Chapter 3 Chapter Three Dealing with Reasonable People
So I stepped into the Nightside, to a true oracle.There is never a shortage of people in Nightside who don't want to be found, but I don't want to use my talent for finding people if it's not necessary.My enemies are always looking for me. Whenever I use my talent to open my mind, I will emit a dazzling light like a lighthouse in the dark night.Luckily, there's never a shortage of people (and maybe not people) in the Nightside who are capable of uncovering secrets.There are quite a few people who claim to know the secrets of the past, present, and future, but most of them are just fooling around; as for a small number of truly capable people, they cannot be easily trusted for different reasons.In the Night Side, tricks are never out of fashion.Fortunately, I learned the whereabouts of a genuine oracle in a previous case.Although under the erosion of hundreds of years, this oracle has developed a weird and long-winded temper, not only likes gossip very much, but also can't hide secrets at all, but I want to do their business for a long time, and it is inevitable that I will become like this look.
I left Uptown and came to Main Street in Nightside.Both sides of this street are full of all kinds of shops, with gorgeous buildings and dazzling deceptions as their selling points.In short, I'm on my way to the only mall in Night City.Mainstream brands in the normal world have a hard time surviving here, because the residents of Night City prefer unpopular products, but of course there are exceptions. The "Fortuna Mall" has commodity dealers and fast food chains from all time and space.As the saying goes, there is nothing new under the sun. This sentence does not apply to the Night City, which never sees the sun.
I entered the shopping mall through the entrance under the word "God of Wealth" and enjoyed the freedom that no one would run for the exit as soon as they saw me.Fortuna is one of the few places in Night City that nobody cares who I am.Shopaholics from different time and space come together here to find extravagant, flashy contraband and once-in-a-lifetime bargains.All sorts of strange people greeted each other in different languages and slang words, admiring the products that cannot be found elsewhere, and crowded the whole shopping mall.There are shiny signs in front of every store and wonders of the world in every window.There are so many stores here that the space inside the shopping center seems to be much larger than it looks from the outside.Apparently the space here is automatically expanding outwards to accommodate more and more stores.
Signs and logos poured in from all directions. McGumber's Dolphin Burger, Star Duck Incense, Will Disney's Mo Mouse, Russian Baptist, Pev's Living Room, and Soul Market, new or used, Everything you need for any commodity.Of course, there is no such place as "Nosferatu Blood Bank" (come to donate blood automatically, please be generous, don't force us to come to your door), the brunette standing in the shadow by the bank door threw me a winking.I smiled politely and moved on.
There is a very traditional wishing well in the center of the mall, and people passing by will not notice its existence at all.The appearance of this well is unremarkable. It is a round well made of stone, surrounded by a patch of weeds. The top of the well is covered with red stone slabs, and a bucket is hung in the middle with a rusty chain.There is a signboard next to it, with a sign asking someone to throw a copper coin in and make a wish.The sign was a kid's joke, but in Nightside, any joke can come true.In fact, most oracles started out as jokes.Since the advent of the idea of multiple timelines—a concept derived from the many time rifts in the Nightside—prophecies have become less accurate, and the immutability of fate has been called into question.But the specialty of the wishing well in front of me is to track what is happening in any corner of the world at this moment.I think in today's era, having a skill is the most real.I leaned against the stone wall of the wishing well and looked around to make sure no one was looking.
"Hello, Oracle," I said. "What happened recently?"
"There are more than you can imagine." A deep voice said from the bottom of the well. "Please throw in a silver coin to bless me. Oh, passing traveler, I will return your blessing with three answers. The first answer is vague and useless, the second answer is metaphorically precise, and the third answer is It hits the nail on the head. The more silver coins you throw, the more you get back."
"Stop talking that crap," I said. "I'm not a tourist. I'm John Taylor."
"Oh, dastardly fellow, you're back again, aren't you?" The oracle's voice seemed displeased. "I told you very clearly, my head hurts when I see you!"
"You have no head."
"That's right! It's people like you that keep us oracles from working. What do you want to do? I'm busy."
"What are you up to?" I asked, out of sheer curiosity.
"Trust me, you don't want to know. Do you think being a fountain of knowledge is easy? My exterior walls are covered in moss already! Also, I hate time rifts! They're like oracles Like hemorrhoids on the butt. What the hell do you want, Tyler, about a sore spot on the ass?"
"I'm looking for a man nicknamed 'Madman'."
"Oh my God, that guy is worse than you. He'd give me a stomachache, if I had one. What did you want him for?"
"do not you know?"
The oracle said arrogantly: "Yes, try to make fun of it. At least I can see where he is, unlike you? You have to pay for the answer. No answer is free, that's the way it is. Don't blame me, I'm just working here. After the curse is broken, I will leave this ghost place as quickly as lightning."
"Okay." I said. "How many drops of blood are needed for a straightforward answer?"
"Because it's your relationship, so one drop is enough, dear prince." The oracle's voice suddenly softened and said obsequiously. "When you step into your country, don't forget me."
I looked into the darkness in the well: "What have you heard?"
"Maybe I heard about it, maybe I haven't." The oracle said proudly. "Pay the bill while I'm showing kindness before I suddenly decide to raise the price."
I pricked my thumb with a needle, and a drop of blood immediately fell into the well, and then I heard a soft, satisfied sound from the oracle.
"You can find the madman at the Lynn's Inn," it said immediately. "It's nearby. Be careful when you go to that kind of place, don't talk to any strange women, unless you want to collect venereal diseases on your body. Fuck off, my head is about to split. Remember to have fun, John Taylor. The good times are numbered."
"Lin's Disease Hotel", the name of the hotel is "Lin" just to improve the style. In fact, the appearance of this hotel is as disgusting as the name sounds. It is the kind of low-level hotel that is billed by the hour and rarely changes the bed sheets.Ladies hunting for prey can be found all over the neighborhood, and the lice there are huge enough to jump out of dark alleys and attack passers-by.This is a place where appearances do not deceive, and buyers who dare to come here must do so at their own risk.For some, however, not enough dirty sex is enough excitement.So... I had no choice but to clenched my fists and set foot on the street to the red light district without taking my eyes off it.A place like this where a whore can take the form of something more dangerous than the nightside's scariest monster.To my dismay, it seemed like most of the hookers had heard my name. The Lynn's Inn was in a row of paint-spattered buildings that hadn't been repainted in years.I reached out and pushed open the hotel door, berating myself for not carrying gloves as I swaggered into the lobby, pretending I had a good reason for being there.The lobby was just as filthy as I thought it would be, the carpet creaked under my feet.Several people of unknown gender put down the gossip magazines in their hands and looked at me when I entered the hall, but after recognizing my identity, they immediately turned their gazes in other directions. I'm not sure why the madman came to this kind of place, because he probably doesn't care about sex, which belongs to the rational world.However, I think it should make no difference to him where he is, and this is a good hiding place; a place that no normal person would go to unless he has something important to do. I walked up to the hotel receptionist sitting behind the bars, and two elven whores in the middle stepped aside to let me pass.The two elves stared at me wide-eyed, forcing professional smiles on their faces.Their wings look a little wrinkled, but they still exude an extremely attractive and powerful charm.I smiled, shook my head at them, and realized that their reaction to being rejected was one of relief.God knows how twisted my reputation has become in a place like this. The hotel reception behind the bars was clearly not happy to see me.He was a stocky man in dirty trousers and a striped vest, with a stinky face and old eyes.Behind him was a sign that said "Pay if touched".The receptionist spat a mouthful of phlegm into a spittoon, then looked at me indifferently. "I don't answer questions." He said tonelessly. "Even the famous John Taylor can't force me to answer any questions. I don't see anything, I don't know anything, it's a job requirement. You can't fool me. I'll see more characters than you Too much. Besides, this bar is enchanted, cursed, and electrified, so don't think about it." "But I'm here to help." I ignored his rudeness and smiled. "I'm here to take the madman away." "Oh, thank God." The receptionist immediately changed his expression.He leaned forward with a beseeching expression that looked almost pathetic. "Please take him away quickly. You don't know how horrible it is to keep him here all the time. There will be screaming, roaring, and blood rain every now and then. All the rooms are changing directions , all the doors lead to unknown places. Not only does he scare away the clients, he even scares away the nearby prostitutes; logically there should be nothing in the world that can scare these girls. My guts are not as good as before Well, the reputation of the hotel has been rocked to the bottom because of him." "I thought the worse the reputation here, the better the business," I said. "Take the lunatic away quickly, please." "We'll be sure to thank you very much," said an elf whore, pushing her boobs up in front of me. I politely declined her service and asked the receptionist for the madman's room number.The elevator was broken, so I went