Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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

---

In the deserted street, a white, jade-like skeleton stood solemnly, while opposite him, a gray-robed Taoist priest held a whisk, his expression also solemn.

Both were seriously injured and had suffered new wounds of varying sizes. They were not collapsing at this moment, but were only holding on by sheer willpower, and were already at their last gasp.

Chen Hua snapped the broken ribs off and threw them aside. Moving his stiff and inflexible fingers, he launched another fierce attack.

Seeing this, Yin Xuan had no choice but to gather his strength and meet him head-on.

By the end of the battle, both of them were exhausted and panting heavily.

Chen Hua had many broken bones.

Yin Xuan was not much better off; the wounds on his chest and abdomen burst open again and again, and blood dripped onto the ground.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and gritted his teeth, saying, “If we continue fighting, the only way out is to die together. What good will it do you to waste your life like this?”

“There’s no benefit to it, I just wanted to vent my anger, and that makes me happy!”

The deeper the love, the deeper the hate.

The deeper Chen Hua’s feelings for Yin Xuan were, the stronger his hatred for him became after learning the truth.

For many years, Yin Xuan had been his teacher, brother, and friend. Yin Xuan’s death had always been a thorn in his heart. When they reunited, he thought he could finally remove this thorn, and even though there were still many doubts about Yin Xuan’s appearance, and even though Ying Qiao repeatedly reminded him, he tried to believe in Yin Xuan.

Even if he had a premonition in his heart and had considered the worst possibility.

When he discovered tonight that Yin Xuan had used the Dream Yellow Millet on him, he had already made the worst-case scenario plan when he secretly followed Yin Xuan out.

But he never imagined that the truth would be far uglier than the worst-case scenario he had ever imagined.

He could accept that his senior brother had changed, and he could accept that he had been possessed by Yuan Li, but he could not accept that all of this was a deception from beginning to end.

It was as if he had inadvertently stumbled onto the stage. Yin Xuan, wearing a mask, was putting on a show of joy and sorrow, but he was drawn into the play and took it seriously.

Even after the play ended, he still held onto the memory for over a thousand years, only to be completely taken advantage of as a fool in the end.

This truth was fu**ing ridiculous.

Chen Hua was so angry that his bones trembled and creaked, as if he would shatter into a pile of broken bones at any moment. But only Yin Xuan, who had personally experienced it, knew just how powerful he was.

To be able to hold on this long even after his demon core was crushed, Chen Hua was even more impressive than he had imagined.

A scholar should be viewed with new eyes after three days of separation.

Chen Hua’s growth was faster and more rapid than he had expected.

Yin Xuan met his dark eyes and felt a surge of resentment. He should have killed him earlier to avoid such a disaster.

No, if he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have enlightened him back then; instead, he should have destroyed that human skin skull painting directly.

But the mistake had already been made, and it was no use regretting it now.

Yin Xuan sensed the dwarf puppet in his sleeve, looked at Chen Hua with a resolute expression, and had already made up his mind.

Chen Hua was prepared to die with Yin Xuan, his only regret being that Yin Xuan wouldn’t give him time to make a will. He would be content if Ying Gou could burn his property deed and bank deposit slips for him before he died.

He hung up without saying a word; he’ll probably get away with it.

Even in death, I cannot find peace.

Chen Hua’s thoughts wandered for a moment. The thought of how the dog would squander his inheritance after his death made him feel heartbroken and his anger level soared.

He tensed his body, mobilized the last remaining power in his demon core, and directed all his anger at Yin Xuan.

With a single move deciding life or death, his eyes sharpened, and he charged forward once more with fierce determination—

Yin Xuan channeled his spiritual power and spat a mouthful of blood onto the whisk. Instantly, a bluish-purple flame ignited on the whisk, leaping seamlessly, and the surrounding air seemed to become scalding and distorted.

Chen Hua had already witnessed the power of this strange fire. He had barely managed to extinguish it and almost lost a hand in the process. If he were to come into contact with this fire again, he would probably be reduced to nothing, not even bone fragments.

Even if he dies, he’ll drag Yin Xuan down with him.

His gaze was resolute, and he stepped forward without hesitation.

The two faced off in mid-air. Chen Hua twisted Yin Xuan’s neck with one hand and pierced his right chest with the other, finding the demon core that Yin Xuan had hidden and crushing it without hesitation. At the same time, Yin Xuan’s whisk also wrapped around Chen Hua’s body, and the bluish-purple flames instantly surged and spread rapidly along his arm.

At this point, both of them were exhausted and fell from mid-air.

Half of Chen Hua’s body was already burned, and the pain came from the depths of his soul. But he opened his eyes wide and watched Yin Xuan crash to the ground before him. Only then did he close his eyes with relief and calmly accept the pain of death.

However, instead of a cold, hard ground, he was greeted by a cool embrace.

Bi’an, arriving a step too late, caught the man, wiping the flames off his body with its palm. His expression was even more somber than a June downpour.

He didn’t receive a reply from Chen Hua, and no one answered his phone. Fearing something had happened to Chen Hua, he rushed to his house, only to find that Chen Hua’s house was empty.

Chen Hua and Yin Xuan were not there.

Yin Xuan was staying at his house during the day when he was talking to Chen Hua, but now neither of them was home, which meant something had happened. He searched everywhere and sent messages to Ying Qiao and Tai Feng, and it took him a lot of effort to finally find them.

But as soon as he arrived, he saw Chen Hua on fire, falling from mid-air.

He caught the man just in time, and seeing his weak and miserable appearance, he felt a surge of anger rise in his heart. His eyes uncontrollably turned into cold, silvery-gray vertical pupils, and he carefully helped Chen Hua sit down against the wall, channeling gentle spiritual energy to protect his life.

“Don’t worry about me, go check if Yin Xuan is dead.” Chen Hua tilted her head back, took a hard breath, and urged him to go check if Yin Xuan was really dead.

Upon hearing this, Bi’an had no choice but to stop and get up to walk towards Yin Xuan on the other side.

Yin Xuan lay on the ground, his limbs twisted, with gaping holes in his chest and abdomen, yet he was still clinging to life. Perhaps not expecting Bi’an to arrive at this moment, he gasped for breath and strained to turn his head to look at Chen Hua.

He feigned weakness in Yin Xuan’s voice, saying, “Junior brother, this is a feud between the two of us. If anyone is to kill, it should be you who kills me with your own hands. What kind of nonsense is it to let an outsider interfere?”

Chen Hua spat at him. Because Bi’an had extinguished the strange fire on his body, his breathing became much longer after he recovered, and his voice became louder when he cursed: “Do you think I’m stupid? Why would I leave my teammates and personally come to kill you? You’re ugly, but you’re pretty good at thinking.”

After cursing, he took a couple of breaths and said to Bi’an, “Don’t listen to his nonsense, just kill him.”

Bi’an was initially worried that Chen Hua would be soft-hearted when he saw Yin Xuan showing weakness, but now that he saw that Chen Hua had no mercy on Yin Xuan, Bi’an’s eyes flashed. He bent down, grabbed Yin Xuan by the neck, lifted him up, drew a black longsword from the void, pierced his brow, and pinned him to the wall.

Yin Xuan was barely clinging to life when, with the Bi’an sword piercing his brow, his body convulsed and he lost all breath.

Bi’an glanced at him coldly, sent a message to Ying Qiao asking him to come and clean up the battlefield, and then turned back to hug Chen Hua.

Chen Hua sat against the wall, unable to move a finger except to make a sound. His bones were broken into pieces, and the charred bones were no longer white, but black and yellow, making him look extremely wretched. If Bi’an hadn’t arrived in time, he would probably be nothing more than a skeleton by now.

Bi’an looked at his miserable appearance, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something but held back.

Finally, with a stern face, he picked the person up and carried them horizontally, saying, “I’ll take you back to heal your injuries first. Ying Qiao will be here soon.”

It was the first time Chen Hua had been hugged like this, and he felt extremely awkward. What was even more surprising was that he inadvertently discovered his own reflection in the eyes of the Bi’an, which was a tattered skeleton, ugly and miserable.

He thought expressionlessly, “This time I’ve really lost all face.”

However, upon further reflection, he felt somewhat relieved that he had managed to save the large deposit and property certificate. He coughed lightly and said to Bi’an, “Bring my skin with you too.”

His leather was very expensive; it could still be used after some repairs, so they couldn’t waste it.

Bi’an paused, gave him a strange look, picked up the painted skin he had thrown aside, took a few steps, and then couldn’t help but say, “The physical appearance is all an illusion, you don’t need to care so much about it.”

He almost lost his life, yet he was still thinking about his own skin.

If it weren’t for his extreme weakness, Bi’an would definitely have given him a good talking-to.

Upon hearing this, Chen Hua curled his lip, thinking to himself that physical appearance is all illusion, then he wondered who dressed up so extravagantly every day, like a peacock displaying its tail feathers.

And is it the skin that I’m thinking about?

It’s clearly money!

However, he only thought it to himself, after all, Bi’an was his savior, and he couldn’t be too heartless and turn his back on him.

Bi’an took Chen Hua directly to the Demon Management Bureau.

Jiang Lan and the others also received the news. Ying Qiao and Tai Feng led a group to clean up Yin Xuan’s body and the battlefield. Jiang Lan, on the other hand, drove to the police station with his brothers.

The bureau already had skilled medical staff who had prepared a place for her to recuperate and provided medicine. Bi’an rushed back with Chen Hua without stopping, and after taking him into the prepared treatment room, he stood guard on the side, watching him intently.

The staff treating Chen Hua felt a chill run down their spines as he stared at them with his cold, vertical pupils.

But Bi’an’s expression was too grim, so he didn’t dare ask anyone to leave. He could only clean Chen Hua’s wounds while keeping an eye on him, feeling like he was being pricked by a thorn. Chen Hua was different from ordinary demons; he didn’t have any flesh wounds, but his injuries were all to his bones and soul.

After removing the broken bones that couldn’t be reattached, the staff took out the elixir to apply to Chen Hua.

“Wait a minute.” Suddenly, Bi’an behind him spoke up, frowning in displeasure, “This medicine won’t work. Is there anything better?”

The staff member cautiously observed his pale face: “This is already the best quality elixir in the bureau. After application, it can regenerate broken bones, but the process will be a bit slow.”

Bi’an frowned and stared at him, then took out his phone: “Take care of his other injuries first, and I’ll have someone send some medicinal herbs over.”

He then called Uncle Gui and asked him to immediately send all the healing medicines from the Dragon Palace to Jiangcheng.

