Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 52: Emergency Exit

In the time that followed, Fang Xiu had no choice but to give his ghost a crash course on modern apps.

After spending a day in the human world, Bai Shuangying caught on quickly. He believed “apps” were illusions crafted by humans using programming techniques and required a screen to manifest.

Illusions created by evil spirits consumed yin energy while those created by humans consumed electricity. Both aimed to captivate the human mind. The difference wasn’t all that great.

Fang Xiu was silent for a long while, unable to find a single point to refute.

“Not a bad spell, but the name is too peculiar.” Bai Shuangying commented, “The phone’s too small, and the illusions here are too strong. At this point, tracing by karma is more reliable… Why are you laughing?”

“No reason. Just feels like we’re real partners.”

Fang Xiu lowered his shoulder beneath the “surface” to let Bai Shuangying’s true form flow over his wound. The pain had made it burn before, but now it felt like a cold tongue was licking the injury, more soothing than a hot bath.

After a while, Bai Shuangying finally responded. “Neither of us likes this place. Naturally, we should work together.”

“How about you eat some headless spirits first?” Fang Xiu worried again, remembering his ghost hadn’t eaten in a day and a night.

The jade Buddha was too precious to use, but he could feed the small token to the meal card.

Bai Shuangying: “You’re missing limbs. You should keep it for protection.”

“No other options?” Fang Xiu sighed. “Like, maybe don’t kill anyone, just shave off a bit of their living soul?”

Bai Shuangying: “There is.”

Fang Xiu: “I knew it was—wait, what? You said there is?!”

Bai Shuangying nodded distractedly. “There are three main ways for evil spirits to consume living souls.”

“First, killing to take the soul. That’s what we’ve always done.”

“Second, setting up arrays to raise evil spirits. Practitioners can draw formations to extract essence and soul energy to nourish evil spirits, either to control them or gain protection.”

In the clear mountain woods, Bai Shuangying’s tone was calm and soft like a cold mountain spring.

Fang Xiu listened intently. “Won’t extracting living soul energy harm the body?”

“No. The soul is like the body. So long as the core isn’t harmed, it can recover.” Bai Shuangying said, “Compared to the body, this is like ‘donating blood’.”

Fang Xiu was tempted. “Then I could…”

“The technique is complex, and you know nothing of the metaphysics,” Bai Shuangying interrupted mercilessly.

Fang Xiu: “…” There’s even a technical barrier?!

Depressed, Fang Xiu asked, “What’s the third method?”

Bai Shuangying: “Third is dual cultivation through intercourse. Evil spirits use sex to harvest essence… Don’t humans love fox spirits and sexy ghosts?”

Before Fang Xiu could react, Bai Shuangying added objectively, “This one you could actually do.”

Fang Xiu froze for two seconds before diving headfirst into Bai Shuangying’s form.

Seeing him curl up into a ball and grow hotter, Bai Shuangying force-cooled him for several seconds. Fang Xiu eventually stuck his head back out.

“I’ll destroy Huanxi E soon. I promise.”

Bai Shuangying looked confused. “What are you so nervous about? I’m not a lust spirit. I won’t do anything to you…”

But before he could finish, Fang Xiu plunged back in, even hotter than before.

……

By noon, Fang Xiu’s body temperature finally returned to normal.

He ate as usual, then fed the mushroom trio. Only Cheng Songyun and Guan He came to get food today. Jia Xu, Blondie, and Mei Lan didn’t show.

Fang Xiu mussed his hair in the mirror, rumpled his clothes, and perfected his “vagrant” disguise before picking up two roast chickens and knocking on Jia Xu’s door.

Bai Shuangying followed, a bit puzzled at what scheme Fang Xiu was brewing.

Jia Xu answered himself, reeking of meat and alcohol. Seeing Fang Xiu’s empty sleeve, a flicker of triumph passed through his eyes.

“Oh no, Fang Xiu, what happened to you? How’d you end up like this?” Jia Xu clicked his tongue sympathetically and stepped aside.

Inside were Blondie and Mei Lan. Jia Xu’s room had power and was brightly lit with various lamps even during the day.

The air conditioning was blasting despite the mild weather.

A large TV played games with booming speakers.

Blondie yelled while holding a controller, surrounded by open snack bags.

Mei Lan sat at the table eating. There were flowers in a vase, several bottles of red wine uncorked, and a spread of elaborate dishes that were Eastern and Western cuisines mixed together, barely fitting on the table.

Seeing Fang Xiu injured, a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes.

Jia Xu took the roast chickens and casually stuffed them into the fridge.

“Sit, sit.” He handed Fang Xiu a list. “Here’s that premium ‘Service Menu’ I promised to show you.”

Fang Xiu took the menu. It now looked anything but tacky, bound in leather with elegant gold embossing.

[Huanxi World Premium VIP Service Menu]

◆ One Night of Pleasure: 100 Chips

◆ Top-shelf Liquor & Tobacco: 100 Chips

◆ Gold & Jewelry: 100 Chips

◆ Room Unlock: 1000 Chips [Redeemed]

◆ Unlimited Premium Meals: 1000 Chips [Redeemed]

◆ 13 Pounds of Human Flesh: 1000 Chips

◆ Perfect Companion: 10,000 Chips / Each

◆ Mansion of Your Choice: 10,000 Chips / Each

◆ Recreate Loved Ones: 10,000 Chips / Each

~Special Offer~

High-End VIP trades: No fees!

Special tools & scales available in-room!

Special needs (e.g., pets, prosthetics) available at the service desk!

Fang Xiu read it carefully.

The food, meal, and clothing options were gone. In their place, offerings requiring tens of thousands of chips had been added.

In other words, one could now fulfill every desire short of “travel” with enough chips, even recreating loved ones from memory.

Jia Xu: “Pretty impressive, right? Even I was shocked.”

His tone didn’t sound “shocked” but rather smug.

Fang Xiu smirked. “Didn’t you only have 1296 chips? How’d you redeem 2000 chips’ worth of services?”

“Jia Ge’s magic item is amazing.” Blondie paused his game.

“Uncle Hou—the fat guy in the foyer—took a liking to him. Called it making friends, and just unlocked unlimited meals for Jia Ge, no payment needed.”

Fang Xiu simply replied with an “oh”.

Blondie: “Hey man, don’t take this the wrong way, but we’ve been eating your roast chicken and snacks nonstop. We’re kinda sick of it now. These meals are top tier. You can order whatever.”

He sighed with envy. “Too bad Uncle Hou didn’t like my sexy drawing. Dude redeemed two ‘Perfect Companions’ who stay with him 24/7. What a life…”

Jia Xu coughed. “I only unlocked room functions. Now I have power, water, internet. I still have 296 chips left. Uncle Hou gave me 4 more to round it up to 300.”

Fang Xiu: “So… Are you planning to live here long-term?”

Jia Xu didn’t answer directly, instead nodding toward Fang Xiu’s left shoulder:

“That injury is from breaking a taboo, huh?”

“Yes.” Fang Xiu didn’t hide the pain and cold sweat.

“I told you yesterday… Even if you couldn’t accept it right away, you should’ve at least gambled once.” Jia Xu sighed loudly. “We’re teammates. If you’re worried about losing your chips, I can lend you some.”

Fang Xiu asked bluntly, “You gamble a lot outside too?”

“Mostly online. Been to a few casinos in Country A.”

Jia Xu held a cigar in his mouth and lit it. “Work is stressful. I just play a few rounds to blow off steam. I’m good with numbers.”

Fang Xiu stared silently.

Uncomfortable under the gaze, Jia Xu added, “Uncle Hou said you’re welcome to borrow chips. He won’t even charge interest. You’ve got 24 hours. Your arm can still be reclaimed.”

“How much did you say?” Fang Xiu suddenly asked.

“Wha-What…”

“You’ve already explained our magic weapons. Uncle Hou knows who I am. So, you’ve probably shared our skills and pasts too, right?”

Blondie interjected, “Hey, hey! Don’t accuse Jia Ge like that! He just called our stuff ‘ghost techniques’. He didn’t go into details…”

In the first two rituals, he and Jia Xu had less experience than Mei Lan.

Having suffered setbacks with Lao Jin, Jia Xu was playing it vague this time.

Of course, he hadn’t admitted Fang Xiu was the team’s de facto leader and just said Fang Xiu was smart.

“Uncle Hou said you can come over anytime. He said since we’re all Jia Ge’s friends, he’ll treat us well.”

Blondie returned to his game. “I think this place is great… I’m living it up.”

Jia Xu stayed silent, just watching Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu had pretty much guessed it. Uncle Hou sent them to test the waters.

“You’re giving up on the first day? Not even gonna try?” Fang Xiu raised his voice, feigning irritation. “We’re here to break the E, not vacation. So, you three are giving up on returning to the human world?”

Blondie: “Dude, look at your state. What are you saying?”

Jia Xu exhaled a puff of smoke. “I think we should talk about this more. Just because you lost an arm doesn’t mean you need to go all-in.”

“Don’t be stubborn tonight. I can introduce you to Uncle Hou. Even if you don’t want to meet him, at least win once. There’s still time…”

Then, in an unusual display of softness, he said, “If you don’t know the rules, I can teach you. You’re smart. Winning should be easy.”

