Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 36: A Sudden Drop in Numbers

Blood Night, inside the base.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lao Jin let out a laugh. “Sure.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“That’s a long story…”

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

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

Click.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jia Xu grew excited.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Any leads so far?”

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

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

Blondie said, “Fire?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jia Xu sighed dramatically.

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

Cheng Songyun: “……”

This all feels so contrived.

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

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

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

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

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

Guan He: “……”

Fuck, then at least explain!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Xiao Mei? Xiao Du? …Xiao Jia?”

No one replied.

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

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

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

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

Cheng Songyun and Guan He both fell silent.

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

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

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

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

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

Lao Jin laughed but didn’t finish the sentence.

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

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

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

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

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

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

……

Thud. Thud. Thud.

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

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

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

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

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

Cheng Songyun’s eyes lit up in relief.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Just earlier…

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

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

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

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

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

*It means to clamp/clip.

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

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

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

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

Within a few minutes, Bai Shuangying slipped back out.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“What’s so funny?”

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

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

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

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

……

Back to the present.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lao Jin snorted, half-convinced.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bai Shuangying: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lao Jin glanced at Cheng Songyun and Guan He.

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

“So generous?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cheng Songyun, however, was highly uneasy.

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

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

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

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

“‘Fang Xiu must have a plan…’”

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

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

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

…Did Fang Xiu really have a plan?

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

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

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

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

It was tracing letters on his back.

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

[Trust me]

At last, Guan He lowered his head.

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

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The author has something to say:

The fake con man: Jia Xu. 

The real con man: Fang Xiu. 

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

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

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

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 35: Must Not Show Your Face

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

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

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

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

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

“N-no…no, I, I can’t…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“L-l-like this…”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fang Xiu paused as though seriously weighing it.

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

“Great, thanks so much, Dashun Ge.”

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

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

Dashun jerked violently, going rigid at once.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fang Xiu ignored him.

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

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

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

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

“Look.”

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

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

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

Within a few seconds, Dashun fell silent.

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

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

It was a massive human face.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bai Shuangying found himself pausing to take in the sight.

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

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

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

“What just happened?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Hehe, tasty, right?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fang Xiu stiffened. “Eh?!”

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

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

Now, like Bai Shuangying, his face appeared blank.

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

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

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

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

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

Satisfied, Bai Shuangying continued eating his “mooncake”.

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

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

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

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

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

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

…How irritating.

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

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

“Let’s go,” he said.

……

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

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

The entire street lay silent as if sealed in amber.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A person seemed to be missing.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Absolutely impossible,” Bai Shuangying replied.

“In that case…can I hug you?”

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

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

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

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

The seal remained silent. Bai Shuangying was unsurprised.

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

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

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

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

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

Bai Shuangying: “?”

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

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

Bai Shuangying: “…”

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

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

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

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

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

“Tell me.”

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

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

……

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Photo?”

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

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

Fang Xiu: “……”

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

But it turned out the Polaroid was perfectly functional.

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

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

Bai Shuangying: “……”

Fang Xiu: “……”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Outside, the Blood Night continued.

---

The author has something to say:

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

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

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

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 34: Three Days of Despair

After speaking, Bai Shuangying looked expectantly at Fang Xiu, waiting for a brand-new reaction. He had never seen Fang Xiu panic before.

However, Fang Xiu merely scratched his head. “Okay.”

He wasn’t even as excited as when Bai Shuangying had told him “Yan Jing tasted good.”

Bai Shuangying: “?”

He felt his question wasn’t obvious enough, so he turned Fang Xiu’s face toward himself.

Bai Shuangying tilted his head slightly, once more: “?”

Fang Xiu quickly responded, “This information is indeed valuable. Thanks to you, I’ve learned something I never could have discovered on my own.”

Then he softened his voice. “But right now, what’s more important is to resolve the ‘E’ here. If we stake our lives on ‘the Underworld is kind’ or ‘the enemy isn’t that strong,’ that’d be too lame.”

“Who cares if it’s a ghost immortal or the Underworld? As long as it’s possible to win by following the rules, we just need to focus on winning.”

Bai Shuangying looked at Fang Xiu’s dark eyes. Right now, they were filled with a bright gleam. It wasn’t the naive confidence of someone who didn’t know his limits, but rather a burning enthusiasm for snatching victory.

It was like fireworks.

Bai Shuangying didn’t like humans, but he didn’t dislike fireworks. He would remember the brilliant fireworks here, and he thought he would probably remember Fang Xiu as well.

“…What are you planning to do?” Bai Shuangying let go of Fang Xiu’s face.

Fang Xiu mischievously scratched the back of Bai Shuangying’s hand, then mouthed, “Of course, we’ll test with people.”

“But right now, it’s not the right time.”

……

The second “Bloody Night” arrived at exactly six in the evening.

Before six, everyone had tied four evil spirits outside the shop door.

These four little evil spirits had violated the taboo and were so weak they couldn’t move. By looking through the small window in the door, they were in clear view.

Very soon, the storm-like breathing sound reappeared.

Though the breathing was still some distance from the base, the evil spirits by the door let out shrill screams, as if being flayed alive. The sound was indescribably agonizing.

A few seconds later, only the eerie breathing remained outside, accompanied by the sticky sound of liquid dripping.

This time, even Lao Jin didn’t bother putting on a pleasant face. This place’s taboo struck indiscriminately. If the evil spirits ended up like that, humans wouldn’t fare any better.

The second taboo was very likely the death taboo here.

Even after the breathing receded, no one dared to look outside.

The ritual had actually started in the morning, so by calculation, they hadn’t rested properly for a day and a half. They already had the result of their test, so everyone decided to sleep in their own corners. At least there was no shortage of food and water, and the evil spirits weren’t all dead yet. People weren’t desperate enough to turn on each other just now.

