Chapter 45.1 The Great Clash of Science and Mysticism
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It was clear that Lu Xiaotian had no idea about the harm her fanfiction had caused to the main character. She continued, “But fanfiction doesn’t have much popularity, so it won’t come into the real world… Lin Zhaohe, why are you staring like that?”
Lin Zhaohe: “I see your forehead turning dark. There will be a tragedy in the near future.”
Lu Xiaotian: “…” When I drew ‘Ghost Man,’ you didn’t react at all. Why are you suddenly getting excited about a fanfiction?
Lu Xiaotian, a prolific author, effortlessly created manhua and novels. She had more than forty pen names, and she hadn’t finished listing them yet. She was relieved that the fusion was random, otherwise, she might have been exposed a long time ago.
“Did you write all these works? Do you have the original copies? Show them to me,” demanded Lin Zhaohe.
Lu Xiaotian asked, “What’s your contact number? Can I send them to you?”
So, the four of them created a group, and Lu Xiaotian shyly shared all her works in the group. She politely categorized them, mentioning that the early ones were a bit inexperienced, the middle ones were more enjoyable, and the later ones shouldn’t be read as they contained revengeful content that could lead to misunderstandings about her.
In Lu Xiaotian’s later works, Lin Zhaohe successfully found the Little Lamb Skewer that had attempted to assassinate them earlier. It must be said that Lu Xiaotian had gone too far. She actually had the protagonist turn their pet into a real lamb skewer, not out of necessity, but simply because the protagonist had a craving for it. Although the little lamb was later resurrected, it still left a lasting impact.
Qi Ming’s hands trembled as he asked, “Miss, what really happened during that time? Can a person really write such things?”
Lu Xiaotian: “It’s not… rebellion…”
There’s always that age, around thirteen or fourteen, when one feels betrayed by the world.
As soon as she published these stories, she faced a barrage of criticism and had to constantly change her pseudonyms, without gaining any popularity. Otherwise, given her temperament, any character she created could hunt her down relentlessly.
“Um…” Lin Zhaohe hesitated, “How many works have you published?”
“At the moment, I only know of three or four,” Lu Xiaotian laughed, “But the one who hates me the most is probably Juzi.”
“If I were in his shoes, I would chase after you too,” Qi Ming said softly.
Lu Xiaotian’s face stiffened.
After a quick review of the literary works, Lin Zhaohe concluded that, considering the situation, Lu Xiaotian should keep her distance from the people around her during this cruise journey. One never knows if any of them might be a victim in her stories.
Lu Xiaotian’s expression was filled with anguish as she exclaimed, “I can’t bear to live another day like this!!” She was now too afraid to create anything for others to see, and she even wished to destroy all her previous works.
“Just get by for now,” Lin Zhaohe comforted.
Lu Xiaotian: “Your fried chicken looks delicious. Can you give me a piece?”
Lin Zhaohe became cautious and said, “No, this was specially prepared for me by my boss. If you want some, go find a chef.”
Lu Xiaotian glanced at Lin Zhaohe and then at Zhuang Lao, squinting her eyes. She felt the familiar itch in her hands.
Lin Zhaohe, who had narrowly escaped a disaster, stuffed another piece of fried chicken into his mouth. The fried chicken was incredibly tasty, with a crispy outer layer and juicy interior. The chicken must have been marinated, as it had a subtle sweetness to it. The sauce was a combination of honey and mustard, perfectly balancing the greasiness of fried food with a hint of mustard’s fragrance. It was simply irresistible.
Lu Xiaotian languidly asked, “Do you think there’s any hope left for me?”
Qi Ming: “There’s a little, but not much.”
Lu Xiaotian burst into tears, saying that she was still young and didn’t want to die. Why should one always pay the price for mistakes made in their youth?
Lin Zhaohe felt that she was quite pitiful, but there was a hint of irony in her misfortune.
Honestly speaking, if Gu Xuyu knew that Lu Xiaotian was the author of that fanfiction, her life might truly be in danger. However, now Gu Xuyu had transformed into Gu Jueyu, and life was just unpredictable like that.
Lu Xiaotian channeled her grief and anger into an appetite and hungrily devoured several large cakes. As she was about to stuff the third one into her mouth, the girl group on stage finished their performance, making way for a beautiful female singer.
