### Chapter 35: Adding Some Ingredients While Brewing
With the price of three bottles of calamity water, Lu Yibei felt it was worth recovering the reliable old buddy, the Ming King Statue. Gu Qiqi also felt she gained a lot, and thus the transaction was smoothly concluded.
“Is that it? We’re all clear with the money and goods now.” Lu Yibei stuffed the three bottles of calamity water into Gu Qiqi’s hands and reminded her, “By the way, be careful storing it!”
“This thing is flammable, explosive, and toxic. If you’re not careful, it could… BOOM!”
As he spoke, he exaggeratedly mimicked an explosion with his hands.
Girls like Gu Qiqi always made one want to tease her harmlessly while helping her.
Gu Qiqi was clearly startled by Lu Yibei’s words, her brows furrowing as she scrunched her little nose, nodding seriously.
“Mm-mm!”
As if afraid the glass bottle in her hands would slip, she cupped it with both hands and turned towards the handcart parked by the roadside.
Taking advantage of Gu Qiqi’s cautious collection of the calamity water, Lu Yibei got up and scrutinized the Ming King Statue, pondering how to take it away, his gaze inevitably sweeping over the stall, furrowing his brows slightly.
Aren’t these all alchemical potions mentioned in the Great Serpent God’s knowledge?
Did Gu Qiqi brew these?
As Lu Yibei pondered, a predictive thought suddenly flashed in his mind, interrupting his train of thought.
[She picked up the pig’s trotter from the ground.]
She really can’t let go of that pig’s trotter… Lu Yibei thought irritably, turning around, sure enough, he saw Gu Qiqi squatting by the puddle, about to reach down to pick up the dirty pig’s trotter.
“Gu Qiqi.”
“Eh!?”
Gu Qiqi was startled by Lu Yibei’s call, and the pig’s trotter she just picked up fell back into the puddle, flipping over, the muddy water coated it even more evenly.
“…”
In that instant, her face was filled with heartache and despair.
Lu Yibei walked over to Gu Qiqi’s side, patted her shoulder, and said earnestly, “Forget it, it’s beyond saving. Just let the deceased rest in peace, alright?”
“At least in its final moments, it didn’t suffer. Come, say goodbye to it?”
“But…”
Gu Qiqi glanced at the pig’s trotter, then at Lu Yibei, hesitant to speak.
“Alright, at worst, I’ll treat you to a meal another day.”
“It’s a promise; no lying allowed!”
Gu Qiqi blurted out, and the system had no time to stop her.
“So embarrassing! Gu Qiqi, you are truly the worst host I’ve ever had!” the system lamented in Gu Qiqi’s mind with a low growl.
“This is definitely a sugar-coated cannonball. You can’t take advantage of others without paying. He definitely wants something from you if he’s treating you to a meal!”
Hearing the system’s warning, Gu Qiqi felt a bit frightened, pouting, she looked at Lu Yibei hesitantly, “Should we just forget it? The braised pig’s trotter at the night market is quite expensive, you know!”
“It’s fine, I just wanted to ask you something. If possible, I would also like your help with a small task, consider this an advance bribe,” Lu Yibei said frankly.
Girls like Gu Qiqi were completely off the normal wavelength, like a runaway silly deer. All the probing and speculating weren’t as effective as being straightforward with her, she might understand it better.
Moreover…
She was already pitiful enough; how could anyone bear to deceive her?
Lu Yibei thought, pointing at the alchemical potions on the stall, “Did you brew all of these?”
“Yes, I did.”
“That’s amazing!” Lu Yibei praised.
Gu Qiqi’s cheeks turned slightly red as she scratched the back of her head, “Hehe, it’s nothing really! You’re making me feel embarrassed.”
“Really impressive!” Lu Yibei praised again, then shifted the topic, “Since you’re so capable and we know each other so well, I was wondering if you could help me brew a potion; that should be no problem, right?”
Gu Qiqi was about to agree when the system suddenly yelled in her mind.
“What did I say? It’s a trap, never agree!”
