Chapter 442: Tracing the Source

"I am a failure, I hardly pay attention to whether the sun is shining or not, because there is no time.

"My parents couldn't provide me with support, my education wasn't high, and I was alone in the city looking for the future.

"I found many jobs, but I wasn't hired. Maybe no one likes someone who is not good at speaking, doesn't love communication, and hasn't shown enough ability.

(Content omitted for brevity)

"I only ate two loaves of bread for three whole days. Hunger made me unable to sleep at night. Fortunately, I paid a month's rent in advance and could continue to live in that dark basement, without having to go outside to endure the unusually cold wind of winter.

"Finally, I found a job, guarding the hospital at night, guarding the morgue.

"The hospital at night was colder than I imagined. The wall lamps in the corridor weren't lit, and it was dim everywhere. I could only rely on the little light that penetrated from the room to help me see my feet.

"The smell there was unpleasant. From time to time, the deceased were stuffed into body bags and sent over. We cooperated to help move him into the morgue.

"This is not a very good job, but at least it allows me to afford bread. The free time at night can also be used for study. After all, no one is willing to come to the morgue unless there is a corpse that needs to be sent or transported away for cremation. Of course, I don't have enough money to buy books yet, and I don't see any hope of saving money for the time being.

"I have to thank my former colleague. If it weren't for his sudden resignation, I might not have even been able to get such a job.

"I dream of being able to rotate to the day shift. Now I always sleep when the sun comes out and wake up after night falls, making my body a bit weak, and my head occasionally throbs with pain.

"One day, the porter sent a new corpse.

"I heard from others that this is my former colleague who resigned suddenly.

"I was a bit curious about him. After everyone left, I pulled out the cabinet and quietly opened the body bag.

"He was an old man, his face was blue and white, full of wrinkles, looking very scary under the very dim light.

"He didn't have much hair, most of it was white, and his clothes were all taken off, not even a piece of cloth left for him.

(Content omitted for brevity)

"I saw a strange mark on his chest, blue-black. I can't describe the specific shape. The light at that time was really too dim.

"I reached out and touched that mark, nothing special.

"Looking at this former colleague, I was thinking, if I keep going like this, when I get old, will I be the same as him...

"I said to him, tomorrow I will accompany him to the crematorium and personally take his ashes to the nearest free cemetery, so that those responsible for these things won't find it troublesome and just throw them in a river or a wasteland.

"This will sacrifice one morning of my sleep, but fortunately, it's Sunday soon, so I can make up for it.

"After saying that, I fixed the body bag and stuffed it back into the cabinet.

"The light in the room seemed to be even dimmer...

... "After that day, every time I sleep, I always dream of a thick fog.

"I have a premonition that something will happen soon, a premonition that sooner or later something that I don't know if it can be called human will come to find me, but no one is willing to believe me, feeling that in such an environment and such a job, my spirit has become abnormal and I need to see a doctor..."

A male guest sitting at the bar looked at the storyteller who suddenly stopped:

"And then?"

This male guest was in his thirties, wearing a brown tweed jacket and light yellow trousers, his hair pressed very flat, with a simple dark round top hat by his hand.

He looked ordinary, like most people in the tavern, black hair, light blue eyes, not good-looking, nor ugly, lacking obvious characteristics.

And the storyteller in his eyes was a young man of eighteen or nineteen, with a tall figure, slender limbs, also black short hair, light blue eyes, but with deep features, which could make people's eyes shine.

This young man looked at the empty wine glass in front of him, sighed and said:

"And then?

(Content omitted for brevity)

"Then I resigned and returned to the countryside, coming here to brag with you."

As he spoke, a smile appeared on his face, a smile with a bit of mischievous meaning.

That male guest was stunned:

"Are you bragging about what you just said?"

"Haha." A burst of laughter erupted around the bar.

The laughter subsided slightly, and a thin middle-aged man looked at the guest who looked a bit embarrassed and said:

"Outsider, you actually believe Lumian's story. What he tells every day is different. Yesterday he was still a loser whose engagement was broken by his fiancée because of poverty, and today he became a morgue guard!"

"Yes, saying thirty years on the east side of the Selenzo River, thirty years on the right side of the Selenzo River, only knowing how to talk nonsense!" Another tavern regular followed.

They were all farmers in the large village of Cordu, wearing short jackets that were black, gray, or brown.

The black-haired young man named Lumian supported the bar with both hands, stood up slowly, and said with a smile:

"You know, this is not a story I made up. It was all written by my sister. She loves writing stories the most and is also a columnist for 'Novel Weekly'."

After speaking, he turned his body to the side, spread his hands to the outsider, and smiled brilliantly:

"It seems she writes really well."

"Sorry, I misunderstood."

The man wearing a brown tweed jacket and looking ordinary didn't get angry, stood up, and responded with a smile:

"A very interesting story.

