Jin snorted, half-convinced.

“Da Shun is indeed my doing, but that was to test the death taboo. It benefits all of us.”

Fang Xiu shrugged. “You already suspected me when you sent him along. You never expected him to come back alive, so there’s no point hashing it out.”

Lao Jin narrowed his eyes. “…Who exactly are you?”

“Aren’t you going to guess I’m a cop?” Fang Xiu scratched his face in disappointment.

Lao Jin sneered. “I’ve met plenty of cops. None as ruthless as you.”

“Well, I’m not the police,” Fang Xiu admitted. “I’m half an underground Taoist priest… I do rituals for the people on our side of the law.”

“Just take a look at your mirror. It’s a bagua demon-revealing mirror, used specifically to expose the unrighteous. It’s particularly good at sorting friend from foe.”

Lao Jin aimed the mirror at Fang Xiu, yet it reflected no image of him.

Underworld magic weapons never lied. At this moment, Fang Xiu clearly bore no hostile intent toward him.

Lao Jin’s brows relaxed a little. “…So you’re an ‘underground Daoist priest’.”

He was in the sort of business where guilty consciences were common, so there was indeed demand for shady practitioners. Mainstream exorcists wouldn’t cater to them, leaving a market gap filled by so-called underground Daoists or corrupt monks. They often went down crooked paths, not formally recognized by the metaphysical community.

Fang Xiu, being able to identify the bagua demon mirror at a glance, evidently had some real ability.

Sensing the momentum, Fang Xiu pressed forward. “Boss Jin, your name is famous all over Gui Province. I was thinking of finding a chance to work with you, but who’d have expected us to meet in a place like this first.”

As he spoke, Bai Shuangying stealthily flitted over to Lao Jin’s side, and with a smack, slapped the mirror.

It flew in a neat arc and landed securely in Fang Xiu’s hand.

Casually waving it, Fang Xiu remarked, “See? I can do telekinesis.”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

Fang Xiu really had the vibe of a lowlife thug, putting on quite the act.

Lao Jin wasn’t rattled, just pulled a long face. “Even if you have it, you can’t free those inside.”

Fang Xiu: “I know… It’s your ‘anomaly’, right? You can trap anyone shown in the mirror. But I’m guessing you’re limited to using mirror-type magic weapons.”

“…So an ‘underground Daoist priest’ knows that too?” Lao Jin murmured.

Fang Xiu gave a secretive smile, tossing the mirror back to Bai Shuangying, who hid it again. In Lao Jin’s eyes, the mirror simply vanished into thin air.

Then Fang Xiu spread his fingers. The mirror reappeared in his hand.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He’s eyes lit up hopefully, but Fang Xiu raised his arm and threw the mirror right back to Lao Jin.

“Consider it a gesture of cooperation. Once we kill the evil spirits, those people can be shared as a resource,” Fang Xiu said offhandedly, as if those trapped weren’t his companions.

“We’re all on the same side, so no need to turn on each other right now. Let’s hurry and break the ‘E’ so we can leave this hellhole.”

Lao Jin glanced at Cheng Songyun and Guan He.

“Oh, lock that old woman in there too.” Fang Xiu gestured at Cheng Songyun. “She’s old, not too mobile. She’ll just drag me down.”

“So generous?”

Fang Xiu grinned widely. “I’m guessing, Boss Jin, you won’t rush to kill my men for your quota. There are still plenty of evil spirits outside.”

Indeed, Fang Xiu was a valuable Daoist, and his dead subordinates wouldn’t revive. There was no need to flip the table just yet.

Lao Jin smacked his lips, then looked at Guan He. “Then why keep that boy?”

“Ah, just in case. I need someone I can kill as backup.” Fang Xiu sounded perfectly reasonable. “Not that I don’t trust you, but a person has to think about safety, right?”

“You saw how everyone looked at him. He’s just extra baggage.”

Recalling how, upon learning they might have to kill each other, Blondie and Jia Xu had both shot looks at Guan He. Also, the kid had a head injury. He was indeed a liability.

The logic was sound. If it were Lao Jin, he’d also pick Guan He as a sacrifice.

So this underground Daoist even treated his own people coldly. Lao Jin suddenly found Fang Xiu somewhat likable.

Cheng Songyun, however, was highly uneasy.

Fang Xiu’s attitude seemed too authentic. She couldn’t tell whether he was genuinely willing to sacrifice them. But she had chosen to follow Fang Xiu, so she gripped Guan He’s clothes, forcing down her doubts.

