《Apocalyptic Forecast》


 Chapter 1：Prologue: The Last Dinner

    Year 2020.


    Mount Everest.


    There was a rending crash in the distance.


    Enormous glaciers slid off the pitch-black peaks, falling into the tumultuous sea.


    The vicious ocean of ice surged, rising into waves hundreds of miles tall. It looked almost as though it would extend to the very end of the world. In response, there was a breeze from the end of the world, carrying with it the odor of ash and dust.


    The world suddenly felt so very small.


    The tall dome of heaven seemed to be pressing down on the earth, turning into a solid thing of pure white metal. Through the large crack in it, one could see the stars in the universe slowly fading.


    They were like lights gradually melting into the darkness after the electricity was turned off.


    Suddenly, it felt as though nothing was left in this vast world. All that remained was the narrow platform at the peak of the world, and the work cabin they had built on a moment''s notice.


    A fishing rod was propped up on the edge of the platform, and a fishing line was tossed into the ocean, bobbing on the surface of the murky water.


    The bored fisherman wore a felt hat and lay in his deck chair.


    As though to kill time, he even had an old chessboard with him. Ignoring the constant sound of crashing in the distance, he played around with the pieces nonchalantly.


    Perhaps due to the passage of time, the black and white pieces were already missing a member or ten. Of the ones remaining, the king and the bishop were chipped and worn as well. Time had left cracks all over their surfaces.


    Even a large corner of the chessboard itself was missing. The black and white squares were twisted and merged into each other, forming a large patch of messy gray instead.


    However, the surprising thing was no matter how the mountains shook, the pieces remained resolutely in their squares. They did not move even an inch.


    "President, there''s word from NASA¡ª"


    The assistant with heavy spectacles walked out of the cabin, holding the last piece of luggage. "¡ªTheir fourth transfer is now complete, and the New York Stock Exchange has been fully uploaded, so they''re leaving now. They wish us the best of luck."


    "Good riddance."


    The president shook his head crossly. "Those guys from the Governance Bureau are such a pain. They''re always taking their own sweet time, and they can''t even move out quickly."


    "They have to save a backup, after all. After ''Heaven'' crashed down, the data can only be transferred using hard disks now."


    "Don''t be a fool, child." The president snorted. "Those guys just like to stay until the very last second. As if they''re oh so good at keeping to the clock, hmph! It''s not like it''d kill anyone if they moved ten minutes earlier."


    "Ahaha."


    The assistant laughed awkwardly but did not reply. Instead, he reached over and saw the laptop left to sit next to the chessboard. Aside from two tabs from his earlier search, ''how to fish in the Himalayas'', the screen only displayed a real-time satellite image now.


    That satellite from the old NASA was still stubbornly performing its duty until now, transmitting the images from all the way up there in space without a hitch.


    Unfortunately, the image on the screen was no longer the beautiful starscape of the past. Instead, it was a battered battlefield.


    Countless chaotic whirlwinds covered the entire blue expanse, and underneath that layer of tornado clouds, thick at parts and thin at others, all they could see was field after field of heartbreaking scorch marks.


    At the same time, a huge crevice slowly appeared on the satellite image. An enormous scarlet line of several thousand kilometers rapidly stretched and expanded, pulling the sickly yellow land and grey-black ocean with it. Finally, it even moved the cyclones and tore another hole in the ozone layer.


    "That''s an earthquake, right?"


    The assistant gasped in awe and put his face closer to the screen. "How impressive. I had no idea it would be this magnificent."


    The president raised his head and gave it a glance, understanding immediately. "It''s a geothermal explosion. Since the core started to cool down, the third wave is being released from the North and South American tectonic plates. If we don''t do anything about it, it''ll probably end in about sixty years¡­ Look, New York already sank into the ocean."


    "What a waste. I haven''t seen the Statue of Liberty yet."


    "Well, I have."


    The president pulled his gaze back. "It''s nothing much, really..."


    There was a sudden crash from the distance, and something seemed to light up from the depths of the ocean. The bright red light tossed and turned in the pitch-black darkness, illuminating the agonizing scorching glow from underneath the earth''s crust.


    A breeze of fire blew from the ends of the ocean, carrying with it grey dust and white fog. It threatened to cover the entire surface of the world.


    As though the entire world was boiling in seawater.


    "It looks hella lot like teppanyaki."


    "Hmm?"


    "Teppanyaki, I introduced it to you before, right? It tastes really good, you know."


    As though he was feeling sleepy now, the president lay in his chair and covered his face with his hat. He looked like he was going to sleep, and his voice sounded soft and dreamy. "A long time ago, a friend of mine from Weizhou told me that there are two types of teppanyaki, one from Kanto and one from Kansai. We usually eat the Kanto type cuz it''s simple and easy, but the really tasty one is from Kansai.


    "That''s cuz they only put a really thin layer of oil on the grill when they start cooking. As long as it''s hot enough, the fats from the ingredients will cook themselves. Apparently, that way you can really taste the natural freshness and original flavor of the food¡­"


    The assistant was silent for a moment before he said, "That sounds quite cruel."


    "That''s right, but aren''t humans innately cruel creatures?" the president retorted. "If eating that means we survive, we''ll eat it. That''s the most basic principle, the evil in the very roots of humanity.


    "At the very beginning, we ate lightning and swallowed fire. We burned down the plains and dug up the oil reservoirs, extracting the oil. When that wasn''t enough, we turned our greedy eyes to fission power¡­ Now, even though this world is dying, we still refuse to let go.


    "Perhaps the ball started rolling back when our ancestors added Neanderthals to their recipe books, and once it started, it could not stop."


    The assistant turned around to look at the man lying in the chair, but he could not see the man''s face underneath his cap. He could not tell if that man''s eyes were filled with sorrow or the familiar sarcasm and cynicism that he had grown used to in the past.


    In the long silence that ensued, the sky grew darker and darker. The pure white heavens began to dim, until finally that corona behind the clouds gradually started to shrink and fade as well¡­


    "Is the sun going out too?"


    "Yep. The power of the original energy pillar is running out."


    "The storm''s starting again."


    "Mm-hmm."


    "Will it stop this time?"


    "Who knows?" The president stood up slowly and put the hat back on his head. "Doesn''t matter how things change from now on. We humans can''t live here anymore¡­ You''ve noticed that by now, right? Aside from a body full of pain and scars, there''s nothing left on this earth anymore."


    He paused and murmured softly, "This is our final dinner."


    He lit the last cigarette roll.


    There was a bright spark, followed by a small column of white smoke.


    On the computer screen, all the lights that represented the satellite signals slowly dimmed, replaced by one strange symbol after another. The symbols ran across the pitch-black screen like gods moving in their own void, with an air of indescribable coldness and solemnity.


    The Country of Utopia, now online.


    Inheritance Yard, now online.


    The Governance Bureau, now online.


    The Stoneaxe Association, the Bronze Hand, the Graveyard of the Lost¡­


    Behind the black screen and their individual logos, it felt like there were countless gazes watching this final piece of land, waiting for the arrival of the last moment.


    All of the guests were in place, and now they waited for the final curtain to rise.


    Their eyes were fixed on that broken chessboard.


    The assistant gulped nervously and looked at his watch carefully. When the hour hand and the minute hand overlapped, he raised his head as though struck by electricity and reported, "The Divine Essence Pillar is ready."


    "...Wait!"


    The president suddenly frowned. He seemed to be listening to something.


    It was not just the assistant. The logos on the screen seemed to turn serious as well, as though they were facing a mighty foe.


    Immediately after that, the man suddenly reached out his hand and pulled up his fishing rod. He actually yanked something out of the ocean. It looked furry, like a cat, but it had a fish''s tail. All in all, it was unspeakably odd.


    "Aha! I waited for two hours, but I got something in the end. Who ever said Qiandu (TN: ''thousand degrees'', a play of Baidu lit. hundred degrees, the Chinese equivalent of Wikipedia) isn''t reliable?" The president grinned and observed his ''catch''. "We sure are fated to meet, little thing! But it doesn''t really look like a fish. Is it really edible?"


    "..."


    Everyone fell silent. No one said a thing.


    They did not really want to bother with him right now.


    The little thing that had been fished up opened its mouth and protested for a while, stretching out its little front paws to try and scratch his face, but he stuffed it right into the fish bucket.


    Once it was back in the seawater, it immediately calmed down. It flipped in the water and just floated there, too lazy to move.


    "Alright, then." The president stuffed the fishing rod and the bucket at his assistant and picked up his own chair. "Let''s pack up and go."


    He reached out his hand and picked the white rook off the chessboard.


    With that, the last lights seemed to go out.


    The sun hanging high in the arch of the sky disappeared without a trace.


    The entire world was plunged into darkness.


    After the lights went out, they could not hear the howling of any breeze either, because other than themselves, everything had come to a sudden stop. It was as though time had frozen over.


    The first to leave was the universe, because a long and slender appeared from nowhere and took away the black queen. Utopia had taken away the very essence of the stars, and so the initial darkness faded, the countless stars had vanished, and all that remained was the meaningless void.


    Immediately after that, what remained of the ocean left as well. Inheritance Yard removed the proof of its existence, and the black bishop disappeared into nothing. Be it the sky-high tsunamis or the boiling red sea, all the living water in this world rapidly declined and collapsed, until all that remained was the pitch-black sea bed.


    Next, the white bishop faded away like an illusion. The Governance Bureau turned off the light of glory, so everything fell silent, and the screeching crust fell quiet. The lava spewing from the cracks quickly solidified and lost all its heat...


    By now, Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, North America, the vicious oceans, the cold or hot whirlwinds, and even the sky¡­ Everything was being destroyed, slowly and steadily.


    All that remained was the low wail of the world falling apart.


    Like the strings on an instrument snapping one after the other, in the end, only the empty echoes were left.


    In this enormous yet lonely apocalypse, the old Gaea, Earth VIII, met its end.


    After the last cigarette went out, all that remained of the dying and broken world was a husk of its former self and the final unclosed door next to the president.


    "The fourteenth abandoned Eden and Promised Land, huh¡­"


    The president looked at the empty chessboard in front of him and took a bouquet of pure white flowers from his pocket. The flowers came out of nowhere, and there was even still dew on the petals.


    Like tears, they dripped onto the crack in the chessboard.


    "Thank you for your refuge and tolerance over the past three hundred years and more. It was really hard on you."


    He took off his hat and bid a gentle farewell to everything here.


    "¡ªOne day, let us meet again in another hell."


    ¡­


    Finally, the door closed.


    In the eternal darkness and silence, the now-meaningless space shrank in on itself, pulling whatever rays of light remained into a pointless redshift. As the four elemental forces collapsed, the chessboard and the flowers disappeared into the void.


    The destruction of Earth No. 8 was now complete.


    At the very last second, a ray of minuscule light appeared above the chessboard, drawing the queen''s pure white visage amidst the flower''s tears. Like a meteor, it then shot into the distance.


    The old world had died once again, just as it did countless times in the past.


    After that, the new world arrived.


    Life went on as usual.


    ¡­


    Those were the records remaining from ninety years ago, the last shadow of the glory days.


    Since then, such heights had never again been achieved.

 Chapter 2：Happy Mommy

    "Name?"


    "Huai Shi."


    "Age?"


    "Seventeen."


    "Seventeen?"


    The interviewer raised a brow and looked at the young man in front of the table. The skinny young man carrying a heavy instrument case hurriedly put on a toady smile.


    He wore a slightly faded tux, and his face was pale, as though he had not seen sunlight for quite some time. His hair was a little messy, but his pitch-black pupils looked like they were lit by wax candles. They were terrifyingly bright.


    "A goth, huh? That''s rare. Lots of people are into that right now¡­"


    The interviewer murmured to himself randomly. As he scrutinized the boy, his tone turned stern. "Lil Huai, you should know that our club is taking the elite approach. Not any Tom, Dick, and Harry can get in here."


    "Elite, right? I got it!"


    Huai Shi straightened his little body and nodded forcefully, looking absolutely servile. "Old Yang told me everything before I came here. I know that you have strict requirements, but don''t worry, I''m very experienced!"


    With that, he even plastered on a fawning smile.


    The requirements may be stringent, but the salary was considerable too!


    The economy was hitting a crazy low recently, and loads of people in New Ocean were losing their jobs. It was nearly impossible for a broke student to find a part-time gig playing music, and Huai Shi was almost dying of poverty now. When the agent Old Yang told Huai Shi he had found the boy a lucrative new job, Huai Shi was beside himself with joy.


    If he really let this gig slip from between his fingers, the heavens themselves would punish him!


    Old Yang had mentioned that this was an exclusive club that catered to the wealthy, and even the waiters serving the dishes here could get tips that amounted to thousands. If he could play his music here, there was no doubt he would be able to earn some money.


    The interviewer paused, as though surprised by his strange sincerity. Nevertheless, the man nodded. "Alright, your resume says that you play the cello, too. Perform a piece for me, but put some effort into it."


    "Don''t you worry about that!"


    Huai Shi opened his cello case with complete confidence. Holding his cello under his arm and picking up his bow with his other hand, he gave it a moment''s thought. Soon, the uniquely low melody of the cello rose from the strings.


    He may face other things with fear, but he had never once failed when it came to the cello. Since he was young, he had been winning an endless stream of prizes with his cello. If he were not too poor to hire a good teacher, he might have long since made a name for himself in international competitions by now.


    This was the Haydn''s Cello Concerto in C that he had practiced more times than he could count, and even a professional judge would not be able to point out a single flaw in his performance. Once he started playing, his emotions would immediately settle down. Right now, he was performing even better than he usually did, and the heavy melancholy amidst the lively notes was almost physically palpable.


    A few short minutes later, though, the interviewer waved his hand rather impatiently. "Alright, that''s enough."


    "Huh?"


    Huai Shi raised his head, stunned. He had no idea where he had gone wrong, so he hastily began to flip through the contents of his bag. "I have a professional certificate too, ABRSM Grade 8. If that isn''t enough, I''m going to take the first professional test next month¡­"


    "That''s enough. Don''t bother with the fancy-schmancy nonsense."


    The interviewer shook his head crossly. "We don''t prioritize your certificates here. You just have to look decent with the cello. The most important part is still your skills¡­"


    With that, he bent down and took a few items out of his drawer, lining them up in a row and pointing at them. "Which ones do you know how to use?"


    "Huh?"


    Huai Shi was stumped. As he looked at the items on the table, he had no idea what he was seeing.


    "What¡­ instruments are these?"


    "Sigh, are you really so clueless or are you just pretending? Didn''t you say you were really experienced?"


    The interviewer pointed at the table and introduced the items. "The happy mommy ball, or the happy mommy flame¡­ which ones do you know how to use?"


    "..."


    Huai Shi mused over it for a long time, eventually looking at the cello he was holding and saying with one last ray of hope, "The happy mommy¡­ cello?"


    Boss, could you let me use my hacks here?


    "So you mean you don''t know anything, huh?"


    The interviewer was furious, pointing at Huai Shi''s nose and scolding his head off. "Do you have any idea how busy I am? Why''d you come here and try to be a gigolo if you don''t know anything? I declined a ton of meetings so I could be here to interview you. Are you just wasting my time?"


    "...Aren''t you from a restaurant looking to hire a musician?"


    It was only now that a stunned Huai Shi realized he had been fooled by that idiot of an agent again¡­ Huh? What did he mean by ''again''?


    "Wait a sec!"


    He held up a hand sternly. "Sir, I sell my art, not my body!"


    Bam!


    The office door slammed shut behind him.


    Having been chased out of the office, Huai Shi sat on a chair in the corridor, still shaking from that close call. He felt as though he had been half a step away from losing the virginity he had maintained for half of his life. When he looked at how much money he had left in his accounts, though, he had the urge to take that step again¡­


    He had been selling his art for so many years now, so what difference did it make if he sold his body too?


    After all, it was all the same once the lights were off. In the end, he would still¡­ Getting some money from it might make it feel even better. Maybe this was not so unacceptable, on second thoughts.


    While he held his chin and thought it over, he suddenly remembered that ''happy mommy series'' he saw earlier. All of a sudden, he shuddered all over.


    In that instant, Huai Shi had a deep epiphany: in this world, happiness was being conservative.


    Forget it, just put it out of mind¡­


    With tears in his eyes, he rejected the temptation of money, striding out of the club as quickly as he could. When he saw the stone lions covered with gold leaf standing at the door, he could not help the urge to go back in again.


    "Wait!"


    Suddenly, someone yelled at him from behind. It was a man in a suit with a handsome but cold face, who looked at Huai Shi with a stern gaze. "Hey, you! Stand right there!"


    "Me?"


    Huai Shi panicked slightly, and he could not help but shirk backward under the man''s glare.


    With that, he sultrily combed the few strands of his long hair that had been fluttering in the wind. The sight made Huai Shi''s stomach turn, and he said angrily, "Sorry, First Brother, but I''m not gonna be a gigolo!"


    "Oh yeah, they call us escorts now, but it''s the same underneath."


    ''First Brother'' nodded knowingly and gave Huai Shi a gracious wave. "It''s alright. Since you called me First Brother, I''ll watch over you from now on."


    As he said that, he took a bottle out of his bag and shoved it at Huai Shi''s chest. Patting the latter''s shoulder, he said solemnly, "You have to be professional, even if you''re a gigolo. Go home and get that oil off your face. Your skin is way too coarse, what''s up with your skincare routine? What a waste of a pretty little face¡­ Don''t use too much of it at once, though. This is some high-class stuff from Europe."


    With those words, he lifted his chin, turned around and left without even waiting for Huai Shi''s ''humble gratitude''.


    "..."


    Huai Shi stood at the door, wide-eyed and slack-jawed. He looked at the make-up in his hands and did not know if he should smash the bottle at the doorstep and yell something like, "All tides will turn eventually, don''t bully me cuz I''m young and broke".


    After a long while, he looked at the intricate little bottle in his hand and put it into his pocket, grimacing.


    Whatever. He was already here anyway, and it looked quite pricey, so it would be a waste to toss it¡­ It was not even open yet, so he could give it to Old Yang to sell later.


    Poverty was making me meek.


    He had such a cheat code, so why was he still so broke?!


    Huai Shi took that notebook out of his bag and flipped through the entire thing for a bit before sighing deeply and stuffing it back inside.


    When he thought of Old Yang, he gritted his teeth in anger. Taking out his phone, he dialed a number and immediately yelled, "Are you freaking nuts, Old Yang? Why the heck did you introduce me to a gigolo club? Have you lost your mind trying to earn your agent fees?"


    "Sigh, I just didn''t ask them carefully enough. They wanted someone young, experienced, good-looking, and talented in the arts¡­ I was just thinking of how broke you are. I wanted to do you good, see? Don''t be mad, why don''t I treat you to a meal day after tomorrow? We can celebrate your sis-in-law getting out of the hospital. Remember to bring over some chives¡­"


    "I''ll bring my *ss, you wanna eat it?"


    Huai Shi hung up crossly. That b*stard definitely did that on purpose. He was asking for his agent''s fee after Huai Shi got caught in his sneaky schemes.


    Still, when Huai Shi remembered what Old Yang''s family was like, he could not bring himself to hate the man.


    The jerk was throwing his life away to earn enough money for his wife''s medical fees. If it were not for that, he would not bother with something as petty as Huai Shi''s part-time jobs. All he would get was a small commission of a few dozen bucks¡­ Besides, aside from the fact that he would not give any discounts for his fee, the guy was pretty honest and steadfast. At least he did not make up any excuses to rob Huai Shi of more money.


    They were comrades in crisis.


    Whatever, forget it¡­


    Huai Shi sighed, and then he heard the thunder.


    Pitch-black clouds had drifted over from the distance and were hanging in the dreary sky. Thanks to the illumination of the dim sunlight, he could vaguely see the corals growing between the clouds. He even saw the shadows of the swimming fish¡­


    The blue-tinged ocean swayed gently, casting a sea of blue light on the ground below.


    It was going to rain soon.


    Apparently, these coral clouds were not that common seventy or eighty years ago. Back then, they were still in the oceans, but now they were wandering through the sky all over the world.


    Many scientists said it was because they discovered some rare element, or that it was because the atmosphere was polluted, but no one really believed them.


    At first, everyone panicked and thought the apocalypse was upon them, but decades passed, and there was no sign of any zombies or other classic apocalyptic creatures.


    After some time, everyone became used to it.


    It was just some extra stuff floating about in the sky, and all that happened was that they received a little more rain. Once the planes changed their flight routes, they continued flying as usual, did they not?


    Everyone still had to earn money and repay their debts. Life went on.


    After a few days of chaos, everything returned to normal.


    It seemed as though nothing had changed from before.


    The thunder clapped again and again.


    Huai Shi did not bring an umbrella, so he did not dare to waste any time. Turning around, he ran home with all his might. In his mad dash, however, he heard another huge crash from the distance.


    This time, the thunder was especially clear and obvious. Even the ground began to shudder.


    He looked up in the direction of the sound and saw a cloud of fog and sparks rising from the port in the distance. It seemed like something had exploded.


    The passersby on the street exchanged confused glances, and some people excitedly took out their phone to take videos of the whole thing. Others even approached it excitedly, trying to get in on the action.


    If it was any other day, Huai Shi might join in the curiosity too, but right now it felt like the pressures of life and gigolohood were threatening to snap his back in two. He would just pass on the curiosity for now¡­


    He sighed and turned left into a small alley ahead, quickening his steps.


    Bam!


    At the end of the alleyway, a bottle was kicked into a wall, shattering into pieces all over the floor. Immediately afterward, a leather boot stomped those pieces into the ground.


    Someone rushed out from the corner next to Huai Shi, his steps unstable, as though he was drunk. He did not even slow down, brushing past Huai Shi and plastering himself against the wall with a smack.


    Huai Shi was stunned.


    Who was this fine gentleman?


    To his surprise, the ''gentleman'' stumbled backward from the momentum of the crash, and when he saw Huai Shi, he suddenly pounced at the boy.


    Huai Shi did not even have the time to dodge. The stranger grabbed his arm, and then he felt a heavy box crashing into his chest.


    "What''s this?"


    He froze on the spot and instinctively tried to pull back, but he felt something moist on his hands. A sticky red fluid was flowing from that man''s sleeve.


    It was blood.


    It was only then that the intensely thick odor of blood assaulted his nostrils.


    All of a sudden, Huai Shi''s head hurt and span violently. He bent over and could not help but retch a mouthful of saliva.


    When he looked up, he finally saw that man''s vicious expression and contorted features. The man stared at Huai Shi blankly, as though he wanted to say something, but all that came out of his mouth was a ton of blood.


    The entire scene was peculiar enough, but Huai Shi still accidentally saw something in the pool of blood he vomited¡­ a small goldfish?


    It was not even all that big. It was exactly the type that most people would keep in an aquarium for decorative purposes back home, looking round and fat and especially cute.


    "You sure have intense tastes, brother. Is this even edible? It''s still raw!"


    Huai Shi''s eyes were wide as saucers. "Is this a really bad case of food poisoning?"


    Immediately after that, though, he saw the goldfish splashing around in the pool of blood rapidly shrink and dry up. Eventually, it became something like a cloud of dust, melting into the pool of blood.


    As the goldfish died, that man looked like he had been drained of all his energy as well. He collapsed onto the floor and stopped breathing. All that remained was that thick color of blood seeping out from underneath his coat.


    Amidst the silence, Huai Shi was the only one who remained in the alley.


    He and the box that had been stuffed into his hands¡­


    The box looked just a little larger than a regular Rubix cube, but it was heavy to hold. When he shook it, something sloshed around inside it, like a liquid.


    It was cold to the touch, as though it was made of steel or copper. There were some extravagant carvings that Huai Shi had never seen before on its surface too, but the carvings were covered by that man''s blood, so Huai Shi could not see them clearly. Even so, they seemed to hold a strange magic.


    Huai Shi gulped.


    He felt thirsty.


    Just holding it in his hands gave him the urge to open it up, as though there was something inside that tempted him immensely. He really wanted to own it, to claim it for himself¡­


    He took a deep breath.


    What should he do under these circumstances? Did he even need to think about it?


    Huai Shi took out his phone without hesitation.


    "Hello? 110?"


    refers to a wire mesh cleaning ball. In a viral online story, a netizen claims their friend ran away from his sugar mommy after a week because the woman wanted to scrub his unmentionables with itthe practice of a sugar mommy burning her sugar baby''s unmentionables with a flamethe emergency hotline in China, equivalent to 911

 Chapter 3：Which Normal Guy Keeps a Diary?

    "Name."


    "Huai Shi."


    "Age?"


    "Seventeen¡­"


    Inside the police station, Huai Shi was having his statement recorded. However, the conversation was starting to feel really familiar to him. Why did it feel like he had repeated this a few times already?


    He was afraid something would go wrong, so after he had his statement recorded, he even took the policeman''s hand and asked repeatedly, "You guys aren''t looking to hire gigolos here, are you?"


    "..."


    The policeman''s expression twitched, and he ignored the boy. After he poured Huai Shi a cup of tea, he told the boy he could leave after the check-up.


    Huai Shi sat in the chair and sighed. His heart was still pounding.


    The alley, the dead man, the goldfish, and the metal box.


    All these strange elements were gathered in one place, so even Huai Shi, whose life had also been a veritable roller coaster, was finding it a little hard to digest right now.


    There was one thing he could be sure of, however. This was not normal at all!


    When he connected it to the explosion at the port earlier, he even wondered if it was a gunfight amongst the members of a drug cartel!


    What if that box contained 100 grams of pure snow-white powder? It would be something else if the police caught him then.


    Although it was true he was so broke he could not even afford a meal, there was no need for him to look for the buffet line in prison, right?


    Under these circumstances, a resident of the East Xia Republic... No, any person with a hint of logic would usually call the cops, right?


    "That''s right, you did very well. Under those circumstances, the most logical thing to do is call the cops for help at the first chance you get."


    In the evidence room, the policeman who returned him his things nodded in approval. "If it was a bomb in there instead of heroin, things would get even worse¡­"


    "But what on earth is in that box?" Huai Shi asked, extremely curious.


    "I don''t know. We put it under the X-ray and checked it for bombs, so it shouldn''t be anything dangerous. But it looks like an antique. As for what it is precisely, we''ll have to wait for an expert to open it up tomorrow before we can tell. Still, your business is done here, so just go on ahead home."


    With that, he put the basket in front of Huai Shi.


    Since there was a fatality involved, everything Huai Shi had on him had been taken apart and checked. Once he received his things back, the first thing Huai Shi did was to take out the thick notebook he had been using for years and flip through it.


    No one had touched it.


    The policeman in the evidence room saw how anxious he was, so he could not help but burst out laughing. "What''s the matter? Are you worried we read your diary? I can''t believe young people still keep diaries these days. Haha, don''t worry, we didn''t read it, not at all¡­"


    Huai Shi laughed awkwardly and stuffed the notebook into his pocket. When he picked up his phone, he accidentally saw the text telling him how much money he had left in his account again, and his heart began to hurt once more.


    After he repeatedly confirmed with the policemen that he would not be receiving a reward for reporting the case, he walked out of the police station in agony. It felt like the entire world was an unspeakably cruel place.


    He walked down the streets with his head lowered, and the street lamps cast a long shadow behind him.


    In the swaying shadows, there was something like the flapping of a crow''s wings.


    Boom!


    A clap of thunder rang through the night sky.


    It seemed as though it had been waiting for Huai Shi to emerge. After a brief pause that evening, the torrential rain crashed down amidst the claps of thunder and lightning.


    By the time Huai Shi reached home, he was completely soaked.


    He stood in front of the large metal door and sighed. Taking out a key, he unlocked the chain around the door, and the door creaked open with a piercing screech that even the storm could not hide.


    "I''m back¡­"


    No one responded from within the darkness.


    His phone torch revealed how bare and dilapidated the old yard covered in fallen leaves looked.


    Under the layers upon layers of ivy and vines, there was a wall long since stripped bare. The courtyard behind the metal door was covered with a mess of leaves, and the long-neglected fountain had been dry for ages now. The stone statues on either side were damaged and broken, so they looked eerie and cold.


    The cloud-covered sky suddenly lit up with a sharp bolt of lightning, illuminating the creepy visage of that old house extending into the yard.


    ¡­


    At the foot of Greenview Mountain on the outskirts of New Ocean City, there sat Huai Shi''s home.


    A long time ago, it was called the Yu Garden Chalcedony Museum. Back then, this garden had been extremely extravagant, having undergone a construction period of five years and vast funds. The garden was filled with flowers that bloomed through the year, and there were evergreens planted outside the door. The interior was extremely magnificent as well, of course, and the owner was one of the richest men in Hua East. Countless people came and went every day¡­


    However, that all happened ninety years ago now.


    The world changed too quickly. In a mere ninety years, the era of steam power gave way to electricity, and the electric empire moved into a new electronic era. The world was at peace, then at war, and then at peace again¡­ Too many things happened, and there were too many things to remember, so in the end, some things became less important to remember than others.


    After a short heyday, Yu Garden had experienced a long silence and gradual decline for many years now. Most people had forgotten about it.


    Amidst the rampaging weeds, the extravagance of days past was no more. The climbing ivy covered the cracks on the stained wall, and most of the statues in the courtyard were already disfigured and broken, unrecognizable from their initial forms. After the careless spending and wastage of some thoughtless descendants, this once-magnificent mansion was now empty and derelict. It was almost becoming¡­ No, it had already become a rather unpopular haunted mansion.


    To Huai Shi, this worn-down house, the equally aging and falling-apart cello, and his meaningless life were all he had.


    However, as the old house fell apart more with every day, as cracks gradually appeared on the cello, Huai Shi was beginning to think that his life was going to bid him farewell soon too.


    "Bank account ending with digits 8193 has 144.444 yuan remaining¡­"


    As the storm howled on outside, Huai Shi finally saw exactly how much he had left in his debit card.


    "Mama mia¡­ How will I survive?!"


    Even if he ignored that ominous string of digits at the end there, he still had a powerful urge to die.


    What should he do?


    This was all thanks to his mom and dad.


    Back when Huai Shi was born, his family still had a business to their name. If they worked a little harder, it was not impossible to regain their past glory. However, after his grandfather died when he was three, Huai Shi''s parents began a rapid downward spiral, spending all of their family''s money at a frightening rate. They were completely broke within a few years.


    The two of them were addicts who splurged on food, drink, whores, and cigs. Finally, before the company went bankrupt, they ran away with all the money they had left, leaving Huai Shi alone to deal with the shareholders who were desperately slamming on the door, looking for the debts they were owed¡­


    Almost everything worth anything in the house was swept away.


    If Huai Shi''s grandfather had not made a will asking his lawyer to keep this old mansion to Huai Shi, to be inherited when he came of age, Huai Shi would have long since ended up homeless on the streets.


    Sometimes, there were really no limits to what a person could tolerate. Take Huai Shi for example. Since he was ten, he felt as though he was going to go mad, but he did not think he would be this mentally strong. Until now, his mind showed no signs of breaking.


    At the most, he would occasionally hear footsteps in the old house, or when a faucet leaked in the middle of the night, he heard someone sighing in the middle of his sleep, and so on¡­


    Even so, life went on.


    Now that he thought about it, it was quite a miracle he survived until now.


    At first, everything was slowly coming together again. He would grow up, and then he would use his results to get into a university as an honor student on a full scholarship. That way, he would find a job that could earn him enough money. Finally, his life might gradually come back on track.


    The only problem was that he was starving to death now.


    "Is life always this hard, or is it just when you are a kid?"


    Unfortunately, there was no middle-aged man who was fond of flowers around to reply to him.


    He was not a kid, and neither was he Mathilda.


    So, in the long night of frustration, Huai Shi crouched on the balcony and smoked a cigarette, staring at the storm in the distance and sighing helplessly.


    The thunder boomed.


    Cold rain fell from the sky, as though threatening to swallow up the entire world.


    The anger Huai Shi had pent up over all these days finally exploded from the depths of his heart, making him yell at the sky. "Stupid heavens above, what''re you trying to pull with all these theatrics? If you can, kill me right now!


    "¡ªI wanna defy the heavens themselves!!!"


    As he yelled, he vented the pent-up anger in his heart. Finally, Huai Shi felt a little better.


    Immediately afterward, however, he heard a boom. The black clouds raining down endless water and lightning gave an abrupt shudder, emitting the screech of rending metal at the same time.


    Directly above the Chalcedony Museum, a huge gap suddenly appeared in the clouds, followed immediately by a scorching whip of lightning that came down like divine punishment. The lightning landed right on the railing in front of Huai Shi, shattering the old railing into dust.


    There was the odor of electricity in the air, and stone pieces flew everywhere. Huai Shi collapsed onto the ground.


    "The heck¡­ Is this for real?"


    He crawled and stumbled back into the house. Gathering the courage to poke his head out of the window before closing it, he yelled, "I won''t defy you, I won''t defy you anymore! I was kidding, Big Bro!"


    Smack!


    He closed the window.


    Huai Shi sat on a chair, close to tears but unable to cry. He had the urge to yell at the sky again.


    Was this life even livable anymore?!


    After the deposit, his savings account fell down to three digits. He wanted to find a job, but he nearly joined a host club. He wanted to go home, but he stumbled across an eerie death, and once he was home, he wanted to defy the heavens, but all he got was a lightning bolt in lieu of a warning¡­


    Right now, all he could do was hope his idiotic online friends could bring his miserable life a hint of happiness.


    With just a tiny ray of hope, Huai Shi turned on his phone and saw that someone had posted a picture of him standing outside the host club in his class'' WeChat group. Everyone was tagging him, and some guys called Beast and Slaveheart even exclaimed, "Congrats to President Huai on your flashy debut into the world of gigolos! Do you want some of the girls in class to band together and send you a flower wreath?"


    "Scram! I don''t like young girls, I prefer smooth-skinned baldies like you two!"


    After Huai Shi replied, he turned off his phone and could not help but cover his face.


    Great, now everyone in the world knew that he almost became a gigolo¡­


    What was the most frustrating thing in the world? It was not losing your good name overnight after ten years of innocence, it was having your reputation destroyed before even doing anything dirty.


    What a meaningless loss!


    How did things turn out this way?


    He had such a huge house and a cheat code of his own, so his happiness should double and multiply. Two sources of happiness should bring even more joy, and he should be living a dream-like life of ecstasy now, so why¡ª


    Boom!


    Before he could even complete that thought, there was another bolt of lightning outside the window. It gave Huai Shi a scare, even through the window, and he no longer dared to let his mind wander. All he could do was pull out his thick notebook from his bag, tears pooling in his eyes.


    "Can''t you be a little better? Other people have cheat codes that let them add points or give them missions. Some people can change into girls, even. Why is it that all you can do is write a diary?"


    That was right, this thing was his cheat code.


    Ever since he had a high fever when he was nine, after which he found this thing, he immediately knew that this was not just any random item. He took good care of it, hoping and dreaming every day that he would hear a mysterious voice saying, "Super XX system, download complete". After that, he would be able to make a name for himself and become a god or a buddha. His life would be an OP fanfiction, and he would burn out hundreds of cash counters trying to count his money. He would be so famous that after he died, they would turn him into a girl in a gacha game¡­


    However, even until now he had no idea what this dang thing could do.


    It looked like an old notebook, but it could not be ripped, torn, burned, or soaked. The only impressive thing it could do was automatically write a new diary entry every day, recording every second of his life in real-time¡­ It was as though the diary was saying, "I''m going to record every dumb thing you ever did in your chuuni years and then show them to you later."


    He flipped open the heavy cover, and the silhouette of a crow on the page was still extremely eye-catching.


    Huai Shi flipped to the very last page and thought back on his strange life today. When he read the part where he left the police station, he suddenly paused.


    "In the swaying shadows, there was something like the flapping of a crow''s wings?"


    Huai Shi read it and immediately sighed. "I didn''t know this piece of trash was good at building up the atmosphere too¡­ Maybe I can copy a few paragraphs someday and make it into a fantasy novel. At least that way I can earn some cash."


    Of course, that embarrassing line was mercilessly recorded into the book as well.


    "..."


    Huai Shi sighed and continued to flip through the pages. To his surprise, instead of finding blank pages like he usually did, he saw an extra thick dividing page at the very end. Beyond the divider, there were a few strange files¡­


    It seemed to be a series of CVs from somewhere, with two-inch passport photos attached.


    Most of the files were of tall and well-built men who looked like they could beat up several Huai Shi''s on their own, but there were also a few seductive-looking ladies he had never seen before. There was even a bald prematurely-aging middle-aged face that he seemed to remember seeing in the local news¡­


    Chen Bo, Wang Quan, Mu Jing, Lu Bai¡­


    Those strange files were actually increasing at an alarming rate, and when they finally stopped, there were more than seventy of them in total.


    "This is so weird¡­"


    Huai Shi stared at the notebook in his hand, stunned. He then held his chin and mused. Did the lightning strike awaken it or something?


    He pushed open the window and put it on the balcony, shouting at the sky, "Do you want to give it another try, sir?"


    The heavens ignored him this time. They did not even bother tossing him another bone.


    In the awkward silence, there was only the sound of the book pages updating themselves with his foolish action earlier¡­


    "Cough cough, let''s pretend that didn''t happen."


    Huai Shi sighed and retrieved the notebook, tossing it onto the table.


    So what if he had no idea what had happened? He still had to look for work tomorrow, so he might as well sleep now. Anything could happen in his dreams¡­


    He tossed himself into bed and closed his eyes.


    The next time he opened his eyes, he saw a bent figure under the dim streetlights. It crouched down like a monkey, and when it raised its head at him, it revealed a terrifying mask.


    The next instant, he died.

 Chapter 4：All Of You Are In Cahoots

    Huai Shi screamed as he woke up in bed and saw the mess in his bedroom.


    It was a nightmare.


    Still, his tragic death in the nightmare was so vivid and realistic that he could still feel the phantom pain of his neck being torn apart.


    He touched his neck, still shaking with fear. All he found was a handful of cold sweat. At the same time, he was terribly sleepy, so after he drank a sip of water, he lay back in bed and closed his eyes.


    In his daze, he seemed to turn into a security guard on night duty who was taking a cigarette break outside the door. Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from the stairwell.


    Someone was gradually approaching in the darkness.


    As he extinguished his cigarette and was about to turn around to ask "whassamatter", he saw a gruesome blood-covered mask¡ª that of a vicious ape. The Vicious Ape''s face split into an eerie grin. It was smiling.


    The next instant, he died again.


    Huai Shi jumped out of bed screaming once more. Again, he looked around at his messy room, and at the dust that was falling from the ceiling after his scream jolted it.


    He panted heavily, touching his stomach.


    It was another nightmare. This time, his stomach was torn open, and then from the bottom upward, his neck was pulled right out¡­


    "F*ck¡­ I must be haunted."


    He panted for a long time and lay back in bed. At first he had wanted to stay up all night, but the moment he closed his eyes, he fell asleep again.


    This time, he turned into a dumb fatty that was about to go home after a fun time out. He washed his hands, singing to himself, and he was about to change his clothes and go home when he saw the blood seeping through the crack underneath the door.


    Footsteps approached him slowly, stepping in the blood.


    Someone pushed the door open.


    Then he died again.


    "F*ck, I really must be haunted!"


    Huai Shi opened his eyes angrily and wrapped himself up in his blankets again, turning in bed. "I don''t believe this!"


    He closed his eyes and¡­ had nightmares for the rest of the night.


    It was only around daybreak when everything finally returned to normal. He drifted into a deep sleep, and before he finally lost consciousness, he dazedly saw, in the deepest depths of the shadows in the layers of his dreams, a pair of blood-red eyes watching him quietly.


    ¡­


    At three in the morning, Ai Qing heard the sound of the telephone ringing downstairs. Soon, the phone went silent, and not long after that, someone knocked on the door.


    "Miss, it''s a Grade C alarm."


    Ai Qing sighed. "Help me change."


    A woman in a skintight suit entered the room and helped her sit up in bed. After that, the woman helped her take off her nightdress and put her lingerie on her fair naked body.


    The thin girl was propped up and finally, she stood in front of the mirror, leaning on her crotches.


    "Which outfit do you want to wear today?"


    "That black one I bought a few days ago. Match it with a long skirt, and remember to bring a blanket."


    "Alright."


    Fifteen minutes later, Ai Qing sat in a wheelchair as a woman holding an umbrella pushed her into the car. Amidst the pouring rain, the car traveled all the way to the cordoned area, where they showed their ID and were allowed to drive right to the scene of the crime.


    The heavy rain had long since washed all the blood outside clean away. All they saw was a white sheet resting on top of the corpse. Whatever remained of the crime scene inside, however, was perfectly intact.


    When they saw the car approaching, someone came to greet it.


    The car window wound down, revealing the girl''s side profile, rather pale from the lack of sleep. "What happened?"


    "It''s a special crime," the person outside said. "According to the rules, we have to inform the Astronomical Association''s local invigilator ASAP so they can handle this."


    "I knew it¡­"


    Ai Qing sighed wearily and patted the armrest on her wheelchair. The lady who had been driving then held up an umbrella and brought the girl out of the car, wheelchair and all, with a single hand. She carefully put the girl and her wheelchair down somewhere the rain would not reach them.


    "How''s the scene?"


    Ai Qing asked calmly, as though this had nothing to do with her, "Were there any survivors?"


    "No."


    The person on the scene shook his head. "It''s a newly-opened club under Luxury Spa. Nobody survived, not the clients or the prostitutes or the security guards. Not inside or outside. A food delivery man discovered the scene, but by the time we arrived here, an hour had passed¡­ Also, a small police station in Qingpu District was attacked, but there were no casualties."


    "I understand."


    Ai Qing did not say anything else. She just raised her head and spoke to the professional-looking lady driver behind her, "Bring me around for a look. I''ve never toured a brothel before."


    The place was not big. It was just four floors and a basement.


    Ai Qing saw everything and then yawned, her expression unchanged. "Are there any surveillance cameras?"


    "They were taken apart, and all the camera lenses were destroyed, but we just found a hint in the traffic cameras nearby."


    "Let me see them first, then."


    Ai Qing tapped the armrest on her wheelchair unenthusiastically.


    The person on the scene sighed helplessly but did not lose his temper. Instead, he waved at the engineer to bring the footage over.


    Anyone who saw Ai Qing would definitely look at her face, first and foremost. Their attention would be pulled away by those eyes, so calm they were almost cold.


    After that, they would look at her wheelchair, and their hearts would be filled with sincere pity. For such a pretty girl to have infirm legs was such a waste.


    Even if she was an eccentric and cold character, no one had ever laughed at her before.


    They had worked together so many times now, so the person in charge of the crime scene had long since gotten used to her cold nature. He was not even surprised anymore.


    There were not that many clips in the camera footage. Most of the time, all they would see was a flash of a black shadow, after which the victims were torn apart. It was only at the end, when that shadow walked out of the main entrance, that the traffic camera on the opposite road caught a direct frame of the person''s face.


    However, they could not discern anything at all.


    "It''s all useless. There''s no need to watch it anymore."


    Ai Qing turned her eyes away and looked at the person in charge of the scene. "What happened at the police station, then? There were no casualties?"


    "That''s right, because that thing attacked the evidence room, so it came straight through the wall. The place was locked up at night and no one was on duty, but there was some footage."


    The person on the scene started playing the footage he had received, his actions slow and steady.


    In the footage, the person facing the camera directly wore an ape mask. Their body was bent over, and they were even holding something in their arms¡­


    "Zoom in on this."


    Ai Qing''s eyes widened slightly and she moved in closer, staring at the magnified image and at the box the person was carrying.


    "What''s this?"


    "I don''t know¡­ A Rubix cube?" The person on the scene was confused too, and he immediately found his ridiculous guess utterly absurd.


    Ai Qing mused it over for a moment before asking, "Are there any records of the things in the evidence room?"


    Soon enough, they brought over an inventory list that was locked in a shelf. Once they flipped to the last page, they saw a picture of the strange metal box. There was even a police report and a file describing the scene.


    "A corpse?"


    Ai Qing frowned. "Who''s the corpse discovered on the scene of the report?"


    "A local ex-convict who was released after completing his sentence. His name was Liu Eryou, and he has a history of drug abuse¡­ Here''s his file. We spotted him in the club''s earlier surveillance footage."


    They sent all of the files to Ai Qing''s phone.


    First, an addict with a history of abuse died in an alley after frequenting a prostitute, and later, the entire club was massacred. Even the station where they kept the evidence had been raided.


    Finally, the attacker left with a small box...


    Ai Qing massaged her brow somewhat frustratedly.


    "Another border relic?"


    She tapped her armrest crossly. "What are the border patrols doing? Why do they keep throwing this trash into the interior? This is the sixth such case this year¡­ Also, if that''s the case, then the explosion at the port during the day must be related to this, right? Why didn''t anyone inform me?"


    "..."


    The middle-aged man cooperating with her at the scene blinked for a moment, but his expression quickly turned bitter. "I don''t know either. Maybe it''s still tied up in red tape."


    "If you like red tape so much, why don''t you spend more time wrapping yourself in it after this huge incident tonight?"


    Ai Qing was not completely unsarcastic. She had always known all about the local authority''s distrust of the Astronomical Association. "It''s fine. I can understand what you''re feeling if I put myself in your shoes. After all, who would be fine with taking orders from a crippled girl less than twenty years old?"


    "..."


    The middle-aged man continued to grimace and fake a smile, but inwardly he had already cursed all the idiots in the higher ranks above him.


    After Ai Qing asked the on-scene correspondent to buy her some hot coffee, she frowned and took a sip before throwing the cup to the ground in disgust.


    "It''s instant."


    "It''s just too late at night now, so we couldn''t get a coffee from the shop you wanted¡­"


    "That''s enough, stop the pity act."


    Ai Qing gave him a bored glance before she tapped the screen and said, "There weren''t many cameras left during the incident, but there''s some footage from before that, right? Who was the one who reported the case when you discovered the first body?"


    Soon enough, the footage of the large door on the screen was rapidly rewinded until it eventually froze on a young man with somewhat messy hair.


    On the screen, he turned around to look at the police station, revealing his face.


    In the silence, Ai Qing bit her finger but did not say anything.


    "Tch¡­"


    The middle-aged man heard her little noise of extreme discontent, but it sounded like an illusion.


    ¡­


    The dawn after the raging storm.


    He could still hear the birds singing outside the window, and he could smell the fresh fragrance of trees and leaves blowing in through a crack in the window. After an entire night of nightmares, Huai Shi finally awoke from his long-awaited sweet dreams.


    He opened his eyes.


    He saw the pitch-black nozzle of a gun.


    His room was filled with soldiers dressed in bulletproof vests and face masks, all armed to the teeth. All of their guns and cannons were aimed right at his face.


    "Don''t shoot, Big Bro. We''re all on the same side¡­"


    Huai Shi stared for a good long while before he swallowed his saliva and raised his arms slowly.


    Who-tf-is-on-the-same-side-with-you.jpg


    Although the man in charge did not say anything, his gaze dripped sheer contempt. Immediately after that, Huai Shi felt someone jab a needle into his neck.


    After that, his vision turned dark, and he was lost to the world¡­


    ¡­


    "Name."


    "Huai Shi¡­"


    "Age."


    "Seventeen¡­"


    Inside the interrogation room, Huai Shi lowered his head dejectedly, his hands cuffed to the chair. Inwardly, he was wondering if this crazy place was also looking to hire gigolos.


    What the heck was this?!


    What the heck was happening?


    Who the heck were they playing?


    Huai Shi felt as though his expressions were enough to make an entire page of classic emojis now, and finally, his face settled into the Confused Nick Young meme.


    What the flipping f*ck was going on?


    He had seen an entire roster of interrogators by now, and they interrogated him over and over again. Each time, they asked where he had been yesterday, what he had done, who he really was, and which underworld faction he had supporting him.


    They had clearly taken Huai Shi for some irredeemable villain.


    The interrogators took turns, going from solo to a party raid. They threatened him, tempted him, and chatted with him; they play good cop, bad cop, and even intimidated him with detailed explanations of all sorts of inconspicuous torture techniques¡­


    In the end, Huai Shi was close to breaking down.


    "Please get it over quickly, gentlemen." Huai Shi fell forward onto the table, tears in his eyes. "I confess, I confess to all of it, but at the very least, could you tell me what I did? I''m a good citizen, I really am, and I even freaking called the cops after I stumbled across a murder scene last night! Don''t accuse me of something I didn''t do¡­"


    Behind the one-way mirror.


    Ai Qing watched the entire process unfold expressionlessly. She only spoke when the middle-aged man in charge lost his patience and waved at his men to begin the torture.


    "If a border relic is really involved, I don''t think he''ll spill even if you do torture him. Besides, can''t you tell if he''s telling the truth or not?"


    "But he''s the only lead we have¡­" The middle-aged man was at a loss now too. "So what do we do now?"


    Ai Qing shook his head and took out her phone. She flipped through her contacts and eventually settled on a number. "Although there aren''t many Ascenders registered here, many of them are willing to cooperate with the authorities. Still, since this incident happened because your internal machinery took too long, the Astronomical Association won''t foot the hiring fee. You understand, right?"


    "I do." The middle-aged man sighed. "It''s only halfway through the year, so we still have most of our budget left. I''ll pay you double that, is that enough?"


    The call went through.


    Ai Qing went straight to the point. "Special Affairs Bureau in fifteen minutes. Okay?"


    Soon after that, the call was disconnected.


    Fifteen minutes later, the guards led someone in. That person had clearly been here before, greeting Ai Qing with an air of familiarity. "It''s been a while, Lady Ai. Why don''t you ever visit my place?"


    "It''s too dirty."


    Ai Qing stuffed a file at that person expressionlessly, and then she pointed at the young man who was splayed across the table behind the one-way mirror, yelling that he would post this all on Weibo. "Could you make him spill?"


    "Piece of cake."


    The new arrival grinned and flicked his hair before pushing the door open and going in.


    When he saw Huai Shi''s face, however, he froze.


    Huai Shi was stunned too.


    "Wait, why is it you?"


    He stared at First Brother, the host who had talked about teaching him the rules outside the club. Finally, Huai Shi wailed at the people outside the room furiously, "I get it now, all of you are in f*cking cahoots! And you said you aren''t looking for a gigolo! All I did was refuse to sell my body, did you really have to go this far?"


    In the awkward and absolute silence, the only sound was the young man''s howl of indignation.


    "¡ªYou''re forcing an innocent into the flesh trade here!!!"


    ''All of you are in cahoots!''

 Chapter 5：Oof

    Behind the one-way mirror, there was an awkward silence. Everyone in the Special Affairs Bureau could not help but reach for the gun at their waist, tempted to kill this embarrassing thing to shut him up before the word got out.


    Ai Qing alone remained calm. She just picked up her cup of coffee and sipped from it before taking a pair of thick sunglasses from the pocket in her wheelchair and putting it on.


    "Go on," she said.


    The middle-aged man hesitated, but then he sighed and conveyed the orders through the microphone on the table. "Go on."


    After a long while, First Brother recovered from that awkward reunion and pulled the hair away from his eyes. With a friendly smile, he reached his hand out to Huai Shi.


    "Nice to meet you, young friend. My name''s Liu Dongli¡­"


    "Like hell! It''s not at all nice to meet you!"


    Huai Shi raged. He finally came back to his senses and pointed at Liu Dongli with his shackled hand, shouting at the door, "Leader, sir, I want to make a report! This man participated in illegal activity, he''s like the head gigolo¡­ Don''t be fooled by him!"


    "..."


    Liu Dongli sighed helplessly and suddenly held up a finger in front of Huai Shi. "Look at my finger."


    "I don''t wanna!"


    Huai Shi was dumb, but even he knew something was wrong by now. Of course he would not jump right into the trap, but when he raised his head, he accidentally¡­ saw that man''s face.


    The fair skin and long slender neck, those deep ocean-colored eyes hidden behind his wisps of golden hair like stars sparkling in the universe¡­ A few strands of hair fell across his brow, covering his wintry star-like eyes, but his tall and straight nose accentuated his masculine beauty¡­


    "Oof!"


    For a second there, Huai Shi was actually lost in a trance. For some reason, though, it suddenly made him feel sick to his stomach.


    He scolded himself inwardly. How could he act so unseemingly after seeing someone who looked better than him? He forced a smile on his stony face, but saliva dripped out from the corners of his mouth¡­


    All of a sudden, he froze completely.


    After that, he picked up Liu Dongli''s small hand and caressed it without letting go, his words familiar and sweet. "Where do you work, Big Bro? Oh my, sorry for my rudeness earlier. Let me introduce myself. My name''s Huai Shi, and I''m seventeen this year. You still remember me, right?"


    "..."


    It was not just Huai Shi anymore. Everyone who saw Liu Dongli from behind the one-way mirror could not help an "oof". Even the middle-aged man, who had always been the sternest here, felt his face turn red and his heart sway. He turned his head aside and coughed softly.


    Only Ai Qing with her sunglasses remained unaffected, drinking her coffee calmly. She reached out her hand to press the intercom button. "I didn''t call you here to flirt. Ease up on your soul radiation and get to work."


    "Okay, okay, okay."


    Liu Dongli raised his finger to push the black-rimmed glasses on his nose and took a seat opposite Huai Shi. His smile was as warm as the autumn waters as he asked, "We know each other now, young friend, so could you answer a few questions for me?"


    "Sure, sure."


    Huai Shi held his hand tightly and drooled, his expression absolutely smitten. "I''ll tell you anything you want to hear, Big Bro. My bank card PIN number is 18191¡­"


    "Cough cough, that won''t be necessary."


    Liu Dongli hurriedly waved Huai Shi off and opened the file in his hand. With a quiet cough, he said, "Where were you last night?"


    "At home, sleeping. I had a ton of nightmares too, and they scared the heck out of me. Let me tell you..."


    "You were only sleeping?" Liu Dongli interrupted. He had no interest in hearing about Huai Shi''s nightmares.


    "That''s right."


    Huai Shi nodded. "Why would I go out in the middle of the night for no reason? It was raining so heavily last night too, only a madman would go out then. Let me tell you, my house might be a little battered, but my ancestors were still¡­"


    "Cough cough, next question." Liu Dongli interrupted him again. "What on earth was that box you brought to the police station?"


    "I don''t know." Huai Shi shook his head decisively. "Why the heck would I open a mysterious box like that? It''s already scary enough. I''m telling you, that man pounced on me suddenly and spewed blood at me¡­"


    For the next hour, Liu Dongli asked him the questions in the file over and over again, mixing up the order and even randomly bringing up other unrelated questions.


    He finally heaved a sigh of relief and applied force to pull his wrist away from Huai Shi''s grip. It was covered in red marks now. Thank goodness he pulled away in time, or else the kid might just rub his hand until it broke.


    As soon as he breathed out, however, Huai Shi suddenly awoke from his trance and stared at Liu Dongli blankly. He had no idea what had happened.


    It felt as though he had made an unbelievably realistic nightmare, one that would make him decry himself¡­


    "Blergh!"


    He tried to jump out of his chair abruptly, but he was shackled down and could not move, so all he could do was bend over and retch violently. When he remembered how he had acted like a boy in love, it made him feel unspeakably nauseous. He puked so hard even the tears and snot were threatening to flow.


    "Dang pervert, what did you do to me? Blergh!"


    He vomited again before he could complete that sentence, and as he puked, he could not help but cry.


    "Damn it, I didn''t even get a girlfriend yet, so how did I let a perv like you lead me astray? There goes my good name, I''m totally ruined! I''ll fight you to the death, damn it!"


    "Sorry, nobody wanted this to happen."


    Liu Dongli seemed used to scenes like this. He offered Huai Shi a glass of water and some sympathy. "The most important thing in life is to be happy. Are you hungry? I¡­"


    "Blergh!"


    Before Liu Dongli could finish that sentence, Huai Shi puked again.


    There was a chorus of retching and gagging behind the one-way mirror as well.


    The middle-aged man''s face was stony as he massaged his aching stomach. Someone next to him gave him some digestion medicine and a cup of water that was just warm enough.


    It was the lady driver who had been following behind Ai Qing silently this entire time.


    "Thanks." The man forced a smile and ate the medicine, panting for a good while before he finally calmed down somewhat.


    "So?" Ai Qing said. "I already told you, you won''t get anything out of him."


    "Maybe he''s pretending¡­"


    The middle-aged man coughed drily. "I know about Liu Dongli''s soul ability. Seduction, right? It may work against normal people, but Ascenders might not be susceptible."


    "Liu Dongli would know if it worked or not, wouldn''t he? Besides, which man, especially at this age when his pride and urge to show off are the strongest, can pretend to that extent...? I''m pretty sure you won''t get anything out of him, no matter how you ask."


    Ai Qing gave him a meaningful look. "Give it up."


    "I went through the file. If that kid is a suspect, I''m actually his alibi."


    Liu Dongli walked out of the interrogation room and tossed the file full of notes onto the table, sighing exasperatedly. "That kid was having an interview at our club three minutes before the explosion at the port¡­"


    "An interview? For what?"


    "For the gigolo job¡­ I think the agent tricked him into coming, or something? He only realized it halfway into the interview, and the manager scared him off."


    Liu Dongli shook his head and looked at Huai Shi''s full-frontal photo in the file. Holding his chin, he tsk-tsked in admiration. "If you ask me, he actually has some potential. He has a good frame, but his fashion choices leave much to be desired. If he puts on a slimming suit and wipes that cheeky smile off his face, he would be the perfect example of a cool frigid type. The old ladies love little hedgehogs like him, precisely because they can''t eat him up¡­"


    "That''s enough. I didn''t call you here to give him a career counseling session."


    Ai Qing interrupted Liu Dongli. "He''s just a normal guy who got swept into this by accident. Let him leave after he signs the NDA. Keeping him here would be a waste of time."


    Just like that, the matter was settled.


    Fifteen minutes later, after suffering all that mental anguish, Huai Shi signed another pile of papers, was stuffed into a car, and was finally sent away.


    However, Liu Dongli stood at the front door with his hands in his pockets, his eyes trained on the young man who struggled vehemently because he thought he was being sent to the firing squad. At that thought, Liu Dongli burst out laughing.


    "Oh yeah, what''s his name again?" He turned around to face Ai Qing.


    "Huai Shi."


    "You know him?" Liu Dongli smiled mysteriously. "That''s why you helped him get off the hook, right? Don''t underestimate a gold-grade gigolo''s instincts, Miss Ai."


    To his surprise, Ai Qing''s expression remained calm.


    "Ah, I guess I do."


    "Do you know him well?"


    "Not really. I''m three years older than him, and we got along quite well when we were younger."


    "Huh?" Liu Dongli turned around in surprise. He had not expected such a history between them. "What happened after that?"


    "After that?"


    Ai Qing gave him a look. "After that, his family went bankrupt because my grandfather broke their contract, and I haven''t seen him since."


    "..."


    Liu Dongli was stunned and at a loss for words.


    ¡­


    The man fidgeting in the chair jumped up, his expression panicked. "Why are you so late?"


    "Did you think we were so low-key that no one noticed last night?" The blood-stained Vicious Ape crouched on a chair, chuckling eerily. "Thanks to you, I had a lot of fun¡­"


    "Where is it?"


    The man reached out his hand anxiously. "Did you get it back?"


    A blood-soaked plastic bag landed in his arms. "You get back what''s yours. However¡­"


    The man was ecstatic at first, but the instant he caught the plastic bag, his expression changed. He tore the bag apart like a lunatic and held up that black metal box, opening it carefully.


    However, there was nothing inside.


    "Where is it?!"


    He screamed, "Where''s the elementium here? Where did the elementium I gathered after shepherding for so long go?"


    He looked at the Vicious Ape in front of him, and his gaze turned ruthless.


    "Was it you?"


    "That''s enough elementium for almost a thousand people. Do you really think I absorbed it all on my own?" The Vicious Ape scratched the spotty white hair behind its mask and retorted, "If I could do that, I would''ve long since become one of the Lords. Do you think you could order me around then? It was already empty when I got it.


    "Instead of threatening me, you should first think about how you''re going to explain this to the Lord and the others. After all, you tried to earn some money for yourself using the sacred item, and you''re the reason we lost the elementium it took twelve years to herd¡­"


    "You got a cut of the profit too!"


    The man howled, throwing his dignity to the winds. He stared at the Ape, hard. "If something goes wrong, don''t think you''ll get away!"


    The Vicious Ape did not say anything. It just rubbed its fingers without a word, making its metal fingernails crash and scream piercingly until that man averted his gaze.


    "There was a traitor amongst your subordinates. That''s why the sacred item fell into an outsider''s hands. I''m helping the Lord retrieve that sacred item, so naturally I''ll be recognized for my efforts. Even if I''m at fault, I won''t receive the ''absolute punishment''," the Vicious Ape said coldly. "If I were you, I''d start thinking of a way to salvage this.


    "You just lost it, right? Why don''t you just find it before the Lord and the others notice?"


    "Easy for you to say!" The man gave it a furious glare. "As if it''d be that simple."


    "Those old men and women are already on their deathbed, right? Just recycle the trash¡­ At least that way we can make up for some of the losses," said the Vicious Ape calmly. "As for the elementium worth a thousand portions, there''s no way it disappeared just like that. It doesn''t matter if they want to use it to level up, extend their lives, or make a quick buck. It would still take time."


    A few minutes later, a low and dangerous voice spoke from within the secret room.


    "Investigate! Find out who else touched this box!"

 Chapter 6：Crow and Stigmata

    "Ah¡­ These days are hopeless¡­"


    Huai Shi sat in the garden, his clothes messy and his face pale. When he thought of what he had experienced over the past two days, he wanted to howl at the sky and let tears drown his face.


    This was not something as simple as being flat broke anymore. Not only was he discovered auditioning to be a gigolo and his reputation destroyed, he even randomly stumbled across a corpse. After that, he was held at all sorts of guns-point and led into some mysterious organization, where they did a heavy number of his heart¡­


    From inside out, from his mind to his wallet, none of it could take any more from this cruel, cruel world.


    The recent updates in the book were especially bad. Every time he read it, he wanted to die, but he was so poor that he could not even afford a piece of rope, and the gas supply to his house had been cut for half a year now.


    He could not live, but he could not die either.


    "It''s a dead ball, huh? Gah, whatever!"


    He tossed his notebook to the side and threw a needless tantrum, tears flowing down his face like the panda crying meme. After he vented enough and cried his eyes dry, though, he obediently picked the notebook up again and wiped the dirt off the cover. Finally, he sighed and continued to stare blankly at the bald garden.


    It will pass, Huai Shi, all of this will pass¡­ For all he knew, there would soon come a time when he would forget all about this period in his life.


    He prayed to himself inwardly, and then he went back to scratching his head over where he should go to earn his living fees.


    "If you really believe that, that''s a good thing. However, it''s a matter of time before those guys come after you now¡­"


    He heard an unfamiliar voice beside him. It sounded like a woman, her voice hoarse and seductive, with a hint of indescribable teasing. She said, "You''re gonna die, kid."


    "No, you''re gonna die!"


    Huai Shi glared in that direction angrily, but then he froze.


    There was no one at all next to him.


    This was the backyard in his house, so no one really dropped by anyway, much less talked to him.


    Who was the one who spoke, then?


    He saw a crow preening its feathers lazily on the fence.


    "Don''t stare stupidly like that. That''s right, it''s me."


    Looking at his stunned face, the crow said calmly, "Yes, there''s a crow talking to you. And no, this isn''t a nightmare."


    She even seemed to burp after saying that.


    "You can talk?"


    Huai Shi blinked, but he immediately came to his senses. "No, wait, what kind of a monstrosity are you?!"


    The crow chuckled softly, her voice turning hurt yet mischievous. "Ahh, when you stare at me without blinking every day, you treated me like your treasure. And now you''re calling me a monstrosity?"


    "Y-Y-You''re¡­ that old book?"


    Huai Shi finally reacted, flipping open the cover of the notebook. On the pages¡­ that silhouette of a crow was gone, as though it had really come alive and flown out of the paper.


    "I guess you could say that."


    The crow sighed and looked at the notebook in his hands. "Although we''re both remnants, right now I''m nothing more than a recording that was plastered on top.


    "Still, it''d be absurd if you mistake me for Heaven."


    Huai Shi did not understand a thing she said, but then she changed the topic and turned her scarlet eyes on Huai Shi. "Nevertheless, that has nothing to do with who I really am. The problem here is¡ª


    "¡ªDid you really think I was trying to trick you just now?"


    She asked softly, "Didn''t you personally experience the records of those people''s last moments?"


    Huai Shi remembered the endless stream of nightmares from last night, and he instinctively shuddered, his throat turning dry. "Did all those guys really¡­ die?"


    "Oh, of course."


    The crow nodded. "Aside from you, everyone else who had seen that box is now dead.


    "There really was some good stuff in there. I''ve been sleeping for so many years, but it really isn''t every day I can get so much elementium at once. Although it''s a little impure, there should still be eight to nine hundred people''s worth in there, right?"


    She smacked her lips as though she had not eaten her fill yet, looking at Huai Shi rather happily. "Since you gave me such a nice introductory gift, I don''t mind helping you out. Do you need my help, young man?"


    ¡­


    "40 grams of copper, 57 grams of silver, and 12 grams of tin, ground into powder¡­ A crucible and a Bunsen burner, and some lead pieces the shop owner threw in for free¡­"


    That evening, Huai Shi finally returned home after running around the entire city. He tossed the plastic bag he was holding onto the table and picked up the mineral water he had not finished drinking the day before yesterday. It may not be good for his health, but he chugged it down anyway without a care.


    "My Alipay credit is all used up now, and I''m neck-deep in debt. What''s the point of buying all this stuff?"


    "So you can perform alchemy, of course."


    The crow preened its feathers and said calmly, "It''s not at all easy to make a stigma that normal people like you can use, you know."


    "A stigma?" Huai Shi laughed. "Do you want me to become a dust cleaner that draws large X''s through the sky?" (TN: apparently a reference to Honkai Impact 3rd.)


    "What''s that? A modern joke?"


    "No, it''s just a money-making scheme from a trashy game."


    When he remembered how those whales in his class easily sunk astronomical funds into the game, all Huai Shi felt was¡­ deep envy.


    "It''s not the same, nuh-uh. They might share the same name, Huai Shi, but the stigma I''m talking about isn''t anything so ridiculous."


    The crow explained calmly, "If the Ascenders'' soul essence is a prototype of divine authority, then a stigma is what happens after you analyze the relics left here by the gods.


    "By reversing the clock on the remnants of miracles, we can trace the path to the heavens and mimic the gods. When we investigate the gods'' authority and the traces they left behind, that research led us to discover the existence of stigmata. They''re small miracles formed in a secret union of metal and incense that can mimic the large-scale miracles.


    "That''s what a stigma really is."


    "...Gods?"


    Huai Shi was stunned. "Do gods really exist?"


    "They did, in the past."


    The crow was silent for a moment. "But they all died. The things abandoned by the tides of time pose no threat to the world today, so I''m afraid that soon, these things won''t even be worth remembering anymore."


    The crow was not willing to elaborate on that. She just hastened Huai Shi, making him set up the crucible quickly so they could complete this melding ASAP.


    "Is this stuff enough?"


    Once the fire reached a high enough temperature, Huai Shi obeyed the crow''s instructions and put on a mask, grinding the lead blocks into powder. After that, he added some of his own blood into it and carefully wrote symbols he could not read at all on the metal that had been pressed paper-thin. The symbols had very simple structures, but there was no room for any error whatsoever.


    The crow''s eyes were terrifyingly sharp, and if he made even the slightest mistake, she would make him rub it off and start over. After he wasted countless cc''s of blood, he finally completed this simple task.


    "These are just supplements. Even the simplest stigma is not something that can be made with mortal flames and mortal metals. This is just a rudimentary emergency item. When you make higher-level stigmata in the future, you might even need the blood of a magical beast and extensive sacrifices, or even¡­"


    She paused and stopped there, changing the subject to say mildly, "Rest for ten minutes, and we''ll start at fifteen minutes past eleven. Remember, you only have one chance. If you mess it up, I don''t think you have enough money to try again, do you?"


    When she mentioned money, Huai Shi immediately became even more nervous. He picked up the notebook and repeatedly confirmed the order of the crow''s spoken instructions, simulating the process in his mind.


    On the other hand, the crow stood next to the crucible and stared at the flames.


    In an instant, the red flame turned pure white, and finally, countless sparkles appeared inside it, making for a dazzlingly beautiful sight.


    However, the crow''s figure began to thin out.


    "What''s that?"


    "Elementium. Ignited elementium." The crow looked at him and explained before he even asked, "Elementium is the substance that forms your soul, the essence that hides among the material¡­ You can think of it as a piece of the soul.


    "Your materials aren''t up to par, so we have to make up the difference with the flames. Right now, you''re burning one person''s soul every second. Ah, but don''t worry about the source. These are all bits saved up in that box."


    Huai Shi gulped, at a loss for words.


    Even more terrifying than the fact that he was burning up a person every second was the idea that the crow said there was almost a thousand people''s worth in that box¡­


    What the heck was this?


    "Don''t ponder over so much nonsense and get it started, Huai Shi."


    The crow gave Huai Shi a final glance. The liquid lead in the crucible was completely boiling now, but there was no trace of a sharp stench or other odors. Instead, the liquid was starting to gleam with a hint of gold as it burned over the pure white flames.


    It was as though there was gold powder mixed into grey dust.


    Huai Shi did not have so much time to think. He grabbed the items that had been arranged in order next to him, putting them into the crucible one after the other. First up was the tin, then the copper, then the silver¡­


    Every time he poured something in, the liquid metal in the crucible did not ripple at all. It merely melted down the new addition in an instant.


    The pure white flames suddenly rose up high, and all the sparkling light was sucked into the crucible greedily. The blinding light was enough to hurt Huai Shi''s eyes.


    At the very last second, Huai Shi heard the crow sigh.


    "I hope we bet on the right horse this time, Huai Shi."


    With that soft murmur, the crow had become as translucent as an illusion. She abruptly stretched her wings and took flight, diving into the crucible.


    Boom!


    After a low boom, the fire went out, and the liquid in the crucible soared into the sky, drawing an intricate outline in the air before finally falling apart from the inside.


    Under Huai Shi''s stunned gaze, it slowly solidified and floated down from the sky.


    It was a feather.


    A feather made of metal.


    The feather looked like it was made of pure silver, with every split slender, perfect, and utterly flawless. Light flowed across the mirror-like surface, and it looked like it could reflect the entire world. All sorts of strange images kept flashing across it.


    The feather landed in Huai Shi''s hand.


    "This is now my real body, a type-less special stigma¡ª Deceptive Split."


    The crow''s voice spoke into his ear wearily, "With the notebook and Deceptive Split in hand, you''re perfectly capable of becoming a clerk-in-training now, even in the days before the chaos."


    Huai Shi looked at the thick notebook in his hand. It was flipping through the pages non-stop, even though there was no wind around. He felt his head spin; although there were countless words moving across the pages, it looked like all he could see was another version of himself.


    His self that only existed in the textual records.


    "What on earth... is this thing?"


    "Hm, if I must explain¡­ Consider it the last shadow Heaven left on Earth." The crow sighed softly. "You can call it the Book of Destiny."


    Just then, the countless moving words suddenly pulled in closer, and as the crow on the pages vanished without a trace, some new lines appeared in their place.


    Huai Shi (Developing Stage)


    Title: None


    Stigmata: None


    Divine seal: None


    Special skills: Knowledge LV3, Art/Music/Cello LV6, Premonition of Death LV0.


    ¡­


    "Look, it''s recognized you as its owner now." The crow said tiredly, "Try to figure out how to use it on your own. I''m gonna sleep for a bit¡­"


    "Wait up, what ''premonition of death''? Why is it so blurry?"


    Huai Shi plastered his face against the page before he could finally read that almost illegibly light line of words.


    "It''s your premonition of death, duh. It doesn''t matter what you are; after you experienced several dozen deaths, it makes you think a little differently, right? The words are blurry because you''re only a novice now, but you''re not at all skilled at this yet. I just didn''t think you knew how to play the cello at LV6. Hmm, you might be a genius yet, kid¡­"


    The voice began to fade until finally only silence remained.


    It might have really gone to sleep.


    Only Huai Shi was left, standing stunned with a quill and his book. He had no idea what they were for.


    As he held the feather quill known as Deceptive Split in one hand, the instruction manual naturally appeared in his mind. Aside from some of its functions targeting book-type items, the quill''s most important skill was the ability to write in the air and change the color of the ink at will¡­


    "Whatever. At least I can just make up some ads as I go and save on the printing fee¡­"


    Huai Shi looked at the pen with a wry smile before turning his eyes to the book he was holding. After he read through everything carefully, he realized it had barely changed at all. The only difference was that some of the extra files at the back were shining faintly now.


    Huai Shi hesitated for a long while before raising his quill and tapping on these files.


    All of a sudden, light erupted from the page.


    The light engulfed him completely.

 Chapter 7：Do You Want A Soul?

    The sun was high in the sky, and sweat was pouring down his back.


    By the time Huai Shi returned to his senses, he was standing in a field with shouts of ''hey!'' and ''ha!'' coming behind him. He seemed to be doing aerobics with the guy opposite him.


    Before he could react, a leg kicked him from behind. A muscular man in a singlet pointed at him and scolded viciously, "Chen Bo, you wimp! Did you forget breakfast or something?"


    With that, the man pushed Huai Shi''s partner aside and settled into the right pose. "Come on, let''s train."


    Huai Shi looked past his shoulder and read the slogan on the wall behind him.


    "More Sweat Lost Here Means Less Blood Lost on the Battlefield."


    He had yet to digest what was happening when his body seemed to move by itself. It faced the muscular man¡ªno, the instructor, and rushed right at him.


    Bam!


    He took a punch right in the face.


    Huai Shi''s vision went black. It hurt so bad.


    "Once more!" The instructor beckoned at Chen Bo with his hand.


    It was only then that Huai Shi realized he seemed to be possessing someone else right now. He hovered over the man''s shoulder like a ghost and experienced the feedback from this body without having any say in the matter.


    He felt dazed, as though this was a dream, but the pain he felt was very real. The blows were not softened at all.


    Bam!


    The instructor grabbed his joints and threw him down. Huai Shi could feel every bit of his face smashing into the ground.


    "Once more!"


    Bam!


    "Once more!"


    Bam!


    ¡­


    The scene changed over and over again. Amidst the shattered pieces of countless dreams, he seemed to experience the brutal hands-on teaching of several different instructors.


    They seemed to have singled out this sorry sap that Huai Shi had possessed. They beat him up if his movements were not perfect, they beat him up if he was slow to react, they beat him up before mealtimes, and they beat him up right after they beat him up.


    They ate, drank, slept, and beat Chen Bo up¡­


    In this place that stank of body odor and feet, Huai Shi gave up all hope.


    Finally, when Chen Bo became strong enough with his military boxing to exchange a few blows with his instructors, earning an upgrade from a noob to a slightly bigger noob, he ended up getting into a fight with a NEET while still studying in the police academy¡­ so he was expelled!


    He became a NEET as well!


    Thank goodness, thank all the heavens above! Huai Shi was on the verge of tears now, because he could finally escape this endless loop of beatdowns.


    What the heck was happening here?


    Did he accidentally unlock a Super Beatdown System?


    What he experienced in that whirlwind of pieced-up dreams next was practically indescribable. Huai Shi jumped from one identity to another, starting as an unlucky student that was constantly being beaten up in all sorts of ways by his instructors before he became a hooligan who fought others to the death with a cleaver in the middle of the day. Then, he became a guard that crouched in front of a brothel on the lookout for cops, before turning into a cursed pimp that invited guests to have a look at the girls every night. Finally, he was a bald middle-aged man attending a meeting¡­


    That idiot really liked meetings, huh.


    Seminars, research talks, conferences, tests, reports¡­ He poured all of his effort and time into an infinite marathon of meetings¡­


    The fragmented memories stacked on top of each other like a perilous tower of cards. When it reached the utmost limit, the whole thing came crashing down again into hundreds and thousands of pieces.


    Huai Shi''s consciousness was also torn to shreds. Hundreds and thousands of versions of him experienced hundreds and thousands of nightmares at the same time in a cycle that went on forever.


    It felt like trying to download a galactic calculator into a computer that cost a hundred and fifty bucks. Finally, the intense workload seemed to make his brain strike a spark against the insides of his skull, and everything went up in flames.


    All the nightmares shattered with a crash.


    Huai Shi opened his eyes and panted harshly, sweat trickling down his face and sliding down the armrest on his chair before dripping to the floor.


    The clock on the wall was still ticking away slowly.


    Only five minutes had passed since he closed his eyes.


    In that time, he had taken eighty to ninety beatings, gotten into dozens of fights, ended up in the hospital a few times, wandered around the prison yard for several hundred days, sent scantily-dressed young ladies into small pink rooms several thousand times¡­ and had countless meetings.


    He had practically run the gamut of society.


    ¡­


    "That really was¡­ hell¡­"


    Huai Shi muttered blankly. He could not hold his body up anymore, so he slid off the chair and onto the floor.


    As his mind spun and faded, he closed his eyes.


    ''Just let me die¡­''


    For a second there, he felt as though he could see just how cruel his life would be from now on, and he made that sincere wish to himself.


    Once he did, it joined the ranks of every other wish Huai Shi had ever made to himself.


    ¡ªNone of them were even remotely possible.


    ¡­


    When he opened his eyes, it was already the next morning.


    He was still lying on the floor, but his body felt much better, as though he had eaten some miraculous medicine.


    Soon, he saw the IV needles in both his wrists. Okay, so it was some saline and glucose¡­


    "You awake?"


    All of a sudden, a crow''s head poked up diagonally beside him and said happily, "We''ve cured your disease of chickening out at everybody you see!"


    "...Well, thank you kindly for that."


    "Oh, that''s just what we doctors do. Don''t sweat it."


    The crow flapped her wings and flew to the table, sitting down with both legs hanging out. He had no idea where she found a cigarette, but she held it in one curled wing and smoked it like a real gangsta. However, the smoke she inhaled floated out again from under her feathers, making for quite the odd sight.


    "So, how was it? Did you gain anything?" the crow asked.


    "Does waking up alive count as a gain?"


    Huai Shi crawled up from the ground crossly, but he did not dare to pull out the needle, so he had to sit back in the chair carefully.


    Only then did he realize he was no longer the same man he had been in the past¡ª Now, he was a man with an attribute interface.


    He immediately hastened to open the Book of Destiny, reading his statistics on the page.


    After he tried his best to ignore the random ''Developing Stage'' sidenote and the empty list of stigmata and divine seals, all that remained was the more comprehensible list of skills.


    The Knowledge section encompassed both general knowledge and his education, but right now it was at an embarrassing LV3. He had not even completed high school yet, but he had already returned some of his lessons to the PE teacher.


    Art, the part that represented his cello skills, was LV6, and that gave him some source of pride. He was already a pro at this, and if he wanted to increase his abilities even further, he would have to rely on 99% effort and that crucial 1% of talent.


    On the other hand, that strange ''Premonition of Death'' label was still greyed out.


    Why did it feel more and more like a weird game now?


    They would not ask him to whale, would they?


    Huai Shi was vaguely worried.


    After he tried out the system last night, Huai Shi finally had a basic understanding of these categories. According to the Book of Destiny''s criteria, only abilities that he was familiar with and could use at will were listed as his skills.


    The highest limit most people could achieve after a lifetime''s worth of constant learning and practice was LV10.


    For most skills, the earlier levels were relatively easier, but just like in those pay-to-win games by those scummy developers, once you reached a higher stage, you would have to work several hundred times as hard just to progress even a little further.


    Similarly, some people may aim for the LV10 as their final goal, but to others, that could be just the beginning.


    Huai Shi knew that very well.


    It was just like holding two separate exam papers, both with a perfect score.


    Sometimes, one''s level could not determine everything. This was just a device the Book of Destiny was using to help him measure his capabilities more conveniently.


    Though the journey felt long and endless, Huai Shi continued to read further until he realized that he had somehow picked up several new skills overnight.


    [Combat ¨C Basic Military Boxing]


    [Reconnaissance LV4]


    There was even the vaguely comedic [Illegal Operations Management LV3].


    After that¡­


    "Whoa!"


    The crow exclaimed, "Why is your Copywriting skill at LV6 already?"


    Huai Shi could not help but roll his eyes. "Well, duh. Why don''t you try going for several hundred meetings in a row, and writing several hundred sets of meeting minutes and reports?"


    Huai Shi did not really have much of an impression of the other skills. Take military boxing, for example. He only became a beginner at it through his one-sided beatdowns and other observations.


    It was only when he wrote hundreds of minutes and reports that he truly wept tears of blood with every word in every line.


    That night, his biggest gain was not learning how to fight like a soldier or stand sentry for the caps¡­ it was how to make up the word count in an essay!


    By now, he was even better than his teachers. He could stealthily add the entire Pacific Ocean into one of his updates, and he could stop each passage at exactly three thousand words, because writing more would mean losing out.


    "You should remember this part properly, so that next time when you write a new record, you can just use this format again."


    He patted the Book of Destiny he was holding and crossed his legs cockily, saying with a sigh, "If I use this to write novels, I''ll strike it rich."


    "Those who write novels never end up well," the crow said in his ear wistfully. "Many start going bald before reaching forty. I mean, look at that Butterfly guy, that Guo fella, and that Wandering something or another¡­"


    Huai Shi shuddered.


    He could not afford that, not at all, so he would just have to forget about it.


    "Speaking of which¡­"


    Huai Shi opened the book and flipped to the records at the back. The files seemed to have lost all their worth, and most of the writing had vanished, so there was only a blank form left.


    "Why did these peoples'' memories appear in the book?"


    "Huh? Don''t you know?"


    The crow looked quite surprised, but she continued calmly, "The Book of Destiny is tied to you now, so it only records things related to you.


    "I think it recorded these passages because you''re the cause of their deaths, right?"


    Huai Shi was stunned.


    "Ah, I think there are actually more than seventy of these."


    The crow said completely composedly, "Unfortunately, only four or five of them have enough active elementium, so they left behind the most vivid parts of their memory. There are fewer and fewer people with the ability to awaken their elementium these days, so you oughta thank them properly.


    "..."


    Huai Shi took a sharp intake of breath, feeling all the hairs rise on his body. He instinctively leaned back a little, trying to put some distance between him, the crow, and the book.


    Soon enough, however, he knew that throwing the book and the crow into the ocean would not help.


    It was probably because all those people from yesterday¡­ were dead now, right?


    They were all dead.


    He was the only one left.


    Even that thought alone was enough to make him shudder. It felt as though that blood-stained Vicious Ape was already standing behind him and smiling at him eerily.


    After a long, long time, he finally calmed down and smiled bitterly. "Is it really that exaggerated?"


    "Yes, it definitely is. Huai Shi, that''s what this world is like. It''s not as peaceful as you think. This sky, this earth, this country, this city¡­ Everything is hiding a lot more things you''ve never seen before.


    "¡ªA truth no one can ever know, a border no one can ever cross, and a hell no one can ever see.


    "If you keep wallowing in this narrow protective bubble that is the interior, you will never know the truth."


    As though savoring the young man''s stunned look, she asked softly, "¡ªHuai Shi, do you want a soul?"

 Chapter 8：Hell Yeah I Do!

    "Sorry, I don''t. No time, thanks."


    At the port, Ai Qing coldly rejected the man who stuck to her like glue, offering to treat her to a meal again and again. Instead, she pushed her own wheelchair past the police tape.


    As for the man chasing her, he was stopped by the cops at the scene of the explosion. Having crashed face-first into a barrier, he turned back empty-handed.


    "Whoa, you sure are cold."


    Liu Dongli leaned against the wall and tsk-tsked. "You don''t always have to be so cold, Miss Ai. If you ask me, you should keep a spare around."


