5 005

This was the first time Shen Xiaotang had ever flown on an airplane.

Because "Blade Peddlers" made a habit of carrying blades with them for divination while traveling, Shen Yidao had always made every effort to avoid airplanes, trains, or high-speed rail whenever he took Shen Xiaotang out.

Looking at the hundred or so blades laid out before him, Shen Xingyan looked at Shen Xiaotang helplessly: "Do we really have to bring these?"

After a long and rigorous interrogation by airport security just moments ago, the three of them had finally cleared themselves of suspicion as "dangerous individuals."

Shen Xiaotang replied without hesitation: "We have to bring them."

"Can't you leave them behind?" Shen Xingyan persisted.

Her only answer was silence as she gripped her suitcase tightly, refusing to let go.

Shen Xingyan ground his teeth in frustration. It was in this moment that he finally realized while adopting a child was simple, raising one well was not an easy task.

In the end, he compromised.

Shen Xingyan turned to Zhou Ya: "Sister Ya, sorry to trouble you, but could you please handle the check-in for these?"

Shen Xiaotang’s face immediately lit up with joy, and she even ran over to help carry the suitcases with remarkable enthusiasm. Shen Xingyan hesitated for a moment before following after them.

While queuing for baggage check, Shen Xiaotang suddenly caught a scent.

It was not the artificial fragrance of perfumes, nor the pungent odor of sweat mixed with skin oils, but the unmistakable, putrid smell of rotting flesh that ordinary people could not perceive.

Following the scent, Shen Xiaotang’s gaze fixed on a man in his thirties standing in the adjacent line.

The man was tall and sturdy, with a tanned complexion that looked deceptively healthy. He carried a black mountaineering backpack and was in the middle of lifting a large suitcase onto the scanner.

At that same moment, a series of images flashed rapidly through Shen Xiaotang’s mind.

The cascade of visions caused her to furrow her brows deeper as she stared at the man. After struggling with her thoughts for a while, she finally walked toward him.

Before she had even taken a few steps, and before Zhou Ya—who was standing right next to her—could notice, Shen Xingyan, who was standing at a distance from the check-in line to avoid being recognized, saw her move.

Forgetting they were in a public place, he shouted at her back: "Where are you going?"

"I have some business, I'll be back in a second!" Shen Xiaotang replied without looking back.

Shen Xingyan couldn't help but mutter "brattish kid" under his breath and started to chase after her.

By the time Zhou Ya heard the commotion and looked over, Shen Xiaotang was already asking the man: "Would you like to buy a blade? One blade, one prophecy. I only loan them out, I don't sell them. You only pay after the prophecy comes true."

The surrounding crowd turned to look.

The man was clearly stunned. He stared warily at Shen Xiaotang, who barely reached his chest, and shook his head: "Thanks, I don't need one."

Shen Xingyan arrived just then, ready to drag Shen Xiaotang back.

Shen Xiaotang nodded at the man and followed Shen Xingyan away, behaving quite obediently this time.

Once they returned to the line, Zhou Ya said to her: "The airport is crowded and chaotic, don't go running off."

What she really wanted to say was for Shen Xiaotang to never do that again; if someone with malicious intent had filmed it, it would cause negative repercussions for Shen Xingyan. But considering the public setting, she had to set that aside for now.

"Mm, I won't run off again," Shen Xiaotang nodded, looking perfectly well-behaved.

Kind words cannot persuade a ghost bound for death; compassion cannot save those who choose their own end. Furthermore, she hadn't truly intended to save the man anyway.

***

In the VIP lounge.

"Dear passengers, your flight, number XXXX, is now boarding. Please gather your belongings, present your boarding pass, and proceed to gate XXX."

Shen Xiaotang took a quick, deep gulp, finished the orange juice in her hand, tossed the cup into the trash, and followed Zhou Ya and Shen Xingyan toward the boarding gate.

Once on the plane, Zhou Ya helped Shen Xiaotang fasten her seatbelt and gave her a quick tutorial on how to use the seat amenities.

"If there's anything else you don't understand, just call me."

Shen Xiaotang nodded, looking around with curiosity.

In the seat diagonally in front of her, Shen Xingyan had already removed his sunglasses and put on a black sleep mask, leaning back as if to rest.

There were only a few seats in first class, and she finished surveying the area in a few glances before turning her attention to the window. It was at that moment that her gaze locked onto something.

On the apron not far away, economy-class passengers were lining up to board.

