Open Sesame, Once More! The Reflected Metropolis

"So you're saying—" "In just one day, you killed two Rank 3 Extraordinaries, an entire Swordbearer squad... and a Rank 4 Extraordinary assassin from the Fine Arts Society?!" Even Crow could no longer keep her cool after hearing how Bai Zhou had gotten injured. "What are you, a serial killer?" How could anyone rack up that kind of body count? He rattled them off like dishes on a menu; anyone listening would think he was just popping snacks. Did this mean that back when she was around, she had actually been holding him back? "It was your guidance, purely your guidance..." Bai Zhou didn't claim credit, waving his hands repeatedly. "It was all because Teacher Crow taught me well!" Crow shook her head. Her gaze scrutinized that familiar face with a trace of unfamiliarity, feeling that although they had only been apart for a single day, Bai Zhou seemed to have matured considerably. Without her realizing it, the insecure youth who had struck a deal with her had already undergone his initial metamorphosis. Growth was not completed in a day or two, but recognizing growth in someone close was often the work of an instant. At this moment, the youth stood atop an outdoor air conditioning unit on the twentieth floor, the hem of his coat whipping in the howling gale like a black bird poised to spread its wings and take flight. Crow felt both gratified and complicated inside. "I underestimated you." "Still... your injuries cannot be ignored." Her voice paused, her expression turning somber. "It's fortunate you didn't run into another enemy. If you had forced yourself to fight again, not even I would have been able to help you." "W-What do you mean?" Bai Zhou froze, reflexively holding his breath. "Why does it sound like I'm about to die?" "The situation is very grim." That was Crow's reply. "Extraordinaries rarely engage in such high-intensity combat. Most prefer to sit in hidden basements performing divinations and casting curses... "Someone like you is even rarer." Crow shook her head, then whispered with a solemn face: "Because spirituality helps nurture new spirituality, draining the pond to catch all the fish by excessively depleting it is a cardinal taboo for an entry-level Extraordinary like you! "Just as drawing too much water will dry up a spring, soil stripped of its nutrients cannot sprout fresh buds. "To be specific—your Fate Principle has been damaged because of it! "To nurse your Fate Principle back to its original state will take at least three to four months. "—And during that time, you cannot engage in any high-intensity combat!" "But..." Bai Zhou's heart tightened, a bitter expression creeping onto his face. "Those people won't give me that kind of time." Right now, he wished he could split every minute in two, let alone lie in bed recuperating. Three to four months? That was enough time for the Major to plow over his grave eighteen times. "I know..." The fierce wind whipped Crow's coat. Floating high in the air with her arms crossed around her long blade, she sighed. "...Fortunately, things haven't reached an irreversible point." She looked up at the dark clouds gathering on the horizon and asked Bai Zhou, "What time is it now?" Bai Zhou raised his wrist and checked his watch. "August 30, 11:30 PM." Crow calculated for a moment and gave a slight nod. "That makes it the second of the lunar month." "—Just in time." "What do you mean?" Bai Zhou asked, puzzled. "Although I'd love to just smash two cucumbers to fix your problem, unfortunately, this requires some special materials." Crow shook her head regretfully and spoke softly: "In the occult world, certain herbs can be used to nourish the Fate Principle, such as holy basil, sage, atractylodes, cloves, eupatorium... "Using them in tea, incense, or baths is usually very beneficial." Crow paused. Just then, a streak of lightning snaked across the dark clouds on the horizon, illuminating half the sky. "However, your condition calls for strong medicine! "Ruling out impractical options like Tai Sui or Sweet Dew, I recommend Moon Water. As a simple potion, it offers the best value." "Moon Water?" Bai Zhou mulled over the term, inexplicably feeling it sounded like a beverage werewolves and vampires would love to sip on. With a soft hum, moonlight seemed to be drawn down. Piercing through the dense, dark clouds, a wisp of lunar radiance wrapped nimbly around Crow's fingertip, illuminating the profile of her face. "In occult tradition, many schools place great emphasis on the baptizing, nourishing, and balancing properties of lunar phases," Crow explained. "During a full red moon in the Ruin Realm, placing pure water under the red moon to bathe in its light overnight, paired with a special purification ritual... "Produces a bottle of 'Moon Water,' which works wonders for repairing the Fate Principle. "Although