The Eldritch Files

”Is this a trap set for me?”

Reeling from the double impact of Han Su’s smile and his own resurfacing memories, Lu Neng was clearly starting to lose it. His eyes were wide and round.

His professional instincts told him the operation had failed. He should either escape immediately or silence the witness.

But another instinct held him firmly in place, making him look at Han Su with longing. He just wanted to understand what was going on.

”It’s not for you...”

Meeting Lu Neng’s incredulous gaze, Han Su listened for any sounds outside and spoke quickly, ”But you’ve come at the perfect time.”

”First, tell me...”

He couldn’t help but glance outside. ”Since you could get in, I assume you can get out, right?”

”Wait!”

Han Su’s wariness triggered Lu Neng’s professionalism. Despite the intense shock he had just received, the guy had somehow, strangely, calmed down.

He shot out a hand to stop Han Su, quickly peeked out the door, and then retreated back into the room.

He first raised his hand, bit down on it, and blew hard.

His body, which had just deflated and become gaunt, actually swelled up again, returning to the appearance of the food delivery person from before.

Then he spoke quickly to Han Su, ”I only have a three-minute window to withdraw.”

”That expert code-named Moses is in a meeting with the other three Celestial King Level monsters. If he’s the only one who comes back here, I still have a chance to escape. But if all Four Heavenly Kings return together, I’m not confident I can get away.”

”Alright, now it’s your turn to explain...”

His expression suddenly became extremely serious. ”Why did you throw away my cane back then?”

”I don’t have time to explain what happened to us. I can only tell you that those of us from the Ancient Castle...”

Han Su started to explain hurriedly, not even waiting for Lu Neng to finish. After all, he was used to this.

But just as he was about to finish the sentence, he suddenly realized something. ”Wait...”

”What did you ask?”

”...”

”The cane!”

Lu Neng gestured. ”It was this long! I stole it from that old man, and I was so close to getting it out...”

”Why’d you throw it away?”

”...”

”What the hell!”

Even in such a tense situation, Han Su wanted to crack this guy’s head open and see how it was wired.

’What is he thinking?’

’You’re facing the Ancient Castle, unbelievable monsters, and a memory from a stranger’s life that just came back to you.’

’Anyone else would be surprised or terrified, shocked or moved.’

’And you’re fucking asking me about a cane?’

”We couldn’t have escaped if I didn’t throw it away...”

He answered angrily, ”Don’t you know that old butler could have frozen us both in place with just a clap of his hands?”

This was just him showing respect to the children who came out of the Ancient Castle, which meant he had to politely answer their first three questions. If he had a slightly shorter fuse, or if the situation were a bit safer, he would’ve chosen to smack him.

”You know so much. You must have gone back and forth many times, haven’t you?”

Lu Neng accepted this explanation, his eyes lighting up with pleasant surprise as he looked at Han Su. ”Then you must have a lot of good stuff, right?”

”?”

His reaction once again caught Han Su off guard. He shook his head. ”No!”

”Can we please talk about what’s important?”

”...”

Han Su was at his wit’s end. Looking at the face before him, identical to that of the fat chef, he could vaguely guess what kind of audacious plan this guy had used to sneak in. The urgent feeling that they could be discovered at any moment made him speak quickly and seriously.

”Right now, I need you to take a verbal message out for me. Give it to the current Qinggang Empress. As for your questions...”

”When you find her, she’ll explain everything to you!”

”Understand?”

”...”

Lu Neng squinted at Han Su, held his tongue for a moment, and then nodded.

”Good!”

Han Su took a deep breath, his gaze serious. ”I can answer one last question for you, and that’s it.”

A thoughtful expression appeared on Lu Neng’s face. Han Su was getting anxious, but all he could do was wait.

Although the children who came from the Ancient Castle were all twisted by fate and seemed to share a kind of innate affinity, this affinity had yet to be proven.

And they were all living, breathing people with their own judgment and logic. Only by persuading them could he begin to cooperate with them in good faith.

”So...”

After a long, pensive moment, Lu Neng finally thought of the most important question. He glanced at Han Su’s black briefcase and said:

”The stuff in here was originally mine?”

”?”

Han Su was completely baffled by his train of thought.

Lu Neng said, ”The eye and the Pocket Watch, remember?”

”I agreed to help you get that book, but the Glasses and the Pocket Watch, those should be mine, right?”

”...”

”Your priorities are really...”

Han Su was so exasperated he almost laughed. He sighed heavily, then suddenly nodded. ”You’re right. They’re yours.”

The way Lu Neng looked at Han Su immediately became warmer, like he was looking at one of his own.

As if relieved, he asked with eyes full of hope, ”So, can I take them with me this time?”

Han Su said, ”No.”

Seeing the look in Lu Neng’s eyes about to change, Han Su added, ”I’ll give them to you afterward, but I still need them right now.”

Lu Neng took a deep breath. ”Deal!”

Having said that, he actually muttered to himself as he gathered his things, then pushed the cart out of the room with a swagger.

He even knocked on the door of the next room to continue his food delivery.

This left Han Su behind in the room, completely at a loss. ’What the hell was that?’

’Anyone else facing this situation would have their worldview shattered. They’d be full of questions, crying and gnashing their teeth. Back then, both Wei Lan and later Rong Qiyue were like that. Pot Lid Head’s reaction was already an unusual display of calm, but even he had questions and waited for my explanation. But this guy, Skinny... what in the world is going on in that little head of his?’