Evil As Humans - CH 61

Late at night, in Shian campus, Minister Fu was staying up in the middle of the night.

He had set up a “fusion people” emergency warehouse in advance to prepare a treatment plan for all the corruption of the Evil Force. Given that Minister Jiao was unable to come forward, Fu Xingchuan’s professional advice was indispensable.

After treatment, the “human chair”, Fan Yong’s mood had stabilized a bit and was able to give a little bit of location support in his thoughts. Huang Jin was working around the clock to figure out Ding Lizi’s thoughts. Given that the victims could be found at any time—this meant they would be welcoming numerous special patients at a moment’s notice.

Seeing that it was past 4 in the morning, Fu Xingchuan rubbed his eyes and prepared to drag out a folding bed.

It would’ve been better if he had been a science post. Professor Li had already gone to sleep in the lounge. Why did he embark on this path? Minister Fu felt quite aggrieved.

However, before Minister Fu had time to unfold the folding bed, his phone rang again…

Two calls came in at the same time, and both of them seemed urgent.

The exhausted Fu Xingchuan: “……”

He glanced at the caller ID and first answered Hao Wenzhe’s call. “Xiao Hao, haven’t you gone to sleep yet?”

Hao Wenzhe, the rear commander of the Emergency Handling Department, was the first person in Shian to process incoming data. The advantage was that the data feedback was fast, but the disadvantage was that sometimes it was too fast.

“There’s significant abnormality in the evil qi index on Yuesheng Road in Shangguang District. It’s suspected that a highly active Evil Force has appeared.” Hao Wenzhe got straight to the point. His voice was as if he had just been awakened from a trance. “The index is too high, and there’s no sign of artificial cover-up. You’d better go and see for yourself.”

Fu Xingchuan almost couldn’t breathe. “Okay, I see.”

He hung up on the call with Hao Wenzhe and picked up the call from Minister Jiao.

“Something is wrong.” Minister Jiao’s unique synthetic voice came through the earpiece. “Someone, took the initiative to enter, that side. The location is near Yuesheng Road, Shanguang District.”

“What? Took the initiative?!”

This time, Minister Fu really almost had a heart attack.

“That person’s ability, is extremely close to mine.” It was clearly a synthetic voice, but Fu Xingchuan could hear the seriousness in it. “It must be, controlled, quickly.”

“Similar to yours?” Fu Xingchuan was stunned. “But your ability…”

“Outside Shian, a real ‘Charon*’, may be born. You know, what it means.”

*Reference to Charon in Greek mythology. He is the ferryman of Hades who carries the souls of the dead across the river of Styx, which separates the world of the living and the dead.

“I’m dead.” Fu Xingchuan groaned. “Is it too late for me to suddenly die now? I would rather fight ten Xiang Jiang than deal with a ‘Charon’. Minister Jiao, I mean no offense, but your type is really troublesome.”

“He’s not, grown up, yet.” Minister Jiao ignored Fu Xingchuan’s wailing. “Whoever it is, deal with it, as soon as possible.”

The phone hung up. Fu Xingchuan looked blankly at the half-built folding bed.

Charon.

It was not a specific phenomenon but referred to a class of rare special abilities in living people.

In the metaphysical world, people with special abilities were relatively rare. They were either like Ge Tingting, who was born with a special physique and awakened after mental trauma, or like Feng Qi, who was forcibly stimulated by external forces with “special abilities”. The strength was dependent on the degree of corruption.

Most of this kind of mutant ability was related to people’s inner desires. They were displayed in a variety of strange ways, but the general direction was fixed.

The most common was the “Ghost Eye” branch, which was a variation of observation abilities. Feng Qi and Ge Tingting were in this category.

In addition, there was the “Resonance” branch that could affect the emotions of others. The “Confusion” branch was related to distortion of cognition, while the “Immensity” branch increased processing capabilities by leaps and bounds.

The “Charon” branch was the rarest of these.

They could travel between “this side” and “that side” to a certain extent. Unlike the legendary Styx ferryman, people with this kind of ability could only transport the living, not the dead.

Before the accident, Minister Jiao was a powerful “Charon”…

Minister Jiao could not only carry people back and forth, but she could also suddenly disappear in place, appear in another distant location, or simply disappear for over ten days to half a month.

Because the Charons were unable to take the dead to the “other side”, research became extremely difficult. Not to mention equipment, Minister Jiao couldn’t even bring her clothes in. What exactly was the situation on the “other side”, Shian hadn’t yet decided.

To this day, this research topic was still top secret in Shian.