    Ai Qing''s wheelchair stopped next to him.


    The girl looked at him expressionlessly until the hairs rose on the back of his neck. He could not help but turn his gaze away, and finally she said slowly, "If I have learned anything from my personal experiences, then there''s one thing I should know above all else: no one would truly love a rich crippled girl."


    "Urk¡­"


    Liu Dongli froze for a long time before he forced a smile. "Don''t say that. You''re so pretty, and besides, love is never logical."


    "Yes, that''s why I don''t bother talking about it."


    Ai Qing looked at him. "Besides, I''m wealthy.


    "I paid you to work, and you''re under the Astronomical Association''s watch right now, so I advise you not to talk about your gigolo experiences to your invigilator."


    Liu Dongli shrugged helplessly and stopped talking, following behind her obediently. Right now, he was her bouncer and bodyguard¡­ not a career with a very bright future.


    After the storm that lasted through the night, the scene at the port was already unrecognizable. All the clues had also been utterly messed up by the actions of some fools.


    The scene of the explosion was a partially collapsed warehouse. There was cement everywhere, and seven or eight containers had been burned into puddles of metal on the floor. The ground was even messily painted with a mixture of ash and blood¡­


    "What a good job."


    Ai Qing nodded approvingly.


    "...Are you being sarcastic?"


    "No, that''s my honest praise."


    Ai Qing raised a brow and said with rare happiness, "These crimes related to border relics tend to be extremely odd and confusing. They''re never easy to solve in the first place, and who knows where to find clues. If I can''t solve them, it''ll be a stain in my achievement reports.


    "Now there''s someone to step up and take the blame, so I don''t have to shoulder any of the burden. When the Governance Bureau comes knocking, those idiotic smart alecks can go ahead and take the fall."


    "..."


    The corners of Liu Dongli''s eyes twitched, and he had no idea what he should say. Compared to these dark and murky secret struggles, his career as a gigolo suddenly seemed as pure as an angel.


    Just then, Ai Qing''s phone began to vibrate.


    There was a text.


    She lowered her head to give it a glance, then she paused, as though deep in thought.


    After a long time, she turned off the phone screen.


    "What''s the matter?" asked Liu Dongli.


    "They found a few more bodies. All layabouts with a history of drug abuse." Ai Qing spun the phone on her fingers deftly and said with a sarcastic jest, "Who knows how long they were tortured and interrogated before they died. Tsk-tsk, that''s definitely one way to die."


    "Are we going to the morgue again?"


    Liu Dongli sighed helplessly at the news and touched his face. Going to the morgue so often was bad for his skin.


    "Why would I go there for no reason and hurt my eyes?"


    Ai Qing turned her wheelchair around and said mildly, "Since we''re done looking at the crime scene, let''s all go home. When they''re panicking around like headless flies, I''ll step forth to graciously save the day."


    Liu Dongli was stunned.


    "...You found a clue already?"


    "I only came here as a matter of formalities. The really important things could be deciphered from a brief glance at the crime scene and the coroner''s report.


    "According to the customs declaration, the cargo here was supposed to be electronics headed for Europe, but the company that signed the form sells leather bags. Further investigation only led to a bunch of other scapegoats.


    "Judging from the marks left at the scene, we can already tell that it was an internal struggle amongst some guys who''re using the border relics for their own profit¡­ As for the exact reason, it''s probably because the money was distributed unevenly. What happened next is the reason why we''re on this case¡­


    "All of the above could be deduced by just looking at the reports. The part that I''m interested in is this right here¡ª"


    Ai Qing reached out her hand and pulled a small bag of powder from the wheelchair pocket with two of her slender fingers.


    "What''s this?"


    Liu Dongli had already perfectly mastered the role of the fawning servant.


    "Some psychedelic drugs found on the scene. New product," Ai Qing said. "The results from the Research Department are out. There''s some elementium mixed in there. In other words¡­"


    "This was made from the box-shaped border relic?!"


    Liu Dongli felt a chill down his spine. If that thing could be such a terrible influence, then the seriousness of this incident might have to be amped up again.


    Ai Qing said wistfully, "If I wait a while before reporting this to the higher-ups, can you imagine what will happen to those old fogeys trying to trip me up from the shadows?"


    "...Wait a sec!"


    The back of Liu Dongli''s head suddenly felt a little cold. "Why did you tell me all this? Aren''t you worried I''d let it slip? You''re not gonna silence me forever, are you?"


    "I told you because I wanted you to let it slip, duh."


    Ai Qing casually swung the packet she was holding, saying nonchalantly, "Don''t you take pride in your communication skills? In that case, hurry up and tell them this: Their lives are in my hands now, so if they want to continue living their happy parasitic lives, they should hurry up and come beg me with their tails wagging¡­"


    F*ck!


    Liu Dongli almost wanted to slap his own mouth a couple times. Why did he have to ask? No, why did he have to laugh at her earlier?


    Look where that put him now. Within ten minutes, she had wrapped him up in her schemes.


    This woman was a little too bent on revenge, huh?


    After a long silence filled with shock and revenge, Liu Dongli astutely noticed the biggest problem. "But even if they relent, you''ll still have to be able to solve this case first, right?"


    "Who says I can''t?"


    Ai Qing turned around, and though there was no smile on her lips, there was plenty of jest in her eyes. "Do you really wanna know, though?"


    ''Sorry, I don''t want to know, not at all!''


    Liu Dongli''s face twitched and he extinguished the last spark of his curiosity. This woman was the absolute worst¡­


    ¡­


    "Hell yeah I do!"


    On the other hand, in Huai Shi''s house, the young man nodded and replied to the crow''s question without hesitation.


    ''Do you want a soul?''


    The suspicious air around that sudden question felt like the beginning of a deal with the devil. Any normal person might hesitate for a bit, but he did not even pause.


    After the string of strange phenomena he had experienced over the past few days, after he understood his current situation, he began to grow quite a bit bolder. After all, he would die if he did not survive this incident, so what was there to be afraid of?


    Although he had no idea what a soul was, that did not stop Huai Shi from yearning one. Not only that, he wanted money, power, and bewbs¡­ Hold on, a soul was something everyone already had, right?


    The crow asked again, "Everyone in the fairy tales ends up living happily ever after. Do you really believe that, though?"


    She was a little unhappy that she did not get the troubled hesitation she expected, and as a result, even her explanation was unenthusiastic. "The difference between normal folk and Ascenders lies in the existence of the soul.


    "In this era, there''s something called the White Silver Sea. Well, I suppose it would be more accurate to call it an enormous natural spring. They call it a miracle on the same scale as a perpetual motion machine, and it''s one of the cornerstones that make up this huge world.


    "Its true core is the White Silver Sea, culminating the reflection of all humanity''s elementium. Apparently, it''s an enormous sea, larger than you can imagine, and all existing human intelligence merely branched out from that.


    "The route of Ascension is basically casting your body of metal and rock through the White Silver Sea, ascending into a soul of gold¡ª That is the original aim of all alchemy.


    "Only then can humans own a soul and the title of Ascender.


    "Otherwise, your being and consciousness can only exist within the network of sparks in your head. That isn''t enough to withstand the darkness and danger that exists outside the interior¡­"


    "You keep mentioning the border and the interior. Are you saying there''s another world out there?" Huai Shi interrupted with a question.


    "In a manner of speaking, yes. And it''s more than just one other; there are tens of thousands out there¡­" The crow sniggered. "Nevertheless, this isn''t something you should worry about right now. Why don''t you focus on awakening your soul first?"


    "..." Huai Shi''s only choice was to listen carefully.


    "Right now, the Astronomical Association is in charge of protecting the White Silver Sea. According to the sedimentation rate of all humanity''s elementium, there should be three to four hundred spaces allocated every year. However, you''re nowhere near qualified for that. Before the list is even released, each section of the Governance Bureau has already divided up the numbers, and the waiting list is ten years long now¡­ In truth, most Ascenders do not rely on the Astronomical Association''s special clearance. Instead, they awaken on their own, like illegal stowaways. That''s the path you''ll be taking."


    Huai Shi gulped and nodded solemnly, "And then?"


    "To everyone else, this process is naturally fraught with peril. It''s even more dangerous than a modern city slicker trying to survive out in the wild. It''s like boarding a rocket and leaving the ozone layer armed with only a handful of items¡ª Not only do you have to resist the pull of the White Silver Sea, you have to face all sorts of accidents and challenges. No one knows what''ll await you ahead.


    "If you wish to succeed, you will need both skill and luck, but even if you have both, your success won''t be guaranteed.


    "Not only do you need enough elementium, a powerful trigger, and the perfect opportunity, you will need a bit of luck too¡­ It tends to be like a lottery. It''s completely unreplicable, but the human population is huge after all, so one or two tend to succeed."


    "What if I fail?" Huai Shi asked.


    The crow seemed to laugh without a word, and it made Huai Shi''s blood run cold.


    "But relax, you don''t have to be worried about this."


    She raised her wings and patted Huai Shi''s shoulder. "You have a unique advantage going in, young man. With the Book of Destiny in hand, you''re basically already stepping on the road to the heavens.


    "Other people might be Icarus, but you''re climbing a ladder. You''re completely safe!''


    "Then¡­ what should I do?"


    "It''s simple," the crow said. "Just go out and kill people.


    "If you kill them yourself, the records in the Book of Destiny will surely be more complete, right? Not only that, once you kill someone, you''ll gain their skills, so once you kill ten, you''ll be a veritable genius! With this, the more people you kill, the stronger you''ll become, Huai Shi."


    She murmured into the boy''s ear, "There are a ton of people looking down on you, right? I''m sure you hate their guts, don''t you? Not just your classmates and your teachers, but also your parents who abandoned you¡­ This world isn''t kind to you, so why must you be gracious to it?"


    Huai Shi was stunned.


    ''Ah, so I really did scare him after all?''


    For just a second there, the crow felt joy. When Huai Shi raised his head, however, she seemed to see a hint of something in his eyes¡­ pleasant surprise?


    "Really?" Huai Shi sounded disbelieving. "All I have to do is kill people?"


    "..."


    "In that case, let''s start with Li Wuyang."


    Huai Shi counted off his fingers, saying, "It''s his fault for bragging about his wonderful dad and perfect uncle to me all the time. He''s rich but not kind, so he should die! Oh, and there''s that woman who''s always winking at him, I bet those two hooked up a long time ago¡­ Third up is the English teacher who keeps saying sarcastic things about me in class¡­ Ah, and that stupid fatso who thinks I stole his money. His older brother is a piece of work too, who keeps picking fights in the school. I''m doing society a favor by removing him, right? That stupid agent Old Yang should die too. I bust my butt with my job, but he just has to say a word or two and he gets to take 20% as commission¡­"


    As he said that, Huai Shi raised his head and looked at her expressionlessly.


    "¡ªThey offended me, so all of them deserve to die, right?"

 Chapter 9：Plan B

    "..."


    The crow fell silent.


    "That''s not right, is it?"


    Huai Shi murmured softly, "I know not everyone has to like me. I might not fit in well, and I might not be very popular. Still, while some people should be punished for the things they do, none of them deserve to die.


    "They''re all living people, just like me. They shouldn''t die, just like the people in the club shouldn''t have died. They may be criminals, but they''re still innocent.


    "That''s why I don''t like you saying those things."


    Huai Shi looked her in the eyes, emphasizing every word. "¡ªI really, really don''t like it."


    "...Oh my my, do you have to be so mad?"


    The crow turned her head away and seemed to sob sorrowfully. "Big Sis is only trying to do what''s best for you. My entire bird is yours now, so is it that wrong for me to test you before we begin working together?"


    With that, she blinked her teary eyes. "Since your Big Sis is so perfectly sincere, could you give me a chance to make amends? If Plan A doesn''t work, we still have Plan B."


    Unfortunately, when a crow put on a pitiful face like that, it did not look cute at all.


    "...What Plan B?"


    "It''s simple."


    The crow eventually gave him a look. "Since you don''t want to kill others¡­"


    She said, "Then I''ll just have to kill you."


    In that very instant, Huai Shi''s vision turned dark.


    ¡­


    Huai Shi had a very long dream.


    In his daze, he seemed to be on his way home after work. While he waited for the subway, he was still thinking of that useless employee he had fired that day with utter contempt. After that, he heard the rumbling of the train coming down the tunnel.


    Before he could put his phone away, he heard a spiteful voice behind him. "Die!"


    The next moment, a pair of hands shoved him in the back.


    He fell. He flew and then he fell, heading toward the tracks. The train''s headlights grew ever brighter and closer, and then Huai Shi was reduced to shreds, his body torn to pieces. The last thing he heard was the crack of his skull shattering.


    An indescribable pain shot through him, but before he could scream or even feel terror, his consciousness rapidly began to fade.


    Immediately after that, he seemed to turn into a legendary businessman who controlled the entire world''s economy. Now, however, he was at a dead end. Trapped in a garden, he was being threatened by his traitor of an assistant who gave him an ultimatum: surrender, or else.


    Huai Shi sneered coldly and pointed a gun at the assistant.


    Bam!


    There was a soft noise from the helicopter in the distance, and then Huai Shi could not feel his body anymore. At the very last second, he heard his assistant''s dazed yell, "Don''t shoot, he''s not¡­"


    Was he shot in the head?


    In his daze, Huai Shi did not have the time to digest what had happened before the stream of nightmares continued. All of a sudden, he was now a pervy middle-aged man wearing some strange motion armor and armed with a gun. He rushed into the Louvre and fought a bunch of oddly-shaped bug creatures, but soon he was dead as a doornail again.


    The last thought in his mind was actually, ''F*ck, I wanna load my save¡­''


    Load his save? Load what save? Try loading your Rem then, idiot!


    He began to sneer at ''himself'', but he immediately stopped laughing, because it seemed he was hanging from the city gates again. His hands were nailed down, but he could not feel any pain. His entire body felt like it was floating, as though he was drunk, and he smiled stupidly at the white-haired man in front of him.


    Still, why was this guy glaring at him? Did he do something wrong?


    Soon enough, there was a flash of moonlight, and his head was chopped off.


    This time, it was a decapitation.


    After that, it seemed like he was tied to a stake amidst the passionate cheers of the crowd. As he burned in the flames, someone howled excitedly, "Die, heretic!"


    Then he died again.


    Just like that, he died again and again, in many different ways. He was poisoned, drowned, strangled, set on fire, stuffed into a meat grinder, sent into the ER, accidentally shoved by another. He died to all sorts of people and all sorts of self-inflicted causes.


    Again, again, again, and again.


    He died died died died died died died died.


    He did not even know how many times he died.


    After all that dying, he was growing numb to it all¡ª This time, he was losing his consciousness for real.


    That was it, right? It was over?


    He fell into a deep sleep, relieved.


    At the very last second, he seemed to turn around and look at the source of all those illusions. He finally spotted the essence of all those deaths, and the deaths seemed to morph into countless flying black pages. The dancing sheets of black stacked on top of each other like snow, gathering into a sea of sorrow and despair, forming a world of silence.


    Maybe this was the Book of Destiny''s true form.


    A cold world that died alone.


    ¡­


    A silence descended upon the room again, rustled only by the scritching of Deceptive Split scribbling on the Book of Destiny.


    The illusory crow was staring at Huai Shi quietly, as though seeing his elementium alight beyond his physical husk.


    It was just a single person''s consciousness, but when the thoughts collided, the sparks that flew were as bright as burning flames.


    The crow glanced at the Book of Destiny and could not help a sigh. "I knew it. If it hadn''t been absorbing your elementium over all these years, you would''ve awakened years ago¡­"


    Ever since she woke up from within the book, she had been observing Huai Shi the entire time.


    That was why she could deduce from all the signs that Huai Shi had probably put one foot through the door of Ascension long ago. Otherwise, the Book of Destiny would probably never acknowledge a completely normal person as its wielder, and she would not have made this wager so easily either.


    Right now, on the pages as they stood in this moment, the bracketed ''Developing Stage'' words next to Huai Shi''s name had become bolder, as though they were gathering power and getting ready to transform.


    Every time they tried to change, however, they seemed to bump into an invisible barrier that forced them back to their original position.


    Soon enough, an invisible force yanked the quill to a white space on the page, and it drew a curve.


    As time passed, the curve slowly lengthened and gradually became a perfect circle. When the ends were about to meet, however, they just could not complete the circle, however hard they tried.


    "What? It still isn''t enough?" murmured the crow in shock.


    Usually, the Developing Stage was the process during which a person''s essence was lifted from the White Silver Sea. The elementium would stand on its own before gradually returning to merge with that person''s consciousness.


    During that process, the Ascender''s exclusively unique soul would be forged.


    This usually took a very short time, unlike the construction of a soul. The shortest record time in history was only five minutes and twelve seconds, whereas the longer ones only spanned five to six months¡­ Even the crow had never seen someone who could not pass the Developing Stage after six to seven years.


    Even if he had been at ''zero mana'' for all these years because the Book of Destiny kept absorbing his power, this was still a little too much, right?


    At first, she thought that with the death records in the book as a trigger, Huai Shi would naturally be able to make a breakthrough after a few minutes. What she did not expect was to see the kid standing at the grand entrance but biding his time and refusing to go in!


    He was so close to forging a soul.


    So very close¡­


    "What on earth is he missing?"


    The crow could not help but narrow her eyes.


    She had forgotten one final thing, something crucial.


    That feeling was especially annoying, but no matter how she racked her brain, she could not figure out what it was.


    The existence of a soul meant the ascension of his essence and conscience. That included the very fiber of his humanity. It was precisely because everyone was different that there were so many unique souls in this world.


    There could only be one reason the construction process stopped.


    It must be because of Huai Shi himself.


    However, even if she wanted to use Deceptive Split to go through Huai Shi''s records, she could only read after the point when Huai Shi picked up the Book of Destiny at ten years old.


    Anything before that was a blank¡­


    When she read between the lines, though, she could clearly tell that Huai Shi was trying to hide something. She just could not tell what it was.


    As long as Huai Shi did not reveal it, it would forever stay a mystery.


    As the crow was lost in thought, the imperfect circle shifted again.


    Pitch-black ink appeared out of nowhere and drew along the shape of the curve, finally forming what looked like a crescent moon.


    "...So he''s a moon-sign, huh?"


    The crow was stunned for a second, but then she sighed. "How rare."


    Although his soul was not complete yet, his attribute had already revealed itself¡ª According to the Book of Destiny''s categories, the moon sign corresponded to human elementium, or the very soul itself.


    Souls under the moon sign had abilities that similarly interfered with the soul. This included things like mind control, consciousness shaping, and spirit repair. To most Ascenders, this branch represented eeriness and mystery.


    "Unfortunately, its effect is too small-scale."


    The crow shook her head in some disgust. "Far too small¡­"


    Relying on mystery and fear might last him some time, but these were shadowy artes. The true center of this world''s stage would never be occupied by someone who could only dwell in the shadows.


    After some time, Huai Shi''s breathing became heavier, and his eyelids twitched. It seemed like he was about to wake.


    She sighed and lifted Deceptive Split slowly, drawing a light dot in the center of that crescent.


    Just a single dot of ink.


    That alone was enough to make the crow turn even paler.


    "I''ve given you your chance, Huai Shi," she murmured softly. "Now you have to rely on yourself to build that bridge and make the fake real."


    ¡­


    "It''s done."


    The trusted subordinate rushed into the office excitedly, holding a hard disk. "Master, I have all the footage from after that b*stard Chen Quan stole that box."


    "Were you clean about it?"


    The man referred to as Master looked like he had not slept for a long time now. His eyes were completely red, and when he raised his head, his bloodshot eyes made for a gruesome sight.


    The subordinate instinctively shuddered and forced a smile.


    "Don''t worry, sir, I got someone else to do it, so there aren''t traces of our names. Even if someone followed the trail, they''d only find him."


    "Very good."


    The Master accepted the disk and did not say anything else. He paced the office for a good long while before he finally stomped his foot and made up his mind.


    "Inform that old men and women that they''re to come for mass on Sunday night. Get all of them to come, and anyone who doesn''t won''t be able to come ever again."


    The subordinate was stunned. "Didn''t we just have mass the day before yesterday? They''re used to coming at the end of the month¡­"


    "Just make up an excuse! Can''t you think?!" The Master flew into a rage and glared at his face. "Do I have to come up with excuses for you as well? Just say the Heavenly Father is celebrating his birthday!"


    "Okay, okay, okay. Whatever you say, sir."


    The subordinate did not want to step on any more mines, so he hugged his head and scurried away.


    In the quiet office, the man who looked slightly older than his years was silent for a long time. He closed the door and paced for a good long while before inserting the hard disk and watching the fragments of information saved in it.


    It started in the warehouse, where that man suddenly pulled out a gun and killed some people. He stole the sacred item and was injured in the counterattack, then there was the explosion, and his panicked escape¡­ Finally, he slipped into an alley.


    As the man played the video in fast forward, he saw a boy with a cello case walk into the alley and then walk out again before long. Here, the video paused once more.


    It stayed on that somewhat childish face.


    "It''s you¡­"


    The Master approached the screen, his bloody red eyes fixed upon the boy in the image.

 Chapter 10：Where Is The Joy In Living

    "Woe is me¡­"


    In the dilapidated backyard, Huai Shi sat on a step in the garden. He raised his head to the sky with a sigh, then he looked to the ground in a daze.


    Right now, he really felt like he was born under an unlucky star.


    His agent tricked him into going for an interview at a gigolo club, he bumped into a corpse on his way back, he was randomly arrested at a station for having a box, and after he was released, he was held at gunpoint and dragged into another station.


    Now, he had to accept help from a crow because he had no other choice, but the crow''s main ability was killing him over and over again.


    It all came to nothing in the end, okay?


    If he had to die, could he not just die once?


    Why did he have to die several dozen times¡­?


    He had died so many times he was numb to it now! Even that skill he had never heard of, ''Premonition of Death'' was on its way to leveling up!


    If he was lucky enough to survive this time, Huai Shi figured that he might even level up that skill to LV10 in this lifetime, just by dying again and again!


    "If you have the time to whine, you might as well spend it dying again. At least by meditating like that, you''d be able to train your elementium. For all you know, you might be able to complete that 99% loading bar soon and become an Ascender," suggested the crow next to him.


    For some reason, she seemed to have run out of ink, so now she was striped.


    "As if I''d believe you!"


    Huai Shi ignored her completely, staring at the bare yard. He started to think, ''Who am I? Where am I? School''s gonna start in half a month, and I''m almost dead broke. But aside from seeking death over and over again, what else am I doing?''


    All of a sudden, he raised a brow and came up with a plan.


    "Hey, I need money. Do you have any ways to get some?"


    "Sure."


    The zebra crow combed her feathers nonchalantly and pointed at the road outside the door. "Walk for ten minutes then take the bus, get off one stop later and turn left. There''s a bank there. You just have to rob it, and you''ll have everything you want."


    "...Tell me something I don''t know!" Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "Don''t you guys have some magic that can turn stone to gold?"


    "Oh, magic? That''s a long story, but yes, I do know how to make gold. However¡­"


    "However what?"


    Huai Shi approached her, his eyes shining.


    "However, the cost to create a gram of gold would probably cost about three thousand yuan in East Xia currency."


    She said calmly, "The pure gold created this way is usually used as a spiritual base in all sorts of ceremonies and sacrifices. If you want, I can make a kilogram of it."


    "If I had that money, why would I still want gold?!"


    Huai Shi was speechless.


    All he could do was continue sitting on the step blankly until he was awoken by a faint crackling.


    It sounded like a glass bottle being shattered by a kick.


    It sounded so very sharp and clear in the summer afternoon heat.


    Huai Shi turned around in shock to look in the direction of the front yard.


    "Is someone here?"


    The crow raised her head with a thoughtful look and concern in her voice. "Could it be that they found out about me using your wires to steal electricity?"


    Huai Shi blinked for a bit, but then he immediately jumped, eyes wide with fury. "When the heck did you do something like that behind my back?!"


    "Actually, I pulled some fiber optics too. There''s a pretty good WiFi signal here." The crow pulled a random smartphone out from under her wing. "Do you want the password?"


    Huai Shi glared at her and stood up, tiptoeing to the corner of the wall behind the house. He poked his head out, and the crow stood on his skull like it was natural, sticking her head out as well.


    In the corner of the dilapidated yard, there was someone looking around the corner suspiciously. After a while, that person helped down a companion who had jumped over the wall.


    Just like that, the two of them landed on the ground, their pockets bulging and their faces masked.


    "Oh my¡­"


    The crow asked softly, "Does the electricity company make their employees vault walls nowadays?"


    "They''re probably thieves." Huai Shi clenched his teeth and bent down to pick half a metal bar from the corner of the wall. "Well, it''s not like this is the first time I''ve done something like this."


    "Oh?"


    The crow gave Huai Shi a thoughtful look, and then she sniggered. "I hope so."


    Huai Shi did not have the time to waste on her. Keeping his movements quiet, he stealthily peeked at the events unfolding before him. The two burly men were wearing gloves, and after they looked around for a bit, they whispered some words to each other before sneaking into the house through a broken window on the side. Huai Shi carefully opened the back door, listening to the old floorboards creak insistently.


    The heavy footsteps paced the living room for a while before they moved upstairs. He could hear the sound of doors opening everywhere.


    Soon enough, he heard a voice from upstairs.


    "He''s not here!"


    "Look around! Try to see where he''s hidden the thing!"


    Those words were immediately followed by the sound of upturned drawers and things shattering everywhere. It made Huai Shi''s teeth heart; his house was already stripped nearly bare to begin with, and almost everything worth anything had been pawned off by his parents long ago. All that remained was a set of worthless furniture.


    Those things had really hung on to survive this long, but today marked the end of the road for them.


    Thankfully, although the house was practically empty, it was still quite large with plenty of space. They would probably have to spend quite some time scouring through it.


    Huai Shi took a deep breath and held the bar, sneaking upstairs behind them. That was when he heard rough crashing from his room.


    There was a loud bang.


    His drawer must have hit the floor.


    ''F*ck, that''s my desk.''


    There was another loud clatter, and everything on the shelf ended on the floor.


    Smash.


    The table lamp and the stuff on the desk cascaded down as well.


    "Look at this!"


    They seemed to find something, and then Huai Shi heard something unzipping. They had opened up his cello case, and soon he heard the dull thud of their knocking on the cello.


    "It isn''t in here?"


    "Could there be a concealed layer?" One guy hazarded a guess. "Maybe we should smash it open to check."


    F*ck you guys!


    Huai Shi flew into a rage.


    ''I don''t care if you turned over every shelf and cupboard along the way, but now you''re trying to smash my very livelihood? This is war!''


    There was no more time for hesitation. He stuck his head out and saw the two men crouched down with their backs facing him. One of them was already holding up a hammer, and Huai Shi''s temper immediately flared. That gave him the guts to do anything, including holding up his bar and leaping into the air, swinging down at the men.


    He had everything perfectly planned out. First, he was going to take one person down, and before the other could react, he would unleash his bar on him as well. That would be that!


    Everything went unnaturally smoothly.


    There was a bam.


    The man holding the hammer collapsed on cue, but immediately after that, Huai Shi saw the metal pipe he had left lying around for forever crack down the center. It even went flying.


    He paused.


    The other man froze as well, but soon there was a vicious gleam in his eyes, and he pounced at Huai Shi.


    Huai Shi instinctively lifted his leg and kicked the man, sending his victim stumbling back. After that, he lifted the chair next to him and smashed it down on the intruder.


    With that, the old chair he had kept for so long died spectacularly as well.


    It did not seem to hurt the man at all, though, when he eventually crawled up from the ground. He clenched his fist, his joints cracking, and the face underneath his mask turned gruesome as well.


    Huai Shi took a step back at first, but then he remembered that things had changed. He was no longer the helpless weakling he had been before.


    ''Alright, I''m going to test my amazing martial arts on you!''


    He laughed coldly and immediately used his military boxing skills!


    After that, he used it again, and again¡­ It really did come quite easily to him, and he moved from the first set of moves to the third without stopping, as unstoppable as the wind or the waves.


    It was perfect¡­ aside from the fact that it did not take so much as a hair off the enemy''s head.


    Huai Shi was tiring himself out already, but he had not even touched the other guy¡­ If he were performing under a pedestrian crossing now, he might have earned eighty to a hundred bucks in appreciation fees, but right now, it was absolutely useless.


    The burly man''s movements were terrifyingly agile as well. Although he never learned military boxing or whatever, his every punch and kick was truly terrifying. A random punch from his fist was enough to turn Huai Shi''s vision to black and make half of his face swell up.


    ''Crap, this is a little tricky. Maybe I should sound a retreat¡­''


    As soon as the thought appeared in Huai Shi''s mind, he flipped. ''This is my f*cking house! I''m not the one who has to run away!''


    Immediately after that, however, he felt a chill on the back of his head, and he lowered his head instinctively.


    He soon felt a metal hammer swing past the top of his head, whistling through the wind as it went. The man Huai Shi had taken down with one blow had actually gotten back on his feet.


    See, that ancient steel pipe was not that useful, after all¡­


    Huai Shi did not even have time to reflect on his mistakes. The man pounced at him and took him down with a bear hug, pinning him to the ground and putting one large hand around his neck.


    "I''ll kill this little b*stard!"


    The eyes beneath the mask were cruel and ruthless. "F*ck, we nearly lost!''


    The man with the hammer panted as well before approaching them and aiming his hammer at Huai Shi''s head. Karma sure took its toll quickly; just a while ago, Huai Shi was attacking them from behind, but now they were the ones about to crack his skull open.


    When he saw the hammer being lifted into the air, he was so scared that he put up a desperate struggle, but he could not pull away from that hand around his neck. In the chaos, all he could do was pull down his assailant''s mask, revealing that scarred face. It looked like he had been hacked with a knife.


    "F*ck, save me¡­"


    Huai Shi screamed.


    "Quick, think of something sad!" the crow yelled at the top of her lungs. "Remember how you died in those dreams¡­ Remember how many times you died, and how cruel your deaths were!"


    Huai Shi suddenly felt mentally exhausted. He was already about to die here, so what was the point of remembering that? Oh, was it so he could be mentally prepared?


    He might be able to have a relatively peaceful death, then! What a good idea!


    The thought of those tragic deaths in his dreams filled Huai Shi with tragic fury. After he personally experienced countless deaths in those illusions, the cumulative weight of those memories threatened to suffocate him.


    The more he died, the more he feared death, because dying was such a terrifying thing.


    In that instant, he felt a surge of warmth in his right hand, and soon it felt like something new had appeared in his tightly-clenched fist.


    It felt small and grainy, like a handful of sand.


    Before he could think it through, Huai Shi instinctively tossed out some of the substance in his hand. The pitch-black dust flew from his fingertips and instantly landed on that person''s face.


    The hand that had been choking him suddenly loosened its grip, and Huai Shi abruptly opened his eyes, rolling away before he heard a loud boom by his ear.


    It turned out to be the sound of the hammer making dust out of the floor where his head had been.


    That deadly crush made Huai Shi burst out in a cold sweat.


    Before he could even get to his feet, though, the face of the man who had been strangling him suddenly contorted and flushed red. The man panted heavily before somehow bursting into tears.


    The man holding the metal hammer was stunned as well, and his eyes reddened too¡­


    The heck? What was this?


    Was it some chili powder?


    In his shock, Huai Shi accidentally inhaled some of the black powder floating in the air, and all of a sudden, an intense stinging sensation spread from the tip of his nose.


    "Watch out, I think that''s Disastrous Dust! It''d be bad if you get any on you!"


    The crow was always one step late with her warnings.


    Huai Shi finally realized that the sensation on the tip of his nose was not due to external stimuli. It was¡­ a deep pain and sorrow that came from the very depths of his heart.


    It felt like the moment when the useless manager fired him from the job he relied on to make a living, when the Shiba Inu he had all his life was stolen away, when he busted his butt off slaving away from morning to night and ended his OT early only to find another man in his girlfriend''s best, when he suddenly received an obituary and a cancer diagnosis, when he was a useless author who promised to update twice a day but ended up going days without writing a word.


    His lungs were spasming, his eyes were heating up, his nose was stinging, and an unbearable sadness spread through his chest. His mind recalled the time when he fell on the steps at three years old, when the one and a half bucks he collected at six years old had been taken away by the fat kid at the arcade, when his unreliable parents ran away with all the money, when he had that interview at the club, when all these random things happened to him when all he wanted to do was go home¡­


    "Oh heavens, woe is me!"


    Huai Shi tossed his head back and screamed at the sky, his voice painful and tragic in his throat. He wailed like a child, tears flowing freely...

 Chapter 11：What Is The Pain In Dying

    "Oh heavens, woe is me!"


    Huai Shi tossed his head back and screamed at the sky, his voice painful and tragic in his throat. He wailed like a child, tears flowing freely¡­ and at the same time, two other hoarse howls fought to make themselves heard as well.


    "Juan''er, please forgive your father!"


    "Mom, I was a bad son! I couldn''t even see you for the last time¡­"


    That substance was practically a tearjerking gas. The two burly men who had infiltrated the house were now crying so hard that their tears and snot threatened to overflow.


    As they cried their hearts out, the three of them exchanged a glance, as though thinking, ''The world is such a cruel place, but I''m all alone.'' Right then and there, they connected through their suffering and began to feel for each other¡­ Yeah, right!


    Even if his mom died and he lost his daughter, even if he had been unlucky all his life, they still had work to do, and the job was not done yet.


    The two wailing thugs wiped away their tears and snot before suddenly pouncing at Huai Shi. The three of them ended up in a brawl like chickens pecking at each other, with plenty of hair-pulling, face-slapping, crotch-kicking, and pinky-twisting amidst all the crying.


    After all that crying, Huai Shi actually began to cry for real.


    It was just so f*cking painful.


    "F*ck, can''t you guys be a little gentler!''


    As he wailed, he gave that man a punch right in the eyes. The man with the knife scar and tears raised his head as well, biting down on Huai Shi''s arm mercilessly. Meanwhile, the other man took the opportunity to pull Huai Shi''s hair, crying as he hammered down on Huai Shi''s head desperately.


    "Old Six, kill him!" The man who was pinned down and taking a beating at Huai Shi''s hands screamed between his sobs. "Kill him!"


    Old Six, the man standing behind Huai Shi, replied with a sniffle and immediately socked the back of Huai Shi''s head with his heaviest punch. It was enough to make Huai Shi''s world go black, and he collapsed.


    Soon after that, from the corner of his eyes, Huai Shi saw Old Six pull out a short hunting rifle and aim at his face.


    Old Six took aim amidst the tears and undid the safety, sobbing as he put his finger on the trigger.


    All Huai Shi heard was a bang.


    Then he saw Old Six''s head explode.


    In that moment, soft and hard red and white substances rained down on Huai Shi, and a few pieces even landed on his face, scaring him so badly that he actually stopped crying.


    As the headless corpse slowly collapsed, he finally saw the girl at the stairway entrance.


    Ai Qing had one hand on her crutches, and she leaned diagonally against the wall. The dust on the railing and walls had drawn grey streaks all over her white skirt.


    As for her other hand, it was slumped by her side, holding a gun.


    There was a faint plume of smoke coming from the barrel.


    "Well, they sure took the bait fast."


    She looked at the man struggling under Huai Shi''s body and stepped aside. "Leave him alive."


    Liu Dongli walked up the staircase behind her, his expression complicated. After he gave Ai Qing a long look, he could not help but feel a chill in his molars.


    He did not expect Huai Shi to be the source of Ai Qing''s confidence.


    He had finally figured out what was happening on the way here, with Ai Qing in the lead. Everyone else assumed that after the criminals attacked the police station, they would run away with the border relic and lay low for a bit.


    However, Ai Qing had a different opinion.


    The evidence was in the bodies they had just discovered yesterday morning. Although these corpses were just as badly mutilated, they showed traces of interrogation and torture.


    Those men had suffered intensely before they died.


    Since there had been so many gruesome deaths, most people ignored that clue.


    However, when one looked at all the other corpses, they could tell that while the murderer was cruel, he was also quick and efficient. He did not drag on the killing, and he did not waste any time on unnecessary things.


    Even though he seemed extremely sadistic, he would not resort to wasting time on something like this¡ª Ascenders were not invincible, after all, especially in a haven as strictly guarded as the interior. Even if the Ascender was armed with a high-level stigma, they still would not be able to do as they pleased.


    If they left a clue and incurred the pursuit of the Astronomical Association, things would not end well for them.


    If they had already found the item, though, why did they have to waste time torturing others?


    Did they think the body count was not high enough yet?


    Was it internal strife? Were they cleaning out their ranks? Doling out punishments? Or were these two completely unrelated cases?


    In that case, amidst all the countless possibilities, there was another hypothesis that might be closer to the truth:


    ¡ªPerhaps they never found the thing they were looking for.


    Aside from that box-shaped border relic, there could be other things they had lost. That was why they would not stop, even though they had already retrieved the box.


    If that was the case, their next target might include a certain someone¡­


    The person who reported the case. The one who was the first to find the box.


    Huai Shi¡­


    She only had one useless card in hand, so it was pretty impressive that this woman dared to make such a big wager on it by ordering everyone around to their faces. The even scarier part was that her card actually won her the game.


    At first, Liu Dongli had thought that Ai Qing let Huai Shi go so easily because they were childhood friends. Now, however, it seemed like that woman did not have a shred of humanity whatsoever¡­


    When he thought about how a person like that had a hold on his weakness, Liu Dongli''s heart grew colder and colder.


    Whenever Ai Qing gave him an order now, he did not even dare to make up an excuse and try to postpone it. All he could do was sigh, push back his hair, raise his eyes, and walk toward the two men tangled up in a crying mess on the corridor floor ahead.


    "¡ªThis is an inspection! Everybody, take out your IDs!"


    The moment he started posing seductively, Huai Shi had a bad feeling in his heart. Now that Liu Dongli was actually resorting to the same tricks, it went without saying that Huai Shi would not fall for it again. The boy instantly turned his head away and squeezed his eyes as tightly shut as they would go.


    He would rather die than act as embarrassingly as he did last time.


    In comparison, the two clueless men raised their heads in shock, looking at Liu Dongli.


    In the darkness behind his closed eyes, Huai Shi actually heard a strange gurgling sound, and then the force pulling at him abruptly disappeared.


    That man seemed to be rolling on the floor now.


    Dazed, Huai Shi opened his eyes just a sliver and looked at the man on the ground. The latter was staring blankly in the direction of the staircase behind Huai Shi, and he scratched his throat as though he could not breathe. His face turned purple from lack of oxygen.


    However, there was no despair at all on his face, only surprise and awe¡­


    What the heck? What was this divine sorcery?


    Huai Shi''s blood ran completely cold, and he was even more afraid to look around now. He shut his eyes even harder.


    Finally, there was a thump and that man fell to the ground, unconscious. Liu Dongli went over and picked him up, tossing him in a random chair and tying him up. The entire time, Huai Shi''s eyes remained closed.


    Finally, once he was sure he was safe, Huai Shi heaved a sigh of relief. Although these people had intruded without permission, just like the two thugs, he still had to show his gratitude. It was a matter of manners.


    Lastly, he looked at Ai Qing, who had resolutely fired off the shot to save his life, only to realize that she was looking at him rather oddly.


    As he was feeling lost, he heard Ai Qing''s sigh.


    "It''s been a while, Huai Shi."


    "...Urk."


    Huai Shi paused for a long while before scratching his head instinctively, acting awkward as he asked, "Sorry, who are you?"


    "..."


    There was a long silence until Liu Dongli finally could not hold it in anymore. He turned his head to the side and laughed with a "pfft".


    As for Ai Qing, she remained expressionless, but her finger once more rested on the trigger of her gun.


    "Ah, it sure has been a while!"


    The terrifying pressure from his Premonition of Death made Huai Shi pat himself on the head, acting like he finally remembered. "Sheesh, me and my memory! I remember now!"


    "Oh?" Ai Qing raised an eyebrow and her gun by an inch. "Alright, then let me hear it. Who am I?"


    "You''re, uh¡­ You''re that¡­"


    All the blood had drained from Huai Shi''s face, but even if he scraped out his own guts, he still could not remember where he had such a pretty big sister with a crutch.


    Ai Qing finally gave up on him, walking right past him with her crutch and ordering Liu Dongli to move that guy on the chair to a larger space. With a basin of cold water poured over his face, they jolted him awake.


    ''My floorboards¡­''


    Huai Shi looked at the huge water stain on the floor. The corner of his eyes twitched slightly, but he wisely chose not to say anything.


    Whatever, he did not care what gods these two really were. The sooner they settled this, the sooner they would leave.


    He did not mind as long as they did not murder a guy in his house.


    Just when he needed her most, that stupid crow was nowhere to be seen too¡­


    As soon as that man opened his eyes, he saw Liu Dongli in front of him.


    Liu Dongli had pulled up his hair and was approaching the man, staring into his eyes. In an instant, he had activated his strange ability.


    The man fell into a daze, saying "oof" non-stop as he stared at Liu Dongli. His saliva was dripping all the way to the ground.


    However, Liu Dongli''s expression suddenly turned disappointed, as though he had noticed something.


    "It won''t work. He doesn''t have any elementium anymore."


    He turned around to look at Ai Qing, shaking his head. "I think his brain was ruined a long time ago. He''s practically a brainless zombie, so he won''t tell us anything."


    Ai Qing''s expression turned stormy as well.


    "Try asking¡ª"


    After a long pause, she said, "At any rate, we should give it a try."


    Liu Dongli nodded helplessly and turned around, asking, "Name?"


    "Zhao Baozhu."


    The man laughed like a child and looked at Liu Dongli. "Ya sure look handsome, kiddo. Ya really sweet on the eyes, Ah really like it¡­"


    As he spoke, he foamed at the mouth.


    He shook violently, and the chair he was tied to creaked piercingly. The rope was threatening to fray.


    Liu Dongli''s expression even changed.


    Immediately after that, all of them heard the sounds coming from within his body, loud and clear. Twang, twang, twang, like the strings on a cello snapping.


    However, Zhao Baozhu''s expression only grew ever more manically happy.


    "Yee¡ª Ah''m gonna go ta heaven!" He grinned and said with a hearty laugh, "Da Heavenly Father is here to fetch me¡­ Ah have seventy-two angels just as sweet-looking as you, kiddo, to bring¡­ to bring me there¡­"


    Amidst the hoarse shouting, the man shook violently, and smoke actually appeared from his mouth and nose. This was quickly followed by a blaze that merrily burned through his flesh and bone.


    In the blink of an eye, the entire person was reduced to ashes.


    The ashes were mixed with bone fragments, but the rope and chair binding him were left completely intact. Only a black burn mark remained as proof of his existence.


    "Gasp!"


    Huai Shi took an involuntary step backward, so shocked by this scene that his scalp felt numb.


    Liu Dongli rubbed his face, shaking his head with a sigh.


    "There goes another clue¡­"


    However, Ai Qing''s expression remained calm. After a long while, she broke her silence and said, "Not necessarily."


    "Hmm?" Liu Dongli was confused, but then he saw that she was looking at Huai Shi.


    "He''s still alive.''


    Ai Qing considered a visibly stunned Huai Shi. "Although I don''t know why those guys want to kill him, I''m sure I can get more clues about them as long as I have this piece of bait."


    "You guys want to kill me!"


    At this point, of course Huai Shi knew what she was planning. He flew into a rage, saying, ''There''s still half a f*cking month before summer vacation ends, and I still need four thousand in living fees! If I have to die either way, I''d rather starve to death!"


    "Is that so?"


    Ai Qing interrupted him and raised the thing she was holding, showing him the pitch-black barrel.


    "Oh? Is that all you guys can do?"


    Although Huai Shi was so scared that he desperately retreated away from them, his words remained stubborn. "Even if you kill me with one shot today, I''d rather jump out of this window than¡­"


    He wanted to show that he would never bend to them, but then Ai Qing held up another item. Her phone.


    The screen showed her account savings, and there were more zeroes than he could count.


    "¡ªAll for one, and one for all!"


    Huai Shi thumped his chest hard and said solemnly, "Every East Xia citizen must give their all when cooperating with a government investigation! Don''t ever pity me because I''m a sweet flower! So, comrade, what can I do for you today?"

 Chapter 12：My Overbearing Bodyguard Sticks To Me

    Huai Shi had never dreamed that he would meet the school idol before reaching the peak of his life, and he even earned a personal bodyguard, the kind you hear of in legends.


    The only problem was that this bodyguard was a flirty gigolo, and that was not the least of his flaws¡­


    Before Huai Shi could protest, Ai Qing had efficiently handled everything, and she even assigned Huai Shi a twenty-four-hour bodyguard¡ª the poor unfortunate Liu Dongli.


    Liu Dongli did not dare to do anything too brazen while Ai Qing was here, but once she left, he began to wander around the Chalcedony Museum pretentiously.


    "What a mess! Such a waste of a decently classy house¡­ Where''s my room?"


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "There are plenty of empty rooms, and there''s a bed in the storeroom. Take your pick."


    "What do we eat? I haven''t had lunch yet."


    "Noodles in plain water, you interested?"


    "Where''s the washroom?" He pulled out his tubes and bottles again, looking worried. "I need to moisturize. The UV rays outside have been too intense lately."


    "If you don''t have a habit of taking four steps back whenever you enter the washroom, you just gotta turn the corner here. Also for your information, I don''t have a water heater, so you''ll need to boil your own water. Firewood''s in the backyard."


    "Tsk."


    Liu Dongli clicked his tongue crossly, but Huai Shi did not know if it was because he could not take those four steps back, or because he could not bathe freely. After he toured the entire mansion, providing free commentary the entire way and expressing disgust at Huai Shi''s front yard, backyard, living room, balcony, bathroom, and everywhere else, he finally remembered something. Taking out his phone, he said, "Hey, what''s the WiFi?"


    "I don''t have one!"


    After he fell for Ai Qing''s candy-and-stick approach, Huai Shi had been in a rather foul mood, and his gaze on the gigolo was especially unfriendly as well. "Are you here to be my bodyguard or my master here?"


    "Do you even have to ask? I''m here to be your master, of course."


    Liu Dongli harrumphed and walked out, his hands behind his back. After a while, he returned with a large black plastic bag over his shoulder. "Where''s the shovel?"


    Huai Shi looked at that human-shaped plastic bag, his heart feeling a little creeped out. "What are you doing?"


    "Burying the body, of course." Liu Dongli retorted, "Or would you rather have this thing lying around in the corridor?"


    "...Where are you gonna bury it?"


    Huai Shi was wary now.


    Liu Dongli did not say anything, but he looked out of the window, and Huai Shi immediately leaped to his feet. "No way! Do you have a body buried in your garden? That''s sick!"


    "Then where should I bury it?"


    "There''s plenty of space on the mountain behind the house. Get it as far away as possible!"


    "Tsk, what a pain."


    Liu Dongli was lazy to do it, but he did not protest anymore. Carrying the body and the shovel, he left.


    It was only after he walked out of the door that Huai Shi heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Phew, he''s finally gone." The crow reappeared, though Huai Shi had no idea where she had been. "It''s their fault I''ve been hiding all day."


    Huai Shi looked at the stupid slacking crow and instantly grew angrier. "Where the heck were you just now?!"


    "Cleaning up your mess, duh. That girlie''s very astute, you know, so why do you think you''re fine even though you scattered all that Disastrous Dust?" The crow rolled her eyes.


    The mere mention of that made Huai Shi''s temper flare in frustration. "What the heck was that thing? Why did it come out of my hands?"


    At first, he thought he would awaken some mysterious power when he was on the brink of death, but all he got was the skill to make magical chili powder. Who could survive such a letdown¡­?


    "Uh, how should I say this? Strictly speaking, it''s a rare elementium material, distilled from a ton of death destruction into a powder of extremely high purity¡­"


    The crow thought it over for a bit before replying, "If you want me to say why you managed to scatter some of that stuff, I''d say it''s because you read the death records, and your own unique attributes allowed you to distill the terror you felt when you faced death. That was added to the loose elementium hanging around, and the two mixed to form high-grade Disastrous Dust.


    "However, that isn''t your soul ability, just a side product that appeared when you instinctively used your attribute. If I had to make an analogy, I''d say it''s like the noise from a washing machine, the water dripping from the air-conditioning, and the radiation from the microwave."


    "Could you use any better way to describe it?!"


    "Alright. I guess you could say you''re now¡ª something Iike a negativity machine, I guess."


    "That ''I guess'' does not really matter, does it!"


    Huai Shi was furious, and he glared at her angrily. "Besides, what stupid skill is this? Can''t you get me something better?"


    "I want to, but¡­" The crow shrugged. "Some people just can''t be helped, you know?"


    "..."


    Huai Shi glared at her for a good long while, but soon he came back to the present. "Wait, if negative emotions can be distilled, then the same goes for positive emotions, right? Does that mean I can make some Shut-in Happiness Dust whenever I want?"


    "Oh, are you talking about Relieving Dust?" The crow nodded. "You can, but the problem is¡­ you need happy memories to begin with, right?"


    "What are you implying? Of course I have happy memories! I''m totally happy!" Huai Shi thumped his chest angrily. "Do you have any idea how joyful my life is? I''m happy from morning to night, and I stay just as happy the next day after I wake up!"


    "..."


    The crow stayed silent, just looking at him until Huai Shi turned his head away awkwardly. "Let''s change the topic¡­"


    Just like that, the cruel reality forced him to accept the fact that he was a negativity machine.


    "Since there''s someone in the house now, I''ll have to go into hiding for a while as a precaution. That means you''ll have to rely on yourself from now on."


    The crow heard the footsteps from the back door and hurriedly said, "Just so you don''t get exposed, you shouldn''t read the death records while there are others around. Try meditating on your own."


    "Meditating?"


    Huai Shi was gobsmacked. "How do I meditate?"


    "Didn''t I give you the WiFi password?"


    The crow stretched her wings nonchalantly and flew into the distance, leaving only a few words behind.


    "¡ªSearch it up yourself."


    ¡­


    After an entire afternoon of busywork, Huai Shi finally handled Liu Dongli''s crazy requests to the best of his ability.


    In the meantime, Huai Shi also snuck in a breather to search ''what is Peppa''... no, ''what is meditation'' on his phone...


    It took him three or four hours to go through ten thousand ads and all sorts of weird religious propaganda before he finally came across a fairly reasonable explanation in a foreign online dictionary-slash-encyclopedia.


    Basically, there were many types of meditation. The higher-class ones were quite complicated; you had to find a quiet place, preferably with a breeze, a bright moon above, a bamboo grove or a river, and then you would have to bathe and change, stay vegetarian for three days, burn incense and so on¡­


    However, the simpler versions were incredibly simple. All you had to do was lie down somewhere comfortable and close your eyes, clearing your mind of all thoughts. That was all.


    Although it sounded a little absurd, at least nothing would go wrong this way. At the most, he might accidentally fall asleep. If he randomly tried some other weird methods, he should consider himself lucky if only his hormones flew out of whack. After all, there was a high chance he would head right toward a possible mental breakdown.


    In one of the sites cited by the encyclopedia, Huai Shi found a British Xuanxue nerd''s blog and read the conclusion he had come to regarding the essence of meditation. Setting aside all presumptions of mystery, to the average Joe, meditation was a way to relax the nerves and rest the brain. By clearing away all thoughts and entering a state of deep rest, meditation allowed the overloaded organs and nervous system time to recover and heal.


    That was why it did not matter if you were sitting cross-legged, cultivating, chanting or taking drugs. As long as you could make yourself relax and clear your mind, anything went.


    The blogger even recommended some of the methods he had personally tried out, listing out the pros and cons. One of the options was writing; the disadvantage was you were highly susceptible to writer''s block and the stress it brings. If someone found out that you named your OP main character after yourself, you would soon see your work going into a spectacularly fast and flashy society-wide death. If you tried playing the piano, its disadvantage was that it was hard to pick up and easy to harass your local community. The blogger stopped trying that method after the third time his neighbor beat him up.


    Finally, the blogger came to a conclusion: drawing was the best.


    In his final post, he mentioned that he was only using his drawing to focus his attention so he could clear his mind and meditate. He even heard the whispers of an ancient soul from the seventh dimension whispering in his ear, telling him the truth of all things and opening his eyes to everything.


    At the end of the post, he even put up a picture of his latest work, a result of his rapid drastic improvement.


    "Hmm¡­" Huai Shi bent backward and tried to put the ''masterpiece'' of what looked like a mixture of dried goat''s blood, shattered organs and a large eyeball as far away from him as possible. "Bro, are you okay?"


    Before he turned off his phone, he checked and he saw that the guy''s last post was dated two years ago.


    Besides, the address he left on the blog was that of a city Huai Shi had never heard of before, somewhere called Manchester. He could not even find it in the maps app, so this blogger was probably pulling a prank on him¡­ right?


    Once he turned off his phone, Huai Shi looked at his cello and was struck with a brave idea.


    He just had to empty his mind, right?


    He did not know how to write novels or draw. As for the piano, he could play a little but not very well. Still, the cello should be fine, right?


    He was itching to try it for most of the day, so after he heated some water and took a bath, he changed into his more formal performance outfit. After that, he tried to calm himself for some time before holding up his bow under Liu Dongli''s fascinated gaze.


    "Do you know how to play Pomp and Circumstance?"


    Liu Dongli ate sunflower seeds and tried to request a song. "I don''t mind Tougen Renka or Gokuraku J¨­do either."


    "Get lost!"


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes. When he heard Pomp and Circumstance, he thought that the guy actually knew his stuff, but apparently he was thinking about a completely different song.


    "I''ll only play one song from Bach. Listen if you want, but get lost if you don''t."


    With that, Huai Shi ignored him and lowered his eyes, drawing his bow. After he made just one note, however, he stopped abruptly.


    He froze on the spot.


    The low hum of the string still lingered in the air, slowly reverberating and fading¡­ However, it did not sound the same as it used to. Rather, it felt completely different. It was not a matter of the texture or the rhythm, but there was a layering there that sounded completely unlike the past.


    It was like he had suddenly become a different person.


    No, it was more like he had suddenly obtained a different cello.


    Huai Shi had never thought he would be able to play such a gentle and soothing note with these hands and this old cello. It felt as though even that flat sound had been bestowed with considerable depth. He could feel the sound flowing.


    When he played the next note, that layered yet light melody flowed like water from the strings, as though it had been given life. It felt like the music was an extension of his will and his body, and his entire being left that tiny body. He ascended, turning into thick light and rain that spread everywhere, riding the melody and echoing through the large empty hall.


    This was a vague feeling that he could not grasp no matter how his instructor tried to explain it, but in this instant, he suddenly realized just how simple it was.


    The emotions that inexplicably surged from his chest melded into the low melody through his fingers and the movements of the cello. Like rivers flowing into the ocean, they lifted his consciousness and transported it to a distant place.


    "F*ck, did I level up?"


    He did not have the time to smack his lips and celebrate. He did not even have the space to enjoy that joy and excitement, because he had been attracted to his own melody now, and he could not help but lose himself in the deep and tragic sound of the cello.


    He seemed to fall asleep again. However, the dreams did not contain the same fear and terror that had been surrounding him.


    In the silent darkness, he felt like he was soaking in the water, quiet and peaceful.


    When he tried to open his eyes, his vision was blurry so he could not make out the details. All he could see was the light in the distance, rippling like the ride.


    When he tried to move his limbs, however, that darkness seemed to shatter, and he was back in the large empty hall.


    He was floating in mid-air.


    When Huai Shi lowered his head, he saw himself, lost in his playing.


    It was as though he had become two people. The physical him was lost in the performance, but the spiritual him seemed to have ridden the melody out of his body and into the air.


    Suddenly, he realized that Liu Dongli had left the hall without Huai Shi noticing.


    Huai Shi went around his surroundings curiously, and he discovered that he could go through the walls like a ghost. He could travel freely, but he could not leave the confines of the Chalcedony Museum.


    It felt like he was trapped in between invisible walls.


    "This is protection, you know? Don''t misunderstand their sincerity, Huai Shi."


    The illusory crow stood on a branch outside the wall, looking at him like she could read his mind. "Projecting your elementium is a very dangerous stunt. Without the protection of the Chalcedony Museum, you would''ve probably attracted all sorts of dangerous things by now, like a candle in the dark."


    With that, she flapped her wings and swatted Huai Shi right back. He had already climbed to the top of the wall. "Friendly word of advice, before you master the White Silver Stage, don''t try something like this anywhere else."


    Huai Shi barely even heard what she was saying, acting as though he was drunk or dreaming. He drifted like a fallen leaf, wandering here and gliding there, exploring the Chalcedony Museum.


    Soon enough, he found Liu Dongli sneaking around the third-floor washroom.


    While Huai Shi was occupied with his cello, Liu Dongli had snuck into the third-floor washroom and locked the door behind him. He looked around carefully, and once he was sure no one was looking, he reached out his hand and pulled a bottle out of his small bag.


    Huai Shi immediately held his breath.


    What on earth was Liu Dongli planning?


    Just as Huai Shi poked his head through the wall curiously to see just what the guy was up to, he saw Liu Dongli sigh and reach for the dyed blonde hair on his head¡­ before taking it right off.


    He took his hair off¡­


    Huai Shi''s eyes widened in shock. What was happening here?


    He saw Liu Dongli turn on his phone torch and face the mirror, shining his glossy bald scalp. His expression turned tortured. "I lost another two strands¡­ Ah, I lose some every time I use my ability¡­ That woman is vicious¡­"


    Liu Dongli held the two thin strands of hair, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. After he cursed Ai Qing for being heartless, he gave a long sigh and dug some cream from his bottle, rubbing it evenly across his head. When he heard that Huai Shi''s cello had stopped playing, he quickly put on his wig and left in a rush.


    As the playing ended, a speechless Huai Shi was also pulled back to his body by an invisible force.


    He opened his eyes and saw Liu Dongli sitting right where they left off, praising and applauding Huai Shi as though he had never left.


    "That was some good music."


    Liu Dongli advised Huai Shi seriously, "But there''s still room for improvement."


    For some reason, it felt as though there was suddenly pity in Huai Shi''s eyes when the boy looked at him.


    ¡­


    Either way, nothing happened that night.


    The next morning, before the sun was even up, Huai Shi was woken up by Liu Dongli''s rude knocking.


    After a rare night of normal sleep, he opened the doors tiredly and saw Liu Dongli with two eye bags, black as coal.


    His eyes were bloodshot.


    "What happened to you?" Huai Shi was stunned. "Why do you look like you saw a ghost?"


    "What do you think?"


    Liu Dongli looked at him wistfully. "What on earth is the matter with your house?"


    "What do you mean by that? It''s just a little worn and old, right?" Huai Shi leaned back in contempt. "Why are you city folk so soft?"


    "Soft, my butt! If it''s old and worn, I can just treat it like a camp. But you never told me your house is haunted."


    Liu Dongli''s expression turned even more vengeful. "Since midnight, I kept hearing dripping water in the toilet. That''s one thing, but the floorboards keep creaking! I can hear every single footstep clear as day!"


    "Old houses are all like that, right?" Huai Shi took his toiletries downstairs nonchalantly, and he even asked calmly, "Have you never seen aging facilities before?"


    "Do the aging facilities in your house sigh?!"


    Liu Dongli was downright losing it now. "Aren''t you afraid of your house being haunted?!"


    "¡­"


    Huai Shi was quiet for a while, the pity in his eyes deepening. After a long time, he patted Liu Dongli''s shoulder gently. "Old Liu, you must be tired, right? Ghosts don''t exist in this world¡­"


    It was only long after Huai Shi left that Liu Dongli, who stood frozen on the spot, finally realized what Huai Shi had said. Liu Dongli was so angry that he wanted to beat up Huai Shi''s entire family right here and now, creating a full combo while he was at it.


    "If you don''t want to call me First Brother, fine, but what the frick is Old Liu?! I''m old enough to be your uncle!"


    could refer to the march by Edward Elgar or the Japanese Vocaloid song also known as Ifuudoudou

 Chapter 13：The Smell of A Gigolo’s Pheromones

    It was completely silent inside the office of the Special Affairs Bureau.


    "You lost them?"


    Ai Qing sat in her wheelchair, looking at the man sweating behind his desk. "Are you telling me you lost two grown people, just like that?"


    "It can''t be helped. We only got a few shots of their side profiles from the security cameras on the streets, and they were wearing masks too. There was no way to tell where they came from. As for this photo¡­"


    The man looked at his desk, where there was the image of a man tied to a chair. It only made his headache worse. He pointed at the bridge of the nose and the cheekbones, saying, "You can clearly see that he has had plastic surgery done here, and not too long ago, too. It won''t be easy to find him."


    "If everything was so easy, the world would''ve been at peace for a long time now."


    Ai Qing was not bothered by brainless excuses like that. She pointed at the white powder in the plastic bag and asked, "What about this thing? Do we have any new leads?"


    "Uh¡­" The man visibly hesitated.


    "Is that so?" Ai Qing looked disappointed. "If you can''t catch them with the power of New Ocean, I''ll just have to report it to the Astronomical Association¡­"


    When that lid was removed, though, if anything less than pleasant was found, then things would really end up far from pleasant.


    "Cough cough cough, no, that''s not what I mean." The unlucky chap who had clearly been pushed out here to take the fall hurriedly shook his hands. He did not dare to act hard to get at all. "It''s not that we don''t want to cooperate, it''s just that unregulated psychedelics mixed with elementium is just too common. We can''t trace its origins at all."


    "Hm?" Ai Qing frowned.


    "Its main effect stems from that elementium, but too many border relics can create something like this, and it''s just too easy to change up the composition. There are already several dozen types that we''ve found circulating the market, and if we investigate with the Astronomical Association''s databank of illegal substances, we might even end up finding ten thousand types.


    "After all, the abilities of Ascenders and those products from hell don''t adhere to common sense at all. That''s why we''re really powerless to handle this."


    The man wiping away his sweat had fully embraced their pathetic inability.


    "Since you''re not capable of it, why did you have to go dragging us down?" Ai Qing pulled back her disappointed gaze, and the man heaved a sigh of relief.


    After she pushed the door open, however, Ai Qing turned around and asked suddenly, "Since there are so many things you can''t do, I''m sure you would definitely help when it comes to things that you can, right?"


    "...Yes, that''s right."


    The man behind the desk stared for a long time before he inwardly cursed out those useless pieces of trash who never got their work done. After he made sure to note down this grudge they owed him, he forced a smile. "We''ll definitely give you our full cooperation."


    "I''m so glad to hear that."


    The door closed.


    ¡­


    "Music!"


    In the dimly-lit room, there were two figures curled up against each other on the couch, whispering sweet nothings. One of them raised a hand and snapped his fingers.


    Hence, Huai Shi began to play his cello in the corner of the room, his expression completely blank and numb.


    In his bag, the emotionless Book of Destiny wrote, "On my first day working with Liu Dongli, he made me play for him. One day, I''ll make him pay for this."


    That was right. This was Huai Shi''s first day as a gigolo.


    In order to earn a living, he had fallen from a graceful cellist to Liu Dongli''s personal BGM player. They worked as a pair, one selling his body and the other his art. Soon, they would become curly-haired V-necked superstar gigolos¡­ As if!


    ''Other people get personal bodyguards, so why the heck am I getting personalized by my bodyguard?''


    Sleeping in the same house was one thing, but he insisted on going to work together too!


    Was that really necessary?!


    If it were not for the threat to his life and the daily fee of eight hundred bucks that Ai Qing gave him, he would have gotten up and left ages ago.


    Now, however, he was probably stuck with this gigolo until this incident was over.


    Huai Shi''s demands really were not all that high. He could take the fall, while they jumped into the flames.


    Once this was over, everyone would part ways and unanimously pretend that nothing ever happened. It would be best if they never had anything to do with each other again.


    After he sent that stupid crow away too, he could restart his life and use the cheat code that he had finally activated to reach the pinnacle of his life. He would achieve his dreams of marrying a fair, pretty and wealthy wife, counting so much cash that he broke several dozen cash counters, and becoming so famous that he was turned into a pretty girl in a gacha game.


    Halfway through his baseless fantasies, he was astute enough to suddenly hear the quiet sobs from the couch.


    The alcohol and sad cello music made the woman in Liu Dongli''s arms break, succumbing to the sorrow in her heart. She sobbed out loud and held Liu Dongli''s hand.


    "In my heart, I''ve always¡­ always thought of you as my son¡­ I''m sorry I kept hiding it from you, but if my son were alive, he would surely¡­ surely be as old as you are now¡­"


    Huai Shi sniggered quietly, and Liu Dongli''s professional smile stiffened somewhat.


    After he finally sent the client away, he turned back and immediately saw the jest in Huai Shi''s expression.


    "Oh ho¡ª"


    Huai Shi considered him and sighed from the bottom of his heart. "Do I smell the true essence of gigolohood?"


    "Stop spouting nonsense out of your butt!" Liu Dongli rolled his eyes. "What you''re smelling is my pheromones! I already slept with her so many damn times, but somehow I became her son!"


    "Tsk-tsk, isn''t this when you''re supposed to say you''re comforting lonely ladies and warming their hearts? Then you''ll change my mind about gigolohood as a profession¡­"


    "I suspect you might have a problem up here." Liu Dongli gave him a sideways glance and pointed at his brain. "No matter how nicely you put it, gigolos are only selling their smiles and their bodies. There''s nothing fancy or mighty about it."


    "You seem to be having fun with it, though?" Huai Shi blinked, and his gaze turned pitiful again. "Could it be that you''re actually into older ladies?"


    "As if!"


    Liu Dongli gave him a look of utter contempt. "Do you really think everyone''s as flat broke as you are? Back then, I used this face to earn as much as I wanted. Within a few days, I had forty million¡­"


    Huai Shi stayed calm. "I see. And then?"


    "...And then I was caught," Liu Dongli said drily. "That woman personally apprehended me. After that, she said if you like swindling women out of their money so much, you should just go be a gigolo. I''ll be free once I manage to return all the money I cheated off of them."


    Huai Shi was flabbergasted. "So you actually went and became a gigolo?"


    "What choice did I have? Let them send me to the border? My ability only works on humans. If I go there, I''ll definitely die." Liu Dongli smoked his cigarette, frustrated. "Do you think you could shake your head if they had a gun stuffed in your mouth? I nearly wet myself!"


    At that point, Huai Shi was extremely curious, so he approached Liu Dongli and asked in a whisper, "Didn''t you use your ability then?"


    Liu Dongli''s expression wilted even further, and after a long time, he finally forced out the words.


    "I used it, but it was no use."


    "Wait, did you use it or not?!"


    "I did, but it didn''t work at all."


    Liu Dongli shook his head, defeated. "After that, I kept thinking back on it. I did use it, and because I wanted to run away, I even amped it up ten times! When I used that ability, she should''ve fallen madly in love with me¡­


    "It''s so ironic, isn''t it? Her name''s Ai Qing, but love means nothing to her. Nothing at all."


    "Urk¡­"


    Huai Shi compared that to the woman he had met a few days ago, and it left him a little stunned. "Are you sure you''re describing a person and not Armored Godzilla?"


    Eventually, Liu Dongli looked at him like he was an idiot. "Are you kidding? She''s the leader of the Astronomical Association in New Ocean. She''s an invigilator with the power to temporarily boss every Ascender around.


    "Godzilla is nothing compared to her. If you offend Godzilla, you''ll just die a painful death, but if you offend her, you''ll face a fate worse than death!"


    As the two of them chatted, they walked out of the club''s back door and now they were on the streets, looking for a place to eat.


    Liu Dongli was paying for the meal.


    He could not take any more of the noodles in boiled water they ate at Huai Shi''s place.


    "If I don''t eat meat soon, I''ll end up digesting my own abs¡­" Liu Dongli patted his stomach narcissistically. "Shall we have hotpot?"


    Huai Shi gave him a look and said darkly, "I hear that eating too much hotpot will make your butt hurt.''


    Liu Dongli paused and realized that this little b*stard was insinuating at something else. He could not help but lift his leg and give that dirty-mouthed punk a good kicking.


    Eventually, he could get that slight off his mind, so they went home after a simple meal of noodles. Liu Dongli even complained that walking was tiring, whining that he wanted to drive to work the next day.


    "Hey, it''s already twelve."


    Huai Shi walked down the road, yawning. "Can''t you leave work earlier? I''m only seventeen this year, bro. I''m still growing!"


    "Are you now? You look like you''re about done. Where else do you intend to grow?" Liu Dongli scoffed. "Besides, no gigolo works in the day. I already skipped the second half of my workday for you!"


    He even rubbed his fingers as he said that, asking Huai Shi to guess how much he could have earned.


    Huai Shi''s expression immediately turned strange, and he turned back to look at Liu Dongli for a long time before suddenly asking,


    "Does that mean my earlier statement was asking you to repent your sins?"


    "...Get lost!"


    While he was getting his butt beaten in the middle of the road, Huai Shi heard the sound of a crow''s wings flapping. A black crow landed on a tree in front of him, and it turned around to look at him.


    For some reason, Huai Shi suddenly felt a chill.


    Thanks to the crow''s tip, he abruptly turned his head to look behind him.


    At the very end of the long and quiet suburban street, the dim street lights illuminated a hunched figure, crouching silently on a fire hydrant.


    It raised its somewhat ridiculous ape mask.


    Its cold eyes watched them intently.


    ...He was finally here!


    Almost instantly, Liu Dongli reacted and pushed Huai Shi behind him with his left hand, stuffing his handbag into Huai Shi''s chest.


    His right hand reached into his pocket and grabbed the weapon in the holster.


    His feet rapidly retreated.


    At the same time, there was the sharp shriek of scraping metal from the bottom of the Vicious Ape''s feet.


    As those sharp claws slowly built momentum, the fire hydrant was torn apart like thin paper. The figure leaped up and pounced at them, a pillar of water shooting from the destroyed hydrant in its wake.


    Huai Shi stumbled backward and looked around him in a panic, but while he was terrified, he could not help but be grateful for one thing: Thank goodness that thing decided to attack them here.


    If they had walked a little further, there would be no more street lamps¡­ Liu Dongli''s ability may not work at all in the pitch-black darkness.


    Before Huai Shi could think of anything else, the Vicious Ape howled as it zipped through the sky. In an instant, it was ten steps away from them.


    As for Liu Dongli, he was already standing directly under the streetlamp.


    He raised his hand and combed the hair in front of his forehead, giving the Vicious Ape a small smile.


    In the blink of an eye, an ability that Huai Shi could not use was activated, and using Liu Dongli''s face as an intermediary, the ability was reflected right into the Vicious Ape''s eyes.


    Suddenly, its movements stiffened and it fell from the sky.


    It could not move.


    It could barely even breathe.


    Liu Dongli did not dare to let his guard down, though. He raised the gun in his hand and aimed at it, pulling the trigger. Amidst the loud blast, Huai Shi suddenly saw his vision go black.


    The streetlamp was blinking.


    He was stunned, and he looked around in shock to see the electrical box next to the hydrant emitting thick smoke.


    Thanks to the cascading pillar of water, sparks and smoke poured out of the circuits relentlessly. The lights flickered madly, and there was the boom of an explosion.


    The lights went off completely.


    What the f*ck! What kind of a useless job did the city government''s construction company do here?!


    a homophone for love in Chinese

 Chapter 14：Nue

    In the darkness, Huai Shi once more felt that paralyzing chill coming from his forehead. It was that horrifying feeling he had in those countless nightmares, the skill that he had honed by experiencing death more times than he could count¡ª his Premonition of Death skill had been activated!


    Huai Shi did not even have the time to think. He fell to the ground abruptly and rolled around like mad, remembering what the crow had said earlier. An endless stream of painful memories filled his mind, and his right hand soon felt warm again. He had created a handful of Disastrous Dust by reliving those negative memories.


    There was the sound of the ground shattering behind him. He held his breath and scattered the powder.


    There was a second of silence.


    The next second, he heard the Vicious Ape''s tragic scream.


    "F*ck¡­ Lights!"


    Liu Dongli shouted, "Lights! Lights! Lights lights!"


    "Pfft!"


    It was an extremely dangerous situation, but hs could not help but burst out laughing. ''Sorry, I didn''t think you''re a motherf*cking Intel¡­''


    Without wasting any more time, he pulled Liu Dongli''s phone out of his bag, turned on the torch, and threw it at Liu Dongli.


    "Catch!"


    Smash!


    The phone shattered in mid-air, and he saw merely a glimpse of the Vicious Ape''s gruesome face in the revolving light. It seemed to have noticed what Liu Dongli''s ability was, so it would not allow even a shred of light.


    Huai Shi''s hands did not stop, and he tossed his nearly-defunct phone at Liu Dongli. "Catch again!"


    Smash!


    The phone shattered in mid-air again.


    Alright, now both of them lost their phones.


    "F*ck, couldn''t you have waited a little longer?" Liu Dongli was furious. Since Huai Shi threw one phone and it was smashed, why the heck would he throw the other one?


    "Or you could''ve done it faster! That would work too!"


    "So do you want me to go faster or slower?!"


    Huai Shi was mad now too, and as he ran clumsily away, he searched through the bottles and tubes in Liu Dongli''s bag. "Here''s your lotion, catch!"


    Smash!


    That was squeezed so hard it burst too.


    After that, there was a gunshot and a flash of gunfire, but no one could tell if the bullet hit that creepy monkey. Either way, Huai Shi felt something sweep past his heel, and it scared him so badly he nearly fell to his knees.


    "Couldn''t you aim any better?!"


    "Shut up!" Liu Dongli howled impatiently.


    "So do you want your stuff or not?" Anger rose in Huai Shi''s heart, and he grabbed another bottle, throwing that instead. "Your eye cream, catch!"


    Smash!


    "Sunglasses and keys, catch!"


    While Liu Dongli and that damned monkey fought to the death, Huai Shi kept throwing things over, and the endless loop of shattering sounds made Liu Dongli''s heart shatter too.


    Eventually, the bag was becoming empty, so Huai Shi just threw everything at once.


    "Serum, eye cream, facial cream, essence, and what''s this¡­?" Huai Shi gave it a glance. ''Oh, a make-up mirror! Catch!"


    Even the Vicious Ape could not be bothered with all that junk now.


    To its surprise, however, Liu Dongli actually threw caution to the winds and pounced forth, fishing his mirror out of the air. He even ignored the fact that the Vicious Ape was right in front of him.


    In an instant, Liu Dongli caught it and turned around to give that cursed monkey a cold smile through the darkness.


    "¡ªBehold my breathtaking beauty, motherf*cker!"


    The next moment, light shone from his hand.


    It had not expected this, but Huai Shi and Liu Dongli had been waiting for this moment¡ª That dandy Liu Dongli even had a light attached to his make-up mirror!


    It was a ring-shaped 360-degree blind-spot-free whitening gentle LED light too!


    Under that instantaneous light, the Vicious Ape''s metallic claw was barely inches from Liu Dongli''s face, but the moment it lit up, the attacker stopped suddenly.


    At that moment, there was nothing it could do. Even Huai Shi fell for it and accidentally saw that face.


    He immediately froze to the spot, unable to move.


    All he could say, again and again, was "oof!"


    Liu Dongli was falling, but he did not even have the time to recover. Raising his gun, he shot randomly and cleared out his last two bullets¡­ but there was still no sign of any blood.


    Finally, he crashed to the ground, almost face-first, before scrambling back to his feet.


    Immediately after that, he heard the Vicious Ape''s shrill screech. It suddenly raised its metal claws and dug at its eyes. There was the sound of a layered thunk, and sticky blood spewed from the holes in the mask.


    This time, it would never see Liu Dongli''s face again.


    It suddenly swung its arm and tore a hole in Huai Shi''s arm. If Liu Dongli had not retracted his ability so quickly, Huai Shi''s neck might have snapped in half.


    Huai Shi was so scared now that his face turned white.


    "What the heck, bro! Does your ability work or not?!"


    Liu Dongli grew furious as well. "I don''t have much hair left, so there''s not much I can do!"


    ''So your breathtaking beauty primarily comes from your hair?!''


    The two of them rolled to a side and did not even dare to breathe loudly. They tried their best to stay completely silent, making not a single sound.


    In the silence, there was only the Vicious Ape with his eyes of blood pacing around, brutally tearing anything that made any noise into pieces.


    Eventually, Huai Shi heard a helpless sigh.


    The wind blew fiercely, piercing through the pitch-black cloud. The cleansing moonlight illuminated the dead-quiet street.


    Directly ahead of them down the street, Ai Qing looked at them, dressed in black and sitting in her wheelchair. She shook her head crossly and pushed her wheelchair, advancing slowly.


    There was only the soft whir of the wheelchair turning in the silence.


    The maddened Vicious Ape shrieked and suddenly turned around. Its empty eye sockets glared in the direction of the sound, and it pounced!


    Ai Qing shook her head somewhat impatiently and sighed. From the wheelchair pocket next to her, she pulled out a¡­ gun of a model that Huai Shi could not recognize, and she released the safety with the hand of an expert.


    Aiming ahead, she pulled the trigger.


    In that instant, all Huai Shi saw was a string of scorching-hot light burst from the barrel. There was a high and piercing screech, and then the Vicious Ape froze in mid-air, shaking madly like a torn plastic bag floating in the wind. Finally, it fell to the ground, spasming and screaming in agony.


    Having shot out an entire load of bullets, Ai Qing calmly yanked off the magazine and threw it to the side. There was only the sound of the casings clinking against the ground now.


    Was it over?


    Just as Huai Shi was shocked, the torn-up money on the ground suddenly crawled back up again, rushing toward the side.


    It wanted to escape.


    Ai Qing could not even be bothered to stop it.


    Almost immediately, a faint red dot appeared on the Vicious Ape''s body.


    Bam!


    All of a sudden, there was a loud bang from the distance.


    It was followed by an entire volley.


    The Vicious Ape looked like it was struck by lightning. One of its legs was suddenly reduced to a cloud of blood, and soon after, a hole appeared in its chest as well. It was ripped open from the back, so the monkey''s organs spewed out like mud.


    Several large holes appeared on the ground, like the craters formed when metal hammers instantly crashed down.


    Thanks to those snipers from afar, that monster instantly became a torn-up ragdoll. The unbelievable part, though, was that it was still alive.


    It struggled madly, getting up with the help of its hands and its remaining left leg. It then desperately ran outside on all threes, moving unbelievably quickly.


    Finally, it was basically flying away while hovering near the ground!


    Before they knew it, it disappeared into the darkness amidst the gunfire.


    Only then did Liu Dongli finally heave a sigh of relief. He fell on his butt and pulled a cigarette out of his pocket. Lighting it, he took quite a few puffs before he managed to properly catch his breath.


    If Ai Qing had not gotten here in time, he would have definitely died here earlier.


    "Still, when did you call the cab to get here? You were so fast¡­"


    "Why don''t you guess?"


    Ai Qing did not give him a direct answer. Instead, she looked at him like he was an idiot, as usual. It made Liu Dongli sigh exasperatedly.


    Fine, so there was no need for her to call a cab at all.


    Over the past two days, it seemed there were probably several people taking turns to watch him from the shadows all day long¡­ That woman was totally heartless, was she not?


    "And here I thought the two of you could handle it on your own! Look how this turned out. You''re practically helpless once the lights are on, right? I can''t believe you''ve fallen so low."


    She insulted Liu Dongli heartlessly before asking, "Did you discover anything?"


    "I''m not sure about his soul ability, but I think I saw his stigma in a professor''s chart before¡­" Liu Dongli scratched his head. "I think it''s the Nue, right?''


    He gave it some thought and grew even more certain. "It''s a third stage Ether-grade stigma¡ª the Nue."


    The Nue was a legendary creature.


    It apparently had the face of a monkey, the body of a raccoon dog, the limbs of a tiger and the tail of a snake. It had no wings, but it could fly nonetheless.


    "It looks like it just reached Ether-grade and can''t fly that well. If it weren''t for that, my body would be cold by now."


    Liu Dongli wiped the cold sweat from his face and panted. "F*ck, I barely just reached ''Gold'' myself, but I managed to survive a fight with an ''Ether'', someone one level higher than me? Sheesh, that was close.


    "Where did this Ether-grade Ascender come from? I thought the only Ether-grade in the entire New Ocean is the professor."


    "So we even have an Ether-grade Ascender now, huh? Those guys sure have their hands full this time¡­" Ai Qing gave the distance an amused glance before tapping the armrest on her wheelchair. "The situation isn''t too bad, at least, and your efforts did not go to waste, the two of you. Now I have more scapegoats to use in an emergency, too."


    "..."


    Liu Dongli was silent. As he looked at that pretty side profile, his heart felt cold.


    With such a terrible invigilator on his case, his future was bleak.


    After a short musing, Ai Qing raised her head and asked, "Are there any other findings?"


    "Hmm? Nope."


    Liu Dongli paused and immediately shook his head violently.


    "In that case, carry on with the operation. I''ll call you whenever I find a clue on my end."


    She finally gave Liu Dongli a glance, and her gaze swept across Huai Shi, but she did not say anything. She just turned her wheelchair around and left.


    After a long time standing in the silence, Huai Shi finally reacted.


    "Is it m, or is she not that fond of me?"


    Liu Dongli rolled his eyes. "I''ve never seen her fond of anyone, okay? But you might really have offended her last time, so you better keep your fingers crossed."


    He patted the boy''s shoulder forcefully, but his heart could not help but sink.


    This was the only thing he had kept hidden¡ª the instant when the street lamps went off, he sensed a faint trace of elementium activating behind him.


    ¡ªThis kid¡­ might have the potential to become an Ascender.


    ¡­


    In the secret room. The ''Master'' saw the mess of flesh and blood that used to be the Vicious Ape. The sight froze him on the spot.


    "What the heck happened?!"


    "It was a trap¡­ A trap by the Astronomical Association!" the Vicious Ape screeched angrily. "That brat had an Ascender bodyguard with him! And a sniper, too!


    The Master remained rooted and stunned.


    "What''re you just standing there for?!"


    The Vicious Ape withstood the agony and ripped off the mask, revealing a distorted old face that was lined with ruthlessness. "I can''t hold on much longer. Give me some elementium, stat!"


    The Master instinctively held the box. "B-but¡­ There isn''t much elementium left."


    "Don''t you have all those old farts you can harvest?!" The Vicious Ape clambered up from the bed and supported its body with one leg, approaching the Master dangerously. "Give me all of it! This all happened because I''m trying to help you clean your mess!"


    The Master involuntarily took out the box, and the Vicious Ape snatched it away instantly.


    It opened the box impatiently and opened it, staring at the layer of clear spring water within. It was as transparent as a fog. The Vicious Ape pressed its face into the box and sucked it in greedily.


    Soon enough, there was a harsh grating sound. The flesh and bone regenerated with the cacophony of clashing metal. New organs and limbs sprouted from the disfigured body.


    By the time all the limbs were back in place, the Master hurriedly took the box back. When he saw how much less elementium there was inside, his face grew even paler from the heartache.


    "What about the powder? Can you give me some?" The Vicious Ape wiped its face and reached into the Master''s pocket, pulling out a packet of powder. It took a good whiff of the substance and shuddered, but the blood had now returned to its face. It stumbled a few steps backward and sat on the bed.


    "You''re the chief the Lord chose, so what do you plan to do now?"


    The Master stayed silent and instinctively bit his finger, as though lost in thought.


    After a long time, a hint of ruthlessness flashed across his face.


    "Since the Astronomical Association is onto us, we can''t stay here in New Ocean for much longer."


    He opened his mouth and looked at his finger, bloody from the biting. His voice was hoarse as he said, "After the last mass tomorrow, we''ll change locations. Let''s leave overnight¡­ There are still six months until the New Year, so if we work harder and get enough elementium, the Lord won''t punish us¡­"


    "What about the mission?" the Vicious Ape asked. "The mission in the quarantine zone?"


