After wrapping up a long day of demon-hunting, Dean trudged back to the motel and flopped onto the couch with a weary groan.
“Another day of digging up graves and burning bodies, same as always.”
He reached for the half-empty beer he’d left on the table earlier, took a few swigs, and glanced over at his brother Sam, who was organizing and sorting through their notes.
“It’s still not too late. The diner downstairs should be open—want to grab a late-night snack or something?”
“All they’ve got downstairs is corn mush and burritos.”
Sam seemed pretty worn out too, but compared to his brother, he carried himself with more restraint. He was leaning against the wall, flipping through a map.
“We’re eating those damn burritos every time… Isn’t there anything else on the menu?”
“Those credit cards you snagged earlier are about maxed out again. Funds are tight—we need to watch our spending.”
Hearing Sam’s words, Dean lost whatever interest he had in drinking.
“The Five-Thunder Talismans Su gave us work great, but damn, they cost a fortune… Do you still have them on you?”
“Of course I’m keeping them safe—they’re way too important for me to mess around with…”
Sam unzipped his jacket, revealing the mesh pocket on the inner lining, where the corner of a yellow paper talisman peeked out.
“Say… why do you think he ran off so fast back then?”
Over the past few days, they had indeed managed to track down their father.
Just as Su Fan had speculated, their old man had been searching far and wide for a weapon capable of killing demons—a uniquely crafted Colt revolver and a few special bullets.
But the demons seemed to know exactly what their father was up to and kept launching ambushes at every turn.
If their dad hadn’t been so seasoned and experienced, he would’ve been done for long ago.
When the three of them finally reunited, they didn’t even get a chance to clear the air about their past grievances before they were attacked by their old enemy.
That’s right—the Yellow-Eyed Demon who had murdered their mother.
Their father’s first instinct was to get his two sons out of there.
Without that Colt, they couldn’t possibly harm a demon of that caliber. Retreating for now was the smartest move.
But to the Winchester father’s surprise, his two sons had no intention of running. Instead, they both simultaneously pulled out a yellow piece of paper inscribed with mysterious symbols.
Yet before the Winchester brothers could even use the Eastern mystical power they’d gotten from Su Fan, the Yellow-Eyed Demon vanished from sight in an instant.
“Think about it, Dean.
Considering Paimon’s standing in Hell, Su’s name is probably known to just about every demon down there by now.
His talismans are his signature attack method. Any demon with half-decent intelligence sources would already be on guard.”
“Fine, whatever his deal is—what we need to figure out is how we’re going to fund our future exorcism work.”
Dean propped his feet up on a nearby stool.
“How about this—once we take out the Yellow-Eyed Demon, we set up a paid exorcism consultation agency, just like Su does?”
Sure, they weren’t nearly as powerful as Su Fan, but when it came to dealing with run-of-the-mill spirits and ghouls, they rarely struck out.
Running an exorcism consultation service would be well within their capabilities.
“Dude, we don’t have any reputation right now. How are we supposed to run a consultation agency?”
“Then we build a reputation—do some publicity.”
“Publicity costs money.”
“Son of a bitch—it’s a goddamn vicious cycle!”
Dean snapped, his face twisting with frustration.
Ding…
The familiar chime of a text message rang out. Dean fished his phone out of his pocket.
Assuming it was another set of coordinates from their dad, he was about to glance at it casually—until he saw the sender’s name. He shot upright on the couch.
“It’s a message from Su.”
“What’d he say?”
“An address.”
“And?”
“Dean, Sam—do you want money or not?”
——–
After leaving the Walk of Fame, Ruth climbed into the chauffeured car sent by her family.
Thanks to the business of trafficking human bodies and performing brain-swap surgeries, Ruth’s family had accumulated considerable wealth.
They’d already diversified into investments and funds years ago, using financial instruments to generate income.
The reason they still stayed in the game was simple: connections.
There were far too many wealthy and powerful people in this world, all desperate for a second chance at life.
They possessed fortunes that could rival nations and influence that could move mountains—almost nothing was beyond their reach.
Earthly laws meant nothing to them.
The obscene luxuries that ordinary people could only dream of, the forbidden acts they wouldn’t even dare imagine—these had long become routine for the elite.
But time was merciless. Nothing could withstand its erosion.
Even those who held the reins of the nation, perched atop the pyramid of global power, couldn’t escape the ravages of aging.
All they could do was feel their bodies grow weaker day by day, more and more powerless.
They threw their resources and influence into a frantic search for any means to prolong their lives.
Blood transfusions. Organ swaps. Embryonic stem cell injections costing hundreds of thousands a pop…
The more accustomed they grew to life at the top, the more terrified they became of death.
Ever since word spread that Ruth’s father had successfully performed a brain-swap surgery, powerful clients had come knocking in an endless stream.
Anyone who dared to move against Ruth’s family would have to contend with the wrath of elites from across the nation—and beyond.
Shielded by such formidable backing, the family’s operations grew increasingly bold.
They started with deception and seduction, but eventually escalated to dragging people off the streets in the dead of night.
If it hadn’t been for a bunch of lunatic cultists causing chaos recently, Ruth’s brother Jeremy would have been the one handling Su Fan.
In Ruth’s eyes, Su Fan looked rather scrawny—no match for her brother at all.
The car rolled past the bustling city center and arrived at a scenic, sparsely populated suburban estate.
The moment Ruth stepped through the door, she saw her mother, father, and grandparents all waiting at the dining table.
Her grandparents’ bodies had long since been replaced by their father—now they were entirely in Black bodies.
But their mannerisms and bearing were strikingly similar to the parents sitting beside and across from them.
“How did it go, dear?”
Her grandmother asked.
“Not quite as planned, but overall, it went smoothly.”
Ruth took off her coat, hung it on the rack by the door, and pulled out a chair to sit down.
She then gave a concise summary of her conversation with Su Fan at the antique shop and his general demeanor.
After listening to Ruth’s account, Mrs. Ammitage smiled.
“He’s just some Asian boy—not worthy of my outstanding daughter’s favor.”
“Since he’s so ungrateful, after I successfully hypnotize him, you can take your anger out on him however you like.”
“Hey—shouldn’t we be guaranteeing the merchandise’s quality? Word of mouth is everything in business.”
A long-haired young man stepped out from the room behind the couple.
“Anyway, the buyers don’t care about his body itself. A little flaw here and there won’t be a problem.”
As the head of the family, Dean Ammitage spoke up.
“Since the date is set for the day after tomorrow, we should start getting ready.”
“Missy, you’re in charge of contacting the buyer and inviting them over for a visit.”
“Jeremy, go double-check the TV recording and all the other equipment.”
“Ruth, you did an excellent job—bringing the target home on your very first contact. You can pick out a favorite prey to bring back and keep.”
Once everything was arranged, Dean Ammitage smiled and raised his champagne glass.
“This operation will go just as smoothly as all the others.”
“Come now—let’s toast to the future of the Ammitage family.”
The others raised their glasses in unison.
“To the future of the Ammitage family.”
