Chapter 280: Haze Deity

In Hua City, under the River-crossing Bridge, inside the third bridge tunnel from the left.

Beneath the cloak of night, the flickering flames cast light upon Gu Qianqian’s face, her brows furrowed tightly as if she were waiting for a crucial moment to arrive.

“It’s time, Gu Qianqian!”

“Understood!”

Hearing the system’s prompt, Gu Qianqian solemnly responded, then quickly formed hand seals, completing the spell formation recorded on the bamboo slips of the Great Serpent God.

In an instant, the flames surged, roasting the pig trotter on the grill. The meat swiftly absorbed the juices, soon emitting an enticing aroma.

As the juices on the roasted pig trotter dried up, the system prompted, “Okay, give it a taste! It’s definitely no worse than what calamity could cook!”

Guided by the system, Gu Qianqian took the pig trotter from the grill and gently bit into it. The crunchy skin, fragrant with spices and meat aromas, broke apart, and the fatty, juicy meat melted in her mouth. The rich flavors spread between her lips and teeth, making her eyes widen in satisfaction as she emitted a pleased hum.

“Mmm-! This is delicious! System, who did you learn this from?”

“…”

From calamity… the system muttered internally.

“That’s not important! What’s important is that you don’t waver over trivial benefits in the future, okay?”

“Yes, yes!” Having devoured half of the pig trotter voraciously, Gu Qianqian nodded and then added, “But, aren’t we forgetting something important?”

“Do you mean…” the system paused in shock, “Oh no, we forgot to trigger the poison!”

“What are you waiting for, Gu Qianqian!”

Prompted by the system, Gu Qianqian reluctantly performed the spell formation, triggering the toxicity of the Gu.

After a moment, Gu Qianqian quietly asked, “But, system, are you sure that poison will really work on her?”

“I don’t know about others, but it will definitely work on her!” the system boasted proudly. “That Gu is special; it’s made from the eggs of a rare insect that feeds on psychic energy. The stronger the psychic ability of the poisoned, the more severe the toxicity.”

“For a haunting of calamity’s caliber, swallowing it would be like swallowing a nuclear bomb! Even if it doesn’t kill her, it’ll certainly strip her of a layer!”

Relieved, Gu Qianqian patted her belly and asked, “Then I’m reassured. By the way, system, when will I receive the mission reward?”

As her words fell, a mechanical chime echoed in her mind.

[Ding dong-

Congratulations to the host for completing Epic Task-Phase One.

You have earned 2000 points, a secret roasted pig trotters recipe, and a fragment of the Mount Tai Fengshan Stone.]

As the chime sounded, a piece of A4 paper with the roasted pig trotters recipe and a small jade box suddenly appeared in Gu Qianqian’s hands.

“Gu Qianqian…” After distributing the rewards, the system couldn’t help but seriously remind her, “Although we have achieved a temporary victory, you can’t be so negligent and lax!”

“Merely using Gu won’t kill calamity. Don’t be prematurely complacent. I hope you stay vigilant and press on!”

“No way!” Gu Qianqian shook her head. “She didn’t actually ingest the poison. I failed to trigger the toxicity just now!”

“The Gu worm didn’t respond to my spell! It seems like she fed the Gu to ordinary people.”

System, “???”

Why didn’t you say so earlier? Now that I’ve issued the task, isn’t this awkward for me?

“System…”

“Yes?”

“You’re not going to take back the reward, are you?” Gu Qianqian cautiously guarded the newly received mission reward, perfectly embodying the essence of a miser.

“No.” The system, struggling to maintain composure, gritted its teeth, “Although it didn’t harm calamity, you did indeed complete the task according to the steps, which meets the requirements for receiving the reward.”

Mistakenly issuing a reward- if word of this got out, how could I continue to operate in the system circles?

Fortunately, Gu Qianqian was naive enough. A few words of deception, and it’s as if nothing happened. After all, those items would have been hers eventually. The system thought.

9:27 PM, one hour after the haunting appeared in Xingfu Community, third floor of the activity center.

