Detective Agency of the Bizarre

He found a kitchen knife in the kitchen and pried open the long crate. Lu Li lifted a sculpture out from a pile of packing material.

The living room of the Detective Agency was quite spacious, perhaps because it was so bare. Apart from a desk and bookshelf in the corner and a dining table and sofa under the window, there was no other furniture.

Lu Li couldn't find a suitable place to set the sculpture, so he simply stood it by the door.

The sculpture's stark white stone made it somewhat out of place in the worn surroundings of the Detective Agency. Lu Li took off his hat, casually put it back on, and only then did it seem somewhat integrated.

Next were the paintings. Without tools to hang them on the wall, Lu Li simply placed them in the empty bookshelf.

With the addition of two items brought over from the gallery, the Detective Agency finally lost its previously lifeless air.

The empty bookshelf brought new thoughts to Lu Li, such as the library that had burned down, but books could be acquired through purchase from elsewhere.

Lu Li pulled out the only biographical book from the drawer and took out that piece of paper.

[Important: Know where you are (Completed) — Gather 1000 Shillings to trade more content with Hades]

[Secondary: Find a new residence]

Picking up a pen, Lu Li wrote down new content below.

[Secondary: Purchase books, understand this place through books]

After organizing his thoughts and confirming there was nothing else to add, Lu Li took out seven 100-value Shillings and some paper and slipped them into the book.

Lu Li still had less than two hundred Shillings on him, which was for his upcoming daily expenses and Oliver's 30 Shilling fee.

Regarding the book purchase, perhaps he could let Oliver check the prices first. However, before that, Lu Li had other matters to attend to.

There was plenty of time before nightfall, and now he needed to go ask some questions.

For free.

...

Ding-a-ling-a-ling—

Lu Li pushed open the wooden door, and the breeze that rushed in made the wind chime sound hastily.

"Oh, look who we have here? I knew I wasn't wrong about you; you've gathered the money so quickly, you are truly a gold-digger among our Exorcists … I mean, a rising star,"

Exaggerated interjections came from Hades's mouth as his gold teeth glinted, and he opened his arms wide.

"You've said that three times now," Lu Li looked around, the bar was still deserted and dim, without customers — neither drinkers nor clients were present.

"Because you've come asking three times," Hades's face was unsettled in the flickering light of the oil lamp behind the counter. "Without spending a dime."

He bit down on each syllable, adding emphasis one by one.

"I hope this isn't the third time,"

Lu Li walked over and sat down by the counter, getting straight to the point, "I haven't gathered the 1000 Shillings yet."

Hades's enthusiasm visibly waned, his wide-open arms fell down, resting on the counter.

"I know nothing."

Lu Li ignored Hades's chilling tone, "That thousand Shillings will be yours eventually. And the further I go in the Exorcist business, the better it is for you, isn't it?"

Hades scoffed, a quick flash of gold in his mouth, "Why would you think that the rise of a competitor would benefit me?"

Lu Li's dark eyes reflected the flames of the oil lamp, calmly speaking, "Because that competitor has many questions, and coincidentally … you know quite a lot."

"Wealthy people tend to be more miserly, refusing to partake in acts of kindness that offer them no benefits."

"You know, I've met other Exorcists."

"Oh? Are they willing to tell you this and charge less than me?"

"No, I just asked about the normal selling price of the Exorcism Gun."

"..."

Hades fell silent for a moment, then suddenly displayed an exaggerated expression of delight, enthusiastically saying, "Oh look, who is this handsome man, our Exorcist Realm's rising star, His Excellency Lu Li! Your patronage is an honor for me, and I shall withhold nothing from you."

"That's good. I hope next time we can get straight to the point to save both of our time."

Lu Li ignored Hades's transparently ingenuous demeanor and directly asked, "Where do ghosts go after they die?"

Hades quickly put his feigned enthusiasm away and answered, "I don't know either. I'm not lying on purpose; most exorcists are not clear about the destinations of those spirits, perhaps only the top Demon Slayers would know."

"Demon Slayer?"

Lu Li noticed the change in terminology.

Exorcising and slaying demons bear different meanings.

"Literally, you can consider it as an upgraded version of an exorcist, one that can eliminate ghosts rather than just drive them out."

Eliminate ghosts...

Lu Li felt a stirring in his heart, does this mean he has already become a Demon Slayer? But could it really be that simple...

"Of course, it's not as simple as you think," Hades noted Lu Li's expression and shrugged. "The prerequisite to becoming a Demon Slayer is you must personally deal with a vengeful spirit-level ghost. If you manage that, even without any special promotion, your fame would spread throughout the Exorcist Realm."

"Exorcists' special means of communication?"

"Mhm."

"Can I know about it?"

"That question is worth 200 Shillings. Just a friendly note, don't try asking other exorcists; they are not generous enough to share their secrets with a newcomer. If you encounter someone with a bad temper, you might even get beaten up."

"How many Demon Slayers are there in Belfast?"

"Not many, but not few either."

"Is there another level above Demon Slayer that requires the ability to deal with evil spirits?"

Hades sneered, mocking either Lu Li's question, or perhaps both.

"I don't know the answer to the first question, but the second is easy to answer."

Hades leaned forward, moving closer to Lu Li, his drooping eyebrows and the nearby oil lamp lending him a more ruthless air.

He often used this manner to convey that his words were very important, and very dangerous.

A deep voice slowly rose.

"Evil spirits never die. What appears in our world is merely their projection; no matter what is done, it's impossible to harm their true essence. Even if their projections are somehow dispersed, they will descend again after some time. The speed of their return depends entirely on their whims—it might be a long time, or it might be very brief. Thus, if you encounter an evil spirit, flee as far as you can; don't fool yourself into thinking you can resolve it."

"Really unsolvable?"

"Maybe there is a way, but I don't know it."

"What if I can't escape?"

"Hope that the evil spirit can communicate, or that it has a strong sense of 'ritual'—that might buy you some time."

"That sounds really bad," Lu Li replied.

Hades smirked, but it was no longer the manner of a nouveau riche. His smile hid an indescribable bitterness and a subtle fear as he sighed softly.

"Isn't that the truth? We exorcists might have one more option than ordinary people when facing ghosts, but that also means... we must confront that terror directly."

"Ignorance is bliss."