Evil As Humans

Chapter 211: Cat Legion

Gao Mengyu’s appearance remained the same, with her hair casually tied in a ponytail. However, she looked slightly plumper than before and had a gleam in her eyes. Lin Bei, as composed as ever, stood up and shook hands with Li Nian and Fu Xingchuan when they entered the reception room.

“We initially wanted to contact Yin Ren, but there has been no response from him,” she explained proactively.

“You mentioned before that anything related to ‘Qiqi’ should be kept confidential. Even within the ranks of Shian, communication should be handled by designated individuals.” Lin Bei sat back down elegantly, crossed her legs gracefully, and continued, “We’re not familiar with the internal hierarchy of Shian, so we had no choice but to bother the two of you.”

“Qiqi” referred to the peculiar cat creature that Gao Mengyu used to raise. It was classified as Phenomenon C-C19 at the time, known as the “Gap Cat”.

It possessed a strong cognitive pollution ability and could induce incomplete interstitial phenomena. Now it seemed highly likely that it was some kind of Elemental. The so-called induction of incomplete interstices was similar to a cat scratching desperately at a door—it wanted to return to the Other Side but couldn’t find a way.

That Elemental should have returned a long time ago, and Gao Mengyu’s cognitive pollution had already been cured for several months.

‘Interesting,’ Fu Xingchuan thought to himself.

“There’s no need to worry about bothering us.”

Minster Fu smiled.

“It’s perfect timing that you’ve come to us. Has Ms. Gao encountered any difficulties?”

Gao Mengyu felt a bit shy compared to Lin Bei, who worked in the field of self-media. After adjusting her emotions for a while, she tightly gripped the mineral water bottle in her hands.

“Well, recently, I’ve been having the same dream. In the dream, Qiqi—well, not the cat I currently have, but the bigger creature from before—keeps banging on the door and meowing outside, trying to squeeze its tentacles through the door crack. In the dream, I want to open the door and let it in, but it firmly clings to the door lock and won’t let me open it.”

She still refused to call it a “monster”.

“It meows outside the door but doesn’t allow you to open it?” Fu Xingchuan furrowed his brows.

“Yes,” Gao Mengyu nervously replied.

“At first, I thought I just missed it. But for the past few days, I’ve been having this dream every night. After that, I told Beibei about it, and she insisted that I contact Shian.”

Lin Bei nodded in agreement. “There might not be much to it from Gao Mengyu’s perspective, but as an observer, I find it quite unsettling.”

“A wise decision. It’s highly likely that ‘Qiqi’ is trying to communicate with Ms. Gao,” Fu Xingchuan said, rubbing his face.

“It seems like it’s advising Gao Mengyu against going out.” Li Nian pondered. “In the past, when faced with danger, its reaction was to hide Gao Mengyu in the gap. But now, it can only warn her like this.”

Gao Mengyu let out a soft “Ah” and revealed a faint smile. “Thank you both. So, should I go out less often in the future?”

“Well, the current situation is unstable, so it’s wise to be cautious.” Fu Xingchuan lightly tapped the table with his fingertips. “Apart from the recurring dream, have you noticed any other abnormalities in your life?”

Gao Mengyu hesitated for a moment, and a fleeting expression of wanting to speak but the expression as if she was holding back appeared on her face. She looked at Lin Bei, who nodded gently in response. Fu Xingchuan could sense her hesitation, but he remained silent, waiting for Gao Mengyu to speak up on her own.

As expected, after half a minute of wavering, Gao Mengyu let out a soft sigh.

“I’m sorry, but I lied to Shian back then.”

She lowered her head.

“When everyone helped me with my cognitive pollution, I… I didn’t wait until it was completely cured. I lied and said it was cured. At that time, I just wanted to keep a memento so that I wouldn’t forget about Qiqi.”

“And then?” Li Nian replied nonchalantly.

Gao Mengyu averted her gaze nervously. “After that incident, all the cats I saw had fourteen eyes. Other than that, there are no abnormalities. But ever since I dreamed about Qiqi a few days ago, I started seeing… seeing…”

She seemed to be carefully choosing her words and took a while to continue.

“I see something disgusting attached to some people’s bodies.”

After speaking, she took out her phone and showed the two ministers her drawings.

It looked like an… umbilical cord-like object. It was composed of countless twisted, vein-like tubes, hanging down from the void above and softly resting on a person’s shoulder.

“I can’t capture that feeling in my drawings.” Gao Mengyu hesitated. “Is this what Qiqi is trying to show me? It’s present on people of all ages and genders, and I can’t see anything special about them.”

“Let me continue.”

Lin Bei took over the conversation.

“Mengyu has drawn more than just this one. It looks like an umbilical cord, right? But when she first started sketching, just based on the outline, it looked more like an arm.”

