CH 202

“Sorry about this, cub.”

As soon as Mr. Le’s words fell, the surrounding oppressive aura dissipated. Yin Ren’s gaze contracted, and he quickly stood in front of Zhong Chengshuo, releasing a formidable Evil Force. In the next moment, it collided head-on with Mr. Le’s Evil Force as they clashed.

A wave of explosions erupted in the peaceful back mountain.

The grating sound of tearing echoed through the sky, completely leveling the nearby area with the surging forces of the two. There was no longer any pavilion or withered trees in place; only a pale expanse of land remained. The four individuals who clashed were pushed away by the force and turned into two figures in the billowing smoke and dust.

As the smoke cleared, Yin Ren’s black hair and red clothes flew alongside Zhong Chengshuo. He floated back behind Zhong Chengshuo while his hands hovered over the man’s shoulders. Countless restraining spirit weapons formed a chain, constantly revolving around the two, creating a spectacular display of blood-colored brilliance.

Meanwhile, several steps away, Luo Chunlei tightly held onto Mr. Le’s long robe. During the explosion just now, Mr. Le undoubtedly protected her. Despite the dense Evil Force lingering around them, the only things evident in the young girl’s eyes were astonishment and an increasingly intense fascination.

“So that’s how it is.”

Looking at the two figures clinging together opposite him, Mr. Le coughed a few times, and he spoke with emotion.

“Zhong Chengshuo, right? No wonder, no wonder. You, a mere cub, hidden under our noses for so many years, only revealing yourself recently… So you’ve been cultivating your own formidable Evil Force.”

Zhong Chengshuo didn’t answer.

He merely reached out his hand and gently touched Yin Ren’s hand resting on his shoulder.

Yin Ren’s lips curled into a cold smile, and his aura surged like a blazing fire on an icy peak. His free hand formed countless seals, turning the sealing techniques that suppressed the Evil Force into barriers. Dust churned, and dull thuds resounded as layer upon layer piled up between the two parties.

If a Primordial Elemental wanted to reveal its true form, relying solely on the mortal realm wouldn’t suffice. Just look at the lesson learned from Dog Thing; at best, they could engage in battles in places like the Archive or the Corpse Cage. Without exception, these places were interstitial spaces between the mortal realm and the Other Side.

As long as the battlefield was forcefully kept in the mortal realm, Mr. Le’s combat strength would be greatly diminished.

Yin Ren’s seals became faster and faster, with countless crimson threads piercing through the heavens and earth, as if stitching this space firmly in place. In this way, even a slight gap couldn’t be created, let alone relocating the battlefield.

“Using a fierce hound as a tool indeed has its uses.”

Mr. Le’s gaze swept over Yin Ren as he reached out to pat Luo Chunlei’s head, letting out a soft sigh.

“Unfortunately…”

In the next moment, a sweet-scented warm breeze swept through the red threads. It was like the most fresh and beautiful flowers, blending the March spring breeze with sunlight, intoxicating anyone’s heart.

However, Yin Ren’s gaze hardened. He waved his red clothes, and his right sleeve danced in the air, enveloping Zhong Chengshuo within his embrace. That warm, transparent breeze effortlessly penetrated Yin Ren’s layers of protection and brushed against his red clothes.

Yin Ren immediately encased his body with his Evil Force, but unfortunately, he was a step too slow.

Under the gentle breeze, the vibrant blood-red clothes disintegrated in an instant. Yin Ren’s exposed skin sizzled, as if immersed in an invisible, strong acid.

But it didn’t hurt.

His right arm’s flesh and skin dissolved, and an inexplicable sense of joy surged through his nerves, piercing directly into his mind. It felt like an overdose of painkillers, and Yin Ren felt like he was floating on cloud nine. He couldn’t even summon any fighting spirit, let alone murderous intent.

Even though he put up a strong defense, that sense of joy permeated every pore, flooding his nerves like warm water. In the dizziness of joy, Yin Ren felt like every pore was opening up.

Forget it, forget it. Happiness is what matters most.

In life, isn’t this fleeting moment of joy what we all seek?

The operation of his techniques gradually slowed down, and Yin Ren’s grip on Zhong Chengshuo’s arm became increasingly loose, on the verge of letting go. Zhong Chengshuo silently took out his phone and pressed a certain audio clip—

“Is work more important to you than me?” A certain person’s voice was clear and loud.

Yin Ren’s movements instantly froze. He forced himself to take out a sheet of talisman paper and slapped it against his forehead with a loud smack. The crisp sound was earth-shattering, and the talisman paper still bore a few red fingerprints tinged with shame.

