Chapter 47: For You, I Am Willing to Change the World

Chapter 47: For You, I Am Willing to Change the World

On the way back, Pan Shuai roughly explained what had happened to Lu Li and Xing Tian who were sharing the car with him.

Lu Li stroked his chin. "So the ancient figures from history books have come back to life?"

"Strictly speaking, it's not resurrection, but a living dead state just like that fellow we saw earlier. That weapon, that sense of oppression..."

Pan Shuai kept his hands on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the dark road ahead. "Old Lu, which famous military general in history do you think used a Halberd with Sky-Piercing Crescent Blades? And that horse."

"Lü Bu? Are you saying that ghost general and ghost horse are Lü Bu and Red Hare?" Lu Li immediately dismissed the idea. "Impossible. That's just Lü Bu from romance novels; the real Lü Bu in history didn't use a Halberd with Sky-Piercing Crescent Blades."

Lu Li felt entirely confident in his understanding, but to his surprise, Pan Shuai looked at him as if he were an illiterate. "Old Lu, was your history class taught by the music teacher? The historical Lü Bu *did* use a Halberd with Sky-Piercing Crescent Blades."

"..." Lu Li laughed. "Does that mean Guan Yu used the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and Zhang Fei used the Serpent Spear?"

They clearly used horse lances!

"Well, what else?" Pan Shuai retorted. "No way! Old Lu, you don't even know this?"

Lu Li: "..."

Damn it, this worldview has been altered so ridiculously.

Seeing that Lu Li was about to lose his composure, Xing Tian hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. "Let's not talk about this. By the way, what caused those ancients to 'come back to life'?"

He still possessed a very clear self-awareness of being a mere follower tagging along.

"It's bizarre; all those urban legends have completely vanished," Pan Shuai began to explain to the two of them. "Originally, every corner of the world had official supernatural organizations dedicated to handling urban legends. In our country, that's the Supernormal Affairs Bureau.

"But just now, we received news that urban legends all over the world have completely disappeared. People have tested it—even when the conditions are met, they can no longer be triggered.

"At the same time, those ancient supernatural entities across the globe have returned as the living dead. And..."

Pan Shuai looked perplexed. "For some reason, they are all heading in the direction of our country."

Lu Li sighed. "I probably know why."

"Why?"

"The person controlling them wants to sleep with me."

"Huh?"

Pan Shuai instinctively slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a halt in the middle of the road.

He turned his head and demanded, "What did you say?! Old Lu! This is no time for jokes!"

"Who the hell is joking with you?" Lu Li was equally depressed. "Otherwise, where did you think I was dragged off to?"

Pan Shuai suddenly recalled the Pen Fairy's response before Lu Li was captured.

At that time, Lu Li had asked where his wife was.

The replies from all three spirits pointed to Old Sophora Village, and then they hauled Lu Li away.

"So... you met your wife in Old Sophora Village?"

***

"We haven't gotten our marriage certificate yet, so strictly speaking she's not quite my wife. Besides, although we entered the bridal chamber, we haven't slept together yet," Lu Li shrugged. "Mainly because I resisted to the death and took the opportunity to run away. Now she's probably trying to drag me back."

"Then couldn't you just..." Pan Shuai paused, growing anxious. "Couldn't you just agree?! Is she not pretty?"

"She's pretty enough, but I'd have to be dead first. Besides, even after dying, I wouldn't even be able to take off my clothes, so what's the point of that? Moreover, if I really agreed, I'd never be able to see anyone else again."

Lu Li looked quite aggrieved. "Would you agree if it were you?"

"This..."

Pan Shuai was momentarily speechless.

That certainly posed a problem.

He could not bring himself to ask Lu Li to sacrifice himself for the so-called greater good.

Or rather, that was the consistent teaching of the Supernormal Affairs Bureau.

If one were to sacrifice oneself for the greater good, it had to rely entirely on one's own awareness; the state would never force an individual to make that choice.