Lin Zhaohe still didn’t recognize the singer, but judging from the reactions of the people around her, she must be quite famous.
Accompanied by the melodious voice of the singer, the atmosphere in the restaurant grew lively. Lin Zhaohe even spotted some familiar faces and quietly discussed with Zhuang Lao, “Boss, why does that person look so familiar?”
Zhuang Lao: “The appearance does seem familiar.”
Lin Zhaohe: “Which anime character does she resemble? Is it the one from the monster-fighting series…?”
Just as they were chatting, a piercing scream suddenly echoed through the crowd, followed by an uproar. Someone had been stabbed with a dagger and collapsed on the ground, coughing up blood. In an instant, their life had vanished.
“Murder!” someone screamed, and the scene descended into chaos. Security rushed onto the stage, examining the victim and securing the area, while the surrounding crowd became restless, stepping back and engaging in heated discussions.
“Someone’s been killed?” Lu Xiaotian nearly choked on her cake, fear creeping in. She anxiously asked, “Could it be another author?”
Lin Zhaohe: “It’s entirely possible…”
Lu Xiaotian silently set the cake aside, gently touching her round belly. “I’ve lost my appetite.”
The security quickly calmed the crowd, setting up a protective perimeter and assuring everyone that they would investigate once the authorities arrived. They urged the guests not to panic.
“These days, death seems to occur in unusual and exaggerated ways,” muttered Lin Zhaohe. “Something feels off about this.”
Zhuang Lao: “What seems off?”
After scanning the crowd, Lin Zhaohe finally realized what was amiss. “Damn it, I remember who we saw earlier!”
Zhuang Lao: “Hmm?”
Lin Zhaohe slapped his palm. “Isn’t that the character from the detective manhua? The one who solves cases wherever he goes, even risking his life!”
The mention of the character instantly shook the onlookers.
This manhua had gained national recognition and had a decent fan following. With a new case every week, it had been serialized for over a decade. Fans jokingly remarked that the protagonist was more powerful than the grim reaper, causing deaths wherever he went, yet each one appeared rational and legitimate, leaving no room for suspicion.
Lu Xiaotian choked back tears and said, “I had hoped that the concept of fusion wouldn’t exist on the cruise ship, but it seems I can’t escape even to the ends of the earth…”
Lin Zhaohe could only smile wryly.
Meanwhile, the detective had been singled out from the crowd, and someone asked if he had found the culprit. The young detective adjusted his glasses and hesitated. “I…”
“Let me handle this!” Qi Ming, who was originally standing beside Lin Zhaohe, somehow managed to squeeze his way over.
All eyes turned towards him, and the manager inquired with confusion, “Who are you?” He carefully examined Qi Ming, making sure there wasn’t a detective of that name in the industry, and then asked, “Which detective are you?”
Qi Ming rolled up his sleeves and said, “I’m not a detective.”
The manager: “Then what are you?”
Qi Ming: “I have a spirit-summoning lamp. Let me call forth the victim’s spirit and ask them directly to find out!”
The crowd: “……”
The young detective’s pupils dilated, clearly taken aback that his profession was being challenged by another industry. Wasn’t this tantamount to cheating? Bringing the deceased back to ask questions was simply outrageous!
Lin Zhaohe had nothing to say. While others might be unaware, he knew that Qi Ming had been wanting to use his spirit-summoning lamp for a long time. Qi Ming had been disappointed last time when he couldn’t use it on him. Now that he had the opportunity, he wouldn’t let it slip away.
Qi Ming, clearly experienced from countless rehearsals, swiftly set up a formation, placing a hexagram on the floor map. After surveying the surroundings, his gaze finally settled on Lin Zhaohe.
“Brother Lin,” Qi Ming laughed good-naturedly, “have you ever been in love?”
Lin Zhaohe became wary and asked, “What?”
Qi Ming: “Are you a virgn?”
Lin Zhaohe: “No! I’m not! I’ve had several girlfriends!”
Qi Ming: “Then give me a bit of your blood.”
Lin Zhaohe angrily retorted, “I’ve already told you I’m not a virgn. Don’t you mind your spirit-summoning lamp being tainted by my filthy blood?”