Produced by Huang Jin, it was an enhanced version of the Tranquility Talisman developed by the Great Celestial Master, capable of treating all overwhelming emotions.

After completing all of this, Yin Ren breathed a sigh of relief with lingering fear. Mr. Le was indeed not to be underestimated. Fortunately, they had made sufficient preparations in advance. Otherwise, if they kept falling into the same pit, his title as the Great Celestial Master would be forfeited.

Everything happened in just a few seconds. Mr. Le on the opposite side casually said, “Oh,” with evident interest—

The fierce ghost glanced at the blood-drenched wound on his right arm and bit down on Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder and neck. Several streams of blood flowed down Yin Ren’s mouth and seeped into the depths of Zhong Chengshuo’s shirt. At the same time, wisps of white smoke emanated from the wound on Yin Ren’s arm, rapidly closing up.

Zhong Chengshuo remained calm, as if he had lost his sense of pain. Although Yin Ren was clearly sucking his blood, he merely turned his head and rubbed his cheek against the man’s black hair.

In the next moment, the protective barriers surrounding the two became even more complete. Layers upon layers of runes emitted a faint glow, and only the outlines of Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo could be vaguely seen.

“What are they doing?” Luo Chunlei asked curiously.

“Feeding,” Mr. Le leisurely replied, pointing his finger through the empty space. “To raise such a fierce ghost, ‘Anonymous’ always needs to provide it with power.”

The flesh and blood of Primordial Elementals were the purest source of Evil Force, making it the most efficient way to feed fierce ghosts. It was unclear who taught this cub about such knowledge regarding the Other Side…

But speaking of which, the Other Side certainly wasn’t lacking in traitors. At least, in the next second, a certain companion with the surname Qi appeared in his mind.

“The warm-up is about done.” Mr. Le made the final gesture in the empty space. “Cub, it’s time for you to take action. If you linger like this, someone might stab you in the back.”

“…Bring it on.”

The emaciated man closed his eyes; his voice could even be called gentle.

—Boom!

Accompanied by a thunderous tearing sound, the earth trembled slightly. Countless red threads, traversing space under Yin Ren’s control, snapped at the same time, creating a fissure in the sky over ten meters long, even more spectacular than the one in the abandoned hospital building.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Inside the fissure, a peculiar rhythm-like sound could be heard. It echoed in perfect harmony with the sounds Yin Ren had heard in his dreams but was much clearer. After each vibration, the fissure would crack open a bit more, like a pod unable to contain its beans.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The fissure continued to expand, resembling a giant mouth. Yin Ren cut his wrist, and numerous blood threads pierced through. Unfortunately, those threads were unable to stitch up the self-opening fissure—

“There are two opponents.” Zhong Chengshuo frowned. “Retreat!”

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Finally, the gap abruptly collapsed, like a flood bursting through a dam. The surrounding space twisted and distorted, and sharp sounds resounded incessantly. The gap widened like it was being torn and shoved by some force, almost forming a circular shape, like a giant mouth devouring the entire area.

Luo Chunlei let out an excited scream as her eyes widened. Yin Ren, with Zhong Chengshuo, quickly retreated but was still swallowed whole.

In an instant, all sounds of wind and bird chirping disappeared, replaced by the silence unique to the interstitial space.

At that moment, the expansion of the enormous gap abruptly halted. The opening to the mortal realm suddenly lost its power, and the space autonomously closed at an astonishing speed.

Amidst the sharp sound of space compression, Yin Ren opened his eyes.

The surrounding grass and trees distorted ceaselessly, flickering like poorly modeled objects in a video game. Further in the distance, the scenery remained the same, faintly revealing the school’s teaching building; except those buildings appeared bright and new, emanating an uncomfortable, icy aura.

There was no doubt that this was the transitional area between the mortal realm and the other side.

Mr. Le and Luo Chunlei were nowhere to be found. In their original positions, only a brownish-red cocoon remained, like a tumor attached to the ground, large enough to envelop a child. Faint, rapid heartbeats could be sensed from within the cocoon; it was likely that Luo Chunlei was inside.

Surrounding the cocoon floated numerous colorful, translucent bubbles. Each one was the size of a fist and resembled the plastic balls in an amusement park, giving a delightful feeling. Each bubble emitted Mr. Le’s aura—could these things be his true form?

The bubbles floated leisurely, resembling soft eggs with constant flickering inside, containing countless fragments of transformation.