“The system he…”
“Gu Qiqi, do you know that taking advantage of someone for free is one of the ultimate pleasures for this psychologically twisted woman, right alongside backstabbing.”
The system always assumed the worst in predicting calamity’s actions.
What wouldn’t she do?
After taking advantage of someone’s labor, killing and silencing them would be the kindest method!
“System!”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“She said she wouldn’t let me work for free and that if I do well, there will be a reward!”
The system, “…”
“She said one potion for one bottle of black water, and these two bottles are the deposit.”
Gu Qiqi held the glass bottles Lu Yibei handed her in confusion, waiting for the system’s response.
“What to do, System? How do I refuse her?”
“Refuse? Bullsh*t! Agree to her!”
Gu Qiqi, I see you really don’t understand! Calamity water, with just a little processing, can become a weapon for hunting urban legends, the system thought.
“No, wait, System. Didn’t you just say that there’s a trap and I mustn’t agree?”
“……” The system fell silent for a moment, solemnly saying, “Gu Qiqi, that’s not the point. We need to think dialectically about this matter.”
“He has these ingredients, and even if we don’t help him brew it, he can find someone else to do it. If we do help him, we can still profit from him. It’s a win-win; the future is promising!”
“Moreover, we can add some ingredients while brewing! Be it poison, curses, or hexes, anything goes? Hehe!”
“System…”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t we supposed to be the righteous partners? You sound like a big villain!”
The system, “……”
————
With a deposit of two bottles and a final payment of one bottle.
Lu Yibei completed a second transaction with Gu Qiqi for a total fee of three bottles of calamity water, which was undeniably steep.
However, he didn’t feel a bit of regret.
In any case, calamity water was plentiful for him, with a consistent daily output, he was not afraid of high prices; he was only afraid someone might not want it.
In fact, while wandering in the ghost market before, looking for buyers, he found that apart from Fat Second Grandpa and Gu Qiqi, others seemed reluctant to purchase calamity water, and even if they had a price, it was unreasonable.
“This is the potion I want you to help me brew; take a look?” Lu Yibei wrote down the potion formula using the paper and pen Gu Qiqi provided and handed it to her.
“[Desolate Fire]…” Gu Qiqi looked at the formula Lu Yibei gave and frowned slightly, mentally communicating with the system.
“System, what is this potion for?”
“It seems to temporarily enhance the power of fire attribute spells. Hmph, it matches her spirit energy attribute very well; it’s probably an consumption item for her use, a perfect opportunity for poisoning.”
Seeing that Gu Qiqi had been silent for a long time, Lu Yibei asked, “What’s wrong? Are you having trouble?”
If Gu Qiqi struggled with this formula, she would probably have even more difficulty with the completion of the flawed formula. Lu Yibei thought with some concern.
Completing the flaws was a big deal, it couldn’t be taken lightly.
He felt that before seeking Gu Qiqi’s help in brewing the potion to rectify the flaws, it would be better to randomly find a potion first to test her skills.
“Of course not!” Gu Qiqi replied proudly, “This is much simpler than [Solar Copper Ball]! However, I will need three days to give it to you!”
While this potion could be brewed in seven or eight bottles in a day, the system said preparing poison would take two days.
Three days? It seems there won’t be time to rectify the flaws before going to Happy Neighborhood, but with [Desolate Fire] as an assist, it adds an extra layer of assurance, Lu Yibei thought, casually asking, “What’s [Solar Copper Ball]?”
“Ah? That’s…” Gu Qiqi realized she had misspoken, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes as she quickly changed the subject, “That’s for lighting, kind of like a light bulb.”
Lighting? Lu Yibei recalled Gu Qiqi’s dark little shed and the light switch that leaked electricity on average every three switches. He nodded.
“That’s pretty good; you can’t always steal the streetlight’s electricity. If you get caught, you’ll be detained!”
As he spoke, he took out two volcanic crystals used as imperial medicine and handed them to Gu Qiqi.
