Chapter 21 Zhu Shi 2

Let's continue talking about Zhuang Cheng, but this topic still has to start with his brother's affairs.

Although our family originally planned to pass on the family's magical artifacts to my older brother, he was actually not well-liked at home.

Or rather, it was precisely because they were not well-regarded that they were initially chosen as successors.

The skill level of the Zhu family's witchers gradually declined over the generations, and by the time of the grandfather, they had already planned to withdraw from the world of witchers.

However, withdrawing from the world of Witcher isn't something that can be done overnight. The Zhu family still has some grudges and favors in the Witcher world, and either my brother or I need to take the lead as a transitional measure. My grandfather harbors aversion and aversion to the Witcher world, so he's instead planning to place this dangerous responsibility on my brother.

My brother's position in the family was awkward. Our father had married into the family, and my brother was his illegitimate son. My mother was favored by my grandfather, who naturally abhorred my father's extramarital affairs and couldn't treat my brother well either.

Logically, since my brother became the family's demon hunter, the family must need his help, so it was inappropriate for him to show such a sour face. Besides, everyone has their own culprits, and it should be my father who should be despised. However, being rationally clear-headed doesn't mean being emotionally savvy. My grandfather was the kind of person who wasn't good at hiding his likes and dislikes. And my father had been missing for many years, so there was no way to find him to settle scores. My grandfather had nowhere to vent his pent-up anger.

My brother was naturally extremely depressed in this environment. Starting in high school, he developed a bad habit of doing bad things with his friends, so I gradually drifted apart from him. After he entered university, he became even worse.

Since his reckless behavior escalated, the trouble he caused outside naturally worsened. I heard what happened next; apparently, he was kidnapped by thugs hired by someone, his head covered, and taken to the wilderness, where he was severely beaten.

The beating didn't break his bones, not because he was thick-skinned or because the other party showed mercy, but because someone saw injustice and rescued him halfway through the beating.

The person who came to the rescue was Zhuang Cheng, who was investigating clues about strange events in the wilderness at the time.

It wasn't until this point that the two truly got to know each other; before that, it was only the older brother who knew the other. Being helped by someone he had long admired, the older brother was naturally extremely grateful and took the initiative to befriend her. During this period, their relationship was probably quite good.

The good times didn't last long. Not long after, Zhuang Cheng heard about the bad things his brother had done in the past and even witnessed him committing them. This time, Zhuang Cheng, as the victim, stepped in to help his brother, beat him up, and severed all ties with him on the spot.

This incident dealt a heavy blow to the older brother. Later, he reflected deeply on his mistakes, gradually changed himself, and eventually re-established a friendship with Zhuang Cheng.

The two of them are very close now, at least that's what my brother brags to me, but I don't know if it's true or not.

I am very happy about my brother's transformation, and I am also extremely grateful to Zhuang Cheng.

At the same time, I also developed concerns.

Zhuang Cheng is highly likely to encounter truly bizarre things in the future. While an honest, law-abiding person wouldn't encounter such things so easily, someone like Zhuang Cheng, a "dishonest person," might already have had such experiences… not just in the past two or three years with its frequent strange occurrences, but perhaps he had already encountered strange events during his childhood. Otherwise, why would he be so steadfast in tracking down the clues to these strange events?

His junior high school classmate mentioned that he used to stare at candles obsessively, as if he were possessed by some evil spirit... Could this eccentric behavior also be a manifestation of being influenced by some external supernatural force?

More importantly, will he bring danger to those around him in the future?

To confirm this, I went to see him in person through my brother's connections.

It was the winter solstice of 2022. I was a senior in high school then, planning to get into the same university as my brother and Zhuang Cheng, Xianshui University. The meeting place was also set in the commercial center near Xianshui University. The reason given was "let's go eat at the newly opened hot pot restaurant nearby." I met him and my brother at the steaming hot pot table.

Seeing is believing; judging by appearance alone, no one could imagine that he is a madman with a mind full of magical ideas.

He was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, with his down jacket hanging on the back of the chair. He wasn't playing on his phone, but was intently staring at the heating broth of the hot pot, seemingly lost in thought. At first glance, from his appearance to his clothing, he looked no different from any other ordinary college student on the street.

If I had to pinpoint something special about them, it would be that they seem very aloof and don't care much about the practical things around them. They are mostly the kind of people who easily immerse themselves in their own inner world.

But is this really something special? Actually, many young people are like this.

When I walked over, he only glanced at me before his attention immediately returned to the hot pot. I understand; I really wanted to eat hot pot too. When eating hot pot with friends, I wanted to eat more than chat.

