The mainland of the Great Xia Federal Empire, Quang Nam Viceroyalty, Jiangcheng City.

An industrial city on the coast.

It is famous all over the world for automobile manufacturing and finishing.

It was nighttime, and it was almost eleven o'clock.

In the east of Jiangcheng City, in a small alley, Ling Ping'an looked at the streets and alleys that had gradually disappeared, and sighed leisurely: "Why is this business getting worse and worse!" ”

"I was able to earn some utility bills last month......

"I didn't even earn my utility bills this month!"

Ling Ping'an is the owner of this bookstore called 'Qiyuan'.

The bookstore is located in a small alley next to the Chengdong Industrial Park, and business used to be so good that it exploded.

But since Ling Ping'an took over, the business has inexplicably gone downhill.

At first, I could still make some money, but slowly I could only earn some living expenses, and now I haven't made a single business in a month.

It's like, since the coming of Lingping, the bookstore's presence has become thinner and thinner in this area.

At first, people will remember that there is a bookstore called Qiyuan, which has a lot of books and is affordable, and they often come to buy books.

Slowly, people don't seem to remember it.

Many people don't seem to know that there is a bookstore in the alley right in front of their home.

What is more strange is that the neighbors in the vicinity are all very familiar with Ling Ping'an.

I will say hello every day, and ask for warmth and warmth.

It's just that when it's time to buy a book, I forget about it.

Fortunately, the store is its own.

So there is no expense, Ling Ping'an can also write some online novels and earn some manuscript fees.

In addition, the federal imperial center has subsidies and preferential policies for college students to start their own businesses, so life can go on.

It's just that there is no business, which makes Ling Ping'an very sad.

Pulling the roller shutter down, Ling Ping'an turned his head and looked at his bookstore.

The area is not large, only thirty square meters.

There is an old cash register counter at the door, and next to an old cash register, there is an old computer.

In the window behind the counter, there is a picture frame that looks like a family portrait.

It's just that the photo frame is too old, so the photos are a little yellowed and blurry, so people can't see clearly.

Past the counter, rows of bookshelves, neatly organized.

Nameplates, which classify all the books.

There are popular science classes, teaching aids, and various reference books and bestsellers.

It's just that there's no business.

"What's the matter this month, I have to sell a book...... Ling Ping'an thought, "Otherwise, it would be too much of a failure!" ”

When thinking like this, Ling Ping'an couldn't help but touch out his mobile phone.

"There is wine today, drunk today, sorrow tomorrow comes, tomorrow sorrow ......"

"Why do you want to do so much!"

"Play the game first!"

Playing games is one of his biggest hobbies.

But I don't know if he was careless, or for some reason, anyway, his phone clicked and fell to the ground.

Ling Ping'an hurried to pick it up.

But his counter was an old-fashioned counter, and the space under the counter was very small, so when he picked up his phone, his head touched something under the counter.

Click!

A gray thing fell in front of Ling Ping'an's eyes.

It was a thumb-sized ball.

It seems to be made of wood, and the surface is brushed with some paint that you can't say, which looks a little weird.

Ling Ping'an took it and sat on the chair, feeling that this thing should have been glued under the table of this counter a long time ago.

"It's ...... My parents put it under this counter? Or did my aunt put it under this counter? Ling Ping'an asked in a muttered voice.

This bookstore is the legacy left by his parents.

However, he was only ten years old when his parents left, so this storefront, along with the rest of his parents' inheritance, was taken care of by his aunt.

It wasn't until he graduated from college that his aunt returned these things to him.

With this question in mind, Ling Ping'an took the ball, and after careful inspection, he found that it appeared to be a closed pupil.

And, it seems to be able to be twisted open!

He tried to twist the ball slightly, twisting it in one direction.

Something surprising to him occurred.

As he writhed, the pupils, which seemed to be closed, began to open slowly.

"This design ...... Wonderful! Ling Ping'an couldn't help but praise.

Click.

As he twisted away, a part inside the orb appeared to be activated.

An extremely sharp knife stretched out from the inside of the ball, and with a bang, it cut Ling Ping'an's finger, took away a drop of blood, and then retracted it again!

"Oops!" Ling Ping'an screamed in pain, hurriedly held his hands, and blew up.

