Chapter 113: If You’re Lucky Enough, You Won’t d*e Suddenly
After leaving the Siye Society, Luxianbei found a secluded place to deal with the urban legends that came knocking every evening and when he finally wandered back home, it was just past nine.
As soon as he pulled out his keys and opened the door, he saw Jumeng sitting on the sofa, clutching a box of tissues, her eyes swollen and red from crying.
Really, is it possible to cry like this over a romantic drama? Did something happen? Luxianbei thought to himself as he approached her, asking, “What’s going on? Why are you crying like this?”
“It’s too tragic, really too tragic, it makes my heart ache,” Jumeng said, pulling out a few tissues to wipe away the tears at the corners of her eyes.
So it was because of watching a romantic drama? Luxianbei curled his lips, pressing on, “What exactly did you watch that made you cry like this?”
“I was just watching the movie ‘A Chinese Ghost Story’…”
“Oh!” Luxianbei nodded thoughtfully, “That’s understandable, after all…”
“You also think the old lady is very tragic, right?”
Luxianbei, “???”.
Are you perhaps identifying too much with the characters?
“Although the old lady did a lot of bad things and definitely deserved to d*e, I still feel she was so tragic! Her loved ones were abducted, and she was beaten up by a big bearded man like that!”
Luxianbei, “…”
Ah, this… Girl, your worldview might be a bit problematic?
“It eats people, doesn’t it?”
“Logically, eating people is not really appropriate, but isn’t it unreasonable to allow people to chop down trees while forbidding the trees from eating people?” Jumeng said seriously, looking at Luxianbei.
Hearing this from her, it seems there is a tiny bit of reason? Luxianbei frowned.
d*mn! I shouldn’t be discussing such matters with an urban legend! Urban legends view issues differently from humans.
Luxianbei thought, quickly changing the subject, “Never mind, let’s not discuss this anymore. I want to ask you something.”
Setting aside the controversy for mutual development is the solid truth.
“Ask a question?” Jumeng narrowed her eyes, circling Luxianbei carefully. “Did you capture the core of the urban legend again? Show me, let me check the goods first!”
“Uh…” Luxianbei felt a bit awkward but kept his expression unchanged, thickening his face to say, “On credit, this time I’ll put it on credit and pay you back next time.”
“Hah! Men!” Jumeng crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, “I’m so heartbroken from the movie you didn’t even come back to comfort me, and you still want to scrounge?”
“How can you call it scrounging?” Luxianbei said seriously while getting up to fetch his laptop, opening the homepage of the Shifubao and clicking on the Hua Bei interface. “Look, nowadays humans first buy things and then pay in installments.”
“A sophisticated urban legend like you, born talented and good at learning, shouldn’t you use such an excellent system?”
Jumeng looked at Luxianbei sideways, “Keep spinning your tale! Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting! Advance consumption easily leads to false prosperity and breeds bubbles; there will be a collapse sooner or later!”
Luxianbei, “…”
d*mn! How does this urban legend understand economics?
To be honest, if this girl was a bit dumber and easier to fool, that would be great, Luxianbei thought.
“However…” Jumeng glanced at Luxianbei, her emerald-like eyes turning, switching the topic, “This time I can let you have it on credit, since I’m not afraid of you running, but if you can’t pay back…”
“Then I’ll pay with my body?” Luxianbei tilted his head.
After all, you, stinky sister, have been after my body for quite some time now.
“Go to hell! If you can’t pay back, you’ll obediently become my subordinate!” Jumeng retorted angrily.
Luxianbei, “…”
Isn’t that still paying with the body? In a labor sense.
He thought, pulling his thoughts back, vaguely recalling what he had learned from Jiang Li earlier that afternoon and some doubts he had, he asked, “When I went to the Siye Society headquarters today, I heard someone say that after mythological species urban legends are born, they are particularly prone to dying suddenly?”
“That’s right!” Jumeng nodded, “You don’t know, Liao Zhai Tavern has a signature dish that must be reserved a year in advance, made from the core of mythological species urban legends.”
“I heard that their supply comes from those newly born mythological species urban legends; once they discover a newly born mythological species urban legend, they will quietly keep a close watch…”
Luxianbei, hearing this, made a throat-cutting gesture with an expressionless face, interrupting, “And then wait for the chance to get rid of them?”
“What are you thinking?” Jumeng rolled her eyes, “Liao Zhai Tavern is a legitimate business!”