The Dragon Palace had a vast collection of spiritual herbs, including many that nourished the soul. When the staff heard him making a phone call, they immediately felt a little embarrassed: “Then we’ll deal with the other injuries first.”

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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.

---

Lin Jianlu’s sudden appearance caught everyone off guard, but fortunately, before anyone else could react, he had already grabbed Yan Han and pulled him to a corner outside the arena.

It wasn’t the first time he’d been squeezed into an inconspicuous corner between two vertical walls by Brother Lin, but each time there was a reason that made Yan Han’s heart pound.

This time, he wondered if his acting had been too bad? Had he given himself away? Was Lin Jianlu going to question him about his sexual orientation?

Past events flashed before his eyes, and that fear that he didn’t want to face resurfaced from the depths of his heart. Yan Han stammered, “Big Brother Lin? What do you want to ask me?”

After asking, he half-opened his eyes, not daring to look at him, yet not daring to completely avoid his gaze.

Those one or two seconds felt like an eternity, but the expected question didn’t happen. Lin Jianlu didn’t even utter a sound; instead— a warm breath suddenly sprayed onto his face, and Yan Han felt something touch his lips.

Warm and soft.

Although the touch was fleeting, just the sight of Lin Jianlu’s face so close to his when he suddenly opened his eyes was enough to convince him…

Lin Jianlu had just kissed him?!

“!” He gasped sharply, the breath so forceful that Yan Han almost passed out, causing his face to contort slightly.

Seeing him like this, Lin Jianlu slowly straightened up, his eyelids drooping slightly as he looked away.

At this moment, Yan Han was completely oblivious to Lin Jianlu’s changing expression; his mind was filled with thoughts of—

Big Brother Lin… he… he kissed me?!

Holy crap!

…Was it a real kiss or just a touch?

Holy crap, why didn’t I look? So did he kiss me or not?!

With his back pressed tightly against the wall, Yan Han didn’t dare move, his wide-eyed expression one of utter shock and extreme fright.

In an instant, it felt like a thousand bullet comments rushed past his eyes. Besides disbelief, his brain raced uncontrollably, calculating and deducing a conclusion in its own way—

Lin Jianlu kissing him meant he liked him.

Holy crap, he likes him!

Although he didn’t want to believe that the kiss was real, Yan Han couldn’t help but think about what if he really liked him…

What would he do then?!

Now the older brother was completely at a loss.

Although he had occasionally fantasized about Lin Jianlu before, it was just occasional self-entertainment. He had never thought that Lin Jianlu actually liked him.

After all… that was Lin Jianlu!

The Lin Jianlu whose IQ was so high that it was hard to understand emotions!

Wait, wait…!

Pulling his racing thought process back a little… still unsure if he was overthinking it, Yan Han tried to calm himself down and temporarily stop thinking about whether he really liked him.

—What if it was all a misunderstanding? Then he would have wasted his time thinking.

Although deep down he was absolutely certain that it was a kiss, there was no mistake.

Now that things had come to this, Yan Han, who always tried to avoid things whenever possible and could muster immense courage when he knew he couldn’t escape, clenched his fist tightly and asked decisively, “You didn’t just kiss me, did you?”

“Yeah.”

Lin Jianlu nodded directly, his eyes returning to him. Big Brother Lin then answered his previous question, asking earnestly in an emotionless voice, “I was just asking you, besides Wei Ningxin… if it were someone who already knows your gender and wouldn’t affect your studies, would that be okay?”

Yan Han: …

!!

Was he being confessed to?

Big Brother Lin was confessing to him??

Knowing his real gender and still confessing to him?? …

Everyone dreams, and he too had fantasized about being confessed to by someone of the same sex who knew his gender.

Although he had never considered this person to be Lin Jianlu… but this fantasy had actually come true?!

He couldn’t believe it!

So shocked was he that his expression couldn’t be described simply as “surprised.” His mouth formed a large “O,” distorting his otherwise perfectly proportioned features. Already unable to think clearly, he became even more blunt, his voice trembling as he asked, “Are you confessing to me?… As a boy to a boy?”

“Yes.”

“You…you…you like boys?”

As with all his usual questions, Lin Jianlu thought carefully before answering, “I don’t think so.”

“…So you like me when I’m dressed as a girl?!”

This was undoubtedly a blow, but Yan Han immediately realized something was wrong.

Lin Jianlu had said he looked handsome in men’s clothing, and that he preferred him dressed as a boy; surely he wasn’t lying.

So… before Yan Han could come up with an answer, the other had already shaken his head and replied, “No.”

“I think I just like you.”

“…”

The surroundings suddenly fell silent.

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Yan Han felt he was still charmed by Lin Jianlu.

If someone else had said that, it wouldn’t have been so bad.

But the one who just said that was Lin Jianlu, the Lin Jianlu who wouldn’t lie to him and who would carefully consider every question before answering!

Swallowing hard again, Yan Han cautiously asked, “Do you know what ‘like’ means?”

Lin Jianlu answered again with utmost seriousness, “I roughly understand.”

“Liking is wanting to see you anytime.”

“…”

Yan Han: Damn, he didn’t know when it started, but Lin Jianlu’s visits to him had definitely increased day by day.

“Just being with you makes me happy, I think about you all the time, to the point where I can’t concentrate on my own things.”

“…”

“I want to become the person you like, I want to win your attention among so many people.”

“?!”

Wait a minute, this is getting more and more sentimental!!

Yan Han wanted to stop him, but Lin Jianlu ignored his reaction and continued:

“The first time I ever got jealous of someone was because of you, which is why I specifically arranged a game. Even if it proves nothing, the result is meaningless. I want to practice hard every day because I want to have more in common with you. I don’t actually care about winning or losing the basketball game, it’s just…”

“It’s just that just thinking that you might see me on the court makes me want to show you my best self.”

The last sentence was too cheesy, but Lin Jianlu said it so clearly that it didn’t sound wrong.

Yan Han’s mouth dropped open, and his eyes widened to the limit. Lin Jianlu not only said she liked him, but he could describe “like” so profoundly…!

So, before he even realized it, someone already liked him to this extent?

Liking someone transcended gender.

This was a plot he had read in novels.

Countless novels depicted this theme, but reality always told him, in the cruelest way, that it was all a lie.

So much so that he dared not hope, nor did he want to hope anymore.

He walked alone for a long time.

Then, during this dreary, aimless journey, someone suddenly appeared in his darkness, someone who loved him…

Yan Han didn’t know what was wrong with him.

His lips and eyelids trembled uncontrollably, like he was having an epileptic seizure, and his eyes were burning.

He knew he must look terrible like this.

So he quickly lowered his head.

If it were before, he would have been carefree and unafraid of being seen, but now… Lin Jianlu was standing right in front of him!

Perhaps he would never understand what propriety or dignity meant, but at least in front of Lin Jianlu, he would subconsciously not want her to see him like this.

But by lowering his head, he clearly overlooked the message conveyed by this action.

Thinking Yan Han was avoiding the question, Lin Jianlu’s pupils suddenly contracted. He frantically pulled up the contents of novels he had read before, his brain racing to collect all the plots where confessions were rejected but the characters remained friends and eventually had a happy ending. Finally, he said, “Of course, my liking you is only my own business. You don’t need to feel any burden.”

Saying this, he removed Yan Han’s arms, letting them hang loosely at his sides, then put them back in his pockets. Lin Jianlu was expressionless, even a little cool: “I don’t need any response from you until you truly like me.”

“…”

“I’m saying this just to tell you that from now on I will be good to you. I hope you won’t find it sudden or inexplicable.”

“…”

Wait, why does Brother Lin’s style suddenly seem a little different?

What’s with this overwhelming domineering CEO vibe?!

Yan Han said, “…You’ve already been good enough to me.”

Lin Jianlu: “Then I’ll be even better than before.”

“…”

Thinking about it, Lin Jianlu had really been good to him before.

But how come he hadn’t realized the other person had feelings for him at all?!

Yan Han scratched his head in disbelief: “…When exactly did you start liking me?”

---

The author has something to say:

Yan Han: Why is this confession scene so silly?

Author: Because I love silly things 🙂

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Previous • Table of Contents• Next

Translator: Dj22031

Editor: Dj22031

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

---

Duan Min’s breathing finally began to steady, and his body temperature stabilized. He opened his eyes and met You Xu’s red eyes.

You Xu hesitated, unable to speak, her jumbled emotions and scattered questions finally turning into a sigh of relief. She didn’t know where to begin, only able to stare at him.

Duan Min laughed.

“You’re still laughing? You still know how to laugh? What are you laughing at?” You Xu continued to glare.

She waited, expecting Duan Min to explain what had happened last night, but instead he suddenly asked abruptly, “Did you watch the news?”

You Xu: “…” Completely unable to follow his train of thought. After what happened last night, how could she possibly be in the mood to watch the nighttime news?

You Xu said with a straight face, “I didn’t see it. What news are you looking at? Is this the time to watch the news?” So why don’t you explain what exactly happened last night?

Did you go through hell? You came back barely alive.

Duan Min didn’t have the strength to get up, so he could only say to her, “Take a look.”

You Xu was silent for a moment, so she had no choice but to follow his train of thought and pick up her phone to look at the news. As soon as she opened the browser page, the news headlines were extremely eye-catching and sensational.

– Xu Shaosi sleeps with a beauty while exposing his father’s corruption

– Xu Shaosi’s relationship with Lin Lanlan breaks down, he secretly spends the night in a beauty’s paradise

– Xu Shaosi claims that his mansion and villa were all obtained through bribes from Xu Tengwang

– Relevant departments have intervened in the investigation…

Then You Xu scrolled through the pages and found many censored photos. It was clear that they were pictures of men and women being intimate, with their bodies censored, only two faces were visible: one was Xu Shaosi, and the other was a beautiful woman with wavy hair.

The videos were all quickly deleted, leaving only some audio. You Xu listened to it and confirmed it was indeed Xu Shaosi saying, “You’re so comforting. Lin Lanlan is too arrogant; even her voice isn’t as pleasant as yours.” “

My dad received 500,000 yuan from someone the day before yesterday, and I immediately asked him for it.”

“Isn’t there a road construction project still in the planning stage? Once my dad gets it, it’ll be another fortune.”

….

The latest video only showed Xu Shaosi being cornered at the hotel entrance, angrily saying, “I didn’t, it wasn’t me, I never said those things.”

The reporter asked him, “Then how do you explain the leaked videos and photos? It’s said that the audio was also checked by professionals, and the voice in the audio is 98% similar to yours.”

Xu Shaosi was speechless.

The reporter continued to press, “Please respond.”

….

After watching, You Xu turned off her phone, finally understanding Xu Shaosi’s dramatic downfall; a once-proud young man had fallen into the mire overnight.

