Seventh Brother had once said that VIP passengers were the darlings of the stations in the underground world. Even Hunters wouldn't go looking for trouble with a VIP; they might even help one explore and clear obstacles.
They traveled to the remote, untamed wilderness, where they faced all kinds of extreme terrain and Spirit Calamity beasts.
Jiang Xueming felt incredibly lucky to have met David Victor on this train.
--So he planned to latch onto this VIP and soak up half an hour of travel experience, then another half hour of combat skills. He'd do his best to wring the man dry within two hours. After all, an unstable place like a train didn't have the right equipment or conditions.
It was like the high-pressure training exercise Victor had prepared for his passengers. A Xing had taken apart the tables, chairs, bed frames, bathtub, and bookshelves along with everything else. They weren't going to be able to recreate that lesson anytime soon.
Xue Ming was deeply disappointed. He'd wanted to experience Victor's [Inspiration Pressure].
Yes--the strange, uncanny pressure Victor gave off, his amazing hypnotic magic, and that supernatural ability to stir coffee out of thin air despite nobody knowing how it worked.
The [Inspiration Pressure] created by all of this would, for now, be called [Spirit Pressure].
When Bu Liuxing heard the term, his blood inexplicably surged, and he shouted at the top of his lungs,
"MOON! FANG! HEA—"
Before the kid could finish, Xue Ming clamped a hand over A Xing's mouth and stamped out his enthusiasm.
"I told you last time, everyone would be better off if you watched fewer cartoons."
"ε=(ο｀*) I couldn't help myself. When I heard the term [Inspiration Pressure], I thought it sounded so damn cool. And then..." A Xing grinned sheepishly. "I just felt like the moment called for it."
"Victor, about compensation..." Jiang Xueming leaned back in his chair, surveying the wrecked furniture around the room as he calculated the replacement cost. "After the trip, Bu Liuxing and I will tell the BOSS what happened. We'll also help you build another VIP carriage as an apology."
"No, everything in my studio can be replaced." Victor leaned against the doorframe, looking unconcerned. "Besides, when I set up this test, I should have expected this outcome. Consider it a small lesson for me. You don't need to compensate me for anything."
Bu Liuxing only half understood what they were talking about. He still had no idea what had happened and just stared at them, baffled.
Jiang Xueming and Victor took a great deal of effort to explain it all to him.
"Oh! So that's what happened!" A Xing was very expressive, moving his left hand and right hand in slow motion, just like Bailu. "Teacher Victor is a really impressive passenger, a VIP of the station. He also agreed to help the BOSS train ordinary passengers, so we can grow quickly and learn to use Life Talismans to withstand this kind of pressure."
He held up the Life Talisman on his chest and polished the golden lock again and again. Now that he knew what it was for, he liked the ornament even more.
"I already liked Teacher Victor's stories a lot. Then he hypnotized me, so I liked him even more. All those illusions and real emotions mixed together made for a really powerful temptation. I had to activate this Life Talisman to stay strong and resist it!"
Jiang Xueming said, "That's about right."
Victor said, "His comprehension isn't as poor as I expected. It seems he's capable of holding a conversation."
"It was like Teacher and I had fought a real duel!" Bu Liuxing clenched his fists, overcome with excitement. "When I saw those filthy rats crawling all over Teacher's manuscript, I went completely berserk. I felt so wronged, like I'd been falsely accused, and so frustrated that I was about to lose the duel. Then those disgusting, filthy, furry rats crowded together and charged at me. They chewed my hand to pieces, and the pain and terror nearly drowned me--but I came to my senses!"
"Exactly." Jiang Xueming felt thoroughly satisfied. "You successfully awakened the pyroxene. It amplified your other emotions and helped you pass the test. You did better than the other two hundred students in the bookshelf."
"Students? Students!" Bu Liuxing suddenly looked toward the fragments of the bookshelf. The logs had originally been arranged in neat rows, but now they were scattered all over the floor.
Quite a few of the logs had fallen open, and they really did contain other people's passenger-survey records.
--In other words...
"Teacher Victor, you weren't lying to me?" Bu Liuxing frowned again and searched the floor. "These logs are real! You really are one of the Armadillo Hunters?"
"My job is to write stories and understand stories. Nobody says passengers can't have two jobs. Plenty of passengers have multiple identities." Victor explained casually, unconcerned. "Besides writing, I'm also the BOSS's translator. That impatient boss doesn't even want to read the nonsense you people write."
Victor crouched to gather the logs scattered across the floor. He picked one up and pointed to the haphazard writing in the passenger log, patiently explaining it all to A Xing.
"Look here. These different writing styles, the habits that come from different languages' grammar, the descriptions and metaphors shaped by different contexts. Most of the logs you passengers write are failing essays in the BOSS's eyes. I have to clearly relay all these jumbled words, which read like sleep-talk and are as terrifying as the whispers of an eldritch god, to the BOSS."
