Chapter 13 Before Departure
After getting a rough idea of what the Dream Come True journey entailed, from Tuesday to Friday, Luxianbei worked overtime every day to handle the numerous trivial matters related to the urban legends of Huacheng.
The efficiency was so high that even Meng Meng and the other urban legends were in awe, at one point suspecting that their Legend King’s mental state had gone awry, wanting to offer her alchemical potions to suppress the corruption of urban legends.
After all, it was quite frightening for someone with severe procrastination and decision-making difficulties to suddenly become a fervent workaholic.
Having arranged the matters for the following week regarding the urban legends of Huacheng and completing the night shift in place of Jiang Li on Friday, Luxianbei went to the Ghost Market alone at 2 AM on Saturday, carrying the compensation she received from the River God.
——
In the early hours, the chill of spring was accompanied by a cold white mist drifting through Huacheng.
The dimly lit streets were lined with stalls displaying peculiar and bizarre items on both sides.
In this spontaneously formed market, there were many passersby, yet the atmosphere was eerily quiet.
The stall owners appeared in no rush to sell their goods, with no sounds of hawking, only briefly introducing their wares when customers approached. More often, they seemed to lurk like phantoms in the shadows, their restless eyes wandering around.
Amidst this, a petite red-haired girl swaggered down the center of the street, carrying two overly stuffed woven bags, drawing attention.
Such ostentatious behavior naturally attracted a couple of shifty characters; soon after she entered the Ghost Market, she became the target of two professional thieves.
The two thieves followed her until they reached Fat Second Grandpa’s shop, eavesdropping on her conversation with the proprietor, only to quickly decide to give up…
“Ah, is this the Honorable Calamity? Your presence truly brings a radiant light to my humble shop!” Fat Second Grandpa said, his chubby face wobbling as he smiled, “I wonder, what brings you here today…”
“To sell things and buy some more,” Luxianbei stated directly, dumping the contents of the two woven bags onto the clear ground before Fat Second Grandpa.
The pile of spirit energy items made the two eavesdropping thieves outside wide-eyed and sweating profusely. Although most of those items were low-grade D and C-class, the sheer quantity was indeed astounding.
“What is this… This…” Fat Second Grandpa stared at the pile of spirit energy items, momentarily speechless, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
Wanting to take in so much contraband all at once made him feel a bit overwhelmed.
Why had he assumed they were contraband?
The urban legend selling items wasn’t just any average figure; he was the head of the largest criminal organization in Huacheng, what else could it be but contraband?
“Don’t be afraid! It’s not anything illicit.” Luxianbei stepped forward, patting Fat Second Grandpa’s shoulder in reassurance.
Not illicit? That’s good… Fat Second Grandpa thought to himself, just as he was about to relax, he heard Luxianbei say, “All of these are stolen; take a look at how much they’re worth.”
Fat Second Grandpa, “???!”
Good grief, I can’t believe this!
Nowadays, can stolen goods be considered legitimate?
“I must ask, where did you acquire these items…?” Fat Second Grandpa said weakly.
Luxianbei waved her hand dismissively, “I stole them from an incoming A-class urban legend; it’s not worth mentioning.”
The two outside thieves, “…”
An A-class urban legend isn’t worth mentioning?
You’re something else, aren’t you? Better make a run for it.
Sensing two spirit energy fluctuations that had been following her gradually drift away, Luxianbei glanced outside the shop with a silent smirk, turning back to roughly explain to Fat Second Grandpa the origins of these spirit energy items.
It must be said that the River God, having existed for hundreds of years, was indeed a grand urban legend; not only did he have many wives, but his wealth was also considerable.
When Luxianbei mentioned needing compensation of thirty to fifty spirit energy items or the core of an urban legend based on quality, he readily agreed and delivered the items the next day.
This left Luxianbei feeling heartbroken, almost wanting to slap herself.
It felt like someone offered a hundred and she only countered with twenty, then without thinking, they packed up the items and shoved them into her hands as if they feared she would backtrack.
