Chapter 76: Strangers Dwelling in the Otherworld
“Do you two see the house up ahead?”
Standing before the grand Door of Wutong Road No. 66, Yu Sheng raised his hand to point at the dilapidated old manor ahead, addressing Foxy and the little girl Irene cradled in her arms.
“Of course,” Foxy nodded casually. “It’s right there. I can see it when we leave, and again when we come back.”
Yu Sheng nodded, then turned to Little Red Riding Hood, who had come along: “Can you see it?”
Little Red Riding Hood widened her eyes, peering into the seemingly empty space and the low wall at the edge of the clearing. She then turned suspiciously to glance at Foxy and Irene. “You two seriously see something there?”
“Looks like you can’t see it,” Yu Sheng concluded immediately. “Even though I gave you an ‘invitation,’ you still can’t perceive it.”
Little Red Riding Hood shrugged helplessly.
Yu Sheng began to ponder.
He was curious about many things: his own abilities, the nature of the Otherworld, the Special Affairs Bureau, the shrouded Night Valley, and of course, the peculiar Old Manor he had lived in for the past two months. Motivated by a pinch of what he called “necessary academic spirit,” he had invited Little Red Riding Hood home today to test the limits of the “nonexistent Wutong Road No. 66.”
And now, he had his first result.
Foxy and Irene could see Wutong Road No. 66. Little Red Riding Hood could not, even with the householder’s invitation.
Yu Sheng quickly identified the key difference among them.
“So… it’s probably a matter of blood?” he mused aloud, eyes flickering between Little Red Riding Hood and the other two.
Both Foxy and Irene had “received” his blood—a peculiar tie had formed between them through this blood bond. It was this link that allowed them to sense his Resurrection. Little Red Riding Hood, however, had never experienced such a connection.
It was, at present, Yu Sheng’s most plausible explanation.
Little Red Riding Hood, oblivious to his shifting expressions, was curiously scanning her surroundings.
The sun was dipping low. In the shadows cast by roadside buildings, vague outlines of Wolves flickered in and out, the Wolf Pack keeping vigilant watch over the entire street, serving as the girl’s eyes and ears.
She noticed something peculiar: since they had entered Wutong Road, the closer they got to this secluded clearing, the fewer pedestrians there were. By the time they reached the space where “Wutong Road No. 66” should stand, there were no bystanders in sight at all.
It felt like some invisible force was repelling ordinary people from approaching the Old Manor.
Yet even her loyal Wolf Pack could not trace the workings of this unseen power. The entire street seemed eerily clean under supernatural perception—as if it were a vacuum.
Suddenly, Little Red Riding Hood noticed someone watching her. She turned sharply and found Yu Sheng staring at her intently.
Feeling awkward, she asked, “Um… what is it?”
Yu Sheng extended a hand toward her. “Want a sip?”
“…Huh?”
“Blood,” he explained seriously. “Irene and Foxy have both been exposed to my blood. After that, changes occurred. Now, they can see Wutong Road No. 66. So I figured… maybe you should try it too. Just for the sake of the experiment…”
Her expression turned visibly odd. She even took a step back, her gaze wary like a startled Wolf pup. Only after confirming that Yu Sheng was truly motivated by pure ‘academic spirit’ did she relax slightly—but her tone remained firm: “No thanks!”
“It won’t upset your stomach,” Yu Sheng persisted, though he’d expected this reaction. After all, offering someone a bite out of nowhere did sound a bit… sudden. But he still made a last push: “Don’t you want to see what Wutong Road No. 66 looks like from the outside?”
“I’m not a Cat—why would I be that curious!” She took another step back and turned to Foxy and Irene. “Does he always just… do whatever comes to his mind?”
Nestled in Foxy’s arms, Irene wriggled slightly. Confirming there were no strangers nearby, she finally got her chance to speak: “That’s just how he is. Whatever pops into his head, he just does. Says it’s all for ‘research.’ Don’t take him too seriously.”
“Hey now,” Yu Sheng protested. “Am I really that bad?”
Irene said nothing, simply rested in Miss Foxy’s arms, radiating a soft lotus fragrance.
Yu Sheng: “…”
“If you don’t want to, forget it,” Yu Sheng said after two or three seconds of awkward silence. He gave a dry chuckle and waved to Little Red Riding Hood, then stepped toward the house Door. Just as he unlocked and was about to open it, he suddenly remembered something. Stepping aside, he called to the Demon Fox Maiden behind him, “Come see if you can open this Door.”
