Blood Moon

Lanxing City, Linjiang District.

It was 11:30 PM. Fang Gang twisted the throttle, his old electric scooter groaning under the strain on the empty streets.

He was a night shift rider for Suda Delivery, rushing to Anxin Funeral Home on the outskirts of the city with a late-night meal order. The customer's note read: "Leave it at the duty room door, don't knock."

The night wind carried an indescribable chill, drilling straight into his bones.

Fang Gang hunched his neck, instinctively touching his thick hair. It was one of the few things he was grateful for in his eighteen years since transmigration, besides his reasonably healthy body.

"This awful weather, the temperature dropped so fast," he muttered, glancing at his rearview mirror.

In the mirror, a huge, round moon hung in the sky. Its color... was scarlet, like blood!

Fang Gang slammed on the brakes, his scooter emitting a piercing screech. He looked up, his pupils contracting sharply.

It wasn't his imagination.

Across the sky, the moon that should have been bright and clear was now saturated with a viscous, ominous crimson, casting the entire Linjiang District in a bizarre, dim red glow.

The chill in the air instantly intensified, feeling like invisible ice needles pricking his skin.

"Blood Moon?!"

Fang Gang's heart pounded. Fragments of memories from his past life and occasional ghost stories circulating in this world flooded his mind. "Does that actually exist?"

Just then, a pungent odor, like rusted iron mixed with decaying flesh, assaulted his nostrils.

Immediately after, a brief, inhuman scream filled with pain and despair echoed from a nearby intersection!

"Ergh—!"

The sound abruptly stopped, as if someone had their throat violently choked off.

Fang Gang's hair stood on end. He stared intently at the dark intersection, his palms sweating as he gripped the handlebars.

Reason told him to run, but an indescribable chill and a nagging curiosity rooted him to the spot.

In the darkness, something seemed to be wriggling and chewing.

"Damn it!" Fang Gang cursed under his breath, adrenaline surging. He twisted the throttle hard, and the electric scooter shot forward like a startled rabbit, fleeing the ominous area at top speed.

The funeral home order? Screw that! His life was more important!

His heart was still pounding in his chest, the oppressive feeling of the Blood Moon and the lingering echo of that scream replaying in his mind.

He just wanted to get back to his dilapidated but relatively safe rented room as quickly as possible.

However, fate seemed to be conspiring against him.

The scooter had barely traveled a few hundred meters when, after turning a corner, the stark white sign and eerie silhouette of Anxin Funeral Home abruptly appeared before him.

Even worse, the scooter coughed weakly a few times and died completely – out of battery.

"..." Fang Gang looked at the funeral home entrance so close, then back at the darkness behind him that seemed ready to devour him. His face turned ashen.

He kicked the scooter hard. "Stupid piece of junk! Failing me at a time like this!"

Bracing himself, he pushed the scooter to the duty room window of the funeral home. Fang Gang took out his phone, ready to take a photo as proof to complete the order.

Thick curtains covered the duty room window, and absolute silence reigned within. Following the instructions, he carefully placed the plastic bag containing the fried rice on the windowsill.

Just as he was about to get up and leave, a feeling of being watched, like a cold viper, crawled up his spine.

Fang Gang froze.

He spun around abruptly, staring intently at the closed door of the duty room.

"Thump… thump… thump…"

A dull, slow, viscous-sounding knocking clearly emanated from behind the door panel.

The sound wasn't like knocking; it was more like something wet was repeatedly… slamming against the inside of the door.

What made Fang Gang's scalp tingle even more was that, accompanying the knocking, a faint, short, labored breathing, like a bellows struggling, could also be vaguely heard from the gap in the door!

Hiss… puff… hiss… puff…

It was by no means the breathing rhythm of a living person! Cold, mechanical, carrying a heavy dampness, as if from something within the deepest freezer cabinets of the morgue.

The red light of the Blood Moon filtered through the sparse tree shadows, dappling the funeral home's pale walls and closed door, casting a suffocatingly eerie glow.

The cold air seemed to solidify, pressing down heavily on Fang Gang's chest.

"Run!" The thought was more intense than ever before.

