Chapter 20: The Treacherous Nature of the Human Heart

Bang, bang, bang...

A bright red soccer ball rolled into the courtyard and, quite mysteriously, came to a stop by the locust tree—right at Tanya’s feet.

Hearing the commotion, Chu Ning decisively rose to his feet. He strode over to the ball and, without giving Tanya a chance to pick it up, struck it hard with his foot, sending it flying away.

Following the ball’s arc with his gaze, he nodded in satisfaction. The ball had sailed over the courtyard wall—now, it had nothing to do with him!

“Big sister, did you see my soccer ball?”

A doll-like little girl timidly peeked over the wall, her voice soft and sweet as she called down to Tanya, her eyes shimmering with tears that threatened to spill over at the slightest hint of bad news.

“Uh...”

Tanya glanced awkwardly at Chu Ning, who was standing nearby, whistling insolently. She couldn’t bear to tell the little girl that the ball had just flown away at great speed.

“Little one, your big brother hasn’t seen any ball. Why don’t you check somewhere else?” Chu Ning said, squinting with a cheerful smile. He even kindly pointed in the opposite direction from where the ball had disappeared, suggesting the girl look there.

Tanya’s eye twitched as she watched this shameless act unfold. For her own safety, she bit back the urge to expose the lie.

Suppressing her anger, Liu Lingling managed a sweet smile. “Thank you, big brother!” She had clearly seen the ball soar away into the sky, yet this guy found amusement in deception!

“You’re such a good person! I won’t bother you further—I’ll go look over there!” she said through gritted teeth, and with that, her small figure slowly vanished from their sight.

A sly, satisfied smile played across Chu Ning’s lips. Brats like that were the worst! Successfully driving away an uninvited little pest—how gratifying!

“Wasn’t that a bit much?” Tanya hesitated, mustering her courage to venture a reproach. She couldn’t shake the feeling that bullying a child was hardly honorable.

“Hmph! Has a zombie eaten your brain? You couldn’t see through such a simple ruse?” Chu Ning shook his head in exasperation, genuinely concerned for Tanya’s future. If she was this naïve, what would happen if someone tried to con her?

Tanya’s face darkened instantly. “Thank you for your concern, but my body is still safely preserved in the morgue.” She was simply more empathetic than most, more willing to help the weak—unlike someone who was blinded by greed and devoid of compassion.

Noticing her defiant look, Chu Ning condescendingly explained, “How high is this courtyard wall? How tall is that little girl? When you were that age, could you climb a wall this high on your own?”

“And what does that prove? It proves this is a coordinated scam—a gang job. The little girl must have accomplices. All they need is to engage you in conversation, and then they’ll lure you out. Next thing you know, you’re the victim!”

Tanya tried weakly to argue. “That’s not necessarily true. There could be other explanations!” She still wanted to believe in the goodness of people. Besides, the little girl was one of their kind; it was only natural she might have abilities beyond the ordinary.

Chu Ning gave a sinister laugh. “Not true? Let me tell you what happens when you trust people too easily!”

He swept a cold, appraising gaze over Tanya, as though inspecting merchandise.

“If you’re unfortunate-looking, you’re lucky—you’ll probably just be sold off to some remote mountain village.”

“But sadly, your beauty is your greatest curse! Your body will be toyed with, and when you grow old and lose your looks, they’ll send you to a shady hospital for human experimentation, and your intact organs will be auctioned off!”

His cruel words struck Tanya like a curse; as his grotesque descriptions droned on, vivid scenes flashed relentlessly through her mind.

“Your hair will be made into wigs, your fat rendered into soap, your teeth turned into dentures. Oh, and I’ve heard some people with rather peculiar tastes like to collect entire skins—do you know how to remove skin so it stays tight? Of course, it has to be taken while the person’s still alive! I know of at least three methods for flaying, but I doubt you want the details!”

A piercing scream tore through the courtyard as Tanya clapped her hands over her ears, desperate not to hear another filthy word.

“And that’s not even the end! The scraps of your body will be processed into food, your bones displayed in some collector’s home for admiration, and finally, they’ll inherit your estate with a power of attorney signed in your own hand!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Tanya cried, pressing her hands over Chu Ning’s mouth in terror, casting a fearful glance at the spot where the little girl had vanished.

Chu Ning spread his hands in mock innocence. He was only telling the truth, after all! Yet his gaze dimmed; deep down, he wished his words were nothing more than a lie.

Thud.

The soccer ball, obeying gravity, dropped back to the ground. Liu Lingling, still gripping the ball, her mouth forming a perfect O and her small eyes blinking in disbelief, asked, “Are we really that bad?”

Ye Hui couldn’t suppress a shiver. “Maybe we’re actually the good guys—at least compared to Chu Ning.”

Truth be told, Ye Hui was starting to doubt whether he even had the potential to be a villain. Chu Ning, singlehandedly, had raised the bar for evil so high that petty tricksters like them felt wholly unworthy.

“Damn, I never realized I was so merciful—always choosing the quickest, cleanest way to end a life.”

Liu Lingling touched her left chest, wondering if her conscience was still intact. Chu Ning had just set a new low for her.

“Seriously, how can the Underworld let someone that dangerous roam the mortal world unchecked? He’s a menace wherever he goes.”

Ye Hui had to admit her point. The black resentment Chu Ning exuded earlier far surpassed that of ordinary specters.

“If it’s possible—just saying—if we could send Chu Ning off to the next world while we’re at it, that would be ideal!” Ye Hui confessed, his voice lacking confidence. He was even less certain now that he could complete their mission.

Liu Lingling shot him a look of utter contempt. Was he still daydreaming? “While we’re at it,” indeed—he should be grateful if Chu Ning didn’t devour the two of them. Thank goodness their target wasn’t Chu Ning, or they’d be in for a disaster.

She couldn’t help but grumble, “I feel like we’re acting as agents of justice, upholding the righteous path. It’s almost uncomfortable, standing on the side of good for once!”

“Have a little more confidence. You can drop the ‘almost’ from that sentence.”