Chapter 101: The Mortality Meter 07
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Zheng Xiaoyu and Cheng Xi woke up in the middle of the night, hearing loud noises outside.
Cheng Xi asked, “What’s going on outside?”
Zheng Xiaoyu replied, “It sounds like a fire alarm, I think there’s a fire.”
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xi was startled and sat up quickly. She got out of bed and put on her slippers. “We should hurry and run.” Zheng Xiaoyu stopped her, and the two of them went outside to take a look. Standing at the door, they saw that it was Ding Sheng’s room that had been affected. They went over to ask about it and learned that Ding Sheng had an accident but had been saved.
Ding Sheng had a cut on his neck, which had been quickly bandaged to stop the bleeding. They had planned to send him to the hospital, but he insisted on not going. The hotel had no choice but to move him to another room. This incident had happened during the night, and Ding Sheng cooperated with the hotel manager, so there wasn’t much of a commotion. This finally allowed the hotel manager to relax, thinking, “Luckily, nothing else happened. The charm the master gave really worked.”
When Zheng Xiaoyu and Cheng Xi arrived at Ding Sheng’s new room and heard this, they suddenly felt sympathy for the hotel manager. He had reached a point where he no longer cared. Plus, so quickly calling on the master? Didn’t he think the master was a fraud before?
The hotel manager waved his hand and spoke in the tone of someone with experience, “In our line of work, we see all sorts of things. We’ve dealt with paranormal events before; we just keep quiet about them and treat them as normal. So, even if something happens again, as long as you accept it mentally, it’s no big deal. Besides, I’ve seen Master Chen and his team—they really have skills. At least with them around, there haven’t been any fatalities.”
Before Zheng Xiaoyu and Cheng Xi could respond, Ding Sheng chimed in, excitedly saying, “The master really does have true skill. I think we’re saved.” He then went on to recount everything that had happened, and finally opened his palm to show the charm that had been carefully protected. “It’s because it fell onto me that I survived. Otherwise, when you came looking for me tomorrow, you would’ve only found a cold body.”
Cheng Xi tightened her grip on the charm in her hand. She wasn’t sure if it was psychological, but she even held onto the charm while she slept. When she heard the noises outside and was about to go check, she also tightly held onto it. It felt as though the charm gave her courage, making her less afraid. “Is it… really possible to be saved?”
Ding Sheng nodded seriously, and when he touched his neck wound, his excited expression dimmed slightly. “Trust me, I’ve experienced it firsthand.”
Zheng Xiaoyu squeezed the charm tightly and thought for a moment. “Should we buy two more?” The first one had been given by Chen Yang, and they wouldn’t ask for more for free next time. No matter how much these charms cost, they would be worth it.
Meanwhile, the hotel manager had slipped away to instruct other staff members to pay special attention to the guests in the presidential suite, ensuring they received service whenever needed. Afterward, he started thinking about how to buy more charms from Chen Yang. They really seemed to work, and he wanted to get a few more to keep for safety.
The incident involving Zheng Xiaoyu and Cheng Xi took place on the sixth floor, while Chen Yang and the others were staying on the top floor. There were many floors between them, so whatever happened below wouldn’t reach the top. However, in the middle of his sleep, Chen Yang suddenly opened his eyes and pushed the sleeping Du Shuo beside him.
Du Shuo woke up, hugged Chen Yang, and whispered, “What’s wrong?”
Chen Yang blinked and said, “Something’s happened.”
Du Shuo closed his eyes and pressed his head closer to Chen Yang, holding him tightly. After a moment of silence, he said, “The person didn’t die.”
Chen Yang responded with, “Oh.” That must have been the charm working. Fortunately, those people hadn’t thrown it away; otherwise, there would have been no chance of survival.
Du Shuo raised his hand and pressed it on Chen Yang’s head, giving it a gentle pat. “Go to sleep.” Chen Yang closed his eyes, snuggled closer to him, and fell back asleep.
Around two or three in the morning, Kou Xuanling got up and pushed away Lu Xiuzhi’s arm, which was around his waist. He went into the bathroom, turned on the light, and flushed the toilet. Stifling a yawn, he walked over to the sink and looked at himself in the mirror, noticing his hair was sticking up and his face was a bit oily. He stared at his reflection for a moment, then turned on the faucet to wash his hands and face, picking up his toothbrush to brush his teeth.