"Oh! So you can openly admit you're an Armadillo Hunter." Bu Liuxing crouched beside Teacher Victor to help him. "You haven't persecuted any other passengers, have you, Teacher Victor?"
"I came to the underground world to write, and I really did want the other passengers' logs." Victor stacked the books, preparing to put away these treasures. "After all, they're the most precious things the passengers have. Their travel experiences, earned at the risk of their lives, are the best material for writing. But why would I persecute them? Kill them? Rob them? Threaten them or tempt them? Cheat them and trick them? Why would I use such low, despicable methods to take their treasures? I only want to write good stories. I don't have the energy to waste on dealing with investigations by armed staff."
The more Victor said, the brighter Bu Liuxing's eyes grew.
"I don't need the Universal Elixir they have. I just want to read their logs and record that precious knowledge, that information--
--It may sound obvious, but I have to say it: if there's only one bottle of Universal Elixir, once you use it up, it's gone.
--But if I turn one log into a story, then send it to the newspaper printing house, it becomes two copies, three, four, five--an endless number of copies."
The 237 passenger logs were stacked in neat piles beside the carriage wall.
"When I challenged you to a knightly duel, I made the stakes clear. If you lost, I would use these logs as material for my stories."
"As my opponent, you were also free to browse my collection and find a way to win in other people's travel logs, in example after example of failure. You could also refuse my challenge outright."
"If you accepted, then whether you relied on willpower or cheated and played dirty, I wouldn't know what you did while I was out of the carriage. I was only making two cups of coffee. I couldn't see what was happening in here, so how would I know whether you peeked at my manuscript?
--But if, even for a moment, you surrendered under that high-pressure environment, your log would belong to me. That's how I hunt."
After hearing all this, A Xing picked up Teacher Victor's manuscript, his eyes shining with admiration.
"Teacher, can I read your manuscript now?"
"..." Victor was stunned for a moment,
Then he burst into delighted laughter. "Heh heh. Heh heh heh ha ha ha. Hahahaha. Hahahaha!"
The great author clutched his stomach, laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath. Between laughs, he said to Jiang Xueming,
"Hey! Jiang Xueming! Your friend is so interesting! I can't wait to hear what he says next!"
Jiang Xueming murmured in agreement, "Some people seem utterly useless at first, but they can actually warm your heart. Just looking at them makes your blood boil."
"Hahahahaha!" Victor laughed even harder. "You're the same way. One of you is as cold as ice, the other as hot as fire. I'm really curious--very, very curious! I'd like to see your logs. May I?"
Jiang Xueming said, "No."
Bu Liuxing was just about to speak.
Jiang Xueming shot him a glance.
Bu Liuxing translated Xue Ming's meaning for Victor.
"No, Ming Ge says his butt can't go in the newspaper."
Jiang Xueming murmured to A Xing, "You always manage to be clever and quick-witted in ways I never expect."
A Xing scratched his head. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jiang Xueming whistled, looking nonchalant.
"It's a compliment."
"Of course!" Victor said, as if he'd found the treasure of his life. He pointed at the manuscript in Bu Liuxing's hand. "You've overcome the Inspiration Pressure I put on you. Go ahead and read it!"
"Really?!" Bu Liuxing could barely contain his excitement. When his fingers touched the envelope, it was like opening a birthday present.
"Really! I'm thrilled!" Victor was nothing like the calm, indifferent man he'd been a moment ago. His spirits were high as he urged him on. "Go on! Read it! Take a look!"
Bu Liuxing had found himself a new source of amusement. He put on a smug expression, raised his pinky, pinched the edge of the envelope, then covered his mouth and feigned surprise. "No way, Teacher Victor! I'm reading your manuscript! No way!~ Who was it that just said a manuscript is like an author's..."
Before he could finish--
--Xue Ming snatched the envelope away and slapped the manuscript against A Xing's face.
Then he bowed to Victor and apologized.
"Sorry for the trouble. I'm afraid you had to witness that."
The whole thing happened very quickly.
So quickly that I didn't even have time to describe how Jiang Xueming stepped onto a chair, rose to A Xing's height, and pressed the manuscript flat against his face from above.
That would have been tedious to explain, and understanding the sequence would have ruined the visual impact.
"It's fine, it's fine, it's fine!" Victor looked as happy as if he'd eaten honey. "When this little fellow won our contest and showed no interest in my manuscript, I was heartbroken. But now he's still willing to read my stories, and I'm so happy."
"Now then!" Jiang Xueming stepped forward and led Victor out of the chaotic VIP carriage. "We've had our fun. I need to discuss something serious with you."
The two of them walked to the passage between the carriages and spoke in private.
Jiang Xueming took out his ticket. "Teacher Victor, this is my ticket. Do you know this destination? Have you been there?"
Victor took the ticket. The moment he saw the English letters [DD], he answered, "I'm going there too. We'll get off at the same place."
