Chapter 135

Lu Mian, who couldn't figure it out, didn't think too much about it; he rolled up his sleeve, revealing his right arm, and made a cut on it with "Fallen Mercury."

After a brief numbness came the pain he had tasted many times, but he didn't frown, watching the drops of fresh blood overflow and dye the silver-black blade tip red.

Almost simultaneously, an illusory mercury-colored long river composed of countless complex symbols appeared before Lu Mian's eyes, and the drops of fate stored within the sinister dagger seeped out from the blade tip and flowed into the shallow wound.

Lu Mian concentrated his spirit, trying his best to distinguish the fate he wanted to exchange.

He "saw" himself receiving treatment, "saw" himself falling into a deep sleep after venting his emotions, and also "saw" himself about to go find Osta Trul...

These scenes flashed through Lu Mian's mind as if he had truly witnessed them with his own eyes.

Before long, he found himself walking outside the catacombs and meeting the Monsuri Ghost in the fate of the last few days.

He hurriedly flicked the tip of "Fallen Mercury," making it stab toward those complex symbols that seemed to be self-entwined by mercury-colored small rivers.

That fate was quite heavy, and Lu Mian couldn't pry it loose the first time.

Seeing the illusory long river gradually fading and the images in his mind becoming increasingly blurred, he hurriedly poured most of his spirituality into the blade of "Fallen Mercury."

Finally, following his second attempt to pry it, the fate of "meeting the Monsuri Ghost" detached from the mercury-colored illusory long river, shrinking into a small droplet, just like mercury beads after a thermometer is broken.

That illusory water droplet soon merged into the silver-black dagger.

Only then did Lu Mian truly breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that he had already gotten rid of the Monsuri Ghost, and "Fallen Mercury" could now be called the "Blade of Curses" again.

He had just finished dealing with the wound when he suddenly had a wonderful intuition.

Following this intuition, Lu Mian walked out of the "Golden Rooster Hotel" once again, passed through drunks who were howling and crying and two groups of people engaged in a fierce fight, returned all the way to Nightingale Street, and stopped outside the alley where he had fought Margot.

He frowned, entered cautiously, and vaulted over the barricade.

The next second, Lu Mian's gaze naturally fell on the shadows in the corner.

Something was lying quietly in that place ruled by darkness.

Lu Mian, having realized something, walked over quickly, squatted down, and picked up the item with his gloved left palm.

It was a bulging brown leather wallet.

"Dropped by Margot? The money his subordinates scraped together and handed over to him?" Lu Mian roughly understood how the exchanged fate was realized.

Although he didn't remember whether Margot had dropped his wallet during their fierce fight, whether it dropped then or was "supplemented" later didn't affect Lu Mian getting this money.

He pulled out the thick stack of banknotes, poured out the gold, silver, and copper coins from the change purse, and then threw the wallet aside and left the alley.

After returning to Room 207 of the "Golden Rooster Hotel," Lu Mian lit the carbide lamp and carefully counted his spoils.

He had harvested a total of 1265 verl d'or and 15 kopeks, mostly in 10 verl d'or and smaller banknotes, with only one 200 verl d'or note, one 100 verl d'or note, and two 50 verl d'or notes, plus a few gold louis.

Staring at this money for a few seconds, Lu Mian sighed sincerely:

"Accepting 10 donations from 'kind-hearted people' doesn't compare to killing a gang leader..."

Of course, this money didn't all belong to Margot; he was just representing the Poison Sting Gang in managing it.

Lu Mian then pulled out a stack of small-denomination banknotes worth a total of 200 verl d'or, took them, left Room 207, and went up the stairs floor by floor.

In less than a minute, he arrived at the 4th floor and stood in front of Room 8.

He remembered that Margot had come to the "Golden Rooster Hotel" in the evening to take away most of the money earned by an illegal prostitute named Isance.

At that time, it should have been one of Margot's subordinates specifically in charge, but afterward, this money definitely ended up in Margot's hands.

Lu Mian didn't knock; he bent down and stuffed the stack of banknotes through the gap in the door, part by part.

He quickly straightened his back, turned, and walked toward the stairs, disappearing into the dark corridor.

Lu Mian slept until six o'clock and heard the *ding-dong* of the church bells.

He had slept very soundly last night, even having the feeling that his "Provocateur" potion had digested a little bit more.

"Go find Osta Trul in the morning to see if Mr. K has replied, and by the way, buy some better clothes and cosmetics in the Observatory District... go to the Honest Man Market's cheap clothing store in the afternoon..." Lu Mian wasn't in a hurry to get up; he lay quietly there, thinking about today's arrangements.

After getting rid of the threat of the Monsuri Ghost, he put re-disguising himself on his agenda.

After lingering in bed for a while, he went out slowly, cleaned himself in the washroom, then went downstairs and bought half a liter of apple cider and a bread roll with a pork sausage from the street vendors.

After filling his stomach, he went to the nearest church square, found a deserted corner, and practiced the combat techniques Aurora had taught him.

It wasn't until 9:30 in the morning that Lu Mian returned to the "Golden Rooster Hotel," intending to rest for an hour before going to find Osta Trul.

He had just entered the hotel lobby when he saw three cleaning maids sweeping various dirty places under the direction of Mrs. Fells.

