novelraw Chapter 488: She Had to Do It
Chapter 488: She Had to Do It
Richard's plan unfolded before Lu Li in its entirety.
The physical evidence consisted of an eye, a tentacle, and a piece of flesh. They had once been confiscated by the police, driving every officer who touched them to madness before Richard stole them away. Together, they formed what was known as the "Corpse of the Ancient God."
Richard had been searching for hosts for these parts, intending to resurrect the Corpse of the Ancient God and then take its place.
Once the world collapsed, the exorcists would be too preoccupied to interfere, giving Richard the perfect opportunity to execute his plan.
However, Lu Li had shattered all his efforts.
The hosts meant to be part of Richard's resurrection plan had been ruthlessly eliminated by Lu Li.
That was why Richard had been so furious, warning Lu Li to stay out of his way.
But one question remained.
What about the trials Lu Li had undergone? Could it be, just as the old man suggested, that Lu Li had unwittingly become a contender in Richard's game for the Corpse of the Ancient God?
Lu Li asked the old man about the Corpse of the Ancient God, but he knew very little—only what Richard himself had told him."You can see your own Blood Tentacles, and those of others. But where is mine?" Lu Li pointed out, realizing something important.
"I can't feel or see it," the old man shook his head slowly, adding, "You remind me of that demon..."
It wasn't just the old man; the other hosts of the Blood Tentacles had also been unaware of Lu Li's approach.
Lu Li recalled the staircase leading down into the abyss. Perhaps that was what set him apart from the other hosts?
If Lu Li was on the same path as Richard, it would explain Richard's hostility and rage—Lu Li was his rival.
The old man knew too little to be of any help to Lu Li.
Whenever Lu Li encountered a host of the Blood Tentacles, he typically showed no mercy. His goal was to eliminate them all and force Richard out of the shadows.
But this poor old man had just lost his two sons, only to become a host for a Blood Tentacle himself, doomed to die.
Yet he had done nothing wrong.
This was the last Blood Tentacle. Destroying it would completely shatter Richard's plan, dooming any of his future schemes to failure. But Lu Li faced a dilemma: could he sacrifice an innocent man's life for his own safety?
The answer was obvious.
"Richard might try to contact you. I'll have the United Exorcist Organization keep you under discreet surveillance," Lu Li said calmly, his gaze fixed on the tombstone beneath the withered tree.
"You're not going to kill me?" the old man asked in surprise.
Anna's cold voice cut in from beside him. "He's the last one. If you let him go, Richard might never show himself."
Anna even suspected the old man was part of Richard's scheme—what could be more agonizing for a good man than killing an innocent?
It was just the kind of twisted game the madman from the asylum would play.
Startled by the third voice, the old man stared at Lu Li in silence, waiting for his response.
Lu Li didn't answer. He picked up his lamp, walked past the rows of gravestones, and vanished into the white mist.
Silence descended upon the cemetery, leaving the old man seemingly alone.
He let out a quiet sigh, his wrinkled face a mask of complex emotions.
"Are you happy about this?" a cold female voice asked from nearby. A figure in a white dress had appeared in the very spot where Lu Li had been standing moments before.
The old man's eyes widened, then a faint smile touched his lips. "So, you've come to see me off?"
Eliminating the old man, the last host, would almost certainly force Richard to make a move.
But Anna knew Lu Li was incapable of killing an innocent, even if his own life was in danger.
She had to do something.
Even if Lu Li would hate her for it.
She had to do it, even if an innocent old man stood before her.
Her silence was all the confirmation he needed.
"May I ask two things of you?" the old man inquired. His clouded eyes held a mixture of relief and resignation, as if her decision was far more welcome than Lu Li's.
"What are they?" Anna asked coldly.
"Kill Richard. Don't let him continue his evil deeds."
"We will."
Even if the old man hadn't asked, Anna would still have killed the man who had stopped them from reaching the Lennon Archipelago.
"And the second?" Anna prompted.
The old man straightened his back, his expression turning solemn. He fastened his buttons and carefully smoothed the folds in his clothes where the shovel had rested against them.
As Anna watched, he picked up the tombstone from under the tree and set it by the edge of the open grave. Then, taking the lamp and shovel with him, he clumsily lowered himself into the pit.
He set the lamp down beside his head and lay back in the grave, cradling the shovel in his arms.
In the silence that followed, he spoke to Anna. "Please, bury me. My children are waiting."
...
Leaving the cemetery, Lu Li returned to the wagon.
"The last Blood Tentacle still exists, so Richard might not show himself. One host is obviously not enough for his plan. He'll definitely make another move, create a new host," Lu Li said calmly from the driver's seat. All they could do now was wait for the next Blood Tentacle to surface.
His words dissolved into the mist. Several seconds passed with no reply from Anna. Silence reigned.
"Anna?" Lu Li called.
No one answered.
A sudden realization seemed to strike Lu Li, and he turned to look back toward the cemetery.
Through the gray mist, like a phantom image superimposed on the clouds, the Blood Tentacle began to fade, dissolving into thin air.
Lu Li lowered his gaze and looked at the cemetery gates.
Click... click...
A soft clicking from the counter broke the ensuing silence.
Anna had returned.
"I killed him," Anna said before Lu Li could even ask. She remained unseen, as if afraid of his rebuke.
"I know." Lu Li picked up the reins and said calmly, "Let's head back to the agency and wait. Richard will make his move soon."
The expected rebuke never came, which only made Anna feel more uneasy.
The wheels groaned, and the clatter of hooves broke the silence as the wagon started back the way they came.
"When this is all over, let's buy some books," Lu Li said.
"What kind of books?"
"The kind you like."
"Alright..."
The strange fog showed no signs of lifting, but pedestrians were already reappearing on the streets, and most of the shops had opened for business.
A few minutes later, as they were passing through an unfamiliar district, a figure darted past.
A letter, wrapped around a stone, landed in the wagon right next to Lu Li.
Anna froze for an instant, then unleashed a wave of icy aura, throwing up a protective barrier around Lu Li. Transforming into a formless shadow, she shot off in pursuit.
Lu Li picked up the letter. Finding neither a stamp nor a seal, he opened the envelope.