Chapter Seven: Let Calamity Join the Hundred Demons Walk!
“Gu Qiqi, don’t rush to start the broadcast just yet; these two guys have problems!”
Noticing that the two urban legends captured by Gu Qiqi seemed familiar, the system hurriedly intervened before she could start her broadcast.
Upon hearing this, Gu Qiqi obediently stepped aside, as she trusted the system. Since it said there was an issue, there had to be something amiss.
In business, integrity is paramount. Anything shady can’t be sold!
“…”
The two urban legends, who had been knocked down by Gu Qiqi with a few blows, were dressed in oversized black robes, with bony masks covering their faces. Apart from their heights and weights, their features were almost completely obscured.
The system was sure it had seen this kind of urban legend before. It observed the two, reflecting on its encounters with Calamity to recall various details.
Those experiences stretched from decades to mere seconds, taking twenty to thirty minutes to mentally review them all.
And then…
“Oh no, Gu Qiqi, there’s a problem. These two are participants in the Huacheng Hundred Demons Walk!” the system exclaimed in her mind.
“Ah? What?” Gu Qiqi was taken aback. “Is it Luxianbei?”
“It’s not Calamity this time,” the system replied.
In its numerous encounters with Calamity, there had indeed been instances of the Hundred Demons Walk happening in Huacheng, but none had been organized by Calamity.
According to Calamity’s nature, she preferred to act alone, rarely gathering more than ten followers. High-profile actions like the Hundred Demons Walk in a city, which could easily draw attention from various forces, were things she wouldn’t do.
The system recalled that she had said before, “Emotional entanglements hinder one’s journey through the martial world; it’s better to have fewer friends.”
As proven, as a master adept at severing interpersonal connections, she indeed had very few friends.
Because the relation between the Huacheng Hundred Demons Walk and Calamity was minimal, the system only had a vague impression of those instances.
If it weren’t for the distinctive appearance at the beginning of the incident, it would have struggled to identify the origins of the two urban legends before it.
“If it’s not Luxianbei, then who are they?” Gu Qiqi pressed.
“They could be other enemies, but I’m not quite sure,” the system replied.
Although, according to the system’s deductions, these random Hundred Demons Walks occurring briefly in numerous cities, including Huacheng, were likely organized by one of the seven catastrophic factors.
However, it had only attempted once to investigate the organizers behind those Hundred Demons Walks to see if they were one of the seven catastrophic factors.
The result?
It couldn’t even ascertain what the enemy was before being taken out by a follower of the enemy organizing a Hundred Demons Walk.
Thus, the suspected organizer of the Hundred Demons Walk, which might be one of the seven catastrophic factors, was clearly not the optimal choice to start.
Calamity may have been somewhat cunning, but she had a long growth period and started off very weak!
Isn’t it more enticing to pursue and hammer her?
However…
Why was the timing of this Hundred Demons Walk so much earlier than usual? the system wondered.
How did they manage to infiltrate?
Logically, the barrier set up by the Siye Society in Huacheng is one of the top-tier barriers among countless city barriers; attempting to break through it requires significant power and causes considerable commotion.
After thinking for a moment, the system managed to clarify some thoughts. It believed that although this unexpected situation held great danger, alongside that danger lay an opportunity!
If it could find a way to make Calamity participate in the Hundred Demons Walk, pitting two catastrophic factors against each other, it might benefit as a bystander.
With this thought, the system immediately issued a task to Gu Qiqi.
“Beep—! You have a new task. Please check it!”
A mechanical notification tone sounded in Gu Qiqi’s ear, followed immediately by the task summary.
“Under the moon, the corpse wrapped in red, in the Luan Song Hall, the jade Zenith…”
The system solemnly recited the prologue, rich with emotion, but Gu Qiqi felt her head spinning halfway through.
“Ugh! Enough already, skip the melodramatic prologue, go straight to the task details!”
Do you think this is a game? Do you understand the importance of ritual? The system ignored Gu Qiqi and continued, “The Hundred Demons Walk leads the lost astray; bones carved into flutes revive the song.”
