Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 136: Story Jump

Zhuang Feng specifically arranged an empty tent for the three of them and even asked A’Shou whether she wanted to spend the night in a women’s-only tent.

“There are many volunteers who came to help, so we prepared spaces in advance.” There was a hint of pride in his tone. “This mission is too dangerous, so Master only brought fewer than a hundred people. The fact that you three were kept says a lot. The conditions on the mountain are harsh, so we ask for your understanding.”

A’Shou glanced at the human-and-ghost pair standing together and decisively refused Zhuang Feng’s offer. She was fairly certain Fang Xiu and his seductive ghost had no interest in anyone else.

Zhuang Feng wasn’t overly conservative about it either. “Very well, I’ll prepare a screen for the three of you. You can use it as you wish.”

Fang Xiu wasn’t sure if this was another one of Zhuang Guiqu’s exaggerations or if the God of Calamity was really that notorious, but this was the first he’d heard of so many cultivators volunteering to come here. The Guishan Sect’s records never mentioned this, not even specific details about the disciples. For instance, this Zhuang Feng standing before them, his name didn’t appear anywhere.

Then again, the “Evil Sealing” event did make for a great story outline. The records only provided a simple summary, leaving the details to the imagination.

“With so many people here, have you decided how to seal the evil yet?” Fang Xiu asked casually.

“As a junior, I’m not in a position to pass along those words. That’s something Master will say himself.”

Zhuang Feng smiled politely, with the pride of a seasoned cultivator in his tone. “There’s sweet soup available at all times in the guest quarters. Please warm up before bed.”

Fang Xiu nodded. “Thanks.”

Bai Shuangying, however, wasn’t so relaxed. He wanted nothing more than to stare Zhuang Feng out of the tent, then trap A’Shou behind a screen so he could finally think in peace. 

Unfortunately, his human couldn’t stay still for even a second. Fang Xiu grabbed his hand and dragged him out. Bai Shuangying winced, but still obediently followed.

The three of them headed straight to where the sweet soup was being served.

Among the many tents, a large pot simmered with fragrant flowers, fruits, and rare herbs, glowing a lovely golden red. The bubbling broth cast an orange light all around.

Nearby was a long table with rows of crystal-clear porcelain bowls. Each time someone took one, a cook with a large ladle would refill it, ensuring the soup remained hot.

To go with the soup, soft wheat cakes, fresh fruit, and meat stew lined the table’s edge. Though it was late, many cultivators were still gathered, eating and chatting excitedly.

As Fang Xiu and Bai Shuangying approached, many eyes turned to them. Most of those seated were elderly or unusually deformed. The sudden arrival of two striking young men made the chatter pause for a few seconds.

An old man closest to them drained his soup and wiped his beard. “How rare to see a kid walking around with two fierce evil spirits.”

Fang Xiu deliberately looked around. “Where are the so-called ‘righteous’ sects?”

In modern terms, this place was full of black Taoists and dark monks. There were barely any “righteous” cultivators. Given that the royal troops were here, those sects should have shown up too.

The old man chuckled. “With Lao Zhuang here, what do we need them for?”

“What those good-for-nothings can do, Lao Zhuang can do. What they can’t do, he still can. We just have more tricks up our sleeves, that’s all.”

“Amitabha, mind your words, Patron. That God of Calamity has harmed the innocent. They too wish to help the people, but Master Zhuang persuaded them otherwise.”

A one-eyed monk folded his hands together and spoke slowly. “If such people survive, they’re more useful than you and me.”

The old man scratched his head, plucking out a louse and squishing it. “Fair enough. Who doesn’t hold a grudge? Even if I die here, I’ll have taken revenge.”

Fang Xiu: “…” Why does this atmosphere feel weirdly harmonious? Almost like unity in the face of a great enemy.

He looked at the old man curiously. “Revenge?”

“None of your damn business!” the old man snapped.

Fang Xiu activated his ability, pulling some modern-day festival pastries from his pocket and politely offering them. “I meant no offense. Just a little curious.”

The old man snatched the pastry and took a bite. His eyes widened. Influenced by the taste of modern food, he quickly devoured the treat and licked his fingers.

“…Not bad. Alright, I’ll talk. Kid, you came all the way here… Don’t tell me you’ve got no grievances with that God of Calamity?”

Fang Xiu shook his head and answered dramatically, “For the greater good.”

Then he slipped the old man a few more pastries.

The old man happily hugged them close, eyes gleaming as his tone deepened.

“You know about that big disaster five years ago? It was awful. My son lived there at the time. Before that…”

[Before that, there were constant conflicts between the locals around Xushan and that God of Calamity. They tried to suppress it again and again. We lived nearby because there was always work.]

[Five years ago, there was heavy rain. The God of Calamity caused a landslide. Mud and rocks buried everything—four or five villages vanished! It was a nightmare. The dead were dug up for three days and nights, the mourning music never stopped, and people cried day and night.]

A faint crying echoed in Fang Xiu’s ears, drifting in and out like a hallucination.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at the old man’s moving mouth.

His teeth were yellow, crumbs clinging to his lips, and his mouth a black void. But inside that darkness, Fang Xiu saw movement, like a cluster of words forming.

They spilled from the corner of the man’s lips, flickering like vapor on a winter’s breath. Fang Xiu instinctively reached out and grabbed a handful.

In that instant, the crying grew clearer, and the old man’s figure blurred. The words in his hand felt like dry yet soft skin, waiting to be torn.

Fang Xiu gripped Bai Shuangying with his left hand and raised his right…

Riiip.

A strange rustling sound filled the air.

Suddenly, cries rang sharp in his ears. Fang Xiu’s feet were submerged in mud, surrounded by a stifling stench of death. People were digging into the earth in the dark. From time to time, they would unearth bloated, disfigured corpses.

Far off, the sound of a suona wailed, causing people’s hair to stand on end.

Fang Xiu lowered his hand and flexed his fingers. The sensation from earlier still lingered. His left hand still held Bai Shuangying’s, and even A’Shou had gotten dragged in at the last moment, clutching his shirt so hard the collar warped.

This is wrong. They shouldn’t be interfering like this.

I already chose a story for them. Why are they jumping back and forth?

Fang Xiu is even more unusual than I expected. His interference makes me uncomfortable. Looks like we’ll have to finish this story together.

And soon.

It’s my duty. I must complete it quickly…

“I didn’t make a wish!”

At Fang Xiu’s feet, a child half-buried in dirt screamed hoarsely, “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill my parents! Wuwuwu…”

The child’s face was smeared with mud making him unrecognizable. Two corpses lay nearby. From their twisted shapes, it was clear they’d died long ago. The child’s hoarse cries were ugly, but mixed with the mourning music and others’ wails, they sounded almost ordinary.

A pair of arms lifted the crying child and gently patted his back.

The hands belonged to a middle-aged man dressed like a black Taoist. His face resembled the old man from earlier. Judging from the situation, he was probably the son of the old man who was telling the story.

“Tragic,” he sighed, then spotted Fang Xiu and the others. His expression froze visibly. “New arrivals? Good, help us out. The God of Calamity is acting up again… too many deaths…”

“Acting up again?” Fang Xiu echoed smoothly.

“Someone must’ve made a wish again and caused trouble. We’ve said it a hundred times. Stop going to that damn temple, but no one listens. I say we should’ve torn it down long ago.”

The black Taoist cursed, adjusting the child in his arms. “Master Zhuang said something would happen, and sure enough, now the court’s people are coming. It’s time to teach that Calamity a lesson.”

Fang Xiu looked at the wrecked mountain. Thick mud had flattened the houses showing a scene of desolation.

…But to a modern man like him, there didn’t seem to be any obvious supernatural signs.

“Could it just be a natural disaster?” he asked, offering pastries again.

Like father, like son—the Taoist softened at once. He broke off a piece and fed it to the exhausted child. Distracted by the sweet flavor, the kid calmed down.

“How could it be natural? Of course the God of Calamity did it. It has messed things up before. Why else would I still be here scraping by?”

After comforting the child, the man sighed. “The court didn’t care. Only Master Zhuang looked out for the people. Anyway, I think they’re almost here. I need to check.”

He pointed toward flashing lights at the foot of the mountain.

Just then, Fang Xiu noticed Bai Shuangying’s wrist twitch in his grasp.

“Get more fire oil and dry wood too!” someone shouted in the distance.

“Stack it all in that damn temple! Light the mountain up and burn every inch!”

“Blasphemers! Let that evil spirit taste justice!”

…It was probably just motivational yelling. The shouting echoed in waves.

Fang Xiu followed the black Taoist downhill and saw a familiar tent. Who knew when Zhuang Guiqu had set it up among the rot and decay? The usual fragrant scent drifted out. Survivors had stopped crying and hauling corpses. They all rushed to the tent, kneeling and sobbing.

“Master, save us!”

“Drive out the cursed evil, we beg you!”

They didn’t know whether Zhuang Guiqu was in the tent, but they still kowtowed until their foreheads bled. More and more victims gathered, like lost sheep.

“We don’t want wishes anymore! No more wishes!”

The sky was dark, the survivors frenzied. Fang Xiu’s group stood quietly at the edge. The black Taoist didn’t kneel either. He wiped the child’s face as the boy, finally spent, drifted into sleep amid the shouting.

Zhuang Guiqu remained inside, the soothing incense wafting endlessly.

Beside the ornate tent stood a young Zhuang Feng.

He held a longsword, its blade catching the firelight. With bold brows and clear eyes, he looked just like a storybook hero.

His gaze swept the crowd and landed on the child in the Taoist’s arms. His brow furrowed, rage flickering on his face.

“The God of Calamity must be destroyed!” he shouted.

“The God of Calamity must be destroyed!” The crowd quickly echoed him.

In their grief and rage, Zhuang Feng leaned toward the tent. Fang Xiu didn’t hear a word, but Zhuang Feng seemed to receive a command and nodded solemnly.

He gripped his sword and walked steadily up the mountain. Soldiers flanked him, raising torches that lit up the muddy path.

Fang Xiu glanced at the Taoist with the child, catching his eye. The man smirked and gestured at the kid. “Whatever, it’s just a fire. We can see it from here.”

Even though the child was fast asleep, he still instinctively lowered his voice.

Though the story came from this man’s father, he didn’t seem like the “protagonist”.

Fang Xiu turned and was greeted by Zhuang Feng’s flaming sword.

Zhuang Feng stopped in front of a collapsed shrine. The flames lit up its features: a collapsed roof with only broken walls remaining. Within them stood a crooked statue…

A rough, snow-white porcelain idol.

It was the same as the one in the Temple of All E’s. The same as the one at the very start of the sacrifice. Despite the ruin around it, the statue glowed faintly. It had no face but held an eerie beauty.

…The God of Calamity.

The nameless god Zhuang Guiqu supposedly sealed in cooperation with the Underworld.

When Fang Xiu first heard of it, he’d tried to investigate. But so few souls knew anything that he found no records. It sounded like pure myth, so he dropped it.

He only recently learned about the Guishan Sect’s plan to release the God of Calamity.

Now he realized, “no information” might be the scariest information of all.

The Immortal Encounter E was clearly tied to the God of Calamity. The statue sat in the Temple of All E’s. And even Ghost Immortal A’Shou, guardian of the Disaster Relief Tower, knew nothing?

Fang Xiu looked at her and sure enough, saw shock on her face. He then looked at his own ghost and found… no. Bai Shuangying had turned his head ninety degrees, presenting the back of it.

Fang Xiu tilted his body and looked in the direction Bai Shuangying “faced”, then sucked in a sharp breath.

There was no fog on the mountain. The grass was dry. Soldiers had avoided the wet soil and placed oil-soaked cloth in the grassy areas. The cloth trail led right to the porcelain statue, like a snake’s shadow.

Zhuang Feng swung his flaming sword. A slash of light tore through the night.

With a loud crack, the porcelain statue shattered. Sparks flew, igniting the oil, and a fiery tongue raced forward.

Thick smoke billowed and flames shot up towards the sky. The hollow statue shattered, becoming rubble.

The mudslide zone was spared, but untouched vegetation caught quickly. Crimson fire lit half the sky and surged into the mountain forest. Within moments, most of the mountain was ablaze.

Firelight revealed the tears and smiles on survivors’ faces.

It also flickered in Fang Xiu’s eyes. Then he lowered his gaze, and the light vanished from them.

Above the broken shrine, Zhuang Feng sheathed his sword and raised his arm. The soldiers who had started the fire quickly moved to help recover the bodies of the dead, like Zhuang Guiqu’s personal army.

If this was a performance, it was a good one, Fang Xiu thought. Zhuang Guiqu clearly knew how to win the crowd. At this moment, Zhuang Feng was practically a saint to the survivors.

Despite the tension, A’Shou couldn’t help but sneer. “God knows how many lands the Kui Dynasty lost out west, but sure, all their elites are here.”

Fang Xiu: “You’ve heard of this disaster?”

“A mudslide, no. But something else, yes.”

She stared at the raging fire. “Just a few villages burned. That doesn’t qualify as a world-shaking disaster. This is just the appetizer… The God of Calamity is coming.”

Fang Xiu gave a disinterested “oh,” earning an exasperated look from her. She calmed down and added, “Whatever you’re doing, leave this place as soon as possible.”

“I’m just curious about the God of Calamity. Maybe it’ll help,” Fang Xiu said sincerely.

A’Shou was speechless. “If it’s just about the God of Calamity, I saw it once before…”

But her hands went to her temples and her voice weakened. She seemed to forget what she’d just said and repeated herself, “…Leave this place. Quickly.”

Yes. That’s what I want too. Leave quickly. This place won’t grant your wish.

Seeing A’Shou like this, Fang Xiu wasn’t surprised. He turned to grab his ghost and make a getaway, only to find Bai Shuangying still facing the other way like his neck had snapped.

Fang Xiu: “?”

He slowly reached out and turned Bai Shuangying’s face back. That handsome face was squished in his palm, those pale eyes still averted.

So guilty.

To be honest, Fang Xiu had always had a small suspicion.

He knew Bai Shuangying was probably connected to the God of Calamity. But the Disaster Relief Tower suppressed an untold number of spirits, so it wasn’t surprising to come into contact with a powerful inmate.

Since the ritual began, Bai Shuangying had been extremely well-behaved. There was none of his usual muttering. Considering how powerful the God of Calamity was, even affecting A’Shou, Fang Xiu wasn’t too surprised.

The only thing that made him feel slightly off was the Immortal Encounter E was related to karma, and so did Bai Shuangying’s powers. But thinking back to the Grave-Sealing E’s influence, Fang Xiu chalked it up to “a similar spell type”.