Fu Xingchuan opened an energy drink and drank it all in one go.

After the previous analysis by the Foreign Body Identification Department, the maker of the “human chair” was undoubtedly a capable person of the Charon branch—he could throw half of the living into the “other side”. The human body on “this side” would become half-virtual, half-real, just in time to be mixed in with other items.

As a precaution, Minister Jiao repeatedly determined the victim’s situation. The culprit’s ability was only enough to “send half a person”, which was far from a real “Charon”.

But then again, thanks to an event more than 20 years ago, there were still many people who had been contaminated by the sporadic Evil Force in society, which gave rise to some with Charon abilities.

For example, one could make mosquitoes that were still alive disappear, or occasionally pass their arm through the dead. Considering the slight corruption, these abilities would not cause much damage and would disappear after treatment.

It was rare for someone to have the level that could pass “half a person”.

The consequences would be unimaginable if the soon-to-be-born Charon was the serial killer with enhanced abilities—”Charon” was the most difficult to deal with, and a skilled Charon was not only particularly difficult to catch but could also harm people without leaving a trace.

Fu Xingchuan patted his cheeks fiercely and then opened the contact list.

“Transfer me two Class A investigation teams and let Xiang Jiang support me. I’ll be going too. Make preparations for protection from Evil Force—within 15 minutes, fully block off Yuesheng Road in Shangguang District and conduct a full investigation of the area.”

……

Ten minutes ago, Xinxin Amusement Park, Yuesheng Road, Shangguang District.

“This time, it’s ‘real magic’,” Bai Yongji announced.

Zhong Chengshuo poked Yin Ren on the back. “I can still see him.”

“I know. He’s not dead yet. This is an abnormal ability, like Feng Qi.” Yin Ren felt a powerful Evil Force on the opposite side, making his face a little bitter.

With such an obvious fluctuation in power, Shian would soon catch on, which meant they didn’t have much time left to talk nonsense.

Bai Yongji had to be controlled as soon as possible.

Bai Yongji was still standing in place as the holes in his body were slowly filling in. However, his body didn’t seem to be stable. Bai Yongji staggered, and from time to time, parts of his body would disappear and then slowly reappear.

Head, arms, chest, legs, feet.

Just like a reef washed away by invisible waves, Bai Yongji’s exposed body would grow and loom from time to time. The two of them could only see a broken outline.

He became extremely excited, as if he couldn’t feel the pus and blood all over his face. Half of his face would disappear on occasion leaving behind only complete darkness on the cross-section. They didn’t know what he was saying, but the remaining part of his face was full of joy.

The next moment, Bai Yongji almost disappeared in place, leaving only sporadic arms and feet. Lu Tanfei rushed over with a roar. His long legs and feet went straight through the gaps in the fragments without catching anything.

Those arm fragments were suspended in the air, outlining a rough human shape, and were constantly changing positions, like a malfunctioning image.

“No one can catch me anymore…” Half of Bai Yongji’s chin appeared from the void as he spat this out.

“Really?” Before Zhong Chengshuo’s words fell, the sound of bones shattering rang out from the half chin that was just punched.

The twisted chin let out a scream of pain and quickly disappeared into the void. A small piece of shoulder reappeared again. Judging from the change in outline, Bai Yongji had turned around and fled.

Yin Ren attached a little bit of Evil Force to his palm. He took two steps forward and grabbed his shoulder. Bai Yongji struggled repeatedly, trying to control his shoulder to “disappear”, but he couldn’t get rid of the hand.

“This ability is very interesting.” Yin Ren commented leisurely.

There was no such ability thousands of years ago. Bai Yongji seemed to have hidden most of his body in some other space—if he adapted this ability, it would become a bit tricky.

Unfortunately, Bai Yongji was still too young. As long as he couldn’t hide his entire body…

With a click, Yin Ren dislocated the half shoulder without hesitation.

In severe pain, Bai Yongji grabbed a bush beside him. It made a clicking sound as the branches of the bush started to disappear with his hands, while the sections that were still exposed became unnaturally smooth.

Discovering a new attack method, Bai Yongji’s spirit was refreshed. He twisted his body, poked out half of his head from the void, and stretched out his hand to grab Yin Ren’s skinny arms.

The killing intent was accompanied by corruption of the Evil Force as all of Bai Yongji’s seven orifices were spewing out blood and pus.

Zhong Chengshuo didn’t miss this opportunity. He turned around, raised his knife, and slashed straight at the exposed back of Bai Yongji’s neck…

In an instant, Yin Ren suddenly felt cold all over his body.

