I Went Crazy Killing in the World of Gods and Demons - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

The thunderous applause continued unabated in her ears, refusing to fade.

On stage, the heavy curtains gradually drew together until they fully closed, completely cutting off the audience’s fervent gazes toward the stage and blocking the overly pungent scent of blood that was particularly intense for Xie Qingling.

In that split second, numerous thoughts flashed through Xie Qingling’s mind.

The situation was too bizarre. As someone who dealt with Ghouls daily, her first instinct was: she had encountered another Ghoul attack incident.

However, the voice in her mind remained silent, which was quite unusual.

The voice in her mind functioned like a passive radar – if there were awakened, wandering Ghouls where Xie Qingling appeared, it would inevitably offer some commentary.

Could it really be just a stage effect?

But that didn’t make sense either.

Looking at Xia Ke’er’s thin costume, how could she possibly conceal so much stage blood?

Xie Qingling was highly sensitive to the smell of blood, especially after receiving the Bestowment that enhanced her physical abilities. Her perception of scents had intensified to a hundred times that of ordinary humans, making her particularly sharp at detecting special odors.

As for whether that metallic, rusty scent in the air was real blood or something else… whether during her time in the laboratory working with corpses daily or after joining the department and dealing with Ghouls regularly, blood was no stranger to her. Xie Qingling could definitively assert that it was real blood – such a strong, metallic scent couldn’t be mistaken!

So where was the blood coming from?

It seemed unreasonable for someone wearing such a thin costume to dance while carrying heavy blood bags. Xie Qingling’s thoughts drifted toward another, somewhat crazy speculation, but she quickly dismissed it in her mind.

Estimating based on Xia Ke’er’s “blood loss,” the amount needed to stain an entire costume red would definitely exceed 400 milliliters. Blood loss beyond that amount should theoretically cause dizziness, weakness, or even lead to shock, unconsciousness, and life-threatening conditions.

Yet Xia Ke’er had managed to bring the performance to a perfect conclusion.

So far, all her speculations had unexplainable aspects – everything felt eerie and wrong.

The performance wasn’t truly over yet; soon all members of the dance troupe would come out for the curtain call. Xie Qingling couldn’t just rush onto the stage to check the situation, as that would likely cause chaos among the large audience.

She needed to go backstage to investigate.

Whether it was Ghoul mischief or a human murder case, since she had witnessed it, she couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.

Xie Qingling stood up and ran toward the door connecting to backstage in front of the curtains.

The rapid tapping of her footsteps sounded particularly jarring in the now-quiet performance hall, drawing several annoyed glances from audience members still immersed in the dance drama’s effects.

Rushing all the way to the backstage dressing room, Xie Qingling called out: “Xia Ke’er? Is Xia Ke’er here?”

The staff members chatting together backstage turned to look at Xie Qingling, their eyes filled with surprise and disbelief.

Xie Qingling was an unfamiliar face. Seeing that she was neither makeup artist nor stylist, nor a dancer from the performing troupe, they immediately categorized her identity:

Xia Ke’er’s obsessive fan.

Still a pretty crazy sasaeng fan who disregards rules, actually barging directly into the backstage.

Among the staff, someone rolled their eyes wildly, their face full of impatience.

No one paid any attention to Xie Qingling.

Xie Qingling’s eyes were also scanning the backstage. There weren’t many people there at the moment, only some logistics and makeup staff responsible for miscellaneous tasks.

No sign of Xia Ke’er.

At the same time, the backstage wasn’t in chaos as Xie Qingling had imagined.

It seemed everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion within established rules.

Just then, deafening applause came from the front stagethe curtain call was still ongoing.

Who was taking the curtain call?

Xia Ke’er?

Was she still able to take a curtain call?

Could it be that Xie Qingling’s nerves were too strained, and she had been mistaken?

As Xie Qingling was pondering, a middle-aged man came out, glaring at her and scolding sharply: “Non-staff members are not permitted backstage without authorization. How did you get in? Get out!”

“I’m looking for Xia Ke’er.” Xie Qingling was grateful that when she left home, she hadn’t just brought her weapons but also the small identification booklet Ling Fang had issued her.

She flashed the booklet in front of the middle-aged man. “I need to ask her some questions. Where is she?”

“I’m working on a case. Don’t waste my time.” Xie Qingling’s face was cold. Though she looked young, her demeanor was cool and carried considerable authority, making her appear quite intimidating.