Puppies frolicked on the lawn, cats stretching lazily under the sun, birds pecking at sweet fruits on branches, two wet wolf cubs licking each other… Children eating freshly baked pastries at a stall, adults laughing and chatting by a chessboard, kids gathering together chattering and playing games, families gathered around the dining table…

They were so vivid.

Among them, there were also dim ones, exuding a dirty deathly pallor, unmistakably human—kicking at a struggling and screaming animal, confidently spewing rumors, reaching out to steal others’ wealth and efforts, laughing at those around them who had collapsed due to misfortune…

The bubbles continued to float and scatter, with the vibrant ones constantly bursting, producing fragments of indistinct laughter. Among the bubbles that filled the sky, the number of dim-colored ones increased.

Stealing, slandering, insulting, using illegal drugs… even directly trampling upon others.

They were no longer scattered bubbles but had turned into a cluster of rapidly expanding, filthy foam. They proliferated on the surface of the earth like falling snow, seemingly intending to fill the entire world.

Yin Ren cautiously stood in place while numerous red threads formed a net to isolate the erratically flying bubbles outside. He could feel the bubbles lightly touching the threads and then bouncing away effortlessly. Each touch from the vibrant bubbles brought him a fleeting sense of relief.

The successive waves of interference made it difficult to maintain composure and engage in combat.

At the same time, the dirty foam continued to proliferate, piling up along the ground. The surrounding scenery was devoured by the countless bubbles, and the air carried a maddeningly sweet and rancid odor.

“Zhong Chengshuo, quickly!” Yin Ren attached two more tranquility talismans to his body and held Zhong Chengshuo’s neck tightly.

Zhong Chengshuo extended his hand, and a layer of transparent black gel appeared on his right hand. They quickly gathered together, solidifying into a soft and pliable cluster of wings. In the next second, the largest wing suddenly opened, and its edges became hard and pitch black, resembling a small sickle.

Without hesitation, Zhong Chengshuo struck into the void.

The sound of tearing arose for an instant, but the gap created by the cluster of wings quickly closed.

“It’s Shian’s defensive technique.”

Upon seeing the recently perfected spell specifically designed to counter gap attacks, Yin Ren gritted his teeth.

“Damn it, there’s a traitor!”

Simultaneously, all the bubbles floating in the air came to a sudden stop. They rotated from various angles, and their surfaces instantly became murky and wrinkled, resembling flesh.

Black spots of various shapes emerged from these flesh-like balls, resembling pupils as they turned towards the cluster of wings.

[Indeed… this aura… I haven’t felt it in so many years…]

Mr. Le’s sigh reverberated among the different flesh balls.

[It’s a “Fear” cub. Truly a “Fear” cub…]

Those flesh balls desperately crowded towards Zhong Chengshuo.

[You must never go back…]

Boom!

The dirty gray-white foam transformed into a torrent, devouring the two individuals like a crushing force. They spun wildly, centered around Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo. Within the whirlpool, intermittent screams and laughter could be heard. The turbulent, filthy foam continued to surge and rapidly multiply.

It was like a carnival.

Amidst the fluctuating ups and downs, violence and madness permeated the surroundings. The vibrant bubbles were entirely consumed and rotted into a murky gray. All the scenes in the interstitial space were shattered, leaving only the remnants of ecstasy in the world. After an unknown period of time, the bubbles gradually calmed down, resembling the still surface of a windless lake.

A long sigh resonated from an unknown source, filled with a profound sense of nostalgia and regret.

As the bubbles gradually tightened, a black tender sprout suddenly emerged in the center of the murky vortex.

A pair of small wings emerged at the top layer of the foam, flapping lightly twice.

Swish, swish.

It no longer resembled its previous translucent appearance but had turned nearly opaque black.

In an instant, a fierce wind rose, tearing apart the foam. A pure black burst opened up and blossomed passionately like a flower. The wings blended into the darkness, while the darkness surged and countless indescribable, distorted dark streams shimmered on its surface.

[You… Are you about to materialize?!] Mr. Le’s heart sank. The cub had been forced to reveal its true form, and the situation was worse than they had imagined.

The darkness didn’t answer his startled question.

Deep within the darkness, a faint red hue was faintly discernible. This darkness tightly protected the fierce ghost it had nurtured, just as he protected the human cub named Luo Chunlei.

This is impossible.