But the ball, when he wasn't looking, automatically opened in all directions, revealing what was hidden inside.

A yellowed, unknown note.

When Ling Ping'an found it, the note had already stuck to his hand, as if there was glue sticking to it.

He curiously opened the note and found that there was an inexplicable poem written in Lishu.

He couldn't help but read it softly: "Gentle and stupid in the countryside, Nan Ke is blind in his dreams, today I know that I am me, and a leaf flat boat crosses the world!" ”

"What?" Ling Ping'an couldn't help but complain: "Who wrote this poem that doesn't rhyme, has no beauty, and has no logic?" ”

"No wonder it's hidden!"

But his complaint is not finished.

It felt like it was dark in front of me, and my eyes sank into darkness.

The whole person sat on the counter stupidly.

The note in his hand burned without fire.

Soon it turned into a little ash and fell on him.

At this time, inside and outside the bookstore, wolves were crying and howling.

A nameless mist spilled out of his body, permeating the bookstore and beyond.

Something seemed to be squirming on the walls of the bookstore, inside the poster.

The whispers of a galaxy in the background of the starry sky.

Tentacles, crawling from the ground to the shelves of the bookstore, and then burrowing into the books.

They secrete a liquid as thick as asphalt, dragging all the bookshelves into an invisible abyss.

Then, the stuff whispered.

Emanating the language of terror and taboos.

A thick fog spreads from outside the bookstore, shielding out all visions and cutting the entire bookstore from the world.

An evil pupil appeared on the glass door of the bookstore.

He slowly opened his eyes, saw everything in the bookstore, quieted everything, blocked all anomalies, and then slowly disappeared in the door, and the bookstore returned to normal, everything was no different from Fang Cai, except for the inexplicable fog outside the door.

And Ling Ping also woke up from his sluggishness.

It was as if he had forgotten everything that had just happened.

"What did I just do?" He asked himself, "Why can't you remember?" ”

"Forget it...... Forget it......" thought for a while, but he couldn't think of it, so he picked up his mobile phone: "Let's play the game!" ”

………………………………

Clenching the short blade in his hand, Han Li turned his head suddenly, stabbing into the dark air.

"Ah......h A monster with a ghostly head appeared from the darkness, and dark green blood flowed down drop by drop.

Han Li kicked it in the chest, then jerked out his short blade, infused it with spiritual power, and slashed forward.

In the midst of the short blade, a dazzling light erupted.

A monster with two wings on its back, struggling in the light

Han Li walked up to it expressionlessly and whispered, "Rest in peace!" ”

The blade slammed through its heart, and the monster turned to ashes.

With the temporary death of the monster, a battle of demon hunting is also temporarily over.

But Han Li knew that they would still appear.

Monsters can't be killed!

Inserting the short blade back into the scabbard at his waist, Han Li squatted on the ground, gasping for breath.

Under the black combat uniform, the skin and flesh are cracking a little.

She took a pill bottle from her waist, poured out a few turquoise pills, and swallowed them with her head up.

The cracked flesh healed little by little, and the pain gradually went away.

However, Han Li understood that one day, his body would collapse due to the use of too much spiritual power.

At that time, she will also become a member of the monsters, a nightmare of this world.

This is the fate of the witchers.

It is also the sorrow of the world.

When she looked up, she saw a thick fog in the alley ahead, enveloping everything.

In the fog, there was only a flickering lamp.

Han Li stood up, tightly grasped the short blade at his waist, and stepped into the mist.

This is the mission of the witchers - to detect the unknown, and to destroy the monsters.

Along the mist, Hanli walked all the way to the place where the light was.

Everything ahead is so quiet.

Only the light in the fog guided her way.

Soon, Han Li walked to where the lights were.

It was a light coming from inside a closed door.

Han Li looked up and looked at the building in front of him, which was an old building, only three floors.

The mottled brick wall is covered with dust, and a signboard comes into view: "Qiyuan Bookstore? ”

She frowned slightly: "Donglin City, but there is no bookstore called Qiyuan?" ”

As one of the few still alive witchers in Donglin City, Han Li remembered the name of every shop in the city.

What's more, this bookstore appeared in such a strange fog.

No matter how she looked at it, she felt the need to investigate.