But why was his ghost acting so guilty? Judging from temperament, Bai Shuangying didn’t seem like the minion of some evil god.

Suddenly, Fang Xiu had a ridiculous thought…

What if, just what if… Bai Shuangying was the God of Calamity the Guishan Sect was trying to release?

His mind flashed through scenes of “Bai Shuangying’s body sliding on his bed”, “Bai Shuangying kissing him for three meals a day”, and “Bai Shuangying circling around him all day when he had nothing to do” and immediately dismissed the idea.

His ghost was simple, harmless, and easy to fool. There was no way he’d be involved in something this over-the-top.

Fang Xiu slapped himself lightly and looked back at the raging fire.

A’Shou was right. He should start planning how to get out of here.

Perfect. This story twist might really get him out of here.

Speaking of which, why is Fang Xiu interested in me?

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

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Chapter 135: A New Script

Before Fang Xiu could even call out a second time, A’Shou appeared on the spot, faster than a voice-activated light switch.

In the quiet, stifling night of the village, a ghost immortal in red wedding robes nearly two meters tall suddenly flashing into view was quite the visual shock. Fang Xiu instinctively stepped back, bumping into Bai Shuangying’s chest.

Bai Shuangying reflexively withdrew his arms, then wrapped his sleeves around Fang Xiu, leaving only his shoulders and head exposed. Unlike before, he revealed himself openly and calmly looked at A’Shou.

Knowing how many tricks Fang Xiu had up his sleeve, A’Shou wasn’t particularly surprised.

She was aware that Dian’er must have repeatedly stressed the uniqueness of the Immortal Encounter E. Considering the situation with the Grave Sealing E, there was a good chance she’d return to observe.

She also knew that once Fang Xiu detected something abnormal about the Immortal Encounter E, he’d guess that she would want to cooperate with them…

“According to Underworld rules, I can’t directly assist you,” A’Shou emphasized.

“Rules and the Underworld are dead things. But I’m alive, aren’t I?”

Fang Xiu put on his signature bashful smile. “I won’t ask you to help me against other sacrifices, and I’ll offer you important information. That’s a fair deal, right?”

What twisted logic. A’Shou looked like she wanted to respond but held her tongue, ultimately deciding to be practical. “What kind of important information?”

Fang Xiu: “I can’t say yet, but I guarantee it’ll be worth it.”

The moment he mentioned valuable information, Bai Shuangying, still holding Fang Xiu, lowered his head warily but said nothing.

Fang Xiu glanced meaningfully at Bai Shuangying and continued confidently, “I won’t force your help. But with your presence, things will go more smoothly.”

Having spent enough time around him, A’Shou really wanted to embroider “No Credit Given” across her veil. Unfortunately, the fact that she’d shown up at all already said something. The situation with the Immortal Encounter E wasn’t something she could handle alone.

Oh well. With so many lice, what’s one more itch? It was Fangs Xiu after all, so what’s one more headache?

“You have a plan?” A’Shou gave a small nod, taking it as implied consent.

Fang Xiu looked up at the sky, which didn’t match the current season at all. “More or less. I only need one thing from you.”

“As an Underworld envoy, I ask that you remove the ‘sacrificial site restriction’ from this area.”

That was it? Such an odd request. A’Shou frowned beneath her veil.

If removing the boundary meant escape, the previous envoys would never have died in the Immortal Remains ritual.

As if guessing her thoughts, Fang Xiu smiled. “From what I’ve seen, this sacrifice is repeating the Weishan ritual.”

“But it’s not occurring exactly on the same timeline as last time. The major events are roughly similar, but not identical. So this kind of reoccurrence doesn’t demand 100% reenactment. It just needs to follow causal logic.”

A’Shou frowned. She did sense something similar.

The Weishan Village ritual had been reproduced, but not exactly. The actions and deaths of the sacrifices had subtle differences. It reminded her of the adapted storybooks she heard as a child.

“The death by ‘trying to escape the boundary’ has already been fulfilled. Whether or not you open it now won’t affect the ‘main storyline’… But if you do open it, it adds a layer of plausibility to this story.”

Fang Xiu looked toward the distant Xushan.

During the Weishan ritual, they’d been confined to the village and couldn’t travel far.

But as a ghost immortal overseeing the Disaster Relief Tower, A’Shou had authority to “intervene in ritual”. As long as he gave her a plausible reason, everything could be justified within the story.

Next, he only had to do one more thing here.

……

“Huh?”

Guan He let out a confused sound.

Just a few minutes ago, the little black dog had quietly slipped into the ancestral hall and tugged on his pant leg. Understanding the signal, Guan He circled behind the statue and pulled out the slightly damp message from the dog’s mouth.

The letter was written on yellow talisman paper, densely packed with tiny script.

[Xiao Guan, this ritual is following the first one.]

[As long as you stay in the village, just follow the original three taboos. Cheng Jie saw things through to the end last time, so she knows the general direction. Next, three more people will die due to “hanging themselves”, “violating the death taboo”, and “being murdered by someone else.”]

[Don’t be confused. This isn’t a real ritual. Remember to create situations for the four on the other side that match their death types and try to delay time. Dou Dou and Grandpa Dao are not simple. Make sure to sow discord between them. Don’t let them unite too smoothly.]

[The two believers who went out with me have been handled. Now it’s your stage.]

[From now on, use your own judgment and take the lead. We’ve been through six rituals together. You two can handle this.]

[I’m off to deal with the Immortal Encounter E. See you at the end.]

The message was signed by Fang Xiu.

Even though he knew Fang Xiu was unlikely to run into real trouble, Guan He still let out a huge sigh of relief. He patted the little dog’s head and reread the message that was covered in dog slobber.

Use our perspective and take the lead?

What a strange way to put it.

Guan He crouched, thinking. The little black dog snorted and chomped down on the fragile yellow talisman paper, swallowing it in two bites. Afterward, it licked Guan He’s hand affectionately, then vanished into the air.

The next moment, Dou Dou seemed to sense something and leaned in curiously, bending over. “Hey little brother, what are you doing behind the statue?”

The candlelight behind her flickered. Backlit like that, Guan He couldn’t make out her expression. Although Dou Dou looked harmless and cute, the hairs on Guan He’s arms stood on end.

He swallowed. “Nothing. Just wanted some peace and quiet.”

Dou Dou tilted her head. “Hmm… They’ve been gone a while. I think I heard someone calling earlier. Should we go out and take a look?”

Guan He shook his head immediately.

Dou Dou straightened up. “Right, true. The situation’s still unclear. Our brothers are professionals. We might as well wait a bit longer.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, soothing to the ears. The kind of sweet voice that would normally be very popular with young men… Too bad Guan He’s head was full of something else…

Next, the four Disaster Resolvers from the Guishan Sect had to be dealt with by him and Auntie Cheng, two ordinary people. They had always relied on Fang Xiu as their backbone. Was this really going to work?

No. No point in losing hope. Guan He slapped his face and took a few deep breaths.

They had the Weishan script in hand. It basically meant they were “rebirth”. If they couldn’t even beat a few cultists with that advantage, they might as well die right now.

From here on, it was their turn to execute their own plan.

From my perspective, this was actually cheating.

This team was supposed to be the story’s protagonists, but they deliberately split up. If the light-hearted sacrifice was to be told properly, the protagonist had to continue adventuring in the village.

Why wouldn’t they just follow the sequence? How was the other, unstable story supposed to proceed?

Unfortunately, I couldn’t change the story.

After all, it was that person’s wish.

……

Elsewhere.

The sky grew darker.

At some point the rain had stopped. The scent of burning in the air faded, replaced by the earthy smell of wet soil and the thick scent of plants.

Fang Xiu snapped a branch for use as a walking stick. With his back to the brightly lit village, he headed toward the nearby mountains.

There was no path in the area, and the rain had made the dirt slippery. Bai Shuangying watched his human totter forward and moved up beside Fang Xiu and held on tightly, preventing him from face-planting into the mud.

A’Shou rolled her eyes discreetly and led the way. Two ghost flames floated beside her, barely illuminating the rugged terrain.

“Did you see that guy in black?”

Seeing the two behind almost stuck together, A’Shou broke the silence first.

She cleared her throat and spoke in a firm, commanding tone.

“That man in black doesn’t count as an evil spirit. The Underworld has no records of anything like him. He must be the product of human interference.”

“Yeah, I thought so too,” Fang Xiu said, still enjoying the free ride from his ghost companion and showing no interest in extending the conversation.

A’Shou: “…” So guarded.

She was dying of curiosity to know what vital intel Fang Xiu had.

A’Shou tried switching topics, only to find in frustration that Fang Xiu was utterly airtight.

Xushan was indeed remote, but Fang Xiu had plenty of food and fire, and a beautiful ghost clinging to him for warmth. He was more than well-equipped. Even without her, he probably would’ve been fine.

All A’Shou could do was sullenly turn around and continue deeper into the mountains.

As they walked, the environment subtly changed. The moist summer earth dried, snow-speckled hard soil appeared, green grass turned yellow, and the night wind turned cold and sharp.

It felt like a real-world climate shift.

Fang Xiu rubbed his arms and exhaled a white breath. He didn’t slow down, walking confidently into the mountains as if he knew exactly where to go.

A’Shou grew uneasy. The Xushan range was as vast as a province. Fang Xiu going in on foot? Who knew when he’d come back out.

“You—”

She hadn’t even finished the sentence before the surroundings changed again.

Night remained, but the wind became mild. Snow and rain vanished. Dense mountain fog surrounded them. Looking back, the brightly lit Weishan Village was completely gone. Whether it was hidden or truly vanished, she couldn’t say.

There had been no sign of spellcasting. In just a blink, the world shifted silently and madly.

Fang Xiu finally stopped. “It really is a script. We did it.”

“…What?”

“We’ve exited the Weishan ritual’s script range.”

Fang Xiu reached out and brushed the dense fog. “The Immortal Encounter E has no mind. It can’t create its own stories. It needs a template.”

“Since the ritual site is next to Xushan, it copied a village ritual story that once took place at the foot of the mountains. So I figured, if we walked into the mountains, it would copy some story that occurred inside.”

Fang Xiu dropped his walking stick and smiled at the mist.

“Templates don’t come from nowhere. If this story is recreated inside Xushan, it’s bound to be connected to the Great God of Calamity.”

“From here on out, we get to play a new script.”

A’Shou had been about to question him but suddenly realized the logic.

Even if the Immortal Encounter E could alter reality via cause and effect, its style was “go with the flow”. It didn’t seem capable of fabricating things from nothing.

Not to mention that Xushan held the God of Calamity’s seal. This wasn’t a place for just any stray ghost. Few dared enter. If it needed a convincing script, it would almost certainly be related to the God of Calamity.

Earlier she’d been distracted by the figure in black, focusing on how to follow the Weishan script, and never connected the dots.

…She had to admit, teaming up with Fang Xiu was annoying, but this human was formidable.

A’Shou narrowed her eyes and focused her power into her vision. The swirling fog was filled with tiny annotations of [Swirling Fog], which quickly vanished when her focus drifted.

After just a few steps, a glow emerged ahead in the mist. Faint voices followed, mixed into the fog. The accents were strange but real; clearly living people.

A’Shou froze. A gust of cold wind swept her. Her wedding robe vanished, replaced by a neat green robe, her long hair tied in a high ponytail.

Her face was finally revealed—dark brows with sharp peaks, phoenix eyes deep and black. There was a certain androgynous boldness to her features at first glance, but she was clearly a woman.

Only her lips were pale, and she lacked vitality, making her oddly match the eerie night fog.

Fang Xiu was still observing when he suddenly felt a chill. His red T-shirt had turned into a dark red robe, and all three of them were now dressed in Kui Dynasty garb.

He also now had a lock of long hair tied lazily behind his head. Though tall, beside the other two he seemed oddly youthful.

A’Shou raised an eyebrow at Bai Shuangying. “Not a bad spell.”

Bai Shuangying was still sizing up Fang Xiu, nodding in satisfaction.

That accent they’d just heard was unmistakably from the Kui Dynasty. His human looked far better than anyone from that era.

Wait a minute…

Kui accent?

Humans entering the mountain?

Bai Shuangying stiffened like someone had grabbed his throat. He turned his head slowly and spotted a swaying flag through the fog, the flag of the Kui Dynasty military.

This setting, this time period… Could it be…?

“Who goes there!”

Two soldiers burst from the fog at the sound of footsteps, their spears blocking the group. “This is a restricted seal site. Outsiders may not enter!”

Realizing what script they’d entered, Bai Shuangying choked up.

Before he could say a word, his human dashed forward. Fang Xiu lifted his chin and straightened his back, adopting a mystifying air. “Outsiders? We’re Taoists helping you seal the evil. Is this how you treat guests?”

Fang Xiu’s tone carried a strange accent, vaguely Kui-style. The two soldiers exchanged a glance. One narrowed his eyes. “There was no notice from Master Zhuang. No guests expected today.”

Even so, there was hesitation in his voice.

Fang Xiu sneered, playing with a ghost flame on his fingertip. “No guests? Then we’ll leave. It’s your disgrace, not mine. Only Zhuang Guiqu will be humiliated.”

He turned on his heel. Hearing him name Zhuang Guiqu so casually, then walk off without hesitation, the soldier broke into a sweat. Before Fang Xiu had taken two steps, the soldier jogged after him, bowing repeatedly.

“Master, please wait! I’ll confirm this with someone… Do you have a message for Master Zhuang?”

“No. He’ll know when he sees me,” Fang Xiu said coldly.

“Seal site” and “Master Zhuang”, clearly this was the story of Zhuang Guiqu sealing the Great God of Calamity, the most dangerous Xushan “tale”.

At this time, the Guishan Sect wasn’t the full-blown organization it would later become; just Zhuang Guiqu and a few disciples. But records left by the sect gave a decent picture of Zhuang Guiqu’s temperament.

According to historical documents, Zhuang Guiqu did have some real ability. With a genuine ghost immortal and a powerful, mysterious evil spirit beside him, if Zhuang Guiqu couldn’t sense anything wrong, then there really was no point in meeting.

While the soldier ran off to report, Fang Xiu looked smugly at Bai Shuangying, eyes gleaming with mischief.

Bai Shuangying stood there silently.

Fang Xiu patted his ghost’s sleeve. “Don’t worry. No matter how real this seems, it’s all in the past.”

Bai Shuangying gave Fang Xiu a complicated look, then quickly looked away.

Indeed, this was all history, and the outcome was already set. Soon, his past self would embarrass himself in front of Fang Xiu, thoroughly exposing his identity to A’Shou.

In hindsight, that figure in black had been a manifestation of his powers, mindless and stupid. If it had even a shred of intelligence, it wouldn’t have chosen to recreate this part of history!

