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As the rear commander of the Emergency Management Department, Hao Wenzhe was closer to the “frontline” than ever before.
He was crouched in the flowerbed area next to the abandoned building.
This was a place for hospitalized patients to take a walk, with pretty good greenery and a small pavilion in the center. Now, in the misty night filled with evil qi, the once lush green plants had all turned gray and withered, becoming the perfect backdrop for a horror movie.
The pavilion was filled with equipment with screens, emitting countless bright lights that shone through the mist. In the midst of the fog, a person and a cat were nestled among the pile of equipment. Hao Wenzhe’s ten fingers flew in a blur while the cat rested its head on the machinery, with the data on the screen switching as fast as Hao Wenzhe’s fingers.
Thanks to the quick reaction of Shian and the assistance of Fu Xingchuan, the corruption of the Evil Force was all contained within the abandoned building.
Thanks to the sniper who tore open a gap and launched a surprise attack, while investigating the attacker, Shian had put in a lot of effort to improve their defense measures. This technique was still in the experimental stage, but it had to be used. Fortunately, the intensity of the Evil Force was still within a controllable range, and the readings in each area were relatively stable.
“Li Nian, the latest corruption distribution map has been uploaded. I’ve provided the predicted concentration flow, so you can plan accordingly.”
Hao Wenzhe spoke while his hands never stopped moving. There were a dozen hospital overhead views spread out in front of him, each with completely different patterns and labels.
The black cat continued to press its forehead against the computer case, occasionally adjusting the parameters on the map.
“Got it. Zhou Gong, weaken the defense by 17%, and pay attention to the operation of the evil spirits in all directions. Qiao Shang, your ghost soldiers should advance about twenty meters. The Evil Force near the abandoned building must be controlled. You guys know what to do for the rest.”
Li Nian gave the latest instructions within ten seconds.
However, Hao Wenzhe didn’t show a relaxed expression. They all knew that there was only one problem left.
During the second outbreak of the Evil Force, they completely lost contact with Fu Xingchuan and four other C-level investigators.
“This is not a typical Divine Descent.”
Hao Wenzhe muttered irritably.
“Divine Descents are one-time destruction. The Evil Force that erupted just now happened twice, with the second time being deliberately different from a Divine Descent.”
The black cat wagged its tail. “Yes, the first outbreak was completely consistent with the characteristics of a Divine Descent, but the second time was different.”
Hao Wenzhe nodded, his expression not looking too good.
Unusual changes in the data could only be caused by “external interference,” which could affect a Divine Descent—even if it was only a small Divine Descent—to an extent, the degree of danger was self-evident.
“What’s your opinion?” He glanced at the black cat from the corner of his eye.
“Two traces of spatial vibrations. The coordinates are within the gap.”
The tone of Dr. Cat was very confident, and it was unclear whether his confidence came from “the nature of cats” or “reserve knowledge”.
“One time was deeper, the other time was shallower. They must have actively partitioned the interstitial space… To be able to make such arrangements in the interstitial space—it’s most likely Sunken Society.”
Hao Wenzhe sighed.
No wonder they couldn’t find the base of Sunken Society. The interstitial space was like the “inner world” in many works, and unless it was specifically detected, there was basically no chance of finding any trace.
“But Sunken Society doesn’t need to use such radical measures to protect themselves if they can manipulate a Divine Descent. Don’t worry, they won’t be ahead of Shian by so much.”
The black cat twitched his ears.
“The problem is what is behind the Divine Descent. We need more detailed data—what is the probability of survival for those five humans inside?”
Hao Wenzhe didn’t answer.
Based on the concentration of the Evil Force inside the building, the probability of the five surviving was less than 0.01%.
……
The Evil Force swallowed everyone up in a matter of seconds.
Fu Xingchuan used all his strength, and the protective spells around him exploded like a bomb. Ge Tingting retrieved the piece of cloth with sealing magic on it and instinctively wrapped it around Fu Xingchuan. Lu Xiaohe hugged her laptop full of data to her chest, using her body to shield it.
Huang Jin tore open his wound, and his blood soaked the entire tranquility talisman.
A round and chubby yellow dumpling popped out of the coffin, making a reluctant high-pitch puff while sending the Corpse Cage towards Fu Tianyi.
Everything happened in just an instant.
The spell that exploded around Fu Xingchuan briefly pushed back the Evil Force that was about to burst forth. However, as he was protecting the other four, he was bound to be the first to come into contact with the torrent. At the same time, Ge Tingting retrieved the shroud made of the pieces of cloth with sealing magic and placed it in front of Fu Xingchuan.
Countless tranquility talismans simultaneously activated and flew around, rotating inside the protective spells. Under the excess of tranquility talismans, everyone’s heads felt like they were plunged into ice water.
In that icy calmness, even the corruption of the Evil Force weakened slightly.
In Fu Tianyi’s eyes, the Corpse Cage that Yellow Millet pushed forward seemed to fall in slow motion. The ugly corpse was pressing towards him, and Fu Tianyi only thought for half a second.
An unprecedented situation—this wasn’t a game; there was no support, no solution, and one wrong step would lead to a bottomless abyss. He had studied countless difficult cases in Shian, but none of them involved “directly confronting a Divine Descent”.
Countless complicated thoughts receded like the tide, leaving only a few words in his mind: “Do your best and obey destiny.”
Fu Tianyi held his breath. His blood seemed frozen, yet it burned fiercely. He instinctively opened his five fingers and activated the Corpse Cage.
“Hey!” At the same time the Corpse Cage was activated, Fu Tianyi roared.
Fu Xingchuan was the first to react.
He had already activated and was maintaining the shroud, so the rest was easy. Fu Xingchuan threw an “open” command, and the five of them entered the shroud together as one.
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Ge Tingting reacted quickly. She twisted her hands, and just before being sucked into the shroud, the shroud accurately wrapped around the surface.
“Hold on!” Fu Xingchuan yelled at Fu Tianyi.
The #1 Ghost General bit his finger, and the blood turned into countless symbols, branded onto the flesh wall at an imperceptible speed.
That was the remaining seal isolation spell on the shroud.
One layer wasn’t enough. Countless blood curses deepened the spell again and again. Fu Xingchuan’s movements became more and more firm and proficient.
He looked once from the outside and remembered it.
Ge Tingting fell to the smelly flesh ground of the Corpse Cage, looking at Fu Xingchuan in a daze. Her face was pale and dirty, looking quite wretched. However, she slowly clenched her hand against the flesh wall, her eyes becoming more determined.
Lu Xiaohe and Huang Jin fell in the same place.
Lu Xiaohe was still protecting her laptop tightly, while Huang Jin stood up with great difficulty. His still bleeding hand inserted the improved tranquility talismans into the blank space like needles.
He looked dazed, and it was hard to tell if he was deeply thinking or just persisting.
The originally dry and dull flesh wall was soon covered with the blood charms of the two people. After a dozen seconds, the flood of Evil Force still didn’t rush in.
Fu Xingchuan used up his blood and started to use a slower but more secure cutting technique. The sealing magic was strengthened again, and the incomplete runes were immediately supplemented and adjusted by him, gradually glowing with a faint golden light.
Without Fu Xingchuan’s help, Fu Tianyi alone supported the operation of the Corse Cage.
Having been squeezed crazily by Yin Ren, he could really hold on at this moment—
At the edge of life and death, a little bit of brilliant light appeared in his eyes.