Just thinking about it made her feel she had suffered a huge loss!
After hearing Luxianbei explain the origins of these spirit energy items, Fat Second Grandpa also acknowledged her claim of them being “legitimate,” but the cold sweat on his face increased.
What was just a freak incident now forced him to concede territory, pay compensation, and sign a humiliating contract… Calamity was indeed terrifying!
However, as an old businessman, Fat Second Grandpa had seen it all.
He quickly adjusted his mood and shifted into bargaining mode, using a uniquely shaped cane to poke at the items on the ground.
“These twelve cores of urban legends, three C-class and nine D-class, should be worth around 5 kg of gold. For the slight fluctuations, I will need to review the recent price trends before I can provide a response.”
“For these twenty or so spirit energy items, I could give you an answer right now; how about 15 kg of gold?”
Luxianbei glanced at the pile of spirit energy items, nodding lightly.
Low-grade spirit energy items were relatively cheap; most urban legends and spiritual ability users could afford them, making them easier to sell, which was why Fat Second Grandpa could provide a swift response.
After a brief contemplation, Luxianbei pressed on, “But if I don’t sell and instead use these items to exchange for something I want, there should also be discounts, right?”
“Of course, but the extent of the discount depends on what you want,” Fat Second Grandpa smiled.
Hearing this, Luxianbei pondered for a moment, then took out a small slip of paper from the pocket of her jacket and handed it to Fat Second Grandpa, “Then take a look, can these items be exchanged?”
The slip detailed the alchemical materials Luxianbei needed to complete her next deficiency.
Flame fish scales, fire bloom flowers, dragon eye coral—these were relatively common high-grade alchemical materials, easy to procure, but…
Fat Second Grandpa hesitated at the mention of “Flame Spirit.”
“Honorable Calamity, this item, while not particularly valuable, is extremely rare; just as calamities randomly manifest in the bodies of witch breeds, the Flame Spirit is born randomly in B-class fire element urban legends.”
“In other words, you might acquire it by hunting one urban legend, or you might hunt hundreds and get nothing; it’s all a matter of luck.”
“However, rest assured, I will do my utmost.”
After hearing Fat Second Grandpa’s explanation, Luxianbei nodded in understanding; after all, it was a second-level material needed for the completion, significantly higher than the first one.
However, she intended to make up for the deficiency and enhance her strength with the River God’s compensation before journeying to Dream Comes True; that plan was now dashed.
And…
This was only a third of the materials; the rest would likely be difficult to find as well.
Thinking about this, Luxianbei couldn’t help but let out a long sigh.
Life is always so painful; is it only like this for urban legends?
Luxianbei grumbled in her mind and continued, “So, help me find it first; notify me as soon as you find it. For the remaining money, just help me buy some leftover scraps from their alchemies.”
Fat Second Grandpa’s expression grew strange at her words as he sized Luxianbei up and said weakly, “Did you mean alchemical residue?”
What do you need that for?
Alchemical residue has a complex composition, is difficult to purify, and is just like kitchen waste—reusing it requires significant human and material effort, which isn’t worth it.
The head of Huacheng’s criminal syndicate suddenly seeking to recover kitchen waste? Just thinking about it made Fat Second Grandpa feel it was somewhat absurd.
Could it be that she somehow hoped to turn waste into treasure?
“Don’t worry about that!” Luxianbei waved her hand, “Just know that I have use for it, and just tell me if you can buy it and how much you can get.”
“I can…” Fat Second Grandpa muttered, finally deciding not to press further and added, “About 1.2 tons.”
That’s quite a lot; recently, a silly girl has been frequently selling it, but hardly anyone buys it. A bit of negotiation might help lower the price, Fat Second Grandpa thought.
“1.2 tons? That’s great!” Luxianbei was slightly taken aback, “Then let’s go with that amount…”
Fat Second Grandpa, “???”
Amount?
What the hell are you planning to do with that?!
If something happens, I won’t be jointly liable, right?