The middle-aged man’s previously arrogant attitude instantly deflated, replaced by a look of fearful deference. He asked quietly, “This… what’s this about? Our Rainbow Feather Dance Troupe has always complied with laws and regulations. Why would you suddenly need to investigate our star performer? There must be some misunderstanding here.”

Even though the middle-aged man lowered his voice, the surrounding staff still overheard and immediately began whispering among themselves.

“…I’m Xia Ke’er’s manager,” the middle-aged man said. “Whatever this is about, let’s discuss it later, alright? This could negatively impact our Ke’er’s reputationshe is a public figure, after all!”

“I need to see Xia Ke’er now. I’ll just ask her a few questions and leave.” If Xie Qingling didn’t confirm things with her own eyes, she probably wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight.

Suddenly, a voice came through: “Who wants to see me?”

Xie Qingling looked up toward the voice and saw Xia Ke’er, dressed in red, had returned.

Following Xia Ke’er, the other dancers who had participated in the curtain call filed into the backstage.

The curtain call had ended.

The performance was truly over.

Xia Ke’er herself appeared even more radiant than her stage photos.

She wore heavy stage makeup. Normally, such exaggerated makeup would look garish in real lifethose bright, heavily applied colors turning a face into a messy palette. But seeing Xia Ke’er up close, Xie Qingling could only think that her face was like a perfectly executed painting.

Every color found its proper place on her face, miraculously blending together into a harmonious, beautiful whole full of intriguing depth.

Every term related to beauty could find its reference point in her.

Crucially, Xia Ke’er’s steps were steady, her complexion normal, showing no signs of discomfort whatsoever.

Xie Qingling’s eyes discreetly scanned the red dress adorning Xia Ke’er’s figure. She subtly sniffed the air, yet detected only crisp freshnessnot a trace of bloodscent.

Following Xie Qingling’s gaze, Xia Ke’er lifted her skirt hem with both hands, swaying it gently. “This is our dance troupe’s custom performance costume. Through special techniques, it can transition between colors. Quite impressive for stage effects, don’t you think?”

“Shh… this is our troupe’s secretnot for public disclosure.” Xia Ke’er chuckled, her bright eyes curving into mesmerizing crescents that held an unconsciously captivating charm. “But since this is an official investigation, we’ll naturally cooperate fully, holding nothing back.”

Xie Qingling’s gaze remained fixed on Xia Ke’er.

In truth, every pair of eyes backstage was drawn to Xia Ke’ersome curious, others gloating, with myriad unspoken reactions.

Xia Ke’er appeared accustomed to such attention, as naturally as if being the center of focus was her birthright.

“Everyone disperse, disperse!” The manager, however, grew visibly impatient. “What’s there to stare at? This is just routine official business! The performance is overeveryone head home!”

Feverishly protective of Xia Ke’er’s public image, the manager swiftly cleared the area, fearing potential rumors. Within moments, only Xie Qingling, Xia Ke’er, and the manager remained backstage.

With the crowd gone, the cramped space suddenly felt vast.

As air circulation improved and the mingled scents dissipated, certain observations became sharper.

When makeup artists removed their kits, Xie Qingling’s heightened sense of smell caught the subtle fragrance wafting from Xia Ke’er.

The scent of Incense Offerings.

Xie Qingling’s eyes narrowed slightly, her fingertips twitching imperceptibly.

As someone who daily offered incense on the third floor, she recognized this distinct aromathe very incense used for worship.

Xia Ke’er was… unusual.

She maintained her flawless, impeccable smile, appearing neither flustered by Xie Qingling’s unexpected visit nor lacking in confidenceperhaps even emboldened.

Uncertain how to proceed, Xie Qingling couldn’t immediately determine whether Xia Ke’er was human or something else entirely.

Remembering her experience with Chai Yuhu, Xie Qingling opted for indirect probing: “Have you visited any unusual locations recently?”

“This includes but isn’t limited to abandoned historical structures or streets, peculiar temples, or burial grounds and cemeteries?”

Xia Ke’er’s expression finally shifted.

After a moment of contemplation, she shook her head. “No, I haven’t been anywhere like that.”

The manager immediately chimed in: “Indeed! Ke’er’s schedule is packed solid every daywhen would she have time to go elsewhere? She’d never engage in illegal activities either!”

