Chapter 33 A Story About the Hundred Demons Walk
A Moonless Night, the Next Day.
The pitch-black night sky, soaked in ink.
Amidst the snowflakes drifting through the gaps in the cloud cover, the night navigation lights of high-altitude planes occasionally flickered like shooting stars, fading away in an instant.
Huacheng was tightly wrapped in darkness, the biting cold wind blew in gusts, softly sighing between the towering forest of steel and concrete, the humid outlines of the city merging with the heavens above, as if melting into the deep night.
On the outskirts of Huacheng, in the depths of the Forest Park, there was a low-lying area with stagnant water, surrounded by a whole grove of dying trees.
It wasn’t the natural decay typical of winter, but as if something capable of destroying everything was brewing for its arrival.
A murky, filthy mist drifted above a shallow pond accumulated with turbid wastewater, where a beautiful and enchanting woman stood alone by the pond, her alluring form covered in a long dress that seemed to be composed of twitching flesh.
Surrounding her, phantoms of vengeful spirits filled the light layer around her, faces that were numb, desperate, pained, and confused lunged toward her; as soon as they touched the long dress, they were swept away by greenish flesh buds, their weak spirit energy immediately consumed.
“Shasha—!”
A faint sound echoed behind the woman, in the seemingly dead forest, something was gathering continuously.
The first to appear was a mass of densely packed greenish flesh, like a migrating colony of slugs, moving through the damp soil of the forest, gathering behind the woman, then floating up, looking like wings, or a distorted flesh banner, spreading open behind her.
Following that, shadows flew down from the wilted branches, orderly arranging themselves behind the woman.
Mu Se glanced at the group of black-robed figures behind her, softly inquiring, “How much longer?”
“Reporting, milady, there are three minutes until midnight,” one black-robed figure responded.
Mu Se slightly nodded and stepped out of the dense forest, standing on the cliff, gazing at the city shrouded in darkness and bleak mist far away, her gaze growing colder, “Then, let’s set off!”
“Whoosh—!”
As soon as the words fell, a low, deep horn sound echoed from who knows where; this team, with a spirit energy fluctuation level below B and numbering over thirty, headed towards the city center.
The snowflakes in the sky darkened, as if in an illusion, becoming increasingly dim.
It was already deep night, the curtain of night covering the earth, yet now everyone could clearly feel that an even darker and deeper night was approaching.
As the ‘night’ that was darker than night gradually descended, a filthy and ominous aura quietly rose from the silent city.
The urban legends hidden in the city opened their eyes, peering from the dark corners into the empty streets.
Countless indistinct phantoms emerged from the streets and alleys, bustling in the cold, bleak mist, merging into that squad traversing the city.
That squad, departing from the Forest Park, moving towards Huacheng Reservoir, crossing the entire city, was the Hundred Demons Walk, wherever they passed, ghostly shadows thickened, and greenish flesh proliferated, resembling a ghostly realm.
Thus, from the end of the horizon, chaotic and massive spirit energy fluctuations burst into the sky, condensing into an oppressive mass, surging from all directions, like a black ocean rolling over, engulfing the entire city…
Meanwhile, explosions echoed from various corners of the city.
————
On a remote and deserted street, in the dimming night, under the yellow streetlight, a group of ghostly figures gathered along the long street, quickly converging towards the squad advancing to the city center.
The fluttering white robe was lifted by the cold wind, revealing scorched flesh.
At that moment, the roaring of an engine sounded from the end of the street, a pitch-black sports car sped through, cutting through the dense fog like a specter, blocking several urban legends born from the inferno of a gas station.
Li Xuan, dressed in a deep blue suit, got out of the car, pulling a thick stack of talismans from the pocket of his fitted jacket, igniting them with spirit energy, causing them to float around him.
A smile spread across his face as he softly said, “Sorry! This road is closed!”
In the next instant, something flew out from the darkness on either side of the street, chasing after the dazzling tail flame, heading towards the urban legends.
From inside a building on the street, concealed by the darkness, Qi Dong blew a puff of smoke from a grenade launcher, coldly stating, “I’ll blow this bunch of bastards to pieces!”