“This is the imperial medicine needed for [Desolate Fire]; these two should be enough to brew ten portions of the potion. Considering loss, you can just give me eight portions when the time comes.”
“I don’t have any minister medicine, but it’s all very cheap and easy to buy; you should be able to get it without a problem, right?”
Although the price of several commonly used materials for minister medicine was but a drop in the bucket compared to this transaction’s earnings.
However, Gu Qiqi was still reluctant to spend such a small amount. After the system’s heartfelt persuasion, she finally hesitated but reluctantly agreed.
“Okay, fine…”
“Good, now we’ve settled. I’ll come back for you on the night of the third day.”
As Lu Yibei said, he stood up, carrying the Ming King Statue away. Before leaving, he kindly and subtly helped Gu Qiqi pick up the pig’s trotter and tossed it into the distant garbage bin.
The righteous light shone upon me, and the red scarf on my chest brightened even more!
[She shed tearful complaints.]
Lu Yibei, “……”
————
Gu Qiqi carefully packed the calamity water and volcanic crystals Lu Yibei gave into her handcart, turning around to pick up the pig’s trotter to wash it and continue eating, only to find the puddle was empty.
She stared at the muddy water now illuminated by yellow light, seemingly unable to accept the harsh reality that the pig’s trotter had completely drifted away from her.
Until an enticing aroma wafted into her nostrils.
Huh?
Is that…
The scent of pig’s trotter?
Gu Qiqi paused for a moment, suddenly turning around to see a lunch box placed on her little stool. She hurried over to open it, revealing two tantalizingly colored braised pig’s trotters.
There was also a sticky note attached to the lunch box with a few lines of small text.
[The nearby night market is closed now; I bought this after knocking on their door for quite a while, so it might be a bit cold; don’t mind it.
Actually, braised pig’s trotters would be even better with various spices cooked on the grill; I didn’t have time today, but if I have the chance next time, I’ll cook for you myself.
— Lu Yibei.]
————
On the old street outside the ghost market.
One cigarette after another, a gulp after another.
Zhang Dexian leaned against a corner, gazing up at the street lamp as if he were a salted fish that had lost its dreams.
He couldn’t figure out why fate was so cruel.
He had clearly hunted down a core of an urban legend in just over two hours, gathered enough to purchase sacred artifacts with three cores of urban legends, but at that moment, he received a heart-wrenching little reminder from the Urban Legends Chat Group.
Network Pervert 001: “Old Zhang! The item you wanted has already been bought by someone else, specifically Wang Buliu, who was audited with you last time. You could complete a few more reward tasks to exchange for her related information and go negotiate with her yourself.”
Network Pervert 001: “You can also initiate a designated user transaction on the site, but she hasn’t registered on the site yet, so you’ll need to wait a bit. As for when she registers, I also can’t say for sure.”
Network Pervert 001: “Rest in peace! Want some lewd images to relax? [Image][Image]……[Image]”
Zhang Dexian glanced at the information again, put down his phone, and finally couldn’t help but let out a long howl.
“I haven’t lost yet, I will only lose when I d*e! I will not concede defeat until I acknowledge it! Just wait, woman; I will find you!”
“Ton ton ton——ton ton ton——!”
————
That night, on the outskirts of Huacheng, Amber Hall.
Dressed in a black lace nightdress, Jiang Li leaned against the edge of her bed, resting against the pillow. She picked up the tablet by her pillow and began to study the bounty she hadn’t had time to detail during the day.
The bounty had been posted a week ago, and many people had viewed it, but no one accepted the bounty, with very few users even leaving comments.
Guarding Chaldea: “Wow! Someone actually posted this bounty? I suppose no one dares to take it, right?”
Assassinate Joy: “Top floor.”
Master Mi of Qingcheng: “The commission is too low.”
……
“These people seem to know something…”
Jiang Li glanced at the comments below the bounty, gently shaking her head.
From the comments, aside from showing that those people were somewhat wary of Happy Neighborhood, there was no more information.
