Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 79: Train, Abyss

“I’ll join the Company.”

A few days later, the gloomy, black-haired girl sought out Cen Xiangyun again.

Looking at Luo Ling’s still-indifferent expression, Cen Xiangyun smiled.

“It seems you’ve made up your mind. Do you want to be outsourced or regular?”

“Whatever you arrange,” Luo Ling said calmly, then added, as if having a premonition,

“But I have a condition.”

This didn’t surprise Cen Xiangyun. She could guess what the condition would be.

“The Company has a branch in a city two cities away. There’s a P9 director stationed there, and a few P8 specialists on par with Uncle Shaoheng,” Cen Xiangyun replied with a smile. “Even Artist and Scientist together wouldn’t be able to breach their defenses, even with the deceased Performer, they wouldn’t stand a chance.”

She had also made preparations.

The Harbingers of Calamity’s previous attack had been more of an impulsive act than a premeditated one. If it had been planned, their first target would have been Su Wan, not Luo Ling.

…And now, the Harbingers had time to plan.

They couldn’t possibly not have noticed Su Wan’s existence.

An ordinary person targeted by those ruthless villains… even death would be a merciful end.

“Thank you,” Luo Ling nodded.

Talking to smart people was easy.

Cen Xiangyun had been visiting Luo Ling’s home frequently these past few days, bringing a large amount of expensive ingredients each time.

Su Wan had been embarrassed and tried to refuse, but Cen Xiangyun used the excuse that the nutritious food would help Luo Ling recover faster, and she couldn’t refuse.

During this time, Cen Xiangyun had witnessed the bond between Luo Ling and her sister, so it was no surprise that she could guess Luo Ling’s condition.

Luo Ling hadn’t just been recuperating these past few days. She was about to entrust her sister to someone else; she couldn’t just leave her with a bad person.

So, as the White Witch, she had requested information from the exchange group and, through several days of interaction and covert Spore surveillance, confirmed that Cen Xiangyun had no ulterior motives.

Miss Cen’s purpose wasn’t entirely pure, Luo Ling could tell even without using her abilities, but this lack of purity was precisely what reassured Luo Ling.

Someone who was unconditionally kind, without any other motives, was often more suspicious.

“She probably has a recruitment quota or something,” Luo Ling guessed, not far from the truth.

Actually, recruitment was just one of her quarterly OKRs. Cen Xiangyun hadn’t had much success in the past few months, and the Jiangcheng County mission had been primarily led by Li Shaoheng.

Luo Ling had been wary of another attack from Artist and Scientist, but they seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The Baiyan Village incident had subsided, the Puppet Ballad seemingly dormant, and no similar incidents had occurred… The reason the two Company members remained in Jiangcheng County was to deal with the two Harbingers of Calamity members.

Not only that, but the Company branch had also sent a few P7 specialists, which didn’t require any more sacrifices from Ji Shinian, considered a value-added service.

“When are you planning to leave?” Cen Xiangyun asked.

“As soon as possible,” Luo Ling replied.

“Miss Luo Ling, you really are concise,” Cen Xiangyun said, wanting to pinch the girl’s icy cheeks but restraining herself.

“If you prefer, I can be more verbose,” Luo Ling said politely. “In any case, I’ll be entrusting my sister to your care.”

“Don’t worry, it’s no problem,” Cen Xiangyun snapped her fingers. “The train leaves tomorrow afternoon. Prepare yourself, and you should probably talk to your sister.”

“…I’ve been preparing for a long time,” Luo Ling’s eyes flickered.

It was almost evening when she returned home. Her sister was busy in the kitchen, another sumptuous meal in preparation.

Every time Cen Xiangyun visited, she brought enough ingredients for seven or eight meals. Su Wan had tried to refuse, saying they might spoil, but the next day, Cen Xiangyun had sent a small refrigerator, which fit perfectly in their small apartment.

“Welcome back. Is Miss Cen not coming today?”

Su Wan was counting the bowls and chopsticks, wondering how many to set out.

“Mm, she’s busy with something,” Luo Ling nodded.

“Celebrities are always busy.”

Su Wan chuckled. It seemed she had a good impression of Cen Xiangyun.

Luo Ling sat at the dining table, picked up her chopsticks, and hesitated, wanting to say something.

“Xiao Ling, if you have something to say, just say it. Sister is not an outsider.”

Su Wan seemed to see through Luo Ling’s hesitation and sat down opposite her.

Although she still wore her usual gentle smile, Luo Ling felt something was different.

“Sister…”

Luo Ling lowered her head, her chopsticks untouched.

“I know, both you and Miss Cen are hiding something from me,” Su Wan nodded, speaking frankly. “You haven’t mentioned it, so I haven’t asked, but since you want to talk… Sister will listen.”

“Is it that obvious?”

“Miss Cen isn’t obvious, you are, and together, you’re even more obvious.”

As expected of her sister, who had lived with her for so long. Although she hadn’t received much education, it was too much to treat her like a fool.

At least when it came to Luo Ling, her sister was an expert.

“I want you to go on a trip for a while,” Luo Ling looked up and said. “Look, I can be independent now, I’m used to living in the school dormitory, and there’s Miss Cen…”

Before she could finish, Su Wan nodded.

“Okay.”

“Eh?”

Luo Ling was taken aback, as if she hadn’t expected her sister to agree so readily.

“I said, okay,” Su Wan smiled. “I’ve been wanting to go on a trip for a while now.”

“Is… is that so…?”

Luo Ling was flustered.

She had prepared many excuses to persuade her sister, even considering leaving with her and then secretly returning.

After all, the Harbingers of Calamity were targeting her, not her sister. As long as her sister left Jiangcheng County and went to the Company branch for protection, she wouldn’t have to worry.

But she hadn’t expected her sister to agree without hesitation.

“Of course, Sister gets tired too,” Su Wan chuckled, seemingly enjoying Luo Ling’s flustered expression.

“…”

Luo Ling fell silent. Her sister agreeing so quickly was a good thing, so why did she feel a sense of loss?

“In the blink of an eye, you’ve grown up so much, a big girl now,” Su Wan ruffled Luo Ling’s hair. “It’s normal for a big girl to have her own thoughts, her own secrets. I went through that phase too.

“It’s normal that you don’t want to tell Sister everything, like your illness, your frequent absences from school, and Miss Cen, a big celebrity, taking such good care of us, these are all your secrets.”

Hearing these words, Luo Ling was stunned.

Her sister… seemed to know everything.

Even though she was just an ordinary person.

No, being an ordinary person didn’t mean being stupid, especially not her sister.

She was an expert when it came to Luo Ling.

“I’ll only ask you one thing,” Su Wan’s expression suddenly turned serious.

“Eh…?”

“Are you doing anything bad?” Su Wan asked in a low voice.

“Of course not,” Luo Ling immediately replied.

“That’s all I need to know.” Hearing her firm reply, a smile returned to Su Wan’s face. “Everything else… Sister doesn’t need to know.”

Perhaps because of the recent good news, the wrinkles around her sister’s eyes seemed to have lessened, and she looked much more energetic.

“When will you be back?” Su Wan asked.

“Probably… one or two months?” Luo Ling estimated.

“That’s a bit short, you might not have enough time to enjoy yourself,” Su Wan frowned.

“Uh…”

“Just kidding. Any longer, and I’ll miss you too much,” Su Wan said playfully.

“…Me too,” Luo Ling mumbled, blushing.

“That’s cheesy, you really shouldn’t say things like that.”

Su Wan teased, and Luo Ling’s blush deepened with a hint of annoyance.

“Let’s eat, the food’s getting cold.”

Su Wan tapped the plates and picked up her chopsticks.

“Mm.”

Luo Ling lowered her head and ate slowly.

“By the way, I think that Miss Cen… might be interested in you.”

“…Hmm?”

“Sister doesn’t object. She’s a good person, and rich…”

“Huh?”

“Don’t understand? You’re still a child.”

“…”

An awkward, silent girl and a smiling older woman, dinner ended under the fading light of the setting sun.

…

The next day.

Unexpectedly, it wasn’t just Cen Xiangyun who visited Luo Ling’s home, but a few other unexpected guests.

Li Shaoheng, of course, was there to escort Su Wan. Until they reached their destination, the Harbingers of Calamity still posed a threat.

As for Jiangcheng County… even with Li Shaoheng gone, it was fine. The Company’s reinforcements had arrived, and the P7 specialists, working together seamlessly, could handle Artist and Scientist, even if they couldn’t kill them.

Besides them, Luo Ling also saw a few familiar faces… of course, they weren’t so familiar with her current form.

—An Yu and Elsa.

After the Baiyan Village incident, An Yu had been deeply traumatized and hadn’t fully recovered.

Elsa, with her unclear connection to Scientist, couldn’t stay in Jiangcheng County and face them.

So, they would be accompanying Su Wan to the Company branch, temporarily leaving this place of danger.

“Senior? Is that you…?”

An Yu looked surprised to see Luo Ling.

She hadn’t expected her travel companions to be the senior she had met a few times and her sister…

Luo Ling nodded at her without saying a word.

An Yu seemed to understand that some things were best left unsaid and kept quiet, her gaze shifting between Luo Ling and Su Wan.

Elsa usually didn’t speak in crowds. She didn’t recognize Luo Ling, just felt a sense of familiarity and a hint of confusion.

Bella, the teddy bear in her arms, seemed to recognize Luo Ling, but wasn’t sure, a look of suspicion in her button eyes.

“They asked us to take them to the Company branch for protection, so it should be alright for them to travel with Sister Su Wan, right?” Cen Xiangyun whispered to Luo Ling.

“Whatever you want,” Luo Ling nodded slightly.

But a suspicion had formed in her mind.

Sending An Yu and Elsa away… were the Company and the exchange group planning something big?

But the group chat had been quiet; it didn’t seem like they were planning anything major.

However, important matters were rarely discussed in the group chat. They usually held meetings in Ward Zero, which seemed to have some kind of soundproofing effect.

As for the White Witch…

The exchange group seemed to have forgotten about her. Only Elsa occasionally sent her private messages—a rare friend who could communicate through messaging apps, Elsa cherished it.

She couldn’t type, and her voice carried a strange power, so she could only send emoticons in the group chat.

While the two girls were still slightly wary, Su Wan approached them warmly, chatting with An Yu, perhaps because she had called Luo Ling “Senior” earlier.

Soon, the travel companions became acquainted, the atmosphere harmonious, even Bella was unusually quiet.

“The train leaves in two hours,” Li Shaoheng announced. “Please check your luggage. If everything is in order, we’ll head to the station.”

The middle-aged man, a high-ranking member of the Company with connections to Ji Shinian, seemed quite reliable, at least more so than his niece, Miss Cen.

He had driven them to the station today. Luo Ling had assumed that wealthy people like him and Cen Xiangyun would drive luxury cars, but unexpectedly… it was an eight-seater minivan.

Looking at the cobbled-together logo and the reliable-looking middle-aged man in branded clothes sitting calmly in the driver’s seat, Luo Ling felt a sense of dissonance.

Even Cen Xiangyun seemed to find it a bit shabby and couldn’t help but explain to Luo Ling,

“We have a few larger vehicles at the branch, but we came here by train, so we had to buy a car for transportation.”

Li Shaoheng had bought the minivan after arriving in Jiangcheng County. After all, he had been driving around the county investigating, and even a Spatial Distortion user didn’t want to waste their power on transportation.

“Why not just drive here directly?”

Luo Ling asked, puzzled.

The distance between the two cities was only about two hundred kilometers, less than half a day’s drive.

“Uncle Shaoheng refused. He said he can’t drive long distances,” Cen Xiangyun shrugged. “I can drive, but he said something cryptic about how this is the only way now, and I’ll be like him soon, only able to take the train.”

“That’s strange.”

“Right? I think so too.”

The two whispered in the back of the minivan.

Li Shaoheng just glanced at them through the rearview mirror, not saying a word.

Either because he felt it wasn’t necessary, or because he didn’t want to ruin his image in front of outsiders.

Luo Ling would be going with them until she was sure her sister was safe, then she would return to Jiangcheng County.

Cen Xiangyun had suggested that Luo Ling stay at the Company branch with her sister, but Luo Ling knew she couldn’t delay any longer and declined the offer.

Luo Ling’s home wasn’t far from the train station. With traffic lights and a bit of congestion, it took about half an hour to arrive.

The train station in the small county couldn’t compare to those in larger cities. There were only a few platforms, and the waiting hall was less than half full… after all, it wasn’t a holiday or the time for students to travel.

While waiting for the train, Cen Xiangyun and Li Shaoheng kept watch on their surroundings, giving the girls a chance to chat.

As before, Elsa just sat quietly and listened. An Yu, however, seemed more curious about Luo Ling, subtly asking her about Awakened Ones, but Luo Ling just gave vague answers.

For some reason, the closer they got to departure time, the more anxious Luo Ling felt.

Her sister sat by the window, staring blankly outside, lost in thought.

“Woo—”

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the whistle of the train echoed from afar, a pristine white train pulling into the station, the conductor urging passengers to board.

They boarded the train in groups of two or three. Fortunately, although they were taking the train, Li Shaoheng had bought first-class tickets, so the seats were spacious… At least when it came to finances, the Company was quite generous. It was only with Awakened resources that they were stingy.

The girls, taking the train for the first time, looked at everything with curiosity, even Luo Ling couldn’t help but look around. Only Su Wan, among those “on vacation,” seemed unfazed.

She continued to stare out the window, silent.

Luo Ling wanted to say something but didn’t know what to say, so she just sat quietly beside her sister.

“It’s okay, it’s just a temporary separation,” Luo Ling reassured herself.

Then, she also stared out the window.

The train station was located in a relatively desolate suburban area, surrounded by forests and birds, reminding her of the scenery around Baiyan Village.

But this wasn’t Baiyan Village, just similar.

Luo Ling watched listlessly until the train slowly started moving, the warning whistle echoing again.

Just then, she saw a familiar figure in her peripheral vision, and her eyes widened in shock, almost jumping to her feet.

“Ji Ying!”

A tall woman, her figure flickering among the trees, her cold, indifferent expression unforgettable.

Her mouth opened and closed, as if trying to say something to Luo Ling.

But Luo Ling couldn’t hear, couldn’t see clearly.

She stared intently at the distant figure, trying to make out what she was saying.

But then, her sister’s voice echoed beside her ear,

“Xiao Ling, do you see that?”

Her sister’s voice was soft and gentle, but Luo Ling noticed a subtle difference, something unusual.

Her sister pointed towards the distance, the direction the train was heading.

“Over there… it looks like an abyss.”

Chapter 78: Sisters

The familiar ceiling.

After a dreamless sleep, Luo Ling slowly opened her eyes.

A brief moment of disorientation, then her gaze cleared, and she sat up.

“Don’t move. My, my, I didn’t expect your injuries to be so severe.”

Cen Xiangyun’s voice echoed beside her. The slightly unfamiliar voice made Luo Ling tense for a moment, then relax.

Hearing this voice at home felt… out of place.

Home was her safe haven; she didn’t want it tainted by Grotesqueries.

But now… it seemed unavoidable.

Luo Ling had always tried to keep her sister away from these dangerous matters, but this time, trouble had found them.

“Is my sister alright?” Luo Ling asked, turning her head.

The battle felt like it had just happened; she didn’t know how much time had passed.

“Miss Cen, come down for some food… and if Xiao Ling is awake, bring her down too,” her sister’s familiar voice called from downstairs.

It seemed she didn’t need to answer.

“I’m awake, I’ll be down in a minute,” Luo Ling called back.

“Okay.”

Her sister’s voice seemed to relax.

“Don’t worry, you just slept through the night,” Cen Xiangyun said with a smile. “After I brought you back and released the Ice Seal, your sister woke up quickly.

“I told her you both suddenly fell ill, and you met me before collapsing and asked me to bring you home, that’s all.”

As an Awakened One, Cen Xiangyun knew it was best not to reveal too much to ordinary people, even though this “sister” seemed… different, she was still an ordinary person.

“…Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Cen Xiangyun smiled. “Miss Luo Ling, have you changed your mind?”

“Changed my… mind?”

Luo Ling was confused.

“About joining the Company,” Cen Xiangyun said, placing a file in front of Luo Ling. “I thought you might pass the interview, but now it seems you can directly become an intern. This is the contract.”

Looking at the file filled with clauses and the blank space for the signee, Luo Ling had a strange feeling, as if it were a contract to sell her soul.

If Cen Xiangyun knew what Luo Ling was thinking, she would tell her that all jobs were essentially selling your soul, just a matter of how much, and for what price.

“I…”

Luo Ling started to speak, but the words caught in her throat.

“No need to rush. You can keep this offer. Sign it whenever you change your mind and want to join the Company,” Cen Xiangyun said calmly. “Of course, you can also join the Company in another way, as mentioned in the contract.”

Luo Ling skimmed through the contract and saw two different joining methods.

“Personnel dispatch and social recruitment…”

“Commonly known as ‘outsourced’ and ‘regular.’ The former is like being a mercenary, paid per mission, and you’re not restricted from joining other organizations. The latter is becoming a full-fledged member of the Company. I’m hoping you’ll choose the latter, because the year-end bonus…”

Cen Xiangyun suddenly covered her mouth, as if she had said something she shouldn’t have.