Fang Xiu said nothing.

“I’ll think about it. No promises.” He replied after a while.

Jia Xu nodded with a knowing smile.

“So, what about you three? If I don’t go to the casino, will you help me tonight?” Fang Xiu asked, “I’ve made some discoveries I can share. We still have enough human meat that you won’t need to break taboos.”

Jia Xu smiled helplessly and refused.

Blondie pretended not to hear.

Mei Lan hesitated but said nothing in the end.

Before leaving, Fang Xiu glanced at the feast-laden table.

Jia Xu kindly asked, “Want to take some with you?”

Fang Xiu shook his head and stood outside the door, looking at Jia Xu.

“We’re teammates, so here’s a tip: better not use that Luck Borrowing Dice too much.”

Jia Xu grinned. “Of course. I’m not stupid.”

Fang Xiu was silent for a few seconds, then shut the door.

As soon as it closed, Fang Xiu covered his mouth and gagged.

Bai Shuangying reached for his forehead, but Fang Xiu gently stopped him.

“…I’m fine,” Fang Xiu wiped his face. “Just a little nauseous.”

Bai Shuangying was confused. Jia Xu and Blondie had always been unpleasant. Why such a reaction now?

Then he realized. “You sensed it.”

It was a statement, not a question.

Fang Xiu replied weakly, “Yeah. But don’t bring it up…especially not in front of Song Zheng and the others.”

He shut his eyes, trying to forget the image of that table of food.

In Weishan Village, the food came from offerings preserved by yin energy.

In the Mid-Autumn E, the illusion food was inedible.

But here, corrupted by Huanxi E, everything felt real.

Illusions could distort hunger, temperature, and even give you dreams of spring nights, but they couldn’t fill your stomach. “Unlimited gourmet meals”? Really? Whatever you wanted to eat, you can have it? How was that possible?

…Yet people survived here long-term, which meant they must have eaten something that existed in reality.

…And there was only one thing that could be supplied here continuously.

“13 pounds of meat lasts quite a while,” Fang Xiu muttered. “Hope they don’t eat me tomorrow. How creepy.”

……

That night.

While waiting in the foyer, glances kept coming from Uncle Hou’s side.

Fang Xiu squatted in a corner, putting on a pained, conflicted look and stealing glances toward Uncle Hou.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He silently stood by, with Fang Xiu specifically asking Guan He to keep his distance.

Jia Xu was chatting animatedly with a young man wearing glasses near Uncle Hou and didn’t try to persuade Fang Xiu.

At 6:30, the crowd surged into the casino.

Fang Xiu’s group remained in the foyer, along with Song Zheng.

Once it emptied, Fang Xiu’s fragile expression vanished instantly.

“We’re set.” Song Zheng said. “Xiao Tian and Xiao Li are tracking Jia Xu. That guy’s cozying up with A’Qing, so he’s easy to spot.”

“With Xiao Tian on it, he won’t get away. But why are you watching Jia Xu? Isn’t he your teammate?”

“Think of him as a barometer for fortune,” Fang Xiu smiled.

Song Zheng didn’t get it but didn’t pry.

He looked toward the dazzling casino gate. “If I follow you tonight, we’ll need to pay 13 pounds of human meat. Sure about that?”

Even though his instincts weren’t on alert, he had to ask. Fang Xiu had provided his entire group with food and water, so he didn’t mind breaking the taboo once. One corpse wasn’t enough to share, and Fang Xiu had actually taken out 13 pounds of meat to hire him.

“We won’t be here long.” Fang Xiu winked.

The four of them approached the narrow door labeled “Emergency Exit”.

Out of the corner of his eye, Fang Xiu saw the casino greeters. Not only were they not tense, but their smiles grew even wider.

Fang Xiu retracted his gaze and looked at the narrow door.

It was tiny, no bigger than a bathroom door, and pitch-black beyond the threshold.

The Huanxi E was a gambling app.

The casino and apartments were gambling scenes.

So what did this door represent?

Song Zheng was also scrutinizing it. “I have a bad feeling…”

“This is just the beginning,” Fang Xiu said darkly. “The Huanxi E is powerful. There will be traps. All of you, stay sharp. Don’t trust your senses too much.”

Everyone nodded.

Cheng Songyun clutched her prayer beads and Guan He put on his spirit-vision blindfold.

Curious, Song Zheng examined them, then flipped his left hand.

A brass seismoscope appeared on the back of it. It was small and hovered above the back of his hand. Its eight dragons pointed in eight directions, unmoving as Song Zheng shifted.

Seeing Fang Xiu looking intrigued, Song Zheng explained, “This is my reward for breaking an E, the ‘Murder-Intent Seismoscope’.”

“If anyone nearby harbors murderous intent toward me, a ball will drop from the matching dragon’s mouth and sound an alert.”

“Great choice.” Fang Xiu raised an eyebrow. This skill paired perfectly with Song Zheng’s enhanced intuition.

Song Zheng edged the device toward the door. There was no reaction.

Relieved, he said, “Let’s go in. I’ll take the lead.”

“You two take the middle. I’ll cover the rear,” Fang Xiu instructed.

Song Zheng took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness.

Right before entering, Fang Xiu looked back towards the casino. Seeing that they had no intention of entering, the two greeters were about to close the gate. However, while their head remained still, their face kept twisting to the point where it moved to the side and kept staring at him.

Seeing Song Zheng enter, the smiles on their faces became even brighter. Their two beautiful faces became completely distorted, their eyes narrowed to the point where it almost disappeared, and the corners of their mouths were raised so high it came to their cheekbones.

No human could smile like that.

Fang Xiu took a breath and crossed the threshold.

As soon as he and Bai Shuangying had just stepped in, the door slammed shut. Instantly, the space was pitch-black, filled only with the scent of dust and decay.

Fang Xiu raised his remaining right hand, igniting a red flame.

The ghost-fire illuminated four faces. After observing the surroundings, everyone’s faces were even gloomier than the environment.

Afraid of losing his human, Bai Shuangying pinched the hem of Fang Xiu’s T-shirt.

No wonder. This place was bizarre.

It looked like a “masterpiece” made by “a friend who studied animation for three years”.

Twisting staircases defied gravity and logic, like Escher and Penrose gone wrong, without a hint of artistry.

They were at the bottom. Ahead were three or four staircases leading up, each splitting endlessly.

The ghost-fire didn’t reach far. Who knew where they led?

Song Zheng hissed, “Shit, is this luck-based too?”

How long would it take to reach the end?! And these were illusions… If they stepped wrong in the real world and fell… Well, that would be quite fun.

Guan He no longer reflexively looked to Fang Xiu. He tried to analyze. “Like the casino, we probably have five hours. If we don’t clear it in time, we’ll be forced to exit.”

“These beads can’t suppress the illusion.” Cheng Songyun tightly clenched her beads as she gritted her teeth. “This is ridiculous.”

Their brief hope was crushed by this chaotic scene.

No wonder no one explored here. Compared to this hellhole, gambling was easier.

Fang Xiu: “No wonder the ‘Emergency Exit’ wasn’t lit. Turns out it’s not safe at all.”

Then he realized something. “Song Zheng, you guys never entered this before?”

“No,” Song Zheng said honestly. “We saw other teams try. The lucky ones lost half, the unlucky ones were wiped out.”

“Even with intuition and luck, it’s not worth gambling our lives.”

“But you came in now,” Guan He said. With Fang Xiu here, he wasn’t scared.

Song Zheng shrugged. “We’re running out of chips. Can’t just wait to die. My intuition’s quiet. Should we just pick a path?”

The four stood in silence at the foot of the stairs.

Fang Xiu leaned close to Bai Shuangying and whispered, “Can you dispel this illusion?”

“This place is different from the guest rooms. The Huanxi E’s power is very strong,” Bai Shuangying explained.

He could force it, but doing so meant confronting the Huanxi E directly and drawing the Underworld’s attention.

And Bai Shuangying wasn’t in the habit of sacrificing himself to warm humans. Letting Fang Xiu soak in his true form was already the limit.

“…However, I do have a suggestion.”

His pale eyes slowly turned to look at Cheng Songyun.

---

The author has something to say:

Oh, of course they’ll end up using the third method to feed his ghost.

That’s the real Unlimited Premium Meals. Fang Xiu eats enough for the both of them~

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 51: The Thread of Karma

After returning to her “own home” yesterday, Cheng Songyun’s mood was indescribable.

Everything looked just as she remembered. The scenery outside the window was exactly the same as in her memories. She could even see cars coming and going downstairs.

The paper figure Dian Wu had claimed, “The room guarantees physical and mental well-being,” but Cheng Songyun found it absurd. The confusion between illusion and reality was spine-chilling. For a moment, she nearly doubted her own sanity, thinking the entire sacrificial ritual had been a delusion.

If not for the chunks of human flesh Fang Xiu had given her, now lying on the coffee table, she might really have lost her mind.

At midnight, a handsome and composed waiter knocked politely on her door and collected the human meat.

Afterward, Cheng Songyun sank once again into a fog of doubt, occasionally opening the door to confirm that she wasn’t truly at home.

After tossing and turning for half the night, she fell asleep sitting by the door.

Half-awake, she heard sounds in the living room. It was footsteps and someone sighing.

