Amidst the sorrowful and tragic opera singing, the group remained silent.
Bai Shuangying glanced at Fang Xiu in mild surprise, thinking Fang Xiu would enthusiastically cheer for the performance. Fang Xiu’s sudden normal behavior felt a bit unfamiliar to him.
Then he heard Fang Xiu muttering in confusion, “The number of performers isn’t right… Skinny Monkey and Brother Scar aren’t here. Could it be because their deaths didn’t rhyme well*?”
*Clarity: In the previous chapter, the lines sang in opera about their deaths in Chinese rhymes. Unfortunately, I’m not creative enough to make them rhyme myself translated into English, given how little words there are to work with, and I don’t want to stray too far from the original lines.
Bai Shuangying felt reassured.
“They’ll never find Skinny Monkey,” Bai Shuangying complimented himself modestly.
Fang Xiu responded, “True, he’s turned into a tree. Lucky for them, they didn’t carve the idol out of him. But Brother Scar…”
Under Bai Shuangying’s concealment, Fang Xiu seemed to be muttering to himself. Old Man Fu walked up and interrupted the whispering.
“Pardon my poor performance,” he said, still smiling with eyes and mouth like narrow slits, a smile that looked somewhat abstract. “One guest’s karma is not clean, making it inconvenient for them to be on stage. I hope everyone can forgive us…”
Even though Old Man Fu’s eyes were just two black slits without eyeballs, Fang Xiu could still feel its faint gaze.
“If I may ask, what do you mean by ‘unclean karma’?” Fourth Master asked respectfully, addressing Old Man Fu.
Old Man Fu’s smile deepened. “Imagine a poor beast being stabbed to death by a butcher. Can you say the cause of death was the knife? The butcher is still alive and watching. The karma involved…”
Fourth Master’s face darkened. He understood the implication.
…Damn it, someone had definitely tampered with things, deliberately leading Brother Scar to violate a taboo.
Old Man Fu continued, “No need to be angry. This shrine market is arranged for all of you. Whether you want to hear the opera or browse the market, everything is prepared. The market will last for seven days and nights, so do enjoy yourselves.”
He bent his neck stiffly, looking down at the group. A foul stench emanated from him, a mix of ink and rotting flesh.
Fourth Master glanced at the four corpses on stage without saying a word. The others didn’t dare speak either. Five people had died in just two days. Who would still be alive after seven days and nights?
Fang Xiu, unconcerned, asked, “Can we leave?”
Old Man Fu’s smile didn’t falter. “Why leave such a wonderful shrine market? What is it that you’re unhappy with? If you want ring toss games, sugar paintings, or dough figurines, just ask, and our village will prepare them for you…”
“I don’t like shrine markets,” Fang Xiu said.
Old Man Fu: “……”
Old Man Fu’s smile became more strained. “This shrine market is specially arranged for all of you…”
“You say that, but the show already started before we even arrived,” Fang Xiu pointed out fairly.
Even Fourth Master couldn’t help but turn his head to glance at him. Fang Xiu seemed oblivious, his eyes fixed only on Old Man Fu.
“The shrine market is like this opera. Once it starts, it can’t stop. It’s not just for entertaining guests, but also for honoring the ghosts and gods.” Old Man Fu sighed, shaking his head, his neck making a dangerous creaking sound. “It can’t stop, it can’t stop—”
Fang Xiu responded, “Alright…”
Honoring the ghosts and gods? Interesting, considering you’re all ghosts yourselves.
His remark seemed to ease the tension in the group slightly.
Noticing the change in atmosphere, Old Man Fu reined in his smile. “Well then, I have prepared some welcoming gifts. Please accept them.”
He stepped back a few paces and waved his hand. Several evil spirits, about half the height of a person, stumbled forward, holding up eight red-wrapped bundles. Upon seeing the shape of the bundles, the recently calmed Mei Lan almost screamed again.
The bundles clearly contained dismembered human body parts.
The pieces varied in size, including hands and feet. Each one was bloodied, as if gnawed on by a beast. Fang Xiu examined them closely and guessed that the body parts likely belonged to Brother Scar.
There were two arms, two legs, a torso cut into three pieces, and a head, neatly divided into eight portions.
The parts were carefully wrapped in uniformly sized red cloth, with a white paper label inscribed with black characters: an upside-down “Blessing” character. Some of the limbs were too long for the fabric to cover completely, so they were tied with pretty red cloth flowers.
As if fearing not enough fuel had been added to the fire, Old Man Fu said, “These gifts are from the entire Weishan Village. Please take good care of them, absolutely.”
His grin stretched wide, almost reaching his ears. “Otherwise, everyone will be very upset.”
The last sentence was drawn out slowly, dripping with implication.
After saying that, Old Man Fu instructed his minions to distribute the “gifts” one by one. Two arms were given to Mei Lan and the gloomy teenager, two legs to Blondie and Cheng Songyun, and Fourth Master, the lunatic, and Jia Xu each received a part of the torso.
As for the bloodied head, it was given to Fang Xiu.
The head had little flesh left but retained its general shape. The red cloth was soaked with blood, sticking tightly to the head. Everyone could still make out Brother Scar’s despairing expression.
“Thank you.” Fang Xiu accepted the head politely.
The weight was just over ten pounds, still manageable.
Brother Scar’s soul had already been devoured by Bai Shuangying, but who would have thought Fang Xiu would end up carrying his ghost’s leftovers.
Bai Shuangying also disliked leftovers. Wrinkling his nose, he couldn’t help but ask, “Why provoke Old Man Fu? The head smells the worst. It’s very stinky.”
Fang Xiu was busy untying the red flower, preparing to use the red silk rope to tie the head to his back. Hearing Bai Shuangying’s question, he smiled, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“Isn’t it great? Even you think Old Man Fu targeted me because I ‘deliberately caused trouble’… rather than because I ‘got Brother Scar killed.’”
Humans really are calculating, Bai Shuangying thought, raising an eyebrow.
Fang Xiu’s tone lightened again. “Besides, there’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a piece of dead flesh. Could you cough up Brother Scar’s soul?”
Of course not. Bai Shuangying shook his head decisively.
The others, however, didn’t take things as well as Fang Xiu. Aside from Fourth Master and the lunatic, no one dared touch the bundles. Old Man Fu wasn’t in a hurry either. He just stood ten steps away, watching them cheerfully until they all started scratching their bodies.
The second taboo: Do not harm the villagers, except in self-defense.
If refusing candy from an old ghost lady was a violation, then refusing a gift from the entire Weishan Village would be even worse.
Finally, everyone obediently accepted their pieces of the corpse, trembling as they tied them to themselves. If they lost these, they’d itch to death for violating the taboo.
“You’ve got guts, kid,” Fourth Master commented as he tied up his piece, giving Fang Xiu a glance.
“I worked as a cleaner in a hospital. I got used to seeing things in the emergency room,” Fang Xiu answered honestly.
Fourth Master grunted and said no more.
At this point, the thick stench of blood emanating from everyone made them living targets, and all the evil spirits in the area were eyeing them.
Even Blondie, slow as he was, realized something was off and muttered a curse. “Fuck, the old bag was pretending to be human earlier, but it had no good intentions!”
Jia Xu wiped the blood off his hands. “Its suona band directly invited us, but no one would have followed them willingly. It just didn’t want to confront us directly, so it gave us a heads-up.”
“…It definitely doesn’t mean well,” he agreed with Blondie for once. “I thought it had some hidden reason, but now I think Old Man Fu’s goal must be…”
“Idiot.” Fourth Master sneered. “Don’t overestimate yourself. I’ve been through half the ritual, and I’ve only ever seen ghosts toying with people, never a ghost bothering to play along.”
Jia Xu swallowed his words and didn’t dare continue.
“Everyone, feel free to relax and do whatever you like.”
Seeing that everyone had tied up their pieces, Old Man Fu wobbled back to his original position, swaying his inhuman body. “Alright. Greetings are done, gifts are received, now continue—”
At that moment, the four corpses on stage resumed their eerie singing.
“Seeing him take the hands, how will his end turn out?”
“Seeing him take the legs, what death will befit him?”
“Seeing him take the three sections, how will his fate be sealed?”
“Seeing him take the head, the retribution will only increase—”
At some point, the four high-backed chairs had shifted, now facing Fang Xiu’s group instead of the stage.
“I sing, and you listen, tied together by fate, first harming men, then harming ghosts, a dead end for all.”
“Killing brings sin, but retribution will come, though Heaven and Earth may not yet show it.”
“Since Old Man Fu said, ‘Do whatever you like,’ we should probably get going. If we keep listening, my brain’s going to freeze,” Jia Xu said, rubbing the goosebumps on his arms.
Mei Lan tightly covered her ears, nodding furiously, looking like she might faint at any moment. Beside her, the gloomy teenager had tied the arm to his chest and appeared to have just finished vomiting.
“Let’s not rush. Let me take a look first.”
Fourth Master, using his height to his advantage, scanned the area in all directions. From the center of the shrine, red lanterns filled the surroundings with an eerie glow, stretching as far as the eye could see.
“…Damn it, it’s a ghost wall*!” he cursed through gritted teeth.
*Figuratively and literally. Figuratively, it describes a situation where you’re stuck and unable to get out (ghost hitting the wall). Literally, they are surrounded by a wall of ghosts, so they really are stuck and unable to leave.
Fang Xiu finally understood. No wonder Old Man Fu had said, “Feel free to take the ‘E’” and “come and go as you please.”
It was akin to your mom telling you that after eight hours of studying, eight hours of chores, and eight hours of sleep, you’re free to play video games.
Old Man Fu had tied a blood-soaked GPS in the form of Brother Scar’s body parts to them, then set up this whole extravagant setup. The evil spirits had no need to confront them directly now. If they could leave, it would mean the spirits had lost.
“We’re doomed.” Mei Lan’s face turned pale. “Seven days and nights… This is just a slaughterhouse… Forget the ‘E’, we don’t even know the third taboo. We’re going to be trapped here until we die…”
Jia Xu’s expression shifted, clearly at a loss for how to comfort her.
Fang Xiu could understand. After all, this ritual wasn’t a horror game. There wasn’t necessarily a way to “win”. If they had to compare it to a game, they were already one step into a bad ending.
Fang Xiu: “Well, since we’re here, why don’t we at least choose a direction to explore? Just don’t split up.”
Blondie perked up a little. “You got a plan?”
Fang Xiu: “…In horror movies, don’t the ones who split up die first?”
Blondie cracked his knuckles but, fortunately, didn’t make a move.
“Let’s try heading east.”
Still unwilling to give up, Fourth Master took another look around and spat heavily. “If there’s a ghost wall, it at least proves the ‘E’ is outside its range.”
It wasn’t much good news, but everyone listened in low spirits.
“Let’s go.” Fang Xiu tugged on Bai Shuangying’s sleeve.
Bai Shuangying tilted his head. “Didn’t you say you don’t like shrine markets?”
“I was lying earlier.”
Under the light of the lanterns, Fang Xiu was standing very close, and his warm breath brushed Bai Shuangying’s ear.
“…Shrine markets are the best,” Fang Xiu whispered. “Let’s go enjoy it together.”
The author has something to say:
Let’s go to the temple fair together!
First, they shared a bed, and now they’re going on a scenic rural trip together, staying at a countryside inn, and experiencing local cultural activities.
Fang Xiu lay on the bedding, gasping continuously.
A few thin blankets were added to the cage floor, and the top of the cage was covered with straw mats to shield from the drizzling rain. Most of the meat and drinks had been eaten, leaving only bones and empty cans.
Beside Fang Xiu, Bai Shuangying’s face was expressionless as he applied herbal paste. He mashed the herbs into a paste and used his index and middle fingers to apply it to the bite marks and lacerations.
Oh, and the bruises too.
…He had only been away for a little while, and Fang Xiu got beaten up again!
Judging by the marks, it looked like someone had viciously kicked him in the stomach.
Humans are indeed fragile, Bai Shuangying thought blankly, applying a little more force with his fingers. In the blink of an eye, they could die on you.
Fang Xiu trembled and coughed dramatically. “Don’t be mad. Here’s what happened…”
Not long ago.
After laughing wickedly, Fang Xiu spent three to five minutes assessing the situation before heading into the inner room.
Upon learning that Brother Scar and Doctor had both died, Fourth Master was furious. Naturally, Fang Xiu, who delivered the bad news, didn’t fare well; Fourth Master kicked him from the living room into the courtyard, causing him to spit out blood.
Fourth Master immediately followed him outside. Standing nearly two meters tall with a pair of menacing eyes, he exuded a pressure comparable to a grizzly bear. Fortunately, he hadn’t lost his rationality. He merely fixed his cold gaze on Jia Xu.
“Explain,” he spat out a single word.
Seeing Fang Xiu unable to get up from the ground, Jia Xu had no choice but to steel himself…
“We want to work with you!” he shouted.
On the way here, Fang Xiu had mentioned this seriously.
Doctor was in terrible condition and might not make it. If both Fourth Master and Doctor were fine, they would pretend to be rookies scared out of their wits; if only Fourth Master was okay, they’d go with the “useful newbie” route.
Jia Xu recalled the script Fang Xiu had taught him. “This afternoon, we went to the cemetery. Brother Scar accidentally violated a taboo and was attacked by evil spirits… We both almost died and barely escaped.”
It was all true, just with a little omission.
Fourth Master still looked furious. He crossed his muscular arms and remained silent.
“Here are the chains and the jade Buddha fragments. We’re returning them to you.”
Jia Xu puffed out his chest, trying to appear calm. “It’s our first time participating in the ritual. We don’t know anything. If we were to oppose you, we’d just get ourselves killed, and that would be a loss for everyone.”
“We need the help of experienced people, and it wouldn’t be convenient for you to be alone. There’s no need for us to kill each other when food and drink are no longer an issue.”
After finishing, Jia Xu recounted in detail the encounter with the Old Man Fu.
Fourth Master was calmer than they had expected. As he listened, his brows furrowed more and more tightly, then gradually relaxed.
Jia Xu seized the moment. “We also figured out the second taboo. If there are three taboos this time, then only one remains…”
Finally, Fourth Master sneered, “Fine, at least you two had the sense to return.”
He whistled, and the spirit-binding chain slipped from Jia Xu’s hand like a snake, wrapping itself around Fourth Master’s arm.
“We can cooperate, but you two are still staying locked up.” He pointed at Jia Xu. “You, come in and explain in detail.”
Cold sweat ran down Jia Xu’s back.
The chain dragged people effortlessly, ignoring physical differences. Just a moment ago, he had harbored the naive hope of launching a sneak attack.
Fang Xiu was right. If Fourth Master dared to entrust the chain to his subordinates, he must have had his reasons. The thing was loyal to its master, and if Jia Xu had tried anything, he would’ve been instantly overpowered.
Taking a deep breath, Jia Xu followed Fourth Master inside.
……
“He told Fourth Master the second taboo?” Bai Shuangying paused in applying the medicine.
“Mm…” Fang Xiu stretched his back. “The other side had almost figured it out anyway, so why not use it as leverage?”
Bai Shuangying was silent for a moment. “That Fourth Master… isn’t a good person.”
His face plainly conveyed, “You got kicked ten miles by him.”
Fang Xiu chuckled. “Relax, there’s still one taboo left. Fourth Master is on his own now. He’ll definitely ‘cooperate’ with us.”
“If you know how to read people, why deliberately provoke a beating?” Bai Shuangying asked, puzzled.
Fang Xiu licked the bloodstains on his lips. “This way, Jia Xu looks more like the boss, and Fourth Master won’t be too wary of me.”
It was strange. Though Bai Shuangying was a fierce ghost, his hands were exceptionally gentle as he applied the medicine. His snow-white sleeves floated with his movements, swaying softly like mountain mist.
