Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.

---

A week before the start of the semester, recommended students needed to submit their admission applications.

Each student could fill in two choices. Admission was based on the number of students admitted to each department and their entrance exam scores. If a student didn’t qualify for their first choice, they would be considered for their second.

Bai Yue hardly hesitated; he filled in “Comprehensive Military Academy” as his first choice.

Although his biggest advantage at present was his gene level, going to the “Pheromone Research Academy” might be more helpful in controlling pheromones.

However, considering the future, gene level alone wouldn’t be enough. He needed to become stronger in all aspects, and the strongest comprehensive academy was the most advantageous stepping stone.

Soon, the start of the semester arrived.

Due to his first-place ranking in the entrance exam, his admission was almost a foregone conclusion. Bai Yue successfully became a member of the Comprehensive Military Academy.

His roommate, Mu Sihan, had also applied to this academy. On the first day of school, Bai Yue intended to go with him to register. However, Mu Sihan was nowhere to be found early in the morning.

Despite living together for several days, Mu Sihan remained mysterious to Bai Yue.

The other person was extremely aloof, rarely speaking except for necessary conversations. Moreover, he left early and returned late, often after he had already gone to sleep; and when he opened his eyes in the morning, the other person was already gone.

Today was the first day of school, and Bai Yue deliberately got up very early. Looking at the bed opposite him, it was empty. It was as if no one had ever lain there.

Bai Yue looked away, got up and washed up. Then he put on the student uniform of Imperial First Comprehensive Military Academy.

After thinking for a moment, he took a selfie in front of the mirror and sent it to his parents.

When he went out, the dormitory building was noisy. These past few days, due to the large number of students returning to school, it was far less quiet than a few days ago. However, this was probably the norm at Imperial First.

Vibrant and full of life.

The Comprehensive Military Academy was located on the south side of Imperial First Military Academy, and its area was much larger than the other two academies.

On the way, Bai Yue could still see a few omegas. But when he stepped into the academy, almost all the students were alphas and betas.

Perhaps for this reason, he received a lot of attention along the way, and alpha seniors would often come up to him and enthusiastically offer to help him find his way.

After politely declining each offer with a smile, Bai Yue arrived at the first-year teaching building of the Comprehensive Military Academy.

Following procedure, he first needed to register at his counsellor’s office.

He knocked and entered, but there was no one inside. Only a man in a white shirt sat on the inside, with files piled on his desk.

“Are you here to register?” the man asked in a friendly manner, beckoning him over. “Come here and point to my name.”

After confirming, the man said, “Bai Yue…you’re in class 3, right?”

He continued, “My surname is Song, and I’m your counsellor. If you have any difficulties with your studies or life, you can come to me.”

Bai Yue nodded. He paused, then asked, “Mr. Song, are you familiar with the situation of the second-year students?”

Mr. Song replied, “I’m not directly in charge, but I have a basic understanding. What do you want to ask?”

Bai Yue asked, “Shang Yufei in the second year. He’s my… senior from high school, but I haven’t been able to contact him since he enrolled.”

He smiled, “I heard he was taking extra classes, but then I learned that the extra classes actually ended a long time ago. So I wanted to ask if you know anything about it?”

Upon hearing the name “Shang Yufei,” the man showed an expression similar to that of the senior student he had mentioned, as if he was somewhat embarrassed to speak. So Mr. Song said, “He missed his first make-up exam, and then they arranged another one for him, which probably caused some delays. I don’t know the specifics.”

Bai Yue observed Mr. Song’s expression, and seeing that he couldn’t get any more information, he said, “I understand, thank you.”

He had mentioned to Shang Yufei that he was in Class 1 when they chatted before. But it had been too long, and his memory was somewhat hazy.

Bai Yue confirmed Shang Yufei’s class with the counsellor again and left the office.

The start of the semester for the upperclassmen was a week later than for the freshmen, so he figured he wouldn’t see him even if he went now. Even so, Bai Yue still went.

As expected, the classroom door was locked, and it was empty.

Finding no clues, Bai Yue had to go back downstairs. The first class was at 9 o’clock.

He was a little late, and when he went back into the classroom, there were already quite a few people chatting.

“You’re a direct admission student? That’s amazing!”

“Pshaw, I just took a random test, I don’t know how I got in.”

“Being too modest is just arrogance.”

Everyone already knew that the direct admission exam at Imperial First University was no easier than the college entrance exam. The interview alone could eliminate many people. The content of the subsequent tests was kept secret, but judging from the pass rate, it was extremely rigorous.

“By the way, since you got in through the direct admission exam, you should know Bai Yue, right?”

“Bai Yue?” The person was taken aback, then proudly crossed his arms, “Of course I know him, I even shared a room with him back then.”

“!!!”

Hearing this, the surrounding students became even more excited.

They had previously seen the ranking of direct admission students on the Imperial First University website. And the number one spot belonged to an alpha named “Bai Yue.”

The news that Imperial First had specially recruited an S+ level student was already common knowledge. Although their names were unknown, who else besides that S+ level alpha could have gotten first place in the entrance exam for the top-ranked students?

How could anyone not be excited to meet such a remarkable person?

Several people were urging the top-ranked student to tell them more about “Bai Yue,” when the classroom door opened.

Bai Yue had initially thought the classroom was noisy. But as soon as he entered, the whole class seemed to pause the tape and fall silent.

All eyes were on the boy who had entered.

After a brief silence, someone whistled: “How rare, an omega?”

“What’s an omega doing here? This is a comprehensive military academy.”

A female alpha tossed her hair: “Little handsome, did you come to the wrong place? The pheromone research institute is in another direction.”

She then winked at Bai Yue.

The expressions on everyone’s faces were either amazed or mocking. Suddenly, a surprised exclamation came from the crowd.

“Bai Yue!”

Upon hearing this name, everyone was stunned. Everyone turned to look at the person who had spoken earlier.

It was the student who had been admitted through the special admission program.

Then, their gazes returned to the omega standing by the door.

Bai Yue? Was this Bai Yue the student who had won first place through the special admission program?

The crowd was shocked, yet somewhat sceptical.

It was probably just a coincidence of names.

At that moment, the student who had been admitted through the special admission program rushed out and came to Bai Yue’s side: “I never expected we’d be in the same class! It’s such an honor!”

Bai Yue looked at the person before him: He couldn’t quite remember this person’s name.

There were three people in his dorm at the time, and all three had similar builds and hairstyles, so he was indeed a bit confused.

However, when this person mentioned his family’s specialty again, Bai Yue suddenly realized.

Although Qin Fei knew in his heart that Bai Yue was an alpha, he couldn’t help but feel a little shy being stared at with such a smile.

He coughed lightly, “Let’s go in first, the teacher hasn’t arrived yet.”

Just as he turned around, he heard a soft sneer from inside the classroom.

“Hmph, being a recommended student isn’t all that great.”

The person sat in the middle, his chair propped up, his legs spread wide on the desk, his expression disdainful.

“For such a weakling to get first place, you guys are too pathetic.”

He never paid attention to current events, so he didn’t know about the S+ alpha. So when he heard the whole class making a fuss over the title of recommended student, he just found it laughable.

Now that he saw the true face of this “first place” student, he felt that these people were too exaggerated.

Qin Fei retorted, “What are you saying!”

“Being a guaranteed admission student sounds impressive, but you’re just a bunch of people taking shortcuts,” the boy said. “People might flatter you, but just listen and don’t take it seriously.”

Qin Fei wasn’t the type to tolerate provocation. He walked to the boy’s table and slammed his hand on it. “How about a competition? Who’s better, you or me, this guaranteed admission student?”

Although he felt he couldn’t compare to Bai Yue, he was still one of the school’s top students. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gotten the guaranteed admission spot and passed the test.

And this guy was saying they were taking shortcuts?

The boy put his legs down on the table, put his hands in his pockets, and stood up, his brow furrowed with undisguised frustration.

Their eyes met, sparks flying, like fire and water clashing.

Just as they were about to find another place to “resolve the issue,” someone walked over and blocked their way.

Qin Fei, seeing Bai Yue’s obstruction, became agitated: “This can’t be tolerated! We have to show this guy how powerful we guaranteed admission students are!”

Bai Yue glanced at him. Then, shifting his gaze back to the boy, Bai Yue asked, “Are you aware there are school rules?”

“Huh?” the boy frowned. “Who would study that rubbish?”

Bai Yue replied, “Well, let me tell you.”

“Private group fights are a serious disciplinary violation. If discovered, military merits will be deducted. Zero military merits will result in a major demerit, and three major demerits will lead to suspension.”

Bai Yue’s eyes crinkled. “Do you want to commit your first offense on the first day of school?”

The boy hesitated. Although he didn’t know if it was true or false, the man’s sharp words didn’t seem like a lie.

He glanced at the person beside him. Getting into the Imperial Academy wasn’t easy; he didn’t need to make a mistake over something so trivial.

So, he snorted and turned to leave.

Qin Fei was seething with anger and felt frustrated. But if Bai Yue was telling the truth, he didn’t want to ruin his future for a moment’s emotion.

Bai Yue looked at Qin Fei: “The Comprehensive Military Academy’s curriculum includes many practical combat courses.”

Qin Fei was taken aback.

Bai Yue laughed, “If you really want to compete, why not beat him up in front of the teacher?”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was loud enough for those nearby to hear clearly.

The boy paused and turned around.

Qin Fei, hearing this, felt a surge of satisfaction. As if he had found a target, he swung his fist at the boy, “See you there, don’t wet your pants.”

The boy angrily retorted, “You—!”

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Translator: Dj22031

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The staff member’s lips twitched when he saw the swaggering Tao Wu, and he said with a fake smile, “The detention center has increased the reward measures for demons who have completed their labor reform well. Tao Wu has performed well in reform, so he can move around freely from time to time.”

Because the demon race was small in number, the Demon Management Bureau actively guided demons who hadn’t committed serious crimes to learn goodness and contribute to the development of the demon race. Now, to encourage demons serving their sentences to actively participate in rehabilitation, the detention center had adopted a labor reform system similar to that of humans, issuing each demon a registration card from the detention center and awarding them reward points based on their contributions during their sentence.

Reward points could be used for purchases at the supermarket within the detention center or redeemed for free time.

Since this new rule came out, many demons had become much more enthusiastic about participating in missions. Tao Wu himself was an ancient great demon, and after recovering from his injuries, his strength was considerable. In addition, he had a few obsequious little demons doing his work, so he now had quite a few points in his account.

His daily routine consisted of taking his younger brother for walks and buying food.

The staff at the regulatory office were used to this kind of situation, and since he was living such a comfortable life, the other demons, big and small, who were envious and jealous, but didn’t dare to steal his points, they could only work hard and actively participate in the tasks issued by the regulatory office. In fact, he set a good example for reform, so everyone turned a blind eye to Tao Wu’s behavior.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lan curled his lip, thinking to himself that the little monsters in the detention center were really ignorant.

