Is My Aunt a Musician?

Picking up the floppy, triangular red hood, he held it for a few seconds until the item's attributes surfaced: [Name: Little Red Riding Hood] [Type: Apparel / Accessory] [Functions: Werewolf, Seal] [Description: During its rutting season, a wicked werewolf abducted a beautiful human girl and dragged her back to its cave to mate. Soon after, the woman became pregnant with the werewolf's child. One night, while the werewolf was away, she escaped the cave. A year later, she gave birth to the werewolf's child—a half-human, half-wolf monstrosity. To survive in a human village, the woman pleaded with a benevolent priest for help. The priest slew the werewolf, crafted Little Red Riding Hood out of the soft fur from its blood-soaked belly, and captured a demon from the darkness to curse the hood. The moment the child donned Little Red Riding Hood, she transformed into a human.] [Note 1: The slaughter never ends.] [Note 2: I don't think I can ever turn back into a human.] "So that's how it went. The woman's mother—the owner of the wooden cabin—discovered her daughter had given birth to a monster and led the villagers to burn her alive. Because the little girl was too young, she escaped with her life. When she grew up, she turned into a wolf and entered the forest to seek vengeance on her grandmother..." "From the looks of it, this is an item that combines the characteristics of two major classes." Forcing down the urge to destroy and slaughter, Zhang Yuanqing placed the little red hood onto his head. He glanced over at the young man slumped on the ground. Having just regained a shred of reason and a bit of calm, the young man now looked up and saw the red hood floating in midair, as though worn by an invisible person. "G-Ghost! There's a ghost!" His eyes instantly rolled back, and he fainted from terror. After putting on Little Red Riding Hood, Zhang Yuanqing completely understood the item's abilities and costs. Function One: Werewolf. Upon transforming into a werewolf, the item holder gained terrifying combat capability, along with night vision, a keen sense of smell, and horrifying strength, speed, and defense. The higher the holder's physical speed, the greater the boost after lycanthropy, with an upper limit at the peak of Level 5. The werewolf possessed two forms. One was the Dark Night Demon Wolf, whose skills were Frost and Sovereign of the Dark Night (which granted a single chance of resurrection from death, with a twenty-four-hour cooldown). The other was the Flame Demon Wolf, whose skills were Blazing Flame and Fire Poison. The two forms could only be unleashed during night and day respectively. Transforming at night resulted in the Dark Night Demon Wolf, while transforming during daylight resulted in the Flame Demon Wolf. Function Two: Seal. This skill could sweep all living creatures within a sixty-meter radius into this pocket dimension. While inside this space, a Spirit Realm walker's inventory would be sealed, including that of the item's owner. However, the owner could freely enter and exit the space, return fully armed, and even bring in reinforcements. *A top-tier item! The Werewolf function can be used on Blood Rose or myself. In melee combat, it completely crushes opponents of the same rank and can even fight above its level. And the Seal function is an absolute weapon for trapping enemies and ganging up on them. Damn, this is more lucrative than clearing an A-rank dungeon! The President of the Merchant Guild truly lives up to being a demigod—just a little scrap slipping through his fingers is enough to gorge a small fry like me. If I ever get the chance to slaughter all the demigods in the world, I'll be rich... Hiss, calm down, calm down. Control your emotions...* Zhang Yuanqing was overjoyed. The thrill of getting rich overnight even briefly suppressed the mental pollution. Yet the drawbacks were equally frightening. Little Red Riding Hood carried two penalties. First, simply wearing the hood slowly warped one's personality, even without activating its functions. For instance, right now, with his spirit body wearing the hood, Zhang Yuanqing could feel the malice and bloodlust in his heart gradually mounting. Second, if used too many times, the user's body would permanently transform into a werewolf, turning them into a bloodthirsty, frenzied monster bereft of all reason. Such a cost was terrifying. Fortunately, he was a Night Walker and had yin corpses to bear the burden for him. *Tap, tap, tap...* Right then, the Red Dancing Shoes began circling his spirit body in a flurry, their steps rapid and heavy, seeming rather irritable. In the tunnel, Zhang Yuanqing had flaked on it once, and now made twice. If the cost wasn't paid, the Red Dancing Shoes' favorability toward its master would drop. It was already acting agitated; flaking on it one more time would likely cause it to start attacking him. Just about to undo the item's "Seal" function, Zhang Yuanqing couldn't help but look at the unconscious young man. *If I go back right now, Guan Ya and the others will all be there. Dancing awkwardly in public is still a bit embarrassing, even if I don't really care...