Evil As Humans

Chapter 242: Homecoming

Inside Shian’s dedicated car, people were chatting lively.

With the corruption resolved and the crisis on the Other Side averted, the “#1 Evil Smith” and “#1 Priestess”, Zhou Gong and Qiao Shang, naturally learned the truth. They were initially shocked by the turmoil on the Other Side, and then they were equally shocked by Yin Ren’s identity as the Great Celestial Master. In the end, they expressed polite yet intense greetings towards Fu Xingchuan for including the Great Celestial Master and Old Fear within the competition.

Luo Wanxiang and Sang Jie had recently recovered, but the two girls were kept in the dark. “People from the Haigu branch got promoted just like that? We won’t lose in next year’s competition!”

Qiao Shang turned her head and looked out the window in silence.

Zhou Gong, usually with a cheerful round face, looked a bit downcast.

The Yandu branch suffered the greatest losses this time—Fu Tianyi’s partner, Tao Lan, died in the attack on the Fu residence, and Dr. Meiqiu, the science post, decided to stay on the Other Side. The Yandu branch finally managed to get a “god”, but the god ran away the next day.

Dr. Meiqiu claimed that there wasn’t much difference between the Other Side and the mortal realm for it. The Lonelies on the Other Side respected it, and there were also many research projects to pursue, so it chose to stay there temporarily.

Considering research-related matters, the Yandu branch was willing to retain Dr. Meiqiu’s salary and benefits.

However, there was a significant gap between being stationed and having a nominal position.

Among the members brought by the Yandu branch, only Fu Tianyi remained. Originally a spirited young man, he seemed to have participated in the TV show <Transformation>* after being borrowed by the Haigu branch. Although Fu Tianyi’s abilities multiplied several times, he himself felt like a discarded mineral water bottle trampled by ten thousand feet, his eyes filled with weariness.

*(变形计) Lifestyle role-swapping reality TV show in China that borrows the idea of the reality TV show “Wife Swap“. It has two protagonists with very different lifestyles swap places and experience each other’s life.

No one knew what this guy had experienced. He didn’t even bother to go back to his hometown. If it weren’t for Zhou Gong’s keen ability to recognize spirit weapons, he would have thought that this Fu Tianyi was Fu Xingchuan wearing a mimicry headgear.

Zhou Gong smiled and found a topic. “Xiao Fu, are you sure you won’t go back to the Fu family?”

Fu Tianyi’s heart was like stagnant water.

“I want to go back for training and learning,” he said.

“It’s a good thing for young people to have ambition, but don’t rush for success.” Zhou Gong habitually advised. “You are already very outstanding now, and your contributions this time were significant. Don’t worry about those two from Haigu…”

Fu Tianyi numbly shifted his gaze and grunted.

In this battle, it wasn’t just Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo who fought bravely.

Meng Huai and Zhong Chengfeng were both in their early twenties when they went missing, just a few years older than him. Huang Jin dared to summon the great Primordial Elemental, Qi Xin, using himself, and Ge Tingting nailed the coffin lid on Love with her wish. As for him… he was just chopping radishes while throwing spells, always being protected behind the front lines.

Even now, Fu Tianyi couldn’t summon any feelings of dissatisfaction.

“I still have a long way to go,” he calmly and sincerely replied. “I just want to go back soon—maintaining order is more important than competing for superiority.”

There were too many things he couldn’t accomplish, so it was good to focus on what he could do.

…..

Zhong Chengfeng stopped in front of a familiar building.

She had maintained her alertness and physical activity, not needing as much rest as the other survivors. On the day of the medical examination, she was taken out by Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren.

The residential area was well maintained, but the passage of time couldn’t hide the aged appearance of the building itself. Twenty-nine years ago, on the day she left, the neighbor on the first floor had just installed new anti-theft windows. She remembered those windows being shiny silver, casting colorful shadows.

Now, they were covered in rust stains and scratches, uneven, and covered in thick rust and dust around the screws.

‘How strange,’ she thought.