For the first time in his life, Bai Shuangying looked helplessly at A’Shou, hoping she might offer a different perspective.

But A’Shou just rubbed her temples and accepted it all without question. Back when the Great God of Calamity was sealed, she hadn’t yet become a ghost immortal, so she wasn’t familiar with the details.

Jumping from one script to another, with no progress on deciphering the Immortal Encounter E’s taboos, yet Fang Xiu looked so confident, it was enough to infuriate any ghost. To monitor everything closely, she had no choice but to stay glued to him.

Things proceeded just as Fang Xiu had predicted. Zhuang Guiqu courteously sent a disciple to escort them into the “sealed site”.

More accurately, it was a full military camp. Thousands of soldiers were encamped, their armor pristine and shining.

But oddly, the armor was too clean as there were no scratches. The soldiers were lazy, their skin fair and their spirits low.

Beside Fang Xiu, A’Shou clicked her tongue in contempt and muttered a curse in an ancient dialect.

Zhuang Guiqu’s tent sat in the camp center, grand and ornate.

Its fabric was embroidered with divine beasts, and the air smelled of spices and sweet fruits. The tent’s edges were lined with bells made of pure gold, each engraved with intricate patterns.

“I am Zhuang Feng. Thank you all for honoring us with your presence to help seal the Calamity. Your efforts will be remembered through the ages.”

The disciple who greeted them spoke sincerely. He had a handsome appearance and was clear-eyed.

“However, with the critical moment approaching, my master must remain in seclusion to stabilize his spirit and cannot receive guests today. After tomorrow’s blessings, he will host a fine banquet in your honor.”

Fang Xiu made a show of reluctant approval and nodded stiffly.

They clearly didn’t know the visitors’ intentions and were keeping them nearby for observation. Perfect—Fang Xiu wanted to observe too, especially where the God of Calamity was actually sealed.

Even within Guishan Sect records, the sealing process was glossed over. Now, the Immortal Encounter E was offering a guided tour, which was exactly what he wanted.

Fang Xiu glanced casually at the packed camp. “If we’re sealing a Calamity, why bring these mortals?”

Zhuang Feng’s expression turned solemn. “This will be a moment passed down for millennia. Naturally, it must carry the emperor’s authority.”

Fang Xiu understood now: it was aristocrats under the emperor’s banner tagging along for prestige. These soldiers probably thought they were just catching a minor demon, completely unaware of what “lasting legacy” meant.

A’Shou also gave a few grunts, like stifling a laugh.

Bai Shuangying turned…

Look at me.

Too close. I dislike his presence. I must move further away.

But he definitely remembers what happened here. They should leave, return to Weishan Village, and let the story proceed normally.

If they linger here, everyone will die.

That person’s wish will never be fulfilled.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 134: Useless Variable

“The book? You mean your ‘Guishan Divine Words’ book?” Fang Xiu put on an expression of great interest.

The follower in the back was a lean, dark-skinned man in his forties. He was briefly thrown off by the question and only responded a few seconds later. “…The book is just the book.”

As they spoke, the group had reached the edge of the village.

Not far away, the dark mass of mountains loomed like the corpses of giants. The silence was so heavy it felt like it could bury someone. The aura of the “great evil spirit” drifted in and out. No one dared get too close, so they stopped here.

The two followers gathered some sticks and stones, using various magic weapons to set up a formation. Fang Xiu crossed his arms, staring into the brightly lit village.

The surroundings were completely empty. No strange shadows, no restless characters. The silence was suspicious, and the air smelled damp and metallic, exactly like how Fang Xiu remembered Weishan Village.

Suddenly, a sharp ringing pierced his ears. The moment Fang Xiu raised his hand to his ear, he was enveloped by Bai Shuangying’s sleeve. Bai Shuangying glared at the thin follower from before, his pale eyes full of caution.

Fang Xiu followed his gaze but saw nothing strange. The man’s expression was normal. However, the ringing in his ears continued, and although no meaningful words came through, his ears had “seen” vague characters.

How could someone read with their ears? It made no sense. But he had indeed seen them—letters veiled behind a layer of cloudy fluid, only faintly visible.

[This was Wu Caiwei’s first time near Weishan. His family had always been poor. If not for the great kindness of the Guishan Sect, he’d still be stuck in the mountains raising sheep and farming.]

[The thought alone made him angry. Aid workers only taught him to raise sheep and farm but never gave him an easy job that paid well. The world was unfair. He wanted to smoke, drink, and be with pretty women. Why should he suffer like this?]

[Only the Guishan Sect was truly compassionate. They took him out of the village, provided cigarettes, alcohol, and women, and even gave him free meals. Wu Caiwei firmly believed that the Sect’s understanding of the people’s hardships was why the authorities deliberately tried to suppress them.]

[So Wu Caiwei became the most devout of believers. He worked hard, rising through the ranks within the sect. He knew he had chosen the right path, unlike those ignorant villagers. Once he fulfilled his spiritual merit, he would have a fancy car, a mansion, and a beautiful wife.]

[Seeing the sacred Xushan where the founder achieved enlightenment, Wu Caiwei was filled with excitement. The ritual wasn’t as difficult as he imagined. Surely it was Hierarch Zhuang Guiqu’s protection. As the most devout follower, he had to show his sincerity.]

The formation was nearly complete. His companion could finish the rest alone. There were no evil spirits nearby, and the guy in the red T-shirt wasn’t doing anything. Wu Caiwei was bored.

He cheerfully turned away and walked toward the mountain, stepping out of the village boundary. He found a patch of smooth earth and took out a thick incense stick from his robe. Bowing repeatedly toward the mountain, he muttered prayers under his breath.

After finishing his prayers, he firmly planted the incense into the ground and lit his lighter.

Boom.

In the pitch-dark night, the small lighter burst into a sudden flame. Wu Caiwei screamed and instinctively rolled on the ground, trying to extinguish the fire with mud. But somehow, the fire only grew stronger.

Before long, the air was filled with the smell of roasting meat.

What a wonderful smell. I like it very much.

This was no ordinary fire.

The other follower, who was finishing the ritual, was horrified. He rushed over and began sticking dispelling talismans all over Wu Caiwei. But they burned up instantly, turning to ash as easily as regular paper.

Wu Caiwei’s screams grew louder, then weaker, until they faded into the dreadful stillness. His body still struggled on instinct, but the fire slowly consumed him, roasting him thoroughly.

A few minutes later, the heavy scent of charred flesh mixed with the earthy smell of rain, shattering the previously calm atmosphere.

Only the thick incense stood upright, completely untouched by flame.

That was the end of Wu Caiwei’s life.

The remaining follower stood frozen, no longer interested in finishing the formation. He looked around in panic, mumbling the sect’s chant “Return, return” over and over.

Fang Xiu stood still, putting on a dazed and frightened expression while secretly gripping Bai Shuangying’s sleeve.

“No trace of a spell,” Bai Shuangying answered knowingly, probably guessing what Fang Xiu was trying to ask.

If it wasn’t a spell, then it was a taboo.

But to Fang Xiu, this didn’t feel like a typical death taboo. So far, none of the three victims had clearly violated any taboos. They all died in the same way as the Weishan ritual. But if it wasn’t a death taboo, the rules of the Immortal Encounter E were far too strange.

How did it choose its sacrifices?

Better not to think too deeply about it. I don’t want him thinking too hard either. Let’s say this: Wu Caiwei was the closest to the edge of the village among all the sacrificial offerings, so naturally, he was the one trying to escape.

Didn’t that logic make perfect sense?

Fang Xiu felt like something was wrong with his thoughts but couldn’t tell what. That was, until Bai Shuangying reached out and used his true form to cover Fang Xiu’s eyes and ears.

The strange thoughts disappeared instantly. Fang Xiu shook his head vigorously. Thinking of those characters, a ridiculous idea popped into his mind.

The blurry text he had seen with his ears had a very modern writing style, casual and informal. It didn’t feel like a serious record or prophecy.

If anything, it felt more like… a storybook.

A storybook based on the first ritual. A reality twisted by distorted cause and effect. If this were true, then weren’t they the “main characters” of this story?

Maybe, right now, some text was recording his every thought and action, writing out his tale. But how it would end, no one knew.

“Still feeling off?” Bai Shuangying still had his hands over Fang Xiu’s eyes and ears. His voice flowed directly from his true form.

Fang Xiu gently shook his head and pushed Bai Shuangying’s hands away. He looked toward the other follower, who was clutching the corpse in helpless shock.

This whole thing was too unnatural, and the information far too valuable. In any case, loose ends had to be tied up.

He snapped his fingers. Mei Lan’s scarf flew out of his pocket and wrapped tightly around the follower’s neck. The scarf moved at a speed comparable to a bullet. The man had no time to react.

But he didn’t die immediately.

He let out a scream. A faint blue glow appeared from the cloth over his chest. The tightening scarf was forcefully pulled back, as if by invisible hands. The follower bared his teeth, his red eyes were filled with ferocity.

“I knew you… had bad intentions…”

Fang Xiu didn’t bother replying. He closed his fingers, tightening the scarf. It trembled violently around the man’s neck, emitting dangerous ripping sounds.

Bai Shuangying looked from one side to the other. He reached out alongside Fang Xiu and made a subtle gesture. A crisp crack followed. The blue jade pendant on the man’s chest exploded, covering him in blood.

The follower faltered for a second. That was all Fang Xiu’s scarf needed to seize the opening and wrap even tighter around his neck.

“Thanks.” Unable to use his hand, Fang Xiu rubbed his head against Bai Shuangying’s shoulder.

“Mm.” Bai Shuangying returned to his place, wrapping Fang Xiu again with his sleeves.

Life and death happened in an instant.

This follower was younger than Wu Caiwei, with a slightly plump and friendly-looking face. As he realized he was dying, fear and overwhelming hatred filled his eyes.

“I’ll return… to Xushan… Your merit will vanish… We’ll have our revenge…”

As he choked, a pair of cold hands touched his shoulders from behind. He tried to shake them off but remembered his enemy was in front of him.

Then who was behind him?

Right. This was Xushan. It must be the manifestation of the Hierarch. The Hierarch would protect him.

[Your wish.]

This thought stabbed straight into his heart. There was no voice or language, only a strange “meaning”.

Help me. Save me. The follower desperately wished it in his mind.

[You wish to return to Xushan.]

No, not now. That’s only our final goal.

[You wish to return your soul to Xushan.]

I want to live, even just a few more minutes. I need to report that man. The follower’s vision darkened from lack of oxygen, his forehead soaked in cold sweat.

[You wish to return to Xushan.]

…But that thing wasn’t listening.

The follower lost control of his body and collapsed, twitching in the mud. Rain poured into his half-open eyes. No miracle occurred. His spirit floated from his corpse and joined Wu Caiwei’s, drifting into Bai Shuangying’s hands.

No miracle happened, but his wish was fulfilled, which was a call for celebration.

His story ended there.

Fang Xiu held his breath and stopped moving. He no longer commanded the scarf. He simply stared blankly at what had been revealed under the fallen body.

A figure in black raised a stiff hand and pointed at Fang Xiu.

He stood against the dark mass of Xushan, nearly blending into the night. Only his featureless face and one pale hand were visible.

The next moment, he vanished into the night, leaving behind two gruesome corpses and an unfinished scouting array.

It all happened so fast that Fang Xiu wasn’t even sure it had been real.

The only thing he knew for certain was that all he could see now were the endless Xushan mountain ranges.

Two people died keeping watch. Two more died, one roasted, the other killed by his own hands.

Fang Xiu had made the theoretically optimal move. So far, the ritual mirrored the one from Weishan Village almost exactly. If nothing unexpected happened, it would be difficult for him and Bai Shuangying to escape this thing’s influence.

Fang Xiu couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

Bai Shuangying: “?”

“It’s annoying.” Fang Xiu wiped the rain from his face. “I just want to follow my own plan.”

To seize the initiative, he needed more variables. More “roles” who could introduce differences. And he did have one in mind.

“Boss A’Shou—” Fang Xiu cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “I know you’re watching—come here for a second—”

His voice rang out in the silence, loud enough to be irritating. With the power of a ghost immortal like A’Shou, she would surely hear it.

That was fine.

A’Shou couldn’t change much. Their story was already written.

It would continue as usual.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 133: Story Ending

Night deepened further. The rain had stopped for a while, but the clouds had not dispersed. The sky remained as dark as the bottom of a pot.

A’Shou carefully made her way through the village. The village was brightly lit at night, yet frighteningly silent. Behind the windows were the vague silhouettes of “people” in motion. But upon closer inspection, they were all figures formed from words.

She tried running to several different places, but the words on the shadow figures were all roughly the same. They described her experiences with uncanny accuracy, always just a step ahead of her actual sensations.

Like very brief prophecies.

After seeing enough of them, A’Shou began to question whether they were objective predictions or some kind of script controlling her actions. Her instincts from the battlefield made her hair stand on end. Whatever it was, she should not look too closely.

So, A’Shou stopped at a spot not too far, not too close to the ancestral hall. She forced herself to focus on the sacrifices. While watching Fang Xiu inside the hall, she crouched down and began to draw complex talisman patterns on the ground.

A few seconds later, the talisman glowed with a dim blood-red light, and an illusory figure of an old man in green robes floated up from it.

The old man was gaunt like a skeleton, his beard sparse and dry, and his deep eye sockets glowed with two dim blue lights. He wore a loose green-blue robe, exposing a bony chest with only ribs remaining. The ends of his intricately patterned robe floated in midair and appeared blurry, as if merging into the surrounding mist.

“Lord Haibo.”

A’Shou instinctively cupped her fists and gave a simple salute.

Lord Haibo, one of the well-known ghost immortals.

He had no wish to get too deeply involved with the Underworld and had sealed away his own Immortal E in layers before sinking it to the bottom of the sea. He then went to live alone on an uninhabited island.

In his own words, he was too lazy to work and just as lazy to harm others. His only obsession was reading every book in existence.

Now, facing the powerful General A’Shou, Lord Haibo didn’t budge an inch. He didn’t even turn his eyes. “General A’Shou, how have you been lately?”

“Everything’s well,” A’Shou replied, still in the saluting posture. “I’ve come with a few questions I hope you might help me with.”

Lord Haibo’s dry lips moved slightly. “Not asking the King of Hell or his wardens, but coming to bother this old soul? And still hanging around the Great Xushan. Interesting, interesting.”

A’Shou drew a breath, bowing even more respectfully. “I apologize for coming without an offering—”

“No need for pleasantries. The price,” Lord Haibo interrupted.

