amaotonovel Chapter 4228 Possession by Evil Spirits (8)
Chapter 4228 Possession by Evil Spirits (8)
Chapter 4228 Possession by an Evil Spirit (Part 8)
This used to be a garage, but it's now been converted into a craft workshop. It's cluttered with all sorts of things, a stark contrast to the clean, tidy, and sparsely furnished old house.
"Did you get the fishing line?"
“Not yet,” the detective shook his head and said, “This place is too remote; even if a friend brings it, it will take a while. Can I see the fishing rod you made?”
Linda handed him what she was holding. The agent took it and examined it, finding that, as she had said, her craftsmanship was quite good. Although it was made of wood, it looked very authentic. However, perhaps because Linda had never seen a modern fishing rod before and was only making it from imagination, the rod's center of gravity was somewhat off, and it lacked flexibility.
The detective thought for a moment, then said, "You should make the tip thinner and softer, otherwise you won't be able to play the fish. Migrating fish are very strong, and you need to have enough strength and patience to beat them. Good tools are also essential."
Linda nodded and began modifying the fishing rod. But just then, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door, and Aunt Kane's voice gradually approached from afar.
“Linda, Linda!! Are you there? You’re messing around with that damn stuff again… Oh, God, Mr. Rodriguez. Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to let you know dinner is ready…”
Aunt Kane, who had initially looked fierce, completely changed her attitude when she saw the agent in the garage, and her face immediately lit up with joy.
While the agent was talking to Aunt Kane, Linda quietly hid the fishing rod. Aunt Kane seemed to think she had done a good job, so she didn't look to see what Linda was doing.
After she left, the detective pretended to be offended and said, "Your mother is wonderful in every way. She treated us warmly and had a very classy demeanor. But for some reason, she just wanted to set us up."
“Aren’t you interested?” Linda suddenly asked. The agent turned around and saw her wearing that eerie smile again.
“I have a fiancée,” the agent said. “We’re getting married when I go back from the United States.”
The detective saw no disappointment on Linda's face. She simply suppressed her smile and refocused on her work.
Now that the opportunity was rare, the agent just wanted to get more information, so he said, "This town is indeed a bit too remote. A young and beautiful girl like you will probably have a hard time finding a decent husband here. If you could go to a big city like Los Angeles, you would definitely be better off than you are now."
The agent knew perfectly well that he should try flirting at this point, but unfortunately, he didn't know how. The script couldn't be played automatically or skipped. So he could only try to persuade him in a more tactful way.
“I’m not going,” Linda said. “I can’t go.”
"Is it your mother who won't let you go? She's getting old and it's really not suitable for her to go through all that trouble, but you're still young..."
The agent said something, but Linda didn't respond, so he had to leave to go eat. When he returned to the living room, the table was already set with food. The agent went upstairs and called the hunter down.
This time, as they sat down at the table, before they even started eating, Aunt Kane said, "Let's sing hymns together."
The detective was slightly taken aback, not expecting this part. However, it was a long-standing tradition. Some conservative Christian families, besides pre-meal prayers, would occasionally sing a short song—the same old kind sung in church.
In our garden, there are many little birds. They've laid so many eggs that they can't fly away anymore.
Aunt Kane started, but the lyrics left everyone looking at each other in bewilderment. Schiller considered himself somewhat knowledgeable about religion, familiar with most of the basics of Catholicism and Protestantism—he was very clear about the Bible, hymns, and prayer procedures—but he had never heard lyrics like these before.
It's more like a children's song than a hymn, but sung in an aria-like tone. If you ignore the lyrics, it really does sound like a Catholic prayer song.
Aunt Kane finished singing the opening and looked at everyone, seemingly expecting them to sing along. But not only Schiller, but Peter and Kate also couldn't sing, so they remained silent.
Aunt Kane's face gradually darkened. She said, "Young people these days are becoming increasingly disrespectful to God; you won't get away with this. Kate, you should learn from this for the sake of your unborn child! Now, sing along with me!!!"
“I’m sorry, madam, I’ve never heard such a hymn before,” Peter finally couldn’t help but say. “Catholics must be humble and tolerant. We are burdened with original sin and have no right to interpret the Lord’s or the Pope’s will without permission, let alone change the prayer. I cannot do that.”
Schiller glanced at Peter. He knew perfectly well that Spider-Man Noir was not a believer. His parents were radical left-wing revolutionaries who, after being assassinated, inherited their will and led the left-wing movement. He was an atheist.
But perhaps it was because he lived in an era with a strong religious atmosphere and had a deep understanding of religion, so he said it on purpose to see Aunt Kane's reaction.
What he said isn't wrong. The biggest difference between Catholics and Protestants is that Catholics don't have the right to interpret scripture. Catholics cannot question the content of the Bible, nor can they arbitrarily change the Pope's and the Church's definitions of the Bible. They must atone for their sins through their own actions, also known as "justification by works."
