Chapter 10 Son of the Devil Of course he knew about this case. No investigator had set foot in that damn place for about half a year, ever since the last five people were hanged in the cemetery. The town of Excelsior is not far from Bulgemouth, but it is a marshland located in the eastern harbor of the kingdom. Unlike the excellent port of Bulgemouth, that area is located downstream of the river and is often affected by floods. Therefore, the towns within the swamp are not very densely populated, there are few residents living in them, and the government's control over them has never been strong. What kind of cultists are hiding in Excel, how many are there, and what they are worshipping, these information are vaguely recorded in the headquarters. Last time, that "bad-tempered" Carol took four investigators in, but a week later they brought back five coffins. It is said that the coffin was hastily buried before it was transported back to New Newland because an unbearable strange stench emanated from the coffin during the journey. Let him go to Excel alone? Are you sure he is not looking for death? Marquette had to re-examine the "lion" he had chosen. At this time, Liu Yonglu was still showing off his fried chicken wings, with honey sauce all over his hands. "Brother...why don't you talk to your operator about it? Excel is not a good place." "Forget it... forget it." Liu Yonglu stuffed his mouth with chicken wings and continued incoherently: "I was counting on a promotion after finishing this job. The general manager said that if I do a good job, I can be the team leader."
"team leader?" Marquette is a know-it-all in the department. He vaguely knows that there is a secret "Blue Rose Project" in the department. Is Ricky also a candidate in the plan? Marquette unconsciously adjusted the balance in his mind a little bit. This investigation mission really cannot be shirked. It is a high-risk and high-reward deal. "Well... brother, you better be careful. I'll be staying in Bulmouth recently. I hope I can get some finishing work for you." "Just hold it." Liu Yonglu licked his fingers after finishing the last piece of chicken wing. "By the way, how about going to Excel? Carriage? I plan to leave this afternoon!" …… On a rainy night with thunder and lightning, in a room of Excelsior Monastery, two elderly nuns were sitting at a table by the window, one stirring flour and the other fiddling with seasonings. The rain in the swamp was pouring down hard and raindrops were hitting the glass. It was pitch black outside the window. It was already late at night, but the two nuns had no intention of going to bed yet. "Lucy, do you think... that child will come back again?" "I don't know, I won't, I hope not, Holy Lady, be merciful." The old lady named Lucy stopped stirring with the spoon, made a cross on her chest uneasily, and looked back at the statue of the saint. A bolt of lightning struck, and the statue of the saint lit up, then disappeared into the shadows in the blink of an eye. "Boom!" The thunder roared and echoed, and the rain outside fell even harder. Lucy clenched the spoon with trembling hands and tried to concentrate not to think about the child, but no matter how hard she tried, the boy's pale and lifeless face appeared in her mind. "Son of the Devil" is what the people in the monastery called him. The incident happened a few months ago. Sister Samantha from the monastery brought a boy into the monastery, saying that the boy, who was about five or six years old, was found by a believer in the slums. But Lucy clearly remembered that the child was well-dressed, wearing all black clothes, without a trace of smell or dirt, completely different from those children who usually played in the sewers. The most impressive thing is the child’s left hand. He has six fingers on his left hand and an extra thumb than ordinary people. The thumb is flexible and strong. No matter how you look at it, there is nothing strange about it, as if humans should have six fingers.
