In the reception room of the East Building, Little Red Riding Hood sat in thoughtful silence after hearing the intelligence brought by Yu Sheng. A long, weary sigh finally escaped her lips.
“The possibility of a Dark Angel lurking deep within Fairy Tale… This is the worst news I’ve heard in days. So, the ‘trap’ targeting me in the White Exhibition Hall was actually the Heretic Cultists trying to free their ‘lord’?”
“A trial run,” Yu Sheng nodded slowly. “But who knows what form the next attempt might take. Looking back, their methods in the Museum were clumsy at best. The sacrificial ritual meant to trigger your loss of control was full of uncertainties. What if you had retreated without reaching the White Exhibition Hall? What if you changed your mind at the last minute that night? And those ‘guards’ roaming aimlessly after being activated—clearly, blocking your way wasn’t what the Heretic Cultists intended.”
Little Red Riding Hood frowned deeply. “So, they were likely just gathering ‘data,’ testing whether inducing a subset’s instability could affect Fairy Tale’s structure. If they succeeded, good for them. If they failed, the trail would die with Old Zheng. If it weren’t for your uncanny ‘Conversation With The Dead’ ability, it would have been a headache for the Special Affairs Bureau to link it back to the Angel Cultists.”
Yu Sheng nodded again. “The Special Affairs Bureau is already running into trouble. They only caught the two exposed Angel Cultists. It’s said that operatives have been staking out in the southern part of the city for ages, but no other members have surfaced. It seems that as soon as you made it out of the Museum alive, those Heretic Cultists knew their plan had failed. They scattered and hid, except for those two who probably never expected their information to be exposed so thoroughly.”
“And you couldn’t find any clues about their comrades after diving into that Heretic Cultist’s mind?” Little Red Riding Hood asked.
Yu Sheng shook his head, clearly annoyed. “No, that guy had his mental defenses locked tight. Even Irene broke through his subconscious barriers, but he still managed to blur out his comrades’ identities in his dreams. Honestly, if that ritual in his dream hadn’t malfunctioned, I might have uncovered something. But the guy woke up in a panic… Turns out he was genuinely haunted by the memory of that botched ceremony using subpar materials.”
At that moment, Irene, who had been quietly sitting on the sofa, shot up. “Of course that sticks with me too! You got me alchemical supplies from a five-yuan shop! I’m pretty sure it’s the same brand those cultists used…”
Yu Sheng’s expression stiffened as he fell silent, a thought stuck in his throat that he dared not voice—truth be told, the ‘alchemy materials’ he bought for Irene were even cheaper than what those Heretic Cultists used. Their junk cost a few yuan more.
Little Red Riding Hood spoke up again. “Those Angel Cultists will definitely make another move. However, with the Special Affairs Bureau now alerted, the Heretic Cultists will likely be more cautious. They probably won’t pull the same obvious tricks, like false commissions, to attack our members again. But who knows—those lunatics might switch to even crazier tactics…”
Yu Sheng’s voice grew serious. “You need to stay vigilant for a while. Whether out on missions or guarding the Orphanage, everyone must be careful. Watch for suspicious people or objects nearby. Check the identity of anyone entering the Orphanage, even familiar faces. Also, try to share any unusual details from recent commissions among the group. If things seem off, just call me. We’re not exactly flooded with jobs right now…”
He trailed off, noticing Little Red Riding Hood giving him an amused look. A bit embarrassed, he scratched his nose. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Such a nagging adult,” Little Red Riding Hood teased. “You always say I’m the one being overly cautious.”
Before Yu Sheng could respond, she waved a hand dismissively. “Relax. Fairy Tale may be made up of ‘children,’ but we’re an old and seasoned organization in the Borderland. We know how to handle those with malicious intent.
“Besides, speaking of suspicious things… I did come across something odd today.”
Yu Sheng perked up instantly. “What did you find?”
“A strange shadow—like a tangle of thorns—flashed across the outer wall of the activity area and then vanished. I’m certain I saw it.”
Little Red Riding Hood’s face was grim. Even though the event was minor and lacked concrete details, she didn’t dismiss it. In the collaborative world of Spirit Realm Detectives and Investigators, even the smallest trace must be shared. Too many lives have been lost because of overlooked clues when dealing with the Otherworld or Entities.
Yu Sheng couldn’t help but feel puzzled at her description. As a relative newcomer, he had no idea what that shadow might signify.
