Chapter 435: Chapter 260: First Encounter with Lin Xingshi, Three at the Funeral
The Train Demon was rumbling through the crevices of time and space.
Looking out from the train carriage, the scenery within the tunnel was bizarre and variegated. The Statue of Liberty, Notre-Dame de Paris, Tokyo Tower... iconic landmarks from around the world were jumbled together like snippets of an edited collage.
"Duoduo-chan?" Ke Qirui raised an eyebrow, looking at Black Cocoon from under the shadow of her hat brim. "What do you mean?"
"Just a pet name for a good friend." Black Cocoon shrugged, changing the subject, "Since there are two people from Lake Hunting present, will Lin Yilong attend the funeral?"
"He will." Ke Qirui nodded, "I have contact with him privately."
"Speaking of which, doesn’t the Exorcist Association care about fugitives?" Black Cocoon said, "Lin Yilong is now a notorious fugitive, having killed the man from ’Blue Arc.’ The whole world is looking for him, and billions wouldn’t mind skinning him alive."
Ke Qirui shook her head, speaking leisurely, "The higher-ups of the association can guess: Blue Arc isn’t dead yet, but the United Nations wants to use this opportunity to make him disappear and enter the Rainbow Wings."
She paused, "Besides, our business scope is only to exorcise demons and sanction deviant exorcists. Unless it’s something atrocious like a massacre, ordinary superpowered fugitives aren’t within our jurisdiction. Mu Long’s crime is merely an assassination attempt on Blue Arc, and it didn’t succeed. So what’s the matter?"
"How do you explain the Tokyo Auction then?" Black Cocoon scratched his chin.
"Situations like the Tokyo Auction are rare, usually occurring when the association cooperates with other forces." Ke Qirui said, "Didn’t you see? Even Zhou Jiuya was too lazy to clash with the White Crow Travel Brigade back then."
"So, the people from Lake Hunting shouldn’t suddenly act against me and Lin Yilong?"
"Don’t worry, as long as you don’t provoke them, they won’t bother you." Ke Qirui said slowly, "How about we talk about Gu Qiye? Xiaomai still doesn’t know that her brother joined Rainbow Wings."
"I hope you keep it from her for now." Black Cocoon said, raising his index finger and circling it around his head, "Given her small brain capacity, Lin Zhengquan’s death alone is overwhelming for her, let alone finding out about her brother joining Rainbow Wings."
"Very well then." Ke Qirui nodded, "Xiaomai is not mature enough; indeed, it’s easy for her to make irrational judgments under pressure."
As the two chatted, the Train Demon had already burst out of the time tunnel, entering an empty station with moss-covered pillars. A light rain was falling, the raindrops carrying the salty, damp scent of the sea.
It seemed the station was not far from the sea.
After all, this was Hai Fan City, a coastal port city known for its prosperous fishing industry. Getting off the train, Black Cocoon did not openly roam the streets but floated silently above the city, quietly following Ke Qirui to the funeral site.
It was a cemetery in Hai Fan City, situated on a hill near the sea, where Lin Zhengquan’s head was buried. The cemetery was filled with maple trees, their blood-red leaves swirling down, dotting the stone tombstones.
Black Cocoon hung upside down beneath a maple tree, cocooning his body into a giant pupa, maintaining an invisible form. The raindrops fell pattering onto the cocoon, deepening the color of the soaked restraint belt.
Ke Qirui walked into the cemetery alone. At this moment, there were only a few figures in the cemetery, all familiar faces—Su Zimai, Xu Sanyan, Lin Yilong, Zhou Jiuya...
Seeing Zhou Jiuya, Black Cocoon’s heart tensed slightly. To be honest, even now, he still harbored apprehension towards him. After all, he had witnessed Oda Takashige and Lan Duoduo being smashed into a bloody mist by him, and Zhou Jiuya’s methods were unforgettable.
Today, Zhou Jiuya still sported his slicked-back hair, a Zhongshan suit, his face expressionless, hands tucked into his coat pockets, looking as if everyone owed him money;
Besides, standing next to Zhou Jiuya was a youth appearing about seventeen or eighteen years old. The youth wore a simple white shirt, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a prominent nose bridge. His black hair was slightly curly, yet a flame-red long braid hung behind his head.
Black Cocoon stared at this youth, raised an eyebrow, and sent a message to Ke Qirui.
[Black Cocoon: Oh? Is the one next to Zhou Jiuya Lin Xingshi? From the name, I expected some burly older man. Didn’t think he’d be such an aspiring youth. Why is his braid a different color from his hair? Could it be a decoration? Quite trendy.]
[Ke Qirui: Leaving other things aside, I must correct you, she’s female.]
Black Cocoon was taken aback, scrutinizing Lin Xingshi’s face through the restraint sensing once more. Although he indeed looked rather delicate, everything from his demeanor to his physique, and his various features, seemed distinctly male.
At that moment, Lin Xingshi’s brows suddenly lifted slightly, and she slowly turned her head, gazing in the direction where Black Cocoon was hiding. Finally, her gaze settled above the maple tree.
"Huh, did I actually get discovered?" Black Cocoon thought, "Seriously, my restraint belt’s color change can not only make me transparent but also block my presence. How did she detect me under these conditions? Oh... it’s raining, maybe she noticed the rain’s direction was off."
Lin Xingshi silently stared at the maple tree for a moment, then expressionlessly patted Zhou Jiuya on the shoulder and whispered something to him.
Zhou Jiuya turned his head, his golden eyes fixed on the maple tree, his gaze filled with impatience.