大井路 (OOI) 1/2

Are you a traveller? Too bad, then. As you can see, I don't have time for walk-ins.

I don't care what you think. All I know is, the clinic's run by an unregistered physician.

That means he has to kiss arse to some seedy folks so they turn a blind eye. Could be why I hear the most traumatic screams ring out from his clinic on a nightly basis. I hardly sleep a wink!

You've got quite the reputation. Us locals have to be cautious, so it takes a second for us to loosen up. ... Here. This will open the hutongs. Use it at the Victoria Mansions door. This is gargle water. Just gargle it. ... Yeah, just like that.

The Ghostmaster is somewhere deep in Victoria Mansions. I think they're the cause of all this.

The hutong entrance is on Siu Tse Road, which is our adjoined district. Gargle that water at Victoria Mansions.

Gargle Water acquired.

We specialize in making legs beautiful. As long as they can endure the pain, we accept both men and women!

Ah, curious about the clinic? I shouldn't say this out loud, but its physician is a wangren. You don't see it every day, but some wangren do hold jobs.

... His name? Oh, yeah. It's "Xuanji". While I've heard he's lived here for ages, I haven't seen him in a while. He must've started hiding in the ground once the malice got so strong.

Xuanji? The wangren? Hmm, I haven't seen him either.

I think he slipped into hiding once the malice took over all the hutongs on Tai Chang Road.

My, my, let me see here... Not a bad job for an amateur! No one'd tell from far away if... Hey, I'm serious! Even the people in Mr. Chen's inner circle wouldn't be able to tell this was a disguise!

Are you going to Siu Tse Road? Some of the Snakes' men may be taking a load off over there too.

It's the next district over, so if you're on your way there dressed like that...

You must have a good reason to go impersonating Mr. Chen, no?

Absolutely mindblowing...! How did you get that face? Did you use some kind of drug?

Xuanji, who runs the clinic, hid himself away once the malice around here started to strengthen.

Xuanji is a liquid wangren, you see. His body would soak up malice faaar too easily. That's why he runs away.

This is my music box store, but I don't sell music boxes for music boxes' sake here. What I sell is peace of mind.

... Oh, right, right, right. An e-mail came in for you.

Peace of mind goes a long way in this city, know what I mean?

The chime of a music box might help you forget the pain, is all.

It hurts to live here, hehe. That's why I sell music boxes.

An e-mail from the glass eye merchant on West City Road just came in. Are you seeking a "wangren physician"? Ah-ha! You must mean Xuanji!

He should trickle in once you expel some of that malice from the hutongs.

I hear the qi flow in West City Road is finally starting to balance out. I'd like it if you fixed ours too. So, have you hired a navigator yet?

I'm sure you have everything down-pat, but if not, use that terminal thing.

Heh, you're here to cleanse the malice, are you? Hehe...

We closed the passage into the district as a precaution, so the malice wouldn't seep in.

If you want into the hutongs, the mahjong parlour proprietor on Siu Tse Road will help you out. Ask Mr. Fairy to zap you over to the next district.

Ask Mr. Fairy to zap you over to the next district.

We're all nervous too, know what I mean?

We don't know if the guilü alone are what brought the malice here.

What if it's someone else's doing? I can't relax when I think about it.

You think so too, don't you? That it can't just be guilü lurking in our massive hutongs.

Well, look what the cat brought in!

You're here to expel the malice, eh?

Everyone in the district's joined forces for the same thing. ... Huh? You want to know what I do?

Well, keeping the passage secure's about all I can do, but the mahjong parlour proprietor helps far more.

Are you going into the hutongs? Have you hired an escort yet?

... Whoops! I meant "navigator"!

I've got nothing worth your time, man. Why are you talking to me when you clearly have better loot than I do?

Hehehe, iiinteresting... I know what I saw. You have all kinds of stuff!

Someone told you about us, did they? Us district folk help by monitoring the qi flow throughout the hutongs.

When it starts feeling unsafe, we lock down the hutongs, and don't reopen them without a good reason.

That said, we could always change our minds if offered the right "reason", if you catch my drift.

The pawner told me you landed on a pretty spiffy earring. That true?

All right, show it to me.

Okay. If you believe in us, we'll believe in you too... Four structures make up our hutongs. The only structure we can open up is called "Victoria Mansions". There's a Ghostmaster in there. That Ghostmaster is the ringleader of the guilü swarm on the inside.

