29. Extraordinary Exchanges 3

Life cannot be hypothesized. Just as one cannot know how they will live ten years from now, one cannot know how they would be living today if a single condition from the past had been different.

Therefore, I could only remain noncommittal toward Zhu Shi’s theory. However, there was one thing she still misunderstood. As I have emphasized in the past, the true object of my obsession is not the supernatural itself, but rather the unpredictable, reality-defying nature of adventure. It just so happens that the world of the supernatural is the closest thing to that answer. While it may seem identical, this distinction is quite significant to me.

"Since you brought up my psychic abilities, there is a question I would like to ask you," I said solemnly. "This has troubled me for years, and it is very important to me."

Seeing my seriousness, she became earnest as well. "Go ahead and ask."

I posed my question.

"What exactly is going on with my psychic abilities?"

"Huh?" She looked puzzled. "You’re asking me this? Aren't you the one who should know best?"

"Actually, it's like this..."

I told her the story of how my abilities awakened.

"Ah, no wonder you used to carry a candle around in junior high and would stare at it from time to time..." After listening, she had a sudden realization, followed by a cruelly unintentional remark: "I even wondered if you were really possessed by some evil spirit, which would explain such strange behavior. Turns out, it was just your brain that was abnormal."

"Did you say something just now?"

And why on earth did she know about my junior high days?

"Ahem!" She realized what she had said, coughed twice, and finally regained her professional demeanor. "Well, I understand. In other words, you want to know the underlying principle of how your powers were generated, right?"

"Exactly. Even in fictional stories, the origin of a superpower is usually explained. Whether it’s brought about by some mutant gene yet to be discovered by scientists, or radiation from some special mineral, or perhaps humans being inherently capable of awakening powers but in very rare proportions..." I listed a few examples.

"That is a difficult question for me to answer accurately." She looked me up and down.

I don't know if she used some special power, but I suddenly had the strange sensation that my clothes had been stripped away and I was being scrutinized completely naked.

Soon, the feeling vanished. She withdrew her gaze and concluded, "There are many reasons for the emergence of a psychic. The examples you mentioned are all cases that have existed in reality. As for you, I can only say that, at the very least, you don't seem to have the bloodline of monsters or spirits mixed in. I can't reach a more specific conclusion; perhaps only a precise examination would reveal the answer."

Should I ask Luoshan to conduct a precise examination? I weighed the option in my mind.

"However, this is strange..." Zhu Shi suddenly remembered something. "Supernatural entities are supposed to be naturally drawn to one another. Since you are already a psychic, you should be one of us. It makes even less sense that you haven't encountered any supernatural events until now."

"Supernatural entities are attracted to one another? Why is that?" I asked, curious.

She gave an irresponsible answer: "I don't know. It’s just an accepted phenomenon."

"Isn't that answer a bit too crude?" I retorted.

"Furthermore, I have investigated many of the locations you visited in the past," she then said, uttering words I couldn't comprehend. "Many of those places truly harbored the supernatural. It wouldn't have been that difficult for you to uncover them. Yet, you never encountered anything..."

Her words sent shockwaves through my mind. "Wait, I don't understand. What are you saying..."

"I can't fathom it either. It’s as if you and supernatural events aren't mutually attracted, but rather mutually repellent," she said, looking perplexed.

Many of the supernatural incidents I investigated in the past were real? And I am mutually repellent to them?

I had never heard of such a thing!

But if what she said was true, then I should have been more prone to encountering the supernatural than a normal person. Tracking them for years without any results was indeed illogical.

I steadied my thoughts and asked tentatively, "...Then, following this logic, if I were to join Luoshan..."

"If the cause cannot be identified, even if you become a member of Luoshan, you are likely destined to never have a connection with supernatural events," she concluded, before falling into deep thought. "Speaking of which, logically, you should have walked past the hole in the fifteenth-floor room just like you always have in the past... Was there some specific change that finally led you to encounter a supernatural event this time?"

Hearing this, I could only think of one decisive change: I had met Mazao.

I had previously thought that as long as I could get involved with Luoshan, I would no longer need Mazao's "jinx" constitution. Now, it seemed that was nothing but wishful thinking.

I absolutely cannot let Mazao go!