there is a full moon in the middle of every month, different Fate Principles require Moon Water brewed under different full moons. "Your Fate Principle is Chen, so what works for you is Moon Water prepared under the February full moon. "Obtain just one bottle, and all your problems will be solved..." Crow paused briefly before continuing: "Making it yourself is out of the question, but things like this aren't rare in the ghost market. You can try your luck there." "The ghost market... what is that?" It sounded rather terrifying. A normal market traded chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, and pigs. What did a ghost market trade? People? "In the reflected metropolis of Tinghai, Extraordinaries hold regular gatherings to trade goods," Crow said. "These gatherings have neither organizers nor overseers. The origins of goods are unknown, making it hard to tell the real from the fake. Transactions take place in the shadows with both sides keeping their identities secret, adhering to the rule of 'payment settles all, no questions asked about origins.' "—Hence the name, ghost market." Reflected Tinghai! Bai Zhou's expression grew solemn. In Crow's eyes, he was already familiar with Reflected Tinghai. In truth, he had never set foot there. That bizarre reflected city Crow had described, which was Tinghai yet not Tinghai... "In the ghost market, you can find forged Philosopher's Stones, as well as genuine voodoo dolls and Extraordinary relics..." Crow described the nature of the ghost market. "Rumor has it that people have even scored hidden technique inheritances or partial forbidden tomes there, soaring to the pinnacle in a single bound! "Whether you get real goods or fakes, make a profit or take a loss, all depends on your discernment. There's a heavy element of gambling." Discernment? Bai Zhou blinked, his heart suddenly thumping. Bai Zhou might lack that so-called "discernment," but he could cheat. Real or fake—couldn't he tell most of it just by checking the last words? "Still, you don't need to dwell on that, because we're too poor." Clearing her throat lightly, Crow added, "We don't have the funds for bargain hunting; just buying basic Moon Water will be enough. "I'll teach you how to authenticate it, though fakes are virtually nonexistent since the profit margin on Moon Water is too low. "Counterfeiting any Extraordinary material—even a stone supposedly stained with the blood of an Extraordinary creature—would fetch enough to buy ten bottles of Moon Water." "Oh..." Bai Zhou nodded with regret, looking thoughtful. "Then when should I go? Right now?" "No, only tomorrow." Crow shook her head. "By the lunar calendar, tomorrow is the third. "Reflected Tinghai holds its gatherings only on the third, sixteenth, and twenty-ninth of each month. "—That's why I said the timing was just right." "The second...? Crow, did you get something mixed up?" Bai Zhou asked in confusion. "Isn't today August 30th?" "—That's the solar calendar." Crow waved a dismissive hand. "Today, the surface world of Blue Star widely uses the solar calendar originating from the Western Federation. "However, in the Reflected Ruin Realm on the reverse side of Blue Star, the lunar calendar originating from the Eastern Federation—including the vital twenty-four solar terms—is used instead. "—It is also called the Old Calendar, or the Extraordinary Calendar! "Do the right thing at the right time, and avoid all else at the wrong time, lest you invite misfortune..." Crow's expression turned grave. "Extraordinaries can never rely on their power to act without taboos; in fact, the opposite is true. "In this regard, the Extraordinary Calendar possesses exceptionally vital guiding significance." For an ordinary Extraordinary like Bai Zhou, it wasn't as critical. The higher an Extraordinary's rank was, like Crow, the more they cared about such matters. On the day the Blood Worship Cult invaded, Crow had specifically told Bai Zhou to bathe and change into fresh clothes for precisely this reason. Old Calendar, Extraordinary Calendar... It sounded deeply profound, even if he didn't fully grasp it. Yet—"I actually know this stuff well!" Bai Zhou clapped his hands. Breaking taboos—that, he understood. An unexpected sense of familiarity washed over him. So it wasn't just Wancheng; Blue Star had similar customs too. "Where can I get an Old Calendar? I want to memorize the whole thing," Bai Zhou said. "During holidays, pharmacies give them out for free when you buy medicine." Bai Zhou: "..." Even now, Bai Zhou retained a deep reverence for things like taboos. The Extraordinary world held far too many mysteries; even a mere tip of the iceberg was enough to spend a lifetime studying. It seemed Bai Zhou was far from wringing Teacher Crow dry. Time to keep at it. Rumble— Dark clouds churned, and thunder detonated. As the sky's last star