[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-whispers-of-the-nether":3,"chapter-whispers-of-the-nether-whispers-of-the-nether-chapter-2":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Whispers of the Nether",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2233600,4233,"Chapter 2: The Detective's Last Words","whispers-of-the-nether-chapter-2",2,"\u003Cp>\"This kind of last will and request sounds suspicious the moment you hear it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De, whose hand was being grasped beside the bed, showed little expression on his face. Yet he knew clearly that the detective had accurately foreseen his own death, taken in a vagrant with a slow mind before dying, and even left behind all his possessions solely for a request that sounded simple. Therefore, this simple request would absolutely not be simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other party likely held identities beyond just that of a detective, but Xia De, who now occupied this new body, was certainly not the original fellow. Even if the original Xia De did not know the truth, the current visitor from another world understood that he should not easily involve himself in matters that sounded suspicious at first hearing, otherwise...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you do not agree, I guarantee that after my death, you will not receive even a single penny of mine; nothing here belongs to you. You will become a vagrant once again, with no gas lamps, no fireplace, no three meals a day, not even a bed; you will return to your former life...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Xia De had to agree, for he possessed nothing in this world. Comparing the choice of starting over as a vagrant against getting involved in a troublesome matter but gaining property, Xia De knew neither option was good, but he had to choose one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, having already stood here and heard these words meant he was already involved, so attempting to withdraw was impossible. Xia De understood how to assess the situation and gauge his own circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"However, was the death of this Mr. Sparrow Hamilton related to the supernatural? Was it related to the voice in my head?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought to himself, unable to analyze any further conclusions, when unexpectedly the voice in his head appeared again at this moment:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[It is related to the supernatural; he died because of an [Relic]. This has nothing to do with you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That voice remained as elegant and composed as ever. Even though the information was brief, the murmuring tone still sounded like it was reciting poetry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"[Relic]?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the ancient and elegant language used by women, this was a proper noun. Different languages carry different amounts of information, and in the language used by women, this proper noun carried immense information, implying meanings such as \"Sealed Object,\" \"Contained Object,\" or \"Cursed Object.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De was fortunate to understand this language; from the vocabulary, he deciphered the meaning: \"Special item capable of exercising supernatural power, but extremely dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This gave Xia De a rather ominous speculation about this world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then, who exactly are you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the voice did not explain this term, Xia De asked counter-questions in his heart. From the way the other party answered his doubts, he realized the other party was also a thinking individual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[I am you.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The murmuring voice answered softly, its whisper-like manner of speaking making Xia De's back crawl with goosebumps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xia De snorted lightly; he was very certain this body was male, so the voice in his head could not be the original owner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking at the glow of the bedside lamp illuminating the tight, furrowed, lifeless, and terrifying skin of the man on the bed, Xia De spoke to him:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I understand, sir.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xia De, I have ten minutes of life left; ask any remaining questions you have all at once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other party spoke words of great significance, his tone filled with exhaustion. Yet Xia De knew that if what the other said was entirely correct, the questions following would become the key to his footing in this world, so he must be cautious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your death... seems abnormal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pretending to speak slowly, acting as if his mind was slow, this manner of speaking was quite strenuous. The first question concerned his own situation after the other's death; Xia De had to ensure whether the calamity that caused this detective's death would implicate him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In the past, we indeed never discussed this, and I know you have been worried... Do not worry about this. My death shortly may frighten you, but there is no need for concern. My death will not burden you; I need you to complete a task three months from now, so I can guarantee this point. The person who killed me will absolutely never appear again. After all, we ordinary people are not worth their attention.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount of information gained was quite good; the man on the bed did not intend to hide anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ordinary... people?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, Xia De was truly hesitating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You do not need to know; in fact, even I do not fully understand. Those Ring Mages, the mystics who wield the four elements of [Miracle], [Enlightenment], [Blasphemy], and [Whisper], the five Major Orthodox God Churches and the three Arcane Academies, this terrifying world... Forget what I just said; you will live better. Remember, you understand nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man on the bed emphasized with all his might; Xia De could only note down these terms and then nod:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, I understand nothing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He guessed that \"Ring Mages\" was the title for mystics in this world, while [Miracle], [Enlightenment], [Blasphemy], and [Whisper] were links within the power system, and the Major Orthodox God Churches and Arcane Academies were the primary factions of mystics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An ordinary detective could not possibly know so much; Detective Hamilton truly held many secrets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Xia De did not continue questioning this topic; within the limited time, he had to make the other party willingly reveal more information, rather than mutually suspecting each other while trying to distinguish lies from truth:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"After you die, how am I... to live? I do not understand being a detective, and I know few characters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although time was pressing, he could not speak faster. This was not only due to the pretense but also because Xia De had not yet mastered this language proficiently. This situation, akin to being forced to walk during a race, made him quite anxious. Yet he could not show anxiety, making him even more anxious internally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It does not matter; following what I taught you is sufficient. You only need to stay here for three months; after three months, sell everything and go live in the countryside, which suits you better, enough for you to live out your life in peace... After all, prices are lower there.