The hotel owner hires people to clean every Monday... Lu Mian withdrew his gaze and walked toward the stairwell.

At this moment, footsteps came from upstairs.

In less than ten seconds, Charlie, wearing a linen shirt, dark trousers, and unlaced leather shoes, appeared in Lu Mian's eyes.

"You didn't go to the hotel?" Lu Mian asked with slight confusion.

Charlie yawned and said with slight excitement:

"Don't you know? I'm off today.

"We can take one day off every week, and we choose which day it is ourselves."

Lu Mian laughed:

"Will this day off cause Mrs. Alice to reduce your 'monthly salary'?"

Charlie smiled with slight embarrassment:

"She has her own social engagements too."

As the two were chatting, a stench drifted in from the entrance, and the short, ragged, gray-haired couple, Ruhl and Michelle, entered the hotel.

"You guys didn't go to the steam train station?" Charlie greeted them enthusiastically.

Ruhl first approached them, then maintained a distance with slight restraint:

"The Market District is a bit chaotic today, so we decided to take a day off."

"What's wrong?" Lu Mian asked "curiously."

Ruhl subconsciously lowered his voice:

"Margot of the Poison Sting Gang is dead, many gang members are looking for someone, people from other gangs might clash with them at any time, and quite a few police have come too."

"Margot is dead?" Charlie blurted out in astonishment.

He had just thought this guy deserved to die yesterday, and he died today?

Ruhl nodded solemnly:

"I heard quite a few people saying so.

"Sigh, can't go out to earn money today."

His wife, Mrs. Michelle, comforted him:

"If we don't go out, we don't have to eat lunch, which can save some money."

Before Lu Mian could ask about the specific situation outside, Charlie, who had come to his senses, turned around and sprinted upstairs.

Lu Mian's eyes shifted slightly, and he followed.

*Thump, thump, thump*, Charlie climbed to the 4th floor quickly and ran to Room 8.

He caught his breath and began pounding on the wooden door.

"Who is it?" A slightly hoarse female voice came from inside.

Charlie loudly announced his name.

"Didn't I say I'm off in the morning? Come back in the afternoon; remember, 10 verl d'or, no discount for you this time!" The female voice responded impatiently while opening the door.

This was the first time Lu Mian had seen this woman named Isance; her flaxen long hair fell casually, hanging over her shoulders, her eyes of the same color carried a bit of vigilance, and a hint of nervousness remained on her face.

She looked to be twenty-three or twenty-four, her appearance not outstanding, only qualifying as pretty, but her face and clothes were kept very clean, and her red long dress revealed a large area of fair skin on her chest.

Charlie said to Isance excitedly:

"Do you know? Margot is dead!

"He's really dead!"

"..." Isance froze instantly.

After a few seconds, her slightly hoarse voice became sharp:

"That devil is really dead?"

"Really." Charlie nodded without hesitation, "You can finally get rid of that devil! You can finally live like a normal person!"

Isance looked around blankly, seeing only Lu Mian's emotionless eyes and Charlie's excited expression.

"Dead, he's dead?" Amidst constant whispering, Isance thought of the money that had bizarrely appeared in her room.

She began to believe that Margot was really dead, and her vision blurred rapidly.

Her tears slid down drop by drop, and she couldn't help but squat down, burying her face in her arms.

Sobbing sounds followed, growing louder and more unbridled.

Just at this moment, footsteps sounded from the stairwell.

Lu Mian turned his head to look and saw a young man wearing a white shirt inside and a black jacket outside walking up.

Behind him followed the three thugs who had previously belonged to Margot.

The young man had slightly curly brown hair and a fleshy face; he walked to the crying Isance, leaned down, and said with a smile:

"I am Wilson of the Poison Sting Gang; from today on, I will take Margot's place in taking care of you."

Charlie's excited expression froze on his face instantly.

Isance's sobbing stopped abruptly.

She slowly lifted her tear-filled face and saw Wilson's smile and the shadow brought by his body.

A shadow so thick it couldn't be melted away.

Lu Mian watched silently, his head lifting imperceptibly.

On the way to the first floor, Charlie, who had been silent for a long time, couldn't help but ask:

"Is the suffering of the poor really endless?"

"I really like a sentence Aurora Lee once wrote." Lu Mian replied without expression, "Sometimes, it's not us who are wrong, but this world."

Just as he finished speaking, three people came up from the first floor.

They were all policemen wearing black uniforms, black vests, and white shirts, stepping in unlaced leather boots.

The leading officer, who was a full 1.85 meters tall, swept his gaze over Charlie and Lu Mian and suddenly stopped in his tracks.

He reached out to press the firearm at his waist and asked in a deep voice:

"Charlie Corrent?"

Charlie froze instantly:

"It's me, Officer, is there something wrong?"

The officer gave his companions a wink and took out handcuffs made of steel.

Following the flanking maneuver of his two companions, he said to Charlie with a serious expression:

"You are suspected of a murder case; we are arresting you."

"Murder?" Charlie was shocked, fearful, and full of confusion.

Lu Mian also raised his eyebrows in astonishment.

The officer, while handcuffing Charlie with the cooperation of his companions, said to him:

"Mrs. Alice is dead!"

(End of chapter)