    The Master shuddered.


    He did not say a thing.


    ''lights'' in Chinese is pronounced deng. If you still don''t get it, YouTube ''intel logo''

 Chapter 15：The Daily Life Of A Happy Host

    In the morning, the dew gathered on the bow, and there were wet stains on the cello case.


    On days as humid as today, these things should be properly maintained and cared for¡­ but Huai Shi did not have the time for that now.


    After he practiced his cello and meditated for two hours as per his routine, he sat on the step in his garden and stared.


    Of course, his butt felt cold as a result.


    "I''ll just put a cushion here next time."


    Once he could no longer sit there, he stood up and patted the dust off his trousers, going for an aimless walk around the bald garden.


    The sutures sealing the wound on his arm still hurt as he swung his arms.


    It reminded him once more just how much danger he had been in last night.


    No, rather, it deeply reminded him just what kind of a situation he was in right now¡­ As he was now, he was far from being able to guarantee his own safety.


    Although he always felt that a life as steeped in poverty in this one was meaningless, no one who could live would prefer to die.


    Besides, Huai Shi''s life had not truly begun yet.


    Living was pretty nice.


    He wanted to stay here a little longer.


    "Daydreaming in the garden again?"


    He suddenly heard the sound of a crow landing on the fence. "Couldn''t you choose a different place?"


    "I like it. Is that so wrong?"


    "You should work a little harder, Huai Shi. You''re really close to Ascending." She sighed like a disappointed parent and gestured with her wings. "It''s just such a little bit to go."


    Huai Shi was not at all enthusiastic about this, though. "There''s not much point even if I do Ascend, right? Will I be able to make more chili powder, maybe?


    "No matter how much stronger I get, I can''t beat that thing last night, can I?"


    "How many times do I have to tell you? The Disastrous Dust is just a side-product of your soul''s attribute. Your soul will only drastically change after you complete your Ascension. Besides, did you think that monkey was really using its own power last night?''


    "Hmm?"


    "The Nue is a stigma from Weizhou''s legendary records. It''s a product of the third stage, Etherification."


    The crow gave him a meaningful look. "Ascension is just the beginning, Huai Shi. Ascenders with potential tend to awaken at eleven or twelve years old, so you''re already at a disadvantage. Don''t go slacking off now.


    "Perhaps you''re hoping that everything will go back to normal after this incident, but I think I have to make one thing clear¡ª owners of the Book of Destiny will be fated to walk down the path to the pinnacle of this world. Power, riches, beauties, all will be within reach, but the only thing you will never have is a peaceful life."


    Huai Shi was silent for a long time, holding the notebook in his hand.


    "...Is there still time for me to throw this away?"


    The crow gave it some thought, and suddenly she seemed excited. "I don''t recommend that, but I haven''t heard of any such precedent in history before, so I''m really curious about what will happen. Do you want to give it a try?"


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes.


    "That''s why, if you can''t fight it, just enjoy it." The crow stretched out her wing and patted his shoulder sympathetically. "At least you still have a relatively peaceful life right now, in a manner of speaking."


    That was right, aside from the fact that he was almost dead broke, working at a gigolo club, stumbled across a corpse on the street, was randomly hunted down, was now living with a bald gigolo, and was being used as bait¡­


    For some reason, when he thought of that, Huai Shi suddenly remembered that girl he had only seen twice, the girl in the wheelchair who only seemed to be one or two years older than him.


    Ai Qing.


    He seemed to have seen her somewhere before, but when he really thought about it, he could not find any memory of her in his short and empty life until now.


    No matter what, nobody would forget seeing such a pretty girl in a wheelchair, right?


    He scratched his head, but he just could not remember anything, no matter how hard he tried.


    Finally, he heard the car horn at the door telling him to go to work, and it was only then he picked up his cello case, reluctantly shuffling over.


    It was the start of another day of torture in the life of the half-*ssed gigolo, Huai Shi¡­


    As was only natural, he soon got into trouble again.


    ...


    "If you''re working here, it means you''re selling yourself, right? So why are you acting all high and mighty?"


    In front of Liu Dongli, that skinny woman who was old enough to be Huai Shi''s mother pointed at Huai Shi, who stood behind Liu Dongli. All of a sudden, she splashed wine at Huai Shi.


    "I''ve bought more than a dozen champagne towers here now, so is it that hard to get him to come here for a drink or two with me? Does he really think he''s some angel? Get your manager out here, I don''t f*cking believe this¡­"


    It was utter chaos, and Huai Shi just stood at the back, smiling awkwardly. Finally, he was shoved out of the room in a hurry.


    After some time, Liu Dongli finally settled the problem and searched high and low before eventually finding Huai Shi waiting for lunch in front of a pancake stall outside the club''s back entrance.


    The punk had been letting his daily allowance of eight hundred bucks get to his head. He even dared to add two ham sausages to his pancake, looking like he was on top of the world. Liu Dongli had been extremely frustrated, but now he could not help but click his tongue in amazement. "It''s only your second day of work, and you''ve had six complaints already. How do you do it?"


    Huai Shi gave it some serious thought before venturing, "Maybe it''s cuz I''m good-looking?"


    "Huai Shi, seriously¡­" Liu Dongli sighed. "She threw wine at your face and even scratched you, so how can you act like it''s nothing?"


    "What else can I do?"


    Huai Shi stared at him blankly. "Do you want me to go back in there and kick her in the butt, telling her that the tides come and go, so she should not think I''ll stay poor forever?


    "Besides, I expected this to happen. Is it really anything to be angry about? If I get mad over every small thing like this, I would''ve died of anger four or five years ago."


    "..."


    Liu Dongli had no words for that, so all he could think was, ''This kid always tends to have some unexpected merit in all these weird places.''


    Ever since he brought Huai Shi to work, partly as a mean joke, Huai Shi had encountered a ton of terrible things, but he never once lost his temper or flipped a table. Even when he received wine in the face, he just smiled and moved aside. He did not fight back when he was hit or cussed out.


    Although he could not keep his mouth clean for a second in private, it was true that his patience was extraordinary.


    He was so optimistic that one could not help but wonder if he had a screw loose somewhere.


    Liu Dongli watched as he waited for his pancake, all smiles, and for some reason, it frustrated him. It made him feel like he was bullying an honest kid and forcing him into sinning, as though his conscience had been reduced to shreds.


    "You don''t have to keep waiting, let''s go."


    Liu Dongli yanked him back into the club to get changed. "Let''s skip work in the afternoon, and I''ll bring you somewhere good to eat."


    "Really? Have you finally found your conscience?" Huai Shi was pleasantly surprised. "So when will you pay the electricity bill?"


    Liu Dongli was climbing up the steps, and he nearly tripped. Turning back to glare at Huai Shi, he said, "I''m acting as your bodyguard for free, so why do I have to pay for the electricity too?"


    "You''re the one who wanted a water heater," Huai Shi said. "Can''t you just use cold water?"


    "Hey, do you have a conscience?! I even got hurt trying to save you last night, and cold water baths are really bad on the skin, alright?!"


    "...Yeah, it''s really bad for your hair, too" came Huai Shi''s reply from behind.


    Liu Dongli visibly stumbled on the stairs and nearly came rolling down.


    When he changed, Huai Shi purposely put on sunglasses and a huge mask, covering his face. He looked just like a hoodlum ready to stir up some trouble.


    He had no choice. Working at the club was one thing, but if his friends really managed to take a picture of him, that would be another problem altogether.


    He finally managed to get away last time, but he could not afford to be recognized again this time.


    Unfortunately¡­ things never went the way he wanted. Luck was never on Huai Shi''s side, and as soon as he walked out of the door, he heard a voice behind him call,


    "Is that Lil Shi? It''s Lil Shi, right?!"

 Chapter 16：Universal Love

    "Is that Lil Shi? It''s Lil Shi, right?!"


    Before Huai Shi could process the voice, he saw the skinny woman standing behind him. Her face was slightly pallid, and she wore a wooly hat even in this summer heat. There was no trace of her hair underneath.


    "...Sis-in-law?"


    He had not seen her in a while, so Huai Shi could barely recognize her now. He could barely believe this was the unscrupulous agent Old Yang''s wife, the only kind heart left in Old Yang''s family.


    The last time Huai Shi saw her, she was a beauty with waist-length black hair and rosy cheeks. Now, however, her hair had fallen off after all that chemotherapy, and her complexion was terribly weak.


    Only her smile remained as warm and friendly as ever.


    "Sigh, your Brother Yang said you''ve been working here for the past few days. I thought he was lying, but to think it''s actually the truth¡­"


    Before Huai Shi could say anything, she walked up to him with one hand holding her vegetables and the other hand on his. "You haven''t eaten yet, right? C''mon, it''s Brother Yang''s birthday today, so let''s go have a nice meal at home!"


    ¡­


    Half an hour later, Huai Shi and Old Yang looked at each other across the boiling hotpot on the table and the wisps of rising smoke.


    After a long time, Old Yang glanced at his wife, busying herself in the kitchen. He turned back around and said wistfully, "She asked you to come, but did you really have to come¡­?"


    "Why not?" Huai Shi patted his knee. "You said you wanted to treat me to a meal, right?"


    "I was just being polite, don''t take it seriously¡­"


    "Then what about the way you conned me into a gigolo club?"


    "That was a misunderstanding."


    Old Yang rolled his eyes to the ceiling. "Besides, you seem to be enjoying it, right? You even brought your colleague here. See, I saw the best in you when even you didn''t know it¡­"


    "Oh, can it already!"


    Huai Shi huffed when Old Yang brought that up. If this b*stard had not sacrificed his conscience for that tiny commission, would Huai Shi be as unfortunate as he was now?


    "Can we eat now? I''m hungry."


    In a corner of the living room, Liu Dongli raised his head and asked. This b*stard was also the type who did not know how to hold back. When someone offered to treat them to a meal, he followed Huai Shi here without even trying to be polite. Right now, he was crouching in front of the aquarium, playing with the fish by sprinkling fish food.


    Stingy Old Yang was so angry that his eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets.


    "Aye, I''m coming! Thanks for your patience, everyone. Here, time to eat."


    Sis-in-law brought the chopped vegetables out of the kitchen and called Liu Dongli over to eat. She even mixed the sauces for them. When she saw how unhappy Old Yang looked, she even glared at him. "It isn''t often that Lil Shi comes here to eat, so why''re you looking all grumpy? Oh, this is Lil Shi''s colleague, right? You sure are handsome¡­ C''mon, time to eat!"


    After his wife glared at him, Old Yang''s hard temper wilted, and he put a piece of meat into the hotpot, sulking. He even mumbled that Huai Shi did not give them a commission this time.


    Old Yang''s surly expression was the best flavor enhancer, so Huai Shi truly enjoyed this meal. After they were done, Old Yang was exiled to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Huai Shi sat in the living room and chatted with Sis-in-law happily. She was already looking better than she had before, so it seemed that Old Yang''s conscience-killing exploits helped after all.


    "I''ll just take every day I can get, one day at a time." Sis-in-law ignored Huai Shi''s advice and lit a cigarette nonchalantly. "I mean, this disease is torturing me enough as it is, but I feel bad that Old Yang is getting pulled into this mess too."


    "What are you even saying?"


    Old Yang had been eavesdropping from the kitchen, and presently he stuck his head out to say angrily, "What the heck are you doing, Li Xuemei? What did the doctor say? Put out that cigarette, now! Right this instant!"


    "What did you say?" Sis-in-law turned around to look at him.


    "..."


    Old Yang''s knees went weak, and he lowered his voice. "Please put the cigarette out."


    "That''s more like it."


    Sis-in-law gave Huai Shi a cocky look and threw the cigarette into an ashtray, whispering to Huai Shi, "You see that? If he tries to con you out of your money again, tell me and I''ll teach him a lesson."


    "...Sure, sure!"


    Huai Shi''s eyes lit up. This just showed that there was an antidote to every poison, and everything in this world had its weakness¡­


    Once their stomachs were full and the dishes were clean, an aproned Old Yang finally managed to walk these two freeloaders out of his house, just as he had wanted to all this time.


    As they walked, he glared at Liu Dongli angrily. That stupid flirt had been up to his tricks in front of Old Yang''s wife, so Old Yang bulled him into calling them a cab. Once he was gone, Old Yang turned to look at Huai Shi.


    His gaze was strange.


    "What''s the matter?"


    Huai Shi instinctively took one step backward. His first reaction was, ''He''s so embarrassed and pissed that he wants to beat me up now.''


    Old Yang stared at him suspiciously for a long time before he pulled the boy over and whispered, "You didn''t offend anyone, did you, kid?"


    "Hmm?"


    Huai Shi finally reacted and he immediately heard Old Yang say, "Someone came by my place yesterday trying to get some info about you. Offered quite a bit of money, too."


    "You didn''t tell them, did you?" Huai Shi grew anxious.


    Old Yang rolled his eyes. "Did you have to ask? Of course I did!"


    "That''s g¡­ Wait!" Huai Shi raised his eyes. "What did you say?"


    The sellout Old Yang sighed and held up five fingers. "They gave me fifty thousand in exchange for some info about you. Even if I didn''t tell them, do you really think they won''t be able to find out from your school? You''d better think carefully, kid. Have you gotten involved in anything fishy lately?"


    "..."


    Although he had long since been aware of this man''s utter lack of scruples, Huai Shi still had the urge to beat him up.


    After that, he saw Old Yang pull up his apron and stuff two rolls into Huai Shi''s pocket.


    Huai Shi touched them and froze.


    They were two thick rolls of cash.


    There was at least twenty thousand there.


    "Big Bro was wrong this time. I betrayed you¡­ but I just need the money too badly. If you''re really mad, you can beat me up." He lowered his head and begged for forgiveness. "Take the money and go somewhere else for a few days. Don''t come back for now. I''ll keep an ear out and call you when the storm''s blown over."


    Huai Shi had not expected that b*stard to suddenly grow a conscience, and all of a sudden, his emotions felt very complicated. He did not even know what to say. After being screwed around with for so long, he finally received some apology money and it somehow left him rather touched.


    Although he really wanted to hit Old Yang, his fist grew powerless when he remembered Sis-in-law''s pale face.


    Forget it. They had been comrades in suffering for so many years now. If Old Yang did not con him, was he supposed to stand back and watch his wife die?


    Huai Shi only had one other question.


    "Who''s asking about me?"


    "Those guys didn''t say. They just acted all mysterious." Old Yang smoked a cigarette in frustration and snorted coldly. "Did they really think I was stupid? As if I wouldn''t search up a license plate number. Apparently, they''re from some charity with some pretentious name. I think it was¡­"


    He scratched his head for a long time before suddenly patting the back of his skull. He remembered now.


    "¡ªUniversal Compassion!"


    ¡­


    Two hours later, Huai Shi sat in the armored vehicle, looking quite confused.


    What the heck was this?


    What the heck was happening?


    Who the heck were they playing?


    The three questions of life that he was so familiar with filled his mind once more.

 Chapter 17：An Environmentally-friendly Bucket

    After Liu Dongli called Ai Qing to report the Universal Compassion matter to her, what followed was a dizzying sequence of arrangements.


    Within ten minutes, a black salon car screeched to a halt in front of them, and two people politely invited them to board the car, taking them to that strange organization where Huai Shi had been interrogated last time.


    By the time he walked through the door, the entire so-called Universal Compassion had been investigated from the bottom up.


    Inside the conference room, the middle-aged man who had been in charge of Huai Shi''s interrogation earlier was staying silent and looking far from pleased.


    Only Ai Qing was still flipping through each page of the documents in her hand. The papers were still warm from the printer. Soon enough, she raised his eyes and said, "This is quite the expos¨¦ here¡­ I can''t believe that a leather bag company so obviously involved in money laundering has accepted donations from this many people. Most of these donors are the hotshots in this city, too, so no wonder the Special Affairs Bureau could never find anything¡­ There won''t be any leaks this time as well, will there?"


    The middle-aged man gave a cough and said drily, "The Special Affairs Bureau is the Special Affairs Bureau. The other departments are the other departments."


    "Why didn''t you just do that from the start? Was there any need to break your backs for those old fogeys?"


    Ai Qing raised her gaze and glanced at him. "How many people are involved?"


    "Quite a few¡­"


    The middle-aged man sighed. "According to the investigations, this fund would invite some masters over every so often to give the donors classes about positive energy, sharing their experiences about ascending their souls and maintaining their health.


    "Most of it is meaningless meditation and self-hypnosis, mixed with a mash of Kokugaku¡­"


    "No wonder." Ai Qing sneered. "Those are all things those old leaders like. If this company is really related to this case, a lot of people will be in a lot of trouble, huh?"


    "The Special Affairs Bureau is the Special Affairs Bureau¡ª"


    The middle-aged man repeated his earlier words helplessly. "You don''t have to keep testing us. With these large-scale problems, we can still tell right from wrong. Please, you don''t have to worry, invigilator."


    Behind them, Huai Shi stealthily poked Liu Dongli in the side with his arm. "Hey, are invigilators really so bad*ss?"


    Liu Dongli rolled his eyes and said in a low voice, "The Astronomical Association is a branch of the United Nations, with members all over the world. Its main job is to stifle the negative influence of the borders and solve Ascender crime cases¡­ You can look at it this way: As long as it has anything to do with Ascenders and border relics, she has the right to interfere in it. Once she has the permission, she just has to sign on a black letter, and she can kill your entire family. So what do you think?"


    "She''s that powerful?" Huai Shi was stunned. "Even East Xia is willing to go with this?"


    "The leaders of the Astronomical Association, the Governance Bureau, are none other than the five permanent members of the UN, sheesh." Liu Dongli said quietly, "They''re governing their own people here."


    While the two were engaged in whispers, at the very top of the conference table, Ai Qing and the middle-aged man seemed to have exchanged some conditions. After Ai Qing promised not to make a big deal of the incident, the man looked a lot more satisfied.


    There was a voice from the intercom on the table.


    "The operatives are in place."


    The middle-aged man gave Ai Qing a look. "We received the signal. The operation is commencing."


    The enormous screen on the table lit up in an instant, and the footage it showed clearly came from a helmet camera. All Huai Shi saw was a group of people dressed head to toe in black, armed with all sorts of guns. Once they received the order, the car door opened and the entire group rushed out at once.


    He had no idea where this counter-terrorism unit came from, but it seemed like they had prepared their plan of attack a long time ago. When they moved, they did not hesitate in the slightest, and within two minutes, they had controlled the entire car park. One team rushed toward the control room and a bunch of people shut down the entire office building, inside and out. They fixed locks and set up police tape, cutting off even the mobile signal and optic fibers.


    The helmet camera shook, and Huai Shi finally saw the view outside the window.


    WTF, did they have to go that far?


    This was clearly the busiest part of the New Ocean city center, and the crowds flowed like water on the ground several dozen floors away. This was the busiest time after the end of the summer holiday, and no one ever dreamed that there was a special operation merrily going on above their heads.


    At the corridor outside, they quietly set up a battering ram.


    Someone gave the orders, and there was a loud crash.


    Amidst the deafening noise and before anyone inside could react, they threw a few stun grenades into the room. There was a flash and another loud boom, after which the armed soldiers streamed in, instantly taking control of Universal Compassion''s entire outer workings.


    The remaining operatives continued to delve deeper into the office. At first there was a scream, followed by two gunshots and another wail. Finally, all they heard was a piercing shriek.


    "Don''t shoot, I surrender! I surrender!"


    Soon enough, the camera showed a middle-aged man being carted out pathetically. There was already a gunshot wound on his leg, tears and snot covering his face, but he continued to yell, "I''m turning myself in, I''m turning myself in! I''ll tell you everything, everything! It was the Master who made me do this! I don''t know anything, I really don''t know anything at all!"


    After the chaos, the captain reported to the camera, "He was transferring funds. All of the liquid funds have been moved overseas, and we found a plane ticket to France in the office too¡­"


    He was clearly preparing to make a run for it.


    In the stunned conference room, the middle-aged man''s expression turned unpleasant too.


    If there had been the possibility of a misunderstanding before, now it was almost certain that something was up.


    "¡ªQuestion him!"


    The middle-aged man nearly snapped the pen he was holding in half, giving an order through clenched teeth, "Make sure you question him properly!"


    Ten minutes later, the pen he was holding really did break in half.


    ¡­


    Wang Hai, nicknamed Sea Otter Wang. That was the Master''s real name.


    According to the files in the public security systems, this guy had been using superstition to earn dishonest money since more than twenty years ago. He would swindle old men and women out of their pensions, and they even arrested him twice, but after that, he went missing. When he next appeared, he had morphed into Father Wang from the Church of the Heavenly Father of Salvation. His business boomed and expanded exponentially.


    As for the man they arrested at the office, it was one of his many disciples, Tu Tai. He was in charge of the storefront business and money laundering, laundering all of the money the Master earned through his cons and changing the cash into bearer bonds and fixed-value goods.


    Tu Tai had graduated from a famous school, and he was only here for the money. He never thought much of this Master, and he had even pocketed quite a bit of money for himself. Besides, Wang Hai kept many secrets from his disciples as well, trusting only his first disciple who had been with him the entire time. Wang Hai and Tu Tai were only using each other, so it was fine when things were going smoothly. Once things went downhill, though, Tu Tai immediately sold out his Master. He answered every question freely, and he even volunteered quite a bit of information on his own. That included the fact that the Master had been involved in the trading of illegal substances, as well as the ''miracle'' Tu Tai had accidentally stumbled across.


    "A miracle?" asked the interrogator.


    "That''s right. A miracle."


    Tu Tai took a sip of water and wiped the cold sweat from his face. "Wang Hai has always been hiding something, and I have no idea what''s inside. He hides it under the altar every time he leads a prayer¡­ When he opens it, a really nice smell wafts out, and just breathing it in is enough to lift one''s spirits. Suddenly, you''re not scared of anything anymore. The people who come to class here have no idea about it, so they all think he''s some powerful master. Ptooey, he''s just an old con artist. I suspect the drugs he''s been distributing have something to do with that box too¡­"


    A box.


    Ai Qing could not help but look at Huai Shi.


    The pieces were finally coming together.


    Huai Shi secretly heaved a sigh of relief too. They finally caught the mastermind, so he did not have to live in constant fear for his life anymore.


    He could finally return to his normal life, heading toward his bright future with a good career, plenty of wealth, a wealthy and pretty wife. One day, he would reach the pinnacle of life...


    The people in the conference room were no longer interested in what Tu Tai had to say next. Only Huai Shi was excitedly waiting for the follow-up, asking Tu Tai to explain how his Master initiated his female devotees in detail¡­


    Eek¡ª That b*stard even installed cameras around?


    Alright, spill. Where was the hard disk?


    Before long, though, they received bad news from the scene: Wang Hai was escaping.


    Tu Tai had a keen nose for these things, and he knew this ruse would not last forever, so he always kept an ear to the grapevine. When he realized that his Master was transferring away a ton of funds, he knew that things were bad. At first, he had wanted to secure a back-up plan, so he immediately booked a ticket to France. He wanted to hide for a day or two and see how things turned out, but before he knew it, it was already too late.


    Now, Wang Hai was performing his last mass at the Old Pond Town outside New Ocean. He was clearly planning to make a break for it that night, so they had to act fast before this became more troublesome.


    However, Ai Qing fell silent.


    As though she had stumbled across a question she simply could not solve, she stood there blankly, ignoring everyone else. No matter how they hastened her, she did not say a thing.


    A long time later, she raised her head and let out a long breath, her expression dark.


    "It''s true that a lot of things make sense now. All the clues are falling into place, but something just feels wrong..."


    She suddenly turned around, staring at the young man behind her through her long and narrow eyes. "Is there something you''re not telling me?"


    ''Of course, there are a ton of things I''m not telling you. The crow, the Book of Destiny, the awakening¡­ I''ll get in trouble the moment I mention it, so how could I tell you?''


    "Nope!"


    Huai Shi shook his head decisively. "I already told you everything I can! I even told you the things I can''t!"


    His expression was so determined it seemed to say he was willing to sacrifice himself at any time, but inwardly he was guilty as hell. He was terrified that Ai Qing would ask Liu Dongli to interrogate him again.


    What if he confessed about the Book of Destiny?


    The crow seemed to imply that the cursed thing was quite the treasure, so before he managed to disown it, there was no way Huai Shi would dare to let his secret slip.


    Ai Qing pulled her gaze back silently, as though she believed him.


    "In that case, commence the operation immediately."


    She looked at the middle-aged man. "However, in order to prevent any accidents¡­ Although we don''t have much time, we should still figure what the heck this Church of the Heavenly Father of Salvation thing is before we execute the plan.


    "After all, a border relic is involved, and no one knows what they''re hiding. Besides, there are other Ascenders hiding in there as well, right?


    "This is all necessary intel¡ª"


    "Huh?" The middle-aged man was confused. "What do you mean by that, Lady Ai?"


    Ai Qing looked behind her but did not speak.


    That middle-aged man saw Liu Dongli and immediately understood something. He stood up and shook Liu Dongli''s hand, saying passionately, "On behalf of the Special Affairs Bureau, I thank you for your help and support, Mr. Liu."


    "Huh?"


    Liu Dongli looked utterly perplexed. He had no idea what was happening, but he instinctively felt it was nothing good. "Nah, I didn''t, I''m not¡­ Don''t just¡­"


    Before he could complete that sentence, Ai Qing interrupted him. "It just so happens that aside from Liu Dongli, there''s another civilian volunteer who has some experience with them and who is willing to help us¡­"


    With that, Ai Qing looked at Huai Shi, who was enjoying Liu Dongli''s suffering at the back.


    "¡ªWith the two of them forming our advance party, I''m sure things will go swimmingly."


    Huai Shi''s smiled froze on his face, and he instantly leaped to his feet, becoming a tragic copier. "I didn''t, either! I''m not, either!"


    "You just have to go in there and scout out the place for a bit. With so many people waiting in the wings, you might not die."


    "Might not, you say!" Huai Shi protested furiously. "I said I won''t be the bait anymore, didn''t I?! Why am I suddenly in charge of infiltrating the enemy base?!"


    "Isn''t it perfectly normal for the first party to change their requirements?"


    Ai Qing rested her chin on her hand and considered him nonchalantly. "At most, I''ll give you another eight hundred.


    Huai Shi flew into a rage.


    "Forget eight hundred, even if you gave me eight thousand¡­"


    Before he even completed that thought, there was a beep from his waist. "Eight thousand yuan has been credited into your Alipay account!"


    Huai Shi paused, and his expression stiffened. "Did you really think I would give in over such a small sum?"


    Beep!


    Another soft notification tone, and that gentle female voice informed him again, "Eight thousand yuan has been credited into your Alipay account."


    "I''ll be risking my life here! What if I die?"


    Huai Shi glared. "Don''t you have death benefits or something?"


    Ai Qing pulled her gaze back, and with a wave of her phone, she sent out another transfer.


    "¡ªSeven hundred yuan has been credited into your Alipay account."


    Seven hundred?


    Why were the death benefits only worth seven hundred?


    She just gave him sixteen thousand! Why did he get so little for his death?!


    For a moment there, Huai Shi did not know if he should sulk or rage, or if he should try to wheedle more from her.


    "Bro, seven hundred is already quite considerable."


    His comrade in suffering, Liu Dongli, walked over to him and shook his head in awe. "After you take the money, you can go to the crematorium at the east end and buy an environmentally-friendly bucket. They might even throw in a box for free!


    "Remember to rate them five stars before you give them your wreath, and state your preferences before you make your order¡ª After all, you''ll be living in that box for some time, so you should choose one you like."


    Ten minutes later, Huai Shi and Liu Dongli were stuffed into the armored car, heading toward the Old Pond Town with the melancholy of a soldier going to war.


    When they left, Huai Shi randomly shuddered.


    It felt like he had fallen into a pit of ice.


    Hai means sea

 Chapter 18：Food First!

    In the vehicle that was camouflaged as a chiller truck, Huai Shi looked around him nervously. It felt like those guys sitting next to him looked rather familiar.


    In the end, he finally realized what it was. Pointing at the man opposite him, he said, "Hey, aren''t you the guy who plunged a needle into my neck last time?"


    The man opposite him raised his head and gave Huai Shi a glance, but he did not seem at all interested in Huai Shi. In fact, he could not even be bothered to respond.


    The atmosphere in the truck was extremely cold and solemn, as though they were escorting death row prisoners. It made Huai Shi quite uneasy.


    "Report! I wanna use the toilet¡­"


    The soldier opposite him stretched out a hand and pointed at a bucket in a corner of the truck.


    "It''s number two!"


    The soldier opposite him kept his hand up, pointing at that bucket resolutely. Both numbers went in there.


    Huai Shi''s expression twitched slightly in the swaying truck, and he forced himself to lean backward, putting more space between him and that bucket¡­ all the while praying that its contents did not splash out!


    Before long, he realized something. "Wait! Those b*stards saw our faces before! How can we scout them out? We''ll be like lambs walking to the slaughter!"


    Next to him, Liu Dongli pulled two things that looked like facial masks out of his pocket and threw one of them at Huai Shi.


    "That''s a macromolecular plastic mask."


    Ding!


    Huai Shi added the sound effects in his head: Obtained legendary tool, Human Face Mask x1.


    He examined the thing he was holding curiously, and a question immediately occurred to him. It was one thing that they sent him over here, but why was Liu Dongli coming with him?


    "Because it''ll reduce my sentence." Liu Dongli crossed his legs and smoked a cigarette. "After this mission, I''ll be scot-free, kiddo. I can go wherever I want, whenever I want."


    In the silence that ensued, Huai Shi gave him a look of pity. "...You do know that whoever says that line in a movie is sure to die in the final mission, right?"


    "..."


    "You''ve had your fun, so you can die with no regrets, but I''ve barely started living yet. I''m still a virgin, that''s one, but I can''t even dream about leaving the poverty line. Isn''t that a bit too much?"


    "Don''t worry, don''t worry."


    Liu Dongli patted his shoulder and held his cigarette between his fingers as he gestured. "The mission''s very simple. We sneak in and get some information. If we can, it''s best if we can also infiltrate the scene of the mass and arrest that b*stard red-handed with the dirty money. If anything feels wrong, just sound the alarm and more than a hundred buff beefcakes will storm the place, guns blazing, to save you. So what the heck are you afraid of?!"


    "..." Huai Shi looked at the beefcakes around him and felt slightly more secure. "Do they have experience rescuing hostages? Or do they have any professional negotiators around?"


    "Aha, don''t worry about it."


    Liu Dongli chuckled twice. "The Ascenders assault team from the Special Affairs Bureau never negotiates. They just kill the criminal and the hostages at the same time. On that note, have you picked out a box yet? I recommend the one with a crane on it, it looks magnanimous¡­"


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes.


    It was utterly hopeless now.


    At half-past four in the afternoon, the car stopped at the back door of a butcher in Old Pond Town. As the owner barked orders, the two men disguised as movers walked out of the hidden room in the track, carrying two slabs of pork into the shop.


    The meat was real, the shop was real, and even the truck was real. If you searched it up on the transportation company''s site, you could even find the serial number.


    It was only temporarily here in place of the truck that was supposed to send the supplies.


    After they carted in the cargo, the driver claimed that he wanted to eat, so he parked the truck right there. He led Huai Shi and Liu Dongli a short distance away before going into a restaurant and looking at the menu, waving casually at the two of them in the distance to do as they pleased.


    "What should we do now?"


    Huai Shi looked around him, perplexed. Just then, Liu Dongli nonchalantly patted his shoulder and said, "Just wait here and don''t move. I''ll go buy you an orange tree."


    With that, he flipped his hair and walked to the street, stopping an old lady and chatting her up.


    Perhaps it was because the gigolo''s wiles were simply too strong, or because he was just such a charmer. Either way, he and the old lady were soon addressing each other like siblings, and she was all smiles, leading this young man to goodness knows where.


    Only Huai Shi was left standing in the same place, his face going ??? like the Nick Young meme.


    His three questions of life filled his mind, and he had no idea what he should do.


    ''You''re telling me to infiltrate the place, but you should at least tell me how to do it. How could you just toss me here and forget about me?''


    Huai Shi covered his face, only to hear the flapping of wings. A crow landed on a wall next to him.


    Before he could even cry out in surprise, he heard the crow''s voice in his head. "Don''t speak. You''re bugged."


    What the heck?


    Huai Shi''s eyes widened.


    "Silly little brother, you''re being watched." The crow sighed. "I don''t blame you, I guess. That young girl''s instincts are crazy accurate. To be honest, they kinda suspect your identity too. If I''d known this would happen, I wouldn''t have asked you to work with the Astronomical Association. After all, I''m still on the run even now¡­"


    What the heck was this?!


    Huai Shi''s eyes widened.


    "I''m on the run, so?" The crow looked at him, confused. "Ah, I''m a fugitive wanted by the Astronomical Association, and I''m pretty high up in the wanted list too. Didn''t I tell you that?"


    ''Like hell you did!


    ''Great, now there''s me, an idiot; you, a wanted criminal; and that bunch of mumbo-jumbo con artist lunatics. We''re all gathered in the same place now.


    ''Later, I''ll be sent to jail, you''ll be shot to death, and all of them will be charged too. We all have such bright futures.''


    "Don''t get your pants in a knot. She can''t be sure yet, can she? That''s why she sent you out here to try and lure you into slipping up. Listen to your Big Sis. You''ll get out of this just fine."


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes. He had no expectations for these hopeless teammates of his anymore.


    ''I''m begging you guys, let me solo this.''


    He sighed and decided to ignore this stupid black-hearted bird. Instead, he stood up and wandered down the street. Everything he saw was perfectly normal and average...


    ...despite the fact that this place was slowly dying.


    Only the elderly walked the streets, and he could barely see any young people at all. All of them had gone somewhere else to work, right?


    It was understandable. After all, the economy in New Ocean was not doing great right now. It was last considered a metropolis seventy or eighty years ago, so it was practically a miracle that the city was still on the map at all. It had been dying for a long time now.


    Any young people with any ambition would have probably gone to Yanjing, Jinling, or Yangzhou to work. The latest news even said that the cabinet was planning to boost the economy of coastal cities, so no matter what, those places would do better than this inland town, right?


    Well, it had already come to this anyway, so Huai Shi just threw his infiltration mission to the back of his mind and started strolling down the streets with his hands behind his back.


    The afternoon sun shone down on the ground, warming up his body.


    In his slight daze, Huai Shi seemed to see the entire town swaying like a reflection in the water. Countless black shadows appeared in the sky¡­ but before long, the strange illusion vanished, and everything returned to normal.


    Leaving behind only a cold sweat and terrible shudders.


    There was something wrong with this place after all, huh?


    ¡­


    "The target has begun to move."


    With that report from the surveillance team, everyone in the temporary command center inside the giant truck outside the town perked up. They put on their headphones and looked at the screen.


    Aside from the camera feeds from all the different parts of the town, the largest screen at the very center showed Huai Shi, wandering around the town aimlessly.


    In the long silence, everyone watched as Huai Shi walked here and poked there, like a homeless man with nothing better to do.


    No matter how they looked at it, he did not look like a spy infiltrating the enemy base. He even shuddered, as though he had bumped into a ghost.


    In comparison, Liu Dongli was right in his element, having entered the local fellowship of old ladies. On the other hand, Huai Shi was basically drifting about. He did not even look the slightest bit suspicious.


    Just as everyone was slowly growing exasperated, there came another report from the front. "The target is appro¡­"


    The sentence cut off abruptly.


    On the screen, they saw Huai Shi run into a small store and use his spy''s salary to buy a packet of cigarettes and a lighter. He even splurged a little and bought a five-yuan ice-cream.


    After that, he crouched on a step under the sun and indulged in his little pleasures.


    His useless hoboness was over nine thousand¡­


    This guy was completely hopeless, huh?


    Ai Qing''s calm expression twitched involuntarily as well, and she began to seriously reconsider her decisions. Was she wrong to suspect that this hopeless hobo was hiding something from her?


    How did that passionate and excitable boy from back then become this living zombie over a mere handful of years?


    The chainsaw of time sure was relentless, huh?


    Huai Shi seemed intent to waste his limited time on unlimited lounging, and the officers in the command center did not even know what to say anymore. Someone even looked at Ai Qing, wanting to ask if they should hasten him. However, Ai Qing did not say a thing the entire time.


    Forget it. He was just one guy, and his presence did not mean much either way.


    There was a lot of work they had to sort out now. Not only did they have to investigate the social relations in Old Pond Town within a few short hours, they had to bring up past footage from the cameras and look through it for clues.


    Their depth detectors were here and being installed at breakneck speed. They had no time to waste on layabouts.


    While they were busying about, though, there was a distant shout coming from the bug they had planted on Huai Shi. "Kid! Yeah, you! Come here."


    On the screen, Huai Shi looked perplexed as a bunch of old men with pushcarts called him over.


    "Yeah, I mean you! Whose kid are you? C''mere and help out!"


    Huai Shi stared blankly for a long while and ate his ice-cream until only the stick was left. Finally, he seemed to remember he was here as a spy, and he reluctantly helped the old men push their carts and unload their cargo. It took forever, but he finally pushed the cart into a house at the edge of town. They even ordered him to unload some old drums, cymbals, and colorful costumes, making him sort them out.


    There seemed to be some sort of association based in this house. Some dark-skinned old men sat on the ground, excitedly discussing something, while there were others playing cards on the table next to them.


    There was even water boiling in the corner. If there were a few more tables, this would practically be a free-flow party.


    Was that food to eat?


    Huai Shi''s eyes lit up.


    However, he pulled back the foot that was about to step forth.


    He was never going to be a spy, not in this lifetime. Instead, he was better off eating for free in there, safe and sound. He did not wish for a luxury like meat, but he would be glad enough if he had his fill of rice.


    While Huai Shi was waiting and waiting to no avail for the food to be served, he saw the seven or eight old men sitting on the floor pick up their cymbals, pipa, and suona. They began to play a jig for the errenzhuan dance.


    When he noticed that there was a stranger watching the show, the old man playing the suona trumpet at the center of the band put even more effort into his playing. After an especially long string of notes, he waved the instrument in his hand at Huai Shi cockily. He seemed to be saying, ''Ain''t I cool? C''mon, envy me¡­''


    Huai Shi was completely unperturbed. He patted his hands noncommittally and even had the urge to laugh.


    If it were not for the fact that he had not brought his money-maker with him, Huai Shi would show that old man just what an ABRSM grade-eight could do¡­ Besides, after he started incorporating his meditation into it, his cello-playing was ridiculously infectious right now. If he put a little more effort into it, he could probably make the old man''s cow cry¡­


    To his surprise, his response fired those old men up even more. They played one tune after another at Huai Shi, and the spittle from the suona flew several meters away. The trumpeter even used some black technology to unleash a string of supersonic booms that nearly shattered Huai Shi''s molars.


    Once they were done, the old man even raised his chin at Huai Shi, as though challenging him.


    "Want to try, kiddo?"


    "Sure, I''ll give you a showcase, old sir."


    Huai Shi pouted. It seemed like reality no longer allowed him to keep a low profile.


    He randomly searched through the pile of old instruments and pulled out a usable erhu. Crossing his legs, he threw his low-profile spying plan to the winds and immediately played a remix of Horse Racing, the Moon Mirrored in the Pool, Bach''s Cello Suite, Above the Moon, and Pomp and Circumstance.


    The limitation of his instrument meant that he went horribly off-key in many places, so Huai Shi had to try and emulate that monster Paganini by playing an entire song on a single string. To his surprise, after he completed his little remix and opened his eyes, he saw a ton of people gathered in front of him.


    The elderly who had been playing cards, chatting, smoking, and playing their instruments had all gathered together without him noticing, and now they were pointing at him as they whispered, their expressions solemn and stern.


    It was all over.


    Huai Shi''s heart leaped into his throat. Had he been discovered?


    The old folk was whispering to each other, and the one in the center looked at Huai Shi carefully, sounding confused. "Where''d you come from, kiddo? How come I ain''t ever seen you before?"


    "I¡­ I came here¡­ to work!"


    Huai Shi instinctively turned to run. "I''ll leave now, right now¡­"


    "Don''t be in such a hurry."


    The old man grabbed Huai Shi by the shoulder, grinning from ear to ear. He looked just like someone who was offered toilet paper after they got stuck in the stall. "That b*stard Third Old Man Li has the runs, so he can''t make it. We just happen to need an erhu player in the team today, so why don''t you come with us for the performance at the church tonight? We''ll give you forty bucks and dinner, how''s that sound?"


    The church?


    A performance?


    Wait, how did he worm his way inside so easily?


    Huai Shi was stunned.


    He instinctively wanted to decline the offer, but then he remembered that he was still under surveillance, so he clenched his teeth and nodded.


    "Sure!"


    He paused and stated his condition. "But I want to eat first!"


    It felt as though the cold sensation on the back of his head grew ever more intense. Huai Shi could practically imagine the embodiment of Death himself grinning behind his back.


    However, what did that have to do with the fact that he was a heartless negativity producing machine?


    At least let him fill his stomach before thinking about dying!

 Chapter 19：Closed— 5

    An hour later, the church was packed to the brim.


    Old men and women from different towns greeted each other enthusiastically, happily discussing their sons and daughters working outstation, as well as the eggs they had bought yesterday.


    There were free sunflowers seeds and fruits at the church, and everyone received three yellow cakes and a few bottles of mineral water too.


    Amidst the buzz of voices, the curtains on top of the podium remained down.


    Backstage, preparations were bustling along. The gospel band about to perform was currently determining their song list, and the young man in the corner was sprawled on the ground like a dead dog.


    Huai Shi was deathly pale and extremely nauseous. He shuddered, again and again.


    The piercing cold and overbearing weight were piling onto his back relentlessly.


    This was his first time feeling such a terrifying weight of death¡­ He did not dare to imagine how gruesome a death awaited him if the early premonition alone was already this heavy.


    "Blergh!"


    He bent over the bucket and threw up all the white wheat buns and braised meat he had earlier stuffed into his stomach. He was this close to vomiting tears and snot as well.


    He was really starting to hate this peculiar skill of his.


    Still, his death was already this close, but Huai Shi was unexpectedly unafraid. He just felt nauseous, as though he had eaten something spoiled.


    His gut felt so bloated.


    Wiping away his tears, he pulled the old pipa player''s arm. "Sir, if I die backstage, does that count as an occupational injury¡­?"


    The old man took quite a few steps away from him, looking extremely wary.


    "Don''t try and accuse us of nothin'', kiddo. You were perfectly fine before eating¡­ I''ll have you know I''m experienced with these things, and if this were a few years ago, we might be arguing it out over our bumpers! If you try anything funny, I''ll lie down right now and accuse you of hitting me. Wanna give it a try?"


    "That''s right, that''s right!" The old suona player next to them concurred. "I''ll be your witness. I clearly saw this young kiddo starting a fight for no reason¡­"


    Huai Shi was almost impressed.


    Where the f*ck did these crafty old fogeys come from? They were experts at staging crashes!


    "Alright, alright, get ready!" shouted another leader, walking over to them. He pointed to Huai Shi and yelled, "Can you still play? If you don''t, we won''t pay you! Young people these days have no conscience to speak of."


    "I can play, I can play."


    Huai Shi picked up the erhu with tears in his eyes. "Where''s the sheet music?"


    "We don''t need no sheet music. There isn''t enough time, so our show got canceled. Now we just gotta play some accompaniment for the church errenzhuan folk dance, so just follow the beat and liven it up a bit."


    The old man waved his hand, muttering, "Giving you forty bucks was such a waste. If I''d known, I''d have given you twenty."


    Huai Shi was speechless.


    No sooner than he had sat down in the front stage with the old men, he heard someone announce from the stage, "Next, brothers and sisters, please enjoy this religious Yangge folk music performance by the Old Pond Town Arts Association!"


    There was rapturous applause from the audience.


    Only Huai Shi had to complain to himself, ''What the heck is that loony Wang Hai trying to pull? He''s making a Deyun She folk performance out of his freaking sermon, and he even invited an opening act? If it''s this flashy, why doesn''t he just go debut as an idol or something?"


    Before he could whine anymore, a line of old ladies in cheery costumes walked onto the stage from backstage, all of them surrounding one person and chatting merrily about square dancing poses and techniques.


    "Remember, girls, the rhythm here isn''t dong-cha-cha, it''s dong-cha¡ªcha." Their leader smiled and even flicked his hair narcissistically. When he looked around and smiled, his expression was wonderfully beautiful¡­ and then he froze on the spot.


    He was looking at Huai Shi.


    Huai Shi was looking at him too.


    Both were gobsmacked.


    ''¡ªF*ck, why are you here?!''


    Huai Shi had been wondering how he was supposed to find this guy, but before he even tried, a church errenzhuan began, with a dance led by the gigolo Liu Dongli and a band involving the idiotic cellist Huai Shi.


    The song and dance worked in tandem, making the atmosphere here bloom.


    Meanwhile, the two of them exchanged a complicated look, and Huai Shi mouthed quietly, "Where''s my f*cking orange tree?"


    "Haven''t gotten around to buying it yet."


    "Have you eaten?"


    "No¡­"


    "I have."


    Huai Shi patted his stomach. "White wheat buns and braised meat. You jealous?"


    F*ck!


    All of a sudden, Liu Dongli wanted to curse. Unfortunately, the curtains in front of the stage had been raised, so he had no choice but to force a passionate smile, dancing a hillbilly disco with the old folk.


    Right in front of Liu Dongli, the old sister that Liu Dongli had first approached twisted her fancy handkerchief and sang, "In the house of God, sitting next to the Lord, we become as happy as children, hallelujah, as we enter heaven¡­"


    Pfft.


    Huai Shi could not help a laugh.


    There was just a single beep.


    The phone in his pocket vibrated, and he received a message, Sneaking a moment''s reprieve, he pulled out his phone with one hand and saw Ai Qing''s number on the screen.


    He saw the contents of the text as well.


    "¡ªRetreat, ASAP! [Closed¡ª5]"


    In that instant, an aura of death much stronger than usual surged over Huai Shi, nearly drowning him.


    ¡­


    Ten minutes ago, in the temporary command center, Ai Qing''s expression was dark.


    "The soul radiation recorder has completed its recording. All normal."


    "Depth levels are 0.17. Normal."


    "Border corrosion at 0.03. Normal."


    "Normal."


    "Normal."


    "Normal."


    All the readings were perfectly normal.


    For some reason, however, her expression grew darker and darker, until she looked downright livid.


    "What''s the matter?" asked the middle-aged man.


    "It''s not right." Ai Qing''s slender fingers gripped the wheelchair''s armrest tightly, her expression stormy. "There''s definitely something wrong somewhere!"


    Amidst everyone''s stunned gazes, she reached out her hand and pulled her phone out of her wheelchair pocket. Without hesitation, she pulled off the cover at the back and pulled the red lever that looked like a SIM card.


    In the silence that ensued, the middle-aged man''s jaw fell open, and he instinctively stood up. "Are you nuts?!"


    Every invigilator had a special phone provided by the Astronomical Association. Naturally, it had an extremely strong signal and battery, and its apps and specs were pretty reasonable too. However, the most important difference between these phones and others was the red ''highest alert'' button at the back.


    It was a function that could only be activated when an invigilator was certain that an incident was beyond their abilities, and when they were sure it involved a border-related threat that was Grade B and above.


    It could be compared to a signal flare or a lifesaver. Either way, very few invigilators ever chose to use it.


    The moment this function was activated, a signal would be sent right to the command center of the UN Astronomical Association¡ª right to the Governance Bureau''s Extraordinary Actions Unit.


    It would be no exaggeration to say that it reached the kings of the world.


    If things were serious, it might even alert the Decemviri.


    If Ai Qing was an official invigilator, she might even temporarily gain access to a Grade A and above holy relic, or the right to mobilize all the Ascenders in the entire New Ocean area¡­


    Of course, such overwhelming power naturally came with a price.


    If it turned out to be a false alarm, the consequences went without saying. However, to everyone on the scene right now, the most important part was the moment this was reported to the Astronomical Association, all the deals and promises they had made earlier would be reduced to nothing.


    Victory was at hand, so why was she flipping the entire table now?


    What on earth was this woman thinking?


    She really must have gone mad!


    It was just a minor incident related to a border relic, so was there any need to report it to the Governance Bureau?


    This was equivalent to two provincial leaders getting into a little contest and calling the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection to solve it. It was far too grand an action for a small problem.


    Besides, they did not have any evidence or signs, and nothing seemed to be going wrong.


    "Ah, I might be making a big fuss over nothing, but I''d rather risk that than let anything unexpected happen."


    Ai Qing spun the phone in her hand. Once she made that decision, her expression calmed down, and she did not look so nervous anymore.


    Even if her superiors doubted her abilities, she would take it.


    That earlier unease had been so intense it threatened to drive her crazy, but now it vanished quickly like it had never happened at all. Only the cold sweat under her clothes, gradually drying off, showed how furious her internal struggle had been before she made that ridiculous decision.


    She looked at her phone screen, the corners of her lips curving into a cold contemptuous smile.


    It was aimed at herself.


    She was two months away from becoming an official invigilator, but things would not be so easy now, huh? If it turned out to be an exaggerated response, she should consider herself lucky if all they did was take away her position as an invigilator.


    After all, the Extraordinary Actions Unit was growing ever tighter on manpower. They would never allow a wastage of the Astronomical Association''s resources like this.


    A few seconds later, her phone screen lit up.


    She did not have to pick up the call. A faint light emanated from the screen, forming a hologram in the air. It depicted a man in a straight-laced suit like a call dispatcher, who looked neither confused nor panicked. He just looked at the girl before him calmly.


    "Serial number T9631, invigilator-in-training stationed at New Ocean, part of the East Xia branch of the Governance Bureau."


    The man said, "There are no reports of a depth detection, no traces of border corrosion, and no signs of high-level stigma activity¡­ Please submit your report and application."


    "According to the Law of the Twelve Tables, as an invigilator-in-training, I am applying for assistance under the ninth item of the Border Opposition Laws. I also wish to lock down Old Pond Town, in New Ocean City, East Xia Republic, Asia, and everything within ten kilometers. Please execute this ASAP."


    "Currently confirming your request¡ª"


    The printer next to the man in the suit spewed out a long line of documents, and after giving the papers a look, the man picked up the stamp next to him and stamped the documents.


    "Application approved.


    "Begin adjusting satellite orbits, estimated completion in three minutes. Lockdown orders for Old Pond Town have been issued, awaiting execution¡ª Beginning download of Border Opposition Item Nine."


    After he robotically completed all the processes, the man in the suit, serial number 0075, finally nodded.


    "For the sake of the world."


    The call ended.


    In the stunned silence, they heard a rumble like a mountain moving in the distance.


    In the sky several tens of thousands of meters above, deep in the dark depths of the universe, an enormous satellite orbiting in space sprayed out gases and slowly adjusted its angle, taking in the clouds, ground, cities, dust, and other inconsequential things beneath it.


    Deep in the basement sixth floor of the Greenwich Observatory, Old London, an enormous difference engine whirred and slowly produced a ribbon of tin, poked full of holes.


    The secretary who had been waiting next to it carefully cut the ribbon and curled it into a scroll. In the process, a copy was saved on video. Finally, the item was placed inside an empty tube and sent down the vacuum delivery chute next to the secretary.


    The pulsing of the vacuum sent the tube several kilometers underground, after which it landed in a corner of a busty hall.


    Someone was smoking and listening to songs in a chair. Opening the tube with one hand, they expertly shook out the scroll with the other. They stomped the floor with a foot and threw the cigarette aside before walking to the center of the hall.


    People were currently milling all through the unimaginably large hall, but the floorboards were uneven, and puddles had pooled in many places.


    If you looked down from above, though, you could see the true form of this hall¡ª It was actually a 3D map big enough to record everything in the world.


    The smoker walked past their working colleagues and followed the coordinates to the correct position. They took a sheet of markers from their pocket and picked the grey one.


    Then they drew a circle.


    "Serial number C987778762, lockdown circle complete. File archived."


    With that, millions of miles away, across mountains and seas on another continent, the heavens and the earth shifted.


    Under the illumination of evening sun and moon, the mud outside Old Pond Town seemed to boil. There was the scream of metal clashing against rock, creating scorching hot sparks that turned tons of mud into lava.


    Immediately, however, the glint of metal appeared through the lava.


    It expanded.


    Like trees growing, the metal rose higher and higher, inch by inch, growing according to the stroke of an invisible pen. The metal rapidly cooled, revealing shiny black metal that blossomed with countless scale-like metal sheets.


    Within ten seconds, the entire Old Pond Town was locked away behind metal walls several hundred meters tall.


    Soon, the colors in the sky darkened and turned pitch black,


    The removal of the interior had begun.


    In that instant, there was a sigh.


    A slender and fair hand reached out from inside the church.


    It gripped heaven and earth.


    There was then a loud explosion in the distance.

 Chapter 20：Five Minutes and Fifty Seconds (1)

    "Leave?"


    Huai Shi stared at Liu Dongli, stunned.


    Although they were in the middle of a performance, Liu Dongli was still smiling dazzlingly. He winked at the old ladies in the audience, looking so flirtatious even as he grabbed a phone and read a text.


    The next moment, his smile stiffened on his face.


    Amidst the celebratory hillbilly Yangge, his face turned extremely pale. Ignoring the fact that he was halfway through a show, he grabbed Huai Shi by the arm, turned around, and left.


    At first they were jogging, but soon it was a full sprint.


    "Of course we''ll leave. What''d you do if we don''t? Stay for the new year celebrations?"


    Liu Dongli was livid, murmuring things like how could that stupid woman, heartless witch, and so on. He shoved everyone out of his way and paid no attention to the chaos he left in his wake, heading straight for the back door and trying to open it.


    The door moved but immediately stopped again.


    It was locked.


    From the outside.


    "F*ck, let''s take the front door¡­"


    Liu Dongli pulled his gun out of his pocket, furious and anxious, aiming it at the two people who had given chase. "Go away! Go! Scram!"


    Bang!


    Bang!


    The bullets hit the wall and embedded themselves in the brick, dust flying everywhere.


    Still, once the others knew that Liu Dongli was not armed with a toy, they screamed and turned around to run.


    "Was that necessary?" Huai Shi was shocked.


    Just then, his phone vibrated again with another text from Ai Qing.


    "¡ªClosed 4"


    "Do you have any idea what this means?" Liu Dongli looked livid as he pointed at the words on the screen. "Closed¡ª That means a lockdown!


    "That''s how the Astronomical Association most often deals with dangerous objects. The 4 there is the countdown, which means we have four minutes left! After four minutes, the entire area will be cut off from the world¡­ When that happens, we''ll be locked in the same cage as the stuff they''re trying to lock down!"


    This was the last chance Ai Qing was giving them.


    ''The plan is canceled.


    ''We don''t have time to let you retreat.


    ''Try to run as far as you can¡­''


    "Is she really so heartless?!"


    Huai Shi was so scared that his face turned transparent, and he was suddenly feeling a little dizzy. His vision was flickering as he stumbled behind Liu Dongli. They went down a corridor, but because they were walking so quickly, Huai Shi bumped into an employee carrying a ton of things.


    "Sorry, sorry."


    Huai Shi hurriedly scrambled to his feet. He wanted to help the man pick up his things, but he had no time whatsoever, so he apologized repeatedly before turning around to chase after Liu Dongli.


    The introverted man did not say anything. He just gave Huai Shi a glance before mechanically picking the things up from the floor.


    The instant he raised his head, however, Huai Shi saw¡­ something on the plain face. Behind his eyes, Huai Shi thought he saw a red-gold figure swim past slowly¡­


    It looked like¡­ a goldfish in an aquarium?


    That thought occurred to Huai Shi randomly.


    ¡­


    Five minutes ago.


    "Cancel all the programs after this."


    In the waiting room, Wang Hai paced back and forth, waiting out the opening acts before the sermon. For some reason, however, he kept having this bad feeling.


    All of his escape routes were ready, and he could make a run for it as soon as he completed this haul, but there was still an irrepressible panic filling his chest.


    Something was not right¡­


    He instinctively bit his finger, tearing apart the newly-healed skin and flesh. The uneasiness in his heart only grew further.


    "Start the sermon right now!"


    Finally, he could not wait any longer. He stomped his foot abruptly and picked up the box on the table, instructing his disciple, "Don''t bother with the meaningless performances anymore. In any case, we have to take more this time. There''s no need to liven up the atmosphere!"


    After his disciple left hastily, Wang Hai tried to suppress the panic in his chest, wearing the smile that had long since become muscle memory for him.


    All of a sudden, he felt a vibration in his pocket.


    It was his phone.


    He had received a mysterious text from an unknown number, but the contents of the message made his face turn instantly pale.


    "Tu Tai has been arrested, and the Astronomical Association is on its way. Run, Wang Hai. You have one minute left."


    In an instant, the piercing chill made his scream out loud.


    Although he did not know who the sender of the text was, and how they found out about this number he only gave his most trusted subordinates, it was far too late to care about things like that.


    This was the straw to break the camel''s back.


    Leave.


    He had to leave right now.


    He could not stay here in New Ocean anymore!


    The intense terror gave him the urge to scream again. Carrying the box, he pushed open the waiting room door and sprinted madly forward. Kicking open the door there, he grabbed a key and ran straight toward the back door.


    When he turned the corner, he heard the voices in front of him.


    "Why are you leaving, Lil Bro? Didn''t we make a promise?" The first old lady Liu Dongli had approached was holding his arm warmly, trying to make him stay. "After the sermon, Big Sis will make you doughball noodles."


    "Sorry, Big Sis, but I''m in a rush. I really have to go."


    Liu Dongli struggled, raising his head and looking ahead.


    He saw Wang Hai.


    Wang Hai saw him too.


    They stared at each other as though there was a deep abyss between them. Both of their expressions froze, and the next instant, they looked determined and ruthless.


    Immediately after that, there was a gunshot.


    It came from behind Liu Dongli.


    The gun in the young man''s hand was smoking.


    It was Huai Shi.


    In that instant, he had quickly reached out his hand to grab Liu Dongli''s gun from behind. Without hesitation, he aimed and shot.


    However, he did not aim at Wang Hai. Instead, he aimed at¡­ the old ''big sister'' next to Liu Dongli.


    "She wants to kill someone!"


    The Premonition of Death skill was reacting violently, and it told Huai Shi without a doubt that this seemingly friendly old lady was brimming with killing intent.


    Enough killing intent to tear Huai Shi and Liu Dongli to pieces.


    He had shot that bullet in haste, so Huai Shi almost lost his grip on the gun. The bullet that was aiming for the old lady''s body went way off, and it only hit her hand on Liu Dongli''s, blowing a large hole in her wrist. Liu Dongli was nearly caught in it too.


    There was a silence.


    Blood sprayed everywhere.


    Liu Dongli instinctively tried to duck away, and he saw the old hand that had been gripping him gradually turn a metallic grey. Long and sharp metallic grey nails extended from her hand.


    As her flesh and blood slowly came together again, a squashed bullet was pushed out of her wound.


    "So I was seen through, huh?"


    The old lady raised her head slowly, and her old face gradually twisted. Her eyes turned a familiar blood-red, but bit by bit, her face morphed into that of a beast, giving them a hungry grin.


    "F*ck, it''s the nue!"


    Liu Dongli wailed.


    ¡ªClosed 3.5


    There were three minutes and thirty seconds left before Old Pond Town was sealed off, and the situation was taking a turn for the worst. Just like the East Xia soccer team, Huai Shi and Liu Dongli did not have much time left either.


    Since everyone had reunited under such sudden and awkward consequences, it was natural that they could not sit down for a chat over drinks.


    The fastest to react was Liu Dongli.


    Or rather, this flirt just sincerely wanted to show off his so-called breathtaking beauty at every minute of every day.


    "Whatchu looking at?!"


    After that vicious bark, the Nue who had instinctively glanced over at Liu Dongli stiffened on the spot. On the other hand, Liu Dongli hurriedly grabbed the gun from Huai Shi''s numb hand and shot wildly at his old Big Sis.


    Of course, amidst the gunfire, their earlier lovey-dovey age-transcending romance in the village was now nowhere to be seen.


    In a second, he had shot off half of his clip, but the gun did not have a big barrel or significant destructive power. To someone who had reached the third level, an Ascender whose organs were already Etherizing, a handgun''s effect was almost negligible.


    The Nue-shaped old woman had already closed her eyes.


    The tables were turning.


    Next to Liu Dongli, Huai Shi did not just stand there either. Gathering his courage, he rolled up his sleeves and rushed right at Wang Hai, giving him a sudden flying kick. "Leave the box here!"


    Wang Hai had been about to turn and run, but Huai Shi''s kick landed right on his old waist, and it sent him sprawling face-first into the ground. However, he still did not let go of the box in his arms.


    Huai Shi immediately followed up with a pounce and some military boxing right in his old face.


    Since Huai Shi did not know if Wang Hai had any special abilities, he did not hold back in the slightest. He hit the old man so hard that even his fingers hurt.


    The poor Wang Hai was only prized by the Lords for his talent in spreading the gospel. Even though he was a con artist, he only ever used his words for his work, so he had never been involved with such an ugly fight before.


    He was actually a normal guy!


    Right now, the numero uno of the Church, the old lady Nue was engaged in a fight with Liu Dongli, and Wang Hai''s disciples-cum-bodyguards could not make it here in time either. As a result, he suffered his initiation at the hands of Huai Shi''s military boxing.


    "Ho! Ho! Ha! Heh!" Huai Shi used almost half of his military boxing skills, and it made his entire body feel great. Every pore on his skin was wonderfully tingly, and when he saw that the old man could not put up a fight at all, he instantly relaxed considerably. Immediately after that, he grew even angrier.


    "You''re the b*stard who hired people to go after me! I''ll teach you to try and kill your witnesses! I''ll punish you for your crimes! I''ll make you pay for trafficking drugs! This is what you get for harming society!"


    "You little son of a gun, where the heck did you come from? Die!"


    Wang Hai was completely mad with rage now, and he swung his arms wildly. Huai Shi felt a pain in his arm, and a bloody cut soon blossomed underneath his tattered clothing.


    He had been cut with a knife!


    After Wang Hai had taken the dagger out of his shoe when Huai Shi was not looking, the old man had been waiting for his chance. Holding the box close, he suddenly opened it and shoved it at Huai Shi''s direction. All of a sudden, a fog-like powder shot out from the box and pounced onto Huai Shi''s face.


    As he expected, that crazy thing reacted extremely quickly. As soon as he breathed it in, Huai Shi''s entire body turned weak, and all sorts of illusions appeared in his mind. It felt so good, like he was in heaven. That was when he knew that he had fallen for the old man''s trap.


    "F*ck, you take a whiff too!"


    He grabbed Wang Hai''s collar and with a clench of his fist, he produced a handful of Disastrous Dust, stuffing it blindly into Wang Hai''s face and really pressing it in.


    Wang Hai''s face immediately turned bright red, his tears and snot cascading down. He began to wail like a demon.


    Huai Shi found a chance to put some into his own mouth as well, and the crazy ecstasy in his heart was neutralized by the sudden surge of sorrow. His mind had been floating somewhere high up in the sky, but now it was rapidly brought back down to earth, as though someone had poured dirty toilet water onto his heart.


    The two of them oscillated abruptly between joy and sorrow, laughing like mad with tears and snot streaming down their faces. They brawled like inmates at the asylum, tangled up in a mess of limbs.


    In a way, they made a great combination.


    However, they had not been pecking at each other for too long. Only twenty-five seconds had passed since the start.


    Just then, they were jolted from their dazed illusions by a loud noise.


    It came from behind them.


    Only twenty-odd seconds had passed, but Liu Dongli''s face was already covered in blood. His bespoke suit had also been reduced to a beggar''s rags, and the deep cut in his chest nearly gutted him.


    The gun was in the Nue''s hands now, and she tossed it aside.


    To Liu Dongli, the past twenty-five seconds felt like hell.


    Even though the Nue had her eyes closed, she could still beat him up easily.


    When he fell backward, Liu Dongli had finally found a window of opportunity¡­ He pulled something from the hidden holster in the crotch of his suit, his trump card, and aimed it at the old woman leaping through the air at him.


    It was another gun, made even shorter this time.


    He had prepared this especially for the Nue.


    The opportunity only lasted for an instant.


    There were two bullets, but only one instant.


    The moment that instant passed, the terrifyingly agile Nue would activate her skill and glide through the air, snatching the barrel of the gun and tearing his arm right off.


    Now, however, the victor was decided.

 Chapter 21：Five Minutes and Fifty Seconds (Part 2)

    First, there was a click, followed by a loud bang!


    Waves of metal sprayed out from the gun''s barrel. It struck the old woman in mid-air and sent her flying backward instantly, slamming against a wall. A large splatter of blood burst out from the bullet''s entry point.


    Yet Liu Dongli did not stop. He pulled the gun''s bolt and slid special bullets that targeted the Ascender''s characteristics into the chamber.


    Then, he pulled it close and pulled the trigger once again.


    Bang!


    The old woman, whose face now resembled a pile of rotten flesh, lifelessly slid down the wall, her limbs twitching. It seemed as if she was struggling to stay alive. He held his gun inches away from her head, pointing it directly at between her eyes before firing two more rounds but she was still alive!


    But she would not be alive for long.


    Liu Dongli removed the gun''s magazine and emptied two more bullets from his pocket, sliding them in. He then took aim and fired the two rounds before discharging another two.


    Unrelenting until the barrel burnt red.


    The pile of flesh on the floor finally lay motionless.


    The only thing that remained was an old face that was torn apart by steel, a look of dread and terror still plastered on its features.


    Before Liu Dongli could even take a breath, he had turned around and walked toward the two who were still fighting. He then raised the hot barrel of his gun and slammed the buttstock into the back of Wang Hai''s brain.


    The old thing''s eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fainted, leaving a speechless Huai Shi to collapse onto the floor, who still had not wiped the tears and snot off his face.


    In that instance, Huai Shi noticed a change in Liu Dongli''s eyes, his pupils¡­ He did not realize but the pupils in his eyes had multiplied and doubled in number!


    Fifty seconds and the fight was over.


    Countdown to the Old Pond''s closure ¨C 2:40.


    "Hold this, let''s go. We must at least leave the church¡­"


    Liu Dongli picked up his gun from the floor and tossed it to him, then stuffed a magazine into his arm pocket. Then, he turned around and picked the box up, making a hasty retreat.


    Huai Shi got up from the ground, gasping heavily, and staggered behind him.


    Then he saw the box he had tucked beneath his rib.


    That box, that familiar box¡­


    He saw it again.


    There was not a shred of doubt that it was the box he had found. Huai Shi could deduce that the box was supposed to be his¡­


    That is right, it was supposed to be his.


    Did Liu Dongli think he could just take his things without him noticing?


    In a fit of rage, he held up the gun in his hands, aimed it at Liu Dongli''s back and pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The sound of the shot rang out, and blood spewed out instantly.


    Liu Dongli''s body shuddered violently as he fell to the ground. He glanced back stiffly, looking at the teen behind him in disbelief¡­ That twisted and dazed expression.


    Huai Shi was stunned after firing the gun. He lowered his head in a daze and stared at the gun barrel that was still smoking in his hands.


    ''What happened?''


    ''What did I do?''


    ''And why am I here?''


    ''Didn''t I feel the dangers of death the moment I stepped in here? Weren''t there countless times when I felt the gradually growing shadow of death hanging over me?''


    ''Why did I come to this place?''


    ''Why did I shoot Old Liu?''


    ''Also, what the hell am I doing?''


    His mind was in a mess. He suddenly felt sick. He felt his stomach churn, then he doubled over, opened his mouth and threw up.


    He felt himself regurgitate something.


    It dropped onto the dirt-ridden ground.


    It seemed like it was alive and jumping¡­a goldfish?


    A goldfish?


    A goldfish again?


    The person that had brushed passed him just now seemed to have a goldfish in his eyes too, and the back then, way back then¡­before that corpse died, it had also spit out¡­a goldfish?


    "So, it''s the Developing Stage? It hasn''t even been six hours and the rejection is already showing."


    Behind him, a stranger''s hoarse voice sighed, "Even the second-generation goldfish could be resisted, it''s no wonder the three earlier generations of goldfish were unable to parasitize; how unlucky. Otherwise, I would have gotten the box by now, and there wouldn''t be a need for such a troublesome situation."


    The air started to slowly swirl along with the sound of the hoarse sigh, and a skinny figure appeared out of thin air sporting a pitch-black windbreaker and a cold, indifferent expression.


    A pair of blood-red gloves.


    And a fishbowl in his right hand.


    Within the small fishbowl, a few tiny goldfish were swimming around leisurely.


    "¡­ Green Day?"


    In the pool of blood, Liu Dongli saw the green ring-shaped coat of arms and finally reacted. He tried to lift the gun''s muzzle. "Huai Shi, hurry up and go¡­"


    Red Gloves lowered his head and glanced at him, shaking his head pitifully, "You can''t even take care of yourself, why would you worry about him?"


    The chill of death appeared.


    Then, gunshots sounded from behind Huai Shi.


    One bang followed quickly by another.


    He fired one shot at Liu Dongli, then another at Huai Shi.


    Liu Dongli twitched before going silent.


    Huai Shi looked down stiffly and saw blood slowly seeping from his chest. There was a hole there like someone had taken a swing with a sledgehammer.


    It hurt like hell.


    He fell onto his knees and cried out shamelessly.


    But when he turned back to look at the person who fired the shot, his hoarse cries died in his throat.


    "¡­Old Yang?"


    The hunchbacked man with a blank expression raised his head to look at him. His face often took on a cunning expression, and it still seemed to possess the faint hints of a smile.


    Behind his eyes, a goldfish swam happily.


    As if it was in a little fishbowl.


    As Huai Shi stared at him, stunned, he bent over, picked up the box, and trudged through the blood on the floor to stand behind the man.


    Waiting for his order.


    "Go lock the main door, then prepare for the ceremony. After waiting for so long, it must have its worth."


    The stranger gave his order and Old Yang turned to leave, not even sparing a glance at Huai Shi.


    "Are you two familiar with one another?"


    The stranger glanced down at Huai Shi, then smiled playfully. "He owes a lot of money to a lot of people, so he can only use himself to relieve the debt. Don''t blame him, and don''t blame me¡­ You can only blame yourself for having such bad luck."


    "¡­"


    In his trance-like state, Huai Shi suddenly understood something. Even though there was so much anger inside him that it felt like he was about to lose his mind, he could not help but feel the urge to laugh.


    To laugh at how he had been struggling for so long like a bug caught in a spider''s web.


    He was doomed from the start.


    From the very beginning.


    When he had received Old Yang''s call and willingly carried the cello case to the gigolo clubhouse to apply for a job, he had already placed himself on the path to death.


    He would arrive at the scheduled location and when he stepped out the door of the building, he would angrily call Old Yang to report his position and information. Lastly, he would take the closest road home, find a corpse in an alley, along with a box, and a goldfish¡­


    That goldfish, it should have been happily swimming inside his head instead.


    He had unintentionally eluded disaster, but he was still pulled back on track by the hands behind the scenes and had met his inevitable end.


    It was just like this person said, his luck had always been awful.


    He had always encountered inexplicable things that would make his already messy life into more of a mess. He became poorer, more miserable, and more hopeless by the day, even to this very moment¡­ then finally, like a headless fly, he had plunged himself into a dead end.


    Ushering in the end.


    "Damn you, why?!"


    Huai Shi could not bear the overwhelming pain and threw up blood; tears and snot gushing from his orifices. "All I ever f*cking wanted was to have a good life, to earn a little money so I could lead a better life, to find a good job. It didn''t matter what kind of job I had to take. I just wanted to find someone I love and marry them, and have a home where I wouldn''t be an outcast¡­ Is that too much to ask? Why? Why can''t you f*ckers just leave me be?"


    The red-gloved man grew silent.


    After a while, he sighed softly.


    "For a better world, there are many things which we can''t do anything about." He pulled out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at the teen''s face. "I''m sorry. Your sacrifice is something of far greater value."


    He pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    The bullet bounced off him.


    He was covered in a faint film of light.


    Red Glove was stunned.


    "Blessed Barrier?" He stared at the faint glow that shrouded the teenager''s body, stunned. "That woman gave you her life-saving charm? Are you an old friend of hers?"


    It was emergency protection given to every supervisor by the Astronomical Association, a literal life-saving charm. When the person encountered a fatal attack, the charm would be activated automatically to save the user''s life under the worst situations, allowing the user time to wait for help¡­


    Unless it was forcefully hit by a fourth stage Stigmata attack within the first three minutes, it would be borderline impossible to penetrate the barrier.


    "Forget it."


    He kept his gun and cast a mocking glance at Huai Shi''s chest. Even if he could not take his life right then, this guy would still eventually bleed to death.


    The time now was precious, he was just one step away. He did not have any more time to waste on this guy.


    He turned and left the assembly hall.


    The plan had succeeded well beyond his expectations.


    Even though he had considered taking actions against the Church of Salvation in a short amount of time after he saw the box, it had all been planned carefully. To avoid alerting and being detected by the group of Lords behind Wang Hai, he had to start with regular civilians using his soul''s power ¨C the Sneering Fish Tank, to create chaos from within. He would then pose as Lao Yang and arrange for Huai Shi to unwittingly carry out the last step of the transfer. However, he did not expect that Huai Shi would turn out to secretly be an Ascender in his Developing Stage and would have resistance toward the parasitic third-generation fish fry. This led to the failure of the parasitism and it derailed his plans.


    Fortunately, he had successfully stayed under the radar, and under the tremendous amount of pressure of the Astronomical Association, the group of Puritans behind Wang Hai did not smell anything fishy. That group of people who had nothing but the Savior on their minds, which was driving them completely insane and clouding their judgment.


    However, since he could not complete his plan in secrecy, he had to make an adjustment to his plans.


    To him, as long as the final result remained the same, it did not matter if the process changed. Since he had already attracted the attention of the Astronomical Association, then¡­ perhaps it would not hurt to create a bigger ruckus!


    He kicked the door open and fired two shots without hesitation, killing an old man who was waiting to ambush him. He walked through the chaotic, screaming crowd and walked up to the podium.


    The front and back doors had already been locked.


    He did not know how much time had passed, but it was enough to complete the final birth.


    However¡­


    "Making drugs with the Cauldron of Reincarnation? That group of Puritans, have their subordinates'' brains been devoured by their God as well?"


    He glanced down at the box before him and could not help but sneer at it.


    This container-shaped relic was dug up from the seventh depth of the ruins of Hell. Even though it was the best elementium container and could be easily lifted even after converting the religious fanatics'' exuberant elementium into matter. Though, he was afraid that even if this box was handed to Wang Hai himself that he would not know what it was.


    Those who were used as the sacrificial offering were not just the believers which he had deceived, but him as well. If there was enough elementium, it would be enough to summon the ancient spirit into the embryo of the interior!


    Once the rancher''s messenger had descended through it, every living thing its eyes fell upon would serve as his next meal.


    What he had to do was not great.


    "I''ll just use it as waste."


    He swept his eyes across the believers that had been continuously harvested as a source of elementium, opened the box, and pulled out a test tube from his arms.


    Basked in the dim lighting of the church, he looked at the flesh and blood within its walls.


    "Let''s begin."


    He whispered, "Setting up a trivial part in our great cause."

 Chapter 22：Reinforcement

    In the test tube in Red Glove''s grasp, there appeared to be a torn limb.


    It had metallic skin and crystal-like bones. It was a finger, and there was no doubt that it was part of a holy relic. It did not matter whether it was to be used as the stigma''s seed or the descent''s support, it would be more than enough.


    "There''s so much elementium, it should be well adequate for the initial stages of the development?"


    Red Glove smiled and suddenly smashed the test tube inside the box.


    Instantly, the glass shattered into countless pieces before immediately dissipating into thin air. The contents were clearly not matter. The entire test tube was an archiving tool created by solidifying the dissolving agent of all things, to ensure that its contents would be sealed off completely.


    The moment it came in contact with the outside world, the phalanx twitched slightly as if it rejoiced at the prospect of finally tasting the air of freedom.


    Instantaneously, all the elementium that had accumulated in the box had disappeared, they had been completely absorbed by it. Then, a sharp scream came from the assembly hall.


    Though, rather quickly, faded out into silence.


    Droplets of dew-like, crystal elementium appeared, and like rain after a drought, they seeped into the finger''s bone. Immediately, an aura of insanity and malevolence emanated from the phalanx.


    Like a tide, it swept in all directions.


    It was a storm. A ravenous and evil storm.


    It blew wildly, far and wide, shrouding everything in its path. It voraciously leeched on all hearts and minds, pulling in all the elementium it sensed¡­it covered the entirety of Old Pond Town!


    The magnetism at its core, even an Ascender would find it hard to control themselves within that frightening storm.


    Red Glove took a few steps backward and heard a cracking sound. It was the sound of his hair being ripped off.


    The few strands of hair on his head were as dry as dead grass, and they were yanked by the violent wind and fell to the ground.


    He brought his hand up to touch his face, he could feel faint traces of wrinkles.


    He seemed to have aged a few decades. At the corner of his eyes, there appeared to have formed deep wrinkles and age spots.


    Quickly after that, blood and flesh began to sprout from the cracks of the finger bone. The bone grew in an instant, the remnants of the stigma had been awakened. It instantaneously absorbed the stolen elementium, quickly growing toward its complete form.


    The seed was growing.


    No, it was more fitting to say it was¡­ Recovering.


    It will enter the first phase of its transformation, namely, the White Silver stage. The legendary first metal, the foundation of everything, it was the fertile soil that was completed with the three elements of salt, sulfur, and mercury.


    On that basis, the subconscious that exists within the holy relic will be awakened and cast an apathetic glance at the world that had been long unfamiliar to it.


    That would be quickly followed by the second stage ¨C Gold. After the characteristics were found, the attributes were achieved, and the elementium was purified, it would form a flame, much like the Sun.


    Only that its flames were green, with an icy chill. Every place it passes will seem as if they had been weathered for thousands of years.


    Reduced to ashes.


    Then came the third stage ¨C Ether. The realm beyond mortals.


    Its rotten body would be no more. A blinding beam of light was released, incomprehensible power brewed from within as it gained divine energy, returning to its original state of transcendence, as it struggles with all its might to rid itself from the shackes of the laws of physics.


    Just like the scales of a dragon, the feathers of a phoenix, Medusa''s eyes, an angel''s wings, and a devil''s horns.


    It will no longer be constrained by logic.


    Lastly, there was the fourth and final stage ¨C Star Antimony.


    The phalanx had now transformed itself into a long, slender, and pale palm, materializing from thin air. It looked as if it was painstakingly carved by the finest craftsmen, each of its details flawless as can be.


    It has completed its Ascension and is now far beyond the ranks of ordinary men, beyond the reach of mortals!


    It was just one step away from reaching a legendary state


    But at that moment, a roar came from afar. The ground shook and the mountains trembled. Steel rose from the earth, and slowly enclosed Old Pond Town within it.


    Complete isolation from the outside world.


    The palm''s growth abruptly stopped.


    There was no more elementium to sustain its recovery toward its original state.


    As if it sensed the darkening sky outside the hall, a regretful sigh sounded from the void.


    Red Glove''s expression suddenly changed, and he retrieved a depth-measuring device that resembled a typical pocket watch. He saw the rapidly soaring numbers and in less than a second, the border''s degree had already reached 60%...


    This place was being isolated from the interior by the Astronomical Association!


    It was almost there.


    In the next few seconds, the holy relic would have reached the fifth stage ¨C Philosopher''s Stone and become a true spectacle in the mortal realm! It might even revert to the transcendental stage ¨C Crown, but when that happened, it would not be impossible for it to possess divine powers¡­


    However, at that very moment, it was not easy to cross the abyss between the fourth and the fifth stage.


    They were just one step behind!


    "That''s impossible¡­Is this just a coincidence, or have we been detected?"


    Red Glove was stunned and whispered somberly to himself. He could not think of any flaws in his plan, or was Wang Hai harboring secrets that he was yet to find?


    Not soon after, he heard a strange voice.


    Soft whispers carried by the wind.


    "I can''t take care of so many things at once. Even if it''s just a palm, it''s far more than I can handle."


    As he said that, the palm pointed behind him as if to ask him to move backward slightly.


    In the following moment, it held up two fingers, pointing them toward the ceiling of the assembly hall and waved. Then, there came a sound like rags being violently torn apart by a machine.


    A hurricane burst forth.


    Wherever it went, all the bricks and stone were instantly turned into ashes, the wooden beams withered and broke as they were swept into the sky by the raging winds.


    The palm rose until it was between the heavens and earth, and it slowly clenched itself close.


    There was another piercing shriek, and the turbulent world suddenly quieted, as if the deafening cry had singlehandedly put a stop to the transformation process.


    The isolation process was abruptly put to a halt.


    It seemed like the entire space had been frozen in the hurricane.


    Suddenly, a thunderous roar came from afar.


    .


    "Illegal cross-border activity detected, analysis of soul mark completed, threat level increased-"


    In the short amount of time since its appearance, an alert from a space satellite had appeared on Ai Qing''s phone, and had even determined the palm''s origin:


    "The Alien belongs to the terrorist group, Green Day ¨C it is the fourth creature of ''Ten Disasters'': Windstorm, Grade A threat. Disaster warning sent."


    Those who were previously full of shock and opposed Ai Qing''s report were now sighing in relief and wanted to thank her sincerely for her persistent effort.


    However, Ai Qing''s expression darkened as she silently flipped her phone open.


    She did not receive any news about Huai Shi and the others'' successful evacuation.


    "Tsk¡­"


    She frowned anxiously. Shortly after, she decided to matters into her own hands. She looked up and asked, "What are you all waiting for? Are you waiting for him to order his food? Does the Special Affairs Bureau not have a final plan prepared?"


    Less than ten seconds after they had received instructions from both the middle-aged person and Ai Qing, yet another roar could be heard from afar.


    Thunderous roars one after another, the ground shook.


    Three kilometers from the outside of the blockade, on the hillside of the high grounds, smoke and dust continued to build up. The pungent smell of smoke wafted through the air while catastrophic earthquakes tore up the terrain.


    A steel giant was emerging from the ground, blinding light shimmering off of it.


    With the command of the headquarters, its enormous base unfolded, like it was wedging itself into the earth. The barrel of its canon slowly pointed upward, shifting its aim toward the sky.


    Measurement of distance completed.


    Calculation of impact point completed.


    In the next instant, there was a burst of flames!


    Eleven long-awaited howitzers rumbled, projecting its deadly metallic light into the sky. In a moment, it would have enough power to obliterate the church ten times over.


    The palm that was at a stalemate with the strength of the blockade seemed to have sensed the sudden incoming attack. It lifted its pinky slightly and waved it to the side.


    The hurricane rose suddenly, a faint metallic light glinting from within. The wind roared violently, and there was a sharp burst of noise as countless sparks flashed from within.


    The Wind of Steel engulfed the projectiles, obliterating half of them. Then, it waved its pinky again, and the Wind of Steel collapsed inwards, engulfing the remaining projectiles and disintegrating them.


    A blazing flame erupted in the sky.


    The flash of light illuminated the unscathed palm.


    Then, the second round of bombs fell from the sky.


    "Very good, keep it up, keep suppressing it with firepower."


    In the command room, the middle-aged person was getting increasingly excited, not the least bit discouraged.


    The Windstorm''s palm''s attack had proven a point, that in its current state, it would not be able to endure the bombing directly ¨C otherwise, it would not have wasted its time on defending itself.


    The interior was a refuge for ordinary people and the cornerstone of the world. It had the most stringent rules and regulations. Unless it was a humanoid that had reached the rank of ''predator'', they would most definitely not be capable of defying the laws of physics.


