Sam watched as Su Fan’s fingers made contact with the knuckledusters. In a daze, it seemed as if he heard a muffled rumble of thunder.
He was quite sure he wasn’t hallucinating. The only possibility was that these knuckledusters possessed some unique property.
“What material are these really made of, Su?”
“Lightning-struck wood. Ever heard of it?”
Su Fan put the knuckledusters on to try them out.
“Wood that’s been struck by lightning? They have this kind of effect?”
Sam was a bit puzzled.
Thunderstorms are common in the Great Plains region of America, and wood struck by lightning isn’t unusual—in fact, it’s quite plentiful.
“Ordinary wood won’t do, of course. It has to be a tree that can survive being struck by lightning and then rejuvenate itself. And not just any type of tree works either.”
“Jujube wood and peach wood are effective. Jujube wood is the first choice, followed by peach wood.”
Saying this, Su Fan looked directly at Sam.
“You haven’t told your brother about your special abilities, have you?”
Lightning-struck wood indeed has special properties, but ordinary people wouldn’t be able to tell.
The fact that Sam had just now perceived the uniqueness of the knuckledusters proved that he already possessed abilities ordinary people lack.
His long-hidden secret exposed, Sam revealed a bitter smile.
“No, I haven’t.”
“Talk to him about it. Besides family, who else can you be completely honest with?”
Su Fan advised calmly.
“You two hunt demons and search for your father together. This kind of thing can’t be hidden forever. Do you want him to discover it on his own and then have to question you about why you never told him?”
Hearing this, Sam fell into silence.
Matters of family communication – he could take his time to think about that.
After confirming that the lightning-struck wood knuckledusters were effective, Su Fan put them away. The image of Ron surfaced in his mind.
These knuckledusters were made from materials Su Fan had previously asked Ron to collect and craft.
Information about lightning-struck wood, the methods for obtaining the wood and making the item—she had mostly researched all of that herself.
The result was excellent.
She wasn’t good with interpersonal relationships or scheming, but she performed unexpectedly well in tasks like these.
Su Fan set aside his thoughts and continued his talisman preparation work.
With his cultivation level increasing and his understanding of the Way of Talismans deepening, he could now draw talismans using his own power, without needing to borrow the pure energy.
After grinding the inkstick, Su Fan picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, calmed his mind, and began drawing Five Thunder Talismans on yellow paper.
He completed each one in one go, with no hesitation or stumbling.
After finishing one, he set it aside to dry in the shade.
He repeated the process until he felt his internal spiritual energy was running a bit low, and only then did he pause.
Looking to the side, he saw over twenty finished talismans already dried.
Not enough yet.
Su Fan sat down right there, crossing his legs to meditate and recover his spiritual energy. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he stood up and started again.
Sam, who had been contemplating his own problems earlier, now found his attention completely drawn to Su Fan’s actions.
He was like a relentless talisman-printing machine!
By the time Su Fan finally put down his brush, a thick stack of Five Thunder Talismans had piled up on the table.
Seeing Su Fan casually reach out as if to stuff all the talismans into his pocket, Sam was dumbfounded.
So this wasn’t a reserve for the future, but preparation specifically for this one exorcism?
That stack had to be at least sixty or seventy sheets just now…
The thought of sixty or seventy thunderbolts being unleashed simultaneously was chilling just to imagine.
Just as Sam thought Su Fan was about to leave the antique shop, Su Fan frowned slightly, turned back, and used the leftover ink in the inkstone to draw a few more.
“Can’t let it go to waste.”
Su Fan muttered to himself.
Only after those last few Five Thunder Talismans had dried did he finally put them away with satisfaction.
Carrying the long sword he’d found behind the counter, he walked out of the shop under Sam’s watchful gaze.
After a full day of activity, it was now nearly evening.
The season was approaching late autumn, the daylight hours were shorter, and night fell earlier than before.
But as soon as he stepped outside, he was confronted by a crowd of people dressed in all sorts of colorful and bizarre costumes.
Both adults and children were carrying jack-o’-lanterns, posing for photos and playing in groups.
Skeletons, zombies, vampires—they were everywhere.
Some groups had even started imitating the classic music video of Michael Jackson, dancing along to the music.
The air was filled with joyful noise and excitement.
Only then did Su Fan remember that tonight was Halloween.
Good.
The more chaotic and lively it was, the easier it would be to move around.
With the night as a natural disguise and the noisy chatter of the crowd as cover.
Perhaps he could be a bit more unrestrained.
Su Fan found a sparsely populated alley and with a light leap, was onto the rooftop.
Then, his figure darted swiftly across the rooftops.
The uneven buildings and the wide avenues connecting different neighborhoods couldn’t hinder Su Fan’s progress.
Down below, bustling crowds erupted in cheers from time to time.
They were too busy focusing on everyone’s costumes and the upcoming Halloween parade.
No one thought to look up, so naturally, they didn’t see the figure passing over their heads.
After traversing one rooftop, the terrain suddenly dropped away. Below the slope, the city, illuminated by lights, was reflected in Su Fan’s eyes.
Beneath the moonlight, the hem of his airborne figure’s clothes was lifted by the air currents, rustling loudly.
His body, which should have begun its descent, was buoyed by the currents generated by Wind Riding, continuing its glide forward.
——
Inside a telephone booth on a street corner, a figure was on a call.
“I’ve arrived and checked into my accommodation in Los Angeles, California. Everything seems normal so far.”
“Please be careful, Sister Theresia. According to the Warrens, a terrifying evil lurks within this city,”
another voice came through the telephone receiver.
“Your mission this time is to gather evidence. However, if an emergency arises, you may also assist them with the exorcism.”
“Understood.”
The woman nodded gently and then hung up the phone.
After reporting her status, the woman stepped out of the phone booth.
To facilitate her movements, she wasn’t wearing the standard nun’s habit but ordinary casual clothes.
Under the light, the woman looked up, revealing a gentle and serene face. Her lively eyes were full of curiosity about the big city.
Theresia didn’t know why she had been assigned to come to America to assist the Warrens.
She was merely a novice nun at the convent; for exorcisms, they should have sent a priest.
But since it was an order conveyed by the bishop of the diocese, she had no choice but to follow instructions.
Honestly, though, Theresia was in quite a good mood.
After living a secluded life in the convent for so long, being able to go out and explore was wonderful.
And today was the annual Halloween night; the city was brightly lit and bustling with activity.
She followed the flow of people through the city, finding everything novel and fascinating.
Without realizing it, she passed through an alley and arrived at the bottom of a certain slope.
A gust of wind blew, lifting her hair.
Theresia raised a hand to hold it down, and instinctively looked up—just in time to see a figure, silhouetted against the full moon, gliding gracefully through the air…
Suffered from a chill last night, was throwing up and had diarrhea, wasn’t feeling well, so the update is a bit late. There’s more to come.
