Three Realm Administration Bureau

Audro was silent for a moment, then took him by the hand and helped him to his feet. No matter how many strange, chuckling noises the young man made, he asked nothing further.

The pitch-black sedan was parked on the driveway outside the shop. Audro opened the back door, but before he could speak, Ning Zhixia had already pushed his blindfold up onto his forehead and slid smoothly inside, settling into the seat.

He patted the seat next to him, cheerful as ever. "Come on, Audro, don't be shy!"

Audro stood by the open door and said nothing, looking every bit the socially awkward one beside this guest-turned-host.

"Come on, come on!" The young man scooted closer, and his large palm landed squarely on Audro's shoulder, nudging him inward.

Audro pulled down the blindfold over the other's eyes and quietly climbed in.

Green shade sped past the window as the car moved. Inside the enclosed space, the leather seat's scent made Ning Zhixia wrinkle his nose.

No one spoke. With nothing to respond to, and the darkness rendering him bored, Ning Zhixia busied himself by playing with the zipper on his jacket.

The metal slider whined as he zipped it up, his chin tucking securely into the raised collar, and then—

Down, up, down, up...

Suddenly he shuddered.

Ouch! He'd pinched his skin.

He rubbed his chin with a mournful look. As he spent time in this odd way, the dizziness in his head gradually faded...

"Mm!" The silly smile vanished from his face. Ning Zhixia sat in silence for half a minute before abruptly straightening up like a man startled awake from a feverish dream, his mouth open in astonishment beneath the blindfold.

Wait.

How did I end up in this car?

The vehicle was so quiet he could hear only his own breathing. Ning Zhixia rubbed his sore chin, growing ever more indignant at the moral high ground he felt he occupied, until anger made his lips tremble as he spoke up—

"Excuse me, but where exactly are we headed?"

Audro, a little puzzled, had witnessed the young man’s entire process of regaining his senses: frantic, anxious, and not at all imposing as he questioned the air in front of him.

The car hit a rough patch of road as Ning Zhixia rambled on. At a sudden turn, he was thrown off balance and braced himself on the other's leg.

The muscle beneath the fabric tensed instantly, and Ning Zhixia felt a chill seep right into his bones.

A hand instinctively pushed him away. Ning Zhixia clicked his tongue in surprise.

Wow, that's some icy temperament!

After a bumpy ride, the car finally stopped.

The unfamiliar street was deserted. Someone removed his blindfold, and Ning Zhixia squinted, taking a long moment to adjust his eyes before peering hopefully through the window at Audro, who was already outside.

Audro walked a few steps ahead, showing no intention of waiting, as if sure Ning Zhixia wouldn't try to run.

Ning Zhixia glanced at the driver. The man’s muscular bulk strained the seams of his shirt as he gripped the steering wheel.

Their eyes met in the rearview mirror.

Running was possible, but shameful.

Ning Zhixia hesitated, then decisively opened the door and got out, obediently following Audro.

The broad avenue was eerily empty, flanked by houses of varying heights, all deserted. In the distance, the scenery blurred, like a game map with unfinished textures.

"Plane Management Bureau..."

They stopped before a tall building. Ning Zhixia craned his neck to read the sign, his heart uneasy.

Was there such a place in Yucheng?

Before he could ask, the automatic glass doors slid open. Audro was already inside.

The lobby was dominated by a double staircase of polished wood. Halfway up was a wall, with two plant-lined passages leading to the second floor, reminiscent of the decor in some old government offices.

Audro didn’t pause but led Ning Zhixia onward.

Each floor had a different style; murals adorned the walls—galloping men and horses across wastelands, colossal creatures on mysterious reefs, or dragons spiraling through the sky...

The entire building was like a well-stocked museum, its eclectic collection displayed by level.

Ning Zhixia couldn’t help but ask sincerely—

"Why isn’t there an elevator here?"

He slumped bonelessly over the banister, tongue lolling as he panted, glancing over at his upright, unruffled guide.

Audro paused. "Is one needed?"

"Of course it is! Technology changes lives. Climbing stairs is such a chore. I mean, going up could count as exercise, but don't you think going down is terrible for your knees?"

Audro glanced at the window set in the wall. "Not really."

"Fine."

Frailty is my own burden to bear.

Ning Zhixia sighed and plopped down on the stairs. "Then I'll rest a bit."