Y City, with its lush vegetation and beautiful scenery, was a famous tourist destination. With the May Day holiday over, there were naturally more passengers returning from Y City than usual. Among this crowd was a figure dressed in gaudy, exaggerated, multicolored clothing.

He had human-like facial features, yet gave off a strange vibe. His hair was disheveled and stood up in stiff, individual strands, making his already oversized head appear as large as two or three normal heads combined.

This strangely-looking person was looking around as if searching for something. Finally, his gaze landed on a man in his thirties near the boarding gate.

Following his gaze, Shen Xiaotang saw the same man.

She was slightly surprised. It was such a coincidence that they were on the same flight.

Having found his target, the strange-looking man’s mouth curled into a grin.

In the next second, he vanished into thin air.

Shen Xiaotang’s expression turned solemn. The pursuer had found him; this man wouldn't live through the day.

***

The flight from Y City to A City would take three hours and fifty minutes.

Once the plane reached cruising altitude and the window shades were allowed to be raised, Shen Xiaotang kept her eyes fixed on the view outside. To Zhou Ya, who kept glancing over at her, she looked like a curious child experiencing her first flight, and she couldn't help but smile.

Little did she know, Shen Xiaotang was actually wondering when she would master the art of flying, so she could soar freely among those snowy, billowing clouds.

However, the art of flying was not easy to master. Even her master, Shen Yidao, hadn't managed to do it before he died.

Shen Xiaotang had never shown grief over Shen Yidao’s passing. That was because no one knew that Shen Yidao held another position as a civil servant in the Underworld. His death was merely the expiration of his physical body in the mortal realm; his soul had actually gone to the Underworld.

More accurately, Shen Yidao had chosen to "die" in the mortal realm because he had received a promotion and his primary place of work would now be permanently stationed in the Underworld.

Shen Xiaotang wanted to take the civil service exam for the Underworld too, but she wasn't old enough. In principle, unless one received a special appointment, one had to be at least fifteen years old to take the exam.

Thinking of this, Shen Xiaotang sighed and picked up the drink on her tray table. She missed her master and wondered how he was doing now that he was in the Underworld.

The perks of first class were quite good. She could ask the flight attendant for any snacks or drinks she wanted for free.

As Shen Xiaotang continued to eat and drink, the announcement finally played: "Ladies and gentlemen, the plane is about to descend into A City Airport. The temperature outside is 29 degrees... The plane is taxiing. For your safety and the safety of others, please do not stand up or open the overhead bins yet..."

Passengers began to perk up at the announcement, and those who had been drowsing opened their eyes. Some passengers in window seats began to lower their shades as instructed.

It was then that the tall man—the one Shen Xiaotang had asked about the blade—who was sitting in an economy-class window seat near the back, reached to lower his shade and suddenly found himself face-to-face with a bizarre, strange-looking visage!

His hair was messy and stood up like needles, paired with a sinister, terrifying grin. The man was so frightened he opened his mouth to scream...

But it was already too late.

The creature’s hand reached straight through the window glass, grabbing the man by the throat with such astonishing force that he couldn't let out a single sound, and the bones in his neck emitted a sickening "crack."

Before he completely lost consciousness, the man felt the world spin out of control...

***

A short while later, the plane stabilized.

Once it came to a complete stop, the announcement played again, and passengers began unbuckling their seatbelts or pulling out their phones to connect to the network.

Suddenly, a sharp female voice pierced the air.

"Ah—someone, someone’s dead!"

In economy class, a young woman let out a scream, forgetting to unbuckle her seatbelt as she tried to scramble away in a panic.

Sitting in front of her was an elderly person with gray hair, who was startled by the scream and then had their gaze drawn to the window seat.

One look was enough to nearly trigger a heart attack!

In a horrifying scene, the man was upside down in his seat, head facing down and feet pointing up. A kitchen knife had been plunged into his neck at some point, and bright red blood was gushing out from the wound.

Beneath the man's seat, on the back of the seat in front, and even on the window glass, blood was sprayed everywhere... the stench of iron was nauseating.

The blood continued to pool, quickly spreading from the center of the man's seat to the surrounding area.

The fear of a bloody murder occurring on the plane caused chaos in the economy cabin. Flight attendants and other staff rushed toward the scene upon hearing the commotion.

In first class, almost at the moment the first scream rang out, Shen Xiaotang unbuckled her seatbelt with a "click" and bolted out of her seat.

"Shen Xiaotang! Why are you running off again! Get back here, you brat!" Shen Xingyan’s furious roar echoed through the entire first-class cabin.