Chapter 318: The Indenture

On the damp, empty ground, a faintly glowing mist gathered, forming clusters that coalesced into golden incantations. The blonde woman took one last look at the temporary spell formation constructed with disposable talismans, raised an eyebrow, and carried Bai Kai deeper into the dense forest.

She hadn’t gone far when she felt a pair of hands grasp her arm. The hands were soft and seemed to exert great effort just to hold onto her.

“……”

Hearing a faint whisper, the woman suddenly realized something and turned to look at Bai Kai. His eyes were closed, but a peculiar smile played on his lips.

The woman paused, listening closely, and then suddenly realized Bai Kai wasn’t whispering-he was chewing something.

Damn it! The woman was jolted by the realization, but it was too late.

In her brief moment of distraction, Bai Kai’s body suddenly sank, his feet planted firmly. His hands slid down, and power erupted from his fingertips, pulling her arm back and locking her joint securely.

Then.

He opened his eyes abruptly, his slightly curled hair moving without wind, and silver arcs of electricity flashed in his gaze.

“The heavens move, and a gentleman strives unceasingly…”

With a low shout, dormant Spirit Patterns lit up, and words matching Bai Kai’s utterance appeared like ink spreading in the brilliant silver light.

In an instant, psychic energy surged from his previously depleted form, muscles and tendons rippling, sending waves across his clothing.

Bai Kai moved with such speed that time seemed to pause for a moment. By the time the woman realized what was happening, a semi-ethereal beam of light had already shot from Bai Kai’s fingertips, piercing her body and pinning her in place.

The woman’s chest heaved as she glanced at the beam, then suddenly laughed, “Xiao Bai, have you lost your mind?”

“Using the city’s barrier without permission and attacking an Inspector-either charge is enough to get you in serious trouble.”

“Sorry!” Bai Kai said solemnly, turning toward the still-active temporary formation.

Watching Bai Kai’s retreating figure, the woman bit her lip hard, narrowing her eyes, “Xiao Bai, who is she that you’d push your Spirit Pattern to its limits to help her?”

Bai Kai replied calmly, “My daughter.”

The woman’s eyes turned icy as she pressed, “Whose child is she?”

Bai Kai placed his hands on the glowing mist of the temporary formation, channeling psychic energy into it. After a convulsive shudder, he forced out three words through gritted teeth in response.

“Just someone.”

The woman, “???”

What do you mean “just someone”?

Besides, that’s clearly a haunting-aren’t you just lying through your teeth?

After a moment of internal grumbling, the woman pursed her lips and sighed, “Ah, Xiao Bai, it seems you have a very good reason! But even so, I can’t just let you run wild, so…”

Before she could finish, Bai Kai sensed her psychic energy fluctuation vanish from his psychic sense range. The next moment, a cold dagger was pressed against his throat.

She gently bumped her forehead against the back of Bai Kai’s head, “Did you really think that level of spell formation could trap me? I think you’ve exhausted your psychic energy so much that your brain’s not working.”

“Xiao Bai, if you don’t want to die, stop the ritual, right now!”

“……”

Bai Kai furrowed his brow, pondered for a few seconds, and then sighed silently. “Xing Yuan, for the sake of our past, can you let me go just this once?”

“Later, whether you want to kill me, flay me, or send me to The Midnight Watchers Society headquarters to plant chrysanthemums, I will comply.”

“But today, I must help Yibei complete the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!”

Upon hearing this, the woman known as Xing Yuan’s eyes shifted several times before she suddenly clenched the short blade in her hand, twisted her wrist, and harshly struck Bai Kai’s throat with the back of her knife.

“Seal, cut, ban…”

Accompanied by a whisper, the blade flashed without leaving any mark, yet Bai Kai’s body suddenly stiffened and he fell to the ground.

His body convulsed as if he were having a seizure, struggling to get up, but soon his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

As she slowly sheathed her blade, Xing Yuan crouched down, gently touched Bai Kai’s forehead, and said softly, “I didn’t say she couldn’t finish it. It’s just…”

“It won’t be you helping her in such an extreme way.”

“Moreover, if you act emotionally without even understanding the true initiator of the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, you are truly as foolish as ever!”

If you only treat her as the Dusk Maiden and not as a manifestation of Plague Taisui, it’s impossible for you to succeed…

Muttering to herself, she gently touched the golden Death Owl Emblem on her chest, sending a message to her subordinates near the Hua City reservoir.

“Golden Horn, Silver Horn, after I lift the barrier around Hua City, keep an eye out before that little haunting completes the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts. Don’t let Plague Taisui’s organization sneak into the reservoir amidst the chaos.”

“Also, if she fails, you two can handle it, right?”

Moments later, the Death Owl Emblem trembled slightly, conveying a response.

“My Lord Inspector, is this really…”

“Are you teaching me how to do my job? Am I the Inspector, or are you?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good, then go and execute the plan!”

Xing Yuan removed her fingers from the emblem, looked towards the direction of the Hua City reservoir, squinted her eyes, and murmured, “Little one, the real challenge is just beginning!”

After speaking, she took a Pale Kite from her upper pocket, pressed her lips to the wings of the kite, whispered a few words, and then gently tossed it. The Pale Kite took flight, heading towards the Hua City reservoir.