“If you doubt us, check our official website’s performance schedule. Ke’er performs almost dailyshe’s grown thin from exhaustion. There’s simply no opportunity for her to go anywhere.”

That’s true.

Before coming to watch this performance, Xie Qingling had done some research and knew how popular this play was.

Xia Ke’er’s schedule was indeed packed full, without a single gap.

The voice in her mind still hadn’t spoken. Xie Qingling gazed deeply at Xia Ke’er a few times, then wrote her address, name, and contact information on a blank piece of paper.

“If you encounter any trouble later, you can contact me,” Xie Qingling said. “I might be able to help you.”

Xia Ke’er took the note handed to her by Xie Qingling and asked with a smile, “Well, is there anything else?”

“Nothing else. Your performance was wonderful.” Xie Qingling added, “If it’s convenient, could I have your autograph?”

“Of course, no problem.”

The two exchanged papers, ending their encounter.

After Xie Qingling left the backstage, the manager grew increasingly uneasy. He asked Xia Ke’er, “Ke’er, what was that about? Why did she come looking for you? Have you been anywhere these past few days…?”

“Of course not.” Xia Ke’er tore up the paper with Xie Qingling’s information and threw it into the trash without a second glance. “Didn’t she ask for my autograph? Probably just a fan chasing celebrities.”

“Ah?!” The manager snapped back to reality, remembering the small notebook he hadn’t paid much attention to, and instantly felt deceived. “What a cunning obsessive fan! How dare she trick me! This is absolutely lawless!”

Xia Ke’er remained silent. Beneath her heavy makeup, her complexion grew increasingly unpleasant.

Exiting the backstage of the opera house and arriving at the front entrance, Xie Qingling found Dong Jia already waiting there.

As Xie Qingling approached, Dong Jia waved frantically at her: “Qingling, where did you go? You didn’t reply to my messages! I thought I’d lost you!”

Dong Jia had been so immersed in the performance, watching with such intensity, that she hadn’t noticed when Xie Qingling left.

Xie Qingling handed her Xia Ke’er’s autograph: “Here, this is for you.”

“Ah!!! Ahhhh!” Dong Jia stared at it, jumping with joy, “After the curtain call tonight, Xia Ke’er disappeared immediatelyno audience interaction at all! I thought I’d never get her autograph!”

“How did you manage this? You’re amazing, Qingling!! I love you ahhhhh!!!”

Xie Qingling smiled. “As long as you’re happy.”

Dong Jia beamed like a flower, but then her laughter suddenly turned to tears.

She said: “I’m just so happy. After watching Xia Ke’er’s performance tonight, I feel like I still have such a long way to go before I can be as outstanding as her. Maybe I’ll never reach her level in my entire life.”

“My dance skills aren’t good, my emotional expression lacks that kind of Spirit… All I can do is train over and over, desperately practicing basic techniques like splits and backbends, just to barely replicate a fraction of her movements’ effect. The gap between us wasn’t this big at the beginning, but her progress has been so rapid! I’m starting to wonder if I just have no talent at all, wuwuwuwu.”

Dong Jia alternated between crying and laughing, appearing both comical and pitiful.

Today’s performance was so impactful and visually stunning, providing Dong Jia with an unparalleled feast for the senses. Yet, the insurmountable gap it revealed planted an unscalable mountain in her heart, making her unconsciously question her own talent and ability.

Xie Qingling remained silent for a moment before saying, “Your hard work won’t betray you. She is exceptional, but there might be aspects behind the scenes that you haven’t seen.”

Dong Jia sniffled and replied, “You’re right. Even when she was still an unknown, she trained relentlessly. I’ll keep pushing forward.”

“Alright, I’m heading back to school now. Bye! Let’s hang out again when we have time.”

“Sure, we’ll plan something later. Be careful on your way.”

After seeing Dong Jia off, Xie Qingling took out her phone and browsed online for audience reviews of the dance drama “Butterfly Lovers.”

Given how wildly popular the performance was, if there truly were issues, she couldn’t be the only one who noticed something amiss.

Xie Qingling scrolled through numerous pages on ticketing platforms, finding mostly glowing reviews and enthusiastic recommendations, with very few negative comments. After several pages yielded nothing but praise, she switched to a film rating website, but the situation remained the same after extensive searching.

Eventually, however, Xie Qingling managed to find some dissenting voices that stood out from the crowd.