The ritual for communicating with the “Life Lady” clearly seemed more like an Apocalypse Element than the Su Brothers did.
Though it wasn’t clear what level of existence this “Life Lady” truly was, the mere fact that it had a communication ritual suggested it could be some higher being superior to humans—perhaps a god or an ancient demon.
There was no position for a Goddess of Life in their nation’s mythology. If the ritual had been performed locally, it wasn’t out of the question that the “Life Lady” was an incarnation or aspect of Nüwa, the earth mother goddess who created human life…
After all, immortals and gods all had three thousand incarnations.
And judging from the name, her domain encompassed the vitally important realm of “life.”
The existence of gods had always been a key focus of research, but they’d never found any trace of them. Instead, after supernatural abilities emerged, plenty of people had started fleecing followers under the banner of evil cults—which was one reason why the existence of the supernatural hadn’t been made public.
For one thing, very few people could awaken supernatural abilities. For another, abruptly upending society would lead to all sorts of adverse consequences.
They’d arrested plenty of cultists before, but unfortunately, most of those they’d caught were complete frauds. A little special interrogation, and the cult leaders would break down sobbing, confessing they were con artists who didn’t know any gods or immortals at all. They’d get executed or locked away for life based on their crimes.
Some cult leaders had genuinely awakened supernatural abilities, though. Those types deified themselves for worship, so there was no need for execution or imprisonment—they’d be shipped off to research institutes to have their powers studied, or thrown into the most dangerous front-line spots to atone.
Based on past experience, the Superhuman Affairs Administration typically treated emerging cults as routine matters, without paying them much mind.
But the Nine Tripods Anomaly had put everyone on high alert. Now, the agency was handling every recent anomaly with the utmost seriousness.
This “Life Lady” cult was particularly bizarre. No one knew when it had first appeared, but by the time they noticed it, the group had already progressed to live human sacrifices.
The team captain they’d sent in had spooked them, causing the entire cult to go underground and become even harder to track. That captain had died in combat, but not before transmitting a message revealing what had happened.
For something to take out a captain from the Anomalous Affairs Bureau meant the cult’s strength was no small matter—and the fact that it had evaded detection until now was a massive oversight!
Because of the “Life Lady” cult, the Anomalous Affairs Bureau had shifted its attention away from the Su Brothers, settling for basic surveillance on them while focusing its efforts on hunting down and wiping out the Eternal Church that worshipped her.
~~~
Luo Shang spent two days fishing at the Su Family’s suburban estate, but as expected, he didn’t catch a thing.
He’d long since made his peace with that outcome and had the right mental preparation for it, so he wasn’t too upset.
Still, it irritated him just looking at that river now. He had no intention of staying at the estate any longer and moved back to the Su Family Villa in the city.
He’d originally planned to rent an apartment somewhere else, but on second thought, sticking to the plot would be more convenient from the villa, so he went back anyway.
The Su Family parents were both away on business trips as an excuse to travel. That left just two people at the villa: Su Bingyao and Su Mingyao.
When Luo Shang had been holed up at the estate, both brothers had breathed a sigh of relief. Having him move back in would mean they had to put on an act around the clock—a huge strain on body and mind. Without him there, things were much simpler.
Plus, Su Bingyao could get info from his past life out of Su Mingyao, while Su Mingyao felt that Luo Shang respected Su Bingyao a great deal. With Big Bro as his shield, he felt a bit safer too.
So when they heard Luo Shang was coming back, both of them froze, suddenly desperate to flee.
Su Bingyao straight-up booked a flight, planning to “go on a business trip” as his escape, but Su Mingyao stopped him from getting away.
“The next part of the plot needs you, Big Bro.”
“Brother Yao, you don’t want to enjoy a thunderstorm on your flight, do you?” That was how Su Mingyao shut down his escape attempt.
That afternoon, when Luo Shang returned, Su Bingyao and Su Mingyao both went out to meet him.
Su Bingyao figured that after so long in the Reincarnation Space, Luo Shang might have forgotten where home was. Better for them to go pick him up.
As they welcomed Luo Shang back, they noticed the dog at his feet—a Labrador.
“You got a dog?” Su Bingyao crouched down and reached out to pet it.
He had always liked small animals, but Li Qingshu was allergic to fur and refused to allow cats or dogs in the house.
As a result, Su Bingyao made secret visits to cat cafes and dog cafes to indulge in some petting. It was his little hidden hobby, and he went at least once a week.
No one knew that the company’s tough, shrewd executive had this softer side—and he kept it that way, never letting anyone find out.
If he tried keeping a dog himself, Li Qingshu would complain. But if Luo Shang wanted one, their mother wouldn’t dare object. Simple as that—she was too afraid to cross him now.