Luo Ling was curious but, seeing Cen Xiangyun’s awkward expression, wisely kept quiet.

It was probably some Company secret.

“Anyway, the choice is yours. You can decide anytime, even after we leave Jiangcheng County. You can contact the Company through the information provided above. This contract has been authorized by a P8; it will take effect as soon as you sign it.”

Cen Xiangyun composed herself and continued explaining.

She had told her uncle, Li Shaoheng, about yesterday’s events, and he had been surprised by the battle’s outcome, so he hadn’t hesitated to offer this contract.

The conditions offered were generous enough to tempt any member of the Patient Exchange Group.

It even guaranteed that Luo Ling could choose a Sacred Tool after joining… of course, probably one from Sequence 300 or above, but still valuable nonetheless.

Sacred Tools weren’t easily crafted; they required considerable time and effort, so not every Grotesquery was suitable for crafting one.

A Sacred Tool made from a Low-Sequence Grotesquery wouldn’t be much stronger than an ordinary weapon, and it was better to use the Sacred Relic to create a potion for path enlightenment.

This was the price Li Shaoheng had personally set. It was rare for an intern to receive such treatment, but he felt Luo Ling was worth it.

Incidentally, Cen Xiangyun had received a similar contract, and the ice staff in her hand was the Sacred Tool she had chosen, crafted from the Snow Ghost, Sequence 326, which enhanced her control over her abilities.

Ice abilities were prone to harming innocents, and the ice staff allowed Cen Xiangyun to target more precisely, though it didn’t significantly increase her power… that was the limit of a Sacred Tool at this level.

“Mm, I understand,” Luo Ling nodded, her expression unchanged.

“Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit… concise?” Cen Xiangyun raised an eyebrow, finding Luo Ling rather cute.

She had been so cool during the battle, but now, she had this unexpected, endearing side.

She wanted to pinch her cheeks.

“…I don’t talk much,” Luo Ling said softly, avoiding Cen Xiangyun’s intense gaze.

Before Cen Xiangyun could continue, Luo Ling stood up with some difficulty.

“Let’s go, my sister will be worried if we’re too late.”

But she stumbled, almost falling, and landed in Cen Xiangyun’s arms.

Their eyes met, and a look of concern appeared in Cen Xiangyun’s eyes.

“Your life force is severely depleted. I gave you some medicine, but it’s hard to replenish it… Be careful, and avoid strenuous activities for a while.”

“…Mm.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly.

Miss Cen… seemed like a decent person.

But Luo Ling had expected the life force depletion.

She had walked through the Withering Flower’s rain of petals to reach Artist. The only reason she had survived was because of the Puppet Ballad’s power, comparable to a High-Order Awakened One, and because she hadn’t absorbed the life force she had taken with the Puppet Ballad.

But if she had… her life force would have been tainted by the Puppet Ballad, truly turning her into an “egg,” just like the white reishi and Li Tianming.

As Cen Xiangyun helped Luo Ling downstairs, Su Wan had already set the table with three sets of bowls and chopsticks and was serving soup.

Seeing them, Su Wan looked at Luo Ling with concern, but out of politeness, she addressed Cen Xiangyun first.

“Come, come, Miss Cen, please sit here… I apologize if my cooking isn’t to your liking.”

“It’s fine, home-cooked meals are always the best,” Cen Xiangyun smiled.

The dishes on the table were clearly more extravagant than usual, some of the ingredients so expensive that even Luo Ling wouldn’t buy them for her birthday.

Clearly, Cen Xiangyun had brought them.

“Xiao Ling, are you alright?” Su Wan asked with concern, taking Luo Ling’s thin hand. “Your hands are even colder than usual.”

“I just need some rest, I caught a cold yesterday,” Luo Ling said, patting Su Wan’s hand.

“It’s all my fault…”

Su Wan sighed.

When she woke up at home yesterday, she had only seen her sister, freshly bathed, and Miss Cen, covered in sweat. Then, Miss Cen had explained everything.

Cen Xiangyun had fabricated a plausible story, saying that Su Wan had suddenly fainted, and Luo Ling had caught a cold and fever while carrying her back, luckily encountering her, a kind stranger, who had brought them both home.

Su Wan had initially been skeptical, but after Cen Xiangyun revealed her identity, she had believed her.

“I can’t believe we met a celebrity,” Su Wan said with a sigh. “Miss Cen, you’re such a kind person, and you even went through all this trouble, and now you’re treating us to such a feast…”

The food on the table was quite expensive. Su Wan estimated it cost at least a thousand yuan, the large crab alone costing several hundred.

When Cen Xiangyun brought the food, Su Wan had tried to refuse, but Cen Xiangyun had said she couldn’t cook but wanted a nice meal, asking Su Wan to prepare it for her, and Su Wan had reluctantly agreed.

But… a celebrity?

Luo Ling looked at Cen Xiangyun with confusion, but Miss Cen just smiled.

“Xiao Ling, didn’t you know?” Su Wan asked in surprise. “Didn’t Miss Cen say she was a talent scout and wanted you to try being a celebrity?”

“…I know,” Luo Ling twitched her lips slightly.

Wasn’t that just an excuse to conceal the world of Awakened Ones?

How had it become real?

Never mind, it had nothing to do with her.

Luo Ling didn’t think she had any potential to be a celebrity. Her looks were average, she wasn’t tall, her figure was… lacking, and she wasn’t very talkative. Only her doting sister would believe she had been “discovered by a talent scout”; anyone else would think it was a joke.

“I’m not a huge celebrity, just relatively well-known in China. I doubt many people would recognize me abroad,” Cen Xiangyun said modestly, with a hint of pride.

“Oh.”

Luo Ling nodded and started eating.

“…Oh? Just ‘oh’?” Cen Xiangyun’s smile faltered slightly.

She had hoped for a more enthusiastic reaction from Luo Ling.

But Luo Ling showed no interest, not even asking about her work, completely different from her sister.

Yesterday, to convince Su Wan, Cen Xiangyun had revealed her identity, and Su Wan’s shocked expression had been quite satisfying, boosting Cen Xiangyun’s ego slightly.

Ordinary people were easy to impress, but Su Wan was Luo Ling’s sister!

But now it seemed that trying to use her celebrity status to secure her year-end bonus… oh wait, to recruit Luo Ling into the Company, might not be realistic.

She would take it one step at a time. If possible, she really wanted to go on a mission with Luo Ling.

Replaying yesterday’s battle in her mind, Cen Xiangyun realized that even her former C-level team would have struggled to escape unscathed.

It had been a miracle.

Luo Ling, oblivious to Cen Xiangyun’s thoughts, ate her meal in silence. After finishing, she nodded at her sister and Cen Xiangyun and slowly went upstairs.

“Be careful,” her sister called out worriedly.

“I know,” Luo Ling’s voice echoed from afar.

“Sigh, this illness, I don’t know how much time she’ll have to miss from school,” Su Wan sighed, watching Luo Ling leave. “I just spoke to her homeroom teacher to ask for leave, and he complained that she’s been taking too many days off…”

“Oh? Is she still a student? A high school student?” Cen Xiangyun’s eyes lit up.

The quiet Luo Ling seemed unwilling to reveal anything about herself, but her sister was more talkative.

“Yes, the college entrance exam is next June, I don’t know… sigh,” Su Wan looked worried, a worry she never showed in front of Luo Ling.

What a strange and wonderful pair of sisters.

Cen Xiangyun thought to herself.

“Don’t worry too much,” Cen Xiangyun said. “Like I said, she has the potential to be a star. I wasn’t lying.”

“You weren’t?”

Su Wan looked surprised.

“Do I look like I’m lying?” Cen Xiangyun blinked.

“Honestly, Xiao Ling wouldn’t believe those words,” Su Wan nodded. “I know she’s just an ordinary girl, but she’s special to me.”

Always gloomy and quiet, reading by herself in a corner, barely noticed even by her homeroom teacher.

Luo Ling was usually just an ordinary, unremarkable girl.

“Sister, that’s what you don’t know.”

Cen Xiangyun suddenly smiled, her bright, beautiful smile momentarily stunning Su Wan. Even as a woman, she couldn’t help but admire Cen Xiangyun’s beauty.

As a popular celebrity, Cen Xiangyun’s looks were exceptional. Even without makeup, in the simplest of clothes, she would still turn heads on the street.

But even Cen Xiangyun…

“Sometimes, Miss Luo Ling can truly shine,” Cen Xiangyun said, resting her chin on her hand, recalling the breathtakingly beautiful scene from yesterday, her eyes sparkling. “At that moment, even I felt inferior—no, I could never compare to her at that moment.”

“Really?” Su Wan was taken aback, then chuckled. “You have to tell me all about it.”

…

Ignoring the conversation between Cen Xiangyun and her sister downstairs, Luo Ling went upstairs alone.

Her long white hair cascaded down, and the small girl’s reflection in the mirror, her pale skin almost translucent, was a startling sight.

The inhuman feeling was growing stronger. Luo Ling looked at her reflection, at her pale gray eyes, and sighed.

She could imagine how shocking her current appearance would be to others.

It wasn’t a matter of beauty, but… it was terrifying.

If she went out at night like this, she would probably become an urban legend, a vengeful spirit or something.

She was just… a bit too small.

“My ability has grown stronger.”

Luo Ling lifted a strand of hair and could clearly see a faint, indescribable life force within it, instinctively trying to consume the surrounding life force.

Even though Luo Ling was suppressing it, a sense of greed still lingered, a primal urge trying to control her.

The Silent Demise path.

Bringing Silent Demise to the world was the only way to progress along this path.

Luo Ling cut herself, and blood slowly flowed out.

Her hair eagerly reached out, greedily consuming the blood, the white strands tinged with crimson.

A sense of satisfaction and craving filled her mind, but Luo Ling’s expression remained indifferent.

She simply watched the blood, confirming that there were no white mycelia threads within her flesh.

“Good, I haven’t been affected by the Puppet Ballad.”

Luo Ling healed the wound, her eyes flickering.

Her greatest fear hadn’t come true; this was good news.

Also…

This wasn’t the time to stay out of things. Artist had found her; she couldn’t avoid him.

The more she tried to escape, the more trouble seemed to find her…

As those cryptic Other Shore types would say, perhaps from the moment she fell ill, her thread of fate had become entangled with these beings.

“But no matter what, I can’t let Sister get hurt.”

Luo Ling had made up her mind.

The conditions were right. Before, she hadn’t been able to let her sister leave Jiangcheng County, but now, things were different.

…The Company.

Luo Ling had asked Ji Shinian about them. They were a large, global Awakened organization, almost half of all Awakened Ones being Company members.

Even Ji Shinian was no exception. He was actually an outsourced employee of the Company, a mercenary.

However, Ji Shinian’s Other Shore ability made his combat strength quite poor, even weaker than an average Mid-Order Awakened One.

If the Company intervened, they should be able to protect her sister.

As for the Puppet Ballad…

Luo Ling had considered revealing its existence, but the biggest problem was that she also possessed the Puppet Ballad’s power.

Combined with the Grotesquery’s characteristics, she could easily be mistaken for an “egg.”

“In any case, I’ll send Sister away from Jiangcheng County first,” Luo Ling decided. “Whether it’s the Puppet Ballad or the Harbingers of Calamity…”

And Ji Ying.

Even the Company didn’t know about the Puppet Ballad’s existence, so how did she know?

And what was her deal?

Luo Ling had a feeling they would meet again soon.

Perhaps, next time, they would be closer to the truth.

Chapter 77: Cause and Effect, Price

Liu Songyi, Shen Miaoyun, and Elsa arrived at the scene, but only a scene of devastation remained, littered with signs of a fierce battle, yet not a soul in sight.

After communicating with the Company dispatch specialists through the group chat, they learned that the others had moved to a different location after the battle.

It was no wonder the Patient Exchange Group had arrived too late. If it weren’t for Li Shaoheng’s spatial manipulation ability, even the Company personnel wouldn’t have made it in time.

Moreover, Artist clearly hadn’t wanted to prolong the fight. The seemingly intense battle had only lasted for two or three minutes.

However… the aftermath was troublesome.

“This putrid, decaying flesh is everywhere. Even if ordinary people can’t see it, the stench is unbearable.”

Even Liu Songyi, a seasoned criminal investigator, couldn’t help but frown. Shen Miaoyun, who usually stayed in the back, hadn’t lowered her hand from her nose since arriving at the scene.

Only Elsa seemed unfazed, perhaps having experienced too many similar situations.

“Shen Miaoyun, can you deal with this rotting flesh?” Liu Songyi asked, turning to her.

Shen Miaoyun endured the stench, used her ability briefly, and shook her head.

“No, this flesh isn’t decaying because of an ongoing ability effect. My power is useless.”

Compared to healing injuries, Shen Miaoyun’s ability was more effective against ongoing damage caused by abilities, such as toxins or Grotesquery transformations.

Moreover, this flesh was already “dead,” leaving Shen Miaoyun with nothing to work with.

“I see…”

Liu Songyi sighed. Cleaning up this scene would be troublesome.

This wasn’t something they could just casually dispose of. Who knew what kind of curses or abilities it contained? Reckless contact could be fatal.

“In any case, I’ll go apply for a scene lockdown and let the Company specialists handle it,” Liu Songyi quickly decided. His police status was useful in situations like this.

As for this troublesome matter, it was best left to the professionals. After all, the Company specialists weren’t providing free aid.

Elsa remained silent throughout, unable to speak, just quietly “observing” the flesh and the surroundings.

She felt a strange sense of familiarity…

“Xiao Qian, let’s go.” Receiving Liu Songyi’s order to retreat, Shen Miaoyun breathed a sigh of relief and quickly wheeled Elsa away, muttering, “That’s terrifying. It’s a good thing we didn’t arrive in time…”

She was a healer on the Myriad path. Why would they send a healer to the front lines? How much combat power could a healer possibly have?

The group was severely short-staffed. The newbie, White Witch, was still on leave, so she had been forced to come along.

Elsa nodded. She had only been there as backup.

Her ability was powerful, but its limitations were significant. She had been deployed only because of their lack of personnel.

Liu Songyi instructed the two to return to Qingshan Hospital and turned to walk towards the city. He was the busiest person in the exchange group. With Old Ji bedridden, he had to handle everything.

After everyone left, the already deserted bus stop seemed even colder.

But…

A faint, slender figure slowly materialized from thin air.

“It’s appeared again…”

A soft whisper, laced with the lingering fatigue of awakening from slumber.

“But… it seems to have disappeared again.”

The figure solidified, her bright eyes regaining their clarity.

She sensed the dense aura in the air, her expression turning grim.

“Why did it appear so quickly this time? In its current state, it should need at least three more months to spawn a new ‘egg.’”

Every six months, without fail, for the three years it had been in Jiangcheng County, only today was different.

Ji Ying had stopped the Puppet Ballad’s attempts to recover countless times, preventing the birth of several “eggs,” with only two exceptions, both of which had been dealt with.

“What happened?”

The figure crouched down, examining the putrid, decaying flesh on the ground.

After a moment, she reached out, picked up a piece of the flesh, reeking of Silent Demise, and slowly put it into her mouth.

She closed her eyes, chewing slowly, as if savoring a delicacy, a smile gradually appearing on her lips.

“I see…”

“So that’s how it is…”

“As expected, I wasn’t wrong. Only you can kill the Puppet Ballad.”

The pale moonlight illuminated the figure’s face, revealing Ji Ying’s features.

She continued chewing the flesh, savoring the memories within.

Again and again.

“Truly remarkable, the wielder of the Puppet Ballad’s ability… even I can’t resist the temptation of its power.”

Ji Ying lowered her head, looking at her arm.

She had once cut herself to prove her humanity to Luo Ling.

But in reality, she had only shown Luo Ling for a fleeting moment, not a second longer.

Because…

Within the slowly closing wound, amidst the flowing blood, white mycelia threads flickered, greedily consuming her flesh, but quickly being devoured by the blood, barely maintaining the self known as “Ji Ying.”

This was her war against the Puppet Ballad, within this body that could barely be called human.

“No matter what, I have to eradicate the Puppet Ballad within this ‘boundary,’ completely extinguishing that despairing ‘Disorder.’”

Ji Ying slowly closed her eyes, her form dissipating.

Meanwhile, in Qingshan Hospital.

Ji Shinian, lying in bed, suddenly started coughing violently. An Yu, who was tending to him, rushed over to support him and saw that his blood had stained the sheets.

“Ah, this…”

An Yu was flustered. She hadn’t received any medical training, her only knowledge of first aid coming from what she had learned at school.

She was only looking after him temporarily, her turn on rotation.

“It’s nothing, just an old problem,” Ji Shinian waved his hand dismissively, catching his breath, his expression turning grim.

What was going on?

He hadn’t actively used his ability, yet it had been triggered by something.

Focusing his senses, he realized it was “Ji Ying’s” thread of fate…

The strange thread of fate had appeared for a moment, then vanished, another inexplicable appearance, its location far from the city center, near the suburban area.

“I shouldn’t have looked…”

Ji Shinian sighed, regretting his actions.

These were the threads of cause and effect. He had been cautious, but he hadn’t expected that merely revealing a bit of information would result in such a severe backlash.

