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“Are you sure?”
“The person who came to negotiate conditions with you that day is indeed lifeless.” Shen Mo stretched his limbs on the sofa in the meeting room, in a relaxed posture. “Unfortunately, they fought too fiercely, and I could only watch from a distance. If I had gotten closer, maybe I could have seen more.”
“……”
Wei Huaqian’s face darkened.
“They can fight against those things? Since when does Shian have such a trump card…”
Seeing Wei Huaqian pondering with a solemn expression, Shen Mo chuckled. He poured himself a cup of hot tea. “It’s already this late, and you’re still worried about Shian’s trump card. No wonder Sunken Society has been declining year after year. Xiao Wei, if you don’t want to be a Charon, you’re better off running an underground workshop.”
Wei Huaqian took a few deep breaths and suppressed his anger gracefully. “What do you think?”
Shen Mo waved his hand casually, and an arm disappeared crisply into thin air, revealing a deep darkness where it used to be.
“The more corruption sources we release, the easier it is for us to come into contact with the Other Side. Even if you’re only half a Charon, you must have noticed something.”
“Those things on the Other Side want to merge the two worlds and control the human world?” Wei Huaqian’s response showed a hint of impatience.
“That’s why I said you’re more suited to be a boss of an underground workshop. The Other Side is similar in nature to the internet. Do you think the internet needs any ‘merging of two worlds’?” Shen Mo spoke while retracting his hand, which had disappeared into the void. His movements were slow, and the muscles on his arm were tense, as if he had caught something heavy.
“Controlling the human world… that statement is somewhat relevant. I think Shian will eventually realize that our collaborators from the Other Side can’t rely solely on Sunken Society to diligently spread corruption sources. Do you think those formidable things would leave the initiative in the hands of the inept Sunken Society?”
With a thud, a bloodied, naked body fell onto the carpet. Xiang Jiang’s eyes were tightly closed, his breathing shallow, as if unconscious or asleep. And beside him, Xiang Hai crouched closely. Only a faint shadow remained of the fierce ghost. Even so, it still opened its huge mouth and vigilantly exuded a ghostly aura.
“The Other Side definitely has other means to influence the human world, so I specially invited our esteemed guest.”
Shen Mo retracted his hand, and his face revealed an undisguised interest.
“Enough with the detours. You don’t really have a sense of existential crisis for humanity.” Wei Huaqian glanced at the fallen Xiang Jiang without much care. “Since you know that the Other Side has an ace up its sleeve, the more you know, the faster you’ll die.”
“If we are willing to assist them at all costs, they won’t be foolish enough to turn against us.”
Shen Mo shrugged his shoulders.
“We’ve come this far in the conversation, you surely understand, right? Xiao Wei, our interests are aligned.”
Wei Huaqian: “…”
He looked up and down at the handsome man in front of him, whose smile was full of charm.
Yes, he had long known that Shen Mo would never be satisfied with the current Sunken Society. After gaining the abilities of a Charon during the Divine Descent, Shen Mo betrayed Shian without any warning, assisting Sunken Society in stealing a large amount of classified information and precious spiritual weapons from Shian.
At that time, Shen Mo held a significant position in Shian. He even produced the “Evil Fruit” knife that was sealed by Shian.
A person like him could easily utilize his abilities to escape abroad and sell everything, living a more prosperous life than anyone in Sunken Society. However, Shen Mo chose to join Sunken Society and devoted all his energy to exploring the Other Side.
Wei Huaqian’s greatest ambition was to become a Charon, obtaining an extraordinary lifespan and formidable abilities. But what Shen Mo desired was something even more insane—
“You want to assist the Other Side and completely disrupt the existing order.”
Wei Huaqian moved his lips.
“…You want the current situation to turn into chaos.”
Without Shian’s suppression and police jurisdiction, powerful cultivators could roam freely in the dark corners of society, indulging in their nature and desires through the law of the jungle. Under the corruption, more people would see evil creatures and even awaken their own abilities, plunging further into madness.
With these creatures running rampant and the world in chaos, someone like Shen Mo would become a legendary figure, surpassing billions of people, almost like a myth.
Just like the legendary Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi.
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Faced with Wei Huaqian’s speculation, Shen Mo didn’t answer. He merely tugged at the corner of his mouth with a burning and pure gaze, as if questioning—
Is it not allowed?
So Wei Huaqian gave his answer.
“Our interests are indeed aligned. Do as you please. I don’t care.”
……
“Ah? Do as you please. I don’t care.”
After Yin Ren was awakened by Zhong Chengshuo’s shaking, his spinal cord bypassed his brain and gave an automatic response.
He fell asleep, but he couldn’t be blamed. The meeting in Shian had been going on for nearly six hours, and Professor Li and Fu Xingchuan had argued internally at least ten times. Of course, the main focus was on the handling of the subsequent situation, which inevitably involved Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.
Not long ago, Minister Li Nian of Shian officially introduced the two of them—
Yin Ren, the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi from a thousand years ago, and the master of Shian’s founding ancestor. Mr. Yin was a senior evil with a thousand years of experience, recently forced to switch to being a “Fear” Elemental cub. He could fight—very well in fact—but seemed reluctant to do so.
