Free Web NovelAt noon, inside the “Half Hour” water bar in front of the main gate of Huacheng Institute of Technology.
Lu Yibei sat alone in a corner, staring at the clean A4 paper on the small round table, sorting out the various doubts in his mind, so that he could subtly extract information from Jiang Li in the afternoon.
The classifications of various urban legend, as well as basic knowledge related to Psychic, as long as I mention it slightly, Jiang Li should proactively tell me.
But further information, perhaps she won't tell me. After all, I am just a temporary worker, and not a Psychic.
After a moment of contemplation, he picked up a pen and began to write on the paper.
【1. The relationship between the mingwang statue and Shui Ge.
2. What does the black sun totem represent.
3. How urban legend absorb Psychic.
4. Those few days each month... 】
Lu Yibei scribbled five or six urgent questions on the paper. He stared at the paper for a moment, memorized the content, and then quickly tore ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) the paper into pieces, crumpling it into a ball.
He glanced around out of the corner of his eye. After confirming that no one was paying attention to him, he seemingly casually threw the paper ball into the trash can at his feet.
“Ah—!”
After doing all this, Lu Yibei held his head in his hands and let out a soft sigh.
What happened to the promised silly and thrilling daily romance drama? Why does the style now feel like a detective story?
I'm really not good at intellectual battles!
Lu Yibei thought, picked up the glass on the table, and “gulped, gulped, gulped!” drinking the cola inside in one go.
Like drinking high-proof liquor, the stinging and burning sensation flowed down his esophagus all the way to his stomach, churned there for a while, and then settled down.
“Phew—!” Feeling the discomfort in his stomach gradually disappear, Lu Yibei let out a long breath.
Being in a “hungry” state meant he couldn't eat human food, but he could drink water. Lu Yibei discovered this unintentionally, so he experimented from plain water to sugar water, and then to beverages.
After experimenting, he found that cola, which didn't have much more useful ingredients than sugar water, was his limit.
If he went further, trying richer ingredients like fruit juice, dairy products, or energy drinks, he would still vomit due to intense discomfort.
Although drinking cola couldn't fundamentally solve the problem, it could at least replenish some sugar.
Who would have thought that a vicious urban legend that burned down a resort hotel and ten miles of virgin forest now had to rely on “fat happy water” to sustain its life?
Lu Yibei thought self-deprecatingly, glanced at the time: 1:47 PM. It was almost time to see Jiang Li.
...
Inside “V” Office of the Huacheng Folk Culture Research Administration.
After eating the lunch A Hua brought, Jiang Li lay on the table and rested briefly. She then got up, leisurely brewed herself a cup of strong tea, and opened her computer.
There was still some time before Lu Yibei arrived, enough for two more rounds!
This beautiful girl seemed to have a mysterious obsession with mahjong, so immersed in it that she didn't even notice when the Little Maid led Lu Yibei into the office.
From standing at the intersection of Peony Street to entering Jiang Li's office, Lu Yibei's mood was very subtle.
He didn't know if the Hua City Folk Culture Administration Bureau had an early warning mechanism for urban legend nearby, how large its range was, or if it could discover his secret.
Until he walked into Jiang Li's office, he was worried that an alarm would suddenly blare, followed by seventeen or eighteen burly men in black jumping out from unseen places to pin him to the ground and beat him up.
Now, his worries hadn't materialized, but his mood was still complex and subtle.
Before, when he was a normal human, he was always dragged in. He never expected that now with the identity of a “urban legend,” he could walk in openly and honestly.
It felt a bit like a wanted criminal swaggering into the police station, even preparing to chat and laugh with the head of the serious crime unit.
Seeing Lu Yibei walk into the office, Jiang Li looked up at him, her brows slightly furrowed. “You came much earlier than the agreed time.”
Lu Yibei scratched the back of his head. “Better to be early than late, right!”
Would I tell you that I came early to scout the place because I was worried about my urban legend identity being discovered? I just didn't expect to get in so smoothly.
Tsk, scouting! The more I say it, the more I feel like a criminal, Lu Yibei thought.
“Hmm. You can look around first. I'll answer your questions after I've dealt with what I'm working on.” Jiang Li nodded slightly, pointing to the si ye book on the desk.
It was a book entirely covered in dark brown leather, similar in thickness and size to an “Oxford Advanced Learner's English-Chinese Dictionary.” It had no excessive decoration on its exterior, only the three golden characters “si ye book” on the cover.
“Leader, you take care of your business. Your matters are important, don't mind me!”
Hearing this, Jiang Li subtly sized up Lu Yibei, then focused her attention back on the computer screen.
Lu Yibei walked forward, picked up the si ye book with both hands, and his gaze unconsciously fell on Jiang Li.
The afternoon sun streamed in through the window, shining on Jiang Li, enveloping her in a thin layer of pale gold.
Women focused on serious matters always have a unique beauty. This beauty attracted Lu Yibei, who was watching, making him momentarily lost in thought, until...
Until a soft and cute voice announcing a mahjong win came from the computer speakers, and then Jiang Li expressionlessly lowered the volume.
Lu Yibei, “...” Sorry, I overthought it.
...