up the stairs. The stairs were made of concrete without any handrails, and the paint on the walls was already mottled.I can feel the room where the madman is from a long distance away, like a wild beast, quietly hiding in the corner waiting for the prey to come to the door.As I approached, the uncomfortable feeling became more and more serious.As I walk down the second-floor hallway: I can't help but feel the dread of going to the dentist, and a scary dentist with bad news.The temperature dropped sharply, the exhaled air condensed into fog in front of me, and my heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably.I walked slowly in the empty corridor, leaning forward slightly, as if I had to break through an invisible pressure to move forward, all the instincts in my body were screaming loudly, telling me to turn around and leave while I had the chance. I stopped outside the madman's house.The number on the door is the same as the one given to me by the receptionist, but you don't need to look at the number to know it's this one.That door feels like the pain that wakes you up in the middle of the night, bringing to mind words like "trauma" and "poison."It's like seeing someone you love die in front of your eyes, and it's like the cold tone of your lover when he proposes to break up with you.The room is full of fear and misery, and it seems to be slowly stripping you of all your life's beliefs.It's just that it's not the room in front of me that causes all these feelings, but the "lunatic" in the room. I don't know his real name, and I don't think even he remembers it anymore.A name represents an identity and a past, and the madman has long since put that kind of thing behind him.He is now a sad, dangerous, confused man with a very tenuous connection to reality.Everyone's reality is the same.As for the reason why he was so insane in the first place, it was a well-known story in the Nightside, and it was also one of the most creepy stories. In the 1960s, Mad Men was a psychedelic drug wizard, a loyal follower of Timothy Leray, and the chief scientist of NASA.He is a genius with numerous patents to his name and a strong desire to pursue knowledge.At the end of the 1960s, his interest returned from outer space to the inner world of human beings, and turned to the study of mysticism and the theory of the essence of mathematics.He has studied for many years, exploring extremely obscure mysterious phenomena, trying to abandon the limited mind and senses of human beings, and find a new vision that can see through the real world. In the end, he found a way to see through human reality and face directly the whole picture hidden beneath the known world.No matter what he saw in that short eternity, his rationality had completely collapsed at that moment.Maybe it's because the full reality is much more terrifying than we realize, or it may be more beautiful.The sight is equally unbearable whether it is a sight of horror or beauty.After that, the madman lives in hallucinations and doesn't care about anything anymore.The difference between him and normal people is that sometimes he can control the hallucinations he wants, although sometimes he is also controlled by hallucinations. It is extremely dangerous to be in the company of a madman, because he does not believe in anything he sees.For him, everything is an illusion.The world around him is reshaped according to his thoughts, imaginations, fears, and doubts, and everything in reality changes and takes shape between his thoughts.This ability is sometimes helpful, sometimes disturbing, and sometimes even terrifying, because for him, so-called companions and friends can also be part of the illusion.He can change your personality and past without you even realizing it.Anyone who dared to disturb him, or even threaten him, was likely to become something else - something horrible.Over time, people let him go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants.Anyway, as long as you don't mess with him, you can almost live in peace.Luckily, there isn't much that a madman wants to do, and those who try to use him for their own ends usually end badly. Now I'm standing outside his door, short of breath and sweating, trying to muster up enough courage to reach out and knock on the door with clenched hands.I knew in my heart that I would have to take a huge risk just to go in and talk to him.I hadn't been this scared since the last time I faced the unbeliever Jessica Sharo, and I had a secret weapon at my disposal, but now I can only use tact.Even I don't quite believe that I can get out of it unscathed. However, I am not completely helpless, because whenever the lunatic is upset, a warning message will be automatically issued; for some reason, the background music that reflects his current mood is always echoing around the lunatic.As long as you listen carefully, you can detect his emotional changes.I stood in front of the door, raising my hand to knock. It felt like I was standing outside a large furnace or a bubonic plague nursing home. If I dared to open the door, I would have to bear the consequences.I took a deep breath, knocked quickly, called out my name very politely, opened the door, and entered the madman's room.Somewhere in the room there was a burst of music, Nelson's "Everybody Talking to Me." The space inside the room is larger than it appears from the outside, but the shape of the space is very strange, and there seem to be too many uncertain factors.I expected to see a small dirty room, but instead I saw a large luxurious suite with a queen-sized bed, lots of antique furniture, and all kinds of beautiful decorations.The whole room was shrouded in flickering light, and as far as the eye could see, the details of everything were not quite right.The floor was not at right angles to the walls, and the ceiling was sloped indescribably.As for where the dazzling light source came from, it was completely invisible.Everything transformed as soon as I looked away.The floor does exist, but I have a swaying sense of standing on the edge of a cliff.The sound in the room was muffled and distant, like listening to something underwater.I stood straight where I was, focusing on the purpose of coming here.I felt that at the slightest distraction I would immediately lose myself, lost forever in the hallucinations of a madman. That's why people don't want to approach crazy people. He lay on the big bed, looking lost and small.He was a solid man with a gray beard.At this time, he suddenly sat up and looked at me. His eyes seemed to be out of focus, but they revealed a look of wildness and despair.He seemed tired and sad, like a puppy who has been groomed by its owner for no reason.He always wears a black T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, and never changes his clothes, because such insignificant things as clothes have no meaning to him at all.And judging from the smell emanating from his body, this set of clothes probably hasn't been washed for a long time. All the walls in the room are covered with mathematical equations. Obviously, wherever the madman goes, these equations will automatically appear, and they will disappear immediately after he leaves.No one has ever been able to understand the meaning of these equations, but people have been trying to find out the secrets.The madman looked at something behind me, and I didn't follow his gaze back.Whatever he was looking at was certainly not something I wanted to see.After a while, the madman looked away from behind me, and I finally felt a little relieved.The scene in the room began to change, adjusting my existence with the madman's mood.Shadows coalesced in the corners, forming a deep darkness, in which hid something wriggling, as if it belonged in a terrifying monster from a childhood nightmare. "Hello, madman," I said calmly. "I'm John Taylor, remember? We met a few times at the Stranger Tavern and the Tourniquet Club. We had a mutual friend, Razor Eddie. Remember?" "I don't remember." The lunatic said sadly. "I tend to forget people, though, because it's safer. Then again, I know you, John Taylor. Oh, yes. You're dangerous, in the blood of terror. I think if I do remember you If you say everything about it... maybe you will even tremble with fear." The thought that even a character like a lunatic would be afraid of me made me terrified myself.I put that thought aside and concentrate on the situation at hand.How on earth am I going to survive this conversation and convince the madman to join me in investigating the origins of Nightside? "I want to investigate the origins of Nightside," I said. "I hope you can help me. Perhaps during the investigation, we may meet someone who can help you." "No one can help me," said the madman. "I can't even help myself." He turned his head sideways, squinting at me like a bird. "Why did you ask me for help, John Tyler?" He seemed to be showing a rare sense of reason, so I took this opportunity to continue persuading. "I'm going to face beings that are much stronger than me," I said. "So I want to take you together to confuse the other party, at least, I can hide behind you." "That makes sense." The lunatic nodded like a normal person. "Okay, I'll go with you. I seem to have been lying in bed for months thinking about it, and theoretically I should be bored to death. Yes, I'm going with you. I've been trying to find something to do, to let myself Distraction so you don't keep thinking about...bad things. I'm actually more afraid of myself than you are. Let's go." He jumped out of bed lightly, exuding a sense of discontinuity and weirdness in his movements.Standing he looks about my height, but he seems to be much heavier than me, as if stepping into the real world he suddenly becomes more real.The shadow in the corner receded for a moment, but quickly gathered again.The madman walked towards the door, and I followed him and left the room without looking back, when his background music changed to a jazz tune with a saxophone as the main theme. While closing the door, I hurriedly took a look inside the room, and found that the inside had changed back to the original small room, dark and dirty, covered with dust and cobwebs, obviously no one had lived in it for many years.There was something lying on the bed in the room.I slammed the door shut and stepped back as the thing started to sit up.The madman stood patiently waiting for me, so I led him downstairs and back into the hall.As soon as we showed up in the hall, everyone immediately hid.Then I stepped into the Nightside with the madman, and we went to find a guy named "The Sinner".
