Chapter 505: Wang Yingying

“Is it really okay? Are you really willing to save me? I… I want to hear it!”

After Lu Yibei expressed her willingness to help, the soft murmuring by her ear trembled with excitement.

Obviously, Lu Yibei’s response made the Beast of Inheritance overjoyed.

“You seem pretty happy, don’t you?” Lu Yibei countered.

“Mm! Mm!” The Beast of Inheritance replied twice.

“Then you’re happy too soon!” Lu Yibei said calmly. As she spoke, she quietly released a faint charm ability, hoping to slightly increase her chances of persuading the Beast of Inheritance.

It was just a bit immature mentally, not lacking in intelligence. Without using a little trick, Lu Yibei worried she wouldn’t be able to convince it so easily.

“I’ll save you, but there’s a price.”

In the few seconds after the PL girl left and before she started questioning the Beast of Inheritance, Lu Yibei’s mind raced, weighing how she should persuade the Beast of Inheritance to sign a contract.

She put herself in it’s shoes: if she were long-term imprisoned and controlled by some dark force, and then a total stranger suddenly appeared claiming to save her, what would she think?

Lu Yibei concluded that there had to be a price; that would make it more believable. If she showed kindness for no reason, it would only seem more suspicious.

Most of the time, the free things are the most expensive.

Besides, even if the Beast of Inheritance was truly naïve enough to unconditionally trust the goodwill of a stranger haunting, Lu Yibei would never unconditionally trust the Beast of Inheritance.

If she couldn’t impose certain restrictions on it’s behavior after helping it escape the Eclipse Society’s control, she might as well let it fend for it’s self.

It had already shown astonishing destructive power under the Eclipse Society’s control, doing so many terrifying things. Who could guarantee that, once given freedom, it wouldn’t lose control?

You can’t just trust it is harmless just because it looks harmless, right?

Even if a giant panda escaped from the zoo, it could still cause considerable damage, let alone a catastrophe-class haunting like the Beast of Inheritance.

Many times, a careless move from it could cause a tragic disaster!

Only children would so easily trust a stranger they met for the first time, while adults usually prefer to play it safe, Lu Yibei thought.

“……”

Suspended in midair, the Beast of Inheritance’s chest rose and fell slightly, murmuring, “A price, huh?”

Just as Lu Yibei thought, if she directly offered to help, the Beast of Inheritance would instead suspect her motives.

Not because it was scheming, but because since the day it was born in the white room, it had never received kindness, so much so that it didn’t dare believe in it.

At first, to survive, it had to obey the nurses’ arrangements.

Later, to avoid suffering, it had to follow the will of the Eclipse Society.

Now, to gain limited freedom, it had to meet Lu Yibei’s demands.

Everything came at a price; that was only reasonable.

After a brief silence, the Beast of Inheritance tentatively asked, “So, what’s the price?”

“The price is, you must sign a contract.” Lu Yibei paused, then added, “A contract similar in effect to a familiars’ mark.”

“And then? You don’t need me to do anything else?” the Beast of Inheritance pressed.

Right! After signing the contract, I should ask it to do something, that would make it more reasonable… Lu Yibei grumbled inwardly, raised a finger, and said, “First, you have to restrain your instinct to copy psychics’ and hauntings’ powers…”

This was the most crucial restriction. The Beast of Inheritance’s unrestrained copying of psychics’ and hauntings’ powers was the root of it’s destruction.

“Second, try to recite The Midnight Tome for me, okay? And… and the rest, I haven’t thought of yet. I’ll tell you when I do.”

“If you’re willing to accept my conditions…”

“I’m willing!”

Before Lu Yibei could finish, the Beast of Inheritance answered without hesitation.

It didn’t even wait to hear how Lu Yibei would do it, already instinctively feeling that it was saved.

It had been in darkness and despair for so long, and the fact that it hadn’t collapsed yet was a miracle.

In such circumstances, when even the faintest light appeared before it, it would seize it without hesitation.

The instinct to survive is in all living things, and the Beast of Inheritance was no exception.

“What the heck?” Lu Yibei was stunned.

I haven’t even started sweet-talking you, and you’re already giving yourself away?

It’s like some desperate spinster who’s so eager to get married that she says ‘I do’ to any random guy who shows up.

You agreed so quickly, now I’m starting to suspect your motives aren’t pure!

Lu Yibei was thinking, opened her mouth, and was just about to say something to the Beast of Inheritance when, without warning, the PL girl’s voice suddenly rang out in her mind.