Fu Xingchuan suddenly looked up.

Lin Bei tucked away a disobedient strand of hair and had a serious expression on her face. “Recently, there have been reports about ‘angel’s arms’ that have been widely talked about. Our studio recently signed related contracts, and we interviewed someone yesterday who could see these arms. Mengyu also saw this thing on him.”

“…Now I can confirm that it was your cat that made you see these things,” Fu Xingchuan muttered.

Shian’s instruments and techniques couldn’t detect them, so it was likely something from the Other Side.

“Ms. Gao, if you don’t mind, would you be willing to stay at Shian for a while?” Professor Li straightforwardly extended an invitation. “We need your abilities, and in this way, your ‘Qiqi’ will also feel more at ease. Shian will cover all your living expenses and housing during this period.”

“Uh, okay.”

Lin Bei breathed a sigh of relief. “That’s good, so I don’t have to worry about this guy anymore. If there’s nothing else, I’ll leave now. I have a meeting this afternoon.”

“Wait.”

Li Nian called her back.

“Ms. Lin, earlier you mentioned that your self-media studio signed contracts related to the ‘angel’s arms’ and interviewed someone who can see the arms. Can you provide more specific information?”

Lin Bei was momentarily stunned. “Well… I can share the information, but everyone has been working on this topic recently, so I’m not sure how much help it will be.”

“Just tell us.”

“It’s about promoting the theme of ‘angel’s arms’ and linking it with ‘luck’ and ‘blessings’ to create a positive impression. However, this approach is quite common, and it wouldn’t be beneficial for self-media like us to spread negative associations.”

Lin Bei crossed her legs and clasped her hands on her thighs. When it came to her work, her tone instantly became composed.

“Basically, the goal is to make this topic popular and trending. With the current instability in society, everyone likes to see something reassuring. Several people I know are working on it as well.”

Li Nian neither confirmed nor denied anything. “I see… Do you happen to know which company is the most active investor in this field?”

“Don’t worry, this isn’t an official inquiry. Just my personal curiosity,” Professor Li added casually, noticing Lin Bei’s dilemma.

“Coral Reef Group,” Lin Bei replied. “They are also the ones who signed a contract with me this time.”

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

Li Nian nodded.

“You both have been very helpful.”

Watching the two women hurriedly leave, Fu Xingchuan chugged down a bottle of mineral water. “Coral Reef Group? Why does that name sound familiar?”

“Do you remember Gao Mengyu’s ex-boyfriend ghost called ‘Mr. Rose’? When he first appeared, he scared some employees of the Coral Reef Group.”

Li Nian tapped his temple with his slender index finger.

“And then there’s Bai Yongji, the quasi-Charon responsible for new media at the Coral Reef Group. If he hadn’t caused any trouble, he would be the one in charge of dealing with Lin Bei. Now they’re pushing the ‘angel’s arms’ matter. How interesting.”

Indeed, based on these events alone, the “Coral Reef Group” didn’t seem suspicious.

Mr. Rose’s mischief made their employees the victims. Bai Yongji’s kidnapping and modification of others had nothing to do with his job. As for the recent arm incidents, many new media players were paying attention to them, and there was no evidence of malicious intent from the Coral Reef Group.

It was a well-established local private enterprise in Haigu, known for dabbling in various products and trends. From household items to children’s animation and even mobile games for middle-aged and elderly people, Coral Reef was involved in all sorts of ventures.

Nevertheless, the repeated incidents associated with them raised some concerns…

“It’s subtle.”

With a click, Fu Xingchuan crushed the mineral water bottle.

“We can’t do anything about the Other Side,” he muttered a bit meaningfully. “But if someone interferes, we can’t let it go.”

“You want to investigate?”

“Let’s start by keeping an eye on things,” Fu Xingchuan said. “With so many trivial matters lately, we can’t afford another troublesome case.”

……

The Other Side.

Time didn’t pass here, and everyone’s biological clocks were in disarray. After enduring twenty-four hours, Qi Xin finally announced, with a touch of pity, that they could continue their journey.

The white room disappeared, and the group entered the endless tunnel that Yin Ren had seen before. Of course, except for Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo, the rest of the people were only able to stay there with Qi Xin’s personal assistance.

Faced with this dizzying and spectacular sight, almost everyone held their breath, except for Lu Xiaohe, whose face showed a tinge of bitterness.

Her mother was here, but this place was too vast.

She had thought that coming to the Other Side would bring her some relief, but seeing the appearance of the Other Side only intensified the despair in her heart.

Countless fragments and colors stretched out like an endless sea.