Seeing Fat Second Grandpa’s unusual expression, Luxianbei quickly corrected herself, “Uh, I mean, based on that amount, give me five hundred kilograms for now, and also…”
Luxianbei took down the guitar bag from her shoulder and patted it, “Can you modify this for me? Add some fireproof and explosion-proof materials, ideally turning it into something like a spatial ring; I feel it’s becoming increasingly insufficient.”
Fat Second Grandpa, “…”
A spatial ring?
Honorable Calamity, you really should read fewer fairy tales!
How could such a thing exist? Even if it did, it would be a cataclysm-grade spirit energy item; where could I find one?
……
After purchasing the alchemical residue from Fat Second Grandpa, Luxianbei settled at home for an entire day, using half of the alchemical residue to successfully produce a reinforced improved version of the alchemical bomb with different attributes, totaling over two hundred pieces.
The other half was transformed into two “big guys.”
One was named “Miss Qiu,” and the other “Flower Thousand Trees”…
Who knows if the deceased Great Serpent God would be furious if he knew that his accumulated knowledge from two years ago was used for such morbid things.
Thus, the preparations for the Dream Come True journey were barely completed.
Luxianbei packed her guitar bag full of reinforced alchemical bombs, equipped herself with a longsword, and set off on the journey to negotiate with the puppeteer behind the Dream Come True adventure.
A perfect example of a s*icide bomber.
——
Saturday night, 11:07 PM.
On the empty streets of Huacheng University City, a taxi stopped in front of Luxianbei after she waved.
With a deadpan expression, Luxianbei got into the car with Biesuzhen, opened the door, sat in the back seat, fastened her seatbelt, and skillfully said, “Uncle Zhang, to the West Train Station, please.”
“Hmm? You didn’t even look; how did you know it was me?” Zhang Shan exclaimed.
“Who else could it be?” Luxianbei replied nonchalantly.
Who would dare stop on seeing this girl with a painted face dressed in white? They’d already sped off at full throttle. Luxianbei silently added in her mind.
“True enough,” Zhang Shan nodded, finding it reasonable.
As an urban legend, it was not strange for Luxianbei to know who was in the car beforehand through some unknown means.
“I have to tell you, your last story was fantastic; my audience loved it so much that the popularity of my streams has almost doubled recently.”
“Is that so?” Luxianbei teased, “Why don’t you switch careers? Streaming makes more money than driving a taxi, right?”
“Absolutely not!” Zhang Shan scoffed, “I don’t drive for money.”
“Then why?”
“To hang around with you guys!”
“You guys?” Luxianbei raised her brow slightly, “Is there someone else telling you urban legend stories aside from me?”
“There is! I recently brought in a little boy; that kid can really tell stories.” Zhang Shan excitedly replied, “So what story are we telling today?”
A little boy? Is he a certain urban legend from Huacheng? Luxianbei thought, silently deciding to ask her subordinates later if they’d told Zhang Shan stories, while responding, “Let’s go with a story about a River God marrying.”
Biesuzhen froze for a moment at this, lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but stopped herself.
“What’s so interesting about that?” Zhang Shan complained, “I’ve heard that story way too many times since I was a kid.”
“I promise, this time is completely different.” Luxianbei replied casually, “Don’t you want to know what the River God did to the girls who were captured on the boat?”
“Girls?” Zhang Shan’s eyes lit up, emphasizing the “s” at the end.
“Girls!” Luxianbei nodded, “Very racy and violent, particularly thrilling; the entire story is explosive!”
“Let’s hear it!” Zhang Shan banged on the steering wheel with determination.
Thus, during a half hour taxi ride, Biesuzhen found herself dumbfounded as she listened to the tale of Luxianbei’s grievances with the River God and the general reasons she had fallen into Luxianbei’s hands.
Biesuzhen, “…”
Is it really appropriate to narrate such real urban legend events to a human with utterly weak spiritual potential who hardly even qualifies as an urban legend?
Moreover, why was this human not scared at all?
Huacheng is truly a… fascinating place, both for urban legends, humans, and others.
——
The night was deep, with dark clouds obscuring the moon.