Zhong Chengshuo, the former Fear who was kicked out of the retirement home on the Other Side, currently deeply fused with a human body. The advantage was that he couldn’t be killed no matter what, but the downside was that, apart from this advantage, his combat power was quite limited. He held a master’s degree from A University, currently passionate about scientific research while searching for his sister, and if possible, he still wanted to publish research papers.
Also, the two of them were currently in a passionate cohabitation relationship, and their relationship was relatively stable.
For a moment, the meeting room fell silent—including Qi Xin. She looked at Zhong Chengshuo with an extremely complicated expression that almost distorted her features.
Zhong Chengshuo innocently locked eyes with her, as if he were only a step away from wearing a sign around his chest that read “Purely Innocent”. Beside Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren couldn’t bear the long meeting and tilted his head on Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder, blatantly taking a nap.
Good news, two Fears.
Bad news, they both seemed useless.
Watching Qi Xin’s face grow increasingly displeased, Zhong Chengshuo decided to wake Yin Ren up. Yin Ren’s first reaction was not to check on Qi Xin but to scan his companions.
Ge Tingting had a serious expression, seemingly calm in the face of “everyone being formidable”. Lu Xiaohe looked at Zhong Chengshuo with a complicated expression, but there was no hidden anger on her face. Huang Jin—Huang Jin covered his face with both hands, emitting an aura of despair, as if he had lost all hope and no one knew what he was thinking.
Fu Tianyi, who was next to Huang Jin, was unconscious.
So this was the case. Yin Ren calmly withdrew his gaze. It seemed that everything Shian needed to say had been said while he was dozing off.
“I really don’t mind. I can cooperate with any work.” Faced with the various expressions of his colleagues, Yin Ren quickly patted his cheeks and straightened his posture.
“…It’s not that simple.”
Li Nian rubbed his temples, not bothering to conceal the weariness in his tone.
“The corruption outside is spreading, Xiang Jiang has betrayed us, and Fu Xingchuan personally defeated him. I can, for the time being, request his reinstatement. But whether it’s your and Zhong Chengshuo’s identities or Qi Xin’s situation, it’s difficult to coordinate them in a short period of time.”
“Mm, the opponent has become clever.”
Fu Xingchuan added, supplementing his old partner.
“If it were the Divine Descent twenty years ago, the situation would be critical, and decisions would be made quickly. Now, the corruption is simmering, seemingly under control. If your situations were to be reported, who knows how long it would take to resolve them.”
Yin Ren rubbed his temples. “So?”
Li Nian fell silent for a moment and then spoke with some difficulty. “My suggestion is to wage a protracted war. Since Love intends to continue its continuous assault on the gaps to interfere with the human world… We should utilize the power of Yin Ren and Qi Xin to reinforce all weaknesses and seal Love on the Other Side. During this time, we’ll mobilize all of Shian’s forces to completely destroy the sources of corruption. Love will be trapped in the gaps, either retreating back to the Other Side or deteriorating within the gaps. We just need to persevere through generations, and we will eventually find better solutions.”
‘Orderly and moderate, not much different from sealing,’ Yin Ren thought. In the past, he had sealed the Six Evil Spirits at the request of Huajisi because he couldn’t completely eliminate them. After so many years, it seemed that Shian’s approach to handling things hadn’t changed much.
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“The way I see it, Love clearly has other ambitions, and delays can lead to unforeseen changes.”
Fu Xingchuan took a sip of tea and cleared his throat forcefully.
“According to Qi Xin’s statement, a new Joy and Disgust will be born, and Love can still persuade them to return. I suggest fully supporting Yin Ren to become stronger and deal with Love in one go.”
With the leader of the Human Harvesting Project gone, the next Love wouldn’t have the aura of a “Hero that slayed Fear”. It was hard to say what the situation would be on the Other Side. If the Elementals continue to cause chaos for tens of thousands of years, humans may disappear on their own in the river of history.
“But if Yin Ren becomes the main force, the higher-ups will certainly be concerned about this ‘new threat’ posed by Yin Ren,” Li Nian said helplessly. “His life will be severely affected.”
Fu Xingchuan smiled calmly. “Well, we can’t beat Yin Ren right now anyway. When the time comes, we can bring out the ‘Great Celestial Master’ card and scare those administrators—there are different ways to deal with strength.”
“You can do whatever you want, but I have only one request,” Qi Xin chimed in elegantly, turning her head to the side. “Once things are settled here, I want the Fear cub to willingly come back with me and restore order on the other side.”
As they spoke, Yin Ren’s mind was filled with endless chatter, like a never-ending parent-teacher conference. He stood up straight, causing the chair to emit a sharp creaking sound.
The arguments in the meeting room came to an abrupt halt.
Zhong Chengshuo: “Yin Ren?”
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry,” Yin Ren said in a deep tone. “Unit 9’s mission is to find the missing people; investigating the school’s corruption is just a side task. Now that Mr. Le, who was planning the school corruption, is dead, the mission on this side is complete.”
Lu Xiaohe suddenly raised her head, and even Li Nian was visibly taken aback. “You…”
“Unit 9 still has work to do. The missing people case hasn’t been solved yet, and the passage to the Other Side has been established, hasn’t it?”
