Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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

Even under these circumstances, Li Yuebai couldn’t help but try to determine Ye Qing’s location by sound.

Ye Qing’s voice seemed to come from a very far place, with other sounds in the background.

He must be standing in a very open area, with the sounds of wind, waves crashing, and even seagulls in the distance.

The seaside, this was the seaside.

And the nearest sea was hundreds of kilometers away. It was too late.

Even a superhero couldn’t instantly travel such a distance.

Li Yuebai wanted to laugh at himself for a moment— only thinking of asking for help when death is imminent, how could he expect the other party to arrive instantly? Even if Ye Qing was a hundred meters away, he might not be able to get there in time.

“It’s too late, Ye Qing, don’t come over, remember to terminate the contract later.” Li Yuebai sent this message.

He remembered clearly that when he witnessed Ye Qing die in the earthquake at the museum, the system gave him the option to terminate the contract. Now, if he died, the system should give Ye Qing the same option.

The small black coffin in his pocket was still trembling slightly. Li Yuebai put his left hand, which wasn’t holding the gun, into his pocket and gripped it tightly. Perhaps, if absolutely necessary, he could use it to possess himself again. He just didn’t know if someone already possessed by Vila could be possessed by a dormant vampire again…

However, Ye Qing didn’t seem to have given up at all.

“Where are you? Tell me your coordinates.” — Ye Qing’s voice was flat, and he replied instantly again.

“N36°42′51″E116°56′8″” — Li Yuebai sent the coordinates, thankfully he had memorized them when he checked his phone.

“The small square in the suburban forest?” Another instant reply.

“Yes, I’m on top of the stone statue in the center of the square. There are about ten vampires in a circle about five meters away from me.” — Li Yuebai sent the text description without much hope.

“One last question.” Ye Qing’s voice softened.

What did that mean? Did he have to ask—”Did we love each other”? Why was he joking at this time? This wasn’t like him.

“Are there any lights in the square?” Ye Qing asked, catching up on a question that seemed off-topic.

“Yes, they’re on.” Li Yuebai glanced at the numerous ground lights and streetlights in the square and smiled wryly. It was already dark, and all the lights were on.

“Good, count down ten seconds, then move away from the lights.” Ye Qing calmly gave the order.

Li Yuebai obediently counted down ten seconds.

In the last second, he ran out of bullets, jumped off the stone statue, and hid himself in a crevice.

Immediately afterward, the square exploded.

It was an explosion out of thin air; a golden-red mushroom cloud instantly rose, engulfing all the vampires.

The heat was intense; even hiding behind the stone statue, Li Yuebai felt his skin being burned.

He had never seen such an incomprehensible explosion— no fuel, no fuse, no reason, yet it exploded so spectacularly.

Ye Qing had always been a god-like figure, but how could he be this powerful? He wasn’t even here!

“Are you alright?” Ye Qing rarely showed concern verbally. “Finish them off.”

Li Yuebai jolted awake, scrambling up from behind the statue.

Yes, the explosion only temporarily weakened the vampires, not killed them outright; he still needed to finish them off.

Fortunately, he had enough silver bullets.

Fifteen minutes later, Li Yuebai stood in the ashes-covered plaza, panting heavily.

All the vampires here were gone, but he could foresee more coming after him.

It didn’t matter; he’d get through one hurdle at a time and figure out a solution later.

“Are you… alright too?” After hesitating for a dozen seconds, he sent Ye Qing this message.

“Fine.” Ye Qing replied instantly, without a word more.

“Need any help?”

Ye Qing was silent for a moment, then sent a message: I’ll come back for you.

I’ll come back for you.

For a moment, Li Yuebai wanted to say yes.

If he calculated carefully, the time he’d been separated from Ye Qing wasn’t very long, but he had to admit he really wanted to see Ye Qing as soon as possible, to ask him what had happened, or just sit quietly without saying anything.

However, it seemed impossible.

“Xiao Ye, don’t be silly, in our current state…”—Li Yuebai sent this message.

Vampires and Vilas, once they meet, it’s death.

Temporarily suspending contact with Ye Qing, the walkie-talkie started beeping urgently again; it was Director Yang.

Director Yang had been leading a search for Ye Qing; could there be new progress?

But judging from Ye Qing’s reaction just now, he hadn’t been found.

Li Yuebai answered the walkie-talkie and realized that Director Yang had encountered another case.

“Xiao Gu, we’re in the Gaobao community in the city center; a major case has occurred here.” Director Yang lowered his voice: “A new vampire has appeared and has already killed more than ten residents; the situation is extremely urgent.”

If the situation was urgent, why would he take the time to contact him?

Director Yang scanned the scene with the video intercom camera, giving Li Yuebai a general overview of the situation— it was nighttime, pitch black except for streetlights, and dozens of heavily armed colleagues stood ready, their guns all aimed at a solitary villa. No formal firefight had yet occurred.

“The criminals are hiding in the villa and have set up a magical barrier; we can’t break in,” Director Yang explained briefly. It seemed the stalemate had dragged on for a long time, and they were at a loss.

“Based on our experience, the criminals’ mind control abilities aren’t strong; they can only control a radius of ten meters. A sniper could easily kill them from ten meters away,” Director Yang said. “Unfortunately, they’re hiding inside the villa, and there are hostages being held inside, so we can’t just storm in.”

Therefore…

“So, if we can lure them out and expose them to our firepower…” Li Yuebai said.

“Yes!” Director Yang affirmed, “Xiao Gu, you have experience, give me some advice.”

If he were asking about Li Yuebai from three days ago, he probably wouldn’t have any valuable advice, only the simple and crude suggestion to blow up the villa with cannons.

But the current Li Yuebai…

“Director Yang, my next suggestion might seem absurd, but it should be effective.” Li Yuebai sighed, “That is to record my voice and play it outside the villa.”

This suggestion wasn’t just absurd; to ordinary people, it was downright insane.

Director Yang was visibly stunned for a moment, almost exasperated: “Xiao Gu, you can’t joke around at such a crucial moment!”

“I’m not joking. I have to make the announcement anyway, so I might as well do it myself.” Li Yuebai felt increasingly embarrassed by his method of communication: “Let’s try it first. If it doesn’t work, we can think of another way.”

“You… alright, alright, just one try!” Director Yang had no other choice but to agree.

“Record the following.” Li Yuebai took a deep breath and said sternly, “Listen up, criminals inside! You are surrounded. Surrender immediately, you have been warned!”

“What does the last sentence mean?” Director Yang was completely confused.

“That doesn’t matter. Just play it and see.” Li Yuebai suddenly realized that his last sentence had strayed from Gu Xisha’s identity and returned to his true self. Fortunately, the content wasn’t the problem; the important thing was to make sure the vampire heard his voice…

The walkie-talkie disconnected and reconnected five minutes later.

“Director Yang, how did it go? Did it work?” Li Yuebai asked.

“This is bizarre, it actually worked.” Director Yang must have been frowning, utterly perplexed. “After your announcement, the criminals opened the door and were immediately shot dead by several snipers.”

Indeed, comparing the Vila constitution to drugs was most fitting; so far, it had only brought desire and death.

The criminals were dead, but Li Yuebai’s heart tightened instantly.

Judging from the video, this case had blown up.

A dozen victims, such a large-scale arrest and killing.

It wouldn’t be long before the news of vampires’ resurgence spread among the public.

Li Yuebai put away his walkie-talkie and cell phone and walked towards the highway in the pitch-black night.

Behind him, the lights in the small square were all off, plunging the area into darkness. The highway was not far away, the streetlights emitting a warm glow, and cars sped past without stopping.

He had no idea where to go next. After walking along the highway for an unknown amount of time, his cell phone lit up again. He opened it and saw countless windows exploding outside, too many to close.

Every window was filled with news, all about vampires.

“Shocking! Massive murder case in the city, vampire demons have reappeared!”

“Is it fantasy or reality? Ten pieces of evidence of vampire existence!”

“According to sources, a murder case that occurred a month ago is suspected to be the work of vampires!”

The headlines were increasingly sensational and exaggerated.

Clicking on the comments, people initially dismissed it as rumors, joking and teasing, saying the news publishers must have watched too much Twilight and were confused about the difference between entertainment and reality.

But gradually, as more and more videos and photos were rapidly released, the public’s reaction shifted from complete disbelief to scepticism, and finally to panic.

It seemed this time, things were truly about to turn upside down.

Then, more people started posting aimlessly.

“Help! How can I avoid encountering vampires?”

“I suspect my roommate is being mind-controlled, what should I do? Urgent!”

“Do pure silver and garlic really work?”

“How to escape?”

If it was already like this online, the reality was likely even more terrifying.

Li Yuebai could already imagine the chaos that must be ensuing in the city.

Tonight, countless silver jewellery shops would be smashed open, and everyone would be looting the silver. Garlic too… perhaps by tomorrow morning, garlic would be priceless.

He wondered if the government and the National Security Bureau had prepared any contingency plans in the meantime.

Li Yuebai felt as if he had been swept into a raging torrent, unable to escape.

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Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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After finishing things with Ninglu, the family of four took a private plane to a tropical island the next day.

Guoguo was incredibly excited, and Jiang Shining was also a little curious. Come to think of it, she had never been to an island before. After several hours of flight, the plane slowly landed on the island’s airstrip.

Guoguo was very excited from the moment she got off the plane. The tropical plants and the distant sea filled her with a sense of wonder.

Children were naturally energetic, and just as she was about to run out to play, Jing Xuan pulled her back.

“Guoguo, apply sunscreen.” Jing Xuan said carefully.

Guoguo could only suppress her eagerness to play as Jing Xuan pulled her into the shade of the airplane window, letting Jing Xuan apply sunscreen.

On the other side, Jing Yuan put on sunglasses. Even though he was wearing beach-style shorts and a T-shirt, he still gave off the vibe of a mob boss on vacation.

“Guoguo, do you see that woods over there?” Jing Xuan was applying sunscreen to his younger sister when Jing Yuan scared her by saying, “There are big monsters in the woods! Big tigers! If you run in, they’ll eat you.”

Jing Xuan knew that Jing Yuan was using a scare tactic to keep Guoguo away from the woods, and felt a little helpless. Since he was no longer burdened by the dynasty and had let go of the grudges from his past life, Jing Yuan’s personality had finally started to become more cheerful and talkative.