Fang Xiu chose the darkest corner.

He faced the base’s door, arms wrapped around his knees, with the lower half of his face hidden by his arms. The breathing outside rose and fell, sometimes near, sometimes far. Beneath his bangs, Fang Xiu’s eyes slowly curved into a smile, concealed carefully.

Then he leaned slightly, resting against Bai Shuangying, who sat next to him, and quickly fell asleep. Whether intentional or not, his cheek was pressed against the long hair cascading over Bai Shuangying’s chest, gently rubbing with each breath.

Bai Shuangying looked down at Fang Xiu.

Now Fang Xiu, asleep, wouldn’t cling to him as tightly as before. Instead, he was quite relaxed as he leaned over, seemingly trusting him a bit more.

Trust…

Using half a plastic mannequin, Bai Shuangying replaced himself with it and slipped away.

He could sense that almost ghost immortal was on the move. Unfortunately, it used the power of the E to conceal itself, so Bai Shuangying couldn’t pinpoint its exact location.

The good news was that the powerful evil spirit hadn’t truly reached ghost immortality. It likewise had to abide by the rules of the E.

Right now, it could move freely outside, meaning if the method was correct, it was possible to go out during the Bloody Night as well.

In fact, Bai Shuangying had weighed his options: this “E” here really couldn’t suppress him. But if he forcibly resisted the death taboo, the Underworld would definitely take notice.

Bai Shuangying decided to find a “permitted way” to go out under the taboo.

He’d been sealed for too long and hated being cooped up indoors for twelve hours every day. Besides, that half-step ghost immortal was swaggering around outside. The thought of it made him annoyed.

Bai Shuangying concealed himself fully and melted into his true form, then stuck a small tendril out of the door crack.

Like a snail’s eye stalk, the little tendril wriggled for a moment in the red glow, and sure enough, nothing happened. So he extended himself a bit more to test the waters, and then…

A pair of warm hands scooped him up entirely, dragging back the part that had just poked outside in one swift motion.

Bai Shuangying: “!”

It was Fang Xiu.

He had formed a pact with his human, so Fang Xiu was immune to his concealment.

Fang Xiu hugged Bai Shuangying’s true form like a bolster pillow, hauling his ghost back in. He buried his face in that weightless, airy shape, mumbling, “…I told you I’m a light sleeper…”

Bai Shuangying struggled desperately, afraid to use too much force and accidentally kill Fang Xiu, but he couldn’t shake himself free.

“Don’t test the taboo… dangerous… leave it to me…”

Fang Xiu mumbled sleepily, “You have to stay with me… until the very end…”

Fang Xiu kicked aside the plastic mannequin, then shrank back to his original spot, as if he wanted to nestle entirely into Bai Shuangying’s body.

“Mmm…” He rubbed his cheek against that alien-like creature, letting out a contented sound.

Unable to move, Bai Shuangying unleashed his trump card: he shifted back into human form.

The cold, pliable fluid by Fang Xiu’s side instantly morphed into smooth, firm skin, snapping Fang Xiu awake.

He realized Bai Shuangying was sitting there disheveled, and he himself was clinging to Bai Shuangying’s waist, face buried against his chest and belly.

Fang Xiu: “……”

Fang Xiu swallowed hard, stammering, “Um… I-I swear it wasn’t on purpose. Do you believe me?”

Bai Shuangying enunciated clearly, “You lecher.”

Fang Xiu silently let go of him. He wanted to explain, but didn’t know how. Should he say “sorry, I was half-asleep and treated you like a bolster pillow?” That sounded pretty rude too.

“Next time, don’t wait until I’m asleep to test the taboo. It’s dangerous.” Fang Xiu quickly changed the subject.

This time, Bai Shuangying found himself speechless… He couldn’t exactly say he was annoyed because that big evil spirit was swaggering around outside and he wanted to go for a stroll too.

Finally, they both fell silent, ending in a stalemate.

“Let’s keep resting.” Fang Xiu sat back down, patting the space next to him.

“Mm.” Bai Shuangying also resumed his seat beside Fang Xiu. The man and the ghost once again leaned against each other.

This time, Bai Shuangying gave up on trying to go out. He took out that small white porcelain vase and began to toy with it in his hand.

……

At six o’clock the next morning, the Bloody Night ended, and the ritual officially entered its third day.

Once the base’s door opened, people immediately saw what happened to those four “test subjects”.

They lay sprawled on the ground, flesh and skin ripped to shreds, wounds covering their entire bodies. Judging from the blood stains around them, all those injuries appeared in an instant.

Seeing how horribly they had died, no one showed much surprise, only falling into even greater silence.

Such an impossible way to die. There was no doubt it was the death taboo.

Fang Xiu scrutinized the four corpses, finding them quite interesting.

Three of them had collapsed facing the direction from which the breathing had come, their backs on the ground. The remaining one had apparently tried to run away, managing to crawl a few steps before dying in the middle of turning its head.

Noticing Lao Jin looking at him, Fang Xiu put on a fearful expression and kept his observations to himself.

Next came the third “white day”, and everyone had the critical task to figure out exactly how many evil spirits were left on this street.

Now, it was a matter of life and death for them all.

Guan He was “injured” and couldn’t move. This time, Cheng Songyun and Guan He remained in the base, while the other seven all set out.

Lao Jin’s team of three refused to separate. Jia Xu was unwilling to give up on Blondie’s combat abilities, and Mei Lan wasn’t keen to deal with Lao Jin’s group. Eventually, the two sides split up: three on one side, three on the other, leaving Fang Xiu as the extra.

