The bar lights were dim, a silver-haired woman’s fingers coaxing a melodious tune from the instrument, while the lone patron nursed his fifth bottle of premium liquor. Just then, the wooden door of the bar swung open, and a young girl stepped inside. As Xiao Ye moved to greet the newcomer, he overheard the man who had been sitting there since opening muttering, “A blonde beauty and a pure young girl—which one should I choose? Otherwise, these waiting days will be so dull…”

That statement compelled Xiao Ye to glance at the handsome young man (in his mid-twenties, he seemed practically ‘old’ compared to Xiao Ye). The man, drinking steadily since the bar opened, was tall, exquisitely featured, and carried himself with an air of casual elegance. His only flaw was that his handsomeness was perhaps too excessive, lending him a slightly roguish air.

The girl who had just entered shivered slightly from the rain. Xiao Ye approached with a captivating smile and poured her a glass of wine. She didn't reach for the glass, but continued to tremble, her lips barely moving as she whispered, “I… I… saw… I saw something…”

Xiao Ye gently patted her shoulder.

“Poor beauty (such a strange theory; one wonders if the emphasis is on ‘poor’ or ‘beauty’), whatever it is, my arms are here for you to lean on!” The male patron materialized behind Xiao Ye from nowhere and extended a hand toward the girl.

“I really… saw…” The girl seemed capable of repeating only that phrase, saying it again.

“Saw what? A UFO or F4? No, that’s not a thing in Japan…” He rambled on in Chinese, fully aware the girl couldn't understand, yet stubbornly refusing to utter a single Japanese word. This was odd, considering he had ordered drinks and flirted with Xiao Yu earlier using perfect Japanese. One could only wonder what was going on inside his head.

Xiao Ye used his hands to gently push the man’s face away, sending him backward.

Xiao Ye’s beautiful smile clearly did nothing to comfort the girl. She stared blankly around the bar, as if unsure how she had gotten there, then abruptly spun around and fled.

Xiao Ye turned back to the man, who spread his hands in surrender. “It wasn’t me who scared her off; don't look at me—she couldn't understand a word I said.”

“You spoke anyway even though you knew she wouldn’t understand!” Xiao Ye shot back. His mind was filled with questions, and he prepared to follow the girl.

“Silver-haired beauty, I’ll keep you company…” The man started toward Xiao Yu.

“You’re coming with me!” Xiao Ye grabbed the collar of his shirt in a swift motion and began dragging him toward the exit.

“Silver-haired beauty, wine…” The man mumbled incoherently, pulled out the door by Xiao Ye.

This mansion occupied nearly eighty or ninety acres; thus, from the outside, only the three-meter-high compound wall and two tightly shut iron gates were visible. The house stood diagonally opposite a small hill slope. The high wall was likely intended to prevent anyone from the slope from spying on the grounds. Xiao Ye was currently on this slope, peering down, but his gaze, blocked by the high wall and thick foliage, could only catch sight of the mansion’s Western-style roof.

“Wow, a beauty!” Behind him, the man he had dragged out had already forgotten the pain of leaving fine wine and Xiao Yu, exclaiming loudly.

Could he actually see something? Xiao Ye thought, turning back.

The man was intently watching in the opposite direction: “Hey, take a look, they’re about to…” On the grass not far behind some bushes, a couple was…

Smoke seemed to rise from Xiao Ye’s head.

This man had appeared suddenly the previous day, carrying a “letter of introduction.” It was from an old Chinese sorcerer addressed to Xiao Ye, roughly stating that a friend was coming to Japan to handle some affairs and requesting Xiao Ye’s assistance and care. This old Chinese sorcerer had once done Xiao Ye a massive favor, making it impossible for Xiao Ye to refuse the request. Thus, this strange man had legitimately settled into the Blue Bat Bar. All he did was drink, flirt with Xiao Yu, or spend hours on the bar’s phone making long-distance calls to friends in China. Who knew how that friend possessed such patience to listen to his unfocused, rambling chatter for so long? In short, the man seemed to do absolutely no real work. Today, Xiao Ye had been drawn in by the strangeness surrounding the girl and followed her. He simply could not bring himself to leave this man alone with Xiao Yu in the bar, or the other girls who would eventually arrive. The mere thought of this man among those young women was terrifying.

“Liu, Liu… Mr. Yi, is it? (Because he truly is strange),” Xiao Ye tried hard to recall the man’s self-introduction (since it was directed at Xiao Yu, Xiao Ye couldn't be blamed for forgetting).

“Liu Di! Liu like Andy Lau, Di like Earth,” Liu Di immediately struck a pose even more dashing than Andy Lau’s.

“Mr. Liu, what is the purpose of your visit to Japan?”

“…”

“Mr. Liu?”

Liu Di had already dropped back into the bushes.

Xiao Ye tapped his shoulder.

Liu Di waved a hand dismissively without turning around: “Crucial moment, don't bother me.”

“…………”

“Swish!” “Crash!” “Clang!”

In front of the amorous couple in the bushes, a handsome foreign man tumbled in headfirst. “Seriously lacking in humor…” he grumbled, climbing up and brushing the dirt and grass off himself. He smiled at the woman and asked, “Beautiful Japanese Miss, would you be willing to be my first girlfriend in Japan?”

“Pervert!”

“Creep!”

“Aaaaaah~~~~”

Accompanied by the couple’s enraged shouts, Xiao Ye sighed and headed down the hill.

As Asahina Yoko stepped out of the school gates, she saw a crowd of female students gathered, all their gazes fixed on one spot: two men standing by the roadside, seemingly waiting for someone. One was filled with an exotic aura—his silver hair reaching his waist and his exquisitely handsome Eastern features blending perfectly; the other was a typical East Asian man with black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin. Both men were incredibly handsome. The silver-haired man appeared steeped in mystery, as if from another time, while the black-haired man was the embodiment of modern, trendy, and popular concepts. Yoko would bet money that the man wore just as many fashionable accessories as any idol group. In any case, two such attractive men standing so closely together (one leaning heavily on the other’s shoulder) naturally made the girls stop and stare.

The girls whispered among themselves: “Wow! So handsome!”

“I wonder if they have girlfriends?”

“Do you think they are… that kind of relationship?”

“What?”

“Romantic slash fiction.”

“BL.”

“Really? How romantic!”

“Waaah, no! How could such great men be like that? They should belong to the girls’ ‘property’! I’m about to cry~~~~”

Xiao Ye was close to crying himself. “Liu Di, stop leaning on me, this is a warning!” he said through gritted teeth.

“Okay.” Liu Di’s attention wasn't on him; he was busy analyzing the proportion of beauties among Japanese high school girls. He shifted his posture into an even more ambiguous one, draping himself over Xiao Ye.

“You!!” Xiao Ye felt an urge to bite him, but just as he prepared to act on the impulse, he heard Liu Di say, “That girl is here.”

When Yoko and her classmates looked at them, Liu Di and Xiao Ye’s gazes both focused sharply on her.

“Hi there, cute girl,” Liu Di strode toward her. “Do you remember me? I’m the handsome Chinese guy you leaned on last night.”

“She doesn't understand Chinese,” Xiao Ye interjected unhappily. He tried to use his own gentle demeanor to diffuse the shock Liu Di’s presence had caused Yoko, smiling kindly at her. “Miss, may I speak with you?” He intentionally excluded Liu Di from the conversation.

“Huh?” Yoko’s face flushed slightly at his smile.

“Do you remember? Last night you came to my bar…”

Yoko shook her head. “You must have me mistaken for someone else. I didn't go anywhere yesterday.” She sounded a little disappointed, realizing it was a case of mistaken identity.

“This…” Xiao Ye pulled out a handkerchief, the one the girl had used to wipe the rain off last night and left behind in the bar.

“This is definitely mine,” Yoko said in surprise, taking it. “How did you get this?”

“You dropped it at my bar last night.”

“I told you, I wasn’t feeling well yesterday so I went to bed early. I didn’t go out anywhere.”

“You truly don’t remember…” Xiao Ye’s question was abruptly cut off by a harsh voice: “Miss, I’m here to pick you up.” The speaker bumped Xiao Ye’s shoulder. Xiao Ye turned to see a tall man standing behind him, almost blocking out the sky. The man wore sunglasses, obscuring his expression, but he exuded an aura that was decidedly unfriendly.

“Yoshida, you’re here,” Yoko called out to Xiao Ye and Liu Di, waving before getting into the car Yoshida had driven. Before closing the door, Yoshida glanced back at Xiao Ye and Liu Di. Xiao Ye thought he heard Yoko explaining, “They’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

Watching the luxury car pull away, Xiao Ye let out a cold laugh. “Hmph, mistaken identity? Would I mistake someone like that?”

“Hello, pure and cute Japanese MM’s, is there anyone willing to act as a guide for a newcomer unfamiliar with Japan, to point out places popular with couples here?” Behind Xiao Ye, Liu Di had already launched his offensive toward the group of high school girls.

“Wow, he speaks Japanese.”

“And he speaks it very well.”

“Are you Chinese or Korean?”

“Is this your first time in Japan?”

“You…”

“…”

“Swish, swish, swish…” Xiao Ye began dragging Liu Di by the collar. Liu Di was still waving, calling out, “Bye-bye, Japanese MM’s, see you next time.”

Xiao Ye dragged Liu Di into a relatively secluded alleyway and released him, saying angrily, “What exactly did you come to Japan to do? Is it just to flirt with girls?”

“I’m seriously looking for girlfriends, not flirting, right?” Liu Di retorted as if it were obvious. “Now that I’m here, it would be a waste of my airfare not to get a dozen or twenty girlfriends before I leave.”

“Then you plan to drag those girls into incidents like this?” Xiao Ye said, turning to look at the mouth of the alley.

Several men in black suits and dark sunglasses were silently closing in.

“Y-yakuza… gangsters…” Liu Di pointed at them, excitedly exclaiming, “The Japanese yakuza really dress weirdly, just like in the manga! Hahahahahaha~~~~~~~” He burst into laughter as he spoke.

“Hmph.” Xiao Ye watched the approaching men coldly. The instant they lunged, Xiao Ye struck like lightning. When the alley was littered with sprawled bodies, Liu Di’s laughter hadn't even ended.

“I only came to check things out because the situation felt bizarre. You forced my hand into this,” Xiao Ye muttered to himself.

“You Japanese, you Japanese… Hahahahahaha~~~~~~~ Even the yakuza are this funny! Hahahahahaha……” It was unclear what about men in black suits was so hilarious, but Liu Di managed to laugh for over ten minutes. While laughing, he grabbed the corner of Xiao Ye’s shirt as he tried to leave. “Hey, don’t leave me behind! Where are you going? I don’t know the way around Japan by myself!”

“Right, this guy doesn’t know the way around! Why didn't I think of that sooner! I could just dump him!” A brilliant idea struck Xiao Ye—a way to finally deal with the troublesome Liu Di.

“Uh…” Liu Di, sensing his intent, thrust the introduction letter under his nose. “Is someone planning to be ungrateful?~~~~”

“You…” Xiao Ye was rarely this angry. “I have things to do. You can take care of yourself.”

“Fine, I’ll call a cab back myself. The silver-haired beauty and the wine are waiting for me…” Liu Di immediately started to leave.

Even if the taxi driver didn't know where the Blue Bat Bar was, what if he stumbled upon it by chance?

“I’m leaving, bye-bye.” Liu Di waved without looking back. No matter how handsome a man was, it meant nothing; beauties and good wine were what mattered… Heh heh, here I come. He spun around, transforming into Xiao Ye’s likeness, and staggered toward the alley entrance—his insidious motive for changing his appearance was self-evident.

“This is it,” Xiao Ye said, standing inside the courtyard of the mansion they had observed the previous night.

The other ‘Xiao Ye’ followed behind him, looking around. “Is it? The cute Japanese MM lives here?”

“…Can you not transform into this?”

“It’s my freedom. Did you register it? Apply for a patent? Otherwise, I’ll sue you for infringing on my human rights.” Liu Di played with a pair of sunglasses he had casually taken from the ‘Japanese yakuza,’ looking at his reflection in the pond. “Hey, do you think I’d look cooler wearing sunglasses? More mysterious?”

“Splash!” Water sprayed as Xiao Ye kicked him into the pond.