Give the Ghostmaster the boot, and the hutong's malice should follow.

To get into Victoria Mansions, you'll need some gargle water. The kind you rinse your mouth with.

Gargle water, understand? ... Seriously? Come onnn!

Haven't you ever gargled water at the dentist's office after he plucked a few teeth?

... Whatever. You'll need some to get inside Victoria Mansions.

Planning to enter Victoria Mansions? It's next to the mystery stew place. Hire a navigator before you go in.

Wait a second... Mr. Chen? Mr. Chen, is that...?

Hold it right there!

Don't you know? You're early!

The nightclub's not open at this time. Surely you know Club Siu Tse's hours? No one's getting the night started!

I'm still getting ready myself, but get ready, ehehe, because I've found the loveliest meat for tonight's stew!

I'm preparing your favourite: rotted flesh, left to sit out. Just how the taxidermist told me!

Something wrong, Mr. Chen? You look pale.

It's them, isn't it? Don't worry. The second I see one of those Zecoo brats, I'll be sounding the alarm.

I'm preparing your favourite: rotted flesh, left to sit out. Just how the taxidermist told me!

Hey, you're not...

Mr. Chen, are you...?

... Sorry. My mistake, Mr. Chen! We don't need your blood. Promise!

Some blood donor you'd be... We can't use blood that old.

Hell, you don't even have a blood type! What good is blood like that to anyone?!

Really, though, Mr. Chen. Aren't you stepping out for the nightclub a tad earlier than usual?

What's-his-name is always coming to the nightclub for some reason.

He is a customer, sure, but I don't find him very appealing.

... Sorry, I imagine I should probably specify this "nightclub".

I'm talking about the old Club Siu Tse building that has been closed down for a while.

Who're you? You need something?

You wanted Mr. Fairy? You found Mr. Fairy.

... Not what you expected, hmm?

Well, if you wanted my brother, he's in Siu Tse Road, the next district over.

Fairies don't get old, see.

We live outside of the timeline!

Fairies are great dancers. It's what we do.

All fairies like to dance.

Have you met my brother?

... Huh? You're still confused?

We're both named "Mr. Fairy". It's who we are.

Can you tell which of us is older?

The one born first is older. That's how it works, duh.

Have you ever heard about my dancing skills?

Us fairies are naturals.

If you want my read on it, there must be some malice in the hutongs still. Somewhere in Metro Garden, maybe?

The hutongs connect from the inside, so get in there and rinse it out! ... Rinse out the malice, I mean.

I suppose you know this already, but I shut the hutong door on you each time you go in. You know. Just in case...

You haven't seen a CRT TV around, have you? It's another wangren. First, you come to see Xuanji... Now I'm seeing TV wangren... Wangren must be all the rage today!

Wangren Road is a safe haven where only wangren can live.

You need to have a pretty strong source of delusion before going in... A source of delusion, you know, anything you might have tied your memories and values to.

There are these "treatments" called "facial creams" that people claim will alter your face without surgery. False! If you use it improperly, your face can melt off and never return to normal!

One old man on Kowloonfront keeps trying to medicate his dead wife's face. I haaate it! How has that not turned her corpse into a guilü yet?! I've heard that corpses can become a guilü too!

There are times when guilü creep outside of the hutongs.

The ones that do have to be loaded with considerable malice.

Earth, Fire... Whatever its element, you can't hope to fight a guilü like that the old fashioned way.

Your navigator got you out, eh?

He told me that, although you chased out the Ghostmaster who manipulated the guilü in the hutongs, it wasn't enough to clear the hutongs of malice.

... You don't think the guilü got to that Xuanji fellow, do you?

Did you meet a TV-looking fellow?

If he keeps wandering around like that, he'll eventually cross a guilü that will pelt him into a complete object!

How did things look in the hutongs? I heard the malice isn't all gone yet.

That would mean the guilü weren't its sole source this time after all.

If it means anything, the Snakes used to pass between Tai Chang Road and Siu Tse Road all the time, right? Maybe something of theirs is deeper inside the hutongs brewing more malice.

What's going on in Metro Garden? If you want to get in, you'll need to take either North Gate or South Gate. Between the two, only the one with the weaker malice behind it will open.

Uh-oh. North Gate's shut, is it? If you want to try using South Gate, it's over by the transfer station. If you hold off for too long, you might lose your chance to get through.

Sounds like there's a new face at the dance hall!