It was Guan He’s first time seeing Fang Xiu like this, and he was still reeling. He only remembered that Fang Xiu was “an official”, who’d even given him a longevity lock. This thought was his lone lifeline, helping him keep hold of his sanity.

“I-I’m okay.” He managed to produce some muffled sounds. “Fang Xiu must have a plan…”

Before he could finish, he felt the space next to him vanish. Cheng Songyun was gone. In the mirror Lao Jin held, another twisted silhouette had appeared.

“‘Fang Xiu must have a plan…’”

Fang Xiu mimicked Guan He’s tone in a mocking way. “He still trusts me that much. Cute.”

Guan He locked eyes on Fang Xiu, searching for some trace of reassurance, but he found nothing. Fang Xiu looked back at him, lips smiling, yet his eyes held zero warmth.

He looked at Guan He as one might look at an animal about to be slaughtered.

…Did Fang Xiu really have a plan?

…Or was his plan simply to treat everyone else as expendable, only wanting to destroy the “E”?

…Should Guan He expose how Fang Xiu was the one who killed Yan Jing? But what if Fang Xiu was genuinely acting? Would Lao Jin even believe him?

Across from him, Fang Xiu’s dark, lightless eyes watched calmly, fear and uncertainty swallowing Guan He whole.

Behind him, the child ghost clutched at Guan He’s back with cold little fingers, repeating some motion over and over. After a dozen seconds, Guan He finally noticed.

It was tracing letters on his back.

Since the child-ghost didn’t know how to write, someone else must have taught it. The letters were:

[Trust me]

At last, Guan He lowered his head.

It looked as though he’d resigned himself. He stared at no one and said nothing.

---

The author has something to say:

The fake con man: Jia Xu. 

The real con man: Fang Xiu. 

Now that the area’s cleared, time to go wild √ 

Xiao Fang: “Who said I don’t know any Taoist arts? Check out my technique!” (strikes a Lion King pose, lifting Xiao Bai’s true form) 

Xiao Bai: ……………………. (quietly reverts to human form)

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 35: Must Not Show Your Face

Night fell once again, and with it came the Blood Night. The passersby froze in place. Fireworks and the full moon were all swallowed by a dark red hue.

Blackish-red blood pattered onto the ground with a thick dripping sound. Once the drops landed, they vanished without a trace, presumably illusions. Yet the fishy smell they left behind was disturbingly real.

A raspy breathing emerged from the other end of the street. Dashun, with his head covered, couldn’t see a thing. He clung to the wall of the alley, breathing raggedly, as if suffering from some toxic shock.

“What do we do, what do we do…” he mumbled, drool seeping into the cloth that covered his face.

Fang Xiu placed a hand on his shoulder, calmly saying, “Move forward now.”

“N-no…no, I, I can’t…”

“Aren’t you just fine right now? I’m telling you, walk.”

Fang Xiu’s voice was extremely gentle. In the madness of this Blood Night, that very gentleness made it all the more chilling.

Overwhelmed by fear, Dashun found Fang Xiu’s voice like a tether, leaving him unable to think clearly.

…Right, when he listened to Fang Xiu’s instructions, nothing bad happened to him.

…Fang Xiu had always been kind to him, even shielding him from danger. Fang Xiu’s odd behavior must be due to the unusual situation… Killing him wouldn’t do Fang Xiu any good… Yes, that had to be it…

After repeated coaxing, Dashun stumbled forward, emerging from the alley. His covered head turned in vain, trying to see.

Fang Xiu gave a small smile and pressed a knuckle to his lips. “Dashun Ge, turn left. Trust me.”

“L-l-like this…”

Dashun sounded close to tears. He was now facing the direction of the breathing noise, which grew steadily closer. He didn’t dare move a muscle.

“That’s it,” Fang Xiu reassured gently. “Don’t move at all.”

The breathing was now near enough to be within that same “lethal range” they’d experienced before. Fang Xiu could hear it clearly.

That took care of half the test. Now it was time for action. He motioned Bai Shuangying to remain behind, then stepped out of the alley alone.

All the way, Fang Xiu kept his eyes on the ground. He halted behind Dashun, who stood 1.7 meters tall. “You’re doing great.”

Hearing Fang Xiu approach, Dashun relaxed a little. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he tried to speak, but before he could say anything, Fang Xiu kicked sharply behind his knees.

Dashun, caught off guard, dropped to them on the spot.

Using his weight advantage, Fang Xiu lunged forward, driving his knee fiercely into Dashun’s back. It nailed Dashun to the ground, pinned like a specimen under glass.

