Chapter Sixty-Seven: Haze God
Huacheng, beneath the cross-river bridge, in the third arch from the left.
Under the night sky, the furnace fire flickers, its glow illuminating Gu Qiqi’s face, her willow-like brows furrowed as if waiting for some important moment to arrive.
“It’s time! Gu Qiqi!”
“Understood!”
Hearing the system’s prompt, Gu Qiqi responded solemnly, swiftly forming hand seals and utilizing the ancient method documented in the Great Serpent God bamboo slips to complete the spellcasting.
In an instant, the fire roared to life, and under the intense heat, the pig trotters on the grill rapidly absorbed the juices, and soon a tempting aroma wafted through the air.
Seeing that the broth for the roasted pig trotters had been reduced, the system reminded her, “It’s ready, go ahead and try! It’s definitely not worse than what Calamity has roasted!”
Guided by the system, Gu Qiqi took the pig trotter off the grill and brought it to her mouth for a gentle bite.
With one bite, the crispy skin, mingling with spices and meat flavor, cracked open, and the oil and meat juice absorbed from the specially prepared broth surged into her mouth, the soft and chewy meat, with the right balance of fat and lean, filled her senses with a rich aroma. Her eyes widened, letting out a satisfied hum.
“Mmm—! This is so delicious! System, who did you learn this from?”
“……”
Learned from Calamity… the system silently thought.
“This isn’t important! What’s important is that you shouldn’t waver in your will for a trivial benefit in the future, understood?”
“Mm, mm!” Gu Qiqi nodded, already devouring half of the pig trotter, “However, this isn’t important; the important thing is, did we forget something important?”
“You mean…” The system paused, worried, “Oh no, I forgot to trigger the toxin!”
“What are you still dawdling for? Hurry up, Gu Qiqi!”
Prompted by the system, Gu Qiqi reluctantly activated the spell to trigger the toxicity of the poison.
After a moment, Gu Qiqi softly asked, “But, system, are you sure that poison is really effective against her?”
“I don’t know about others, but it’s definitely effective against her!” The system replied proudly, “That kind of poison is special, made from the eggs of a rare bug that feeds on spiritual energy. The stronger the spiritual ability of the poisoned, the more potent the toxin.”
“For urban legends of the level of Calamity, swallowing it is like swallowing a nuclear bomb! Even if it doesn’t k*ll her, it can still peel off a layer of her skin!”
Hearing this, a look of relief appeared on Gu Qiqi’s face as she rubbed her little belly and said, “Then I can rest assured. By the way, system, when will the mission reward be given?”
As soon as Gu Qiqi finished speaking, a mechanical sound rang in her mind.
【Ding Dong——!
Congratulations to the host for completing the epic quest · Phase One
Gained 2000 points, a special roasted pig trotter recipe, and a piece of Tai Shan Fengchan stone.】
As the notification sound faded, an A4 sheet with the recipe for roasted pig trotters and a small jade box suddenly appeared in Gu Qiqi’s hands.
“Gu Qiqi……” After distributing the rewards, the system couldn’t help but sternly remind her, “Although we have achieved a temporary victory, you must not be so lazy and negligent!”
“Just a mere poison can’t k*ll Calamity, so you mustn’t let your guard down too early. I hope you remain humble, not arrogant, and keep up the effort!”
“No way!” Gu Qiqi shook her head, “She didn’t even eat the poison; I failed to trigger the toxicity earlier!”
“The bug didn’t respond to my spell! It seems she fed the poison to an ordinary person.”
The system, “？？？”
Why didn’t you say something earlier? I’ve already released the rewards; doesn’t that make me awkward now?
“System……”
“Hmm?”
“You’re not going to take back the rewards, are you?” Gu Qiqi asked cautiously, carefully guarding the task rewards she had just received, perfectly embodying what it means to be a miser.
“No.” The system gritted its teeth and replied, “Although it didn’t harm Calamity, you did complete the mission according to the steps, qualifying for the rewards.”
If this goes out, that I misjudged and wrongly dispensed rewards, will I still be able to work in the system world in the future?
Fortunately, Gu Qiqi is simple enough; just a couple of vague words and everyone will assume nothing happened, after all, those things will eventually be given to her, the system thought.
————
Time 9:27, one hour after the urban legend appeared in Happy Neighborhood, third floor of the activity center.
Luxianbei and Jiang Li were sitting side by side in a corner of the Clear Bar, wearing round-frame sunglasses, acting as if nothing had happened, watching the community residents of Happy Neighborhood continue to play music and dance in the center of the dance floor.
No one noticed them, as if they were a blind band invited by the property management to create atmosphere, having finished their performance, they could leisurely enjoy their drinks and snacks.
Although the residents of Happy Neighborhood were still immersed in the beautiful dreams woven by the urban legends, the new owners were still in the dark, and the aftermath work had to be done.
It was quite simple; they just needed to restore the scene to its original state and weave a small segment of a beautiful dream for them.
Thus, cleaning, repairing tables and chairs, arranging cold dishes… became the first thing Luxianbei had ever commanded her followers to do.
As for the two who had ingested the poison and developed acute gastroenteritis…
They had already been sent to the hospital.
Seeing this situation, Luxianbei was a bit puzzled as to whether Gu Qiqi had deliberately poisoned her or if there were serious hygiene issues during the preparation of the antidote.
————
After a long silence, Luxianbei finally couldn’t help but speak.
“Miss Miao, may I ask how you knew about the Siye Society’s wanted list?”
Jiang Li, with her eyes hidden behind sunglasses, cast a glance at Luxianbei and calmly said, “With a bit of connection, anyone can know about such things through the official channels of the Siye Society aimed at solitary spiritual ability users.”
