In a higher office at Tomorrow's News.

The manager, wearing rimless glasses, drank his coffee while listening to the report from Ji Wei. A look of astonishment and wonder appeared on his youthful face, which seemed to be in its twenties.

"That's a clever approach," the manager set down his coffee cup, nodding in admiration. "Huaizhi Sushi is Huai Shi, hmm, an interesting idea. It can be sent to the entertainment section of the Asia edition, gathered up for a piece of gossip news, although it's still not enough for the front page... There's no helping it; everyone is waiting for the new scandal involving His Holiness in Rome. The entertainment department is indeed under a lot of pressure to produce this kind of news. I've just received two more warnings from the Palace of the Pope; it's really tough to handle."

Gossip news. The underlying message was clear to Ji Wei.

"So you also think this is purely baseless speculation?"

"Not necessarily. What if it happens to be right? Now that you mention it, I do see some resemblance."

The manager chuckled, shaking his head. "But perhaps there really is some intimate relationship between the two, or perhaps, we shouldn't deny the one-in-ten-thousand chance... But with such arguments alone, rudely merging two characters into one is really unprofessional. That's not how a news worker behaves, Ji Wei. Paparazzi may have no bottom line, but journalists must have integrity—news without evidence is something we absolutely cannot sell to customers. Why do you think that is? Certainly not because we are morally superior, but because news without evidence simply doesn't sell for a higher price!"

Ji Wei couldn't help but roll her eyes. So after all this time as a manager, that's all the integrity you have? But then, should an intelligence dealer really be preaching about civic-mindedness, moral conduct, and the love of labor? Selling the news of your own father's death for money—now *that's* professional. So the reason this inference is labeled as gossip news is because it can't be sold for a high price, right?

"Won't you try doing some investigation?" Ji Wei asked. "I think the relationship between Huai Shi and Huaizhi Sushi is a very good entry point; there should be gains to be had."

No matter how speculative it was, one had to admit, the clue suggested by the investigator was an excellent topic. If handled properly, it could be very explosive.

"No need, not at this time. News involving the Ivory Tower's internal affairs is Luo Su's exclusive domain. That old guy cherishes his subordinates and students immensely; it's not worth the risk of angering him."

The manager scratched his head. "To be honest, I'm really a bit afraid that old fellow will burst in here and give me a beating. Do you know about the incident with the Hell News Group next door?"

"Hmm?"

"Last time, because of the Town of Dusk incident, their entertainment reporters planned to run a story titled 'Popular Teacher from Ivory Tower Secretly Marries Ivy Vine and Has Children: What's the Deal?' They were blocked by an old librarian who just sat at their door, effectively isolating the reporter for two whole months. By the time the hype died down and the librarian left, the reporter couldn't even speak properly. What a tragedy."

While he spoke in a sympathetic tone, the schadenfreude in his voice was unmistakable.

"Right now, we're in a cooperative honeymoon period, so it's best to avoid such incidents as much as possible. After all, the company needs to make a living, right? If we can make a bit more, who wouldn't want to?"

The manager gestured dismissively, bringing the anecdote to a close.

"Next, you can hand over the Nara news to someone else to follow up on, Ji Wei. I have a new assignment for you."

"Oh?"

"Huangquan Slope in Kyoto, you know of it, right?"

"Are you referring to one of the gathering areas in Current Circumstances for Beastified Characteristic Beings?"

"Roughly. Lately, things have been very chaotic there. No, I should say it feels very ominous. I need someone meticulous to take charge and ensure no clues are missed."

Ji Wei frowned. "I don't mind, but I've been following the Nara news for so long. Why the sudden, abrupt transfer? Aren't there other people available?"

"You are the most suitable person for the job."

The manager picked up his coffee cup, looking down at the murky liquid at the bottom, then asked suddenly, "I remember, you were the one who compiled the details of the Feuerbach Mansion incident, right?"

Ji Wei's breath caught for a moment.

"It's just a suspicion." The manager put down his coffee cup, rubbing his temples. "We always need capable people. So, what's your answer? Ji Wei, apart from you, I can't think of anyone more suitable for this position."

"I'll go, if the handover can be completed by tomorrow."

"You really are very by-the-book."

"No, it's just a work habit."

Ji Wei closed the schedule book in front of her, rose to her feet, and said her goodbye.

In the silent office, the manager leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the pale ceiling and the vast Reflection that constantly emerged from the pure white.

He squinted.

「 」

By the time Huai Shi woke up, it was already afternoon.

Earlier, after finishing breakfast, Miss Huaizhi Sushi had pedaled her bicycle back to the Li Jian family estate in a leisurely fashion. She'd made no attempt to hide the commotion she caused in the city the night before and, yawning, had returned to her room to fall into a deep sleep.

Huai Shi opened his eyes to the afternoon sunlight outside the window and felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him. It was the lethargy that comes with complete rest and relaxation.

His heart felt calm and peaceful.

He rose slowly and methodically washed his face, brushed his teeth, and examined his Reflection in the mirror. Right, a man's appearance is indeed more pleasant.

In the mirror's Reflection, Huai Shi's skin gradually disappeared, followed by the bloody musculature beneath, ultimately revealing the intricate Reflection of the Stigmata.

The network of the Buried Sacred Place was rooted between his bones and internal organs, infiltrating his heart, lungs, stomach, and even nerves and glands, strand by strand.

Like a giant tree growing inside him.

Now, in addition to his already fully transformed right hand, Huai Shi's heart had become like a dim and transparent shadow, silently pulsating, with a hint of darkness surfacing in the crimson blood within his body.

