Chapter 332: Before Departure

Having roughly figured out what the Dream Come True Journey entailed, from Tuesday to Friday, Lu Yibei worked overtime to handle the trivial matters of the hauntings in Hua City.

Her efficiency was so impressive that even Meng and the other hauntings were in awe, momentarily suspecting that their King of Hauntings might be experiencing some sort of mental breakdown, prompting them to consider offering her an Alchemical potion to suppress haunting corruption.

After all, for someone with severe procrastination and decision-making difficulties to suddenly become a workaholic was indeed alarming.

Once she had arranged the hauntings’ affairs for the upcoming week and finished covering Jiang Li’s night shift on Friday, she set off alone for the ghost market at 2 a.m. on Saturday.

In the early hours, Hua City was shrouded in a chilling white mist.

Dimly lit streets were lined with stalls displaying bizarre items on either side.

This spontaneously formed marketplace was bustling with visitors, yet eerily quiet.

The stall owners seemed in no rush to sell their goods, with no cries of solicitation heard. Only when a customer approached would they offer a brief introduction, often lurking in the shadows like specters, their eyes restlessly wandering.

Amidst this scene, a petite red-haired girl, carrying two bulging woven bags, swaggered down the center of the street, drawing attention.

Such a conspicuous display naturally attracted some shady characters. Shortly after entering the ghost market, she was targeted by two seasoned thieves.

These thieves followed her to Fat Master’s shop, eavesdropping on her conversation with him, only to quickly abandon their plans…

“Ah, Lady Calamity! Your presence truly graces my humble shop!” Fat Master exclaimed, his face quivering with laughter, “May I ask what brings you here today?”

“To sell some things and buy a few others,” Lu Yibei replied bluntly, as she emptied the contents of her woven bags onto the ground in front of Fat Master.

The sight of the psychic artifacts scattered on the ground left the eavesdropping thieves outside wide-eyed and sweating profusely. Though most of the artifacts were Class D or Class C+ lower-grade items, their sheer quantity was staggering.

“This is… this is…” Fat Master stammered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

He felt a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of taking in so much loot at once.

Why assume they were stolen goods?

The haunting selling them was the head of Hua City’s largest criminal syndicate-what else could they be?

“Don’t worry! They’re not ill-gotten goods,” Lu Yibei reassured Fat Master, patting his shoulder.

Not ill-gotten goods? That’s a relief… Fat Master thought, just about to relax when Lu Yibei added, “I plundered them all myself. See how much they’re worth.”

Fat Master, “???”

Well, isn’t that something! I’m completely floored!

Nowadays, are goods taken by force considered legitimate?

“Excuse me, Lady Calamity, may I ask where these items came from?” Fat Master asked hesitantly.

Lu Yibei waved her hand dismissively, “I plundered them from an outsider Class A Haunting. It’s not worth mentioning.”

The eavesdropping thieves outside were stunned, “Class A Haunting isn’t worth mentioning?”

Impressive! We’re out of here!

Sensing the psychic energy fluctuations of the two tails retreating, Lu Yibei glanced towards the door with a silent scoff, then turned back to give Fat Master a brief explanation of the origins of these psychic artifacts.

It must be said, the River God, being a major haunting for hundreds of years, not only had many wives but also plenty of wealth.

When Lu Yibei demanded compensation of thirty to fifty psychic artifacts or haunting core entities based on quality, he agreed without hesitation and delivered the items the next day.

This left Lu Yibei feeling regretful, wishing she could slap herself twice.

It was like someone offering a hundred, you counter with twenty, and they pack it up immediately, fearing you’d change your mind.

Thinking about it felt like a huge loss!

After hearing Lu Yibei’s account of the origins of these psychic artifacts, Fat Master acknowledged her “legitimate source” claim, though the cold sweat on his face increased.

It was just an unexpected intrusion, yet it led to land concessions, compensation, and signing a humiliating contract… Calamity was indeed terrifying!