Before the final battle with Love, Yin Ren, to stabilize the morale, had revealed some “unimportant matters” to her and Meng Huai. For example, he also had a name called “Zhong Yi”, and Zhong Chengshuo was the ancient embodiment of “Fear” fused with a human body.

Having witnessed countless strange phenomena and with a great battle looming, Meng Huai and Zhong Chengfeng’s emotions remained remarkably stable.

They lived in the space they imagined, wandering in a world formed by the consciousness of all things. They had seen overwhelming monsters and the most absurd dreams.

Having spent twenty-nine years on the Other Side, she had been there longer than she had lived in the human world. Her mental age was realistically fifty or more. Zhong Chengfeng understood her parents’ adoption of her little brother and didn’t mind that her brother was a Primordial Elemental, nor did she intend to interfere with her brother falling in love with another legendary figure.

She thought she wouldn’t be surprised or frightened by anything.

…But now, standing in front of the familiar corridor, she couldn’t take another step forward.

The last time she stood here, her parents were in good health with straight backs. They had more black hair than gray, and smiles on their faces.

“I applied for medical assistance from Shian. If our parents have any health issues, they can receive help immediately,” Zhong Chengshuo explained carefully when he saw that Zhong Chengfeng hesitated to move forward. “And they’re not top-tier science posts. Yin Ren can also help save them.”

Yin Ren nudged Zhong Chengshuo’s waist and shook his head gently.

But what was likely hindering her steps was more than just that.

“They have never forgotten you. They have indeed aged, but their past time together was full of love, and their bodies are still strong. For ordinary people, most of their lives have gone smoothly.”

He reached out and gave her a gentle push from behind.

“Go on, fulfill their final regret.”

Zhong Chengfeng took a deep breath. “…Can you two go in front of me?”

“Oh,” Zhong Chengshuo responded, picking up the pace.

While the three lingered downstairs, Zhong Youde was busy in the kitchen.

Zhong Chengshuo and Yin Ren, as the “heroes who made the greatest contributions in the pedestrian street incident”, received heavy awards within the city. Shian also specifically mentioned giving them a significant bonus, making the elderly couple extremely happy. Yin Ren had already informed the group in the chat that he would be bringing Zhong Chengshuo, along with a friend, to their home for a celebratory dinner in the evening.

He also specifically mentioned that he wanted to eat stewed spareribs with potatoes made by Zhong Youde.

Zhong Youde worked quickly. “Xiao Yin is quite strange. I remember he only likes meat and doesn’t eat potatoes much. Our son doesn’t eat heavy dishes either, but… “

It was actually Zhong Chengfeng who liked this dish a lot.

Zhong Youde’s initially high spirits dampened a bit. He sighed and covered the stew pot with its lid.

“With Xiao Yin accompanying him, our son has made progress.” Zhong Youde raised his voice. “And now, he actually has two friends, including Xiao Yin!”

Cheng Xuehua was arranging cups on the sofa and chuckled at his words. “Come on, don’t get too excited. It could be Xiao Yin’s friend.”

Zhong Youde mumbled, “Xiao Yin’s friend? Xiao Yin wouldn’t bring anyone home for a meal so casually. That young man knows his manners…”

“What are you mumbling about?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

At the entrance, the anti-theft door made three orderly and rhythmic sounds, not too light or too heavy, unmistakably Zhong Chengshuo.

“Coming!”

Cheng Xuehua picked up her cup and happily hurried to the door. Zhong Youde in the kitchen quickly perked up his ears to listen and find out who this friend really was.

What awaited him was the sound of a glass cup shattering on the ground.

After a few seconds of silence, Cheng Xuehua’s low sobbing could be heard.

Could it be a villain disguised as Zhong Chengshuo?! Zhong Youde was startled. He didn’t have time to gather intelligence and simply grabbed a kitchen knife, rushing out of the kitchen. “Don’t move; the two of us used to be… “

His unfinished words got stuck in his throat.

He saw his daughter standing at the doorstep, trembling in his wife’s embrace.

Just as in the countless photos they had flipped through, their daughter’s appearance hadn’t changed in the slightest, except that she had become slightly thinner since she left. Before the three of them could enter the house, Zhong Chengfeng’s tears flowed down her face, forming white mist in the cold air.

