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墨書 Inktalez
“Jun Chong, I saw the Noble Lady. Her condition is similar to Shi Qingqing's, but there is a strong aura of death surrounding her. It feels like it has suddenly intensified, not something that could develop over just a day or two.”
I immediately pulled out my phone and called home. After a moment of silence, Jun Chong replied, “I’ll have Tao Wu follow you discreetly. Go check it out. If someone is dead, the aura of death will appear seven days prior; seven represents one Reincarnation. It hasn’t been long since you last saw her, so it’s impossible for such a strong aura to manifest. The sudden increase in the aura indicates she has become someone else's scapegoat. She definitely won't survive until tomorrow morning. I’ll come find you as soon as it gets dark.”
“Okay. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of myself.”
“Hey, are you on the phone with Jun Chong again?” Lin You's teasing voice came from behind me. She patted my shoulder and leaned in to see, “Isn’t it just a shopping trip? Do you really need to check in?”
“No!” I hung up and pulled Lin You’s arm, pointing ahead at the Noble Lady. “Do you know that woman? I heard she’s the president’s secretary. Is that true?”
“Yeah, Su Ziqian just hired her back.”
“Su Ziqian is the president?”
“I don’t know?”
I felt a bit embarrassed; I only knew he held a significant position in the Su Family but hadn’t realized he was the president. No wonder the head of the Su Family sent him to find me.
“Now I know! We won’t go hungry anymore!”
Lin You grinned mischievously as she hugged me. However, I felt a bit uneasy. Su Ziqian had appeared alongside Shi Qingqing when she was under the influence of the Mirror Demon, and they seemed close. Furthermore, having the Noble Lady—who was targeted by the Mirror Demon—so close to him raised suspicions.
“Anxin, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Lin You waved her hand in front of me, seemingly excited rather than worried. “Did this woman attract some unsavory attention?”
Seeing Lin You acting just like before eased my mind a little. I pushed down what Jun Chong had said last night to the back of my thoughts. Lin You was still Lin You; she was probably just struggling to cope with what happened with Ling Feng.
Steeling myself, I only told Lin You about the Mirror Demon incident while keeping quiet about matters concerning the underworld.
Lin You gasped in surprise after hearing this. “Su Ziqian is an Onmyoji? He never mentioned that to me! That guy—just wait until I deal with him.” As soon as she finished speaking, she grabbed my hand and started jogging ahead. “She’s leaving! Let’s follow her and talk as we go.”
I was pulled along by her enthusiasm as we trailed behind the Noble Lady, who was walking without a car, while Lin You and I chatted along the way.
“Su Ziqian only told me that he hired a new secretary, treating all work matters equally. He pointed out my mistakes as well. I’ve seen this woman; she was very lively when she first arrived. Could it be that she’s really being targeted?”
“It’s possible. When I saw her the other day, she didn’t have any death aura around her, but today it’s so intense. Jun Chong said the death aura suddenly increased, indicating she’s acting as a scapegoat and won’t survive until tomorrow morning. That’s why I want to follow her and see what’s going on.”
Lin You raised an eyebrow. “Anxin, can you see the death aura?”
I kept my gaze fixed on the Noble Lady and nodded at her question. “Because of some events, I can now sense certain abnormal energies, and I can also see the death aura lingering around people’s heads.” Turning my head, I smiled shyly. “Xiao You, you don’t think I’m a monster, do you?”
“Even if you were a monster, you’d still be my Lin You’s best friend, forever unchanged.”
Lin You's straightforwardness caught me off guard for a moment, but then I smiled back. The Noble Lady received a phone call and walked away shortly after, turning into a coffee shop. Lin You and I stopped in front of the shop, looking up at the sign above. “Fourth Cafe? That name is strange!”
“The ‘four’ represents death,” Lin You suddenly said in a low voice. “And look at the decorations around here; they all symbolize death.”
Indeed, some of the carvings on the door depicted grim reapers and scythes, along with some rather terrifying images. But nowadays, people open shops to attract customers and come up with various enticing themes; horror adventures are one of them.
“Never mind that; let’s go in and take a look.”
Lin You pulled me inside, but as soon as I stepped onto the stairs, I felt a chilling aura accompanied by a sense of vibration rushing toward me. I immediately stopped in my tracks and grabbed Lin You's arm. “Xiao You, don’t go in.”
“What’s wrong?”
The coldness was thick with a bloody scent that felt fresh, wafting through the air. It was strange; before stepping into this shop, I felt nothing at all, but once I did step inside, it hit me with such intensity and reality.
“Missy, this is a barrier; this shop is very strange. Be careful.”
Suddenly, Tao Wu's voice echoed in my mind. Instead of feeling scared, I felt much more at ease knowing Tao Wu was nearby, hidden and guarding me like a calming charm.
I shook my head at Lin You. “It feels a bit odd; should we still go in?”
“Since we’re here, we definitely have to go in.” Lin You tugged at my hand and turned back with a smile. “You’re not scared, are you?”
"Of course not, I'm just worried about you."
