Chapter 163 - 163 Twenty

Words : 1243 Updated : Sep 19th, 2025

163: Twenty. The first subject. 163: Twenty. The first subject. “` “Hmm!” Marcus hummed heavily, his voice beginning to change, “You even got rid of my client with the ghost!” “Is there a problem?” Lu Li didn’t see any issue and calmly replied, “And how do you know it was me?” “Uh... I just know, so stop asking because I haven’t thought of an excuse yet!” Marcus’s voice grew louder, and by the end, it had turned into a roar. “All right, so is there a problem?” “Uh... No problem, if they’re gone, they’re gone, as long as you’re happy.” Marcus’s scratching head could be heard from the other end. “Whether the client is dead or alive isn’t important, we’ve already got the deposit, so it’s not a huge loss.” “Anything else?” “Uh... No, wait, almost forgot what I was going to say.” “What were you going to say?” “While I don’t mind having lots of dead clients, it could harm our ‘happy and healthy every day’ reputation, causing potential clients to be scared and hesitant to contact us. It’s reasonable for an Exorcist to exorcise demons, but not so fitting to exorcise the clients too. Most importantly, we only get the deposit that way, uh... what I meant to say was, could you tone it down a bit?” “I will,” came Lu Li’s succinct reply from the other end. Marcus let out a relieved sigh, his tone turning cheerful, “I really appreciate it. If you hadn’t agreed, I might have even been forced to increase your share to get you on board, oh no, I think I said something I shouldn’t have, hehehe... Well, that’s that, I’ll send your fee through the postal system, talk to you next time!” Beep — The phone on the other end hung up. Meanwhile, on the other side of the hill, in Watch Town. The Deputy Chief’s office at the Police Station was also on a call. “The missing woman’s name is Shelley, and she just left Shelley’s house not long ago. Yes, sir, information that I provided him. I’ll keep an eye out and immediately contact him if anything else happens... What? There’s a new one already? But how can that be, we haven’t—” Valentine’s voice stopped, his face plastered with a smile, listening quietly as if the entity on the other end of the phone could see his obsequiousness. “I understand, I’ll contact him right away... Yes, he should have returned to Belfast by now. How do you suggest we notify him?” “Understood... I will, I’ll treat him as one of your own. By the way, I heard about the Rum District... Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Click. The receiver went back on the hook, and Valentine sank into his wooden chair, relieved, and muttered softly, “So, the Exorcist has caught their attention...” Whether to envy or feel fortunate, Valentine wasn’t sure. Getting involved with them, most people wouldn’t end well, or to put it bluntly—those alive are mostly insane, and the dead, largely unaccounted for. “Phew—” He exhaled, calming his emotions and gradually stabilizing his breath before picking up the receiver once again. ... “The Detective Agency is especially busy today, isn’t it?” Anna, seated by the window table, propped her chin, nodding her head up and down with her words. Lu Li picked up the phone, and Valentine’s voice came through. “Mr. Luli, we have a new lead.” Lu Li had thought it was about the fourth victim of O’Connor’s attack, but as Valentine spoke, he realized the timing didn’t match up. The latest victim was named Claire, female, from Belfast, and she disappeared briefly near the Asylum in Watch Town half a month ago, then suddenly reappeared. “` After her appearance, for a long time, she babbled like a madwoman, grabbing neighbors and shouting nonsensical things like, “There are voices in my head!” “They want to replace me!” Since Claire lived alone without family, no one cared about this mad, pitiful woman. In fact, no one even noticed her disappearance; it was only revealed during one of her episodes of nonsensical speech. At least that’s what Valentine said. Claire went mad for several days and was later found dead at home. The doctor confirmed after diagnosis that she died of dehydration and severe malnutrition—she hadn’t eaten anything since her return. Deputy Chief Valentine said he discovered something was off with Claire while organizing files from the Asylum No. 6. When he realized the information was vaguely related to Richard, he rushed to notify Mr. Luli and told him where Claire was currently. The morgue of the Belfast Cemetery, not yet buried. After hanging up the phone, his knuckles gently tapped the desk, and Mr. Luli lowered his gaze. Anna blinked but did not interrupt Mr. Luli’s contemplation. Mr. Luli’s pondering did not last long; he lifted his head and said, “There’s a problem with the source of the information.” “A problem?” Anna, floating above the chair, sat up a bit. “Don’t you think it’s too detailed?” Mr. Luli calmly explained his suspicions. “The Watch Town Police Station has no reason to do all this for an exorcist like me, especially with the cause, process, and conclusion all meticulously recorded.” After spending time with Mr. Luli and being impacted for a while, Anna had finally made some progress, at least learning to see the essence behind the appearance of things: “Do you think it’s a trap? Is it Richard?” Although the gap was significant. “I don’t know, maybe not. If Richard could influence the police station, he shouldn’t only do this much.” Mr. Luli didn’t think the information came from Richard. If Valentine was backed by Richard, he could design a more efficient method to deal with Mr. Luli, rather than disassembling a bullet from a flintlock pistol and throwing it by hand until it hit someone dead. Nevertheless, such a behavior was more in line with Richard’s background of mental issues. Just from the peculiarities of Claire’s situation, it seemed she indeed had some connection with Richard’s plan. Firstly, her disappearance was earlier than the other victims, and secondly, some of the content she revealed after coming back was worth questioning. “A failed product...” Mr. Luli murmured thoughtfully. Anyhow, a trip to the cemetery would clarify things. However, it wasn’t all bad news; at least this time Mr. Luli didn’t have to endure nearly two hours of jostling and spend 12 shillings on a trip to Watch Town in this dreadful weather. When Mr. Luli looked towards Anna, she shrank back. “The cemetery... can I not go?” Anna’s voice was weak and pitiable, and her teeth chattered from the cold. Some things don’t change just because you become a ghost, like being afraid of ghosts. “It’s not that I’m scared... I wouldn’t avoid going just because I’m afraid... I need to rest back in the painting!” “Hmm, I’ll go alone.” Mr. Luli’s emotions remained unchanged. Anna suddenly felt an unprovoked sense of guilt, her fist clenching secretly under her sleeve: “When you come back... remember to bring back another cookbook.” Looking inquisitively, Anna’s clear eyes were filled with determination. “I want to make myself more useful!” Mr. Luli watched her quietly for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

Chapter 163 - 163 Twenty

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