"My sister's here." My brother introduced me from across the table. "Little sister, this is Zhuang Cheng. Ah Cheng, this is my sister, Zhu Shi."

When Zhuang Cheng turned his gaze toward me again, I recalled all the "unromantic" things he had done in the past. I felt a sense of awe and respect, and kept my distance. I couldn't help but greet him, "Senior Brother Zhuang, hello, I am Zhu Shi."

He was taken aback at first, then said, "Junior Sister Zhu... no, Zhu Shi, you can just call me Zhuang Cheng."

"OK……"

Unless the other person is an elder, I usually prefer to call them by their first name.

In my daily life, however, I play the role of an ordinary person. The problem is, I don't know what I was like growing up as an ordinary person. I forget who said it, but when someone imitates a role they are not familiar with, they often reveal a stereotype of that role. My portrayal of myself in daily life is based on the kind of weak and helpless woman from online novels I used to read, and sometimes I overdo it.

In other words, well, how should I put it? Basically, some people in my class say I'm a bit of a tea b*tch. Unlike when I was working as a Witcher, my everyday voice is more strained. By the time I realized this wouldn't work, it was too late. Those who are consistent in word and deed might not understand, but it's actually quite a psychological hurdle for someone to go against their established "persona."

"Senior Brother Zhuang, have you ever seen ghosts or monsters before?"

During the meal, I found an opportunity to ask the question that was the purpose of my trip.

Zhuang Cheng didn't correct me again, but just shook his head regretfully: "No, not even once."

"Really?" I asked skeptically.

"I wish it were fake." He gave a helpless twitch of his lips; his expression of returning empty-handed didn't seem fake.

I still can't believe it.

Although I wasn't as enthusiastic as my brother, I also kept up with the investigation into Zhuang Cheng, and the results were full of doubts. In this era where the strange is becoming increasingly active, Zhuang Cheng seems to have made no progress in his investigation of ghost stories.

I've also been to the locations he investigated. Those places weren't entirely free of anomalies; some were even teeming with blatantly malevolent creatures. And he always managed to slip past them, as if... as if the strange events themselves were afraid of him.

Is this even possible?

Or is it that he has been able to get away with it all this time simply because he was incredibly lucky?

I'm more inclined to believe that he concealed what he had seen and heard.

However, after repeated probing, I became increasingly inclined to conclude that "he was telling the whole truth."

I then tried to persuade him to give up investigating the ghost stories. Clearly, my persuasion couldn't sway his long-held resolve. Similarly, I couldn't persuade my brother to cut ties with him; my brother was a die-hard fan of his.

I had no choice but to exchange contact information with him and chat with him online under the pretext of wanting to know about his recent situation, inquiring about his activities and keeping a close eye on his movements. Although we didn't meet in person very often, we communicated a lot online.

Without realizing it, I also developed a considerable sense of closeness to him.

Contrary to rumors, he was not actually a reckless madman, but a young man with a full sense of reason and conscience. He was simply someone who loved ghost stories more than anyone else and would occasionally do good deeds.

At least that's what I believe.

That's why I'm even more convinced that we shouldn't involve him in the supernatural... in the dangers of our world.

He is also someone I, as a Witcher, must protect.

Then, the night before last, my brother told me about the "cave".

It wasn't until then that I learned he had recently moved into the house where the Fallen Witcher had committed crimes, but since I couldn't reveal my identity as a Witcher to him, I had to ask Detective Kong to investigate the matter first.

Unexpectedly, Detective Kong not only confirmed the existence of the cave and the ritual array, but also brought me another astonishing piece of news—my brother actually took Zhuang Cheng to see the cave and the ritual array with his own eyes.

The unexpected development almost made me faint.

It turns out that it wasn't Zhuang Cheng who brought the strange events to his brother, but rather his brother who brought the strange events to Zhuang Cheng?

Brother, what are you doing?

Given his timid and cowardly nature, his older brother most likely wouldn't approach the cave on his own initiative, but what about Zhuang Cheng? He must have already decided to investigate it. Such a clearly strange event couldn't possibly be ignored by someone like him.

Although I heard the cave has temporarily disappeared, since it has appeared a second time, it will surely appear a third, a fourth time soon... What if he chooses to risk entering it himself to investigate...?

No, no, no, that's definitely not possible.

Even someone as obsessed as him wouldn't risk never returning by personally entering that unknown territory, knowing that the entrance and exit could disappear at any moment.

Just in case, once the other witchers come to relieve me after dawn, I'll immediately go and deal with the strange occurrences in the cave.

I am a demon hunter from Luoshan, and Zhuang Cheng is now my friend as well. Even if it's out of personal feelings, I must protect his life and save him from potential strange dangers.

(End of this chapter)