With a bang, the grenade dropped to the ground.
In the next moment, a violent explosion and flames erupted from the ground, devouring several ghostly figures.
Accompanied by chilling wails, ghostly silhouettes pounced out from the flames, and before they could escape the blast zone, they were blocked by several flying talismans.
“……Hurry up and obey the command!”
Li Xuan murmured, activating the talismans; the incantations emitted a azure glow, and in an instant, a chill burst forth, freezing several urban legends along with the flames of the explosion into ice sculptures.
“Duh-duh-duh——!”
With the sound of automatic rifles firing, the ice sculptures shattered, scattering everywhere.
The Huacheng Siye Society had indeed faced a shortage of personnel, unable to confront Mu Se’s squad head-on during the Hundred Demons Walk, but they could not stand by during such a malicious event.
As soon as they detected the spirit energy fluctuations of the Hundred Demons Walk, the Siye Society launched a sniping operation against the urban legends intending to join, weakening her strength in this manner to lower her success rate.
————
Meanwhile, a black Hongqi sedan, departing from Jin Guan City, was gradually approaching Huacheng along the highway.
In the back seat, a blonde woman wearing a single-eye mask sat; even in her simple gray wool coat, she exuded an irresistible allure.
Some people are like that; no matter what style of clothes they wear, the style they ultimately present is always “sensual”, and this woman was one of those.
The buttons of her coat were a bitter reminder.
The vehicle sped down the empty highway, the woman kept her eyes closed, resting.
“Inspector, the Hundred Demons Walk in Huacheng has begun.”
“Mm.”
Upon hearing the inquiry from the man in the passenger seat, she slightly opened her eyes, responding softly through her nose before closing her eyes again.
Bai Kai, after so many years apart, you’ve really gotten bold, daring to conceal such things as the Hundred Demons Walk? Do you really think those few old, weak, sick, and disabled operatives in Huacheng can stop the Hundred Demons Walk?
If it weren’t for overhearing that lord mentioning your covert request for disposable talismans, I might still have been kept in the dark.
I want to see what exactly you’re up to!
As the woman pondered, she suddenly opened her eyes wide and patted the back seat of the driver’s seat, “Drive faster, aim to get to Huacheng within two hours.”
“Yes!”
————
As the members of the Huacheng Siye Society sniped at Mu Se’s Hundred Demons Walk crew throughout the city, the proxy operative Lu Xianbei, who had left due to illness, received a message from Bai Kai.
Bai Kai: “Xiao Bei, it’s begun; the starting point is Forest Park, with an expected ending near Huacheng Reservoir. I suggest challenging at the foot of Huacheng Reservoir; send me a signal when you’re ready.”
In her dark apartment, Lu Xianbei put down her phone and walked to the balcony on the second floor, looking down to see over thirty small urban legends gathered, debating heatedly.
“Don’t worry, our dear witch, while she has many quirks, is the kindest urban legend I’ve ever seen. If anything happens, she will shield us!”
Watching Mafun still tirelessly rallying the small urban legends, she sighed silently.
Then.
She turned around, hefted her heavy guitar bag, walked to the window, carefully opened it, and leaped down.
The small urban legends, despite having a fair number, with their limited capabilities, might manage an organized Halloween parade but stopping Mu Se, I fear would end in a second of them being wiped out, completely lacking effective combat strength.
Harnessing her nascent flying abilities, after a brief descent, Lu Xianbei stabilized her form, gliding down like a bird riding the wind, silently landing at the crossroads outside Jingyi Apartment.
Standing at the edge of the crossroads, she glanced around, confirming her direction, ready to head towards Mu Se’s Hundred Demons Walk, when a taxi came driving up from afar, stopping beside her.
Uncle Zhang Shan rolled down the car window and waved at Lu Xianbei, “Hey! Long time no see! Where are you off to today?”
Lu Xianbei twitched her brow, expressionless responded, “Uncle, have you gotten braver lately? Have you developed the audacity to actively recruit urban legends to get into your car?”