The Sinner is another household name in the Nightside, with as many legends and tragedies as there are fleas on dogs.There is no record of the sinner's early deeds, but one day he suddenly decided to sell his soul to the devil.He carefully studied all the relevant details, made perfect preparations, and then summoned Satan from hell.Not some lowly demon, nor some fallen angel, but God's old enemy, Satan himself.History and literary classics tell the world how stupid this behavior is, but the sinner is obviously confident in his own abilities.He summoned Satan, made him a pleasing figure, and said he wanted to sell his soul.When Satan asked him what price he wanted in exchange for his soul, the sinner replied "true love".Satan hesitates, because true love is not his area of expertise.However, the sinner insisted that he only wanted true love, and Satan had no reason not to do his business, so... a contract signed with blood was born.The sinner pays his soul for ten years of happy time with the woman of his dreams. Satan said: "Go to that bar at this time, the girl of your dreams will be waiting for you there." He laughed and disappeared.The sinner goes to the appointed place at the appointed time and indeed meets the girl of his dreams.He fell in love with her, she loved her back, and it wasn't long before the two were married.They spent ten years happily together.Then, when the time limit came, Satan emerged from the ground at midnight on the last night to collect the sinner's soul and take him to hell for eternal torment.The sinner nodded in front of Satan and said, "It's all worth it to see true love." However, Satan told him, "You have been deceived. The girl of your dreams is not human at all. She is my subordinate, and I sent her to seduce you." Your female demon. She is only pretending to care about you. Before you, she has cared about countless men." The sinner said: "What does it matter? I love her, and I will always love her." Satan With a shrug, the sinner's soul was taken. So the sinner becomes the only soul in hell that retains true love.No matter what the truth of his lover is, no matter how many tortures he has suffered in hell, he always stubbornly believes in love.Since the whole atmosphere of hell is corrupted by him, Satan really cannot tolerate the existence of such a soul.In the end, Satan had no choice but to drive the sinner out of hell.And since a sinner has made a covenant with the devil, he is of course ineligible to go to heaven. Under the circumstances that neither heaven nor hell could accommodate him, he had no choice but to come to Night City, neither dead nor alive but half dead and half alive, walking on the streets of neon lights forever and ever.This is the story of the sinner. Although the sinner is very friendly to others, most people do not want to get close to him.Since he is not really alive, he has no shadow; and since he cannot die again, almost no power can hurt him.Now he has no fear of punishment for any crime he commits, so he sets very strict moral standards for himself.In other words, he will never do things that affect others unless necessary; but if necessary, he will never hesitate.The concept of good and evil no longer applies to him, and he has transcended this worldly judgment.Most of the time he doesn't mind other people's business, but if anyone dares to mess with him, he usually dies in an ugly way.According to a well-known urban legend, if he does enough good deeds, or commits enough evil deeds, then one day the gates of heaven or hell will open again for him-whether he chooses good deeds or evil deeds. Evil deeds, so far can't see it. I went to the haunt of sinners, the Prospero and Mike Scott Memorial Library.The lunatic has been following me, humming the melody of the background music, and frightening everyone who passes by.The sinner likes to stay in the library and study subjects that he refuses to discuss openly.It is said that just tracking down the list of books he has read is enough to scare people half crazy.I personally think that the purpose of his visit to the library should be to find something to do, just like a madman diverts his attention by meditation, and the choice of a sinner is to read.In fact, in the final analysis, their purpose is the same, which is to force themselves not to think about the thing that lingers in their minds. I called first to make sure the culprit was there.The librarian on the other end of the phone said to me, "Oh, yes, he's here. Also, if you're coming over, Mr. Taylor, would you please drop by the last copy of Baron Frankenstein's Out of Yourself?" This book has been overdue for a long time." I mumbled a few words, then hung up the phone quickly, thinking about when was the last time I saw that book. With reservations, I'm back on my cell phone.It is very dangerous to make a mobile phone call in Night City. Apart from the strange noises that often come from the handset, there are also a bunch of short messages and spam messages from other spaces.Of course, the most troublesome thing is that the mobile phone allows people to easily track my whereabouts.It's a pity that this nasty little prop is so practical that people can't afford to own one...Since Kathy assured me that this new phone has all the protection spells built in to prevent any kind of intrusion, then I have no choice but to Let's just believe it, although every time I use it, my heart feels hairy. Madman and I headed down into the basement of the library and ended up finding The Sinner in his old seat in the research area.He was sitting on a chair alone, and the table in front of him was covered with stacks of large books, and he was concentrating on reading an ancient classic. The air smelled of books, and it looked like a literary maze.The lighting here is very good, not too bright.Slogans saying "Quiet!" were written all over the research area, and there were quite a few signs indicating the themes of the books, some of which read "Please read at your own risk."Many scholars sat behind their desks, ignoring the existence of other people, concentrating on their work like monks in ancient times.I made my way across the narrow aisle of bookcases, walking straight toward the sinner, with the madman following me at an easy pace.The sinner looked up and nodded at me as we approached.He is not tall, but has a solid figure, and his appearance gives people a refreshing feeling. He looks like a middle-aged office worker who will never be promoted.But when his eyes looked at me, they were suddenly sparkling, and there was an uneasy atmosphere in his smile. The sinner seems to have been waiting for me here a long time ago.When he finally spoke, there was something genial and courteous in his voice. "Very well, very well, John Taylor. I have a hunch that I will meet you today, so I am sitting here, reading my favorite old book, while waiting for you." I glanced at the book spread out in front of him.It was a Bible, King James' version of old England.I turned to the sinner and raised my eyebrows. The sinner laughed: "A certain wise man once said: 'Look for loopholes to exploit.'" Several people in the research area started to grab the books and notes in front of them, left their seats and walked towards the exit.Maybe it's because of the madman's arrival, maybe it's because of my appearance, or maybe it's because of the two of us plus the sinner.Seriously, I don't blame them.Only a few stubborn old scholars were left in the research area, holding their books and refusing to leave.In the Nightside, only a man of sound mind holds the job of a scholar.The lunatic wandered among the piles of books, and ripples appeared in all the books wherever he went, changing both in appearance and content.I can't help wondering what's written in those books now, whether it's meaningless gibberish, or wisdom and secrets beyond imagination; either way, I don't want to know the