Chapter 184 - 184 Forty-one

Words : 1309 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

184: Forty-one. Bizarre Night 184: Forty-one. Bizarre Night Whoosh— Lu Li tried to close the newspaper, but an invisible force stopped him. “I haven’t finished reading yet.” Anna, floating behind Lu Li and looking over his shoulder at the newspaper, said. Lu Li stopped moving. The chair made a grating sound as he made some space. Anna leaned closer and continued to read downward. In the plain room, an oil lamp was lit, radiating something called tranquility. Not until Anna had finished reading did she let out a long sigh, “Ah—Shadow Town—” Realizing that her voice was a bit loud, Anna covered her mouth, her eyes clear and wide reflecting the candlelight as she whispered, “All the oddities in Shadow Town are fake...?” “That’s what it says here.” Lu Li neither denied nor agreed. Anna’s voice carried a hint of worry, “Then the fruit in your food...” Lu Li slightly furrowed his brow and replied, “I haven’t noticed anything unusual yet... However, just to be safe, you might have to keep watch tonight, can you?” “Leave it to me!” Anna might not be very strong, but she was more than capable of dealing with some of the townsfolk. “But are we just going to do nothing?” “Do what?” Lu Li raised his eyes and quietly looked at her. Anna, rubbing the back of her head, said, “Um... like causing trouble for the old woman.” “It’s pointless. If the article is true, she is backed by the whole town’s residents—it’s not an individual action,” Lu Li gently shook his head. “And don’t forget our purpose for coming here.” Honestly, Lu Li had no intention of interfering with the townspeople’s behavior, even though he too was one of the victims. After all, it was just a scam, and not very harmful. “Oh right...” Perhaps it was an illusion brought on by Lu Li’s wool coat, but Anna, always thinking they were a detective duo, suddenly nodded, put the newspaper back in its previous spot, and picked up the novel she hadn’t finished, “What about the guy next door?” Since the mysterious man had entered the room, he had not been seen coming out. Apart from the initial noises, a deadly silence followed, as if the next room was empty. “Pretend he doesn’t exist.” Lu Li said succinctly. “Oh... Well, you get some rest; I’ll keep watch.” The clock on the dining table pointed to just before eight o’clock, a bit early, but here, without much leisure to enjoy, most people had already burrowed into their bedding under the dim light of the oil lamp. Lu Li got up from the wooden chair and sat on the edge of the single bed next to the dining table: “Then good night.” “Good night.” Anna watched Lu Li take off his trench coat, unbuttoning the first button of his sleeve and collar and then removing his black tie, placing it beside the wheat husk-filled pillow. Lu Li lay down on his side, pulling the wool coat over himself, covering his lips and nose. With the Spirit-Calling Gun holstered on his right waist, Lu Li could only lie on his left side, facing the dining table and Anna. This was the first time Anna saw Lu Li sleeping in bed, and it felt somewhat... odd. Although she often saw Lu Li resting, he would always be lying on the table, and this was her first time seeing him lying in bed to rest. The book she couldn’t close completely shielded her cheek, leaving only a pair of clear eyes visible, unblinking as they stared at his half-face with closed eyes. Anna’s unabashed peering didn’t last long. After about ten seconds, Lu Li’s eyes suddenly opened, their gazes meeting, causing Anna a moment of panic. “...” Lu Li blinked, silently pulled up his trench coat and covered his black eyes and forehead. “Um...” Anna withdrew her gaze and sat down on the still-warm wooden chair, absentmindedly picking up her book. Time flowed quietly like the steady wick of an oil lamp, casting the shadows of the wooden chair and the floating book on the scrubbed, faded wooden floor. Perhaps minutes passed, or perhaps hours. Half asleep and half awake, a vague, distant murmur, its origin indiscernible, echoed. “Is he asleep?” “He’s already asleep.” The voices were one male and one female. Somewhat familiar, yet somewhat strange. Suddenly, the imagery of the voices started to emerge: the tavern owner and a mysterious man. As his consciousness became clearer, the direction of the voices became evident. They seemed to be whispering slyly through the thin wooden walls. The conversation continued, and the topic was possibly about Lu Li. “When do we act?” “We’ll start shortly.” Lu Li’s gradually awakening consciousness tried to control his body, wanting to open his eyes. But he soon discovered that his body was like it was dead, unresponsive. He could hear the conversations behind some wooden wall and occasionally the sound of pages flipping, but his body did not respond, not even capable of opening his eyes simply. If the woolen coat hadn’t covered his face, Anna might have noticed that underneath Lu Li’s tightly shut eyelids, his eyeballs were moving rapidly. Having fully realized his condition, Lu Li gradually became calm, attempting to open his eyes repeatedly. The whispering continued. “Shh... He’s waking up.” “He’s already eaten the fruit. Don’t worry.” “Let’s go, get ready.” Once, twice. Lu Li’s consciousness, like a wave, crashed against his thin eyelids. Suddenly, his eyes burst open, and everything around him seemed unobstructed, fresh air rushing in, and the clear, real reality exposed before him. His eyes moved, an oil lamp was placed on the dining table, its dim light barely suffusing the whole room. Anna sat in a wooden chair, quietly reading. “What time is it?” Anna looked towards the single bed, Lu Li had already sat up, his coat falling from his right shoulder. “It’s not even 1 o’clock yet.” Looking at the clock on the dining table, Anna replied. “Did you just hear that?” “Hear what?” “Nothing.” Lu Li focused his attention, straining to recall the strange conversation he had heard earlier. This was why Lu Li had always avoided lying down to rest since his arrival. Deep sleep could indeed refresh one, but during deep sleep, all perception of the outside world was minimized. Moreover, if he woke up not well-rested, the grogginess would hinder his ability to think clearly. As the content of the conversation was gradually recalled, Lu Li raised his eyes to the curtains, which hung there properly, covering the windows. “Did something happen?” he asked. Anna set down the book, only a few dozen pages left unread: “No, it might be the pulling of the curtains, or maybe it’s because we’re on the second floor...” “It has nothing to do with the floor,” Lu Li said. If Anna hadn’t heard those conversations, then were they truly real, or just subconscious illusions caused by the Light-illuminating Fruit...? Just then, Lu Li saw a strange, flat, pitch-black shadow stretching out from the gap beneath the curtains. It resembled an arm, but the part that should be the hand was thin and sharp, like a bizarre claw, reaching toward the base of the oil lamp on the dining table. The pitch-black claw was about to touch the flame of the oil lamp, Lu Li suddenly stood up, but it was too late. Whoosh— A sound like a breath arose beside Lu Li and Anna’s ears, and the next moment, the flame in the oil lamp suddenly went out. Dense darkness enveloped them from all directions.

Chapter 184 - 184 Forty-one

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