“Perfect timing. We’ll split up and each do a count,” Jia Xu called to Fang Xiu.

“Boss, I’d like to go with Lao Jin’s group,” Fang Xiu said. “Our side already has enough people, but Lao Jin’s abilities are pretty one-note. We should give them a bit of support.”

With that, he bit his lip. “Besides, about Yan Jing Ge’s death yesterday…I bear some responsibility, and I want to make it up to them in my own way…”

Jia Xu didn’t understand but was quite impressed. Fang Xiu sounded genuinely remorseful, with no hint of putting on an act.

This kid had been so ruthless in Weishan Village, yet maybe he was fair with his grudges and gratitude? …Perhaps it was because Lao Jin’s group hadn’t attacked them? 

Then again, both Jia Xu and Mei Lan were good at stealth and had Blondie for combat. Although Fang Xiu’s “concealment” was handy, it wasn’t strictly necessary.

“Fine, go on over,” Jia Xu said, glancing at Lao Jin with a magnanimous air.

“What a thoughtful young man.” Lao Jin nodded at Fang Xiu.

That said, Lao Jin didn’t walk alongside Fang Xiu. He had Ma Zi guard himself while Da Shun stuck close to Fang Xiu every step of the way.

Da Shun was just over 1.7 meters tall, looking like a shar-pei in human form. He wore only name-brand clothing, and his hair was plastered close to his scalp in a greasy sheen.

All along the way, Fang Xiu seemed not to notice Lao Jin’s vigilance. He went out of his way to chat with Da Shun.

“Da Shun Ge, your clothes are brand-name, huh.”

“Da Shun Ge, is that a Rolex Submariner? Whoa, I’ve never seen the real deal before.”

…

“Watch out, brother!” Fang Xiu darted forward, shielding Da Shun from an evil spirit’s attack. His arm ended up with several bloody gashes.

Fang Xiu’s sweet words and protective actions flattered Da Shun, and with relatively few evil spirits around, they started chatting for real.

When Da Shun heard that Fang Xiu was an orphan who worked as a hospital janitor, he burst into laughter.

“A janitor? A month’s pay isn’t even enough for my night out,” he said derisively. “You’re in Taiyi City of Gui Province, right? If we see each other outside, I’ll take you under my wing as a lackey, and guarantee you’ll earn thirty to fifty thousand a month.”

Lao Jin gave them the occasional glance which made Da Shun quickly clear his throat. “The evil spirits really have gotten a lot fewer, huh.”

“Mm, we need to count them over and over.” Fang Xiu looked worried. “Looks like there aren’t even a hundred. We have to hurry and find the E.”

Using the Five Emperors’ coins’ power to “bewitch the evil spirits”, they combed every nook and cranny—streets, alleys, even garbage bins.

Most small evil spirits were already wiped out, leaving only medium and large ones. There were no more than seventy in total. With so many stronger evil spirits, it was getting difficult for Lao Jin’s group to control them using the coins. Lao Jin’s expression grew grim.

They counted three or four times in a row. Within that short time, the evil spirits killed several more of their own, still revealing no additional clues about the “E”.

The fireworks in the sky went on crackling incessantly, which made things increasingly irritating.

At noon, the two groups met in the middle of the street.

“Plus the ones left at the base, there are sixty-four evil spirits,” Fang Xiu called out.

Sure enough, Jia Xu immediately contradicted him. “It’s already three-quarter past noon, so subtract the two that Cheng Jie and Xiao Guan killed. Only sixty-two evil spirits remain on this street.”

Blondie: “Still good.” A decent number still remains. 

Jia Xu: “Good? What’s good about it? There are nine of us. If we rely on evil spirits alone, we can last at most two more days.”

The first taboo halved the daily kill quota indiscriminately. If they insisted on killing only evil spirits…

Tomorrow would halve their number again, leaving at most twenty-six evil spirits. By the day after tomorrow, there would only be eight evil spirits… Then before noon on the day after that, they’d be stuck with nine humans and eight evil spirits.

That was if the evil spirits only killed one of their own per day. In reality, it was likely worse, as that group of brainless creatures attacked on sight.

Lao Jin weighed his thoughts. “Once the evil spirits get even fewer, we could isolate some of them. If they break taboos, so what… It’ll slow the rate of reduction a bit.”

After saying that, he frowned again. “But that’ll only buy us a day or two at most. It won’t solve the problem.”

…If they couldn’t find the “E”, they’d have to start killing each other eventually.

No wonder that big evil spirit wouldn’t show itself, Fang Xiu thought.

Even without its interference, humans would auto-destruct. It only had to pick them off in the chaos to fill its quota, then act like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind*. Once all the sacrifices and evil spirits were dead, it would simply wait for the next batch.

*Idiom referring to a situation where someone is focused on taking advantage of another party that they fail to notice a third party taking advantage of them.

Oh, according to Bai Shuangying, it might not even need to wait for the next batch. This time might let it become an immortal.

“Tonight we’ll test the evil spirits again,” Fang Xiu suggested in a small voice. “Actually, I found something odd about how those evil spirits died this morning…”

Lao Jin raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

Fang Xiu put on a slightly uncertain look. “The ones facing that breathing sound died instantly. The one that had its back turned held on a few seconds longer… It died while turning its head. Maybe the taboo is ‘you cannot look directly at it’…”

Before Fang Xiu could finish, Jia Xu immediately perked up. “Tonight we’ll blindfold the evil spirits and put them outside to see what happens!”

Lao Jin let out a long groan. “We have no choice. Let’s try it.”

They spent the entire “white day” accomplishing nothing apart from the evil spirit census. As the Bloody Night approached again, Jia Xu tore some cloth strips to blindfold the evil spirits.

