Chapter 37: Preparing the Body – The First Step
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
Yu Sheng blinked in surprise the moment Irene brought up the idea. He had not expected her to mention creating a body for herself so suddenly and with such a serious tone.
They had talked about giving Irene a body before—more than once, in fact—but they had never followed through. The reasons were many: back then, neither trusted nor truly understood each other. And on top of that, there always seemed to be one crisis or another demanding Yu Sheng’s attention, leaving him no proper time to think about Irene’s situation.
But now, looking into Irene’s scarlet eyes, he could tell she was not making a casual request. She was more sincere than ever, and that caught his attention.
He studied her carefully, waiting for her to explain more.
“I want to go with you,” Irene said, her voice calm but determined. “Think of it as bringing someone along to watch your back.”
“Are you sure about this?” Yu Sheng asked, looking slightly puzzled. “It’s not that I doubt what you can do, but—”
“Just listen,” Irene said firmly, leaning forward until her painted face almost filled Yu Sheng’s entire field of view. Her tone was unusually earnest. “I’m not joking. I don’t know how you plan to deal with that… that ‘entity’ again. But I know you somehow managed to bring back some ‘souvenirs’ from it. That means you have certain abilities. I’m not going to pry into how you do it, but trust me: when you face something from the Otherworld, being able to fight isn’t always enough. Especially not if you’re going up against something like ‘Hunger.’”
She paused a moment, leaning back so she no longer dominated his vision. “Give me a body. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Just something good enough to free me from this cursed painting. Even if I can’t recover all my strength, I’ll be far stronger than the average investigator, or those so-called Spirit Realm detectives and Otherworld hunters. Even if my memories are incomplete, I still have the instincts of a living doll.”
Yu Sheng’s gaze remained steady as he considered her words, and Irene met his eyes without flinching.
“I can help you, Yu Sheng,” she said quietly but firmly. “We’ve worked together before. Remember when we entered Foxy’s dream? We made it through that together.”
Yu Sheng took a long time to think. Irene had a point—he was planning to return to that valley to face “Entity-Hunger,” but he couldn’t deny the dangers. He was getting stronger each time he confronted that horror, but he knew better than to rely on reckless bravery or constant rebirths as a strategy. Simply throwing himself at Hunger again and again would be foolish. He needed a capable ally, one who understood strange powers and could lend him support.
But did he trust Irene enough to let her out of the painting and give her a body? Well, if he was honest with himself, they had indeed built some trust. They had survived that bizarre dream world together and shared the same disgust and relief when it ended. Maybe that was enough.
“Looks like I’ll need to head downtown,” Yu Sheng said at last, letting out a small sigh. He leaned back in his chair, his shoulders relaxing. “I’ll have to buy some clay, maybe a wig, and a whole bunch of other materials. The old part of town doesn’t sell what I need. I’ll have to find a proper crafts shop.”
The painted doll’s crimson eyes brightened with delight. “So… you’re agreeing?!” she asked, clearly thrilled.
Yu Sheng gave a casual shrug. “If you don’t mind a body that might not be a masterpiece, and if you trust my handiwork, then yes, I’ll give it a try.”
“The quality doesn’t need to be top-notch,” Irene said quickly, as if afraid he might suddenly refuse. “As long as it’s roughly human-shaped, I can adjust it myself afterward. Just don’t mess up the alchemy part. That’s the most important thing.” She paused, looking a bit uneasy. “If you really can’t find the right materials…”
Yu Sheng raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What if I can’t?”
Irene took a moment before replying softly, “If there’s absolutely no other option, you could… use dough.”
For a moment, Yu Sheng was completely taken aback. He stood there as if someone had just told him to build a house out of pastry. “Dough?” he repeated, stunned.
Irene lowered her head slightly, her voice gentle. “The material is just a medium. What truly matters is the alchemy—your blood and my soul will give it life.”
Yu Sheng’s eyes widened. “I understand the idea of making do with what we have, but turning you into a dough figure seems a bit extreme!”
Irene thought for a second, then tried a different tactic: she gave Yu Sheng the sweetest, most innocent smile she could manage. She might have been a mysterious doll trapped in a painting, but she knew how to win him over with a simple look.
It worked, at least enough to make Yu Sheng sigh and decide to do things properly.
“I’ll go buy some good clay,” he said, standing up. “We’ll need a lot if we’re going to shape you a proper body. Besides, I’d rather not waste perfectly good food. I need to pick up a few other supplies too.”
He stepped away, reaching for his coat. He glanced back at the painting before heading out. “You stay here and watch TV. If anything happens, just call me. And if the TV breaks down again, just wait until I’m back to fix it.”
