On April 1, 1417 of the Standard Calendar, the governor of Sword Bow received an urgent report during his daily post-breakfast walk. The breathless communications officer informed him that a fleet had exited hyperspace just two light-years away from the Sword Bow system and was now heading toward them at full speed. The governor first seriously confirmed that this was not an April Fool’s joke—even though Old Earth had long perished, its old holidays were still passed down through generations. He then ordered the entire system’s military defense level to be raised to the highest level, which meant all residents would move into underground bunkers (though the three planets in the Sword Bow system had few residents, being primarily mechanized agricultural planets with few normal houses apart from large farms and food processing plants), all surface activities would cease, and the ground-to-space forces would prepare to deploy with their interstellar missiles.
In addition to the planet’s defenses, Duke Winnet had also left a space fleet patrolling the area and supply routes. Recently, the governor frequently received reports of enemy attacks on supply convoys, but these were small-scale, like flies buzzing around bloody meat. Having served in the military in his youth during the long wars between the Empire and the Federation, the governor found such small raids routine, almost a necessary ritual; the real surprise was when no attacks occurred. Therefore, the governor calmly issued his orders, then leisurely walked through the garden’s winding paths to the governor’s mansion’s unused command room, where the chief of staff and the ground defense force commander were waiting for him.
……
Alois held his helmet, his eyes wandering with the numbers changing on the elevator display. He had been living under enormous invisible pressure these days, and this pressure peaked the moment the elevator doors opened.
Ding—
“Good morning, Senior!” A loud chorus greeted him like an ion cannon blast. Alois staggered back a few steps, crashing into the giant poster of the Galactic Diva Camilla, which was posted in the elevator to boost morale. Under the eager gaze of twenty-six pairs of bird-like eyes, it was hard for Alois to calmly walk out of the elevator and wave like a leader inspecting a new project. “Good morning, everyone.” He could only pull on his helmet, disguising himself as an unrecognizable ostrich, and squeeze out before the elevator doors fully closed.
The twenty-six pilots, divided into four squads, stood in two lines like a double layer of bronze walls, blocking Alois’s path. The terrified senior was already sweating, and he suspected the temperature control system in his spacesuit was broken by the sonic shockwave… or so he thought.
The leader of the first squad stepped forward and gave a standard, but slightly exaggerated, salute. “Please give us a pep talk, Senior!”
“Uh…” Alois was glad he had put on his helmet. “Today is no different from yesterday. That’s all.” He had said the same thing yesterday and the day before had said, “Make sure to zip up your spacesuit.” Darius Bayes had assigned him as the squadron leader for the pilots, forcing him to give such pep talks daily, claiming it would boost morale and fighting spirit, though Alois thought it would have the opposite effect. However, reality often defied his expectations.
“Senior’s words are so profound!” Amazement.
“Senior, are you telling us to maintain a calm mind?” Moved.
“Senior’s daily talks are so philosophical!” Thumbs up.
Bathing in adoring gazes, Alois deeply felt his age at that moment—the generational gap was so vast… or perhaps their entire brain structures differed? Did they even come from the same universe?
With a profound sense of powerlessness, Alois walked to the deepest part of the hangar, where a silver-white machine stood, its flowing lines heartbreakingly beautiful. He had often admired its graceful form, marveling at the wonder of creation. Now, it was his to command. The day he boarded the Sword of the Queen, Darius had led him to the hangar and pointed to the silver machine, saying, “This is my gift to you, Senior. As a general, I only give it to the strongest pilot.” He had added, “Don’t disappoint me.”
The Bard. About a year ago, Alois first saw its silhouette between Neo Venice’s blue sky and sea. Even now, it remained the pinnacle of Neo Venice’s art and technology, the ultimate dream of every pilot soaring through the universe.
Alois slid into the cockpit, inserted the key, and retinal scan beams swept his eyes. With a matching “ding,” all the surrounding lights came on.
“Phantom of the Opera, the Bard, system activated.”
A year ago, Alois had piloted it once, escaping from Green Star Diamond Island with Joshua and Srosie. Now, he would ride it into battle again.
The Bard. Joanna had once piloted it. She had perished among the stars in that silver machine, like a falling meteor. They were going to avenge her.
Alois opened the public channel. “Listen up.” He lowered his voice, trying to sound calm and composed. “Today’s mission is to cover the transport ship Armart’s landing on Sword Bow Alpha. Protecting the Armart is the top priority. Don’t get entangled in fights.”
“Understood!” twenty-six voices responded in unison.
……
The governor felt a sharp pain in his stomach. His old problem flared up when he was anxious, and now his beard was almost on fire. The chief of staff had shown him the distribution of their military forces and estimated enemy numbers. Faced with overwhelming disadvantage, anyone would be worried.
“How did they get through our front line?” The governor lashed out at the chief of staff. “Are the frontline defenders idiots? The enemy is already behind us!”
The chief of staff was sweating profusely. “The fleet stationed in the Natya sector is rushing to reinforce Mist Port, which is under attack by the enemy’s main force.”
“What about Grisofin and Chast? Those two cowards don’t know how to protect their master?” The governor slammed the table, causing an ink bottle to jump, spill, and stain a large part of the desk. He quickly lifted his computer, fearing it might get damaged. A cleaning robot slid into the room and swiftly cleaned the desk.
“Damn it! Even the ink bottle is against me!” the governor thought angrily. He hadn’t joined Duke Winnet entirely willingly. He was discontent with a mundane life on a boring agricultural planet. He dreamed of excitement and adventure, like the ambitious Duke, but lacked the courage, relying on the Duke’s support to climb to the top. Although less thrilling, it was better than inspecting farms until death.
Now the real danger and excitement had arrived. He was on the front line, facing the Empire’s “Whip of Judgment” Admiral Darius Bayes. This was no routine raid. It was real war.
Seeing the governor silent, the chief of staff hurriedly said, “Don’t worry. In ten hours, the patrol fleet will reach Sword Bow Beta to support us. With their help, we might not lose.”
The governor stared at the military distribution map and sighed heavily. “Making a decision… does take a lot of courage…”
“You’re right!” Although confused, the chief of staff flattered.
“…Twenty years ago, when I became governor of the Sword Bow system, His Majesty told me the same thing.”
“……” The chief of staff decided not to speak too much in the future.
When Alois walked into the cabin, Joshua was packing. There wasn’t much to pack: a few clothes, some personal items, and a few favored pistols and knives. Alois leaned against the wall, watching Joshua carefully put everything away, feeling as if they weren’t just moving to another ship, but starting an endless exile. Schrödinger, sitting on the floor, looked at its master in confusion, its tail flicking back and forth. After a while, it grew bored and leaped into Alois’s arms with a “meow”.
Joshua paused in his movements. “Did Bayes agree?”
“Of course.”
He turned around, still holding a shirt, and Alois saw a subtly complex expression on his face. “What’s wrong? You’re not happy?”
Joshua threw down the shirt and came over to hug him. To avoid being squished, Schrödinger quickly jumped to the floor and meowed a few times.
“I don’t like Bayes.” Joshua buried his head in Alois’s neck.
“I don’t like him either.” Who could like that little brat!
“But you two seem close.”
Alois wanted to howl at the sky. It was one thing for the Prince to say this, but now Joshua too! “That’s definitely… your illusion!” he gritted his teeth.
“He has an annoying subordinate who did that to you…”
Alois wrapped his arms around Joshua’s broad back. “I heard from the Princess that Colonel Gauss has been forcibly retired. You don’t need to worry about him.”
Schrödinger, feeling neglected, grumbled and scurried out the door.
“…Yeah.” The assassin muttered, “I’m really afraid you’ll get hurt again. That won’t happen again. I’ll protect you.” He tightened his embrace. “I don’t want to be separated from you again.”
Alois felt his bones almost melting from warmth. Joshua claimed he couldn’t say romantic things, but everything he said made Alois feel warm to his core.
He snuggled against Joshua, causing the assassin to ignite with a rush of heat. Joshua pushed him away, hurried back to his suitcase, and rummaged through it.
“We have to report to Bayes’s ship soon. If you can’t walk then, I definitely won’t help you.” He found his target at the bottom of the case—a bottle of lube. Turning back, Alois was already taking off his pants.
“I don’t want to be late on my first day under the new boss.” The young man pulled off his belt and slipped out of one pant leg. “Let’s be quick.”
Joshua sighed. “War times are tough.” He pressed Alois against the wall and kissed him fiercely. His tongue pried open his teeth, sweeping through every corner like a hurricane, as if trying to inject his entire essence into the person in front of him. While kissing, he squeezed some lube into his palm and reached behind Alois. His fingers entered the secret hole, stirring gently. The soft, hot walls immediately clung to him, greedily seeking more caresses. The small hole swallowed his fingers, and the lube that couldn’t get in flowed down his thigh, forming a lascivious trail.
Alois panted, holding onto Joshua to stay balanced. “Enough… enter me, quickly…”
Joshua withdrew his fingers, unzipped, and pulled out his already erect cock. He rubbed it against Alois’s belly, the fluid seeping from the tip wetting his abdomen and trickling into his pubic hair.
“Let’s be quick,” the assassin said.
He lifted the young man’s leg and slowly inserted his cock into the wet, hot hole. Alois moaned, nearly losing his balance. Pressed between a person and the wall, the strange suspended feeling added an extra touch of sensuality.
“Let’s be quick,” Joshua repeated, then started thrusting rapidly.
Alois bit his lip in frustration—why had he said that!
In the end, even though Joshua adhered to the “quick” principle, they were still unfortunately late when they reported to the Sword of the Queen.
……
Epolyne entered the new laboratory, walking past rows of test tubes containing dismembered limbs and bizarre bionic machinery without a glance. She proceeded through faint groans of pain and the stench of electrical equipment to the innermost room, where a giant cultivation tank connected to spider-web-like life support systems was placed. Every day, it delivered large amounts of nutrients and oxygen to the person—no, it could no longer be called a person—floating in the tank. Only the brain remained alive; the rest had been replaced with mechanical parts.
The tank, illuminated by a bluish light, glowed softly. The thing inside floated up and down, regularly releasing bubbles. If it looked a bit more beautiful, it might resemble a scene from an underwater world, Epolyne thought sarcastically.
Standing in front of the tank was a man in a white lab coat. He gazed up at the thing behind the glass, occasionally expressing admiration. To him, the deformed and terrifying monster was a rare work of art.
“Doctor.” Epolyne stopped five steps away from the man. Unless necessary, she never wanted to get too close to this madman.
“What is it?” Dr. Frank Shelley’s reverie was interrupted, and his voice carried a hint of annoyance.
Any other researcher would have been terrified and fled, but Epolyne was accustomed to the doctor’s volatile temper. “Doctor, the committee has just sent a message, issuing a significant directive.”
“Those old layabouts just sit at home enjoying themselves, leaving all the work to me.” The doctor sneered. “What’s the order this time? Budget cuts? Another project?”
“Neither.” Epolyne shrugged. “The committee requires you to take your new creation on a secret mission… a maiden mission, so to speak.”
“Don’t they have their own agents?” The doctor’s reflection in the glass wavered. “They trouble me with everything, those useless old men!”
“The committee stated that only you and your cyborg could execute this mission, and you would find it very interesting. Personally, I believe you will eagerly accept it.”
“…Oh?” The doctor was slightly intrigued. Scientists always had a keen sense of curiosity. “What if I’m not interested?”
“Then feel free to dismiss me,” Epolyne raised her voice.
“Not only will I dismiss you, but I’ll also make you Lester’s first victim.” The doctor turned, smiling, his glasses reflecting the blue light.
Epolyne wanted to laugh. “Doctor, the committee requires you to go to Old Earth.” She was satisfied to see the doctor’s eyes widen. “To eliminate the Yasha.”
This was indeed a mission that only Dr. Frank Shelley and his cyborg could accomplish. The Federal Military Committee and the Council of Nine had planned to seize the Yasha decades ago. When this plan failed, they turned to creating a substitute, and Dr. Frank had been supported since then. Although his cyborg couldn’t travel freely through time and space like the legendary Yasha, it had unparalleled destructive power. In today’s universe, who could be its match? A few days ago, the doctor’s new creation—picked up from Olympus—was declared complete. Upon hearing this, the Council of Nine immediately issued the order for the doctor to take it to Old Earth and eliminate the Yasha.
If they couldn’t have it, they would destroy it so no one else could.
Epolyne knew the doctor would certainly accept this mission. He was extremely arrogant and wouldn’t miss the chance to defeat the Yasha and prove his superiority. He had always dreamed of surpassing that unparalleled scientist from Old Earth.
“You’re lucky, Epolyne. You saved your life.” The doctor said softly, “I’m very interested.”
Epolyne smiled triumphantly.
Behind the doctor, the liquid in the giant cultivation tank swirled, and the reflected light trembled slightly.
“Oh, oh.” Alveira turned her head and gave Alois and Joshua a look that was half amused, half exasperated. “Darius wants to borrow you two.”
“No.” Darius raised a finger and shook it. “Just him.” He fixed his sharp, hawk-like gaze on Alois, his amber eyes piercing.
Under the young officer’s stare, Alois felt a sudden tension all over his body, as if a weak current was running through his skin, making his hair stand on end. Even more terrifying, Joshua, standing next to him, met that knife-like gaze head-on and unflinchingly glared back. A silent confrontation unfolded quietly in the conference room.
Alois felt a splitting headache. “I… I’m not worthy…” he squeezed out a few words as if constipated.