Although they could imagine everyday objects here, even if Lu Xiaohe imagined computers and devices, they were just empty shells incapable of booting up or accessing data. Not to mention Ge Tingting, Huang Jin, and Fu Tianyi; their special abilities and spells were all nullified here. They were no different from ordinary people on the street and couldn’t conduct investigations on their own.

The Other Side, the Other Side. They truly seemed like they were dead, carrying only their ethereal souls.

She didn’t know what to do. They had come here to find someone, but so far, they hadn’t found any relevant clues.

Lu Xiaohe looked at Yin Ren with a hint of melancholy. Apart from waiting for Yin Ren to start searching, it seemed like there was nothing she could do.

As this thought arose, Lu Xiaohe’s face grew even more bitter.

“Everyone, take out your photos.” Qi Xin didn’t care about the psychological state of ordinary people. “Right now, I need you to adapt to walking on the Other Side. This photo is a crucial prop.”

Lu Xiaohe took out a photo of her and her mother and lowered her gaze.

In the photo, her mother had a healthy, round face. She held a young Lu Xiaohe in her arms, smiling brightly.

Lu Xiaohe knew that behind each photo should be personalized comments from five other individuals. These comments were individually written, and no one except the commentator and the owner of the photo knew the contents—this was explicitly explained when they were asked for the photos by Shian.

As a science post, Lu Xiaohe wavered for a moment. Would it count as some kind of protection if she received the blessings of her companions and the Great Celestial Master with this photo?

At this moment, Qi Xin grabbed the photo from Yin Ren’s hand and casually flipped through it. Lu Xiaohe followed her actions and turned to the back.

Only then did she notice that the edges of the photo were connected by thin black threads, which penetrated into the hard board behind the photo. Upon closer inspection, she realized that these hard boards were intricately woven with these black threads, emitting a faint black glow.

She wasn’t the only one who noticed this. Fu Tianyi tried to tear apart the photo and its base to see how long these black threads could stretch.

“Don’t tear it apart randomly!” Just then, Qi Xin reprimanded Fu Tianyi. “The photo is made with my hair connected to my original body. Otherwise, how do you think an inanimate object like a photo can enter?”

Fu Tianyi’s hand trembled, almost throwing the photo away.

This was a physical part of a Primordial Elemental, and if Qi Xin severed the connection, it would become the most powerful source of corruption within minutes.

Lu Xiaohe couldn’t care less about the commotion. She carefully read the handwriting on the back of the photo, trying to adjust her emotional state.

[Your mother will definitely be fine. Fu Tianyi] Fu Tianyi’s handwriting was pretty, indicating some practice.

[Xiaohe Jie, jiayou*! Ge Tingting] Ge Tingting’s writing was graceful and a bit youthful.

*It’s a ubiquitous Chinese expression of encouragement and support that doesn’t have a direct translation. The closest would be “refuel” (in this context), but I don’t think it quite fits.

[Wishing you success. Huang Jin] The font was neither good nor bad, just a common style.

[Lu Xiaohe, Lu Xiaohe’s mother, He Huan. Zhong Chengshuo] …It was still the human printer style she was familiar with.

[Leave it to me! Yin Ren] It was evident that Yin Ren’s handwriting lacked skill, but it had its own beauty.

On the other side, Qi Xin glared at Fu Tianyi again and continued explaining.

“There are comments behind each photo. Both the handwriting and the content are ‘you know, I know’ intelligence… Hmm, in human terms, you have established an encrypted connection between yourselves.”

She reluctantly provided the explanation.

“On the Other Side, if there is a disturbance at one end of the connection, it will naturally affect the intelligence, such as—”

Qi Xin mercilessly struck, a mist entwined around a certain limb, and she knocked Fu Tianyi unconscious with a “thump”. Dr. Cat was almost knocked off as well, and its tail puffed up.

At the same time, Fu Tianyi’s comment disappeared from Lu Xiaohe’s photo. She looked at the empty space in shock and then at Fu Tianyi, who remained motionless. Immediately after, Qi Xin lifted Fu Tianyi and woke him up amidst his sobbing.

As Fu Tianyi regained consciousness, the crooked comment reappeared, once again appearing on the back of Lu Xiaohe’s photo.

“Loss of consciousness will cause the connection to be severed, but there is another situation.”

Qi Xin tossed the weeping Fu Tianyi aside, and her misty form acted again, grabbing Zhong Chengshuo’s collar.

Zhong Chengshuo: “?”

This time, Qi Xin’s action was swift. Before Zhong Chengshuo could express his confusion, he disappeared from the spot. Yin Ren’s fur puffed up even more than Dr. Cat’s, but he couldn’t use his abilities. Lord Ghost King stepped forward a few steps, reaching out to grab Qi Xin by the collar.

Lu Xiaohe looked back at the photo.

On the back of the photo, Zhong Chengshuo’s comment became blurry and difficult to read. Moreover, the line of text was slightly tilted, leaning in a certain direction.

