ATAPOW Chapter 263
Previous Chapter|Index|Next Chapter
Chapter 263: Riddled with Doubts
As wisps of steam rose from the hot tea on the table, the captain began to share what he knew.
“Some twenty years ago, a great fire broke out in the northern suburbs. Because it happened in the dead of night, the Order’s rescue mission was delayed, resulting in heavy casualties. After resettling the survivors, the local knights, under the direction of the Temple Association, began rebuilding the area. However, the work was plagued by freak disasters at every turn, eventually bringing the reconstruction to a complete standstill.”
“But now, the pieces have finally fallen into place. It turns out the same demon you encountered has been lurking in that area all along. Though his exact scheme remains a mystery, he’s almost certainly been the one behind the sabotage. We’ve gathered enough evidence to bring him in, and I expect these haunting incidents to come to an end. That’s the whole of it.”
“And what about the fire itself—how did it start? Was it ruled an accident, or was someone behind it? If it was arson, did they ever catch the culprit?” Ji Bai had a general understanding of the incident, but he still had several key questions he wanted answered.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have that information—at least I’m not aware of it. The knight in charge of this case has probably retired by now.” The officer shook his head.
“What race and faction does that demon, Bohlmann, belong to? I get the feeling he doesn’t hold much hostility towards humans.”
“I don’t know. He’s not one of your usual fiends, that’s for sure.” The captain furrowed his brows. “As for whether he harbors any ill will towards us, that’s not for you or me to decide. For all we know, he could have been the one who started that fire back then. Even now, we still haven’t uncovered why he’s been lurking in the suburbs, and the sinister plot he’s been weaving — that’s our only concern right now.”
“May I ask what your plans are for those puppets in the apartment?” Ji Bai suddenly remembered something.
“What are you talking about?” The officer’s expression did not appear to be an act — he was clearly bewildered.
“Wait, you didn’t come across any wooden figures or walls covered in graffiti while searching the apartment?” The former knight was momentarily taken aback.
“No. Other than the furniture, we’ve cleared out everything in the apartment and placed it in storage. All we found was loose change, a few strange stone-jade pendants and some photographs. There weren’t any puppets at all. Are you certain you saw them?”
“I’m sure. That demon used some kind of dark magic to trap human souls inside them. Not only that, he forcibly sealed the souls of innocent guests who stayed there into those wooden dolls as well…”
“Guests?” The captain flipped through the logbook on his desk. “Quite a few people lived in that apartment building. They all reported it as extremely haunted, but so far, no one has gone missing or been injured.”
“Is that so?” Ji Bai furrowed his brow, falling into deep thought.
The demon harbored no ill will; the travelers had been frightened away without a scratch on them. It seemed he simply wanted to stay in that old apartment, using them to keep the rumors of the northern suburbs alive.
If so, it explained his calculated efforts to sabotage the Order’s reconstruction of the area.
But what was he really after? Why had he come to the northern suburbs in the first place?
“Could you show me the photos you had discovered?”
“You’re getting a bit comfortable, aren’t you?” The captain frowned slightly. “I’ve already told you more than I should—don’t push your luck.”
“Alright, alright. Just one more question, then: who was the building’s former owner? Surely that isn’t some classified secret, is it?”
The officer’s gaze fell on the Silver Throne hanging at Ji Bai’s waist, and his expression softened into a resigned sigh.
“…The previous owner of the property had been an old knight, but that was nearly a century ago. His son later inherited it, and that is where the records end. The graves behind the place are said to be the family’s resting place.”
“What was the knight’s name?”
“Do you really expect me to know the name of someone who lived almost a century ago?” The captain retorted in irritation, suspecting that the man was just being difficult for the sake of it.
“I don’t know what you’re after, but here’s a word of advice: don’t push your luck. You’ve retired and quit the Order, so keep your nose clean.” As the former knight turned to leave, the officer offered him one last piece of ‘advice’: “In this world, busybodies are the first to die.”
Whether the warning actually sank in was anyone’s guess; Ji Bai just nodded along and walked out the door.
“Look, it’s him! It’s the Knight King!” The moment he stepped outside, he heard a commotion.
Right — he had completely forgotten about that little farce.
Ji Bai glanced at the rookie knights nearby, their eyes shining with reverence and excitement. He then pulled a silk scarf from his bag and wrapped it around Lin’s head, concealing her hair and face.
“Quit gaping and move. If our cover is blown, we’re as good as dead.” Paying the vampire no mind, he took the lead and walked out of the Radiant Knights’ headquarters.
“You fought tooth and nail to get back here; Why the rush to leave?” Now that he had regained his wits, Gordon’s incorrigible nature resurfaced.
During the knight’s earlier questioning, it became clear that he could not remember anything after they arrived at the inn. It was as if he had blacked out.
“No need.” Ji Bai said as he strode ahead, deliberately removing his cross‑shaped helmet.
Although it was a cheap, mass-produced item, he did not want to attract any unwanted attention if possible.
“So, what’s our next move? Are we staying to see what the Order is up to?”
“No, there’s something more important we need to figure out.” The former knight shook his head; he had a rough idea of where to head next.
He had refrained from voicing all of his questions to the captain, as doing so would only arouse suspicion.
For instance — Who had issued the deployment orders for this specific operation?
Which official in the Temple Association ordered the rebuilding of the suburbs back then?
Why was the Chivalric Order suddenly meddling in this business now, when it did not even exist at the time of the fire?
Everything seemed perfectly normal at first glance, yet he was beginning to see a fine thread tying it all together.
Since no one was going to tell him the truth, he would have to find the answers on his own.
“And what about you? Should you really be tagging along with me? I thought you came to Silk Shuttle City with another purpose in mind.”
“That can wait. I don’t have any urgent business at the moment, and there’s nowhere else I need to be. You don’t mind, right? Where are you headed?”
“The Northern Suburbs.”
At these words, Lin, trailing behind them, went slightly pale.
——————————
After getting off the carriage, Ji Bai and the others returned once more to the old apartment building.
Official seals from the Radiant Knights and ‘No Entry’ signs were plastered around the perimeter, where several knights stood guard.
The area had been sealed off faster than he expected, but he did not plan to infiltrate during daylight anyway.
He circled around to the back of the place. In the distance, he could make out several earthen mounds scattered across the ground, each topped by a gravestone bearing a few crookedly carved characters.