Legend Management Bureau Chapter 18

[ … words ]

The woman named Zhongli Chun remained expressionless upon hearing Dong Qianqiu’s plea. With a mere shake of her arm, she forced Dong Qianqiu, who had grabbed her fist, three steps back.

“Oh ho?!” The underworld enforcer named Bu Zudao finally reacted. “Y-y-you dare strike an enforcer of the underworld?!”

Although Dong Qianqiu had blocked the tall woman’s punch just now, the immense wind generated by the blow had still blown his official hat askew.

“I already told you!” Dong Qianqiu snapped in exasperation. “Hurry up and leave! Go get your superior!”

“Y-y-y-you just wait!” Bu Zudao shouted, scrambling away while frantically adjusting his hat.

Seeing the enforcer run away, Zhongli Chun showed no intention of chasing him. She quietly glanced at Dong Qianqiu and said, “Give you face? On what grounds?”

Dong Qianqiu bit her lip, thinking, ‘I must have stepped out on the wrong foot today to run straight into the underworld’s number one villain.’

“One after another, you all keep interrupting me while I’m eating my dessert.” Zhongli Chun cast a nonchalant gaze at Dong Qianqiu. “You want a beating too, don’t you?”

“I…” Dong Qianqiu knew full well that the person before her was not someone easily dealt with. Even though she possessed an immortal body, she didn’t have absolute certainty of defeating this opponent. Although she had known Zhongli Chun a thousand years ago, thinking about it carefully, this lunatic would never care about any past ties.

The sound of tearing air rang out as Zhongli Chun’s fist swung directly at Dong Qianqiu.

Clenching her teeth, Dong Qianqiu waved both hands. A massive round shield materialized before her, perfectly blocking Zhongli Chun’s punch. It was unknown where this magical artifact came from, but it managed to firmly withstand such a tremendous blow.

Seeing her fist blocked, Zhongli Chun looked slightly puzzled, but she quickly snapped out of it. With a cold snort, she pulled back her other arm and launched a flurry of alternating left and right punches against the round shield. In no time at all, she forcefully battered the shield until cracks began to form.

“What the hell?” Du Yu, hiding to the side, was utterly dumbfounded. “Sister Qianqiu clearly summoned an immortal artifact. Can an immortal artifact really be shattered with bare fists?”

Zhongli Chun’s fists rained down relentlessly, reducing the round shield to fragments in an instant. With her magical artifact damaged, Dong Qianqiu’s primordial spirit suffered a backlash, and she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Sister Qianqiu!” Du Yu cried out and was about to rush forward, but Dong Qianqiu’s voice transmission instantly echoed in his mind.

“Don’t!” Dong Qianqiu gritted her teeth, transmitting her words to Du Yu. “You are injured! You absolutely must not confront this person. Run!”

Du Yu stared at Dong Qianqiu with burning anxiety. If he left now, she probably wouldn’t last another minute. But this towering woman before them was truly terrifying. If even Dong Qianqiu, with her immortal body, couldn’t handle her, what could he possibly do as a mere mortal?

Zhongli Chun stepped toward Dong Qianqiu, step by step. Her eyes were devoid of anything else, and absolutely no one nearby dared to step up and intervene.

Dong Qianqiu tried to stand up several times but kept falling back down. With her primordial spirit injured, she was temporarily paralyzed, left entirely at the mercy of her attacker.

Zhongli Chun raised her fist once again.

“Stop!!!”

At the loud shout, Zhongli Chun visibly froze. She turned her head and saw Du Yu, who had been hiding behind the door the whole time, trembling as he walked out.

“Don’t touch her!”

Dong Qianqiu’s heart sank. This Zhongli Chun was a completely irrational lunatic; anyone who dared to stand out now would surely die. “Du Yu, run away… There’s no way this person will listen to a word you say…”

Du Yu knew that if he ran away now, Dong Qianqiu would undoubtedly die. Yet he had absolutely no way to deal with this Zhongli Chun, so he could only try to stall for time.