“Senior, do you remember what I once said to you?”
“Not really…”
“I need an ace pilot.” Darius said each word deliberately, as if afraid Alois wouldn’t understand. “Do you remember now?”
Damn it. “I think I remember…” Alois’s voice seemed to come from a grave. “Speaking of which, I’d recommend Titia from the Lady of the Night. She’s far more capable…”
“But I,” Darius continued to slow his speech, “want that person to be you.”
Joshua took a step forward but was pulled back by Alveira. He glared angrily at the princess, then at Alois, as if urging him to reject this unreasonable request quickly.
Alois wanted to find a wall to bang his head against. Joshua! Joshua, you misunderstand! He’s not what you think! “Your request flatters me… Can I go with Joshua?”
Darius smiled, but there was no humor in his eyes. “Senior, do you think this is a school trip where you can bring a plus one?”
“But I remember you said if we defected together, you’d welcome us both.”
“Yes, I did say that.” Darius’s smile vanished. “But I think Mourner is more suited to stay by the Princess’s side. Don’t you agree, Your Highness?”
Alveira was startled, not knowing when the ball was kicked to her. “Well… I think a package deal is quite nice…” She thought to herself, ‘Merciful Lord, I’m just an innocent bystander. Why drag me into the grievances of the most troublesome men in the universe?!’
She desperately signaled to Darius, hinting that these two couldn’t be separated, but Darius ignored her gestures. After a moment of indecision, the Princess finally waved her hand. “You decide among yourselves. Report to me after you’ve reached a conclusion!” She then walked out of the conference room, feeling relieved.
The three men were left standing, staring each other down, none willing to budge. Alois was overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness. Combined, their ages could rival General Anderwell’s, yet they squabble like children over a toy. “Joshua,” Alois said, “please step outside. I need to talk to the Major General alone.”
“It’s Admiral,” Darius corrected.
“I don’t care what you are. Even if you become Marshal, you’ll always be my junior.” Alois turned to Joshua. “I just need to talk to him for a few minutes.”
“What if he tries something inappropriate?”
Darius almost laughed out loud. “What about Senior makes you think he could attract me?”
“So you’re questioning my taste?”
“Enough!” Alois pushed Joshua out of the conference room. The assassin reluctantly watched the metal door close in front of him. Nearby, the Princess cheerfully waved. “Hi, you came out too?”
Joshua glanced at the silver-gray door, then at the gloating princess (only at such times did she show any age-appropriate behavior), and whispered, “Do I seem so useless? Not even worth bringing along as family?”
“Alright.” Alois turned to face the stern-looking Admiral Darius Bayes. “So, what exactly do you want?”
“I have no ulterior motives,” Darius said, walking toward him. “The Sword of the Queen original pilot was killed. I need an experienced ace to lead those rookies who’ve never seen a battlefield.”
“I sincerely recommend Titia from the Lady of the Night. She’s much stronger than I am.”
“But she didn’t graduate from the Empire Military Academy, nor did she ace Empire History.” Darius stood right in front of him now. “Do you know how the pilots talk about you? They treat you like a campus legend. They say any pirate crew with you is the most terrifying in the galaxy. With you on board, our army’s morale would soar.”
“But Joshua is also excellent,” Alois argued. “He’s the assassin Mourner. Everyone has heard of him. No one isn’t afraid of him.”
“I’m not afraid.”
Darius suddenly grabbed Alois’s left hand and pulled up his sleeve. “What happened to your hand, Senior?”
Alois had answered this question countless times recently and was slightly annoyed. “I had some trouble. I was kidnapped on Olympus and lost a hand.”
“Did Winnet’s people do it?”
“…How do you know?”
“He’s the only one daring enough to do such a thing. Don’t forget, it wasn’t his first time.” Darius’s amber eyes flashed. “Nice prosthetic. It doesn’t affect your piloting, does it?”
Alois tried to pull his hand back, but Darius held it firmly. “Of course not.” He muttered, “You saw the last battle.”
“Yes, I saw.” The Admiral noticed Alois always wore gloves. While it was likely to hide the metal prosthetic, he pulled off the glove—revealing a ring on the senior’s ring finger, adorned with intricate patterns.
“Are you married?” Darius asked in surprise. “To whom? Mourner?”
As he expressed his astonishment, Alois quickly pulled his hand back. “We haven’t had a wedding yet.” He was a bit embarrassed. “And what’s it to you!”
“I need to think about whether to prepare a wedding gift.”
“Save it for yourself!” Alois said irritably.
Darius grunted. “Is that why you don’t want to be separated from Mourner?”
“So what if it is?”
“This is the military, the battlefield, not a playground. We can’t afford personal sentiments.”
Alois widened his eyes. “Do I need you to tell me that?” He poked Darius’s chest hard. “Besides, can you honestly say you’re not biased?”
Darius hesitated, then said, “You’re my senior. Whatever you say makes sense. I should have known ten years ago!” He angrily punched the door. “Fine, bring him along!”
The door shook and slowly opened. The Admiral stormed out, his boots making a loud noise as if he were trampling on rebels.
You’re still the same as ten years ago, just as annoying, damn brat! Alois shouted in his heart.
Outside the conference room, the Princess and Joshua were nowhere to be seen. Instead, Leo stood there with a mischievous smile. He rubbed his hands together and approached eagerly. “Did you reach an agreement?”
“Where are the Princess and Joshua?”
“Her Highness is extremely busy and is on the bridge now. She sent Joshua to pack his things.”
“…Pack what?”
“Luggage, of course. Aren’t you moving to Major Gen… Ah, no, Admiral Bayes’s flagship?” The eyes of the AI seemed to be shining. “Need me to feed your cat?”
The metallic doors slowly opened to the loud voice of the herald, and Princess Alveira, dressed in a black military uniform, walked straight into the conference room without looking around. She was followed by two tall men who didn’t wear military uniforms, making them particularly conspicuous in the dimly lit room.
“Salute!”
Alveira didn’t glance at the people standing in textbook-perfect salutes and walked directly to the head seat at the conference table. The dark-haired man following her pulled out the chair for her, but she didn’t sit immediately. Instead, she scanned the room with her purple eyes before finally sitting down.
Shortly after the battle against Grisofin’s rebel forces concluded, Alveira ordered a meeting of all the commanders. Usually, such meetings could be conducted quickly using holographic projections, but she insisted everyone come to her flagship, Lady of the Night. This was undoubtedly a show of force, using this warship, once a space pirate vessel and now hers, to display her power and intimidate those with dissenting thoughts or insubordination.
“Please be seated.” Alveira clasped her hands together, resting her wrists on the table. The “bodyguards” behind her looked stern, like two gods of death. To her left sat Darius Bayes, an Admiral of the Empire of high rank, and to her right was a young man with purple hair. Everyone knew that this young man was the AI installed on the Lady of the Night, named Leonard. Many people secretly wondered why the Princess would allow an AI to attend such a confidential military meeting and thought how unusual her mind was.
“In the recent battle, everyone’s performance was commendable, and I have noted each of your contributions. Rewards will be given after this campaign is over… Lieutenant Colonel Hauser!”
“Yes!” The named lieutenant colonel stood up hurriedly.
“In battle, you were too aggressive, got surrounded by the enemy, and nearly caused a defeat.” The Princess leaned forward. “You are ordered to reflect on your actions in confinement for three days, and I hope you can make amends in the future.”
“…Yes!”
The Lieutenant Colonel breathed a sigh of relief and sat down quickly, hoping not to attract further attention from the Princess. Despite his tall and imposing stature, he felt incredibly small before the petite Princess.
“It has been nearly two months since the war with the rebels began. Previously, I left the Empire to seek allies, leaving many affairs for you to handle. I feel very sorry for this.” She paused to observe the reactions of those at the table. She was very pleased that most understood her implication: I was away before, leaving you to handle things, but now that I’m back, I should rightfully take charge again.
“I am but a woman, quite an amateur in military strategy, and I will need your guidance.”
Everyone nodded, murmuring, “Understood.”
Alveira smiled slightly. “I didn’t spend the past two months idly. Now, please allow me to introduce two friends.” She raised her left hand, and the black-haired young man on her left stepped forward and bowed slightly. “Alois Lagrange, one of the pilots of the Lady of the Night. Many of you may know him. He was framed by Winnet and imprisoned unjustly before joining the space pirates. However, now that the pirate remnants have been incorporated into my forces, they will become part of the Empire regular army. I hope everyone will get along well in the future.”
Then the Princess raised her right hand. “This is Joshua Plank. You may not know him, but you must have heard of his name—the Assassin Mourner.”
A small gasp went around the table. No one expected this handsome man to be the legendary, blood-soaked, ruthless Mourner. Joshua’s black-gold eyes glanced around; he neither bowed nor even nodded, as if the highest-ranking Empire officers before him were nothing but a pile of corpses—perhaps he would be more excited facing actual corpses.
“That’s enough introductions. Let’s get to the main topic.” The Princess leaned back in her chair. “Leo, please brief us on the current situation.”
“Yes.” The AI Leonard made a set of data appear above the table. “In the previous battle, we lost 52 warships, 449 were damaged, of which 105 were severely damaged; 1,370 people were killed, and more than 6,000 were wounded to varying degrees; we sank 142 enemy warships, damaged approximately 980, and the enemy casualties are unknown, estimated to be around 20,000.”
For a military commander, focusing on specific casualty numbers was meaningless; knowing that they paid a small price to deal a heavy blow to the enemy was sufficient.
The numbers above the table flickered and transformed into a vast star map, with red and blue colors marking enemy and friendly territories.
“After retreating, Grisofin’s fleet moved towards the Mist Port system in Cassiopeia, which is one of the rebel camps. The third army, led by Chast, is stationed there, with 1,287 warships and over 90,000 soldiers. Winnet’s first army is stationed 573 light-years away in the Demony system, with an estimated 1,800 warships and over 100,000 soldiers.”
Alveira gestured for the AI to reduce the star map, as the moving planets were almost obscuring the officers’ faces.
“What are your thoughts on the next strategic move?” The Princess kindly invited everyone to speak freely, but no one dared to open their mouths. They couldn’t grasp the Princess’s intentions and feared their suggestions might contradict her plans, causing embarrassment or angering her.
Seeing the silence, the Princess frowned, making the atmosphere in the room tense.
“Nobody has anything to say?” She tapped the table with her index finger. “Then I’ll speak. After Grisofin’s and Chast’s fleets unite, they will become a formidable barrier to our front line. A frontal assault would have a slim chance of success. However, the Mist Port system is resource-poor, and the rebels rely heavily on supplies from the Sword Bow star system and the Redstone system in Orion, which are less well-defended. We could feign attacks on Sword Bow or Redstone to disperse the Mist Port troops, then launch a real attack.”
“Your Highness,” said the elderly Admiral Anderwell, “I believe attacking now is unwise.”
“Oh?” The Princess shifted to a more comfortable position in her high-backed chair. “What is your opinion?” You wouldn’t speak earlier, but now you want to share your thoughts!
“Our forces are inferior to the enemy’s. If we engage directly, we will suffer heavy losses. I recommend a defensive strategy. Although Winnet commands a large force, he lacks legitimacy and will eventually lose public support. Moreover, the Sword Bow system and Redstone system can’t sustain the rebels’ supply lines indefinitely, whereas we control the entire Empire’s resources. If the stalemate continues, we will ultimately emerge victorious.” Finished, Anderwell smiled smugly.
The Princess said, “Before I left the capital, Chancellor Greenwood gave me the same advice.”
“The Chancellor’s counsel is undoubtedly wise.”
The Princess lazily looked at him. “Greenwood’s old advice isn’t worth listening to.”
The young officers couldn’t help but laugh. Anderwell’s eyes nearly popped out. “Your Highness, that was extremely disrespectful!”
“I don’t know why your thoughts are so in sync, but I guess Anderwell wants to preserve our forces, while the Chancellor’s goal… if we retreat, he has ample opportunities to manipulate and control the army. After eliminating Winnet, the Chancellor could overshadow my authority and become the Empire’s de facto ruler.” Alveira spread her hands. “But he’s dreaming. After I deal with Winnet, I’ll settle with him.”
She turned to Darius. “Admiral Darius Bayes, please lead your fleet to attack the Sword Bow system and the Redstone system. I will personally command the other forces.”
Darius bowed his head. “Yes, Your Highness.”
Anderwell was about to burst with anger. “Your Highness, you are too capricious! Please heed my advice!”
“Enough!” Alveira snapped. “I know you have extensive experience from years on the battlefield. Use that experience to assist me! If you’re unwilling, you may retire, and I will approve it immediately!”
The old general’s beard quivered with rage. He clenched his fists, seemingly ready to jump on the table and punch Alveira, but he eventually unclenched his fists and said weakly, “Yes, I will follow your orders.”
The Princess nodded. “That’s settled then. The next directives will be sent to your bridges. Dismissed!”
The officers stood, saluted, and filed out of the conference room. After Anderwell, supported by his adjutant, also left, Darius whispered to Alveira, “Aren’t you afraid he’ll secretly inform the Chancellor?”
Alveira raised an eyebrow. “I’d love to return to the capital immediately to see the Chancellor’s reaction.”
“He might rebel like Winnet.”
“He wouldn’t dare, or he would have done it already. Besides, I have the army. What do I have to fear!”
Darius chuckled, ruffling Alveira’s hair. “You’ve grown up.” After saying this, he felt a pang of sadness. His little Alveira had grown up overnight, no longer the little sister hiding behind her brother making faces at him.