Dashun fell like a frog on all fours and started flailing desperately. “What…what are you doing?!”

Right after, Fang Xiu yanked a handful of Dashun’s hair, forcing his face upward.

At that moment, Dashun finally caught the scent of death.

“X-Xiao Fang…Xiao Fang, don’t do this.” His voice trembled wildly. “I’ll give you two million… four million! You said you liked this watch, right? I’ll give it to you. I’ll give you everything…”

Fang Xiu paused as though seriously weighing it.

Dashun quickly continued, “What else do you want? A house? A car? Beautiful women? Anything you want. Just let me go, please…”

“Great, thanks so much, Dashun Ge.”

Fang Xiu’s voice was as earnest and friendly as it had been a few days ago.

After a few seconds, he went on, sounding a bit bashful. “…I want your living soul, Fan Dashun.”

Dashun jerked violently, going rigid at once.

“Fan Dashun, age thirty-eight, originally from Mao Province. You’ve been working for ‘Boss Jin’ for nineteen years, tasked with recruiting lackeys. Due to failed drug trafficking and gang wars, you indirectly caused the deaths of one hundred and forty-five people.”

“In retaliation, rival gangs tortured your innocent twin brother, Fan Xiaoshun, and his entire family of four to death. But you didn’t care at all. You looked down on your brother, who had a regular job.”

Dashun panted like a bellows. “It-It had nothing to do with me… The recruits knew the risks… They took the money…”

Fang Xiu tugged on the cloth over Dashun’s face, peeling it down from the forehead slowly. “What about your brother? He only found out you were trafficking drugs when they came for him.”

“It’s not like I killed him… He was just unlucky…”

Fang Xiu sighed. “You’re a pretty shitty big brother. No wonder Fan Xiaoshun doesn’t want to say a word to you.”

It was a strange way to phrase it, yet Dashun was in no condition to dwell on the oddity.

Fang Xiu ripped off half the covering, exposing Dashun’s eyes, allowing him a direct view of the source of that breathing.

In the instant Dashun saw it, he wet himself from terror. He screamed inhumanly and struggled frantically.

Although Fang Xiu was slender, he still stood over 1.8 meters tall, more than enough to subdue Dashun. Dashun’s hands clawed at the ground desperately, nails ripping from his fingers.

“Monster!” he screamed, “I’m begging you, please let me go, let me go, let me go—!”

Fang Xiu ignored him.

He continued, slow and systematic, pulling away the cloth that covered Dashun’s face. From exposing only the eyes to uncovering the cheekbones, then revealing the entire nose…

The moment Dashun’s lips were exposed, he let out a final shriek, and his flesh peeled away like scales on a fish.

Blood burst forth in a cloud, scattering across the ground like crimson fireworks. Wounds tore open down to the bone, steaming blood drenching Fang Xiu entirely.

Fang Xiu remained unmoved, left hand still gripping Dashun’s hair, forcing his head upright.

“Look.”

Fang Xiu’s voice brimmed with laughter. “You two brothers came into the world in blood, so it’s only fair you die together in blood, too.”

The cloth around Fang Xiu’s head was soaked in gore, turned a dark blackish red. But those eyes beneath it remained starkly, piercingly dark.

Blood drained rapidly from Dashun. His body, convulsing from agony, no longer had the strength for a full-throated scream. Only muffled sobs reverberated from him.

Within a few seconds, Dashun fell silent.

Not far away, maybe a dozen steps, the heavy breathing sounded. At last, Fang Xiu lifted his head. He studied that thing calmly for a moment before beckoning Bai Shuangying closer.

Bai Shuangying emerged from the shadows. He turned his featureless face toward the true shape of the second taboo…

It was a massive human face.

A grotesque visage blocked the sky above the street, as if viewed through the refraction of a glass bead. Its exaggerated features twisted together, identifiable only in general form.

Its nose alone spanned half the street’s width, those deformed eyes rolling back so only the whites showed, glaring maliciously down at the pair.

Its nose tip hovered less than two meters from Fang Xiu’s head, but it made no further move.

Everything was drowned in red. The entire street reeked of blood.

Fang Xiu, drenched in dark crimson, his head wrapped in a blood-soaked cloth, looked like a figure forged of blood and shadow.

He knelt on Dashun’s mangled body, waving repeatedly at Bai Shuangying, as if the corpse beneath him were no more than a cushion, and the monstrous face above him just a large festive lantern.

…It was as though this was Fang Xiu’s natural habitat.