The Ley Line Energy of Hua City, drawn by the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, surged forth, only to be severed by the barrier’s overwhelming force, then reconnected, eagerly converging again, only to be cut off once more.

This mighty energy, toyed with repeatedly, crashed against the barrier’s shell, nearly dissipating entirely.

If the Ley Line of Hua City had a consciousness, it would surely feel like it had fallen into a honey trap.

Inside the barrier, Lu Yibei, once again sealed, had left two hundred and thirty-seven palm prints on the remains of the Dusk Maiden before stepping aside to watch from a distance, detonating it every minute.

Watching the coal-like remains being blasted into the air and falling back down repeatedly, she finally felt assured that there was no risk of it coming back to life. She then squatted down on the ground.

Her hand traced over her jacket, riddled with holes, feeling its already faint psychic energy fluctuations gradually fade. After a long hesitation, a determined look flashed in her eyes.

Though the jacket had always been close to her, she had never considered making it a familiar before.

After all, with Du Sixian’s precedent of becoming a psychic potential bearer through the familiar ritual, there was a high probability that the jacket’s haunting core entity would undergo a transformation once it became a familiar.

It was somewhat selfish, but if it were to take on a human form or develop higher intelligence, Lu Yibei couldn’t get past that mental hurdle, and the jacket would be unwearable.

But now, it was too severely damaged, its insides filled with the Plague Taisui’s toxins. Simply replenishing its psychic energy or using healing Alchemical potions could no longer prevent its haunting core entity from collapsing.

So…

“This is the only way, right?” Lu Yibei muttered, her brow furrowed. After speaking, she glanced around cautiously before carefully removing her clothes.

As her smooth, jade-like skin was gradually exposed, her cheeks flushed with heat.

Then, swallowing hard, she reassured herself that there was no one else within the barrier, and those outside couldn’t see in. With that thought, she resolutely removed her clothes, holding them in her hands, and began to softly chant the haunting power description.

“A place with zhong mountain. A woman clad in green, wherever she is seen, there is a great drought…”

The jacket’s psychic energy was weak, its intelligence muddled, making the familiar ritual process much smoother than with Du Sixian or Meng.

In the darkness, beneath Lu Yibei’s skin, a magma-like glow flowed slowly through her veins, gradually gathering at her fingertips and pouring into the jacket.

Then, as if something had ignited, a golden-red flame flared up on the jacket, swiftly tracing a complex pattern, a flame-shaped mark forming in an instant.

Watching the golden patterns on the jacket solidify and dim, with the damaged areas visibly repairing, Lu Yibei’s eyes lit up.

“It’s done!”

As she murmured to herself, the jacket floated up gently, settling on her shoulders, and with a slight wriggle, wrapped around her body, its collar brushing against her cheek.

꒰๑– ̫–๑꒱♡

From now on, I’m Lady Witch’s exclusive jacket!

Seeing the jacket successfully repaired without any unexpected mishaps, Lu Yibei felt a wave of joy.

However, her joy was soon overshadowed by the scorched earth and the still-sealed barrier.

What on earth is Shui-Ge doing?

It’s been so long, and there’s still no response.

When can I get out of here? Lu Yibei thought, resting her chin in her hands, feeling rather frustrated.

As Lu Yibei pondered, a sound akin to the shattering of crystals rang beside her ear.

Accompanied by this sound, cracks spread across the barrier, and the cold winter wind surged through the cracks into the barrier, dispersing the murky, high-temperature air.

In the next moment, the vast barrier suddenly collapsed, transforming into dust that flickered with lightning and scattered in the wind, vanishing into thin air.

Lu Yibei looked around blankly, surrounded by thick fog that carried a strong scent of blood, with blood splattered everywhere and corpses strewn all about.

All the dead bodies were disfigured; most belonged to the followers of the Dusk Maiden and the Black Cloak Men, mixed with many a haunting.

“……”

Lu Yibei stared at the corpses, falling silent.

At that moment, she was struggling to suppress the urge to vomit, her face deathly pale.

But the turmoil in her stomach was nothing compared to the complex emotions that surged even more fiercely in her heart.

It was unclear whether her feelings were of sorrow for the dead or anger at the senseless slaughter.

【It’s here.】

At that moment.

A premonition suddenly flashed through Lu Yibei’s mind, and the next instant, she felt a terrifying psychic energy fluctuation approaching from all directions.

Her face turned pale; she anticipated the attack from “it,” but couldn’t dodge.

Its assault came from everywhere-above and below, through wind and snow, even the air itself.

“Boom-Boom-!” Loud noises followed one after another.

The ground pulsated like a beating heart, shaking violently.

Amidst quakes resembling earthquakes, terrifying psychic energy fluctuations spread, sweeping the heavens, causing the clouds to churn.

The next moment, hundreds of massive limbs made of dark green flesh, like vegetation, tore through the ground and stretched out.

They resembled serpents covered with hollow eyes or the tongues of evil gods.

Waves of soil spread out, tossing corpses into the air; flesh rained down in a macabre splendor.

On those grotesque limbs made of flesh, countless malformed organs tumbled, and vast cavities opened, devouring every inch of psychic energy in the air.

The air pressure around plummeted wildly, the rapidly flowing air gathering the falling snow into a pale storm.