“One won’t be enough.” Ma Zi grabbed another evil spirit. He didn’t bother with cloth, instead gouging out the creature’s eyeballs.

All four eyes landed on the ground with a splat, giving off an unpleasant stench.

The little evil spirit screamed as Ma Zi subdued it with practiced ease with a completely blank expression.

Jia Xu’s voice quivered, “R-right now, we don’t have many evil spirits left. They’re very precious…”

Ma Zi shot him a sinister look, making Jia Xu instantly shut his mouth.

Two evil spirits were set at the old spot, each forced to face the same direction. But everything went the same way…

The breathing drew near. While it was still some distance away, the evil spirits once again shrieked and died.

The next morning, people checked and found the evil spirit with gouged eyes lying flat on its back, dead as could be.

The other evil spirit had torn off its blindfold, running a few steps farther. It likewise died mid-turn.

Jia Xu immediately looked at Fang Xiu. “Your guess was wrong. The taboo isn’t ‘you cannot look directly at it.’ We wasted two evil spirits for nothing, haa.”

Fang Xiu lowered his head so that his face showed guilt and despair.

……

In this manner, the third Bloody Night ended, and the fourth white day arrived.

They searched the street yet again, as they had predicted. After their day’s required kills, only a bit over twenty evil spirits remained.

What drove them to despair was that three days had passed, yet the pedestrian street looked the same as ever.

Faceless passersby went on merrily enjoying the night, the music still light and airy, fireworks beautifying the sky under a round moon. As if the Mid-Autumn Festival here had no end in sight.

They could see the fourth night was about to arrive, a precious day about to be wasted in vain.

In the base, Lao Jin took out a pack of cigarettes, staring grimly at it. Ma Zi stood silently beside him, evaluating each person with his gaze.

Even Blondie was now glaring at Guan He.

He scratched his chin and quietly asked Jia Xu, “You think killing a ghost under contract counts?”

Jia Xu actually answered. “No. If a contracted ghost also counted as part of the quota, we’d have to kill two evil spirits a day.”

Blondie glanced at Guan He again. “Tch. Then there’s no solution, huh.”

Sensing danger, Guan He inched closer to Cheng Songyun, and Cheng Songyun glared back at Blondie like an enraged mother beast. Mei Lan gripped a can of food tightly, ready to smash it on the floor at any moment to create water for hiding.

Undercurrents swirled in the base, tension high.

Fang Xiu tugged on Bai Shuangying’s sleeve, whispering, “You’re sure we can move around outside during the Bloody Night?”

“Yes. That almost ghost immortal is roaming every night,” Bai Shuangying responded irritably.

Fang Xiu thought for a moment, then smiled. “I think I get it now.”

Bai Shuangying warily asked, “Are you sure?”

“Yesterday I was about sixty percent sure. Today it’s more like ninety. That last ten percent requires a test, but it’ll be worth it.” Fang Xiu said quietly, “…I think things have gotten tense enough that I won’t even need to volunteer.”

Bai Shuangying was about to ask what he meant, but Lao Jin spoke up, giving him the answer.

“Little Fang, tonight you go out and try.”

Lao Jin’s tone was especially warm. “Our five emperor coins only work on evil spirits. They won’t help against the taboo. There’s no other way. If this goes on, there’ll be chaos.”

Fang Xiu visibly shrank back, faltering a little. “But I still need to provide everyone with food…”

“You just need to leave enough supplies.”

Lao Jin gave him a kindly smile. “Your ability is concealment, so you’re best suited for reconnaissance. Don’t misunderstand. I’m not forcing you.”

“You still have the power to produce food, so even if we start killing each other, we’ll spare you until the end… If you don’t want to go, we’ll all understand.”

He spoke each word slowly, making sure everyone could hear.

Fang Xiu’s own teammates fell silent, except for Cheng Songyun, who bit her lip and said, “What do you mean? Xiao Fang has no obligation—”

But before she could finish, Guan He tugged on her sleeve.

Faced with Cheng Songyun’s puzzled look, Guan He shook his head and carefully mouthed, “Brother Fang isn’t refusing. He definitely has a plan.”

Seeing Guan He’s determined eyes, Cheng Songyun fell quiet.

“All right, I understand.”

Fang Xiu took a deep breath, his expression resolute.

Lao Jin was just about to smile when Fang Xiu added…

“But I have no combat power. I’ll need someone with me. I want him to come.”

Fang Xiu pointed straight at Ma Zi. “Xiao Guan’s already hurt, so if another two from our side die, that would be… Sorry, Uncle Jin, but I have to think about my companions too.”

He was practically writing “I’m already risking my life, so you’d better meet me halfway” on his forehead.

Lao Jin gripped the cigarette pack, hesitating. “Da Shun, you go with him.”

“Boss?!” Da Shun was shocked.

“Xiao Fang’s concealment can protect you. Don’t you two work well together?”

Lao Jin said calmly, “Against the taboo, strength doesn’t matter much. I just need to send someone… Isn’t that right, Xiao Fang?”

Fang Xiu pursed his lips. “…Yes.”

Only Bai Shuangying noticed Fang Xiu’s mouth twitching for a while, as if suppressing a smile.

…So that’s it. This human’s target all along was Da Shun.

If he was forced to bring the tall and brawny Ma Zi, Fang Xiu would have had a hard time managing him.

“We’re off, then.”

At 5:50 p.m., Fang Xiu gathered a few old clothes and stepped across the threshold. “Promise me, no one kills anyone else tonight… If I come back and find someone dead, I won’t say a word!”

“Cheng Jie, take good care of Xiao Guan.” Before leaving, Fang Xiu specifically added.