Bai Shuangying found himself pausing to take in the sight.

It resembled the end of the world and was utterly…magnificent.

“All good. Come and eat,” Fang Xiu called, eyes smiling behind the torn cloth.

No other evil spirits roamed the street. Even without a drawn circle, Bai Shuangying could easily seize the living soul.

“What just happened?”

He sat atop Dashun’s remains, making the scene feel eerily like a picnic.

“From the first test, I noticed the evil spirits screamed in different sequences and died in different ways. That means the ‘death taboo’ has a specific trigger. It’s not something absolute like ‘anyone who stays outside dies’.”

“When that breathing reached a certain distance, the evil spirits died. So the trigger involves proximity and works from afar.”

The giant face above shifted around, focusing on Fang Xiu, but Fang Xiu kept his gaze on Bai Shuangying, or more precisely, on that tiny bright red mole on Bai Shuangying’s face.

“When an evil spirit was facing the breathing, it died quickly. If it had its back turned, it took a bit longer, but once it turned around, it died. The most likely triggers were ‘looking directly at it’ or ‘being seen by it’. So yesterday, Jia Xu and the others basically ran a test for me.”

As Bai Shuangying leisurely shaped Dashun’s “mooncake”, he recalled the second experiment: the blind evil spirit had died anyway, while the blindfolded evil spirit survived longer and ran a good distance.

“…The blind one died, so ‘looking directly at it’ can be ruled out.”

“If the condition was simply ‘being seen’, the blindfolded evil spirit wouldn’t have lived as long. Plus, that almost ghost immortal wouldn’t risk wandering around at night if the taboo was so easily triggered.”

“So ‘being seen’ must have an extra condition… Like ‘no eye contact’ or ‘no exposing a certain area’. Something in that vein.”

At that, Fang Xiu lifted his hollow black gaze toward the passersby, who each had only the backs of their heads.

“I used Dashun to confirm. Now I’m 100% sure. The second taboo is: ‘You must not show your face’.”

While Bai Shuangying listened, he took a bite of the piping hot “living soul mooncake”. Dashun’s flavor was milder than that of “Yan Jing”, but the karmic aftertaste was much stronger, so delicious that he let out a drawn-out “Mmm.”

“Hehe, tasty, right?”

Behind the cloth’s torn opening, Fang Xiu’s eyes curved happily, their light restored.

Bai Shuangying nodded, feeling he’d contributed a lot. “You also deduced it wouldn’t chase you because that almost ghost immortal freely roams at night?”

“Yeah. The area is only so large. If this taboo meant actively pursuing, it would’ve gone after that evil spirit long ago.”

Fang Xiu reached out with blood stained fingers, as though wanting to brush Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, but paused halfway.

“Thanks. You saved me a lot of investigation time,” he whispered, withdrawing his hand in the end.

Bai Shuangying set down his mooncake, considered a moment, then reached over to peel the cloth away from Fang Xiu’s face.

Fang Xiu stiffened. “Eh?!”

Though startled, he didn’t resist. Bai Shuangying’s hand was already beneath the fabric, lightly brushing over Fang Xiu’s features.

That cool hand glided over Fang Xiu’s brows, eyes, cheeks, lips, giving him a strange sensation. He knew his features were still there yet also knew they’d “vanished.”

Now, like Bai Shuangying, his face appeared blank.

With a faint look of distaste, Bai Shuangying then tore the blood-soaked cloth completely away, lifted his sleeve, and thoroughly wiped the blood off Fang Xiu’s head.

Seeing that pristine sleeve about to get soiled, Fang Xiu panicked. “You’ll get it dirty…”

“A little blood can’t dirty me.” With his sleeve, Bai Shuangying vigorously rubbed Fang Xiu’s hair.

It was like a cool tongue had licked away the grime. The clotted blood vanished in an instant, leaving Fang Xiu’s hair clean and fluffy, looking rather soft to the touch.

This was much better. There was no cloth blocking the way, and Bai Shuangying could pat Fang Xiu’s head whenever he liked.

Satisfied, Bai Shuangying continued eating his “mooncake”.

Fang Xiu watched Bai Shuangying’s sleeve remain spotless, chuckling quietly as he sidled over to wipe off his own arms. Bai Shuangying, busy savoring his meal, let him do as he pleased.

That giant face still hovered right overhead, staring at them fiercely, but neither paid it any mind.

When Bai Shuangying finished his bite in one go, Fang Xiu finally rose to his feet. Though his face was blank, Bai Shuangying could tell he was smiling.