With Tao Wu's protection, the Blood Flame Sword within me, and the Qilin Hairpin in my hair, I naturally felt no fear. In the face of danger, I could at least ensure my own safety. But Lin You was different; she had nothing, just an ordinary person. I didn't want her to suffer because of me.
Lin You paused, suddenly turning to hug me. "Anxin, you really are the best friend ever. Thank you."
In the end, we decided to go inside. The staff in the store greeted us warmly. I kept covering my nose and remained silent while Lin You casually ordered two drinks and sent the server away, looking at me with concern. "Anxin, are you okay? Is this place making you feel so uncomfortable?"
I nodded. At first, I only sensed a chill and a bloody smell, but now the overwhelming Blood Taste surrounded us, mixed with a foul odor of decay that filled the air. Even with my hand covering my nose, I could still feel it. Just managing not to vomit was already a good sign.
"You look so unwell; should we leave? We can wait for her outside too."
I followed Lin You's gaze toward Noble Lady, who was talking to a man. The moment our eyes met that man’s, everything brightened before me.
"That man?"
"You know him?"
"He's the photographer from the Photography Studio where Noble Lady and Shi Qingqing took their pictures. But he only claims to be a photographer; his status in the store doesn't seem high."
"Look at what he's giving Noble Lady."
The man handed Noble Lady a yellow Leather Bag that was empty on the outside. I saw her pull out something from it; despite the distance, it was easy to tell they were photographs.
"I'm going to take a look; wait here." Lin You quickly got up and pretended to walk by casually. She glanced at the photos Noble Lady had retrieved and then circled back.
"They're Noble Lady's artistic photos," Lin You said, still feeling puzzled. "Does that store just casually hand over photos in a Leather Bag to customers?"
"When I inquired at the store, they told me that the Gold Medal Photographer handles everything from shooting to post-production himself. And apparently, the contracts signed by lucky clients prohibit those photos from being seen by third parties. So that man is likely that photographer."
Even though I said this, I couldn't shake off the feeling that if he was indeed celebrated as a gold medalist, he shouldn't be less competent than an ordinary photographer.
"The stranger it is, the more problematic it becomes. Tonight, let's investigate the Noble Lady and take a look at these peculiar photos."
I nodded just as the waiter brought over the drinks, a wave of fragrance wafting through the air, refreshing and invigorating.
I couldn't help but look up; the scent was emanating from the waiter, a tall and slender figure with fair skin that had a translucent glow. A beautiful face adorned with a warm smile framed by long hair casually tied back. "Here are your drinks."
"Thank you."
Once he left, I turned to Lin You and said, "The scent on that lady is so pleasant; I feel much better now."
"Lady?" Lin You's eyes widened as she looked at me, then she covered her mouth and chuckled. "That’s clearly a man!"
"A man?"
"Did you not see his outfit? The female waitstaff here all wear skirts, and he's the only one in pants. Sure, his voice is a bit neutral and he looks delicate, but he’s definitely a man!"
"Oh!" I glanced towards the man behind the counter, still feeling he resembled a woman more. Perhaps sensing someone was watching him, he turned slightly and met my gaze, offering a faint smile.
Startled, I quickly looked away. Lin You reminded me, "The Noble Lady is leaving."
Lin You called for the bill while I watched the man behind Noble Lady. Suddenly, I noticed that the ominous aura above his head had vanished.
Turning my attention back to Noble Lady at the door, I was taken aback; the dark aura above her head had intensified. She swayed as she walked, looking as if she might collapse at any moment.
I immediately called out in my mind to Tao Wu, "Tao Wu, quickly inform Jun Chong. I think I know what’s happening. That man must have transferred his dark energy to Noble Lady somehow."
"Don’t worry, sister. The Lord can see everything here through me; he will arrive soon."
That was reassuring.
I felt a sense of relief wash over me.
Lin You tucked the money away and asked me, "Are we still pursuing?"
"Yes."
I initially wanted Lin You to follow that man, but fearing for Lin You's safety, I decided it was more important to stick with the Noble Lady and hurriedly followed her.
The golden-red hues in the sky radiated the last light of the sunset, and darkness was soon to descend.
Lin You and I trailed behind the Noble Lady for quite a distance, noticing that she kept walking without any clear direction. Each time she looked up and realized there was no path ahead, she would turn around and continue on. In the past, I would have suspected she was deliberately leading us on.
However, now a heavy aura of despair hung over her, and I sensed several Eerie Auras closing in, seemingly waiting for the moment she died to consume her soul.
"She's going upstairs."
Lin You tugged at my sleeve just as the Noble Lady finally reached an apartment building. She took out her keys to unlock the door; it seemed this was her home.
Lin You and I quickly followed her, deliberately keeping a safe distance. We waited until the elevator stopped before we went up.
The Noble Lady lived on the fourth floor, where each level had six apartments. After we arrived, we didn’t see her, but she must have been in one of them.
As I hesitated, unsure of what to do next, the hallway lights flickered. A chill ran down my spine, and as I turned around, I saw a skeletal hand reaching toward Lin You's neck.
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