Lu Yibei held the si ye book and walked alone to the reception sofa to sit down. When he was about to casually open a page and start reading, he suddenly realized that the si ye book was not an ordinary book as he had imagined.
This thick book couldn't be casually flipped through! It could only be opened page by page in order. When he tried to open it from the middle, its pages were as stiff as a brick, as if they were glued together.
After realizing this, Lu Yibei patiently opened the first page.
The first page had no preface or table of contents. What first caught his eye was the overview of urban legend.
Various conjectures about the origin of urban legend consumed a large amount of text, citing ancient texts, history, and orally transmitted legends from various countries as corroborating evidence, making it complex and difficult to understand.
Lu Yibei read until his head swelled, and he didn't retain a deep impression. He even entered a state of absentminded, mechanical page-turning, until he read about the feeding methods of urban legend, when he refocused his attention.
【...Regarding the feeding methods of urban legend, research and evidence suggest that they can be broadly divided into two categories: hunting and belief... 】
Seeing this, Lu Yibei's eyes narrowed slightly. This was information he had planned to subtly inquire about, but he unexpectedly saw it directly in the si ye book.
He already knew from his little companions at home that urban legend could replenish energy by hunting humans and other urban legend.
What truly caught his attention was the latter method—absorbing energy through the worship, belief, and fear of living beings.
Could it be that the alleviation of my hunger earlier was not only because I scared Uncle Driver, but also because he believed the story I made up was true?
This method seems more peaceful! I like it!
But since there's such a peaceful way, why do those urban legend still hunt? I'll make a note of this and ask about it later. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Lu Yibei thought, continuing to flip through. The content that followed became tedious again, until he reached the last page of the urban legend overview and saw the bolded line, which made him stop once more.
He was slightly stunned.
【In summary, once the number of people who firmly believe in a certain urban legend reaches a certain quantity, the urban legend may become real.】
Lu Yibei, “...”
He stared at the line for a few seconds, then began to mutter to himself.
White Little Flower is real, White Little Flower is real, White Little Flower is...
“No matter how many times you chant it, your two-dimensional wife will not appear before you. Even if she does appear, she will most likely kill you. Once you become a urban legend, you cannot expect her to retain humanity.”
Jiang Li's voice appeared at an inappropriate moment, like a knife stabbing Lu Yibei in the chest, making him feel a mouthful of old blood welling up in his throat.
“Damn it, I clearly didn't say it out loud! How did she know?” Lu Yibei muttered softly.
Jiang Li crossed her arms and said indifferently, “Because you stared at that sentence for too long.”
“There was an agent once who was a huge fan of the ‘Alien’ series. Guess what happened next?”
“He was face-hugged?”
“...” Jiang Li was silent for a moment, then said coldly, “The city he was in can no longer be found on the map.”
“Gulp—!” Lu Yibei's Adam's apple subtly moved.
Jiang Li walked forward, “Thud!” closing the si ye book, and stared at Lu Yibei, saying, “Alright, that's enough for you to read today! Receiving too much information at once is not conducive to understanding and absorption.”
“You've experienced so much recently, I'm sure you have many questions you want to ask me, right?”
Here it comes! The most important part! Lu Yibei's eyes lit up slightly. If it weren't for his poker face, he might have shown an ecstatic expression on the spot.
“Hmm... I'm thinking where to start asking? There's so much, I can't think of what to ask all at once.”
Lu Yibei feigned an unprepared look, pretended to ponder for a moment, and then, as planned, asked his first question.
“Oh, right, let's start with the mingwang statue! I've had it for so long, and I still don't know its proper use!”
“Hmm, alright.” Jiang Li nodded slightly. “Regarding that D-class Psychic item, for an ordinary person like you, its main effect is probably only a slight warding off evil.”
“Slight?” Lu Yibei asked, puzzled. “What about non-ordinary people?”
“A stronger warding effect.” Jiang Li said indifferently, “If Psychic is injected, it will emit mimetic sunlight and chant Buddhist scriptures, suppressing and expelling urban legend below C-class.”
That's not right! Lu Yibei recalled the scene of using the mingwang statue on Linjiang Avenue last night and said, “Then... is it possible for it to explode?”
Jiang Li tilted her head. “Why do you ask that?”
“Uh... Doesn't it carry a nuclear warhead? I thought...”
After listening to Lu Yibei's explanation, Jiang Li nodded slightly and said, “There is such a possibility. Some researchers speculate that when the user injects Psychic fluctuations of a certain purity and intensity, the mimetic sunlight and Sanskrit sounds it emits will be compressed into a physical form, and they will explode upon contact with urban legend.”
Lu Yibei, “...” So, I'm very pure and very powerful?
After a pause, Lu Yibei's eyes suddenly lit up. He feigned an expression as if he had suddenly thought of a detail and pressed on, “Oh, right, speaking of the mingwang statue, I suddenly remembered that this thing was originally given to me by an elder named Bai Kai. Do you know him? He wouldn't also be a Night Watch member, would he?”
When Bai Kai was mentioned, a glimmer of surprise flashed in Jiang Li's eyes. She was stunned for a second or two before she said indifferently, “I don't know him.”
Lu Yibei, “...” She knows him! I can tell! But why is she hiding it?
