Chapter 174 - 174 Thirty-one

Words : 1364 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

174: Thirty-one. The stench of decay 174: Thirty-one. The stench of decay Daisy let out a cry of delight, but then, remembering there were people outside, she quickly covered her mouth. Anna waved at her with a goofy smile, like an idiot. “How come you’re here?” “It was arranged by the academy, to perform a musical in Watch Town. We’ve been rehearsing recently. I wanted to keep it a secret until the play started and then invite you over for a surprise, but I didn’t expect you to come...” Their joy-filled whispers continued, and Lu Li didn’t interrupt, crouching beside the unconscious female student, pressing his hand repeatedly against her skin at various points. The skin was warm and elastic, with no signs of decay. Her chest rose and fell slightly with breathing. These points were enough to confirm that the girl had not been taken over by O’Connor or the Blood-Colored Tentacles. But what about the tentacles he saw, and why did she run away? Lu Li’s gaze swept over the racks full of dazzling clothes and suddenly sharpened, locking onto a particular rack. He spotted the delicate, phantom-like Blood-Colored Tentacles. It pierced down from the ceiling and submerged into a pile of clothes on a rack. Suddenly, a flash of blood streaked out, shooting from within the garments! The same scene had just happened earlier in the day, and Lu Li was not unprepared. In a moment’s flicker, almost a ghost of motion, Lu Li drew the Spirit-Calling Gun and held it up in defense before his forehead. With a nearly imperceptible click, the Blood-Colored Tentacle struck the rose engraving on the gun’s barrel, and the weak force couldn’t even make his arm shake. Upon contact with the Spirit-Calling Gun, the Blood-Colored Tentacle abruptly disintegrated like a feather falling into flames, turning to ash. Lu Li was briefly taken aback. He had been ready for battle, and hadn’t expected the Blood-Colored Tentacles, which he considered seriously, to be so fragile. He watched the ethereal Blood-Colored Tendrils begin to dissipate into the air. Only then did he confirm that he had dealt with this particular tentacle. Unexpectedly fragile, huh... Lu Li’s gaze fell to the ground where the ash of the Blood-Colored Tentacle left no trace, as if it had never been in this world at all. “Did you find something?” Anna, who had been watching Lu Li, turned to ask. “Hmm.” Lu Li nodded, giving a short response. Anna, standing beside Daisy, whispered, “You two seem to have a good relationship.” Anna suddenly started to stammer, “Wha-what... Where did you see that we have a good relationship?” Daisy smiled, a hint of sorrow flickering deep in her eyes, some reluctance in her voice, “So you’re leaving then?” Anna didn’t want to part so soon either. She looked pleadingly at Lu Li, “Um, do you want to take a look at Daisy and their rehearsal?” With a half-smile, Daisy saw Lu Li nod. He did not refuse. ... “How did Daisy perform?” Lu Li felt a tap on his shoulder. “Not bad.” Lu Li replied. Even though he hadn’t heard a single word of the opera rehearsal. His mind was not only preoccupied with the Blood-Colored Tentacles. The music of this world was not to Lu Li’s taste, even if the singing became ethereal and haunting in the empty theater. The matter with the girl had been settled. The teacher contacted the academy, which in turn confirmed Lu Li’s identity with the Watch Town Police Station and allowed the teacher to cooperate with Lu Li in the investigation. After the girl woke up, Lu Li asked her a few questions, including why she ran away when she saw him. The girl merely said that after putting on the black lace dress, her thoughts became strange, and upon seeing Lu Li, she felt an inexplicable fear and ran away back to the dressing room. After that, she remembered nothing more. The issue lay with that dress. It seemed the Blood-Colored Tentacles were also hiding on it, launching an attack at Lu Li, hence he took it away with the excuse of “bringing it back for investigation.” Anna saw that Lu Li seemed to be preoccupied with something—though, Lu Li with something on his mind looked about the same as usual. She didn’t insist on staying longer but bid a reluctant farewell to Daisy, obediently following Lu Li as they left the theater to return to the carriage. “Are we going back to the Detective Agency?” Anna asked. “Not for now...” Contemplative, Lu Li was even more silent than usual. “There’s still something we need to do.” Watch Town’s sky was graced with two blood-colored tentacles. ... Lute Bank Building. There were few buildings in Watch Town as majestic as this one. The five-story brick and stone structure might be considered just one amongst many in Belfast, but in Watch Town, where most buildings were primarily wooden structures no taller than two stories, it stood out prominently. Most residents took great pride in working here. The last of the tentacles made its way inside the building. Just like at the theater entrance, Lu Li’s demeanor and attire allowed him to enter the bank without being stopped. The first and second floors were the working area of Lute Bank, while the third to fifth were rented out to other shops or companies in Watch Town. The problem with the high floors was that Lu Li couldn’t determine on which floor the blood-colored tentacle had landed. He had no choice but to use a cumbersome method to search, moving up one floor at a time. His gaze swept over the first-floor office area, and Lu Li walked toward a meeting room at the edge, pushing the door open. “You all must meet this month’s targets——” The voice ceased abruptly, and the dozen or so figures, caught up in remembrance, turned to look at the doorway simultaneously. “Sorry, wrong room.” After closing the door again, Lu Li walked toward the neighboring general manager’s office and twisted open the door. “Sorry, wrong room.” With the same words, he exited and then entered the next office. “Sorry, wrong room.” After using this excuse a few times, and noticing that some of the staff in Lute Bank were paying attention to him, he didn’t continue to barge into rooms. Lu Li decided to change his approach. “Anna, could you float up and look for a floor permeated with a rotting odor?” “Ah? Oh.” Anna nodded, somewhat dazed, and floated up into the ceiling. Anna didn’t make Lu Li wait too long. Two minutes later, her voice rang in his ear. “I’ve found it! It’s on the fourth floor!” Anna returned with good news. “But how do you know O’Connor is here?” “I’ll tell you everything after we deal with the problem here.” Lu Li replied, deciding not to hide anything any longer. He needed some time to properly sort out the sequence of events and to plug the mouth of the ever-curious Anna. After reaching the fourth floor, a faintly distinguishable stench spread throughout the air. The odor worsened as Lu Li exited the staircase and peaked as he pushed open the door to a law firm. The headache-inducing, almost unbearable stench of rotting flesh permeated the air; not even the room’s perfume could mask the foul smell. On the contrary, it made it even more pungent. The employees, either in suits or shirts, all frowned deeply. “Good day, sir. This is, may I help you with something?” A receptionist bowed slightly, asking with a forced smile. The smile seemed strained, perhaps because of the pervasive odor in the office area. “The smell is severe; it may already be rotting,” Lu Li murmured. “Excuse me, sir, what did you say?” The receptionist tilted her head in confusion, her ponytail swaying. “I’m looking for someone who is rotting,” Lu Li said, standing in front of the reception. “If she can still be called human, that is.”

Chapter 174 - 174 Thirty-one

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