After an Infinite Flow Player Retires

Chapter 31

As a ghost, A'Mi had never experience such a tormenting twenty-four hours.

It still clearly remembered the last time King was in such a bad mood. At that time, he had almost slaughtered an entire territory of S-level fierce ghosts—–Regardless of who was his ally and who was his enemy, he only focused on venting his anger.

Just when it fearfully felt that it might really die this time, King suddenly left.

A'Mi waited in fear. Never before did time feel this excruciatingly long.

But what it didn't expect was that when King returned soon afterwards, his mood appeared to have visibly improved.

???

A'Mi only had a look of confusion.

It secretly contacted several high-ranking fierce ghosts working under King but found that their territories were still fine. It wasn't the bloodbath it had imagined.

After putting down the phone, A'Mi was even more confused.

So…..what was the method for one to restore the bad-tempered King back to normal?

Begging you, please save this child.

It's so afraid of being eaten up one dayyy!!

While A'Mi was busy thinking this, King's voice travelled down from above. He spoke without much concern, "Shadow ghost."

A'Mi was startled, "Yes!"

Ji Xuan's eyes lowered slightly. He asked, "Any news from him?"

A'Mi wanted to cry without tears, "…….No."

Over the past few hours, it had tried every means possible to contact the newcomer, but the other side seemed to have fallen into the ocean or something and hadn't replied at all.

A'Mi knew very well that if it couldn't contact the other party the normal way, and if King's mood turned for the worse again, it may need to take some more extreme measures.

—-And such extreme measures would often end in terrible and miserable endings.

Although A'Mi wasn't very familiar with the newcomer, it still didn't want to see the other party disappear like this.

But unexpectedly, King only nodded and faintly made a sound of understanding.

This time, it was A'Mi's turn to scratch its head.

It secretly peeked at Ji Xuan in surprise and muttered secretly inside.

After King left and then retuned, he seemed to have become easier to talk to?

It was to the extent that A'Mi was still wondering if it was actually dreaming.

"Go." Ji Xuan waved his hand eagerly, "Report back after you get in touch."

"Yes." A'Mi gave a fearful bow and then turned and retreated.

But, before it could take more than two steps, A'Mi was called again, "Wait."

The man's voice was low and hoarse. A'Mi's heart couldn't help but tremble in fear when it heard it and quickly turned around, "Please give me your orders."

Ji Xuan's eyes were slightly lowered. With his elbow resting on the armrest, his hand supporting his chin and his legs crossed, he was sitting in a relaxed posture.

He looked thoughtfully at A'Mi who stood not far away, and his dark red eyes narrowed slightly, the oppressive gaze making A'Mi instinctively shrink back.

While it waited fearfully for its unknown fate, it heard the other party slowly start speaking.

"Do you know how to understand a person?"

A'Mi: "…….."

Huh?

It suspected it had heard wrong.

"Understand a person's what?" A'Mi asked carefully after some careful consideration.

Ji Xuan casually tapped at his armrest with the tip of his finger, making a small, regular sound. His eyes were half-lowered, as if he was thinking about something.

—-In fact, that experience last time in the illusory realm created by the mirror spirit was very thought-provoking.

As a weak monster, the reason mirror spirits could survive until now was because it preyed on desires and used them as bait to firmly trap their target. Even if they were aware of the danger, they still couldn't help but find themselves falling into the illusion.

And the reason for his failure last time was because of this.

Therefore, in order to prevent the other party from escaping again, he must change his strategy.

After a long time, Ji Xuan said, "Everything."

This baffled A'Mi.

It wanted to ask a few more questions but it didn't dare speak—-It was a fatal mistake for one to probe into King's private matters.

After a few minutes of contemplation, A'Mi suddenly had an inspiration:

"Yes, that's right! I heard that humans seem to have a lot of related books explaining the know-hows in this regard!"

Ji Xuan raised a brow, his scarlet eyes flashing with interest.

"Oh?"

.

Ten hours later.

Ye Jia finally arrived in a hurry.

A'Mi: "…..You're finally here."

For some reason, Ye Jia felt like he could see despair and exhaustion on that indistinct face.

"Cough, it was just that I was busy recently trying to complete the task King gave me…." He coughed dryly, "And I forgot to unmute the phone."

A'Mi: "……I'm begging you, please don't mute it next time."

It didn't want to repeat today's experience again.

"So, where's King?" Ye Jia cautiously didn't use Ji Xuan's name this time.

A'Mi pointed at the closed door behind them, "Go. He's waiting for you."

Ye Jia checked the disguise on him several times and, after ensuring that he was safe, he reached out to push the door open and walked in.

