Chapter 273: Becoming the Soil that Nourishes the Flowers

Jiang Li told Lu “Clueless About Women” Yibei to meet in half an hour, and he actually waited the full thirty minutes. Even though he arrived about ten minutes early, he insisted on wandering around a nearby shop across the street from the water bar, munching on a spicy snack to pass the time.

It wasn’t until exactly thirty minutes had passed that he crossed the street and walked into the agreed-upon water bar, neither a minute more nor less.

When he finally arrived, Jiang Li seemed to have been waiting for quite a while, sitting in a corner by the window, sipping tea with a blank expression on her face.

Lu Yibei was already used to Jiang Li’s expressionless demeanor. Although he suffered from pathological facial paralysis and Jiang Li’s was psychological, in a way, they were like old comrades in arms.

Upon entering, Jiang Li glanced at Lu Yibei, who had a spicy snack dangling from his mouth, and gestured for him to sit across from her, then resumed sipping her tea.

“Did you bring it?” Jiang Li asked in a dull tone just as Lu Yibei raised his teacup.

It felt like an illegal underground transaction… he thought to himself, pulling the chip from his jacket pocket and placing it on the table, sliding it over to Jiang Li.

Jiang Li squinted at the chip on the table, picked it up with two fingers, and examined it closely, her eyes flickering as if deep in thought.

As she picked up the chip, Lu Yibei noticed her hand was trembling slightly.

Seeing Jiang Li remain silent for so long, Lu Yibei couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, “Boss, what exactly is this thing? You seem to recognize it.”

“I do,” Jiang Li replied calmly.

She had always known about the existence of such things. She had once seen a similar chip, a golden one with the number “100,” in her father’s possession, bearing the same pattern.

However, this was merely a chip with no special effects, serving only as proof of entry. With it, one could enter the gambling game when it appeared, though participation was not mandatory.

It was entirely voluntary.

It seemed quite humane, right? But the hauntings running the gambling game always managed to present irresistibly tempting offers, making people gamble with them.

And once you started, there was almost no turning back.

Lu Yibei discreetly observed Jiang Li playing with the chip. When their eyes met, he gave her a look that said, “Are you hiding something from me?”

Jiang Li sensed Lu Yibei’s peculiar gaze and met his eyes briefly, responding with a look that said, “Nothing.”

“…”

Nothing? Not even a heart emoji! Something’s off with this woman!

She acted as if the chip wasn’t important, yet exchanging something with psychic energy fluctuation outside of The Midnight Watchers Society was already unusual, and not telling me what the chip was made it even stranger, Lu Yibei thought.

While Lu Yibei was lost in thought, Jiang Li finished her tea, set the cup down, and said blandly, “If there’s nothing else, you should head back.”

“Boss…”

Lu Yibei didn’t get up, frowning as he said, “Just a suggestion, but sometimes it’s better to talk things out than to keep them bottled up. Two heads are better than one.”

“Even if you don’t get help, at least you can get some comfort!”

After saying this, Lu Yibei suddenly felt a bit hypocritical, considering he was also searching for the truth behind his father’s death alone.

Thinking of this, he reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a spicy snack, and offered it to ease the awkwardness.

“Here, have a spicy snack, cheer up.”

Jiang Li glanced at the spicy snack in Lu Yibei’s hand, showing no intention of taking it, then stared directly into his eyes.

“Lu Yibei, to be honest, this chip is indeed special and involves a certain haunting. But as far as you’re concerned, this is where it ends.”

“If you don’t want to use The Midnight Watchers Society’s graveyard benefits early, don’t meddle in everything.”

In today’s world, many seemingly delicate girls have unknowingly become formidable beings.

Girls like Jiang Li prefer to take matters into their own hands, wielding a four-meter-long machete to cut through several streets before collapsing in exhaustion, pulling out their phones to play a couple of rounds of Mahjong.

“Uh…” Lu Yibei was momentarily stunned by Jiang Li’s serious expression. “Is there really nothing I can do to help?”

“Help? How do you plan to help? Suddenly become a powerhouse and take down everything?” Jiang Li retorted.

“Don’t tell me you’re some hidden expert, tired of the martial world, hiding in The Midnight Watchers Society as a small operator, retiring while picking up girls and building a harem?”

Regarding the haunting gambling game, no one could help. Even The Midnight Watchers Society couldn’t assist; they couldn’t even find clues or patterns of the game’s appearance.

To end it completely, one had to join the game and win every round.

So, this matter absolutely couldn’t involve Lu Yibei. If he went and lost, he might never leave that place. Jiang Li thought.

“…”

What hidden identity, retired invincible expert? I’m more like a traitor, hiding my identity to get first-hand information for self-preservation.

Is she threatening me, implying that if I meddle further, she’ll expose my Wang Buliuxing identity?

