Chapter 60

Ten seconds later, Huai Shi was sitting quietly inside the porter. He extinguished the fire in the furnace and pulled out the golden, glittering sacrificial knife from the withered corpse.

Little Pony walked in and circled the room, still amazed at Huai Shi’s knife skills.

Meanwhile, Huai Shi continued examining the passage behind the porter. “Old Liu, what’s behind this?” He asked casually.

“It should be their Fasting Circle…” Little Pony replied casually and, after a few seconds, jumped up in shock. “What the f*ck? How do you know it’s me?”

Huai Shi glanced back at him. “I’m just asking. After all, I don’t know many people, and most of them aren’t such show-offs.”

“Cough, cough, I was just saying.” Little Pony stared back at him innocently. “Who’s Old Liu?”

“A baldie.”

“Hey, that’s enough!”

Both of them stared at each other in the porter. After a long while, Liu Dongli looked away helplessly.

“What are you?” Huai Shi asked.

“As you can tell, I’m a gigolo,” Liu Dongli said with a shrug, “I am also the Astronomical Association’s fourth-class public peace and security officer…”

“Huh?” Huai Shi was stunned. “What?”

“It’s some sort of double insurance to bypass regulations.”

The gigolo wearing a Little Pony mask sat on a chair and sighed. “In certain sensitive areas, the Astronomical Association implements a double monitoring system. Two invigilators will be present—one operating as per usual and one undercover. The one whom everyone sees will join the dispute under the public’s eye whereas the latter will be responsible for observational records, running secret investigations behind the scenes during inconvenient cases… as with this case involving the People of the Pure Land.

“To put it one way, I’m Ai Qing’s examiner and I observe whether she can use her position as invigilator justly and fairly. In another way, I’m a bodyguard cum hitman. However, in this case, I had to break standard procedure to avoid the sensitive issue of mapping out Ascenders. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Is that why you stirred up trouble?”

“Something like that.”

Liu Dongli sighed heavily and continued, “Anyway, I’m done after this whole matter is over. You must pretend that you don’t know anything about this too, to avoid me failing my final assessment. In return, I’ll state in my report that you have natural divine powers and know nothing about martial arts. What do you think? Let’s help each other out, okay?”

Huai Shi gave him a cautious look before replying, “Will I be killed if I don’t help you out?”

“Well, if you don’t help me, you will have to return the gift I gave you…”

“Alright, I’ll do it! I’ll help you!” A wide grin broke across Huai Shi’s face. “Really, who are we? There’s no need to be courteous with each other… In fact, I’ll send you two free meals sets when we’re done with this!”

“…”

Liu Dongli resisted the strong impulse to kill this little brat on the spot.

“By the way, how did Ai Qing do for her assessment? Did she pass?”

“She already passed in her first year.” Liu Dongli rolled his eyes behind the mask. “If it wasn’t for the fact that this place is somehow related to the depths of Hell, Magic City, I would’ve left long ago. I wouldn’t still be here suffering.”

“Oh, what’s Magic City?”

“Go back and ask Ai Qing! I’ve said enough.”

Liu Dongli got up abruptly, not wanting to be bothered by this brat anymore. Ever since he had gotten involved with this fellow, nothing good had come to him.

After spending some time setting up the surveillance controls, he pulled out the key from his security uniform and opened the door to the back, only to see opened boxes piled up in the corner. There was a disgusting stench in the air.

It seemed to be a rotten smell.

After entering the porter, Huai Shi had sensed a strong surge of elementium dissipating into his body. Soon enough, the bag that he had originally used to hold Disastrous Dust was now filled completely.

The despair floating in the air was almost suffocating.

There was no doubt that the death records had flown out from this place.

He was surprised though, as to why there were no guards in this place.

“Why are there so few people?”

Liu Dongli surveyed his surroundings and mumbled, “This can only prove one thing, which is that they’re retreating… Let’s not talk about the surrounding workers yet, but perhaps even those in the higher ranks have fled as well. Don’t you think that is the case?”