Outside, the strong Evil Force washed over the broken space and rushed into the gaps in the shroud on the Corpse Cage. The shroud touched the Evil Force and quickly melted and disintegrated, turning into black and red foam.
At the very end, the small, dark-green heart floated up. Its size was small enough to be wrapped in the shroud, and within the shroud, a faint radiance covered the heart. The small amount of Evil Force that had seeped in could only stay outside and couldn’t penetrate it.
The dark red shroud package swayed and was pushed by the flood of Evil Force, drifting towards the outside of the abandoned building.
……
A quiet street.
Yin Ren, who had changed his appearance, carried a suitcase—at this time, he was really afraid some enthusiastic citizens would call the police when they saw a suspicious man carrying an oversized suitcase alone.
Let alone Shian or Zhong Chengshuo, even the 1,000-year-old Ghost King himself couldn’t explain the situation, so it wasn’t really suitable to show his face.
He needed to find a place to rest, and then make plans.
However, they couldn’t afford a real set of clothes together. Hotels that required identification were definitely out of the question, and all-night restaurants and black Internet cafes were too eye-catching. Dog Thing was still playing dead beside him, and they couldn’t just go to a store and swipe their cards blatantly.
They needed… Wait, considering their current condition, it seemed they didn’t need too much food or supplies.
There was actually a place that was both concealed and they could obtain external information.
Yin Ren looked at the old city in front of him, his eyes lighting up. He grabbed his heavy suitcase and darted into a small alley in the old city.
Near Zhong Chengshuo’s secret base, the surveillance was still working diligently.
Yin Ren slipped into the basement, familiarly shutting the door. He leaned against the thick door panel and slid down to the ground.
Squeak.
Zhong Chengshuo opened the zipper of the suitcase from inside and sat up from the suitcase, clicking his joints.
The basement was brightly lit, causing Zhong Chengshuo to narrow his eyes while he silently looked at the familiar room. Everything was still the same; even the hidden door where he stored his diaries had been restored by Yin Ren.
He looked carefully at Yin Ren, who was lying at the door and covered in mystical red gauze, and then stood up a little awkwardly.
In his exhaustion, Yin Ren tried to observe his mysterious lover. Zhong Chengshuo walked to the corner shelf, took out two identical sets of shirts and casual pants, and thoughtfully attached disposable underwear.
Then Zhong Chengshuo took out a can of apple juice from the refrigerator, carefully wiped it with a wet towel, and handed it to Yin Ren with both hands. After completing all this, he took out the remaining wet wipes and tried to clean the dirt on Yin Ren’s skin.
Zhong Chengshuo seemed to be very familiar with this process. Five minutes later, the person who was wiped clean had returned to being Lord Ghost King.
The newly transformed Comrade Xiao Zhong extended his hand, which gave off a pleasant mint fragrance from the wet wipes. The force was just the right amount. The temperature of the other person’s fingers soaked through the wet wipes, giving the feeling like he was being licked.
That instinctive sense of rejection was resurrected, but compared to the last time, it seemed powerless to protest.
“How much… do you know about your own situation?”
After knowing that Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t an ordinary human, all the unnatural details suddenly made sense, such as his lack of emotions like fear, and his strange and isolated personality despite coming from a wholesome family.
After all, anti-social people would pretend to be amiable, but Zhong Chengshuo’s “unable to blend in” was in essence something even more abnormal.
The even more unusual Zhong Chengshuo silently folded the dirty wet wipe and replaced it with a clean one, carefully wiping Yin Ren’s collarbone.
“Previously, I have been investigating the Divine Descents and haven’t started to study myself yet,” Zhong Chengshuo said as he leaned closer, his breath spreading a little. “Until now, I have only confirmed one thing—I’m not affected by the influence of metaphysics, and the principle is no different from that of others.”
The warm, minty breath brushed on Yin Ren’s skin, and the warmth and coolness mixed together, causing a thin layer of goosebumps to form.
“I just happen to not believe in these things,” Zhong Chengshuo explained seriously. “If there is a curse in the cat population that says ‘if you don’t lick your paws three times a day, you will be bitten by a dog’, humans will find it difficult to empathize with it—it’s not a matter of belief or not, it’s more like it has nothing to do with me.”
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Indeed, in many cases, being “indifferent” was further than “believing or not”.
Yin Ren took a sip of the apple juice, which had just the right sweetness and carried the unique sweet and sour aroma of apples.
“Is that all?” Yin Ren asked ambiguously after swallowing the juice.
Zhong Chengshuo’s movement stopped.
After a dozen seconds, he raised his head and said, “No… While studying the Divine Descent, I have actually been thinking about the difference between metaphysics and science.”
Yin Ren could hear a rare hint of cautiousness in his tone, like the sensitive nose of a wild beast ready to be touched.
Zhong Chengshuo was trying to open up to him.
Yin Ren remained motionless, and even his breathing became much steadier. “Go ahead.”
“There are two ways in which humans deal with fear,” Zhong Chengshuo said softly. “In the face of unknown fears, some people will explore and take the scientific path. However, humans are limited by time and lifespan. Whether it is the ‘right direction’ or the ‘nature of things’, it requires countless people to work tirelessly to explore. For individuals, this is an almost endless road.”
Although Yin Ren hadn’t been in this era for long, he could still understand these things.
He took another sip of apple juice and made a seemingly relaxed appearance, indicating for Zhong Chengshuo to continue.
“So some people will summarize a whole set of ‘rules’ out of thin air and immediately explain everything. In this way, everything is traceable, and they won’t be driven crazy by the unknown.”
Zhong Chengshuo gently caught a strand of Yin Ren’s hair, watching as it coiled around his finger.
“Actually, these metaphysical systems and beliefs can be seen as a kind of organism. If we take the cognition of ‘believers’ as ‘cells,’ then the ‘biology’ of the metaphysics is a collection of them, making the ‘organism’.”
“The collection will undergo distortions, or modifications based on information transmission, which is their metabolism. Religion is the same. Many doctrines and concepts change with the times, and even worse, the religion itself will disappear for various reasons—this is their death.”
This time, Yin Ren was truly captivated. He held his breath and stared at Zhong Chengshuo intently as he spoke.
Zhong Chengshuo’s tone was gentle, like flowing, warm water.
“So, the characteristics of various legendary evil spirits and demons will have significant cultural and regional differences. Ultimately, these non-scientific phenomena are ‘organisms’ domesticated by different groups of people. They use them to confront the unknown and maintain their mental stability.”
“So?” Yin Ren asked.
“My mind doesn’t need protection,” Zhong Chengshuo replied, looking down. “I’ve never met others like me and have become accustomed to facing the unknown at all times. I’ve never had a sense of ‘safety’, nor have I experienced ‘fear’. So fundamentally, I don’t need those non-scientific explanations.”
Yin Ren leaned against the cold door panel and exhaled slowly. “But you’re learning to be afraid now.”
“Yes, but I’m only afraid of the unknown related to you.”
Zhong Chengshuo clenched the strands of hair between his fingertips, and his tone was tinged with a subtle sense of sadness.
“Because you make me feel ‘safe’ for the first time.”
Yin Ren slowly raised his hand, covering his eyes with his wrist.
For an Evil Spirit, this might be the most absurd thing in the world. After centuries of loneliness, at the end of human fear, it turned out to be such a small basement.
Zhong Chengshuo told him that he made him feel “safe”.