Lu Yibei thought, shrugging. “I’m definitely not some big shot. If you know where to find one, let me know; I’ve long given up trying.”

Jiang Li rolled her eyes at him. “Then wait until you become that kind of big shot, and then come help me.”

“So cold? I thought we were friends who could share little secrets…”

“…”

Friends, huh? Maybe when I win that gambling game, we can be friends.

Jiang Li thought, coldly saying, “You’re overthinking it. I actually dislike you. From the first time I dragged you back to The Midnight Watchers Society, I found you annoying. Never met anyone who talks as much trash as you.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Seeing him fall silent, Jiang Li picked up her cane and got up, limping towards the water bar’s exit.

Lu Yibei frowned, watching her slowly walk away, then suddenly stood up and chased after her.

“Wait!”

“Boss, I have one more question.”

Jiang Li turned around, calmly looking at Lu Yibei, waiting for his question without saying a word.

Although she didn’t know what he wanted to ask, she was ready to answer in the coldest way possible.

“Where is the graveyard The Midnight Watchers Society bought for me? I want to visit it, arrange with the graveyard administrator to have a QR code on my tombstone that records my life.”

Jiang Li’s mouth twitched, her prepared lines stuck in her throat. After a while, she chuckled, puzzled, “How do you manage to always come up with some trash talk?”

This feeling of being cowardly yet always light-hearted is quite enviable!

“Who knows?” Lu Yibei shrugged. “Maybe it’s some kind of special talent?”

“…”

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Li gave Lu Yibei one last look and advised, “One last piece of advice?”

“Recently, no, never gamble with anyone.”

“Thanks for the warning, but I’m not stupid. I won’t touch anything with odds, except for the card pool in ‘Love and Magic Girls’!” Lu Yibei shrugged.

“Mm.” Jiang Li responded flatly, then turned and left the water bar.

He shouldn’t be foolish enough to gamble with those hauntings for a rare paper doll character, right?

For some reason, the thought crossed Jiang Li’s mind.

Amidst the bustling crowd, Lu Yibei stood silently, watching Jiang Li get into a car with Ah-Hua’s assistance, the door closing as it merged into the evening traffic, gradually disappearing from view.

As the sky darkened, Lu Yibei, having completed a haunting transformation, hailed a taxi and hurried back to Xingfu Community.

It was still early, and she didn’t run into Uncle Zhang Shan, which left her a bit disappointed.

Passing through the peaceful small garden of Xingfu Community, she returned to her rented apartment, unsurprised to find Jiang Li hadn’t returned.

Looking at the empty room, Lu Yibei frowned, sat on the sofa, and took out her phone to message Jiang Li.

Wang Buliuxing: “Hey? Didn’t you tell me to come back early? Why aren’t you here?”

After waiting for two minutes.

Genius Mahjong Girl: “Something came up last minute, can’t make it back. See you at the welcome party tomorrow.”

Although Jiang Li now had a lead on the gambling game and even gained entry qualification, she decided to see through the bounty at Xingfu Community, which she had involved Lu Yibei in.

After all, just as she had urgent information she wanted, Jiang Li believed Lu Yibei must also have something important he wanted to know, which was why he mingled with the haunting chat group.

Because she had obtained what she wanted, leaving Lu Yibei to complete the bounty alone was something Jiang Li couldn’t do.

Wang Buliuxing: “You’ve changed, not even a heart emoji anymore. Do you have a new dog outside?”

Genius Mahjong Girl: “[heart emoji]”

Seeing Jiang Li’s reply, Lu Yibei was momentarily lost in thought, then lightly cursed, tossing the phone aside.

“Tsk! So perfunctory.”

Late at night.

Lu Yibei lay on the bed in her rented apartment, playing on her phone, and unknowingly fell asleep. Her vision plunged into darkness, and soon her ears were enveloped in silence.

Then.

Slowly, her body began to sink, as if falling into water, floating weightlessly, like drifting on clouds.

Finally, as the wind whispered past her ears, she was startled awake.

Upon opening her eyes, she saw Qing Ji sitting not far in front of her, his expression terrifyingly grim.

“Granddaughter-in-law, you finally showed up. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Oh no, I’ve been so preoccupied with Jiang Li today that I forgot about him!

Seeing Qing Ji, Lu Yibei felt a bit panicked. While lying to parents was something kids did to some extent, there probably wasn’t anyone who didn’t feel nervous about it.

“Tell me, why didn’t you respond when I called you earlier?”

“Well…” Lu Yibei’s eyes darted around, quickly coming up with an excuse.

“Because after leaving here, I tried using what I learned from ‘The Diagram of the Gentleman Sword of Taihe’ yesterday, and ended up fainting. I just woke up now.”

