Chapter Sixty: She Said, She is a Miracle
Just past nine in the evening, the Jin Theatre on Nightless Street was bustling with a vibrant opera performance.
The sound of traditional music filled the front, while in a prop room backstage, an old man in a worn-out outfit sat in a wheelchair, a drink in his left hand and a cigarette in his right, his eyes half-closed and entranced, swaying along with the music.
“Creak—!”
The door of the prop room was pushed open from the outside, making a slight sound.
A petite girl wearing round-frame glasses slipped in through the tiny gap of the door, stopping in front of the old man and teasingly tugging at his beard, “Grandpa San!”
The old man winced at the pain, his face twitching for a moment before he realized the visitor was Lin Nian, then he laughed, “Oh, it’s little Nian! Are you now taking over your grandpa’s work?”
“You can mock me! How can I compare to my grandpa?” Lin Nian pouted, as she pulled a liquor bottle wrapped in newspaper from her bag, presenting it to the old man, “Here! This liquor is for you.”
The old man took the bottle, peeled back a small section of the newspaper to take a look, and nodded in satisfaction, “Hey, good liquor, the girl is thoughtful.”
After a pause, he changed the subject, “Speak, what did you come to ask this time? I guess you’re not just here to see this old man, right?”
Realizing her thoughts had been seen through, Lin Nian pouted, “Then I’ll say it directly!”
With that, she recounted the information she had about Hu Chuan and the entire backstory to the old man.
“Can you recall what identity you helped him forge specifically?”
At the end, Lin Nian added, “It would be even better if I could know where he went with that forged identity.”
After hearing Lin Nian’s words, the old man put down the liquor bottle, extinguished his cigarette, sat up straight, and looked at her seriously, remaining silent for a few seconds.
“Little Nian, how much did you say you received from that female villain?”
“20.”
The old man shook his head, “Too little!”
“Is it too little?” Lin Nian asked in surprise, “But for this kind of information, isn’t it…”
“You’re mistaken!” The old man interrupted, “That guy is not just an ordinary person or a low-level spiritual ability user.”
As he spoke, he recalled the moment he met Hu Chuan four years ago, his murky, aged eyes trembled slightly, seemingly in fear.
Noticing the old man’s change in demeanor, Lin Nian frowned.
Even Grandpa San is afraid of that guy?
That certainly is too little!
The price for information on B-level spiritual ability users or urban legends is typically five times that for C-level and below, while if the target’s spirit energy fluctuation level reaches A-level, the price would surge over a hundred times.
As for the Cataclysm level…
Even if these information dealers occasionally got hold of information related to Cataclysm levels, they typically wouldn’t speak lightly about it, unless someone offered a reward worth their life.
After all, once it reaches the Cataclysm level, the essence of spiritual ability users and urban legends has subtly changed; even merely mentioning their names would elicit some reaction.
Just what level is that person Gu Qiqi wants to investigate? Is he B, A, or Cataclysm level? Lin Nian wondered.
“Little Nian…”
“Huh?” Hearing the old man’s gentle call, Lin Nian gathered her thoughts, nodding, “Grandpa San, go on!”
“Hu——!” The old man slowly exhaled a deep breath, speaking earnestly, “If you wish to know the truth, I can only tell you that the forged identity of that person is called Gu He. Don’t dig deeper than that.”
“Trust me, this piece of information alone is worth more than the reward that female villain gave you.”
“I grew up alongside your grandpa in the same pants; now that you’ve taken his place, I can’t just sit and watch you get into trouble, understand?”
Upon hearing this, Lin Nian was momentarily stunned, realizing there was a trace of fear.
Just a name is worth a reward of 20G gold… that means the guy Gu Qiqi wants to investigate must at least be A-level!
d*mn, I felt something was off; why would she, a high-ranking urban legend, investigate a C-level spiritual ability user for no reason?
Tsk, witch types are indeed as cunning as rumored, each one more insidious than the last!
Thinking this, Lin Nian looked at the old man, bowed slightly, “I understand, thank you, Grandpa San. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave?”
“Mm, go ahead.”
Seeing the old man nod, Lin Nian bowed and hurriedly left the prop room.
————
After Lin Nian left.
The old man sat quietly for a moment, looking at the closed door, confirming she had gone far enough, and slowly pushed his wheelchair to the corner of the prop room.
There stood a splendid costume made of silk and satin, adorned with white pearls and silver, with vibrant patterns all hand-embroidered stitch by stitch.
However, it seemed this costume had not been used for some time, as a thin layer of dust had settled on it.
