49. Seal Formation and Ghost Gate

On the way back home, Qiu Rong remained silent. Yan Ling drove through the crowded streets, and the warm summer breeze brushed past them. The car was stuck in traffic again. Qiu Rong leaned against the window, gazing absentmindedly at the neon lights and the diverse crowd on the street, lost in his thoughts.

Once they arrived home, Yan Ling changed his clothes and came out. He saw Qiu Rong sitting by the window and, after a moment’s hesitation, retrieved a half-pack of cigarettes from the drawer in the foyer shoe cabinet.

He turned off the living room’s main light and sat down on the floor beside Qiu Rong.

“Do you want to smoke?” The cigarette box was offered to him. The slender, pale hand holding the cigarette lighter didn’t match at all.

Qiu Rong took the cigarette box and placed it aside. He held Yan Ling’s hand and leaned his head on Yan Ling’s shoulder.

The waxing crescent moon hung in the sky, not as dazzling under the city lights, its soft glow cascading onto the floor.

“You said you wanted to quit smoking,” Qiu Rong said.

“Yeah.” Yan Ling adjusted his posture, allowing Qiu Rong to get more comfortable. “I’ll make an exception for you this time.”

Qiu Rong smiled and shook his head. “I won’t smoke anymore.”

“I want to spend many more years with you,” Yan Ling said. He tilted his head, his chin touching Qiu Rong’s hair as he lowered his gaze.

“What else about me do you dislike? Tell me, and I’ll change it sooner. Otherwise, accumulated dislikes might make you stop liking me one day. What will I do then?” Qiu Rong held his hand and gave it a squeeze. “We still have a long, long life ahead of us, don’t we?”

Moonlight slowly crawled towards their feet.

“How long is that?” Yan Ling asked.

“As long as the time you exist,” Qiu Rong replied.

Qiu Rong looked up. “Can a werewolf be turned by the First Embrace? Would I become a vampire then?”

Yan Ling leaned sideways, observing Qiu Rong’s face. “Aren’t you afraid that we might not reach the end together?”

Qiu Rong shook his head and moved closer to Yan Ling. His hand, which had been released, once again touched Yan Ling’s slightly cold fingertips. He moved forward, entwining his fingers with Yan Ling’s. “I’ll get rid of my bad habits and be a good little dog, so you won’t have the heart to leave me.”

“What if it’s you who wants to leave me first?” Yan Ling asked again.

“I won’t,” Qiu Rong leaned closer and kissed Yan Ling gently. “I can’t bear to.”

Moonlight fell on Qiu Rong’s face. Yan Ling sat up, reaching out to caress Qiu Rong’s youthful face, whispering softly, “Isn’t it better to let me accompany you and grow old together?”

Qiu Rong pressed Yan Ling’s hand against his cheek and rubbed against it. “No, it’s not.”

He covered Yan Ling’s hand with his own. “I don’t want to leave you alone.”

Facing death alone is too painful.

Qiu Rong understands this feeling best.

“…I won’t be alone,” Yan Ling’s voice was barely audible. Before Qiu Rong could look at him, he used his thumb to gently stroke Qiu Rong’s face. “Maybe I can leave with you.”

Qiu Rong let go of Yan Ling’s hand and stared at him like a lost puppy.

He pursed his lips, leaned forward, and rested his head on Yan Ling’s shoulder. “How can you be so sure that I will definitely remember that seal?”

“Did you remember it then?”

Qiu Rong’s hair was flicked, making him itch, and he shrugged his shoulders and lifted his head in a sulky manner. “…I remembered.”

Qiu Rong hesitated whether to go back 15 years ago and take another look, but Yan Ling held his hand.

In that moment of eye contact, Qiu Rong understood that Yan Ling wanted him to remember the formation that sealed his brother Uriel.

“I don’t want to use it,” Qiu Rong said.

Yan Ling coaxed him, “Using it on me would counteract the curse of the vampire.”

“It’s different,” Qiu Rong leaned back against Yan Ling’s chest. He pressed his ear against Yan Ling’s heart. “I only memorized the drawing technique, but I’m not sure if I can reproduce it, and even if I can, it may not work. I don’t want to use something so uncertain on you.”

Yan Ling lowered his head and stroked Qiu Rong’s hair. “Just as a precaution, maybe we won’t even need it.”