Yin Ren waved his hand.
“You guys can argue about the follow-up tasks all you want. I’m definitely going to continue investigating the missing people case. Once the assignments are settled, we’ll do the assigned tasks and calculate the bonuses accordingly. I’ll cooperate.”
His tone was not much different from any other Shian employee, just with a touch of weariness, as if this was a regular work report meeting.
“Ma… Master Yin, this decision affects the future direction of humanity. In the worst-case scenario, the whole world could descend into chaos! How could you—”
Fu Tianyi finally caught his breath and exclaimed incredulously.
His hair was still standing on end from his “fortunate participation in an important mission to safeguard the world”.
“I was never interested in the bigger picture, and I don’t remember when I became a superhero. Let humans deal with their own affairs.”
Yin Ren forcefully rubbed his face.
“But I promised Lu Xiaohe that I would save her mother. Now, does anyone have anything else?”
“There’s a special sale at the supermarket tonight, so I need to leave work early.” Zhong Chengshuo stood up as well. “Now that the situation has been explained, can I have my ‘relic’ phone back?”
After speaking, he solemnly nodded to several members of Unit 9 and sincerely apologized for keeping them in the dark, saying, “The situation was special, and I’m sorry for hiding it for so long.”
However, only Ge Tingting was able to respond with stable emotions, while Lu Xiaohe covered her mouth and her eyes turned red in the flickering light.
As soon as the two of them reached the door, the roots of the willow tree trembled as if afraid of being burned, and they moved aside. No one in the meeting room spoke until they left the room.
“Hahaha, I told you!” Fu Xingchuan punched Li Nian and laughed out loud. “Does that guy look like the type who cares about the world?”
Li Nian’s expression was somewhat complex, with a mix of surprise and melancholy, as if he had a bitter feeling that he couldn’t express.
“It seems we can’t come to a conclusion for now.”
“Well, it’s not urgent for the next day or two. Let’s take it step by step.” Fu Xingchuan shrugged his shoulders. “Yin Ren is right. The case of the missing corruption sources hasn’t been resolved yet.”
……
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In the early evening of the dark autumn and winter days, the sky was already adorned with faint stars.
In Shian’s cafeteria, Yin Ren served himself six pieces of pan-fried duck breast. The six pieces of meat piled up into a small mountain on his plate, sizzling and emitting the aroma of oil and spices. Next to the duck breast were steaming fish-flavored shredded pork, scrambled eggs with scallions, and braised tofu skin with vegetables. With a side of piping hot multigrain rice and a simmering white fungus soup, it was another hearty work meal.
“What are you thinking?”
Yin Ren took a bite of the duck meat. The crispy duck skin released the flavor of the spices, while the tender duck meat oozed with juices, making him close his eyes in satisfaction.
“What do you mean, what am I thinking?”
Zhong Chengshuo was still faced with a plate of garlic-flavored boiled vegetables and a soft-boiled egg, but now there was also a dish of piping hot stewed beef with potatoes. He was currently using a spoon to mix the mashed potatoes and meat broth into the rice with an expression just as serious as if he was conducting an experiment.
“About what’s next.” Yin Ren puffed out his cheeks and his voice was slightly muffled. “Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian want to maintain the bigger picture, while Qi Xin wants to save the Other Side in her own way. They all have their own stances.”
Zhong Chengshuo paused his chewing motion and lifted his gaze, looking intently at Yin Ren.
Yin Ren picked up a piece of braised tofu skin with vegetables and held it out to him. “The problem is, you are the real party involved; it’s a murder case related to you. Now that things are clear, as the victim, what do you think?”
As the “Fear” on the Other Side, he had no thoughts, surviving solely on instincts. Since the inception of the Other Side, he lived a regular and comfortable life, eating and sleeping. But one day, he was suddenly trapped in a sack and beaten mercilessly, his body torn apart, and then left to die in the interstitial space.
He may not have had thoughts initially, but he felt pain. Perhaps one of the motivations was the chaotic rabbit climbing the cliff, fighting against endless pain.
If the two of them hadn’t met by chance, Fear would probably have perished in ignorance a thousand years ago.
“To be honest, I just don’t like everyone turning into lunatics. But I don’t believe I have an obligation to prevent all disasters.”
Yin Ren lowered his voice.
“But someone tried to murder my target, and now that I’ve found the culprit, of course, I want to ask about their intentions.”
“…Honestly, I don’t have any particular thoughts.”
Zhong Chengshuo bit onto the tips of his chopsticks thoughtfully.
“When I was being hunted by them, I didn’t have thoughts yet, nor did I harbor any hatred. Even if I did, prey resisting predators is only natural. If you want to seek revenge for me, personally, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Hmm.” Yin Ren played with the end of his hair.
“But I do have some thoughts about the Other Side. No matter what decision we make, it wouldn’t be wise without proper investigation.”
Zhong Chengshuo toyed with the vegetables on his plate with a faint gleam shining in his black eyes.
“You want to fulfill Lu Xiaohe’s wish, and I want to conduct ecological research. Yin Ren, let’s go to the Other Side together.”
