It was when the sky was painted orange that a certain person walked out of a bus. Claude took a deep breath as he observed the strange yet interesting place. With a piece of paper in his hand, he asked a person nearest to him.

That person gave an amicable smile. His hands then pointed here and there, Claude listened to him earnestly. After he was certain that he remembered it, Claude set forward, following the direction he was told.

Before even two minutes, only after he took the third turn, Claude forgot the next direction.

Thus, the situation that every people in his hometown always cautioned to him before he took the bus had already happened.

Claude looked at the path in front of him. This city was really different than the village. It was usually a crossroad in his hometown, but what about this? There were five different paths that he can choose. He wondered what this was called.

Claude tried to remember. First turn left there, then left again, then… then… what did that crossing hands mean? 

He got caught up in trying to memorize everything that he forgot to ask that important question.

Claude sighed. It seemed that his mind really can’t keep up in this city.

He suddenly felt that he regretted coming to this city. He wanted to come home already.

Not even in a slightest thought that he realized that he was just got duped by a stranger.

However, whatever his feeling was, he still needed to choose which path he should take. This kind of dilemma was similar like between choosing boiled egg or fried egg.

Now that he was uncertain, he suddenly realized that there were no people near him. It was such a quiet street. The wall surrounded him, it was so narrow that he felt that this place was a back alley.

Well, to be honest, he was never in a back alley. But if this was a TV show, it wouldn’t be strange that a ghost or a gang of intimidating people suddenly came from one of those five different paths in front of him. Though it still had the same chance that they may be coming from behind him.

“Hey, big brother, what are you doing in this place?”

A girl’s voice suddenly came from beside him. Her voice seemed so close that it was like she said it right before his ears.

Claude screamed. if only that she didn’t tug his right sleeve, he would’ve jumped out of fright. Well, her tugging was the reason he almost jumped.

Though the night had yet come and that setting sun was still can be seen from here, Claude sensed a chilling cold wind embracing his body.

Trying to ignore that voice, Claude strained his mind. He didn’t need to choose those five paths if he went back to the bus stop right?

As expected, the brightest brain in the whole village never disappointed him.

Now… he just needed to went past this girl.

The girl beside him pouted her small cheeks. She asked him question, and yet he seemed to feigning ignorance? Who did he try to fool?

At least don’t scream if you’re pretending, big brother…

“Big brother! You see, a few hours ago, Little Ruo ran over a truck over there…”

She pointed with her small finger toward one of the five paths in front of him. That small gesture of her was accompanied by a sudden gust of wind. A few rotten leaves floated around them. This street didn’t even have one tree nearby.

Claude sighed yet again. He only just arrived here, but a problem suddenly popped up. There were enough people in this city to help her, yet out of all people, she appeared beside him.

He just wanted to find an address. A peaceful day was really a luxury even for him.

Then… then he waited for a half minute until she continued her sentence.

“Little Ruo’s soul was supposed to be roaming freely right now, but… a weird uncle suddenly came a hour ago. I don’t understand what’s happening, but Little Ruo’s soul started screaming in pain after that uncle came. Even now, I can still hear Little Ruo’s voice. Big brother, please help him.”

Claude’s face suddenly became grave when he heard it. But still, he needed to find the address.

A cluster of rotten leaves suddenly appeared out of nowhere. A powerful wind directed its course. It surrounded them for a few seconds until they floated away out of their sight.

Before that certain time, Claude pretended that he loosened his grip. Thus he saw the rotten leaves vanished in this labyrinth-like street. A piece of paper joined their journey. Thankfully he remembered its content.

He then suddenly turned his head, facing that girl.

“Hey, do you know the way to Red Bean Street?”

“You need to help him first!”

Thus, Claude accepted her request. He took forward a stride toward the path she had pointed. It didn’t matter to him that in this city, there was a weird uncle that apparently can torture a dead person’s soul. He faced this problem with a confident face. For there were no burdens that were too heavy for Claude.

On the way, the little girl hummed what he just assumed a cheerful song, for she was jumping here and there in joy.

He didn’t quite understand this girl, shouldn’t she took on some serious face? They were going to face a dangerous uncle, and Little Ruo was still screaming out there…

In a period that took them to arrive at their destination, they arrived at a bustling street.

It was actually a traditional market. People went here and there without minding the shrill sound of vehicles. Above all else, Claude saw an uncle in a weird white robe squatting in front of a shop.

The glass window that displayed the shop’s contents can entice many people to go inside there. But unfortunately, this uncle seemed to feel like blocking the road. No one stopped to view the shop from outside unless they wanted to stand beside this suspicious squatting uncle.

“Is that him?”

He directly asked without any delay, though Claude didn’t really need to hear the answer.

In his eyes, he can clearly see a floating ball of smoke above that uncle’s right shoulder. He can hear its screams even from here. It was so loud that it concealed every sound in this bustling street.

