Deep Within the Living

Chapter 24: Past Events

The Next Morning

Luo Di sat in bed, engrossed in a novel titled Exorcism. His tongue clicked subconsciously as he focused on the story—a residual habit he didn’t mind, instead treating it as a “trophy” from his experience.

During a break from reading, Luo Di noticed through the hospital room’s door window that many people were heading toward the room next door.

The once-quiet corridor had become lively, with nurses, doctors, and several blond foreigners with physiques far exceeding ordinary people.

It seemed Anna in the adjacent room had woken up, but Luo Di had no intention of joining the commotion. He simply resumed reading his novel.

Time slipped by between the lines of text until—

Knock, knock.

The sound pulled Luo Di out of his story.

“Come in.”

A massive figure blocked the doorway, so tall that their head wasn’t visible through the two-meter-high door.As the person stooped to enter, a custom-made oversized suit stretched tightly over their broad frame. Above the collar was a shaved head with rugged, brutish features.

The sheer size and intimidating presence of the man made Luo Di instinctively shift to the side.

Behind him, a slightly plump middle-aged woman over 1.8 meters tall and a young man standing close to two meters, with golden buzz-cut hair and tattoos all over, entered the room. Following them was Anna, who had just woken up.

Anna appeared to be in good condition, though a faint burn scar lingered on her face—something that could likely be repaired later with laser surgery. She waved at Luo Di to greet him.

But the bald man stepped in front of Luo Di’s bed, completely blocking his view.

Placing a hand large enough to crush a human head over his chest, the man bowed slightly and said,

“Sergey Ivanovich. Thank you for saving my daughter. If you ever encounter difficulties in Jupiter City, don’t hesitate to call on us.”

He placed a business card written in Russian on the bedside table.

Luo Di gave a small nod without saying much.

Sergey kept his gaze on the relatively small-framed young man before him.

“Anna said you’re in great shape, and now I see that for myself. Still, you could stand to grow a bit taller. Maybe you’re not getting enough nutrition.

“Come to one of our family barbecues sometime. Humans need to eat more meat to grow tall and strong.”

“Thank you.”

At that moment, Anna interjected, breaking into their conversation.

“Dad! Didn’t the doctors say I’m in great condition? And the hospital is taking excellent care of me. There’s no need for anyone to stay here! Go back and handle the family affairs.”

Sergey looked like he wanted to argue but was silenced by a fierce glare from the middle-aged woman. She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away.

“Anna, we’ll come to pick you up in a couple of days when you’re discharged.”

“Got it, Mom.”

As the family filed out of the room, the tattooed young man walking at the rear paused to glance at Luo Di, then at his sister, before closing the door behind him.

Once they were gone, Anna let out a sigh of relief and sank into the chair by Luo Di’s bedside.

“They didn’t scare you, did they? My family might look intimidating, but they’re all good people.”

“No.”

Luo Di wasn’t bothered. From the moment they entered, he had sensed only goodwill.

Anna clenched her fists over her lap, preparing to deliver a heartfelt thanks, but Luo Di spoke first.

“Did you also go to Hell?”

“Hell? Are you talking about the Possession?” Anna hesitated briefly.

“When we worked together to take down the Jiangshi, I accidentally caught sight of the Tongue Demon in the woods. It then entered my mouth and possessed me.

“My consciousness fell into Hell, where I was fixed to a cross, waiting to die.”

Luo Di nodded. It seemed their experiences were similar.

“Did you see any symbols?”

“No. My eyes were corroded less than a second after I opened them. I only caught a blurry glimpse of Hell’s scenery—no symbols.

“I thought it was the end for me. My body was nearly dried out when I suddenly felt something soft and moist enter my mouth. By the time I woke up, I was already in the hospital.

“What about you, Luo Di…”

As Anna tried to ask about how the possession was removed, Luo Di interrupted with another question:

“What did the demon look like?”

“Hmm… let me think. It looked like a shriveled corpse, its body covered in scorch marks and riddled with holes.