【Epic Task: Before the Hundred Demons Walk arrives, make Calamity join in and become a contender for the title of King of Huacheng Urban Legends.
Rewards: 20,000 points, one complete potion…】
After a brief moment of silence, worried that Gu Qiqi might lack desire for the task rewards, the system silently added two new rewards.
【…and fifty lottery chances. This period’s prize pool is UP: Roast Pig Trotters X30, McDonald’s Kids Meal Exchange Voucher X10 (fifty consecutive draws, UP prizes have a 50% probability of being drawn).】
After all, the task was just a process; the real goal was to provide Gu Qiqi with a reason to become stronger. Yet, she had always disliked taking potions that seemed to come from the hands of those in the dark culinary arts. Therefore, alternative methods had to be thought of to pique her interest.
Yes, just like using a carrot to lead a donkey, or candies and snacks to coax a child into taking medicine!
Moreover, since there were no bizarre departments strictly announcing lottery probabilities, whatever Gu Qiqi drew would still be up to the system to decide.
“Wow! System, have you struck gold? This reward is so generous!” Gu Qiqi exclaimed with excitement, only to soon frown again.
“But why are we trying to help Luxianbei become the King of Huacheng Urban Legends? Isn’t that… isn’t that what you call aiding the enemy? You wouldn’t really be betraying the revolution, would you?”
Upon hearing this, the system became annoyed, “You’re talking nonsense! How could I betray? Even if I died, I wouldn’t help her! This is to attract Calamity to fight with other strong enemies; how could that be aiding the enemy?”
“Um, alright!” Gu Qiqi pondered for a few seconds, “But system, have you considered what if they don’t fight and instead team up?”
“Don’t worry!” the system said confidently, “I’m sure I can stir the pot and ensure they can’t team up.”
“Well, what if Luxianbei succeeds?”
“Uh…” the system was momentarily speechless; it indeed hadn’t considered that scenario.
After all, compared to that other seemingly threatening catastrophic factor, the current Calamity was like a big boss compared to a rare elite at the entrance of a novice village.
How could she possibly succeed?
“System? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Seeing the system silent for a long time, Gu Qiqi pressed, “You didn’t actually consider this possibility, did you?”
System, “…”
A few seconds later.
【Due to network fluctuations, your Super Beautiful Girl Demon Slayer System has been disconnected.】
Although Gu Qiqi had identified a blind spot, she absolutely could not admit it.
Moreover, as long as I’m here, combined with the danger level of the Hundred Demons Walk, there’s no way Calamity could succeed with her current capabilities! the system thought.
————
Huacheng, Jingyi Apartment.
“Hey! It worked, thankfully it didn’t fail!”
Luxianbei mixed two processed alchemical substances in the constant temperature and humidity operation box. Watching the mixture transition from purple to red and then emit a faint glow, he couldn’t help but exclaim in delight.
He had long procured all the materials needed to complete the defect, initially intending for Gu Qiqi to help him brew the potion, considering the complexity of the brewing process.
Unfortunately, the last transaction had gone awry; Gu Qiqi “fled in fear of guilt,” and Luxianbei hadn’t seen her for quite some time.
Who knows what she was afraid of! Am I really the kind of person who would retaliate for such small matters?
Right, I might be! But I wouldn’t actually hurt her!
At most, I could knock her out and lock her in a small dark room, playing a recording that scolds her for her sins while she brews the potion, and withholding food if she doesn’t do it right. Luxianbei grumbled in his mind.
With Gu Qiqi missing, and the need to continue brewing the potion to complete the defects, Luxianbei ultimately had to grit his teeth and do it himself.
A science student entering a university Chinese Language and Literature program, using engineering equipment to brew mysterious potions—it’s absolutely absurd!
Then, when he started doing it himself, he found that alchemy, especially for someone like him running a personal alchemical black workshop, was incredibly expensive to produce high-level potions.
It’s no wonder when Fat Second Grandpa heard he wanted to purchase alchemical equipment, he said, “Forging will ruin a lifetime, alchemy will impoverish three generations!”