The defeat of the Dusk Maiden and the cessation of the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts enraged the Plague Taisui, which, lurking within the city, gathered its endless flesh here to unleash the most brutal slaughter on those who defied it.

Faced with the psychic energy fluctuation of a catastrophe-class haunting’s avatar, Lu Yibei suddenly found it difficult to breathe, a sense of crisis quietly rising in her heart.

She instinctively wanted to find a place to hide, but realized there was nowhere to escape; the dark green flesh around her waved like a hideous forest of flesh, ensnaring her tightly.

“Flap flap-!”

Just as Lu Yibei was struck with horror, the sound of flapping wings came from afar. Looking up, she saw a Pale Kite flying through the dense fog against the harsh snow, landing on her shoulder and speaking in human tongue.

“Little Haunting, move forward! Cross that mountain and reach the endpoint of your Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.”

“If you can survive the challenge…”

So, you want me to take on these hundreds of dark green, foul-smelling tentacle monsters, each one with a psychic energy fluctuation surpassing that of a single serpent? Damn it! I’m here to face death with courage, not to walk into it blindly! Lu Yibei frowned, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty, wanting to flee but too proud to do so.

Suddenly, the wind roared, a fierce gust erupting around her.

A pair of massive eyes, like searchlights, opened from the perforated ground. A colossal body, akin to a train, rose with the trembling earth.

The Human-faced Centipede haunting returned, its gaping maw clamping down on one of Plague Taisui’s limbs. Its enormous body coiled around, hundreds of barbed claws digging into the dark green flesh.

“Lady Witch, complete the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts!”

The voice of the Human-faced Centipede rumbled like thunder in Lu Yibei’s ears, snapping her out of her terror. She glanced at the Pale Kite on her shoulder and raised the Broken Sword in her hand.

With no path to retreat, no place to hide, she must charge forward!

After tonight, this city’s night should have only one King of Hauntings, and even if it’s not me, it shouldn’t be Plague Taisui! Lu Yibei thought fiercely.

As if sensing its name being called, the grotesque flesh writhed violently, like a deformed monstrous hand pulling at the Human-faced Centipede’s body, eliciting a wail.

Lu Yibei’s gaze sharpened, golden eyes flickering with fire.

Her innate skill activated.

The core entity of the transformed haunting stirred briefly with a cold aura within her chest, then fell silent. In the next moment, a terrifying psychic energy fluctuation erupted from her small frame, spreading out like a volcanic eruption.

Sensing her desire to protect Hua City and slay Plague Taisui, crimson flames surged from the severed edge of the Pure Lotus Sword, flickering in the wind like a banner.

Her jacket shifted, transforming into a magnificent azure gown, intricate flame patterns glowing like molten lava.

In the gale, the gown billowed like clouds, her long hair dancing like flames. At this moment, her beauty, highlighted by the wind and fire, was almost divine.

“The Calamity Witch is here, invoking the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts! Are there hauntings willing to follow?”

Lu Yibei shouted, echoing the words she had gleaned from the Great Serpent God’s knowledge.

As her voice faded, silence fell around her, the world still, yet she could feel countless psychic energy fluctuations gathering silently.

Seeing no hauntings respond, Lu Yibei stepped forward, towards the oncoming limbs of Plague Taisui, towards the dark green flesh tearing at the Human-faced Centipede.

At that moment, she suddenly felt the incomplete Ley Line Energy surrounding her tremble slightly.

With the tremor, her eyes burned, and in her vision, golden threads appeared, weaving through the void, intersecting and converging like river networks, or the endless starry sky.

Threads of Ley Line Energy extended outward, some intercepted and brutally seized by the flesh of Plague Taisui, spiraling into its body, while others stretched invisibly towards distant dense forests, mountain peaks, and every corner of Hua City.

Lu Yibei dodged the onslaught of dark green flesh and toxic dense fog while continuing to advance, shouting again.

“The Calamity Witch is here, invoking the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts! Are there hauntings willing to follow?”

As her words echoed, the Ley Line Energy fluttering around her trembled, and several threads sharply merged into her form.

Suddenly, the psychic energy fluctuation surged.

In that instant, Lu Yibei had a revelation, murmuring, “So this is how Ley Line Energy is used?”

The psychic energy permeating each city is like a jigsaw puzzle, each haunting or psychic is an isolated island within this puzzle, and Ley Line Energy is the bridge connecting these islands.

Ley Line Energy does not instantly enhance strength but can gather and command the dispersed psychic energy from various hauntings across the city when followed by a hundred ghosts.

This was Lu Yibei’s conjecture about the true use of Ley Line Energy.

While pondering, she rolled to dodge a swooping mass of dark green flesh and leapt forward.

She swung her sword, and the air howled.

Taihe Gentleman Sword – Sky Scorching Command!

Exquisite sword movements, blazing psychic energy, and boiling emotions fused at this moment, resonating with each other.

In an instant, dazzling flames obscured her vision.

On the road ahead, the air seemed ignited, the asphalt surface shimmering with intense bright spots as unknown ashes danced in the heatwave, like a million butterflies fluttering.

After the storm, whether it was the asphalt road, metal street lamps, or the flesh of Plague Taisui, all were severely damaged, as if slashed by thousands of sharp blades, leaving behind fierce, glowing scars.