Duan Min: “Are you happy now?”

“Huh?”

Duan Min gently raised his lips and repeated, “Are you happier now?”

You Xu was stunned for a moment, then opened her mouth: “You…”

“It was not difficult,” Duan Min said in a very relaxed tone, “Just go to that hotel, manipulate him into being intimate with a woman, make him say some truths, record the video and upload it.”

But there were so many people in the hotel, so many people and vehicles on the way, and he had to stay in an unfamiliar environment for so long.

…So he fell ill, enduring it until he finished his work and went home, unable even to open the door.

Even though his voice was still so weak, his face was fragilely pale, and the redness in his eyes hadn’t faded completely, but he smiled and said to her, “Are you happier now?”

Just then, a ray of warm morning sunlight shone in, falling on him, making his eyebrows and eyes seem to be bathed in a halo of light.

A bittersweet feeling fermented in her heart; You Xu’s nose stung, her eyes burned, and she looked away, her voice low and soft: “How did you know?”

Duan Min: “Your unhappiness told me.”

If someone cares enough about another, they can keenly perceive even the slightest change in her emotions; over time, it becomes as natural as breathing.

Since You Qi’s accident, You Xu had hardly smiled. When she showed him her anatomy book asking how to remove organs to prevent death from excessive blood loss, he paid extra attention to her activities, sending a puppet to secretly watch her. Besides visiting You Qi at the hospital, she also went to the Hua’an Hotel to scout it out.

He knew without a doubt that You Xu was planning something with Xu Shaosi. He didn’t know the specifics, but since she was unhappy, he had to find a way to avenge her. So he sent another puppet to follow Xu Shaosi, confirming that he would be spending the night at the Hua’an Hotel.

He had taken tranquilizers before leaving home and carried some with him, but the place was too far and unfamiliar, and he rarely went out. To ensure everything went smoothly, he still had to go in person. He didn’t want to look too pathetic in front of her; just managing to get back was his limit.

“I’m not happy,” You Xu suddenly said.

Duan Min was taken aback.

“Something that came at your expense,” You Xu said softly, “I won’t be happy.”

….

“Cousin, I want to go abroad,” You Qi said to You Xu, who was packing up a thermos, while lying in the hospital bed.

You Xu: “Go abroad?”

“Yes,” a smile appeared on You Qi’s thinner face. This was the first time she had smiled in so many days. “Seeing him get his comeuppance, I feel like I’ve let go a bit, so I want to go abroad to clear my head and do some things I like.”

Xu Shaosi’s final fate was indeed very satisfying for them all. His father was sentenced to life imprisonment, his fiancée completely broke off their engagement, his company went bankrupt, he was heavily in debt, and he was living a life of hardship, constantly dodging creditors.

“Okay, take care of yourself,” You Xu said. “Keep in touch.”

She had just picked up the insulated food container and stood up straight when a sharp pain shot through her abdomen, making her dizzy and lightheaded. Before she could recover, everything went black, and she lost consciousness. She didn’t know how much time had passed when she finally opened her eyes again, her head and stomach aching, and she saw stars.

“Cousin…”

You Xu stammered, taking a moment to focus her gaze and saw You Qi standing before her. You Qi, no longer lying in her own hospital bed, sat beside her, her eyes red.

Something dramatic must have happened again.

“What happened?” You Xu asked the system. “Stop playing dead, come out and give me an explanation.”

System: “When the mission target’s trust value reaches 80, the execution mission phase begins, which is the countdown phase. The system can only sustain the host in this world for three months, so we need to lay the groundwork for the host’s departure.”

You Xu asked expressionlessly, “So what kind of groundwork am I currently under?”

System: “Stomach cancer.”

You Xu: “…” Okay, this is the greatest pain for a foodie.

The system coldly added, “Add brain cancer.”

You Xu: “…………” Was it afraid she wouldn’t die completely?

The system shrugged: “There’s nothing we can do. The medical technology in this world is too advanced. A stomach cancer wouldn’t be enough to kill you in three months.”

You Xu: Listen to this, what a terrible statement! It’s heartbreaking for the questioner and tearful for the listener.

You Qi couldn’t hold back anymore, tears streaming down her face: “Cousin, should we tell your husband…?”

You Xu decisively said, “Don’t tell him, don’t let him know.”

“Then you…” She couldn’t continue.

“But what about your treatment?” You Qi said worriedly, “He’ll find out eventually, and we can’t just not get treatment because we’re afraid he’ll find out.”

After the Xu Shaosi incident, You Xu realized that Duan Min was too perceptive; he would notice even the slightest clue. It was too difficult to hide it from him. This time, she had to be fully prepared.

“I’ll go abroad with you in a while,” You Xu said.

“You’re back?” Hearing the door open, Duan Min stopped what he was doing and ran to her.

Now, whenever You Xu opened the door, she could see Duan Min standing in the entryway, his face beaming. If he had a tail, it would probably be wagging, inexplicably reminding her of the big guard dog.

Duan Min’s hands were covered in mud, and he was holding a small shovel. You Xu changed her shoes, put down her bag, and went to the living room. She saw the balcony was a mess. Going over, she saw that Duan Min, while she was away, was tidying up the jasmine plants damaged by the storm the night before, replanting them, pressing down the soil, and carefully placing the fallen petals back in the earth.

He was very patient and meticulous.

You Xu squatted down and watched for a while, then rolled up her sleeves and joined in.

Duan Min didn’t stop her because of the trouble and the mess. In fact, he enjoyed spending time with You Xu, even if it was just quietly doing things together.

On her way back, You Xu had mentally prepared herself countless times, but the moment she saw Duan Min, her emotions were hard to calm, and she tried her best to appear as natural as usual.

Under Duan Min’s probing gaze, she still smiled naturally.

After tidying up the jasmine flowers on the balcony and windowsill, You Xu went to the bathroom to wash her hands. Duan Min followed behind her and said, “Something’s on your mind, and it’s related to me.”

You Xu paused, speechless. She was having such a hard time.

You Xu turned on the tap, washed the mud off her hands, and then carefully chose her words, saying, “Duan Min, the maple leaves at Qianye Lake in the mountains are all red. I want to go see them.”

“For how many days?” he asked.

You Xu took out a tissue to wipe her hands, “Three days.”

The person beside her was silent for a few seconds before slowly saying, “Okay, I understand.”

You Xu suppressed her emotions but couldn’t help turning her head to look at him. Duan Min had already lowered his eyelids, making it impossible to read his emotions.

After dinner, You Xu washed the bag of strawberries she had bought and made three jars of strawberry jam for him. “You can eat one jar a day. I’ll be back when you finish them.”

Duan Min didn’t say anything, just held the jars and squatted down beside her, silently watching her pack her luggage.

After a while, he said, “Where’s your thermos?”

You Xu: “I brought it.”

“Your coat?”

“I brought it.”

“Your scarf?”

“I brought it.”

Duan Min: “Where are your gloves?”

You Xu: “I brought them.”

Duan Min said softly, “And me?”

---

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---

Two days later, Lan Zhi, who had been frequently injected with zombie blood, successfully became a zombie. Fortunately, they had prepared in advance; the handcuffs and leg irons restraining Lan Zhi were connected to electricity, and the experimental bed was also covered with a high-voltage electric grid.

“Roar—” Lan Zhi’s eyes were bloodshot as he angrily glared at the old researcher standing outside the electric grid: “I will… kill… you!”

His tongue seemed stiff, and his speech was not very fluent, but he easily let out a hissing sound from his throat.

“He actually managed to retain consciousness?” The old researcher was even more surprised: “How are the other experimental subjects?”

The assistant flipped through the data: “Teacher, so far only this one became a zombie after being injected with zombie blood twelve times; the others, even with high abilities, did not exceed three times.”

Among them were also third-level ability users like Lan Zhi.

“How is this possible?” the senior researcher asked incredulously.

“I also find it unbelievable. Could this person be different from others?” The assistant couldn’t understand why either.

“Are there still the hair and blood samples extracted before the zombie blood injection?”

“Yes, Professor, but last time we analyzed them, we didn’t find anything useful from his blood, hair, or flesh,” the assistant said.

“I’ll handle it,” the senior researcher said, turning and leaving.

Outside the abandoned factory.

After observing for several days, Song Fei had figured out what they said each time they went in. The first and third days were the same, and the second and fourth days were the same.

Lan Sheng and Song Fei had agreed that Song Jing would wait outside while Lan Sheng and Song Fei led their men in to rescue the people.

They followed a truck away and witnessed them capturing some ordinary people before returning.

Lan Sheng and Song Fei seized the truck when they weren’t looking, and luckily, only one person drove and two people captured the people, so their numbers weren’t large.

After stealing the truck, Lan Sheng and Song Fei released the captured people.

After the three of them changed clothes, the remaining two pretended to be the captured ordinary people.

Lan Sheng drove, while Song Fei and another man guarded the ‘captured’ people with guns.

They drove slowly towards the abandoned factory.

“Song Fei, if things get bad, find a way to get everyone to escape.”

“Tch, Lan Sheng, enough talk. We’re about to go in. We won’t rest until we rescue Lan Zhi.” Song Fei touched his gun: “Tsk tsk, these guys have a lot of good stuff.”

Lan Sheng suddenly smiled: “Yes, we must rescue Lan Zhi. But once we’re inside, you’ll do as I say, understand?”

“Yes, yes, you’re the vice-captain, you’re in charge.” Song Fei couldn’t help but touch his gun.

They entered the abandoned factory safely. Someone directed Lan Sheng to park the car. Then, someone came to escort the people, only to see two bound individuals.

“Just two? You came out to play, didn’t you?” Looking up at Lan Sheng, something felt off: “Which team are you from?”

The people at the gate didn’t recognize them, but they should have seen the people inside regularly. However, these people were complete strangers.

“We’re from Team Six, Squad Three,” Song Fei said.

He’d been watching them lip-reading for the past few days, and it wasn’t a joke.

“Team Six?” The men who came to escort them looked at them suspiciously, then waved their hand: “Take these two away.”

Then they said to Lan Sheng, “I’m not trying to be mean, but even if you’re slacking off, you should at least show some semblance of professionalism. If you do this again, you’ll be in big trouble.”

“Yes, yes, we won’t do it again,” Song Fei quickly said with a smile.

The sky gradually darkened. After walking for a while, the man turned back to look at Lan Sheng: “What are you following us for? Go do what you’re supposed to do.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he clutched his neck and collapsed.

These men who came to escort them were all researchers, and their combat skills were poor. As soon as Lan Sheng made a move, the others acted in perfect unison, and in an instant, several researchers were on the ground.