Bai Shuangying sat beside him. His black hair cascaded down his back like a waterfall, flowing over his shoulders. A strand of hair fell in front of Fang Xiu’s eyes, and he couldn’t resist touching it. It felt just like satin.
The strands of hair were as cold as Bai Shuangying’s fingertips. As they slid over his burning wounds, the sensation was so soothing that Fang Xiu almost lost the strength to think.
*Last king of the Shang dynasty who’s often depicted as a tyrannical and decadent ruler. He’s often mentioned in folklore for his cruelty, corruption, and mismanagement, leading to the downfall of the Shang dynasty and more famously his consort, Daji.
“…I’m not a fox spirit*.”
Clarity: This is referring to Daji, King Zhou’s consort. She’s often blamed for the fall of the Shang dynasty and was the influencer in corrupting King Zhou.
For once, Bai Shuangying caught the reference, and his hands immediately applied more pressure.
Fang Xiu winced and then tried to keep a straight face. “I know, my dear consort is a seductive ghost*.”
*Clarity: Given the reference and that Bai Shuangying (supposedly) is a seductive ghost, Daji is a pretty fitting character for him, which is what Fang Xiu is making fun of.
Bai Shuangying: “……”
For the sake of having eaten well, he grudgingly suppressed his malice.
Bai Shuangying lowered his eyes and gently stroked Fang Xiu’s bare back. His thin muscles stood out, and his shoulder blades were sharply defined. Fang Xiu’s skin was already pale, but the blood-red wounds on his back made for a startling contrast.
…Too thin and fragile. He’d look much better if he gained some weight.
“So you do feel pain after all.” Bai Shuangying continued applying the medicine, his fingertips tracing each wound.
“I’m not only terribly afraid of pain, but I’m also scared of trouble, suffering, loneliness, and especially death,” Fang Xiu confessed earnestly.
Bai Shuangying was equally earnest. “It’s not even nightfall yet, stop talking in your sleep.”
Fang Xiu laughed again. He turned his head, and his black eyes, like two pieces of onyx, gleamed faintly.
“Really,” he said. “I’ve never told anyone this before. It’s a little secret between friends… Ow!”
Bai Shuangying couldn’t resist and pressed harder again.
Fang Xiu flopped like a fish. “Take it easy! Please, brother, I’ll treat you to Fourth Master’s head another day…”
In the small courtyard house.
Fourth Master didn’t know he’d been added to the menu, but if he did, he’d probably be even angrier.
He understood that the ritual was merciless, but losing two subordinates in one day was still too much. This was his fifth ritual, which meant he’d have to participate in the remaining three on his own.
Just the thought of it made Fourth Master’s scalp tingle. If he didn’t still need the newbies, he’d have killed them all to vent his anger.
Doctor was understandable. His mental state was off. His body had deformed, and it made sense for him to have committed suicide in despair.
But Brother Scar wasn’t so easy to kill.
Back in the mortal world, Brother Scar was one of his thugs, with several lives on his hands. Fourth Master knew Brother Scar’s personality well. Having survived four rituals, Brother Scar wouldn’t have been stupid enough to violate a taboo randomly.
Brother Scar’s only flaw was his arrogance. He might’ve let his guard down around the newbies.
But knowing something was wrong didn’t help. This was an obvious trap.
No matter how Brother Scar had died, the fact was, Fourth Master was now alone. No matter how strong he was, it would be hard to manage so many people, deal with the village’s evil spirits, and still investigate the third taboo.
“Fucking hell.”
Fourth Master kicked a table hard, shattering the fragile wood.
…He had no choice but to cooperate with that group.
Fine, if he could control Brother Scar and Doctor, he could control those fledglings. He just needed to keep an eye on the two guys, especially Jia Xu, who with his thick brows, square jaw, and imposing physique, looked like someone who meant business.
At the same time, Jia Xu was sighing loudly in the cage.
His sighs were so exaggerated that Fang Xiu couldn’t help but turn to look. It had been a long day. Poor “Boss” Jia Xu had had a rough time.
Jia Xu had successfully negotiated cooperation with Fourth Master.
As for his companions… Fang Xiu’s particularly mischievous smile still hadn’t been explained, but Jia Xu had preemptively covered it up by claiming, “Fang Xiu was so scared he got confused.”
It wasn’t clear why Jia Xu was so nervous, given that they weren’t enemies at this point.
After the cooperation deal, Cheng Songyun told them the original escape plan, including everyone’s abilities. Jia Xu and Fang Xiu also shared their experiences and skills, though Fang Xiu slightly tweaked his explanations.
“Polluting karma” was hard to explain, so it was better to describe it as “concealing one’s presence”.
While Bai Shuangying’s ability had some lethal potential, turning people into trees was a bit flashy and had many limitations. A punch to the face from Blondie, on the other hand, was simple and effective. Hit hard enough, and everyone became equal, one life at a time.
In terms of practicality, Mei Lan’s “water surface stealth” and Cheng Songyun’s “fierce ghost shield” were more useful, even with their limitations.
Jia Xu’s “transformation” and Blondie’s “physical enhancement” were on par with the “ghost scout” of the gloomy teenager. They were straightforward and didn’t require any cost.
That said, Bai Shuangying had never demanded any kind of price either… Could it be that Jia Xu’s Painted Skin was so afraid of Bai Shuangying because it was actually weak?
Perhaps Jia Xu’s heavy sighs were from realizing this.
Having finished applying the medicine, Fang Xiu slowly came out of hiding.
Thinking about how his ghost’s abilities hadn’t even reached the threshold for a “price” tax, he couldn’t help but pat Bai Shuangying comfortingly, to which Bai Shuangying responded with a slow-growing question mark on his face.
After exchanging information on their abilities, Blondie was particularly smug as the designated primary combatant.
He glanced at Fang Xiu. “Everyone else’s ghost and abilities match, except yours. Why would a seductive ghost have a stealth ability? Shouldn’t it have something like ‘seduction’?”
Fang Xiu was stunned. “My ghost looks like that. Does it even need to cast a seduction spell?”
Blondie: “?” Brother, your point is valid, but something feels off.
Fang Xiu: “Besides, using stealth to lure humans in makes perfect sense. After seduction, are they supposed to use an ID card to book a hotel?”
Blondie pondered for a moment but still felt something was off. “…Brother, you summoned a male seductive ghost. You’re not into guys, are you?”
He backed away while clicking his tongue.
At this unexpected question, Fang Xiu was momentarily confused but quickly became genial again. “I’ve never thought about it, but don’t worry. Whether I like men or women, I can guarantee I won’t like you.”
Blondie: “…”
He froze, unsure whether to say, “That’s a relief” or “Fuck you”.
A group of evil spirits saved him from answering.
Old Man Fu’s suona band appeared once again, this time by themselves. The sound of suonas filled the courtyard, the melody winding and twisting like a river.
“God descends from Weishan—guests arrive with bitter rain—”
“Foreign guests are rare—lingering in the village—”
“Today we welcome them with joy—tomorrow we bid them farewell in sorrow—”
“Fighting like trapped beasts—only to wound our hearts—”
A pair of big-headed child ghosts entered the courtyard, their large masks smiling brightly, painted in faded oil colors.
Each of them held four red paper invitations, matching the eight people in the courtyard—no more, no less.
“The shrine is restored, the temple fair is coming—”
“The village chief invites you at night—”
Their sharp voices echoed.
It’s here. Fang Xiu straightened his clothes. His red T-shirt was soaked with blood and medicine, looking rather disheveled.
Hearing the noise, Fourth Master, fully armed, emerged.
He wore the ghost chain on his right arm, held a peach wood sword in his right hand, and wore a pair of ancient-style armguards on his left. Five jade Buddha pendants hung around his neck, strung together with red threads, and a copper gourd dangled from his waist.
He hadn’t even spared Thin Monkey’s dagger, which hung next to the gourd.
Fang Xiu remained silent. This scene was akin to a new player running into a whale*; Fourth Master had more gear than they had people, and that was just what was visible.
*Krypton player. This is equivalent to a whale in games, a player who spends a large amount of money on in-game purchases or microtransactions.
…Interestingly, there were no talismans from Mai Zi among his items.
Fourth Master approached the pair of spirits and reached for an invitation. They giggled and handed him one but clung tightly to the rest.
Cursing under his breath, Fourth Master turned to unlock the cage.
“Everyone, come out and get your invitation.” He ordered irritably.
Cheng Songyun shuddered. “Do we have to take it? What if something happens… ah!”
She hadn’t finished speaking when an invisible force flung her against the wooden fence.
Fourth Master withdrew his left hand and shook his armguard. “Anyone else want to talk nonsense?”
Fang Xiu raised his hand.
Fourth Master ignored him, and Fang Xiu kept his hand raised.
Fourth Master: “……”
Fourth Master: “…Speak.”
“My copper coin sword was confiscated. Can I have it back?” Fang Xiu asked softly.
“Just do your part. That trash is useless anyway,” Fourth Master replied.
“So, what exactly should we be doing?” Fang Xiu blinked.
Fourth Master glared at him. “Do you not understand human language? Get your invitation.”
At this point, he seemed to give up, scratching his head in frustration. “Fine, I’ll explain one more thing. Old Man Fu dares to use the name of a god because he’s a great evil spirit. Don’t rush to your deaths carelessly trying to send him off.”
Blondie couldn’t hold back. “But he sounds pretty reasonable.”
“Evil spirits that speak human language are either small-time ghosts that are tricksters or great evil spirits.” Fourth Master sneered. “They use language as a tool. None of them are good. If you think you can reason with them, you might as well reincarnate now.”
Fang Xiu: “……” Hearing the phrase “none of them are good” come from you is rather ironic.
He helped the groaning Cheng Songyun to her feet. “Cheng Jie, are you okay?”
Cheng Songyun nodded and forced herself to stand. “You don’t have to be so polite. My daughter is about your age. Just call me Auntie.”
“My mom told me that if someone’s younger than her but older than me, I should call them ‘jie’. Cheng Jie, you don’t look fifty yet, and I’m twenty-eight,” Fang Xiu whispered.
Cheng Songyun’s expression softened. “What about your mother?”
“She’s fifty-one,” Fang Xiu replied. “If she were still alive.”
Cheng Songyun paused, her lips tightening. “…Just call me Cheng Jie.”
“Alright.”
“Stop chatting over there!” Fourth Master snapped. “Get out here and take your invitation!”
Cheng Songyun lowered her voice. “Xiao Fang, I don’t think those invitations are anything good…”
“I know, but Old Man Fu must have information we need,” Fang Xiu whispered back.
After two days, they had combed through most of Weishan Village.
The abandoned houses were all alike, containing only some broken furniture and old odds and ends. Interestingly, aside from ancient newspapers pasted on the walls, they hadn’t found any recent newspapers, let alone diaries.
Everything was eerily “clean”, as if someone had been diligently tidying up.
Fang Xiu had found some clues at the cemetery, but still no leads on the strange statue.
…Which meant that the next step in their investigation would inevitably involve confronting the evil spirits.
Fang Xiu was about to offer some placating words, but Cheng Songyun figured it out herself. “Haa, I understand. Some things still require risk.”
Just as she finished speaking, another wave of force hit them, and this time, both Fang Xiu and Cheng Songyun were slammed into the wooden fence. Cheng Songyun was fine, but Fang Xiu coughed up blood again.
Fourth Master: “Did I not say to fucking hurry up? Are you deaf?”
Bai Shuangying, who was watching from the sidelines: “……”
This was annoying. He had already run out of herbs.
In fact, ever since the big-headed children entered, Bai Shuangying had been deep in thought.
These spirits clearly weren’t here with good intentions. If things escalated into a full-blown fight, what would he do?
Bai Shuangying had originally intended to take a laid-back approach. Helping out a little was fine, but if Fang Xiu was on the verge of death, he definitely wouldn’t risk exposing himself to save him.
If Fang Xiu died, Bai Shuangying would lose some of his cultivation, but compared to full exposure, that was a price he could afford.
But perhaps he had been cooped up for too long, and observing the ritual was actually quite entertaining. There were also living souls to devour… Maybe, as long as he didn’t reveal too much, he could put in a bit more effort?
Even if Fang Xiu died, it should be after Bai Shuangying had had enough fun.
As Fang Xiu spat out blood and wiped it from his mouth, he tugged on Bai Shuangying’s sleeve.
“Stay behind me later. That Old Man Fu is a great evil spirit, very dangerous. Fourth Master wouldn’t lie about that.”
Bai Shuangying’s eyebrows twitched. “I heard.”
What great evil spirit? If not for the restraints of the underworld, Old Man Fu wouldn’t even be enough to fill Bai Shuangying’s teeth.
Fang Xiu realized something. “Ah, you can mimic human speech too… Don’t let it bother you when Fourth Master says you’re a ‘small time ghost that is a trickster.’ It’s not true.”
Bai Shuangying’s expression faded. “……”
…More effort? He might as well keep spectating.
A few minutes later, even the lunatic had an invitation stuffed into his collar. Fourth Master used the ghost chain to tether the lunatic while allowing the others to move freely.
Although “freely” was a loose term, as the suona band herded them along, making it impossible to control their own pace. The suonas blared in their ears, and the eerie melodies pierced through their bodies, making their insides feel as though they were being pricked by needles.
Fang Xiu tried striking up a conversation with them, asking about the origin of the “God’s descent from Weishan”, but they completely ignored him. Eventually, Bai Shuangying grew annoyed and stopped him.
“Don’t bother,” Bai Shuangying said. “They’re only mimicking human speech. They don’t understand what they’re singing, and they certainly can’t comprehend what you’re saying.”
Fang Xiu’s understanding of the cultural literacy of evil spirits took a new turn.
“Being able to speak human language” and “understanding human language” were two very different things.
“You can speak human language. That’s great,” Fang Xiu remarked. “Otherwise, we’d have to communicate through possession, and I wouldn’t even be able to ask if the food I’m treating you to suits your taste. You wouldn’t get human jokes either…”
Bai Shuangying: “…Sometimes, I think it’s actually you who doesn’t speak human language very well.”
Fang Xiu: “See? You’re already making human jokes.”
Bai Shuangying fell silent.
Fang Xiu grinned, lowering his head to examine the bright red invitation. The invitation was square-shaped, with a mourning-white upside-down “Blessing” character in the center and lines of golden text neatly written along the edges.
[Do no evil, heaven’s blessings are far-reaching; Practice all virtue, and the rain that nurtures all things brings deep fellowship.]
[Peace is precious, yin and yang harmonize resolving calamities; Haste makes wastes, defying the gods and ghosts.]
The horizontal and vertical lines corresponded to one another, with the horizontal pair clearly forming the shrine’s couplets. The new vertical lines were less perfectly matched, but their persuasive intent was obvious.
As Fang Xiu stared at the vertical lines, the smile in his eyes slowly faded.
……
This was the second night since they arrived at Weishan Village, and the rain had continued for a second day.
The rain clouds made the night even darker, and Weishan Village seemed to be swallowed by a river of shadows, except for a vast area of fiery red near the shrine.
The shrine had been restored to its original state, its doors wide open, revealing a brand-new idol inside.
This time, the idol had four arms and four legs, with its limbs still twisted and chaotic, resembling a squashed spider.
It still had three heads, its faces painted ghostly white, while its lips were painted bright red. The red paint hadn’t fully dried, slowly dripping down the idol’s chin, giving it a strange, bloody appearance.
On both sides of the altar, red candles flickered chaotically, and outside the door, countless red lanterns hung in the rain that trembled violently in the rain, like beating hearts.
The scale of the “fair” this time was far greater than before, with stalls stretching as far as the eye could see, forming a maze. Across from the shrine, a lavish opera stage had been erected, its orange-red lights illuminating half the sky.
The seats in front of the stage were packed, and in the center sat the tall and thin Old Man Fu, standing out like a crane among chickens.
