Category: The Grotesque Miss’s End Story

Chapter 39: The Baiyan Village Homecoming Squad

“Through surveillance footage, interviews, and on-site investigations… we can confirm that the woman using the alias ‘Huang Xiuqin’… is indeed an Awakened One, and most likely the true killer of the Bone Doctor.”

“The body of a homeless man was found where the target had been. There were no obvious external injuries, and the sanitation workers who found the body assumed it was a natural death. However, an autopsy revealed that his brain had been completely destroyed, likely by an Oneiric path ability.”

“Please note, the target’s strength is estimated to be Fourth-Order Awakened One or above. It is recommended that teams operate in groups of at least three and maintain contact as much as possible. Over.”

After several days of investigation, with Liu Songyi, a criminal investigator, leading the charge, they had made significant progress, utilizing official resources and methods.

Especially after the discovery of the homeless man’s body, Liu Songyi leveraged police resources to conduct a full-scale search, quickly narrowing down the most likely locations for “Huang Xiuqin.”

This time, besides Luo Ling and her team, who had taken on another commission, and Ji Shinian, who was bedridden, the entire Qingshan Patient Exchange Group was mobilized, heading towards these locations, preparing for a final confrontation with “Huang Xiuqin.”

Meanwhile, after three days of meticulous planning and painstaking efforts to get leave from school, An Yu immediately pulled Luo Ling and Elsa into a group chat, excitedly announcing their departure.

[Cyber Girl: To avoid disturbing the main team, us three small fries will chat here~ Oh wait, Big Boss Red Witch doesn’t count as a small fry…]

[Scarlet Witch: ′?`]

[White Witch: What’s with this group name?]

The group name: “Baiyan Village Homecoming Squad.”

[Cyber Girl: Aiya, don’t worry about it. Is everyone ready? Let’s meet at the bus stop in front of the hospital!]

[White Witch: No problem.]

[Scarlet Witch: (。・ω・。)ノ゛]

Luo Ling put away her phone. It was lunchtime, and her classmates were resting with their eyes closed.

She quietly slipped out of the classroom and told her homeroom teacher she needed to take sick leave for a hospital check-up.

Within ten minutes, Luo Ling had her leave slip.

If An Yu knew… she would be furious.

With the leave slip in hand, Luo Ling walked out of the school gates.

At that moment, she saw An Yu beside her, desperately trying to explain to the security guard that the leave slip in her hand was real.

“Pfft!”

Luo Ling couldn’t help but laugh.

Hearing the sound, An Yu looked up, her eyes lighting up.

“Eh, Senior? What a coincidence, we meet again!”

…This wasn’t a coincidence. She had asked for leave after seeing An Yu’s message.

However, Luo Ling wasn’t in her “Bai” form now, and An Yu had only met her transformed self once.

“Not skipping class this time?”

Luo Ling glanced at the security guard, who was making a phone call to verify the leave slip, and asked knowingly.

“Really not this time…”

An Yu wanted to cry, remembering the last incident, and quickly corrected herself, “Not last time either!”

“Heh.” Luo Ling smiled without saying anything.

“Is Senior taking sick leave again?” An Yu asked in surprise. “Oh my god, how did you manage to take sick leave twice in a row? Teach me!”

“Because I’m really sick.”

“Oh, right, normal people need to be actually sick to take sick leave.” An Yu scratched the back of her head. “But, this might be a good method. I’ll find a chance to get a medical certificate from the hospital…”

Luo Ling knew which hospital An Yu was referring to, but a certificate from Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital…

Might be a bit too effective.

Just then, the security guard returned, handing the leave slip back to An Yu and saying impatiently,

“Alright, alright, you can go. It’s real.”

“I told you it was real!”

An Yu said, hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.

“Last time you had a fake one, and I was docked two days’ pay,” the security guard glared back.

“Uh, ahem…”

An Yu awkwardly shrank back, her confidence deflating.

As if worried she would embarrass herself further in front of her senior, An Yu quickly slung her backpack over her shoulder and ran off, her clear voice echoing from afar.

“Senior! Fate! See you next time—”

See you later.

A smile played on Luo Ling’s lips, then she instinctively glanced at the security guard.

But the security guard just glanced at her and returned to his post.

Looking at his back, Luo Ling was reminded of the madman in the hospital who kept ranting about dandelions, and their target for this mission, the Seer.

“Dandelions, mushrooms, radishes… heh, am I really starting to think like a mental patient?”

Luo Ling shook her head and turned to leave.

…

When Luo Ling, transformed into Bai, arrived at the bus stop in front of Qingshan Hospital, An Yu, out of breath, was leaning back in her seat. Elsa, in her wheelchair, was anxiously waiting for something, and when she saw Luo Ling, she waved excitedly.

“Big Sister Bai, over here, over here!”

It wasn’t Elsa’s voice, but Bella’s.

Without her usual shrill screech, Bella’s voice sounded childish and cute, almost like a child’s. Her previously grating tone seemed to be deliberate.

Bella was looking at Luo Ling with an almost fawning expression. This unusual behavior surprised not only Elsa but also An Yu, who looked as if she had seen a ghost.

What was going on? The most annoying creature in the exchange group was actually… being so obsequious?

What kind of magic did Bai possess to make this thing drop its usual grumpy demeanor and act so subserviently?

“Bai, did you bring any weapons?” An Yu asked, rummaging through her backpack. “You’ve only just awakened, so you probably don’t have any good weapons. I…”

Before An Yu could finish, Luo Ling pulled a dagger from her inner pocket.

“…”

An Yu’s eyes widened, and she didn’t even dare take out the three bone blades she was holding.

“Where… where did you get this weapon?” An Yu’s hands trembled. She wanted to reach out and touch the dagger but was afraid of damaging it. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a Sacred Tool, isn’t it…?”

“…A friend lent it to me.”

Luo Ling looked at the dagger with a complex expression. A weapon of a High-Order Awakened One was indeed extraordinary.

“What kind of friend? Introduce me!”

An Yu rubbed her hands excitedly, her eyes shining as she looked at the dagger. “This is a Sacred Tool! Only Sacred Relics from Dangerous Grotesqueries or above can be used to create Sacred Tools! I’ve only ever seen the Group Leader with one, and he treasures it so much, he doesn’t even let us look at it.”

“Sorry, I can’t reveal that.”

Luo Ling sheathed the dagger, a thought crossing her mind.

Chapter 38: The Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital Patient Self-Help Exchange Group

On her way back, Luo Ling bought a phone. After dinner, using the excuse of studying, she went upstairs to tinker with it.

Although she hadn’t used a phone before, she had seen others use them, and she wasn’t in Elsa’s special situation.

Plus, phones nowadays came pre-installed with many apps, making them much easier to use.

After registering an account and adding Liu Songyi, he sent her the group chat invitation without saying a word, followed by a message:

“Busy with work, unable to reply, please do not disturb.”

Luo Ling had wanted to ask Liu Songyi about Ji Ying, since he was also a police officer.

Both the strange arrest and Ji Ying’s police status should have an explanation.

But since Liu Songyi had said so… Luo Ling could only put it aside for now.

Looking at the thirteen large characters on the screen, “Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital Patient Self-Help Exchange Group,” Luo Ling couldn’t help but twitch her lips.

She had wanted to comment on the group name from the beginning, but since everyone at the hospital seemed to take it seriously, she hadn’t brought it up.

The more she looked at it, the more absurd it seemed.

After joining the group chat, Luo Ling noticed that all the group members used their codenames as their nicknames, so she changed hers as well.

However, while browsing the member list, Luo Ling noticed several grayed-out profile pictures of people she hadn’t seen at the meeting today.

Including the Bone Doctor.

“Are they… all dead?”

Luo Ling counted at least four grayed-out profile pictures.

But there were only a dozen or so people in the entire group.

Was this the cruel “real” world Ji Ying had spoken of…?

For the first time, Luo Ling felt that death wasn’t so distant.