But Fat Master was an experienced businessman, having seen all sorts of situations.

He quickly adjusted his emotions and entered business mode, using a uniquely designed ghost-pattern cane to sift through the items on the ground.

“These twelve haunting core entities, three Class C+ and nine Class D, should be valued at around 5KG of gold. For the subtle fluctuations, I’ll need to check the latest price trends to give an answer.”

“As for these twenty-something psychic artifacts, I can give you an answer right now. How does 15KG of gold sound?”

Lu Yibei glanced at the psychic artifacts on the ground and nodded slightly.

Low-tier psychic artifacts are relatively cheap; most hauntings and psychics can afford them, making them easier to sell, which is why Fat Master could quickly provide an answer.

After a brief pause, Lu Yibei asked, “If I don’t sell them but use them to trade for what I want, there should be a discount, right?”

“Of course, but the extent of the discount depends on what you’re looking for,” Fat Master replied with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully and pulled out a small note from her tactical jacket pocket, handing it to Fat Master. “Can these items be exchanged for what’s on this list?”

The note detailed the alchemical materials Lu Yibei needed for her next round of defect correction.

Flame Fish Scales, Fire Bloom, Longan Coral-these are relatively common high-tier alchemical materials, easier to acquire, but…

Fat Master’s gaze lingered on “Spirit of Ignition,” his expression troubled.

“Lady Calamity, this item, while not particularly valuable, is extremely rare. Just as disaster water randomly appears within witch types, the Spirit of Ignition randomly manifests within Class B fire attribute energy type hauntings.”

“In other words, you might obtain it by hunting one haunting, or you might hunt a hundred and find nothing. When you’ll get it is purely a matter of luck.”

“But rest assured, I’ll do my utmost.”

Upon hearing Fat Master’s explanation, Lu Yibei nodded in understanding. After all, the materials needed for the second enhancement were several levels higher than the first.

However, her plan to strengthen herself once more with the River God’s compensation before heading to the Dream Come True Journey was now dashed.

And this was only a third of the materials; the rest would likely be just as hard to find.

With this thought, Lu Yibei couldn’t help but let out a long sigh in her heart.

Is life always this painful, or is it just for hauntings?

After a moment of silent grumbling, she continued, “Then please keep looking for me. Notify me as soon as you find them. As for the remaining money, just help me buy some leftover scraps from other people’s Alchemy.”

Hearing this, Fat Master gave her a strange look, sizing her up before cautiously asking, “Lady Calamity, are you talking about Alchemy residues?”

Why would she want to buy that stuff?

Alchemy residues are complex in composition and difficult to purify, much like kitchen waste. Reusing them would require a significant amount of resources, making it not worth the effort.

The idea of the head of Hua City’s underworld suddenly wanting to recycle kitchen waste was baffling to Fat Master.

Could she really turn waste into treasure?

“Don’t worry about it!” Lu Yibei waved her hand dismissively. “I just have a use for it. Just tell me if you can buy it and how much you can get.”

“Well, I can…” Fat Master mumbled, deciding not to question her further. “I could probably get about… 1.2 tons.”

There’s actually quite a lot of it. Recently, some naive girl has been selling it off, but hardly anyone buys it. With a bit of maneuvering, maybe I could even lower her price and make a tidy profit, Fat Master thought.

“1.2 tons? That’s great!” Lu Yibei was slightly surprised. “Let’s go with that amount…”

Fat Master, “???”

What on earth are you going to do with all that?!

Am I going to be held accountable if something goes wrong?

Seeing Fat Master’s peculiar expression, Lu Yibei quickly corrected herself, “Uh, I mean, let’s start with 500 kilograms for now. Also…”

She patted the guitar case slung over her shoulder. “Can you modify this for me? Add some fireproof and explosion-proof materials, and if possible, make it like one of those spatial rings. It’s been feeling more and more cramped lately.”

