The reward Zhao Mingyue mentioned—Bai Yu naturally remembered it. The girl had felt Bai Yu helped her immensely in Pingshan Village and had worked so hard, so she wanted to give her a reward. Though when they returned last night, she hadn’t brought it up on her own.
“I remember.”
“Well… I was too tired last night and forgot. Let’s talk about it when we get back tonight. Actually, it’s not really a reward. It should be a thank you. A little token of thanks.”
Zhao Mingyue mentally added this for Bai Yu. From her tone, it was clear she was a bit shy. This made Bai Yu start wondering just what kind of thanks it was.
The street was silent and deserted. This area was suburban, even more remote than Sunshine Apartment, so naturally, there was almost no one around. There were a few old surveillance cameras nearby, but under the psychic influence of the ghosts, these cameras had temporarily lost their function.
“Wait here for me. And wait for Lu Liangting to return. I’ll go up and handle Chen Bingtang’s matter. I’ll be down soon. There shouldn’t be anything else for us tonight. We’ll come back next time if there’s a chance.” Manager Li left these words and turned back inside the apartment building.
He wasn’t worried about Zhao Mingyue’s safety. With the power of the being in her shadow, even if an Evil Spirit died, Zhao Mingyue wouldn’t be harmed.
The night breeze blew gently. Left alone, Zhao Mingyue found a spot to sit down and slowly waited for Lu Liangting to come back.
She did want to follow and see, but Lu Liangting had run off too fast. He vanished in the blink of an eye. No one knew which direction he had taken.
“Bai Yu, who was that Masked Person just now? An old friend of yours? Why did Lu Liangting chase after her?”
“I can’t be certain, but she’s definitely from some secret organization. I suspect the organization’s purpose is to capture ghostly beings,” Bai Yu’s voice rang out, her tone calm. “They might be connected to Lu Liangting’s younger sister. He recognized some distinguishing feature.”
“Then won’t Lu Liangting be in danger of being surrounded, charging off so recklessly?”
“I believe he isn’t afraid.”
“True. He finally got some clues again. Sigh, it really is the case—everyone has their own story.” Zhao Mingyue stretched. “What about that person in the apartment?”
“Leave her to Lu Liangting. We won’t get much useful information out of her anyway.”
“Ahaha, I guess that’s true.”
Bai Yu’s words made Zhao Mingyue feel a little awkward. She’d hit that person in the apartment pretty hard. If she’d used a bit more force, she might have bludgeoned her to death. Besides, she didn’t have a secret black room or anything at home. What would be the point of bringing that person back?
The police might even come knocking. That would be troublesome.
Lu Liangting’s family had money and power, plus deep connections with the police station. Let him handle it. Plus, this woman was his enemy anyway.
“But speaking of which, that Evil Spirit was really terrifying.” Zhao Mingyue recalled the centipede from earlier. It just felt disgusting.
How could something so twisted and horrifying exist? The thought of such a monster possessing poor little Chen Bingtang weighed heavily on Zhao Mingyue.
She had to remember that this monster was actually Chen Bingtang’s mother. After possessing her, it hadn’t intended to harm Chen Bingtang at all. At least, Bingtang had no injuries on her.
“Tell me, what exactly is the difference between Evil Spirits and ghostly beings?”
“The difference lies in two different modes of existence. Ghosts have their own bodies and rely on resentment for sustenance, which is a form of spiritual power. Evil Spirits have no resentment and no physical form; they lean more towards a conceptual will.”
“Which one is harder to deal with?”
“Evil Spirits.”
“That centipede earlier, were you confident you could beat it?”
“I was, but without finding the correct method, it would be very difficult to completely destroy her.”
Zhao Mingyue rested her elbows on her knees, propping her chin in her hands. “Bai Yu, you seem to talk a lot more today. Is it because you’re full and happy?”
“Just wanted to explain it to you.”
“Hehe, then I’ll ask you more questions next time, and make sure you get more to eat as well.” She moved her hands to brace behind her back. Zhao Mingyue leaned back, gazing up at the starry sky. She was silent for a long time. A faint, unconscious smile graced her face.
“Thank you.” Amidst the silence, she suddenly spoke.
“For what?”
“Nothing. Just suddenly feeling a bit emotional. This period of time feels like living in a dream. Ah~ If this really is a dream, then don’t let me wake up. Let me just keep dreaming.”
“…” Bai Yu was silent for a moment, too. She was currently possessing the Rabbit Doll. She could feel Zhao Mingyue take her out and hug her tightly to her chest.
“This isn’t a dream. So you’ll never wake up.”