“But my instinct is still repelling you. Do you know that?” Yin Ren still covered his eyes, not hiding the truth. “Including now, my brain is telling me to stay away from you—that we might have a conflict.”
It wasn’t a pretty thing to say, and if it were someone else, Yin Ren might have kept this realization to himself. But at this moment, his mouth seemed to be out of his control, and he had to pour out all the uncertain things.
“Actually, I feel the same way—a peculiar sense of vigilance.”
After finishing saying this, Zhong Chengshuo seemed to realize something and sped up his speech.
“But it won’t hurt us, weaken us, or make us sick. Instinct is instinct, and reasoning is reasoning. We can study together.”
He emphasized the word “together”.
Yin Ren was in the midst of a flood of emotions when he suddenly burst out laughing. His hand no longer covered his eyes, and he gently stroked the side of Zhong Chengshuo’s face. Then his palm slid slowly down to rest on the man’s neck.
Under the warm skin, the veins were pulsing rhythmically deep in the muscles, but the horrific severed neck wound on Zhong Chengshuo’s neck was still churning in his mind.
“You’re afraid I’ll distance myself from you because of my ‘repulsion’?” Yin Ren asked.
“Yes.” Comrade Xiao Zhong always spoke directly, with an unskilled look of concern on his face.
Yin Ren couldn’t help it. His other hand also reached out and pulled Zhong Chengshuo’s face towards him.
What does it matter if his type is unknown?
He himself was a bona fide dangerous being.
Yin Ren’s hands turned into cups as he struggled to approach, stopping his face in front of Zhong Chengshuo’s.
Making sure the other person had no resistance, Yin Ren leaned in for a kiss.
Among the light and refreshing mint scent, there was a slight sweet apple taste. Zhong Chengshuo’s lips were soft and warm, just like before, and this touch made Yin Ren’s eyes slightly sour.
Zhong Chengshuo only hesitated for a moment.
He held the back of Yin Ren’s head and ran his five fingers through his long hair. Zhong Chengshuo leaned forward, almost pinning Yin Ren against the door.
He deepened the kiss.
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The panic of almost losing, the future obscured by mist, and that indescribable sense of repulsion. They were like spicy seasoning, making the originally tender kiss taste different.
A not-too-light, not-too-heavy nibble, followed by a slightly painful bite. The temperature around them gradually rose, and the soft and gentle breathing turned into a tidal wave.
Zhong Chengshuo’s kiss carried with it a sense of confusion. Compared to the impulsiveness of hot blood, it was a clearer and more determined desire.
“You…umm…got it a bit wrong…”
In the midst of the sticky and messy kiss, Yin Ren uttered a hint of a smile.
“Instincts are still instincts, and thinking is still thinking… Zhong Chengshuo, the only thing that can suppress instincts are other instincts…”
Yin Ren’s hair slid into Zhong Chengshuo’s collar, and the smooth, hard buttons slipped off the shirt, revealing the warm skin underneath. Zhong Chengshuo’s ears and cheeks turned completely pink, and his palm was pressed against Yin Ren’s shoulder. The place where their skin touched was incredibly tingly, like there was an electric current passing through.
Instinctive repulsion, instinctual desire, or both.
A creepy feeling and burning desire mixed together, like licking on a sharp edge of hard candy, or like being slightly drunk after drinking.
“Can you do it?” Yin Ren bit Zhong Chengshuo’s earlobe, and his wings rolled lightly on the ground.
“A previous case I handled involved it, so I know a bit about it.” Zhong Chengshuo’s cheeks were a little hot, but he still stared straight into Yin Ren’s eyes persistently. “What about you?”
“I’ve read a few books about it before.” Yin Ren didn’t expect Zhong Chengshuo to ask back, and his wings stiffened on the ground.
Zhong Chengshuo randomly picked up one of Yin Ren’s wings and bit it.
Warm and soft—it was still his favorite feeling.
Yin Ren shuddered all over, gasping for breath.
Numbness and stimulation came together as Yin Ren’s hands wrapped around Zhong Chengshuo’s neck. He relaxed his shoulders and ran his fingertips over the back of Zhong Chengshuo’s neck. That repulsion mixed with desire, and that deadly tingle became even more pronounced.
“Come on,” Yin Ren whispered.
A cluster of wings slid over the wall and pressed the light switch, sinking everything into ambiguous darkness.
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t express any opinion on this. His cool nose tip pressed against Yin Ren’s neck, sinking into a subtle contemplative state.
“How long?” A few seconds later, Zhong Chengshuo asked quite seriously.
Yin Ren: “…” Can this be customized? Why is it different from the knowledge he already has?
Forget it.
“Until the repulsion disappears.” Lord Ghost King lazily replied, raising his hand and causing the interrogation chair in the corner to slide aside.
There was no time to fuss about it—there were too many items near the sofa, and it wasn’t easy to move. There was no bed here, but at least the chair was soft, and there were even straps on it to secure the body.
Click.
The chair slid and hit the nearby apple juice bottle. The round bottle rolled along the floor, and the fresh, sweet, and sour smell scent in the air. It hit the pile of clothes not far away—Yin Ren needed to wipe his body just now and hadn’t put on any clothes yet.
Only the “red clothes” surrounded by talismans hung loosely on the ground, and then turned into light spots and disappeared.
……
Yin Ren thought it through very clearly. He was already exhausted and could use this “leisure activity” to restore his physical and mental strength.
Facts proved that he was naïve .
About three days later, Lord Ghost King successfully changed from a state of “not wanting to move a finger” to a state of “not wanting to move a single hair”.
To be honest, despite the exhaustion, it was quite satisfying, Yin Ren thought seriously. In many aspects, Zhong Chengshuo was a genius.
Over the course of three days, all the mixed emotions during their separation were vented. The interrogation chair couldn’t withstand the two monsters and was broken into several pieces. The heavy table in the room fell to one side, and the metal cans on the shelf were disordered.
Numerous terrifying specimens were thrown around in the liquid, and the room looked like it had just experienced a hurricane.
At the moment, Yin Ren was lying on the sofa, with a weak layer of thin wings underneath him. He held Zhong Chengshuo in his arms, as two adults struggled to fill the sofa.
Several apple juice cans were overturned not far away, and a black hair crawled in, tremblingly taking a few sips.
Very good. The relaxed person… No, the relaxed monster had changed from one to two.
Zhong Chengshuo had his eyes closed, breathing steadily, but his heartbeat was still a bit fast, obviously not asleep. There was an inexplicable sense of calm in the air, making them stretch out from the inside out.
Yin Ren couldn’t help but exhale, watching his lover’s soft hair sway in the darkness.
His lover kept his promise; countless hugs, countless stimulation, to the point that their instincts seemed to be completely numb, no longer giving crazy warnings or disturbing their minds. It only left them with “sparks” when their skin touched and nothing more.
“Zhong Chengshuo.”
“Mm…”
“Nothing, I’m just calling you.” Yin Ren squinted his eyes and looked at the dark ceiling.
Zhong Chengshuo moved his body and buried his nose in Yin Ren’s neck. The soft strands of hair tickled Yin Ren. Compared to before, Zhong Chengshuo’s breath had undergone a subtle change, like a perfect, hard shell that opened a crack, revealing the soft soul inside.
“Yin Ren.”
“What’s the matter?”
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“What are your plans for the future? We need to consider our next move.”
“…” The joy had passed, and now he had to face reality. Yin Ren sniffled and sighed sadly. “I haven’t figured it out yet.”