“Its head seemed to have two different forms. Sometimes it was just a single tongue connected to a neck, flapping randomly in the air. Other times, it looked like a human face, but its eye sockets, nostrils, and ears were filled with tongues.

“Ugh, just thinking about it gives me the creeps.

“Oh, by the way, they told me it was you who came up with the solution and voluntarily transferred the demon from me to yourself. How did you manage that?”

“I have a scent the demon particularly likes, so it willingly transferred to me. Using its desire to switch hosts, I coordinated with Gao Yuxuan to contact the outside world.”

“Oh, I see...” Anna didn’t dwell on it. “Coming up with a plan in that situation—no wonder Wu Wen keeps mentioning you in private.

“Given Wu Wen’s personality, she rarely praises peers her age. Once my IV finishes, let’s visit her in her room. She was badly injured because of me, and it might even disrupt her studies.”

“A few days of delay shouldn’t matter, right? This Practice will greatly benefit her advancement.”

Anna propped her chin in her hand, her expression darkening as if recalling something unpleasant.

“That’s hard to say. Wu Wen’s family is very strict about academics...

“Ever since something happened to her over a year ago, she hasn’t hung out with me as much as she used to. At most, we meet on weekends.”

“Over a year ago?”

Luo Di also recalled something—Wu Wen had transferred to their class during the second semester of their first year in high school, quickly replacing the previous class leader due to her exceptional performance.

Anna explained:

“Yeah, originally, we both advanced to the same high school, Jupiter City First High, which is the best in the city.

Although Wu Wen was a top student in middle school, she wasn’t as remarkable in a school full of geniuses and prodigies.

Maybe it was due to pressure from her family, but her grades started slipping.

“Then, near the end of the semester, during a physical education test, she got into an argument over something minor and ended up hurting someone. She was forced to withdraw.”

“She hurt someone?”

Luo Di found it hard to believe. Although he rarely interacted with the class leader, she always appeared calm and composed, wearing a gentle smile for everyone. He couldn’t imagine her having a violent altercation.

Anna sighed. “Well, it turned out for the better. After transferring to your school, Wu Wen seemed to return to her old self. With her abilities, plus the certification from this Practice, she’s bound to rank in the city’s top 100 next year, maybe even higher than if she had stayed at First High.

“When she recovers, the four of us should get together. Surviving this ordeal wasn’t easy… Thank you, Luo Di. From now on, we’re good friends. Like my dad said, if you ever have trouble in Jupiter City, just come to us.”

But despite Anna finally voicing her gratitude, Luo Di didn’t respond. His gaze was fixed on the hospital room door, seemingly lost in thought.

Anna balled her fist and gently knocked on his arm.

“Hey~ What are you thinking about?”

Luo Di snapped out of it and softly muttered, “Friends, huh.”

“Of course! Stay in touch more often, even though we’re not at the same school. We can still hang out on weekends or holidays.”

But Luo Di’s train of thought suddenly jumped to another topic.

“By the way, do you have that habit?”

“What habit? What kind of weird question is that?” Anna looked at him in confusion, even reaching out to feel his forehead to check if he had a fever.

“This habit.”

Click!

The moment the familiar tongue-clicking sound came from Luo Di’s mouth, Anna shot up from her chair like a spring, standing rigidly at attention. Her heart raced, and she felt a faint trace of that terrifying hellish heat in her body.

She quickly calmed herself, realizing that Luo Di, having woken up earlier, must have already undergone thorough testing. If there had been any issues, he would have been quarantined long ago.

“Luo Di, are you trying to scare me to death? Can’t you warn me before making that sound?”

Luo Di replied calmly, “I sometimes click my tongue unconsciously now. It’s probably a side effect of the Possession. You don’t have it?”

“Absolutely not! I have a severe stress response to that sound, let alone making it myself!”

“That’s odd. You were possessed longer than I was. Could it be because I was the last one possessed, and that’s why I have this habit? Or maybe it’s just that I don’t resist the sound as much?”

Anna gave Luo Di a disgusted look and quickly backed away from the bed.

“I’m not staying here with you—it’s too creepy! I’m going back to my room. I’ll come find you later!” ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novelFɪre.net