Chapter 307: A Side Quest

11:17 PM, Hua City Folk Culture Administration Bureau, inside Lu Yibei’s temporary office.

“Alright, that’s it for now! With this, I’ve only got two more subjects left to review!”

After thoroughly going over the textbook for “Introduction to Literature” and diligently completing the past three years’ final exam papers, Lu Yibei stood up from his refurbished, rickety desk and walked over to the single wire bed nearby, stretching out as he lay down.

“There’s still four or five days left. As long as I stay holed up here and study hard, this semester’s finals should be no problem. Who knows, I might even snag a scholarship! Haha!”

In life, there are no born slackers. People like Lu Yibei, who seem to be coasting along but are secretly working hard, are the reason slackers exist.

He muttered to himself, accompanied by an odd, expressionless chuckle, then pulled out his phone and logged into “Love and Magic Girls” for the first time in ages.

“Ah! Bai Xiaohua, long time no see! Did you miss me?”

He said, lightly tapping the screen where a cute girl in a red cheongsam with a bun hairstyle appeared. A gentle, yet firm voice responded from the phone.

“Hey, are you trying to get yourself killed?”

“Touch my hand? Be careful, it might just land on your nose next!”

“……”

Looking at the cute girl on the screen, showing seven parts anger and three parts shyness (or perhaps none), Lu Yibei couldn’t help but sigh in admiration, “Ah-! Bai Xiaohua is as adorable as ever!”

“Now then, let’s cleanse the evil together, shall we? Nirvana Red Lotus-Bai Xiaohua selected, Battle God Squad, move out! Hehe~!”

It’s well known that phones are terrifying time-eaters, and mobile games and short videos are the worst offenders among them.

Lu Yibei lay on the bed, playing games and watching short videos, and before he knew it, it was past midnight. Unknowingly, he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Shortly after falling asleep, the familiar sensation of weightlessness returned. Long accustomed to this phenomenon, Lu Yibei felt no panic. Instead, he spread his arms, assuming a comfortable position, letting his body fall, quietly awaiting the moment when his eyes would once again see light.

What should I practice with the Ancestors today?

Or maybe check on how Du Sixian’s special training is going?

He vividly remembered the last time he watched Meng’s special training session with Du Sixian. Du Sixian was trapped in an abandoned building, experiencing a terrifying Dream crafted from elements of “The Ring” and “Scream,” and fast-forwarded to the “waking up from a nightmare” part within ten minutes.

Then.

She fell back asleep over an hour later, returning to the same eerie building where she had been startled awake, only to find, “surprisingly,” that the haunting was still waiting for her.

Lu Yibei felt a sense of anticipation as she pondered, and when the familiar breeze that had long swept across the dilapidated rooftop brushed against her face, she opened her eyes and was momentarily taken aback by the scene before her.

The night sky was pitch black, as if soaked in ink, with tiny snowflakes silently falling.

Looking into the distance, the city ahead was shrouded in darkness, yet it didn’t appear as dilapidated and decayed as before. There were no massive, distorted shadows lingering in the sky; the city was devoid of any lights or sounds, enveloped in a deathly silence.

Yet, Lu Yibei managed to find some familiar traces among the buildings standing against the night sky.

Much like the city ruins she had seen in her Dreams, this place resembled Hua City, but aside from some minor differences, the greater distinction was that the former seemed like a decayed corpse, while the city she saw now appeared more like a freshly deceased body.

“…”

Rubbing her slightly aching brow, Lu Yibei gazed at the scene before her, remaining silent for a few seconds before letting out a quiet sigh, “What kind of nonsense is this now?”

“Ancestors? Are you there?”

“…”

“Power leveling! Calling for power leveling customer service!”

“…”

Lu Yibei called out loudly, her bell-like clear voice echoing far into the silent city, reverberating for a long time, yet no response came.

“Tap-tap-tap-!”

Just as she was about to try calling out to Meng, the sound of high heels clicking against the ground reached her ears.

The source of the sound was far away, but in this deathly silent city, even the wind’s whimpering through empty corridors was exceptionally clear.

Was there something else wandering the city? Male or female, human or haunting? Lu Yibei glanced in the direction of the sound, her brow slightly furrowed.

She didn’t jump to conclusions just because she heard the footsteps of high heels, merely musing to herself.

After all, bizarre things were commonplace these days, and she had seen her fair share of spectacles.

Even if someone told her it was a haunting wearing high heels, with a physique like a special task force macho man, standing three meters tall, she’d believe it.

After a brief moment of thought, she employed the movement technique she learned from Qing Ji, swiftly reaching the edge of the rooftop, and leapt into the air.