“Ah? Okay.” Foxy blinked in surprise but nodded and stepped forward, grasping the handle.
With a soft click, the already-unlocked Door swung open easily.
To Little Red Riding Hood, however, it looked like a Door had appeared from nowhere, hovering beside a low wall covered in abstract graffiti.
“Good. At least now you and Irene can come and go freely, without needing me to open the Door every time.” Yu Sheng sighed in relief. Ever since learning that Wutong Road No. 66 was an “Otherworld” imperceptible and inaccessible to outsiders, he’d had many worries: food deliveries couldn’t arrive, appliances couldn’t be delivered, online shopping addresses were invalid, and more importantly, his two residents couldn’t freely leave or enter. But now, at least one problem was solved.
“Come in and sit a while,” Yu Sheng smiled and reached a hand toward Little Red Riding Hood. “I’ll cook dinner later—think of it as thanks for keeping Miss Foxy and Irene company all day.”
“It’s nothing. You did half my homework for me,” she replied casually, but still accepted the invitation and stepped into the manor that did not exist in the real world.
Yu Sheng turned on the living room lights. The bright glow dispelled the evening gloom and quickly warmed the cold stillness of the room.
He quickly put away the groceries, pulling out ingredients for the evening meal, and told Little Red Riding Hood to find a place to sit before heading into the kitchen.
Little Red Riding Hood glanced around with cautious curiosity. It was her second time here—and this time, she was an “invited guest.”
She rarely visited anyone’s home. Her trips to various Otherworlds far outnumbered her visits to Human doorsteps. Then again, she was keenly aware that this seemingly ordinary residence was, in truth, an Otherworld. Today’s “visit”… was essentially another Otherworld expedition.
It was by far the strangest adventure she’d had since becoming a Spirit Realm Detective. There were no twisted landscapes, no pervasive corruption, no phantom allies with hidden blades. Just warm lights, a cozy home, a gentle Demon Fox Maiden at her side, a cheerful little doll running to turn on the TV, and a Dangerous Entity capable of devouring Hunger itself—currently cooking dinner in the kitchen.
She could even do some homework at the dining table while waiting for the meal.
The absurdity of it all was overwhelming. She didn’t even know which part to start mocking first.
But Irene’s noisy antics soon left her no time to think deeply. The little doll’s voice rang from the living room: “Come watch TV! The one in the living room is bigger than the one in the dining room!”
“I have to finish my homework,” Little Red Riding Hood called back while heading to the table. “Half a book to go!”
“Humans sure work hard,” Irene sighed loudly from the sofa. “Fox, are you coming?”
Foxy waved and strolled into the kitchen. “I want to see if Benefactor needs any help.”
She entered the kitchen—and less than two minutes later, came out again holding a marinated chicken leg, gnawing as she walked.
Little Red Riding Hood, just starting on her homework, looked up in surprise. “…Why are you back already?”
“I got kicked out. Benefactor said I kept stealing the spices, and if I ate them all, he couldn’t stew the meat.” Foxy looked innocent, then proudly held up the chicken leg. “But he still gave me this. Want a bite?”
Little Red Riding Hood hesitated. “Uh… I—”
Foxy instantly pulled the leg back. “If you won’t eat it, I’ll finish it.”
Little Red Riding Hood: “…”
A whiff of cooking aromas drifted from the kitchen, stirring appetites.
Thinking for a moment, Little Red Riding Hood fished out her phone and dialed a number.
“It’s me. I won’t be home for dinner, I’m eating at a friend’s house—yeah, new friend. It’s safe. I’ll explain later. I’ll be back before ten. Okay, bye.”
She hung up and turned, only to see Foxy staring intently at her—without pausing her chewing.
“This can’t be eaten,” Little Red Riding Hood blurted, instinctively shielding her phone.
She didn’t even know why she said that.
Foxy didn’t mind. Curious, she asked, “Were you talking to your family just now?”
“Yeah.”
“Your Father and Mother?”
Little Red Riding Hood’s expression shifted slightly. “Uh… My parents passed away long ago. I was talking to someone else from home.”
“Oh,” Foxy nodded. Whatever the Demon Fox Maiden was thinking during those few seconds remained a mystery. Then suddenly, she offered the nearly-finished chicken leg again. “Want a bite? Just a small one.”
Little Red Riding Hood: “…?”
She really couldn’t understand these Otherworld folk… these bizarre people.