Chapter 113: The Demon Beast

Damn it... Those bastards at the Underworld are throwing me into the fire without any preparation; they’re not even treating me like a human being… Should I just run for it? I’m so panicked…

"However, after the Underworld’s specialized personnel examined the ghost messenger's wounds and searched for clues at the scene, they discovered that what caused such intense resentment in that vengeful spirit was not a human…"

Qingli composed her thoughts, her gentle voice resounding once more. When she reached the final three words, a trace of gravity flickered deep within her eyes:

"Combining this with everything that happened before, it is certain: it was the work of a demonic entity."

"A demonic entity…"

Lin Xiaobai’s eyes narrowed gradually. He kept murmuring the two words, while in his mind, the only entry regarding demonic entities from the New Recruit Handbook surfaced.

*Once discovered, report to officials at the First-Grade Ghost Messenger level or higher as quickly as possible to coordinate a siege…*

So, here is the problem.

What on earth are those bastards at the Underworld playing at?

They assign a defenseless, ordinary person like me to such a dangerous place, and they make it so obvious. It’s absolutely outrageous if nothing happens…

Lin Xiaobai didn't believe for a second that there was no ulterior motive behind all this. But… he couldn't find any evidence of being deliberately set up. What if it’s all just a coincidence?

Lin Xiaobai felt speechless. The Underworld appeared so formal; it didn't seem like they had a culture of messing around… except for that White Impermanence with the bad luck… Forget it… I should think about how to run away…

Although he wanted to get a promotion, a raise, become a Chief Manager, marry a wealthy beauty, and reach the pinnacle of life… he couldn't afford to lose his life in the process.

"As expected of a superior. Even though you are only a Third-Grade Ghost Messenger, you are already thinking of ways to solve problems that even First-Grade Ghost Messengers find difficult…"

Noticing Lin Xiaobai’s contemplation, a sense of admiration couldn't help but rise in Qingli’s heart. After pondering secretly, a gentle look appeared in her eyes, and her crisp voice sounded again:

"Actually, my lord, there is no need to dwell on the matter of the demonic entity. Since the Underworld has already realized the severity of the situation, they will surely make thorough arrangements for you. By then, they will definitely send a First-Grade Ghost Messenger to assist!"

"In my opinion, that escaped vengeful spirit is our primary target!"

"As long as we take down that spirit, your position as a Third-Grade Ghost Messenger will be as steady as a rock!"

Qingli smiled, looking entirely confident.

*Steady as a rock…*

Hearing Qingli’s words, Lin Xiaobai couldn't help but feel a bit ashamed. Your attire isn't exactly from modern times… Why would you say such bizarre phrases…

"Hmm, your analysis is very good."

Although Qingli’s words slightly dispelled his urge to run, Lin Xiaobai still felt uneasy deep down. After offering some purely official praise, he cast a subtle, scrutinizing glance at her:

"What is your current strength?"

"Hmm…"

Qingli pursed her lips and fell into deep thought. Lin Xiaobai didn't speak, waiting quietly. If one looked closely, one could see a glimmer of cunning in Lin Xiaobai's eyes. It was a glimmer of readiness to run at any moment… a glimmer of an endless yearning for life… a glimmer of…

"During my hundred years in the Avici Hell, although I endured a century of solitude, the Underworld occasionally sent books for me to peruse. Among them were many cultivation techniques and martial skills."

"Although I was working in isolation, I have the benefit of a century of practice. With my current soul power, which rivals that of a First-Grade Ghost Messenger, slaying a Second-Grade Ghost Messenger would be as easy as slaughtering chickens or dogs."

While Lin Xiaobai was lost in thought, Qingli’s eyes turned serious, and her calm voice drifted out.

In truth, Qingli was not stupid; she saw through many things clearly. Although she had killed a ghost messenger and caused trouble back then, the Underworld had also recognized her talent, which was why they trained her in the Avici Hell. She had expected to be assigned to the barracks as a Yin Soldier to guard the Underworld, but she hadn't expected to be given such an idle position. She figured this was just another one of the Underworld's methods to win people over.

Behind the desk, Lin Xiaobai heard Qingli's words and was momentarily stunned, his eyes narrowing…

─━_─━?

…

"Alright, that's enough. You may go out first."

After a brief pause, Lin Xiaobai nodded and spoke dismissively. Qingli didn't say more; she acknowledged the order and stepped out lightly.

*Bang…*

*Slurp…*

As the door closed, Lin Xiaobai took a soft sip of the tea in his cup, his eyes flickering with contemplation as he analyzed the situation:

"The vengeful spirit was able to severely wound a Second-Grade Ghost Messenger a month ago, so it must have suffered significant injuries. Conservatively, even if it wasn't injured, after fleeing in a pathetic state for a month, it probably hasn't gained much strength."

