Chapter 482: Listen to Uncle’s Advice, Let Uncle Do It

The moment Jiang Li proposed to take Bai Kai’s place, Qi Dong refused her request without even thinking.

“No way! Absolutely not!”

Hearing this, Jiang Li tilted her head, looked at Qi Dong, then at Bai Kai, and felt puzzled.

“Why can you two go, but I can’t?”

“It’s not that, Jiang… Meow Meow-chan!” Bai Kai explained earnestly, “Everything in that place is virtual, the waters run too deep, you can’t handle it. Listen to your uncle’s advice, let your uncle do it!”

“That’s right!” Qi Dong said seriously, “Don’t blame us for being blunt, we’re just worried you might not come back!”

“……” Jiang Li sized up Bai Kai and Qi Dong, pondered for two seconds, and said, “Just now, you two didn’t tell me everything, did you?”

“There must be something you’re hiding from me, right?”

As she spoke, her chin lifted slightly, her eyes narrowed, and a cold light flashed in her gaze. An invisible sense of oppression spread out, instantly filling the entire private room.

It was almost as if she had unleashed Conqueror’s Haki.

Jiang Li’s “killer stare” was indeed highly effective for most people, but if the targets had no sense of shame, the killer stare would be useless.

Bai Kai and Qi Dong–one a seasoned tough nut, the other an old fox–didn’t even know where their own bottom line was, let alone feel shame.

Let her be as strong as she wants, my face is as thick as a city wall!

“Don’t, don’t look at me like that! I’ll tell you everything!”

Unable to bear the suffocating pressure, Gu Xiliu cried out.

“They didn’t dare tell you, but if you go in, you’ll end up like Lu Yibei, losing yourself!”

Damn! Where did this pig teammate come from?

Bai Kai and Qi Dong both looked at the panicked Gu Xiliu, rolled their eyes, and were momentarily speechless.

“Lose myself?” Jiang Li tilted her head, casting a questioning look at Gu Xiliu.

Gu Xiliu shrank his neck and said weakly, “A-actually…”

“Hey, let me tell her,” Bai Kai interrupted Gu Xiliu, “Actually…”

—-

Earlier, Bai Kai and Qi Dong had only told Jiang Li about Lu Yibei’s whereabouts and what they were doing, but hadn’t told her about the risks of this trip.

Until she pressed them, the pig teammate surrendered instantly, and the two were forced to compromise.

A day ago, they discovered that the Beast of Inheritance’s flesh and blood that had invaded that damned place had suddenly become active under the secret influence of the Eclipse Society, making the situation even more complicated and dangerous.

Now, even Gu Xiliu, trying to rely solely on dreams to send his consciousness in and temporarily attach to someone near Lu Yibei to deliver information, would face strong interference, or even be intercepted or attacked by the Beast of Inheritance’s flesh and blood.

So, just an hour ago, Bai Kai and Qi Dong decided to try one last method–using Gu Xiliu’s special nature to perform a ritual and send themselves in to personally search for Lu Yibei.

During this process, there would inevitably be a period where they were completely unprotected.

Although this time was very short, it couldn’t be ruled out that they might be attacked by the Beast of Inheritance’s flesh and blood.

What’s more, that special space was built on the projection of Hua City.

It could be said that, except for people like Gu Xiliu, who originally came from there, anyone entering would, under the rules constructed by Qi Nanzhu using the remaining power and the flood of memories pouring into their minds, end up just like Lu Yibei.

To be honest, even someone like Bai Kai, who thought he’d been through a lot and had a strong mind, wasn’t sure he could recognize reality in a short time when faced with the temptation of “reliving life along a beautiful path.”

If even he might not withstand it, then a young person like Jiang Li with a dark past would be even less likely to.

Bai Kai was truly worried that if she entered that special space, she would lose herself.

If Jiang Li really went in, Bai Kai feared she wouldn’t be able to wake Lu Yibei or bring him back, and would end up dying herself.

Wouldn’t that just make things worse?

—-

After finishing the explanation, Bai Kai spread his hands. “That’s the situation. Strictly speaking, this trip isn’t just risky–it’s very risky, so…”

Halfway through, he suddenly became serious, his gaze burning as he looked into Jiang Li’s eyes. “Let me try first, okay?”

