Chapter 213: I Bought a Very Sexy Swimsuit
The atmosphere in the office was as heavy as a wet blanket. An Que wore an expressionless face that radiated an unspoken authority, his brows knitting together at the Gatekeeper’s words.
“Just a Red-clothed?”
That look in his eyes seemed to say, “Are you hearing yourself?”
These two seasoned Gatekeepers had faced countless storms over their careers, and they’d seen at least twenty Red-clothed spirits—more like they’d racked up a score against them. They’d personally dispatched a few too.
In this context, how could a mere Red-clothed Evil Ghost rattle them so?
“Xia Feihang and Lin Zhou both said so, adamantly. We can’t probe too deeply; their situations are a bit special,” the Gatekeeper mopped the sweat from his brow and whispered.
He knew it was a stretch. Two tasking Gatekeepers scared silly by a Red-clothed? If that ever got out, it would paint their whole operation in a bad light.
Lin Zhou was young, okay, but Xia Feihang was a different story.
Xia was almost the same age as Li Tianan, both having trained as disciples around the same time. Their capabilities didn’t differ too much; they were both seasoned Gatekeepers.
It was understandable if a young pup got scared, but Xia had no good reason to be a coward.
However, their relationships were tenuous at best. Similar to Li Tianan, they were lone wolves of sorts. They couldn’t really pry openly; risking a clash was a whole can of worms.
The majority of the Gatekeeper organization was made up of lone wolves.
If they made a move against Xia Feihang, it could spark unrest among all the lone wolves.
It’s precisely because they were “lone” that these folks banded together even more fiercely on certain issues.
You could bully an old-timer like Xia Feihang today; who knows if they’d groom violence against me tomorrow?
“No need to dig too deep; it’s likely that they bumped into an Evil God or one of its followers.” An Que raised a hand, signaling the Gatekeeper it was time to scram. “Send a couple of people to check out Eternal Life Village. I suspect something’s already gone down there.”
“President!” The Gatekeeper’s face went pale.
Eternal Life Village? Did they even come back once they went there?
“Just take a look from afar.” An Que knew the dangers of Eternal Life Village well and added a few more instructions. “When you head over, scope out the outer village first. If something seems off in the back village, you’ll spot the signs outside. You can decide then whether to enter the back village or not.”
“But if you don’t go, come back with a detailed report on what you saw in the front village.”
“Should we bring a few stronger fighters?” the Gatekeeper inquired, hopeful.
The ones that know about Eternal Life Village? They would have to be right here in front of him.
Unfortunately, the President wouldn’t budge to go to that haunted hellhole.
“Get Old Lin to tag along. Make him join you.”
“Got it.”
As the Gatekeeper was about to leave, An Que called out to him.
“Wait, you can go to Tianchang City and have a chat with Li Tianan. Just say it’s my request and have him accompany you.”
“Li Tianan? Isn’t he always against us? Isn’t this going to cause a conflict?”
As soon as the Gatekeeper spoke this, he noticed An Que’s icy glare. He quickly bent his waist and stammered, “My apologies! I’m off right now!”
Once the Gatekeeper left, the office fell into silence.
An Que didn’t return to his chair, turning instead to offer incense to the golden statue behind him. Kneeling on the cushion, he prayed, and then sat cross-legged, facing the golden idol.
“Qian Mu… Has she really returned?”
He closed his eyes, memories flooding back to those years.
Back when he was just a little monk traveling with his master, after dealing with the incidents in Eternal Life Village and Burning Heart, he found himself back there. Though by that time, he’d already kicked the bucket, becoming a ghost himself.
That girl who loved lounging under trees, the shy bookworm, she had long since transformed into the Thousand Eyes Godmother revered by the villagers.
The first farewell was due to the divide between monk and mundane.
The second parting was because of the rift between the living and the dead.
And now this was the third time; she still seemed the same, waiting foolishly for him, her body covered in black eyeballs, asking him if he still wanted to marry her.
“No, she has changed. That Xin’er is long gone; what lives now is an Evil God wreaking havoc on the world.”
“Wreaking havoc on the world, tormenting the masses, turning the villagers of Eternal Life Village into mindless zombies—it’s unforgivable.”
“The only way to put her to rest is to eliminate her, making the Thousand Eyes Godmother disappear, allowing Xin’er to truly find peace.”
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“So, you see, An Que and I are really not connected at all.”
In the convenience store, Li Tianan shrugged off his coat and neatly hung it on the back of a chair. He casually grabbed a bottle of cocktail, flicking the cap nonchalantly into the trash can—such a mature man vibe, you know?
“You can think of the Gatekeeper organization as being divided into two main camps. One is led by the two bigshots, Chen and An; they follow their agendas, taking organized actions, so the benefits come swiftly, like having a delivery service on your phone.”
“They’re meticulous, with layers upon layers of structure, and must follow orders or they can’t even be Gatekeepers.”
“The other group? Well, that’s folks like me—the rogues, also known as the lone wolves.”
