I Went Crazy Killing in the World of Gods and Demons - Chapter 57

Chapter 57

After hearing the fox spirit’s words, Xie Qingling and Dai Xingyu couldn’t help but exchange glances.

They had encountered ghosts seeking help before, but a monster pleading on behalf of a human? This was a first.

Taking a step back, even if this fox spirit was genuinely a good fox spirit, what was his relationship with Xia Ke’er?

Why would he plead for help on Xia Ke’er’s behalf?

Xie Qingling had left a note for Xia Ke’er. If Xia Ke’er had any awareness and wanted to save herself, she should have seized the opportunity to contact Xie Qingling. Yet, judging by Xia Ke’er’s attempts to maintain a facade of normalcy and pretend nothing had happened, it was clear she remained stubbornly deluded.

A stubbornly deluded person and a righteous monster offering helpthe situation seemed increasingly bizarre.

Xie Qingling’s brow furrowed slightly.

She touched her ear, subtly pointing toward where her earpiece would be, and gave Dai Xingyu a meaningful look.

Xie Qingling stared at the fox spirit’s deceptively elegant, immortal-like face and said, “Since you know I left a note, you should know that note was meant for Xia Ke’er. Her life is hanging by a threadwhy didn’t she come to me herself, sending you instead? Is the big star too proud to swallow her pride?”

Dai Xingyu added, “If Xia Ke’er really did summon a little ghost and is now suffering the backlash, all we can do is capture the ghost to prevent her from sinking deeper. But the karmic debts she incurred earlier must still be repaid by her. Things that aren’t rightfully hers, obtained through cheating and shortcuts, will never truly belong to her.”

“The way of heaven dictates that gains must come with losseshow could I not understand this principle?” The fox spirit’s voice remained calm. “Everyone must bear the consequences of their own actions. I’m not asking you to protect her completely, but… please find a way to make her stop this absurd transaction. If she stops now, at least she can still survive.”

“She really raised a little ghost?” Xie Qingling asked, then immediately corrected herself, “No, that’s not right. If it were just a little ghost, with your abilities, you could easily drive it away if you wanted to help her. There would be no need to come begging for our help.”

The fox spirit’s vertical pupils slowly turned toward Xie Qingling, his pale lips parting as he spoke: “My name is Xia Tian. I am the fox immortal enshrined by Xia Ke’erwhat you generally refer to as a household guardian spirit.”

A look of confusion crossed Xie Qingling’s face.

Having joined the department relatively recently, she had limited knowledge of the myriad strange rules and legends circulating among the people. These tales varied in form and detail due to regional isolation and differing customs, making it nearly impossible to comprehend them all in a short time.

Dai Xingyu helped explain to Xie Qingling on behalf of the fox spirit: “So-called household guardian spirits are a form of folk incense-head belief, where people invite the ‘Five Immortals’ into their homes for worshipnamely, the fox immortal (fox), the weasel immortal (weasel), the white immortal (hedgehog), the snake immortal (snake), and the rat immortal (rat). This is done to protect the household from harm and ward off evil.”

“What he means is, he’s the fox immortal among the Five Immortals.”

So, he was the “little ghost” that Xia Ke’er had been raising.

Not a little ghost, but a household immortal.

Still, there were some things Xie Qingling didn’t quite understand.

She asked, “Since you are a household guardian spirit and Xia Ke’er is your devotee, why can’t you resolve this through mutual agreement? As long as you don’t harm her, how could she possibly die?”

A pained expression flickered across Xia Tian’s face, tinged with regret and anguisha complex mix of emotions.

Compared to other ghouls encountered before, Xia Tian’s cultivation level was remarkably high.

Leaving aside his Mystical Power, just in terms of “being human,” he was miles ahead of Huapi Ghost.

Whether judging by the grief in his expression or the profound sorrow in his eyes, there wasn’t the slightest trace of pretense.

It seemed he had genuinely learned how to be human, comprehended human nature, and acquired human emotions.

Had he not voluntarily revealed his true form, he would have appeared completely humanan independent being with his own thoughts and perspectives.

“First, let me tell you a story,” Xia Tian said. “It’s quite long, but unless I share it, you likely won’t easily trust me.”

He then began recounting his past with Xia Ke’er.

Xia Tian met Xia Ke’er during one summer.

Back then, he wasn’t called Xia Tianhe had no name, just a little fox cultivating alone in the deep mountains.

