On the third day back in Beijing, Shen Tazhi was finally let go by Jiang Que.
Of course, it wasn’t willingly let go. Jiang Que’s mating period wouldn’t end until tomorrow, and his tentacles were still swollen with eggs.
However, today was the day to go to the Anomaly Investigation Department, and since Shen Tazhi had indeed been completely honest, Jiang Que didn’t drag him around to make trouble.
Of course, when Shen Tazhi confessed how much property he had secretly transferred to Jiang Que’s name, and what kind of will he had privately made, he was almost tortured to death by Jiang Que who laughed in anger.
He couldn’t even escape, and had to accept being forcibly impregnated like a vessel. It was too much to bear. Ultimately, the eggs would be crushed by the later tentacles.
After the eggs were crushed, they turned into water and disappeared, but the process of being crushed was even more…
In short, Shen Tazhi couldn’t get up.
Breakfast was made by Jiang Que, bacon and eggs with toast. Without Shen Tazhi’s guidance, Jiang Que ended up burning both the bacon and eggs in a flurry, but the toast from the toaster remained intact.
Shen Tazhi ate the toast with bacon and eggs, watching Jiang Que frown and poke at the plate beside him. He cleared his throat and said, “Should I make you another one?”
Jiang Que was always picky about his food, so not being able to eat the burnt food was normal.
Jiang Que used his tentacles to press down Shen Tazhi, who wanted to get up. “No, you don’t need to move.”
He then poked the plate in frustration, “I’m just a little angry. Why is what I made so different from what you made?”
Clearly, he had learned to make breakfast by imitating Shen Tazhi.
Shen Tazhi chuckled, “How many times have you cooked? I’ll do it next time.”
Jiang Que dangerously narrowed his eyes, his tentacles wrapping around Shen Tazhi’s waist. “Do you have the energy to think about these things?”
Shen Tazhi stiffened all over and fell silent.
During the previous incident in the northwest, he wasn’t very clear-headed, and didn’t remember much. However, yesterday he was fully awake the entire day…
Even when Jiang Que excessively bent his legs with his tentacles, he was fully awake and aware throughout the whole process.
Such scenes were too stimulating for a human, at least for Shen Tazhi, who could barely hold on for half a day before passing out again. Upon waking up, he was once again drawn into the desire-filled sea by Jiang Que.
Yesterday, all eighteen tentacles had at least made an appearance, and even towards the end, a tentacle that hadn’t had a turn yet seemed eager to join in. Now, Shen Tazhi not only couldn’t stand up, but even sitting felt like his body was falling apart from the soreness.
But…
Shen Tazhi discreetly glanced at the lower half of Jiang Que’s body.
Jiang Que only touched him with his tentacles, without Shen Tazhi touching him at all.
Why was that? Was it because only the tentacles were in their mating period?
Shen Tazhi didn’t quite understand, and he didn’t dare to ask. He was afraid that asking at this moment would lead to trouble, so he had to keep this question to himself and continue eating breakfast.
He wondered who Jiang Que had learned from. Clearly, he would blush and shrink back after getting out of bed with just a little teasing touch, but in bed, it seemed like he had no sense of shame at all, doing so many… so many things.
Shen Tazhi couldn’t think about it anymore.
Fortunately, Jiang Que didn’t notice Shen Tazhi’s strange expression. He was still pondering why the eggs he cooked were half-burnt, eating his breakfast slowly.
The car from the Anomaly Investigation Department would come to pick them up at nine o’clock, and after finishing breakfast and tidying up a bit, they would be ready to leave.
Jiang Que’s eighteen tentacles couldn’t fit into the backpack at all. He had to choose loose-fitting clothes to wear and then shrink and make his tentacles transparent, trying his best to make them less noticeable.
During this time, he inevitably found the little white skirt that Shen Tazhi had bought before. Jiang Que raised an eyebrow as he held the skirt, not putting it back in the closet but leaving it on the sofa.