Switching back to the chat, she saw that after Liu Songyi’s welcome message, everyone else had copied and pasted it, including Ji Shinian and the scruffy man who had stormed out earlier.

[Ancient Martial Artist: Welcome, White Witch, to the exchange group. Hope we can cooperate smoothly.]
[…]

Only Elsa hadn’t copied the message, but she had sent an emoticon.

[Scarlet Witch: ( ^?^)/ ( ^?^) ]

Luo Ling thought for a moment and copied Elsa’s emoticon.

[White Witch: ( ^?^)/ ( ^?^) ]

They both had the default profile pictures, and with their codenames, it gave off an unintentional sense of… being a couple.

However, welcoming new members seemed to be just a formality. After that, the group continued their previous conversation.

Luo Ling skimmed through the messages. They were mostly sharing clues and information about finding the madwoman, Huang Xiuqin.

But they were still in the process of investigating various locations and hadn’t made much progress yet.

It had only been an afternoon, so it was understandable that the investigation wouldn’t be quick.

After a while, Luo Ling turned off her phone. She was still a high school senior and had to prioritize her studies.

Playing on her phone wouldn’t magically improve her grades.

Anyway… as for the Baiyan Village matter, she would wait until An Yu was ready.

…

“Tell me… was it necessary for things to escalate to this point between us?”

A soft, sweet voice, laced with seductive charm, came from a stunning woman whose face was partially veiled by a light purple scarf. Her expression was filled with playful reproach.

She leaned forward slightly, the translucent veil outlining her alluring curves, her every move captivating.

“Little…bitch…”

“…”

The indifferent woman remained unmoved, simply staring at the seductive woman before her.

Beside her were several young men and women, frozen like statues.

“Don’t you like the nickname I gave you?” The seductive woman tapped her lips with a slender finger, her eyebrows raised slightly, as if in genuine thought. “How about… Little Performer?”

“Gypsy Girl, I didn’t expect you to be in charge of the Speaker in Jiangcheng County,” Performer said slowly. “This makes things much easier. Give me the information on all the Awakened Ones in Jiangcheng County.”

“Little bitch, look at you, is this how you ask for a favor? And using my little darlings to threaten me…”

Gypsy Girl swayed her hips slightly, her expression a picture of playful grievance. “Why don’t you let Little Scientist come out and talk to me? I miss her so much.”

“I’m serious.”

Performer said coldly, and the young man closest to her blankly picked up a pair of scissors and pointed them at his throat.

“No, no, don’t do that. Violence solves nothing. Considering the wonderful time Little Scientist and I shared… let’s talk things over nicely.” Gypsy Girl’s voice sounded anxious, but her demeanor remained languid.

“She wants to kill you.”

“Hee hee, the deepest love often manifests as the deepest hate. Besides, everything is negotiable. Attacking someone’s little darlings right off the bat… isn’t something a polite guest would do~”

Gypsy Girl reached out a finger, as if to lift Performer’s chin, but another hand intercepted hers.

“How boring.” Gypsy Girl seemed to lose interest, leaning back casually, the seductive charm vanishing. “I thought you were the shy type like Little Scientist, easily flustered.”

“…It seems the rumors are true.”

Performer’s voice lowered, and the young men and women she controlled collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

“The Harbinger of Disaster, one of the four omens of the Speaker, Gypsy Girl. You can bestow the Other Shore path upon others, but each use comes at a price.”

Performer glanced at the other Speaker members. “They’re just your ‘Star Charts,’ aren’t they? The price you pay for using your ability.”

By using her ability this way, she didn’t have to pay the price herself or suffer the backlash.

“How can you say that? I’m so offended! They are my most precious, most precious little darlings. I would never use them for my ability!” Gypsy Girl raised an eyebrow. “—Unless you pay extra.”

“Fine. I’ll pay with a quarter of the Sacred Relic from the mysterious Grotesquery in Jiangcheng County. But in return, you’ll need to provide me with additional information about that Grotesquery.”

Performer’s voice remained cold, like a robot devoid of emotion. Perhaps because she had used psychological suggestion on herself too many times, playing too many roles, she had lost her original personality.

“Huh? You’re after… that?” Gypsy Girl’s eyes widened in shock. “Holy moly, I didn’t expect that. So brave? Just you alone?”

Performer didn’t answer, simply staring at her.

“Forget it, whatever. I don’t need your Sacred Relic. A Sacred Relic not from the Present Life path is useless to me,” Gypsy Girl waved her hand dismissively. “As for information on the mysterious Grotesquery, I do have some, recently deduced by a talented young lady. I’ll give it to you for free~

“As for the Awakened Ones in Jiangcheng County, hmm, I can’t betray them, at least not now. But I can tell you this… they’re currently searching the entire city for you~”

Chapter 37: Big Sister Bai is a Great Person!

“That’s the Seer’s usual style,” An Yu said, clicking her tongue. “The first time I saw her, she was strapped to a hospital bed, yelling that we were all radishes in petri dishes, and her parents were beside themselves with worry.”

Luo Ling found this story familiar. She had just heard a similar one from the orderly.

Psychiatric hospitals were truly full of interesting characters…

“Did the Speaker cure her later?” Luo Ling asked curiously.

“No, it’s more like those charlatans at the Speaker thought she was some kind of rare genius and made her even crazier after messing with her,” An Yu shook her head, a strange expression on her face. “They said it was her ability, ‘Premonition,’ that allowed her to predict things to such an extent before even ranking up, meaning she was very powerful… They gave her the codename ‘Seer.’”

“I see… if that’s the case, could the radishes and mushrooms… actually be metaphors?” Luo Ling pondered and asked.

“…Miss Bai, don’t get caught up in the logic of mental patients,” An Yu twitched her lips. “They each have their own worldview. If they were all true… this world would be in chaos.”

“Mm…”

Luo Ling nodded. She certainly didn’t understand mental patients as well as An Yu, so it was better to follow her lead.

“Anyway, we need to prepare. I’ll go home and pack my clothes, stay with my grandparents for a few days, and earn merit points from the Speaker for free, how nice.”

An Yu looked excited, but with a hint of regret. “Too bad there’s no fighting… no, wait, there shouldn’t be any fighting in Baiyan Village. What if the villagers get hurt?”

“Don’t forget my SIM card,” Luo Ling reminded her.

“Oh right, that’s easy.” An Yu casually pulled out a SIM card and handed it to Luo Ling. “Here, I have a lot of these. I used to sell them for a thousand yuan each outside, but it’s free for you~

“It was because of selling SIM cards that I got the codename ‘Cyber Girl’…”

“That profitable?” Luo Ling said in surprise, then her eye twitched as she realized something. “Your ability… isn’t making these SIM cards, is it?”

Wasn’t Cyber Girl supposed to control machinery?

“Of course not. I’ll be honest with you, my path is Order, and my ability is conceptual erasure,” An Yu said proudly. “Although I can only erase information now, Teacher said that the future of Order is limitless!”

An Yu’s teacher…

Luo Ling remembered An Yu mentioning her briefly in the ward earlier. It must have been the Bone Doctor.

Seeing An Yu’s optimism, Luo Ling felt a surge of emotion, her heart filled with excitement.

“Okay, when are we leaving?” Luo Ling nodded and asked.

“It depends on when I can get leave…”

An Yu’s excitement immediately deflated. She had been caught skipping class several times before, and if she hadn’t erased the disciplinary records, her parents would have been notified.

But because of this, the school had tightened its supervision on truancy, making it difficult for her to skip class again.

However… it wasn’t easy to get leave from high school.

It was easier for Luo Ling. She could use the excuse of a follow-up appointment for her previous illness to get a day or two off, but she would have to work hard to catch up later… Studying was important, she didn’t want to disappoint her sister.

“I’ll try to get leave and let you know, sigh…” An Yu said dejectedly, her face crumpled in worry.

