Evil As Humans, page 30
This behavior continued until his graduate student days, when Zhong Chengshuo was promoted to the number 1 book king of University A. Originally, his handsome face earned him a lot of points, but they were all deducted by his behavior of “eating two steam buns for all his meals and spending all his time in the library”.
But wasn’t the focus of school to “study”? Besides, he wasn’t interested in having fun. Zhong Chengshuo felt he hadn’t done anything wrong. Naturally, it wasn’t like he was a complete loner, but for various reasons, most of his “friends” maintained a general acquaintance status.
Under this situation, he only received group messages from them every New Year’s holiday.
“Maybe I have a bad personality.” Zhong Chengshuo concluded.
“Really?” Yin Ren was puzzled. “I think you’re a very nice person.”
In terms of ordinary people, this guy was indeed a bit out of touch, but “out of touch” didn’t equate to being “bad”.
Lord Ghost King reminisced about his former neighbors—they were either focused on making all kinds of racket and causing all kinds of disasters, or they were busy killing the weak, or finding opponents to fight. Of course, those that rushed up to Yin Ren to pick a fight were turned into ingredients for his breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Zhong Chengshuo knew when to get to bed on time, knew how to respect life, didn’t steal his food, and even took the initiative to fix his phone.
How could this comrade of his say that he has a bad personality?!
“As long as you learn to get along with people, you’ll be very popular,” Yin Ren said seriously.
“But I don’t need to be popular.” Zhong Chengshuo touched his keychain again. “And I get along fine with you.”
Silly boy. That’s because I’m not human. Yin Ren sighed in his heart—he had lived sober for nearly four hundred years. If he couldn’t fool a youngling, then he would really live to a dog’s age*.
*(年纪都活到狗身上) Saying referring to living a life in vain.
“In short, the first step is to get along with people. Don’t worry.” Lord Ghost King continued to speak solemnly.
……
The top floor of the Shian Building.
The Evil Spirit pursuit came to an end. Fu Xingchuan’s face finally had more color in it. He was lying on the sofa of the office with a magazine titled “World Tourist Attractions” smothered against his face.
“What do you think?”
It wasn’t Professor Li that was in the office, but Xiang Jiang, whom he was addressing.
Xiang Jiang was still dressed haphazardly like a hobo. He sat expressionlessly in the reception chair with his head lowered as he fidgeted with his cup of coffee.
Fu Xingchuan sighed.
“…If he really has amnesia.”
Xiang Jiang: “If you want to ask me for a second confirmation, I have only one conclusion. There’s no sign of Yin Ren being possessed by a ghost.”
“Right, I didn’t notice anything either,” Fu Xingchuan murmured. “Except for amnesia, this person’s situation is too strange—there’s no record of this person in the face authentication database, and there is no missing person report that matches him. We even specifically asked the big guys to analyze him, and they found no signs of plastic surgery.”
“Yin Ren is good at communication, so he must have been in contact with society. With his appearance, it’s impossible not to have any splashes on the internet, but so far, we have found no videos, photos, or comments about him online.”
“So he should have been exposed to society in his early years and failed to show up for various reasons during his growth period. There are no signs of abuse on his body besides his skin being excessively pale. Not to mention illegal confinement; he could have been imprisoned somewhere for a long time… Regarding this matter though, most people related to the metaphysics would intervene.”
“Metaphysicians imprisonment… Raising human sacrifices? Making corpse puppets? Soul shifting?” Xiang Jiang finally raised his head and moved his face slightly.
“I’m not sure. There are too few existing clues, but he had that dagger. If such a thing could be picked up so easily, our archeologist would be rushing up and beating me silly with it.”
“You can check Sunken Society.”
“Already doing it. Yin Ren is a nominal ghost master. As his senior, your contact with him is indispensable, so help me keep an eye on him. Hao Wenzhe is also watching—Yin Ren GPS position, keyword search records, internal group activities, and data browsing are all being kept under close watch.”
“Nn.”
