Chapter 206 - 206 Sixty three

Words : 1444 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

206: Sixty three. Silent Night 206: Sixty three. Silent Night Catherine had never seen such a perfect physique. Whether it was her first five husbands or the workers who would drink shirtless in the tavern, they either had repulsive belly fat or dirty and ugly muscles, not like the spotless figure in front of her, as if an art piece in an exhibition hall... She was very grateful to have the opportunity to watch Lu Li bathe—only for some hot water and a heartwarming hot soup in the cold storm. The only thing she regretted was that Lu Li would wear those shorts even while bathing. Whoosh— The sound of running water stopped, and Lu Li, covered in steam, walked out of the misty bathroom, took a towel from the old woman leaning by the door, and wiped his hair, dripping with water beads. “How long until the food is ready?” “After you put on dry clothes, you will see it already laid out on your dining table,” the old woman reluctantly moved her gaze away from Lu Li’s chest and returned to the hall. The towel dried Lu Li’s hair in a messy and dry fashion. He threw it back into the washbasin and picked up a brand-new set of clothes to put on. A minute later, Lu Li, who had changed clothes, returned to the hall. On the dining table where he had eaten yesterday, there were pork chops, chicken soup, red wine, and candles. The old woman had changed into a red dress faster than Lu Li, quite pretty—of course, back when she was young. This scene was just a few roses short of a candlelight dinner. Walking towards the table under her gaze, Lu Li picked up his share of the pork chop and soup, and an oil lamp. “Thank you.” Lu Li expressed his gratitude and turned to walk up the stairs. He opened the door to his room, and a strand of black hair floated down from between the door cracks. Lu Li sidestepped into the room, bumped the wooden door shut with his shoulder, and placed the items in his hands onto the table. Anna maintained her still rest; Lu Li guessed that maybe other ghosts rested the same way. The torrential rain outside the window hadn’t weakened, but the wind had died down a bit, the sharp howling no longer as distinct. Lu Li extinguished the candle and sat down at the long table. In front of the window on the stormy night, Lu Li watched the lightning flash outside as he ate at a leisurely pace. When the lightning flashed, Lu Li would see the silent town under the curtain of rain, the Shadow Swamp farther away, and some fascinating illusions brought on by the drop in Sanity Value. Even those with professional training found it hard to stay rational in the face of these illusions, they were everywhere and could appear at any time. Unlike the materially minded Lu Li, he could face these calmly and maintain his curiosity about the unknown. Of course, this could also be interpreted as a death wish. This world isn’t kind to curious people. After quietly watching the window for a while, Lu Li shifted his gaze towards the flashlight, not far from the bowl of chicken soup. The flashlight was small, only as wide as two fingers. Its casing was made of material resembling wood, with a smooth surface covered with strange ring-like patterns, giving off a mysterious and technologically infused steampunk vibe, similar to the Spirit-Calling Gun. Its brightness wasn’t high, as Lu Li had already tried. The beam was slightly stronger than the oil lamp in terms of distance, but nowhere near as broad in scope. Its value lay in providing light in the darkness and avoiding the descent into darkness, if it was sufficiently stable. The figure in the Bird Beak Mask had said “invitation for an invitation” when mentioning the flashlight, and the Seeker’s expression was also quite astonished, which meant that the flashlight was also some kind of token, similar to an invitation. The Seeker was an Apprentice Investigator. The figure in the Bird Beak Mask took the invitation from Lu Li and likely used it to bring back the Seeker from some meeting, so the figure could tentatively be considered an Investigator... a formal one. A token from the organization of Investigators? A sprout grew from the pork chop on the plate, bloomed in a few seconds, bore fruit, and then decayed. The fruit fell on the pork chop, its shell peeled away, revealing a swarm of tiny spiders. They scattered and burrowed into the void, disappearing from sight. Quietly waiting for the illusory polluted pork chop to vanish, Lu Li silently forked a piece of the chop and chewed it thoughtfully. The taste was no different, just a bit colder. After spending a few minutes finishing the food, Lu Li returned the utensils to the downstairs hall and went back to his room to wring out his clothes, hanging them on the coat rack behind the door. Next, Lu Li picked up the “Shadow Town Local Guide” again and started reading it from the beginning under the dim light of the oil lamp. If one ignored the overly fawning praises for each mayor and the clearly fictional accounts, this guide was quite interesting and good for passing time. Anna woke up around 11 p.m., ready to take over the night shift from Lu Li. Lu Li asked her several questions and got answers to each. If her strength was exhausted, Anna would fall into a forced slumber. During slumber, Anna could sense the outside world, but only within a very small radius of less than a few dozen centimeters around her. Slumber was like sleep, but she wouldn’t dream. Anna could wake up at any time, like now. She could rest in the Inner World. With time, she would gradually become stronger, but very slowly. After asking the questions, Lu Li and Anna switched places. Lu Li covered himself with the wool coat, while Anna picked up the “Shadow Town Local Guide” that Lu Li had just finished flipping through. “Good night,” Anna whispered. Lu Li didn’t say a word, covering his head with the coat. The rainy night returned to calm. The wind ceased its fury, and the frequent lightning in the clouds gradually drifted away, leaving behind only the heavy rain. Anna gently pulled the curtains closed, shielding the nearly pitch-black outside, while the oil lamp tenderly illuminated her cheeks, holding up her chin as the sound of pages turning occasionally filled the air. ... When the sky became faintly lit with a cold light, Lu Li woke up on time. As the curtains were drawn back, the rain streaks and tapping sounds on the window indicated that it was still raining, though not as brutally as the day before. The hurricane had moved on inland, leaving behind wreckage. Looking out from the second-floor room over the town, it was a mess: roofs blown away, trees felled, trash scattered all around. Residents woke up in the early morning to clear the streets and repair holes, and several trucks appeared on the three-person street below, forming a long line hurrying on their way. Because Shadow Town sits on elevated ground near the swamp, it didn’t become a waterlogged swamp due to the storm, except for some unpaved roads which were difficult to navigate. Lu Li put on his coat, grabbed an umbrella, and walked towards the door. Anna wanted to follow, but he stopped her. He was just going out to buy a newspaper. However, as Lu Li closed the door, he saw Anna’s figure fade and hide, seemingly following in secrecy. Without saying anything, Lu Li, pretending to be unaware, went downstairs. Old woman Catherine wasn’t behind the bar, replaced instead by Little Jack dozing off; six in the cold early morning was not a suitable time for an elderly lady to get up. Lu Li pushed the door open and stepped out of the tavern, the cold dampness hitting him face-on. Lu Li’s exhalation carried a wisp of mist, and the temperature felt somewhat cool. Opening the umbrella, Lu Li stepped down the stairs and crossed the three-person street diagonally to head to the newspaper stand across the street. The newsboy was clearing the branches and puddles around the stand, and he told Lu Li that today’s newspapers hadn’t arrived yet. After the newsboy offered to deliver it to his home, Lu Li left the name of the Big Wave Tavern.

Chapter 206 - 206 Sixty three

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