Shen Tazhi: …
“Tonight, can we…” not do it so many times.
He couldn’t finish his sentence because Jiang Que drooped his brows upon hearing the first half of the sentence, looking at him with a sad expression.
“Gege, this is the last day of my mating period, the only time in my life.”
Jiang Que’s eyes were full of resentment, as if Shen Tazhi was a heartless man who abandoned his wife and children.
Shen Tazhi could never resist Jiang Que’s sad eyes and surrendered on the spot:
“…It’s all right, as long as you’re happy.”
“Gege, you’re the best to me, mwah.”
Jiang Que was happy, holding Shen Tazhi’s arm and leaning on his shoulder.
Though he was almost as tall as Shen Tazhi, he still had the habit of acting like a spoiled child towards him. However, with the added charm of his beautiful face, Jiang Que never seemed out of place no matter what he did.
He kissed Shen Tazhi’s cheek and only reluctantly changed his shoes after sticking to Shen Tazhi for a while. During this time, he kept holding Shen Tazhi’s arm with his tentacles.
They were both dressed in black today. Shen Tazhi wore a black three-piece suit, while Jiang Que wore a loose-fitting black Chinese-style shirt that Shen Tazhi had bought for him, paired with black pants, making his fair complexion even more prominent.
As Jiang Que got into the car and nodded slightly at the driver, who seemed particularly familiar, without saying much, Shen Tazhi finally reacted.
He patted the small tentacles on his body, “Are you nervous?”
That’s why he stuck to him at home and behaved somewhat strangely compared to usual.
At first, he thought Jiang Que was still in his mating period, experiencing some physiological excitement. Now, seeing Jiang Que’s reaction to the driver, he realized something was wrong.
Shen Tazhi whispered in Jiang Que’s ear, and Jiang Que paused for a moment before nodding silently.
Although Director Wu’s tone on the phone was casual, trying not to burden them, Thinking about Xi Jing who had taken him to the cafeteria, and instructed him on various matters. Along with the death of countless others like him, made Jiang Que feeling somewhat at a loss.
When the Qishan Taoists died, they had deliberately avoided him, and later he had lost his memory. After so many years, the feelings had faded, and this was almost his first time facing the death of someone close to him.
“It’s okay,” Shen Tazhi held his hand, “Death is just another beginning.”
A liar. Clearly, in the previous life, Shen Tazhi had told him that after death, there was just darkness, no consciousness, nothing.
Thinking so, Jiang Que still softly hummed in agreement and then continued to stick close to Shen Tazhi’s shoulder.
He knew Shen Tazhi was comforting him.
The driver remained silent as he drove them swiftly towards the Anomaly Investigation Department.
This time, they took the underground passage, but Jiang Que had lost interest in looking around. He started daydreaming while leaning on Shen Tazhi.
He pondered on how he should face everything once they arrived at the Anomaly Investigation Department.
He had never attended a funeral, but he knew it was a serious matter. Shouldn’t he bring some gifts to the funeral as well?
Jiang Que had no experience with such things.
Lost in his thoughts, the vehicle came to a stop.
Jiang Que looked surprised at the ascending vehicle and asked, “Aren’t we walking from outside today?”
He clearly remembered that they had always entered from the mountainside outside.
The driver, who had met Jiang Que three times, was already an experienced driver. Moreover, now that Jiang Que’s tentacles were transparent, he couldn’t see them. He calmly explained, “Because today is a bit special, it’s not convenient to enter from outside.”
Feeling like he might have asked an inappropriate question, Jiang Que just said, “Oh,” and fell silent, sticking back to Shen Tazhi’s side.
As the vehicle ascended slowly, it eventually stopped with a mechanical clank, and the surroundings gradually brightened.
Looking outside, just as Jiang Que was pondering whether he would see a scene of solemn silence or a crowd wailing loudly, he was suddenly startled by the confetti cannon in Du Lulu’s hand that sprayed the windows with confetti.
