Chapter 766: Huh?

Huh?

After hearing the angry cursing coming from the shopping bag, the boatman, whose face had been holding a smile the whole time, suddenly stiffened. His eyes flew wide open, and he pointed at the shopping bag in Hearing Li Ang's hand with a trembling voice:

"It! It-it! You... you-you!"

"What's wrong with you?"

After warning Hearing Heishanyang to shut its mouth, Hearing Li Ang looked over with some confusion.

"Hurry up and row the boat. There are other customers waiting behind us. Blocking their way wouldn't be good."

"No... it... it just talked!!!"

"Talked? Who talked?"

"The ram's head! The ram's head you're carrying in your hand!"

"You must be hearing things."

After the small red fork hidden in the clothes on his chest trembled twice, lightly and covertly, Hearing Li Ang pulled the shopping bag in his hand open just a little, showed the boatman the "wooden carved Hearing Heishanyang" inside, and then, without changing expression, spouted nonsense:

"This is just a sculpture. How could it possibly talk?"

Woo... wooden sculpture?

Carefully leaning in to take a couple of looks and confirming it really was a wooden sculpture, the boatman in his macho-pink uniform said, eyes full of bewilderment:

"But I clearly just heard..."

"You must be tired."

After switching out the Performer Master badge, Hearing Li Ang gave him a somewhat sympathetic look, then said gently and comfortingly:

"This job must be very stressful, right? If you're not feeling well, just row me to the drinks area and you can head back. Go home and rest properly. You don't need to refund the rest of the fare either."

"N-no need, I think I'm still okay..."

Could it be... that I'm really just too tired?

Under the double deception of 【Desire-Dream Invader】 and 【Performer Master】, although he felt that angry curse still seemed to echo in his ears, the boatman in his macho-pink uniform hesitated again and again, but ultimately accepted Li Ang's explanation and began rowing the small passenger boat once more.

Phew... finally bluffed my way through that.

Seeing that the boatman didn't say anything more, Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief, then secretly slipped his hand into the shopping bag and gave Hearing Heishanyang's scalp a vicious twist.

'We almost blew our cover just now, got it? If anything like this happens again, you get back in the mirror world and stay there!'

'No... that little punk said we're ingredients! We're a great demon! Back in the day we...'

'Alright, alright, I know you're a great demon, the kind that almost ascended to godhood! Of course you'd be furious at being treated as an ingredient, but the situation this time is special. No matter what, you behave yourself!'

Considering that the upcoming mission would require Hearing Heishanyang's soul vision, Hearing Li Ang didn't retort, but with a stern face instructed:

'Before I came, the Director specifically said safety first for this operation. Our mission is just to gather intel. We absolutely cannot casually draw anyone's attention, or it could very well be dangerous!

Don't forget, I have an immortal body, and even so the Director still specifically told me to be careful about being exposed. That proves the enemies this time are extraordinary, so we absolutely must be careful, and then careful again!'

'Tch... got it!'

Hearing that even that "red-haired woman" thought this mission was dangerous, Hearing Heishanyang couldn't help but quietly shrink its neck, and added an extra measure of caution in its heart, though its mouth still said dismissively:

'If you ask me, maybe she just came here and had a big drink, got so drunk she forgot her wallet, was too embarrassed to tell you the truth, so she put on this whole mysterious act and gave you a mission, tricking you into running an errand for her. In reality, there might not be anything going on at all.'

Heh, if your skill back when you were a great demon had been half as tough as that mouth of yours, you wouldn't have been torn into seven pieces.

After hearing Hearing Heishanyang's words, Hearing Li Ang couldn't help but glance at it with contempt.

Even if the Director really did lose her wallet, once Senior Jerry comes back in a few days, finding it would be easy, right? Besides, even if she really was short on cash, she could just borrow from Senior Emma. Would she really need to go through all this trouble tricking me?

'Alright, enough nonsense, time to get to work!'

Too lazy to roast Heishanyang for still talking tough, Li Ang looked at the three-story building sitting on the water in the distance, took a deep breath with a solemn expression, then extended a finger to press against Heishanyang's forehead and quietly activated soul vision.