As he spoke, he walked into the deepest part of the room.

It was as huge as a plaza square.

Streaks of Abyssal Sedimentation lingered in the air, exuding a vicious poison that was irresistible to ordinary humans.

Incomprehensible linear patterns were engraved in the ground, making it seem as if this room served as a sacrificing ground. Even the sacrificial knife in Huai Shi’s hand began to tremble with excitement.

Huai Shi stepped into the middle of the grounds. Aside from the platform in the middle of the room that was covered with bloodstains, there were several gigantic mirrors at the side. Every panel was the size of the entrance to a shopping mall, each of them erected intricately in the huge square.

They were clearly mirrors, but the two men’s reflection could not be seen. It was extremely strange.

“This is the Fasting Circle.”

Liu Dongli’s tone remained neutral as he continued, “It is the People of the Pure Land’s method of grooming border mutants in the interior. Do you see those mirrors? They’re actually cages that have been ceremonially blessed, and they each lead to something called the Mirrored World’s Hell.

They go through these mirrors to enter Hell and bring border mutants back. Then, they’ll raise them in the Mirrored World using flesh and blood. Just like that, they eventually get their very own predators that will listen to their every order… As you can see for yourself, all the cages are empty now.”

Pa!

A shadow curled up in the corner of the room seemed to have kicked something. Sensing that the two newcomers’ gaze turn toward it, the figure stumbled to escape but was quickly tackled to the ground by Huai Shi.

“Have mercy! Have mercy on me!”

A fat man was lying on the ground, trembling with fear. “I don’t know anything! I swear! I’m just in charge of burning the boiler! I don’t know anything…”

Several odd-looking golden necklaces hung around his neck while he wore various gold and jade bangles around his wrist. Even his ten fingers were full of different rings of different colors.

However, although he was adorned with all sorts of jewelry, and even his shoes seemed like a product of high quality, he did not seem to be a thief. This did not make sense considering all the expensive jewelry he was wearing.

While Huai Shi restrained him, he began to tremble even violently as the foul smell of urine filled the air, exuding from his crotch area. Turns out, he had wet himself.

“I really don’t know anything! I’m only in charge of operating the boilers, I swear I have nothing to do with them. I have to make a living too! Please, have mercy on me…”

Huai Shi frowned. Just as he was about to question the man before him, he noticed Liu Dongli patting his shoulder and pointing ahead.

There was a small door in front of them.

“Don’t… Please don’t touch my family…”

The fatty widened his eyes as he struggled hard under Huai Shi’s grip. “If you have anything against me, just take it out on me! They’re innocent, please don’t touch my wife and daughter! Please, I beg of you, please…”

Liu Dongli remained quiet as he stepped forward and lifted his leg up.

Boom!

The door was kicked open.

A narrow space was revealed behind the door.

The first thing that came to sight was a gigantic boiler. Flames danced inside it as thick smoke continuously rose up the chimney. It was unbearably hot.

In the open hearth, aside from the carbon and coal that were glowing red, there were lumps of what appeared to be limbs and other body parts that were almost burnt to ashes.

When Huai Shi turned his gaze away to see luxury goods, luxury goods, and more luxury goods…

Luxury items of all sorts covered almost every corner of the room.

A high-end suit that was cut opened to be used as a bedsheet, branded satchels stuffed in pots and pans, expensive watches, necklaces, and bracelets strung together and hung on the wall, wallets and purses that were piled up like mountains…

There was a dirty-looking bed in the corner with an inflatable doll that was covered with adhesive tapes on the bed. Beside it, two Barbie dolls laid in their cute and exquisite outfits.

The fat man screamed and struggled hard against Huai Shi. Finally, he managed to break free of Huai Shi’s grip, got up, and immediately rushed to the bed. He pounced onto it and pulled the dolls into his arms, then began crying. Only his loud wailing sounds and the occasional begs for mercy could be heard.