After An Yu left, Elsa, who had been holding back all afternoon, finally spoke.

“Don’t worry, Big Sister Bai, no matter what happens, I can protect you!” Elsa hugged the babbling teddy bear. “And there’s Bella too! Although she’s annoying, she’s also very strong! …Eh, why isn’t she annoying anymore?”

The teddy bear, Bella, had a pained, human-like expression on its face, looking at Luo Ling pleadingly.

It knew that Luo Ling had silenced it.

Luo Ling focused her mind, and the Spores assimilated through Proliferation disintegrated. Bella could finally speak again.

“Wahhhhh… mph!”

Bella wanted to yell to vent her frustration and pain, but seeing Luo Ling glance at her, she immediately shut up, shaking her head frantically to signal she wouldn’t make any more noise.

Even her owner could only cover her mouth, but this newcomer… could actually seal her babbling shut!

Terrifying…

“Strange, why is Bella suddenly so well-behaved?”

Elsa rubbed the teddy bear, and finding it still unresponsive, she simply held it in her arms.

It was fine if Bella didn’t make noise. She had Big Sister Bai to talk to now.

“I should go back and prepare too. See you later, Elsa.”

Luo Ling looked at the sky. The sun was about to set, and it was almost time for her sister to get off work.

She would be worried if she was too late.

“Ah, are you leaving so soon…?” A flicker of disappointment crossed Elsa’s face, but she quickly cheered up. “Okay, goodbye, Big Sister Bai!”

Luo Ling nodded and hurried out of the ward. She had to get back quickly before her sister realized she had left.

Elsa watched from the window as the small, silver-haired figure disappeared into the distance, then reluctantly turned away.

“Bella, I finally made a friend. Don’t say anything mean to her, okay?” Elsa held up Bella, her face serious. “Remember that!”

Bella looked disdainful, about to unleash her usual loud mockery now that the scary person was gone.

But just as she was about to speak, a chill ran down her spine.

No, that person… wasn’t gone yet!

Her aura was very close!

Her beady eyes darted around, and she finally noticed something amiss.

A familiar silver strand of hair was attached to her snout.

It was that strange thing that could seal her mouth shut!

“Lalala, Big Sister Bai is a great person, we all love her!” Bella shrieked. “We love Big Sister Bai the most, daisuki, daisuki!”

Elsa was bewildered by Bella’s uncharacteristic praise.

Why was she acting so differently today? She hadn’t even made any noise after that.

But this was fine, as long as Big Sister Bai didn’t dislike her because of Bella’s uncontrollable mouth…

Chapter 36: The Seer’s Warning

“Xu Qian’s ability is indiscriminate and easily harms allies. Plus, you know how difficult it is to communicate with her… She doesn’t talk much, that’s the main reason.” Ji Shinian spread his hands helplessly. “So, Scarlet Witch, it’s not that I don’t trust you…”

Doesn’t talk much…

That’s because you haven’t seen her talkative side.

Luo Ling’s lips twitched inwardly. Elsa was the most talkative person she’d ever met. How could that be called “not talking much”?

“Communication isn’t a problem, I can talk to her normally,” Luo Ling said calmly. “Besides, my ability isn’t just healing.”

“…”

Ji Shinian looked intently at Luo Ling, trying to decipher her words.

After a brief pause, he said slowly,

“In that case, I understand. The Baiyan Village commission will be assigned to you.”

“Baiyan Village?” An Yu, who had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke, her expression tense. “What happened in Baiyan Village?”

“It’s…not exactly something in Baiyan Village. Do you remember Wang Lili?”

Seeing An Yu’s confused expression, Ji Shinian added,

“The eccentric Seer. The Speaker insisted she was an Awakened One, but no matter how we checked, she seemed like an ordinary person.”

“Oh, the Seer! The patient who was transferred from our hospital mid-treatment, I remember,” An Yu nodded, suddenly understanding. “What happened to her?”

“She disappeared,” Ji Shinian said. “The Speaker’s people came to me. They couldn’t determine the Seer’s location. Before Bai injured me again, I took a glimpse for them, and an unknown thread of fate pointed towards Baiyan Village.”

Luo Ling’s expression turned slightly awkward. Why did he have to bring up her injuring him every time? He had chosen to look on his own.

“And…then they went to investigate?” Luo Ling asked.

“No. The Speaker only accepts members on the Other Shore path. They invited me once, but I refused—meaning, their direct combat capabilities are very weak, extremely weak. They could only entrust this matter to us.”

So, a bunch of fortune tellers who injured themselves when glimpsing something amiss, they were indeed lacking in combat power.

Seeming to sense Luo Ling’s less-than-friendly gaze, Ji Shinian glanced at her and continued,

“Xiao Liu led a team to Baiyan Village before, but they found nothing. It’s just an ordinary village, and they couldn’t find the Seer. But two days ago, the Speaker sent another message, saying they received a distress signal from the Seer, asking us to go again.

“But Xiao Liu thinks it’s not worth investigating and doesn’t want to waste any more time. I haven’t decided what to do yet, but since you’ve just joined the Patient Exchange Group, this simple commission will help you familiarize yourself with our cooperative methods.”

Ji Shinian fiddled with his phone and sent the commission details to An Yu. “Cyber Girl, you’ll be in charge of navigation.”

“Group Leader, please just call me by my name…” An Yu’s face crumpled at the sound of her codename.

“Yang Meili said you liked this codename.”

“Sister Meili… sigh, forget it,” An Yu sighed. “Cyber Girl it is…”

“Good. You can decide on the timing yourselves. The Speaker said as soon as possible, but I don’t think they’re in a hurry. They must have confirmed the Seer is safe for a certain period.” Ji Shinian smiled at Luo Ling. “White Witch, I hope we can cooperate smoothly.”

“Mm.”

Luo Ling nodded slightly.

Since Ji Shinian needed more rest to recover from his injuries, Luo Ling and the others left the ward.

As soon as they stepped out, An Yu immediately took out her phone and started reading the commission details Ji Shinian had sent.

After finishing, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“That’s good, that’s good…”

“What’s wrong?”

Luo Ling looked up at An Yu, who had become visibly tense since Ji Shinian mentioned Baiyan Village.

“I thought Baiyan Village was in danger from a Grotesquery. My grandparents live there.” An Yu clutched her phone, a hint of emotion in her eyes. “I haven’t been back to my hometown in a while. Things have been busy since I started school in the city.

“This mission gives me a chance to visit my grandparents, hehe.”

The light in An Yu’s eyes when she mentioned her grandparents reminded Luo Ling of herself when she thought of her sister.

Luo Ling’s expression softened.

“Are you close to your grandparents?”

“Of course! I grew up with them. My parents work in the city and I only see them a few times a year.” An Yu rested her chin on her hand, lost in thought. “My grandparents are so good to me. Sigh, I miss them.”

Elsa looked envious, and the teddy bear jumped out again.

“Hee hee, not like the Great Demon King of Slaughter! The Great Demon King of Slaughter is an orphan no one wants! The Great Demon King of Slaughter… gahahaha…”

Luo Ling discreetly withdrew her finger. The teddy bear’s mouth was now sealed shut, a thin, almost invisible silver thread wrapped around its snout.

Elsa lowered her head, looking dejected.

“It’s okay, Xu Qian. You have everyone…and me,” Luo Ling said, stroking Elsa’s soft, reddish-brown hair. She turned to An Yu. “What are the details of the commission?”

An Yu, initially startled by the teddy bear and then concerned by Elsa’s sadness, finally focused on Luo Ling’s question and nodded repeatedly.

“Oh, right, right, the mission is important, let’s look at the mission…”

The three of them found an empty meeting room, and An Yu projected the commission details onto the screen.

“Speaker Commission: Locate the Seer, Wang Lili.”

