Blood-stained Temple Court

The festive lights flickered on, and the stars shone brilliantly.

Xu Xiaoyou stood before a dazzling array of stalls, with the noisy market behind her. This was the busiest time of the year for Dragonfly Town. Divine palanquins and decorated floats ascended from the foot of the mountain, and the path was lit as far as the eye could see. Girls in traditional robes and thick platform shoes passed behind her, their small fans fluttering to hide the subtle changes in their expressions.

She leaned over to pick up an exquisitely carved doll from a stall. The doll resembled a young girl dressed in a vibrant crimson skirt, her forehead adorned with cinnabar, her hair held by a hairpin. She held two long swords as if in a dance, and she wore a mask with ferocious fangs—like a red fish, yet also like a demon.

Staring closely, she felt as if the mask were an invisible vortex, drawing her gaze deep into it. It took a long time for Xu Xiaoyou to snap back to reality. Many people around her were looking her way, likely because her outfit was so out of place. The residents of Dragonfly Town had all changed into traditional clothing for the Floating Lantern Festival, stepping along in thick platform shoes, while she remained in her daytime attire, making her stand out remarkably.

"The Red Goddess," Mori no Natsu Kuri’s voice came from behind.

Xu Xiaoyou turned around. The other girl was dressed similarly to her—a short jacket and Martin boots—carrying a small lantern she had likely bought from a nearby stall. As for the 'Red Goddess' she mentioned, it was presumably the girl doll in her hand?

"If I call her by another name, you might recognize her: the Scarlet Dancer."

Understanding dawned in Xu Xiaoyou's mind.

"The swords she holds are Spider-Gu Fang and Crimson Cloud. The mask on her face is the Angry-Laughing Spider Mask, and the hairpin in her bun is the Eight-Spider Curved Jade. She even has those cute hair buns."

Mori no Natsu Kuri’s voice wasn't loud, but she didn't try to hide it either. Some older elders nearby cast strange, reproving looks, as if questioning the girl’s disrespectful attitude toward the deity.

Natsu Kuri didn't care. "Whether she's a god or not, it's all fake. The entities that truly deserve awe are the sources of all human suffering and pain. Ebisu, the Omikami, Amaterasu-no-Mikoto, the Tsukuyomi Dragon... compared to those ethereal beings, this Red Goddess is actually the most worthy of respect because she actually existed."

"The young girl used her beauty to deceive the eyes of the Eight-Spider Hive Mother. She banished fear, ripped out its fangs to forge Spider-Gu Fang, and pierced its skull."

"The girl was like a mirror, reflecting the great evil of the Eight-Spider Hive Mother, condensing it into the Eight-Spider Curved Jade to suppress the creature's will and dismantle its malice."

"The girl held great justice in her heart. Her chains, her karma, and all the base roots of humanity were transformed into the Angry-Laughing Spider Mask, which she used to strip away the Eight-Spider Hive Mother's face so it could never again look upon the light, falling into eternal darkness."

"Combining wisdom and courage, the girl fought the Eight-Spider Hive Mother for three days and three nights in Mihara City. Finally, she used Crimson Cloud atop the High Heaven Platform to slay the Eight-Spider Hive Mother, destroying its soul and sealing its body in eight separate parts. The four divine artifacts were handed to the guardians of the four great cities, and the girl was never seen again."

"The tale of the Scarlet Dancer has been mythologized over hundreds of years. The fact that she was added to the Red Heaven mythos as a supreme deity actually irritates me quite a bit," Natsu Kuri whispered into Xu Xiaoyou’s ear.

"It was clearly a story of a mortal raising a rebellious sword against the heavens, yet it’s been turned into a battle of supreme gods, losing all its original epic quality. It's terrible."

Xu Xiaoyou's mind wasn't on the girl’s complaints. Before coming to Red Heaven, she had frequently heard rumors about the Eight-Spider Hive Mother. The association’s definition of an apocalypse-class urban legend was very vague; they only knew it was above world-class, and perhaps the literal meaning was the perfect explanation for that rank.

The authorities had never specified the Scarlet Dancer's final fate. The prevailing folk belief was that this legendary luminous prism grade fixer had died in that battle between man and god. While she had sealed the Eight-Spider Hive Mother, she had also left a mess for future generations. Every year, the Chi family had to deploy military resources across the four great cities to search for the four divine artifacts and ensure the Eight-Spider Hive Mother didn't awaken again.

The wars within the cities never truly ended.

During the Tower City Battle decades ago, one of the Eight-Spider Hive Mother’s right limbs made contact with its head, triggering a minimum-level resurrection event. Countless people in the association had sacrificed their lives to stop it. The entirety of Section 6 fell in battle, leaving a shocking scar on the world.

She felt the girl take her hand and lead her through the flowing crowds, up the winding mountain paths, following the long procession of divine palanquins and floats. On both sides were guardian guards clad in armor, seeing off the Red Goddess. They took one step at a time, their eyes level, staring like copper bells, their voices like great gongs. Their armor plates clattered, and every one of them looked like a fierce demon with green faces and long fangs.