The group was herded toward the stage by the suona band. As they drew closer, the opera singers’ voices grew louder, drowning out the mourning music of the suonas.
“She toiled in vain, left with a heart full of sorrow.”
“He only sought self-preservation, ending up as a puddle of rotten flesh.”
“She fled in terror, only to be fried in oil.”
“He wailed in anguish, finally hanging himself with white silk.”
“The guest becomes the host, the host becomes the guest, a fabrication of lies; Ghosts resemble gods, gods resemble ghosts, all morals overturned—”
“Impossible to grasp, impossible to understand, no answers to be found; No way out, no way in, a bird trapped in a cage—”
The mournful tune pierced through the air like a cry, burrowing into their ears. When they saw the opera performers clearly, both Blondie and Mei Lan screamed in horror.
They were looking at four corpses, four corpses they recognized. Each one wore red silk opera costumes, with bright red flowers tied to their chests, slumped over in high-backed chairs.
Mai Zi’s corpse was dark and swollen, with maggots crawling out of her nose and mouth. Lao Mian had become a pile of meat wrapped in red cloth, oozing putrid liquid through the silk. The timid auntie was reduced to white bones, still bearing scorch marks.
And then there was Doctor’s body.
When they had left, it had still been hanging from a tree.
Doctor’s white coat had been replaced with a red opera robe, and his broken neck hung limply to one side. His mouth remained still, yet the sharp, bone-chilling lyrics continued to pour out.
“Impossible to grasp, impossible to understand, no answers to be found; No way out, no way in, a bird trapped in a cage—”
“Impossible to grasp, impossible to understand, no answers to be found; No way out, no way in, a bird trapped in a cage—”
“Bravo!”
Old Man Fu stood up, clapping his hands vigorously. “Marvelous singing!”
The rest of the figures stood up as well, mimicking him. “Marvelous—singing—”
Then, all of them simultaneously turned their heads and looked directly at Fang Xiu’s group.
The author has something to say:
By the way, let me explain why Bai Shuangying doesn’t use healing magic (*/ω＼*).
This story draws on traditional Chinese culture. In folklore, only certain deities (like Taiyi Zhenren*) or special ghosts (like medicinal ghosts) are skilled in healing magic. It’s not something just anyone can do, and it has nothing to do with strength.
*A Daoist deity. It is believed he was a historical figure and a renowned physician.
When it comes to healing, various panaceas and elixirs are more common.
Cheng Songyun sighed. “Including myself, it can only protect up to two people. How long it lasts depends on how long I can hold out. Once its sleeve covers me, I start hallucinating, and it’s really scary.”
She shivered as she spoke.
“Mine is a child ghost. It can pass through walls and run around. Other evil entities usually don’t bother with it. But it can’t do much, not even pick up a leaf.” The gloomy boy took over the conversation. “At best, it can be a scout.”
Mei Lan: “Water ghost. It can hide me in water, even a cup of tea, but for that day, I have to offer an evil spirit as compensation… If not, it will take my lifespan.”
Blondie cursed. “The one surnamed Jia uses a painted skin to disguise a ghost, and surnamed Fang straight-up brought a seductive ghost. Damn it, after all this, I’m the only one who can fight.”
“But at least Cheng Jie’s* decent. A shield is somewhat useful,” he glanced at Cheng Songyun.
*(Older) Sister (姐) Used as an address for women who are older or more senior than you as a show of closeness, fondness, or affection.
Cheng Songyun forced a smile.
After thinking for a while, she said, “How about this? Let the child ghost keep watch, and once they let their guard down, Mei Lan can go out and destroy a few talismans. Without the talismans, the cage shouldn’t be able to hold this guy… Um…”
She looked at Blondie.
“Du Zhichao,” Blondie said. “Just one talisman from the fence is enough. I’ll kick the door open for you.”
“I’m the one to go out and destroy the talismans? How do I get out?” Mei Lan looked confused.
Cheng Songyun: “I’ll let some blood and have it flow out of the cage. You can follow the blood out. If you can hide in tea, blood should work too, right?”
As for compensation, that was manageable. With so many evil spirits outside, once they got out, they could work together to catch one for Mei Lan.
“…My ghost says it can do that, as long as the surface is connected,” Mei Lan said after a moment, her face looking brighter.
“Good, good.” Cheng Songyun sighed in relief. “Let’s wait a little longer. If Xia Fang and the others don’t return by tomorrow, we’ll run.”
Having a plan calmed the four of them somewhat. Mei Lan carefully checked the talismans on the wooden fence, while the gloomy boy relaxed and closed his eyes to nap. Only Blondie, with a grim face, kept glaring at Doctor in the courtyard.
After Fourth Master returned, he went straight into the inner room. Doctor, however, remained awake the whole time, as if he didn’t need to sleep. He sat by the extinguished campfire, constantly twitching his white coat, occasionally muttering to the air, more like a lunatic than the actual lunatic in the neighboring cage.
At noon, Doctor wobbled over and threw a chunk of bloody meat into the cage.
“Eat it,” he said in a raspy voice. “If you don’t eat something with moisture, you won’t last a few days.”
No one touched the meat.
Doctor, seemingly on the verge of a breakdown, babbled incoherently, “Fresh… How can you not… Haa.”
“Idiot, get lost.” Blondie bared his teeth.
Cheng Songyun quickly stepped forward, saying softly, “Brother, we don’t want to eat people… Sister knows you’re in pain. Why not talk to me? It’s not too late. Maybe we can work together.”
Doctor looked at Cheng Songyun, as if awakening from a nightmare for a brief second. He stared at her for a long time, silently mouthing words that seemed to say “mom”.
But in the end, Doctor stiffly shook his head.
“It’s too late, too late!” He clawed at the wooden fence so hard his nails lifted off. “Too late, there’s no time…”
Then, he slowly turned around, staggering back to the campfire.
Cheng Songyun didn’t back away. She remained by the cage, watching intently. She noticed fresh bloodstains on Doctor’s white coat, vibrant red, as if they were seeping through from inside his clothes.
Back in his spot, Doctor covered his neck, staring blankly at the ground. He was completely still, save for the tears streaming down his face. His eyes were so red it looked like they were about to bleed.
Blondie couldn’t help but spit. “This guy is really fucking sick. It’s not his first time performing a sacrifice, yet he’s still freaking out.”
“Something’s wrong,” Cheng Songyun whispered. “Doctor’s acting way too strange.”
Blondie dismissed her and sat down, squinting to rest. Mei Lan, tired from the long wait, yawned and rubbed her eyes.
Cheng Songyun, however, remained by the cage, fully focused.
Two hours passed, and Doctor finally moved again.
He walked to the tree next to the cage and slowly took off his white coat.
Rip! The fragile fabric was torn into a rope, which he tied around the short tree trunk.
The noise was loud, and it was close by, waking both Blondie and Mei Lan.
Cheng Songyun was about to say something when she suddenly closed her mouth—
From this angle, she could see clearly: a human face, the size of a fist, had appeared on Doctor’s exposed neck. Its tiny mouth opened and closed as if breathing. In just a few seconds, it bulged outward, nearly fully formed.
Doctor’s shirt was soaked with blood, bulging at several spots, shaped like severed limbs. A thin, malformed arm wriggled free from a seam in the shirt, its fingers moving slightly.
“Spare me, spare me…”
Doctor looped the makeshift rope around his neck, sobbing as he thrust his head into the noose.
As he whimpered, a twisted leg pushed out from his back, kicking furiously.
“Have mercy…”
He fell to his knees and suddenly leaned forward, hanging himself in a kneeling position.
Even in death, his eyes remained wide open, filled with terror.
Doctor was dead. The grotesque limbs on his body ceased growing, like dying buds. His body gradually stiffened, but his expression slowly changed.
The bulging eyes gently closed, stopping halfway. His mouth twitched, twisting into a serene, peaceful smile.
Just like Mai Zi’s corpse.
Though the enemy had killed themselves, given how strange Doctor’s death was, no one felt relieved.
Mei Lan covered her mouth tightly, barely holding back a scream. Blondie was at a loss for words, backing up to the far side of the cage, his Blondie standing on end.
“W-What do we do now?” Blondie coughed. “The guard’s dead. Should we run?”
Cheng Songyun was trembling, but her voice was steady. “Let’s wait a bit longer. If Xiao Fang and Xiao Jia come back to this… scene…”
The Jade Buddha Gang might think their escape attempt was responsible for Doctor’s death and take their anger out on the two young men.
“Auntie, this is a golden opportunity!” Blondie’s voice tightened. “Let them figure it out on their own. If we wait any longer, no one will get out!”
After saying that, he turned to Mei Lan, desperate. “I’ll do the bloodletting. Let’s go now.”
After all, Cheng Songyun and the gloomy boy weren’t necessary. Doctor’s creepy corpse was right next to the cage, and he couldn’t take it anymore.
Cheng Songyun stepped between him and Mei Lan. “Talk properly! Don’t use force—”
Blondie glared, raising a hand to push her aside. Just then, there was a commotion at the gate.
Jia Xu came in, supporting a heavily injured Fang Xiu, leaving bloody footprints with every step. Jia Xu had a basket full of familiar offerings on his back, and the chain hung loosely over Fang Xiu’s shoulder, its end empty.
The scarred man hadn’t returned with them.
As they entered, Fang Xiu’s gaze swept across the courtyard, finally landing on Doctor’s hanging body.
Seeing that Fourth Master wasn’t in the courtyard, Fang Xiu relaxed a little. Then, he noticed a strange sight…
Doctor had hanged himself with a skinny rope, and now two corpses—one kneeling, the other standing—looked like a cheerleading duo.
It was all Bai Shuangying’s fault. He’d laughed away ten years of good karma!
……
Meanwhile, Bai Shuangying wasn’t in the courtyard.
Fang Xiu had spent half a day wandering the graveyard, stalling until dusk before heading back. He had planned to bring Bai Shuangying along, but Bai Shuangying refused.
He had other matters to attend to.
First, he enjoyed a fresh soul, then gnawed on a group of evil spirits. It had been a long time since he’d eaten so well. Though it barely scratched the surface of his long-standing hunger, he still felt incredibly satisfied.
…How wonderful. When was the last time he’d felt this good?
…When was the last time he breathed the outside air?
Bai Shuangying lightly leapt onto a tombstone, gazing into the distance at the shadowy mountains through the rain. The rain had eased a little, and he could now make out the silhouette of Weishan. The mountain had an awkward shape, standing alone and leaning toward the village as if it would collapse at any moment.
Ugly, Bai Shuangying thought to himself.
He adjusted his sleeves in the rain, countless chains swaying lightly in the air. This place was vast, and unseen shadows stretched out in all directions, disappearing beyond the horizon.
In the next moment, something “twisted” entwined itself around the chains. It spread like a toxin through veins, flowing along the chains until it disappeared into the void.
Bai Shuangying hadn’t told Fang Xiu, but if he wanted to taint causality in such a complex way without being detected by the underworld, it wasn’t impossible…
In fact, he could slowly corrupt things, doing it bit by bit. But by the time he’d finished corrupting just one enemy, the ritual would likely be over. It was such a clumsy and time-wasting method that it wasn’t even worth mentioning.
After all, this approach only worked for himself.
After completing this round of corruption, Bai Shuangying leapt off the tombstone.
Satisfied, he stretched, deftly rolling up his sleeves and beginning to gather the wild herbs growing near the graves; herbs known to stop bleeding and reduce swelling. While accompanying Fang Xiu through the graveyard, Bai Shuangying had made a note of their location.
He’d checked earlier and confirmed that Fang Xiu’s injuries weren’t deep. It certainly wasn’t enough to damage muscles or bones, but he still found those wounds unsightly.
Things that annoyed him should simply be dealt with.
As he thought of those blood-soaked wounds, Bai Shuangying instinctively touched the small blood-red mole. The little mole was still firmly in place, the contract they had established remained intact.
There was still some time left before nightfall. He figured Fang Xiu wouldn’t get himself killed in just a short while.
…Probably, right?
The author has something to say:
Fang Xiu: Definitely not.
Fang Xiu: But I did lose my good karma.
Bai Shuangying: ? You had good karma to begin with? (surprise)
Jia Xu stared at Bai Shuangying, dazed for a full ten seconds.
Wait, was Fang Xiu’s ghost always here?
He had a strong impression of Bai Shuangying, but all morning, he hadn’t noticed this striking ghost at all, nor had he thought to ask Fang Xiu where Bai Shuangying had gone. It wasn’t until Fang Xiu started talking to Bai Shuangying that Jia Xu realized something was off.
What a terrifying ability. Fortunately, Fang Xiu was his teammate.
At the moment, Fang Xiu was dragging the blood-soaked Brother Scar, walking straight toward the cemetery. His steps were relaxed, as if he were pulling a suitcase on a leisurely vacation.
In the rain, Brother Scar left a faint trail of blood behind him.
“This doesn’t seem right.” Jia Xu gulped nervously. “We have the chains and the jade Buddha. We could go back and save everyone… There’s no need to go through all this…”
Fang Xiu looked back. “If Fourth Master dares to give his subordinates the chains, he must have a way to control them. Maybe the chain listens to his commands, like how Skinny Monkey’s knife worked.”
“Skinny Monkey?” Jia Xu was confused. “Wasn’t that knife Doctor’s?”
“Oh, it’s just a nickname. Doctor is pretty skinny,” Fang Xiu said casually. “As for the jade Buddha, we don’t know if it has any special usage or how many lives it has left. For now, let’s not worry about it.”
“But everyone—”
Fang Xiu sighed. “Brother Scar doesn’t have many props. The treasures of the Jade Buddha Gang are probably all with Fourth Master. We have no idea what his methods are. If we end up in a death match, with six newbies on this side, who knows how many would die.”
“As long as Fourth Master isn’t dead, he won’t let things rest. Then we’ll have to deal with both Old Man Fu and guard against sneak attacks from Fourth Master. Just thinking about it gives me a headache.”
Jia Xu: “Being locked in a cage is safe? We’d still have to eat human flesh!”
“As long as the two of us behave, the people in the cage will be safe,” Fang Xiu patiently explained. “Besides, now that we have Old Man Fu, there’s no need to eat human flesh. Before we go back, I’ll stop by his place and pack some food.”
Jia Xu glanced at the struggling Brother Scar.
Wait, buddy, I think your idea of “behaving” is different from mine… And is Old Man Fu’s place a cafeteria? Can you just grab food like that?
He felt stifled, but without a better solution, he dejectedly followed along.
The cemetery was on the west side of Weishan Village, a short distance from the village. It was quite large, with an alarming number of gravestones.
From the cemetery, one could see the wandering ghosts in the distance outside the village. The spirits outside didn’t seem very intelligent, roaming aimlessly like beasts. The further away they were, the more densely packed they became, forming a natural barrier.
Lao Mian hadn’t lied. If you went far enough, it really was all ghosts. This was likely to prevent the sacrificial offerings from escaping.
The number of evil spirits in the cemetery seemed normal.
It was daytime now, and the cemetery only had wandering souls and small, obviously low-level monsters. They shuffled between the gravestones, clumsily imitating people sweeping the tombs.
Some of the gravestones were old, some new, with a time span of at least a hundred years. The old gravestones were arched and gray, while the new ones were made of white marble, some even with photographs.
Under Bai Shuangying’s expectant gaze, Fang Xiu dragged the desperately struggling Brother Scar to the center of the cemetery. He pulled off the talisman from Brother Scar’s forehead. “Bai Shuangying, hide us.”
Bai Shuangying nodded. The nearby evil spirits, drawn by the scent of blood, surrounded Jia Xu and Brother Scar.
Jia Xu held his breath, frantically giving Fang Xiu meaningful looks.
Fang Xiu: “…You should hide Jia Xu too, if it’s not too much trouble.”