There were only ten minutes to go until six. Fang Xiu led Da Shun in a sprint toward the archway on the right side of the base. Since the breathing always came from the left archway, moving from left to right and back again.

They quickly reached the end of the street and stopped at “Treasures of Huai Zhen”, panting for breath.

With only three minutes left before the Bloody Night descended, Da Shun trembled. “X-Xiao Fang, are you sure your concealment will work?”

Fang Xiu tossed him an old piece of clothing. “Later, use this to cover your face, and don’t make a sound.”

Da Shun’s brow twitched. Fang Xiu’s tone had changed, no longer that of the “naive young man” he was used to. In this moment, the youth spoke like someone in charge.

Like Boss Jin, who could casually snuff out a life.

Da Shun suddenly sensed danger. “Why do we need to cover our faces…”

“Because I said so.” Fang Xiu didn’t bother to explain. Time was short, and Da Shun wouldn’t make it back to the base.

Then Fang Xiu turned to Bai Shuangying, his voice suddenly gentler. “Bai Shuangying, you cover your face too. Just use your sleeve… ack!”

Bai Shuangying directly made his facial features disappear, leaving only a blank patch of skin and that single bright red mole.

Fang Xiu lamented instantly, “What a waste—!”

Then, letting out a small sigh, Fang Xiu picked up an old piece of clothing and pulled it over his own head.

Unlike Da Shun, he cut two holes in it so he could at least see outside.

Immediately afterward, the three of them hid at the mouth of the alley beside the arch.

Bai Shuangying concealed himself more carefully, then lightly nudged Fang Xiu. “What exactly is going on?”

He truly was curious how they would walk around during the Bloody Night.

Fang Xiu smiled, lowering his voice.

“I watched very closely how those evil spirits screamed, moved, and died.”

Bai Shuangying leaned his blank face closer. Fang Xiu looked at that featureless visage and tapped the single red mole with his fingertip.

“…Once we confirm with Da Shun, I’ll tell you everything,” he whispered. “Then you can devour his living soul while you listen.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the fourth Bloody Night fell.

---

The author has something to say:

The surface-level peace is over. It’s time to strike. 

As for Bai Shangxian, it’s best not to casually reveal his true form; not only does it fail to intimidate, it also makes it all too easy for a certain someone to scoop him up as a hug pillow (???

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 33: The Damned

Fang Xiu finished speaking and scooped up a pile of Wangzai milk cartons from the pool of blood.

He treated them like hand-grenades, hurling them wildly into the evil toad spirit’s mouth. Struck repeatedly, the spirit grew furious. Its tongue suddenly yanked away from Yan Jing, causing Yan Jing to slam to the ground with a thud, dying on the spot.

“Conceal…” Fang Xiu didn’t even get the word out before everyone present, including Yan Jing’s corpse, was hidden away by Bai Shuangying.

He and his ghost were getting more and more in sync. Satisfied, Fang Xiu ran over to Yan Jing’s body, drew a circle around the corpse, and took Yan Jing’s Five-Emperor Coins in passing.

“Try it while it’s still hot.” He called out to Bai Shuangying, brimming with excitement.

Bai Shuangying grabbed Yan Jing’s still-twitching living soul and carefully rolled it into a circular “cake”, then took a cautious bite.

…It truly was delicious.

Yan Jing’s living soul trembled nonstop, emitting sharp, tiny wails. Bai Shuangying’s appetite only grew, as if that sizzling sound was fresh food straight off the stove.

It was rare for Bai Shuangying to taste such a delectable living soul. Its karma was abundant, and its sins were layered with subtle complexity. He savored each bite for a good while.

“It’s even better than Fourth Master’s,” Bai Shuangying remarked cheerfully.

He tucked the remainder of the ‘soul-cake’ away in his clothing, deciding to savor it later.

“‘Boss Jin’ will taste even better,” Fang Xiu said.

He dragged what was left of the corpse in front of the evil toad spirit. After all, the thing had helped out, so it deserved some sort of reward.

Once the body was in place, Bai Shuangying released the concealment.

However, the evil toad spirit didn’t appreciate the offering. Enraged, it opened its blood-soaked jaws wide, turning them toward Fang Xiu. Then…then it simply stopped.

In the dim light of the alley, one could just make out the red-clad human.

In the darkness behind that person, two pale glints shone. White irises stared coldly, exerting a crushing pressure like a collapsing mountain.

The evil toad spirit’s enormous body quivered, then lowered its head.

A few seconds later, it backed off dejectedly. Its purple-black tongue shot out and snapped back, biting down on Yan Jing’s corpse. Most of the corpse’s head flew off with a crack, clattering into the trash can.

Fang Xiu stifled a laugh. “Now there really is a head in the dumpster, so I guess I wasn’t lying.”

Bai Shuangying patted the struggling ‘soul-cake’ in his arms. “Mm.”

Guan He stood there, stunned.

Before this, he’d thought Fang Xiu was the type to keep a low profile, calm and rational, with normal morals. It was a stark contrast to Jia Xu’s pompous attitude, which made Guan He respect Fang Xiu more.

…Then Fang Xiu went and casually killed someone right in front of him.

Was what Fang Xiu said true?

Was Yan Jing really a drug trafficker? And how was Fang Xiu able to “pass along messages from the dead”? Weren’t they told there were no real practitioners among the sacrifices?

A hundred confused questions swarmed in Guan He’s mind, leaving him rooted to the spot, unable to react at all.

Fang Xiu walked over and patted him on the shoulder. “Classmate Guan He, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.”

“Uh…okay.” Guan He shrank back a bit.