Darius stood up. “I’ll prepare for the surprise attack immediately. But before that, Your Highness, may I borrow someone from you?”
He looked at the person behind Alveira as he spoke.
Darius Bayes stared intently at the holographic battle map before him. The blue dots representing his own forces and the red dots representing the enemy were rapidly approaching each other, with the vanguard units set to clash in a few minutes. Before battle, Darius felt both anxious and excited, much like a new recruit. No matter how many times he fought, this feeling never changed. He believed this was proof that he still retained his humanity. If he became numb to war, he would no longer be Darius Bayes, who fought by the Queen’s command to protect his country, but a ruthless war machine, which was something he didn’t desire.
Now, Darius was no longer a Major General. He had been promoted to Admiral, leading a fleet of three thousand warships against Duke Winnet’s force (which called themselves the “National Salvation Army”). The nominal commander of this rebellion suppression was Princess Alveira, but she had recently taken Casper to the pirate stronghold on the frontier, with no clear return date. Before leaving, she appointed Darius as acting commander-in-chief. Among the Empire’s officers, some welcomed this, while others were dissatisfied, the latter represented by Admiral Anderwell. He was the most esteemed of the Empire’s older generation of commanders and always looked down on Darius, believing that his rapid promotion was entirely due to family connections and nepotism. He frequently resisted Darius’s orders, often ignoring them altogether. Darius wished he could court-martial him but had to endure due to Anderwell’s influence. Anderwell suggested holding the defensive line and waiting for the Duke’s forces to exhaust their supplies and collapse on their own, while Darius insisted on an active offensive for a quick victory. They had clashed countless times over this in various meetings. Only a direct order from the Princess could probably shut him up.
The Empire forces and the rebels were now in a stalemate, and if the situation turned into a war of attrition, it would likely be very disadvantageous for them. Darius had no time to consider such long-term issues. He needed to focus on the current battle. The enemy commander was Grisofin, Winnet’s right-hand man, known for his steady use of troops and cunning tactics. Defeating him decisively would indeed be challenging.
On the battle map, the vanguards of both armies had already clashed. Darius couldn’t see the soaring flames of battle or hear the rumbling explosions of ships being hit. His earpiece was filled with reports from his subordinates and the bustling conversations of the bridge crew.
He had placed Lieutenant Colonel Hauser in command of the vanguard. The officer of the flagship “Black Lotus” seemed to have courage proportional to his size, though perhaps a bit excessively. Therefore, Darius assigned the calm and composed Major Radruta to command the right wing. Darius couldn’t help but regret that Captain Casper of the “Star Iron” wasn’t here. Among officers of his age, Casper was outstanding. It would have been great if he hadn’t gone to that distant planet with the Princess.
The blue vanguard forces pierced into the enemy’s belly like a spear. “Too reckless!” Darius slammed the armrest of his chair. “Hauser! Fall back!”
The consequence of being too aggressive was that the vanguard forces were completely surrounded by the enemy, with their retreat almost cut off. The right wing, led by Radruta, immediately advanced to try and push back the enemy. But realizing the right wing’s move, the enemy started attacking the left wing.
“Center advance!”
The enemy moved too quickly, and the battle map twisted into a bizarre spiral of blue and red areas. The red forces surged forward like a fierce tiger, tearing through the weak left wing. The center was now facing attacks from both the front and the left!
“What…what is that?”
Darius heard everyone exclaim simultaneously.
What is it?!
On the battle map, the rear of the red enemy forces suddenly collapsed, scattering westward like crumbling earth. An unidentified fleet (automatically marked in white) sliced through the enemy like a sharp scalpel. After penetrating the red center, the unknown fleet formed a diamond formation, advancing relentlessly, heedless of the surrounding enemies.
Darius’s heart was pounding in his throat. “Show me the optical image!”
The bridge crew, initially stunned by the unknown fleet’s advance, scrambled to display the optical radar images. When the image was magnified and projected above the bridge, everyone was dumbfounded—
A pitch-black, graceful battleship appeared like Death with black wings, followed by three slightly smaller warships and escorted by a dozen smaller ships. The optical radar clearly captured the embossed patterns on the black warship’s hull: Lady of the Night.
The Lady of the Night, the flagship of the space pirate Joanna Begrel, whose name was eternally linked to hers, was the most feared Lady Death in the galaxy.
“Impossible…Begrel is…is…” The commander of the Second Army of the National Salvation Army, Grisofin, sat uneasily in his command seat. “How could she appear here… Is it a ghost?!”
As if responding to his speculation, dozens of fighters, trailing bright green particles, were launched into space.
“Intercept them!” the commander shouted. “Launch fighters! Intercept them! All units, fire!”
Their own fighters swiftly launched, and the pilots, initially trembling against the enemy vanguard, received the order and immediately abandoned the current battle, turning to the rear.
The unknown fleet’s fighters advanced even faster than their motherships. The leading four craft moved like phantoms, brushing past the National Salvation Army’s fighters and leaving a trail of arcing explosions behind them.
“The rear will be overrun! What are you idiots waiting for? Intercept them!”
The green particles swept through, leaving devastation in their wake. The four fighters were unstoppable, breaking through another defensive line and charging into the formation of the Empire Army!
Then, like swallows turning, the green particles arced sharply and struck the left wing of the National Salvation Army!
“What!” The sudden turn of events left Grisofin at a loss.
The fighter group cleared a broad path, and the fleet led by the Lady of the Night advanced through the rear to the front.
The Empire vanguard commander Hauser’s eyes widened as he watched the unknown fleet sail boldly into his formation.
“Who are they?”
“Re-report!” a communications officer shouted. “The unknown fleet requests communication!”
“Patch them through!”
The holographic screen on the bridge flickered, then a young girl with flaxen hair appeared.
“Long time no see, Lieutenant Colonel Hauser.”
“Your… Your Highness!” The lieutenant colonel was stunned.
“Lieutenant Colonel, the situation is urgent, so I can’t explain much. Please immediately transfer the command of your forces to me!”
After all, the Princess was the supreme commander, so what need was there for command transfer? However, Hauser had no time to think and could only respond, “Yes, ma’am!”
On the holographic battle map, the flagship marker of Hauser’s fleet transferred to the Lady of the Night, and all information and communications flooded to the black ship. The lieutenant colonel initially worried whether the Princess could handle such complex communications, but he quickly saw precise and clear orders being sent to each warship like arrows hitting the bullseye.
“All units, follow me!”
The Lady of the Night led Hauser’s fleet of 247 warships, like migrating birds, moving towards the enemy’s left wing, spearheaded by the four ghostly fighters. The rebels’ recent massive attack on the Empire’s weak points had exposed their left wing’s vulnerabilities. The united 251 ships and countless escort fighters mercilessly struck the enemy’s weak spot, broke through the flimsy defenses, and joined with Darius Bayes’s central forces, then launched a full-scale attack on the rebels.
Thirty-two minutes later, the rebel commander Grisofin issued a retreat order.
Daylight came and went, and night fell again. Joshua stood at the viewing porthole at the stern of the Lady of the Night, gazing up at the sky dominated by the blood-red giant star and another bright star shining like a jewel on deep red silk.
Just now, Alois and Casper had just jointly persuaded Princess Alveira to rest, as she seemed intent on staying awake until departure day. The final result was the Princess reluctantly agreeing to rest but refusing to stay in Jonna’s cabin, despite Leo repeatedly stating that it was the only captain’s quarters on the ship.
“I don’t want to stay there,” the Princess stubbornly insisted. “There are ghosts of the past and painful memories lingering there.”
In the end, Leo compromised, allowing the princess to stay in the adjacent cabin. For the heir to half the galaxy, this was rather poor treatment, but the Princess was content, and who could argue with that?
Seeing her, Joshua was reminded of her ancestor, the great Nasir I. In Joshua’s memory, that man was also stubborn and neurotic, possessing the charisma of a leader and a frighteningly persuasive power. Even after so many years, it seemed the power of genes remained deeply rooted, playing an indispensable role in human destiny.
Joshua then thought of Major General Darius Bayes, who also carried the blood of Nasir Chabais. After two thousand years, he met the descendants of an old acquaintance and became enemies, only to soon become allies. The twists and turns of fate were truly wondrous and unfathomable. Alois had often complained that the God of Fate loved to play tricks on him. But now it seemed that fickle god enjoyed playing tricks on everyone.
“What are you thinking about?” Leonard appeared beside him. “Alois is looking for you.”
“Isn’t he supposed to be with the Princess?”
“The Princess said she wanted to be alone and sent both of her loyal knights away,” Leonard replied, looking at Joshua. “Then Alois said he wanted to find you. I think he probably wants to mate with you again.”
Joshua’s face contorted. “Leo, can you be a little more subtle? Artistic? Poetic?”
“When I’m subtle, you want me to be straightforward. When I’m artistic, you want me to be scientific. When I’m poetic, you want me to be realistic. Asimov! Why are humans so hard to please!”
“…Don’t you think it’s you who’s strange?”
“Then tell me what I should do.”
“First, don’t use the word ‘mate’. It’s used to describe sexual animal behavior. Is there something wrong with your dictionary?”
“Is there a big difference between humans and animals to me?” Leo replied with a clear conscience.
Joshua felt unprecedented frustration. Kester, my dear brother, look at what you’ve created!
He decided to drop the topic. “Did you tell Alois I’m here?”
“I gave him a very long route,” Leo said. “Do you want me to make it even longer? You seem to want some time alone.”
The AI thought this gesture was very considerate, almost bringing him to tears of compassion for his own gentleness. But Joshua didn’t thank him. The assassin silently gazed at the crimson night sky, silver hair cascading over his shoulders, his eyes turning a gentle golden hue like twilight. Leo thought hazily that this posture was exactly how he used to look up at the stars as a child. Then, with a touch of sentiment and heartache, he realized it was also how Kester looked.
“Leo, there’s a question I’ve always wanted to ask but never dared,” Joshua said, holding onto the glass, seemingly afraid to look at Leonard’s face.
“What is it?”
“Do you…” The assassin clenched his fist against the glass, trembling as he spoke. “Do you like Kester?”
If Leo had a body, he would be struggling to breathe due to a spasm in his lungs. He had prepared to answer this question since reuniting with Joshua, but hearing it still caught him off guard.
He answered briskly, “No.” Ah, Joshua, you’re as perceptive as your brother, as if nothing could be hidden from your family’s golden eyes.
For an ordinary person, this would be the end of it. But Joshua liked to get to the bottom of things, a habit nurtured by Kester’s rigorous scientific attitude.
“Then, do you love him?”
Leo painfully turned his head. This question shattered his calm, courteous armor, exposing the bloody interior, tearing at his soul—if he had one—like a banshee’s claws.
An AI couldn’t lie. He could joke, remain silent, but he couldn’t lie, especially not in front of Joshua—his creator’s brother.
“I…” Leonard found his voice unusually hoarse. “I sometimes envy those low-end AIs. Without self-awareness, they can survive by following programs and commands. No need to think, no emotions, no love, and thus no sorrow.”
Joshua remained silent.
Leo mustered the courage to step forward, standing beside the assassin.
“Joshua, I have a request.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Can I kiss you?”
Joshua’s eyes widened in shock. The request was bizarre and excessive, but he nodded in agreement. He stood rigidly, watching Leonard’s hologram kiss his lips—feeling nothing.
Of course, there couldn’t be any feeling. Leo was just a simulated image, accurately superimposed on Joshua through complex calculations.
A real body and an invisible image. For Leonard, kissing Joshua was like kissing a past phantom, someone who haunted him for two thousand years. He remembered the moment he gained consciousness from the void, the first sight he saw was that person. That was his father, creator, god, bringing him joy, worry, madness, and hatred. Leonard loved that person deeply, thus learning to love humans. Now, he was genuinely grateful to the one who had introduced him to the most beautiful and profound human emotions.
The kiss was brief. Leo quickly pulled away from Joshua. Then he heard hurried footsteps in the corridor—Alois, delayed by the long route, finally arrived. Leo casually greeted him and disappeared, leaving the still-stunned Joshua and the bewildered Alois. They could mate as they pleased with the remaining time. Leo had other matters to attend to.
He checked the servers rented in the public super-light network, unsurprised to find a bunch of emails from Galactic Diva Camilla—over seventy in total. Some days, Camilla sent multiple emails, mostly casual chat like “Today’s breakfast was ham salad and apple juice. Rita told me to lose weight,” or “Just got questioned by the Empire police, so nervous.” Initially, Leo responded to each one (he was moved by his own kindness and attentiveness), but after the Dream of a Cold Night sank, he couldn’t handle the correspondence anymore.
In the later emails, Camilla repeatedly asked why he didn’t reply. “Answer me, damn AI!” Leonard could almost hear his angry roar on the other end of the network. “Tell me how Alois is! Is he hurt?… Oh, and I hope your computer is working.”
In the latest email, Camilla sent a newly composed song, a tribute to those who died in the war. It was a requiem, singing of the sun, moon, stars, light, and space, of eternal and ephemeral things, of love, courage, betrayal and sacrifice.
If Leo had a body, he would weep at this song. He played it publicly, letting the clear voice spread through the Lady of the Night and every corner of Milantu.
Cheer up, Leonard, the AI told himself. Let the dead rest in peace. There’s nothing you can do but hurt yourself further. But the living are different. Being alive means infinite possibilities. You can’t chase past phantoms because of the dead. You can only move forward for the sake of the living.
