This Town Is Alive

Gu Pingsheng is a little bewildered after being accidentally released from his seal. He is an evil spirit formed from resentment ten thousand years ago. He was sealed as soon as he came into being, then spent nearly ten thousand years listening to a sage's teachings. His sentence was life without parole. According to a young man from the Nonhuman Management Bureau, the seal was broken because of a mistake at work. They can't seal Gu Pingsheng again for the time being, so he'll have to live in the real world for a while. Gu Pingsheng looks around and finally chooses a small town. It's fairly well developed, not too bustling, but it has everything it needs. The residents are a little strange, though. Sometimes their faces disappear, and sometimes they flash eerie smiles, their mouths stretching all the way to their ears. The layout of the town's streets also seems to change quietly from time to time. Gu Pingsheng ponders this for a long while, then concludes that he simply hasn't experienced society before, so it's only natural that he doesn't understand. When someone's face disappears, doesn't that mean they've “lost face”? He shouldn't stare at their faces when they're embarrassed. That wouldn't be right. If someone's mouth stretches that wide, it must mean they're cheerful. As for the street layout... times have changed. Nothing stays the same forever. Gu Pingsheng quickly reasons it all out to his own satisfaction and continues to enjoy life in the town. Until one night, his bed “kicks him out.” “When are you finally going to leave?” someone demands. Gu Pingsheng: ? He looks left and right, then pulls up the covers to hide himself. But the covers slip right out of his arms. Gu Pingsheng: “Gravity is still awfully strong.” The voice says, “...Can't you tell that something strange is happening?” Gu Pingsheng is embarrassed. “Sorry, I never went to school.” “I'm not discriminating against you for that!!” the voice shrieks. Gu Pingsheng: “Then you're a really nice person.” The voice: ... Gu Pingsheng climbs back into bed and burrows under the covers. “Times have really changed,” Gu Pingsheng says. “The town can talk now.” The town: “So you figured it out?” Gu Pingsheng: “Technology changes our lives.” The town: “That's not what's going on here.” Gu Pingsheng: “So it's artificial intelligence.” The town: ... The town: “You should go back to school.” An ancient evil spirit with no experience of life, gong × a pseudo-town evil spirit on the verge of losing his mind, shou 【Reader's Guide】 The author drew the cover. If you're interested, you can visit my accounts on Weibo, Bilibili, or RedNote under the name Feitian Juguo. I sometimes post illustrations there (heart hands). I'll add more if there's enough feedback. The blurb has been screenshotted. Theme: Overcome hardship and keep moving forward, ultimately becoming your true self.