Yama Reborn-Chapter 530 - 527: [Damn, So High]

Chapter 527 Damn, That’s Tall

The next day was New Year’s Eve of 2003, the eve of the Spring Festival.

The city had already banned fireworks, which significantly dampened the New Year’s atmosphere. However, half the supermarkets and malls were looping Andy Lau’s "Gong Xi Fa Cai," while the other half played a New Year’s song by a group called China Dolls, a has-been group completely unknown to later generations.

It was that song, "The God of Wealth Knocks on Our Door, Children Light the Lanterns"—ninety percent of Chinese people had heard this song during the New Year, but probably very few knew the group that sang it.

In the afternoon, the family went to a nearby supermarket to buy some snacks and drinks.

Lu Xixi was clearly in a great mood today, especially when watching her daughter, Miss Chen Yiyi, who was over a year old, toddling around with her bottom poked out. Lu Xixi followed closely behind. Ou Xiuhua was smiling so much her mouth wouldn’t close. After watching her granddaughter walk a short distance, she lovingly went over and picked her up.

The child, however, seemed to feel she hadn’t walked enough. She struggled and kicked in Ou Xiuhua’s arms, still trying to get to the ground.

Chen Xiaoye, egged on by Little Candy, sneakily hid bags of shrimp crackers and potato chips in the supermarket’s small shopping cart.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was generally served very early. By five o’clock in the evening, the dishes at the Chen Family’s home were brought to the table one after another.

Chen Xiaoye and Little Candy stood at the kitchen entrance, helping to carry out the dishes.

Actually, there was an extra man in the Chen Family today—Hou Changwei.

The matter between Ou Xiuhua and Hou Changwei was more or less settled. They could get their marriage certificate at any time—they were just waiting for Chen Nuo to come home. According to Ou Xiuhua, such an important event had to wait for her son’s return, so the whole family could be together.

Hou Changwei, a widower living alone, was invited to join them for New Year’s Eve dinner since it was the holiday. This old widower was actually a meticulous man, handy with all sorts of household chores, and a good cook too.

He was the busiest one in the kitchen. After stir-frying most of the dishes, he remained at the wok, deep-frying spring rolls—Jinling, being south of the Yangtze River, didn’t have the custom of eating dumplings for the New Year.

The filling for the spring rolls was Hou Changwei’s creation: Chinese chives and meat. He had even specifically asked Lu Xixi and the others about their preference for saltiness.

The wrapped spring rolls sizzled as they slid into the hot oil. They were fried to a golden brown, then removed, drained of excess oil, and arranged on a plate. Chen Xiaoye watched eagerly, then carefully carried the plate to the dining table.

In the small living room, the dining table was already laden with dishes.

The braised fish, by tradition, was not to be eaten. It was just for display and could only be touched on New Year’s Day.

The rest were typical home-style dishes that Jinling families prepared for the New Year. Little Candy, slacking off, had already secretly eaten a few pieces of smoked fish.

In the middle of the table was a bowl of "Assorted Stew," a traditional Jinling specialty. It was made with puffy pork rind, fish balls, shiitake mushrooms, shrimp, and other ingredients stewed together, resulting in a clear, fragrant, and savory broth.

The television had already been tuned to Channel One, awaiting the start of the Spring Festival Gala. In truth, no one particularly cared what program was on; they just had it on for background noise.

Once the spring rolls were fried, Hou Changwei turned off the stove, washed his hands, and joined the table where the family, young and old, had gathered.

Ou Xiuhua and Hou Changwei weren’t married yet, nor had they registered, so Ou Xiuhua still occupied the main seat.

The rest of the family, young and old, settled into their seats. Even one-year-old Chen Yiyi had a high chair at the table, though her small bowl contained baby cereal and fruit puree instead of the regular dishes.

The family consisted mainly of women, with Hou Changwei being the only man, so they decided against alcohol. Lu Xixi could drink, but Little Candy wouldn’t dare let the Empress (Lu Xixi) drink. That woman transformed when she drank; if she demolished the building, who would be responsible?

Everyone, young and old, raised their juice glasses, toasting and exchanging a flurry of New Year’s greetings, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.

After about an hour of eating, Ou Xiuhua brought out the prepared red envelopes containing New Year’s money, distributing them starting with Xiao Yezi, then Little Candy, and finally Chen Yiyi, the representative of the grandchild generation.

Hou Changwei, somewhat bashfully, also took out the red envelopes he had prepared. Lu Xixi smiled and prompted the children to accept them.

Hou Changwei was a good man, and Chen Nuo had approved of his relationship with Ou Xiuhua. He would be part of the family, nominally Xiao Yezi’s stepfather and Chen Yiyi’s grandfather.