“Bang!”
The confetti exploded, and amid the confetti, Jiang Que saw Du Lulu, who had dark eyes and yet still a dazzling smile.
Jiang Que: …
He lowered the window, somewhat speechless, and asked, “What are you doing?”
Du Lulu replied nonchalantly, “Welcome! Today is the funeral of the team leader, and you are guests, so of course, I have to welcome you.”
Looking behind her, Jiang Que noticed that the Anomaly Investigation Department was decorated with streamers everywhere, even in the parking lot where they were, it was colorful and lively.
In the center of the parking lot, there was a large banner featuring a picture of Duan Yasu shooting with a sniper rifle, accompanied by large yellow letters that read “Duan, The God of Shooting, Super Cool!!”.
Not just Jiang Que, even Shen Tazhi was stunned in place, taking a moment before finally opening the car door and handing the black paper bag in his hand to Du Lulu, saying, “This is a little token of our appreciation.”
Jiang Que had no idea when Shen Tazhi had prepared these. Du Lulu took the package without even looking at it and said with a smile, “Come out quickly. It’s a buffet for lunch today. If you’re late, there might not be anything left.”
The driver also stretched lazily as he got off the car, saying, “Ah, finally here. Du Lulu, I won’t join you for the meal. I’ll go back to my room and take a nap. Call me when you have the open-air concert tonight.”
Du Lulu saluted him, “Sure, leave it to me. I’ll make sure to wake you up on time.”
…Open-air concert?
Jiang Que: “Wait, isn’t it supposed to be a funeral?”
“Yeah,” Du Lulu grinned and looked over, “It’s a funeral, but all that crying and sobbing at farewells seems inappropriate, right? The Anomaly Investigation Department has deaths every day. If we cry every time someone dies, how can we get any work done?”
Jiang Que was speechless, “Did you always do things like this before?”
“Really?” Du Lulu walked them upstairs and reminisced, “We’ve never had such a large-scale loss before. Usually, the team with casualties and the friends of the deceased would go out for a big feast together. But this time, with two entire teams wiped out, the Director thought it best to give the whole department a day off to send them off joyfully.”
No matter how you look at it, this didn’t seem quite like a “funeral”.
Jiang Que silently complained in his mind.
Du Lulu added, “However, we did bury the two Qishan Taoists according to their instructions. They’re not here. If you want to see them, I can give you the address, and you and Mr. Shen can go directly.”
Jiang Que didn’t refuse, “Thank you for that.”
As they spoke, they entered the elevator and descended from the parking lot to the bottom floor.
Based on their previous experiences, the lower the level in the Anomaly Investigation Department, the higher the importance. Even when he came to see Director Wu last time, they didn’t go to the lowest level. Jiang Que was now somewhat curious about what was on the bottom floor.
“Ding—”
The elevator doors opened, and Jiang Que looked outside.
To his surprise, it was a large flat space that could accommodate over a thousand people, with three rows of long tables and a large screen at one end.
The host on the screen was giving an introduction, with people eating at the long tables and chatting with each other. There was no sign of mourning.
Jiang Que watched the various emojis of Xi Jing playing back and forth on the screen and thought, it would be strange if anyone could feel sad here.
The one sad person should be Xi Jing, who had his emojis displayed in front of everyone after his death.
Shen Tazhi was also stunned. Looking around, he didn’t see a table for gift money, so he continued to place the black paper bag he had prepared in his suit pocket.
Du Lulu smiled, “Don’t be shy. The team leader agreed to release those emojis after his death. Would you like to eat something first?”
Jiang Que and Shen Tazhi had just finished breakfast and weren’t very hungry. They each took a few pieces of cake symbolically.
As Jiang Que sipped on his sparkling water and observed the elegantly dressed crowd beside him, feeling a bit out of place with his attire, he lifted his head and met a familiar gaze.