answer. At this moment, my eyes were attracted by a young woman with a sweet appearance.She is a tall, blond beauty, wearing a white top, black skirt, stockings, plain shoes, and a small straw hat on her head. She is dressed like a public high school girl, holding a large stack of books in her hand, Getting out of the pile of books.She is bright and charming, with a smile like a flower, and she is so beautiful that anyone who sees her will be crazy for her.Her every move exudes a natural and fresh elegance, which is simply not belonging to the world.Her lips were as seductive as a rosebud, and her eyes were as deep as a galaxy of stars.I couldn't help standing up straight, but she just gave me a shallow glance, then walked past me, and put the book in her hand on the sinner's table.Only then did I realize that the background music of Mad Men had changed to "Tube Bells". "Let me introduce you." The sinner said politely. "This is my girlfriend, the female demon I fell in love with many years ago. I don't know what she looks like in your eyes, because she will appear in front of others as the opposite sex that everyone desires most." I'm not sure what she represents in front of me, maybe I watched too many albums of young high school girls when I was young, I guess.I nodded and smiled at the female demon, and she pouted and sat on the sinner's desk, revealing her slender legs and stirring my heartstrings.I could almost see the strong seductive hormones in the air and could only force myself to look away from her.I really wonder what she looks like in the eyes of sinners.At this time, the lunatic took a step back, gave the female demon a displeased look, and then swayed away again.I don't really want to know what she looks like in the eyes of a madman. "Here are all the books you want, Xi Ni." The female demon said in an extremely sexy voice. "If there is anything else you need, please feel free to say it." After speaking, he straightened his back very lazily, his chest protruding forward, almost bursting the buttons of his jacket.I feel parched, and my heart seems to be jumping out of my body. "Her name literally translated from the original Aramaic is 'Beautiful Poison,'" the sinner said softly. "There are several chapters in the Dead Sea Scrolls that mention her deeds, but they are not good things. In the war against heaven, she once killed countless angels; in the war against humanity, she also used the identity of a female demon I have conquered countless men. Please be polite when you are around her, and don't take it lightly. No matter how much I love her, she is a demon after all. By the way, only she can call the nickname Xi Ni." I nodded respectfully to the female demon, and asked, "How did you leave hell?" Beautiful Poison shrugged charmingly. "I can't believe that there are mortals who still love me without reservation after knowing my true identity. Of course they will still want me, after all, my job is to lure people to the abyss of eternal destruction, and to make people with superficial carnality They give up immortal souls. And yet love me? True love like Sydney? Even knowing the truth, even in eternal purgatory? Never in my long existence have I seen such a thing. So I decided to leave hell and return to the world to find him. On the surface, I came as an evil messenger, with the purpose of tempting his mind and corrupting his soul again. But in fact, I just wanted to talk to Xi Ni Together, I want to know what he said... true love." "That's what you said," I said. "Despite what you say, who can guarantee that your real purpose is not for his soul?" Her smile remained unchanged, but her eyes became cold. “你可曾在爱人面前毫无保留地诉说心中的秘密？所有黑暗、深沉，连对自己都不愿承认的秘密？你可曾彻彻底底地与另外一条生命融为一体，即使面对永世不灭的地狱之火也不愿分离？我的席尼愿意为我如此付出，只为了一个我从来不曾了解的理由。地狱里是容不下真爱存在的。如果有爱，那就不配称作地狱。我必须体验他对我的感觉。我必须用心去理解，即使不明白自己为什么要这么做。” “但是你曾经跟这么多男人在一起。”我说。 “喔，没错。”美丽毒药说。“你无法想象有多少男人，但是他们在我心中都不具有任何意义。他们活着的时候都大言不惭地说爱我，但是一旦踏入死亡境地，马上通通改口。他们可以为了逃离地狱而毫不犹豫地背叛我，对他们而言，我根本也不算什么。但是席尼……跟他们不一样。” “美丽毒药是唯一没有参与前一阵子夜城天使战争的女恶魔。”罪人温柔地说道。“只因为我要求她不要参战。这代表了什么意义，你就自己去想吧。现在回到主题，夜城是个谣言满天飞的地方，据我听到的谣言指出，善变的命运女神雇用了你来调查夜城的起源。你真是结交了不少有趣的朋友呀，约翰。我必须承认自己一直对夜城的起源感到好奇。没猜错的话，你这次来是为了找我一起参与这项史上最危险的冒险，对吧？” “一猜就中。”我说。“有你跟疯子在身边，我就有可能在这件案子里存活下来。只是不知道你有没有空能暂时放下手中的研究？” 罪人一把阖上圣经，不过手掌却不从封皮上移开。“我唯一上天堂的机会就是多做好事。”他坦白道。“而且要做惊天动地的好事才行。我认为在众多强者的夹杀之下保住你的性命，应该够资格称得上是这种等级的好事才对。” “那我怎么办，席尼？”美丽毒药说。“你不会抛下我一个人上天堂吧，对不对？你明明知道我俩只有在地狱之中才能享有永恒的爱情。” 罪人轻拍她的手背，轻轻笑道：“没有你，我哪都不去。少了你的地方就不叫天堂。” “亲爱的席尼。”她凑上去亲吻他的额头，拨弄他的头发。罪人转头对我说道：“跟你去可以，不过美丽毒药要一起来。我不会跟她分开的。” “既然我都带了疯子出门，你要带恶魔又有什么问题呢？”我说。“火力越强大越好。” “我听到了。”疯子的声音自书堆里传来。“我不提供火力。我只负责吓人。” “夜城的起源很久以前就已经埋葬在历史的洪流之下。”罪人说道。“而我认为这多半是有个很好的理由，因为像夜城这么可怕的地方绝对不会有什么美丽的起源的。我们几乎可以肯定夜城是奠基在鲜血与苦难之中创造而出。你必须了解，约翰，如果我们调查的结果会对夜城的居民造成威胁的话，我绝不会把结果公诸于世。因为我个人的宗旨就是尽可能不去伤害他人。这样讲你可以接受吗？” "Of course." I said. “所有调查结果我都只向当事人回报，而这个案子的当事人就是命运女神。至于她之后要如何处理我们调查的结果，那就是你跟她的事了。我这样讲，你可以接受吗？” 他点了点头，然后跟我相视一笑，不过我的笑容之下隐藏了些许的不安，我认为让美丽毒药跟来是很不智的举动。事情已经够复杂了，实在不需要一个地狱来的女恶魔在我们背后监视——虽然我还不至于蠢到用背对着她。然而既然罪人如此坚持，那我也就不得不答应，起码暂时必须答应。反正说不定之后也会有用得到她的地方。 “喔，不好了。”罪人突然站起身来。“看来有坏事发生。” 我立刻环顾四周，说道：“为什么这么说？” “因为疯子的背景音乐变紧张了。” 他说得没错，疯子的背景音乐的确变了。而在紧张的音乐之中，十三名身穿西装的男子自四面八方现身，个个脸上充满自信，显然是冲着我来的。刚刚那些不肯走的学者们一看，纷纷抓起书本以飞快的速度逃离现场。就连图书馆的员工也在顷刻之间消失到无影无踪。他们不想和接下来发生的事情有任何相干，而我一点也不怪他们。我认得这十三个家伙，他们是渥克手下最著名的狠角色，传说中的“讲理之人”。这个外号是因为他们的专长就是去跟任何惹毛当权者的家伙“讲道理”而来的。 所有讲理之人外表都是很有教养的绅士，身穿昂贵的西装，搭配传统的领带，举手投足间散发出贵族般的高傲气息。有几个脸上露出轻蔑的表情，似乎出现在图书馆这种地方已经大大地降低他们的身分一样。虽然他们看来像是一群上流社会的败类，不过我却一点也不敢小觑他们，因为所有讲理之人都是法力高强的战斗法师。他们的老大在我面前停下脚步，微微向后仰起头来，以一种不屑的眼光对我瞪来。 这家伙名叫吉米·海德莱，是个标准的势利鬼。鼻子大而无当，蓝眼冷漠无情，除了这两点之外，相貌还算英俊。他有一头油油亮亮的黑发，嘴角似乎天生就挂着嘲讽。此刻他穿着一套上好的西装，戴着一副灰色的手套，因为他不喜欢弄脏双手。我跟他见过几次面，不过都是很久以前的事了。我们两个一直以来都看彼此不顺眼，主要是因为他把自己视为权力的象征，而我偏偏又将他视为臭气熏天的狗屎。现在，既然吉米·海德莱跟这一堆走狗通通出现，就表示渥克不打算对我客气了。吉米看了看罪人、美丽毒药以及疯子一眼，然后扬了扬眉毛，当场就当他们三个都不存在一样。 “喔，天呀，吉米。”我说。“快教我如何只动一边的眉毛就做出那么跩的表情，实在太厉害啦。” “泰勒，亲爱的孩子。”吉米慢条斯理地说，就像往常一样忽略我的幽默。“我就知道总有一天渥克会派我来找你。谁教你一天到晚爱管不该管的闲事！不过这一次你似乎真的惹火了所有当权的大哥们，就连渥克都决定要跟你翻脸了。立刻跟我们走。只要你乖乖听话，我们就会温柔对你，不然的话，我们可是有权以暴力手段对付你的。猜猜看我们喜欢和平，还是暴力？” 所有讲理之人都在他身后发出轻轻的冷笑，摆出懒洋洋的姿势，画出危险的符号。没有人天生就这么讨人厌的，这些家伙都是一辈子作威作福才会变成这种德性。空气之中隐隐浮现魔法的能量，似乎随时都有可能爆发出来。战斗法师的力量足以与夜城中的强者抗衡，是一群极端危险的人物。我不敢掉以轻心，于是身体微向后倾，靠在一个书柜上，双手于胸前交叉，然后以冷酷的眼神回敬他们。如果我连这些自大的小混混都对付不了的话，干脆退休算了。我就算要败，也该是败在真正的强者手里才行。看到几名讲理之人脸上的笑容消失，我不禁在心中感到一丝快意。我可不是那么容易让他们的名声给唬住的，不过我倒是希望自己的名声可以唬住他们。 “很高兴再次与你见面，吉米。”我说。“你今天气色看起来不错呀。所以，当权者不希望有人调查夜城的起源吗？那真是不幸呀，因为我爱查什么就查什么，从来不需要当权者允许。如果今天只是我个人的兴趣也就算了，不过很可惜不是这么回事。今天雇用我调查此事的乃是命运女神本人，而这两位打算跟我一起去查的伙伴，分别是'疯子'及'罪人'。不用我说你也该知道，你们根本不是我们的对手。我建议你立刻滚回渥克身边，吉米，乖乖当个跑腿的小鬼，告诉他约翰·泰勒不会因为任何强权胁迫而停止调查此事。奉劝你尽快离开，免得我突然改变主意。” 几个讲理之人不安地转换姿势，但是吉米·海德莱却不为所动。“一堆废话。”他说。“我从不相信任何关于你的传言，泰勒。你不过是个靠着一张嘴的小败类，而我们却是掌握实质力量的强者。这是你自找的，不要怪我们不客气。”他转向罪人说道：“你不要插手，乖乖坐下来看书。我们不是为你而来的。” 罪人轻声笑道：“如果渥克真想要对付我的话，绝不会只派你们这种角色来。告诉你一个坏消息，要动约翰·泰勒就必须先问过我，因为我也想要调查夜城的起源。” “退下。”吉米·海德莱冷冷地道。 “我见过许多比你可怕的东西。”罪人道。“滚吧，小鬼。趁你还有机会的时候快滚。” 吉米大怒，当场对着罪人比出神秘的手势，一股致命的能量登时在他面前成形。我觉得事情已经闹够了，于是对准吉米的睾丸狠狠就是一脚。他痛得眼珠子都快掉出来，忍不住捂住股间弯腰向前。只见美丽毒药跨出一步，双手一扭就将吉米的脑袋给扯了下来；胆敢在她面前威胁罪人的人绝对不会有好下场的。她在吉米的嘴唇上轻轻一吻，然后随手将脑袋丢到一旁。无头死尸向下一沉，跪在地上，两手不停抽搐，鲜血自颈中狂喷。由于他体内的魔法能量迅速散去，导致颈中鲜血四下乱喷，染红了附近所有书柜。罪人以责备的神情看向美丽毒药，但是女恶魔只是优雅地耸了耸肩。 所有讲理之人发出震惊、恐惧与愤怒的叫声，不过在我跟罪人的瞪视之下很快恢复宁静。他们满脸怒容，手中凝众着魔法的光辉，当场施展了无数的攻击法术。第一道魔法在罪人身前爆开，不过不但没有伤到罪人，反而还被反弹了回去，登时将好几名讲理之人轰得体无完肤。图书馆的地板上洒满鲜血与脑浆，污浊的空气中也溅满血雾与各种体液。好几道法术正对美丽毒药而去，不过却在她弹指之间消失得无影无踪。她本是个堕落天使，存在的岁月比世界还要久远，人类的魔法在她面前根本没有作用。 我从口袋里抓出两颗混乱骰子，对准讲理之人中间丢去。他们身边的世界当场陷入一片混乱，所有能出错的环节通通出错。魔法暴走、肌肉痉挛，所有人都像小丑一样叠成一团。其中一个百忙之中掏出一把画满符咒的手枪，对准罪人就是一枪。那颗子弹在罪人的胸口轰出了一个大洞，但却没有任何血液自伤口中流出。他低头看了看胸口的大洞，神色间透露出些许忧伤，接着转头看着开枪的讲理之人。 “魔法枪？我可是从地狱的苦难中爬回人间的男人呀，孩子。不管怎样，你都不该对我使用这种东西，简直太侮辱人了嘛。美丽毒药？” “没问题，亲爱的席尼。” 美丽毒药身形一闪，以肉眼无法跟上的速度冲入讲理之人中间，发挥无人能及的骇人魔力，谈笑之间就将剩下的讲理之人撕成碎片。有几个想逃，不过动作却没她快。我趁着大家在忙的时候推倒身旁的一座大书柜，将两个讲理之人无情地压成一滩烂泥。 一切就这么结束了，整座图书馆恢复了往常的宁静，只剩下鲜血缓缓滴落在地板上的细微声响。讲理之人全死光了。虽然我不乐见这种结局，不过跟罪人还有美丽毒药这类人物合作，就是会发生这种事。美丽毒药好整以暇地欣赏着自己的杰作，脸上浮现满足的笑容。我朝疯子看去，发现他也加入了战团。不知道什么时候他将自己周遭转化成日本武士电影里的场景，身穿和服，脚踏尸体，手里拿着染血的武士刀。他已将脚下的讲理之人砍成了肉酱，此刻却还瞪着地上的尸块，满脸狠劲地大叫。 “怎么样？受够了没？回答我！” 如果他脚下的人还没死的话，这画面看起来倒也滑稽。 美丽毒药轻巧地跳过尸堆，回到罪人怀里。罪人神情哀伤地看着她，想着刚刚她出手时的残暴景象，什么也没多说。美丽毒药脸不红气不喘，若无其事地依偎在罪人怀里。她发现自己手上染满了鲜血，于是将手指一只一只放入口中吸吮，享受着血中的美味。看到罪人脸上浮现失望的表情时，她像个孩子一样噘起嘴来。 “对不起嘛，席尼，谁教他们当我的面欺负你呢！毕竟女人是情绪的动物呀。” 罪人看着满地尸块，叹了口气，说道：“我们应该留下一个活口，给渥克带个口信。” “喔，我想他看得懂这里留下的信息。”我说。“十三具战斗法师的尸体可以表达很强烈的诉求。渥克……绝对不会高兴的。” “很好。”疯子换回原来的服装，说道。“我讨厌渥克。有一次他想要把我关起来。嗯，事实上，他已经试过好几次了。” “无论如何，”我想了想道。“我最好还是去跟他谈谈，和缓一下气氛，不然一路上光应付他手下的追杀就够头痛了。没错，我去跟他谈谈，我知道怎么应付渥克。” “我们该跟你去吗？”罪人问。 “我想还是一个人去比较好。”我说。“只是去跟他谈谈，顺便说点大话唬唬他，没有必要弄到暴力相对。再说，我不要让他以为我不敢一个人去找他。渥克对这类细节是很敏感的。你们就先在这里等我。看着疯子，不要让他闯祸了。” 罪人叹了口气：“拜托你早去早回。”