"How should I address you?"

"Isn't it common sense to introduce yourself before asking others?" Lumian smiled.

That guest from out of town nodded:

"My name is Ryan Cos.

"These two are my companions Valentine and Leah."

The latter sentence refers to a man and a woman sitting next to them.

The man was twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with some powder on his yellow hair, and eyes that were not big but had a color a bit deeper than lake blue. He wore a white vest, a blue fine tweed coat, and black trousers, and had clearly been carefully dressed before going out.

... He looked quite indifferent and didn't look much at the surrounding farmers and herdsmen.

That woman looked younger than the two men. Her light gray long hair was tied into a complex bun, and she wrapped a white veil to act as a hat.

Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and her gaze toward Lumian carried an undisguised smile, seemingly finding what just happened interesting.

Under the glow of the tavern's gas wall lamp, the woman named Lia revealed a pert nose and beautifully curved lips; in a countryside village like Cordu, she could definitely be called a beauty.

She wore a white cashmere tight-fitting dress without pleats, paired with a beige small coat and a pair of Masil long boots. Two small silver bells were tied to her veil and boots respectively. When she walked into the tavern just now, she was ding-ding-dong-dong all the way, which was very eye-catching, making many men stare straight.

In their eyes, this must be the fashionable dress only found in big cities like Bigor, the provincial capital, or Trier, the capital.

Lumian nodded to the three outsiders:

"My name is Lumian Lee. You can call me Lumian directly."

"Lee?" Leah blurted out.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with my surname?" Lumian asked curiously.

Ryan Cos explained for Leah:

"This surname of yours is terrifying. I almost couldn't control my voice just now."

Seeing the farmers and herdsmen around looking puzzled, he further explained:

"Those who have been in contact with sailors and sea merchants all know that there is such a saying circulating on the Five Seas:

"I would rather encounter those pirate generals or even kings than run into a person named Frank Lee.

"That person's surname is also Lee."

"Is he very scary?" Lumian asked.

Ryan shook his head:

"I don't know, but since there is such a legend, it definitely won't be bad."

He stopped the topic and said to Lumian:

"Thank you for your story. It deserves a drink. What do you want?"

"A glass of 'Green Fairy'." Lumian didn't stand on ceremony and sat down again.

Ryan Cos frowned slightly:

"'Green Fairy'... Absinthe?

"I think I need to remind you that wormwood is harmful to the human body. This kind of wine may cause mental confusion and make you have hallucinations."

"I didn't expect the fashion trend of Trier to have spread here." Leah added with a smile.

Lumian said "Oh":

"So Trier people also like to drink 'Green Fairy'...

"For us, life is already hard enough. There is no need to care about a little more harm. This kind of wine can make our spirits get greater relaxation."

"Alright." Ryan sat back in his seat and looked at the bartender, "A glass of 'Green Fairy', and add a glass of 'Spicy Heart' for me."

"Spicy Heart" is a famous fruit shochu.

"Why don't you give me a glass of 'Green Fairy' too? I was the one who told you the truth just now, and I can tell you the situation of this kid exactly!" The thin middle-aged man who first exposed Lumian for telling stories every day shouted dissatisfiedly, "Outsider, I can see that you have doubts about the truth of that story!"

"Pierre, for a free glass of wine, you really can do anything!" Lumian responded loudly.

... Without waiting for Ryan to make a decision, Lumian added:

"Why can't I tell it myself? That way I can drink another glass of 'Green Fairy'?"

"Because they don't know whether to believe the situation you said." The middle-aged man named Pierre laughed triumphantly, "The story your sister loves to tell children most is 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf'. People who always lie inevitably lose credibility."

"Alright." Lumian shrugged his shoulders, watching the bartender push a glass of pale green wine in front of him.

Ryan looked at him and consulted:

"Is it okay?"

"No problem, as long as your wallet is enough to pay for these drinks." Lumian didn't care at all.

"Then another glass of 'Green Fairy'." Ryan nodded.

Pierre was full of smiles:

"Generous outsider, this kid is the person who loves pranks most in the village. You must stay away from him.

"Five years ago, he was brought back to the village by his sister Aurore and never left again. Think about it, before that, he was only thirteen years old. How could he go to the hospital to be a morgue guard? Hmm, the nearest hospital to us is in Daliege at the foot of the mountain, which takes a whole afternoon."

"Brought back to the village?" Leah asked keenly.

She tilted her head slightly, bringing out a ding-ding-dong-dong sound.

Pierre nodded:

(Content omitted for brevity)

"Then, he followed Aurore's surname 'Lee', and even the name 'Lumian' was taken by Aurore."

"I've forgotten what I was originally called." Lumian drank a sip of absinthe and said with a smile.

It seems that he is not inferior or ashamed that his past is exposed like this.

Zhinaocun reminds you: Remember to collect after reading ===== CHAPTER 443 =====