They stripped off their clothes, moved the men to a corner, covered them with something, changed them into the men’s clothes, and then led the two men inside in a pretentious manner.

Because it was a temporary research institute, it didn’t have much high-tech equipment. A knock on the door was met with an answer.

The person who opened the door saw Song Fei and paused, “You…”

Clearly recognizing him as someone who hadn’t left earlier, Song Fei swiftly knocked him unconscious.

He untied the two who had been captured and said, “Split up and find where Lan Zhi is.”

Although it was a temporary research institute, it was still quite well-equipped, brightly lit upon entering. However, before they could split up, the sound of footsteps approached.

Lan Sheng suddenly tensed up.

“Heh… not bad, not bad. It’s only been a short time since the apocalypse. You’ve adapted quite well.” A man in a T-shirt and jeans clapped his hands as he walked over.

The door behind him opened, blocking both ends.

Lan Sheng clearly hadn’t expected this.

“Since you’re here, then stay here.” The man waved with a smile.

“Don’t move!” Lan Zhi released the safety latch towards the man.

“Heh…five of you, so many of us. Do you think you have a chance?” the man said disdainfully.

Several people stood back to back, only three of them carrying guns, pointing them at the people on either side. Song Fei squinted: “How did you find out?”

Along the way, he genuinely believed the security here was so lax.

The man laughed: “You guys have really adapted too well to the apocalypse, forgotten about surveillance?”

There were no surveillance cameras elsewhere, but the laboratory entrance and inside were covered. They had already discovered this when Lan Sheng and the others killed those people.

“I just hope that if my sister sees we haven’t gone out, she will obediently leave…” Song Fei said with a bitter smile, then said to Lan Sheng: “Lan Sheng, if they catch us, we’ll definitely be used for experiments. I’d rather die than suffer like that.”

Lan Sheng gritted his teeth: “Calm down, don’t forget why we came here!”

To save Lan Zhi…

“Bang—” In his distraction, Song Fei’s finger twitched slightly, and he accidentally pulled the trigger.

‘Bang bang bang—’

They were greeted by a series of gunshots.

“Stop! Who told you to fire!” the man said angrily, but by then, Lan Sheng and the others were already dead.

“These are just ordinary people, worthless. It’s no big deal to shoot them.” Another person blew on the muzzle of the gun.

However, the man noticed something fall out of Lan Sheng’s pocket. He picked it up and saw it was a photograph.

“This person is…” The back of the photograph bore two names: Lan Zhi and Lan Sheng.

“The test subject’s brother?” another person asked, leaning closer.

The remaining people exchanged glances.

There was a knock on the lab door.

The assistant opened the door, looked at the people outside, and frowned: “The professor is still busy, at a crucial moment. What do you want?”

The man handed the blood-stained photograph to the assistant: “The test subject’s brother inside came to rescue him, but we killed him.”

The assistant looked at the photograph with disdain: “He’s dead, that’s all. Just throw him out. There’s nothing to say. The professor is busy; don’t bother him with such trivial matters.”

However, Lan Zhi, lying on the lab bed, suddenly opened his eyes, his blood-red pupils flickering.

“Roar—” He struggled violently.

The assistant was startled, closed the door, and hurriedly turned on the current.

Lan Zhi was electrocuted; his skin tore open, showing how strong the current was. Even so, he glared fiercely at his assistant, as if he were a vengeful ghost risen from hell.

“Roar—” Even as the electric shocks tore his skin and emitted a burnt smell, Lan Zhi still struggled violently.

“What happened?” The old researcher rushed over, looking at the frenzied Lan Zhi: “Why did he suddenly become so manic?”

“I don’t know, teacher, it just suddenly happened like this.”

Black stuff seeped from Lan Zhi’s pores.

“Sizzle…”

The black liquid made a sizzling sound like roasting meat when it touched something, and the assistant watched as the handcuffs and leg irons gradually melted away, as if he had seen a ghost.

“T-Teacher…”

The old researcher was also shocked. He took several steps back and looked at Lan Zhi, swallowing hard: “Quick, increase the voltage!”

The handcuffs and leg irons were completely melted away. Lan Zhi struggled to get up from the bed, stood unsteadily on the ground, breathing heavily, his bloodshot eyes staring fiercely at the old researcher.

“Kill!” A hoarse, unpleasant voice came from his throat.

Grabbing the electric fence, Lan Zhi hurled it aside, landing right where his assistant was standing. The powerful high voltage caused the assistant to let out a bloodcurdling scream before falling silent.

The old researcher turned to escape, but Lan Zhi grabbed his neck.

“Ah!!” His neck was gripped tightly, and the black liquid began to corrode it. He screamed, his eyes rolling back, but he quickly lost his voice.

Song Jing heard the gunshot and sensed something was wrong. She wanted to leave with her people, but she couldn’t move.

Gritting her teeth, she led them over.

Unfortunately, when she finally managed to kill the guards at the entrance and went inside, she found corpses strewn everywhere. Everyone inside was dead.

She found the bodies of Song Fei and several other brothers near the research institute, but Lan Sheng was nowhere to be seen, nor was Lan Zhi…

The entire abandoned factory was deserted.

“Song Fei…” Song Jing knelt before Song Fei, hugging him with tears streaming down her face.

---

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---

That evening, after Bai Yue returned to his temporary dormitory, his three roommates still seemed a bit strange.

He had clearly seen them shirtless, even picking their toes, the moment Bai Yue opened the door. But as soon as they saw him, they all instantly put on their clothes, sat up straight, and acted as if they were in a formal setting.

Bai Yue: “…”

Anyway, the night passed peacefully.

The next day, after Bai Yue left, the three temporary roommates, with dark circles under their eyes, exchanged glances and sighed in unison. Although they had only known each other for a short time, they acted like brothers in distress, patting each other on the shoulder in respect.

The exam the next day was held in a classroom inside the Imperial First Military Academy. Led by senior students, they were finally able to enter the gate they hadn’t been able to break through the previous night, stepping into the Imperial First Military Academy for the first time.

Although they couldn’t freely tour the place, just looking at it from afar filled them with envy.

The teaching buildings of the Imperial First Military Academy were meticulously designed, tall and beautiful. Students hurried by, stepping on their military gear and leaping past like the wind.

“Waaah, I want my own military gear too!”

As they ventured deeper, the candidates’ attention was drawn to the buildings.

“Oh my god, that ‘giant egg’! I’ve seen it on TV!”

A huge, inverted semicircle lay on the ground. This was the arena exclusively for Imperial First Military Academy, open only during competitions. It was one of Imperial First’s iconic landmarks.

“The shooting range! Wow, that’s so cool!”

A class of students in uniforms was having a lesson inside. The shooting range was semi-open, designed to acclimate students to various weather conditions for shooting practice.

Each time they passed a location, the candidates exclaimed excitedly, unable to quiet down for a long time. This short walk further solidified their determination to enter the military academy. Meanwhile, those admitted through special admission programs outside of Imperial First could only watch with envy, secretly praying that their own school’s environment wouldn’t be too bad.

Leading everyone to a building, the senior student stopped and turned back, saying, “This is the exam room. You can’t bring anything in except paper and pens. Is everything clear?”

A student raised their hand and handed over their phone.

“What should I do? What should I do?” Lu Ke stood beside Bai Yue, his legs trembling. “I’m getting more and more nervous.”

Bai Yue reassured him, “Don’t worry, it’s just a written exam. You’ve studied quite well, haven’t you?”

Lu Ke nodded. He then took a deep breath, suppressing his nervousness.

Seeing that no more students were coming forward, the senior student said, “The exam starts in 20 minutes. Once inside, find your seats and sit down as soon as possible. Please note, cheating is strictly prohibited.”

“If cheating is discovered, your exam qualification will be revoked, and you will permanently lose the opportunity to apply to a military academy.”

This punishment was quite severe. All the candidates swallowed hard.

The senior student smiled, “Well then, I wish you all the best in your exam.”

The doors opened, and the candidates entered in an orderly fashion. From the outside, the building looked no different from an ordinary teaching building.

Bai Yue and Lu Ke were not in the same exam room and had separated midway.

When Bai Yue entered his own exam room, he paused.

The classroom was divided into many small cubicles, each with its own private space, perhaps to prevent peeking.

Names and exam numbers were posted outside each cubicle. Bai Yue found his spot, and as soon as he entered, the cubicle seemed to sense his presence and automatically closed the door behind him. Even when he tried to pull it open again, he couldn’t.

After this unsuccessful attempt, Bai Yue’s gaze returned to the desk.

The small space contained only a chair and a desk. On the desk was a stack of exam papers and a note—”Please answer after the exam begins.”

There were still ten minutes until the exam started.

The cubicles were completely enclosed, and no one could see inside from the outside.

However, Bai Yue quickly spotted a security camera on the ceiling after scanning the area.

He pulled out the chair and sat down.

A moment later, he heard the doors of the two cubicles beside him close, and students from the next cubicle went in.

Time ticked by.

Soon, the urgent bell rang throughout the sky— time’s up, begin answering!

At the same time, the sound of exam papers being turned over echoed in the classroom.

Bai Yue looked at the paper, densely covered with writing.

Without much thought, he answered each question one by one. But after finishing one page, a strange feeling arose in his heart.

All of them were common sense questions. This seemed… too easy.

In the original college entrance examination, there would be at most one or two such questions. Although this was a joint test, would Imperial First lower the difficulty of its own school’s exam to accommodate students from other schools?

He turned to the next exam paper.

Blank.

Bai Yue was stunned and continued to turn to the next one.

Blank, blank, blank.

In the end, the remaining dozen or so exam papers were all blank.

This exam was to last for four hours, it was impossible for them to finish with just one exam paper.

Was it a printing error?

He looked up, intending to report it to the proctor. However, what came into view was the cold, dark blue wall.

In this narrow cubicle, almost no light could penetrate. Only the miniature camera hanging from the ceiling seemed to be staring at him.

There wasn’t a single proctor present for this exam. Those people were observing their every move through that cold lens.

Bai Yue lowered his head again, looking at the blank exam paper.

This meant no communication. Isolating them in a confined space was a way of hoping they would find the answers on their own.

This exam was definitely not a simple written test.

Bai Yue spread out the exam papers one by one on the table. Except for the first one with text, the others looked like simple scratch paper.

And now the only clue was this common-sense question filled with answers.

Bai Yue’s gaze fell on the paper.

[Q: What period does everyone go through after adulthood?]

[Q: What are the characteristics of pheromones for alpha, beta, and omega?]