"Since Qingli says she can easily slay a Second-Grade Ghost Messenger, she must be making a conservative estimate. Her true strength should be even greater!"

"If that vengeful spirit dares to come looking for trouble, it will definitely be a one-way trip!"

"As for the demonic entity behind the spirit, that is not something for me, Lin, to worry about."

*Slurp…*

Delicious…

"As long as I rely on Qingli to get through tonight safely, once my gear arrives tomorrow, I'll have the means to protect myself, so I won't have to worry so much…"

*Sigh…*

*Slurp…*

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, night fell.

8:00 PM.

On Laobai Street, neon lights flickered, and people came and went—it was quite lively.

Inside the Xiaobai Convenience Store, Qingli sat behind the counter, staring at the computer screen with a serious expression. She was playing "Dantang" with intense focus. On the counter was an open bag of gummy candies, one of which she would occasionally pick up and hold in her mouth.

Beside her, Boss Lin lay on his boss chair, looking quite helpless, staring blankly at the ceiling and contemplating the meaning of life.

≡￣﹏￣≡

10:00 PM.

The flow of people on the street thinned out. Most shops were preparing to close, and the lights in the residential area dimmed. Inside the Xiaobai Convenience Store, Qingli was still playing her game and eating candy, looking quite content. Boss Lin, however, looked a bit drowsy.

12:00 AM.

There were no more pedestrians on Laobai Street. Nearly ninety-nine percent of the shops and residential lights had faded, sinking into silence. Inside the Xiaobai Convenience Store, however, a heartbreaking song echoed…

"So many regrets, so many expectations, do you know…"

"I love you…"

"Is such a clear, such a firm belief…"

It was time…

Late-night mode, "NetEase Cloud" depression mode…

Boss Lin looked utterly miserable, covering his face and weeping, his voice choked with sobs:

"It’s as if I walked out of the abyss, only to die within it…"

"If only we never met in this lifetime… in the end, we still missed each other…"

"In the end, I loved the wrong person, loved the wrong soul… in the end, I am all alone…"

"Goodbye, world…"

"I am sorry for not being able to be a person…"

Beside him, Qingli stared blankly at the incredibly negative figure on the boss chair, her eyes wide, looking as if she had much to say but couldn't bring herself to utter a word…

12:01 AM.

The time passed, and Boss Lin returned to normal. Qingli didn't react immediately, sitting there in a daze, watching Boss Lin, who was quietly sipping his tea. It was as if that one minute had been a dream…

"My lord…"

Qingli hesitated, calling out softly. A look of contemplation flashed in her eyes as she was about to say something.

But at that very moment, a sudden change occurred!

*Whoosh…*

*BOOM!!!*

A violent gale suddenly erupted outside the shop. Endless dark clouds converged rapidly, and as fallen leaves and dust raged, they churned madly across Laobai Street!

The rolling thunder sounded as if it were exploding right beside his ears, and the lights of the Xiaobai Convenience Store went out abruptly!

"It's here!"

Qingli stood up in a flash, her face solemn. A cold glint flickered deep in her eyes as she scanned her surroundings.

*Holy sh*t!!!*

This… is this too sudden?

Boss Lin was also panicked, his eyes full of caution. The hair on his back stood on end, and he felt his heart thumping so hard it was about to jump out of his throat.

*Cackle…*

Suddenly, a laugh that sounded like silver bells rang out outside the Xiaobai Convenience Store.

*Holy sh*t!!!*

Lin Xiaobai’s heart skipped a beat, and his breathing stopped instantly!

What did I just see!

Oh my god, what did I just see???

A piece of red cloth???

Lin Xiaobai was bewildered. A piece of red cloth had indeed drifted past… It was rectangular… and printed on it was a large "Hollerkite"…

（_||）

Could that be someone’s bed sheet?

Is that the vengeful spirit’s method…?

Just this…?

Lin Xiaobai swallowed hard, feeling suspicious…

*Cackle…*

Suddenly, that eerie, silver-bell-like laughter rang out outside the shop again!

Instantly, the wind outside grew even stronger!

Even Boss Lin inside the convenience store felt the indoor temperature drop significantly!

No, it dropped way too much!

The Xiaobai Convenience Store now felt like a freezer!

And he was like an ice pop inside that freezer!

Though it goes well with summer…

Uh…

……

Where is it, where is it…

It hasn't come in yet, has it?

?

It has such a high-class entrance before even showing its face… I won't be able to survive the night, will I?

Damn it… I haven't even had a girlfriend yet…

Lin Xiaobai subconsciously glanced at the solemn-looking Qingli. He was terrified, and sweat was pouring down his forehead like it was free…

If one looked closely, one could see that deep within Boss Lin’s eyes, there seemed to be endless hatred and grievance…

If it weren't for those bastards at the Underworld…

However, as time passed, the raging wind outside gradually subsided. Even the swirling dust and fallen leaves stopped dancing. The thunder faded, and the heavy dark clouds slowly dispersed.