“You two can discuss it. Issue a comprehensive report every week and hand it directly to me.”
“How long do we have to keep watching?”
“Good question.” Fu Xingchuan lifted the magazine on his face and scratched his unshaven chin. “Keep an eye on him until you are sure who he is.”
Xiang Jiang hummed back with a lack of interest again. “Is there any progress on Hao Wenzhe’s side?”
“One feedback has been collected so far.” Fu Xingchuan slowly put the magazine back on his face.
“What?”
“After Yin Ren joined Shian, the meat consumption in the cafeteria has increased by 2%. The cafeteria also asked the logistics department yesterday if they had any clues as to why.”
Xiang Jiang: “……”
Given that they went in for their shift in the afternoon, work ended in a blink of an eye.
The culprit of the “cafeteria meat evaporation incident” had just finished his meal. Yin Ren was still reveling in the aftertaste of the fatty, honey-flavored char siu pork when his cellphone suddenly “barked” weakly.
How did this happen? This thing had learned reluctance as it only responded with dull “barks” for its ringtone.
[Hu Tao: Boss, are you off work?]
[Hu Tao: Shian is on Jiangxue Road. I remember there’s a Master Bao nearby. Bring me some seaweed and meat floss cake and a milk tart.]
[Hu Tao: @Yin Ren 👀*]
*Secretly watching emoji
Yin Ren: “……”
Why did he have the feeling that the GPS in this app is a bit off? Traditionally, ghost masters communicated with their ghosts in one direction by burning talismans, and even then they rarely did that. Was this the price he had to pay for a paperless office?
[Hu Tao: I’m also your first employee, so you need to provide me with some company benefits. Come on, ghost master. I know you’ve read my messages.]
[Hu Tao: I’m a local, so I know where all the delicious food is. Want my recs? Sister will tell~]
[Yin Ren: I’ve written it down. I’ll buy it later.]
[Hu Tao: 🙏]
“You can go back first. I’m stopping by to get some snacks,” Yin Ren said thoughtfully as he thought about Zhong Chengshuo’s unshakable schedule. “I’ll take the subway. I remember where our home is.”
Zhong Chengshuo: “I’ll join you.”
“Although you have to be present when I spend money, there’s no need to be so strict. I ordered takeout a few times, so I’m familiar with the prices now.”
Yin Ren was confident in his adaptability to society. He had become stronger. At least he wouldn’t be taken for a ride by merchants’ various tricks.
Zhong Chengshuo: “I want to go with you.”
“…To improve your communication skill?”
“Nn, it at least meets the demand of the job.”
Although the motivation was Zhong Chengshuo’s personally, Yin Ren didn’t care. Instead of going straight to the subway station, they walked slowly around two intersections looking for the Master Bao.
The city was full of traffic at this time. An endless stream of people came and went, filling up both sides of the streets. Neon lights flickered among noisy slogans and music playing from loudspeakers. Zhong Chengshuo began to hold Yin Ren’s wrist after he almost got off track due to fried chestnuts.
Yin Ren: “…” Although he didn’t care, the eyes of passersby looking at them felt a bit weird.
It seemed that a thousand years later, people were still not as open. Yin Ren shook his head spiritually and sighed.
“I saw the Master Bao.” Zhong Chengshuo decisively ignored the passersby. His goal was single-minded.
There were a lot of people lined up in front of the shop. The shop exuded a very nice baking aroma. Yin Ren took a deep breath and sucked up all the sweet fragrance. He decided he’d have a few servings of everything. Zhong Chengshuo stood quietly behind him, seemingly unmoved.
Even though the mask covered most of his face, Yin Ren’s long hair and sharp eyebrows were still eye-catching. When it was his turn to buy, the uncles and aunties next to him became enthusiastic. They started chatting and recommending the popular stuff on Twitter. The clerk was happy to see that Yin Ren didn’t refuse any of their recommendations.
After paying, Yin Ren was holding paper bags in both hands, while Zhong Chengshuo shared one side.
