Chapter 738: The Old Woman's Request

Bai Ya'er showing up halfway was too much of a coincidence. My entry into the Red Building was likely a setup, and even if Zhu Li hadn't laid the trap himself, he was definitely involved. He was the person Bai Ya'er trusted most.

In the worst-case scenario, Zhu Li was the Butcher of the Underworld Live Show. By calling him on my own initiative, I had just served myself up as prey.

"I hope he doesn't drag you into this." I knew better than anyone just how much power a live show streamer wielded. After surviving a mere dozen broadcasts, I had managed to escape the encirclement of several major sects in the mortal world. Other than Xia Chi, I had the lowest broadcast count of us all. I couldn't even fathom the terrifying strength of streamers who had survived dozens, or even hundreds, of broadcasts.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. Remembering what the Blood Fox had just said, I realized I was indeed overthinking things.

"Has the obsession left?" Granny called out toward the door. She was getting on in years and couldn't handle such scares. Bracing a hand on the wooden table, she leaned against a chair. "You're hurt? Come here, let me take a look."

I reeked of blood. The metallic stench was obvious even from a distance, which was exactly why I kept my distance from Old Granny and Junsheng.

"It's just a scratch. I'm fine."

"I escaped from Longchang. What haven't I seen? Are you worried about frightening me? Come here." The old woman rested for a moment before getting up and heading into the back room, seemingly searching for something.

Now that the obsession had been devoured by the Blood Fox, Zhu Li was bound to react. I wanted to march straight over and kill the bastard, but I reconsidered and dropped the idea.

I couldn't be certain that Zhu Li was the Butcher. If someone else was pulling the strings from the shadows, killing him would sever all my leads.

I shut the door, and the small room returned to a warm, peaceful quiet. If it weren't for the overturned furniture and the scattered wood splinters on the floor, there would be no sign of the vicious battle that had just taken place.

Entering the back room, I saw Granny pull a box down from the top of a cabinet. She wiped away the dust and retrieved a very unique length of silk.

"Granny, what are you doing?"

"This is a bolt of premium fabric I've saved for years. Quality clothing nourishes the wearer, making them more vigorous over time." She patted the bed and reached into her bamboo basket for a pair of scissors. Before I could say a word, the old woman snipped into the top-tier material. "You reek of blood, so your injuries must be severe. I don't have any bandages, so this will have to do."

"You want me to use such expensive fabric as a bandage?" Old Granny had cut it into strips before I even spoke. I stared at the pieces of cloth on the bed, feeling a complicated mess of emotions. I wanted to say more, but ultimately swallowed my words. "Thank you."

I brushed my fingers over the plain white fabric. It felt as smooth as jade and even gave off a faint, soothing chill.

The old woman waved off my thanks, not caring about the ruined material. She stared at Junsheng in the corner of the room, her eyes unblinking, lost in thought.

Once I finished wrapping my wounds, I felt significantly better, the pain dulling considerably. "Granny, I'll be leaving shortly. This place is too dangerous. If you can, you should move out as soon as possible."

"I'm old. Whether I survive the winter is up in the air, so save your breath." Her eyes remained fixed on Junsheng in the corner. "Young man, anyone who can drive away those monsters is no ordinary person. Could I ask a favor of you?"

Her voice was earnest. It was the first time I had heard her plead.

"Name it. If it's within my power, I'll do it," I agreed without hesitation.

"Could you find out how Junsheng managed to evade reincarnation?" she asked slowly, as if she had to weigh every single word.

"I've heard that the Longchang Old Site borders the Animal Realm, and Junsheng might have escaped from there. Why do you want me to look into this?" I looked at her in confusion.

"Once you figure it out, send him back. Then, destroy the passage so he can never come looking for me again."

Her words echoed in my mind. "If I destroy the passage, he'll never be able to visit you again. Are you sure about this? If you miss each other in this life, you might never meet again in the endless cycle of reincarnation."

"It's better than him losing his life. I wait for him every single night, yearning to see him, yet terrified that he'll be caught by those monsters on the way. If there comes a day when I'm gone, he'll return to this place and find no one to open the door. No one waiting for him. Don't you think that's infinitely more cruel?" The flickering candlelight reflected in Old Granny's cloudy eyes, but that meager flame was powerless against the encroaching dark.

"His memories run deep, and his obsession is so heavy that he instinctively seeks you out, even if he doesn't know why. Besides, his memory only lasts for a single day. Perhaps..." I trailed off, unable to convince even myself. There were no perfect fairy tales in this world. Mortals faced birth, aging, illness, and death. Once Old Granny passed away, Junsheng's soul of spiritual wisdom would likely remain tethered to the Red Building, only to be swallowed by an obsession in the end.