Well, "we" call it a dance hall, but no one goes there to dance. We just watch the Fairys do it.

In times like these, the only folks who really have rhyme or reason for dancing have to be fairies.

I guess the Fairys just really enjoy dancing or something... It's what being a fairy's all about.

I'm not snooping or anything.

I just like observing the sorts who come this way. That's all!

You apprehended the Ghostmaster? Sheesh, then this must be something big, if you have to go back in and look for more malice to expel. What kind of high-roller's waiting for you deeper in those hutongs?

Maybe the Snakes felt like getting their hands dirty again... Anyways, go explore the hutongs. Use the transfer station to the other side, where South Gate is, and enter Metro Garden from there.

What else do you need to know? In this district, we place "trust" above all else. It's true.

Seems the nightclub you've been dying to see is ready, Mr. Chen.

Ehehe, I'm sure you're looking forward to your time with Mei'an.

How could I NOT find Mei'an to be so... so utterly repulsive?! She's greed incarnate!

What's wrong? Had enough? You seem, dare I say... off today.

By the way, a wangren wandered into the dance hall, so maybe you should find out who they are.

You sure have a lot of interests, Mr. Chen... not that that's bad!

The nightclub you've been waiting around for opened up, looks like. Just feels early today, is all...

There's a haunted mannequin sitting in the nightclub. It's beyond creepy!

Well, well, you're out already! Is Mei'an getting a new body anytime soon?

Hey, hey! Cool it, will ya? The Fairy Dance ain't up yet!

Here to see that wangren?

They're not ready for business yet, but...

who was that gal on the screen? She's quite a looker.

Eh, I just hope you have the right tool handy for talking to wangren.

So, ya really can talk to wangren! Did the gal on TV ask a favour? Heh! Can't say "no" to that face, amirite?

Whew, it's-es about time we foundz you! The girl in my casing wantedz to talkz.

She showedz up on Wangren Road out of nowhere to findz a wangren, a physician namedz Xuanji. And so, I broughtz her out here to Tai Chang Road.

As long as she's-ez inside of me, she's-ez safe from malice, but... I don't thinkz she can seez you? ... Oh, I'm facingz the wrong way! You havez to standz where she's-ez facingz in order to talkz to her. That's-ez how monitors workz. Well, I'llz cutz myself short now. Tryz introducingz yourself again!

Hmm, let's-ez tryz something else.

Doz you havez a belonging of hers? You can usez that to talkz to her. Something she's-ez wornz, maybe?

Belongings workz because they arez windows to the soul.

"Niiightclub", suuure. It's more like a haunted house!

You know, I heard that Mei'an was some woman's obsession brought to life. That explains how creepy she is!

Plus, she can sound so... morose!

That Mei'an lady from the club... Is she a wangren, or something else?

Back and forth, baaack and fooorth! Do you like going back and forth?

Until the four Divine Choices are made, Kowloon will never know feng shui.

No one has to tell me about the world! I'm a fairy, remember?

We like all the coming and going. Just go easy on us, okay?

Why did you come to Kowloon? Did someone ask you to come? But why? There's no feng shui!

When the Snakes took over, making a living out here only got harder.

That's why I've got the guttiest gut feeling that the clinic physician helps the taxidermist do all his dirty work.

What sort of trouble could those two be stitching up together?

It was ghastly... The false teeth started to chatter. Grossed me out. I have my hunches... My... hunch... No... My guttiest gut feelings... They... They've been pulled out!

What am I... supposed to do... now that my gut feelings... are gone?

Hey, did you know that Xuanji showed up in front of his clinic? I was wondering if you saw him. I had a feeling he'd be tied up in this mess somehow or other.

How much trouble can someone with a liquid body really get himself into?

Xuanji was a wangren well before he ever moved into the district. Since wangren don't age after turning, no one here knows how old he is. I wonder what sort of life he led.

So, did you meet Xuanji?

You can't fool around with that guy. Take your eyes off him for one second, and he'll slip back into the soil.

If one Gemini Master eyes you closely, they'll know you're not Mr. Chen... Please, tell me you considered that.

The Four Masters are out to get you! Until things die down, AVOID going to the other district!

You should avoid Siu Tse Road. There are people there under the influence of the Snakes. I hear the guy who frequents the nightclub, Mr. Chen, is one of them.

He'd get repeated plastic surgeries from the facial beautician.