“They just keep an eye on them, waiting for the newly born mythological species urban legends to d*e on their own, then conveniently help collect the bodies; it’s just waste recycling.”
Luxianbei nodded thoughtfully, pressing on, “Aren’t they afraid that those mythological species urban legends that don’t d*e suddenly will find out their purpose and retaliate?”
“Of course not!” Jumeng waved her hand, “For those mythological species urban legends that don’t d*e suddenly, Liao Zhai Tavern offers them a meal ticket that can be used once a month, forever free of charge.”
Seeing Luxianbei’s lips slightly parted, as if he still wanted to ask something, Jumeng smugly added, “That’s right, I have one; don’t be envious, you can’t envy it!”
Luxianbei, “…” It’s nothing to be proud of to be targeted and nearly turned into a dish on the table!
“Well…” Luxianbei thought for a moment, his expression unchanged, “How did you avoid the tragedy of dying suddenly? Is there any special method?”
Jumeng looked at Luxianbei with a slightly wary gaze, “Why are you asking this?”
Is this some secret that can’t be mentioned? Luxianbei thought, pouting, “I’m just a bit curious; think of me as a friend wanting to know.”
Jumeng gave Luxianbei a sideways glance, somewhat surprised, “The people from the Siye Society haven’t told you about this?”
Their method to upgrade spirit patterns was actually learned from mythological species urban legends! Jumeng thought to herself.
The Siye Society actually knows? Luxianbei mused, spreading his hands, “Of course not, after all, I’m just a temp worker.”
“Well then, here’s another question…” Jumeng said suddenly, her tone dropping, “That friend you mentioned, is it you?”
“Me?” Luxianbei briefly froze, maintaining a calm facade, “Do I look like a mythological species urban legend? If I were an urban legend, would I dare to be a temp at the Siye Society?”
Upon hearing this, Jumeng slyly measured Luxianbei with her eyes, then teased, “That’s true, you don’t look like it, but who told you that the Siye Society doesn’t have urban legend members?”
“What the hell?” Luxianbei exclaimed.
“What’s so shocking about it?” Jumeng lifted her chin slightly, seeming indifferent. “Otherwise, do you think it’s possible for humans to gather that much intelligence with just their means?”
“Moreover, once the number increases, it’s not unusual for a few turncoats to appear in any force.”
Luxianbei, “…”
I actually very much agree with that!
Silently complimenting Jumeng, Luxianbei continued to ask, “So how did you avoid dying suddenly? You still haven’t told me!”
“Well…” Jumeng hesitated for a moment, simply acting like a brat to avoid the topic, “Hey, are you annoying? Are you addicted to scrounging? How many questions is this already?”
How should I know how to avoid it? I haven’t done anything!
I just bask in the sun daily, enjoy the sea breeze, breathe fresh air, and then have the people from Peach Source worship me, which directly compensates for most of the shortcomings!
If I say this, won’t it make people think I’m useless? Jumeng thought.
Luxianbei looked at Jumeng sideways, softly muttering, “You don’t mean you don’t know, do you?”
“Impossible!” Jumeng rolled up her sleeves, suddenly standing up, “Of course I know!”
“Then tell me!”
“Fine, I’ll say it!” Jumeng glared at Luxianbei, leaning closer to him, and then lowered her voice, “I’ll tell you, but you mustn’t tell anyone else!”
She seemed to be saying this seriously as if it were a big secret? Luxianbei nodded, responding, “Mhm!”
“It’s actually very simple; it’s… luck!” Jumeng whispered in Luxianbei’s ear.
After saying this, she saw Luxianbei’s confused expression and couldn’t hold back anymore, clutching her stomach and rolling on the sofa with laughter.
Luxianbei, “???.”
Did I just get played by her?
d*mn! It would have been better not to say anything; if luck is good, one wouldn’t d*e suddenly, and not only wouldn’t they d*e, but they might even go out and have fun without dying.
Tsk! This stinky sister is really useless at everything, but she even manages to toy with the core! It looks like I have to figure this out myself! Luxianbei thought.
…
The investigation work at Shihhekou Middle School continued until late into the night, temporarily coming to an end. Five special action teams were dispatched from the Siye Society headquarters, and Jiang Li and the others finally left the campus.
While driving from Shihhekou Middle School to Amber Hall, Jiang Li’s expression was dark, her anger brewing for a long time finally erupted.
