Chapter 86
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After getting on the train, Yin Ren firmly believed that his sick leave was too short.
Even if he could hide past the first day of the month but not the fifteenth, he still wanted to delay until the fifteenth—which was at least two weeks apart.
He also had a clean and comfortable nest to sleep in, plenty of delicious takeout to eat, and a warm and sturdy lover to hug, so how couldn’t he not want to take at least one more day off? Now, he was dragged out of his comfort zone again and had to go to another place where even birds didn’t shit…
In the green leather train, four people from Unit 9 looked at each other.
It was hard to imagine that in this era, this type of model was still in use.
The carriage vibrated at a constant rhythm. A continuous range of short mountains could be seen outside the window. The mountains were sparsely vegetated, and many places still had wound-like cliffs exposed. Set against the gray-blue sky backdrop, the scenery was inseparable from the saying “pleasing to the eye”. The number of passengers on the train was pitiful, to the point where it seemed the outlook was quite bleak for this party from Shian.
Food was served on the train, but it was completely unappetizing as it was overcooked and mushy. At lunch time, four bowls of braised beef noodles sat on the synthetic board table—each with a luxurious three-piece set of mustard greens, braised eggs, and ham sausage.
Except for Ge Tingting, the rest of the group had varying degrees of disgust on their faces.
There wasn’t even the slightest vitality in Yin Ren’s eyes.
What the hell? Was Shian so suspicious that there was a mole that they even cut business trip funding? Before leaving, Lu Xiaohe ordered the three of them not to bring any non-essential luggage, so Yin Ren didn’t even bring food.
Even entering the Archive wasn’t so strict, Yin Ren thought sadly as he took a sip of the noodle soup.
To make matters worse, there was a difficult outsider in their group this time…
Xiang Jiang was sitting alone in another row of seats with his back to them. There was a clear impatience in his posture.
As usual, his outfit was still a mess of mix-and-match clothes, and his left and right sides weren’t symmetrical. One ear was studded with plain and elegant silver earrings, while the other had a punk-style big earring that passed through his ear bone. The styles of the two earrings were hundreds of thousands of miles apart, which was enough to make someone with OCD faint.
This was the field ghost master of the Emergency Management Department, the “genius” of Haigu.
Yin Ren didn’t need to hear about Xiang Jiang’s deeds. He knew this person was very powerful just by looking at him. There was even a saying within Shian that Fu Xingchuan treated Xiang Jiang like he was his disciple. In time, Xiang Jiang might be able to take over Fu Xingchuan’s position.
As far as how long “in time” was, the people of Shian had defaulted to “when Minister Fu collapsed from being overworked”.
“Read all the information about Gengsheng Town again. I’ll be conducting random checks after we get off the train.”
When Xiang Jiang said this, he only left them with the messy back of his head. His shoulders were stiff, and even the magnitude of his breathing was difficult to detect.
“Also, I’ll say it again. For the next operation, you are to fully obey commands—if Lu Xiaohe and I give instructions at the same time, my orders take precedence.”
In the headsets of the four of them, Lu Xiaohe issued a well-hidden “Nn”.
Yin Ren grimaced at the noodles. He put the information on the table, and while dealing with his stomach, he would look at Zhong Chengshuo.
Gengsheng Town was a small town under Luotian, a city next to Haigu. This small town was located at the junction between the two cities, so it wasn’t far from Haigu.
But its situation was weird.
Gengsheng Town once had a rare mineral deposit, which made it wealthy in the last century. It was known far and wide as a “rich town”. It took the lead in building a cross-mountain railway for itself and also built a subway in the town. The mayor at that time was smart. The development of the town made all the surrounding towns jealous.
But the good times didn’t last. As time flew by, the mineral deposit dried up. Gengsheng Town was like an old man who had run out of oil for his lamp, seeing that the intake of air was less than the output.
So, Gengsheng Town, which was originally like a city, became sparsely populated as the young left one after another, leaving only a pile of empty companies and factories.
It became like the remains of insects.
Decades ago, this green leather train was the pride of Gengsheng Town, but now it could only be regarded as evidence of its past glory, which seemed quite poignant and comical.
Yin Ren flipped through a few pages of information dejectedly but couldn’t find anything about the customs of Gengsheng Town.
He hoped there were delicious specialties there.
“I don’t see anything special,” Ge Tingting said as if she were unsure. Her AI voice was now tuned to a girl’s voice.
“This town is actually controlled by Sunken Society. In recent years, they have taken a fancy to its isolation and used it as a testing ground.”
“This area has been under my charge. It’s hard to say whether there are more evil beings or people in the town. This time, your task is to simply investigate and record, and not cause me any trouble.”
Xiang Jiang didn’t raise his head as he replied to Ge Tingting, as if he were making some off-screen commentary.
‘How nice,’ Yin Ren thought. In an area that even the Emergency Management Department hadn’t checked out, it was impossible for a real C-level investigation team to find any useful clues. They weren’t hot-blooded youngsters, especially Zhong Chengshuo…
Zhong Chengshuo had a hint of reserved excitement on his face, as if the words “This is why I joined Shian” were written all over his face.
Yin Ren: “?”
Hey, the Ghost King is sitting next to you. Yin Ren stretched out his hand resolutely, grabbed Zhong Chengshuo’s cheek, and turned the man’s face to him. After two seconds, the majestic Ghost King let go of his hand, ending this harsh “look at me” punishment.
Both Zhong Chengshuo and Ge Tingting had puzzled looks on their faces. Only Huang Jin was staring at the ceiling with a serene expression on his face, as if he were about to enter a coffin.