The fireworks burst with such overwhelming force that when the red light bloomed, Fang Xiu didn’t have time to react. And even when he did react in those first few seconds, his mind remained blank.
Bai Shuangying stood behind him, his chest lightly pressing against Fang Xiu’s back, cool and chill. Bai Shuangying’s hand held the Peach Bone Evil, his five fingers wrapped around the back of Fang Xiu’s hand, also cool and chill.
But Fang Xiu felt as if he’d just swallowed a gulp of boiling water. His whole chest was burning, and a layer of sweat surfaced on his back.
He had spent the whole day wandering about, yet always felt a subtle sense of detachment.
It was like watching scenery from a train window. He was merely a day-long passenger, separated from the world by a thick pane of glass. He was him, and the human world was the human world.
But now, the night sky was shattered by countless beams of light, and that unseen glass window suddenly splintered.
…He was no longer someone lurking in the shadows. These fireworks had bloomed for him. For just a moment, he had truly connected with this world.
Fang Xiu’s heart twitched. He tried to steady his breath and calm his heartbeat, but failed.
Maybe the first half of his life had been full of bad luck, but now he was ridiculously lucky…
Not only had he met Bai Shuangying, this “perfect friend”, he had even experienced that tingling flutter in his heart. For the first time in his life, Fang Xiu felt electric sparks at his fingertips, hot and itchy.
“This won’t do,” he couldn’t help saying to Bai Shuangying. “After today, I’ll want even more.”
Bai Shuangying tilted his head to look at him. “Then hurry and buy them. The holiday isn’t over yet.”
Fang Xiu knew his ghost didn’t get the deeper meaning, so he casually changed the subject. “…Why did you set off the fireworks?”
Bai Shuangying wasn’t a real seductive ghost, so it probably had nothing to do with emotional intelligence.
Bai Shuangying looked at Fang Xiu with confusion, as if Fang Xiu had asked something utterly ridiculous.
“Because you wanted to see them,” Bai Shuangying said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The tingling sensation returned. Fang Xiu rubbed his fingertips, suddenly wanting to touch that blood-red mole.
In the end, he swallowed hard and held back. He averted his gaze from Bai Shuangying and turned toward the glittering sky.
The heart palpitations hadn’t stopped. The slight pulling pain felt bittersweet and oddly satisfying, like drinking freshly opened iced Coke.
…Fang Xiu had never liked anyone before, so he didn’t know if this counted as a crush. He also didn’t know if indulging in it would affect his usual state.
…Whatever. Might as well experience it first. Maybe the feeling would fade in a few days.
Once his heartbeat settled a bit, Fang Xiu flipped his hand and grabbed Bai Shuangying’s wrist. “Come on, let’s go buy some stuff and head back.”
Bai Shuangying hummed and didn’t forget to grab his cotton candy before leaving.
In the night sky, the fireworks were still in full bloom.
……
The Underworld had said beforehand that any items they bought could be taken into the rooms of the Disaster Relief Tower, but not into the ritual itself. Yet when they returned, Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying were both lugging around a bunch of bags.
Following the principle of “must spend the whole budget”, Fang Xiu had purchased a ton of power banks, brand-name mini speakers, and tablets from the electronics store. The remaining money went toward snacks and drinks.
Compared to them, the others looked much more “lightly packed”.
Cheng Songyun’s eyes were red and swollen. She had probably spoken with her child on the phone. She deposited all the money into her account, saying that if she died in the ritual, the money could still go to her child.
Mei Lan and Guan He did similar things, though they hoped to survive and take more money out.
Jia Xu bought some high-end tobacco and liquor, complaining that the money wasn’t enough. Blondie, on the other hand, bought a giant box of brightly colored… sex toys.
Blondie grinned: “You guys don’t get it, I’m gonna have the time of my life for these few days…”
Bai Shuangying didn’t recognize the items and was about to lean in for a closer look, but Fang Xiu, without changing expression, dragged him away.
“Don’t look. All useless junk,” Fang Xiu said seriously, pulling his ghost back to their room.
He didn’t want to hear Blondie’s dirty jokes, and definitely didn’t want Bai Shuangying’s hands touching those things. His ghost’s long, slender fingers were made to hold a Peach Bone Evil, not that nonsense.
As soon as they entered the room, Fang Xiu organized the mountain of snacks into the storage cabinet. He connected a fully charged speaker to the tablet and tested playing the downloaded music.
Considering Bai Shuangying’s traditional appearance, he probably wouldn’t like modern, edgy stuff, so Fang Xiu had saved some nature-themed instrumental tracks. Now, accompanied by the sound of falling rain, a gentle piano melody filled the room.
His ghost instantly forgot all about Blondie’s stash. Like a curious cat, he gently stroked the speaker, trying to figure out how the sound was being produced.
As Fang Xiu listened to the soothing music and watched the scene, a small sense of happiness welled up in him.
While Bai Shuangying was fiddling with the speaker, Fang Xiu used his skill to heat up a bottle of osmanthus milk tea, then quietly climbed onto the bed.
“Want to try some osmanthus milk tea? Just milk and osmanthus tea, no bubbles.”
Fang Xiu slipped behind Bai Shuangying, twisted off the cap, and held the drink toward him.
Bai Shuangying scrutinized the bottle cautiously, then turned and took a sip.
From this angle, his collar was slightly open, revealing elegant collarbones. The Peach Bone Evil was stuck diagonally in his robe, and the flower ornament looked as fresh as if it had just bloomed.
Before, Fang Xiu had been able to view it all with pure appreciation. Now, he just felt like the heated milk tea was attacking his hand.
“Not bad,” Bai Shuangying drank a few more sips and licked his lips.
Fang Xiu caught a glimpse of that flickering tongue. “That’s great. Well, we should totally go to sleep now good night Bai Shuangying.”
He darted under the covers like a shot, leaving the milk tea untouched.
Bai Shuangying: “?”
By the end of the day, his human was becoming increasingly incomprehensible.
Seeing that Fang Xiu intended to sleep, Bai Shuangying reluctantly left the speaker and floated back to the ceiling.
Truthfully, after sleeping on the bed that night, Bai Shuangying thought it was more comfortable than the ceiling. Having experienced the warm, soft mattress and Fang Xiu’s body heat, he now found the hard ceiling somewhat unpleasant.
Even if there was a risk of being gnawed on by Fang Xiu, the bed was still preferable.
But Fang Xiu had cocooned himself entirely in the blanket, shutting himself off from the world. Bai Shuangying couldn’t just rip the covers open and ask if he wanted to share the bed.
…Better to maintain the current status quo, Bai Shuangying thought.
Inside the blanket.
Fang Xiu exhaled and berated himself for being so useless.
What was there to be embarrassed about?! …Bai Shuangying had already seen him naked, so what if he saw the tip of his tongue?!
Life is short. He should look and look hard(er next time). What’s the point of having eyes if not to admire beauty?
Then it hit him: Bai Shuangying didn’t need sleep and could spend all night watching him from the ceiling.
That thought made Fang Xiu unsure how to fall asleep. They might as well sleep back-to-back, just like eating with a friend, sitting side by side was less awkward than face-to-face.
But suddenly inviting Bai Shuangying to share the bed might sound like a serious proposition.
…Better to maintain the current status quo, Fang Xiu thought.
That night, Fang Xiu dreamed of brilliant red fireworks and a bright full moon.
Unlike reality, the fireworks in the dream exploded with booming sounds, like a heartbeat.
……
The next morning, everyone had developed a kind of numb acceptance.
They each carried their magic tools. Cheng Songyun silently clutched her prayer beads; even Blondie solemnly strapped a family crest to his back.
Before breakfast, Fang Xiu finally received the promised qiankun bag.
It looked like a small white cloth pouch, embroidered with the word “Fang” in red thread at the opening. Once he tucked it into his pocket, it instantly turned into an inner lining, turning Fang Xiu into a real-life Doraemon.
The bag could hold about one cubic meter. Anything stored would have negligible weight. But it could only hold dead objects and magic tools, not evil spirits or living people.
The Underworld had sealed off most avenues for cheating.
After handing over the bag, the paper figure hesitated. “Yesterday at the commercial street…”
“I know,” Fang Xiu replied solemnly. “If the human world wants to punish us, we’ll fully cooperate.”
Punish in the human world? The paper figure was stunned.
Fang Xiu eyes were full of sincerity. “Didn’t we violate fire safety regulations?”
paper figure: “Uh, your evil spirit used magic in public, causing a supernatural phenomenon. At least ten Underworld officials witnessed the ghost flames.”
Fang Xiu: “Oh, but that has nothing to do with the ritual. If you believe we’ve leaked Underworld secrets, feel free to provide proof… I won’t argue.”
The paper figure was speechless.
They couldn’t prove it was a secret leak. Ghost flames were still just fireworks, and nobody thought they were an Underworld operation. The fireworks weren’t even dangerous.
Damn, it hadn’t done its homework. If only it had just said “no magic allowed”!
Now all it could say was, “…Ah well, never mind, just watch out next time.”
Fang Xiu gave it a “sure, next time for sure” kind of polite smile.
After a hearty meal and a good drink, the third ritual arrived as scheduled.
This time, the second floor became a pale blue, scratched-up wall, and the entrance door was a somewhat worn apartment door.
Fang Xiu grabbed Bai Shuangying’s wrist and brought up the rear. Once they passed the ritual gate, they saw an incredibly ordinary apartment lobby…
The lobby had green plants, sofas, and directly opposite the entrance hung a portrait of Zhong Kui. The lighting was a bit too bright, and there was even a messenger ghost sitting at the reception desk.
The ghost was a paper figure too, dressed similarly to Dian’er. It had five eyes on its face, arranged like a lotus blossom.
Seeing them enter, the five-eyed paper figure sluggishly looked up. “Welcome to ‘Huanxi Xin’. I’m Dian Wu, a special Underworld appointee.”
Jia Xu: “Why are you here? Aren’t Underworld officials supposed to show up only after the ritual ends?”
He once again took the role of leader, his tone quite confident.
Dian Wu held a thermos, blinking its five eyes in turn. “This is just a midpoint station in the ritual. We want to provide better service to ensure your swift success in getting rid of the ‘E’.”
Having just endured the Mid-Autumn Festival ritual, no one believed a word it said.
Dian Wu sighed. “Fine, don’t believe me. Either way, the sooner you finish, the sooner I clock out… Oh right, here are your room cards for ‘Huanxi Xin’.”
Jia Xu frowned. “Room cards now?”
Dian Wu recited mechanically, “‘Huanxi Xin’ is an apartment building and the site for this ritual. After entering, each of you will be assigned a room.”
“We’re intervening to match you with rooms that have karmic ties. If no match is found, we’ll assign a good one to maintain your health and peace of mind.”
Fang Xiu couldn’t help clicking his tongue. This was unusually considerate for the Underworld.
“The Underworld’s never helped us like this before,” Jia Xu noted sternly while crossing his arms.
Dian Wu seemed used to the question, sounding like a customer service rep, kind and robotic. “The ‘Huanxi E’ is special. The Underworld wants it gone ASAP, so we’re all-in.”
“Here’s your room card. Open it after the ritual begins.” It handed Jia Xu a red envelope.
Then it handed red envelopes to Cheng Songyun and Mei Lan as well.
Blondie and Guan He received white envelopes and looked visibly confused. Guan He relaxed slightly when he saw Fang Xiu also had a white one.
“Red means karmic tie; white means none. I wish you all success.” Dian Wu pointed to the nearby elevator. “That’s the real entrance. Please proceed.”
“Don’t move. It might be a trap,” Jia Xu warned.
Fang Xiu looked at Bai Shuangying, who said, “Dian Wu is indeed an official.”
Fang Xiu walked toward the elevator. Seeing him move, Guan He and Cheng Songyun followed, then Blondie and Mei Lan. After a few seconds, only Jia Xu remained behind.
His face twitched, and he grudgingly stepped into the elevator.
There were no floor buttons in the elevator. It looked like a wooden coffin, spacious, but still eerie.
Once everyone was inside, the elevator didn’t move. Instead, the doors closed, then reopened, revealing a new scene.
Beyond was a corridor lined with auspicious paintings and identical apartment doors. None of the doors had labels.
Once out of the elevator, Blondie was the first to open his envelope.
Out dropped a golden room card and a palm-sized card. Blondie glanced at the card and exclaimed loudly, “Damn.”.
“So direct?” He muttered as he flipped the card over.
Seeing he was unharmed, the others opened theirs too. Everyone’s envelope had the same contents: a gold room card with their name and birthdate printed, but no room number.
The kicker was the card.
Fang Xiu picked his up and nearly gasped like Blondie. Seeing his rare shock, Bai Shuangying leaned over to read it too.
The card clearly displayed three lines:
First Taboo: You must win a game daily. Fail, and suffer harm.
Second Taboo: All stakes must be exchanged with life. Steal and be punished.
Third Taboo: You must always hold a chip. Lose it, and die. (※Note: This is a death taboo)
Starting off with three explicit taboos revealed? No one knew what to say.
…How desperate was Dian Wu to get off work?
Guan He: “Looks like the Underworld really wants to end this E quickly.”
Cheng Songyun hesitated. “This might not be true. And it’s vague. Where are we supposed to ‘win’ anything? It’s just apartments here.”
Jia Xu checked the back of the room card. “Says every door works. Du Zhichao, you try.”
Blondie grumbled, “Stop ordering me around.”
Even so, he still swiped his card on the nearest door.
It clicked open. Inside was a tidy hotel-style room with nice décor. Nothing seemed out of place.