“Ahua.”
Hearing the slightly gloomy voice of her miss from the back seat, Ahua was caught off guard and quickly responded, “Ah? Wh-what is it, Miss?”
“Call the owner of the property for Shihhekou Middle School and coordinate the demolition of Shihhekou Middle School.”
“But, Miss…” Ahua’s face showed difficulty, “You know that guy raises the price on the spot, and with funding being so tight this year, I’m afraid…”
To ensure the secrecy of the Siye Society, matters like the demolition of Shihhekou Middle School were typically handled through the regular land exchange process. Unfortunately, the property owner of Shihhekou Middle School was a rogue.
“If he disagrees, just call him every night after midnight to wake him up to go to the bathroom,” Jiang Li said coldly. “As soon as he agrees, that’s when you stop.”
Although Jiang Li wasn’t particularly fond of Bai Kai, she had to admit that sometimes, dealing with a rogue required rogue methods.
If she had agreed to Bai Kai’s proposal earlier, perhaps there wouldn’t have been so many issues. Jiang Li thought that she shouldn’t have abstained from voting when Bai Kai’s proposal was brought to the vote.
“Miss, what if that guy complains again? I know you don’t care about these, but it’ll still be troublesome, right?” Ahua pressed.
“…” Jiang Li pondered for a few seconds, then said coolly, “You can just say you’re Bai Kai’s subordinate.”
Ahua, “…”
Something feels off! This isn’t my miss’s style!
Has she learned something bad from that guy Luxianbei?
“By the way, Ahua, did you find anything in the first teaching building?” Jiang Li suddenly asked.
She had stayed in the auditorium to disrupt the setup of the “Evil Spirit Performance” and had no time to check the first teaching building.
“Nothing particularly special, just…”
“Just what?” Jiang Li tilted her head slightly, her tone flat.
“That place makes me inexplicably think of the ruins after the Flower Language Sunshine Resort Hotel was burned down…”
Jiang Li’s expression turned solemn in an instant, “Are you saying you think that escaped witch species appeared in that classroom? Did it clash with some other urban legends?”
“Uh, miss, I’m just guessing,” Ahua explained. “After all, from the spirit energy fluctuation remnants there, a lot of time has passed, so it’s impossible to accurately identify the source.”
After a moment of silence, Jiang Li nodded slightly, “Mhm, I understand.” After speaking, she turned her head to look out the window at the quickly retreating scenery.
What was that witch species doing at Shihhekou Middle School?
Was she there to hunt the core of urban legends, or did she also participate in the activities of the Solar Eclipse Society?
After a moment of thought, Jiang Li felt a hint of unease and raised her hand to tap the backrest of the driver’s seat, “Ahua, stop by the side of the road for a bit; I’m not going back for now.”
“Huh?” Ahua was taken aback for a moment, then as if she understood something, she sighed deeply and spoke earnestly, “Hey, my miss! It’s this late and you still want to go play mahjong?”
“Our family’s money is really enough; you don’t need to play mahjong anymore. At this hour, the people still playing outside are all thugs and ruffians. If you lose your temper again like last time and they claim you’re cheating, there will be a conflict again and you’ll have to write a reflection.”
Jiang Li replied calmly, “I’m not going to play mahjong. I just want to take a stroll nearby and see if I can happen to find some clues about that missing witch species.”
“Miss?” Ahua glanced at Jiang Li through the rearview mirror, her tone suddenly serious, “You’re not lying just because you really want to play mahjong, are you?”
Jiang Li looked at Ahua through the rearview mirror, the corner of her mouth twitching ever so slightly.
When has my image in her mind become like this?
Is it just because I often play mahjong?
But…
Jiang Li gently shook her head; she felt there was no need to explain to others, and even Ahua didn’t need to know why she was so obsessed with mahjong.
Soon, Ahua stopped the car by the roadside, Jiang Li got out, and limped towards the dark, narrow alley ahead.
Passing through the alley, it opened up in front of her to a lively night market, like wildflowers unexpectedly blooming amidst the steel and concrete jungle.
In an instant, the sounds of vendors filled the air, and the aroma of street food wafted around.
Even though most people shrank away from the darkness after the nights grew long, instinctively choosing to avoid it, there were always some who couldn’t forget the “taste” of the night.
Jiang Li stood at the street corner, looking around before heading towards a chess room that had a “Fortune Star” lightbox hanging outside.