Thanks to the potent stimulation from the large and filling portions of industrial food, the Etherization of Huai Shi's internal organs had advanced further.

To digest the enormous Disaster, his body instinctively tried to fuse with the Stigma of Soloist, rapidly increasing the pace of Etherization.

It was now at around forty percent.

Thanks to Tong Ji's repeated backstabbings, after being pierced several times, Huai Shi's heart had been the first to complete its Etherization, no longer constrained by flesh and blood.

Having assimilated with the Stigma, it possessed the resilience of a miracle itself, no longer a fatal vulnerability.

Truly, cause for celebration. In the future, I could probably endure a few more stabs when backstabbed again, right?

Another unexpected transformation was Huai Shi discovering that one of the Source Armaments in his Soul had vanished.

The Sacrificial Knife was gone. Or rather, it had been devoured.

The ferocious Blade of Resent had taken its place, while the Source Substance remnants of the original Sacrificial Knife had disappeared without a trace.

This was to be expected. Among all the Source Armaments, the Sacrificial Knife had the lowest degree of completion. It was initially implanted into Huai Shi's Soul to serve as a vessel for the Yin Soul Saint Mark and was not fused with his own Source Substance.

Afterward, lacking supplementation and strengthening from miracles and Disasters of the American Genealogy, all its aspects, except for bloodsucking, fell short.

Now that it encountered Divine Sword Resentment from the same domain, it naturally struggled to maintain its integrity and was gradually replaced by Grudge.

After absorbing the Sacrificial Knife, the feather-like patterns on Grudge's blade now boasted delicate threads of gold, adding a touch of opulence, yet its ferocity surpassed that of its predecessor.

Besides feeding on Disasters and miracles, it even gained the ability to consume blood and life energy. With such nefarious powers, it had undoubtedly become a demon blade, hadn't it? Let's just call it a form of growth.

Even the Ravens had a merry feast last night.

Nara was truly like a treasure trove nowadays.

There were evil beings to kill, food to devour, experience points to gain, and Amber always had pleasant things to say. If it weren't for the necessity to cross-dress, he was starting to like it here.

Then, Huai Shi's tooth-brushing motion paused.

He saw a white shadow flit across the mirror's Reflection behind him.

A delusion?

He frowned and continued brushing.

Then he saw another shadow drift past the door behind him.

He stopped, put down his toothbrush and cup, stepped out of the bathroom, and then… he saw an aimlessly wandering figure in the living room.

It was translucent, like a Phantom.

Barefoot Miss Huaizhi strolled leisurely in the living room, hands clasped behind her, looking here and there as if seeing everything for the first time. She rubbed the Ravens that were cawing happily, as if petting cats.

She turned, watched the mindless comedy on TV, puzzled, then laughed along with the audience. She was like a child.

Sensing the gaze from behind, she turned to glance at Huai Shi and smiled faintly. Immediately after, the Phantom gently dissipated, returning into Huai Shi's shadow.

Dammit!

There was a buzzing in Huai Shi's head.

His first thought was that he had cross-dressed so much it had finally caught up with him; he'd probably developed a split personality. But something about that silhouette felt off, and it inexplicably reminded him of a certain malevolent entity. Even if it was a Reflection of Soloist, wasn't this level of freedom excessive? It was supposed to be a Doppelgänger-like existence, a separate part of him. Even if it grew, how could it be so lively?

"What are you up to?"

Huai Shi picked up the phone and directly addressed the insidious woman on the other end, who was feigning ignorance. "I've been in Yingzhou for only a week, and now I find that my Afterimage has suddenly come to life, starting to act on its own. Do you have any clue what's going on?"

"How would I know?" Tong Ji's voice brimmed with an almost tearful innocence. "Would I, your big sister, ever harm you... Alright, I admit I did have a tiny bit of malice before, but that was so long ago. In your heart, am I still that evil woman who enjoys harming others?"

Yes, indeed, you are!

Huai Shi rolled his eyes. "So, what exactly is going on? Why is Huaizhi Sushi starting to act more and more like you?"

"That? Oh... you scared me. I thought you were talking about something else. It's perfectly normal. Sit down, sit down, no need to panic."

Tong Ji immediately regained her composure, as if sighing with relief, which only made him wonder even more what on earth she had been worried about.

"So, you've harmed me in other ways too?" Huai Shi widened his eyes in disbelief.

"Is that called harming you? This is your big sister's love for you!" Tong Ji sounded aggrieved, on the verge of tears as she asked, "What do you think our relationship is?"

"Of course, it's the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator!"

At this, the voice on the other end sounded even more resigned.

"I know, Huai Shi, there are many misunderstandings between us, and you have many misconceptions about me, your big sister. But you are my Contractor, Huai Shi. There's no closer relationship in this world than ours."

Tong Ji sounded as if she were wiping away tears, her voice thick with sentiment. "You have to believe: my heart, your big sister's heart, is always connected to yours! So your Reflection, isn't that equivalent to my Reflection?"

???

Huai Shi felt something was seriously amiss.

She sounded proud as she asked, "Think about it, to prevent you from feeling lonely in a foreign land, my presence has crossed barriers and become a Phantom accompanying you. What a moving bond! Well? Isn't it thrilling?"

Thrilling, my ass!

If it weren't for his high degree of Etherization, Huai Shi felt he would have suffered a stroke by now.

He had been duped by her again! So, this alter ego contained a part of her too!