He chuckled, closed the door, then swiped the next one. Same layout.
“Standard room?” he said curiously. “Hey, there’s even a guest menu! Check this out!”
The gold menu was placed squarely on the pillow, that it was impossible to miss. Blondie picked it up excitedly to show the others.
Before showing it, Blondie took a quick look at it himself. The menu design was gaudy and tacky, like something a nouveau riche would print. The contents were brief but jarring.
However, he found everyone’s expression gradually tightened. Blondie quickly turned over the menu and read it over carefully again.
[Huanxi Xin Service Price List] ◆ A Bowl of Veggie Rice: 1 chip ◆ Premium Meal Set: 10 chips ◆ Premium Clothing: 10 chips ◆ One Night of Pleasure: 100 chips ◆ Top-shelf Liquor & Tobacco: 100 chips ◆ Gold & Jewelry: 100 chips ◆ 13 Pounds of Human Flesh: 1000 chips
~Special Offer~ Free chip upon entry! Rice gruel available 24/7! Each room comes with special knives and a weighing scale!
At the bottom of the menu, a white chip was affixed, its center bore a bold black “1”.
The chip pulsed slightly, the “1” rotating like a vertical pupil, calmly eyeing the six sacrifices.
The author has something to say:
The third ritual is starting!
Liars have always been doomed to get wrecked by straight shooters~ (said in *that* tone)
Bai Shuangying declined Fang Xiu’s invitation to breakfast, and Fang Xiu didn’t press the matter. To prepare for eating more, he even visited a pharmacy and proactively bought some digestion tablets.
Then he began.
A bowl of wontons, a cup of eight-treasure porridge, a full set of thin pancakes… Fang Xiu devoured the breakfast shop’s offerings like a ravenous beast, resembling a possessed food processor.
Bai Shuangying’s eyes widened slightly as he watched. How could this guy chew slowly yet eat so fast at the same time?
Though the Underworld provided him a human shell, it was still a shell. Fang Xiu had a slim waist and thin flesh. After all this food, his stomach slightly bulged. Bai Shuangying couldn’t help himself. He reached out and poked Fang Xiu’s belly.
Fang Xiu was drinking tofu pudding when the poke made him jolt all over nearly choking him.
“Stop, my belly’s ticklish.” Fang Xiu coughed for a long while, his face turning red.
Bai Shuangying regretfully withdrew his hand.
His human had been eating since six in the morning, all the way until the 9:15 AM movie screening.
Right before the show, Fang Xiu even bought caramel popcorn and a Coke at the theater. After all, the Underworld was footing the bill, so he might as well enjoy it.
It was Bai Shuangying’s first time seeing “exploded grain”, and he took interest in the popcorn.
Fang Xiu scooted over sneakily. “Need me to draw a circle for you?”
This wasn’t the Disaster Relief Tower, and these weren’t spirit souls, so Fang Xiu wasn’t sure if Bai Shuangying could eat human-world food directly. He offered the popcorn bucket eagerly, eyes full of curiosity.
Bai Shuangying picked out a kernel from the bucket and ate it.
“Not bad,” he commented.
The method of processing grains was novel to him. He’d only ever seen humans grind flour and steam it.
Before Fang Xiu could respond, Bai Shuangying leaned over and mimicked Fang Xiu’s motion, taking a sip of his Coke.
His long hair brushed Fang Xiu’s wrist, freezing Fang Xiu in place.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, fingers tightening slightly, as if the straw was connected to his nerves.
He had just used that straw himself. Wasn’t this kind of inappropriate…
In the past, classmates had taken sips from his drinks, and he found it disgusting, ending up giving them the whole bottle.
Now, though, he didn’t find Bai Shuangying dirty. Bai Shuangying’s white robes were spotless, and his true form was beautiful enough to seem otherworldly.
Still, Fang Xiu felt awkward.
Just a few days ago, he’d held the guy all night in his arms. Looking now at the white-clad Bai Shuangying, he belatedly registered how strange it all was.
Meanwhile, Bai Shuangying frowned after drinking the Coke. “This thing feels like it’s biting me.”
Fang Xiu snapped back to reality, curling his lips. “That’s carbon dioxide… well, little bubbles exploding. It’s fine.”
Bai Shuangying glanced at the popcorn. “Do humans like ‘explosions’ now?”
Fang Xiu couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing in front of the concession stand clerk.
He bought an extra bucket of chocolate-flavored popcorn and got his ghost a lemon iced tea. There was no fizz, so it was very safe to drink.
Bai Shuangying carefully concealed himself and didn’t cause any “floating-tea scares”. People around could sense someone near Fang Xiu but couldn’t quite focus their attention on that figure.
And so, the two entered the theater without a hitch.
Man and ghost, both wearing 3D glasses, with popcorn in one hand and a drink in the other, took the best seats in the house.
It was a weekday morning, so the place wasn’t crowded. And since the movie was a re-release, the audience was sparse. It was almost like they were watching a private screening.
The film was a cliché disaster romance with a simple plot: pollution leak spawns a mutant monster that razes the city. A man and woman rise to the occasion, build powerful weapons, and slay the beast.
The main storyline wasn’t really about the monster. It was about how the two leads went from enemies to lovers.
Bai Shuangying ate popcorn while watching attentively in an unusually proper position. He didn’t make a sound the whole time, which was more disciplined than most humans.
Fang Xiu slouched lazily, his head leaning on his ghost’s shoulder, eyes angled toward the screen.
He’d seen the film several times before—on a phone, on a computer, but never in a theater.
It was just as he imagined. The giant screen was indeed impressive, and the feeling of watching a movie with a friend was delightful.
His only regret was that Bai Shuangying was too composed. Even during intense 3D destruction scenes, his ghost sat calmly in place, completely unfazed.
Fang Xiu kept glancing at Bai Shuangying’s face, until the latter reached out and turned his head toward the screen.
After the movie, Bai Shuangying reflected, “So it was a story from a foreign land.”
Fang Xiu sucked on his straw. “Yeah, it’s a pretty famous feel-good flick abroad. ‘Feel-good’ means it’s supposed to be uplifting.”
Bai Shuangying looked down. “I didn’t feel uplifted.”
“Huh?”
“The creature only wanted to survive. It destroyed the city because it was too large.” He recalled the plot. “Everyone in the story hated it, but I saw no fault in it. Humans released the toxins first, which created the monster.”
“Because it crushed a lot of people. Humans always see things from their own perspective,” Fang Xiu replied casually.
Bai Shuangying snorted. “It’s clearly a survival conflict, yet they moralize and call the creature ‘inhumane’. Why should an alien species understand humanity?”
Then he suddenly caught himself. Fang Xiu was human; he shouldn’t be so blunt.
He hurriedly grabbed two more popcorn kernels and pretended it was just idle talk.
Fang Xiu responded, “You’re not wrong.”
Bai Shuangying: “?”
“Yes, humans polluted first, and those responsible deserve punishment. But you can’t expect the rest of humanity to just lie down and die because of a few bad apples.”
Fang Xiu stared at the end credits. “And the monster isn’t obligated to make exceptions for innocents either. It’s unrealistic to ask them to distinguish the innocent one by one, just like humans kill entire bug nests after being bitten by a poisonous one, instead of hunting the single culprit.”
“Like you said, it’s just a survival struggle. There is no right or wrong.”
That perspective didn’t seem like a typical human’s. Bai Shuangying thought, ‘Is my human always this understanding?’
Bai Shuangying: “Do you really think ‘a monster destroying the world’ is morally neutral?”
Fang Xiu scratched his head. “Depends on context. I don’t think this counts… it’s just a plot for a movie. If we’re talking about reality, it’s more like ‘humans are destroying the world’.”
So just theoretical. But Fang Xiu wasn’t blindly pro-human, which was a good sign.
“What if there was really an evil spirit that wanted to destroy the world?” Bai Shuangying asked.
Fang Xiu: “We try peaceful solutions first. If that fails, then a fair fight.”
Bai Shuangying hesitated, then pretended to casually ask, “What if I said I wanted to destroy the world?”
Fang Xiu fell silent.
A few seconds later, he said, “Did you see those people going to work at six this morning?”
Bai Shuangying nodded.
Fang Xiu: “I also have to head out at 6AM. I’d guess at least half of those people also want to destroy the world.”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
Fang Xiu sighed: “Even I’ve wished the world would end. People just fantasize. It’s not like they’ll act on it. Unless… can you?”
Bai Shuangying, honest as ever: “No.” Not yet.
Fang Xiu said earnestly, “You’re probably going through something seriously frustrating, and worse, you have no one to vent to, or even if you do, it’s useless. Fantasizing about destroying the world is normal. Even rabbits bite when cornered.”
Bai Shuangying: “…………”
He was speechless. And the worst part? Fang Xiu practically nailed it.
Fang Xiu tugged Bai Shuangying’s sleeve. “See, we’re not like the movies. For unlucky guys like us, destroying the world isn’t the goal. It’s the means!”
Bai Shuangying: “………………The means?”
“Yeah, the means to make you feel better.”
Fang Xiu said firmly, “So if you’re upset, just tell me. Maybe I can help cheer you up. If not, at least saying it out loud might help… Once your mood improves, you won’t need to destroy the world.”
This human’s warped logic is kind of amazing, Bai Shuangying thought. He stared at Fang Xiu’s sincere face, momentarily bewildered.
Finally, he switched topics. “So what was the appeal of the movie? I didn’t get it.”
Fang Xiu didn’t care about the plot, and the tactics in the movie weren’t impressive. Was there a deeper reason he chose it?
Fang Xiu: “To watch the leads fall in love. The romance was well done.”
Bai Shuangying polished off the remaining popcorn in one go and left.
“Hey, wait up—”
……
That afternoon, Bai Shuangying didn’t choose any flashy tourist attractions. Instead, he picked a quiet cat café. It was in a secluded location, and since most young people were at work, they were the only customers.
Bai Shuangying was pleased. Fang Xiu had dragged him to a crowded hotel at noon, and watching humans had worn him out.
This time, it was Fang Xiu’s turn to be shocked.
Everyone knew small animals hated evil spirits. In some regions, black cats and dogs were believed to repel them. But here, the café’s cats all flocked to Bai Shuangying, while Fang Xiu was the one they avoided.
Bai Shuangying sat calmly in a corner, his robe hem weighed down by cats. A few even climbed into his lap, nuzzling his sleeves. One bold tabby leapt onto his shoulder and pawed at his long hair.
The room buzzed with purring.
And Bai Shuangying looked relaxed, not at all cold like he was with humans. He let the cats mess up his robes, and didn’t even get mad when they licked his hair.
Fang Xiu edged closer in disbelief, and several cats moved away warily.
He had too much blood on his hands, and knew his aura was ominous. He’d expected this… but it still felt unfair. Bai Shuangying was a bona fide evil spirit!
Fang Xiu was baffled.
…Was Bai Shuangying catnip incarnate?
He did smell faintly herbal, but catnip wasn’t white, was it?
Fang Xiu cautiously asked, “Are you a cat demon king?”
Everyone knew cats were liquid. Maybe Bai Shuangying’s true form was an illusion.
Bai Shuangying: “I just like animals.”
“Humans are animals too.”
“Animals don’t cause as much trouble as humans.”
“…Fair.”
Fang Xiu crept closer to Bai Shuangying’s side, trying to pet the cats. The tabby hissed at him, but Bai Shuangying picked it up by the scruff and set it down in front of Fang Xiu.
Fang Xiu managed to pet it twice. The cat’s ears flattened into airplane ears and it trembled.
Fang Xiu sighed. “Forget it.”
Killing too many people had its downsides. He accepted it.
So in the end, Bai Shuangying spent the afternoon stroking cat fur, and Fang Xiu stroked Bai Shuangying’s sleeves. Both had a lovely time.
Until night fell.
Before heading to the pedestrian street, Fang Xiu specially bought two bouquets. Not wanting to trouble the florist, he didn’t specify funeral flowers, only requested something subdued and “Mid-Autumn-ish”.
Years had passed, but the street hadn’t changed much.
The electronics store still operated normally. It was right next to the street archway, easily visible upon entry. Beside it, the milk tea shop was still open, selling osmanthus tea.
The store clerk was plump and cheerful, claiming to be the assistant manager. On the photo board inside, there was a picture of Li Shuo.
Li Shuo had the same dyed hair, pulling faces at the camera with a wide grin.
“Can I leave these flowers here?” Fang Xiu pointed at the photo. “He was half a friend. I came to visit him.”
The clerk was surprised. “You knew my master?”
“Your master?”
“Yeah, he trained me years ago. He was really good with his hands. But one year during Mid-Autumn, he just stopped showing up. Couldn’t reach him by phone, no one at his place either. We all knew something happened but never found out what.”
The clerk looked excited. “What happened to Li Ge? Some said he was arrested, others said it was an accident. There were rumors everywhere.”
As expected, with Li Shuo’s family and girlfriend still around, the police wouldn’t publicize the truth.
Fang Xiu pressed his lips together. “He died saving someone.”
The clerk froze. “Then he should be honored as a hero. Why wasn’t it reported?”
Fang Xiu: “It’s complicated. Not really my place to reveal his personal business.”
“Fine. But Li Ge saving someone? Yeah, that sounds like him… Thanks for coming. Mind if I tell my boss? He always worried about this.”
The clerk sighed deeply, accepting the two bouquets.
“I don’t mind.”
The clerk nodded. “Bro, want to take a photo with your friend? Today’s on the house.”
