The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 458: The Hidden Identity

Anna withdrew her mental projection and aura, whispering coldly, "If he appears again, I'll kill him..."

The exorcists watched from a distance. Lu Li lowered his head, studying the indelible mark on the back of his hand.

The Bloody Tentacles had saved him.

But that didn't mean they were harmless. Their nature remained unchanged—they were a strange creature parasitizing Lu Li, driving the demon away only to maintain control over its host.

Regardless, the threat from the demon had been minimized, leaving behind only a negligible curse: "I will appear after your death and take your soul."

At least, for Lu Li, it was negligible.

Anna gradually dissolved into the air. Once it was clear the incident was over, the exorcists exchanged glances. The head of the Night's Watch approached Lu Li and returned his Investigator Badge.

"The case is closed. You may continue on your way," Lu Li said, accepting the badge without bothering to hide the inverted pentagram on his hand.

"A demon's curse... You could try seeking help from the church," the Night's Watch officer advised. Seeing where Lu Li was headed, he returned to his duties, restoring order.

The commotion slowly subsided, and the caravan began to move again. As they passed the spot where the demon had appeared, people anxiously urged their horses to a faster pace.After bidding farewell to the captain of the knights guarding the Coastal Town, Lu Li left the settlement and rejoined the caravan, heading back onto the deserted road.

A short while later, knights galloped along the length of the caravan, their shouts cutting through the night air.

"The Swamp Road is just a few miles ahead! To avoid disturbing the swamp's inhabitants, maintain silence!"

The corner of Lu Li's carriage curtain lifted, as if stirred by a breeze.

Returning to the carriage, Anna glanced at the black cat sleeping in the corner and said to Lu Li, "We're approaching the Swamp Road."

"Yes."

"Do you think the Mother of the Swamp will attack us now?"

"Unlikely," Lu Li replied. He saw no reason why the Mother of the Swamp, having regained her humanity, would attack them.

Anna nodded, looked at the cat again, and then sat at the edge of the carriage to watch the road, keeping an eye on the interior at the same time.

Anna liked the cat, but she seemed hesitant to touch it.

Lu Li knew why. Anna was afraid her aura would harm the cat... and him.

But for now, Lu Li had found no way to completely conceal the Unseen Aura.

The knights continued to ride past with periodic reminders. Half an hour later, the last group galloped by, announcing that the Swamp Road was just ahead.

The people in the caravan fell silent, even dimming the oil lamps hanging from their carriages. A few minutes later, the caravan, stretching for miles and with no hope of going unnoticed, quietly entered the Swamp Road.

Lu Li sat outside the carriage. His gaze lingered on a dark stone marker.

"Welcome to the Allen Peninsula."

"The Swamp Road."

Whether by chance or not, the moment they entered the Allen Peninsula, a light drizzle began to fall, bringing a chill with it.

Some travelers extinguished their torches, replacing them with oil lamps. Accompanied by the patter of rain and the clatter of hooves, the caravan moved slowly down the road.

Occasionally, a child's cough could be heard from the carriages ahead. Lu Li gazed out at the southern Shadow Swamp. In the dim light, it was hard to make out the details of the dark forest, and impossible to spot the hidden presence of the Mother of the Swamp, who was surely watching them.

Anna opened an umbrella, shielding Lu Li from the rain. She sat down beside him, and together they watched the dark swamp.

Two hours later, Lu Li's carriage left the Swamp Road.

With its departure, the oppressive feeling that had hung in the air vanished. Soon, they passed the ruins of Tenebrae.

People still awake in their carriages peeked out, silently gazing at the dark remains of the once-bustling town.

Lu Li returned to the carriage and, spreading out a blanket, lay down to rest.

There were less than three hours until dawn. If there were no delays, they would reach Belfast by noon.

"Good night," Anna said softly.

Lu Li closed his eyes and fell asleep.

...

The quiet night passed.

Lu Li opened his eyes. Morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains. Curled up beside him was the black cat.

"We just passed Khimfast," Anna said as Lu Li sat up.

He pushed aside the curtain and stepped outside. The sky was still overcast. The carriage with the child that had been in front of them was gone, replaced by another.

The caravan had shortened—some carriages had turned off the road, heading toward their own destinations.

But most were traveling to Belfast to sail from Port Roadster and leave the Allen Peninsula behind.

Lu Li glanced up at the sky again. Two blood-red tentacles swayed beneath the clouds, so dense they almost seemed real.

Even if they hadn't reached Belfast yet, they were already close to the Allen Peninsula.

...

Just before noon, the caravan arrived in Belfast.

Lu Li's carriage turned off a busy street and headed toward the Bizarre Detective Agency in the coastal district, intending to stop there for a while.

When they arrived, an unexpected visitor and a letter were waiting for them.

"It seems he didn't want to stay in the shelter," Anna said with a smile, looking at the motionless gray sculpture sitting on the couch.

The sculpture was covered in dirt—clearly, the journey from the Elm Forest to Sailor Street had not been easy.

"Then we'll take him with us," Lu Li said, bending down to pick up a letter that had been slipped under the door.

The envelope lacked the usual strong scent of perfume. Besides, Jimmy and his sister had already settled on the cliff, so Lu Li couldn't imagine who else would be writing to him.

He opened the envelope. Inside was a sheet of paper covered in a frantic, messy scrawl.

[You goddamn bastard!]

[You set this all up, didn't you? You! You ruined all my plans! I should have killed you back then!]

[Now get the hell out of here and stay out of my business! Or I'll make you feel pain you can't even imagine! I'll multiply it a thousand times! You son of a bitch!]

The letter's content made it clear just how enraged the author was when he wrote it.

"Who wrote this?" Anna asked.

"The one behind all this," Lu Li replied, handing her the letter.

Anna read it, her cold expression turning slightly strange. "The author writes like a madman..."

"He is a madman," Lu Li said.

Such an obvious clue was enough for Anna to guess. "Is it Richard from the psychiatric hospital?"

"If this letter isn't a red herring, then he's most likely the one behind everything."

"No wonder he's so furious."

Lu Li had destroyed more than one of his tentacles.

Anna tossed the letter aside, her crimson eyes flashing. "Since he's so angry, let's take advantage of this and destroy the other two tentacles to draw him out."