Amidst casual family chatter, with the Spring Festival Gala playing on TV in the background, the conversation meandered. Eventually, they started talking about Chen Nuo. Ou Xiuhua was actually a bit worried, but Lu Xixi quickly offered a few words of comfort, saying that Chen Nuo was capable and had made all necessary arrangements before leaving. She assured Ou Xiuhua that it wasn’t anything dangerous, he wasn’t rushing, and he would naturally return once he was finished.

With a few words, the topic shifted to Chen Yiyi, successfully diverting Ou Xiuhua’s attention.

Xiao Yezi was also worried. However, Little Candy had often told her how capable Chen Nuo was, and these many reassurances had gradually soothed the child.

Meanwhile, Little Candy, who was idly watching TV with Chen Xiaoye, suddenly felt Lu Xixi nudge her.

Little Candy looked up and saw Lu Xixi’s hand, hidden beneath the table, making a covert gesture towards her.

Little Candy’s expression didn’t change, but a flicker of gravity instantly crossed her eyes!

This gesture was a secret signal, born from years of mutual reliance and understanding between master and disciple.

Little Candy clearly understood Lu Xixi’s gesture: external enemy present.

Little Candy looked deeply at Lu Xixi. Seeing that Lu Xixi’s smile hadn’t changed, the white-haired loli simply raised an eyebrow and silently gestured back a question.

Lu Xixi smiled faintly, her lips moving slightly as she used her spiritual power to transmit her voice directly into Little Candy’s ears.

"After dinner, once everyone is asleep, you’ll be responsible for protecting the family. I’ll take care of things outside."

Little Candy frowned. "How will they sleep? Aren’t we supposed to stay up for the New Year’s Eve vigil?"

Lu Xixi rolled her eyes. "Among the equipment you brought back, there must be something that can induce sleep, right?"

By nine o’clock, the New Year’s Eve dinner was over.

Hou Changwei didn’t stay. As a widower, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to spend the night in a house full of women, so he bid farewell after dinner.

Lu Xixi and Ou Xiuhua saw Hou Changwei to the door. Lu Xixi glanced back at Little Candy, who gave her an ’OK’ gesture.

After Hou Changwei left, the family cleared the table, put some leftovers in the fridge, and then gathered in the living room to watch the gala—less than fifteen minutes passed before...

Xiao Yezi started yawning, and then, as if it were contagious, Ou Xiuhua also began to drowse.

A moment later, everyone in the living room, except for Lu Xixi and Little Candy, had fallen asleep.

Little Candy sighed, bent down gently, and retrieved a metal box, the size of a pencil case, hidden under the sofa. She casually switched it off.

This was a common piece of equipment among Ability Users in the Underground World. The small device could emit hypnotic soundwaves, inaudible to human ears, with an effective range of about twenty square meters.

Some Ability Users used it on missions to avoid startling ordinary people.

The advantage was that, unlike airborne anesthetics, this device was virtually harmless to the human body.

The downside was... it was quite expensive. Such a small box cost about two million US dollars in the Underground World.

"So, Master? Who would dare come to our door looking for trouble?" Little Candy frowned.

"If I’m not mistaken, there’s a Wizard among them," Lu Xixi said, shaking her head.

Little Candy’s expression grew a bit more serious.

Lu Xixi moved her hand from her daughter’s head. Although the hypnotic ultrasound was harmless to humans, her child was too young. Lu Xixi was unwilling to expose her one-year-old daughter to such soundwaves. She had carefully shielded her daughter with her spiritual power and then used it to gently lull Chen Yiyi to sleep.

Little Candy’s face was grave.

Other enemies were one thing, but... a Wizard was another matter entirely.

In the entire Underground World, if one were to list those qualified to contend with Lu Xixi, Wizards would rank first.

"I’ll deal with the enemy. You protect the family," Lu Xixi stated her plan.

"That might not be enough," Little Candy frowned. "What if they have malicious intent and try to use the family to threaten you? I can’t protect everyone on my own."

"Do you really think," Lu Xixi smiled, patting Little Candy’s shoulder, "that in the past year, your master’s abilities haven’t progressed at all?"

Vanel was humming a song, the lyrics of which he couldn’t recall. After he’d repeated it countless times, Lillian, who was in the room, looked at him impatiently and snapped, "You’ve been humming that all day! Can’t you sing something else?"

Vanel shrugged. A moment later...

"Congratulations on your wealth, I congratulate you on your success..."

"Shut up!" Lillian stood up.

The Diamond Princess, who had the build and appearance of a European or American supermodel—broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs—had an imposing aura when she abruptly stood up.

"Sorry," Vanel quickly conceded, forcing a smile. "I’ve heard those two songs playing in every Chinese shop these past few days. They’ve been drilled into my head."