Yin Ren blinked in surprise.
Familiar location, familiar person. The only difference was the sight of fallen leaves and bare branches outside the window, compared to the vibrant green trees and sunshine back then. Compared to the Zhong Chengshuo he had first met, the person before him now exuded an indescribable liveliness.
At this moment, Zhong Chengshuo still looked at him with seriousness in his eyes. However, there was a hint of anticipation and barely detectable unease on his face. For this guy, the human crisis, the battle of the Elementals, and everything else probably paled in comparison to the importance of “finding Zhong Chengfeng and giving an account to the two elders”.
He truly deserved to be the cute accomplice he had personally chosen.
“Yes, we should definitely go together.”
Yin Ren took a bite of the last piece of duck breast, hiding the sudden surge of laughter.
“If the science post isn’t there, I can’t go out to do field work.”
……
Haigu Municipal Hospital.
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Sun Qi’an opened her eyes, and the hospital’s snow-white ceiling welcomed her. She instinctively moved her head, but immediately winced—it was just a slight movement, yet her head throbbed painfully.
Her previous memories were hazy and vague. She racked her brain to recall but couldn’t make sense of anything.
She was working normally when suddenly there was commotion in Zhang Hejun’s ward. She went to see… to see… and then what?
Right, how is Zhang Hejun doing? The little girl’s condition remained poor even after being rescued. Earlier, her father was investigating her case and mentioned that the main suspect was particularly troublesome… The main suspect? Who was the main suspect again?
Her memories became increasingly chaotic, and the pain in her head intensified. Sun Qi’an gritted her teeth and let out a muffled groan.
Could it be that the tumor in her head worsened? Enduring the excruciating pain, she reached out her hand towards the nurse call button.
A hand pressed it down for her.
Yes, a hand, connected to a lone floating arm in mid-air.
The hand was fair and rosy, with a gentle and beautiful shape. The arm it was connected to had an extremely graceful curve, and the overly elongated arm gradually became transparent at the end, disappearing into thin air. However, just when she wanted to observe it more closely, the hand seemed to be enveloped in clouds and mist, obscuring the details from her view.
Shouldn’t she scream?
Sun Qi’an stood frozen in place, forgetting her headache completely.
The hand seemed to sense her tension. Its fingertips slowly left the nurse call button and gently caressed Sun Qi’an’s head. She stiffly withdrew into the covers, and the hand tucked her in with movements exuding utmost tenderness.
It was the same way her mother would tuck her in with the blankets.
Sun Qi’an tightly shut her eyes as a chill ran down her spine. Just when she didn’t know what to do, the door creaked open, and a nurse hurriedly walked in.
Upon hearing the footsteps of a living person, Dr. Sun forced her eyelids open, cautiously scanning her surroundings.
That arm had vanished in the blink of an eye.
The nurse seemed completely unaware of it, and only a black cat silently stared from the doorway, standing still for a while.
The author has something to say:
This arc is over!!!
Kinky Thoughts:
Arc is over. Summary below.
With Yin Ren’s memory uncovered, Sunken Society moved on to implement their next phase—a mass spread of corruption sources from Evil Force all over Haigu. With the spread of corruption source, Haigu saw a rise in crime and reckless behavior.
One such case was Lu Xiaohe’s mother, who, upon coming into contact with a corruption source, vanished out of thin air. This led Unit 9 to start investigating the case, which seemed connected to the rise in corruption sources that were spreading across Haigu.
While investigating, they stumbled upon Haigu Secondary School, which seemed to be a mass source of corruption and also a high-profile case of a live burial of a middle schooler. The mastermind behind the burial was Luo Chunlei.
In order to go undercover, Yin Ren used Yellow Millet to project a middle school version of Zhong Chengshuo while he remained invisible, sticking to Zhong Chengshuo’s side. While Zhong Chengshuo investigated the classroom, Ge Tingting and Huang Jin investigated the school and stumbled across an old janitor.
It was later revealed that the janitor is actually a Primordial Elemental representing “Joy” from the Other Side and had been providing the corruption sources to Sunken Society, which then distributed them across Haigu.
Yin Ren devised a plan to lure out the Primordial Elemental and eventually faced off in a confrontation against Joy in the interstitial space. It was then revealed by Joy the true background of the Other Side and why the events of the Divine Descent of over a thousand years ago happened (which I summarized in the previous chapter). The spread of corruption sources from the Other Side was to plummet the human world into madness and chaos, which would allow humans to produce twice as much emotional resonance that would feed the Elementals of the Other Side, which was going through famine.
Eventually, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were able to defeat Joy, who then sacrificed himself to Love (the true mastermind behind everything). They were able to narrowly escape with the help of Sorrow, who wants to restore order on the Other Side by reinstating the Fear that was killed.
Meanwhile, Xiang Jiang turned out to betray Shian, and he faced off against Fu Xingchuan. With the help of Ge Tingting and Huang Jin, they were able to subdue him until Love interfered, allowing Xiang Jiang to escape with the help of Shen Mo.
With things coming together, Unit 9 now plans to embark to the Other Side to rescue the missing people with the help of Sorrow.
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“Are you sure?”