….

and so on, all questions about “pheromones.” If this was intentionally guiding them to do something, then it wasn’t impossible to try.

Although he had reflected on the issue of releasing pheromones last time. However, if it was only for a moment, it shouldn’t be a big problem.

Besides, the examination room specifically provided each person with a closed space, which didn’t seem to be solely to prevent cheating.

Bai Yue closed his eyes.

When he opened his eyes again, S+ pheromones exploded instantly!

At the same time, in the monitoring room, dozens of examiners sat.

Four enormous screens were set up in the four cardinal directions, each further divided into countless smaller screens. They were monitoring the movements of every examinee.

The first exam paper was simple. However, most examinees were confused after discovering the blank spaces at the end.

Some pointed at the monitors, trying to talk to the examiners and request a replacement; others simply stared blankly at the paper.

Examiner A shook his head, scoring on the grading sheet: “This year’s students are lacking in quality.”

Examiner B: “Hasn’t anyone noticed?”

The purpose of this written exam was twofold: to assess the students’ knowledge and, more importantly, to test their observation and concentration.

First, they needed to find a way to make the exam paper appear— a method that was practically written directly on the paper.

But the real challenge lay ahead.

These exam papers were made of a special material; the higher the pheromone concentration, the more content was displayed. In other words, even if you discover this method, you still won’t be able to answer many questions if your gene level is relatively low.

Moreover, releasing pheromones while concentrating on answering questions was a major challenge for these novice candidates.

However, as future soldiers of the empire, they would have more needs to use pheromones in combat in the future. Fighting, thinking, and skilfully controlling pheromones at the same time.

What the students were doing now was just the most basic. But even so, very few candidates could get high scores.

“This person noticed.”

Examiner A marked on the score sheet, “Du Qin, A-level?”

Someone next to him added, “This student’s performance in the first exam was also quite good.”

As he spoke, he seemed to notice something and turned his gaze to a candidate with light gray short hair: “Another one…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

He stared in disbelief at the scene on the screen.

In front of that candidate were rows of open exam papers.

At this moment, lines of text appeared on the paper, densely arranged from left to right.

Despite being in a closed space, the exam paper was trembling slightly, as if experiencing a tremendous shock.

Even the examiner, separated by a screen, seemed to feel this powerful pressure and froze in place.

What… what was going on? All the questions from over twenty exam papers had appeared? Even he himself wasn’t sure he had this ability; who was this candidate?!

Then, he saw the boy on the screen open his eyes. After seeing the newly appeared questions on the papers, he even glanced at the security camera.

The examiner met those light gray eyes. Knowing the other person probably couldn’t see him, he still involuntarily swallowed.

However, the other person seemed to only glance at him unconsciously. He quickly lowered his head and began answering the questions.

---

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---

Sheng Ziyou returned to her room, placed her computer on the table, and then sat down gently.

After a moment, she took out her tablet to check the students’ current real-time rankings.

“Huh?” Sheng Ziyou was a little surprised when she clicked on it.

This ranking had changed drastically again, and she couldn’t even predict which six contestants would ultimately debut.

The production team claimed that they did not interfere with the vote count and that everything was fair and verifiable. Even if there was some inflated data, it won’t be too much. At least it won’t be like some talent shows where the final debut contestants were basically decided shortly after filming began.

So even though Sheng Ziyou was a mentor, she didn’t know the trainees’ debut status; it was all based on real-time rankings.

This year’s boy group selection competition emphasized fairness, so there were an exceptionally large number of participants, and the final selected trainees were also exceptionally outstanding.

As far as Sheng Ziyou was concerned, there were far more than six people in the entire training class who were good enough to debut, but there were only six spots available.

The rankings that Sheng Ziyou was now facing were different from before; it was a complete reshuffle.

First place: Jiao Xiu; Second place: Gu Yuzheng; Third place: Guan Yike; Fourth place: Feng Yuanxuan; Fifth place: Fu Jiahuan; Sixth place: Lu He; Seventh place: Ji Ran; Eighth place: Long Mu; Ninth place: Hu Changming; Tenth place: Lin Yidong; Eleventh place: Jing Xianglei; Twelfth place: Tang Yanhao…

Ji Ran dropped out of the debut positions, and Feng Yuanxuan dropped from first to fourth place, and was clearly still falling, possibly dropping to the middle or lower ranks.

Lu He also dropped one place, while Jing Xianglei’s rise was meteoric, going from last place to eleventh.

Jiao Xiu had returned to first place.

Sheng Ziyou raised an eyebrow slightly and then logged out, not even voting for anyone, even on her alternate account.

After exiting, she opened Weibo again. The full video had just been updated, and three topics had already become trending topics.

The boy group selection competition was the best talent show ever, with a large number of fans among the trainees. It also had a youthful appeal, so it was naturally good at generating buzz.

Basically, every time the main episode aired, a topic trended on social media. Even the practice room version trended from time to time, making it quite a lively event.

This time, three topics were trending on social media—

#Sheng Ziyou Dancing#

#Ji Ran lost weight#

#FengYuanxuanGetOutOfTheBoyGroup#

Some fans were still desperately trying to generate buzz around their idols, hoping they could trend on social media and be seen by more people.

However, because these three topics almost monopolized all the traffic, they couldn’t push it up any further.

Sheng Ziyou dancing was big news!

It was already at number two on the trending topics list, and it was also marked with a “hot” tag.

If it weren’t for the two celebrities getting married, this would probably have made headlines as the number one trending topic.

You know, Sheng Ziyou had always been called a “vase,” so the sudden discovery that she could dance, and dance quite impressively at that, was… quite something.

When Sheng Ziyou clicked on it, the first Weibo post was a screenshot, and the second post was a video from a popular online influencer.

All three of their dance videos were uploaded, and the comments section quickly garnered over two thousand views.

Sheng Ziyou nodded; the top comment was—

“Where’s the vase you promised?”

Even Sheng Ziyou laughed, and the replies below were adorable, all chiming in with comments like, “Where’s the talkative vase? Why can you dance?”, “What happened to being a vase? Why can you do dolphin sounds?”, “What happened to being a vase? Why can you compose music?”…

Some people also said—

“After Sheng Ziyou calmed down and studied seriously, she really changed. It’s just that her acting skills are not good enough, otherwise she would be a true all-rounder.”

This comment received countless likes, leaving Sheng Ziyou feeling helpless. Currently, in everyone’s impression, she really didn’t seem to be able to act…

Next up were Sheng Ziyou’s fans, who were as excited and happy as if it were Chinese New Year.

“Aaaaaaah, my Yubao!!”

“I love it! My baby is so amazing!!”

“Attracted by looks, loyal to talent.”

“I really love Yubao!”

“Go, Yubao!! You’re the best!!!”

….

Sheng Ziyou gently stroked it, a smile on her lips.

She had said she would make these lovely fans proud to be her fans.

This was her lifelong goal and her lifelong pursuit.

Below that were the comments from people who went from being neutral to becoming fans, and from haters to becoming fans.

Since Sheng Ziyou transmigrated, aside from boy band programs, her only work had been Chang Su’s advertisements.

She played “Yan Niang” and did a good job, but it’s a pity that the film won’t be released until the Lantern Festival.

But it was precisely because of these works and her ability to frequently trend on social media that her Weibo followers had skyrocketed, her topic activity had soared to number one, and her commercial value had continued to rise.

Zhao Jing said at noon today that the film contracts and advertisements she was receiving now were much better than before.

This made Sheng Ziyou very happy.

She exited and clicked on the remaining two topics.

One was Ji Ran, whose drastic weight loss had broken the hearts of his fans, and even strangers had been gently advising him to take care of himself.

But there were always trolls saying disgusting things in the comments, which made Sheng Ziyou feel uncomfortable.

Those haters said—

“Tsk tsk, only 52kg? At that weight, he’s just a skeleton. Ji Ran’s fans have such unique taste, liking the ‘White Bone Demon’.”

“52kg? Who are you kidding? The production team is getting more and more shameless. This is no way to whitewash Ji Ran.”

“With Ji Ran’s eating habits, how can he be so thin? Did he induce vomiting? That’s how mukbang streamers are, just trying to make money off their fans.”

“Ji Ran used to be disrespectful to the mentor, and now that his ranking has dropped, he’s using every trick in the book to whitewash himself.”

….

Sometimes, the words typed out by “haters” or “keyboard warriors” online, with their wanton insults and arbitrary speculations, were truly disgusting.

Sheng Ziyou left the chat, opened Feng Yuanxuan’s topic, but after scrolling through it a few times, she left again.

Haters attacked him relentlessly, saying he was dragging the team down.

Among them were fans of other group members who, influenced by malicious individuals, felt that Feng Yuanxuan was dragging down their idol. They were burning with anger, and the words they uttered made Sheng Ziyou thankful that Feng Yuanxuan’s phone had been taken away.

Feng Yuanxuan’s fans were also actively trying to clear his name, but with little effect.

Fans who were provoked also started cursing at the haters. Then, some “righteous bystanders” forced Yuanxuan’s fans to admit that they were indeed rude and that their idol was no good either.

Then, when genuine bystanders occasionally say a few fair words, such as “fans’ behavior shouldn’t be attributed to the artists” or “maybe there are other unknown truths,” they were all ignored, leaving only a war of words.

Sheng Ziyou didn’t want to watch anymore. She had seen and dealt with this kind of thing many times before, so there was no need to watch any further.

She washed up and lay in bed, but felt a little uncomfortable and tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

Sheng Ziyou patted her head and scoffed, “At your age, you’ve seen so much of the world, how come you’re getting more and more regressive?!”

She picked up her phone and logged into her alternate account. At that moment, all the fan groups were celebrating like it was Chinese New Year, filled with joy and excitement.

Everyone in the group was praising her, and Sheng Ziyou finally managed a smile.

These pomelos were truly her pillar of support.

The group admin posted three announcements: one was about supporting her on the ranking list, another was about her trending on social media that evening, and the third was about everyone excitedly urging each other to check it out.

The last announcement, which was also posted daily, reminded fans not to cause her any trouble, and not to do this or that…

Every clause was designed to constrain her fans and prevent her from having any negative impact.

Sheng Ziyou smiled and typed—

[Xiyou: I saw Youbao today. She was very happy that everyone liked her. She said that as long as everyone is happy, she is happy too (づ￣3￣)づ]

As soon as her message was posted, the group chat was flooded with comments from many people asking about Sheng Ziyou’s recent situation.

“Has Yubao lost weight?”

“Yes, she took her students to weigh themselves, but didn’t step on the scale herself, so she must have lost weight too.”

“She looks a bit thinner than the last time I saw her.”

