35 Drawing to a Close 5

Standing in this abandoned construction site, I am overcome with deep emotion.

It was here that I found Mazao. For the longest time, I possessed incredible powers but could never encounter the incredible adventures I craved; it was from that very moment that I finally turned the first page of my life. This place is the site of my destiny, the place where my story began.

Even though it might appear bleak and desolate to others, in my eyes, it is as if viewed through a magical filter. Whether it is the weeds swaying in the cold wind, the construction debris piled to the side, or especially the unfinished building looming ahead, everything seems to carry an evocative, suggestive charm.

The lower floors of this unfinished structure have relatively intact outer walls and partitions, while the higher levels remain exposed, looking at first glance like tiers of a parking garage suspended in the sky.

Agent Kong’s voice, devoid of sentiment, drifted over from beside me: "Zhuang Cheng, are you familiar with the urban legends surrounding this place?"

"I am," I replied. "They say it's haunted. Back when this area was still under construction, a foreman who wasn't wearing a hard hat was walking beneath the building under construction. A hard object happened to fall from a height and struck his skull.

"After his death, this construction site began to be haunted for no apparent reason, causing widespread panic. Eventually, the development and construction projects were abandoned, and the building team cleared out."

Agent Kong nodded in agreement, walking ahead to lead me into the unfinished building. My field of vision shifted from bright daylight to a gloomy, eerie dimness.

He seemed to be organizing the information in his mind before picking up where I left off: "That is roughly the gist of it; this was an event that occurred before I was transferred here. But there is a follow-up to this matter, something that has only become popular in the last few days. I assume you’ve heard of it: they say the evil spirit lurking here tries to kidnap female college students who pass by after school.

"The victim claimed that when she passed by late at night, she witnessed a man covered in blood standing on the unfinished building. Then, in a moment of distraction, she found herself inside the structure, and that twisted, blood-drenched figure appeared before her, approaching step by step.

"However, the evil spirit seems to have weak power; after transporting the victim inside, it couldn't sustain the act and could only watch as she fled in terror, unable to drag her back."

This, too, was something I had heard. Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—what I encountered here was not some unoriginal evil spirit from a ghost story, but Mazao, who brought me "luck."

Agent Kong was clearly here investigating the urban legend in his capacity as a Luoshan agent. This was my first time investigating a supernatural phenomenon alongside an operative from such an organization.

In the past, I was always a lone wolf, misunderstood by those around me. Now, exploring alongside someone who treats the anomalous with professional seriousness, I found the experience incredibly fresh, even stirring up feelings that could only be described as moving.

He asked, seemingly offhandedly, "Have you ever investigated this place?"

"I..." I was about to say I had been here, but suddenly recalled certain traces left inside the building and changed my answer mid-sentence. "I haven't. I was actually planning to come take a look recently."

"Is that so? Then it’s perfect; let’s take a look together. I investigated twice after the rumors first spread, though I didn't encounter any evil spirits. However, the way the victims talked about their experiences didn't seem like they were lying, so I thought it best to return." He had been quite solemn while posing as a policeman, but now he turned humorous. "Perhaps it’s because I’m not a female college student, so the evil spirit isn't interested in a middle-aged uncle like me, which is why it doesn't appear before me."

As we spoke, we passed the outside of a raw, unfinished room on the lower floor. Agent Kong suddenly let out an "oh" and walked inside to inspect it.

That was the very spot where I had found Mazao. Bloodstains from the night before still lingered on the floor—which was why I had claimed I hadn't been here.

Agent Kong knelt to touch the blood.

"This is... blood. Is it human blood?" He looked thoughtful. "It looks like it was left recently... has someone been harmed here?"

"Perhaps there really is an evil spirit here. Agent Kong, do you have a way to find it?" I feigned ignorance about the blood, asking with a show of concern. "What should we do if it doesn't come out?"

"Don't worry. I am a professional, after all; I naturally have my ways." He smiled confidently and stood up. "Some anomalies have specific rules of operation—for instance, targeting only children, or the ill, or, like this case, targeting only a specific gender... and thus, they do not easily manifest before others.

"However, as agents, we cannot give up our investigations for such reasons; we must possess the means to circumvent those special rules to a certain extent."

My appetite was whetted. Was he about to show me the real skills of a Luoshan agent, forcing an anomaly to reveal its existence?

To be honest, I was more interested in the genuine techniques of a Luoshan agent than the combat methods of a demon hunter.

Agent Kong took a silver-gray square, the size of a mobile phone, from his pocket.