The sigh was terribly familiar… right, it was her husband Sun Jinfeng… Lao Sun…

…But Lao Sun was dead, indirectly killed by her.

Cheng Songyun abruptly snapped awake and looked toward the living room.

Her deceased husband stood in front of the sofa, black blood dripping from the back of his head.

“Where’s the money?” His tone was flat in the darkness. “The money I left here… Where is it?”

This must be a nightmare, Cheng Songyun thought. She swallowed hard and shut her eyes tightly.

The footsteps drew nearer. The air grew colder and colder. Finally, the chaotic noises stopped. Cheng Songyun exhaled in relief and opened her eyes…

Sun Jinfeng’s distorted face was inches from hers, his murky eyes locked onto her.

“Where’s the money?”

He asked, “Where’s the money? Where’s the money? Where—”

By the end, he sounded confused, as if he had forgotten what “money” even meant. He simply stared at Cheng Songyun, silently mouthing words, his teeth stained with dark blood.

Too terrified to even scream, Cheng Songyun flailed her arms in panic, trying to push away this horrifying hallucination, or nightmare, or whatever it was. But she couldn’t touch him at all.

“You’re already dead! You’re already dead…” she cried, clutching her head as blackness clouded her vision. She even forgot to use her ghost shield.

…Then Cheng Songyun woke up, not knowing if she’d come out of a dream or a fainting spell.

Dawn had broken outside the window. The clock in the house read past 4:30 AM.

There were no ghosts in front of her and none in the living room either.

Looking at the familiar decor, Cheng Songyun fell into momentary confusion. Was it all just a dream? Did the sacrificial ritual really exist? Was she not actually schizophrenic?

She propped herself up on the shoe cabinet near the door, swaying as she stood. A family photo of the three of them still sat there, their smiling faces now painfully jarring.

Cheng Songyun, trembling, instinctively picked up the photo.

In the reflection on the glass frame, she saw a face still resting on her left shoulder… her dead husband’s face.

His facial features twitched constantly, his mouth opening and closing erratically, teeth clicking with a sharp tap tap sound.

That sound stabbed into her left ear. Before her brain could even react, her body bolted from the room.

She’d rather stay in that endless hallway than step into that room again.

So, Cheng Songyun sat in front of Fang Xiu’s door until sunrise.

……

Guan He shivered slightly as he listened. “Auntie Cheng, after you hand over the meat tonight, come to my room, okay…”

His room had been perfectly peaceful. The only reason he couldn’t sleep was the sheer mental shock of the day. Compared to Cheng Songyun, his insomnia was downright mundane.

Fang Xiu, on the other hand, was intrigued after hearing her story. “Three rituals now, and I’ve yet to see such an old-school ghost story! I’ll go check it out later, maybe I can catch it.”

He sounded enthusiastic, like what haunted Cheng Songyun’s home wasn’t a ghost, but a cockroach.

Cheng Songyun felt conflicted. “……”

With just a few words, all her terror had become powerlessness.

But maybe he was right. Here, evil spirits could be caught. There was no need to be scared. Everyone just needed to work together and catch them…

Seeing Cheng Songyun’s mood improve, Guan He tried to lighten the atmosphere. “I couldn’t sleep either last night. I kept thinking about taboo violations. Fang Ge, I found a loophole!”

Fang Xiu: “Let’s hear it.”

Guan He wiped his face. “You produce enough food for ten to fifteen days, sell it on the Huanxi World platform to Song Zheng and the others for just 1 chip… The trade completes, so the transaction counts.”

“Then you have them find a criminal to kill, and they give the meat to you for free. Since the food transaction is over and can’t be counted again, I think it works.”

He’d thought so hard trying to find a loophole that his brain nearly short-circuited.

Fang Xiu couldn’t help patting his shoulder. “Nice. You’ve got potential.”

Cheng Songyun’s eyes lit up. “That could work?”

Fang Xiu gave a meaningful smile and continued, “If someone loses all hope and decides to storm the casino and go on a killing spree, that wouldn’t count as violating taboos either.”

Guan He’s expression slowly stiffened as realization dawned.

“…The taboos are fixed, but people are alive,” Song Zheng said, wiping his mouth after finishing his meal. “Fang Xiu really could sell us a ton of food for 1 chip and indirectly get us to kill. The taboo might be fooled, but you think people don’t understand what’s going on?”

Guan He’s face turned bitter. “So it’s still no use…”

Song Zheng sighed. “Since we’ve eaten, I’ll tell you about Uncle Hou.”

“If someone kills inside the casino, they’ll be killed on the spot by Uncle Hou’s people. Fang Xiu had a perfect excuse on his first day here, so they held back… But we’ve been here a month. If we suddenly start killing, we’ll be shot dead.”

Guan He clamped his lips and looked down.

“Think about it. If people just couldn’t win bets, they’d either sell their life or borrow chips from Uncle Hou… Trying to exploit loopholes for human flesh is way more complicated.”

“Only those who break taboos by not gambling would go that far. Not gambling means they’re trying to undo the E. That’s why Uncle Hou’s crew is so sensitive to ‘murder’.”

Song Zheng gave a faintly mocking smile. “Actually, most people here are sensitive to that.”

After listening, Guan He was stunned.

When he first spotted the theoretical loophole, he’d been ecstatic, but it was still useless.

Now that he thought about it, Fang Xiu probably guessed the situation early on. That’s why he killed someone immediately on day one. Now that Uncle Hou’s crew had their eye on them, the “revenge” excuse couldn’t be used again.

Fang Xiu choosing to act brazenly and even get hurt was likely to make Uncle Hou let his guard down, treating it as a naive “newbie trying to lift the E out of habit”.

…Only this way would Uncle Hou’s group stay out of it.

They’d be glad to let Fang Xiu suffer. Ideally, they’d scare off all the fools who dreamed of undoing the E.

The more Guan He thought about it, the lower his head sank.

Fang Xiu patted his back. “Relax. You’ve done way better than in the last two rituals. We adults aren’t all dead yet. What’s the rush?”

Watching this, Song Zheng’s expression softened. “I know more about Uncle Hou. Feel free to ask.”

Fang Xiu touched his wound. “No need.”

Song Zheng raised an eyebrow.

Fang Xiu: “I don’t want to play by his rules.”

Time was precious. Whether it was the casino’s rules or society’s, they were just pointless distractions.

He had only one goal: find and destroy the Huanxi E.

…Because every extra day he stayed here, he’d take another wound. And Bai Shuangying would go hungry another day.

Fang Xiu quietly stewed, then turned to Song Zheng. “If we’re going to cooperate, I need your side to fully comply. No objections?”

Xiao Tian and Xiao Li both turned to Song Zheng.

Song Zheng chugged a drink and exhaled loudly. “I already said, just keep feeding us.”

Then he smiled. “Oh right, my Underworld blessing is ‘enhanced intuition’.”

Xiao Li was shocked. “Bro, you just tell them outright?”

“Because this time my gut feeling’s great,” Song Zheng said. “You guys too. Spill it. Can’t freeload the food.”

Xiao Li wiped his mouth and nodded. “My ability’s ‘enhanced strength’… Oh, and A’Qing had ‘enhanced intellect’. The guy he took away had ‘enhanced negotiation’.”

He casually sold out his ex-teammates.

Xiao Tian put down her pastry. “Mine’s ‘enhanced luck.’”

Guan He couldn’t help blurting out, “Huh, enhanced luck…?”

With that kind of OP ability, Xiao Tian didn’t go gamble? Jia Xu had already strutted around just from using the Luck Borrowing Dice.

Xiao Tian looked at him, smiling with crescent eyes. “Kiddo, do you think ‘winning chips in this hellhole’ is lucky, or ‘surviving until now and finding a turning point’ is lucky?”

Guan He mulled it over.

Cheng Songyun was much more decisive. “So what’s the plan this morning. Do we keep exploring?”

Fang Xiu: “I was thinking…”

Bai Shuangying: “I want to inspect all your rooms first.”

He manifested and stood right beside Fang Xiu.

Fang Xiu’s eyes widened in shock. The others weren’t just shocked, they were stunned.

A man in white appeared out of nowhere. Song Zheng jumped back in terror and nearly knocked over Xiao Li. Xiao Tian stared at Bai Shuangying’s face, her half-eaten snack dropping from her mouth.

“Wow, I really am lucky,” after a while she said, genuinely touched.

Fang Xiu awkwardly stepped forward, trying to block the taller Bai Shuangying. “This is my ghost, Bai Shuangying.”

Bai Shuangying had zero interest in socializing. He coldly repeated, “I want to inspect your rooms.”

As if everyone in front of him were no more than insects in autumn.

Fang Xiu tugged on his sleeve and whispered, “Why’d you come out?”

Bai Shuangying glanced at him. “You expect me to act out a ritual with you helping from the side? You’re unwell. Save your energy.”

Fang Xiu paused, then smiled. “Alright.”

If he remembered correctly, this was the first time Bai Shuangying had actively volunteered to investigate.

Fang Xiu had planned to focus on exploration at night. He had plans for midday, but nothing for the morning. Now that his own ghost had spoken up, he was happy to go along.

Of the six present, only Cheng Songyun’s and Xiao Li’s rooms had karmic traces.