Fat Master, “…”

A spatial ring?

Lady Calamity, you should really cut down on those fantasy novels!

Such things don’t exist. Even if they did, they would be catastrophe-class psychic artifacts. Where am I supposed to find one of those?

…

After purchasing the alchemical residue from Fat Master, Lu Yibei spent an entire day at home tinkering away. She managed to create over two hundred enhanced alchemical bombs with varying psychic energy attributes using half of the residue.

The other half was used to craft two “big ones.”

One was named “Miss Qiu,” and the other “Flower Thousand Trees.”

One could only wonder if the Great Serpent God, with its millennia-old wisdom, would be resurrected in fury upon discovering its knowledge was being used for such bizarre purposes.

And so, the preparations for the Dream Come True Journey were reluctantly completed.

Lu Yibei, having freed up about a week’s time, packed her guitar case full of enhanced alchemical bombs, paired them with a longsword, and embarked on a journey to negotiate with the mastermind behind the Dream Come True Journey.

She looked every bit like a terrorist on a suicide mission.

Saturday night, 11:07 PM.

On the deserted streets of Hua City’s University Town, a taxi pulled up in front of Lu Yibei after she waved it down.

With a blank expression, Lu Yibei got into the car with Bie Suzhen, opened the door, settled into the back seat, fastened her seatbelt, and casually said, “Uncle Zhang, to the West Train Station, please.”

“Huh? You didn’t even look, how did you know it was me?” Zhang Shan exclaimed.

“Who else could it be?” Lu Yibei replied coolly.

Anyone else seeing the girl with the painted face and ghostly white dress beside me would have sped off without stopping. Lu Yibei thought to herself.

“True enough.” Zhang Shan nodded, finding the reasoning sound.

As a haunting, Lu Yibei had ways unknown to him to identify the driver beforehand, which wasn’t surprising.

“I have to tell you, your last story was fantastic! My listeners loved it, and the stream’s popularity has nearly doubled.”

“Really?” Lu Yibei teased, “Then why not switch careers? Streaming surely pays better than driving a taxi.”

“No way!” Zhang Shan scoffed, “I don’t drive for the money.”

“Then why?”

“To catch folks like you!”

Folks? Lu Yibei furrowed her brow slightly, “Besides me, are there others telling you haunting stories?”

“Yes, recently I found a young boy who tells amazing tales.” Zhang Shan said excitedly, “So, what story are you sharing tonight?”

A young boy? Is he one of Hua City’s hauntings? Lu Yibei pondered, deciding to ask her haunting underlings if they had been telling Zhang Shan stories. She replied, “Tonight, I’ll tell you a River God Marriage story.”

Bie Suzhen paused, her lips parted as if to speak but she hesitated.

“What’s interesting about that?” Zhang Shan dismissed, “I’ve heard that story countless times since I was a kid.”

“I promise, this one’s completely different.” Lu Yibei said calmly, “Don’t you want to know what the River God does to the girls taken onto the boat?”

“Girls?” Zhang Shan’s eyes lit up, emphasizing the plural.

“Girls!” Lu Yibei nodded, “It’s scandalous and violent, incredibly thrilling, the whole story is mind-blowing!”

“Let’s hear it!” Zhang Shan slapped the steering wheel, eager for more.

In about a half-hour car ride, Bie Suzhen listened, wide-eyed and slack-jawed, to Lu Yibei’s tale of her grudges with the River God, and how Suzhen ended up in Lu Yibei’s hands.

Bie Suzhen, “…”

Is it really okay to share such real haunting incidents with a human whose psychic potential is so weak that even a haunting doesn’t interest her?

And why isn’t this human scared at all?

Hua City, what a strange… a wondrous place, whether it’s hauntings, humans, or anything else.

The night deepened, clouds obscuring the moon.

Near the West Train Station on the outskirts of Hua City.

Unseen insects chirped weakly in the dark.