What’s so great about currying favor with a Tao Wu?

He’s not even as good as him!

When Tao Wu saw him arrive and start nagging and trying to mess with it, it flicked its tail slightly and he asked warily, “What are you doing here?”

It’s the middle of the night, and they don’t seem to be here to see him.

Could it be that he was just bored and remembered an old grudge, so he came here specifically to mess with him?

He glanced furtively at Ying Qiao beside Jiang Lan, remembering that it was this bast**d who had summoned lightning to strike him, and immediately took a step back warily.

“I’ve come to take care of something.” Jiang Lan looked him up and down, and seeing his increasingly round body, said, “Shouldn’t you consider losing some weight? You’ve only been here a short time, and you’ve already gained two sizes!”

The Tao Wu raised its chin and proudly flapped its wings: “My little brothers all say this makes it even more majestic and handsome!”

The two handsome male demons behind him immediately nodded in agreement: “That’s right.”

He’s actually very cute, but we don’t dare say it.

“???”

Jiang Lan glanced suspiciously at the two handsome male demons behind him, wondering about their relationship: “Impressive? Handsome?”

How can such a round and chubby beast be majestic and handsome?!

Are your eyes okay?

Tao Wu noticed his skepticism and muttered in dissatisfaction, “What are you doing here? I’m going back to rest if there’s nothing else!”

I’m really craving the snacks since I haven’t even had them yet.

Jiang Lan was about to say it was nothing, but then he suddenly remembered something and said to him, “Come with me to the meeting room, I have something I want to ask you.”

Tao Wu: ???

He refused to move, glancing warily at Ying Qiao: “Tell me what it is first?”

He suspected that Taotie was too embarrassed to make a move in front of the staff and wanted to lure him to the meeting room so that he could make his move when no one was watching.

After all, he couldn’t beat him at all right now.

“It’s related to your biological father and great-grandfather.” Because there were outsiders present, Jiang Lan didn’t spell it out.

Perhaps due to the passage of time and the immense fame of the Four Fiends, many demons had forgotten that Tao Wu’s biological father was Zhuanxu and his great-grandfather was the Yellow Emperor.

If it weren’t for the fact that he happened to run into Tao Wu tonight, Jiang Lan would have almost forgotten about it.

Although Tao Wu was just an idle and good-for-nothing playboy, he should know something about Zhuanxu and Yellow Emperor… right?

Jiang Lan wasn’t really sure either, so he could only try asking.

“Just ask, why go to the meeting room?” Tao Wu hesitated, not wanting to go, then said, “Or you could have him wait outside?”

Although Tao Wu didn’t know Ying Qiao, he remembered how the other party had summoned lightning to strike him. So instinctively, he felt that this was someone not to be trifled with.

He could put up a fight against one Taotie, but he really couldn’t handle two against one.

Jiang Lan glanced at Ying Qiao and snorted, “Why are you so vengeful? I didn’t even hold it against you for lying to me and causing me to be sealed away back then.”

“…”

Tao Wu thought to itself, “You still have the nerve to say I hold grudges? You’re the one who holds grudges the most! It happened thousands of years ago, why are you bringing it up again!”

But to be honest, he was indeed in the wrong, so he could only reluctantly say, “I’ll go, but you have to tell him that he can’t keep bringing trouble upon me with a single word.” After thinking for a moment, he added, “Will he listen to you?”

He shook his fur, which he had painstakingly grown to be shiny and smooth, and thought to himself, how could he go and woo demons if he got scorched again?

His ability to run rampant in the detention center was half thanks to his imposing and handsome real-life figure!

“If I were to chop you up here, I’d have to pay compensation to the supervisor, Su. Do you think I’d be so bored?” Jiang Lan raised his chin proudly and said, “Let me formally introduce you. This is my boyfriend, Ying Qiao.”

If his boyfriend doesn’t listen to him, who should he listen to?

Jiang Lan felt that although Tao Wu had become fatter, its heart had not broadened; on the contrary, it had become more and more timid.

“???”

Tao Wu gaped, stared at Ying Qiao in disbelief: “Ying Long?”

How did they even get together?!

Long time no see, Taotie has really made something of himself!

Although he had never dealt with Ying Qiao, he had heard of Ying Qiao’s reputation.

During his time in the detention center, he overheard the powerful demons talking about Ying Long quite often. They all said that you should never mess with Ying Long. Ying Long was rich, powerful, and a strong fighter, but he was also petty. Although some demons were tempted to seduce him, they all had the desire but not the courage.

After all, there was a guy in the next district who had once tried to harass Ying Long and woo him, but Ying Long, who was in a bad mood, seized on his mistake and sent him in. Many years had passed, and he still hadn’t finished serving his sentence.

He might have to spend his retirement in the detention center.

Oh, Ying Long referred to Ying Qiao. It’s said that only this one dragon remains from the Ying Long clan, so when they talk about Ying Long, they usually mean Ying Qiao.

Tao Wu was a little scared, but also a little envious, thinking that Taotie had finally made something of himself!

The silly idiot who used to only cry out that he was hungry has now not only joined the Demon Management Bureau but also has a boyfriend!

He had heard that he was also taken back by the Dragon Palace, so he didn’t lack powerful backers anymore.

Looking at himself, his family had fallen on hard times. He had also gone from being a powerful and wealthy second-generation heir to a prisoner. Although the treatment in the detention center was not bad, it was still miserable when he thought about it sometimes!

This was probably the feeling of a former top student discovering after many years that a poor, struggling student in their class had not only been admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University, but had also found a rich and handsome partner.

I really want to eat lemons, waaaaah qaq

Tao Wu eventually went to the meeting room with Jiang Lan.

The three sat down in the quiet meeting room. The staff brought in tea and then respectfully withdrew, leaving the three of them alone to talk.

Seeing this treatment, Lemon’s eyes reddened, and he huffed and puffed, “How about I take the civil service exam too?”

The Demon Management Bureau seems to offer very good benefits.

Jiang Lan recalled that when he last visited him, he still looked illiterate, and sincerely asked, “Have you finished your academic classes?”

Tao Wu was silent for a while, then muttered, “I’ll study hard in the future, maybe I can even become your colleague.”

Jiang Lan was skeptical of his statement, but after thinking about it, he didn’t discourage him. After all, Tao Wu was powerful enough, and if he could join the Demon Management Bureau, he would be a help.

So he encouraged him, “Then work hard.”

Tao Wu nodded, remembering the important matter: “What do you want to ask?” He thought for a moment and said, “Let me make it clear first, I don’t know much about their affairs, and they didn’t like to talk to me about them.”

Back then, he was a tyrannical and domineering man, and his father, Emperor Zhuanxu, wanted to beat him up whenever he saw him, so he basically never went back.

He always conspired with Qiongqi and Hundun, along with a gluttonous beast named Taotie, to wreak havoc everywhere.

Later, he was injured and found a random place to recuperate. When he woke up, everything had changed. Zhuanxu and Yellow Emperor had long since passed away and become myths and legends.

It’s a little sad when he thought about it sometimes.

He was too direct, and Jiang Lan didn’t know where to begin. After thinking for a moment, he asked without much hope, “Do you know why the Yellow Emperor and Emperor Zhuanxu blocked the road to heaven?”

No matter how you look at it, at the time, this matter was entirely detrimental to the demon race.

Although both the Yellow Emperor and Bai Ze said it was for the long-term benefit of the demon race, their statements were too vague and unconvincing; and the drawbacks of blocking the road to heaven were too obvious, which was why so many demons opposed it at the time.

If it weren’t for the overwhelming divine punishment that descended from Heaven, there might not be just one Qian Sect now.

Tao Wu shook its head as expected: “I don’t know. They won’t tell me these things, and I don’t really care.”

“However…” He thought for a moment, then added, “I was injured at the time, and he did come to see me. Surprisingly, he didn’t try to beat me up, and he even talked to me a lot, telling me to take good care of my injury and stuff like that…”

Emperor Zhuanxu always said that he was unruly and disobedient, and that he never gave his son a pleasant look. Therefore, the relationship between father and son was not harmonious, and they might not see each other even once every few decades or centuries.

But when Tao Wu was injured, he suddenly appeared and even spoke to him in a gentle and soft voice, which made Tao Wu quite puzzled for a while.

However, he was busy recovering from his injury at the time and didn’t pay much attention to it. Then he soon fell into a deep sleep.

Looking back now, those words sounded a bit like he was making his final arrangements.

Moreover, according to the information Tao Wu obtained, Zhuanxu did indeed perish not long after that.

He kept complaining to Jiang Lan, “I don’t know what he was thinking. He cut off the road to heaven, blocked the communication between the upper and lower realms, causing the spiritual energy to leak out. In the end, he even got himself caught up in it.”

Otherwise, given Zhuanxu’s strength, he would obviously have survived to this day without any problem.

He took a sip of tea with a sigh, and asked Jiang Lan, puzzled, “What do you think he was after?”

Jiang Lan and Ying Qiao exchanged a glance, both filled with the same question: what exactly were the Yellow Emperor and Zhuanxu plotting back then?

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Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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---

“Good!” Ran Youqing raised both hands and clapped, his face full of praise.

Qu Feng nodded and applauded.

“Please give us your guidance, teacher.” Gu Yuzheng bowed.

Ran Youqing said, “No need for guidance, you have no problems, you can go on stage directly!”

“Thank you,” the students said, somewhat embarrassed.

“That’s really amazing! I didn’t expect you guys to be able to do this so well so quickly. It’s really fantastic!” Xiang Yuan, who usually didn’t talk much, also started praising.

This group was the only one that was flawless. Since the beginning of the show, very few groups of trainees had been able to dance so well and so in unison.

That was really impressive.

“Teacher Sheng! You’re a hidden talent!” Qu Feng gave a thumbs up and raised an eyebrow.

What he had always been famous for was his eyes; when he looked at someone, it was as if he could draw them in, and it was also as if they were full of deep affection.

Sheng Ziyou calmly replied, “Thank you for the compliment.”

Wen Shanshan had already wanted to find fault with Sheng Ziyou, and now seeing Qu Feng’s praise, she looked even more displeased: “It’s still a bit lacking, Teacher Sheng, why aren’t you singing? This is a bit…”

Beside her, Zheng Jiaoqian’s face turned ugly for a moment.

Sheng Ziyou glanced at it casually and didn’t say anything.

Lin Yidong was about to say something when Ji Ran tugged at him, stopping him from speaking.

Sheng Ziyou gave Ji Ran an approving look; this attempt to provoke her was rather insincere.

Zheng Jiaoqian, who was standing next to her, had just performed but didn’t sing. She didn’t say anything, but only said this to Sheng Ziyou, “It’s obviously nitpicking, don’t worry about it.”