The world sank into boundless silence…

The moonlight was cold.

The temperature on Laobai Street was unusually low…

The Xiaobai Convenience Store was like an ice cellar; the biting cold was unbearable.

Feeling the changes in his surroundings, a sense of unease rose in Lin Xiaobai’s heart.

It felt like the calm before the storm…

"My lord, it is here."

Suddenly, a cold light flashed deep in Qingli’s eyes. As she spoke softly, she slowly raised her hand and flicked her wrist.

*Jingle-ling…*

The crisp sound of a bell was piercing in the endless silence. A bracelet on Qingli’s wrist, made of a green silk cord tied with silver bells, suddenly manifested!

"War Weapon!"

Following that, Qingli uttered the two words softly. As a faint white light flickered on the silver bell, the image of a terrifyingly fierce long saber began to materialize rapidly!

To call it a light projection would be an understatement; it was more like a faint mist of light, emerging from nowhere in the world, rapidly converging toward the palm of Qingli’s hand!

Within two breaths, a long, seven-foot blade, cold and chilling, had fully manifested in Qingli’s hand!

Although the blade didn't look much different from an ordinary sword, to Lin Xiaobai, it felt different!

This blade seemed to have a natural suppression against souls! He felt an existential threat emanating from it!

This was a Soul-Slaying Blade!

With the Soul-Slaying Blade in hand, Qingli stared coldly at the entrance of the convenience store.

Is it… there…?

Seeing Qingli’s stance, Lin Xiaobai swallowed hard and looked toward the shop entrance as well.

Fallen leaves were everywhere, dust covered the ground—a scene of desolation.

Under the pale moonlight, waves of coldness swept in, and the sense of bleakness grew even thicker.

*Cackle…*

Then, that weird silver-bell laughter sounded again. In the middle of the street outside the door…

A figure wearing a long red dress with disheveled hair…

Slowly appeared…

Fallen leaves scattered, the moonlight was ghostly pale…

Waves of chillness struck…

The thing I fear most is the sudden silence of the air…

Lin Xiaobai’s blank gaze wandered between Qingli and the vengeful spirit, and a multitude of question marks gradually surfaced on his forehead.

The two—no, the two souls—just stood there silently, neither saying a word…

Lin Xiaobai felt a scent of flowers waft over…

Suddenly, the chill returned!

The temperature inside the entire convenience store had dropped to an inconceivable degree!

And at this moment, Lin Xiaobai’s heart had finally managed to poke its head out from his throat!

The red-clad figure outside had disappeared!

Combining this with the change just now, even a fool could figure it out!

That thing… has come inside…

Damn it…

Cold sweat poured down Lin Xiaobai’s forehead, and the clothes on his back were already soaked through. Qingli, however, looked much calmer.

With cold light flickering in her eyes, Qingli moved her slender hand, and the long blade in her grip pointed straight at the front of the counter!

"One more step, and you die."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, her coldness undiminished, and her voice sounded without a hint of emotion.

Then, in front of the counter, the figure of the woman in red appeared.

The woman’s face was deathly pale, her long hair draped messily behind her head, and she wore a tattered, chaotic red dress, giving off an indescribable sense of sorrow.

Although the woman didn't look as eerie as before, Lin Xiaobai’s mouth twitched slightly as he looked at her.

The woman’s features weren't exactly beautiful, but they were quite exquisite. It was just that the deathly pallor of her face, combined with her furrowed brow and a face that looked like a bitter gourd, made it hard for Boss Lin to accept.

It was hard to imagine…

Hmm…

"I…"

Suddenly, the lifeless-eyed woman in red moved her purple lips and spat out a single word with great difficulty.

"Heh…"

"Cackle…"

"Hehe-ha… Hahahahaha…"

Then, as if she had gone completely mad, her features twisted to the extreme. A self-mocking laugh, that eerie silver-bell laughter, a frantic, shrill laugh… echoed through the convenience store…

The woman hunched over, covering her face with both hands, her laughter eerie, her thoughts impossible to grasp…

"Woo… Woo-woo…"

"Hehe… woo… ha… woo-woo-woo…"

For some reason, although the woman appeared completely deranged, she gave off an indescribable sense of sorrow.

It wasn't until she had laughed for a long time and the sound of choked sobs began—a sound of sobbing mixed with deranged laughter—that Lin Xiaobai had a strange feeling.

This woman… had no hostility.

He didn't speak, not daring to be sure. The woman’s behavior was simply too bizarre…

Qingli, on the other hand, watched everything with indifference, remaining on high alert. For a servant, the duty was to protect and assist the ghost messenger. Since Lin Xiaobai’s life was not threatened and there were no further orders, she could not take any further action.