Looking at Guoguo again, she showed no fear whatsoever; she just blinked her eyes.

“What’s so scary about big monsters and tigers?” she said. “Are you afraid? Don’t be afraid, Guoguo will protect you!”

This was beyond Jing Yuan’s expectations. How could this little girl be so bold?

Jiang Shining chuckled softly.

“You underestimate her. In her previous life, she was born in a post-apocalyptic world, where not only tigers but even zombies were about to take over the world. She herself was a mutated human, covered in fur,” Jiang Shining said. “Others were the ones who were afraid of her.”

No wonder Guoguo wasn’t afraid. How could a little girl who was once treated like a monster be afraid of monsters?

The two older brothers remained silent for a moment. Guoguo, however, couldn’t wait any longer and started jumping around on the spot.

Is it ready?

Jing Xuan smiled, nodded, and took out a tracking watch from his pocket. He gently put it on the little girl’s wrist before leading her towards the beach.

Jiang Shining couldn’t help but sigh, Jing Xuan was so thoughtful and made things so easy for her.

She turned her head and saw Jing Yuan still standing to the side. He was wearing a casual beach outfit, but even though he was wearing sunglasses, he still exuded a thoughtful atmosphere, which was extremely inconsistent with his clothes.

“What are you thinking about again, Lord Jing Yuan?” Jiang Shining teased.

Jing Yuan regained his senses, took off his sunglasses, and turned to look at Jiang Shining.

“So, she and I were both adopted?” Jing Yuan said in a low voice. “You just love to bring trouble home and raise it.”

Jing Yuan was overly sensitive and prone to overthinking. Guoguo’s background reminded him of the situation between himself and Jiang Shining. Guoguo was too young to understand, but Jing Yuan could understand for her what it was like to be an outsider.

He couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. If it weren’t for Jiang Shining, they might have really met a tragic end, just like in the story.

In this sense, Jiang Shining was not only their mother, but also their savior— without her, their lives would have been very tragic.

Jiang Shining gazed at Jing Yuan, letting out a silent sigh.

“Let’s not talk about picking them up or not anymore,” she said gently. “If we have to be serious, none of you are really my children. I’m just taking on the role of your mother. Don’t you understand? Jing Yuan, to this day, you are no different to me.”

Jing Yuan was shocked.

In fact, he had always been troubled by the fact that he was not Jiang Shining’s biological son. Because he was not her biological son, he would always think about this, and sometimes he would even feel inferior, because at that time he felt that he had stolen Jing Xuan’s mother and Jing Xuan’s throne.

Even without him, Jiang Shining would still be a good mother, and her son, Jing Xuan, would be very suitable to be the emperor.

His gaze darkened slightly, his expression revealing nothing of his thoughts. However, he suddenly felt a slight itch in his palm, as Jiang Shining reached out and took his hand.

Jing Yuan’s eyes widened slightly; he was stunned. He followed Jiang Shining’s pace and walked slowly forward. She held his hand, just as Jing Xuan held Guo Guo’s hand.

“Making you emperor was my duty, and I must do it.” Jiang Shining’s slow voice rang in his ears. “At that time, the only person who could stand up to Chu Haoli’s power was you. Jing Xuan was mild-mannered and could not resist the emperor. Only you, Jing Yuan, could do it.”

Jiang Shining looked at him.

“You don’t owe anyone anything. You were born to succeed Chu Haoli. So, stop thinking about the past, okay?”

Jing Yuan’s heart was surging, and he nodded slightly.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you, Mother,” he said softly.

In this life, Jing Yuan had made up his mind to stand in front of his mother like a man, but how did he end up becoming the boy who needed Jiang Shining’s words of advice and comfort?

“Besides, that’s all from our past lives,” Jiang Shining said calmly. “Nothing about Chu Haoli is anything special. We’re starting over in this life, it has nothing to do with the past, does it?”

Upon hearing this, a hint of a smile appeared in Jing Yuan’s dark eyes.

“You’re right, we don’t care about his stuff.”

Jing Yuan withdrew his hand and instead put his arm around Jiang Shining’s shoulder.

“Have you been thinking about finding us a stepfather lately?” Jing Yuan’s tone suddenly changed as he asked.

Jiang Shining was both amused and exasperated.

“How could I possibly have time to think about such things?”

Her life was very fulfilling now. She was either busy with her career or spending time with her children. She couldn’t spare a single second for anyone else.

“That’s good then,” Jing Yuan said with satisfaction. “There’s no rush for these things. We can wait until we’ve all settled down, don’t you think?”

Jing Yuan’s use of “stability” referred to the fact that Jiang Shining’s other children hadn’t appeared yet. If the other children were all the same age as Guoguo, the Chu brothers probably won’t have any problems. But if a few hot-blooded sons of the same age come along, chaos will be inevitable.

Jiang Shining naturally understood his meaning. Getting these kids to get along peacefully sounded like a huge task. If Jiang Shining’s romance were added to that, then there would be no peace in her family.

Besides… Jiang Shining had experienced five relationships on behalf of women from different eras, and she hadn’t yet shaken off the boredom of this kind of love and romance.

Because she encountered only chauvinistic men and scumb*gs along the way, Jiang Shining had never developed any special feelings towards men.

Jing Yuan’s teasing question was actually tinged with unease. After all, he was from an ancient past life, and the traces of his previous existence weren’t so easily erased. Women in ancient times naturally needed to marry. But for Jiang Shining, such matters were practically optional.

“Mind your own business.” Although she agreed inwardly, Jiang Shining snorted, “You think a lot. Whether I want to find someone or not, can you stop me?”

Jing Yuan smiled.

“Mother is absolutely right. I’m just being a busybody.”

Whether it was Jiang Shining’s comforting words that soothed Jing Yuan’s sensitive and vulnerable spot, or his relief at hearing that Jiang Shining was no longer interested in romance, he regained his previous enthusiasm.

On the other side, Jing Xuan was playing with Guoguo on the beach. When he looked up, he saw his mother and Jing Yuan talking intimately.

Jing Xuan stared blankly for a while, then sighed and lowered his head to play with Guoguo again.

When Jiang Shining and Jing Yuan arrived on the beach, Jing Xuan looked up and laughed, “You guys are walking so slowly, Guoguo can’t wait any longer.”

Jing Yuan raised his chin. “Have you ever played beach volleyball?”

Jing Xuan had never played it before, but he knew about this game, and immediately shook his head.

“I don’t want to play games; running around like this would damage my image as a CEO.”

“Apart from us, who cares about your status on this island? Let’s play some volleyball to stretch our muscles. It’s been a long time since we’ve sparred. We can have a match after we finish playing volleyball.” Jing Yuan laughed.

Jing Xuan knew he couldn’t escape and could only sigh— although he was skilled in combat, he generally didn’t like to resort to violence. He preferred to treat people with courtesy. Jing Yuan, on the other hand, was somewhat of a martial arts fanatic, and loved wielding swords and staffs.

Over here, Jing Yuan seemed to remember something and let out a sigh.

“There are too few masters in this world. I really can’t find a suitable opponent.”

Jing Xuan thought for a moment. Jing Yuan was already exceptionally skilled in his previous life, so it would be even harder for him to find an opponent in this modern world.

“Have you ever had a suitable opponent?” Jing Xuan was even skeptical about this.

Jing Yuan recalled that person’s fighting skills and upright personality… Indeed, it’s more enjoyable to fight someone you dislike. It’s also quite amusing to see someone you dislike get furious.

It’s been a year already.

The author has something to say:

Bro, don’t even think about it! There’ll be plenty of time to fight later!

….

Judging from the comments on the previous chapter, everyone really underestimated the moths! 2333 How could a newbie possibly have the skill to woo the moths? Don’t worry!

There’s just one moth that’s slightly related to the newbie’s quest, by the way =v=

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Translator: Dj2203

Editor: Dj2203

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

I chased after Najina, who was running with Maon on her back.

The destination was about two backstreets from the general store.

That was when I entered.

To put it bluntly, it’s like the outskirts of a commercial district.

It was a townscape that could be described only as that…

I caught up with Maon after Najina put her off his back in front of a store.

Najina told us, “Oh, this is it, this is it! Don’t be shy. Please come in and think of it as your own home!”

Saying that, he went deeper and deeper inside.

There were various products in the old store.

It felt different from your average general store. I wonder…

There’s something different about leaving it at home…

“I see… so that’s what my partner thought of…”

Wozma was muttering something.

“Hey! Oji-san! The store is open so you’re here right? Don’t give up and come out!”

Najina was calling someone in a foul voice.

“Hey, you idiot!! Shut up!”

It seems Oji-san is here.

And with that, a figure even smaller than Maon-san appeared.

His long white eyebrows covered his eyes, and there was also a long beard.

He was an old man with a mysterious aura.

….

“Really, you always come here yelling!

He was quiet except when he was sipping his drink.

“And I…”

“Scary!” he exclaimed, pointing his index finger at Najina-san.

“I’m not an old man!!”

“Now now, please cheer up. We have a wonderful customer today. I came here to introduce you.”

“What, a customer?”

The man who appears to be the old man who owns the store looked at me.

“Hello.”

When our eyes met, I greeted him.

“Hey! Welcome, take your time. Considering that this idiot brought you here, you seem pretty well behaved.”

He raised his white eyebrows, which covered his eyes, and his eyes were slightly visible.

He looks at me as if observing me.

“Well, I haven’t seen them around here. Ah, I’m not blaming you for anything. I’m from outside too. So, I started selling things and now I have a shop like this…”

“Hey, enough with the old stories, give me a blanket. Oji-san, you are really quick to talk.”

“Well, I’m not an old man!”

It’s like when a certain female comedian said, “It’s not Kadono Zou![1]“

It’s similar to a scene where she responded a little angrily. It brings back some memories.

“Madam, Genta, this is a place where adventurers like us often come. It’s a place I often visit. Anyone who has been there for a while has probably been there at least once. I think he’s coming.”

Wozma explained the situation.

“From the looks of it, he seems to be a novice adventurer… but that Najina guy… You’re doing a great job showing me around! And you’re right! Good eat and sleep, that’s the only way to rest your body. Those who do this will never be able to continue anything, okay, I’ll take a closer look!”

“Wait a minute! It’s not my brother who’s using it. It’s a gift from her grandson to that old lady.”

