Chapter 188 - 188 Forty-five

Words : 1308 Updated : Sep 21st, 2025

188: Forty-five. Going separate ways 188: Forty-five. Going separate ways The dim light of the oil lamp was gradually replaced by the chilly brightness. Even earlier than the cold morning, the streets were filled with commotion. Under the leaden clouds, a constant stream of carriages passed through the street of three people. Whoosh——Rustle—— A faintly pale hand gently pulled back the curtain and peered out the window for a while before picking up the lamp’s windscreen and softly blowing out the candle. An even colder darkness filled the room, and Anna tilted her head, looking at the pair of open black eyes beneath the trench coat. “Awake now?” Anna placed the windscreen back on the lamp. “Mmm.” The curled-up legs stretched out, the soles of the leather boots touching the faded wooden floor. The morning was somewhat cold; past rainy seasons hadn’t been so chilly... but compared to the plants not sprouting, the temperature was hardly noticeable. In such weather, one should be sitting in a cozy, soft chair, with warm flames from the fireplace reddening one’s cheeks, and holding a scalding cup of tea as the tiny cracks and pops of the burning wood filled the air. The mysterious man did just that. When Lu Li pushed open his room door, he was huddled in a wooden chair by the window, draped in a blanket, a steaming cup of hot coffee in his hands, and an old suitcase by his feet. Inside seemed to hold something important, which he kept close to him at all times. “Looks like you had a good rest, I thought you’d have insomnia.” The mysterious man, like an old man in his daily life, raised his hand and waved at Lu Li. “Worrying is pointless, thinking too much isn’t suitable right before bed.” Lu Li closed the door behind him and replied, then asked, “Have the evil spirits left, will they come back?” “Hold on, slow down buddy, let me answer one at a time.” The mysterious man placed his steaming coffee cup on the windowsill. “But the answer to both questions is the same: you’ve got one thing wrong, evil spirits don’t have a physical entity, they’re somewhat omnipresent, not like vengeful spirits that have a corporeal form... they’re not entirely incorporeal either, I can’t tell you too specifically, just that... evil spirits are everywhere, you were dragged into a ritual, and someone thousands of miles away might be under attack too.” “So, they appear randomly, regardless of location?” “Something like that,” the mysterious man nodded and picked up the cup again. This explained why the mysterious man had confidently returned to his room to rest after escaping the evil spirit ritual last night. Lu Li continued to ask, “Are the Shadow Figures and the Six-legged Savages rumored to be in Shadow Town real?” As he brought the coffee cup to his lips, blowing on the steam and foam, the mysterious man looked at Lu Li curiously, “Didn’t you see them with your own eyes yesterday? The six-legged monsters generally move around in the swamp and rarely leave it for human settlements.” Which one was lying between the mysterious man and the article... Lu Li pondered slightly, and the mysterious man lowered his head to take a sip of coffee, giving a satisfied sigh, “Ah... you must be from Belfast, right? I can smell the sea on you, and it’s almost 200 miles from here, what are you doing here?” Lu Li lifted his gaze, “Exorcist, tasked to investigate some things in Shadow Swamp.” The mysterious man paused, “You’re going to the swamp?” “Yes.” Before leaving the room, Lu Li checked the position of the Blood-Colored Tentacles through the window, which indeed had fallen into the Shadow Swamp. Entering the swamp was unavoidable. The mysterious man fell silent, and only when the coffee cup in his palm started to scald did he stretch his lips into a smile and set it down on the sill, “Are you prepared?” “I brought insect repellent powder.” Hades had cautioned repeatedly about things that Lu Li naturally couldn’t forget. “Well, that could be considered a preparation,” the mysterious man said somewhat helplessly, implying, “You mean... there are no other preparations?” Lu Li furrowed his brow slightly: “I don’t understand what you’re referring to.” “It seems you’re not yet accustomed to thinking from an exorcist’s perspective. What I meant was... preparations for dealing with those things.” “What things are in the swamp?” These things were a general term. It encompassed the strange, the spiritual, or some other dangerous entities. “Of course, times have changed, and now, most remote places have become very dangerous. Those things that are different from humans... like to hide in them.” “What’s inside there?” “Who knows?” the mysterious man shrugged. “My destination is on the other side of the swamp... ah, it seems I’ve said a bit much.” Lu Li calmly stated, “The other side of the swamp is inland, I couldn’t possibly know where you are heading.” “Fair enough.” The coffee had cooled enough to no longer be scalding, and the mysterious man took a big sip. “How are you planning to cross the swamp?” Lu Li asked. “Me? I’ll take a carriage across. That road is quite safe during the day,” the mysterious man referred to the road built by the Earlen Peninsula Duchy through the Shadow Swamp, leading to the mainland. It sliced the swamp into two parts: the northern and southern swamps. Lu Li was heading to the South Swamp, which the mysterious man said was somewhat safer than the northern swamp—relatively speaking. “Heading to the swamp without any preparations is very dangerous, civilian.” “I am an exorcist.” “No difference, an exorcist who doesn’t understand rituals faces specters just like any ordinary person.” The mysterious man might have been right, but Lu Li had compelling reasons to go. Seeing the determination of the black-haired man who always remained calm, he said helplessly, “It seems you’re determined to go. A word of advice, if you’re lucky enough to make it out alive, remember to get a sanity check to avoid unknowingly carrying something out.” Lu Li watched him: “Where should I go for the test?” “You know about the Night Watch but don’t know where to get a sanity check?” the mysterious man wondered. Lu Li replied, “I’ve been an exorcist for less than a month.” “Well, you can go to a strangely-named laundry for the test. Or you can sign up to join the Night Watch investigators; they’ll test you for free.” “I’ll remember that,” Lu Li nodded. The mysterious man waved his hand: “Then leave, I need to prepare and then go.” He lifted the blanket, underneath which lay neatly arranged clothes as if ready to grab the suitcase and leave at any moment. Lu Li handed him a business card, which the mysterious man accepted with curiosity, reading the embossed line: “The Weird and Multicolored Detective Agency... Lu Li...” The mysterious man pocketed the card, finished the coffee in one gulp, picked up the wide, round hat, and put it on: “I won’t tell you my name, as some evil spirit rituals involve attacks by knowing a name. So we use aliases. You can call me Apprentice Investigator, or Seeker. That’s the codename I plan to use once I’m certified.” “Oh, by the way, a piece of advice for you, if you’re going into the Shadow Swamp, remember to keep quiet.” The mysterious man picked up his suitcase, tapping his ear. “The swamp can hear things that don’t belong to it.”

Chapter 188 - 188 Forty-five

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