    Under the army''s siege, granted there was sufficient firepower, history would tell us that defeating a ''crowned'' enemy was entirely possible.


    "It''s a shame, if only we had missiles¡­"


    Ai Qing let out a defeated sigh, and heard someone yell out, "Reinforcements from the high-tier interior have departed!"


    She was stunned. She initially felt comforted at the news of the reinforcements, but could not help but feel an underlying sense of uneasiness as well: The East Xia''s interior guardians who were currently in rotation seemed slightly¡­ unreliable?


    When she thought of the rumors that circulated among her colleagues, her heart suddenly sank.


    Under the fierce attack of the sixteen howitzers, the palm was constantly counterattacking. However, the palm, whose strength was on par with the strength of the blockade, was gradually depleting with every attack.


    It had been suppressed.


    Even half of the church had collapsed. Unfortunately, there were traces of survivors to be seen.


    This was expected.


    The Alien that was most commonly known as the Windstorm Creature was the best at absorbing others'' elementium to be used as fuel by creating an elementium vortex. Now, the church, no, the entirety of Old Pond Town might even be¡­


    In that brief period of time, the atmosphere in the command center had become intolerably tense.


    In the past, the direct ''airdrop'' of reinforcement into the interior through the secret transit would take less than three minutes. However, this time around, they were taking much longer. Only messages from the interior guardian of the incoming reinforcements were being sent through as they reassured the people in the command center.


    "We''ve departed!"


    "We''re coming, we''re on the way."


    "We''ll be there in a minute!"


    Every few minutes, another message would come in. In the beginning, people still had hope. Minutes went by and the morale began to dwindle as discouraged heads dropped one by one with each new message.


    Until finally, bad news came from the firing grounds.


    The ammunition had been exhausted.


    "There''s a little traffic jam, I''ll be right there!"


    As the notification of the message came up, the practically unscathed palm suddenly lifted and overpowered the force that isolated the interior. In a swift movement, it curled its five fingers, balling them into a fist. A hurricane gathered and was cast upon the iron fence that enclosed Old Pond Town.


    In the blink of an eye.


    Smash!


    The earth trembled as the two made impact.


    From within the howling winds of the hurricane, countless sounds of bombardment could be heard. The invisible wall that was physically enclosing the town shook, the iron fence began to vibrate, its foundation started to shake and cracks appeared.


    The blockade was loose.


    A similar crack had also appeared on the palm, but it did not seem to care and lifted itself again. Smash!


    Bang!


    A larger crack had started to form on the iron fence, its metal wailed.


    Everyone in the command center paled, but the reinforcements were still nowhere to be found. There was only a breezy message:


    "Hold on, I just need to turn a corner and I''ll be right there!"


    Bang!


    The fist collided again.


    This time, the crack on the iron fence widened significantly, a sizable gap had been created.


    The Windstorm Creature had broken out!

 Chapter 23：The White Emperor

    At that moment, the raging winds intensified.


    The levitating hand in the sky slowly shifted its body, pointing itself at the shining lights of New Ocean City in the distance before once again curling its fingers into a fist.


    It appeared to be grasping an invisible object.


    And pulled as hard as it could!


    A sharp sound pierced through the air, like the overlapping noise of numerous shards of glass being scratched. It gradually amplified and reverberated, driving everyone insane.


    The skies and the ground began to vibrate.


    As if the wedge that separated the heavens and the earth was being moved.


    Right at that moment, a white shadow emerged beneath a streetlight on the outskirts of New Ocean.


    "Finally, I made it!"


    A white dove retracted its wings and perched itself on the girl''s slender arm.


    As if she had just finished a marathon, she was already sweating profusely. Her skin-tight sports shirt and running pants were completely soaked through; the moisture causing it to wrap around her attractive figure.


    It was a shame that no one had the privilege of witnessing it.


    She was panting. As she watched the palm levitate in the air, dozens of kilometers away, she shook her head helplessly.


    Under the illumination of the streetlight, her shadow seemed to have come to life. She slowly raised both her arms, as if she were pulling out an invisible weapon, two of them, in fact.


    And slashed forward.


    There, the silence came.


    There was a moment when the roars in the distance, the chirping of insects, the falling debris, the howling wind, the surging river, the rising flames, and the sturdy ground seemed to have been frozen in time.


    As if an invisible force held them in place.


    In the next moment, a subtle and nearly imperceptible slash mark extended from the bottom of her feet and continued extending forward, spanning 23 kilometers and 411 meters.


    It was accurate, right down to the millimeter; precisely stopping at the location of the palm.


    The palm was split into two clean halves, with each side separated from the other as it slowly fell apart. Then, it broke into smaller halves, becoming four pieces.


    Before the four pieces had time to scatter, it broke into eight pieces.


    One, two, four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, one hundred and twenty-eight, two hundred and fifty-six¡­The power of this ruthless yet precise assault was baffling, far beyond the realm of human understanding.


    Until finally, the shattered elementium burst out from within the being.


    Transforming into an all-consuming flame.


    With one fell swoop from this godly sword, the fighting had been put to an end.


    It was the end.


    "I hope there won''t be too many victims."


    She sighed sadly and heard the phone in her pocket ring.


    "Hello? I''ll be right there! I was lost just now; I was genuinely lost¡­There''s definitely something wrong with your GPS! Right away, five minutes¡­ I''ll be there in five minutes¡­ Oh, I''m on the way¡­"


    The dove and the girl vanished.


    .


    .


    "Great Heaven and Earth ¨C Divine Freedom¡­"


    When the Windstorm Creature''s palm was split in half, Red Glove''s face turned ashen. He hissed through his teeth:


    "- ''The White Emperor''!"


    Snap!


    The sound of breaking could be heard coming from his face.


    Cracks appeared on his face, and in an instant, it was like he had been brutally slashed with numerous knives. Half of his body had turned into a mess of flesh and blood. The invisible knives continued to tear at his body until the pendant on his neck emitted a wailing sound ¨C the blank-faced puppet had shattered into dust.


    The Blank-faced Puppet had taken his place and endured the last few hits of the White Emperor''s sword.


    But even those few hits were enough to put him in crippling pain.


    Even on the soul-manifested object in his hand ¨C the Sneering Fish Tank, a deep crack had formed. Within the tank, of the two fish, one of them had already turned over, dead.


    The other was swaying dizzily, barely alive. He could see in its eyes that it did not have much longer to live.


    "Damn it, those monsters¡­"


    Red Glove suddenly keeled over and vomited blood. He could hear heavy footsteps coming in the distance ¨C the troops had started moving ¨C A flash of silver glinted before his eyes, he retrieved the detonator from his arms, and pressed the button.


    The timers of the plastic explosives that were laid out around the church lit up, with this, all the remaining traces would be obliterated after fifteen seconds.


    It did not matter if he failed, as long as the Cauldron of Reincarnation was still there¡­


    He turned around and extended his hand towards the sermon platform, but his hand and his sinister smile froze ¨C the platform was empty!


    It was gone!


    The Cauldron of Reincarnation was gone!


    He had no idea how the box disappeared without a trace!


    He tore the sermon platform open furiously, but he could not find anything. He let out a deep roar. At the sound of the approaching footsteps, he frantically dismantled the platform, but still, he did not find any traces of it.


    When the remnants of the church''s door burst open, and the suppression troops entered, all they saw was a man knelt on the platform, his eyes red like a rabid dog''s.


    He spat, and gestured his middle finger at them disdainfully, "Eat sh*t, you walking corpses from the Astronomical Association!"


    He threw out a poker card.


    The poker card folded itself mid-air, pulling his body together with it. Then, he was folded in half, along with the card, then folded in half again. In a matter of seconds, he had shrunk to the size of a small dot and was sucked into a void, disappearing without a trace.


    In the next moment, the flames of destruction had engulfed everything.


    .


    .


    So, excessive blood loss did not hurt.


    He no longer felt any pain.


    He was just sleepy, and his body had no energy left. Lying lazily, as if nothing mattered anymore¡­ he wanted to sleep, to rest. He just wanted this f*cking life to end.


    He closed his eyes, he felt at ease and accepting toward the experience that came after this long and torturous journey ¨C a long, undisturbed slumber.


    Death was coming.


    After witnessing so much death, so many different deaths, Huai Shi realized that he had finally welcomed his end.


    It was not scary, nor was it painful. He did not have any unwillingness either.


    He was just sleepy and confused.


    Whilst still in a trance, he felt someone trying to move his body. They pushed him forward little by little using a cane. It was like a snail trying to move a rock.


    He was flipped over and was now lying on a tattered carpet. Someone was pulling him, dragging him somewhere.


    He could smell something burning, could hear sounds of shattering and hoarse wailing. It was like the world had been destroyed and was now in an apocalyptic state.


    Something wet dripped onto Huai Shi''s face.


    He could smell blood.


    He opened his eyes painstakingly and saw Liu Dongli beside him, he could not tell if he was dead or alive. Up ahead, he saw an old man pulling the carpet, limping forward unsteadily.


    The figure with a crippled leg lunged forward with all his might and knocked a door open. He turned around.


    Half of his face seemed to have shattered, while the other half remained visibly unchanged but was as pale as a corpse. The wounded side of his body was constantly violently convulsing.


    It seemed like half of him was already dead, while the other half was still fighting to live, but there seemed to be no changes occurring.


    When he saw Huai Shi''s dazed eyes, he avoided his gaze, he rolled up the carpet with great difficulty, wrapping him and Liu Dongli together, and rolled them forward strenuously.


    "I''m sorry¡­I have to save her¡­ Huai Shi, only I can save her¡­ I''m sorry¡­"


    He murmured hoarsely, appearing to apologize, but was not expecting a reply. He continued muttering to himself, "Sorry¡­ sorry¡­"


    A phone was ringing. The banged-up cellphone was playing a song about love, something about a hubby, but no one was picking up.


    "I''m sorry¡­"


    Blood fell upon Huai Shi''s face, it carried the warmth of tears.


    He was pushed up and pushed into the darkness behind the door. He rolled down a long flight of stairs and fell into a cellar full of debris and pickle jars.


    While he violently tumbled down the stairs and into a dark cellar, Huai Shi caught one last glimpse of Old Yang''s face.


    He was propped against the door frame as he looked at the boy, the corner of his mouth twitched upward into an awkward grin. He looked like he was smiling. He was still clutching onto his vibrating phone in one hand as he waved at him with the other.


    As if he was saying a final goodbye.


    Huai Shi opened his mouth. He wanted to call out to him, but he could not make a sound.


    The door was closed.


    In the darkness, the sounds of explosions came from the distance, A terrifying flame and high temperatures engulfed the entire church, reducing it to ash.


    Huai Shi closed his eyes.


    Death embraced him.


    .


    .


    "Someone, help me, pass a message¡­ to everyone¡­"


    The man was tied down to a chair. He was twitching erratically, and the goldfish in his eyes swam around lifelessly.


    "He said¡­ he said¡­ he said¡­"


    A crazed look suddenly formed on his face, and he pulled a sinister smile.


    "Green Day will eventually shine upon the world."


    Bang!


    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!


    His head exploded as the sound of gunshots rang out. Though, the gunshots did not stop. After they emptied a magazine, they replaced it with a new one and continued pulling the trigger.


    Until the thing on the chair had become a pile of rotten flesh.


    An injured goldfish jumped out from his obliterated skull and was turned into mush by the bullets, quickly becoming dehydrated and turning into powder.


    "Did you catch him?"


    Ai Qing tossed the gun aside emotionlessly and looked up at the middle-aged man who could no longer hide his discontent. "No need to say a word. He got away, didn''t he? We''ve persevered for so long, but we only managed to get there in time to wash the floors?"


    "He has a border relic that allows him to perform short-distance teleportation. Though we had already locked down New Ocean''s surroundings¡­"


    "Any survivors?"


    Ai Qing had no interest in listening to him any longer.


    "¡­We''re looking."


    "Then keep looking."


    Ai Qing withdrew her gaze, "Even if you have dug three feet into the ground, don''t stop until you find a body."


    No one objected.


    When midnight rolled around, news came from the ruins of the collapsed church that was being excavated: "Liu Dongli and Huai Shi have been found!"


    Outside the ruins, Ai Qing was still sitting in a wheelchair with a calm expression. "What''s the situation?"


    "Liu Dongli is still alive, he''s severely injured, as for Huai Shi¡­"


    The person reporting the situation paused for a moment, his expression darkened.


    "They''re trying to rescue him."


    .


    The makeshift rescue room had already become a mess. Ai Qing waited outside the door quietly, listening to the noisiness and the chaos that came from the inside.


    "Is he still breathing?"


    "No, his pulse is almost gone, inject it quickly¡­"


    "No, his heartbeat is irregular, it''s almost gone¡­Where is the defibrillator? Hand me the defibrillator!"


    "One, two, three!"


    Bang!


    "One, two, three!"


    Bang!


    ¡­


    After a long time, the room became quiet. The doctor walked out and took off his mask, his face ridden with sorrow. "I''m sorry, we were too late¡­"


    Ai Qing nodded but said nothing and let the medical staff walk past her.


    Soon after, Ai Qing finally saw Huai Shi.


    The boy lay on the operating table like he was asleep. The bullet hole in his chest was pale, there was no more blood left.


    His empty eyes staring soullessly at the lamp above him.


    His heartbeat stopped as he took his last breath of life.


    Ai Qing was silent. She lowered her eyes as she gripped the armrests, her knuckles turning white. After a long time, she said calmly, "Then¡­ then let''s go on with the process."


    She turned the wheelchair around, wanting to leave when suddenly, she froze in her tracks.


    She seemed to have heard something.

 Chapter 24：Hell

    In his deep slumber, Huai Shi felt himself falling.


    He was in freefall, spiraling downwards into the darkness. It seemed like many people were falling with him. Most were screaming in horror, though there were others who plummeted emotionlessly. However, they soon disappeared.


    He fell into a body of water, sinking into a deep pool, feeling as though his weightless body was being lifted. He was drifting in the darkness, going with the motion of the waves.


    It was as if he were dead.


    However, it was more so like he was on his way to death.


    ''Soon.''


    There was a distant voice that spoke out to him.


    However, death seemed to be endless, carrying him bit by bit into the darker depths, until the cold tides brought him to a muddy shore.


    A rickety figure emerged from the darkness and looked down at him. It then bent over and pulled his leg. He was dragged into a grass hut on the mudflat.


    It knocked on the door.


    The door opened.


    The smell of rotting bodies permeated the room.


    In the hut, the only lights were on top of a blood-stained operating table. There was a wrinkled and white-haired old man wore a mask, fully concentrated on the corpse in front of him. He occasionally withdrew himself from the corpse to draw two strokes on the artwork on the table beside him.


    Under the dimly lit oil lamp, the surrounding hooks were dripping with antiseptic liquid from the well-processed specimens.


    The rickety figure pointed at Huai Shi. Then, with an outstretched hand, the figure asked the old man behind the door for something.


    The old man glanced at the teenager on the ground with his turbid eyes, slowly shaking his head, "He''s not fully dead yet, why are you selling me a living person for?"


    "Almost, almost ..."


    The rickety shadow made a weird sound. It sounded like a mix between a dog and a fox. "He''s dying soon... there''s elementium... there''s elementium...''''


    "I can only give you half, leave him here if you like, drag him away otherwise." The old man folded his arms. He looked on coldly.


    The shadow seemed to be enraged. Then, it screamed.


    The old man was unbothered. He looked at it indifferently until the figure reached out in frustration, "Half, half ..."


    An old copper coin was thrown into its hand.


    "Leave me if you have nothing else, don''t interrupt my work any further."


    The old man looked at Huai Shi on the ground. He frowned and dragged him by one leg. He dragged him onto the operating table with great effort. He then swept away the already torn body of the corpse.


    The sound of the closing door when the shadow left made Huai Shi''s eyes tremble for a moment. He tried his hardest to move and scream only to cough up a portion of foamy bloody.


    "Not dead yet?"


    The old man opened his eyelids. He looked at his sclera with surprise. His frail hands pinched the bones of Huai Shi. Finally, he nodded in satisfaction, "A very standard structure. Although the strength is lacking, it could be used as a temporary spare part... Could possibly yield the best result."


    He sighed.


    Huai Shi''s throat made a hoarse sound. All his efforts were of no use.


    "Do you have something to say?"


    The old man looked at his trembling pupils, with some traces of pity, "You are already dying, why don''t you die quietly? I have seen a lot of people like you. Anyway, you have already crossed the border into hell, isn''t dying logical? As of now, it''s only that the elementium hasn''t dissipated, what is there to complain about? "


    He took out a potion and poured it into Huai Shi''s foam-filled mouth. The intense spiciness and the weird sourness stimulated Huai Shi''s throat. It left a scorching and molten coppery sensation in his throat, setting his insides aflame. It made him groan with intense pain.


    "This is a potion bought from that idiot. It is used to make a mummy. It keeps the organs alive when a person dying. But don''t even think about living, it just converts your remaining life force into energy before squeezing it out... so you can now say a few more words before you die. I can also work better in silence, how about you cooperate a little? "


    The old man buried his head, "Remember, don''t scream. I hate loud noises."


    Huai Shi struggled to contain his pained voice. He twitched all over his body. As the old man said, he was able to make a faint voice as he was dying.


    "... where, is this place?"


    "In your words, the twelve-depth of hell. My corpse workshop, a place that sells some small objects to guests. After a while, you will become one of these small objects." The old man explained.


    "How about a negotiation..." Huai Shi swallowed the pain. He gasped hard. "I quite desperately want to stay alive, please let me go."


    "No, I have already bought your corpse, how can I let you live? Moreover, you won''t be alive in a few minutes. You will die outside, and I will have to drag you back."


    Under the dim light, the two eyeballs of the old man darted in different directions. A black eyeball stared at Huai Shi while a red eyeball stared intently at the place he dissected, "Look at your body. The elementium is empty, there is simply not much time left... Although your vitality is strong, it has already burned out like ashes. Could you die? You can still burn your remaining value... "


    Huai Shi stared blankly at the ceiling that was smeared with dried blood, his pain was replaced by numbness. Even his voice became dry and hoarse.


    "I can''t die here ..."


    "Why can''t you?" The old man said in a serious tone, "Everyone can die actually."


    Seemed to be caught on his chatty nature, he jabbered on.


    "I have met many people who think they are very important and play the most special role in this world, but they all died and came here.


    "After they died, the world continued to turn, the sun rose as usual, and reality did not stop simply because it lost them. Hence, they are wrong, they are no different from others."


    He pointed out to the corpses one by one to explain to Huai Shi. "This man used to be a big shot; this man used to be the justice bringer who had slaughtered countless wicked men; this man used to be the teacher of a dictator, and the dictator had changed from a tyrannical person to a wise leader under the teachings of the teacher, this is the dictator he taught... but they all died.


    "Since there is birth, death is inevitable. Even God is the same. For a hundred years, two hundred years, looking at the world, the vicissitudes of life... After a thousand years, even God would find this world boring.


    "What are you compared to them?"


    "But I still don''t want to die."


    Huai Shi blinked hard, not letting the uncontrollable tears blur his eyes. "Well, don''t look at me as if I''m weak, in fact, I am quite a tough guy. Men''s tears are worth a thousand in gold. I have already cried, will you let me go?"

 Chapter 25：Continue Again

    "Nope." The old man sighed, "You''re so annoying. Why can''t you just die like everyone else."


    "I don''t want to, nothing''s going to happen if you let me go right?" Huai Shi''s breath grew heavier.


    "Look at it, it''s all broken, it''s all broken!" The old man wiped the sweat off his forehead. Then, he threw the things into the bin. "It''s all gone, how can you be so annoying."


    "Without a heart, Bi Gan (TN: Chinese God of Wealth) can still live for half an hour, half an hour will do."


    "You''re so pesky!"


    "At noon, there was a whistle-blower friend who treated me for lunch, we ate hot pot..."


    Huai Shi had completely lost his breath. It was unbelievable that he could even make a sound. Perhaps it was the concept of death that broke through his shell of fake emotions. He had never felt so lonely and sad. He did not want to die. He wanted to talk to someone. Thus, he continued talking to the man.


    "Have you ever eaten hot pot? You look like a foreigner. Hot pot is a speciality in China. Let me tell you, although Old Yang is deceptive and troublesome, his hot pot is superb..."


    "..."


    The old man stopped talking


    Born with nothing, died with nothing. The clothes of the corpse were already taken off and this guy was still not f*cking dead?! To make matters worse, for some reason, he would not stop blabbering nonsense!!!


    "Why won''t you just keel over and die?!"


    "Who the hell knows? You''re a real bastard, crazy, old pervert..."


    Huai Shi said in a hoarse monotonous voice, "I meant, please save me, why don''t you? I will sell my body to you, as long as you don''t engage in homosexual activities, I will do whatever you say... wait, even homosexual activities are fine... "


    The old man''s white hair stood upright, revealing the stitches on his face. He slammed the table in a fit of rage, "Death is inevitable!"


    "I don''t want to die even if it is ..."


    Huai Shi hesitated. He tried to negotiate with him: "Can I die only after I feel I have lived long enough?"


    "..."


    The old man went silent, scratching his hair frantically, making an irritable roar. It was like his fighting spirit had completely vanished. He bent down, slowly putting away his knives, razors and scissors. He put them back into the toolbox, sorting them neatly into different categories. After that, he untied his apron. Then, he meticulously brushed his messy hair with a comb.


    "F*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck, f*ck!!!"


    He suddenly shouted, throwing the toolbox onto the ground in anger, violently stomping on it. He smashed the cabinet in the corner into pieces using an axe he picked up from the corner of the room.


    "Goddamn it, what the hell is this!"


    He yelled toward the ceiling as if he was talking to someone, "Did you see that? He won! Take all your guinea pigs away from here! Immediately! I don''t want to see him again!"


    At that moment, it was as if time stood still, everything was frozen in place.


    There seemed to be a door opening in the void. A ray of light shone from within, pulling him in slowly like a rope.


    Huai Shi looked around in confusion, not knowing what was happening.


    At that moment, he considered turning around and pointing his middle finger, just like his seniors would.


    The next moment, he was swallowed by the beam, submerged in a sea of silver light. He was being pulled by an invisible force. He moved upwards as if he were walking through the deep sea, feeling a crushing weight press down on him from all directions. What made him even more terrified was that, in this silvery sea of ??light, every drop of water was so viscous that it almost condensed into liquid elementium.


    As far as the eye could see, it seemed almost endless. It was impossible for the human eye to see where it ended, it was as if it covered the entire world.


    White Silver Sea.


    The convergence of all human elementium, the sea of ??nothingness, the source of all wisdom, the great existence above the realm of mortals... Crow''s description from before once again emerged in his consciousness.


    At that moment, he broke through the sea. He was thrown into the air.


    He drifted aimlessly in the plane of nothingness between the sea and the sky, watching the pure dark sky that was free from any impurities and the endless stream of the silver ocean flowing beneath his feet.


    From afar, it seemed that two faint shadows were sitting by the sea.


    "Word is, the last time my daughter saw a picture of you, she cried and begged, saying she wanted a crow that looked just like the one in the picture... I had no choice, and I was in a hurry at the time. I only managed to get her a pigeon, and she asked me why it was a different colour. I told her, "It was originally black, but its mother was born without ink inside of her"... Ughh, I have not seen her for seven years now. I don''t know if she is doing well, and how is she doing in her studies. "


    A bearded middle-aged man sat crossed-leg by the sea while smoking a cigarette. He was holding a can of beer in his hand. He helplessly complained to his ''drinking buddy'' beside him.


    He got up and shook the soot off his feet into the conveniently placed sea beneath.


    "Relax, rest assured, I got the chance to see her right before I came. She has grown quite a lot. She has grown into a gorgeous woman."


    Crow''s wings were curling around the cigarette and the same beer. She patted the middle-aged man''s shoulder, "Although the pigeon you gave her seemed to have caused a little problem... Ah, my summoner has come. "


    The bearded man raised his eyebrows for a glance. "It looks ordinary, is there anything special?"


    "Does playing the cello well count? The kind that can add 2 extra points for the National College Entrance Examination."


    "Is it that amazing? Are there any tricks?" The bearded man''s eyes lit up.


    "Hmm, this is quite a talent? Most people can''t seem to learn it."


    Crow waved its wings. Looking up as she finished the last bit of beer in the can. Then, she got up to say goodbye, "It''s getting late, I will take my leave... But then, as the guardian of the silver sea, there are only seven natural enemies. Is it really okay for me as a fugitive to get away scot-free?"


    The bearded middle-aged man thought about it for a moment. He then scratched his face in sorrow, sighing, "Forget it, I will be off work in two days. I have been slacking here for seven years. Couldn''t you let me relax a bit more in the end?" "


    "That''s much appreciated."


    Crow smiled affectionately. Spreading her wings, she flew into the distance.


    The swift shadow reflected on the silvery sea surface, it gradually elongated, dancing like a flame, changing. Until finally, it transformed into a tiny figure.


    The edge of the black skirt fluttered like water. It was dragging on the ground, though was free of any dust. The edge was delicately emblazoned with dark gold patterns. It extended upward along the edge like thorns.


    Just as Huai Shi looked up, he caught a glimpse of a slender leg poking out from underneath the skirt. He was dazed.


    The back part of the long skirt was hollowed out, exposing a clean and smooth back, decorated in mesmerizing patterns.


    Countless colours meshed together, forming entrancing patterns. They appeared to change from time to time, but it could not be seen clearly.


    Soon, the weird tattoo was covered by black hair that was let down.


    Just when Huai Shi was stunned speechless, she raised her head and revealed a mature and delicate face.


    "Come on, my summoner."


    She was hugging a very familiar-looking box. She rested her hand on the teenager''s shoulder. She then smiled sweetly:


    "I''ll walk you home."


    .


    .


    At that moment, in the suburb of New Ocean City, the horrifying elementium burst out in Huai Shi''s bedroom!


    A blinding light with something within.


    ¡ª¡ªthe Book of Destiny!


    With an invisible force holding it up, countless pages were turned frantically. Immeasurable amounts of elementium were being released from it, making itself appear burning flame.


    The elementium had been extracted from Huai Shi''s body a long time ago. Now in the blink of an eye, it seemed depleted of all energy. It progressed into an endless series of illusions and transformations.


    The pages were burned to nothingness in the fire. In the end, only the title page with his name was left ...


    On the title page, a picture of a half-moon began to grow.


    It grew until every inch of the page was covered.


    After countless deaths, it collected its last one. The endless records of deaths written in ink were quickly absorbed by the moon. Surrounding the centre of the circle, it transformed itself into a vortex.


    Countless numbers of the word "death" collided uncontrollably


    In the end, the moon''s limit had been reached. The binding was torn apart, revealing its silhouette, countless pitch-black whirls of death appeared. They combined to form a huge vortex. Sharp flames protruded from it, appearing to form a crown.


    It was a horrific sight... a pitch-black void of death!


    Drip!


    As if it were all an illusion, the graph on the ECG machine in the emergency room oscillated as faint beeping continued in the background.


    Life went on.

 Chapter 26：The Denied Value

    Huai Shi opened his eyes. He saw the afternoon light outside the window.


    Dust fell from the ceiling. It danced messily in the faint yellow light. The air was filled with a familiar musty smell, the sound of water dripping next door could be heard.


    This was his home.


    After a dream, he was lying on the broken sofa in the hall.


    "I am... alive? How long have I been sleeping?"


    He got up blankly. Touching his chest, he saw a bandage secured on his wounds. Although there was some pain, it was not hindering his movement.


    In particular, he found out that the Book of Destiny was actually transformed from a physical object into his own will. He could flip it on his own when he thought about it.


    Soon, he heard the voice beside him.


    "Probably about ten hours or so, it seems that you are recovering well."


    Sitting in front of the window, a young lady raised her head. She looked at him. Her calm face made Huai Shi feel uneasy.


    "Last night... what actually happened? By the way, Old Liu, Old Liu..."


    "Liu Dongli? Ah, he is alive and the operation should be over now. He is in the intensive care unit... If he recovers, there may be a chance him of waking up in the future. But this is not your fault. It is better to say that it''s a blessing to survive when getting targeted by Green Day."


    Ai Qing said calmly, "Although a lot of things happened last night, the mastermind escaped... but for you, everything has come to an end."


    "It''s over?"


    "Yes, it''s over," Ai Qing nodded. "No matter what, the upcoming events have nothing to do with you, and no one will be targeting you in the future."


    She stared at Huai Shi and solemnly told him, "Congratulations, you can return to your original peaceful life."


    If Ai Qing told him this yesterday, he would be overwhelmed, dancing with happiness. However, he was completely unhappy hearing this now.


    He did not even make any joyous response.


    Ai Qing did not say anything more. After closing the book, she was ready to leave. After rejecting Huai Shi in seeing her out, she said goodbye after standing up with a crutch.


    "What happened?"


    When she saw Huai Shi''s trance like state, she tilted her head, "What else do you want to ask? If you are worried about Liu Dongli''s, the car that is parked here, and someone will drive it away in two days. Rest assured, they will give you a call before coming."


    Huai Shi shook his head and looked at her, "I actually have been thinking for all these days, where have I seen you before."


    "..."


    Ai Qing was silent. After a long time, she shook her head calmly, "It doesn''t matter if you can''t remember, it''s nothing important anyway. Just forget about it."


    She walked out of the door. She took a final glance at Huai Shi, bidding goodbye while nodding.


    "Then, I will immediately head off to Jinling to report my job right now. I wish you smooth sailing in the future, and hope we won''t be meeting again."


    She said, "Farewell, Huai Shi."


    The door closed.


    In the silence, Huai Shi was silent, watching Ai Qing get into the car with the driver''s help. After the door was closed, it slowly drove further away. Finally, it disappeared at the end of the road.


    .


    .


    For the entire afternoon, Huai Shi sat on the steps of the garden of his old place, looking at the bare plant nursery, daydreaming.


    "Feeling lost, right?"


    Crow came out of nowhere. Standing on his shoulder, she patted his head. "Don''t be sad. Come, grab a cigarette and relax?


    "If it really can''t be helped, buy a bottle of alcohol and drink some of it. Sleep for a while and everything will be okay. "


    "Everything''s over?"


    Huai Shi looked at her.


    "Yes, everything''s over." The crow asked lightly, "Isn''t this all over, Huai Shi? Just as you wished, you got rid of those messy and complicated things. You also got yourself back into the peaceful life you have always thought of"


    Huai Shi did not answer.


    Was it over?


    Maybe. However, the relief he expected did not come.


    He did not feel relieved. In fact, there was a trace of anger emerging from nowhere... Obviously nothing ended.


    He suddenly remembered Old Yang''s face.


    At the last moment, the bastard looked at himself, he was actually smiling. Once he was about to die, he seemed relieved.


    Obviously, he was relieved of nothing. He just sold his life to save the life of another person. Was he going to be happy saving that woman?


    What was he really pleased with?


    And now there was Liu Dongli, who was in the intensive care unit.


    Huai Shi once thought they were his friends. But now, one of them had been backstabbed. And the other one backstabbed him.


    He lost two friends.


    On top of that, the initiator behind all this had already slipped away...


    "How can it end so suddenly?"


    He raised his hand to cover his face. He could not bear the anger and fatigue in his heart, "Damn it..."


    Crow looked at him with pity.


    For the first time in such a long time, she saw Huai Shi so furious.


    Other times, no matter what happened, he would only slump to the ground like an old salted fish, letting the chaotic wheel of fate run over him.


    Good tempered in nature.


    If others were strong, he would let them be. He was cool about it anyway.


    However, she always felt something was missing in Huai Shi. Or¡­ he was trying to hide something.


    Only until now, she vaguely understood that perhaps this empty garden was his most relaxed place. Only here, he would be able face himself tranquilly.


    Even though his heart was so resistant to this¡ª


    "Say, Huai Shi." She asked seriously, "Does this place have any important meaning to you?"


    "Probably¡­"


    Huai Shi looked down at the small garden below the steps. He remained silent for a long time.


    "If you don''t want to say it, just pretend I didn''t ask that before." Crow shook her head, "After all, prying into people''s privacy isn''t something to be proud of."


    "No, there is no need to hide anyway, I am just thinking about what to tell you."


    Huai Shi rubbed his face. He pondered for a long time, thinking about it seriously.


    "When I was a kid, I had a high fever," he said.


    "My parents were very angry at that time because they were having a vacation abroad. I did not take care of myself. I did not spare them the worry. Then, they sent me money, allowing me to go to the hospital.


    "However, I was too sleepy and uncomfortable in that moment. So, I didn''t go and I fell asleep on the sofa in the living room."


    Huai Shi said, "I remember I had many strange dreams at the time. I dreamt that I seemed to have grown wings and was flying in the sky. I dreamt that this old house would talk, wipe my sweat, and pour water. Then, I heard someone climbing over the wall from the backyard. His face was covered and he had a knife in his hand... I was hiding behind the door and didn''t dare to speak.


    "I was so scared. If I was discovered by that person, I might be dead."


    "I didn''t want to die."


    He murmured softly while staring at the elevated surface of the ground, "So I killed him."


    "..."


    Crow froze, turning to look at Huai Shi''s face. She could not find any trace of him joking. There was only a disturbing calmness.


    "Yes."


    Huai Shi repeated it quietly, "I killed him."


    Hiding behind the door, using an axe, he hacked the back of his head when the man came in.


    The man went down with only a single swing.


    Then, he swung again and again, until there was no strength left.


    After discovering that the man could not move, he was at a loss initially. Then, came the feeling of insecurity and restlessness. At the final moment, the courage that terrified him emerged.


    In the heated daze, he dragged the body into the garden. He dug up the ground. Then, he quietly buried it together with the axe.


    He closed up the hole. After that, he returned to his bed after washing his hands.


    As if nothing happened.


    Since the geology centre was so remote, no one would come. Since his parents were so lazy, they would not take care of the garden. Anyway, no one would have found out that he had killed someone.


    Just like this, he fell asleep in fear. He had many strange dreams, although those dreams, he did not remember. The dreams were carrying some previous memories from before. When he woke up, his high fever had retreated unexpectedly.


    From that moment onwards, Huai Shi''s childhood ended.


    Ever since then, day after day, year after year.


    "Thinking back specifically, I am very lucky, right?"


    Huai Shi whispered, "In the beginning, I was afraid that someone would come and catch me, someone would find the thing I buried in the garden, but until now it seems that no one noticed...


    "Maybe if I didn''t hide it, I wouldn''t be so tired right now. No, if I was killed that year, I wouldn''t be able to live the life right now, the life that I myself can''t even stand watching "


    "...Actually, you don''t have to torture yourself."


    Crow could not help sighing, "Have you ever thought about such a possibility? Perhaps, this is just one of the nightmares you had when you were having the high fever."


    "Yeah, maybe?"


    Huai Shi nodded calmly, "I bought a shovel many times, but I threw it away many times.


    Every time I stand here, I hesitate. I''m afraid of what is hidden underneath. Actually, I am not afraid of digging out the body. I am afraid of the truth. "


    He said, "If I dig up this place, I can''t deceive myself anymore¡ª¡ªwhen the time comes, how can I go back to my quiet life again?"


    He paused for a moment. He suddenly laughed softly, "I thought I would have deceived everyone including myself for a lifetime."


    "¡ª¡ª Now it seems that there is no need to be afraid of anything."


    While speaking, Huai Shi picked up the rusty shovel in the corner. He then returned to the centre of the garden, looking for the original marking. He stood firmly.


    Then, the first patch of soil was shovelled.


    Crow was stunned.


    Then came the second shovel, the third shovel.


    Huai Shi''s movements were fast. Even if the wounds under the bandage cracked and bled, there was no hesitation at all.


    He cut off the weeds that were in the way; he shovelled the root system underground; then, he dug out the dirt and mud that buried the nightmare.


    He was sweating like rain.


    "Did you know... about my family?"


    Huai Shi turned his back to Crow and talked to her as if talking to himself. "Actually, I knew very well that since birth, my parents never liked me. After Grandpa''s death, they didn''t control it anymore-- They didn''t need me at all.


    "When they were there, I seemed like a hindrance. After they left, I became a homeless wild dog again. Just like this, the east wall was demolished and the west wall was demolished.


    "Until now, if you still can''t make money, not only the tuition fees, but also to even live... I feel that this kind of life has no value at all.


    "Actually, even I myself often think, what was the point living so tiredly?


    "It''s always so miserable anyway, struggling was useless, and sometimes it is laughed at and despised. Wouldn''t it be easier to give up occasionally?


    "But no matter the pain or suffering, I think I can handle it. It doesn''t matter if I occasionally want to betray my dignity, I won''t be angry.


    "Because I know that as long as I continue to move forward, everything will be fine.


    "Even this change is always insignificant.


    "Some people like Old Yang is willing to introduce me to work, and occasionally find excuses to give me some more money. And Old Liu is willing to invite me to dinner, to clean up the troubles that I have caused in the clubhouse. Even if there was a gun behind, when it''s dangerous, they still let me escape...


    "Doesn''t this mean that my life is worthwhile? "


    Huai Shi asked softly, but no one responded to his words. Sweat dripped from his face and fell into the pit that had been dug open.


    "But now--"


    He lowered his eyes, picking up then iron again, and shoveled down, trying his best.


    It was like breaking the greasy face in memory.


    "My value is denied!"


    Clunk!


    The shovel seemed to hit something, and a huge crack broke open. But nothing could be seen in the pit, no body, no bones, nothing.


    Only the scattered glow of the setting sun vaguely reflected a cruel outline.


    It was like an axe.


    Huai Shi bent down, reached out, and grasped its handle.


    "¡ª¡ªI''m going to kill him."


    Under the setting sun, Crow looked at the outline in Huai Shi''s hands in amazement ¡ª a formless iron casted purely from pure elementium, with the burning anger and cold killing intention mixed in together, reflecting the cruel light.


    That was the killing intent and death that had been sleeping deeply for seven years, a steel armament crafted by nightmares and fears.


    As if holding onto fire, at that moment, Huai Shi''s right hand was ignited by some invisible power and a white flame rose.


    The true form revealed in the silence.


    "So, that''s the case. That is the case..."


    She murmured softly, suddenly realizing that she had finally understood what happened to Huai Shi at this moment.


    Breaking through the barriers of spirit and matter and realizing the transformation between iron and elementium...


    After seven years, Huai Shi finally passed a long period of stress. In the burning of the elementium, nature sublimated and his own soul was ushered in.


    That was the unique and real soul name given by the sea of ??silver at the end.


    ''Hands forbidden''!

 Chapter 27：The Library

    It was night-time.


    The hall of the geology center had been cleaned, leaving only a chair in the middle.


    In the dim light, Huai Shi held a candle in his hand, feeling like he was engaging in some occultic activity.


    "Is it really alright to do this?"


    "Probably?"


    Crow shrugged calmly. "I know you want to search for clues in Old Yang''s record in the Book of Destiny, but I need to remind you that, although the idea is well and good, in practice, you may not necessarily find anything useful through regular reading. After all, the most important thing to him was obviously his wife. Of course, if you want to become the third wheel in their relationship, then pretend I didn''t say anything... "


    Huai Shi sighed. "Get straight to the point. Can you not beat around the bush like this?"


    "I''m being wary of you not being mentally prepared." The crow whistled. "To find something useful, you must use some... not very secure methods, you know?"


    "You mean challenges and risks, right?" Huai Shi sighed. He sat firmly on the chair.


    "I won''t speak much of those theories. You know psychics, right?"


    "Nonsense, do you want Old Yang to possess me?"


    "Something of the sort."


    Crow stretched her "shoulders" very anthropomorphically. "In simple words, you can understand it like this¡ª¡ªthe Book of Destiny itself is the controller to a certain important item, and the thing you have been reading thus far was only the table of contents.


    "It''s as if you have a computer and are going to commit some cybercrime. All you have to do now is use Old Yang''s records as the account password and quietly go around the firewall to carry out inquiries in the dangerous, prohibited server. Then, you need to look for Old Yang''s browsing records... In addition to the internet monitoring network, there is also a danger of being attacked by trojans and viruses. Do you understand? "


    "Will I die?"


    "It''s unlikely. After all, Old Yang himself was just an ordinary person while the records after his death are just a pile of old files that will be naturally overlaid."


    Crow patted his shoulder. "Worse comes to worst, it''s possible that living is no better than dying."


    "Oh, isn''t that what I usually do?"


    Huai Shi accepted this calmly. He was even willing to poke fun at himself. "Let''s not waste time and quickly do this."


    "I''m so relieved that you had this epiphany. Take out the Book of Destiny."


    Crow glanced at him and suddenly turned into a small clump of green smoke. The smoke dissipated, revealing something like a worn quill pen. Huai Shi''s palms opened, and the Book of Destiny that had already been elementiumized and fused with him appeared in his hands.


    The cover page was flipped open. Through her guidance, countless records of Huai Shi''s pasts disappeared. Then, a hand-drawn old computer internet login interface appeared.


    "Fortunately, I have retained quite some elementium in Old Pond Town, otherwise you wouldn''t even be able to pay the dialing fee."


    The elementium of a few dozen people flowed out from the nib and turned into ink. As she sketched, the dial progress bar slowly increased.


    "Remember, after entering, you can only stay on the outskirts. You should under no circumstance go deep inside. You are not allowed to simply do as you please; you are not allowed to simply look around; you are not allowed to randomly touch things¡­ In other words, don''t do anything aside from what you''re going in for. The candle is in your hand. Once the light from the candle extinguishes, come back immediately. Do you understand? "


    Crow reminded him one final time.


    The moment Huai Shi nodded, he felt as if everything in front of him had darkened. The ink on the page suddenly twisted into a vortex, pulling him into it.


    He seemed to have fallen for thousands of years. At the same time, it seemed like only a second had passed.


    Huai Shi seemed to have experienced many things during the process. However, when he stood firm in the dark, he quickly forgot everything once again.


    "Don''t look left and right as I''ve already erased those memories. If you don''t want to have a nightmare, don''t think about it again. There are only three minutes, little brother. Hurry up!"


    Crow''s urging voice awoke him from his trance.


    The candle in his hand was burning fast, illuminating the surrounding scene.


    Like a dilapidated library, a musty smell filled the air. In the dead silence, Huai Shi stood between countless bookshelves. He looked around uncomfortably.


    He was alone in the eerie darkness; the atmosphere would have been able to melt away death itself.


    If not for the candlelight in his hands, he would have gone crazy.


    There was a horrific scream from afar, which was quickly followed by a loud noise. Due to the roar, countless dust particles quickly fell from the beam.


    Without knowing what had happened, Huai Shi wanted to pull up the curtains to take a look. However, when he looked through the hole in the torn curtain, he saw a dreadful white pupil outside the window staring at him. He then wisely dismissed the idea.


    "There are two minutes and forty seconds left! What are you wasting time for?"


    Crow scolded, "Helping you by keeping a lookout is very dangerous too! What do you think it sounded like? You were almost discovered by the Predator! Hurry up!"


    Huai Shi did not dare to waste any more time. He looked down at the candle in his hand. After getting into the Old Yang''s broken records, the light of the candle pointed to the deepest part of the darkness, guiding him forward.


    It seemed that there were other things in the darkness. Although some noises occasionally cut through the dead silence, nothing could be seen in the dim light.


    There was only the sound of water droplets and light movement.


    It seemed to be waiting for something.


    Huai Shi sped up. The sharp noise of the old floor being trampled on rang continuously, reaching the depths of the darkness. After a long time, he heard Crow''s voice call out


    "This is the bookshelf. The book is on the third row, second one from the left! Hurry up! Hurry up! One minute left!"


    Following her instructions, Huai Shi located the book she specified from the identical row of book spines that were lined up on the bookshelf.


    It seemed that all the books here were indistinguishable. Even the spine and the cover did not have any markings, as if they were randomly placed there. No one seemed to care about it.


    However, the moment Huai Shi opened it, he suddenly felt an unsettling chill. The premonition of death resurfaced. Something was staring at him!


    With an unearthly shriek, the floor, bookshelf, and even the ceiling trembled. Rays of pitch-blackness stretched out from it. Like dark running water, it extended in all directions, touching and feeling everything, searching for its prey.


    With the candlelight, he barely made out its appearance. However, he could not believe it; it was all hair. They were individual tendrils, clumped up together as they convulsed and twitched like snakes! The dry, cold hair greedily groped everything around it. The sounds of struggling and hissing coming from the darkness were followed by a disturbing chew.


    Munch, munch, munch.


    Huai Shi swallowed his saliva. He carefully moved out of the way. The dark hair rushed past his feet like a wave of snakes, flowing into the depths of the darkness.


    "Did you come here to see the animal world! Ignore the librarian who was assimilated by hell, she can''t find you until the candle goes out!"


    Huai Shi took a nervous breath. "What the hell is this place?"


    "Isn''t it a bit too late to ask this?" Crow felt annoyed. "You still have fifty seconds."


    Huai Shi did not dare to delay any further. He opened the cover. Through the light, he saw the densely packed handwriting on the page. However, it seemed that the handwriting did not need to be read. The moment the light illuminated it, it seemed to come alive. It seeped into his consciousness through his eyes, turning into countless blurry reflections and shadows.


    At first glance, Huai Shi saw Old Yang''s grandson squatting on the toilet to cheer himself up.


    "My eyes¡­"


    Huai Shi wilfully tolerated the experience, quickly turning over the paragraph.


    All the records seemed to be small and fragmented, so he could only turn the pages indiscriminately. There were very few large fragments, and most of them contained trivial memories. There were even memories from the third grade of elementary school, where he confessed to his art teacher after getting some red flowers.


    "Old Yang, you are quite precocious..."


    Huai Shi sighed. Seeing that there was only a bit of the candle left, he quickly turned over to the next section. He continued to search deeper.


    Soon, he saw his pale-looking wife in the ward. Beside the bed, Old Yang was sitting there lively and full of energy.


    "Don''t worry, my wife! I have money now! At the end of the month, we will go to the provincial hospital. I have already identified the experts." He gently covered her slightly pale palm. "After two years, when you are in good health again, you will give birth to a big fat boy, a daughter will do too, I like both... "


    Looking at her smile, Old Yang laughed.


    He looked like he felt redeemed.


    Huai Shi turned the page sadly.


    He kept searching deeper, through the cuts and discontinuations in the fragments of memory. There was a series of broken thoughts, all of which were full of pain, fear, and uneasiness. In the end, the silhouette of a person emerged.


    A sneering smile, withered hair, and those red gloves that Huai Shi would never forget.


    "Then, it''s a deal."


    Five fingers spread out, covering Old Yang''s face.


    A chill ran down his spine.


    The following sections of the book were continuous nightmares and stupor. There were more and more cuts of fragments coming out. It was as if he had been going about life while being constantly drunk. He gradually deteriorated into a kind of walking dead, to the point where he did not even know what he was doing anymore.


    "Huai Shi, can you make it? There are only twenty seconds left!" Crow urged.


    "Almost, almost!"


    Huai Shi looked at the candle that was burning fast. Then, he frantically turned the pages. Fragments, fragments, and fragments. Going to the hospital to deliver food, going to the bank to transfer money, called to expedite payments, then, receiving a call...


    "The Li Hua Enterprise''s welcome party lacks a cellist, doesn''t it? You can count on me... Haven''t you seen the boy, Huai Shi? There''s no problem with that right? Oh, yes, then the deal is sealed."


    After hanging up the phone, Old Yang crossed his legs proudly. Then, he took out his notebook to record some notes. After that, he sent a text message to Huai Shi. "If the kid knew about this, he would start jumping happily."


    However, when he wrote down the address, his expression stiffened suddenly.


    The given address was very different from the one he had just noted.


    Then, he dialed an unknown number. He stiffly reported, "Transporter No. 4, get in place."


    "Very good, come to me."


    There was hoarse laughter over the phone.


    Old Yang got up and picked up the key. At that moment, a gust of wind blew. The candle flame shook.


    The light dimmed further.


    A strand of black hair quietly wrapped around Huai Shi''s ankle. It was deathly cold, as if it was ice... It inched upward, searching¡­


    In a flash, Huai Shi''s body became numb.


    "Damn it, how can the waves of the White Silver Sea get here... Huai Shi, come back, immediately!" Crow''s voice sounded out angrily. "You have been entangled!"


    "Almost, almost! I almost found it..."


    Huai Shi could not focus on responding to her. He sped up as he flipped through the pages, whilst the countless hairs inched closer faster and faster. Avoiding the light of the candle, it stretched out behind Huai Shi, spreading and entangling his limbs. Its grip was getting tighter and tighter.


    While Old Yang was driving, he went east along the road. Then, he turned left onto Binhai Boulevard... Huai Shi sped up again. He heard the sound of the tides in the distance.


    The black hair wrapped and tightened around his neck. He could not breathe.


    The candle trembled. The last ray of light was about to go out.


    Old Yang stopped the car. He walked out of the underground parking lot, slowly, in a way that made Huai Shi lose his mind. He walked forward, turned left, and went up the stairs.


    Huai Shi felt his spine cry out. The hair slithered up along his face, ready to drill into his eyes, nose, and mouth.


    The premonition of death washed over him like a sea of ice.


    His entire body felt cold.


    At that very moment, he saw Old Yang pushing open a door. In the darkness behind the door, a familiar face appeared.


    However, suddenly, the candle went out, and darkness engulfed him.


    At the last moment, an invisible force pulled him upward. He suddenly broke through the dark fog as if riding a roller coaster upside down, swiftly heading upward. However, a strand of black hair shot up through the air like a rope. It wrapped around his ankle, trying to yank him down.


    "Go away!"


    Huai Shi exhausted his last bit of strength as an invisible ax was swung, cutting off the black hair.


    At that moment, he lost consciousness. He only heard an infuriating shriek from the darkness before his vision went dark.


    When he opened his eyes again, he had returned to the familiar living room. Bending down, he frantically vomited out the last bits of food that were in his stomach. He heard Crow scolding him.


    "Are you f*cking crazy! Almost! Almost! You were that close to getting assimilated in there! And then you would have forever remained in the 27-depth of hell with that group of ghosts!"


    She glared at Huai Shi. "That thing is going to remember you! Before you break through the fifth stage and become a coronated, don''t ever think about going back there again!"


    "I found it¡­"


    Huai Shi panted hard. Although there were saliva and tears flowing madly down his face, his eyes were scarily bright, like the high beam of a car on the highway of hell.


    "I found him..."


    He murmured hoarsely. "I found him!"

 Chapter 28：You Dare To Jump Out Of My Car?

    By the time Huai Shi woke up, it was already nighttime.


    "They say that yesterday''s happenings have made the headlines of East Asia Edition''s news."


    The crow clutched the phone in her claws and scrolled through the screen. She clicked her tongue and exclaimed, "It was an emergency mobilization after all. Even the White Emperor was dispatched, so there was no way it could have been hidden from those who were born in the year of the fly."


    "Is that tomorrow''s news?"


    Huai Shi reached his head out with great effort and took a peek. Upon seeing the application, he was immediately stunned. "Isn''t this that trash newspaper that said they would not report anything other than the truth?"


    Every two or three days, this trash newspaper would report all sorts of strange and unreliable news, as well as ridiculous health tips and tricks. The fact that it could survive until now was even more ridiculous.


    "Emmm, as long as you pay up, they will occasionally speak the truth¡­ right?"


    The crow sighed. "After all, it is the border''s biggest, most expensive, and darkest intelligence trader and intermediary group. In the current situation, it''ll be enough so long as the industry can act as a transportation channel. However, they''re still pretty reliable when it comes to news regarding the Ascenders."


    The crow passed the phone to him so he could see it himself. "Now, the identity of the main culprit behind the scenes has been dug up. A third-stage Ascender, originally a Roman bodyguard who had been strangely missing for a few years. When he reappeared once again at Baghdad, he was already a member of the infamous terrorist organization, Green Day. After joining Green Day, he wiped out his real name according to the rules and was left with just a code name¡ªRed Glove. I can only say that it''s too fitting."


    "There''s even a full face picture here?"


    Huai Shi scooched over and scrutinized the face in the picture. Narrowing his eyes, he said, "He looks rather friendly."


    "Uh-huh, indeed. Apparently, all these years, he''s been running around for Green Day, secretly linking up with a lot of powerful people.


    "His soul ability is the Sneering Fish Tank. You''ve already seen it, and you should have a deep understanding of it. He splits his own elementium into goldfish and plants them in the bodies of others, so he can issue commands in secret.


    "The goldfish is very hard to detect before they hatch, but until they do, they can only be issued a few prods to subtly influence them. After they hatch, the victims can be completely transformed into his yes-men.


    "There are only seven goldfish. If one is lost, it would take a pretty long time to make up for the loss.


    "And the stigma implanted on his body is the already third stage Tombstone School Branch ¨C Taxim. The mythical living dead person with a relatively indomitable survival strength. They say that as long as the brain survives, then his survival is not really threatened. Its special feature is that it can wipe out one''s presence, achieving the effect of invisibility.


    "Once the stigma is activated, no one would notice, even in the middle of a busy city¡­ This ability suits a certain green platform quite well.


    "Its flaw is that the invisibility effect comes from twisting people''s cognitive reception, so it has no effect on cameras, pictures, and reflections."


    "So, we''ve already discovered many details about it?"


    Huai Shi was stunned.


    "Of course. If not, how would it sell?" The crow sighed. "With the funds I have on hand at the moment I could only buy this mainstream edition. Luckily, this bro is more active; otherwise, I''d have to pull out a few more¡­"


    "Wait, wait¡ª"


    Huai Shi snapped back to his senses. "Where did you get money from?"


    The crow smiled mysteriously.


    Huai Shi hastily pulled out his phone and his eyes nearly popped out of his head upon seeing the rows of cash-deduction notifications. The twenty or so thousand that he had earned as a gigolo without any regard for his life¡­ It was all gone!


    Not to mention, over three thousand had been deducted from his credit!


    "You''re a piece of work! Couldn''t you have bought something cheaper!"


    "There''s no use in getting cheap things," the crow retorted. "Besides, since you''re going to court death, there''s no point in leaving any money behind, right?"


    "Who said I was going to court death!?"


    Huai Shi widened his eyes and held up his phone. "Don''t I know how to call someone?"


    The crow was dumbfounded.


    The gaze fixed on Huai Shi was one of disbelief, shock¡­ and a motherf*cking, laughable irony.


    "Two hours ago, weren''t you shouting that you were going to kill him?"


    The crow''s eyes widened. "Besides, where on earth did you learn this lame habit of calling for help anytime you have a problem? In any case, you''re the person being recorded by the Book of Destiny. Don''t you have any sort of awareness as the main character?"


    Huai Shi was angry. He picked up the crow''s phone and pointed at the news on the screen. "He''s already upgraded three times. A level zero noob like me trying to duel the boss... Am I going to put myself on a platter for him? Even a main character wouldn''t be so stubborn!"


    "He''s already crippled, pal, do you not even know how to finish the job? If you have a problem you can''t solve, then just fight it out foolishly. Killing monsters above your grade gives double the experience, you know?"


    The crow rolled her eyes at him, feeling resentful that he did not meet her expectations. "Furthermore, who are you planning to call? Liu Dongli is still f*cking resting in the ICU!"


    "Uh, Ai Qing?"


    "Before she left, she already said that she was immediately heading to Jinling. She might already be on the plane now. Everything will be cold by the time she gets back!"


    "The Special Affairs Bureau?"


    "Do you have their contact?"


    "Then¡­"


    Huai Shi hesitated. "How about 110?"


    The crow looked at him silently for a long time, before sighing helplessly. "What are you planning to tell them? Even if you tell them everything from the beginning, others will just dismiss it as a modern hipster fantasy story, right?


    "Additionally, even if you located the Special Affairs Bureau, how would you explain to them the reason why you know all of this? They might even suspect that you''re a mole for Green Day! Will you believe me when I say that once you''re done explaining my business, they''ll immediately hand you a VIP ticket straight to prison?"


    "F*ck me. This can''t be done, that can''t be done¡­"


    Huai Shi smacked the table indignantly, before abruptly cooling down again. "Then what if¡­ we just forget about it?"


    "That''s fine too."


    The crow glanced at him. "From now on, you''ll walk your path, and I''ll walk mine. Brother Red Glove will be on the loose and continue to make a mess of things while you achieve the peak of life through hard work and cheat codes¡­ If you can accept this, then I''ll simply accept it."


    Huai Shi felt despicable.


    The crow shook her head and lifted her wings to pat Huai Shi''s shoulder. "Young person, would this older sister harm you?"


    "Yeah!"


    Huai Shi glared at her. "You''ve harmed me all over from head to tail, okay!"


    "Ahem ahem, let us not discuss the matter of the wanted criminal for now¡­"


    She awkwardly coughed twice and said in a tone full of sincerity, "Besides, think about it. This is revenge, sweet revenge! A classic theater show! A program that everyone loves to hear and see! To be able to have this opportunity in your lifetime, are you still not content?


    "As the owner of the Book of Destiny, you''ve already become an Ascender¡ªdon''t restrict yourself with those weak regulations anymore.


    "Before the Decemviri of the Governance Bureau publishes the Law of the Twelve Tables, there is only one applicable law between Ascenders, and that is an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth!"


    She fixed her gaze on her summoner. Her blood-red eyes were filled with a cold seriousness. With no more trace of teasing or joking in her tone, she spoke as if she were announcing the facts of the matter. "If in this process, there really are some things that I can teach you, then this would be the first lesson¡ªthis world does not hold any warmth or empathy toward those who are weak, and there is no leeway given for cowards to escape either.


    "It''s as you have already experienced¡ªif you don''t control your destiny, then your destiny will control you!"


    "..."


    Huai Shi was stunned. He stared dumbfoundedly at the crow in front of him, just as he did when he first saw her. Seeing his dumbstruck expression, the crow instantly became gleeful. "How was it? Does it feel like you''ve gotten to know me, this older sister, again? I spent all of last night coming up with such a tough line, you know! Hurry, say some nice words and praise me!"


    "..."


    The yearning that was so normally hard to come by in Huai Shi''s heart immediately vanished into thin air as he sighed to himself. ''This big sister spoke in such a f*cking awesome way, but she might be all bark and no bite, with the intention to bluff newbies like me.''


    However¡­ What she said did make sense.


    He thought for a long while and meticulously sized up the crow in front of him before suddenly making a bold guess.


    "Emmmm¡­ Just saying, but do you possibly have any sort of hidden combat skills? Could you possibly transform during critical times? We could combine as human and bird, and you could become armor while I become Saint Seiya¡­"


    The crow rolled her eyes and looked at him as if he were retarded. "Cut me some slack, I''m just a bird."


    "Then what did you say so much for?" Huai Shi glared. "Am I supposed to single-handedly chop that guy to death with an ax?"


    "Relax. Even without guns, and without bombs¡­"


    The crow looked outside the window toward the yard, where a car was parked. "You can still rely on your allies."


    It was Liu Dongli''s car.


    Huai Shi''s gaze brightened as well. "That''s right, Old Liu has a lot of good stuff!"


    Very quickly, he dragged his iron pickaxe out the door. After circling the car that Liu Dongli had left at his place a few times, he found a spot on the back window of the car and lifted the pickaxe up behind his head.


    "Old Liu, I''m going to take revenge for you now, so¡­ don''t fuss over these small things."


    Bang!


    The obviously expensive bright red sports car gave a sudden jolt. The car window had been neatly smashed open, and an alarm started to sound.


    When Huai Shi pulled out a metal box with the earth sign of the Astronomical Association printed on it from behind the glass, he could not help but laugh. "Aha, as expected, it''s here!"


    He had seen it clearly during these two days. That gigolo, Liu Dongli, had pulled out all his weapons from here. Thus, he hoped that he had left a small present behind for his comrade.


    As expected, he was not disappointed after opening the box.


    Inside, he found that a short-barreled shotgun and two handguns had been taken, but what was left was an army knife, a black bulletproof vest, and a handgun that looked really f*cking cool¡­


    He did not know the model of it, and he was unclear about the manufacturer as well, but it looked really wicked.


    Conveniently shoving the Mateba Autorevolver into the back of his pants, he pulled out a handful of bullets and crammed it into his pants pocket. Huai Shi felt that his resolve had abruptly been strengthened.


    "I have a question¡­"


    Behind him, the crow sighed helplessly and shook the item in her claw. "His car keys were right on the table, so why did you have to smash the window?"


    "... I forgot."


    Huai Shi awkwardly took the keys and realized that he could now save money instead of calling for a cab. Saving was good, saving was very good. After all, he might not even have enough money to call for a car anymore.


    After he had squeezed into the car, the crow that just settled on his shoulder asked one final question. "Right, do you know how to drive?"


    "Uh-huh, does playing QQ Speed on my phone count? My rank is actually pretty high."


    Huai Shi thought for a moment before he replied with a question. He then grabbed ahold of the crow that was trying to get out of the car and trapped her in the passenger seat with the safety belt. "What are you running for? You dare to jump out of my car? Wasn''t it you who provoked me into taking revenge! Sit tight, we''re off!"


    "Don''t do this! I haven''t yet prepared myself to die on your journey for revenge!"


    The crow was flustered now and struggled with great effort. "Huai Shi, I suffer from motion sickness. It''s true. I''ll lend you some money, so how about you call a car? Hiring a luxury Lincoln limousine puts up a really tough front as well! If not, then maybe you should call someone after all! I have the contact number for the Special Affairs Bureau¡­"


    "Since when do I have the patience to wait for others?"


    Huai Shi glanced at her one last time. After hastily searching up how to drive on the internet, he jammed the key into the ignition and twisted it abruptly, firing up the engine


    "We''re short on time, so let''s go!"


    Vroom!


    Like a crazed dog being released from a cage, the car engine and the crow let out a shriek in unison, as the bright red sports car scraped past half of the metal gate, dashing out of the Chalcedony Museum and charging onto the bumpy road of no return.


    At some point in time, the moonlight was obstructed by clouds as the oppressive sound of thunder rumbled in the depths of the sky.


    Wind blew from a distance.


    It was about to rain.


    Chinese political hotline

 Chapter 29：Provoking A Monster To Lure It

    The lightbulb hanging from the iron wall shone dimly, illuminating the bubbling crucible as well as pieces of metal littered all over the place.


    Aside from the sounds of thunder outside and the raindrops hammering the ground, in the sealed room, only heavy breaths akin to a low bellow could be heard.


    Red Glove, with his upper body bared, gritted his teeth and changed the bandages on the half of his body that was a mess of flesh and blood. As he peeled off the gauze sticking to his bloody flesh, scarlet blood gushed from behind the torn scabs.


    It was as if multiple blades had been plunged into him as the fine slits opened little pink mouths, spitting out blood-red saliva.


    "F*ck! That monstrous East Xia junior high student¡­"


    Red Glove cursed in a low voice. He took up the spray can and aimed it at his wounds. A spurt of green mist landed on his body, immediately reacting as sulfuric acid does when meeting an alkaline solution, hissing violently.


    While he repressed a pained roar, wisps of the pale green aerosol squeezed into his wounds as though it was alive. Right after this, his entire upper body started to wriggle like a snake''s nest.


    He laid limp on the ground, spasming in pain, no longer able to resist roaring in pain.


    Something was warring in his torso like it was a battleground. Very quickly, extravasated blood and pieces of his internal organs flowed out from his wounds in a deep green muck, alongside wisps of cinder-like black ink.


    This was Chang Geng''s poison that had been forcibly squeezed out of his guts¡­


    If it were somebody else, they probably would have died much sooner, would they not? If it were not for his Stigma - Taxim being able to temporarily zombify his torso, he was afraid he would not have been able to withstand this fighting-poison-with-poison methodology.


    In a few short seconds, he was already sweating buckets. His sweat mixed with the spoiled blood as it flowed from his wounds.


    He looked like a living corpse that a graverobber had dragged out from a coffin.


    However, regardless, he was still alive.


    This near-death experience even helped him gain a firmer grip on advancing past the nightmare and going into the fourth stage.


    When the alarm rang, he finally had the strength to crawl up from the floor. He took up the tongs and poured the silver fluid from the bubbling crucible into an iron mug.


    Hissing noises rang out.


    This was not some tasty beverage, it was just a puddle of boiling metal liquid!


    Even if he was half-zombified at that moment, Red Glove still hesitated for a long while after picking the mug up. However, this silver blood potion that was brewed at the last minute was only effective in liquid form.


    Therefore, he steeled himself and downed it in one go.


    Amid excruciatingly scorching pain, he half expected his esophagus and mouth to burn to ash. Regardless, this was a necessary price to pay.


    This type of liquid that was deadly to regular people was actually a type of priceless mini-stigma¡ªa small miracle compressed in the form of a metal liquid that could fix all damaged stigmas as well as the torso in a short amount of time, like a universal glue.


    The technique to ensure it maintains liquid form under room temperatures was every alchemy workshop''s secret and could not ever be revealed. As of now, in his haste, he could only concoct this unrefined version that would undoubtedly have serious after-effects on his body.


    Very quickly, the half of his body that was a mess of flesh and blood started to close up. Slivers of metallic light shone through the wounds. The solidified metal mixed with his flesh and blood, re-sealing the torso that was on the verge of breaking apart.


    This excruciating pain also depleted the last of his energy, making his consciousness grow fainter, until he nearly fainted.


    His trembling hand groped about his pocket until he pulled out a pouch. Opening it, he fished out the incense inside and lit his elementium''s fire.


    Plumes of smoke entered his nostrils.


    His pale face gradually reddened. His depleted energy slowly recovered a little under the stimulation of the incense, but it was not enough to bring him back to a tenth of his regular state.


    Those red-bottle, blue-bottle types of convenient creations in online games were not realistic at all. Even if they existed, the cost of them would be high enough for each one to be sold for millions as they were a critical-point life-saving tool.


    Moreover, with metal mending the body and incense maintaining soul, this was a daily occurrence for every border Ascender.


    Only now did he finally reach out his hand and bring the cellphone that had been vibrating for a long time to his ear, answering the call.


    "It''s me. I''m still at New Ocean."


    "How''s your condition?" The person on the other end of the line asked.


    "I''ve received some injuries and am still losing blood. Thankfully, I have the Four of Spades you gave me, or I''d really have been in trouble."


    He put on his jacket using his free hand with difficulty. "New Ocean has already been completely threaded through with the Astronomical Association''s fuse now. The spare safe house has been discovered too¡­ Don''t worry. I''ll leave at midnight and prepare an escape route myself. I won''t leave any evidence behind."


    "Be wary of everything. Don''t stay in the interior any longer. Come back as soon as possible."


    The caller urged him, "Although New Ocean''s intruder wasn''t caught, it doesn''t change the bigger picture¡ªyour mission has been completed. We''ll be able to clear the route to Magic City very soon¡­ If the situation is dangerous, then act according to your own judgment. Put your safety first."


    Red Glove hung up apathetically and started destroying everything he could not bring with him. Very quickly, he was done tidying up.


    The time was 11.15.


    It was time to leave this city of living corpses¡­


    Bang!


    Suddenly, the loud boom of a collision reverberated from far away.


    Red Glove stopped in his tracks before looking at the monitor screen in the corner.


    Somebody was here.


    He spread his palms and called out a fish tank, bending his head to peep through the water.


    Just outside the door, a crimson sports car had crashed into a mountain of containers and was emitting black smoke.


    A car crash?


    ¡­


    "Kuh kuh kuh, kuh kuh kuh¡­"


    Amid the heavy smoke, Huai Shi crawled out from the car with difficulty, his head spinning. At the same time, the ice-cold rain poured down, rousing him.


    He looked lazily at his surroundings, only to see the mountainous layers of containers stacked up at the quayside with the cold-as-steel surface of the sea glistening beneath the gloomy sky.


    "We''ve arrived?"


    "Uh-huh, we''re here."


    The crow who had just escaped death flew out of the car and peered at her surroundings. "Couldn''t you find a parking lot? Even if I said to be rash, there was no need for you to be so reckless as to intentionally crash the car, was there?


    "Have you forgotten the sin you committed yourself?" Huai Shi glared at her. "Even if I parked the car, I don''t have money to pay the parking fare, alright?!"


    "Then you could''ve just left the car behind and let Liu Dongli pay for it himself after he leaves the hospital!"


    Huai Shi paused for a moment, realizing that if they compared their respective lack of consciences, this rotten bird was a rank above. ''When it comes to being hearted, I, Huai Shi, acknowledge you as the strongest.''


    Under the heavy rain, he looked left and right, making out the terrain. He was completely confused. No matter where he looked, it all looked the same. They were surrounded by crossroads made from stacked cargo containers of various colors.


    There was no way to tell exactly where he was.


    Much less find Red Glove who was hiding here.


    He had said he would come out to fight monsters.


    He had now arrived.


    So, where was the monster?


    The crow was silent for a moment before making a bad suggestion. "Why don''t you try calling out a couple of times?"


    Huai Shi paused for a moment before immediately nodding his agreement. He cupped his two hands around his mouth and shouted, "Hello? Are you there? Is anyone there? Fellow, open the door, I''m here to deliver some warmth¡­ Red Glove, old boy, which alley are you hiding in?"


    Nobody answered.


    In the dark, Red Glove stared coolly at the image on the surface of the water, expressionless.


    "What''s this? Did he come to make jokes?"


    Suddenly, the water in the fish tank rippled slightly.


    The faraway angle moved over the surroundings. After making sure nobody was waiting to ambush him, it seemed to put down a telescope before immediately picking something else up.


    After this, a neat and fine crosshair appeared on the image¡­


    He aimed for Huai Shi''s head through the slowly-moving water.


    At the top of a tower crane high in the sky, a figure that had been draped on the derrick under a dust sheet slowly got up, letting the rain wash over his pale skin. There was not a hint of expression in his dull eyes¡ªonly a goldfish swimming slowly.


    The heavy sniper rifle in his hands was held level.


    His breathing was controlled.


    In the middle of the suffocating pain, the long barrel of the gun held steadily in his hands was raised. The ink-black steel reflected the endless rain falling from the sky.


    Now, separated by sheets of rain hundreds of meters away, the rifle scope was locked onto the completely-defenseless figure in the rain.


    His index finger pulled back slightly.


    At that moment, the view in the rifle scope suddenly moved to one side, and a pair of enormous scarlet eyes appeared through in the sights. It was as if the image in the reflection was staring straight at Red Glove''s face.


    That sudden shock caused Red Glove''s hands to shake, and he nearly flipped the fish tank.


    What was this!?


    "Just what are you doing, little boy?"


    The crow that had landed on the gun and was currently sneakily looking through the rifle scope opened its mouth and spoke, "Isn''t it dangerous to be standing so high up when it''s raining?"


    "Well¡­"


    After she said this, she lifted a claw and put what she was holding into the lifeless puppet''s hand.


    "I''ll give you something good."


    Under Red Glove''s control, the puppet instinctively looked down and saw he was holding a long, thin¡­ metal wire?


    At that moment, a faint azure light shot out from the wire.


    In the next second, thunder roared, and he could see nothing.


    Bang!


    "What the f*ck!"


    It was like Red Glove had been struck with lightning. He staggered back a step and subconsciously covered his forehead, feeling the agony of his split elementium having been burnt to a crisp by lightning.


    What made him even more uneasy was that the weird crow reminded him of that coronated White Emperor now famous in East Xia, that girl constantly running around with a dove¡­


    He suddenly found himself shuddering a little¡ªjust how many monsters did those lunatics from Jixia create?


    If this was a similar case, there was no point evading and hiding any longer.


    Only by risking his life would he have any chance of survival.


    His expression sobered up, and he clenched his fists tightly. After he heard the sharp sound of steel breaking from a distance away, he slowly pushed open the door and left, walking out of the container he had hidden in.


    In the rain, at the crossroads between the layers of stacked steel, the shouting of the young man abruptly stopped.


    "You actually came out?"


    Huai Shi was astonished. It was as though you were yelling about how nobody would save you and, immediately after, someone named Nobody suddenly appears.


    "Are you alone?"


    Red Glove tilted his head to look around and did not detect anyone else. His expression became colder. "East Xia''s people really are worsening with each generation, huh?"


    "Ah, no, you''ve probably misunderstood."


    Huai Shi waved a hand awkwardly, lamenting helplessly, "Although it''s not our first time meeting, I should probably introduce myself a little. I don''t like formalities though, so if you really want to know how to address me, you can call me¡­"


    As he said this, he took off his hood and revealed his face as well as his pink mask.


    "¡ªLittle Piggy of Huaihai Road."


    "¡­"


    Red Glove froze.


    What game was this?


    ''Are you kidding me?''


    What "huai", what "hai", what "road", what "little", what "piggy"?


    It was understandable. Anyone who saw the mask would be stupified.


    At that moment, he was stunned. Meanwhile, Huai Shi, who had prepared for this moment for a long time, simply produced Liu Dongli''s gun and aimed it at his face before pulling the trigger.


    Bang!

 Chapter 30：I Have A Bold…

    At a distance of fifteen meters.


    The barrel of the Mateba Autorevolver fired, aimed straight at his face.


    At the instant the barrel lit up with gunpowder, Red Glove''s expression immediately changed, and he instinctively dodged. However, he was already too late, and in a split second, the bullet penetrated his flesh, causing blood to fly all over the place.


    He was hit!


    Huai Shi''s eyes lit up.


    Then, he heard an enraged bellow.


    It was Red Glove.


    He had not died yet, but a large hole had appeared in his cheek. The bullet had crushed half his face and smashed one of his cheekbones, after which it exited his head by smashing through his right ear.


    Tendons were ripped from his face, causing half of his face to dangle in the air.


    A critical hit!


    "F*ck, so close!"


    Huai Shi gritted his teeth, nearly spontaneously combusting from anger. He had prepared for so long just for this moment, yet, when the moment arrived, he had failed to capitalize.


    He had focused so much, yet the trajectory had still been off by a negligible half a centimeter¡­


    The result was vastly different from an exploding head.


    This injury that would have made regular people faint on the spot felt like nothing to the currently half-zombified Red Glove, but it made him irrepressibly agitated.


    He had originally steeled himself in preparing for a bloody battle, but he never thought what waiting for him was this type of unrefined comedy routine.


    The strong opponent he had imagined had not appeared, and a little piggy had hopped out instead.


    A motherf*cking little piggy!


    The fact that he had actually been tricked to this extent by an inexperienced weakling gave him the uncontainable urge to laugh and mock his snake-bitten self amid his rage¡ªif those bastards knew of the detest he had unknowingly developed toward birds, they would certainly laugh themselves to death, would they not?


    Having failed with one shot, Huai Shi did not waste any time being disheartened and stepped forward, once again pulling the trigger after steadying the gun.


    However, this shot only hit air.


    At that moment, Red Glove retreated, and his figure suddenly blurred under the rainstorm.


    It was just like a drop of ink dropping into water, diffusing instantly. Then, he very faintly melted into the blur of rain.


    This was the inherent skill that Stigma ¨C Taxim allowed him after entering the third stage. Aside from being able to be half-zombified at any time and be near immortal, there was also this type of "invisibility" ability weird enough to make people fear it.


    Melting.


    In Eastern European legends, the term used for Taxim was the living dead, which crawled out of their graves. In other words, the Spirit of Vengeance. It was also because of their unique origin of being buried beneath the ground that people often struggled to notice this trait.


    This was not invisibility that thermal vision, Undeceivable Eye, or Eye of Truth types of stigma skills could perceive. Once his Melting skill was activated, even if he was doing a jig in front of Ascenders whose expertise lied in Reconnaissance, nobody would be able to detect him.


    Their subconscious mind would just block him off and forget about him.


    At that moment, a shred of doubt suddenly developed in Huai Shi''s mind. ''Why am I here?''


    If he had been a normal person, he would have even forgotten the reason why he had come here.


    However, the moment he thought of this, his vision turned black and his body splayed forward. He fell to the ground, like a dog eating feces.


    His back was in severe pain.


    He had been shot in the same spot.


    Even with his bulletproof vest, it was enough to make him unable to crawl back up. What was even more torturous was that the wound inside that had not yet healed had torn open again. Wet blood seeped out from underneath the waterproof carapace, strengthening the unease and fear in his heart.


    He was clear that right just now, Red Glove was standing behind him, calmly analyzing his confused state before raising his hand and firing a shot.


    Like a cat catching a mouse.


    Analyzing his disgraceful appearance.


    However, when he turned around, he could not see anything.


    Where was he?


    He opened his eyes wide, focusing on his surroundings. He saw the ripples of rainwater falling on the ground, the containers surrounding him, and even a man slowly walking past him, but he just could not see where Red Glove was!


    Earlier, he had been right behind him, but he did not notice any sign of him beforehand.


    Even if he was easily within reach, he was afraid he would not be able to see him.


    This type of scary invisibility made him silently tremble from the fear.


    The crow''s intelligence report stated that Red Glove''s Stigma ¨C Taxim affected a person''s perception. Its weakness was that it would not work through videos and photographs. Thus, he could use mediums like reflections to perceive his presence¡­


    However, the rain was so heavy that taking out his knock-off cell phone now would only cause it to spark and malfunction. Moreover, all reflections were blurred by the rain. There was no way to see anything!


    Hold on. Videos and photographs¡­


    He suddenly had a bold idea.


    He summoned the Book of Destiny. The pages turned by themselves, flipping to the latest development¡ªthe line saying he had a bold idea.


    His two eyes continuously found time to scan through the words on the page while he vigilantly watched the surroundings, searching for traces of Red Glove.


    [The endless rainstorm fell from the sky, sounds of thunder and the fall of rainwater layering together, turning into a torrential roar. A bolt of lightning struck the ground, electric light flashing and illuminating Huai Shi as well as the man to his right analyzing his spooked expression with unruffled discipline.]


    To his right?


    When these words appeared, Huai Shi aimed to his right and pulled the trigger without thinking.


    Bang!


    He hit him!


    Huai Shi was ecstatic. He saw a spray of blood burst from the man''s chest, yet he could not spot any trace of Red Glove.


    Now, where was he hiding?


    He disappeared again,


    [Huai Shi vigilantly watched his surroundings, but he quickly lowered his head again to peer at the page. Under the agony of losing blood, and with his eyes obscured by rain, he could not perceive the figure raising a gun in front of him.]


    Bang!


    Huai Shi pulled the trigger once again.


    Yet another stream of blood flowed from the man''s arm, but Huai Shi still could not see him, nor did he notice the sound of an enraged cuss.


    He only saw the handgun that had fallen to the ground.


    Huai Shi heaved a sigh of relief and bent his head to see:


    [That man speedily retreated, evading Huai Shi''s gun. He found that Huai Shi''s ability to sense his presence unbelievable, and his face red with rage. After this, he opened his mouth and roared. Huai Shi heard the sound of a lion roaring.]


    The sound of a lion roaring?


    Huai Shi was amused. This rotten plaything''s descriptions were truly god-level. However, after that, he really did see the head of a lion¡­


    A real lion!


    Under the rainstorm, a terrifyingly large lion leaped down from the storage containers, landing in front of Huai Shi and roaring to the sky.


    The symbol of a South African zoo still hung from its neck. In its empty eyes, a goldfish silently swam about, giving Huai Shi an apathetic glance.


    What was this, a hallucination?


    Huai Shi could not believe it. He unconsciously took two steps back and heard the crow''s voice, "Young lad, what are you doing staying still? Shoot! This is the lion that South Africa sent to be exhibited at Jinling Zoo! The real thing! Are you planning on becoming its lunch?"


    In the rainstorm, the huge, wild lion gradually advanced forward. Its dampened fur laid on its neck like twisted rope, swaying along with every step.


    Sneering Fish Tank could even control animals?


    Huai Shi was in disbelief, but he did not dare to hesitate either. He took aim at the lion in front of him and frantically pulled the trigger. However, after two shots, the gun clicked pathetically.


    He was out of bullets!


    F*ck!


    Huai Shi frantically took out the magazine and unloaded the cartridge before grabbing a handful of bullets and frantically shoving them in.


    However, before he could reload more than a few bullets, the lion was already pouncing on top of him.


    With a roar, the thick curtain of rain broken by the man-eating beast. Its shocking weight hit him like a bullet. Its sharp claws swiped downward at Huai Shi''s face. In his haste, Huai Shi only had the time to lift his right hand to block the attack.


    Right after that, a cracking sound was heard.


    His right hand had been broken. Fresh blood oozed from the claw marks, spreading a scarlet across the wet ground.


    The handgun fell. The scorching-hot barrel hit the water, causing it to hiss violently.


    At the same time, he collapsed to the ground.


    The wide-as-his-head mouth opened, biting down on his neck.


    "F*ck off!"


    At that moment, Huai Shi howled. His left hand flung the Book of Destiny away. The heavy book returned to elementium form in midair and returned to his soul. After this, his left hand seemed to be set aflame, encased in the pure white glow of elementium fire.


    Trapping Hand, activated!


    At this moment, Huai Shi''s blazing left hand suddenly reached out as if he was taking something.


    He gripped an invisible handle.


    In the next instant, the invisible weapon came down on the lion, landing on its head and splitting open its flesh and entering its skull.


    Nonetheless, the lion''s skull was too thick, and was hard to totally pierce with the invisible ax.


    However, this was no matter, Huai Shi''s soul ability was not creating invisible weapons to hack at people. Its key was not the blade but the thing it was forged of¡­


    The rage and killing intent he had solidified after accumulating them for seven years!


    Instantly, his ink-black elementium flowed out of the blade and exploded. His searing rage and icy killing intent morphed into black water and seeped through the lion''s skull.


    In the blink of an eye, the fish tank behind its eyes was dyed black.


    The goldfish violently spasmed and exploded, the invisible rage and killing intent entering Red Glove''s brain through the Sneering Fish Tank''s bridge, blowing it up instantly.


    A wail rang out.


    Sticky blood oozed out from the corners of his eyes, his nostrils, and his ears.


    It was like his soul itself had been smashed with a hammer. At the same time, the fish tank in his hands trembled suddenly as a crack appeared¡­


    Amid Red Glove''s tragic wailing, Huai Shi took the opportunity of the lion''s temporary immobility and reached out to pick up the gun that had fallen to the ground. He shoved the gun into its eyes, then repeatedly pulled the trigger.


    Three gunshots later, the bullets he had stuffed in his haste were used up. Sticky cerebrospinal fluid sprayed out from the hole at the back of the lion''s head.


    It was dead.


    Huai Shi used all his strength to push away the lion on top of him, only feeling the excruciating pain of his broken right hand. When he crawled back up, he finally saw the exhausted Red Glove leaning on a storage container.


    The sudden, violent attack left him unable to maintain his Melted state. Blood flowed from between his mouth and nose whilst he no longer looked as arrogant as when they had first met, instead now looking so battered that he could die at any moment.


    However, when he looked at Huai Shi, his deformed face grinned.


    "You think it''s over just like this?"


    In that instant, Huai Shi felt something wrap around his thighs. It was heavy and cold as it silently extended upward. In the blink of an eye, it coiled around him, moving upward layer by layer before suddenly tightening, squeezing his broken hand and making Huai Shi cry out sharply in agony.


    He only saw what was wrapping around his body when he turned his head¡­ Icy scales, a long body, and a forked tongue.


    It was a huge python.


    The python''s head, which was bigger than Huai Shi''s fist, stopped in front of his face. It opened its mouth and released a fishy breath. In its lifeless eyes, a goldfish swam about lazily.


    There was still a snake¡­

 Chapter 31：Fatty Sorrow Drink

    There was still a snake¡­


    Huai Shi could not resist uttering a helpless sigh.


    Under Red Glove''s control, the python slowly constricted him, as if it wanted to slowly crush his bones, even expertly binding his left hand so as to ensure that he could not move.


    His gun fell to the ground.


    "I admit, I nearly¡­ lost to you. Nearly¡­"


    Red Glove dragged his wounded leg, stumbling forward, his gruesome face filled with a gloom and cruelty that would make one''s heart race. "However, those strange little tricks of yours end now."