She’s still alive.

“Fengfeng…” Zhong Youde called out as if in a dream.

Their reclusive son had found a beloved partner, and the two of them had made achievements in their work. Their daughter, who had been missing for nearly thirty years, returned home unchanged, and a festive meal was being cooked on the stove. Everything was going so smoothly and beautifully that it felt like a dream.

Such things couldn’t happen in the world.

Yin Ren coughed lightly twice. “Chengshuo and I recently went on a business trip to a certain place… Chengfeng Jie and her friend were trapped there, and we brought her out. The environment there was a bit special, so Chengfeng Jie didn’t change much, but her health is excellent.”

Zhong Chengshuo supported his mother and sister into the home. Once the heavy anti-theft door closed, the cold air was sealed outside again. He quickly took a few steps forward and took the kitchen knife from Zhong Youde’s hand.

He pried open the old man’s trembling hand. Feeling his son’s warmth, only then did Zhong Youde regain his senses.

Whether it was a dream or not, Zhong Youde couldn’t think about it. The old man stumbled forward and embraced his long-lost family, finally breaking into sobs.

The heartwarming reunion ended with the smell of burnt food from the spareribs stew with potatoes.

As the smell of burnt food reached his nose, Yin Ren’s sentiments and gentleness disappeared from his face. With a swift movement, he rushed into the kitchen to salvage the pot of overcooked meat.

This little incident didn’t have a big impact. After all, for the rest of the evening, except for Yin Ren and Zhong Chengshuo, the other three had no appetite. As night fell, the elderly couple in the Zhong family still held Zhong Chengfeng’s hand, unwilling to let go.

Seeing that the atmosphere was right, Yin Ren urgently intercepted Zhong Chengshuo, who had just put on his sleeping cap. Poor Zhong Chengshuo didn’t even have a chance to express his confusion before being clasped under Yin Ren’s arm and taken back home through a gap in space.

“Let them have some time alone,” Yin Ren said with a serious tone, placing Zhong Chengshuo back in his own bedroom.

Zhong Chengshuo thought for a few seconds and agreed.

“You previously asked me to change your wish, to find out the truth and the culprit, and I fulfilled it. My father made a wish to find my sister, and I fulfilled that too.”

Zhong Chengshuo lay flat in bed, adjusted his sleeping cap contentedly, and a wing expertly snuggled into the blanket, which he hugged tightly.

“Now, the only wish left for you is to ‘protect Haigu’, and you said you want to fulfill it together with me,” he emphasized.

“Of course.” Yin Ren also got into bed, and the two of them pressed close to each other, instantly warming up the covers.

The Karma Lantern was placed openly on the refrigerator beside the bed, gently casting a red light on the night. After witnessing its owner’s power, Dog Thing chose to cling tightly to Yin Ren. It was now obedient, letting the Yellow Millet keychain hang on it, which had already developed immunity to the red light and was peacefully snoring.

Outside the window, the streetlights were on, and snowflakes fluttered down, accompanied by a faint whistling sound from the wind.

“Zhong Ge.”

“Mm?”

“What are your plans for the future, in terms of work?”

“Together with you, guarding Haigu, conducting research on the Primordial Elementals, writing papers…” Zhong Chengshuo’s voice sounded sleepy and muffled.

‘This guy is really simple-minded.’ Yin Ren chuckled. “And what about the Other Side?”

“You are at the top of the new food chain. Your thoughts matter more… Is ‘God’ considered an invasive species… Ah…”

Zhong Chengshuo wrapped his arms around Yin Ren’s waist, buried his nose in the wing, and fell into a deep sleep. His warm breath blew into the wing with a hint of mist, like a gentle and tender kiss.

Yin Ren sniffed the fresh scent on his lover’s body, opened his mouth, and lightly pressed his sharp teeth against Zhong Chengshuo’s neck as if giving him a gentle bite. The slight sense of repulsion between them still existed, jumping on his tongue like a well-seasoned spice.

Zhong Chengshuo slept soundly without any sense of vigilance.