So, she stepped forward and knocked softly on the door: "Is anyone there?" ”

……………………………………

"Is anyone there?" Just finished playing a game and was hesitating to play another game when Ling Ping'an heard a female voice outside the store.

"Who?" Ling Ping'an stood up, walked to the door, and pulled the roller shutter up.

He saw a tall woman dressed in strange tight black, wearing a felt hat, and a black silk mask on her face standing in his doorway.

"Cosplay?" Ling Ping thought to himself, and he didn't pay much attention to it.

But......

"What's foggy out here?" Ling Ping'an was puzzled, he clearly remembered that before he closed the door, although the alley outside was as quiet as before, there was not even a single figure, but the street lights were still on, and the moonlight tonight was beautiful, and the moon was very big.

It's only been a long time!

Outside, there was a thick fog, and even the light of the street lamps could not be seen.

But he didn't pay much attention to it, after all, the weather was getting more and more abnormal these years.

It often rains for half a month at once, and it dries for two months.

"Excuse me......" Ling Ping'an looked at the woman in front of him and asked, "Are you here to buy books?" ”

………………………………

Han Li looked at the man in front of him vigilantly.

His body looked very thin and ordinary, as if he could be strangled to death with a single finger.

But......

His face was shrouded in a fog that no one could see, except for a pair of metal-framed glasses, which were exposed.

Under the two thin lenses, there was a pair of pitch-black eye sockets, some kind of palpitating fire, flickering in them.

It made her swallow her saliva.

The tension and uneasiness in my heart have climbed to the top.

Fortunately, Han Li is a hunter who wanders in danger and terror, and has seen countless horrors and scalp-numbing things in the world.

So she knew that in the face of the situation in front of her, which had never been recorded, she should be calm, and she should also try her best to avoid angering the existence in front of her.

She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, tried to use the most peaceful tone possible, and asked, "You sell books here?" ”

She cautiously took her eyes and looked behind the man.

All she saw was a space as vast as an abyss, dark and silent.

Everything around seems to be shrouded in a certain unsettling atmosphere.

There seemed to be a pair of strange eyes, watching in the dark, looking at her with malicious intentions.

Where is this bookstore?

It's clearly a hell of a nightmare, a devil's lair!

Han Li's face turned white in an instant, nervous and uneasy, immediately filling her body and mind.

…………………………

Ling Ping'an looked at the woman in front of him strangely.

Somewhat incomprehensible.

"Why is she so nervous?"

"Just buying books, how big of a deal? It's like being a thief, nervous ......"

Looking at her dress again, Ling Ping'an laughed, and probably understood, so he laughed: "Guest, I have the book you want here......"

"Do you want to see it?"

In recent years, with the popularity of various anime and e-sports, cosplay has gradually become popular.

Many lovely young ladies have made a lot of money because of this.

It's just that there are still many parents who always feel that playing role-playing is bad morals and bad morals.

The woman in front of her is probably the kind of person who loves role-playing, but is opposed by her parents and can only secretly learn to dress up, right?

This can be seen in the outfit on her body.

Although it seems to be dressed up with heart, in fact, even the layman Ling Ping'an can see it.

There is no essence!

……………………

Han Li raised his head and looked at the blurred face in front of him, as if all his secrets had been spied on.

She swallowed hard and nodded cautiously.

………………

"Guest, please wait!" Ling Ping'an turned around and walked to the bookshelf.

Walking all the way to the end of the bookshelf, he carefully picked out one from a row of reference books.

He looked at the title carefully.

"The Secret of Cosplay", which is the most authoritative cosplay book of the Federation, has many beautiful illustrations, and more importantly, it also has tutorials, which are very suitable for beginners.

Holding the book, Ling Ping'an walked up to the guest and handed the book over: "Guest, you can take a look...... This book should be a good fit for your current needs......"

………………………………

Han Li watched at the man with a blurred face, and turned around and walked towards a dark abyss.

As he walked into the abyss, Han Li saw something like asphalt, wriggling in the abyss, and then, the figure of the person completely disappeared from sight.

Han Li is trying to seize this opportunity to escape from this terrifying and strange place.

However, as soon as she turned around, she saw that a pair of distorted evil pupils were waiting for her on the door when she came.

Suddenly, she didn't even dare to move.