“Not controlled by any organization, no higher-ups barking orders, but that also means fewer tasks to tackle. Just stuck tending to my own little patch of turf, not much of a future, just like me.”
“That’s also why I say the Gatekeeper organization is like loose sand.”
In the convenience store, Lu Liangting stood on the side, silent, covered in bruises with one eye nearly swollen shut and a bandage on his nose—looking like he’d just survived a two-hour beatdown from a dozen brutes. At least his arms and legs were intact.
Despite getting roughed up, Lu Liangting still had a spark in his eye, all because he had successfully rescued Zhizi and Rose last night. The bruises? All thanks to the Sky Fox.
His second entry into the White Day Amusement Park was almost a flop; he just lambasted the Sky Fox for an entire night. Eventually, the Sky Fox couldn’t take it anymore and released Rose and Zhizi. Once they were free, the Sky Fox and the other visitors and security guards had given him a good thrashing, knocking out two of his teeth in the process.
He figured out that the Sky Fox was wary and didn’t dare to k*ll him.
And he made the right bet.
Sometimes, things aren’t as complicated as they seem.
Essentially, the Sky Fox couldn’t hold Zhizi and Rose; releasing them wouldn’t affect the Sky Fox much either. With Old Yang and his double-teaming mockery on top of it, along with Lu Bai’s imposing presence, it all worked out.
Beside Lu Liangting, Chen Yunshi, in a mask and sunglasses, stood with her arms crossed, equally silent.
When did Chen Yunshi fall so low as to collaborate with her two students? She had been caught by Qian Mu earlier and thoroughly mocked.
Li Tianan was currently speaking to Bai Yu, who had an embryo-like body.
“Chen and An, how do those two control the Gatekeepers?”
Bai Yu stood next to Zhao Mingyue, looking like Zhao’s sister; even their outfits were strikingly similar.
Today, she sported a casual black dress, falling just below the knees, with black shoes and short white lace-trimmed socks. The lace hugged her delicate ankles, each adorned with a few milky pearls.
Her hair was styled in a scorpion braid with a dark red bow, and even her subtle makeup leaned towards a cool, dark aesthetic.
Simple attire transformed her with a vibe that was strikingly different, perfectly complementing her “Ghost Bride” aura. Yet, there was an odd fairytale-like vibe because of her youth.
When Qian Mu and Lu Liangting first laid eyes on Bai Yu, they were both taken aback, with Qian Mu complimenting her for quite a while.
“Simple! You already guessed it, didn’t you?” Li Tianan continued, “Either due to human actions or fate, some Gatekeepers vanished, allowing the insertion of their people. With them as a base, the Gatekeeper organization builds itself back up.”
“Back then, my master was merely a street magician. It wasn’t until a few years after resolving the mess in Eternal Life Village that he even became a Gatekeeper.”
“I’m not clear on your current plan, but I’ll suggest that if you really take action, target An Que’s people. Going after lone wolves like me is pointless.”
“I’ve just written down the list of names, including Gatekeepers from outside the province. Those marked in circles are An Que’s folks.”
“Bai Yu, I want to remind you again: you’re fine, but Zhao Mingyue deserves a life. She’s still young, so be careful not to ruin her future.”
That’s just how Li Tianan rolled, preaching advice with one hand while jotting down with the other. Bai Yu didn’t bother asking; he claimed he had no ambitions, but if that were true, how did he know so much? Every Gatekeeper’s location was precise down to which street.
He wrote roughly twenty addresses seamlessly, while any other person would have tangled themselves up. But he churned out that list like a pro.
“It’ll be fine. I trust Bai Yu has the judgment.” Lu Liangting added quietly, “I still have some clout back home, so applying pressure on these folks should keep them from going after Mingyue.”
“Well, since you all have decided, I won’t meddle. Go on, be careful out there.”
Li Tianan waved them off, turning his back to the group, gazing out the window with deep intensity.
If all went well, An Que’s people would soon be looking for him.
But whatever, that guy should tighten his own ship first; having a killing machine fixated on him couldn’t be good.
“Little Bai Yu, let’s leave it here. I’ve already given you my strength; when you wrap things up, just release a bit. Those folks wouldn’t be able to smell it coming.”
Just as Bai Yu stepped outside, Qian Mu rushed after her, waving, “I’ll team up with this dumbhead to do other stuff—like controlling some Gatekeepers, spreading some rumors, you know, guiding the overall direction!”
“Sounds good.” Bai Yu nodded and opened Lu Liangting’s car door.
“See you! Safe travels, and if you spot that bald donkey An Que, let me know right away. I’ll make him obediently hand over what you need.”
Zhao Mingyue sat next to Bai Yu, fastening her seatbelt. She turned to look out the window at the shadowy face formed by the black mist, and once Lu Liangting started the car, she mused, “So Evil Gods can be like this too? I always thought they were all super wicked, lacking any humanity.”
Zhao Mingyue hadn’t interacted much with Qian Mu, but this mischievous Evil God left a vivid impression on her.
That’s why she felt An Que was utterly despicable.
To turn such a lively, interesting girl—who could be a bit chatty—into an Evil God? Just how despairing must the original Thousand Eyes Godmother have felt?