In an instant, the sound of the wind roared in her ears.

In the deathly silent city shrouded by the night’s curtain, Lu Yibei spread her arms, like a black bird, briefly soaring between the dim, gloomy sky and the dark, cold skyscrapers.

After a while, when the massive lake resembling Hua City’s hydroelectric station, yet with many detailed differences, appeared at the end of the concrete jungle, Lu Yibei saw a woman walking on the water, approaching the center of the lake.

The woman wore a blood-red trench coat, with a tightly cinched belt accentuating her alluring waistline.

Her long hair, as smooth as silk, swayed gently behind her with each step she took.

Though her exquisite face was concealed by a mask, even the small portion visible from a fleeting glance in the high air was enough to leave an imprint in one’s mind.

She was a very beautiful woman, but with just one look, Lu Yibei’s intuition told her that beneath that beauty lay an intensely strong scent of blood.

The woman was like a sinister flower nourished by blood, quietly blooming under the night’s curtain of this empty city.

It was a haunting…

What was she planning to do on the Center Island? Lu Yibei frowned and pondered.

The woman seemed to be searching for something, and soon she pulled out a crystal bottle adorned with golden threads, crafted with exquisite detail.

Inside the crystal bottle was a gelatinous liquid, filling it to the brim, emitting a faint purple glow.

“Clink-!”

With a slight exertion of her slender fingers, the stopper of the crystal bottle shattered with a crisp sound, turning into powder and dissipating into the air.

As soon as the gelatinous liquid inside the bottle came into contact with the air, it seemed to sense the breath of freedom, letting out piercing screams and writhing frantically. Countless faces twisted in agony appeared, like hallucinations, carried by the wind with heart-wrenching wails.

Then, the woman tilted the bottle slightly, pouring the entire gelatinous liquid into the lake.

The mirror-like lake rippled in waves, gradually returning to calm.

Under the deep blue surface of the lake, the glowing gelatinous liquid spread continuously, transforming into vibrant colors. From afar, it seemed as if the spectacle of the aurora had been miniaturized into this lake.

Soon, the entire lake was illuminated like a mirror reflecting neon lights. Even the trees surrounding the lake, the faintly visible aquatic plants and fish beneath the surface, glowed with a dreamy fluorescence. The veins of plants and the skeletons of fish were clearly visible.

It’s primal spirit! And the purity and concentration are incredibly high!

Lu Yibei thought in astonishment, her eyes trembling slightly.

Back at the Floral Sunshine Resort Hotel, when Cicada was setting up a ritual intending to sacrifice Lu Yibei, she had seen this eerie substance.

At that time, she didn’t know the exact name of this substance. It was only later, while learning from Jiang Li through “The Midnight Tome,” that she encountered detailed information about primal spirit.

Primal spirit is extracted from the core entity of hauntings or from the bodies of psychic potential bearers, a high-purity psychic energy aggregate.

On average, it takes the core entity of one Class D haunting or about one and a half psychic potential bearers to extract one unit.

Based on the descriptions in “The Midnight Tome” regarding the glow of primal spirit at different concentrations, Lu Yibei judged that the primal spirit used by Cicada in the Boiler Room at the Floral Sunshine Resort Hotel didn’t exceed ten units, and its purity wasn’t high, hence the pale glow.

But now, the gelatinous liquid in the crystal bottle held by the woman emitted a faint purple glow, which would require five hundred units or more of high-purity primal spirit to exhibit such characteristics.

Why would she pour so much primal spirit into the lake at the Water Plant?

To help the people of Hua City strengthen their bodies and increase the probability of newborns becoming psychic potential bearers?

Probably not out of such goodwill, Lu Yibei thought skeptically.

The Hua Water Plant, built along the river as a large-scale hydroelectric power station, is not only a crucial source of electricity for the city but also a vital source of water. Over seventy percent of the city’s water supply is transported from the nearby downstream Water Plant.

Thus, Lu Yibei felt that if a haunting indeed threw something into the lake at Hua City’s Water Plant, the likelihood of poisoning was the highest.

Soon, her suspicions were confirmed.

After the primal spirit spread to every corner of the lake, the woman took out a fist-sized clay urn, broke open the mud seal, and removed a lump of dark green, viscous substance. She held it carefully in both hands and gently submerged it into the lake.

“Taisui, the emperor of the year, must not be offended, for to do so bodes ill… The plague is neither cold, nor wind, nor heat, but rather an unusual atmospheric phenomenon caused by the heavens and the earth… Plague Taisui, the emperor of epidemics.”

As the woman softly recited this description, the dark green viscous substance she had submerged began to split and multiply, rapidly sprouting dense granulation tissue.