He could handle it himself, but if he had to declare to Fu Xingchuan, “I’ve changed my mind and decided to start a new relationship, so I won’t seal myself again for now”, he would feel embarrassed just thinking about it. But that was a solution that would only hurt his own pride.
To be honest, Yin Ren was also worried about his colleagues from Unit 9. He had found Zhong Chengshuo, but he still owed the members of Unit 9 three wishes.
But Zhong Chengshuo absolutely couldn’t show his face.
Not even Yin Ren, a 1,000-year-old ghost, could discern where he came from. If Zhong Chengshuo showed up again, it would be impossible for Shian to let it slide.
The fact was cruel; in front of so many Shian experts, Zhong Chengshuo was shot in the head, so the excuse of “mistaken identity” couldn’t be used.
After the incident, the Fu residence was investigated inside out by Shian, and the remnants of magic from the past few years were dug up and examined. The idea of an “illusion” wouldn’t hold water.
If they said he had been modified, with Comrade Xiao Zhong’s strange physical state, there was no way they could let Shian find any clues. In the worst-case scenario, the two of them would either have to hastily run away* or hold hands and become neighbors with Shian.
*Wipe oil on the sole of one’s feet (么脚底抹油) Colloquialism.
What a hassle.
But if they just dragged it out like this… Cutting off contact, and if the hospital incident continued to be a big deal, with the keenness of Zhong Chengshuo’s parents, they would definitely soon discover the truth. With the old sending the young* twice, it was hard to say if the two elderly people could hold on.
*The white-haired person sending the black-haired person (当白发人送黑发人) Proverb referring to an old person sending off a young person. || In this context, the Zhong elders have to send off not only their daughter but also Zhong Chengshuo while they’re still alive.
…Wait a minute.
Yin Ren slowly turned his head and looked at Zhong Chengshuo’s flawless face. Zhong Chengshuo held his breath and blinked innocently.
“I have a somewhat devious idea.”
Yin Ren rubbed his face and looked away.
“Zhong Chengshuo, do you have confidence in ‘keeping a straight face’?”
Zhong Chengshuo sat up slightly. “?”
“I might need you to, uh, play an illusion for a bit.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow. They did it for 3 days, and their first time was on a chair… And they broke it?! Talk about kinky…
For those confused with Zhong Chengshuo’s explanation, basically he’s saying that people fear the unknown, and to ease their fears, they come up with metaphysical ideas. Take for example, the ancient Greeks, who came up with various gods to explain how the world works (i.e. Poseidon, god of the sea, controls the oceans, and when he’s mad, there are storms and floods).
With the change of modern day and improvement in science and technology, we have answered many of those unknowns, but there are things that can never truly be answered, such as what happens after death? This is where many turn to religion/the metaphysics to give them comfort and alleviate their fears (such as that heaven exists).
For Zhong Chengshuo, he doesn’t care about these things (which is probably why the metaphysics have no effect on him)… or rather, he’s indifferent towards them. Without having fear or questioning of the unknown, he didn’t care whether there was an answer or not, and not caring means he doesn’t need to seek out an explanation for them—which is different from just not believing (as in, some people believe in heaven while others think you’ll just pass away and become one with nature).
Anyway, this is a lot more philosophical than I intended. This chapter marks the end of this arc. Arc summary below:
In order to carry out Zhong Chengshuo’s final wishes and get back his body, Yin Ren devised a plan to lure the sniper out. Using the hamster pendant as a locator, Yin Ren found that there was a recently closed gap in the abandoned building of the Municipal Hospital where all the Shian staff that was attacked by the sniper were staying.
Pulling in his members of Unit 9, he planned to open the gap and enter the “Other Side” in order to lure out the sniper and also track where Zhong Chengshuo’s hamster pendant is in order to find his corpse.
Sensing a disturbance in the gap, the sniper decided to attack the one probing it and get rid of them, essentially falling for Yin Ren’s trap.
Meanwhile, Zhong Chengshuo woke up in Sunken Society’s underground corpse vault, confused that he hadn’t died yet. In order to escape, he started breaking off heads from members of Sunken Society. To send out a distress signal, his goal was to locate his hamster pendant and activate it so Yin Ren could find him.
Unfortunately, after he escaped the underground corpse vault, while walking to the relic warehouse where Sunken Society stored items of the dead, he was discovered and brutally attacked by Sunken Society’s security measures.
While Zhong Chengshuo dueled it out with Sunken Society, Yin Ren managed to lure out the sniper. He entered one of the spatial rifts that teleported him into a different “interstitial zone” where he duels it out with the sniper. These “interstitial zones” are part of a different dimension that connects to “the world” through gaps that open from time to time.
Eventually, Yin Ren defeats the sniper. This alerts the other three members, who then send Qi Xin to deal with him. Qi Xin instead eats the remains of the sniper which triggers a small Divine Descent. Luckily, this Divine Descent happened in an interstitial zone and not in the real world, so the damage was minimal.
While Yin Ren fought with the sniper, Lu Xiaohe was able to locate the coordinates of Zhong Chengshuo’s hamster pendant. It seemed that Sunken Society had set up their HQ inside interstitial zones, which is why Shian was never able to find it. With the coordinates found, Yin Ren infiltrated the interstitial zone of Sunken Society’s relic warehouse and was reunited with Zhong Chengshuo’s corpse.
Their reunion was cut short when the flow of Evil Force from the sniper’s death flooded the area, triggering a Divine Descent. Luckily, they managed to escape with their lives, and the Evil Force somehow healed Zhong Chengshuo, fully restoring his body.
Meanwhile, Unit 9 and Fu Xingchuan had to deal with the gap in the abandoned building that was overflowing with Evil Force. A small Divine Descent was triggered, which alerted Shian, who set up heavy defenses around the abandoned building in order to contain it.
In order to escape and survive the Divine Descent, Ge Tingting was able to use her corpse servant abilities to command parts of the sniper’s corpse that had Yin Ren’s seal on it. Using the Corpse Cage, all the members in the abandoned building entered the corpse’s heart that was then wrapped by the corpse seal Ge Tingting managed to “sew” together. The seal was able to withstand the flood of Evil Force, allowing them to escape with their lives.
Having managed to survive the Divine Descent, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo left the interstitial zone and returned to the real world. Unfortunately, Yin Ren told Fu Xingchuan he was going to seal himself up, so they all thought both he and Zhong Chengshuo were dead. Now they have to come up with a believable plan for them to return to Shian that could explain Zhong Chengshuo’s situation.
…Oh, and after being reunited, they banged for three days straight.
——
For those confused about the whole interstitial thing, think of it as a different dimension that connects to the real world. The rifts that Yin Ren opens can basically teleport him anywhere in the world… Imagine it like the rifts created in Dr. Strange where they can just teleport instantly to anywhere in the world, except there’s another dimension as the anchor, and it’s not teleporting from the real world to another place in the real world but rather real world -> other dimension -> real world.
You can think of Sunken Society HQ built like a block chain in the spatial rifts, like so:
[other Sunken Society departments] [underground corpse vault] [relic warehouse]
When Yin Ren invaded the corpse vault and the Divine Descent happened, Sunken Society basically cut off the [underground corpse vault] and [relic warehouse] in order to protect their other departments and prevent Evil Force from leaking in. Since technically they are within their own individual spatial dimensions that are linked, cutting off the link would cut off the connection of the spatial dimension.
Hope that explains things more clearly.