She remains indispensable, perhaps even more important than before.

I must keep her firmly in my grasp and never allow her to leave me.

Luoshan seems to be searching for Mazao now, but I don't know their objective. Could I learn something from Zhu Shi? I carefully deliberated on how to phrase my questions. One wrong move, and I might expose my hand, leading them to discover that I know her whereabouts.

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Zhu Shi seemed to notice the question I was holding back. "It’s alright. Today, we have gotten to know each other anew. I’ve learned quite a bit from you, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will answer as best as I can."

"Just about the Fallen Demon Hunter." I finally finalized my wording in my mind. "Didn't you say earlier that this Fallen Demon Hunter was the culprit behind the murder eight months ago? But I met a police officer who said the killer from eight months ago is the recent serial killer."

She thought for a moment. "The officer you’re referring to must be Agent Kong. I asked him to investigate the room on the fifteenth floor for me."

"Is that officer also one of your people at Luoshan?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

"Yes, but his primary role is as a frontline investigator for Luoshan. He was only posing as a police officer for the sake of the mission; he isn't a real cop."

"I see..." I continued, "Anyway, that Agent Kong told me that the murderer and the serial killer are the same person, and that the person is a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. Could that Fallen Demon Hunter have been a girl before he transformed?"

"Ah, about that..." She looked embarrassed. "No, that’s not it. Rest assured, you didn't incinerate a little girl."

"So, Agent Kong lied to me at the time, deliberately accusing someone who hadn't killed anyone of being a murderer?" I pressed. "Why? Who is the girl he is looking for?"

"This matter relates to the mission Agent Kong is currently carrying out. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to disclose it..."

Judging by her expression, she also seemed to feel that Luoshan accusing Mazao of being a serial killer was a violation of conscience. However, I am an outsider to Luoshan, and in her eyes, I have no connection to this matter. If I dig too deep, I might invite suspicion. I’ll have to think of other ways to probe.

Just then, Zhu Shi’s phone rang.

She glanced at the caller ID, her expression shifting to a business-like tone before she answered.

I silently moved my right hand behind my back and quietly ignited the "Firefly," using my special perception to eavesdrop on the call. The person on the other end seemed to be one of the gray-uniformed staff who had collected the Fallen Demon Hunter’s corpse earlier. Their tone was strange, saying that the preliminary autopsy results were in and they wanted Zhu Shi to come over and take a look.

What could possibly require a frontline operative like Zhu Shi to return?

After hanging up, Zhu Shi gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, I have to go back. It’s work-related."

"Is it about that Fallen Demon Hunter? Before he died, he said he had seen me two years ago and had a grudge against me, but I have absolutely no memory of him."

I had mentioned this briefly earlier when describing the battle.

"I will look into it," she said, nodding. "Actually, I think there is something very strange about the Fallen Demon Hunter's death."

"What is it?" I asked.

"He possessed another skill: using shadows as a passage to travel between different spaces," she said. "Yet, according to your description, he didn't use this skill—which is perfect for escaping—while he was running away. Although I might just be overthinking it... this incident might not be over yet."

I wasn't without impression of the skill she mentioned.

When the Fallen Demon Hunter first appeared before me, he had emerged from the shadows.

If he could emerge from the shadows, he certainly could have entered them.

Yet, in his panicked flight, he never escaped into the shadows before he died—why?

This incident might not be over yet—I couldn't help but share that thought.

After saying goodbye, Zhu Shi turned and walked away. I prepared to head home as well.

In fact, if conditions allowed, I had intended to take out the black jade I obtained from the basement and ask Zhu Shi to identify it for me. But seeing her vigilant attitude toward supernatural objects and her sense of duty as a Luoshan Demon Hunter, I feared that once I handed it over, I would never get it back. I decided to abandon that plan for now.

Suddenly, I noticed that after walking a few steps, Zhu Shi turned back to look at me, her gaze hesitant.

I didn't know what she wanted to say, so I stood still and waited for her voice.

A moment later, she finally let out a sigh. Her expression softened, and her voice returned to a casual, everyday tone. She gave me a slight smile.

"See you tomorrow, Senior Zhuang."

As she spoke with a smile, she waved goodbye.