Chapter 2: Dual Realms

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Ye Qing continued, “Before I explain about the Spirit Users and Spirit Beings to you, let me first tell you about the world we live in. As an ordinary person, what you see and know is only a part of this world. In fact, our world is divided into two parts: the surface world, where ordinary people live, and the inner world, where the Spirit Beings reside.”

At this, Ye Qing looked at Yu Fanxing and asked, “I suppose you’ve never actually seen a Spirit Being before, have you?”

Yu Fanxing nodded, “Indeed, I never have.” Except for herself, of course.

“That’s right,” Ye Qing smiled. “There are two reasons why you can’t see Spirit Beings. First, ordinary people lack the ability to see or interact with Spirit Beings. Even if a Spirit Being appears before them, they can neither see nor touch it. Second, humans are complex emotional beings, and thus the surface world is filled with a special energy derived from our seven emotions and six desires, which Spirit Users call ‘Perplexing Essence.’

If Spirit Beings are exposed to this Perplexing Essence for too long, they become mentally unstable, insane, and highly aggressive—just like the Black Spirit Cat you have.”

Yu Fanxing looked at the little cat in her hands in confusion. “But it seems perfectly normal to me.”

Ye Qing smiled and said, “This relates to the nature of Spirit Users. We are called Spirit Users because we possess spiritual energy, which can purify the Perplexing Essence. Therefore, Spirit Beings contracted with Spirit Users are unaffected by Perplexing Essence.”

“I see now!” Yu Fanxing suddenly understood.

But she wasn’t a Spirit User herself!

However, Fanxing soon figured out the reason: as a Grand Spirit, she feeds on Perplexing Essence, and after the Black Spirit Cat became her puppet, it formed a special connection with her. This connection allowed the Perplexing Essence within the Black Spirit Cat to flow into her body, where she absorbed it. Naturally, this restored the Black Spirit Cat to normal.

Then Ye Qing asked curiously, “That’s strange. The Black Spirit Cat should have become wildly aggressive under the influence of Perplexing Essence. How did it come to recognize you as its master?”

Spirit Beings need a clear consciousness to autonomously choose their master.

Yu Fanxing immediately dodged the question, “I don’t know either; maybe it was just a coincidence!”

But Ye Qing provided a suitable explanation for Fanxing.

“Oh, I’ve got it!” Ye Qing clapped his hands with a smile. “You were originally an ordinary person but suddenly awakened Spirit Energy. At the moment of your awakening, there would have been a burst of Spirit Energy ripples. Surely those ripples swept over the Black Spirit Cat, purifying the Perplexing Essence inside it!”

Yu Fanxing cooperated at once. “That must be it! I suddenly felt an inexplicable energy surge from within me, and then the black cat just calmed down.”

She could never reveal her identity as an Evil God.

Ye Qing showed a knowing look. “It seems I was right after all.”

Yu Fanxing asked, “So what exactly is this Spirit User Alliance?”

Ye Qing patiently explained, “The Spirit User Alliance, as the name suggests, is an organization that manages Spirit Users and Spirit Beings. It’s composed entirely of Spirit Users. The surface world you live in is governed by the various national governments, while the inner world of Spirit Beings is managed and ruled by the Spirit User Alliance.

Now that you are a Spirit User, you should join the Spirit User Alliance as I have. Spirit Users are rare; for one to awaken Spirit Energy in the surface world like you is one in ten thousand.

Most Spirit Users are born with innate Spirit Energy. Awakening later in life, as in your case, is extremely rare. As far as I know, the only other one like you in the Alliance is the captain of the Dragon Battle team—a formidable figure!”

Yu Fanxing nodded in understanding.

Ye Qing glanced around and said, “It’s getting late now. I’ll take you to register with the Spirit User Alliance tomorrow.”

Noticing the disarray in Fanxing’s home and the bloodstains everywhere from the Black Spirit Cat, he asked, “Did you fight with the Black Spirit Cat?”

Yu Fanxing dodged, “Yes… I’ve always been strong since childhood. This little cat may be fierce, but handling it is no problem.”

Ye Qing chuckled, “You’re lucky. The Black Spirit Cat is quite powerful; if it hadn’t been injured in my hands before, you’d be having a hard time. It probably recognized you as its master because your Spirit Energy purified the Perplexing Essence inside it, restoring its clarity.”

Fanxing nodded. “Alright then, since you’ve come up with the explanation, I won’t bother thinking about it.”

“By the way, are you hurt?” Ye Qing asked.

“No,” Yu Fanxing shook her head.