    After he spoke, he slowly held up the fish tank in his hands, revealing the final remaining fish in it.


    "Don''t be afraid. I won''t kill you. After all, even I don''t get many chances to turn Ascenders into bait¡­"


    As he said this, elementium flowed out from the fish tank in his hands.


    Red Glove split a portion of his soul and turned it into bait, nurturing the fry. In the blink of an eye, the pink goldfish swiftly expanded until it became a greenish-purple color. The puffed-up big fish''s eyes were now bloody as they stared straight at Huai Shi.


    Turning the fry into a parasite large enough to control an Ascender obviously drew out huge amounts of Red Glove''s energy. His face was pale, and his steps staggered. He could feel his consciousness fading as his body was pushed to the limit.


    When he thought of how a newly-promoted Ascender could force him into this state, he could not repress the sorrow he felt in his heart.


    However, this was not the time to be weak.


    He lifted a hand before suddenly smashing a fist into Huai Shi''s face. After this, another fist smashed the comical mask, revealing Huai Shi''s youthful face.


    "It''s you..."


    He was stunned, having recognized the young man in front of him. Immediately, his gaze became crueler. "It was truly a huge mistake not killing you the last time! Fortunately, it isn''t too late to redeem myself¡­"


    "Big Brother, you talk too much. If you want to kill me, hurry up."


    He could not withstand the python''s strangulation. Huai Shi''s face was covered in snot and tear; they had been forced out due to the pain of his wounds.


    "Come on. At most, in another eighteen, no, seventeen years, I''ll become a good man again!"


    Red Glove chuckled coldly.


    Seventeen years? He no longer had seventeen years. After his soul was eaten by the goldfish, Huai Shi would become an empty living corpse.


    He raised his right hand and pressed it against Huai Shi''s forehead. At the same time, goldfish in the fish tank vanished without a trace.


    Huai Shi cried out.


    "Scream, scream¡­ Very soon, your five senses will be consumed, and you won''t be able to feel pain anymore."


    Red Glove laughed coldly, but upon seeing the mess that was his surroundings in the rainstorm, he could not help feeling a certain sadness. The feeling of leaving his hometown surfaced.


    This place was not his hometown after all. Ah, how he missed the damp forest and those little mice¡­


    Reminiscing about this, he could no longer stop his tears from falling.


    However, almost immediately, he sobered up, horrified. He tried sensing where exactly this wave of sadness was coming from. Meanwhile, that python... that python was spasming, as if writhing in tears, nearly letting go of its own prey.


    However, he already did not have time to care about that snake, as he currently remembered the vagabond life he led after betraying Rome as well as the heavy price he paid to be where he was today.


    Immense sorrow consumed him, making two trails of bloody tears fall involuntarily from his eyes.


    "What is this?"


    He stared, stunned, at the bloody tears dripping onto his hands, as he struggled to control the increasing sorrow and pain in his heart with difficulty.


    "Ah, this is just a¡­ humidifier. Don''t mind it."


    In the grip of the sorrowful python, the crying Huai Shi wrenched open his mouth. His now-freed left hand pulled open his waterproof jacket and revealed a cola bottle.


    It was stuck onto his bulletproof vest with tape, right next to a humidifier that was continuously spraying a grey mist.


    The current Huai Shi was currently thankful to Liu Dongli, that narcissist, as he had never been before¡ªhe had felt that the weather was too dry and just had to buy this portable humidifier.


    As of today, all of the Disastrous Dust that Huai Shi had made these past few days as well as 400 milliliters of purified water had been poured into that bottle. The two substances mixed and became an all-new type of Fatty Merry Drink.


    It had been seeping out since he had first arrived, but the rain was too heavy then, so its effects were delayed. After Huai Shi had dragged out their encounter for so long, the effects were finally starting to take place.


    ''Now, a snake and you are feeling two different types of sorrow.''


    It was a double-dose of merriness!


    Amid the severe pain in his forehead, Huai Shi clenched his fists while he leaked tears and summoned an ax. Turning his angle, he used the butt of the ax to knock the back of his head hard.


    Instantly, his head dropped as his vision fuzzed.


    What was stronger than this was the indescribable rage and madness burning deep within his soul, as if his entire torso had become a boiling copper cauldron.


    The shard attack transferred through the fish tank to Red Glove''s consciousness. Like a broken bell that had been struck with a metal hammer, amid the buzzing, ink-dark blood once again flowed from his ears and nose.


    Right after this, that goldfish that had penetrated his brain frantically convulsed, continuously slamming against his torso in an attempt to escape.


    "You''ve just got here, why are you so anxious to go?"


    Huai Shi gritted his teeth and once again hit himself in the back of the head with the ax. He spat out a mouthful of blood. The goldfish spasmed maniacally and stopped moving very soon after.


    After experiencing this indescribable disgust yet again, Huai Shi opened his mouth and spat out the purplish-green goldfish before lifting the ax in his hand again¡ªchop!


    Red Glove''s body convulsed violently, writhing as if he had suffered an electric shock. Another crack appeared on the fish tank.


    It was not over yet.


    Huai Shi turned around to look at the squirming python. He aimed for its head, slowly lifted the ax, then let it fall!


    Bang!


    A sound like a balloon popping came from Red Glove''s hands. His fish tank no longer had any goldfish, causing fissures to appear throughout it.


    After the last effects of the incense faded, the agony of his soul being split burst into his consciousness.


    He roared in pain. Keeling over, he picked up the gun he had dropped on the floor and repeatedly pulled the trigger at Huai Shi until all his bullets were spent.


    However, the thick curtain of rain coupled with the immense pain meant that he could not aim accurately. Thus, he only hit the sports car that had crashed into the storage containers behind Huai Shi.


    With a noise loud enough to give Liu Dongli another cerebral hemorrhage and a trip to the ICU, the luxurious dashboard was completely smashed.


    This allowed the rain to drip into the car through its broken front window. Shortly after, sparks started to fly around as the circuits came into contact with the water. The radio made a messy screeching noise. A CD somehow started playing.


    The interior sound system that had cost a large sum of money had now completely gone out of tune. The high and low pitches were all mixed into one. Even the sound of the electric guitar had become unclear.


    "We passed upon the stair, we spoke of was and when¡­"


    Separated by sheets of rain, the singer''s voice sounding like a ghost wavering between dust and tombstone. "I thought you died alone, a long long time ago¡­"


    Under the extreme lightheadedness, Red Glove staggered back and leaned against a storage container, gasping for breath.


    He no longer had the strength to escape.


    As expected, in the end, it still fell into the Astronomical Association''s hands.


    "You won."


    He threw away his gun, staring coolly at Huai Shi. "Moon Face Prison is fine, Trench Prison if fine too. You can choose where you want to lock me up, but don''t expect to get any information from me."


    In the dead of the night, there was only the sound of rain.


    Huai Shi seemed not to hear him, only unconsciously turning back to look at the broken helm of the sports car.


    "David Bowie?"


    He could not resist praising Old Liu''s taste. ''Although you look like an old-fashioned, tasteless cowboy who only listens to disco music, if you love David Bowie, then we are friends!''


    It was a pity his friend was lying in the ICU.


    Thus¡­


    "Can you not talk about those boring things anymore?"


    Amid the spasms and convulsive pain, he turned back and sighed exhaustedly. "I didn''t come here to lock you up somewhere."


    He continued, "I just simply wanted to beat you to death, or be beaten to death myself."


    Either you die.


    Or I die.


    It was that simple.


    As they silently exchanged glances, Red Glove''s distorted face gradually became calm. Soon, only coolness and an indescribable savageness remained on his disfigured face.


    "Another lunatic? Very good¡­"


    He grit his teeth, then stripped off his tattered jacket, revealing the upper body wrapped in bandages. Beneath the bandages, the muscles riddled with holes gradually swelled up.


    He crooked a finger at Huai Shi.


    "Come!"


    In the blink of an eye, under the rainstorm, the ax came down!


    In a trance, Huai Shi only felt the blade of the ax chop something hard before he couldn''t help letting go and moving a step back.


    At that moment, he only saw a metallic light flashing along the path in which he had raised the ax, slashing in front of his eyes amid his desolation and cutting off a bit of his hair that was in front of his face.


    A difference of a few millimeters would have seen him lose what was left of his left hand as well as both his eyes.


    Only now did Huai Shi notice the dagger Red Glove had in his hand.


    The dagger that had been stuck beneath his inner arm had been produced with a simple flick of his wrist and was now in his palm. With a nimble twist, it appeared in his other hand.


    Like magic.


    Preparing for a strong attack slowly and methodically.


    Red Glove''s muscles once again oozed blood. The effects of the silver blood potions had obviously stopped working, but he still showed no signs of stopping.


    The focus of his attacks now was not the vital points not protected by Huai Chi''s bulletproof vest, it was his left hand!


    At this moment, aside from the unshakeable killing intent that had appeared in Red Glove''s heart, there was fear.


    No matter what, he could not let himself be hit by Huai Shi''s weapon¡­ That was an ax-headed item. Not only what it lethal in and of itself, it had a power that targeted elementium and could even produce the effects of a soul attack.


    A scary type of attack that targeted both the soul and the flesh.


    If it did not so obviously look unlike a bayonet, he would have suspected this weapon of being the famous border relic¡ªEmber Spike.


    The condition of his stigma now made him unable to use the Melting skill again. If he was suddenly attacked a few more times, his soul would completely collapse.


    Having said that, the more he attacked now, the more he could not help but question the techniques he had practiced for so many years.


    Although Huai Shi''s reliance on his left hand and unbalanced use of his right hand was comparably unrefined, he would clumsily dodge Red Glove''s steady instant-kill attacks every single time. Red Glove himself had almost been chopped in half by the ax quite a few times.


    This talent. He should have been an inexperienced weakling¡­ were his senses already as keen as a wild beast''s, or was he simply lucky?


    Red Glove had another go. The strike he had aimed at Huai Shi''s left eye missed.


    How did he manage to dodge it again?


    If Huai Shi could tell what he was thinking, he definitely would have answered, "It''s probably because I''ve died many times already."


    It is widely assumed amongst the internet in China that the favourite drink of homebodies is Coca-cola, hence over time the slang term for Coca-cola became Fatty Merry Drink

 Chapter 32：It’s Been A Long Time

    Even if it was a guaranteed killing blow, a fool would have learned to dodge it instinctively after dying so many times, would he not?


    Right now, besides luck, Huai Shi could only rely on the many fatal experiences he had gone through to turn his luck around.


    If he were to rate his opponent according to the Book of Destiny, Red Glove''s specialized dagger combat level was undeniably above LV8. For a lousy weakling like himself, an opponent at such a high level was able to kill him with just one blow.


    If he wanted to win¡­


    Huai Shi loosened his left hand in front of Red Glove, causing the heavy weapon that was composed of elementium to disappear in an instant, returning to his soul.


    He gave up his most advantageous weapon so abruptly just like that.


    The next second, just as he clumsily turned around to dodge Red Glove''s dagger, he swiftly planted both feet steadily on the ground, getting into a horse stance. Then¡­


    The first set and the first form of Basic Military Boxing.


    ¡ª¡ª Bow Stance Fist Punch!


    Bang!


    His punch hit Red Glove in the chest and a hint of crimson red stained the bandage over the wound.


    The speed of his movements seemed to have doubled after abandoning the heavy ax, but he was still too weak. Compared to a heavyweight boxer''s final knockout blow in a boxing ring, the punch he just threw was near painless.


    However, the moment he was hit, Red Glove''s movements suddenly slowed down as his eyes widened in disbelief. His face was so red it was almost bleeding, and he burst into tears in the heavy rain while coughing violently.


    "What do you think of the tear gas? Do you like it?"


    Huai Shi grinned as he clenched his left fist once again.


    As his five fingers tightened, dark black gravel continuously leaked from the gap between his five fingers, which atomized after it came into contact with the water vapor in the air before flowing down.


    Disastrous Dust.


    The nature of the Trapping Hand lies in the transformation between elementium and substance, which also meant that Huai Shi could transform the elementium that was originally composed of his soul into substance, with the transformation only limited to being within the iron''s vassal state.


    As a by-product of Huai Shi''s ability, the sorrowful suffering and sadness that came with the Disastrous Dust was none other than this iron sand that was so small it was almost invisible to the naked eye.


    Once they enter one''s bloodstream through the wound, it would immediately explode and transform back into elementium, forcibly instilling Huai Shi''s pain into his enemy!


    After combining it with Basic Military Boxing, this trick should be renamed the Deadly Military Punch - Tear Gas, should it not? If he was someone full of positivity, this move could even possibly be called the Merry Cola Punch.


    Unfortunately, this was not applicable to him, who was a negativity machine.


    With that, he stepped forward while dodging the dagger that was flailing around wildly. Clenching his left fist, he aimed and threw a punch straight at Red Glove''s face.


    "This is for Old Yang!"


    Then another punch!


    "This is for Old Liu!"


    Ignoring the dagger that brushed the side of his face, he pounced on Red Glove as the two of them immediately went at each other like wild beasts. In a split second, he blindly swiped at the face in front of him that was on the verge of disintegrating using his Military Boxing punch, unflinchingly sharing all his pain with Red Glove.


    Finally, he tightened his fist and channeled all his anger and pain.


    "This punch is for me!"


    Bang!


    The dagger slipped out of Red Glove''s grip and struck Huai Shi''s shoulder just as his head, that was beneath Huai Shi''s fist, rolled off his neck like a deflated basketball.


    He mustered all his strength and lifted his feet to kick away the young boy who was straddling him as he staggered up. Clutching his skull that felt like it was about to explode from the painful impact, he roared in rage.


    "... What the f*ck are you?!"


    "Why are you asking so many questions? Are you recruiting gigolos over your side too?"


    In the raging storm, Huai Shi slowly got up from the ground and flashed him a grin. "Huai Shi, male, seventeen years old, a righteous high school senior¡­ Almost." A wide grin spread across his face that was stained with blood.


    This was the first time he had introduced himself.


    Immediately after this, Huai Shi opened his arms again, whereby a pale fire ignited from the palm of his hand. Then, using every last bit of elementium that he had, he held onto his invisible weapon.


    Dragging the heavy ax, he stepped forward. "Come on, my friend, the intermission and introductions are over.


    "Let us ¡ª¡ª"


    A piercing scream broke the stillness of the air. The invisible ax left deep marks on the ground, causing sparks to fly out in the raging storm.


    The invisible ax was singed red by the sparks, illuminating the young boy''s pale face as well as his ferocious smile.


    "Let''s begin again!"


    A bolt of blazing lightning flashed across the dark sky, the violent light shooting through the torrential rain moments before the thunderbolt appeared.


    This was the end of the battle.


    Behind Red Glove, the rock song being blasted in the convertible could be heard, with the singer belting out the climax of the song. The hoarse singing echoing in the rain seemed to drown out the rest of the world.


    Expressionless, Red Glove slowly stood up.


    Facing Huai Shi, Red Glove clenched both his fists. His knuckles crackled as they rubbed against each other.


    He was about to use a standard Roman freehand fighting technique.


    This time, he showed no sign of hesitation or fear.


    Even if it meant both of them dying together.


    All he needed was one hit.


    At that moment, both their battle cries and the sounds of metal clashing could be heard cutting through the rain and thunder.


    Huai Shi gave a loud cry as he dashed forward. Mustering all his energy, he flung his ax out. A mournful whistle sounded as it sliced through the rain.


    The edge of the ax disappeared from sight, cleaving into Red Glove''s shoulder.


    The sound of his clavicle breaking was like the sound of firewood crackling in the fire.


    Red Glove did not have time to dodge the attack at that moment. The young man crashed into his body and he immediately felt ice-cold iron penetrate his body.


    Meanwhile, the dagger stabbed Huai Shi''s shoulder a moment earlier.


    The tremendous force pushed him backward step by step until he had backed up against the scrap convertible, the dagger that had pierced his body was wedged between his body and the car, like a nail pinning him to the vehicle.


    "Farewell, Red Glove."


    Huai Shi muttered his last words.


    As Red Glove gradually slipped into unconsciousness, he seemed to hear Huai Shi saying something, but he could not clearly make it out when he lowered his head as the rain was too loud.


    The only thing he could hear was the singer''s husky voice from the broken CD player lingering in his ears.


    "You''re face to face¡­


    "With the man who sold the world¡­"


    The one standing face to face with you was the person who abandoned the world.


    The second he saw Huai Shi light a match, he laughed at himself as his eyelids drooped wearily. "Ah, so you''re an East Xia high school senior¡­ Also another group of monsters¡­"


    In the never-ending storm, the match fell slowly from Huai Shi''s hands.


    Then, it fell into the cracked hydraulic cylinder.


    Very soon, a loud rumble erupted as the singing came to a halt.


    Blazing fire spewed out from the scarlet red convertible and rose toward the sky, engulfing everything within reach.


    It burned everything to ashes.


    Within seconds, the fire died out, leaving only pungent smoke in the air. Aside from Red Glove''s burnt carcass lying quietly in the wreckage, nothing else was left.


    "It''s finally over," Crow landed on his shoulders and let out a soft sigh. "As beautiful as a miracle. Not bad, Huai Shi."


    Under the pouring rain, Huai Shi remained silent as he leaned on a container behind him.


    Without knowing why, his mind drifted to a time seven years ago when he had held a weapon for the very first time.


    If the old Huai Shi could see the scene in front of him right now, he would cry out weakly, would he not?


    However, that was all in the past. The Huai Shi in the past had already been killed by him with his own hands, along with the nightmare¡­


    This must be what people call growth, right?


    "I gazed a gazeless stare at all the millions here¡­"


    He closed his eyes as he continued singing the end of the song softly, "We must have died along, a long long time ago¡­"


    All of us would have died one after another, a long long time ago¡­


    And a long long time after.


    .


    .


    Not long after, the screeching of brakes could be heard in the distance.


    A row of huge headlights shone directly at Huai Shi.


    Following the sound of heavy footsteps, the entire scene was soon surrounded by the familiar-looking Ascenders suppression troop.


    After all, it was the Special Affairs Bureau. Once they mobilized their troops, the entirety of New Ocean would be under surveillance such that not even the tiniest surge of elementium would be able to escape their watchful eyes.


    For so many troops to arrive at the scene in ten minutes was by no means slow.


    Unfortunately, things ended faster than everyone had expected.


    Soon, a middle-aged man in a raincoat emerged from the crowd. He seemed quite aged and had a few streaks of white hair. The outlines of his bulletproof vest could be seen sticking out from beneath his heavy raincoat as well as the vague traces of the heavy firearms.


    He glanced around before turning to Huai Shi.


    "Where''s Red Glove?" He asked, "Where is he?"


    Huai Shi raised his hand and pointed to the wreckage of the car.


    "He''s dead?" The middle-aged man looked at the corpse that was burnt to a crisp and the scorched black glove with an unbelieving look in his eyes. "You did this?"


    "Nah, it was a bald hero who just happened to pass by."


    Huai Shi let out a sarcastic laugh under his breath. "Just when I was about to be killed, he came down from the sky and rescued me. However, he left in a hurry right after he killed Red Glove with just one hit. If you insist on asking for a name, perhaps you can call him the Peppa Knight of Huaihai Road."


    Obviously, everything that came out of his mouth was nonsense and had no credibility at all.


    However, there were still surveillance videos of the site.


    The dock security was not stupid after all. They had already contacted the police the second they heard sounds of explosion and gunfire.


    "You''re an Ascender huh?"


    The middle-aged man hastily looked through the surveillance video and turned to Huai Shi with a confused expression. Although the victim Huai Shi killed was indeed a Green Day terrorist, there were too many questions regarding his actions before the killing¡­ If he allowed Huai Shi to leave the scene just like that and pretend that nothing happened, he would be disrespecting the Special Affairs Bureau.


    "Alright¡­" He sighed, "Son, do you have anything else to say before we officially start our investigation?"


    Huai Shi lowered his head and fell deep into thought for a long moment. Scratching his wet hair, he replied, "If I had to share something, I guess it''s that handphones aren''t the best device for listening to rock music, wouldn''t you agree?"


    Then, he nodded to himself. "Yeah, I''ll have to start saving up money for a CD player."


    "..."


    Speechless at Huai Shi''s mockery, the middle-aged man waved his hand at his troop. A few of his subordinates came forward and handcuffed Huai Shi before lifting him up, bringing him to the armored car behind them.


    Looking at the car door that was being slowly opened before him and seeing the separating cell, Huai Shi could not help but let out a sigh. ''I knew it. I shouldn''t have acted rashly in such a situation. Great, I don''t need to worry about making a living anymore. After all, I might have someone to take care of me for the rest of my life now.


    ''Before doing such similar things in the future, I should buy a balaclava first.


    ''It''s pointless wearing just a Peppa Pig mask.''


    "... So, Chief Fu, where do you want us to bring this member of the Astronomical Association?"


    At that moment, he heard a cold voice behind him. "If I remember correctly, although the Special Affairs Bureau has the authority to monitor the members of the Astronomical Association, when it comes to confinement, disposal, and holding trials, I''m afraid only the National Central Administration Committee has the power to do so.


    "Besides, he just helped dispose of a tumor tonight that Green Day had embedded in the city on behalf of the Astronomical Association. No matter how you look at it, he shouldn''t be receiving this sort of treatment."


    Huai Shi turned his head in shock and saw a girl in a wheelchair.


    It was Ai Qing.


    She looked calm and collected, both her hands folded on across one another on top of the blanket covering her knees. Perhaps it was the cold night, for her fingers were so white they seemed almost transparent. Even the veins on her arm were clearly visible.


    Behind her, her diligent female driver held a big umbrella over her to shield her from the rain.


    The middle-aged man whom she addressed as Chief Fu was stunned for a long time as he stared blankly at Ai Qing. "A member of the Astronomical Association? Him? Since when?" He could not help but look back at Huai Shi several times.


    "Five days ago when Huai Shi volunteered himself as bait, he signed the Astronomical Association''s civilian voluntary assistance agreement, the time limit was set at a month, which means as of now, he''s still a temporary member of the Astronomical Association."


    As Ai Qing spoke, she held out a contract from a file and showed it to Chief Fu. "Therefore, his personal safety and actions are the responsibility of the Astronomical Society.


    "If you have any doubts about this battle, I can bring him forward to the Special Affairs Bureau either tomorrow or the day after to give you a detailed explanation, but can you please kindly release him from the handcuffs right now?"


    With a blank expression, Chief Fu looked down at the agreement in Ai Qing''s hands, not bothering to take it from her. For a long time, he smiled lightly. "This is the first time I''m seeing you behave this respectfully. It''s quite a surprise."


    With a wave of his hand, he ordered his subordinates to release Huai Shi''s handcuffs.


    Before leaving, he patted Huai Shi''s shoulder. "Don''t be so full of yourself, kid. I really hope I won''t see you at the prison in the Special Affairs Bureau."


    With that, he got into his car and left with his troop.


    Huai Shi remained standing in silence with a glazed look in his eyes beside the girl under the umbrella.


    "When did I sign that contract with you?" Huai Shi looked at the agreement that Ai Qing had now thrown into a puddle. "Why didn''t I know anything about it?" He asked blankly.


    "I signed it for you. This agreement was printed just over ten minutes ago. It''s still a little warm and the ink hasn''t yet completely dried up. It seems that the fellow saw through me but I guess he was saving me face."


    "... Wait, didn''t you leave for Jinling?"


    "Oh, I lied to you."


    Ai Qing continued speaking as she held a miniature hand warmer in her hands, "If I tell you that I had a feeling you were hiding something from me and so placed a location tracker in your pocket, and furthermore, that I saw everything that had happened here from the very beginning, would you be angry?"


    Huai Shi remained stunned for a long time before he finally nodded. "... maybe a little bit?"


    "Alright then, go ahead and get angry at me. Having one more person mad at me won''t make much of a difference anyway."


    Ai Qing nodded to herself indifferently as she pulled something out of her pocket and threw it into Huai Shi''s lap.


    He caught it in a hurry and saw that it seemed to be a key card made of an alloy of some sort. It felt heavy in his hand as he shifted it around to look at it. There was a logo of the Earth printed on the slightly protruding front as well as some thorns and laurel leaves printed on both sides. There was also a pin on the back to allow people to pin it to their chest.


    "What''s this?"


    "Think of it as your lifeguard."


    She continued icily, "From today onward, you''re the confidential secretary of New Ocean''s attorney under the Astronomical Association''s East Asian sector. To be honest, I don''t care what you are hiding from me, but if you don''t want to be imprisoned for murder, get ready to work hard for me."


    Huai Shi was still in shock. "I¡­ Is this an amnesty?"


    Sure enough, Water Margin was right¡ªto become an official, first you shall commit murder and arson, then you shall wait for the election notice to arrive. In his case, he had just killed someone and literally set a fire, and now he was a member of the Astronomical Association?


    To be exact, he was about to be a secretary. A male secretary, in fact. How strange¡­


    "Not an amnesty exactly, think of it more as ''serving a sentence''."


    Ai Qing glanced at his smirk and ruthlessly popped the last glimmer of hope he had in his head. "Simply put, you have to do your work well, and that includes writing reports, taking the blame for others, and sacrificing yourself¡­ Your job is as simple as that.


    "I hope you can prepare yourself before the end of your summer vacation, as we have plenty of tasks waiting for you."


    Huai Shi suddenly felt cold as he thought of Liu Dongli, who was currently still in the intensive care unit. He had a feeling that he would not live much longer and that his life was hanging on a thread.


    "One last thing¡­"


    Before leaving, Ai Qing turned around and looked at him one last time.


    In that instant, under the lightening rain, Huai Shi saw a tiny, subtle smirk on the girl''s face as she remained under the umbrella.


    "It''s been a long time, Huai Shi," she said.


    Water Margin is a Chinese classic that tells a story of outlaws who were eventually granted amnesty by the government and sent on campaigns to suppress rebel forces. To learn more about the story, look up Water Margin on Wikipedia

 Chapter 33：Human Nature

    "Name?"


    "Huai Shi."


    "Age?"


    "Seventeen¡­ Wait, is the Astronomical Association recruiting gigolos as well?"


    Inside the silent office, the young man behind the table scratched his chin as he looked at the expressionless interrogator sitting across him with a puzzled expression. "I''ll say, uncle, you have already asked all the questions you could''ve thought of and dug through everything you could get your hands on. Come on, no matter how you look at it, I did help the Astronomical Association avoid a disaster, didn''t I? Why am I being treated as a traitor now?"


    "Just a routine investigation, please cooperate."


    The interrogator had already forgotten how many times he had repeated the same sentence. "Can you please describe the entire fight between you and Red Glove one more time?" He asked quickly.


    "I forgot. I can''t remember now." Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "The Bald Caped Peppa Knight probably passed by and killed him if I''m not mistaken. Really, I saw him fighting Red Glove as soon as I entered¡­"


    "Oh¡­ Bald Caped Peppa Knight¡­ Why is this different from what you said last time?"


    "I can''t remember now!"


    "Alright then, can you please explain how you, a new Ascender, was able to kill a third stage like Red Glove? According to our previous investigation, you seem to have been a music student until now. In fact, you have never been in a fight before this."


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes again and snorted. "I was born with divine power!"


    "Next question then¡­"


    Two hours later, the interrogator calmly sorted through the thick stack of notes in his hands as if following a routine before getting up. "Alright, thank you for your cooperation and thank you for your contribution to the world."


    After a formal handshake, he turned around and left the room.


    Huai Shi stood at the door with a baffled look.


    "So, I''m finally done? What''s wrong with the Astronomical Association? Why did they send someone to repeatedly ask me the same questions over the past few days?"


    Ai Qing, who was reading a book nearby, was not surprised. "It''s normal. If it''s something related to Green Day, they must always have a detailed record of the incident. They are all professional transcribers around, so their job is to write down everything you say, then file it away for record purposes."


    "Is such a superficial record really useful?"


    "It''s just a protocol," Ai Qing continued calmly, "If nobody tries to stir up trouble while they''re going through the motions, then it shouldn''t be a problem."


    "Ah?" Huai Shi glanced over. "Stir up trouble?"


    "It''s normal. Come, sit down."


    Ai Qing took a sip of the coffee that her female attendant had brought for her. "There''s bound to be competition among humans. The invigilator is an important position, and there have always been far too many people longing for the role. To give such an important role to a cripple who is still a few months away from turning twenty was bound to upset some individuals. Likewise, if stirring up some trouble can vacate a position, I wouldn''t mind having some fun either."


    "..."


    Huai Shi took a deep breath. "You lot from the Astronomical Association sound like you''re suffering."


    "Let me remind you for the last time ¡ª¡ª"


    Ai Qing finally raised her head and looked at the tag pinned on his chest. "There''s no ''you lot'', it''s ''us'' now. Of course, I''m not asking you to have a sense of collective pride, but if something were to happen to me, there will be nobody else you can turn to for help."


    "Ah, I understand, I understand. So, you''re saying we''re in the same boat now then?"


    Huai Shi heaved another heavy sigh. Over the past couple of days, he had become almost accustomed to Ai Qing''s methods of communication, but why was it that he had never heard anything positive come out of her mouth?


    If he was a negativity machine, Ai Qing had the capacity to start her very own manufacturing firm. The negative energy that she gave out was on a whole other level.


    How could this woman survive to this day?


    "I have capability and strength, of course."


    Ai Qing answered without looking up.


    Huai Shi was taken aback for a second as his blood immediately went cold. Was it possible that this woman was able to read people''s minds?


    "I''m not an Ascender so I don''t know such peculiar things, but if I were you, I wouldn''t write all my questions on my face so obviously."


    "Uh¡­"


    Huai Shi touched his face unconsciously. "What''s written on my face?"


    "Yeah." Ai Qing who was still reading her book raised her head again and looked at him pitifully. "Simply the epitome of human nature."


    "Huh? So, is it written as a bird or a voice recorder?"


    Huai Shi asked curiously.


    "..."


    Ai Qing was reluctant to respond anymore.


    Under Huai Shi''s constant noise, she finally cracked as impatience filled her face. She closed her book, genuinely wondering if something was wrong with her back she had employed such a person as her personal secretary.


    "What the hell do you want?"


    She lifted her finger and pinched the bridge of her nose as her eyes narrowed. "If you''re not busy writing reports right now, check out the lists of top ten haunted houses that busybodies posted online, lest someone as bored as you would go on a haunted house adventure and drive themselves crazy."


    "Stop bringing that up!"


    At the mention of this, Huai Shi got so agitated that he slammed the table. "That list is stupid! My house is ranked first on that list!


    "How can they think that my house is haunted? It just looks a bit neglected and a bit poor, that''s all! If I had the money, would I not have repaired the door? I have been running around like a maniac for the past two days to take photographs to the point where I''m going to turn crazy!"


    "..."


    Unbothered, Ai Qing responded lazily, "So what are you trying to say?"


    "This¡­ I just want to ask¡­" Huai Shi suddenly became shy as he twiddled his fingers and smiled in a coy manner. "Boss, can you give me my salary in advance?"


    "..."


    Ai Qing took a deep breath as she resisted the urge to throw her book at the brat''s face. "Didn''t I just give you twenty thousand?"


    "It''s all gone now," Huai Shi said, strongly resisting the urge to cry. With a somber look as if he was recollecting unbearable past events, he glanced at the d*mn crow perched on the tree outside the window before continuing, "Well, it''s a long story.


    "I''m starting school soon and I still owe about four thousand worth of credits. I don''t even have money to pay for food now, let alone my tuition fee. Boss, can''t you just give me my salary in advance so I can celebrate a good New Year?"


    "It''s the end of September now, we''re still half a year away from New Year."


    Ai Qing looked at him blankly for a long time before pulling her phone out. "How much do you want?"


    Huai Shi''s eyes immediately lit up as he moved closer to her. "Oh, five or six thousand would do. I''ll pay you back when I get my salary."


    Beep!


    "I just transferred you four thousand Yuan on Alipay."


    Ai Qing put away her phone indifferently. "This is your base salary for this money. Spend your money wisely. If you don''t have any overtime tasks this month, you''ll have to survive on this amount until the fifteenth of next month."


    "What? My monthly salary is four thousand Yuan!?"


    Huai Shi was ecstatic. When had he ever earned so much in the past as he ran around performing in bars for the orphanage''s art performances?


    "Oh, it just so happens that Old Liu is being discharged tomorrow. Looks like I can treat him to a good meal."


    "Since when have the two of you been so close?"


    "Hmph, are you jealous?" Huai Shi was so happy that he got smug. "Friendships between men are just that simple."


    "Is that so?"


    Ai Qing took another sip of her coffee as she casually asked, "So have you thought of how you''re going to explain to him why the car he paid almost a million for has been burned to a crisp?"


    "..."


    Sure enough, seconds later, Huai Shi left the office with a sad expression on his face. Meanwhile, Ai Qing finally regained the peace and quiet she had yearned for.


    In the silence, she let out a heavy sigh as she looked at the huge sum of money on her bank account page displayed on her computer screen¡ªa total of 34 million USD.


    Forget about it.


    For the time being, she probably should not let him know that there was a reward for killing Red Glove.


    .


    .


    "Come on, the house looks fine, how can it possibly be haunted?"


    Huai Shi stood in front of his house with his hands on his waist. He looked at his surroundings¡ªthe lush trees towering above him, the green moss growing on the walls... there were even ivy plants growing too.


    Behind the rusted gate, wildflowers bloomed among the green grass in the courtyard while the broken statue shined under the single ray of sunshine¡­


    "No matter how I look at it, the sun is shining gaily. Also, look at how beautiful the flowers are!"


    Huai Shi silently cursed the netizens for making such a ridiculous list whilst simultaneously choosing to not think about how eerie his house looked at nighttime as he pushed open the creaking gate while shaking his head.


    "I''m back!"


    Nobody responded, as only the sharp sound of the gate slowly closing behind him could be heard.


    See? How considerate! The gate even worked automatically!


    Was that case for other places? Huh? Huh?


    Someone who would call this beautiful estate a haunted house was downright evil.


    Huai Shi snorted as he stepped onto the creaky floor. Pushing open the front door, he entered the hall that was now extremely dusty. Then, he picked up the glass on the table and had two gulps of warm water before heading to his room to pack his things for school.


    However, for someone like him who depended on blind luck for his classes, even when it came to cultural classes, he might as well give up on his Year 3 Senior classes and focus more on his preparation for the professional performance exam that was coming up next month.


    The ABRSM professional performance certificate could be used as a diploma in most countries in the world. With it in hand, as long as his results were not completely disastrous, it should not be a problem for him to get accepted to an art college.


    "So, does this really mean anything to you now?" Crow asked.


    "Huh?" Huai Shi asked in confusion.


    Crow asked once more, "Do you think a certificate means anything to an Ascender?"


    "Won''t an Ascender need to eat? Does being an Ascender mean I don''t have to work anymore?" Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "Will money drop down from the sky if I just sit at home all day?"


    "..."


    Crow sighed in response. "What I mean is most Ascenders won''t have to worry about money. Although they aren''t wealthy or filthy rich, they still get by comfortably."


    "How do Ascenders get their money?" Huai Shi asked, "By killing people and setting things on fire? What''s the difference between that and robbing people? Can''t we just live our days peacefully?"


    To be honest, although the Astronomical Society was paying him extremely well and providing him a base salary of four thousand Yuan every month for doing next to nothing, it was hard to ignore how risky and dangerous it was if he did have any tasks at hand.


    Liu Dongli was a good example.


    Instead of living a good life as a gigolo, he came forward to serve as a bodyguard, but look at him now! Not only was he forced to join the old ladies'' Yangge troop, he was stabbed in the back by a whistleblower.


    If Huai Shi had learned anything from the world of Ascenders during this period of time, it was that it was nothing but dangerous.


    Many border relics appeared in the interior, those of unknown functions, unknown threats, and unknown means; everybody''s soul ability was entirely different, whilst weird stigmas were integrated into bodies of the higher-ranked Ascenders¡­


    Each one of them could easily kill a man.


    Even Liu Dongli, a gigolo who had to rely on his looks to make a living for himself could use his (self-proclaimed) unreal good looks to charm people to the point where they forget how to breathe. He was able to suffocate them if he wanted.


    As for himself, he was just a weak and helpless negativity machine.


    Just trying to stab a partially-disabled Red Glove once almost led to him dying several times over.


    Was it a near-death experience?


    Forget about it.


    He should find a way to be financially stable as soon as possible so he could quit his job at the Astronomical Association and work hard toward his dream of playing his violin in Vienna.


    If that did not work out, being a music teacher would not be too bad either!


    "... Although most people find an Ascender''s lifestyle quite dangerous, there are those who work hard and support themselves. Don''t think of all Ascenders to be bandits, alright?"


    Crow sighed hopelessly as it lifted its phone with a claw. "Look at this news first."


    "What''s that?"


    Huai Shi leaned over and read through the draft for tomorrow''s news article. "Rome auction house sets a new record for auctioning a dusk pedigree fifth stage stigma Nidhogg for forty-three¡­ One, two, three¡­ What the f*ck! Why are there so many zeroes!?"


    Yangge is a form of Chinese folk dance.

 Chapter 34：Your Next Words Are…

    "433 million and 41 thousand ounces."


    Crow said nonchalantly, "This time, elementium crystals¡ªwhich are the most commonly used currency among Ascenders¡ªwill be used as payment. They''re all of the highest purity that can be mined at the border.


    "To obtain those crystals, the Golden Palace, the biggest Ascender''s enterprise in Northern Europe, mortgaged a whole resource-based border under their name, and only managed to exchange it for a small amount of money from that group of dwarf bankers. In the end, the winner was an abyss archaeological team from the Technical Department of Astronomical Association. They won''t have to worry about funds for in-depth exploration for at least another ten years.


    "Perhaps you don''t understand what this price represents exactly. So, I''ll put it this way: 2.1 ounces of elementium crystals is the exact amount of elementium in a standard adult. According to the Astronomical Association''s reference exchange rate today, they can be exchanged for more than 2 million East Xia yuan at any of the association''s subordinate departments. This exchange rate is like the tricks used by gaming systems, whereby the money is given to you when you recycle your equipment. The black-market price for the crystals will be at least two-thirds higher than the original price, and there''s hardly any stock available.


    "Unless they had no other choice, Ascenders would not exchange their elementium crystals for money. After all, it is the most stable of hard currencies.


    "Now you can try and calculate how long it will take for you to earn that much money while working as a temporary worker for the Astronomical Association."


    Looking at Huai Shi, who appeared as if he was so poor that he could not even fathom the numbers, Crow seemed to smile. She leaned toward his ear and whispered, "That archaeology team got lucky in a hell six layers deep and picked up a fossil¡­ Now, are you sure you still want to live the life of an ordinary person?"


    "¡­"


    Huai Shi was silent for a long time as he eyed the crow suspiciously. "Why do I always feel like you''re trying to deceive me?"


    The crow, who had prepared this argument beforehand, was sad that she could not pull it off.


    Huai Shi sighed. "Your next words are going to be ''would sister lie to you?''"


    "¡­"


    Crow wanted to say something but decided against it.


    "Then I''ll tell you." Huai Shi sighed again. "¨CYes, you would."


    "You suddenly started picking things up, and it''s making life hard for me." Crow did not look ashamed at all, and simply lit a cigarette, shook her head, and lamented, "Sister was just being kind and recommending a high-paying job to you."


    "Anyone with even the slightest bit of intelligence would know that you cannot become a billionaire overnight. The only job in this world that only requires you to click a forward button is a repeater."


    Huai Shi had made up his mind to not be deceived. "I don''t care what you say, I won''t sell my life for money."


    Crow rolled her eyes, completely unbothered.


    "Penitence warning.jpg."


    Huai Shi really wanted to know what kind of weird things she spent the whole day on her phone looking at.


    He strengthened his resolve again and got up to walk to the kitchen. Even though he had already eaten something at 1 pm, and it was now a little past three, and he was already starting to feel hungry.


    However, when he opened the cabinet, he was stunned.


    ''Where is my vermicelli?


    ''I just bought it last week, where''s all my vermicelli?''


    "¡­"


    Crow, who Huai Shi was glaring at fiercely, rolled her eyes. "Brother, you''d blame me for vermicelli you lost? Do I look like the source of all evil to you?


    "Moreover, even a hundred pounds of noodles would not be enough to withstand your appetite. You eat five meals a day and have half a pot for each meal. You as an individual have already consumed a mountain''s worth of rice and noodles."


    She stopped for a moment and revealed a faint smile that made Huai Shi''s skin crawl.


    "On that note, are you hungry again?"


    "¡­"


    "Congratulations! Happy growing!"


    Crow lifted both her wings and flapped them wildly, making the sound of applause. "After a normal person becomes an Ascender, they will enter their second puberty. When this happens, the spirit affects the body, and the body of the Ascender will undergo growth once again. Many aspects of their body will gradually reach the limits of an ordinary person, or in certain cases, even exceed them.


    "Having said that, for the seventeen-year-old you, who is currently already going through your first puberty, you will go through your second puberty simultaneously. Double the happiness awaits you, and of course, there will also be four times the hunger, and more than eight times the needs.


    "So, if you don''t want to be underdeveloped, or for your muscles to start digesting themselves, don''t pick up any more water-boiled vermicelli."


    He did not know why, but Huai Shi suddenly felt uneasy.


    "Then what should I eat?"


    "Generally speaking, something high-calorie. The higher the better. You should have Fatty Happy Cookies, Fatty Happy Chicken, and a Fatty Happy Drink in a set. As long as you eat as much as you can, you''ll be fine.


    "This would be the cheapest option too. The only disadvantage is that you''ll have to go to the toilet at least ten times a day. Under the laughter of your peers and as you go through social suicide, it''ll also be easy for you to develop endocrine disorders and high cholesterol, then high blood pressure, anorexia, and whatnot, after six months."


    Huai Shi was so scared that his legs nearly gave out. "Are the Ascenders really that miserable?"


    "Of course not, but all the Ascenders are rich."


    Speaking of that, Crow sighed helplessly. "It''s a shame. It would be nice if there was a kind person like me who would help you create supplementary medicine."


    She stopped for a moment and blinked at Huai Shi in anticipation. "But if you don''t have the money, sister won''t be able to afford the raw materials either."


    "¡­You were just waiting for me to come around, weren''t you?" Huai Shi asked, his face expressionless. "If you''re trying to cheat me out of my money, just be straightforward about it."


    "You''ll be taking the end product, and you''ll be using it. Why would you call this cheating?"


    Crow laughed and continued steadily, "If you take it once a day, one term per week, your puberty will end in about a month. Seeing that we''re such close friends, I won''t even charge labor fees. The cost for each tube would be 2600 East Xia yuan. If it''s for a month''s supply¡­yup, one hundred thousand should be enough."


    "A hundred thousand for a Grow Up Happy set?" Huai Shi pointed at himself. "Do I look insane to you?"


    "But it is a conscientious price. After all, no one would think that an Ascender wouldn''t even be able to fork out a hundred thousand." At that, Crow cast Huai Shi a sideways glance. "Besides, don''t you know the difference between paying and non-paying players?


    "If you don''t build a strong foundation during your puberty stage, you won''t be just a little behind others. If you can achieve the best results, you have the potential to become the greatest based on your physical fitness alone.


    "By the way, the set provided by the Astronomical Association costs more than 300,000, while the results are discussed separately. Of course, you might be able to get them to sponsor you, but you have to sign a contract with them. After all, there''s no free lunch in this world."


    "¡­"


    When he thought about it, he realized that this was also impossible.


    "Therefore, work harder, youngster. It''s 100,000 bucks, you just have to put in the effort and work for it, okay?"


    Crow retrieved a test tube from under her wing, dangled it in front of him, and spoke in a voice was akin to a succubus seducing her prey, "You can try it first and pay later."


    "In your dreams. Even if I, Huai Shi, starve to death, I''ll make sure to jump¡­jump¡­jump¡­gulp¡­"


    The last sound he made was of him swallowing his saliva.


    As he stared at the test tube before him, along with Crow''s dangling motion, an enticing smell slowly wafted from the opening of the test tube. An unspeakable hunger awakened within him, and every single cell in his flesh and bones began screaming for the hunger to be satiated.


    His heartbeat sped up, he started drooling, his pupils dilated, and his stomach and intestines contracted.


    His hunger made him kick his previous resolve aside before completely folding for the pale green medicine. It pulled at Huai Shi''s mind, screaming wildly into his ears, "Drink it! Drink it! Drink it!"


    After ten seconds, Huai Shi let out a deep breath. He felt the mellow taste of fine wine spreading through his mouth. It felt as if his limbs were submerged in a hot spring as he could not help but shed a tear of regret.


    "Damn it!"


    "You''ve finished it?" Crow asked kindly.


    "Are you going to start rushing me to pay?" Huai Shi suddenly snapped to attention.


    "No, what I meant was since you''ve already finished it¡­"


    Crow turned into the Silver Pen and summoned the Book of Destiny from Huai Shi''s soul.


    "¡ªthen let''s start with a simple and happy digestion exercise."


    Before Huai Shi could say anything, Deceptive Split was pointed outward.


    Huai Shi''s vision turned dark.


    Then, he died again.


    In that instant, Huai Shi saw a storm descend from the skies. It was borderless. as if it had drowned the whole world. However, at the same time, he felt like he was being bathed in fire.


    Viscous gases rose from the flames, shrouding him inch by inch.


    Caught in a huge explosion, he could feel his body being torn apart. However, unexpectedly, he felt no fear, rather, he felt relieved.


    Even the corners of his mouth could not help but curl upward into a faint smile.


    He had never experienced such a calm death before. it was so peaceful it made him a little scared. He did not bear even the slightest trace of resentment or hatred.


    He had just accepted it as it was.


    He closed his eyes and waited for the end.


    Even when the death records ended, Huai Shi did not respond and remained in a state of peaceful numbness.


    The death this time was so profound.


    It was so profound that he had forgotten to breathe, and did not even remember that he was still alive.


    He only responded when he was about to suffocate. He could not help but gasp violently and choke, almost throwing up the vermicelli that he had eaten last night in the process.


    He quickly covered his mouth, worried that he might throw up.


    He had just consumed a tube of medicine that cost a few thousand bucks. If he were to throw up now, then it would be wasted!


    ''Money calms me.''


    "Oh! It seems like you''ve gained some great understanding!"


    Crow sighed. "This kind of extricated death is quite rare, so it might be good for you to experience it more often. I did not expect that the guy in the red gloves to be able to realize a higher level of essence during his death, but good for you. So, how was it? How do you feel now?"


    "I just feel really hungry."


    Huai Shi looked up at her with an expressionless face. "I want to eat roasted crow, in particular. It can be cooked to make a fine meal."


    Just thinking about that kind of peaceful death made his skin crawl. Even though it was rare to be able to feel such a peaceful and calming death, the fear that he felt with this death was so much deeper and stronger than in any of the other deaths that he had previously experienced.


    It was so calm. You could even say it felt indifferent.


    There was not the slightest bit of attachment or reluctance. Even when he was about to die, he had no hatred toward himself.


    It was as if¡­ his own life had no meaning.


    "What''s so precious about this kind of thing?"


    He rubbed his forehead, trying hard to dismiss that calm and silent state of death from his mind. He did not know what the hell that sudden sage-like state was.


    "Look at it yourself."


    Crow flipped open the Book of Destiny and let him leaf through the records.


    At the front section, other than the words "Developing Stage" being removed, there were no other changes. However, there was now one more eclipse mark, which represented his successful ascension.


    The divine seal and the stigma section were both empty, and there were no changes beneath.


    But¡­


    "The Premonition of Death skill is now at Level 1?" Huai Shi was stunned.


    How was one death experience able to completely awaken the skill, which had previously remained gray despite his multiple deaths? Half of the reason why he was able to make it this far was because he had relied on this skill to seek fortune and evade disasters. In the end, he just had to die once for it to inexplicably be upgraded?


    "Once again, it''s a rare death type. It probably has something to do with life experiences as well. Just forget about it for now, the night is still long¡­"


    Crow paused for a moment, and once again smiled in a way that made Huai Shi extremely uneasy. "Hmm, would you like to try the Book of Destiny''s new function after achieving ascension?"


    "Goodbye!"

 Chapter 35：Double Sight

    The next day, at the hospital. Huai Shi was with Liu Dongli.


    Even though his face was still a little pale, since his actions were not hindered, he was allowed to be discharged after a week or so.


    Even though an Ascender''s physique was a lot better than that of ordinary people, it would be abnormal for it to be unreasonably strong.


    The gunshot wound on his back had not healed completely. Liu Dongli''s body had endured two gunshots, and one of his lungs had exploded, yet, this guy had already almost recovered.


    "What kind of medicine did you take?" Huai Shi asked in disbelief. "Weren''t you in the intensive care unit just a week ago?"


    "Huh? What care unit?"


    Liu Dongli looked at him, confused. "Didn''t Ai Qing tell you?"


    As he said this, he grabbed and pulled at his eye, showing Huai Shi his right eye. At that moment, his pupil split into two.


    Double Pupils!


    It was the strange trait that Huai Shi had caught a glimpse of in the church.


    "Since we''re all so familiar with each other, I guessed it wouldn''t matter if I told you. My stigma is called Double Sight, it''s one of the more unpopular stigmas among the East Xia pedigrees."


    Liu Dongli continued, "It only increases your vision slightly, and it does not improve your physique. It does not have any other functions except that when it merges, it will make a record of my body¡ªjust like a data backup. If I''ve been badly injured, as long as I don''t die on the spot and I''m rescued in time, I''ll be able to slowly return to my original state."


    Huai Shi listened, but froze for some time. Then, he could not help but sigh. "So, the intensive care unit was a lie, wasn''t it?"


    "¡­"


    Liu Dongli was stunned for a moment, but then immediately looked at him with pity. "Even though I''m not sure what Ai Qing told you, it seems to me like you''ve been deceived by that woman."


    ''Moreover, my friend, you even lost your car!''


    Huai Shi averted his gaze.


    "Ah, fortunately, there aren''t any physical disabilities, otherwise I''d be in so much debt. Just buying the silver blood potion alone was enough to nearly make me go bankrupt."


    After he said this, Liu Dongli asked casually, "Oh right, where''s my car? I thought you said you were bringing it over?"


    "¡­Uh."


    Huai Shi suddenly felt nervous, and he shifted his gaze to look at a corner of the room. "I don''t have a license so there''s no way I could drive it. How about I get someone to send your car for maintenance some other day, then send it over to you after that?"


    "Alright."


    Liu Dongli nodded, clearly oblivious. Only Huai Shi was secretly worried: If that hot red Masarati turned into a Chery QQ after going through maintenance once, would Liu Dongli look for a tree and hang himself?


    They remained silent as they walked out of the hospital together.


    However, when they were calling for a car, Liu Dongli took a drag of his cigarette and suddenly said, "Oh right, I wanted to thank you for the whole incident with Red Glove."


    "Huh?"


    Huai Shi froze for a moment, but quickly realized that Liu Dongli seemed already be aware. His heart suddenly sank, "Oh¡­sorry¡­back then¡­"


    Nevertheless, Liu Dongli simply patted his shoulder, interrupting him. "So, don''t worry about the car. I have insurance."


    Huai Shi was stunned for a long moment, then suddenly felt touched. Even so, he did not notice that while he was overwhelmed by gratitude, Liu Dongli had silently turned away and wiped away a bitter tear.


    He felt heartbroken about his lost asset.


    If he had not celebrated his birthday recently and received many gifts from some wealthy ladies, he might have vomited blood.


    "Never mind, let''s not talk about this anymore."


    He waved his hand and managed to stop a taxi, then called for Huai Shi, "Since I just got discharged from the hospital today, if you feel sorry, you can just treat me to a meal."


    Even though he said he wanted to give Huai Shi a beating, in reality, he was still a decent person. He found a simple restaurant and casually ordered two dishes. During their meal, Huai Shi even passed him a gift that he had carefully prepared to celebrate him being discharged from the hospital.


    Liu Dongli cycled through a series of emotions as he stared at the big box of Overlord Hair Growth Set, unsure of what to say.


    Humph, he should have just let this brat get beaten to death by Red Glove.


    After they finished their meal, Huai Shi asked, "Since you''ve already escaped your pit of misery, what are you planning to do next?"


    "I haven''t decided yet. Next month I''ll be taking a plane and going off for some fun for a few days. I was so miserable back then. When I was serving my sentence, I couldn''t even leave New Ocean City. I had to report my location to the invigilator every single day."


    As he spoke of the past, Liu Dongli looked uncomfortable. "If you''ve taken responsibility for my wrongdoings, it would mean that you''ve jumped into a snake pit. That woman, Ai Qing, is not a good boss.


    "Even though there should be a decent amount of protection, and you will not be cheated out of your money, she will test the limits of your ability very accurately. If you don''t die, then she''ll keep using you until you do¡­ In short, just be careful, and find a way to back out. Although the Astronomical Association is a large institution, the benefits do not cover the cannon fodder that is us lowly minions."


    Huai Shi laughed dryly. "Even though it''s hard to get along with Ai Qing, surely that''s an exaggeration?


    "I''m not sure what happened between you and her in the past, but the only person who thought this way was her original boss, the previous invigilator of New Ocean."


    Liu Dongli chuckled coldly. "Back then, your confidential secretary position still belonged to her. Then, after a few months, she was promoted to an official staff member. I heard that poor guy is still somewhere in Africa¡­ all I can say is, she truly is a member of the Yin family. Once she gets a hold of an opportunity, it''s as good as hers."


    "Yin family?" Huai Shi was stunned for his moment, clearly confused. The name rang a bell.


    "Forget it, let''s not talk about this."


    Liu Dongli shook his head, unwilling to continue the discussion. "When we were eating, didn''t you say you wanted to look for the Ascender''s market nearby? We can leave once we settle the bill."


    Once he said that, he picked up his cup and downed the rest of his tea before getting up and walking to the entrance.


    What he had let slip was a taboo subject, and he decided to not say any more.


    Huai Shi had not expected there to be a special market for Ascenders in New Ocean, a small city where there were only seven or eight Ascenders.


    It was not too far away either, and he could get there on foot.


    "This place is like a normal business outlet, and there are many things which are out of stock. You can only place orders in Jinling. If you don''t need it urgently, it''s better to buy it online. If you buy it here, and you need it urgently, the price will kill you¡­"


    As he said this, Liu Dongli''s expression became resentful. It was obvious that he had been seriously cheated of his money before. "It''s so aggravating, we''re all Ascenders, yet we get treated differently¡­ those who are the Astronomical Association''s Grade-B protected talents get subsidies every month, yet I must serve my sentence as a gigolo, tsk¡­"


    "Are they that powerful?"


    "No. How do I put this? That guy''s soul is absurd, and was deemed to be rare by the Astronomical Association. It can be used at any time too. Therefore, a contract was signed whereby the Astronomical Association guaranteed him a safe and peaceful life, and if he were to ever encounter any dangers, priority would be given to his evacuation and rescue. However, he had to be available every time the Astronomical Association called for him. It''s like they''re breeding a pig, so I can''t really believe that the guy can bear it."


    He paused for a moment before his gaze turned serious. "Remember, when you get there, never ever let that guy guess anything about you. That is, if you don''t want your life to turn into a mess."


    Huai Shi snapped to attention. "Is he that dangerous?"


    "No, I wouldn''t say he''s dangerous. More precisely, that guy is more of a joker." Liu Dongli covered his face. "Sometimes, the jokers are the most terrible ones.


    "Furthermore, since you''ve already become an Ascender, don''t simply go around telling others about your ability, nor arbitrarily ask about other''s abilities. Take my ability for example, if other people figure out its flaws, it could cost me my life."


    After Liu Dongli finished cautioning him, he asked, "Since you''ve joined the Astronomical Association, have you done your evaluation yet?"


    "Not yet." Huai Shi shook his head. "I''m going to Jinling next month. Ai Qing said that when I get there, she''ll bring me to the branch directly to get it done."


    "Then just get it over and done with. Don''t be an idiot and don''t hold back."


    Liu Dongli sighed. "Back then, I was too honest. I would rather be evaluated to be weaker than to be made out to be too strong. Don''t be hasty and develop steadily, understood?"


    "I think so?"


    Huai Shi was not sure if he understood completely.


    Liu Dongli nodded in satisfaction, then pointed at the door in front of them.


    They had arrived.


    More unexpectedly, outside the Ascender''s market on this desolate street within this old town, was a detective''s office.


    Looking at the half-broken signboard, he already knew that no one frequented this place.


    Once they stepped through the doors, a musty smell greeted them. He did not know how long it had been since someone had cleaned up the place. A person was sitting in front of the desk with his back to them with his earphones in. He was playing a game.


    "Hey hey hey, that''s it, that''s it!"


    Liu Dongli kicked the chair. "You''ve got customers here, why are you still playing?"


    "Give me moment, all my teammates are missing in action. It''s up to me to turn the tides and win this round!"


    "You''ve already died eight times, turn my ass!" Liu Dongli kicked the plug from the power outlet and pointed at Huai Shi. "I''m here to introduce your newest customer. He''s like my little brother, so be a little kinder to him."


    The gamer turned around. He was a middle-aged man with an unshaven face, making him look prematurely senile. He stared at Huai Shi for a long time, stunned.


    "You''re becoming a gigolo at such a young age?"


    Liu Dongli''s expression changed drastically. He looked like he was in shock as he slapped the back of the man''s head. "I''ve already told you, if you don''t have anything better to do, don''t just go around making random assumptions. What if you get in trouble?"


    "Ok, ok, what do you want to order?"


    The person did not get angry, and just got up helplessly and waved at them. "The things are in the back. Follow me."


    "Just call this guy Detective. Even though it''s terrible, when you''re interacting with Ascenders you''re unfamiliar with, try not to reveal your true name. Find a time to come up with a nickname for yourself later on."


    After giving his last piece of advice, he down sat on the couch outside. "I''ll wait for you here. If you need help gauging the price, you can call for me."


    As he watched him sit outside considerately, Huai Shi sighed in relief and nodded.


    At the back of the building was an empty room filled with cabinets and a computer. There was a huge safe there too, making it like some kind of storage room.


    "It''s my first time meeting you. I didn''t think that there would be any new Ascenders in New Ocean." Detective extended his hand politely and asked, "What should I call you?"


    Huai Shi followed Old Liu''s advice and did not reveal his full name. When he shook his hand, he smiled and replied, "Little Piggy of Huaihai Road."


    "¡­"


    Detective''s face twitched. It was the first time he had heard such an original and unusual name. "Okay, this is the outlet for yesterday''s express delivery. I have most of the conventional items, but if you want something more uncommon, I can''t go online and order the goods for you."


    "No, I''m not here to buy stuff."


    Huai Shi waved his hand and leaned forward. He unzipped his jacket, looked around to make sure no one was watching, then asked in a whisper,


    "Brother, do you want some powder?"

 Chapter 36：I Want to Get Beaten Up

    "What are you talking about?"


    Detective was in shock. Throughout all his years of being a middleman, he had never encountered such an absurd situation.


    "Eh-hem, I mean this."


    Huai Shi coughed, took out a vial, and placed it in front of him. The vial was filled with Disastrous Dust.


    This was the simplest way of earning money that Crow had come up for him.


    As a rare essence, Disastrous Dust was a necessary base in some parts of alchemy manufacturing. However, because its scope of use was so small, and the material itself was not difficult to find in deep areas, so it could not be sold at a high price.


    "Give me a moment."


    After he finally responded, Detective turned on his phone and made a call. "Hello? Hey uncle, I remember you placed an order that was settled at the border a few days ago? There''s a customer here who wants to sell it, why don''t you come and take a look?"


    After a few minutes, the computer''s screen lit up.


    What was more absurd was that the light on the camera transformed automatically into the hologram of an old man. He seemed a little impatient as he walked over and instructed Detective to pour out a few grains of Disastrous Dust and throw them into some kind of liquid with a name that Huai Shi could not pronounce.


    Very quickly, as he watched the reaction taking place in the solution, his gaze became a little calmer, and he nodded slowly.


    "Nowadays, it''s very uncommon to find such pure Disastrous Dust in the interior. Let''s go with the standard price of high-end products. I want all of it." A rare gentle expression spread the old man''s features as he glanced at Huai Shi. "If you have more Disastrous Dust in the future, do contact me. I will pay 10% more than the market price."


    As soon as he finished speaking, he disappeared.


    Detective did not make any more fuss and weighed Huai Shi''s vial. After deducting the weight of the container itself, it weighed around 300 grams.


    Usually, a vial of iron sand like this may have weighed a little more than a pound, but Disastrous Dust was a lot lighter than it looked.


    This had all been accumulated by Huai Shi recently, but he could not make more. After all, he was not the type of person who liked to blame himself for what happened in the past, and he could only rely on constantly reading the death records to refine it.


    Detective spent a long time calculating, and when he was finally done he looked up and asked, "Based on the most recent transaction price in the market, it will come to a total of 84 thousand. As the middle person, I''ll be taking one-twentieth of the earnings. I''ll give you his business card later. Next time, I won''t interfere anymore, you can just contact him directly. How''s that sound?"


    Huai Shi did not have any strong opinions. After all, was it not normal for a middle person to earn so little?


    Moreover, after earning 80 thousand bucks so easily, this was the first time that he had felt a sense of anticipation at becoming an Ascender.


    Before he left, Huai Shi did as Crow had instructed and bought a more precise set of pot and equipment materials. The cheap set he had at home was fine for fooling around in the chemistry room, but when it came to practical usage, he could not do much with it.


    Even the simplest set of equipment here cost Huai Shi around 9000 yuan. If not for Crow''s insistence on its necessity, then he would have just tried to make do with what he had.


    He did not intend to give all of the remaining 71 thousand to Crow. When Crow spoke, you had to take her words with a grain of salt. Even if he only gave her 50 thousand, it would be enough for him to obtain half a month''s worth of medicine.


    If he used the remaining 21 thousand for his living expenses, it should be enough to last him a while.


    Huai Shi decided to keep five thousand to be used for his daily expenses. First, he would spend some of the money to clean up the Chalcedony Museum, reinstall the glass panels, and repaint the exterior wall. If he did it himself, he might even be able to save a lot of money, after which he could use the remaining money to buy a better set of strings for his cello as well as a few chairs. Once he finished cleaning up the main hall, he might not have a lot of money left.


    As he walked out with the equipment in hand, Huai Shi was overcome with joy. Even the stray dog peeing by the road looked cute to him.


    Liu Dongli looked at his idiotic expression, shook his head helplessly, and walked ahead of him.


    However, just as Huai Shi was about to say goodbye and head home, he suddenly shivered.


    He stopped in his tracks and turned back suddenly.


    A few pedestrians hurried across the quiet street, a few cars were driving by, and a stray cat on the top of a wall was walking away slowly¡­


    In that split second earlier, he had felt his Premonition of Death ability being activated, followed by a prickling chill at the back of his neck.


    Alarm bells rang in his chest as his intuition warned him¡ªthere was someone here to kill him. Nevertheless, just as quickly as it had come, that Premonition of Death faded again, as if it was nothing more than an illusion.


    Only a haunting chill remained, gripping his lungs tightly.


    "What''s wrong?"


    Liu Dongli noticed that he was acting odd.


    "It''s nothing." Huai Shi smiled calmly. "We''ll stop here then, I''ll be going home now."


    "Okay."


    Liu Dongli waved. "Remember to have a meal with me before you leave."


    After Huai Shi replied, he turned to leave.


    The killing intent was directed at him, it had nothing to do with anyone else. It was not easy for Old Liu to recover enough that he was able to be discharged from the hospital, so there was no need to get him involved in this situation.


    Unusually, Huai Shi decided to shoulder the burden himself.


    Still¡­ who was the bastard that wanted to kill him?


    .


    .


    "F*ck, I think I''ve been targeted."


    In the main hall of the Chalcedony Museum, Huai Shi looked at the crow before him. "Crow-aemon, do you have a plan?"


    "You can''t be saved, just await your death. Farewell."


    Crow replied calmly with three memes in a row as she slowly checked the items that Huai Shi had brought back. She spoke as if this was a common occurrence. "What''s the point of asking me such a simple question? If someone wants to kill you, just kill them instead. Isn''t it supposed to be that way?"


    "How do I kill them? Do I just conjure an ax?"


    Huai Shi sighed as he knew his limits. Even if he had the title, he lacked the skills. Even though he was an Ascender, in reality, at best, he could only serve as backup. Even the crippled Red Glove could string him up and pummel him freely, if that guy appeared in an alley one day, and started firing a PPSh-41 at him, he would be incapable of defending himself.


    "That''s why last night I said¡­"


    Crow raised her head and smiled happily. "Do you want to try the Book of Destiny''s new function?"


    Even though he felt nervous, Huai Shi nodded helplessly.


    Thus, the Book of Destiny was activated, Crow turned into a pen and dotted downwards.


    Huai Shi''s vision turned dark.


    When he opened his eyes, he could smell the pungent scent of blood.


    In the dark basement, there were corpses everywhere. A skinny man with a half-rotted body roared at him, and his shell-covered left hand suddenly shot forward.


    Huai Shi subconsciously took a step backward, but without even having time to react, he felt the sharp pain of the hard shell piercing through his body.


    Quickly after this, the person raised his deformed right arm, pressed it against his forehead, and squeezed abruptly.


    Crack!


    He was dead.


    In the darkness before him, a big, blood-red word read "NOOB" appeared.


    ''What is this?


    ''What is happening?''


    In the searing pain, Huai Shi leaped up from the chair and glared at Crow angrily. "Other than it now mocking me with ''noob'', isn''t this exactly the same as it was in the past?"


    "Huh?" Crow asked, "You didn''t notice any changes?"


    Huai Shi froze for a moment, then quickly remembered. Just now when he was in that death record, he¡­seemed to¡­have¡­taken a step backward?


    Yes, that was right, he was not passively experiencing it as a guardian spirit anymore.


    This was the first time that he had reacted to the death.


    "Is this a new function?"


    "Yep." Crow nodded. "If you were previously someone who watched streamers'' videos to get to know a game without even playing it, you have now installed a certain steam-icon software, and you can try to play the game yourself. Oh, if that''s the case, it''s a shame to not just be a streamer''s free-loading fan."


    "That''s enough."


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes, he did not know where Crow learned all these crude words.


    "But it seems like it''s better to not let you participate in such a high-difficulty fight on your first round."


    Crow pondered for a moment. "In the current Book of Destiny records, the most complete section would be on Red Glove. Perhaps I''ll find a beginner''s tutorial for you first.


    "But before that, raise your left hand. Right, that''s it. Point one finger upward, then retract your other fingers."


    "Like this?"


    Huai Shi raised his left hand dumbly, unsure of what was happening. "What''s this supposed to do?"


    "You''ll find out soon."


    Crow smiled mysteriously, took out her phone skillfully, snapped a photo, and then waved her wings at him before saying, "Have a safe journey."


    Huai Shi suddenly slumped on the chair and fell into a deep slumber.


    Then, she clicked into her PS software before skillfully adding a caption to the photo that she had just taken of Huai Shi:


    - I want to get beaten up.


    ''New meme obtained~''


    Then, the beating began.


    When Huai Shi finally understood what this posture meant, he was already in an unfamiliar training field and was about to start getting pummeled by a burly man.


    The Roman Kickboxing techniques that were previously seen in Red Glove''s attacks had now appeared in the stranger''s hands.


    When he attacked, he would not show the slightest bit of mercy or hesitation.


    He would charge toward him immediately and beat him until he was crippled!


    Once the whistle blew, the man struck out with his leg and almost took Huai Shi''s neck off with a kick. This was followed by a skillful spin in the air before he landed and grabbed Huai Shi''s arm.


    Crack!


    Huai Shi''s right arm had been broken.


    "Why are you still in a daze? No. 7944!"


    At the edge of the training field, a man with a cold look and his hands folded behind his back said sternly, "Has everything you learned been eaten by the dogs? Pick up the dagger and kill him! Or you will be killed by this death-row criminal!"


    His cold tone perfectly expressed his demand.


    He could either die a useless person, or he could kill this sneering opponent and earn his keep.


    Huai Shi took a deep breath. In that short moment of stillness, he bent down and reached out to pick up the digger, holding it tightly.


    Sometimes, he could not help but be grateful that this was only a dream.


    This way, he did not have to think too much. He just had to pick up the weapon and kill the other person. He did not have to be bothered with the law, morality, kindness, or any of his other concerns.


    Or perhaps this was the scariest part about it?


    Once he was used to it all, would he be willing to return to his ordinary life?


    He did not know why, but he did not seem to reject the idea.


    "Let''s go!"


    At the sharp sound of the coach''s whistle, Huai Shi rushed toward his opponent!


    Then, he died.


    In reality, Huai Shi had charged forward, as fierce as a tiger, and after hitting 2.5 points of damage, he had successfully sliced open the opponent''s neck.


    He had won.


    Nevertheless, at that same moment, his waist had been broken by a kick, and he had broken three out of four of his limbs.


    As he was trying to ask the coach for help, the coach stepped forward indifferently and broke his neck. The last thing he heard was,


    "You''ve betrayed the empire''s expectations of you."

 Chapter 37：Reciprocation

    ''What f*cking empire?


    ''Are you guys the Shimada clan?''


    When Huai Shi opened his eyes, he felt like he had a bunch of things to rant about. ''After I defeated a strong opponent this time, shouldn''t my blood level return to normal as I get two more technique points?''


    He stared at the dust on the ceiling hopelessly.


    ''Where am I?


    ''Who am I?


    ''Where am I going?''


    "Do I have to continue?"


    Crow seemed to be laughing silently.


    He sighed and recalled the killing intent that he had experienced. It was as if he could feel those eyes peering at him from the dark.


    How unlucky was he?


    "Continue!"


    He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and was once again submerged in darkness.


    Crow shook her head in pity, took out her phone, and added another line of text to the meme: Two beatings are fine too.


    As such, the beating continued.


    The severe beatings continued until the afternoon of the second day. When Huai Shi was finally able to clear the fight without sustaining any injuries, he felt like crying.


    That Red Glove guy was not a simple opponent!


    After rejecting Crow''s persistent suggestions, he had made the rare decision to use Old Liu''s remaining electricity fees to take a hot bath. He then changed into a tuxedo which he only put on when he had official performances, then prepared to head out.


    "It''s rare to see you dress so neatly." Crow quipped. "Where are you planning to bring the little lady?"


    "¡­the funeral home."


    Huai Shi sighed.


    ''What little lady?''


    Today was the day Old Yang was to be cremated. Regardless of the situation, he had to go.


    The couple had always been nice to him. Even though sister-in-law was mainly the one who was always nice to him, in this day and age, how many people would be willing to give you a second chance to turn your life around?


    Even though that troublemaker had caused him quite a bit of trouble, he still redeemed himself in the end.


    To a certain extent, Old Yang was the reason why he could still live with his dignity intact and did not have to struggle to do harsh labor, picking up scraps, and working illegally.


    Even though Old Yang was sometimes unreliable, Huai Shi was not some high-class talent either. After so many years of causing trouble for each other, they had pretty much gotten used to it.


    Were not all friends like this?


    Now, Old Yang was departing. No matter what, he had to see him off.


    Although he hurried all the way there, by the time he arrived at the funeral parlor, the farewell ceremony was almost over.


    Old Yang had been an intermediary all his life. Throughout his life, he had garnered a huge network and many friends. He had many local relatives as well, meaning a huge crowd had gathered there to send him off.


    Huai Shi followed the group silently. When it was his turn, he did not dare to look. After he put down the flowers, he evaded sister-in-law''s gaze and ran off to the back of the room with his head down.


    Even though Old Yang had died in Old Pond''s church, his death was announced as a result of a car accident. After being restored by the funeral parlor, the unrecognizable face had recovered a bit of his original charm. When you looked at him now, he seemed as if he was sleeping carefree and peacefully. It made people sad.


    This bastard had spent most of his life working hard for money. In the end, he had sold himself for a good price. He got what he wanted and died without a care in the world.


    He heard people from both sides of the family say that when they were checking his will, they found that this guy had left his wife a large sum of money. It was enough to pay for her upcoming treatments.


    After Huai Shi heard them say a few sentences, he moved away, not wanting to hear anymore.


    After the farewell ceremony ended, the body was sent to the back to be cremated¡­ what surprised Huai Shi was that even though her eyes were red, sister-in-law never cried throughout the entire procession. Instead, she had made sure that Old Yang''s last farewell was run in an orderly manner, and that he would have a decent departure.


    ''That bastard, how did he manage to marry such a good wife?''


    Huai Shi felt even more conflicted.


    Very soon, the funeral ended. While the guests were dispersing, Huai Shi had received word from sister-in-law to meet her at the back.


    In the family room of the funeral home, after that woman had driven away every unrelated person, she closed the door, retrieved a thick envelope from her bag and handed it to him.


    "¡­What is the meaning of this?"


    Huai Shi was stunned as he stared at the envelope on the table. If it was filled with money, there must have been at least ten or twenty thousand inside.


    "Take it, it''s what Old Yang owes you."


    She seemed to smile regretfully. "In the past, he did so many things, but he did it all for me. So, in the end, sister-in-law is the one who has failed you.


    "Lil Shi is a good kid. You kept getting cheated of your money, but you never said a thing. Having said that, this money can''t remain a debt forever. Now that he''s gone, I want his debts to be cleared.


    "If you truly want to make me feel better, don''t decline."


    Huai Shi was quiet as he looked at the envelope on the table. After a long time, he shook his head slowly.


    "What is there to owe?"


    He said softly, "In the past, when I didn''t know anything, I always felt that it was natural that people were nice to me, because in the future I would pay them back a hundred times or a thousand times more.


    "But after I became wiser, I slowly understood that sometimes, when those people were helping me, they were never expecting me to give anything back.


    "Perhaps Old Yang would laugh at me if he heard me say this too.


    "To me, when I was going through the most difficult part of my life, Old Yang was there to give me a hand, and that was enough. Nothing else mattered, and there''s no debt involved."


    He slowly pushed the envelope on the table back to her, and said seriously, "So, even if my share is in this envelope, please treat it as a small act of reciprocation from someone that you have helped in the past."


    Sister-in-law was quiet for a long time but did not say anything to refuse him.


    She just lowered her head, wiped her nose, and forced a smile. "If Old Yang was alive, he''d surely be ashamed to hear these words."


    ''No, that guy? Surely he would be satisfied with himself?''


    He would put the money away neatly, tucking it into his wife''s purse. Then he would speak delightedly, saying that it was Huai Shi himself that had refused the money, it was too late to regret it, and that he would now be bringing his wife to a fancy dinner.


    ''How did that as*hole manage to marry such a good wife?''


    Huai Shi sighed.


    .


    He did not follow the second part of the funeral. It was already upsetting enough to participate in one farewell ceremony, and there was no need for him to be sad all over again for Old Yang.


    Moreover, he did not want to see sister-in-law''s crying face.


    After bidding her farewell, he prepared to go home.


    Unlike when he was rushing to get here, he did not take a cab. When he was going back, he wanted to save a little money and decided to take public transportation. He had to change across two lines to cut through the entire city, as only then could he arrive home on the other end of New Ocean.


    It was said that it would be more convenient once the subway opened, but it was also said that they had started digging New Ocean''s railway tunnels ever since he was born. Even after being under construction for so long, it was still nowhere in sight.


    Moreover, New Ocean was a medium-sized city, so there were many people coming and going in the city. Even though there was a bit of a jam during before and after peak hours, there would still me movement even without the subway.


    Over time, everyone no longer had any expectations for it to be completed.


    During the long wait time, he decided to click his rarely-opened WeChat to see if there was anything important to read.


    One of the benefits of his long-term poverty and pressure was that his interpersonal relationships were lacking. He only had one or two close friends, and they, for the most part, knew of his situation. Therefore, there were hardly any outgoing people who sought him out during the summer.


    Other than the class WeChat group that had turned into a mobile gaming group, he had no other messages.


    Huai Shi swiped up and found out that other than the mobile gaming group''s messages about having meals and treating them to lunch, there was a notification about the adjustment of the practice room''s allocated time slots as well a bunch of stupid photos.


    Sadly, Huai Shi found out that someone had turned the photo of him standing in front of the gigolo club into a meme¡­


    "Can''t you guys be more decent?"


    Huai Shi was furious, he then identified all the people in the group who had swiped his meme. He matched them with panda heads and sent them out one by one.


    While the stupid netizens were having a meme war, he suddenly stopped moving. He could feel a malicious gaze fall upon him from the last row of the bus.


    He did not know if it was as Crow had said, that his puberty stage would cause his perception to grow, or if he was just used to the feeling of the Premonition of Death being activated, but now, Huai Shi had become more sensitive to other''s malicious intents.


    Even though he could not read their minds, after being stared at the whole trip, it felt like caterpillars were crawling down the back of his neck. It made him extremely nervous.


    Staring at the reflection of the bus''s window, he vaguely saw the man with a peaked cap in the last row, who looked like he was sleeping with his head down. He was obviously the source of the malicious gaze.


    When he saw him take out his phone to send a message, Huai Shi stood up abruptly and got off the bus.


    Just as he had expected, the man froze for a moment, then quickly followed after him.


    In the bustling city center, and the busiest pedestrian street, he walked around leisurely, like he was on a stroll. He even stopped to buy a pack of cigarettes. However, from the beginning till the end, he followed closely behind Huai Shi, never once letting him out of sight.


    Looking at that person''s weird expression, his crude gaze, and the two gigantic pectorals that were bursting from his chest, Huai Shi suddenly trembled as his butt clenched. A discouraging thought flashed across his mind,


    ''Holy sh*t, could that be a perverted gay guy?''


    After strolling around for ten minutes or so, Huai Shi could confirm that the brat behind him was indeed stalking him.


    After all, it could not be a coincidence that they both went to the same public restroom, right?


    He pretended like nothing was happening as Huai Shi started to quicken his pace in the crowded streets. He passed through two malls, turned down a few streets, and walked into the old city''s public square.


    The person following behind him turned when he did, and never let him escape his line of sight. Nevertheless, after he turned a corner, he found that Huai Shi had disappeared from the street.


    Just as he was looking around in shock, he saw that behind a glass door, the youngster had taken out five bucks from his pocket. After he spent a long time haggling with the middle-aged lady at the counter, he had shamelessly exchanged the money for a tag.


    Then, he walked through the door at the back of the hall.


    The stalker froze for a moment, looked up in a daze, and saw the shop''s signboard.


    Spring Bathhouse.

 Chapter 38：Sorry

    ???


    A lot of question marks popped up in the stalker''s mind before he took out his mobile phone to send a message via WeChat. He then walked in as if he was loitering around. He spent fifteen dollars in exchange for a pass. After this, he opened the locker room door.


    A stream of hot and humid steam greeted his face.


    Among the rows of cabinets, some naked men were walking around or changing clothes. However, Huai Shi was not in the room. He walked in just in time to see the movement of the rubber curtain leading to the bathing room. Someone had already gotten in.


    Suppressing his confusion and anxiety, he pretended to be calm when he opened the cabinet. He then walked to the bathing room after taking off all his clothes.


    When he lifted the rubber curtain, he spotted the expressionless young man through the thick assault of steam around his face. His clothes were completely intact.


    He froze in place.


    What is going on?


    "Why did you follow me?" Huai Shi asked immediately.


    "...what are you talking about?"


    The expression of the muscular man twitched. Soon, his expression became puzzled, as if he was completely unable to understand. He waved his hand impatiently.


    "Sorry, I can''t."


    Huai Shi sighed and took a step forward.


    Bang!


    The stalker''s eyes went dark. He heard the heavy sound of fists hitting his face. Then, he slipped, falling to the ground.


    "I am asking you¡ª"


    Huai Shi squatted beside him. He looked down at his face and then repeated the previous question, "Why did you follow me?"


    "Damn it¡­"


    The burly man was furious. He raised his arm, trying to slap him. However, when his arm was raised, his eyes went dark again.


    Huai Shi threw a punch with all his might.


    Bang!


    Under the dumbfounded gaze of those who were changing their clothes, Huai Shi reached out, yanked his hair, lifted his head, then dragged him across the floor. He yanked him into the locker room before brutally smashing his head onto the wardrobe.


    One time, two times, three times!


    By now, a huge dent had appeared on the thin iron wardrobe. Although the man was struggling hard, he could not get out of Huai Shi''s grip.


    For the last time, he asked.


    "¡ªWhy did you follow me!"


    "F*ck your mom!"


    Under severe duress, the stalker shouted. He tried his best to lift his legs as he kicked at Huai Shi. He even disregarded the fact that his hair was getting yanked off. Using the split-second during which Huai Shi had lost his grip, he tumbled slightly before jumping to his feet.


    He did not fight back. On the contrary, he ran straight toward the exit of the locker room.


    With a loud bang, the cheap plywood door was smashed. The long spring of the door handle dragged against his body, leaving a deep cut.


    He dangerously slammed into the reception counter.


    The auntie at the reception let out a startled scream as he grabbed several bath baskets on the counter, throwing them at the teenager behind him. Then, without even putting on a towel, he rushed straight out of the gate of the bathhouse, running frantically...


    Huai Shi gave chase from behind.


    The situation had reversed.


    Now, the stalker who did not even have slippers on was running on the street with a bare bum, while Huai Shi was following close behind, not letting him off.


    Considering the abnormal sensation, the pain of his bare feet stepping on the ground, and the screams from passing women, he was like a wild dog on a loose.


    It was unknown whether the sacrifice of his self-dignity fed into his strength, or if it was the dozens of mobile phone cameras recording him, but that guy soon sped up again. Huai Shi could not catch up with him for a while.


    When he finally could not run anymore, he found himself trapped in a small alley by Huai Shi. He moved backward while panting heavily, only to find that he was in a dead-end.


    "Why did you stalk me?"


    Huai Shi stood at the entrance of the alley. He looked at him calmly, "Are you going to admit, or do I need to find the answer myself?"


    "I don''t know¡­"


    The naked stalker leaned against the wall. He struggled to breathe. "I don''t know what you''re talking about..."


    "It seems you''re going with the second choice then."


    Huai Shi was silent for a moment. He looked up at him after raising his head, "To be honest, I don''t want this."


    At that moment, the sound of knuckles cracking suddenly sounded out in the alley.


    Immediately afterward, the stalker saw a black shadow quickly form in front of his eyes. Under the trampling of the old leather shoes, the stone bricks of the alley suddenly collapsed, spilling out the foul sewage below.


    Huai Shi was already in sight.


    Bang!


    The stalker suddenly bent down. He felt as if his heart was about to be squeezed out from his mouth. His bare feet were almost lifted from the ground. His arms that were in front of him were also swept to the sides under the violent impact.


    Huai Shi did not wait for him to regain his footing. Almost immediately, his fist turned into an open palm. The stalker''s face was pushed back, back, and back, until... Bang!


    His head hit the wall.


    He wanted to bend down and curl up, but at that moment, he felt a cold sensation on his crotch. In the roaring wind, there was something kicking between his legs.


    There was a strange cry.


    His eyes almost jumped out of his face.


    "Go die!"


    In severe pain, his face became ferocious. He picked up the wine bottle on the ground while dodging and lunged with the wine bottle at Huai Shi''s neck after smashing it to pieces.


    However, he immediately felt a jolt of pain in his wrist. His arm was bent at a strange angle and the wine bottle was stabbed into his own thigh. Blood began flowing out like a stream.


    Then, the sharp acute pain of a broken arm, as well as the deep cut on his thigh, burst forth.


    He screamed in horror. He then found out that a hand was stuck onto his neck. Huai Shi lifted him up and smashed him against the wall. Looking at the twisted face, he asked roared.


    "¡ªWhy did you stalk me!?"


    A sudden silence arrived.