It wasn’t just Luo Ling who found Awakened Ones on the Other Shore path cryptic. It was a common sentiment in the Awakened world. It wasn’t entirely their fault, but a consequence of the entanglement of cause and effect.

Some fates shouldn’t be glimpsed, some fates shouldn’t be revealed. These were the restrictions placed upon Awakened Ones on the Other Shore path. Violating them could result in anything from nothing happening at all, to eternal torment… it was completely random, a gamble.

That was why Other Shore Awakened Ones often spoke in riddles and metaphors.

“Do you need some water?” An Yu asked with concern.

Ji Shinian shook his head, then after a moment of silence, he said,

“Have Xiao Liu come to the hospital… it’s time to wake that sleeping one.”

He looked out the window at the seemingly ordinary night in Jiangcheng County.

But how much longer could such ordinary days last?

“Perhaps… a storm is coming.”

…

In an unremarkable small house in Jiangcheng County.

After a crisp snap of her fingers, a tall woman appeared in the dimly lit room, beads of sweat on her forehead.

“That was close… almost got ambushed by that old fox.”

Despite her words, a smile played on Scientist’s lips.

A rare battle, a good warm-up.

However, sending a researcher like her to the front lines was a terrible idea.

It was all because of…

She turned and looked at the dwarfish man slumped in a chair, frowning and covering her nose.

“Artist, explain yourself. You couldn’t even handle two little girls?”

And he reeked, had he rolled around in a pile of corpses?

And his injuries seemed quite severe…

Not only had he paid the Price of a finger, but half his body was paralyzed. Looking closely, the golden insignia on his hat was also dull—meaning his artwork had lost its power.

“…I made a mistake,” Artist said softly.

He had used a ritual to escape, which came at a considerable Price. Two of his artworks had been destroyed.

It couldn’t be helped. Artist knew he couldn’t put himself in danger.

He could tell that Luo Ling had almost exhausted her strength, and he knew Cen Xiangyun’s abilities inside and out. As long as he didn’t act recklessly, they couldn’t defeat him. He could have retreated calmly.

But… he was worried about unforeseen circumstances.

What if the Company had sent more than just those two?

What if the local Awakened organization had mobilized all their forces?

What if… that strange, black-haired girl used another unexpected ability?

There had been enough surprises today. He couldn’t afford any more. Performer’s death was a lesson learned.

Knowing when to cut his losses, Artist had decisively used his trump card to escape, returning to this temporary hideout.

“A single ‘mistake’ doesn’t explain this,” Scientist said, unimpressed. “You should consider who you were up against, and who I was up against.

“Holy moly, I didn’t expect the Company to send Li Shaoheng. He’s practically the weakest among those who can kill me.”

In other words, among P8 specialists, besides Li Shaoheng, no one posed a threat to Scientist’s life, and even among P9 specialists, there weren’t many.

As for P10… those were the Company’s strongest, their every move closely monitored. Those who could rival Philosopher wouldn’t be deployed easily.

Although it sounded absurd, Scientist was indeed a researcher. Her combat abilities were average, not as strong as Artist’s, but her survival skills were top-notch. Only the Company’s P10 specialists could kill her for sure.

“…That girl… is problematic,” Artist said, recalling the battle, his eyes darkening. “She’s too familiar with that Grotesquery, so familiar that it’s as if… she’s a part of it…”

Every use of her ability, every turn of events, had been unexpected.

Even though he hadn’t known her abilities, she had used his ignorance to her advantage. She had performed exceptionally well in that battle.

But who would have thought that a Low-Order Awakened One, recently chosen by a Grotesquery, would display such mastery?

Even a High-Order Awakened One couldn’t have done it.

“Too bad Performer contacted us when we were in Victoria. We couldn’t maintain the connection for long, and we knew almost nothing about this Grotesquery,” Artist sighed. Knowing more beforehand might have changed the outcome.

If Victoria and Jiangcheng County were in the same “boundary,” Performer wouldn’t have needed to use psychological suggestion for long-distance communication.

A simple phone call would have sufficed, much less troublesome, less likely to leave traces, and able to convey more information.

That was why this mission was so tricky…

The Harbingers weren’t like the Company. They didn’t have many members, most of whom were involved in the Victoria operation. Reinforcements were impossible.

“We don’t have much time,” Scientist reminded him. “Not only must the Company have noticed the situation here, but we also have our roles to play in the Victoria operation.”

The Victoria operation was even more important than this High-Risk Grotesquery. It involved a Taboo.

Taboos hadn’t appeared for three hundred years, but that didn’t mean they were gone. The Harbingers’ plan was to bring back a Taboo, to achieve their ideals.

“I know,” Artist murmured. “I’m thinking.”

If possible, he didn’t want to give up on this Grotesquery…

After all, this was a High-Risk Grotesquery on the Silent Demise path, and in such a weakened state. If he missed this opportunity… who knew when he would have another chance to obtain an Authority.

This mission was very important to Artist.

However, there was one question that had been bothering him since arriving in Jiangcheng County.

Why was this Grotesquery so weak…?

It didn’t make sense.

The local Awakened Ones didn’t even have a single High-Order among them, and both the Retrospect of Baiyan Village and his recent battle with the girl showed that the “eggs” spawned by this Grotesquery were at least at the High-Order Awakened level.

This meant that if this Grotesquery wanted to, it could simply spawn a few “eggs” and wipe out the entire Awakened organization in Jiangcheng County, even devour all the civilians, and regain its full strength.

If that were the case, Artist would have stayed far away. Even Philosopher wouldn’t dare approach a High-Risk Grotesquery at its peak.

But the reality was…

Whether it was unwilling to do so, or someone was preventing it, this worst-case scenario hadn’t happened.

Jiangcheng County maintained a semblance of peace, the local Awakened Ones blissfully unaware.

While Artist pondered, Scientist seemed unconcerned. Her objective in Jiangcheng County had been achieved.

Unbeknownst to anyone, she had already placed an Anchor Point on Elsa and could retrieve her beloved experiment at any time, just waiting for Artist to complete his part.

“Speaking of which, do we still need to find that white-haired girl?” Scientist asked casually. “I’ve been observing Elsa for a week, and that white-haired girl hasn’t appeared even once.”

She was a key figure in the Baiyan Village battle. If anyone could stop the High-Risk Grotesquery from devouring Jiangcheng County, it would be the White Witch.

But she had vanished without a trace.

“…Probably not,” Artist murmured.

One of the reasons he had created the Baiyan Village puppets was to find the white-haired girl.

But he hadn’t expected to find the white-haired girl, but another, even stranger black-haired girl…

Unlike Luo Ling’s assumption,

Artist hadn’t targeted her because she had become an “egg,” but because she had left traces of the Grotesquery’s aura when she briefly touched “Old Man Huang.”

His puppets had been specifically designed to detect this aura, so Artist had immediately locked onto Luo Ling.

Perhaps by coincidence, or perhaps for some other reason, when Artist confronted her, she had just become an “egg” of the Puppet Ballad.

“In any case, we have to kill her.”

Artist took out a paintbrush and, with a few strokes, sketched a beautiful painting on the wall.

A dark figure walking through a rain of black petals, only a pair of striking, dark gold eyes visible.

“…First, we start with this person.”

Artist shifted his brush,

Pointing to an inconspicuous corner of the painting, a frozen, ordinary-looking woman in plain clothes.

“Who is this?”

Scientist asked curiously.

“Her sister, the person she cherishes most,” Artist adjusted his monocle. “Emotions are humanity’s greatest weakness, and she seems to be no exception.”

Chapter 76: Arrogance, A Fatal Blow

Everything happened in a flash.

The Withering Flower bloomed, Luo Ling broke free from the Ice Seal, and closed the distance to Artist, only three steps away.

But her next move was unexpected.

However, instead of shock, Artist felt… amusement.

Was she trying to steal his Sacred Tool?

What a newbie, she clearly didn’t understand that Sacred Tools… were bound to their owners from the moment of their creation.

If someone else tried to use a Sacred Tool, it would function as an ordinary weapon, its special abilities inaccessible.

If it were a dagger or a short sword, it wouldn’t be a problem. Even without its abilities, a Sacred Tool’s inherent properties were superior to ordinary weapons.

But a gun, without its abilities, was just a useless piece of metal.

Moreover, Artist’s ability was to animate inanimate objects…

This Withering Flower was already animated, a part of his body, impossible to steal.

Artist didn’t even bother to react, watching Luo Ling with a mocking smile, anticipating her disappointment.

Luo Ling, having finally reached Artist, reached out a trembling hand and lightly touched the Withering Flower, but she didn’t try to take it, as Artist had expected.

She just touched it.

“I’ve been telling you…” Luo Ling looked up, her burning eyes meeting Artist’s. “From the very beginning, you’ve underestimated me.

“Even though you were willing to pay a heavy Price to kill me, to take the ‘egg,’ you still underestimated me. You only cared about the ‘egg.’ Your arrogance is your greatest mistake.”

Her voice echoed in Artist’s mind, her words instantly conveyed through a single thought.

Only now did Artist realize he had been affected by Luo Ling’s ability.

But it was too late.

“Miss Cen, now! Attack!”

“Use everything you have… on Artist, everything!”

Luo Ling’s voice echoed in Cen Xiangyun’s mind, calm yet urgent.

Attack now?

But the Withering Flower’s petals were still falling…

Cen Xiangyun knew that she had only survived this deadly rain of petals because of Ice Seal.

If she attacked, she would have to release Ice Seal and face the Withering Flower, an attack powerful enough to severely injure even a High-Order Awakened One.

However, her hesitation lasted only a moment. The next moment, Cen Xiangyun burst out of the ice, her staff aimed at Artist.

Yes, even if she had to face the Withering Flower, even if it meant risking her life, so be it.

They were facing Artist, a wanted criminal on the Company’s A-rank list. How could they possibly win without paying a price?

Miss Luo Ling had risked everything to reach Artist; how could she not trust her? Trust that she could create an opportunity for a fatal blow?

Trust was paramount between teammates.

Luo Ling trusted her, and she trusted Luo Ling.

So…

“Ice Coagulation! Icefall!”

Cen Xiangyun poured all her inspiration into this attack, gambling everything.

“Sending her teammate to die?”

This was Artist’s first thought when he saw Cen Xiangyun break free from the ice. But the next moment, something shocking happened.

The falling petals of the Withering Flower froze in mid-air.

They stopped falling.

“What’s going on?”

Artist saw a budding black flower blooming on Luo Ling’s fingertip and a theory formed in his mind.

So that was it…

The reason the girl had gone to such lengths to touch the Withering Flower was that she had a way to temporarily control its ability, delaying the rain of petals to create an opportunity for Cen Xiangyun to attack.

But so what?

He knew Cen Xiangyun’s ability; he had countermeasures.

If she dared to attack him, she would be the one who died.

But now, Artist wasn’t so sure. He was no longer as confident as before, his gaze fixated on Luo Ling.

Did she have another trick up her sleeve?!

Use it!

A faint smile seemed to appear on the girl’s mangled face.

As if saying, you guessed right.

Puppet Ballad, third ability, Complete Control!

This wasn’t Luo Ling’s own ability, but the power of the Puppet Ballad. Mycelia threads erupted from where they had been implanted in Artist’s severed finger, consuming and controlling his flesh and blood.

Although Artist couldn’t be completely controlled this way, Luo Ling only needed a moment.

A moment of lost control.

Along with Complete Control came Cen Xiangyun’s Ice Coagulation, and countless ice spikes.

“Fall!”

After a brief pause, the Withering Flower’s petals resumed their descent, bringing with them the chill of death.

But Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun had succeeded. Two Ice Seals enveloped them, protecting them from the final rain of petals.

At the same time, a third of Artist’s body was hit by Ice Coagulation, his blood turning into ice crystals. Although he quickly dispelled it, it was enough.

Blood seeped from his wounds, his movements slowing.

His right arm went limp, and the Withering Flower fell to the ground, then slowly crawled back to his feet, merging back into his flesh.

The last petal landed on the ground, and the black flower in the air dissipated.

The rain of withering petals ended.

The Ice Seals melted, and Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun reappeared, covered in blood and grime. They didn’t rest, their gazes fixed on Artist.

This was their chance for a fatal blow.

If Artist still intended to kill Luo Ling…

…But unfortunately, Artist wouldn’t give them that chance.

“Well played, I concede.” A ritual with intricate runes appeared on Artist’s weakened back, and a pair of terrifying eyes opened on his forehead. “Miss, you were right. I was too arrogant, too careless, which led to my defeat.

“Before I leave, may I know your name?”

Luo Ling was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice,

“The one who defeated you, Luo Ling.”

She and Cen Xiangyun didn’t attack Artist, because they could sense he was summoning something powerful to take him away.

Of course, this came at a Price.

The power of Grotesqueries was strong, but the price was heavy.

“Very well, I’ll remember you, Miss Luo Ling. Next time we meet, I’ll give it my all.”

Artist took a step back, and the demonic ritual consumed him, his form disappearing completely.

He had escaped.

Against two opponents who weren’t even High-Order Awakened Ones, he had resorted to paying a Price to flee, ending the battle.

“We… we actually defeated Artist?”

Cen Xiangyun stood frozen in place, only now realizing the magnitude of their victory.

This was an A-rank wanted criminal, someone who required a P8 specialist or above, someone like Li Shaoheng, to contend against.

And she, Cen Xiangyun, was just a newly qualified P5 specialist, strong among Mid-Order Awakened Ones, but struggling against even ordinary High-Order Awakened Ones, let alone Artist.

If she had been alone, she could only have stalled him with Ice Seal, not defeat him.

“Because he wanted a quick victory, he revealed a weakness,” Luo Ling said softly, her voice weak. “Help me up, ugh, I stink…”

Chunks of rotting flesh fell from Luo Ling’s body, the stench like a months-old corpse, spreading for hundreds of meters.

This was the withering effect of Purgatory, a High-Risk Grotesquery. Even Artist didn’t dare touch it directly. Surviving it… the stench was a small price to pay.

Fortunately, she had been using the Puppet Ballad’s power. If it had been her own, she wouldn’t have lasted so long. Her Proliferation could only have blocked it for a second or two, and then her own flesh and blood would have been consumed.

Just then, the blood-red crescent moon in the sky gradually faded, and the surroundings returned to normal.

Had the incubation barrier deactivated?

Where was the “egg”?

Luo Ling felt a sudden surge of anxiety, but as she examined her own power, she realized… she had lost the power of the Puppet Ballad.

She had returned to her normal state, no longer an “egg.”

…The Puppet Ballad had abandoned her.

Was it because she hadn’t offered it anything in the battle just now…?

Luo Ling suddenly smiled. It seemed she had defeated more than one opponent today.

All the rotting flesh fell away, and her faint smile, appearing before Cen Xiangyun, momentarily stunned her.

Beneath the grime and decay was the girl’s pure, innocent smile. Cen Xiangyun had to admit, this was the one time she agreed with Artist.

This unknown, Grotesque-side Awakened girl was truly beautiful, surpassing anyone she had ever seen, even herself.

Only one ancient saying could describe this scene.

—Emerging from the mud unstained, cleansed by the clear ripples, yet not seductive.

“What’s wrong?” Luo Ling looked at the stunned Cen Xiangyun. “Is there… something on my face?”

“No, nothing…”

Cen Xiangyun shook her head, regaining her composure.

Then, excitement surged through her. Such a powerful newbie, if she could recruit her for the Company, not only this year’s bonus, but next year’s would be secured as well!

And the Company had a hair clip Sacred Tool…

Not because it was pretty, or because it matched the hairpin, but because it could enhance her power!

“How’s my sister? Is she hurt?”

Luo Ling asked. She was so weak she couldn’t even move a finger, could only endure the stench and lean against a nearby utility pole.

“I’ll go check!” Cen Xiangyun hurried over to the frozen Su Wan at the bus stop and examined her carefully. “She’s fine, Artist was only targeting you.”

“…That’s good.”

Luo Ling breathed a sigh of relief.

She had been worried that Cen Xiangyun’s Ice Seal wouldn’t be enough. After all, Artist could use various methods to target her or break through the Ice Seal’s protection.

Although the probability was low, Luo Ling still didn’t want to take any chances.

Thinking back on the battle, Luo Ling couldn’t help but smile wryly. If she hadn’t temporarily gained the Puppet Ballad’s power, and if Artist hadn’t underestimated her, they wouldn’t have won.

But on the other hand, if the Puppet Ballad hadn’t chosen her as an “egg,” Artist probably wouldn’t have come looking for her…

The reason for this, Luo Ling didn’t know.

Of course, Cen Xiangyun’s contribution was also crucial.

Luo Ling could only create the opportunity; it was Cen Xiangyun who had seized it.

“Miss Luo Ling, do you need me to take you and your sister home?” Cen Xiangyun asked. “You seem… to be in a bad state.”

Cen Xiangyun didn’t know the specifics of Luo Ling’s situation, and although she was curious, now wasn’t the time to ask.

It was better to let Miss Luo Ling rest first.

“Mm, I need to go home and take a shower…”

The stench was overwhelming. Even after getting somewhat used to it, it was still…

Too much!

Even worse than in the subterranean cavern…

Cen Xiangyun, however, seemed accustomed to such smells, not even flinching.

It was simple. The location of her recent internship, her final task before becoming a full-fledged Company employee… had been rather… unsavory.