In the outskirts of Huacheng, near the West Train Station.
Unknown insects emitted sporadic weak sounds from unseen places.
Originally, they should have died with the arrival of winter; however, the sudden rise in temperature gave them an unexpected extension on life, leaving them confused about whether they should d*e or not, resulting in their silly calls.
After getting off the taxi and bidding farewell to Uncle Zhang, Luxianbei followed Biesuzhen to the subway station entrance, noticing the large lock on the iron gate had been cut, raising an eyebrow slightly.
“Did you cut this?”
“Of course not!” Biesuzhen replied, “I heard that many subordinates of Pestilence Taijie used the giant train to infiltrate Huacheng; it must be their doing.”
Upon hearing this, Luxianbei nodded thoughtfully, realizing that to sneak so many urban legends and spiritual ability users into the city under the protection of the Huacheng Barrier, they would indeed need some special methods.
Once they entered the subway station, a strong stench of decay hit them; the vast subway station was empty, with towering stone pillars casting large shadows on the ground, making it feel as if something terrible was hidden within.
However, Luxianbei felt no fear; the records from the earth pulse energy indicated no urban legends were occupying this place.
“Honorable Calamity, could you please not hold my hand so tightly? It hurts a bit…” Biesuzhen looked at Luxianbei’s hand nearly embedding into her flesh on her arm, saying weakly.
“Oh, oh!”
Luxianbei responded a couple of times, loosening her grip but still remaining a step behind her, using her body to block the way ahead.
Though she wasn’t frightened, she reflexively acted this way.
Leading Luxianbei to the depths of the subway station, Biesuzhen turned and bowed slightly, saying, “Honorable Calamity, please wait here for a moment while I buy your ticket.”
“This requires a ticket too?” Luxianbei muttered.
So unprofessional, and this is supposed to be an entertainment city!
Some large shopping malls now have free shuttles.
I really like to take advantage of those shuttles.
“Before, it didn’t require a ticket.” Biesuzhen explained, “However, many people, uh, just like the subordinates of Pestilence Taijie, always used the giant train to cross the city barrier of Siye Society, causing significant losses to the Dream Come True journey.”
“Now, without a ticket, you won’t even see the giant train.”
Luxianbei pouted and fished around in her pocket for a bit, reluctantly taking out two chips and placing them in Biesuzhen’s hand.
Receiving the chips, she walked straight to the lone, seemingly haunted vending machine in the corner, operated it for a moment, and then returned with two train tickets.
One was to the Lan Zhe Inn, and the other was to the Dream Come True Entertainment City.
——
At 1:03 AM in the abandoned subway station.
While patiently awaiting the giant train, Luxianbei suddenly turned to the deep subway tunnel, furrowing her brows.
From a distance, she sensed a strong spirit energy fluctuation approaching.
She attempted to use the earth pulse energy for exploration, but found it unable to capture anything as it passed through the unfamiliar spirit energy fluctuation without finding its target.
It could evade the barriers of major cities; it certainly had its extraordinary capabilities, Luxianbei thought.
At that moment, a high-pitched sound suddenly echoed from the dark tunnel.
“Woo—!”
Subsequently, the spirit energy fluctuation in the subway station surged dramatically, accompanied by a cold wind bringing a thick stench of decay, as a train dragged by a giant burst forth from the darkness, slowly coming to a halt at the platform.
So it really is a giant pulling the train, and quite environmentally friendly too!
If only I could have one too!
Luxianbei inwardly rumbled about the giant’s face, which was as large as a basin, its twisted body covered with human legs, its lower half almost merging with the green train car.
“This train will depart in three minutes; please make sure to orderly board with your belongings. Free snacks, fruits, drinks, and various books have been prepared for you on board; feel free to help yourself.”
“Lastly, we wish you a pleasant night.”
As the departure announcement played, Luxianbei collected her thoughts and sluggishly got onto the train.
However, as soon as she stepped into the carriage, the giant train’s monster let out a loud “Roar!” Its massive body quivered, creating a cacophony of sounds.
