Chapter 85: Lu Liangting: Bai Yu, I…*
Zhao Yingcai lay on the ground, completely still. After uttering the true name of A She Godmother, he was killed. His tongue was cut off, and his life force quickly evaporated, leaving his body a visibly ashen gray.
It wasn’t the pale color of d*ath, but more of a gray, as if his original colors had been wiped away.
This village was filled with eerie hues, just as she had expected.
Wherever an evil god existed, oddities were guaranteed. These beings were far more terrifying than ghosts; ghosts might leave a trail when they k*ll, but an evil god can strike in silence with mere will and curses.
“Mingyue, listen to me—you absolutely must not speak right now. This village is more troublesome than you might think; it’s filled with curses, and your voice might just become the source of one.”
“The power of evil gods mainly stems from this. Compared to ghosts, they have even more limitations, so being careful is our best defense.”
“No see, no hear, no speak.”
“These are the three main evil gods I currently know of in your village.”
“To the east, that’s your uncle’s evil god—it’s No Speak, whose true name is A She Godmother.”
“As far as I know, she controls tongues and voices.”
Bai Yu patiently explained to Zhao Mingyue as they walked toward the west side of the village.
“Chen Yun, the woman I killed that day—her talismans drew power from No See. I don’t know the true name, but I’m certain one of my old friends has been here.”
“We’ve got to be wary of not just the evil gods and villagers, but also those crazies.”
“Right now, we’re in the front village—dangerous, but not extreme.”
“Our task is simple: to gather as many secrets as possible while keeping our lives intact, so we’ll be better prepared when we move to the back village. The chances of survival will be much higher.”
“Running away doesn’t solve problems. I know this place feels like a nightmare to you.”
“Again, don’t be afraid. I’m here for you.”
“I’ll help you sort everything out.”
“All you have to do is trust me.”
Zhao Mingyue’s situation must be resolved without delay; Bai Yu had already prepared for her identity to be exposed. This was unavoidable—a necessary sacrifice meant to tackle things as quickly and surely as possible.
The solution was simple: summon Lu Liangting and spread the word, letting the crazies come to claim a prize.
When one or two lunatics lurk in the shadows, it’s genuinely dangerous; you must always be wary of them jumping out.
But when a whole crowd of lunatics gathers, the situation turns quite different.
Relatively speaking, it might not even be that dangerous.
The outcome? The power of the evil god might be seized by some lucky and powerful fool.
Here’s the difference: the evil god actively targets Zhao Mingyue, while that group of crazies doesn’t. They have way too many targets and concerns.
Plus, these lunatics aren’t dumb. They won’t just sit back and let the evil god grow; they’d suppress or eliminate it while bolstering their own strength.
Just as Bai Yu finished her thought, Zhao Mingyue arrived at the west side of the village, the area where the ear of the evil god was located.
She gestured to her lips, asking whether it was safe to speak here.
“It should be fine, but you don’t necessarily have to.” Bai Yu reminded her. That’s when Zhao Mingyue remembered she could communicate with Bai Yu in her mind too.
“Bai Yu, you mentioned there were only three evil gods here, but didn’t you also say there’s one in my body? Is that one of the three?”
At this, Bai Yu shook her head. “As far as I know, there are only three. The one in your body hasn’t provided any clues. To find it, we likely have to head to the back hill.”
“Okay, no worries! Three or four, they’re all bad news anyway. If we can take them down, let’s just do it!” Zhao Mingyue linked arms with Bai Yu, a fierce expression on her face. “If needed, you can take me over anytime!”
Bai Yu was momentarily stunned but nodded.
Possessing her might indeed come in handy.
“What should we do next?” Bai Yu asked.
“Cell phone.”
“Huh?”
“Send a message to Lu Liangting, tell him to come here.”
For Lu Liangting, Bai Yu’s heart was undoubtedly dark, though he was blissfully unaware. After all, it was adorned with irresistible sweet exterior.
“That… doesn’t feel right…” Zhao Mingyue mumbled, but she retrieved her phone and opened the chat app, clicking on Lu Liangting’s eye-catching lotus avatar.
His expression seemed to say, “What should I say?”
Bai Yu took the phone. “Lu Liangting should be fine; those crazies wouldn’t let him d*e.”
Letting those lunatics come was one thing, but they needed to implement protections.
That safeguard was, naturally, Lu Liangting.