“But I don’t think I can walk.”

Luo Ling said helplessly, trying to move her feet, but the earlier use of Proliferation had depleted her stamina and even consumed some of her life force.

Her once thick, black hair now had streaks of white, like highlights.

Defeating a powerful opponent like Artist came at a price.

“That’s easy. Tell me your address, I’ll use Ice Seal on you, and carry you there… and purify the smell at the same time,” Cen Xiangyun snapped her fingers and smiled. “Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person, you can tell me your address!”

…If they hadn’t just been through a life-or-death battle together, even if she was a pretty older sister, Luo Ling would still be wary of such words.

“Alright, thank you,” Luo Ling reluctantly agreed, giving Cen Xiangyun her address, then remembering something, she added, “By the way, when my sister wakes up…”

“Don’t worry, I can explain everything to her, I’m good at this,” Cen Xiangyun puffed out her chest. “My job during my internship was damage control! Except for the times I failed, I’ve never made a mistake!”

“…”

Why did that sound so unreliable…?

But Luo Ling couldn’t hold on any longer. She closed her eyes, succumbing to the exhaustion.

Her vision faded to black.

…

Meanwhile, at the other battlefield.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Artist is such a loser, he actually failed,” Scientist shook her head and said.

She and Li Shaoheng had been fighting for a while, but neither of them had any injuries, their stamina barely depleted.

It was simple. They were both holding back, waiting for the right moment to unleash their ultimate moves.

Once unleashed, it was a matter of life or death.

The battle between Retrospect and Spatial Distortion was a game of cat and mouse.

Clearly, this game wouldn’t end easily, which was what Scientist wanted. She was just stalling for time, preventing Li Shaoheng from going to the other battlefield.

And Li Shaoheng was waiting for an opportunity to kill Scientist.

But unfortunately, she was too cautious, not giving him any openings.

So, the real battle… was elsewhere.

It wouldn’t end until the other battle was decided, or until Li Shaoheng found a way to escape.

He had already notified the local Awakened organization. The other battle should have reinforcements soon.

The longer they stalled, the worse it would be for the Harbingers of Calamity. Time was on their side.

But he hadn’t expected Artist to be defeated…

Li Shaoheng knew his niece well. She could stall, but she couldn’t defeat Artist.

Was it that Grotesque-side Awakened newbie…?

Li Shaoheng’s eyes flickered, lost in thought.

But regardless, they had won this encounter.

“Boring, I’m not playing with you anymore,” Scientist put on her cat-faced eye patch, sounding annoyed. “I even used a bit of Price to stall that big boss, and he was defeated by a small fry, how pathetic.”

“Leave something behind.”

Li Shaoheng seized the opportunity, and several throwing knives appeared around Scientist, attacking from all angles, leaving no room for escape.

“Heh.”

Scientist just sneered and snapped her fingers.

Her form slowly dissipated.

Retrospect.

The throwing knives missed.

But Li Shaoheng wasn’t discouraged. It had been a long shot anyway.

Scientist’s bounty was three ranks higher than Artist’s, not just because she had committed more atrocities, but also because… she was stronger, harder to kill.

The full extent of her abilities was still unknown. Because of Retrospect, Scientist rarely put herself in danger. The Company had only seen the tip of the iceberg.

Just then, Li Shaoheng’s phone vibrated. He picked it up and twitched his lips.

It was a message from the exchange group.

But…

[Ancient Martial Artist: Arrived at the scene, but the battle seems to be over, no sign of the target.]

[Ice: No shit, we already finished before you arrived!]

Chapter 75: A Girl’s Sorrow, A Beautiful Withering

“…Artist.”

Cen Xiangyun immediately recognized the elegant, dwarfish man.

Among the eighteen wanted members of the Harbingers of Calamity, Artist’s bounty was ranked ninth. Killing him would grant one access to the Company’s vault, capturing him alive would grant two.

The items within the vault were, at the very least, Sacred Relics of Dangerous Grotesqueries, and it was rumored that there were even treasures related to Taboos, making the reward extremely valuable.

Even the usually stingy Company was generous when it came to these “enemies of humanity.”

The eighteen members of the Harbingers of Calamity all had distinctive features. Due to their status as Grotesque-side Awakened Ones, and their constant contact, even merging, with Grotesqueries, they all had some physical flaws.

Unless, like Performer, whose flaw could be concealed through her “personality disguises,” but unfortunately, she was now dead.

Artist, as a dwarf, was undoubtedly the most recognizable, especially in his impeccably tailored tailcoat and signature monocle.

“Please protect my sister,” Luo Ling said, turning to Cen Xiangyun.

“…Mm.”

Cen Xiangyun looked at Luo Ling, surprised by her calmness in this sudden, dangerous situation.

Come to think of it, she hadn’t sounded very panicked on the phone either.

Wasn’t she a newbie…?

But neither the Company’s internal records nor the local Awakened organizations in Jiangcheng County had any information about this girl.

Cen Xiangyun raised her staff, and the sleeping Su Wan was encased in ice. “This is my second ability, Ice Seal. It’s not ordinary ice, it just induces a forced hibernation and provides protection,” she explained.

It was a powerful protective ability, useful for both herself and her teammates, and could even be used to avoid fatal injuries.

Cen Xiangyun explained out of concern that Luo Ling might misunderstand, then quickly aimed her staff at Artist.

After ensuring her sister’s safety, Luo Ling stood up, faint white threads swirling around her fingertips.

Artist looked at the white threads with pity and said softly,

“I advise you not to use its power. You’ll become very… unsightly in death.”

“I know,” Luo Ling whispered.

She had seen it firsthand.

Li Tianming, Performer…

They had all died by the Puppet Ballad’s power, and their deaths had been… gruesome.

“But I’m different,” Luo Ling said firmly.

“It’s all the same,” Artist sighed. “Such a waste of a beautiful, unpolished gem. I was thinking of turning you into a work of art. I even had a name in mind—”

Before he could finish, countless insects and grotesque creatures crawled out from the ground, swarming towards Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun.

“—’A Girl’s Sorrow.’”

“Watch out, his ability is to animate inanimate objects and control them!”

Cen Xiangyun warned, raising her staff. Countless ice spikes materialized, raining down on the swarm.

Her expression turned grim.

He knew her ability…

Cen Xiangyun’s ability was Ice, allowing her to create and control ice.

Her first ability, the one she had used to silently eliminate the fake “Old Man Huang” at the shopping mall, was Ice Coagulation.

Targeting a single person, turning all the water in their body into ice.

…Only a single target.

That was why Artist hadn’t used his “artworks” but instead created puppets from the sand and pebbles on the ground, intending to overwhelm them with numbers.

Cen Xiangyun couldn’t use Ice Coagulation against so many puppets, and when she aimed her staff at the smiling Artist, a strong sense of danger warned her not to try.

Her intuition told her that if she did, the one who would be frozen wouldn’t be Artist, but herself… An entity of his level definitely had countermeasures against abilities.

Meanwhile, the puppets, momentarily suppressed by the ice spikes, continued their advance. Those struck by the ice spikes crumbled into sand and pebbles, then quickly reformed, seemingly endless… no, they were endless.

Artist’s life force was abundant. He had chosen this method of combat not because he had to, but because it was easy.

Standing still, creating puppets, and watching with a smile as his opponents struggled.

This wasn’t the elegance of a gentleman.

But the next moment, Artist’s smile faltered, his eyes widening slightly.

“Hmm?”

He suddenly sensed a slight change in the puppets’ will.

Artist’s ability was to animate inanimate objects, anything from sand and pebbles, to water bottles and plastic bags, even corpses.

But these puppets only possessed a basic, insect-like consciousness, able to understand simple commands from their creator, but not directly controllable.

And now, something had changed.

Several corpses that had crawled out from beside Artist’s feet hesitated, not attacking Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun immediately. Instead, after a moment of sluggishness, they turned and lunged at Artist.

“…Interesting.”

Artist tapped his cane, and the puppets instantly crumbled.

His playful expression vanished as he focused on the seemingly insignificant girl in this battle.

Luo Ling.

Luo Ling’s expression was calm, her fingers slightly raised, faint white threads, empowered by the “egg,” wrapping around the puppets Artist had created.

The white mycelia threads burrowed into the puppets, devouring their flesh and blood, turning them into Meat Puppets under her control.

Then, they betrayed their creator.

Like Cen Xiangyun, Artist could tell that Luo Ling was a Grotesque-side Awakened One and that she had become an “egg” of this unknown Grotesquery.

This Grotesquery’s power had parasitized Luo Ling, using her to consume and accumulate the power it needed to awaken.

This was the power of a High-Risk Grotesquery…

Even in its initial “egg” state, it was comparable to a High-Order Awakened One, let alone its ability to consume flesh and blood and grow stronger. Few could resist the temptation of such power.

Artist believed he couldn’t either, so after learning about this Grotesquery’s characteristics from Scientist’s Retrospect, he had taken precautions.

But what was this girl doing…?

Her calm, clear eyes, her decisive actions, as if she had used this ability countless times, while also resisting the most tempting aspect of the “egg’s” power.

She refused to consume the power of flesh and blood.

All the puppets she controlled, after approaching Artist, chose to self-destruct! Leaving no trace of power for the Puppet Ballad to consume!

“Excellent, excellent… truly excellent…” Artist murmured, a smile returning to his face. “Such a work of art… is truly magnificent.

“I should also… take this seriously.”

Initially, his target had been the “egg” within Luo Ling, turning her into a work of art was merely a hobby.

Only now did Artist truly regard Luo Ling as a worthy opponent.

The swarm of puppets gradually dispersed, until only a layer of sand and pebbles remained on the ground. Cen Xiangyun finally lowered her staff, slightly out of breath.

Continuously using her ability was tiring, but…

Not excessively so.

Even Artist, looking at Cen Xiangyun, couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Excellent, such abundant inspiration, such precise control, even Philosopher, at your stage, was only slightly better… Excellent, I’m interested in you as well. I’ll try to take you with me next time we meet.”

The reason Li Shaoheng had been so confident in leaving Cen Xiangyun alone was because he believed Artist couldn’t defeat her easily. Even if Luo Ling couldn’t contribute, Cen Xiangyun could hold Artist back on her own.

And now, Artist had even admitted he would try to take her next time.

“Now I must end this battle. We don’t have much time to waste…”

If they delayed any longer, the Company’s main force would likely arrive.

Artist knew this was because the local Awakened organization hadn’t realized the true terror of this Grotesquery, but Spatial Distortion definitely knew, and the Company’s reinforcements would arrive soon.

Then, it would be difficult for them to do anything.

As Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun watched nervously, Artist slowly pulled out a gun from his pocket.

It was a small, antique-looking flintlock pistol, its exquisite gold inlay and intricate carvings radiating an artistic aura, but also… danger.

This was Artist’s Sacred Tool, Art.

“The ‘ultimate’ art,” Artist said slowly, breaking off his little finger and loading it into the pistol as a bullet, “is the moment of life’s bloom, the ultimate death bringing ultimate beauty, the last moment before withering, the most memorable.”

He looked up at Luo Ling, seemingly not even aiming, just casually raising the pistol.

“This is the Withering Flower. Miss, please experience… Silent Demise.”

The next moment, the gun fired.

Luo Ling had been staring at the pistol, not dodging because it wasn’t even aimed at her, she didn’t know how to dodge.

She had tried to control Artist with the Puppet Ballad, but he had been prepared, his body covered in a layer of inanimate material that prevented her Spores from attaching.

Even his severed finger was covered in a special kind of flesh.

The moment the gun fired, Cen Xiangyun created a wall of ice, intending to block the bullet.

But there was no bullet.

Flames erupted from the muzzle, but nothing was fired.

Only a single, budding black flower materialized, slowly blooming.

No… not just one.

Countless black petals, all from the same flower, rained down.

Luo Ling’s Spores, upon touching the petals, instantly went dormant, the connection severed.

The lush, green trees nearby, merely brushed by the petals, withered and decayed rapidly, their leaves falling and rotting into the soil.

The moment the flower appeared, Cen Xiangyun used Ice Seal on both Luo Ling and herself.

She recognized the flower as a deadly threat!

In the Company’s records, the Withering Flower belonged to the Grotesquery known as Purgatory, ranked forty-first… a High-Risk Grotesquery.

This meant that the pistol was a Sacred Tool crafted from the Sacred Relic of a High-Risk Grotesquery!

Although possessing an Authority and using an Authority were two different things, and possessing the power of a High-Risk Grotesquery and using it were also different, now… the one holding the pistol was Artist, a prominent figure even among Grotesque-side Awakened Ones. Its power was unimaginable.

This was practically his ultimate move.

He had lost patience. After witnessing Luo Ling’s familiarity with the Puppet Ballad’s power, he had skipped the preliminaries and used his trump card.

“It’s useless,” Artist’s gentle voice echoed. “You can dodge, but she can’t. I’ve marked her life with a Price.”

The small piece of his finger he had broken off wasn’t just flesh and blood, but a Price.

The price was permanently losing that part of his finger, irreversible by any means.

Judging from the mechanical joints on Artist’s right hand, he hadn’t used this move often, yet he had used it so decisively on Luo Ling. This was a sure-kill.

The rain of petals completely dispelled the “egg’s” power. Even Ice Seal couldn’t block this power of Silent Demise. It was an absolute rule of withering.

A putrid odor emanated from the ice-encased girl, and a touch of paleness tinged her hair.

Cen Xiangyun trembled as she watched another life wither before her eyes.

Although they had only met twice, only known each other for a short while…

Luo Ling had left a deep impression on her.

…Was this battle over?

“Miss Cen, release my Ice Seal.”

Luo Ling’s voice echoed in her mind.

“Hmm?”

Cen Xiangyun was taken aback, still confused.

How could she hear a voice in her mind? Was it a hallucination?

“Please hurry,” the voice repeated, and Cen Xiangyun finally confirmed it was Luo Ling.

…Was this her ability?

Telepathy?

However, Cen Xiangyun didn’t question it further. She chose to trust this girl she had only met a few times.

…Who was also her year-end bonus.

“Ice Seal, release!”

The ice melted, and the girl emerged, moving swiftly through the rain of withering petals.

The relentless decay, the ceaseless withering, couldn’t stop her.

What was she doing?

This question arose in both Artist and Cen Xiangyun’s minds.

The Withering Flower had clearly taken effect. Luo Ling’s life force was rapidly fading. In half a minute, or even less, she would be reduced to a skeleton.

Any action now was futile.

She wouldn’t even reach Artist.

Amidst the beautiful, falling petals, the stench of decay intensified, but the girl continued, rushing straight towards Artist.

Thirty steps, twenty-five steps, twenty steps…

As Artist’s mental countdown of Luo Ling’s life reached zero, he was shocked to see the ghostly figure show no signs of slowing down, only a few steps away from him.

How… how was this possible?

The Withering Flower had taken effect, it was draining her life force, there was no doubt about that.

But how could she, her body withering, still reach him?

Confusion filled Artist’s mind, but as he adjusted his monocle and looked at Luo Ling again, he finally understood.

“Such a… novel application…”

Luo Ling’s skin was rotting, chunks of foul flesh falling away, reeking of death.

But… this was the flesh created by Proliferation!

Luo Ling had used the Puppet Ballad’s second ability, Proliferation, on herself. The Spores had absorbed her stamina and grown more flesh and blood, which had shielded her from the Withering Flower’s effects, allowing her to exceed Artist’s expectations.

“Excellent, excellent… truly magnificent!”

Artist suddenly laughed. In his eyes, this was the most beautiful scene.

Death and the maiden, life and struggle, and the falling petals of the Withering Flower, there was no greater beauty in this world, a true masterpiece!

“I shall remember this moment,” Artist whispered, breaking off his entire index finger. “Miss, you deserve this Price.”

“It’s too late, you can’t afford the Price.”

Luo Ling’s voice suddenly echoed in Artist’s mind. It was… a Spore.

The moment Artist broke off his finger, the Spore Luo Ling had planted nearby sprang into action, attaching itself to the severed finger before it could form its inanimate outer layer.

He looked up and met the girl’s burning, dark gold eyes.

“You underestimated me, you always have,” Luo Ling whispered.

Finally, she was less than three steps away from Artist.

“Excellent,” Artist smiled. “But what can you do now that you’re close to me? Don’t tell me you think you have a chance in close combat?”

Although Artist was an Awakened One on the Myriad path, he was still a High-Order Awakened One, a member of the Harbingers of Calamity, with countless tricks up his sleeve. He wasn’t some helpless healer.

Luo Ling didn’t answer, letting her actions speak for themselves.

A rotting hand reached out towards the elegant dwarf, not to attack him, but towards…

—His High-Risk Grotesquery Sacred Tool, the Withering Flower.

Chapter 74: A Boisterous Woman, An Elegant Gentleman

The ringing of the phone startled Cen Xiangyun, who was hiding in a toilet stall, trying to escape her overzealous fans.

It seemed she hadn’t overestimated her popularity after all… it was just those two sisters who were unusual.

As she was contemplating her escape strategy, the phone she used for Awakened matters rang. It was an unknown number.

Cen Xiangyun’s first thought was that it was some annoying person from the Company. After all, besides Awakened Ones from the Company, few people had this number.