“You didn’t know? Oh sorry, I forgot, you are an urban legend, maybe you’re on the list too!”
“Tsk, tsk, dealing with the Siye Society’s hunts while also contending with the Haze God that could appear at any moment, you’re going to have a tough time ahead.”
Luxianbei, “……”
d*mn, this woman is starting to get weird and cryptic.
She wouldn’t do something malicious later on, like settling scores, would she?
After some inner turmoil, Luxianbei pressed on, “So what does it mean that Haze God ranks ninth on the wanted list? Compared to the Solar Eclipse Society, who’s more formidable?”
Listening to the opinion of a professional first will help me decide whether to prepare early for a fight or to pack up and flee, or perhaps go gather the benefits grave of the Siye Society earlier, Luxianbei thought.
Jiang Li was stumped by Luxianbei’s question for a moment, pondering how to explain the difference between the Solar Eclipse Society and the urban legend wanted list.
“How to put it? They are not of the same type, you understand?”
“To put it this way, the Solar Eclipse Society is a bunch of lunatics, but at least they have goals and purposes; even if they cause destruction, it follows a pattern.”
“And for their so-called ideals, either urban legends or humans could become their targets,” Jiang Li explained.
Though she loathed the Solar Eclipse Society, she had to admit that their essential purpose was to find methods and techniques to reasonably utilize urban legends and their powers.
Moreover, during those crazed rituals executed without regard to methods, they would occasionally come up with some useful things.
In fact, certain spiritual ability applications within the Siye Society originated from undercover agents of the Solar Eclipse Society who brought them back.
“For goals, systematically organizing destruction…” Luxianbei slightly pondered, “So, does that mean the Solar Eclipse Society is on the lawful evil side?”
“……” Jiang Li pondered for a moment and frowned, “Though not entirely accurate, it can be said that way.”
“Ah, don’t tell me that the so-called Haze God belongs to the chaotic evil faction!” Luxianbei suddenly said.
If a lunatic that destroys just for the sake of destruction, without any regard for others, were to come after me, I would have to go fill out the application form for the benefits grave in the Siye Society early the next morning, Luxianbei thought.
Jiang Li looked at Luxianbei and shooshed her, “Can’t you stop judging everything with that kind of mindset? The logic of urban legends cannot be defined by a fixed standard.”
Luxianbei nodded, deep in thought. “So, it’s neutral evil then…”
Jiang Li, “……” Is she not listening to what I said?
I think it’s you who resembles the chaotic evil side!
After a few seconds of silence, she continued, “In short, you just need to know that those who rank in the top hundred on the wanted list have been repeatedly evaluated by the Siye Society and are believed to possess a chance, ability, or qualification to destroy a country or even the world.”
“Their births are far more twisted and complex than usual urban legends that arise from human devotion; many times, they are influenced by the background of a certain era.”
“For example, Haze God, according to the currently circulating rumors, it is even involved in the photochemical smog incident in Los Angeles and the smog event in London. Even more frightening is that recent studies show that wherever there is pollution, traces of its activity can be seen.”
Three minutes later, Luxianbei finally reacted, realizing she might have provoked some formidable dark power.
“What nonsense!”
Luxianbei angrily grabbed two small cakes and shoved them into her mouth, chewing wildly as if to vent her anger through her appetite.
“Did I™ really just steal a rare glimmering pixie from them? There’s no way they’d come after me, right?”
“You don’t need to be scared.” As if sensing Luxianbei’s gloomy and aggrieved emotions, Jiang Li comforted her, “Don’t underestimate the Siye Society; if the Haze God really appears, before it attacks you, someone will take it down. No matter how formidable Haze God is, you don’t need to worry about it.”
“Besides, it’s highly unlikely that an urban legend of that level would target a small fry like you just because of such trivial matters.”
Though Jiang Li had sensed Luxianbei’s rising temperature, with tips of her hair subtly turning a reddish hue indicating a possible connection to the fire at the Flower Language Sunshine Resort Hotel, she felt that even if she were that witch, she would hardly create any waves in front of the Haze God. The gap between an A-Class urban legend and a top-tier calamity was still too vast.
“Isn’t there still a small chance?” Luxianbei said, “From your tone, it sounds like if a small chance event triggers, I’m done for?”
Jiang Li thought for a moment and provided Luxianbei with a psychologically easier-to-accept answer, “That’s right.”
“……”
If that’s the case, I’m afraid even the Siye Society’s benefits grave would no longer be usable; what place isn’t polluted now?
If buried, it’d be a light thing to be danced on at the grave; who knows, the lid of the urn might be pried open, and the ashes mixed into rice.
What to do? Am I going to have to retreat to the mountains at such a young age? Luxianbei pondered.
She was silent for a long while, then like a well-behaved student raising her hand in class, she raised her little hand, “Teacher, one more question! Why are you telling me all this?”
Jiang Li calmly picked up the cup in front of her and looked at her, “As partners, I hope you understand when you d*e.”
“Finally…”
“For the urban legend in Happy Neighborhood, how do you plan to…”
“It’s called Meng Meng,” Luxianbei interrupted.
“What?” Jiang Li tilted her head.
“It’s the name I just gave her.”
“……” Jiang Li was silent for a moment before continuing, “Fine, Meng Meng, how do you plan to handle her?”
In Jiang Li’s view, although the urban legend of Happy Neighborhood had become Luxianbei’s follower, neglecting it like this would ultimately pose a hidden danger.
In fact, despite discussing so many things, not taking her to the Siye Society and not delving into whether she was the witch from the Flower Language Sunshine Resort Hotel seemed to indicate she trusted her, but she still felt worried about what Luxianbei might do in the future.