“What? A gift from him?”

“Actually, this grandmother’s house burned down, and it’s still cold early at night, right? So at least to try not to let her get cold, we’re looking for a blanket.”

“So, a blanket…”

“Ah, but a blanket wouldn’t be necessary at this time of year, would it? But hey, what about Grandpa’s shop? On the other hand, we adventurers don’t want to camp out overnight in the winter. Even if you do, you have to be decent to get ahead of the monsters. But it’s so cold that you can’t sleep. So, we need a blanket at this time of year. I thought it might sell well.”

“…That’s right. What sells in town and what sells among adventurers are subtly different. Especially the durability against water.”

“And one more thing. It doesn’t happen. We move around carrying my luggage, so we get tired of carrying it. That’s not worth discussing. But this blanket is a size smaller…  To make it easier to carry things. But that’s a good thing!”

“Huh!?” I asked back without thinking.

“I like how small it is! As you can see, the old woman’s body is small. And it’s easier to store than a big blanket. So I thought it might be better.”

Najina-san grinned and laughs with a smug look on his face.

“S-sama…”

“Partner!”

“That’s incomprehensible, isn’t it? Grandpa, you’re a good judge of quality. There must be something good that will impress us.”

“Don’t talk, you idiot!”

“But I like it! It makes this grandson cry, seeing her shivering from the cold. So he wants to buy it for his grandma!”

“Isn’t that a pleasant story?! Hey, Najina! I’m glad you brought her here! To have a say in a story that makes this sake taste so good!”

“Heh! I knew Grandpa would say that!”

“Don’t be so cheeky, Gayo. Okay! Just wait a bit! Don’t go home, okay? I’ll let you worship this blanket!”

The old man goes back inside.

“Hey, old man. If you want to take out what you put away, I’ll help you.”

Najina followed after him.

“I’m not an old man.”

A voice of protest came from the back of the store, protesting against being called an old man for the third time today.

The tone had went up.

….

“The owner of this shop is a member of the gnome tribe and is known as the Sage of the Earth. It’s not for nothing, in fact, his discerning eye is second to none. However, the Gnomes are said to be quiet and live like hermits. That’s what they say, but apparently he’s not.”

Wozma told me about the old man from earlier.

“By the way, what was that old man’s name?”

Wozma shook his head in response to my question.

Apparently he doesn’t know.

While we were doing this, the two of them returned with a blanket.

“Now, look at this blanket.”

Saying this, the old man spread out a blanket.

It was a gray blanket. However, it was more like a square piece of fur than a blanket.

When I touch it with my hand, it felt quite soft and warm.

I asked Maon to touch it and try it on her body.

It felt just right for Maon, who is small in stature, to use.

“It’s soft and feels nice on the skin. But it doesn’t seem like it’s wool. What kind of fur is this?”

“Don’t be surprised when you hear that, Granny. This is the belly of a wolf. It’s a wolf blanket.”

“Ugh! A wolf… I’ve never heard of such a blanket.”

“I suppose so, I suppose so. But, Granny. How did it feel to the touch? It was soft and warm, right.”

“Ah, yeah. That’s right.”

“Wolves don’t sleep with their backs to the ground like we do. They … sleep on their stomach. If you sleep on your stomach, you can run away quickly if something happens. But in that case, you’ll have to lie on the cold ground for a long time. I ended up sleeping. The ground was cold, so I tried sleeping. I understand, but it’s taking away my body heat. Besides, what’s inside your stomach? It’s packed full of intestines. So of course, we can’t let it cool down. Therefore they grow a layer of fur on their belly.”

“So this blanket is warm because of this?”

“Yes, and unlike sheep that are kept in places with roofs and walls, wolves live in the mountains and forests, so it’s great for water and dirt! What do you think? Granny, would you like to try it out?”

“Well, that sounds good, but…”

“Are you worried about the price? Don’t worry. It’s cheaper to make, and it takes less work. You can tell at a glance, its fur glued together. With wool, you have to spin it into yarn and then knit it. I’ve cut down on the amount of work and made it cheaper. So it’s just one silver and six silver pieces.”

That would be about 16,000 yen in Japanese yen…

It’s a lot cheaper than before.

“What do you think, Maon-san? How about this blanket? Please let me give it to you.”

I offered.

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[1] Kazu Kusano (草野カズ), a Japanese female stand-up comedian based in the United States. I think here the reference is to the misspelling of name not changing the person.

Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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Xie Lingya also thought, what does 500,000 mean? It’s like the money for the mountain gate hall…

Even Bao Wenshan and Bao Wenqi showed signs of wanting to try again. Bao Wenshan said, “Mr. Fu, although we failed, our uncle is a divinely ordained shaman. We can invite him over.”

Fu Zhiye’s spirits lifted. “A divinely ordained shaman?”

Bao Wenshan explained, “We were chosen by our families to learn to become shamans, but our uncle became a shaman after falling ill in his youth. This is called a divinely ordained shaman. He was taken in by an old shaman who had become a god to learn, and when he woke up, he knew everything.”

It was self-evident which was superior: divinely ordained or chosen by humans.

They had just forced out a strange cry, like a rooster, and given that they had invoked an animal deity, Fu Zhiye vaguely felt it was the right remedy. Perhaps their more powerful elders could break the curse.

Fu Zhiye immediately said, “Alright, then I’ll trouble you to invite that old shaman!”

He turned and met Xie Lingya’s gaze, feeling a little embarrassed, but still said, “…Uh, Teacher Xie, could you take another look?”

Xie Lingya didn’t mind and led Guo Xing and Xiao Dian into the room. Guo Xing and Xiao Dian were a little nervous; in this competitive atmosphere, even those who weren’t initially interested couldn’t help but feel competitive, especially with such a large reward.

Before entering the room, Xie Lingya noticed that Master Niu also looked quite tense, constantly scrutinizing Bao Wenshan and Xiao Dian.

….

Upon entering Father Fu’s room, everyone saw a glass of water hanging upside down in the room, with a piece of paper on the rim.

Guo Xing couldn’t help but ask, “Teacher Xie, what is this?”

Although Xie Lingya didn’t know which school of thought this belonged to, she quickly understood. “It’s probably a testing method. If the water doesn’t drip, it proves the patient can still be saved.”

Fu Zhiye, standing nearby, didn’t speak, but judging from his expression, Xie Lingya was probably right.

Xie Lingya glanced at Father Fu. Because there was a family photo in the outer room, Xie Lingya could tell at a glance that Father Fu had become much thinner, with only his belly protruding, like a pregnant woman. He was holding his belly, groaning and unable to speak.

Xie Lingya lifted his clothes and saw that his belly was not only swollen but also faintly bluish. Touching it, it was soft yet hard, like a lump of flesh.

“What does it feel like?” Xie Lingya asked.

The father was in excruciating pain, and only Fu Zhiye answered for him: “It feels like a stick is stirring inside my internal organs. It wasn’t this painful at first, but it’s getting worse every day.”

Xie Lingya observed for a while and then asked, “Old Fu, did you eat chicken when you went out of town?”

The father suddenly froze, looking at him in horror, and managed to squeeze out, “Now that you mention it… it seems so. After eating it… I started feeling unwell, like I had diarrhea…”

After the father fell ill, many people came to see him, and quite a few recognized that he had been poisoned by a Gu, but there were too many types of Gu poison, and this was done by a master, so no one could identify the specific circumstances.

Fu Zhiye even thought of his father’s loud cry, which sounded like a rooster, “Teacher Xie, could my father’s cry before be related?”

“Yes, actually, even if they didn’t perform the ritual, your father would have cried out like that sooner or later. But this has indeed made me certain that your father has been poisoned by the Tiaosheng Gu,” Xie Lingya said. He had seen such examples in the Baoyang Notes.

Fu Zhiye asked anxiously, “What is that?”

“A person afflicted with the ‘Tiaosheng Gu’ will have a rooster growing inside their body, whatever the Gu caster uses to pick it. Your father ate chicken, and a rooster is gradually forming inside him. Once it’s fully formed, your father’s life will be in danger,” Xie Lingya said. “What’s even more vicious is that after death, the soul will naturally be controlled by the Gu caster, so no matter how hard you search, that person won’t come out. They don’t want money, they just want the ghost messenger. These people cast Gu randomly, choosing whoever they want, even if they have no grudge against you… Of course, they usually prefer to choose strangers from other places.”

Fu Zhiye and his father’s faces changed drastically. They no longer felt that the shaman making them hear roosters crowing in their stomachs was a good thing. If this thing could make noise, they still had time.

Fu Zhiye said nervously, “Teacher Xie, you must save my father!”

Xie Lingya comforted him, “Mr. Fu, please calm down. This can still be treated, but we need to prepare some medicinal herbs and come back at dawn.”

Seeing Xie Lingya’s calm demeanor, Fu Zhiye felt somewhat relieved. “Teacher Xie, then we’ll leave it to you!”

Xie Lingya nodded.

Guo Xing and Xiao Dian had initially thought Teacher Xie’s deal was a sure thing, but after they left, the Bao siblings and Master Niu stayed behind, and Fu Zhiye discussed the treatment with them.

It seemed that although Xie Lingya had revealed the most origins of the Gu poison so far, Fu Zhiye dared not place all his hopes on him.

….

That night, Xie Lingya slept in a separate room, while Guo Xing and Xiao Dian, his two “assistants,” were arranged to sleep together.

The treatment was scheduled for the early morning, but not the early morning of today; some medicinal herbs were not yet ready and might have to be prepared the next day.

Guo Xing and Xiao Dian quietly discussed that the current situation seemed to suggest that Teacher Xie and the Bao siblings were in a hurry. They wondered whether Teacher Xie’s medicine should be prepared first, or whether the Bao siblings’ uncle should arrive first to perform the ritual. After all, their uncle seemed to have a high chance of success as well.

Xie Lingya didn’t think too much about it. Throughout his career, he knew that things couldn’t be rushed; the hastier, the more likely things were to go wrong. If it really was Uncle Bao who cured Father Fu in the end, then it could only be said that their fate wasn’t right.

Xie Lingya was sound asleep in the guest room, in a very good mood, when his phone woke him up in the middle of the night. He picked it up and saw it was Xiao Dian calling. Still very sleepy, he answered, “What is it?”