So, her initial tone wasn’t very friendly, but unexpectedly… the caller was one of the “few,” the Grotesque-side Awakened girl she had just given her business card to.

“Hold on, tell me your approximate location. Hiss… it seems Uncle Shaoheng needs to make a move.”

Cen Xiangyun mentally praised Uncle Shaoheng’s judgment while relaying the situation to him through their communication app.

“South of Huolu Mountain… I don’t know how far I’ve walked.”

“That’s enough. Please hold on for three minutes, we’ll be right there.”

Cen Xiangyun sent her location and Luo Ling’s approximate location to Li Shaoheng.

Just as she was about to leave the stall, a knock came on the door.

“I’m here, let’s go,” Uncle Shaoheng’s voice.

An Order path Awakened One, codenamed Spatial Distortion, possessing the ability to manipulate space. The specifics of his ability were unknown.

Cen Xiangyun only knew that Uncle Shaoheng could enlarge or shrink a space relative to his own position, achieving a teleportation-like effect.

Simply put, if a place was three hundred meters away from him, he could shorten that distance to thirty centimeters, but only for himself.

And since Li Shaoheng’s stride was about thirty centimeters, he would effectively move three hundred meters in that direction.

Conversely, if someone was a few meters away from him, he could enlarge that distance to several hundred meters, preventing them from approaching.

He had other abilities, but Li Shaoheng rarely used them, as this one was usually sufficient.

“Ah… okay.”

Cen Xiangyun quickly opened the stall door and was met with several stunned faces.

A group of girls had just entered the restroom and saw a middle-aged man standing at the stall door, holding a woman’s hand.

Fortunately, Cen Xiangyun had instinctively stepped back, keeping her face hidden. Otherwise… the headlines in a few days would be quite interesting.

“Pervert!”

The girls screamed, but the next moment, the restroom was empty, only they remained.

“…Did we see wrong?”

Due to the cognitive barrier, after exchanging confused glances, they dismissed the strange incident.

“Uncle Shaoheng, you actually came inside… this is the women’s restroom.”

“Apologies, time is of the essence.”

Within a minute, Li Shaoheng and Cen Xiangyun arrived at the foot of Huolu Mountain.

Li Shaoheng’s expression was grim. He looked up at the crescent moon in the sky, tinged with a faint, blood-like hue.

“This isn’t good. We’re inside an incubation barrier. And it seems… it hasn’t been active for long.”

“Another… Dangerous Grotesquery?” Cen Xiangyun’s eyes widened. “Why are there so many Dangerous Grotesqueries in Jiangcheng County? Even in the capital, encountering one a year is rare…”

Ji Shinian had told them about Baiyan Village before they came. Initially, she and Uncle Shaoheng had thought he was exaggerating. Even the weakest Dangerous Grotesquery wasn’t something a few Mid-Order Awakened Ones could handle.

They were more inclined to believe that Performer, now deceased, had killed the Dangerous Grotesquery. After all, the Harbingers of Calamity had their unique methods of dealing with Grotesqueries.

As for the other theory, about “Ji Ying” also being a Dangerous Grotesquery, they were skeptical.

The probability of two Dangerous Grotesqueries appearing in the same place was incredibly low.

But now…

“I’ll consider requesting reinforcements from the Company, but that’s not what we should be discussing now. We have to prepare for the worst,” Li Shaoheng said grimly, taking out a radar device. Besides a map, it also displayed a series of complex parameters.

It clearly served a similar purpose to An Yu’s compass, but much more sophisticated.

“How is it?”

Cen Xiangyun asked nervously.

Li Shaoheng’s expression turned strange, then he looked up towards the mountain, his eyes narrowing.

“The incubation site is moving! And… it’s heading south.”

South?

Wasn’t that the direction little Luo Ling had run in?

Cen Xiangyun was startled.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go after it!”

But Li Shaoheng didn’t move, looking at Cen Xiangyun intently.

“Are you sure that Grotesque-side Awakened One… is really an Awakened One?”

“I think… so?”

Cen Xiangyun said, then hesitated.

The reason she had assumed Luo Ling was a Grotesque-side Awakened One, not a Grotesquery, was because she looked human and seemed rational.

Ordinary Grotesqueries couldn’t do that. They only acted on instinct, driven by their respective paths.

…Unless it was a High-Risk Grotesquery, or even worse, something close to a Taboo.

There was a rule in the Company’s commission handling guidelines: if they encountered a Grotesquery indistinguishable from a human in any mission, under any circumstances, they had to abandon everything and retreat immediately, even if it meant abandoning their teammates.

Bringing back information about such a Grotesquery, even a single sentence, could save tens of thousands of lives.

This was the only rule in the guidelines that explicitly allowed for abandoning teammates, but Cen Xiangyun had never heard of anyone actually following it, and she had always thought it was a joke.

“I hope so.”

Li Shaoheng looked at Cen Xiangyun intently, then strapped a pouch containing a dozen small, handleless knives to his waist.

Cen Xiangyun knew this was Uncle Shaoheng’s Sacred Tool, meaning he was taking this seriously. He had brought out his Authority-imbued Sacred Tool, the Edge of Demise.

Yes, although Awakened Ones couldn’t possess Authorities, they weren’t completely cut off from them.

Eighteen people in the Company possessed Sacred Tools imbued with Authorities, all crafted from the Sacred Relics of High-Risk Grotesqueries, containing a portion of their power.

Of course, they couldn’t compare to those half-human, half-Grotesquery old geezers in the Harbingers. “Using” and “possessing” were two entirely different concepts.

“I hope so too…”

Cen Xiangyun muttered. She didn’t want to lose her year-end bonus, which was so close.

The hairpin Sacred Tool was beckoning…

Just as they were about to leave, they heard a series of claps from behind them, followed by a playful, boisterous voice.

“Well, well, well, look who it is. The Company actually sent you here, Mr. Spatial Distortion. Those toddlers in Jiangcheng County are quite resourceful, aren’t they?”

Hearing this voice, Li Shaoheng stopped in his tracks.

“Besides Artist, you’re here too?” He turned and looked at the one-eyed woman sitting casually on a stone bench at the foot of the mountain, his expression cold. “Scientist.”

“So glad you still remember me. I apologize, but just like last time, you’re not going anywhere today.”

Scientist snapped her fingers, a playful smile on her lips.

“Xiangyun, you go ahead. I’ll deal with her first,” Li Shaoheng said, turning to Cen Xiangyun.

“Her ability can Retrospect my actions. Even with Spatial Distortion, I can’t escape. Don’t worry, we’re probably not unlucky enough to encounter something more terrifying than a High-Risk Grotesquery. It’s most likely just an ‘egg’ chasing after that girl.”

That was what he said, but who could say for sure with Grotesqueries?

Perhaps on an ordinary afternoon, a city-destroying, or even region-destroying, disaster would appear.

But Li Shaoheng didn’t say these things. There would be plenty of time to teach his juniors later.

“…Mm.”

Cen Xiangyun nodded, glancing curiously at Scientist. This was her first time meeting a member of the Harbingers of Calamity.

One of humanity’s greatest enemies.

Sensing Cen Xiangyun’s gaze, Scientist smiled at her and said,

“Empress, I really enjoyed your ‘Butterfly Dynasty’ series. Don’t worry, I won’t kill you… at least not before the series ends. I don’t like unfinished stories.”

Hearing this, Cen Xiangyun felt a strange sense of dissonance. Would a public enemy of humanity watch movies?

“If you still want your year-end bonus, you better hurry up and go.”

Li Shaoheng touched the Edge of Demise at his waist, his gaze fixed on Scientist.

Although he knew her ability countered his, making it difficult to kill her here, he had to try.

Because she was evil, truly evil.

Scientist, in the name of research, had once requested Philosopher’s help in slaughtering two entire cities, killing everyone except for children under three years old with Philosopher’s ability.

Then, she had collected the surviving infants and children and conducted inhumane experiments on them.

The ultimate goal of her experiments was unknown, but as far as the Company knew, there were no survivors.

Li Shaoheng had encountered Scientist several times in Victoria years ago. Her Retrospect ability completely countered his spatial manipulation.

Even if he teleported hundreds or thousands of meters away, Scientist could instantly bring him back to his original position.

A very troublesome opponent…

However, to Scientist, Li Shaoheng’s ability was also uniquely troublesome. Fighting someone who could manipulate space wasn’t something she could handle with just Retrospect.

As fellow Awakened Ones on the difficult Order path, they understood each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

While Scientist and Li Shaoheng faced off, Cen Xiangyun quickly took out an ice crystal staff and ran towards the south of Huolu Mountain.

“Artist is over there. Aren’t you worried he’ll kill your little niece? I didn’t kill her, but Artist might. He doesn’t like movies that are too commercial.”

Scientist reminded him with a smile, casually removing her cat-faced eye patch, revealing a prosthetic eye with a living pupil embedded in it.

“I believe she can handle herself,” Li Shaoheng said grimly, drawing three throwing knives. “My only mission now is to kill you.”

…

Luo Ling had noticed.

She stopped running.

Looking up, a blood-red crescent moon hung in the sky, a chilling sight.

A new “egg” had been born.

Luo Ling knew she couldn’t escape the incubation barrier because she was now its core.

She hadn’t been an “egg” before, but now, she had been chosen, just like the white reishi and Li Tianming.

A power was welling up within her, a power she was all too familiar with.

…The Puppet Ballad.

Luo Ling wasn’t in her White Witch form and theoretically couldn’t use the Puppet Ballad’s abilities, but she now possessed this power.

“So this is what it feels like to be an ‘egg’ of the Puppet Ballad…”

Luo Ling chuckled softly.

The Puppet Ballad hadn’t implanted its mycelia into her body but was instead sensing her thoughts, her intentions, and lending her its power.

More accurately, if Luo Ling wanted to use an ability, the Puppet Ballad would use it for her, granting her the results.

No wonder Li Tianming and the white reishi could use the Puppet Ballad’s abilities without any training.

Who could resist such power without a price? The host of an “egg” would be tempted to use this power constantly, falling deeper and deeper into the abyss, their flesh and blood gradually replaced by white mycelia… until they became a part of the Puppet Ballad.

…There were no “Dangerous Grotesqueries,” no separate entities of the Puppet Ballad. There was only one High-Risk Grotesquery, a terrifying entity of Sequence Forty-Nine.

But through this, Luo Ling also discovered that the Puppet Ballad… was indeed in an unprecedentedly weakened state. It had to rely on “eggs” to accumulate power.

Why had it suddenly chosen her as an “egg” at this moment…?

Luo Ling thought of the “fake Grotesqueries” she had encountered at the shopping mall and instantly understood.

It must have encountered these “fake Grotesqueries” and, unable to distinguish between real and fake, greedily consumed them all.

But the problem was, there were no “eggs” left in Jiangcheng County. The Puppet Ballad had to create a new “egg” to absorb this power, and it seemed rather hasty.

Choosing Luo Ling was a mistake.

She was too familiar with this power. She knew its limits, how to use it, and its consequences.

Also, this situation confirmed one thing, something that reassured Luo Ling.

…Ji Ying wasn’t an “egg,” or at least, she wasn’t on the Puppet Ballad’s side. Otherwise, it wouldn’t need to create a new “egg.”

Her sister beside her stirred, about to wake up, but Luo Ling gently prevented her, not wanting her to see what was about to happen.

Someone was approaching.

And they weren’t friendly.

Luo Ling sat on the bench at the bus stop, waiting quietly.

Soon, a young man… or rather, a young man with a middle-aged face, slowly approached.

He wore an elegant tailcoat, perfectly tailored, and a slightly worn top hat with a gleaming gold insignia on the side.

A monocle was perched in his deep-set left eye socket, and he held a short cane in his hand.

Even just standing there, despite his somewhat comical appearance and height, the only impression he gave was… elegance.

He was an elegant gentleman.

Artist.

“Excellent. This Grotesquery’s situation is unexpected. It seems someone else killed Performer,” Artist glanced at Luo Ling and quickly assessed her state. “Miss, do you choose to end your own life, or shall I assist you?”

Luo Ling, having just become an “egg” and not yet having used the Puppet Ballad’s power for any benefit, was easily identified as having a weak connection to the Grotesquery.

If she were like the white reishi or Li Tianming, deeply entrenched and unable to extricate herself, she would likely be mistaken for an independent Grotesquery.

In fact, Performer had misjudged the Puppet Ballad’s strength because of this, not because she lacked Artist’s insight.

As for why he said someone else had killed Performer… Scientist’s Retrospect had revealed the truth. The white reishi that consumed Performer was at least between Sequence 120 and 150, a level that required a team of High-Order Awakened Ones to eliminate.

Although a higher Sequence didn’t always mean greater strength, it did indicate a certain level of power.

This dormant High-Risk Grotesquery, even using only a fraction of its power, had already reached the level of a Dangerous Grotesquery.

The “egg” currently attached to Luo Ling, however, was weaker.

At most, equivalent to a slightly stronger High-Order Awakened One.

Artist alone was enough.

Seeing Luo Ling’s silence, Artist shook his head and said softly,

“Such a youthful age… I can’t bear to see such a delicate flower wither before it blooms. Even if you don’t choose to end your own life, I will ensure your body remains intact, preserving this beauty.”

He took a step forward, but before he could make another move, an ice spike erupted from the ground, blocking his path.

Artist turned and saw a tall woman in a beret, holding an ice staff, her expression cold.

“A withered flower defiling art, a vulgar fool drowning in the stench of money,” Artist sneered at the sight of Cen Xiangyun. “Excellent, I’ve been wanting to kill someone from the Company.”

Chapter 73: Grotesque-Side Awakened, Blood Moon

“Seems you were gone for a while. What were you doing?”

A middle-aged man leaned against a wall in a secluded area, casually playing with a lighter in his hand. The small metal object flipped and spun effortlessly, yet upon closer inspection, his fingers weren’t actually touching it.

As if separated by an invisible barrier, a small gap remained between his fingers and the lighter.

“Uncle Shaoheng, it was only a minute, why so strict?”

Cen Xiangyun took off her sunglasses and chuckled, a playful glint in her eyes.

“During a mission, we must maintain focus and discipline, especially when our enemy is the Harbingers,” Li Shaoheng said, catching the lighter in mid-air and putting it in his pocket. His sharp gaze swept over Cen Xiangyun. “You just interacted with someone. I sensed an unusual aura.”

“Just a newbie Awakened One. I tried to recruit her for the Company, but she refused,” Cen Xiangyun said, resting her chin on her hand. “So rare, so rare. Finally found a Grotesque-side Awakened One. I was hoping she could help me meet my quarterly OKRs.”

The image of Luo Ling flashed through her mind. A pretty girl, with the right styling, she could definitely debut… perhaps she really could be a talent scout.

However, more than the girl’s appearance, it was her eyes that had caught her attention.

With her years of experience in makeup, Cen Xiangyun could tell at a glance that Luo Ling was wearing colored contacts, pure black ones… If it weren’t to conceal something unusual about her eyes, she wouldn’t wear that type.

Also, there seemed to be some strange scales on the girl’s temples…

“Hmm?”

Li Shaoheng’s expression turned serious.

A Grotesque-side Awakened One.

This type of Awakened One possessed abilities closer to the paths of Grotesqueries.

Although still on an Awakened path, they leaned more towards the Grotesque paths, their abilities exhibiting characteristics of Grotesqueries.

The members of the Harbingers of Calamity were mostly Grotesque-side Awakened Ones, which was why they could wield abilities that should belong to Grotesqueries.

Although the Harbingers’ methods were abhorrent, their philosophy wasn’t entirely wrong.

The abilities of Awakened Ones, compared to those of Grotesqueries, were indeed lacking. The most crucial difference was that only Awakened Ones who walked the Grotesquery paths could master “Authorities,” powers far surpassing ordinary abilities.

But in return, these Awakened Ones often had “flaws.”

Like Performer’s dissociative identity disorder, Scientist’s missing right eye, Artist’s dwarfism… and so on.

Cen Xiangyun had deduced that Luo Ling was a rare Grotesque-side Awakened One based on her eyes and the scales on her temples.

The known members of the Harbingers of Calamity, Philosopher, Educator, and Historian, all possessed Grotesquery Authorities, allowing them to contend against the powerful Company and other Awakened organizations despite their small numbers.

Therefore, knowing this, major Awakened organizations were actively searching for Grotesque-side Awakened Ones to explore the path to Authorities.

“Did you give her your business card?”

Li Shaoheng asked in a low voice.

“Of course, how could I not? This is related to my year-end bonus. But she didn’t seem interested,” Cen Xiangyun sighed dramatically. “I even revealed my face, and she didn’t even recognize me…”

The reason Cen Xiangyun had concealed her appearance at the shopping mall was because, besides being a Company employee, she also had another, more prominent identity.

—A popular celebrity.

Cen Xiangyun had starred in many popular films, and one of her movies was currently playing in theaters. She was a hot commodity.

Unfortunately, Luo Ling and Su Wan didn’t watch TV, or rather, they didn’t even have a TV or internet access, so… they had no idea who she was.

Their indifferent reaction made Cen Xiangyun wonder if the Company had been paying for fake fans to boost her popularity…

“That’s enough. When she encounters difficulties, she’ll come looking for you,” Li Shaoheng nodded slightly.