“Hey little bro, I’m done here. I found the Indenture. What’s your situation over there now?”

Lu Yibei paused for a moment, then replied in her mind, “The first stage of therapy is over. Give me one more minute.”

“Then hurry up. I’ll use this time to alter the contract.” The PL girl said, “Let me know when you’re done.”

“Got it!”

……

Seeing that Lu Yibei hadn’t spoken for a long time, the Beast of Inheritance anxiously repeated what it had just said, “I said I’m willing!”

Halfway through, its voice suddenly weakened, “Anyway, my situation now is already the worst it can get. It can’t possibly get any worse, right?”

Moreover, it vaguely felt that if it missed this chance, it would never be able to break free from the Eclipse Society’s control.

Lu Yibei, “……”

Actually, she could understand the Beast of Inheritance’s feelings.

Its situation was just like when she was in the boiler room of the Floral Sunshine Resort Hotel, swallowing The Witch’s Egg. It looked like they still had a choice, but in reality, there was no choice at all.

Since things were already about to fall apart, all they could do was struggle desperately and see if there was any chance of saving themselves.

After a brief silence, she steadied herself, looked at the bound Beast of Inheritance before her, and said solemnly, “Very well, then let’s sign the contract first, shall we?”

After speaking, she immediately called out to the PL girl in her mind, “PL, bring up the contract!”

“Alrighty!”

As the PL girl’s voice echoed in her mind, a swirl of light and shadow twisted in Lu Yibei’s slightly raised right palm, and a scrol made of gold leaf appeared out of thin air in her hand.

——–

At the same time Lu Yibei handed the [Moonlight Project Contract] to the Beast of Inheritance, at Zhenwu Mountain, inside the gates of the Great Pure Palace.

In a pavilion by the cliff, two people sat facing each other on opposite sides of an octagonal table.

One wore a dark blue robe, his face aged, hair and beard all white, lips always curled in a faint, elusive smile. This was the Headmaster of the Great Pure Palace, Zhang Huainan.

The other looked to be just over forty, his tall, upright figure exuding a sharp aura. His dark face was adorned with a pair of metal-framed glasses, and behind the lenses, his eyes shone like stars.

“I wonder why Senior Dark Emperor invited me to the Great Pure Palace today?”

“Hey! No need for all that ‘senior’ talk, Commander of Armaments, you’re joking.” Zhang Huainan waved his hand, “It’s just that I haven’t played chess in a long time, my hands are itching. I invited you here simply to have a game with you.”

Hearing this, the middle-aged man addressed as Commander of Armaments furrowed his sword-like brows.

Many in The Midnight Watchers Society knew that Zhang Huainan, Headmaster of the Great Pure Palace, was a terrible chess player who liked to cheat and play tricks. Ever since he played a game three years ago with another catastrophe-class psychic and made his opponent so angry they smashed the board, no one had played chess with him since.

Seeing Commander of Armaments remain silent for a long time, Zhang Huainan’s eyes darted slyly, and he waved his hand.

A chessboard and two boxes of pieces appeared out of thin air on the octagonal table.

Seeing this, Commander of Armaments sighed silently, picked up the black pieces, and made the first move.

Zhang Huainan smiled, straightened his robe, sat up, and followed with his move.

As soon as his piece landed, a dense, suffocating moisture spread from the chessboard, filling the entire pavilion.

Commander of Armaments was startled, looked up at Zhang Huainan, his gaze sharpening.

At that moment, he suddenly realized that Zhang Huainan’s invitation to play chess was probably not just because his hands were itching.

So, as he placed his second piece, he became fully alert.

“Pa!”

With the crisp sound of the chess piece striking the board, a sharp, fierce aura spread out, instantly dispersing the surrounding moisture.

“Things have been unsettled around Shanhaiguan Pass lately!” Zhang Huainan said.

“Yes, but they’re all small fry. Senior, you needn’t worry.”

“Oh.” Zhang Huainan nodded in relief.

“I heard that last month two more cities in Thailand vanished overnight, with no survivors? Truly worrying!”

“Hmph!” Commander of Armaments snorted coldly, teasing, “You know, those Thais have always been restless, fond of dabbling in shady business.”

“Indeed, relying on hauntings for luck, trouble was only a matter of time.” Zhang Huainan sighed, “You must have sent people to guard the border by now? If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Mm.” Commander of Armaments responded, his face a bit pale, sweat gradually beading on his forehead.

