Chapter 162 - 162 Fifteen

Words : 1263 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

162: Fifteen. The fact that is even more devastating than sadness 162: Fifteen. The fact that is even more devastating than sadness The atmosphere in the living room grew silent. Trance’s eyes turned red as he fought back tears. Lu Li seemed to hear the sound of sniffing from the empty space next to him. It might be an illusion, but Anna might really be crying. “What happened after that?” Lu Li’s question appeared inappropriately amid the somber moment. Bowing his head, Trance said, “I cleaned up the house and bought disinfectant to mask the smell. You had been here before to investigate; I couldn’t tell the truth, I only told them that my wife had disappeared... and then you came.” Everything became clear. Lu Li continued, “Have you seen a psychologist?” Trance trembled, his face hidden in shadows, his voice emotionless: “Do you... think I have a mental problem...” “Not at all, just checking. After all, your current appearance isn’t very convincing,” Lu Li said calmly. “So... do you believe me?” Lu Li did not deny it: “You have no reason to lie to me, and besides, I know that what you’re saying is true.” If he hadn’t known about the Asylum angle, even as an Exorcist Lu Li might not have believed it. But with some understanding of Richard’s plans, everything took on a different light, especially after... Trance’s expression grew complicated, the psychological pressure released as he spoke, but a subsequent remark from Lu Li stunned him. “By the way, she’s waiting for you to come back.” “What did you say?” Trance didn’t receive an answer. Lu Li stood up and walked towards the door. His tall silhouette blocked out the rain from the street. He put up an umbrella and stepped out into the rain, as the door closed gradually behind him. Trance couldn’t understand the meaning of Lu Li’s last sentence, and he didn’t even know if the “she” Lu Li mentioned was his wife. Until the image of an old, bizarre face suddenly surfaced in his mind, along with her somewhat strange words... all the answers presented themselves before him. In the cold, dim room, a lone figure sat on the sofa, holding his head, his face lost in the darkness. At some moment, a subdued, irrepressible sobbing cry began to rise. ... “The old person he mentioned... that’s his wife, right?” The yellow-painted coach left Watch Town, driven toward the mountains by a coachman in a raincoat. The rain grew heavier again; it seemed as if the only thing left in the entire space was the sound of rain. Inside the carriage, Anna asked in a hushed voice. She remembered that Hol too had looked like an old person, although it was actually because of excessive decay. “Hmm.” “But she wanted to attack Trance, didn’t she? Why did she end up looking very affectionate and want to see him one last time?” Anna could not understand, and this confusion kept her from knowing how to feel about the matter. “Am I O’Connor?” Lu Li asked back strangely. “No, no, you’re not.” “So why would you think I know?” Under Lu Li’s piercing gaze, Anna was at a loss for words. But his voice still rose in her ear, clearing the confusion, “Based on my guess, perhaps it’s normal to show such conflicting behavior. Remember what I said? The side effects of possession are quite obvious. The body decays, and at the same time, memories get tangled up. The current O’Connor already has the memories of three people, assuming he hasn’t attacked the next victim yet.” “Having one’s brain forcibly stuffed with the complete memories of another person. If we call the previous O’Connor the primary personality and the two victims Ruby and Shelley secondary personalities, he might now be unable to distinguish the primary personality. He could be one of the three personalities at any time, or a hybrid. In such a state, seeing her husband might naturally make Shelley’s personality emerge.” “Why couldn’t you just say ‘no’ directly... but it sounds like if he keeps going, he might turn into a monster, huh?” Anna’s muttering made Lu Li’s eyes narrow slightly as he turned towards her, “What did you say?” Anna felt inexplicably guilty and thought she couldn’t show weakness at this moment, so she defiantly put her hands on her hips though her voice was less than firm, “Wh-Why do you have to be sarcastic toward me...” The sound of the rain drowned out Anna’s voice, which only echoed in the cramped carriage, making the inside and outside seem like two different worlds. “The next sentence.” Anna tentatively asked, “Could he turn into a monster if he continues to take over?” Lu Li stopped speaking, deep in thought. He felt as if he was touching some clue, but it was all too vague. He mentally listed again the three key items related to that indescribable thing: flesh, eyeball, tentacle. “A piece of flesh, an eyeball, a tentacle. What do these three things remind you of?” he asked Anna, hoping she could provide some fresh insight. “An octopus!” Anna answered without thinking, and seeing Lu Li remained silent, she asked cautiously, “Is my answer incorrect...?” “It’s not you who has a problem, it’s me,” Lu Li said, shaking his head slightly. The question was meaningless; the entity that could bring the dead back to life and drive people insane upon contact couldn’t possibly be an ordinary creature. An indescribable octopus? Even less comprehensible, like an indescribable dog, it made no sense. However, whatever it was, he finally had some idea about Richard’s scheme. ... Nearing noon, upon returning to the Detective Agency, the phone on the desk was incessantly ringing. This scene felt familiar. “Wow! You finally decided to answer the phone! If you had taken another thirteen minutes and twenty-four seconds, my number might have been reported and banned from use—do you have any idea what just happened!” Lu Li picked up the phone, not needing to lift it to his ear to hear Marcus’s shouting. “I don’t know,” Lu Li answered. “Turn on the radio, it’s about this matter!” Lu Li glanced at the radio and reached out to turn it on. [Morel let out a scream. He looked bewildered as if he had seen a vision of heaven, and felt dizzy, dropping to his knees. The next morning, at dawn—] The voice on the radio was narrating a story. “Err... you’re on a different frequency... hey, wait, what frequency are you on now? It sounds interesting—” “Then I’m hanging up.” “Wait! Just a moment! Alright, I’ll tell you... what an impatient guy. There was a murder in the Rum District not long ago. Five men jumped to their deaths from the upper floor of the Severed Finger Apartments. It’s only three stories high, and they landed head-first, ‘bang’ like cooked sweet potatoes—does it sound familiar to you?” “What are you trying to say?” Lu Li, of course, knew what he was trying to say, who the victims of the murder were, and who the murderer was—because the incident was the result of his own indulgence. Lu Li thought the ghost would fail again, until he could help her resolve it. Like calling the police, sending them to prison. He hadn’t expected the ghost to take revenge on her own targets.

Chapter 162 - 162 Fifteen

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