Had it not been for her upcoming participation in that gamble, which might very well be a one-way trip, she would have personally supervised Luxianbei; once there was any suspicious behavior, she would take immediate action.
Trusting each other still had a long way to go for both of them.
“What else can be done? Of course, let her continue staying here!” Luxianbei paused her movement of nibbling a small cake, turned to look at the people dancing in the dance floor and said, “If they wake from their beautiful dreams, the consequences will be severe.”
“However, Meng Meng will no longer absorb lifespan or force anyone into beautiful dreams; I’ve already told her.”
Moreover, she couldn’t do that in the short term; somehow, it seemed her brain was a bit jammed; when she asked what was wrong, it wouldn’t respond… Luxianbei silently thought.
“But that’s false.” Jiang Li’s expression turned serious.
Thinking of something similar she had once told Qing Ji, Luxianbei froze, remained silent for a long time, then shook her head and sighed.
“Though life seems to offer many choices, sometimes, we actually have no choices…”
Luxianbei suddenly wanted to discuss with Jiang Li the matter of her using herself as bait to capture Mr. Rabbit; although that seemed beneficial for most, was it truly right?
However, due to her current identity, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
After a moment of silence, she fixed her gaze on Jiang Li’s eyes and solemnly said, “The matter is a bit complicated to explain to you; if you trust me, I can let Meng Meng demonstrate the predicted outcomes if the residents of Happy Neighborhood wake up from their beautiful dreams.”
Jiang Li fell silent and did not say anything further, nodding after a moment.
Seeing this, Luxianbei extended her hand and gently held Jiang Li’s wrist, silently saying, “Meng Meng, show her.”
Immediately, a pale tentacle slowly emerged behind her, turning from virtual to solid and entwining their hands together.
A sharp pain shot through her forehead as Jiang Li frowned, and at that moment, her surroundings plunged into darkness.
————
When Jiang Li’s vision regained clarity, she found herself standing in front of the gate of Happy Neighborhood.
This neighborhood near the city center remained as tranquil as in the suburbs, with excellent air quality and good greenery, many birds flying above, yet it seemed lifeless.
Occasionally passing pedestrians hurried along, seemingly afraid of making eye contact with those around them, and an unsettling atmosphere permeated the serene air of the neighborhood.
“……”
Jiang Li paused for a moment before the gate of Happy Neighborhood and stepped inside; just a few steps in, she saw a newly constructed spirit hall around the corner.
From a distance, a pale coffin lay quietly in the center of the spirit hall, with a black-and-white photo hanging above it, depicting a boy who looked about sixteen or seventeen years old.
Listening to the faint sound of weeping coming from within the spirit hall, Jiang Li dazedly stood there for a moment before noticing someone walking out; she hesitated briefly before approaching.
“Excuse me, what… happened here?” After a pause, she added, “Oh, I’m his classmate.”
The middle-aged woman stopped by Jiang Li had a strange look in her eyes as she scrutinized Jiang Li, then said with disdain, “Today’s kids have such weak psychological endurance; it’s just a few poor grades, there’s no need to do something foolish!”
“If you’re his classmate, you should know this child was particularly excellent from a young age, right? Perhaps he was so used to being outstanding that after suffering a few setbacks in a row, he couldn’t bear it and committed s*icide by burning charcoal.”
“Forget it, I won’t talk to you; Happy Neighborhood has had too many deaths lately; there must be some urban legend troubling it. I’ve delivered my red envelope; it’s time for me to leave.”
Jiang Li, “……”
A few minutes later.
Jiang Li sat in her rental room, holding her phone, searching for information regarding Happy Neighborhood, and was met with a series of shocking news reports.
“Why do academically excellent children also want to commit s*icide?”
“A family of four dies on the same day at home; the exposed farewell letter is heartbreaking.”
“A man in Happy Neighborhood failed to commit arson while intoxicated; police apprehended him on the scene.”
……
Jiang Li read through several recent news articles related to Happy Neighborhood, her mood growing heavier; when she came to her senses and set her phone down, the darkness of night had quietly descended outside.
She did not turn on the lights, pacing to the window, deep in thought as she gazed outside.
Then she suddenly noticed something unusual—the majority of the neighborhood’s buildings were dark; not a single window was illuminated, and the residents’ lives seemed to have come to a standstill.
Only the red aviation lights on the rooftops were flashing like a pair of bloodshot eyes, and the ground lights in the garden dimly illuminated the corners where the chrysanthemums were about to wither.
Once bustling Happy Neighborhood now seemed lifeless, the entire neighborhood was desolate and lonely.
As things decrease, others tend to increase; with fewer people, other things will multiply, which isn’t a good omen, Jiang Li thought.
Just then, a muffled sound suddenly came from above; instinctively, she turned to look in that direction, and the next moment, a woman wearing a red sleep dress with disheveled hair flipped into her line of sight, head-first.
The young face, pale as d*ath, with vacant eyes, made brief eye contact with Jiang Li through the window before continuing downward, plummeting.
“Bang——!”
A dull noise echoed, mingled with the sound of bones breaking and flesh tearing, reverberating throughout the neighborhood.
Soon, a piercing scream pierced the night sky…
Epilogue
Under the night sky, the woman who fell lay on the cold, hard ground, bl**d seeping from her distorted body, blooming like a scarlet dahlia in silence.
She used the most extreme method to freeze her life in that vividly colored moment, and then…
There was no then.
Jiang Li quietly watched the people bustling about in the neighborhood, the noise, police sirens, and sounds of wailing converging in her ears.