A’Shou sighed inwardly. “I have a chest of rare, original storybooks from the Kui Dynasty. I can offer them to you.”

Only then did Lord Haibo move his eyes. “Ask away. But I’ll say this up front: if I can’t answer, it still counts as a consultation.”

“I wish to ask about the ‘Immortal Encounter E’. Have you read any records on it?” A’Shou asked decisively.

Lord Haibo rolled his eyes. “The Immortal Encounter E… The Immortal Encounter E… Yes, I’ve read a letter complaining about it. But the warden who wrote it vanished afterward. I never finished reading it. That letter is one of a kind.”

He held up two fingers and slowly waved them at A’Shou.

“…I’ll find you another chest of storybooks,” A’Shou replied.

Only then was Lord Haibo satisfied. Under the cloudy sky, the light in his eyes dimmed as if he had closed them to recall the memory.

“The warden that day…”

That warden was tasked with tracking a team of Disaster Resolvers. At the time, they were undergoing the eighth ritual. Even though it was dangerous, the warden had to follow them the entire way.

Everyone knew the eighth ritual involved the most dangerous Dust Sealed E’s. It wasn’t a pleasant assignment. Were it not for the generous reward, no warden would want the job.

This time, the Dust Sealed E chosen was the “Immortal Encounter E”.

No one remembered why it had that name. No one knew what it actually did. The official records described it in black and white, and that was accepted as truth. Only the ghost immortal in charge of the Disaster Relief Tower remembered that the Immortal Encounter E had deep ties with Xushan and was extremely perilous.

The warden was understandably anxious. He trembled as he followed the team into the ritual, but to his surprise, the ritual went far more smoothly than expected. The Disaster Resolvers breezed through the ordeal, as if God was on their side.

How could a Dust Sealed E be so simple? The warden waited and waited, expecting a twist—but nothing happened. The group happily completed the ritual and were ready to return to the Tower.

With the situation so stable, the bored warden wrote a letter to a friend, complaining about how underwhelming the Immortal Encounter E was and how absurd the whole trip felt. He planned to chat more after submitting his official report.

That letter turned out to be the final word from both the warden and the Disaster Resolvers.

…After finishing his tale, Lord Haibo clapped his hands. “They vanished without a trace. The fact that the letter survived is sheer luck for the Underworld.”

A’Shou frowned deeply. “Simple? Smooth?”

As far as she knew, even someone as foolish as Dian’er wouldn’t slack off during the eighth ritual. That would be no different from streaking on a battlefield.

If the warden had time to write a letter and successfully deliver it, the ritual must have gone well, and he was preparing to bring everyone back.

A simple ritual. A successful resolution. Yet no one heard from the warden or the team again…

And come to think of it, for Fang Xiu and his group, this ritual had also gone suspiciously smoothly…

A’Shou pinched the bridge of her nose, heart growing heavier by the second.

She looked up again. “Lord Hai—”

But when she saw what was in front of her, her already cold body felt like it had plunged into an ice cave.

Lord Haibo had vanished without a trace. In his place floated a young man dressed in black. He hovered in the same position, his dark robes drifting in the air. On his blank face was a twisted, ancient character for “Pray”.

There was no evil yin energy, only a suffocating pressure.

The ghost immortal barely stood her ground, soft sword already drawn. The creature before her made no sound, but countless thoughts stabbed straight into A’Shou’s mind.

[You want to know.]

[You want to know what was in that letter.]

[You want to know what happened after that.]

She did want to know, A’Shou admitted to herself. If she had not reacted in time, the question would have already slipped from her lips.

And if she had asked, what would have happened…?

Judging by the terrifying pressure, she was no match for it.

“Leave,” she rasped.

[Your wish.]

“No, I’m scolding you.” A’Shou gritted her teeth, ready to strike.

The thing stared at her for a moment, then vanished into the night.

A’Shou steadied herself and pressed her hand to the talisman again. Follow-up questions could wait. First, she needed to confirm Lord Haibo’s status.

But this time, her summoning got no response.

This was an official Underworld talisman. If Lord Haibo still existed, it would react. If he had died, it would return an accurate result.

But it gave no reaction, as if a child had scribbled randomly on the dirt.

As if… Lord Haibo had never existed.

A cold chill crept through A’Shou’s body. Her fingers clenched on the soil where she had drawn the talisman.

In the dark, she suddenly saw the talisman writhing on its own. The strokes crumbled like rotten flesh and turned into crawling words.

[Lord Haibo, one of the well-known ghost immortals.]

[He had no wish to get too deeply involved with the Underworld and had sealed away his own Immortal E in layers before sinking it to the bottom of the sea. He then went to live alone on an uninhabited island.]

[In his own words, he was too lazy to work and just as lazy to harm others. His only obsession was reading every book in existence.]

[“The Tale of Lord Haibo” is completed.]

With the appearance of this final line, all the tiny characters disintegrated. All that remained in her fingers was a clump of damp mud.

……

Fang Xiu stepped on the wet earth, walking into the night with two Guishan Sect followers.

The two cultists were well-trained. They had all the proper gear—compasses, talismans, magic weapons. One walked ahead of Fang Xiu, the other behind. It sounded like they were escorting him for his safety, but in reality, they were watching him from every angle.

Fang Xiu’s expression was calm. He walked along with a cheerful smile.

Bai Shuangying gripped his wrist tightly, frequently glancing around with uncertainty. Fang Xiu didn’t miss a single glance. This was the first time he had seen his ghost so anxious. It was fascinating.

“What is it? Is there really a strange and powerful evil spirit nearby?” Fang Xiu muttered quietly. “Dou Dou seemed pretty accurate.”

Bai Shuangying shook his head, hesitating to speak. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide anything—he simply didn’t know what they were facing.

He couldn’t say it was “another Great God of Calamity”. It wasn’t that powerful and had many odd flaws. But calling it an ordinary evil spirit felt wrong too. Its aura wasn’t particularly heavy, yet disturbingly familiar.

It felt like waking up to find a pair of feet in your house that might be your own, walking around in slippers. It was hard to say whether to be worried or laugh.

No wonder the Guishan Sect had such confidence in “releasing the Great God of Calamity”. They never said it would be the original “God of Calamity”.

In truth, it would be best to go investigate. But his human was too fragile. If he clashed with that thing, and Fang Xiu got caught in the crossfire…

So troublesome. Was this what it felt like to weigh out plans?

Bai Shuangying could not help but turn his head for the ten-thousandth time. This time, he saw Fang Xiu quietly drifting towards the direction he was peering at.

“What is it?” his human asked, clearly pretending not to know.

“I once thought that unsealing everything would solve all our problems,” Bai Shuangying said thoughtfully. “But the enemy is dangerous. I can’t take you near it, and I can’t leave you alone either. The weaker the seal becomes, the more complications arise.”

Fang Xiu’s lips twitched. He coughed. “How dangerous is it?”

Bai Shuangying looked at him nervously. “It has the aura of a God of Calamity, but the situation is unclear.”

“So let me get this straight. You know where this ‘Great Evil’ is. It has the aura of a God of Calamity, but it’s not quite like a normal one.” Fang Xiu scratched his chin. “Could it be the Immortal Encounter E itself?”

“No matter how powerful an E is, it’s still an object. It can’t act on its own,” Bai Shuangying replied immediately.

Fang Xiu hummed and continued walking with the Guishan cultists.

Their private conversation was covered by a “concealment”. To the followers, Fang Xiu just looked odd, walking with a strange posture and mumbling to himself in the silent air.

Just as they were about to lighten the mood with a warm Guishan Sect story, they heard Fang Xiu speak with great reverence. “Your ancestor sealed a great evil at Xushan. This place is close to there… Have you heard any related legends?”

“Like that porcelain statue. I’ve never heard of any god like that. Maybe it’s a sealed evil spirit that Immortal Zhuang subdued, and this village worships it.”

The moment he mentioned the ancestor Zhuang Guiqu, the two believers perked up.

Fang Xiu’s outfit closely matched what Cen Ling had warned them about, except there wasn’t another man wearing white. For a moment, they suspected this red-shirted guy might be the arrogant Fang Xiu, but his respectful tone toward their sect seemed too natural to be fake.

Maybe it was just a coincidence. Master Cen had clearly said the suspect wore white.

While they were still debating, Fang Xiu seized the chance. “I’ve also heard some stories. If we put our information together, maybe we can find a clue. Villages like this always have rumors.”

The believers nodded in agreement.

But they stayed cautious. “Why don’t you go first, brother?”

Fang Xiu smiled slightly. “I heard there’s a small village at the foot of Xushan that worships deformed children as mountain gods. Eventually, a real guardian appeared and protected them. The villagers worshipped it year after year.”

“This village seems to have one particularly powerful evil spirit. Maybe it’s a similar case?”

In a few words, Fang Xiu summarized the Weishan ritual.

The tale was too new, and the Weishan E not well known, so Fang Xiu wasn’t worried about being exposed. Judging by the followers’ faces, they indeed hadn’t heard it before.

“That can’t be a real mountain god. It must be an evil spirit pretending to be one,” said the follower in front, sounding offended. “The only god still walking this world is our Patriarch—he carries Zhuang Guiqu’s direct bloodline!”

Bai Shuangying openly wrinkled his nose and snorted in disdain.

The one in the rear was a bit more polite. “The god near Xushan should only be Zhuang Guiqu. If that porcelain statue isn’t him, then it’s just the villagers doing something foolish.”

“I know some Xushan legends… Let me think…”

He made some odd gasping noises, sharp like a jammed cassette tape. When he spoke again, his voice returned to normal. “Xushan is the foremost of all mountains, a fragment of Heaven’s will.”

“Zhuang Guiqu attained enlightenment in Xushan and was worshipped by everyone. He could have accomplished many great things… If only the dynasty back then weren’t so incompetent…”

“To this day, Xushan remains his domain. He will protect us…”

“…That’s what the books say.”

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 132: Unknown Evil Spirit

Just like before, a sacrificial altar had been placed before the white porcelain statue. Even the types of offerings and drink brands were identical to the one in the Weishan ritual.

Only the strange statue itself and the golden couplets flanking it bore subtle differences.

“Oh, there are even drinks!”

Dou Dou picked up a can of Wangzai Milk and turned it over in her hands. “The production date’s from last year. Someone’s been making offerings here recently.”

She looked genuinely delighted but didn’t touch any of the food or drink. Grandpa Dao made a gesture, and a plain-looking middle-aged man from his team stepped forward.

The man popped a bead into his mouth and began tasting each item on the altar one by one. After he finished, he spit out the bead. “Safe.”

Only then did Dou Dou open a can of canned yellow peaches and smile sincerely. “Thanks, brother.”

“Aside from offerings, nothing else here can be consumed. That taboo is quite interesting.”

Grandpa Dao stroked his beard, mumbling to himself.

Staring at the full table of food, Guan He couldn’t bring himself to eat a single bite.

He suddenly realized how friendly the Weishan ritual had been—he couldn’t even imagine what would’ve happened if they, like these clueless believers, had walked into a nested ritual setup like this one.

The believers had misjudged the nature of the taboo from the very start.

In the increasingly gloomy air, shadows slid slowly across the surface of the white porcelain statue.

Its rough, featureless craftsmanship did match the tiny shrine, but Guan He would rather face the God of Weishan again than deal with this unfamiliar statue of unknown origin.

This wasn’t even a god statue. It offered no protection whatsoever!

Last time, his little child ghost had refused to enter the Weishan shrine. This time, it had no objections and yawned peacefully within his shadow.

At last, darkness fell.

The moment the cloudy sky dimmed further, all the previously extinguished candles within the shrine lit up at once. Outside, the whispers of wandering evil spirits began. The shrine’s door closed slowly without a breeze. Only vague human shadows flickered across the paper windows, near and far.

Now Guan He understood why the statue lacked protective power—there was no true evil spirit aura outside at all.

Back during the Fierce Wind Ritual, Guan He had worked with many unwilling spirit “coaches”. He wasn’t a true metaphysics expert, but he could at least recognize the cold, sticky aura of evil spirits.

…So what were those things outside?

Inside the familiar yet unfamiliar shrine, the faceless statue somehow seemed to be watching them all.

Unable to help himself, Guan He retreated two steps closer to Fang Xiu, only to see him standing with hands behind his back, observing the giant porcelain statue like a casual tourist.

What he couldn’t see was that Bai Shuangying was circling the statue, tapping and examining it here and there.

The statue was hollow. But unlike the containers in the Shrine of All E’s, this statue didn’t store anything at all. It was just an ordinary ceramic sculpture.

The fact that it was “normal” made it all the stranger in this place.

Seeing the frown still on Bai Shuangying’s face, Fang Xiu could more or less guess what was going on. He grabbed a candy from the altar and rolled it between his fingers.

According to how the first ritual played out, the next death should involve “turning into roasted meat”. Now that all the sacrifices were gathered in one place, he was very curious to see how such a death might be carried out.

He already knew his ghost was strong—strong enough to recognize any magic weapon or technique at a glance. Yet now Bai Shuangying had actually developed an anxious expression. That said everything about how difficult the situation was.

A re-creation of the Weishan ritual.

But the inconsistencies had all become warped beyond recognition.

For example, the Skinny Monkey Tree was present, but neither “Skinny Monkey” nor the “cage” existed in this ritual. Corresponding descriptions had also become vague.

And the shrine—while the original plaque clearly bore the words “Weishan Shrine”, the first few letters here seemed covered in mold. All that remained was a weathered, unreadable surface.

These distorted details and strange texts were undoubtedly the key to solving the mystery.

The way forward was simple.

He just needed to redirect the eight deaths slots towards the cultists of the Guishan Sect and observe at leisure. But if they followed the enemy’s script, would this ritual really come to an end?

Fang Xiu rubbed his lower lip in thought.

…What if, after playing through this round, they were dragged into a new round of the Weishan rituals, like some giant “spot-the-difference” puzzle game?

…Or maybe it would lead into a fake Mid-Autumn Ritual? And then cycle back to the seventh ritual, starting all over again?

Facing the bizarre powers of the “Immortal Encounter E” Fang Xiu couldn’t be certain. If things really turned out that way, this was going to be a hell of a ride.

As he thought, a swirl of white cloth fluttered by. Having finished examining the statue, Bai Shuangying landed lightly on the ground. His ghost looked up at the statue with a dark and unreadable expression.

Fang Xiu: “Someone you know?”

Still staring at the statue, Bai Shuangying only shook his head.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he quickly stepped over to Fang Xiu. “Your hand.”

Hands couldn’t offer spiritual energy.

Fang Xiu looked at him, confused, but obediently held out his hand and pressed it against Bai Shuangying’s palm.

