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墨書 Inktalez
Death Apostle pulled the waiter close, unable to contain his impatience as he asked, "So, you know about that building?!"
The waiter jumped in surprise, stammering, "I... I know about it, and I even stayed there for a night once."
Upon hearing this, Death Apostle grabbed a chair from a nearby table and gestured for the waiter to sit down. He then pulled out a stack of hundred-dollar bills from his wallet and said, "Tell us everything you know, and this money is all yours!"
The waiter stared at the money on the table, momentarily stunned. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, which was about to drool. "Alright, since you want to hear it, I'll tell you..." He began recounting his experience.
"A few years ago, when I first arrived in this city, I was broke and hadn’t found a job. After sleeping on the streets for a few days, I got caught in a heavy rainstorm. It was truly a case of misfortune piling on top of misfortune..."
Hearing this, Death Apostle impatiently interrupted him, "Cut the nonsense and get to the point."
Realizing that Death Apostle was not interested in small talk and fearing he wouldn't get the money if he annoyed him, the waiter quickly gathered his thoughts. "Anyway, I ended up seeking shelter from the rain in the underground parking lot of the ‘Moutai Building’. As luck would have it, there wasn’t a single security guard on duty."
"I was alone in the basement, planning to get some sleep before looking for work again. But just as I lay down for a bit, I heard a commotion upstairs—there was a man and a woman arguing. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, and since I didn’t know that building was haunted at the time, I didn’t pay much attention and intended to continue sleeping..."
"Just when I was half-asleep and half-awake, I suddenly heard a woman’s voice whispering in my ear, ‘Sir, can you help me?’ I was instantly jolted awake. But when I opened my eyes, the parking lot was pitch black—there was no woman anywhere. A cold sweat broke out all over me as I noticed an elevator door had appeared on the wall beside me. The stainless steel door reflected my shadow clearly."
"I was puzzled because there hadn’t been a door when I came in; how could one appear after just lying down for a while? Just as I was trying to figure it out, another shadow gradually emerged on that door..." The waiter rubbed his arms nervously as if recalling something frightening.
"At first, I thought maybe I was still dreaming. But just as I turned to check behind me, a pale hand rested on my shoulder. The woman’s mournful voice came again: ‘Sir, can you help me?’"
"Upon hearing that voice, I quickly recoiled and looked back at where I'd been sitting; it was still empty. Suddenly, a bloody woman's head rested on my shoulder. She changed her tone to one like that of a Vengeful Spirit, saying ‘Come help me!’"
"At that point, I couldn't stay any longer. I jumped up and ran like mad out of the parking lot..."
After he finished speaking, I quietly asked Death Apostle's assistant, "Aren't you unable to enter that building? How is there an elevator?" He replied, "There is indeed an elevator; however, the doors won't open at all. Even if you wanted to climb up to the second floor and try to enter through a window, it would be difficult—not just because of the security guards but also because of the tight surveillance around."
"A building that's nearly abandoned still has security and strict monitoring? That’s certainly strange," I muttered to myself.
The waiter overheard me and said mysteriously, "It's not just that; someone tried to enter the building before—they went in but never came out."
At that moment, the Death Apostle lightly tapped the money on the table and said, "What else do you know?" The waiter thought for a moment and replied, "Uh... you already know everything else, so I don't need to say more." He smiled at the Death Apostle.
"These are yours now; take them," the Death Apostle said, moving his hand away from the money.
The waiter quickly grabbed the cash from the table and bowed repeatedly in thanks to the Death Apostle before humming a tune as he headed to the front desk.
"Do you understand now?" the Death Apostle looked at me.
"Yes, I have a general idea. You believe this building is Onizuka, right?"
Li Zhisheng was taken aback. "Onizuka?! In the city center?!"
At that moment, the Death Apostle's assistant explained from the side, "Onizuka was established specifically to gather those Vengeful Spirits. Building it in a busy area may make it easier to be discovered, but it can be more efficient..."
Li Zhisheng waved his hand. "No, that's not what I mean. I know what Onizuka is for. What I'm saying is, if a fight breaks out in the city center, the consequences could be unimaginable."
"But Onizuka is right here. If we don't eliminate it, won't a large number of Vengeful Spirits gathering become even more dangerous? And it's likely that Gu Kai will exploit this situation, making it even harder to manage..." The Death Apostle said as he picked up a kettle to pour himself some water.
"That's true, but I don't think you're the type to save lives. Your goal is to find the Soul Sealing Talisman, isn't it?"