“No matter what happens, don’t separate and find death. Follow me closely.”
Xiang Jiang still didn’t look back. Yin Ren almost suspected this person had cervical spondylosis or that there was actually another face on the back of his head.
“The Haigu branch is one of the strongest branches in Shian, and you’re a well-known cultivator of Shian. Gengsheng Town is so close to Haigu, so how did it become a site of Sunken Society?”
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t care about Xiang Jiang’s attitude and poked the tiger’s ass openly.
“What, you think I’m garbage and can’t manage it well?” Xiang Jiang snorted.
Zhong Chengshuo: “I just have some doubts.”
Xiang Jiang: “Then keep doubting.”
After speaking, Xiang Jiang lowered his head and started swiping on his phone, giving off a vibe of “don’t mess with me”.
“The situation in Gengsheng Town is special.” Lu Xiaohe rushed to save the scene as her voice sounded from the headset. “I can’t explain it to you in a sentence or two. You’ll know when you arrive.”
Leaving the border of Haigu, the mountain view outside the window became darker.
A special situation that “can’t be explained in a sentence or two”… combined with an “execution mission” that was waiting for them. Yin Ren yawned and closed his eyes during the cradle-like swaying of the train.
When Yin Ren woke up again, the sky was completely dark.
He was resting on Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder, who had just closed his book. Yin Ren shook his head and looked out the car window.
The scene outside was still.
The green leather train was parked on an old platform. When they looked around, the crowd outside was dense and lively. Perhaps the town wasn’t as desolated as they thought. Yin Ren exerted his energy and decided to feel out the town.
He was just about to move out of his seat, but Xiang Jiang turned around and blocked his movements.
The ghost master glanced at him while holding his index and middle fingers together, nodding vaguely at the four of them. Every time his fingertips touched the air, there would be a buzzing sound in the carriage, as if something tense was loosening.
Finally, Xiang Jiang stopped his fingers in the center of his brows and knocked three times.
There was a cracking sound in the void—Yin Ren recognized it. A typical barrier was lifted.
The next moment, Huang Jin and Ge Tingting shook in their seats.
The moment the protective barrier cracked, tsunami-like evil qi poured directly into the car. It was full of cold malice and also carried an obvious smell of Evil Force.
The evil qi was so thick, it was like a hundred Kong Wangqing full of murderous intent had surrounded them.
Huang Jin and Ge Tingting covered their eyes and plugged their ears. Their bodies twitched and almost fell to the ground. Their faces were flushed with incomparable pain.
Xiang Jiang took out two amulets and put them between the brows of the two.
Judging by the strength of the protective amulets, Xiang Jiang was quite skilled. Yin Ren retracted his hand that was secretly pinching. He turned his head and looked out the window solemnly…
There were a lot of dark shadows outside the window, and those figures were crowded on the platform, as if they were family and friends welcoming someone’s return. It was just that those shadows were missing necessary limbs and facial features, and their body shapes weren’t like a living person’s.
They were dressed in old-fashioned clothes, with their eyes and mouths embedded randomly on their heads. The clothes of some of those figures were growing out of the black skin, making them inseparable from the flesh. Some heads were tilted at a 90-degree angle, and half their faces were swallowed by their shoulders, like clay figurines that were messed with by a child.
Those things stood quietly in a row, motionless, as if to board this old train, whose next destination was hell.
There was not a single living person on it.
……
At the same time, the center of Gengsheng Town.
In the center of the town lay the famous landmark of Gengsheng Town—the above-ground loop line that had stood for decades.
The subway galloped along the loop, circling it tirelessly as if it were going to run until the end of the world. There were decaying buildings standing on both sides of the loop, with not even a single piece of glass left in the windows.
Between the buildings were crowded with small stores like weeds; many of which were still open.
One example was a semi-indoor, semi-outdoor wonton shop.
The bungalow of the shop was old, and the sign had been decolored by the rain. The words “Lao Zhang Wontons” had corroded into “Lao Zhang Vonlons“*. Outdoors, the store hastily set up a tent with plastic cloth and sets of brightly colored plastic tables and chairs in groups of two and three. Whenever the subway passed, these plastic tables and chairs would rumble following the quake.
*Clarity: The radicals in wontons (馄饨) had corroded to become chaos (混沌); I decided not to use the translated text and instead signify what it would be like if it were written in English and washed out.
Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian sat firmly at one of the plastic tables.
Fu Xingchuan had changed into a dazzling solid aqua tunic, and the short ponytail behind his head was more messy than before. He and Professor Li sat on opposite sides of each other at the plastic table, each holding a bowl of wontons—compared to Fu Xingchuan, who was inhaling like a tornado, Professor Li ate slowly, one spoonful at a time.
“Boss, another bowl of mushrooms, no shrimp!” Fu Xingchuan wiped his mouth and raised his hand to motion.
“Coming up!” The boss grinned and wiped his blood-stained apron.
“Xiang Jiang just texted saying Unit 9 has arrived.” Professor Li continued to chew slowly.
“Ohhhh.”
“Two of them collapsed. Ge Tingting and Huang Jin both need time to adapt,” Li Nian said. “Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo seem to adapt pretty well, which is similar to what you’ve guessed.”
Fu Xingchuan took a sip of his hot soup. “Very good.”
In this way, Xiang Jiang could give Ge Tingting and Huang Jin a spirit weapon for protection without appearing too abrupt.
“Then follow the original plan.”
Li Nian rubbed the ring on his hand.