Xiao Dian was practically distorted with anxiety, “Teacher Xie, look! Get up and look!”

Xie Lingya instantly woke up, “Look at what? What is it?”

He rolled over and sat up, only to hear Xiao Dian say on the other end, “I woke up in the middle of the night and found Guo Xing’s body was cold. I was so scared I wanted to look for you, and when I got up, I saw another Guo Xing outside the window!”

He was so frightened that he immediately called Xie Lingya, afraid that Guo Xing had disappeared while he was out.

Another Guo Xing outside the window? Perhaps it was Guo Xing’s spirit.

Xie Lingya opened the window and, sure enough, there was another Guo Xing in the courtyard outside, walking around with his feet off the ground.

Guo Xing didn’t look like he was destined to die young, so this was definitely not a soul-snatching act. Besides, they had seen the living soul with their own eyes; it was definitely some kind of evil magic.

Xie Lingya didn’t have time to think further. He told Xiao Dian to “get out,” tucked his phone away, and jumped out of the window.

Xiao Dian was wondering what to do when he saw Teacher Xie jump out of the window next to him, startling him. They lived on the second floor!

Xie Lingya almost twisted his ankle; his agility wasn’t as good as Shi Changxuan’s. He stumbled a few times after landing before running forward frantically.

Seeing this, Xiao Dian quickly turned and ran out as well.

Guo Xing’s figure was alone in the courtyard, drifting in one direction. Xie Lingya finally caught up, and seeing his bewildered expression, he used his mind seal to bind his soul.

Peach and willow trees were planted in the courtyard. Xie Lingya tore off a willow branch, made a snare, and trapped Guo Xing’s soul. He heard a noise, looked in a certain direction, and saw a figure flash by, followed by the light of a lamp that went out in an instant.

Xie Lingya had to hurry and take Guo Xing’s soul back, so he didn’t pay attention and ran back.

He and Xiao Dian ran up and down the house, put the soul back into Guo Xing’s body, and burned talisman water to calm him down, waking up the Bao siblings and Master Niu.

Xie Lingya thought of the figure that flashed by, his face turned cold, and he went out to look at them, his gaze landing on Master Niu.

Master Niu’s eyes darted around a few times, but finally calmed down and met Xie Lingya’s gaze, saying, “What’s going on in the middle of the night?”

Xie Lingya looked at him coldly and said, “Catching a living person to take the place of the dead?”

The Bao siblings’ previous confusion disappeared, and they looked at Master Niu strangely.

Master Niu’s face turned pale, and he said stiffly, “Xiao Xie, what nonsense are you spouting?”

“You haven’t wiped the mud off your trousers yet,” Xie Lingya pointed coldly.

Taking someone’s life in their place was a common evil spell. Xie Lingya had encountered it before, where a spell was cast on money and thrown out, and whoever picked it up would suffer someone else’s misfortune.

This one was even more vicious. The spellcaster carried a lantern outside, calling out to the soul. In a dream, the soul left the body and responded to the call. The sorcerer handed the lantern to the soul. If the soul accepted the lantern, the spell was complete, and there was no way to save it. Because he had already prepared the spell beforehand, the person who accepted the lantern could die in place of someone. Even the money was saved.

As for who would die in place of someone else, considering the situation, it was obviously Father Fu. Xie Lingya and the Bao siblings were racing against time to cast the spell. If Master Niu wanted to get the reward, this method was direct and quick, but it lacked any moral virtue— could this really be called saving lives?

These sorcerers were resolute; their souls wouldn’t be summoned away. Xiao Dian had already undergone a transformation, and Mr. Fu, having paid for the service, couldn’t be summoned either. In the end, it was Guo Xing who fell victim. It was fortunate that it was Guo Xing; if it had been someone else living nearby, Xie Lingya might not have noticed immediately, let alone been able to rescue them!

Everyone was an expert; Xie Lingya and the Bao siblings had a rough idea of what was going on and subconsciously moved a few steps away from him.

Xie Lingya saw this and felt a slight sense of relief. There were many in this line of work who used their abilities for evil, but there were also those who adhered to principles. It was just that Guo Xing was unlucky; he suffered misfortune as soon as he visited.

Everyone was wary of each other, the atmosphere extremely tense. Just as they were facing off, they suddenly felt a strong, eerie aura. Looking outside, their breathing quickened.

Among the ornamental trees in the courtyard, there were many skeletal figures, reflecting a ghastly white light in the moonlight. Some of them had rotting flesh clinging to them, walking step by step towards the outside.

Xie Lingya’s heart tightened even more. The location was different, but he had witnessed such a scene before. It was the Corpse Forest summoned by the Evil Buddha during the siege of Hongyang Dao. Could it be that the culprit was indeed a remnant of Hongyang Dao, and had even followed him to Qingqiu City?

“What happened?” Fu Zhiye came downstairs to the living room. He had also been awakened by the commotion of the others, but he was a few steps slower.

However, as soon as he came downstairs, Fu Zhiye also saw the scene outside. He uttered a curse and took several steps back. He clutched his chest and said, “Is it that evil sorcerer who used Gu? He saw that you were about to heal my father, so he attacked again? How can there be such a vicious person in the world!”

Xie Lingya said awkwardly, “Uh, well, it might not be related to that evil sorcerer, it’s related to me…”

He was very embarrassed; everyone present was probably implicated because of him.

Before anyone else could react, Master Niu, his face pale, said, “I’ve long heard that Xie Lingya of Zhuyang is extremely ruthless… I… I didn’t even succeed in casting my spell, and you’re already retaliating like this?”

Xie Lingya: “…………What did you hear???”

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Translator: Dj2203

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Lu Huan, along with General Zhenyuan and others, returned from the temporary palace to their encampment outside the city. However, before heading back, he first went to a place outside the city. After leaving Changchun Temple that day, he had sent someone to inquire, and it turned out that Consort Qing was born in Yunzhou. The Emperor had buried her in the imperial mausoleum, but because he was heartbroken from missing her, he erected a cenotaph for her in Yunzhou as well.

The cenotaph was heavily guarded, but Lu Huan, relying on his excellent martial arts skills, slipped in unnoticed.

The night was chilly. Yunzhou was near the northern border, and the weather was bitterly cold; a layer of frost had thus already formed on the ground. The cenotaph looked like it had been visited just a few days ago, with a box of jewelry that a woman liked placed there— presumably belonging to that self-proclaimed devoted emperor. Even so, the surroundings were desolate, filled with an endless loneliness.

Lu Huan lowered his eyes and looked quietly at the cenotaph, his expression somewhat complicated.

Su Xi tugged at his sleeve, and he snapped out of his daze, his expression softening: “You’ve come.”

Su Xi felt that although the cub didn’t believe the Taoist nun’s words at all, the matter of his biological mother, Consort Qing, must have still touched him to some extent. After all, he had no memory of his birth mother since birth, let alone Consort Qing, he didn’t even know what that lowly concubine in the Ning Wang’s mansion looked like. He grew up in the Ning Wang’s mansion, and although he had a status, he was actually worse off than an orphan.

Feeling pity for him, Su Xi lowered her voice and asked, “What are you thinking about?”

The cub gazed at the cenotaph and said, “I think she must have been a very good person, but unfortunately the emperor is heartless. I can never even see her face. I heard that all the portraits in the palace were burned, and today Qinglan Garden caught fire again.”

After Consort Qing died, the emperor went mad for a period of time and ordered that the entire place where Consort Qing lived be burned down.

However, after the fire was burned, he became distraught and in immense pain and even built a temporary palace for the deceased in Yunzhou. The complex emotions of the emperor were truly incomprehensible.

Su Xi couldn’t help but sigh, and after thinking for a moment, she said, “Don’t be sad, at least I’m here with you.”

Lu Huan looked up at the line of words floating in the night, then his furrowed brows relaxed, and he smiled: “Mm.”

The Zhenyuan army continued its journey the next day, while at the Yunzhou Palace, the emperor did not sleep all night, but his mind was filled with suspicion. He secretly summoned people and ordered: “Secretly investigate the matter of Consort Qing back then. Find the imperial physician who diagnosed her miscarriage and interrogate him again.”

….

The northern border was covered in snow, and the situation was critical. When General Zhenyuan arrived with his army, they found that spies from a neighboring country had been captured on the frontier.

Meanwhile, the neighboring country had quietly brought its army to the city, and war was imminent.

Before even arriving in the Northern Territory, Lu Huan was already incredibly busy, and after arriving, he was even more overwhelmed.

For the first two days, Su Xi only saw the starving corpses piled up like mountains along the roadside in the North on the screen. What used to be inns and taverns had now become mass graves. The increasingly severe disasters and riots over the years had made this place resemble a living hell.

Shocking.

On the fifth day, spies from a neighboring country murdered two civilians and were captured by the Yan army. General Zhenyuan, enraged, personally hanged a prince from the neighboring country, whom they had captured a few days earlier, from the city walls, where he froze to death. This was an act of revenge, demonstrating that Yan would never back down!

This became the spark that ignited the full-blown war.

Su Xi and Lu Huan both received Mission Twelve at the same time: [Suppress the riot, achieve military merit, and force the enemy to retreat; reward: 2000 gold coins and 18 points.]

But at this moment, facing such a hellish city on the border, neither of them could focus on the mission.

This was the first time Su Xi had ever seen such a scene of blood flowing like a river, and her eyelids twitched.

It wasn’t like those poorly made period dramas where a few corpses were thrown on the ground. Instead, there were rotting corpses of soldiers, officers, and civilians everywhere. Although the northern border was bitterly cold, flies and maggots still swarmed and crawled among the corpses.

The people inside the city huddled together, weeping bitterly, while in the distance, war raged and the flags of the Yan Kingdom flew high.

If Su Xi hadn’t not spent any money on in-game purchases, so all she saw were the tiny, dead figures, she probably would have vomited.

On the cub’s birthday, Su Xi didn’t have time to celebrate with him. Because he put on his armor, led his troops away from the northern border, and went directly to the front line. With the war raging, he spent most of his time on horseback and didn’t have much time to communicate with Su Xi.

He wanted Su Xi to stop opening the brick curtain on her side for a while, so she wouldn’t see the bloodshed on his side.

However, Su Xi was constantly worried, fearing that the cub she had raised with such difficulty might get hurt in the war, so she turned on her phone even more often than before.