“It’s a rare chance. How about we take a nighttime stroll?” Fang Xiu asked excitedly.

Bai Shuangying licked the last scraps of “soul filling” from his fingers.

He sensed that half-step ghost immortal still lurking. It kept itself hidden and made no move to attack.

…How irritating.

So Bai Shuangying gathered his aura and cast an intimidating glance in the half-step ghost immortal’s direction. Instantly, the evil spirit withdrew its presence and fled.

After driving away that annoying creature, Bai Shuangying happily extended his sleeve.

“Let’s go,” he said.

……

Under the Blood Night, the passersby were frozen in place, making it more unsettling than it was in daylight.

They still had only the backs of their heads, remaining at their usual posts. Even the splashing foam from their beers was suspended in midair. The fireworks overhead were gone, the music had faded, and the neon lights no longer flashed.

The entire street lay silent as if sealed in amber.

Only two faceless figures wandered down the street, a giant face floating above them like a balloon.

Fang Xiu showed no sign of unease. On the contrary, he roamed about in curiosity, prodding here and there, faintly excited.

“This is so bizarre. It’s nothing like daytime!”

He studied both sides of the street, mentally comparing it to how it had been when everything was in motion.

Bai Shuangying, for his part, felt it was a pity that the advertisements weren’t blinking and the cotton candy machine had stopped spinning. Daytime was more entertaining. But the “Dashun mooncake” had been extremely tasty, and that alone was enough to mollify him for now.

Passing the base, Fang Xiu let out a mischievous laugh or two, directing some rude gestures at Lao Jin’s group.

Finished with that, he bounded back over to Bai Shuangying, still covered in blood, draping an arm around his ghost’s shoulders. “This is great.”

Bai Shuangying scowled slightly at the enormous face still trailing them. “What’s so great?”

“You’re here. It’s more fun with a friend.”

Fang Xiu slung an arm around Bai Shuangying’s shoulders. “If my contract weren’t ‘summoning a ghost’, I’d have to handle all this on my own.”

While speaking, he opened a can of Wangzai soda right in front of that second taboo, chugging the whole thing. Then Fang Xiu even took care to toss the empty can in a trash bin.

But when he noticed the nearby barbecue stall, Fang Xiu made a puzzled “huh” sound.

He’d passed by the stall twice earlier, vaguely sensing something off, and now, getting a closer look, realization struck him…

A person seemed to be missing.

At the stall sat seven young men happily eating skewers and drinking beer. One had an arm draped in a friendly way around… empty air.

During daytime, when those faceless people had been in motion, it looked like the stall just had some free space. Now that everything was frozen in place, that empty gap was obvious.

Fang Xiu thought for a moment, then grabbed a faceless little boy standing nearby. Indeed, each illusion had a consistent texture, light like foam; even Fang Xiu could lift him with no problem.

So Fang Xiu simply wedged the child under his arm, carrying him horizontally away.

Bai Shuangying, rooted in place, couldn’t fathom why.

“They’re just illusions. I’m going to move him somewhere else to see what happens in the daytime.”

Fang Xiu pointed at the cheery barbecue stall. “They’re missing someone there. I need to figure out what’s going on.”

Bai Shuangying stepped up, pulled the child from under Fang Xiu’s arm, and said mildly, “When morning comes, illusions will stay where you placed them. But the next Blood Night, they’ll revert to their original spots.”

Fang Xiu was taken aback. “You can tell all that just by looking?”

He truly marveled at how knowledgeable his ghost was, both with magic weapons and general spellcraft. This “support” was downright priceless.

“It’s all the ‘E’ at work, illusions driven by yin energy,” Bai Shuangying said, tapping the little child’s blank head. “I’ve watched them enough in both daylight and Blood Night to be sure.”

“Could these illusions ever come to life on their own?”

Like stumbling on new territory, Fang Xiu circled Bai Shuangying in excitement.

“Absolutely impossible,” Bai Shuangying replied.

“In that case…can I hug you?”

Fang Xiu was moved. A professional ghost was really something else.

Bai Shuangying had planned to refuse, but Dashun’s mooncake still tingled on his taste buds, so he nodded graciously.

Fang Xiu opened his arms and pulled his ghost into a tight embrace, rubbing his face against Bai Shuangying’s neck. “Wow, I would have had to test all these things by myself. You’ve been an enormous help…”

Bai Shuangying took advantage of the moment to pat Fang Xiu’s head, habitually saying, “We are friends.”

The seal remained silent. Bai Shuangying was unsurprised.

