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墨書 Inktalez
The face before me was none other than Old Zhou, the man who scraped by doing odd jobs and collecting trash! His wrinkled face was suddenly revealed as he pulled back his cloak, and he gaped at me in shock.
A light bulb went off in my head; it was indeed him! He was the one who had cut my hand in the parking lot! I had suspected him when he later testified for me, but his explanation had seemed reasonable, and I hadn’t thought much of it. Who would have guessed he was such a formidable figure? The thought of how deeply he had hidden his true self made me furious, especially since he had deceived my good intentions.
Remembering how he had harmed me only fueled my anger further. I reached out and grabbed his collar with my right hand. "It's you, Old Zhou! What are you doing here playing tricks?! And explain to me what you did to my hand in the underground parking lot! It still hurts!"
With his cloak pulled back, Old Zhou stared at me wide-eyed, looking quite embarrassed. After a moment of hesitation, he stammered, "Uh, well, it's nothing."
"Nothing? After you messed with my hand, I encountered that thing on the cloth—what was it called? Shikigami? It just vanished on its own! When I saw it again, it was like I had killed my own father! I almost died! No way, you need to give me an explanation! And why are you being so mysterious?! Who exactly are you?!"
Old Zhou hesitated for a moment before leaning closer and lowering his voice. "Actually, I'm a Night Watchman!"
"What Night Watchman? Which organization? A night guard?" I asked, confused.
"Hey, you really lack imagination!" Old Zhou seemed to hold back more information.
"Do you want to know?"
"I do!"
"Then treat me to a late-night snack; I'm hungry!" Old Zhou said confidently.
...
Half an hour later, we finally found an open shop by the roadside and ordered three servings of Rice Noodles (don’t ask me why three; I didn’t eat any!). Watching Old Zhou devour his meal ravenously, I couldn’t help but ask, "Are you really this hungry?"
With food in his mouth, Old Zhou mumbled, "Yeah, I've been wandering around and rarely get enough to eat. Oh right, pack one for me to take away for breakfast!"
I looked at him speechlessly. Once Old Zhou's eating slowed down noticeably, I asked, "Now can you tell me in detail? Who exactly are you? And do Soul Guiding, Shikigami, and Soul Devourer really exist?"
"Whether they exist or not—you’ve experienced it yourself, haven’t you?" Old Zhou didn’t answer directly. "Boss, got any cigarettes? Hand me a pack of Furong Wang!" What the hell! He wanted Furong Wang too!
Old Zhou patted his belly contentedly after finishing his meal. Lighting a cigarette and leaning back with a sigh of relief, he said, "Ah, it's been ages since I've lived like this after all my useless apprentices died one by one!"
Seeing my gloomy expression, Old Zhou quickly smiled again. "Ah, haha! Don’t rush it; let me explain everything slowly."
I never expected that Old Zhou would open up a world to me that I had never encountered before—a world that was both real and surreal, thrilling and filled with the bizarre and the mysterious.
It turned out that the Night Watchman was not just one person, but an organization, a loose yet formal group that had a long history. Whether during the Han dynasty, the rule of ethnic minorities, or times of foreign invasion, this organization had always been passed down and existed.
Where there is light, there is darkness. In this vast world, strange, bizarre, or terrifying events occur in various corners. The mission of the Night Watchman is to control these phenomena, preventing them from surfacing and maintaining the normal state of society to avoid panic and chaos.
There are many reasons behind these bizarre events, a significant portion of which are caused by humans. Thus, an important task of the Night Watchman, somewhat akin to that of the police, is to continuously patrol their territory, identifying and dealing with those who disrupt social order for various motives. These individuals are often referred to as Destroyers.
The Night Watchman and the Destroyers are like light and dark, opposing each other for thousands of years. Both groups consist of individuals with mysterious abilities—some may possess special powers, some may have learned mystical arts, while others might be skilled in illusions. However, due to differing ideologies, they often choose different sides.
Although the Night Watchman is composed of individuals from various backgrounds, it has strict operational guidelines and behavioral regulations. Each new member is assigned a guide known as a "Connector" (which can also be understood as a mentor). Old Zhou joined at the age of sixteen and has since served as a Connector for six individuals.
