After leaving the Night Division, Lu Yibei found a remote and abandoned corner of the street to transform into her nightly worries. The lone Witch wandered about the streets like a vagrant the entire night, and at sunrise, she let the sun’s rays wash over her as she transformed back into her original form.
When he returned to his apartment and opened the door, he saw Jumeng still sitting on the sofa, her eyes red and gushing with tears while holding a box of tissues.
‘Really? Over soap operas?’ he sighed. “What’s the matter with you?”
“I can’t… I can’t! I just feel for her, you know?” She cried out as she pulled even more tissues out of the box.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I just watched a movie; it’s about a cannibalistic old woman, and she’s just so… I can’t…”
“Oh,” he frowned. “That movie.”
“I just feel for her! I can see myself in her. I know she has done a lot of bad things and probably deserves to die, but I still feel for her! She got kidnapped, and her family was taken away, and… and she got beat up by that bearded man, like…”
“Right… And she eats her kidnappers as revenge.”
“But don’t you feel for her?” Jumeng cried out as she stared straight into Yibei’s eyes. “People cut down trees, but the trees can’t fight back, but seeing such a frail old woman fight against her kidnappers…”
“I see,” Yibei said, fiddling with his fingers. “Enough about… uh, sad stories; I have something to ask you.”
“Ooh! A question?” She smiled as her tear ducts immediately dried up as she swung back and forth on the couch. “That means you have food for me, right? Let me see!”
“Uh, on credit, please. I’ll ask a question on credit, and you’ll get your cores next time.”
“Man…” she pouted. “Is this how you comfort a woman? Demand her to do all of your bidding and not pay her back?”
“I never said that,” he denied, scrolling through his phone and showing a webpage on finance to the goddess. “See? Humans do things on credit and pay in instalments. Shouldn’t a fine and beautiful goddess like you adopt an excellent system for yourself?”
“You’re just making things up! I don’t know what you’re planning, but ‘excessive consumption’ will only lead to ruin! I’m not answering any questions!”
‘She still does know economics, after all. Thought I could fool her.’
“But…” her emerald eyes flashed. “I’ll make an exception, just this once. You can’t run away from me because if you don’t pay me back…”
“You want me.”
“Yes! I mean, no! Not in that way! I meant that you’re going to be under my control. Ah! No! That’s not-“
In a sense, she still wanted him.
He let the goddess regain her composure, gathered what he had learnt today, and asked, “When I went to the Night Division today, I overheard people talking about how mythical creatures and urban legends were born, and apparently, they can just die out of the blue?”
“Listen to me. In the urban legend tavern that I frequent, they have a signature dish that needs to be ordered a year in advance, and the key ingredient is the core of a mythical creature. I assume you know what a mythical creature is by now?”
“Yes.”
“Good, do you know how they make this dish? Once they sense that a new mythical creature, or myth, is born, they will start keeping a close eye on it.”
Yibei couldn’t help but fidget and grope at his neck, “To kill it?”
“The tavern isn’t a shady business. They just wait for the myth to die, then collect whatever remains of them.”
He nodded and continued to ask, “Aren’t they scared that the myth might come back to life? Myths come and go, which means that they can simply revive, correct?”
“The tavern has that covered too!” Jumeng smiled. “If the myth were to come alive, the tavern would provide a free meal voucher that could be used once every month forever.”
Jumeng wordlessly conjured a meal ticket in front of Yibei’s eyes and smiled, twirling it around for him to see.
“Okay… What about your own death? How did you escape it?”
“Why are you asking me this?” Jumeng asked, and her eyes narrowed as she backed away from Yibei a little.
‘Is it wrong to ask?’ he pouted. “I’m just a little curious; come on, we’ve been staying together for quite a while now!”
“The Night Division didn’t tell you yet?”
The runes that they cultivated, Jumeng thought in her heart. ‘Artefacts they stole from ancient fairy tales and myths long forgotten.’
“Are they supposed to tell me anything? I’m just a part-timer.”
“Are you an urban legend, Yibei?” Jumeng simply asked.
“M-me?” He choked out and laughed. “Little ol’ me? Absolutely not! How could someone like me be one? Plus, if I really am one, I wouldn’t be working for the Night Division at all!”
“Oh, you poor thing,” she sighed before letting out a wry laugh. “I know you aren’t, but who told you that there are no urban legends in the Night Division?”
“What the hell?”
“Are you really that surprised?” Jumeng sighed. “Do you really think ordinary humans have the means to fight against the horrors in the dark?”