“I work for an official special agency that handles cases the regular police can’t touch,” Fang Xiu said. “I personally don’t have the so-called ‘yin-yang eyes’, so I’m not really a ‘practitioner’. But I do have plenty of professional informants, and I promise you, every person I kill is someone who deserves to die.”

The moment Guan He heard “official agency”, his expression relaxed immediately. “So that’s it! That’s great, really great…”

Fang Xiu gave him a quick wink. “Keep it under wraps, okay?”

“Why not tell everyone else?” Guan He couldn’t understand.

Having an official professional in the team would be the perfect reassurance.

Fang Xiu fell momentarily silent, then said cryptically, “I’ve got my reasons. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Guan He nodded obediently. That made sense… Maybe Fang Ge was undercover or something. He must have his reasons.

Even though Guan He vaguely felt that it seemed a bit too casual to kill people like that—especially for someone working under the government—he didn’t overthink it. After all, it was killing a criminal. Maybe Fang Xiu was just someone who really despised evil.

“So Yan Jing really was a drug dealer?” Guan He asked.

“Yes.”

Guan He bit his lip, and there was a trace of hatred in his eyes. “So Boss Jin and his men are drug dealers too?”

“That’s right. But don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to handle them soon.”

“Tell me now, Bro!”

Fang Xiu shook his head with a smile. “No, your job right now is to rest.”

He picked a small security booth nearby, just big enough for Guan He to curl up and take a nap. He had Bai Shuangying completely conceal Guan He. At last, only Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying remained on the street.

“Let’s go shopping!” Fang Xiu stretched dramatically.

Just then, he noticed something a bit off in Bai Shuangying’s mood. There was a subtle disappointment on the ghost’s face.

Nibbling at the soul-cake, Bai Shuangying asked, “Are you with the government?”

“Oh, that? It’s just a lie to trick Xiao Guan.” Fang Xiu scratched his cheek. “What difference would it make if I were actually from the government?”

Bai Shuangying: “Souls that carry heavy karma are delicious, but those that carry positive merit taste awful. If you devour one, it damages your cultivation.”

Fang Xiu: “……”

No wonder Bai Shuangying had zero interest in the remains of the God of Weishan.

He spoke of “merit” the way one would talk about a shady additive in food. 

Right now, Fang Xiu’s ghost was clearly suspicious that “Fang Xiu’s Living Soul” might be tainted with such “merit”.

“How exactly is ‘merit’ determined?” Fang Xiu asked nervously all of a sudden.

Thinking it over, Bai Shuangying used Yan Jing as an example. The scenario “drug dealer gets killed” could play out three ways:

First, Yan Jing killed people and was then killed in self-defense or executed by the law.

This would fall under ‘brought it on himself.’ The killer wouldn’t gain merit and there would be no karmic tie-in either way.

Second, Yan Jing died in a power struggle, an accident, or through revenge.

That motivation had nothing to do with benevolence, so the killer merely incurred a karmic bond and there would be no merit to speak of.

Third, Yan Jing was killed by government officers or heroic vigilantes acting in the name of justice.

This would be a case of ‘upholding Heaven’s law’. The killer not only would bear a karmic bond but would also rack up one piece of positive merit.

“…Heaven’s law is sharper than the E. It looks at both one’s actions and their motivations. Even if the final result is the punishment of evil, only those who act with genuine righteousness can accumulate merit.” Bai Shuangying concluded.

Fang Xiu felt that made a lot of sense. Otherwise, if drug dealers turned on each other and somehow ended up gaining merit, that would be the darkest of ironies.

“A genuine sinner that’s been killing ‘livestock’ for more than a decade. I promise there’s no added ‘merit’.”

Fang Xiu patted his chest in all seriousness. “Of course, I’m a pure plague on society. I’ve been killing since I was a kid.”

Bai Shuangying: “……”

True enough. Judging by how Fang Xiu chopped up Shan Huanzi, he didn’t look like a virtuous sort.

Also, his total disregard for evil spirits was definitely suspicious. Saying he doesn’t have ‘yin yang eyes’ must be a lie. But Fang Xiu clearly didn’t know much about the Underworld, so he probably wasn’t some official Enforcer from the afterlife either.

Right, there are indeed some humans who make money off of this kind of ‘Underworld talent’, so Fang Xiu was likely just a hired assassin. And if people pay money to have the Underworld kill someone, then that target is definitely no angel.

“Let’s go buy that vase.” Bai Shuangying was reassured now. He stuffed his sleeve into Fang Xiu’s hand.

“Ah.” Fang Xiu hesitated. “I still haven’t saved up enough money…”

Bai Shuangying pulled out a big wad of bills. “I picked up a lot too. Let’s pool our money and buy it together.”

Fang Xiu stared in surprise at that stack of cash. He hadn’t noticed when Bai Shuangying managed to collect it. The ghost must have done so quietly but clumsily; the coins included a few arcade tokens, while the paper bills were mixed with similarly colored coupons.

Even so, combined with Fang Xiu’s own stash, they had enough…plus some extra.

Bai Shuangying saw it as a matter of course. “First we got a paper flower, now we should get a vase. We’re friends. It shouldn’t be just you putting in all the effort.”

Fang Xiu gripped the white sleeve in his hand a little tighter.

“You’re right.” He smiled again.

……

A dozen or so minutes later, they were inside a souvenir shop called “Treasures of Huai Zhen.”

After getting the vase, Bai Shuangying didn’t leave immediately. He pulled Fang Xiu over to sit down in the shop.

“Give me the Five-Emperor Coins.” He extended his hand toward Fang Xiu.

Puzzled, Fang Xiu complied.

Bai Shuangying let out a low hum of satisfaction. He carefully undid the red tassel from the Five-Emperor Coins, separating the crimson cord from the coins themselves.