Pan Shuai still remembered what the Bureau Chief had said when he first joined.

"The greater good? That's someone else's greater good, not yours. If you really don't want to die, then just desert. There's no shame in it."

Precisely because of this, the cohesion within the Supernormal Affairs Bureau was extraordinarily strong.

When facing death, these people could also face it calmly.

Although it was for the safety of the common people, it was ultimately their own choice.

They volunteered to become heroes and die, rather than doing so for any other reason.

Nothing more, nothing less.

"I understand," Pan Shuai instructed. "None of you are to speak a word of this. I will report it to the Bureau Chief privately; we must absolutely not let the outside world find out about this. Hang on, let me take this call first."

His phone was ringing.

"Hello, this is Pan Shuai."

"What?"

"But Bureau Chief..."

"I understand."

Hanging up the phone, Pan Shuai took a deep breath before finally saying to Lu Li, "Old Lu, you need to come with me to the Luocheng Branch Bureau. Our Bureau Chief has also arrived."

Lu Li raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

Pan Shuai's expression was grim. "Those fellows returned from hell have started slaughtering people on a massive scale, and they are seizing ancient supernatural artifacts and tombs all over the world.

"At the same time, the people who were killed... have also returned as the dead. Firearms are ineffective against them; only supernatural beings can barely manage to cope."

Yet, supernatural beings were far too few compared to the global population, and legendary living-dead supernatural entities like Lü Bu were not something most supernatural beings could handle.

"What are we hesitating for then? Let's go."

***

Pan Shuai said nothing more, silently starting the car and driving toward the urban area.

The entire journey was silent. As they neared the branch bureau, he suddenly spoke, "Old Lu, if... if the higher-ups decide to hand you over, use your ability to block everyone's five senses and run away. Don't tell me where you're running to either; the Supernormal Affairs Bureau has supernatural entities capable of probing memories, and by then I would have no choice but to betray you."

Therefore, if he did not know Lu Li's escape route, Lu Li would not be found.

Or at least, he would be found much later.

He actually knew that Lu Li couldn't possibly escape for long, or that even if he did escape, he wouldn't get far given how advanced surveillance facilities were nowadays.

At the very least, he wouldn't be the one betraying him, which would make his conscience feel a little easier.

This was already the utmost limit of what he could do.

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem." Seeming to see through his thoughts, Lu Li patted his shoulder. "If they really want to capture me, just remember to sell me out. At the very least, you might get a promotion and a fortune."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Don't worry, they can't do anything to me."

With that, Lu Li pulled open the car door, paused for over ten seconds, and then stepped out.

Upon arriving at the branch bureau, Lu Li sensed several supernatural entities faintly surrounding him and Pan Shuai.

These fellows ought to be quite powerful.

Although Lu Li couldn't sense it directly, he could tell from the tense state of Pan Shuai's muscles.

He must have known these supernatural entities.

"Old Lu, wait for me here a moment."

Pan Shuai intended to have a final negotiation with the Bureau Chief to see if he could win any leeway.

Lu Li offered no objection, obediently following those supernatural entities down to the underground shelter and docilely entering a two-bedroom apartment.

Only he remained here alone; Xing Tian and the others naturally could not enter.

After everyone had left, Lu Li waited for half an hour before finally getting up and walking into the kitchen.

Looking at the red-robed figure humming a little tune and bustling by the stove, he couldn't help asking, "Tell me, Miss Huaisu, what on earth are you trying to accomplish by resurrecting those fellows?"

"To change the world, of course! All my beloved was worried about was that becoming a ghost would make him treated as an outlier. So, as long as every living creature in the world turns into a spirit, my beloved naturally won't feel any aversion anymore. Ah?"

Huaisu finished speaking, only then reacting belatedly.

The soup ladle in her hand dropped to the floor. She turned her head abruptly, her expression filled with astonishment.

The man she had yearned for day and night was, at this very moment, reflecting her image in his eyes.