Separated by seventy years and an entire cycle of reincarnation... I looked back and forth between Old Granny and the small shadowy figure, a sudden wave of sorrow washing over me. Perhaps she was right; it really was the best solution. "I can help you, but the odds of success are slim."

"I'm grateful you even agreed to try." She stood up unsteadily, wanting to bow in thanks, but I hurriedly stopped her.

"I can help you, Granny, but I don't have enough information right now. I need your full cooperation. Tell me everything you know about the Red Building and Pig Cage Apartments. I need you to hold nothing back." I breathed a sigh of relief when she nodded, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "You've waited for Junsheng all these years. Did you never try searching for him yourself? Did anything unusual happen during that time?"

"I went looking for him over a decade ago. You're right, Junsheng did escape from the Longchang Old Site, but I scoured the entire complex in broad daylight and found nothing out of the ordinary. As for this Animal Realm you mentioned, I've never seen any trace of it."

"Nothing at all?"

"Junsheng only ever appears in the middle of the night. It's possible the passage only opens in the dark." Old Granny paused abruptly, as if recalling something crucial. "My eyes have been ruined for a long time. I shouldn't be able to see anything other than Junsheng, but there was one time at the Longchang Old Site when I saw a mirror. That's right! A mirror!"

Her words piqued my interest. Only the whites of her eyes remained; she couldn't see anything in this world other than Junsheng. Yet, she claimed to have seen a mirror in Longchang with her own eyes. Clearly, that mirror didn't belong to this world either.

"Can you describe the mirror in detail?"

"The Longchang Old Site is massive. That mirror was deep inside the Ancient Building, like a fragment embedded in something." She tried to recall the details. "It's the tallest building still standing in the ruins. When I approached, I faintly heard the sounds of animals... it sounded like livestock. A few minutes later, the Mirror Fragment vanished. I never saw it again on my subsequent visits."

"The tallest structure in the Ancient Building..." I mentally noted the crucial detail. "It looks like the optional task for the Underworld Live Show can only be completed by entering the Longchang Old Site."

I took a deep breath. What kind of place was the Longchang Old Site? A literal purgatory on earth, where tens of thousands of people were devoured until barely seven hundred remained. If I went in there in the dead of night, I would undoubtedly run into terrifying horrors.

'The Reincarnation Mirror... I have a feeling it's crucial for me.' I hesitated. It was human nature. The side quests given by the Live Show were notoriously difficult. If I wanted to take them on, I had to be prepared to die. There was no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Part of me wanted to pull out my own Mirror Fragment right then and there to see if Old Granny could perceive it. It would have proven my theory, but after a moment of consideration, I kept it hidden.

"Don't worry, Granny. I'll do my best to fulfill your request."

She had been thinking about Junsheng's well-being right to the very end. That selfless devotion made my chest tighten with sorrow.

"Thank you." Old Granny finally pulled her gaze away from Junsheng. She hugged her sewing basket to her chest. "Earlier, you asked me about the tenants of the Red Building. I'll tell you everything I know. This building has many tenants, but some people move in and never step outside again. Nine times out of ten, they simply died in their rooms. Because of that, I can't even be sure which apartments are occupied, or who lives in them."

"Granny, I actually came here looking for someone." At this point, there was no reason to hide anything from her. "Is there anyone in the Red Building who leaves on a strict three-day schedule? Or, in your memory, is there anyone who leaves the building frequently?"

As a live show streamer, they would have to leave for their broadcasts. It was a strict three-day cycle that couldn't be bypassed.

She thought for a moment. "Bai Ya'er on the fourth floor leaves almost every day. If you're looking for a strict three-day cycle, Zhu Li fits your description."

"So it really is him?" I listened closely, unwilling to miss a single detail.

"I haven't kept careful track, but Zhu Li leaves every so often. Sometimes he goes to the Ancient Building, and other times he travels far away."

Her words indirectly confirmed my suspicions. Zhu Li's behavior mirrored that of a live show streamer perfectly.

A surge of excitement rose in my chest. 'I've finally exposed the hidden streamer,' I thought. "That detail is crucial. If that's the case, Zhu Li must be the person I'm looking for."

"No, no. There is someone else in the Red Building who fits your description even better. That man rarely speaks and is incredibly punctual. He leaves exactly once every three days, always in the dead of night, and doesn't return until the next morning." My expression shifted. Then, she dropped an even more critical piece of information. "He had actually left the Red Building earlier tonight, but he received a phone call in the stairwell and turned right back around."