Lu Huan and General Zhenyuan discussed matters together in the tent. Lu Huan came up with many strategies, which led to Yan’s repeated victories over the past month, and neighboring countries retreated from several cities.

However, a new crisis had arisen. Before retreating, the neighboring country bound hundreds of elderly people, women, and children and retreated with them into the valley of Huiyan Mountain, using this to coerce the Zhenyuan Army into withdrawing.

If they did not press their advantage now, the neighboring countries may take advantage of this time to recuperate and launch another attack.

However, if they pressed their advantage, those hundred-plus elderly, women, and children would surely be beheaded with their heads displayed to the public. They were all ordinary citizens of Yan, and their families were being escorted back to the city by the army. If they disregarded the lives of these hundred-plus people, even if the Zhenyuan Army won this battle, they would likely lose all popular support in Yan.

The only solution now was to send a team to secretly infiltrate the Huiyan Mountain Valley, rescue the more than one hundred people, and then wipe out the enemy forces.

However, venturing deep into enemy territory was extremely dangerous.

….

Inside the tent, Lu Huan stared intently at the topographical map on the table, lost in thought. The candlelight cast a shadow on his profile, flickering with light and shadow.

Before even arriving in the Northern Territory, Su Xi knew that marching and fighting would be arduous, so she spent a long time practicing martial arts with her son, striking wooden stakes. But she never expected it to be so dangerous.

Swords and spears had no eyes; although the boy’s martial arts skills were already quite good and he didn’t suffer any major injuries, his skin inevitably got cut in a few places.

His fair face was smeared with dirt and bloodstains. Because he didn’t know when the bugle would sound, he didn’t have time to deal with it. A few days ago, an arrow had grazed his arm, which he had only hastily bandaged.

Every day, Su Xi’s heart would pound whenever she saw him leave the tent; only when he remained inside did she feel a little more at ease. If she had known it would turn out this way, she should have tried her best to steer the main quest in a different direction, avoiding the northern border missions no matter what.

Su Xi couldn’t help but sigh, sitting at the table holding a pen, unable to concentrate on any of the questions on the test paper.

Lu Huan memorized the topographical map and looked at the curtain, only to see her face filled with worry. Lu Huan became even more worried. Xiao Xi hadn’t done many practice tests since returning from school several days ago and had been constantly watching him nervously. Wouldn’t her studies fall behind if this continued?

But Lu Huan couldn’t say it outright. So he said gently to Su Xi, “You should rest early. I’ll be fine. I’ve already thought of a plan for this rescue mission. It might not be me leading the troops.”

Su Xi didn’t believe it at all; she thought that old bast**d General Zhenyuan would definitely send his son with people.

She sighed deeply, “I should never have let you come to this awful place.”

For Su Xi, although she had witnessed the scene of rivers of blood, perhaps because the corpses of those civilians had all been systematized into cartoon figures, she felt pity but not righteous indignation. What she cared about more was, of course, her son, whom she had spent almost a year and a half with, and who she couldn’t even celebrate his sixteenth birthday with because of the war.

However, Lu Huan had witnessed the bloody scene firsthand, and his desire to end the war as soon as possible and restore peace to the people of the Northern Border was naturally even more urgent than hers.

Lu Huan smiled and didn’t blame her for not understanding the dynasty she lived in.

They were already separated by a thousand years, and everything— culture, language, and thought— was very different. After he came into contact with some of her knowledge and culture, he discovered that his own dynasty was riddled with decadent feudal culture, while her side was much more peaceful, and wars were almost nonexistent there.

Therefore, she didn’t need to understand the backwardness and isolation of his dynasty; she could simply let him integrate into her dynasty.

He longed to touch her through the curtain but then thought that if he suddenly raised his hand, she would find it strange. So he promised, “This war should be over in less than three months. Then we’ll go back to the capital. I haven’t shown you the new house we bought yet.”

Su Xi was a little happier then: “Mm.”

Lu Huan urged again, “Go to sleep quickly.”

Su Xi looked at the image of the cub on her phone screen. She didn’t know why, but ever since the cub reverted to his original form after reaching 100 points, he was still handsome, but the tone of his voice when speaking to her always sounded like that of an old father. Like the kind of old father who frantically rushed to buy medicine when his period cramps were acting up.

She shook her head, wondering if it was just her imagination.

However, it was indeed late, and she had to log off. So she said goodnight to the cub one last time and then slowly logged off.

Although Lu Huan urged Su Xi to go to sleep, he was actually very reluctant to part with her. He hadn’t spent much time in the tent lately, either on marches or in ambushes, and rarely had time to talk to her. Moreover, because there were so many soldiers and officers in the army, there was no privacy, and he had to treat his injuries himself, unlike before when she could help him.

He was also wondering when he would be able to return to the capital from the north.

As he pondered these thoughts, he looked up and gazed at the curtain again.

Then, on the backdrop of the fading stream, a bunch of bubbles appeared on his head.

“Sigh, they left just like that, and they didn’t even stay with me for two more seconds while I was injured.”

“Sigh, I got a bruise on my face yesterday, and Xiao Xi didn’t even notice when she came. She only asked a couple of questions and that was it. Sigh, I should have gotten a worse injury.”

“Sigh, I want to go back to the capital.”

“Well……”

Lu Huan’s expression went blank. This bunch of bubbles— he actually had so many thoughts in his head? How could he not have known?! He clearly hadn’t been thinking about any of this—! How could he be so indecisive about these things?!

Lu Huan’s face turned bright red, and he hurriedly covered his head, but the bubbles kept rising. Fortunately, the curtain on Su Xi’s side went dark after a while.

On the screen, Su Xi was staring at the pile of bubbles, slamming her hand on the table and laughing wildly.

She slammed her hand on the table and accidentally knocked the water glass off the table.

Lu Huan’s face darkened: “…………”

The author has something to say:

The following day:

Su Xi came online and decided to fulfill the child’s wish: My God! My little one, how did you get so badly injured! Does it hurt?! My heart is breaking! Hahahaha!

Lu Huan, who was sixteen and old enough to marry and have children in the State of Yan (his face darkened once again): …

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Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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Only then did everyone realize how eye-catching Cheng Jia was, with all those talismans plastered all over his body!

Normally, they might have smiled politely to Cheng Jia’s face outwardly, while inwardly cursing him. But here, a hint of envy arose in their hearts, and many clutched the talismans Gu Wuji had given them tightly, unsure of their effectiveness, but at least for psychological comfort.

In this eerie environment, filming began.

Although Cheng Liangmiao had some issues with Gu Wuji, he wouldn’t let those feelings affect his work. Gu Wuji, on the other hand, always considered his work the most important thing in his life, so he was completely focused.

In short, because both of them were incredibly talented and professional, filming progressed exceptionally smoothly, with most scenes completed in one take.

Even Cheng Liangmiao’s impression of Gu Wuji began to change. After this personal interaction, he found the other man’s attitude to be genuinely serious, unlike what he had initially thought. But the initial impression was too strong to completely change overnight.

Even the extras around them were incredibly immersed in their roles, deeply moving the director. Although Cheng Jia, watching from the sidelines, suspected it was because the place was inherently haunted… and these extras must have been scared!

Then, amidst the anxious anticipation of the staff possessed by the ghosts… filming ended just like that.

“Damn, how could this happen!” The ghost possessing the staff was shocked. “Aren’t there quite a few ghosts here? Not a single one has come out to cause trouble?!”

These ghosts, incited by the ghosts yesterday, decided to take action against Gu Wuji. But these high-level ghosts certainly wouldn’t go looking for trouble with Gu Wuji on their own, so they prepared to incite other ghosts to do so.

And this place was undoubtedly the best place to do so. Because of the inherent problems with the road construction, a bend in the road created a blind spot, making it an accident hotspot, teeming with ghosts… the most terrifying of all was the female ghost buried by the driver, her resentment comparable to a vengeful spirit.

Even recently, an accident had occurred here, so yesterday the staff rushed to the director to report it. But then they were directly possessed by ghosts, allowing everything to happen smoothly today.

It wouldn’t matter if the female ghost here failed to kill Gu Wuji; they had already prepared a large number of ghosts on their way back, and Gu Wuji would surely die if he went there.

But… seeing that everyone around was packing up to go home, and Gu Wuji had disappeared, the ghost possessing the staff member was stunned. He tried to ask them to stay a little longer, but he didn’t know what excuse to use!

“Damn it, what’s wrong with this female ghost here! Does she think Gu Wuji is a handsome guy and so won’t kill him?!” The ‘staff member’ couldn’t help but say angrily. He decided to urge the female ghost himself, so while everyone else was packing up, he slowly walked towards a secluded spot.

But he felt that the surroundings were really strange, really very strange. After all, he himself was a ghost! This place, which was very eerie to others, was just like his home, and this was the first time he felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

“Why isn’t there a single ghost? This isn’t right!”

The ‘staff member’ vaguely realized that something was wrong. The female ghost was of a higher level than him; if she wanted to attack him… it was as if her every thought would come true. The next moment, the female ghost’s back suddenly appeared in front of him.

The ‘staff member’ jumped back in fright. “B-Big sister, let’s talk this over! I didn’t mean to use you! If we kill Gu Wuji, we can share the spoils…”

Before the female ghost could even turn her head, countless black mist threads surged towards the ‘staff member,’ causing him to turn and run in terror.

After an unknown amount of time, it seemed there was no more movement behind him. The ‘staff member’ breathed a sigh of relief. “What’s going on? Does this woman really want to monopolize Gu Wuji’s soul? Isn’t that too greedy?”

At that moment, he heard rustling sounds ahead. The ‘staff member’ was startled and cautiously walked forward, only to see a person with their head down, digging something in the ground with a shovel in the misty forest.

The scene was straight out of a horror movie. Even though the person had been dead for so long, a sense of fear inexplicably arose in the ‘staff member’. As it slowly walked forward, it was horrified to see the person raise their head, revealing an incredibly black face.

Since they were both ghosts, things would be easier, the ‘staff member’ breathed a slight sigh of relief. But in the next instant, a hand suddenly landed on its shoulder.

The ‘staff member’ suddenly realized something extremely terrifying. As a ghost, it could certainly sense the presence of other ghosts, but the being behind it remained completely still. What was that—

“Aaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!”