* Without hesitation, Zhang Yuanqing possessed the young man's body and paid the Red Dancing Shoes' cost. After placating the Red Dancing Shoes, he separated from the young man's body, "picked up" the floppy, triangular little red hood once more, and released the seal. In an instant, the full moon, the forest, and the cabin rippled into familiar watery waves. When his vision cleared again, Zhang Yuanqing saw the familiar tunnel and the vehicles crowding it. [Ding! You have obtained 500 Morality Points.] The Spirit Realm prompt chimed by his ear. *Resolving a disaster directly grants Morality Points without needing a formal case determination like an investigation...* The thought drifted hazily through Zhang Yuanqing's mind. He was sitting inside a black sedan. Beside the vehicle stood Guan Ya, Queen, Little Green Tea, and Li Chunfeng, while further away stood Fu Qingyang, dressed in snow-white attire. Then there were the seven survivors. They glanced around in sheer panic until realizing they had returned to reality. Joy at having survived the catastrophe washed over their faces, followed by emotional collapse as they covered their faces and wept bitterly. Jiang Yu'er looked this way and that, searching for something. *Click!* Seeing his teammates standing guard by the car, an intense predatory instinct surged from deep within Zhang Yuanqing. Without a thought, he acted on instinct and pushed the car door open. "Brother Yuanshi is awake~!" Standing outside the driver's seat was Xie Lingxi. Hearing the noise, she turned around, her pretty face instantly brightening with joy as she lunged forward like a swallow diving into the woods, ready to throw herself into her older brother's embrace. Yet Guan Ya moved a step faster, grabbing her by the collar, flinging her back, and shouting in a grave voice, "Stay back!" Xie Lingxi stumbled backward and nearly fell. Just as she was about to accuse Sister Guan Ya of being petty, she suddenly noticed Brother Yuanshi's expression was bizarre beyond belief. One of his eyes was sinister and chaotic, while the other was clear and bright. A single face showed two diametrically opposed emotions. "Yuanshi, calm down. Deal with your own condition first; don't let your emotions control you..." Pulling Little Green Tea back, Guan Ya recognized Yuanshi's abnormality at a glance and called out to remind him to purify his negative emotions. No sooner had Guan Ya spoken than a figure came sprinting over and leaped straight into Zhang Yuanqing's arms. "Hey, you—!" Guan Ya let out a sharp cry and lunged forward at the same time to stop Yuanshi from hurting anyone. Yet to her surprise, Yuanshi took the initiative to open his arms and support the woman's bottom, allowing her to cling to him like a koala. At the same time, his expression twisted violently, teeth grinding together with an audible crunch as he forcefully suppressed his thirst for blood. Guan Ya twitched her lips. She had already recognized who this woman was. It was the aunt who had targeted her at the dinner table. "We really got out! Yuanzi, you're amazing! Your aunt didn't spoil you for nothing!" Jiang Yu'er beamed happily. *Such a pale, slender neck... I want to bite right through it...* Propped against the car body, Zhang Yuanqing supported his aunt's bottom with one hand while grabbing an Evil-Breaking Talisman from his inventory with the other and slapping it onto his forehead. The Evil-Breaking Talisman spontaneously combusted, igniting a ring of clear, gentle golden light that washed through Zhang Yuanqing's sea of consciousness. The intense negative emotions vanished completely. *Phew...* He let out a long breath of relief. Catching sight of Fu Qingyang walking toward him out of the corner of his eye, he promptly set his aunt down and said, "Go sit in the car for a bit. I have official business to handle." "Are they members of the Dragon Group too?" Jiang Yu'er swept a glance over the women and muttered, "They're all quite pretty. Oh, this Guan Ya is in the Dragon Group too? No wonder the two of you hit it off." *No, don't say the words 'Dragon Group' out loud! It's still pretty embarrassing...* Zhang Yuanqing hurried to glance at Guan Ya and the others, only to find their expressions completely normal. After pushing his aunt into the car and shutting the door, Zhang Yuanqing added, "Lingxi, 'placate' them a bit." Xie Lingxi nodded and walked toward the six survivors. By this point, Fu Qingyang had stopped before him, so Zhang Yuanqing handed over the triangular red hood in his hand. Taking Little Red Riding Hood, Fu Qingyang focused on its attributes, his brows immediately knitting. "A werewolf..." "Is there a problem?" Zhang Yuanqing asked. Fu Qingyang answered, "Among the foreign evil classes, there are indeed paths that mutate humans into magical beasts, but the core lies in mutation, not specifically pointing to any single creature. It doesn't match the characteristics of a werewolf." Zhang Yuanqing froze. Even with Fu Qingyang's vast repository of knowledge, he had never heard of a werewolf? In that case, did the term "werewolf" carry an even deeper meaning? Before he could ask, Fu Qingyang speculated, "A werewolf is very likely an evil class belonging to the Third District. Since the Third District hasn't opened yet, Little Red Riding Hood should be an item from before the Spirit Realm existed. Because it carries the characteristics of the Eternal Night class, it was taken in by the Spirit Realm and converted into an item." With that, he handed Little Red Riding Hood back to Zhang Yuanqing. "You can choose to turn it in for merits and rewards, or you can keep it for yourself." *For such a top-grade item, of course I'm keeping it. Besides, if a werewolf is an evil class from the Third District, then rarity dictates value—Little Red Riding Hood's worth far exceeds its nominal tier.