The meeting place this time was not the hall from last time. The curtains were tightly shut. Although the room was dim, one could still see the exquisite and luxurious decorations inside.

Ye Jia looked around. He was lost in thought for a while before suddenly remembering the bonus the other party had given him some time ago.

"………"

They all clearly came out from the same game but why was there such a big difference in financial abilities?

This was unscientific.

At this moment, there was a faint splashing sound not far away, as if there were waves moving. The faint smell of blood filled the air.

Please read this from kk translates

Ye Jia was slightly startled. He raised his eyes and looked in the direction of the sound.

A few steps away from himself, there was a large pool built into the ground. The pool was filled with sticky, deep-red blood and the rippling waves faintly flickered in the dim room, reflecting a faint red light onto the ceiling above as well.

Ye Jia walked over.

He saw a white goat skull slowly emerge from the pool of blood. The hollow and dark eye sockets stared at the young man standing next to the pool as drops of blood slowly rolled down its back. Soon, a large body that looked quite terrifying emerged from the blood as well.

It was actually a blood gu fish.

The tail of the blood gu fish moved and the huge body slowly moved closer. It stuck its goat head out from the bloody pool and looked at Ye Jia.

Ye Jia narrowed his eyes slightly, his muscles instinctively tightening as he prepared for a face off.

At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him, breaking the tense atmosphere in the room.

"It likes you."

Ye Jia was taken aback. He turned and looked in the direction of the voice.

He saw Ji Xuan standing not far behind him with his arms crossed. The white shirt and black pants looked particularly eye-catching in the dim room and his pair of scarlet eyes reflected the glistening blood in the pool. His body gave off a strong presence that was hard for one to ignore.

He slowly walked towards Ye Jia. The thick carpet on the ground absorbed the sound of his footsteps, making him seem like he was a ghost drifting over.

"You can touch it." Ji Xuan said unhurriedly.

Ye Jia: "………"

???

Ji Xuan stopped not far from him. The two maintained a not too far yet not too close distance, but Ye Jia could still feel the oppressiveness coming from him.

He quietly took a step back and then turned his head and glanced at the blood gu fish.

One person and one skull looked at each other.

Ye Jia slowly spoke up.

"…..No need."

Ji Xuan expressionlessly stepped forward again, instantly shortening the distance Ye Jia had just tried to increase.

Ye Jia could smell the scent coming from the other person's body.

The cold air carried a faint scent of blood, as well as some bitterness, a bit like crushed grass.

Ji Xuan's voice was low. It was hard for one to tell what emotions were in there. He didn't seem to be allowing any room for discussion, "Give it a try."

Ye Jia: "……….."

Alright then.

He looked at the blood gu fish that had been quietly looking at him and then took a step forward, slowly stuck out his hand and reached towards their large skull.

Those slender and pale fingers appeared steady and calm. Only the slight tension at the knuckles revealed the owner's vigilance.

The blood gu fish stared back through those empty eye sockets. It seemed as if it was weighing up something.

It slowly raised its head and seemed to be sniffing other person's scent in the air.

After that was the sound of water rippling. The blood gu fish's tail flicked and its entire body suddenly charged forward.

Ye Jia's fingers stiffened slightly.

But the next second, the blood gu fish lowered its head and pressed its white skull against Ye Jia's palm, as if expressing affection.

Ye Jia was a little surprised.

He tentatively took another step forward and gently touched the other party's skull head.

The blood gu fish nuzzled against his palm and flipped around in the pool in a very good mood. Its large body flicked with great force, splashing out bloody water.

Ye Jia raised his hand and wiped the blood off his cheek.

The blood gu fish floated upside down in the pool of blood, watching him through those empty eye sockets, its tail flicking.

Ye Jia, "……"

Why did it feel like……it wanted him to scratch its belly?

Moreover, it didn't have a belly!

Ji Xuan on the other side was clearly a little surprised. He raised a brow, "This is my first time seeing it like someone other than me so much."

Ye Jia, "Actually…..It's pretty cute."

"You like it?" Ji Xuan turned and looked fixatedly at Ye Jia.

Ye Jia quickly shook his head and denied it, "…..No, it's not that. I didn't mean it that way."

—-In fact, on his way here to see Ji Xuan, he had carefully thought about what he should do next.

If the 'double agent' setting for Ye Jia was a temporary stoppage measure before, it had now become something that was to his advantage.

After all, when negotiating with Wu Su earlier, something the other party had mentioned inadvertently drew his attention.