Accompanied by the ‘staff member’s scream, Gu Wuji, standing behind it, looked ashamed. “Sorry, I scared you. That person in front… was actually an actor dressed as a vengeful ghost. Don’t mind them! Anyway, are you alright?”

‘Staff member’: “…??”

To save trouble, Gu Wuji had ordered all the ghosts around him to dig where the corpse might be hiding, but he hadn’t expected to frighten this innocent staff member, making Gu Wuji feel quite embarrassed.

“No, I’m fine.” The ‘staff member’ suddenly realized this was a good opportunity. If it could gain Gu Wuji’s trust and then strike, wouldn’t that be perfect? So it immediately feigned friendliness, “What are you looking for? Should I help you?”

“Ah, this…” Gu Wuji hesitated, of course. Just then, an excited voice came from the other side, “Found it!”

The ‘staff member’ immediately rushed forward with Gu Wuji and the dark-faced ghost beside him. Then it was shocked to see the corpse in the pit in front of it. Wasn’t this the corpse of the female ghost in this area?!

Almost instantly, it realized something, turned around, and saw that the female ghost had appeared behind them at some point.

….

It was already dark when Gu Wuji and the crew left the village police station.

After all, this matter was quite troublesome. They still needed to contact the female ghost’s family, and they were also preparing to find the driver who caused the accident.

The rest of the crew was also incredibly shocked. Who knew that Gu Wuji could find a corpse just by taking a casual stroll in the woods? Their crew might even make the news… However, due to the weather, it was inconvenient for outsiders to come over, so they would have to wait a few more days before they could give an interview.

The female ghost’s obsession was finally resolved, but she didn’t ask Gu Wuji to purify her. Instead, she said she would come to help him at that time.

Gu Wuji knew without explanation that she was referring to the vengeful ghosts coming to bother him a few days later.

As for the other ghosts who died in accidents and were controlled by the female ghost, they were all purified by Gu Wuji. Afterwards, even the villagers passing by felt that the atmosphere around them was less oppressive.

“However, to solve the fundamental problem, we still need to improve the roads here.” Gu Wuji had already planned to donate money to repair the roads in the village after he left.

As for the ghost that had been possessing the staff member, Gu Wuji was prepared to purify it immediately. After all, the ghost’s obsession had been going on for too long and was beyond his ability to handle.

The ghost, thinking Gu Wuji intended to annihilate it, hadn’t said anything until it was being purified. It suddenly realized Gu Wuji was actually helping it, and its expression changed immediately. So it said to Gu Wuji, “Be careful, the orphanage, they’re waiting for you—”

Before it could finish speaking, the ghost was purified, and Gu Wuji even gained a considerable number of points.

“What was it trying to say? The orphanage?” Gu Wuji frowned.

“Perhaps it was trying to give a hint,” Austin said. “After all, the orphanage in this village is a filming location.”

“I remember now!” Gu Wuji suddenly recalled the children he dreamed about last night, and his expression immediately brightened. “It seems that even after being purified, it still thinks about the other ghosts in the village. There must be ghosts in the orphanage waiting for me to purify them!”

In reality, the ghost was just trying to warn Gu Wuji to be careful, since its companions were already lying in ambush in the orphanage, ready to attack him… The orphanage was home to many children ghosts.

“No need to wait until tomorrow, let’s go now.”

….

Inside the orphanage, the ghost possessing the director was now sweating profusely.

It looked at Gu Wuji, who was mingling with many children, even the vengeful spirits of the children, and was deeply questioning its existence.

Gu Wuji had suddenly appeared, and it immediately guessed that one of its companions had probably already been dealt with by Gu Wuji, and that the other party was probably here to deal with it… But Gu Wuji was calmly comforting the children! Was he really just here to visit the orphanage?!

The terrifying thing was that the three most powerful children ghosts, who had previously agreed to kill Gu Wuji together, were now staring at the ghost possessing the orphanage director with chilling eyes.

“You actually want to kill such a good older brother?!”

“You almost tricked us! How could we let you succeed!”

The three children’s eyes were now icy cold.

Damn it! What older brother? Are you really that close to Gu Wuji?! The ghost was filled with regret and tried to escape, but one ghost was no match for three, and it was quickly caught.

As Gu Wuji was leaving, he looked at the ghost the three children had given him with surprise. “This farewell gift is quite special.”

The ghost: “…B-Boss, spare me!!”

Unlike the previous ghost, it wasn’t as confident. Seeing the situation was unfavorable, it immediately explained everything to Gu Wuji.

….

While the ghost was leisurely staying in the house with the two or three other ghosts from yesterday, thinking that his plan was flawless and just waiting for Gu Wuji to come back and make his move… they had already been completely betrayed by their companions.

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Transparent tears slid down her snow-white cheeks, dripping from her chin and leaving deep water stains on the blankets.

The torrent of tears seemed unstoppable, silently filling her blood-red eyes, quickly soaking the sheets.

Compared to the torrent of tears, Yue’s expression was initially blank, as if it took him a while to recover.

He frowned, a troubled helplessness showing between his brows, then an unbearable pain surfacing in his usually cold and indifferent eyes.

“Ah…” A hoarse sigh escaped Yue’s lips; no matter how hard he tried to maintain his composure, he couldn’t hide his choked voice, “It’s so painful.”

“Why?” Ding Hong on the bed blurted out, not even knowing what she herself wanted to know after asking.

The moment the man’s hand touched her heart, the sorrow, despair, and reluctance she felt seemed to be transferred, relieving her mental torment but leaving behind an emptiness.

This emptiness made Ding Hong even more panicked, even leading to the thought: she’d rather die from heartache than experience this ignorant emptiness, feeling nothing at all.

Fortunately, the emptiness vanished in just a few seconds, and she regained her emotions.

The first thought that crossed her mind wasn’t relief, but intense heartache: Yue always said he had no feelings, so he didn’t know what happiness or sadness felt like. At first, she didn’t understand, but now she understood a little. This emptiness, as if she had no heart, was terrifying! Even just a few brief seconds almost made her lose herself. How had Yue gotten through this past year?

Thinking this, she could no longer control herself and opened her arms to hug the man in front of her.

“Ah!” The moment she touched him, the sleeves of her hands tore open as if burned.

Ding Hong was also burned by the sudden, intense heat.

The scream jolted Yue out of his reverie, and he recoiled abruptly.

Ding Hong, however, didn’t let go, and his movement pulled her off the bed, causing them to fall to the floor together.

“Let go.”

“No!”

Ding Hong not only didn’t let go, but instead gripped the man’s clothes tightly, her voice filled with undisguised terror. “Why is this happening? What’s wrong with you? Your face, your body…”

Yue didn’t speak; it felt as if volcanic lava was flowing beneath his skin, threatening to incinerate him at any moment.

“Tell me! I command you to tell me!” Ding Hong screamed.

Since their unexpected encounter, the fox spirit Yue had been unable to refuse her commands.

But this time, it was ineffective.

“Yue! Tell me what happened? Why have you become like this! Speak!”

No matter how Ding Hong interrogated, commanded, or focused intently, it had no effect on the person beneath her; despair gradually surfaced in her eyes.

“Have you noticed?” Yue said slowly, “Your commands are ineffective against me.”

He reached out, his sharp fingers tracing Ding Hong’s cheek, leaving a red mark without even applying any force.

A flicker of pain flashed in those tear-washed, crimson eyes. Her fingers didn’t move forward; instead, they withdrew a centimeter. “So I can hurt you, but it won’t affect me.”

Ding Hong’s eyes widened, her lips trembling. “It’s…it’s okay, nothing’s okay, as long as you’re alright… you have to be alright…”

“Get away!” Yue suddenly roared, interrupting her fragmented words.

Ding Hong was startled. But her instinctive reaction wasn’t to leave this seemingly crazed monster, but to grip him even tighter, afraid he would disappear from her sight.

“I told you to get away, or I’ll really kill you!” To prove his words, Yue’s five fingers suddenly plunged into Ding Hong’s heart with lightning speed.

This time, the fingers pierced her clothes, cutting her skin, and blood stained the edges of her garment.

Ding Hong cried out in pain, raising her head to meet Yue’s gaze.

The usually quiet and somewhat shy girl now possessed a terrifying, stubborn madness in her eyes.

She clutched the hand piercing her chest, crying out, “Kill me! Do you think this will scare me? Let me tell you, even if I die, I won’t leave! You’ve saved me more than once or twice anyway, this life is yours already, take it if you want!”

“…”

No matter how hard the girl tried, she couldn’t budge the demonized hand an inch.

Ding Hong laughed and cried at the same time, her beautiful face contorted, “I like you, I like you, I like you, Yue! I like you, I really, really like you, I dare not say I love you, others say liking is unrestrained possession, but love is selfless restraint, I don’t want to be selfless or restrained, I will only like you more and more from now on!”

“Ha.” Yue twitched her lips, revealing her usual mocking smile, “What a reckless and selfish confession.”

Ding Hong didn’t speak, tears dripping from her chin, falling onto Yue’s cheek below, instantly drying and evaporating.

Yue gazed at her silently, his eyes growing increasingly intense. His tightly pressed, cold lips trembled slightly as he parted, a low, mournful moan escaping from the depths of his throat.

He gave a bitter laugh, suddenly reaching out to pull the girl into his arms.

“Ding Hong, you haven’t changed at all.”

His hoarse voice brought tears to Ding Hong’s eyes, her heart aching. How could she bear to see this proud man so disheveled? He was always arrogant, and he should remain so.

She tried to move, to speak, but the man held her tightly, and she heard him mutter to himself, as if speaking to the air, “Always knows how to sway my heart.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ding Hong felt her heart pound violently, a deafening roar echoing in her mind, and all the images vanished.

Outside, a crimson moon hung in the sky, draping the world in a hazy, eerie veil. The modern steel city in the scene distorted and blurred, like a broken cassette tape, pulling one’s mind and body into the turmoil, leaving them unable to control themselves.

“Ding-a-ling—” A light, melodious bell sound suddenly rang out, growing louder as it approached.

The scene abruptly quieted down, no longer showing the familiar modern skyscrapers. Instead, there were blue-tiled roofs, stone-paved paths, and men and women dressed in short robes.

They were discussing something, and a scene played out in fragments. Listening to the conversations of the people in the play, one learnt that a legend was circulating in this small town— a fox spirit lived on Qingqiu Mountain behind their town, and every year sacrifices were offered to this fox spirit to ensure the town’s good weather and safety.