    The man suddenly stopped struggling. Looking at Huai Shi''s rage, he laughed as if he had just heard a hilarious joke.


    The twitching face squeezed out a smile, but it was unknown whether this grin was meant to mock or to please.


    His lips were trembling, as they opened and closed repeatedly. It was as if he was being frank.


    "I want to... get some money ..."


    Huai Shi was silent. Looking at the old suit with unstitched cuffs and the old leather shoes split at the seams that he was wearing, he found it difficult to believe him. However, in the end, he could not help but lower his eyes.


    He slowly released his grip, letting the person fall to the ground, as he gasped for air, coughing, and cramped in pain.


    "Okay."


    Huai Shi suddenly said, "I will give you money."


    That moment the man looked up in amazement, he reached out. He pressed his hand on the man''s muzzle and nose, then poured the highly valuable Disastrous Dust into his mouth.


    At that moment, as he pinched the nostrils close, a shrill cry came from the man''s closed mouth. The man twitched suddenly, writhing about on the ground despite his injuries.


    Indescribable fear and sorrow poured into his body, ravaging his soul. A vague noise continued to sound from his throat. However, it was quickly gripped shut by Huai Shi. With that, he was unable to make any more sound.


    After a moment, Huai Shi heard the sudden sound of brakes coming from the entrance to the alley. As the van opened, several men with masks jumped out of the car, blocking the alleyway.


    They had their hands tucked into their bulging chest areas, probably ready to draw a hidden weapon. Without saying a word, they looked at the teenager in the alley maliciously.


    In the silence, Huai Shi finally let go of the stalker in his hand. He slowly turned around to face the group of hostile newcomers. He finally understood why that guy had led himself into a dead-end.


    "It''s him!"


    When the stalker who was curled on the ground raised his finger to point at Huai Shi, the frontmost person stepped out. He pulled out a mountain knife that was hanging by a dark green rope from inside his shirt. Then, he saw various combat knives appear.


    Huai Shi was stunned as his eyebrows raised. He felt the whole situation to be somewhat unbelievable.


    "Does anyone want to explain anything?" He asked doubtfully, "For example, is it reasonable for me, as an employee of an auto repair shop, to be carrying a combat knife with me. Something along those lines?"


    "Hehehe." A weird laugh sounded out from behind him.


    "Someone... spent money... to buy... to buy your life..."


    Coughing hard, the man who was lying on the ground struggled to support his body with one hand. He had a sneer on his twisted face. "Know your place, don''t struggle... it''s unbearable to watch..."


    Huai Shi was silent. Then, he raised his foot and stomped on his head.


    Bang!


    The man fell to the ground, no longer moving.


    Huai Shi turned back. He looked at the approaching people and could not help but sigh, "It seems there is no way to be kind, is there?"


    No one responded.


    In the silence, Huai Shi raised his hand, then unbuttoned his coat. After this, he took off the suit he had worn for so many years, folded it up, then placed it neatly on a clean part on the naked man who was lying on the ground.


    Finally, he stood up, bent over, and bowed.


    His attitude was sincere and humble.


    "I''m sorry." He said, "My friend has passed away and I am sad."


    "..."


    In a brief moment of confusion, the men people froze. They felt like laughing.


    However, immediately after, they saw the teenager raising his head slowly. He looked at them without any expression. "Therefore, I''ll apologize beforehand if something goes wrong later¡ª"


    As he was speaking, he slowly raised his hands. He held a pose in front of his chest.


    Then, he dismissed the last bit of pity he had for his enemies.


    ¡ªRoman Dagger Kickboxing LV6!


    .


    .


    "It''s still so deserted here."


    The girl in the wheelchair sat in front of her desk. She looked around. "It feels a lot bigger than before."


    This was the municipal library.


    To be precise, this was the underground storage area of the municipal library. Under the monotonous light of the coldly lit fluorescent tube, the huge rows of bookshelves extended to the end of sight until they reached complete darkness.


    Over the past sixty years, there had been periodicals, newspapers, agency notices, and all the administrative regulations that had appeared in the entire New Ocean City... In short, everything that was on the market that had been printed on paper was stored here for backup.


    Even the electronic versions were stored in the server storage room next door. On top of that, they could be retrieved at any time.


    Although this was one of the responsibilities of the municipal library, the degree of completeness was all thanks to the man behind the desk, the current librarian of the New Ocean City Library, an Ascender who was known as "Professor".


    In reality, he could really be called a professor. He had so many degrees that he himself had lost count of them¡ªAfter all, his greatest hobby was to read books while shutting himself in this huge warehouse that was buried deep underground.


    He would not leave this place even in death.

 Chapter 39

    The general impression of professors was that they were well-mannered, skinny scholars. They would otherwise have grey hair, glasses, the smell of books all over their bodies, and so on...


    However, these characteristics might not necessarily describe a mountain of flesh that stood more than two meters high.


    Now, this flesh mountain had flashed Ai Qing a warm smile. The oil sheen on his face shone brightly, dazzling like the sun. He kept up with the movements of his hands as he skilfully moved around the tea set that was seemingly too delicate for his thick fingers.


    "Coffee or tea?"


    "Coffee, I guess." Ai Qing replied, "Without sugar."


    Soon, hot coffee was poured into a delicate cup before being placed on the plate in front of Ai Qing.


    Professor turned around in his insanely large swivel chair, then opened the refrigerator next to it. From it, he took out all kinds of exquisite cakes, pudding, chocolate, macarons, fruits from Weizhou, the Roman''s thousand layered cake...


    "It''s time for dinner, let''s eat together."


    He smiled while wrapping a napkin around his neck. He picked up a knife and fork and said, "I''ve been trying to lose weight recently, so I don''t eat meat at night."


    Ai Qing looked at the table full of calories and, on a rare occasion, she seemed moved. Soon, she shook her head to decline regretfully, "You will die of high cholesterol sooner or later."


    "I''ve had cerebral thrombosis a few times now."


    Professor raised his finger with a goofy laugh. He tapped the scar from an operation on his forehead. "Thanks to the Astronomical Association, the medical technology of the Inheritance Yard always allows me to continue with this hobby."


    "It''s useless even if you suck up to me. I''m just a newcomer who has only just completed the probation period." Ai Qing took a sip of her coffee. She nodded in satisfaction.


    Although she did not want to admit it, the coffee here was indeed the best in New Ocean. While she had a lot of rare coffee powders in her house, her craftsmanship paled in comparison to this guy.


    "You passed the probation period? Ah, then you must be having quite a tough time¡ª"


    Professor frowned slightly. "Will the war over at the Dragon''s Triangle affect New Ocean?"


    "Kind of, I guess?"


    Ai Qing rapped the table as she sighed.


    This was simply an accurate representation of the ''fishes in the pond that got into trouble because of the fire at the city gate*''. (TN: A Chinese idiom that means being an unfortunate victim in something you are not involved in.)


    As the world''s leading behemoth, the power of the Astronomical Association was undoubtedly tremendous. The Astronomical Association itself was the dark face of the United Nations.


    Ninety years ago, in order to respond to threats beyond the border, along with the initial advocacy of the Pioneer Council, the five major and permanent members of the United Nations, including Eastern Xia, Rome, the Russian Federation, the Americas, and the First Dynasty of Egypt, jointly established the International Astronomical Association.


    As the ruling body of the cultural society today replaced the "Governance Bureau" of the "Country of Utopia'''', it itself was constituted of politicians of various countries and major monopolies.


    Therefore, World War I was henceforth known as the war that ended all wars¡ª


    Since then, there were no more worldwide wars. However, this did not mean that war itself had disappeared. It had just moved to a place where ordinary people could no longer see it. In order to compete for the rights to speak in the Governance Bureau, had there not been proxy wars between countries in recent years?


    Otherwise, why was Baghdad now in ruins?


    Dozens of borders had been sunk by the four powerful natural enemies, and they all fell into the depths of hell. Moreover, the effects of its aftermath had yet to subside either.


    Although inter-countries and inter-enterprises had been maintaining the existence of the Astronomical Association under the pressure from outside the border, infighting had always been inescapable...


    It was like the border war of the Dragon''s Triangle this time around.


    Over the years, everyone assumed that the country and the affiliated institutions in the respective border areas had the right to initiate development. However, it was called the border not only because they were on the edge of the land, but also because it was a land of sparse sovereignty.


    Especially under special circumstances, when they could be moved...


    Over the years, while competing for the ruins of the former Yamatai Empire, known as "the Dragon''s Triangle", the inner representatives of Weizhou, which was the royalty of Tianjin Department, and the martial artists representing the Guojin Department''s martial family continued to fight. It was not the first time that both parties suffered great losses. The speed at which the border sovereigns changed hands was more rapid than the speed at which they changed prime ministers. As a result of the back-and-forth war, the wedge that was fixed at the border was destroyed...


    Even the wedge could be destroyed!


    Guys, are you joking?


    In short, according to the Astronomical Association''s calculations, the Dragon''s Triangle has already begun to drift. Firstly, it drifted towards the Australian Islands. It then suddenly headed northwest...


    That was right, it was drifting toward Eastern Xia.


    This time, Eastern Xia would be beyond happy. The border development group, Taiqing Heavy Industry, had started rubbing their hands, waiting for this piece of meat to fall into their laps.


    Then, Weizhou began to grow unhappy. However, now that the Dragon''s Triangle had drifted into international waters, who were you to be unhappy? True happiness depended on the happiness of the general public.


    Moreover, with such a huge thing drifting over, you guys were busy hiding and covering it up so that no one would intervene. What if there were dangerous items inside?


    The voice of Eastern Xia cracked, "Come, let me take a loo~ok!"


    It was unknown whether it was developing normally or not. Regardless, the situation was bound to become tense.


    What caused Ai Qing''s headache now was that if Eastern Xia really wanted to take measures against the Dragon''s Triangle, eventually, New Ocean City would become the most convenient estuary.


    This was to say that more and more Ascenders would be coming here to make money, loot treasures, earn a quick buck, and mess things up.


    Not only did Ai Qing had to worry about the unavoidable increase in the Ascenders'' crime rate, she also had to worry about the attraction between the borders¡ª


    ''What would happen if Yamatai''s border in the Dragon''s Triangle hit the Eastern Xia coast?''


    It would be like a comet hitting the Earth!


    Of course, she was not the only one worrying about it. However, she would definitely be right amongst the to-blame list. To become the official invigilator of the Astronomical Association right now was unfortunate.


    This is to say that, if she was smart, to keep herself out of trouble, she had to prepare for a transfer within the next half a year.


    The drifting speed of the border was not fast. However, according to current estimations, in a year''s time, there would be chaos erupting from the periphery of New Ocean.


    "Have you found a good place to head to?"


    Professor asked casually, "With your background, it is impossible for you not to have a solution, right?"


    Ai Qing glanced at him. She said nothing.


    "I''m curious, simply curious."


    Professor smiled frankly. A gust of wind blew, and she looked down and so that more than half of the dazzling desserts on the table had been devoured. Besides, he had also poured himself coffee that was filled with so much sugar that it had almost become a paste in his stomach.


    He was half-full after dinner.


    He wiped his mouth. After taking out a thick file from the underside of the table, he placed it in front of Ai Qing.


    "This is the investigation you wanted. It contains all the present records and news about the Saviour''s Association." Professor said, "Based on your request, I only made a basic compilation. I deleted some of the excess crap. However, there are no subjective arguments added. I believe you can handle it from here on out."


    Ai Qing had confidence in her ability to digest documents¡ªif she was going to speculate on anything, she needed others to add their subjective views after them making some blind guesses for her.


    The most important reason why she was chosen from thousands of strict candidates to become an invigilator was not only because of the apparent near-perfect score in her results. It was also because of her "intuition", this was considered to be a rare ability in the Astronomical Association.


    Yes, indeed, it was intuition.


    If she were to make a wild guess without basing it on anything, she would have a 50% chance of getting it right. If this was a game of throwing dice and playing cards, she might be far inferior to those professional mathematicians.


    However, only when she was facing a chaotic mess would her intuition reveal its true value.


    If it was based on probability, the chances of her being correct were about 65%.


    This hit-rate of 15% higher than ordinary people made her stand out during the complicated testing. She was rated as the best Grade A+ genius.


    Such a talent was a perfect match for the predictive-type stigma. Even if there was no soul ascension, it was enough for people to look forward to it.


    The Astronomical Association did not care about the 35% failure rate. In truth, they had enough ability to cover it up. If Ai Qing had not chosen a local position after refusing the solicitation of the Extraordinary Action Unit, the Astronomical Association would have already started her targeted training now.


    Because of this, she was ridiculed as a model of ignorance by the same batch of trainees¡ª


    As an intelligence dealer, Professor knew the details and background of his client very thoroughly. Although he knew all her records from the papers, he was more curious about the things that had not been recorded.


    Nevertheless, Ai Qing was extremely secretive about this. She had never disclosed anything to others.


    It was in the silence that she turned the heavy pages intently. Professor did not bother to talk to her anymore. He simply flipped through a technical and difficult to decipher book whilst constantly changing the direction of his swivel chair.


    Ai Qing read the documents and got the impression that this ran deeper than the water of the Saviour''s Association.


    Although it looked like a swindler group in any way, there were too many suspicious points. Both the origin of that strange border relic and the Ascender who had secretly dealt with them...


    Wang Hai, who had been surrendered by the accomplice, was just a temporary leader. Before him, back when the Saviour''s Association went by a different name, there were traces of other leaders'' existence.


    It was true that they were secretly hiding behind the retarded development of Old Pond Town. However, underneath their shiny cover, even the Universal Compassion in many local companies had extensive involvement in other places.


    This was not only in New Ocean, there were even traces of them extending to other places. They were omnipresent even in dangerous and complicated areas. If not for Red Glove''s brave initiation in taking advantage of this swindler association, who knows how long it would have taken to notice these things, particularly because they were focusing on growing amongst the lower classes in rural and remote cities.


    Moreover, it seemed that they were getting support from a large organization.


    Having said that, where was this help coming from?


    There were too many possibilities.


    Tianzhu''s Black Heaven Church? The border''s Elysium? The American Alliance of Scientific and Spiritual Associations? Or Weizhou''s tens of thousands of scoundrels from all backgrounds?


    It was a pity that Wang Hai and Nao, the only 2 people who knew the details, were dead. Otherwise, Ai Qing would not need to start the investigation from scratch as if looking for a needle in a haystack.


    She was not worried about Red Glove, who Huai Shi had killed, nor about Green Day, the biggest terrorist organization beyond the border.


    Her power only extended to the border. Even if they wanted to make a difference in the current situation, they could not get around the Astronomical Association, which stretched across all four corners of the world.


    What worried her was those from Saviour''s Association who were extracting elementium from the elderly. What were they trying to achieve? What had they created? What were they doing? What were they going to do?


    Who else was working together with them?


    She whole-heartedly refused the idea that Wang Hai, the good-for-nothing who only knew how to scam people of their money, could take advantage of the Universal Compassion to penetrate through the upper and middle level of New Ocean.


    Just by looking at the files, she knew that the guy was destined to live his life as a lowly conman.


    So, who was behind this?


    Not long after, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a phone ringing.


    After she answered the phone, she lost the mood to continue her conversation.


    "I''ll stop at the initial reports." She collected the files on the table. "I will transfer the rest of the money to you, but the investigation of the Saviour''s Association must continue. Please inform me if there are any new developments."


    "Rest assured, I will."


    Professor sipped his tea while looking at her expression. "Are those corrosive mutts and Ascenders committing crimes again?"


    "No, it''s worse than that."


    Ai Qing slapped the armrest of the wheelchair with a blank expression, recalling the Huai Shi''s description from the call. She could not help but sigh.


    "¡ªIt''s much worse than that."

 Chapter 40

    Sometime after dinner, Huai Shi returned to the interrogation room of the Special Affairs Bureau once again.


    He felt a warmth as though he were returning home.


    This was even though there were bandages wrapped all over his body. The wound on his face was also still covered in medicinal solution, specifically hexamethyl pararosaniline chloride. To be honest, it was not a pretty sight.


    Then, he saw the person in charge of the Special Affairs Bureau, who he had thus far only met once. He remembered¡­ his surname seemed to be ¡°Fu¡±? Was this surname common?


    Or was it his own delusion?


    Whatever the case, it was not ideal to own this surname. The uncle had likely never enjoyed first-rate treatment throughout his life¡­


    Noticing Huai Shi¡¯s pitiful gaze, Chief Fu figured out what the boy was thinking. His originally planned happy family dinner had been completely disrupted by the news of this rascal. He could not suppress his anger, and thus, scolded angrily,


    ¡°Huai Shi, what exactly are you trying to do? Doesn¡¯t your school start tomorrow? You are already playing truant at a young age, do you want to go to jail when you grow up?¡±


    ¡®What¡¯s so special about the school opening!¡¯


    ¡®How is your tone so similar to the director of the teaching office?¡¯


    At this moment, he inexplicably felt the same pressure as during the school opening. Huai Shi felt troubled. ¡°Someone spent money to buy my life, I am feeling desperate!¡±


    ¡°You are considered a ¡®second-entry palace*¡¯ (TN: a reference to a traditional play). Within half a month, you have been arrested back-to-back and sent to the Special Affairs Bureau. You¡¯re simply amazing¡ª¡±


    Chief Fu suppressed his anger. He sat across the table, flipping over the report submitted by his subordinates. Pointing at the headline above, he screamed, ¡°It¡¯s even a violent assault case? Seven people were seriously injured and five are still lying in the ICU. I say, aren¡¯t you in over your head? ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t always assume that my head is filled with thoughts of criminal activities, okay?¡±


    Huai Shi sighed. He pointed at the wounds on his shoulder and arm. The scar on his neck was only a centimeter away from his artery. ¡°I was defending myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me any more about this.¡±


    Chief Fu picked up the remote control. The screen of the huge TV in the corner lit up after he pressed the play button to reveal the tragic playback of the scene in the alley.


    In the surveillance video, the crowd collided with the teenager. Immediately after, it was like waves crashing into the reef. Someone flew out, appearing to scream dreadfully in the silent video recording.


    Then, came the subsequent ravaging, one after another, as if they were rushing to their deaths.


    Everything was silent.


    There was no sound coming from the bone breaking. Although they were all lying on the ground, there were no screams. When blood came out of their mouths and noses, there were no grunts.


    It was as if there was no pain at all.


    Although the hammer struck his body, he did not take a step back. Although the blade cleaved his back, he did not hesitate one bit. He was ferocious, as if he did not care about anything. As if trying to die together, he brought down every single person in sight.


    The whole scenario had lasted three minutes.


    From beginning to end, the teenager was expressionless.


    Once there was no more movement in the alley, he picked up his suit after turning around. He sat wearily on the fire hydrant, waiting for the sound of the siren in the distance.


    Blood was dripping from his trousers. It accumulated on the ground, forming a shallow puddle.


    The puddle reflected those of calm eyes, which could send a chill down most people¡¯s eyes.


    The video stopped abruptly.


    The furious sound of Chief Fu slamming the table came immediately after, ¡°Huai Shi, didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t know martial arts?¡±


    ¡°I was born a god¡­ Can¡¯t I learn it by myself?¡± Huai Shi sunk into his seat. ¡°Or would it be considered more ¡®normal¡¯ for me to be hacked to death?¡±


    ¡°This is an incident of vicious fighting. On top of that, it involved an Ascender. That is to say, the crime is that much worse.¡±


    Chief Fu stared into Huai Shi¡¯s eyes. ¡°You know that the Special Affairs Bureau specializes in managing these kinds of incidents, right? I sent a little rascal like you to the border last year. Guess what happened to him now.¡±


    Huai Shi asked tentatively. ¡°He became Buddha and he¡¯s as happy as ever?


    ¡°The grass on his grave is as tall as you are!¡±


    Chief Fu turned around. As he was leaving, he hesitated after opening the door. He glanced back at Huai Shi. ¡°I have read the confessions from that group of people, I know you were fighting back in self-defense.


    ¡°But did you really have no choice at that time, Huai Shi?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Huai Shi was at a loss.


    ¡°You are an Ascender, and the moment you ascended, you became different from an ordinary people. In many cases, you are granted more choices simply because you have power.¡±


    Chief Fu looked into his eyes. ¡°So, did you really have to demonstrate this so-called power to the weak to make you feel good?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi did not know what to say. When Chief Fu turned to leave, he heard the voice pipe up behind him, ¡°Umm¡­ wait a minute!¡±


    He turned his head back slowly, his expression cold. ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi stopped talking. After hesitating for a long time, he raised his hand. He asked softly,


    ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry, do you provide meals here?¡±


    Bang!


    The door slammed shut.


    .


    .


    When Ai Qing arrived, Chief Fu had smoked half a pack of cigarettes in the office. There was still a wicked anger in his heart.


    He wanted to hit someone. He wanted to beat up some teenagers.


    F*ck the Minors Protection Act¡­


    ¡°Where¡¯s Huai Shi?¡± Ai Qing asked.


    Chief Fu raised his hand and pointed toward the direction of the interrogation room. ¡°He is still eating our lunchbox inside. It¡¯s already the sixth portion. Can you please hurry up and bring back that pig spirit to the Astronomical Association?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s undergoing puberty, it¡¯s very normal.¡±


    Ai Qing was calm.


    While she was on her way here, she had already understood the causes and consequences. Besides, Chief Fu should not have directed his irritation at Huai Shi toward the prim and proper invigilator.


    In Eastern Xia, the relationship between the invigilator and the Special Affairs Bureau was often awkward. The root cause of this simply came down to the different standings of both parties.


    As everyone knew, even an ordinary Ascender who did not have any sigma implanted had the skills and physical ability that far surpassed ordinary people.


    Therefore, in order to respond to the threat of the border efficiently and avoid the misuse of the power that could be used to defend the existing border and the border during the war, all Ascenders were eligible for military service exemption.


    In other words, except for the Astronomical Association, which had been approved of by all the important parties in the Governance Bureau, no other organizations or forces could forcibly wage war with the Ascenders at any time. On top of this, they could not conduct illegal detention and inhumane experiments on the Ascenders.


    This statute that was engraved into the Law of the Twelve Tables preserved the personal safety and freedom of the Ascenders to a certain extent.


    However, at the same time, in order to prevent the Ascenders from using their own power to cause chaos, crimes committed by all Ascenders would be dealt with more harshly. Moreover, all of the execution grounds would be uniformly planned at the borders.


    The existence of the Special Affairs Bureau was to prevent the formation of violent organizations established by the Ascenders with the intention to victimize ordinary people. Most of its members were undoubtedly well-trained elite soldiers while the group was trained to suppress criminals by fighting as a team. Furthermore, the group used heavy weaponry to teach lawbreakers a lesson.


    With the existing border experiencing the Three Major Blockades, aside from the few that had been coronated, the biggest source of violence around was undoubtedly the army.


    Without even mentioning the nuclear bombs and the missile bomber, the coverage of an artillery battalion alongside the tank-infantry teamwork was more than enough to overpower those scoundrels.


    No one wanted to face the army head-on as anyone who challenged them died.


    The same went for the Ascenders.


    It was the responsibility of the invigilator to validate the crimes of Ascenders. Similarly, it was their duty to issue a poison pen letter.


    The invigilator often did not get along with the Special Affairs Bureau. Their interactions were very surface level and were considered sufficient so long as they could maintain the balance between ordinary people and the Ascenders. Often times, when the Special Affairs Bureau had something to handle, they would only need to phone the invigilator to prepare a case. Then, everything would be taken care of.


    In addition to the border development, what they should really worry about was the Inter-Ascender Organization beating the crap out of each other for benefits. In the worst-case scenario, it was okay for them to beat the crap out of each other. However, they could not involve ordinary citizens who were living honest lives.


    Thus, they would kill anyone who tried to do anything funny.


    The area of the existing border was fixed. It could not even accommodate those few natural enemies, let alone so many people fighting at the same time.


    Fortunately, since New Ocean was SO f*cking small, there were only 7 to 8 Ascenders, meaning nothing big ever happened. Everyone lived a very Buddha-like lifestyle, with some of them becoming gigolos and illegal traders. There was also a detective office that slacked all day¡­ which was quite reassuring.


    After handling the secret schemers, there was no reason for Ai Qing to say anything unbecoming at the Special Affairs Bureau.


    This was only an incident of vicious fighting. It should not come to the point where they became hostile toward each other.


    This was only a trivial matter. Both parties should not involve their personal emotions affect their work. After a brief exchange of information, they jumped into the main topic.


    ¡°Who attacked him?¡±


    ¡°A group of unpresentable mutts¡­¡±


    After mentioning this, Chief Fu got angry. Setting each file on the table, he counted them one by one, ¡°Illegal gang members, human traffickers, fugitives and social idlers¡­ what the f*ck are these?


    With that said, he could not help lighting a cigarette. However, when he remembered that Ai Qing was there, he pushed the window open. He put out the cigarette after 2 puffs, then pulled out a cell phone from a bag and asked,


    ¡°The Gathering of All Sin, have you heard of it?¡±


    ¡°That dark web app?¡±


    Ai Qing could not help but frown when she saw the skeleton icon on the phone screen.


    In reality, although this app was basically a piece of software, its true essence was much more complicated. It had reached the state where it was essentially a baneful influence. So much so that the Astronomical Association had even built a targeted archive for it.


    Unfortunately, with the existence of the free border, the dark web could never be eradicated.


    In short, it could be said to be an intermediary platform to a dark world.


    It handled all transactions that satisfied the dark side of humanity. Whether it was murder, abduction, kidnapping, human organ transactions, slavery, even stigma which targeted Ascenders to a greater extent, as well as border relics, elementium crystals, sacrifices¡­ everything one could ever need could be found here.


    And now, someone had posted a bounty for Huai Shi¡­


    However, who was so free to go after such small fry?

 Chapter 41

    ¡°Green Day?¡± Chief Fu asked.


    ¡°Impossible.¡± Ai Qing shook her head. ¡°Even if Green Day were aware that Huai Shi killed Red Glove, they wouldn¡¯t have cared about such a little pawn. They¡¯re lunatics who only have their eyes on the Astronomical Association when they get involved. They wouldn¡¯t stoop so low.¡±


    ¡°The Saviour¡¯s Association?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s even more unlikely.¡±


    Ai Qing shook her head. ¡°He¡¯s just a victim. If it were revenge, he would¡¯ve rushed to me. The files regarding Huai Shi are still confidential. At present, only you and I know that he¡¯s an Ascender.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    For some time, because it was so puzzling, the both of them found it hard to continue pondering on the subject.


    ¡°That guy can really cause trouble.¡±


    Chief Fu sighed unpleasantly. ¡°We should just shut down for half a year.¡±


    Ai Qing turned to look at him and said bluntly, ¡°He¡¯s currently an official employee of the Astronomical Society. If you insist on doing so, we may see Jinling later.¡±


    Having said that, Ai Qing had stated openly that if Chief Fu was stubborn, everyone might end up meeting again in the court of law.


    Chief Fu frowned. ¡°You¡¯d do anything to protect him?¡±


    ¡°He is my subordinate,¡± Ai Qing replied.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s a 17-year-old middle school student. It will be his third year of high school tomorrow, and he will take the college entrance examination next year.¡±


    Chief Fu raised his voice slightly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want him to be taken to the border one day, then you shouldn¡¯t involve him in matters outside school.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ai Qing noticed a strange look in Chief Fu¡¯s eyes. ¡°Are you actually concerned about the growth of a teen?¡±


    ¡°I just hate it when children take up arms and die.¡± Chief Fu touched the scar on his neck and his expression turned more and more unpleasant.


    ¡°He will not become the kind of person you imagine.¡±


    Chief Fu did not say anything else. Instead, he remained silent and recalled the young pupil shown in the video again.


    As if suddenly irritated, Chief Fu clenched his fist when the disguise was blown away by the wind and snow.


    His unpleasant and superficial smile dissipated as it was replaced by a cold and somber expression like that of rock and iron.


    Destroying everything arrogantly¡­


    Treating death as if it was insignificant like dust.


    The kind of aura the person in the video was emitting was like that of an executioner¡¯s, and Chief Fu felt uneasy instinctively. No, it should be said that he felt disgusted.


    He hated people who had that look.


    He hated children who had that look.


    ¡°Miss Ai, you¡¯re trying to put a leash on a beast and make him learn the rules of a domesticated dog. Huai Shi is different from that kind of thing.¡±


    Miss Ai frowned. ¡°He¡¯s just mingling around in a den of wild dogs. Even though he looks like a husky, he¡¯ll be like a wolf returning to his ancestors.


    ¡°Once he has seen blood, I¡¯ll no longer be able to tie him up with chains.¡±


    Ai Qing calmly took a sip of some cheap tea in the office. She then put down the teacup nonchalantly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re that afraid, you might as well kill him.¡±


    ¡°You think I haven¡¯t thought about it?¡± Chief Fu asked, ¡°I had the urge to when I first met him in the rain the night Red Glove died. I can¡¯t accept the existence of a potential lunatic like him in my jurisdiction.


    ¡°However, what can I do? I¡¯m forty-six years old this year and I¡¯m also a person with a child. Do you want me to kill another child just because he might commit a crime in the future?


    ¡°Miss Ai, he is only 17 years old and the minor protection laws are all on his side. He still has the opportunity to choose his own future¡­ A future that does not result in him hurting a lot of people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like a domestic dog, yes?¡± Ai Qing asked indifferently.


    ¡°Pretending not to hear because your ears are stuffed? Covering your eyes as if nothing is going to happen, enduring pain until it becomes a habit, put a grin on your face and bear with it, pretend to be indifferent toward devastation, shake your tail and wait for a reward. Do you really think a life like that is a happy one?¡±


    Chief Fu was irritated. ¡°He has other choices!¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t.¡±


    Ai Qing said, ¡°His surname is Huai, I¡¯m not surnamed Ai. Even if he struggles or not, he can¡¯t change what happened in the past. It¡¯s like how you and I can¡¯t decide the future of a person.¡±


    ¡°This is something that¡¯s destined,¡± said Ai Qing.


    ¡°How do you think he would think about you if he was aware of the truth back then?¡± Chief Fu asked coldly.


    ¡°Who cares? No matter what he chooses to do, I won¡¯t be surprised.¡±


    Ai Qing looked into Chief Fu¡¯s eyes calmly and told him word for word, ¡°But until then, I will not allow anyone to touch him.¡±


    ¡°So, what are you doing?¡± Chief Fu teased, ¡°Atoning?¡±


    Ai Qing was expressionless as she said, ¡°I just hope someone will come to liquidate me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chief Fu did not say anything else. However, he silently pointed in the direction of the interrogation room and asked Ai Qing to take her subordinates away.


    .


    At that time, Huai Shi was eating heartily in the interrogation room.


    After having finished whichever employee¡¯s supper, he wiped his mouth and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll have another bowl!¡±


    The secret service officers sitting there remained silent when they heard him and only watched as he put his arms around themselves. Their eyes had a trace of pity within them.


    When Huai Shi turned around and saw Ai Qing behind him, he was startled.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Could you please stop making people think that I don¡¯t pay you a salary?¡±


    ¡°¡­ ah, sorry.¡±¡®


    ¡°Sorry about what? For eating so much?¡± Ai Qing shook her head. ¡°The Astronomy Association has medicine specifically used for the development of an Ascender. Do I need to buy it for you?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Huai Shi did not know how to explain the matter about Crow and only scratched his head in response.


    ¡°I already bought it.¡±


    ¡°Is it that fellow Liu Dongli again?¡±


    Ai Qing raised her eyebrows, and she looked unhappy. ¡°It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t go to that detective so much, that guy is not a carefree person.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Federation of Huai Shi, always ready to follow good advice.


    After the few monitors went out, Ai Qing asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on today?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I caused trouble again.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t always apologize for the mistakes of others-¡±


    The young woman furrowed her eyebrows unhappily and sighed. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t care what you turn that group of social trash into. As an employee of the Astronomical Association, when you are attacked, the standard response procedure includes even the option to kill, understand?


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the privileges of being an employee of the Astronomical Association. Even if you pull out a gun and kill them all, there is no problem in regard to such a response. At most, what happened will be recorded only internally.


    ¡°I¡¯m curious¡ªwhat was the reason you did such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Huai Shi was puzzled.


    ¡°Normally, you¡¯d run away, right?¡±


    ¡°Desperately begging for mercy, running away if you can¡¯t beat them¡­ It¡¯s not your style to be hard-faced,¡± she said.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi was shocked as she said, ¡°Could it be that the image you have of me in your mind is one that is timid?¡±


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°¡­Okay, I think I¡¯m right.¡± Huai Shi sighed and scratched his head, not knowing what to say. ¡°If you¡¯re going to say it, shouldn¡¯t you be angry? Then, if you paid at least a bit of attention, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this.¡±


    ¡°Is this related to Lao Yang¡¯s funeral?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi froze for a long time before he smiled and said awkwardly, ¡°How¡¯s that possible?¡±


    Ai Qing did not say anything and just looked at him as if she was waiting for him to continue. After a while, Huai Shi was eventually defeated as he admitted, ¡°Okay¡­ Probably a bit.¡±


    He looked down at the scars and bandages on his body and sighed helplessly.


    ¡°I was afraid.


    ¡°Being surrounded by a group of people wielding knives in an alley, even if they said less threateningly that they wanted my life, how could I not have been afraid.


    ¡°I always thought that I¡¯d be able to hold my head up high to the point that I was not afraid of death. However, when I saw my friend lying in the incineration chamber, I realized that I was nothing but afraid of death.¡±


    Huai Shi sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve been able to stay happy for the past few years by making happy sand sculptures. However, I¡¯m now no longer able to continue making them, and what else can I do?


    ¡°I¡¯m not living my life well.


    ¡°Even when I¡¯m bored and want to go out shopping, there are people out there who want to kill me¡­ Even though I¡¯m a pain in the neck, isn¡¯t that too much? ¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Ai Qing nodded, she seemed to agree with him. However, she did not know which point of his she actually agreed with.


    Was it him being a pain or was it him exaggerating?


    Huai Shi smiled bitterly as he reached for the table and supported himself. The bandages on his body began to ooze out blood again. This time, his wounds were really bad.


    He discovered another bad habit that he had developed after reading the records.


    It was convenient to court disaster casually in the records. However, if one did so in reality, they would end up paying a heavy price.


    One against seven sounded majestic, but seven against one, it was unlikely that the one would come out uninjured.


    ¡°Do you want me to give you a hand?¡±


    Ai Qing asked out of the blue as if she was trying to imply something. Huai Shi smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯d do it myself.¡±


    ¡°One has to live through the days themselves, right?¡±


    Huai Shi eventually propped his body up and leaned against the wall.


    Putting on the coat that was hanging in the corner, the suit that was untainted for years by even a speck of dust was now covered in bloodstains. Yet, it now looked as if it had returned to how it was in the past, gentle and unharmed.


    ¡°Should I get the driver to take you home?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just call a cab.¡± Huai Shi shook his phone and raised his eyebrows happily. ¡°I nabbed a taxi ticket on the road today, and it¡¯ll expire if I don¡¯t use it.¡±


    Ai Qing fell silent as she looked at him leaning against the wall, he was staggering a little.


    ¡°If one does not yearn for everyday life, there is no reason for one to be an Ascender¡­¡± She suddenly asked, ¡°Huai Shi, do you regret your choice?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Huai Shi grinned. ¡°I just haven¡¯t adapted to it for now.¡±


    Having said that, he beat his chest and gestured an all ¡®okay¡¯ sign.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small problem, just give me some time.¡±


    The teen smiled, nodded, said goodbye, and then pushed open the door. As if talking to himself, he whispered softly, ¡°Give me a little more time ¡­¡±


    Ai Qing watched as he went downstairs. She no longer tried to comfort or persuade him even though she had decided that she was too stupid to face everything by herself.


    It was not a big deal for her to continue digging deeper and stepping in when necessary. Not to mention, it might end up allowing her to buy the Astronomical Association a few more years of life. His self-esteem and Ai Qing¡¯s dedication could be satisfied at the same time.


    Double the satisfaction, double the happiness.


    It was the best of both worlds.


    It was only when she looked at a page of [The Collection of All Sins] and the marked-up reward in silence, did her eyes become somber.


    Two hundred thousand dollars?


    To a member of the Astronomical Association, it was too cheap, right?


    It was rare that she decided to fulfill her responsibilities as a supervisor. She closed the page, swiped with her finger, and then tapped on the uppermost complex sign that was composed of triangles and perfect circles¡ª¡ªMetatron Cube.


    The sales platforms from the border that had been established by the three major neutral giants appeared: Tomorrow News, Stone Cauldron Society, and Workshop Alliance. They corresponded to the core content of the three Ascenders; information intelligence, border technology, and weaponry.


    Very quickly, the page then changed to a page on Cavendish Lab, an alchemy workshop that featured high-end technology and border technology.


    Recalling Huai Shi¡¯s bounty in the account that had not been activated, her mood became unusually happy.


    Three million dollars.


    Was it enough to buy something luxurious?

 Chapter 42

    At seven in the morning, Huai Shi was awakened by his alarm clock.


    However, having gotten used to sleeping and waking up naturally, he did not respond and it was as if he was trapped in a trance. It was not until he remembered that it was the day he was going to start schooling did his mood suddenly became heavy.


    Going back into a cage, walking right into a trap¡­


    A series of adjectives appeared in his head. Compared to his heavy mood, the pain whereby he was chased and cut by someone the night prior was a fart¡­


    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t want to go to school,¡± he wailed weakly and got out of bed.


    The moment he turned his body, he felt his wound begin to itch alongside a dull pain that was the result of his muscles being strained.


    Thanks to his developmental period and Crow¡¯s medicine, the wounds he had suffered from the day before which would have taken an average person two or three weeks to heal, only took him a night to heal.


    Even his scars had begun to fade. Perhaps after a while, the scars would even disappear?


    Why not let himself recover for a few more days?


    Then, he would have an excuse to take the day off and not go to school in a bloody way. Despite how shameful it may be, it was hard to say if the principal would be shocked until the point he had a stroke.


    With a heavy heart, Huai Shi got up and went downstairs.


    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake?¡±


    In the restaurant, Crow was seen smiling like a good wife and mother as an apron hung in front of her body. ¡°Breakfast and lunch are ready for you.¡±


    Huai Shi looked at the test tubes on the table and could not help but roll his eyes.


    Whose meals even looked like that?


    ¡°Why is there an extra one today? It¡¯s different from the rest.¡±


    Huai Shi picked up one of the extra slender test tubes and shook the thick dark green liquid in it slightly.


    Then, with his greatly upgraded premonition that sensed danger, he felt through a slight chill that the liquid in the test tube was definitely not an oral solution. Not to mention, a normal person would most likely not be alive after drinking it.


    ¡°As they say, some eat feces as rice, urination as their side dish¡­ This is for your meal¡­¡±


    ¡°Please say something appetizing!¡±


    ¡°Well, put simply, it¡¯s made up of a few border substances and mineral toxins that were left in the original extraction¡­ Ah, rest assured, it has been diluted to a safe level that ordinary people will only end up paralyzed. If you drink it, it might dissolve a few muscles and cause some damage to your heart as well as brain blood vessels.¡±


    ¡°¡­I think the only reason I¡¯d ever drink it is because I¡¯ve lived for too long?¡±


    ¡°Without destruction, there cannot be construction. I found out yesterday that you suffered a severe beating¡­ Cough, after that exercise of yours and under subconscious stimulation, your development actually accelerated. It proves that at this stage, some stress and destruction will actually accelerate your rate of absorption¡­ After all, the essence of anaerobic exercise is to tear muscles and wait for them to grow back.¡±


    Having said that, Crow pointed at the measuring tape on the table. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can measure your own height.¡±


    A minute later, Huai Shi was looking at the scale on the ruler in amazement.


    One meter and eighty centimeters?


    The results of his last barefoot measurement was only one meter and seventy-seven centimeters. That is to say that within two days, he had grown three centimeters higher?


    ¡°Not only in height but also weight. Your body fat percentage and blood have changed, but there is no laboratory equipment so you can¡¯t see it yourself. After about two weeks, your height may become fixed. Then, a few small parts of your bones, nerves, organs, and muscles will be strengthened until they reach the theoretical limit of the average person.


    ¡°Based on the difference in ability, perhaps some aspects can be strengthened again. One scope is your two hands. The dexterity and sensitivity of your fingers will also improve.¡±


    After Crow had finished speaking, she covered the Book of Fate with her wings and threw potions all over it. ¡°However, before that, you still have to think about how to pay back the fee concerning next week¡¯s potion materials.¡±


    Huai Shi¡¯s expression froze.


    The mention of the heavy loan made him lose his smile.


    It would have been nice if he could just swipe a card¡­


    He sighed and pushed open the door. Crow waved at him from behind and said, ¡°Be careful on the road, remember to take the medicine, and get along well with your classmates~¡±


    ¡®God damn, get along?¡¯


    ¡°Are you my mom?¡±


    ¡°Aye, you¡¯re going to comply that easily?¡± Crow froze for a moment, she seemed shy. ¡°If you want, you can just call me Ma. Cut repeating it, it¡¯s a little embarrassing.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi almost stumbled while walking down the steps. He turned back and glared at her before he went on his way to school.


    .


    The good thing about being an art student was that there were basically no courses in the first half of the third year of high school. Nevertheless, everyone was paying close attention in class and giving it their best before the end of the year. After all, the college entrance examination not only determined the life of a student. On the other hand, the professional examinations and individual school recruitments came before that.


    Huai Shi only had to show up to class. Then, he could go to the music room, take it easy, and practice the cello. On occasional nights, he could also review his lessons on his own. He was practically free and not under any restraints.


    Other students would still go for intensive classes outside. However, for the miser Huai Shi, he could not think about forking out tens of thousands in cash for tuition fees for three months.


    He would do anything to save money!


    Moreover, since he had passed the eighth level of ABRSM, he only had to wait for one more month to go to Jinling for his junior college entrance examination. How could he just burn so much money?


    Throughout the past few years, his growth had been stunted. He had tried to be as timid as possible. However, he was not afraid of anything only when it came to the cello.


    Even though he had become an Ascender, he had not changed his mind about his dream of looking for a proper job that was centered around the cello.


    To dominate the world? To have a harem?


    Compared with such things, he only hoped that he would be able to get a place in the golden hall of Vienna in his lifetime.


    Thinking about it, he suddenly began having a few doubts as he tapped on the cello case behind him¡ªshould he cross out Crow¡¯s shopping list first and save some money to buy a cello instead?


    It did not have to be a master-crafted one worth hundreds of thousands or millions. Moreover, it was also good for him to say goodbye to labels for the meantime.


    His mind was in chaos when he heard the voices of two acquaintances coming from in front of him.


    ¡°Oh, dad, just drop me here. If the other students see me, they will make a joke out of it.¡±


    ¡°Why would a dad sending his own daughter to school be a joke?¡± the helpless voice of a middle-aged man was heard, ¡°Do you have enough pocket money? Dad has to work overtime these two days, so why don¡¯t I give you some more?¡±


    ¡°Mom has given me some. Anyway, there¡¯s nothing to spend on in school.¡±


    ¡°What she gave you is what she gave you, what I give you is mine, take it, take it¡­¡±


    It genuinely sounded like a scene filled with filial piety between a father and a daughter, all warm and comforting.


    However, the two people who were conversing sounded a bit off.


    Huai Shi could not help but take a step back. He subconsciously wanted to back away, turn around, distance himself, and then hide behind a telephone pole.


    Unfortunately, it was already too late for him to do so. The girl turned around and saw him. Her eyes were lit as she said, ¡°Eh? Huai Shi is here too? I called you several times a few days ago but you didn¡¯t answer¡­¡±


    Huai Shi stood in place and turned around stiffly.


    He then saw a girl dressed in a noticeable East Summer Special Needs School uniform. The uniform did not hide her beauty. However, beside her, Chief Fu of the special affairs office was seen with his eyes wide open.


    Huai Shi squeezed out a faint smile with some difficulty.


    ¡®Oh lord, both of you are family! No wonder¡­ Obviously, with the surname Fu, why didn¡¯t I think of it!¡¯


    ¡°Oh, long time no see class monitor and¡­¡±


    He smiled in embarrassment as he looked at Chief Fu behind Fu Yi.


    ¡°Uncle¡­ Fu?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The middle-aged man remained silent as he looked at Huai Shi, his calm expression a little frightening.


    ¡®Uncle Fu is not going to say anything.


    ¡®Uncle Fu does not want to bother about you.


    ¡®Uncle Fu is accumulating his anger.


    ¡®Uncle Fu wants to kill you¡­¡¯


    Fortunately, Uncle Fu finally calmed down, and his old face squeezed out a ¡°civil¡± smile. ¡°Xiaoyi, is he a student from your class?¡±


    ¡°Yup.¡±


    Fu Yi raised her hand brazenly and patted Huai Shi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Dad, this is the good buddy I told you about who taught me how to read music. He¡¯s really great with the cello, and he¡¯s also good at studying!¡±


    ¡°Is it?¡± Chief Fu smiled. ¡°Then, be friendly with each other.¡±


    He was obviously smiling. However, his eyes were reminiscent of the direct bus to Dongjiao Crematorium.


    Fu Yi was still telling her dear father good things about Huai Shi when the latter panda covered his face and wept to himself. He wanted to say, ¡°I am not, I never have been¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you two know each other?¡±


    Fu Yi seemed to have finally noticed something. She tilted her head and looked at them, her single ponytail swaying obliquely.


    Seeing Chief Fu¡¯s face that was indirectly telling him, ¡°If you dare say it, you will die¡±, Huai Shi whimpered for a long time before he said, ¡°Uh¡­ We¡¯ve met a few times, a few days ago.¡±


    ¡°Is that right?¡±


    Fu Yi did not have any doubts and instead believed it!


    Seeing how discerning he was, Chief Fu¡¯s face became a little more pleasant. He patted Huai Shi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Be good children and go to school, alright?¡±


    He especially emphasized the words related to them going to school.


    Huai Shi felt as if his shoulder blade had been cut off by the old bastard. Looking at the school gate in front of them, Chief Fu¡¯s footsteps halted and he smiled gently at his daughter. ¡°I¡¯ll just send you off here. Go quickly, I have to make a move first.¡±


    Seeing a few classmates waving at her in the distance, Fu Yi nodded, waved to her father, and then ran toward her classmates. She left a smiling Chief Fu who had sent his daughter off, as well as Huai Shi who was being held in place by an iron grip.


    Huai Shi cried silently as he looked at her move further and further away. He then looked back at the middle-aged man whose face was gradually becoming colder and colder. He could only squeeze out a soft smile and whisper softly, ¡°Uncle Fu, please be gentle, it hurts.¡±


    ¡®Uncle Fu¡¯ did not spit out any blood. He looked up from the hem of his coat and then showed him his holster. With that, Huai Shi shut his mouth and waited for his trial.


    After a long time, Uncle Fu took in a breath and asked, ¡°You know my daughter very well?¡±


    ¡°Not familiar! Not familiar at all!¡± Huai Shi¡¯s small head shook like a rattle-drum. ¡°I¡¯ve only met her a few times¡­¡±


    ¡°How many times is that? One or two?¡±


    Chief Fu was not going to allow himself to be pushed around. After so many years, what evil tricks had he not seen before? Young Ascenders like Huai Shi had originally been a factor of social instability. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, when their hormones began to surge, they were like wild dogs. It was hard to tell if they would one day start raping and looting.


    Especially with Huai Shi¡¯s record from the day before. How could he rest assured when his daughter was in a school filled with such dangerous elements. He had wanted to transfer her to another school after seeing Huai Shi¡¯s record.


    ¡°Boy, tell me honestly¨C¡± His hand was on the holster of his pistol, while his eyes were fixed on Huai Shi. ¡°What is your relationship with my daughter?¡±


    What other relationship?


    It was nothing but a transactional relationship!


    Your daughter can only play krypton gold, and it¡¯s up to me to get diamonds!


    What else could Huai Shi say? It could not be said that the two had a good relationship and had always been good friends. During the school¡¯s last literary show, the two of them had partnered up for the program.


    Not to mention, the outcome was pretty good at that time!


    Such a question could only prove that Uncle Fu was unqualified as a parent. He did not even watch his daughter¡¯s own program!


    Moreover, they were used to being alone in the piano room for several nights of self-study and for rehearsals¡­ If Huai Shi had other intentions in the first place, something would have already happened by then!


    However, if he was accused by Chief Fu¡¯s daughter, he would definitely be shot on the street?


    Thinking about it, Huai Shi could not help but say, ¡°Uncle, your daughter is really beautiful!¡±

 Chapter 43

    Sadly, Chief Fu was not able to shoot the bastard in the head as he wished to.


    In short, after interrogating him several times, he did not do anything more to Huai Shi out of respect for the Astronomical Society. However, he had warned him repeatedly before leaving, ¡°Remember, stay away from my daughter.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Huai Shi nodded with a stiff smile as he watched Chief Fu walk away.


    As soon as the back to school ceremony had ended, Huai Shi found himself being blocked by a girl at his classroom door. Pulling him aside, she reached for his phone that was in the pocket of his trousers. She said, ¡°Come on buddy, hurry up and give me a hand¡­ I¡¯m about to drop to bronze rank soon!¡±


    ¡°Miss Fu, please don¡¯t ¡ª¡ª¡±


    Huai Shi pushed her away gently as his face began to turn red. ¡°I¡¯ve changed for the better.¡±


    ¡°Relax, it¡¯s not prostitution if I don¡¯t pay.¡±


    No longer pretending to be as pure as when her father was around, she dropped her innocent little white rabbit act and kicked into gear. ¡°Help me get back to diamond rank and I¡¯ll take care of your attendance for these 2 weeks, what do you think? The Student Union has been pretty strict with attendance recently. You don¡¯t want to get reported, do you?¡±


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes at her.


    Although he was an art student, the school had certain requirements that had to be fulfilled during class periods. Without Fu Yi¡¯s help, Huai Shi would have trouble dealing with them.


    However, upon recalling Chief Fu¡¯s stern expression when he left, Huai Shi could not help but shrink once again.


    ¡®If your dad finds out that you¡¯ve been secretly playing an online game in the arts and sports room, and furthermore, realized that I was an accomplice, would he dispatch Ascender suppression troops to hunt me down straight away?


    ¡®Besides, which one of your fans don¡¯t know about your taste in men? The screen is always flooded with comments of people looking for volunteers to beat me up during my turn.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you know later. Remember, don¡¯t run¡­¡±


    Seeing that the class teacher was walking up the stairs and was about to start the meeting, Fu Yi hurried into the classroom. However, before that, she made a pleading gesture as her palms clasped in front of her and she winked at him while sticking her tongue out cheekily.


    They had never been courteous with each other in private before. However, she could still pull it off by acting cute.


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes. Instead of feeling touched, he had the urge to run away from her.


    Why would he not want to?


    If he did not run away any sooner, Chief Fu was going to catch him and haul him to the Eastern Crematorium!


    There was a chance he would get turned into an urn too!


    Therefore, Huai Shi only stayed throughout the first half of the class meeting. The second his class teacher got distracted, he took the opportunity to slip away.


    The moment he left the classroom, he could hear Class Monitor Fu¡¯s angry voice as the latter slammed her hand on a desk. ¡°Teacher, Huai Shi just slipped away!¡±


    ¡®Alright, such leaders the father and daughter duo are. I can¡¯t possibly afford to offend either one of you, not at all¡­¡¯


    With that, Huai Shi picked up his pace and ran away.


    .


    He always had the impression that the school was considerably kind toward the art stream students.


    Perhaps it had something to do with the low college entrance rate. However, aside from enrolling a large number of students who had failed their college entrance examinations, the school management gave plenty of benefits to art students. Hence, the students faced less stress in their college entrance examinations.


    As long as the number printed on the banner hanging at the entrance of the school after the annual college entrance examination was decent enough, the school management would not say much otherwise.


    Moreover, Huai Shi¡¯s behavior in school had always been just alright. He never caused any sort of trouble, and his cello results were more than acceptable. After his sincere promise to make up for his cultural classes with his next academic semester, the dean¡¯s office simply issued him a free pass whereby he obtained the privilege of an art stream student. With the pass, he was able to wander out during classes. Not to mention, it made it convenient for him to disappear from class on days he had class duties.


    In the shoes of the other senior year students who were completely stressed out from studying, they found it annoying always seeing him wandering around the school compound leisurely like a stray dog.


    Even Huai Shi himself had not expected that the process of obtaining a free pass was so easy.


    All the other students had to have their art or music studio teachers sign as their guarantors before they could get their free pass. Hence, why did the school management seem so eager to give him his?


    Never would he have expected a middle-aged man to be staring intently at a surveillance screen, eagerly waiting for him to leave the classroom and be as far away as possible from his precious daughter.


    A middle-aged man who was always ready with a troop of snipers was truly scary.


    Huai Shi who soon more or less understood the reason behind it shook his head with a sigh. He felt like his privacy was being violated. However, seeing a surveillance camera in the corner of a wall rotate 180 degrees, he was brought before the image of a group of intimidating men wielding an array of weapons¡­ Forget it¡­


    He would not lose anything from being watched anyway.


    After all, he could skip classes easily. Hence, he could pretty much just stay in the music studio all the time. Thanks to his outstanding cello examination results and various competition certificates, the school had also given him certain benefits.


    For example, they had opened up a separate practice room for him so he did not have to wait in line to get into the music studio like everyone else.


    After all, he was the only one who played the cello in the entire school.


    Huai Shi entered the room and proceeded to clean up the dust that had accumulated over the summer holiday. Then, he took out his cello and began to play it nonchalantly¡­


    Practicing the cello in the practice room?


    No way!


    He was conveniently right below the teacher¡¯s office, and it meant that the WiFi speed was completely unmatched. Watching videos would be a breeze because they would not lag at all compared to when he used the broadband Crow had found for him. Not only was the broadband¡¯s internet speed horrible, but he always got anxious using it.


    He habitually looked through the local news, reading articles like ¡°Business Booms As All-Bird-Meal Becomes Popular In New Ocean¡±, as well as unfortunate news such as the recent grave digging incidents.


    He closed them after looking at them for a few minutes.


    Meaning to kill time, he opened up Silent Crown on his client workstation. It had been a while since he last logged in, so he had to install the latest update. Right then, a window popped up.


    ¡°Limited Time Event: Dark World: The Lost Dragon City!


    ¡°As the result of an expedition carried out by a group of pioneers, the tip of a strange iceberg has been revealed in Yamatai, the mysterious kingdom hidden in the Dark World.


    ¡°What mysteries lie hidden in the nation that has long died over thousands of years ago, and what kind of treasure is buried in the relics entrenched by natural disasters?


    ¡°Heavens and Earth: Magical Freedom and Natural Disaster: The White Emperor (SSR) has entered the limited-time card pool¡­¡±


    Another sudden update then brought before him plots that were worth hundreds and thousands of words. In addition to that, three complementary card draws came with it. Various valuable weapons were also listed under the drop-down menu¡­ Was the production team crazy? Why were they being so kind?


    Unfortunately, it was a pity that the SSR drop rate of this game was too low. Hence, Huai was reluctant to pay to win. Up till then, more than 30 SSRs had been released by the official game, yet he only had one. It was when he obtained an African medal, and the officials sent him a clone of Yan Qingge that came with a cool title ¡ª¡ª¡±Self Perseverance: I Am All Things.¡± Sadly, he was only playing a support role.


    Still, there was no denying the fact that the female characters in the new update were extremely beautiful. Judging by the character sketches, they seemed to be dazed-looking sporty girls. Not to mention, the post itself had received plenty of likes. The more Huai Shi looked at them, the stronger his urge was to go pay to win.


    Filled with hope, he drew ten times consecutively and immediately saw white clouds in a blue sky¡­ D*mn it, he had just wasted a hundred stones which all went down the drain.


    However, before he could close the game, he heard a loud bang. The door was kicked open and a petite shadow entered the room before it sat comfortably on the small couch that was opposite Huai Shi.


    ¡°Quick, I¡¯ll bring up your points!¡±


    It was Fu Yi.


    The room had almost become her base. The small sofa she was sitting on had been moved there from the Student Union room. Not to mention, the extension cord that had several PSPs plugged in was convenient for charging at any time.


    If it was not because it was inconvenient, she would have even moved two of her monitors in.


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Are you skipping class again?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one skipping class. I¡¯m the secretary of the Student Union, so it doesn¡¯t count as skipping class.¡±


    Fu Yi narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m going to be stuck in the art studio from next week onwards for intensive sessions. It doesn¡¯t matter much if I start my leave from classes a few days earlier. Isn¡¯t it more worthwhile for us to start playing the game now than waste any more time?¡±


    As she spoke, she booted up the game and invited Huai Shi to her team before he could even reject her.


    Ever since games like PUBG had become less popular, the MOBA real-time strategy game released by Silent Crown caused a new wave of excitement in the online community.


    Fu Yi¡¯s skills were not exactly bad. After all, she was a quite popular part-time live streamer. Aside from her good looks, her skills were alright. However, she was often too ambitious and she liked showing off. Aside from that, she liked playing ADC even though she was bad at it. On the bright side, her mistakes and fooling around always added a flair of entertainment that attracted more viewers to her.


    As soon as she entered the game, she easily acquired a Divine Hand. It made her teammates immediately go crazy.


    Her acrobatic character was useful in late games, but her early games were a complete mess. There had been many occasions where players flamed the game developers because of the problem in the game hero¡¯s design. It made the game too easy, and one had to rely on luck to survive until they reached late game.


    ¡°Are you showing off now?¡±


    With a sigh, Huai Shi chose Moon as his backup. ¡°Alright, it can¡¯t be helped that Daddy loves you a lot.¡±


    As expected, they lost five times in a row.


    Not only did Fu Yi fall further below bronze rank, but she managed to pull down Huai Shi¡¯s rank as well. Huai Shi had fallen behind a lot because of his month¡¯s break. He could still maintain his rank in the past, but he had now been brought down together with her.


    After a few games, Huai Shi decisively rejected her invitation and switched off his phone.


    As if they had just done the deed, Fu Yi skilfully whipped out a box of cigarettes hidden in Huai Shi¡¯s cello case and took a cigarette out for herself. She lit it and then passed another one to Huai Shi.


    The way she smoked with her legs crossed made her seem extremely tyrannical, nothing like the innocent bunny she was in the morning when she was on her way to school. If Chief Fu found out, there was a chance he would shoot Huai Shi on the spot.


    Sadly, only heaven knew that Huai Shi picked up smoking from Fu Yi.


    What could the experienced girl possibly not know?


    Huai Shi hesitated to speak up for a long while before he finally dismissed himself with a weak wave of his hand. He looked sadly through the window and at the bright sun shining outside. It was as if he was a mistress who had just been abandoned.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not see each other anymore.¡±


    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡±


    Fu Yi chuckled at his miserable tone.


    ¡°Are you scared that he might break your legs?¡±


    Huai Shi froze.


    ¡°Has he done that before?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    With the cigarette still in her mouth, Fu Yi stretched her arms behind her head to tie her hair up into a ponytail. ¡°The last time he found a love letter in my bag, he broke the legs of the lad who confessed to me.


    I¡¯ve never been able to experience how it feels like to be chased after by a guy. The guys in my class don¡¯t even dare to speak to me.¡±


    Huai Shi continued to stare at her in disbelief.


    Fu Yi shrugged casually and continued, ¡°My mom divorced him after that. Domestic violence. I chose my mom so he can¡¯t control me anymore.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi was stunned for a long time before he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He then heaved out a heavy sigh.


    Sure enough, curiosity did kill the cat.


    Huai Shi had never been interested in others¡¯ business before. Now, the very first time he was curious, he ended up stepping on a landmine.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Although Fu Yi did not elaborate on it anymore, she waved a hand at him casually and said, ¡°I only told you because you were the one who asked.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯m unlucky then.¡±


    Huai Shi shook his head and motioned with his finger as he leaned closer to her. Fu Yi rolled her eyes at him before she ignited the lighter with a click.


    The flame that had been tuned to maximum almost lit Huai Shi¡¯s hair on fire.


    Upon seeing Huai Shi¡¯s panicked reaction, Fu Yi slapped her knee proudly as she let out a laugh.


    It was at times like this when nobody else was around, that she would show her other side and not her usual prim and proper manner. Otherwise, she was always serious and well-behaved. Most of all, she made it a point to stay far away from boys and harmful objects.


    She was just like any other good daughter in the mind of any parent; the Student Union secretary that every teacher adored, and the class monitor that every student knew.


    Oh well, every family had a skeleton hidden in their cupboard.


    With a sigh, Huai Shi ruffled his scorched hair and said nothing more.


    If there was a need for respect between the two of them, there was no better way other than keeping a distance from each other. Life was already terrible as it was so there was no need for one to be judgemental nor comment on another¡¯s life.


    Among their many classmates, if Fu Yi wanted to make friends, there were many other people that were better than himself. Their sort of unsound friendship was only able to exist and last until this day because they understood a mutual unsaid agreement whereby they maintained their distance between each other.


    Among their many classmates, she was the only one Huai Shi had never envied.


    He had said so during their school anniversary rehearsal when she was smoking in front of him.


    ¡°I realized that you¡¯re good to everyone and you can talk to anyone, but I don¡¯t think you enjoy socializing. I think you don¡¯t like anyone at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m just the same,¡± she said.


    Therefore, it was nice for both of them to be together in a corner.


    It was well known that birds of a feather flocked together, just like how people who were sick to a certain extent appeared on online platforms to seek comfort as well as join some club for sick patients.


    Huai Shi could not possibly drive her out just because she had a powerful father.

 Chapter 44

    Fu Yi obviously understood the nature of her father¡¯s work. She looked at Huai Shi with a strange expression and asked, ¡°Did you get caught for something last summer?¡±


    ¡°Eh¡­¡±


    Not knowing what to say, Huai Shi merely nodded.


    Fu Yi did not question further. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be afraid of him. He¡¯s just used to being crude, and he doesn¡¯t know how to be a little more¡­ Tactful.


    ¡°I think most people who¡¯ve been on the battlefield are like that though. No matter how good their intentions are, they¡¯re not the most welcoming.¡±


    After a while, Fu Yi received a text notification from the Student Union regarding a meeting. She immediately returned to her ladylike persona before leaving the room.


    On the other hand, Huai Shi remained in the practice room right until his self-study period at night.


    According to Crow¡¯s orders, he was to take his medicine. Hence, he did so and practiced his cello for a few hours before finally finishing the day with a meditation session.


    He could feel the elementium in his body fluctuating as it grew stronger and stronger along with his body. It seemed as if it was going to reach its peak soon.


    Once his body¡¯s developmental period was over, he could begin preparing his stigma. Crow had told him that she would help him choose the perfect pedigree and type for him.


    It was going to require a lot of money again¡­


    Huai Shi¡¯s head began to hurt at the thought of it. However, he had gotten used to his strenuous daily routine.


    Practice the cello, mess around with classmates, procrastinate, cope with the inspections carried out by the teachers, make mistakes and get lectured, meditate, post memes, draw cards in his game to get free items, do his homework, prepare for his examinations, take some time off to complete tasks given by the Astronomical Association, read up the records of the Book of Destiny, prepare for his college entrance examinations¡­


    If he had to list down everything he had to do, he would lose his mind.


    Although he was unhappy about many of the things he had to do, some of which he felt were not even important, the precious life he was now living was the result of all his hard work.


    So regardless of how tough it was, he would without a doubt gladly endure the hardship.


    After his daily meditation session, he fled before his self-study period.


    What a joke! He had obtained a free-pass, so why should he stay in school until nine o¡¯clock each day? He would be risking missing the last bus. In that case, he would have to try to find a ride back.


    He was a man who could finally afford a monthly bus ticket now!


    With his cello case in hand, Huai Shi hummed along as he deliberately passed by the classroom block. Then, under the envious eyes of his classmates, he sauntered out of the school gate.


    However, he was stopped outside the guardhouse.


    ¡°Huai Shi, is it?¡±


    The security guard who was playing with his phone recognized Huai Shi and pointed at the guardhouse. ¡°There¡¯s a package for you¡­ This is the only time I¡¯ll sign it for you, alright? This isn¡¯t a pickup point, so if this happens again, I¡¯ll inform your class teacher straight away to come and pick it up for you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Stunned, Huai Shi¡¯s shifted his gaze toward the direction the security guard was pointing in. His eyes eventual settled on a parcel that had been left in a corner on the floor.


    He did not know why.


    However, the parcel made every single strand of his hair stand on end.


    A cold chill made its way up from the bottom of his heels, tapdanced on his shoulders, crawled up the back of his head, and finally used his eyebrows as a stepstool to leap onto the top of his head. It then seemed to tug on his hair as it gave out a malicious laugh. Huai Shi felt as if his ear was being blown into with a gust of cold wind.


    Taken aback, he could not help but stumble.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The security guard glanced at him and shook his head. ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Huai Shi reached out and grabbed the security guard¡¯s arm. The security guard froze for a moment. He looked back in shock as he stood still on the ground. How could the brat grab his arm like that!


    ¡°Sorry, I can do it myself.¡±


    Huai Shi pulled him back to his original spot impolitely. Then, he placed his cello case on the floor before entering the room to inspect the parcel that had his name written on it.


    Despite there being some noise coming from a television, he could vaguely make out a ticking sound coming from the parcel.


    It was crisp and clear.


    Huai Shi remained crouched on the ground as he fell silent and began to ponder. It was not until the security guard nagged at him a couple of times that he slowly got up again. He was then almost thrown out of the room by him. Nevertheless, ignoring whatever the guard was saying, he pulled out his phone and dialed Chief Fu¡¯s number right away.


    ¡°Hello? It¡¯s me, Huai Shi,¡± Huai Shi said as he looked up at the surveillance camera outside the guardhouse. ¡°Chief Fu, can you see me now?¡±


    ¡®You brat! What do you think?¡¯ The middle-aged man thought as he tried to suppress the anger inside of him. ¡°I¡¯m the Chief of the Special Affairs Bureau, for goodness sake! Do you think I¡¯d have the time to idle around all day long and watch you through surveillance cameras?¡±


    ¡°Forget it.¡± Huai Shi sighed. ¡°Please bring a few of your men and drop by the school. I think it¡¯d better if you bring a bomb disposal technician though¡­ The school is about to explode, literally.¡±


    ¡°What? What did you just say? Is this some kind of joke?¡±


    Chief Fu was utterly shocked by Huai Shi¡¯s sudden message, and he immediately threw him several questions at a time.


    When Chief Fu finally regained his composure, Huai Shi heard a bunch of hurried sentences from the other end of the phone. ¡°10 minutes! Wait for me! Just wait there on the spot and don¡¯t move at all!¡±


    With that, Chief Fu hung up the phone.


    Then, Huai Shi called Ai Qing. After reporting to her his current situation, he pulled the security guard along with him and waited at a spot that was approximately a few meters away from the guardhouse.


    Without a doubt, the security guard was not exactly that cooperative. As a result, the two of them ended up attracting the attention of many, including security guards who were patrolling the surroundings and teachers who were on their way to class.


    After a short while, the clamor came to an abrupt halt as several big, black cars stopped outside the school gate.


    A troop of men armed with guns emerged from the cars, and they were quickly followed by Chief Fu who was wearing a bulletproof vest. Chief Fu made his way directly to Huai Shi.


    ¡°Where is it?¡±


    Huai Shi pointed at the guardhouse. Without another word, Chief Fu made a gesture to his men. Then, two bulky figures equipped with bomb-proof suits got out of a car and rushed into the guardhouse.


    Within seconds, what seemed to be bad news came from the walkie-talkie.


    Chief Fu¡¯s expression darkened as he sent a fierce glare in Huai Shi¡¯s direction. At the same time, he signaled everyone to back away slightly.


    Not long after, the two technicians came out with their helmets removed. Their messy hair was stuck to their foreheads as sweat dripped from their chins.


    ¡°It¡¯s settled.¡±


    Both technicians gave each other a hand in removing their heavy protective gear before they showed Chief Fu what was inside the parcel. The parcel that had been cut open contained what seemed like a few dense cables that had been bound together with circuit boards. The timer on it had been stopped at half an hour left.


    ¡°It looks normal.¡±


    From the corner of his eyes, Chief Fu noticed that a hand had reached into the box for the bomb, and the person was holding or even weighing it with their palm. His breath stopped and his heart began to pound as he stared at the bomb anxiously.


    It was Ai Qing.


    She was seated in her wheelchair, and the hazardous item that still had a chance of blowing her up in a few seconds was in her hands. ¡°What type is it?¡±


    ¡°There are two types involved here. It¡¯s a mixture of both a timer and a contact trigger. Hence, it¡¯s supposed to explode when a person opens the parcel or when its timer runs out. Gunpowder was used as the explosive, so the amount of impact it has should be relatively low. At most, it would¡¯ve just blown up the guardhouse.¡±


    The technician let out a sigh of relief as he sat on the ground and lit a cigarette. ¡°However, if it were opened in a classroom, the consequences would be worrying.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Chief Fu had his arms crossed behind his back. Although he was silent, one could see that his veins were popping out of his arms.


    ¡°This incident is a vicious threat to public safety.¡± Ai Qing furrowed her eyebrows warily. ¡°Do we know who sent it?¡±


    Right away, the security guard pulled out the surveillance footage and played it on the screen. The footage showed the person who had delivered the package.


    The man in the video had a stoopy figure, and he was wearing a cap along with an old Northern Express uniform. However judging by how he staggered and limped as he walked, he did not seem like a regular delivery man.


    From the moment he stepped into view, he kept his face well hidden under his cap. After he had passed the parcel to the security guard at the guardhouse, he got on his bike and rode away.


    However, right before he left, he glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner. A challenging look was seen within his eyes.


    At that moment, his distorted face that was covered with burn scars was revealed to the camera.


    There was not a single trace of gentleness or amiableness on his face.


    However, he had a wide grin plastered on his face.


    It was as if he was smiling viciously at everyone present.


    There was no need for them to dig through their memories. Everyone who was present at the scene of the incident half a month ago recognized his face easily.


    He was once the nominal leader of the Saviour¡¯s Association¡­


    ¡°Wang Hai?!¡±


    Chief Fu¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°He¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°From the looks of it, yes, he¡¯s indeed still alive.¡± Ai Qing gave wide grin showed on the screen a steely look. ¡°Alive and breathing, he¡¯s challenging us too.¡±


    Just like that, the brief discussion ended.


    There was no doubt that it was a challenge toward the Special Affairs Bureau and the Astronomical Association. Not to mention, the survivor of the Saviour¡¯s Association was as bold as brass as he dared to attempt an attack so brazenly in New Ocean. It was the equivalent of dancing to Shin Takarajima in front of Trench Prison, an action whereby one was completely ignorant of death. (TN: Shin Takarajima is a song by Japanese band Sakanaction. The song went viral when a group of men posted a video of them dancing along to it while being shirtless.)


    Considering the circumstances, they had no other options except to kill that son of a b*tch.


    From that very moment, the Special Affairs Bureau began their operation. Then, soon enough, every inch of New Ocean was being searched for any trace of Wang Hai. At any time someone found information as to where he was, a group of impatient men armed with heavy machinery would rush the said location gladly to teach him a lesson.


    From the very beginning, Huai Shi had a calm expression on his face as he sat on the steps, seemingly deep in thought.


    He did not say anything.


    He merely remained silent.


    He stared into space for what seemed like a long time before he finally regained his composure. Huai Shi turned to Ai Qing who was beside him and asked, ¡°Are they done yet?¡±


    ¡°I think they just started.¡±


    Ai Qing shrugged as she continued, ¡°Don¡¯t stress over it. Someone from the Special Affairs Bureau will send you back first in a bit. Rest well tonight and don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you know right away if we find out anything at all.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Huai Shi nodded. Without saying anything else, he took a few steps forward before suddenly remembering something. ¡°By the way, could you help me with the leave of absence procedure?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Ai Qing froze for a moment before she met his eyes. She kept her gaze on him for a long time before she finally looked away. She then sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    Huai Shi gave her a smile out of gratitude as he picked up his cello case. He turned around and glanced at the school that was calm and peaceful one last time. Eventually, his eyes settled on the dimly lit practice room.


    It was as if he could see Fu Yi¡¯s figure standing by the window, staring at himself from afar. Hence, he waved to her.


    It was a wave that meant ¡®goodbye¡¯.


    He stayed put for a very long time before he finally withdrew his gaze and turned away.


    .


    .


    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±


    A screeching sound was heard as Huai Shi loosened the gate bolt and pushed the gate of the Chalcedony Museum open. Although nobody was waiting for him in the courtyard, he still called out as if he had just reached home.


    Nevertheless, the iron gate behind him closed itself slowly, as if responding to his call.


    As soon as he stepped inside, he saw Crow perching beside a boiling crucible. The crucible was placed on the table in the hall, and Crow was flapping her wings at him.


    ¡°Hey, Dalang, it¡¯s time to take your medicine.¡± (TN: The author is referencing a scene from the classical Chinese novel Water Margin. In the scene, Dalang was poisoned by his wife after he had caught her committing adultery with another man.)


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I already take it this morning?¡± Huai Shi asked as he walked over to the table where he then picked up a test tube and drank its contents.


    ¡°Think of like it was a snack. It conveniently regulates your medicine prescription.¡±


    Upon finishing her explanation, Crow fell into silence. Then, she tilted her head curiously and looked at Huai Shi intently as if she had just discovered something interesting.


    ¡°What?¡± Huai Shi was puzzled.


    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just thinking to myself. If it were a normal day, you would¡¯ve responded to my statement a little better. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Crow asked, ¡°Huai Shi, did something happen?¡±


    Huai Shi fell silent.


    After a long pause, he nodded slowly before turning around. He then headed upstairs to his bedroom.


    ¡°Nothing happened,¡± he muttered with his back facing Crow, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep now, goodnight.¡±


    With that, he closed the door behind him, shrugged off his coat, and then slipped out of his shoes.


    Laying on his bed, Huai Shi stared blankly at the cracks in the ceiling for an extremely long time. Then, all of a sudden, he turned around and buried his face in his pillow angrily.


    ¡°D*mn it, I¡¯m so weak¡­¡±


    .


    Perched on a branch outside the window, Crow who saw everything stayed still as she did not bother to offer him any form of comfort.


    ¡°Seems like he has suffered a terrible loss.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°We need to get back on track with collecting materials for his stigma¡­¡±


    Deep in thought about upcoming plans and preparations that had to be done, Crow returned to the table in the hall and began writing down everything that came to mind.


    Then, came a long night.


    Huai Shi¡¯s new school semester, the peaceful life he had yearned for, had come to an abrupt end just like that.


    His holiday had started.

 Chapter 45

    For the first time in a while, Huai Shi dreamt while sleeping.


    In his dream, his lifelong dream had been achieved as he walked into the majestic Golden Hall in Vienna. He was greeted by the enthusiastic applause of the audience.


    The host trembled in excitement as he spoke, almost tearing up even. Everyone in the audience was staring at him in awe, he was the greatest musician of the century.


    Huai Shi who was standing onstage looked back at them proudly. Then, with a slight nod, he raised his palm, signaling the crowd to be quiet.


    Within seconds, the hall fell silent.


    Everyone held their breaths as they fought back their tears. The girls in the audience all stared at him in anticipation and with a hint of passion. It was as if they were yearning for him to be the father of their children.


    Huai Shi cast a cool look over the audience as he flashed them a mischievous smirk. He then pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his hands before discarding it aside. Finally, he picked up his cello. After a deep breath¡­


    He began to play ¡®The Little Widow Visiting The Grave¡¯, a melody that was as sorrowful as a weeping voice.


    Right before the enraged audience could get their hands on him, he woke up from his dream in shock.


    Laying in bed, Huai Shi was panting heavily. He had mixed feelings, and he was unsure if the dream he had was a complete nightmare or if it was actually a good dream.


    Thus, Huai Shi began running through his dream once again to analyze it.


    Why did he play such a shabby piece when he was at the Golden Hall?


    Moreover, what was with that smirk?


    He continued laying in bed and did not stop staring blankly at the ceiling for a long time. By the time he finally rolled out of bed, he looked outside his window and saw that the sun was shining brightly. He drank his usual tube of medicine and then headed to the garden to loiter around.


    After a while, he realized that staying in such a dazed state was not a good idea. Thinking that he should take advantage of his free time since he was on holiday, he got changed and brought out a bucket, a mop, and a rag. It was time for a spring cleaning.


    Of course, although he called it spring cleaning, it was nothing other than him carrying out his usual chores.


    The Chalcedony Museum was extremely huge. Aside from the two wings that had not been occupied for a long time, the four floors of the main building themselves would take him a whole month to clean.


    All he did was clean the gate, the courtyard, the hall, a few rooms he often used, and weeded the garden. Lastly, as the finishing touch, he brought out a bucket of water to the front of the gate and wiped the dusty Chalcedony Museum sign. He also polished it until it shone brightly.


    Around noon, tables, chairs, and a few glass products arrived.


    However, the delivery man was unwilling to send the items in no matter what. After hastily dropping everything in front of the gate, Huai Shi ran even faster than a stray dog. Nevertheless, he was so agitated that he left several angry comments on the online shop¡¯s page. To his surprise, the furniture shop refunded him the three hundred Yuan shipping fee without another word.


    He could only conclude that people would do anything just to be lazy.


    After Huai Shi had put away everything and replaced the broken window glass, the building seemed slightly livelier.


    At the very least, it did not look like a legendary haunted house anymore.


    Huai Shi gladly took a short break to catch his breath before he continued with his chores; he heaved a broom and mopped his way to the fourth floor. Then, he set off to clean the master bedroom. He swept the room, made sure he got rid of all the dust, opened the windows to ventilate the room, and then aired the clean bedsheets out to dry them.


    ¡°The room on the fourth floor isn¡¯t too bad, the bed isn¡¯t too small either.¡±


    Crow who was watching him from afar joined him in the room. She landed on the cupboard and looked around the room which had a sort of refined elegance and warmth to it. ¡°Why are you always on the third floor? In case you haven¡¯t noticed, this bed is almost falling apart.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After a moment of silence, Huai Shi replied softly, ¡°This used to be my parent¡¯s bedroom.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Crow was unsure of how to respond to him. ¡°Do you think they¡¯ll ever come back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe not. They¡¯re probably somewhere abroad. Who knows? They might even have new kids now.¡±


    Huai Shi sat down and scratched the back of his head. After a long pause, he sighed helplessly. ¡°But what if? What if they come back one day and they don¡¯t even have a place to stay?¡±


    ¡°Huai Shi, have you ever thought of the possibility?¡±


    Crow looked at him with pity. ¡°Perhaps your parents have already¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Huai Shi stared at Crow, confused.


    ¡°No, nothing.¡±


    Crow gave him an exasperated glare for a while. Then, without saying any more, she flapped her wings and flew away.


    Huai Shi simply shrugged and continued cleaning the room. When he had finally finished packing up, he closed the door and headed back downstairs.


    He returned to the living room and plopped down on the sofa with his phone. He stayed there throughout the entire afternoon playing mobile games, watching short videos, and chatting with other online netizens. However, when he finally lowered his head¡­ He felt that his jaw seemed chubbier than usual.


    ¡°Oh my.¡±


    Huai Shi jumped up from the sofa in fright as he checked out his body. Certain body parts of his indeed felt chubbier to him. Was it possible that he had grown fatter?


    ¡°The medicine itself is a high-calorie compound. Its purpose is to allow whoever consumes it to easily absorb more calories. In other words¡­ Grow fatter.¡±


    Crow remained calm as she continued explaining, ¡°You¡¯re always lying around all day, so shouldn¡¯t it be normal that you¡¯ve gotten fatter? Listen to me, you need to go out for a walk.¡±


    ¡°What if I get beaten up by someone?¡±


    Huai Shi¡¯s eyes widened as he added on quickly, ¡°I received a bomb in my school! What if a car full of RPGs is waiting for me on the streets?¡±


    ¡°Seems like you¡¯re being targeted.¡± Crow chuckled. ¡°What are you going to do? Are you going to run away? There¡¯s bound to be a way to transfer schools, right?¡±


    ¡°Why on earth would I do that?¡±


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes furiously at her. ¡°It¡¯s my school we¡¯re talking about, so why should I be the one who leaves?¡±


    ¡°Alright then, do you have a plan?¡±


    She tilted her head and looked at Huai Shi¡¯s face curiously. ¡°Have you suddenly realized something and have come to some sort of resolution? Why not we get a sniper rifle ready and when nighttime comes, we can set off to higher ground so we¡¯ll be ready to shoot?¡±


    ¡°Can we do that?¡± Huai Shi¡¯s eyes widened at her suggestion.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Crow said with a nod, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t seem like you had a mysterious uncle who left you with such an order before he died.¡±


    ¡°Stop reading Qidian web novels! They¡¯re all fake!¡±


    Huai Shi rolled his eyes at her, finally understanding what she meant. ¡°The author doesn¡¯t want to write any longer either. He even had the nerve to say that it¡¯s going to end in different ways, hehe. The author blatantly lives off Weibo, and the things he writes are very pretentious! He¡¯s obviously not a decent guy!¡±


    After ranting about the author, Huai Shi propped himself up and took a deep breath. Finally regaining his spirit, he decided to cooperate with Crow¡¯s daily physical examination.


    ¡°It looks like the border substances are certainly stimulating your growth rate.¡±


    Crow nodded in satisfaction. ¡°If this continues as planned, it is possible that your puberty will be shorted by at least half its duration. Most of all, if we can adjust your physical attributes from now on even slightly, your pairing rate with your stigma will be a lot faster when the time comes.


    Also, in order to avoid any accidents, I have to ask you this question once again ¡ª¡ª Does your family have any history of genetic diseases?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Huai Shi replied as he shook his head, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Very good, an Ascender¡¯s puberty is always subconsciously adjusted according to the ¡®original prototype¡¯ of the White Silver Sea. Therefore, if the Ascender himself has any latent disease or genetic disease, it¡¯ll end up being quite hard to deal with in the future.


    From today onward, I will only read your medicine. Bear in mind that it may cause your body to experience certain effects. If you encounter any signs like high fever, dizziness, or anxiousness, you must let me know as soon as possible.¡±


    Crow explained casually before passing him a test tube filled with medicine. The medicine seemed more saturated than usual. Usually, it was what seemed to be a shade of light green. However, this time, it was a shade darker than usual and it was as if it was being covered by a shadow.


    After a moment of hesitation, Huai Shi drank the medicine.


    He had hopped on the ship far too long ago, it was too late for him to turn back.


    ¡°Alright, Huai Shi, very good. You¡¯ll have a bright future¡­ I think.¡±


    Crow nodded in satisfaction and happily pulled out the Book of Destiny. ¡°Next, do you want to carry out an exciting after-meal activity?¡±


    Huai Shi cast her an annoyed look and sighed. He slumped back down into his seat and closed his eyes. ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t go soft on me just because I¡¯m a delicate flower¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡±


    A mysterious smile broke across Crow¡¯s face. ¡°I love bold ones like you. Taking into account that you behaved well today, let me satisfy your appetite now.¡±


    With that, she imposed the Deceptive Split.


    Huai Shi¡¯s vision turned black instantly.


    ¡°Kill all of them and make sure none of them are left.¡±


    Right off the bat, Huai Shi heard the instructor¡¯s voice from the headset, and he could feel the heavy weapon in his hands. He could vaguely feel yellow sand along with wind being blown into his face as well.


    Outside the open car window was an endless scene of dry land. On the other hand, the car radio was playing a song while dust from the air was being constantly blown into the vehicle.


    It was almost suffocating.


    However, nobody was coughing in the car and it was as silent as a cemetery.


    Huai Shi felt as if he was playing a VR game similar to the ones live streamers often played. Evidently, there were not games anyone could simply afford.