Products like experimental centrifuges, fume hoods, and constant temperature and humidity boxes, which cost thousands to tens of thousands, were considered cheap, while items like reaction vessels and spirit energy balance devices were exorbitantly priced.
When Luxianbei brought those instruments back home, the little urban legends within thought he had robbed a bank, nearly fleeing the night.
After all, urban legends robbing banks were far worse than the crime of hunting a single spiritually capable individual, always targeted by the Siye Society.
Though Luxianbei later clarified what had happened, those entities seemed still spooked; for a while now, they refused to stay home at night.
A few days after placing the order.
As Fat Second Grandpa’s employees repeatedly showed up at Luxianbei’s doorstep, delivering lines that could only be unlocked through payment, his wallet, which he’d worked hard to fatten through selling disasters, quickly emptied.
However, the more pressing issue for Luxianbei was that the production of disasters had started to noticeably decline recently for unknown reasons.
Previously he could fill a bowl every day, now he could barely fill the cap of a soda bottle.
If it weren’t for being so poor, would I really scrimp to that extent for just a small electric scooter?
Back when I was rich, I needed at least three just to feel the pinch! Luxianbei thought.
Fortunately, there was a return for the effort.
Through indirect guidance, Luxianbei rapidly absorbed the knowledge of the Great Serpent God under Qing Ji’s tutelage, making tremendous progress in alchemy.
Now, he had just about managed to brew a potion to complete the defect at a turtle’s pace.
Looking at the unfinished potion, Luxianbei nodded in satisfaction.
Previously, when he was purchasing equipment, Fat Second Grandpa had warned him.
Fat Second Grandpa said that a beginner in alchemy wanting to brew high-level potions needed equipment matching the level of the Siye Society to guarantee success.
Yet, relying on his somewhat rudimentary equipment, he had still achieved this.
Am I not a little genius!?!
Could other kids do this?
Luxianbei thought, carefully placing the prepared unfinished potion and new materials into the magnetic heating stirrer, setting the speed and time, and then turning upstairs.
In another two or three days, the potion would be ready. By then, completing the defect would make him stronger, allowing him to win against a couple of rabbit-level enemies or run from snake-level foes, which was quite reassuring.
Indeed, from another angle, my little money hasn’t left me; it has transformed into something I like better and now accompanies me.
Luxianbei thought this, feeling the mental stress caused by financial difficulties ease considerably. He returned upstairs, lay down on the bed, and soon entered a dream.
————
As his body sank as if falling into a dark pool, his consciousness was stripped from his body and then returned. When Luxianbei opened his eyes, he found himself on a broken and decayed rooftop in a dream.
After looking around for a while, he found Qing Ji sitting cross-legged at the edge of the rooftop, eyes closed in meditation. Luxianbei stepped forward a few paces, “Ancestor, time’s up!”
Initially, she had rejected the practice of swordsmanship, then accepted it begrudgingly, but by now had fully adapted, even enjoying it a bit.
Hearing Luxianbei’s voice behind her, Qing Ji’s brow twitched, and her meditation was forcibly interrupted.
During the past week or two, he had fully grasped the saying “there are no fields that can’t be farmed, only oxen that can’t work.”
Ever since battling the projection of the Haze God, his spirit energy had been heavily drained, and his sustained combat ability had diminished compared to when he first awakened. Plus, Luxianbei had been continuously improving, even figuring out some quirky applications based on the movements from the “Taihe Gentleman Sword Illustration” that belonged to her.
Over time, killing him had become increasingly difficult.
Originally, Qing Ji could have killed Luxianbei several hundred times in one night; now she struggled to hit over eighty times without being worn out.
However, that little b*stard seemed unaware of her fatigue, or perhaps had some psychological issues, developing an affinity for being beaten up. Recently, he appeared increasingly enthusiastic about practicing swordsmanship.
So now, whenever she heard Luxianbei wanted to practice sword, Qing Ji felt her limbs weaken.
Can she not enjoy her old age in peace?
If she had been familiar with modern laws, she would have definitely sued Luxianbei for elder ab*se.