The mansion’s security personnel rushed over upon hearing the disturbance. They only saw a soaking wet man with black hair and black eyes, looking rather ordinary, splashing awkwardly in the water (if Liu Di had a weakness, it was that he only knew the doggy paddle, so he’d rather drown than swim most of the time). Xiao Ye had already vanished.

“Zhou Ying, forgive me for using your appearance—since no one remembers how handsome you are anyway—I am too exceptionally handsome to be seen looking like a drowned rat.” Liu Di mumbled, raising a gun toward the security guards who were aiming at him from the bank. “Gentlemen, I got separated from my companion. Have any of you seen where he went?”

“Bang! Bang!”

Before he could finish speaking, guns fired simultaneously from all directions.

“Ah!” Liu Di clutched his chest, shouting, “I’ve been shot! Ah! I’m dying!” He then leaned back and sank to the bottom of the water.

“Two of you, pull him out. The rest of you, search the grounds; he seemed to have an accomplice. Find him and take care of him.” After giving orders, he looked back at the blood-tinged water, wondering why, after so many shots, only one seemed to have hit its mark.

Liu Di clutched several bottles of fine liquor he had snatched from the wine cabinet in one hand, while the other held an already opened bottle. He walked down the stairs toward the basement, drinking as he descended. He used an empty bottle to knock out a large guard watching the door, passed through a secret entrance, and continued deeper into the basement. Further down, the stairs turned spiral, narrow, and steep, descending without any lighting, looking as if they stretched into some abyss.

“Clunk.” Liu Di kicked something. He stomped on it with his foot, crushing it, noting its soft texture, confirming he had stepped on a person’s face (Author: Liu Di, don’t you have night vision? Liu Di: But why would I look at something ugly? He’s not a beauty anyway. ~~~ So you intentionally stepped on him because he was a man? ~~~). Stepping over this person, Liu Di stumbled over several more men lying prone. “Really showing no mercy…” he remarked about Xiao Ye’s actions, pushing open the door in front of him.

It was a small room, perhaps fifteen square meters. Xiao Ye stood in the center, holding a person in his arms. Because the person’s face was turned toward the door, Liu Di could see it was Asahina Yoko. She seemed asleep, eyes tightly shut, allowing Xiao Ye to hold her.

“I’ll hold her for you,” Liu Di said, shamelessly approaching and volunteering to share the responsibility.

Xiao Ye looked at him and actually handed Yoko over.

After securing Yoko in his arms, Liu Di cheered loudly for Xiao Ye: “With me backing you up, you have nothing to fear! Go! Beat him!” He pointed at a man standing opposite Xiao Ye.

That man had been standing there the whole time, watching impassively as Xiao Ye entered with Yoko, and then as Liu Di arrived. He remained completely unfazed. On the long table beside him sat a row of exquisite, small, delicately crafted ceramic pots, their openings sealed with red cloth. He held one in his hand, turning it over while glancing sideways at Xiao Ye and Liu Di.

“I’ve investigated,” Xiao Ye began. “You were Asahina Yoko’s former tutor, and now her guardian and the current manager of the Asahina Conglomerate. Until she turns eighteen, you have the right to control all her assets—valued at one billion US dollars.”

“That much?” the man said calmly.

“Then, should I call you Mr. Egawa? Or Mr. Han Chengren?”

“Don’t mention that name to me! I would never use a name belonging to a Chinanig pig!”

“Bang!” Liu Di, despite holding Yoko with both hands, somehow managed to free one, punching the man so hard he flew backward before the man could react. “How was that? Am I patriotic or what?” Liu Di turned back to ask Xiao Ye.

“You were originally just a tutor, but you fell in love with your student, Asahina Yoko. Yoko loved you too, and her grandfather, Asahina Mamoru, admired your talent. Originally, your beloved and your fortune were within easy reach. But then, Asahina Mamoru discovered you were of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent—your mother was Chinese.” Xiao Ye continued slowly. “Asahina Mamoru was a Japanese militarist who participated in the war of aggression against China and deeply hated and despised Chinese people. Of course, he couldn't allow his only granddaughter, his only relative, to marry someone with Chinese blood, so he began vehemently opposing Yoko’s relationship with you…” Xiao Ye’s lips curved into a sneer. “From then on, you began to hate your own Chinese heritage, and you started to hate Asahina Mamoru. Although you denied your Chinese blood, you remembered what you learned from your Chinese mother—she was the daughter of a Daoist family in China, skilled in various forms of sorcery. You recalled this knowledge you thought useless, and consequently, Asahina Mamoru ‘conveniently’ died in a car accident…” Xiao Ye’s mouth curved into a sneer. “Unfortunately, Miss Yoko happened to be in that car, where no one survived…”