"Shut up. Be quiet," Lillian said coldly.

Then she turned to look at the monitor.

To monitor the Chen Family’s activities, they had installed hidden cameras in several locations near Chen Nuo’s building and were watching via a monitor.

The advantage of this method was its efficiency.

A greater advantage was that directly spying on a top-tier Controller like the Star Sky Empress with the naked eye could, over time, create spiritual power fluctuations that she might detect.

Using machines like cameras was much safer.

"So, isn’t today a very important festival for the Chinese? Why hasn’t Chen Nuo appeared?" The Wizard had been sitting in the room all along, quietly gazing out the window, lost in thought. He now turned to his companions. "Don’t you find it odd?"

"Perhaps Chen Nuo went on a long trip... for some high-paying commission?"

"No, Nolan checked," Lillian said, shaking her head. "He screened all mission requests on the Octopus Monster’s website for the past two months. No Ability User resembling Chen Nuo participated in any of them."

The Wizard frowned and looked at Vanel.

"Don’t look at me; I know nothing," Vanel rolled his eyes. "With two powerful Controllers like you here, I’m just a lackey who’s barely reached the Destroyer level."

"If we don’t get any news of Chen Nuo soon, we’ll have to withdraw temporarily," the Wizard said, shaking his head. "Spying on a top-tier Controller for an extended period, no matter how careful, risks detection."

"Are you afraid of the Star Sky Empress?" Lillian’s tone was sharp.

As a prominent female figure among Controllers, second only to the Star Sky Empress, it was common knowledge that Lillian, the Diamond Princess, had always been vying with the Star Sky Empress.

The Wizard didn’t get angry. "I’m not afraid of her," he stated coldly. "But if we can’t achieve our primary objective, confronting her is meaningless. Lillian, if you want to pursue a personal vendetta, feel free to go challenge her. I won’t stop you."

Lillian clenched her teeth and remained silent, but the eager glint in her eyes betrayed her true feelings.

After escaping from the sealed Moon, partly due to those months of confinement, not only the Wizard but Lillian too had achieved breakthroughs and advanced her abilities.

Although she knew she hadn’t been Lu Xixi’s match before, her strength had now improved, and she felt she might not necessarily be weaker than her rival.

But the Wizard was right.

The target was Chen Nuo.

If they couldn’t get Chen Nuo, fighting Lu Xixi was pointless.

"Then let’s proceed with the backup plan," Lillian said after some thought. "Capture Chen Nuo’s family to threaten him. Chen Nuo will surely show himself then."

The Wizard hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "If all else fails, that’s our only option. However, we can’t reveal too much strength at the start. It’s best to lure Lu Xixi away, then leave one person to kidnap Chen Nuo’s family. If we reveal three Controllers from the outset, Chen Nuo might request aid from the Seed."

"Nolan said he won’t reveal himself until it’s time to engage," Lillian said slowly. "He can’t attract the Octopus Monster’s attention. But he guaranteed that once we make our move, he has a way to get here instantly."

"So, a Spatial Ability?" the Wizard frowned.

"It’s probably an ability he gained from being chosen by the Seed," Lillian sighed.

Actually, a thought had been suppressed in the minds of both Controllers. If becoming a Chosen One of the Seed granted a boost in power... which Controller wouldn’t desire a breakthrough?

"You two... can we put the chat on hold for a moment? Our target is on the move," Vanel interrupted the Wizard and Lillian. He pointed at the monitor screen. "The Empress has left the building!"

The two Controllers tensed and quickly moved to the monitor.

On the screen, multiple camera angles showed Lu Xixi emerging from the entrance of Chen Nuo’s apartment building, standing in the open area of the residential complex.

On this New Year’s Eve, after ten o’clock at night, the open area within the residential complex was deserted; not a soul was in sight.

Lu Xixi walked out quietly, her steps light, and stopped about a few dozen paces from the main gate of the complex.

"...Look! That’s..." The Wizard’s expression suddenly lit up with excitement.

On the screen, a figure slowly entered through the complex gate under the night sky.

He had short hair and a slender build, hands thrust into his pockets. He walked with an air of nonchalant swagger as he leisurely entered the gate.

As he passed under a streetlight, the light briefly illuminated his face.

"Chen Nuo!" The Wizard took a deep breath. "He’s back!"

On the screen, Lu Xixi met Chen Nuo. They stood face to face and then embraced.

Just then, Lu Xixi looked up, seemingly pointing in a certain direction.

The next second, on the screen, both Lu Xixi and Chen Nuo leaped into the air and flew off!

The Wizard had already dashed out of the room. Looking up, his keen senses quickly spotted two figures concealed by the darkness high above.

"They’ve left!"