“Y-you… don’t hit Sister Qianqiu.” It was the first time Du Yu had felt this terrified. The oppressive aura coming from this woman was even stronger than when he had faced the monster Jiuying.

The woman just stared blankly at Du Yu, remaining motionless for a long time.

“Huh?” Dong Qianqiu was somewhat perplexed. “This Zhongli Chun…”

Staring at Du Yu, Zhongli Chun slowly lowered her fist, a trace of bewilderment in her eyes.

Seeing Zhongli Chun’s drastic change in temperament, Du Yu’s own head was full of question marks.

“Good lord, do I have superpowers now?” Although Du Yu looked confused, wasn’t the situation under control for the moment?

“You… go sit over there first…” Du Yu pointed at the table where Zhongli Chun had been sitting.

The towering Zhongli Chun obediently nodded like a little lamb, then went over and sat down.

‘What the hell is going on?’ A myriad of questions swirled in Du Yu’s mind, but this wasn’t the time to seek answers. He hurriedly went to help Dong Qianqiu up, asking, “Sister Qianqiu, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, I just need a moment to regulate my breathing… But you… how did you do that?” Dong Qianqiu looked at Du Yu in bewilderment.

“You sure asked the right person.” Du Yu said as he draped Dong Qianqiu’s arm over his shoulder. “Give me a few days, and I’ll make up a good excuse to tell you.”

Before the two could even leave the shop, Zhongli Chun stood up again.

Both of their nerves instantly went taut. What was this woman going to do now?

Zhongli Chun picked up a plate of small pastries and carefully offered it to Du Yu, asking, “Do… do you want to eat some dessert?”

“Huh?”

Du Yu looked up at Zhongli Chun. She was expressionless, yet her eyes remained fixedly glued to him, carrying an elusive meaning. However, since the woman was at least six feet two inches tall, she truly looked too intimidating to approach.

“Me…? I think I’ll just… pass…” Du Yu said with a forced laugh. “I’m on a diet lately, and this stuff is too sweet…”

“You don’t like sweets?” Zhongli Chun set the dessert aside and turned her head, speaking coldly to the shop employees. “Bring out some non-sweet desserts immediately, or I’ll scatter all of your souls to the wind.”

“Ah?” The employees had no idea how the situation had developed into this. One stammered nervously, “N-non-sweet desserts…? Where are we supposed to find those…”

“Then don’t blame me.” Zhongli Chun glared at the employee, her murderous aura flaring out once more.

“No!” In a panic, Du Yu yelled, “You can’t hurt anyone!”

Instantly, Zhongli Chun retracted her killing intent and stood blankly beside Du Yu like an obedient servant.

“Eh?”

Now, not only Du Yu and Dong Qianqiu, but all the customers and staff were completely dumbfounded.

Just what in the world was going on?

“You… you just stay right here and don’t move… I’m going to go buy some oranges for you…” Du Yu mustered his courage and said to Zhongli Chun.

Zhongli Chun obediently nodded once again.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with that woman, but it’s a good thing I can control her for now. Sister Qianqiu, let’s hurry up and go…” Du Yu whispered to Dong Qianqiu as he briskly led her away.

They had barely taken a few steps when they ran into the underworld enforcer named Bu Zudao again. He was followed by several others, marching imposingly toward the cafe.

“Big bro! Right ahead!” Bu Zudao said to an enforcer behind him. “Right inside that cafe ahead!”

“Good. Whoever dares touch the little brother of Bu Zushuo, I want to see exactly who they are! Brothers, follow me!”

Dong Qianqiu and Du Yu brushed past the group. Dong Qianqiu shook her head helplessly. “What Bu Zushuo, Bu Zudao… they’re truly just insignificant nobodies not worth mentioning. This group is marching straight to their deaths… Why didn’t they bring Ox-Head and Horse-Face…”

“Don’t worry about them, Sister Qianqiu…” Du Yu pulled her along at a brisk pace. “Let me take you somewhere else to rest and heal up first.”