“You know how she is, always wandering off. She’s gone missing again, and we can’t find her. Help us out, Little Ji~”

“Fate’s predicted location: Baiyan Village, Yuchi Town”

“Seer’s last premonition before disappearing: Ahahaha, look what I found! The biggest mushroom ever! And there’s more than one! Hahahaha, so many mushrooms! The little girl picking mushrooms, picked a big, big mushroom~ I’m going to pick big mushrooms!”

“Seer’s latest distress message: Help! These running mushrooms are eating people! I’m about to be eaten! Hurry up and come!”

“Action Log 1: No unusual activity in Baiyan Village, no trace of the Seer. —Ancient Martial Artist”

“Action Log 2: She has mushrooms growing in her head. —Phantom”

“Action Log 3: The wild boars in the mountains are quite tasty. —Narcissus”

“Summary: Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital, the best psychiatric hospital in Jiangcheng County, welcomes you… Not just the Seer, but you too, Gypsy Girl. —Ji Shinian, Director of Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital”

At the end of the commission details was a photo. The girl in the photo wore round-rimmed glasses, her carefully styled hair slightly disheveled. Her gentle and elegant appearance showed no trace of the madness described in the messages.

Chapter 35: Harbingers of Calamity

Liu Songyi had assumed Huang Xiuqin was just an ordinary mother, but with this chilling possibility, everything became clear.

“I’ll investigate this immediately!”

With a new lead, Liu Songyi turned to leave, several other group members stirring with anticipation.

Luo Ling observed everything, realizing the Bone Doctor held a significant position within the Patient Exchange Group.

“Wait,” Ji Shinian called out to Liu Songyi, stopping him in his tracks. “If that’s the case, I might know… who she works for.”

Liu Songyi stopped and turned back to Ji Shinian.

“Who?”

“The Harbingers of Calamity, infamous for manipulating Grotesqueries and Awakened Ones,” Ji Shinian’s expression turned grim. “They’re constantly trying to merge the paths of Grotesqueries with human bodies. They believe the Grotesquery paths are the true path to godhood, and Awakened Ones are merely usurpers.

“To this end, they don’t hesitate to combine with Grotesqueries. Most of their fanatic members die in the process, but… the few who survive are extremely dangerous.

“She probably chose to transform her own child into a Grotesquery because of their blood relation… making it easier for her to perform the ‘merging’ ritual.”

Ji Shinian, with his century of experience, pieced together the truth from these fragments of information.

As if worried that Luo Ling, new to this world, wouldn’t understand, Ji Shinian turned to her and briefly explained,

“The Sacred Relics left behind after eliminating a Grotesquery cannot be used directly. They must be refined by a ‘Pharmacist.’ Our only Pharmacist in the group is Narcissus. If you need anything, go find her.”

Hearing the group leader mention her, Shen Miaoyun puffed out her chest slightly, a look of pride on her face.

This was her unique and valuable ability, although her combat skills were practically nonexistent.

A strange look flashed across Luo Ling’s face, but she nodded nonetheless.

She had eaten the previous two Sacred Relics directly. It should be… fine, right?

No, that wasn’t right. She was on a Grotesquery path, not an ordinary Awakened One, so it wasn’t the same.

Perhaps… her current situation wasn’t much different from the Harbingers of Calamity.

“In any case, she’s very dangerous. I don’t recommend you go alone,” Ji Shinian said, then pondered for a moment and pointed at a few people. “Swordsman, Phantom, Flame King, and… Narcissus, you all go with Ancient Martial Artist to investigate.”

The people he named nodded in agreement, only Shen Miaoyun’s face falling. “Huh? I… I have to go too?”

This woman had refined her own child into a Grotesquery and even dared to put it inside her own body! How dangerous was that? She was just a helpless healer, she couldn’t handle this…

“You’re the only one who can,” Ji Shinian glanced at her. “You can heal most injuries caused by Grotesqueries. I’ll give you extra merit points when you return.”

“Ugh, it’s useless anyway.”

Shen Miaoyun looked dejected but didn’t disobey Ji Shinian’s orders.

The group didn’t dare delay any longer. Although they knew the chances of finding anything by following this lead were slim, they still had to act quickly.

After a while, when everyone had left, the ward became much less crowded.

“Swordsman” was the young man with glasses. Besides Luo Ling and Elsa, only the scruffy man and An Yu remained in the ward.

“Group Leader, can I take any missions today?” An Yu rubbed her hands, looking at Ji Shinian expectantly. “I know I’m not qualified to get involved in Teacher’s matter yet, but I… I also want to become stronger!”

“Yes,” Ji Shinian nodded, but before An Yu could get excited, he said something that deflated her. “The new White Witch needs an unregistered SIM card. Help her with that.”

“Making SIM cards again…”

Disappointment flashed across An Yu’s face. She wanted to fight, but the missions the group leader always assigned her were logistical…

Although she could earn merit points and exchange them for Holy Water made from Sacred Relics, she couldn’t gain any combat experience.

“Oh right, there’s one more thing,” Ji Shinian looked at the impatient scruffy man. “Lao He, please take them to investigate something. Consider it a way for the new member to familiarize herself with our group’s cooperation methods.”

“Ji Shinian, you deliberately kept me here for this?” Lao He’s cigarette butt trembled, and his eyes widened. “I refuse. Whoever wants to babysit can do it. I’d rather go investigate that… ‘Devil’s Advance’ or whatever.”

After saying this, Lao He stormed out of the ward without looking back, completely disregarding Ji Shinian’s authority.

“Sigh… I’m sorry, Xiao Bai, I can’t control him,” Ji Shinian sighed. “If I could still move, I wouldn’t mind taking care of this myself, but unfortunately…”

“Openly defying the leader’s orders… is that allowed?”

Luo Ling was surprised. She had thought Ji Shinian held absolute authority, seeing how obedient everyone else was.

“Heh, what leader? I’m just a group leader. This exchange group… isn’t very strict,” Ji Shinian said cheerfully, not seeming to mind. “People listen to me if they want to, and if they don’t, they don’t… Never mind, let’s not talk about this. It seems that matter will have to be put on hold for a while.”

“What… matter…”

Elsa spoke slowly, her ethereal voice laced with impatience.

Luo Ling felt nothing, but An Yu and Ji Shinian beside her fell into a momentary trance.

“Sister Xu Qian, please don’t speak,” An Yu said weakly, clutching her head.

Elsa looked anxious. She turned to “look” at Luo Ling, then at Ji Shinian.

Luo Ling pondered for a moment, then said,

“I think… Elsa, or Xu Qian, is trying to say that she can lead the team.”

Elsa nodded vigorously, and the teddy bear in her arms jumped out and shrieked,

“The Great Demon King of Slaughter is on the move! Get out of the way!”

Ji Shinian covered his ears, a pained expression on his old face. He was so old, why did his mind and ears have to suffer like this…?

Elsa apologetically covered the teddy bear’s mouth again, looking at Ji Shinian with a wronged expression.

“Although it’s not impossible, Scarlet Witch is the strongest in the group,” Ji Shinian said with a troubled expression. “But… she might not be suitable for leading a team.”

Chapter 34: Clues Revealed

When Luo Ling pushed Elsa’s wheelchair into Ward Zero, she found the normally spacious room was now crowded.

Besides the people she had met yesterday, there were three new faces.

A scruffy man with a goatee and an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, a nondescript young man with black-rimmed glasses, and one more person… whom Luo Ling hadn’t expected.

“An Yu?”

Luo Ling looked at the round-faced girl playing a game console in the corner. It was the freshman she had met earlier.

She was even wearing the same canvas shoes from military training.

Luo Ling subconsciously looked down at her own feet, relieved that she had bought new shoes after receiving the money yesterday. She wouldn’t be recognized by her junior this time.

“So, she must be ‘Cyber Girl.’”

Luo Ling’s eyelids twitched. The codename didn’t quite fit the freshman’s personality. It was probably assigned to her, just like her own.

The moment Luo Ling entered the ward, almost everyone turned to look at her, especially the three who hadn’t met her before, their gazes filled with curiosity.