Cheng Songyun’s husband, Sun Jinfeng, was a gambler. Xiao Li’s cousin gambled online.

Xiao Li had lent his cousin a lot of money, and they always fought. One day while driving, they argued again and got into a struggle. They crashed and the cousin died on the spot.

There was no surveillance, and Xiao Li was badly injured. The incident was ruled an accident in the living world, but the Underworld still counted it as a blood debt.

Everyone in Song Zheng’s group had public blood debts, so they didn’t mind talking about it.

“…He threw the first punch, but I also didn’t hit the brakes. I let go of the wheel,” Xiao Li said. “Our whole group is like this.”

Xiao Tian sighed. “My blood debt happened when I was four. I cosplayed a magical girl with a friend. I pulled her to jump from the second floor. I landed in a bush, she broke her neck…”

Then she looked at Guan He. “You guys have a mix of old and young. Should be similar, right?”

Guan He glanced at Fang Xiu, his gaze shifty. “…Sort of.”

Fang Xiu was busy inspecting Xiao Li’s room.

It had belonged to his cousin, a filthy dump no one would buy. The room reeked, and the sheets were greasy enough to outline a faint yellowish human shape. Xiao Li had been sleeping on the floor in Song Zheng’s room to avoid this cesspit.

Since he didn’t live here, he couldn’t say whether anything paranormal had happened in it.

Bai Shuangying looked at him, then pointed to the trash-strewn bed. “Go sit there.”

Xiao Li hesitated. “Do I have to?”

Bai Shuangying stared at him silently. Xiao Li drew a sharp breath and reluctantly sat down.

As soon as he did, Bai Shuangying waved the Peach Bone Evil, and a blood-red thread of karma appeared.

It floated endlessly in the grimy rental room, one end attached to Xiao Li’s back, the other vanishing into the crack of the door.

Xiao Li jumped. “What is this?”

Bai Shuangying: “You’ve been entangled in your cousin’s karma. Try grabbing the thread.”

“Why is it red? Gross*.” Xiao Li grumbled and reached out.

*Clarity: He’s referring to the red thread of fate that is believed to link two people that are destined to be together. It’s gross because, well, that’s his cousin and two he didn’t even like him as family let alone as more.

As soon as his fingers pinched it, the red thread crumbled like a soaked tissue.

“Not solid enough,” Bai Shuangying said.

Xiao Li: “Yeah, we were like 10% family, 90% financial disputes.”

Bai Shuangying didn’t respond and just turned and left.

Rooms without karmic entanglement were like Fang Xiu’s, white karmic threads so faint they couldn’t be grasped. Still, Bai Shuangying inspected each one.

At last, they arrived at Cheng Songyun’s room.

It was warm and well-lit, without a trace of the horrors she described. Bai Shuangying gave it a quick once-over and told her to sit on the sofa.

Cheng Songyun paled. “That’s where he liked to sit…”

Bai Shuangying summoned the karmic thread and said simply, “Grab it.”

Cheng Songyun reached out and grasped the red thread connected to her chest. It squirmed like an earthworm, then slipped through her palm and vanished.

…But it didn’t break.

Bai Shuangying looked up. “You’re resisting it.”

Cheng Songyun was about to reply when Bai Shuangying vanished into the air.

She fell silent. This glamorous ghost could speak, but he either stayed invisible or monologued, so it was hard to communicate. She had no idea how Fang Xiu dealt with him day-to-day.

Thinking of her own vengeful ghost that only did psychic attacks, Cheng Songyun sighed.

I hope Xiao Fang isn’t under too much pressure, she thought.

……

After inspecting the rooms, the two groups parted ways. Since they’d just established cooperation, Song Zheng wanted to debrief his team privately. Fang Xiu understood.

He scheduled a midday meetup and returned to his mountain-view suite.

As soon as the door closed, he leaned happily against Bai Shuangying.

His wound was against his icy ghost while the sunlight streamed on his back. It was the most effective painkiller on earth. The floral scent of Bai Shuangying’s body even relaxed him for a few seconds.

Bai Shuangying, finding the posture uncomfortable, simply picked Fang Xiu up and placed him in the bathtub. Then, from the chest down, he returned to his true form and enveloped Fang Xiu.

The two sat facing each other at either end of the tub, shoulders and heads above water, like they were undergoing some strange medicinal bath.

Half-submerged in Bai Shuangying’s body, Fang Xiu’s ears flushed red. Under the sunlight, the tips glowed faintly, veins clearly visible.

“So, so—what did you find?”

After a few deep breaths, Fang Xiu managed to stay calm.

Bai Shuangying: “These rooms have housed many gamblers. They gambled day and night, forming deep karmic bonds.”

He continued, “Threads of karma can’t drift in from nowhere. They extend from the Huanxi E. The underworld assigned these karma-stained rooms not for ‘well-being’, but for another reason.”

Fang Xiu: “I figured. Cheng Jie was scared out of her mind.”

Not even a dog would live in Xiao Li’s cousin’s room. It was such a dump it felt like it could give you a disease just by looking.

Then he suddenly realized, “If the red thread leads to the Huanxi E, couldn’t Cheng Jie follow it to find Huanxi E?”

“Yes, if she can stabilize the thread,” Bai Shuangying said firmly. “As long as karma is solid, the two ends of the thread will naturally draw toward each other. The Underworld assigned ‘karmic rooms’ to push sacrifices to lift the curse sooner.”

The Underworld trying to mess with karma in front of him? Too naive.

If not for the chains restraining him, he could spot the Huanxi E in an instant. Sadly, he’d only broken nine of them, which was only enough to reveal only the simplest karma.

Fang Xiu fell into thought again, idly toying with Bai Shuangying’s body.

Bai Shuangying tilted his head slightly. “What did you figure out?”

Last night, when karma came up, Fang Xiu had gone quiet for a long time.

“Good news and bad news. Which do you want first?” Fang Xiu asked.

Bai Shuangying: “Bad.”

Let’s see how bad it really is.

Fang Xiu: “If even the Underworld has stepped in, then this E must be extremely well-hidden.”

“Typical. What’s the good news?”

Fang Xiu: “I think I’ve figured out what the Huanxi E really is.”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

Fang Xiu instinctively sank down, blowing two bubbles in the liquid. Then he saw Bai Shuangying’s unreadable expression and realized he wasn’t taking a bath.

“Sorry, sorry. It was accident.”

He touched his lips, which still felt cool.

After a long cough, he continued, “Whether it’s intelligence or complexity, the Huanxi E far surpasses the Weishan E or the Mid-Autumn E.”

“Huanxi World binds countless gamblers’ karma. It has an absurd number of projects. Every service worker has perfect looks and exaggerated bodies, plus customized sales pitches… Most importantly, you just confirmed, gamblers actually gamble in these rooms.”

“I think… the Huanxi E’s true form is a gambling app.”

---

The author has something to say:

Fang Xiu: Not only am I not stressed, I actually find it incredibly relaxing. (sniff sniff own ghost)

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 50: A Gentle Breeze Comes Slowly

Fang Xiu took Shang Debao’s corpse out of the qiankun pouch and laid it flat on the floor.

Nearly half the walls of the mountain-view suite were floor-to-ceiling windows. Bright moonlight flooded the room. Under the cold glow, Fang Xiu decisively raised the bone-cutting knife and brought it down.

Thud!

The first cut severed the corpse’s hand. Seeing the cross-section, Fang Xiu let out a curious hum.

The blade was extraordinarily sharp so the severed surface was cut clean. Fresh muscle and bone were exposed, yet not a single drop of blood flowed. It was as if what he’d just chopped wasn’t flesh and bone, but finely crafted wax.

Too bad he’d killed Shang Debao. Fang Xiu couldn’t ask how it felt.

Still, he had suspected the bone-cutting knife would have special effects.

From the ritual’s standpoint, it surely hoped the sacrifices would live longer, to contribute more karma and flesh. If a sacrifice died from blood loss the first time they broke a taboo, it’d be a guaranteed lose-lose.

Fang Xiu worked like a skilled butcher. He quickly hacked off 26 lbs. of meat, split it into two portions, and prepared to give them to Guan He and Cheng Songyun. He only used a bit more than one and a half arms; the rest of the corpse he returned to the pouch.

After tidying up, Fang Xiu compared the knife against his own left arm.

He was 1.8 meters tall but weighed less than 160 lbs., so even thinner than the corpse. He wasn’t even sure if one of his arms weighed 13 lbs.

Besides…

“Bai Shuangying, if I chop off my left arm, will the anomaly skill still work?”

Fang Xiu was worried. That paper figure had printed the Bagua symbols on his left arm.

Bai Shuangying silently approached, his fingertips pressing against Fang Xiu’s left arm. The “Kan” and “Li” symbols immediately surfaced, circling around his finger.

The cold fingertip glided along the skin, from forearm to shoulder, then from shoulder to collarbone. When Bai Shuangying’s finger pressed against Fang Xiu’s neck, he didn’t move a muscle.

He wanted to say, “that’s enough,” but for some reason didn’t open his mouth.

So the fingertip kept traveling—over his throat, chin, and finally rested on his left temple. Fang Xiu felt warmth where it touched, the symbols presumably reabsorbing into the skin.

But every place the finger had passed still burned, even more than the temple. It was bizarre, considering how cold the ghost’s fingertips were.