The few dozen passengers scattered across the carriage simultaneously looked up at her with strange expressions, their gazes fixed on her, making Luxianbei feel uneasy.
What’s going on? Why are you all looking at me like that? I bought a ticket, after all!
Seeing this, Biesuzhen gritted her teeth, stood up from her seat, approached Luxianbei, and quietly asked, “Honorable Calamity, are you carrying any dangerous items on board?”
Uh oh… Is there a security system on this monster train? Luxianbei thought, avoiding Biesuzhen’s questioning gaze, scratching her face, momentarily at a loss for words.
Just then, a man seated at the front of the train, wearing a top hat and a white mask, and dressed in a tailcoat, dashed over amid the giant’s roar. He bowed slightly towards Luxianbei and softly asked, “My beautiful lady, are you carrying any flammable or explosive materials on board?”
“Uh, just a bit,” Luxianbei replied softly.
Just one hundred and thirty-seven alchemical bombs, she added in her mind.
As soon as Luxianbei finished, the passengers were instantly taken aback and scrambled towards the back of the train in a panic.
Seeing this, the man politely explained, “I apologize, my beautiful lady, but flammable and explosive items are not allowed on board like this; may I trouble you…”
“What does that mean? Are you taking my treasures?” Luxianbei interrupted, clutching her bag tightly.
“No, no, you’ve misunderstood!” the man shook his head, clarifying, “I meant you can’t just bring them onto the train like that. If you insist on bringing them, you’ll need to pay an extra fee!”
Luxianbei, “…”
No wonder the passengers had bolted so fast earlier!
Who knows what they were scared of, it’s just a few explosives after all?
I’m keeping an eye on them! How could they possibly explode that easily? Luxianbei thought with disdain.
——
The man checked the items inside Luxianbei’s guitar bag by an unknown means, asking her to pay for two extra tickets before returning to his position at the front of the train.
Luxianbei found a quiet spot in the first carriage and settled down.
Though it cost her a bit of money, which made her unhappy, she thought that she was essentially buying peace of mind.
After all, both the giant train and the Dream Come True journey were somewhat eerie, and with the alchemical bombs at her side, she could feel secure.
As long as the situation seemed off, just whip out the guitar bag and toss everything out! Luxianbei thought decisively, shifting slightly, her small hand leaving a mark on the armrest of another seat.
With a sharp “Crack!” the sound of a whip echoed throughout the carriage.
With the sound fading, the giant train set off, causing the entire carriage to shake and emit a “Creak” that made it sound as if it could fall apart at any moment.
The experience felt terrible—just like riding a hand-pushed tractor. Luxianbei looked at Biesuzhen inquiringly but saw that she had unknowingly been wrapped in two suckered tendrils.
Noticing Luxianbei’s gaze, Biesuzhen froze for a moment, then, as if recalling something, her face turned pale, urgently reminding, “Honorable Calamity, the seatbelt! Quickly fasten your seatbelt!”
Luxianbei, “???”
This is the first time I’ve heard that a green train requires a seatbelt…
The next moment, the entire carriage shook violently as the train seemed to lift off the ground, an intense feeling of weightlessness striking Luxianbei.
Uncertain of what was happening, she found herself rising from her seat, staring out the window at a massive cave that didn’t exist on the map of Huacheng.
The cave’s rock walls were ancient and beautiful, displaying intricate natural granite patterns, and a waterfall from an underground river cascaded into the dark abyss below.
The urban legend empowered by the Hundred-Armed Giant was dragging the carriage through the air straight toward the gray-black cave wall.
At that moment, a shiny little bomb flew out of Luxianbei’s guitar bag during the turbulence.
“Gulp!” Biesuzhen watched the glass bottle containing the glowing liquid, swallowing hard.
Luxianbei caught the alchemical bomb floating in front of her and turned to Biesuzhen, saying earnestly, “Don’t be afraid; it’s just a bomb, it won’t explode.”
Biesuzhen, “???”
At that very moment, the train “Boom!” collided with the gray-black rock wall…