Qu Feng smoothed things over, saying, “Oh dear, the performance is still a long way off. Teacher Sheng, we’re waiting for you to practice until you’re ready and give us a real shock.”

“Next group.”

After Sheng Ziyou and the others left, it was Guan Yike’s group’s turn, and Wen Shanshan followed them up.

Using the same process, this group’s overall strength was actually a bit weaker.

Among the top six in the last performance, Guan Yike and Lu He were considered to have relatively weaker overall abilities.

Therefore, their dance synchronization was actually not as high as Feng Yuanxuan’s group, let alone compared to Gu Yuzheng’s group.

Guan Yike and his team spent a long time working on the music before they started choreographing and practicing the dance, and there were still quite a few problems.

Wen Shanshan danced very well and even had some unique and difficult moves that were quite eye-catching.

After finishing the dance, she was quite satisfied, slightly raising her chin and glancing at Sheng Ziyou out of the corner of her eye.

Ran Youqing and others pointed out many problems in this group. After they finished speaking, Zheng Jiaoqian said casually, “Teacher Wen, I think your group needs to pay more attention to the choreography. Although I don’t know as much about dance as you do, I know that group dances are not individual performances.”

Wen Shanshan’s eyes widened in surprise; she hadn’t expected Zheng Jiaoqian to mock her!

Sheng Ziyou chuckled inwardly. Zheng Jiaoqian may seem gentle and innocent, but she was actually quite petty.

When Wen Shanshan while trying to pull Sheng Ziyou in, also brought her in, so Zheng Jiaoqian naturally had to return the favor.

She smiled, coughed, and said, “I agree, Teacher Wen, let’s give the students some space.”

Sheng Ziyou had a knowing look on her face, which made Wen Shanshan’s chest heave with anger. She wished she could beat the two of them to death.

The evaluation of the results ended with Wen Shanshan being so angry that she almost vomited blood. Qu Feng and the others were very busy and left in a hurry immediately after the evaluation.

The three female guests who wanted to practice led the students back to the practice room.

While the three of them were in front, talking back and forth.

Now that no one was filming, the three of them, though verbally affectionate, were actually being sarcastic and provocative towards each other.

“Ziyou, I heard you’ve been working on this boy group’s show lately?”

“Um.”

“Why don’t you go out and participate in more shows? Do you have to spend all your time watching the boy group?” Zheng Jiaoqian was mocking Sheng Ziyou for only being able to watch this one show.

Sheng Ziyou chuckled: “Sister Zhao has given me a lot of things to do. I don’t really want to go. I’m not in a hurry. Anyway, I’m always trending on social media, so I still have some buzz.”

She was implying that Zhao Jing had plenty of resources, and that even if she was only on one show every day, she couldn’t stop herself from frequently trending on social media.

Zheng Jiaoqian took a deep breath and laughed, “You’re really different from me. I envy you for being so leisurely. I’m running around to this announcement and that award ceremony every day. I’m so busy.”

Sheng Ziyou immediately said, “That must be really tough. I don’t like doing this kind of thing where I’m just there to make up the numbers.”

Zheng Jiaoqian: “…” mmp.

Fu Jiahuan’s face turned red from holding back laughter, but Gu Yuzheng covered his mouth to stop him from laughing out loud.

This Teacher Sheng!

That’s fu**ing amazing!

The practice rooms were all next to each other. Sheng Ziyou was about to lead Gu Yuzheng and the others in when she heard the director shout—

“Feng Yuanxuan! Huayao’s people are here!”

Huayao?!

Everyone was taken aback; two of the three guests were from Huayao.

Although none of the students were from Huayao, everyone knew about Huayao.

Why was Huayao looking for Feng Yuanxuan?!

The students froze, as if realizing something, yet finding it somewhat unbelievable. If it were true… then, just a moment ago they pitied Feng Yuanxuan, but now, all they felt was jealousy!

Ji Ran understood in an instant; no wonder Feng Yuanxuan was so happy last night.

To be honest, Ji Ran was a little envious of Feng Yuanxuan. He also wanted to become Teacher Sheng’s junior brother.

Sheng Ziyou was slightly surprised. Why would the director need to call people so excitedly?

She looked up in the direction of the director, where a large crowd had already gathered.

Standing in the very center, expressionless, he merely nodded faintly to whatever the people around him said.

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---

Two days later, they went to Lake Qianye in the mountains.

You Xu had been observing his condition, and seeing that it was quite stable, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Perhaps because of her different mood, she came with a light and joyful heart this time. Looking at the mirror-like lake before her, even the fiery red maple leaves seemed more beautiful, as if a faded painting had been repainted with vibrant colors.

You Xu looked at the scenery, and Duan Min looked at her. He didn’t know what filled his heart, but it was an unbelievably warm feeling.

He could finally stand outside with her, seeing her radiant smile in the sunlight up close. He no longer had to worry about being abandoned by her; he could go anywhere with her. The fear in his heart finally vanished at this moment.

You Xu turned to look at him. Against the backdrop of crimson maple leaves, he stood out with fair skin, red lips, and tea-brown eyes that outshone even the clearest blue water, making the crimson hues pale in comparison.

“Lower yourself a little,” You Xu said, wrapping her arms around his neck and tiptoeing to kiss him.

A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves, sending a few graceful arcs through the air, while in the distance, the two embraced intimately.

Later, they travelled to many other places. They walked hand in hand along the shores of Ruoming Lake, watched the peach blossoms together in the woods of Weishan Mountain, and witnessed the most beautiful aurora borealis in the far north, seen only in each other’s eyes. They also slept in each other’s arms on cold nights, listening to the crisp sound of hail pounding against the window.

Time moved on, and the sights changed, but their gazes remained constant, their hands clasped tightly. After circling back, they would return to their original house.

Thirty years passed in a flash. You Xu’s face was no longer young; but a gentle smile appeared on her pale face: “Duan Min, my time is almost up.”

Duan Min gripped her hand tightly, saying nothing, his eyes reddening until they gradually filled with tears.

“Duan Min, I’ve gained thirty years.” It was worth it, for her, who had struggled to die five times before being able to return, it was all worth it.

“No,” Duan Min choked, saying with difficulty, “You Xu, it’s me, it’s me who gained thirty years.”

Feeling the clear white light in her mind, You Xu gripped his hand tightly and said, “Don’t turn me into ashes, let me become a puppet, forever…” Forever by your side.

….

In the bright living room, a gentle breeze, warmed by the afternoon sun, wafted in, carrying the familiar scent of jasmine.

A deep voice slowly told a story: “A snowman born in the snow fell in love with the fireplace in the house… In the end, the snowman melted in the embrace of the fireplace.”

Duan Min closed the storybook, looked at the person with dim eyes before him, and said, “Sleep.”

The puppet, You Xu, obediently closed her eyes.

Duan Min held a strand of her black hair and lay down with her on the sofa, but he didn’t close his eyes, silently watching her.

Her skin was already ashen, her lips colorless, and her body was ice-cold. Fortunately, Duan Min had protected her well; her appearance was preserved, and there wasn’t a single scratch on her body. If she were to accidentally scratch a wound, it would never heal.

He used to hate the scent of the living most, and now he feared the scent of the dead most, but as long as it was her, he could accept it.

He would live for a very, very long time, much longer than ordinary people.

No matter how the outside world changed, You Xu would always be in this place with him.

That evening, Duan Min carried her to bed, carefully tucking her in. He lifted a corner of the blanket from the other side, and just as he was about to lie down, he noticed the jasmine bookmark under the pillow.

You Xu used to put all the bookmarks on his bed into the long, round pillow, but now…

Duan Min picked up the pillow and realized that so much time had passed. Even with his careful handling, one end of the pillow was worn through, and the bookmark had fallen out.

For so long, he had fallen asleep only because of her lying beside him and the familiar jasmine scent from the pillow.

He stared blankly for a long time, somewhat at a loss, before noticing a white slip of paper inside the pale yellow bookmark.

Duan Min took it out and unfolded it; it was You Xu’s handwriting: “The language of jasmine is sincere and unique love— you are mine.”

Duan Min paused, his eyes trembling. He suddenly recalled a scene from a sunset bathed in crimson light: a girl, her hair slightly dishevelled from sleep, picking and choosing flowers on the windowsill, handing him a pot of jasmine. Her profile, half-reflected in the rosy glow of the sky, her almond-shaped eyes crinkling, as she said, “This is for you. Jasmine represents pure and beautiful friendship.”

He never imagined that decades later, he would rediscover the meaning of jasmine as sincere love.

“You are mine.”

He clutched the note tightly.

In the quiet of the night, moonlight gently fell upon the white jasmine flowers outside the window, their delicate petals swaying in the breeze.

….

A person and a stick figure appeared in the blank space. You Xu squatted for a while before she came to her senses: “Quick, quick, I want to see the mission replay.”

78 lay down in a comfortable position, glanced at her, and said: “You don’t have any points, and you still want to watch it.”

You Xu stood up: “Didn’t I complete the mission? Trust value 100, corruption value 0.” In this kind of newbie mission reset, some people even got the highest score, how come she didn’t have a single point?

78 said leisurely: “But you are a new contract, we don’t have any relevant new regulations here, so we have to assume your points are zero.”

You Xu suddenly remembered something else: “Didn’t you guide the host to do the later missions? How come you’re still a trainee system?”

78 said profoundly: “You should know that if you’re at the bottom for too long, you won’t even be at the bottom anymore.” Everyone else goes from trainee to full-fledged, but this one goes from full-fledged to trainee.

You Xu: “How long have you lived?”

78 scratched its forehead: “Over a thousand years, I guess.”

“…” After over a thousand years, still a trainee, that’s really too ambitious.

“Alright,” 78 clapped his hands and stood up, saying, “Let’s go to the next world.”

Then, it used its forehead to draw circles, teleporting You Xu there.

The white light in her mind faded, and You Xu immediately regained her senses, instantly feeling the extreme tension in her body, as if she had been frightened.

She immediately felt something sharp and cold against her neck, a life-threatening instinct triggering a fear that soaked her clothes with cold sweat.

You Xu: What’s going on? Why am I about to be killed the moment I transmigrated?

A faint smell of blood filled the room, coming from the person behind her.

Before You Xu could even process the timeline and carefully choose her words to escape, a voice sounded outside the door: “Excuse me for disturbing your rest, Miss. A demon has intruded into the Medicine Valley. We are searching for and apprehending it. May I ask if you have been disturbed?”

You Xu opened her mouth, but before she could utter a word, the claws on her neck pressed deeper. She didn’t know if they had broken the skin, but there was already a slight stinging pain.

The threat was unmistakable.

Her life hung by a thread.

“Do you know what to say?” he said in a low voice behind her, enunciating each word clearly.

The author has something to say:

Some may not agree with the ending of this small world, so let me explain again, albeit weakly.