It was Director Wu.
Director Wu stood at the entrance, the bald old man in a suit, albeit a Hawaiian beach-style floral suit. When he saw them looking, he smiled and waved at them.
The performance on stage had already begun. Jiang Que tugged at Shen Tazhi, indicating for him to look towards Director Wu and they walked over to him together.
“Director Wu,” Shen Tazhi greeted him first.
Director Wu glanced at their empty hands and asked, “What’s wrong? Didn’t like the food?”
“No, we just had breakfast.” Jiang Que shook his head, hesitated, and said, “About the funeral…”
Understanding his unspoken question, Director Wu pushed open the door to the main hall, saying, “Can we talk somewhere else?”
Jiang Que nodded and took Shen Tazhi’s hand, following Director Wu into the corridor.
There were rooms in the corridor, and Director Wu led them to an empty meeting room where they sat down. With his hands folded, Director Wu said solemnly, “Are you asking why Xi Jing and the others died?”
Jiang Que actually wanted to know what was going on with the funeral, but he was indeed here to inquire about Xi Jing and the others. So, he simply nodded in agreement.
Director Wu sighed and said, “It’s not really that complicated. Xi Jing and the others found the bones of the Qishan Taoists when they were exploring the Abyss. Under the bones was a formation that dragged them into the memories left by the Taoists. The previous message of ‘nothing major, but we’ll be out of contact for a while’ was sent by Xi Jing before he was pulled into the memories.”
Jiang Que nodded. He knew about this. In his past life, this was how he had pieced everything together, and he had also discussed this with Shen Tazhi yesterday.
Director Wu continued, “You should be aware of Qishan Taoists’ prophecy about the end of days, right?”
Just as Jiang Que was about to nod again, he froze halfway through, “How do you know about that?”
He hadn’t told Director Wu about his connection with Qishan Taoists yet.
Director Wu responded, “It was Auntie Qi from the cafeteria. After learning about the deaths of Qi Qiu and Qi Qing, she told me some things about you. You were raised by the Taoists, right?”
Jiang Que recalled the cafeteria lady who had shown him exceptional kindness for some unknown reason – she was the only adult left from those days, responsible for caring for Qi Qiu and Qi Qing. She should have taken care of him too, but he had insisted on following the Taoists into the Abyss.
Now that he knew her identity, everything that seemed illogical before now had a traceable origin.
Jiang Que didn’t deny it, “Yes, I lived with them in the Qishan sect until I was five. I don’t remember the specifics, but I was probably abandoned and picked up by them.”
Although he didn’t know the exact circumstances of his arrival, based on the Taoists’ recollections of him being “half-human, half-demon”, it seemed likely that a human had attracted a monster, given birth to him, and out of fear or some other psychological reason, had abandoned him in the deep mountains and forests.
If a Taoist hadn’t passed by and picked him up at that time, perhaps there wouldn’t be the Jiang Que he was now.
Director Wu also nodded, “According to their prophecy, the end of days should have come thirteen years ago. The long-accumulated malice would erupt without warning, natural disasters would swiftly sweep the globe, and at that time, there wasn’t a concrete solution. At least ten years had to be postponed to seek a glimmer of hope.”
At the time, the Taoists hadn’t told him the specific prophecy, so Jiang Que listened intently, “And then?”
“And then, they sacrificed themselves to delay the Cataclysm by a full thirteen years. Your and Mr. Shen’s arrival informed us about the end of days – that was the turning point.”
“Wait a minute.” Jiang Que realized something was amiss, “Your Anomaly Investigation Department should have existed thirteen years ago, right? If you could solve it, why didn’t they come to you back then?”
Director Wu shook his head, “It’s different. Thirteen years ago, the Anomaly Investigation Department didn’t have as many people, and at that time, the various countries’ anomaly bureaus hadn’t formed a united council… Xi Jing hadn’t joined the Anomaly Investigation Department at that time either.”