“The person who came to negotiate conditions with you that day is indeed lifeless.” Shen Mo stretched his limbs on the sofa in the meeting room, in a relaxed posture. “Unfortunately, they fought too fiercely, and I could only watch from a distance. If I had gotten closer, maybe I could have seen more.”
“……”
Wei Huaqian’s face darkened.
“They can fight against those things? Since when does Shian have such a trump card…”
Seeing Wei Huaqian pondering with a solemn expression, Shen Mo chuckled. He poured himself a cup of hot tea. “It’s already this late, and you’re still worried about Shian’s trump card. No wonder Sunken Society has been declining year after year. Xiao Wei, if you don’t want to be a Charon, you’re better off running an underground workshop.”
Wei Huaqian took a few deep breaths and suppressed his anger gracefully. “What do you think?”
Shen Mo waved his hand casually, and an arm disappeared crisply into thin air, revealing a deep darkness where it used to be.
“The more corruption sources we release, the easier it is for us to come into contact with the Other Side. Even if you’re only half a Charon, you must have noticed something.”
“Those things on the Other Side want to merge the two worlds and control the human world?” Wei Huaqian’s response showed a hint of impatience.
“That’s why I said you’re more suited to be a boss of an underground workshop. The Other Side is similar in nature to the internet. Do you think the internet needs any ‘merging of two worlds’?” Shen Mo spoke while retracting his hand, which had disappeared into the void. His movements were slow, and the muscles on his arm were tense, as if he had caught something heavy.
“Controlling the human world… that statement is somewhat relevant. I think Shian will eventually realize that our collaborators from the Other Side can’t rely solely on Sunken Society to diligently spread corruption sources. Do you think those formidable things would leave the initiative in the hands of the inept Sunken Society?”
With a thud, a bloodied, naked body fell onto the carpet. Xiang Jiang’s eyes were tightly closed, his breathing shallow, as if unconscious or asleep. And beside him, Xiang Hai crouched closely. Only a faint shadow remained of the fierce ghost. Even so, it still opened its huge mouth and vigilantly exuded a ghostly aura.
“The Other Side definitely has other means to influence the human world, so I specially invited our esteemed guest.”
Shen Mo retracted his hand, and his face revealed an undisguised interest.
“Enough with the detours. You don’t really have a sense of existential crisis for humanity.” Wei Huaqian glanced at the fallen Xiang Jiang without much care. “Since you know that the Other Side has an ace up its sleeve, the more you know, the faster you’ll die.”
“If we are willing to assist them at all costs, they won’t be foolish enough to turn against us.”
Shen Mo shrugged his shoulders.
“We’ve come this far in the conversation, you surely understand, right? Xiao Wei, our interests are aligned.”
Wei Huaqian: “…”
He looked up and down at the handsome man in front of him, whose smile was full of charm.
Yes, he had long known that Shen Mo would never be satisfied with the current Sunken Society. After gaining the abilities of a Charon during the Divine Descent, Shen Mo betrayed Shian without any warning, assisting Sunken Society in stealing a large amount of classified information and precious spiritual weapons from Shian.
At that time, Shen Mo held a significant position in Shian. He even produced the “Evil Fruit” knife that was sealed by Shian.
A person like him could easily utilize his abilities to escape abroad and sell everything, living a more prosperous life than anyone in Sunken Society. However, Shen Mo chose to join Sunken Society and devoted all his energy to exploring the Other Side.
Wei Huaqian’s greatest ambition was to become a Charon, obtaining an extraordinary lifespan and formidable abilities. But what Shen Mo desired was something even more insane—
“You want to assist the Other Side and completely disrupt the existing order.”
Wei Huaqian moved his lips.
“…You want the current situation to turn into chaos.”
Without Shian’s suppression and police jurisdiction, powerful cultivators could roam freely in the dark corners of society, indulging in their nature and desires through the law of the jungle. Under the corruption, more people would see evil creatures and even awaken their own abilities, plunging further into madness.
With these creatures running rampant and the world in chaos, someone like Shen Mo would become a legendary figure, surpassing billions of people, almost like a myth.
Just like the legendary Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi.
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Faced with Wei Huaqian’s speculation, Shen Mo didn’t answer. He merely tugged at the corner of his mouth with a burning and pure gaze, as if questioning—
Is it not allowed?
So Wei Huaqian gave his answer.
“Our interests are indeed aligned. Do as you please. I don’t care.”
……
“Ah? Do as you please. I don’t care.”
After Yin Ren was awakened by Zhong Chengshuo’s shaking, his spinal cord bypassed his brain and gave an automatic response.
He fell asleep, but he couldn’t be blamed. The meeting in Shian had been going on for nearly six hours, and Professor Li and Fu Xingchuan had argued internally at least ten times. Of course, the main focus was on the handling of the subsequent situation, which inevitably involved Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo.
Not long ago, Minister Li Nian of Shian officially introduced the two of them—
Yin Ren, the Great Celestial Master Zhong Yi from a thousand years ago, and the master of Shian’s founding ancestor. Mr. Yin was a senior evil with a thousand years of experience, recently forced to switch to being a “Fear” Elemental cub. He could fight—very well in fact—but seemed reluctant to do so.
