In order to create a library atmosphere in the club, although the lights in the room were enough for reading, they still looked a bit dim. The "Demonologist" on the other side of the bookshelf raised his eyes slightly, and after seeing Shade across the "gap", he also revealed There was a slightly surprised expression, but then it turned into a cautious but slightly cold smile:
"What a coincidence, I meet you again, Mr. John Watson."
It has been more than two months since we parted ways in front of the Rainy Night Flower Shop in Green Lake. Shade really didn't expect that the "demonologist" would appear again in this accidental but very reasonable way.
He glanced at the rose on the cover of the book in his hand, and then quietly invited Mr. Asmon to come and talk.
There is no one at the long table on the side of the second floor, so they don't have to go to the cubicle on the third floor.
Shade sat at one end of the long table, and the demonologist in robes sat on the side of the long table next to him.
He didn't hold a book in his hand, but still held the black notebook with rolled corners that he always carried with him whenever he appeared.
Because Shade's "membership" is the highest level in this club, the waiter also brought black tea and sugar to the two of them. When the smoke rose upward from the porcelain tea cup, the conversation officially began.
"This kind of night, this kind of reunion, is really interesting."
Shade said with a smile, of course, in a lowered voice. Mr. Asmon also nodded. Although the expression on his face and his black eyes were very strange, Shade was already used to it.
"Since leaving Green Lake, Mr. Asmon, how did you come here across half a continent? Oh, I am still traveling and writing. The story of Moon Bay is really exciting."
Mr. Asmon lowered his voice and responded. When he lowered his voice, his voice sounded like a hissing snake:
"I adopted a pair of cats and dogs in Green Lake and traveled with them randomly. Not long ago, I received a letter from an old customer. He wanted to entrust me again to help him solve some demonology problems and help him identify some books. , that’s why I’m here.”
Shade then asked curiously:
"So that gentleman really found the 'real thing'?"
Mr. Asmon stared at Shade and shook his head slowly:
"Of course not. If the devil could be found so easily, Mr. Watson, I would have died in a dark corner long ago while traveling around the world and serving as a consultant. But thanks to him, I have enough travel funds. A lot."
"This is really good business."
Shade sighed softly, and at the same time, he put the right hand that had just quietly put on the "Demon Hunting Seal" in the bookshelf aisle, and naturally placed it on the side of the table close to the "demon scholar".
Then nothing happened. The man wearing a desert-like robe just glanced at the "ugly" black iron ring and looked away.
"So, are there any clues about the devil in the Moon Bay area?"
Shade asked again, and the weird smile on Mr. Asmon's face appeared again:
"Of course there is, but I'm still investigating. The city of wealth, the place where desires accumulate, is really suitable for my job."
But then he mentioned something else:
"On a night like this, let's not talk about disappointing topics like demons. Since we meet again in a strange city, Mr. Watson, are you interested in playing a game?"
"Want to play a game of Rhodes with me?"
Shade raised his eyebrows, but Sean Asmon shook his head again:
"It's not Rhodes cards, but it does have something to do with it. Take a look at this first. This was given to me by my old customer as part of the reward. I think you will be interested in it."
He opened his notebook and handed a card contained in it to Shade.
As expected, this is another card with special rules. On the card, a cat and a dog are guarding the door of a dilapidated and gloomy mansion, and two floating leaves are drawn on the ground to express the atmosphere.
[The Song of Cats and Dogs·Eternal Guard], suit and color: Star 10.
When this card is drawn, if this card is the "even" card, and there are only two cards of different suits in the hand when the points are settled, the points of this card can be adjusted between 9 and 10.
[The Song of Cats and Dogs] is a brand new series of decks released in recent years. Although this series has not been reprinted, it has been released three times, which means that a total of three different sets of special rules cards have been released.
The meaning of "The Song of Cats and Dogs" is those stories and legends related to "cats" and "dogs". Among them, "Eternal Guard" tells the story of loyal cats and dogs who still stick to each other for twenty years after the death of their owners.
in front of the owner's former residence until their death on the same day.
This is a fairy tale that promotes "loyalty". It is impossible to verify where the prototype of the story comes from. But according to Lecia:
"This kind of story is most likely made up by the writer himself, Xia De, and not all stories have prototypes. For example, the popular knight adventure stories and vulgar palace romance novels, sometimes the latter really have prototypes.
"
"This card is very good."
Shade watched it for a while and then returned the cards to Mr. Asmon:
"What kind of game are you going to play?"
