Chapter 51: Green Dawn
The door to the inn was pushed open by Amu, and Baha on its shoulder said, "Boss, the person is here."
A man around 30 years old, clean-shaven with a pale complexion and some dark circles under his eyes, entered the room. He wore a wool coat with a pure gold button at the collar and polished brown leather boots.
At first glance, he appeared to be a wealthy gentleman, but the collar of his shirt was washed white. Though he tried his best to maintain dignity, his complexion indicated malnutrition, like a fallen aristocrat.
After the door closed, the noise from the street was cut off, and the newcomer seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.
The newcomer discreetly sized up Su Xiao, his eyes showing fear, worry, and more than anything, vigilance. To maintain his last shred of dignity, he nodded to Su Xiao with a smile.
"Mr. White Night, I am Morilan. My surname is inconvenient to disclose, afraid of being hunted by enemies. Please forgive me."
Morilan sat down. Though he tried hard to hide it, it was clear he was pleased with the abundant food and tea Su Xiao had prepared for him. Out of face, he didn't reach for the fork on the table.
"No need to be formal."
Su Xiao lit a cigarette, and Baha also gestured for Morilan to make himself at home.
Morilan hesitated for a moment, then his goodwill toward Su Xiao and the others increased significantly. Although the influence of the Charm attribute hadn't been completely neutralized, Morilan no longer felt the need to jump out the window at any moment.
Morilan ate very elegantly, but not slowly. Before long, only the soup remained from the food on the table. He used a piece of bread to wipe up the last bit of soup and ate it. Morilan held back a burp. The last time he had a full meal was five months ago, when he ate roasted potatoes.
After eating and drinking his fill, Morilan's spirit seemed somewhat restored.
"Mr. White Night, I've already accepted the deposit for the gem."
"Hmm?"
Su Xiao looked at Beini beside him. Beini spread her paws, indicating she hadn't paid the Crystal Resin yet. This man named Morilan, though destitute, had backbone.
"For a wretch like me, preparing a meal is already a sign of respect. That's the deposit I wanted."
Morilan took a light sip of weak tea, slowly exhaling the steam, and said, "Mr. White Night, may I ask a bold question? Are you someone with supernatural power?"
"Yes."
"Then... how powerful are you?"
Morilan's eyes showed undisguised anticipation, and... hatred?
"..."
"Is that so."
Finding that Su Xiao didn't answer directly, Morilan guessed that Su Xiao was probably very strong. He was good at reading people—a skill passed down from his grandfather. The more someone didn't casually flaunt their abilities, the more unfathomable they were.
"It's like this, Mr. White Night. That gem is a disaster for me. It's too precious. I don't have the ability to possess it. In my hands, it has no value at all."
Morilan began to tell his story. It was a simple tale. His family had once been in the supernatural gem business. Because 'Danke City' was under the protection of the Kodo School, they weren't too worried about being robbed. Moreover, his family's profit share was low—net income was only ten percent. Twenty percent was given as tribute to the Cripple Gang, and seventy percent was paid as taxes to the Kodo School.
Even with only ten percent, Morilan's family was still wealthy. After becoming wealthy, they naturally began to think about acquiring supernatural power.
Morilan's grandfather first bought an old mansion in the Old Royal Capital, then began to gather and collect supernatural knowledge. It was easier to access the supernatural in the Old Royal Capital. Unlike 'Danke City,' which was under the control of the Kodo School, as long as one was bold enough, no one cared how recklessly they courted death.
According to the normal plot, Morilan's grandfather should have courted death through supernatural knowledge and then brought disaster to the family.
In reality, Morilan's grandfather never even got the chance to take that step. After buying the old mansion in the 'Old Royal Capital,' disaster struck the family.
Morilan's grandfather went mad. Not corrupted, but mad. Under normal circumstances, there should be no mental illness in this world. Corruption could 'prevent' such problems—as soon as the mind went wrong, corruption would take hold first.