Qi Ming: “Stop making excuses and give me a prick already!” Seeing through Lin Zhaohe’s bluff, he firmly grasped him and quickly pricked his hand with a needle, obtaining the blood sample.
Lin Zhaohe’s eyes burned with rage. “Qi Ming, you’ll regret this!”
Qi Ming completely ignored his threats and walked over to the spirit-summoning lamp, dripping the blood into it.
In the next moment, the magic circle emitted a green light. Qi Ming said, “I knew it, Brother Lin. You won’t let me down.”
Tears welled up in Lin Zhaohe’s eyes. He felt as though everyone in the restaurant was staring at him, mocking him for being a pitiful virgn in his twenties. Choking back his sobs, he said, “Your spirit-summoning lamp is unfair!”
Zhuang Lao patted his subordinate, who was soft all over except for his stubborn mouth, in an attempt to console him.
Unaware of the extent of the damage inflicted upon Lin Zhaohe’s fragile heart, Qi Ming continued enthusiastically with the next step.
In the instant the spirit-summoning lamp lit up, the overhead lights went out, plunging the entire restaurant into darkness.
The soul of the deceased slowly materialized from the ground, initially unsteady but quickly regaining composure.
Qi Ming shouted loudly, “Who killed you?”
The soul contorted its face into a grimace and scanned the crowd before finding its target. With a pointed finger, it exclaimed, “It was him! He killed me! He plunged the knife into my chest!”
The culprit had been trying hard to blend into the crowd but was eventually singled out. Taking a few steps back, he shouted, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me…” Before he could finish his plea, security guards had already restrained him.
“Why did you kill me?” The tear-filled eyes of the victim’s soul questioned him. “I saw you personally stab me in the chest with a sharp knife!”
“Because I loved you,” the culprit broke down, crying out loudly before recounting his journey of love, from acquaintance to familiarity, until he heartlessly took a life, and so on.
As the two spoke, they yearned to embrace each other, but one was dead, forever separated from the living.
This scene moved the onlookers, their faces displaying a touch of emotion. Even Lu Xiaotian shed a tear and said, “Truly touching, even more so than a detective solving a case.”
Only the unemployed detective standing nearby became the sole loser in this moving story.
Then the time of the spirit-summoning lamp expired, and the soul dissipated. The security guards rushed forward and promptly took the culprit away.
Lu Xiaotian murmured, expressing her concern that they had only been out for less than half a day, and already two people had been detained. She worried that if there were too many people, they wouldn’t be able to fit them all below deck on the cruise ship.
Lin Zhaohe advised Lu Xiaotian not to jinx it.
Qi Ming was extremely satisfied with the debut of his spirit-summoning lamp, stroking it and proudly exclaiming, “My precious.”
The young detective walked up to him and softly asked, “What’s your surname, Big Brother?”
Qi Ming: “Surname is Qi, no need for formalities.”
The young detective: “I think your method is somewhat inhumane.”
Qi Ming: “I don’t think so.”
They locked eyes, a hint of sparks and lightning in the air. The young detective chuckled and adjusted his glasses. “Well, not every deceased person knows who killed them. You’re not that intimidating.”
Qi Ming couldn’t tolerate someone challenging his expertise and responded with a smile, “True, but if you want to keep something a secret, you mustn’t do it in the first place. Once you take action, someone will always notice.”
The young detective: “Perhaps not necessarily.”
While the two were engaged in their banter, Lu Xiaotian, lacking integrity, approached them and asked, “Can I have your autograph? I’m your fan.”
The young detective smiled and said, “Of course, I can.”
In the next moment, it turned into a fan meeting. Lu Xiaotian passionately shared how much she loved this work. She had been watching it since the third grade of elementary school. Now that she was in college, she still hadn’t been able to see the ending, and it seemed like she would never be able to—rumor has it that the author had passed away.
Lin Zhaohe touched his hand, which had been pricked by the needle, feeling a pang of sadness. Now, everyone on the ship knew he was a virgn. How would he face these worldly gazes?
“It’s alright, nothing to be ashamed of,” Zhuang Lao consoled him with a hint of amusement in his tone.
Lin Zhaohe sadly felt that this person was mocking him.
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