A flicker of dismissive disappointment crossed the scruffy man’s eyes, while the bespectacled young man nodded politely, the reflection on his glasses hiding his expression.

“Wow.”

An Yu exclaimed and tried to approach Luo Ling, but the room was too crowded.

“Alright, everyone’s here,” Ji Shinian, the group leader, who looked slightly better than yesterday, sat up slightly in his bed and said softly, “First, let’s welcome the newest member of our Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital Patient Self-Help Exchange Group, Miss Bai.”

“Clap, clap, clap…”

An Yu immediately stood up and applauded, but seeing no one else join in, she awkwardly stopped.

Elsa wanted to clap too, but she had to keep her hands on the teddy bear’s mouth to prevent the chaotic little creature from saying anything inappropriate.

The small interruption didn’t affect the slightly tense atmosphere in the ward. Everyone knew that Luo Ling had “killed” Wu Qin, although Ji Shinian had explained the situation, he still couldn’t say for sure whether Wu Qin had been alive or dead at the time.

“Let’s have a brief self-introduction. After all, we’re all group members now, and we need to cooperate with each other,” Ji Shinian said, trying to sound cheerful.

“Codename White Witch, just call me Bai,” Luo Ling said softly. “Myriad path, my ability is healing.”

She decided to keep her Spores’ surveillance ability hidden for now, no need to reveal everything.

Shen Miaoyun was the first to react, her eyes lighting up. She was also a healer.

But the others looked puzzled. How could a healer instantly kill the Bone Doctor, known for her formidable defenses?

Even Yang Meili, renowned for her assassinations, would struggle to kill Wu Qin in her current Third-Order state, let alone without Wu Qin sending out a distress signal.

“Bai, if you don’t mind, could you tell us what happened at the time?”

Liu Songyi, the criminal investigator, who was standing next to Ji Shinian, asked in a low voice. He had learned part of the story from Ji Shinian, but not the specifics.

Because Ji Shinian had only glimpsed the final moments of Wu Qin’s death, it was difficult to determine the true situation.

Luo Ling nodded and briefly recounted the events, omitting the parts about the Puppet Ballad and her transformation, focusing on Wu Qin’s condition at the time.

As for how she had managed to kill Wu Qin, Luo Ling simply said she had used her ability, glossing over the details.

After listening to Luo Ling’s account, everyone fell into deep thought.

So Wu Qin had died as a controlled, living corpse… but strangely, her consciousness had remained clear until the very end.

Ji Shinian was certain of this. At least, from the thread of fate, he hadn’t seen any signs of Wu Qin’s mind being controlled.

Ji Shinian’s eyes flickered. He knew Luo Ling was hiding something, but on this point, she seemed to be telling the truth.

He thought for a moment, then took out his phone, scrolled to a portrait, and handed it to Luo Ling.

“Did you… see a woman like this at the time?”

Before the thread of fate was interfered with by the Grotesquery, it was severed by a cold woman. This was the true killer Ji Shinian had mentioned earlier.

A woman?

Luo Ling’s heart tightened. Could it be her sister?

But after taking the phone, Luo Ling secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t her sister.

The woman in the portrait had a cold expression, as if devoid of emotion, and a pair of chilling snake-like eyes that sent shivers down her spine.

“I haven’t seen her…”

Luo Ling shook her head. At the time, only Li Tianming and Wu Qin had been present. Li Tianming was weak, and if there had been another person, she wouldn’t have been able to handle it in her state at the time.

But then, Luo Ling felt a sense of familiarity with the woman.

“Really haven’t seen her?”

Ji Shinian noticed Luo Ling’s hesitation and asked again.

“Not at the time, but… I think I’ve seen her somewhere before.”

Luo Ling frowned, thinking hard, a vague figure forming in her mind.

“Wait… I think I remember.”

She raised the phone slightly, studying the woman’s portrait carefully.

The eyebrows a little lower, the corners of the mouth slightly softer, and most importantly, without the snake-like eyes… yes, and there should be a hint of sorrow in her eyes.

It gradually matched someone in Luo Ling’s memory.

“I remember!”

Luo Ling’s eyes widened in disbelief.

It was her!

The mad woman!

“Who?”

Everyone became tense, even those who had been unfriendly towards Luo Ling earlier looked at her with a mixture of anxiety and anticipation.

Luo Ling quickly recalled everything about the mad woman, then exhaled and said in a low voice,

“The mad woman who stayed at the People’s Hospital for over a year, it’s her!”

“Huang Xiuqin?”

Liu Songyi blurted out a name.

“Her?” Yang Meili’s face was filled with shock. “Wow, isn’t that the patient I rejected half a year ago?”

The next moment, noticing the questioning and disapproving gazes directed at her, Yang Meili said defensively,

“How was I supposed to know? She was crazy and couldn’t afford the fees. The People’s Hospital wanted to dump her on us, how could I possibly accept…”

“But she’s the mother of the stolen corpse… and she’s been insane for so long,” Liu Songyi still frowned. “The hospital has her DNA records, there’s no mistake.”

“That corpse… is no longer a corpse,” Luo Ling said softly. “It’s the Forgotten River Child, the Grotesquery I fought at the morgue.”

“…”

Silence fell over the room.

They all knew that the Forgotten River Child was a Grotesquery transformed from a baby’s corpse through some kind of sacrificial ritual.

“So, she actually refined her own flesh and blood into a murderous Grotesquery…”

Ji Shinian uttered the chilling truth.

Chapter 33: Elsa’s Little Secret

“Bai, you’re here?”

Elsa’s face lit up, and she quickly covered the teddy bear’s mouth to prevent it from blurting out anything inappropriate.

“Mm.”

Luo Ling nodded and sat down next to Elsa.

It was just past noon, and many members of the Patient Exchange Group were still busy with their own affairs. Even Ji Shinian, the group leader, was taking a nap.

Liu Songyi hadn’t specified a time yesterday, so to avoid being late, Luo Ling had arrived as soon as “afternoon” officially began.

As a result, when she arrived, the only people in the entire hospital, besides Ji Shinian, were Yang Meili, who was on duty, and Elsa, who always stayed on the seventh floor.

After a brief explanation from Yang Meili, Luo Ling understood that the group members usually had their own jobs and only one or two members would stay on duty to guard against Grotesquery incursions.

Yang Meili was a beauty blogger and the nominal director of the rehabilitation department. Her usual work was livestreaming, so she spent a lot of time on duty at the hospital.

As for why there had been so many people yesterday, it was because after Ji Shinian glimpsed Wu Qin’s death, he deduced that Luo Ling would follow the clues to the hospital. He had kept most of the group members around these past few days to prevent any accidents.

Fortunately, Luo Ling was more… gentle, or perhaps weaker, than he had imagined, so no real conflict had broken out.

Among all the members of the Patient Exchange Group, the loneliest was Elsa. Because of her physical condition, she couldn’t leave the hospital easily, and because of her ability, she couldn’t chat with others. As for playing on her phone… unfortunately, she couldn’t type.

Or rather, Elsa’s proficiency with electronic devices was abysmal, even worse than Luo Ling’s—at least Luo Ling could make calls with an old flip phone, while Elsa didn’t even know how to dial a number.

So, while other group members might be wary or suspicious of the mysterious Luo Ling, Elsa was undoubtedly the most welcoming.

To Elsa, Luo Ling was a rare friend, someone her own age whom she could talk to.

After Luo Ling sat down, the talkative Elsa took her hand and started chatting, the scene resembling a middle-aged women’s gossip session.

Without even asking, Luo Ling learned about most of the group members from Elsa, though only basic information… Elsa probably didn’t know the specifics herself.

Just like ordinary group chats, the Patient Exchange Group had a group leader, administrators, and members, but the roles weren’t based on strength.