A familiar sense of peeping.

This place was obviously barren, and there weren’t any high-rise buildings nearby, but the sense of peeping was extremely vivid. For thousands of years, he rarely felt this kind of chill.

Yin Ren made a quick decision. He let go of Bai Yongji and immediately rushed to Zhong Chengshuo. The latter, who had raised his knife, was knocked to the ground by Yin Ren, and the two fell together.

Bang.

There was a very light noise that was almost overshadowed by the night wind.

Then there was another muffled sound. The naked Bai Yongji hit the ground. The part above his neck was blown to pieces, and its fragments splattered on the overgrown weeds. The air instantly smelled of blood and guts.

“Lu Tanfei, go back!” Yin Ren shouted.

The human spider grandpa glanced at the corpse of his enemy blankly, then quickly disappeared.

Bang. A second shot.

Blood and organs flew together as the shot broke through Bai Yongji’s stomach. The “lucky coin” that was stained with internal organ fragments rolled out, still emitting a strong Evil Force.

Yin Ren didn’t hesitate. He brushed the coin with his hair and absorbed part of the Evil Force. At the same time, he hugged Zhong Chengshuo and rolled into the tall bushes by the back door.

Bang. A third shot.

With an unpleasant crisp sound, the coin that was covered with Evil Force was accurately blasted into pieces. The bullet had been treated somehow as the Evil Force on the fragments quickly dissipated.

…Sunken Society was taking care of loose ends? It seemed they weren’t particularly concerned with directly destroying the source of corruption from the Evil Force.

For the first time after waking up from his deep sleep, Yin Ren’s face sank.

The bullet could break Evil Force, which meant it could harm him. What was even more terrifying was that, as an Evil Spirit, Yin Ren couldn’t determine the strength of the shooter… Even if his abilities were suppressed, this was too outrageous.

The opponent was definitely not human, or even an ordinary evil being.

Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo maintained a hugging posture, squeezing quietly between the bushes and the gap in the back door.

The coin was destroyed, but the damn sense of peeping didn’t dissipate. It floated around like a ghost. The attacker fired a few shots in different directions, as if to lure out a small animal. The bushes a few steps away instantly evaporated, leaving behind a tooth-like gap.

The enemy was hidden in the dark while they were exposed. A long night was fraught with dreams*. They had to completely hide themselves.

*(夜长梦多) Idiom referring to undue delay may lead to trouble.

Direct spell casting? No, that won’t work for Zhong Chengshuo.

Spirit weapon to eliminate their aura… But they were empty-handed.

Yin Ren glanced at Zhong Chengshuo, who was close at hand. His partner’s heartbeat was faster than usual, but his breathing wasn’t chaotic.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The gunfire was mixed with the regular heartbeat. It splashed gravel and dirt across their skin.

Yin Ren’s expression gradually changed from solemn to calm and finally turned into a subtle smile.

Zhong Chengshuo tried to say something, but Yin Ren covered his mouth and nose. A puzzle light flickered in the eyehole of the rabbit mask, and a warm breath swept across Yin Ren’s palm.

“Shh—” Yin Ren held his other hands towards his face and pressed a finger on his lips. In the night, his expression was dark and unclear.

There was the noise of sticky flesh and blood gurgling from bones.

Several pieces of cartilage protruded from Yin Ren’s shoulders and back. They drilled out of the gaps like vines, forming a spherical skeleton near Zhong Chengshuo. The dark flesh film covered him and turned into four twisted wings.

The runes on the wings flickered, holding the two firmly in the middle.

In the wing ball, Yin Ren leaned forward, half kneeling on the ground. Zhong Chengshuo’s knees were stuck between Yin Ren’s legs, and his body had leaned back slightly towards the soft wings and wall behind him. The two of them were so tightly embedded together that Zhong Chengshuo could hardly move.

Through the thin fabric, the two people’s body temperatures instantly melded into one.

None of them spoke. In the small space, there was only a very light sound of breathing.

The black sphere was deeply hidden in the shadow, with their breath enclosed. Even if one were to look at it up close, there would be “nothing there”. Bai Yongji’s body lay not far away; his blood was seeping along the stone ground into the drainage ditch.

The night was quiet again, with only a light breeze and insect chirps. The two of them seemed to have disappeared from the world.

After a few minutes passed, the attacker seemed to have completely lost interest. The air suddenly loosened, and the sense of peeping completely dissipated.

The top of Yin Ren’s wing ball cracked, allowing silvery moonlight to pour in. Zhong Chengshuo was still wearing a rabbit mask, so Yin Ren couldn’t see his expression.