I hate to admit it, but she sounds right! He thought to himself. “You still haven’t told me how you escaped your own death.”
“Ah… I really don’t want to talk about it. Do I have to? You’re being annoying…” Jumeng moaned, deliberately avoiding the topic. “You really don’t want to know why.”
‘Why? Because I did nothing!’ she yelled inwardly. ‘All I did was bask in the sun and enjoy the sea breeze daily, and suddenly, everyone started worshipping me! I did nothing!’
“You don’t know, do you?
“Of course I do! Are you implying that I, a goddess, am lying to you?”
“Then, tell me!”
“Fine!” Jumeng yelled as she stuck her index finger on Yibei’s chest. “You can’t tell anybody else!”
“Yes! I promise!”
“It’s actually very simple, you see.” Jumeng leaned in closer to Yibei’s ear and whispered. “It’s all luck.”
After she finished speaking, she saw his bewildered expression and couldn’t stand it any longer as she clutched her stomach and fell on the sofa, rolling back and forth as she cackled.
‘…? Fine! Don’t tell me! It’s not like I wanted to know anyway!’
Their investigation at the high school lasted until midnight; five operation teams were sent out to guard the school, and Jiangli and the rest left the dark and dilapidated campus.
On the drive back, Jiangli’s face was gloomy and cross; her anger bubbled within her, and her grip on her seatbelt tightened harshly.
“Hua.”
“Y-yes? Mistress?”
“Call up whoever owns Shihekou High School and convince him to demolish the school.”
“Ah, mistress…” Hua stuttered. “You see, he has been raising his property’s price yearly, saying that it’s a great attraction and all… Plus, the Night Division’s budget has been tight this year, so…”
In order to ensure normalcy, demolishing haunted sights like the high school is usually carried out under the guise of ordinary construction work. Unfortunately, the property owner of the high school refuses to budge no matter what.
“If he doesn’t agree, call him up at midnight every day until he agrees to meet.”
Although Jiangli doesn’t enjoy employing annoying methods like this, sometimes, to deal with annoying people, you have to be annoying like Bai Kai taught them to.
If only we agreed to Bai Kai’s plan earlier… perhaps we would have less troubles by now, she thought, regretting that she abstained from voting.
“But what if he still refuses? I know you don’t mind, but…”
“Tell him that Bai Kai sent you. He’ll agree eventually.”
“Huh?” Hua was perplexed. She didn’t expect her mistress to employ such lowly tactics.
‘It must be that damned Lu Yibei influencing her…’ Hua cursed.
“By the way, Hua, did you find anything in the teaching building?” Jiangli asked.
Since Jiangli was busy dealing with the evil ritual in the auditorium, she didn’t have time to update herself on the situation.
“It’s nothing special. It’s just that…”
“Speak.”
“The school—it just reminded me of Flowers and Sunshine Resort.”
“The Witch,” Jiangli breathed. “Do you think she was at the school?”
“I-I’m just guessing,” Hua explained. “After all, judging from the remaining traces of psychic fluctuations and factoring in the missing time…”
“I see,” Jiangli nodded after a slight pause. She turned her head towards the car window and watched as the rapidly receding scenery passed by her.
‘What was the Witch doing at the school? For food, or… the Eclipse Society…?’
“Hua. Pull over,” Jiangli said as she patted the driver’s seat, feeling a little nauseous. “I’m not going back tonight.”
“What? Oh…” Hua was worried, but her expression turned into a slight disappointment. “Mahjong? At this hour? We already have enough money, mistress, and excuse my tone, but do you really want to be writing another self-reflection report after those guys accused you of cheating?”
“I’m not going to play mahjong. I’m just going to go around the neighbourhood and investigate the missing Witch.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Mistress. Gambling is fun sometimes.”
‘Do I really play mahjong that much?’ Jiangli sighed as she shook her head. There was no need to explain to anyone why she was so obsessed with mahjong. Not even Hua.
Hua reluctantly pulled over and bid Jiangli farewell, and the silver-haired girl limped towards a deep and narrow alley ahead.
With every small step she took, the forms and dregs of a night market increased with every step, and soon she stepped into a bustling night market as if she had found a secret garden hidden beyond the cracks of a concrete jungle.
The sounds of vendors yelling were endless, and the aroma of street food wafted through her nose.
Ever since the nights became long, most people were afraid of coming to night markets, but some people still longed for the nightlife.
Standing by the corner of the bustling street, she walked towards a lone chess house, lit up with a sign named [Lucky Star] on it.
