Once the affection level is maxed out, the rivalry begins!

After the fog dissipated, the village was revealed in its true form.

Ancient wooden buildings are scattered about, the river we saw earlier flows through the center of the village, and an arched bridge spans the river in the distance.

There was no one in sight, but a faint commotion could be heard coming from the bridge.

The previous guide called this place Hirasaka—a place name in the mythology of island nations in the Orient that leads to the underworld.

However, his own image is closer to that of the ferryman of the River Styx in Greek mythology, which suggests that this other world probably incorporates many elements from various underworlds.

Bai Ze walked ahead, while Xia Xingzhi followed stealthily behind, like a hamster cautiously searching for food.

"Given the effectiveness of your abilities, is it really necessary to be this careful?"

Since misfortune will be shared with teammates anyway, theoretically, the best use for the detective is as a scout who goes through fire and water.

"I think the main reason I survive these kinds of incidents is because of my own caution..."

She turned her face away guiltily.

As the two talked, they approached the source of the sound.

On both sides of the street paved with bluestone bricks, a lively crowd gathered, as if all the villagers had left their homes and come here.

The vast majority wore veils and white printed robes, but some were dressed in modern attire.

"Those are probably the audience members who were watching the performance together," Xia Xingzhi reminded them.

She has an excellent memory; even someone with social anxiety who is easily frightened can accurately remember the faces of people she passes by.

These people seemed to have forgotten their identity and origins, completely mingling with the local residents, joining in the lively atmosphere, chatting, and even happily buying wooden amulet-like souvenirs from street vendors.

A closer look reveals their empty eyes, as if their souls have vanished, leaving only empty shells.

Bai Ze led Xia Xingzhi into the crowd and soon discovered the missing band members.

Rather, they are the source of the village's festive atmosphere.

A solemn palanquin, resembling a shrine, was being slowly carried across the middle of the street by dozens of villagers. The four members of the female band that had previously performed in the human world stood on this enormous palanquin, with their instruments still fully arranged, making it seem like a mobile stage.

But they all seemed uneasy, as if they still retained their consciousness.

"What should we do... They told us to continue the performance, but there's no power cord or speakers."

"It's okay if it's bass; just pretend!"

"What will happen to us...?"

You can hear whispers like this, and because of the lack of facilities, even when they are trying to play their instruments, the effect is terrible—but the residents here listen with rapt attention.

"What is this? A band from the underworld? An idol of the dead?"

Even though Bai Ze was mentally prepared, he never expected to see this scene.

Is the anomaly here simply a case of a pervert who kidnaps girl bands to perform?

"That's not how it works."

Xia Xingzhi stared at the sedan chair moving forward. "This should be a ceremony similar to a ghost marriage."

It is a ritual procedure in which living people are offered to beings who reside in the afterlife.

If you look closely, the detective's younger sister, Xia Yunli, is wearing a white shawl around her neck, and the other three girls are also wearing light, gauze-like scarves around their arms.

Accompanying the palanquin was another group, led by the man who used the spider lily to summon the other world.

He pulled out a badge depicting the scales of Libra, pressed it to his chest, and loudly proclaimed to the residents gathered on the street:

"May we, as the witness of our community, offer the Son of God to the Lord of the Underworld today, in exchange for His friendship!"

It was the Holy Trinity Order again. Rhea had previously warned them that they seemed to have sent one of their four high priests to the vicinity of the Fuyuna region.

So these are their subordinates?

The villagers cheered, and a woman dressed as a shaman stepped out from the crowd to sing folk songs. The fervent emotions were pushed to their peak, covering the village as if they were materialized.

Crimson butterflies, burning fiercely, rose from the bonfires in the streets and from the candlelight in the houses, surging into the streets like a converging torrent.

"I absolutely will not allow someone to turn another person's sister into a monster's bride!"

Xia Xingzhi trembled with anger, turning to look at Bai Ze, "We need to find the anomaly's true form..."

This is the usual explanation for entering another world.

By examining the mechanism and considering which part of the human cognitive world it reflects, we can find the abnormal entity or even its weakness, and ultimately defeat it.

But Bai Ze was unwilling to ignore the enemy in front of him and take a long detour.

Upon closer reflection, all the anomalies he experienced were ultimately defeated head-on, which shows that this approach is entirely feasible!

"I refuse, it's not worth the trouble."

The dense text suddenly spread out from his feet, like ink splashed on rice paper.

The magnificent scene of fire butterflies dancing was like an oil painting that had been roughly smeared with ink, ravaged and rewritten. The originally hazy and illusory atmosphere shattered like bubbles, transforming into a fierce and cursed land.

The veiled villagers screamed and scattered, but the area from their feet to their calves was stained gray, turning into part of the stone statue and fixing them in place.

"Don't panic!"

The men of the cult shouted loudly, their eyes fixed on Bai Ze.

His unwavering presence amidst the chaos, along with the female detective beside him, stood out conspicuously and were naturally noticed.

A flicker of panic crossed the face of the man from the cult: "Who are you, cultivator, daring to cause trouble in the pure land of the Netherworld!"

This strange way of speaking... Sure enough, the other person is "role-playing".

Just as he called Xia Yunli "the child of the gods" and respectfully addressed the extraordinary as "the lord of the underworld".

Names possess power; this is a way to appease the anomaly by conforming to the rules and cultural customs of the other world.

In other words, the cult members who summoned this other world did not truly grasp the anomaly—whether they could somehow achieve this after kidnapping Xia Yunli remains to be seen.

Therefore, the men of the religious order, who appeared to be taking a high-pressure stance, were actually making a truce request with a show of bravado.

"If you have any grudges against us, you can settle them outside! Do not anger the Lord of the Underworld!"

[You crazy outsider, stop causing trouble, or we'll all die!]

That's roughly the correct translation.

So, what should we do in the face of such a sincere request for negotiation?

Bai Ze raised his index finger and thumb, making a gun shape and aiming it at him.

"Great, that's exactly what I wanted to do, kill it too."

Impact curse activated.

Like pulling a trigger, an invisible force vibrated the air, and the man's chest suddenly burst open.

He waved his hands, trying to stop the gushing blood, and stared at Bai Ze in disbelief.

You can't flip a table like that!

The successive impacts sent him flying like a rag doll, crashing into the water below the bridge.