“Xiang Jiang has marked the evil things on the east side of the town. Find a reason to lead them over, and the task should be half complete—Fu Xingchuan, if those two defeat those evil things, are you sure you want to let this go?”
“What else can I do? If they really are at that level, even if they are moles, I have to keep them. We just have to keep them away from our core secrets… Give a C-level salary while doing A-level work. Isn’t this charity? It’s disrespectful for me not to take up on that offer.”
Minister Fu switched to a different bowl of wontons that was steaming with heat. He happily scooped up a wonton.
However, when he lowered his head again, his movements froze.
“Lao Li, help me see what’s in the spoon.”
“Wonton. There’s no flying insects.”
“Good,” Fu Xingchuan muttered as he stuffed the wonton into his mouth in one bite. “To me, it looks like a thumb that has been chopped off. Hey, not a bad illusion.”
Having said that, he poured out a bottle of mineral water, dipped the water, and drew a few runes on the not-very-clean table, moving so fast he left afterimages. With a mouthful of wontons, Fu Xingchuan tapped the fingertip of his index finger to the center of the array…
The red tassel earring of Minister Fu swayed. Huge ripples burst into the air, and a cloudy shadow was knocked out of the wonton store owner. The shadow quickly dissipated, leaving behind a bewildered fat boss behind Fu Xingchuan. The sharp knife in his hand hadn’t even been lifted yet.
Li Nian lowered his gaze, unsurprised, and continued to eat.
“But I’m a little worried.”
Fu Xingchuan’s face showed a trace of melancholy.
“The bad luck of Unit 9 is so great that even Unit 7 can’t compare to them. In case this time…”
“Then it’s a Yin Ren problem.”
Li Nian wiped his mouth with the napkin that he brought with him and pointed out ruthlessly.
“A science post will not have such unscientific influence.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Your subordinates will never have a problem with… Fuck!”
Fu Xingchuan cursed loudly.
This time, Li Nian also raised his head.
The town was fogging up.
The fog rose strangely, as if it was oozing out of the cracks in the ground. They were like silvery-white ghosts, crawling against the ground. They soon enveloped the ground around them and were then diluted by the evening breeze.
Farther away, the fog pounced on the town’s border, swallowing up the distant mountain scenery. Only the town’s buildings remained barely visible, as if they had been abruptly cut off from the world.
“Very well, it’s definitely your problem,” Professor Li concluded coldly.
“The communication is normal, but the evil qi is a bit excessive, though the excess is very uniform. I can’t seem to find its source. Hm, looking at the way the evil qi flows, I’ll bet on ‘giant ghost hitting the wall’.”
Speaking of which, since Fu Xingchuan couldn’t eat anymore wontons, he put down the spoon and wiped the non-existent tears from the corner of his eyes.
“Lao Li, why do you think my life is so hard… How can this happen? Unit 9 just got off the train…”
Li Nian: “Shame on you for wasting food. Hurry up and finish it.”
Two seconds later, Professor Li spoke again with almost pity. “The plan remain the same?”
“…I’ll think about it.” Fu Xingchuan stirred the wonton soup with a face full of constipation-like pain.
“Then think about it.” Professor Li took out his phone and started texting quietly. “I’ll talk to my family first.”
……
Station.
Yin Ren stared at the change in front of him speechlessly.
As soon as Unit 9 got off the train, a fog suddenly rose from the tracks. The thick fog completely swallowed the scene on the other side of the tracks, a bit like a boundary of a map of a game he had played.
The evil things that had been frothing on the platform began to move. They slowly turned their bodies and their monstrous faces faced the four people who had just gotten off the train.
In just an instant, they seemed to become the center of this station.
The author has something to say:
Minister Fu: Damn you, why.jpg
Kinky Thoughts:
For those not familiar with cultivation stuff, pinching fingers is often used in order to cast spells. Basically, you use your finger to press on the sections of your other fingers (so it’s not “pinching” in the literal sense).
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
After getting on the train, Yin Ren firmly believed that his sick leave was too short.
Even if he could hide past the first day of the month but not the fifteenth, he still wanted to delay until the fifteenth—which was at least two weeks apart.
He also had a clean and comfortable nest to sleep in, plenty of delicious takeout to eat, and a warm and sturdy lover to hug, so how couldn’t he not want to take at least one more day off? Now, he was dragged out of his comfort zone again and had to go to another place where even birds didn’t shit…
In the green leather train, four people from Unit 9 looked at each other.
It was hard to imagine that in this era, this type of model was still in use.
The carriage vibrated at a constant rhythm. A continuous range of short mountains could be seen outside the window. The mountains were sparsely vegetated, and many places still had wound-like cliffs exposed. Set against the gray-blue sky backdrop, the scenery was inseparable from the saying “pleasing to the eye”. The number of passengers on the train was pitiful, to the point where it seemed the outlook was quite bleak for this party from Shian.
Food was served on the train, but it was completely unappetizing as it was overcooked and mushy. At lunch time, four bowls of braised beef noodles sat on the synthetic board table—each with a luxurious three-piece set of mustard greens, braised eggs, and ham sausage.
Except for Ge Tingting, the rest of the group had varying degrees of disgust on their faces.
There wasn’t even the slightest vitality in Yin Ren’s eyes.
What the hell? Was Shian so suspicious that there was a mole that they even cut business trip funding? Before leaving, Lu Xiaohe ordered the three of them not to bring any non-essential luggage, so Yin Ren didn’t even bring food.
Even entering the Archive wasn’t so strict, Yin Ren thought sadly as he took a sip of the noodle soup.