Perhaps sensing the determination in Bai Kai’s words, a trace of hesitation flickered in Jiang Li’s eyes, but soon returned to their usual calm.

“All right! But we have to act immediately, before things get even more complicated.”

Since Bai Kai was so insistent, let him go and personally test the reliability of the ritual first… Jiang Li thought to herself.

In her view, if Bai Kai failed, it wouldn’t be too late for her to try; if Bai Kai succeeded, with only Gu Xiliu left, she was confident she could persuade Gu Xiliu to go through the ritual as well.

In short, whether Bai Kai succeeded or not, she could follow right after him into that special space. There was no need to get stuck on this issue and waste time.

“…” Bai Kai opened his mouth, wanting to say something but stopping.

Damn it, just insist a little! If you insist, maybe I’ll change my mind!

I’m also really scared of going to that creepy place, okay?

Forget it, as an elder, I should have the courage to take risks for the younger generation… Bai Kai thought.

While Bai Kai and Jiang Li were facing off, Gu Xiliu quietly tugged on Qi Dong’s sleeve and asked in a low voice, “By the way, I’ve wanted to ask for a long time–who exactly is this big sister?”

Bai Kai had seen Jiang Li appear as Meow Meow-chan, and Qi Dong, being an old hand, had guessed who the girl before him was from Jiang Li’s actions and Bai Kai’s reactions. But Gu Xiliu hadn’t recognized her at all.

Qi Dong was stunned for a moment, giving Gu Xiliu a confused look. “Wait, after all this time, you still haven’t figured out who she is?”

“Uh…”

“Then why are you afraid of her?”

“Because she just looks really fierce!” Gu Xiliu said seriously.

Qi Dong, “…” This kid, is she still half asleep? Why is she so clueless?

——–

A moment later, in a luxury private room at The Underground World club.

Bai Kai and Gu Xiliu sat cross-legged facing each other, their foreheads plastered with bright yellow talisman paper covered densely with incantations.

It looked just like playing poker with sticky notes, as if they’d lost a dozen grand slams.

On the tea table beneath Bai Kai, cinnabar traced out a complex combination of solidified spell formations. The way the incantations were drawn was completely unlike the current popular structures, their form distinctly ancient.

When Qi Dong was drawing these incantations, Jiang Li had been surprised by his skill with such ancient spell formations, but she didn’t say much.

Who doesn’t have a few secrets?

Just like there’s no rule saying The Midnight Watchers Society operators can’t moonlight as male escorts, can’t be addicted to sleep, or can’t be fond of gambling.

And there’s no rule saying a special task force member with only Class D psychic energy fluctuation level can’t master the methods for drawing ancient spell formations.

“Are you ready?” Jiang Li asked softly.

“Mm.” Bai Kai nodded.

Jiang Li looked at Qi Dong standing beside Bai Kai. “Then shall we begin too?”

“Alright!” Qi Dong replied, and silently recited in his heart the haunting power description he was unwilling to reveal.

Born as a deity, speaking its own name, praising with black ink, singing the <Jiushou>… Wherever the sun and moon shine, wherever wind and rain reach, all must obey.

As Qi Dong finished reciting the long power description in his heart, the solidified spell formation drawn with cinnabar immediately glowed with a Crimson light, growing stronger and stronger.

At the instant the light shifted from red to gold, a soft “pop!” echoed through the room.

Jiang Li poured out the substitute for primal spirit–pure silver–from a crystal vial.

Drawn by the psychic energy fluctuation, the mercury-like droplets turned into fine threads, flying toward the talisman paper on Bai Kai and Gu Xiliu’s foreheads.

“Pfft–!”

The pure silver threads touched the talisman paper, instantly igniting silver flames that devoured the paper in a flash, bursting into countless tiny silver arcs that raced wildly over Bai Kai’s body, while the solidified spell formation beneath him shone even brighter.

Bathed in gold and silver light, Gu Xiliu’s body suddenly convulsed violently, as if struck by a seizure.

In a daze, a blurry shadow drifted out from above her head, flew toward Bai Kai, and merged into the center of his brow.

On the other side, Bai Kai, shrouded in light, gradually faded away until only a vague outline remained, as if he’d suddenly turned into a cloud of mist that would vanish with a breath of wind.