Boom!

As if countless neon lights of chaotic colors had lit up at once, or as if a dozen or so buckets of multicolored paint had been dumped all at once onto a vast black canvas, Li Ang felt his brain swell slightly as a flood of indistinct yet dazzlingly colorful soul flames poured into his view.

Wild, chaotic, intoxicating, frenzied...

Just one-ninth of the "Pink Mystery" before him already had nearly two thousand souls burning in extreme splendor... or one could say slowly sinking. 'This place is pretty nice, I like it!'

After taking a deep breath full of chaotic meaning, Hearing Li Ang looked at those colorful souls being gradually dyed, and Hearing Heishanyang, who had been carried off the boat by him, couldn't help but grin and chuckle twice:

'Maybe I wronged that red-haired woman. With so many intense souls gathered together, maybe they really can brew up some extraordinary anomalous object.'

'Indeed, when the Director isn't drunk, she's quite reliable.'

After nodding in agreement, Hearing Li Ang tied the mouth of the shopping bag shut, carried the ram's head into the three-story building that was still overwhelmingly pink, and upon hearing his footsteps, a neatly dressed attendant immediately stepped out from the waiting area behind the door and asked with a beaming smile:

"Guest, which floor would you like to go to?"

"Which floor... is there any difference between the floors here? The higher up, the better?"

"Not entirely."

The attendant smiled:

"Our Pink Mystery drinks area will wholeheartedly entertain every guest who arrives. The reason we divide the floors is mainly so that everyone can have a better time.

For example, the first floor is divided into the free-drinking area. Although it's a bit noisy, the atmosphere is great, convenient for guests with a big drinking capacity who want to come and have a wild time;

The second floor is divided into small separate areas, suitable for guests who prefer quiet and want to gather with a few friends for a small drink; as for the top third floor, it's for guests who have high requirements for the quality of drinks, who care more about taste and even class."

Got it, first floor cheap, second floor expensive, third floor murderously expensive!

After covertly squeezing his own wallet, Hearing Li Ang, who was already in extreme pain from just paying the boat fare, nodded and asked without changing expression:

"Then which floor is the VIP area?"

"Hehe, the moment you come here, you are a VIP of our Pink Mystery. Our service will be as thoughtful and meticulous as possible, fully ensuring you have a wonderful and pleasant experience."

After politely and neither servilely nor overbearingly saying a few pleasantries, the attendant smiled and said:

"However, there are indeed some guests who like to call the third floor the VIP area... Do you have an appointment with a certain guest on the third floor? If so, I can take you up to the third floor right now."

So... the VIP area is like a membership system. Without an introduction or sufficient status, they won't even let people up, is that it?

Hearing the hidden implication in the waiter's words, Li Ang couldn't help but frown slightly, instinctively wanting to activate 【Desire Dream Invader】 and make the waiter in front of him have a dream to bring him up.

But after thinking of the bureau chief's repeated admonitions, worried that the fluctuation of the anomalous object would be detected, Li Ang instead tapped his cufflink with a backhand, taking out the identity badge the Lane family had given him.

"Will this get me to the third floor?"

This is... a lion crest? Five-feather golden crown? Then wouldn't this person be... the Lionheart Duke?!

The waiter's pupils contracted — having received relevant training, he immediately recognized the meaning of this badge, and the look in his eyes suddenly took on a few degrees of eagerness.

"Of course!"

After hurriedly stepping aside, the waiter said with a beaming smile:

"Honorable Duke, since this is your first visit, please come with me to register briefly and leave a signature.

All subsequent bills will be charged directly to your name based on the signature, and then we'll go to the Lane family to settle them, minimizing any disturbance to you... how does that sound?"

Hm? Meaning if I spend money here, you'll go to the Lane family to collect, right?

Hearing that someone would foot today's bill, Li Ang couldn't help but be overjoyed, agreeing as calmly as he could manage, then following behind the waiter to the main counter, taking the quill he handed over, and pressing down on the exquisite signature book with his left hand...

"Sizzle..."

【Name: Evil Fall Registry (Fall, Name, Location)】

【Appearance:...】

Ah?

(End of this chapter)