Chapter 925: Price

The surface of the Mojingzichengaluodesi rippled with watery light, and the surrounding darkness grew hazy.

One after another, ancient Fussack words, as if dripping blood, swiftly traced themselves onto the mirror.

“Beware the night.”

“Beware the night?” Lu Mi repeated the answer, instinctively glancing outside the “Star Dream General Store.”

At this moment, August’s sunlight was clear and brilliant, casting golden reflections off many windows across the street, subtly filling the heart with certainty and calm, while also instinctively instilling aversion to the heat.

Lu Mi quickly recalled the events of the past two nights and realized each night had been unsettled:

On the first night, the dream image of the Messenger Dani was murdered; the nurse at Mu Shu Hospital revived the corpse of the “Despairing Witch.”

On the second night, he and the others encountered the revived female corpse in the surveillance room, engaging in fierce combat, narrowly avoiding becoming the headline of the local news with a case involving firearms, explosives, and biochemical toxins—luckily, the police, to avoid panic, withheld specifics and conducted a secret investigation.

In comparison, both days had been uneventful; the only anomaly was the Messenger’s corpse reviving and entering Mu Shu Hospital, which caused no major disturbance.

Daytime was relatively safe, nighttime more dangerous? During the day, the power of Mr. “The Fool” dominated; at night, the Archon’s consciousness grew more active? Lu Mi analyzed the Mojingaluodesi ’s reply.

At that moment, the silver mirror’s surface twisted and writhed into new text:

“By the principle of equivalence, it is now my turn to ask.”

“If you answer incorrectly, lie, or refuse to answer, you will be punished.”

Lu Mi nodded with an air of fearlessness; beside him, Anthony remained silent.

On the Mojingaluodesi , new words began forming one by one:

“Regarding your sister Aurora…”

Lu Mi’s eyebrows twitched sharply, and simultaneously, the words on the mirror blurred, recombining into new content:

“After becoming a ‘Witch,’ do you wish to be fucked by a man?”

“No,” Lu Mi answered briefly and definitively.

No punishment followed.

Lu Mi murmured in confusion:

“That was the question?”

First it altered the question temporarily, then asked one he had no guilt about—how could this possibly induce social death?

On the mirror’s surface, watery ripples surfaced, revealing several ancient Fussack words dripping like blood:

“To every soul entering the dream, seeking to awaken Mr. ‘The Fool,’ the great Arodes is exceedingly kind!”

So this is it… this mirror is loyal… Lu Mi had just finished his thought when he saw the words on the mirror shift again:

“By the principle of equivalence, it is now my turn to ask.”

“If you answer incorrectly, lie, or refuse to answer, you will be punished.”

Was that even a question? Lu Mi hadn’t expected his own muttering to count as one.

He hadn’t demanded the Mojingaluodesi answer!

On the ancient-style silver mirror, a bloody question appeared before Lu Mi’s eyes:

“What does it feel like to wear women’s underwear?”

Still quite kind… Lu Mi answered expressionlessly:

“Restrictive, a bit tight, uncomfortable, but gives a sense of stability and security.”

Considering the Mojingaluodesi had only answered the first question with “Beware the night,” Lu Mi felt further inquiries would yield no more information, so he returned the ancient silver mirror—its sides resembling black eyes—to its original place.

He gazed thoughtfully toward the counter and asked the shopkeeper:

“How much for this mirror?”

If the price was reasonable, perhaps he could buy it as a personal item of Mr. “The Fool”; the Mojingaluodesi might one day provide vital information at a critical moment.

The shopkeeper in the black dress finally lifted her head.

For some reason, Lu Mi felt the sunlight outside suddenly dim, as if a large cloud had passed overhead.

The interior of the Star Dream General Store grew darker.

In this dimness, Lu Mi, with his “Dark Vision,” still clearly saw the shopkeeper’s appearance.

Her eyes were an uncommon pure black; her face was exceptionally beautiful, yet she did not seem local.

The shopkeeper smiled in reply to Lu Mi’s question:

“Five million.”

“How much?” Lu Mi blurted out; even Anthony showed a flicker of expression.

“Five million,” the shopkeeper repeated the price.

I can barely afford fifty bucks—I’m being quoted five million… Lu Mi abandoned the idea of buying the Mojingaluodesi .

He knew this price was actually cheap—this was Mr. “The Fool’s” personal item, the great Arodes, whose true value certainly exceeded five million, perhaps far beyond—but one must allow the penniless to mutter a few complaints.

Lu Mi, driven by curiosity, pointed to the book that looked forged from brass:

“How much for this?”

“Nine million,” the shopkeeper answered politely.

Lu Mi stopped asking.

He now knew only one thing: this brass book was more valuable than the Mojingaluodesi !