Jiang Que interpreted Director Wu’s words, “So, you mean this requires the best from various countries and Xi Jing to resolve?”
Director Wu continued to shake his head, “Not to resolve, but to postpone.”
“Although I haven’t seen the specific information left by the Taoists, according to the messages sent by Xi Jing, we know that the formation left by Qishan Taoists doesn’t lose its efficacy over time since it’s a formation drawn with the lives of the entire sect. It just needs regular energy replenishment.”
“So, the so-called ‘turning point’ is sending Xi Jing and the others to replenish the energy of the formation?” Jiang Que asked incredulously.
Trading so many lives for temporary peace? Was it really worth it?
Director Wu seemed to have caught on to Jiang Que’s unspoken words and smiled, “It’s not a matter of worth. It’s the mission of our Anomaly Investigation Department.”
“And this time is different from thirteen years ago. The people gathered this time were talented anomalies from various countries, including some with a weak divine lineage like Xi Jing. And following Xi Jing’s instructions, Du Lulu threw your tentacles into the Abyss.”
“Human, demon, divine – the three main races in the world gathered in the grand formation, not only reactivating the failing formation but also setting it into motion.”
“Set into motion?” Jiang Que was puzzled.
“Mmm, set into motion,” Director Wu affirmed, “The formation laid out by Qishan Taoists could actually function. It’s just that human power alone isn’t sufficient. After the formation operates, it can spontaneously purify some of the resentment.”
Jiang Que exclaimed, “Doesn’t that mean it can completely solve the world’s end problem?”
Director Wu waved his finger, “Not yet. The power of the formation still weakens over time with operation. It can only delay the arrival of the end of days by about a hundred years. We need to find a permanent solution within that century.”
He sighed with a smile, “Everything was just right. If Du Lulu hadn’t brought your tentacles there, things might have taken a different turn.”
“This is probably why Xi Jing and the others chose to keep it secret and went to their deaths directly. If this had been reported, gone through layers of approval and selection, it would likely have exceeded the time predicted in the Taoists’ prophecy.”
Jiang Que remembered his last meeting with Xi Jing, where they had been smiling and toasting with their teammates over barbecue. Everyone present, besides the three of them who arrived hastily, probably knew it was their last meal.
Even so, at that moment, he had never seen fear on anyone’s face. Everyone had been calm, even excited, as if they were waiting for the ultimate reward after a successful challenge.
“…Humans are indeed strange,” Jiang Que murmured softly.
There were the Taoists who selflessly raised him, willingly sacrificing themselves for the greater good; there were those filled with malice, seeking indiscriminate revenge on everyone; and then there was a group like the Anomaly Investigation Department… humans he couldn’t quite describe.
Director Wu also sighed, “Humans are inherently complex.”
He chuckled lightly, “Who would have thought, that brat Xi Jing was once a containment subject thirteen years ago.”
“A containment subject?” Jiang Que was even more surprised, “Like me?”
“No, even more terrifying than you.” Director Wu gestured, “At that time, he hadn’t fully controlled his divine lineage, and the divine aren’t exactly pleasant fellows. Xi Jing was covered in eyes back then, and each eye could freeze a person for five seconds when they made eye contact. Each eye had a one-time freeze effect, essentially a monster that could permanently immobilize humans.”
Jiang Que shuddered at the thought of a person covered in countless eyes and asked, “And then?”
“And then, at just fifteen years old, Duan Yasu sniped him from nine hundred yards away, using silver bullets to blind all the eyes on his body while he was unconscious, and then contained him.” Director Wu said with a grin.
Jiang Que: …How terrifying.
Thankfully, he was obedient enough. He definitely didn’t want to experience Team Leader Duan’s bullets.
Thinking of Duan Yasu, Jiang Que’s mood darkened once more.
Duan Yasu had also passed away, and he had quite liked this straightforward woman with whom he had only a few chance encounters.