I can only stand there stupidly.

A moment later, Han Li saw that the figure of the man had come out of the darkness.

In his hand, he also held a strange crimson book.

The cover of the book was blood-red, as if there was blood surging from it, and in a trance, Han Li saw something like blood vessels, densely packed in it.

He handed the book over directly, and his tone was as easy-going as that of a real bookstore owner: "Guest, you can take a look...... This book should be a good fit for your current needs......"

But Han Li listened to it in his ears and only felt that it was an order.

If she doesn't look at it...... It's going to die.

Han Li had no choice but to reach out and take the crimson book that she knew at a glance was not a good thing, and her palm immediately felt the hot temperature.

Inside that book, it was as if something like lava was flowing.

She shuddered, lowered her head, and looked cautiously at the cover of the book.

Countless babbling suddenly filled her brain.

Therefore, she also knew the name of the book - "Lower Abyss Investigation Report".

A book of forbidden knowledge.

Han Li trembled his hands and opened the cover of the book, and black worms wriggled in the pages, combining into strange and terrifying words, outlining a pair of forbidden pictures.

Whispers from hellish nightmares echo in my ears.

Stuffed those terrible words and forbidden pictures into Han Li's brain.

So, Han Li knew those terrible words and forbidden pictures, what kind of knowledge did they carry?

This is a book that records the forbidden knowledge of more than a hundred kinds of ghosts and evil spirits.

The book contains not only the forbidden knowledge of ghosts and evil spirits, but also the knowledge of how to deprive them of their powers, make potions, and take them in a special way.

………………………………………………

Ling Ping'an looked at the girl who was trembling and crying because she finally got the professional book she wanted, and she was also very relieved in her heart.

Everyone has hobbies.

For example, he always likes to write some online novels, although he has been hitting the streets, he has not made any money, and he is often ridiculed by those who know.

But, like is like.

As long as it does not affect others and does not hinder social order and good customs, Ling Ping feels that outsiders should not point fingers at other people's personal interests and hobbies.

With this experience, he has some empathy and knows empathy.

So, he walked to the water dispenser, poured a glass of water, handed it to the woman in black, and said softly, "How about it, like it?" ”

………………………………

It is difficult for Han Li to describe his mood at the moment.

Afraid?

Fear?

Glad?

Happiness?

She didn't know.

But one thing she knows very well is that the book she holds in her hand is the hope of the world.

The hope of bringing the deformed world back on track after the cataclysm.

Let the world return to the hope of the golden age in the mouth of our fathers and ancestors.

One without ghosts, without evil spirits.

A girl of her age can freely study, socialize, and fall in love on a college campus.

And not as it is now.

A world that is falling apart, where all people live in fear and nightmares.

And people like her have to bear the last hope of humanity.

Walking in terror and danger, carrying the consequences that can be distorted at any time and place.

"How? Do you like it? A soft male voice came from his ears, and a glass of water was handed to him.

Han Li raised his head and saw flames rising in the dark eyes of the man with a blurred face.

She hurriedly looked at the other party and bowed deeply: "Thank you, I love this book very much!" ”

"Excuse me......" Han Li raised his head and asked sincerely, "What price should I pay to obtain it?" ”

…………………………

Ling Ping'an smiled and looked at the girl in front of him, full of the atmosphere of the middle two.

"It's too deep into the play!" He thought to himself.

But he didn't mean to laugh or ridicule at all.

Young people, who hasn't passed the second grade?

Therefore, he just honestly quoted the price: "Chenghui, fifty-five yuan!" ”

A very fair price.

………………………………………………

Han Li's mood was extremely nervous.

She knows that there is nothing in this world that does not need a price.

Just like a witcher, in order to hunt ghosts and evil spirits, he has to seal a ghost or evil spirit in his body.

Harness their power to banish ghosts and evil spirits.

But the consequence is often that the ghosts sealed in the body break the seal.

The nightmare of the witcher who turns into a human.

And this book, this forbidden book, records the forbidden knowledge of more than a hundred kinds of ghosts and evil spirits, and there is a way to deprive them of their power and then completely destroy them.

Therefore, Han Li didn't know if he could afford the price.

In his apprehension, Han Li heard the other party's answer: "Chenghui, fifty-five yuan ......"