She clicked to confirm the acceptance of the bounty and continued scrolling down the screen, focusing on the detailed description left by the bounty poster.
That first-person narrative feels like storytelling face-to-face.
It’s likely the poster’s personal experience, Jiang Li thought.
Such detailed descriptions for bounties are common on the Urban Legends Chat Group’s website, probably because they require each bounty poster to describe the details as thoroughly as possible, so that those accepting the bounty can understand more details and perform the task better and safer.
[It’s said online that Happy Neighborhood is the most livable residential complex in Huacheng. I put in a lot of effort to buy the last batch of houses.
It took me over half a year to renovate, and after more than a month of fussing, I finally moved in as I wished.
Once I moved in, I found that what was said online wasn’t false.
It’s close to the city center but has the tranquility of the suburbs, with excellent air quality and greenery. In the early morning, pushing open the window, you can see many birds flying.
All the neighbors are very friendly; I occasionally see someone walking with their child learning to walk or walking their pet dog, always with warm smiles on their faces.
The center of the community has an artificial lake with a circulating water fountain, and the sound of the water flows all day long.
At that time, I felt happy living here, even though I was still alone after graduating for seven or eight years, I at least had a home.]
Upon reading this part, Jiang Li nodded thoughtfully.
The scenery seen by the Siye Society during previous investigations of Happy Neighborhood coincided closely with the description of the bounty. The entire community had an extraordinarily good environment and friendly neighbors.
There was not a hint of hidden urban legend.
But because Happy Neighborhood was too harmonious, it felt strange.
There are differences between people; in such a large community, there would always be conflicts.
Not to mention that there were also bizarre phenomena of residents over forty mysteriously dying.
Although some people argue that everyone dies, and not living past forty is simply blackening by fellow travelers.
However…
The Siye Society’s data doesn’t lie. More than thirty people died in the same community in a year, which is worthy of suspicion and observation.
Jiang Li thought, continuing to scroll down the screen.
[Then, it was the day when all the new owners moved in.
The property organized a welcome party, but I had a severe cold and a low fever, so I didn’t attend.
That day I lay in bed, listening to the intermittent music from the welcome party outside, and after a long time, I dozed off in a haze, only to wake up shortly after.
I came to the living room to get water and subconsciously looked out the window, only to find an issue.
All the buildings in the community were dark; not a single window was lit, as if no one lived there. Only the red aviation obstruction lights on the roof were flashing like pairs of scarlet eyes.
Large areas of green spaces were shrouded in darkness, and the only light in the entire community came from the dim streetlights, eerily quiet.
It was clearly just over nine o’clock; the welcome party should have just finished, and it shouldn’t be so quiet.
However, at the time, I was muddled and didn’t think too much as I went back to bed. The next day, I woke up thinking it was just a weird dream brought on by my cold and fever.
Looking back, if I had noticed the strangeness sooner and left, that would have been better.
Really!
After that, the property came to my house several times, indicating a desire to hold a few small gatherings to help me make up for the absence of the welcome party.
At the time, I thought it was quite considerate, but later due to various unforeseen circumstances, it didn’t come to fruition.
I don’t know when it started, but I developed a sense of unease that gradually intensified in my heart.
I earnestly searched for the source of this feeling but found nothing.
The air in the community remained fresh, the lake water was still crystal clear, and the neighbors remained friendly, yet I just felt something was off.
During that time, I often dreamed of the community being shrouded in a huge and dangerous shadow.
Just like a crocodile disguised as driftwood lurking under the serene lake surface.
Its body was motionless, but its malice and eerie eyes constantly scanned every corner of the community.
Later, I finally realized where the problem lay—it was the welcome party!
The frequency of invitations to the party from the property was too frequent. At first, it was half-monthly, then weekly, and eventually developed into every three to four days.
As if I had to attend that damned party to continue living there.]
Jiang Li’s gaze lingered slightly, her fingertips gently tapping her chin.
It looks like there’s a significant issue with that party. If I could find a way to attend once, it would be great to uncover the truth, Jiang Li thought.