“You really are lucky to come out unscathed,” Ye Qing sighed. “Alright, get some rest. I’ll pick you up first thing in the morning!”

With that, Ye Qing turned and walked out.

After he left, Fanxing exhaled deeply, glanced at her messy home resignedly, and started cleaning up—scolding the black cat, “You better help me!”

“Meow~~” The black cat tucked its tail between its legs in submission.

Outside, after Ye Qing left Fanxing’s home, a girl clad in the same blue uniform appeared.

“Squad Leader, where’s the Black Spirit Cat?” she asked.

“It recognized its master,” Ye Qing answered helplessly.

“Recognized its master? Impossible! That’s a vicious evil Spirit Being! And it’s been affected by Perplexing Essence…” The girl was incredulous.

“Hard to believe, right? I was surprised too, but it was just a coincidence. That person suddenly awakened Spirit Energy…”

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Ye Qing explained the whole story to his teammate.

After finishing, he said, “Check her identity. If there’s no problem, I’ll take her to the Alliance for registration tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir!” The girl responded and disappeared into the night.

Meanwhile, Fanxing finished cleaning, and by the time she was done, it was past midnight. Exhausted, she fell asleep.

Around 10 a.m. the next day, Fanxing woke up groggily.

Huh? Why is there something warm in my arms?

She looked down and saw a little cat curled up in her blanket, purring softly.

Seeing the cat, her awareness gradually returned, and she recalled the events from last night.

It wasn’t a dream!

Fanxing grabbed the cat by the scruff and tossed it aside. The cat whimpered, blinked, and nimbly got up.

“Meow meow meow~~” The Black Spirit Cat vented its dissatisfaction at Fanxing.

Ignoring it, Fanxing got up and went to the bathroom to wash up, the little black cat following closely behind.

When Fanxing brushed her teeth, the cat leapt onto the washbasin and stared at her intently.

“What are you doing? Want to brush too?” Fanxing asked.

“Meow~” The cat vigorously shook its head and instinctively tried to retreat.

“Better brush, hygiene!” Fanxing scooped up the cat, took out a spare toothbrush, and brushed its teeth.

Since it’s a Spirit Being, brushing its teeth shouldn’t be a problem!

“Meow~ meow~” The cat screamed pitifully, struggling hard to escape Fanxing’s embrace.

“Quiet!” Fanxing said firmly, and the cat froze in place.

After brushing their teeth, Fanxing cooked a bowl of tomato and egg noodles for breakfast.

“Want some?” she asked.

“Meow meow~” The cat shook its head decisively—it wouldn’t eat such garbage!

“If you don’t want it, fine.” Fanxing ignored it and slurped her noodles.

After eating, she remembered Ye Qing said he would pick her up today.

She looked at the time; it was almost noon. She wondered, Why hasn’t he come yet?

Thinking this, she stood and went outside, the Black Spirit Cat following hastily.

Just outside the door, she saw a figure—no one but Ye Qing.

Seeing Fanxing, Ye Qing waved and greeted, “Sister Fanxing!”

Ye Qing was 24, and Fanxing was 31. He only learned of the age difference after receiving her information last night. He had thought she was around his age.

In fact, Fanxing’s appearance had barely changed since she was 20. As a Grand Spirit, she had no concept of aging or lifespan.

Fanxing invited him inside. “How long have you been here? Why didn’t you knock?”

Ye Qing smiled, “I didn’t want to disturb you. Since I’m free, waiting a moment is no problem.”

He looked at Fanxing with surprise and a hint of admiration.

Last night, she was covered in blood, so he hadn’t really seen her clearly. Today, he realized she was very beautiful.

No, she was stunning.

Her face was round, with sparkling almond-shaped eyes like real stars twinkling within. Her skin was fair with a rosy tint, like petals freshly bloomed in spring, still adorned with dew.

Ye Qing was momentarily stunned.

Fanxing asked, “Have you eaten breakfast? Want to eat something here?”

Ye Qing shook his head quickly, “I already ate. It’s almost noon.”

Fanxing looked embarrassed. She usually didn’t get up so late—last night was an exception.

Ye Qing asked, “Sister Fanxing, do you have anything else to do? If not, shall we leave?”

Fanxing replied, “Let me change first, then we’ll go.”

She ran back to her room and came out dressed casually: a simple white sweatshirt, loose white pants, her hair tied in a bun with thick bangs nearly covering her eyes, and large black-framed glasses.

Her appearance was completely disguised.

Fanxing had known she was pretty since childhood. In middle school, many pursued her, even causing fights.

Since then, she kept this look.