“I hope she comes before the end of this quarter… less than a month left.”

Cen Xiangyun scratched her head in frustration. It was all her agency’s fault for scheduling so many appearances.

She had finally managed to sneak away to Jiangcheng County with her uncle, using a Company mission as an excuse, to relax and catch up on her quarterly OKRs… which were directly tied to her year-end bonus.

The Company’s year-end bonus wasn’t just ordinary money; it was a large sum of merit points that could be exchanged for rewards.

With enough merit points, one could even obtain a top-tier Sacred Tool from a High-Risk Grotesquery.

Cen Xiangyun had been coveting a certain hairpin Sacred Tool for a long time, not just for its beauty, but also because it came from the Weeping Snow Woman, a Calamity path Grotesquery of Sequence 172, and would greatly enhance her abilities.

The Weeping Snow Woman had once caused a five-year blizzard in a region near the equator, making it as cold as the poles. The Company had dispatched two P9-level and seven P8-level specialists to resolve the disaster, a large-scale operation even by the Company’s standards.

Of course, the hairpin Sacred Tool was also very beautiful, which was a bonus.

“Let’s go. The Harbingers have released quite a few of these sand and pebble monsters,” Li Shaoheng’s eyes turned cold. “It’s most likely Artist’s doing, but he should still be in Victoria…”

“Victoria?” Cen Xiangyun was taken aback.

“Pretend you didn’t hear that. You’re not qualified to know such ‘knowledge’ yet,” Li Shaoheng said calmly.

“Oh,” Cen Xiangyun wisely didn’t press further, but then she remembered something and asked, “By the way, Uncle Shaoheng, can ordinary people… see Grotesqueries?”

She remembered clearly that Luo Ling’s sister had seen the fake Grotesquery created by Artist, but upon closer inspection, she had realized she was just an ordinary person.

Awakened Ones and ordinary people were easily distinguishable.

“Of course not,” Li Shaoheng shook his head decisively. “There’s a cognitive barrier between ordinary people, ordinary Awakened Ones, and Awakened Ones who have come into contact with Authorities.

“Ordinary people can’t see Grotesqueries, you can’t see some things I can’t tell you yet, and even I can’t see or perceive some things. Forcibly trying to perceive or understand them will only lead to cognitive contamination… in short, you’ll go insane.

“Like in that psychiatric hospital we went to this morning, some of the patients have been forcibly exposed to Grotesqueries by some entity, causing them to become insane, their perceptions completely distorted, unable to distinguish between reality and illusion.”

“It seems so…”

Cen Xiangyun nodded thoughtfully. She remembered Uncle Shaoheng questioning the director of the psychiatric hospital, the old man lying in bed, about why there were so many such patients in Jiangcheng County.

But the old man had looked confused, not even understanding what Uncle Shaoheng was talking about.

…After all, Jiangcheng County was just a small place, with little history, so there weren’t many Awakened Ones. If it weren’t for the fact that the old man had helped the Company find someone important in the past and had earned some favors, they wouldn’t have come here.

“That’s strange, her sister could see it, but she didn’t go insane…” Cen Xiangyun frowned.

“Perhaps she’s awakened, but too weak to fully perceive it, or there’s some other reason. In any case, although it’s rare… it’s not unheard of. It’s not a big deal, as long as she’s not insane,” Li Shaoheng said. “However, if that newbie comes looking for you, you should warn her.”

“Mm, of course.”

Cen Xiangyun nodded and turned to continue dealing with the wandering sand and pebble monsters.

But after just a few steps, Li Shaoheng heard excited shouts nearby.

“Ah, it’s Empress! Empress is actually in Jiangcheng County!”

“Wow… it really is Empress! I just watched her movie, and now I’m meeting her in person!”

“Empress, can I have your autograph?”

Li Shaoheng turned and saw Cen Xiangyun surrounded by fans, trying to escape.

During their conversation, she had taken off her mask and sunglasses and forgotten to put them back on… And she had run into a group of moviegoers who had just watched her film, quite a coincidence.

“…”

Li Shaoheng twitched his lips and quietly retreated before Cen Xiangyun could ask for help.

“It’s best for elders not to interfere in the affairs of the young.”

…

“Did you hear? Empress is in our Jiangcheng County, right here in the shopping mall!”

“Oh my god, really? Let’s go, let’s go see…”

“A real person! A living person!”

Luo Ling watched as the excited crowd surged towards the direction she had just come from, hearing them talk about a celebrity.

She wasn’t interested, especially since… there was a Company employee there, dealing with a Grotesquery incident.

It was best not to involve her sister in such matters.

Su Wan was curious, having never met a celebrity before, but seeing her sister’s determined grip on her hand, she gave up.

Huolu Mountain was not far from their home, a small, local scenic spot, with many tourists and locals hiking and exercising there every morning and evening.

The sisters had occasionally taken walks there, but they rarely hiked up the mountain.

Because they never had the time.

On this rare day off, Luo Ling had planned…

“I heard the sunset at Huolu Mountain is beautiful,” Su Wan chuckled. “There are even some old legends about couples making vows at sunset, promising to be together forever… I didn’t expect your first time watching the sunset at Huolu Mountain would be with your older sister.”

“It’s quite nice, isn’t it?” Luo Ling said. “Sister and I, we can also…”

“Stop, don’t say it,” Su Wan placed a finger on Luo Ling’s lips, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “I can say it, but when you say it with that serious look… it’s too much for me to handle.”

“…Sister.”

Luo Ling’s eye twitched. She also found it cheesy, but it was her sister who always talked to her like this, so she had learned it from her.

However, her sister’s teasing made Luo Ling relax, temporarily putting aside the matters of Grotesqueries.

They walked and climbed, reaching the peak of Huolu Mountain just as dusk approached.

For some reason, there were very few people at the summit today, only Luo Ling and Su Wan, which they were grateful for. No one to disturb their peaceful moment together.

The setting sun painted the sky in vibrant hues of red, a breathtaking sight.

“So beautiful…”

Luo Ling sat on a rock, resting her chin on her knees, gazing at the magnificent sunset.

“Yes, it is.”

Su Wan carefully sat beside Luo Ling, leaning against her shoulder.

She wasn’t looking at the sunset, but at the person watching the sunset, a smile playing on her lips.

Darkness gradually devoured the vibrant red. Nightfall came quickly in winter, and soon, the stars began to twinkle in the sky.

A crescent moon rose, tinged with the lingering red of the sunset.

Su Wan continued to lean against Luo Ling, who didn’t move, content with this quiet moment.

Just then, Luo Ling’s phone vibrated, startling her. She had forgotten to put it away in her hair when she rushed out to find her sister.

However…

Luo Ling glanced at her sister, who had closed her eyes and seemed to be asleep, not noticing the phone’s vibration.

Good, she hadn’t been discovered.

This phone wasn’t cheap, eight hundred yuan. It would be bad if her sister saw…

“Who would message me at this hour?”

Luo Ling wondered, taking out her phone and seeing an unexpected name.

“Seer?”

Luo Ling unlocked the screen and saw a dozen messages from the Seer. Slightly alarmed, she quickly checked them.

“Little Xiao Bai! I remember! I remember everything!”

“I remember where the big mushroom appeared! It was the moon! A broken, red moon! I saw it when I went to pick mushrooms!”

“Wahhhhh… look up! The moon was like this! The big mushroom crawled out from under this moon!”

“Help! The big mushroom is coming again!”

“Eh, the moon isn’t red now?”

“Ahhh, never mind, just run, run, run, run… if you don’t run, the big mushroom will eat you!”

“…”

After a series of nonsensical messages, there was a voice message.

Luo Ling, still in shock, clicked on the voice message. It wasn’t the Seer’s voice, but someone else, a unique voice she immediately recognized.

—Gypsy Girl, that eccentric, rambling woman.

“Sorry, little Bai, the Seer has entered her Premonition state again, but this time, it doesn’t seem good…”

“It seems you don’t like our subtle way of speaking, thinking we’re all cryptic… Don’t worry, this time, your dear Sister Gypsy will interpret this premonition for you and tell you the truth directly.”

“Simply put, this mysterious High-Risk Grotesquery spawns ‘eggs’ under a crescent moon to gather the power it needs to awaken.”

“If you see a red moon, I suggest you leave immediately. It means… a new ‘egg’ will appear where you are.”

“Heh, good luck.”

The moment the voice message ended, Luo Ling didn’t hesitate. She picked up her drowsy sister and ran down the mountain.

Because she had already seen the crescent moon in the sky, the crimson color like the sunset wasn’t an illusion, but a terrifying reality.

The normally pale moonlight seemed to be deepening, a faint, bloody mist enveloping the surroundings, a crimson glow spreading across the ground.

“…”

Luo Ling gritted her teeth. Why did Grotesquery incidents always find her and her sister?

If it were just her, it would be fine, but her sister was just an ordinary person.

Facing the Puppet Ballad, even just one of its “eggs,” could be fatal, or even worse.

Her sister was still asleep, perhaps from exhaustion, or perhaps influenced by the blood-red moonlight.

In her sleep, Luo Ling could hear her soft murmurs,

“Xiao Ling…”

“Damn it,” Luo Ling looked up at the crescent moon hanging in the sky, its crimson hue deepening. “Why haven’t we left the area yet…?”

…What should she do?

Should she call the exchange group?

But they seemed too weak to handle this kind of Grotesquery…

In her panic, Luo Ling saw a business card peeking out from her pocket.

Right, there was still the Company!

The Company could definitely handle this!

Luo Ling immediately took out her sister’s old flip phone and dialed the number on the business card.

The phone rang a few times, then a weak voice answered,

“Hello, who is this? Speak quickly, I’m busy.”

“It’s me… Luo Ling,” Luo Ling whispered. “I’ve encountered a Grotesquery! I’m running!”

Hearing Luo Ling’s voice, the person on the other end seemed surprised, pausing for a moment before replying,

“Huh? My year-end bonus has arrived so soon?”

Chapter 72: A Daily Life Difficult to Maintain

November in Jiangcheng County, though located in the south, wasn’t quite blanketed in snow, but the biting winter wind had people bundled in thick layers.

Luo Ling rubbed her hands together, shivering slightly as she exhaled, her breath misting in the cold air.

“Too cold?”

Su Wan took Luo Ling’s hands in hers, sharing her warmth.

“Not really…”

“Still trying to act tough. You’ve always been like this, always cold hands and feet, needing me to warm them up every night before you could sleep,” Su Wan chuckled. “Want to buy some warmer gloves? It won’t count as a birthday present, just a necessary item.”

“…Mm.”

Luo Ling nodded, carefully controlling her strength so as not to hurt her sister’s hand.

Luo Ling was still incredibly strong, about ten times the grip strength of an average adult, but she could now control it, preventing accidental injuries.

However, this level of strength wasn’t remarkable among Awakened Ones on the Judgment path. Ancient Martial Artist Liu Songyi possessed the terrifying power to shatter steel plates with his bare hands, and even Yang Meili, not known for her strength, was about as strong as Luo Ling.

Luo Ling’s struggles stemmed from her lack of technique in controlling her power.

After some practice, she could at least manage daily life without incident.

Luo Ling and Su Wan had come to the city’s shopping mall not for any specific purpose, but simply to spend time together.

It was rare for her sister to have a whole day off, and Luo Ling wanted to accompany her, whether it was her birthday or not. Her sister worked too hard.

Few people were outside in the cold, but the shopping mall was bustling with people.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, there were many couples, but Luo Ling and Su Wan, holding hands, looked more like close friends than sisters.

They rarely came to the shopping mall and looked at everything with curiosity, but the prices on the tags quickly discouraged them.

“Things are so expensive in the city…”

Su Wan worried if she had brought enough money.

The fifteen hundred yuan she had might only be enough for two pieces of clothing.

She still had to treat Xiao Ling to a birthday dinner later, she couldn’t spend Xiao Ling’s money so quickly…

Luo Ling, observing Su Wan discreetly, noticed her sister’s gaze lingering on a plain, white dress several times, seemingly drawn to it.

She glanced at the price tag: twelve hundred yuan. Completely affordable.

“Sister’s birthday is coming up soon. I’ll buy it for her as a gift,” Luo Ling thought to herself.

After browsing several stores, Su Wan finally bought Luo Ling a pair of warm gloves for two hundred yuan. They were a cute, girly pink, with soft fluff around the wrists, looking a bit childish.

Perhaps in her sister’s eyes, she was still the little girl who always followed her around.

Su Wan wanted to buy her another piece of clothing, but Luo Ling refused, saying she had just bought some recently. Su Wan could only give up.

They could use the extra money for a nicer meal.

The prices in the shopping mall were indeed high. Two hundred yuan for gloves was unthinkable; Luo Ling’s most expensive pair before had only cost twenty or thirty yuan.

It was almost noon, and they found a Korean BBQ restaurant, wanting to try it since neither of them had ever had it before.

“Is it good?”

Su Wan asked, flipping the meat on the grill and placing a piece in Luo Ling’s bowl.

“Mm, it’s delicious,” Luo Ling said, looking at the untouched dipping sauce in Su Wan’s bowl. “Sister, you should try it too.”

“No rush, you’re the birthday girl today,” Su Wan smiled gently. “I’ll eat after you’re satisfied.”

“It’s just a birthday, nothing special…”

Luo Ling looked out the window at the bustling shopping mall, everyone seemingly happy.

But… the terrifying scene from her dream hadn’t appeared.

The matters of Awakened Ones seemed like just a small interlude in their ordinary, everyday lives. It had been a week since Luo Ling had dealt with any of that, and she had gradually recovered from the events of Baiyan Village.

“Mm, it is quite tasty, just a bit expensive,” Su Wan said, taking a piece of meat after seeing Luo Ling slow down.

She looked up and saw her sister staring out the window, and asked curiously,

“Xiao Ling, what are you looking at?”

“…”

Luo Ling lowered her eyes, her gaze falling on the dipping sauce in front of her.

“Nothing, Sister.”

Impossible.

Luo Ling’s eyes trembled slightly, her chest rising and falling.

Had she… seen wrong?

Had she been having too many nightmares lately…?

No… perhaps, she hadn’t been mistaken.

Luo Ling discreetly shifted her gaze, looking out the window again.

A hunched figure, shuffling slowly through the bustling shopping mall, looking out of place.

Luo Ling recognized this old man.

She recognized him all too well.

“I wasn’t mistaken, that’s… Uncle Huang,” Luo Ling’s heart sank. “How is this possible? Whether it was the real Uncle Huang or the Meat Puppet, he should be dead… how could he be here?”

What had happened in the past week?

“Xiao Ling, are you feeling unwell?”

Su Wan noticed her sister’s sudden change in demeanor and quickly put down her chopsticks, but before she could stand up, Luo Ling stopped her.

“I’m fine, just… it’s a bit stuffy in here,” Luo Ling shook her head. “I’ll go out for some fresh air. You continue eating.”

“But…”

Su Wan hesitated.

They had only eaten about half of the food they had ordered. It would be a waste to leave.

“I’m fine, just getting some fresh air,” Luo Ling smiled. “I’m a grown-up now, I won’t disappear just by taking a walk. You wait here.”

Su Wan wanted to say more, but seeing Luo Ling’s expression, she suddenly understood.

Mm… so that was it.

Her sister must have felt she hadn’t eaten enough and was making an excuse to leave so she could finish the rest of the food.

“Alright, don’t go too far,” Su Wan sat back down and picked up her chopsticks. “I haven’t really had a chance to try this yet, heh…”

Her sister was so considerate now. As the older sister, she had to understand her sister’s intentions.

Luo Ling, who had been thinking of how to reassure her sister, was relieved that Su Wan had changed her mind.

“Don’t worry, I’m just taking a walk.”

Luo Ling picked up her gloves from the table and walked out of the restaurant.

Avoiding her sister’s gaze, Luo Ling paid the bill and headed towards the shopping mall.

Old Man Huang was gone, but Luo Ling hadn’t planned to confront him directly.

Finding a deserted corner, she quickly transformed into her White Witch form, sending out a few Spores to scout the area, then checked the group chat on her phone.

Two new members had been added to the group.

[Company Dispatch Specialist – Cen Xiangyun]

[Company Dispatch Specialist – Li Shaoheng]

So these were the Company personnel Ji Shinian had called for.

Their profile pictures were of themselves. Cen Xiangyun looked like a fashionable city woman, while Li Shaoheng was a stern-looking middle-aged man.

There hadn’t been any messages in the exchange group for a week, but today, just like Luo Ling, they had also discovered the deceased villagers of Baiyan Village appearing in the city.

After attempting to make contact, they realized these villagers were merely puppets. Killing them would turn them into piles of sand and pebbles.

Although they posed no immediate threat, unsure of the potential consequences, the exchange group was currently trying to eliminate them, but it wasn’t going smoothly, as they had to avoid being seen by ordinary people.

“Sand and pebbles turning into living beings, it must be an Awakened One on the Myriad path…” Luo Ling’s eyes flickered.

There was someone in Performer’s memories who fit the description.

…Artist.

Realizing that this trouble was caused by the Harbingers of Calamity, Luo Ling secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Dealing with the Harbingers of Calamity was much easier than dealing with the Puppet Ballad…

At least, Luo Ling had some understanding of this relatively mysterious organization from Performer’s memories, unlike the Puppet Ballad, which was mostly unknown and terrifying.