Jiang Xueming didn't know what to say for a moment.
His heart had suddenly tightened.
This was where the VIP was going--
--But how old was Xue Ming as a passenger? This was only his second time on a train! He was just a little baby!
"Don't worry," Victor explained carefully. "Even though we're getting off at the same station, we're going to different places. I'm going deeper in. Jiang Xueming, how many times have you taken the train?"
"The second time."
"Then you should be investigating near the Dead Puppet Agency's residential complex."
"Teacher Victor, this isn't your first time?"
"VIPs can choose their own destinations. We can go wherever we want, and we decide when to leave and when to return."
"The agency's residential complex? Can you tell me more?"
"Then you have to promise me that once you hear about it, you won't change your mind or abandon this trip halfway through. That would cause trouble for the BOSS, and the BOSS would pass the trouble on to me. It would be a real headache."
Jiang Xueming thought it over carefully. "Please, tell me. I won't cause you any trouble."
"Sometimes, not knowing where you're going or where your destination lies is a kind of happiness." Victor glanced toward the VIP carriage. He still had his reservations and didn't quite trust the promise of this unfamiliar passenger. After all, Jiang Xueming looked far more mature than Bu Liuxing--and far more complicated.
Jiang Xueming followed Teacher Victor's gaze toward the carriage--
--A Xing was clutching the manuscript and yelling at the top of his lungs.
"What is this thing?! This book, these manuscripts..."
"Is this the story after Teacher Victor revised it? It feels so real and exciting!"
"It's nothing like the gloomy, terrifying atmosphere of the first edition I saw in the newspaper. Everything happens under the sunshine, in the sweet morning mist."
"Sometimes blood and flesh from that Broken Hand splatter onto me. It's like [a jelly or a sticky ball of cornmeal and meat] or [fingers swollen like German sausages], but somehow it doesn't make me feel sick at all."
"The smooth prose and the perfectly placed breaks and punctuation turn the whole story into a series of clean, tidy rooms. The subtitles are like signs on the doors, making me want to push them open!"
"To put it in a strange way, it's like there's an anthill inside my skull. The ants have hollowed out my brain--and there's only one thought in my heart!"
"Turn the page!"
"He really does seem happy." Jiang Xueming could tell from A Xing's flushed face and excited expression.
"You understand, right?" Victor explained. "It's like a chef has prepared a feast. Before the guest lifts the lid, they don't know what's inside. That feeling of surprise lasts until the diner has eaten everything, licked the plate clean, wasted not a single bite, and finally slumps over the table, completely satisfied."
"Right." Jiang Xueming brazenly returned to the earlier topic. "An unknown menu is just like an unknown destination. Both are full of novelty. But I still want to know what I'm getting into. I'm still working out, so I can't just eat whatever I want. I don't want a surprise; for me, it's more likely to be a shock. Besides, I can't go wherever I want like you can, with your VIP abilities and privileges. This is only my second time on the train. I'm still just a baby."
"Then I'll tell you in detail." Victor took out a fountain pen and bit down on the barrel. He liked to do that when he was thinking. "The place we're going is called [Dead Doll]. It should translate as the Dead Puppet Agency."
Jiang Xueming immediately took out his logbook and got to work.
Victor continued--
"--For my latest novel, I'm writing a story about a corpse, so I went to ask the BOSS for help. I wanted to know whether there was a special region in the underground world between life and death, or some half-dead creature. It recommended this agency."
"What kind of agency was it before? What was it used for?" Jiang Xueming kept his head down as his pencil flew across the page. "If it's an agency facility belonging to the station, then all stations, trade transfer stations, energy stations, and Research Stations have official names. Why has this Dead Puppet Agency been shortened now? Did it suffer a serious Spirit Calamity?"
"Your imagination and ability to connect ideas are impressive..." Victor replied with a smile. "But you need to ask the questions one at a time, and I'll answer them one at a time. My studio's already ruined. How about I come to your carriage..."
Jiang Xueming answered before he could finish. "We can sit down and talk."
Victor put away his pen and prepared to leave. "Aside from telling you about this destination--"
"--I also need you to do two things for me." Jiang Xueming spoke very quickly. "First, I'd like to wring you dry. I mean, ask you for some combat and survival tips."
Victor heard the slip of the tongue and the backtracking. The moment he heard the words [wring you dry], a flash of Inspiration struck him like a blow to the head.
Then things went back to normal.
"What else?"
Xue Ming pointed at Bu Liuxing, who was still hollering in the VIP carriage.
"Why isn't there more?!"
A Xing's eyes glistened with tears.
"Margaret's so pitiful! What should I do? How can I save her?!"
He held the manuscript high and flipped through the pages again and again.
"I really want to know what happens in the next issue. I really want to know what happens after this..."
Xue Ming pointed at the dazed Bu Liuxing and earnestly asked Victor,
"Please, Teacher, cure him."
Before you continue