Chapter 614: The Secret of the Aquarius (Part 1)

"I think I understand why you touched my hand…"

After Senior Jerry tried to pull three times and his own right hand was also pulled three times by some inexplicable force, recalling the prophetic dream of "young Watching Watching Qiaoshuya," Hearing Li Ang could not help but exclaim in sudden realization:

"Just as the Nightmare King would make two Joshuas have nightmares together, in the judgment of 【Fortune-Stealing Art】, these two Joshuas should be one person with two fate trajectories, so two 'objects' that have the greatest influence on him appeared.

And if I'm not mistaken, the shadow on the left should be the thing that has the greatest influence on middle-aged Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's fate, and as for my right hand, it's probably the thing that has the deepest influence on young Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's fate, so it also appeared among the options."

"…"

If that's the case, it could barely make sense?

After hearing Hearing Li Ang's guess, Jerry first nodded slightly in agreement, then asked with some confusion:

"Hearing Li Ang, what's going on with your hand? Why would it have such a great influence on Prince Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's fate?"

"Uh… actually it's nothing, I just slapped him twice with my own hands…"

After briefly describing the big slap during the inheritance ceremony, and the vicious beating of the real brother-in-law during the investigation with Senior Emma, under the gaze of the short man who looked as if he had seen a ghost, Hearing Li Ang explained righteously:

"I didn't use any anomalous object, I just hit him with my bare hands. The agreement between the Bureau and the royal families of all countries only says that anomalous objects are not to be used to influence or harm royal family members — it doesn't say I'm not allowed to just punch him, right?"

"…"

The agreement really didn't have that clause, but that's because for a normal person, the probability of assaulting a prince and killing him is higher than the probability of slapping him in the face, okay?

You really are… I thought stealing from the royal family was already outrageous enough, but I never expected there to be someone like you. Truly worthy of being someone who can join our Maiden Branch — you really aren't a lamp that saves oil!

After giving Hearing Li Ang a speechless thumbs-up, the short man changed the target of 【Fortune-Stealing Art】 again and reached for the faintly trembling unidentified object on the left.

Although he couldn't determine which one was 【Door of the Other Shore】 before, now that the right side has been confirmed to be Hearing Li Ang's hand, the real Door of the Other Shore is naturally the one on the left. As long as he steals it out next… huh?

Another sudden change.

Accompanied by a soft puff, the shadow of unknown substance on the left burst apart the instant Jerry grabbed it, then, like a wild beast that had smelled fresh blood, or a vicious ghost that had found a thread of escape from purgatory, it frantically climbed up along Jerry's right hand!

?!!!

Seeing this bizarre scene, the two immediately understood that something terrible was happening. Jerry did not pull his right hand back, but instead extended his left hand toward the office window glass and let out an urgent bark.

"Woof!"

Accompanied by a crisp and clean response, Xiao Jinmao's dog head flashed past the window glass, and an unsharpened short dagger suddenly appeared in Jerry's left hand.

He grabbed the short dagger engraved with strange patterns, and while forcefully pulling back his caught right hand, he pressed the blade of the dagger against the skin on the back of his right hand and sharply sliced off a small piece. Meanwhile, Hearing Li Ang also tore off the red hair tied around his own neck and threw it toward Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's heart.

"Mabu-wu!"

Accompanied by a bizarre roar that was half anger and half despair, the arm that had been caught by the shadow suddenly turned into the small piece of skin that Jerry had actively sliced off.

And following his motion of pulling back his hand, a small portion that had chased out from Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's heart was sliced into countless bits of flesh reeking of black qi by the director's red hair, which faintly exuded the smell of blood, smearing a large patch directly onto the carpet.

Where's the promised Door of the Other Shore? What the hell is this thing?!

…"Don't go!"

Just as Hearing Li Ang and Jerry had yet to recover from their shock, the shadow, which seemed to have recognized their species, suddenly began speaking "human" language.

"Take me out! Take me out!"

Having chased all the way to Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's heart along the still-undispersed ripples of 【Fortune-Stealing Art】, the thing, while frantically slamming outward from the inside, causing intense water ripples to ripple across Watching Watching Qiaoshuya's chest, screamed wildly:

"Wealth! Power! Youth! Even eternal life! As long as you can save me, I'll give you anything!"

"Go to hell!"

To shake off this thing of unknown identity, having been forced to cut off a large chunk of his own flesh with a blunt knife, Jerry, who was in so much pain he kept baring his teeth, could not help but curse out loud, preparing to stop 【Fortune-Stealing Art】 directly and let this thing, which clearly looked like a bad omen, get as far away as possible.

But just as he was about to stop, he was stopped by Hearing Li Ang, who reached out a hand.

'Wait, let me ask it a few questions!'

After stopping Jerry through soul transmission, Hearing Li Ang first took out a bandage and wrapped it around Senior Jerry's hand to help him recover from his injuries, then stared intently at the now much clearer shadow and asked at great speed:

"What exactly are you? And what's your relationship with the Aquarius Director of the Cleanup Bureau?"

"Aquarius!!!"

Upon hearing the words "Aquarius Director," the strange thing suddenly became agitated and roared:

"He's the one who imprisoned me!

He filed my bones! He cut my flesh! He squeezed my blood! Damn Aquarius! If you let me out of here, I will make him experience personally exactly what kind of torment I've suffered for these two thousand-plus years!"

Two thousand-plus years?

Hearing the roar of the unknown entity, Hearing Li Ang and Jerry could not help but look at each other in shock, and then Hearing Li Ang continued to ask:

"You mean to say… the current Aquarius Director has already lived for over two thousand years?"

"Live two thousand years? Does he even deserve that?"

After madly cursing the Aquarius Director a few times, it seemed to have regained a bit of its sanity. Knowing that the two humans in front of it could not possibly save it, and were most likely just trying to gather some information, the thing simply sneered mockingly:

"You lowly short-lived species, no matter how powerful you are, you cannot transcend the shackles of the flesh. If you don't switch out your flesh, one hundred and fifty years is the limit for you humans!

The Aquarius who imprisoned me is not this current waste — it's the Aquarius Director from fifteen generations ago! These damned bastards have treated me as their clan's property and have already passed me down for fifteen generations!"

Recalling the endless torment it had suffered over these two thousand years, the thing, whatever it was, broke into another hysterical tirade of cursing, with large amounts of human speech interspersed with some incomprehensible ancient language. Combined with that eerie tone like a knife scraping glass, it stabbed at Hearing Li Ang and Jerry's ears with bursts of sharp pain.

After cursing to its heart's content, seeing the two humans "outside" who, although clearly uncomfortable, had not left, the thing of unknown identity could not help but nod in satisfaction, then sneered:

"Enough of the nonsense. I can tell that no matter what benefits I promise, you two mongrels won't take me out.

But you're clearly not on Aquarius's side, and the reason you found me is probably to get something on him… so hurry up! Before Aquarius discovers that someone has contacted me, ask whatever questions you have, quickly!"

(End of this chapter)