Duan Min’s body was experimentally modified, and he was also injected with the blood of the Zombie King. Logically, he should live as long as the Zombie King.

As an ordinary person, You Xu was destined not to spend a hundred years with him, and since she didn’t personally complete the killing mission, her previous points weren’t high enough to sustain her for thirty years. After all, the puppet’s body isn’t old; Duan Min can control the puppet, but that doesn’t mean he can make it young again.

The initial inspiration for this story came from a dream I had about a puppeteer’s lover passing away, and he and his lover, transformed into a puppet, staying forever together. [I just like to make up a story based on a small scene.]

For thirty years, they did everything they wanted to do together, understood each other’s hearts, and were forever together in another way; their love was eternal. This is the most perfect ending in my mind.

It seems quite a few people like this story, thank you all~

Next world: Demon King Heart-Eating Fox × Sickly Health-Preserving Girl

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Translator: Dj22031

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Want to Eat Me.

Li Yuebai felt a throbbing pain in his temples again.

“Could it be a problem with Weng Zichen himself? Maybe when others besides you come to visit, he also goes into a berserk state.”

“No.” Liang Jing denied, “Doctors and experts have come to see him many times, and none of them have…”

When she transmigrated, the system clearly stated that Gu Xisha was human, completely human, without any special bloodline, and could not possibly be more attractive to vampires than other normal people. But the facts were right in front of her, could the system be hiding something?

Genes, blood type, physical health… all of these could affect the smell of blood.

“Let’s give it a try.” Li Yuebai wearily raised his left arm, rolling up his tattered sleeve. On his arm was a cut from rubble during the earthquake, still bleeding without being bandaged. “There’s blood here. Let’s take a sample and test it; maybe we can figure out the cause.”

Liang Jing frowned, retrieved her toolbox, but instead of directly sucking blood from the wound, she quickly bandaged it and then used a disposable syringe to draw 5 milliliters from a vein in his arm.

“The whole process will take time,” Liang Jing carefully injected the blood into a test tube. “Studying each component of the blood one by one will take at least 24 hours.”

“Thank you. I’ll come see you again in 24 hours.” Li Yuebai nodded, gave Liang Jing a few more brief instructions, and then struggled to his feet to leave.

But before he could even reach the elevator, Liang Jing chased after him from the laboratory.

“Xiao Gu, wait!” She was breathless after running just a few steps, her face filled with panic. “The blood draw might have gone wrong!”

“Wrong?” Li Yuebai frowned.

He had personally witnessed Liang Jing insert the disposable registration device into his vein and draw blood; the entire process followed experimental procedures perfectly, making any error impossible.

“Something must have gone wrong.” Liang Jing’s face was deathly pale. “The preliminary test results show that the blood in that vial isn’t human at all!”

Not human at all!

Analyzing each blood component individually would take 24 hours, but determining whether the blood was human would only take a short while.

“Sister Liang, calm down.” Li Yuebai held her shoulder. “Let’s assume, let’s assume the blood draw was correct, let’s assume that’s my blood…”

“That only proves you’re not human!” Liang Jing said decisively. “How is that possible? You must have undergone countless blood tests in your work and life. If it were wrong, it would have been detected long ago! Besides, how could you not be human?”

“If I’m not human, am I a vampire?” Li Yuebai’s heart sank, and he began to seriously consider this question.

“It’s not vampire blood either!” Liang Jing emphasized. “I have a sample of vampire blood here, it’s completely different!”

Indeed, his blood was still bright red, while the blood of the vampires he had encountered before was dark, viscous, and cold— clearly different.

“So,” Li Yuebai felt dizzy again, “maybe I…”

Since the earthquake, he had been feeling dizzy, nauseous, and unwell, but he had always thought it was due to worrying too much about Ye Qing and hadn’t considered the physiological aspects. Now it seemed that perhaps there was a real problem with his body.

Could it be that recently, something had changed within him, turning him from a human into something else?

When exactly did this change occur?

After finally calming Liang Jing down, Li Yuebai didn’t dare waste a single second resting and immediately drove back to the museum. The museum, cordoned off, was deserted. The main force from the city bureau had all gone to search for Ye Qing, leaving only a few people to assist with the aftermath.

Li Yuebai returned to retrieve Ye Qing’s computer.

Before the earthquake, Ye Qing had placed the computer on the table in the restoration room. The building was well-insulated against earthquakes, and the restoration room was a key protected area, so the computer should be intact.

Ye Qing’s computer contained ample data and information, including the entire contents of “Examination of Blood Charms,” not to mention the surveillance video…

Back in the restoration room, Wang Wen had invited him to sit down and chat, and even had Xiao Tian pour two cups of tea… At the time, out of suspicion, he hadn’t drunk a drop, and Ye Qing, of course, hadn’t either. Moreover, Ye Qing found the conversation boring and kept fiddling with the computer— it was during that moment that Li Yuebai hacked into the museum’s system and gained access to all the museum’s surveillance cameras.

Even more coincidentally, to cover up his actions, Wang Wen used his authority to temporarily sever the connection between the computer in the museum’s central control room and the various cameras. This meant that Ye Qing’s computer was the only one recording the surveillance video.

Li Yuebai greeted the others, explaining that he was retrieving items left behind, and returned to the restoration room.

None of the artifacts were missing; they had already been stored away by the museum. Only Ye Qing’s computer remained on the table, emitting a faint glow. It was automatically locked and could not be opened without a password.

“You know about Ye Qing, right?” Li Yuebai tentatively asked a few colleagues, or rather, former colleagues, who had worked together for several years and knew each other well.

“We just found out, Brother Gu. What exactly happened?” The colleagues had learned about Ye Qing from the bureau and were secretly discussing it. They all knew Ye Qing— wealthy, aloof, a genius, and somewhat prone to depression. It wasn’t impossible for someone like him to be a potential criminal; there were too many such genius criminals in the world. But given Ye Qing’s usual character, he shouldn’t have kidnapped a little girl.

“Don’t worry about Ye Qing’s matter. Your task now is to guard the museum. I’ll meet up with Director Yang soon, and then we’ll discuss where to pursue him.” Li Yuebai spoke these words with great difficulty. Mentioning Ye Qing made him feel as if his throat was blocked, unable to speak at all.

He walked to the computer, closed the lid, and picked it up: “This computer is the one I left here when I came to investigate before the earthquake. Taking it now isn’t against the rules, is it?”

Of course, Li Yuebai couldn’t say that the computer belonged to Ye Qing. Ye Qing was on the run, and his computer should be handed over to the bureau as important evidence and clues; it couldn’t be taken away easily.

“Brother Gu, is this your computer?” a colleague asked.

“If it’s not mine, then is it yours, kid?” Li Yuebai forced a shout: “Alien alw42ed-4689, you’ve forgotten after just a few days?”

There was a fingerprint scanner on the screen; Li Yuebai pressed it, and it was successfully recognized.

“No problem, no problem!” His colleague, startled by his stern tone, quickly let him through: “According to procedure, their property must be returned to the public. You can take it now.”

When they lived together before, Li Yuebai, at Ye Qing’s request, had his fingerprints entered as the second-in-line owner. Moreover, Ye Qing used a different computer at the station, so no one knew who the real owner of the computer was.

Li Yuebai took the computer back to his car, drove to a secluded area, took a deep breath, and turned it on.

There were many surveillance videos inside— from the repair room, the offices… It took a long time to find the small office.

This small office was where the dormant entity possessed Ye Qing. Although the light was dim, the cameras had night vision; adjusting the brightness allowed them to see the situation clearly.

Locating the correct time, the screen displayed an image— he himself carrying Ye Qing’s corpse, rushing in, carefully placing Ye Qing on the ground, then turning around and slamming the security door shut.

Next, he knelt beside Ye Qing, tore open the sealing silver rope, and opened the black coffin…

Li Yuebai almost stopped breathing.

From the black coffin floated a small figure, half red, half blue, seemingly wearing a pointed hat, its face pale and ferocious— a clown’s appearance.

That was the dormant vampire entity possessing Ye Qing.

With a sinister smile, it circled in the air but didn’t immediately possess Ye Qing; instead, it returned to the black coffin!

It went back?

Not long after, the clown’s dormant form floated out again, this time carrying a small humanoid figure in its arms— it looked like an elf, white with a hint of transparency. The elf was stiff and motionless, seemingly lifeless.

The clown’s dormant form floated in the air with the elf in its arms, not towards Ye Qing, but towards Li Yuebai.

Li Yuebai had several wounds on his arms and legs, bleeding, but his entire attention was on Ye Qing, and he paid no attention to them.

The clown’s dormant form floated to a deeper wound, revealing a strange smile of satisfaction, and then released the elf in its arms.

The elf emitted a dazzling white light, as if attracted by some force, and entered Li Yuebai’s body through the wound.

Watching the elf disappear into the wound, the clown’s dormant form nodded in satisfaction and quickly possessed Ye Qing.

The rest didn’t require watching the video.

Li Yuebai, sitting in front of the computer, shuddered violently.

What was that… what was that?

He frantically touched his chest, then traced the veins on his skin along the wounds on his limbs… What… had gotten inside?

The elf seemed to have melted into his body, leaving no trace.

Composing himself, Li Yuebai, with trembling hands, reopened the video, paused it, and traced the outline of the white elf with his mouse. A slender form, a stiff body— what was it?

He closed his eyes, memorizing its outline, then closed the video and opened *The Examination of Blood Charms*.

He had previously read through *The Examination of Blood Charms*, but lacking photographic memory, he only vaguely remembered much of the content.

The book had been completely scanned into Ye Qing’s computer, making retrieval easy.

Li Yuebai’s gaze swept over the illustrations— the book contained not only text descriptions but also illustrations, though the illustrations were crude and unrefined, which he had previously ignored.

Soon, his gaze fell upon a simple drawing. It depicted a small, elf-like creature, crookedly drawn, barely resembling the white elf in the video.

Beside the drawing was the correct name for the “elf”—not a Chinese transliteration, but the foreign word itself: vila[1]

Vila…

A footnote followed: “Vila, a spirit from the eastern mountains and forests of the Western Roman Empire, rare in number, exquisitely beautiful, with a melodious voice and alluring demeanor; vampires who see, hear, or smell her go mad… Even in death, she remains dormant for a thousand years; when injured, she enters the body, merely replacing flesh and blood, without invading the mind…”

In plain language, vila, transliterated as Wei La, is an elf living in the eastern mountains and forests of the Roman Empire, rare in number and beautiful in appearance; vampires go mad upon seeing her face, hearing her voice, or smelling her scent. Like vampires, she can become a dormant form. Once in dormancy, she can remain in a rigid state for millennia, invading human bodies upon contact with wounds… taking over their bodies and transforming them into Vila’s constitution… The difference is that she doesn’t invade the human brain or control their thoughts; therefore, humans are completely unaware that they’ve been possessed…

“System.” Li Yuebai seemed to sense the system lurking in some dark corner, watching the spectacle: “I’m possessed by a Vila dormant form?”