He was so focused on brushing his teeth that he didn’t notice the toilet’s flush button was stuck and sinking. The water in the toilet seemed to be blocked, and it began to rise, eventually spilling over. The overflowing water streamed out of the bathroom toward the sink, almost like a snake with a life of its own, creeping closer to Kou Xuanling’s heels. The bathroom’s heater switch clicked on, and the lock on the bathroom door rattled twice, securing itself.
Kou Xuanling rinsed the foam off his face, noticing the temperature in the bathroom rising. The shower’s water heater turned on silently, and the temperature display shot up, stopping at 80°C. The water valve slowly began to rise, and the vent fan snapped shut with a ‘whoosh’ sound.
With the door and vent fan sealed tight, the increasingly high temperature from the heater and hot water would have caused the bathroom heater to explode. Metal fragments would injure anyone nearby, and the humid environment could trigger an electrical leak. The exploded water heater would send out blue electrical sparks, and the showerhead would crash to the ground. The water would flow, mixing with the water in the toilet, pooling around the feet of anyone inside, and a high-voltage current would instantly electrocute them.
Kou Xuanling spat out the last of the water, put his toothbrush and cup away, and took out the charm from his pocket, placing it in his palm. Turning around, he saw the overflowing toilet and immediately turned off the main water valve. The toilet’s water tank ran dry after a while, and the water stopped flowing. He then turned off the bathroom heater and water heater, switched on the exhaust fan, and walked around the clean floor, easily avoiding obstacles that might make him trip.
Finally, Lu Xiuzhi opened the bathroom door, folded his arms, leaned against the doorway, and watched Kou Xuanling with a smile. “So, you get up every day before dawn just to wash your face and brush your teeth.”
Kou Xuanling’s face stiffened for a moment, then he admitted it and teased him, “You were the same when you were chasing me.” Back then, he had thought of Lu Xiuzhi as a brother, seeing his fresh face every morning, which made him fall into a period of self-doubt about his own natural beauty.
Lu Xiuzhi reached out his hand, “Back to bed?”
Kou Xuanling grabbed his hand, their palms overlapping, and said, “From now on, don’t get up early to wash your face and brush your teeth secretly. I have to get up and do it secretly every day and sneak back into bed.”
Lu Xiuzhi smiled, “You can do it openly, because I already know.”
Kou Xuanling tightened his grip on Lu Xiuzhi’s hand, shifting it into a pinch. His voice was calm. “So you just watch me get up every morning and deliberately pretend not to know?”
Lu Xiuzhi confessed, “Because that way you’ll let me kiss you, and you’ll even kiss me first.” He laughed at the thought. If Kou Xuanling forgot to sneakily brush his teeth in the morning, even if he initiated a kiss, he would be rejected, let alone being the one to kiss him first.
Kou Xuanling said, “Schemer.”
The two of them walked out of the bathroom and closed the door. The bathroom light was turned off, leaving only a dim nightlight. Suddenly, a shadow flashed across the empty mirror. The shadow stood still for a moment, then reluctantly moved away.
Kou Xuanling whispered, “Lost control, got desperate.”
“It should have realized that all the accidents were prevented, unable to kill anyone, and its consciousness was gradually being erased, starting to lose control.”
“No wonder. It took the initiative.” Kou Xuanling yawned, “I’m going to sleep a little longer, remember to wake me up.”
“Okay.”
The whispers gradually faded, and the room fell silent again. Lu Xiuzhi gazed at Kou Xuanling’s sleeping face, and after confirming that he had fallen into a deep sleep, he took out a yellow talisman and cinnabar from the darkness, drawing dozens of protective charms. Since that creature was about to lose control, Lu Xiuzhi decided to force it into a corner, driving it to self-destruction.
Around 9 a.m., Chen Yang pulled back the curtains, and sunlight poured into the room, brightening everything. He took a deep breath, turned around, grabbed his backpack, and said to Du Shuo, “Let’s go out and play today.”
Chen Yang had been talking about going out for the past couple of days, or else he wouldn’t have stayed in Shimen Town for three days. Today was the last day. He had lost two days due to the supernatural disturbance, but now with the talismans, he could go out without any worries.
Chen Yang stepped out of the room and greeted Kui Xuan, the Doll, and the Ma Shanfeng couple. Before long, Zhang Qiudao and Big Fatty approached, greeting everyone in turn. Both of them had signs of staying up all night, and Chen Yang asked what they had been doing the previous evening.
Zhang Qiudao yawned, looking unbothered, and didn’t answer. Big Fatty, trying to be discreet and brief, responded, “Playing games.”
Chen Yang glanced at Big Fatty’s round paws, imagining that the pads would probably cover the entire phone screen. Zhang Qiudao coldly added, “Instead of playing games, it’s more like yelling at people.”