They should have died with the onset of winter, but an unexpected warm spell had given them a reprieve, leaving them confused about whether they should be dead, chirping foolishly.

After disembarking, waving goodbye to Uncle Zhang Shan, Lu Yibei followed Bie Suzhen to the metro station entrance near the West Train Station, where they saw a large lock cut through on the iron gate.

“Did you cut this?”

“Certainly not!” Bie Suzhen replied. “I heard that many of Plague Taisui’s minions infiltrated Hua City on the Giant Train. It must have been them.”

Lu Yibei nodded thoughtfully, pondering how so many hauntings and psychics could sneak into the city without a sound, under the protection of Hua City’s psychic barriers.

Entering the metro station, they were met with a thick scent of decay. The vast, empty station cast long shadows from its towering columns, as if harboring some lurking horror.

But Lu Yibei was unfazed; according to the records of Ley Line Energy, no hauntings had settled here.

“Lady Calamity, could you please let go of my hand? It’s starting to hurt…” Bie Suzhen glanced at the dark, at the small hand almost embedded in her flesh, and spoke timidly.

“Oh, oh!”

Lu Yibei responded and released Bie Suzhen’s hand but still stayed a step behind, using her body as a shield.

Though not frightened, she instinctively did so.

Leading Lu Yibei deep into the metro station, Bie Suzhen turned around and bowed slightly. “Lady Calamity, please wait here for a moment; I’ll go buy the tickets.”

“We need tickets for this?” Lu Yibei muttered.

That’s so unprofessional. And to think this is an Entertainment City!

Nowadays, even some large shopping centers offer free shuttle services.

I really like taking advantage of those free rides.

“It used to be free,” Bie Suzhen explained. “But later, many people-yes, like those minions of Plague Taisui-kept using the Giant Train to bypass The Midnight Watchers Society’s city barriers, causing significant losses to the Dream Come True Journey.”

“Now, you can’t even see the Giant Train without a ticket.”

Lu Yibei pursed her lips, reluctantly fished two chips from her pocket, and handed them to Bie Suzhen.

Taking the chips, she walked to a lonely ticket machine in the corner, covered in strange graffiti, and after operating it for a while, returned with two tickets.

One was for Lanruo Inn Customs Shop, and the other for Dream Come True Entertainment City.

At 1:03 AM, inside an abandoned subway station.

Lu Yibei quietly waited for the Giant Train when she suddenly turned towards the deep subway tunnel, furrowing her brows.

From afar, she sensed a strong psychic energy fluctuation approaching.

She tried to tap into the Ley Line Energy to probe this unfamiliar psychic energy fluctuation, but it was as if the Ley Line Energy passed right through it without finding its target, capturing nothing.

It must be extraordinary to evade the barriers intercepting throughout the major cities, Lu Yibei thought.

Suddenly, a loud wail came from the pitch-dark tunnel.

“Wooo-!”

Immediately after, the psychic energy fluctuation in the subway station surged, accompanied by a cold wind laden with a thick scent of decay and death. A train pulled by a Giant tore through the darkness, gradually coming to a halt at the platform.

So it really is a Giant pulling the train, quite eco-friendly too!

If possible, I’d like to rig one up myself!

Lu Yibei watched the haunting with a face as large as a basin, its twisted body covered with human legs, its lower half almost fused with the green carriage, and quietly scoffed to herself.

“The train will depart in three minutes. Please ensure you have all your belongings and board in an orderly manner. Complimentary snacks, fruits, beverages, and a variety of books are prepared for you on board. Please feel free to take.”

“Lastly, have a wonderful night.”

As the departure announcement played, Lu Yibei snapped back to reality and slowly boarded the train.

However, as soon as she stepped into the carriage, the Giant Haunting pulling the train let out a loud “Aow!” The massive body writhed, making thunderous noises.

The few dozen passengers scattered throughout the train instantly looked up, their stares piercing, making her feel uneasy.