But Fang Xiu was delighted, hugging him tightly. The human’s body radiated heat, as hot as a fresh soul.

“For four days, the seat here has always been empty.”

Half a minute later, Fang Xiu finally released him. “That means each Blood Night, something removes the illusion that was here.”

“Mm,” Bai Shuangying agreed. He couldn’t think of any other explanation.

“But as far as I’ve seen, only one evil spirit moves around at night,” Fang Xiu reflected. “I was going to nickname that almost ghost immortal ‘Half-Immortal¹’, but now I’m calling it ‘Half-Mountain¹’.”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

Fang Xiu said, “The ‘Person¹’ got removed by it.”

¹Clarity: Half-Immortal is (半仙). The immortal part is a combination of person (人) and mountain (山). Fan Xiu removed the radical person from it, making it Half-Mountain (半山). This is a joke on how the half-immortal supposedly removed that missing person in the BBQ stall.

Bai Shuangying: “…”

He suddenly recalled the exasperation of wanting to ignore a human. He hadn’t felt that in a while.

“If Half-Mountain is doing that, it means the person missing from here must hold some clue to breaking the E,” Fang Xiu continued, suddenly serious.

Bai Shuangying: “…So we need to find the person who vanished?”

Fang Xiu glanced at the barbecue stall again, eyes flickering briefly. “No, I can guess the gist of it.”

Bai Shuangying stared at the stall for a good while, failing to see anything special. Fang Xiu, however, wore a mysterious look. “I’ve got some ideas about that missing taboo. And as for the two remaining drug dealers, I know how to use them now.”

“Tell me.”

“Let’s keep it a surprise. Watching the ‘cooking process’ is part of the fun of a good meal,” Fang Xiu muttered. “Besides, if I turn out to be wrong, that’d be embarrassing.”

Bai Shuangying found that reasonable enough and didn’t ask any more questions.

……

After that, Fang Xiu confirmed where the remaining evil spirits were hiding, then, leaning on Bai Shuangying, caught a short nap at the police booth. When he woke again, less than an hour remained before the Blood Night would end.

The giant face still lingered over them, showing signs of fatigue.

With “daybreak” near, Fang Xiu took Bai Shuangying to a small electronics store.

The young clerk inside was frozen, mid-swipe on his phone. Fang Xiu left the rest of his money at the counter and rented a Polaroid camera.

It was Bai Shuangying’s first time seeing such a curious little box. He inspected it closely from all sides.

“It’s rare that we can walk around together, so let’s snap a photo for a keepsake,” Fang Xiu said merrily.

“Photo?”

“Yeah, it’ll produce a little picture that shows how we look right now.”

Bai Shuangying touched his own faceless cheek, then Fang Xiu’s also faceless face, then glanced at the giant face looming above: “?”

Fang Xiu: “……”

Fang Xiu: “…We might as well try. Maybe nothing will show up!”

But it turned out the Polaroid was perfectly functional.

Fang Xiu hooked an arm around Bai Shuangying’s neck, both of them facing away from the street. They snapped a proper selfie. After a few seconds, the film developed, accurately capturing everything…

A red-clad figure and a white-clad figure, both featureless, crammed together in frame, blood-red surroundings, and the sky dominated by that giant face rolling its eyes.

Bai Shuangying: “……”

Fang Xiu: “……”

Fang Xiu couldn’t help but comment, “This is basically a perfect horror movie shot.”

Even so, he carefully slipped the photo into his innermost pocket, wary of it getting stained.

“Let’s head back.” Just thinking about seeing Bai Shuangying’s real face again put Fang Xiu in a great mood.

Reluctantly, Bai Shuangying put down the Polaroid, then left the store with Fang Xiu.

As the two of them walked away, a sigh suddenly sounded in that little shop.

The faceless clerk tucked his phone away and rose in a lazy stretch, sauntering over to the counter.

“They overpaid. Don’t even want their change.”

He counted the coins Fang Xiu had left, muttering carelessly, “After all these years, this is the first time I’ve seen someone treat this place like a tourist spot.”

As he spoke, the back of his head twisted, faint outlines of facial features surfacing. In the next instant, his “face” perfectly reverted to the usual back-of-the-head appearance.

Outside, the Blood Night continued.

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The author has something to say:

It feels like no matter what those two do, it turns into a date… They even took their first commemorative date photo. 

Xiao Fang has already guessed three taboos, but he’s not saying anything (?

Anyway, let’s collect all of Bai Shuangying’s mooncake gift boxes first!

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