Chapter 402 - 402 259

Words : 1303 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

402: 259. David’s Death 402: 259. David’s Death The stormy winds beat against the windows, and branches of lightning stretched deep within the clouds. A sudden pale light invaded the corridor. The approaching dark figure was like an abyss, extinguishing the light that fell upon it. “What’s happening?” the butler asked urgently. “What did you see?” Lu Li tilted his head slightly. “It’s David, he... he seems to be dead.” “David, he’s soaked through, and there’s a wound on his neck, like that of a corpse.” Anna and the butler’s voices reached his ears at the same time. “How could this be... it shouldn’t be like this...” Lola retreated a few steps in disbelief, looking at David as he approached them. “We had all been alone with her before...” Lola’s shock wasn’t because he had a particularly strong relationship with David, but because David was an exorcist even more professional than him. And now, this exorcist stronger than himself had died without warning in the ritual of The Shadow of Puppetry, his body manipulated like a puppet. “Stay calm, Lola,” Petra said softly, reminding him that they were still in the tale of evil spirits. The obscure, ancient sounds approached along with “David.” [The servants watched as David approached; he looked strange, his rigid movements as if his body were rusting. “Are you alright, buddy?” servant Lu Li asked.] “Are you alright, buddy,” Lu Li said to the clearly dead “David,” who had been drawn into the story. The horrifying moment of “David” speaking in response did not occur, only the obscure, ancient sounds were heard. [“It’s my fault, David was injured by accident,” Sara spoke up behind everyone. The servants had no reason not to believe the young lady, and they looked at David, who remained silent, with sympathy.] [“Miss, dinner is ready,” Maid Irene told Sara. Sara nodded and followed Maid Irene out of the corridor, with David also leaving on his own.] [“David doesn’t look right...” servant Lu Li subconsciously watched as servant David’s retreating figure, feeling a nudge on his shoulder. He turned to servant Petra, whose smile bore a hint of mockery: “Has our esteemed footman Lu Li of the Viscount’s Mansion noticed something?”] [“Nothing...” There was a brief silence, and then servant Lu Li replied.] The butler left with the Baron, and a bold maid was assigned to follow David. Shortly after, she brought news that the corpse David had returned to the streetlamp by the Shore of Agate Lake in the back garden. That corresponded to the treehouse in the story. It was difficult to determine whether David still possessed self-awareness or had become a puppet of The Shadow of Puppetry. The latter was more likely. After the 6 p.m. dinner, “Sara” returned to her bedroom to lie low, and the crisis temporarily receded from them. Inside the brightly lit dining room, the flashing lightning and booming thunder outside could not affect this place. The food steamed hotly as everyone sat in silence, not speaking, not moving. Only Lu Li was eating with a knife and fork. “The murderer is already obvious... As for her purpose... it has to do with resurrection. She’s using us for experiments,” Petra said, massaging her brow. “I suggest that we try not to act alone from now on.” The setup for The Shadow of Puppetry had been too long, taking days to wear down their inner defenses. Each person had been alone with Sara at some point, and then, at a certain moment, a sudden attack occurred with great effect. David was killed by an unexpected assault. “If it doesn’t want us to make it out alive...” Lola whispered pessimistically. “If Sara wanted to do something to us, there would be some signs; so, anyway...” Petra looked towards Lu Li, who was continuously eating, then surveyed the rest and said, “If any of us are unlucky enough to be alone, find the others quickly and pay attention to the plot. We can take the initiative to change things; Mr. Lu Li has already demonstrated this. Baron—” Petra’s gaze settled on Sara, “If possible, I suggest you find an exorcist with experience in dealing with The Shadow of Puppetry as soon as you can.” “I will contact someone immediately,” Maid Lulu replied on behalf of the Baron. The Baron was busy with other things. With pale fingers pinching a goblet and the other hand supporting his chin, the Baron raised a signal to Lu Li, his slender eyes landing on him, “Mr. Luli, will you be returning to the Detective Agency tonight? Going back alone might attract the attention of that evil spirit, and the weather outside is very—” “Going back.” “—bad, so let the carriage take you back,” the Baron added quickly, chuckling with indifference. “Thank you.” Half an hour later, Lu Li left the estate in the Baron’s carriage. There were almost no pedestrians on the streets, the streetlights illuminated only a small area, and the sound of the torrential rain drowned out the noise of the carriage wheels, as if the entire world consisted solely of the heavy rain and the thunder. The water at the entrance was blocked by sandbags, but it was too hard to stay dry in this kind of weather. Upon stepping into the corridor, the rich scent of damp wood hit him and intensified after he returned to the Detective Agency. After all, it was just a simple wooden Long House that was still sturdy despite not leaking or blowing open in the strong wind. He coughed lightly into his hand, and with his throat feeling a bit better, Lu Li went into the kitchen to start a fire. Not for cooking, but to reduce the dampness inside the Detective Agency. Once the fire was lit and the added logs began to burn well, Lu Li threw several smokeless coals into the stove. Most of the chimney was sealed—if he used regular coal or firewood, the smoke would be hard to dissipate. The firelight licked Lu Li’s cheeks, the warmth driving away the room’s cold dampness. “Lu Li.” Anna’s soft call came from beside him; Lu Li looked up, calmly staring at Anna’s ethereal figure. “Will you die in The Shadow of Puppetry’s ceremony?” The manner of David’s death had greatly affected Anna. Lu Li fell silent, thought for a moment, and answered her, “With you here, maybe not.” ... [When the bright moonlight spilled onto the balcony, Sara awoke from her bed.] [The servants of the mansion had all gone to sleep, and Sara quietly left the bedroom to go to the treehouse in the backyard.] [The thick darkness enveloped her, and something seemed to exist within it, emitting a frown-inducing stench of decay. Sara’s cheeks showed no fear; using the dim moonlight, she lit the candle on the desk.] [The faint glow of the fire illuminated the room, revealing a second face beside Sara by the desk, devoid of expression.] [Sara ordered the reanimated David to pull out Adam’s body from under the bed and transfer it to the basement of the woodshed. Before long, David’s body lost its strength and became a still corpse once again.] [Sara watched indifferently as these events unfolded, noting them down: “The ritual still needs improvement; David only ‘lived’ for a few hours, and his body continued to rot. It might be due to my being the conductor that David obeyed my commands, but this is not satisfactory—I need a complete resurrection...”] [Sara thought of those servants; this time, she harbored no remorse.] [It was the fate that betrayers deserved.] [They had it coming.]

Chapter 402 - 402 259

Comments (0)