After My Cross-dressing Cover Was Blown, the Movie Star Became My Accomplice - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

◎ This d*mn competitive streak… ◎

Mu Yao’s struggling movements froze. His eyes widened in disbelief, and a chill instantly ran through his heart upon hearing the words “Living Impermanence.”

‘He knows about the Living Impermanence and the Underworld. Is he one of them?’

The thought flashed through his mind, leaving him feeling as though he had fallen into an ice cellar. Even the early spring night breeze wasn’t as cold as his heart was now.

A faint warmth traveled from the other man’s body through his wrist. This heat jump-started Mu Yao’s terrified brain, and he immediately dismissed his previous guess.

‘No, if he were from the Underworld, he wouldn’t have this temperature, nor would he use such a contemptuous tone. He’s not one of us!’

Realizing the man wasn’t from the Underworld, Mu Yao felt a surge of relief, but it was immediately followed by a wave of shame and indignation. His cheeks, ears, and neck turned visibly red.

“Heh, it’s far too early for you to judge whether people from the Underworld are weak or not!”

Mu Yao struggled to stabilize his emotions. Sensing the loosening of the man’s grip, he gave his wrist a slight flick. The chain wrapped around his arm instantly lengthened and expanded, swimming through the air with a life of its own.

The Soul-Hooking Chain lunged straight for the face of the man in the Rakshasa mask. Forced to retreat quickly, the man released Mu Yao’s arm and waist. Mu Yao scrambled to his feet with practiced agility.

Ignoring his disheveled state, he stared straight at the man forced back by the chain.

“A Living Impermanence makes an honest living reaping souls. My power is meant for ghosts, not humans. You, a coward who hides behind a mask and dares not show his true face, have no right to judge me.”

“Hiding one’s true face? It seems we are two of a kind.”

The tall man in the Rakshasa mask raised his hand and rubbed his fingers together. He had just felt Mu Yao’s temperature; it wasn’t the temperature a Living Impermanence should have.

“The affairs of this village have nothing to do with your Underworld. Living matters are handled by the living; this falls under the jurisdiction of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation. I am Rakshasa, Captain of the Ninth Division.”

Rakshasa pulled a legal treasure shaped like a Bagua mirror from the pocket of his black coat. Without chanting an incantation, he made a slight motion with his hand. A faint cyan light glowed from the center of the mirror, and the black Yin energy near the residence was sucked into it.

“Little Impermanence, I’ll let you off the hook today and won’t fight you. But if you interfere with my mission again… heh.”

Rakshasa’s gaze drifted lazily toward the Soul-Hooking Chain wrapped around Mu Yao’s arm. He let out a soft chuckle, a magic circle suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and his figure vanished instantly.

“Dammit, what was that laugh at the end supposed to mean?!”

Watching the figure disappear, Mu Yao muttered under his breath. He felt the man’s final look and laugh carried a subtle mockery.

Though angry, he was relieved the man had left.

Being easily suppressed by Rakshasa just now made him clearly realize the gap between them when not using spiritual tools. He couldn’t win a fight, and he couldn’t win a contest of strength. If Rakshasa hadn’t momentarily let his guard down upon recognizing him as a Living Impermanence, Mu Yao wouldn’t have been able to escape his control at all.

Mu Yao breathed a sigh of relief and scanned the area around the residence.

It remained quiet, and more than that, it was abnormally clean. Every trace of Yin energy had been scrubbed away without leaving a mark.

Now, even if he wanted to investigate the house, he couldn’t find any traces left by the female ghost. He wondered if his scuffle with Rakshasa had disturbed the residents inside.

‘I should head back. There are no other leads. That Rakshasa must have sucked away the Yin energy on purpose to stop me from investigating!’

Mu Yao shook his head helplessly and decided to return to the inn to rest, waiting to see if the female ghost would appear again tomorrow before deciding on a deeper investigation.

He had a good memory and never forgot a path he had walked. On the way back to the inn, he kept thinking about the man who called himself Rakshasa, the Captain of the Ninth Division of the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation.

‘The Supernatural Bureau of Investigation… first time I’ve heard of it. The Ninth Division… that means there are at least eight others. It seems like a large organization. I wonder if my father’s death has anything to do with them. I’ll have to return to the old family home after the filming is over.’

