Chapter 36 - 34: Psychologist

Chapter 36: Chapter 34: Psychologist

Yang Xiao stepped forward and, with a delicate pinch of his fingers, took hold of Sun Jie’s skirt.

His eyes suddenly flooded with excitement, as if a pump, under pressure for far too long, had just burst.

"You defy conventional views and do what common people wouldn’t dare.

It’s fantastic! Truly fantastic!

A man who would rather suffer the world’s scorn just to be a woman.

’Preserve your true nature, untethered by material things.’ Hehehe, I love that phrase.

Beautiful, I absolutely love your unrestrained spirit!

Hehehe, do you have a little skirt in my size? I want to try one on too!"

Sun Jie’s mouth fell open in astonishment.

’To most people, I’m a pervert.’

’But coming from him, it’s a kind of freedom that defies all worldly conventions?’

Sun Jie lowered her head.

"My psychiatrist said this is a sickness."

"HAHAHAHAHA..."

Yang Xiao, just like his name, loved to laugh.

This sharp, grating laughter was filled with disdain and contempt.

Yang Xiao leaned down, tilting his head to look at Sun Jie’s face. He spoke in a mocking tone:

"This world’s common folk can’t tolerate anything different, which is why psychiatrists exist."

"Psychiatrists don’t treat illnesses. They’re just a pack of executioners, murdering people’s true natures!

A band of conspirators trying to use ethics and rules as weapons to make outliers a little more ’normal’!"

’Yang Xiao is sick,’ Sun Jie thought. ’Seriously sick.’

’Then again, who isn’t sick?’

’I am, too.’

’It’s just that my sickness is gender dysphoria.’

’And this man in front of me?’

’He’s a complete and utter madman.’

’And yet... what this madman said was surprisingly comforting.’

’It was the comfort of feeling... accepted.’

Yang Xiao’s smile slowly faded. His gaze deepened as he spoke in a tone that was both sharp and low:

"Someone has already given me my freedom."

"Come with me. I will give you yours."

Having said his piece, Yang Xiao once again offered her the ball of shadow in his hand.

Sun Jie’s breathing became heavy.

’He’ll... give me freedom?’

’I can stop being an outcast in everyone’s eyes?’

’Have I finally found a companion who can understand what’s in my heart?’

Sun Jie snatched the ball of shadow and swallowed it.

The moment the shadow entered her mouth, memories that weren’t hers surged in like a great tide.

Sun Jie crouched down in pain, clutching her hair.

Gradually, Sun Jie felt her body begin to change.

Though she naturally produced more estrogen than most, she still took hormonal medication to maintain her appearance.

The drugs enhanced her looks, but they also damaged her health.

After devouring the shadow, the ailments plaguing Sun Jie’s body vanished.

She keenly sensed that her hormone levels had stabilized; she wouldn’t need to take any more medication.

She also felt her strength growing. After all, she now possessed the power of that woman with the wavy hair.

Most importantly, her mind was now filled with unfamiliar skills, all of them also from the woman with the wavy hair.

Dancing, singing, and the art of coaxing men.

But having absorbed so many memories that weren’t her own, Sun Jie’s worldview was taking a severe beating.

Sun Jie was no Yang Xiao; she couldn’t just calmly digest all these new joys and sorrows. She felt like she was going insane.

But this feeling of embracing her true self... it was exhilarating.

After about half an hour, Sun Jie composed herself.

Yang Xiao didn’t mind that Sun Jie was such a lightweight.

He had plenty of patience for his own kind.

Yang Xiao muttered:

"We should find more companions.

But before that, we have something more important to do."

As Yang Xiao spoke, a flash of malice crossed his eyes.

’Every day Bai Litang remains alive is an insult to the god I worship!’

...

「The next day. Antique Shop Zero.」

Jiang Chaosheng was reading the newspaper Jin Meiting had bought that day.

[Five Charred Bodies Discovered on Princess Street, South Sea City.]