Protestants, on the other hand, believe in justification by faith. In other words, as long as you believe, you have already atoned.
Many years ago, Catholicism was corrupt and exploitative of believers, so Protestantism was considered more progressive at that time. Believers didn't need to buy indulgences or work for the church officials; as long as you believed in the religion, you were a believer.
However, precisely because everyone in Protestantism can interpret the Bible—I say what God means, and he means what God means—this has led to the emergence of numerous cults and all sorts of monsters and demons who can only talk but not do anything.
After all, if you can atone for your sins simply by believing in your heart, and God will help you just by saying it, then who would do good deeds? And if no matter how heinous the crime, you can be forgiven by God as long as you repent in your heart, then you will naturally have no scruples when you commit a crime.
After years of reform, the Catholic Church has become more open-minded in its doctrinal interpretation. Because action is required for atonement, church administration has become more orderly, and the situation has improved somewhat. Of course, the conservatives remain quite rebellious.
Schiller had suspected that Aunt Kane might be involved in a cult, but she hadn't been proselytizing, and there were no strange symbols in the room, making her seem unlikely to be a traditional cult member. Was she about to give herself away?
But when Aunt Kane heard Peter's firm stance, she softened and said, "This is just a local hymn, passed down from generation to generation. How can it be a sin? Fine, if you don't want to learn it, then don't. Let's eat."
The agent realized that Aunt Kane, despite her seemingly eccentric and bad-tempered nature, was actually very shrewd. On one hand, she was always ready to seize any opportunity to do something, but if the timing wasn't right, she would immediately change course, never leaving anyone with any leverage.
Such methods alone don't seem like those of a girl from a poor family. Besides, she's not even a local, so how could she possibly have songs passed down through generations?
The puzzles were piling up, but the answers were practically nonexistent. They finished another meal, and Linda hurriedly ran off to fiddle with her fishing rod again. The detective and the hunter went upstairs to review the clues they had gathered that day.
“This must all be related to that circus, but I don’t see any connection between the circus and Aunt Kane, or what’s the deal with Linda,” the agent said.
The detective was analyzing the situation, while the hunter listened quietly. However, after a while, the detective gave up because there were too few clues to connect them, and most of the possibilities seemed far-fetched, so it was better not to analyze it at all.
Neither of them were feeling well, so they decided to go to bed early. They quickly fell asleep, but Bruce and Kent, who had found an abandoned house to rest in, were having a restless night.
Bruce had barely fallen asleep when he entered another dream. This time, he saw the man's perspective again, but this time he was dressed as a clown, and in his field of vision was a bright red nose, performing energetically on stage.
Just as Bruce had predicted, he invited a young and beautiful woman onto the stage to help with the performance, handed her a box, and claimed it was a gift. The girl, perhaps seeing such a performance for the first time, opened the box with great surprise.
A terrifying doll popped out of the box, startling the girl into a scream. At that moment, the clown rushed out and began smashing the doll's head with a small wooden mallet.
"Damn you, Pani! How could you frighten such a beautiful and noble lady?! Don't be afraid, madam, I'll protect you! I'll give this bastard a good whack on the head!"
The clown's exaggerated and hilarious performance turned the girl's initial shock into delight. She immediately doubled over with laughter on stage, applauding the clown's performance. The clown, in turn, gentlemanly gave her a chivalrous salute and escorted her off the stage. As the girl left, the clown even winked at her.
Then, the scene shifts, and the man dressed as a clown is in front of a circus dressing mirror, removing his makeup with makeup remover. In the mirror, Bruce sees his face for the first time—a very handsome blue-eyed man.
Of course, he can't compare to Batman or Superman, but among ordinary people, he's definitely a handsome guy, and exactly the kind of old-fashioned handsome guy with clear features and a gentlemanly demeanor that people in the last century liked the most.
After removing his makeup, he walked out of the backstage area and then out the back door. There, on the path leading to the back door, he unexpectedly encountered a young woman. She was another beautiful girl with brown hair and blue eyes, and she froze the moment she saw the actor.
Immediately afterwards, the man went to a nearby hotel, where there was another girl, unlike the previous ones. She wore heavy makeup, had a very hot figure, and was smoking a cigarette, waiting for him at the door.
"Honey, why are you so late today? I've been waiting for you for ages. Come on, baby, I prepared something especially for you..."
"You're so sweet, darling."
The two hugged and kissed as they went inside. But somehow, as they talked, the topic changed.
"Really? You're the son of a factory owner? But I've never heard of your hometown before, not even West Virginia, let alone Great Valley. Which state is it in? My God, Utah?! That's so far away?!"
Seeing the woman hesitate for a moment, the man quickly put his arm around her waist and said, "Although we can't compare to the rich people in Boston, my father has some influence in the area. Besides, there are advantages to a small place. My father is in charge here. If you marry into that family, no one will make you suffer."
He showered her with sweet words, completely winning her over. As they parted, she clung to his hand, saying, "Come find me after your tour. I'll be waiting for you."