After Morilan's grandfather went mad, misfortune descended on the family. First, Morilan's cousin drowned in a washbasin while washing his face. Then, his grandmother, unable to accept this fact, became corrupted and, after being corrupted, killed Morilan's father and mother.
That wasn't the end. Morilan's wife suddenly became pregnant one day. This was the only ray of hope in the misfortune. But Morilan felt that this ray of hope was green, and it was always shining above his head.
When Morilan was newly married, he thought his wife was beautiful. But after marriage, he discovered she was an arrogant woman. Beneath that beautiful exterior were rude words and actions.
Morilan hadn't touched his wife for nearly a year at that point. The two were in a cold war. He couldn't stand his wife's arrogance and inner rudeness, while his wife couldn't stand some of his quirks.
When his wife suddenly became pregnant, Morilan felt as if he'd been struck by lightning. At that time, his usually arrogant wife actually begged Morilan to believe her. She admittedly didn't love her husband, but the pride in her heart wouldn't allow her to betray him.
Morilan immediately raged, cursing the slut who was full of lies but enjoying herself with other men behind his back. Although he had his faults too, betrayal couldn't be covered up by anything.
The next morning, Morilan saw a letter on the bedside table, left by his wife. In the letter, his wife only wrote a few words: that she had never betrayed him, and the thing she was carrying was a monster.
Morilan's heart softened. His feelings for his wife were complicated. At that moment, he began to hesitate—should he choose to forgive her? They had been in a cold war for over a year. His wife was human too. In her loneliness, how could she not do something impulsive?
Morilan immediately decided to forgive her. She was his last remaining family.
When Morilan pushed open the bedroom door, the sight before him made him dizzy, his bladder ache, his throat dry, and his scalp tingle.
The scene before him was like a hell. Blood was everywhere. Across from him, sitting in a chair, was his wife. She was still alive, holding a sharp kitchen knife, cutting her own arm.
Seeing this, Morilan smelled the stench of urine mixed with the scent of blood. He had wet his pants in fear.
Vaguely, Morilan heard his wife begging for help. The gist was that something was burrowing inside her body, and she had to find it.
Morilan's wife died from excessive blood loss. Numb, Morilan didn't react much to this outcome. But when handling his wife's body, the monster that burst out from the abdomen completely shattered Morilan's psychological defenses.
Morilan thought to himself that even if his wife had been cheating, she should have gone to another man, not a monster.
After simple reasoning, Morilan realized that his wife was indeed innocent. It was likely the calamity brought by his grandfather that caused his wife to conceive a monster in a way beyond normal understanding.
Upon learning this, Morilan broke down in tears and resolved to find the truth and avenge his family.
Besides these, Morilan also had to solve his own problems. After experiencing so much, he was no longer afraid of death. But he wanted his family's bloodline to continue.
This was very difficult because his luck had been on a downward spiral. Maybe after a while, he'd be begging on the street. What family bloodline would there be to pass on then?
"So, you want to commission us to find the truth? And then help you get revenge?"
Baha understood Morilan's meaning. This kind of thing, while not too common in the Dark Star World, wasn't rare either.
"Exactly. My family can't just die for no reason. And... my luck is terrible. I hope you all can help me solve this. It must be a curse. I'm sure of it. I've nearly choked on water 14 times. This must be a curse!"
Morilan's eyes were bloodshot. He was clearly on the verge of losing control.
"You said earlier that your wife suddenly became pregnant? And the thing in her belly was a monster?"
Su Xiao's mind was working. This matter was purely a stroke of luck. The plan would have to change.
"That's right."
Morilan tried hard to calm his nerves, afraid of being corrupted.
"Did that monster have black tentacles?"
"You... how do you know?"
Morilan's expression was agitated. If not for the table blocking him and Su Xiao's aura, he might have excitedly grabbed Su Xiao's hand.
Su Xiao extinguished his cigarette. He had a way to deal with that Ancient God now. To deal with that Ancient God without breaking the seal.