was swallowed by the black clouds, rain began to fall. Tinghai was enveloped in a downpour. Yet standing in the rain, Bai Zhou felt bright and clear inside. A solution to his injuries was within reach, and Crow's waking return gave him a massive dose of reassurance. At this moment, the only thing Bai Zhou needed to seriously consider was... If he opened an umbrella while perched on an outdoor AC unit on the twentieth floor, would he attract a lightning strike? Yet after pondering for a while, Bai Zhou realized to his surprise that not a single drop had landed on his head. An invisible shadow had formed an umbrella shielding the two of them. Floating in midair with her long blade in her arms, Crow gave a lazy yawn. The way the young woman covered her mouth to yawn was rather cute, yet it made Bai Zhou's heart tighten. "Are you... sleepy again?" Bai Zhou probed gently, "What exactly is happening?" Though his words made him sound like a slave driver refusing to let Crow sleep, his concern was genuine. "An old issue." Crow shook her head. Her tone was casual as always, but her expression bore a hint of gravity. "Whenever I leave Branch 36, drowsiness overcomes me just like an ordinary human, and I need to rest. "That was why I stayed inside Branch 36 before. "—Yet I've checked countless times and confirmed that no one at the branch can see me, nor is there any anomalous object affecting me. "Perhaps there are certain special secrets in that place that nobody knows," Crow said uncertainly. "Though it shouldn't be the kind of special aimed specifically at me? I'm not sure." Saying that, she shook her head first. "Still, the effect isn't severe. Periodic rest is enough to restore my state. "Don't worry." Crow didn't delve deeper into the topic. Bai Zhou, however, committed it to memory. There was no way he wouldn't worry about Crow's "anomaly," but for now, he truly was powerless. The sense of urgency in his heart grew sharper. Even if just for Crow, he had to grow stronger as fast as possible. He had to storm back into Branch 36 at the earliest date and cleanse it from top to bottom—when that time came, whatever secrets lurked there would come to light. If any truly existed. "Speaking of which, you reminded me." Crow rummaged inside her coat, clenched her fair little hand into a fist, and opened it before Bai Zhou. Upon her rosy-white palm lay a dark, gravel-like grain. "These are cinders, the universal premium currency of the Reflected Ruin Realm," Crow said calmly. "Though I don't know the current prices, one cinder grain is certainly enough to buy plenty of Moon Water. "I only have two cinder grains left on me." With that, Crow instructed Bai Zhou earnestly: "Don't spend it recklessly. Make sure to bring back whatever change is left." Bai Zhou felt a strange sensation, inexplicably feeling like an errand boy sent out to buy a bottle of soy sauce. Taking the "cinders," he felt their peculiar texture in his hand, almost ethereal. "...?" Examining the two grains of ash, Bai Zhou blinked twice. Familiar! Had he seen this somewhere? His clear eyes, filled with incredulous doubt, blinked twice more. Then, Bai Zhou could be practically certain... He really had seen this before. In the Deep Ruin Realm. During his very first scavenge of the battlefield, he had gathered a large amount of black mush from a pile of clay jars. Wasn't that black mush made of cinders? In other words, this immensely valuable premium currency that Crow handed out grain by single grain... Was scattered everywhere across the ruins, hoarded into a literal small hill by Bai Zhou, who had treated it as useless scrap! Wait, was he a multimillionaire all along? Bai Zhou's heart thudded wildly in his chest. "Are you coming down?" Crow's voice suddenly reached his ears. "The rain is pouring harder. Don't tell me you're planning to spend the night up here?" Suspended in midair with her trench coat flapping, Crow looked at the youth wearing a trench coat matching her own standing atop—an outdoor AC unit—and spoke in an odd tone: "Actually, I've been meaning to ask: how did you get up here?" "Well..." Bai Zhou scratched his head. "Just like this." Then, before Crow's involuntarily widening eyes, Bai Zhou transformed with a twist—and a bandage-wrapped black cat appeared atop the outdoor AC unit. "Meow, meow, meow." Crow: "..." "Caw?" Even the three-legged black raven perched on the young woman's shoulder widened its little red eyes, tilting its head in sheer bewilderment as it stared at the black cat that had appeared out of thin air. "...Have we really only been apart for a single day?" Crow's gaze filled with a touch of disorientation. Could it be that she had overslept? Had a whole year actually gone by? It was another rainy night of torrential downpours. Yet this time, there were no fierce battles, no pungent rivers of blood, and no explosions