“Woo!” Upon hearing Bai Yu’s words, Zhao Mingyue suddenly lifted the Rabbit Doll high toward the starry sky with both hands. Then she brought it down and fiercely planted a kiss on its face. “You’re right. Since it’s not a dream, I’ll never wake up.”
A faint lipstick mark was left on the Rabbit Doll’s face. It wasn’t very conspicuous.
Just as Zhao Mingyue was about to go for a second kiss, she noticed Lu Liangting returning out of the corner of her eye. Even from his gait, it was obvious he was dejected.
She hurriedly stood up and walked over. “Lu Liangting.”
Lu Liangting glanced at Zhao Mingyue, forcing a smile onto his face. “Mingyue.”
Seeing his expression, Zhao Mingyue already had a general idea of what happened. She didn’t press him. Instead, she pointed towards the apartment building. “There’s still one inside. She’s with the one who escaped. Figure out a way to take her with you later. Take her wherever. You might be able to get some information out of her.”
Hearing Zhao Mingyue’s words, Lu Liangting’s eyes lit up. His previous dejection was swept away.
Yes, one escaped, but there was still one inside the apartment building.
He had a hundred ways to detain this woman without breaking the law. Intelligence could be extracted slowly.
“Thank you!” Hope reignited in Lu Liangting.
“Don’t thank me.” Zhao Mingyue waved her hand. She was just trying to be polite, really.
But she hadn’t expected Lu Liangting to immediately continue, “Give my thanks to Bai Yu. I will repay her!”
After saying this, he strode quickly into the apartment building, afraid the woman might have gotten away.
He left Zhao Mingyue standing there dumbfounded. She really wanted to crack open Lu Liangting’s skull and see what bizarre things were inside.
Bai Yu just devoured your SSR card, and you forgot already?
Not only does he hold no grudge, but he’s actually thanking her instead?
After a while, Manager Li came down carrying his case and motioned for Zhao Mingyue to get in the car.
Tonight’s matter hadn’t been fully resolved. The good news was that the Evil Spirit was injured—future attempts would be much easier. Manager Li wasn’t in a hurry about it. He couldn’t stimulate the Evil Spirit further tonight. Coming back in a few days would be the same.
In the car, Li Tian’an briefed Zhao Mingyue on Chen Bingtang’s situation. The outlook was somewhat optimistic. Since Bingtang was, after all, the Evil Spirit’s daughter, the Evil Spirit’s malice toward her wasn’t nearly as deep as Chen Hao had described.
Regarding that organization from today, Manager Li indicated he didn’t know much either.
Not much else was said on the way. The car came to a steady stop across from Sunshine Apartment.
Zhao Mingyue got out and watched Manager Li drive away. It was only then that she remembered something. Her Bicycle was still over at the Convenience Store!
“Forget it. I’ll scan a Shared Bicycle tomorrow.”
She went upstairs and opened her door. The first thing she did upon entering was collapse onto the sofa.
“So tired. But this trip was worth it. I’m full, and you’re full too.”
She had gone to a Restaurant for dinner and ate incredibly well—she was stuffed. After arriving at the Mission Location, Bai Yu had also eaten a lot, a full three Red-Clothed Fierce Ghosts. Under normal circumstances, that would have taken two quest progress stages to consume.
She could tell Bai Yu was somewhat picky. She basically didn’t eat ordinary Imps or Fierce Ghosts. If she did eat, it had to be Red-Clothed Fierce Ghost level.
Bai Yu materialized, standing beside Zhao Mingyue.
“Bai Yu, how much will your strength increase this time?”
“Over sixty percent.”
“That much?” Zhao Mingyue sat up.
“Acceptable.”
“You call that ‘acceptable’? No way, I have to try too. I remember I still have one Lottery Chance!” she said, pulling out the Black Phone and opening the lottery page. Her gaze turned to Bai Yu. “Should I spin it?”
“You can.”
“Alright!”
Zhao Mingyue lightly tapped the screen. The Spinning Wheel began to turn. She stared intently, hoping her luck would also explode this time. Maybe she’d draw a Red-Clothed Fierce Ghost or something, saved as food for Bai Yu next time.
The wheel slowly came to a stop. A light shone on the screen.
【Congratulations! You have received the item: Blood of the Ultimate Evil】
【Blood of the Ultimate Evil】
【So Deities bleed too. I don’t know if a bleeding Deity can still be called a Deity.】
【Living humans cannot use this item. Using this item will tremendously increase a ghost’s aura and enhance the strength of Blood Threads.】
【Warning: Please store this item carefully. It holds a tremendous attraction for ghostly monsters.】
【Warning: Using this item will absolutely attract all nearby ghostly monsters.】
A small black wooden box appeared in Zhao Mingyue’s pocket. It was palm-sized and felt somewhat heavy. It contained some kind of viscous liquid; she could tell by the weight and feel.