The old man gazed longingly at the dusty costume, a pained and struggling expression crossing his face, and before he knew it, tears streamed down his cheeks.
Others might find it hard to understand the pain of a young man, endowed with a passion for the stage and extraordinary talent, who suffered injuries in a war and could never perform again.
“Little Nian, I’m sorry; performing on stage one last time is the greatest wish of my life…”
“Even if I don’t say, they’ll know; they’re everywhere, everywhere…”
“After all, this trouble was caused by Gu Qiqi; I doubt that person would blame you…”
The old man muttered to himself slightly, a touch nervously.
Then, he took out his mobile phone and sent a message to someone saved as “Gu.”
His wrinkled hands trembled as he finished the message, then he turned his gaze back to the outfit, filled with memories of when he stood on stage for the first time at sixteen.
This costume was given to him by Hu Chuan.
With it, he had one chance, the only chance to take the stage again.
And he wanted to save that opportunity until the moment life began to approach its end.
————
Sitting in a dim, damp alley, gazing at the sky, listening to the constant rustling sounds around him, Fang Ji’s eyes gradually dimmed.
Is there no hope left?
If I could be saved like this, it would truly be a miracle.
As he thought, the sound of his phone vibrating suddenly reached his ears.
Calamity: “Dear user, hello! Congratulations! You have received a Heavenly Blessing Gift Package; you’ve gathered enough assisted points and we’re contacting assistance personnel expected to arrive in five minutes. During this time, please do not move around.”
Fang Ji was stunned for a moment, his eyes widening, gradually regaining their light as he instinctively replied, “A miracle has actually happened!”
Just as he finished sending the message, a soft sound came from beside him.
“Pfft—!”
He turned to see the ribs of a nearby man piercing through his skin, transforming into a bone fan, which opened up his entire chest, tearing flesh apart, exposing his organs.
In the next instant, Fang Ji saw the man, who was on the brink of collapse, suddenly stand up unsteadily.
And the “crackling” sounds had moved to the man’s head.
Fang Ji, “!!!”
————
In the alley before the Moon Scraping Wind gate.
Miracle? Luxianbei held her phone, looking at Fang Ji’s reply, and pouted, “Silly child, what miracle exists in this world? It’s because I showed up that things turned around, okay? Am I the miracle?”
As she spoke, her phone vibrated again.
Xiao Cangshu: “Guidance lady, what should I do? I feel like I can’t wait for five minutes any longer, that thing is moving! [Video]”
Luxianbei quickly followed the location shared by Fang Ji while glancing at the video. After watching, she was momentarily stunned.
What the hell is that thing?
A distorted type urban legend?
In the video, the man stood with his head hung low in a dimly lit alley, his body convulsing while his chest opened up like a gaping bl**d maw, thick, pale slime weaving between his organs, and his right hand drooped to the ground, ending in a bizarre shovel-like appendage.
That ugly and twisted appearance made Luxianbei feel that the distorted types of urban legends deserved to be at the bottom of the urban legend hierarchy for a reason.
Calamity: “Dear user, we suggest that while you wait, check out a collection video of [High-Quality Oil Materials] on Bilibili.”
Xiao Cangshu: “Can that deal with urban legends?”
Calamity: “No, but if support is delayed, it can help you make the seconds feel like years, giving you the feeling of living a little longer.”
Xiao Cangshu: “Okay!”
————
Not long after Luxianbei rushed away from Moon Scraping Wind.
Two shadows emerged from the darkness, revealing their figures under the streetlight.
“Elder, did you hear what that girl just said?” Salih whispered, “She said she is a miracle…”
Sheim pondered for a few seconds, then solemnly nodded, “It seems that this Miss Wang Buliu is indeed the saint we are looking for.”
Sheim believed that his judgment would not be wrong!
They had followed the dense fragrance of the Miracle Flower emanating from “Miss Wang” to this place.
They waited for a long time.
Though they only awaited the chestnut-haired girl, and the aura of spirit energy she exuded was different from that of the previous Miss Wang, the delightful scent of the Miracle Flower around her remained unchanged.
This incredible disguise, along with her words, convinced Sheim that she was undoubtedly the long-missing Miracle Saint!
This could not go wrong!
“At last, we have found the saint!” Sheim exclaimed.
As soon as he finished his sentence, he felt three spiritual energy fluctuations rapidly approaching from not far away, and shortly after, there were a few sounds of wind, as three shadows whizzed overhead, heading in the direction Miss Wang had left.