Yin Ren took the opportunity to take out an egg tart and gestured to Zhong Chengshuo. “Everyone said it’s best when it’s freshly baked. Try it while it’s still hot?”
A flash of hesitation appeared on Zhong Chengshuo’s face. “It’s not very healthy.”
“Even if it’s poisonous, it depends on the dose eaten.” Yin Ren’s smile didn’t fade. “And the first bite is the most delicious, greatest fun, and least expensive—a good mood is equally important as health. Here.”
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t resist anymore. He lowered his head, leaned slightly, and took a bite of the warm egg tart.
Crunch.
The meringue of the egg tart was crisp and crunchy, the egg filling was silky and slightly sweet, and an explosion of burnt fragrance filled his mouth. The sweet aroma penetrated deep into his tastebuds, as if it were caressing the velvet of his mind. Zhong Chengshuo wiped the corners of his mouth and said, “It’s very delicious.”
“Shee?” Yin Ren directly stuffed the rest of the remaining egg tart into his mouth, making his voice muffled. “Ish yur mood butter nao?”
“Nn.” Zhong Chengshuo nodded firmly. “What benefit does this have for learning how to communicate…?”
Yin Ren glanced at him and put his mask back on. “It’s a great thing to be happy in life, so there’s no need for any deeper meaning. Well, it’s hard to… There are some things you have to experience before you can better understand, ahem, other people’s thoughts.”
Zhong Chengshuo paused. “Speaking from experience?”
“Guess?” Yin Ren curved his eyes.
“…When we go back, let’s buy some fried chestnuts.”
“You catch on quick.”
“I’ll eat one, and the rest will be considered the tuition fee.” After all, it was Yin Ren who really wanted to eat them.
“As expected from an outstanding student certified by Shian. Zhong…”
Yin Ren’s expression suddenly froze. His empty hand moved without a trace, instantly pinching a small black dot into his palm.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Just a bug.”
A dead fruit fly was lying in the palm of his hand. Its insect body was shriveled, indicating that it had died some time ago. The corpse had just been flying around them for a while. When it saw the two of them focusing on their conversation, it crept closer and tried to get into Yin Ren’s bag.
The insect corpse had a very light evil qi on it. The person who controlled it was on an abysmal level. Undoubtedly, this was a novice.
The problem was elsewhere…
There was an indescribable smell to that evil qi. From the moment Yin Ren caught the bug, the smell began to quickly dissipate. It was a scent that Yin Ren had never been exposed to before. It made his chest throb, and his hair slightly stood up.
Absolutely unfamiliar, yet all too familiar.
As an inexperienced newborn Evil Spirit, it took Yin Ren a while to determine the source of the subtle feeling.
The smell was extremely weak but decadent, like an ember of a fire buried in the deepest part of the ashes, which could be extinguished at any time.
But there was no doubt that it came from his kind.
…On that insect corpse, there was a faint “smell” of another Evil Spirit.
* * *
The author has something to say:
Qin Ge: 1/2 plus 1/2 plus 1/3 equals 1. Is there any problem?*
*Clarity: For those who missed the joke, this is why he’s a corpse servant instead of being in a medical profession like the others… though I don’t think math is really required for it…
* * *
Kinky Thoughts:
Apparently, the place Hu Tao sent Yin Ren to is called 包师傅. It’s a pastry and dim sum shop.
Evil As Humans Ch30
Author: 年终 / Nian Zhong
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
* * *
Chapter 30: Strange Disease
Yin Ren didn’t intend to report his findings. What a joke! He was just an innocent entry-level ghost master, and such a rookie wouldn’t be able to see such exciting information.
Before the smell of the Evil Spirit completely dissipated, Yin Ren deliberately placed the insect corpse on his phone.
His phone instantly became excited. “Woof woof woof!”
…It was no coincidence that the phone responded to him back then.
It was strange. He didn’t know how to feel after sleeping for a thousand years, and now there were Evil Spirits and detectors for them everywhere. Of the six sealed evil Evil Spirits plus Yin Ren himself, only seven had emerged in a thousand years. Could it be that an eighth would come soon?