But what haunted her mind was the pale face looking downward and the dim eyes that seemed to absorb all light from the woman who jumped from the building, who made brief eye contact with her.
As police sirens blared in Happy Neighborhood.
The light and shadow before Jiang Li melted away, gradually becoming fuzzy.
“Did you see that? That is the reaction of most people when they wake from a beautiful dream.”
Luxianbei’s words echoed in her ears, and then she awoke.
The light and shadows in front of her returned to normal; Jiang Li steadied herself and looked ahead, seeing the residents of Happy Neighborhood smiling as they fell silent on the dance floor.
“Actually, it’s not so bad to have them immersed in beautiful dreams; I feel that rather than saying those dreams are false, it’s more like giving them a stimulant for their reality. You see when they leave Happy Neighborhood for school or work, everything is well, right?” Luxianbei continued.
Jiang Li glanced thoughtfully at Luxianbei and then withdrew her gaze, her spirit somewhat dazed as she reached for the porcelain cup on the tea table, only to grasp at air.
Noticing Jiang Li’s instability in emotion, Luxianbei gathered her torrent of witty remarks and silently pushed the cup to her hand.
At this time, saying too much to her was pointless; she needed a moment to calm down.
————
At exactly 11:00, the welcome ball for new owners in Happy Neighborhood wrapped up.
The hall’s new and old owners flooded out like a receding tide from the Clear Bar, heading in all directions back to their little houses.
Like the ending of a fairy tale ball, the harmonious scene temporarily maintained by Meng Meng’s spiritual energy also arrived at its conclusion.
The tables and chairs, floors, and stone pillars damaged from the battle, without the support of spiritual energy, collapsed once again, and in the blink of an eye, the Clear Bar turned into a scene of ruin.
Jiang Li and Luxianbei sat in the dilapidated corner of the Clear Bar, and at this moment, Jiang Li finally turned to look at Luxianbei and spoke.
“Let’s observe for now, shall we?”
“Hmm?” Luxianbei was taken aback for a moment, tilting her head to look at Jiang Li as if she had misheard.
“I said, let it stay in Happy Neighborhood for now.”
Jiang Li turned back, gazing firmly into Luxianbei’s eyes, a piercing and resolute look made Luxianbei’s heart flutter.
“I agree with part of your statement, but don’t believe it’s entirely correct, so I need to observe more.”
Facts speak louder than words.
Luxianbei felt that keeping the urban legend of Happy Neighborhood would be the best way to prevent those people from waking up, but Jiang Li seemed to think that was merely the best approach at present, with the future remaining uncertain.
For example, if a small probability event were to occur, and the Haze God sought out Luxianbei to reclaim control of Meng Meng, the residents of Happy Neighborhood, who are immersed in beautiful dreams, would once again become prey at the bottom of the Haze God’s food chain, becoming its food.
Considering this, Jiang Li spoke again, “Put that issue aside for now; how about you? You’ve provoked the Haze God—aren’t you looking for a place to hide? That’s a dangerous character.”
Much more dangerous than the likes of Mr. Rabbit… Jiang Li added in her mind.
The difference between the two is roughly comparable to that between bandits and leaders of terrorist organizations.
Luxianbei shook her head without hesitation, “Hide? No way!”
If that Haze God is truly that vicious and exceedingly powerful, hiding would probably not be of use; if found, dying deep in the mountains with no one to collect the body would be too miserable.
Furthermore, urban legends like this don’t care about the principles of fairness and equity; much less about things like trouble not reaching neighboring households or domestic urban legends and patrons; if they can’t find me, they’ll take their anger out on others.
Moreover, it hasn’t come looking for me yet; I can still run when it comes knocking! Luxianbei thought vehemently.
“……”
Receiving an unexpected reply from Luxianbei, Jiang Li frowned.
Why is she suddenly so brave?
“My home is in Huacheng; I’m not going anywhere!” Luxianbei added.
“Home? Normally, you’d sell your morals and seek refuge in the Siye Society to preserve your life; I suppose you would do that too, wouldn’t you?”
Although Jiang Li, with her current identity, could not straightforwardly express herself to Luxianbei, she was clear that Luxianbei was a solitary person; her only relative was Bai Kai.
However, if it were Bai Kai, even if the Haze God personally appeared, he couldn’t fight against it, and ultimately, he could always retreat with ease.
“There’s nothing I can do!” Luxianbei replied helplessly, “Having more things to care about means I can’t even run away with ease! Those feelings are truly an impediment to my journey in the martial world!”
“Besides, no matter how strong the Haze God is, I don’t have to worry about it. If things get big, the Siye Society will intervene, no?”
“……”
Clearly, Luxianbei has now considered the possibility of a turmoiled urban legend. She who should be wary of a large urban legend has become too bold, and she’s really something!
But it seems she is still scared; this is actually nice, it’s the real Luxianbei.
Jiang Li thought as she smiled lightly and patted her shoulder, “Then you keep it up, protect your home. If nothing else, I will be on my way.”
Keep it up? Doesn’t Huacheng have the Siye Society? I wouldn’t be the one protecting it… Luxianbei paused to say, “Are you not returning to your rental?”
“Not going to.” Jiang Li said lightly, “I might have to go on a long trip and handle some important matters; I need to pack my bags first.”
“Ah, are you going on a long trip?” Luxianbei frowned, “But you still have the dumplings and vinegar borrowed from the neighbors; you should really eat before you go!”
Jiang Li crossed her arms, tilted her head to look at Luxianbei for a few seconds, and raised an eyebrow, “Are you reluctant to see me go?”
When Jiang Li asked this, Luxianbei realized that her own intention to detain Jiang Li had unconsciously become too obvious.