“Elder, this…”
“…”
Sheim pondered for a moment, a hint of fierceness flashing in his eyes, and spoke with determination, “Follow closely, observe in secret, and protect the saint as the situation permits!”
“Understood!”
————
On the other side, atop an ancient-looking building in Nightless Street, the roof tiled with ceramic.
Huasang expressionlessly tore off pieces of squid jerky from her hands, feeding them slowly to a pure white wild cat in front of her.
After finishing the last strip of squid, the wild cat looked at Huasang, letting out a gentle mewl, its eyes seemingly filled with a hint of sorrow and grievance.
“Meow~!”
“What’s wrong?” Huasang frowned, “Don’t try to pull a fast one! This is already enough compensation for what happened earlier.”
The so-called “what happened earlier” refers to when she used her ruler to swat the wild cat away.
Previously, in the small park, she had nearly been driven mad by the continuous interception of three Thousand Night Paper Cranes by “Miss Wang.”
After buying the materials at Moon Scraping Wind and remaking the Thousand Night Paper Cranes to successfully cast them, she had been following behind.
As she passed through the vicinity, spotting a shadow sweep by, she instantly threw her ruler, hearing a pitiful cat cry, and then saw the pouting large white cat on the rooftop.
At that moment, she realized she had encountered the legendary “scammer cat”…
“Meow~ Meow~!”
The wild cat continued to meow, rolling around, acting cute, and showing no sign of leaving.
Gazing at the large white cat rolling onto its back, Huasang’s eyes lit up, and she said in a deep voice, “Oh? It’s a male kitten!”
“Meow?” The large white cat tilted its head at Huasang.
“Isn’t it sterilized yet? Wild cats must be sterilized! Come on, I’ll take you to get neutered,” Huasang said seriously.
As soon as she finished speaking, the large white cat seemed to understand her words, instantly bristling, and in a few quick jumps, it disappeared from sight.
These days, with so many urban legend incidents happening, even cats are nearly becoming cunning!
“Huh——!”
Watching the white shadow dart away, Huasang sighed in relief, refocusing her attention, preparing to follow the guidance of the Thousand Night Paper Cranes to find her Big Brother.
However, just as she straightened up, accompanied by a sudden pain in her temple, her vision blurred unexpectedly.
In the distance, the dazzling lights of neon signs shimmered as if draped in a layer of mist, transforming into irregular patches of color before her eyes.
She clearly hadn’t done any strenuous activity but found her breath inexplicably quickening.
Moments later, as the mist before her slowly dissipated, everything started to come into focus.
Then…
She saw her Big Brother.
In her line of sight, Wu Yutang’s face had already become unrecognizable, but Huasang recognized his facial outline, as well as the folding fan that once never left his side now merged with him.
With a loud “whoosh,” a piercing sound resonated, the cold light blinding.
In an instant, an antique broken sword entered her line of sight from her blind spot, cutting straight down towards Wu Yutang.
Huasang recognized that move.
It seemed to be the “Wind Command” recorded in the “Taihe Gentleman Sword Illustration,” albeit with some subtle differences—this move was rougher, yet much swifter!
Faster than a gust of wind, it traced a light blue arc in the air.
“Pfft—!”
Accompanied by a muffled sound, Wu Yutang raised his right arm to block, and along with a large portion of his already distorted right chest, it was instantly shredded by the sharp sword energy and exploded into a mist of bl**d.
At this sight, Huasang froze in place.
From her perspective, it felt as if she wielded the broken sword wielding the Taihe Gentleman Sword technique, striking at her Big Brother and tearing his body apart.
Why is this happening? Stop, please stop, I beg you! Huasang thought anxiously, tears welling in her eyes.
This was not solely due to Wu Yutang being in danger.
But because the sensation of seemingly injuring her Big Brother with her own hands triggered her repressed memories, making her instantly recall the villagers from Jinhua Village who died because of her, her heart in turmoil and her thoughts scattered.
In the next moment, as if responding to her intense calling within, the scene before her abruptly paused, frozen in place.
“Roar——!”
A non-human roar exploded in her ears.
Suddenly, the scene before her started swirling chaotically, and in the pandemonium, as if a mirror had shattered, the phantasmagoric images before her disappeared in an instant.
Huasang looked at the now-normal bustling streets, momentarily bewildered.
Then, her face paled suddenly, and she rushed forward, following the guidance of the Thousand Night Paper Cranes, desperately trying to catch up to her Big Brother.
Huasang suddenly realized that just now, she may have accidentally injured two people at the same time…