The shopkeeper added with a smile:

“Most items in the shop are antiques tied to the occult, so they’re not cheap—but you may rent them, by the day.”

“Rent?” Lu Mi blinked, pointing at the Mojingaluodesi , “How much per day?”

“Two hundred twenty thousand,” the shopkeeper’s voice was as soft as a nocturne.

Two hundred twenty thousand… it’s no different from buying it for five million—we can’t afford either… Lu Mi muttered a few complaints, then, drawing on his rich dream experience and the Witch’s intuitive sensitivity, whispered:

“Saving five million to buy the Mojingaluodesi , and saving two hundred twenty thousand to rent it for a day—do both carry symbolic meanings?”

The shopkeeper seemed to expect neither purchase nor rental, lowering her head again to play with her phone.

Lu Mi, now lacking the means to rent or buy, walked with Anthony toward the entrance of the Star Dream General Store.

After two steps, he suddenly remembered something and turned back sharply:

“Has anyone ever rented the Mojingaluodesi before?”

The shopkeeper lifted her head again, a faint smile on her beautiful face:

“Yes.”

Lu Mi’s pupils widened instantly:

“Who?”

Had someone actually rented the Mojingaluodesi in the Dream Metropolis?

For what purpose?

The shopkeeper replied with a faint smile:

“Protecting clients’ privacy and secrets is my duty.”

In Lu Mi’s mind, thoughts flashed like lightning.

He ultimately asked no further, turned, and stepped out of the Star Dream General Store.

As he neared the parking spot, Lu Mi and Anthony saw a foreign man with brownish-yellow hair crouched beside their rented gray sedan, glancing left and right, occasionally taking photos.

Seeing the owners return, the foreign man slowly stood.

He was about Lu Mi’s height, wore plain glasses, had faint yellow stubble on his face, well-developed pectorals, thick arms stretching his blue shirt to near bursting, faded white jeans, and a black travel backpack slung over his back.

“Why are you photographing our car?” Lu Mi asked cautiously.

He had developed a condition: seeing anyone in the dream, he assumed they carried an identity and symbolic meaning.

The foreign man said:

“Such an old car is rare—it fills a gap in my knowledge.”

“Knowledge?” Lu Mi asked, puzzled.

Is this guy an automotive researcher?

The foreign man smiled:

“I’m a foreign student studying at the university here. I love this city, everything about it, so when I’m not in class, I carry my backpack and phone, wander everywhere, photographing every detail that makes up this civilization.”

“I see…” Lu Mi thought the guy was odd, but since he was still in the first stage of observation, he didn’t wish to engage further.

At that moment, Anthony suddenly asked:

“What’s your name?”

The foreign man glanced at Anthony and smiled in reply:

“Stiano.”

“And you?”

“Li Ming,” Lu Mi gave his alias in the Dream Metropolis.

Anthony also introduced himself:

“Anrede.”

After a few more words, the foreign man, Stiano, continued wandering aimlessly, backpack on his back, phone in hand.

Getting into the car, Lu Mi fastened his seatbelt and looked at Anthony:

“Why did you ask his name?”

Anthony rarely acted so Zhudong .

Anthony thought a moment and said:

“He gives me a strange sense of familiarity.”

I’ll use hypnosis to ask my subconscious where this sense of familiarity comes from.

Lu Mi nodded and started the car.

Halfway there, Anthony suddenly ended the hypnosis and said to Lu Mi:

“I found the source of the familiarity—I feel the same way every time I enter a Church of Steam chapel.”

He used to be a Steam believer.

“Could it be the dream counterpart of some high-ranking official in the Church of Steam?” Lu Mi had pretended to be a Steam believer before, but he had barely ever entered a Church of Steam chapel, so he didn’t share Anthony’s feeling.

“Maybe.” Anthony wasn’t sure.

…………

At noon, inside the rented apartment.

Lu Mi said to Jianna, who was helping Fu Lan Ka out to eat:

“This afternoon, you and Anthony take Ludewig to visit the Dream Tutoring Center in person—I’ll stay home to look after Fu Lan Ka.”

“According to the data provided by the Major Arcana cards, Mr. The Fool also enrolled in this tutoring center. This is one of our best ways to naturally and normally approach Mr. The Fool.”

“Plus, we can observe how the Divine Envoy’s death has affected this tutoring center.”

“Mm.” It was Fu Lan Ka speaking. “A grown man, a Divine Envoy, goes missing for just one night and they report him missing—it feels odd.”

Jianna thought for a moment and said:

“Maybe Mr. The Fool’s subconscious considers this urgent.”

“There could be other reasons.” Lu Mi glanced at Ludewig, whose face had darkened upon hearing about the tutoring center. “Jianna handles the probing conversations, Anthony handles observation—this task is yours.”

(End of Chapter)