To make matters worse, there was a difficult outsider in their group this time…
Xiang Jiang was sitting alone in another row of seats with his back to them. There was a clear impatience in his posture.
As usual, his outfit was still a mess of mix-and-match clothes, and his left and right sides weren’t symmetrical. One ear was studded with plain and elegant silver earrings, while the other had a punk-style big earring that passed through his ear bone. The styles of the two earrings were hundreds of thousands of miles apart, which was enough to make someone with OCD faint.
This was the field ghost master of the Emergency Management Department, the “genius” of Haigu.
Yin Ren didn’t need to hear about Xiang Jiang’s deeds. He knew this person was very powerful just by looking at him. There was even a saying within Shian that Fu Xingchuan treated Xiang Jiang like he was his disciple. In time, Xiang Jiang might be able to take over Fu Xingchuan’s position.
As far as how long “in time” was, the people of Shian had defaulted to “when Minister Fu collapsed from being overworked”.
“Read all the information about Gengsheng Town again. I’ll be conducting random checks after we get off the train.”
When Xiang Jiang said this, he only left them with the messy back of his head. His shoulders were stiff, and even the magnitude of his breathing was difficult to detect.
“Also, I’ll say it again. For the next operation, you are to fully obey commands—if Lu Xiaohe and I give instructions at the same time, my orders take precedence.”
In the headsets of the four of them, Lu Xiaohe issued a well-hidden “Nn”.
Yin Ren grimaced at the noodles. He put the information on the table, and while dealing with his stomach, he would look at Zhong Chengshuo.
Gengsheng Town was a small town under Luotian, a city next to Haigu. This small town was located at the junction between the two cities, so it wasn’t far from Haigu.
But its situation was weird.
Gengsheng Town once had a rare mineral deposit, which made it wealthy in the last century. It was known far and wide as a “rich town”. It took the lead in building a cross-mountain railway for itself and also built a subway in the town. The mayor at that time was smart. The development of the town made all the surrounding towns jealous.
But the good times didn’t last. As time flew by, the mineral deposit dried up. Gengsheng Town was like an old man who had run out of oil for his lamp, seeing that the intake of air was less than the output.
So, Gengsheng Town, which was originally like a city, became sparsely populated as the young left one after another, leaving only a pile of empty companies and factories.
It became like the remains of insects.
Decades ago, this green leather train was the pride of Gengsheng Town, but now it could only be regarded as evidence of its past glory, which seemed quite poignant and comical.
Yin Ren flipped through a few pages of information dejectedly but couldn’t find anything about the customs of Gengsheng Town.
He hoped there were delicious specialties there.
“I don’t see anything special,” Ge Tingting said as if she were unsure. Her AI voice was now tuned to a girl’s voice.
“This town is actually controlled by Sunken Society. In recent years, they have taken a fancy to its isolation and used it as a testing ground.”
“This area has been under my charge. It’s hard to say whether there are more evil beings or people in the town. This time, your task is to simply investigate and record, and not cause me any trouble.”
Xiang Jiang didn’t raise his head as he replied to Ge Tingting, as if he were making some off-screen commentary.
‘How nice,’ Yin Ren thought. In an area that even the Emergency Management Department hadn’t checked out, it was impossible for a real C-level investigation team to find any useful clues. They weren’t hot-blooded youngsters, especially Zhong Chengshuo…
Zhong Chengshuo had a hint of reserved excitement on his face, as if the words “This is why I joined Shian” were written all over his face.
Yin Ren: “?”
Hey, the Ghost King is sitting next to you. Yin Ren stretched out his hand resolutely, grabbed Zhong Chengshuo’s cheek, and turned the man’s face to him. After two seconds, the majestic Ghost King let go of his hand, ending this harsh “look at me” punishment.
Both Zhong Chengshuo and Ge Tingting had puzzled looks on their faces. Only Huang Jin was staring at the ceiling with a serene expression on his face, as if he were about to enter a coffin.
“No matter what happens, don’t separate and find death. Follow me closely.”
Xiang Jiang still didn’t look back. Yin Ren almost suspected this person had cervical spondylosis or that there was actually another face on the back of his head.
“The Haigu branch is one of the strongest branches in Shian, and you’re a well-known cultivator of Shian. Gengsheng Town is so close to Haigu, so how did it become a site of Sunken Society?”
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t care about Xiang Jiang’s attitude and poked the tiger’s ass openly.
“What, you think I’m garbage and can’t manage it well?” Xiang Jiang snorted.
Zhong Chengshuo: “I just have some doubts.”
Xiang Jiang: “Then keep doubting.”
After speaking, Xiang Jiang lowered his head and started swiping on his phone, giving off a vibe of “don’t mess with me”.
“The situation in Gengsheng Town is special.” Lu Xiaohe rushed to save the scene as her voice sounded from the headset. “I can’t explain it to you in a sentence or two. You’ll know when you arrive.”
Leaving the border of Haigu, the mountain view outside the window became darker.
A special situation that “can’t be explained in a sentence or two”… combined with an “execution mission” that was waiting for them. Yin Ren yawned and closed his eyes during the cradle-like swaying of the train.
When Yin Ren woke up again, the sky was completely dark.
He was resting on Zhong Chengshuo’s shoulder, who had just closed his book. Yin Ren shook his head and looked out the car window.
The scene outside was still.
The green leather train was parked on an old platform. When they looked around, the crowd outside was dense and lively. Perhaps the town wasn’t as desolated as they thought. Yin Ren exerted his energy and decided to feel out the town.