    It was a fragment of Red Glove¡¯s memory, a part that had been specifically selected from the broken records. It was nothing more than a memory of his past, and Huai Shi was just a bystander that had been placed in the protagonist¡¯s shoes. It was just like an RPG game.


    He noticed more than a dozen people wearing unmarked uniforms, the same one he had on. The people were sitting on both sides of the compartment, and each of them was staring into space in a robotic manner. Their faces remained expressionless even though the wind was blowing against them.


    Nevertheless, Huai Shi could still hear the instructor¡¯s commands through his headset.


    ¡°We¡¯ll begin the operation in 10 minutes. Both team A and team B will close in simultaneously from both sides so we won¡¯t end up missing any of our targets. Am I clear?¡±


    Shortly after, the soldiers in the car responded to the command.


    The car stopped at the end of the road and a village could be made out in the distance.


    After having gone through a lot of simulation training, Huai Shi was able to keep up with their pace and distinguish hand signals and commands his comrades exchanged with each other.


    The group of guys evaluated things too harshly. If they found out how poor his grades were, even if he passed the exam, they would still deem him unqualified and discard him.


    Huai Shi wondered where on earth did Red Glove enlist in the army¡­


    Looking at his surroundings, they seemed to be on high ground and in an empty area. Judging by the vague outlines of the buildings, Huai Shi was able to distinguish the customs of the desert country. In addition to the remains of an oil well that had been left on the road, Huai Shi figured that they were in a Southeastern region or perhaps in Southwest Asia. They were probably in a small desert area somewhere between Rome and the Russian Federation.


    Due to the region¡¯s excessive oil resources, a war had broken out. Due to the face that there were over ten big and small kingdoms constantly at war with each other. Not to mention, they were under each other¡¯s perpetual interference, there was no sign that the war would stop until that very day.


    The mission¡¯s target had to be the Russian Federation¡¯s stronghold, right?


    Rome and the Russian Federation had seen eye to eye for more than a year or two by that time. It was an exaggeration to say that both nations were absolutely irreconcilable and that they were tangled in a blood feud. However, if given the chance to cause damage to the other side, neither side would go soft on the other.


    It seemed like the task would be similar to that of a shooting game like Call of Duty.


    He had already cleared that game many times, so what was there for him to be afraid of!


    Huai Shi loosened up slightly as he continued following the large troop of soldiers. They ended up laying down in a well-camoflagued place as they awaited further orders.


    Soon, gunshots were heard from the village not too far away ¡ª¡ª team A had already begun exchanging fire with the enemy. It did not take long for the instructor to give them a command, ¡°Team B, attack.¡±


    Without having the need to shout out any commands, the soldiers who had been hiding in wait for so long crawled forward in groups of threes and twos. Each of them then made their way toward the village.


    Mixed among the others, Huai Shi deliberately lagged behind. He had intended for his comrades to block any bullets aimed at him. However, the expected rain of bullets never came. Even the sound of occasional counter gunshots was rare.


    They seemed to be ones with the winning hand.


    He relaxed right away.


    He only followed tightly behind the team and simply shot one or two gunshots occasionally. Just like that, he managed to get into the village with the others. Then, under an order, he kicked down the broken door of a yard and aimed his gun.


    He froze in place after doing so.


    Where was the enemy?

 Chapter 46

    Just as he kicked open the gate, he saw dried-up tobacco leaves carelessly piled together in the courtyard. In addition to that, tools were strewn all over the place. Then, dust flew everywhere and yellow coloured dirt covered everything.


    However, Huai Shi did not see any enemies.


    He only saw a skinny woman making a great effort to hide two little girls behind her back. Her eyes widened as she stared blankly at him.


    Her eyes were full of horror.


    ¡°Ex¨C excuse me¡­¡± He swallowed. ¡°Wrong place.¡±


    Just as he was about to turn around, he was kicked down by his comrade that was next to him. Immediately after, he heard the roar of an assault rifle, the sound of consecutive shots being fire, and faint screams.


    Not to mention, as well as the sound of blood being spilled.


    He did not have time to look back.


    Someone seemed to be shouting something in the distance. Then, something was seen soaring through the air before an explosion followed.


    After that, there was no sound at all.


    Everything fell dead-silent.


    Only a sharp buzzing sound could be heard within his ears.


    An RPG had come from nowhere and turned everything into a wasteland(TN: RPG here refers to a rocket-propelled grenade).


    Huai Shi, sprawled on the ground, subconsciously crawled forward. All of a sudden, someone pulled him up and yelled in his ears. However, he could not hear clearly, so he only pulled the trigger in front of him wildly in the direction the team leaders were pointing in.


    There was no response even after his magazine had been emptied.


    Then, he saw corpse after corpse after corpse after corpse after corpse¡­


    Women, children, elderly people, and even more children, tall and short, plump and thin¡­ Some whole, some broken.


    The entire thing was happening too fast. Too fast that he could not react.


    He could not find the enemies the instructor had told him about until before the battle seemed to be over. Right after the battle, he was dragged to the plaza by his enraged comrades and beaten up.


    While his head was still dizzy and he was in a trance, the instructor came forward to him. The middle-aged man had a mustache, and he lowered his head to look at Huai Shi. After a long while, the man gestured with his hand behind him.


    Somebody then brought two struggling enemies forward.


    Right after, Huai Shi was helped off the ground by the instructor who gently patted off the dirt on his body. Next, the instructor put his own gun in Huai Shi¡¯s hand and said something as he pointed at the screaming children on the ground.


    Huai Shi could not hear clearly and looked around in a dazed state. Nevertheless, all he saw was the calm expressions on his comrades¡¯ faces.


    He then saw that the corpses that had been strewn all over the place had been dragged to the plaza and stacked into a mountain.


    The blood of the corpses flowed out from a single area, forming a river.


    The instructor said something, but Huai Shi still could not hear clearly. Thus, his comrade slowly lifted their guns and took aim at him. He froze.


    The instructor said something to him again one last time.


    This time, Huai Shi was finally able to hear what the instructor was saying. What the instructor had said was, ¡°Fire.¡±


    Subconsciously, Huai Shi pulled the trigger at the two enemies.


    Once, twice, thrice, four times¡­


    Very quickly, the gun¡¯s magazine was emptied, and the two enemies on the ground had become rotten flesh that no longer moved. Only blood began to ooze out and flow nonstop from their bullet wounds, painting the yellow ground black.


    At that moment, Huai Shi finally saw his own face being reflected by the corpses.


    Through the lifeless eyes of the two little girls he had just killed.


    .


    In the room, Huai Shi opened his eyes.


    He began to spasm violently. He bellowed something at Crow and then started vomiting.


    Bending his waist, he fell to the ground and puked until his tears nearly began to fall.


    First, he felt horror, then sorrow, at last, regret. At the end of it all, he was only left with rage and disgust¡ªa deep rage and disgust at himself.


    He had actually fired¡­


    At two little girls who had no ability to resist¡­


    ¡°Motherf*cker¡­¡±


    He wearily covered his face, unable to repress the urge to cry. ¡°Motherf*cker¡­.¡±


    Even when he burned Red Glove to death, he did not feel a thing. However, through this nihilistic record, he suddenly understood the grave horrors of death; he was greatly against the act of murder.


    There were no enemies there at all, only the elderly who had lost their sons in the war, women who had lost their husbands, and kids who had lost their fathers¡­


    It was a meaningless massacre.


    He had actually fired.


    He knew that it was just a record. Even if he had been killed, there would not have been any consequences, yet he actually fired¡­ at two little kids who could not at all be considered enemies even in the slightest bit.


    Because of horror, fear, confusion, or¡­ weakness.


    What had Red Glove done in his past, that bastard!


    And what did he do?


    ¡°Seems like I was too hasty in pursuing success and chose an actual combat course that wasn¡¯t quite suitable for you.¡± Crow looked at him remorsefully. ¡°This was my fault, not an issue with you. Just rest tonight. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll readjust it¡­¡±


    ¡°No, just give me a few minutes¡ª¡±


    Huai Shi cut her off. ¡°Just a few minutes are enough.¡±


    Silence fell.


    After a short while, Huai Shi finally calmed down. He got up and then made a trip to the bathroom where he wiped his face clean of snot and saliva before returning to the hall.


    He said calmly, ¡°Do it again.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Crow asked suspiciously.


    ¡°Again.¡±


    Huai Shi repeated, ¡°Again.¡±


    After some time, it was as if Crow seemed to have realized something as she smiled.


    She said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Reality branched off; darkness struck.


    Huai Shi opened his eyes and was greeted by the scent of dry dirt. The hot wind blew in from the window. The instructor made his orders from the passenger seat.


    ¡°Kill them all, don¡¯t leave a single one alive.¡±


    Huai Shi nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Then, he lifted his gun, aimed it at the driver¡¯s seat, and then pulled the trigger.


    Amid the roars, his gun spat sparks.


    Soon after, the driver was dead, and a rotten paste was left on the broken car window. The car swerved as it lost control and rolled over.


    Huai Shi felt the howl of the wind beside him. As the car violently turned about, a group of people pounced on him. Very quickly, he was pressed to the ground by his comrades.


    Then, the rear passenger door opened.


    The expressionless instructor walked in, lowered his head, and looked at him.


    ¡°You¡¯ve failed.¡±


    He said and then pulled the trigger.


    Bang!


    Huai Shi¡¯s brain was blasted.


    Huai Shi opened his eyes. He began panting and sweating profusely.


    Quickly, he grabbed the warm water that was placed on the table and downed it in one go before saying, ¡°Again!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Crow nodded, and darkness struck once again.


    ¡°Kill them all. Don¡¯t leave a single one alive.¡±


    Hearing the instructor¡¯s voice, Huai Shi smiled and pulled out a dagger from his boots. Without much effort, he sliced it across the neck of his comrade that was on his right. Fresh blood poured out of the slit neck, dying the dust flying in the air a crimson red.


    Time seemed to freeze.


    At that moment, Huai Shi drew his gun and fired it continuously, repeatedly pulling the trigger at his comrades who were in front and at the back of him, as well as on his left and right. Brain juice burst out, regiment after regiment.


    However, he was killed yet again very shortly after.


    ¡°You have to pay attention to some strategies,¡± Crow said. ¡°In theory, you have the possibility of annihilating them all and emerging unscathed. However, I have to remind you, what you¡¯ve been reading is Red Glove¡¯s records. In other words, whatever happens, what each person will do¡ªall of them are based on his previous subjective judgment. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Never mind. You¡¯ll understand very soon.¡± Crow withdrew her gaze. ¡°Again?¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    Huai Shi opened his eyes once again. In the car, while the instructor was giving out orders, he flexed a little, slowly warming up his neck and checking the equipment he had on him.


    He had an army knife, a handgun, an assault rifle, a bulletproof vest, and a walkie-talkie as well as a few bullet clips in his quick response vest.


    He also had a grenade.


    Weighing the heavy item in his hand, Huai Shi faced his comrades¡¯ gazes and smiled, his pinky finger discreetly pulling the grenade¡¯s safety pin.


    He counted down softly.


    Three, two, one.


    At that moment, he pounced and crashed against the door of the rear passenger seat. His entire body then fell out of the car ungracefully and rolled on the ground. The thorns and shrubs on the roadside pierced him all over. Both his hands were in immense pain.


    However, he soon heard roars from behind him.


    The speeding transport truck on the road suddenly quaked. It jumped tens of centimeters into the air without any reason. Immediately after, the metal container expanded like it was being inflated and blood-red fire escaped from broken cracks.


    Very quickly, its shape morphed in the middle of its incineration, and it rolled to a stop.


    Huai Shi propped himself off the ground, breathing heavily under the exposure of the blazing sun. However, he then saw it. Amidst the wreckage, the bent metal door started producing a sharp screech.


    Shortly after, it was kicked open.


    From the passenger¡¯s seat, the cold-looking instructor slowly walked out. He coolly side-eyed Huai Shi¡¯s dumbfounded expression. He clearly looked like a normal person¡ªthere was no influx of elementium or trace of stigmas on him¡ªyet he had managed to survive the violent explosion and not even a single hair of him was singed.


    ¡°Whatever happens and what each person will do are all based on Red Glove¡¯s subjective judgment. That¡¯s what this is, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Huai Shi could not resist laughing, mocking that fellow Red Glove. ¡°Just how big is the psychological shadow that was cast by your instructor?¡±


    If not, how could his instructor, who was obviously just an average person, come out completely unscathed of a grenade explosion?


    Did the fellow really believe that his instructor was some unkillable James Bond?


    ¡°How unexpected, 7794.¡±


    The instructor looked at him indifferently and stretched his neck unhurriedly. His fingers lightly tapped the handle of the whip tied to his waist, making a sound that made Huai Shi¡¯s body suddenly tense up.


    Tap tap tap¡­


    The sound of the finger knocking on the whip was the sign of torture and punishment.


    The first time would be torment, the second would result in heavy injury, and there was no third time.


    Unsure how many times he had seen his fellow comrades be whipped to death on the drill ground, Huai Shi unexpectedly felt Red Glow¡¯s remaining despair and fear, his will to resist swiftly crumbling.


    The instructor walked forward, ignoring his trembling opponent, and extended his hands, pressing them to Huai Shi¡¯s head.


    He twisted.


    Pop!


    Huai Shi¡¯s neck broke.


    Bang!


    Huai Shi opened his eyes in a rage and smacked his fist on the table. ¡°Coward!¡±


    He did not know if he was cursing Red Glove or himself. After all, in the memories of the countless training, he had come to deeply comprehend the instructor¡¯s coldness and cruelty.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve come to understand the limitations of the subjective recorder, huh?¡±


    Crow gave an odd smile. ¡°People who are unable to pull themselves out of their fear and confusion cannot give an absolutely objective record of everything.


    ¡°Still, this is where the beauty of recorded experiences lies. It lets you possess the possibility of exceeding the recorder.¡±


    ¡°How?¡± Huai Shi asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s very simple,¡± Crow said. ¡°Just beat up everything. No matter what happens, no matter who¡¯s obstructing you, as long as you use your own method to deal with them all, it¡¯ll be okay.


    ¡°No matter how hard an arcade game is, there¡¯s always the possibility of achieving an all-clear. Passing with just one token is only the basics of the basics. On the contrary, passing quickly and without injury is the true goal¡ª¡±


    She paused, smiling slyly. ¡°How is it? If you feel it¡¯s difficult, do you need a cheat? As long as it¡¯s in the Book of Destiny¡¯s record, it¡¯s easy as pie even if you want to edit yourself to be as almighty as a god.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    After Huai Shi rested a while and felt his energy pretty much recover, he massaged his faintly-pained forehead and prepared to start, but then he saw Crow pass him a cigarette stick.


    ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re so gutsy, I¡¯ll give you a blue bottle for free.¡±

 Chapter 47

    Huai Shi spaced out for a moment. He took a whiff of the hand-rolled cigarette that lacked a cigarette butt. There was a spice in it that made it smell refreshing.


    ¡°Metal reinforced torso, the incense nourishes the soul.¡± Crow said calmly, ¡°You will get used to it in the future, but be careful not to get high off it so casually. An addiction would be very troublesome.


    ¡°Except for the rare Millenium-Incense, most of the other incenses will stimulate the elementium to achieve the rousing effect¡ªjust like an upgraded version of Red Bull and cigarettes. You¡¯ll become a moron if you abuse its usage.¡±


    Huai Shi nodded. He said nothing more.


    After a moment, he looked at the elementium flame dissipating on his fingertips. Then, he stretched his neck.


    ¡°Again.¡±


    With that, darkness struck.


    Soon, he opened his eyes again. He sighed. ¡°Continue.¡±


    Crow nodded.


    The long afternoon soon passed under their constant repetition. During the last time he opened his eyes, it was then already dark. His surroundings were quiet and still.


    ¡°Do you want to rest for a while?¡± Crow asked, ¡°After all, you¡¯ve reached your limit.¡±


    ¡°One more time.¡±


    Huai Shi finally realized the distress of heavily addicted gamers. Rubbing his eyebrows, he yawned. ¡°I¡¯m getting the hang of the trick.¡±


    ¡°Okay, so, one last time?¡±


    ¡°One last time.¡± Huai Shi nodded.


    Thus, in a trance, he opened his eyes in the car compartment. Without saying anything, he listened quietly to the order that was coming from ahead.


    He even took advantage of the sliver of time to close his eyes and sleep for a while.


    ¡°Wake me when we arrive.¡±


    He patted the shoulder of his teammate next to him, his actions very affectionate.


    Soon after, the car stopped outside the village.


    He was rudely awakened by a kick.


    Huai Shi smiled unconsciously. After getting up miserably, he set off after his teammate. After briefly lurking in the bushes, he suddenly patted the shoulder of the man in front of him.


    His teammate turned back unpleasantly.


    Then, his teammate saw him reaching out his hand expressionlessly. With a dagger in his hand, he stabbed the man in the throat. A second later, the man dropped to the ground.


    ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    Huai Shi murmured softly.


    Blood soaked the weeds on the dried ground.


    Above the barren land, he crawled slowly toward the direction of the other teammate. His movements were quick as he used all four of his limbs efficiently.


    He was like a spider crawling through thorns.


    One by one, he went about his business. Once in awhile, information would be reported on the walkie-talkie, heightening his senses. He was enjoying the thrill of taking out his teammates.


    The experience of being a backstabbing whistle-blower was really pleasant. Huai Shi felt that he was starting to become proficient at this.


    His pleasure continued until the gunshots of Team A starting to sound out in battle.


    He sighed. He heard the alarm from the walkie-talkie. Someone had noticed that something was wrong. After all, there were 4 or 5 people who had not answered the radio for more than 5 minutes.


    It seemed that he could not hide anymore.


    He shook his head and sat on the ground. Then, he pulled out the safety pins of a few grenades and, after weighing them a couple of times, threw them hard.


    Thunderous explosions rang out in the distance.


    The sound of a gunshot sounded. The shrub next to his was hit by bullets. It was as though a field was being torn apart by a storm as the shrub trembled non-stop.


    Huai Shi sighed. He raised his sleeve to wipe off the blood on his face. Then, he got up from amongst the corpses of his teammates. His uniform had been stained scarlet by the blood of his friendly forces.


    A huge patch of red colored his buttocks.


    ¡°How come I look like a monkey with hemorrhoids?¡±


    Huai Shi criticized himself for a bit. Picking up the assault rifle, he walked in the direction of the gunshots, shouting loudly, ¡°Don¡¯t shoot, I¡¯m an ally!¡±


    He then aimed the rifle at the dumbfounded faces and pulled the trigger.


    He swept across the whole area, emptying a whole magazine of bullets without any restraint. Then came another magazine. At the same time, he was shot in the shoulder. It was as if there was a big hole in his shoulder that had been torn open by a chisel. Under the intense pain, he seemed to not be able to feel his left arm anymore.


    ¡°This is too much, buddy. Why did I break my arm again?¡±


    Huai Shi sighed helplessly. ¡°I haven¡¯t learned to change the magazine with a single hand, eh?¡±


    He threw his assault rifle away. Then, he walked towards the village after pulling out a handgun.


    ¡°7794! What are you doing!¡± An angry roar came from the walkie-talkie.


    ¡°I¡¯m taking out my teammates. Can¡¯t you tell, my friend? I choose Black Lily, you choose Hanz¨­. Together, we can rebuild the empire.¡±


    However, there was no further response from the walkie-talkie. There was only a sullen silence until the indifferent voice of the instructor sounded out again. ¡°Change of plans, eliminate 7794.¡±


    He was being targeted.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make a decision so rashly.¡±


    Huai Shi sighed. Before the channel was cut off, he lifted the walkie-talkie. He spoke tentatively, ¡°I think I can be rescued.¡±


    Bang!


    Huai Shi pulled his face away instinctively just in time to see the walkie-talkie in his hand explode.


    It was a sniper bullet.


    With the strong reminder of the death premonition, he quickly got into a low crawl position and crept into the intricate alleys of the village. He heard footsteps from all directions.


    He counted silently in his heart.


    In the original carriage, 7 on the left were Team B and 6 on the right were Team A. There were 13 people including himself.


    Thanks to the whistle-blower¡¯s backstabbing, now, 6 out of the 7 in Team B were dead. They had been wiped out. It stands to reason that side A of the magnetic tape should be released after side B is done. Although side A had yet to be released, Huai Shi felt that it was inevitable.


    Fortunately, the location was not far away.


    He gestured the direction. Raising his pistol, he shot the head of the reckless man in front of him before firing two additional shots when the man fell to the ground. After this, he released the magazine to check it. There were 6 bullets. This was enough. 1 bullet for each person¡­ just kidding. He was not a godlike gunner. In this kind of messy fight, he¡¯d be considered a lucky bastard if he was able to hit each person with a single shot.


    Maybe he could try to fire 5 shots randomly. If these 5 shots did not kill 6 people on the opposing side (with 1 shot coincidentally killing 2 people), then the remaining shot could be used on himself.


    A violent death, free from humiliation¡­ This sounded too romantic.


    The sound of footsteps gradually approached from the distance. He climbed over the wall after jumping out of the alley. After so many death cycles, he had mastered certain sequences.


    Compared to the malicious design of VR games nowadays, this kind of setting which allowed you to reduce the difficulty just by backstabbing was simply too kind.


    Then, in the yard behind the wall, he saw those terrified eyes again.


    The rickety woman was still looking at the sky.


    Her eyes were dull.


    She futilely tried to hide her 2 scrawny children behind herself.


    However, they were dead now. Bullet holes and blood littered their bodies as they lay on the ground. The dust blew in the wind, covering their hollow pupils.


    ¡°Why you guys again?¡±


    Huai Shi spaced out for a moment. Scratching his head, he wanted to say something. However, he was at a loss for words. Although he knew that this was a record and that they were false NPCs, he still felt an indescribable sense of regret.


    This was not a game.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Huai Shi lowered his head. He dared not look at the pair of eyes that were now covered in dust again.


    ¡°I will leave now,¡± he said.


    After opening the door with great effort, Huai Shi rushed into the road before jabbing the barrel of his gun into the opponent¡¯s eye socket. ¡°Die¡ª¡ª¡±


    Crash!


    A splatter of blood and plasma burst from the back of the man¡¯s head. He had no time to look around. Huai Shi fled desperately, staggering, trying to get away from the courtyard.


    However, he could never forget those eyes.


    When he tried to think of all this as a game, the countless deaths in the records awakened him from his sweet dream. This was not a game, this was a record, a piece of history.


    A piece of history that had happened in this corner of the world.


    Trivial slaughtering and trivial deaths.


    They were all dead.


    Those eyes that had lost their radiance were gradually covered with dust, buried away, and forgotten. They were not even worth remembering¡­


    Huai Shi half-ran, half-staggered, moving forward tiredly in the breach. After kicking open a door, he finally arrived at his destination.


    In the room, the old man curled up in the corner seemed to be taken aback. He subconsciously hugged the thing in his arms tightly.


    ¡°Let go of it.¡±


    Huai Shi leaned against the door frame, panting. He raised his pistol. ¡°Give me that.¡±


    The man said something. He hesitated, but then let go. Feeling fearful of Huai Shi, he crawled to the ground.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Huai Shi panted. Carrying the object, he took two steps backward. Then, he turned around to leave. After taking a few steps, he could not help turning back and shouting behind him, ¡°Be at ease, I will save you.¡±


    No one responded.


    The people in this village had probably died a long time ago.


    He could not save them.


    Damn it¡­


    Raising his arm, he rubbed his eyes. He mumbled softly, ¡°Damn it¡­¡±


    Immediately after, he heard the bellow of the broken gate in the courtyard. The sound of the assault rifle sounded like a rainstorm, penetrating every inch of space.


    Huai Shi curled up behind the stone mill as he heard the sound of debris flying overhead.


    Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself despite the heavy smell of smoke invading his nostril. Then, Huai Shi got up while carrying his newly-acquired RPG on his shoulder. He tried his best to show his teammates his most brilliant smile.


    ¡°Hey, how are you guys?¡±


    Then he pulled the trigger.


    ¡°¡ªJustice, rains from above!!!¡±


    Boom!


    During the violent explosion, the fire and smoke rose to the sky. A mist of blood permeated the air, dancing intimately together with the dust. In the end, it turned into a fine rain, pattering against the wall and the ground.


    As well as Huai Shi¡¯s body.


    Silence once again filled the air.


    Huai Shi dropped the launcher in his hands. He walked toward the center of the village after crossing the messy courtyard and street.


    He walked to the man who was waiting there.


    Seemingly surprised by this result, the instructor who was standing there with his hands behind his head was stunned for a moment. Then, he lifted his hands. Taking off the sunglasses from his face, he threw them on the ground.


    ¡°Although they are all semi-finished products, they were, nevertheless, all destroyed here¡­ I really didn¡¯t expect you to be so ballsy, 7794.¡±


    His grey eyes stared coldly at Huai Shi¡¯s face. Immediately after, he beckoned at the teenager to come closer. ¡°It seems that I need to give you another lesson.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡±


    Huai Shi stretched his neck. He then discarded the holster as well as the quick response vest before pulling out an army knife with one hand. After this, he adopted a pose that was completely different from his opposing party.


    Unlike the kickboxing technique of the Roman military, this was a classic stance from East Xia. It was an entry-level technique that even the instructor almost did not recognize.


    ¡°Come.¡±


    Huai Shi grinned. ¡°Watch me punch the crap out of you with Military Boxing.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    The instructor seemed to come to a realization when he heard this. His face gradually stiffened with anger as the bones in his body ground angrily. He growled in a deep voice, ¡°Very well, 7794.


    ¡°I promise, before you die, you will experience¡ªhell! ¡±

 Chapter 48

    At that moment, there was the sound of something shattering in the distance. Immediately after, the wind whistled.


    As the instructor swung his fist, his right arm suddenly swelled. Those flexed muscle bundles enlarged as if they were being inflated with air. An innumerable number of swollen muscles seemed to make his arm several times larger, revealing a near-deformed and frightful state.


    As Huai Shi dodged, the fist hit the ground, causing the whole town square to suddenly shake.


    It was like withstanding the bombardment of a tank.


    Was this the change brought about by Red Gloves¡¯ fear under the records of the person-in-charge or was it something else?


    Huai Shi had no interest in finding out. It would not be his first time dying against the instructor in such a state.


    Bullets, firearms, and explosives had no effect on him at all.


    It was like having sleep paralysis in a nightmare.


    In the past, some time in Red Glove¡¯s memory, this instructor who had cruelly forged him into a weapon was almost a symbol of invincibility. Just like a monster, his power had been artificially amplified.


    If not for Red Glove being absolutely certain that the instructor was just an ordinary person, Huai Shi would have expected the instructor to transform entirely at this point and to grow bat wings or goat horns.


    Fortunately, the change ended here, which was not too jaw-dropping for Huai Shi.


    Stretching out his hands, he dipped them into the blood on the ground.


    Trapping Hand!


    This was the first time he was trying this newly acquired technique in the record.


    With the elementium flame rising from his fingertips, the blood started to bubble, almost like it was boiling. On top of that, grey puffs of gas continuously evaporated from it.


    A thick cloud of Disastrous Dust rose from the unknown number of the corpses and blood that was littered around the entire town square.


    Although he did not know why his soul was given such a strange name¡ª¡±Trapping Hand¡± by the Sea of Silver, its essence was very clear to Huai Shi. It was a relatively rare transformation type ability as it crossed the two major lines of spiritual and physical matter.


    Its scope was elementium and iron.


    In other words, he could build a bridge between spiritual matter and physical matter by connecting the elementium that represented the foundation of the soul in the spiritual world with the metal matter that was largely available in the physical world. With that, he could achieve any transformation between the two.


    It was borderline omnipotent.


    The invisible ax¡­ Huai Shi had accumulated 7 years of insecurity and murderous intent within the elementium. When everything was converted into iron, the weapon was born.


    Now, with Trapping Hand acting as its foundation, Huai Shi tried to convert the elementium that was scattered around the outside world again.


    Thus, countless ultra-fine rusted iron rose from the blood.


    This was the essence of destruction.


    The assembling of Disastrous Dust from death.


    The dry wind and dust soon brought with it a pungent, bloody, and smoky smell. Rising quickly, the scent suddenly permeated the whole area.


    All the despair and pain were distributed equally.


    At that moment, a hoarse, raging roar came from the dark fog. A howling gale spread across the area. However, it could not disperse the mist that was in a state between elementium and the physical matter. Nevertheless, a ferocious black shadow came rushing toward Huai Shi. It swung widely with an overhead punch!


    Huai Shi dodged. Swinging the dagger in his right hand sideways, he left a brutal scar on the huge deformed arm. Immediately after, he flipped the dagger around, stabbing it into the instructor¡¯s neck!


    Collapse!


    The dagger did not sink into his raised arm. It hit the bone instead. The sound it made was as though two pieces of steel were colliding.


    He felt the beast-like ragged breathing as well as the instructor¡¯s voice rumble out from his chest. The heavy toll brought about by such violent strength caused the instructor to breathe in a lot of the Disastrous Dust. Under the stimulation of such amplified pain and despair, his rage only worsened.


    He was now like a wild beast.


    ¡°How is it? How does the despair you created feel?¡± Huai Shi clenched his army knife firmly, staring at the face across the deformed arm.


    The instructor smiled mockingly.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªI¡¯m used to it, what about you?¡±


    Bang!


    The huge arm swept across, creating a low roar that boomed through the air. Even the force of the wind almost blew Huai Shi 3 steps backward. However, immediately after, Huai Shi leaped at the seemingly unbeatable instructor.


    He smiled wickedly.


    He felt as if he was drunk.


    He felt like he was in a deep trance, yet, was sober at the same time. Immediately after, he felt like he was in a frenzy.


    It was like some kind of indescribable freedom, like the relief felt after being extremely angry.


    As he breathed, he brought the Disastrous Dust into his lungs. Inhaling the pain of the dead, he merged with their despair.


    He seemed to become one with the countless deaths.


    From being both a recorder and the recorded, he now became the record itself.


    He could feel the pain inflicted by the countless deaths all at the same time. He was soon immersed in the despair of dying in the massacre.


    It was as if the souls of those people were standing still with him, side by side.


    Thus, those nihilistic deaths turned into flames, burning in the depths of his chest. After mixing with his anger, his unwillingness, and his will, it turned into an inexplicable impulse, erupting from inside out, engulfing him whole. It urged him to face his opponent, to rain down the punishment, and to bring to him true death!


    Therefore, under the tight grip of the Trapping Hand, the grey flame rose from the tip of the blade¡ª¡ªit was a far darker and paler in color than the Disastrous Dust. It had been further refined by the countless despair and pain as it was extracted once again, further ascending into a pure object.


    Pure poison.


    It was a poisonous substance extracted from the death records. It was the death collected from the final condensation of Disastrous Dust. Although it was not lethal to the physical body, once contaminated, it would eventually bring a very realistic suffering to the spirit of the victim, just as Huai Shi had experienced countless times before.


    At that moment, the handwriting in the Book of Destiny changed silently. This did not just affect the soaring level of the Military Boxing, new branches even began emerging under the soul introduction of the Trapping Hand. It could now be utilized by a soul that is sufficiently recognized.


    ¡ª¡ª[Heart Poison]!


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.¡±


    Crow stared at the young man in the record who was immersed in insanity. She seemed to laugh happily, ¡°Go and represent death. Take revenge on the beast in this dark canyon!


    ¡°This is your destiny, Huai Shi, the last guardian of Heaven¡­¡±


    At that moment, Huai Shi¡¯s dagger was swung.


    The deformed instructor roared in pain. As he smashed downward, he seemed to break Huai Shi¡¯s left arm, which the latter could no longer feel. However, Huai Shi was not shaken at all. He still stepped forward almost obsessively, inspecting the twisted face before him closely.


    His dark pupils were filled with pure darkness.


    Then, the army knife swung again!


    Collapse!


    Although it was clearly a light and handy army knife, at that moment, under the control of Trapping Hand, he made a heavy slashing sound, as though he were swinging a heavy ax.


    An unbelievably weight emerged from it. Accompanied by Huai Shi¡¯s unconstrained movements, the enemy¡¯s tendons were cut again and again. The flesh was soon split apart.


    The sound of his bones breaking was like firewood getting split by a giant ax.


    The instructor growled. After clenching his fists, his 5 huge fingers spread out. He tried to grab his opponent¡¯s face. However, in the very next moment, the army knife chopped down. The iron-colored palm was chopped in half, split down the middle from between the index finger and the ring finger.


    It was now in two pieces.


    The blade was deeply wedged in his wrist.


    Whilst writhing in agony, he saw Huai Shi take a deep breath. Immediately after this, the boy snarled. Then, he dashed forward!


    A thunderous sound burst through the air!


    As the army knife suddenly shattered, the elementium fire emerged from it, making form the outline of a sharp blade. It successfully split the arm inch by inch, until eventually, the whole arm was divided into two, separated evenly right down the middle!


    Immediately after, the burning dagger was raised again. Chop!


    The deformed arm fell from the instructor¡¯s shoulder to the ground. Blood spewed out from the cut, spraying all over the town square where blood had already been spilled countless times before this.


    It pooled together with the blood of the suffering elderly, desperate women, and naive children. The blood soon combined and turned into the same dark and shadowy color of the above wasteland.


    Although the instructor tried his hardest to push him away, he could not still his body. He staggered backward. Then, he fell to the ground.


    However, Huai Shi continued moving forward. While panting, he stumbled across body after body. He walked past a pair of lifeless eyes, leaving a red silhouette in their lost expression.


    ¡°Thanks to you, I finally figured out one thing¡ª¡±


    He whispered softly. He suddenly raised his foot. He stepped on the instructor¡¯s chest, pinning him to the ground. He let the man struggle in vain.


    Finally, he raised the dagger and pointed it at his neck.


    ¡°The reason why I chose to be an Ascender¡ª¡±


    As if saying goodbye, Huai Shi gazed solemnly at the twisted face. He said each word slowly and steadily.


    ¡°¡ª¡ª was to cut off the head of bastards like you!¡±


    The moment he swung the blade, a deep crack was left in the ground.


    Blood spewed out of the neck of the headless corpse, pouring onto the dry wasteland. It brought a rare bit of moisture to this dead land, giving hope to the summer flowers that they might be able to bloom.


    Immediately after, Huai Shi saw the whole world shake.


    Everything was broken.


    He sank into the darkness before soon waking up in the chair again. He was sweating bullets. He felt completely exhausted and terribly uncomfortable.


    However, for some reason, his heart was also calm and satisfied.


    It was as if he had been compensated via that virtual revenge.


    ¡°Congratulations on passing the level.¡±


    Crow stood on the table, looking attentively at his appearance, ¡°Did you achieve anything, Huai Shi?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi was silent. He did not know how to answer.


    After all, he could not do anything. That could not be considered a rescue, nor could it be deemed revenge.


    Perhaps as early as a dozen years ago, it was all over. All he did was change the story because he did not like the original plot. He merely tore the original work apart before writing a fanfic about it.


    What did he achieve in doing so?


    After a moment of contemplation, he laughed softly.


    ¡°A dream, at least the story is complete¡­¡±


    While speaking, he stood up slowly, using the table for support. When he spotted the dagger he had placed on the table, he could not help but pick it up. He swung the dagger a few times before throwing it back onto the table.


    ¡°As for the rest, just pretend it¡¯s some self-comforting Easter egg¡­¡±


    Let¡¯s just say, he was not going to see the others. He headed upstairs immediately after turning around.


    After a long day, he felt dizzy. His sight darkened bit by bit as he eventually went to sleep.


    Nothing in the world was better than a good night¡¯s rest.


    If there was, then it would be 2 nights of rest.


    ¡°Sleep early.¡±


    He closed the bedroom door after waving his hand.


    Crow watched the figure disappear up the stairs. She turned back, looking at the table.


    Under the glimmer of the desk lamp, the cheap dagger seemed to faintly be the color of iron. It was stabbed into the cracked and peeling lacquer surface of the long table, a slender shadow drawn from it.


    At the point of the table where the tip of the knife had been driven into was a terrible scar.


    It looked like an ax.


    ¡°Good night, Huai Shi.¡±


    Go to sleep.


    Crow spread her wings, flying into the hazy night outside the window.


    Disappearing.

 Chapter 49

    A fattie¡¯s[1] happy dream.


    Perhaps it was because of his strength that he also started to feel a lot more confident. He no longer had the strange dream of going to the Golden Hall in Vienna to snatch the ¡°Little Widows on the Grave¡±.


    After waking up, Huai Shi sat in the garden and practiced the cello for two hours before he received a call from Ai Qing.


    ¡°Come out now and wait at the door. Someone will pick you up.¡± She said, ¡°We have found Wang Hai¡¯s trail.¡±


    There wasn¡¯t even a need for a state machine. Even if only one department in the New Ocean Special Affairs Bureau was operating, it was basically like a net sifting through the entirety of New Ocean.


    Ai Qing¡¯s monitoring of the Ascenders via the Astronomical Association coupled with the Special Affairs Bureau feelers amongst the ordinary people ensured that the two sides could cooperate and essentially make New Ocean become a glass fish tank.


    Completely unobstructed.


    Under her supposedly frantic provocation, in just over a day, almost all the foreign floating population was exposed. After a local fellow who had a past conviction was pulled out and beaten several times, they finally found Wang Hai¡¯s trail through ubiquitous monitoring and searching.


    He was supposedly on a barren mountain outside the city, in a manor that had now been abandoned for many years.


    Simply put, it was ranked second in the New Ocean¡¯s Haunted House List¡­


    Huai Shi practically laughed out of anger when he found out about this.


    ¡®Damn, what are you guys planning? Are you trying to take first place in the list of haunted houses from me?¡¯


    After confirming Wang Hai¡¯s entry and exit in the area, the Special Affairs Bureau was quickly mobilized. Countless macho men carrying weapons jumped into the car, sharpening their swords as they lay ready and waiting. It looked like Chief Fu was really worried about the bomb.


    After Huai Shi arrived, he was stuffed into Ai Qing¡¯s car before heading out of the city. Within half an hour, Huai Shi, who was stuffed into his body armor and was also wearing a helmet, arrived at the foot of the barren hills.


    ¡°The satellite has confirmed our suspicions. There are traces of activity in the manor.¡±


    The on-site investigators returned and reported, ¡°The target and Wang Hai¡¯s body shape have a high level of similarity, but it is not certain. Do you want to send in a drone?¡±


    ¡°Drones are easily spotted.¡±


    Chief Fu looked through the telescope for a long time and began to discuss the plan of attack with his men whilst staring at the map of the manor. As a member of the Astronomical Association and the only Ascender around, Huai Shi was also stuffed in with the first batch of people to enter the manor. He was shivering all along.


    ¡°What¡¯s the use of this thing? Where is the insurance?¡±


    He tried to pretend that he did not know what the automatic rifle in his hand was, as he wanted to escape his duty. In the end, he was tied up by the macho men.


    ¡°Wait, I am also a victim! Why am I participating in this offensive¡­¡±


    He clung to the door and did not want to let go, crying out loudly, ¡°Even if you guys want an Ascender, look for Old Liu! Old Liu ¡®s ability is so great! In the past, it took just a glance and a breath and enemies would topple over. I am just a cellist. I can only conjure an ax to throw at people, so just let go of me, why don¡¯t you? ¡­ Damn, stop, don¡¯t hit my face! I¡¯ve worked for New Ocean, I¡¯ve bled for the Astronomical Association, I want to see Ai Qing! I want to see Ai Qing!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sitting in the car, Ai Qing looked away blankly. She could not help but want to sigh. ¡°Forget it, let him work with me.¡±


    Chief Fu really could not stand it anymore. He waved his hand and beckoned for his subordinates to stop pulling at him. Any more of this and this kid would start shouting that the Special Affairs Bureau were beating people up, or something along the lines of that.


    Tch¡­ What are young people nowadays even thinking?


    In reality, Liu Dongli was really good. Come rain or shine, if the penalty was reduced, he was even willing to head into Longtan Tiger Cave. If they had known this earlier, this commodity should have been arrested and given a sentence of a few years.


    He sighed and looked down at the blueprints on the table.


    The abandoned manor on the mountain had been around for some time. In truth, there were many abandoned buildings near New Ocean. Most of them were built during the glorious period more than ninety years ago. As New Ocean¡¯s economy developed, it became less and less economical. During the boom, there were fewer and fewer rich people as even the real estate industry fell into a depression.


    Nobody knew how many houses under construction were left as unfinished buildings. There was also the Longma Building in the old city that had not been completed yet.


    If he racked his brains, he could determine that it had likely been built in the same period as the Calcedony Museum.


    It was only because there were no longer any unlucky ghosts like Huai Shi who stayed behind to take care of things that it had been facing an early decline due to the wind and rain. Only the tomb keepers in the Houshan Cemetery had patched up the houses just enough to stay in them. After this, because of the rumors of spirits, even the cemetery was no longer guarded, leaving them completely empty.


    Now, according to satellite investigations, there were traces of human activity in the dilapidated manor. Except for Wang Hai, the presence of Ascenders was not excluded.


    Perhaps the final backbone of the Savior¡¯s Association would be hidden inside. It was hard to say if there would be more staff sent by other organizations acting behind-the-scenes too. When he thought of some other lunatic running around in New Ocean, his brain could not help but throb.


    ¡°Ready?¡±


    After confirming their plan of action, Chief Fu checked his weapons and body armor, then took the lead and got into the car of the first commando unit.


    ¡°Are we moving now, like this?¡±


    When she saw this, Ai Qing seemed puzzled. Soon, she raised her hand and gestured. ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll make a call.¡±


    At the same time, in the ruined manor on the mountain, a shadow creeping behind the broken wall on the fourth floor of the main building that had almost completely collapsed was looking down the side of the mountain with a telescope.


    ¡°Are you sure that the astronomical guy will take the bait?¡±


    The spy was holding onto the phone, feeling a little anxious. ¡°We have been waiting here for two days, why is there not even a hint of him?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re almost there.¡±


    Wang Hai¡¯s voice came from the phone. ¡°I deliberately went to the city to wander for some time. If they still couldn¡¯t notice me, the Special Affairs Bureau might as well disband.¡±


    ¡°The Lord has given you one last chance.¡± The spy said unpleasantly, ¡°Think properly about how to atone for your crimes. I can¡¯t see the use of catching a little devil.¡±


    After saying this, he whistled lowly twice, pacifying the shadows hidden in the upper ruins. The beasts were restless, as if they had gotten a whiff of the scent of fresh blood.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know sh*t! Once the hostage is in hand, then we will negotiate.¡±


    Wang Hai¡¯s voice was unpleasant over the phone. ¡°If you¡¯re lucky, you might be able to eliminate the entire New Ocean¡¯s Astronomical Association. What can¡¯t they do? They just went up the mountain alongside the forces of the Special Affairs Bureau. Don¡¯t get any ideas.¡±


    ¡°Four Ascenders, ten shadow beasts, and more than ninety vengeful demons. Even if the entire Special Affairs Bureau¡¯s army comes, this will not be in their favor.¡±


    The spy smiled, bloodthirsty. ¡°I want to see if that face-selling prostitute and the lame woman are as incredible as you said.¡±


    Snap!


    The phone hung up.


    The weird shadow curled up in the darkness, breathing raggedly, like a hibernating snake. In an instant, the whole manor fell into a deathly stillness, as quiet as a church mouse.


    The tweets of flying birds and insects started to sound out again, in contrast to the deathly ruins that were becoming increasingly sinister.


    Meanwhile, the galloping convoy came to an abrupt stop on the mountainside. On the ground at the foot of the mountain, someone prepared a mortar in accordance with their previously planned strategy before letting it thunder whilst unleashing its load.


    Soon, artillery shells fell from the sky, blowing up the east side of the ruined manor. Huge craters appeared on the ground amidst the flying dust.


    Still, there was no unusual movement. They only heard panic shouts from inside the manor.


    ¡°Continue?¡± Chief Fu asked, holding the telescope.


    ¡°Wait a second.¡±


    Ai Qing, who was in the car looked up at the direction of the manor. Lifting her phone expressionlessly, she said to the other side, ¡°I need a longsword for cleaning.¡±


    Three minutes later, a howling sound came from the sky.


    The dark shadow of steel birds broke through the clouds and roared across the earth at the speed of sound. Under their wings, a pure white steel arrow formed an arc and fell to the ground.


    At that moment, the figure creeping about on the top floor was stunned. Its eyes grew large.


    What was that thing?


    Bang!


    Something landed in the compound.


    In the next moment, a violent roar and a torrent of fire rose from the ground as the whole mountain shook slightly. Amidst the blazing flames and the sweeping air pressure, the ruined manor began to wail and groan in agony.


    The violent change in air pressure crushed the manor into pieces as countless steel fragments started spreading death in all directions. Sharp sounds continuously burst forth from them as they hit their environment.


    A huge crater appeared in the middle of the manor. The soil that had turned to lava flowed over the burnt black ground as the foul stench of smoke and dust was picked up by the powerful wind.


    A missile!


    It was too late for any response. Soon, a low whistling cut through the air again.


    The shadow of the steel birds returned.


    After dropping off its second package, it flew off in the distance as only a dull noise could be heard echoing through the air.


    Immediately afterward, a white cloud of smoke appeared along with something that seemed to be extending toward the earth.


    It looked like a tree growing upside down.


    Like a cruel angel that hung its wings in the clouds, what followed was a divine light and pure white mist that covered the earth, bringing about equal amounts of fire and destruction.


    The terrifying flames seared air whenever the unknown objects fell to the ground, allowing green and red flames to spray out from it. A scorching blast of wind enveloped every corner of the estate, burning everything in sight like a thin layer of white gauze.


    The flame danced wildly on the soil, the stones, the ruins, and the flesh and blood. The temperature that was hot enough to melt steel brought with it poisonous smoke and a dense fog that would destroy one¡¯s lungs.


    In an instant, the destruction brought by the white phosphorus incendiary bomb descended upon the ruins, with the dancing phosphorus vapor surging about like streams of water that permeated every nook and cranny.


    Burning and burning and burning.


    First was the terror of the missile explosion, followed by the terror of the heat of the white phosphorus, and finally, the poison mist that wiped out all living things.


    The whole mountain was enveloped in destruction.


    On the mountainside, everyone looked at the ruined scene with stunned gazes, watching dozens of ghosts each more than a few meters high screaming and escaping the flame. They struggled on the ground, rolling and scraping away their burning bones. However, the terrifying turquoise green flames immediately reignited, this time razing their bone marrow.


    In the end, they late prostrated on the ground, no longer moving, only leaving their remains that slowly turned into ash in the flames, along with the sound of bones crackling in the fire.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The group of soldiers stared at the ruins in front of them as Chief Fu looked back at Ai Qing. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want some captives? Isn¡¯t the white phosphorus incendiary bomb banned from use?¡±


    ¡°Those who can survive will be captives.¡± Ai Qing waved her hand calmly. ¡°There must be something wrong with the minds of those who still talk about humanitarianism when it comes to terrorists.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, we can go forth now.¡±


    Ai Qing gave the order and finally glanced at Huai Shi. ¡°Now you can go. You will go, right?¡±


    ¡°I will, I will, I will!¡±


    Huai Shi nodded wildly like a bobblehead.


    ¡°I am a cog in the Astronomical Association machine! Wherever I am needed, I will go! And bring with me fire with my Fire Qilin[2] AK!¡±


    [1] A derogatory slang term referring to those who are fat and prefer to stay home watching shows or playing games rather than going outdoors and socializing


    [2] Mythical Chinese animal

 Chapter 50

    Armed with an assault rifle and a gas mask, Huai Shi was kicked out of the car within seconds. He tailed the Ascenders suppression troop and headed toward the manor where small fires continued crackling half-heartedly.


    As far as he could see, the place was a wreck.


    Amidst the ash and ruins, there were various figures that resembled huge monsters. Whether it was the extremely hard scales or the grisly-looking skeletons¡­ They seemed as if they had come from Hell, and no matter how one looked at them, they looked too strange to be creatures of natural evolution.


    Aside from that, the manor was dead silent.


    As Huai Shi moved forward further, his heart went cold. What were these bastards hiding in this place? Even now, wisps of black gas were still rising slowly from the white ash, slowly dissipating in the air.


    Even the strong soldiers, although wearing gas masks, seemed to be unable to withstand the pressure. Every now and then, one would stagger and fall to the ground. When this happened, nearby teammates would rush over and drag them away to receive medical attention.


    Huai Shi, on the other hand, seemed to be completely unaffected.


    Not only did he not sense any discomfort, he had never felt more alert and conscious. His body¡¯s reaction speed and perception seemed to have heightened as well.


    ¡°Abyssal Sedimentation. The place has been transformed into a feeding site. The concentration of the Abyssal Sedimentation here is higher than the border.¡±


    Ai Qing who was on the other end of correspondence replied, ¡°With the appropriate amount of pressure, your soul functions better, similar to how diving works. However, for ordinary people who don¡¯t have a molded soul, these sediments are highly toxic. I believe this is a favorite trick among cults.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Huai Shi lifted his rifle as he looked around cautiously. ¡°What the hell are they up to?¡±


    ¡°Who knows? Maybe they were looking for some fun.¡±


    Ai Qing continued calmly, ¡°Once the troop enter the place, use your God-granted seal to get us deeper. Think of it as stuffing us down some creature¡¯s stomach. If you look at the black gas there, imagine it as gastric juice that will slowly digest¡­¡±


    Huai Shi shuddered as he drew his neck back, immediately becoming more vigilant.


    Although the Special Affairs Bureau had plenty of manpower, they were still a government organization, so they had their limits. When it came to things like this, all they could do was fire a few mortars. With that in mind, how could terrorists have expected an unusual high-ranking crippled woman who would easily launch a missile without any warning?


    They were still in the country!


    What in the world was she thinking?


    Aside from their friendly forces, even those unlucky spirits of the deceased would have question marks written all over their faces.


    Fortunately, Ai Qing¡¯s moral righteousness and white phosphorus bomb had thoroughly cleaned the ground so that the manor was clear of any sign of living creatures.


    Even if there were any creature that had not been blown to death, they should all be poisoned now.


    At the innermost level of the wreck, Huai Shi noticed a vicious-looking corpse that seemed to have been in the blast zone when the missile first exploded. Though its upper body was scorched, it may not have died on the spot and it looked as if it had been struggling to escape.


    Unfortunately, it did not make it out alive as the white phosphorus bomb dropped from the sky soon after, immediately engulfing it and burning it alive.


    The distorted beast-like face was still vaguely distinguishable.


    The half-scorched and half-broken head revealed an ape-like broken skull, its teeth huge and sharp. However, with a soft tap of the gun barrel, it easily broke into two pieces.


    One had science and technology, and the other had divine power.[1] Well, this just proves that divine power still could not beat science.


    Although it was impossible to work out which rank Ascender it was or what kind of strange stigma it had, it was in the interior, so it was impossible that it would have been able to withstand the pressure.


    It was said that in the old era of magic, things were very different. However, with the establishment of the Three Major Blockades in the interior, it became more and more difficult for Ascenders to mess around here.


    Crow had made it clear to Huai Shi that she would only go into further detail after planting his stigma. She had never willingly brought it up with him before that, so perhaps she was trying to hide something.


    Huai Shi did a final sweep through for any lurking threats, then, with a wave of his arm, a few soldiers wearing hazmat suits came forward carrying a huge box. After this, they simply threw the corpse into the box and sealed it before taking it away.


    An Ascender¡¯s corpse still held value regardless of the condition. Even if it had burned to ashes, there was still a possibility of deconstructing the remains of their stigma. They might be able to identify the corpse too if they ran an autopsy.


    Unfortunately, the corpse was already thoroughly burned, such that once they touched it, it disintegrated into ashes and fell to the ground.


    It was impossible to piece it back together.


    Huai Shi continued moving forward, but after taking another two steps, a sense of uneasiness washed over him and he immediately took two steps backward to his original position. Bending down, he touched the white dust on the ground.


    Through the ashes that remained on the ground, he spotted a slight metallic glint. When he continued digging, he quickly recognized the frame of the steel.


    It was a sword.


    The hilt had already been burned out of shape, as well as the hand strap on the sword handle. However, the sword itself was still intact, with only a layer of dark charcoal over it.


    It was a single-edged blade about forty centimeters in length and five centimeters wide. The style of the sword suggested that it could be some sort of ritual object, but it felt smooth and nimble in his hand when he waved it around, making it obvious that it was not a sword for just some commoner.


    He weighed it in his hand, finally realizing that it was not just an ordinary sword.


    ¡°It¡¯s a border relic.¡±


    Crow¡¯s voice suddenly sounded by his ears. ¡°That should have been taken from at least the seventh or eighth depth of Hell. From the looks of it, it might be the sacrificial sword used by the Tenochtitlan Empire during live sacrificial ceremonies. It¡¯s really something!¡±


    Crow peeped at him stealthily from the shadows behind, a gleam in her eyes as she batted her lashes. ¡°Is there a way you can sneak it off?¡±


    ¡°¡­ Where did you pop out from? What¡¯s that head of yours thinking?!¡± Huai Shi asked through the Book of Destiny, ¡°There are people watching from behind, how can I take it without them noticing?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for a soldier to open up his bag of equipment?¡±


    Crow replied with a wink and shrugged casually. ¡°And be careful, something¡¯s behind you.¡±


    At that instant, he felt a gust of cold wind from behind.


    A chill surged from the back of his head.


    Without a second of hesitation, he thrust the sacrificial sword behind him and immediately heard a loud, sharp sound. He was almost blown away by the tremendous force that met him.


    Fortunately, he was no longer a weak chicken. He instinctively broke into a somersault in the air and landed steadily on the ground with his back to whatever that had attacked him.


    Then, he saw a figure slowly emerging from the air.


    The first thing that came to sight was the viscous blood that dripped from the burnt shell. As the figure moved, countless small, bright red cracks appeared on the surface of the burnt black skin.


    Immediately afterward, the burnt layer of skin began to peel off slowly.


    It was as if it was a molting snake.


    Breaking free of the old body, escaping death.


    Ushering in a new life.


    Bits and pieces of burnt dead skin peeled off from the body and fell to the ground with each spasm, but there was no sign of skin regeneration. Soon, it revealed a distorted and bloody face.


    As well as a pair of eyes that burned with hatred.


    Huai Shi sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°Dude, do you want me to call an ambulance for you?¡±


    Although the words came out of his mouth in a joking manner, his body betrayed him. He dropped the sacrificial knife in his hand and lifted the assault rifle.


    Once he was within ten meters of the creature, he began shooting and immediately emptied his magazine. Then, he skillfully pulled out a new magazine from his waistband and switched out the empty cartridge with one arm before continuing to fire.


    He had to start shooting! Would he be so stupid to just wait for the creature to come over and stab him?


    Huai Shi was doubtful about his chances against someone who could survive an explosion, but he would worry about that after firing his gun¡­ After the Book of Destiny¡¯s training, although Huai Shi dared not claim to be the king of guns, he was still skillful enough to protect himself. He was no longer the soft boy who could not even pull a trigger. The suppression troop gaped at him wide-eyed from behind as he single-handedly switched out the magazine, a skill he picked up just that morning.


    How dare he claim that he did not know martial arts!


    The moment Huai Shi pulled the trigger, the strange figure had tried dodging the bullets. Perhaps it had not expected Huai Shi to respond so quickly, as it did not even bother about him, instead choosing to focus on the border relic in his hand. When he saw the object being dropped from Huai Shi¡¯s hand, it instantly pounced forward, eager to snatch its weapon back.


    However, bullets were faster than beasts. In a flash, it was hit with twenty rounds of steel core bullets as a strange-looking shade of green blood splattered all over the ground.


    Taking advantage of the few seconds as Huai Shi switched out the empty bullet magazine, the figure crawled back into the ruins through the broken wall.


    The suppression troops were not idling away either. They were stunned at first for a few seconds, but had recovered quickly, responding with a flurry of bullets, almost turning the wall into a sieve with the sheer number of bullets they fired.


    After loading a new magazine, Huai Shi casually picked up the border relic from the ground and stuffed it into his vest. He did not rush over behind the wall to check either, but instead reached into one of the soldier¡¯s pockets and pulled out a grenade. He pulled the pin and waited a few seconds before throwing it out as hard as he could.


    Before he could hear the sound of an explosion, a figure dashed out from behind the broken wall as it wailed loudly, heading directly at Huai Shi.


    Bang!


    Huai Shi instinctively drew his knife out to defend himself, but he could sense the army knife breaking before he fell to the ground. He felt something cold sweeping across his face; it was ice-cold and sent chills running down his spine.


    It was a sharp bone.


    The chaotic gunshots came to an abrupt halt as the soldiers who surrounded him fell to the ground as if they had lost their strength.


    Through the gas mask, Huai Shi smelled a sweet fragrance as his vision began to blur.


    It was poison!


    He grabbed a handful of Disastrous Dust and threw it at the figure, who backed away right away. When he finally pulled himself up from the ground, he could feel his legs turning into jelly once more.


    Only now did he finally have a clear view of the newcomer¡¯s face.


    After surviving the missile explosion and being showered with bullets, the man looked as if he had merely peeled off a layer of skin. There was a layer of pink scales covering the newly regenerated skin as well as three weird horns on his forehead that were each a different color.


    What the hell?


    ¡°What are you waiting for? Finish him off!¡±


    Crow¡¯s voice rang in his ears with words of encouragement. ¡°There are only two stages to a Wailing Snake¡¯s stigma. It can only survive all that because it has a soul stronger than usual. Mind you, its poison is nothing compared to the medicine I¡¯ve been giving you every day!¡±


    ¡®Can you don¡¯t spout bullsh*t at a time like this!¡¯


    Huai Shi retorted furiously in his head. ¡®I don¡¯t even know what you feed me every day!¡¯


    Before he could respond to Crow, the Wailing Snake Ascender pounced forward again, the sharp bone protrusion in his hand going straight for his throat, with every movement swift and forceful¡­ However, Huai Shi could not help but find his opponent¡¯s fighting stance funny.


    Dude, are you okay?


    Huai Shi easily dodged the sudden attack and pulled out the sacrificial knife that was tucked into his chest. He twisted the knife in his air as he gripped onto it tightly before thrusting it forward.


    Both figures brushed by each other, but before Huai Shi could steady himself, he heard a shrill scream from behind.


    The sacrificial knife had left a huge gash in the Wailing Snake¡¯s shell from his shoulder all the way down to his lower back, revealing the colorful bones beneath.


    The moment the sacrificial knife drew blood, the layer of charcoal ash above it disappeared as if washed away, and a bronze glow shone through.


    As if being sucked by the knife, the trickle of blood that remained on the edge of the knife converged along the edge, forming small beads of blood. However, the wound it had opened showed no trace of blood, but instead, shriveled up like a piece of dry wood.


    The sight of it was strangely terrifying.


    [1] This line is quoted from the movie The East Is Red, and is said to have inspired the combination of modern weapons and traditional Chinese martial arts in Hong Kong Wuxia action movies.

 Chapter 51

    ¡°That good huh?¡±


    After recovering from his shock, Huai Shi was immediately overjoyed as his confidence began to swell. This time, he did not wait for his opponent to attack and instead initiated the first move.


    The sacrificial knife was not exactly long, just slightly longer than the ordinary dagger, so it was a perfect fit with Huai Shi¡¯s dagger skills.


    His LV8 Roman Dagger Kickboxing technique had come in handy when he fought against Red Glove. That technique of his had reached a professional level of mastery and was no longer just a flowery technique used for showing off. Now, it had evolved into a lethal killing move.


    Suddenly, Wailing Snake felt an excruciating pain that interrupted his anger.


    All it wanted to do was to take back the sacred relic given by the Lord and play around with a weak chicken along the way to vent his anger. However, it did not expect to have kicked over a beehive.


    Where did such an abnormal guy pop out from?


    This weird guy was reacting in a strange way, and not only was he unafraid of snake venom, his knife skills were terribly good too. He had also directly skipped two stages and completely beaten his *ss without even having a stigma¡­


    ¡°F*ck off!¡±


    He shrieked as he used his bone blade to parry Huai Shi¡¯s knife. Then, he turned swiftly in an attempt to flee, only to see a row of people standing behind him. When they saw that he was attempting to escape, they immediately started shooting, as if trying to force him into a duel with Huai Shi.


    Wailing Snake was so frustrated it was going to lose its mind.


    Even in a tense combat situation where it was being suppressed by soldiers with weapons, would he¡ªa second stage Gold-grade Ascender¡ªbe afraid of a newbie who did not even have a stigma?


    He should grab a hostage now before thinking of his next step!


    As Huai Shi continued attacking aggressively, Wailing Snake¡¯s teeth suddenly increased in size and sprayed out a water-like venom, which quickly transformed into a white spray of mist in the air. As the white mist moved through the air, the nearby stones that came into contact with it started to melt.


    Huai Shi was shocked and quickly backed away, but Wailing Snake seized the opportunity and forced an attack. Ignoring the danger, it reached out and grabbed the blood-sucking knife while its other free arm reached for Huai Shi¡¯s neck.


    All of a sudden, its vision went black as it heard an ear-deafening gunshot.


    With one hand still gripping the knife, Huai Shi¡¯s other hand had reached for his handgun inside his vest. He then held it against Wailing Snake¡¯s temple and pulled the trigger continuously.


    Although the small-caliber bullet could not penetrate Wailing Snake¡¯s skull, the impact of the bullet was still just as substantial as if it had. Wailing Snake was instantly stunned, unsure if its brain had been blown out of its head.


    ¡°Let go!¡±


    Huai Shi drew the sacrificial knife in his hand and struggled to get out of Wailing Snake¡¯s grip. As the edge of the knife cut through the air, a ball of white elementium fire ignited in his hand, exerting the weight of an ax onto the knife. Then, with a swift swing of his arm, Huai Shi sliced off one of Wailing Snake¡¯s arms, before quickly drawing his knife to take another swing.


    With two quick swings, he had sliced off both of Wailing Snake¡¯s arms.


    After absorbing all the fresh blood, the sacrificial knife that was previously chipped seemed to have repaired itself. It went from looking like an old piece of tattered bronze scrap to having its original bronzy glow restored, as if it was freshly forged. Moreover, it suddenly seemed to have a change of heart and started to absorb Huai Shi¡¯s elementium.


    ¡°Stealing my elementium? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Huai Shi was amused. How dare it steal a negativity machine¡¯s elementium? The sacrificial sword must be making a mistake.


    He simply turned his Disastrous Dust into elementium and mixed it together with a huge dose of Heart Poison before pumping it throughout his body. The sword could suck all it wanted if it wished to.


    At first, the sword continued gulping down as much elementium as it could, but when it finally noticed that something was wrong, the Trapping Hand had already gripped it by the handle such that it was forced to continue absorbing. It was as if it was forcing it to gulp down chili water, allowing it to chug to its heart¡¯s content.


    In the end, the sword trembled violently and let out a wailing sound, seemingly begging for mercy.


    The pure negative energy and deadly poison had tortured it to the point where it was choking and desperately gasping for air. It had returned to its rusty state in which Huai Shi had found it earlier as it stayed in his grip obediently, not daring to try anything funny anymore.


    Now that he had settled what was going on in his body, it was time to return his focus to the battle.


    Huai Shi raised the sacrificial knife and flipped the edge of the blade before continuing his attack on Wailing Snake. The Trapping Hand exerted a force as great as an ax would, and soon enough, the Wailing Snake fell to the ground. It continued twitching for a bit before finally falling silent.


    It was as though a tiger had left his hills and descended to the plains, only to be insulted by a dog. After being served several rounds of missiles and explosives, a Gold-grade powerhouse that could have easily defeated Huai Shi ended up being beaten instead. Not only that, under Crow¡¯s stubborn persuasion, its three horns had also been chopped off and taken away by Huai Shi as well.


    Those were incredibly valuable.


    The poison and essence of Wailing Snake¡¯s stigma were contained in them. If they managed to extract it and purify it, it could be used to brew plenty of detox potions for neurotoxins.


    ¡°These can probably be sold for tens of thousands,¡± Crow said before pausing for a second before continuing, ¡°Per gram.¡±


    After hearing these words, Huai Shi, who was initially still hesitating, immediately decided to take the risk and go ahead.


    It was good stuff!


    A high-level Ascender like Wailing Snake was indeed precious!


    After Huai Shi finished up his task, the suppression troop that had been waiting aside for a long time immediately rushed over and put multiple layers of shackles on the dying Wailing Snake that was barely even breathing.


    First, they placed shackles to bound its body, followed by an explosive collar around its neck that could block off its stigma. Then, they injected a few tubes of colorful drugs into the carotid artery on its neck using a syringe gun. Finally, they inserted a nail that was approximately seven or eight centimeters long into its neck. Huai Shi jumped slightly as he watched out of the corner of his eye.


    Was there a need to be this ruthless?


    The macho men of the suppression troop looked calm and collected as one of them gave him a wave as if to say that this was basic protocol. Perhaps Chief Fu was ordering this to serve as a warning for someone else¡­ In his head, Huai Shi reminded himself not to mess around in the interior anymore.


    Nevertheless, there seemed to only be one fish that had narrowly missed the net. Huai Shi went around the ruins to check once again, but nothing jumped out at him this time around.


    Unfortunately, there was no sight of Wang Hai either, not even his corpse.


    Technically, a weakling like him who was not even an Ascender should not be able to survive the missile explosion, which was why Huai Shi was so suspicious. How strong was this fellow to be able to survive Red Glove? Even now, as his corpse was nowhere to be seen, it was likely he was probably hiding somewhere trying to plot his next step.


    In the woods far away, Crow whistled and looked in the direction of another small hill.


    Earlier, from the moment the bomb dropped from the sky, the group of human figures who could be seen hiding in the dark had immediately turned around. Ditching their comrades, they fled wildly without even looking back, like old peasants who had just been caught red-handed for stealing watermelons.


    From that, she could only conclude that the way Wang Hai was able to warn his accomplices was way scarier than whatever plots he was hatching.


    Crow watched everything unfold from the beginning to the end from the sidelines but said nothing, only fluttering her wings every now and then, causing her feathers to fall to the ground.


    Carried by the wind, the feather landed on the back of his naked neck, and just like a droplet of diluted ink, it sank into his skin, turning into something akin to a sunburn mark.


    What kind of fish can this bait attract in this slough?


    She was indeed curious.


    .


    .


    ¡°Good job.¡±


    Ai Qing cast a glance at Wailing Snake, who was locked in the cage. ¡°I say, we caught a big fish this time.¡±


    Chief Fu heaved a heavy sigh as he looked at the ruins that had been burned to the ground. The Astronomical Association might have had fun calling an air raid, but the Special Affairs Bureau was the one in charge of cleaning up the aftermath.


    This group of people was indeed tough, otherwise, they would not be able to get even a single confession from them.


    What puzzled him more was Ai Qing¡¯s hardcore Russian Federation-style logic.


    However, he still had her to thank for this rash and extreme measure, now that they had successfully avoided a potentially risky ambush. Just one look at the remains on sight was enough to make one flinch.


    Something that bothered him even more was the fact that so many border mutants had appeared in the interior.


    The number of monstrosities was enough to form a group to start a head-on war with their modern troops¡­


    He lit a cigarette in frustration. ¡°What the hell are those people at Customs doing?¡±


    ¡°Although it¡¯s tempting to bring it up with that useless bunch, unfortunately, Customs has nothing to do with this.¡±


    Ai Qing let out a heavy sigh and continued in a pitiful tone, suggesting another possibility, ¡°What if they¡¯re not being smuggled across the border, but they¡¯re being raised here in the interior?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± Chief Fu was stunned at her suggestion but immediately frowned.


    If that was truly the case, everything made sense. It added up when he thought of where the Savior¡¯s Association had been hiding all their stolen money and resources, as well as the reason behind their continuous effort in climbing ranks to obtain certain privileges.


    However, this also meant that the severity of the situation had increased again.


    The ironic part was that the Special Affairs Bureau only found out after Green Day, the terrorist organization, had exposed it. The Savior¡¯s Association had been totally hush-hush about their movements, quietly developing along the coastal areas over the past few years, which was why the Special Affairs Bureau had absolutely no knowledge about it.


    From this, it was highly likely that someone behind the scenes was covering this up to keep them safe and allow them to continue thriving¡­


    The most troublesome thing was that unlike normal farm animals that could grow healthily after being fed some grass or hay, border mutants were extremely sensitive to their environments, perhaps even more so than most endangered animals. Whether it was air or food, even the depth of their surroundings would greatly affect their growth and development.


    Aside from the Astronomical Association that had closed down all biological experiments involving large living creatures, there were only a few other institutions that were capable of doing so.


    As it happens, among the few remaining institutions, one was especially known for their ability to groom border mutants¡­


    ¡°The People of the Pure Land.¡±


    The words came out like a strained moan as Chief Fu massaged his temples. ¡°D*mn it, we¡¯re in deep sh*t then. Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t we already have a test subject in front of us now?¡±


    Ai Qing raised her head to look at Wailing Snake in the cage, the look in her eyes deep and meaningful. ¡°If it¡¯s really that gang of lunatics, you won¡¯t be able to get any answers out of them. So, why don¡¯t we reuse the trash now?


    When the People of the Pure Land accomplish Ascension through the aid of external forces, an imprint of their Lord would be left in their souls. From then onward, everything, including the creature¡¯s life and flesh body, every drop of blood, and every piece of flesh, ultimately belongs to the ultimate Lord.


    At the Elysium in Hell, whether it was a believer or a messenger, all living creatures were nothing but stockpiled food. Once they were deemed to have lost their value, they became meals at banquets for those in the higher ranks¡­¡±


    She looked as Chief Fu as she spoke, his expression changing every now and then. After a long pause, he heaved a helpless sigh and waved his arm at her. ¡°It¡¯s up to you then. I¡¯ll sign the papers later.¡±


    With that, Ai Qing turned away contentedly and beckoned at Huai Shi.


    Huai Shi, who was idling away in the corner, jumped in shock, and after looking around him to confirm that Ai Qing was indeed calling him over, he could not help but feel a sense of uneasiness wash over him.


    ¡°Dude¡­¡± He lingered on the spot, clearly reluctant to get any closer to her. ¡°Even if I¡¯m a brick that belongs to the Astronomical Association, it¡¯s not appropriate to move me around every single day, right?¡±


    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m not asking you to leap into the line of fire.¡±


    Ai Qing pointed at the sacrificial knife in his pocket and continued, ¡°Give that to me.¡±


    Huai Shi hesitated slightly before finally taking the knife out. He turned the knife over and passed it to her blade-first. ¡°Be careful, this thing is quite evil.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a Grade B border relic, the risks it holds is still very controllable.¡±


    Completely unbothered by what Huai Shi had just said, she took out a handkerchief and wrapped it around the knife before taking it from Huai Shi. Immediately after the knife left Huai Shi¡¯s hand, it began to act up once again. It started to shake and let out a low wail that made one¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Ai Qing propped up her crutches with one hand and lifted herself from the wheelchair. With the other arm holding the knife, she stepped forward nonchalantly and moved nearer to the cage. Then, she reached through the cage bars and stabbed the Wailing Snake Ascender in the throat.


    Bang!

 Chapter 52

    Pop!


    It was like popping open a water balloon.


    Blood spewed out.


    However, once the blood fell upon the knife, it quickly disappeared as it was absorbed into the blade. As the blood irrigated it, the gap in the blade grew and recovered, as if time was being reversed, until finally, a gorgeous golden pattern appeared on the copper blade.


    A fake antique from a roadside stall had turned into a genuine work of art.


    It looked intricate and fine, as if someone had cast it with their life.


    Ai Qing took a step back, ignoring the desperate cries that came from the tip of the blade, and pulled the blade out of Wailing Snake¡¯s throat indifferently. She shook the blood off the tip of the blade and returned it to Huai Shi.


    ¡°For the time being, it¡¯s still considered pretty useful. Even though its appetite is quite large, it¡¯s not bad when dealing with powerful living creatures¡ªif this kind of illegal equipment shows up in the market, there will be a lot of trouble. You should look after it carefully.¡± She glanced at Chief Fu who seemed like he wanted to say something but did not know how to get the words out of his mouth. ¡°After all¡­it is also the Astronomical Association¡¯s responsibility to store dangerous items.¡±


    Just like that, she had blatantly designated this border relic, whose threat level was most definitely Grade C and above, as a Grade D threat, and had used storage as an excuse to make it the Astronomical Association¡¯s possession.


    As soon as they had gotten their hands on it, it had already been given to this Huai kid¡­ was that not too outrageous?


    Before he could protest, Chief Fu heard a bone-chilling noise.


    The temperature of the corpse that was slowly losing its vitality was not decreasing, but blood no longer spewed from its wounds. Instead, it was replaced by plumes of black smoke that rose from the corpse¡¯s limbs.


    The black smoke resembled a viscous liquid as it covered Wailing Snake¡¯s corpse inch by inch, like it was swallowing the corpse.


    This was quickly followed by gruesome chewing noises.


    Every time they heard a chew, a huge chunk would disappear from the corpse as if it was being eaten by some invisible entity. Until finally, the black mist dissipated silently.


    Beneath the layers of shackles, only a pile of pale bones remained.


    The spirit, the flesh, and even the bone marrow had disappeared completely. Even if they were thrown into a pot and boiled for a long time, the resulting liquid would still end up like a pot of boiling water.


    There was so little calcium that there was barely anything to absorb.


    A gentle breeze blew past, and the bones silently crumbled into a pile of ashes.


    The short ¡°banquet¡± had ended with everyone¡¯s dull expressions.


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll be relying on you to take care of what happens next.¡±


    Ai Qing nodded at Chief Fu calmly. ¡°I will submit an assistance report to the upper management, and I will ask the Social Security Bureau and the Special Affairs Bureau to cooperate.¡±


    Chief Fu was quiet for a while, then he nodded dryly.


    Next, the responsibility of cleaning up the scene belonged to the Special Affairs Bureau. Once again, the pattern repeated itself whereby Ai Qing and certain benefits came hand in hand, and Huai Shi got to enjoy being picked up by a personal driver.


    It was like being a leader who had gone out an expedition, and after arriving at his destination and conducting his meeting, he had taken with him some local products before being sent back the same way he had come.


    ¡°That¡¯s right, come tomorrow afternoon.¡±


    Before he left, Ai Qing said to him, ¡°There¡¯s a delivery for you.¡±


    ¡°What delivery?¡±


    ¡°East Wind?¡±


    Huai Shi glanced at Ms. Wheelchair, who had just washed the floors with missiles, and did not dare to ask further questions.


    In short, it seemed like in the blink of an eye, the task had been completed. Equipment +1, Material +3, Experience +5¡­ like it had also buried the foreshadowing of the mainline.


    He still had a lot of doubts in his mind, but fortunately, he would find a way soon enough.


    Huai Shi took out his phone and opened his contacts.


    So, which lucky friend of his would get the opportunity to treat him to lunch and answer his questions?


    .


    .


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    Half an hour later, at New Ocean¡¯s hottest Quanque Banquet Hall, Liu Dongli spewed out the tea he had just drunk, choking violently.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Person of the Pure Land?¡±


    Huai Shi had a dumbfounded look on his face.


    Liu Dongli spent a long time gasping before he could finally catch his breath, before asking in a whisper, ¡°You¡¯re sure it¡¯s Elysium, People of the Pure Land?¡±


    Just as Huai Shi nodded, Dongli put his hands together in front of him in a gesture of respect, then opened his mouth to speak. However, no words came out. He quickly pushed Old Liu¡¯s hands down. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to turn yourself into Three Hua Tuos[1], brother. What the hell are the People of the Pure Land?¡±


    ¡°An illegal religious organization.¡±


    Liu Dongli¡¯s explanation was concise, and he was now wiping the cold sweat off his brow, feeling very afraid. ¡°My friend, why did you get involved in this kind of trouble? They¡¯re a group of psychos.¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡± Huai Shi nodded understandingly. ¡°I¡¯ve seen them¡­¡±


    Liu Dongli was so angry he hit the back of his head again. ¡°Can you be a little more serious, brother? If this isn¡¯t handled properly, you¡¯re not the only one who will be done for, the entire New Ocean might be goners too.¡±


    ¡°But even if you say that, I can¡¯t exactly back out¡­¡± Huai Shi thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°Compared to Green Day, who¡¯s more powerful?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Dongli was stumped by his odd question for a long time. Huai Shi did not know if there were some thoughts brewing in his head, or if he was just trying to stabilize his train of thoughts.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t the same¡­ category.¡±


    He talked for a long time, but he did not know how to explain it to Huai Shi concisely, so he could only spread it out and say, ¡°Let¡¯s put it this way, Green Day is a group of anti-social, crazy people, but most of their attacks are targeted at the Astronomical Association, do you understand?¡±


    Huai Shi thought for a while before slapping his knee. ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Liangshan Heroes[2]?¡±


    ¡°¡­It¡¯s probably similar. Even though Liangshan Heroes and Green Day aren¡¯t good people, their main goal is to kill their way up to the top, steal the throne, then make their big brother the king, the second brother the second king, and the next person the great general or whatnot. In the end, it¡¯s all internal struggles.¡±


    Liu Dongli sighed, then put down his cup. ¡°Now, back to People of the Pure Land¡ªthey¡¯re a lot more complicated than Green Day.¡±


    ¡°Mm, go ahead.¡± Huai Shi nodded and quietly took note.


    ¡°Their base is within the hell beyond the borders, in a place called Elysium. Even if the Astronomical Association can figure out their exact coordinates, they would not be able to eliminate all of them. Over the past few years, they¡¯ve caused all kinds of trouble. I heard that this was how Manchester fell¡­ but in the end, it¡¯s not them who are the biggest threats, it¡¯s what¡¯s behind them.¡±


    When he heard ¡°Manchester¡±, which sounded familiar to him, Huai Shi was temporarily stunned. Nevertheless, Liu Dongli very quickly recaptured his attention with his next topic:


    ¡°What they worship is something that the Astronomical Association had calculated based on the previous president¡¯s predictions. It¡¯s one of the ¡®Twenty-Four Elements of Destruction¡¯, some call it ¨C¡¯Rancher¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Elements of Destruction?¡± Huai Shi was stunned. ¡°Why is something that sounds so powerful called ¡®Rancher¡¯? Does he raise cattle?¡±


    ¡°¡­Something like that.¡±


    Liu Dongli continued numbly, ¡°It¡¯s called an Element of Destruction because, according to the assessment of the Astronomical Association, there is a high probability that it has the ability or qualifications to destroy those within the interior.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a gentle thing like a nuclear bomb, instead, it can force more distorted qualitative change and subversion. In short, it has the power to completely transform the interior into hell¡­


    ¡°You should regard it as a Great World-Destroying Demon King.


    ¡°Supposedly, there are another 23 powerful creatures just like it. So far, only a few have been announced. One of their remains might already be a common sight to you.¡±


    As he said this, he pointed toward the sky outside the window.


    Huai Shi looked out curiously at the blue afternoon sky, where white clouds floated above, along with traces of a school of fish. They appeared amongst the corals in the clouds, sending waves and ripples of water toward the ground.


    He was first dazed, then confused, before finally, falling into dismay.


    ¡°Hold on, coral clouds?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±


    Liu Dongli was expressionless as he took a sip of his tea. ¡°More precisely, it should be called the Old Gaia. It represents the old world that was destroyed¡­ Nevertheless, those things are too distant from you now. All you need to know is that those coral clouds that are now floating in the sky are the creature¡¯s corpse.


    ¡°Rancher, Heaven, Piper, Old Gaia, The Man in Gray, Golden Dawn¡­out of the nine Elements of Destruction that have been announced so far, the Rancher takes first place.


    ¡°According to the rumors that have been going around beneath the surface, it might even be involved in the collective fall of the old deities back in 1650. The depth of the water in its back is immeasurable, and it¡¯s more than enough to drown a hundred thousand you¡¯s.


    ¡°How¡¯s that? Are you afraid now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi was quiet for a long time, then he raised his hand. ¡°May I ask, did I hear you say¡­ Heaven?¡±


    Liu Dongli gave him a long, confused look. ¡°Ah, yes, it was Heaven. It literally means Heaven. I can¡¯t give you a more detailed answer than that. Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°No reason, just asking.¡±


    Huai Shi smiled awkwardly, he felt as if he had heard that term somewhere before, but he could not place the thought. Thus, all he could do was scratch his head. ¡°You haven¡¯t told me why the hell it is called ¡®Rancher¡¯.¡±


    ¡°To put it simply, it¡¯s probably got something to do with the food chain.¡±


    Liu Dongli scratched his head, picked up his chopsticks, and drew a circle around everything before Huai Shi¡¯s eyes. Then finally, he picked up a sparrow leg from the dry pot that had just been served.


    ¡°You see, to those psychos that call themselves the People of the Pure Land, the world is one big food chain that runs through the interior, the border and hell.


    ¡°It¡¯s like the sheep eating grass, and humans eating sheep. If the priests regard their followers as their flock, and themselves as the shepherds, then sitting at the top of this deformed food chain from hell, wouldn¡¯t the one who commands all the shepherds be called the Rancher?¡±


    ¡°After the essence of the gods was distorted by hell, it can be said that the Rancher is the pure God of Evil.


    ¡°To it, the whole world is nothing but one big ranch. Every living creature is nothing but its food.


    ¡°And what the People of the Pure Land are seeking is to merge themselves with their God at the top of the of the food chain, to become the Rancher¡¯s incarnate¡­ This so-called Elysium is just one big snack plate to the Rancher, and they¡¯re nothing but tools used to clean the Rancher¡¯s plate. Some of these tools can even be used as food if required¡­ that¡¯s it.¡±


    He paused for a moment, then stuffed the glazed sparrow leg into his mouth. He said whilst chewing loudly,


    ¡°Now, do you understand?¡±T


    [1] A Chinese meme where they edit three pictures of the Chinese physician Hua Tuo side by side, in gradually increasing or decreasing sizes, with a sequence of captions


    [2] Characters from Water Margin, a 14th-century Chinese novel

 Chapter 53

    Ten minutes later, Huai Shi finally reacted.


    ¡®Did I get targeted by some dark force?¡¯


    ¡°Why?¡± Huai Shi slammed his hand down on the table in distress. ¡°I just kicked him twice, why does he have to be like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more than that! I saw it clear as day.¡± Liu Dongli held up his finger to correct him. ¡°Not only did you break his pinky, yank his hair, steal his box, and kick him in the crotch, you even kicked him twice! If I were Wang Hai, I would not forgive you.¡±


    ¡°You beat him up too, how did you forget that so quickly?¡±


    ¡°Spare me, I¡¯m just a gigolo.¡± Liu Dongli blinked, seemingly pleased with himself. ¡°Look at me, weak, scrawny, helpless, and pitiful.¡±


    ¡°And bald.¡±


    Huai Shi added.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough! My hair is growing out already!¡± Huai Shi was so angry he ripped his wig off and leaned over, pointing at his disheveled hairline. ¡°Can you see that? See? It¡¯s growing out already!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fast. But if it grows fast, it¡¯ll fall off fast too.¡±


    Huai Shi did not even bother to look at him and simply ate his rice disinterestedly.


    Besides, this roasted pigeon was rather delicious. Since Liu DongIi was the one paying, he did not hold back and ordered another bowl of soup.


    As if aware of Huai Shi¡¯s lethargy, Liu Dongli stubbed out his cigarette and pushed the dishes that had been served over to Huai Shi¡¯s side.


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be scared, they¡¯re just a few small lackeys, and you don¡¯t have to face Rancher directly. Don¡¯t underestimate the Astronomical Association, little guy, they¡¯re your support, and they¡¯re the most powerful in the world. Even if Rancher appears in the interior, it will be beaten back to Elysium. Even if you have to enter the battle, it¡¯ll probably just be to defeat a few lackeys.¡±


    He suggested, ¡°If you feel that you can¡¯t do it, just resign.¡±


    Huai Shi paused for a moment, then lowered his head and continued chewing on the pigeon leg until it was nothing but bones before throwing it onto the plate. He grabbed a tissue and wiped his hand.