“Exactly, my host.” The system’s voice still carried a polite smile.

“Aren’t there only vampire dormant forms in this world?”

“Dear host, I never said that.” The system replied, “That black coffin contained not only a clown dormant form but also a Vila dormant form; they coexisted in one coffin… and the clown dormant form is the most humorous and mischievous of all vampires. And since you were injured, the clown dormant form played this prank…”

“:…”

“As for why I didn’t warn you? My dear host, because you had already ordered me to [get lost]!”

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---

[1]

Translator: Dj2203

Editor: Dj2203

Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.

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I had planned to eat it with Maon-san, but now there are eight of us sitting around the table. They all seemed very interested in trying egg sandwiches for the first time in their lives.

“You’ll only eat half of it now, okay? Big Bro.”

Najina-san confirmed again, and I replied yes.

So… shall we eat… they all said, and as if by agreement, they all took a bite at the same time.

“Whooooooooooooo!!”

Najina arched his upper body backwards and trembled all over, letting out an excited cry like a perverted masked man who had accidentally put on some women’s underwear.

“This is… amazing. These eggs are so smooth and rich…”

“Yes, it melts on your tongue…”

“But that’s not all! Is this elasticity due to the boiled white part? The contrast in texture is interesting.”

“More importantly, this bread… have they cut off the outside and only used the white part? What a luxurious food… this ‘Sandoichi’ thing…”

“Eggs are dangerous if they’re not cooked thoroughly, so they’re hard-boiled, but that makes them dry… but this yolk isn’t dry at all… why?”

The six people tasting the food let out cries of surprise and praise. Mia Alice-san’s cat ears were already popping out. It’s likely that her tail had also popped out.

Mia Alice said, “Cook the eggs thoroughly,” but in fact, eggs could be difficult to handle in some areas of Earth. This was not just because they are fragile and could break easily, but also because of hygiene issues.

This may not be so obvious to Japanese people who eat raw eggs, but in most parts of the world today, eggs are cooked thoroughly. Raw eggs are not often eaten around the world.

This was due to the presence of various bacteria, including Salmonella. Eggs sold in Japanese supermarkets were subject to world-class hygiene management and could be eaten raw in dishes such as eggs on rice with raw egg or tsukimi udon[1] noodles. However, if you try to do this overseas, you must be prepared to contract infections such as the aforementioned Salmonella.

Even so, it’s not so bad if you live in an area with a well-established medical system, but in areas without it, it can be fatal. Even if you survive, there’s no need to go through the pain. If there’s no medical insurance system in place, you’ll have to pay high medical costs.

Moreover, this was a different world, so it was “assuming” that the social security and medical systems were in place. Isn’t it common knowledge here that eggs should be cooked thoroughly?

“Just like Mia Alice-chan said, the yolk is thoroughly cooked, but it’s not powdery at all… Genta, what kind of magic did you use to make it?”

Maon-san asks while eating with satisfaction.

“Oh, that’s…”

When I try to explain,

“Th-this is… well, it’s ‘Mayo’, right…? Big Bro!! This smoothness must be ‘Mayo’ right!?”

Najina-san barked as if to say, “I’ve figured out the true nature of this flavor!”

“Huh?”

Everyone turned to look at Najina as if they had been repelled.

“Y-yes, sir! What exactly do you mean by ‘Mayo’…?”

Manny asked, seemingly unable to resist.

“I see… so the girls with a sweet tooth only ate sweet breads like Jam Bread… I just ate your Mayoinnaa Bread a while ago… so that’s why I was able to notice…”

“Huh?! No way! Genta, by “mayo” do you mean the whitish substance that was on top of yesterday’s “korokke bread” along with the black sauce-like substance?”

I remembered the shape of the croquette bread I had served at the tasting yesterday.

“Yes, that’s right. An egg sandwich is made by taking the yolk from a boiled egg, mixing it with mayonnaise, and then finely chopping the egg white and putting the mixture between two pieces of bread.”

Then I explain to the receptionists and Mia Alice the origins of “mayo” (mayonnaise) and egg sandwiches.

“The yolk of a cooked egg, which would normally be hard and dry, is made smooth… and flavorful… Eggs are already expensive, but they use so much of them… and they even use ‘Mayo’… and they make it so delicious… even the great officials of the royal capital wouldn’t be able to eat something like this… But even so, the deliciousness of ‘Mayo’ is incredible.”

Everyone laughed.

“By the way, Genta, why did you tell me to leave half?”

“Well, you see…”

I answered Wozma’s question while rummaging around in my backpack and pulling out something.

….

“I like to put this on my egg sandwiches…”

With that, I took out the bottle of coarse grinds.

I especially like to sprinkle coarsely ground pepper on my egg sandwiches when I eat them at home. Last night, I remembered that I had run out of pepper when I went to a supermarket that sells bulk food products, so I bought some pepper along with a few other condiments.

By the way, each bottle was priced at 78 yen (excluding tax), which was a pleasant discovery as it was cheaper than the supermarket where I usually buy them.

He opened the lid of the pepper jar and sprinkled the coarsely ground pepper on the filling of the egg sandwich, as well as on Maon’s sandwich.

“I’d like everyone to try it and compare it…”

“Whatever Big Brother makes is bound to be delicious!”

First, Najina brought out the sandwich.

Wozma followed, followed by Mia Alice and the receptionists, but Sylphy said that only a small amount would be enough.

Then everyone put it in their mouths again.

“Th-this is… I never thought it would happen… but I thought so!”

Unusually, Wozma was the first to express surprise.

“Yes, there’s no doubt about it, this is…”

Sylphy-san followed.

“Mmm… It’s spicy… But I think I might get addicted to it.”

“Yeah, it’s a bit pungent on the nose, but I don’t dislike it.”

“It goes really well with eggs.”

“This has a different flavor, Genta. It’s delicious.”

It seems to be popular among women as well.

However, Najina-san, who would normally be the first to comment, seemed to be acting strangely.

“…”

After finishing his sample sandwich, he remained motionless like a stone statue. Wozma, who was sitting next to him, put his hand on Najina’s shoulder and called out to him.

“Phew! … Whew, I forgot to breathe! What a disaster! There’s more to this than just ‘Mayo’… Big Bro, who exactly are you?! You’re so limitless, you really are limitless!”

Najina, who had regained his breath, spoke in a cheerful and energetic mood.

“But still… what is this, bro? The already delicious ‘Egg Sandwich’ is given a nice finish by these black grains. The delicious ‘Egg Sandwich’ is given a nice tang. The aroma that reaches my nose awakens my dulled sense of smell. Then I can smell the sweet aroma of bread again, and the image of soft white bread that goes well with it comes to mind. Bread, eggs, and ‘Mayo’! Even though it’s wrapped up in everything, sometimes these grains cut into me, so sharply… They’re truly mysterious grains.”

“Everyone, please listen without being surprised.”

“Yeah, especially my partner. Don’t raise your voice.”

Sylphy-san and Wozma-san lowered their voices a little.

….

“Genta, these black particles are pepper… right?”

Because Sylphy-san spoke in a whisper, everyone naturally leaned their foreheads against the table. The face of the beautiful, bespectacled Sylphy-san was right in front of me. I felt my cheeks flush.

“What! S-s …

When Wozma turned his gaze to Najina, he seemed to be managing to hold back from raising his voice.

“But why do you have pepper?”

“Um… by chance?”

I answered honestly, but everyone looked at me with expressions of disbelief, however I continued without paying any attention to it.

“I think an egg sandwich with this on it would be delicious, and I wanted to eat it with Maon-san…”

“Genta…”

“But then you didn’t need to use it on us, right?”

“No, since I was going to eat the egg sandwich, I wanted everyone who has helped me to try it too. Well, I just thought it would taste even better if I did it this way.”

“That’s not true! The egg sandwich is delicious on its own! But if you add this, it takes on a whole new flavor. But, man… it’s really expensive.”

“Expensive…?”

Pepper for 78 yen (excluding tax)…?

“Genta… you know that is very expensive, right? Around here, when talking about something valuable, we say, ‘A grain of pepper is worth a grain of gold.’ It’s not quite as valuable as pure gold, but it’s still worth about that much.”

“Electrum…?”

I tilt my head at the unfamiliar words.

“Yes, because it is such a precious and expensive pepper, it is sometimes described as ‘black electrum’.”

Hmm, I wonder if this is similar to the nickname given to bluefin tuna, which is traded at high prices in Japan, as “black diamonds.”

“Younger people may not know this, but until about 1,000 years ago, there was no blacksmithing technique to remove the impurities and extract only pure gold.”

It felt strange to hear Sylphy, who looked young and beautiful, call me “young,” but I swallowed it and listened to what she had to say.

“Nowadays, you go into a mine, dig up rocks and get gold from them. But in ancient times, gold came from the rivers.”

“Huh? A river?”

“Yes. The river that flows out of the mountains takes a long time to erode the rocks as it travels downstream. As it does so, the parts of the rock that contain gold are scraped off and sink to the bottom of the river.”

“Then you collect them…”

“Yes, each of those tiny pieces is native gold, or what is known as gold dust. They were collected and circulated as currency. Eventually, they were melted down and solidified to make currency. Nowadays, gold and other things can be separated, so ancient gold coins are no longer made… that’s how it feels.”

“Genta, amber gold is also known as ‘gold and silver ore’. Apparently the gold dust found in rivers is often a mixture of gold and silver, and the color of that gold dust is similar to that of silver, so it’s called ‘amber gold’.”

“Wow, you know a lot, Granny. It’s not like you’re getting old for no reason!”

Najina-san seemed impressed as she shared her thoughts. However, he added an unnecessary comment.

“Don’t say anything about that!”

Maon-san raised her voice in protest. It seems that even in another world, it is taboo to mention a woman’s age.

….

According to Wozma, there was no set price, but the going rate was roughly the same as two silver coins. “Roughly” meant that the ratio of gold to silver in each coin is different. Therefore, this was decided so that the recipient would not lose out.

So that means… one grain of pepper is worth as much as gold or silver combined!? So, then, this bottle of pepper is worth tens of thousands of yen?

Thinking about this, I stared at the pepper jar.

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[1]

Translator: Dj2203

Editor: Dj2203

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---

Su Xi didn’t know what was wrong with the game, but she immediately thought, could this be the big gift the system mentioned after 100 points, which meant she could see the original artwork without spending any money?!

But why is it that only the baby has been transformed into the original artwork, while the servants and stewards sweeping the courtyard outside are still depicted as cartoon figures?!

Su Xi couldn’t help but complain in her heart, “What kind of gift package is this? It’s too stingy. If you’re so capable, why don’t you switch the entire Yan Kingdom’s population to their original artwork?”