rocking all of Tinghai. There was only a nouveau riche "counting his money." At midnight, Bai Zhou made a trip to the Deep Ruin Realm and confirmed his suspicion. Yes—it truly was cinders! Upon comparison, the two were virtually identical, and the ones in the Deep Ruin Realm were of even higher quality— Holding a massive handful of cinders amid the ruins, Bai Zhou was as thrilled as a hundred-and-twenty-pound kid. He was rich! Others traded with gold dust, but he was sitting on a private gold mine. Moon Water, Sun Elixir, whatever—bring ten bottles just to rinse his mouth! Accustomed to poverty, this was the very first time Bai Zhou experienced what having money felt like. —Even though he hadn't spent a single grain of cinder yet. Still, the joy of wealth lay in fantasizing about spending it, rather than the painful sting when the money actually left your hands. Originally, Bai Zhou would not have been able to enter the Deep Ruin Realm. His spirituality was depleted, and activating the Zhuluoji Pass required spirituality. However, when the present Bai Zhou hit a wall, what answered his need was himself from a day ago. Back when he obtained the Adventurer's token from the Undead General, the spirituality he had tentatively channeled into it was still stored inside—that trickle of spirituality he normally wouldn't look twice at had now become his lifeline. Separated by merely a single day, the boomerang he had thrown into the past struck Bai Zhou squarely on the head. It was, in its own way, perfectly timed. The following night. Secretly carrying a fortune, Bai Zhou picked a random roadside high-rise and climbed to the deserted rooftop. Beneath his feet stretched golden, illuminated roads and weaving streams of traffic; neon lights spread as far as the eye could see. Under the shared gaze of the moon and Crow, he began setting up the ritual to step into the Reflected Ruin Realm. —Yet this time, it was not the Deep Ruin Realm he enjoyed alone. It was the true Reflected Ruin Realm. The reverse reflection of Tinghai City, a grotesque, kaleidoscopic megacity—the true stage where Extraordinaries gathered and showcased their talents. Grotesqueries ran rampant here, and Extraordinary factions vied against one another. Any action could trigger endless chain reactions, drawing the eyes of all Tinghai and echoing widely throughout the Extraordinary world. Countless scions of prominent clans and rising stars of the occult regarded this place as the starting point to make a name for themselves on the Extraordinary path. And Bai Zhou... "Dust shall not return to dust, and ashes shall not return to earth. "Left is right, back is forward, the past becomes the present, and the living sing dirges for the dead." Facing a piece of broken glass retrieved off the ground to serve as a mirror, Bai Zhou sat cross-legged, chanting with a solemn expression. Moonlight fell across his face, bathing the scene in an aura of mystery. "Shadows weave the silver key; open for me the twenty-five gateways! "Flip, flip, mirror surface— "¡Ábrete Sésamo!" After half a month—open sesame, once more. Bai Zhou embarked on a new adventure. A familiar gray fog briefly flickered before his eyes, gone in a flash. For an instant, his body felt suspended upside down, slipping through the seam between life and death. When his vision cleared, the ground beneath his feet was once again the rooftop of a skyscraper. It was as if nothing had changed; Tinghai remained familiar. Except Crow was no longer at his side, the neon glow had vanished, and the roaring traffic and bustling crowds were nowhere to be found. All that remained was icy silence, accompanied by an indescribable sense of distortion and grotesquerie. In the distance, gray fog blanketed the streets, shrouding the dim city in haze. Crooked streetlamps stood in rows amid the mist, resembling drooping human silhouettes. Suddenly— With a resounding hum and shrill blast— A massive steam locomotive, like a ferocious beast tearing through the mist, let out a piercing whistle and rumbled across the rooftop opposite him. Bai Zhou: "?" The locomotive momentarily dispersed the fog before Bai Zhou, revealing the silhouettes of steel structures looming through the haze in the distance. In the center of the city, he could vaguely make out a colossal clock tower whose hands pointed squarely at 24:01. Atop the clock tower, a blazing blue flame burned, seemingly visible to all of Tinghai. Beneath that blue fire... A rusted sign was faintly illuminated. Painted across it in crooked script were the words: [Tinghai Shuns You] The surrounding air turned frigid, and the fortune of cinders against his chest felt heavy and icy. Bai Zhou suddenly shivered. He knew he had arrived on the reverse side of Blue Star. Tinghai's Reflected Metropolis. A grotesque, twisted world that gathered the final days of the modern era.