Bai Shuangying grumbled softly before waving his hand. Jia Xu was finally out of danger, and the evil spirits in the cemetery slowly gathered, fixating on Brother Scar.
“You… Fuck… Fourth Master will… slaughter you all…”
Brother Scar’s body was in tatters, lying on his back, weakly cursing.
A wolf demon couldn’t hold back anymore and bit down on Brother Scar’s hand. With one bite, it took off half his hand, and Brother Scar let out a piercing scream as blood gushed out.
Fang Xiu folded his arms and watched intently.
The wolf demon swallowed the flesh and started sniffing again. The wandering souls also edged closer, leaning down to gnaw at Brother Scar’s wounds. Losing so much blood, Brother Scar barely had the strength to struggle anymore.
“So that’s how it is,” Fang Xiu said. “The evil spirits can attack us without any consequences.”
Jia Xu: “…Huh?”
Before Jia Xu could finish his confused sound, Fang Xiu moved—
Taking advantage of being hidden, he punched the wolf demon. But instead of the wolf demon reacting, Fang Xiu himself shuddered and dropped to one knee on the spot.
“Ugh, it really itches,” he squeezed the words through gritted teeth.
His whole body was itching, so badly that he wanted to peel off his skin or replace the itching with pain. He realized he had already scratched his arm several times, leaving deep marks.
“No attacking evil spirits.” Doctor hadn’t lied. He needed to fix this quickly.
Fang Xiu took a deep breath, trembling as he picked up a piece of meat from the ground and threw it to the wolf demon. The wolf demon sniffed it and licked it up.
As the wolf demon swallowed the meat, the itching melted away like snow.
Fang Xiu caught his breath, grabbed Brother Scar’s hand, and slapped the wolf demon on the head. The wolf demon growled in irritation, shaking the blood from its head.
Brother Scar remained on the ground, gasping, with no reaction.
“…If we’re attacked first, self-defense is allowed,” Fang Xiu muttered.
He recalled how he had been jostled by evil spirits in the market and had used the copper coin sword to clear a path. He had also lured an evil spirit into attacking him at the shrine and had cut off one of its arms, all without breaking the taboo.
Self-defense didn’t violate the rules, even if the counterattack was stronger than the initial assault.
The second taboo was truly interesting. On the surface, it could be summarized as “Be polite”.
But there was a subtle “double standard” at play.
The Jade Buddha Gang could harm them freely without breaking any taboos. The evil spirits could also attack them at will. Yet for some reason, some spirits, especially the stronger ones, had refrained from doing so.
…What’s the difference? Does the second taboo only protect evil spirits?
…No, they had ghosts with them too, and they were also locked up by the Jade Buddha Gang.
…Only the evil spirits of Weishan Village are special? That didn’t make sense either. There had to be plenty of foreign evil spirits. Otherwise, even if the whole village had turned into ghosts, there wouldn’t be such a diverse “spirit expo” here.
Fang Xiu rubbed his blood-stained arm, lost in thought.
The itching was gone, and the remaining pain kept him alert. Fang Xiu replayed the memories of their arrival in the village, analyzing them frame by frame in his mind.
[“Guests arrive with the bitter rain—”]
[“Weishan Village hosts guests—Weishan Shrine welcomes guests—”]
…They were guests from outside.
[“I am the village chief of Weishan Village.”]
[“That couple, it wasn’t the villagers who did it.”]
…They were the local villagers.
“Haha.” Fang Xiu laughed out loud, “Now I get it.”
“What are you laughing at?” Jia Xu asked, trembling.
Fang Xiu, sitting close to the weakened Brother Scar, lightly laughed as he touched his wounds, sending a chill down Jia Xu’s spine.
“I understand why the spirits in the village like to roleplay,” Fang Xiu said. “They’re actively complying with the ‘E’s’ rules.”
“…The second taboo is ‘Do not harm the villagers of this place, except in self-defense.'”
Jia Xu was stunned.
Just like when Fang Xiu had uncovered the first taboo, Jia Xu couldn’t find any flaws in the reasoning.
Being protected by such a powerful rule, “imitating villagers to repair Weishan Shrine” was hardly a big ask.
“All done. Let’s high five1!” Fang Xiu walked briskly toward Bai Shuangying.
High five? Bai Shuangying thought for a moment, then clumsily raised his hands and started clapping1.
1Clarity: The joke here is that the word Fang Xiu uses is (击掌) which transliterated means hit (your) hand (so clap), but it means to high five. Not knowing the term, Bai Shuangying is acting out the literal meaning (thus he started clapping).
Fang Xiu’s smile grew wider, and he opened his arms for a big hug. “Come on, undo my hiding now. Thanks for your hard work. I’ll treat you to a meal later!”
Bai Shuangying quietly let himself be hugged. “Alright.”
He had only killed Skinny Monkey to relieve boredom, and apart from hiding these two humans, it hadn’t been too taxing. But when food was offered, how could he refuse?
Fang Xiu dipped his finger in blood and drew a circle around Brother Scar, carefully leaving a gap at the edge. Then, he meticulously placed a strand of Bai Shuangying’s hair ring in the gap, his movements extremely cautious.
At this point, Fang Xiu was no longer hidden, and Brother Scar’s eyes followed him. “What… are you doing… I’m warning you…”
“Relax, I know you have the jade Buddha. Don’t worry, I’m not interested in it.”
Fang Xiu paused above Brother Scar’s head, then leaned down, staring at Brother Scar upside-down. “I just want to see how you use it.”
“That way, when we get Fourth Master’s jade Buddha, we’ll know how to use it.”
Brother Scar’s eyes widened, staring at Fang Xiu’s smiling face, for the first time showing confusion.
This guy is obviously a newbie, so why… Damn it, could he be…
The next second, Brother Scar was engulfed by a swarm of evil spirits.
Fang Xiu, whose concealment had been lifted, wasn’t spared either.
His body was wounded, and many of the evil spirits took the opportunity to bite him. Fang Xiu tightened the spirit binding chain, trying to fend off the spirits while keeping his eyes locked on Brother Scar.
He watched as Brother Scar smeared his own blood on the jade Buddha, which emitted a soft glow before crumbling into dust.
Then Brother Scar let out an inhuman scream and was completely torn to pieces.
“He gave him a jade Buddha with only one life left. Fourth Master is pretty stingy,” Fang Xiu muttered as the chain barely held off the evil spirits. Before he could react further, Bai Shuangying’s concealment wrapped around him again.
So cooperative? Fang Xiu looked up in confusion, meeting Bai Shuangying’s expressionless face. Jia Xu, too, was staring at him in shock, looking like he was about to throw up.
“Fang Xiu… your body…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine, I’ve been paying attention. They’re just superficial wounds. It won’t affect my movement.” Fang Xiu glanced at his battered body, wincing slightly as he spoke. “We still have to trick Fourth Master when we go back. Think about it: Brother Scar is dead. If we return completely unharmed, it wouldn’t make sense. Plus…”
Jia Xu swallowed dryly. “Plus…?”
“Plus, the living souls are only the appetizer.” Fang Xiu smiled at Bai Shuangying. “We made a pact, so we’re a team. You should be able to ‘counterattack’ for me… I remember all the evil spirits that bit me. Why don’t you grab one and give it a taste?”
Bai Shuangying looked Fang Xiu up and down.
Those wounds must hurt. Fang Xiu’s body trembled slightly from the pain, yet he could still smile.
For some reason, Bai Shuangying found those wounds a bit unpleasant to look at. Fang Xiu’s clothes were red enough already. Adding more red seemed excessive.
Without a word, Bai Shuangying walked toward the evil spirits, grabbed a wandering soul, and devoured it in one gulp.
Fang Xiu nodded approvingly. “Yes, that one bit me. And next—”
“No need to say more,” Bai Shuangying interrupted. “I remember all the spirits that attacked you.”
……
Inside the cage.
Cheng Songyun let out a long breath and patted her chest.
“Listen to me,” she said, slightly anxious. “We need to come up with a plan. We can’t just sit here… What if something happens to Xiao Fang and the others?”
Three pairs of eyes turned to her in response.
“Why don’t we all stop hiding and talk about what our ghosts can do?” Cheng Songyun continued, “In case something happens, we can at least coordinate and help each other.”
“Okay.” The gloomy-looking teenager was the first to respond.
“I agree,” Mei Lan said softly.
Yellow Hair clicked his tongue. “Didn’t you all see what mine can do already? A lame servant ghost, just makes my physical abilities stronger, like I’ve got more strength and speed or something.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Cheng Songyun quickly agreed. “But everyone should talk about it. We can’t just sit and wait to die.”
After speaking, Cheng Songyun’s expression briefly turned twisted, as if she had thought of something.
“…We really can’t just sit here and wait to die,” she repeated once more.
The author has something to say:
Let us congratulate Brother Scar for going offline (cue the triumphant sound of the suona).
The second taboo has been uncovered—
It seems like a cemetery picnic for the two of them, complete with Jia Xu tagging along like a third wheel*.
*Lightbulb (电灯泡) Slang referring to a third wheel.
The procession moved with lightning speed, the evil spirits carrying the palanquin as fast as Usain Bolt.
Brother Scar remained still, pulling out a talisman and slapping it onto his forehead. Jia Xu swallowed a scream, instinctively wanting to run but was firmly held back by the spirit binding chain.
Fang Xiu, standing shoulder to shoulder with Bai Shuangying, appeared calm, as if the approaching evil spirits weren’t hostile but long-lost relatives.
Since Fang Xiu didn’t move, Jia Xu, bound by the same chain, couldn’t run far either. His face twisted in frustration, nearly cursing out loud at his “useless teammate*”.
*Pig teammate (猪队友). The term comes from DOTA, where it’s an insult to teammates who are as stupid as pigs.
The procession came to a halt just in front of the trio.
The two large-headed evil spirit children stood on either side of Fang Xiu, their suona almost pressed against his face. The music became stranger and more urgent, like rocks tumbling down a mountain, threatening to shatter one’s mind.
The bearers’ chant also changed. “God descends from Weishan—guests arrive with the bitter rain—”
The figure on the palanquin leaned forward at an impossible, stiff angle for a human. The cracks on its face twisted, as if it were smiling.
The music grew sharper and more piercing, and the creature on the palanquin stretched out its long arms, its claw-like hands reaching toward the three of them.
…Then its hands were suddenly caught by Fang Xiu with a loud “clap”.
Instantly, the music and chanting stopped, as if strangled.
“You even came to greet us in person, how kind of you.” Fang Xiu looked up, speaking with heartfelt sincerity. “I’m embarrassed by such courtesy.”
Jia Xu: “?”
Brother Scar: “…?”
Bai Shuangying kept his expression neutral, continuing to conceal himself. He realized he was gradually getting used to these situations. His emotions remained stable, just like Fang Xiu’s strange behavior.
However, the thing on the palanquin was experiencing this for the first time. It remained silent with a slight crack on its face, seemingly unsure how to respond.
Fang Xiu, adept at breaking the awkward silence, asked, “May I ask your name?”
“Old Man Fu.”
After a moment, the spirit who called himself “Old Man Fu” slowly spoke. “I am the village chief of Weishan Village.”
Hearing this name, Brother Scar’s brow furrowed deeply.
In some regions, the God of Fortune is called “Old Man Fu”, but the creature before them was anything but a god. When evil spirits take on the names of deities, they are extremely fierce, indicating a Great Evil.
Fortunately, the talisman on Brother Scar’s forehead could erase his living soul’s aura. As long as he kept silent, the evil spirits wouldn’t notice him.
…But what was with that guy stepping forward? Wasn’t he supposed to be the cowardly one?
Brother Scar glanced at Fang Xiu, then at Jia Xu. Surrounded by evil spirits and chilled to the bone, Jia Xu was trembling like a leaf in the wind. This was the reaction he expected from a newbie… Whatever. As long as the chain held, they couldn’t stir up much trouble.
The suona began again, though hesitantly, with much less vigor than before.
Fang Xiu still held Old Man Fu’s hands. “So, you’re the village chief. Where are you taking us?”
“Not having three meals a day is hardly proper.”
Old Man Fu’s fingers wriggled like dead branches. “Please, esteemed guests, come to my home for a meal to welcome you properly…”
“A welcoming meal sounds great, but I have a question first,” Fang Xiu said. “Yesterday morning, two of my friends were killed. Do you know anything about that? Weishan Village seems a bit unsafe.”
Can you just say that outright? Jia Xu stood frozen in shock.
“Three died upon entering the village.” Old Man Fu actually answered. “One woman fled without notice and was killed by wild ghosts outside the village. As for the couple, it wasn’t the villagers who did it…”
His voice stretched at the end, his eye slits curving upwards, his mouth slitted downwards, forming a terrifying smile.
Fang Xiu continued to complain, “Last night at the market someone tried to attack me.”
Old Man Fu: “Youngsters who don’t know better. I apologize on their behalf.”
Fang Xiu: “I was just saying it casually. No need to take it to heart…”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
These two were actually having a back-and-forth conversation. But it didn’t matter. Under his watch, Old Man Fu wasn’t capable of killing Fang Xiu.
With Old Man Fu’s warm hospitality ahead and Brother Scar’s pressure behind them, the group followed the ghostly palanquin.
Old Man Fu’s house was very close to the Weishan Shrine, just at the end of the path. Though it was called the village chief’s house, it looked no different from the other homes. It was plain and unremarkable on the outside.
However, the inside was quite the sight.
The interior was quiet, devoid of evil spirits, and rather peaceful. The walls were covered in upside-down “Blessing*” characters, all in black ink on white paper. The paper was thin, yellowing, and emitted the faint, musty scent of grave dirt.
*Note: This is the same character [Fu] (福) as in Old Man Fu’s name.
Even the tables and chairs in the main room were covered in these “Blessing” papers, except for the dining table. The dining table was set with jade cups and silver chopsticks, resembling burial offerings.
Jia Xu finally snapped out of his shock when he saw the food on the table. It was the same offerings from the Weishan Shrine!
The table was an ordinary wooden one, but the meat dishes and pastries were placed on jade plates, and various candies were arranged in small bamboo baskets. Unopened cartons of Wang Zai Milk and cans were stacked at the edge of the table.
Old Man Fu bowed his head and awkwardly squeezed into the room. “I was supposed to entertain guests at the Weishan Shrine, but unfortunately, it was burned down by villains.”
After saying that, he shook his head in imitation of a human, producing a creepy creaking sound from his neck.
Brother Scar stood by the door, gripping the chain tightly, his eyes fixed on the two of them.
Fang Xiu naturally sat down at the table and Jia Xu hesitantly followed suit, inwardly miserable—
Old Man Fu sat directly across from Fang Xiu, radiating an intense, sinister aura. His vaguely human face occasionally twitched, sending chills down Jia Xu’s spine. Meanwhile, Fang Xiu seemed completely oblivious, as if he were blind to the horror before him.
“You’re too kind,” Fang Xiu said as he drank from a can of milk and used his chopsticks to grab some roast chicken. “Had I known you were so hospitable, we wouldn’t have gone through so much trouble.”
“I intended to invite you much earlier, but I feared startling my guests by visiting unannounced.”
Old Man Fu, over two meters tall, squeezed into the chair, stiffly moving his arm to mimic eating with chopsticks, though he was only poking at the air.
Seeing Fang Xiu eat and drink normally, Jia Xu reluctantly picked up the silver chopsticks. He had no appetite, but he knew he’d better eat as much as he could. Who knew when they’d get another chance? Back in the cage, they might be forced to eat human flesh.
But… were these evil spirits truly malicious?
Jia Xu, chewing on a pastry, found himself lost in thought.
Since they had arrived, none of the evil spirits had directly attacked them. The worst things that had happened were all done by humans. It wasn’t the evil spirits fault that the woman ran off on her own, and the deaths of Lao Mian and Mai Zi were caused by breaking taboos, not by the spirits.