Breaking the silence, Irene spoke up: “Have you ever seen anything like that within the Orphanage grounds before?”
“If you mean phenomena resembling ‘hallucinations,’ it’s not uncommon. There are countless nightmares and entities attempting to intrude into reality here. Sometimes you hear voices coming from empty classrooms at night, or see lights flickering in locked rooms—sometimes even people dancing. But something exactly like that thicket of shadows? This is the first time,” Little Red Riding Hood replied thoughtfully. “And it’s happening at such a delicate moment.”
Yu Sheng remained silent for a moment, deep in thought. After a long pause, he finally broke the silence: “Well, it just so happens I have another matter to discuss.”
Little Red Riding Hood looked at him curiously.
“I have a plan that might temporarily ‘protect’ all the children in the Orphanage,” Yu Sheng said solemnly, lifting his head to face the girl. “But it will require your cooperation and… the process might be a bit unconventional.”
Little Red Riding Hood’s eyes widened: “Huh? Are you serious? Is there really a way?”
“Do you remember the ‘Wasteland’ that both you and Xiao Xiao entered before?” Yu Sheng didn’t beat around the bush, speaking directly. “You both avoided an attack from the Black Forest there.”
Little Red Riding Hood blinked, processing his words: “…Are you saying this process can be ‘replicated’ on a large scale?”
“It should be possible. We just need to repeat what happened to you and Xiao Xiao with everyone else,” Yu Sheng said, holding up one finger. “In simple terms… just take a bite.”
Little Red Riding Hood’s excitement froze into a blank stare: “…”
Realizing what he meant, she hesitated and spoke with a conflicted expression: “Let me get this straight—you’re planning to give all seventy-plus people in the Orphanage ‘a bite’ each?”
“…Do you even have enough blood for that?”
“The amount shouldn’t be much,” Yu Sheng replied earnestly. “Back then, Foxy just made a small scratch on my hand with her teeth, and it worked. If necessary, I can split it into two rounds.”
Little Red Riding Hood still felt uneasy about the idea: “And how exactly do you plan to go about this? Holding a formal ‘Blood Bestowal Ceremony’ with the Cursed Children doesn’t seem appropriate. After all, we are a proper organization…”
Yu Sheng listed several potential methods, his tone dead serious: “We have a few options—boiled blood soup, cold blood sausage, blood tofu, blood vermicelli soup, or mixing it with water for a blood battle using squirt guns… but I ruled out the last one because it’s winter.”
Little Red Riding Hood stared at him, her sense of rationality seemingly evaporating. It took her nearly two minutes to process what she just heard before glaring at Yu Sheng: “You owe me compensation for listening to those ‘ideas’—at least two shots of Sanity Blocking Agent tonight just to sleep!”
Yu Sheng noted that despite her reaction, she hadn’t entirely rejected the concepts, and his lips curved into a smile.
However, before he could fully relax, Foxy, who had been quiet all this time, suddenly asked, “Benefactor, I’ve been wondering—does it still work if the blood is cooked?”
Yu Sheng’s smile froze, matching Little Red Riding Hood’s dumbfounded look.
After pondering for a moment, Yu Sheng responded seriously, “But raw blood smells too metallic. The younger kids wouldn’t accept it… and applying it topically would be too slow and unstable.”
“Maybe add cilantro? I like cilantro.”
“Not a good idea—most kids don’t like cilantro.”
Little Red Riding Hood glanced back and forth between Yu Sheng and Foxy at least a dozen times, finally blurting out, “Wait, are you seriously discussing something this twisted as if it’s perfectly normal?”
“Just get used to it,” Irene sighed, pretending to be world-weary. “Yu Sheng always dares to think it, and Foxy always dares to accept it.”
Fortunately, the bizarre discussion didn’t last too long.
“I think we can test it in batches first,” Yu Sheng said gravely, turning to Little Red Riding Hood. “We should start with the ‘Guardians’ like you since you’re already in a volatile state and are the most at risk. Establishing a protection mechanism for you first will yield the greatest results. As for the Cursed Children, most of them are still in the early stages of nightmares, so we can take it slow. What do you think?”
Little Red Riding Hood sat dazed for a while, her mind wandering before her eyes suddenly focused. Hesitantly, she spoke, “…How am I supposed to explain this to them? What excuse do I use to gather everyone?”
“…Just tell them you ordered takeout.”
Little Red Riding Hood: “…?”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation