Volume One, Chapter 18: Rooting Out the Vermin

“Just a glimpse—already a peerless beauty of the mortal world, a great literary master indeed.”

Lin Xi sat on the bus, helplessly smiling as he put away his phone after reading Lin Mengran’s message, then gazed out the window. From inside the vehicle, not far ahead stood that eerie inn, glowing faintly with a sinister dark red hue. Surrounding it, a mist of blood added to the chilling atmosphere.

Before he could think further, a wave of dizziness washed over him. Leaning against the seat, Lin Xi soon fell into a deep sleep.

When he awoke, he found himself back home, sitting on the edge of his bed, staring toward the living room beyond his bedroom door. Everything that had happened before felt like a distant dream.

But the strange bus card in his pocket, along with the enigmatic pattern on its back, reminded him that it wasn’t merely a dream.

Groggily, Lin Xi shuffled to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and bent down to wash his face, hoping to clear his mind. Yet, he failed to notice that the reflection in the mirror did not mimic his movements. While he lowered his head with eyes closed, the figure in the mirror remained upright, flashing a sinister smile as it stared directly at him, who was rinsing away the foam with cold water.

Sensing something amiss, Lin Xi forced his eyes open despite the stinging pain caused by the cleanser and warily stared at the mirror. The reflection had already returned to normal the moment he looked up.

After watching for a while without detecting anything unusual, the pain in his eyes began to cloud his mind, and Lin Xi reluctantly lowered his head again to finish washing.

This time, the eerie “Lin Xi” in the mirror did not reappear...

...

Seated at his computer, Lin Xi opened a mysterious program developed by a secret organization. He located the IP address connected to the hidden bathroom camera and accessed the playback footage.

The screen showed Lin Xi himself gradually appearing in the frame. But unlike just moments ago, he did not turn on the faucet to wash. Instead, he stood with his back to the mirror, facing the camera, his lips moving in an unsettling manner.

Alarm bells rang in Lin Xi’s mind. He briefly suspected some creature from the blood mist had followed him back. Upon closer inspection, he realized that the figure seemed to be trying to communicate something.

Patiently, Lin Xi attempted to interpret the strange lip movements using the lip-reading skills he had learned.

What he uncovered sent chills down his spine.

“I know you’re watching me.”

“Who are you?”

“I am you from hell.”

...

“Hell?”

“You will know soon enough; you will come to hell to be with me.”

“And you?”

“I will take your place...”

Lin Xi’s eyes caught the date in the lower right corner, which clearly showed that this conversation took place three days earlier, not just moments ago.

His first thought was that the computer or software might have been hacked. But after thinking it through, he found it improbable. Both the computer and the software were products of the top-tier cybersecurity division of China. Even the boldest hacker would have no reason to target such an old machine or this deadly software.

Though filled with doubt, Lin Xi sent the footage through internal channels to colleagues in the cyber department to verify if there was any sign of tampering.

009 replied swiftly, as always—her responses were consistently rapid and efficient over the years, to the point that Lin Xi had grown accustomed to her instantaneous replies. She seemed tireless, always ready to respond no matter the hour.

009: “The video has been authenticated. After comparing character data and facial reconstruction, we restored the footage to its original state. But I advise you to prepare yourself mentally before watching.”

Lin Xi: “Prepare myself? After all this time, don’t you know me well enough?”

009: “Precisely because I know you so well, I’m telling you to be ready. Tombstone, if possible, apply to the organization for a relocation. This hideout is no longer safe.”

Without waiting for his response, 009 sent a video directly to his phone.

009: “Destroy it after viewing. The backend will automatically clear data.”

Then, through special channels, she sent him a document.

009: “Cleanup mission. Codename: Termite. Objective: incinerate all physical documents in the target’s possession and eliminate the Termite.”

Lin Xi: “Payment? Deadline?”

009: “One million Chinese yuan. Usual terms, 19 minutes. Deadline within three days.”

Lin Xi: “Accepted.”

009: “Data will be sent shortly and self-destruct within three minutes. Remember to review promptly.”

After replying with a simple acknowledgment, Lin Xi logged off. He opened the restored video 009 had sent.

In the footage, the bathroom was empty. Slowly, a figure resembling Lin Xi emerged from the mirror.

Suddenly, the bathroom light flicked on, casting illumination upon the figure’s face. To Lin Xi’s horror, the figure had no facial features. It stood silently facing the camera’s position until the “Lin Xi” from the earlier surveillance spoke the final line. Only then did the figure turn and crawl back into the mirror.

Having watched the restored video, Lin Xi hurried to the bathroom to examine the mirror above the sink. No matter how he scrutinized it, he could find no difference from an ordinary mirror.

“Ghost?” Lin Xi muttered to himself as he left the bathroom.

Opening 009’s file, Lin Xi reviewed the details of his upcoming mission. As for her suggestion to relocate, he hadn’t given it much thought. Before entering the blood mist, he might have debated whether ghosts really existed.

But freshly returned from that eerie place, Lin Xi felt strangely comforted by the idea that at least there was only one ghost in his home. After all, just one was manageable, and he was too lazy to bother with it.

After reading 009’s information, he removed the bathroom mirror, put on a jacket, grabbed his phone, and walked out with the mirror in one hand.

The mission was on the outskirts of town. Along the way, Lin Xi casually smashed the mirror to pieces, then naturally turned into an alley. At its end, he tapped rhythmically on a filthy paving stone. The concrete beneath his feet suddenly collapsed, revealing a deep pit.

Once he had fully descended, the broken concrete resealed itself instantly.

“Damn, goddamn it, people involved with this stuff must be idiots,” Lin Xi spat out the dirt he had swallowed and cursed loudly.

“I can hear you,” said a somewhat flashy robot standing in the room, turning to face Lin Xi.

“If you couldn’t hear me, why would I bother cursing at you?” Lin Xi looked at the robot as though it were mentally deficient. “Hey Dog, do you think ghosts exist in this world?”

“Sure,” the robot, nicknamed Dog by Lin Xi, replied without hesitation. “Broke ghosts, dead ghosts, and you—the unlucky ghost, you crazy bastard.”

Watching the foul-mouthed robot speaking with a strong dialect, Lin Xi instinctively began searching for its power-off switch.

“Crazy bastard,” the robot seemed to understand his intent and said, “After all these years, why haven’t you given up on shutting me down? I don’t have that function.”

“Dog, just wait,” Lin Xi took the weapon and night gear the robot handed him and said, “One day, I’ll tear you apart with my own hands.”

Robot: “Yeah, yeah, I’m looking forward to that, crazy bastard.”