Translator: Wu Wang
Edited by: Ken OEK
Chapter 38: The Stream of Spirit Qi’s Mutation (Continued 1)
The sun shone hot and high in the sky with it’s abominable light, making it seem as if Jiangjin City was slowly cooking inside of a food steamer.
On the outskirts of the famous Jinghua Taoist Temple, the almost permanent residents of this place aka the fortune-tellers couldn’t maintain their sage-like attitude and gathered together under the old pine tree in front of the temple, just like a crowd of quails.
There was a strange guy among them.
Xu Shenxing lazed around, holding a white fabric sign which said ‘Help you to dispel evil, avoid danger, kill evil ghosts and eliminate demons’.
He sadly sighed.
After much anticipation, the summer vacation of Jiangjin University was finally coming. However, it didn’t include Xu Shenxing. On the contrary, it was more of a challenge for him – the school canteen wasn’t opening during this period of time, so he had to say goodbye to the cheap income of food.
And consequently the finances of the Sakura apartment were once again in a hard time. Besides, because it was a hot summer there weren’t many shops employing part-time workers, and the salary was also lower than the other seasons. He didn’t have any choice but to get here and hustle businesses with the cunning and sophisticated competition.
Despite all that, he had stalled here for almost a week, but didn’t even have a single guest. He could only silently watch the nearby stalls reaping great amounts of fast money, day by day.
In fact, you shouldn’t blame the guests for having the eyes but failing to see, and that’s because Xu Shenxing’s appearance was not attractive in a professional sense – could you imagine an exorcist wearing a cheap white T-shirt, denim shorts and a pair of flip flops in work? Compared to him, wouldn’t the old taoist priests and monks look more believable?
Although it was also pretty suspicious to have any monk near the taoist temple.
“Hey there, my little friend, you’re just too unprofessional!”
Beside Xu Shenxing there was an old white-bearded taoist priest. Maybe he felt bored enough to feel the urge to have some small talk with him, “You’ve been here for a week, but still didn’t open any business, right?”
“Please enlighten me, elder!”
Xu Shenxing immediately folded his hands and asked.
“You want to be in this profession? First you should care more about your appearance…”
The old taoist priest felt comfortable seeing Xu Shenxing’s behavior. He advised, “Let’s set others matters aside and look at your clothes first… it is because of those that you can’t fish any rich people, do you understand?!”
“Is it because of my flip flops… Yeah, I get it, I just have to change them to sandals.” Xu Shenxing was suddenly enlightened.
“No, that’s not the point!”
The old man confusedly looked at Xu Shenxing’s white T-shirt, which had a skull printed on it. He thought to himself, maybe this young man didn’t have the brains to be his comrade.
Just when Xu Shenxing made up his mind and decided to learn more about how to cheat from this cunning elder, from somewhere a fortune-teller yelled, “The city management officers are coming!”
Immediately those taoist priests and monks under the pine tree fled away like a frightened flock of birds, carrying their tools all the while. Xu Shenxing even saw a fortune-teller that rolled up his ancient-style long sleeves, exposing his bodybuilder-like body, carrying his desk and other goods, running together with the others…
It looked quite spectacular, as if ten thousands of horses were running amok. So much that only Xu Shenxing, the newbie, froze in place for an instant, giving chance to a police car with “City Management” printed at its side to block his way.
Xu Shenxing hesitated. Should he seriously try to run away? Then he let out a sigh of relief, for he saw a familiar face getting out of the car.
“Xiao Zhengyi, aren’t you in the criminal police team? Why you are in the city management’s car?”
The man was one of Xu Shenxing’s few acquaintances, Xiao Zhengyi.
“Hey, don’t even remind me… Two days ago, we rounded up a murderer who fled to the vicinity. It wasn’t intentional but I fired a shot that fucked up one of his kidneys. The guy is still lying at the hospital. I do not know who he is but some unscrupulous media people ended up getting wind of this accident. My leader, Captain Yan, was pretty angry. He demoted me and threw me in the City Management Department.” Xiao Zhengyi said and impatiently shrugged.
However, he seemed pretty relaxed. Perhaps it was not a serious punishment, but something like “Face the wall and think about your mistake!”. Maybe it wouldn’t be long before he came back to the criminal police team.
After all, he was a living legend who solved many tricky vicious crimes in his newbie period (though most of them were Xu Shenxing who solved), once called a ‘hero’ in the police team, eventually appearing in a television interview show.
“What’s up?”
Since it was Xiao Zhengyi, Xu Shenxing didn’t pretend to be serious. He sat at the edge of the nearby flower bed and idly asked, “Still no presents this time?”
“Nope. But if you don’t mind, I’ll treat you to something in the milk tea shop.”
“Sir! What’s it that you want to know? I can tell you everything!”
“Your attitude changes way too fast! I’ve had this feeling for a long time now, but don’t you have any pride?”
————Moving————
“Ohhh, I feel alive again…”
Xu Shenxing lazily laid on the table, drinking his cold milk tea and enjoying the shop’s air-conditioner. A look of ‘I have no more regrets!’ whirled around his face.
“Can we talk about business now?” Xiao Zhengyi asked a cup of honey pomelo tea. He took a sip to moisten his throat.
“What is the case this time?”
Xu Shenxing looked up and casually asked. His hands were playing with the milk tea’s straw.
“No, not a case. This may be related to you.”
Xiao Zhengyi looked a little more serious. He asked, “From a few days ago to now, were there any supernatural events that happened in the city?”
Xu Shenxing scanned through his memory.
The entrance of the netherworld was almost opened.
The Mirage monster in the artificial lake.
The leakage of the Spirit Qi stream of Jiangjin city.
Jiangyue Railway Line dangerous close call.
Moli exterminated all the poisonous bugs.
“Nothing happened.” Xu Shenxing answered with certainty.
Xiao Zhengyi’s face was filled with blatant suspicion.
“In fact, two days ago our criminal police team had a very special guest.” He did not continue to ask but began to talk about his own matter, “That man is about the same age with you, and there is also a little girl staying with him. They were just like Moli and you… In front of the two people, Captain Yan also had to show his respect.”
“Oh?” Xu Shenxing was a little interested.
“I’ll confirm it first but… You are not interested in the little girl, right?”
After he saw Moli’s ‘nightclothes’, Xiao Zhengyi thought that he held a certain misunderstanding regarding Xu Shenxing’s mortal quality and sex obsession.
“Yes I am.”
“…”
Ok, it wasn’t a misunderstanding.
“Please go on.” Xu Shenxing stirred the few milk tea and pearls that remained, pretending not to see Xiao Zhengyi’s expression of ‘Oh shit, I totally misjudged you!’.
“After I insisted for a long time Captain Yan told me that they were from UMO.”
“Unplanned-birth Management Office? I don’t even have a girlfriend! Isn’t it too early for me…” Xu Shenxing questioned with a crestfallen tone.
“It’s Unusual-supernatural Management Office!” 1 Xiao Zhengyi almost spat blood on his face, annoyed.
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