With Incense Offerings scarce and deities fading, even minor spirits like him training in the mountains had become rare in this mortal world.

He had no clan, only himself. An enlightened fox, resembling a fox yet not quite one, yearning to be human yet not human.

“Later, deep in the mountains, I encountered Xia Ke’er, who had entered with a film crew for location shooting,” Xia Tian recalled with nostalgia. “It was a summer filled with cicada songs. Dressed in white, she performed a blessing ritual dance under moonlight as pure as waterso beautiful, so sacred. At the time, I knew nothing of the mortal world and didn’t realize she was merely a dance stand-in rehearsing a routine that might never be seen by audiences. I thought I’d met a witch granting Bestowment. Hoping to receive her enlightenment, I sought her acknowledgment.”

“She was terrified, completely unsure how to respond. I immediately knew she wasn’t the witch I soughtincapable of enlightening mebut she was a kind girl. She said I resembled a deity, and thus I became who I am nowthough my cultivation remains insufficient for true ascension.”

“To repay her, I followed her home and became her household guardian spirit. Back then, she was just an obscure dancer, confiding in me daily about career frustrations and her unrealized dreams.”

“As a household guardian spirit, I couldn’t refuse her requests. Learning her desires, we naturally formed a symbiotic relationship. I helped fulfill her wishes; she continued providing me with Incense Offerings.”Such offerings were essentially a transaction.” She gave me Incense Offerings to support my cultivation; I ensured her dreams came true and she achieved fame. That was how our story began… until later…”

“The contract between her and me began with me, yet it cannot end with me.”

“This kind of Offering lasted for two years. Xia Ke’er grew increasingly popular, her fame became greater and greater, yet she became more and more unable to leave me. Striving for perfection, she would pray to me before every performance, asking for my protection to make her shows flawless. In the end, she became as if possessed, wanting everything, wanting to achieve the utmost in all things, until… until she grew increasingly obsessive. Her body also began to show problems.”

“After all, Offerings require sacrifices. The more one asks for, the more precious the Offering must be. Every time she made a wish, she claimed she would pay any price for a perfect performance, yet she had only a vague understanding of what ‘any price’ meant. She didn’t know what she was about to sacrifice.”

“This can’t go on any longer. If it continues, she will dieshe will definitely die!” Xia Tian’s tone grew agitated.

“I wanted to end our relationship, to stop receiving her Incense Offerings, but she refused to let me go.” Xia Tian said, “Now she has everything, yet she remains unsatisfied. I ignited a spark, and that spark grew into a wildfire, blazing fiercely, nearly consuming all reason and life. But I cannot stop it.”

“I cannot persuade her, and she won’t heed my warnings. So, I need your help.”

A sorrowful look appeared in Xia Tian’s eyes: “I truly don’t want to harm her, but now the situation is beyond my control. If she doesn’t stop the Offerings, I cannot end this transaction between us.”

Dai Xingyu understood.

So, this was a cliché story of a fox repaying a kindness.

However, it had backfired. Once human desires are unleashed, they spiral out of control, becoming unstoppable.

By now, Xia Ke’er was deeply entrenched, blinded by the glamour of fame and fortune, stubbornly refusing to see reason, and her life was hanging by a thread.

If not for the story taking a dark turn, the bond between this human and spirit could have been called remarkable.

What a pity.

Feeling regretful, Dai Xingyu asked, “You’re supposed to be a Household guardian spirit. How can a spirit be so sinister?”

Xia Tian remained silent, his face darkening, lost in thought.

“Have you finished your story?” Xie Qingling suddenly spoke up.

Xia Tian paused, then nodded. “Yes, I have.”

“Nothing else to add?”

Xia Tian shook his head, frowning slightly as he looked at her. “At this point, I’m practically a semi-immortal. Would I lie to you? Xia Ke’er’s situation is exactly as I described. Isn’t protecting her from harm your responsibility?”

“Of course I believe youthe part about Xia Ke’er is true.” Xie Qingling’s expression suddenly turned cold, her voice sharp. “But regarding your part, are you truly so pure and harmless, merely here to repay a kindness?”

“What do you mean?” Xia Tian took a step back, his spine slightly arched, his body adopting a defensive posture.

“Those people who went to watch the performance and then fell too ill to get upthat was your doing, wasn’t it? Don’t you plan to explain this part?” Xie Qingling picked up her Blood Oath Blade again, adopting an offensive stance.

Dai Xingyu froze for a moment, sensing something was wrong. This didn’t seem as simple as he’d thought, and his face instantly turned grim.