There is a small orphanage behind the monastery, which houses six or seven children. If any believer with good conduct is interested in adopting them, he or she can take them home. Sister Samantha's meaning was very simple. The child might be lost and should stay in an orphanage first. If no one found him for a long time, he would wait for other believers to adopt him. When the people in the monastery asked him his name, he just shook his head, so they gave him a name, Joshua. Joshua didn't like to talk. In fact, Sister Lucy herself had heard him speak only a few times. She only remembered that his voice was flat and dull, without the liveliness and sharpness that a child of his age should have. Usually Joshua didn't play with other children. He often sat under a big tree and looked at the ants on the ground, and no one knew what he was thinking. A boy with a somewhat strange temper. This was Lucy's first impression of him. Four months passed, and his family still hadn't come looking for him. At this time, old Gutierrez from the church found her and said he wanted to adopt a child, and somehow he fell in love with Joshua at first sight. Usually, during the adoption process, children will have some resistance, some are unwilling to be separated from other children, some are afraid of the new adoptive family, anyway, they will cry for a while. Joshua was completely different. He didn't pack his things, and went home holding the hand of old Gutierrez. According to old Gutierrez, he used to run some ocean shipping business in New Nurent when he was young. When he was in his forties, the ship of his fleet sank and the valuable cargo sank to the bottom of the sea. He had no choice but to sell his property to pay off his debts and then lived in seclusion in Excel. He and his wife had been childless, so they adopted Joshua. Are things going in a good direction? No, five days later, Joshua returned to the orphanage, brought back by the local sheriff. It is said that last night, old Gutierrez chopped his wife, who had been with him for decades, to pieces with a kitchen knife, and then cut his own throat with a knife. "I heard that old Gutierrez accidentally found evidence of his wife's infidelity. That was more than 20 years ago. He was still a sailor at sea at that time, and his wife had an affair with the owner of the grocery store downstairs." That's what the sheriff said. Poor little Joshua, he was in the room and saw everything and must have been terrified. Lucy took Joshua from the sheriff. He still had no expression and looked calm and indifferent, just like he was in the orphanage. Lucy felt his hands were unusually cold, and her own palms were covered with damp sweat. But this time, Joshua did not have to wait too long in the orphanage. On the eve of May Day, Lisa from the church adopted him home again. Just like last time, Lisa chose Joshua among the children at first sight. The result? Three days later, Joshua returned to the orphanage. Lisa was a wealthy widow who had adopted four children in addition to Joshua. The sheriff said Lisa's death was extremely horrific. She was drugged and then scalded to death by the other four children in the family. The undertaker in charge of the coffin went out and vomited three times before he put her into the coffin. "That Lisa seems to have been secretly abusing the children. We found many blood-stained torture instruments in her home. So...it's hard to hold those children responsible for this matter." After Joshua came back, not only the children in the orphanage, but even the nuns in the convent were afraid to talk to him anymore. He was still doing his usual business, eating, sleeping, and observing ants in the yard. Once, Sister Lucy went to call him for afternoon snack. She walked around Joshua's thin shoulders and looked at the ground. She saw that the ants on the ground had formed a complex magic circle and were moving quickly. The symbols in the magic circle kept changing and finally turned into a "666" ancient Rashu pattern. "Ah!" The tray in Lucy's hand fell to the ground, the white porcelain shattered, and the egg tarts scattered everywhere. The ants were not attracted at all. They continued their sacrificial dance and changed the shapes of symbols. Joshua turned his head and glanced at Lucy with a smile, revealing his neat white little teeth. That was the first time Lucy saw Joshua smile. She was so frightened that she ran away and privately gave him a new name, "Son of the Devil." The unfortunate story was repeated countless times afterwards. He was always chosen by adoptive parents at first sight. No matter how the nuns hinted or warned them, it was useless. The parents pointed at Joshua firmly and declared that they must adopt him. And the result?
Langlet, 35, a wine merchant, was found drowned in his own wine barrel two days later. Winina, 42, the restaurant owner, was hacked to death by her assistant chef four days later. Her body was found in a pigsty, with her internal organs half eaten by the pigs. Malmo, 29 years old, manager of a theater troupe, jumped from the town’s tallest bell tower three days later, his head smashed like a watermelon, with a portrait of the troupe’s popular female singer in his suit pocket. …… Anyway, anyone who adopted Joshua would die mysteriously within six days. The ways of their death varied, but each time the sheriff would always be able to find clues from their experiences that led to their death. "Boom!" The thunder became louder. Today is the sixth day since Joshua left. Will he come back today? The largest clock in the monastery made a heavy clicking sound, and just as the hour hand swung to 12 o'clock, there was a rapid knock on the door. Sister Lucy glanced at the nun sitting opposite her, who was trembling and lowering her head. Lucy sighed and had to pick up the umbrella leaning against the door and open it herself. When he opened the door, he still saw Sheriff Pester's old face full of fatigue and fear. "Aunt Lucy, that... Mann is dead. He died in the cellar of his home. It is said that he swallowed all the gold coins he had hidden and died of starvation." After he finished speaking, he moved aside to reveal Joshua behind him. In the heavy rain, the little boy was wrapped in an ill-fitting, large vinyl raincoat, with only his pale face exposed. He still had no expression on his face, and his black pupils seemed to blend into the surrounding darkness, constantly radiating and blurring. Lucy shuddered and took his left hand reluctantly. She felt the extra thumb that shouldn't exist was shaking happily in her palm. Welcome to collect comments, two chapters every day, large quantity and full (End of this chapter)