“No need, we already took one.” Fang Xiu waved.
The clerk: “?”
He’d run the shop for years and never seen this guy before.
He was about to ask again, but Fang Xiu had already walked away.
……
At night, the pedestrian street looked just like during the ritual, except the people all had clear faces.
Fang Xiu quickly found the cotton candy stand and bought a big one for Bai Shuangying. He got one for himself too, preparing to watch the fireworks.
Bai Shuangying tried a bite. It was airy, lighter than a spirit soul. Curious, he glanced more at the stand, so Fang Xiu bought him a fruit-flavored one too.
“There’s plenty of money left. If you want anything, just say so.”
Fang Xiu gnawed on grilled squid, gazing at the clear night sky. The Mid-Autumn Festival had passed, but the moon was still full.
“I still have so many things I want to do. Why do we only get one day off?” he muttered.
Bai Shuangying: “Just finish the ritual.”
If Fang Xiu really could unseal him, he’d wait to destroy the world after Fang Xiu died.
Fang Xiu turned to him. “What if I die during the ritual?”
“I’ll keep helping you, you…”
“What if I die. Will you be sad?” Fang Xiu cut in.
Bai Shuangying looked at him. “No.”
He never lied in consideration of human feelings, past or present. More importantly, he knew he couldn’t fool Fang Xiu, a shrewd liar himself.
Fang Xiu smiled brightly. “That’s what I thought. That’s why I think you’re the perfect friend. Thanks for today. I had a great time.”
Bai Shuangying was puzzled. “Don’t humans prefer to be cared about?”
Fang Xiu crossed his index fingers over his chest, making an “X”.
“This is you and me.” He said softly, “I have my goals, you have your obsession. There’s a saying: ‘Humans and ghosts walk separate paths.’ We’re bound to part.”
“Right now, we’re just at the intersection. After we split, how you see me doesn’t really matter. We’ll never meet again, Bai Shuangying.”
Bai Shuangying disliked such absolute statements.
He thought for a moment. “Maybe you’ll return to the world of the living… and die violently. Then you’ll become a vengeful ghost. We could still meet.”
Fang Xiu: “…Thanks, but I don’t think I’ll die violently.”
He curled his crossed fingers. “I’ll tell you a secret. There’s a special thing about the intersection, only humans know it.”
Bai Shuangying silently watched the two fingers.
Fang Xiu smiled. “Two fingers close together, the intersection is warm. It makes people feel safe.”
Maybe Bai Shuangying only followed him for delicious souls, but Fang Xiu didn’t mind. By now, his ghost wasn’t just an observer. It truly felt like they were walking together.
It was a wonderful feeling, and Fang Xiu hated to part with it. If Bai Shuangying were sad about their parting, it’d make things harder.
His ghost being this heartless. It was perfect.
It was like writing a farewell letter in advance. One he’d never see a reply to. So he could write all his secrets, regrets, and wishes freely.
Bai Shuangying said nothing, and the fireworks never bloomed in the sky.
The cotton candy vendor finally couldn’t hold back. “Young man, waiting for fireworks? There won’t be any this year.”
Fang Xiu was shocked. “Why…?!”
Vendor: “Fire safety concerns.There’s nothing we can do.”
Fang Xiu looked utterly dejected. He’d waited over an hour for this!
As it got late, he bought two last cotton candies. As usual, he handed the first to Bai Shuangying,but his ghost didn’t take it.
Bai Shuangying still couldn’t fully grasp what Fang Xiu meant by “feeling safe”, but he’d been thinking hard.
He used to know Fang Xiu was an underworld assassin, targeting only the bloodstained living. He killed for gain, but generously shared living souls with Bai Shuangying.
Now, he knew Fang Xiu would share anything. This human just wanted them to enjoy their time together, until the end.
That felt far better than responding to worship.
His human asked for nothing in return, no offerings, no debts. He took the initiative to help Fang Xiu, and Fang Xiu happily thanked him. He did nothing, and Fang Xiu still wouldn’t resent him.
Why couldn’t other humans be like this? Bai Shuangying couldn’t figure it out, and didn’t want to.
But if only he was satisfied, it couldn’t be considered “getting along happily”.
He drew out his Peach Bone Evil. The streetlights gave the pale object a golden hue.
He stood behind Fang Xiu, and with the branch in his left hand, grasped Fang Xiu’s left hand. Bai Shuangying gently channeled Fang Xiu’s “spark”, and pointed toward the sky…
Crimson fireworks instantly burst across the sky, dazzling and brilliant, more beautiful than anything seen in the ritual.
The street buzzed with astonishment. Bai Shuangying sensed the stir among the Underworld enforcers, but didn’t care.
Let them punish him. He never cared about the Underworld’s approval.
Fang Xiu’s breath hitched, then quickened. He clutched Bai Shuangying’s sleeve so tightly that it hurt a little.
That should be enough, Bai Shuangying thought.
“This won’t do,” Fang Xiu said.
He turned, gaze burning into Bai Shuangying. “After today, I’ll want even more.”
The author has something to say:
So they ended up on a date for a whole chapter and a half (……
After everyone finished breakfast, the paper figure inserted a thick, blood-red incense stick into the censer in the center of the courtyard.
The incense gave off a strong woody fragrance that made people feel slightly dizzy. Smoke curled up in thin wisps, forming a misty doorway in the air.
The paper figure waved its hand dejectedly, and the door swung open, revealing a storeroom inside.
Although called a “storeroom”, it actually resembled a museum in an old building.
There were no windows, only four walls painted in vermillion. Neatly arranged gilded copper lamps hung on the walls, and every few steps there was a tall standing copper lamp, bathing the entire space in flickering warm light.
All sorts of magic weapons were placed on separate stone pedestals, lined up in rows that extended far into the distance. Next to each magic weapon was a handwritten note in brush calligraphy, which was clearly visible.
Fang Xiu glanced around. The Underworld certainly had its own cunning ways… These implements only came with a description of their abilities, with no ratings given.
“Hey, this is nice.” The first thing Blondie took a fancy to S a painting of an imperial concubine.
The woman in the painting had eyes like silk, utterly bewitching. According to the description, it was somewhat like the “Mirror of Lust*”, which could offer a perfect yet illusory land of tender pleasure.
*This comes from the novel “Dream of the Red Chamber” where the character Jia Rui fell ill and bought a mirror from a Taoist priest. Looking into the mirror revealed his desire for his cousin’s wife and so he jumped into it to have sex with her. After doing this several times, he eventually got trapped inside the mirror and perished.
Fang Xiu just thought this thing was as useless as a scrap of paper. The woman in the painting wasn’t even as beautiful as his ghost.
Blondie turned to the paper figure. “You said that the treasures will bind to us absolutely. If we survive the sacrificial ritual, can we take them out with us?”
The paper figure was speechless. “When I said complete binding, obviously you can take them away.”
“But because they’re fully bound, only you can use them. They can’t be given to anyone else. And once you die, the Underworld will send someone to retrieve them.”
Blondie clicked his tongue and took that painting of the lady down from the wall. “Then I’ll take this one.”
Inside the painting, the woman spun around with a flowery smile.
Everyone else: “…?”
Seriously? This thing was visibly useless.
Blondie chuckled sleazily. “Heh, if I pick a weapon or armor, it won’t be much use once I’m home. Might as well pick something I can enjoy for the rest of my life, like a genuine female immortal. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The paper figure took the scroll and asked Blondie to drip a drop of his blood onto it. At once, the painting flashed red, then flew into Blondie’s hands as if it were affectionate.
Blondie stood there grinning foolishly. “I’m done. You guys hurry up, too.”
Jia Xu cleared his throat and turned to Fang Xiu with a “let’s break the ice” sort of posture. “Is it really okay for him to choose that?”
He didn’t lower his voice, so Blondie could hear him plainly.
Fang Xiu didn’t even look up. “What’s there to let or not let? He chose it himself. It’s none of my business.”
Jia Xu: “But the team’s combat strength needs to be maintained…”
Fang Xiu turned to Blondie. “Du Zhichao, what’s your father’s name?”
Blondie was caught off guard. “Huh? My dad’s name is Du Baocai.”
…That was the same name as the drug dealer who ran over Guan He’s younger brother. Guan He’s whole body trembled.
He was about to say something, but Fang Xiu pressed a hand on his shoulder and looked at Jia Xu nonchalantly. “See? His father’s not named Fang Xiu. Everyone chooses their own path. I have no standing to educate him.”
With that, he ignored Jia Xu’s reaction and pushed Guan He away.
Guan He’s eyes were slightly red, and he forced himself to hold back his emotions. “Fang Ge, what exactly is going on?”
“I was curious about the criteria for grouping the sacrifices. Mai Zi and Lao Mian ended up together, and Lao Jin’s group got lumped together as well. It’s unlikely to be coincidence.”
“So I guessed there must be some karmic link among us too. That hit-and-run driver’s last name was Du. Blondie happens to have the last name Du as well, so I asked.”
Facing Guan He, Fang Xiu said patiently, “Listen, Guan He… Du Baocai was executed by firing squad a long time ago. Your number one priority is surviving and getting out. Don’t provoke Blondie.”
Guan He took several deep breaths. “…Got it.”
Fang Xiu was right. The criminal back then had already been executed. The sacrificial ritual was now the main concern. He absolutely couldn’t let reckless revenge get in the way.
Guan He clenched his teeth, then continued looking for a suitable implement. He didn’t look in Blondie’s direction again.
To Fang Xiu’s surprise, the second person to pick out a magic weapon was Cheng Songyun.
She chose a string of sandalwood prayer beads. It contained a total of 108 beads, which could calm the mind and ward off illusions.
Fang Xiu silently praised her for genuinely using her brain.
For most people, these beads would be pretty useless, just a superstitious calming charm.
But Cheng Songyun’s strongest ability was summoning a vengeful ghost shield. The price for using it was suffering hallucinations. With this item, the ghost shield became much more practical.
Cheng Songyun nodded slightly toward Fang Xiu and accepted the beads.
Shortly after, Mei Lan chose a bamboo “Nectar Bowl”.
The bowl was only about the size of a teacup yet always filled with water inside. She could either keep it sealed or pour it out at will. The water could purify curses, which was highly compatible with her “Underwater Stealth” technique.
Guan He was overwhelmed by the choices and decisively asked Fang Xiu for help.
Fang Xiu helped him select a piece called “Black-Eye Veil”. If you covered your eyes with it, you could invite your ghost to possess you, allowing human and ghost to fuse as one.
Before this, the fearsome ghosts just possessed people in a simple sense; any ghostly spells had to be cast by the ghosts themselves. It was like a person riding a horse: The person is a person, the horse is a horse; you can cooperate, but you each have your own will.
Human-ghost integration was like person and horse merging into a centaur.
That way, Guan He could freely use the power of his child ghost without having to spend time communicating with it.
“This way, you won’t easily attract other ghosts, you can pass through walls, and you can also use the ‘Five Ghosts Relocation’ technique,” Fang Xiu explained carefully. “If we use a game analogy, you’ll be the perfect rogue class. Add on the Five-Emperors Coins and Jade Buddha, and you’ll be very safe.”
Guan He felt grateful but also a bit concerned.
Fang Xiu’s specialty was also stealth. They might end up overlapping roles. Guan He didn’t want Fang Xiu to sacrifice the team’s overall balance just for his safety.
So he asked, “But Fang Ge, aren’t you also a rogue? Actually, I’m in great shape, so I can fight on the front lines if…”
Fang Xiu cut him off. “I’m a DPS.”
Guan He: “?”
Fang Xiu repeated firmly, “I’m a DPS. Any problem with that?”
Guan He dropped the matter.
Maybe Fang Xiu had his eye on a weapon with very high destructive power, Guan He thought uncertainly.
Several hours passed, and only Fang Xiu and Jia Xu still hadn’t made a choice.
Blondie, hugging his treasured scroll, had yawned at least a hundred times. “Are you two done yet? I finished in under three minutes.”
Jia Xu had his eye on a flamboyant set of “Ghost-Summoning Flags” and a small bone die, and he kept wavering between the two, sweating anxiously.
Fang Xiu, meanwhile, strolled around at a leisurely pace, his expression unreadable. He calmly passed by all sorts of bizarre implements, stopping occasionally to read their descriptions. Those nearby could see Bai Shuangying quietly floating behind him, but they couldn’t hear his succinct commentary.
“Trash, trash, trash… Acceptable.”
Whenever he said “acceptable,” Fang Xiu would stop to take a closer look.
Considering Fang Xiu’s safety, Bai Shuangying especially paid attention to armor or similar items. Unfortunately, all of them were large and heavy, and Fang Xiu’s build couldn’t handle wearing them.
The same went for weapons. The best one here was a demon-slaying long spear, but it weighed a solid thirty-six jin*. At that point, who’d be swinging whom was anyone’s guess.
*About 48 lbs
Bai Shuangying had never felt so exasperated.
He kept his eyes on their surroundings, mechanically muttering “trash” or “acceptable”. Suddenly, he realized Fang Xiu hadn’t moved for a while.
Fang Xiu stood in front of a peach branch.
It was about the length of a short sword. The branch was as pale as bone, with no leaves. On its tip bloomed snow-white peach blossoms.
Peach Bone Evil, a ghost weapon. It could amplify the power of Yin energy and ghost spells, usable only by evil spirits.
Bai Shuangying said, “This is indeed quite good, but you can’t use it.”