The priest at the very front was chanting something, dressed in long red and blue sleeves, with long silk scrolls covered in prayers trailing on the ground. As the palanquin passed, the murmuring turned into loud chanting. Inside the palanquin, the Red Goddess Maiden lightly lifted the curtain, revealing half her head to scan the prayers on behalf of the deity. Following that was a silvery, bell-like chuckle. Legend said that whenever the Red Goddess was happy, she would laugh like a silver bell, and afterward, she would bless the land with favorable weather and peace for the year.

Looking back at the distant mountains, the starlight lanterns floated toward the sky, painting the night with aesthetic beauty like flowing fire. They found a small hillside near the temple where the sacrifices were being made and sat down. The procession reached the summit behind them. The priest inserted incense as thick as a finger into the burner, and the elders knelt before the altar. People moved to and fro in front of the temple court; it was very lively.

Influenced by this bustling atmosphere, her heart involuntarily calmed down. Under the beautiful night sky, the entirety of Dragonfly Town was brightly lit. The moving crowds were like a flowing poem. The girl sat beside her, her calves pressing down the tender green grass, sharing sizzling, oily yakitori skewers with her.

"See? I didn't lie to you. The Floating Lantern Festival is very lively, right?" Natsu Kuri seemed to have been burned by the food, huffing out air as she spoke casually.

"Times have changed. You can't see traditional festivals like this in most of Red Heaven anymore. Dragonfly Town might be a run-down countryside place that can't compare to Red City, but the people here really value these festivals. What's that word... the 'breath of life'?"

The girl’s chatter filled her ears, and a prosperous scene filled her eyes. Xu Xiaoyou’s heart was as still as water. She gazed into the distance, leaning back slightly in relaxation. Since arriving in this world, there hadn't been many times she could relax like this. Aside from her daily life with Tang Xin at the Star of Art, she hadn't stopped to look at the scenery along the way for a long time.

Every person's life was a long journey. Her life was like a straight line with few forks, only an infinitely long distance ahead, with no end in sight. A traveler who always walks forward will eventually get tired. She had once wondered if she should just stay at the Star of Art, spend time with the blue-haired girl, and live a relatively ordinary life without so many waves and storms.

But trouble always came knocking one after another. Who could have thought that the relaxing trip with Tang Xin would turn out like this? She still didn't know how Tang Xin was doing; she hadn't even been able to see her yet.

In a month, she would definitely return to the Star of Art, finish the final favorability plot with her, and bring a grand conclusion to her journey there.

The chattering girl beside her walked away, her expression surprisingly formal before she left. Xu Xiaoyou figured Natsu Kuri had gone into the temple to offer a prayer. At that moment, a cold sneer rang out inappropriately.

"Heh heh heh."

Turning her head, she saw Angelina leaning against a nearby tree with her arms crossed. The dark Raven Kill Ember Garment was beginning to take shape; after so many days of recovery, her shattered divine endowment was finally re-condensing.

Since the two grade 5 fixers had met that afternoon, Xu Xiaoyou had called Anya back to her side. In the market at the foot of the mountain, the other girl had been following her in the nearby shadows.

"I bet you're thinking right now that it would be nice if this peace could last a bit longer," Angelina said.

As if thinking of something funny, Angelina gave two more sinister laughs. Xu Xiaoyou frowned slightly.

"Just say what you have to say, Anya."

"The peace here is about to be shattered. There, look over there." Angelina jerked her chin.

Xu Xiaoyou looked in the direction she indicated. A black car was parked at the corner of the courtyard wall, and a man covered in blood was thrown out of it.

The man crawled up from the ground. Catching a glimpse of his own reflection in the car's mirror, his eyes filled with terrified blood-red veins. His skin was as white as transparent porcelain. Seeing a flash of light inside the car, his body shuddered violently, and he stumbled toward the crowd.

The man's throat was parched. The lively, prosperous world spun before his eyes. He wanted to ask the passing pedestrians for help, but the cold gaze watching from behind chilled him to the bone. A ticking sound in his chest sent boundless fear rising from his gall to his liver, his heart, and finally, it felt ready to burst from his throat.

Trembling, the man tried to reach for a medicine pouch in his shirt. Several vermilion blocks fell to the ground, landing where he couldn't reach them. At that moment, his eyes were completely veiled in gray fear and despair.

In the shadows, the man's body underwent a massive transformation. Xu Xiaoyou wasn't sure if she had seen correctly, but she clearly saw massive spider mandibles burst from the man’s face, dripping with blood. Countless bulges swelled on his back, and a spider leg several meters long skewered the man’s back from the inside out!

Xu Xiaoyou blinked, and the man was gone. The previous spot was empty, as if she had just seen things.

"That was..."

