The Demon's Menu-Chapter 973: Fear! (2)

The withered touch made him smack his lips again.

Whenever he thought of the debt he owed, the middle-aged detective’s face couldn’t help but be filled with worry and distress.

He, too, wished to have an older sister!

An older sister who would give him money to spend for no reason, and shame him with gold, luxury cars, and mansions if he refused!

Damn it!

Is this flaunting?

Curse it!

I’m so envious!

Ryosuke took several deep breaths and turned his head to look at Jason.

He decided not to talk to Hui Lijing for the time being.

Too infuriating!

His blood pressure was rising!

"Jason, what can we do to make those three murderers appear?"

Ryosuke hadn’t forgotten their purpose for coming here.

"Appear?"

"Aren’t they supposed to be here?"

"Isn’t Jason supposed to be pursuing them?"

Hui Lijing asked in shock.

"How is that possible?"

Ryosuke scoffed.

At this moment, he found a bit of a good feeling again.

So what if you have a good sister?

Isn’t it just due to intelligence?

I’m different.

I have always relied on myself!

With this thought, Ryosuke began to explain.

"They have prepared for so long, even Jason might not be able see through it at a glance, but Jason must have meticulously found a way to counteract them."

"So, by being here, we can force them to reveal themselves, and thus win the second round."

"This will certainly lay the foundation for our victory."

Ryosuke explained earnestly, causing Hui Lijing to blink.

She felt there was some sense in what Ryosuke said.

But also felt something was off.

Yet when asked to articulate it, she couldn’t.

So, Hui Lijing turned to Jason and asked,

"Jason, is that so?"

"Do you remember what I said before?"

Jason didn’t answer, but instead asked.

"The previous words?"

"Yes... never follow the enemy’s steps."

Hui Lijing immediately remembered.

Then, the female detective frowned and pondered.

The middle-aged detective beside her very much agreed.

"Right, never follow the enemy’s steps!"

"We must stay one step ahead of them!"

The middle-aged detective spoke while looking around.

He was convinced there must be some clue here.

But other than the big river in front of them, there was only darkness, and even the lights of the distant Tongshou Temple seemed somewhat illusory and dim at this time.

Where exactly?

The middle-aged detective pondered, and then, involuntarily, he looked at Jason.

At this moment, Jason, with a backpack containing a hockey mask and a Broad Blade Cleaver, stood on the shore, gazing at the river.

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As if thinking of something, the middle-aged detective immediately looked towards the river.

But no matter how wide he opened his eyes, he could only see the dim river surface, the mist rising, and with the rumbling in his ears, the river became more turbulent.

Nothing on the surface... could it be at the bottom of the river?

The middle-aged detective thought subconsciously.

But just as the middle-aged detective was about to bend down to see if he could see clearly to the riverbed, suddenly, he froze.

He blankly looked towards the misty river surface in the distance.

Amidst the rising mist, a small boat was cutting through the wind and waves!

A lantern hung at the bow, and at the stern stood an old monk in tattered robes who looked unkempt.

The old monk was struggling to row, propelling the boat towards here more swiftly.

A few breaths later, the old monk appeared at the shore.

"Get on the boat!"

"No time to explain!"

The old Monk shouted repeatedly.

But whether it was Jason, Hui Lijing or Ryosuke, they all looked at the suddenly appearing old monk with suspicion.

The three who had appeared before were killers.

So what about this monk who has now appeared?

Hui Lijing and Ryosuke were full of caution.

Jason looked at the monk with an inquisitive gaze.

There was nothing particularly remarkable about his aura.

But the small boat under his feet was quite interesting, giving off a faint scent of mint; he wondered whether it tasted crunchy or soft?

Thinking this, Jason listened while the old monk became increasingly anxious.

"I’m from Tongshou Temple, I’ll take you away from this Illusion Realm, this place..."

Boom!

The old monk’s explanation was interrupted by the thunder.

A lightning bolt from the sky struck Tongshou Temple.

The originally dim lights of Tongshou Temple were completely extinguished after the lightning strike.

In that darkness, no more light could be seen.

Only—

Crack, crack!

Sizzle, sizzle!