我当即离开图书馆，一路上对着许多路过的图书馆员工陪笑表达歉意。出了图书馆后，我拨了个电话给凯西，想叫她帮忙查一查渥克目前的所在位置。 “喔，当然。”她立刻说道。“没问题，我查查计算机就搞定了。我申请了一项服务，可以随时监控夜城中所有大人物的下落。这项服务一直都在更新，让我们能随时掌握最新讯息。” “我们有这种东西？”我问。 “我就知道你没用心听我上次的简报！说真的，约翰，你从来都不认真听我说话……现在，渥克、渥克……啊，是了。他目前正在他的俱乐部里独自用餐。还有什么需要吗？你跟罪人还有疯子相处得怎么样？” “很……有趣。”我不希望她担心，于是不再多说什么，挂上了电话。
"Lin's Disease Hotel", the name of the hotel is "Lin" just to improve the style. In fact, the appearance of this hotel is as disgusting as the name sounds. It is the kind of low-level hotel that is billed by the hour and rarely changes the bed sheets.Ladies hunting for prey can be found all over the neighborhood, and the lice there are huge enough to jump out of dark alleys and attack passers-by.This is a place where appearances do not deceive, and buyers who dare to come here must do so at their own risk.For some, however, not enough dirty sex is enough excitement.So... I had no choice but to clenched my fists and set foot on the street to the red light district without taking my eyes off it.A place like this where a whore can take the form of something more dangerous than the nightside's scariest monster.To my dismay, it seemed like most of the hookers had heard my name. The Lynn's Inn was in a row of paint-spattered buildings that hadn't been repainted in years.I reached out and pushed open the hotel door, berating myself for not carrying gloves as I swaggered into the lobby, pretending I had a good reason for being there.The lobby was just as filthy as I thought it would be, the carpet creaked under my feet.Several people of unknown gender put down the gossip magazines in their hands and looked at me when I entered the hall, but after recognizing my identity, they immediately turned their gazes in other directions. I'm not sure why the madman came to this kind of place, because he probably doesn't care about sex, which belongs to the rational world.However, I think it should make no difference to him where he is, and this is a good hiding place; a place that no normal person would go to unless he has something important to do. I walked up to the hotel receptionist sitting behind the bars, and two elven whores in the middle stepped aside to let me pass.The two elves stared at me wide-eyed, forcing professional smiles on their faces.Their wings look a little wrinkled, but they still exude an extremely attractive and powerful charm.I smiled, shook my head at them, and realized that their reaction to being rejected was one of relief.God knows how twisted my reputation has become in a place like this. The hotel reception behind the bars was clearly not happy to see me.He was a stocky man in dirty trousers and a striped vest, with a stinky face and old eyes.Behind him was a sign that said "Pay if touched".The receptionist spat a mouthful of phlegm into a spittoon, then looked at me indifferently. "I don't answer questions." He said tonelessly. "Even the famous John Taylor can't force me to answer any questions. I don't see anything, I don't know anything, it's a job requirement. You can't fool me. I'll see more characters than you Too much. Besides, this bar is enchanted, cursed, and electrified, so don't think about it." "But I'm here to help." I ignored his rudeness and smiled. "I'm here to take the madman away." "Oh, thank God." The receptionist immediately changed his expression.He leaned forward with a beseeching expression that looked almost pathetic. "Please take him away quickly. You don't know how horrible it is to keep him here all the time. There will be screaming, roaring, and blood rain every now and then. All the rooms are changing directions , all the doors lead to unknown places. Not only does he scare away the clients, he even scares away the nearby prostitutes; logically there should be nothing in the world that can scare these girls. My guts are not as good as before Well, the reputation of the hotel has been rocked to the bottom because of him." "I thought the worse the reputation here, the better the business," I said. "Take the lunatic away quickly, please." "We'll be sure to thank you very much," said an elf whore, pushing her boobs up in front of me. I politely declined her service and asked the receptionist for the madman's room number.The elevator was broken, so I went up the stairs. The stairs were made of concrete without any handrails, and the paint on the walls was already mottled.I can feel the room where the madman is from a long distance away, like a wild beast, quietly hiding in the corner waiting for the prey to come to the door.As I approached, the uncomfortable feeling became more and more serious.As I walk down the second-floor hallway: I can't help but feel the dread of going to the dentist, and a scary dentist with bad news.The temperature dropped sharply, the exhaled air condensed into fog in front of me, and my heartbeat began to accelerate uncontrollably.I walked slowly in the empty corridor, leaning forward slightly, as if I had to break through an invisible pressure to move forward, all the instincts in my body were screaming loudly, telling me to turn around and leave while I had the chance. I stopped outside the madman's house.The number on the door is the same as the one given to me by the receptionist, but you don't need to look at the number to know it's this one.That door feels like the pain that wakes you up in the middle of the night, bringing to mind words like "trauma" and "poison."It's like seeing someone you love die in front of your eyes, and it's like the cold tone of your lover when he proposes to break up with you.The room is full of fear and misery, and it seems to be slowly stripping you of all your life's beliefs.It's just that it's not the room in front of me that causes all these feelings, but the "lunatic" in the room. I don't know his real name, and I don't think even he remembers it anymore.A name represents an identity and a past, and the madman has long since put that kind of thing behind him.He is now a sad, dangerous, confused man with a very tenuous connection to reality.Everyone's reality is the same.As for the reason why he was so insane in the first place, it was a well-known story in the Nightside, and it was also one of the most creepy stories. In the 1960s, Mad Men was a psychedelic drug wizard, a loyal follower of Timothy Leray, and the chief scientist of NASA.He is a genius with numerous patents to his name and a strong desire to pursue knowledge.At the end of the 1960s, his interest returned from outer space to the inner world of human beings, and turned to the study of mysticism and the theory of the essence of mathematics.He has studied for many years, exploring extremely obscure mysterious phenomena, trying to abandon the limited mind and senses of human beings, and find a new vision that can see through the real world. In the end, he found a way to see through human reality and face directly the whole picture hidden beneath the known world.No matter what he saw in that short eternity, his rationality had completely collapsed at that moment.Maybe it's because the full reality is much more terrifying than we realize, or it may be more beautiful.The sight is equally unbearable whether it is a sight of horror or beauty.After that, the madman lives in hallucinations and doesn't care about anything anymore.The difference between him and normal people is that sometimes he can control the hallucinations he wants, although sometimes he is also controlled by hallucinations. It is extremely dangerous to be in the company of a