Volume One, Chapter Ninety-Seven: Boss

The basement was dim and windowless. There was not a single lamp, only a weak torch flame fixed to the wall, lighting a small patch of ground while the rest remained swallowed in darkness.

With her eyes closed, Evening Star pretended to be unconscious. She heard heavy footsteps and judged at once that the newcomer must be an enormous man.

Then she heard the butler’s voice.

“Boss, all four of them are here. They have inhaled the sleeping smoke and are confirmed unconscious.”

The boss asked, “How long until they wake?”

“At least two hours. Since all four are young, I increased the dosage.”

The boss sounded pleased. “Well done. Go upstairs. Without my orders, no one is allowed down here.”

“Yes.”

The butler answered, then led the others out of the basement.

The boss unlocked the cage and came inside, inspecting the four of them one by one. When he reached Evening Star, admiration flashed unmistakably in his eyes.

“It’s a pity,” he said. “Such a beautiful girl. She’d even be a fine beauty in the entertainment world.”

“What’s a pity?” Evening Star suddenly opened her eyes and asked with cool composure.

She glanced at the boss. Sure enough, he was a fat man.

The boss jumped in fright, his bulky body stumbling backward several steps. “You, how are you awake?”

Evening Star stood up, brushed off her clothes, and said, “I’m not awake. I was never unconscious in the first place.”

“Tch, so you knew all along? Who are you? A cop?”

Evening Star swept a look around the basement. It seemed ordinary enough, yet she still found something strange. Hidden talismans were carved on every wall, all of them steeped in a vile, sinister aura.

“You still haven’t answered my question. What were you pitying just now?”

The boss watched Jin Maple and Snow Path warily. Seeing that the two grown men were still unconscious, his confidence returned at once.

“Oh, I was pitying the fact that you’re so young and so beautiful, yet you’ll be dead very soon.”

Evening Star curved her lips slightly. “So, you’re going to kill me?”

The boss shook his head. “No, I won’t kill you. But you’ll die anyway, because of a problem with your own body.”

“You mean my health will fail? What a shame. I’m in excellent health right now. I might even live to be a hundred.”

The boss burst out laughing. “Little girl, you’re very confident. But it doesn’t matter whether you believe me or not. You’ll understand soon enough.”

Evening Star remained calm. “You’ve imprisoned us here. Aren’t you afraid of being caught?”

“Caught? How could we possibly be caught?” the boss said. “You walked into this castle of your own free will. Later, you’ll also leave this place under everyone’s eyes. I haven’t harmed you, so why would I be arrested?”

“How interesting.” Evening Star had already understood. “So you’ll do something to us, but not kill us right away. Later, we’ll leave here like normal people, go home separately, and then die suddenly because of some bodily failure. Even an autopsy won’t find anything wrong, right?”

The boss raised both hands and applauded twice. “I knew at a glance that you were a smart one. My judgment was indeed precise. So, little girl, enjoy your last few days.”

Evening Star fell silent for a moment. To the boss, she seemed to be afraid.

After a while, she asked, “How will I die?”

“Cardiac arrest, losing your mind and jumping from a building, a car accident, all kinds of deaths. But don’t worry, death will come in an instant. It’ll be very quick. The pain won’t last long.”

Evening Star asked again, “Then at least let me know why I’m dying. What exactly are you trying to do?”

The boss smiled. “Sorry. I can’t tell you.”

“You don’t want to tell me, or you can’t tell me?” Evening Star asked.

The boss sensed that something was off and grew wary again. “Why are you asking so much? Trying to buy time? I’ll tell you now, no chance. Even if you are a cop, you can’t do anything to me. And even if your companions break into the castle, they still won’t find this place.”

Evening Star smiled faintly. “If you can’t say it, then let the one behind you come out and say it… or whatever thing is behind you.”

The boss froze in place. It felt as though all the blood in his body had turned to ice. One sentence had actually made him go cold all over.

“You… what exactly are you?”

Evening Star’s aura changed. Her tone also grew colder.

“Think carefully. Either you come out and see me properly on your own, or… I’ll dig you out.”

Several seconds passed. Just as Evening Star’s patience was about to run out, a voice that was neither male nor female drifted through the air.

“Heh heh heh, interesting. A spirit master actually dares to trespass on my territory.”

The air twisted. Black smoke appeared out of nowhere, then swiftly took over the boss’s body.

The boss’s eyes suddenly became bloodshot, quickly turning a terrifying crimson. When he opened his mouth to speak, it was no longer his original voice, but that same voice that was neither male nor female.

“So my castle has attracted the attention of the Spirit Master Association? Has the association already fallen so far that it sends four green boys to think they can deal with me?”

Evening Star trembled all over, unable to suppress the excitement in her heart. She drew a deep breath before speaking.

“So you really are the evil artifact left behind by Mystic Void. I’ve finally found you.”

The boss grinned, his smile grotesquely exaggerated. “Rare indeed that anyone still knows Mystic Void. Too bad, even if you know where I come from, you still can’t do anything to me.”

Evening Star seemed to hear the funniest joke in the world. She stifled her laughter and said to the boss, “You must have been holed up in this castle for too long. You know nothing about the outside world. Hayseed, you’ve already been abandoned by the times.”

The boss’s smile vanished. His eyes turned a dark, blood-red black, and he looked thoroughly enraged.

“Good. Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish.”

Evening Star glanced at her watch. Before she knew it, night had fallen. She turned back and said, “Golden Maple, you three leave first. I remember there’s staff housing in the amusement park. Go there and see whether there are any survivors.”

Golden Maple and the other two got up from the floor at once. They had indeed been drugged, but only for a short while. By the time they were carried into the basement, they had already woken up.

They had simply been acting all along.

Now that the act was over, the three of them no longer suppressed their spiritual power. They quickly broke free of the restraints and rushed without a word toward the cage door.

“You will not get away!”

Three black threads shot toward them, carrying a thick, evil taint.

But just as they were about to touch Golden Maple and the others, the threads stopped in midair, trembling uncontrollably before suddenly exploding into dust.

Golden Maple and the others had already left the cage and were soon gone from sight.

Evening Star stood in the doorway, blocking the exit. The smile on her face looked almost angry. “I’m still here, and you’re already busy dealing with other people? You really don’t take me seriously, do you?”