Yin Ren decided to reserve his opinion.
Evil qi wasn’t easy to hide. As soon as he emerged from the seal, the metaphysical institutions within a radius of 800 miles were completely under martial law. This was the result of his deliberate suppression of power.
If a new Evil Spirit were born, it would be impossible for Shian to remain silent. There could be no other secrets in it.
Considering that it was time to get off work, Lord Ghost King didn’t want to think too much about it. He chewed on the milk tart as he knocked on Zhong Chengshuo’s bedroom door.
“What’s the matter?”
“Do you have scissors? I want to trim my hair,” Yin Ren said.
His hair really needed a touch-up. His bangs and sideburns were long, which was fine a thousand years ago, but now the rate of people turning heads to look at him was too high.
Yin Ren could theoretically shorten his hair on his own, but that would be a bit too suspicious. Taking a step back, Zhong Chengshuo was monitoring his spending. Not only that, if “parts” of an Evil Spirit were to land inside a barbershop, the owner and subsequent customers would suffer eight lifetimes of bad luck.
Thus, he could only do this himself.
As usual, Zhong Chengshuo didn’t let him down. “I have special scissors. I can help you cut your hair, but you have to wash it first.”
“You know how to cut hair?”
“I don’t like barber shops.” Zhong Chengshuo stood up and grabbed a small toolbox. When he opened it, there were a myriad of hair scissors, clippers, and an old-fashioned shear inside.
“Why don’t you like the barber shops?” When Yin Ren asked this, Zhong Chengshuo had already put on disposable gloves and tied a bib on Yin Ren.
“Haircuts are getting more expensive, and the hairdressers often talk a lot.” Zhong Chengshuo held a hand of Yin Ren’s long hair and said, “Do you want to cut it short? How short?”
“Not short. I just want to trim the front.”
Yin Ren liked his long hair dearly. They could ensure that even when he was lying on the sofa, the tips of his hair could reach food on the coffee table, which was quite convenient.
Zhong Chengshuo didn’t say anything else.
He adjusted his glasses and started to cut Yin Ren’s hair. The cold metal occasionally would touch Yin Ren’s face, giving a feeling of coolness that was covered by warm breath, which felt wonderful.
Yin Ren suddenly realized that this was the first time in his life that he had “cut his hair”.
At some point, Zhong Chengshuo replaced the scissors with a sharp razor. He drew the razor close to Yin Ren’s face in a smooth, clean motion. The blade scraped against the black hair, making a soft rustle. It seemed as if the razor came to life in his hands. The light of the blade was like a dense, cold rain, creating a faint chilling air that slid down the blade.
This kid is really good with knives. Yin Ren lowered his eyes.
The piece of metal brushed against Yin Ren’s long hair and lightly rubbed against his skin. Then it followed Yin Ren’s cheek all the way down to his neck. In the mirror stained with water mist, the contrast between metallic gray and pale skin was quite conspicuous.
Yin Ren didn’t seem to notice that he was staring calmly at the mirror as his body moved up and down to the rhythm of his breathing.
The delicate blade rubbed against his skin; the touch was cold and thin, like a light kiss. Finally, the sharp blade became like a steel butterfly and gently rested on Yin Ren’s neck.
That was the location closest to the artery.
In the mirror, Zhong Chengshuo’s face was hidden by the mist; only a pair of black eyes were extremely dazzling.
Both of them were motionless, and neither of them spoke.
Yin Ren narrowed his eyes. He didn’t have the slightest anxiety in his heart—even if this kid cut off his head on the spot, he could instantly grow three back. If things really came to that point, the one who would die wouldn’t be him.
More than being nervous, Yin Ren was more curious about the next development.
The small room was silent for more than twenty seconds.
“…Is it okay to have your sideburns in this position?” Zhong Chengshuo asked softly.
“Yes,” Yin Ren replied casually.
Zhong Chengshuo hummed and started to move his hand again. After a while, the razor was replaced by a hair dryer.