He was just about to move out of his seat, but Xiang Jiang turned around and blocked his movements.
The ghost master glanced at him while holding his index and middle fingers together, nodding vaguely at the four of them. Every time his fingertips touched the air, there would be a buzzing sound in the carriage, as if something tense was loosening.
Finally, Xiang Jiang stopped his fingers in the center of his brows and knocked three times.
There was a cracking sound in the void—Yin Ren recognized it. A typical barrier was lifted.
The next moment, Huang Jin and Ge Tingting shook in their seats.
The moment the protective barrier cracked, tsunami-like evil qi poured directly into the car. It was full of cold malice and also carried an obvious smell of Evil Force.
The evil qi was so thick, it was like a hundred Kong Wangqing full of murderous intent had surrounded them.
Huang Jin and Ge Tingting covered their eyes and plugged their ears. Their bodies twitched and almost fell to the ground. Their faces were flushed with incomparable pain.
Xiang Jiang took out two amulets and put them between the brows of the two.
Judging by the strength of the protective amulets, Xiang Jiang was quite skilled. Yin Ren retracted his hand that was secretly pinching. He turned his head and looked out the window solemnly…
There were a lot of dark shadows outside the window, and those figures were crowded on the platform, as if they were family and friends welcoming someone’s return. It was just that those shadows were missing necessary limbs and facial features, and their body shapes weren’t like a living person’s.
They were dressed in old-fashioned clothes, with their eyes and mouths embedded randomly on their heads. The clothes of some of those figures were growing out of the black skin, making them inseparable from the flesh. Some heads were tilted at a 90-degree angle, and half their faces were swallowed by their shoulders, like clay figurines that were messed with by a child.
Those things stood quietly in a row, motionless, as if to board this old train, whose next destination was hell.
There was not a single living person on it.
……
At the same time, the center of Gengsheng Town.
In the center of the town lay the famous landmark of Gengsheng Town—the above-ground loop line that had stood for decades.
The subway galloped along the loop, circling it tirelessly as if it were going to run until the end of the world. There were decaying buildings standing on both sides of the loop, with not even a single piece of glass left in the windows.
Between the buildings were crowded with small stores like weeds; many of which were still open.
One example was a semi-indoor, semi-outdoor wonton shop.
The bungalow of the shop was old, and the sign had been decolored by the rain. The words “Lao Zhang Wontons” had corroded into “Lao Zhang Vonlons“*. Outdoors, the store hastily set up a tent with plastic cloth and sets of brightly colored plastic tables and chairs in groups of two and three. Whenever the subway passed, these plastic tables and chairs would rumble following the quake.
*Clarity: The radicals in wontons (馄饨) had corroded to become chaos (混沌); I decided not to use the translated text and instead signify what it would be like if it were written in English and washed out.
Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian sat firmly at one of the plastic tables.
Fu Xingchuan had changed into a dazzling solid aqua tunic, and the short ponytail behind his head was more messy than before. He and Professor Li sat on opposite sides of each other at the plastic table, each holding a bowl of wontons—compared to Fu Xingchuan, who was inhaling like a tornado, Professor Li ate slowly, one spoonful at a time.
“Boss, another bowl of mushrooms, no shrimp!” Fu Xingchuan wiped his mouth and raised his hand to motion.
“Coming up!” The boss grinned and wiped his blood-stained apron.
“Xiang Jiang just texted saying Unit 9 has arrived.” Professor Li continued to chew slowly.
“Ohhhh.”
“Two of them collapsed. Ge Tingting and Huang Jin both need time to adapt,” Li Nian said. “Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo seem to adapt pretty well, which is similar to what you’ve guessed.”
Fu Xingchuan took a sip of his hot soup. “Very good.”
In this way, Xiang Jiang could give Ge Tingting and Huang Jin a spirit weapon for protection without appearing too abrupt.
“Then follow the original plan.”
Li Nian rubbed the ring on his hand.
“Xiang Jiang has marked the evil things on the east side of the town. Find a reason to lead them over, and the task should be half complete—Fu Xingchuan, if those two defeat those evil things, are you sure you want to let this go?”
“What else can I do? If they really are at that level, even if they are moles, I have to keep them. We just have to keep them away from our core secrets… Give a C-level salary while doing A-level work. Isn’t this charity? It’s disrespectful for me not to take up on that offer.”
Minister Fu switched to a different bowl of wontons that was steaming with heat. He happily scooped up a wonton.
However, when he lowered his head again, his movements froze.
“Lao Li, help me see what’s in the spoon.”
“Wonton. There’s no flying insects.”
“Good,” Fu Xingchuan muttered as he stuffed the wonton into his mouth in one bite. “To me, it looks like a thumb that has been chopped off. Hey, not a bad illusion.”
Having said that, he poured out a bottle of mineral water, dipped the water, and drew a few runes on the not-very-clean table, moving so fast he left afterimages. With a mouthful of wontons, Fu Xingchuan tapped the fingertip of his index finger to the center of the array…
The red tassel earring of Minister Fu swayed. Huge ripples burst into the air, and a cloudy shadow was knocked out of the wonton store owner. The shadow quickly dissipated, leaving behind a bewildered fat boss behind Fu Xingchuan. The sharp knife in his hand hadn’t even been lifted yet.
Li Nian lowered his gaze, unsurprised, and continued to eat.
“But I’m a little worried.”
Fu Xingchuan’s face showed a trace of melancholy.
“The bad luck of Unit 9 is so great that even Unit 7 can’t compare to them. In case this time…”
“Then it’s a Yin Ren problem.”