madman, because he does not believe in anything he sees.For him, everything is an illusion.The world around him is reshaped according to his thoughts, imaginations, fears, and doubts, and everything in reality changes and takes shape between his thoughts.This ability is sometimes helpful, sometimes disturbing, and sometimes even terrifying, because for him, so-called companions and friends can also be part of the illusion.He can change your personality and past without you even realizing it.Anyone who dared to disturb him, or even threaten him, was likely to become something else - something horrible.Over time, people let him go wherever he wants and do whatever he wants.Anyway, as long as you don't mess with him, you can almost live in peace.Luckily, there isn't much that a madman wants to do, and those who try to use him for their own ends usually end badly. Now I'm standing outside his door, short of breath and sweating, trying to muster up enough courage to reach out and knock on the door with clenched hands.I knew in my heart that I would have to take a huge risk just to go in and talk to him.I hadn't been this scared since the last time I faced the unbeliever Jessica Sharo, and I had a secret weapon at my disposal, but now I can only use tact.Even I don't quite believe that I can get out of it unscathed. However, I am not completely helpless, because whenever the lunatic is upset, a warning message will be automatically issued; for some reason, the background music that reflects his current mood is always echoing around the lunatic.As long as you listen carefully, you can detect his emotional changes.I stood in front of the door, raising my hand to knock. It felt like I was standing outside a large furnace or a bubonic plague nursing home. If I dared to open the door, I would have to bear the consequences.I took a deep breath, knocked quickly, called out my name very politely, opened the door, and entered the madman's room.Somewhere in the room there was a burst of music, Nelson's "Everybody Talking to Me." The space inside the room is larger than it appears from the outside, but the shape of the space is very strange, and there seem to be too many uncertain factors.I expected to see a small dirty room, but instead I saw a large luxurious suite with a queen-sized bed, lots of antique furniture, and all kinds of beautiful decorations.The whole room was shrouded in flickering light, and as far as the eye could see, the details of everything were not quite right.The floor was not at right angles to the walls, and the ceiling was sloped indescribably.As for where the dazzling light source came from, it was completely invisible.Everything transformed as soon as I looked away.The floor does exist, but I have a swaying sense of standing on the edge of a cliff.The sound in the room was muffled and distant, like listening to something underwater.I stood straight where I was, focusing on the purpose of coming here.I felt that at the slightest distraction I would immediately lose myself, lost forever in the hallucinations of a madman. That's why people don't want to approach crazy people. He lay on the big bed, looking lost and small.He was a solid man with a gray beard.At this time, he suddenly sat up and looked at me. His eyes seemed to be out of focus, but they revealed a look of wildness and despair.He seemed tired and sad, like a puppy who has been groomed by its owner for no reason.He always wears a black T-shirt and a pair of ripped jeans, and never changes his clothes, because such insignificant things as clothes have no meaning to him at all.And judging from the smell emanating from his body, this set of clothes probably hasn't been washed for a long time. All the walls in the room are covered with mathematical equations. Obviously, wherever the madman goes, these equations will automatically appear, and they will disappear immediately after he leaves.No one has ever been able to understand the meaning of these equations, but people have been trying to find out the secrets.The madman looked at something behind me, and I didn't follow his gaze back.Whatever he was looking at was certainly not something I wanted to see.After a while, the madman looked away from behind me, and I finally felt a little relieved.The scene in the room began to change, adjusting my existence with the madman's mood.Shadows coalesced in the corners, forming a deep darkness, in which hid something wriggling, as if it belonged in a terrifying monster from a childhood nightmare. "Hello, madman," I said calmly. "I'm John Taylor, remember? We met a few times at the Stranger Tavern and the Tourniquet Club. We had a mutual friend, Razor Eddie. Remember?" "I don't remember." The lunatic said sadly. "I tend to forget people, though, because it's safer. Then again, I know you, John Taylor. Oh, yes. You're dangerous, in the blood of terror. I think if I do remember you If you say everything about it... maybe you will even tremble with fear." The thought that even a character like a lunatic would be afraid of me made me terrified myself.I put that thought aside and concentrate on the situation at hand.How on earth am I going to survive this conversation and convince the madman to join me in investigating the origins of Nightside? "I want to investigate the origins of Nightside," I said. "I hope you can help me. Perhaps during the investigation, we may meet someone who can help you." "No one can help me," said the madman. "I can't even help myself." He turned his head sideways, squinting at me like a bird. "Why did you ask me for help, John Tyler?" He seemed to be showing a rare sense of reason, so I took this opportunity to continue persuading. "I'm going to face beings that are much stronger than me," I said. "So I want to take you together to confuse the other party, at least, I can hide behind you." "That makes sense." The lunatic nodded like a normal person. "Okay, I'll go with you. I seem to have been lying in bed for months thinking about it, and theoretically I should be bored to death. Yes, I'm going with you. I've been trying to find something to do, to let myself Distraction so you don't keep thinking about...bad things. I'm actually more afraid of myself than you are. Let's go." He jumped out of bed lightly, exuding a sense of discontinuity and weirdness in his movements.Standing he looks about my height, but he seems to be much heavier than me, as if stepping into the real world he suddenly becomes more real.The shadow in the corner receded for a moment, but quickly gathered again.The madman walked towards the door, and I followed him and left the room without looking back, when his background music changed to a jazz tune with a saxophone as the main theme. While closing the door, I hurriedly took a look inside the room, and found that the inside had changed back to the original small room, dark and dirty, covered with dust and cobwebs, obviously no one had lived in it for many years.There was something lying on the bed in the room.I slammed the door shut and stepped back as the thing started to sit up.The madman stood patiently waiting for me, so I led him downstairs and back into the hall.As soon as we showed up in the hall, everyone immediately hid.Then I stepped into the Nightside with the madman, and we went to find a guy named "The Sinner".