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As the rear commander of the Emergency Management Department, Hao Wenzhe was closer to the “frontline” than ever before.
He was crouched in the flowerbed area next to the abandoned building.
This was a place for hospitalized patients to take a walk, with pretty good greenery and a small pavilion in the center. Now, in the misty night filled with evil qi, the once lush green plants had all turned gray and withered, becoming the perfect backdrop for a horror movie.
The pavilion was filled with equipment with screens, emitting countless bright lights that shone through the mist. In the midst of the fog, a person and a cat were nestled among the pile of equipment. Hao Wenzhe’s ten fingers flew in a blur while the cat rested its head on the machinery, with the data on the screen switching as fast as Hao Wenzhe’s fingers.
Thanks to the quick reaction of Shian and the assistance of Fu Xingchuan, the corruption of the Evil Force was all contained within the abandoned building.
Thanks to the sniper who tore open a gap and launched a surprise attack, while investigating the attacker, Shian had put in a lot of effort to improve their defense measures. This technique was still in the experimental stage, but it had to be used. Fortunately, the intensity of the Evil Force was still within a controllable range, and the readings in each area were relatively stable.
“Li Nian, the latest corruption distribution map has been uploaded. I’ve provided the predicted concentration flow, so you can plan accordingly.”
Hao Wenzhe spoke while his hands never stopped moving. There were a dozen hospital overhead views spread out in front of him, each with completely different patterns and labels.
The black cat continued to press its forehead against the computer case, occasionally adjusting the parameters on the map.
“Got it. Zhou Gong, weaken the defense by 17%, and pay attention to the operation of the evil spirits in all directions. Qiao Shang, your ghost soldiers should advance about twenty meters. The Evil Force near the abandoned building must be controlled. You guys know what to do for the rest.”
Li Nian gave the latest instructions within ten seconds.
However, Hao Wenzhe didn’t show a relaxed expression. They all knew that there was only one problem left.
During the second outbreak of the Evil Force, they completely lost contact with Fu Xingchuan and four other C-level investigators.
“This is not a typical Divine Descent.”
Hao Wenzhe muttered irritably.
“Divine Descents are one-time destruction. The Evil Force that erupted just now happened twice, with the second time being deliberately different from a Divine Descent.”
The black cat wagged its tail. “Yes, the first outbreak was completely consistent with the characteristics of a Divine Descent, but the second time was different.”
Hao Wenzhe nodded, his expression not looking too good.
Unusual changes in the data could only be caused by “external interference,” which could affect a Divine Descent—even if it was only a small Divine Descent—to an extent, the degree of danger was self-evident.
“What’s your opinion?” He glanced at the black cat from the corner of his eye.
“Two traces of spatial vibrations. The coordinates are within the gap.”
The tone of Dr. Cat was very confident, and it was unclear whether his confidence came from “the nature of cats” or “reserve knowledge”.
“One time was deeper, the other time was shallower. They must have actively partitioned the interstitial space… To be able to make such arrangements in the interstitial space—it’s most likely Sunken Society.”
Hao Wenzhe sighed.
No wonder they couldn’t find the base of Sunken Society. The interstitial space was like the “inner world” in many works, and unless it was specifically detected, there was basically no chance of finding any trace.
“But Sunken Society doesn’t need to use such radical measures to protect themselves if they can manipulate a Divine Descent. Don’t worry, they won’t be ahead of Shian by so much.”
The black cat twitched his ears.
“The problem is what is behind the Divine Descent. We need more detailed data—what is the probability of survival for those five humans inside?”
Hao Wenzhe didn’t answer.
Based on the concentration of the Evil Force inside the building, the probability of the five surviving was less than 0.01%.
……
The Evil Force swallowed everyone up in a matter of seconds.
Fu Xingchuan used all his strength, and the protective spells around him exploded like a bomb. Ge Tingting retrieved the piece of cloth with sealing magic on it and instinctively wrapped it around Fu Xingchuan. Lu Xiaohe hugged her laptop full of data to her chest, using her body to shield it.
Huang Jin tore open his wound, and his blood soaked the entire tranquility talisman.
A round and chubby yellow dumpling popped out of the coffin, making a reluctant high-pitch puff while sending the Corpse Cage towards Fu Tianyi.
Everything happened in just an instant.
The spell that exploded around Fu Xingchuan briefly pushed back the Evil Force that was about to burst forth. However, as he was protecting the other four, he was bound to be the first to come into contact with the torrent. At the same time, Ge Tingting retrieved the shroud made of the pieces of cloth with sealing magic and placed it in front of Fu Xingchuan.
Countless tranquility talismans simultaneously activated and flew around, rotating inside the protective spells. Under the excess of tranquility talismans, everyone’s heads felt like they were plunged into ice water.
In that icy calmness, even the corruption of the Evil Force weakened slightly.
In Fu Tianyi’s eyes, the Corpse Cage that Yellow Millet pushed forward seemed to fall in slow motion. The ugly corpse was pressing towards him, and Fu Tianyi only thought for half a second.
An unprecedented situation—this wasn’t a game; there was no support, no solution, and one wrong step would lead to a bottomless abyss. He had studied countless difficult cases in Shian, but none of them involved “directly confronting a Divine Descent”.
Countless complicated thoughts receded like the tide, leaving only a few words in his mind: “Do your best and obey destiny.”
Fu Tianyi held his breath. His blood seemed frozen, yet it burned fiercely. He instinctively opened his five fingers and activated the Corpse Cage.
“Hey!” At the same time the Corpse Cage was activated, Fu Tianyi roared.
Fu Xingchuan was the first to react.
He had already activated and was maintaining the shroud, so the rest was easy. Fu Xingchuan threw an “open” command, and the five of them entered the shroud together as one.
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Ge Tingting reacted quickly. She twisted her hands, and just before being sucked into the shroud, the shroud accurately wrapped around the surface.
“Hold on!” Fu Xingchuan yelled at Fu Tianyi.
The #1 Ghost General bit his finger, and the blood turned into countless symbols, branded onto the flesh wall at an imperceptible speed.
That was the remaining seal isolation spell on the shroud.
One layer wasn’t enough. Countless blood curses deepened the spell again and again. Fu Xingchuan’s movements became more and more firm and proficient.
He looked once from the outside and remembered it.
Ge Tingting fell to the smelly flesh ground of the Corpse Cage, looking at Fu Xingchuan in a daze. Her face was pale and dirty, looking quite wretched. However, she slowly clenched her hand against the flesh wall, her eyes becoming more determined.
Lu Xiaohe and Huang Jin fell in the same place.
Lu Xiaohe was still protecting her laptop tightly, while Huang Jin stood up with great difficulty. His still bleeding hand inserted the improved tranquility talismans into the blank space like needles.
He looked dazed, and it was hard to tell if he was deeply thinking or just persisting.
The originally dry and dull flesh wall was soon covered with the blood charms of the two people. After a dozen seconds, the flood of Evil Force still didn’t rush in.
Fu Xingchuan used up his blood and started to use a slower but more secure cutting technique. The sealing magic was strengthened again, and the incomplete runes were immediately supplemented and adjusted by him, gradually glowing with a faint golden light.
Without Fu Xingchuan’s help, Fu Tianyi alone supported the operation of the Corse Cage.
Having been squeezed crazily by Yin Ren, he could really hold on at this moment—
At the edge of life and death, a little bit of brilliant light appeared in his eyes.