Big Fatty said calmly, “They have no manners.”
Zhang Qiudao replied with a mocking “Heh,” “A professional at giving away kills and sabotaging teammates.”
Big Fatty stated that he felt sympathy for the lonely ones and decided not to argue with Zhang Qiudao, who could only vent his frustration through games late at night without a girlfriend. Meanwhile, Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi also went outside, and the group headed to the elevator, reaching the lobby. Zheng Xiaoyu and the others had been waiting there early in the morning and immediately surrounded them, chattering about what had happened last night and expressing their desire to buy protective talismans.
Chen Yang asked, “You want to buy talismans?”
Zheng Xiaoyu and the others nodded awkwardly. Chen Yang turned to the hotel manager, “Do you want one too?”
The manager, looking troubled, said, “I feel like I’ve been having bad luck lately, so I wanted to buy a talisman for protection.”
Chen Yang replied, “You’re indeed not very lucky. A talisman shouldn’t be sought too many times; asking for more doesn’t help. If your talisman gets lost, come back and buy another. But since you still have one, there’s no need for another. If you want to get one for your family, you can go to other temples. I can recommend some temples with good talismans and safety charms.” He handed the hotel manager a talisman as he spoke.
Zheng Xiaoyu and the others were disappointed that they couldn’t get the talismans, but they were happy to know that they could get substitute charms. They had been scared by the recent incident, and although they had talismans protecting them, they wanted to get charms for their family, friends, and loved ones to feel more at ease.
After they left, Lu Xiuzhi took out the talismans he had drawn earlier that morning and handed them to Chen Yang and the others. “You all took the substitute dolls, and their birthdates show that they will encounter danger soon. The supernatural being can’t hurt people directly, but it will mistake the substitute dolls for your birth dates and target you instead.”
Kou Xuanling grinned wickedly, “That thing is in a hurry, it will act today.” He smiled mischievously, “Let’s play with it and destroy it today.”
The group arrived at Shiyan Mountain and got out of the car at the foot of the mountain, walking up about thirty stone steps. At the top of the steps was a large square and a commercial area. The surrounding area had developed into a thriving entertainment district, with hotels, hot springs, amusement parks, shopping centers, and entertainment hubs. There was even a sightseeing cable car leading up to a famous temple on the mountaintop.
They blended into the crowd and gradually spread out. Ma Shanfeng and his wife, holding Kui Xuan, rushed to the children’s play area. Ji Jiang followed closely behind with a wallet, occasionally stopping Ma Shanfeng and his wife from buying accessories and clothes.
Zhang Qiudao found a massage chair as soon as he entered the mall, swiped his card, and lay back to enjoy the air conditioning, refusing to move. Big Fatty squatted on the ground, staring for a while, then walked several steps back, turned, bent his legs, took a running jump, and leaped—bang! He hit the target!
Zhang Qiudao suddenly opened his eyes, severely injured. He gasped for breath, looked down at Big Fatty, who was like a heavy weight on his chest, and shakily pointed at him, “Get off.”
Big Fatty ignored him, continuing to lick his fur. When he saw a passing kitten, he even adjusted the wig on his head, making sure it was perfectly placed.
Zhang Qiudao gritted his teeth, “If you don’t get off, I’ll take your wig off.”
Big Fatty’s massive body froze, and his paws tightly gripped the wig on his head. His eyes were filled with shock. It seemed like he hadn’t expected Zhang Qiudao to be such a shameless and vicious human, willing to hurt a small, helpless kitten like him.
Zhang Qiudao remained silent for a moment, then stared at Big Fatty face-to-face for a while. He glanced at the nearby massage chair, paid, and swallowed his frustration. “Please.” Big Fatty jumped onto the massage chair, sprawled out with his limbs wide, leaned back against the chair, and immediately fluffed up all his fur, making a purring sound as if he were in absolute bliss.
Chen Yang dragged Du Shuo toward the shopping district of the mall. “Let’s go buy some clothes, matching outfits.” They stopped when they passed the boutique supermarket. One stared at the candy aisle, the other glanced at the premium alcohol. Chen Yang asked, “Why don’t we go in and take a look?”
Du Shuo replied, “We can’t buy anything.”
Chen Yang assured, “We can. I promise we’re just looking, and you’re not allowed to buy. Those bottles are all overpriced packaging with mediocre taste, so you can’t buy anything.”
“Fine.” Du Shuo agreed. “But you also have to promise not to buy any candy.”