Hearing this answer, Han Li frowned.

Fifty-five dollars?

Money?

No way!

She looked at the man in front of her and the abyssal void behind him.

Will such an existence require such a low-level currency?

I'm afraid, it means something.

So, what does he mean by fifty-five yuan?

Han Li couldn't figure it out.

But she really wanted to get the book in her hands.

So, she blushed, gritted her teeth, and painlessly removed the short-bladed sheath she had carried with her from her waist.

Put it in front of the man and bow deeply: "Is it okay for me to exchange this book with you?" ”

…………………………………………

Ling Ping'an looked at the short blade handed by the girl.

It is a small knife of extremely fine workmanship, the scabbard is wrapped in genuine leather, and the handle is inlaid with yellow, yellow, green, and green stones.

"That's not good...... Ling Ping'an whispered.

This short blade should be the love of the other party.

Ling Ping'an knows that role-playing enthusiasts have fanatical emotions about the equipment of some anime, film and television, and game characters.

Therefore, he guessed that this short blade should be the equipment of a character that the girl in front of him likes very much.

He can't do this kind of thing to win people's love.

Besides, what's the use of him with this kind of role-playing?

When ornamental?

"Please take it!" The girl bowed deeply.

She seemed to think about it, took out a bag of tea-like things from her pocket, and handed it over: "This is the most valuable thing I have now besides this spirit blade!" ”

Ling Ping'an listened, and suddenly felt some pity.

"Poor child......" He couldn't help but make up a child who loved role-playing, but because of his parents' opposition, ran away from home, wandered the streets late at night, and finally found professional books, but because he was shy in his pocket, he had to pledge all the things he thought were the most valuable.

After thinking about it, Ling Ping'an finally accepted the things handed by the other party.

"You two things, I'll keep them for you first......" Ling Ping'an tried his best to use the gentlest tone and said to the other party: "You can take the book first......"

"Let's go home early......"

"The family should be looking for you......"

Han Li raised his head and looked at the man with a blurred face, the flames in his eyes were extinguishing little by little.

"Is this a send-off?" She thought to herself.

So, bowing deeply, clutching the book in his hand hard, he turned around in fear.

The evil pupil at the door has disappeared without a trace.

Han Li took a deep breath and walked forward bravely.

……………………………………………………

Seeing the girl in black, she walked out the door.

Ling Ping'an put the short blade pledged by the other party and the bag that seemed to be tea leaves, put it on the counter, and locked it.

Then he walked over to the roller shutter and looked outside.

It was still a thick fog, and I could only faintly see the girl in black, walking in the fog.

After thinking about it, it was so late and the fog was so big.

The girl looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old at most.

I was a little worried in my heart - the security of Jiangcheng City, although it has always been very good.

But such a girl, walking alone in such a foggy day, is not very safe after all, what if she steps on the air and falls into some sewer?

After thinking about it, Ling Ping'an picked up a flashlight from the counter, turned it on, and the bright light immediately shone out of the flashlight.

So, he picked up a flashlight and chased after him.

"Guest...... Guest ......"

………………………………

Han Li walked out of the door of the strange bookstore, and his heart was immediately relieved.

Then, she walked back cautiously in the direction she had come.

His hands were holding the book tightly in his hands.

Even though it was hot, it made her hand ache a little.

The fog around is getting thicker and thicker.

This made her a little unable to distinguish the direction and see the front clearly, so she could only rely on her memory to move in the direction she came.

At this moment, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Guest...... Guest ......"

Han Li turned around and saw the strange man in the bookstore, trotting all the way to her with something.

His face, still blurry, looked even more strange in this thick fog.

In the eye sockets under the two lenses, the flame burned like never before, as dazzling as the sun.

"With such a thick fog, you must not be able to see the direction clearly......" The strange man stuffed the things in his hand into Han Li's hand: "You take this, go home early!" ”

Han Li took the thing.

It was a flashlight.

It's common, and it's common.

Han Li took it and shone it forward, and the dense fog was illuminated by electric light, and it seemed to be a little thinner.

So that she can finally recognize the way back.

"So, this is a proof of leaving this place?" Han Li thought about it, so he turned back to the figure that was gradually moving away in the thick fog, and bowed deeply: "Thank you!" ”