“Haha,” Egawa stood up, laughing. He seemed completely unaffected by Liu Di’s punch. “Who said that? Isn't my Yoko perfectly fine?” He didn’t deny having arranged Asahina Mamoru’s death; he felt lying about such things to these two was pointless, and besides, who would believe someone used sorcery to harm others? There was no proof.

“Sorcery…” Xiao Ye said coldly.

“If there were magic powerful enough to resurrect the dead, this world would have descended into chaos long ago!” Egawa scoffed.

"Raising the dead? Only an Immortal could manage that…" Liu Di murmured slowly, then with sudden, terrifying speed, he whipped away a long box that had been covered in the corner of the room, revealing a **young girl lying inside. Astonishingly, this girl looked exactly like Yoko. Liu Di continued: "…But many sorcerers can perform the transference of a spirit into another body."

Xiao Ye followed up, "To avoid losing Asahina Yoko, you searched everywhere for girls matching her age, figure, and blood type, kidnapped them, secretly performed plastic surgery to make them look like Yoko, and then killed them, transferring Yoko's soul into the corpse. Unfortunately, your magic is insufficient, so this body has to be replaced every so often. Thus, you repeatedly murdered these innocent women to achieve your goal."

"So what?" Jiang Chuan asked with chilling coldness. "Do you have any evidence?"

"Idiot, we aren't the police. Why would we need evidence? Knowing what you did is enough," Liu Di shook his head, frustrated by his poor performance. "The last body Yoko used was that of a shrine maiden. Her dying curse often left Yoko in a somnambulistic trance, which is why she unintentionally wandered into that bar no customers ever visited. That's how the bar owner noticed her—after all, seeing a corpse wandering the streets isn't a common sight, understand now?"

"Because of the lingering resentment in that body, you're eager to replace it again, aren't you?" Xiao Ye probed.

"Hahahaha! So what? What can you do to me?" Jiang Chuan roared with laughter. "Do you think the magic I learned is fake?" With a snap of his fingers, the basement suddenly illuminated with magical energy. "I was prepared for people like you! Since you’ve stepped into the trap I set, prepare to die!"

"She’s still in my hands," Liu Di showed him Yoko, whom he was holding.

"Do you think I’m that foolish?" Jiang Chuan sneered.

The moment the words left his mouth, the "Yoko" in Liu Di's grasp snapped her eyes open and clamped her hand around Liu Di's throat.

"The souls of those girls you murdered! You killed them, and you still want to control their souls!" Xiao Ye looked at the jars, finally understanding what they contained.

"Waste not, want not. What’s wrong with that!"

"So you only admit to being Japanese? You learn Chinese sorcery yet know nothing of your Chinese opponents…" Liu Di spoke calmly, his voice oddly steady despite his throat being choked. "You rush to use magic without understanding who you are facing. We Chinese don't tolerate idiots like you!" With that, he shrugged his shoulders, his hair bristling as he shifted into the form of a Yōkai, then flung the "Yoko" into a corner with one upward swing of his arm.

"A Yōkai!!" Jiang Chuan shrieked. He desperately tried to recall the lessons his mother had given him about Yōkai when he was young, but he hadn't paid attention then. Later, he had been ashamed of his Chinese heritage and neglected any review. He couldn't name this creature immediately.

"Using a demon to bully others—not a fair fight. Xiao Ye, go!" Liu Di directed grandly.

Xiao Ye gave him a sidelong glance—what exactly was this guy doing tagging along? But he still advanced toward Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan's meager magic was insignificant in Xiao Ye’s eyes. In less than a few exchanges, Xiao Ye had subdued him.

"Bang!"

A gunshot rang out.

Xiao Ye turned to see the girl’s "body" sitting up, a pistol in hand, aimed directly at him: "Let him go! Don't touch him!"