"Mr. Watson, I haven't been short of crowns and gold pounds recently. Since I met a friend by chance, instead of gambling, how about we play on special cards?"
The demonologist lowered his head and looked at Shade and asked. Shade thought for a moment and then agreed:
"sure."
As he spoke, he took out his deck and pulled out the [Ancient Alchemy·Dragon Stone] that he got when he participated in the card game of Parsifal Club last week.
Mr. Asmon obviously also has common sense about Rhodes cards. He continued to lower his voice and reminded:
"The value of this card is much higher than mine."
"It doesn't matter, I have won many special cards with you. The bets at that time were not bigger than the value of the cards. Since you don't care, I don't care either. Oh, this card caused quite a stir in Yuewan.
Feng Bo, if you win, never take out this card in Yuewan."
Shade said, placing the cards on the table:
"But didn't you just say that you won't play Rhodes?"
"Yes, I have something to do for a while, so I don't have time for a long card game. Let's play some interesting card games. While playing, we can continue to tell the story we didn't finish last time."
"Yes, I enjoy hearing your devilish stories."
Shade had no problem with this at all.
Mr. Asmon then took out his deck, drew out the "King" and said:
"I will put five by five, a total of 25 cards on the table with their backs facing up. You have seven chances to reveal any card. If you find the 'King', you win, [The Song of Cats and Dogs·Eternal"
Guard] is yours. If you don’t find it, then you need to pay 50 gold pounds to redeem your [Ancient Alchemy·Dragon Stone].”
In other words, he didn't want Shad's expensive playing card, and still chose to use his own cards to bet Shad's gold pounds. This bet was certainly not good for Shad, but the price of 50 pounds was a good deal for "cats and dogs."
"Song" is not enough.
Shade nodded again:
"Then you lay out the cards, and I'll recall where our story went."
He made a gesture of invitation, squinted his eyes and looked up at the gas wall lamp above the wall. The demonologist on the side had an even weirder curve in his mouth:
"Yes, where does the story go?"
"I think about a wonderful existence that has the power of the rumored devil because of people's recognition. It brings disaster to the world, until it meets a person who has no wish, and because of the other person's 'wish' to seal the devil, he stays with him
That man has lived his whole life.
After the man died, the devil took his soul and returned to his hometown, devouring all his relatives. But those respectable people tried their best to protect the last boy. The boy did not protect himself by keeping silent, but
I made the same wish as the first man: just like my grandfather, I will spend my life to seal you.
He then walked a long way until one day, the grown-up boy met the girl he loved and fell in love with her. When she wanted to keep the young man, the young man killed her, just to ensure that after his death
, the devil will not turn into his appearance and come to collect the girl's soul.
Many years later, a traveling middle-aged man met a troubled aristocratic lady and her cat and dog. While accompanying her home, the two fell in love with each other but neither spoke. Many years later, the middle-aged man met again
Returning to that city, he learned that the girl had been sacrificed long ago by giving the cats and dogs wisdom and strength. So he communicated with the great existence and exchanged the girl's soul for her to go to the end. Finally, he took the cats and dogs with him and left.
A city destroyed by plague and disaster and destroyed by fire.”
Since the first time he met this demonologist in Coldwater Port, Shade has listened to five "Demon Stories", but each time the story made him think deeply, this time he was also looking forward to interesting stories.
After Shade briefly summarized the previous story, Mr. Asmon had also finished laying out the cards.
Shade stood up again and turned back, giving Mr. Asmon the opportunity to change the positions of the cards again. At the same time, he also told "her" in his heart that there was no need to tell him the answer.
【Yes, dear stranger.】
After everything was ready, facing the neatly arranged cards, Shade was ready to stretch out his hand, and the demonologist at the long table also started a story:
"After that incident, the middle-aged man walked a long way with his cat and dog. When he was thirsty, he went to drink from the stream, and when he was hungry, he went to pick fruits. He made up his mind not to have a deep relationship with anyone again.
The connection between the things in his youth and the stories in his middle age made him understand the fate that he could not give up after making that wish, and he was determined to stay away from everything."
"This is a very wise decision."
Shade said, turning over the card in the upper left corner, and then threw Star 13 aside.
PS: Every time, I have to summarize the content of the "Devil Story" in the previous article. Although it seems like a water-word count, it is really not a water-word count.
This is very necessary. Now is the sixth chapter of the devil's story. If it is not summarized, the reader will have to read the previous chapter five times to recall what happened.