However, in recent years, the town had become unsettled, with frequent incidents of able-bodied men getting injured or disappearing while hunting in the mountains. Some suspected the fox spirit was angry, while others believed it was not a fox spirit at all, but a mountain demon.

The people were divided into two factions. One side believed that finding a bride for the Fox Spirit would please him and ensure his continued protection. The other side wanted to hire a sorcerer from outside the town to eliminate the mountain demon. They had chosen a representative and were raising money to send that person out of town to invite a renowned sorcerer.

While the belligerent faction was out searching for a sorcerer, the peaceful faction also encountered problems. Families with daughters were unwilling to send their children away. After discussion, they decided that everyone would contribute money to buy a woman from outside the town to be the Fox Spirit’s bride.

No one expected that the powerful sorcerer brought by the belligerent faction would encounter bandits on her way to the town. Initially, she was reluctant to fight due to the rule against harming ordinary people, but a hidden archer killed the town’s guide with a single arrow.

This sparked a fight, giving this inexperienced young sorcerer her first real experience of the cruelty of humanity.

She still didn’t kill him, only crippling the hidden archer before fleeing.

But before she could escape, she was struck hard on the head with a club, her face covered in blood. And after running for more than ten minutes, she collapsed unconscious on the ground.

This was the only way out of the small town, and two villagers who were going out of town to buy a fox spirit bride happened to find the unconscious female sorceress.

“Is this really necessary? She’s already so pitiful.” The young man looked at the female sorceress’s beautiful face, even stained with blood, and felt a pang of pity.

The older man, while carrying her, said, “If we hadn’t passed by and rescued her, she would either have frozen to death here or been eaten by wild beasts. We are her saviors, she should repay our kindness!”

“But if she marries the fox spirit, she won’t survive…”

“Shut up! Hurry up and carry her. Aren’t you happy that we can save you some money? Don’t you want to get married?”

“But…”

“Hurry up!”

In the end, the young man was persuaded, and the two of them carried the female sorceress back.

They didn’t know that after they had gone far away, a figure easily landed where they had been.

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Sorry guys as I cannot find a raw for My Demon King Plush (MDKP) at this moment, I have put it on hold… If any of you knows of a link, kindly share it with me so that I can continue the translations…

Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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The Xuanming Plaque seemed to sense Bai Ju’s arrival, immediately emitting a soft buzzing sound. A deep, dark light emanated from the plaque, rippling outwards. After a few circles of ripples, the struggling, ferocious black lines around it were unwillingly suppressed and bound, their attacking momentum forcibly halted, reduced to threads, and pulled back by the Xuanming Plaque.

Bai Ju’s gaze softened, sweeping over the threads, and he reached out to touch the cool edge of the plaque.

Back then, if such a divine beast had been guarding the four directions, how could he, Old Dog Bai, have had to deal with those messy affairs?

Slightly moved, Bai Ju sighed, collected his thoughts, and said to the Xuanming Plaque, “No need to trouble yourself… I’ll lend you a hand.”

Through Bai Ju’s fingertips, the Xuanming Plaque conveyed a hint of doubt and confusion; it only knew that what it was extracting from the mountain was not good, and that it was clearly poised to attack Bai Ju, which, in the Xuanming Plaque’s view, was quite dangerous.

Bai Ju chuckled and touched the mottled characters on the Xuanming Plaque: “Don’t worry, I’m fine. This thing can’t harm me.”

Having finished speaking, Bai Ju rubbed his fingertips reassuringly twice before withdrawing his hand.

The next instant, a deep crimson slowly emerged from the depths of Bai Ju’s pitch-black right eye, soon coloring the entire pupil a deep red.

The scar extending from the corner of his eye also lit up, a bright gold interwoven with the ominous crimson, making the lines appear as if magma was surging beneath cracked ground.

In an instant, the silk threads that had been baring their fangs and trying to pounce seemed to have seen something terrifying, trembling and struggling again, trying to escape from the Xuanming Plaque— but Bai Ju would never give it such an opportunity. This was the first time he had actively used what was in his right eye, and he wouldn’t do it without a purpose.

A terrifying suction force erupted from Bai Ju, like a greedy demon finally finding its food; the black silk threads pulled out by the Xuanming Plaque instantly lost their shape, twisting and turning before being roughly scattered into smoke. The mist then rolled towards Bai Ju’s outstretched palm.

This eerie power was sealed within the mountain, containing the vampire’s own heritage, but even more so, a jumble of resentment, fear, and evil accumulated over the years, seemingly originating not only from the island. These elements were difficult to extract without breaking the seal, but the Xuanming Plaque itself had an extremely close connection to the island. This allowed it to be extracted piece by piece while maintaining the seal, then the Xuanwu power stored within the plaque was used to replace these elements and infuse them into the mountain, completing the replacement. What would normally be difficult for Bai Ju to manipulate, now with the Xuanming Plaque as a medium, allowed him to swiftly gather what had been extracted from the plaque into his palm.

His ivory-white skin appeared exceptionally pale in this hazy space. His palm slightly clenched, a thin layer of golden light covering Bai Ju’s hand, prevented the invasion of the eerie black energy; subtle and imperceptible. Golden threads occasionally darted about, compressing and gathering the black smoke into a ball the size of a pigeon egg, slowly rotating in Bai Ju’s palm to absorb more.

The thing in his eyes began to struggle and resist. It needed this black energy… it wanted to devour this readily available feast to strengthen itself and rebel against the mountain god who had suppressed it for thousands of years.

A familiar, dull ache lingered in his mind, accompanied by a hallucination of excruciating pain…

Bai Ju closed his eyes.

Something he thought he would never touch again.

Thousands of years of torment were etched into his bones; even if he didn’t hate it, this body had long remembered the pain it had inflicted; so much so that even slight symptoms awakened his memories.

Sharp nails uncontrollably protruded from his fingertips.

Bai Ju held the black energy ball in one hand, his other clenched into a fist, the meridians lurking beneath his skin bulging, then quickly subsiding.

Calm down… it’s all over now, this thing… had been suppressed by him and worn down over countless years, now reduced to mere dregs, devoid of complete consciousness and the ability to rise again.

This thing had become his defeated foe, a part of him sealed within his body, and he was entitled to utilize it, to… assimilate it into his own body.

A surge of clarity flooded his mind from the crown of his head, dispelling all the painful illusions; the lines spreading from the corners of his eyes to his cheeks now seemed threatened, their dark red glow flickering more intensely, even showing a hint of panic.

Countless golden threads leaped out, binding the deep red markings, crushing and destroying them bit by bit.

The blood-red in Bai Ju’s pupils was gradually sifted through by the golden rays, and in no time, the two merged, becoming indistinguishable, a golden-red like the blazing sun. Bai Ju breathed a sigh of relief, composed himself, and then looked up to communicate with the Xuanming Plaque: “Please, replace this black energy as soon as possible.”

The Xuanming Plaque, acting on Bai Ju’s orders, resided within the mountain, displacing the power here. However, its own abilities alone couldn’t guarantee control over all the black energy if the displacing was too rapid, hence the gradual, piecemeal approach.

Now, Bai Ju, using it as a medium, could directly suppress the black energy within the island, eliminating any future threat for the Xuanming Plaque. Although its remaining intelligence didn’t allow it to comprehend the changes that had just occurred with Bai Ju, it didn’t prevent it from judging that Bai Ju possessed sufficient power to deal with this black energy.

(The mountain’s illusory realm…”)

The plaque and the demon king reached a consensus. In an instant, the Xuanming Plaque ceased its suppression, and countless streams of black energy surged from the surrounding space, surging relentlessly, gathering at a speed more than a hundred times faster than before.

The profound black aura, dignified and chilling, billowed forth from the Xuanming Plaque, spreading outwards from this small illusory realm, permeating the entire island of Turtle Valley Island, and also seeping into the seal. The portion of the vampire’s inheritance that had been stripped away was limited; after being purified by the Xuanming Plaque and deepened by the Xuanwu aura, it seemed to have fused and mutated into another kind of power, somewhere between yin and yang. However, this state was actually more suitable for the merfolk to absorb than before.

If the seal were to open later, and the merfolk transferred the power within, the risk of them absorbing it would be considerably lower.

Bai Ju stabilized the black sphere in his palm, raised his other hand to touch his lower eyelid, and then conjured a water mirror to look at himself.

Hmm… the scar was still there, it hadn’t faded.

It seemed to be as he had guessed before; as long as that thing was inside him, whether he suppressed it or absorbed it, this scar couldn’t be removed.

It was a pity that if he were to transfer this power from… If it were removed from his own body, he might not be able to ignite the Emperor’s Fate for Xiao Yao. After all, it wasn’t a good thing, but it was undeniably powerful.

Otherwise, how could it have tormented him for so many years?

Putting aside how much this thing had enhanced Bai Ju’s strength, from Old Dog Bai’s own perspective, he was actually somewhat disappointed.

He didn’t like the scar on his face, even though Xiao Yao had complimented it on its appearance. He still wanted to remove it so that his Yao Yao could see him clean and untainted— his original, purest self.

Whether it was appearance or soul.

Xiao Yao’s mind was uneasy.

As he drifted off for the third time, Qu Lang finally couldn’t resist flicking his forehead.

“Brother Xiao, Master Xiao, what are you doing, so absent-minded?” Qu Lang, a semi-transparent string dangling from his mouth, gestured for Xiao Yao to help, “Where to tie it next?”

Xiao Yao rubbed his forehead, his thoughts returning to normal. Unlike usual, he didn’t immediately dwell on Qu Lang’s flick, but instead focused his gaze on the array plate in Qu Lang’s hand, pointing to a certain constellation among the silver nails, saying, “Here.”

Qu Lang hurriedly wrapped the string around it.

The silver nails on this array plate were arranged according to constellations. The array was connected and arranged using refined silk ropes. The constellations changed daily, and the arrangement varied accordingly. Only after the array was complete would it automatically adjust according to the constellations.

Qu Lang had some understanding of formations, but when he and Xiao Yao studied under the same master, Xiao Yao specialized in astrology, while he specialized in military strategy. As a result, although his skill in formations was considerable, it was still less than a tenth of Xiao Yao’s. Therefore, when working on this formation, he could set up a portion himself, but for the rest, he had to consult Xiao Yao to determine the key nodes.