Perhaps these evil spirits were just living peacefully near the “E”. It was they who had barged in, making a fuss for no reason.
As this thought crossed his mind, Jia Xu couldn’t help but glance at Fang Xiu. But Fang Xiu was eating with such relish, showing no reaction at all.
In the midst of the clinking chopsticks, Old Man Fu leaned forward again. He moved in an unsettling way, his face slowly approaching Fang Xiu’s, like a snake observing a frog.
“I know why you’ve come,” he said suddenly in a low, eerie voice. “If you want the ‘E’ of this place, you can take it.”
Fang Xiu stopped his chopsticks.
“I came here to enjoy the Yin energy, but who could have predicted that ‘E’ would be so overbearing, trapping us here.”
Old Man Fu leaned even closer, his neck bending downward until his face was just a fist’s distance from Fang Xiu’s head.
“The barren mountain and evil waters are dull and lifeless. Rather than being bound here, I’d prefer you take the ‘E’ away, and I’ll find another place to settle.”
“Understood. I’ll pass along the message for you,” Fang Xiu replied without even looking up.
Old Man Fu’s eye and mouth slits widened in unison, his face creasing deeply with a twisted smile. “Good, good… Once the shrine is restored, you’ll be free to come and go, with three meals a day.”
After the meal, Old Man Fu let them go without making any further demands.
Though they hadn’t uncovered any new taboos, they had learned a lot. Brother Scar didn’t force the two to stay. He stood at the door, deep in thought, his brow furrowed tightly.
Fang Xiu, full from the meal, stumbled as he walked out, accidentally bumping into Brother Scar.
“Sorry, sorry,” Fang Xiu apologized quickly.
Brother Scar glared at him and yanked the spirit binding chain, nearly pulling Fang Xiu to the ground.
After leaving Old Man Fu’s house, Brother Scar finally spoke again.
His first words were short and ominous…
“…So itchy!”
Brother Scar’s body convulsed, his eyes filled with disbelief. One hand gripped the chain, while the other scratched his skin furiously. “So itchy, so itchy. Damn it. Why…”
He had broken a taboo.
But when? How? What taboo had he broken?
The itching intensified rapidly, as though his entire body was being gnawed at by venomous insects. Brother Scar dropped to one knee in the mud, panting heavily.
He needed to figure out what taboo he’d violated, fast… He had to fix it…
A pair of feet stopped in front of him.
“Hi.”
Fang Xiu squatted down in front of Brother Scar, propping his cheek on one hand, casually greeting him.
“Thanks for testing the taboo so successfully.”
Brother Scar’s bloodshot eyes widened as he instinctively reached for the chain.
Then he realized that at some point, he had let go of the spirit binding chain. His hands were barely under his control, furiously scratching at his chest. His fingernails were filled with bits of his own flesh, blood gushing out.
Damn it, testing the taboo? He had been cautious, just like before, simply observing, not touching anything—!
…No, wait, he hadn’t touched anything, had he…?
Just before they left, he had been thinking about Old Man Fu… and then Fang Xiu had lightly bumped into him…
Brother Scar gritted his teeth and reached for the spot on his waist where he had been bumped. There was something soft there, damp to the touch.
The moment he realized what it was, a chill ran down his spine.
Jia Xu said in horror, “That’s…”
It was one of the upside-down “Blessing” characters from Old Man Fu’s house, a palm-sized piece of paper stuck to Brother Scar’s waist.
“Stealing is a violation of a taboo. Doctor was right.” Fang Xiu observed Brother Scar intently. “As expected, the ‘E’ only cares about actions, not intentions. You forced the madman to burn down the shrine, so the madman broke a taboo. I made you take something out, so you broke a taboo.”
“Stealing from the village chief’s house has serious consequences… If you don’t return it, the itching will never stop.”
The rain continued to pour, and the fragile piece of paper had already turned to mush.
It can’t be returned now, Brother Scar thought numbly. It can’t be returned…
He needed to get back to the base as soon as possible. Doctor had numbing ointment. If he applied it, he could hold out through this ritual…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, there was a loud rattling sound, and the spirit binding chain tightened around his neck. Fang Xiu held the other end with a bright smile.
“We’ve only had breakfast. The day’s just getting started.”
Fang Xiu’s tone was cheerful as he prodded the bloodied Brother Scar. “I still have a few things I want to confirm. Didn’t we agree to test taboos together?”
Behind him, Bai Shuangying yawned, looking thoroughly bored. Old Man Fu hadn’t done anything, and now Brother Scar was down too. It looked like today would be a dull day for him.
“Oh, speaking of which.” Amid Brother Scar’s groans of pain, Fang Xiu turned to Bai Shuangying with a wide grin. “To celebrate our friendship, why don’t you pick the next spot today?”
“Bai Shuangying, where would you like to go?”
Bai Shuangying blinked happily.
He suddenly realized that this whole sacrificial ordeal was actually quite fun, and having friends wasn’t so bad either.
“I want to go to the cemetery.” His voice was filled with equal cheer.
The author has something to say:
Good friends, hand in hand, out for a stroll!
————————————
By the way, the two protagonists of this story aren’t exactly what you’d call… “upright” (gestures
Maybe you could call them… morally ambiguous? (…This is a new kind of experiment _(:з」∠)_
“This sacrificial ritual treats people like animals.”
Doctor pressed his face against the bars of the wooden cage, his eyes bulging, with his fingers full of cuts. His white coat was splattered with bloodstains, making him look extremely disheveled.
“I don’t want to do this either. It’s the underworld guiding us,” he said. “They don’t care about human lives at all, so don’t blame me…”
His tone was as if he were speaking to an experimental animal, one about to be dissected.
Strictly speaking, they weren’t much different from lab animals.
“What do you mean by ‘treating people like animals’?” Jia Xu’s face was covered with wounds, and he gasped in pain as he opened his mouth.
Doctor: “Sacrifices… Sacrifices don’t judge humanity… As long as it works, any cruel method can be used. We’re just consumables. Human lives are worthless…”
Fang Xiu wasn’t too surprised and didn’t think Doctor was lying.
Earlier, he had thought that to better deal with the “E”, even if people were considered consumables, the underworld would at least use them sparingly.
However, the underworld was far more ruthless than he’d anticipated. Throwing in something like the spirit binding chains was like raising poisonous creatures, completely devoid of mercy.
Jia Xu asked in irritation, “People die so easily, and no one in the world cares?”
Doctor was silent for a while, then sniffled. “Retribution…”
His voice was soft, and Fang Xiu didn’t quite catch it, but he could guess Doctor’s meaning.
“You mean, even if you experiment on us with taboos, there’s nothing you can do about it,” Fang Xiu said. “This is how sacrifices have always been, and it’s our fate… right?”
Doctor was trying to rationalize everything to alleviate his guilt.
He didn’t answer Fang Xiu but forced a smile that was uglier than crying.
“…Don’t be afraid.”
His voice suddenly became soft, like coaxing a child to sleep.
“In the sacrifices I’ve been through, there are usually three taboos for the ‘E’, and only one is fatal… We’ve already found one and a half, so you won’t suffer too much…”
Three taboos?Mai Zi didn’t tell them about that, Fang Xiu thought. But it made sense. Mai Zi and her husband had only gone through the fourth sacrificial ritual, so they wouldn’t be certain about everything.
“The first taboo: you can’t eat things, but you can eat people. Breaking this rule won’t kill you.” Doctor said, “We haven’t fully tested the second yet… You can’t destroy buildings, attack spirits, dig graves, steal, set fires, or relieve yourself anywhere… The taboos can’t be that complicated. You just need to find the patterns…”
Cheng Songyun, trembling, corrected, “It’s not ‘people’ you can eat. It’s ‘sacrificial offerings’ you can eat.”
“Not much difference. Either way, breaking the taboo won’t kill you,” Doctor muttered. “The second rule won’t kill you either. At most, you’ll feel itchy, so don’t be scared…”
Everyone looked at Jia Xu’s wounded face, growing more frightened.
Doctor also noticed Jia Xu’s sorry state. He took out a small box of ointment and called Jia Xu over. “You’re hurt. Come, apply some medicine.”
Jia Xu looked at him suspiciously.
“This is a numbing ointment. It’s very effective.” Doctor pointed to the madman in the next cage. “I applied it on him too, and he even bit my hand…”
Jia Xu hesitated for a moment, then, with a resigned sigh, leaned his face forward. Doctor dipped his fingers in the ointment and reached through the bars to apply it. As he did, Jia Xu’s furrowed brow gradually relaxed, showing that the ointment was working.
“Rest well… I’m sorry…”
After finishing the treatment, Doctor started muttering nervously again, “I’m sorry… I don’t want to do this either…”
“He’s crazy,” Blondie remarked as Doctor walked away.
Jia Xu replied, “Sacrifices are so bizarre, with all the killing and cannibalism. No normal person could handle it.”
“Well, at least he gave you some medicine. You seem to have taken a liking to it.”
“Better to think positively than stab your comrades with a knife.”
Fang Xiu, annoyed by the noise, moved to a corner and leaned against the cage to take a nap.
Bai Shuangying stopped pacing and squatted beside Fang Xiu, observing him through the bars. The body of the thin man was only two steps away, but Fang Xiu slept peacefully.
After watching for a while, Bai Shuangying wasn’t satisfied. He gently lifted Fang Xiu’s bangs.
He noticed that Fang Xiu’s eyelashes were quite long.
Just like how humans look at kittens and puppies, Bai Shuangying wasn’t good at distinguishing human faces. To him, Blondie and Cheng Songyun were mainly distinguished by their hair color.
However, like humans with animals, he could tell which were particularly good-looking or ugly, and Fang Xiu clearly belonged to the former. Bai Shuangying didn’t understand why Fang Xiu wanted to hide his appearance. Humans were always more lenient with their attractive peers.
However, not all creatures that hide are weak prey. Some predators also like to hide.
…If you’re one of the latter, what are you hunting?
Bai Shuangying put the bangs back and brushed his finger across Fang Xiu’s nose. In the rain, the warmth of the human body felt very hot.
……
Before dawn, Fang Xiu was kicked awake.
“You, get out.” Scarred Man held the spirit binding chain, pointing at Fang Xiu.
Jia Xu was also called out. He looked like he wanted to stay in the cage but was too embarrassed to do so, caught in an inner struggle.
Fang Xiu, on the other hand, lowered his head in resignation, looking weak and pitiful.
“If you two cause trouble outside, we’ll harm the ones left behind.” Scarred Man’s jade Buddha necklace swayed. “If you two talk back, we’ll chop off their fingers. If you resist, we’ll chop off their arms and legs. After all, a human stump can still be used, and we can even add to our meal.”
“Just the two of us?” Jia Xu exclaimed in shock.
“Should we bring more so you can rebel?” Scarred Man sneered. “Besides, if you break a fatal taboo, you’ll all be wiped out. That would be a pity.”
Fang Xiu listened in on their conversation. The two men with jade Buddha necklaces were real veterans, much tougher than Doctor and Skinny Monkey.
Scarred Man was called “Brother Scar” and together with the leader “Fourth Master”, they explored the outside world. They only observed and never did anything unnecessary. The jade Buddhas never left their necks. If they found anything suspicious, Fourth Master would return to the base, and Brother Scar would lead outsiders to test the taboos.
“Can you turn him into a tree?” Fang Xiu asked, staring at Brother Scar ahead of them.
This question seemed more normal, and Bai Shuangying perked up. “Are you asking me for a favor?”
“No, just a discussion.” Fang Xiu shook his head. “I’m just a little curious.”
Oh, just a discussion. Bai Shuangying quickly lost interest and rummaged through his mental vocabulary.
“Last night, I turned Skinny Monkey into a tree. You could say I ‘polluted’ his karma. But that’s because he was a minor character with few connections.”
“With this guy, I can’t do that,” Bai Shuangying explained carefully. “He seems to carry a lot of hostility, which means his karma is complicated…” If it happened too suddenly, the underworld would notice right away.
“Polluting karma? How fascinating,” Fang Xiu marveled. “I get it, your ability is limited by workload.”
Fang Xiu didn’t doubt him. If Bai Shuangying could just plant trees with every enemy they encountered, they’d be invincible, right? Would the underworld be so generous?
Brother Scar dragged Fang Xiu and Jia Xu all the way to a shrine.
To be precise, they stopped in front of the ruins of the Weishan Shrine. The small shrine was charred black, with the roof completely gone. The statues and furniture inside hadn’t survived either. From the doorway, only scattered charred wood remained inside.
Outside the shrine, the rain clouds were brightening, and dawn was approaching, but the evil spirits hadn’t retreated.
They gathered around the shrine ruins, some carrying bricks, others carrying tiles. A few spirits were even carving logs and preparing paint, apparently rebuilding the statues.
Fang Xiu quietly exclaimed “Wow”. No wonder they brought us here to test the taboos—what a busy scene.
“Last night, we burned the shrine, triggering a mutation. In a while, you two go in and check it out. Try to figure out their purpose.” Brother Scar rubbed his fingers, as if searching for a cigarette.
“Why did you burn the shrine?!” Jia Xu asked.
“Places like this are the most likely to harbor an ‘E’. The ‘E’ isn’t easily destroyed, so setting a fire makes it easier to find.”
Brother Scar glanced sideways at Jia Xu. “Too bad there’s nothing left inside, and the consequences of breaking the taboo are troublesome. See that madman? He scratched himself until he’s almost crippled. Be careful.”
The three of them hid behind the corner of a wall. The evil spirits were busy with their construction work, and no ghost bothered them.
Despite that, the scene still felt incredibly eerie. Besides the shadowy figures of wandering spirits, there were other, more bizarre creatures helping with the reconstruction. Jia Xu recognized one of them. It was a hunched old woman clutching a cracked bowl, slowly stirring some sort of paste inside.
Fang Xiu watched the entire process with great interest, momentarily forgetting about the spirit binding chain around his neck.
He remembered that the Weishan Shrine was supposed to weaken evil spirits. Now that it had been burned down, why were the spirits so determined to rebuild it?
There’s a famous saying, “A capitalist will sell the rope that will hang themselves for profit.” These evil creatures weren’t capitalists, but some principles were the same. They were willing to toil through the night… even through the day to rebuild the shrine and worship the gods, which meant there had to be significant benefits for them in doing so.
“Are we just going to walk in?” Jia Xu’s voice was filled with hesitation as he observed the odd spectacle before them.
“Wait a little longer,” Brother Scar tugged the chain gently, keeping them in place.
They didn’t have to wait long before they realized what Brother Scar had been waiting for.
Another procession of evil spirits approached the shrine. At the front of the line were two childlike spirits with oversized heads, holding a pair of suonas. They played a strange, mournful tune that had an oddly celebratory undertone. Following them were more spirits of similar height, all dressed in white mourning clothes, eerily lacking any facial features. These spirits were clustered around a ghastly palanquin.
The palanquin was a shocking sight. It was entirely red, with a white soul-summoning flag draped over the top.
Seated on the palanquin was a human figure that stood nearly two meters tall. It wore a black funeral robe adorned with the character for “blessing”, and its limbs were unnaturally long and thin. Its face was featureless, save for five deep black slits, as if someone had stabbed the shape of a face into a lump of dough.
“Cease all evil—blessings from the heavens—prosperity—forever—”
“Practice all virtue—rain nourishes all things—loyalty and affection—eternal—”
The spirits carrying the palanquin sang, their non-existent mouths forming the words in unison, repeating the chant in rhythm with the suona.
“Cease all evil—blessings from the heavens—prosperity—forever—”
“Hey, are you seeing this?” Jia Xu’s voice trembled, fear lacing his words. “Isn’t that palanquin heading straight for us?!”