Thinking about it, who wouldn’t want to be beautiful? Waking up one day to find you’ve morphed into a monster covered in eyeballs? Anyone would lose their mind!
Especially after going through those terrifying ordeals from the villagers.
Hence, it was remarkable that despite all that despair, Thousand Eyes could still maintain a cheerful heart, laughing and talking.
In comparison, the contrast was stark.
On one side, you had a monk who preached scriptures only to ultimately forsake them, spouting that he’d return to marry Qian Mu after his journey.
On the other side, was someone who faced unimaginable despair and ultimately became an Evil God, yet remained clear-headed and composed.
“Qian Mu is just an exception.”
As Bai Yu gazed out of the car window, her mind drifted back to the night spent in the hospital.
Last night she and Zhao Mingyue visited Huang Fengxi. The little girl was recovering quite well—her only issue being her mental state. She wasn’t withdrawn, but she had no interest in reading or writing. Instead, she seemed oddly fascinated with swords and weapons; the hospital even provided her with a wooden sword.
This little girl housed Lu Liangting’s sister, and as of now, she seemed yet to awaken.
But once she did awaken, she might not just be a sinister spirit but an Evil God instead.
Fengxi’s physique was strange, like a living, purposeless Evil God embryo.
More perplexing than her current body, she held a great deal of power within.
Bai Yu suspected the primary reason Lu Liangting’s sister, Lu Nianqiu, hadn’t woken was due to the power within Fengxi’s body.
Originally, Nianqiu could have awoken, but her body unconsciously absorbed that power, causing her to remain in a recovery state. It was a bit like a cozy winter blanket; although it was time to wake up, it was just too comfortable, making one instinctively reluctant to shake off the sleep.
Once this was all wrapped up, she’d check on that girl and bring her home.
Staying in the hospital wasn’t safe enough.
Her current location was known to very few, and Lu Liangting had set up excellent protections. But it’s always better to be cautious.
If someone from the Ghost Domain found her, they’d undoubtedly try to snatch her away.
Unlike Chen Bingtang, Huang Fengxi lacked any power to resist and had tremendous potential; whereas the latter was a tough nut to crack. The youth apartment was swarmed with ghosts, and if the Ghost Domain decided to go all out, they’d certainly give that Evil Spirit a run for its money.
The car slowly cruised along the road, with Zhao Mingyue carrying only a large suitcase, packed full of clothes for herself and Bai Yu.
Their destination was at the nearby city, where ghost gates were plentiful, and all were under An Que’s command.
Throughout the ride, Lu Liangting barely spoke to Zhao Mingyue; he was too busy bickering with the shadowy image of Old Yang, exchanging barbs.
Zhao Mingyue was also engaged in casual conversation with Bai Yu.
“Bai Yu, does this little adventure count as a vacation?”
“This plan doesn’t seem too hard either; we’ll only be working at night, so we can enjoy ourselves during the day!”
“Perfect for you since you’re still using this body!”
“It’s been too long since we really hung out. Last time we went shopping, I barely bought anything!”
She had planned all of this in advance. This trip was both mission-oriented and a chance to relax. It took a lot to coax Bai Yu out while still in a physical body; they’d better have fun together since it might not happen again.
Now it was July, a perfect time for water parks and swimsuits.
Bai Yu turned her head, and just from her eyes, it was clear what she was thinking.
“Sure.”
“Yay! I knew you’d be on board! The swimsuit I ordered for you online came in, and it’s already in my suitcase; we can try them out tonight!”
This morning, Zhao Mingyue had made a special trip to pick up a delivery—acting all mysterious about it.
“No way!”
“Come on, just try it! Don’t worry; it’s not something super revealing. You’re still a little loli; there’s not much to expose anyway—mine’s similar too.”
After relentless wheedling from Zhao Mingyue, Bai Yu finally agreed, and soon after sunset, Lu Liangting’s car came to a smooth halt in front of a restaurant.
Before they even got out, four waiters and the manager came rushing out, leaving Zhao Mingyue—who’d just suggested they grab some fried noodles—utterly stunned.
Guess this is what living the high life looks like!
After an extremely lavish dinner, the trio set out once more.
According to the intel given by Li Tianan, the nearest ghost gate was located in a hospital’s underground morgue.
The morgue was abandoned and the hospital had seen its fair share of strange happenings.
Boom!
bl**d Thread surged through the air as dozens of ghosts fled the morgue, but the entire basement was sealed off by Bai Yu’s bl**d Threads.
This ghost gate was clearly playing host to some entities, mostly weak Evil Spirits.
Standing in the flickering light of the morgue, Bai Yu, clothed in a black dress, faced the wailing Evil Spirits with a demeanor more akin to that of a grim reaper.
Within half a minute, the ghost gate was entirely wiped clean, and Bai Yu even extended her bl**d Threads inside the gate, stirring up trouble and obliterating four or five Evil Spirits that hadn’t made it out in time.
For Bai Yu, it was just an appetizer.
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Tickets, please! Yey!