Audro studied him for a moment, then climbed half a flight alone, lowered his gaze, and calmly kicked the center of the wall.

The wall twisted instantly.

Within seconds, he returned to Ning Zhixia and brought him over.

Ning Zhixia’s eyes lit up. "So this is your elevator? Very well hidden!"

The titanium-silver, mirror-polished metal doors were shiny and new, though both bore ugly white circular stickers that looked like unblinking eyeballs.

"Yes," Audro said, patting the mirrored wall. "Just installed."

"No wonder it looks so new." Ning Zhixia stepped inside happily and suggested, "You should peel those stickers off. They’re both ugly and unlucky."

Audro was silent, as if considering something. The ascending elevator gave a faint shudder.

When they reached their floor, the doors snapped open and Ning Zhixia stepped out—just as they slammed shut behind him with a bang.

This floor was neat and minimalist. The narrow corridor was empty save for a beam of light streaming in from an arched window at the end, like a tunnel to nowhere.

"This way," Audro indicated.

Ning Zhixia looked up. The rectangular plaque read "Investigation Room," and behind the closed door he could hear muffled voices.

The door creaked open, flooding him with harsh white light. Ning Zhixia shielded his eyes and looked around.

The room was spacious and orderly: pale wood L-shaped desks, ergonomic chairs, and unusual computers. In the windowed corner stood a sofa and a long coffee table.

Most striking were the six or seven standing bookshelves, crammed with dossiers in brown envelopes. The topmost shelves displayed an array of curios: from jade antiques to firearms and blades—even, on a velvet cushion, a wand?

Ning Zhixia paused. The staff here seemed to have very... eclectic backgrounds.

A woman in elaborate dress stood with her back to the door, arguing heatedly with several uniformed people, her ears twitching atop her head.

"Ms. Qiushui?!" Ning Zhixia called out.

Su Qiushui turned, delighted. "Boss Ning!"

Hearing a familiar voice nearly brought Ning Zhixia to tears. He ran over, grabbing her hands and gazing at her with misty eyes.

"How did you end up here?" he asked.

She sighed. "It's a long story..."

Before he could inquire further, a young man set down his file and greeted him. "So you’re the new owner of No. 19 Qingxi Road? Hello, I’m Lu Huai."

Ning Zhixia awkwardly shook his hand. "Hello, hello... May I ask why you summoned me?"

"Director," Lu Huai said, glancing behind Ning Zhixia and nodding respectfully.

This guy was the director?

Ning Zhixia turned to Audro, whose striking silver hair made him think this organization was rather avant-garde.

But that wasn’t his main concern. He wanted to know why he’d been brought to such a strange place.

Audro ignored his subordinate, sat down on the sofa, hesitated briefly, then patted the seat beside him and looked at Ning Zhixia.

That gesture was awfully familiar...

Under Lu Huai’s astonished gaze, Ning Zhixia plopped down.

Lu Huai didn’t answer his unfinished question, instead observing, "It seems you know nothing about No. 19."

"No, I know all about it," Ning Zhixia replied, face suddenly contorted with pain. "I spent three months personally renovating that ancestor of a house..."

As he muttered, Audro seemed unsurprised by the young man’s tangents, his eyes curving slightly.

Lu Huai saw right through him. As he thought—he doesn’t know a thing.

"Mr. Ning, what I’m about to say may sound fantastical, but please believe me: No. 19 Qingxi Road is a house with special powers."

Lu Huai’s tone was serious. Ning Zhixia unconsciously straightened, hands on his knees.

According to him, their world was one of many in a vast multiverse, and No. 19 was one of the rare connection points between these worlds.

Each night at 7:28, time in this world would freeze; the shop would close its portal to here and open those to other planes for about three hours, during which inhabitants from other planes could sense and enter.

Ning Zhixia was confused. "Residents from other... planes?"

"For example—" Lu Huai pointed to Su Qiushui. "She is a nine-tailed fox demon from Plane 103."

Nine fluffy tails swayed beneath her skirt. Su Qiushui obligingly flicked one up and tapped the young man’s head with the tip.

Suddenly recalling last night’s oddities, Ning Zhixia’s heart thudded. But when the soft, sleek fur brushed him...

"Heh heh." He quickly grabbed a handful.

"You’re not afraid?" Su Qiushui asked.

"Well, everyone here is a fan of white fur," Ning Zhixia replied.