Bai Shuangying pulled out the hair-ring from his chest and slid it onto Fang Xiu’s middle finger. The moment he saw the ring, it was like a bucket of ice water dumped over Fang Xiu’s head and he sobered up instantly.

He had forgotten all about it.

During the last ritual, only his head had remained of his original body. Bai Shuangying had held onto the ring, saying he’d check and maintain it, and return it to him at the start of the seventh ritual.

But ever since entering this fake “Weishan Village”, Fang Xiu hadn’t remembered it once.

It was only now that it hit him—yes, Bai Shuangying had given him that hair-ring.

During the first ritual, the first time they came to the shrine.

Realization dawned, and Fang Xiu slowly looked up at the white porcelain statue across from him.

…That’s right. During the “first” ritual, the “first” time they saw the shrine.

“You just remembered too?” Fang Xiu muttered, lightly smacking his own head.

Bai Shuangying looked conflicted. “Yes.”

Worried he hadn’t made himself clear, he added, “It’s not sentimentality. I just had a bad feeling about this place and remembered I hadn’t returned the ring yet…”

He had taken it out almost reflexively, only to be struck by overwhelming déjà vu.

“In other words, the Immortal Encounter E didn’t forcibly rewrite reality. It’s trying to recreate similar events through normal cause and effect.”

Fang Xiu turned the once-lost ring in his fingers. “Hmm… then let’s see just how far the Immortal Encounter E can go.”

Sometimes the best strategy is to retreat. If they stopped playing along with its fake Weishan reenactment, what would it do?

After months together, Bai Shuangying already understood Fang Xiu’s thought process. “You want to leave.”

“This place really is near Xushan. If it’s not the real ritual site, then the Underworld shouldn’t have sealed off the surrounding area. We can go to the real Xushan.”

Fang Xiu said softly, “There just so happen to be plenty of cultists we can use to test the taboos.”

Then he gave a bitter laugh. “So the death involving ‘escaping the village and ending up roasted’ really does have to follow cause and effect.”

“Huh?”

While Fang Xiu whispered to Bai Shuangying, Dou Dou suddenly exclaimed.

She raised a strand of freshly cut red paper flowers. A string of little people holding hands, each with a standard smiling face. At first glance, they looked quite cute.

Except one paper figure was black with its face twisted into a crying expression that didn’t match the rest.

Dou Dou moved her scissors. “Looks like this village has one big evil spirit… and only one. I could only detect that one.”

Grandpa Dao sighed. “That’s definitely not right.”

It wasn’t strange to have a major evil spirit to cultivate the E. One large evil spirit with a bunch of minor ones feeding on its residual yin energy was the classic setup.

But a single large spirit, and nothing else? That wasn’t right. Even if a lone tree grew in scorched earth of a radius of 160 miles, that tree would still seem suspicious.

Dou Dou tugged the red paper chain. “It’s not nearby. Seems like it’s circling around… Wait, its aura just vanished again.”

“Until we understand the situation, it’s best not to alert the enemy.”

Grandpa Dao’s eyes flicked briefly toward Fang Xiu, and he casually continued, “It’s nighttime now. Let’s send a few people to scout ahead and just observe from a distance.”

“I’ll send two scouts. You’re on your own, so you don’t need to go. Brother Xiao Jia, how about on your end…”

Fang Xiu looked mildly exasperated.

So much for skipping the “midnight investigation of Weishan Village” plotline. It seemed cause and effect struck again.

“Let’s go.” He made no fuss. “The more eyes we have, the fairer the conclusions. But I’ll go alone. Our team doesn’t have many people.”

Great. Here came the classic explore-with-the-enemy segment. The people chosen were Jia Xu and Fang Xiu… except this time, “Fang Xiu” was the one pretending to be Jia Xu. Close enough to call it a two-in-one.

Grandpa Dao was satisfied and gave a nod. He’d secured a hostage… no, a companion.

“Our people are very professional. We’ll watch each other’s backs. There’ll be no trouble.”

Sure there won’t.

Fang Xiu smiled and nodded politely.

Meanwhile, at the mayor’s mansion of Weishan Village.

The mansion was utterly empty. There was no red blessing characters plastered over the walls, and no fake friendly Old Man Fu. Countless characters spelling “evil spirit” writhed across the night, squirming on the surface of their host.

And on the rooftop of the mansion stood a figure. He stood beneath the storm clouds, gazing over the eerie village in its entirety.

He was dressed all in black, giving off a youthful silhouette. His garments were darker than the deepest ink, with no reflection at all. His long hair hung straight and still, devoid of shine, unmoved by the wind.

The only bit of white in that darkness was his face.

His skin was smooth and pale, completely featureless. There were no eyes, no nose, no mouth—just a delicate, flat blankness. And one dark red character, as though painted in blood:

[Pray]

He…or rather, it… turned stiffly, looking toward the brightly lit little shrine in the distance.

Inside the shrine, Bai Shuangying sensed something. He turned slightly, looking toward the direction of that “gaze”.

---

The author has something to say:

Next time, Xiao Bai, when you give Xiao Fang a ring, please don’t use that finger. Just use the ring finger, okay?

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 131: Strange Script

Night had fallen.

Fang Xiu curled up in a corner of the room, stroking his exposed left arm. The anomalies abilities granted by the Underworld were still with him. If he wanted, he could summon the Weishan Village offering table right now.

But this wasn’t the time to reveal his powers. If the other side noticed something, it would complicate things.

The Guishan Sect disciples clearly had no idea what was going on and treated this as just another routine E-resolving task. The food shortage that had plagued them earlier didn’t even count as a real problem to Disaster Resolvers…

“This looks like somewhere near Xushan.”

Grandpa Dao stroked his well-kept beard. “Too bad the weather’s terrible. If we could stargaze, maybe we could figure out the location.”

“Near Xushan is good enough. There’ll definitely be a shrine around here, and at worst a graveyard. Offerings won’t be lacking.”

This came from the leader of the other team. She was a sweet and cute girl.

She called herself Dou Dou, wore twin ponytails, and had meticulously done makeup. Her smile revealed charming teeth and dimples. Her eyes shone with an innocent clarity… She didn’t look twenty, probably younger than her actual age.

Her two teammates had a sleek commercial look, one male and one female, resembling a young idol and her assistants.

Grandpa Dao looked at Dou Dou with grandfatherly affection. “We’ll check the offerings first thing in the morning.”

Dou Dou raised both arms. “Yay! I hope there’s something tasty~”

With just a few words, the Disaster Resolvers had already found a breakthrough point. Confirming the “food taboo” was just a matter of time.

The two Guishan Sect teams made no attempt to hide their cooperation, but Fang Xiu didn’t act suspiciously either, even though he knew they were watching him. It was all so amicable it made one a little nauseous.

Like right now.

Dou Dou had just finished cheering and turned smoothly to Fang Xiu, waving at him in an extremely friendly way like she was onstage somewhere.

Fang Xiu returned the gesture with a polite smile, even adding just the right amount of shyness.

But under his slightly messy bangs, Fang Xiu’s gaze toward the sweet-faced Dou Dou was as cold as ice water.

He stared at her until a flash of white blocked his view. Bai Shuangying casually stepped in front of him, speaking seriously, “Do you have a plan?”

Wow, it was rare for his ghost to be so engaged. Thinking back to the first ritual when Bai Shuangying was totally indifferent, it felt like another lifetime.

But the question was obviously a pretense.

“I’m thinking about how to handle the two team leaders,” Fang Xiu answered truthfully.

Bai Shuangying looked at him silently for a few seconds, then smoothly stepped aside, returning Fang Xiu’s full view.

Fang Xiu couldn’t help laughing under his breath and sighed softly. “Shame I’ve only managed to get data on the ‘faces’. The ones in charge hide themselves too well. Info’s too limited.”

“Faces?” Bai Shuangying asked, curious.

“That ‘Dou Dou’ does livestreams to build a fanbase. Her public image is cheerful, sunny, witty, and popular.”

Fang Xiu had to admit, the Guishan Sect was good at choosing spokespeople—young men and women for the youth, elderly sages for the seniors. Polished, trendy, and seemingly harmless.

However…

“Privately, she uses ‘metaphysics’ as a gimmick to post carefully packaged Guishan propaganda in her VIP fan groups. She also connects with rich backers and introduces them to the sect offline. It’s a variation of how Mei Lan was recruited.”

“That Grandpa Dao runs a wellness-themed account. He loves giving benefits to followers and has decent recognition among seniors.”

Fang Xiu didn’t bother hiding the disgust in his voice. “You block one batch and another springs up. Like cockroaches. These two climbed this high, so they must be very good at hiding things.”

Got it, so good at hiding that only a dead person would be able to report them, Bai Shuangying thought privately.

Fang Xiu muttered these things under cover of his posture. From the outside, it just looked like he had his lower face in shadow, quietly crouched in a corner.

Noticing Fang Xiu didn’t say much, Dou Dou skipped over. “We can stand watch tonight! My team’s really good at that, so everyone can sleep easy… Or if you don’t trust us, feel free to have someone keep watch with us!”

Her tone was cheerful and reassuring, but Guan He only felt dread. Dou Dou’s words were just like what Lao Mian had once said.

“We trust you,” Fang Xiu said graciously, not at all bothered by this deja vu.

Stop it, Fang Ge! Guan He hugged his head, more silent than he was during the original first ritual.

Bai Shuangying leaned in. “I’ll keep watch for you.”

Then he blinked. He had spoken instinctively, but his words had ended up exactly like what he’d said during the first ritual.

What was going on?

Fang Xiu politely thanked Dou Dou and returned to his corner. In the dim light, he lightly wrapped an arm around his ghost’s waist and closed his eyes to rest.

Bai Shuangying gave him a skeptical look. “Do you know what’s happening here?”

“No.” Fang Xiu whispered, “But we’re here already, so we’ll just deal with things as they come. If I panic, Guan He and Cheng Jie won’t stay steady either.”

He yawned and drifted off to sleep.

This time, Bai Shuangying actually kept watch and woke Fang Xiu up.

There was a smell of blood.

It mingled with the damp rain and lingered in the room. The wet earth already had a raw scent, but now it was laced with a pungent iron tang.

Dou Dou was sleeping soundly in a cute pose. Grandpa Dao was resting too. Whether they were really asleep or not, Fang Xiu didn’t know and didn’t care.

He stretched and yawned, then suddenly raised his voice. “There’s blood—!!!”

Aside from Dou Dou’s two assistants who were “outside on watch”, the remaining six disciples all woke up.

Dou Dou squeaked, “I-I smell blood too!”

Grandpa Dao took out a pipe and quickly puffed on it. Warm smoke spiraled into the air, brighter than a normal oil lamp.

“A’Liang, Mimi!”

Dou Dou ran to the door, pounding on it. “Did you hear me? Say something!”

Silence.

Panicking, her eyes reddened as she pulled out a weird brown-black lipstick and smeared it on her lips before opening the door.

Her two assistants lay dead outside the empty house.

The man had been chopped into pulp. The woman had turned into a deformed, monstrous “mutant”.

Not just the manner of death, even their corpses were in the exact positions of Lao Mian and Mai Zi from the first ritual.

Cheng Songyun gasped. “They broke a taboo?!”

But that couldn’t be. Lao Mian and Mai Zi had at least given them some kind of newbie tutorial. These two cultists hadn’t even interacted with them, let alone been chosen as Weishan’s new god.

And the Weishan E was gone!

“They went out just before dawn,” Guan He said, black circles under his eyes. In a place like this, he hadn’t been able to sleep, forced to keep his eyes and ears sharp.

He stopped, realizing he’d spoken an all-too-familiar line, and looked like he wanted to bite his tongue off.

Grandpa Dao sighed. “They had protective charms and just stepped outside for a look. Nothing should’ve happened.”

“They died without a sound. I didn’t feel any yin energy either… They must’ve triggered a taboo.”

Fang Xiu made a noise and quietly asked Bai Shuangying, “Are their souls still here?”

Bai Shuangying: “…”

Bai Shuangying: “Not dispersed yet.”

Really, that was the only thing you wanted to ask?

Fang Xiu sighed in relief. Good, the appetizers he prepared weren’t entirely wasted.

“In the first ritual, eight people died,” Fang Xiu recalled. “Lao Mian and Mai Zi, then the auntie from our group who tried to escape, then the four from the Jade Buddha group, and finally Shan Huanzi.”

Was this ritual going to recreate the entire sequence?

He’d only invited eight Guishan disciples. There were no extra bodies. Unless the Immortal Encounter E didn’t count Shan Huanzi.

Fang Xiu felt an inexplicable feeling.

If this were a novel, it’d be one of those “rebirth with memory and skills” infinite loop stories.

But the recreation was slightly off. Those subtle differences made his skin crawl.

There was nothing exciting about this, just unease.

While everyone was lost in thought, Bai Shuangying silently stepped out and tucked the two remaining souls into his sleeve.

When Grandpa Dao checked the bodies and found the souls missing, his expression turned very grave.

“Their souls aren’t here. This place is too strange. Everyone stick together and don’t separate.”

He tapped his pipe. “Don’t move the corpses either. We might trigger more taboos. First, let’s find food and get a sense of the area.”

Fang Xiu shot a sideways look at Bai Shuangying and nodded in agreement.

……

Determined not to fall into familiar traps, Fang Xiu investigated seriously.

Daytime Weishan Village was the same as the one carved into his memory. Even the rotting safety slogans were identical. He found the same pumpkin vine that Blondie had once bitten.

Cheng Songyun and Guan He didn’t need to act. Just seeing the place again made them visibly tense.

The only blessing this time was they didn’t smell any roasting flesh. The Jade Buddha group’s old hideout was empty. Even the wooden cage hadn’t been set up. In the spot where it should’ve been was only one lonely tree.

Fang Xiu: “…?”

Bai Shuangying: “…………”

Why was the Skinny Monkey Tree here too?

Fang Xiu was happy to think maybe only eight people had to die again, since Skinny Monkey’s death had already been re-enacted.

But he wasn’t happy about what had been re-enacted…

It was a flickering black humanoid figure, mimicking the twisted corpse of Skinny Monkey.

It twitched and glitched like a corrupted computer image. Something squirmed across its surface, possibly black ants, possibly something else.

Yet no one but him and Bai Shuangying seemed to notice. To everyone else, it looked like a normal tree.

Fang Xiu pretended to investigate and slowly moved closer. He realized what the wriggling “something” was…

Black text.

Though jumbled together, the handwriting was neat. It was hard to tell whether it was printed or written.

[In the dim firelight, ■■’s face quickly went pale.]

[He was dead.]

[His corpse remained in a twisted pose beside ■■.]