Thirty-two limbs of Plague Taisui’s incarnations exploded, and strands of Ley Line Energy drifted towards her, merging into her body.

Black, foul-smelling pus spurted from the severed limbs, spraying like rain, and evaporated into clouds of vapor by the high temperature surrounding her.

She lifted her head, her leg muscles tensing sharply as she dashed forward.

She was determined to cross the mountain ahead.

During this, golden strands of Ley Line Energy, as if celebrating the coronation of a new king, floated towards her and entered her body.

On both sides of the road, demonic roars and screams echoed, countless diverse hauntings emerging from their hiding places, following that small yet fearsome figure, battling the massive limbs that broke through the ground.

The existence of Plague Taisui was like a germ breeding in the dark recesses of the earth, while the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts commanded by Lu Yibei was an unquenchable wildfire.

Countless pieces of dark green flesh were torn apart by the hauntings, burned in the flames, and numerous hauntings fell, pierced by twisted limbs.

Foul-smelling pus and shattered limbs littered the ground.

In an instant, what could drive an ordinary person into madness hundreds of times over filled the sky with screams and wails.

This was a collision of different haunting powers and a fierce battle.

On the distant mountain.

Watching the growing procession of the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts at the foot of the mountain, it moved forward, leaving a red-hot trail on the earth like a searing iron sword. The Ley Line Energy, invisible to the naked eye, danced behind Lu Yibei like a golden cloak.

Seeing this, Nanling Rao Hua couldn’t help but smile with intrigue and delight, “The psychic energy fluctuations of countless hauntings, under the dominion of the King of Hauntings, converge into one. This is the true Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts? How fascinating!”

Such a spectacular sight was something she had never witnessed in the desert.

After all, the lands guarded by the Nanling clan prohibited the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts.

“Dominating the Hundred Ghosts, making them follow behind, parading on a moonless night, with energy connected to the Ley Line… it seems all conditions are met! It looks like we’ll witness the birth of Hua City’s King of Hauntings tonight!”

“Speaking of which, if I just get along with that haunting girl and let her use the Ley Line Energy to search for psychics and hauntings in Hua City, wouldn’t I be able to find Lu Yibei?”

“Huh!?”

Standing beside Nanling Rao Hua, Gu Qianqian’s face changed slightly upon hearing her monologue. She turned around in surprise, about to tell her that the person below was Lu Yibei, when a stern voice from the systems echoed in her mind.

“Gu Qianqian, don’t speak!”

“Oh!” Gu Qianqian responded, shrinking her head and sticking out her tongue when Nanling Rao Hua cast a puzzled look at her, “Is there something wrong?”

Playing innocent.jpg

Nanling Rao Hua smiled and shook her head, refocusing her gaze on the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts below.

Observing her from behind, the systems couldn’t help but ask, “Gu Qianqian, who is this girl? Do you know what her connection to Calamity is?”

Gu Qianqian pouted, “I don’t know! Captain Hairball and the others were parading, and she just jumped out on her own, holding a cup of milk tea. I don’t know if she came to join the fun or to help.”

Systems, “…”

If she’s just here for fun, that’s fine, but if she’s here to help Calamity…

Then we definitely can’t let her find Lu Yibei.

If Calamity, after completing the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, gains an ally whose psychic energy fluctuation is approaching catastrophe-class, that would be disastrous, the systems thought.

From the foot of the mountain at Hua City’s reservoir to the peak, a distance of less than five kilometers, Lu Yibei’s Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts took more than two hours to complete.

When she stood at the peak, all the Ley Line Energy converged into her body, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and a crescent moon, thin as a hair, emerged, casting a faint moonlight.

This war between the catastrophe-class aberrant type’s avatar and the nascent mythical type, which had lasted nearly an entire night, was finally nearing its end.

Xing Yuan, watching through the water curtain, raised an eyebrow and exhaled a long breath, “The heir of the Pure Lotus Sword has even more potential than I imagined!”

As she spoke, she gently stroked the golden Death Owl Emblem on her chest and softly said, “Golden Horn, Silver Horn, your surveillance task is over. Now go and make contact with Hua City’s new King of Hauntings, and by the way…”

She paused, her lips curling slightly, “Have her sign the Indenture. If she refuses…”

“Then kill her!” Silver Horn said.

“Kill, kill, kill! All you know is killing! Is your brain made of muscle? Don’t you know the Moonlight Project is being secretly implemented?”

“Moreover, she has just completed the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, and the psychic energy fluctuations of many hauntings in Hua City are still lingering on her. Can you really kill her?”

The archives of The Midnight Watchers Society are filled with countless cases proving that a haunting that has just completed a Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts of such magnitude, purely in terms of psychic energy fluctuation, is comparable to a catastrophe-class haunting.

Attempting to kill Lu Yibei at this moment would be akin to challenging a monster blessed with enhancements by all the hauntings in the city-nothing short of suicide.

“So, what do you suggest?” Golden Horn probed.

“What I mean is, if she refuses, tell her that Bai Kai is in our hands,” Xing Yuan said, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

“Believe me, Bai Kai has been so good to her, she won’t sit idly by.”

With that, Xing Yuan gently stroked the emblem on her chest, severing the connection, and turned to look at Bai Kai, who lay motionless on the ground. Her eyes softened as she extended her pink tongue to lick her lips.