He knew his strength was slightly inferior to Zhang Huainan’s, but the traits of his Spirit Pattern wouldn’t allow him to surrender without a fight, so he could only grit his teeth and hold on.

The two of them didn’t speak for a long time, focusing on their game of chess.

It seemed like a simple match, but with the intermittent sounds of pieces being placed, the psychic energy fluctuation in the attic grew stronger and stronger. The supporting pillars trembled, emitting a faint humming sound.

As time passed, it was unclear whether Zhang Huainan was out of practice from not playing chess for too long, or if he was deliberately holding back, but the black pieces on the board gradually gained the upper hand.

Just as the black pieces were about to turn their advantage into victory, the Commander of Armaments seemed to sense something, and an odd feeling quietly rose in his heart.

However, before he could investigate the source of that strange feeling, a series of “crash, crash” sounds rang out by his ear.

He looked toward the sound, and at some point, a large hand had pressed down on the chessboard, scattering the pieces in a chaotic sweep. The pieces, wrapped in psychic energy fluctuation, shot off in all directions with each collision.

“There’s a bug, damn it, a bug flew onto the chessboard!”

“Crash, crash–!”

“Oh no, I was trying to hit a bug and messed up all the pieces. How do we count this? How about we call this game a draw?”

Feeling the pull of energy as the pieces flew, the Commander of Armaments froze for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Zhang Huainan, who had instantly transformed from the Headmaster with an immortal air into a shameless rogue. His expression was complicated, and he was momentarily speechless.

I was about to win, and you want to call it a draw?

“Let’s play another game, one more! This time I won’t go easy on you, let’s play for real,” Zhang Huainan said.

“……” The Commander of Armaments was silent for two seconds. He really wanted to tell Zhang Huainan to “get lost,” but in the end, he just replied with a faint “Fine.”

As the most senior and most powerful catastrophe-class psychic in The Midnight Watchers Society, even if Zhang Huainan cheated at chess, everyone would tolerate him a little.

Seeing the Commander of Armaments agree, Zhang Huainan glanced out the window from the corner of his eye and secretly let out a sigh of relief.

This way, that man won’t come looking for trouble with me, right?

——–

On the other side.

On the shattered island of consciousness, a girl with fiery red hair slowly handed the scrol in her hand to the haggard, ferocious-looking, emaciated figure before her.

Her slender, delicate fingers unrolled the gold-foil scrol, revealing densely packed writing that looked like some kind of variant seal script.

[……In the presence of the Commander of Armaments, this contract is established, using the source of power as the medium……

We are willing to dedicate our lives and freedom to the cause of The Midnight Watchers Society……]

Lu Yibei’s gaze swept over the [Moonlight Project Contract], and as she looked at the contents she had studied dozens of times, her pupils suddenly contracted and her heartbeat quickened.

In less than a second as she stared at the scrol, the writing on it quietly changed.

The original content about the [Commander of Armaments] and The Midnight Watchers Society faded away in a single breath, and then, on the golden scrol, fiery red lines appeared, as if electroplated, leaving behind new words, replacing the missing content with [Calamity] and Wang Buliuxing.

Lu Yibei, “……” What the hell! This kind of thing can be changed on the spot and used immediately? Can’t you be a bit more professional?

Just as Lu Yibei was secretly complaining, the Beast of Inheritance, using all its strength, struggled to press a finger onto the scrol and wrote……

“Um, if I don’t have a name, how should I write it?” the Beast of Inheritance weakly asked Lu Yibei, “Should I write my old number? Or what those people used to call me?”

“No name?” Lu Yibei pondered for a moment. “If you don’t mind, how about I give you a name?”

“……” The Beast of Inheritance hesitated for a moment, then made the most regrettable decision of its future life. “Okay, thank you.”

See, even the victim is thanking me!

“Whew–!”

Lu Yibei took a deep breath, confidently putting her notorious naming skills to use, and solemnly declared, “I shall grant you a name. From now on, you shall be… you shall be Wang Yingying!”

According to how foreigners call names, that would be “Yingying Wang”… Lu Yibei added silently in her heart.

“Wang Yingying…” The Beast of Inheritance repeated, delighted. “That’s a very nice name!”

As it spoke, it used its pale finger to write three crooked little characters on the gold-foil scrol.

The moment it finished the last stroke, golden flames ignited from the scrol, instantly engulfing the entire scrol, then continued to spread, crawling up its finger, up its arm, and burrowing into its body…