Mr. Le swung his body, attempting to further crush the cub with his true form. Anything that came into contact with his true form would undoubtedly fall into a state of irrational ecstasy. Whether it was a living creature, an evil creature, or an Elemental, none could escape his influence.

Even the mighty “Fear” lineage, even on the verge of materialization, it was still just a cub!

Why isn’t it going mad?

The young darkness was spinning itself, akin to a meat grinder, destroying the surrounding bubbles. Mr. Le could feel that his true form was being rapidly shredded and consumed on the spot. Apart from biting the enemy, the darkness extended countless wing-like scythes, madly disrupting the surrounding space as if seeking a way out.

Ironically, as the representative of joy, he often felt sorrow.

[Initially, I thought you were “his” successor… I should have let you die in bliss, without any suffering…]

The gray-white foam surged once again, leaving the sky and earth suddenly empty. The bubbles crowded around from all directions and simultaneously burst, disappearing into nothingness. Mr. Le’s aura not only didn’t weaken but grew even stronger.

Without the support of the surrounding bubbles, the mass of darkness fell to the ground, and the wings on its surface curled up in confusion.

And everything around it began to change.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The pounding sounds from the Other Side gradually intensified, and the sky in the interstitial space transformed into a black-gray vortex. Drip, drip. More foam dripped from the vortex onto the ground. The once indistinguishable interstitial space violently fluctuated, rapidly collapsing and turning into a misty gray.

The empty gray-white color rushed in from all directions, and the foam coalesced into gigantic human legs that walked incessantly around.

Men’s legs, women’s legs, children’s legs, elderly legs.

Walking incessantly, step by step.

The darkness roiled with bubbles the size of adults. The mountain-like giant legs casually stepped down, causing the bubbles to emit a music-like, melodious scream. One of the legs stepped on the wings that had emerged from the darkness, causing the cluster of wings to instantly shatter into minced meat.

Amidst the intense pain, all the extended wings suddenly retracted.

In the ethereal heights of nothingness, within the dense fog above those legs, Mr. Le’s voice could faintly be heard.

[Apologies.]

He said.

……

Outside the gap, small cracks had just appeared, but they were instantly sealed by sealing techniques, and the space quickly returned to its original state.

In the area where Yin Ren was located, Xiang Jiang’s sealing techniques enveloped layer upon layer. Not only could evil qi not escape, but even Evil Force couldn’t seep out. If the gap that had just opened was an exit, it was sealed shut, and these seals could be likened to pouring concrete. It was sealed tightly on the outside as well.

Confirming that there were no loopholes, Xiang Jiang withdrew his hand and turned around.

Behind him, Xiang Hai’s back had the wings of a butterfly spread wide. Fierce ghosts covered the sky, and ghosts from the nearby areas continuously gathered. They numbered in the thousands and were swept up by the Evil Force, forming a formidable army of spirits.

Compared to when he was in Gengsheng Town, the wings on Xiang Hai’s back had grown several times larger. The butterfly wings, adorned with countless faces, gently fluttered, and bloody tears flowed from the faces. Amidst the wailing of women and children, scales resembling the palms of elderly hands rose up.

Those emaciated hands opened their five fingers, and the sharp fingertips pointed straight ahead, directed at the person in front of Xiang Jiang.

“To be honest, I’ve always wanted to say that your brother resembles a ‘Ghost General’ more than I do. It’s a pity that if you had been following me all along, we could have formed a duo like Heibai Wuchang*.”

*Two deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting the spirits of the dead to the underworld. As their names suggest (Black and White Impermanence), they are dressed in black and white, respectively.

Fu Xingchuan straightened his coat, his tone filled with emotion.

Xiang Jiang snorted as a cold smile appeared on his face.

“Xiang Jiang, I thought you were just young and confused for a moment. I thought you were just burdened by inner struggles and chose to be passive and unproductive… I thought you really cared about innocent, ordinary people. We gave you a chance, more than once. Even before you set foot here, you could have turned back.”

Fu Xingchuan’s fingers twitched, and between his fingertips, the yellow talisman automatically stirred without wind, emanating a scorching fighting spirit. His face still wore the usual smile, but his eyes held no trace of humor.

“At first, I thought if you were colluding with that banal group, Sunken Society, you might have some hope of being saved. Honestly, when you sat in my position and I couldn’t find any communication from you to the outside, I was somewhat happy. Who would have known… Haa.”

Fu Xingchuan halted his words and let out a long sigh. His burgundy coat continued to burn, transforming into a blood-red long robe.

“…Why, of all things, did you choose to collaborate with the Other Side?”