“Practice all virtue—rain nourishes all things—loyalty and affection—eternal—”
The procession, which had been calmly making its way down the road, suddenly turned sharply, now heading directly toward them.
The author has something to say:
Bai Shuangying be like, “Look at my domesticated human, oops, I mean, look at my domesticated friend sleeping…”
I would call this kind of relationship mutual domestication (…
————————————
“A capitalist will sell the rope that will hang themselves for profit.” This is a quote from Lenin.
Some say it’s attributed to Samuel Huntington, but that seems to be a misattribution.
Kinky Thoughts:
It’s still up for debate whether Lenin actually said such a quote as he has never written it down and all accounts were from other people after his death.
The good news: the Jade Buddha Gang didn’t keep them chained up. The bad news: they were locked in a cage.
The Jade Buddha Gang had turned an abandoned courtyard into a perfect prison. The six of them were trapped in the same cage, with the madman locked in the next one.
The madman’s body was covered in sores, and his hands were tightly bound behind his back. He was thrashing around wildly, making inhuman, low-pitched howls.
The good news: their ghosts were no longer affected by the spirit-binding chains. The bad news: the cage was covered with talismans to ward off evil spirits, meaning their ghosts were imprisoned with them.
Only Bai Shuangying wasn’t trapped. The ghost had followed them all the way and was now strolling around the bonfire in the center of the courtyard. Aside from Fang Xiu, no one noticed him.
If Fang Xiu didn’t believe he couldn’t have imagined such a beautiful face, he might have thought he was hallucinating.
“Damn these bastards. It’s bad enough they locked us up, but they had to stick talismans on too.” Blondie kicked the cage while glancing at Fang Xiu. “Brother, you’re pretty loyal, getting screwed over with us.”
Fang Xiu responded absentmindedly and continued observing the enemy’s base.
There were four members in the Jade Buddha Gang.
The strongman who led them and the scarred man who attacked them weren’t in the courtyard at the moment.
Watching over them were two others—a middle-aged man in a white coat and a scrawny thug. They called each other “Doctor” and “Skinny Monkey”, and neither of them wore a jade Buddha. They seemed like low-level henchmen.
Skinny Monkey swaggered over. “What kind of abilities do your ghosts have? Tell me.”
Blondie spat at him. “Dumbass, why would I tell you?”
“I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to the pretty lady.” Skinny Monkey tossed a bone at Mei Lan. “Hey, gorgeous, tell me, and I’ll let you out to live the good life.”
Mei Lan huddled in the corner of the cage, remaining silent.
“Ungrateful.” Skinny Monkey spat and tossed a knife in front of Blondie.
“Stab her. Don’t kill her right away, just enough to make her talk.”
Blondie said, “You think I’m sick or something? Why would I stab my own teammate?”
Skinny Monkey laughed. “Then I’ll start with you. The boss hates troublemakers, and you look big enough to feed us for days.”
He pointed at the bonfire, where there were signs of a makeshift barbecue. A few white bones were scattered on the ground, and Fang Xiu immediately recognized them as human leg bones.
Cheng Songyun couldn’t hold back any longer. “There’s food in the shrine. You don’t have to do this…”
“The shrine? We burned that down ages ago.”
Skinny Monkey pulled out the spirit-binding chain, playing with it while staring at Blondie. “So, are you gonna stab her or not?”
Blondie visibly tensed. He looked at the knife on the ground, then at the trembling Mei Lan. After a moment of hesitation, he bent down and picked up the knife.
Mei Lan shook her head violently in fear.
Jia Xu grabbed Blondie’s arm. “We can’t turn on each other—”
“Shut up! If you don’t want to die, you can take my place!” Blondie angrily shook him off.
“Enough! I’ll talk! I’ll tell you!” Fang Xiu shouted, covering his ears as if he was breaking down.
“We drew ghost lots, which allow us to use one type of ghost magic! The cost—the cost is that each time we use it, we lose a year of our lifespan.”
Blondie was still stunned, but Cheng Songyun immediately caught on. “Yeah, that’s right! That’s how it works! Don’t push us anymore!”
Skinny Monkey snickered and walked up to Fang Xiu. “Then why do you only have one shadow?”
“I didn’t dare draw a lot.” Fang Xiu backed away slowly. “The scene was too scary…”
Skinny Monkey glanced at the spirit-binding chain in his hand. He’d heard that this guy was the last one they captured, and he’d given himself up out of fear. Now, seeing him up close, Fang Xiu did seem like a coward.
The spirit-binding chain was the bane of ghostly powers. These guys’ “self-defense” techniques were ghost-based, which explained why they were so easy to catch.
“Fine. You’d better not be tricking me, or I’ll kill you first.”
Skinny Monkey snapped his fingers, and the knife flew out of Blondie’s hand. He sheathed it and walked off, humming a little tune.
Jia Xu moved closer to Fang Xiu. “That was reckless. They captured the auntie earlier. Who knows what they got out of her? What if he’s cross-checking information…”
“The auntie didn’t have a ghost, so she wouldn’t have given them too many details.” Fang Xiu whispered, “I mainly wanted to know how much they know about us.”
Jia Xu finally realized—
Making up lies was risky and could easily be exposed, but Fang Xiu’s half-truths were just right. He had blurred the fact that ghosts could act independently, making it sound like their abilities were just skills, and he’d added a fake price.
If the enemy didn’t know better, this misdirection could be huge.
“The auntie knew we all had ghosts. But that guy casually asked me, ‘Why only one shadow?’ instead of asking where my ghost was.” Fang Xiu stared at Skinny Monkey’s retreating figure. “Overall, this group doesn’t know much about us. When they found the auntie, she might’ve already been dead.”
“Brother, you’re brilliant. We should wait for a chance to ambush them,” Blondie said excitedly, acting as if nothing had happened.
Jia Xu looked grim. “That’s enough. You need to be more careful. Lao Mian said they’re down to just two people. When their teammates die, they can’t recruit more.”
“This is only the first round, and we’ve already lost two. Every person who dies means one less strength. Stop thinking only about the short term…”
Blondie snapped. “Did I ask for your opinion?”
Seeing the two about to argue, Fang Xiu turned away in boredom, his gaze drifting toward Bai Shuangying.
By the bonfire, Bai Shuangying was walking even faster now, appearing in front of him every two minutes. When Fang Xiu had first been locked up, Bai Shuangying’s face had been full of “Beg me to help you” and “Come on, beg,” but now his expression had returned to its usual blankness.
How interesting.
Amid this hellish scene, that white figure was truly beautiful.
“Hey, the one in red. Come out and be my dog.”
Skinny Monkey came back outside, dragging his chain, possibly bored after spending some time indoors.
“Doctor” frowned. “Don’t…”
“There’s nothing here, and I’m bored. What’s the harm in having some fun with that weakling? I’m not going to kill him.”
Doctor sighed and stopped talking.
Fang Xiu didn’t mind. This was exactly what he wanted. Now that he’d established himself as a “weak coward”, the enemy’s guard would be lower.
The closer he got to them, the more opportunities he’d have. Fang Xiu put on a timid expression, waiting for Skinny Monkey to unlock the cage and let him out.
Just then, Bai Shuangying stopped in his tracks.
He turned around slowly and stared deeply at Fang Xiu.
The next second, he unfolded in front of Fang Xiu.
Fang Xiu couldn’t think of any other way to describe it than “unfold”. Bai Shuangying’s body melted like cream, expanding into large, twisted patches of color. Dark hues mixed and swirled, like something out of an AI-generated dream.
Skinny Monkey jolted, as if suddenly realizing something was in front of him. Before he could react, a voice echoed softly—
[You are a tree,] The voice said.
Skinny Monkey’s eyes glazed over.
He staggered over to the cage, kicked off his shoes, and pressed his feet deep into the soil. The ground was soft, but he pushed so hard that his skin, flesh, and bones peeled away, bloody and raw.
[Trees don’t talk,] the voice said.
Skinny Monkey’s grunts of pain stopped instantly, along with his breathing. He stood there, bloodied, in a grotesque position, mimicking the branches of a tree.
[Trees don’t have heartbeats,] the voice added.
In the dim firelight, Skinny Monkey’s complexion turned ashen.
He was dead.
His corpse remained standing in that bizarre posture, right next to the cage.
From beginning to end, no one besides Fang Xiu noticed any of this. Everyone else was busy with their own affairs, as if what had just happened was the most natural thing in the world.
Bai Shuangying didn’t return to his human form; he drifted closer to Fang Xiu.
This human had treated him like a weakling but was ready to bow down to a thug, even though Bai Shuangying knew Fang Xiu was pretending, he couldn’t swallow his pride.
So he revealed part of his true form, killing someone in front of this human. To ensure the message was clear, he let Fang Xiu understand his words and witness the bloody reality.
Now that this guy had seen the truth, it was time to stop the silly charade.
…Bai Shuangying “looked” at Fang Xiu.
In the rain, the enormous, distorted shape pulsed rhythmically, as if breathing.
They were just half a step apart. Bai Shuangying wanted to see the panic or fear on Fang Xiu’s face, maybe even some kind of defensive posture or submission.
…But instead, he saw Fang Xiu gazing back softly, with a faint blush on his face.
Bai Shuangying: “?”
He stopped moving.
“That mole is still there.”
Fang Xiu extended his hand through the cage, lightly touching the bizarre form in front of him. Amid the chaos, the tiny blood-red mole on Bai Shuangying’s form gently floated, standing out vividly.
Something was wrong. This reaction wasn’t right.
Bai Shuangying was literally frozen in place. Fang Xiu’s eyes held nothing but pure admiration and appreciation, exactly the same as when he had seen Bai Shuangying in his human form.
“Did you act out suddenly because you were in a bad mood? Was it because of me?” Fang Xiu quietly asked, noticing Bai Shuangying’s inaction.
Bai Shuangying, reacting instinctively, replied, [Yes.]
“I’m sorry if I treated you poorly. I don’t have much experience interacting with people my own age.” Fang Xiu’s tone was genuinely apologetic.
Bai Shuangying: [……]
How strange. This human was actually reflecting on his actions instead of assuming Bai Shuangying couldn’t stand to see a human mistreated. Fang Xiu seemed to understand the way evil spirits thought.
The problem was… Do I look like I’m your age?
Realizing that his phrasing was off, Fang Xiu quickly corrected himself. “I mean, I’m not very good at being kind to others…”
Bai Shuangying: [……?]
No, do I even look human to you?
By the end of this thought, Fang Xiu had begun to laugh at himself.
“To be honest, my companions might benefit from harming me, but you wouldn’t gain anything from it. We’re helping each other out, moving forward together… Isn’t that what friends do?”
“I just want to get along with you, Bai Shuangying.”
Bai Shuangying remained frozen for a long moment, then, losing interest, he reverted back into his human form.
Fine. Fang Xiu’s just bad at expressing kindness. This human had many issues with his head, so one more wouldn’t make a difference.
Bai Shuangying was used to looking down on humans, but he wasn’t entirely sure what made someone a “friend”. And he had no intention of admitting that fact. After all, Fang Xiu had, for once, lowered his guard.
Things had turned out very differently from what he had anticipated. Fang Xiu didn’t seem to care at all about Skinny Monkey’s death. But since the result was satisfactory, Bai Shuangying wasn’t inclined to delve into it further.
“We can be friends,” Bai Shuangying declared, in his usual mysterious tone.
Bai Shuangying glanced at Skinny Monkey’s corpse and added pointedly, “As my friend, you can’t go bowing to trash like him so easily.”
Fang Xiu nodded. “Alright. If anything bothers you in the future, just let me know anytime.”
Bai Shuangying was pleased. “I’ll remove the spell now. Be careful.”
With that, he resumed his walk around the bonfire, this time at a more relaxed pace.
As the spell dissipated, no one reacted, as if Skinny Monkey had never existed. Everyone’s eyes casually swept over his corpse, treating it like part of the scenery; like a tree that had always been there.
It was as if the Jade Buddha Gang had never questioned where their “eighth man in white” had gone.
But those were minor details, Fang Xiu thought.
The important thing was, starting today, he had a beautiful and straightforward friend.
In the dead of night.
“Doctor” in the white coat approached the cage, nervously biting his fingers, his eyes red-rimmed.
“I-I have to tell you something. About the sacrificial ritual, you’d better—you’d better be mentally prepared.”
“I’m sorry.” His voice broke, and he looked on the verge of tears. “I’m so sorry…”
The author has something to say:
Frie~nds~ is just a lie~~~ (in that kind of tone)
Comrade Fang Xiu, buddy, a person’s sexual preference is free, but… (omitted
It’s perfectly reasonable that the one guarding you is a doctor.
In the end, Cheng Songyun’s fierce ghost accompanied Jia Xu.
Jia Xu and the fierce ghost entered the small courtyard one after the other. When they came out, Jia Xu’s zombie-like face was even more stiff than usual.
He said there was an old lady ghost inside the house, with sunken holes for eyes, nose, and mouth. She welcomed Jia Xu and the fierce ghost in, offering them two chipped tea mugs and pouring nonexistent tea.
She rambled on about many things, but Jia Xu couldn’t understand a single word, only responding with random “uh-huh’s”. Before they left, she insisted on giving them two pieces of candy, but the wrappers contained chunks of dirt.
As soon as they left the courtyard, Jia Xu removed his zombie disguise. “These things are imitating human daily life. There were only a few old magazines in the house, nothing particularly special to be clues.”
The creepy imitation was scarier than outright hostility, and not even the night could hide his goosebumps.
Once the visitors left, the sound of opera singing echoed from the house again. Fang Xiu listened for a while and noted that it sounded like it came from a radio.
Outside, the evil spirits were setting up stalls and chatting leisurely, just like villagers would. Jia Xu’s remark that they were imitating the villagers’ behavior wasn’t without merit.
Jia Xu collected himself. “Anyway, getting inside was a good thing. Tomorrow, we’ll adjust our schedule, and tomorrow night we’ll investigate properly.”
Everyone had been running around all day, and though no one felt particularly hungry or thirsty, they were in poor condition.
Blondie suggested heading to the shrine for a meal before returning to the warehouse to rest, and everyone agreed. With a plan in place, the shadow of the two experienced members’ sudden deaths faded somewhat. Cheng Songyun even suggested giving Lao Mian and Mai Zi proper burials once they returned.
After some discussion, Jia Xu prepared to lead the group back. He frowned at the dirt-filled candy in his hand and tossed them onto the side of the road.
The two candies fell crookedly into the mud, resembling a pair of squinting eyes—just looking at them was unlucky. Jia Xu clapped his hands and left without looking back.
Fang Xiu quietly walked over and picked up the candies.
The wrappers were made of wax paper popular in the last century, dyed in a festive bright red, with “Double Happiness Hard Candy” neatly printed on them. Though they were thrown into the mud, the wrappers hadn’t gotten wet, and instead, they seemed even brighter.
Fang Xiu held the candies in his palm, turning them over and over. Bai Shuangying didn’t detect any suspicious Yin energy from them, so he let Fang Xiu play with them.
It wasn’t until there was a commotion up ahead that Fang Xiu snapped out of it.
From that moment, Jia Xu, who had been leading the group, began walking slower and slower, occasionally scratching his face. After a few steps, he scratched his skin until it bled, but he kept scratching as if possessed.
Crunch, crunch. His fingers scraped against his moist skin, making an unsettling stirring noise. Jia Xu dug his nails into the wounds, using both hands to furiously scratch. Blood mixed with rain, staining most of his face red.
“So itchy, so itchy…” Jia Xu’s fingers were covered in bits of flesh, his expression growing more and more terrified. “What’s going on… Why is it so itchy…”
It seemed like he had triggered a taboo. The situation was sudden, and everyone was at a loss.