However, even though only the baby was transformed into the original artwork, she was still pleasantly surprised.

Although the short-armed, chubby-faced baby was so cute that she was reluctant to let him go, the original drawing of the baby was also incredibly handsome, making it impossible not to stare at him.

However, having gotten used to the style of short-armed, short-legged cubs, Su Xi was still a little unaccustomed to this sudden change.

She fumbled around on the screen, trying to see if she could switch back to the original simple line drawing style.

She quickly found it on the system interface and happily switched over.

….

But–

Before two seconds had even passed since the switch, “snap!” a puff of mist appeared, and the image of the little one on the screen reverted to the original drawing! The little one’s expression seemed a bit displeased.

Is this still a mandatory gift package?!

“Fine,” Su Xi thought, “since I don’t need to spend any money, I’ll just let the cub keep the original artwork. The original artwork is more pleasing to the eye.”

At the same time, Su Xi also discovered that after 100 points, the game’s time flow had changed slightly.

Previously, the game’s time flow rate was 3:1 compared to the real-world time flow rate, including when Su Xi played the game. Almost everything on the screen was displayed at three times the speed. However, for Su Xi, who often watched TV series at three times the speed, this speed was just right.

However, after she reached 100 points, when she closed the game, the ratio of game time to real time seemed to have become 2:1. This was why she spent one night here, and only one day and one night had passed in the game.

After she opened the game, the ratio seemed to have returned to 1:1. That’s why, when she opened the screen and saw her usually quick-moving little boy standing motionless in the room, she wondered if the game was stuck.

Su Xi didn’t have too many doubts in her mind. She just understood it as the game reaching the second stage after passing 100 points, which might be more difficult, so the flow of time slowed down slightly.

What excited her most right now was the system’s promise that once she reached 100 points, she could communicate with her baby.

How exactly do we communicate?!

Su Xi no longer considered the cub merely a character in a game, but rather a real person from another world. This game, which suddenly appeared in her life, had built a bridge between her and the cub. Although it was indeed unbelievable, since the system said they could communicate, Su Xi believed it would definitely work.

But–

There were no dialog boxes on the entire interface where you could enter text.

Su Xi fumbled around and around but couldn’t find any new online chat dialog box.

Can we use voice chat directly?

Su Xi put on her headphones, cleared her throat, and tried to say something— “Hello, hello, hello.”

And right after she finished speaking, a chat box actually appeared floating in the air on her phone screen! It converted her words into text! Su Xi’s eyes widened, her heart pounding and her blood rushing to her head— wow, the system was telling the truth!

So, will what she said reach the baby?

She foolishly continued wearing her headphones, trying her best to make her voice sound nice and gentle— “Hey, can you hear me?”

The little boy on the screen looked somewhat surprised and shocked.

…Did he hear that?

Su Xi almost stopped breathing. The next second, she saw a look of ecstatic joy flash across the face of the little one on the screen, and a dialog box popped up above his head, saying, “I’m here.”

Su Xi got goosebumps instantly. She gripped her phone tightly, her toes curling up in shock, and she forgot how to breathe.

My God, this is fu**ing amazing!

She originally thought that after reaching 100 points, the game program would add an input box, which would convert the text she typed into notes and place them on the cub’s desk. She thought that the communication the system mentioned was done in this way, but she never expected that it would be direct voice communication!

No, it’s not entirely voice; she still couldn’t hear the cub’s voice. What the cub says is still the same as before, appearing as a dialog box above his head.

But, at this moment, did the little one finally hear her voice?!

Did he think a ghost was talking to him?!

Fortunately, she had already convinced the cub that she was a ghost. The idea that a ghost could suddenly speak and make sounds is similar to spirit summoning, soul calling, or resurrection, and it should still be within the child’s acceptable range of worldview.

Su Xi was both excited and thrilled, tears welling up in her eyes. At the same time, she felt a strange sense of novelty, shock, and disorientation, as if her worldview had been overturned. In short, her heart was pounding, and she suddenly choked up, not knowing what to say.

….

Lu Huan, on the other hand, was equally shocked as he stared at the curtain in front of him.

Just now, she suddenly put two small, round white things on her ears on the screen, and then opened her mouth and said something.

Lu Huan had assumed that since he couldn’t hear her voice from his side, he wouldn’t be able to know what she was saying, and he was feeling slightly disappointed.

But to his surprise, the next second, a rectangular frame popped up above her head on the screen in front of him!

A line of text popped up in the box.

—”Hello, hello, hello.”

Lu Huan’s pupils contracted sharply. The shape of her lips just now seemed to be exactly like this. So, was this line of text what she had just said?!

All of this shattered Lu Huan’s worldview. He never imagined that technology would have advanced to such an extent thousands of years later, allowing people to communicate across millennia with just a screen!

However, it seems that the “universe” mentioned by the wandering Taoist refers to space and time. Since we can now travel a thousand miles a day with a single Akhal-Teke horse and move rapidly through space, it’s not impossible that thousands of years from now, we might discover the ability to freely travel and communicate within time tunnels.

And at that moment, a thousand years later, she spoke a second sentence to him.

It turned into a rectangular frame that jumped out from the curtain above Lu Huan’s head, and the second line of text appeared in the frame.

“Hey kid, can you hear me?”

At that moment, Lu Huan’s heart was pounding in his throat. He never imagined that one day he would actually be able to have a conversation with her.

Although everything was different from what he had imagined— she wasn’t some ghost or god, but someone from a thousand years in the future— he hadn’t succeeded in helping her create a physical body as Lu Huan had hoped.

However, Lu Huan felt even luckier, at least knowing that she was living well in a seemingly prosperous and peaceful dynasty a thousand years later, and that the day he could finally meet her was within reach.

His throat tightened, and his voice became extremely hoarse as he replied, “I’m here.”

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As the story unfolded, Jiang Shining gave birth to a daughter four years later.

Chen Jiacheng was away fighting at the time of the birth and didn’t return for three months. Jiang Shining was happy to have some free time when he did not have to act.

After a nap, Jiang Shining opened her eyes and felt something firmly pressing down on the corner of the blanket near her feet. Looking down, she saw a small bundle curled up asleep in the corner. It was Chen Tanliang— her eldest son in this life, just over three years old.

It was said that children from poor families matured early, but Chen Tanliang, despite being the son of a warlord, had no arrogant personality at all. Even at such a young age, he knew not to disturb his mother. When he missed her, he would just quietly climb into bed and take a nap in the corner.

Jiang Shining’s gaze softened somewhat. She had a natural birth, but the little girl was petite and delicate, so she hadn’t suffered much during the delivery, though she was still feeling weak all over. If she had the strength, she would have definitely brought Chen Tanliang over to sleep.

“Tanliang…” she called softly.

Children could sleep soundly anywhere. Chen Tanliang heard someone calling him, and he groggily raised his head, instinctively calling out “Mom,” before crawling over and snuggling into her arms. The moment he touched Jiang Shining’s arm, the little boy fell asleep again.

Jiang Shining gazed quietly at her sleeping son’s face and couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke his long eyelashes, then lightly pinch his cheek. Finally, the mother and son fell asleep again.

They awoke a second time because of the noise outside.

“…Second Madam, the doctor has just given birth and is still resting. You…” the maid Chun Mei whispered, trying to stop her.

“Oh, so even the First Madam’s maids are so arrogant now, daring to stop the Madam?” Sun Qinling’s sharp, sarcastic tone rang out. “I’ve come to visit the Madam, and who do you think you are? Judging from your attitude, do you want to become the Marshal’s third concubine, that’s why you dare to boss me around like this?”

“I, I didn’t…” The maid was young, and after Sun Qinling’s few words of provocation, Chun Mei’s voice was already trembling with sobs.

Chen Tanliang stirred in Jiang Shining’s arms, and Jiang Shining slowly opened her eyes, her gaze cold and indifferent.

“Chun Mei.” The two people entangled outside heard a faint voice, “Since the second concubine is here, let her in.”

Sun Qinling snorted, pushed the maid aside, and swayed her hips as she went inside.

Her original intention was to mock Jiang Yiru, thinking that a woman who had just given birth must look disheveled and weak. But as soon as she entered, she saw Jiang Yiru leaning against the bed, staring at her coldly, showing none of the fragility she had imagined. Under that gaze, Sun Qinling suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

“You—” Her voice was naturally high-pitched, and she had only uttered one syllable when she saw Jiang Yiru raise her hand to stop her.

“Keep your voice down, don’t wake my son,” Jiang Shining said coldly.

Sun Qinling bit her lower lip. She was initially unconvinced, but for some reason, she felt a little afraid. But having come this far, she would have to say something to avoid appearing cowardly. So she lowered her voice and mocked, “After all that effort, you only gave birth to a girl? I think the Marshal will be very disappointed when he finds out— he wanted two sons before.”

“What’s wrong with a girl?” Jiang Shining said calmly. “Aren’t you a girl yourself?”

“Stop trying to cover it up, Jiang Yiru— you’ve given birth to someone else’s wife, so if you’re unhappy about it, don’t be stubborn,” Sun Qinling said venomously. “You’re such a useless woman!”

Jiang Shining smiled.

“Just because you’re incompetent doesn’t mean all girls are incompetent,” she said coldly. “Don’t worry about my child. Rest assured, I will educate her well, at least to teach her self-respect and self-love, so she won’t become someone else’s concubine.”

“You–!”

Sun Qinling was furious, but Jiang Shining waved her hand dismissively.

“Go out and let your temper flare up. Don’t keep making noise in my room.”

Xu Lingxin and Sun Qinling left in a fit of rage. A few years ago, she wouldn’t have believed that the timid woman would dare speak to her like that.

She immediately went to find the third concubine, Xu Lingxin, and the two whispered that they planned to let Chen Jiacheng give her a good scolding when he returned.

Three days later, a grand procession resounded outside the Marshal’s Mansion, signaling that Chen Jiacheng had returned to the city after the battle.

Sun Qinling and Xu Lingxin waited in the inner courtyard for a long time before Chen Jiacheng finally entered. Seeing that he looked very well, it seemed he had won a great victory. The two greeted him warmly, asking after his well-being, until he sat down and calmed down for a while.

“Where is Madam?” he asked.

This was the moment they had been waiting for.

“My lord, you have no idea how difficult life has become for the two of us ever since you granted the First Madam all authority over the household…”

“Yes, we wanted to help Madam after she gave birth to her baby girl, but we don’t know what we did wrong, and she got angry and scolded us for a long time. Look, I even got hit by something…”

Chen Jiacheng really didn’t like meddling in women’s affairs, but he still sided with his two concubines. Besides, Jiang Yiru had indeed changed a bit in recent years; bullying others sounded like something she would do…

After all, the second and third concubines were jointly blaming Jiang Yiru. If Jiang Yiru really hadn’t done anything wrong, how could she have been accused by the two of them?