Lu Yibei and Jiang Li sat side by side in the corner of the Lounge Bar, wearing round sunglasses as if nothing had happened, watching the residents of Xingfu Community continue to dance to the music in the center of the dance floor.

No one noticed them, as if they were blind musicians hired by the property management to set the mood, now enjoying their drinks and meals after their performance.

Although the residents of Xingfu Community were still immersed in the haunting’s dreamy fabrications, the new homeowners were still out of the loop, and the aftermath was necessary.

The cleanup was simple: just restore the scene to its original state and weave them a brief beautiful dream.

Thus, cleaning, repairing furniture, and arranging cold dishes became the first tasks Lu Yibei ever ordered her familiars to conduct.

As for those two who had ingested the poison and suddenly suffered from acute enteritis…

They had already been sent to the hospital.

Seeing this, Lu Yibei was momentarily puzzled-did Gu Qianqian intentionally poison her, or was there really a severe hygiene issue during the potion preparation?

After a long silence, Lu Yibei finally couldn’t help but speak up.

“Miss Meow, may I ask how you knew about The Midnight Watchers Society’s Wanted List?”

Jiang Li, hiding her eyes behind sunglasses, glanced at Lu Yibei and calmly said, “That kind of information is available to anyone with a bit of connection through The Midnight Watchers Society’s official channels for solitary psychics.”

“Don’t you know? Oh, sorry, I forgot you’re a haunting. Maybe you’re on the list too!”

“Tsk tsk, having to deal with the pursuit from The Midnight Watchers Society on one hand and the potential appearance of the Haze Deity on the other, your future days won’t be easy.”

Lu Yibei, “…”

Damn, this woman has started to be sarcastic.

She won’t resort to settling scores after the autumn or killing the donkey after grinding the mill, right?

Lu Yibei thought to herself for a while before asking, “So, what does it mean for that Haze Deity to be ninth on the Wanted List? Between the Eclipse Society and it, which is more formidable?”

Let’s hear the professional’s opinion first, so I know whether to prepare well in advance to face the enemy, roll up my bedding and run, or go claim a spot at The Midnight Watchers Society’s welfare graveyard sooner. Lu Yibei thought.

Jiang Li was stumped by Lu Yibei’s question for a good half a minute, pondering how to explain the difference between the Eclipse Society and the haunting Wanted List.

“Well, how do I put it? They are not the same type, you understand?”

“Let me put it this way, although the Eclipse Society is a group of lunatics, they at least have a goal and a purpose. Even if they cause destruction, it’s traceable.”

“And for their so-called ideals, both hauntings and humans can become their targets,” Jiang Li explained.

Although she loathed the Eclipse Society to the core, she had to admit that their fundamental goal was to find ways and technologies to reasonably utilize the powers of hauntings.

And occasionally, during those mad rituals where they stopped at nothing, they would also come up with some useful discoveries.

In fact, some of the psychic application technologies within The Midnight Watchers Society were brought back by agents who had infiltrated the Eclipse Society.

“Doing destruction systematically and organizedly for a purpose…” Lu Yibei pondered for a moment and said, “So, the Eclipse Society is a lawful evil alignment?”

“…” Jiang Li pondered for a moment, frowning, “Although not entirely accurate, you could say that.”

“Ah, don’t tell me that so-called Haze Deity is a chaotic evil alignment!” Lu Yibei suddenly said.

If she were entangled by a lunatic who destroys just for the sake of destruction and does whatever they please, then she might have to fill out an application for The Midnight Watchers Society’s welfare graveyard first thing tomorrow morning. Lu Yibei thought.

Jiang Li gave Lu Yibei a look and said irritably, “Can you not judge everything by that kind of stuff? The behavior logic of hauntings cannot be defined by a fixed standard.”

Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully and murmured, “So, it’s a neutral evil alignment…”

Jiang Li, “…” Is she even listening to me?

I think you’re the one who’s chaotic evil!

After a few seconds of silence, she continued, “Anyway, you just need to know that being in the top hundred on the Wanted List, after repeated assessments by The Midnight Watchers Society, is considered to have the probability, capability, or qualification to destroy a country, or even the world.”