“I promise.”
Then, the two of them entered the boutique supermarket and went their separate ways, each heading to their preferred section. After a while, Chen Yang couldn’t resist and secretly grabbed a shopping bag and filled it with candy. Du Shuo stood by the high-end liquor shelf, observing for a while, occasionally picking up bottles to inspect. A nearby liquor salesperson approached him and asked if he wanted to buy anything. Du Shuo gave him a cold glance, and the salesperson immediately shut up and dared not ask again.
Seemingly indifferent, Du Shuo caressed a bottle of wine, his gaze slightly warming. He casually glanced toward the candy section, but not seeing Chen Yang, he asked, “Do you offer delivery for the alcohol?”
The salesperson quickly responded, “Yes, we do. But you’ll have to pay the shipping fee. If you spend a certain amount, delivery within the same city is free.”
“Mn.” Du Shuo nodded and pointed to about ten bottles of alcohol, saying, “Pack them all up.”
The ten or so bottles of high-end alcohol totaled about a hundred thousand, and the sudden surprise made the salesperson immediately excited and eager. “Of course, sir, please wait.” He quickly walked off to discuss with the manager, who soon came over to personally assist and took out a form for Du Shuo to fill out his delivery address.
After Du Shuo paid, he paused before signing the shipping address and decided to change it to the headquarters instead of the branch. The manager handed him the receipt and asked, “Would you like an invoice?”
“No need.” Du Shuo paused, then said, “From now on, don’t speak to me. Pretend I never bought anything.”
The manager, a bit confused, but still obedient, replied, “Understood, sir.”
After finishing his shady business, the King of the Underworld walked out with his usual dignified and calm demeanor. He saw Chen Yang, smiling gently, and walked over to say, “All done?”
Chen Yang took his hand, nodded, and replied, “I didn’t buy anything.”
Du Shuo answered, “Neither did I.”
The couple quickly picked up their pace to leave the boutique supermarket. They had barely taken two or three steps when someone ran out shouting, “Sir—Mr. Chen, please wait—”
Chen Yang ignored the call and hurried on, but Du Shuo stopped him. “Someone’s calling you.”
Chen Yang calmly replied, “No, they’re definitely calling someone else.”
“Oh?” Du Shuo said suspiciously, “Then let’s wait and see if they’re calling you.”
Chen Yang refused, “No need to wait.” But he couldn’t pull Du Shuo along, so he reluctantly turned around to face the store clerk, who had stopped in front of him. The clerk said, “Mr. Chen, the address you wrote for delivery is in the capital, and you’ll need to pay extra shipping. The free shipping I mentioned earlier only applies within the city. I hope you understand.”
Chen Yang covered his face, feeling a little embarrassed. “I understand, I’ll pay when it’s delivered.”
Du Shuo spoke up, “What did you buy?”
“Just some regular stuff!” “Assorted candies.”
Chen Yang and the store clerk spoke at the same time. Du Shuo looked down at the top of Chen Yang’s head and said calmly, “I’m waiting for your explanation.”
The clerk, sensing the tension, slowly withdrew. Chen Yang gave a charming smile and tugged at Du Shuo’s sleeve, shaking it a bit. “I didn’t buy them to eat, I bought them to display. And Kui Xuan loves candy, so I bought them for her. I won’t eat them, really, I won’t. Look, have I ever snuck any?”
Du Shuo called his bluff. “Heh, you just didn’t succeed. Display them, huh?”
Chen Yang nodded eagerly. “My teeth aren’t good, so I won’t eat them. Besides, I only eat the candies you make; no other candies can tempt me.” He gave a dismissive look.
Du Shuo narrowed his eyes slightly, pinched Chen Yang’s neck, and smiled faintly. “I don’t believe you. Think carefully and explain it properly.”
Chen Yang was incredibly frustrated, trying to cling to Du Shuo and act cute to get out of the situation. They walked a little farther, and again someone called out, “Mr. Du, please wait!”
Du Shuo paused, pretending not to hear, and continued walking. But Chen Yang’s radar for trouble went off, and he dragged Du Shuo, not letting him walk away. “They’re calling you, someone’s calling you, don’t go.” He eagerly waited for the manager from the boutique supermarket to come over and asked, “Hello, is there a problem?”
The manager looked at the two of them, noticed their relationship, and didn’t pry further. Instead, he said, “Mr. Du, you purchased over 100,000 worth of high-end alcohol from us. Since it needs to be shipped to the capital, we need to ensure the bottles arrive safely and buy insurance. Don’t worry, the insurance fee is on us, but we need you to sign.”