He scrambled to his feet, practically using his hands and feet, and turned to flee this godforsaken place.

"Ding dong! You have a new Meituan Delivery order. Please process it promptly."

His phone in his pocket, of all times, rang with a crisp notification sound at this critical moment!

At the silent entrance of the funeral home, the sound was exceptionally jarring, instantly shattering the suffocating quiet!

The knocking and breathing from behind the door abruptly paused for a moment.

Fang Gang's blood felt like it had frozen, and an icy chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head!

He could feel it, behind the door panel, some kind of cold, malicious "gaze" penetrating the thick wood, locking onto him!

"Damn it!" Fang Gang cursed under his breath, adrenaline surging once more.

He ignored his phone and his broken-down scooter, breaking into a sprint towards the only brightly lit road outside the funeral home!

The wind whistled past his ears, his heart pounding as if it would leap from his throat.

He could feel the door to the duty room behind him... seeming to open silently! A stronger, colder wind, carrying the scent of formaldehyde and decay, was sweeping towards him from behind!

Just then—

[Ding! Host's mental threshold detected crossing critical point, soul fluctuation meets binding requirements...]

[Binding "Martial Arts Stat-Adding System"...]

[Binding successful! Beginner's gift package issued: Evolution Points +10!]

[Warning: Low-level Yin energy aggregate (Grudge-level) detected approaching! Threat level: E-!]

[Beginner mission issued: First Battle! Kill or expel 'Grudge Aggregate'! Mission reward: Evolution Points +5!]

A series of cold, emotionless, yet crystal-clear mechanical electronic voices boomed directly in the depths of Fang Gang's mind like thunder!

Accompanying the prompts, a semi-transparent, tech-infused light blue data panel abruptly floated directly in front of his vision.

[Host: Fang Gang] [Realm: Mortal (Not yet Tiered)] [Strength: 0.7 (Feeble)] [Constitution: 0.8 (Average)] [Agility: 0.9 (Passable)] [Spirit: 1.1 (Resilient)] [Available Evolution Points: 10] [Cultivation Method: None] [Martial Skills: None] [Status: Yin Energy Erosion (Minor)]

Fang Gang's sprinting steps faltered violently, nearly causing him to fall.

The system's appearance shocked him even more than the ghostly entity behind him! He had transmigrated eighteen years ago, and his cheat finally arrived?!

"Stat-adding? Evolution points?" His thoughts flashed by, but the bone-chilling malice from behind was already closing in!

"Roar—!"

A non-human howl, filled with malice and greed, sounded almost against the back of his neck! The cold, Yin wind felt solid, coiling around his ankles!

On the brink of life and death, the fierce spirit Fang Gang possessed even before transmigration was fully ignited!

Survival instincts overwhelmed his fear, allowing him to instantly grasp the meaning of the system panel!

"Add points! Strength! All into strength!!" Fang Gang roared madly in his mind!

[Ding! Consumed 10 Evolution Points! Strength attribute increased! Current Strength: 1.7 (Beyond Normal)!]

An indescribable, explosive heat surged from the depths of his bones!

It was like a dormant volcano awakening within him!

His muscle fibers were instantly torn and reassembled by an invisible hand, becoming tougher and denser!

His bones emitted faint cracking sounds, and an irresistible surge of power filled his entire body!

His previously heavy steps suddenly became light, and the sluggishness from the Yin wind vanished without a trace! Fang Gang spun around abruptly!

He saw a blurred, distorted humanoid silhouette formed from dense black mist, opening a void-like "mouth" that seemed to swallow light, letting out a silent shriek as it lunged towards him! Its chilling aura was enough to freeze the marrow of an ordinary person!

"Go to hell!" Fang Gang's eyes turned red, the newfound strength giving him unprecedented courage. Without flashy moves, without any technique, he followed humanity's most primal instinct, pouring all his strength, along with his newly awakened, not yet fully controlled, violent blood energy, into his right fist!

His fist tore through the air, carrying a muffled roar!

Bang!!!

A dull thud echoed, like a heavy hammer striking worn leather!

Fang Gang's fist landed squarely on the "head" of the lunging Grudge black mist!