Outside, the strong Evil Force washed over the broken space and rushed into the gaps in the shroud on the Corpse Cage. The shroud touched the Evil Force and quickly melted and disintegrated, turning into black and red foam.
At the very end, the small, dark-green heart floated up. Its size was small enough to be wrapped in the shroud, and within the shroud, a faint radiance covered the heart. The small amount of Evil Force that had seeped in could only stay outside and couldn’t penetrate it.
The dark red shroud package swayed and was pushed by the flood of Evil Force, drifting towards the outside of the abandoned building.
……
A quiet street.
Yin Ren, who had changed his appearance, carried a suitcase—at this time, he was really afraid some enthusiastic citizens would call the police when they saw a suspicious man carrying an oversized suitcase alone.
Let alone Shian or Zhong Chengshuo, even the 1,000-year-old Ghost King himself couldn’t explain the situation, so it wasn’t really suitable to show his face.
He needed to find a place to rest, and then make plans.
However, they couldn’t afford a real set of clothes together. Hotels that required identification were definitely out of the question, and all-night restaurants and black Internet cafes were too eye-catching. Dog Thing was still playing dead beside him, and they couldn’t just go to a store and swipe their cards blatantly.
They needed… Wait, considering their current condition, it seemed they didn’t need too much food or supplies.
There was actually a place that was both concealed and they could obtain external information.
Yin Ren looked at the old city in front of him, his eyes lighting up. He grabbed his heavy suitcase and darted into a small alley in the old city.
Near Zhong Chengshuo’s secret base, the surveillance was still working diligently.
Yin Ren slipped into the basement, familiarly shutting the door. He leaned against the thick door panel and slid down to the ground.
Squeak.
Zhong Chengshuo opened the zipper of the suitcase from inside and sat up from the suitcase, clicking his joints.
The basement was brightly lit, causing Zhong Chengshuo to narrow his eyes while he silently looked at the familiar room. Everything was still the same; even the hidden door where he stored his diaries had been restored by Yin Ren.
He looked carefully at Yin Ren, who was lying at the door and covered in mystical red gauze, and then stood up a little awkwardly.
In his exhaustion, Yin Ren tried to observe his mysterious lover. Zhong Chengshuo walked to the corner shelf, took out two identical sets of shirts and casual pants, and thoughtfully attached disposable underwear.
Then Zhong Chengshuo took out a can of apple juice from the refrigerator, carefully wiped it with a wet towel, and handed it to Yin Ren with both hands. After completing all this, he took out the remaining wet wipes and tried to clean the dirt on Yin Ren’s skin.
Zhong Chengshuo seemed to be very familiar with this process. Five minutes later, the person who was wiped clean had returned to being Lord Ghost King.
The newly transformed Comrade Xiao Zhong extended his hand, which gave off a pleasant mint fragrance from the wet wipes. The force was just the right amount. The temperature of the other person’s fingers soaked through the wet wipes, giving the feeling like he was being licked.
That instinctive sense of rejection was resurrected, but compared to the last time, it seemed powerless to protest.
“How much… do you know about your own situation?”
After knowing that Zhong Chengshuo wasn’t an ordinary human, all the unnatural details suddenly made sense, such as his lack of emotions like fear, and his strange and isolated personality despite coming from a wholesome family.
After all, anti-social people would pretend to be amiable, but Zhong Chengshuo’s “unable to blend in” was in essence something even more abnormal.
The even more unusual Zhong Chengshuo silently folded the dirty wet wipe and replaced it with a clean one, carefully wiping Yin Ren’s collarbone.
“Previously, I have been investigating the Divine Descents and haven’t started to study myself yet,” Zhong Chengshuo said as he leaned closer, his breath spreading a little. “Until now, I have only confirmed one thing—I’m not affected by the influence of metaphysics, and the principle is no different from that of others.”
The warm, minty breath brushed on Yin Ren’s skin, and the warmth and coolness mixed together, causing a thin layer of goosebumps to form.
“I just happen to not believe in these things,” Zhong Chengshuo explained seriously. “If there is a curse in the cat population that says ‘if you don’t lick your paws three times a day, you will be bitten by a dog’, humans will find it difficult to empathize with it—it’s not a matter of belief or not, it’s more like it has nothing to do with me.”
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Indeed, in many cases, being “indifferent” was further than “believing or not”.
Yin Ren took a sip of the apple juice, which had just the right sweetness and carried the unique sweet and sour aroma of apples.
“Is that all?” Yin Ren asked ambiguously after swallowing the juice.
Zhong Chengshuo’s movement stopped.
After a dozen seconds, he raised his head and said, “No… While studying the Divine Descent, I have actually been thinking about the difference between metaphysics and science.”
Yin Ren could hear a rare hint of cautiousness in his tone, like the sensitive nose of a wild beast ready to be touched.
Zhong Chengshuo was trying to open up to him.
Yin Ren remained motionless, and even his breathing became much steadier. “Go ahead.”
“There are two ways in which humans deal with fear,” Zhong Chengshuo said softly. “In the face of unknown fears, some people will explore and take the scientific path. However, humans are limited by time and lifespan. Whether it is the ‘right direction’ or the ‘nature of things’, it requires countless people to work tirelessly to explore. For individuals, this is an almost endless road.”
Although Yin Ren hadn’t been in this era for long, he could still understand these things.
He took another sip of apple juice and made a seemingly relaxed appearance, indicating for Zhong Chengshuo to continue.
“So some people will summarize a whole set of ‘rules’ out of thin air and immediately explain everything. In this way, everything is traceable, and they won’t be driven crazy by the unknown.”
Zhong Chengshuo gently caught a strand of Yin Ren’s hair, watching as it coiled around his finger.
“Actually, these metaphysical systems and beliefs can be seen as a kind of organism. If we take the cognition of ‘believers’ as ‘cells,’ then the ‘biology’ of the metaphysics is a collection of them, making the ‘organism’.”
“The collection will undergo distortions, or modifications based on information transmission, which is their metabolism. Religion is the same. Many doctrines and concepts change with the times, and even worse, the religion itself will disappear for various reasons—this is their death.”
This time, Yin Ren was truly captivated. He held his breath and stared at Zhong Chengshuo intently as he spoke.
Zhong Chengshuo’s tone was gentle, like flowing, warm water.
“So, the characteristics of various legendary evil spirits and demons will have significant cultural and regional differences. Ultimately, these non-scientific phenomena are ‘organisms’ domesticated by different groups of people. They use them to confront the unknown and maintain their mental stability.”
“So?” Yin Ren asked.
“My mind doesn’t need protection,” Zhong Chengshuo replied, looking down. “I’ve never met others like me and have become accustomed to facing the unknown at all times. I’ve never had a sense of ‘safety’, nor have I experienced ‘fear’. So fundamentally, I don’t need those non-scientific explanations.”
Yin Ren leaned against the cold door panel and exhaled slowly. “But you’re learning to be afraid now.”
“Yes, but I’m only afraid of the unknown related to you.”
Zhong Chengshuo clenched the strands of hair between his fingertips, and his tone was tinged with a subtle sense of sadness.
“Because you make me feel ‘safe’ for the first time.”
Yin Ren slowly raised his hand, covering his eyes with his wrist.
For an Evil Spirit, this might be the most absurd thing in the world. After centuries of loneliness, at the end of human fear, it turned out to be such a small basement.
Zhong Chengshuo told him that he made him feel “safe”.