These granulations greedily absorbed the primal spirit dissipating in the lake water and grew at a visible rate. By the time Lu Yibei recovered from her astonishment, the substance had grown into a massive entity several meters in diameter, lurking beneath the surface of the lake and still growing.

“Good heavens! Are all hauntings nowadays so devoid of martial virtue? To resort to poisoning at the drop of a hat?!”

Lu Yibei cursed, her gaze deepening as she looked towards the woman in red at the center of the lake. She then quickly moved, stepping silently on the water’s surface, drawing closer.

Although this was not a real city, and the Water Plant also had a division independent of The Midnight Watchers Society in Hua City, specifically dealing with water source pollution caused by hauntings.

But that doesn’t stop hauntings from acting recklessly!

She had to stop her!

However.

Just as she was about a hundred meters away from the woman, maintaining a forward posture, she suddenly froze in place, as if she had lost consciousness.

Lu Yibei was momentarily stunned, then she realized that although this time was somewhat different, and her range of movement was much larger, she was still just an observer.

All she could do was silently watch as the haunting incident gradually moved toward its inevitable end.

…

On the lake surface, the eerie, twisted dark green substance continued to grow, glistening as if it were the skinless surface of an animal, constantly rolling and surging, morphing into various shapes and structures.

The entire lake boiled, with tens of thousands of tons of water churning, emitting a thunderous rumble.

The newly formed shapes and structures existed only briefly before disintegrating and breaking down, moving deeper and further into the lake at a rate akin to bacterial reproduction, splitting, multiplying, and growing.

Everything it passed left behind a trail of foul-smelling slime. Any animal or plant that came into contact with this fluid quickly turned into a strange dark black color.

Following that, their bodies underwent an unimaginable transformation; not yet dead, they already began to decay.

Flesh and foliage seemed to suddenly shift from solid to a viscous fluid, their skins flowing down like melting wax, blending into the dark green substance.

The lake, now enriched with a substantial amount of primal spirit, seemed to have turned into a gigantic petri dish, continually feeding the twisted and filthy growth of the haunting.

Soon, the flesh-like dark green substance filled the entire lake.

And then, it grew upwards.

Like a giant stretching its body towards the sky, spreading its arms and splaying its fingers, it grew ten thick branches.

Thin granulation tissue draped from the branches like parasitic roots of a banyan tree, slowly dripping with a foul-smelling mucus.

Then, the rapid growth halted abruptly, and all around fell into dead silence.

That humanoid, giant banyan-like entity stood firmly on the earth, its surface coated with a fungal, viscous substance. Its trunk seemed to breathe, rhythmically undulating and writhing.

Its unclear form-whether fungus, plant, or animal-was a brazen display of ugliness and malice, as if its mere existence was a blasphemy against nature’s creations.

“Is it over?”

Lu Yibei murmured, gazing at the colossal entity whose sprawling “roots” nearly covered the entire lake surface, her eyes reflecting a complex mix of emotions.

This psychic energy fluctuation, could it be equivalent to three or four Great Serpent Gods? How is that possible! Lu Yibei thought.

Then.

A sound like the squirming of flesh mixed with the booming of rocks crumbling entered her ears.

The earth trembled, the soil around the lake cracked open inch by inch, and through these fissures, something seemed to be wriggling.

At the same time, the elongated granulation tissues hanging from the giant entity over the lake twisted and convulsed in the tainted air, visibly swelling at the tips and emitting a faint glow, before silently “blooming.”

Like flowers opening, layers of gelatinous film unfolded to reveal an organ resembling a mouth or cavity, spewing forth a thick, dark green fog that almost seemed to liquefy, drifting away with the wind.

Mixed with the dark green fog, the air infiltrated Lu Yibei’s body through her breath, and she immediately felt breathless, struggling to breathe as her body quickly numbed.

Countless spores sprouted instantly around her nostrils and eyes, spreading to her lungs and continuously stimulating her nerves with an excruciating itch.

Gradually, a sense of powerlessness rose quietly within her heart.

In the past, when such dreams occurred, it often presaged or coincided with a haunting incident happening around her, like a premonition of a dire omen.

And in those haunting incidents, whether it was Mr. Rabbit or the Boy Haunting playing hide and seek, she always had the strength to fight.

But now…

This haunting, beyond her understanding, left her with no desire to confront it in battle.

“Girl, you can’t handle it? Are you backing down now? Who was it that once vowed to me, saying if I could destroy the world, she could save it?”

A familiar voice rang in her ear, and everything around seemed to freeze. Lu Yibei turned her head and saw that familiar petite figure squatting on the ground, poking at the dark green substance with a small knife.