“Alright, I’ll go take a look.” Chen Jiacheng put down his hat and stepped into the inner room.

The Marshal’s Mansion was very large, and there was another courtyard in the back where Jiang Shining lived. He walked through the corridor and pushed open the door to Jiang Shining’s house.

As soon as he entered, he saw Jiang Shining holding a baby in her arms, lying on her side with her hair down, gently playing with the child.

Chen Jiacheng was taken aback. Ever since Jiang Yiru began to change her appearance a few years ago, her temperament had completely changed. Although she was only considered pretty, now every move she made was as elegant and quiet as a lady from a respectable family.

In that instant, Chen Jiacheng thought, how could someone like this possibly bully others?

Jiang Shining raised her head, the slight smile still lingering on her lips.

“The commander is back?” Jiang Shining lowered her head, then hugged the child and smiled, “Look, Daddy’s back.”

Chen Jiacheng calmed down, walked over, sat down by the bed, and took the child.

“Thank you for your hard work,” he said.

Jiang Shining leaned against the bedside and sighed softly.

“I’m not worried about the hardship, but I’m afraid it will be hard on the children,” she said. “Tanliang is alright, he’s a boy, so he won’t be bad. But she… is a girl.”

“What’s wrong with a girl? She’s still my, Chen Jiacheng’s daughter,” Chen Jiacheng sneered. “Who would dare let my daughter suffer?”

“I just gave birth a few days ago, and your second concubine came to bother me. She even said my daughter is useless.” Jiang Shining said calmly, “Jiacheng, I know they always try to find ways to complain to you. You can give them an order to stop coming to me to cause trouble. Let’s see who is twisting the truth. I didn’t care before, but I will absolutely not allow them to say bad things about my child.”

Chen Jiacheng had a bit of a headache. Then he thought about it. Jiang Yiru had never spoken ill of anyone in front of him, but the second and third concubines were always talking nonsense.

“Okay, okay,” he said. “You take good care of yourself. I’ll tell them to watch their words and actions. By the way, have you named the baby yet?”

“That’s why we were waiting for you to come back.”

Chen Jiacheng sat there thinking for a long time.

“Her name is Chen Ruozhi.” After a long pause, he said, “Those with names like ‘Zhi’ are all great writers and authors. I hope she will study hard in the future and become more cultured.”

This surprised Jiang Shining. She hadn’t held much hope for Chen Jiacheng, but the fact that this bandit-like man had such awareness was indeed beyond her expectations— in her eyes, this warlord of Dongcheng and the surrounding area was actually just a bandit leader.

The next two years passed peacefully and quietly.

Chen Tanliang was now grown up, a carefree five-year-old boy who was pampered by everyone. If it weren’t for Jiang Shining keeping an eye on him, the child would probably have been spoiled by the maids and servants in the courtyard and developed a spoiled attitude.

Sometimes, seeing Chen Tanliang so happy, she couldn’t help but think of Jing Yuan. The world of the imperial harem was too cruel; even the children matured early— it was a cannibalistic world.

However, the difficulties in these two worlds were different. In the palace intrigue world, it was hard to survive to the end, while in this world, too many forces were involved, making it impossible for her to manage everything alone. She could only try to prevent Chen Jiacheng from forcibly marrying the female lead and ending up being executed. If he doesn’t die, Dongcheng won’t descend into chaos.

The other three men entangled with the female lead were a business tycoon and a young master from a powerful family. The young master could be ignored for now, but the business tycoon and the other male lead, who also commanded an army, required more attention.

The important thing was to prevent the three of them from getting into conflict; reducing one conflict was better than none.

However, the plot hadn’t reached the point where the female lead had appeared yet.

The two concubines were preoccupied with Chen Jiacheng, but Jiang Shining didn’t care whether he came home or not. She stayed in her own courtyard every day, while the maids and wet nurses coaxed the infant Chen Ruozhi. Jiang Shining had a table and two chairs placed under the tree in the courtyard to teach Chen Tanliang to read and write.

Over time, the maids were all quite surprised.

“Madam, how come your handwriting is so good?”

“I practiced it in my spare time.”

Actually, it was trained in the last world.

Chen Tanliang was at a lively and active age. Except when he was in front of Jiang Shining, he was always a little more restrained. Even the teachers they hired couldn’t control him— who would dare to really criticize the warlord’s son? So Jiang Shining had to accompany him to every class.

However, to everyone’s relief, although Chen Tanliang was mischievous, he was very intelligent. He just didn’t like studying; he preferred playing fighting games with the soldiers. Jiang Shining, fearing he would become a little bandit, kept an even closer eye on him.

One day, Jiang Shining was not with Chen Tanliang when he was studying because she was not feeling well. Unexpectedly, after returning from class, Chen Tanliang seemed to have become a different person and studied very hard.

When Jiang Shining asked him about it, he replied, “My teacher said that if I study hard, I can teach my younger sister in the future.”

Jiang Shining felt gratified.

Chen Ruozhi was at her cutest when she was two years old. The little girl had big eyes and a slightly upturned nose, and she was naturally optimistic, always giggling. Everyone in the backyard loved her. Even the two concubines liked her and secretly gave her toys to play with.

Seven-year-old Chen Tanliang was beginning to resemble a young boy, spending every day with his younger sister, playing with her, protecting her, and earnestly teaching her to recognize words and objects. He also taught Chen Ruozhi to be obedient and not to run around, as she might fall.

The maids and Jiang Shining couldn’t help but laugh at his serious expression.

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The vengeful spirits, initially confused and focused on revenge, suddenly regained their senses when one of the female ghosts asked, “Master, how are my parents?”

Cheng Xin pulled out some information, and Xie Lingya learned that this female ghost had only been nineteen years old in life, the age of university going students, and was an only child. He thus replied, “After you disappeared, your parents searched for you for a long time. A few years ago, they adopted an orphan who is now five years old. After finding your remains, they finally built a grave for you— although your remains cannot be returned to them yet— they even brought your younger sister to pay her respects.”

Tears welled up in the female ghost’s eyes. Knowing that her parents hadn’t forgotten her and hadn’t ruined their lives with grief, she felt a sense of relief. During their imprisonment, they had lost track of time and were unable to think clearly. Even after escaping, they remained in a daze until now, when they finally came to their senses.

Xie Lingya spoke to each of the vengeful spirits, helping them resolve their final attachments— most of them hadn’t seen their families one last time before being abducted years ago, or had regrets.

Seeing this, Guo Xing felt his heart clench, a mix of sorrow, emotion, and an inexplicable surge of feeling.

Xie Lingya burned paper money, pointed his scepter, and the underworld officials led the wronged souls away, gathering the ashes. As the ashes drifted down, Xie Lingya let out a long sigh of relief, showing no signs of fatigue.

Of course, this didn’t stop Guo Xing from imagining things. He then said excitedly, “No wonder they say that performing rituals to liberate the souls of the dead is a meritorious act. Teacher Xie, you…”

Not only liberate them, but you also rescue them!

Although Guo Xing had heard Xie Lingya mention it before, witnessing it firsthand was far more shocking. Although many people today might not know about these things, nor witness the true liberation of the wronged souls, someone still had to do it.

Guo Xing felt a surge of impulse. “Teacher Xie, I’m willing to inherit the Lushan Dharma and maintain peace between the Yin and Yang realms!”

Xie Lingya: “…”

Xie Lingya said, “Why are you so driven by a sense of mission? Wouldn’t it be better to observe a few more times?”

It wasn’t that Guo Xing was easily moved; Xie Lingya had also been quite moved when he first participated in a ritual for the deceased. Of course, his event was much larger, with far more spirits at the Ghost Festival ritual than this small-scale event could handle.

Guo Xing immediately said, “I don’t think it’s necessary. I want to take on the responsibility as soon as possible!”

Everyone was a little embarrassed, especially Xiao Dian, who was deeply moved. Although everyone’s starting point was different, he had also wanted to learn Taoist magic immediately.

Xiao Dian said to Guo Xing, “You should observe more.”

He needed to observe more to think things through; this was just a ritual. It was getting late after the Dharma assembly ended, and Guo Xing kept asking where the wronged spirits might be. Then Xie Lingya finally said, “You should go back to Baoyang Temple tonight to rest. Those wronged spirits are either enjoying some food or going straight to prison for their day’s revenge.”

“Oh,” Guo Xing couldn’t contain his excitement. “What about the ghost we encountered in the elevator last time? Did you perform a ritual to help him pass on?”

“He didn’t need a ritual. He died a natural death, just took the wrong path. I sent him on his way to the underworld,” Xie Lingya explained.

They told Cheng Xin not to see them off and walked slowly, looking for a taxi.

There weren’t many pedestrians on the road at this hour, and the vehicles passing by were either private cars or trucks. For some reason, they didn’t see a single taxi, and the ride-hailing app didn’t show any nearby cars.

Gradually, even the private cars decreased, and the streetlights on both sides of the road dimmed.

Xie Lingya touched the Liu Lingtong on his shoulder and stopped.

Xiao Dian and Guo Xing, puzzled, turned to look at Xie Lingya.

Just then, a clanging, rattling sound of metal being dragged rang out.

Both young men’s expressions changed, especially Guo Xing, who nervously looked around. His constitution allowed him to sense something was wrong, but he couldn’t see the problem or figure out how to solve it; the unknown was even more frightening.

Fortunately, they were out performing a ritual today. Xie Lingya drew the three treasured swords from his back and shielded Xiao Dian and Guo Xing behind him.

The sound grew closer. Then a hunched shadow appeared, along with a thick, pungent smell of blood.

As the shadow became clearer, everyone could see its appearance— it was impossible to describe it as “he” or “she.” Its head was much smaller than its body, with a pointed snout and protruding cheeks, like a rat. Its belly was swollen, and it was covered by chains. On its tiny head was a skull, which looked like an oversized hat.

The thick smell of blood almost made Guo Xing vomit, and its terrifying and bizarre appearance was also hard for him to accept. This thing looked even more horrifying than the vengeful spirit from before!

Guo Xing asked, his face pale, “What…what is this?”

Xie Lingya didn’t speak, and Xiao Dian also frowned and said, “I don’t know either.”

He felt a little ashamed that he hadn’t recognized the thing.

But the next moment, Xie Lingya said, “Damn, I don’t recognize it either. What is this thing? Is it a rat spirit that’s been in a car accident?”

What bothered him even more was that as soon as Guailong saw this thing, it scurried from his wrist to his arm and hid. He was worried that this guy was very powerful.

The strange creature, resembling a rat, made a “squeak” sound, sounding both like a rat and like it was deflated, its eyes darting around Xie Lingya.

Xie Lingya was trying hard to recall if he had seen any information about similar creatures when it charged at him, pulling on its chains. Despite being bound by chains, it was quite fast. With a stretch of its arms, it jumped up, trying to encircle Xie Lingya.