Facing those extremely fluid black flesh films, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t make any comments. His leg muscles were tense as if he wanted to get up…

The black flesh was reshaped again, and the cartilage was attached to Zhong Chengshuo’s chest. The flesh wrapped around his waist and abdomen, instantly locking Zhong Chengshuo’s body in place. Moonlight sprinkled from the top of the wing ball, illuminating the internal space that looked like a strange egg that couldn’t be broken.

“Now you know that I am a real evil being.” In the dim light, Yin Ren smiled brightly. “Shian is almost here, so I’ll cut to the chase.”

After saying these words, he took time to look at Zhong Chengshuo.

Zhong Chengshuo’s hands weren’t bound. He took off the mask with one hand and stared at Yin Ren blankly. The space was narrow, and the faces of the two were less than 30 centimeters apart. They could feel each other’s breath spraying on their skin.

“Zhong Chengshuo, I know you’re ‘King Yama’.”

The right chips should be thrown away at the right time.

Let’s go.

Exchanging handles and threatening each other to go on—this was also the way for accomplices to survive. Would you like to be my true accomplice?

Or shall we break up? Or do you just want to die on the spot?

Click.

A cold gun muzzle was placed on Yin Ren’s chin. Zhong Chengshuo didn’t say a word.

His face didn’t have any emotion, as if he was wearing another mask. Yin Ren didn’t care. He leaned forward, and the tips of their noses almost touched each other. There was more heat in their breath.

Minute by minute, time passed. The atmosphere seemed to be frozen as Yin Ren patiently waited for Zhong Chengshuo’s answer.

If they succeed in maintaining a superficial partnership… Yin Ren didn’t know if this person would be touched if he bought him some stewed pears on a whim afterwards. Yin Ren thought regretfully that he should’ve bought them for him to taste earlier.

After about ten seconds, the muzzle on Yin Ren’s chin moved.

Zhong Chengshuo’s face was still unruffled. He didn’t answer; he just lightly sighed as he silently pulled the trigger.

The sound of a click was heard as the trigger was pulled. Yin Ren narrowed his eyes. Just as he was about to grow another head—

Puff.

The muzzle of the gun opened sideways with a soft sound.

Countless soap bubbles sprayed into the sky, flashing fluorescence in the night. They floated gently, reflecting the brilliant, cold light of the night.

The soap bubbles flew out from the muzzle and floated in the wind towards the headless corpse and the dilapidated amusement park. Under the moonlight, in the grass, they flew happily before popping, creating a scene with an uncomfortable sense of coordination.

One bubble landed on the rabbit mask and popped with a bang, causing a bit of mist to splash onto Yin Ren’s wings.

Cold.

…What is this?

Yin Ren was stunned in place. His brain was blank as he instinctively shrank back a little.

“This is a toy,” Zhong Chengshuo said solemnly. “Possession of firearms is a felony.”

Yin Ren: “……” King Yama’s thoughts were so unpredictable that he didn’t know how to reply.

Zhong Chengshuo admired Yin Ren’s expression for a while. The corners of his mouth had curled up slightly.

“Give you something in return.” His words made no sense, but he sounded happy.

Zhong Chengshuo turned his right hand the next moment. Like magic, the toy gun in his hand was replaced by a red dagger. His left hand reached to the back of Yin Ren’s head and pressed the man’s neck closer.

The Evil Fruit dagger was pressed against Yin Ren’s throat, and the sense of oppression belonging to a hunter instantly exploded, but it didn’t have the unique feeling of killing intent.

Zhong Chengshuo adjusted his posture. His back was wrapped in a soft and warm wing membrane, while the cartilage around his waist was flexible and powerful. Yin Ren’s long hair was scattered on the flesh, which was engraved with runes and seemed to be melded together. Zhong Chengshuo knew that it was powerful.

What was perfect was that he had never seen such a shocked expression on Yin Ren’s face.

He wanted to see more.

“I have already considered the fact that you are an ‘evil being’ a long time ago. For the sake of a fair deal, I should tell you a secret in return.”

Zhong Chengshuo spoke in his calm tone like always.

“…I kind of like you.”

The author has something to say:

Xiao Yin: People can’t, at least they shouldn’t…!!!

In fact, Great King Yama may be the creature farthest from having a love brain (×

The gap between Bai Yongji and the protagonist is too great. In fact, it wouldn’t be a challenge, so he’s not worthy of even being a little boss.

It’s time to consider how to write your report, you two—!

Kinky Thoughts:

Zhong Chengshuo confesses! (sort of).