Li Nian wiped his mouth with the napkin that he brought with him and pointed out ruthlessly.
“A science post will not have such unscientific influence.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Your subordinates will never have a problem with… Fuck!”
Fu Xingchuan cursed loudly.
This time, Li Nian also raised his head.
The town was fogging up.
The fog rose strangely, as if it was oozing out of the cracks in the ground. They were like silvery-white ghosts, crawling against the ground. They soon enveloped the ground around them and were then diluted by the evening breeze.
Farther away, the fog pounced on the town’s border, swallowing up the distant mountain scenery. Only the town’s buildings remained barely visible, as if they had been abruptly cut off from the world.
“Very well, it’s definitely your problem,” Professor Li concluded coldly.
“The communication is normal, but the evil qi is a bit excessive, though the excess is very uniform. I can’t seem to find its source. Hm, looking at the way the evil qi flows, I’ll bet on ‘giant ghost hitting the wall’.”
Speaking of which, since Fu Xingchuan couldn’t eat anymore wontons, he put down the spoon and wiped the non-existent tears from the corner of his eyes.
“Lao Li, why do you think my life is so hard… How can this happen? Unit 9 just got off the train…”
Li Nian: “Shame on you for wasting food. Hurry up and finish it.”
Two seconds later, Professor Li spoke again with almost pity. “The plan remain the same?”
“…I’ll think about it.” Fu Xingchuan stirred the wonton soup with a face full of constipation-like pain.
“Then think about it.” Professor Li took out his phone and started texting quietly. “I’ll talk to my family first.”
……
Station.
Yin Ren stared at the change in front of him speechlessly.
As soon as Unit 9 got off the train, a fog suddenly rose from the tracks. The thick fog completely swallowed the scene on the other side of the tracks, a bit like a boundary of a map of a game he had played.
The evil things that had been frothing on the platform began to move. They slowly turned their bodies and their monstrous faces faced the four people who had just gotten off the train.
In just an instant, they seemed to become the center of this station.
The author has something to say:
Minister Fu: Damn you, why.jpg
Kinky Thoughts:
For those not familiar with cultivation stuff, pinching fingers is often used in order to cast spells. Basically, you use your finger to press on the sections of your other fingers (so it’s not “pinching” in the literal sense).
After getting on the train, Yin Ren firmly believed that his sick leave was too short.Even if he could hide past the first day of the month but not the fifteenth, he still wanted to delay until the fifteenthwhich was at least two weeks apart.He also had a clean and comfortable nest to sleep in, plenty of delicious takeout to eat, and a warm and sturdy lover to hug, so how couldn't he not want to take at least one more day off? Now, he was dragged out of his comfort zone again and had to go to another place where even birds didn't shitIn the green leather train, four people from Unit 9 looked at each other.It was hard to imagine that in this era, this type of model was still in use.The carriage vibrated at a constant rhythm. A continuous range of short mountains could be seen outside the window. The mountains were sparsely vegetated, and many places still had wound-like cliffs exposed. Set against the gray-blue sky backdrop, the scenery was inseparable from the saying pleasing to the eye. The number of passengers on the train was pitiful, to the point where it seemed the outlook was quite bleak for this party from Shian.Food was served on the train, but it was completely unappetizing as it was overcooked and mushy. At lunch time, four bowls of braised beef noodles sat on the synthetic board tableeach with a luxurious three-piece set of mustard greens, braised eggs, and ham sausage.Except for Ge Tingting, the rest of the group had varying degrees of disgust on their faces.There wasn't even the slightest vitality in Yin Ren's eyes.What the hell?Was Shian so suspicious that there was a mole that they even cut business trip funding? Before leaving, Lu Xiaohe ordered the three of them not to bring any non-essential luggage, so Yin Ren didn't even bring food.Even entering the Archive wasn't so strict, Yin Ren thought sadly as he took a sip of the noodle soup.To make matters worse, there was a difficult outsider in their group this timeXiang Jiang was sitting alone in another row of seats with his back to them. There was a clear impatience in his posture.As usual, his outfit was still a mess of mix-and-match clothes, and his left and right sides weren't symmetrical. One ear was studded with plain and elegant silver earrings, while the other had a punk-style big earring that passed through his ear bone. The styles of the two earrings were hundreds of thousands of miles apart, which was enough to make someone with OCD faint.This was the field ghost master of the Emergency Management Department, the genius of Haigu.Yin Ren didn't need to hear about Xiang Jiang's deeds. He knew this person was very powerful just by looking at him. There was even a saying within Shian that Fu Xingchuan treated Xiang Jiang like he was his disciple. In time, Xiang Jiang might be able to take over Fu Xingchuan's position.As far as how long in time was, the people of Shian had defaulted to when Minister Fu collapsed from being overworked.Read all the information about Gengsheng Town again. I'll be conducting random checks after we get off the train.When Xiang Jiang said this, he only left them with the messy back of his head. His shoulders were stiff, and even the magnitude of his breathing was difficult to detect.Also, I'll say it again. For the next operation, you are to fully obey commandsif Lu Xiaohe and I give instructions at the same time, my orders take precedence.In the headsets of the four of them, Lu Xiaohe issued a well-hidden Nn.Yin Ren grimaced at the noodles. He put the information on the table, and while dealing with his stomach, he would look at Zhong Chengshuo.Gengsheng Town was a small town under Luotian, a city next to Haigu. This small town was located at the junction between the two cities, so it wasn't far from Haigu.But its situation was weird.Gengsheng Town once