Chapter 273
Chapter 273
The Clown wrenched free of Liu Ye and secretly rubbed his leg. The boy was surprisingly strong.
Then he held the cane horizontally and dropped it. It instantly became a sheet of black cloth.
Liu Ye had never seen magic performed in real life. He was so excited he nearly cried.
“Master! I want to learn that one too!”
The Clown: “…”
For some reason, hearing the boy call him Master sent a chill down his spine.
His face soon became vicious again.
He laid the black cloth on the ground, forming a square more than a meter tall. When he pulled away the cloth, a box covered in holes appeared before Liu Ye.
“Oh, I’ve seen this on television. This is the one where you stick swords inside, right?”
The Clown nodded, opened the box, and gestured to Liu Ye.
“You want me to get in?”
The Clown nodded again. Liu Ye excitedly entered the box.
The instant he was inside, the Clown slammed it shut. Countless flying swords emerged, circled through the air, then plunged into the holes in unison!
Shnk!
At the crisp sound, the Clown opened his mouth wide and licked his lips with a scarlet tongue, ready to feast. Then he found Liu Ye blinking at him.
“Master, you’re amazing! So many swords went through me, but I’m completely fine.”
The Clown froze. Impossible!
He pulled out the swords, opened the box, and motioned for Liu Ye to leave. Suspecting something was wrong inside, he climbed in to inspect it. A gust of wind blew the lid shut.
The Clown froze, then tried to push it open. To his horror, it would not budge.
He pounded frantically on the box and cried out.
Liu Ye immediately understood. Master had demonstrated once and now wanted him to repeat the trick.
But when he looked around, the swords from before were gone. What could he do?
He rummaged through his little bundle and pulled out a peachwood sword he had made back in the village.
Since this was his first performance, Liu Ye figured a wooden sword would be safer. He aimed at one of the holes and thrust it inside.
Shnk!
Feeling resistance through the hilt, Liu Ye sensed something was wrong. Master’s movements had been so smooth.
He withdrew the wooden sword and found blood on it. Then black blood sprayed from the hole.
Liu Ye: “…”
“Master, did I make a mistake? It’s fine, Master. Give me a few more chances to practice.”
With that, Liu Ye stabbed the sword inside again.
“That didn’t feel right. Before, it was like this…”
Shnk!
“No, that’s wrong too! Master used this posture…”
Shnk!
“Still wrong. Master’s movement was more stylish…”
Shnk!
“Right, I think it was like this…”
Shnk!
“Master, was it like this?”
Liu Ye shouted excitedly. The next instant, a scream that shook the heavens erupted from the box.
“Ohoho! Ohohoho!”
Blood blasted from the holes like rocket exhaust, and the reaction force launched the box into the air. At the same time, every human-head balloon in the sky burst. Blood rained down, and even the surrounding fog thinned.
The despairing residents of Huicheng suddenly discovered that some of the nearby Fiends had vanished.
Liu Ye stared in shock as the box disappeared into the sky and called out helplessly,
“Master! What does ‘ohohoho’ mean? You never told me! And this trick is too difficult; I can’t handle it! Master!”
Liu Ye waited for a long time, but Master never came down.
He lowered his head dejectedly. He had finally found a chance to learn a trade, only to ruin it.
But this was hardly his fault. Master had started with something so difficult that Liu Ye could not learn it! Besides, he had nearly gotten the hang of it. Why not give him another chance?
Liu Ye understood that Master was probably old-fashioned. Hadn’t people once said that anyone who wanted to learn a craft first had to serve as a servant for three years?
But Master had not even given him the opportunity!
“Forget it. I’ll go home first.”
Liu Ye figured Brother Driver and the others must be worried.
…
Meanwhile, Xiaoshuai and young John reached the Fiend Investigation Bureau. Under Xiaoqian’s protection, they had traveled safely, but Brother Biao and the other two had disappeared.
As they arrived at the entrance, the pendant around Xiaoshuai’s neck grew scorching hot.
He knew Xiaoqian was warning him. A Fiend inside clearly posed a serious problem even for her.
Xiaoqian was far from weak. She had collected all her pieces and now lacked only the formation of her Fiend Domain and the discovery of her own Taboo.
In reality, she ranked among the high-level Fiends. Anything that troubled her could not be simple.
“Wait outside. I’ll go in first.”
Protected by Xiaoqian’s pendant, and carrying Substitute Scarecrows he had bought with points from the completed mission, Xiaoshuai had some assurance of safety.
Young John did not argue. This was no time for posturing.
Xiaoshuai set his revival point at the entrance and walked inside.
The moment he entered, he saw corpses covering the floor. Every neck was twisted, and every body lay motionless.
Ahead stood a young woman with her back to him.
A Fiend?
Xiaoshuai stopped and slowed his breathing, trying not to alert her.
He had taken only one step when the girl suddenly turned her head.
Crack!
His vision went black, and he reappeared at the entrance.
“What happened?”
Young John was startled by Xiaoshuai’s sudden appearance. It meant Xiaoshuai had already died once. Less than ten minutes had passed. How terrifying was the thing inside?
“Are you all right?”
Young John could not help asking as Xiaoshuai trembled slightly.
“I’m fine!”
He tried to enter again, but young John stopped him before he took a step.
“You’re afraid.”
Xiaoshuai laughed in anger.
“What a joke. I’ve seen countless Fiends. I’ve faced even more terrifying ones. Why would I be afraid?”
An ugly smile appeared on his face.
Young John said calmly,
“You’re afraid the adult me will die.”
Xiaoshuai instantly fell silent.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I worry about him? I… I… What are you doing?”
Young John held out his hand.
“You can no longer handle this calmly. Give me the Substitute Scarecrows. I’ll go in and find him.”
Xiaoshuai opened his mouth but could not argue. Young John was right. His thoughts were already in chaos.
He had believed John was merely a partner and that someone like him felt no familial affection.
But when the crisis truly arrived, he realized John mattered far more than he had imagined. After seeing so many Bureau employees, he was terrified John would end up like them.
“Be careful!”
Xiaoshuai took out three Substitute Scarecrows, his entire supply. Then he recounted exactly what had happened. After listening, young John thoughtfully took three bags of sugar from his clothes and poured them into his mouth.
He closed his eyes, savoring the faint sweetness. Several ideas instantly formed in his mind.
“I’m going in!”
Without hesitation, young John walked inside.