“Hello Mr. Yu. It’s handled. I’ll clean up soon and go back to the inn.” Dave answered the call and said.

 

“Thank you Dave. My apologies for missing your call. Was in an important meeting with Josephine Wong, and I figured you would never be in danger.” Jianmen said.

 

“Yeah no problem. I was just about to tell you about Caroline’s friend - it was not as serious as I thought. So I might be overly cautious.” Dave took a look at Stacy and Amanda: “But still it is the same kind of thing and quite weird. Her friend was mumbling ‘TuchTachSash’ in her sleep. It turned out to be a corrupted and broken piece of  soul, I think it might be from her ex boyfriend. I just ripped it off and fed it to Mr. Sucker here. It was twisted and corrupted to an absurd degree - if it was left unchecked it might become something quite troublesome. I want to say it’s close to demonization, but it felt a bit different.”

 

“Okay, that was nice and quick. Thank you for handling it.” Jianmen went silent for a few minutes and said: “But that word … it’s definitely not overly cautious for you to call. Can you do me another favor and ask how she learned that word? I’ll upgrade your cruise, with a better buffet and better room and more scenery stops.”

 

“Can I have some roast ducks?” Dave asked, “Or better, roast geese? ”

 

“Yeah, I am in San Francisco so I can drop by Chinatown and check for ducks.” Jianmen said: “But I am not sure if they’re still open after what happened. But for geese, I’m afraid I’m going to take you to China. I will do that but you’ll need to wait and get a passport and visa.”

 

“Oooh, nice, I’ve never had a passport and visa before.” Dave giggled: “That’d be nice. Thank you Mr. Yu, I’ll clean up, take note of everything and let you know.”

 

“Thank you Dave. I’ll let you get to it.”

 

When Dave hung up the phone, Amanda and Stacy looked to Dave and asked with awe and fear, apparently they heard parts of Dave’s conversation with Jianmen: “What… what was that? What do you mean you’ll clean up?”

 

“Well, just clean up.” Dave sat down in front of the two girls, reached into his pocket with one hand and took out a folded piece of yellow paper, and a long paper bag: “Okay, this piece of paper is a sigil, made by Mr.Yu, according to his usual instructions, you can find a small pouch and keep it with you at all times for three days. Then it should be safe enough to throw it away or burn it. Three days is a bit of overkill, but better safe than sorry. And these are special incense sticks to cleanse your house, burn one in your apartment everyday for seven days. Don’t mess with it, but if it stopped burning mid way, especially during the first few days, just call me and let me know.”

 

“O… Okay, that’s it?” Amanda asked: “I thought it’s gonna be more ... serious.”

 

“Nonono, you’re good. That’s all, just do these as I told you and you’ll be fine.” Dave shook his head: “Now, Stacy, can you tell me a little bit about your ex boyfriend? In particular this cult he’s in.”

 

“What? What about it?” Stacy’s eyes opened wide: “Are you saying this has something to do with Nick?”

 

“It does.” Dave nodded: “Not directly, I think it has more to do with the cult he got involved with.”

 

“Okay. But do you know how I can find him?” Stacy asked, her voice was shaking and she looked like she was about to cry again: “I… I haven’t seen him in quite a while, I needed to know why he just dropped all contact like that… I just… I just need to talk with him...”

 

“I … I’m sorry.” Dave was not sure how to properly respond: “I’m afraid you can’t talk with him anymore… he’s dead.”

 

“What? How? ” Stacy immediately broke down sobbing: “How… how’d you know?”

 

“I’m so sorry. ” Dave shook his head: “But what’s been haunting you… it’s actually a piece of his soul. Normal human’s soul can’t be torn up like that. So there’s very little chance that he’d still be alive...”

 

Before he could finish, Stacy was already devastated and could not stop crying. Amanda moved to her side and held her and tried to console her friend, then she whispered to Dave: “You should leave. Let me call you.”

 

“Okay. Okay. ” Dave sighed, stood up and was ready to leave.

 

Right after Dave walked out of the apartment, Amanda caught up to him and tapped him on the shoulder: “Hey, Dave, sorry about that. But we forgot to take your number, can you give me your phone?”

 

“Um… yeah, sure.” Dave gave his phone to Amanda, and turned around ready to leave again.

 

“Wait, nonono!” Amanda grabbed onto Dave’s arm, almost laughing out loud and handed him back his phone: “I just put my number in your contact and sent myself a message. So… you know when I call you.”

 

“Oh.” Dave hesitated and put his phone back in his pocket: “I thought you just needed a phone.”

 

“Um, no, I have mine, bought it just last month. But thank you for offering.” Amanda smiled and went back into Stacy’s apartment: “Or… you can call me.”

 

“Sure. Will do.” Dave waved Amanda goodbye and waited till Amanda closed the door.

 

From a portal with dark edges and made of dark smoke that occasionally shot out small bits of electric spark, Dave came back into the inn, and just in time to see Kane and Alex staring at him and his portal.

 

“Holy crap Dave, you’re one of them as well?” Kane’s voice almost made the windows shake: “Caroline didn’t tell us… What?!”

 

“Shhh, sorry you have to see that.” Dave scratched his head: “I’m very very sorry you had to see that. But no I am not one of them. I’m not like Caroline or Mr. Yu. I’m not a cultivator.”

 

“But what are you then, Dave? A wizard?” Alex asked: “A sorcerer?”

 

“No. Alex, I am a Depth Dweller.” Dave smiled and poured the jellyfish back into the tank: “You can see me as .... one of those… long living beings.”