“But my instinct is still repelling you. Do you know that?” Yin Ren still covered his eyes, not hiding the truth. “Including now, my brain is telling me to stay away from you—that we might have a conflict.”
It wasn’t a pretty thing to say, and if it were someone else, Yin Ren might have kept this realization to himself. But at this moment, his mouth seemed to be out of his control, and he had to pour out all the uncertain things.
“Actually, I feel the same way—a peculiar sense of vigilance.”
After finishing saying this, Zhong Chengshuo seemed to realize something and sped up his speech.
“But it won’t hurt us, weaken us, or make us sick. Instinct is instinct, and reasoning is reasoning. We can study together.”
He emphasized the word “together”.
Yin Ren was in the midst of a flood of emotions when he suddenly burst out laughing. His hand no longer covered his eyes, and he gently stroked the side of Zhong Chengshuo’s face. Then his palm slid slowly down to rest on the man’s neck.
Under the warm skin, the veins were pulsing rhythmically deep in the muscles, but the horrific severed neck wound on Zhong Chengshuo’s neck was still churning in his mind.
“You’re afraid I’ll distance myself from you because of my ‘repulsion’?” Yin Ren asked.
“Yes.” Comrade Xiao Zhong always spoke directly, with an unskilled look of concern on his face.
Yin Ren couldn’t help it. His other hand also reached out and pulled Zhong Chengshuo’s face towards him.
What does it matter if his type is unknown?
He himself was a bona fide dangerous being.
Yin Ren’s hands turned into cups as he struggled to approach, stopping his face in front of Zhong Chengshuo’s.
Making sure the other person had no resistance, Yin Ren leaned in for a kiss.
Among the light and refreshing mint scent, there was a slight sweet apple taste. Zhong Chengshuo’s lips were soft and warm, just like before, and this touch made Yin Ren’s eyes slightly sour.
Zhong Chengshuo only hesitated for a moment.
He held the back of Yin Ren’s head and ran his five fingers through his long hair. Zhong Chengshuo leaned forward, almost pinning Yin Ren against the door.
He deepened the kiss.
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The panic of almost losing, the future obscured by mist, and that indescribable sense of repulsion. They were like spicy seasoning, making the originally tender kiss taste different.
A not-too-light, not-too-heavy nibble, followed by a slightly painful bite. The temperature around them gradually rose, and the soft and gentle breathing turned into a tidal wave.
Zhong Chengshuo’s kiss carried with it a sense of confusion. Compared to the impulsiveness of hot blood, it was a clearer and more determined desire.
“You…umm…got it a bit wrong…”
In the midst of the sticky and messy kiss, Yin Ren uttered a hint of a smile.
“Instincts are still instincts, and thinking is still thinking… Zhong Chengshuo, the only thing that can suppress instincts are other instincts…”
Yin Ren’s hair slid into Zhong Chengshuo’s collar, and the smooth, hard buttons slipped off the shirt, revealing the warm skin underneath. Zhong Chengshuo’s ears and cheeks turned completely pink, and his palm was pressed against Yin Ren’s shoulder. The place where their skin touched was incredibly tingly, like there was an electric current passing through.
Instinctive repulsion, instinctual desire, or both.
A creepy feeling and burning desire mixed together, like licking on a sharp edge of hard candy, or like being slightly drunk after drinking.
“Can you do it?” Yin Ren bit Zhong Chengshuo’s earlobe, and his wings rolled lightly on the ground.
“A previous case I handled involved it, so I know a bit about it.” Zhong Chengshuo’s cheeks were a little hot, but he still stared straight into Yin Ren’s eyes persistently. “What about you?”
“I’ve read a few books about it before.” Yin Ren didn’t expect Zhong Chengshuo to ask back, and his wings stiffened on the ground.
Zhong Chengshuo randomly picked up one of Yin Ren’s wings and bit it.
Warm and soft—it was still his favorite feeling.
Yin Ren shuddered all over, gasping for breath.
Numbness and stimulation came together as Yin Ren’s hands wrapped around Zhong Chengshuo’s neck. He relaxed his shoulders and ran his fingertips over the back of Zhong Chengshuo’s neck. That repulsion mixed with desire, and that deadly tingle became even more pronounced.
“Come on,” Yin Ren whispered.
A cluster of wings slid over the wall and pressed the light switch, sinking everything into ambiguous darkness.
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t express any opinion on this. His cool nose tip pressed against Yin Ren’s neck, sinking into a subtle contemplative state.
“How long?” A few seconds later, Zhong Chengshuo asked quite seriously.
Yin Ren: “…” Can this be customized? Why is it different from the knowledge he already has?
Forget it.
“Until the repulsion disappears.” Lord Ghost King lazily replied, raising his hand and causing the interrogation chair in the corner to slide aside.
There was no time to fuss about it—there were too many items near the sofa, and it wasn’t easy to move. There was no bed here, but at least the chair was soft, and there were even straps on it to secure the body.
Click.
The chair slid and hit the nearby apple juice bottle. The round bottle rolled along the floor, and the fresh, sweet, and sour smell scent in the air. It hit the pile of clothes not far away—Yin Ren needed to wipe his body just now and hadn’t put on any clothes yet.
Only the “red clothes” surrounded by talismans hung loosely on the ground, and then turned into light spots and disappeared.
……
Yin Ren thought it through very clearly. He was already exhausted and could use this “leisure activity” to restore his physical and mental strength.
Facts proved that he was naïve .
About three days later, Lord Ghost King successfully changed from a state of “not wanting to move a finger” to a state of “not wanting to move a single hair”.
To be honest, despite the exhaustion, it was quite satisfying, Yin Ren thought seriously. In many aspects, Zhong Chengshuo was a genius.
Over the course of three days, all the mixed emotions during their separation were vented. The interrogation chair couldn’t withstand the two monsters and was broken into several pieces. The heavy table in the room fell to one side, and the metal cans on the shelf were disordered.
Numerous terrifying specimens were thrown around in the liquid, and the room looked like it had just experienced a hurricane.
At the moment, Yin Ren was lying on the sofa, with a weak layer of thin wings underneath him. He held Zhong Chengshuo in his arms, as two adults struggled to fill the sofa.
Several apple juice cans were overturned not far away, and a black hair crawled in, tremblingly taking a few sips.
Very good. The relaxed person… No, the relaxed monster had changed from one to two.
Zhong Chengshuo had his eyes closed, breathing steadily, but his heartbeat was still a bit fast, obviously not asleep. There was an inexplicable sense of calm in the air, making them stretch out from the inside out.
Yin Ren couldn’t help but exhale, watching his lover’s soft hair sway in the darkness.
His lover kept his promise; countless hugs, countless stimulation, to the point that their instincts seemed to be completely numb, no longer giving crazy warnings or disturbing their minds. It only left them with “sparks” when their skin touched and nothing more.
“Zhong Chengshuo.”
“Mm…”
“Nothing, I’m just calling you.” Yin Ren squinted his eyes and looked at the dark ceiling.
Zhong Chengshuo moved his body and buried his nose in Yin Ren’s neck. The soft strands of hair tickled Yin Ren. Compared to before, Zhong Chengshuo’s breath had undergone a subtle change, like a perfect, hard shell that opened a crack, revealing the soft soul inside.
“Yin Ren.”
“What’s the matter?”
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“What are your plans for the future? We need to consider our next move.”
“…” The joy had passed, and now he had to face reality. Yin Ren sniffled and sighed sadly. “I haven’t figured it out yet.”