[From start to finish, no one but Fang Xiu noticed. Everyone else acted as if nothing were wrong.]

Fang Xiu narrowed his eyes and was about to read more when Grandpa Dao’s voice suddenly came from right behind him, his breath brushed Fang Xiu’s skin.

“Young man, is there something wrong with this tree?” he asked with a cheerful smile.

“Nothing,” Fang Xiu answered smoothly with a flawless expression. “I’ve never seen this kind of tree before. Do you recognize it?”

“You’re from the city, huh? Makes sense. They don’t have this kind in the city.”

Grandpa Dao backed off two steps. “This was… what was it called again… ah, I’m getting old…”

“I’ve finished checking here. Nothing to report. Let’s head to the shrine,” Dou Dou said, sniffling.

She’d just lost two teammates. Her mood was clearly low, her eyes shimmering with tears.

It wasn’t even dark yet. They’d found the shrine earlier than during the first ritual. That was fine with Fang Xiu. He didn’t need to find an excuse to slip away.

As for the strange tree, he could return to it later…

Fang Xiu looked back at the Skinny Monkey Tree and froze.

[Fang Xiu looked back at the Skinny Monkey Tree and froze.]

[The trembling text had vanished, as if it had never existed. The tree was no longer a distorted shadow, but a real, regular tree.]

[He didn’t know the species, but he knew it was a tree.]

[It was a tree. Trees don’t talk. Trees have no heartbeat. It was a tree trees don’t talk trees have no heartbeat this is a wood and an inch—]

It was a tree.

Fang Xiu reached out his hand in disbelief and touched the bark. It looked like something out of a children’s coloring book. Dark brown trunk, fresh green leaves, like thousands of blank, unseeing eyes.

Apart from not knowing its species, it was a perfectly normal tree.

He could no longer find a single word on it.

Shocked, Fang Xiu turned to look at Bai Shuangying. He was kneading the disciple’s soul in his hand, brow tightly furrowed, face unusually serious.

He stared at the new tree like he wanted to crush the soul into a ball.

So it hadn’t been a hallucination. Fang Xiu quickly calmed down.

The lines he’d seen had slightly preceded real events, as if they were dictating what happened. If it weren’t called the Immortal Encounter E, they might as well call it the Ma Liang E*.

*Clarity: He’s referring to Ma Liang’s magic brush which basically has the power to bring things drawn/written come to reality.

“What was that just now? Was it the Immortal Encounter E’s power? Or an effect of the Great God of Calamity?”

As they left the courtyard, Fang Xiu walked at the rear and asked quietly.

“It resembles the influence of the Great God of Calamity,” Bai Shuangying said, not looking at him but at the courtyard behind. “But… something’s wrong with it.”

Seeing Bai Shuangying unable to explain it like he usually could, Fang Xiu patted his ghost’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry too much. The fact that we noticed anything already shows how capable you are.”

Bai Shuangying ground his teeth slightly and gave a reluctant grunt.

He could make people think the tree was real, but much too lazy to play such tricks. Moreover, this wasn’t just karma pollution, but karma rewriting reality.

Why had a power from his free era appeared here?

What exactly was this “Immortal Encounter E”?

……

Before sunset, the Disaster Resolvers found the village shrine.

It looked the same, small and dusty, but the door wasn’t locked.

The sign above the door read “■■ Shrine”, written right to left. The doors were wide open.

But at the center wasn’t the god statue from Fang Xiu’s memory.

The wood carving of the Weishan God had been replaced by the white porcelain statue from the Temple of All E’s, which was the same size and material, and even faceless. On either side of the statue, the golden couplets had completely changed.

[Human desires run rampant; joy and sorrow pass in an instant.]

[Heaven’s laws endure; even unfeeling plants last ten thousand years.]

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 130: The Return of the Past

Disaster Resolvers didn’t have a strictly regulated rest period. To coordinate with the teams selected by Fang Xiu, his group rested for a full three days before officially beginning the next ritual.

Face with this cruel realty, no one was more frustrated by this than Dian’er.

Normally, it would be responsible for providing detailed information about the “Immortal Encounter E,” but that E had only appeared in rituals a handful of times. No matter how much you squeezed it, it couldn’t cough up anything useful.

Which made it seem pretty useless.

In order to protect Fang Xiu’s team, an especially high-quality case, it even humbled itself to beg fellow paper figures colleagues for rumors about the E.

To its dismay, it discovered that the last time this thing had been used in a ritual was five hundred years ago. Everyone involved had been wiped out, including the assigned soul envoy. After that, the previous Tower ghost immortal guardian had thrown this cursed thing into the “Sealed E’s” shelf, never to be used again.

The scariest kind of rumor was the absence of rumors.

Though it had no parents, Dian’er came to understand the term “losing one’s parents”. Just as it gloomily reported all this to Fang Xiu, Fang Xiu caught on to a crucial point—

“That’s weird. If you already know no one can clear it, shouldn’t the Underworld use it more often?”

Dian’er: “?”

Fang Xiu: “If I’m right, your eighth ritual is always made extremely difficult. That way, fewer people succeed and less wishes will be granted, so the Underworld earns more.”

“So when faced with an extremely dangerous E, your first instinct was to seal it away. Why? Is there some unique evil in it you don’t want to ascend?”

Dian’er shook its head like a rattle. “No, no, even if a spirit like that did ascend, we’d be glad! Once ascended, it’s bound by the Heavens, making it easier to handle.”

“Just like you said, the most difficult ones are saved for the finale. The previous ghost immortal is gone. We don’t know what happened back then.”

“There’s no records at all?” Fang Xiu raised an eyebrow.

“Only resolved E’s are documented,” the paper figure replied listlessly.

Fang Xiu bit into a fried dough stick, lost in thought.

Beside him, Bai Shuangying perked up his ears and listened attentively. Even Fang Xiu didn’t know about the “Immortal Encounter E”, and neither did he, the so-called Great God of Calamity.

Yet it was clearly influenced by the karma Bai Shuangying had polluted. That meant it had a deep connection to him as the “Great God of Calamity”. To be honest, even Bai Shuangying was confused. He was starting to feel like he was being slandered.

…But no matter what it was, his job was to protect Fang Xiu. Even if he hadn’t fully recovered, he couldn’t possibly lose to some dead object.

They had already survived brutal realities, a cult’s holy land, illusionary photos and dreams. No matter how he thought about it, Bai Shuangying couldn’t figure out what new tricks the Immortal Encounter E might pull.

It would be better to think about how to keep his identity hidden.

Actually, it wasn’t just him—Cheng Songyun and Guan He were both calm, looking like people used to facing storms.

At last, it was time to depart. The two silently walked in front, and as usual, Fang Xiu brought up the rear. As he stepped onto the second floor with Bai Shuangying, he was still deep in thought.

“Huh?” Guan He was the first to speak as his foot touched the second floor.

Fang Xiu looked up instinctively, startled for once.

Through the darkness, the second-floor corridor looked like a rural dirt path, ending at a rotting wooden door. Outside, rain poured down heavily, and the damp air was thick with the earthy smell of wet soil.

…Weishan Village?

Everything looked too familiar… This scene was identical to their first ritual. It was unsettling.

Fang Xiu thought, the Underworld wouldn’t make such a stupid mistake. But coincidence? He didn’t believe that at all.

Coincidence or not, the three stepped through that all-too-familiar door into the ritual site. The door vanished behind them, leaving only a dirt wall.

Even though winter was nearly over, the weather had the warmth of late summer. The rain fell without end, soaking their clothes until they clung to skin like something alive.

They stood once again on the abandoned grain-drying field. Weishan Village was silent beside them, and everything farther off was blocked by thick mist. Only the rough outline of Weishan could be seen in the distance.

There were already many people gathered at the site.

Both Guishan Sect teams selected by Fang Xiu had arrived, with a rare total of eight participants.

While figures like Zhuang Pengdao and Cen Ling led elite squads centered around “core strength”, these teams favored cooperation. They had no internal trust issues, working far more smoothly than most.

All members had cleared at least four rituals. One team still had five members, which spoke volumes about their cooperation skills.

The two team leaders were already chatting warmly. Fortunately, as per Fang Xiu’s request, they didn’t know they had been “specially invited”. They just thought this was another normal ritual.

Looking at the frighteningly familiar scene, goosebumps rose on Guan He’s arms. “Brother Ge, is this…”

Reality? A dream? An illusion?

“Not sure yet. Stay alert,” Fang Xiu said quietly, habitually glancing toward Bai Shuangying.

“These aren’t illusions, and there’s no sign of karmic pollution.” Bai Shuangying frowned slightly. “But the season here is wrong.”

Fang Xiu scanned the surroundings with extra caution. “Do you sense anything else? Anything at all.”

Bai Shuangying, unusually quiet, answered, “There’s something off, but I can’t pinpoint it yet. That ‘Immortal Encounter E’ is extremely powerful. Do not act alone.”

He had broken over thirty thousand chains but still couldn’t see through the “Immortal Encounter E”. That meant its power was comparable to a partially unsealed Lord Bai.

An absurd and terrible realization.

While Fang Xiu’s group was analyzing the environment, the other two teams were already sizing them up, from top to bottom.

They especially scrutinized Guan He and Cheng Songyun, but eventually their focus settled on Fang Xiu’s red T-shirt.

The five-member team’s leader, a kindly looking old man, walked over with a warm tone. “No sense standing around getting soaked. Let’s find shelter from the rain.”

As he spoke, the believers around him smiled warmly too. They looked like a group of cheerful tourists on a countryside retreat.

Hearing such a familiar line, Guan He froze. Fang Xiu simply clenched the jade Buddha in his pocket and replied calmly, “You’re right.”

Half an hour later.

Fang Xiu followed the old man’s lead as their group reached an empty house on the edge of the village.

Inside were just a few bundles of firewood. It was basically an empty storage room. It matched Fang Xiu’s memory exactly—down to the placement of the firewood.

The only difference was that last time, there had been nine people crammed in. Now there were eleven, which made it even more cramped.

Bai Shuangying stayed close to Fang Xiu, keeping up his disguise. One arm wrapped around Fang Xiu’s waist as his sharp eyes scanned the room.

Seeing this creepily familiar building, even Cheng Songyun was losing composure. She swallowed nervously and slowly toyed with her prayer beads to calm her nerves.

“Let’s treat this as our base of operations,” the old leader suggested cheerfully, showing his toothless grin.

His kind face, white goatee, and neatly kept traditional jacket gave him a certain spiritual aura. Around his neck hung a red string with what looked like a jade pendant.

“You all look so young. Just call me Grandpa Dao,” the old man said with a wrinkly smile. “What are your names, young friends?”

Fang Xiu grinned even wider. “I’m Jia Xu. You can call me Xiao Jia. I’m the team leader for our group. Nice to meet you.”

Cheng Songyun and Guan He: “…”

Please don’t use the name of a dead person in such a creepy situation. You just made things even worse.

But it wasn’t the time to comment. They kept their mouths shut and pretended nothing was wrong.

For now, everyone had just arrived. On the surface, things had to remain friendly. Even Guishan fanatics wouldn’t start randomly killing before understanding the situation.

Sure enough, Grandpa Dao was just as friendly as Cen Ling had been early on.

The eight Guishan disciples got to work quickly, cleaning the dirty old house and laying out firewood for makeshift beds.

“It’s almost dark. Let’s leave it at this for today.”

Grandpa Dao lit a fire in the doorway and looked out at the endless rain. “This is only the first day. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

Another eerily familiar line. Fang Xiu nodded obediently.

This guy was saying the same things Lao Mian and Mai Zi once had… Would he drop dead like them too?

Everything was so strange Fang Xiu didn’t dare act rashly. He leaned at the doorway, staring through the curtain of rain toward the silhouette of Weishan.

“Do you think the Weishan Shrine is still there?” he whispered to Bai Shuangying.

“We’ll check it together in daylight,” Bai Shuangying replied, never straying from Fang Xiu’s side. “But logically, this village shouldn’t even exist.”

The God of Weishan had officially ascended, and Fang Xiu had destroyed the Weishan E. The real village had long been buried by mudslides. Not even ghosts could say what this place really was.

Fang Xiu reached out to catch some rain. He stared at the warm, glistening drops in his palm, then sniffed, and cautiously gave it a taste.

He immediately shuddered and barely suppressed a gag, spitting all the water out.

“Forget whether the shrine still exists. The Weishan E’s taboos are still active here.”

Wiping his lips, Fang Xiu muttered, “No wonder Dian’er least recommended this one. It’s intense.”

The good news was, they’d already experienced the beta version and knew the three taboos of the Weishan E.

The bad news was, this wasn’t the “Weishan E” at all.

……

At the village entrance of Weishan.

A’Shou stood in the rain, solemnly staring into the stormy Weishan Village. From the deserted settlement to the sunless skies above.

As night fell deeper, she turned her gaze toward the shrine.

The lights were still on over there, bustling with activity. Shadows that looked human passed by her silently. She couldn’t see their faces—they were neither human nor evil spirits.

She followed one carefully, watching it for a long time, and barely made out its form.

These humanoid creatures were covered head to toe in black words, like dolls stitched with black thread. Each line was a thread, each word a stitch.

A’Shou squinted to read the blurry embroidery and made out a line:

[A’Shou stood in the rain, solemnly staring into the stormy Weishan Village.]

…What?

She shook her head and looked again.

If her heart could beat, it would’ve skipped. The text had changed. And now it felt even more ominous:

[If her heart could beat, it would’ve skipped.]

[The text had changed.]

[Something was deeply wrong. The Immortal Encounter E was more dangerous than she had imagined, A’Shou thought.]

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 129: Vague Legend

Ghost Immortal A’Shou stood before the wooden rack, carefully placing the completed report into one of the compartments. She looked up at the seemingly endless wall of documents and nearly sighed again.

This was the sixth time Fang Xiu had left his name here. Maybe that red-robed scholar really would make it through all eight rituals and earn a wish.

Who knew what that kid would wish for? If it was within karmic bounds, maybe he’d wish to smuggle that seductive ghost back to the world of the living…

Thinking back on how those two acted like conjoined twins, A’Shou couldn’t help but reach under her veil and wipe her face bitterly.

Still, after clearing her head with a walk around the Shrine of All E’s, her thinking had become much sharper.

According to Dian’er, Fang Xiu had already picked his fellow Disaster Resolver teams for the next ritual. Coincidentally, or not, they were all Guishan Sect members.

Considering that guy’s shady… no, “lively” past behavior, those people were basically equivalent to meat rolls in Bai Shuangying’s hotpot. Clearly, he was planning another “no survivors but me” storyline.