Bai Yu didn’t trust that Lu Liangting was safely here; they had so many schemes focused on her and Zhao Mingyue. Meanwhile, the mayhem of other lunatics, ghostly disturbances, Lu Liangting’s safety, his fondness for them, and the power of the evil god would divert their attention.
“Tonight’s going to get lively.”
After composing the message, Bai Yu hit send and included her location.
This place was remote, but it was still close to the city—signal was available, and the chaotic yin-yang magnetic field hadn’t interfered with mobile use.
Bai Yu considered—it made sense this spot was a task site for the black smartphone.
Zhao Mingyue’s phone and Lu Liangting’s didn’t trigger because the level was too high for them to unlock anything.
It was reasonable; even the typical ghostly foes that could act as mini-bosses in usual task zones were here to be seen right off the bat.
Bai Yu would bet there were no less than ten Red-clothed Evil Ghosts in this village alone.
Not to mention the “Eternal Life People” they hadn’t encountered yet.
With the evil god’s curse, the danger here was palpable. But that’s only in the front village—the true source lay in the back village, which would be even more perilous.
Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Lu Liangting replied, even throwing in a phone call.
Bai Yu hung up with a blank face and quickly summarized the situation.
Lu Liangting was aware Zhao Mingyue had made contact with this world, so saying things straightforwardly wouldn’t raise suspicion. Besides, Zhao Mingyue had just “accidentally” stumbled upon this “secret” and called him out of “fear” all alone.
Lu Liangting’s final message was:
“Find a place to hide; I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Check the black smartphone to see if a task was triggered.” Bai Yu handed the phone back.
“Okay!”
Zhao Mingyue took the phone and opened the other black device; sure enough, there was a new message.
【Arrived at task location】
【You will trigger task: Eternal Life Village (Front)】
【Eternal Life Village (Front)】
【Task Difficulty: ???】
【Task Reward: ???】
【Task Requirement: Before dawn, find and destroy the idols: Ear and Mouth.】
【Don’t look at things you shouldn’t, don’t listen to sounds you shouldn’t, don’t speak words you shouldn’t, don’t think things you shouldn’t. My parents have always droned this in my ear since I was little. Every time I hear it, I wonder what I shouldn’t be watching, listening to, saying, or thinking.】
【The bearded, blind village chief came to my house. He said, ‘Don’t cry, from today, I am a goddess, favored by the great spirits, bringing glory to the family.’】
【???????????】
【I don’t believe what my sister said, ??????????】
【???????????】
【What are they saying? I can’t hear clearly.】
【What do they look like? I can’t see.】
【Who are they? I can’t ask.】
【??????????】
【My revered spirits, please have mercy on me and grant my tribespeople eternal life.】
【Task Contents: ???, Eternal Life People, Voices from Coffins, Funeral, Red Embroidery Ball, Midnight Shrine, ???, ???】
Seeing the task content opened, Zhao Mingyue stared at the descending rows of question marks, dumbfounded. This was her first encounter with such a situation; even the task description was filled with question marks. And was it just her imagination, or did she feel like the content was all about her?
To think, she grew up in a place like this. It was truly a miracle she was still alive now.
“Why are there so many question marks? Have you encountered this before, Feather?”
“Once before; it occurs only when you enter a specific task area while being significantly weak. Generally, even if you give up halfway, there aren’t any penalties for this kind of task.”
“Well, well, well! If I complete the task, will I get a significant boost?” Zhao Mingyue started connecting the dots.
“There will be. Here, danger and opportunity coexist.”
Zhao Mingyue felt a thrill; she didn’t want to be a weakling anymore. But looking at the rows of question marks above, a wave of fear washed over her.
Danger and opportunity, indeed; best to proceed wisely rather than rush in blindly.
While Zhao Mingyue contemplated, Bai Yu fell silent, reviewing the redemption task released on her black smartphone.
Yes, a redemption task.
【Task: Dragon Scale】
“When I was still human, I hated scaly reptiles the most. Just their touch can send chills of disgust down my spine.”
“I’ve had enough of shedding that leaves me in unbearable pain, watching the scales lift, starting to dry out from the edges, like a dirty, old garment clinging to me. I can hardly muster the strength to peel them off completely.”
“But if it allows me to exact revenge, I’d willingly endure it.”
“Doctor, tonight, your task is to help Subject 521 recover her memory.”
Bai Yu’s eyes widened upon seeing the number 521.
“Dragon Lady…”
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One hour, max an hour and a half until the next chapter.