He clicked the remote, turning on the television, and Irene nodded obediently. “Alright… but don’t take too long.”
Yu Sheng nodded, slipping on his coat and moving toward the front door.
Before he stepped outside, he paused. He took a deep breath, as if preparing himself for anything: a volcanic crater, a meteor shower, a lake of sulfur, or even a tiny green creature with a glowing sword. He also thought about the strange, heavily augmented elf woman he had encountered before. Satisfied that no such horrors awaited, he slowly opened the door and stepped onto the old streets of Wutong Road.
He almost laughed at himself. It was easier for him to imagine traveling to the ends of the earth—where survival was uncertain—than it was to simply trust his own neighborhood. Yet, oddly enough, it was getting simpler to face the outside world these days.
As he headed toward the bus stop, Yu Sheng took in the sights around him. He noticed how calm he felt now, walking through this large and unfamiliar city. The uneasy feeling that had been gnawing at him for days had quietly faded away. Instead, he felt unexpectedly peaceful, and even a bit excited, as he strolled along these old streets.
The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, its light almost too bright, yet somehow reassuring. Its warmth cheered him up. He saw vendors selling their goods on street corners, a few pedestrians hurrying past, and a mischievous child running from an adult’s scolding voice.
Yu Sheng wondered if any of these ordinary folks were truly ordinary. Irene had hinted that there were professionals who protected the city in secret, fighting against the Otherworld’s threats from the shadows. He looked around with new curiosity, wondering if any of these people were Spirit Realm detectives or hidden investigators. Could they sense the subtle disturbances lurking around this peaceful neighborhood?
He let his imagination run wild. Maybe that odd pancake vendor—or the substitute cook who clearly didn’t know what they were doing—was an undercover agent. The auntie on the balcony, hanging laundry, might be a secret detective too. Even that loud, troublesome kid could be disguised as a local child, but in truth was something more. Irene had said Spirit Realm detectives could use disguises and magic, so who knew?
But the young man wearing a vest and bleached yellow hair, squatting by the roadside and blasting music from his phone—no, he didn’t look suspicious at all. He seemed far too obvious to be anything other than what he appeared: just a guy hanging around.
Humming softly to himself, Yu Sheng walked right past that man, whose name, though unknown to Yu Sheng, was actually Li Lin. He had no idea that Li Lin was watching him carefully.
Not too long afterward, a towering figure named Xu Jiali, nearly two meters tall, strolled into the same old street. He stopped next to Li Lin and squatted down, lighting a cigarette as though they were simply neighbors chatting on a lazy day.
“You honestly think your disguise is working?” Xu Jiali asked, eyeing Li Lin’s vest and peculiar hair with skepticism.
“Of course it is,” Li Lin answered in a relaxed tone. “I’ve gone undercover like this before. Even the pancake vendor team got exposed last time, but not me. I’ve even worn cosplay outfits before—trust me, no one expects a cosplayer to be from the Special Affairs Bureau. Once I caught a smuggler who never guessed that the ‘anime character’ standing nearby was a secret agent.”
Xu Jiali narrowed his eyes, confused. “Cosplay suit? Is that some kind of armor or something? I thought we weren’t allowed fancy gear in the Borderland.”
“…You wouldn’t get it,” Li Lin said with a dismissive wave. “Move over. You’re huge, and it’s ruining my cover.”
“No,” Xu Jiali grumbled. “I look unemployed. That’s even less suspicious than you. Anyway, I take it you haven’t found anything suspicious yet?” He sighed, sounding annoyed. “I’m starting to think we’re dealing with a non-human threat. Maybe a strange entity or a pocket of Otherworld corruption. It fits the clues. With all the chaos in Boundary City last night, who knows what’s happening at headquarters. And here we are, stuck on a pointless stakeout…”
Li Lin ignored him, plugging a large power bank into his phone and turning the music up. The two remained there, watching quietly.
Several hours later, Yu Sheng had finished his shopping downtown. He carried bags full of clay, craft supplies, and other odds and ends. He found a quiet spot and paused, thinking about the journey back. He had bought quite a lot, and while the weight didn’t bother him—he was strong enough—it was going to be awkward carrying all these bags on the bus.
He had a daring idea and wondered if it might just work. Why not try something unusual?
Glancing around to make sure no one was watching, Yu Sheng reached out and touched the empty air beside him. As he did, a door began to form out of nowhere, as if the air were solidifying under his fingertips.
Just three seconds later, far away in the hidden headquarters of the Special Affairs Bureau, alarms went off. Overworked agents, team leaders, and even Director Bai Li Qing jumped from their desks. Chaos exploded in their offices as something strange happened.
Meanwhile, Yu Sheng stepped through the newly formed door, carrying his purchases, and calmly returned home.