But Fang Xiu hadn’t picked the E yet. Maybe she could use the chance to nudge him a little. Since he was going to investigate the Great God of Calamity, it was best to provide him with enough background.

Intervening directly would be too obvious. But guiding him to understand the Great God of Calamity better…

A’Shou turned away from the rack storing ritual records and walked to the opposite shelf. This rack also had no end, but the scrolls stored in its compartments were sparse, giving off a lonely feel.

As A’Shou reached toward it, Dian’er shuddered. “My Lady, you—”

The “E’s” on this shelf were all “Sealed E’s”. Due to their extreme danger, they were excluded from the karma furnace and could only be assigned manually.

As far as Dian’er knew, these E’s were usually reserved for the eighth ritual. Thousands of Disaster Resolvers had come and gone, and those who could resolve one were one in ten thousand.

“Fang Xiu is the best Disaster Resolver we have. Even I can’t fully understand his methods, which makes this appropriate,” A’Shou said calmly, her tone cold and harsh.

“But, but he’s already on his seventh ritual, my Lady. According to the rules, we could assign it for his eighth ritual…” Dian’er was sweating profusely.

It clearly saw Fang Xiu’s murderous intentions toward the other teams. But this type of “Sealed E” usually required total cooperation from all participants.

This team composition was all wrong!

It had finally caught a high-quality project. How could it just sit back and watch it fall apart?

A’Shou chuckled softly and tapped the scroll with her hand, which was slightly larger than a normal human’s. “Just include this as one of the options. The choice is his. If he doesn’t pick it, I won’t break the rules.”

Dian’er accepted the scroll with tearful resignation. But no amount of lamenting could override a direct order from a superior.

There was no comfort at all. Who didn’t know that this human surnamed Fang was reckless beyond belief?

A few hours later.

Fang Xiu, reckless as ever, said, “Hey, this one looks interesting.”

He had flipped to the “Sealed E” Dian’er had deliberately placed at the end. His eyes lit up like he was ordering food at a restaurant.

Dian’er instantly teleported to his side, speaking urgently. “If you look at the description, this one’s the most dangerous…”

“But it’s also the E most closely connected to the ‘Great God of Calamity’.”

Fang Xiu ran a hand over the information sheet. “Look, it says: ‘Of ancient origin, aligned with heaven and earth. Worshipped by the people, mindful of the will of the ancients.’ …This thing sounds kind of sacred.”

Dian’er: “It’s written vaguely because the Underworld lacks detailed records. Why not check out a different one? I even drew out the full form for you—”

“What’s the point of playing by the walkthrough?” Fang Xiu blinked.

“That’s not the point,” Dian’er tried to reason. “You have to think about your teammates. The eighth ritual is always hard. This seventh one is a good time to adjust the pace. Just think…”

Fang Xiu glanced over at Cheng Songyun and Guan He, not bothering to lower his voice. “From the moment I arrived here, I’ve only acted on my own judgment.”

“If I respect someone, I’ll try to take care of them. But I won’t change my choices just for their safety.”

Afraid of being accused of stirring up discord, Dian’er shook its head quickly. “That’s not what I meant! Really! I just… maybe consider your seductive ghost…”

Fang Xiu paused briefly when Bai Shuangying was mentioned. “Relax. I’ll take care of him. At the very least, I won’t let him die before me.”

Like Underworld I’ll relax, you stubborn lunatic! Dian’er was fuming.

Meanwhile, Cheng Songyun and Guan He had heard everything clearly, yet both looked completely unbothered. Guan He even broke off a piece of meat bun and fed it to the black dog romping around the courtyard.

Noticing Dian’er’s resentful gaze, Guan He shrugged. “Without Fang Ge, I wouldn’t have survived past the third ritual.”

“These rituals are life-and-death. Expecting someone to protect you unconditionally is just shameless.”

Cheng Songyun’s take was simpler. “The Guishan Sect wants to use the Great God of Calamity for evil. So if we study it more, it’s a good thing.”

Seeing the two humans completely unconcerned, Dian’er desperately looked to Bai Shuangying for support. But the white-robed ghost was frozen, his entire spirit seemed to have left his body.

What a timid ghost. Was he scared stiff?

Failing to persuade anyone, Dian’er’s paper face crinkled with deep wrinkles. It sighed and noted down “Meeting the Immortal E” as the selected option, utterly despondent. “Since you’ve picked this… how much do you know about the ‘Great God of Calamity’?”

Fang Xiu poured himself a cup of tea. “I was about to ask you that. Why do both the Underworld and the Guishan Sect call it the ‘Great God of Calamity’? Who copied who?”

Next to him, Bai Shuangying didn’t move a hair or a sleeve.

But Dian’er, in its bad mood, didn’t notice anything unusual. “We’re not too sure. I suppose they adopted the Underworld’s term.”

Fang Xiu stared at him for a moment. “Before coming here, I didn’t know anything about that ‘Great God of Calamity’ plan. It’s just—”

“Just?”

“As far as I know, the spiritual totem of the Guishan Sect has always been Xushan…” Fang Xiu cleared his throat and began explaining calmly.

Xushan was the largest mountain range in the world, vast in area.

Its interior was extremely dangerous, home to large stretches of untouched forest. It was considered a “forbidden zone” for humans. Even in modern times, people had only explored its outer edges and never ventured into its core.

The mountain in the first ritual, Weishan, was one of the outermost peaks of Xushan. Weishan Village was a remote mountain village. Most of the surroundings of Xushan were similar.

“It’s said that near the end of the Kui Dynasty, Zhuang Guiqu sealed a terrifying evil spirit within Xushan and became a so-called ‘half-immortal’. He later disappeared in Xushan, and they claim he ascended.”

“The current Guishan Sect says they inherited Zhuang Guiqu’s legacy.”

“So compared to ‘Xushan’, the true holy land where their founder became an immortal, that imperial tomb from before isn’t even worth mentioning.”

Fang Xiu’s tone was like a museum guide. Calm, practiced, as though he’d gone over this many times in his head.

Guan He stopped feeding the dog. Cheng Songyun listened with full focus.

“What’s the connection between Xushan and the ‘Great God of Calamity’?” she asked seriously.

“Since even the Underworld confirmed it, the ‘Great God of Calamity’ is probably the spirit Zhuang Guiqu sealed in Xushan.”

Fang Xiu shrugged, clearly uninterested in this part. “Cultists say all sorts of things. According to them, the sealed spirits in Xushan could fill a whole fantasy epic.”

“If they’re calling on the ‘Great God of Calamity’ for support, it must be the strongest among them.”

He finished and stared meaningfully at Dian’er.

Dian’er fumbled and sputtered nonsense. “Speaking of the Great God of Calamity, uh… honestly, the Underworld doesn’t have many records either. From what we know, yes, it’s definitely powerful.”

“Ahem, from how much you know about the Guishan Sect, we thought you were an expert…”

Useless. Fang Xiu silently looked away.

“I really don’t know their full plan. It’s like when you intend to kill—um, ‘handle’ someone, you don’t care what they’re having for dinner.”

He admitted freely, “From Mei Lan’s situation, I gather that the plan is only shared among their upper ranks. I just want to see if there’s anything I can exploit.”

That was the truth.

Fang Xiu didn’t believe in “waiting for the enemy to transform”. He preferred strangling threats in their cradle rather than politely watching their plans succeed. This current probe was just on a sudden whim… or from the heart.

But to Fang Xiu’s surprise, the Underworld was unusually concerned with this ritual yet knew remarkably little about the “Great God of Calamity”. The lack of knowledge was almost suspicious.

And Bai Shuangying, too, was evasive, clearly reluctant to discuss it.

…Things were getting interesting.

Hopefully this “Immortal Encounter E”, said to be closely tied to the Xushan seal, would give him an answer.

Wait a minute.

Was it really written that it was tied to the Xushan seal? Why had he assumed that?

Fang Xiu flipped back to the paper. He suddenly found the antique script unfamiliar. The words wobbled in front of him, making his stomach churn.

He forced himself to keep reading. The characters crawled around, but their meanings shot straight into his brain like bullets.

[The Immortal ■■■ E originates from the ■■■ Great God of Calamity, whose ■■■■■■.]

[The Immortal Encounter E originates from the sealed ■■■, whose ■■■ whereabouts are unknown.]

[The Immortal Encounter E originates from the sealed Great God of Calamity, whose current whereabouts are unknown.]

The text yanked at his nerves, trying to convince him the sentences were ordinary, describing well-known facts. If a sane reader saw them, maybe it would’ve worked.

Unfortunately, like the latest virus unable to infect an ancient buggy operating system, Fang Xiu’s mind was too messed up. He’d just been hammered by the Grave-Sealing E. He wasn’t “sane”.

So he calmly watched the words perform their little act, quietly moved but unwilling to accept.

Now he was sure of two things:

First, “Great God of Calamity” was definitely not the original Underworld term. Someone had tampered with it.

Second, the Great God of Calamity was even more powerful than he had imagined. A high-quality bargaining chip.

Excellent. Fang Xiu cracked his knuckles in anticipation.

No matter the outcome, his ghost was in for a feast this time.

---

The author has something to say:

Xiao Bai: What if the promised main course gets canceled?

Then of course we’ll replace it with something just as tasty!

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 128: Main Course Arrangement

In the darkness, a single red candle flickered. Around it, a hundred or so candle stubs melted together, standing in nearly infinite shadows. From the candle flames came the sound of rhythmic breathing.

“Three of our fellow brothers and sisters souls have returned to the mountain.” Cen Ling’s sorrowful voice came from within the red candle.

This was a “private chatroom” split off from the “Disaster Relief Tower Forum”. To avoid detection by the Underworld, Cen Ling rebuilt it randomly each time.

Even so, they tacitly avoided talking about their plans, only sharing ritual experiences and personnel losses.

“What about that Fang Xiu?” a middle-aged woman’s voice responded.

“Still alive. I’ve locked onto the red and white figures. Fang Xiu is likely one of them.”

Cen Ling accurately described the appearances of “Bai Shuangying” and “Hong Shuangxi”, and found himself irritated. After a full ritual, he realized he didn’t understand Fang Xiu’s abilities much at all.

Bai Shuangying had always hovered outside the group, so Cen Ling hadn’t actually seen him fight. Hong Shuangxi had been brainwashed by the Grave-Sealing E and used its powers throughout.

All he knew was that Hong Shuangxi had managed to resist the E’s influence somehow. From this, all he could really conclude was that “Hong Shuangxi has a strong will”.

Come to think of it, it didn’t really matter which of the two was Fang Xiu.

He could clearly sense the ambiguity between them—it wasn’t just fooling around or casual fun. It was something more complicated and serious. To kill Fang Xiu, it would be best to eliminate them both together.

“There are three… no, two others in their team. One is a woman in her forties or fifties, the other a teenage boy. And there’s a strange little black dog. If any of you encounter this group, stay alert.”

“Are they really one team?” For a Disaster Resolver outside the metaphysics circle, that many people seemed unusual.

“I’m sure. If she didn’t know ‘Fang Xiu’, Mei Lan wouldn’t have planned her actions that way. When she was still in the sect, she was known for being discreet and cautious, and managed her projects with perfect order.”

Cen Ling explained without any airs. When he said “Mei Lan”, there was a note of disdain in his voice. Even though his words were positive, his tone made it sound like he was talking about filth.

Another man growled, “What a pity. After this loss, they won’t dare provoke you again. If only we had a chance to meet him…”

Cen Ling cut in softly, “They might not be scared.”

“If Fang Xiu only wanted to complete the rituals, Mei Lan wouldn’t have risked her life to expose my methods. She was sure Fang Xiu and I would cross paths again.”

“Then you—”

“Have Dian Shisi pass a message to the ghost immortals. Tell them I want a break. Don’t assign me to any rituals for the time being. You all carry on as usual.”

Cen Ling said calmly, “I have a feeling Fang Xiu will come to me on his own.”

……

“No familiar faces.”

Fang Xiu leaned against Bai Shuangying, crunching on a candy ball. “It’s not the right time, and that place isn’t right either.”

Bai Shuangying gave him a silent look that clearly said, “So you do know it’s dangerous.”

Fang Xiu completely ignored his ghost’s judgmental stare and kept flipping through the love-filled packet of documents Dian’er had prepared. It included two thick booklets—one listing available teams, the other listing ritual targets.

To make Fang Xiu’s choice easier, the team list even put the ones with previous good relations at the top. But Fang Xiu didn’t even glance at them before flipping past.

The red-robed troublemaker skimmed through the names one by one, his brow alternating between relaxed and furrowed. Finally, he exhaled a long breath and wrote down two Disaster Resolver teams. Their combined size came to a surprising eight people.

Bai Shuangying: “?”

“I’ve heard of all of them. Each one will taste different.” Fang Xiu offered kindly. “Perfect for your appetizer, main course, and dessert. Let’s go with something exotic.”

Bai Shuangying gave a noncommittal grunt, deciding to treat it like a light, healthy meal. No matter what these people had to offer, none would ever be as delicious as Fang Xiu.

Then Bai Shuangying realized something. “Only two teams. How will you split it into three courses?”

“The main course is arranged separately,” Fang Xiu chuckled.

“You?”

“…No. Something else.”

Bai Shuangying nodded, not hiding the disappointment on his face.

The disappointment was so strong that even by nightfall, as Fang Xiu fell asleep, Lord Bai still looked a bit wistful. With that kind of reluctant “I don’t want to eat out” frustration, he stood alone before the Shrine of All E’s.

He’d only wanted to take a walk near the shrine while Fang Xiu slept. But apparently he wasn’t the only ghost wandering around. Just as he was about to spar with the shrine’s sealing chains, the person with the key came to him instead.

Ghost Immortal A’Shou approached slowly, stopping at the temple gates.

She gently touched the layers of chains and sighed beneath her veil. Then she deftly sliced her wrist, unlocking the gate with a wisp of blood smoke, and stepped inside.

Bai Shuangying swiftly used his main body advantage to slither in behind her.

Inside the seemingly infinite shrine, A’Shou dropped like free fall before suddenly stopping on a specific level—everything looked just like it had on their last visit. The rough white porcelain statue, nearly three meters tall. The white jade shrine holding ghost contracts. The glittering golden beast used for suppression.

The only difference was that the ghost contract inside the shrine appeared to have spontaneously combusted, leaving several unsightly scorch marks. The porcelain statue, meanwhile, was covered in a dense network of crack-like fish scales.

“I failed to guard your cup,” A’Shou murmured as she touched the charred shrine, her voice full of sorrow. “I failed to guard the Tower too.”

Neither the shrine nor the statue responded.

“If we still can’t find anything in Xushan, what am I supposed to do?”