While he was speaking, Fang Xiu picked up the peach branch of his own accord. It was very light and felt cold to the touch. The peach blossoms on top quivered slightly but didn’t shed any petals.
Though it looked pretty, the instant Fang Xiu took it in his hand, a wave of discomfort surged inside him. It felt as if his internal organs were sinking heavily, like he’d swallowed a stomachful of ice.
It truly was an ill-omened object meant only for evil spirits.
“I’ll take this,” Fang Xiu said. “We shared in defeating the Mid-Autumn E, so we should share the spoils equally. This thing is perfect for you. It’d be a crime not to take it.”
Bai Shuangying: “I don’t need it.”
“But you need something to protect yourself. If I want some magic weapon for myself, I can always grab one by force,” Fang Xiu said.
“But the items here can be taken back to the human world,” Bai Shuangying pointed out. He understood that Fang Xiu would want a tool that could be used both in the ritual and after returning to the mortal realm.
Fang Xiu didn’t listen at all. Holding the peach branch, he ran toward the entrance, imitating Bai Shuangying’s way of speaking. “I don’t need it!”
If Bai Shuangying were familiar with human society, he would’ve realized Fang Xiu’s behavior was like insisting on paying the bill after a meal.
Unfortunately, Bai Shuangying had never really mingled in the human world; his mind was already racing elsewhere…
On second thought, this was actually not a bad idea.
Peach Bone Evil was indeed powerful, and he could wield it. If he struck carefully, he wouldn’t alarm the Underworld too much.
…Which also meant he could protect Fang Xiu more effectively.
When Fang Xiu went to register his item with the paper figure, he ran into Jia Xu.
Fang Xiu was a bit surprised. Judging by Jia Xu’s personality, he’d assumed Jia Xu would pick the Ghost Summoning Flags, but he’d chosen that unremarkable-looking bone die instead.
Jia Xu looked quite pleased, as if he’d finally figured something out. Remembering the die’s ability, Fang Xiu sighed inwardly.
Jia Xu was definitely going to regret it, Fang Xiu thought.
Throughout the registration, the paper figure was calm, until it saw Fang Xiu approaching with the peach branch. It nearly had a breakdown. “You-You’re choosing that one? Th-that’s for evil spirits… Let me help you pick something else…”
Fang Xiu: “Can it form a contract with me?”
“You do have a bound evil spirit, so yes, but but but…”
Fang Xiu: “I get it. This is a valuable item.”
The paper figure said nothing.
Fang Xiu smiled and rubbed salt in the wound. “I’ll take this. I’m not switching. By the way, that earlier accident was your fault, right? Now that we’re taking away these magic weapons, your ‘Big Sis’ won’t make you foot the bill or anything?”
The paper figure’s eyes brimmed with tears. It sobbed quietly as it performed the blood-bond ritual for Fang Xiu.
“Wuwu, I’m going to have to work for free for five hundred years…” As they left the storeroom, Fang Xiu could still hear the paper figure wailing.
……
It was the last day of vacation, a day to visit the human world!
The paper figure repeatedly warned them not to talk about the sacrificial ritual. Ghost officers were watching in secret. Anyone who leaked the information would have the listeners’ memories erased, and the leaker would be severely punished.
Then the paper figure handed each person a cellphone and 10,000 yuan in spending money.
Everyone had something they wanted to do with this rare day in the human world. They decided to split up and make the most of it.
The moment Fang Xiu saw the blue sky, he sniffled. “This is wonderful…”
It was six in the morning, and the breakfast stalls along the street had all opened. Smelling the aroma of fried pastries and egg-stuffed pancakes, Fang Xiu felt so emotional he nearly cried.
He’d deliberately skipped breakfast, planning to eat five meals today—hot pot, barbecue, stir-fries, desserts, everything.
Then he and Bai Shuangying could watch a movie and maybe tour the entire city. The amusement park and aquarium were both good options, or they could check out some local exhibits. By evening, he wanted to take Bai Shuangying to a real pedestrian street. Bai Shuangying had been curious about cotton candy before, and now his ghost could genuinely eat it…
Fang Xiu just wished there was 72 hours in a day.
He wiped his face twice and continued to soak in the view. Rows of leafy trees lined both sides of the street; some leaves had already turned golden. Steam rose lazily around the breakfast stalls, their scents mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus flowers.
Seeing all the people coming and going, Fang Xiu pinched his arm, still feeling as if he were in a dream.
…The world of the living really was amazing.
Fang Xiu’s eyes grew a bit misty, and he blinked repeatedly to hold back tears.
Bai Shuangying’s attention, on the other hand, was elsewhere.
He’d gotten somewhat used to the style of that small pedestrian street from before, but everything before him now was wholly unfamiliar.
He saw no horses or wooden carts on the road; only a bunch of strange metal boxes zipping around. There were screens flashing everywhere, and the sunlight gleamed off towering skyscrapers with reflective glass walls, making him a bit dizzy.
An airplane roared across the sky, and Bai Shuangying looked up, staring intently at that iron “bird”. It was yet another thing he didn’t recognize. Centuries had passed, and the world had turned upside down.
So this was Fang Xiu’s world. Bai Shuangying thought he might understand Fang Xiu, but clearly there was much more he didn’t know.
This was troublesome, Bai Shuangying thought.
…In reality, Bai Shuangying rarely bothered to learn much of anything, nor did he like to think.
He was born with a natural grasp of heavenly laws, so there was no need for special study.
He also remembered human legends and tales, but to him, they were merely drifting sand across a timeless span of years. He knew them, but didn’t truly understand them.
But why would he ever need to understand humans?
To Bai Shuangying, humans were but ephemeral insects, their lives gone in a blink. Not just humans, even the gods above might be replaced after he daydreamed for a while.
All things were fleeting; thought or inquiry had no true meaning.
So, regarding the world around him, his usual attitude was “indifferent”.
If someone wished to speak with him, he’d do so if he felt like it. If no one bothered him, he’d just stare blankly. And if anyone dared to hurt him, he would simply destroy them.
Before the “sealing incident”, that was how he lived, plain and simple.
…Now the downside of not thinking much was catching up to him.
In order to break his seal, he had to “understand Fang Xiu” before the eight sacrificial rituals were over.
The great Bai Shangshen, who had daydreamed away most of his existence and still had a 90% brand-new brain, had no choice but to work at full capacity analyzing this human.
Fang Xiu didn’t notice the lag in his ghost’s thoughts.
Overjoyed, he directly grabbed Bai Shuangying by the wrist.
“We have a whole day!” His voice rose with excitement. “Let’s go! I’ll treat you to some earthly foods. Eating some junk food once in a while should be fine, right?”
Bai Shuangying: “Mm.”
“Then afterwards I’ll look up some nearby attractions. You can pick whichever ones interest you the most…”
“Fang Xiu.”
“Hmm?”
“You know, the Underworld doesn’t forbid normal contact. You can get in touch with your human friends.”
He hoped to use that to learn about Fang Xiu’s social connections and piece together Fang Xiu’s past.
Fang Xiu gave a slightly sheepish smile. “I don’t really have any friends…”
Realizing how depressing that sounded, he quickly added, “I mean, there are people I can call, but I don’t want to bother them. Today, let’s just hang out by ourselves. With you around, that’s more than enough.”
Bai Shuangying couldn’t think of a response to that.
Excellent. He already wasn’t great at understanding human hearts, and now here was someone whose feelings might be more complex than he had imagined.
Bai Shuangying sighed. “Is there anything in particular you really want to do?”
“How about a movie this morning, then that big pedestrian street tonight. You can decide what we do in the afternoon, okay?” Fang Xiu lit up instantly.
“A movie?”
“Think of it like a moving photograph, or a super realistic stage performance,” Fang Xiu explained excitedly. “We’ll watch it in 3D on a giant screen. It’s very immersive.”
Bai Shuangying had at least heard of stage dramas. He considered for a moment, then asked, “What story does it tell?”
Fang Xiu showed him the phone. “There’s a good disaster movie playing now. Basically an evil monster arrives and wipes out humanity.”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
The “evil monster” that was about to destroy the human world Bai Shuangying: “?”
If not for the ugly giant beast on the poster, he might have suspected Fang Xiu was probing him.
“You enjoy watching the world get destroyed?” Bai Shuangying asked, surprised.
Fang Xiu scratched his head. “Not exactly. I just enjoy the overall vibe. You’ll understand once you see it.”
“…All right.”
And thus began the event that would later become famous throughout the Underworld: their “first date”.
The author has something to say:
What’s going on, it only got to the part where they just started dating. Come on, isn’t this whole sequence basically just a date? (…
They’re probably going on another date tomorrow too. Date, date like there’s no tomorrow (.
God Bai be like:
Congratulations on memorizing the human multiplication table. Now you can go prove the Riemann Hypothesis…
A single stone cast could stir up a thousand ripples. In the small courtyard, the atmosphere grew tense in an instant.
Having “teammates who were just some unlucky strangers from all over the country” was one thing but having “teammates who were murderers” was on a whole other level.
This time, even the usually chatty Jia Xu didn’t retort…
The fact that the Mid-Autumn E “cleanses evil people using taboos” was laid bare before them, and all the teams they had met along the way acted so human-like. It would be suspicious to keep denying it under these circumstances.
Fang Xiu toyed with the hem of his own ghost’s sleeve, appearing at ease. “When I was nine, I accidentally knocked someone off a cliff and also caused my grandma to die of anger. That means I’ve got two lives on my back, right?”
“Xiao Guan already confessed the life he owes. He ran a red light with his younger brother, causing his younger brother to die in a car accident.”
Hearing that even a “cause of death” like that counted, the tension in the courtyard eased just a little. Jia Xu clearly relaxed; Blondie clicked his tongue twice, while Mei Lan lowered her head deeply.
Peering through his slightly long bangs, Fang Xiu carefully scanned the courtyard.
After a brief silence, Cheng Songyun slowly took a breath. “Fine, I’ll spill too.”
“I couldn’t stand my husband and wanted to teach him a lesson. I found a way to make him fall down the stairs, but he ended up dying from the fall.”
Her gaze fell to the edge of the table, her vocal cords strained by remorse.
Fang Xiu could see that Cheng Songyun still harbored guilt over it.
Next to speak was Mei Lan, her eyes somewhat red. “I messed around with the family car and broke the brakes. It caused my parents to both… to both get into an accident.”
After saying this, she bowed her head again, wringing her hands anxiously.
Blondie swallowed the last bite of his fried dough stick, looking like he was just chiming in for fun. “As for me, back in my village, I got into a big brawl and ended up beating someone to death.”
Fang Xiu was curious. “The police didn’t catch you?”
“We were only eleven or twelve at the time, and besides, a bunch of people were fighting. No one knew it was me who delivered the lethal blow. In the end, each family threw in some money, and that was that.” Blondie sounded totally unconcerned.
The group fell silent for a while, all eyes drifting to Jia Xu.
As the last to confess, Jia Xu swept his gaze around. He looked rather regretful. “My ex-girlfriend killed herself because of me, and the Underworld probably pinned that on me.”
Mei Lan frowned. “What do you mean ‘killed herself because of you’?”
“Don’t get the wrong idea. I didn’t do anything to her.”
Jia Xu quickly raised both hands in defense. “We broke up on normal terms, but she refused to accept it. She already had depression, so this is basically a misfortune for me, okay?”
Fang Xiu said nothing, merely squinting at Jia Xu with a smile. Under the pressure of that smile, Jia Xu finally felt uneasy and reluctantly added, “Fine, I’ll admit it… I did say some pretty harsh things at the time.”
“But I had no choice. You guys don’t know how much money she tried to get from me. I was struggling too.”
Blondie: “Got it. A sugar daddy wanted out, so she went with the whole crying, fighting, threatening to hang herself routine?”
Jia Xu didn’t deny it. He simply changed the subject. “No wonder we ended up in the same team. Looks like we’re all under the category of ‘accidental homicide’.”
Fang Xiu paused fiddling with his sleeve. “Makes sense.”
…Or not, Fang Xiu thought to himself.
Setting aside everyone else, Fang Xiu’s crime was definitely not an “accidental homicide”.
He himself hadn’t told the truth, so others might not have told the whole truth either. Observing them in turn, Fang Xiu had a decent guess: aside from Guan He and Cheng Songyun, the other three more or less were hiding something.
Best to leave it at that for now. There was plenty of time in the future.
Fang Xiu stood up. “I’m going back to get a good night’s sleep. If the sky falls, don’t bother me.”
Bai Shuangying initially assumed Fang Xiu was just making excuses; unexpectedly, the guy really did go back to shower and then slept like the dead. He skipped both lunch and dinner, and still hadn’t woken up when the sun went down, clearly planning to sleep straight into the next day.
Sure, he was low on energy after that ritual, but this was excessive!
Bai Shuangying, lying around on the ceiling, had a brand-new understanding of how delicate this person could be.
He had to admit that after baring it all that one time, Fang Xiu slept much more unrestrainedly.
He was sprawled on the bed at an odd angle, half the blanket tangled around his legs. His oversized red T-shirt had ridden up at the hem, revealing an abdomen covered in knife scars.
His messy bangs had fallen aside, exposing an innocent-looking face. Watching him, Bai Shuangying couldn’t help recalling his concerns about the seal…
Last time the seal loosened, Fang Xiu desperately craved a friend’s companionship, and Bai Shuangying had touched Fang Xiu’s head.
In the past few days, he’d been staying by Fang Xiu’s side as a “friend”, and he had patted Fang Xiu’s head many times, yet the seal never budged.