“Now, Xiao Bai, it’s time for us to catch up.”

Having finally completed the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts, Lu Yibei stood by the reservoir in Hua City, gazing at the gentle breeze, the rippling waves, and the slow-falling snowflakes ahead. Behind her, hundreds of hauntings stood silent, as weariness and joy simultaneously washed over her, inspiring a poetic mood.

When one is tired, they wish to relax; when relaxed, thoughts wander; and when thoughts wander, one might court disaster.

With a flick of her small hand and a gentle opening of her pink lips, she began to recite, “The northern lands, a thousand miles of ice, ten thousand miles of snow.”

Suddenly, an explosion echoed from the reservoir ahead, and in an instant, towering waves surged, psychic energy fluctuations rolled, and the hauntings behind her scattered in panic as if they’d seen a ghost.

The power of ten Great Serpent Gods-terrifying indeed!

Then, with a splash, a massive figure leapt from the depths of the reservoir, blending almost seamlessly with the night before landing heavily beside Lu Yibei. Its head, topped with a slick mushroom cap, drooped down like…

A giant humanoid mushroom, standing over ten meters tall?

Lu Yibei fell to the ground, gazing up at Hua City’s number one main operator, the mushroom girl, as she swallowed hard despite lacking an actual Adam’s apple.

The mushroom girl stared at Lu Yibei for a moment, blinking her washbasin-sized eyes, then straightened up, muttering to herself.

“Is it over? Is it a haunting or a human?”

“Never mind, I can’t figure it out. After all, I’m just a mushroom.”

“So cold, do mushrooms wither in winter? They’ll grow back next year, right?”

With such odd musings, she headed down the mountain, her form shrinking visibly until she vanished into the dense forest, her psychic energy fluctuation fading with her.

Watching the mushroom girl’s retreating figure, Lu Yibei felt a mix of emotions.

Who truly is the King of Hauntings in Hua City?

With such powerful operators present in Hua City, can Plague Taisui really contaminate the reservoir?

In this world, there are always greater forces and stranger beings. After this ordeal, caution is still necessary, Lu Yibei thought.

As Lu Yibei pondered, another surge of psychic energy fluctuation hit, and two shadowy figures flew towards her from either side, landing right in front of her.

They were two men who looked nearly identical, both around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, tall and dressed in black, wearing sunglasses. The man on the left had dark skin with a pair of golden horns forged from light on his forehead, while the man on the right had pallid skin with a slender silver horn also forged from light at the center of his brow.

Lu Yibei, “…”

What on earth is this now!

Can’t I look cool for just a few more seconds without interruptions?

Wearing sunglasses at night, can you even see who I am, no wait, who I, your grandfather, am?

Muttering to herself, Lu Yibei watched as the two men stepped forward. The man on the left introduced himself first, “I am Golden Horn.”

The man on the right followed, “And I am Silver Horn.”

“We are senior operators from The Midnight Watchers Society.” Both spoke in unison, “Would you, Calamity, please sign this contract for the Moonlight Project?”

As they spoke, the two men unfurled a scroll written on gold leaf before her.

“…”

What does this mean?

Officially authorized to be a haunting?

I thought you were here to capture me!

Stunned, Lu Yibei narrowed her eyes and said nonchalantly, “Let me take a look first, just a look, alright?”

She leaned in and skimmed the scroll in Golden Horn and Silver Horn’s hands, frowning slightly.

The main content of the scroll seemed fine, similar to a contract for a temporary worker with The Midnight Watchers Society, but the remarks at the end of the contract included conditions as unequal as the Three Laws of Robotics.

So if The Midnight Watchers Society wants me to commit suicide, I’d have to stab myself with a sword?

Isn’t this basically an indenture?

Mumbling to herself, Lu Yibei glanced at the two men and timidly asked, “May I ask, dear brothers, how you plan to deal with me if I refuse?”

Golden Horn and Silver Horn exchanged a glance, nodding slightly, before turning back to Lu Yibei and saying in unison, “Bai Kai is in our hands, if you refuse, we will…”

“Tear up the ticket?” Lu Yibei said solemnly.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn paused, starting to explain, “No, we…”

Lu Yibei cut in again, “Not tearing up the ticket, so you plan to torture him? That’s great! I’ve been annoyed by him for a long time, please do me a favor and whip him hard with a small leather whip!”

She said excitedly, fiercely swinging her fist through the air as if she wished she could deal with Bai Kai herself.

Golden Horn and Silver Horn, “???”

This isn’t what the Inspector told us!?

Can’t threaten her, can’t beat her, and we can’t just let her go…

What do we do now?

By the reservoir, a cool breeze blew gently.

Seeing golden horn and silver horn exchange glances, Lu Yibei’s eyes darted around. She compared the difference in psychic energy fluctuation between the two and herself, and after recalling some details from the contract, she made a secret decision.

“Gentlemen, I can’t sign this contract. I’ve just completed the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts and can’t even recognize all the hauntings in Hua City yet!”

As she spoke, she leisurely pulled out a spicy strip from her pocket and placed it in her mouth, tilting her chin up with a slight arch of her eyebrow.

“You know, being a boss isn’t easy these days. Even if I agree to your terms, they might not. If I rashly sign the contract and upset them, I can’t guarantee your safety.”