... Ick! Usually, if someone gets their face done like that, they'd cry so much from the pain that they'd need my services. ... Mr. Chen never seemed at feel any, and he never looked at my music boxes.

As soon as the people on Siu Tse Road start asking about you, your visit here won't be so pretty.

What are you doing on Tai Chang Road?! You're not safe here!

One of the Four Gemini Masters is prowling about to find you right now! They just went to check Siu Tse Road. Did Mafei order this? That must be it. All this trouble has been her doing!

Once Mafei comes back, there'll be trouble.

Will the malice not leave, even after you've defeated so many guilü? I see... Mafei. This must be her doing. But what does she gain from this? Listen, be careful around that woman. She packs devastating wickedness.

The more light you shine on feng shui, the more you leave in its shadows. That much is obvious.

First order of business is to kick all malice from the hutongs.

North Gate is over near the leg beautician's. Use it.

Expel just a little bit more, and we'll treat you to a dance.

The dentist is in trouble! He ran by, drenched in his own blood! What happened to him?!

Someone... is still in there! Someone's still in the hutongs, spewing that awful malice!

Seeing as no one's come back, the Four Masters must have given up.

I hope you don't give up that easily on beautifying your face, I'll say. You should do something about it.

The dentist got what he deserved. He had a habit of pulling teeth from patients to make dentures!

You got a pretty pushy e-mail from, well, somewhere.

The e-mail took a few tries to deliver, but maybe you can read it now? Go see.

The Gemini Masters are after you? Those four are in charge of the Snakes' every activity here in Kowloon. ... And who do they work for? No one has any idea!

I'm told their leader is a being with the heart of a devil, but nobody knows if that's true.

Mafei was an artificial twin. We used to call her kind "Newborns".

Only, Mafei absorbed her older sister into herself.

That's just how powerful her mingli... No, that's just how powerful her wickedness, truly is.

Hey, where are you going?! The unthinkable just happened!

The dentist just got eaten alive!

He was in his office when false teeth started to bite at his body without letting go. He tried to flee this way, but I'm afraid it was far too late. The malice is poised to ruin Tai Chang Road anytime now. Are we... done for?

Malice is overflowing from the hutongs? Oh, what are we supposed to do now...

Let me tell you something...

My store used to connect to the hotel in Kowloonfront until some dead coral buildup blocked the way a whiles back. The world's so dangerous now... Who knows when everything'll collapse.

What's the deal with that Gemini Master, strutting along like they own the place?

"Masters" or not, I don't trust any of them!

Those guys think they have the power to create miracles...

But they haven't done squat! If they did, we'd be living in miracles right now, and not all this delusion!

Did you want to talk to the lady projected inside of that wangren? Here, I'll return your earring. The qi flow inside the hutongs seems out of our control now. I hate that you have to go it alone.

Everything's out of our control. You're all we can count on now.

Who set off that alarm?! Great, now the Four Masters definitely know you're here!

The Gemini Hermit Master is already somewhere on Siu Tse Road. You can't let her find you!

A little birdy told me that it's Mafei waiting deep in those hutongs. Is she waiting for you? If that's the case, who are you? What is Mafei targeting you for?

Just be careful. Her wickedness is nothing to sneeze at. If she's in the Victoria Mansions basement, you can get there across from the nightclub. But geez... Mafei, huh. Thinking about her gives me chills.

To make matters worse, Mafei's back in the district.

If you want to look for her in the hutongs, get in from across the nightclub. Don't let your guard down.

Xiaohei's Earring acquired.

You can't get to the other side now. Ehehe, I closed the door on you!

How are you going to flee now, the hutongs? Ehehe, that's rich! You will NEVER escape!

Who are you, exactly? Mr. Chen's doppelganger?!

I knew it! I thought you smelled different...

Man, what a masterpiece! You should enter a Mister Chen look-a-like contest!

Go hide in the dance hall! It's the best shot you have!

What happened with the Gemini Master? Did she leave without a fight?

What'd ya get yerself into? From the looks of it, you'd better run.

Kinda weird though, that they're after ya for clearing out our malice.

Some Gemini stick-up-the-butt came looking for you a moment ago.

For yer own sake, you'd better not let 'em catch up.

... See that little door, left of where yer standing? That goes to the storage room. You can hide down there until yer new friend eventually buzzes off.

Don't worry. If anyone comes in, I'll know just how to work 'em.

Some Gemini stick-up-the-butt came looking for you a moment ago.