Claude can’t hear the beeping car right beside him, he can’t even hear the shouting voice of a middle-aged woman behind him, he only heard its screams.

Just like that little girl said, it was a scream full of pain.

That little girl muttered something under her breath. He was not certain what she just said, but she nodded slowly, and she gripped his right sleeve harder than before.

This was getting tense, Claude thought.

No matter how loud that floating ball screamed, it was as if no one even heard it. For him and the girl, they can only heard its scream in their ears. Everything else lost to its scream, though no one else heard it. That uncle maybe can hear it too, but perhaps he just pretended as if nothing really happened.

Claude cautiously walked toward him.

That uncle didn’t care about the crowd near him. He only looked at the street floor and just silently squatting.

It was until Claude came beside him that the uncle suddenly lifted his head.

Though he did it just to gaze at the little girl.

Then he turned his head away. He looked at the far west. There was a tall building over there. Yet in his eyes, it seemed as if he saw anything beyond it.

Then he mysteriously said particulary to no one, “well, it’s already the time for them to appear.”

Then he continued silently gazing at the street floor.

“Hey, uncle, can you free that young soul please?”

That uncle ignored him.

Claude was embarrassed, what must he do? It was not like he can just attack this uncle under the broad daylight. At least he needed a better reason than to say that he wanted to break free a soul.

No one would believe him anyway.

Suddenly, someone approached them. His brown face was full of sweat. Looking at his clothes he seemed to be a shop vendor in here. It seemed that he wanted to say a piece or two to Claude.

“Don’t bother, young man. This guy suddenly appeared here a hour ago. We thought that he was a beggar, but he just didn’t take any money given to him. The floor was full of money only a few minutes ago, but a group of people without any moral suddenly stole it. Well, anyway, this guy’s probably a mad man, don’t bother yourself with him.”

Thus, he walked away, vanishing between the crowd of people.

Claude            : “…”

Uncle              : “…”

What was that?

Uncle              : “…I will kill him someday.”

Fortunately, Claude can’t see the uncle’s expression from above. His face was now like a boiled crab. Just when was the last time he got insulted like this?

He then calmed his whole body and mind. It looked like misfortune really didn’t come alone. He already gritted his teeth for a whole hour. If only that he didn’t trying to control this soul, he wouldn’t have in his right mind coming to this place. These crazy people thought him as a beggar, morever, this boy in front of him really was annoying.

“You’re new here, kid?”

The uncle lifted his head. He didn’t try to confirm Claude’s response as he then continued, “you see—”

“Stop torturing Little Ruo first please. If not, me and big brother will close our ears.”

The uncle was really flabbergasted. Why did he encounter many unreasonable people today? This girl, she was only a lingering thoughts, yet she somehow can still create trouble for him. He’d bet that this boy in front of him was brought by her.

He stopped trying to control the soul above his right shoulder. Just like his Head Director said, talk before fight. Maybe if this boy heard a little what he’ll say, he would get rid of the thought that was trying to safe the soul.

“Hear me clearly then.”

Claude perked up his ears. Maybe this uncle just wanted someone to hear him? He should just be quiet and hear this uncle’s story. Maybe after that he’ll release Little Ruo, and then he can go to Red Bean Street.

The uncle cleared his throat first, “you see, I’m a part of Black Grim Ghost Organization.”

That sounded evil, Claude thought. But then, he can’t really see something resembling ‘black’ in the uncle’s whole attire.

As if he can hear what Claude thought, the uncle said, “kid, this is my job’s attire. You see my hat? It says ‘Uncle Shor’s Milk Store’. Of course my attire will be all white.

“More importantly, I’m not the organization’s direct member. You see the organization has many branches in the country. In here, it’s called ‘The Community of Yangkung City’s Exorcists’. So black uniform’s not compulsory here.”

Claude can already see where was this going. The uncle clearly meant that if he forcibly took the soul from him, the exorcist community in this city wouldn’t just lie down and will someday search for him. Though Claude didn’t really see a problem with that.

“Uncle, let’s just fight.”

“All right then. Let’s go to somewhere less crowded.”

He agreed quickly without any protest.

The uncle then continued his attempt trying to control the soul. He stood up and walked away. The duo Claude and little girl followed behind him. A shrill scream where no one else cared started again.

The little girl gripped hard on Claude’s right sleeve. Her mind was only filled with worry at Little Ruo. She was unaware that Claude just winked at Little Ruo’s soul. A mischievous grin was revealed on his face.

“Hey, earlier you asked for help from me right?”

That sudden question made the little girl tilted her head in wonder.

“…Umm, yes?”

She can’t help but doubt.

What’s with that question? Does… this big brother have… memory problem?

Claude smiled weirdly at her expression.

“Don’t worry, you have got the right person for this, and it looks like I didn’t come to a wrong city…”

Finishing it with a sentence that made the little girl more confused, Claude released a relieved sigh.