The power leveling customer service, after a long absence, had officially come online.

“This…” Lu Yibei opened his mouth, frowning, “To save the world, I have to fight these freakish things? This thing must be from outer space, right? When it comes to beating up aliens, Ultraman is way more skilled than I am.”

“Wrong!” The girl interrupted Lu Yibei, glancing at the grotesque giant in the distance. “This thing is at most a side quest. Whether you do it or not doesn’t really matter.”

“Thank goodness,” Lu Yibei sighed in relief. “Just a side quest, huh? Maybe we can skip it this time?”

If she could avoid it, she’d definitely stay far away. But she had a feeling the power leveling miss was about to say “but.”

“But…” The girl looked at Lu Yibei with a meaningful gaze, as if saying “as you wish.” “You might be fine if you run, but others will suffer!”

“Everyone will be laid out, with no one left to even serve the dishes. The whole village will be down!”

“How tragic!”

“Shut up!” Lu Yibei snapped. “I never said I was going to run!”

“So, are you planning to face the danger head-on?” The girl looked at Lu Yibei, blinking her big, watery eyes in a way that was oddly cute.

Lu Yibei rubbed her forehead, feeling a chill. That was just a guess, a mere guess. This is definitely not something I would come up with!

“This hasn’t happened yet, right? Can’t I report it?”

The girl massaged her temples. “I don’t know where you picked up this habit of reporting everything. And who are you going to report to? The Midnight Watchers Society?”

“I doubt Hua City’s Midnight Watchers Society has enough manpower to handle this. By the time reinforcements from nearby cities arrive, it’ll be too late. They’ll be walking into a death trap!”

“Besides, even if you find the Special Affairs Department, how are you going to explain how a proxy operator who never leaves home and only patrols as far as Fuchun Road knows all this?”

“This won’t work, that won’t work…” Lu Yibei clenched her fist in frustration, then slowly released it, feeling deflated. “So what do you suggest I do?”

“Simple, very simple!” The girl smiled. “Just take the enemy’s path and leave them with no path to take!”

Lu Yibei squinted. “You mean…?”

“You, go to the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts. As long as your aura connects with the Ley Line, this thing won’t grow!”

Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts? Lu Yibei stared wide-eyed at the girl, her gaze saying, “Are you trying to trick me?”

Can’t we take a more law-abiding approach?

“No other way?”

“Nope.” The girl shook her head.

“But how can I…” Lu Yibei hesitated, then continued, “Isn’t that impossible?”

“You can do it! Would I lie to you?” The girl patted her flat chest confidently. “The timing, location, and people are all in your favor. You just need to rally the call, and I guarantee you’ll get a response!”

“Rally the call?” Lu Yibei asked, puzzled.

“Exactly!” The girl pouted. “You probably don’t even realize how popular you are in the haunting circles! You’re almost like a city idol.”

Haunting circles? Lu Yibei thought, “…” Being an idol in this kind of circle is not something I want!

“All you need to do is tell them who you are, let them call your name, and follow your lead.”

“Who I am?” Lu Yibei frowned. “I can’t just use my real name, right?”

If I really organize the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, once that’s over, my ranking on The Midnight Watchers Society’s Wanted List might just jump a few levels. Using my real name would be asking for trouble, Lu Yibei thought.

“Of course not!” the girl affirmed, her eyes darting mischievously. “How about I give you a striking title?”

Lu Yibei glanced at the girl skeptically, “Let’s hear it.”

“How about ‘Calamity’?” the girl suggested, her eyes twinkling with a knowing smile.

“Pfft! That’s it?” Lu Yibei scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Might as well call me the Tormentor of Hua City, Mudan Street Yanzu, or the Master of Whistleblowers and Traitors!”

“If you can’t come up with a good name, don’t meddle! I’ll think of one myself.”

The girl, “…”

“By the way, for such a big deal this time, can I call for power leveling?”

“No,” the girl replied coolly.

“What the heck? Personal vendetta?” Lu Yibei was taken aback. “Then calling myself ‘Calamity’ is out too?”

“Also not allowed!” The girl’s expression suddenly turned serious, her clear eyes locking onto Lu Yibei’s as if trying to peer into her soul.

“Lu Yibei, this is your Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, not mine, so I can’t help you.”

“…” Lu Yibei remained silent for a long time, avoiding the girl’s gaze. “I’m just trying it out. If things go south, I’ll bail.”

“Alright then!” the girl shrugged. “But before that, you should contact your familiars and share some of your power with her. She seems to be in danger.”

Familiars? Meng or Du Sixian? Lu Yibei’s heart tightened, and as she looked back at the girl, she found her gone.