Though it’s said that only children talk about friendship and adults talk about profit, having a good friend like Jiang Li who can be mutually beneficial felt quite nice to Luxianbei.
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes flashing distaste, “Shut the hell up; why would I miss you, a woman like you?”
“That reassures me.”
Jiang Li said and turned around, waving a hand towards Luxianbei, “Then I’ll be off now; there’s no need for farewell dumplings; when I come back, make me a welcome meal!”
If I could come back… Jiang Li added silently in her heart.
Luxianbei watched as Jiang Li’s figure seemingly vanished like a delinquent girl, who’d just gotten out of school to go and get into a brawl, walking away. For a long time, she furrowed her brows as if recalling something.
“How strange… The main operatives of the Siye Society shouldn’t be allowed to leave their city at will. Is she really going on a business trip?”
————
Without rules, there can be no square.
After Jiang Li left, Luxianbei called for Meng Meng again.
As she followed the mysterious girl’s teachings to concentrate her thoughts and quietly call out Meng Meng’s name, a thin white mist suddenly enveloped the dark Clear Bar.
Then, a door leading to the kitchen in the corner of the bar opened silently, and a figure drifted out, ghost-like, making no sound, followed by innumerable semi-physical white tentacles swirling like fluttering hair.
The vast space stirred with wind, whispering, as if a group of people was attending a funeral.
The girl in deep green opera attire, her face painted, floated closer to Luxianbei while playing a mouth harp, increasingly nearing, then suddenly turned to face Luxianbei, proclaiming in a dramatic tone, “A spirit that died from grievances, weeps in the underworld…”
Can’t you perform something lively?
Seeing this eerie scene sent shivers down Luxianbei’s spine, and before Meng Meng could continue singing, she interrupted, “Stop singing; let’s talk properly!”
Though Meng Meng had escaped the Haze God’s control, transforming from that massive entity into her present form.
Luxianbei still felt that compared to that monstrous urban legend, this creepy humanoid urban legend seemed even more terrifying.
Had it been a few months ago, before Meng Meng arrived, she would have passed out.
Indeed, passed out.
Arriving before Luxianbei, Meng Meng curtsied gently and softly said, “Greetings, Master. I didn’t know Master summoned me; what are your orders?”
“……”
Looking at Meng Meng’s half-burnt face, Luxianbei paused for a few seconds, wiping the sweat from her forehead without showing any emotion, “Before we get to the serious matter, I want to say, stop acting all spooky like this; I…”
“My friend doesn’t like it! Also, don’t blow the mouth harp.”
“Then what should I use?” Meng Meng blinked her expressionless white eyes, tilting her head, bewilderedly looking at Luxianbei, so ghostly cute.
“Use…” Luxianbei thought for a moment then suddenly came up with a plan; she grabbed a suona nearby and said, “Play this, with some celebratory tunes.”
“Celebratory tunes?”
“Exactly, let’s do the theme song from ‘Romance with Magical Girl Chapter Five’! I want the Qiu Qiu version, not the Lingyin version; I don’t like that pathetic woman!”
The entrance BGM is essential; no matter how terrifying an urban legend is, if the BGM changes to such sweet-sounding music, it will give one the illusion of being in some SORT OF gal game, Luxianbei thought.
“But, I don’t know how…”
“Then go learn!” Luxianbei sternly commanded.
“Since you’re usually idle with nothing to do anyway, the next time I see you, I want to hear all the songs from the ‘Romance with Magical Girl Season One Original Soundtrack’!”
Upon hearing this, Meng Meng began searching through the dreams of the residents of Happy Neighborhood; shortly, she found the songs from the “Romance with Magical Girl Original Soundtrack,” but a trace of difficulty appeared on her face.
At times like this, she’s encountered it while still alive, not feeling surprised; at that time, whenever “the Master” requested new tunes, the head musician would always have them learn something to please the masters.
However, the instruments Luxianbei mentioned weren’t suonas!
It was indeed challenging to produce rock band, symphonic orchestra or even electronic music tunes with a suona.
Meng Meng glanced at the suona that had been thrust into her hands, then at Luxianbei, hesitantly saying, “But Master…”
“This is me putting in the effort to learn tunes; I can’t let more people enter dreams either or properly help you collect their lifespans.”
Hearing this, Luxianbei’s expression suddenly turned serious, sitting up straighter, placing a hand on Meng Meng’s cold shoulder, “What I need to tell you is this.”
“You don’t need to pull anyone into dreams anymore, nor do you need to collect their lifespans; all you need to do is ensure no other urban legends harm them and just focus on things you’re interested in.”
“From now on, you are, reasonably speaking, free, right?”
Meng Meng stared at Luxianbei, her pale eyes trembling slightly, and in the depths of her vision, the figure of a girl faintly overlapped with that of the elegant young man from over a hundred years ago.
Then she tightly grasped the suona in her hands and vigorously nodded to Luxianbei.
Thus, for the next half a year, the residents of Happy Neighborhood would randomly have lucky audiences selected each night to listen to an awkward suona rendition of ‘Romance with Magical Girl’ in their dreams…
————
Later at night, in her rental room.
After making sure Luxianbei completed everything, Qing Ji continued practicing her sword skills, a commitment she had never forgotten. So as soon as she returned to her rental, she burrowed into her bedroom, collapsing onto the bed.
With her eyes firmly shut, she emptied her mind, and soon slipped into a dream.
As the light before her shifted from dark to bright, Luxianbei found herself on that ruined rooftop, her eyes scanning the area for Qing Ji.
I want to see what kind of tricks he’s planning today!
