Chapter 2

"This kind of last words and request, one can tell at a glance that something is wrong."

Xia De, whose hand was being held in front of the bed, didn't have much expression on his face. But he clearly knew that for a detective to accurately predict his death and take in a homeless person who wasn't very bright before dying, and even leave all his property behind, just for a request that sounded simple—then, this simple request would definitely not be simple.

The other party was probably not just a detective, but Xia De, who had occupied the new body, was even less the original guy. Even if the original Shade didn't know the truth, the outsider now understood that he shouldn't easily get involved in this kind of thing that sounded wrong at first glance, otherwise...

"If you don't agree, I can guarantee that after I die, you won't get even a penny of mine, and everything here won't belong to you either. You will become a homeless person again, without gas lamps, without a fireplace, without three meals a day, and even without a bed. You will return to your original life..."

But Xia De had to agree; he had nothing in this world. Compared to starting from scratch as a homeless person and getting involved in a troublesome matter but obtaining property, Xia De knew that neither choice was good, but he had to choose one.

Moreover, having already stood here and heard these words, it counted as having already participated, so it was impossible to quit. Xia De knew how to assess the situation and how to weigh his own predicament.

"It's just, is the death of this Mr. Sparrow Hamilton related to the supernatural? Is it related to the voice in my head?"

He thought to himself, but couldn't analyze any further conclusions, yet he didn't expect the voice in his head to appear again at this time:

【It is related to the supernatural; he died because of a 【Relic】. This has nothing to do with you.】

The voice was still so elegant, so calm. Even though the amount of information was very short, the whispering voice still sounded like it was reciting poetry.

"【Relic】?"

In the ancient and elegant ancient language used by the woman, this was a proper noun. Different languages have different information content, and in the language used by the woman, the information content of this proper noun was extremely large, having meanings like "sealed object," "contained object," or "cursed object."

Xia De was very glad that he could understand this language; he read from the vocabulary the meaning of "a special item that can exercise supernatural power, but is extremely dangerous."

This gave Xia De a rather ominous guess about this world.

"Then, who exactly are you?"

The voice didn't explain this noun, so Xia De asked back in his heart. From the other party answering his own questions, he understood that the other party was also an individual capable of thinking.

【I am you.】

The whispering voice answered softly, and the whispering way of speaking made Xia De's back crawl.

But Xia De hummed softly; he was very sure that this body was male, and the voice in his head wouldn't be the original owner.

Looking at the luster of the bedside lamp illuminating the terrifying, lifeless skin of the man on the bed, Xia De said to him:

"I understand, sir."

"Shade, I have ten minutes of life left. Next, what other questions do you have? Ask them all together."

The other party said something very remarkable, and his tone was full of fatigue. But Xia De knew that if what the other party said was completely correct, then the next questions would become the key to his foothold in this world, and he had to be cautious:

"Your death... seems abnormal."

The voice of the disguise was slow, making a show of having a head that didn't work well; this way of speaking was quite strenuous. The first question concerned his own situation after the other party died, and Xia De had to ensure whether the cause of this detective's death would implicate him.

"In the past, we indeed haven't talked about this, and I also know that you have been worrying... No need to worry about this. My death in a while might scare you, but no need to worry. My death won't implicate you. I need you to complete the task three months later, so I can guarantee this point. The person who killed me will definitely not appear again. After all, we ordinary people are not worth the other party's attention."

The amount of information obtained was quite good; the man on the bed didn't intend to hide anything.

"Ordinary... people?"

Xia De was truly hesitating this time.

"You don't need to know; actually, even I don't understand much. Those Ringed Shushi, the mystics who exercise the four elements of 【Miracle】, 【Enlightenment】, 【Blasphemy】, and 【Whisper】, the five major Zhengshen Sects and the three major Shushi Academies, this terrifying world... Forget what I just said; you will live better. Remember, you don't know anything."

The man on the bed tried his best to emphasize, and Xia De could only write down these nouns and then nod:

"Okay, I don't know anything."

He guessed that "Ringed Shushi" was the title for mystics in this world, and 【Miracle】, 【Enlightenment】, 【Blasphemy】, and 【Whisper】 were a link in the power system, while the Zhengshen Sect and Shushi Academy were the main mystic forces.

An ordinary detective couldn't possibly know so much; Detective Hamilton really had many secrets.

But Xia De didn't continue to ask about this topic; he had to let the other party willingly say more information within the limited time, instead of mutually suspecting each other while trying to find lies and truths:

"After you die, how should I... live? I don't understand detective work, and I don't know many characters."