He could handle it himself, but if he had to declare to Fu Xingchuan, “I’ve changed my mind and decided to start a new relationship, so I won’t seal myself again for now”, he would feel embarrassed just thinking about it. But that was a solution that would only hurt his own pride.
To be honest, Yin Ren was also worried about his colleagues from Unit 9. He had found Zhong Chengshuo, but he still owed the members of Unit 9 three wishes.
But Zhong Chengshuo absolutely couldn’t show his face.
Not even Yin Ren, a 1,000-year-old ghost, could discern where he came from. If Zhong Chengshuo showed up again, it would be impossible for Shian to let it slide.
The fact was cruel; in front of so many Shian experts, Zhong Chengshuo was shot in the head, so the excuse of “mistaken identity” couldn’t be used.
After the incident, the Fu residence was investigated inside out by Shian, and the remnants of magic from the past few years were dug up and examined. The idea of an “illusion” wouldn’t hold water.
If they said he had been modified, with Comrade Xiao Zhong’s strange physical state, there was no way they could let Shian find any clues. In the worst-case scenario, the two of them would either have to hastily run away* or hold hands and become neighbors with Shian.
*Wipe oil on the sole of one’s feet (么脚底抹油) Colloquialism.
What a hassle.
But if they just dragged it out like this… Cutting off contact, and if the hospital incident continued to be a big deal, with the keenness of Zhong Chengshuo’s parents, they would definitely soon discover the truth. With the old sending the young* twice, it was hard to say if the two elderly people could hold on.
*The white-haired person sending the black-haired person (当白发人送黑发人) Proverb referring to an old person sending off a young person. || In this context, the Zhong elders have to send off not only their daughter but also Zhong Chengshuo while they’re still alive.
…Wait a minute.
Yin Ren slowly turned his head and looked at Zhong Chengshuo’s flawless face. Zhong Chengshuo held his breath and blinked innocently.
“I have a somewhat devious idea.”
Yin Ren rubbed his face and looked away.
“Zhong Chengshuo, do you have confidence in ‘keeping a straight face’?”
Zhong Chengshuo sat up slightly. “?”
“I might need you to, uh, play an illusion for a bit.”
Kinky Thoughts:
Wow. They did it for 3 days, and their first time was on a chair… And they broke it?! Talk about kinky…
For those confused with Zhong Chengshuo’s explanation, basically he’s saying that people fear the unknown, and to ease their fears, they come up with metaphysical ideas. Take for example, the ancient Greeks, who came up with various gods to explain how the world works (i.e. Poseidon, god of the sea, controls the oceans, and when he’s mad, there are storms and floods).
With the change of modern day and improvement in science and technology, we have answered many of those unknowns, but there are things that can never truly be answered, such as what happens after death? This is where many turn to religion/the metaphysics to give them comfort and alleviate their fears (such as that heaven exists).
For Zhong Chengshuo, he doesn’t care about these things (which is probably why the metaphysics have no effect on him)… or rather, he’s indifferent towards them. Without having fear or questioning of the unknown, he didn’t care whether there was an answer or not, and not caring means he doesn’t need to seek out an explanation for them—which is different from just not believing (as in, some people believe in heaven while others think you’ll just pass away and become one with nature).
Anyway, this is a lot more philosophical than I intended. This chapter marks the end of this arc. Arc summary below:
In order to carry out Zhong Chengshuo’s final wishes and get back his body, Yin Ren devised a plan to lure the sniper out. Using the hamster pendant as a locator, Yin Ren found that there was a recently closed gap in the abandoned building of the Municipal Hospital where all the Shian staff that was attacked by the sniper were staying.
Pulling in his members of Unit 9, he planned to open the gap and enter the “Other Side” in order to lure out the sniper and also track where Zhong Chengshuo’s hamster pendant is in order to find his corpse.
Sensing a disturbance in the gap, the sniper decided to attack the one probing it and get rid of them, essentially falling for Yin Ren’s trap.
Meanwhile, Zhong Chengshuo woke up in Sunken Society’s underground corpse vault, confused that he hadn’t died yet. In order to escape, he started breaking off heads from members of Sunken Society. To send out a distress signal, his goal was to locate his hamster pendant and activate it so Yin Ren could find him.
Unfortunately, after he escaped the underground corpse vault, while walking to the relic warehouse where Sunken Society stored items of the dead, he was discovered and brutally attacked by Sunken Society’s security measures.
While Zhong Chengshuo dueled it out with Sunken Society, Yin Ren managed to lure out the sniper. He entered one of the spatial rifts that teleported him into a different “interstitial zone” where he duels it out with the sniper. These “interstitial zones” are part of a different dimension that connects to “the world” through gaps that open from time to time.
Eventually, Yin Ren defeats the sniper. This alerts the other three members, who then send Qi Xin to deal with him. Qi Xin instead eats the remains of the sniper which triggers a small Divine Descent. Luckily, this Divine Descent happened in an interstitial zone and not in the real world, so the damage was minimal.
While Yin Ren fought with the sniper, Lu Xiaohe was able to locate the coordinates of Zhong Chengshuo’s hamster pendant. It seemed that Sunken Society had set up their HQ inside interstitial zones, which is why Shian was never able to find it. With the coordinates found, Yin Ren infiltrated the interstitial zone of Sunken Society’s relic warehouse and was reunited with Zhong Chengshuo’s corpse.
Their reunion was cut short when the flow of Evil Force from the sniper’s death flooded the area, triggering a Divine Descent. Luckily, they managed to escape with their lives, and the Evil Force somehow healed Zhong Chengshuo, fully restoring his body.
Meanwhile, Unit 9 and Fu Xingchuan had to deal with the gap in the abandoned building that was overflowing with Evil Force. A small Divine Descent was triggered, which alerted Shian, who set up heavy defenses around the abandoned building in order to contain it.
In order to escape and survive the Divine Descent, Ge Tingting was able to use her corpse servant abilities to command parts of the sniper’s corpse that had Yin Ren’s seal on it. Using the Corpse Cage, all the members in the abandoned building entered the corpse’s heart that was then wrapped by the corpse seal Ge Tingting managed to “sew” together. The seal was able to withstand the flood of Evil Force, allowing them to escape with their lives.
Having managed to survive the Divine Descent, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo left the interstitial zone and returned to the real world. Unfortunately, Yin Ren told Fu Xingchuan he was going to seal himself up, so they all thought both he and Zhong Chengshuo were dead. Now they have to come up with a believable plan for them to return to Shian that could explain Zhong Chengshuo’s situation.
…Oh, and after being reunited, they banged for three days straight.
——
For those confused about the whole interstitial thing, think of it as a different dimension that connects to the real world. The rifts that Yin Ren opens can basically teleport him anywhere in the world… Imagine it like the rifts created in Dr. Strange where they can just teleport instantly to anywhere in the world, except there’s another dimension as the anchor, and it’s not teleporting from the real world to another place in the real world but rather real world -> other dimension -> real world.
You can think of Sunken Society HQ built like a block chain in the spatial rifts, like so:
[other Sunken Society departments] [underground corpse vault] [relic warehouse]
When Yin Ren invaded the corpse vault and the Divine Descent happened, Sunken Society basically cut off the [underground corpse vault] and [relic warehouse] in order to protect their other departments and prevent Evil Force from leaking in. Since technically they are within their own individual spatial dimensions that are linked, cutting off the link would cut off the connection of the spatial dimension.
Hope that explains things more clearly.