He thought perhaps the physical contact wasn’t the issue; the problem might lie in the notion of “friend”.
Bai Shuangying had never had a friend before. He had no clue where it all went wrong. Hence, when the Mid-Autumn E was broken, he deliberately went over to observe.
That E had a lot to do with the concept of “friend”, so surely he could learn something. But after a good look, he only felt even more perplexed.
Li Shuo and Lin Ge barely had anything in common. They didn’t spend all day glued to each other, nor did they keep in constant correspondence. All they did was share a meal on Mid-Autumn Festival, which was less intimate than what he and Fang Xiu had.
…Could a “real friend” require dying together?
Bai Shuangying did recall that saying, “May we die on the same year, same month, and same day*.” But Fang Xiu didn’t seem to want to drag him into death together. Whenever something happened, Fang Xiu was always the first to charge forward.
*This line is from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where Liu Bie, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei became sworn brothers.
…Or maybe the seal’s loosening was due to some other factor?
Bai Shuangying had never encountered such a troublesome case. He continued staring down at Fang Xiu’s face, as if trying to extract answers from the person’s flesh. But in his heart, he knew that as a complete novice in the metaphysics, Fang Xiu was probably even more confused than he was.
Under Bai Shuangying’s scrutiny, Fang Xiu murmured in his sleep, “Lamb skewers… grilled cold noodles… Bai Shuangying, you should have some too…”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
He suddenly had a bizarre thought.
Li Shuo and Lin Ge always had a Mid-Autumn meal together. Fang Xiu liked to prepare food for him. Could it be that Fang Xiu really just wanted “to eat with a friend”?
This is someone who would con a ghost immortal for a bit of interest; could his wish be that simple?
Crack.
An invisible chain snapped in response. This time, eight entire chains broke at once.
Bai Shuangying: “???”
Eight chains? Eight chains…!
Shocked, Bai Shuangying nearly fell off the ceiling.
He quickly clutched his collar, counting again and again. There was no mistake; exactly eight of them.
So his previous assumptions were wrong. The key to unsealing wasn’t about “acting like a friend in Fang Xiu’s presence” or “earning Fang Xiu’s approval as a friend”.
After all, this time he hadn’t even touched Fang Xiu. Fang Xiu himself was sound asleep, clueless about any external changes.
But the root cause of the unsealing still seemed to lie in Fang Xiu somehow.
Given the momentum, Bai Shuangying tried while the iron was hot. He floated off the ceiling and reached down to pat Fang Xiu’s head. He patted gently, then firmly, several times, but no more chains snapped.
Worse yet, Fang Xiu clutched at his sleeve, hugging it tightly in his sleep. “Cold noodles…”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
Bai Shuangying tugged at his sleeve but couldn’t free it.
Then Bai Shuangying made a huge mistake. He reverted to his true form and tried to flow out of Fang Xiu’s grip. But the moment his form changed, Fang Xiu felt the shift in texture, instinctively tightening his hold and hugging him with all four limbs.
Now Bai Shuangying had become a proper body pillow, locked in Fang Xiu’s arms. Fang Xiu even absentmindedly bit a piece of his true form, nibbling lightly with his teeth, seemingly quite pleased with the “taste”.
Bai Shuangying: “……”
Isn’t this guy supposed to be a light sleeper? For a moment, Bai Shuangying considered turning back into human form.
But then he remembered those eight broken chains.
It would be better to stay as he was. He shouldn’t use force or dwell on this disrespect. Let’s just consider it a reward for unlocking more of the seal, Bai Shuangying thought with an inward sigh, ceasing his struggles.
The bed was nice and soft, Fang Xiu’s body warm. Overall, it wasn’t the worst feeling.
……
Fang Xiu slept wonderfully.
Before sleeping, he’d been thinking about heading out and had compiled a list of foods he wanted to eat. So, sure enough, he dreamed about a bustling food street.
In that dream, Fang Xiu ate to his heart’s content.
He loved glutinous rice dumplings best: they were cold and soft, with a unique texture. But no matter how he bit down, he couldn’t tear off a piece. His jaw started to feel a bit sore.
In a daze, Fang Xiu rolled over, tugging at his blanket.
Hmm, did the Underworld upgrade his bedding? The blanket was as light as goose down, silky as water, just like Bai Shuangying’s true form…
Fang Xiu: “……”
Wait, that texture was a little too similar. With trepidation he opened his eyes.
Sure enough, the thing covering him wasn’t a blanket but a certain liquified ghost.
Bai Shuangying, still in his true form, lay there in a defeated sprawl. Amid those swirling, shifting blotches of color, the single crimson mole stood out starkly.
Noticing Fang Xiu was awake, that mole inched closer, holding countless unspoken words in its silence.
Fang Xiu slowly spat out the part of the “blanket” he was biting, forced to learn the true ingredients of his “glutinous rice dumpling”.
The patch of Bai Shuangying’s body he’d been chewing on was now warm from his breath…
Luckily, Bai Shuangying didn’t immediately revert to human shape. He slowly oozed back up to the ceiling before taking on his human form.
One corner of his sleeve was crumpled and slightly damp.
Fang Xiu blushed a bit: “……”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
Fang Xiu rubbed his face, acting as though nothing had happened. “Good morning.”
Bai Shuangying: “…Mm.”
He didn’t seem inclined to pursue the matter any further. What a relief.
Then again, Bai Shuangying had been on the ceiling, out of reach, so obviously he had approached first so they were equally responsible!
Cheered by this reasoning, Fang Xiu jumped out of bed and did his usual inventory.
His jade Buddha amulet was still intact; the meal card unscathed; the small token and bagua mirror weren’t too useful and could be turned into meal card points.
He’d previously turned the Five-Emperor coins from Yan Jing into a longevity lock for Guan He with Bai Shuangying’s help. Lao Jin’s coin had been destroyed. Now the ones he carried belonged to Da Shun and Ma Zi.
Fang Xiu gave his Comrade Bai a hopeful look.
With no real emotion, Bai Shuangying explained, “The Five-Emperor coins bind themselves to their master. But since you brought them back to the Tower, you can ask the paper figure to cleanse them for you.”
“They only confuse weaker evil spirits and can only partially control them. Best used for self-defense.”
Fang Xiu jiggled the coins. “Seems like I don’t really need them.”
Might as well give them to Cheng Songyun and Guan He. At least those two had been honest in confessing their sins.
Bai Shuangying frowned slightly. “Keeping them could still be useful. Why not hold on to them?”
Fang Xiu: “Because I have you. Your stealth is pretty incredible.”
Bai Shuangying stopped frowning. “True… They’re not all that useful.”
Fang Xiu couldn’t help but chuckle. Then he took out two final items of “loot”: a small, bloodstained whistle and a Polaroid photo that might as well be a cursed object.
One was Bai Shuangying’s first gift to him, the other was a memento from their first shopping trip.
Technically, he could have used the whistle or the token to summon evil spirits when he was fooling Lao Jin, but he couldn’t bring himself to use the whistle. Bai Shuangying had personally given it to him.
In the end, Fang Xiu propped up the photo with the whistle, placing them on the little altar table near the room’s door.
Right beside that paper flower from the temple fair.
While he’d been asleep, the flower vase had been swapped from a soda bottle to a white porcelain one they’d picked out together, which really classed it up.
Fang Xiu carefully adjusted the angle of the photo. Though it looked scary on closer inspection, at a quick glance it had a certain warmth.
Nice, Fang Xiu thought.
After watching for a bit, Bai Shuangying leaned over and adjusted the paper flower a fraction, letting it tilt toward the photo.
Yes, that looked better, Bai Shuangying thought.
……
That morning, the paper figure didn’t come knocking. Around breakfast time, Fang Xiu stepped out with Bai Shuangying.
No sooner had they emerged than they saw the paper figure in the courtyard. Its entire body was creased, the paint on its face had run from crying making it look extremely fragile, as if even a slight breeze could blow it away.
Seeing Fang Xiu, the paper figure trembled and gave him a bow.
“I-I wronged you. I was the one who tampered with the Mid-Autumn ritual… sorry, so sorry.”
It seemed its boss, big sister, had punished it severely, considering its upright attitude.
Fang Xiu pondered for a few seconds, then smiled. “Your boss and I have already discussed compensation, and you’ve been punished. Since you’ve apologized, let’s call it even.”
Overjoyed, the paper figure bobbed its head frantically. “Er, I-I see now that my judgment was poor, and you truly have a kind heart!”
It had expected Fang Xiu would give it a hard time, given his cunning nature. Who would’ve thought he’d be so magnanimous?
If Fang Xiu was willing to forgive, Lady A’Shou probably wouldn’t punish it further… thinking back on being crumpled into a ball and kicked around at dawn, the paper figure felt like crying all over again.
Fang Xiu beamed. “No need to be so formal. Anyway, about my reward for dealing with the Mid-Autumn E, is it ready?”
The paper figure straightened, leaping onto the incense burner. “The Mid-Autumn E is dispelled. The one who dispelled it shall receive extra rewards—”
“It was dispelled by Fang Xiu, and we have a substantial prize—”
That said, it ignored the other people’s reactions and returned to Fang Xiu. “Which anomaly would you like to pick? If you’re not sure, I can explain them all…”
“I want Li Shuo’s fire-starting ability,” Fang Xiu declared.
Remembering what happened with the Weishan E, the paper figure was more composed this time. “Well… please think carefully.”
“Li Shuo controlled flames expertly because of his entanglement with the Mid-Autumn E. If you take that power now, at most you’ll only be able to produce fire for light or ignition. It won’t be enough to harm evil spirits.”
Guan He had learned his lesson and kept quiet.
But Blondie couldn’t help speaking up. “Exactly, exactly. If you want to light a fire, just buy a lighter. Right?”
Having learned from the last ritual, Jia Xu didn’t openly butt heads with Fang Xiu. He turned to Mei Lan instead. “I feel that ‘imprisoning evil spirits’ or ‘forcing them to fight each other’ would be more practical than conjuring fire.”
Mei Lan quietly turned away, carrying her bowl a bit farther.
“It’s enough if I can produce a flame. I just think it’s really cool,” Fang Xiu replied with perfect seriousness.
The paper figure didn’t ask him to wait this time. Clearly, it had long prepared a thorough plan.
Its finger tapped Fang Xiu’s left arm again, leaving a crimson Li trigram symbol. Like the previous Kan trigram, it sank into Fang Xiu’s skin after a few seconds.
When bestowing the power, the paper figure explained in detail, “The Mid-Autumn E is of the fire element. All you have to do is picture a flame in your mind, and you can summon ‘ghostfire’. It can ignite from thin air and won’t go out when doused with water… but be careful… If you’re too close, you can still get burned.”
“And just like your other ability, this skill will vanish once the rituals are over.”
Fang Xiu spread out his right hand, imagining a Mid-Autumn firework.
Instantly, a tiny flame flickered in his palm. It popped in the air like a firework, scattering countless sparks of scarlet light.
“It’s pretty much what I had in mind… This is so cool.” Fang Xiu lowered his hand, satisfied.
The paper doll forced a bitter smile. “As long as you’re happy.”
“By the way, your Qiankun Pouch is in production. We’ll hand it over to you before the next ritual begins,” the paper figure added.
With everything nicely arranged, Fang Xiu didn’t have anything else to say.
The paper figure then moved back to the incense burner, announcing loudly as usual, “Congratulations to everyone! The second ritual is now over, so please rest at your leisure!”
“After breakfast, we’ll open up the treasure vault for you all. Each person may pick out one ideal magic weapon. That weapon will be fully bound to you, and no one else can steal it!”
Hearing mention of magic weapons, everyone’s spirits lifted. Fang Xiu sat down at the table, happily enjoying his meal.
Jia Xu helped himself to a bowl of shrimp wontons, sneaking glances at Fang Xiu. He noticed Fang Xiu wasn’t taking any special measures against him, as if yesterday’s unpleasantness were forgotten.
Fang Xiu was indeed shrewd enough to know it was best not to divide the team. But at the same time, Fang Xiu seemed less inclined to conceal his own capabilities, not at all letting Jia Xu take the leader’s seat.
That wouldn’t do.
Jia Xu was fully aware of how important leadership was. If he was marginalized, he’d end up as some grunt. And once he was stuck doing errands, he’d be forced onto the front lines, facing the greatest danger directly.
He’d hustled for years to get where he was and lucked into a big break, finally achieving his current social status. He couldn’t let a woman bring him down. Otherwise, his life’s efforts would be a laughingstock.
But he’d put in almost no effort in the first two rituals and still got through them safely, even receiving compensation from the Underworld.
Lady Luck was clearly on his side, Jia Xu thought.
He simply hadn’t done his best in the first two rituals. Next time, he would show his true skills and reassert himself as the team’s leader.
At another table.
“What are you thinking about?”
Bai Shuangying, having just broken eight chains, found Fang Xiu even more intriguing.
“I’m thinking that the Mid-Autumn Festival is just over, which makes it perfect timing for something.” Fang Xiu’s mouth was stuffed with flatbread, so his words were a bit muffled.
“This season is ideal for pruning. Some branches grow too crooked and will only hinder the plant’s growth.”
The author has something to say:
Next chapter: a date!!!
No wonder it’s a three-day break; it really feels like they’ve had a long time to relax. Also, with the six-person team lasting this long, it’s about time for some casualties (……
Current Xiao Fang: My own ghost tastes so good, nom nom.
Future Xiao Fang: My own ghost tastes so good, smooch smooch.
Kinky Translations 