“Don’t worry, even if we use it, I’ll be fine,” Qiu Rong shook his head. He listened to Yan Ling’s heartbeat and whispered softly, “I don’t want to see another person I love leave me.”

Yan Ling held Qiu Rong silently without saying another word.

Tonight, the moon was particularly bright, transitioning from a crescent to a full moon.

…Calculating the time, it was almost the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.

The last time Uriel appeared in the city center, the detection devices from the research institute had no response. Those superficial detectors were all recalled, and the institute began working overtime on upgrades.

Yan Ling didn’t hold much hope for that. He had already arranged for people with keen perception abilities to continue searching in the neighborhood.

They did manage to catch a few traces of Uriel.

But they were never able to catch up with him.

Uriel had made three attempts on people from the supernatural community, and now those in the supernatural community were also cautious of him. Some of the more timid ones had formed groups and lived together, making it more difficult for Uriel to make a move.

Shu Ya said he used all his strength to send Uriel flying with his tail, so Uriel must have been injured.

It couldn’t be determined whether the people from the department dealing with rule violations suddenly being able to sense Uriel’s presence was related to his injury.

Qiu Rong and Yan Ling had hoped to “take advantage of his illness to kill him,” but unfortunately, they had been waiting in vain for the next contact from the little nightmare.

To clean up the mess left by Song De, Zong Lishu, who had just taken office and exhausted his body, finally managed to get out of bed.

Having used up all his energy moving from home to the Special Management Bureau, he contacted Qiu Rong and Yan Ling, saying that there was something to discuss and that he wanted to visit them in person.

Qiu Rong listened to the coughing on the other end of the phone and said, “You’d better wait for us at the Special Management Bureau.”

Qiu Rong and Yan Ling arrived at the office of the bureau chief, and the little demon was there too. He was practically attached to Zhong Lishu now, either running errands for him or circling around him.

At this moment, Zhong Lishu handed him an imported can of cookies, coaxing the little demon to sit obediently on the side.

The little demon happily hugged the tin can and went to sit by the window to bask in the sun, completely unconcerned about what they were going to discuss.

Zhong Lishu washed his hands and brewed tea for Qiu Rong and Yan Ling. The crisp sound of the porcelain bowl and lid touching was pleasant to the ears, and his movements were smooth and flowing, calming the hearts of those present.

Clear tea poured into the teacup, exuding a fragrant yet refreshing aroma.

Zhong Lishu whispered, “Earlier, Prince Kate mentioned that demons cannot die, and I think there may be some truth to it.”

Qiu Rong set down the tea he was holding. “What does the bureau chief know?”

Zhong Lishu smiled and remained silent, then he asked, “What do you two think I am?”

Qiu Rong and Yan Ling exchanged glances.

“You’re definitely not young,” Qiu Rong said.

Zhong Lishu smiled and replied, “By my calculations, this body of mine is around thirty-two years old. As for the soul, I can’t quite remember.”

Zhong Lishu spoke of a distant history.

Long ago, back to the time of Pangu separating heaven and earth and Nüwa creating humans, the spiritual energy of the world was abundant, and all things possessed spirituality. Those who achieved immortality were not few in number. At that time, China had immortals and ghosts, and Zhong Lishu speculated that the Western world was also in an era of angels and demons fighting.

After countless millennia, the immortals gradually grew weary of this land. They slumbered, disappeared, and the existence of humans gradually took over, leading to the division of the world into three realms: the Heavenly Court, the Mortal Realm, and the Underworld. Corresponding to the Western concepts of Heaven, Earth, and Hell.

Although the three realms were separate, there were still places where they intersected. Until the birth of human civilization and the formation of nations, the struggles and unions continued, and humanity’s progress never ceased.

From industry to technology, humans opened the doors of science, completely severing ties with the three realms.

“The current era is probably what humans call the end of the Dharma in fantasy novels,” Zhong Lishu coughed. “The majority of the supernatural races who remain in the mortal realm have assimilated well into human life. Superpowers have become less important. With each generation, they decline, and one day, there will be little difference between supernaturals and humans.”

Going off on a tangent, Zhong Lishu regained his composure, saying, “At the beginning of the end of the Dharma, laws still exist, and these laws are you, me, and the myriad of supernaturals hidden among the masses. This includes a few places that are still connected to the heavens and earth.”