"Aooo—!!"

A piercing, ear-splitting shriek erupted, a hundred times clearer than before!

The black mist, as if scalded by a red-hot iron, writhed and tumbled violently! The black mist forming its body was fiercely impacted and burned by an extremely pure, though weak, aura of raw power!

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!

Like cold water thrown into boiling oil, the black mist rapidly thinned and dispersed! The distorted ghostly face contorted in pain and annihilated under Fang Gang's fist!

In just a few seconds, the Grudge Aggregate, which could easily drain the life force of ordinary people, was completely annihilated by Fang Gang's punch imbued with vital energy. It vanished into thin air, turning into a few wisps of smoke dispersed by the night breeze.

[Ding! Novice mission complete! Defeated 'Grudge Aggregate'! Gained +5 Evolution Points!]

[Ding! Absorbed trace amounts of Yin Energy, converted to +0.1 Evolution Points! Current Evolution Points: 5.1!]

The System's prompt sounded again.

Fang Gang maintained his punching stance, breathing heavily.

He looked at his unharmed fist, feeling the vital energy surging beneath his skin. Then he glanced at the spot where the ghost had disappeared, his expression rapidly shifting from initial shock and confusion to disbelief, elation, and… a burning intensity!

"Power… is this what power feels like?" he muttered, feeling the surging strength within him. A sense of control and confidence he had never experienced before bloomed in his heart.

One punch! Just one punch! He had taken down a ghastly entity that could drive ordinary people mad or even kill them!

This System… was real! Getting stronger by adding points was simple, brutal, and effective!

He looked down at his hands. Suddenly, an extremely faint, icy, prickling sensation, like a needle prick, emanated from the back of his right fist, the one that had struck the Grudge Aggregate.

He raised his hand, squinting to get a better look in the dim light of the Blood Moon.

Beneath the skin of his fist, a grayscale thread, thinner than a strand of hair and almost imperceptible, was slowly creeping upwards, like a living thing, disappearing under his sleeve.

The cold it brought was faintly resisting the new, scorching vital energy within him.

"What is this…" Fang Gang frowned, the excitement from defeating the Grudge Aggregate fading slightly, a shadow of unease falling over his heart. Had he been wounded by that ghastly thing?

Just then, his phone vibrated again. It wasn't an order notification, but a text message.

[Suda Delivery] Hello! Your online order, "Vajra Indestructible Divine Art (Illustrated Edition)," has been received by our station. Pickup code: 8-5-666. Free shipping for nine-ninety-nine. May you achieve great mastery of the divine art!

Looking at the message, then feeling the cold, stinging sensation on the back of his hand and the surging power within him, Fang Gang's eyes instantly became incredibly resolute, even flashing with a hint of ferocity.

He looked up at the main building of "Anxin" Funeral Home, which appeared even more sinister and eerie under the Blood Moon. The morgue… was inside there.

That trace of Yin Energy on the back of his hand felt like an icy thorn, pricking his newfound sense of strength and his heart. This thing couldn't have appeared out of nowhere. The source… was likely within those cold morgue cabinets.

"Funeral home… morgue…" Fang Gang repeated softly, a humorless smile curving his lips.

Fear? Perhaps a little.

But right now, what dominated was a sense of indignation at being violated, and a strong urge… to test his new strength!

He touched his still thick hair, felt the surging vital energy within him, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes before disappearing.

"Whatever demons or ghosts are inside…"

"I'm a man who can 'add points' now!"

"Even my 'Vajra Indestructible' only cost nine-ninety-nine… what am I afraid of!"

He no longer looked at the parked electric scooter. He strode forward, emanating the fierce aura of someone who had just gained power, heading directly towards the dark, gaping main entrance of the funeral home.

The night wind blew, stirring a few dead leaves. The light of the Blood Moon cast a long shadow of his figure as he walked into the darkness.

[Ding! Detected a high-concentration Yin Energy aggregation point in the area ahead. Recommend cautious exploration.]

[Absorbing Yin Energy can be converted into Evolution Points. Current Evolution Points: 5.1.]

The System's prompt sounded like a cold war drum.