After leaving the Night Division, Lu Yibei found a remote and abandoned corner of the street to transform into her nightly worries. The lone Witch wandered about the streets like a vagrant the entire night, and at sunrise, she let the sun’s rays wash over her as she transformed back into her original form.
When he returned to his apartment and opened the door, he saw Jumeng still sitting on the sofa, her eyes red and gushing with tears while holding a box of tissues.
‘Really? Over soap operas?’ he sighed. “What’s the matter with you?”
“I can’t… I can’t! I just feel for her, you know?” She cried out as she pulled even more tissues out of the box.
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I just watched a movie; it’s about a cannibalistic old woman, and she’s just so… I can’t…”
“Oh,” he frowned. “That movie.”
“I just feel for her! I can see myself in her. I know she has done a lot of bad things and probably deserves to die, but I still feel for her! She got kidnapped, and her family was taken away, and… and she got beat up by that bearded man, like…”
“Right… And she eats her kidnappers as revenge.”
“But don’t you feel for her?” Jumeng cried out as she stared straight into Yibei’s eyes. “People cut down trees, but the trees can’t fight back, but seeing such a frail old woman fight against her kidnappers…”
“I see,” Yibei said, fiddling with his fingers. “Enough about… uh, sad stories; I have something to ask you.”
“Ooh! A question?” She smiled as her tear ducts immediately dried up as she swung back and forth on the couch. “That means you have food for me, right? Let me see!”
“Uh, on credit, please. I’ll ask a question on credit, and you’ll get your cores next time.”
“Man…” she pouted. “Is this how you comfort a woman? Demand her to do all of your bidding and not pay her back?”
“I never said that,” he denied, scrolling through his phone and showing a webpage on finance to the goddess. “See? Humans do things on credit and pay in instalments. Shouldn’t a fine and beautiful goddess like you adopt an excellent system for yourself?”
“You’re just making things up! I don’t know what you’re planning, but ‘excessive consumption’ will only lead to ruin! I’m not answering any questions!”
‘She still does know economics, after all. Thought I could fool her.’
“But…” her emerald eyes flashed. “I’ll make an exception, just this once. You can’t run away from me because if you don’t pay me back…”
“You want me.”
“Yes! I mean, no! Not in that way! I meant that you’re going to be under my control. Ah! No! That’s not-“
In a sense, she still wanted him.
He let the goddess regain her composure, gathered what he had learnt today, and asked, “When I went to the Night Division today, I overheard people talking about how mythical creatures and urban legends were born, and apparently, they can just die out of the blue?”
“Listen to me. In the urban legend tavern that I frequent, they have a signature dish that needs to be ordered a year in advance, and the key ingredient is the core of a mythical creature. I assume you know what a mythical creature is by now?”
“Yes.”
“Good, do you know how they make this dish? Once they sense that a new mythical creature, or myth, is born, they will start keeping a close eye on it.”
Yibei couldn’t help but fidget and grope at his neck, “To kill it?”
“The tavern isn’t a shady business. They just wait for the myth to die, then collect whatever remains of them.”
He nodded and continued to ask, “Aren’t they scared that the myth might come back to life? Myths come and go, which means that they can simply revive, correct?”
“The tavern has that covered too!” Jumeng smiled. “If the myth were to come alive, the tavern would provide a free meal voucher that could be used once every month forever.”
Jumeng wordlessly conjured a meal ticket in front of Yibei’s eyes and smiled, twirling it around for him to see.
“Okay… What about your own death? How did you escape it?”
“Why are you asking me this?” Jumeng asked, and her eyes narrowed as she backed away from Yibei a little.
‘Is it wrong to ask?’ he pouted. “I’m just a little curious; come on, we’ve been staying together for quite a while now!”
“The Night Division didn’t tell you yet?”
The runes that they cultivated, Jumeng thought in her heart. ‘Artefacts they stole from ancient fairy tales and myths long forgotten.’
“Are they supposed to tell me anything? I’m just a part-timer.”
“Are you an urban legend, Yibei?” Jumeng simply asked.
“M-me?” He choked out and laughed. “Little ol’ me? Absolutely not! How could someone like me be one? Plus, if I really am one, I wouldn’t be working for the Night Division at all!”
“Oh, you poor thing,” she sighed before letting out a wry laugh. “I know you aren’t, but who told you that there are no urban legends in the Night Division?”
“What the hell?”
“Are you really that surprised?” Jumeng sighed. “Do you really think ordinary humans have the means to fight against the horrors in the dark?”