Seeing them get sidetracked, Lu Huai continued, "The duty of the Plane Management Bureau is to ensure harmony and stability across planes. You can think of us as the heavens, gods, or whatever term you find acceptable."

"Then who created the Bureau?"

"A higher being. We call it the Lord God." Lu Huai glanced at the sofa. "The Lord God granted your new director, Mr. Audro, authority over the Bureau."

At the mention of his name, Audro grunted, casually pulling a paper bag from the coffee table and rustling through its contents.

It sounded as if he’d gained some extraordinary power.

Ning Zhixia’s mind was a whirl, like a Muggle dragged into a magic school. Clutching his chest, he said, "Give me a moment..."

Lu Huai was understanding. "Take your time."

"Sigh." Ning Zhixia hung his head and sighed softly. Suddenly, a hand appeared in his view.

Audro opened his palm, revealing a hard candy wrapped in shiny foil.

Ning Zhixia stared blankly.

When he didn’t react, Audro poked his cheek with a finger as if winding up a toy. "Want a sweet?"

Ning Zhixia snapped out of it. "Oh, thank you."

He unwrapped the candy, popped it in his mouth, and, swirling it around, mumbled, "So why did you call me here?"

"Last night, dozens of heartless corpses appeared in my world," Su Qiushui said lightly. "They, like the exorcists of the Imperial City, demand that people pay for their karmic debts."

Ning Zhixia stared. "What?"

A lacquered red pipe had appeared in Su Qiushui’s hand. She leaned against the wall, arms folded, languidly puffing smoke, her eyes curling in amusement. "Thunder rolls are frightening. Since I can sense fate, I had to come ask for answers before the lightning struck."

Lu Huai explained. "Before you arrived, Miss Su’s team in Plane 103 tried to cut off karma themselves, and the director..."

Everyone looked at Audro.

Audro replied, "I froze them."

"Oh..." That must mean they’d been suspended. Ning Zhixia nodded, missing the flicker of dread in Su Qiushui’s eyes.

"Nine-tails delight in eating hearts and have killed many, causing several upheavals in Plane 103," Lu Huai said tactfully. "Many administrators still suspect Miss Su..."

Su Qiushui paused, eyeing the others as smoke curled up, veiling the red at the corners of her eyes.

"Wait, don’t you manage the planes? Can’t you find the real killer?" Ning Zhixia interrupted.

"Because..." Lu Huai looked at him expressionlessly. "A connection point that hadn’t been used in ages suddenly activated last night, removing that plane from our control and making surveillance impossible."

A connection point unused for years... Oh, that’s my shop.

The blame circled round and landed squarely on him.

Ning Zhixia shot a look at Lu Huai.

Brother, are you singling me out?

Lu Huai coughed. "But for that very reason, Miss Su said she met you last night. So we brought you here: first, to inform you of No. 19’s true nature, and second, so you could testify for her."

Ning Zhixia’s eyes lit with understanding. "Oh, I get it now." He pointed at Su Qiushui.

Audro: "The administrators’ prime suspect."

Ning Zhixia pointed to himself.

Audro: "The suspect’s chosen witness."

Ning Zhixia pointed at Lu Huai.

Lu Huai, catching on, answered, "Investigator."

Ning Zhixia felt his head spin. "Let me... just catch my breath again..."

"Take all the time you need," Lu Huai said, shrugging. "Your great-grandfather, the first time he came here, hit me with a stool and called me a dunderhead."

Wow, way to go, great-grandpa.

Wait, my great-grandfather?!

Ning Zhixia stared at Lu Huai in disbelief.

The young investigator looked about his own age. Suspicious, Ning Zhixia asked, "Don’t try to fool me. No one lives that long."

"Human?"

As soon as the word left his lips, all the administrators except Su Qiushui looked over. Their eerily similar faces broke into odd smiles.

Their strange gazes bore down on him, making Ning Zhixia’s scalp prickle and a chill race down his spine. He edged away nervously.

A cold hand braced his back, and Ning Zhixia jerked like a startled animal.

Audro looked at him in puzzlement, then, with a slight twitch of his lips, patted Ning Zhixia’s head as though he were a silly puppy.

His light blue eyes seemed to lose their gentle haze, revealing something eerie and otherworldly.

Ning Zhixia finally sensed something was wrong. "Wh-what’s the matter?"

Audro said quietly—

"Did I ever say that we’re human?"