“Boss, please help us remind Youbao to take care of her health. Look how thin Ji Ran has become.”

“Yes, boss, remember to pass on our concern to Youbao, and remind her when she doesn’t eat!”

“Ahhh, boss, you absolutely have to take good care of Youbao!!”

….

[Youbao’s Honey: Okay, Xiyou is just a member of the production crew. She can’t watch over Youbao every day. Everyone, please don’t make things difficult for Xiyou.]

After a moment, the group admin added a sentence—

[Youbao’s Honey: If I happen to run into you, I’ll still remind you…]

[Xiyou: You’re welcome! I’ll definitely remind her next time I see Youbao.]

Sheng Ziyou: Just a reminder, you still need to lose weight.

After chatting in the group for a while, someone suddenly asked her—

“What kind of person is Feng Yuanxuan? I used to like him a lot, but lately…”

Before Sheng Ziyou could speak, all sorts of messages started appearing below.

Some say it shouldn’t be taken seriously, others say it’s his fault for not managing his fans well, and that he also dragged down his group members, while still others say they simply don’t like him.

Of course, some of his true fans also jumped out—

“I am a Yuzu (a fan of Ziyou) and also a Xuan fan. Those negative comments may not have come from us Xuan fans. After the incident, we have been reporting it and looking for evidence to prove that those people are not Xuan fans. Please don’t misunderstand. Xuan fans, like Yuzu, love their idol very much but are also very restrained. Please don’t hate that handsome young man with the heavenly voice because of these things.”

After this person spoke, there was a moment of silence on the screen.

After a while, someone finally said, “Let’s continue focusing on Yubao’s beauty and dance skills, and stop talking about these things!”

Sheng Ziyou’s fingers tapped rapidly—

[Youbao and Feng Yuanxuan have a very good relationship. I saw them discussing music yesterday. This matter is indeed a bit troublesome; those people whose identities we don’t know have caused trouble for Feng Yuanxuan. But Feng Yuanxuan is truly a very, very good older brother. He didn’t drag the group down and even consulted Youbao.]

It’s probably only on her alternate account that Sheng Ziyou would say something so directly.

Fans all knew that “Xiyou” was a member of the program team, and they also said that Sheng Ziyou and Feng Yuanxuan had a good relationship. At least these lovely fans immediately extended their affection to Feng Yuanxuan and started saying things like they felt sorry for him being criticized.

Mentioning Feng Yuanxuan dampened Sheng Ziyou’s mood.

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“Li Yantong, have you gone mad! She’s still our own daughter!”

Madam Li pounded on Governor Li’s chest like a madwoman. “How could you do this? How could you…”

“Madam has lost her mind! Tie her up and take her back to the manor! What are you all dawdling for?!” Governor Li grabbed Madam Li’s mouth and threw her behind him.

Immediately, two rough-looking women stepped forward and held Madam Li’s arms.

“Li Yantong!!” Madam Li roared, but the rough-looking women dragged and carried her into the carriage.

The carriage quickly drove away with the still-crying Madam Li.

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, the fire of gossip burning brightly in their hearts.

“Oh dear, the third young lady of the governor’s mansion is so pitiful. It turns out she was strangled and murdered.”

“She doesn’t even know how her own daughter died, yet Madam Li is causing trouble at the governor’s mansion.”

“Isn’t Lord Li even more ridiculous? His daughter died without a clear explanation, and he just takes his wife back and hastily settles the matter. Is she even his biological daughter?”

Although the onlookers dared not speak loudly, Li Yantong heard the discussions clearly. He felt that every word was like a knife to his heart, and his face turned unusually dark and ugly.

The corpse of the third young lady of the Li family, covered with a white sheet on the ground, seemed like a huge joke!

Madam Li’s commotion had pushed the entire governor’s mansion into the eye of the storm in Weizhou City. How could things have turned out like this?

Lord Li turned around with a dark face and saw a carriage speeding to a stop by the side of the street.

Governor Yu hurriedly got out of the carriage, almost slipping, and was caught by his servant.

“Lord Li.” Governor Yu stepped forward and bowed repeatedly. Li Yantong stared at Yu Shoudao with a forced smile, then after a moment of silence, he glanced at him sideways and said with a sinister tone, “Governor Yu has truly raised a fine daughter.”

Governor Yu looked bewildered, watching Governor Li, storm off in a huff. “Alright, alright, there’s nothing to see here, everyone disperse, disperse.” A yamen runner from the Governor’s residence stepped forward to disperse the crowd. Once the gates closed, Governor Yu immediately sought out someone to inquire about the matter.

Meanwhile, Madam Huo, accompanied by Yu Linlang and her servant, stormed back to Yuchun Garden, ordering Yu Linlang to kneel without a word.

“You really have quite the ability, Yu Linlang!”

Madam Huo slammed her hand on the table, making a loud thud. “Do you even know what you’re saying and doing, and how much trouble you’re bringing to the household?”

“Kneel down!” Seeing Yu Linlang standing still, Madam Huo abruptly stood up, pointed at the ground, and glared angrily at her.

“Mother, it’s understandable that Linlang doesn’t know how powerful the Governor’s Mansion is in Weizhou City.” Yu Pianpian hurriedly offered a cup of tea, carefully trying to persuade her, “Please calm down, don’t get angry.”

Huo Shi pointed at Yu Linlang and angrily shouted, “I told you to kneel and beg Madam Li for forgiveness, and what did you do? Perform an autopsy? What do you think you are? Huh! Are you some lowly, despicable coroner? Disgracing the Governor’s mansion in front of him, how could I have given birth to such a little wretch!”

“You think you’re so capable? Huh! What makes you think that Miss Li was strangled? With your pathetic skills, you think you can spout nonsense and lie in front of Madam Li?”

“Look how angry you’ve made the Governor! Even if you don’t care about your own reputation, you should at least think about your father!”

“Your father’s future is ruined by you!”

“Examine the body? What are you, a young lady, doing examining a corpse? You may not find it filthy, but we find it disgusting! Stand back, you reek of corpses, smell yourself, don’t you stink?”

“Mother, Mother, calm down, Mother.” Yu Pianpian gently comforted her, patting Huo Shi’s back, then turned to advise Yu Linlang, “Linlang, don’t make Mother angry anymore, sigh.”

Huo Shi helped Yu Pianpian sit down, then looked up and saw Yu Linlang standing there expressionless like a piece of wood. Overcome with anger, she blurted out, “You little beast, why don’t you kneel when I tell you to?”

“What right do you have to make my miss kneel? If my miss had a choice, she wouldn’t have been born into your womb to be despised, insulted, and abused every day. There are plenty of people in this world who would love and pamper my miss, but you are born into a life of bliss and don’t know how lucky you are.”

“If you don’t want my miss, just remove her from the family register! There are plenty of people in the world who want my miss in their family genealogy! They’d beg and plead for her. Why are you so picky, finding fault with her every time, and constantly finding excuses to torment and insult her?”

Jiu Jin gritted her teeth and glared at him as she retorted, “Who do you think you are! You’ve neglected her for twelve years, and now you’re jumping out to interfere and find fault with her? You don’t deserve it!”

“What kind of person are you! Do you even act like a mother? There’s no mother in the world as despicable as you! You treat your bast**d child like a treasure while your own daughter is like trash.”

“You can give birth but not raise a child? Your governor’s mansion is just short of food for my daughter, isn’t it? You couldn’t afford to raise her, so you sent her away. Now you want to discipline her? Twelve years too late! Stop putting on airs as a stepmother. You’re shameless. You must have a bronze mirror at home. Take a good look at yourself!”

Yu Pianpian’s eyes welled up with tears, and she choked out, “I… I know that even though Linlang doesn’t say it, she harbors a lot of resentment towards me. You don’t need to take your anger out on Mother. Mother hasn’t had a hard time these past few years either. She’s saying all this for your own good…”

“Shut up, you bast**d! You think you’re worthy of my miss’s attention? Have you no urine if not a mirror? Take a piss and look at yourself! What kind of face do you have, pretending to be a weak, innocent flower in front of my miss? If we beat you every day for your own good, do you want that? You’re a bast**d and you don’t even know it, ugh!”

Huo Shi was so angry that her hands and feet trembled. Pointing at Jiu Jin, she roared, “You, you! Insolence! Are you all dead? Hold her down and slap her hard!”

Several rough-looking old women pounced on her, but Jiu Jin grabbed one of them by the arm, twisting and snapping it with a crisp crack. The old woman screamed like a pig being slaughtered.

The other two old women pounced on Jiu Jin, who grabbed their heads with each hand and slammed them together, causing them to bleed profusely.

The many maids and servants in the hall felt their hearts tremble; just watching it was painful.

The two rough-looking old women fainted on the spot.

Huo Shi’s eyes widened in horror, her gaze shifting to Yu Linlang’s calm face.

She sensed a deep, cold indifference in those unfathomable eyes, a chilling, ruthless indifference. Yu Linlang was tall for a young woman, and her imposing presence gave her an air of unapproachability.

A chill ran through Huo Shi’s heart; this daughter was truly incomprehensible.

“What’s all this commotion? Never a moment of peace!” Governor Yu stepped inside, only to find two old women lying unconscious on the floor, their foreheads covered in blood.

His head throbbed.

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---

This inexplicable earthquake was a reverse cheat code from the system, a last-minute intervention. It subsided instantly after killing Ye Qing.

Everyone in the building knew basic escape procedures and had already fled to the plaza outside. Even though the tremors had subsided, they wouldn’t return to the building.

The rescue team hadn’t arrived yet either.

Li Yuebai had at least fifteen to twenty minutes, which was enough.

He bent down, pulled out the piece of metal stuck in Ye Qing’s chest, and then picked Ye Qing up— he couldn’t think of any other way to move a body, so he could only carry him. Half-cold blood dripped down, soaking Ye Qing’s and his own clothes. When lives were at stake, blood didn’t matter.

There was a small office not far away, the security door unlocked and open. The office was small and dark, without windows, making it the perfect place.

Li Yuebai didn’t dare look down at Ye Qing in his arms, only feeling that his body was very heavy and gradually losing warmth. All he could see was a horrifying crimson… He gritted his teeth, quickened his pace, and darted into the small office. He placed Ye Qing on the floor, shut the security door tightly, and found the room completely sealed off— perfect.

Without wiping the blood from his hands, he reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out the small black coffin.

He wondered what the dormant entity inside looked like.

Dormant entities possessed the dead but could also choose unconscious individuals. If he had opened it in the corridor, it might have gone straight to the repair room, choosing one of Wang Wen, Xiao Tian, or Zhuo Zhuo as its host.