Jia Xu had gone into the ghost house alone earlier, and no one knew the exact details, let alone what taboo he might have broken. The brief sense of relief they had gained was completely gone, replaced by a heavy, oppressive darkness.
Jia Xu could barely stand. He curled up on the ground like a fetus, and the sound of his frantic scratching nearly drowned out the rain.
Fang Xiu rushed forward in one swift movement. He crouched in front of Jia Xu and forcefully stuffed the two candies into Jia Xu’s pocket.
The effect was immediate. Jia Xu gasped for air, and the scratching slowed down. “You…”
“It was a gift from a local after all. It’s not polite to throw it away as soon as you leave.” Fang Xiu explained, “Those spirits are pretending to be villagers. We should treat them like we would actual villagers… That’s my guess, anyway.”
“Thanks, brother, you saved me.” Jia Xu sat up, panting. The unbearable itch had finally disappeared, leaving only a burning pain on his face.
Thinking back, nothing had happened when he first left the house—it was only after throwing the candy that things had gone wrong. Thankfully, this taboo wasn’t fatal, but Jia Xu was still shaken.
“So, what’s this new taboo? ‘Don’t hurt the feelings of the locals’?” Jia Xu said with a stiff tone, touching his bloodied face. “If even the tiniest things are taboos, we won’t be able to do anything at this rate.”
Fang Xiu shook his head. “I don’t think it’s that bad. Just calm down.”
The “E” was just an object without any consciousness; the taboos couldn’t be that complex. Fang Xiu didn’t think it would come with an entire lawbook for Weishan Village. Jia Xu’s experience was just one incident, and as the saying goes, one must look beyond appearances to see the essence*.
*Saying referring to the importance of looking deeper into situations and understanding the underlying causes or reasons behind things (AKA don’t judge a book by its cover).
Bai Shuangying was amused by the scene. “I see why you picked up the candy so quickly—you knew you couldn’t throw it away.”
“No, I just guessed.” Fang Xiu glanced back at the small courtyard. “I just thought of my grandma. She used to force sweets on me all the time.”
“Used to?”
“Yeah, she passed away.” Fang Xiu pursed his lips.
Bai Shuangying hummed in acknowledgment. Thinking of that ghost arm from earlier, he decided to be a bit more polite to Fang Xiu.
“Don’t think too much about it. To become a fierce ghost, one must first die violently and with strong resentment.” At least your grandma won’t come back in the middle of the night to give you dirt chunks.
Fang Xiu replied, “Then she must have become a fierce ghost. I watched her die a violent death with my own eyes, and she died full of hatred, unable to rest in peace.”
“…Who did she hate?”
“Me,” Fang Xiu said.
For the first time, Bai Shuangying saw an expression on Fang Xiu’s face that wasn’t calm. It made him feel not as comfortable as he imagined.
He saw a faint trace of sorrow on Fang Xiu’s face.
But that sorrow quickly disappeared, replaced by a sense of gravity.
Fang Xiu furrowed his brow slowly. “Are we really okay with investigating like this? If every ghost gives Jia Xu something, and he can’t throw them away, is he supposed to carry a ton of things around… Weishan Village’s customs are too simple and pure…”
What could he expect? Bai Shuangying turned his head away, feeling numb.
……
Night fell heavily, and the wind and rain were relentless while evil spirits occasionally brushed past. No one wanted to be left behind, and everyone’s pace quickened. Before long, Fang Xiu found himself at the back of the group again.
To be precise, both he and Bai Shuangying had fallen to the rear. Bai Shuangying was strolling along, walking even slower than Fang Xiu.
“Do you smell something?” As they neared the shrine, Fang Xiu sniffed the air.
There seemed to be a faint burnt smell in the air.
Bai Shuangying’s expression vanished, and he grabbed Fang Xiu’s nape, his fingers tightening like iron clamps. Raindrops hit his pale pupils, but Bai Shuangying didn’t blink.
“Don’t go over there,” he said.
Just as Fang Xiu was about to ask why, he heard Mei Lan’s scream.
Then he saw Blondie rushing towards him, falling halfway and being dragged back into the darkness by something. A bone-chilling cold swept over him, and Fang Xiu tensed, preparing to run.
But at that moment, Bai Shuangying yanked Fang Xiu into his arms, and the surrounding rain seemed to twist. Fang Xiu suddenly realized that the sound of the rain had become much quieter, and his own breathing had disappeared.
It was Bai Shuangying’s power… Wasn’t his ability “disguise”? Fang Xiu wasn’t sure.
“Shh.” Bai Shuangying held Fang Xiu tightly. “Don’t move. He won’t notice you.”
Fang Xiu froze for a moment, then, instead of struggling, he wrapped his arms around Bai Shuangying’s back.
After all, an evil spirit was still an evil spirit. Bai Shuangying’s body was cold, with no heartbeat or rise and fall of breath, which made holding him feel a bit strange.
But Bai Shuangying’s scent was surprisingly pleasant. Instead of smelling bad, he had a rich, earthy, plant-like fragrance. Fang Xiu couldn’t help but close his eyes and take a few more sniffs.
“I see you, the one in red.” A rough male voice came with the sound of clanking chains. “Come out now, or you’ll suffer less.”
The man came closer and closer, and Fang Xiu turned his head, gradually making out the enemy’s appearance.
It was a man with a face full of flesh, wearing only a jade Buddha around his neck—likely a comrade of the Jade Buddha strongman.
The man had a scar across his chin and didn’t look friendly. He wore a black polo shirt and gripped a chain in his hand, which split into five ends, each tied tightly around the necks of Fang Xiu’s five companions. Jia Xu and Blondie were at the front, struggling to break free, but to no avail.
The man dragged them with ease, as if they weren’t five adults but five weightless balloons.
“Spirit-binding chain,” Bai Shuangying said with a tone of mockery. “The underworld’s even using that now.”
Fang Xiu cautiously whispered, “What does that mean?”
“Whether it’s an evil spirit or a ghost, once they’re bound, there’s no escape.”
“…That’s a bit unfair, isn’t it?” The difference between new and experienced players was too big. Fang Xiu almost wanted to file a complaint with the underworld.
Bai Shuangying added, “But it takes significant power to bind spirits. An ordinary human could only use it to bind other humans.”
Fang Xiu: “……”
So, it was a special weapon for dealing with fellow humans. Disgusting.
Wait, the life-saving Jade Buddha could be fought over, which he had chalked up to an underworld design flaw. But throwing in a spirit-binding chain felt like tossing a big wrench to stir things up. If the underworld expected them to work together to destroy the “E”, they really shouldn’t be pulling stunts like this.
Things are getting more and more interesting, Fang Xiu thought, lowering his gaze.
“Hurry up and come out!”
The scarred man’s gaze swept past Fang Xiu, shouting like he was herding cattle. “For every minute you don’t come out, I’m cutting off one of your friends’ fingers.”
At the end of the chain, Fang Xiu’s companions stiffened in unison, struggling even harder. Their ghost companions seemed to be affected too, their shadows swaying but not appearing.
Fang Xiu clicked his tongue softly, shifting slightly in Bai Shuangying’s arms.
Bai Shuangying: “You’re not thinking of going out there, are you? You don’t seem like a good person yourself.”
“He’s serious. Cutting off fingers doesn’t affect using someone to test taboos.” Fang Xiu whispered, “If I don’t go out now, and they get maimed, they’ll all hold a grudge against me. That wouldn’t be good for me in the next sacrificial ritual.”
“So, you’re deciding to die in this one?” Bai Shuangying concluded.
“No.” Fang Xiu smiled. “These guys are veterans. They must have gathered a lot of information, and I just need to go see it.”
“If they’re really planning to use me to test taboos, then I’ll test the taboos on them. Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
The author has something to say:
This is a classic case of a villain meeting a villain (×
Here’s how it is: If someone piques the interest of something non-human, it’s probably not because they’re particularly exceptional by human standards, but because they’re just too strange…
Bai Shuangying: So strange, I’ll take another look.jpg
Fang Xiu held the ghost arm in both hands. “I saw they were selling some outside. You can eat this, right?”
He made it fresh on the spot. It was definitely fresher than the body parts on the stalls. He wasn’t sure if it suited Bai Shuangying’s taste though. Maybe he preferred cooked meat.
Bai Shuangying visibly spaced out for a few seconds before replying that he would eat it.
Noticing the puzzled look on his face, Fang Xiu explained, “I noticed they didn’t dare enter the shrine. I felt this place weakens malevolent spirits, so I hooked one to try. Mostly because the sword worked well. I didn’t use much effort.”
The ghost arm, when thrust into the shrine, was as soft as butter to cut.
Hearing this, Bai Shuangying looked at him with an indescribable expression, as if accusing him of something.
Fang Xiu, understanding, immediately plastered a pair of imaginary couplets on his face. On the left: [I totally understand, it’s okay to be weak if you’re not strong.] On the right: [Even though it’s unbearable, you’re amazing for coming along.]
And the banner across: [Grateful for you.]
Bai Shuangying ignored him and bent down, gnawing on the ghost arm with crunching noises.
“Actually, evil spirits love eating human souls. It’s a huge supplement,” Bai Shuangying commented halfway through gnawing, a hint of meaning in his words.
Fang Xiu suddenly realized, “No wonder they wanted us as sacrifices. So, if we die here, whose soul does it go to? Is it first come, first served?”
“Something like that.” Bai Shuangying kept gnawing on the arm. He was starting to get used to Fang Xiu’s terrible focus.
“That’s such a waste. If I die, I want you to eat me.” Fang Xiu shook his head.
Bai Shuangying paused his chewing. “Why?”
“Well, if I’m dead, I wouldn’t want to let outsiders benefit from it.” Fang Xiu stated it as if it were obvious. “Speaking of which, is there a way I can assign my soul to you?”
Bai Shuangying: “?”
Some people wish for their soul to not scatter after death; others wish for great success in their next life. But he had never seen a request like this. He thought Fang Xiu was just making small talk, but to his surprise, this guy was serious.
“Not just my soul. When certain people die, I could also help manipulate things a bit.” Fang Xiu got more and more excited as he spoke. “A soul is a great supplement. You should take more.”
Bai Shuangying: “…Alright.”
It made sense. Though something about it felt off, it made sense.
Bai Shuangying moved his fingers slightly, and a strand of long hair snapped off. It floated in his palm, coiling into a pitch-black ring. The strands were woven tightly together, with no visible break or seam.
“Within half an hour of someone’s death, draw a circle around the body. Leave a gap in the circle and place the ring in the gap. That way, their soul will be assigned to me, and other malevolent spirits can’t take it.”
Bai Shuangying tossed the ring to Fang Xiu.
“What about me?” Fang Xiu blinked. “I can’t draw a circle around my own body.”
“As long as you’re wearing this ring, you’re already mine.”
Fang Xiu examined the ring for a long time. Its color was lustrous, cold to the touch, like an unusually textured piece of black jade that was absolutely beautiful.
He smiled and slid it onto the middle finger of his left hand.
……
Half an hour later, at Weishan Shrine.
“You just went in like that?”
Jia Xu was munching on some pig’s head meat, speaking with his mouth full. “Not to be that guy, but brother, that was dangerous.”
Fang Xiu: “It wasn’t too bad.”
Fang Xiu hadn’t taken the offerings away but had called his companions to the shrine to eat instead. The wandering spirits outside weren’t too strong, and since everyone had a fierce ghost on their side, there was strength in numbers.
Fang Xiu leaned against the wall, watching the others wolf down their food.
Unlike Bai Shuangying, the other people’s ghosts didn’t dare enter the shrine. Not loyal at all.
Jia Xu continued to nag, “Be more careful in the future. You could offend the spirits just by going out at night, and you went to a place like this.”
“This time you were lucky, but next time, think about the other possibilities and don’t be so reckless.”
“It’s not a taboo to go out at night.” Fang Xiu responded casually. “Lao Mian and Mai Zi left before dawn. If it were taboo, they would’ve broken the same rule, and their deaths should’ve been the same.”
“As for the shrine, either it repels spirits, or there’s something even more terrifying here. My ghost didn’t give me any warnings, so it’s probably the former.”
“If the shrine repels spirits, and the offerings include things like Wang Zai Milk, it doesn’t seem like a trap.”
As he finished speaking, Fang Xiu mentioned his guess about the taboo of “only sacrifices can be eaten”.
Jia Xu was silent for a long time. “Maybe the local stuff can’t be eaten, but things from outside can…”
He trailed off, remembering that Blondie had chewed on a belt earlier in the day and had vomited it back up. The belt was his own, clearly an external item.
Alright, Fang Xiu’s reasoning was fairly thorough, but…
“But you can’t be 100% sure,” Jia Xu said earnestly. “The statue here looks suspicious. There might be other taboos.”
“How can I be 100% sure?” Fang Xiu, genuinely confused, asked, “Should I have tricked my companions into going first? …Or captured the enemy, wherever they are, and forced them to make mistakes?”
His tone was so sincere that it made it sound a thousand times creepier.
Watching this guy casually wreak havoc was oddly entertaining. Bai Shuangying couldn’t help but smile, his mood lifting.
“You could just stroke his ego. Say something like, ‘Jia Ge*, you’re so wise.’” The gloomy teenager nearby mumbled.
*(Older) Brother (哥). Form of address for someone who is male that’s usually older or higher rank as a form of respect, closeness, or endearment.
Jia Xu fell silent, his face and ears turning red. However, once everyone was full, his leader’s spirit returned in full force.
“I’ve scouted ahead. The malevolent spirits in the village are still behaving, and they’re not too strong. We can explore the village further.” Jia Xu said solemnly, “Some clues might only appear at night. Since we’re here to find the ‘E’, we need to fully understand this place.”
A white-collar woman hesitantly raised her hand. “I think I’ve heard of this place…”
Jia Xu’s eyes lit up. “Go on.”
“I have some impression of ‘Weishan’. I used to deal with goods from here…”
The woman’s name was Mei Lan. Though she dressed like an elegant white-collar worker, she was actually the owner of a calligraphy and painting shop.
Her shop had once sold Weishan inkstones. They weren’t very popular, only produced in one village, the Weishan Village.
According to Mei Lan, production of Weishan inkstones had ceased several years ago. However, she was just a seller and didn’t know the exact reason.
“If I remember correctly, Weishan Village is in Geng Province. Weishan is near the border of Xu Mountain, in the northwest.” Mei Lan gestured.
Fang Xiu was thrown back to middle school geography. Xu Mountain was the largest mountain range in the world and a must-know topic for exams.
However, his fond memories weren’t due to his love of learning but because the people loved giving absurd names to the smaller peaks. Names like “Underwear Hill” and “Dog Bark Ridge” were favorites among students, making the classroom atmosphere lively.
In comparison, “Weishan” was a remarkably proper name.
If this village really was “Weishan Village”…
“So, we’re actually in Geng Province, and this place exists in reality.” Jia Xu swallowed hard.
Blondie grinned. “Ha, I knew it! Ten miles from here, there might even be a police station.”
The thought that they were still in the living world steadied everyone’s nerves a bit. They followed Jia Xu out of the shrine.
Before leaving, Jia Xu glanced at Fang Xiu and his new ring for a moment.
……
With food, drink, and renewed confidence, the group wasn’t in such a rush anymore. They checked out each brightly lit house, listening to the sounds coming from the windows—
Inside, people were chatting, children laughing noisily. At first, it sounded normal. But upon closer inspection, the voices were like an AI reading gibberish, completely meaningless.
Between conversations, the static of an old-fashioned TV could be heard. Even though they all knew the house had been cleared out long ago, with no TV inside.
Blondie swore nonstop, and Cheng Songyun clasped her hands together, stuttering through a Buddhist prayer.
“I’ll go take a look.”
When they reached a house occupied by only one “person”, Jia Xu spoke up.