[The Public Security Bureau has opened an investigation, concluding the deaths were not homicides but rather cases of spontaneous human combustion after heavy drinking.]

[The phenomenon of spontaneous human combustion was previously documented in two cases in the early 1960s...]

[DNA comparison confirms all five deceased were employees of Rasputin Bar.]

[Scientific experts have been brought in to consult...]

[The South Sea Science and Technology Institute has begun analysis of the remains...]

Jiang Chaosheng quipped:

"Are they going to shoot a three-part documentary trying to explain this away?"

Jiang Chaosheng put down the newspaper and looked out the window.

’Yang Xiao sure moves fast.’

’Actually, taking out Bai Litang is going to be extremely difficult.’

’For a young man who has spent the first half of his life out of town, just finding Bai Litang would be a challenge.’

Jiang Chaosheng muttered:

"It seems Yang Xiao has already mastered the use of the Ghost Shadow Gloves. He’s a real talent."

’Everything requires a certain degree of talent—studying, working, even gaming. Why would Supernatural Power be any different?’

’It’s just like some of the buyers recorded in the Manager’s journal.’

’After obtaining their Taboo Items, they failed to unlock even one percent of their true potential.’

’And even though that one percent was enough to make them feel like the chosen one in the mundane world, it was still an undeniable waste.’

’I feel like my own talent in this area is pretty poor, too.’

’The Taboo Item I’m most comfortable with is 0-03, the Scythe of Death.’

’I used the Scythe of Death to retrieve the Sea Demon Jue Pearl and contain the Gavel, which might seem impressive.’

’But I know this Divine Artifact of the Death God himself can’t be that simple.’

’I always feel like there’s something I haven’t figured out, but I can’t find a way forward. That’s why my desire to find the Old Dragon King and learn Magic has been growing stronger lately.’

’Maybe if I learn Magic, I can gain a better understanding of the original owners of these supernatural items.’

’Then, I might be able to wield the Scythe of Death more effectively.’

’Unfortunately, the Old Dragon King’s madness has only worsened since the last time he made it rain. He’s completely impossible to communicate with right now.’

’I’ll just have to wait for him to calm down on his own before I can seek his guidance.’

...

「South Sea, Green Horse Villa.」

"Spontaneous human combustion? Bullshit! That’s not what this is!"

Bai Litang was smashing things in his living room while two of his men watched, trembling and not daring to breathe.

Ever since his daughter’s death, Bai Litang’s temper had grown even more vicious.

When he was done smashing things, Bai Litang threw himself onto the sofa and took deep, angry drags from a cigarette.

’My daughter died just last month, and her death was strange.’

’Neither she nor her bodyguards had a single scratch on them.’

’I knew it then. It had to be the true owner of the ’Pearl Pendant’.’

’I knew my daughter’s temper. She would never have willingly handed over the ’Pearl Pendant’.’

’So they murdered her!’

Bai Litang was furious. ’My daughter liked that thing! I don’t care who you are—you can’t take what she wants!’

’How could you kill my daughter?!’

’I must have my revenge!’

For a while now, Bai Litang had been trying to find out where that person came from, but he’d come up with nothing.

’And now?’

’My own employees die just as strangely. A coincidence?’

’No! Even a fool can see it’s not a coincidence!’

’It must be the same person who killed my daughter!’

The corner of Bai Litang’s eye twitched, revealing a trace of fear.

Whether the killer was a person or a Ghost, their methods were enough to make even a ruthless underground boss like Bai Litang feel fear.

Bai Litang viciously stubbed out his cigarette.

"Even if you are a Ghost, I’ll smash you until your soul scatters to the wind!"

’Money talks, right?’

’And I have plenty of money!’

’I’ll find high-ranking monks, great masters, whatever it takes to destroy you!’

Bai Litang was a man of action. He looked up at his two subordinates, his eyes gleaming with malice:

"Find me all the famous fortune-tellers in the south! Find me high-ranking monks of the Buddhist Dharma! Find me any of those spirit mediums! Get them all here!"