“…”
Seeing that Qing Ji did not respond for a long time, Luxianbei stepped forward again and clasped his fists, saying, “Wang Buliu, please grant me d*ath, Ancestor!”
Qing Ji, “…”
Ignoring him, she hadn’t heard; today she wanted to rest!
“Ancestor, take this red shining flame from me—!”
“!!”
“d*mn you, what are you doing? Want to deceive your teacher and destroy your ancestors?!”
Qing Ji’s heart leaped in surprise. “Whoosh!” she sprang away and landed on the water tank.
She was well aware that this descendant of hers wielded a spell formula with a much greater amplification effect than others, which was quite unsettling.
Although in this eerie place, even receiving a fifty-fold spell boost wouldn’t k*ll her, it would still hurt!
The pain of being pierced by a sword is far more bearable than being blown to pieces.
However, when Qing Ji turned her focus back to Luxianbei, she saw that he hadn’t cast any spell at all; he was just standing there with his head tilted, his eyes flickering with a mischievous light.
“Ancestor, all’s fair in war; you taught me this,” Luxianbei said. “Plus, in this place, one doesn’t really d*e, so dying once or twice isn’t a big deal. This is what you taught me too!”
Qing Ji, “…”
You troublesome brat, you learn other things slowly, yet this path of crooked teachings you’ve mastered quite quickly!
If you hadn’t told me yourself you were Luxianbei’s wife, I would have thought you were my own direct descendant!
Qing Ji thought angrily, gripping the sword hilt, her sword horizontally across, and coldly said, “Girl, this is of your own doing. If I don’t k*ll you until you beg for mercy, I don’t share the surname Lu!”
“?” Luxianbei froze for a moment, feeling something was off.
You don’t share the surname Lu to begin with! Isn’t it your great-grandmother who carries the Lu surname?
“Taihe Gentleman Sword: Forest Emerald Wall!”
“Pfft—!”
With the dull sound of her body being sliced in half, Luxianbei snapped out of his daze, looking at Qing Ji, and saw a challenging smile spread across her face.
His eyes seemed to say, “Girl, you’re still too inexperienced to compete with me!”
Luxianbei, “…”
A night passed.
By the time the sun was near rising, Luxianbei had been killed eighty-five times, five more than the last time.
Thus.
She felt comfortable…
————
As the sun rose, a new day was dawning. Luxianbei called for Meng Meng, who was diligently practicing the suona, to assess her practice results.
Before leaving the dream, while rubbing his sore ears, Luxianbei instructed Meng Meng, “Meng Meng, I remember I told you last time that I have a follower named Du Sixian, right?”
“En, en!” Meng Meng nodded. “Are you going to instruct us to do something?”
“Not quite!” Luxianbei waved his hand. “I wanted to say, if she appears in the dream next time, pretend not to know her and give her some work!”
Du Sixian had helped significantly by contacting Yang Yi and investigating the game of urban legends, and Luxianbei felt he should show some appreciation.
However, given the extravagant nature of Du Sixian, she certainly wouldn’t look kindly upon common gifts.
The only practical “gift” Luxianbei could think of that didn’t cost money was to help Du Sixian resolve her fear.
“Give her some work?” Meng Meng tilted her head, blinking her eerie eyes, looking all cute and spooky.
“It’s just…” Luxianbei contemplated for a moment. “Weave her some nightmares to scare her, you understand?”
“Just to scare her, right?” Meng Meng confirmed.
“Right, right!” Luxianbei nodded. “But don’t go too far; just keep the scare level so she gets goosebumps but won’t d*e.”
“Once she adjusts a bit, you can raise the fright level some more, then let her adjust before increasing it again.”
As he spoke, he noticed Meng Meng’s gaze turning increasingly strange, as if she were looking at a pervert. Concerned that Meng Meng might misunderstand, he hurriedly added an explanation.
“I’m not abusing followers! I’m helping her overcome her fears; otherwise, if she runs into an urban legend later, she’ll be so scared before they even strike that she’ll lose her legs and can’t escape!”
Meng Meng nodded thoughtfully, “Oh, oh, I understand.”
But…
Why would she have to run if she overcame her fear? Meng Meng wondered.