“You wouldn’t hurt me!” Uncle Zhang Shan chuckled awkwardly, “Besides, you’re my source of inspiration; ever since I met you… do you know how many followers I have in my live stream now?”
About halfway through, Uncle Zhang Shan extended four fingers in front of Lu Xianbei, beaming, “237,000!”
Lu Xianbei facepalmed, not amused, “Uncle, at this rate, you’re bound to get into trouble one day!”
“What’s there to be afraid of! If this doesn’t work, I’ll just switch to daytime driving!” Uncle Zhang Shan joked.
“Get in quickly! After this fare, I’m heading home to stream!”
“……”
Lu Xianbei fell silent for several seconds, shaking her head helplessly, opened the back door, and took a seat, “Let’s go to…”
She hesitated a moment, giving Uncle Zhang Shan an address three kilometers from Huacheng Reservoir, “Today, take me to the Huacheng Water Plant.”
“Got it!” Uncle Zhang Shan agreed promptly, starting the taxi and driving down the empty road, and immediately began pressing Lu Xianbei for tonight’s urban legend story.
“By the way, what story are you planning to tell today? An urban legend related to the water plant?”
“If it’s a good story, you won’t have to pay for the ride today! Recently, I’ve been a bit short on inspiration, hehe!”
Lu Xianbei gently shook her head, “I won’t be telling a story related to the water plant, today I’ll tell one about…”
“A story about the Hundred Demons Walk,” she said, her gaze slightly sharpening.
————
Inside the Bamboo Slips Illusion.
In the depths of the pitch-black forest, on a mound of stacked firewood, flames blazed, emitting crackling sounds.
Watching the old man gradually consumed by the fire, Gu Qiqi bit her lip tightly, tears streaming down uncontrollably, her entire body trembling gently from crying.
When she first started wandering, Gu Qiqi, an eleven or twelve-year-old girl, had no means of survival at all, like a rootless water lily that could be scattered by wind and rain at any moment.
If it weren’t for the kind-hearted people living under the bridge who took care of her, she might have starved to d*ath in some secluded alley, her body treated as a victim of an urban legend attack.
And this “Grandpa Zhang” was the one who cared for her the most.
In fact, when Grandpa Zhang had just applied for low-rent housing, he even specifically went to a second-hand furniture market to buy Gu Qiqi a small bed and a small wardrobe, helping her set up a cozy little room in the already small space.
Although Gu Qiqi, having gradually learned survival skills, was reluctant to burden Grandpa Zhang anymore, to this day, she still remembered the smile he had when he said to her, “Little girl, from now on, this is home!”
Gu Qiqi sobbed continuously, unaware that a scent of roasted meat wafted from the fire, stirring her hunger, which made her feel shameful, leading to even more intense crying.
Even in the village of the Great Serpent God’s descendants below the mountain, her new “deity” could be heard wailing.
“Uwuwu—!”
“System, I want to avenge Grandpa Zhang! Think of a way for me!”
“You…” the system hesitated, remaining silent for a long time before solemnly saying, “Gu Qiqi, I understand your feelings very well, but you are not a match for them right now; going would only mean d*ath.”
“As the saying goes, a gentleman avenges himself ten years later, wait until you later…”
“I won’t!” Gu Qiqi interrupted the system decisively, “I want to take revenge on the spot; if you can’t think of a way today, I’m taking you to Lu Xianbei tomorrow!”
The system, “……” Whether or not calamity survives tonight is still uncertain!
As it grumbled, it suddenly heard Gu Qiqi muttering to herself, “By the way, speaking of Lu Xianbei… I have a way!”
Instantly, a flurry of light and shadow changed around, and Gu Qiqi’s figure disappeared from the spot.
A moment later.
With a glimmer of light flashing in the darkness, Gu Qiqi appeared beneath the bridge of a river-crossing bridge, stabilizing her form just as she heard the system eagerly calling out in her ear.
“Gu Qiqi, I know what you’re thinking; you want to borrow the power of calamity, right? No way, absolutely not!”