The two turned the street corner, and Du Yu found a hotel called the “Sleep-to-Death Inn”.

“Sister Qianqiu… how about… here?”

Dong Qianqiu looked up. “Anywhere is fine… I just need to meditate and heal. Don’t go getting any weird ideas.”

“Of course I’m not getting weird ideas… I was just asking if you mind recovering in a place like this…”

“Du Yu… if you spout any more nonsense… I’ll arrange for you to turn into the White Dragon Horse and participate in the entire legend of Journey to the West…”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Du Yu turned pale with fright and quickly helped Dong Qianqiu into the inn. Dong Qianqiu pulled out an Underworld Enforcer token to prove her identity. Not daring to neglect them, the innkeeper quickly prepared a premium room. After entering, Dong Qianqiu immediately sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, closed her eyes, and began to meditate.

“Du Yu,” Dong Qianqiu said while meditating. “I’m still a bit worried about those enforcers. Go give the Seventh and Eighth Lords a call and ask them to step in and resolve this.”

Du Yu nodded. He got the phone numbers and a few Hell banknotes from Dong Qianqiu, then walked out of the inn.

“Sigh, I really should buy a cellphone in the underworld. In this day and age, where am I supposed to find a public payphone?” Du Yu muttered to himself as he walked onto the street. He wondered if calling now would even be in time, feeling like Zhongli Chun defeating those few enforcers would take a minute at most.

Despite thinking this, Du Yu still found a small convenience store, spent a Hell banknote, and used a public phone.

Since Du Yu had never actually met Fan Wujiu, he called Xie Bi’an instead. After briefly explaining the situation, Xie Bi’an calmly replied, “The situation isn’t too serious. I’ll head over as soon as I finish applying my face mask.”

Du Yu hung up the phone and was just about to head back to the inn when he suddenly heard a commotion on the street.

“Hey! Did you hear? It looks like the enforcers are about to capture Villain Chun!”

“Villain Chun?! The infamous Zhongli? How is that possible?”

“I don’t know, let’s hurry over and take a look!”

Several wandering ghosts and stray spirits passing by were shouting in the street, inevitably catching Du Yu’s attention.

‘That Zhongli Chun was captured?’ Du Yu thought, bewildered. ‘By just those few enforcers? Is that even possible?’

Regardless, Du Yu felt he had to go see for himself. If Bu Zudao’s older brother—Bu Zushuo—really had a higher cultivation base than Dong Qianqiu, then he must surely be a renowned figure in the underworld. Yet, why had he never heard of such a person before?

Du Yu quickened his pace. He quickly rounded the street corner and arrived at the cafe named “Bitter Wait.”

He saw Zhongli Chun standing quietly in the exact same spot without moving an inch, just as she had been when he left. Seven or eight enforcers armed with weapons had her surrounded.

Zhongli Chun’s forehead had been broken open, and blood trickled down her face. Yet, she remained completely expressionless, not even glancing at the enforcers around her.

“What’s wrong? Weren’t you acting all tough just now?” Bu Zudao mocked, slapping Zhongli Chun’s face. “Weren’t you going to hit me?”

Bu Zushuo stood to the side, sneering evilly. “Little bro, I have to say you’ve made a great contribution this time. This person is the notorious Villain Chun. We’re definitely getting promoted this time!” After saying that, Bu Zushuo delivered a vicious kick to Zhongli Chun’s lower abdomen. She let out a muffled groan but quickly straightened her body again, remaining expressionless and perfectly still.

“This Zhongli Chun is acting like a total idiot. Could she be a fake?” a lackey nearby asked.

“Taking a beating like this, and you think she’s a fake?” Bu Zudao pulled out an iron chain, spun it a few times, channeled all his strength, and whipped it ruthlessly against Zhongli Chun’s waist.

“Ugh!”