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Likely truly lacking strength, the man on the bed did not speak more complete sentences. But Xia De possessed no memories of the past and did not know what the other had taught; he sought help from the voice in his head, but that voice did not appear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there anything else you need to entrust to me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De asked for the third time; this question was also spoken only after careful consideration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Remember the words I spoke to you over these three months; remember the simple commissions I left in the memorandum, which you can attempt to fulfill to maintain the operation of the detective agency; and also, the cards in this diary...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The weakening man pointed toward the bedside; he released Xia De's hand, so Xia De bent down and picked up the diary. It had a brown leather cover fastened with a magnetic clasp; this diary had been well protected by its user.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De handed the diary to Mr. Hamilton on the bed, but the latter shook his head; he could barely speak anymore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Xia De opened the diary himself, flipping through it roughly; every page bore a different consecutive date, with both front and back sides in use. Most pages contained only one sentence: \"Nothing happened today, savings are running low,\" while a few recorded the progress of commissions accepted by the agency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Flipping to the middle of the diary, the rustling page-turning stopped; a stiff card was clipped there. Xia De controlled himself not to raise his eyebrows, seeing it was a rectangular card slightly smaller than a palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking it out, he felt the card's surface seemed to have a layer of completely transparent wax, protecting the card itself from environmental harm. But upon rubbing it carefully, it felt more like a layer of transparent skin; for some reason, Xia De suddenly thought of human skin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The card was not thick; this could be seen by the light within the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What Xia De considered the back displayed abstract patterns of the sun, moon, and stars, overlaid into a strange composite design; what he considered the front depicted a lady sitting sideways on a high stool, holding the moon, her head turned so her features were unclear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had silver hair, her profile outlined with a smile, wearing long robes. But the colors on the card were not rich, consisting only of white, black, and cool tones near those two colors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The upper right corner of the front was marked with the number 3, while the upper left bore a small sun symbol; between the two, in the center of the card's top edge, a black vertical line was drawn within a white circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directly below the woman's illustration, at the bottom of the front side, there was a slight blank space where a line of small text was written:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[When using this card, the number can be adjusted within the range of 1 to 5.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The card did not appear very new; viewing it from the side against the dim light in the room, one could detect subtle damage, yet also see that the owner had tried hard to preserve it meticulously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De actually completely understood the text on the card, just as he could understand the man and woman speaking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How strange; after transmigrating, I can understand speech and reading, yet I cannot speak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He thought to himself, then asked softly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What is this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A very valuable card, compatible with the ordinary set of 54 cards we usually use; it is the card representing [Sun 3] among the four suits of Sun, Moon, Stars, and Flowers. But this card was a special issuance, with rare patterns, holding great collection value. Keep it clipped in the diary; do not let it get wet or fold it, and do not easily show it to others. However, if you truly reach a dead end, go to the Birmingham Collection Hall in Tobesk City; the people there know its value... The Luo De Card, the most important collection of my life...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De nodded, noting the term \"Luo De Card,\" understanding this was a relatively common card game in this world, and that this [Sun Three] shared the same nature as commemorative coins or stamps. Thus, he clipped the card back into the diary; although this card was somewhat exquisite, judging by the productivity level of the era inferred from the bedroom's decoration, this world was capable of manufacturing such things, so there was no need for excessive suspicion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Sir, is there anything else you wish to say?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De asked again; now, letting the other party speak voluntarily was better than him asking questions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Xia De.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mr. Hamilton grasped Xia De's hand again, looking at the young man beside the bed, his gaze softening slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I know I have never been a good person, but for dragging you into this, I am truly sorry. Three months from now, leave Tobesk City; this kind of capital metropolis does not suit you...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I think, if you can understand, you will also agree that taking you away from the life of a vagrant was the correct choice. Your mind is not sharp; remember, do not easily believe others' words in the future, especially do not easily believe the words of those trying to make you spend money... I have already contacted the Tobesk Public Cemetery and selected a grave. The corpse carriers will arrive shortly; you need not follow. In this house, live for three months according to the life skills I taught you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia De, I am sorry... Good luck to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",2011,"2026-06-18T07:21:54.551Z",1,"Qwen3.5 397B","0c44932bb294eca1d578ee6b424f71c51fff92bdfc1e78b3b632ae966f912a08","whispers-of-the-nether-chapter-3","whispers-of-the-nether-chapter-1",8,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fwhispers-of-the-nether-cover.jpg"]