Elsa, the strongest, was just a member. The three administrators, the deceased Wu Qin, Liu Songyi the criminal investigator, didn’t have overwhelming strength compared to the other members. As for the last administrator… Elsa had never met them, as they were said to be in a constant state of slumber.

Ji Shinian, the group leader, rarely took action, only using his ability to briefly glimpse the future. He was said to be over a hundred years old, so he probably wasn’t capable of fighting.

Liu Songyi, as his codename “Ancient Martial Artist” suggested, was a close-combat specialist and didn’t hide the fact that he was on the Judgment path.

Yang Meili, the heavily made-up woman, whose codename was “Phantom,” usually carried out assassination missions. Her specific abilities were unknown.

Wu Hai, the tall, skinny man—the one with the unfriendly attitude yesterday—codenamed “Flame King,” had the ability to manipulate flames—Elemental path.

“Narcissus,” who had been on duty on the first floor yesterday, was a support-type Awakened One like Luo Ling, lacking direct combat abilities.

“Cyber Girl,” whom Luo Ling hadn’t met, had almost no combat ability but was very skilled at manipulating complex machinery. Elsa admired this aspect of her, but no one knew her specific ability.

Besides these, there were a few other group members, but Elsa rarely interacted with them, so she didn’t know much about them.

As for Elsa herself, she didn’t even know her own path, but her ability was large-scale mental disruption.

At full power, it could cover an entire street, even stunning Mid-Order Awakened Ones for a few seconds and leaving them in a prolonged trance. The drawback was that it was indiscriminate.

—During a previous conflict with other Awakened Ones, Elsa had used her ability to incapacitate both sides, inadvertently resolving a potentially fatal clash.

Elsa was a bit embarrassed when mentioning this, but the teddy bear in her arms quickly revealed that she was actually quite proud of it.

Perhaps because she hadn’t spoken to anyone for so long, Elsa had a strong desire to talk. They chatted for almost the entire afternoon, with Luo Ling mostly nodding and agreeing, praising Elsa’s abilities.

When Elsa finally remembered to ask about Luo Ling, her phone suddenly rang and automatically played Ji Shinian’s voice.

“Xu Qian, Bai, come to Ward Zero. Everyone’s here.”

Ward Zero was Ji Shinian’s ward, the best-equipped ward in the entire hospital. The old man had many illnesses, compounded by the two severe injuries he had suffered because of Luo Ling…

“By the way, why don’t they call you Elsa?” Luo Ling asked curiously.

Elsa looked troubled, and the teddy bear jumped out and shrieked mockingly,

“Because they’re all idiots! They can’t hear Elsa’s name! A bunch of idiots! Hahahaha!”

“Don’t say that about my brothers and sisters!” Elsa clenched her small fists and punched the teddy bear lightly. “Bella is the idiot!”

“Can’t… hear?” Luo Ling was confused.

“Mm, I don’t know either. I introduced myself to them using my real name, but they couldn’t hear it, so they gave me a Chinese name,” Elsa nodded. “Only you can hear it, but… you don’t have to tell them. Let’s keep it our little secret.”

Elsa stuck her tongue out playfully at Luo Ling, looking very happy.

“Can’t you even write it down?” Luo Ling asked.

“Write it down… no, I can’t,” Elsa looked even more troubled. “Actually, my writing is even more terrifying than my speech. Ordinary people who see my writing will become agitated and lose their minds, so I usually don’t write.”

What kind of indiscriminate danger was this…?

Luo Ling was inwardly amazed that Qingshan Hospital would take in someone like Elsa… It seemed the Patient Exchange Group was more harmonious than she had imagined.

No wonder Ji Ying had initially suggested she seek refuge at Qingshan Hospital. It wouldn’t have been a bad option for her at the time.

“Let’s go. I also want to… meet the other new friends.”

Luo Ling walked behind Elsa and pushed her wheelchair.

“Mm-hmm.”

A smile bloomed on Elsa’s face, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She should be able to convince Bai to stay…

The reason she had been chattering about the group members was because she was worried that her new friend, who could finally listen to her, would leave because of yesterday’s minor conflict.

Now it seemed that this afternoon’s chat… had been somewhat useful.

Chapter 32: Dandelions

A problem?

Luo Ling’s first reaction wasn’t shock, but confusion.

Since he could say such a thing, it meant he wasn’t part of the Patient Exchange Group.

But the question was… if he wasn’t part of the group, how did he know there was a problem with Qingshan Hospital?

“Don’t you disbelieve me, there really is a problem!”

Seeing Luo Ling’s indifferent reaction, the man became even more agitated, waving his arms and legs.

“It’s true! I’m not lying!”

“So, what’s the problem?” Luo Ling asked calmly.

“This hospital…”

The man put on a mysterious expression and said slowly, word by word,

“Has no dandelions!”

“?”

A giant question mark appeared above Luo Ling’s head.

“There are dandelions everywhere in the city, but not a single one in the hospital!” the man exclaimed dramatically. “Do you know how unbelievable that is? This hospital definitely has a problem!”

“…Maybe it’s because there are no fields or hillsides in the hospital.”

Luo Ling rubbed her temples. What was she thinking? This was a psychiatric hospital! Why was she listening to the ramblings of a mental patient…?

“No, no, no, not the kind of dandelions that float around, but the kind that walk on the streets, they move, in clumps, so many of them!”

The man grew even more agitated, reaching out to grab Luo Ling’s hand.

But before Luo Ling could dodge, the man froze, as if struck by a sudden realization, staring intently at her.

“You, you…”

“Me?”

Luo Ling was bewildered by the man’s erratic behavior, but the next moment, he jumped up and shouted in terror,

“No, no, that’s not right! You’re also a dandelion! You’re the biggest dandelion! Aaaah…”

After that, the man collapsed to the ground, convulsing, foam bubbling from his mouth and staining the floor.

“Orderly, orderly… Patient from bed 142 has escaped again, oh, there he is…”

Several medical personnel rushed over, restrained the convulsing man, and dragged him away.

Even as they disappeared down the hallway, the man’s terrified screams could still be heard.

“Run! There’s a dandelion here! The dandelions have invaded!”

The orderly left behind to clean the floor saw Luo Ling standing frozen in place, seemingly frightened, and said apologetically,

“Little girl, I’m so sorry. We’re short-staffed recently, and some patients escape sometimes… Did he scare you?”

“I’m fine.”

Luo Ling shook her head, looking in the direction the man had been taken away, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Many dandelions?

She was also a dandelion?

Dandelions… could he be referring to the Puppet Ballad?

But she wasn’t controlled by the Puppet Ballad… There were no mycelia threads from Spore growth inside her.

Li Tianming, Wu Qin… wait, those who had become Meat Puppets, their flesh and blood had been replaced by Spore mycelia, completely controlled by the Puppet Ballad’s true form.

It couldn’t be that a bunch of people on the street, like her, possessed the Puppet Ballad’s ability…

“Little girl, you don’t… believe what he said, do you?”

Seeing Luo Ling’s thoughtful expression, the orderly’s face was filled with concern. She put down her mop and said,

“He’s been shouting about dandelions running around since he was admitted last year. He says it to every new face in the hospital. Don’t believe what these mental patients say. We had another patient who said we were all radishes growing in petri dishes.”

The orderly said this because she saw Luo Ling as a naive little girl and was afraid she would be influenced by these mental patients.

Little girls always received more care, especially those who were pretty and well-behaved.

“No, I know he’s talking nonsense,” Luo Ling replied calmly.

“That’s good. But, little girl, why are you here?” The orderly looked puzzled. “A psychiatric hospital isn’t a place for children to play…”

“I’m here to see… Uncle Ji,” Luo Ling said after a moment of thought.

“Ji… oh, the director?” The orderly suddenly understood and asked kindly, “Do you need me to take you to him? But the director seems to be quite seriously injured recently…”

She wondered about Luo Ling’s relationship with Director Ji, her attitude becoming even more enthusiastic.

Could she be a relative?