The Death Apostle paused when I called him out, not even noticing that water was spilling from his cup.
"It's full," I reminded him. The Death Apostle snapped back to reality, hurriedly setting down the kettle while wiping up the spilled water with a napkin. He gave me a wry smile and said, "You don't have to be so blunt every time; everyone has a selfish side. Besides, even if I'm looking for the Soul Sealing Talisman, isn't that just saving countless lives? Killing two birds with one stone sounds pretty good."
I ignored him and turned my attention to Hu Fang, who had been sitting quietly beside us. Ever since she entered the restaurant, she hadn't said a word, which was completely unlike her usual demeanor.
I patted her on the shoulder. "What's wrong, Sister Hu? Do you want something to eat?" To my surprise, she didn't respond to my question but instead looked up at me with a worried expression and asked, "Are you going to fight again?"
I was at a loss for how to respond. It was clear that this time I wouldn't come out unscathed, but if I spoke up, I feared it would only worry her.
Li Zhisheng, seeing my hesitation, answered for me: "You, Shen, are going to eliminate evil and uphold justice; you're going to do good." After hearing this, she mumbled, "But eliminating evil and upholding justice might get you hurt... what if..."
I smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry. Look at how many people are going this time; there won't be any danger." With that, I gently patted her head, hoping to ease her mind a little.
Death Apostle glanced at Meng Zhuang and Hu Fang and asked me, "Are you planning to bring them along too?"
The two of them looked at me with hopeful eyes, as if pleading not to be left behind. But I knew that Onizuka was extremely dangerous, and Li Zhisheng had been through it before; each time was more perilous than the last. Moreover, my Void Spirit powers had become somewhat unstable for reasons unknown. All these factors convinced me that I couldn't take them with me.
I forced a smile and told Hu Fang and Meng Zhuang, "This time I really can't take you with me. You two should find a place outside to rest and wait for our good news..."
After I finished speaking, Meng Zhuang didn't seem too bothered; he was afraid of ghosts and would rather not go. However, Hu Fang's face was filled with disappointment and frustration. "Even so, I can't let her be in danger," I thought. After all, Li Zhisheng, Death Apostle, and I all had some abilities to protect ourselves... it was just uncertain about Death Apostle's assistant.
Thinking of this, I asked Death Apostle, "Can your assistant fight?" Upon hearing this, Death Apostle showed a hint of pride: "To be honest, I've never seen him in action myself; I'm not sure if he can fight. However, he is one of the two who escaped from Gu Kai. I forgot to introduce him; his name is Yao Long."
Hearing this from Death Apostle made me look at the man smoking in front of me with new respect. Death Apostle barely escaped while injured, yet this man managed to do the same. This indicated that he at least possessed abilities equal to those of Death Apostle—perhaps even superior...
Suddenly feeling much more at ease, I said, "In that case, let's do it this way: you, me, Li Zhisheng, and Yao Long will go meet Onizuka."
Death Apostle nodded in agreement while glancing out the window as it gradually darkened. "There's no time to waste; we should leave now since we need to settle your two friends first." With that, the six of us got up and left the restaurant.
We traveled in silence until we arrived at the Moutai Building located at the intersection of Xinanmen Huaxi Avenue.
Having been out for several days, my phone had run out of battery. To facilitate communication after we went out again, I had no choice but to settle Hu Fang and Meng Zhuang in a hotel not far from Moutai Building.
After making sure they were settled in, the four of us returned to the building once more.
The building stood illuminated from a distance, yet it was shrouded in darkness, as if it belonged to another world entirely. Approaching the entrance, we found the iron gate leading to the underground parking lot tightly locked. The entrance itself was pitch black, and through the iron bars, it appeared as though it led to the Underworld.
At that moment, a security guard approached from afar. He stopped in front of us and scrutinized our faces. "What are you all doing here? Wait, didn't you come here before?" he said, pointing at Yao Long.
Yao Long replied calmly, "We're just passing through from out of town; you must be mistaken." He then took the lead and walked forward.
Li Zhisheng, Death Apostle, and I remained silent, simply following behind him. I could hear the guard muttering to himself, "I swear I remember him being here before..."
We paid him no mind and continued on our way. After walking for a bit, I whispered to Yao Long, "Haven't you been here before? How are we supposed to get in now?"
Yao Long halted his steps. "That was the only way in just now; there’s no other route available. But when I came before, that iron door was definitely open. Why is it closed now?"
Li Zhisheng chimed in, "It's not unusual for doors to be locked at night; they might be worried about someone sneaking in—like us..."
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