Like a pointer.

“The farther the distance, the weaker the connection signal. But in times like this, it can probably indicate the location of your companions… Alright, that’s the end of my explanation. You’re all clever people. You should know how to use this thing.”

Qi Xin clapped her hands with a face showing the relief of finishing an annoying task. In the next instant, Zhong Chengshuo appeared beside her with a swoosh, looking disapproving.

Yin Ren was still gripping Qi Xin’s collar with a gaze as sharp as a knife, seemingly contemplating how to slice this person into pieces.

“What’s with your expressions? If I throw away the cub, the cub will truly be lost.” Qi Xin remained calm while being held by Yin Ren, glancing at Zhong Chengshuo from the corner of her eye. “Or perhaps, Mr. Fear, do you have a different opinion?”

Zhong Chengshuo hugged his shoulder bag tightly, remaining silent.

“Is that all?” Lu Xiaohe anxiously asked. “Do we have a similar method for the missing people…”

“As long as Yin Ren becomes a mature Primordial Elemental, he will be capable of doing all the things you’re thinking of.”

Qi Xin didn’t give a direct answer, not even sparing a glance at Lu Xiaohe.

“Next is free activity time. Do whatever you want. I’m only responsible for bringing humans here, and I don’t care about anything else. If you encounter something you can’t handle, go back to the white room and wait.”

Lu Xiaohe clenched the photo tightly.

Indeed, there was no reason for Qi Xin to help humans with her abilities. Giving them an opportunity and a little guidance was already going above and beyond. In plain terms, this so-called journey to the Other Side was just an accessory for Yin Ren and the others—like a soothing toy that babies don’t want to let go of, a tiny lifeless object.

Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo were okay, but when it came to other Elementals, humans needed to remain highly vigilant and avoid contact if possible.

As Lu Xiaohe contemplated, a shrill howl echoed from the end of the tunnel. A pitch-black torrent piled up like a mountain, rushing towards them.

Yin Ren recognized this scene. It was a group of Elementals forming a cluster, surging forward in search of prey.

“By the way, let me introduce.”

Tour guide Miss Qi raised her hand, pointing towards the rushing black legion.

“This is a common phenomenon in the Other Side lately—group hunting. Due to food shortages, the weak unite to tear apart any solitary Elemental. Your photos all bear my aura, so they shouldn’t easily… huh?”

The massive legion surged forward, engulfing everyone from Shian. Countless tentacles wildly thrashed about, enveloping everyone and gathering high above their heads, dashing in a certain direction.

For a moment, screams from the people of Shian mixed together. Dr. Cat’s claws tightly gripped Fu Tianyi, who let out a yelp of pain.

What an audacious kidnapping! Even Qi Xin was stunned for a full three seconds.

Were these creatures driven mad by hunger, daring to provoke “Sorrow”?

She narrowed her eyes, and her main body was itching to make a move. But just as she was about to attack, Yin Ren’s voice could be heard amidst the cries—

“Qi Xin, stop!” he urgently shouted. “It’s an acquaintance!”

As soon as he was bound, Yin Ren felt a strange sense of familiarity.

He had definitely seen these soft, slippery, decaying-colored tentacles before. The points where the tentacles intersected formed grape-like shapes, with black and gray chunks of flesh riddled with holes. And around those chunks of flesh were embedded fourteen crimson spheres.

Hmm, he had indeed seen these things before, on a night when the moon was just right. Yin Ren quickly shifted his gaze, and sure enough—

Among them, an Elemental was holding up a tablecloth with a cat pattern using its tentacles. The tablecloth swayed as if it were a flag. With sharp and shrill sounds, its round “meow” cry was particularly grating, causing even Meiqiu to look around.

…Miss Gao Mengyu, your cat is here.

[What’s going on?!]

Before Qi Xin could speak, Yin Ren’s thoughts shot out.

The fourteen-eyed cat waved its tentacles and shook the tablecloth. “Meow!”

At the same time, its thoughts also infiltrated Yin Ren’s mind.

[They want to wage war against humans, but we don’t want to fight.]

It curled its tentacles in a pitiful manner.

Yin Ren was taken aback. [War? Do you have a way to fight in the human world?]

He glanced at the soft and squishy fourteen-eyed beings beneath him. These things had their own set of cognitive pollution and could indeed be formidable opponents.

But currently, everything was calm, without any major rifts. How would these things be able to reach the mortal realm?

Even if they could pass through the gap, without possessing a physical body, they could only hide within the gap and barely survive by traversing the interstitial space. When the time came, not to mention movement, food would be a problem.

[Not “that side”, but here.]

The “cat” responded earnestly.

[There are other humans here.]

The author has something to say:

Cat attack!