Zhong Chengshuo, the former Fear who was kicked out of the retirement home on the Other Side, currently deeply fused with a human body. The advantage was that he couldn’t be killed no matter what, but the downside was that, apart from this advantage, his combat power was quite limited. He held a master’s degree from A University, currently passionate about scientific research while searching for his sister, and if possible, he still wanted to publish research papers.
Also, the two of them were currently in a passionate cohabitation relationship, and their relationship was relatively stable.
For a moment, the meeting room fell silent—including Qi Xin. She looked at Zhong Chengshuo with an extremely complicated expression that almost distorted her features.
Zhong Chengshuo innocently locked eyes with her, as if he were only a step away from wearing a sign around his chest that read “Purely Innocent”. Beside Zhong Chengshuo, Yin Ren couldn’t bear the long meeting and tilted his head on Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder, blatantly taking a nap.
Good news, two Fears.
Bad news, they both seemed useless.
Watching Qi Xin’s face grow increasingly displeased, Zhong Chengshuo decided to wake Yin Ren up. Yin Ren’s first reaction was not to check on Qi Xin but to scan his companions.
Ge Tingting had a serious expression, seemingly calm in the face of “everyone being formidable”. Lu Xiaohe looked at Zhong Chengshuo with a complicated expression, but there was no hidden anger on her face. Huang Jin—Huang Jin covered his face with both hands, emitting an aura of despair, as if he had lost all hope and no one knew what he was thinking.
Fu Tianyi, who was next to Huang Jin, was unconscious.
So this was the case. Yin Ren calmly withdrew his gaze. It seemed that everything Shian needed to say had been said while he was dozing off.
“I really don’t mind. I can cooperate with any work.” Faced with the various expressions of his colleagues, Yin Ren quickly patted his cheeks and straightened his posture.
“…It’s not that simple.”
Li Nian rubbed his temples, not bothering to conceal the weariness in his tone.
“The corruption outside is spreading, Xiang Jiang has betrayed us, and Fu Xingchuan personally defeated him. I can, for the time being, request his reinstatement. But whether it’s your and Zhong Chengshuo’s identities or Qi Xin’s situation, it’s difficult to coordinate them in a short period of time.”
“Mm, the opponent has become clever.”
Fu Xingchuan added, supplementing his old partner.
“If it were the Divine Descent twenty years ago, the situation would be critical, and decisions would be made quickly. Now, the corruption is simmering, seemingly under control. If your situations were to be reported, who knows how long it would take to resolve them.”
Yin Ren rubbed his temples. “So?”
Li Nian fell silent for a moment and then spoke with some difficulty. “My suggestion is to wage a protracted war. Since Love intends to continue its continuous assault on the gaps to interfere with the human world… We should utilize the power of Yin Ren and Qi Xin to reinforce all weaknesses and seal Love on the Other Side. During this time, we’ll mobilize all of Shian’s forces to completely destroy the sources of corruption. Love will be trapped in the gaps, either retreating back to the Other Side or deteriorating within the gaps. We just need to persevere through generations, and we will eventually find better solutions.”
‘Orderly and moderate, not much different from sealing,’ Yin Ren thought. In the past, he had sealed the Six Evil Spirits at the request of Huajisi because he couldn’t completely eliminate them. After so many years, it seemed that Shian’s approach to handling things hadn’t changed much.
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“The way I see it, Love clearly has other ambitions, and delays can lead to unforeseen changes.”
Fu Xingchuan took a sip of tea and cleared his throat forcefully.
“According to Qi Xin’s statement, a new Joy and Disgust will be born, and Love can still persuade them to return. I suggest fully supporting Yin Ren to become stronger and deal with Love in one go.”
With the leader of the Human Harvesting Project gone, the next Love wouldn’t have the aura of a “Hero that slayed Fear”. It was hard to say what the situation would be on the Other Side. If the Elementals continue to cause chaos for tens of thousands of years, humans may disappear on their own in the river of history.
“But if Yin Ren becomes the main force, the higher-ups will certainly be concerned about this ‘new threat’ posed by Yin Ren,” Li Nian said helplessly. “His life will be severely affected.”
Fu Xingchuan smiled calmly. “Well, we can’t beat Yin Ren right now anyway. When the time comes, we can bring out the ‘Great Celestial Master’ card and scare those administrators—there are different ways to deal with strength.”
“You can do whatever you want, but I have only one request,” Qi Xin chimed in elegantly, turning her head to the side. “Once things are settled here, I want the Fear cub to willingly come back with me and restore order on the other side.”
As they spoke, Yin Ren’s mind was filled with endless chatter, like a never-ending parent-teacher conference. He stood up straight, causing the chair to emit a sharp creaking sound.
The arguments in the meeting room came to an abrupt halt.
Zhong Chengshuo: “Yin Ren?”
“Let’s eat. I’m hungry,” Yin Ren said in a deep tone. “Unit 9’s mission is to find the missing people; investigating the school’s corruption is just a side task. Now that Mr. Le, who was planning the school corruption, is dead, the mission on this side is complete.”