“Their origin is much more twisted and complex than the typical hauntings that are born from human beliefs. Often, they are born from the influence of a certain era’s environment.”

“Like the Haze Deity, according to the current rumors, it’s even involved in events like the Los Angeles photochemical smog incident and the London smog event. What’s more terrifying is that the latest research indicates that almost anywhere there’s pollution, its traces can be found.”

Three minutes later, Lu Yibei finally reacted, realizing she might have gotten involved with some formidable dark force.

“Why me!”

Lu Yibei angrily grabbed two cupcakes and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing haphazardly a couple of times before swallowing hard, as if trying to vent her anger through her appetite.

“You don’t need to be afraid.” Perhaps sensing Lu Yibei’s depressed and wronged emotions, Jiang Li comforted her, “Don’t underestimate The Midnight Watchers Society too much. If the Haze Deity really shows up, before it makes a move on you, someone will beat it back. The Haze Deity, no matter how powerful, doesn’t need your concern.”

“Moreover, for a haunting of that level, it’s highly unlikely that it would bother with someone as minor as you over such a trivial matter.”

Although Jiang Li had noticed the rise in Lu Yibei’s body temperature earlier and the faint signs of her hair turning crimson, suspecting her to be the creator of the fire at the Floral Sunshine Resort Hotel, even if she were that witch type, it would be hard for her to stir up any trouble in front of the Haze Deity. A Class A Haunting and a top-tier natural disaster are still worlds apart.

“But there’s still a small probability, right?” Lu Yibei said, “From the way you speak, it seems like as long as that small probability triggers, I’m doomed?”

Jiang Li thought for a moment, then gave Lu Yibei a more psychologically acceptable answer, “That’s right.”

“…”

If that were the case, she might not even be able to use The Midnight Watchers Society’s welfare graveyard. What place doesn’t have pollution these days?

Being buried only to have someone dance on your grave would be the least of her worries. Worse, they might pry open her urn and scrape out the ashes to mix with rice.

What should I do? Do I really have to retreat to the mountains at such a young age? Lu Yibei thought.

She remained silent for a long time, then, like a well-behaved primary school student raising her hand during class, she raised her little hand, “Teacher, I have another question! Why are you telling me all this?”

Jiang Li calmly picked up the drink in front of her, glanced at her, and said, “We’re partners for a scene. I hope you die with a clear understanding.”

“And finally…”

“The haunting of Xingfu Community, what are you planning to…”

“Her name is Mengmeng.” Lu Yibei interrupted.

“What?” Jiang Li tilted her head.

“I just named her.”

“…” Jiang Li was silent for a while, then continued, “Alright, Mengmeng, what are you planning to do with Mengmeng?”

In Jiang Li’s view, although the haunting of Xingfu Community had become Lu Yibei’s familiar, leaving it unattended was ultimately a risk.

In fact, she had told Lu Yibei so much, hadn’t taken her to The Midnight Watchers Society, and hadn’t delved into whether she was the witch type from the Floral Sunshine Resort Hotel fire. It seemed like she trusted her, but she was still worried about what Lu Yibei might do in the future.

If it weren’t for the fact that she was about to participate in that gambling game, possibly never to return, she would definitely supervise Lu Yibei personally. If she noticed any suspicious actions, she would act immediately.

There was still a long way to go in terms of mutual trust.

“What else can I do, just let her stay here, of course!” Lu Yibei paused while nibbling on a cupcake, turned to look at the dancing crowd, “If their beautiful dream wakes up, the consequences will be severe.”

“But, the acts of consuming lifespan and forcibly dragging people into beautiful dreams, Mengmeng won’t do those anymore. I’ve already explained it to her.”

Moreover, it couldn’t do it even if it wanted to for a while. Somehow, it seemed like its brain was glitching. When I asked it what was wrong, it wouldn’t tell me… Lu Yibei thought to herself.

“But that’s fake.” Jiang Li said seriously.