A’Shou muttered, “For the seal to look undamaged from outside, the problem must be inside. Back then, the living and dead worked together to create this seal—someone must’ve betrayed us. Reporting it recklessly could spook the enemy… A thousand years have passed, and it’s still a mess.”

Exactly.

Bai Shuangying couldn’t help nodding along.

Of course, his headache wasn’t about the seal. It was about what he’d do if his human actually found something at Xushan. When it came to “absolutely can’t fool Fang Xiu”, the Lord Bai had absolute confidence.

After the tomb ritual, Bai Shuangying had completely lost any thought of polluting Fang Xiu in an emergency. Now, facing this human, he was the most sincerely honest existence in the world regardless of life or death.

Half a step away, A’Shou continued muttering at the shrine. “Maybe I should just tell Fang Xiu the truth and ask for his help openly…”

Bai Shuangying tensed up.

“…But I don’t fully understand that human either. What if he’s the reincarnation of Zhuang Guiqu? That’d make things even messier.”

Bai Shuangying slowly relaxed.

“Or maybe I should talk to his contracted ghost? At least that one works under the Underworld, so it could be helpful…”

Discussing how to seal the “Great God of Calamity” with the God of Calamity himself? Bai Shuangying glanced at her with a touch of pity.

“…But that seductive ghost wears his heart on his sleeve. Fang Xiu is far too sharp—he’ll see through it instantly,” A’Shou mumbled.

Honestly, Bai Shuangying would rather hear her talk about reinforcing the seal.

“Haa.”

Humans were too much trouble. Both great evil spirits, one in the open and one in the shadows, sighed at the same time.

Melancholy aside, Bai Shuangying took the opportunity to inspect the shrine’s condition. From what he could see, the seal still looked intact—all the E’s extended chains of karma, the ends fading into the void, appearing solid and stable.

Only Bai Shuangying knew that over thirty thousand of those “solid” chains had already broken.

How had the Guishan Sect managed that?

At the same moment, Fang Xiu opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling.

He’d woken up within seconds of his ghost slipping out. By now he was used to wrapping his limbs around Bai Shuangying in his sleep. The sensation was hard to describe, but very distinct. Not feeling that cool, slick texture made it hard to sleep.

Oh well. He’d gone to talk with the Underworld by himself not long ago. Now Bai Shuangying wanted some time alone so he couldn’t really complain.

Fang Xiu rubbed the little black dog snoring at the foot of the bed, then jumped down and grabbed some paper and a pen to draft a plan. But he’d barely written a few lines when Bai Shuangying crept back in, slipping through the crack in the door.

Fang Xiu: “…”

Bai Shuangying’s true form that was flattened: “…”

“That was quick,” Fang Xiu greeted casually.

If he didn’t know better, he’d think Bai Shuangying just stepped out for a bathroom break.

Bai Shuangying closed the door and slowly resumed his human form. “…Yes.”

His face clearly showed, “How did you wake up already?”

Fang Xiu grinned. “The Shrine of All E’s?”

“Yes,” Bai Shuangying replied without energy.

“It’s a good place,” Fang Xiu said while chewing on the end of his pen. “Say, if you got free from the Tower’s suppression, could you overturn the Underworld?”

Now that’s what you call a casual conversation topic.

Recently Lord Bai had started to feel he might be a bit too conservative. In comparison, A Shou’s frustrations seemed almost sad.

“I know you want to destroy the world,” Fang Xiu explained, “but there are plenty of ways to do that. Humans are good at it too. I want a more precise answer.”

“Not sure.”

Bai Shuangying tried his best to be vague. “I’ve never tried. I don’t have that kind of grudge against the Underworld.”

In fact, he actually could do it. But his hatred toward the Underworld wasn’t deep enough. If he did go on a rampage, his first goal would be to destroy the Disaster Relief Tower.

Fang Xiu didn’t seem surprised. He nodded and scratched a few more notes.

“Just in case, let me ask first. Do you have any connection to the ‘Great God of Calamity’?”

Bai Shuangying used every ounce of strength to stay calm. “I’ve only recently heard that name.”

Luckily, the room lighting was dim. Fang Xiu just yawned and kept writing, humming cheerfully.

Bai Shuangying finally couldn’t help leaning over silently.

Fang Xiu tilted his head up and ran his hand through Bai Shuangying’s drooping black hair. “The core of the Guishan Sect’s plan is the ‘Great God of Calamity’. If we weaken it in time, they won’t be able to stir up trouble in the world.”

Bai Shuangying repeated slowly, “Weaken the ‘Great God of Calamity’.”

“It’s still sealed for now. The Underworld’s keeping a close eye on it. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance.”

Fang Xiu tapped his pen against the page, deep in thought. “I’m wondering… can we drag a bit of it out and feed it to you?”

Bai Shuangying: “…”

…Help.

---

The author has something to say:

Xiao Bai: Eating myself.jpg

---

Kinky Thoughts:

Is this where the title came from? The last line? Lol.

---

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

Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong

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

---

Chapter 127: New Destination

After the discussion ended, Fang Xiu returned to his quarters. It was still a little while before lunch, and Bai Shuangying was sitting by the speaker, happily playing light music.

Fang Xiu had told him to wait alone in the room, and Bai Shuangying waited without a single word of complaint. No doubts, no questions—only a strange sense of calm, as if this were the most ordinary thing in the world.

When Fang Xiu entered the room, he paused for over ten seconds at the door.

Bai Shuangying had returned to his long-haired, white-robed appearance, the same look as when they first met. And yet, something had changed. His ghost still lacked “humanity”, but his emotions were beginning to surface, just as rich as any human’s.

Fang Xiu had once thought it was fine to like Bai Shuangying as much as he wanted. After all, his ghosts didn’t care. 

But now… now he wasn’t so sure. Bai Shuangying’s behavior during the Grave-Sealing E ritual had been a little too much. A normal ghost wouldn’t sacrifice its own interests to protect a human. Let alone attempt an escape while the Underworld happened to be watching nearby.

“I’m back,” Fang Xiu greeted with a cheerful smile.

“Mmm~” Bai Shuangying’s tone followed the rhythm of the music. He was clearly enjoying it.

Fang Xiu flopped onto the bed and lay down next to Bai Shuangying. “Next ritual, we’re going to the sealing ground of that ‘Great God of Calamity’.”

Bai Shuangying: “Mmm… hmm?”

Amid the flowing music in the background, he looked at Fang Xiu stiffly.

“Underworld orders?” Bai Shuangying asked flatly after a few seconds.

“I suggested it.” Fang Xiu grinned. “The Guishan Sect talks like the ‘Great God of Calamity’ is a big deal. We have to check it out.”

Bai Shuangying hesitated. “That place is dangerous. You only have two rituals left. Why take the risk?”

Fang Xiu didn’t respond. He buried his nose in Bai Shuangying’s loose robe. Upon closer look, he could still see the tear Bai Shuangying had made in his real body to protect him. The beautiful white robe had a missing piece, its edge gently writhing like slime mold as it slowly healed.

“Because you like me,” Fang Xiu whispered.

“Nonsense,” Bai Shuangying dismissed.

Then his face crinkled slightly, and he secretly glanced at Fang Xiu. Seeing no sign of displeasure, he relaxed a bit.

He casually stroked Fang Xiu’s warm hair and seriously added, “I’m not willing to die for you, and I don’t want to have children with you. By human standards, that means I ‘don’t like you’.”

Fang Xiu: “…”

In a strange tone, Fang Xiu replied, “…Die for me? Have children with me?”

He wanted to laugh, but held it back out of politeness, pursing his lips hard.

Bai Shuangying cleared his throat and began reciting like a textbook. “If they can’t consummate the relationship and grow old together, they must die for love. If disaster strikes, they must charge in and sacrifice their life. If one dies, the other must grieve themselves to death.”

“And to stay together, there must be a child or two, to continue the family line. If they remain childless, it’s a sign of a disharmonious relationship, thin affection, and poor fortune.”

He didn’t really understand these ideas, but humans had prayed to Lord Bai for love countless times. Over hundreds of years, their requests always boiled down to this sort of thing. Compared to Fang Xiu, who wasn’t even thirty, he was clearly the real master of human love.

Fang Xiu hesitated. “…Let’s leave the first point aside. As for having kids, we literally can’t.”

Forget gender issue, they were 10000% reproductively incompatible.

Bai Shuangying said solemnly, “If I liked you, and we couldn’t have children, I should be devastated.”

Then he thought for a moment and concluded, “Hmm, I feel no devastation at all.”

Fang Xiu couldn’t hold it in any longer. He burst into laughter, burying his face in the sheets, laughing until he couldn’t breathe. In the end, he even wiped his tears with the corner of Bai Shuangying’s robe.

Bai Shuangying looked displeased and began brushing Fang Xiu’s hair more roughly.

“I…cough cough…I give up,” Fang Xiu said, turning to look at Bai Shuangying with a smile, eyes slightly red from laughter. “You’re not human, so you don’t need to follow human definitions. Why force it?”

Bai Shuangying froze for a moment, confusion briefly flickering across his face. Fang Xiu stretched lazily and hugged his wrist.

“And besides, ‘dying for the other person’ is a bit much. Feelings develop step by step. If you start saying stuff like that right after getting together, even humans would find it scary.”

“I haven’t wanted to interact with any other humans but you.”

“Sure, sure.” Fang Xiu grinned the entire time. “Then for you, which is more important, ‘my company’ or ‘destroying the world’?”

“You’re more interesting.” Wasn’t that a rhetorical question? Bai Shuangying answered immediately.

“What matters more, ‘my life’ or ‘your safety’?”

“It’s better if you stay alive,” Bai Shuangying said honestly, recalling the last ritual.

“Do you want to separate from me?”

“Why would I want to separate from you?” Bai Shuangying sounded confused. “I already said, I only do things that make me happy.”

Fang Xiu buried his face back in the robe and laughed for a long time. But as he laughed, his smile slowly faded.

He kept his nose in the fabric, breathing in the pleasant plant-like scent, pretending it was a safe little cocoon. After he’d inhaled enough, he turned his head, dark eyes fixed on Bai Shuangying without blinking.

Bai Shuangying asked instinctively, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking about finding you something tasty.” Fang Xiu reached out and touched his cheek. “And thinking about how I can spend more time with you.”

Bai Shuangying’s face immediately softened. He clearly liked that answer.

But in truth, Fang Xiu was thinking about far more. He sighed in his heart.

Everything in the rituals had gone smoothly so far. As long as he followed the plan, his life plan would definitely succeed. To ensure that, he should avoid anything related to the “Great God of Calamity”. That was too risky.

And yet, he still couldn’t stop himself from going to Dian’er, as if his legs and tongue had minds of their own. To be honest, the next step looked more like a wild whim than a plan.

…But he just couldn’t help it.

His palms were still sweating, his rational mind banging around in his head, trying to slow a racing heartbeat…

Are you crazy? What happened to “chill romance and graceful goodbye”?

Do you know what “failure at the finish line” means? Or “love makes you stupid”? Only a fool throws everything away when they’re about to succeed.

Fang Xiu took a deep breath and pressed his flushed face against Bai Shuangying again, diving back into his favorite white robe hideout.

This attachment wasn’t so bad. In the cool fabric, Fang Xiu tried to justify himself. His whole life had been about goals, but now, suddenly, he had a dream.

And only now did he realize that “goals” and “dreams” weren’t quite the same thing.

……

After losing Mei Lan, only three living people remained in the huge courtyard. Even with a little black dog bouncing around, it still felt empty.

The eight-person team that had first arrived now felt like a distant memory.

Cheng Songyun looked grim. Guan He’s eyes were red, as if she’d been crying.

The only slight consolation was that they hadn’t known Mei Lan that long, and Mei Lan herself had plenty of blood on her hands. So their grief was mixed with something heavier, more complicated, not enough to make them despair.

Fang Xiu behaved as usual, eating and drinking with a better-than-normal appetite. His seductive ghost sat beside him, just like always, white pupils naturally locked onto him.

“Congratulations to all! The Grave-Sealing E has been resolved—only two disasters remain—”

“The Grave-Sealing E has been resolved. The resolver receives additional rewards—the E was eliminated by Fang Xiu. Many rewards await—”

The paper figure read its lines like a script, dragging out the syllables with no emotion, just technical skill.

Fang Xiu cut the preamble short. “I want Mei Lan’s scarf manipulation spell.”

That was surprisingly normal. The paper figure sighed in relief, then felt a little indignant. “We recommend the ‘personality corruption’ from the Grave-Sealing E. That scarf manipulation thing is just a frontal attack. These days, psychic spells are way more valuable…”

“‘Scarf manipulation’ is good enough. I don’t have a proper weapon.”

Fang Xiu sipped some sweet soy milk and smiled. “I prefer my enemies to die fully aware.”

Dian’er shut up immediately and shuffled forward.

“‘Scarf manipulation’ lets you control the scarf weapon by thought alone. No extra spells needed. It’s simple, but fully effective.”

Fang Xiu nodded calmly.

“As for the site of the Grave-Sealing E, you get it, so I won’t nag.”

The paper figure extended a finger and marked him with the Kun trigram.

“You’re a once-in-a-century genius. Six rituals, seven trigrams. There’s only the Gen trigram left. If the next ritual goes well, you…”

Halfway through, it caught itself and smoothly shifted tone. “Oh what am I saying… ‘If it goes well’? Of course the next ritual will go great! Couldn’t be smoother!”

Discovering a new knowledge point, Guan He perked up. “What happens when one person collects all eight trigrams?”

Facing Fang Xiu’s ally, Dian’er spoke respectfully. “Not much, really. Once Mr. Fang leaves the Underworld, all linked powers get sealed. Carrying a few trigrams won’t change anything.”

It paused to think, then added, “If anything, it means he carries extra karma, the kind that comes from dealing with E’s. The more trigrams, the heavier the weight.”

Cheng Songyun was no longer the metaphysics rookie she once was. She immediately felt something was off. “Ghosts are drawn to souls with heavy karma. If Xiao Fang returns to the world of the living, won’t he be ghost bait?”

“Nonsense!”

Dian’er glanced at Fang Xiu and shook its head like a rattle-drum. “Those trigrams are specially processed by the Underworld, saturated in the Underworld’s scent. No ghost would dare get near. You can be rest assured!”

Fang Xiu remained expressionless as he served himself another plate of soup dumplings, like they weren’t talking about him.

Seeing the mood was right, Dian’er jumped onto the incense burner, clasped its hands behind its back, and dramatically announced…

“For the next ritual, Mr. Fang has designated the site. It’s a special place, so we’ve picked several E’s. Choose one as you please.”

“…That place is called ‘Xushan’.”

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