She’s died hundreds of times; what moves haven’t I tried?
Luxianbei thought, and when she spotted Qing Ji, she couldn’t help but gasp, “What the heck?!”
This is something I’ve never seen before…
In the corner of the rooftop, Qing Ji lay face down on the ground, awkwardly posed and motionless, wielding a long sword, with a few drops of bl**d scattered nearby.
In this scene, if one were to outline white lines around it, one could believe it was a criminal case scene, Luxianbei thought.
She instinctively wanted to help him up but had only taken a few steps before suddenly stopping in her tracks, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she stroked her chin, lost in thought.
Wait, perhaps things aren’t that simple!
The ancestor said last time: Soldiers are masters of tricks; aside from the strength of combatants, cunning and deception are also crucial factors.
Feigning d*ath—could this be a trick the ancestor is preparing today? Luxianbei contemplated, quietly widening her distance from Qing Ji.
Thus, she let Qing Ji remain lying coldly on the floor, while she patiently observed from the side.
It felt like a silent battle, as the two faced off across an invisible chasm, seeing who could outlast the other.
Eventually, Luxianbei lost.
After about half an hour, she finally couldn’t contain her little emotions of wanting a sneak attack, conjuring a fireball and tossing it at Qing Ji.
A red fireball the size of a soccer ball flew over with a whoosh.
“Boom!” It exploded on Qing Ji’s back.
Flames burst forth, clothes fluttered, and the air distorted in the heatwave.
Qing Ji let out a howl, his body writhing on the ground как a maggot, “Plop!” he fell still.
What a convincing act… Luxianbei thought, having observed for an eternal time.
Until a few minutes later, a delicious aroma wafted in the air, leading Luxianbei to realize she might have just roasted her ancestor and had not even added cumin or scallions.
Simply depraved!
“Ancestor, are you all right?”
Luxianbei asked softly, preparing to help Qing Ji up. However, before she could reach him, his body turned into a pile of black ash.
With a gust of wind, he scattered away.
Luxianbei, “……”
Am I now allowed to say that I personally cremated my grandfather’s grandfather?
I thought he was playing tricks!
So reckless, so reckless.
————
Moments later.
In the ruined city, screams of anguish resounded.
Luxianbei continued practicing the movement from “Taihe Gentleman Sword Illustration” along with the rapidly improving flying abilities, darting among the crooked buildings like a monkey.
Qing Ji relentlessly pursued her, brandishing a long sword emitting azure light, eyes wide with anger.
“Stupid girl, stop running! Actually, I have some fault in this too; I shouldn’t have pretended to be injured and tricked you into coming over to k*ll you!”
“Yep, yep! Since we all have faults, then why don’t we…”
“But a grown-up’s fault is it really counted as a fault? Take this! Taihe Gentleman Sword · Jun Tian Zou!”
As the long sword pierced through her chest, Luxianbei, “？？？”
……
“Did I make a mistake?”
“I did.” Luxianbei admitted without hesitation.
“Look at my sword!”
……
“Did I make a mistake?”
“No mistake!” Luxianbei firmly declared.
“You little brat, still refusing to admit your fault? Look at my sword!”
……
“Did I make a mistake?”
Luxianbei, “……”
————
One hour later.
Luxianbei lay exhausted on the rooftop, her eyes dull and vacant, her body twitching occasionally, as if lost to despair.
Qing Ji approached her, sitting down beside her against the wall, just before she could spring up to run away, he pressed her forehead down.
“Alright, enough running; today’s practice ends here.”
As he spoke, a hidden exhaustion seeped through his voice. Luxianbei steadied herself, only to realize that his palm resting on her forehead and a part of his face had turned semi-transparent, as if it could fade away at any moment.
Seeing this, her eyes turned red in an instant as she hurriedly sat up and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”
Although Qing Ji had been training her vigorously lately, pushing her to the brink of despair, Luxianbei sensed that he was genuinely teaching her things.
The most obvious reflection was that she had moved from being instantly defeated by Qing Ji several times with just 50% of his strength to now being able to last several seconds against him when he used all his power.
Luxianbei felt that this excellence was due not only to her potential being stimulated under pressure from d*ath but also to Qing Ji’s structured teaching.
Moreover, coupled with his face resembling her father’s and the inexplicable bond of bl**d, Luxianbei had unconsciously come to accept him as a relative.
Qing Ji smiled and ruffled Luxianbei’s head, calmly saying, “Silly child, I’m just a remnant of spiritual energy; once it depletes, I will naturally fade away!”
“Don’t worry; I won’t disappear immediately. But from now on, I might not be able to teach you swordsmanship like this regularly…”
As Qing Ji spoke midway through, he recalled the scene of the Haze God intruding into Luxianbei’s consciousness while a flicker of concern crossed his eyes.
“Speaking of which, how did you provoke such a tough character?”
“Tough character?”
“I didn’t see the specifics, just noticed a demonic wind rising and a mass of dark clouds coming, then… I genuinely stabbed it several times.” Qing Ji explained.
Luxianbei was taken aback for a moment before it clicked; Qing Ji was talking about the Haze God.
“Oh, I see who you’re talking about now.”
Luxianbei narratively recounted all that she knew to Qing Ji.
When mentioning how Meng Meng had unknowingly become the follower of the Haze God and was instructed to collect the lifespans of ordinary people, Qing Ji blustered with rage, “How could this happen?! d*mn it, what’s the origin of that fellow?”
“Uh…” Luxianbei briefly searched through her memory regarding smog history, softly saying, “Probably emerged from the smog of London, but I’m not too sure about the details.”