The surface of the square had a dark gray adhesive film, which he peeled away to reveal concise, arcane, incised symbols, looking much like a metal-based talisman.

"I don't know if you've heard the saying that anomalies attract one another," he explained. "Although the specific principles behind this law are still unknown, if we narrow the scope to evil spirits, there is a theoretical explanation.

"Just as a starving human finds high-calorie, high-fat food delicious, those hollow evil spirits love to devour high-quality souls. When such a soul appears before them, even if it isn't their preferred target, they cannot suppress their instincts and will be unable to help themselves from attacking."

I looked at the "metal talisman" in his hand and guessed, "Does this object contain the kind of soul you mentioned?"

"Of course not! That would be far too evil. This is merely a tool that emits the same scent to nearby evil spirits." He looked speechless for a moment before continuing, "If the urban legend is true, the evil spirit here should be a low-level one driven only by instinct. Even if it usually only attacks female college students, it will surely covet this object and pounce upon it, completely losing itself in the process."

"I see..." I scanned my surroundings, alert for any potential enemies. "But if the evil spirit really does appear, won't you be in danger, Agent Kong?"

"I have a protective charm issued by Luoshan to its agents; low-level spirits cannot harm me." He laughed. "And even if the worst happens, you're here, aren't you? Let me see your true skills, reserve demon hunter Zhuang Cheng."

Hearing this, I made up my mind to show them what I could do.

A mediocre performance probably wouldn't be enough. Since Zhu Shi thinks my defensive capabilities are insufficient for a long-term career as a demon hunter, I would demonstrate a skill I hadn't used before. Even if Zhu Shi herself wasn't here, it would be good to let Agent Kong see it.

If I only talked about it, they might think I was bragging, but if I demonstrated it in actual combat, no one could deny it.

I focused my attention, scanning the area and eagerly anticipating the sudden appearance of an evil spirit. Agent Kong also fell silent, watching intently.

But after a long while, the space remained silent, and Agent Kong began to look puzzled.

Another moment passed, and he finally couldn't help but say, "How... why hasn't anything happened?"

"Could the urban legend here be false?" That was my first reaction.

"That shouldn't be... based on my past experience, it's highly likely an evil spirit exists here..." He was deeply confused and looked down to check the metal talisman again. "The Soul-Luring Talisman shows no issues... could there be some other factor preventing the evil spirit from coming?"

"The rumors say the evil spirit appears late at night. Could it be the wrong time?" I asked.

"Evil spirits do fear sunlight, but this is indoors, and this is the place where the spirit was born. Even if it dislikes the daytime, it should be unable to resist appearing under the attraction of the Soul-Luring Talisman." He pondered repeatedly. "Is it possible there really is no evil spirit here? Or are there other factors at play that make the spirit unwilling to approach?"

"Let's wait a little longer. Maybe the spirit is still waking up." I was already accustomed to expectations falling short and had more patience in this regard.

He nodded slightly, and we waited together. Yet, after a long time, there was still no sign of an evil spirit.

Zhu Shi said last night that I and the anomalous seemed to repel each other, which was why I could never encounter the things I sought.

Is the reason the evil spirit isn't coming out now based on the same logic?

Even the Soul-Luring Talisman, capable of attracting spirits, didn't seem to counteract this unknown repulsion. But logically, Mazao's "jinx" constitution should have neutralized my repulsion... how should that be explained?

Could it be that there truly is no evil spirit here?

Or, since this is my "place of destiny," does it have to manifest a unique style in this regard as well?

With things at an impasse, Agent Kong had no choice but to stow away the Soul-Luring Talisman and leave the unfinished building with me.

We traveled to a place far from the abandoned construction site. On the way, he said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I brought you here hoping to show you an anomaly, but I didn't expect it to be a wasted trip."

"It's fine. I don't mind; I'm used to it." My state of mind remained relatively stable.

"Used to it..." He gave a helpless smile, then seemed thoughtful. "Come to think of it, I have a question..."

"What is it?"

"Since you are so persistent in pursuing the anomalous and possess such extraordinary superpowers, why have you never exposed yourself?" He observed me with an inquiring gaze.

"What do you mean?" I asked back.

"Although you only just learned of Luoshan's existence, you must have been able to deduce from the very beginning that this country had supernatural organizations." He looked curious. "If you had simply displayed your powers to passersby in broad daylight, Luoshan would have naturally come knocking, and you could have made contact with us. Why didn't you do that? Were you afraid of being detained as a test subject by official forces, or even dissected and studied?"