At present, most of the fierce ghosts and monsters who have been causing a commotion had been A-Level or lower, while the S-Level fierce ghosts that could bring along the most terrible disasters have seemingly disappeared. Except for the ghost-faced spiders who started a large-scale hunt during its breeding period but was caught by Ye Jia, the other S-level fierce ghosts, especially the ones sitting at the top of the food chain, had been deeply hidden from the Bureau's radar.

Moreover, there seemed to be some form of conspiracy being planned underneath all of this.

And if he wanted to dig out the truth, he would need to find an opportunity to get close to them.

—-Ji Xuan, who held the most power in the ghost world, became his best target.

Although there was some deep enmity between them, Ye Jia could only take this risk to achieve his objectives.

Furthermore, since Ji Xuan wanted to plant a double agent into the human Paranormal Investigation and Management Bureau, it was better that he was the one playing the role—-At least with that, he could control the amount of information coming in and going out and he would become the key to it all.

So right now, he definitely shouldn't let his boss think that he is coveting his pet.

"Is that so?" Ji Xuan withdrew his gaze. A trace of imperceptible regret seemed to flash through his eyes.

Ye Jia took a deep breath and began to report to Ji Xuan his work progress.

"….I have now successfully infiltrated into the bureau and have also gained the trust and recognition from some of their members……"

In fact, he wasn't really lying.

He had only hidden a few key details.

Ji Xuan listened without much care, his hand stroking the blood gu fish's skull head.

He asked, "Which department are you in low?"

Ye Jia: "…..Logistics Department."

"Oh?" Ji Xuan raised his eyes, "And your current human name is?"

"Cheng Cezhi." Ye Jia didn't hesitate at all.

Based on the current situation, he was the best candidate.

Not only did Cheng Cezhi happen to be a newcomer who had just recently joined the Bureau, in addition to the timing matching up, but because he is a relative of the director, his files would be more difficult to find. Even if Ji Xuan had other internal supports in the Bureau, he wouldn't be able to find any further information.

And more importantly, Cheng Cezhi was also one of the few people who knew of Ye Jia's second identity—–Although it was just a simple glance, it gave him enough reason to firmly keep the other party under his watch. The small wisp of ghost energy he left on the other party's body should also be enough to ensure his safety.

Ji Xuan nodded and didn't continue pursuing this matter.

He retracted his hand and the blood gu fish who was no longer being petted slowly sank back into the pool of blood. Its large body disappeared under the calm waters, as if it had never appeared in the first place.

Ye Jia lowered his eyes and asked both slowly and carefully:

"May I ask if you have any instructions?"

Only these instructions will reveal his true purpose.

—-He needed to know, with Ji Xuan as the Ghost King, what was his intention after entering the human world?

Ji Xuan stared at the young man in front of him. His icy scarlet eyes were half narrowed, as if he could see through the numerous layers of yin disguise on the other party's body and could see the depths of their soul. The seemingly penetrative gaze was enough to make one uncomfortable.

Ye Jia waited quietly.

A few seconds later, Ji Xuan withdrew his gaze and asked calmly, "Cat or dog?"

Ye Jia: "….???"

He took a deep breath. After confirming that he hadn't heard wrongly, he slowly asked, "……..Huh?"

Ji Xuan patiently repeated:

"Do you like cats or dogs?"

Huh?????

What…..what's with this question?

Ye Jia who was originally waiting for the other party to give him an order was left dumbfounded. He raised his head with a blank expression. His eyes fell onto the other man's expressionless face as he tried to figure out the reason for his strangeness, but it was to no avail.

The other party seemed to purely……want to know the answer to this question.

Ye Jia built up some courage and answered, "D-dogs, I guess."

Ji Xuan nodded.

He turned around and left in the direction he came from earlier. With his back facing Ye Jia, he waved his hand, "You can go."

Ye Jia watched the other person's leaving figure. His brain couldn't process this situation for a while.

…..That's it???

Even after leaving the room, Ye Jia was still in a dumbfounded state.

A'Mi who had been waiting for him at the door quickly approached him and asked in a small voice, "How was it? Did King make things difficult for you?"

Ye Jia recalled carefully, "….Not really."

"Really?" A'Mi was a little in disbelief, "Then it seems that King is in a good mood today. You are really lucky."

Ye Jia: "…..I guess."

A human and a ghost left together. A'Mi continued to ask, "Did King give you any instructions? Do you need my help?"

"No……" Ye Jia frowned. "He just asked me a very strange question."

"What?"

"Whether I liked cats or dogs." Ye Jia's brows knitted even more deeply as he tried to figure out the meaning behind the other person's question.

A'Mi abruptly stopped in place. Its face with indistinct facial features seemed to have suddenly turned serious. It slowly asked, "How did you answer?"