“Ah, no Red-Clothed Ghost. But this is still a pretty good item, right? It’s for you to use.”
Zhao Mingyue ignored the last two warning lines. Attracting ghosts didn’t matter; any that dared come here would just be snacks for Bai Yu. The key point was how much this item could improve Bai Yu’s strength.
“Want to try it? The blood of a Deity.”
Bai Yu took the small black box. Before she even opened the lid, she could feel the substance inside drawing her in. It was a strange, almost fatal attraction, like a thirsty traveler stumbling upon an oasis in the desert.
She frowned and opened the lid directly.
Instantly, the attraction multiplied several times over. A voice seemed to echo in her mind, urging her to absorb the black blood within.
She was a long-time blade practitioner with formidable Willpower. That was why she dared to consume three Red-Clothed Ghosts in a row, completely unaffected by the consequences of devouring them.
If this item held such a strong attraction for her, for other ghosts, it was needless to say.
Bai Yu didn’t waste words. A mass of Blood Threads spread from her palm, reaching into the box and madly absorbing the black Divine Blood inside.
As she absorbed the Divine Blood, her aura visibly changed.
Her aura was already terrifying enough, but now it was rapidly increasing. However, it was slightly shifted in nature. It wasn’t focused on extreme sharpness, but rather that heart-palpitating Blood Aura, like a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.
Simultaneously, Bai Yu could clearly feel the intensity and number of her Blood Threads increasing. The improvement wasn’t huge, only around twenty percent, but it was still quite noticeable.
“Good item.”
Even she couldn’t help but sigh in admiration.
In less than two minutes, the viscous black blood inside the wooden box had been completely devoured. Bai Yu set down the box. Blood Threads spread from under her feet, probing out in all directions.
In this brief moment, four ghosts had appeared in Zhao Mingyue’s house. Two of them were even Fierce Ghosts.
A series of blood-curdling screams rang out. After a dozen or so seconds, the house returned to peace. All the ghostly monsters had been swept clean.
“How does it feel?” Zhao Mingyue asked, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
“Not bad.”
“Good enough.” Seeing Bai Yu improve made Zhao Mingyue happier than if she had improved herself.
“Alright, you stay here and absorb all that. I’m going to take a shower.” Zhao Mingyue’s steps were light as she returned to her room, gathered her clothes, and walked to the bathroom. At the door, she asked the traditional question: “Want to join me?”
“I’ll pass.”
“Tch.” Puffing out her cheeks, Zhao Mingyue slipped into the bathroom.
Half an hour later, she emerged, changed. The fragrant scent wafting from her was refreshing. She stood before the vanity mirror blow-drying her hair for quite a while, then mysteriously snuck into her bedroom, rummaging for something.
Bai Yu remained in the living room, slowly digesting today’s gains.
She still hadn’t noticed anything unusual about Zhao Mingyue’s behavior.
When Zhao Mingyue came back out, Bai Yu saw her with her hands tucked in her pockets, a mysterious look on her face.
“Bai Yu.”
Zhao Mingyue stood before Bai Yu, a smile on her face.
“Didn’t I say I’d give you a reward? Come on, close your eyes.”
Bai Yu was puzzled, but she still closed her eyes. She was wondering inwardly what this girl was up to.
Across from her, Zhao Mingyue took a deep breath.
Bai Yu’s face was at most thirty centimeters from hers right now. She only needed to lean forward a little to…
Looking at Bai Yu’s pale lips, Zhao Mingyue felt her fingernails digging into her palms. Truly, her heart hadn’t pounded this fast even back in Pingshan Village.
‘This is my only chance!’
Mentally cheering herself on, Zhao Mingyue squeezed her own eyes shut and leaned forward. She used her own lips to quickly peck Bai Yu’s lips. Even so briefly, she felt how cold and soft Bai Yu’s lips were.
Bai Yu opened her eyes. She saw Zhao Mingyue’s cheeks crimson, her gaze evasive. It was the look of someone who had done something naughty and wouldn’t admit it, but had to force herself to meet your eyes, yet couldn’t control her darting gaze.
“Here! This is for you! A token of my thanks!”
Zhao Mingyue held out a small box with both hands, practically shoving it in Bai Yu’s face. But she didn’t notice, because right now she didn’t even dare meet Bai Yu’s eyes.