“Haven’t you heard the saying, ‘A villain’s kindness is hard to repay for a lifetime’? You can’t bargain with a tiger! If you owe calamity a favor…”
“I won’t listen, I won’t listen!” Gu Qiqi covered her ears and shook her head desperately.
The system, “……” I™ really shouldn’t have chosen a female host!
After a moment of silence, it spoke heavily, “Gu Qiqi, do you absolutely have to go today?”
“Yes!” Gu Qiqi said firmly, “Even if I d*e, I have to go!”
“Alright, alright! I’m afraid of you!” the system gritted its teeth, “But I’ll tell you! All the points and rewards you’ve accumulated before will be lost!”
At worst, when this is over, I’ll just write an anonymous tip to the Siye Society.
Reporting such underhanded tactics is precisely what calamity loves to do, isn’t it?
Let her experience the taste of being reported! The system grumbled.
Thinking about the small money and roasted pig trotters that could be exchanged with those points, Gu Qiqi hesitated for two seconds before nodding, “Mm!”
————
The night was deep, Mudan Street was as if it had fallen into a deep slumber, surrounded by darkness, only the Lu Family Manor was lit.
A woman dressed in a professional suit and wearing black-framed glasses, holding an umbrella, braved the wind and snow to arrive at the Lu Family Manor, gently knocking on the heavy door, and soon, footsteps could be heard from behind.
“Squeak——!”
A wooden door cracked open, and a beautiful girl in a white dress peeked out half her body, surveying the woman before her and smiling, “Ms. Ou, what brings you here so late?”
The woman outside hesitated for a moment, extending her hand to present a cluster of white flowers emitting a faint medicinal fragrance to the girl.
“Miss Yaohua, I remember that when I last helped you, you said if you ever needed help, I could bring this cluster of Nanling Yaohua to find you, right?”
The girl smiled brightly, nodding, “Yes! That’s right.”
“Ah—!” Having received confirmation from Nanling Yaohua, the woman’s tension eased, her gaze growing cold, “Then please stop tonight’s Hundred Demons Walk.”
“This…” Nanling Yaohua displayed a troubled expression.
Seeing this, the woman frowned and sighed helplessly, “Indeed, asking you for such a thing might be a bit overbearing, isn’t it?”
“Not really.” Nanling Yaohua shook her head, explaining, “Grandpa advised me not to interfere too much in matters like the Hundred Demons Walk, which could change the dynamics between humans and urban legends, but…”
As she spoke halfway, Nanling Yaohua pushed the token back towards the woman, smiling, “I can help you take out a few urban legends participating in the Hundred Demons Walk for your venting.”
“Since I couldn’t fulfill your request, I won’t take the token back; wait here, I’ll be back shortly.”
Saying this, she stepped out the door, on her own, sword in hand, into the wind and snow.
The woman stood before the Lu Family Manor, watching Nanling Yaohua’s figure vanish into the distance; for a while, she bowed slightly in the direction where she had disappeared, muttering, “Thank you!”
————
On the other side, at Huacheng Central Hospital, the Special Diseases Treatment Department.
Du Sixian stood in the corridor, looking through the glass into the treatment room, where An Qing was alone caring for the increasing number of Nightfall Syndrome Patients, hesitating, her small fists clenched tightly until her joints turned white.
She had just received notice that the Huacheng Siye Society’s special action team, sent to hunt urban legends, was severely understaffed, lacking personnel in at least two locations where urban legends were unimpeded, requiring An Qing to rush for support.
However, when she arrived outside the treatment room and saw An Qing busy to the point of distraction, she fell into doubt.
Killing urban legends was saving people, and treating Nightfall Syndrome patients was also saving people; the difference being, if An Qing left the hospital, the continuously arriving Nightfall Syndrome patients would be completely hopeless.
Just as Du Sixian was torn with indecision, her phone buzzed twice; she hurriedly pulled it out to look, and after reading the message, let out a long breath, her whole body feeling like it had been drained of strength as she sat down on the floor.