"Yoko…"

"I heard everything! I heard it all! Let him go!"

"Fine…" Xiao Ye released his hold; Jiang Chuan wasn't going anywhere anyway.

"You two leave! Don't bother us! It’s none of your business how we live! Go now!" Yoko walked step-by-step towards Jiang Chuan, throwing herself into his embrace, the gun still pointed at Xiao Ye.

"Your life? Does that mean… constantly murdering others just to keep yourself alive?"

"...I don't want to die! I’m only sixteen, why must I die!" Yoko’s frame trembled violently. "I want to be with him anyway; I don't want to die."

"That might not be possible…" Liu Di’s voice cut in. "I don't care if you live or if you kill, but being with him—that's where I draw the line…"

Yoko turned back in shock—Liu Di's voice sounded inches behind her—and she saw Liu Di's claws retracting from Jiang Chuan’s back, blood spurting out with them…

"Ahhh!" Yoko screamed, firing wildly at Liu Di, who, though completely unharmed, merely shook his head and pushed her away.

"Ren~~~~~ Ren~~~~"

"Yoko…"

Jiang Chuan and Yoko clung to each other tightly. He looked at Xiao Ye and Liu Di: "I beg you, let Yoko live… at least let her live out the life of this body… You’ve already killed me… I killed all those people… I beg you, let Yoko live… Let Yoko… she is only sixteen… Yoko…"

Liu Di and Xiao Ye exchanged a look.

"Perhaps I can…" Xiao Ye began.

"Please let Yoko live… Ah… Yoko… My…" Jiang Chuan closed his eyes upon seeing the promise in Xiao Ye’s gaze.

"Ren! Ren! Ren~~~~~~~" Yoko wailed mournfully. "I wanted to live with you; I don't want to be alone! Ren~~~~~~~~"

After another gunshot, Yoko collapsed onto Jiang Chuan.

Neither Liu Di nor Xiao Ye made any move to stop it…

After a long silence.

"Tell me, what was your real objective?" Xiao Ye asked Liu Di.

"To kill him," Liu Di admitted immediately.

"…"

"His maternal grandfather’s clan forbids descendants from using the soul transference technique; violation is punishable by death without pardon. Besides, he murdered so many people for it."

"Why you?"

"All the sorcerers in his family went to Guangdong, Shanghai, to find work. But I happened to owe that old wretch a favor, and I happened to be drinking at his place that day, and I happened to speak Japanese… I’m awfully unlucky, aren't I?"

"Then from the start, you weren't just messing around with me for fun! This was always your objective for coming to Japan!" Xiao Ye felt used.

"That old man said you were difficult, that you wouldn't help for free if I told you the truth. With such a big place like Japan, did he expect me to find him myself? Hahaha, but you are formidable; you found him so quickly! I admire that!"

"You…"

"Come, let's release these souls and let them go…" Liu Di changed the subject.

Xiao Ye and Liu Di silently opened one jar after another, using magic to release the souls of the girls trapped within. They watched them depart the place that stole their lives, floating toward the distance…

"This one seems to be Chinese," Liu Di observed the last lingering soul near him. "Let me take her back. Having a woman accompany me on the journey, I won’t be lonely." As he spoke, he flicked his finger, and an umbrella materialized out of thin air. "Gui’er said Japan is in the rainy season and insisted I bring an umbrella. I’ll use this to take you home…" The girl’s soul entered the umbrella. Liu Di closed it, slung it casually over his shoulder, and gave Xiao Ye a smile: "It's over. I’m leaving."

Xiao Ye felt that Liu Di wasn't quite as irritating as he first appeared.

"Come look me up when you get to China," Liu Di called out, waving.

"He hasn't returned?" Xiao Yu frowned.

"Good riddance."

"But he drank so much expensive liquor and didn’t pay a cent, and he took a lot of liquor and one of your credit cards!"

"…………" Xiao Ye suddenly understood why Liu Di had been in such a hurry to leave, and he understood what money Liu Di would use to buy plane tickets and duty-free gifts at the airport. "Prepare some money for me," he told Xiao Yu.

"Huh?"

"I’m going to China."

"Huh??"

"To kill a Yōkai!!"