Lu Xiaohe suddenly raised her head, and even Li Nian was visibly taken aback. “You…”
“Unit 9 still has work to do. The missing people case hasn’t been solved yet, and the passage to the Other Side has been established, hasn’t it?”
Yin Ren waved his hand.
“You guys can argue about the follow-up tasks all you want. I’m definitely going to continue investigating the missing people case. Once the assignments are settled, we’ll do the assigned tasks and calculate the bonuses accordingly. I’ll cooperate.”
His tone was not much different from any other Shian employee, just with a touch of weariness, as if this was a regular work report meeting.
“Ma… Master Yin, this decision affects the future direction of humanity. In the worst-case scenario, the whole world could descend into chaos! How could you—”
Fu Tianyi finally caught his breath and exclaimed incredulously.
His hair was still standing on end from his “fortunate participation in an important mission to safeguard the world”.
“I was never interested in the bigger picture, and I don’t remember when I became a superhero. Let humans deal with their own affairs.”
Yin Ren forcefully rubbed his face.
“But I promised Lu Xiaohe that I would save her mother. Now, does anyone have anything else?”
“There’s a special sale at the supermarket tonight, so I need to leave work early.” Zhong Chengshuo stood up as well. “Now that the situation has been explained, can I have my ‘relic’ phone back?”
After speaking, he solemnly nodded to several members of Unit 9 and sincerely apologized for keeping them in the dark, saying, “The situation was special, and I’m sorry for hiding it for so long.”
However, only Ge Tingting was able to respond with stable emotions, while Lu Xiaohe covered her mouth and her eyes turned red in the flickering light.
As soon as the two of them reached the door, the roots of the willow tree trembled as if afraid of being burned, and they moved aside. No one in the meeting room spoke until they left the room.
“Hahaha, I told you!” Fu Xingchuan punched Li Nian and laughed out loud. “Does that guy look like the type who cares about the world?”
Li Nian’s expression was somewhat complex, with a mix of surprise and melancholy, as if he had a bitter feeling that he couldn’t express.
“It seems we can’t come to a conclusion for now.”
“Well, it’s not urgent for the next day or two. Let’s take it step by step.” Fu Xingchuan shrugged his shoulders. “Yin Ren is right. The case of the missing corruption sources hasn’t been resolved yet.”
……
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In the early evening of the dark autumn and winter days, the sky was already adorned with faint stars.
In Shian’s cafeteria, Yin Ren served himself six pieces of pan-fried duck breast. The six pieces of meat piled up into a small mountain on his plate, sizzling and emitting the aroma of oil and spices. Next to the duck breast were steaming fish-flavored shredded pork, scrambled eggs with scallions, and braised tofu skin with vegetables. With a side of piping hot multigrain rice and a simmering white fungus soup, it was another hearty work meal.
“What are you thinking?”
Yin Ren took a bite of the duck meat. The crispy duck skin released the flavor of the spices, while the tender duck meat oozed with juices, making him close his eyes in satisfaction.
“What do you mean, what am I thinking?”
Zhong Chengshuo was still faced with a plate of garlic-flavored boiled vegetables and a soft-boiled egg, but now there was also a dish of piping hot stewed beef with potatoes. He was currently using a spoon to mix the mashed potatoes and meat broth into the rice with an expression just as serious as if he was conducting an experiment.
“About what’s next.” Yin Ren puffed out his cheeks and his voice was slightly muffled. “Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian want to maintain the bigger picture, while Qi Xin wants to save the Other Side in her own way. They all have their own stances.”
Zhong Chengshuo paused his chewing motion and lifted his gaze, looking intently at Yin Ren.
Yin Ren picked up a piece of braised tofu skin with vegetables and held it out to him. “The problem is, you are the real party involved; it’s a murder case related to you. Now that things are clear, as the victim, what do you think?”
As the “Fear” on the Other Side, he had no thoughts, surviving solely on instincts. Since the inception of the Other Side, he lived a regular and comfortable life, eating and sleeping. But one day, he was suddenly trapped in a sack and beaten mercilessly, his body torn apart, and then left to die in the interstitial space.
He may not have had thoughts initially, but he felt pain. Perhaps one of the motivations was the chaotic rabbit climbing the cliff, fighting against endless pain.
If the two of them hadn’t met by chance, Fear would probably have perished in ignorance a thousand years ago.
“To be honest, I just don’t like everyone turning into lunatics. But I don’t believe I have an obligation to prevent all disasters.”
Yin Ren lowered his voice.
“But someone tried to murder my target, and now that I’ve found the culprit, of course, I want to ask about their intentions.”
“…Honestly, I don’t have any particular thoughts.”
Zhong Chengshuo bit onto the tips of his chopsticks thoughtfully.
“When I was being hunted by them, I didn’t have thoughts yet, nor did I harbor any hatred. Even if I did, prey resisting predators is only natural. If you want to seek revenge for me, personally, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Hmm.” Yin Ren played with the end of his hair.
“But I do have some thoughts about the Other Side. No matter what decision we make, it wouldn’t be wise without proper investigation.”
Zhong Chengshuo toyed with the vegetables on his plate with a faint gleam shining in his black eyes.
“You want to fulfill Lu Xiaohe’s wish, and I want to conduct ecological research. Yin Ren, let’s go to the Other Side together.”