Hiss, she had to be more attentive…

Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital was a private hospital, and Director Ji Shinian was practically the chairman of the board. It was normal to want to curry favor with the chairman.

“No need,” Luo Ling pointed towards the reception desk. “She can take me there.”

The receptionist today wasn’t the girl who loved watching soap operas yesterday, but a languid woman with heavy makeup, Yang Meili.

She was currently holding her phone, posing and talking to herself.

Saying things like “Thank you for the Super Rocket, little brother, love you, mwah,” and so on…

Seeming to sense Luo Ling’s gaze, she glanced over and immediately broke into a bright smile.

“Oh, it’s little Bai! You’re here so early?”

As she spoke, she put down her phone.

“Mm.”

Luo Ling replied flatly.

“You know… Director Yang?” The orderly’s eyes widened slightly, then she turned stiffly and continued mopping the floor. “Then… you two talk.”

She didn’t want to get involved with the eccentric rehabilitation director. If she caught her attention, she might be assigned some troublesome patients, which would be a huge headache.

Yang Meili’s attention was now fully on Luo Ling. She looked meaningfully at the beanie stuffed with Luo Ling’s long white hair and said with a smile,

“I didn’t see you join the group chat yesterday. Did Liu Songyi keep you busy all night interrogating you? He interrogated me for days.”

“…I haven’t bought a phone yet.”

For some reason, Luo Ling had felt that Yang Meili’s tone was a bit sarcastic yesterday, but perhaps it was just her habit.

“Not yet? Didn’t Liu Songyi give you money? Wasn’t it enough?” Yang Meili clutched her chest dramatically. “Or… do you think phones aren’t fun?”

“You should have unregistered SIM cards here, right?” Luo Ling said calmly.

Hearing this, Yang Meili’s exaggerated expression softened. She looked at Luo Ling with amusement.

“Tsk, quite cautious, aren’t we?”

This was a trap. SIM cards required real-name registration. If Luo Ling registered a SIM card herself, all her information would be under surveillance.

No one in the Patient Exchange Group had mentioned this. Elsa, who was isolated from the world, might not understand, but the others couldn’t possibly not know.

They deliberately didn’t mention it, setting a trap.

And now that Luo Ling had brought it up directly, if they continued to play tricks… it would be intentional, giving her grounds for complaint.

“Of course we do. Wait for Cyber Girl to arrive, she’ll make one for you,” Yang Meili shrugged. “Her craftsmanship can completely bypass official channels. Liu Songyi has confirmed this.”

Chapter 31: We’re Rich!

“Xiao Ling, why are you so late?” Su Wan asked, her tone scolding but her expression happy.

“School kept us late for an extra class,” Luo Ling replied as she put down her backpack.

“Alright, listen to your teachers and study hard,” Su Wan said with a satisfied smile, helping Luo Ling take off her school uniform. “You must be starving. Come, come, eat more…”

Her sister had prepared a table full of dishes, all of Luo Ling’s favorites.

However…

The half-eaten bag of pickled vegetables, carefully wrapped and hidden in the kitchen, revealed the kind of life Su Wan had been living while Luo Ling was away.

Her sister had suffered so much for her…

A pang of heartache flashed through Luo Ling’s face, but she quickly hid it.

She took out a few hundred-yuan bills, held them up to her sister, and said with a cheerful expression,

“Sister, this is for you. It’s… my scholarship, from school.”

Liu Songyi had given Luo Ling over 30,000 yuan. Although Luo Ling wanted to give it all to her sister, she couldn’t explain where the money came from.

After careful consideration, she decided to give her sister a small amount at a time, gradually improving their living conditions so her sister wouldn’t have to suffer so much.

“Scholarship?” Su Wan was surprised. She took the money from Luo Ling, counted it carefully several times, and exclaimed, “Five hundred yuan!”

“Mm-hmm,” Luo Ling nodded vigorously. “It’s all for you, Sister.”

“This…” Su Wan hesitated, wanting to return the money to Luo Ling. “You keep it, Xiao Ling. Sister… doesn’t need it.”

“Nonsense!” Luo Ling deliberately put on a dissatisfied expression. “Sister, your clothes haven’t been changed in years, and you’ve lost so much weight recently. You must not be eating well… Although five hundred yuan isn’t much, it’s better than nothing.”

Su Wan still wanted to refuse, so Luo Ling continued,

“You said that when I earn money, you can enjoy life. I’ve earned five hundred yuan now! And I’ll earn even more in the future! Don’t you want to use it?”

Hearing this, Su Wan’s hand froze in mid-air, as if she didn’t know what to do.

“Sister, I feel the same way about you as you do about me. Would you bear to see me suffer? I can’t bear to see you like this…”

Luo Ling’s eyes started to water.

“Alright, alright, I’ll take it,” Su Wan sighed, putting the five hundred yuan into her pocket. A look of relief and gratitude appeared on her face, and she ruffled Luo Ling’s hair. “I can’t believe Xiao Ling has grown up so fast and is earning money now.”

“And I’ll earn even more,” Luo Ling whispered, lowering her head slightly.

“Good, then our family will be rich,” Su Wan said softly, a gentle smile on her lips. “It’s all thanks to you, Xiao Ling.”

“Mm!”

Luo Ling nodded vigorously.

“Let’s eat. The food will get cold,” Su Wan took Luo Ling’s hand but turned away.

Luo Ling seemed to see her sister’s shoulders trembling slightly. Her expression softened, and her resolve strengthened.

Whether it was for her sister or for the trapped Ji Ying, she had to continue on this path.

Although the name of the Awakened One organization was a bit strange, they were certainly generous. The 30,000 yuan they had casually given her was more than she could earn from manual labor.

More importantly… there was the Puppet Ballad.

Luo Ling remembered what Ji Ying had said to her before she was captured.

Only she could truly kill the Puppet Ballad.

Luo Ling hadn’t understood before, but now she seemed to have a glimmer of understanding.

Perhaps, only she, who also possessed the Puppet Ballad’s ability, could confront the Grotesquery that would bring devastation upon awakening…

But putting aside these worries about the future, this was the happiest meal Luo Ling and Su Wan had had in a long time.

Because they both believed that from now on, everything would be alright.

…

The next morning, a rare weekend, Luo Ling didn’t stay in her room as usual. After helping Su Wan clean the house, the two sisters went out together to buy some things for the home.

At Luo Ling’s insistence, Su Wan used some of the money to buy herself new clothes.

Seeing the joy on her sister’s face as she picked out new clothes at the clothing store, Luo Ling couldn’t help but smile.

Thinking about it, her sister was only twenty-eight years old, still a “girl” in many people’s eyes, but because of her, she had prematurely entered the ranks of middle-aged women.

But from now on… her sister wouldn’t have to work so hard. The thought made Luo Ling happy.

In the end, including the extra groceries they bought for lunch, they had spent four hundred out of the five hundred yuan.

Luo Ling wanted her sister to spend it all, but Su Wan refused to spend the last hundred-yuan bill, insisting on keeping it as a memento. Luo Ling could only give up.

“This is the first money Xiao Ling earned. Even if you earn more in the future, the first time is always special.”

Su Wan solemnly put the hundred-yuan bill into her inner pocket, carefully tucking it away.

After a long-awaited, hearty lunch, it was time for Su Wan to go to work. She had taken a lot of leave and had been working extra shifts to catch up.

And Luo Ling had her own things to do. The tall criminal investigator had invited her to attend the exchange meeting at Qingshan Hospital and meet the other members of the group.

However, Luo Ling still hadn’t bought a new phone. SIM cards now required real-name registration, and Luo Ling was cautious about maintaining her two identities.

If she couldn’t solve this problem, she would rather use Spores to communicate.

Soon, after changing into her “Bai” form and disguising herself, Luo Ling arrived at Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital again.

On a Sunday afternoon, the psychiatric hospital finally looked a bit more like a “hospital.” Entering the main hall, she saw a few medical staff scattered around.