(I couldn't help but curiously ask Old Zhou how old he was. I estimated he looked to be in his sixties, but to my surprise, Old Zhou proudly told me he was actually eighty-one! I truly couldn't tell! It was amazing!)
Old Zhou explained that initially, the Destroyers were just a group of people without specific demands; they simply did not want to hide their special abilities in silence within society. They were eager to use their unique powers to gain influence and wealth, even at the cost of disrupting social balance to better enjoy life. However, human desires and greed are insatiable. The Destroyers gradually evolved from a loose collection of individuals into an organized group, with their influence and harm becoming increasingly evident.
For a long time, the struggle between the Night Watchman and the Destroyers has continued unabated. The two groups have constantly divided and recruited each other; some individuals even switch sides. Especially in modern times—from the Late Qing Dynasty to the establishment of New China—the conflicts between them have intensified with each change in regime. Many who were once friends or disciples have found themselves dead at each other's hands.
As Old Zhou spoke here, his voice grew increasingly somber. After the establishment of New China, the government initiated a major purge under the banner of "destroying the four olds," nearly wiping out all Night Watchmen and Destroyers. He could no longer contact any friends or disciples. Lacking formal education or status, he wandered through several cities, surviving by doing odd jobs or even begging while continuing to adhere to the age-old code of conduct to protect society from the emergence of Destroyers.
I listened in astonishment for a long time before my mind flooded with questions. I finally asked, "Old Zhou, what are your abilities? Do you have special powers? And what about that Japanese person—is he a Destroyer? Are you specifically following him? What do you mean by keeping an eye on me? And how does the appearance of Destroyers relate to me?"
Old Zhou waved his hand dismissively, shaking off his earlier awkwardness during dinner. He frowned seriously and said, "You don't need to know what I'm good at. I only happened to wander here and discovered that the Japanese person was using Shikigami; that's why I kept an eye on him. The Japanese is not a Destroyer; I suspect someone has led him to this city for some purpose that I haven't figured out yet."
I felt confused. "What do you mean by that? Is there someone behind this?"
"Yes. Do you remember the first girl who was killed?"
"I remember—Zhao Xinran—she was also raped."
"I suspect it wasn't done by the Japanese; there is another person involved whose aim is to frame him because after using Soul Guiding and Soul Devourer, there’s no need for him to kill anyone—it would only bring him trouble! This person must have followed the Japanese and waited until after Shikigami Soul Devour before secretly killing the girl and creating a false impression to mislead the police."
I fell into deep thought.
"This person must be very cunning; he likely knows that Shikigami Soul Devour must be continuous. That's why he created trouble for the Japanese to draw attention away from himself. Unfortunately, if Shikigami does not continuously use Soul Devourer, it can easily backfire on its master. Therefore, the Japanese had no choice but to risk continuing with Soul Devourer until he finally slipped up right in front of you."
I was greatly surprised. The situation that had landed in my hands was a huge trouble, and aside from me and Ah Huang, no one else knew about it!
"Old Zhou, what do you mean? I don't understand!" I feigned ignorance.
"Don't explain. I've been secretly following you all," Old Zhou said with a sly smile.
"Ah!" Suddenly, I recalled the moment when Bu Shang had pushed me against the railing. I couldn't fathom why he had screamed and let go to grab his own back when he clearly had the upper hand.
"Old Zhou, did you help me?!"
Old Zhou slowly shook his head, looking at me intently. "It wasn't me! There was someone else! He intervened behind Bu Shang, distracting him. When I realized it, I immediately went to track this person down, but ultimately lost him. He's quite skilled! So, I quickly investigated your whereabouts to warn you."
"I still don't get it!" I said honestly. To suddenly process so much information would leave anyone bewildered.
"I suspect someone wants to use another's hand to kill Bu Shang. The purpose is unknown, but one thing is clear: you are the chosen target! And you will undoubtedly be in great danger!"
(To be continued, more exciting developments tomorrow!)
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