Chen Yang let out a cold laugh and held onto Du Shuo, who refused to turn around. “It’s for you to sign, Mr. Du.”
The emperor coughed lightly, feeling guilty and avoiding Chen Yang’s gaze. He took the insurance form and, without looking at it, signed it. The manager reminded him, “…Sir, aren’t you going to check—?”
The manager froze when Du Shuo gave him a cold look. He took the signed form and left stiffly. Only later did he realize that Du Shuo had specifically told him to act as if they didn’t know each other after buying the alcohol… Did he make a mistake?
Chen Yang smirked, “Mr. Du, think carefully before you explain!”
The once confident emperor felt suddenly guilty and muttered, “Just collecting them.”
“Collecting, huh? Not drinking them?”
The emperor maintained a calm demeanor. “High-end alcohol is valuable only when collected.”
The couple was then caught up in a small argument, each walking ahead and behind, upset with the other. Chen Yang refused to hold hands, and Du Shuo apologized, finally promising, “I won’t drink alcohol, and you won’t eat candy, okay?”
“What about the things we bought?” Chen Yang asked.
Du Shuo answered decisively, “They’re for collecting!”
“You better keep your word.”
“Mn.”
Chen Yang thought for a moment, agreeing to make up and hold hands. As they did, both of them couldn’t help but think of the high price they had paid for the candies and the high-end alcohol. Their hearts ached at the thought.
Du Shuo lowered his gaze, his eyes filled with the image of Chen Yang. He sighed silently. No matter how much it hurt, he couldn’t bear to see Chen Yang upset, and he didn’t want to argue with him. Well, the alcohol was really meant for collecting, after all.
Meanwhile, Kou Xuanling and Lu Xiuzhi were walking along a less-traveled section of the road outside the mall. The area had yet to be renovated, with stagnant water pooling along the sides of the road. The drainage system was poor, causing leaks and water seepage that had eroded the ground beneath. The surface of the road, weathered by time, was cracked and uneven. Children in rain boots laughed and splashed in the puddles, enjoying the freedom of an area where their loud noise went unnoticed, a place where they could play without being scolded by adults.
The water shimmered, reflecting the nearby streets and faded banners that read “Grand Opening Sale,” along with the people walking by. The ground, worn by years of water infiltration, was weak, with cracks forming beneath the surface. The water seeped through the cracks, creating a rhythmic drip-drip sound.
Suddenly, the ground beneath them began to tremble, and the children, laughing and jumping, barely had time to react as the earth below gave way. The area cracked like a spiderweb, and the soil and sand began to fall away rapidly.
A few children bounced in the air, landing with a thud, knees buckling as they tried to stand up. Parents nearby, still smiling, didn’t realize the danger.
Without warning, the ground collapsed, and a large sign hanging from a store above started to fall, crashing down over the newly formed pit. The parents’ smiles faded as they heard the screams, panic setting in as the scene turned into chaos.
Kou Xuanling, realizing what was happening, reacted immediately. He ripped down a faded banner and used it to shield a group of children, pulling them close to him. He drove his peach wood sword into the ground to slow their fall, then quickly moved them to a safer spot to avoid falling debris.
The pit below filled with water, and Kou Xuanling realized just how deep it was. The water could easily drown the children. He moved them onto some stones, trying to calm them, while the sign above continued to fall, blocking out the light.
In the chaos, Lu Xiuzhi reacted swiftly. He noticed the heavy sign, pulled it up with ease, and threw it several meters away. As the sign’s electrical wires snapped, sparks flew, and one of the wires, still sparking, dropped into the water below.
Kou Xuanling’s eyes widened in terror as he saw the electrical wire hanging dangerously close to the water. It was only a matter of inches before it touched the surface. The tension in the air was palpable.
But before the wire could touch the water, Kou Xuanling looked up to see Lu Xiuzhi holding onto the wire, his eyes bloodshot. A rush of relief flooded over him. He couldn’t help but smile.
The talisman that had fallen from his pocket floated on the surface of the water. He picked it up and opened it, relieved to see that the writing hadn’t smudged. It was waterproof.
The incident, which had caused a major collapse on the old street, quickly became a sensation. Fortunately, no one was seriously harmed, and the atmosphere of relief spread through the area. Parents, overwhelmed with emotion, cried with joy, but when they tried to thank the heroes who saved the children, they found that they had disappeared without a trace.
The author reflects:
“The collapse of the road is one of those unexpected safety accidents, like a road collapsing as you walk on it.”
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