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Chapter 1: The Unusual Man Lao Luo
Lao Luo had no particular task at hand, casually chatting with me, before handing me a cigarette. "Can you see those things?"
"Did your grandfather tell you that?"
"Yeah, you have a pair of eyes that ordinary people lack, Demon Eyes. It was sealed by my master, and your grandfather sealed the Demon Eyes, yet you can still see those things, can't you?"
So that's it; my grandfather's extraordinary abilities were linked to Lao Luo's master? That means Lao Luo must be quite impressive!
I nodded in agreement.
Lao Luo pulled out a stack of photographs from his pocket and placed them on the table. The photos seemed to stick to the surface as he slowly pushed them toward me with great effort.
Seeing his serious demeanor, I knew something significant must have happened.
My eyes involuntarily glanced at the photographs he had pushed forward.
Upon seeing the first photo, I froze—
It depicted a well-behaved girl resembling a Cartoon Doll. I remembered her name: Yin Yin.
"What... happened to her?"
Lao Luo rhythmically tapped his fingers on the table, producing a popping sound, his gaze fixed intently on me. "She's missing. This is the sixth unexplained disappearance recently. These cases of missing persons didn't occur just once or twice; they've been happening for years. Yin Yin is a new addition this year. The common point among their disappearances is that they all went missing near Xie Ming Manor, but at different times."
Missing! I recalled my encounter with Xiuxian, when I asked about Yin Yin. Her behavior was strange; not only did she refuse to tell me about Yin Yin's whereabouts, but she also ran away. Did she know something? Not hearing Lao Luo tapping on the table anymore, I lifted my head and locked eyes with his piercing gaze.
"That's sharp!" I felt a jolt in my heart and quickly shifted my gaze. "She..."
"Her name is Han Yin, and she has been missing for seven days." Lao Luo spoke without any regard for the other person's feelings. I hadn't even finished my sentence when he interrupted me, his eyes fixed on me as if he were admiring a priceless treasure, lost in his own thoughts.
Seven! It had been exactly seven days since I first encountered death. I had completely forgotten about my grandfather's premonition of death while I was busy with the Chi Zhi Ping family's funeral.
The room instantly turned heavy and oppressive, so quiet that I could hear my own breathing. I dared not look into Lao Luo's eyes, lowering my head as my hands nervously rubbed together. Finally, summoning some courage, I raised my head. Our eyes met for just a second before I hurriedly averted my gaze, unsure of where to look. My mouth moved awkwardly as I stammered, "So, what can I do?"
"Listen to your grandfather. You have unique abilities. I'm wondering if you could sense anything from just a photograph."
I truly had no idea how my grandfather had exaggerated in front of Lao Luo. However, sensing something from just a photograph seemed impossible unless something had indeed happened to her. If I could get hold of her personal belongings from before the incident, perhaps I could try to pick up on her scent.
I voiced my thoughts.
Lao Luo looked troubled. "This is difficult. Without a body, we can't be sure she’s in trouble because there’s no evidence. That area lacks surveillance and is quite secluded. The only clue we have is that she didn’t come home after school. Her family searched everywhere—even poking around in the latrine with bamboo poles—finding nothing before reporting her missing to the police."
"So, are you specifically in charge of missing persons cases?"
"Not entirely. I've collaborated with your grandfather several times. What we do involves bizarre cases that others can't comprehend or explain scientifically. At the station, there's a plan to establish a special task force for unsolved cases, and I'm drafting the proposal to apply for it. If you're interested when the time comes, you can join."
Lao Luo was serious. He didn't blink as he spoke, staring directly at me with unwavering intensity.
Wow!
The matter of the seven evil spirits at the Chi Zhi Ping family was still unresolved, and now there was the case of Yin Yin's disappearance. As for other missing persons, I didn't have any particular impressions at the moment. But Yin Yin—I recalled the series of nightmares I'd been having, featuring a girl engulfed in flames. Could that girl be Yin Yin?
If it were her, then the possibility of her being harmed would be even greater.
With that, I shared my nightmare with Lao Luo.
"Seven, based on your dream, write a character for me to see."
Lao Luo had the ability to interpret characters and divination, which was indeed what I expected from someone so knowledgeable. I wondered how he compared to my grandfather. Since I had been having nightmares lately, I casually wrote the character for "nightmare."
"Nightmare?" Lao Luo looked at my grandfather meaningfully. He pressed his finger on the edge of the character and explained word by word: "The character for 'nightmare' opens its mouth, and when the mouth is separated, it resembles a whole nation being divided—a country turning into four. 'Nightmare' symbolizes misfortune and ominous signs, indicating that your luck is very poor. Misfortune will come one after another, and it will be unimaginable misfortune that you cannot guard against, perhaps even worse than this."
"Hey~ Lao Luo, don't scare me. I'm doing just fine. Although I hate to see my grandfather go, nothing else can trouble me; I can handle everything."
"This seems unrelated to your actions; it's like sitting at home while disaster falls from above."
Hearing Lao Luo say this made me feel uneasy. I thought about how I hadn't provoked anything bad. Besides, with my grandfather's Soul Stone protecting me, how could anything major happen?
I forced a smile and stood up to Lao Luo. "Actually, what I wanted to tell you is that the girl in my nightmare seems like Yin Yin."
"I know. Not wanting to think in that direction is understandable. With Yin Yin missing and her family unable to provide more clues, we have no solid evidence to determine if something has happened to her. You saw Yin Yin before, and with your grandfather's hints about foreseeing death, I think this might relate to the saying 'what one thinks about during the day appears in dreams at night.' However, keep an eye out for anything related to Yin Yin; you might find valuable clues."
Tch!
Isn't that just as good as nothing?
I was speechless and prepared to take my leave and head home.
"Seven, I see you're a bit hesitant. Is there something troubling you? If so, just speak up. Also, do you need help? I can find someone for you."
"Thank you, Lao Luo, but there's no need to find anyone. I have Fat." In the end, I told Lao Luo about the situation with Chi Zhi Ping's family and the Seven Fiends. He promised wholeheartedly that he would look into any connections or matters related to Chi Zhi Ping's family, even if it meant sacrificing his holiday. We agreed to meet at the Station on Monday.
As I walked out of the Station, Lao Luo accompanied me to the door, giving my shoulder a reassuring pat. His sharp gaze softened as he said gently, "Alright then, take care of everything. I won't see you off."
It took about an hour to ride my motorcycle back from the Station to the Funeral Home.
Starting from the Funeral Home meant covering a distance equivalent to circling half the city. Along the way, I pondered what Xie Ming Manor was like. Mi Li had invited me there in the dead of night, and Lao Luo mentioned that several missing persons cases had occurred at Xie Ming Manor.
What was Yin Yin doing at Xie Ming Manor?
I was overthinking it; my nerves were frayed, and my head ached.
"I'm best at catching ghosts and demons. Come on, whether it's you, Seductive Ghost, or any other monster, I'm ready to take them all..." Just then, my phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. It was Fat calling. At first glance, I was annoyed. "What? Is it about Yin Marriage?"
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