“d*mn it, I’ve long suspected those d*mn ghosts aren’t any good! I should have…” Qing Ji growled, violently striking his own thigh.
The more Luxianbei listened, the more she felt something was amiss; she hurriedly interrupted, “Stop, stop! Ancestor, please don’t say anymore; if this continues, it could escalate into an international dispute.”
“……” Qing Ji fell silent for a moment, waving his hand, “Forget it; I don’t understand the current circumstances, but don’t worry. If that vile creature dares to come again, I’ll make sure to drive it back!”
Hearing this, Luxianbei’s lips parted, momentarily speechless.
“……”
Although Qing Ji’s powerful guarantee that he could drive off the Haze God made her feel much safer, at least her life wasn’t entirely unprotected.
Nevertheless, deep down, she harbored the thought, “It would be best if I can get through it without having to rely on my ancestor.”
————
Early in the morning.
After basking in the morning sun and returning to her usual self, Luxianbei had breakfast, followed by joining the elderly in the park to practice a set of Tai Chi before returning to her rental, feeling refreshed.
After slumping onto the sofa like a pile of mud, the first thing she did was take out her phone and log onto the Urban Legends Chat Group’s reward website.
After operating it for a while, when she saw the “in-progress” status behind the received rewards flashing within her personal interface, she paused momentarily.
Refreshing the page repeatedly, upon noticing that the reward status didn’t change, her complexion turned dark.
“What does this mean? Trying to take advantage of my labor?”
Even though she didn’t mind performing compulsory labor due to Qing Ji’s connection to Meng Meng and the situation of Happy Neighborhood.
However, if someone wanted to take advantage of her, she couldn’t just accept that!
In deep thought, she took a screenshot and quickly sent it to Miao Xiaoqi.
Wang Buliu: “Are you there? Care to explain? [Image]”
Five seconds passed with no response.
Wang Buliu poked at the hundred-and-three-point-two cats.
Wang Buliu slapped the bottom of the hundred-and-three-point-two cats.
Wang Buliu squeezed the folded ear of the hundred-and-three-point-two cats…
……
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “Enough! You have a problem with completing the reward process; we’re discussing it! [Angry]”
Wang Buliu smoothed down the fur on the hundred-and-three-point-two cats.
Wang Buliu: “Since you guys are discussing, I won’t disturb you.
Wang Buliu: “If you don’t reach a conclusion, I’ll come back to discuss how to use the thirty-six reasons for reporting on that goose software and the one hundred and eight kinds of new internet scams.”
Wang Buliu: “[Cat clawing expression]”
On the other side.
Miao Xiaoqi stared at the computer screen, twitching her lips.
Were you™ just fluffing around? Pah! How could I, unlike those ordinary cats?
In the midst of thought, Miao Xiaoqi reached for a small fish strip on the table, brought it to her mouth, savaged a bite, and then sent a few messages to Luxianbei, none of which received a response.
After a while, she realized she’d been blocked by that b*stard again.
————
A moment later, at a villa area in the outskirts of Huacheng, where no one had lived for a long time, a few members of the urban legends chat group’s branch in Huacheng gathered together, animatedly discussing something.
“I don’t think they can be considered to have completed the reward!” Miao Xiaoqi argued vehemently, “The urban legends are still perfectly alive!”
“However, the reward clearly states that the reward issuer just doesn’t want to vanish and doesn’t want their lifespans diminished by urban legends.”
“Now that the urban legend has become Wang Buliu’s follower, all the issues are resolved. How can that not be counted as completing the reward?” a member replied.
“What if some issue arises again in the future?” Miao Xiaoqi argued.
As someone who had suffered through Luxianbei’s torment, she firmly believed that allowing the residents of Happy Neighborhood to fall into Luxianbei’s hands was less desirable than being controlled by urban legends!
The old pervert played mediator, “Alright, little seven, if you keep insisting like this, be careful of being accused of grudges; I’ve already asked the boss, you better see for yourself…”
As he spoke, he lifted his phone to show Miao Xiaoqi.
Void: “Although the process of her completing the reward is different from previous entrustments, the outcome has indeed met the requirements and should be approved. By the way…”
Void: “Mention Jumeng to her; she should be interested.”
Miao Xiaoqi stared at the phone screen for half a minute, her eyes narrow with anger, her claws grinding against the table, “Why does the boss always favor her?”
The old pervert glanced at the beansprout of maybe one hundred pounds and lightly said, “The boss possibly has his ideas, right?”
“From your tone… It seems like you’ve guessed the boss’s thoughts?” Miao Xiaoqi glanced skeptically at the old pervert.
“Of course not!” the old pervert denied vehemently.
Even if I guessed, I wouldn’t dare tell you. With your kind of mindset, after a few rounds of ads and report bombs against Wang Buliu, you’ll spill everything to her. The old pervert thought.
————
Luxianbei had been waiting by her phone for Miao Xiaoqi’s response and jumped at the notification sound, hastily opening the chat software.
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “The results are out; count yourself lucky, it barely passed this time! Your points are now sufficient, do you want to exchange for information regarding the truth behind your father’s d*ath?”
Luxianbei stared at Miao Xiaoqi’s message on the screen, her mood immediately turning heavy. After a long silence, she finally replied.
Wang Buliu: “Okay, send it over…”
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “[Internal Document 057.DOCX]”
After clicking to download the file, Luxianbei fixed her gaze on the progress bar, which at that moment felt like waiting through a century during the short few seconds. Once the file finished downloading, she hastily opened it to reveal a document filled with images, tables, and over three thousand words.