Huai Shi opened his mouth to speak but he was utterly speechless.

Liu Dongli, on the other hand, walked up to the fat man. He rolled up his sleeves and pulled the fat man up, then began asking him questions. After a long time, he gave up and threw his hands up in frustration, throwing the idiotic fat man on the ground.

“He’s useless. He has already gone crazy.”

Liu Dongli lit a cigarette irritatedly. “D*mn it, nothing good will come out of getting involved with this group of psychos.”

“Let’s go then. Isn’t there another branched road?”

Huai Shi could no longer stand it anymore and turned to leave… Just as he turned around, the fat man’s finger caught the corner of his eye. To be precise, the fat man’s index finger on his right hand.

Huai Shi immediately froze in place.

Liu Dongli who walked in front of him noticed that he was not following him, and glanced back curiously. “Come on, let’s go. What’s the matter?”

“You… You go ahead first.”

Huai Shi remained silent for a long time before responding, “I still have something to do, I’ll catch up with you later.”

Liu Dongli eyed him with a confused look on his face. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but the second he saw the young man’s eyes, he could not bring himself to say anything.

He had never seen such a calm expression on Huai Shi’s face before.

The calmness was almost unnerving.

It was like an outer shell that was hiding something horrible within.

“I’m already at the door.”

With that, Liu Dongli turned around to leave.

In the silence, Huai Shi listened as his footsteps got further away, once again walking into the incineration chamber and gently closing the door behind him.

“That ring…”

He bent his head and looked at the fatty’s right index finger where a platinum ring encrusted with crushed diamonds lay. “Where did you get that ring?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” The crying lunatic stared back at him blankly, consciously tucking his right arm behind his back as he slowly backed away from Huai Shi. “I picked it up! I picked it up somewhere!”

Boom!

His head hit the wall, squishing his inflatable wife. Her originally plump face was now deformed and had twisted into a strange shape.

“I’m asking you—”

Huai Shi lowered his head and looked into the fatty’s eyes. “That ring! Where did you get it?” He bellowed, not forgetting to emphasize each word that came out of his mouth.

Panicking after the violent collision, the lunatic began to scream in a deranged manner. “I don’t know, I don’t know anything… I just operate the boiler, please spare me… Have mercy on me…”

Huai Shi closed his eyes.

His palms moved to cover the lunatic’s mouth.

When he reopened his eyes, his eyes were bloodshot. Just as quickly, dark black Disastrous Dust emerged from his palms and was absorbed into his body.

Once again, he lowered his body until he was eye to eye with the lunatic. Staring back into the lunatic’s eyes, he asked once again, “Tell me where you got the ring!”

The man widened his eyes as tears streamed down his cheek. He seemed to be screaming, but no sound came out from his mouth. This was until Huai Shi picked up the two “daughters” that the lunatic had dropped on the floor and began tearing them apart into pieces.

Every move slow and exaggerated in front of the man.

“I don’t know! I really don’t know anything!”

Finally, the man broke down and howled, “Why did you kill them! Why? I’m just an honest boiler operator! Those things, those things… They said they don’t want them anymore… I just… I just wanted to give them some gifts…”

Huai Shi loosened his grip.

The lunatic immediately pounced forward, wanting to grab Huai Shi by the neck, but was immediately kicked aside. In the end, he curled up in the corner with the remaining pieces of his dolls and sobbed in despair.

“I’m sorry.”

Huai Shi lowered his eyes and moved forward to grab his hand. With a quick tug, he yanked the ring out and turned away.

The door closed behind him.

“Are you alright?”

Liu Dongli, who was smoking in the corner, asked.

“I’m good,” Huai Shi replied as he slid the ring into his pocket.

“Never been better,” he added.

Boom!

At that moment, a violent explosion came from above them that shook the walls. Bits and pieces of glass shards fell from the sky, along with the large frames of the mirrors. Soon enough, the empty mirrors had been broken into fragments.