I hate to admit it, but she sounds right! He thought to himself. “You still haven’t told me how you escaped your own death.”
“Ah… I really don’t want to talk about it. Do I have to? You’re being annoying…” Jumeng moaned, deliberately avoiding the topic. “You really don’t want to know why.”
‘Why? Because I did nothing!’ she yelled inwardly. ‘All I did was bask in the sun and enjoy the sea breeze daily, and suddenly, everyone started worshipping me! I did nothing!’
“You don’t know, do you?
“Of course I do! Are you implying that I, a goddess, am lying to you?”
“Then, tell me!”
“Fine!” Jumeng yelled as she stuck her index finger on Yibei’s chest. “You can’t tell anybody else!”
“Yes! I promise!”
“It’s actually very simple, you see.” Jumeng leaned in closer to Yibei’s ear and whispered. “It’s all luck.”
After she finished speaking, she saw his bewildered expression and couldn’t stand it any longer as she clutched her stomach and fell on the sofa, rolling back and forth as she cackled.
‘…? Fine! Don’t tell me! It’s not like I wanted to know anyway!’
Their investigation at the high school lasted until midnight; five operation teams were sent out to guard the school, and Jiangli and the rest left the dark and dilapidated campus.
On the drive back, Jiangli’s face was gloomy and cross; her anger bubbled within her, and her grip on her seatbelt tightened harshly.
“Hua.”
“Y-yes? Mistress?”
“Call up whoever owns Shihekou High School and convince him to demolish the school.”
“Ah, mistress…” Hua stuttered. “You see, he has been raising his property’s price yearly, saying that it’s a great attraction and all… Plus, the Night Division’s budget has been tight this year, so…”
In order to ensure normalcy, demolishing haunted sights like the high school is usually carried out under the guise of ordinary construction work. Unfortunately, the property owner of the high school refuses to budge no matter what.
“If he doesn’t agree, call him up at midnight every day until he agrees to meet.”
Although Jiangli doesn’t enjoy employing annoying methods like this, sometimes, to deal with annoying people, you have to be annoying like Bai Kai taught them to.
If only we agreed to Bai Kai’s plan earlier… perhaps we would have less troubles by now, she thought, regretting that she abstained from voting.
“But what if he still refuses? I know you don’t mind, but…”
“Tell him that Bai Kai sent you. He’ll agree eventually.”
“Huh?” Hua was perplexed. She didn’t expect her mistress to employ such lowly tactics.
‘It must be that damned Lu Yibei influencing her…’ Hua cursed.
“By the way, Hua, did you find anything in the teaching building?” Jiangli asked.
Since Jiangli was busy dealing with the evil ritual in the auditorium, she didn’t have time to update herself on the situation.
“It’s nothing special. It’s just that…”
“Speak.”
“The school—it just reminded me of Flowers and Sunshine Resort.”
“The Witch,” Jiangli breathed. “Do you think she was at the school?”
“I-I’m just guessing,” Hua explained. “After all, judging from the remaining traces of psychic fluctuations and factoring in the missing time…”
“I see,” Jiangli nodded after a slight pause. She turned her head towards the car window and watched as the rapidly receding scenery passed by her.
‘What was the Witch doing at the school? For food, or… the Eclipse Society…?’
“Hua. Pull over,” Jiangli said as she patted the driver’s seat, feeling a little nauseous. “I’m not going back tonight.”
“What? Oh…” Hua was worried, but her expression turned into a slight disappointment. “Mahjong? At this hour? We already have enough money, mistress, and excuse my tone, but do you really want to be writing another self-reflection report after those guys accused you of cheating?”
“I’m not going to play mahjong. I’m just going to go around the neighbourhood and investigate the missing Witch.”
“You don’t have to lie to me, Mistress. Gambling is fun sometimes.”
‘Do I really play mahjong that much?’ Jiangli sighed as she shook her head. There was no need to explain to anyone why she was so obsessed with mahjong. Not even Hua.
Hua reluctantly pulled over and bid Jiangli farewell, and the silver-haired girl limped towards a deep and narrow alley ahead.
With every small step she took, the forms and dregs of a night market increased with every step, and soon she stepped into a bustling night market as if she had found a secret garden hidden beyond the cracks of a concrete jungle.
The sounds of vendors yelling were endless, and the aroma of street food wafted through her nose.
Ever since the nights became long, most people were afraid of coming to night markets, but some people still longed for the nightlife.
Standing by the corner of the bustling street, she walked towards a lone chess house, lit up with a sign named [Lucky Star] on it.