The Sinner is another household name in the Nightside, with as many legends and tragedies as there are fleas on dogs.There is no record of the sinner's early deeds, but one day he suddenly decided to sell his soul to the devil.He carefully studied all the relevant details, made perfect preparations, and then summoned Satan from hell.Not some lowly demon, nor some fallen angel, but God's old enemy, Satan himself.History and literary classics tell the world how stupid this behavior is, but the sinner is obviously confident in his own abilities.He summoned Satan, made him a pleasing figure, and said he wanted to sell his soul.When Satan asked him what price he wanted in exchange for his soul, the sinner replied "true love".Satan hesitates, because true love is not his area of expertise.However, the sinner insisted that he only wanted true love, and Satan had no reason not to do his business, so... a contract signed with blood was born.The sinner pays his soul for ten years of happy time with the woman of his dreams. Satan said: "Go to that bar at this time, the girl of your dreams will be waiting for you there." He laughed and disappeared.The sinner goes to the appointed place at the appointed time and indeed meets the girl of his dreams.He fell in love with her, she loved her back, and it wasn't long before the two were married.They spent ten years happily together.Then, when the time limit came, Satan emerged from the ground at midnight on the last night to collect the sinner's soul and take him to hell for eternal torment.The sinner nodded in front of Satan and said, "It's all worth it to see true love." However, Satan told him, "You have been deceived. The girl of your dreams is not human at all. She is my subordinate, and I sent her to seduce you." Your female demon. She is only pretending to care about you. Before you, she has cared about countless men." The sinner said: "What does it matter? I love her, and I will always love her." Satan With a shrug, the sinner's soul was taken. So the sinner becomes the only soul in hell that retains true love.No matter what the truth of his lover is, no matter how many tortures he has suffered in hell, he always stubbornly believes in love.Since the whole atmosphere of hell is corrupted by him, Satan really cannot tolerate the existence of such a soul.In the end, Satan had no choice but to drive the sinner out of hell.And since a sinner has made a covenant with the devil, he is of course ineligible to go to heaven. Under the circumstances that neither heaven nor hell could accommodate him, he had no choice but to come to Night City, neither dead nor alive but half dead and half alive, walking on the streets of neon lights forever and ever.This is the story of the sinner. Although the sinner is very friendly to others, most people do not want to get close to him.Since he is not really alive, he has no shadow; and since he cannot die again, almost no power can hurt him.Now he has no fear of punishment for any crime he commits, so he sets very strict moral standards for himself.In other words, he will never do things that affect others unless necessary; but if necessary, he will never hesitate.The concept of good and evil no longer applies to him, and he has transcended this worldly judgment.Most of the time he doesn't mind other people's business, but if anyone dares to mess with him, he usually dies in an ugly way.According to a well-known urban legend, if he does enough good deeds, or commits enough evil deeds, then one day the gates of heaven or hell will open again for him-whether he chooses good deeds or evil deeds. Evil deeds, so far can't see it. I went to the haunt of sinners, the Prospero and Mike Scott Memorial Library.The lunatic has been following me, humming the melody of the background music, and frightening everyone who passes by.The sinner likes to stay in the library and study subjects that he refuses to discuss openly.It is said that just tracking down the list of books he has read is enough to scare people half crazy.I personally think that the purpose of his visit to the library should be to find something to do, just like a madman diverts his attention by meditation, and the choice of a sinner is to read.In fact, in the final analysis, their purpose is the same, which is to force themselves not to think about the thing that lingers in their minds. I called first to make sure the culprit was there.The librarian on the other end of the phone said to me, "Oh, yes, he's here. Also, if you're coming over, Mr. Taylor, would you please drop by the last copy of Baron Frankenstein's Out of Yourself?" This book has been overdue for a long time." I mumbled a few words, then hung up the phone quickly, thinking about when was the last time I saw that book. With reservations, I'm back on my cell phone.It is very dangerous to make a mobile phone call in Night City. Apart from the strange noises that often come from the handset, there are also a bunch of short messages and spam messages from other spaces.Of course, the most troublesome thing is that the mobile phone allows people to easily track my whereabouts.It's a pity that this nasty little prop is so practical that people can't afford to own one...Since Kathy assured me that this new phone has all the protection spells built in to prevent any kind of intrusion, then I have no choice but to Let's just believe it, although every time I use it, my heart feels hairy. Madman and I headed down into the basement of the library and ended up finding The Sinner in his old seat in the research area.He was sitting on a chair alone, and the table in front of him was covered with stacks of large books, and he was concentrating on reading an ancient classic. The air smelled of books, and it looked like a literary maze.The lighting here is very good, not too bright.Slogans saying "Quiet!" were written all over the research area, and there were quite a few signs indicating the themes of the books, some of which read "Please read at your own risk."Many scholars sat behind their desks, ignoring the existence of other people, concentrating on their work like monks in ancient times.I made my way across the narrow aisle of bookcases, walking straight toward the sinner, with the madman following me at an easy pace.The sinner looked up and nodded at me as we approached.He is not tall, but has a solid figure, and his appearance gives people a refreshing feeling. He looks like a middle-aged office worker who will never be promoted.But when his eyes looked at me, they were suddenly sparkling, and there was an uneasy atmosphere in his smile. The sinner seems to have been waiting for me here a long time ago.When he finally spoke, there was something genial and courteous in his voice. "Very well, very well, John Taylor. I have a hunch that I will meet you today, so I am sitting here, reading my favorite old book, while waiting for you." I glanced at the book spread out in front of him.It was a Bible, King James' version of old England.I turned to the sinner and raised my eyebrows. The sinner laughed: "A certain wise man once said: 'Look for loopholes to exploit.'" Several people in the research area started to grab the books and notes in front of them, left their seats and walked towards the exit.Maybe it's because of the madman's arrival, maybe it's because of my appearance, or maybe it's because of the two of us plus the sinner.Seriously, I don't blame them.Only a few stubborn old scholars were left in the research area, holding their books and refusing to leave.In the Nightside, only a man of sound mind holds the job of a scholar.The lunatic wandered among the piles of books, and ripples appeared in all the books wherever he went, changing both in appearance and content.I can't help wondering what's written in those books now, whether it's meaningless gibberish, or wisdom and secrets beyond imagination; either way, I don't want to know the answer. At this moment, my eyes were attracted by a young woman with a sweet appearance.She is a tall, blond beauty, wearing a white top, black skirt, stockings, plain shoes, and a small straw hat on her head. She is dressed like a public high school girl, holding a large stack of books in her hand, Getting out of the pile of books.She is bright and charming, with a smile like a flower, and she is so beautiful that anyone who sees her will be crazy for her.Her every move exudes a natural and fresh elegance, which is simply not belonging to the world.Her lips were as seductive as a rosebud, and her eyes