However, what was the Harbingers’ purpose in doing this?

These sand and pebble Meat Puppets were just empty shells. Killing them would turn them back into sand and pebbles. They didn’t possess the terrifying ability to consume flesh and blood like real Meat Puppets.

Of course, they looked very similar.

…Wait, looked similar?

A thought struck Luo Ling. Her Spores had also located Old Man Huang, who was wandering around the shopping mall.

“Not only do they look similar, but even their auras…”

Luo Ling’s expression turned grim. She had seen the Meat Puppet version of Old Man Huang, and it was almost identical to the one before her now.

However, she was certain that this “Old Man Huang” was harmless.

Just a pile of moving sand and pebbles.

So, Artist’s target couldn’t be Jiangcheng County, or the exchange group…

His target, from the beginning, was the same as Performer’s.

—The High-Risk Grotesquery, the Puppet Ballad.

“So, it’s a trap…” Luo Ling took a deep breath. “It seems they’ve already figured out that the Puppet Ballad’s ‘eggs’ will devour each other.”

The reason for releasing these fake Meat Puppets into the city was to lure out the “eggs.”

Luo Ling suddenly thought of Ji Ying.

…Would she appear?

Was she truly an “egg”?

These questions, although Luo Ling had been deliberately suppressing them, still lingered in her mind.

Just as Luo Ling was lost in thought, she saw a familiar figure through her Spores.

…Her sister?

Why was she out here?

Luo Ling looked down at the time and instantly understood.

Half an hour had passed unknowingly…

Su Wan, her face filled with anxiety, was asking people if they had seen Luo Ling. She was about to approach “Old Man Huang.”

No, she couldn’t let her sister come into contact with “Old Man Huang”!

Even though she knew these sand and pebble beings were harmless, Luo Ling still didn’t want her sister to encounter them.

She immediately transformed back into her normal form, picked up her gloves, and walked towards the location indicated by her Spores.

“Have you seen a girl about this tall, wearing pink gloves? …Sorry to bother you.”

Su Wan was anxious. After finishing the barbecue, she had waited for a while, but her sister hadn’t returned.

When she went to pay the bill, she found that Luo Ling had already paid.

A wave of negative thoughts washed over Su Wan. She even absurdly imagined that her sister had run away from home, abandoning her.

That was why she had been frantically asking around.

Just as she was about to approach an elderly man with a limp, she felt a tug on her sleeve.

“Sister, I’m here.”

Luo Ling, slightly out of breath, had rushed over just in time.

“Xiao Ling… you’re okay,” Su Wan breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest. “You scared me, I thought…”

“I just got lost,” Luo Ling said calmly, her gaze involuntarily falling on “Old Man Huang” not far away.

Indeed, seeing him with her own eyes, the resemblance was even more striking…

Terrifyingly so.

However, the exchange group and the Company were eliminating these fake Meat Puppets, they should notice this one soon.

To avoid any accidents, it was best to take her sister away quickly.

“Sister, I want to go somewhere else. Let’s go to Huolu Mountain. I heard the sunset there is beautiful,” Luo Ling said, turning to Su Wan.

“Ah… sure, anything you want. It’s your birthday,” Su Wan nodded, ruffling Luo Ling’s hair.

As she raised her hand, she noticed a small tear in her coat and frowned.

She had only bought this coat three years ago, why was the quality so poor…?

Never mind, she would mend it when they got home, she could still wear it.

Luo Ling carefully took Su Wan’s hand and led her away from “Old Man Huang.”

“Excuse me, ladies.”

A clear, unfamiliar female voice called out from behind them, a mature, composed voice that commanded attention.

Luo Ling turned and saw a woman in a khaki trench coat and a white beret, her face hidden behind a mask and sunglasses, as if trying to conceal her identity.

The woman lowered her sunglasses slightly, her gaze fixed on Luo Ling.

“Xiao Ling, do… you know her?” Su Wan asked, puzzled.

The woman looked like a celebrity, not someone they would know…

“Who are you?”

Luo Ling asked, though she already knew the answer.

Cen Xiangyun, a Company employee. Besides her clothes, she looked exactly like her profile picture.

Luo Ling wasn’t surprised that Cen Xiangyun was here, but she was surprised that she had called out to her.

Why…?

“Hello, I’m from Huaxing International Limited Liability Company. Here’s my business card. Could I borrow a few minutes of your time to ask you a few questions?”

Cen Xiangyun’s voice was pleasant, the kind of voice that made people want to listen.

On the business card she handed to Luo Ling was her name, and… her codename.

Elemental: Ice.

A single word, “Ice,” was enough to explain her ability.

Luo Ling didn’t take the business card, simply staring at Cen Xiangyun.

“You’re also an Awakened One, aren’t you?” Cen Xiangyun said, her smile evident even behind the mask.

…Had she been seen through?

Luo Ling’s eyes narrowed. She glanced at her sister, who looked bewildered, and her expression darkened.

Why bring up these things when her sister was here…?

She didn’t want to involve her sister in this.

“Your sister is an ordinary person, right? It’s fine, this ‘information’ doesn’t matter to ordinary people. This disordered world has a certain degree of cognitive correction,” Cen Xiangyun seemed to sense Luo Ling’s annoyance and patiently explained.

Was that so?

Luo Ling was surprised. This was the first time she had heard of this.

Thinking about it, it seemed to be true.

She hadn’t hidden anything when discussing Awakened matters with Ji Ying.

Even in Qingshan Hospital, the members of the exchange group hadn’t been very secretive.

Luo Ling hadn’t paid much attention to these details until Cen Xiangyun mentioned it.

“You can see that fake Grotesquery, right? Ordinary people can’t,” Cen Xiangyun said. “Have you considered joining the Company? We’re a large Awakened organization. I see you have great potential, you would definitely pass our interview!”

Luo Ling was taken aback by Cen Xiangyun’s words. She hadn’t expected her to stop her just to… recruit her?

She must have thought Luo Ling hadn’t joined any organization since she hadn’t seen her in the exchange group…

But then again, “Luo Ling” was indeed a rogue Awakened One.

“Sorry, I’m not interested,” Luo Ling shook her head, pushing the business card back.

But Cen Xiangyun didn’t take it back, instead, she slipped it into Luo Ling’s pocket and said,

“Don’t be so quick to refuse. You might change your mind later. By the way, miss, could you tell me your sister’s name?”

Cen Xiangyun looked at Su Wan, a strange glint in her beautiful eyes behind her sunglasses.

“…Huh?” Su Wan, who had been listening in confusion, finally spoke. “What… what do you want?”

“I’m a talent scout. Your sister has great potential to be a star. I just wanted to know her thoughts. She could become a household name in the future!”

Cen Xiangyun gave Luo Ling a thumbs-up, and Su Wan was flattered. “Xiao Ling… is really that amazing?”

“My name is Luo Ling. Don’t bother my sister,” Luo Ling said in a low voice, shielding Su Wan behind her. “I don’t want to get involved in these things. Deal with them yourselves.”

If her sister weren’t here, she might have helped Cen Xiangyun deal with these fake Meat Puppets.

But now, she just wanted to take her sister away from this place.

“Alright, perhaps we’ll meet again. The Company’s doors are always open to you.”

Cen Xiangyun didn’t press the matter, waved at Luo Ling, and walked towards “Old Man Huang.”

Without a sound, “Old Man Huang” instantly collapsed into a pile of ice-covered sand and pebbles, startling the nearby passersby, who looked up at the ceiling, thinking something had fallen from above.

When Luo Ling looked again, Cen Xiangyun was gone.

Chapter 71: Nightmare, Harbinger

A path of intertwined destinies.

Dusk.

The bustling crowds in the city didn’t reassure Luo Ling but instead filled her with a deep sense of unease.

She saw the people around her stop and stare, their gazes cold and terrifying.

…Just like the villagers of Baiyan Village.

A terrifying dark gold glint flickered in Luo Ling’s eyes.

But in the next moment, the noise returned, the street bustling with people as usual, everything she had just seen seemingly an illusion.

“What’s wrong with me…?”

Luo Ling rubbed her temples, her head feeling heavy.

A puddle on the ground reflected her face, the striking color of her eyes impossible to hide.

She saw herself sneering.

“Luo Ling.”

A familiar voice, unexpected yet familiar, echoed from behind her.

“…?”

Luo Ling turned and saw the tall woman, still shrouded in mystery, standing less than five meters away.

“Ji Ying…”

She had appeared again.

Was this a hallucination?

“I’ve found the Puppet Ballad. Let’s go kill it together.”

Ji Ying extended a hand towards Luo Ling, her calm gaze so familiar, as if it had always been this way in Luo Ling’s memories, even when she had consumed Performer’s head in the corpse-filled subterranean cavern.

“Kill it? Me?”

Luo Ling took a step back.

She knew that the Puppet Ballad wasn’t something she could handle in her current state. Even just one of its “eggs,” a fragment of its power, had taken everything she had.

“Yes, only you can kill the Puppet Ballad,” Ji Ying said. “Come, join me…”

No…

She saw Ji Ying smile, her lips splitting open to her ears.

A row of sharp, twisted teeth, held together by mycelia in the scant flesh, framed what could barely be called a mouth.

The bustling noise of the street fell silent, and Luo Ling turned to see everyone staring at her.

Everyone was smiling.

“Come…”

Run.

Luo Ling didn’t hesitate. She turned and ran.

But Ji Ying’s voice followed her, neither close nor distant, calm and clear.

“Come… Luo Ling… come to me…”

Avoid the crowds, escape from Ji Ying.

This was the only thought in Luo Ling’s mind. She ran for an unknown amount of time, an unknown distance, until she finally came to her senses, alone, the nightmarish voice gone.

Had she… finally escaped?

So tired…

Luo Ling looked up and found herself back in the most familiar place.

Home.

Her sister was inside.

The aroma of food wafted through the air, and through the window, she saw her sister’s busy figure in the kitchen.

Even now, Luo Ling felt a sense of peace.

“I’m home.”

She opened the door as usual, leaning against the wall in exhaustion.

“Welcome back.”

Her sister walked over, took Luo Ling’s backpack, and led her to the dining table.

“Tired?”

Her sister’s gentle voice was as always.

“Mm.”

Luo Ling nodded wearily.

She looked up, a thick fog clouding her vision.

She couldn’t even see her sister’s face clearly.

“If you’re tired, get some rest,” her sister said, smiling.

A sudden sense of foreboding washed over Luo Ling.

No.

No, no, no…

White mycelia.

Slowly emerging.

Her sister’s smile widened, splitting to her ears.

The fragrant dishes on the table turned into dry bones and rotting flesh.

“Sister will always be with you… loves you.”

“No!”

Luo Ling bolted upright in bed, her back drenched in cold sweat.

She gasped for air, turning to see her own burning eyes in the mirror.

She was in her bed, the first light of dawn appearing outside the window.

Everything she had just experienced…

Was it… just a dream?

Yes, a dream.

Even though a week had passed, Luo Ling still couldn’t forget, occasionally dreaming of those horrifying fragments.

Ji Ying, transformed into an “egg,” trying to consume her, Elsa and the others being dragged into a bottomless abyss by the Puppet Ballad, completely controlled. But the most terrifying was tonight’s nightmare.

This was the first time she had dreamed of her sister.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Ling?”

Her sister’s anxious voice came from outside, along with hurried footsteps.

She opened the door, still wearing her apron, seemingly preparing breakfast.

“Nothing… it’s nothing…”

Luo Ling turned her face away, trying to hide her unusual eyes.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

Her sister approached, and Luo Ling instinctively recoiled but was pulled into a warm embrace.

“Honestly, you’re such a big girl now, Xiao Ling,” her sister said softly, stroking her hair. “Don’t be afraid, dreams are fake, they’re the opposite of reality.”

“Mm…”

Luo Ling mumbled in response.

Why had she instinctively resisted just now…?

Did she think her sister would be a monster like in her dream?

…Was it possible?

Feeling her sister’s warm embrace and the familiar scent of her perfume, Luo Ling reminded herself not to fall into such absurd thoughts.

But… now, she was truly afraid.

In Baiyan Village, she had repeatedly suppressed such thoughts, but now, she couldn’t control them anymore.

Now was the perfect opportunity to confirm.

Luo Ling always kept Ji Ying’s dagger hidden at her waist. At this distance, she just had to draw it and lightly cut her sister’s skin to be certain.

Should she do it?

If she did, what would she do?

If she didn’t, what would she do?

Either way, she would be hurting her beloved sister.

Luo Ling’s fingertips touched the icy cold metal at her waist. A single, small movement would be enough to end her worries.

“Xiao Ling… you’re still scared,” her sister chuckled. “After all these years, you haven’t changed at all. You always bite your lower lip when you’re scared… oh dear, you’ve even drawn blood!”

Her sister seemed startled, releasing her embrace and gently wiping away the blood from Luo Ling’s lip with her finger.

“Blood…”

Luo Ling stared at her sister’s finger.

It wasn’t her blood.

There seemed to be… a fresh cut on her sister’s finger.

“Oh dear, you caught me. Sister is such a klutz,” her sister chuckled. “I accidentally cut my finger while slicing ham this morning, honestly…”

It was her sister’s blood.

Flesh and blood… not mycelia.

Luo Ling relaxed, relief washing over her.

Good, she didn’t have to confirm it herself.

Her sister was her sister, not some monster…

How wonderful.

“No need to look so shocked. It’s just a small cut. You’ll make Sister sad if you react like this,” Su Wan said, gently tapping Luo Ling’s forehead.

“No, I just think… Sister is so good.”

Luo Ling hugged her sister again, her body relaxing.

“Xiao Ling, you really are… alright, since you’re awake, come down for breakfast after you wash up,” Su Wan pinched Luo Ling’s cheek. “Today is your birthday, and I promised you, Sister is all yours today.”

She held up a few red bills, a gentle smile on her lips. “You can do whatever you want. Sister still has some money.”

Birthday…

It was indeed around this time.

Even Luo Ling herself couldn’t remember her actual birthday. She had been an orphan, and her sister had chosen the day she adopted her as her birthday.

Every year, they would share a bowl of longevity noodles, and that was it.

However, perhaps because Su Wan felt she hadn’t spent enough time with her sister, after Luo Ling “recovered,” she had promised to take a day off on her birthday, so they could create some happy memories together.

So much had happened recently that Luo Ling had forgotten about it. She hadn’t expected her sister to remember, even saving some money despite their tight finances.

“I… mm, okay.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly, then hesitated and said, “Actually, I have a thousand yuan…”

She didn’t dare take out all the money she had, even after spending some, she still had over forty thousand.

But that was an astronomical sum for her sister.

“Huh?” Su Wan looked surprised, then, as if realizing something, she covered her mouth with a trembling hand and asked, “Xiao Ling… where did you get so much money?”

“It’s a new grant for underprivileged students,” Luo Ling lied without changing her expression. “My homeroom teacher knows about our situation and gave it to me in advance.”

Luo Ling had been receiving grants for underprivileged students, but it wasn’t much, and most of it went towards school fees.

“I see… that makes sense. Xiao Ling is a good girl, Sister isn’t worried,” Su Wan seemed relieved. She stood up and patted her apron. “Alright, come down for breakfast later, and then we’ll go out.”

“Mm.”

As Luo Ling watched her sister leave the room, she turned to look at the full-length mirror.

The dark gold in her eyes had faded, leaving only a faint red tinge, and the blue scales on her temples had also receded. The effects of her demonic transformation were disappearing, but some traces remained.

“I should put on my contacts.”

…

“Hiss, I see… I understand.”

A tall woman in a heavy trench coat crouched on the ground, her right eye replaced with a mechanical prosthetic, emitting a faint golden glow.

She was surrounded by abandoned, moss-covered houses. It was a deserted village.

—Baiyan Village.

Scientist put on her cat-faced eye patch, a playful smile on her lips.

“It seems Performer underestimated her opponent. This isn’t a Dangerous Grotesquery…”

“You mean… a High-Risk Grotesquery?”

The young man with a monocle stood beside her, his expression grim.

“Yes, but in a weakened state. And this is just a part of it, a severed ‘limb,’ so Performer mistook it for a Dangerous Grotesquery,” Scientist nodded, crossing her arms. “It’s not her fault, though, tsk, tsk, what a gruesome death, watching yourself being eaten alive can’t be a pleasant experience.”

“Can you tell which one it is?”

“No, I’ve never seen it before. It must have only appeared in some suppressed Disorder.”

“Alright… what else did you see in the Retrospect?” Artist asked seriously. “If it was just a part of a High-Risk Grotesquery, it shouldn’t have been able to kill Performer completely. She possessed a blessing from a Taboo.”

Grotesqueries within the top fifty Sequences were called Dangerous Grotesqueries, while Taboos… were the top ten.

The appearance of a Taboo was a devastating blow to this already disordered world. Fortunately, there were currently no known Taboos in existence.

Of course, even so, being able to obtain a portion of a Taboo’s power was a secret of the Harbingers.

“Mm, sorry, I couldn’t see clearly. Retrospect is easily disrupted. If it weren’t for this Peeping Eye I created, the information would be even more fragmented and chaotic.”