【The cause of Lu Ming’s d*ath involves a research activity on an urban legend codenamed “Human World” conducted by the Solar Eclipse Society, which began seven years ago. The first experiment was held in a village at the border of Laos, resulting in one hundred and thirty-two deaths and two missing persons…】
As Luxianbei scrolled up the document, she quickly scanned through the first half, which detailed the Solar Eclipse Society’s research activities and directions, soon coming across a table with the content she desired to see.
【List of Participants in the Lu Ming Assault Incident
Xu Wentao, a Solar Eclipse Society member active in the southwest region, Spirit Pattern: Shadow of Depleted Spiritual Energy, Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Level B+, deceased [image].
Lin Can, a Solar Eclipse Society member active in the southwest region, Spirit Pattern: Red Chain Flood Dragon, Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Level A-, deceased [image].
……】
As she looked at the extensive list of sixty-seven names, with over ninety percent having perished, Luxianbei’s heart sank.
Over a dozen A-Class spiritual ability users and more than forty B-Class spiritual ability users, along with urban legends…
Could it be that her father was responsible for killing all of them?
At that moment, she found it hard to imagine that those hands, which had only prepared dishes and written trash novels, could k*ll so many spiritual ability users.
As she continued scrolling down the list, she swiftly spotted the names of the two remaining culprits.
“Zhang Shuo, codename: Plague Offering, senior member of the Solar Eclipse Society, possesses over four spirit patterns, known spirit patterns: Exotic Beast 𠀊, Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Level A+ or above [Image], [Image] (Warning! Extremely dangerous)”
“Solang Pema, codename: White Lotus, traitor in the Siye Society, Spirit Pattern: Nine-Color Lotus, Spiritual Energy Fluctuation Level A+ or above [Image], [Image] (Warning! Extremely dangerous).”
After reading through the document Meng Meng sent over, Luxianbei set down her phone, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought for a long time.
Ten minutes later, she managed to stiffen her facial muscles, forcing a smile as she murmured to herself, “65-2-0, father is incredible! Over so many people attacking him, yet he managed to fight back. Not at all a loss; it’s like a bl**d profit, ha… haha!”
“But…”
But where did the things they wanted to rob from her father go now?
Have they already been taken away?
As Luxianbei pondered this, her phone vibrated again; she picked it up, took a look, and frowned.
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “If you want to know Zhang Shuo’s and Solang Pema’s whereabouts, you can continue completing the reward for more exchange.”
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “Also, the boss asked me to tell you that a group of people has recently been secretly planning actions against Jumeng; if you want to know related information, you can ask us too.”
Wang Buliu: “I don’t want to.”
“？？？”
This isn’t what the boss and Ah Se predicted!
On the other end, Miao Xiaoqi stared at Luxianbei’s reply in surprise, then her expression darkened, her little hands banged away on the keyboard.
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “Wang Buliu, I didn’t expect you to be this heartless; your very partner might d*e, and you’re so indifferent! You infuriate me!”
Wang Buliu: “Jumeng isn’t angry, so why would you be? You want to be my partner too? [Black question mark face]”
One hundred and three-point-two cats: “b*stard, you wait! I’m applying to change personnel right now, I’m sending Old Pervert over to take care of you!”
Wang Buliu: “Wave wave~!”
After finishing the message, Luxianbei set down her phone, glancing at the dim, lifeless mark of alliance on her hand, curling her lips.
If that stinky sister really encounters something and can’t handle it, wouldn’t she tell me herself? Does she even need you?
Moreover, that stinky sister who claims to be invincible, even the Siye Society wouldn’t be a match for her, what can I do? Accompany her to the grave?
Luxianbei thought, and her phone vibrated once more.
d*mn cat, why isn’t this over yet?
Feeling the vibration, she frowned, and just as she was about to send a crash file to Miao Xiaoqi and conveniently block her, she saw it was a message from Bai Kai using the work account of the Siye Society.
Bai Kai: “Agent Luxianbei, due to Agent Jiang Li temporarily leaving for reasons, and strongly recommending that you take her place and temporarily assume the night duty every Friday and series of works for one month, I now formally represent the Huacheng Siye Society to notify you, please complete the work handover with Agent Bai Kai by next Wednesday.”
Luxianbei, “？？？”
Thirty seconds later, Luxianbei received another voice message sent from Bai Kai’s private account.
“Beep——!”
“Hey, Xiao Bei! Surprised? Let me tell you, originally, that little Li guy strongly opposed your acting in place of Jiang Li; even saying that he wanted Du Sixian to take over, he wouldn’t let you.”
Luxianbei, “……”
Du Sixian taking over is no different than letting me take over, right?
“Beep——!”
“But what can be done? We only have six main operatives in Huacheng Siye Society, and Jiang Li’s recommendation letter was written for you; Gu Xiliu isn’t around often, and I, An Qing, along with the seniors all voted in favor; he, on his own, is too weak!”
Bai Kai: “Take a look at his expression [image][image], worse than if I had punctured his tire!”
“Beep——!”
“However, how does Jiang Li know you so well? From spiritual data to physical data, she listed everything clearly. Not even the higher-ups during video meetings managed to convince them, did you two do something clandestine behind my back? The Siye Society prohibits office romances, you know!”
d*mn, no wonder she had such a weird tone when she left last night; turns out she was preparing a pit for me… Luxianbei pressed her forehead, clicking the voice message recording button.
“Bai Kai, does the Huacheng Siye Society really lack people? You know my situation right now.”
Bai Kai: “It’s fine, we all trust you! [Go for it!]”
Luxianbei, “……”
What on earth were they thinking?
Letting a witch-type urban legend take over the duties of a main operative for the Huacheng Siye Society, this little shabby town is bound for doom sooner or later!
(End of this volume)