Angelina shrugged. "Well, that little family head who spent the whole afternoon by your side is currently being squeezed through the surging crowd. I wonder if she'll encounter any danger?"

Xu Xiaoyou was about to move, but Angelina grabbed her and pinned her against the wall.

"Anya, what are you doing?"

Angelina looked completely indifferent, hooking an arm around her shoulder. "My possessiveness is acting up. She’s not important to you—just an expendable girl. Why do you care about her so much?"

Seeing Angelina’s teasing gaze, Xu Xiaoyou didn't react much, knowing the other was just trying to annoy her in a roundabout way. "There are association people in the temple court, right?"

"Hmph, how boring. Go if you want to. If the association notices, I'll leave you behind and run," Angelina said with her arms crossed. "Actually, I don't care about you at all."

Xu Xiaoyou ignored Angelina directly, putting on a gray robe and actually donning the mask of the 'Dark Gold Rose.'

As she walked toward the surging crowd, Angelina was briefly stunned. "Hey, are you crazy?"

Then she realized that there were quite a few 'Dark Gold Roses' dressed like Xu Xiaoyou in the temple court. Those were fanatical followers of the Dark Gold Rose who collectively dressed as her in public places. The association had long since grown used to this; there were thousands of reported 'Dark Gold Rose' sightings every day. By doing this, Xu Xiaoyou could actually hide in plain sight.

"Stupid girl. If you want to go to your death alone, no one’s stopping you!"

Angelina’s tone was harsh. Another fanatical fan dressed as the Dark Gold Rose approached her, the iconic gray robe and laughing mask very prominent.

"Interested in learning about our Dark Gold Rose Church?"

Angelina shot the young-looking girl a glare.

A moment later, Angelina, also changed into a Dark Gold Rose cosplay outfit, rushed out from behind the wall. She leaped onto the eaves and quickly chased after the distant Xu Xiaoyou. Only the original girl remained behind, hugging her arms and staring blankly. After checking her clothes and confirming she wasn't missing any skin, she realized her cosplay outfit had been stolen.

"Huh?"

Inside the temple court, Mori no Natsu Kuri calmly placed her incense in the burner, pressed her hands together, and prayed devoutly. She yearned for a day when all evil under the dark night would have nowhere to hide.

Of course, she never expected an ethereal being to look down upon her. In times of adversity, she only believed that personal strength could change everything.

The lively atmosphere around her was shattered by a scream.

The sharp cry pierced through people’s nerves and spread deep into their hearts. The moment she heard the scream, Natsu Kuri felt that something was wrong. In Red Heaven, it was an extremely serious matter for people’s fear to be triggered; all terrifying imagery was prohibited from being broadcast.

Realizing something must have happened, Natsu Kuri stood up quickly. The faces of the people preparing to pray in the temple hall all showed confusion, doubt, and a hint of fear of the unknown. She moved past them and ran out of the temple hall. The courtyard was already in total chaos. People were scattering and fleeing for reasons unknown, and the emotion of fear was spreading and infecting others rapidly.

"What happened?" Natsu Kuri stopped someone to ask.

"I don't know, I don't know! Don't ask me! They said someone turned into a monster! The Sickness! It's the Sickness!"

The person was full of terror, clearly unable to think rationally. This emotional contagion was incredibly fast and terrifying. Within a few breaths, the mountaintop had fallen into a chaotic vortex of fear. People trampled and pushed each other while screaming, even though almost no one had actually seen a monster.

To prevent the fear from spreading to the foot of the mountain, the temple keepers had closed the main gates ahead of time. The tourists were crying and shouting in a heap, desperately pounding on the temple walls and gates to leave. Someone tried to climb the wall by stepping on others, only to be beaten down by the temple keepers wielding long staffs.

"Everyone, calm down! Everyone, calm down!" The Abbot of the temple keepers stepped forward and shouted. His voice was extremely piercing, carrying across the entire temple court. Only then did the agitated crowd stop, their faces filled with varying degrees of terror.

One man knelt on the ground wailing, sobbing while dry-heaving. The transparent liquid he vomited was tangled with white silk-like threads, with white dots like grains of rice scattered within—resembling translucent insect eggs. Someone nearby helped him find a medicine pouch and fed him a vermilion block. Only then did the man's physiological symptoms of fear slowly subside.

"Before we figure out what is truly happening, maintain a rational view of things. Do not spread panic, lest the situation spiral out of control. If fear spreads from one to a hundred, we will commit an irreversible mistake."

The Abbot’s voice was loud and clear, and the crowd slowly began to calm down. But before the fear in their hearts could dissipate, one person’s eyes widened. Pointing at the darkness behind the Abbot, he opened his mouth wide, trying desperately to scream.

In the next instant, blood splattered several yards high. The Abbot's head was severed by something sharp and rolled to the feet of the crowd. His eyes were bulging and wide with shock, and the six marks burned onto his bald head with incense were very prominent.

From the darkness came the low, silk-spinning whispers of a spider.