Mu Yao’s father had died suddenly, and he had been chasing leads for years without success. Now that he had encountered someone from this bureau, he had to investigate them thoroughly.

‘Right, I also need to sign up for a free combat course or something and train my skills. If I get the chance to meet Rakshasa again, I must avenge this humiliation and pin him to the ground once!’

Mu Yao thought for a moment and decided pinning him wasn’t enough; he wanted to give Rakshasa a few punches for calling him weak and saying he wasn’t fit to be a Living Impermanence!

Back at the inn, Mu Yao changed back into his pajamas. While changing, he discovered a ring of red marks on his waist and wrists—remnants of Rakshasa’s restraint.

“Tsk, dammit, these marks are too obvious. The ones on my waist can be hidden by clothes, but the wrists… makeup should work, but it’s such a hassle.”

Thinking of the cosmetics in his suitcase, a look of annoyance crossed his face. To hide the marks on his wrists, he would have to wake up early and cover them before the production crew’s makeup artist got to him.

At the thought of Rakshasa, the culprit behind the red marks, Mu Yao’s teeth itched with rage. After silently cursing the man for several minutes, he finally lay down to sleep. Before drifting off, he was still mulling over the events in the village.

‘The situation in the village isn’t as simple as a single ghost girl hurting people. If it brought out the Captain of the Ninth Division, I’m afraid the next few days of filming won’t be peaceful. What exactly is that Rakshasa investigating? Does it have anything to do with those child ghosts?’

With these thoughts, drowsiness eventually took over. Mu Yao closed his eyes, deciding to rest and save the deep thinking for later.

The next morning, Mu Yao woke up early. He took out the makeup from his suitcase and carefully camouflaged the red marks on his wrists, while also applying a layer of light makeup to his face.

Before the staff knocked on his door, he changed into his female attire. After ensuring his outfit was perfect, he put on the voice changer and prepared to leave the room.

As he was heading out, he noticed the coat he had stuffed in the corner.

“I should return the coat to Movie King Cheng.”

With that thought, Mu Yao hung the coat over his arm and walked out.

In the lobby, Cheng Zeyì was sitting at a dining table while staff briefed him on the day’s schedule and styled his hair.

“Morning, Movie King Cheng. I’ve come to return the coat.”

Seeing that Cheng Zeyì was already up, Mu Yao secretly admired his professionalism and stepped forward to greet him.

“Morning. Give it to me. I happen to be without a jacket, so this saves me a trip back to my room.”

Cheng Zeyì smiled warmly. He took the coat, placed it by his side, and continued listening to the staff.

Mu Yao figured he wasn’t close enough to Cheng Zeyì to keep standing there awkwardly. He sat down on the other side of the table, and a staff member who wasn’t busy came over to give him a simple styling.

The others came downstairs one after another. After everyone had received simple styling, the day’s recording officially began.

The inn staff served a local specialty for breakfast: Liping Rice Noodles. As the staff placed the bowls on the table, they didn’t forget to introduce the dish.

“Our rice noodles are made with local rice, grown from the local soil and water. The rice is ground into a paste, steamed, and then hand-cut into strips. They look thin and translucent, and they taste incredibly soft and smooth!”

“This broth is also excellent; the broth is the soul of the noodles. It’s made with local chicken and pork bones, simmered overnight with five-spice, star anise, and other aromatics. One sip warms you from your throat to your heart. It’s perfect for today’s cold weather!”

In addition to the rice noodles, the staff served five portions of Oil Tea. The Oil Tea looked a bit like peanuts soaking in tea, but the preparation method and the tea leaves used provided a flavor unique to the region.

Before eating the noodles, they drank the Oil Tea. After experiencing its flavor and then eating a bowl of bright red rice noodles, the savory aroma of the tea blended perfectly with the spicy and numbing flavor of the noodles. The broth was fresh, delicious, and rich—a truly exquisite culinary experience for a chilly early spring day.

“Ah, yesterday was so rushed we didn’t get to eat any specialties. But eating this today, it’s so warming! I feel like I could walk all day without a jacket, hahahaha!”