It was even more distressing to understand the person’s past only after their passing.
Director Wu stood up and comfortingly patted Jiang Que’s head, “Don’t be sad. This is the responsibility we should bear. You and Mr. Shen are just ordinary people caught up in this. You’ve done nothing wrong, and you’ve done well. Let’s go out for some snacks?”
This time, Jiang Que seized the opportunity and asked, “Speaking of which, why is this funeral like this? It’s different from the human funerals I’ve seen.”
“Oh, this.” Director Wu chuckled, patting his shiny head, “It’s a tradition of the Anomaly Investigation Department. The emojis used at this funeral were actually taken by Xi Jing himself and given to us before his passing.”
“What tradition?” Jiang Que asked further.
Director Wu opened the door to the room and smiled, “Never mourn the dead, never indulge in death. Carry on with their beliefs and continue forward.”
“Xiao Que, this isn’t a farewell, it’s a celebration and passing of the legacy.”
Du Lulu was assisting in pushing a seven-tiered cake past them and overheard, adding, “Crying at this time is disrespectful to them. Captain Xi Jing and the others sacrificed their lives to protect this beautiful world. If we mourn their sacrifice, aren’t we going against their wishes?”
Jiang Que retorted, “I’m not the one who wants to cry, it’s you, Du Lulu!”
Du Lulu laughed and walked away, leaving behind a parting remark, “They’re setting up the stage for the open-air concert outside. I’ll come give you a check-up after my performance!”
Remembering the driver’s earlier comment about the inconvenience from outside, Jiang Que felt deeply exasperated.
Shen Tazhi, who had been quietly listening on the side, chuckled, “So, the inconvenience the driver mentioned earlier was about setting up the stage, I see.”
“Ugh, I was already feeling down when I arrived.” Jiang Que complained softly as he walked with Shen Tazhi towards the banquet hall.
Despite his complaints, Jiang Que knew that everyone was actually saddened. They were just expressing their grief in a more positive manner.
Everyone gathered here was here to commemorate. Those who were absent might be doing things differently, perhaps like the driver who claimed he was going back to sleep but was actually planning to drown his sorrows in a tavern.
Recalling the emotions he had seen on the driver’s face, Jiang Que sighed softly, “If this is the kind of funeral it is, it’s actually quite nice.”
Shen Tazhi gently patted his hand back, “Don’t talk nonsense. You’re not going to die.”
Jiang Que smiled softly, watching Du Lulu’s cheerful figure disappear, reminiscing about a novel she had recommended to him a long time ago.
He had read a few chapters but lost patience and ended up flipping to the ending when he had nothing else to read.
In the conclusion, the protagonist led their small team to become the Lord of the Apocalypse. However, instead of indulging in power and luxury as in typical stories, they began to resist the apocalyptic game.
With the world’s population reduced to less than ten billion under the torment of the apocalypse game, the protagonist stood alone on top of the game’s tower before the final battle, making a solemn declaration:
“We do not fight this battle for our own survival, nor for the bread and water provided by the system.”
“We fight for the future of humanity, only to end this endless game.”
“The spark of hope for humanity will not be extinguished. Humanity will not perish.”
At the time, he had found it boring, as he seemed to have removed the book from the shelf right after finishing it.
Now, Jiang Que felt like he somewhat understood why Du Lulu had mentioned that the protagonist of the novel resembled their team in the Anomaly Investigation Department.
Rubbing his hand, which still hadn’t turned red, he said with a hint of grievance, “Gege hit me, it hurts.”
Shen Tazhi helplessly massaged his hand, and Jiang Que leaned in, whispering in his ear, “Hmm, I won’t die. We still have a long, long time ahead of us.”
Hmm… Before that, he needed to get a thorough check-up done first.
If Shen Tazhi couldn’t live as long as he did, that would be troublesome. He needed to start thinking about how they could die together.
