The dimness of the oil lamp was replaced by the gradually brightening desertedness.
What comes even earlier than early morning is the hustle and bustle on the streets.
Under the leaden clouds, carriages drove through Sanren Street in an endless stream.
Wow-la-
An illusory white hand gently opened the curtains, leaned by the window and looked at the street scene for a while, then picked up the windshield of the oil lamp and gently blew out the candle.
An even more deserted dimness filled the entire room. Anna tilted her head and looked at a pair of open black eyes under the windbreaker.
"Are you awake?" Anna put the windshield back on the lamp holder.
"Um."
The curled-up legs were straightened, and the soles of the leather short boots touched the faded wooden boards.
The weather in the early morning was a bit cold. I heard that people would not feel cold during the rainy season in previous years... but compared to the fact that the plants were not sprouting, the temperature was less noticeable.
In such weather, you should sit in a comfortable and soft chair, with your cheeks flushed by the warm fireplace in front of you, and your hands holding scalding hot tea amidst the subtle crackle of firewood.
This is what the mysterious man did.
When Lu Li opened the door to his room, he huddled into the wooden chair by the window, with a blanket wrapped around his body, scalding hot coffee in his hands, and an old suitcase at his feet.
There seemed to be something important inside that he kept with him everywhere.
"It seems like you had a good rest. I thought you would suffer from insomnia." The mysterious man, who looked like he was living as an elderly person, raised his palm and waved to Lu Li.
"There is no point in worrying. If you think too much, it is not suitable to do it before going to bed."
Lu Li closed the door behind him and asked, "Have the evil spirits left? Will they come again?"
"Wait a minute, man, let me answer one by one."
The mysterious man placed the steaming coffee cup on the windowsill.
"But the answer to both questions is the same: you are wrong. Evil spirits do not have entities. To a certain extent, they are everywhere, instead of having entities like resentful spirits... It is not that they have no entities. I am not too specific.
What I can tell you is that...evil spirits are everywhere, you are dragged into the ritual by it, and another person thousands of miles away may also be under attack."
"Appears randomly, regardless of location?"
"That's about it." The mysterious man nodded and picked up the cup again.
This explains why after the ritual to get rid of the evil spirits last night, the mysterious man went back to his room to rest with peace of mind.
Lu Li continued to ask: "I think the rumored Yingchuo and Six-legged Savages in Shadow Town are real?"
The mysterious man who brought the coffee cup to his mouth and blew away the hot air and foam looked at Lu Li strangely: "Didn't you see it with your own eyes yesterday? Six-legged monsters usually move in the swamp and rarely leave the swamp to where humans gather."
Who is lying between the mysterious man and the article...
Lu Li thought for a moment. The mysterious man lowered his head and took a sip of coffee. He let out a satisfied sigh in his throat: "Huh... you must be from Belfast, right? I can smell the fishy smell of the sea on you, which place is far away from here."
It’s almost 200 miles away, what are you doing here?”
Lu Li raised his eyes: "Exorcist, accept the commission to go to Shadow Swamp to investigate some matters."
The mysterious man paused: "You want to go to the swamp?"
"Yes."
Before leaving the room, Lu Li determined the location of the bloody tentacle through the window. It had indeed fallen into the Shadow Swamp.
Entering the swamp is inevitable.
The mysterious man fell into silence until the coffee cup in his palm started to feel hot, then he grinned and put it on the window sill: "Are you ready?"
"I brought insect repellent powder."
Of course, Lu Li couldn't leave behind what Hades had told him so many times.
"Well, this can indeed be considered one of the preparations." The mysterious man was a little helpless and pointedly said: "I mean... there are no other preparations?"
Lu Li frowned slightly: "I don't understand what you are referring to."
"It seems that you are not used to thinking about problems from the perspective of an exorcist. What I want to say is...preparation for dealing with those things."
"What are those things in the swamp?"
Those things are considered a general term. Weird, spiritual, or some other dangerous existences are included in it.
"Of course, times have changed, and now most inaccessible places have become very dangerous. Those things that are different from human beings like to hide in them."
"What's in it?"
"Who knows?" The mysterious man shrugged: "My target is on the other side of the swamp... I think I said a bit too much."
Lu Li said calmly: "The other side of the swamp is inland. It's impossible for me to know where you are going."
"That's right."
The coffee was almost no longer scalding hot, and the mysterious man took a big sip.
"Then how are you going to cross the swamp?" Lu Li asked.
"I'll take a carriage and cross it. That road is safe during the day."
The road that the mysterious man pointed to was a road leading inland that was filled in by the Principality of Allen Peninsula in Shadow Swamp. It was in the middle of Shadow Swamp, dividing the swamp into two swamps, the north and the south.
Lu Li was going to the southern swamp, which the mysterious man said was safer than the northern swamp - relatively.
"Going into the swamp without any preparation is dangerous, civilians."
"I'm an exorcist."
"There is no difference. Exorcists who don't understand rituals encounter evil spirits just like ordinary people."
The mysterious man might be right, but Lu Li had a reason to go in.
He saw the determination of the black-haired man in front of him who remained calm at all times, and said helplessly: "It seems that you are determined to go in. As a reminder, if you are lucky enough to come out alive, remember to take a sanity test to avoid being contaminated by anything.
I don’t know anything yet.”
Lu Li looked at him: "Where should I go for testing?"
"You know about the Night Watch but don't know where to check your sanity?" The mysterious man felt puzzled.
Lu Li's answer to this was: "I became an exorcist less than a month ago."
"Okay, you can go to a laundry shop with a strange name for testing. Or sign up to join the night watch investigators, they will help you test for free."
"I took note of it." Lu Li nodded.
The mysterious man waved his hand: "Then leave, I'll be ready to leave soon."
He lifted the blanket, and underneath it were neatly dressed clothes, as if he could pick up his suitcase and leave at any time.
Lu Li handed him a business card, and the mysterious man took it doubtfully and read out a line on the leather card: "Weird and bizarre Detective Agency... Lu Li..."
The mysterious man put away the business card, drank the coffee in one gulp, picked up the wide round hat on the table and put it on: "I won't tell you my name. Some evil spirits' rituals are to attack by knowing the name. So we just
Using a pseudonym, you can call me trainee investigator, or call me knowledge seeker. That is the code name I plan to use after I become a full-time employee."
"Oh, by the way, I'll give you a piece of advice. If you want to enter the Shadow Swamp, remember to keep quiet."
The mysterious man picked up the suitcase and tapped the shell of his ear with his other hand.
"The swamp can hear things that don't belong to it."