Scientist pointed at her cat-faced eye patch and shrugged. “But it wasn’t completely fruitless. The last time I possessed Performer, I saw a white-haired little girl next to Elsa. She’s most likely the culprit.”

She paused, then rubbed her chin and continued,

“But I didn’t see how the subterranean cavern and the corpses disappeared… I don’t believe that bunch of toddlers in Jiangcheng County has that kind of power. The Company wasn’t there yet, and the Speaker was preoccupied.

“Ah, too bad I’ve used up the Anchor Point. I can’t use Retrospect again.”

Scientist was an Awakened One on the Order path. Her ability, Retrospect, required a pre-set Anchor Point.

She had habitually left an Anchor Point in Baiyan Village when she possessed Performer, allowing her to see what had happened.

However, the reason they had waited a week before coming to Baiyan Village was mainly because the Company had also arrived in Jiangcheng County when they did.

Scientist and Artist didn’t care about the Awakened Ones in Jiangcheng County, who weren’t even High-Order and weren’t qualified to know the truth.

They were confident that any one of them could easily wipe out those “toddlers.”

But the Company was different. Out of caution, Scientist and Artist had held back.

“Perhaps another limb of this High-Risk Grotesquery cleaned up the battlefield… It seems to have an ‘assimilation’ characteristic,” Scientist mused. “Perhaps we can start from there. Hiss, I really don’t want to give up. High-Risk Grotesqueries aren’t easy to find…”

“Leave it to me.”

Artist nodded and clapped his hands.

Countless grains of sand and pebbles rose from the ground, gradually coalescing.

After a rhythmic clinking, the sand and pebbles formed human shapes, flesh and blood slowly growing over them.

“Although the traces have been erased… living beings aren’t the only ones with memories,” Artist murmured. “Everything has a spirit, that is the true meaning of Myriad.”

One by one, the villagers of Baiyan Village reappeared, their bodies mangled and dismembered, wrapped in white mycelia, their expressions frozen in the moment of their deaths.

“My, my, what a gruesome way to die.”

Scientist simply tsked, unfazed by the horrifying sight.

Artist’s face paled slightly, the strain evident.

“I can only imitate them to this extent. For a more perfect replica, I would need to use the blessing.”

Although Performer had used the blessing frequently, its price was heavy. She had only used it so recklessly because she believed the rewards outweighed the cost.

“This should be enough. Make them look a bit more human and throw them into the city,” Scientist chuckled. “It will come looking for them itself, seeking more ‘assimilation.’”

Creating Grotesquery-like beings to lure out the mysterious limb.

Once they captured the limb, finding the dormant main body would be much easier.

A blessing from a Taboo might not be enough to suppress a High-Risk Grotesquery, but if it was dormant… that was a different story.

“But the Company might deal with them first…”

Artist frowned.

“No need to be so cautious, Artist. They should be the ones worried,” Scientist slapped Artist’s back heartily and laughed. “Worst case scenario, you just have to make more. As long as someone dies in the city, you can recover, right?”

The Company was afraid of casualties, afraid of the impact, but they weren’t.

They were just expendable pawns. Even if they survived this time, they were destined to fall into the abyss, returning to nothingness, in some future Disorder.

That was what the Harbingers believed.

“Mm.”

Artist closed his eyes. Perhaps he was being too cautious.

His encounter with the Company during the Victorian era had left a deep impression on him… after all, that had been the Company’s golden age.

He hoped the Company employees in Jiangcheng County this time weren’t regulars, but just outsourced.

The villagers’ mangled bodies slowly healed, white mycelia filling in the missing flesh and blood, restoring them to their former appearances, but with blank, vacant expressions.

They began to walk, their movements initially clumsy, but gradually becoming more fluid, as they dispersed into the forest, heading towards the city of Jiangcheng County.

Like the walking dead.

Chapter 70: A World of Intertwined Eras

The roar of the train was deafening. A young man with a monocle sat stiffly upright, a trench coat that was clearly too large for him somehow looking perfectly tailored.

Sitting opposite him was a tall, boisterous woman, a heavy leather coat draped haphazardly over her shoulders. Most striking was the eye patch covering her right eye… adorned with a childishly drawn cat face that clashed starkly with her rugged appearance.

A fireplace flickered, casting a warm glow on the classically styled train car. Outside, an endless night enveloped the steam train as it hurtled towards an unknown destination.

Artist and Scientist.

“Performer is dead,” Artist said, a glint of silver flashing across his monocle. “I can no longer sense her presence.”

“Oh dear, even after I intervened, she still died? How useless,” Scientist said, unimpressed.

“It means there’s a power in Jiangcheng County capable of killing her,” Artist replied, his tone serious. “Don’t forget what our greatest advantage is… what we possess, Performer also possessed, yet she still died.”

Scientist leaned back languidly on the sofa, picking her teeth with a dagger, and waved a dismissive hand.

“Don’t worry, Elsa is there. Her Nine Nethers is about to be unleashed. That’s a Grotesquery on the same path as ‘Him.’ Worst case scenario, we can just sacrifice it for some power.”

“This is a deal with ‘Him,’ yet you speak of it as if it’s a trip to the grocery store,” Artist looked up, his gaze sharp behind his monocle. “What era is Jiangcheng County in now?”

“Mm… modern? Or near-modern? Somewhere after the 21st century, anyway. The last time Performer called me over, the craftsmanship on the clothes was quite good,” Scientist scratched her head. “Why do you ask? It’s all the same to us, regardless of the era. We’re not part of the Company.”

“…If it’s the modern era, it’s a bit troublesome. It’s not as easy to operate as in the Victorian era,” Artist frowned. “Some of our methods won’t work. Modern surveillance is extensive, and law enforcement is much more effective.”

“Just do as you always do. What are you so worried about?” Scientist said, nudging her chin, the cat face on her eye patch twitching.

“I wasn’t worried before, but I am now,” Artist took a deep breath and said seriously, “Until we find out the cause of Performer’s death, we must proceed with caution.”

“Fine, fine, you’re even more long-winded than Philosopher,” Scientist said, her expression still indifferent.

But Artist knew that this was just Scientist’s personality.

Even if she cared deeply, she would maintain a nonchalant facade.

When she received news about Elsa, Scientist had been more anxious than anyone, even resorting to using this steam train, known as the Spirit Walker, to rush to Jiangcheng County as quickly as possible.

This was her most prized Sacred Tool, something she hadn’t even been willing to use during their hunt for the Dangerous Grotesquery, “Year.”

Because Elsa was Scientist’s most precious creation, the successful “vessel” after thousands of experiments and the consumption of thousands of suitable “materials.”

After Elsa’s disappearance, Scientist had failed hundreds of times to replicate her miracle and had been in a foul mood recently.

So, upon receiving the news, she had been frantic, afraid of losing Elsa again.

To Scientist, her research was far more important than any deal with “Him.”

Artist turned slightly and looked out the window at the impenetrable darkness, and the fear of the unknown that lurked within.

He closed his eyes and slowly recited the words etched in the heart of every Harbinger of Calamity member,

“Nothing is true, everything is permitted… to this fragmented ‘world.’”

“We are the Harbingers, destined to correct the root of this ‘disorder.’”

The train hurtled through the darkness, its destination hidden in the shadows.

…

Life as a high school senior was monotonous, but Luo Ling had been feeling rather relaxed lately.

It wasn’t that she had given up on university, but she had found a shortcut…

—Read.

The Puppet Ballad’s second ability, allowing her to read the information of any being parasitized by her Spores.

Now, Luo Ling didn’t even need to study. She just had to plant a Spore on a classmate with good grades and read their memories, experiencing their entire learning process as if it were her own.

And it didn’t take much time. The flow of time within a memory fragment was constant. No matter how long she stayed inside, only a moment would pass in the real world.

Luo Ling’s grades had always been good, but she had fallen behind due to her previous sick leave. Now, with this little trick, she no longer had to worry about her grades dropping.

Besides this “life hack,” Read could also temporarily borrow the abilities of others in combat.

Luo Ling had discovered this after leaving Elsa’s mindscape. She noticed that the Spore she had used to read Elsa had changed. After retrieving it, she found it contained a portion of the power of the Grotesquery Soul Torture.

However, the duration was limited, and Luo Ling had to maintain constant control over the Spore, or it would dissipate.

Stronger abilities required more mental energy. With Luo Ling’s current strength, maintaining Soul Torture required all her focus, preventing her from controlling other Spores.

And… using the ability consumed her own power, and she had to pay the price herself.

If she used Soul Torture this way, she would also suffer a portion of the torment.

Of course, despite the limitations, it was still a powerful ability.

After a few uneventful days, on Saturday afternoon, after school, Luo Ling finally received a message from Liu Songyi.

[Ancient Martial Artist: Are you free to come to the hospital this evening? I have a summary of the Baiyan Village follow-up and… the “Ji Ying” matter.]

[White Witch: Mm.]

After replying to Liu Songyi, Luo Ling immediately headed to the hospital. After their discussion, she still had to rush home.

Her sister was waiting for her; she couldn’t be too late.

Transforming into her White Witch form, Luo Ling retrieved her hat and mask from her hair—her hair now served as a convenient storage space.

The principle seemed to be that objects were broken down into information that the Spores could record, and then reconstructed when retrieved.

So, for now, she could only store small objects, up to the size of a backpack, but it was still very convenient. This ability made her reconsider her earlier thoughts of cutting her long hair.

Qingshan Hospital was as quiet as ever in the evening. The receptionist wasn’t Shen Miaoyun or Yang Meili, but an unfamiliar orderly.

Seeing the ID card with the name “Bai,” the orderly looked puzzled but still let her in.

This time, without anyone to guide her, Luo Ling easily found her way to Ward Zero on the seventh floor. Opening the door, she was met with several gazes.

Yang Meili, Shen Miaoyun, An Yu, Elsa, Liu Songyi, Lao He with his goatee, Zhong Bo the Swordsman with his missing arm, a few unfamiliar faces, and Ji Shinian, once again lying in bed, looking frail.

Almost the entire Patient Exchange Group was present.

An Yu seemed to have recovered somewhat, but her mood was still low, her head downcast as she sat in a corner.

Seeing Luo Ling enter, Elsa wheeled closer.

The others looked at Luo Ling with varying degrees of curiosity and suspicion, likely having read her report and investigated the Baiyan Village incident.

“Ahem…” Ji Shinian coughed, either because of his injuries or to get everyone’s attention. “Since everyone’s here, I’ll get straight to the point.

“White Witch, there’s something I need to tell you… The ‘Ji Ying’ you mentioned does exist, but in a very strange state, which is why I couldn’t locate her last time.”

Liu Songyi continued, “Regarding the two things you asked me to investigate, first, not only is there no officer named ‘Ji Ying’ in the police department, but I checked all the household registrations and records in Jiangcheng County, and there’s no one with that name.

“Second, to my surprise, a special police unit was mobilized on October 17th… and it was an emergency mission that bypassed my authority, pursuing a dangerous suspect. However, the suspect was killed on the spot, and I examined the body myself. It was just an ordinary person.”

Just as a look of surprise appeared on Luo Ling’s face, Ji Shinian continued,

“Xiao Liu asked me for help… Although it was dangerous, I took another glimpse. Her thread of fate showed a strange fluctuation, constantly disappearing and reappearing. The two most recent reappearances were in the Jiangcheng County graveyard on October 17th, and the other…”

He looked intently at Luo Ling and said in a low voice, “…was in Baiyan Village a few days ago, the day you were in danger.”

Luo Ling’s expression finally changed, her eyes wide with disbelief as she looked at Ji Shinian.

Could it be… that the Ji Ying she had seen at the end… wasn’t an illusion?

Luo Ling touched the cold dagger in her pocket, the last thing Ji Ying had left her.

Ji Shinian must have used his ability to glimpse the thread of fate, which was why his barely healed injuries had worsened, confining him to the hospital bed once more.

Although she found Awakened Ones on the Other Shore path annoying, she had to admit that the information Ji Shinian obtained, at great cost, was always accurate, even terrifyingly so.

“There’s one more thing. The situation you described in your report doesn’t match our findings at the scene,” Liu Songyi continued. “We conducted a thorough investigation, and there’s no subterranean cavern in Baiyan Village, nor any trace of Grotesquery activity. All the villagers seemed to have vanished into thin air.

“Also, we couldn’t find Performer’s body. Even Gypsy Girl, who rescued you, said she found you on the surface.”

Liu Songyi’s words made Luo Ling speechless.

Could it be that everything that had happened… was fake?

Luo Ling looked at Elsa and An Yu, their expressions mirroring her own shock.

Clearly, it wasn’t just her hallucination. The horrors she, Elsa, and An Yu had experienced were real.

“Of course, I’m not saying you fabricated your report. Both Xu Qian and An Yu have corroborated your account. I believe it all happened,” Liu Songyi said seriously. “But something erased all traces, and we have reason to believe… it was this ‘Ji Ying’ you mentioned.

“Now, we need to know everything about ‘Ji Ying’ to uncover the complete truth.”

Ji Ying.

Everything kept coming back to this name.

That woman who had appeared and disappeared so mysteriously…

“I can tell you,” Luo Ling exhaled and said softly, “And this matter… also involves… the Bone Doctor, and everything that happened at the time.”

Although Luo Ling had mentioned the Bone Doctor’s death, she hadn’t revealed all the details.

Luo Ling recounted everything about Li Tianming, Ji Ying, and the subsequent pursuit in the graveyard, omitting the details about the Puppet Ballad.

The reason for not mentioning the Puppet Ballad was simple. She now understood that her unclear connection to the Grotesquery was too complicated to explain, and if she herself was mistaken for an “egg,” it would be troublesome.

So, in Luo Ling’s account, Li Tianming and the white reishi in the subterranean cavern were the same kind of Grotesquery, but she didn’t know its specific nature.

“I don’t recall receiving that report,” Liu Songyi said, deep in thought. “Because we found the doctor’s body the next day, brutally dismembered. We only found his head.

“But we couldn’t find the Bone Doctor’s body.”

“Just like the villagers this time, right?” Ji Shinian, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke.

He looked up at Luo Ling and said slowly, “What if I told you that this ‘Ji Ying’ is also likely the kind of Grotesquery you encountered? What would you think?”

“Impossible…”

Luo Ling blurted out. Ji Ying considered the Puppet Ballad her mortal enemy; how could she be an “egg” controlled by it?

Moreover, Ji Ying had cut herself to show her blood the first time they met, proving she was human.

“Judging from this incident, this Grotesquery has a strong desire to consume flesh and blood, and it can enhance itself this way, even controlling the bodies and memories of others. It’s at least at the Dangerous Grotesquery level.”

Ji Shinian didn’t immediately refute Luo Ling but continued, “And since there are multiple instances of this Grotesquery, they can’t coexist peacefully. They will inevitably devour each other, because for them… each other’s flesh and blood are the best nourishment.”

As expected of the old fox who had lived for who knew how many years, even with Luo Ling withholding information, he had deduced something close to the truth.

Just that he hadn’t realized that these “Dangerous Grotesqueries” were also merely puppets of something else.

…Such a terrifying theory… not everyone could imagine it.

If it were truly the case…

“I have a bold theory. There was once a person named ‘Ji Ying,’ but she has been consumed by this Grotesquery, or rather, she has become this Grotesquery,” Ji Shinian said calmly.

“In most cases, she is this Grotesquery, but in some rare instances… like the fragmented threads of fate I saw, she reverts back to the original ‘Ji Ying.’”

Everyone turned to look at Luo Ling.

Luo Ling remained silent. This bold theory could explain many things that only she knew.

For example, why Ji Ying knew so much about the Puppet Ballad, and why she was so fixated on it…

A terrifying theory, yet terrifyingly plausible.

As for Ji Ying’s obsession with the Puppet Ballad, it could also be because of… her instinctive desire to consume, or rather, merge with, her “own kind.”

…Was this really possible?

Luo Ling recalled Ji Ying’s calm, clear eyes as she methodically consumed Performer’s head in the subterranean cavern, the memory still vivid.

“It’s just a theory, I could be wrong,” Ji Shinian said softly, seeing the complex emotions flickering across Luo Ling’s face.

“Anyway, regardless, this is beyond our capabilities. I’ve contacted the Company. Although they’re expensive, they do have the power to deal with Dangerous Grotesqueries.”

Ji Shinian smiled slightly, trying to ease the tense atmosphere in the ward.

“Besides, this old man still has some connections, heh… when it comes to finding people, I’m better than those Speaker precognitives. I’ve helped the Company a few times.”

…The Company?

Luo Ling had seen some vague mentions of this organization in Performer’s memories, but too many memories were missing, so she didn’t have much information.

“Alright, that’s all for today’s meeting. Dismissed. I’ll send out the details of the next operation in the group chat,” Ji Shinian clapped his hands, then turned to Luo Ling. “White Witch, you don’t have to participate in the next operation. Get some rest.”

“Mm…”

Luo Ling nodded slightly.

So much had happened recently; she needed time to recover.

Ji Shinian’s theory today was beyond her imagination. If even Ji Ying could be an “egg”…

Luo Ling was still in a daze as she left Ward Zero.

Behind her, Elsa silently watched her leave.

Bella, in her arms, wanted to call out to Luo Ling, but Elsa covered her mouth.

“Next time,” Elsa whispered.

She hid the beautiful butterfly hair clip in her hand.