Fang Xiu slightly tilted his head, meeting Bai Shuangying’s eyes up close.

Bai Shuangying met his gaze for a moment. His pale lips parted slightly. “You said you wanted to leave your head for last, so I moved it to your head.”

“Mmhm, very fitting.”

The taboo loomed and tension ran high, yet Fang Xiu felt like laughing.

He rolled up his sleeve and handed the bone-cutting knife over with both hands. “Do me a favor. I can’t control the angle or strength properly. If I don’t cut through in one go, it’ll really hurt.”

Bai Shuangying looked down at the knife, its blade faintly reflecting the moonlight outside.

“You can ask another human,” he said quietly.

Fang Xiu shook his head. “Xiao Guan’s still underage, and Cheng Jie is too soft-hearted. She wouldn’t be quick or clean… Come on, we don’t have much time.”

His tone was calm, like asking someone to pass him a cup of water.

Bai Shuangying took the knife. It had just cut through a corpse yet bore no blood or flesh. He lightly ran a finger across the blade, then paused. “This blade isn’t only enchanted to stop bleeding, it also carries a curse that intensifies pain.”

He hesitated for two seconds. “If you just want the arm removed, I can use Peach Bone Evil.”

It was rare for his ghost to make suggestions. Fang Xiu paused, then smiled. “No. It’s only the first day. I can’t let anyone notice something’s off.”

“Whether it’s the wound or my reaction to breaking a taboo, it has to look natural. Actually, the more pathetic, the better.”

Then he repeated, “Time’s short. Do it…”

Swish.

Before he finished, his left arm flew off. Bai Shuangying struck quickly and steadily, the pain didn’t even register for several seconds.

The pale arm rolled twice on the floor, the fingers still trembling slightly.

Expressionless, Bai Shuangying picked it up and, mimicking Fang Xiu, placed it on the scale.

13 lbs. Not a gram more or less.

Fang Xiu hadn’t moved a step, but his knees buckled. Cold sweat soaked his T-shirt.

The wound had been cursed, and the searing pain far exceeded expectation. It felt less like losing an arm and more like having a palm-sized nail torn out alive.

Fang Xiu, practiced in suppressing screams and groans, couldn’t stop the sweat or his rapid breathing. He instinctively bent forward, barely able to stay upright.

Bai Shuangying slowly set down the knife, saying nothing.

Fifteen minutes to midnight, a knock came, right on time.

Fang Xiu instantly straightened like nothing had happened and cheerfully went to open the door.

His sleeve covered the gory wound; the shadows masked his pale face. Other than missing an arm and sweating a bit, he looked just the same as usual.

Guan He and Cheng Songyun entered. Their gazes locked immediately on his empty left sleeve, each showing their own brand of worry.

Fang Xiu: “What, expecting a public performance? I charge admission for those.”

Before they could speak, he went on quickly, “Come grab your meat and head back to your rooms to rest. We’ll find Song Zheng in the morning.”

Guan He: “Fang Ge… does it hurt?”

He stared at the deflated sleeve, not even noticing the severed flesh on the ground.

Fang Xiu smiled. “It stung during the chop. It’s better now. Off you go, don’t risk breaking a taboo.”

Guan He gathered the heap of arm meat, forcing himself to look at it like making a decision.

“…Fang Ge, I’ve decided. I won’t gamble.”

Cheng Songyun bit her lip. “Xiao Fang… thank you.”

Fang Xiu kept smiling. “It’s nothing.”

Once the door shut, he instantly slumped against it, sliding to the floor.

Good thing he hadn’t asked them to break the taboo too. This pain was insane. Like fire constantly searing his wound.

Now he understood why Song Zheng had warned against it so many times.

The seemingly mild “fail and suffer harm” clause was, in truth, excruciating, even for someone used to pain.

The ritual really went all-out to lure them into the casino.

At the stroke of midnight, another knock came.

This time, the visitor was a handsome waiter. Broad shoulders, long legs, perfect smile with eight teeth, he looked like a stock image of happiness. Definitely from Huanxi World.

He pushed a gleaming golden cart that was empty on top.

“Good evening, Mr. Fang. I’m here to collect your 13 lbs. of human meat.”

He beamed. “Please note the weight. No refunds for extra, no credit for less!”

Fang Xiu didn’t bother talking to the illusion. He pointed at the arm on the scale. “Take it.”

The waiter wasn’t annoyed. He politely retrieved the arm and sniffed it in front of Fang Xiu.

“No scent of transaction. It’s verified.”

He smiled and placed the arm into the cart.

Fang Xiu expected him to leave, but the waiter stayed, grinning ear to ear:

“Here’s the deal, Mr. Fang. We’ll store your 13 lbs. of meat for 24 hours.”

“If you order 13 lbs. of human meat within that time, we’ll restore your body for free, and the pain will vanish instantly!”

He said it as if it were an amazing promotional deal.

Irritated by pain, Fang Xiu snapped, “Not interested.”

Still not giving up, the waiter said, “Don’t be hasty, Mr. Fang. We’ve noticed a large amount of karmic debt on your record. As this is your first taboo violation, we’re offering a premium customer bonus, you can exchange your karmic debt right now!”

He pulled out a gleaming 1,000-value chip, stacked with a 10-value chip, and placed it before Fang Xiu.

“Your arm will regenerate instantly, and you’ll enjoy our ‘Get 10 Bonus for Every 1000 Redeemed’ promo! Surprise!”

Fang Xiu: “……”

The waiter leaned closer and playfully winked. “Oh, and we don’t encourage violence. Newly acquired blood debt in Huanxi World is nonredeemable, you’ll have to pick from your past debts.”

Fang Xiu had enough. “Scram!”

“Certainly, Mr. Fang. Good night, Mr. Fang. May tomorrow bring you great fortune!”

The waiter’s handsome smile never wavered, teeth still gleaming.

As the door closed, the round table, scale, and bone-cutting knife vanished simultaneously. Fang Xiu let out a breathy laugh and collapsed onto the bed.

“…Bai Shuangying,” he called softly a few minutes later.

Bai Shuangying was standing by the window. “Mm.”

“My wound hurts like hell.” Fang Xiu stared at the ceiling. “This time, the E is seriously strong.”

“I know,” Bai Shuangying replied.

“It really hurts.”

“I know.”

“I’m not complaining. I just wanted to say it out loud…” Fang Xiu lay on the right side of the bed and slowly shrank his body. “I asked you to chop it off so I’m not blaming you… It just feels better to say it out loud.”

“…I understand.”

Fang Xiu was quiet for a while. Then he asked softly, “Was Shang Debao’s soul really that disgusting…?”

“His karma was nearly empty.” Bai Shuangying walked to the left side of the bed and sat down. “It tasted faintly off, dry and crumbly, like dregs.”

Fang Xiu didn’t answer. Bai Shuangying turned and saw that he’d fallen asleep.

Fair enough. After spending the day trekking through the apartment and five hours in the casino, not to mention killing someone and losing an arm, it was no surprise.

Fang Xiu had never been physically strong. Now, exhausted and weakened, his reaction was understandable.

…But his sleep wasn’t peaceful. Every one or two minutes, he twitched.

Sometimes, pressure on the stump made him convulse violently.

Bai Shuangying leaned over and brushed Fang Xiu’s bangs aside. His hair was soaked in sweat, and his temperature alarmingly high.

Seeing Fang Xiu, usually bouncing off walls, now so still made Bai Shuangying uncomfortable.

He could have persuaded Fang Xiu to give in to Huanxi World. Compared to the Mid-Autumn E, this place was far better for creating a lasting “two-person world”.

But if it meant Fang Xiu would become bland, hollow “human scum”, Bai Shuangying rejected the thought outright.

…Besides, Fang Xiu really hated this place.

Bai Shuangying left the bed and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window.

Placing one hand on the wall, he began quietly deciphering the spell matrix of the ritual site.

But soon, he felt heat on his back.

Fang Xiu had gotten up and, barefoot, walked behind him. Now he pressed his forehead gently against Bai Shuangying’s back.

“Can’t sleep,” Fang Xiu murmured. “Hurts too damn much…”

There was no electricity, and so little to do. The two sat side by side before the window, watching the moonlit forest outside.

Fang Xiu leaned his good arm against Bai Shuangying and silently tugged his sleeve with his right hand. He didn’t speak. Whether from pain or just lack of words, it was unclear.

He just stared at the view, eyes reluctant to blink.

Bai Shuangying glanced at him.

Fang Xiu’s sleeve-tugging was surprisingly nice. It was warm and gentle, like a massage. But now, his palm was so hot, Bai Shuangying found it unfamiliar.

“You like the mountains?” Bai asked.

Fang Xiu: “Yeah. Don’t you think it’s beautiful?”

Bai Shuangying thought for a moment. “Nothing special.”

Fang Xiu laughed, which tugged his wound, making him flinch.

“It’s different through a window, like watching a screen,” he said. “The best part of mountain views is the wind, smells, and sounds.”

He reached out with his remaining right hand and touched the glass. “…Say, are these illusions too?”

“Illusions anchored in reality.”

Learning the scenery was fake, Fang Xiu’s eyes dimmed. “No wonder nothing in this room can be exchanged.”