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not scared.¡± He said. ¡°Just¡­ a little angry.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how powerful Rancher is, I don¡¯t have to worry about that, do I?¡± Huai Shi looked up, and spoke seriously, ¡°But, why? I just wanted to live a decent life, why is that so hard?¡±


    Liu Dongli was stunned and went silent for a while. Then he shook his head and sighed.


    ¡°Because life was never meant to be easy, Huai Shi.¡± He said, ¡°Sometimes, it seems like Ascenders have more choices than regular people. But oftentimes, no one has a choice.


    ¡°Unexpected things are bound to happen, and it will make you feel pain and uneasiness, but you still have to try to accept it. It doesn¡¯t matter if you want it or not, this is your life.


    ¡°When you become an Ascender, you might as well have bid farewell to your past life, Huai Shi. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re still stuck in the past.¡±


    He looked at the youngster with a conflicted expression. ¡°If all you want is a peaceful life, it¡¯s quite simple, even I can help you with that¡ªchange your name and identity, you can just turn around and leave, then start a new life in another city.¡±


    Huai Shi shook his head without hesitation. ¡°My home is here, I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Your home is just an empty shell.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still my home.¡± The young man replied calmly. ¡°As long as it¡¯s still there, it doesn¡¯t matter if I end up like a pitiful dog in the outside world, at least I¡¯ll still be a dog with a home.


    ¡°Without it, I¡¯d be nothing but a stray.¡±


    Liu Dongli was silent.


    He did not say anything else and patted the boy¡¯s shoulder.


    .


    .


    After they finished their meal, Liu Dongli spent a heck of a long time in the toilet, and only came out after applying God knows how much hair growth cream.


    After he paid the bill, he asked Huai Shi where he was going, and if he could take him on a ride.


    ¡°You bought another car?¡± Huai Shi was shocked.


    ¡°I rented it.¡±


    Liu Dongli opened the door and got into the driver¡¯s seat. After starting the engine, he drove onto the road. He looked out at the road and suddenly said, ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t I mentioned it earlier? I decided to go on a two-year vacation, and I¡¯ve finally finished packing everything over the past two days.¡± He rolled down the window and lit another cigarette. ¡°The plane leaves tomorrow before dawn, it will be departing from Jinling.¡±


    ¡°Where are you planning to go?¡±


    ¡°First, I¡¯ll be heading to America. I heard that there¡¯s plenty of fun places to visit in the free consortium cities.¡± Liu Dongli started talking about his lengthy travel plans. ¡°After that, I¡¯ll visit Rome or Egypt. I¡¯ll only return once I use up all my money.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    Huai Shi scratched his head. ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    Liu Dongli shook his head, smiling, but did not say another word. He just reached down to grab a paper bag and tossed it at Huai Shi.


    ¡°This is for you.¡±


    Huai Shi took the paper bag and opened it. Inside, there was a flat, rectangular box. When he took it out, he saw the logo marked on it and could barely believe his eyes.


    ¡°Where did you get this?¡±


    ¡°A Roman friend had given this to me last time, and I had forgotten about it, so I never opened it. I only found it again when I was packing. However, now most people use their phones to listen to music, so I didn¡¯t know what to do with it.¡± Liu Dongli said, ¡°If you like it, you can have it.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll keep it.¡±


    Huai Shi quirked his brow in glee. He ripped open the box¡¯s plastic seal and the ¡°Cowon¡± logo, to reveal a palm-sized music player within the box.


    It had a brass-colored body and manual dual-control adjustment buttons on the upper side¡­ He loved it so much he did not want to put it down.


    It even made him happier than getting that border relic.


    In this day and age, where everyone was starting to get used to using mobile phones, very few people would remember such a thing as the MP3 player. It had been cast aside, just like CD players were. Other than a small number of enthusiasts, very few people would pay attention to such a relic of the past.


    Moreover, the price of those that remained was increasing every day.


    A music player like this was enough to pay for a good handmade cello.


    If he had gotten another present of the same value, he might not have accepted it. However, the things that Liu Dongli chose did not leave him with space for hesitation.


    Having said that, he had damaged a car worth millions and had accepted a music player worth 10 thousand bucks. Regardless, he shrugged off the burden on his conscience.


    He¡¯d just treat this as a thank-you gift for the Overlord Hair Growth Set.


    Looking at the smiling youngster in the passenger seat, Liu Dongli could not figure out what the hell he was thinking. He just shook his head and sighed,


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be young¡­¡±


    Finally, the car stopped in front of the chalcedony museum¡¯s entrance. Huai Shi got down from the car, put aside the music player satisfactorily, and waved goodbye. ¡°Have a safe trip, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal once you get back.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡±


    Liu Dongli smiled and waved goodbye. ¡°Just look after yourself.¡±


    Then, he drove off.


    Huai Shi watched as Old Liu¡¯s silhouette disappear with an empty feeling in his heart. He stood still for a long time, then shook his head, trying his best to chase away that hint of sadness.


    He could not be sad anymore, if he continued being sad he would be gay¡­


    He could only wish Old Liu a safe trip.


    In reality, the moment he got home, he started feeling down again.


    Crow landed on the table before him. She had put on a surgical mask and white coat, whilst a mini stethoscope hung around her neck. She even had a tube of dark green medicine clamped beneath her wing.


    ¡°Come, it¡¯s time for your physical examination!¡±


    She retrieved a pair of glasses out of nowhere and propped them on top of her beak, her voice gentle and charming. ¡°Let sister see if your puberty is going normally¡­¡±


    If only it was not a crow talking.


    ¡®Is there a problem with my graphics card?¡¯


    Huai Shi sighed and leaned back against the chair, letting her do whatever she wanted.


    In reality, it was not much different than the basic physical examination at a hospital, so much so that it had almost become a daily routine. His weight and height would be measured, and his blood would be drawn to be tested in some kind of odd reagent.


    Because of Huai Shi¡¯s knowledge of alchemy, which was close to none, he could not tell what was going on. He did not need to see what was going on either. When it came to his own body, he had better intuition than any fancy test.


    His puberty was starting to speed up.


    If the initial process was gradually gaining speed, he had now sped onto the highway and was rushing forward, accelerating exponentially.


    Every day, he could clearly feel his body¡¯s growth. The itch and the pain he felt from his elongating bones had woken him up from his dreams quite a few times.


    After the soreness he felt from his growing muscles in the past two days had passed, his heartbeat started feeling irregular again. He kept feeling the phantom pain from his internal organs and his limbs.


    Barely a week had passed and he had already grown 4cm. The measurements of his previous clothes were ready to be thrown away.


    Moreover, he could start to see muscle definition in his skinny arms and legs.


    Especially in his hands, where his nails were growing very fast. He was now cutting his nails on average once a day. Every time the blade cut his nails, he could smell an almost hallucinatory-like scent of sulfur.


    According to Crow, this was a side effect of enhanced strengthening.


    Because the direction of his ascension seemed to be perceptual, even if he finished growing, his muscle strength might not ascend to a point of exaggeration.


    As compensation, some parts of his key muscles and bones would be strengthened. His nerve response speed and visceral load capacity would improve, and most importantly, his sight, hearing, sense of smell, and touch would be enhanced as well.


    According to Crow¡¯s evaluation, this type of perception style was the most suitable for survival. He could see far, smell clear, hear widely, and have explosive strength. He could run very fast too¡­ like an old dog, constantly sliding out of reach. Without the use of special equipment, there was no way he would be caught.


    Additionally, with the constant death that came with his ¡°Premonition of Death¡±, Huai Shi felt as if he could stay alive for a very long time.


    There was only one flaw.


    He did not know why, but recently he had started looking paler. He looked just like a little white face[1], and the type who put powder on his face too. His tanned arms had become as white as jade, whilst even the veins beneath his skin had started to become visible.


    This made Huai Shi, who was longing for a macho look, extremely uncomfortable.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a little too feminine?¡±


    He looked at himself in the mirror. ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more normal?¡±


    ¡°It seems like the medicine is working well.¡±


    Crow seemed to be satisfied with her achievements and took off the glasses. ¡°If you continue developing at this pace, you will be able to enter the earth in another week or so.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Huai Shi was alarmed.


    ¡°Hm? Did I accidentally say something?¡± Crow blinked innocently.


    ¡°I think I heard someone say, ¡®enter the earth¡¯?¡±


    ¡°I think you might have had an auditory hallucination, no?¡±


    Crow averted her gaze and seemed to sigh helplessly. ¡°These are some of the regular symptoms of the developmental stage, it¡¯s just like puberty, some shameful things are bound to happen¡­ you should get used to it.¡±


    [1] A term used to describe male sugar babies, typically with pale and smooth skin because they were being taken care of by an older woman

 Chapter 54

    In the quiet study, Ai Qing was gazing at the phone on the table silently. The light that rose from the screen interweaved into an invisible screen in the air, revealing a man with a stiff expression who was sitting at a workstation.


    She said, ¡°I want to check the progress of the report I submitted.¡±


    After a moment of silence, the stiff-looking clerk moved his gaze away from the screen and replied, ¡°Your application for reinforcements has been approved. Per the laws governing the Ascenders in the country, communications have been made with the East Asian Social Security Bureau. A reply will be received within one working day.


    ¡°It is the duty of every invigilator to eradicate the threats toward the interior. Please continue to pay attention to the current situation and make sure it doesn¡¯t worsen before the incident can be resolved.¡±


    Transmitted¡­


    Ai Qing sighed.


    In recent years, as the pressure outside the border gradually weakened, the United Nations had begun to further the restrictions to the Astronomical Association¡¯s rights. Now, in a country with strong sovereignty, a frontline invigilator like her did not even have the qualifications to retain the department of the armed forces. The staffing had become scarcer, gradually changing from the original action agency to an observation agency.


    Regarding Wuchang¡¯s growing strength, the Governance Bureau had chosen to make concessions and handed the daily military operations to the host country to act as a proxy to prevent sovereignty disputes.


    No, perhaps more accurately, it should be said that within the Governance Bureau, a fierce struggle had begun between the sovereign faction and the border faction have begun?


    As Wuchang¡¯s agents started demanding more rights and resources, conflict was unavoidable. If this continued, maybe there¡¯ll be a day when she had to go to work at the Special Affairs Bureau herself?


    But was it not too lax to still retain such conservative attitudes regarding matters that involved the Elements of Destruction? Or did they intend to let the situation get worse first before coming to clean up everything at the end?


    There were too many possibilities, it was too hard to guess.


    She rubbed her brows, no longer thinking about that absurd problem. She asked,


    ¡°What about the other application?¡±


    The clerk operated on the computer then looked up and replied, ¡°The ¡®Relic Application¡¯ you submitted has been approved -¡±


    As he was speaking, he retrieved a form from the vacuum pipe beside him, and inspected its contents and reply. ¡°Application for border relic number 1752, Grade S threat level, Erosion ¨C Faust.¡±


    He looked up and said, ¡°You¡¯re allowed to inquire about it three times, please follow the relevant regulations and focus on reading Articles 6, 7 and 19, please confirm when you are finished.¡±


    A document appeared on Ai Qing¡¯s phone.


    She followed the regulations and glanced at it tentatively. Then she said, ¡°Done.¡±


    The clerk nodded, his finger tapped the air lightly a few times, and pulled a text box out of thin air. He turned to Ai Qing. ¡°Please read the following words, and ensure you comply.¡±


    Ai Qing read the words calmly, ¡°I will guarantee to be vigilant and skeptical about the things the border relic ¨C Faust says. I will guarantee that the inquiry about Faust will remain within the scope of the incident.


    ¡°I guarantee to follow the commandments.


    ¡°I will remain sane. And when necessary, I will give up personal freedom and accept the control of and personality correction from the technical department, above.¡±


    As soon as she finished reading, her signature appeared in the text box. It then quickly became a piece of A4 paper and slid into the hands of the clerk.


    ¡°Three questions, please use it carefully.¡±


    The clerk picked up the seal beside him and pressed it down.


    Pap!


    The crisp sound of the red seal falling upon the paper sounded like a bubble was popped. It echoed throughout the room, the invisible sound seemed to swirl in the space, making everything ripple in waves.


    Authorization had passed and was now in progress.


    Suddenly, Ai Qing had a felt a sense of weightlessness, as if she was on a slide or in a racecar. Then as quickly as it came, the odd feeling had stopped abruptly.


    The screen projected by the mobile phone had disappeared.


    In the quiet interior, a silent figure appeared, slowly condensing into substance.


    Border delivery.


    [B.I.F.R.O.S.T.], if this abbreviation was directly translated, it would be called ¡®Rainbow Bridge¡¯.


    It was one of the Three Major Blockades that was wrapped above the interior, it was also the one with the most widely spread information among the three safety valves that was built by the Astronomical Association to prevent the world from being destroyed.


    One of its most direct functions was the hundreds of thousands of passageways and transit stations that were erected above the interior, which could cast anyone at any place within the interior at any time.


    Even though many restrictions had been imposed to prevent abuse, it still inevitably became the most commonly used method of movement during emergencies.


    The sounds of clanging steel sounded.


    It was coming from the armor.


    It was a person with an indistinguishable age. His face was covered with a beard, his body was clad in heavy armor, and he was holding a big sword in his hand. On his head with braided hair, there were layers and layers of tattoos.


    Desolate and majestic.


    But his face made other¡¯s hearts palpitate with fear. Not only were his eyes sewn shut, and molten iron had been poured into his ears, forming a solid clump, even if he opened his mouth, there would be no trace of a tongue.


    No sight, no hearing, no sound.


    This was the caretaker of the border relic ¨C Faust, at the same time, he was also the safety bolt that would slice off the user¡¯s head if the relic ever lost control or if it was being operated illegally.


    He held a big sword in one hand, and a huge, heavy book in the other. The metal cover of the book and its lock were bound in layers. As the countless metal chains were loosened, the lock was opened.


    Along with the sound of thick, boiling liquid, countless words flew out from within, like headless flies crashing into each other.


    Until finally, they gathered together to form a rickety old man. When he fell onto the ground, he choked violently. His lungs were like an outdated engine, and he spewed out sparks, black smoke, and strands of black liquid.


    Before those things had even hit the ground, they were pulled back by an invisible force, back into the book.


    ¡°Hu -¡±


    That old man in a Roman-style robe straightened his back slowly, propping himself against his cane, and lamented softly, ¡°That feels a little more comfortable¡­some rare freedom. Who is the one who summoned me?¡±


    He looked around, his eerie gaze swept past his surroundings until finally, it landed on Ai Qing. He gave her a mocking smile, ¡°Ah, the interesting unfinished product, a broken soul.


    ¡°See, what did I say the last time? So we meet again, you little b*tch.¡±


    As he said that, he leaned over and sniffed at Ai Qing¡¯s hair without restraint.


    ¡°The fragrance of a virgin, what a pity. Aren¡¯t you a grown woman? Why is no one picking you?¡± He paused for a moment and giggled.


    ¡°Or is it that no one is interested at all? You only have one life, if you can¡¯t appreciate the beauty between the sexes, it would be too bleak. Do you need my help with that?¡±


    Zap!


    The sound of a stun gun flashed.


    The old man collapsed onto the ground, kneeling in front of her wheelchair, twitching violently. After a long time, whether it was from comfort or pain, he had raised his head stiffly. ¡°Oh, oh, oh¡­this feeling, are you trying to proclaim your ownership toward me? Toward a book? Hahaha, how pitiful.¡±


    As he said that, Faust gritted his teeth and smiled mockingly, opening his arms.


    ¡°¡ªDemon ¨C Faust, has been summoned. Please ask your questions, my¡­ ¡®mistress¡¯, If you can endure the price you have to pay to become all-knowing.¡±


    Suddenly, the armor-clad person behind him gripped the hilt of the sword.


    The first commandment, direct answers will be given for any questions asked, but a price will have to be paid regardless.


    The fourth commandment, do not to ask for anything from Faust.


    The ninth commandment, do not ask Faust about questions that are too wide-ranging, nor seek answers directly. The only proper method is to carry out indirect verification to reduce the cost.


    Ai Qing closed her eyes, ignoring the demon¡¯s wanton laughter, and began to think.


    After a long time, she opened her eyes and asked,


    ¡°Are the Saviour¡¯s current actions of his own volition?¡±


    Faust smiled eerily, stretched out his arm, and opened his palm. ¡°The price of this question is one Odysseus gold coin, the one you have with you.¡±


    Ai Qing furrowed her brows and looked at the armored man. The armored man did not react, nor did he have any objections.


    Depending on what the questions were, Faust would ask for the things that were found around the questioners, and it was not only limited to their possessions¡­most of the time, the price varied according to the difficulty of the answer to the question asked, but sometimes there were exceptions.


    Faust would always ask for things that were of great importance to the questioner, like a family member¡¯s life, or child sacrifice, or some other kind of sacrifice, etc.


    Therefore, there would usually be serious consequences.


    Otherwise, the Astronomical Association would not have let the Armored Man guard this book.


    If the cost of the question exceeded the limit, he would promptly chop the questioner¡¯s head off, to prevent Faust from telling them the answer and completing the deal.


    An Odysseus gold coin was still within the scope of acceptable costs.


    Ai Qing was silent for a moment, then she removed the gold coin from the silver chain around her neck and handed it over without saying anything else.


    Faust laughed gleefully as he held the gold coin, licking it greedily, as if he was thirsting for the sweat and scent that clung to the coin, and swallowed it whole.


    Then, he wiped his mouth in satisfaction, and answered her question:


    ¡°¡ªJust as a flying bird cannot stop a storm.¡±


    That meant that behind Wang Hai, someone was pulling the strings. Just what kind of plan was brewing?


    Ai Qing furrowed her brows.


    She had exchanged something extremely precious to her for just one sentence. Even though she came prepared, she still felt extremely unhappy.


    After being quiet for a while, she sighed, suppressing her anger.


    Then she asked the second question.


    ¡°Will their plan cause the Deep Hell ¨C Magic City to appear and transform?¡±


    ¡°Ah, an interesting question.¡± Faust smiled, looking around him. ¡°Let me think, what should this question cost? What should I take away? No, what should I leave to cause you unforgettable pain?¡±


    Very quickly, his gaze fell upon the wall.


    On the picture frame that was covered in dust.


    He looked back at Ai Qing¡¯s unpleasant expression and smiled in satisfaction.


    ¡°I want that.¡±


    The man with the sword did not react.


    Ai Qing was quiet as she gripped onto her armrest tightly. Beneath her pale skin, her veins were throbbing with anger. After a long time, she closed her eyes.


    ¡°Take it.¡±


    Faust laughed boisterously and snapped his fingers.


    The picture frame started to burn, the dust-proof clothe falling onto the ground. Within the dancing flames, you could vaguely see a silhouette holding a child.


    As if they were holding onto the world¡¯s most precious thing.


    The smile slowly disappeared behind the flames.


    ¡°¡­Answer me.¡±


    Ai Qing whispered, ¡°Answer my question, Faust.¡±

 Chapter 55

    ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Faust danced excitedly, enjoying the sweet sensation of pain and anger as it opened its mouth and spoke loudly as if reciting a poem:


    ¡°One ritual, ten gluttons, the bones of a hundred people, the eyes of a thousand flying birds, and ten thousand poisonous snakes!


    ¡°One weeps because of death in a coffin; one perishes because of a change in Hell.


    ¡°The shadow of rebirth relies on one¡¯s wings, and the dormant bird shall fly into the sky!¡±


    Pa!


    It was the sound of a handrest breaking under an overly tight grip.


    Ai Qing gritted her teeth in anger and said nothing.


    She had given up her most precious treasure, in return for a prophetic poem that sounded like utter bullsh*t.


    After satisfying its urge for poetic creation, Faust ruffled its hair, seemingly more refreshed. It raised its head and grinned at her with a look so penetrating it might be able to see through layers of ice into the deep layers of lava.


    ¡°You have one last question.¡±


    Ai Qing remained silent.


    Meanwhile, Faust waited patiently.


    When she finally calmed herself down, she asked her last question.


    ¡°¡­ Will the Astronomical Association lose anyone in this incident?¡±


    Faust raised its eyebrow in response.


    With its cane in hand, it moved forward and went up to Ai Qing, then stopped before her and examined her face. It quietly examined the newfound calmness in her face and looked straight into her eyes. When it finally found the eagerness to provide the answer, a malicious grin spread across its face.


    ¡°Do you want to know?¡±


    It chuckled as its eyes widened. ¡°Do you want to know? Do you really, really want to know?¡±


    Ai Qing kept quiet.


    ¡°You had a better question to ask at first, so what made you falter, little girl?¡± Faust continued staring at her in amazement, a satisfied smile on its face. ¡°I know who you¡¯re asking about so there¡¯s no need to beat around the bush now. I can tell you the answer straight away.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    It paused dramatically and named its price, which almost seemed like a joke.


    ¡°¡ªIn exchange, I want your tears.¡±


    ¡°No way.¡±


    In the deafening silence, Ai Qing looked at him icily. ¡°That¡¯s impossible for me.¡±


    ¡°I guess you¡¯re doomed then! No answer for you! Haha, hahahaha, hahahahaha¡­¡±


    Faust burst into laughter. The devil who had peeped into its master¡¯s mind was now mocking her. ¡°Why do you care about people other than yourself? Little girl, don¡¯t you hate all this? You hate Ascenders, but you also hate powerless people; You hate the powerhouses, but you also hate the weaklings.


    ¡°You hate those who are happy, but you don¡¯t pity those who have lost everything.


    ¡°Is your hatred toward everything really necessary?¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡±


    It gave her a vicious grin before ripping open her final scar. ¡°But the person you hate the most is yourself, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    Ai Qing did not respond.


    It was as if she had not heard it speak at all.


    ¡°You will suffer eternal pain and you won¡¯t be able to find release.¡±


    Faust continued grinning at her, its forked, viper-like tongue stirred its poisonous saliva in its mouth. ¡°Nobody can save you, little girl. Your heart has long been left in Hell, a lonely place where even demons can¡¯t survive!


    ¡°¡ªYou will suffer eternal pain, just like how you will be lonely forever!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s just loneliness and pain, is it really something to be afraid of?¡±


    Ai Qing finally looked up and replied softly, ¡°If you¡¯re done being happy, I believe it¡¯s my turn now¡­¡±


    At that instant, Faust¡¯s eyes widened.


    It slowly bent down.


    His dumbfounded gaze fell right on the middle of its abdomen, where a dagger that had no handle was impaled.


    Then, the dagger was pulled out.


    A dazzling sacred gleam emerged from the blade of the dagger as the dark, black droplets of fresh blood immediately evaporated with a sizzle.


    This was the farewell gift she had meticulously prepared.


    Boom!


    Its body began to shake violently before finally disintegrating into ink-sized mosquitoes that were drawn back into the book where the pages were flipping aggressively.


    ¡°Go back to Hell, Faust,¡± Ai Qing said in an indifferent tone, ¡°Enjoy your immortality and you¡¯re your knowledge that even slaves would pity.¡±


    ¡°No, I will look forward¡ª¡±


    Although in excruciating pain, the devil took one final mocking glance at the mortal world. ¡°The next time we meet, you will pay¡­¡±


    Then, the demon¡¯s figure disappeared into thin air.


    The Armored Man who was gripping his sword tightened his grasp around the handle and loosened it several times, but eventually, he stayed still.


    Although Ai Qing had damaged border relics, she technically did not violate any rules.


    The book finally closed itself as the shackles locked together.


    His sealed eyes seemed to glance in the direction of Ai Qing for a long time, then he finally withdrew his gaze and turned away to leave, morphing into a phantom.


    The study finally fell silent again.


    For a very long time.


    Suddenly, a phone rang.


    Incoming call¡ªUnknown.


    .


    The phone continued ringing persistently, desperately waiting for her to respond, until she finally reached out and pressed the answer key.


    ¡°Who is this?¡±


    ¡°Is this Lil Qing? It¡¯s me, Qi Wen, your Third Uncle Qi. Do you remember me?


    A peal of warm laughter came from the other end of the phone as the slightly aged voice spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for calling out of the blue. Am I bothering you?


    I heard from Grandfather that you¡¯re in New Ocean now, and I have to say, I was a bit surprised. You have been here for a while now, so why haven¡¯t you come over to visit me?¡±


    The old man on the phone continued with a sigh of emotion, ¡°Your cousin just flew back from America a while ago. You young people should have a lot of common interests, so you should stay in touch and communicate more with each other¡­ Why don¡¯t I come to pick you up tomorrow and you can have dinner with us at my place?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Ai Qing listened silently, suppressing the unpleasantness and gloominess in her chest. She had had enough with this self-conceited man.


    ¡°Mr. Qi, I¡¯ll pass on your offer of dinner. I have been busy with work recently.¡±


    ¡°Come on, we¡¯re family, don¡¯t be a stranger. Are you still angry with your family? Remember, blood is thicker than water. There¡¯s nothing that can¡¯t be resolved within a family,¡± Third Uncle Qi said with a heavy sigh, ¡°If you really insist on being angry, let your Third Uncle quell you, is that alright?


    ¡°Your grandfather will be turning a hundred years old in a few months, so don¡¯t hold a grudge against him anymore. During every occasion and holiday, the old man would always ask if his Lil Qing was coming back. He tried calling you, but you never picked up. I understand that work is important, but is it more important than family?


    ¡°Besides, the old man did what he did back then for your own good, didn¡¯t he? Look, your father succeeded in Ascension, and even your elementium showed signs¡­¡±


    Clack!


    The ballpen in Ai Qing¡¯s hand snapped.


    Sitting in the silent room, Ai Qing¡¯s eyes drooped, no longer able to hide the sadness and frustration that was currently so great that it penetrated into her very bones.


    She let the person on the other end of the phone continue chattering for a long time until he finally shut up.


    ¡°Mr. Qi, I think that¡¯s enough boring family talk now. I still have work to do, so there¡¯s that.


    ¡°Lastly, please remember that my name is Ai Qing,¡± she added.


    ¡°¡ªThe Ai in ¡®Mugwort¡¯, and the Qing in ¡®fine weather¡¯.[1]


    ¡°If that¡¯s what you think, then there¡¯s nothing more I can say.¡±


    Faced with silence, Qi Wen decided to not say anything more, and instead merely sighed. ¡°The old man had always told us this¡ªchildren who don¡¯t go home are constantly enduring hardships outside.¡±


    Rustling sounds came from the end of the phone.


    Then, the caller hung up.


    Ai Qing gently placed her phone down, the look on her face impassive.


    If good news was a tardy pigeon, then bad news would probably be a flock of crows that flew together and constantly dropped stinking feces, leaving behind a disgusting mess.


    They would all appear in one place at the same time.


    A time when you least wanted it, and at a place where you least hoped to be.


    Right then, not only did she have work issues regarding the People of the Pure Land and the allegedly prophetic stories from Faust on her mind, pressure from her family had suddenly popped up in front of her at the least appropriate time.


    Though, she had long expected something like this to happen.


    She already understood how precious she was as a puppet.


    Whether it was from her family¡¯s standpoint or her personal judgment, she would never allow herself to sever connections with the Yin Clan.


    After declining for nearly a hundred years, the Yin Clan had finally dusted themselves down and reformed after much effort, but they were still far from their original prominent state. Nobody could guess how long it would take for them to recover their past glory either.


    In other countries, where noble families had been ongoing for generations, ten measly years was nothing compared to the hundreds of years of hardships it took to climb back to the peak of their powers; there were many families which did just that.


    Of course, there were many corpses found along the way, as well as people who remained missing until this very day.


    This was an extremely prolonged bet with everything on the table at stakes, every single chip valuable. In other words, this meant that in order to achieve their goal, everyone in the clan would serve as an extremely precious pawn, regardless of if he or she was part of the main or extended family.


    On top of that, Ai Qing had now become the Astronomical Association¡¯s invigilator. Despite the fact that she was still a newcomer, the power she held behind the scenes during urgent times was astonishing.


    It, therefore, made sense that the Yin Clan would have prepared to participate in this struggle between the sovereign faction of the Astronomical Association¡¯s internal Wuchang and the border faction that represented the border.


    In fact, they might have already placed their bets.


    As for herself, what role was she playing in their plans?


    Ignoring her body¡¯s screams of tiredness, she continued driving her brain to function. In the long silence, Ai Qing began to envy the stupid fat man.


    At least he could easily find a huge amount of calories at times when he desperately needed it.


    Unlike herself, who could only add cubes of sugar to her coffee, making it taste sickly sweet.


    What picked on her cautiousness was not the families. Well, at least not at the moment.


    It was the phone call.


    What did it represent and what did it mean?


    Was it a warning? A gentle reminder to reform family bonds? Did it mean something else?


    There should be more to it.


    She had no valid reason to overthink, but she had a hunch that Qi Wen was speaking for someone bigger than the Yin household.


    There was no denying the fact that the Yin household had had his back many years for now, but come to think of it, Qi Wen had many people of hidden potential and power in his hand. If that was the case, why did he have to obediently listen to the Yin household¡¯s orders like a lap dog and kiss their *ss over such a small matter?


    Was his intention pure and simple at all?


    No matter how earnest his words, she could sense something fishy from Qi Wen¡¯s behavior. It was as if he was hiding something.


    Even the seemingly sincere persuasion of his seemed to be in an attempt to probe and test her.


    Although she had never had any contact with them, she knew how much power the Qi household held in this small, steadily declining town.


    It was almost like the Huai household back then.


    From outside, the Qi household seemed to make their living in shipping and logistics, yet nobody knew what kind of smuggling businesses they ran in the dark.


    It was nothing unusual though.


    Such business deals were too common to even bring up. After all, everyone made do with whatever they had. Having the advantage of being along the coast, they made good use of their coastal routes to smuggle contraband. It would be stupid not to.


    These things could not be stopped, and knowing how experienced Qi Wen was, there was no way he would leave behind any clues that could eventually lead back to him.


    Then, what was he trying to probe out of her?


    What did he want from this invigilator?


    She pondered quietly for a very long time before finally letting out a long sigh of frustration. It seemed that no matter what, it was time to rearrange and reconsider all possible hidden perils¡­


    Aside from that, she had to prepare all the necessary precautions as well.


    After a long moment of consideration, she picked up the phone.


    ¡°Hello, this is the Archive and Records Office of the City Library. May I know who this is?¡±


    ¡°Professor, is that you?


    ¡°Aside from the ongoing investigation on the Savior¡¯s Association, can you help me track the Qi household¡¯s movements over the past few years? It¡¯s urgent.¡±


    There was the soft rustling sound of writing from the other end of the phone, and soon, a low voice replied, ¡°Alright, I have already listed it on the records. Same old price, but if it¡¯s flagged urgent, I will have to charge you an extra 30%. Is that alright?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s up to you. I just want the results.¡±


    ¡°Give me one day.¡±


    The professor responded curtly and hung up the phone right away.


    Ai Qing put the phone down, and though she seemed expressionless, the uneasiness in her chest grew.


    After a long time, she closed her eyes and let out a long, exhausted sigh.


    [1] In Mandarin, the word °¬Ò¶ (¨¤iy¨¨) refers to Mugwort, a type of flowering plant, and the Ai in Ai Qing comes from the first word in Aiye, whereas the Qing in her name is Çç (Q¨ªng), which is made out of the Qing in ÌìÇç (Ti¨¡nq¨ªng), which means fine weather.

 Chapter 56

    In the old-fashioned office, Qi Wen hung up.


    He was not as decrepit as he sounded on the phone, only slightly aging. His fading white hair was slicked back neatly, and the suit he was wearing was ironed to perfection. His eyebrows were strong, giving him an air of strength even if he was not angry.


    At the moment, he did not show any signs of displeasure as he massaged his brows, his expression unreadable.


    Behind the office desk, the youngster eating a tangerine looked up unconcernedly and asked casually, ¡°Dad, what did she say?¡±


    Qi Wen looked calm. ¡°She¡¯s still young and immature. She¡¯ll know how good home is soon.¡±


    ¡°Unappreciative of your kindness then?¡±


    The youngster chuckled coldly. ¡°The father is trash, and the daughter is a cripple. Did she really think she could become an invigilator by her own efforts? I have to say it, Dad, you don¡¯t have to waste any feelings on a wasted investment who¡¯ll have to marry into our family sooner or later¡­ Tch, if it wasn¡¯t for Grandfather¡¯s wishes, I wouldn¡¯t want a defective product like this even if it was given to me for free.¡±


    Bang!


    Qi Wen¡¯s teacup shattered in front of him, the hot water splashing out and nearly making the youngster jump in fright.


    ¡°Shut up, you trash! What are you thinking in that head of yours? Are Grandfather¡¯s wishes something you can attempt to just figure out!?¡±


    Qi Wen¡¯s eyes widened, glaring at him. ¡°Also, are the Savior¡¯s Association¡¯s matters something you can meddle in? Actually involving yourself with that group of lunatics, you even left them leverage as well as that scourge! You¡¯re afraid I won¡¯t be angered to death by you early enough, is that it, Qi Yuan?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Qi Yuan froze for a long time before replying stubbornly, ¡°Aren¡¯t I just trying to help out in our family matters?¡±


    ¡°Shut up! He Luo? He Luo, come in.¡±


    Qi Wen abruptly slammed the walking stick in his hand on the ground, and an intelligent, capable-looking man walked in from outside.


    ¡°Send this wastrel back home,¡± Qi Wen said icily. ¡°If he tries to leave before the rumors die down, break whichever leg he dares to put out the door!¡±


    ¡°Dad, isn¡¯t this too much?¡±


    Qi Yuan was annoyed. ¡°What¡¯s with you acting like I¡¯ve opened a hole as big as the sky when I simply earned a little money? Weren¡¯t you the one who started getting involved with them in the first place? What are you scared of, huh, Dad? That wh*re will have to serve you tea and pour you water sooner or later; would she still dare to offend us?¡±


    Qi Wen was angered to the point of not wanting to deal with the boy anymore and merely closed his eyes.


    Very soon, Qi Yuan was dragged away by the reasoning of his bodyguard, leaving He Luo alone in the office with his boss. He Luo¡¯s expression was as calm as ever, and he did not speak.


    After a long while, Qi Wen massaged the space between his eyebrows and finally let out a sigh, returning to his original imperturbable stout expression.


    ¡°Is it matters relating to the Savior¡¯s Association?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Wang Hai has been hiding in the suburbs these two days, moving about sneakily. It seems like he¡¯s contacting someone.¡±


    He Luo continued, ¡°Young Master was deceived by him. It seems he was given some incentive to do so. Although I¡¯ve erased all traces of it, I¡¯m afraid that the trouble the Savior¡¯s Association will rile up might implicate us.¡±


    ¡°Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°Not sure. This afternoon, he sought me out and said he wanted to see you¡ª¡±


    He Luo paused, then repeated Wang Hai¡¯s words. ¡°He said he¡¯s under orders from the baptized.


    ¡°As instructed, I told him that Boss is ill and cannot see anyone. He left after that.¡±


    Qi Wen cast his dark eyes downward.


    ¡°Very good,¡± he said. ¡°Very good.¡±


    In the silence, Qi Wen¡¯s fingers tapped his walking stick, seemingly talking to himself. ¡°For decades, why have so many things happened in a backwater place like New Ocean?


    ¡°Having observed it for so many years, when the Huai household fell, then the Yin household came along. It wasn¡¯t easy to get the Yin household to leave, but then the Savior¡¯s Association started relentless causing trouble while hiding in the shadows¡­¡±


    He narrowed his eyes, whispering softly, ¡°One after another, all of them want to make others their pawns.¡±


    He Luo did not say anything.


    Qi Wen did not need someone to explain either.


    As if he was busy weighing difficult choices, his expression constantly changed¡ªoccasionally somber, occasionally fierce.


    Only when He Luo finally came forward was his train of thought interrupted. Unbothered by his angry gaze, He Luo said in a low voice, ¡°Boss, when it¡¯s broken, break it off*.¡±[1]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Qi Wen looked coldly at his assistant, who had followed him for many years, for a long, long time. He seemed to finally come to a decision and closed his eyes.


    ¡°What about that gigolo going around asking questions?¡±


    ¡°He was dealt with yesterday. His body has been dumped in the ocean,¡± He Luo answered. ¡°The underlings have clarified that he was acting on his own. It was nothing to do with the Astronomical Association.¡±


    Qi Wen¡¯s expression calmed somewhat. ¡°Does Yin Qing know what happened that year?¡±


    ¡°That matter has been dealt with very discreetly. No traces have been left behind.¡±


    He Luo answered, ¡°After that happened, I found someone to place a Memory Loss Curse, so the elementiums of everyone involved will slowly boil away. Even if they didn¡¯t die by now, they would¡¯ve become simpletons, remembering nothing. Even if she does know, she wouldn¡¯t have any proof anyway.¡±


    Not even the sound of breathing could be heard in the silence that followed.


    After a long time, Qi Wen raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Then finish it off.¡±


    His expression was cool. ¡°It was a mistake working with them that year, if not, we wouldn¡¯t be plagued till today. Tomorrow, no, tonight, make a trip to clear out everything to do with the Savior¡¯s Association. Don¡¯t leave behind anything they can use as leverage.


    ¡°Though the Qi household is small, it¡¯s not something any random lunatic can take control of¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡±


    He Luo nodded. ¡°What about over at Yin Qing¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have to take action.¡±


    Qi Wen narrowed his gaze. ¡°For now, our top priority is to pull ourselves out of the situation and withdraw¡­ New Ocean is about to have a revolt. I would like to see how long she can hop over this pit of fire.¡±


    .


    In the evening, Huai Shi received a delivery.


    To be precise, an unmarked vehicle stopped in front of the chalcedony museum door. After a call was made to Huai Shi asking him to come out, a box was thrown out the car door, and then it left.


    ¡°This is Yesterday Express¡¯s style. They guarantee quality, quantity, and speed, but you can¡¯t expect too much from their customer service.¡±


    Crow stood on the table, claws swiping over a row of cell phones. She had a variety of applications Huai Shi did not recognize open, its list constantly being refreshed. There was a myriad of products, and the settlement currency was even more all over the place.


    Notifications sounded endlessly, making it sound as though she was receiving takeaway orders.


    After acquiring the basic tools, she recently seemed to be busying herself making potions.


    On the surface, it could be said that she was working hard to help out the household, but Huai Shi was unsure exactly how much she earned. He only heard her shout something every other day about life in poverty being tough.


    Only ghosts would believe it¡­.


    When Huai Shi walked into the basement carrying the box, he saw the crucibles on the table making gurgling noises and colorful gases floating about endlessly. If not for the huge hundred-watt lightbulb on the ceiling, simply put, he would have thought he had walked into some crazy alchemist¡¯s laboratory.


    ¡°Honestly speaking, this outdatedness is due to a lack of qualifications. I can only rely on flasks and beakers.¡±


    Crow expressed contempt toward her situation. ¡°With our current budget, even a decent centrifuge and solution crystallizer are unaffordable, let alone a cleanroom layout, cracking furnace, and a bunch of other stuff¡­¡±


    After looking through her requested items list, Huai Shi felt as though she wanted to open a chemical plant beneath his own house. His brain started to ache. ¡®Since when do you alchemists keep with the times?¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Beakers and crucibles¡ªcan these types of toys that can only be used to mess around in junior high chemistry lessons compare to professional equipment worth hundreds of thousands, or even millions?¡±


    Crow turned to glance at him. ¡°The nature of alchemy is to burn money. If you don¡¯t put in money, how¡¯re you going to get strong?¡±


    Huai Shi was upset. ¡°I still don¡¯t see myself getting stronger after putting in this much!¡±


    ¡°That means you didn¡¯t put in enough. Put in more. You didn¡¯t even put in a Ferrari¡¯s worth, yet you dare to say you¡¯ve invested?¡± Crow rolled her eyes and motioned for Huai Shi to put the thing on the table.


    In the afternoon, she had sold off the loot Huai Shi had risked himself to bring back¡ªthe Wailing Snake¡¯s horns.


    Its surprise appearance was not unwelcome. She willingly bartered and exchanged for quite a few materials from the other party.


    After inspecting the materials, Crow nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. With this, the materials needed for your complimentary potions in the future, and a portion of the materials needed for your stigmas are gathered.¡±


    ¡°Just these?¡±


    Huai Shi lowered his head and looked at the miscellaneous items sealed in bottles lined up in the box.


    There were a few bottles of oddly-colored powders, a crystallized druse, a few pitch-black iron ores as well as various liquids that seemed to have been extracted from plants¡­


    He had no idea what to make of this.


    ¡°This is Rainbow Ash. In the past, the Nordics would call the naturally-occurring space transfer phenomenon a rainbow bridge. This is the natural substance that is left behind the phenomenon ends. It is a superior material used as a blending agent.


    ¡°This is Proof of the Silent. It looks like ore but is actually an elementium polymerization agent.


    ¡°This is a rare item that only has a chance of appearing after someone keeps their oath after being entrusted to keep a secret their entire life. It can be said that it¡¯s the crystallization of will and loyalty. The fact that this one here is big as a thumb means that this particular secret was indeed something.


    ¡°As for the ore, it¡¯s just some common Dark Metal and Frost Silver. They¡¯re actually the cheapest items.


    ¡°These materials are essential when I help you make the stigma.¡±


    Crow explained them one by one, then looked at the sacrificial sword Huai Shi had put on the table. ¡°Still, the main ingredient is this thing.¡±


    The sacrificial sword, after being stared at by her, made a trembling sound as if it was scared and kept attempting to jump out of its sheath to escape. However, after she stepped on it with her claw, it did not move anymore.


    It simply kept wailing, as if begging for her mercy.


    It was clearly supposed to be an incomparably fearsome Blood Drinker Sword, but looking at it now, it looked like a lab rat waiting to be slaughtered in a laboratory.


    Crow suddenly asked, ¡°Huai Shi, do you still remember what a stigma is?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. I remember you said it¡¯s¡­ a solidified wonder?¡±


    ¡°Yes, correct. The so-called stigma is the name of an intangible wonder that is turned into a substance.¡±


    Crow shrugged slightly. ¡°Though these wonders often bring disasters¡ªthe brains of the people who hope a wonder found in hell can bring happiness definitely aren¡¯t normal, are they?


    ¡°¡ªthe special qualities of border relics aren¡¯t limited to their uses or the fact that they are in hell. It¡¯s more due to them being a product of an abyss wonder. Calling it an otherworldly stigma wouldn¡¯t be too¡ª¡±


    Having heard to this point, Huai Shi finally understood and could not resist rolling his eyes. ¡°In other words, you want to disassemble a car, remove its engine, and make me a bike, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty much the concept. Disassemble the east wall to repair the west wall, you know.¡± Crow waved her wings, seeming to possess maximum confidence. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t actually use that much.


    ¡°I¡¯ll piece together the leftovers, so this sword will probably still be usable¡­ I think.¡±


    Huai Shi could not be bothered to say anything else.


    He could only pray in his heart that his stigma would not be too fraudulent. He did not ask for much, only that she would not take out the basic uses and sell them like DLCs.


    Preselling every five minutes was bad enough. If a Collector¡¯s Edition worth of gold came out later, how unbearable would that be?


    ¡°Right. What¡¯s that?¡±


    Huai Shi pointed to the corner, at the basin where a strange map had emerged. He could vaguely distinguish New Ocean¡¯s topography on it. In a remote area, a spot of light soundlessly extinguished.


    ¡°Oh, that.¡±


    Crow glanced at it and said meaningfully, ¡°It¡¯s the location where Wang Hai is currently hiding.¡±


    [1] Normally advice to end a relationship

 Chapter 57

    First dazed, then stunned, followed by shock.


    ¡°What was that?¡±


    Huai Shi jumped up in horror and leaned over for a bird¡¯s-eye view of the basin. He made out the appearance of a dejected factory building somewhere in the outskirts.


    It was incredible.


    ¡°Is Wang Hai here?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Crow replied: ¡°It¡¯s just a watermarking method that is traced through the ink of the branch of events. Isn¡¯t it incredible?¡±


    Huai Shi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you mention that early!¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask.¡±


    Crow looked at him confusedly, seemingly completely innocent.


    Huai Shi could not help but want to grab this broken bird and pinch it to death.


    ¡°You are useless!¡± He slammed the table in exasperation. ¡°Look at you, in the day you eat my rice, live in my house, steal my electricity, use my network, and I ignore all that. But you know this boy wants to kill me, so why did you hide it from me?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Crow looked at him curiously, ¡°What would you have done if I had told you earlier?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense! I would have asked people to take care of it!¡±


    ¡°Astronomical Association? Or the Special Affairs Bureau? Or both together?¡± Crow laughed strangely, ¡°If you did that, would you have any explanation for why they are hiding in that place?¡±


    Huai Shi opened his mouth but was interrupted.


    ¡°No, no, no, I am not referring to your method of locating his hideout.¡±


    Crow paused and glanced at the reflection in the water. ¡°Instead, how do you plan to explain why the industry that once belonged to your family would become the nest of the clean people?¡±


    ¡°¡­ What kind of cr*p?!¡±


    Huai Shi¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at the sink in amazement. ¡°You say that this place, this location¡­ is from my family?¡±


    ¡°You really have forgotten everything.¡±


    Crow glanced at him with pity. ¡°Why would I, an outsider, know better than you? No, it should be said that this is something that can be understood with a little investigation of property rights.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    She said, ¡°The place where Wang Hai is hiding now is one of the goods transfer warehouses that used to be known as Huai Shi¡¯s Shipping. In other words, the place that was your home more than ten years ago has now become a ¡®fasting circle¡¯ for the People of the Pure Land.¡±


    After saying this, countless old pieces of papers that lay in around the basement fluttered down, gathering in front of Huai Shi and combining neatly into a stack.


    ¡°I can understand your confusion, but this is indeed the conclusion drawn from these old files in your home.¡±


    Huai Shi flipped the papers silently, reading each individual page.


    These were indeed the things that had piled up in the storage area of his house. They were covered with dust and mildew, discarded in unobtrusive corners.


    Forgotten.


    Crow was right. It was indeed one of the Huai family¡¯s industries properties, a warehouse for transit.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t remember it anymore.¡±


    Huai Shi sat blankly on the chair and carefully recalled, but there were too many gaps in his knowledge, and too many unclear memories from his childhood.


    After that high fever, many things gradually began fading¡­


    However, this did not seem to be anything unusual.


    Ever since the start of his family records, the family¡¯s industry seemed to have been declining rapidly. Even if his great-grandfather¡¯s generation was surprisingly wealthy, what remains of it today was nothing more than an old house.


    There were so many industries under the Huai family. Even if something happened to one of them, it was not unusual, was it?


    It was just bad luck.


    Just like what had happened to himself a long time ago.


    However, why did he feel angry?


    ¡°F*ck¡­¡±


    He whispered softly, yet did not know what he was angry about.


    In the silence, Crow stood on the desk and looked at him pitifully. The flashing lights stretched her shadow across the wall, making it dance like a flame.


    ¡°Let me give you the second lesson, Huai Shi.¡±


    Her voice changed, unlike the frivolity and oppressive dramatics of the past, it now became solemn, as if glaciers and had iron collided, bringing about a low rumble.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªDestiny cannot be ruled, but each one is different.¡±


    ¡°Destiny?¡±


    ¡°Yes, destiny.¡± The black bird said, ¡°Some people choose their destiny, while others are overwhelmed by the difficulties and fears they encounter and stop.


    ¡°Thus, they can only wait to be chosen by destiny.


    ¡°Although the latter is not bad, how can a duckweed in the sea be blamed for its luck when it is caught in a storm?¡±


    Huai Shi was silent for a long time, then asked, ¡°Can the former really be happy?¡±


    ¡°Who knows?¡± Crow replied calmly, ¡°Struggling may not lead to any result, but at least it¡¯s better than being dead, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Huai Shi was silent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hate yourself. After all, you didn¡¯t have the opportunity to choose before, but now everything is different.¡±


    Crow said, ¡°If you don¡¯t care about anything that happened in the past, you can ignore it and let it continue to sink into the darkness.


    ¡°I guarantee that you will have a bright future.


    ¡°But, if you really want to know what happened to you, no, what happened in your home, then you have to face it all head-on.¡±


    After a long silence, Huai Shi could not help but want to laugh. ¡°Even if I know that, can I really change anything?¡±


    Nothing could be changed, and nothing destroyed would ever come back.


    Destiny itself would not change.


    It was like that book of destiny.


    Once the dust has settled, the things recorded in it would never change.


    Crow looked him in the eye and said to him word by word, ¡°But at least you would know why you lost it, wouldn¡¯t you?¡±


    In the silence, Huai Shi closed his eyes and sighed tiredly.


    After a long, long time, he opened his eyes. He got up, picked up the coat from the chair, put it on his body, then grabbed the pistol issued by the Astronomical Society. Checking the trigger, the gun body and the clip, he put the pistol into the concealed holster at the waist.


    Finally, he picked up the sacrificial knife on the table and hung it on the belt buckle.


    ¡°Let me use it for a bit first.¡±


    Huai Shi zipped up the jacket, ¡°I will go out for a bit before coming back.¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    Crow waved her wings, ¡°Have a smooth journey.¡±


    As he went out, Huai Shi¡¯s footsteps paused as he saw the envelope on the table.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    ¡°That,¡± Crow glanced, ¡°Someone dropped by at noon, but didn¡¯t come in. They just left this thing in the mailbox outside. I think it is for you.¡±


    Huai Shi picked up the envelope and shook it. There was some weight to it, like there were some iron pieces in it.


    After opening the envelope, a key dropped out from inside, falling into Huai Shi¡¯s palm.


    A brass-colored key that looked like it had a few years on it. It did not look like a valuable item that would be used for opening an anti-theft door or a safe. It was just for the type of cheap locks available everywhere.


    The faint, grounding weight was so familiar that Huai Shi almost remembered the exact position of each tooth on it.


    This was the key to his piano room.


    ¡°Fu Yi?¡±


    The person who could have sent this key, could it have been her? After all, she had abused the power of the student union to check the students¡¯ home addresses, and she always had her own style of doing things.


    What exactly did it mean?


    Huai Shi looked at the key and suddenly wanted to laugh, ¡°Escaping from class again, that guy¡­¡±


    He thought about it before attaching it to the keychain in his pocket.


    Never had there been such a moment when he was so sure that this abrupt holiday would end.


    He half expected his old life to start once again, returning to his own room, starting to practice the piano, fish, and imagine happier times for the future.


    Going back to his wardmate¡¯s club.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    He sent a message to Fu Yi. After a while, a reply came from the other side. It was a photo of Huai Shi standing hesitatingly in front of the gigolo club with two colorful flashy characters written on it.


    ¡°¡ª¡ªYou can do it!¡±


    ¡®So, was it really you who led my expression?¡¯


    He did not know whether he should be angry or happy.


    Turning off the phone screen and pushing open the door, Huai Shi set off.

 Chapter 58

    It was absolutely silent in the darkness.


    There was only the sound of endless chewing.


    The faint light illuminated the person sitting on the chair. He seemed to be lost in thought, his eyes half-closed as he listened to a sound in the distance.


    After a long time, he sighed.


    ¡°The Qi household betrayed us.¡±


    He murmured softly, ¡°But that¡¯s fine¡­ The Qi household was always sitting on the fence, so they were not at all trustworthy. I¡¯m not at all surprised that they turned traitor.


    ¡°Compared to allies who aren¡¯t worth any attention, a useless subordinate is even more of a pain.¡±


    The chewing sounds came to an abrupt halt.


    The darkness slowly opened like an enormous mouth, spitting out a thin and naked husk that coughed violently on the floor, wailing and weeping tragically.


    After a long time, that person woke up from his nightmare and prostrated himself on the floor like a dog. Falling onto the ground in front of the figure, he kowtowed desperately.


    ¡°Please have mercy, Lord! Please have mercy, Lord! Please have mercy, Lord¡­¡±


    He wept and pleaded, ¡°I was too arrogant. It was me, it was all my fault¡­ Please give me another chance.¡±


    No one said anything in the silence.


    The Lord seemed to be lost in thought.


    After a long time, he shook his head slowly.


    ¡°No, Wang Hai.¡±


    He said, ¡°If a hunting hound¡¯s bountiful harvest is credited to the hunter¡¯s instructions, then the failure of a mutt must also be a product of his owner¡¯s negligence. It was my fault.


    ¡°I underestimated your disrespect and arrogance. After all, you don¡¯t know anything about the real world.¡±


    Wang Hai stood frozen on the spot. As though he could not withstand the cold in the dark, he began to shiver intensely. There was only the sound of the sobbing from his throat.


    ¡°Please have mercy, Lord, please have mercy¡­ Please give me another chance¡­ I won¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t fail again, I swear¡­¡±


    ¡°No, you didn¡¯t fail.¡±


    The Lord shook his head slowly and said in a calm voice, ¡°In truth, you successfully drew the attention of the Astronomical Association and the Special Affairs Bureau. Although you didn¡¯t manage to stir the pot, at least you achieved the lowest possible target.


    ¡°You have been granted the absolute punishment because you disrespected the Holy God.¡±


    He reached out his hand and caressed Wang Hai¡¯s head. ¡°You were seduced by the mortal currency and showed no respect whatsoever for the true power. You never really worshipped the true god, nor did you show any loyalty.


    ¡°You have no future.¡±


    Wang Hai¡¯s body shook. He felt a chill and terror emanating from that hand, but he could barely even scream out loud. Amidst the silence, all he could do was let his tears flow.


    He tried, as hard as he could, to sob in his throat.


    ¡°Lord¡­ Mercy¡­ mercy¡­¡±


    ¡°The Holy God is never cruel, Wang Hai, so the devotees must be compassionate as well.¡± The Lord looked down at him from above. ¡°If you want my mercy, I¡¯ll grant it to you, along with power.¡±


    As he said that, that figure slowly stood up from the chair and crouched down. He met Wang Hai¡¯s eyes, filled with surprise, and took a dagger out of his pocket, placing it in front of Wang Hai.


    Wang Hai¡¯s smile froze.


    ¡°You went to all those lengths, but all you wanted to get revenge on those living corpses from the Astronomical Association, right?¡± The Lord whispered into his ear, ¡°But the way I see it now, wouldn¡¯t it better for you to do it yourself as opposed to relying on others?¡±


    The Lord gradually stood up and gave him one last look.


    ¡°Before your destruction arrives, you have plenty of time to make your decision. You can choose to die tamely, or you can choose to obey the god¡¯s graces. This is the last act of generosity shown to you by the god.¡±


    He said, ¡°If you can attract a tad more attention later, party to your heart¡¯s content. After all, that¡¯s all a grasshopper is good for after the autumn.


    ¡°If you can attain your wish before you pass away, you would at least live up to the god¡¯s kindness.¡±


    He turned and left, disappearing into the darkness.


    All that remained in that death-like silence was Wang Hai, slumped on the floor in a pool of his own sweat.


    That pitch-black dagger was soundlessly reflecting a cold gleam.


    .


    .


    .


    Far away, Huai Shi saw a pitch-black car drive out from behind the tall wall and vanish into the distance. There seemed to be someone sitting in the car, but there was a reflective layer on the windows, so he could not look inside clearly.


    He crouched in the shade of a tree, quietly observing the silent warehouse in the distance. He watched for a long time, but he could not see anything of note.


    After all, the transit warehouse was very expansive. All he could see from outside was a tall wall and one warehouse after another. He could vaguely distinguish the employees¡¯ barracks, a two-storied office building, and a ton of intermodal containers stacked up randomly, their colors already fading.


    They were close to the suburbs, so there were no tall buildings around at all and no higher vantage point. If he really wanted to see what was inside, he would probably have to go inside himself.


    There was no way he could take a shortcut this time.


    When Huai Shi realized that, he sighed and took the bottle of spray the crow had given him out of his pocket, spraying himself with an even layer of the mist.


    These border mutants had a sense of smell much stronger than a canine¡¯s, and they even had infrared vision. If he really wanted to get past their noses and eys detected, he would need the help of alchemical potions.


    Of course, this was just a deodorizer spray that the crow had refined and modified. It could not block infrared rays, but that was fine as long as he was not seen.


    After he was sure that every corner of his body was sprayed evenly, Huai Shi rubbed his hands, took a deep breath, and jumped. He dug his fingers into a crack between the bricks and vaulted over the wall.


    Thank goodness he had found some protective gloves in the store before he left, or else the barbed wire and glass shards on the wall would give him a pretty harsh time.


    Once he landed and looked around him to find no one in sight, he heaved a sigh of relief. Under the cover of the 9 pm night, he darted into the place that looked like an office building.


    The office building was only two stories tall and not very large. There were a few departmental offices, but there was no one in them and the doors were not really locked.


    This transit warehouse had ceased operations a long time ago, so no one would need these things anymore.


    Huai Shi had a face full of dust for his troubles, but he did not find anything at all.


    When he stealthily looked out of the window, he could see the warehouse and the employees¡¯ quarters, both illuminated with lights. If he really had to search, those would be the best places to look, huh?


    However, everyone who went in and out of there wore an especially strange white uniform. It would be very difficult for him to blend in.


    Logically speaking, people who did physical labor like this would avoid wearing white or other easily stained colors, but this place seemed to buck the trend.


    The white coat was unnaturally wide, and it even had a hood, as well as an ouroboros logo he had never seen before on the chest.


    Huai Shi watched for a long time before he hammered his fist into his palm.


    Alright, he was going to freaking get one of those!


    Now, his target was going to be crucial¡­


    He hid in the building behind the window for a long time before he saw someone walk to a nearby wall. That man pulled up his hem, undid his belt, and began doing both of his businesses on the ground right there.


    ¡°Whoa, uncivilized, much?¡±


    Huai Shi was stunned. In the dim light, he looked at that man¡¯s unmentionables for a long time before he could not help a sympathetic sigh. ¡°I choose you, Charmander¡­¡±


    He did not want to scare off his target, so he snuck to the other end of the building and jumped out. As soon as he leaped out of the window, however, he felt a beam of light hit him squarely in the face.


    Huai Shi looked up in shock and saw another security guard, leaning against the wall and peeing.


    Why did he hide himself so well?!


    In that instant, their gazes met.


    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± The patrolling guard¡¯s eyes widened and he reached for the baton at his waist. ¡°Where did you come from, thief?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me!¡±


    Huai Shi¡¯s mind turned quickly, and he held up his hands, stopping the guard before he could yell out for reinforcements. ¡°I¡¯m from the gospel choir!¡±


    ¡°The what?¡± The guard paused. That sounded familiar, so he asked suspiciously, ¡°Is that true? Weren¡¯t you supposed to come together?¡±


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. See, I¡¯ll make you believe me! Dum-cha-cha, dum-cha-cha¡­¡±


    As they talked, Huai Shi decided to just burst into song and dance. He took three steps forth and two steps back, singing loudly, ¡°Enter the home of God, sit by the side of the Lord. Bread sweeter than our mother¡¯s rice, hallelujah, let¡¯s go to paradise~¡±


    Huai Shi took two steps forth and approached the guard, then he suddenly kicked the guard into the wall. Before the latter could fall to the ground, Huai Shi covered his face with a handful of Disastrous Dust, stuffing it all into the guard¡¯s mouth.


    The guard¡¯s eyes rolled upward and he immediately fainted.


    ¡°That handful was at least four or five thousand. You lucked out.¡±


    Huai Shi patted the scraps off his hands and shook his head helplessly. Dragging the guard with him, he jumped back into the room. When he leaped out of the window again, he was already wearing their ridiculous white uniform, with a baton at his waist and a torch in his hand.


    If he put on the hood, he would be just another member of the security.


    No one could tell without a closer look.


    He had to be grateful that the People of the Pure Land had a good entrepreneurial culture. The same gospel musicians went everywhere, and even their hymns were unchanged.


    It was a good thing he still remembered the tune from the errenzhuan. If it were not for that, he might have done all this today for nothing, right?


    Huai Shi whistled and held the torch as he casually wandered toward the center of the transit warehouse.


    Everything looked perfectly normal, and nothing unusual happened. He did not see any scenes of blood and carnage, only the guys in white robes walking in and out. Some of them were even lying in their forms, kicking up their legs and playing games on their phones.


    It was all too normal.


    If it were not for this ridiculous outfit, this place would look like any other factory.


    The entire transit warehouse was just too large. Huai Shi wandered around aimlessly, but he did not find his targets or anything he needed. He was even beginning to wonder if he had just been paranoid. Maybe Wang Hai was not hiding here either.


    However, that all changed when his feet stopped outside that unassuming warehouse at the south-west corner.


    He lowered his head.


    He looked at the Disastrous Dust slowly accumulating in his hands.


    That was the specks of elementium drifting in the air, filled with despair and death.


    Someone had died here.


    In an instant, all the hairs on his body stood on end. There was more than one, too!


    Attracted by the Trapping Hand, the particles kept gathering here in Huai Shi¡¯s hand. Soon, there was a small pinch of dust in his hand. Huai Shi blinked and walked around the warehouse. The scattered elementium did indeed come from inside the warehouse.


    He simply stuffed the Disastrous Dust into his pocket and began to look for a way inside.


    The entire warehouse was sealed tight from the inside. It seemed quite difficult to enter except through that large door outside. However, Huai Shi found a ventilator shaft about four meters wide at the back of the warehouse.


    Just as he was wondering what he should stand on to crawl inside, he suddenly smelled a very familiar scent.


    It was the smell of blood. When he turned around and pulled aside a door on top of a heap of trash, he saw the corpse hidden underneath¡­


    He was stunned.


    It was the other guard?

 Chapter 59

    He only died just recently. His blood was still flowing out of his body.


    Huai Shi crouched down and stared at the body in front of him, confused. He pulled a random stick out of the trash heap and poked around the body; the man¡¯s arm was gone and there was a knife wound on his back. It had pierced through his lung, but the fatal wound was on his throat.


    It was a nice clean cut that nearly cleaved his throat in half.


    Soon, Huai Shi put down the stick and door he had been holding, covering the corpse up again. He then turned around to glance at the ventilator shaft behind him. After he took a few steps forth, he turned around and walked an approximate distance before taking off into a mad dash and leaping up. Stepping on the wall for support, he moved himself another thirty centimeters up.


    With that, he could just reach the shaft in the wall.


    However, when he lowered his head to look, he saw that his footprint was overlapping another faint footprint on the ground. When he raised his head and pushed his body up, he saw the fingerprints left in the dust by the window sill.


    Someone had come in here before.


    That person was about the same size as he was. Either they were both Ascenders who had undergone a second puberty, or the other person was some national running long jump champion, and an indoor rock climbing champion to boot.


    The warehouse was completely quiet.


    There was not a single sound out of place.


    Huai Shi landed silently and looked around him. All he could see was piles and piles of boxes, and wires on the floor. The wires went all the way up front and disappeared into the wall. All Huai Shi saw was a gigantic metal door, a cold breeze blowing endlessly from behind it.


    He carefully felt the breeze on his skin. It was definitely damp and cold; this beat-up thing was a refrigerator.


    After he gathered up his courage again, he went inside and looked around. All he saw was a pile of pork. The only other things of note in there were two not-yet-frozen corpses.


    They had clearly carelessly been tossed in here.


    The wounds on these bodies were the same as the one on the guard outside. It had been a single, merciless fatal blow.


    Huai Shi reached out his hand and pulled out the sacrificial sword. He looked around cautiously, and after a long time of battling against the air, he had to regretfully admit that he was going to freeze himself stupid.


    Also, the killer could have been long gone by now.


    Huai Shi walked out of the cold storage and sneezed despite himself. The sneeze echoed in the warehouse for a long time, and it still did not attract any attention.


    Looked like this was just a normal warehouse, corpses aside. Right now, however, the Disastrous Dust was rapidly collecting in his hand. Within a few short minutes, he had half a pocket¡¯s worth.


    The elementium in the air here was shockingly dense.


    The agony and despair emanating here constantly made the entire warehouse as dark and creepy as a haunted house. Most people would not be able to stay here for more than a few minutes, and only an idiot like Huai Shi would actually go around looking for a plastic bag to carry his Disastrous Dust.


    In any case, this place was where all those elementium bits were coming from.


    There had to be a source somewhere.


    After plenty of experimentation and tests, Huai Shi finally found it.


    In truth, there was no need to really measure the trajectory and everything. Anyone could see the large crack in the wall, and the secret area hidden behind the wall was not exactly sealed shut right now.


    The iris and fingerprint scanners were rendered ineffective too.


    After all, there was a whole dead human arm on the tracks. There was no way they could have pushed the fridge on the floor over, right?


    Despite the large crack right before his eyes, it still took Huai Shi an age and a half to trace the trail of the Disastrous Dust and find it. He had to reevaluate his investigative skills again¡­


    There was a dark area behind the door.


    Huai Shi walked over the corpse and headed right down the path. He could see a staircase leading all the way down, stretching into the deep darkness.


    Amidst the silence, he quietly felt his way forward. Vaguely, he saw a figure with its back toward him, and he instantly pulled out his gun, approaching it with caution.


    When he pressed his gun against the back of that person¡¯s head, however, that person fell forward like a rotten log, crashing to the ground.


    The person was long dead.


    Bam!


    The sacrificial sword clashed with a dagger that appeared in the darkness behind Huai Shi, emitting a sharp shriek. Someone had snuck up on Huai Shi and tried to assassinate him while he was distracted, but they did not expect Huai Shi to have an overpowered ability like Premonition of Death.


    The clash happened in an instant. Huai Shi turned around and kicked off against the ground, dashing forward. In the almost absolute darkness, he rammed into the place where that person was.


    Fighting blind was also a skill in itself. Wait, it might be better to call this a battle of cold weapons in the dark. There were limits to a person¡¯s joints, the way they held a weapon, and even the way they used it. If someone knew these limits well, the moment they crossed swords with another, they would immediately be able to guess the opponent¡¯s position, type of weapon, and even their fighting stance.


    It may seem dangerous and terrifying, but in the end, it was actually more of a cruel game of deduction not unlike Old Maid.


    However, some people have turned that deduction process into a natural instinct.


    The two of them clashed in the darkness, simultaneously raising their arm to knock away their opponent¡¯s gun-wielding hand. An instant later, the dagger and the sacrificial sword clashed once more.


    In the ink-black darkness, there was a constant stream of sparks flying in the air at uneven intervals.


    That was the cruel proof of clashing blades.


    Both of them unanimously chose not to shoot with their guns, trying to defeat their enemy as quietly as possible. The fight was only several seconds long, but their weapons had already crossed several times. Finally, the two of them discovered each other in the darkness at the same time. They turned and strode forward, swinging their blade with full force.


    The sacrificial sword and the dagger met once more.


    A shower of sparks burst forth from the clanging metal, illuminating the two fighters and their masks, inches away from each other.


    One wore a Peppa Pig mask.


    The other was My Little Pony.


    In an instant, there was a deathly silence.


    The brutal killing intent vanished in an instant, replaced by an unspeakably intense awkwardness.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In the silence, My Little Pony on the other side was the first to speak up with a couple of coughs. ¡°What a coincidence.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Huai Shi nodded. ¡°Such a coincidence.¡±


    The atmosphere turned awkward again.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    If they kept staring at each other like this, there would be no end to things. The other person asked again, ¡°How should I address you?¡±


    ¡°A real man sticks by his name through thick and thin¡ª¡±


    Huai Shi replied confidently, ¡°Just call me Huaihai Road Peppa. And you are?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± The other party introduced themselves, ¡°Lutai Road Pony.¡±


    And so the atmosphere turned awkward again.


    There was no way they could continue fighting after that.


    Huai Shi had never heard of any Lutai Road Little Pony before, but why was this fishy smell so familiar?


    Huai Shi was silent for a long time before he asked, ¡°Have you eaten yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Little Pony nodded.


    ¡°Out for a walk?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    There went some more pointless conversation. Perhaps it was because the stranger knew that Huai Shi was in a similar boat, or maybe they just did not want to waste any more time. Either way, Little Pony was the first to suggest,


    ¡°Shall we walk together?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s.¡±


    Huai Shi took one step back.


    The two of them slowly put their blades away and put some distance between them. Their backs were against the wall and their guards were all the way up. At the same time, they gestured at the other person to take the lead. It would be even better if the other party revealed their back, of course.


    Then they both came to the realization that the other guy was no fool and could not be tricked so easily.


    In that case, they could only proceed together.


    Strangely¡­ By the time Huai Shi realized what was happening, it seemed like he might have a new teammate?


    As they walked down the short staircase, the two of them casually exchanged some polite words of no consequence, trying their hardest to figure out where this copycat came from.


    Eventually, the two of them stopped at the end of the staircase.


    It was a fork with two paths. One led up, seemingly heading somewhere else, while the other led down, to a deeper basement level.


    Little Pony looked around, their gaze finally settling on Huai Shi.


    ¡°Up? Down?¡±


    Their meaning went unsaid, but it was clear enough. Since the two of them could not trust each other, it would be better to just split up.


    However, should Huai Shi go up or down?


    He scratched his head and thought it over for a long time before saying, ¡°People climb up the ladder, while water flows down the hill.¡±


    So he wanted to go up?


    Little Pony waved at him and headed for the path that led down, but to his surprise, Huai Shi followed behind like a shadow. Little Pony was instantly stunned. ¡°I thought you said people climb up, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why sometimes it¡¯s better to be a cola fountain of serotonin.¡±


    Huai Shi replied extremely sincerely, saying something that sounded quite philosophical.


    Come on, he was so bad at investigating things. It had taken him more than ten minutes to find a hidden door that was already open! If he went down alone, he might not even know a critical clue if it floated past his eyes.


    StarCraft players were just so sad.


    In that case, he might as well stick with a partner. Both of them were thieves anyway. Huai Shi did not want to keep any loot, and he could lend a hand when needed. It was reasonable for him to ask for some intel sharing in exchange, right?


    Of course, he was never going to admit that it was a little too dark and creepy here, and that he was a little spooked¡­


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Little Pony gave him a long look before pulling their gaze back.¡±Whatever, just don¡¯t get in my way. I get first choice of the pickings once we find the stuff.¡±


    ¡°You can have them all.¡±


    Huai Shi waved. He was not at all interested in the loot and the People of the Pure Land¡¯s belongings. He was only here to find someone, and if he could find out why these people were hiding in the warehouse that used to belong to him, that would be an added bonus.


    As they advanced, the two of them suddenly stopped dead in their tracks.


    There was someone in front of them.


    Or rather, they finally saw something that looked like a door.


    They could see a small room behind the window, with luzhu huoshao[1] boiling on a stove. The TV was broadcasting some song and dance. The middle-aged man standing guard here was sitting in a chair with his back against the window, watching TV attentively as he ate his snacks. He did not even look at the security camera screen in the corner.


    Little Pony pulled out his blade, but Peppa pushed them back.


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be so violent.¡±


    Huai Shi sighed. ¡°Let me do it, let me¡­¡±


    He put his hood back on, picked up the guard¡¯s baton and torch, then walked over and knocked on the window. He was about to do a rerun of his old gospel business, but then he saw a human head slowly bobbing up and down in the pot of luzhu cooking on the stove. There were a few arms and legs stewed until they were deliciously soft too¡­


    The guard in the room turned around, but Huai Shi opened his mouth a few times and could not find the words.


    Finally, he just sighed¡­


    ¡­and drew his sacrificial sword.


    Some things were better solved with violence, after all.T


    [1] a type of Beijing street food

 Chapter 60

    Ten seconds later, Huai Shi was sitting quietly inside the porter. He extinguished the fire in the furnace and pulled out the golden, glittering sacrificial knife from the withered corpse.


    Little Pony walked in and circled the room, still amazed at Huai Shi¡¯s knife skills.


    Meanwhile, Huai Shi continued examining the passage behind the porter. ¡°Old Liu, what¡¯s behind this?¡± He asked casually.


    ¡°It should be their Fasting Circle¡­¡± Little Pony replied casually and, after a few seconds, jumped up in shock. ¡°What the f*ck? How do you know it¡¯s me?¡±


    Huai Shi glanced back at him. ¡°I¡¯m just asking. After all, I don¡¯t know many people, and most of them aren¡¯t such show-offs.¡±


    ¡°Cough, cough, I was just saying.¡± Little Pony stared back at him innocently. ¡°Who¡¯s Old Liu?¡±


    ¡°A baldie.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough!¡±


    Both of them stared at each other in the porter. After a long while, Liu Dongli looked away helplessly.


    ¡°What are you?¡± Huai Shi asked.


    ¡°As you can tell, I¡¯m a gigolo,¡± Liu Dongli said with a shrug, ¡°I am also the Astronomical Association¡¯s fourth-class public peace and security officer¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Huai Shi was stunned. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s some sort of double insurance to bypass regulations.¡±


    The gigolo wearing a Little Pony mask sat on a chair and sighed. ¡°In certain sensitive areas, the Astronomical Association implements a double monitoring system. Two invigilators will be present¡ªone operating as per usual and one undercover. The one whom everyone sees will join the dispute under the public¡¯s eye whereas the latter will be responsible for observational records, running secret investigations behind the scenes during inconvenient cases¡­ as with this case involving the People of the Pure Land.


    ¡°To put it one way, I¡¯m Ai Qing¡¯s examiner and I observe whether she can use her position as invigilator justly and fairly. In another way, I¡¯m a bodyguard cum hitman. However, in this case, I had to break standard procedure to avoid the sensitive issue of mapping out Ascenders. Do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡±


    ¡°Is that why you stirred up trouble?¡±


    ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Liu Dongli sighed heavily and continued, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m done after this whole matter is over. You must pretend that you don¡¯t know anything about this too, to avoid me failing my final assessment. In return, I¡¯ll state in my report that you have natural divine powers and know nothing about martial arts. What do you think? Let¡¯s help each other out, okay?¡±


    Huai Shi gave him a cautious look before replying, ¡°Will I be killed if I don¡¯t help you out?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t help me, you will have to return the gift I gave you¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it! I¡¯ll help you!¡± A wide grin broke across Huai Shi¡¯s face. ¡°Really, who are we? There¡¯s no need to be courteous with each other¡­ In fact, I¡¯ll send you two free meals sets when we¡¯re done with this!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Liu Dongli resisted the strong impulse to kill this little brat on the spot.


    ¡°By the way, how did Ai Qing do for her assessment? Did she pass?¡±


    ¡°She already passed in her first year.¡± Liu Dongli rolled his eyes behind the mask. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this place is somehow related to the depths of Hell, Magic City, I would¡¯ve left long ago. I wouldn¡¯t still be here suffering.¡±


    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s Magic City?¡±


    ¡°Go back and ask Ai Qing! I¡¯ve said enough.¡±


    Liu Dongli got up abruptly, not wanting to be bothered by this brat anymore. Ever since he had gotten involved with this fellow, nothing good had come to him.


    After spending some time setting up the surveillance controls, he pulled out the key from his security uniform and opened the door to the back, only to see opened boxes piled up in the corner. There was a disgusting stench in the air.


    It seemed to be a rotten smell.


    After entering the porter, Huai Shi had sensed a strong surge of elementium dissipating into his body. Soon enough, the bag that he had originally used to hold Disastrous Dust was now filled completely.


    The despair floating in the air was almost suffocating.


    There was no doubt that the death records had flown out from this place.


    He was surprised though, as to why there were no guards in this place.


    ¡°Why are there so few people?¡±


    Liu Dongli surveyed his surroundings and mumbled, ¡°This can only prove one thing, which is that they¡¯re retreating¡­ Let¡¯s not talk about the surrounding workers yet, but perhaps even those in the higher ranks have fled as well. Don¡¯t you think that is the case?¡±


    As he spoke, he walked into the deepest part of the room.


    It was as huge as a plaza square.


    Streaks of Abyssal Sedimentation lingered in the air, exuding a vicious poison that was irresistible to ordinary humans.


    Incomprehensible linear patterns were engraved in the ground, making it seem as if this room served as a sacrificing ground. Even the sacrificial knife in Huai Shi¡¯s hand began to tremble with excitement.


    Huai Shi stepped into the middle of the grounds. Aside from the platform in the middle of the room that was covered with bloodstains, there were several gigantic mirrors at the side. Every panel was the size of the entrance to a shopping mall, each of them erected intricately in the huge square.


    They were clearly mirrors, but the two men¡¯s reflection could not be seen. It was extremely strange.


    ¡°This is the Fasting Circle.¡±


    Liu Dongli¡¯s tone remained neutral as he continued, ¡°It is the People of the Pure Land¡¯s method of grooming border mutants in the interior. Do you see those mirrors? They¡¯re actually cages that have been ceremonially blessed, and they each lead to something called the Mirrored World¡¯s Hell.


    They go through these mirrors to enter Hell and bring border mutants back. Then, they¡¯ll raise them in the Mirrored World using flesh and blood. Just like that, they eventually get their very own predators that will listen to their every order¡­ As you can see for yourself, all the cages are empty now.¡±


    Pa!


    A shadow curled up in the corner of the room seemed to have kicked something. Sensing that the two newcomers¡¯ gaze turn toward it, the figure stumbled to escape but was quickly tackled to the ground by Huai Shi.


    ¡°Have mercy! Have mercy on me!¡±


    A fat man was lying on the ground, trembling with fear. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything! I swear! I¡¯m just in charge of burning the boiler! I don¡¯t know anything¡­¡±


    Several odd-looking golden necklaces hung around his neck while he wore various gold and jade bangles around his wrist. Even his ten fingers were full of different rings of different colors.


    However, although he was adorned with all sorts of jewelry, and even his shoes seemed like a product of high quality, he did not seem to be a thief. This did not make sense considering all the expensive jewelry he was wearing.


    While Huai Shi restrained him, he began to tremble even violently as the foul smell of urine filled the air, exuding from his crotch area. Turns out, he had wet himself.


    ¡°I really don¡¯t know anything! I¡¯m only in charge of operating the boilers, I swear I have nothing to do with them. I have to make a living too! Please, have mercy on me¡­¡±


    Huai Shi frowned. Just as he was about to question the man before him, he noticed Liu Dongli patting his shoulder and pointing ahead.


    There was a small door in front of them.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Please don¡¯t touch my family¡­¡±


    The fatty widened his eyes as he struggled hard under Huai Shi¡¯s grip. ¡°If you have anything against me, just take it out on me! They¡¯re innocent, please don¡¯t touch my wife and daughter! Please, I beg of you, please¡­¡±


    Liu Dongli remained quiet as he stepped forward and lifted his leg up.


    Boom!


    The door was kicked open.


    A narrow space was revealed behind the door.


    The first thing that came to sight was a gigantic boiler. Flames danced inside it as thick smoke continuously rose up the chimney. It was unbearably hot.


    In the open hearth, aside from the carbon and coal that were glowing red, there were lumps of what appeared to be limbs and other body parts that were almost burnt to ashes.


    When Huai Shi turned his gaze away to see luxury goods, luxury goods, and more luxury goods¡­


    Luxury items of all sorts covered almost every corner of the room.


    A high-end suit that was cut opened to be used as a bedsheet, branded satchels stuffed in pots and pans, expensive watches, necklaces, and bracelets strung together and hung on the wall, wallets and purses that were piled up like mountains¡­


    There was a dirty-looking bed in the corner with an inflatable doll that was covered with adhesive tapes on the bed. Beside it, two Barbie dolls laid in their cute and exquisite outfits.


    The fat man screamed and struggled hard against Huai Shi. Finally, he managed to break free of Huai Shi¡¯s grip, got up, and immediately rushed to the bed. He pounced onto it and pulled the dolls into his arms, then began crying. Only his loud wailing sounds and the occasional begs for mercy could be heard.


    Huai Shi opened his mouth to speak but he was utterly speechless.


    Liu Dongli, on the other hand, walked up to the fat man. He rolled up his sleeves and pulled the fat man up, then began asking him questions. After a long time, he gave up and threw his hands up in frustration, throwing the idiotic fat man on the ground.


    ¡°He¡¯s useless. He has already gone crazy.¡±


    Liu Dongli lit a cigarette irritatedly. ¡°D*mn it, nothing good will come out of getting involved with this group of psychos.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go then. Isn¡¯t there another branched road?¡±


    Huai Shi could no longer stand it anymore and turned to leave¡­ Just as he turned around, the fat man¡¯s finger caught the corner of his eye. To be precise, the fat man¡¯s index finger on his right hand.


    Huai Shi immediately froze in place.


    Liu Dongli who walked in front of him noticed that he was not following him, and glanced back curiously. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You go ahead first.¡±


    Huai Shi remained silent for a long time before responding, ¡°I still have something to do, I¡¯ll catch up with you later.¡±


    Liu Dongli eyed him with a confused look on his face. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but the second he saw the young man¡¯s eyes, he could not bring himself to say anything.


    He had never seen such a calm expression on Huai Shi¡¯s face before.


    The calmness was almost unnerving.


    It was like an outer shell that was hiding something horrible within.


    ¡°I¡¯m already at the door.¡±


    With that, Liu Dongli turned around to leave.


    In the silence, Huai Shi listened as his footsteps got further away, once again walking into the incineration chamber and gently closing the door behind him.


    ¡°That ring¡­¡±


    He bent his head and looked at the fatty¡¯s right index finger where a platinum ring encrusted with crushed diamonds lay. ¡°Where did you get that ring?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about¡­¡± The crying lunatic stared back at him blankly, consciously tucking his right arm behind his back as he slowly backed away from Huai Shi. ¡°I picked it up! I picked it up somewhere!¡±


    Boom!


    His head hit the wall, squishing his inflatable wife. Her originally plump face was now deformed and had twisted into a strange shape.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you¡ª¡±


    Huai Shi lowered his head and looked into the fatty¡¯s eyes. ¡°That ring! Where did you get it?¡± He bellowed, not forgetting to emphasize each word that came out of his mouth.


    Panicking after the violent collision, the lunatic began to scream in a deranged manner. ¡°I don¡¯t know, I don¡¯t know anything¡­ I just operate the boiler, please spare me¡­ Have mercy on me¡­¡±


    Huai Shi closed his eyes.


    His palms moved to cover the lunatic¡¯s mouth.


    When he reopened his eyes, his eyes were bloodshot. Just as quickly, dark black Disastrous Dust emerged from his palms and was absorbed into his body.


    Once again, he lowered his body until he was eye to eye with the lunatic. Staring back into the lunatic¡¯s eyes, he asked once again, ¡°Tell me where you got the ring!¡±


    The man widened his eyes as tears streamed down his cheek. He seemed to be screaming, but no sound came out from his mouth. This was until Huai Shi picked up the two ¡°daughters¡± that the lunatic had dropped on the floor and began tearing them apart into pieces.


    Every move slow and exaggerated in front of the man.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know! I really don¡¯t know anything!¡±


    Finally, the man broke down and howled, ¡°Why did you kill them! Why? I¡¯m just an honest boiler operator! Those things, those things¡­ They said they don¡¯t want them anymore¡­ I just¡­ I just wanted to give them some gifts¡­¡±


    Huai Shi loosened his grip.


    The lunatic immediately pounced forward, wanting to grab Huai Shi by the neck, but was immediately kicked aside. In the end, he curled up in the corner with the remaining pieces of his dolls and sobbed in despair.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Huai Shi lowered his eyes and moved forward to grab his hand. With a quick tug, he yanked the ring out and turned away.


    The door closed behind him.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Liu Dongli, who was smoking in the corner, asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± Huai Shi replied as he slid the ring into his pocket.


    ¡°Never been better,¡± he added.


    Boom!


    At that moment, a violent explosion came from above them that shook the walls. Bits and pieces of glass shards fell from the sky, along with the large frames of the mirrors. Soon enough, the empty mirrors had been broken into fragments.