As the ritual ended, Gu Xiliu’s body went limp and she fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Jiang Li stepped forward and caught Gu Xiliu before her head hit the tea table, then grabbed a pillow and gently laid her head on it.

“Did it work?” Jiang Li looked at Qi Dong and asked softly.

Qi Dong nodded, pondered for two seconds, then shook his head, and then nodded again.

Jiang Li frowned. “So did it work or not?”

“It worked, but not completely.”

“…” Jiang Li opened her mouth, just about to say something, when the psychic energy fluctuation in the room suddenly intensified.

The next moment, Bai Kai’s figure completely vanished.

But less than three seconds later, a figure, as if transported by some inexplicable, unstable teleportation spell formation, shot down from the ceiling and crashed to the floor with a “thud!”

Looking closely, it was Bai Kai.

At this, Qi Dong looked at Jiang Li and shrugged. “That’s what I mean.”

Jiang Li, “…”

——–

That night, in the old yet tidy little inn.

At the desk, the lamp cast a warm glow.

Wang Meili sat upright at the desk, holding an old fountain pen in her hand. After pondering for a long time, she finally put pen to paper and wrote a sentence on the letter in front of her.

“My child, seeing these words is like seeing me: I am now using this letter to bid you a final farewell forever…”

She had just finished writing a line, paused for a moment, and was about to continue when she suddenly seemed to sense something. She lifted her head and looked out the window.

Those golden eyes seemed to be gazing at the wind and snow outside, yet also at something farther away, something else.

“Who just came in?”

Wang Meili muttered, and with a gesture, a photo appeared out of thin air in her hand. She looked closely, and her expression immediately turned playful.

In the photo, within a chaotic, dark space, Bai Kai was flying like a cannonball, his body straight as an arrow, heading toward a massive bubble of swirling light and shadow, about to crash right into it.

“Why is it Bai Kai, that rookie?” Wang Meili frowned slightly, muttering, “Is he trying to go in and find Yibei?”

“This won’t do. If he gets lost in there and can’t come back, wouldn’t that waste the life that girl risked everything to exchange for his dog life? So…”

“You’d better hurry up and get your ass back!”

As her words fell, a ruthless glint flashed in Wang Meili’s eyes. She rubbed the photo between her fingers, and a wisp of flame sprang up, instantly burning the photo to ashes.

——–

Everything around seemed like a mirage, the scene before his eyes faded, leaving only black and white.

Before he could react, Bai Kai felt a strong sense of weightlessness, his body plummeting uncontrollably, even spinning.

The next moment, his vision went black, and he was plunged into sudden drowsiness.

It was as if something was dragging him, suddenly pulling him into an abyss, his body falling with nothing to hold onto, falling and falling, until he saw that enormous bubble.

Like a hallucination, countless soft whispers surfaced by his ears, flooding into his soul, telling stories he had never experienced.

A sharp pain throbbed between his brows. Even as a psychic, facing this torrent of information, his consciousness was overwhelmed.

In a daze, he seemed to see himself at eighteen, with Xing Yuan still by his side, never having left, never having left…

Bai Kai desperately clung to his last shred of sanity, flying toward the massive bubble ahead. Just then, he suddenly felt a heavy blow to his body.

Bai Kai, “???”

What the hell? What happened? Did the ritual fail?

It was as if someone had suddenly kicked him away, and he felt himself rapidly flying backward, away from the giant bubble.

Soon, he fell into a long, deep sleep.

——–

“…I love you very much, and it is this love for you that gave me the courage to face death…”

Wang Meili had just finished writing a paragraph when her pen paused again.

That feeling of someone intruding returned.

“Who came in this time? These people really don’t take me seriously, huh! I want to see which blind fool it is!”

Wang Meili cursed, flipping her wrist, and another photo appeared in her hand. She looked closely at the photo.

Seeing the golden-haired, voluptuous young woman in the picture, a meaningful smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.

“Another one? I didn’t expect that deadbeat Lu Ming to have such good taste in picking a daughter-in-law! But with so many romances, isn’t it a bit…”

“Forget it, if you don’t play the field for a few years, how will you ever be able to give a girl her own fish pond?”

This time, she didn’t stop Jiang Li from entering the special space. Silently putting away the photo, she buried herself back in writing the letter she was preparing to leave for Lu Yibei.

Her husband’s good brother wants in? No way!

Her daughter-in-law wants in? Sure!