The phone screen that fell to the ground displayed: 【Bai Kai: Please inform An Qing not to come; two A-grade solitary spiritual ability users have suddenly appeared at both locations where personnel were lacking, and have already stopped those urban legends.】
“Thank goodness!” Du Sixian murmured, “No wonder Qing Sister always says the hardest part of the Siye Society’s work is not dealing with urban legends, but making choices; today truly serves as a lesson!”
————
After sending Lu Xianbei to the entrance of the Huacheng Water Plant, Uncle Zhang Shan turned around to leave.
In the blink of an eye, the taxi had vanished at the end of the road; Lu Xianbei stood with her guitar bag slung over her shoulder, umbrella in hand, on the desolate road, feeling as though she was the only one left in the world.
The snow was falling heavier, the wind more fierce; Lu Xianbei pulled down the hood of her jacket, taking out her Ling Tai Purification, and started walking along the road.
The clouds loomed above, the sky offering not a hint of light, the towering peaks in the distance were a dark mass, as if ready to topple at any moment.
When Lu Xianbei reached the foot of the mountain, less than two kilometers from Huacheng Reservoir, she stopped in her tracks, standing in the middle of the road leading to the reservoir, sword in one hand, umbrella in the other, staring intently ahead, quietly waiting.
I won’t let her cross this mountain before I fall. Lu Xianbei thought fiercely.
————
1:30 AM.
An hour and a half after Mu Se began the Hundred Demons Walk, within a classic residential area of Huacheng’s western district.
In a warm study, Uncle Zhang Shan sat at his desk, finishing the final segment of today’s urban legend story with his uniquely smoky voice.
“…
The girl said that to protect this city and her home, she must fight to the d*ath.
So the driver fell silent, no more words, watching her walk alone into the wind and snow, gradually fading away, her life and d*ath unknown.”
“Well, dear listeners, today’s story is…”
Just as Uncle Zhang Shan was preparing to deliver the closing statement to take a break, he caught sight of the barrage flying across the screen, momentarily stunned.
I Come from the Mausoleum of the First Emperor sent a rocket X20
I Come from the Mausoleum of the First Emperor: “Don’t tell the rest of the story, just stick to this one; I love it!”
Huacheng Cemetery has a home: “Big shot is awesome! Also, host, if you don’t finish the story today, I’m moving my home to yours!”
Network old pervert 10086: “So moving, beautiful girl with a kind heart; while I want to see legs more, I still have to say it’s too touching!”
Taoist priest below Qingcheng Mountain: “So touching; why don’t you help her? Otherwise, after the Hundred Demons Walk is completed, your city’s urban legends probably won’t fare well either?”
Network old pervert 10086: “This…”
Boiled Mermaid: “That Taoist priest has a point! How many brothers have died by now? I’ve long had enough of this!”
Boiled Mermaid: “Let’s team up and take down the Hundred Demons Walk (1/100)”
Huacheng Cemetery has a home: “I was cowardly before, but if this little girl dares to go alone, I can’t just cower at home; count me in! (2/100)”
Not asking monk for teammates: “Such things still happen? Though I still think the host’s story is nonsense, I can help spread a few recruitment messages; I’m quite confident in terms of connections!”
Sister, I’m already in: “Trash! Count me in among the group (3/100)”
Wabi-sabi Cockroach Mouse: “Just joined, I was already on the way to avenge my descendants; I was planning to relax one last time before dying; didn’t expect so many like-minded friends! (4/100)”
…
Watching the audience engaged in a completely different channel’s cross-server chat, Uncle Zhang Shan rested his chin in thought.
What the hell? What’s going on?
Why can’t I understand what they’re talking about at all and feel like “he’s just a storyteller, what the hell does he know about the Hundred Demons Walk”?
d*mn! The number of viewers in the live stream is decreasing rapidly, isn’t it? Didn’t they just say the story was interesting?
So, ten minutes later, watching the number of listeners in the radio broadcast decrease by more than half visibly, Uncle Zhang Shan’s eyes lost their luster.
Is this™ a live broadcast accident? Uncle Zhang Shan thought.