Now she understood why she was so beautiful—not only was she a Grand Spirit, but also a Skin Painter, a Spirit Being famed for its beauty.

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Fanxing grabbed her bag and called to the Black Spirit Cat, which leapt into it.

“Let’s go!” she said, ready to leave with Ye Qing, but her phone rang.

She took it out—it was her boss.

After answering, the boss’s voice came through, “Fanxing, why didn’t you come to work today?”

Fanxing suddenly remembered she hadn’t asked for leave. “Boss, I have some personal matters today and can’t come to the studio.”

“Personal matters? Is it urgent?” the boss asked.

“Just some private stuff,” Fanxing said.

The boss didn’t press further and agreed, “Alright, take care. Don’t worry about the studio.”

Fanxing was a key member; her boss was always lenient with her.

After hanging up, Ye Qing asked, “Can we go now?”

Fanxing nodded.

They left and hailed a taxi, heading toward the outskirts of Hongguang City.

Fanxing was curious but didn’t ask much.

About half an hour later, they arrived at the entrance of a flower cultivation base.

The sign read “Seven Colors Flower Base.”

Getting out, Ye Qing explained with a smile, “Our identities are special, so we can’t be known by ordinary people. We need a public front. The staff here are all connected to Spirit Users. This base is also one of the transfer points between the surface and inner worlds.”

Fanxing nodded in understanding. She was very curious about the inner world.

“Let’s go in,” Ye Qing said, stepping inside.

The base was filled with all kinds of beautiful flowers. Many staff members busily walked about.

Passing a flower bed, Fanxing noticed a flower tremble and instinctively stopped.

Suddenly, a tiny person no bigger than a palm appeared on a peony in front of her. She wore a pink dress, pink hair, and had two pairs of wings made of flower petals.

“What is that...” Fanxing said, surprised.

Ye Qing stopped and smiled, introducing, “This is a Little Flower Spirit, also a Spirit Being.”

The Little Flower Spirit smiled and waved at Fanxing.

Fanxing asked, “I thought Spirit Beings couldn’t stay in the surface world. Does this one have a master?”

Ye Qing shook his head, “Most Spirit Beings can’t stay in the surface world, but not all. Little Flower Spirits and Little Wood Spirits are the two most common Spirit Beings. They are born from flowers and trees and have a special skill called ‘Baptism’ that purifies the Perplexing Essence affecting them. That’s why these two types can live in the surface world.”

(Note: ‘Few’ here refers to types, not quantity. Little Flower Spirits and Little Wood Spirits are among the most common, and their numbers are vast.)

“I see!” Fanxing suddenly understood.

She herself was a kind of Spirit Being that could live in the surface world—Little Flower Spirits and Little Wood Spirits purify Perplexing Essence, while she devours it.

Ye Qing looked regretful, “Unfortunately, the Baptism skill only works on Little Wood and Little Flower Spirits themselves. Otherwise, their value would be immeasurable.”

Indeed, if Baptism worked on all Spirit Beings, the division between surface and inner worlds might not exist.

He continued, “But this limitation isn’t entirely bad. If Baptism could affect all Spirit Beings, this world probably wouldn’t be as peaceful as it is now.”

Fanxing was half understanding.

As they prepared to leave, another tiny person the size of a palm flew over and landed beside the Little Flower Spirit, whispering with it.

Ye Qing introduced, “This is a Little Wood Spirit.”

It resembled the Little Flower Spirit but wore clothes made from leaves, had green hair, and wings formed from two slender leaves.

“Meow~” The Black Spirit Cat poked its head out of Fanxing’s bag.

Seeing it, the Little Flower and Little Wood Spirits were frightened and screamed as they flew away.

Fanxing scolded the cat, “Stop causing trouble!”

The cat looked aggrieved. “What trouble did I cause? Just looking is forbidden?”

Ye Qing chuckled and explained, “The Black Spirit Cat is an Evil Spirit Being, while the Little Wood and Little Flower Spirits are Fairy Spirit Beings. They are naturally incompatible. The Black Spirit Cat is stronger, so it’s normal they’re afraid of it.”

“Evil Spirit Being? Fairy Spirit Being?” Fanxing asked, puzzled.

She had heard Ye Qing call the Black Spirit Cat an Evil Spirit Being last night. What did that mean?

Ye Qing didn’t answer directly but smiled, “Once you register and get an official identity, you’ll be taught about Spirit Beings. Then you’ll understand.”

Fanxing could only accept this.

After gaining some knowledge, Fanxing followed Ye Qing deeper into the flower base.