Bai Shuangying had just given him useful intel. He should start thinking… thinking…

“Want to see it?” Bai Shuangying said, holding Fang Xiu’s hand that was pinching his sleeve.

Fang Xiu blinked. “See what?”

“The real mountains.” Bai Shuangying picked up the Peach Bone Evil with his other hand. “Even if it’s an illusion, I can do better.”

Before Fang Xiu could respond, he tapped the ground with the Peach Bone Evil.

In an instant, the glass before them vanished.

Moonlight poured in. Stars glittered above.

Damp night wind swept the room, billowing the curtains. The air carried the scent of earth and plants, filled with insect chirps and bird calls.

They felt as if they were sitting in a mountain courtyard, not a cruel ritual site.

In the mountain breeze, Fang Xiu turned to look at Bai Shuangying.

Those pale eyes met his, still emotionless. The wind stirred Bai Shuangying’s long hair, strands brushing his lips, then falling away.

Fang Xiu forgot the pain, forgot how to speak.

Bai Shuangying stared at him. “You’re in such bad shape, you should see better scenery.”

Fang Xiu gently reached out. Just before touching the red mole, he veered and tucked Bai Shuangying’s hair behind his ear.

The strands brushed Bai Shuangying’s face. His eyes didn’t blink, didn’t move, like a dead thing.

“Even the best illusion… is still just an illusion,” After a while, Fang Xiu whispered.

Bai Shuangying was indifferent. “If life and death are both within illusions, then what difference does it make?”

Fang Xiu was silent for a long time, then smiled. “True.”

He stretched his lone arm, trying to embrace Bai Shuangying. But without his left arm, he couldn’t keep balance and gave up.

In the end, he awkwardly leaned against Bai Shuangying, like a frozen animal against a car, seeking residual warmth.

“To be honest, Miss Zhang Haizhen, the girl Shang Debao killed, wasn’t really my loved one. In fact, she was a client.”

Bathed in mountain wind, Fang Xiu rambled again. “She really did want to marry after graduation, but not me. She found me after her death. We had no relationship beyond the commission…”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

The topic jumped so fast he was a bit lost.

“I mean, you’re still my first and only lawful spouse. I didn’t secretly remarry.”

Fang Xiu showed the hair-ring. With no left hand, he’d moved it to his right ring finger.

Bai Shuangying nodded, then frowned. “Why didn’t I marry you?”

“…That works too.”

Fang Xiu laughed, which again pulled his wound, drawing sweat from his brow.

Bai Shuangying looked at him and brushed the sweat away. The cool white fabric instantly made Fang Xiu feel better.

“Thanks, hubby, wifey, darling, sweetheart,” Fang Xiu joked. “Pick your favorite.”

Bai Shuangying suddenly felt that the phrase “Thank you, God” from the God of Weishan had been so elegantly succinct.

This human was ridiculous.

Still, seeing Fang Xiu’s spirits rise, he let it go.

“…Just kidding.” Fang Xiu leaned on his shoulder. “Back to business. If these rooms are ‘illusions anchored to reality’, why are they so different?”

Bai Shuangying: “See for yourself.”

He activated the Peach Bone Evil. A faint white thread appeared, drifting around the room.

Fang Xiu immediately focused on it. He reached out to grab it. “What is it?”

Bai Shuangying: “Karmic thread. This room is tied to someone’s karma. It’s built from their memories.”

Fang Xiu stretched and managed to catch it, only for it to dissolve in his hand.

Before he could ask, it reformed a few meters away, floating like a ghost.

“Don’t bother. You have no karma with this room. You’re not linked to it,” Bai Shuangying said.

Fang Xiu deflated. “Oh…”

Then he seemed to remember something and fell unusually quiet. Bai Shuangying didn’t force the conversation, idly fiddling with Peach Bone Evil.

After a while, he noticed Fang Xiu’s breathing had become steady and shallow.

He’d fallen asleep leaning on him.

In the breeze, Fang Xiu was doing better. He was no longer sweating and tossing and turning, but his frow still furrowed in pain, trembling every now and then.

His right hand still tightly clutched Bai Shuangying’s sleeve.

Bai Shuangying glanced at his severed left shoulder, then the soaked bedsheet. In the end, he picked Fang Xiu up and carried him to the bathtub.

Then he reverted to his true form.

Bai Shuangying submerged most of Fang Xiu’s body, letting the wounded stump soak in him. He dulled the pain into near-death numbness, knowing Fang Xiu needed it.

Lack of rest would ruin a human’s condition.

This time, Fang Xiu didn’t gnaw on him in his sleep. He just relaxed and stretched his right arm, awkwardly wrapping around Bai Shuangying.

“…Thanks,” Fang Xiu murmured. “Thank you, Bai Shuangying.”

……

The next day, Fang Xiu woke up inside Bai Shuangying’s real body, and he nearly sprang out of the bathtub on the spot.

His entire body first turned as red as his T-shirt, then gradually returned to white, before he fell into deep thought.

Finally, he said solemnly, “So… we’re just gonna sleep like this from now on?”

Considering this man was going to chop of a piece of him again tonight, Bai Shuangying had no objections.

He deliberately observed for a while and noticed that although Fang Xiu was still breaking into cold sweat, his mental state was much better than the night before.

…The pain curse was clearly still in effect, yet this guy’s tolerance to pain was downright abnormal.

Meanwhile, Fang Xiu carefully smoothed out the wrinkles on his shirt and happily admired the mountain forest under the morning sun.

“Let’s go find Song Zheng and the others,” Fang Xiu said, chest out and head held high.

Then he opened the door…only to find three mushrooms squatting right outside. Mushroom-Song Zheng had brought Xiao Tian and Xiao Li, all of them staring eagerly, waiting for him to wake up.

Apparently, after a night of hesitation, the three of them still decided that “not getting to eat” was scarier than “Fang Xiu is a killer”.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He were also waiting outside. Both of them had all their limbs intact, just dark circles under their eyes. Seeing the relaxed look on Fang Xiu’s face, they clearly let out a breath of relief.

Fang Xiu’s lips lifted in a smile. He opened the door wide. “Come in, I was just about to look for you.”

He’d already prepared food inside. When they saw the floor covered in meat, snacks, and drinks, Song Zheng’s eyes turned green. “How much intel do you want for this?”

Fang Xiu: “This meal’s on me. Consider it a thank-you for last night.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the three of them darted forward and started scarfing down food with zero dignity. After swallowing a big mouthful of meat, Song Zheng’s eyes welled up with tears. Xiao Tian and Xiao Li simply ate while crying.

“No rush. There’s more after this,” Fang Xiu said, a little pained to see this. Just how long had these people been surviving on rice soup and plain veggie rice?

Song Zheng chewed as he tried to speak. “As long as—mmff—we get food—mmff—we’ll do anything to help…”

Fang Xiu raised his eyebrows. “Not afraid I’ll go on a killing spree?”

Song Zheng hurriedly swallowed. “Hey, last night was just too sudden. I didn’t have time to react. That guy had blood debt points. When they’re redeemed, his crimes get broadcast publicly, exactly like you said.”

“Trash like that deserves to die. I fully support your revenge!” Xiao Tian choked out through bites of pastry.

“…Just eat first. Talk later,” Fang Xiu said, a little worried they might choke to death right then and there.

He turned to his own companions and pulled them aside. “How’d things go for you two last night?”

Guan He: “A female server came to my room and took away the pile of human meat. She even sniffed it and said it didn’t have the smell of a transaction.”

Fang Xiu: “She didn’t say anything else?”

“She threw in some sarcastic jab, said, ‘You have to rely on yourself. Acting like this, no wonder you can’t get a girl.’”

At this, Guan He frowned. “That was totally out of nowhere. Who talks about falling in love in a situation like this?”

Fang Xiu: “…Well, not necessarily. ‘Falling in love’ and ‘pure lust’ are two different things.”

Guan He: “?”

Fang Xiu looked away. “Go on.”

“That’s it. She left after saying that,” said Guan He.

Cheng Songyun took over naturally. “A man came to my room. It went about the same as Xiao He’s. But after he took the meat, he just left. Didn’t say a word.”

She lowered her eyes. “Maybe they already know. There’s no point telling me anything. I won’t gamble anyway.”

Fang Xiu’s brow twitched.

Both their rooms got opposite-sex servers, so why was his a same-sex one?

He sure didn’t think Mr. Eight Teeth had a shred of charm. Just remembering those sales pitches gave him a headache; he almost wanted to carve “unsubscribe” into the guy’s forehead.

…Whatever. Not an important detail.

Fang Xiu opened his mouth, just about to organize his findings, when Cheng Songyun continued on her own.

“Just in case, I spent the night in my own house,” she said.

She took a deep breath. “…And then something terrifying happened.”

---

The author has something to say:

Huanxi E: I see now—you’re into non-human male types. Then a handsome male apparition is sure to be a flawless choice!

Fang Xiu: [Unsubscribe*]

*Clarity: He’s typing TD which people usually do in China when they think they are getting spam. It’s basically equivalent to STOP, Unsubscribe, Cancel, ect.

Actually, Xiao Fang’s weight is pretty unhealthy, so everyone, don’t follow his example (???).

In the future, Xiao Bai will fatten him up!