The sounds of bones breaking and flesh tearing.

Hui Lijing and Ryosuke’s complexions changed.

What happened?

The two looked towards Jason.

Jason, unfazed, stood still, while the old monk from Tongshou Temple on the boat had a pained expression.

"We’re doomed! We’re doomed!"

"The ’ghost’ has appeared!"

The monk from Tongshou Temple murmured softly, then, once again addressed Jason, Hui Lijing, and Ryosuke: "Get on the boat, I can’t save the others, but I hope to save you."

His tone was earnest, his expression sincere.

"Get on the boat."

Jason suddenly spoke and jumped onto the boat.

Hui Lijing quickly followed onto the boat.

Ryosuke also boarded.

Seeing the three aboard, the old monk from Tongshou Temple immediately began to row.

The small boat swiftly left the shore, heading towards the middle of the river.

And the moment the boat left shore, in the darkness, two fist-sized red light spots lit up.

Then, those red light spots tore through the darkness.

Instantly, Hui Lijing and Ryosuke on the boat were startled.

It was a small giant, 3 meters tall.

Its entire body red, its head crowned with horns a foot long, and its fangs sharp as daggers, it had a robust physique, with what seemed to be an animal skin skirt tied around its waist, holding an incomplete corpse in its hand.

Judging by the clothes, it was a white-collar worker.

This red little giant was gnawing on the corpse while roaring at the people on the boat.

"Is, is this a ’ghost’?"

Hui Lijing asked stammeringly.

"It appears so."

Watching the little giant that very much resembled the ’ghosts’ of legend, Ryosuke replied with a dry voice.

"It’s just eaten one, so it can’t be considered a ’ghost’ yet; just a creature in its infancy. If it consumed the remaining two, it would then truly be a ’ghost’ on a real level."

The monk steering the boat shook his head, explaining in a more professional tone.

Then, thinking of something, he had an apprehensive look on his face.

He slowly said,

"Lucky you boarded in time; if it caught you and ate all three of you..."

"It could potentially become a ’Great Ghost’."

"That’s a being even many demons and spirits would avoid, extremely dreadf... Huh?"

"Where did your companion go?"

The old monk, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly realized Jason was no longer on the boat.

Hui Lijing and Ryosuke searched around.

"Look there!"

The sharp-eyed Hui Lijing pointed to the shore.

Everyone looked in that direction.

They saw Jason, who should have been on the boat, had somehow returned to the shore and was standing in front of the ’ghost’.

"Jason! Jason!"

Hui Lijing shouted loudly.

Jason seemed to hear her voice, but did not turn around, merely waving his hand.

Hui Lijing was about to jump into the water and swim back, but the next scene stunned everyone on the boat.

Jason charged towards the ’ghost’.

And then—

With a punch, he caused the ’ghost’ to bend over and hold its stomach.

Next, he brought his knee up to the ’ghost’s’ face.

Before the ’ghost’s’ head could rise, Jason clapped his hands together and struck heavily on the ’ghost’s’ back.

Thump.

The ’ghost’ fell to the ground.

Trying to rise but was continuously trampled on by Jason.

It soon appeared lifeless.

Jason leisurely picked up the ’ghost’ by its leg and dipped it into the river water, using the swift current to wash it.

"Is, is this a ’ghost’?"

Ryosuke was confused.

Aren’t the ’ghosts’ in legends supposed to be powerful and evil?

Evil seems about right.

But powerful?

It feels just like a chicken being prepped for stew, being washed.

Wait!

Washing?

Could it be?

Ryosuke’s eyes widened, and his breath almost stopped.

Hui Lijing, on the other hand, seemed much more normal.

"This is ’purification’!"

Hui Lijing said earnestly.

Ryosuke looked at the earnest Hui Lijing with an expression that said you’re kidding me.

Who purifies like this?

Shouldn’t it be with Holy Water?

Or by fire?

But regardless, Ryosuke was relieved.

At least the crisis was averted.

Immediately, Ryosuke turned to say something to the Monk from Tongshou Temple.

But as he did, he found the old monk’s complexion had changed dramatically, and he exclaimed—

"Not good!"