“Killing Field!” Xie Qingling shouted.

Dai Xingyu immediately coordinated, releasing the Killing Field to trap Xia Tian inside.

The three of them stood on the verge of conflict, the previously harmonious atmosphere instantly becoming tense and hostile.

Unexpectedly, the two who had just been listening to his story were now turning their blades against him. Xia Tian’s face darkened so much it seemed water could drip from it. In the night, his ethereal, Immortal Qi-floating features twisted into a fox’s face, finally revealing a trace of demonic strangeness, bizarre and unnatural.

His limbs transformed into fox claws. Though his torso remained human and he stood upright like a person, he had already revealed his beastly form.

Dai Xingyu shouted: “Audacious monster! You were indeed deceiving us!”

Thank goodness Xie Qingling was sharp-witted!! They had almost been fooled by its fabricated story!

Damnable Fox Spirit, cunning Fox Spirit, to be so skilled at manipulating human hearts!

Dai Xingyu now burned with the anger of having been deceived!

“Why waste words with it? When all’s said and done, isn’t Xia Ke’er’s current state inextricably linked to it? It fed Xia Ke’er’s greed with one hand, then blamed her for failing to restrain her own ambition. Whether it’s true or false, we should capture it and interrogate thoroughly. Then, the matter of Xia Ke’er will be easily resolved.” Xie Qingling’s face remained expressionless as she said calmly, “Don’t forget, our duty is to protect humans, to maintain the social order composed of peoplenot to solve troubles for these creatures. Know your position, little brother.”

Dai Xingyu: “…”

Dai Xingyu felt suddenly enlightened.

Xie Qingling was truly Xie Qingling! The same Xie Qingling who had copied the Work Guidelines countless times! The same Xie Qingling who had written numerous self-criticisms! She really knew how to keep things clear!

Dai Xingyu felt deeply ashamed. As a Herdsman, he took out his only weapona shield.

The shield was originally palm-sized, but after Dai Xingyu pressed a button, tiny iron pieces automatically disassembled and reassembled into a shield the size of a human head.

Dai Xingyu stood together with Xie Qingling, preparing to face the enemy together.

The two of them against a semi-immortal Fox Spiritwho knew if they stood any chance…

“Do you really think you can defeat me?” Xia Tian sneered. “Don’t force me to act. I’ve said I don’t want to harm anyone.”

Xie Qingling didn’t speak, but neither did she immediately attack.

She glanced at the “Respect” character engraved on her Blood Oath Blade, then quietly averted her eyes.

The vessel had already absorbed considerable energy. Each time she struck these Ghouls, she could store part of their energy. When the vessel was full, she could release it for use.

Unfortunately, however, Xie Qingling’s vessel wasn’t full yetit still needed a bit more.

“Put down your knife. I’m not here to fight you.” A smile appeared on Xia Tian’s fox-like face, though it looked particularly eerie.

“Everything I said is true, I’m not lying to you. I practice orthodox cultivation methods and have never taken a human life. You won’t be my match.” Xia Tian continued, “Strictly speaking, I’m not a fox spirit, but a fox immortal.”

Xie Qingling’s attitude remained unyielding.

She said: “What does being a fox immortal matter? If you break the rules, we’ll still take you down!”

Dai Xingyu: “…”

The black lines on Dai Xingyu’s face deepened as he wanted to comment on how arrogant Xie Qingling was being. But then he remembered the shrine they always kept in their mission case and fell silent.

The Ghost Binding Banner was used to capture ghosts, but what about the shrine?

Although he had never used the shrine before…

After Xie Qingling’s reminder, Dai Xingyu suddenly realized that Future City had indeed been too peaceful, with too few Special Events.

Because of the shrine they always carried in their case, they had actually never used it even once.

As a veteran employee, Dai Xingyu had overlooked this point, but Xie Qingling, who had just joined the department, had realized earlier than him that even gods who broke the rules must be eliminated.

Only now did Dai Xingyu genuinely feel that he really was like a junior.

At that moment, the low rumble of a motorcycle engine sounded, growing closer to them.

Xie Qingling, who had been keeping a cold expression, suddenly smiled.

She said: “I told you not to waste so much time talking, stupid fox spirit. You didn’t even realize I was stalling for time.”

“I had Dai Xingyu notify our department head from the very beginning.”

“The other members of our department have arrived. Now let me see how capable you, this fox immortal, really are.” Xie Qingling said.