Divine Decree

What was so strange about this guy Song Chushi?

After parting ways outside the wonton shop, Han Su still accepted the recording pen. He took the bus back to his rented room, locked the outer security door tight, and drew the curtains firmly over the narrow window.

He was not afraid of the bounty posted on the Black Table, but he had to be wary of the trouble it might bring.

He did not want someone to suddenly break into his room in the middle of the night, hold a knife to his throat, and leisurely tell him they needed his cooperation with some investigation. Nor did he want someone sneaking into his home at night to install bugs or cameras, or peek through his browsing history.

Those self-proclaimed clever private detectives and bounty hunters willing to do anything for money could come up with all sorts of ideas in their little heads. One flash of inspiration from them, and he would be in for no end of trouble.

"Sea Cape Port... Fisherman... Spell..."

Only after making as many arrangements as possible and setting a few small traps did he open his secondhand laptop and begin searching those keywords.

Compared to the bounty on the Black Table, Song Chushi gave him a far more complicated feeling.

That man looked exhausted, weathered, and unkempt, but whenever he became serious, his narrow eyes gave off a dangerous aura unlike that of ordinary people.

Having escaped countless times from that place full of monsters had made Han Su highly sensitive to such danger. Yet the Spell Song Chushi had left behind also inexplicably stirred something within him.

Could such a logic of occult contact truly exist?

And had Song Chushi happened to find a way to activate this residual Mysterious Power, proving the possibility of some phenomenon?

Lost in thought, Han Su took the recording pen from his bag and examined it carefully.

There was nothing unusual about its exterior, but the caution in Han Su's heart could not be so easily dispelled.

The families of those victims had all reacted differently after that case, but overall, most of them still doubted him and even harbored hostility toward him.

But thinking about it now, it was almost funny. The louder they had shouted back then, the faster they had let it go.

Instead, the chairman of the Magic Box Group, along with people like Song Chushi who had seemed restrained and self-controlled from the start, had remained unable to let it go for all these years.

But regardless of whether the Spell was real or fake, Han Su needed to make some preparations first.

Soon, as he entered the keywords, a string of pages and news articles popped up on his practically new secondhand computer.

Han Su read through them slowly and soon gained a basic understanding of the relatively remote fishing port. It lay southwest of the Eastern District and was a fishing port steeped in occult and religious atmosphere, where people had once been burned to death.

The locals were highly hostile toward outsiders and always seemed rather superstitious to strangers. With a simple search, he found many bizarre statues and incomprehensible churches.

As he scrolled down with his Mouse, the biggest news story he saw was about local Fishermen claiming that sea demons had once attacked the coast, killing seven and injuring twenty-three, destroying a church and countless homes.

But the article offered an explanation below.

After an investigation by the Public Security Bureau, it had been confirmed that it was merely a shootout between gangs smuggling weapons.

Everything seemed to fit perfectly.

Putting on his headphones, Han Su imported the audio from the recording pen into his computer, then opened the chat window with the Black Rose avatar again.

[Are you there?]

[Speak!]

[I have a Spell. Help me listen to it and see if you can find its origin.]

[...]

[It's a Spell used by Sea Cape Port Fishermen when they worship sea demons. Since when did you become interested in this stuff?]

[...]

Han Su paused for a moment before typing, [A friend gave me this Spell. He said it can activate some Mysterious Power!]

The other side seemed to grow serious. Perhaps she was looking through information. It was a long while before she replied:

[What kind of nonsense is that?]

[I saw it in the records. It seems to be an ordinary Spell. There are a few syllables I can't distinguish, but the general meaning can still be read.]

[It means: Divine Decree!]

[From a folkloric perspective, it is merely language used by the Fishermen of Sea Cape Port during rituals. They believe God can hear this language and grant them courage to face wind and waves. How could it possibly activate Mysterious Power?]

[...]

Han Su was somewhat curious as he listened. [Activate courage?]

[Then does it have the ability to activate residual Mysterious Power in certain spaces or objects?]

Black Rose replied, [No. Why are you asking this? Hey, your mind is already muddled enough. Don't tell me you actually believe in this occult stuff?]

[...]

Only then did Han Su realize something.

