Tap...tap...tap..."
The footsteps continued, and with each step, a chilling, eerie atmosphere enveloped the area, sending a shiver down Su Yu's spine.
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Su Yu quietly "listened," just like last time, approaching and then naturally moving away, moving away and then approaching again, pacing back and forth.
His peripheral vision subtly swept over his surroundings; the passengers on the deck were still going about their business, and the waiters were busily moving about—everything seemed the same as usual.
"Can't they hear? Can't they feel?"
At the same time, Mr. Zheng Jinchuan, who was talking to Su Yu, seemed to freeze for a moment with a stiff smile.
A fleeting glint of coldness and deep suspicion flashed across his once sincere and warm eyes.
He instinctively stopped talking, his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, quickly sweeping across Su Yu's face, seemingly trying to glean something from Su Yu's expression.
Then, his gaze rapidly swept over the passengers and waiters around Su Yu, his eyes filled with scrutiny.
Clearly, he too had sensed the momentary prying and suspected Su Yu. Although Su Yu had immediately severed his senses, the other man was obviously no pushover, having caught that fleeting trace.
"You're right, we should pursue the public good, but we can't ignore reality."
"If we ignore reality, our ideals will be difficult to gain acceptance."
Just as Su Yu thought he might take further action, Mr. Zheng Jinchuan returned to normal, a gentle smile returning to his face, as if the previous suspicion had been merely Su Yu's imagination.
He continued the previous topic, his tone still relaxed and cheerful, but Su Yu keenly sensed that Mr. Zheng Jinchuan had inadvertently made a very subtle "mark" on him.
The mark wasn't a physical entity, but rather a brand, or a special imprint. It was invisible and intangible, yet allowed the other party to easily perceive Su Yu's location and state within a certain range.
[A malicious mark from an unknown entity has been detected. The mark is of high strength and is attempting to continuously track your location and probe your true nature.]
Almost simultaneously with the other party completing the marking, Su Yu heard the system notification.
Su Yu's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, a cold smile playing on his lips.
"Just as I thought!"
Trying to mark me? You think you're worthy?
"System!"
"A dream spanning millennia, unaware of being a guest."
A faint white light appeared, the light screen gradually spreading outwards. As it passed the porch, two lanterns hanging there suddenly burst into flame.
The warm, gentle light dispelled the chill and darkness, illuminating the courtyard.
The previously invisible mark suddenly appeared in the courtyard, a strange badge, shrouded in mist and black energy.
Almost simultaneously, the badge roared, seemingly trying to resist.
But the tower, the angel princess statue, and the black rose in the courtyard all glowed faintly, and the black energy within the badge rapidly evaporated.
Furthermore, a strange phenomenon occurred.
Seemingly to achieve its goal, the gray crystals within the system rapidly evaporated, almost completely erasing the remaining backups. Almost simultaneously, an insignificant crystal appeared.
"This is... a white crystal?"
Extremely small, almost invisible, tiny crystal particles shimmered with white light.
Su Yu felt a chill run down his spine. He had killed so many evil spirits, even malevolent ones, yet none had dropped a white crystal. But a mere emblem had given him one.
"Huh?"
His senses barely touched the white crystal before he was startled.
Through this crystal, he could sense Mr. Zheng Jinchuan. With the system's assistance, Su Yu could clearly perceive his approximate location and status, as long as the other party remained within the system's monitoring range.
"What's going on?"
After doing all this, Mr. Zheng Jinchuan seemed to feel that this place was not safe to linger, or perhaps the changes earlier had made him wary.
He smiled at Su Yu and said, "Mr. Su Yu, it has been a pleasant conversation with you. However, the wind on the deck is a bit strong. I will return to my cabin to rest for a while, and we can discuss this further another day."
"Take care, Mr. Zheng Jinchuan." Su Yu nodded slightly, watching him leave.
Mr. Zheng Jinchuan turned, elegantly straightened his suit jacket, then picked up his cane and strode towards the entrance to first class.
His steps were steady, his back still upright.
Su Yu stood there, watching his figure disappear behind the cabin door. He lingered on the deck for a short while, pretending to continue admiring the sea view, but actually listening carefully to the sounds around him.
The lingering footsteps from before had disappeared sometime ago.
The deck returned to its previous tranquility, with only the sound of waves lapping against the hull and the faint conversations of the passengers.
Su Yu waited patiently for ten minutes, estimating that Mr. Zheng Jinchuan should have returned to his room, before leisurely turning around and walking towards the first-class area.
He didn't immediately return to his room, but instead used the reverse marker to sense his surroundings and quietly approached Mr. Zheng Jinchuan's cabin.
First class was actually quite soundproof, but as soon as Su Yu reached the corridor near the cabin, a very faint, intermittent prayer, faintly heard through the heavy cabin door.
The prayer was low and hoarse, with a strange rhythm, and the language used was not any human language that Su Yu was familiar with; it sounded obscure and distorted, filled with an ominous feeling.
Every syllable seemed to carry some kind of evil magic, unsettling the listener and even causing hallucinations.
A cultist!
Su Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.
He was almost certain that this Mr. Zheng Jinchuan was definitely a cultist!
Moreover, judging from the power and evil aura emanating from him, he was probably a core member with considerable status and strength. This was the first time Su Yu had come into such close contact with a legendary cultist in the real world. And the other party was so well hidden, so perfectly disguised. If it weren't for his near-perfect perception and the system, he would probably still be in the dark, mistaking the other party for a "gentleman" worth befriending.
" No, it wasn't what I heard..." "It was Bai Jing's prayer." Hearing the prayer, Su Yu didn't hesitate at all. He immediately retreated quietly, turned around, and left the corridor, no longer spying. He knew very well that the other party was powerful and had keen senses; his probing on the deck had already alerted the other party. If he continued to stay, he might expose himself, or even trigger a direct conflict. On this ship, space is limited and people are densely packed. If a battle breaks out, it could easily cause large-scale friendly fire, and the opposing side might have companions. Taking action rashly without adequate preparation is unwise. Su Yu returned to his cabin, closed the door, leaned against the cold door panel, and took a deep breath. He remained silent for a long time, processing what had just happened. First, the gentleman who called himself Zheng Jinchuan was undoubtedly a dangerous cultist. "I don't know exactly what kind of cult they are, and I don't want to delve into it." Information on this is strictly controlled; even Su Yu couldn't access it, and the library didn't have it either, only vaguely mentioning it. "Those who mention taboos must know something," Su Yu understood this point, just like the mutual spying earlier. But just then, a system window popped up. [You are like the most precious jewel, repeatedly sensed by an unknown entity; a coincidental fate has already sealed your destiny.] [The host has been detected to have clearly identified the main hostile target "Jung Jin-cheon" (a cultist), and has initially grasped clues about his related activities.] [Main quest generated: Kill the cultist "Jung Jin-cheon"] [Prerequisites] [1. Investigate and identify a corrupted person (open their heart)] × [2. Investigate and identify a person whom Jung Jin-cheon is 'hostile/vigilant' towards (open their heart)] × [3. Investigate and identify a person whom Jung Jin-cheon is 'preparing to corrupt' towards (open their heart)] ×