Although time was pressing, he couldn't speak at a faster speed. Not only because of the disguise, but also because Xia De couldn't yet proficiently master this language. This status quo of only being able to walk while running made him quite anxious. But he couldn't show his anxiety, so he was even more anxious in his heart.

"It doesn't matter; according to what I taught you, it's enough. You only need to be here for three months. Three months later, sell everything and go to the countryside to live; that's more suitable for you, enough for you to live out your life safely... After all, the cost of living is lower."

It was probably that he really had no strength left; the man on the bed didn't say more complete words. But Xia De had no memories of the past and didn't know what the other party had taught. He sought help from the voice in his head, but that voice didn't appear.

"Do you have anything else you need to entrust to me?"

Xia De asked for the third time; this question was also asked after careful consideration.

"Remember what I said to you these three months; remember the simple commissions I left in the memo; you can try to do them to maintain the operation of the detective agency; also, the cards in this diary..."

The weak man pointed to the head of the bed. He let go of Xia De's hand, and Xia De bent down to pick up the diary. With a brown leather cover and fastened with a magnetic buckle, this diary was well protected by its user.

Xia De handed the diary to Mr. Hamilton on the bed, but the latter shook his head; he could almost no longer speak.

So Xia De opened the diary himself and flipped through it roughly. Each page was a different consecutive date, and both sides were being used. Most of the pages only had one sentence: "Nothing happened today, not much savings left," while a few recorded the progress of commissions received by the agency.

Flipping to the middle of the diary, the rustling of flipping pages stopped, and a hard card was clipped there. Xia De controlled himself not to raise his eyebrows, seeing that it was a rectangular card less than the size of a palm.

After taking it out, he felt as if there was a layer of completely transparent wax on the surface of the card, protecting the card itself from environmental damage. But rubbing it carefully, he felt that this seemed to be a layer of transparent skin, and Xia De suddenly thought of human skin for no reason.

The card wasn't thick, and it could be seen by the light in the room.

What Xia De considered the back was an abstract pattern of the sun, moon, and stars, a strange combination of figures superimposed together; what Xia De considered the front depicted a lady turning her head, whose appearance could not be seen clearly, sitting sideways on a high stool, holding the moon in her hand.

Silver hair, a smile outlined on her side face, wearing a robe. But the colors of the card weren't rich enough, only white, black, and cold tones near the two colors.

The number 3 was marked in the upper right corner of the front, and a small sun logo was in the upper left corner. Between the two, that is, in the center of the top of the card's front, a black vertical line was drawn in a white circle.

Directly below the woman's drawing, that is, below the front, there was a little blank space, where a line of small characters was written:

【When using this card, you can adjust the number within the range of 1 to 5.】

The card didn't look very new. Looking at it from the side against the faint light in the room, one could see imperceptible damage, but one could also see that the owner was trying hard to preserve it carefully.

Xia De actually completely understood the words on the card, just as he could understand the man and woman speaking.

"Really strange, after transmigrating, I can understand it when hearing it, I can understand it when seeing it, but I actually can't speak it."

He thought in his heart and asked in a low voice:

"What is this?"

"A very valuable card, commonly used with a standard deck of 54 cards we usually use. It is the card representing 【Sun 3】 among the four suits of Sun, Moon, Star, and Flower. But this card is a special issue, the pattern is rare, and it has great collection value. Keep it clipped in the diary, don't get it wet or fold it, and don't easily show it to others. But if you are really at the end of your rope, go to the Birmingham Collection Museum in Tobesk City; the people there know its value... Luo De Pai, my life's most important collection..."

Xia De nodded, wrote down the noun "Luo De Pai," and understood that this was a relatively common card game in this world, and that 【Sun 3】 was of the same nature as commemorative coins and commemorative stamps. So he clipped the card back into the diary. Although this card was a bit more exquisite, judging from the productivity of the era inferred from the bedroom's decoration, this world could manufacture this kind of thing, so there was no need for too much suspicion.

"Sir, do you have anything else to say?"

Xia De asked again; now letting the other party take the initiative to speak was better than asking himself.

"Shade."

Mr. Hamilton gripped Xia De's hand again, his eyes looking at the young man by the bed, his gaze a little softer:

"I know I have never been a good person, but I am really sorry for involving you. Three months later, just leave Tobesk City; this kind of capital city is not suitable for you...

But I think, if you can understand, you will also think that my taking you away from the life of a homeless person was the right choice. Your head isn't good, remember, don't easily believe other people's words in the future, especially don't easily believe the words of guys who try to make you pay money... I have already contacted the Tobesk Public Cemetery and selected a grave. The undertaker will come in a while; you don't need to go with them. In this house, according to the life skills I taught you, live for three months.

Shade, I am very sorry... Good luck."