had a rare mineral deposit, which made it wealthy in the last century. It was known far and wide as a rich town. It took the lead in building a cross-mountain railway for itself and also built a subway in the town. The mayor at that time was smart. The development of the town made all the surrounding towns jealous.But the good times didn't last. As time flew by, the mineral deposit dried up. Gengsheng Town was like an old man who had run out of oil for his lamp, seeing that the intake of air was less than the output.So, Gengsheng Town, which was originally like a city, became sparsely populated as the young left one after another, leaving only a pile of empty companies and factories.It became like the remains of insects.Decades ago, this green leather train was the pride of Gengsheng Town, but now it could only be regarded as evidence of its past glory, which seemed quite poignant and comical.Yin Ren flipped through a few pages of information dejectedly but couldn't find anything about the customs of Gengsheng Town.He hoped there were delicious specialties there.I don't see anything special, Ge Tingting said as if she were unsure. Her AI voice was now tuned to a girl's voice.This town is actually controlled by Sunken Society. In recent years, they have taken a fancy to its isolation and used it as a testing ground.This area has been under my charge. It's hard to say whether there are more evil beings or people in the town. This time, your task is to simply investigate and record, and not cause me any trouble.Xiang Jiang didn't raise his head as he replied to Ge Tingting, as if he were making some off-screen commentary.How nice,'Yin Ren thought. In an area that even the Emergency Management Department hadn't checked out, it was impossible for a real C-level investigation team to find any useful clues. They weren't hot-blooded youngsters, especially Zhong ChengshuoZhong Chengshuo had a hint of reserved excitement on his face, as if the words This is why I joined Shian were written all over his face.Yin Ren: ?Hey, the Ghost King is sitting next to you.Yin Ren stretched out his hand resolutely, grabbed Zhong Chengshuo's cheek, and turned the man's face to him. After two seconds, the majestic Ghost King let go of his hand, ending this harsh look at me punishment.Both Zhong Chengshuo and Ge Tingting had puzzled looks on their faces. Only Huang Jin was staring at the ceiling with a serene expression on his face, as if he were about to enter a coffin.No matter what happens, don't separate and find death. Follow me closely.Xiang Jiang still didn't look back. Yin Ren almost suspected this person hadcervical spondylosisor that there was actually another face on the back of his head.The Haigu branch is one of the strongest branches in Shian, and you're a well-known cultivator of Shian. Gengsheng Town is so close to Haigu, so how did it become a site of Sunken Society?Zhong Chengshuo didn't care about Xiang Jiang's attitude and poked the tiger's ass openly.What, you think I'm garbage and can't manage it well? Xiang Jiang snorted.Zhong Chengshuo: I just have some doubts.Xiang Jiang: Then keep doubting.After speaking, Xiang Jiang lowered his head and started swiping on his phone, giving off a vibe of don't mess with me.The situation in Gengsheng Town is special. Lu Xiaohe rushed to save the scene as her voice sounded from the headset. I can't explain it to you in a sentence or two. You'll know when you arrive.Leaving the border of Haigu, the mountain view outside the window became darker.A special situation that can't be explained in a sentence or two combined with an execution mission that was waiting for them. Yin Ren yawned and closed his eyes during the cradle-like swaying of the train.When Yin Ren woke up again, the sky was completely dark.He was resting on Zhong Chengshuo's shoulder, who had just closed his book. Yin Ren shook his head and looked out the car window.The scene outside was still.The green leather train was parked on an old platform. When they looked around, the crowd outside was dense and lively. Perhaps the town wasn't as desolated as they thought. Yin Ren exerted his energy and decided to feel out the town.He was just about to move out of his seat, but Xiang Jiang turned around and blocked his movements.The ghost master glanced at him while holding his index and middle fingers together, nodding vaguely at the four of them. Every time his fingertips touched the air, there would be a buzzing sound in the carriage, as if something tense was loosening.Finally, Xiang Jiang stopped his fingers in the center of his brows and knocked three times.There was a cracking sound in the voidYin Ren recognized it. A typical barrier was lifted.The next moment, Huang Jin and Ge Tingting shook in their seats.The moment the protective barrier cracked, tsunami-like evil qi poured directly into the car. It was full of cold malice and also carried an obvious smell of Evil Force.The evil qi was so thick, it was like a hundred Kong Wangqing full of murderous intent had surrounded them.Huang Jin and Ge Tingting covered their eyes and plugged their ears. Their bodies twitched and almost fell to the ground. Their faces were flushed with incomparable pain.Xiang Jiang took out two amulets and put them between the brows of the two.Judging by the strength of the protective amulets, Xiang Jiang was quite skilled. Yin Ren retracted his hand that was secretly pinching. He turned his head and looked out the window solemnlyThere were a lot of dark shadows outside the window, and those figures were crowded on the platform, as if they were family and friends welcoming someone's return. It was just that those shadows were missing necessary limbs and facial features, and their body shapes weren't like a living person's.They were dressed in old-fashioned clothes, with their eyes and mouths embedded randomly on their heads. The clothes of some of those figures were growing out of the black skin, making them inseparable from the flesh. Some heads were tilted at a 90-degree angle, and half their faces were swallowed by their shoulders, like clay figurines that were messed with by a child.Those things stood quietly in a row, motionless, as if to board this old train, whose next destination was hell.There was not a single living person on it.At the same time, the center of Gengsheng Town.In the center of the town lay the famous landmark of Gengsheng Townthe above-ground loop line that had stood for decades.The subway galloped along the loop, circling it tirelessly as if it were going to run until the end of the world. There were decaying buildings standing on both sides of the loop, with not even a single piece of glass left in the windows.Between the buildings were crowded with small stores like weeds; many of which were still open.One example was a semi-indoor, semi-outdoor wonton shop.The bungalow of the shop was old, and the sign had been decolored by the rain. The words Lao Zhang Wontons had corroded into Lao ZhangVonlons*. Outdoors, the store hastily set up a tent with plastic cloth and sets of brightly colored plastic tables and chairs in groups of two and three. Whenever the subway passed, these plastic tables and chairs would rumble following the quake.