“The ghost gate of the Underworld,” Qiu Rong muttered.

Zhong Lishu nodded. “In the past, the ghost gate was open from the first day to the end of the lunar month, but now it only opens for one day on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month.”

“Uriel took advantage of the ghost gate of the Underworld to respond to Chai Jian’s summons.”

“Did you just say Uriel cannot die…?” Qiu Rong asked.

“In the past, there were many who were considered immortal. Immortal gods, immortal demons. Immortal angels, immortal demons. The concept of immortality is relative,” Qiu Rong explained.

“The gods and demons suppressed each other, as did the angels and demons. In their battles, one side would always fall. Afterward, the two realms reached a truce. Most of them dissipated in this world, while a few entered a deep slumber, ultimately waiting for their energy to dissipate and their souls to return to the earth,” Qiu Rong continued.

“There are also a few exceptions, like the Baize, Tietuo, which is said to be passed down through a single bloodline. In reality, when their energy accumulates to a certain extent, they are forced to enter a deep sleep until they shed their past and are reborn with a completely new appearance.”

“The gates of Western Hell should be completely sealed compared to our underworld. The demons should have long been in slumber. However, since Uriel has emerged, it indicates the presence of a force in the human world that sustains his existence. To kill Uriel, we must sever his source of energy,” Qiu Rong explained.

Yan Ling calmly stated, “Uriel’s energy originates from the deep desires within the human heart.”

And human desires are the most uncontrollable and impossible thing to eliminate in this world.

“Is it not possible to send Uriel back to Hell?” Qiu Rong asked.

Zhong Li Shu shook his head. “The gates of Hell have been closed, and we haven’t heard anything from the underworld for many years. It’s likely already… Otherwise, they wouldn’t have allowed Uriel to come through the Ghost Gate.”

“So, the safest approach is still sealing,” Zhong Li Shu suggested, and both Zhong Li Shu and Yan Ling’s gaze fell upon Qiu Rong, who furrowed his brows.

“In fact, I am the most suitable person to serve as the core of the seal,” Zhong Li Shu sighed, coughing. “But unfortunately, my current body is just an ordinary human body. The power to contain the original entity has weakened to this extent. Using it for sealing, at most, could seal Uriel for a hundred years.”

Yan Ling said, “Let me do it.”

Qiu Rong held his hand.

Yan Ling patted Qiu Rong gently and shook his head.

All of this was observed by Zhong Li Shu, who said, “This is only the worst-case scenario we have assumed. Ultimately, we need to find Uriel first and then make a decision.”

Qiu Rong’s expression remained unchanged.

A knock sounded on the office door, awakening the sleepy little demon who had fallen asleep in the sun after eating cookies. The lid of the tin can fell to the ground with a loud “clang.”

The little demon put down the cookie tin, stretched lazily, and picked up the tin lid. Then, he stood up and went to open the door.

The person who came in held an instrument in his hand. Seeing that the Alpha of the Wolf Clan and the Prince of the Vampire Clan were inside, he spoke straightforwardly, “Commander, the research institute has sent a new detection device. They said that if it doesn’t work this time, heads will roll!”

Zhong Li Shu: “…”

Zhong Li Shu: “There’s no need for that.”

The refurbished instrument was also sent to the Department of Violations, and Yan Ling quickly received the news.

Zhong Li Shu called the two of them today to discuss Uriel’s matter.

After finishing his words, the tea had turned cold.

Before Qiu Rong and Yan Ling left, Zhong Li Shu said, “The Ghost Festival is approaching. I have a premonition that it’s best to find Uriel before then.”

Qiu Rong and Yan Ling had already reached the door when Qiu Rong turned back to look at Zhong Li Shu. “You haven’t said what your original form is.”

Zhong Li Shu smiled.

“Just an old monster that should have dissipated in the world but was awakened by someone.”

The little demon approached Zhong Li Shu and wagged his peach-shaped tail at Qiu Rong and Yan Ling.

Author’s Note:

Little demon: Bye-bye~ I’m going to take a nap with Brother Zhong Li~ (kidding)

(They don’t have an explicitly defined CP, so feel free to interpret it as you like~)

(Some things that couldn’t fit into the main text may be compiled into a bonus chapter~)

The moon is full on the fifteenth day! Today’s moon is very big and bright!