Yin Ren blinked in surprise.
Familiar location, familiar person. The only difference was the sight of fallen leaves and bare branches outside the window, compared to the vibrant green trees and sunshine back then. Compared to the Zhong Chengshuo he had first met, the person before him now exuded an indescribable liveliness.
At this moment, Zhong Chengshuo still looked at him with seriousness in his eyes. However, there was a hint of anticipation and barely detectable unease on his face. For this guy, the human crisis, the battle of the Elementals, and everything else probably paled in comparison to the importance of “finding Zhong Chengfeng and giving an account to the two elders”.
He truly deserved to be the cute accomplice he had personally chosen.
“Yes, we should definitely go together.”
Yin Ren took a bite of the last piece of duck breast, hiding the sudden surge of laughter.
“If the science post isn’t there, I can’t go out to do field work.”
……
Haigu Municipal Hospital.
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Sun Qi’an opened her eyes, and the hospital’s snow-white ceiling welcomed her. She instinctively moved her head, but immediately winced—it was just a slight movement, yet her head throbbed painfully.
Her previous memories were hazy and vague. She racked her brain to recall but couldn’t make sense of anything.
She was working normally when suddenly there was commotion in Zhang Hejun’s ward. She went to see… to see… and then what?
Right, how is Zhang Hejun doing? The little girl’s condition remained poor even after being rescued. Earlier, her father was investigating her case and mentioned that the main suspect was particularly troublesome… The main suspect? Who was the main suspect again?
Her memories became increasingly chaotic, and the pain in her head intensified. Sun Qi’an gritted her teeth and let out a muffled groan.
Could it be that the tumor in her head worsened? Enduring the excruciating pain, she reached out her hand towards the nurse call button.
A hand pressed it down for her.
Yes, a hand, connected to a lone floating arm in mid-air.
The hand was fair and rosy, with a gentle and beautiful shape. The arm it was connected to had an extremely graceful curve, and the overly elongated arm gradually became transparent at the end, disappearing into thin air. However, just when she wanted to observe it more closely, the hand seemed to be enveloped in clouds and mist, obscuring the details from her view.
Shouldn’t she scream?
Sun Qi’an stood frozen in place, forgetting her headache completely.
The hand seemed to sense her tension. Its fingertips slowly left the nurse call button and gently caressed Sun Qi’an’s head. She stiffly withdrew into the covers, and the hand tucked her in with movements exuding utmost tenderness.
It was the same way her mother would tuck her in with the blankets.
Sun Qi’an tightly shut her eyes as a chill ran down her spine. Just when she didn’t know what to do, the door creaked open, and a nurse hurriedly walked in.
Upon hearing the footsteps of a living person, Dr. Sun forced her eyelids open, cautiously scanning her surroundings.
That arm had vanished in the blink of an eye.
The nurse seemed completely unaware of it, and only a black cat silently stared from the doorway, standing still for a while.
The author has something to say:
This arc is over!!!
Kinky Thoughts:
Arc is over. Summary below.
With Yin Ren’s memory uncovered, Sunken Society moved on to implement their next phase—a mass spread of corruption sources from Evil Force all over Haigu. With the spread of corruption source, Haigu saw a rise in crime and reckless behavior.
One such case was Lu Xiaohe’s mother, who, upon coming into contact with a corruption source, vanished out of thin air. This led Unit 9 to start investigating the case, which seemed connected to the rise in corruption sources that were spreading across Haigu.
While investigating, they stumbled upon Haigu Secondary School, which seemed to be a mass source of corruption and also a high-profile case of a live burial of a middle schooler. The mastermind behind the burial was Luo Chunlei.
In order to go undercover, Yin Ren used Yellow Millet to project a middle school version of Zhong Chengshuo while he remained invisible, sticking to Zhong Chengshuo’s side. While Zhong Chengshuo investigated the classroom, Ge Tingting and Huang Jin investigated the school and stumbled across an old janitor.
It was later revealed that the janitor is actually a Primordial Elemental representing “Joy” from the Other Side and had been providing the corruption sources to Sunken Society, which then distributed them across Haigu.
Yin Ren devised a plan to lure out the Primordial Elemental and eventually faced off in a confrontation against Joy in the interstitial space. It was then revealed by Joy the true background of the Other Side and why the events of the Divine Descent of over a thousand years ago happened (which I summarized in the previous chapter). The spread of corruption sources from the Other Side was to plummet the human world into madness and chaos, which would allow humans to produce twice as much emotional resonance that would feed the Elementals of the Other Side, which was going through famine.
Eventually, Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were able to defeat Joy, who then sacrificed himself to Love (the true mastermind behind everything). They were able to narrowly escape with the help of Sorrow, who wants to restore order on the Other Side by reinstating the Fear that was killed.
Meanwhile, Xiang Jiang turned out to betray Shian, and he faced off against Fu Xingchuan. With the help of Ge Tingting and Huang Jin, they were able to subdue him until Love interfered, allowing Xiang Jiang to escape with the help of Shen Mo.
With things coming together, Unit 9 now plans to embark to the Other Side to rescue the missing people with the help of Sorrow.