This possibility had to be completely eliminated, which was why Li Yuebai had brought Ye Qing here.

The sealing silver ropes binding the coffin stained with the blood from Li Yuebai’s hands, causing a slight color change.

Li Yuebai gritted his teeth, grabbed the silver ropes, and pulled hard!

The coffin opened.

In fact, Li Yuebai had several pairs of glasses with digital camera functions in his pocket, prepared before the trip. Through these lenses, he could see the appearance of the dormant entity.

However, Li Yuebai didn’t want to wear the glasses at all. He didn’t want to see how the dormant entity invaded Ye Qing’s brain with a satisfied grin… Although the result would be the same, he just didn’t want to see it.

The whole process was much faster than he had imagined.

Ye Qing’s body seemed to tremble, and then, his whole being changed.

A strange heartbeat came from his shattered chest, and the originally bright red blood gradually turned black… The horrific wound on his chest was healing, his originally fair skin became even paler, and several strange lines appeared on his skin. His eyelashes fluttered eerily a few times… Something seemed to appear at the corners of his eyes…

For the first time, Li Yuebai felt helpless.

This was the first time he had made such a big decision for the other person without consulting their wishes. This completely violated his usual code of conduct, but he also had a principle of life above all else, so… making this choice was inevitable. Whatever the consequences, he had no choice but to bear them.

“I’m sorry…” Li Yuebai murmured.

In the dim light, Ye Qing opened his eyes.

The transformation was complete. He looked different from before, but not as bloodthirsty and ferocious as the vampires he had encountered before… A strand of black hair by his left ear had turned blood red, his skin was pale, his knuckles were distinct, and a pattern appeared on the skin under his right eye— a blue teardrop.

Blue and red, a teardrop pattern… it was the clown’s classic symbol…

Li Yuebai’s mind was a mess; he no longer knew what he was thinking.

The color of Ye Qing’s eyes was also different from before. Before, they were pure black, but now they seemed to be flashing with a bluish light. His expression was still cold and calm, but it carried an additional terrifying aura of death.

Just his quiet gaze made Li Yuebai have an urge to flee. If he hadn’t been prepared to bear the consequences, if his legs hadn’t been so heavy that he couldn’t lift them, he might have already run away.

Before he could react, Li Yuebai felt the back of his head hit the cold ground.

Ye Qing had pinned him to the ground, his shoulders gripped tightly, the force so great it felt like his bones were about to break. Silence reigned, broken only by Ye Qing’s faint breathing, the cold breath slowly drawing closer to his neck…

He wanted to drink his blood.

He was the one who had turned him into a vampire; he had to be his first victim.

“Xiao Ye…” Li Yuebai’s voice was hoarse: “…I’m sorry.”

He didn’t know if Ye Qing could still hear him, if he still had any human reason. Regardless, he had to say it.

Ye Qing paused for a moment.

“I’m sorry for making all the decisions for you without my permission.” Li Yuebai was almost suffocating under Ye Qing’s weight, barely managing to squeeze out each word from deep within his trachea.

He could have easily used his strength to push Ye Qing away, but now, consumed by guilt, he didn’t move, letting Ye Qing continue to press down on him.

Beep beep beep— in this eerie standoff, the sharp crack of the walkie-talkie tore through the air, echoing in the cramped office.

The walkie-talkie, only the size of a mobile phone, was clipped to Ye Qing’s waist— it was issued to everyone in the bureau for convenient communication during missions, and it allowed for video calls.

Ye Qing loosened his grip, gradually releasing Li Yuebai’s shoulder, his face no longer so close. He frowned, seemingly lost in painful thought.

“The walkie-talkie is ringing. You have to answer it, otherwise the city bureau will think you’re missing and will immediately send someone over to check.” Li Yuebai pointed to the walkie-talkie on his waist, trying to explain to him, “In the current situation, it will only make things more chaotic if they come over, so you have to answer it and tell them you’re alright.”

The room was very dark, with only the faint glow of electronic devices illuminating the room. Li Yuebai’s eyesight was excellent now, and he could clearly see Ye Qing’s face— the blue teardrop pattern under his eyes, his red hair, his pale face, the blood all over his body, and his cold, deathly expression…

No, he absolutely couldn’t let the people from the bureau see him like this. They would realize Ye Qing’s current identity, and then…

Li Yuebai reached out with difficulty, slowly touching Ye Qing’s waist. He was very nervous, afraid that Ye Qing would be agitated, but this time Ye Qing was immersed in his inner pain and didn’t care about his hand. He quickly grabbed the walkie-talkie, turned the screen towards himself, and turned it on.

“Xiao Gu? Where’s Ye Qing?” Director Yang’s face appeared on the walkie-talkie screen. He frowned as he looked at Li Yuebai, clearly realizing something was wrong.

“We’re at the city museum. There was just an earthquake here. No casualties. Ye Qing went to assist with assessing the damage.” Li Yuebai took a deep breath, trying to maintain a normal expression. “Director Yang, how’s the situation at Yongfeng Company? Is everything going smoothly?”

No matter what had happened, Li Yuebai remembered that Director Yang had led the team to Yongfeng Company.

“Successfully. You remain where you are and await rescue,” Director Yang briefly instructed.

“The restoration room in the museum building needs someone from the bureau,” Li Yuebai reported urgently, fearing something might happen. “Cultural relics expert Zhuo Zhuo is a key witness. Also, the restoration team leader Wang Wen and intern Xiao Tian have committed crimes; we recommend their detention.”

Director Yang briefly understood the situation and hung up.

During the call, Li Yuebai watched helplessly as Ye Qing stiffly stood up, stumbled towards the door, and attempted to leave the room.

“…Xiao Ye!” Li Yuebai hung up the call and rushed to stop him. In Ye Qing’s current state, if he ran out rashly, everyone would notice something was wrong. The consequences would be unimaginable…

But when he tried to approach Ye Qing, Ye Qing suddenly turned around, staring intently at him with a terrifying gaze.

Even Li Yuebai didn’t know what to do.

If he approached Ye Qing, he would be drained of his blood; if he didn’t, Ye Qing would run off somewhere unknown.

So even vampires had this kind of eccentric child…?

Perhaps, a direct confrontation was the only option.

Vampires possessed power unmatched by humans, but Gu Xisha had an insanely high level of combat ability, having effortlessly fought other vampires before. Against Ye Qing, he might not necessarily lose. Li Yuebai had no intention of harming Ye Qing; he only wanted to forcibly knock him unconscious and take him away, then carefully consider his next move.

Li Yuebai took a deep breath, gathering his strength and calculating his attack, intending to strike a fatal blow just a second before Ye Qing left.

Then he saw Ye Qing raise a hand, his fingers hooking in the air.

What did this gesture mean?

Before Li Yuebai could react, he smelled the familiar scent of ether.

A mist of ether, seemingly from nowhere, filled his respiratory tract.

Then, darkness enveloped him.

Li Yuebai was shaken awake by people from the Municipal Bureau and the security team. It was already evening when he woke up. Opening his eyes, he saw a sky full of stars, the sky above him, the museum plaza beneath him, the ground cold marble. There was a commotion around him; it seemed like armed police were moving around, carrying stones and other objects.

Li Yuebai sat up abruptly, startling everyone around him.

“Where’s Ye Qing?” he roared.

“Xiao Gu, have you damaged your brain? Shouldn’t we ask you where Ye Qing is?” Director Yang frowned. “And what about the blood on you?”

“I…” Ye Qing lowered his head, looking at the bloodstains on his shirt. Ye Qing’s blood, a large patch, shockingly red. Everything that had just happened was real; it wasn’t a dream.

“What’s going on? Don’t you have any safety awareness? An earthquake and you’re still inside? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Director Yang scolded. “We only moved you out after we arrived, the suspects were detained, and the witnesses were taken care of. How could you lose Ye Qing like that?”

Ye Qing…

Li Yuebai felt an indescribable sense of oppression and distress. Where was Ye Qing?

He suddenly got up and rushed outside without thinking.

He had to find Ye Qing quickly.

---

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Translator: Dj2203

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---

Seven thirty in the morning… At this time, the town in the other world was already in full swing.

Things were starting to move in this town without streetlights or lighting.

Light a fire from the bright morning until the evening when the sun is out.

This was a valuable time of day when firewood or oil were not needed for light.

Many people worked during this bright day to earn a living.

Everyone worked hard. In other worlds, there was no social security system.

Therefore, the lower the class, the more they dislike practical benefits.

Although not of the lower classes, merchants also had a similar spirit.

For them, profit without pretense was reason, that was the merchant’s justice.

They don’t need to say “I worked hard”; they just need to say “I made a profit”…

A victory for the merchant. In that sense, Genta was truly a winner today.

….

After the bread sales in the guild were over and we were cleaning up, the process of joining the Adventurer’s Guild and the bread-making process within the guild was discussed.

After paying the sales commission, I met with Maon and the other members of the guild.

We rented a table in a corner and discussed our future plans.

The first thing I thought was necessary was to stabilize and improve Maon’s life.

It’s better than lying down outdoors in the middle of nowhere, exposed to the elements,

A barn is still a barn. It’s a thin, ordinary structure made of planks.

On the roof or walls, you may be bothered by outside noises when trying to sleep.

This season is very cold and it’s hard to get a good night’s sleep.

It would be unsuitable. There might even be drafts.

Above all, it was careless.

But building a house takes time and money.

Today, if we just consider the profit, it’s about 40,000 yen. It’s a huge profit, but it’s not big enough to build a house, so it will remain a barn for a while.

But I thought there were some aspects of the living environment itself that could be improved.

I’d like to sleep in the warm barn and have my own house on the premises.

There are artesian wells that can pump up groundwater, to make the most of that quality water…

If this is realized, there must be a way to live comfortably.

By the way, the well used by many people in this town was a shared well.

This draws water from the river that runs alongside the town.

It was passed under the ground and the water was then distributed to wells throughout the town.

In other words, the wells in this town are made of water from a river that has been channelled.

It was a reservoir in the town that was created by digging a hole in the ground.

Residents used the collected water by drawing it into buckets attached to strings.

This was also true of the well situation in Edo during the Edo period in Japan.

The same is true of Shakujii Pond, which is now known as a park, the source of the water was Inokashira Pond in Inokashira Park, famous for the Kanda Waterworks.

Water was drawn from the Kanda River and circulated underground throughout Edo city.

The water was transported to wells in various places as a waterworks, and the population of Edo was one million.

It moistened it.

The well water in the town of Mean was drawn directly from the river.

Therefore, if people who have lived in the area for many years drank raw water, it was not so bad because there was something like an immunity, but for people from other places to drink it…

It was too dangerous. In fact, even people who are used to drinking it can get diarrhea.