Su Bingyao’s heart swelled with delight. He even felt a touch of gratitude toward Luo Shang.
But he didn’t get to pet the dog.
The short-haired Labrador bared its teeth at him, backed away a few steps, and ducked behind Luo Shang in a clear display of hostility and warning.
Luo Shang glanced down at it, his face expressionless.
That single look was enough. The Labrador instantly bolted out from behind him and nuzzled Su Bingyao’s pants with eager enthusiasm, leaping up to wedge its head under his hand.
Su Bingyao… well, Su Bingyao suddenly wasn’t in the mood anymore.
The dog was being so aggressively friendly—who knew if it was really a dog, or something else entirely?
With Luo Shang, anything was possible.
Right then, he heard Luo Shang’s heart voice.
[Eh, why’d Big Bro stop petting it?]
[Is Labrador fur not soft enough? Should’ve turned the little skeleton into a golden retriever or a Samoyed. No idea what kind of dog Big Bro prefers.]
Skeleton! Holy shit—a skeleton. So the dog really wasn’t real; it was the little skeleton transformed! Su Bingyao felt a chill of horror.
He’d nearly petted a dog that was actually a skeleton!
Thank goodness he’d caught Luo Shang’s glance and pulled his hand back in time. Otherwise, he’d be itching to chop it off right now.
Su Mingyao, meanwhile, was thoroughly relieved. He’d never liked dogs anyway—cats were more his thing.
If Luo Shang had turned the skeleton into a cat, he might’ve fallen right into the trap.
[Hold on—Big Bro was eager to pet it before, but backed off the second it got proactive. Does he not like the forward type? Loses interest as soon as they make a move… kinda scummy, now that I think about it.]
Hearing Luo Shang casually brand him a scumbag in his thoughts, as usual, Su Bingyao could only accept it with a helpless sigh.
First a pervert, now a scumbag. Just how many lunatics had Luo Shang encountered in the Reincarnation Space to get so good at slapping on these labels?
“Have Aunt Zheng handle the dog—figure out feeding and walks,” Su Bingyao said.
You brought home a dog that’s really a skeleton in disguise. It’s not a normal pet, so at least tell us how to care for it. A supernatural creature like that sure as hell can’t be treated like an ordinary one.
Luo Shang duly responded.
“I’ll handle it myself. No need to bother Aunt Zheng,” he said.
It might look like a dog, but it was still a skeleton at heart.
If anyone found out it didn’t need food or bathroom breaks, things would get messy. Better to keep it locked in his room, handling any unsightly tasks out of sight.
“That’s for the best,” Su Bingyao said with a relieved breath.
No dog duty for them—perfect.
Su Mingyao stayed quiet the whole time, playing invisible.
Luo Shang’s return meant they could overhear his chats with the system even inside the villa. A double-edged sword.
The upside: more insight into his thoughts, less chance of accidentally offending him.
The downside: nonstop acting in his presence, lest he see right through them.
Su Mingyao was roughly Luo Shang’s age. He’d graduated and landed a job, but that car crash had kept him hospitalized too long. Fired upon discharge, he was now jobless.
Li Qingshu had planned to slot him into the company after the Recognition Banquet—some training, then managing a slice of the business someday.
But Luo Shang’s anomaly had thrown everything into chaos. She’d rushed off on business without setting it up, leaving Su Mingyao at loose ends.
Luo Shang’s situation was even simpler. Back when Su Mingyao hadn’t been recognized yet, he’d held firm as the Su Family’s Second Young Master. No grand ambitions—the company and most assets were Big Bro’s anyway. His aim? Play the carefree rich kid, rejecting Li Qingshu’s offers outright.
All that was before Su Mingyao showed up.
So now Luo Shang was idle too, free to lounge around the Su Family Villa all day.
The realization hit Su Mingyao like a brick. When Su Bingyao headed to work, it’d just be him and Luo Shang under one roof.
He didn’t even want to imagine it—way too intense. Tomorrow, he’d push for a job. Big Bro had to let him join the company!
Su Mingyao had never longed to go to work so much before. Previously, although he hadn’t avoided it, he also hadn’t thought much about going.
Su Mingyao’s fantasies were beautiful, but reality was harsh.
[Actually, I don’t want to come back either, but who made it so that I still have a match with Su Mingyao tomorrow morning?] Luo Shang thought inwardly.
[It’s still more convenient to come back here. Otherwise, running back and forth from the rented house outside would make it seem like I’m deliberately stirring up trouble. Staying here directly reduces the suspicion a lot.]
Su Mingyao thus silently dispelled the idea of following Su Bingyao to work tomorrow.
This plot is way too dense! I remember the progress in my previous life wasn’t this fast at all…
Su Mingyao thought somewhat sorrowfully.
He had to stay and cooperate with Luo Shang. This was truly tragic news.