‘There was nothing that can be done about it,’ Yin Ren thought seriously. Since Comrade Xiao Zhong had no sense of crisis, he could only be considered a lifelong reserve food supply—someone he couldn’t bear to eat until the end.

Yin Ren kissed his lover’s forehead again and let out a big yawn.

As for the matters of the Other Side… Let Qi Xin hold a meeting at Shian tomorrow. Then it would be time for a vacation, and after that…

Yin Ren’s gaze swept across the empty living room. The tablet lay quietly on the sofa without any signs of lighting up. In the Coffin Nails group chat, Hu Tao’s profile picture remained gray.

There were still many things he had to do. Yin Ren nuzzled against his lover and closed his eyes.

……

“Fu Xingchuan, what do you mean?”

Early the next morning, Huang Jin’s resignation letter fell to the ground.

He had received his bonus and restored his reputation. Everything was heading in the right direction, and Huang Jin believed he could leave now—who could stop him when there were no flaws to be found? Who?

But cold reality blocked his path once again.

“I’m sorry, Xiao Huang, but I don’t have the authority to approve this.” Fu Xingchuan expressed his apologies. “Looking at the world now, you’re the only one who can trigger the ‘Individual Divine Descent’. You are an important combatant of Shian and a key subject of surveillance. Your treatment will definitely be further improved. As for resigning…”

“I am a spirit smith!” Huang Jin’s voice almost cracked. “To send a spirit smith to the frontlines, does Shian have no humanity?!”

Fu Xingchuan patted his shoulder. “Young people shouldn’t be too modest. Your combat power surpasses mine when you are possessed by ‘Sorrow’.”

“That’s done by Qi Xin! I can’t do it at all!”

“’Sorrow’ and ‘Lonely’ recently entered into a long-term partnership with Shian. ‘Sorrow’ is willing to provide combat support when necessary in exchange for a stable reward.”

That being said, Qi Xin requested the reward be directly transferred to Yin Ren in exchange for Yin Ren’s assistance with the Other Side. These two large monsters forcibly turned Shian into a labor intermediary.

Huang Jin felt like crying without tears. “Then let it go find someone else. Can’t it work with Ge Tingting?! It’s not just me who has brain damage—”

“It says Ge Tingting is too proactive, and it can’t get along with her. But it finds the scent emanating from you quite appealing.”

Fu Xingchuan waved his hand.

“Besides, Ge Tingting has been busy lately. Xiang Jiang ran away, so I need to find another newcomer with the ‘Ghost General’ qualification to mentor. The training is very rigorous, and her time might not be sufficient. Huang Jin, please try to understand.”

It seemed like he intended to take Ge Tingting as his disciple.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?!”

Huang Jin really wanted to cry, but when he thought of Qi Xin’s possible gaze, he forcefully swallowed his tears. Things were different now. He didn’t lack money at all. Huang Jin had never imagined that being chased by money could be so painful.

Fu Xingchuan rubbed his stubbled chin. “I understand your feelings. It’s still unclear about the policies since the ‘Other Side’ was just discovered. Perhaps when there’s a new minister in charge, they might approve it for you.”

Huang Jin gave him a dead fish stare.

Fu Xingchuan’s tone became more sincere. “Seriously, I can’t do this for many more years. Recently, we found a lot of clues about the Coral Reef Company. Once we handle Sunken Society, I’ll retire early. Besides, you all know. Li Nian plans to get married and retire. He’s even more anxious than you… By the way, how are you and Xiao Ding doing?”

Huang Jin forced a laugh and quickly left the scene.

At least Fu Xingchuan reminded him. Halfway through his tearful escape, Huang Jin took two steps back and went to a flower shop on the street, buying a large bouquet of flowers.

Anyway, it was still early, and Shian wouldn’t fire him for being absent from work.

Might as well go to the hospital while he was at it.

The author has something to say:

Continuing with the conclusion—

Don’t worry, all the details that everyone cares about will have answers XD

Kinky Thoughts:

Huang Jin, you’ll never be able to resign. That old fox Minister Fu already knows he’s living past 90!