I lay quietly on the bed, staring at the large box in front of me filled with all sorts of things—mostly children's toys. The bottom layer was neatly stacked with kids' clothes, and on top sat rattles, bells, little wooden carvings, and other trinkets. The sight left me confused and uneasy.
A red shroud of Corpse Barrier wrapped around Louis Yu and me. In the blink of an eye, voices echoed in my ears—it was night, and we were suddenly standing on a busy street. Louis Yu glanced around, then led me out of the alley. I followed him, breathing in the night air, smiling with delight. Louis Yu shot me a sideways look, and I patted his back.
"Is this where your wife and child live?"
I asked, but Louis Yu didn’t answer. He just told me to leave.
Once I entered the hall, Louis Yu pointed at a skin sack laid out on the table—it was a woman's. The sight made me jump.
"Put this on and you can go outside. I compressed the corpse energy here to shape the Yin aura—no one will recognize you."
"Go outside for what?"
I asked. Louis Yu frowned and spoke.
"I've thought it through. Just the two of us isn't enough. We need to contact someone from Scarlet Moon."
I looked at Louis Yu, puzzled, but then it hit me—this world had a group of rebels led by James Grant.
"Aren't they under the control of the Emperor Gods?"
I asked. Louis Yu shook his head.
"I'm not entirely sure. Back when I worked with the Emperor Gods, I helped capture some Scarlet Moon members. They really can't be controlled by the Emperor Gods. Because you're Ethan Zhang's wife, maybe they'll trust me."
I finally understood. Speaking of James Grant, he was supposed to be Yuna Ji's lover, but they were doomed never to be together. In the Shadow Realm, the Yinfolk are just ghosts reassembled by the Emperor Gods' power. If the Shadow Realm ceased to exist, everything here would turn to dust.
"Didn't they go to Netherhell?"
I asked. Louis Yu shook his head.
"No one can defy the laws of the world. Even if they manage to linger in the Yin-Yang Realm for a while, eventually, they'll turn to dust and return here."
We arrived at The Royal Table, a brightly lit restaurant in the center of the street. At the entrance stood several people in red uniforms—they were Sylvia Yan's subordinates. The lobby was already packed, voices buzzing with conversation.
I put on a black dress and spun around a few times, fixing my hair. Louis Yu was already dressed in a black suit. His business card read: Peng Yu, real estate agent. Mine read: Wu Yan, also a real estate agent.
"I arranged all this long ago. They won't suspect a thing. Our goal now is to find someone from Scarlet Moon, join forces, and figure out how to reach the center—to create the Dawn."
I made a sound of agreement, feeling a rush of excitement. I hadn’t been outside in days, and the long confinement was starting to make me restless.
A red shroud of corpse membrane wrapped around Louis Yu and me. In the blink of an eye, voices echoed in my ears—it was night, and we were suddenly standing on a busy street. Louis Yu glanced around, then led me out of the alley. I followed him, breathing in the night air, smiling with delight. Louis Yu shot me a sideways look, and I patted his back.
"Did your wife used to smile like that too?"
Louis Yu didn’t answer, just kept walking coldly. Soon, we arrived at a five-story building with 'Peng Yu Realty' in bold letters. Louis Yu entered, and a sweet-faced receptionist greeted us with a bright smile.
"Boss, Miss is back!"
I gave a symbolic smile and nodded. Louis Yu handed over his briefcase. The lobby was bustling with clients chatting with sales agents about apartments—everyone seemed satisfied. Louis Yu led me straight to the fifth floor and pointed to the room next door.
"You can stay over there. No matter who asks, just give a token answer. After all, you’ve looked like this here for ten years now."
Surprised, I returned to my room. Moments later, Louis Yu slid through the wall like liquid mud.
"Don't you know how to knock?"
I stared at Louis Yu in confusion. He had already changed into casual clothes.
"Come on, I'll take you to a banquet hall. The local administrators are gathering there tonight—Scarlet Moon might be planning something."
"Even if you kill those administrators, it won't matter—they'll just come back to life."
Louis Yu shook his head.
"Yinfolk killed by them can't be resurrected. That's why they target the administrators appointed by the Emperor Gods."
I stared at Louis Yu in surprise. He turned and walked away, and I hurried after him, stumbling in my high heels. Louis Yu pointed at a shoe cabinet, so I walked over and pulled out a pair of flats.
Back on the nighttime street, I checked the time—it was just past seven. I followed Louis Yu as we walked, greeting people who passed by. For once, Louis Yu smiled—a genuine, natural smile, no hint of pretense.
Several people greeted me as well. I smiled and nodded, wondering who this woman whose skin I wore had been.
We arrived at a brightly lit restaurant in the center of the street. At the entrance stood several people in red uniforms—they were Sylvia Yan's subordinates. The lobby was already packed, voices buzzing with conversation.
Everyone entering had to pass inspection. We got through easily. I looked around at the crowd—people seemed happy, deep in conversation.
Louis Yu and I found a secluded spot and sat down. Unable to contain my curiosity any longer, I asked my question.
"Louis Chen used to wear this Corpse Barrier skin."
I was surprised, but just then a cheer went up. A broad-shouldered man in a red uniform and hat climbed onto the stage, microphone in hand.
"Everyone, you've probably heard—recently, some troublemakers have been disturbing the peace and happiness of our streets."
The crowd echoed his words, all wearing happy smiles. The man kept talking, mostly empty platitudes. I didn’t listen; the so-called happiness of these Yinfolk was manufactured, completely fake.
Louis Yu and I waited quietly. He’d said Scarlet Moon might try to assassinate someone tonight. I looked around at the uniformed men, each armed with a sword, looking awkward. The speech droned on. I was dozing off when the food arrived, so I just ate, ignoring the odd looks.
Suddenly, glass shattered with a bang. Masked figures burst through the window behind the official. Instantly, the official drew his sword, blocking two assassins’ blades. Chaos erupted in the hall.
The two assassins hadn’t expected it. Red flames sprang up, turning the hall into a cage. The black-clad assassins fought the official fiercely while the crowd watched in silence, everyone backing away.
Something was off—the official was clearly stronger than the assassins.
Louis Yu sipped his wine, silent. I couldn't hold back, but he pressed his hand on me. Scarlet Moon had been set up.
Sure enough, the two assassins were quickly subdued. Suddenly, the whole hall shook. The floor split open, and a blinding white light shot out. More assassins jumped up from underground—chaos returned. The administrator’s head was cut off. The assassins escaped through the cracks and vanished. Louis Yu took me out of the hall. Then a ball of flame descended—Sylvia Yan herself had arrived.
"That's Scarlet Moon’s way—kill the administrator, then flee."
"So how do we find them?"
I looked at Louis Yu, confused. He kept walking, looking ready to head back. The Scarlet Moon agents who’d burst out from underground were skilled—swiftly killed some Yinfolk and left without hesitation.
I followed Louis Yu back to the building, greeted the residents casually, chatted about the night's events, then headed upstairs.
"Now we can go find them. I did a little trick on one of their men. They’ve noticed, but I still know the location. We have to come back here every day, though."
I nodded. If the Yinfolk here act too differently from day to day, they’ll be flagged as abnormal.
Louis Yu used the Corpse Barrier to move us. We entered a long, sprawling underground tunnel, its branches twisting in every direction.