Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 129 - 123 Next day’s Zhu Shi1

Chapter 129: 123 Next day’s Zhu Shi1

After the battle with the Weirdo Maker, the person most impacted should have been Zhu Shi, yet she noticed her own oversights more quickly than either Mazao or myself. Perhaps it was her professional consciousness as the Luoshan Impermanence still at work; in comparison, Mazao and I were truly outsiders.

After realizing this, she didn’t call us over but specifically summoned Lu Youxun, most likely wanting to handle the aftermath herself. As for Lu Youxun being called to work overtime late at night, she probably didn’t give a thought to whether he would be worn out or not.

Of course, the investigation and cleanup of the scene were originally Luoshan Patrol’s duties. It would have been more surprising if Lu Youxun didn’t deal with such a significant event. Moreover, there were fragments of the Weirdo Maker’s self-destructed minions scattered around the site, which also needed to be collected.

Lu Youxun himself certainly wouldn’t complain—at least not about the work itself. Rather, he seemed somewhat disgruntled in his text messages that we didn’t call him to join the fight from the beginning. Having finally tracked down the Weirdo Maker, who was his sworn enemy, he had not been able to rush to the scene immediately—I imagine his true feelings weren’t just slight complaints, maybe even on the verge of despair.

Regarding the most crucial "clinic," the result of the investigation was "no result."

The inside of the "clinic" was empty.

It’s to be expected, really. The Weirdo Maker must have realized early on that his location would be tracked down, and he wouldn’t fail to prepare accordingly. Any possible physical clues that might have been left inside the "clinic," along with the devices and equipment used to examine the monsters, had all been removed in advance, leaving us with an eerily empty room. Hanging a rental sign on the door wouldn’t seem out of place.

Thinking positively, even if none of us had thought to investigate the "clinic" in time, the result would probably be the same. Obviously, someone couldn’t be so open-minded. Lu Youxun outlined the results of his investigation in a calm tone in his text messages, yet it seemed as if a deep sense of regret seeped through his words.

I also have some gripes about Lu Youxun. It might very well be because of him that every opponent I encounter is the type that’s very hard to kill due to their cloning abilities. However, complaining to his face would likely be hitting where it hurts the most.

Even so, are we really unable to get any clues from the "clinic"?

After careful consideration, I arrived at the conclusion, "No."

Lu Youxun isn’t aware of what Mazao’s blessing power is, otherwise, he would realize the matter isn’t over yet. The Weirdo Maker cleaned up the clues in the "clinic" in advance—so what? As long as there were "clues that once existed" inside the "clinic," Mazao’s blessing power could trace and unearth them.

I decided to take Mazao to investigate the "clinic."

On my way to the breakfast shop near Saltwater University, I passed by an abandoned construction site and couldn’t help but stop and look.

The unfinished building, split in half, still stood there. Starting with Agent Kong, the Undying Monster, the Shadow Swapping Monster, and finally the Weirdo Maker... I had experienced battles numerous times but still hadn’t felt the mortal peril that usually accompanies combat.

According to Zhu Shi, the Weirdo Maker’s powers had reached the "Accomplished" level, akin to Lu You in his prime. Under the demon hunter rating system of "Formation, Existence, Destruction, Emptiness," he was already considered a supreme fighter. Yet even a demon hunter at the pinnacle of their power posed no threat to me.

Of course, the Weirdo Maker and the monsters had clear differences. I could instantly incinerate the monsters with ease, while disposing of the Weirdo Maker required a bit more effort to achieve the same result. But does that difference really matter?

If "a demon hunter at their limit" can’t do it, what about "a demon hunter who exceeds the limits of demon hunters"?

What about the legendary "Impermanence"?

Just then, a familiar female voice sounded from behind me.

"This building will be demolished soon," she said. "Several agents have investigated in advance, confirming that there’s no remnant of weird powers inside. However, it seems like there were traces of an evil spirit’s presence."

I turned around to see Zhu Shi.

She was still dressed in a white ladies’ shirt and a black skirt, carrying a black guitar case on her back. Her expression was exceedingly neutral. Not the forced kind of neutrality, but one that was natural, like seeing a friend on the street and giving them a casual greeting.

I was unsure of how to speak with her. After all, with what had happened the night before—even though the Weirdo Maker was our enemy and she told me not to apologize—I couldn’t interact with her as if nothing had happened. The guilt I felt when I killed two Shadow Clones in front of Changan, thinking they were real, was nothing compared to the unease I feel now.

I tried to find some trivial topic to break the ice, "What brings you here?"

"Just taking a walk near the school to clear my mind, and thought I’d grab breakfast around here." She smiled.

"I see..." Suddenly, I noticed something odd, "Wait, did you say that evil spirit was in the abandoned building?"

"Yes," she nodded, "but according to the agent’s investigation, it should have been wiped out during your fight with Agent Kong. Didn’t you notice?"

I shook my head. There was really an evil spirit in the abandoned building? Then why didn’t it get lured out by Agent Kong’s soul-attracting charm? At the time, I was under the influence of Mazao’s Broom Star Physique; surely that wouldn’t repel a strange entity?

Thinking it over, there seemed to be only one possibility. The evil spirit must have seen me before my first meeting with Mazao, specifically, in the brief time after I first entered the abandoned construction site and before I met her, and it must have developed an impression that it needed to stay away from me.

Agent Kong had said that the entity residing here in the abandoned site was a low-level evil spirit that acted purely on instinct. Against someone like me, smarter creatures would unconsciously ignore and avoid me, while those driven purely by instinct would notice me and stay away because of that instinct. So, even when Agent Kong and I returned, it chose not to reveal itself. Because it remembered me.

As we chatted, we went to a nearby breakfast stall together, ordered two servings of soup dumplings, and sat down in a corner of the shop.

I was considering whether I should divulge some truths to Zhu Shi.

The gray mist I witnessed in the Weirdo Maker’s consciousness network, the speculation that Ying Lingyun might possess a Divine Seal Fragment, doubt about Ying Lingyun’s life or death... As Zhu Shi’s friend, I felt it was my duty to disclose this to him.

And in doing so, I couldn’t avoid revealing that I also possessed a Divine Seal Fragment.

Admittedly, I used to think that telling Zhu Shi about my own fragment would have a significant impact on my situation, hence, I thought I should carefully choose the right time to disclose the truth. As to whether now was the appropriate time, I still couldn’t judge. But last night’s experience undoubtedly placed a heavy counterweight on one side of my inner balance scale. Besides, when it came down to it, I wasn’t overly concerned about my own safety being jeopardized.

More than that, I cared about how I should act towards my friend and how I should face my own considerations of these matters. I always wanted to make decisions I wouldn’t regret. Now, I believed that the consequences of withholding the truth were more unbearable than those that might come from disclosing it.

The only thing that made me hesitate was, assuming Ying Lingyun really was dead, would irresponsibly throwing out a speculation like "Maybe your father isn’t dead" give Zhu Shi unrealistic hopes?

"Are you still troubled about last night’s incident?" Zhu Shi asked calmly.

After some thought, I replied, "Can’t help it."

"True."

She picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks but didn’t eat it right away. Instead, she stared at it for a moment and then mumbled to herself, "Why did he join the Human Bureau..."

"Your mom has soul loss, right? Maybe he was looking for a cure," I tried to suggest optimistically while feeling somewhat unfit to express such a viewpoint.

"You don’t have to try to cheer me up." She smiled again, "And how could he possibly do anything for my mom. Impossible. He doesn’t love my mom at all. No, I even doubt if he remembers he has a wife."

"That’s heartless?" I asked.

"My mom has been in a vegetative state for two years now, and during that time, he hasn’t visited once," she said. "Moreover, he rarely ever came home in the past. I hardly saw him growing up. On the rare occasions he was with mom, it didn’t feel like they were a couple. He was like an outsider who occasionally came for a visit. It’s not just my bias; he probably sees himself that way too."

"Do you hate him?" I asked.

"Hate... not to that extent, I guess. Do you go out of your way to hate a stranger?" She pondered for a moment, then added, "If I have to say, I still do hate him. You see, my brother is his illegitimate child and only a year older than me. To be exact, about ten months older.

"That means, almost around the time my mom was pregnant with me, my brother was already born to another woman. I have nothing against my brother, but my dad... For him to have an affair behind his own wife’s back and father an illegitimate child at such a time... How could I possibly have a good impression of that kind of father?"

"Although you say ’another woman,’ if I remember correctly, your father’s affair wasn’t even with a human, right?" I said.

"Right, which makes it even worse, a crime on top of another!" she exclaimed angrily.

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