Once the five copper coins lay in his palm, they rapidly sprouted thick layers of verdigris, giving off an intensely ominous yin energy. Then Bai Shuangying restrung them on a red cord, forming a baleful copper-coin longevity lock.

Fang Xiu watched, intrigued. “What’s this?”

Bai Shuangying: “You want to protect that little burden, right? I can tell.”

It took Fang Xiu a second to realize he was talking about Guan He. “He’s young, that’s all. I’m just helping out along the way.”

Honestly, calling Guan He a “burden” wasn’t far off.

His child-ghost only had the ability to “blend in inconspicuously”, which couldn’t hold a candle to Bai Shuangying’s “concealment”.

And Guan He’s own intellect and combat ability were nothing special, putting him dead last in overall strength.

“Give this to his ghost. If that child-ghost wears it, it’ll be able to use the ‘Five-Ghosts Relocation’ technique.”

Bai Shuangying continued, “That way he can do things for you, instead of just wasting your time.”

Five-Ghosts Relocation, essentially “telekinesis”, really did suit the child-ghost’s abilities. In the right situation, it might come in handy.

Taking the copper-coin longevity lock, Fang Xiu casually teased, “What, you don’t like anyone else taking up our alone time?”

Bai Shuangying didn’t hesitate. “Correct.”

Fang Xiu’s joking words got stuck in his throat. His neck reddened a bit from embarrassment.

“Since you like me so much, why not leave the Five-Emperor Coins for me?” After a long moment, he finally managed a sentence.

“That thing is useless for you. Having me is already enough,” Bai Shuangying said with complete self-assurance.

With his exalted status, subduing one or two evil spirits posed no problem at all. Even with the seal he was under, he was still hundreds of times stronger than some ordinary magic weapon.

Fang Xiu fell silent for a while, wiping his face vigorously, and assumed Bai Shuangying was referring to the “concealment” ability.

He quickly changed the subject. “Since you seem to know a lot about magic weapons, can you recognize anything else Boss Jin has?”

Bai Shuangying thought for a moment. “Five-Emperor Coins make one item. He also carries a bagua mirror, but I’d have to see its surface to identify its specific function.”

So there weren’t many magic weapons in total. It suggested Boss Jin’s group were at least partly new to this. Then again, they had definitely survived at least one ritual. Fang Xiu recalled that when he mentioned “Destroy the E to get a reward,” Lao Jin’s show of surprise had looked staged, and at that moment, Mazi and the others instinctively glanced toward Lao Jin’s arm.

It was possible Lao Jin also had some reward from destroying an “E”, but Fang Xiu didn’t yet know what it was.

“How about that golden Buddha he carries?” Fang Xiu asked.

“It’s just a chunk of gold,” Bai Shuangying replied.

……

They wandered around the street together, leisurely taking in the modern toy shop and a small art gallery. Fang Xiu dawdled until around two in the afternoon before returning to the security booth to wake Guan He.

Guan He woke up refreshed, looking full of energy. When he was handed the newly-made copper-coin longevity lock, he brightened even more. “Fang Ge, thank you!”

Young people are straightforward. With Fang Xiu’s “official professional” cover story, Guan He didn’t question where the longevity lock came from. He summoned his child-ghost right away, carefully helping it put on the lock. The child-ghost hugged the lock, giggling happily.

Fang Xiu had a vague feeling Guan He seemed quite good at caring for children.

After briefly explaining Five-Ghosts Relocation, Fang Xiu got straight to business. “With your temperament, there’s no way you can fool a drug dealer like Boss Jin. So from here on, just pretend you’re traumatized. Don’t meet anyone’s gaze or talk to them.”

Guan He already wasn’t much of a talker, so it wouldn’t look odd at all if he kept quiet.

Still, Guan He hesitated. “‘Traumatized’…I’m afraid I won’t be convincing.”

Fang Xiu forced a grim smile. He took a breath and pressed his forearm against a wall studded with gravel, scraping it in such a way that a large patch of skin and flesh was torn open, all blood and raw wounds.

Then he stooped down, picked up a shard of a beer bottle, and walked toward Guan He. The piece was long, almost like a small dagger.

The thick smell of blood made Guan He shiver. “Fang Ge?”

“Next, I’m going to injure your head a bit. It might look pretty bloody, but I know what I’m doing.”

“Remember, we ran into a powerful evil spirit. Yan Jing was killed, and your head got grabbed by it. I only got scrape a bit because I’m good at hiding.”

As Fang Xiu toyed with the broken bottle, its sharp edge left tiny cuts on his hand. He didn’t seem to mind at all.

“…Your head injury will make you slow to respond. Jia Xu won’t send you outside anymore. As long as you stay at the base, Cheng Songyun will protect you.”

He paused. “What do you say, Xiao Guan… Can you do that?”

Guan He bit his lip, then closed his eyes. “Go ahead, Bro.”

……

A bit after three in the afternoon, Fang Xiu supported Guan He, whose head was covered in blood, back to the base. Blood had dried in clots around Guan He’s eyelids, so stiff that it was hard for him to even open his eyes.

Cheng Songyun let out a startled cry, rushing forward in a few quick steps. “What happened? What on earth—?”

The instant Lao Jin noticed Yan Jing hadn’t returned with them, his expression darkened.

But rather than lashing out, he showed measured concern. “Brother Fang, where’s my guy?”

Fang Xiu told his lie in vivid detail. When he got to the dramatic parts, he gestured so wildly that blood splattered onto Lao Jin’s Five-Emperor Coins.

Lao Jin didn’t notice that detail… It wasn’t his fault, as Fang Xiu was quite a sight. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he kept sobbing as he spoke. If tears were needed, he had tears to spare.