With that, he summoned his ghost, Painted Skin. Painted Skin let out a creepy giggle, running its hands over Jia Xu’s face. Instantly, his skin began to rot, and Yin energy seeped from his body, making him look like a zombie.
This is probably Painted Skin’s ability, Fang Xiu thought. Then he saw Jia Xu walking toward him.
“Can I borrow your ghost?” Jia Xu asked directly.
“Painted Skin’s spell can’t be interrupted, so I can’t defend myself. I need a fierce ghost as backup. You and the others still have four ghosts covering you.”
Fang Xiu was a little stunned. “You’ll have to ask Bai Shuangying if he’s willing.”
He had actually wanted to refuse outright, but Jia Xu was too open about it, and Fang Xiu was the only one comfortable enough to let his ghost roam free.
Bai Shuangying was at the back of the group, looking around curiously. Jia Xu approached him on his own.
Fang Xiu turned his head to watch, but the two were obscured by a tree’s shadow. Was it too much to eavesdrop? He wasn’t Bai Shuangying’s guardian. Even ghosts needed social space…
On the other side.
Facing Bai Shuangying, Jia Xu was nervous. He lowered his voice and repeated his request. This time, he added a few more words.
“Fang Xiu said you’re a seductive ghost, but I know your power exceeds that.” Jia Xu said, “My Painted Skin is very afraid of you, and your performance at the shrine was remarkable.”
“I mean no offense. I just wanted to give my greetings. I promise I won’t harm Fang Xiu. Let’s work well together…”
Jia Xu trailed off.
Across from him, Bai Shuangying was smiling.
Most of the time, this ghost was expressionless. His beautiful face was less like a face and more like a prop, waiting to be used.
At this moment, Jia Xu felt this more intensely than ever.
Bai Shuangying’s smile was beautiful, yet deeply unsettling. It was like something that had never seen a human, casually playing with a human face.
A distorted sense of wrongness washed over Jia Xu. His hair stood on end, and Painted Skin trembled violently in the shadows.
“What do you wish to ask of me?” Bai Shuangying smiled as he spoke in the same tone as before.
Jia Xu didn’t dare to move.
He had thought about it. Fang Xiu was slow-witted and didn’t show much respect to Bai Shuangying. He himself was more skilled in social situations, so he was sure he could succeed easily…
“What are you going to beg from me?” Bai Shuangying’s smile grew brighter. His pale lips parted, revealing a pitch-black mouth.
“N-Nothing. I’ll leave now.” Jia Xu squeezed out the words with all his might.
…He was terribly wrong. Fierce ghosts had no understanding of human emotions. He had to escape quickly.
Bai Shuangying leisurely walked over to Fang Xiu.
Fang Xiu couldn’t help but ask, “Done talking?”
Bai Shuangying responded with a hum. “I’m not going.”
After a pause, he added, “He’s curious about your ring. He wants one too.”
Fang Xiu was shocked. Jia Xu had willingly fed himself to his ghost. What kind of mentality was that?
“Well, that’s pretty nice of him. Did you give it to him?”
Bai Shuangying: “No. He looks pretty inedible.”
More like, that was exactly the kind of human he was familiar with. Always acting clever, but never quite smart enough.
Bai Shuangying lifted his eyes, his white pupils pointing towards the east side of the village.
On the east side of the village, in front of the Weishan Shrine.
The man wearing a jade Buddha tugged on a chain. The other end of the chain was tied to a raggedly dressed person—the madman from the start of the ritual.
The person’s face was filthy, and he muttered something under his breath. His left hand scratched his body forcefully, while his right hand clung tightly to a torch.
“Hurry up.” The man with the jade Buddha ignored the wandering souls watching and kicked the madman toward the shrine.
“Burn it quickly, burn it clean,” he said impatiently.
The author has something to say:
Jia Xu: Bai Shuangying’s expression is so damn scary.
Fang Xiu: Bai Shuangying’s expression has always been natural.
Bai Shuangying be like: Smiling is just part of the job but being silent, that’s genuine.
Before leaving, Fang Xiu tugged on Bai Shuangying’s sleeve. “This time, you hold on to me.”
“Why?” Bai Shuangying had intended to pretend not to hear, but curiosity got the better of him.
“The evil spirits outside are just circling around. They haven’t barged in to tear us apart. They’re being quite polite,” Fang Xiu whispered. “Polite evil spirits wouldn’t steal someone else’s neatly packed meal.”
Bai Shuangying mulled over the statement before realizing that he was the “someone else”, and Fang Xiu was the “neatly packed meal”.
It seemed logical, yet also somehow not quite right.
“If they do decide to attack, what would you do?” Bai Shuangying asked on purpose.
Fang Xiu tilted his head. “Then you could use your ability to make the spirits ignore us.”
…Did this human know his ability?
It was as if Bai Shuangying had suddenly sobered from a pleasant daze. His pale eyes fixed intently on Fang Xiu’s chest, unblinking.
Fang Xiu didn’t notice and continued muttering, “Yesterday, you made Lao Mian and Mai Zi ignore you, so it should work on evil spirits too, right?”
“How did you figure that out?” Bai Shuangying’s tone was flat.
“They saw such a good-looking face and just assumed you were human, which doesn’t make sense… Even if they were lying, with how good-looking you are, a normal person would at least glance at you a few times.”
Fang Xiu said seriously, “So I guessed you did something. Nicely done.”
He emphasized “good-looking” both times. After finishing, he stared at Bai Shuangying’s face for a moment, his eyes filled with straightforward admiration.
Bai Shuangying: “……”
He pulled his gaze away from Fang Xiu’s chest and turned toward the ceiling.
Fang Xiu placed his hand on the door, concerned about his ghost. “Don’t worry. If it doesn’t work, I’ll think of something else…”
“I can handle it.” Bai Shuangying grabbed Fang Xiu’s arm. “Let’s go.”
Since ancient times, humans always said he was unpredictable, but now Bai Shuangying felt stuck between amusement and annoyance—unable to laugh, unable to get angry, feeling strangely calm.
With a creak, the door opened and closed.
In the gloomy rainy night, the world outside was somehow brighter than inside, as though the threshold divided two entirely different realms.
Fang Xiu carefully shut the door and, turning around, was once again met with the sight of Lao Mian and Mai Zi’s corpses. A day had passed, and they still lay where they had fallen. Their flesh had turned pale from the rain, their bodies swollen from the water.
Fang Xiu’s gaze lingered on the copper coin sword in Mai Zi’s chest.
The sword wasn’t large, its blade about the length of an adult’s forearm, but the coins along its body were tattered and worn. Someone had taken all of Mai Zi’s other charms, leaving only this sword behind.
Bai Shuangying: “That sword’s nearly useless. No point in picking up…”
Before he could finish saying “trash”, Fang Xiu had already pulled the sword out, rinsing off the blood with rainwater.
“Even if it’s almost broken, it can still hurt evil spirits, right?”
“…Barely.”
“That’s good enough.” Fang Xiu tucked the sword away and crouched down, looking at Mai Zi’s deformed corpse.
“I’m taking your sword. Just letting you know.”
In the rain, his voice was calm and sincere. “Thank you for telling us so much. Rest in peace.”
With that, Fang Xiu reached out and gently closed Mai Zi’s eyes.
……
The village wasn’t exactly quiet at night.
Thunder rumbled, and lightning occasionally flashed across the sky, illuminating the village as if it were broad daylight.
Along the way, Fang Xiu saw many strange shadows and heard whispers, soft laughter, and sobs. Fortunately, the village’s “security” was decent, and no evil spirits attacked them.
Looking around, he noticed lights in the houses and shadowy figures moving near the windows, giving the place a sense of life. Regrettably, after observing for a while, he didn’t see smoke rising from any chimneys.
“Too bad no one’s cooking,” he sighed, adjusting his straw hat. His disappointment was genuine.
Bai Shuangying didn’t want to talk.
The two continued along the path, one they had walked earlier in the day. Ever since leaving the house, Fang Xiu had been heading straight for the shrine with the ease of someone going home.
The area near the shrine, however, was far from ordinary.
It looked like a small marketplace outside the shrine. The road was adorned with lanterns and streamers, though the lanterns were blue and the streamers were white. The market stalls were neatly arranged, filled with mysterious bones and strange body parts.
Evil spirits shuffled along, silently trading goods. Most were wandering souls, barely retaining a vague human shape, like ownerless shadows.
The surrounding chill was intense, and though it was a summer night, Fang Xiu’s breath came out in visible white puffs.
“What a lively scene. Is this what a rural market is like?” Fang Xiu pushed aside his bangs, his eyes gleaming. “Too bad they don’t sell human food.”
Seeing food speaking, the wandering souls’ eyes also brightened, and they began to gather around Fang Xiu.
Fang Xiu drew the copper coin sword and gently nudged the spirits away. “Make way, make way.”
The blade sizzled like grilling meat as it touched the souls, and they silently parted, forming layers of onlookers around him.
Fang Xiu grabbed hold of Bai Shuangying’s arm without looking back, walking directly into the shrine.
During the day, the shrine had been locked and looked gray and dingy. Now, its doors were slightly ajar, with red candlelight spilling out, making it appear warm and inviting.
The plaque above the door read “Weishan Shrine” from right to left. Inside, not a single evil spirit was present, and the wandering souls that had followed Fang Xiu all stopped outside. Bai Shuangying didn’t mind, crossing the threshold with Fang Xiu.
At the center of the shrine stood a statue of a god.
The statue had five arms and three legs, with two additional heads on either side of its neck. These extra heads and limbs varied in size, haphazardly placed, without any sense of aesthetics.
The statue’s entire face was painted a ghostly white, with only a smiling mouth on its features. Now, the paint was peeling, and the dark marks made it look like distorted eyes and brows, giving off an unsettling feeling.
A golden couplet hung on either side of the statue.
[Do no evil, and heaven will bestow blessings and fortune for generations.]
[Practice all virtues, and the rain will nourish all things with deep love and justice.]
Fang Xiu took a couple more steps forward to get a closer look.
The statue was carved from ordinary wood, its colors garish and crude, much like the rest of the village. It didn’t feel particularly old, likely less than a hundred years old.
But that wasn’t the point. The point was the offering table in front of the statue.
There was no incense burner or memorial tablets, only a table full of offerings—
Fresh fruit, roasted chicken, and a pig’s head, along with canned peaches and bottles of branded milk. The table also had flaky pastries and fruit candies, with several crates of almond milk stacked underneath.
Fang Xiu picked up a drink to examine it. The production date was from a year ago, but the packaging was fresh, with no signs of spoilage.
There was enough food for everyone to last two days, maybe three or four if they rationed.
Bai Shuangying watched as Fang Xiu snapped off a chicken leg. “…You’re just going to eat it?”
“Oh right, I almost forgot because I was so hungry.”
Fang Xiu put the chicken leg down, cleared his throat, and respectfully bowed to the statue. “Sorry to disturb you. We’re really starving, so we’ll take some of your offerings. When we escape, we’ll repay you double.”
The statue made no response.
Fang Xiu promptly took a bite of the chicken leg. The meat was tender and flavorful, the bones soft and crisp, with no strange aftertaste.
Delicious. After being hungry for so long, it felt amazing to eat. Fang Xiu opened a drink, grabbed a pastry, and devoured them quickly.
Bai Shuangying almost felt sorry for the statue. “Did you come straight to the shrine just for this?”
“Yup. ‘Sacrifice’ is another word for ‘offering’. If sacrifices can be eaten, then offerings probably can too.”
Fang Xiu, now full and energized, added, “I think one of the taboos is that ‘food and water within the village cannot be consumed, except for offerings.’”
Bai Shuangying fell silent.
It was true that “sacrifices” could be eaten… The woman who ran away earlier had indeed been eaten by the other group.
But was this really the first thought of a normal person upon witnessing cannibalism?
On the other side, Fang Xiu, now satiated, exhaled contentedly.
“Thank you,” he said, wiping his mouth and expressing his gratitude to the statue.
Weishan Shrine wasn’t large, and inside it resembled an ordinary house. Aside from the statue in the center, the only other notable features were two rows of wooden tables, with red candles melted into pools of wax, covering the tables like a layer of flesh.
Fang Xiu circled around to the back of the statue, where a large brick platform resembling a communal bed had been constructed. The straw mats on it had long rotted away.
The firelight in the hall flickered, casting the statue’s grotesque shadow across the platform, like a strange, malformed tree canopy.
Fang Xiu knocked here and there. Both the floor and platform were solid, with no signs of a hidden passage. Even the statue was solid, made entirely of wood.
The candlelight flickered, casting shadows on the statue’s lips, making its smile seem more and more alive.
“Did I tickle you? Sorry, I just wanted to check,” Fang Xiu apologized sincerely. “By the way, you don’t have any moths. You’re in excellent condition.”
The statue’s smile faded slightly: “……”
Bai Shuangying: “……”
“Aren’t you afraid?” Bai Shuangying asked after a long pause.
Fang Xiu sighed. “Of course I’m afraid, which is why I came to the shrine first. After all, cemeteries also have offerings according to tradition.”
This person’s thoughts were still bizarrely refreshing. Bai Shuangying gave up questioning him and shifted his attention toward the door.
Fang Xiu was backing toward the door, trying to keep the entire statue in his view. Behind him, a low-level evil spirit was pressed against the doorframe, its blood-red eyes locked onto Fang Xiu.
Just a mere pest, Bai Shuangying thought. With a single thought, he could make it disappear. But by now, a new idea had formed—
He wanted to see Fang Xiu’s unshakable calm break, to show some other expression.
And in the critical moment, he could easily save Fang Xiu and dispel the man’s absurd misconceptions about him. It would be like killing two birds with one stone.
Bai Shuangying watched as Fang Xiu backed right up to the threshold, now within reach of the spirit. His hands were behind his back, and his fingers were about to slip through the door.
The evil spirit couldn’t resist such a temptation. It crossed the threshold, lunging to grab Fang Xiu’s wrist and drag him into the darkness.
In the next instant, a scream pierced the air.
But it wasn’t Fang Xiu who screamed—the moment the spirit’s clawed hand crossed the doorway, a flash of golden light sliced through. Fang Xiu’s right hand moved in a swift, practiced motion, the copper coin sword severing the spirit’s entire forearm.
It all happened in the blink of an eye, and Fang Xiu didn’t even turn his head.
The severed limb rolled inside, stopping in the center of the shrine. Fang Xiu closed the door, picked up the green-black ghostly arm.
“I felt bad making you just watch me eat earlier… Here, why don’t you have something to eat too?”
He smiled sincerely at Bai Shuangying.
……
At the top of the Disaster Relief Tower
“The Yin evil star rises, heralding a great calamity.”
In the shadows, a cold female voice spoke. “The omen is unclear, as if there are two shadows… two shadows…”
She paused abruptly.
“…There are two of those bastards?” the voice muttered to herself. “Forget it, it’s none of my business.”
The sacrifices continued day and night, with countless offerings. Even if a world-shattering evil star appeared, that was a problem for the mortal realm. As long as “That One” didn’t make any moves, it wasn’t her concern.
The evil spirit she was guarding was far more important. That evil spirit was unpredictable, running rampant without a care for the human world.
There had been a prophecy a thousand years ago: When ■■■ appears in the world, the gates of hell will shake…
■■■…■■■… What was it she was guarding again?
Whatever, as long as “That One” didn’t make any moves, there wouldn’t be a problem…
The author has something to say:
Two bastards, no ×
A matching pair of bastards, yes √
Don’t worry, Bai Shuangying hasn’t made any moves, he’s just quietly speechless.
By the way, Fang Xiu is purely a brains-over-brawn type—he’s still quite fragile. His methods will be explained later on, and this story isn’t about him being invincible… After all, if he were invincible, there wouldn’t be any sense of tension. Although, with his personality, it doesn’t seem like he’d feel much tension anyway (…
Kinky Translations 