Hearing this, golden horn and silver horn were momentarily stunned, their expressions becoming more complex as they looked at Lu Yibei.

“……”

Is it just our imagination? Is she implying that she has many underlings, and even if we force her to sign the contract, we might not make it out of Hua City alive? They wondered silently.

Seeing the two fall into silence, a glint of joy flashed in Lu Yibei’s eyes. She hefted the Broken Sword in her hand, gripping it tightly as she subtly activated her innate skill to enhance it, then released her hold.

“Clang-!”

As the Pure Lotus Sword hit the ground, with a thought from Lu Yibei, a two-meter-long blaze erupted from the blade, carving a red-hot trench in the earth.

Golden horn and silver horn’s pupils contracted slightly as they took a step back, assuming a defensive stance, ready for battle.

“Uh, sorry about that. Just got the hang of this power, so losing control is understandable, right?”

Lu Yibei explained casually as she picked up the Pure Lotus Sword, and as she spoke, she unleashed her psychic energy fluctuation to its fullest.

With the lingering Ley Line Energy as a boost, her psychic energy fluctuation surged to a terrifying level, as if the air itself ignited, rolling with waves of heat.

However, more terrifying than the heat was the calm, serene face behind it, as deep and unfathomable as the ocean.

If anyone were fooled by her harmless, childlike appearance and let their guard down, they’d surely meet a grim fate, golden horn and silver horn thought.

Seeing the sweat bead on their foreheads from tension, Lu Yibei sighed silently, her expression blank as she said, “Don’t be afraid! I’m not a bad person!”

“It’s just that there’s too much psychic energy fluctuation, and I can’t control it, so there’s some leakage! When there’s a chance, I just need to vent it a little.”

Golden horn and silver horn, “……”

She’s definitely hinting!

If we don’t accept her proposal, we might not only fail to leave Hua City, but we might not even get out of this reservoir area!

Amidst their silent complaints, golden horn, with a last bit of stubbornness, mustered the courage to ask, “What exactly do you want?”

“I don’t want anything!” Lu Yibei replied innocently. “If I wanted something, would I be standing here talking to you? Anyway, you can’t stand me, and you can’t kill me, right?”

Smug.jpg

Golden horn and silver horn, “……” She seems to have a point, but…

“What I mean is, I won’t sign this contract for now. But if possible, I’d like to take it back, study it thoroughly, and decide after I’ve thought it through.”

As for who the unlucky person will be to sign this contract after I’ve thought it through, well, that’s another story… Lu Yibei added secretly in her mind.

When she studied the Moonlight Project contract earlier, Lu Yibei had only skimmed the main content, but she had paid very close attention to the incantations engraved on the gold foil.

The incantations were not entirely familiar to her, but when she picked out the parts she recognized and rearranged them, comparing them to the contracts recorded in the Great Serpent God’s knowledge, she immediately spotted the trick.

That contract was undoubtedly an indenture.

However…

Just because she couldn’t sign it didn’t mean she didn’t want it. If used wisely, this could become a powerful weapon!

The terms were clearly written, and the incantations strictly restricted the haunting that signed the contract from attacking members of The Midnight Watchers Society.

Aren’t I a member of The Midnight Watchers Society? And an acting main operator at that, Lu Yibei thought.

So she not only wanted it, but she even considered getting seventeen or eighteen copies as backups. After all, The Midnight Watchers Society was already used to exploiting resources, so one more time wouldn’t matter.

People are always good at compromising, like in the sweltering summer when you want to turn off the air conditioning in the house, which would surely face strong opposition from everyone inside.

But if you only ask to adjust the temperature from sixteen degrees to twenty-five degrees, there usually isn’t any problem.

Seeing Lu Yibei make a concession, golden horn pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands toward her and said, “In that case, we will wait for your response. We hope you make a wise decision.”

In fact, The Midnight Watchers Society’s Moonlight Project wasn’t progressing smoothly. So far, all the hauntings choosing to cooperate with The Midnight Watchers Society had reasons that compelled them to sign the contract.

Therefore, golden horn and silver horn didn’t really expect Lu Yibei to sign the contract so easily. Her willingness to make a concession and show goodwill was already a very good outcome.

“Of course, of course,” Lu Yibei nodded, speaking as she took the scroll from their hands and casually stuffed it into her jacket pocket.

Upon seeing this, golden horn and silver horn exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and were about to turn and leave when Lu Yibei stopped them.

“Wait a moment, you two!”

Hearing this, golden horn and silver horn frowned, turned around, and looked at Lu Yibei with caution, asking, “Is there anything else?”

Lu Yibei frowned, chewing on her spicy strips, tilted her head, and said, “Earlier, you mentioned how you planned to deal with Bai Kai if I didn’t sign this contract?”

“We…” golden horn slightly parted his lips, then smiled and said, “Since you’ve already expressed your stance, the issue of dealing with Bai Kai is something we’ll have to discuss with our superiors…”

“Oh, please don’t!” Lu Yibei hurriedly said, “Feel free to torment him as much as you want, don’t go easy on him. If you can’t bring yourselves to do it, I’m happy to do it on your behalf!”

I’ve made it so obvious; they can’t possibly still think I have a good relationship with Shui-Ge, right?