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Uh… I think it’s a pretty important detail lol.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 49: Taboo Loophole

“We’ll break the taboo together,” Fang Xiu said.

Hearing this, Song Zheng grew anxious but didn’t want to give out free intel. After a long pause, he said, “Then I’ll keep showing you around… Are we still waiting for those three?”

Jia Xu and the others had gone to the service desk to upgrade the guestroom menu and hadn’t returned yet.

Fang Xiu smiled, but his eyes held no amusement. “No need. We’re probably looking for different things.”

After hesitating for a few seconds, Song Zheng led them to the high-low dice game area.

The people here mostly looked dusty and worn out, their faces blank with numb expressions. Their auras resembled mushrooms growing in the corner, clearly a “Bankrupt Alliance”.

Song Zheng plucked two of the “mushrooms” from the group and introduced them. “These two are my teammates. Xiao Tian and Xiao Li.”

He pointed first to the young woman, then to the young man beside her.

Both were pale and emaciated, their expressions so blank they looked like they were wearing masks. But upon hearing Song Zheng introduce them, they both nodded slightly.

“How’s today?” Song Zheng asked.

Xiao Tian: “I won one round at the start. Xiao Li lost two, won one. His chips are even. Bro, you haven’t won yet, right?”

Song Zheng shook his head.

Xiao Li: “One bowl of veggie rice per person today. That’s a straight deduction of three chips. We’ve only got eleven chips left. Lao Song, don’t lose too badly today, or we’ll be down to just rice soup.”

He said this listlessly, his tone utterly flat.

Song Zheng looked at Fang Xiu. “Mind if I play a bit?”

Fang Xiu shook his head.

Song Zheng blew warm air onto both hands, rubbed them vigorously, and stepped toward the high-low table. Despite the fallen state of the players, the dealer’s smile remained as sweet as ever.

Song Zheng cautiously took out one chip and placed it. “Small.”

The dice rattled. 1, 5, 6. “Big”.

One chip was instantly gone.

He pulled out another chip, gritted his teeth. “Small!”

Dealer rolled. 4, 4, 6. “Big” again.

Sweat beaded on Song Zheng’s forehead. He wiped his palms on his pants and pulled out another chip. “Big…”

Dealer smiled and rolled 1, 2, 4. This time “Small”.

In a flash, three chips vanished.

Xiao Li cursed under his breath. Song Zheng sighed repeatedly. Half a minute later, he licked his cracked lips, shivering slightly, and placed another chip. “…Small.”

Finally, the dice came up 1, 3, 4. “Small”.

Realizing he’d won, Song Zheng slumped slightly in relief.

“We’re down to 9 chips. Breaking even, we can last maybe three more days,” Xiao Tian said bitterly. “Maybe… maybe I should trade the karma between me and my sister…”

She shivered slightly, then forced a calm tone. “A hundred chips. That’ll last us a few more weeks.”

Having just seen Jia Xu easily turn 1 chip into over a thousand, then looking at these folks grinding chip by chip, Guan He felt a surreal sense of absurdity.

He couldn’t help licking his lips. “What about familiar folks? Have you… traded all of them?”

Hearing this, Xiao Tian gave a furious laugh.

Song Zheng shook his head and sighed. “Let me explain. It’s not valuable info, so I won’t charge.”

…Once, his team had been young, strong, and in harmony.

Together, they’d cleared three rituals. This was Song Zheng’s fourth. Having five people enter a fourth trial spoke volumes about their strength.

A month ago, they arrived at Huanxi World.

Like Fang Xiu, they disliked the place and wanted only to destroy the “E”.

Everyone agreed to win just once per day, no greed. To prevent anyone from getting carried away, they centralized chip management.

“We lent all our chips, interest-free, to the calmest person in the group, A’Qing,” Song Zheng said with a bitter smile. “He’s a PhD from a prestigious university, the smartest in our group. He did the most in our first three rituals.”

Guan He glanced at Fang Xiu… A’Qing sounded like their group’s “Fang Xiu”.

Fang Xiu: “And then?”

“A’Qing suggested we first trade away unimportant acquaintances for chips. Then take turns playing high-low using a martingale strategy. Know martingale? If you lose a round, you double the chips on the next.”

“That way, just one win recovers all losses plus profit. That profit buys veggie rice, and with free rice soup, you survive the day. Sounds foolproof.”

Cheng Songyun sneered. Guan He mentally ran the math and agreed.

If Song Zheng had used martingale: bet 1 lose 1, bet 2 lose 2, bet 4 win 4. Net gain: 1 chip.

Too bad Song Zheng hadn’t enough chips… Wait, not enough chips?

Guan He suddenly realized something and looked up at Song Zheng.

Song Zheng closed his eyes. “At first it worked great…until one day, A’Qing lost five rounds in a row.”

Fang Xiu hummed. “Lost 31 chips total. Sixth round would require betting 32.”

“Yeah. We only had four chips left. I advised A’Qing to switch to betting one per round to make do. But A’Qing wouldn’t accept it. He said keeping only four chips was too risky. The odds couldn’t be that cursed.”

Song Zheng looked down.

Things unfolded as Fang Xiu had guessed.

A’Qing, who was carrying a blood debt from an accidental death, wasn’t heavily penalized for revealing it. Brimming with confidence, he traded for 1,000 chips to continue martingaling.

…Then he lost five more rounds.

By round 10, he’d lost 1,023 chips. Round 11 required betting 1,024. But now the group had just a few chips left again.

Throughout this, Song Zheng had tried to stop him, but A’Qing had the chips and insisted.

“Ten losses in a row on 50/50 odds? Impossible… Unrealistic…”

A’Qing slumped soullessly at the table. The dealer’s smile didn’t flicker. 1,000+ chips devoured in silence by three dice.

Then A’Qing began exchanging again.

He traded every colleague and classmate he knew, his glamorous job, his properties, all his savings. “It’s fine,” he said, “once I pass the trial, I can wish for tons of money.”

…Thus, he scraped together 1,024 chips and bet again.

Round 11, loss.

Total chips lost: 2,047. Next round would need 2,048.

But they had nothing left.

“Odds can’t be this cursed,” A’Qing muttered, yanking at his hair. “I need more chips…”

“More chips, my ass!” Song Zheng snapped. “The only thing left to trade is family! You crazy?!”

A’Qing snapped too, eyes bloodshot. “So what? I haven’t won once today! If I bet 1 chip now and win, all my previous losses were a joke?!”

Gritting his teeth, Song Zheng grabbed A’Qing’s collar and marched to the service desk, trading in his own blood debt.

His blood debt was also accidental death. After trading, he said coldly, “I’ll lend you chips—one at a time. Go bet one by one.”

A’Qing stared at him for a while, then smiled a little manically and turned to the desk. “I’ll trade my beloved. I have a childhood fiancée…we were planning to marry by the end of the year.”

Song Zheng: “What the f—”

“If the karma’s gone, it’s gone. I’ll just pursue her again after this. It’s not irreversible…” A’Qing’s eyes bulged. “Can I trade it?”

“Verification complete. You do love your fiancée. How enviable.”

The girl at the counter smiled sweetly. “Here you go. 100 chips. Your karmic bond between you and your lover is cleared.”

A’Qing stared at the chip for a while.

They’d known each other for over ten years, and it ended just like that… It felt too easy.

After a while, A’Qing’s throat moved. “I’ll also trade my grandparents.”

“They have many grandchildren, not just me. They’re old anyway. Even if they forget me, it’s okay…”

He muttered, not sure who he was trying to convince.

“Here’s your 200 chips. Your karmic bond with your grandparents is cleared.”

Holding the 300 chips, A’Qing squatted silently for a long time. The “100” printed on each chip looked like strange pupils staring at him with a twisted tenderness.

A’Qing didn’t take Song Zheng’s chip. He bet the 300 directly.

This time, he didn’t bet high-low. He bet that the total dice sum would be 9, 10, 11, or 12. Odds: 6 to 1.

…And he won.

Guan He was stunned. “Winning’s good, isn’t it? Now he has 2,100 chips. He’s recovered completely.”

Plus Song Zheng’s 1,000, if he just bet carefully now, things shouldn’t have ended like this.

Fang Xiu showed no expression. “Everyone knows the logic. But do you think someone who won or lost over a thousand chips in one go would bet one by one again?”

Guan He was stunned, at a loss for words.

Once the discipline breaks, once the chips you’ve traded with your life… once you tasted the rush of a thousand-chip win… the human mind suffered a ‘broken window effect’. Once you take the first step, the second is inevitable.

Before Song Zheng could continue, Xiao Tian frowned. “After that, Song Ge wouldn’t let A’Qing handle the chips anymore. But A’Qing insisted he was right. Said if he’d listened to Song Ge, they’d have lost everything.”

“He said he’d switch to playing poker, a ‘higher skill game’, and even took another group member. Thinking about it now…”

Song Zheng shook his head to stop her.

He concluded directly, “In the end, A’Qing lost his parents too. Once he traded everything, he said returning to the human world was meaningless. Might as well stay here, win more chips, live in comfort.”

“So he tricked us, pretended he wanted to return, and stole all our chips… As for how, that’s paid info.”

Guan He: “Huh? He’s not dead?”

Song Zheng made it sound like a eulogy. He thought A’Qing had gambled himself into oblivion.