“Mm, Teacher Bi is hale and hearty; surely you can walk in the cold wind all day. Why don’t you give it a try, Teacher Bi?”

Qu Fu laughed. Since Bi Tu had practically handed her the opening, she had no reason not to take it.

“Heh, Little Qu isn’t being kind. How can you only let me try? Why don’t you experience it too?”

Bi Tu shook his head, looking at Qu Fu with a matching smile. Sparks seemed to fly between them as their eyes met.

“Sister Mu Yao, I feel like Sister Qu and Uncle Bi are at it again.”

After spending more than a day together, Kong Yanfei had sharply noticed that the relationship between Qu Fu and Bi Tu wasn’t harmonious. She leaned toward Mu Yao and spoke in a low voice.

“Don’t interrupt, and don’t meddle.”

Mu Yao lowered his head and whispered back. Qu Fu was like an unlit firecracker; she wouldn’t explode or hurt anyone unless she met a flame to ignite the fuse. Unfortunately, Bi Tu was that flame.

‘I don’t know how this Teacher Bi offended the little starlet Qu, and it’s not good to dig too deep. When gods fight, it’s the little ghosts who suffer. Best to avoid it.’

“Mm, I know!”

Kong Yanfei was very receptive to advice. She quietly moved her chair closer to Mu Yao to stay away from the “war zone.”

“How did you sleep last night?”

While Mu Yao was wondering when these two would call a truce and continue the schedule, Cheng Zeyì’s deep voice rang in his ear. He instinctively looked at the man sitting next to him and found him watching him.

“Uh, pretty good.”

Mu Yao was stunned for a moment and answered somewhat guiltily.

In terms of sleep quality, he had indeed slept well. But in terms of duration, he definitely hadn’t had enough.

As Cheng Zeyì asked about last night, Mu Yao couldn’t help but think of the figure of Rakshasa again. He secretly gritted his teeth; that Captain of the Ninth Division, Rakshasa, was the culprit behind his lack of sleep!

“Pretty good? I see a bit of blue under your eyes; I thought you didn’t sleep well. I’ve heard that sleep is a beauty treatment for girls. You should sleep a bit more tonight.”

There was a hint of doubt in Cheng Zeyì’s eyes, but he then gave a smiling suggestion.

“Oh, right. It might be that I’m not used to the bed at the inn. The blue under my eyes should disappear in a couple of days.”

‘Big brother, don’t talk to me. I don’t need screen time. Please just let me finish this mission in peace!’

Mu Yao nodded awkwardly. Even with a voice changer, he was afraid of being exposed. But with the Movie King right there, he couldn’t refuse to speak, so he could only force himself to respond.

While he was dealing with Cheng Zeyì and chatting with Kong Yanfei, the production crew finally finished recording enough material and moved on to the next segment.

Today’s task was to obtain boat tickets, and the lead for the task was Bi Tu, in his role as a cloth dyer. They had to mix a “Mountain God” colored fabric at the dye workshop, which would be used for a flag for the Mountain God sacrifice.

“Hahaha! It seems today is my time to shine. I’ll definitely help you all get those boat tickets!”

Seeing that today was his time in the spotlight, Bi Tu laughed and spoke up immediately.

“Good luck, Teacher Bi!”

Qu Fu clapped her hands with a hollow smile, then turned to talk to Kong Yanfei.

The production crew announced the task, and the group prepared to head to the dye workshop.

Before officially setting out, Mu Yao, adhering to the principle of “playing the role to the end,” sought out a makeup artist to hide the blue under his eyes.

‘I’m really giving my all for the program’s task. I hope Cheng Zeyì doesn’t get suspicious… wait, why am I working so hard? Even if Cheng Zeyì finds out, it would just provide a topic of conversation for the show!’

Realizing his inexplicable effort, Mu Yao covered his face and shook his head helplessly.

‘This d*mn competitive streak…’

As he lowered his hands to wait for the makeup artist to finish, the lights in the room flickered twice. A phantom-like hem of a dress suddenly flashed in the mirror—it looked very much like the hem of the red dress the child was wearing yesterday.

Mu Yao narrowed his eyes and thought to himself:

‘She really has targeted this place.’