Apparently this happens quite often, so it’s better to be cautious.

According to Maon, the shared well water is soiled with cloth and other items.

Apparently it’s common to boil it and then drink it after it’s cooled.

I’m used to drinking chlorinated tap water, so if I were to drink raw water, I’d definitely be shocked!

Yes, drinking raw water will definitely give you an upset stomach and make you burp.

For example, in Japan, you draw water from a nearby river.

It’s like trying to drink water straight without sterilizing or boiling it.

No one would think to do that.

However, the well on Maon’s property draws water from the river.

Unlike the wells in town, this is an artesian well, where water is obtained by digging deep into the ground.

The water is turbid and there are many creatures, including fish, in the water.

Unlike the water from public wells, which may end up in the well, the water is pure and clear.

Maon had never had diarrhea even when drinking this water as is.

Najina and Wozma, who came yesterday, were also drinking it.

They didn’t seem to have any stomach problems, so the water was probably clean.

However, they grew up drinking chlorinated water and had a different world from Earth.

It may not be safe for me, as I grew up in a literal “other world.”

To Maon, who lost her home in the fire and her stove, this well water could only be drunk without boiling.

The water that is essential for sustaining life can be drunk as it is.

That would be very much appreciated.

Okay, I’ve decided.

I don’t have the skills to DIY an extension to a barn.

At least Maon-san can sleep warmly, and behind the barn, let’s think of something to make the area around the well easier to use.

But the quickest way is to organize your surroundings.

I’m sure the things I had were burned and it would be inconvenient for my life.

I’m sure there’s something going on… so let’s go out into town and do some shopping first.

….

As we continued our discussion, about 30 minutes had passed.

I looked at my watch and it was past 8 o’clock.

“Oh, it’s already light out. Most of the adventurers are gone. I’m out. I’ll go back home and clean up. Shall we do it?”

“Maon-san, let’s go buy some personal items before then. If things stay the way they are, there will probably be some inconveniences…”

“Well, if you ask me if it’s inconvenient…, it really is. It’s embarrassing, but I don’t have that much money.”

“It’s okay, the money I just earned…”

“Wait! Genta!!”

Maon-san answered.

“That’s Genta’s well-earned money.”

She said with a sharp look.

“Genta, you’re such a kind person. But it’s not good to pamper people too much. If you do that, they’ll end up relying on you too much and ruining your life. It’s similar to raising a child.”

‘I’m quite an old lady now…’ Maon laughs.

“So… Genta, you’re the one who should use this money. You’ll be returning to the academy eventually, right? Money is something that is hard to say. On the other hand, not having enough of it can be a problem. There’s plenty out there in the world.”

I reply yes.

“You can use it for tuition fees, or if there’s any left over, you can use it for the future. If you find a good person, it will cost you money to marry, no matter where you are or what time it is. I wish you could buy a new outfit too. And you make such amazing bread, you’ll need to buy flour and other things.”

“Of course, I need money…”

I tried to argue, but…

“Genta… You’re asking me to take money from a kid who’s almost your grandson. I don’t want to become an old hag who lives like that.”

Maon said this while laughing loudly.

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---

At this moment, Gu Wuji stepped out of the village. Suddenly, the ground shook violently, causing everyone who was about to shower him with compliments to swallow their words.

“What is this?!”

“What’s going on? Wait, look up there!”

The fog in the entire village suddenly spread outwards, and the dark figures within were sucked into the air. The previously sleeping monster showed signs of waking up, and even the wails of the surrounding ghosts became more intense.

Watching the ghosts being devoured one by one by the monsters, the players roughly understood why these sacrificial spirits had been so eager to follow. They figured they couldn’t leave on their own, but they were unwilling to stay and be absorbed by the monsters, so of course they had no choice but to travel the same path with them.

The thought of running away with several ghosts actually made the players find this novel experience quite enjoyable.

“Looks like it’s about to wake up,” Gu Wuji muttered to himself. After all, he had brought the other’s true form out of the coffin; how could it not wake up?

But leaving the village didn’t mean the dungeon’s mission was complete. Looking at the vast fog outside and the only road, the group vaguely realized that only by crossing the bridge could they leave safely.

The group, along with the ghosts, rushed forward with trepidation. Just then, the noise of a vehicle starting up suddenly rang out. An extremely old-looking tricycle stopped in front of them, driven by the middle-aged man.

Upon closer inspection, the middle-aged man’s face was dark; he was clearly possessed by a ghost. This was the very ghost Gu Wuji and the others had encountered when they tried to leave the village via the road.

“Get on quickly!” the middle-aged man hurriedly said, and the group immediately squeezed onto the dilapidated vehicle… Fortunately, the ghost could control its weight at this moment; even the vengeful ghost boss in the black coffin Gu Wuji was carrying had reduced its weight to almost nothing, otherwise, even with the ghost’s power, the vehicle wouldn’t have been able to hold on.

Against the backdrop of this increasingly terrifying and eerie village, the dilapidated tricycle suddenly rushed forward. Not only were six people firmly seated on it, but there were also ghosts hanging around… In short, it didn’t look like a scene from a horror movie, but rather a comedy.

The group turned to look; the village behind them had been completely swallowed by the black mist, and the monster above was becoming increasingly solidified.

Although the monster hadn’t fully awakened, it had already realized that its true form had been taken away, and immediately became furious. A large number of ghosts suddenly flew out from the black mist and attacked the group.

“Oh no!” Everyone’s expression changed. So many ghosts! Even if they could fight back, they wouldn’t stand a chance…

Then they saw the sacrificial ghosts on the vehicle display their extraordinary abilities. The most astonishing was the unassuming female ghost who had been combing her hair. Strands of her hair suddenly attacked the surrounding ghosts, subduing them completely.

Everyone was relieved that the village chief had only used this female ghost to subdue them in the cave, not to use this attack… Of course, this was also because the female ghost was rather introverted and didn’t want to kill so easily.

In this way, without even Gu Wuji lifting a finger, the group survived the first wave of ghost attacks.

“This is so surreal! I never dreamed I’d be protected by ghosts one day.”

“Me neither. And I never expected ghosts to have such personalities. I thought they were just tools of the system, with no other goal than to kill us.”

“Even when we escaped, we are riding in this dilapidated tricycle…”

The players on the vehicle felt their worldviews had been completely shattered.

The attack from behind wasn’t over yet. The monster in mid-air suddenly opened its eyes, its crimson pupils coldly staring at everyone, especially Gu Wuji, as if it wanted nothing more than to kill this human.

The next instant, the ground shook violently, cracks appeared in the earth, and the tricycle’s movement became difficult.

Fortunately, the middle-aged man’s driving skills were astounding; he navigated the cracked ground several times, narrowly escaping to continue forward.

From the cracks in the ground emerged countless zombie-like corpses, rapidly chasing after the group. Crucially, these corpses were not only densely packed, like a zombie siege, but also incredibly fast, quickly catching up to the dilapidated tricycle.

“Damn it!” The group’s hearts pounded with anxiety once more. These corpses were far more difficult to deal with than ghosts, their physical defenses far superior. Even though the vengeful spirit on their vehicle was powerful, it would take time for them to act. If the monster caught up with them, they would be dead!

But the next instant, a forest suddenly appeared ahead, and the middle-aged man drove the tricycle into it without hesitation. The cracked ground had no effect on the forest; the ground was surprisingly flat.

When the corpses behind tried to catch up, they were entangled by the vines and blocked from moving forward.

A very familiar tree stood ahead, and beside it stood a thin, passerby-like villager who smiled at their vehicle. This was none other than the ghost of the villager who had become one with the tree.

“Thank you for your help!” Gu Wuji said, moved. He felt that there was still true kindness and love in the world! Look, even these vengeful ghosts had become so kind; this world of the instance was still beautiful, completely breaking free from the limitations of the supernatural setting. Just as the tricycle was about to pass, the smile on the villager’s ghost’s face suddenly disappeared, and it chased after them, “Wait! Take me with you if you’re running away!!”

….

Soon, the tricycle had reached the location of the bridge. This place looked very familiar; in the flashback scenes everyone witnessed, it was here that Gu Wuji committed his scumb*g acts.

Once players crossed this bridge, they could return to reality. As for the ghosts, they could also be freed from the village’s constraints.

The only problem was that the bridge was old and dilapidated, appearing very unstable and only allowing one person to cross at a time. Worst of all, it could only carry one ghost at a time… seemingly due to a village curse.

“You guys go first,” Gu Wuji said from behind. “I’ll cover you from here, don’t worry.”

Everyone nodded. Yang Shao and Xiao Qin initially objected, since Gu Wuji had sacrificed so much and should rightfully be the first to leave. But considering the vengeful ghost Gu Wuji was carrying on his shoulder, and who knew what might happen next… they agreed, as time was running out.

As Yang Shao was leaving, he turned back to look at Gu Wuji. “I’ll lend you that outfit. Return it when we meet again in a future instance.”

Before Gu Wuji could refuse, he had already rushed onto the bridge.

Soon, the group and the ghost were almost all on the other side, but they didn’t leave immediately. Instead, they watched from the opposite bank, not intending to leave until they saw Gu Wuji safely depart.

Gu Wuji took a deep breath and was about to walk forward with the coffin when the ground trembled violently. A gigantic, shapeless monster composed of pitch-black ghosts had appeared behind him.

“Damn it!” Gu Wuji was startled and rushed forward.

But it was too late. Just as the monster was about to slap Gu Wuji to death, it suddenly stopped just before it landed.

Taking advantage of this moment, Gu Wuji had already reached the bridge. He turned around, panting.

Perhaps because its connection with its original form had been severed, its body began to slowly dissipate. The ghosts still looked extremely pained, but they were no longer as aggressive. The monster’s gaze towards Gu Wuji was incredibly complex.

Gu Wuji suddenly realized that this monster was also part of a god… so it had some feelings for him, which was why it hadn’t wanted to kill him just now.

Most importantly, it probably didn’t want to continue torturing the villagers like this anymore and wanted to seek a release. After all, its true form was that of a deity, who initially intended to protect the village, not to cause it to turn out like this.

The people on the opposite bank realized this as well, their expressions filled with a sense of melancholy as they reflected on everything that had happened to the village.

But now, the village was finally about to be freed. However, Gu Wuji abruptly turned back, rushed back to the bank, put down the coffin he was carrying, and slowly walked towards the monster.

Yang Shao on the opposite bank, witnessing this, was furious. If they hadn’t been somewhat restricted after crossing the bridge, he would have rushed over to pull Gu Wuji away. What was he thinking?!

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