This wasn’t to say that Qu Lang was weak.

In fact, like many talented individuals, Qu Lang was quite frustrated by the era he lived in. Qu Lang, skilled in military strategy, lacked “soldiers”; soldiers consisted of three things: soldiers, weapons, and military tactics.

Soldiers were those with capable subordinates and a perfectly compatible partner; weapons were those with versatile and endlessly varied weapons; and military tactics were those that cultivated morale, slew demons, established principles, and created a unique artistic realm that connected with heaven and earth.

All three were indispensable, and Qu Lang lacked all of them.

Regarding soldiers, he had teammates, but he lacked a truly compatible and tacit partner whose strength matched his own. Each of his men had their own path, and none could be his sole source of synergy. As for weapons, while modern cold and hot weapons were common, the weapons discussed in the sorcerer’s world referred to spiritually imbued implements. Unfortunately, Qu Lang only possessed a handful of spiritual weapons; from which any kind of transformation was impossible— simply put, he was poor. Regarding magic, that was based on the previous two.

The art of war was for military geniuses; but without soldiers and weapons, military strategy was nothing but a pipe dream.

Therefore, the strength Qu Lang could currently unleash was probably less than one-tenth of his true power.

After pointing out two or three key points, Xiao Yao’s gaze fell on Qu Lang, and he couldn’t help but drift off into thought.

He inexplicably recalled some of Bai Ju’s confident statements… as if he were quite certain that the current state of affairs would change. A pearl will not be obscured, and a new era will begin.

In this era, the more knowledgeable a cultivator is, the clearer they understand how low the ceiling of their potential truly is. Yet, Old Dog Bai had repeatedly expressed vaguely that this ceiling would soon rise.

Xiao Yao had a headache.

He believed Old Dog Bai wouldn’t speak without reason, but he wasn’t sure whether breaking this barrier would be a natural development of this world, a catalyst requiring Bai Ju to sacrifice something, or a price he himself would have to pay.

His unease grew heavier.

Xiao Yao abruptly stood up, took a couple of anxious steps, then sat back down: “…Next, go around here.”

Qu Lang stared blankly at Xiao Yao, rarely seeing him so agitated. So he stopped what he was doing, somewhat at a loss: “Brother Xiao, what’s wrong?”

Xiao Yao grabbed a handful of hair, then squatted down, head bowed.

After a long while, he squeezed out through clenched teeth: “I suspect that stupid dog, your Brother Bai…”

Perhaps, maybe, he had already… done something irreversible.

Perhaps not a bad thing, but perhaps something he hadn’t wanted to do.

His throat tightened.

Xiao Yao stared intently at the ground beneath his toes, wishing he could burn a hole in it.

The fleeting “do-or-die” feeling he’d just experienced definitely didn’t originate from himself. Xiao Yao couldn’t think of anyone other than Bai Ju who could directly stir his emotions.

He closed his eyes briefly.

Xiao Yao then changed the subject: “A Lang, I want… to regain my memories.”

The author has something to say:

Ahem, to avoid any wild guesses, the following author’s notes contain some spoilers. Skip if you don’t want to be spoiled.

First, the remnant in Old Dog Bai’s eyes is a fragment of a demon god’s divine essence, something Old Dog Bai strongly dislikes, which will be mentioned directly later. Partly due to his nature, Old Dog Bai has hated demon gods from the beginning. Although he has long since erased this fragment, he always feels uneasy, worried that he will be influenced by the demon god and do bad things, so he has been avoiding it, unwilling to use this dirty and dangerous power. In this chapter, he decides to fully accept and utilize this power.

Secondly, Xiao Yao’s memories are one of the keys to unlocking his destiny. His lost memories aren’t irretrievable, but the price to pay for them is uncontrollable. Therefore, Xiao Yao has been avoiding this issue, hoping to live a peaceful life while “amnesiac.” In this chapter, he guesses some of Bai Ju’s actions and intuitively feels that his own memories can be a breakthrough, unwilling to let Bai Ju bear the burden alone.

That’s why this chapter is titled “No Escape.”

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Translator: Dj2203

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Without his elders around, Zhuang Lao Da’s honest and unassuming face revealed a twisted expression. He was mortified by Zhuang Lao Er, consumed by jealousy.

Why are both of Zhuang Lao Er’s sons successful, passing the imperial examinations and becoming scholars? Why can Zhuang Lao Er earn four taels of silver a month, yet he can’t even afford to eat? Why is it that whatever Zhuang Lao Er says goes, and even his parents have to obey him?

If it weren’t for Tian’er’s good fortune in gradually winning over her parents’ hearts, her family probably wouldn’t even have a place to stay.

The more Zhuang Lao Da thought about it, the more he hated it, and he couldn’t help but curse Zhuang Lao Er in his heart. The hanged dog was actually a reflection of his true inner self.

Zhuang Tian’er glanced at him and said casually, “The news that Second Uncle’s family has made a fortune is only known to the villagers so far, so it’s not very dangerous. Dad, don’t worry.”

Zhuang Lao Da immediately twisted his jealousy into a worried expression, a thought surfacing in his mind: Yes, the news hasn’t spread yet, and Zhuang Lao Er is still safe. But what if the news spreads? What if the surrounding villages happen to harbor the bandits’ spies?

With this thought, a sinister light emanated from Zhuang Lao Da’s turbid eyes.

Zhuang Tian’er lowered her head slightly and smiled secretly.

Human hearts are so unpredictable.

Human hearts are so simple and easy to control.

In this life, she will definitely live better than anyone else!

….

The following day, Zhuang Li hired a carriage to go to Bazhou City, and to prevent any accidents, he also took his whole family and their gold and silver treasures with him.

“Father, Mother, go to the fortune teller’s office and ask who owns that house in Xishan, and whether it’s for sale or not. I’m not going; I need to set up my fortune-telling stall here.” Zhuang Li gestured to his younger brother with his chin and instructed, “When customers come to have their fortunes told, grind the ink for me. If they just want their faces read, sit aside and read your books. The Emperor has opened a special imperial examination; even if you fail this year, you can try again next year. Don’t slack off.”

Zhuang Jiuge nodded repeatedly in agreement, then asked in return, “Brother, don’t you read books?”

“I’m not participating in the imperial examinations anymore; I’ll be a fortune teller from now on,” Zhuang Li casually dropped a bombshell.

Zhuang Lao Er and the others were all stunned by the shock. Just as they were about to grab him and try to persuade him, they heard a hesitant voice from behind them: “Excuse me, are you the fortune teller Li Banxian?”

“I am.” Zhuang Li immediately planted the “Li Banxian” flag on the ground.

The rosewood table and chairs that Qi Wang had brought in yesterday are still in their original place, and no one dares to touch them. The waiter at the Jin Manlou restaurant across the street wiped the table and chairs clean with a rag when he opened the door this morning, so Qi Wang must have given some instructions before he left.

So this corner became Zhuang Li’s exclusive domain, and the patrolling constables would also nod respectfully to him.

He calmly sat down, pointed to the chair opposite him, and said, “Please sit down. What do you want to discuss?”

After saying this, his sharp gaze had already sized up the newcomer several times and made some basic judgments.

This was a woman, around thirty years old, dressed in luxurious silk clothes, her hair adorned with pearl hairpins, suggesting she came from a wealthy family. She wore a cautious, guarded expression, indicating she was unaccustomed to going out alone. Her household was strictly regulated; so she should not be from a merchant family, but rather a scholarly or official family.

She kept glancing at a carriage parked on the side of the street; it seemed someone was waiting for her inside.

Looking at the carriage, her eyes were filled with deep worry and a hint of tears. This person must be the one she cared about most, otherwise she would not have broken the rules of her home and come to this bustling, chaotic dock.

Having grasped this clue, Zhuang Li gained the woman’s trust with just one sentence: “What you really want to know is their fate, isn’t it?”

He pointed to the carriage.

The woman’s anxious expression was immediately replaced by surprise, and a hint of obvious joy appeared in her eyes.

She opened her mouth, about to reveal her purpose, when suddenly the carriage curtain was lifted, and a disheveled girl with loose clothes jumped out, shouting, “Let me go, let me go, you evil spirits! Ahhh, the evil spirits are here! The evil spirits are tearing my intestines out!”

Her face was covered in bruises, showing she’d had her share of bumps and bruises. Her gaze was unfocused and disoriented, her mind completely absorbed in the horrific image of being gutted by a demon. Every time she saw someone, she screamed “demon!” and frantically tried to escape, even losing a shoe in the process, but making no attempt to retrieve it.

It was obvious she was crazy.

Two maids also jumped out of the carriage and chased after the girl.

The woman screamed and then ran wildly down the street.

She ran faster than the servants, which showed that she was used to chasing after crazy girls.

Someone recognized the girl and shook their head, sighing, “How come the Zhou family’s madwoman has run away again? Didn’t Master Zhou say last time that he was going to send this daughter back to his hometown and lock her up?”

“Madam Zhou couldn’t bear to part with her daughter. She only has this one daughter, and she was the apple of her eye.”

“Going crazy every few days isn’t sustainable!”

“It’s not madness, it’s possession. It’s said that Miss Zhou is haunted by a group of evil spirits. Even Master Lingxi, the chief disciple of Master Xuanzhenzi, couldn’t subdue these evil spirits when he came to exorcise them. He could only suppress them for a short period of time. After that period, Miss Zhou will be haunted by the evil spirits again and become even madder than before.”

“It is said that three years ago, she was possessed by an evil spirit on the eve of her engagement, and the marriage was called off. Her family was originally a very wealthy and noble family. Master Zhou was a confidant of the Governor and a prominent figure in our Bazhou City. However, he spent all his wealth and resigned from his official position for this daughter. It is truly a pity.”

“If it were me, I would just drown this daughter to save the family from being a burden.”

“That’s incredibly cold-blooded of you. After all, she’s your own daughter. Who could do that to her!”

Zhuang Li heard all the discussions around him, which gave him a general understanding of Miss Zhou.

He dared not say that there were absolutely no ghosts or monsters in the world, after all, his lover was a being that transcended the laws of nature. But he firmly believed in this idea— that the vast majority of ghosts and monsters in the world originated from the human mind.

What was Miss Zhou hiding in her heart?

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