A main operator of The Midnight Watchers Society secretly colluding with a major haunting during the Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts-that’s a serious crime…

Anyway, Shui-Ge isn’t in any life-threatening danger, so even if I exaggerate a bit to distance myself, he should only face some punishment, Lu Yibei thought.

Golden horn and silver horn, “…”

Uh…

Why do we suddenly feel a bit sorry for Bai Kai?

When Bai Kai came to, he found himself tied to a large round bed. The ceiling cast a pinkish, suggestive glow from its corners, and some peculiar little trinkets were placed around the bed.

For a moment, he was dazed, and the first thought that flashed through his mind was the safety of Lu Yibei.

In his panic, Bai Kai blurted out, “Damn it, how did I end up in this place? And Lu Yibei, she…”

“Relax, she’s alive and well.”

“Click-!”

The sound of a lighter flicking on came from a corner of the room. Bai Kai turned his head to see Xing Yuan, clad only in a black lace nightgown, lounging on a sofa. Smoke curled from her red lips, and her single eye glinted with a teasing allure.

Seeing Bai Kai look over, her gaze traced down from his collarbone, across his bare chest, and finally settled on his thighs. She smirked and said, “Not bad!”

“…”

Xing Yuan’s gaze felt like an intrusive hand roaming over him, and even someone as battle-hardened as Bai Kai felt a bit uncomfortable. After a moment of hesitation, he tentatively asked, “Did you sleep with me, damn it?”

“Ugh!” Xing Yuan scoffed, “It’s not like it’s the first time. Why so worked up? Can’t I reminisce about the good old days?”

“I…” Bai Kai hesitated, then after a few seconds, forced out through gritted teeth, “There’s nothing worth remembering between us…”

Xing Yuan frowned, “Sorry, that was out of line.”

After a pause, she pressed on, “One last question, and then you’re free to go. Who was that little Haunting tonight? Worth risking your life for?”

Hearing Xing Yuan mention Lu Yibei again, Bai Kai’s expression darkened. “I can’t tell you that. She’s one of the most important people to me. If you dare touch her, you’ll regret it!”

“One of the most important people, huh?”

Xing Yuan looked at Bai Kai with a knowing smile. “Let me guess, your most important people include me, though we fell out; your Shifu, but that’s definitely not it; your senior brother’s daughter, but she doesn’t need haunting transformation; and…”

“Oh right, Lu Ming should count, but he’s already dead! The backup of the scene investigation report is still in my office!”

“If it’s none of those, then it must be Lu Ming’s son.” Xing Yuan mused, nodding to herself, “It must be him!”

As she spoke, Xing Yuan looked up at Bai Kai, shaking her head with a sympathetic expression. “Bai Kai, you’re in trouble. They entrusted their son to you, and in just a few years, you’ve turned him into a daughter? Knowing those two, even in death, they probably…”

The more Bai Kai listened, the darker his expression grew. Finally, he couldn’t help but interrupt, “Enough! Are you done? What do you want?”

“Nothing much! Just checking how you’ve been all these years!” Xing Yuan said, a slightly unnatural smile on her lips.

Hearing this, a faint stirring rose in Bai Kai’s heart, but it quickly subsided.

“Heh, where were you back then? Now you want to know? It’s too late!” he sneered. “I’m living the high life now, strong as ever, enjoying every night. I don’t need you.”

Xing Yuan was taken aback, “All these years, you really have been… I thought…”

“What’s the deal?” Bai Kai tilted his head defiantly. “You can be a flirt, but I can’t enjoy life? Xing Yuan, don’t be such a hypocrite!”

“Actually, I…” Xing Yuan’s eyes flashed with a hint of urgency. She opened her mouth as if to explain, then gave a bitter smile. “You’re right, but…”

As she spoke, she gently pulled down the delicate strap of her nightgown, revealing her fair shoulder, and raised an eyebrow at Bai Kai. “Since you’re already so wild, do you mind being wild one more time?”

Bai Kai paused, squinting slightly, testing the waters. “You haven’t slept with me yet?”

“No,” Xing Yuan shook her head, a strange look of grievance on her face. “I was hoping you’d make the first move, but…”

“…” Bai Kai was silent for a few seconds, then said seriously, “Since we’re not talking about feelings, just business, I have to say…”

“My fees are quite high.”

As he spoke, a charmingly roguish smile appeared on his face, and he licked the corner of his mouth.

Is this really the same Xiao Bai from before? Xing Yuan rubbed her forehead and waved him off. “Alright, alright, I’ll untie you. Just get out of here!”

With that, she climbed onto the bed and undid the spell formation binding Bai Kai’s hands.

After leaving the Hua City reservoir, Golden Horn and Silver Horn tried to contact the theater using the Death Owl Emblem but couldn’t get through. They hurried back to the hotel suite to report the situation in person.

At the hotel, they found Xing Yuan’s room completely dark, which puzzled them. After calling out softly a few times without receiving a response, a sense of foreboding crept over them.

“My Lord Inspector, could she have been taken down by her old flame?” Golden Horn whispered.

“It’s hard to say. I heard that Operator Bai is a Mixed type Spirit Pattern,” Silver Horn replied with a smirk. “You know about Mixed type Spirit Patterns, right? Many miraculous feats have been accomplished by psychics of that kind, haven’t they?”