Thinking back to when she had told Qing Ji something similar, Lu Yibei was taken aback, silent and sighing.

“Although life seems to offer many choices, sometimes, everyone actually has no choice…”

Suddenly, Lu Yibei really wanted to talk to Jiang Li about the time she used herself as bait to hunt Mr. Rabbit. Although it seemed beneficial to most people, was it really right?

But, hindered by her current identity, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

After a moment of silence, she looked straight into Jiang Li’s eyes and said earnestly, “It might be complicated to explain this to you like this. If you trust me, I can let Mengmeng show you the projected result if the residents of Xingfu Community wake up from their beautiful dream.”

Jiang Li was silent, not saying anything more. After a moment, she nodded.

Seeing this, Lu Yibei reached out and gently grasped Jiang Li’s wrist, silently thinking, “Mengmeng, show her.”

Following her words, a pale tentacle slowly emerged behind her, and as it solidified, it wrapped around both of their hands.

A sharp pain shot through her brow, causing Jiang Li to frown. Soon, darkness enveloped her vision.

When light returned to Jiang Li’s eyes, she found herself standing in front of the gate of Xingfu Community.

This community, located near the city center, was as tranquil as the suburbs, with excellent air and greenery. Birds perched on the trees within the community, yet it all appeared lifeless.

The occasional passerby hurried along, as if afraid to make eye contact with others. A disquieting atmosphere permeated the calm air.

“…”

Jiang Li stood at the gate of Xingfu Community for a moment before stepping inside. Just a few steps in, she saw a newly erected memorial altar around the corner.

From a distance, an ice coffin lay quietly at the center of the altar, with a black and white photo of a teenager, about sixteen or seventeen years old, hanging above it.

Listening to the faint sobbing from inside the altar, Jiang Li was lost in thought for a moment. As someone came out, she hesitated briefly before approaching them.

“Excuse me, what… happened here?” she paused before adding, “Oh, I’m his classmate.”

The middle-aged woman eyed Jiang Li suspiciously and sneered, “Kids these days just can’t handle pressure. It’s just a few bad grades, no need to do something stupid!”

“If you’re his classmate, you should know he’s always been outstanding, right? Maybe he was used to being excellent, and after facing several setbacks, he couldn’t handle the stress and committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.”

“Forget it, I won’t keep you. There’s been a lot of deaths in Xingfu Community recently. There might be some haunting going on. I’ve given my condolences; it’s time to leave.”

Jiang Li, “…”

A few minutes later.

Jiang Li sat in a rented room, holding her phone and searching for information about Xingfu Community. The screen filled with heart-wrenching news headlines.

“Even Outstanding Students Think About Suicide, Why?”

“A Family of Four Found Dead at Home, Heartbreaking Content Revealed in Suicide Note.”

“A Man in Xingfu Community Attempts Arson While Drunk, Police Capture Him on the Scene.”

…

Jiang Li read through the recent news about Xingfu Community word by word, her mood growing heavier. When she finally looked up from her phone, night had already fallen outside.

She didn’t turn on the light but walked to the window to gaze out, deep in thought.

Then, she suddenly realized something-the lights were out in most of the apartment buildings in the community, not a single window lit. It seemed as if life had stopped for the residents.

Only the red aviation warning lights on the rooftops blinked like pairs of bloodshot eyes. The ground lights in the garden were dimly lit, illuminating the corners where the chrysanthemums were about to wither.

The once bustling Xingfu Community now seemed dead, its silence a desolate contrast.

As the yang declines and the yin prevails, the fewer the people, the more other things multiply. This was not a good sign, Jiang Li thought.

As she pondered, a muffled sound suddenly came from above. She instinctively looked in the direction of the noise, and in the next moment, a woman in a red nightgown, her hair messy and face pale, fell into her line of sight, headfirst.

The lifeless eyes on the young woman’s face met Jiang Li’s for less than a second through the window before continuing downward, plummeting.

“Thud-!”

A muffled sound, mixed with the squish of broken bones and shattered flesh, echoed through the community.

Soon, a piercing scream cut through the night…