*Clarity: The radicals in wontons had corroded to become chaos ; I decided not to use the translated text and instead signify what it would be like if it were written in English and washed out.Fu Xingchuan and Li Nian sat firmly at one of the plastic tables.Fu Xingchuan had changed into a dazzling solid aqua tunic, and the short ponytail behind his head was more messy than before. He and Professor Li sat on opposite sides of each other at the plastic table, each holding a bowl of wontonscompared to Fu Xingchuan, who was inhaling like a tornado, Professor Li ate slowly, one spoonful at a time.Boss, another bowl of mushrooms, no shrimp! Fu Xingchuan wiped his mouth and raised his hand to motion.Coming up! The boss grinned and wiped his blood-stained apron.Xiang Jiang just texted saying Unit 9 has arrived. Professor Li continued to chew slowly.Ohhhh.Two of them collapsed. Ge Tingting and Huang Jin both need time to adapt, Li Nian said. Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo seem to adapt pretty well, which is similar to what you've guessed.Fu Xingchuan took a sip of his hot soup. Very good.In this way, Xiang Jiang could give Ge Tingting and Huang Jin a spirit weapon for protection without appearing too abrupt.Then follow the original plan.Li Nian rubbed the ring on his hand.Xiang Jiang has marked the evil things on the east side of the town. Find a reason to lead them over, and the task should be half completeFu Xingchuan, if those two defeat those evil things, are you sure you want to let this go?What else can I do? If they really are at that level, even if they are moles, I have to keep them. We just have to keep them away from our core secrets Give a C-level salary while doing A-level work. Isn't this charity? It's disrespectful for me not to take up on that offer.Minister Fu switched to a different bowl of wontons that was steaming with heat. He happily scooped up a wonton.However, when he lowered his head again, his movements froze.Lao Li, help me see what's in the spoon.Wonton. There's no flying insects.Good, Fu Xingchuan muttered as he stuffed the wonton into his mouth in one bite. To me, it looks like a thumb that has been chopped off. Hey, not a bad illusion.Having said that, he poured out a bottle of mineral water, dipped the water, and drew a few runes on the not-very-clean table, moving so fast he left afterimages. With a mouthful of wontons, Fu Xingchuan tapped the fingertip of his index finger to the center of the arrayThe red tassel earring of Minister Fu swayed. Huge ripples burst into the air, and a cloudy shadow was knocked out of the wonton store owner. The shadow quickly dissipated, leaving behind a bewildered fat boss behind Fu Xingchuan. The sharp knife in his hand hadn't even been lifted yet.Li Nian lowered his gaze, unsurprised, and continued to eat.But I'm a little worried.Fu Xingchuan's face showed a trace of melancholy.The bad luck of Unit 9 is so great that even Unit 7 can't compare to them. In case this timeThen it's a Yin Ren problem.Li Nian wiped his mouth with the napkin that he brought with him and pointed out ruthlessly.A science post will not have such unscientific influence.Yes, yes, yes. Your subordinates will never have a problem with Fuck!Fu Xingchuan cursed loudly.This time, Li Nian also raised his head.The town was fogging up.The fog rose strangely, as if it was oozing out of the cracks in the ground. They were like silvery-white ghosts, crawling against the ground. They soon enveloped the ground around them and were then diluted by the evening breeze.Farther away, the fog pounced on the town's border, swallowing up the distant mountain scenery. Only the town's buildings remained barely visible, as if they had been abruptly cut off from the world.Very well, it's definitely your problem, Professor Li concluded coldly.The communication is normal, but the evil qi is a bit excessive, though the excess is very uniform. I can't seem to find its source. Hm, looking at the way the evil qi flows, I'll bet on giant ghost hitting the wall'.Speaking of which, since Fu Xingchuan couldn't eat anymore wontons, he put down the spoon and wiped the non-existent tears from the corner of his eyes.Lao Li, why do you think my life is so hard How can this happen? Unit 9 just got off the trainLi Nian: Shame on you for wasting food. Hurry up and finish it.Two seconds later, Professor Li spoke again with almost pity. The plan remain the same?I'll think about it. Fu Xingchuan stirred the wonton soup with a face full of constipation-like pain.Then think about it. Professor Li took out his phone and started texting quietly. I'll talk to my family first.Station.Yin Ren stared at the change in front of him speechlessly.As soon as Unit 9 got off the train, a fog suddenly rose from the tracks. The thick fog completely swallowed the scene on the other side of the tracks, a bit like a boundary of a map of a game he had played.The evil things that had been frothing on the platform began to move. They slowly turned their bodies and their monstrous faces faced the four people who had just gotten off the train.In just an instant, they seemed to become the center of this station.The author has something to say:Minister Fu: Damn you, why.jpgKinky Thoughts:For those not familiar with cultivation stuff, pinching fingers is often used in order to cast spells. Basically, you use your finger to press on the sections of your other fingers so it's not pinching in the literal sense.