The blow was incredibly heavy, nearly throwing Zhongli Chun off balance. However, she clenched her jaw and forcefully straightened her stance, mumbling something under her breath.

“What did you say?” Bu Zushuo pricked up his ears. “This Villain Chun is still talking.”

“What is she saying?”

Bu Zudao leaned in to listen closely. What Zhongli Chun was saying was:

“That was close. I almost moved.”

“This person really has gone stupid…” Bu Zudao muttered as he swung the iron chain again. “Moved? So what if you moved? This time, I’m going to make sure you never stand back up!”

“Stop right there!!”

Du Yu roared as he charged out. Seeing the scene unfold before him, his anger was beyond words.

“Zhongli Chun, what’s wrong with you?!” Du Yu was completely bewildered. How could a figure capable of easily defeating Dong Qianqiu allow herself to be surrounded and beaten by these lowly enforcers?

“Ah!” Zhongli Chun looked up, revealing an incredibly beautiful smile. “You’re back. Did you buy the oranges?”

Du Yu’s mind immediately flashed back to the instruction he had given Zhongli Chun when he left: ‘You just stay right here and don’t move.’

‘What exactly is going on with this Zhongli Chun? She’s obedient to a fault, ignoring everything else even when her life is in danger?’

Looking at Zhongli Chun’s bloodstained face that still bore a beaming smile, Du Yu felt a genuine surge of anger.

“Are you guys really official enforcers…?” Du Yu glared at the group. “Didn’t you notice she hasn’t fought back this whole time? A whole group of you ganging up to beat her—what kind of law enforcement is this?”

“Who the hell are you, kid?” Bu Zushuo stepped forward, sizing Du Yu up and down. “Which era did you die in? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

Upon seeing Du Yu, Bu Zudao immediately shouted, “Ah! It’s him! He’s with that arrogant woman from earlier, the one who falsely claimed to be from the Legend Management Bureau!”

“Kid, impersonating an underworld enforcer is a crime punishable by total soul annihilation!” Bu Zushuo sneered, advancing toward Du Yu.

Du Yu replied coldly, “If you have the guts, come at me. Let’s see who ends up unlucky in the end.”

“Oh, you’re pretty cocky, kid!” Bu Zushuo took a step forward and forcefully shoved Du Yu.

Strangely enough, the instant that shove landed, the entire cafe actually began to tremble faintly.

“What’s going on?” The two Bu brothers were somewhat bewildered. Glancing around, they were shocked to discover an intense murderous aura erupting from Zhongli Chun’s body. The killing intent was so overwhelming that it caused the entire storefront to shudder along with it.

“Don’t. Stop,” Du Yu said to Zhongli Chun. “Leave this to me. If you kill an official enforcer, you’ll really just be compounding your mistakes.”

Zhongli Chun froze, looking slightly at a loss. She was willing to let herself get hurt, but she absolutely could not allow Du Yu to be harmed.

But Du Yu had insisted she stay out of it. What was she supposed to do now?

“Is that it?” Du Yu took another step forward. “Just one shove and you’re done? If you have the guts, step up and fight me one-on-one.”

“One-on-one?! You think I’m afraid of you!” Bu Zushuo snapped back to reality and roared. “You really have a death wish, don’t you?!”

Though he said “one-on-one,” several enforcers surrounded Du Yu instead. Just as they were about to strike, a section of space in mid-air suddenly began to distort. After a violent tremor, a figure dressed entirely in white materialized in the air.

“Ah?!” Upon seeing this figure, the enforcers instantly dropped to their knees. “We pay our respects to the Seventh Lord!”

The Seventh Lord, White Impermanence Xie Bi’an, had suddenly appeared. Droplets of water still clung to his face, making it look as though he had rushed over in a hurry. He gently patted his face to absorb the moisture while surveying the scene, but after just a brief look, a bewildered expression spread across his face.

“Didn’t you say you needed me to save the enforcers from Zhongli Chun? Why does it look like Zhongli Chun is the one being subdued?”