* Zhang Yuanqing took the item and stored it into his inventory without hesitation. Then he asked, "Boss, how will this incident be handled?" It had only been three hours since the incident occurred, and the authorities hadn't yet released a detailed report. However, rumors of supernatural events occurring in the Inner Ring Tunnel had already cropped up online. Of course, those "rumors" would soon be scrubbed, preventing public discourse from spreading. Fu Qingyang pondered for a few seconds before answering, "A tunnel collapse causing multiple casualties; seven survivors rescued thanks to the unremitting efforts of the security officers. Shortly, a Musician will hypnotize them as well as the victims' families, leading them to accept this version of events and claim their compensation. Online discourse will be regulated, followed by a formal debunking issued by Songhai's official media. After a while, nobody will bring it up anymore." "Understood." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, aware that Fu Qingyang was mentoring him. Once he held a high-ranking position in the future, these standard procedures would be essential. He sighed from the bottom of his heart. "What a disaster." "It is a disaster, but it is also an accident." Fu Qingyang glanced at him. "Just like train derailments, plane crashes, or severe highway collisions, it was an unexpected accident. Even those three demigods didn't want to see this happen; after all, it's their Morality Points being deducted." Zhang Yuanqing said helplessly, "Boss, you don't need to explain. I'm not so extreme as to demand a demigod pay back blood with blood." Fu Qingyang finally nodded, then suddenly commented, "'Dragon Group' sounds rather nice." Zhang Yuanqing: "???" "Boss, stop teasing me." "Teasing?" Fu Qingyang frowned slightly. "I wasn't teasing you." *Oh, I almost forgot. The Money Prince lived abroad for years and was born into nobility—he's never heard of that old internet trope!* Zhang Yuanqing came to an abrupt realization and quickly changed the subject. "Boss, could you lend me a healing item? Transcendent stage, with very minor side effects." The wound on his aunt's leg needed treatment, but he didn't want to use the Mountain God Scepter. Just imagine: you heal your aunt, and suddenly pitch a tent—what would everyone think seeing that? Even if it was an unavoidable drawback of the item, it remained thoroughly inappropriate. Fu Qingyang opened his palm, revealing a translucent, crystal-clear green leaf. "Place it over the wound. It will heal superficial injuries within three minutes without leaving scars," Fu Qingyang said, glancing toward the vehicle. With a Scout's insight, he had long deduced why Yuanshi was asking for a Wood Demon item. Taking the leaf, Zhang Yuanqing opened the car door and said, "Auntie, stick your leg out." Jiang Yu'er obediently extended a well-proportioned, slender, porcelain-white leg. Little Doubi was clinging to her thigh like a koala, sleeping soundly and peacefully while hugging her shapely leg. "Wait three minutes and it'll be fine." Zhang Yuanqing leaned over, pressed the leaf against his aunt's wound, and then plucked Little Doubi off her leg. *Bang!* He shut the car door, flicked a finger against Little Doubi to wake him, and without a word, delivered several swift smacks across the infant's sparsely haired head. No wonder he hadn't accompanied the Ghost Bride in combat—he had been wallowing in the lap of luxury, sleeping while hugging his aunt's leg! "Never learn your lesson, do you? Clinging to my aunt every single day?" Zhang Yuanqing clamped him under his arm, condensed lunar energy in his palm, and slapped the plump, squishy little backside over and over. Catching a beating out of nowhere, Little Doubi wailed at the top of his lungs, just like any normal infant. At the same time, he transmitted a vague, babbling thought: "M-Mama~" *Mama...* Zhang Yuanqing was momentarily stunned. His aunt was obviously not Little Doubi's mother. He knew Little Doubi's origins inside out: the deceased child of the sister of Wang Qian, a member of the Palace of Halting Slaughter. So why would Little Doubi treat Jiang Yu'er as his mother? A muddle-headed infant spirit would never take a liking to a woman without good reason. He was surrounded by beauties, yet Little Doubi had never shown closeness to any of them. Yet he treated his aunt completely differently. *Right... Back then, Little Doubi returned by clinging to Auntie's thigh. Countless times since, he's loved clinging to her legs, showing intense dependence on her.* *That makes no sense.* *I should have noticed this unreasonable detail long ago. Why did I never suspect it before? Why? That doesn't fit my personality at all. Was I influenced by something?* Zhang Yuanqing knitted his brows. At the same time, a faint possibility crossed his mind. A possibility for why Little Doubi was drawn to his aunt and treated her like a mother. A Musician who hummed lullabies, a Red Phoenix Star Official governing matrimonial fate, an Arbiter of Fate commanding conception! A natural mother—the Musician class. Right then, having calmed the six survivors, Xie Lingxi jogged back and said, "Elder Fu, maintaining long-term hypnosis requires at least the Saint stage. I just contacted Palace Master Sister, and she happens to be free and willing to take the commission. Elder Fu, if you agree, I'll invite her over."