For yer own sake, you'd better not let 'em catch up.

... See that little door, left of where yer standing? That goes to the storage room. You can hide down there until yer new friend eventually buzzes off.

Don't worry. If anyone comes in, I'll know just how to work 'em.

The heck were you doin' down there? Sounded like a whole frickin' circus!

... Yer lucky no one came up to the front desk.

Listen! A Gemini Master is after you! The Gemini Hermit Master just appeared! If she finds you, you're toast!

Victoria Mansions opened up? It feels to me like someone laid out the welcome mat for you, but... who would do that?

Hey. The lady in here wouldz likez a word with you.

Doz you havez any belongings of hers, by any chance? If so, bringz them out.

Do you know why we have wings? Because we're Time's Witnesses. Our wings symbolise the fleeting nature of time. ... I see you have a time talisman?

Use it. Stop the man who's been chasing you through space-time. Time is an ever fleeting beast. You can't outrun it forever!

Still going back and forth, hmm? Can you hurry? If you must know, it's almost time for us to dance!

It's time to dance! No one else in this district, dances, so it's up to us fairies. Our wings really come in handy at times like these!

What happened? Is the district collapsing?! What's going to happen to us?!

Oh-la-la! You're early, Mr. Chen! What's the occasion? A dose of Crow? How is your creation of Heaven going? You may find Heaven, but there is no Heaven or Hell for a woman like me. Isn't it obvious why? I'm the one who lost my body and all. Hahaha! I can't even dream. All I have going for me is my lust. What happened to finally taking me to the taxidermist? Or was that all a...

You aren't Chen, are you. Chen is... dead... isn't he. You're just his stand-in? Hah! I must look like some doll to you.. I'm nothing but a piece that fell off a woman when she turned into a wangren. Her lust shed off of her like a scab, and from that scab, I was born. If we'd only gone to the taxidermist, I could have gotten a special body... With such a body, that nasty physician wouldn't have to torture me anymore! Hahahahaha!

Don't worry, no glasses needed. I'm Xuanji.

I run the clinic here. I can feed on as many delusions as I want to this way.

That said, after Wangren Road started acting unstable earlier, I can't deny that I've felt the ripple effects.

It's not easy pretending I'm this antisocial mutant all of the time, but you have delusion glasses... I'm sure you've been to Wangren Road?

... There's a storm of delusion ravaging the area as we speak.

Don't get the wrong idea about me. I wasn't torturing any ghosts.

The more you make them suffer, the more malice they give off...

Well, you'd better be careful. Do your best to restore the qi flow.

Hold it right there! You're not Mr. Chen!

Why are you dressed up as him?! I can't let you disgrace him, no, no, no! You'll pay for this!

If you think I'll let you waltz around like Mr. Chen, you are sorely mistaken!

You thought you could deceive ME with that sloppy disguise?

Thankfully, your gallivanting has spared me a deal of trouble.

Be a doll, and hand over Xuanji. It's in his best interest that we return him to his resting place.

I believe he's inside of a bottle? Just hand it over to me without letting it weigh on your mind.

Ah, you're that woman! Hehehe. That makes this interesting.

Are you cramped inside of that box? But it suits you so well!

Once Wangniang reaches her limit, she'll make you disappear too.

Hehehe, how tragic. You would have served us so well with your mingli, but I'm afraid you have to die.

Now, hand over Xuanji!

You did it! I... still haven't met Xuanji.

... But there's no time. We need to go save Connie!

Ever since I first sensed Connie, her voice and my sister's voice...

I could hear them overlapping, as if their feelings became one!

But for a little while now, I haven't been able to hear Connie.

We have to help her! I'll come too, to see what's going on.

Don't worry about me. The malice can't touch me as long as I'm inside of a wangren.

But Connie...

That was-ez just a projection. Still, Wangren Road is-ez gettingz more unstable. I don'tz knowz how long I'llz bez able to maintainz this form. You should hurryz too. Goz to where that woman namedz Connie is-ez now. We'llz goz ahead of you.

Ah, you're that woman! Hehehe. That makes this interesting.

Are you cramped inside of that box? But it suits you so well!

Once Wangniang reaches her limit, she'll make you disappear too.

Hehehe, how tragic. You would have served us so well with your mingli, but I'm afraid you have to die.

Now, hand over Xuanji!

Hey. The lady in here wouldz likez a word with you.

Doz you havez any belongings of hers, by any chance? If so, bringz them out.