“Ugh.” Xie Lingya was quick; in a flash, the rat spirit landed on Guo Xing, hugging him with all fours, the chains now slung over him.

Xiao Dian had also improved, hiding to the side and escaping being grabbed. Only Guo Xing was completely bewildered. Suddenly, a sharp beak loomed close to his face, the pungent, fishy smell assaulting his senses and nearly knocking him over. The sticky feeling on his body made him want to die on the spot. Guo Xing struggled desperately, but the rat demon clung tightly to him, its belly pressing against him. He felt as if the rat demon’s belly was a water-filled balloon, swaying against his body, its contents unknown.

“Damn it! Let me go!” Guo Xing screamed hoarsely, his face almost touching the demon’s.

At this moment, Xie Lingya seized the opportunity, grabbing the rat demon’s chain and wrapping it around its neck, pulling it tight from behind. The rat demon’s head was pulled back, but its body still clung tightly to Guo Xing, its belly swaying from side to side.

Seeing this, Xie Lingya plunged his sword into its belly, creating an incision.

Instantly, a gushing stream of blood gushed out!

*Swoosh*

—Guo Xing was splattered with sticky blood. He rubbed his eyes hard but felt something on his hand. He forced his eyes open and saw it was intestines!

Guo Xing collapsed to the ground: “Vomit!!!”

Xie Lingya ignored him, tearing the disemboweled rat demon from his body. Pressing its head down, he drew a talisman on the skull above its head, “Evil spirit, return to righteousness!”

The skull fell to the ground with a thud, and the rat demon went limp, its heart, lungs, and other internal organs still flowing out of its belly. This rat demon didn’t seem as dangerous as Xie Lingya had feared.

Xie Lingya released his hand and looked more closely. The rat demon was no longer the same as before; its entire form was stiff, and it didn’t look alive.

Xie Lingya reached out and pinched it. “Clay?”

That’s right, it should be dough. This was a clay figurine. The body was sculpted like a human, the head like a rat, and the facial features and clothes were painted on.

As for those internal organs…

Xie Lingya took a closer look, “These don’t seem to be human internal organs either—”

Guo Xing still had a string of intestines hanging from his hand, and he was sitting there blankly, his face covered in blood.

Xiao Dian walked over sympathetically, squatted down, took a tissue and wiped it for him, cleaning the area around his eyes, “See, I told you to take a closer look…”

This line of work isn’t just about performing rituals on the altar.

Guo Xing who was quite upset: “…………”

Xie Lingya had already started a video call with Shi Changxuan. After answering, he briefly told him what had just happened, then pointed the camera at the thing on the ground, “Senior brother, do you know what this is?”

Shi Changxuan recognized it, but he had a slight doubt, “…Judging from its appearance and craftsmanship, this is a Lingga. It’s a humanoid ghost puppet, containing many ghosts. But it’s usually used as a vessel for Tantric monks to kill in rituals. Its body is filled with cow blood and other animal organs. The chains on its body are also to lock up the ghosts, and they should be contained in a special container to suppress them, making it difficult for them to escape.”

To put it simply, it’s a bit like the “little man” in the “slapping the sole of a shoe” ritual. It’s a representative of evil, made for rituals, so that the gods bring ghosts onto it, and then kill them.

Undoubtedly, it was man-made, but its purpose wasn’t to harm people, so how did this thing escape from the ritual?

More importantly, this was Zhuyang, a hundred and eight thousand miles away from the territory of Tantric Buddhism. Who would conduct Tantric rituals here? Xie Lingya also felt he hadn’t offended anyone from Tantric Buddhism; his only connection within Buddhism was with Lian Tan of the Pure Land School.

As Xie Lingya pondered this, another question came to mind. He pulled the snake off his arm, held it upside down, and asked, “This rat isn’t that powerful, so why were you hiding just now? All you can do is spit saliva, and you’re still a coward??”

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Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

Advance chapters available for patrons on Patreon. And a chapter can be sponsored by buying me a ko-fi.

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“…Brother Qiu, did you hear any strange noises coming from over there?” the assistant asked timidly. “I think I heard someone screaming…”

“You were playing games till too late last night,” Qiu Jian said dismissively. “I told you to stop playing these games a long time ago. You should use that time to read more books. Look at other people’s assistants—”

He stopped abruptly as a huge monster appeared behind them.

This was the monster from the painting, which, in front of outsiders, naturally reverted to its ferocious appearance, terrifying beyond belief in reality.

Qiu Jian and his assistant had never even seen a large animal before, let alone a monster twice their height. For a moment, they were completely stunned, forgetting even to speak or feel afraid.

The monster roared and bit off most of a nearby stone pillar.

As the dust from the broken pillar swirled on their faces, they seemed to suddenly realize something.

“Holy crap! What the hell is this?!”

“Brother Qiu, don’t run so fast, wait for me—”

The two of them practically sprinted forward, then realized they had unknowingly arrived at the courtyard where Gu Wuji lived.

But at this point, nothing else mattered; at least Gu Wuji was still a human being!

Of course, Qiu Jian also rushed in with the thought that he would take Gu Wuji with him even if he died. As soon as he entered, he saw a blond man standing not far away, which almost startled him.

“What are you doing here?” The blond youth turned around, revealing a face even more handsome than most celebrities.

Qiu Jian also disliked this bodyguard of Gu Wuji. He could easily guess that this bodyguard had no real skills and only got to where he was by relying on his looks. His real identity was probably Gu Wuji’s kept man… and yet this kept man had been in the headlines more often than him! Why? Just because this person was better looking?!

The assistant beside him breathed a sigh of relief. “It seems that monster isn’t coming.”

Qiu Jian also relaxed but looked at Austin with a cold smile. “Do I need to tell you what I’m doing here?”

“Oh?” Austin’s eyes were cold. “Do you think others can’t see through your filthy thoughts?”

“What are you talking about!” Qiu Jian felt insulted. “I just wanted to help your master practice his courage.”

“Whatever.” Austin smiled at the two of them and said, “Aren’t you curious why that monster disappeared?”

“Why…” Qiu Jian had been indifferent, but then he suddenly sensed something was wrong and was stunned by the scene before him.

Under the moonlight, Austin’s smile was chilling, and behind him, the huge monster slowly appeared. The ground had somehow turned into a deck, and several twisted corpses grabbed the two of them.

“You, you’re a ghost!!!”

Stimulated by this terrifying scene, the two of them collapsed to the ground, violently brushing aside the corpses rushing towards them, and scrambled out of the courtyard.

The two then bumped into several disheveled staff members who were rushing towards them in a panic.

Already terrified by the shadowy figure, the staff members went completely insane upon seeing Qiu Jian’s ghost-dressed assistant and pounced on him, ready to attack.

“Don’t think we’re scared!!”

“I’ll die if I have to, but I’ll take you down with me!”

“What are you doing? Don’t hit me! Do you know who I am?! Stop—”

The two sides began fighting, the eerie atmosphere dissipating completely. They were completely unaware of the alarmingly bright streetlights around them… People living in other buildings were awakened, some even thinking they were having a mental breakdown and calling the police.

Finally, the staff members, carrying strange props, were taken to the police station by the arriving officers. Qiu Jian and his ghost-dressed assistant were also utterly humiliated and unable to defend themselves. He couldn’t explain why he had dressed his assistant like that; anyone who knew him even slightly knew what he was up to.

Furthermore, both men were traumatized by their encounter with Austin. So after being fired from the crew, Qiu Jian actually felt a sense of relief and left the place with his assistant early the next morning.

The following day, Gu Wuji was shocked to hear the news and was completely bewildered. He had no idea what Austin had done.

After all, Austin was Gu Wuji’s most obedient follower; no one would have imagined he would cause trouble.

Rumors were circulating within the crew, vaguely suggesting the place might be haunted. Otherwise, why would Qiu Jian act like he was possessed and fight with the crew members in public?

The director was also deeply suspicious and seemed unwilling to cast another actor, immediately splitting the third male lead’s scenes with other roles.

Cheng Liangmiao frowned upon hearing the news. He hadn’t believed in ghosts before, but after his personal experience, he understood that there were many things in the world he didn’t know… so this place really was haunted, and Qiu Jian and the crew members must have been possessed to act so inappropriately.

But deep down, Cheng Liangmiao felt a sense of anticipation, hoping he might run into the kind person who saved him last time again…

Gu Wuji listened to Austin’s work report while washing up, thinking to himself how so many things had happened on set after just one night’s sleep. It seemed they really couldn’t do without him.

“What happened to those staff members? The incident happened right outside our accommodation… Could they have been accidentally injured by a ghost that was trying to attack me?”

“I think they were probably just bribed to do something shady,” Austin said meaningfully. “They’ve already learned their lesson.”

“Anyway, it’s good that no one was killed.” Gu Wuji wasn’t some saint, so he didn’t care whether the staff members who were about to attack him would be traumatized. He simply put the matter out of his mind.

Cheng Jia was still fast asleep, and Gu Wuji, seeing his exhausted appearance, decided not to wake him. He left some props around before departing.

After breakfast, Gu Wuji also purified the ghosts Austin had caught the previous night (and there were quite a few of them). Then, he joined the film crew for filming outside. He felt that the day was more relaxing and enjoyable than a vacation.

Today’s scene was a flashback in the plot, telling the story of the female ghost’s past life. Gu Wuji’s character was actually the reincarnation of the female ghost’s husband…

In short, he was going to play another scumb*g. Gu Wuji was a little worried; he didn’t seem to have any experience playing a scumb*g before! If he didn’t do a good job, wouldn’t that add a black mark to his acting career?

Meanwhile, the actress playing the female ghost was getting her makeup done. She was nervous, her face flushed. Actually, she was a bit of a fan of Gu Wuji, and she was very excited to be working with him.

Therefore, her mind was completely occupied by the upcoming filming, and she didn’t notice that the makeup artist’s attitude seemed a little different than usual, and even her movements were much stiffer than usual.

“Speaking of which, today’s clothes are quite different from the ones I tried on before. The texture is so realistic.”

The actress playing the female ghost admired the fabric she was wearing, which was obviously very expensive, perfectly matching the female ghost’s status as a wealthy person in the plot. She even thought she was wearing something real.

The production team really went all out, no wonder they received investment from the Cheng family.

Just as she was admiring all of this, the shadow of the actress projected on the wall actually started moving on its own.

….

Cheng Jia, on the other hand, had been investigating things all night and had fallen asleep without realizing it. And when he woke up, it was already noon, and Gu Wuji had long since left.

“Master Gu—” Cheng Jia sat up abruptly, staring at the computer screen. He suddenly remembered what he had looked up before going to bed last night. “Master Gu, this is terrible!! The rumors about this house are that it used to be…”

But when he turned his head, he found the place was empty, and his face immediately turned grim.

“Damn it, I overslept! Is Master Gu possibly in danger now?!”

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