Watching the two figures fly away quickly under the cover of the night sky, the Wizard glanced at Lillian, who had caught up to him, and said suddenly, "You go capture Chen Nuo’s family! I’ll pursue them! As soon as you have them, join me immediately!"

The Wizard leaped into the air, pursuing the direction Chen Nuo and Lu Xixi had flown. Fortunately, they weren’t flying very fast. The Wizard carefully suppressed his spiritual power and aura, tailing them from a distance.

In less than two minutes, the three of them had flown out of the densely populated urban area.

Below them lay a verdant mountain forest.

I think I’ve been here before, a thought flashed through the Wizard’s mind.

Niushou Mountain, by the shore of Yulong Lake.

Lu Xixi and Chen Nuo had landed. After looking around, Lu Xixi smiled.

This was the most suitable place near Jinling City for a confrontation.

Even if a mountain collapsed here, it would take a while for any ordinary people to arrive.

(Niushou Mountain: So why am I always the unlucky one?!)

The Wizard also landed in the mountain forest. He had been carefully maintaining a distance of two to three miles from his targets, the couple.

But just as he landed, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He picked it up. Lillian’s stern voice came from the other end.

"Chen Nuo’s home is empty! Old, young—not a single person is there!"

The Wizard’s grip tightened on the phone. "Where are you?"

"I’m already following you. I’ll reach you in twenty seconds at most. But I strongly suspect we’ve been discovered!"

"So what if we’ve been detected?" the Wizard said after three seconds of silence, taking a deep breath. "Chen Nuo has appeared! We attack! Three against two! Summon Nolan immediately! Send the coordinates! When we engage, you hold off Lu Xixi. Nolan and I will go all out to eliminate Chen Nuo as quickly as possible!"

"...Alright!"

BANG!

The word was barely out of her mouth when a figure descended from the sky, landing less than twenty meters from the Wizard.

Lillian glanced at the Wizard. Simultaneously, they both crushed their phones and tossed them aside.

Lillian took a small, matchbox-sized device from her pocket and pressed a button on it.

This button was the device to send Nolan the signal.

"He said that no matter when or where, once this button is pressed, he’ll be with us in a minute at most."

"Let’s hope the Spatial Ability he got from the Octopus Monster is reliable."

"He’s betting his life on it. I think we can trust him."

After a quick exchange, the two of them slowly walked out from the forest.

Across from them, on the bank of Yulong Lake, the man and woman stood shoulder to shoulder.

As expected, neither showed any surprise, looking at the Wizard and Lillian with cold smiles.

"Wizard. And Diamond..." Lu Xixi exhaled. "All old acquaintances, I see."

The Wizard and Lillian said nothing as they approached, creating a two-on-two standoff.

Lu Xixi shook her head. "Wizard, I won’t bother asking why you’ve come looking for trouble... we have old grudges anyway. But Lillian... haven’t I beaten you enough? You’re actually here, picking a fight over some petty desire for the spotlight?"

Lillian’s expression turned uglier by several shades.

Lu Xixi glanced at Chen Nuo beside her. "Two on two. Which opponent do you choose?"

"I choose Lillian," Chen Nuo said without hesitation.

Lu Xixi rolled her eyes. "Must you always pick the weaker opponent?"

"Chen Nuo! Let the ladies settle their own grudges. Your opponent is me," the Wizard said with a cold smirk. "I remember this place vividly! Last time, I was injured here by your treacherous methods. This time, however, I’ll be extremely cautious. Don’t expect your dirty tricks to work again."

Chen Nuo rolled his eyes and said nothing.

SCREECH!

A taxi pulled up at the entrance of the residential complex.

The door opened, and a portly figure squeezed out with difficulty. He took out his wallet, counted out the money, and tossed it to the driver.

The fare was more than double the usual rate, but... on New Year’s Eve, such a price was to be expected.

A figure as round as a barrel stood at the entrance to the residential complex, apparently winded just from the effort of getting out of the car.

When he took a couple of steps, the fat on his body quivered. Even his thick winter clothes couldn’t conceal the enormous roll around his waist, like a life preserver.

When he lowered his head slightly, his chin immediately folded into three layers.

When he looked up again, the triple chin vanished, only for three rolls of fat to appear on the back of his neck.

After a few heavy gasps, the portly man looked around with a sigh of emotion.

"Damn it, I finally made it!" he panted. "Good thing it’s not past midnight! I can still make it for New Year’s!"

But...

Hmm... they won’t fail to recognize me, will they?

He forcefully pinched the fat on his stomach.

Hmm... at this rate, I could probably give that comedian who used to feed elephants at the zoo a run for his money.

He staggered to the foot of the building and looked up at the floors.

Damn... that’s high.