Song Zheng grinned. “Nah, now he owes Uncle Hou a lot of chips. Uncle Hou values his brains and keeps him working… Oh, Uncle Hou’s that fat guy. His info’s also paid.”

Guan He nervously glanced at Fang Xiu again.

Fang Xiu was an orphan and seemingly unmarried, with fewer human ties than A’Qing. Guan He imagined Fang Xiu turning into another A’Qing and broke into cold sweat.

Fang Xiu, seeing Guan He’s expression, almost laughed. “Relax. I won’t gamble.”

Cheng Songyun had no reaction the whole time. She just quietly listened, her eyes unreadable.

After the story, Song Zheng finished showing them around Huanxi World.

The casino was massive, larger than the most extravagant malls Fang Xiu had ever visited. His legs felt weak from walking. Bai Shuangying occasionally tugged his collar to stop him from toppling over.

It didn’t help much. Fang Xiu still drifted sideways and muttered occasionally.

After grumbling about the lighting being too bright, Fang Xiu asked, “You said there’s only one evil spirit here… so what are the dealers and staff?”

Bai Shuangying: “Illusions.”

Seeing Fang Xiu blink in confusion, he added, “Like the pedestrians in Mid-Autumn E. But this E is much stronger, so the illusions are more refined.”

“This E is that strong?” Fang Xiu reached out, his fingertip brushing the ornate wallpaper.

“Evil spirits don’t need karma. The karma from chips is all consumed by the E.”

Bai Shuangying explained casually. “Objects with lingering will gather karma and becomes an ‘E’. The more karma, the stronger the E.”

Fang Xiu’s brows twitched. “If all the karma’s drained, wouldn’t the souls taste bland? Then how would you get nourished—cough, I mean, how would ghost immortals be raised?”

He’d seen ghosts eat sacrifices to grow an E but never seen an E and ghost fighting over food. Terrible working conditions. What ghost could bear it?

Bai Shuangying gave him a side glance. “Worry about yourself first.”

Fang Xiu grinned mysteriously. “The mountain hermit has his tricks*!”

*This comes from a phrase said by Zhuge Liang. The mountain hermit refers to himself, because he was originally considered a hermit. The full context would be like “though I am a humble man from the mountains, I have a good solution.” In this context, it’s basically Fang Xiu playfully saying, “don’t worry about me, I have my ways/solution/trick up my sleeve.”

……

“I still think the safest way to win once a day is to trade some familiar people, draw a chip, and bet on high-low,” Song Zheng said gently after they returned to the first floor. “Breaking a taboo is too risky.”

Fang Xiu raised his hand cheerfully. “The first taboo says, ‘you must win once a day.’ Does that necessarily mean ‘you must win a bet in Huanxi World’?”

Upon hearing this, a trace of nostalgia crossed Song Zheng’s face. “When we first got here, A’Qing raised that same question.”

“We tried gambling in private with people who had nothing, even wagering magic weapons or food, intentionally losing to let the other win. We also tried clear win/lose games like arm wrestling. It was all useless.”

“‘Win once’ strictly means ‘win a game with chips in Huanxi World.’ There’s no loophole.”

After his reflection, he caught himself. “Wait, that was paid info…”

Fang Xiu held back a laugh. “Mhm, I’ll pay you with a roast chicken.”

He wasn’t disappointed. If the first taboo were that easy to bypass, 800+ people wouldn’t be stuck here.

Then Fang Xiu stretched a bit and walked once more toward the high-low tables.

Cheng Songyun frowned. “Xiao Fang, didn’t you say you wouldn’t gamble? You—”

Before she could finish, Fang Xiu suddenly lunged toward a figure in the corner. He moved behind the man and swiftly locked his throat.

That man was part of the “Bankrupt Alliance” over 1.9 meters tall. Yet he was scrawny and pale, looking even worse off than Song Zheng’s group.

He was sitting blankly when Fang Xiu struck. Several seconds passed before he realized what was happening. Fang Xiu leaned on the chair back with his body weight, choking the man tightly in place. In minutes, he was dead, without even a struggle.

The noise wasn’t huge but seeing someone killed so casually stunned everyone nearby.

Song Zheng was frozen. He spread his arms, shielding his teammates like baby chicks. “Y-Y-You—”

Fang Xiu didn’t explain. He took out a chip, drew a circle around the corpse, and scanned the surroundings.

Sure enough, within 30 seconds someone arrived. A man built like a tank with a hostile air, clearly another sacrifice.

“Kid, there are rules here.” The brawny man’s voice was low. “Explain. Now.”

He crossed his arms in front of his chest and his muscles were tense. His forearms were thicker than Fang Xiu’s thighs.

Fang Xiu: “He had a personal vendetta with me. He killed someone close to me.”

The man frowned. “…Go on.”

“Shang Debao. 41, from Chou Province. I know him. Outside, he raped and killed two girls. One of them was Haizhen—Zhang Haizhen. She was a grad student at the time. She said they’d get married after graduation.”

Fang Xiu stared down at the man. “He killed someone close to me. I took revenge. Got a problem?”

The man paused, as if verifying his memory. In the end, he just clicked his tongue. “We’ll let it slide this time. Don’t do it again.”

He moved to deal with the body.

But Fang Xiu swiped his hand and stored the corpse in his qiankun pouch.

“What’s the meaning of this?”

The man’s face darkened. “Let me be clear. If you’re killing to harvest meat to beat the taboo, or trading human meat for chips, that’s taboo!”

Fang Xiu stood firm. “I just want to bring my enemy’s corpse back and tear it apart. Why are you meddling?”

The man glared silently, then growled, “I’ll remember you.”

Fang Xiu: “You have a good memory.”

The man left, fuming.

Song Zheng had never seen someone so reckless. “That guy works for Uncle Hou. You… Haa…”

He looked toward Fang Xiu’s companions, but Guan He and Cheng Songyun were equally stunned, speechless.

Eventually, Cheng Songyun struggled to speak. “I thought we couldn’t hurt people…”

“‘Deceiving, coercing, or harming others to gain chips or chip items is considered stealing chips.’”

Fang Xiu recited Huanxi World’s rules. “So, directly harvesting human meat is banned. Trading human meat for chips is banned. Even trading meat for meat is considered chip bartering. It’s still banned.”

“Trading meat for magic weapons, then selling the magic weapons for chips, whether that works, I don’t know. But given the mess here, it’s probably impossible.”

Cheng Songyun pressed her lips together. “So you can only cut your own flesh.”

“…No, you can still gift it.” Fang Xiu said brightly, “If I simply kill someone and give the corpse away for free, that breaks no rules.”

As he suspected, violence wasn’t entirely forbidden here.

If violence were banned outright, Song Zheng wouldn’t have warned them against broadcasting their intent to break the E. The enforcer of Uncle Hou who rushed over proved it…

You could use violence here and you could kill people. However, Huanxi World was so peaceful that it was quite “unprofitable” to do so.

Giving away a corpse for free might win you allies, but those you can win over are usually marginal players who can’t win once per day anyway. They’re only useful to loan sharks like Uncle Hou, not regular players.

…But that was under “normal circumstances”.

Fang Xiu patted his pouch. “This guy’s a bit weak, but still about 265 lbs. Cheng Jie, you and Xiao Guan can split him. Should last around eight days.”

Bai Shuangying frowned slightly. Guan He tensed up. “Fang Ge, what about you?”

Fang Xiu smiled. “I’ll have to break the taboo.”

“If I can’t crack the E in eight days, I’ll probably just have my head left. At that point, you guys do what you have to. Think for yourselves.”

Cheng Songyun: “……”

Guan He: “……”

“Don’t get all emotional. I need your cooperation.” 

Fang Xiu looked at Cheng Songyun in particular. “Whatever you do, don’t kill for me. If we start exchanging human meat and it gets flagged as next-day trading, we’re all doomed.”

Bai Shuangying stared at him, but Fang Xiu didn’t respond to the look, as if he assumed Bai wouldn’t care.

Bai Shuangying paused, then grabbed a wandering soul still drifting nearby.

Unhappily, he bit into it. Then immediately froze. He lifted his sleeve to cover his mouth and gagged delicately before spitting it out as politely as possible.

A soft “urgh” sounded. Fang Xiu spun around lightning-fast. “What happened?!”

“It tastes awful. I can’t eat it,” Bai Shuangying said frankly, still covering his mouth.

Fang Xiu: “…”

Fang Xiu said with conviction, “I’ll try my best and crack the E within three days.”

Bai Shuangying: “Mm.”

……

At 11:30 p.m., the casino lights began to dim. A golden light shimmered at the lobby. Fang Xiu nodded at Cheng Songyun and Guan He and dashed straight into it.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his mountain-view suite.

Seeing the change in his room, Fang Xiu lifted the corner of his mouth. “So thoughtful.”

A golden round table had appeared in the center of the room. On it sat an exceptionally sharp bone-cutting knife and a perfectly sized weighing scale.

Fang Xiu touched his left arm and sighed.

“Sorry again,” he said to it.

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The author has something to say:

There’s no such thing as a good ending for a gambling addict. There’s no such thing as a guaranteed win.

Gambling is *not* cool! Gamblers are just as disgusting as johns and junkies. Porn, drugs, and gambling go hand in hand.

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