Chapter 210 - 210 Sixty-seven

Words : 1270 Updated : Sep 23rd, 2025

210: Sixty-seven. Going Home 210: Sixty-seven. Going Home No one knew who the merchant was—to an exorcist who harbored no grand ambitions and saw their duty merely as a job. Take Hades, for example. Nevertheless, the mystique surrounding the merchants was real. They mostly wore filthy cloaks, carried old, heavy backpacks, and wore tattered scarves that hid their faces, all the while remaining quiet and reserved. They would take the initiative to visit the famous exorcists, bringing goods, but the content of the trades was not limited to the items in their backpacks. Obscure and hidden intelligence, bartering items, odd trinkets—all were within the scope of trading. Spirit-Calling Guns, silver-plated bullets, and Illusion-Breaking Candles were the items Hades most often bought. It was rare to hear them say, “I can’t do this, choose another.” As long as they accepted a trade, they would bring the desired item during their next visit. They usually knocked on the door early in the morning, leaving after the tenth unanswered call. Their appearances were unpredictable; they might come once every few days or weeks. This was all the information Hades knew. He especially warned Lu Li not to do the foolish thing of attacking the merchant. An avaricious exorcist once did so and then never again did any merchant trade with him, even through buying indirectly from other exorcists. The closest theory currently was that the merchants were associated with the secretive Exorcist Association. This explained why they chose to trade with exorcists rather than other people. Lu Li thoughtfully considered, the merchant seemed somewhat like an enhanced version of Hades. Correspondingly, the help they could offer would be greater than that of Hades. Of course, the cost demanded would also be greater. Unfortunately, they could not be sought out; if Lu Li wanted to contact them, he could only wait for them to show up outside the Detective Agency. Lu Li turned to ask about others, “How much do you know about the night watchers and investigators?” “Investigators?” From behind the bar, Hades looked at Lu Li with a peculiar gaze, “Ordinary people wouldn’t know about these mysterious folks; did you encounter them?” Lu Li didn’t respond, taking that as confirmation. “It sounds like something has happened in the Shadow Swamp...” Hades rubbed his chin and murmured thoughtfully, “Of course, I can tell you about the night watchers and investigators, but...” “I haven’t yet paid for the Light-illuminating Fruit,” Lu Li knew exactly what Hades was going to mention. Hades’s narrowed eyes suddenly widened, striking the table in anger, “You dare to threaten me with the payment you owe!” Lu Li calmly replied, “You just flipped through a few pages of a book.” “Err...” Feeling guilty, Hades drew out his words, quietly withdrawing his reddened hand to his back, “In one word, investigators are responsible for finding trouble, night watchers for resolving it.” Investigators and night watchers both belong to the Elders’ Council, with an official background. The former is more loosely organized, acting individually, traversing land and sea, exploring mysterious and dangerous uncharted territories; the latter is more rigidly organized, operating in small teams to resolve the dangers discovered by the former. It is hard to say which of the two is more dangerous. Investigators have to directly confront various indescribable entities, understand, and remember things that can lower their Sanity Value. Under the truth that the more you know, the quicker you die, they flutter towards it like moths to a flame. Night watchers have to solve these mysterious and perilous situations. They block out most things that could lower their Sanity Value, focusing only on the task at hand. But solving problems means facing them directly, inevitably confronting these entities until one ceases to exist in the world. From Lu Li’s perspective, the role of the investigator was more aligned with his thirst for knowledge. “How can I contact them?” “I don’t know.” Hades truly didn’t know. To maintain his “ignorance”, he didn’t even know about the Sanity Value. Hades might have had a guess, but he would not actively seek deeper understanding. This was someone for whom life was more important than anything—other than Shillings. Realizing he would get no more from Hades, Lu Li left, and shortly after his departure, a roar erupted inside the Detective Agency. “Where’s my money! Bastard!!!” ... The sky had nearly darkened, the western horizon dim at dusk. Lu Li sent the carriage back to the rental agency and retrieved the deposit before heading back. Under the curtain of rain, a slim figure moved under an umbrella, carrying a faintly glowing oil lamp, walking on the relatively quiet cobblestone path. Light emerged from houses on either side of the street, preventing it from being pitch black, and fewer pedestrians began to appear, none strolling as leisurely and evenly paced as Lu Li. After visiting Shadow Town, Lu Li had started to avoid the night. How could the nights in Belfast compare to a cabin in the Shadow Swamp? A sailor who has seen hurricanes will no longer be moved by giant waves. The lighthouse on the bay’s rocks pierced the darkness and the rain, lighting up a patch of sea, guiding the lost ships. Lu Li stood quietly by the fence, a beach ahead of him, the pub district cold and quiet behind him. After watching the silhouette of the lighthouse in the rainy night from the coast of Belfast for a while, and starting to feel cold, Lu Li turned and headed towards a laundry shop on this street. He hadn’t traveled far when he spotted a dark figure slowly approaching in the distance. It was a disheveled man with a beard, his steps unsteady and his body swaying, muttering something under his breath. “Evelyn... Evelyn...” As he brushed past the man, Lu Li suddenly spoke. “Haben?” “You... You know me?” the man asked, bewildered, lifting his head, his lifeless, murky eyes looking at Lu Li. It was a face pale with agony, his wet sackcloth clothes clinging to him. Lu Li lowered his head to look at his half-missing pinky finger. “Go home, your wife and children are waiting for you.” At these words, his bloodshot, numb eyes stirred slightly with clarity. Haben raised his head, staring blankly at the face under the umbrella, wanting to say something, but Lu Li had already taken a step, passing by him. Haben watched that figure disappear behind a shop. He turned his gaze away, continuing his stumbling walk. The painful thoughts in his mind, once forgotten, became clear again. Go home... The staggering Haben reached Sailor Street, everything both familiar and strange to him, as if someone was calling him from the shadows. He approached a long house, pushing open a half-closed door. The corridor was silent, Haben stood behind an unlocked room door, gently walking into the room... The warmth isolated the cold from outside, the oil lamp casting a gentle glow. A woman holding a curled-up little boy lay on the bed. “Evelyn...” Haben stood in front of the bed, his voice trembling as he called. Tears flowed down like a dam had burst. His dirty, callused hands reached out, gently touching Evelyn’s cheek. “I’m back...” ... Evelyn opened her eyes, slowly sitting up from the bed, the boy in her arms still with tear stains on his face. She looked around somewhat bewildered, the room door still closed. Evelyn’s eyes conveyed deep sadness. She had felt her husband beside her.

Chapter 210 - 210 Sixty-seven

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