As Luo Ling observed them, wondering if they were also Awakened Ones, she suddenly heard a voice calling out to her softly.

“Little girl! Little girl!”

“Hmm?”

Luo Ling turned and saw a man in a hospital gown, acting nervously.

…Was he a member of the Patient Exchange Group?

The man bent down, looking at Luo Ling with a serious expression, his voice deliberately low.

“Little girl, don’t go in yet. Come, I’ll tell you a secret.”

Seeing Luo Ling didn’t move, the man became anxious.

“Hurry up, or… it’ll be too late. They’ll catch me!”

Luo Ling frowned but approached slightly, still keeping a safe distance.

The man looked around nervously, then whispered,

“This hospital… has a problem!”

Chapter 30: The Scarlet Witch and the White Witch

Elsa was happy. She had already noticed that Luo Ling didn’t experience even a flicker of a trance while listening to her speak.

This was the first time she had met a friend she could talk to directly, especially someone her own age.

Even Old Ji’s mind would be slightly disturbed when he heard her voice, forcing her to speak slowly and as little as possible.

If the other Awakened Ones heard Elsa speak so fluently, they might even go into shock.

Elsa wasn’t someone who disliked talking, but because of this reason, she could only remain silent.

“A foreigner?”

Luo Ling finally took a closer look at the girl in the wheelchair and noticed that her face did indeed resemble a doll’s, her fair skin seemingly delicate—of course, compared to Luo Ling’s pale complexion, hers was relatively normal.

Her slightly curly hair wasn’t black but a dull reddish-brown, and with her lolita-style dress, she looked like a little princess from medieval Europe.

“Mm-hmm,” Elsa nodded and asked curiously, “Big Sister, are you not from China?”

Luo Ling’s white hair and pale skin were too striking. Few Chinese people had this hair color, and even dyed hair rarely reached this level of paleness.

“…Of course I am.”

Luo Ling couldn’t help but grin. How could changing her hair color almost strip her of her nationality…?

“Ah, sorry…”

Elsa’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“Silly Elsa! Stupid Elsa! Idiot Elsa!”

The teddy bear in her arms gloated. This chaotic evil teddy bear even enjoyed mocking its owner.

“It’s okay.”

Looking at the meek, kitten-like Elsa, Luo Ling’s tense mood eased slightly.

However… this little girl named Elsa, or Xu Qian, was visibly unusual.

Although she kept her eyes closed and didn’t speak aloud, she could see and talk.

Perhaps this was Elsa’s ability. Luo Ling was just curious but didn’t ask.

“Big Sister, what should I call you?” Elsa asked cautiously.

“Just call me Bai,” Luo Ling said calmly.

“Don’t you have a codename?” Elsa tilted her head, a sweet smile appearing on her lips. “Like mine, for example, is Scarlet Witch.”

Codename…

Like “Bone Doctor” or “Ancient Martial Artist”?

But… was it necessary?

Seeming to sense Luo Ling’s confusion about codenames, Elsa explained,

“It’s best for Awakened Ones not to reveal all their abilities to others, but we still need to cooperate. Codenames can briefly tell others what our abilities are, what we can do… Like me, for example, I might look frail, but I’m actually very, very strong!”

She clenched her small, pink fists, a proud smile on her lips. “I’m the group’s ultimate weapon! Whenever the others encounter a Grotesquery they can’t handle, they send me!”

“Terrifying Murderer Elsa!”

The teddy bear interjected at the perfect moment.

“I-I’m not!” Elsa quickly covered the teddy bear’s mouth. “Bella, stop talking nonsense!”

If that was the case, it made sense.

Luo Ling nodded thoughtfully.

“I don’t have a codename.”

“Then, how about White Witch!” Elsa suddenly had a brilliant idea and clapped her hands excitedly. “Look, White Witch, Scarlet Witch, it sounds like we’re partners!”

Perhaps because she hadn’t spoken to anyone like this for so long, Elsa was unusually talkative.

But, White Witch…?

Luo Ling pondered for a moment. It wasn’t bad.

The ability she had displayed so far was healing, which was usually called white magic in stories. The codename “White Witch” was quite fitting.

“Ah, sorry, I got too excited…”

Elsa didn’t hear Luo Ling’s reply and thought she had been too forward, shrinking back slightly.

Damn it, she had finally found a friend who could talk to her normally, she couldn’t afford to be disliked…

“It’s okay, I like it,” Luo Ling nodded slightly. “White Witch it is. I’m on the Myriad path, and my ability is healing.”

She extended her hand, a faint smile on her lips. “Nice to meet you, partner, Scarlet Witch.”

“Partner!”

Elsa’s face brightened, and she shook Luo Ling’s hand, her movements slightly awkward and hesitant, as if she rarely had such contact with others.

“I should go back now,” Luo Ling stood up. “My family will be worried if I’m too late.”

“Mm-hmm.”

Elsa nodded, her doll-like face beaming with joy.

Finally… she had a friend who could listen to her. The other older members were nice to her, but… they couldn’t listen to her words.

Luo Ling put the money Liu Songyi had given her into her pocket, said goodbye to Elsa, and left Qingshan Hospital.

Halfway there, Luo Ling used her Spores to scout the surroundings. Seeing no one around, she transformed back into her original form, changed into her school uniform, and walked home.

…

“Bai… she’s hiding a lot of secrets, and she might be dangerous,” Liu Songyi said in a low voice, arms crossed.

As a criminal investigator, he had rushed to the scene of the murder as soon as he could and had made a preliminary assessment of the Grotesquery’s strength.

It was something a Second-Order Awakened One could handle, relatively weak among Low-Sequence Grotesqueries.

But… the traces of the battle indicated that its opponent was extremely powerful, having killed it almost instantly.

Its true strength was unfathomable.

The unknown was often the most terrifying, so it was normal for the cautious Liu Songyi to be wary.

He had learned Luo Ling’s alias from Director Li’s visitor log during his investigation.

“I know that, of course,” Ji Shinian said slowly. His condition had worsened after accidentally glimpsing the thread of fate again.

“But…”

Liu Songyi frowned slightly.

“Xiao Liu, about this matter… don’t pursue it any further. I have my reasons,” a bitter smile appeared on Ji Shinian’s lips. “Of the three administrators, one is still in a coma, and another has met with misfortune. Only you are left to support everything…

“But even in this small Jiangcheng County, we’re not the only ones…”

He gave Liu Songyi a meaningful look. “Compared to Grotesqueries, Awakened Ones, who are also human… might be even more dangerous.”

“Old Ji, do you mean… you recruited her mainly to prevent her from joining other factions?” Liu Songyi asked, puzzled. “Is she really that important?”

Ji Shinian didn’t answer Liu Songyi’s question directly but instead asked, “Xiao Liu, how long did it take you to awaken and advance to Third-Order?”

Liu Songyi replied seriously, “About two years.”

“A century ago, with your talent, it would have taken at least thirty years to advance from zero to Third-Order.”

“Huh?”

Liu Songyi was stunned. His advancement speed wasn’t even considered particularly fast.

The strongest in the Patient Exchange Group was currently Elsa, a Fourth-Order Awakened One… though her abilities were somewhat indiscriminate and prone to friendly fire.

If Wu Qin, the Bone Doctor, were still alive, she would probably be between Fourth and Fifth Order.

“Because you used Sacred Relics, accelerating your progress along your path. In my time, Sacred Relics were even more precious… because Grotesqueries rarely appeared.”

Ji Shinian said calmly, “In recent centuries, the number of both Grotesqueries and Awakened Ones has been increasing, and the conflicts erupting in the ‘real’ world have become more severe. Countless cities and organizations have vanished from history, and even maintaining a semblance of peace is becoming difficult.

“We are living in an era of great change. If we don’t want to be eliminated in this cruel upheaval, we must seize every opportunity, whether ‘important’ or ‘unimportant.’

“…Even just to survive, we must give it our all.”