Chapter 180 - 180 Thirty-seven

Words : 1367 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

180: Thirty-seven. Weird Town 180: Thirty-seven. Weird Town Most people have one of two impressions of swamps: either the moist, fragmented, and footless wetlands where tall reeds sway with the wind and the ground is covered with short grass, where flying beasts hide in the reeds and occasionally chase and wander with the waves, where green and clarity are the underlying tones, making blue skies and green waters bring pleasurable feelings. Or they are the twisted, entangled, snake-like vines of withered trees, the muddy and turbid foul water emitting strange bubbles, where gloom and decay permeate every corner, no life to be found, forbidding and deterring any from venturing forth. The reality is generally the former, but in today’s Earlen Peninsula Duchy, the latter might be more common. Behind Shadow Town, a dim expanse of swamp forest vaguely appeared on the horizon. “Is it in there?” The long-bored Anna became somewhat spirited as she looked towards the distant town. “Perhaps.” Lu Li replied, the blood-colored tentacle had fallen into Shadow Town, but it might actually be in the Shadow Swamp beyond the town. The number of carriages on the road began to increase, most of them freight wagons. Some had already lit torches at the head of their carts. Following these scattered freight wagons, the carriage entered Shadow Town. Inside the carriage, both Lu Li and Anna surveyed the small town. It was much smaller than Watch Town but oddly big, so large that it seemed eerie. The streets were wide enough for six carriages to pass abreast, a rarity in Belfast where only a few such broad roads existed. The signs for taverns took up more than half of all shop fronts—yet in reality, no residents lived there, and Shadow Town usually didn’t have that many visitors. Unless every person here was a drunkard, commonly seen staggering home only when completely intoxicated at night, but clearly that was impossible. The carriage continued onward, crossing through the middle of the town until it reached the edge on the side of the Shadow Swamp, where Lu Li received some unwelcome news. The blood-colored tentacle had spread into the Shadow Swamp. This meant that the target Lu Li was looking for was in the swamp, and he had to enter it. “Where did you see the tentacle?” The carriage stopped at the edge of the town, and Anna asked Lu Li, who was gazing into the distance. Lu Li did not take his eyes away, “One piece of good news and one piece of bad news.” “The bad news is that the tentacle is in the swamp?” Anna guessed tentatively. Lu Li nodded. “And the good news?” “It shouldn’t be too far.” Under the dim sky, the blood-colored tentacle almost blended with the night, but it was exceedingly clear now. “It seems like there’s no way to enter the swamp right now...” Anna tapped her chin, looking towards the darkening expanse of the swamp forest with a hint of fear. “Let’s find a place to stay first.” Lu Li pulled the reins to turn the carriage around and headed back towards the center of the town. Shadow Town had no electric lights. In their place, lighted gas lamps were spread out on both sides of Triple-person Street. Though the name was a bit odd, it was the widest and the original street of Shadow Town, where over fifty percent of the town’s residents lived on either side. Returning to the center of Shadow Town, Lu Li randomly picked the Big Wave Tavern to stop at. Handing the reins to a waiter at the door, he headed for the tavern. “I feel like someone is following us... not human.” Anna’s whisper reached his ear. “I’ve been spotted! Something’s not right...” Lu Li’s expression remained calm, and without looking around for the spying presence, his right hand silently moved towards his back, partially drawing out the Spirit-Calling Gun. The movement was slight, but the grip of the Spirit-Calling Gun was already out of its holster. A chill enveloped Lu Li in an instant, cutting off his breath. Though in less than a second Lu Li had returned the gun to its holster, the cold sensation lingered long afterwards. “Do you feel it?” Anna whispered. “No.” Lu Li walked up the steps in front of the tavern, “There’s plenty of malice, but I didn’t detect the presence you mentioned.” Homogeneous items allowed Lu Li to sense the presence of the Inner World. For instance, those dark entities, like ghosts and the like. The former usually harbors incredibly clear malice, and the latter does too, but somewhat weaker. When Lu Li used the Spirit-Calling Gun for detection, he usually sensed those slightly weaker forms of malice, such as the very faint malice emanating from Anna. But just now, Lu Li didn’t sense any faint malice around them, so it could be that Anna was mistaken in her sensing, or the entity following them might be among those with stronger malice. The trouble was, it wasn’t likely that Anna was wrong in her sensing. “Shall we go have a look?” Lu Li shook his head almost imperceptibly, reached out to press on the door, and pushed hard, “Not for now, let’s understand the situation here before contemplating any action.” Creak— The door to the tavern opened, and the expected noise and bustle were absent. This small tavern was surprisingly quiet and bright, and several oil lamps on the walls dispelled the darkness. The old floors and furniture suggested that this tavern had a certain history. Behind the counter was an elderly woman with strands of white in her hair and wrinkles on her face. She smiled towards the door, “Hello there, oh a new face. Look at those eyes, beautiful as black gems... Dear guest, where do you hail from?” “Belfast.” Lu Li walked towards the bar, the bright interior of the tavern seeming to dispel the coldness about him. If one were to apply the rules of Sanity Value, he would be recovering Sanity Value under this brightness. The old woman asked, “The Star of Arlen? Haven’t had guests from there in a while, are you here on vacation?” The Star of Arlen was an alias for Belfast, but since the change in the deep seas and the decline of the port, it had been a long time since anyone referred to it that way. “You?” Lu Li’s black eyes narrowed slightly. At the same moment, a strange voice came from behind. “Not me, I’ve come from inland.” A man dressed in a black coat, carrying a suitcase, passed by Lu Li and approached the bar. His suitcase seemed heavy, creating a dull sound as he set it on the floor. “Oh sorry, my age is showing, I thought you were together,” the old woman chuckled apologetically. “I assume you want to stay the night, right?” The man in the eerie black coat nodded. Lu Li did the same, but his lips moved slightly, murmuring in a low voice, “Is it him?” “I don’t know... but there is something strange about this man’s aura...” Anna’s hesitant voice rose up beside his ear. Footsteps were heard from behind at that moment, and the waiter who had gone to take care of the carriage spoke politely, “Sir, your carriage has been placed in the backyard.” “Thank you.” Lu Li thanked him, also moving to the front of the bar, standing alongside the mysterious man. The old woman took two oil lamps from beneath the bar and lit them slowly, one by one, motioning for them to take them, “The oil has already been replenished. There are candles in the room drawers if you’re concerned; you can light them, one shilling each.” “As a local, I must remind both guests. Please draw the curtains before you go to sleep at night, and no matter what you hear...” She stared intently at the two men in front of the bar, enunciating each word. “Never look outside.”

Chapter 180 - 180 Thirty-seven

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