The performance was so pure and sincere that Bai Shuangying couldn’t bear to watch. He quietly hid his face behind his sleeve.

Seeing Fang Xiu in such grief, Lao Jin believed about seventy or eighty percent of it. “…Haa, this ritual really is lethal. It’s not your fault, not your fault.”

He said nothing more, though his gaze flickered. No one could guess what was on his mind.

Jia Xu’s face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

At first, he didn’t want to believe it, but Fang Xiu’s crying was too convincing and he got a bit rattled. “Stop weeping for a moment. Did you pay attention while out there? Any new evil spirits?”

“No new ones. They’re even fewer than yesterday,” Fang Xiu rasped.

“Fuck!” Blondie cursed.

“What happened?” Fang Xiu sniffled.

Jia Xu let out a sigh. “While you were gone, we confirmed the first taboo.”

“Basically, day and night are reversed here, and the time limit for the forbidden rule is 11:45 every morning, that is, midday at the third quarter… And the first taboo applies indiscriminately, so even the evil spirits have to kill each other, or else they violate the taboo.”

Then Jia Xu forced a somewhat lighter expression. “But at least that taboo isn’t a lethal one. If they violate it, the evil spirits just get progressively weaker. There’s no sign of outright death.”

He was skirting around the main point; that it applies to everyone, not just evil spirits, and humans killing each other might also fulfill the requirement.

Then again, Fang Xiu didn’t need Jia Xu to tell him. He’d already tested it personally using Yan Jing’s death. Killing people worked all the same.

Even if Fang Xiu didn’t strike the lethal blow himself and just caused Yan Jing’s death, he was still safe from violating the taboo.

When the third quarter of midday arrived, someone would pay with their life.

Although the first taboo wasn’t an instant kill, it forced them to slaughter each other… Everything about its timing and requirements was unsettling.

“I see at least two or three hundred evil spirits still out there. We have time. We can definitely handle this!” Fang Xiu said.

With only two taboos left to clarify and three remaining drug dealers at his disposal, there’d definitely be a way, he thought to himself.

“Midday at the third quarter, midday at the third quarter… People who don’t know might think they’re about to be beheaded at the vegetable market,” Blondie muttered.

While Cheng Songyun was busy treating Guan He’s wounds, she blurted out, “Maybe everyone here really is meant to die.”

When those words fell, an odd hush descended on the room.

For a moment, nobody refuted it.

“…Miss, that’s quite a statement,” Lao Jin said at last, stroking the golden Buddha at his chest, breaking the silence. “I’m just a simple businessman. And look at that kid… What could he possibly have done?”

Guan He shifted slightly, lips pressed tightly together.

Jia Xu immediately raised his voice, “I’m sure it’s just the E itself being irrational. That thing has no brains.”

“Maybe the one who left this obsession behind was some lowlife loser who wanted revenge on the entire world.”

Fang Xiu wiped his reddened eyes. “Uh, let’s not assume the worst in people. We should still hurry and figure out the second taboo…”

But at the mere thought of that horrifying blood-red night, everyone went quiet again.

That taboo obviously spelled extreme danger. Only someone with a death wish would rush to investigate it.

Fang Xiu: “Then let’s skip the second one for now. Figuring out the third one would also be good…”

Still no reaction from anyone, their expressions even gloomier.

Fang Xiu had a point, but they’d already explored for quite a while, and there was not a single hint of a third taboo. Meanwhile, the first taboo was ticking down ominously.

The atmosphere became awkward.

In the end, there was only one path forward, and everyone knew it, yet no one wanted to be the first to say it.

Time was running out. They had to figure out what that blood-red night was.

To investigate properly, using evil spirits alone might not suffice. Someone among them would have to make a sacrifice.

……

Satisfied that Fang Xiu had performed his tearful show to completion, Bai Shuangying finally lowered his sleeve.

He had no interest in hearing the humans’ endless prattle about strategy. Instead, his thoughts drifted outside, focusing in one particular direction…

Earlier, when finding “the most powerful evil spirit nearby” for Fang Xiu, Bai Shuangying already sensed something peculiar about this place.

There was a very unique presence in the streets.

It didn’t feel quite like a ghost but just half a step shy of an Immortal Ghost. It was far, far stronger than that neighborly Old Man Fu from before.

And yet this formidable creature had never shown itself. It merely followed them at a distance, its aura perfectly concealed, as if it were watching a show.

When it noticed Fang Xiu giving a living soul to Bai Shuangying, it even deliberately released a bit of its aura to probe them, but Bai Shuangying had bluffed it away. If not for his seal, he would have apprehended that insolent presence immediately.

“Fang Xiu.”

Bai Shuangying tapped the back of Fang Xiu’s neck, deciding to share his discovery with his human friend.

“…There’s an evil spirit here that’s half a step from becoming an Immortal Ghost. It’s already earned the E’s approval and only needs to build up enough power.”

“Once this round of sacrifices all die, the resulting living souls can foster the birth of a brand-new Immortal Ghost.”

“…What did you say?” Fang Xiu tried hard to keep his voice steady.

“It’s understandable that this ‘E’ is so hard to break.” 

Bai Shuangying said evenly, averting his gaze, “I suspect that from the very start, the Underworld had no intention of letting you all win this time.”

“You’re called ‘sacrifices’ for a reason.”

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The author has something to say:

I made a little reference to Coconut Tree—sorry, Coconut Tree (… ) 

Bai Shuangying be like: 

Fang Xiu plays the innocent character: “The four foreigners: calm.jpg” 

Fang Xiu starts chopping up stuffing on the spot: “The four foreigners: excited.jpg”*

*Clarity: It’s referencing this meme.

His hobbies and interests are now on full display.

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