This woman was actually a psychologist by profession. The Public Security Bureau had arranged for her to provide him with regular psychological counseling. She was merely interested in the occult and liked studying related things, but fundamentally, she did not believe in them...

Of course, as a psychologist, Han Su did not think she was particularly professional either.

But that was perfectly reasonable. She had been assigned by the Public Security Bureau, he did not have to pay for her, and the costs came from public funds. How could she possibly be professional?

[I'm just playing around because I'm bored.]

Han Su answered casually, then probed, [Is there such a thing as contact theory in the occult?]

[This eye of mine was blinded by a monster. Could there be some Mysterious Power left inside it?]

[...]

Black Rose seemed completely stunned by Han Su's words. It was quite a while before she replied, her text seeming faintly powerless. [Bro, blind is blind. Don't turn yourself into a lunatic too.]

[Think about it. If something that miraculous really existed, why would nothing have happened until now?]

[Also, I like the occult, but I don't believe in it. Even taking a step back, even if these things are real, you absolutely must not try them casually.]

[The key to the occult lies in the word "occult." Its logic is chaotic. If you find a fake Spell, at worst you will suffer a loss or get tricked.]

[But if the one you find is real, then you need to be careful.]

[...]

At that point, she sent an entire row of exclamation marks, and even the text seemed to carry a stronger warning:

[Have you heard of the monkey's paw phenomenon?]

[When occult power works, it usually does so through some twisted logic.]

[You want a young, beautiful, wealthy girlfriend to keep you company and inherit her family business. More likely, the family of a rich young woman who died early takes a liking to you, arranges a ghost marriage for you, and sends you into her tomb to sleep beside her forever.]

[You want more money than you can spend in a lifetime. You might also get hit by a car the moment you step outside, leaving the twenty yuan in your pocket untouched forever.]

[Of course, what I'm saying is theoretically different in nature. But when an ordinary person suddenly comes into contact with mysterious things, whether Spells, objects, or some ritual...]

[It essentially means using Mysterious Power to distort a life that had been progressing normally.]

[Such distortions often bring unknown crises.]

[Either some unknown thing notices you, or your life undergoes unexpected changes. And that often becomes an ordinary person's nightmare...]

[I've studied the occult for so long, but I have never tried to confirm whether it is real or fake. This is why!]

[...]

She was so solemn that even Han Su grew grave. [Could I die?]

Black Rose replied, [...Not really.]

Han Su said, [Then it's fine.]

This time, Black Rose seemed at a loss for words. After a while, her tone became more relaxed. [Of course, I might be overthinking it.]

[The prerequisite for making this Spell work is that you have to know how to recite it.]

[Take this Spell, for example. You can find it with a simple search in the database, but those Fishermen who undertake ritual duties have all trained for many years. They also need to recite it in their local language for it to truly sound right.]

[And that is why your friend gave you this Spell as a recording.]

[...]

Han Su nodded slowly. After a long while, he replied, [Thank you!]

[You're welcome!]

Black Rose replied calmly, [By the way, do you want to come over and see me?]

[The Public Security Bureau has become diligent again lately. They called yesterday to ask whether you have been seeing a doctor on time, and whether I learned anything when I hypnotized you.]

[No time.]

[All right.]

[...]

After ending the conversation, Han Su shut down the computer. Sitting alone in the cramped room, he slowly closed his eyes, and a subtle, strange feeling stirred within him.

Black Rose did not need to remind him. He understood that for ordinary people, rashly coming into contact with such mysterious and unknown things was a double-edged sword.

Such transcendent things that defied the logic of reality could very well destroy his stable, peaceful life in an instant.

And there would be nowhere to buy regret afterward.

But he was different...

Could he still be said to have any peaceful life now?

And Song Chushi—setting aside whether he could be trusted based on intuition alone, logically speaking, how likely was he to harm Han Su?

Thinking darkly, to those victims' families, he was the only clue they had to finding their loved ones again. So no matter how dissatisfied with him or doubtful of him they were, how many of them would dare take his life?

After sitting quietly for a while, Han Su opened his eyes again. A trace of madness and brimming anticipation surged in them.

He picked up the recording pen, slowly switched it on, and held it to his ear.

"Hiss... hiss..."

As the static from the recording pen faded, a long, deep voice began to sound.

"Sic erat in abysso!"