“You know, as a girl, I can’t match your talent or physical endurance, and practicing ‘The Diagram of the Gentleman Sword of Taihe’ is quite taxing, so I…”

“Enough, I’m tired of your nonsense!” Qing Ji interrupted, waving his hand. “Don’t think I can’t tell you’re lying; I’ve heard it all before.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Right, I almost forgot, he’s the Torture King of our Lu Family.

“But it’s fine, I won’t fuss over such trivial matters.” Qing Ji said, “Let’s cut to the chase. While my remaining psychic energy hasn’t run out, let’s start today’s practice.”

“While you were away, I took the time to observe and study this place. It seems to have some peculiarities.”

“Though I don’t know why you and I appear in such a strange place, I must say, it’s an excellent place for practice.”

Lu Yibei frowned, puzzled, “What’s so special about it?”

“For instance…”

Qing Ji opened his mouth, and in a flash, his figure lunged towards Lu Yibei, reaching her in the blink of an eye.

The next moment, she felt a chill on her neck, watching as her headless body wobbled for a moment before collapsing to the ground, turning into ashes.

Qing Ji demonstrated what it meant to clean house with his actions.

Holy crap, my body and head have separated! Lu Yibei’s pupils contracted violently, her mind only managing to register this thought before everything went dark.

In the silence, Lu Yibei felt like she was being sucked into a vortex of darkness, sinking and rising for an unknown length of time. As all life seemed to fade, her body began to float upwards…

When she opened her eyes again, she gasped for air like a drowning person rescued, her neck still throbbing with pain, as if she’d really been decapitated.

As Lu Yibei was lost in the bizarre experience of repeatedly dancing on the edge of death, staring blankly at the reddish-brown mist on the horizon, Qing Ji approached.

“How is it? Isn’t it special? I’ve tried many times; you won’t die here.”

“…”

Lu Yibei shivered, wiping the cold sweat from her forehead, weakly asking, “May I ask how you discovered this bizarre mechanism?”

“Simple!” Qing Ji shrugged. “Like this…”

As he spoke, he picked up the ancient sword in his hand and stabbed it through his chest with a “thud,” turning into a pile of ashes under Lu Yibei’s shocked gaze.

“…”

Damn, that’s intense!

What does it mean to be a true Torture King? Someone who tortures even themselves when they get serious-that’s a true Torture King!

I just wonder what kind of mindset led him to such extreme actions.

Lu Yibei thought, as behind her, Qing Ji, who had reformed his body, whispered, “Granddaughter-in-law, here I come!”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Why does that sound so weird? Is it me, or is it him?

Wait, no!

“Hold on, I’m not ready… uh-!”

Before Lu Yibei could finish, a flash of moon-like cold light swept past her eyes, plunging her into darkness once more.

Moments later.

Reformed, Lu Yibei clutched her chest with one hand, supporting herself against the rooftop wall with the other, drenched in cold sweat, gasping for breath.

“Huff-huff-!”

“Wait, wait, let’s discuss this, Ancestor. Isn’t this practice method a bit too extreme, too brutal, too bloody?”

“You know our readers are teenagers; they can’t handle scenes like this! They might even report it…”

“Enough talk! Didn’t you say you’ve memorized everything I taught you?” Qing Ji interrupted. “In such urgent times, only life-and-death combat can help you master it quickly.”

“But…”

“No buts, use what I taught you to stay alive!”

“Watch the sword!”

Qing Ji shouted, and Lu Yibei was sent flying.

Moments later.

“Stop, stop, the kid’s about to be beaten senseless!”

“Thud-!”

…

“You can’t do this, how can you hit a woman? It tarnishes your glorious image…”

“Thud-!”

…

“Damn! Are you taking revenge for me ignoring you during the day?”

“Thud, thud, thud, boom-!”

Lu Yibei, “???”

Qing Ji remained silent, his swordplay growing fiercer, answering Lu Yibei with his actions.

Yes, that’s right, I hold grudges.

An extremely fearful person, facing repeated deaths, creates countless overlapping black whirlpools in their consciousness, like a sea of pain and despair, sketching a silent world.

Then, when Lu Yibei faced her eighty-ninth death.

She finally managed to keep up with Qing Ji’s movements. Although she didn’t completely dodge the lightning-fast cold light, with her precise control of psychic energy, her shoulder muscles managed to “layer armor.”

The fierce sword that was supposed to cleave her in two stopped at her shoulder, sinking into her collarbone.

Seeing this, Qing Ji praised, “Not bad, you’ve improved, improving quickly!”

“Right, I think so too.” Lu Yibei gritted her teeth against the pain.

“But it’s still not enough.” Qing Ji said, his sword-wielding arm vibrating, causing ripples under his sleeve.

Lu Yibei heard a thunderous crack from her bones.

The next moment, she exploded.

Her shattered organs scattered like deep red petals, tossed into the sky.

Flying in the air, sinking into the ground, becoming air, merging with dust…

Just as the ancient poem said, at this moment, Lu Yibei had become the soil that nourishes the flowers.