Ye Jia was taken aback by its attitude.

Could this be…..a trick question that would be problematic if you answered it incorrectly?

He paused and said cautiously, "….A dog, I guess."

Ye Jia's presence now resembled a fierce ghost more than a human. As animals are more sensitive than humans, they tended to avoid him.

Please read this from kk translates

He had given up on any plans to keep a pet a long time ago.

As for the only pet he had never raised……

Probably the small black hand.

But rather than a pet, it was more like free labour. There was no harm keeping it except for it spending a bit too much money in games.

And there was no need to clean up after it.

A'Mi's face froze. As if it had heard something terrible, its gaze fell onto Ye Jia, and it seemed to be completely stunned.

Ye Jia felt a little uncomfortable being looked at like that.

He quietly took a step back, "W-what's wrong?"

A'Mi looked at Ye Jia as if the world was going to end. It slowly spoke up, "Y-you…..are actually from the dog faction?"

Ye Jia: "………."

He took in a deep breath and then turned around and continued walking ahead.

A'Mi hurried after him and persisted, "Why don't you like kitty cats? What's wrong with kitty cats?!"

Ye Jia gritted his teeth and revealed a smile, "I just don't like all animals."

"It's not the same! Kitty cats are different from other animals!" A'Mi earnestly expressed, "Just you wait! I must let you….."

Before it could finish speaking, the newcomer before it activated their ghost domain and disappeared without a trace.

A'Mi who was left alone: "………"

Dammit!!

Inside the room.

The blood gu fish slowly swam around inside the pool of blood, its white skull reflecting a faint light in the dim room. It raised its head and used its empty eye sockets to quietly look into the distance at its owner. Its tail slowly swayed, causing ripples in the bloody water.

Ji Xuan sat on the chair with his head lowered. His high brow bones cast a deep shadow over his face.

His brows were furrowed, and his dark scarlet eyes were lowered as he looked down at a lit screen, as if deeply in thought.

After a long period of silence, he tapped on one of the interfaces with his finger.

After a soft 'ding', a pop-up screen appeared:

The order has been submitted.

Five seconds later, a new reminded appeared:

The book "Cats or Dogs: Understanding You Loved One" has been shipped. Please sign upon receipt of the parcel."

.

For the next three days, Ye Jia was unable to have some peace and quiet.

It seems that in order to let him appreciate the charm of cats, A'Mi had begun to send him cute cat pictures and cat emoticons, and the notification on his phone showed that there were 99+ messages.

Right now, whenever Ye Jia sees the other party's name on the screen, his eyelids would start twitching. He was even seriously considering the possibility of blocking the other party.

The small black hand had even more complaints towards this. After all, as the actual user of the phone, it was the direct victim of the other party's emoticon barrage.

However, in case he missed the work notice like last time, Ye Jia strictly prohibited it from blocking messages from the other party, so the small black hand could only play its games on the phone with great difficulty.

—–It had recently lost interest in Fight the Landlord and had begun to play MOBA games.

From King of Glory to Game for Peace, basically all the competitive multiplayer online games on the market had been downloaded by it. As a ghost, the small black hand didn't need any sleep, so it was basically on the phone twenty-four hours a day, every single day.

And so, A'Mi's message barrage was even more deadly.

After all, all those messages appearing on the screen while it played significantly affected its chances of winning.

As a capitalist with no conscience, Ye Jia paid no heed to the mental wellbeing of his employee.

Playing games was not a problem, as long as it didn't ask him for money to buy skins.

But the only thing that made him uncomfortable was…….

"

"Go, go, go, go! Are you a gold-medal delivery boy? Are you afraid of bad reviews and having your pay reduced? Why are you fucking using up so many buffs?" The small black's shouts resonated throughout the apartment, "We're starting, we're starting, where are you Li Bai? Are you enjoying the scenery in the jungle?!"

Cheng Cezhi withdrew his gaze. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke up:

"…..Your family's ghost is r-really with the times."

Ye Jia took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "What were you saying just now?"

"Oh yes." Cheng Chezhi remembered the reason for his visit.

He spoke seriously, "It's just that there have been several paranormal incidents reported in the suburbs outside M City recently. It seems that it involved a certain villa out there. Because there is not enough manpower recently, we were sent to…."

Before Cheng Cezhi could finish, he was interrupted again by the small black hand's shouts: "Go, go, go!!! Clear the fast line!! The crystal is about to be taken down!!"

Cheng Cezhi: "………."

Ye Jia: "……."

His grip around his teacup tightened. He revealed a gentle and harmless smile.

What should one do if their child is addicted to the internet? Just give them a beating.