What’s going on? Why are you all looking at me like that? I did buy a ticket!

Seeing this, Bie Suzhen clenched her teeth, stood up from her seat, and approached Lu Yibei, whispering, “Lady Calamity, did you bring something dangerous on board?”

Ah, so this haunting train even has a security system? Lu Yibei thought to herself, avoiding Bie Suzhen’s gaze as she scratched her cheek, momentarily at a loss for words.

Just then, a man sitting at the front of the train, wearing a bowler hat and a white mask, dressed in a tailcoat, came over at the sound of the Giant Haunting’s roar. He bowed slightly to Lu Yibei and spoke softly, “Miss, did you bring any flammable or explosive items on board?”

“Uh, just a little bit,” Lu Yibei whispered.

Just, one hundred and thirty-seven Alchemical Bombs. She added in her mind.

As soon as Lu Yibei finished speaking, the passengers’ faces changed, and they ran towards the back of the train as if fleeing for their lives.

The man politely explained, “I’m sorry, Miss, but flammable and explosive items cannot simply be brought on board like this, could you please…”

“What do you mean? Are you going to confiscate my treasure?” Lu Yibei interrupted, clutching her small bag tightly.

“Oh no, miss, you misunderstand!” the man shook his head and explained, “I mean that you can’t just bring them onto the train like this, you’d have to pay extra!”

Lu Yibei, “…”

No wonder those passengers ran so fast!

What are they so afraid of? It’s just a few explosive items.

I’m keeping a close eye on them! How could they possibly explode so easily? Lu Yibei thought disdainfully.

The man, using some unknown method, checked the contents of Lu Yibei’s guitar case and asked her to pay for two extra tickets before returning to his seat at the top of the train’s head.

Lu Yibei found an empty seat in the first carriage and sat down quietly.

Although spending a bit of money annoyed her, she thought it was worth it for peace of mind. After all, both the Giant Train and the Dream Come True Journey had a mysterious air about them, and having Alchemical Bombs made her feel secure.

If anything went wrong, she could just open the guitar case and toss its contents out! Lu Yibei thought slyly, shifting her position and leaving a handprint on the armrest of another empty seat.

“Crack!” The sharp sound of a whip echoed clearly.

With the sound reverberating, the Giant Train began to move forward, causing the entire carriage to shake and creak as if it might fall apart at any moment.

This experience was akin to riding a hand-held tractor, and Lu Yibei glanced at Bie Suzhen for an explanation, only to find that two tentacles covered in suckers had somehow wrapped around Suzhen.

Noticing Lu Yibei’s gaze, Bie Suzhen froze for a moment, then seemed to remember something, her face showing panic as she urgently reminded, “Lady Calamity, seatbelt! Fasten your seatbelt!”

Lu Yibei, “???”

First time hearing that a green train requires seatbelts…

The next moment, the entire carriage jolted, and the train seemed to lift off, a strong sense of weightlessness suddenly hitting.

Not knowing what was happening, Lu Yibei found herself off her seat, staring out the window at a massive cave that didn’t exist on Hua City’s map.

The cave’s stone walls were ancient and beautiful, with intricate natural granite patterns on the surface, and waterfalls formed by underground rivers cascading into the dark abyss.

The haunting with the Hundred-Armed Giant’s power was pulling the carriage, soaring through the air, flying straight towards the gray-black cave wall.

At that moment, a shiny little bomb tumbled out of Lu Yibei’s guitar case amidst the turbulence.

“Gulp!” Bie Suzhen swallowed hard, staring at the glowing liquid inside the glass bottle.

Lu Yibei grabbed the Alchemical Bomb floating in front of her, turned to Bie Suzhen, and said earnestly, “Don’t worry, it’s just a bomb. It won’t explode.”

Bie Suzhen, “???”

Then, the train “boom!” crashed into the gray-black stone wall…