“That makes sense!” Golden Horn nodded thoughtfully. “We’d better look around. If we don’t find anyone, we’ll go in for backup.”

“Right!” Silver Horn agreed and began searching the room with Golden Horn.

“My Lord Inspector? Are you here?”

“Inspect-“

“Shh-!”

Silver Horn was calling out when he saw Golden Horn standing in front of Xing Yuan’s bedroom door, gesturing for silence, and he immediately stopped.

Seeing this, Silver Horn walked over with a puzzled expression, just about to ask what was going on, when he heard a conversation through the door that made his face flush.

“This is too tight. How did you manage this…”

“Stop whining. If it’s not tight, it’ll slip out.”

“Hiss-! It hurts, be gentle!”

“…”

Golden Horn turned quietly to Silver Horn, whispering, “Are they…”

As he spoke, he clapped his hands softly, making a “clap clap!” sound.

Silver Horn rolled his eyes, pursing his lips. “What kind of nonsense is in your head? Normally, this is just a misunderstanding. Watch, if I go in now, they’ll definitely not be doing anything inappropriate!”

After finishing his sentence, Golden Horn was just about to intervene when Silver Horn burst through the door, swaggering in. Within seconds, he came running out again, covering his face.

“Inspector, we’re back, we…uh, sorry to interrupt!”

Inside the room, Bai Kai and Xing Yuan were left staring in bewilderment as Silver Horn dashed in without letting them explain and then hurried out.

Then, with a loud “bang!” the door slammed shut.

Seeing Silver Horn’s face flushed red as he trotted out, Golden Horn quickly followed to ask, “What’s going on in there?”

“It was just… I walked in on the Inspector wearing a nightgown, straddling Operator Bai. I… I couldn’t bear to look any further,” stammered Silver Horn.

“…” Golden Horn’s cheeks twitched, and he slapped Silver Horn on the back of the head, “I told you to cut down on those novels, but you never listen. Look at the mess you’ve caused now!”

“I… I had no idea the Inspector would actually do it!” Silver Horn replied, feeling wronged.

“How could she not?” Golden Horn rolled his eyes, “Everyone calls the Inspector ‘Iron Lady.’ Did you really think she was made of iron? She hasn’t been in a relationship for over twenty years. When she finally meets an old flame, how could she resist?”

“Just wait until she comes after you!”

Silver Horn, “……”

Suddenly, he found himself without any sympathy for Bai Kai.

On the outskirts of Hua City, amidst a wheat field.

Snow began to fall again, shrouding the entire field in a dense fog. The wheat had long been harvested, leaving only some withered, rotten bellflowers lying in the mud.

A body lay face down in the black, muddy water, the fingertips so soaked that the skin and bones had separated, the flesh floating like rotten cotton, revealing a stark white bone.

Near his chest was a large, gaping wound, the edges torn as if his flesh had suddenly sprouted a will of its own and escaped.

A trail of footprints meandered across the thin snow on the field ridge, stretching into the distance.

In the distance, a woman with a stout figure and long, dry yellow hair staggered forward, filthy murky liquid continuously dripping from her tattered, flesh-like dress.

Where the drops fell, tiny dark green granulation tissues quickly sprouted.

The woman was the Dusk Maiden, barely clinging to life. If not for Lu Yibei’s recent control over the Ley Line Energy, the Plague Taisui’s remnants scattered around the city were not yet fully necrotic. Without such an attack, she might not have even managed to hang on to life.

“Damn it, just a little more, just a little more and I could have…” she murmured half a sentence when a familiar psychic energy fluctuation suddenly hit her, freezing her in place.

Looking up, she saw a girl in a white dress in the middle of the dirt road, holding a rusty fire axe, her eyes glinting with a crimson light.

“My dear master, where were you planning to go?” the girl smiled and said, “Your psychic energy fluctuation is so weak, it was hard to find you!”

“……”

The Dusk Maiden’s murky eyes shifted, and then, with gritted teeth, she turned to run back. She hadn’t gotten far when the ground shook beneath her feet.

A wall of bones burst from the earth, blocking her path. Atop the barrier, a man with a clear physiognomy silently cast a cold glance downward.

“Rabbit, I actually…” the Dusk Maiden opened her mouth to say something, but then she saw a flash of iron behind her, and foul-smelling blood immediately splattered into the sky.

Her remaining psychic energy rapidly drained away, and her body began to fail her. Just as she was about to fall, a pair of hands cradled her face.

“Shh-You don’t need to say anything. To me, the only good master is one who sleeps forever. So, farewell, master!”

Ms. Rabbit said, releasing the Dusk Maiden’s face, and raised the fire axe, bringing it down fiercely. A pale flame appeared on the blade.

Moon Shadow Fire erupted.

Ms. Rabbit watched as the Dusk Maiden’s body gradually turned to ash in the pale flames, disappearing forever from this world. She finally gained her freedom, yet suddenly felt a sense of melancholy and sorrow.

At that moment, a hand wrapped in bandages reached out, gently squeezing her shoulder.

“Congratulations, you’re free now. Shall we go?”

“Where to?”

“Come back with me,” Shu E said softly.

Hearing this, Ms. Rabbit’s pink eyes trembled slightly, just as she was about to say something, she heard Shu E say, “You still have two more ritual experiments to complete.”

Ms. Rabbit, “……”

(End of this volume)