were as deep as a galaxy of stars.I couldn't help standing up straight, but she just gave me a shallow glance, then walked past me, and put the book in her hand on the sinner's table.Only then did I realize that the background music of Mad Men had changed to "Tube Bells". "Let me introduce you." The sinner said politely. "This is my girlfriend, the female demon I fell in love with many years ago. I don't know what she looks like in your eyes, because she will appear in front of others as the opposite sex that everyone desires most." I'm not sure what she represents in front of me, maybe I watched too many albums of young high school girls when I was young, I guess.I nodded and smiled at the female demon, and she pouted and sat on the sinner's desk, revealing her slender legs and stirring my heartstrings.I could almost see the strong seductive hormones in the air and could only force myself to look away from her.I really wonder what she looks like in the eyes of sinners.At this time, the lunatic took a step back, gave the female demon a displeased look, and then swayed away again.I don't really want to know what she looks like in the eyes of a madman. "Here are all the books you want, Xi Ni." The female demon said in an extremely sexy voice. "If there is anything else you need, please feel free to say it." After speaking, he straightened his back very lazily, his chest protruding forward, almost bursting the buttons of his jacket.I feel parched, and my heart seems to be jumping out of my body. "Her name literally translated from the original Aramaic is 'Beautiful Poison,'" the sinner said softly. "There are several chapters in the Dead Sea Scrolls that mention her deeds, but they are not good things. In the war against heaven, she once killed countless angels; in the war against humanity, she also used the identity of a female demon I have conquered countless men. Please be polite when you are around her, and don't take it lightly. No matter how much I love her, she is a demon after all. By the way, only she can call the nickname Xi Ni." I nodded respectfully to the female demon, and asked, "How did you leave hell?" Beautiful Poison shrugged charmingly. "I can't believe that there are mortals who still love me without reservation after knowing my true identity. Of course they will still want me, after all, my job is to lure people to the abyss of eternal destruction, and to make people with superficial carnality They give up immortal souls. And yet love me? True love like Sydney? Even knowing the truth, even in eternal purgatory? Never in my long existence have I seen such a thing. So I decided to leave hell and return to the world to find him. On the surface, I came as an evil messenger, with the purpose of tempting his mind and corrupting his soul again. But in fact, I just wanted to talk to Xi Ni Together, I want to know what he said... true love." "That's what you said," I said. "Despite what you say, who can guarantee that your real purpose is not for his soul?" Her smile remained unchanged, but her eyes became cold. “你可曾在爱人面前毫无保留地诉说心中的秘密？所有黑暗、深沉，连对自己都不愿承认的秘密？你可曾彻彻底底地与另外一条生命融为一体，即使面对永世不灭的地狱之火也不愿分离？我的席尼愿意为我如此付出，只为了一个我从来不曾了解的理由。地狱里是容不下真爱存在的。如果有爱，那就不配称作地狱。我必须体验他对我的感觉。我必须用心去理解，即使不明白自己为什么要这么做。” “但是你曾经跟这么多男人在一起。”我说。 “喔，没错。”美丽毒药说。“你无法想象有多少男人，但是他们在我心中都不具有任何意义。他们活着的时候都大言不惭地说爱我，但是一旦踏入死亡境地，马上通通改口。他们可以为了逃离地狱而毫不犹豫地背叛我，对他们而言，我根本也不算什么。但是席尼……跟他们不一样。” “美丽毒药是唯一没有参与前一阵子夜城天使战争的女恶魔。”罪人温柔地说道。“只因为我要求她不要参战。这代表了什么意义，你就自己去想吧。现在回到主题，夜城是个谣言满天飞的地方，据我听到的谣言指出，善变的命运女神雇用了你来调查夜城的起源。你真是结交了不少有趣的朋友呀，约翰。我必须承认自己一直对夜城的起源感到好奇。没猜错的话，你这次来是为了找我一起参与这项史上最危险的冒险，对吧？” “一猜就中。”我说。“有你跟疯子在身边，我就有可能在这件案子里存活下来。只是不知道你有没有空能暂时放下手中的研究？” 罪人一把阖上圣经，不过手掌却不从封皮上移开。“我唯一上天堂的机会就是多做好事。”他坦白道。“而且要做惊天动地的好事才行。我认为在众多强者的夹杀之下保住你的性命，应该够资格称得上是这种等级的好事才对。” “那我怎么办，席尼？”美丽毒药说。“你不会抛下我一个人上天堂吧，对不对？你明明知道我俩只有在地狱之中才能享有永恒的爱情。” 罪人轻拍她的手背，轻轻笑道：“没有你，我哪都不去。少了你的地方就不叫天堂。” “亲爱的席尼。”她凑上去亲吻他的额头，拨弄他的头发。罪人转头对我说道：“跟你去可以，不过美丽毒药要一起来。我不会跟她分开的。” “既然我都带了疯子出门，你要带恶魔又有什么问题呢？”我说。“火力越强大越好。” “我听到了。”疯子的声音自书堆里传来。“我不提供火力。我只负责吓人。” “夜城的起源很久以前就已经埋葬在历史的洪流之下。”罪人说道。“而我认为这多半是有个很好的理由，因为像夜城这么可怕的地方绝对不会有什么美丽的起源的。我们几乎可以肯定夜城是奠基在鲜血与苦难之中创造而出。你必须了解，约翰，如果我们调查的结果会对夜城的居民造成威胁的话，我绝不会把结果公诸于世。因为我个人的宗旨就是尽可能不去伤害他人。这样讲你可以接受吗？” "Of course." I said. “所有调查结果我都只向当事人回报，而这个案子的当事人就是命运女神。至于她之后要如何处理我们调查的结果，那就是你跟她的事了。我这样讲，你可以接受吗？” 他点了点头，然后跟我相视一笑，不过我的笑容之下隐藏了些许的不安，我认为让美丽毒药跟来是很不智的举动。事情已经够复杂了，实在不需要一个地狱来的女恶魔在我们背后监视——虽然我还不至于蠢到用背对着她。然而既然罪人如此坚持，那我也就不得不答应，起码暂时必须答应。反正说不定之后也会有用得到她的地方。 “喔，不好了。”罪人突然站起身来。“看来有坏事发生。” 我立刻环顾四周，说道：“为什么这么说？” “因为疯子的背景音乐变紧张了。” 他说得没错，疯子的背景音乐的确变了。而在紧张的音乐之中，十三名身穿西装的男子自四面八方现身，个个脸上充满自信，显然是冲着我来的。刚刚那些不肯走的学者们一看，纷纷抓起书本以飞快的速度逃离现场。就连图书馆的员工也在顷刻之间消失到无影无踪。他们不想和接下来发生的事情有任何相干，而我一点也不怪他们。我认得这十三个家伙，他们是渥克手下最著名的狠角色，传说中的“讲理之人”。这个外号是因为他们的专长就是去跟任何惹毛当权者的家伙“讲道理”而来的。 所有讲理之人外表都是很有教养的绅士，身穿昂贵的西装，搭配传统的领带，举手投足间散发出贵族般的高傲气息。有几个脸上露出轻蔑的表情，似乎出现在图书馆这种地方已经大大地降低他们的身分一样。虽然他们看来像是一群上流社会的败类，不过我却一点也不敢小觑他们，因为所有讲理之人都是法力高强的战斗法师。他们的老大在我面前停下脚步，微微向后仰起头来，以一种不屑的眼光对我瞪来。 这家伙名叫吉米·海德莱，是个标准的势利鬼。鼻子大而无当，蓝眼冷漠无情，除了这两点之外，相貌还算英俊。他有一头油油亮亮的黑发，嘴角似乎天生就挂着嘲讽。此刻他穿着一套上好的西装，戴着一副灰色的手套，因为他不喜欢弄脏双手。我跟他见过几次面，不过都是很久以前的事了。我们两个一直以来都看彼此不顺眼，主要是因为他把自己视为权力的象征，而我偏偏又将他视为臭气熏天的狗屎。现在，既然吉米·海德莱跟这一堆走狗通通出现，就表示渥克不打算对我客气了。吉米看了看罪人、美丽毒药以及疯子一眼，然后扬了扬眉毛，当场就当他们三个都不存在一样。 “喔，天呀，吉米。”我说。“快教我如何只动一边的眉毛就做出那么跩的表情，实在太厉害啦。” “泰勒，亲爱的孩子。”吉米慢条斯理地说，就像往常一样忽略我的幽默。“我就知道总有一天渥克会派我来找你。谁教你一天到晚爱管不该管的闲事！不过这一次你似乎真的惹火了所有当权的大哥们，就连渥克都决定要跟你翻脸了。立刻跟我们走。只要你乖乖听话，我们就会温柔对你，不然的话，我们可是有权以暴力手段对付你的。猜猜看我们喜欢和平，还是暴力？” 所有讲理之人都在他身后发出轻轻的冷笑，摆出懒洋洋的姿势，画出危险的符号。没有人天生就这么讨人厌的，这些家伙都是一辈子作威作福才会变成这种德性。空气之中隐隐浮现魔法的能量，似乎随时都有可能爆发出来。战斗法师的力量足以与夜城中的强者抗衡，是一群极端危险的人物。我不敢掉以轻心，于是身体微向后倾，靠在一个书柜上，双手于胸前交叉，然后以冷酷的眼神回敬他们。如果我连这些自大的小混混都对付不了的话，干脆退休算了。我就算要败，也该是败在真正的强者手里才行。看到几名讲理之人脸上的笑容消失，我不禁在心中感到一丝快意。我可不是那么容易让他们的名声给唬住的，不过我倒是希望自己的名声可以唬住他们。 “很高兴再次与你见面，吉米。”我说。“你今天气色看起来不错呀。所以，当权者不希望有人调查夜城的起源吗？那真是不幸呀，因为我爱查什么就查什么，从来不需要当权者允许。如果今天只是我个人的兴趣也就算了，不过很可惜不是这么回事。今天雇用我调查此事的乃是命运女神本人，而这两位打算跟我一起去查的伙伴，分别是'疯子'及'罪人'。不用我说你也该知道，你们根本不是我们的对手。我建议你立刻滚回渥克身边，吉米，乖乖当个跑腿的小鬼，告诉他约翰·泰勒不会因为任何强权胁迫而停止调查此事。奉劝你尽快离开，免得我突然改变主意。” 几个讲理之人不安地转换姿势，但是吉米·海德莱却不为所动。“一堆废话。”他说。“我从不相信任何关于你的传言，泰勒。你不过是个靠着一张嘴的小败类，而我们却是掌握实质力量的强者。这是你自找的，不要怪我们不客气。”他转向罪人说道：“你不要插手，乖乖坐下来看书。我们不是为你而来的。” 罪人轻声笑道：“如果渥克真想要对付我的话，绝不会只派你们这种角色来。告诉你一个坏消息，要动约翰·泰勒就必须先问过我，因为我也想要调查夜城的起源。” “退下。”吉米·海德莱冷冷地道。 “我见过许多比你可怕的东西。”罪人道。“滚吧，小鬼。趁你还有机会的时候快滚。” 吉米大怒，当场对着罪人比出神秘的手势，一股致命的能量登时在他面前成形。我觉得事情已经闹够了，于是对准吉米的睾丸狠狠就是一脚。他痛得眼珠子都快掉出来，忍不住捂住股间弯腰向前。只见美丽毒药跨出一步，双手一扭就将吉米的脑袋给扯了下来；胆敢在她面前威胁罪人的人绝对不会有好下场的。她在吉米的嘴唇上轻轻一吻，然后随手将脑袋丢到一旁。无头死尸向下一沉，跪在地上，两手不停抽搐，鲜血自颈中狂喷。由于他体内的魔法能量迅速散去，导致颈中鲜血四下乱喷，染红了附近所有书柜。罪人以责备的神情看向美丽毒药，但是女恶魔只是优雅地耸了耸肩。 所有讲理之人发出震惊、恐惧与愤怒的叫声，不过在我跟罪人的瞪视之下很快恢复宁静。他们满脸怒容，手中凝众着魔法的光辉，当场施展了无数的攻击法术。第一道魔法在罪人身前爆开，不过不但没有伤到罪人，反而还被反弹了回去，登时将好几名讲理之人轰得体无完肤。图书馆的地板上洒满鲜血与脑浆，污浊的空气中也溅满血雾与各种体液。好几道法术正对美丽毒药而去，不过却在她弹指之间消失得无影无踪。她本是个堕落天使，存在的岁月比世界还要久远，人类的魔法在她面前根本没有作用。 我从口袋里抓出两颗混乱骰子，对准讲理之人中间丢去。他们身边的世界当场陷入一片混乱，所有能出错的环节通通出错。魔法暴走、肌肉痉挛，所有人都像小丑一样叠成一团。其中一个百忙之中掏出一把画满符咒的手枪，对准罪人就是一枪。那颗子弹在罪人的胸口轰出了一个大洞，但却没有任何血液自伤口中流出。他低头看了看胸口的大洞，神色间透露出些许忧伤，接着转头看着开枪的讲理之人。 “魔法枪？我可是从地狱的苦难中爬回人间的男人呀，孩子。不管怎样，你都不该对我使用这种东西，简直太侮辱人了嘛。美丽毒药？” “没问题，亲爱的席尼。” 美丽毒药身形一闪，以肉眼无法跟上的速度冲入讲理之人中间，发挥无人能及的骇人魔力，谈笑之间就将剩下的讲理之人撕成碎片。有几个想逃，不过动作却没她快。我趁着大家在忙的时候推倒身旁的一座大书柜，将两个讲理之人无情地压成一滩烂泥。 一切就这么结束了，整座图书馆恢复了往常的宁静，只剩下鲜血缓缓滴落在地板上的细微声响。讲理之人全死光了。虽然我不乐见这种结局，不过跟罪人还有美丽毒药这类人物合作，就是会发生这种事。美丽毒药好整以暇地欣赏着自己的杰作，脸上浮现满足的笑容。我朝疯子看去，发现他也加入了战团。不知道什么时候他将自己周遭转化成日本武士电影里的场景，身穿和服，脚踏尸体，手里拿着染血的武士刀。他已将脚下的讲理之人砍成了肉酱，此刻却还瞪着地上的尸块，满脸狠劲地大叫。 “怎么样？受够了没？回答我！” 如果他脚下的人还没死的话，这画面看起来倒也滑稽。 美丽毒药轻巧地跳过尸堆，回到罪人怀里。罪人神情哀伤地看着她，想着刚刚她出手时的残暴景象，什么也没多说。美丽毒药脸不红气不喘，若无其事地依偎在罪人怀里。她发现自己手上染满了鲜血，于是将手指一只一只放入口中吸吮，享受着血中的美味。看到罪人脸上浮现失望的表情时，她像个孩子一样噘起嘴来。 “对不起嘛，席尼，谁教他们当我的面欺负你呢！毕竟女人是情绪的动物呀。” 罪人看着满地尸块，叹了口气，说道：“我们应该留下一个活口，给渥克带个口信。” “喔，我想他看得懂这里留下的信息。”我说。“十三具战斗法师的尸体可以表达很强烈的诉求。渥克……绝对不会高兴的。” “很好。”疯子换回原来的服装，说道。“我讨厌渥克。有一次他想要把我关起来。嗯，事实上，他已经试过好几次了。” “无论如何，”我想了想道。“我最好还是去跟他谈谈，和缓一下气氛，不然一路上光应付他手下的追杀就够头痛了。没错，我去跟他谈谈，我知道怎么应付渥克。” “我们该跟你去吗？”罪人问。 “我想还是一个人去比较好。”我说。“只是去跟他谈谈，顺便说点大话唬唬他，没有必要弄到暴力相对。再说，我不要让他以为我不敢一个人去找他。渥克对这类细节是很敏感的。你们就先在这里等我。看着疯子，不要让他闯祸了。” 罪人叹了口气：“拜托你早去早回。”
我当即离开图书馆，一路上对着许多路过的图书馆员工陪笑表达歉意。出了图书馆后，我拨了个电话给凯西，想叫她帮忙查一查渥克目前的所在位置。 “喔，当然。”她立刻说道。“没问题，我查查计算机就搞定了。我申请了一项服务，可以随时监控夜城中所有大人物的下落。这项服务一直都在更新，让我们能随时掌握最新讯息。” “我们有这种东西？”我问。 “我就知道你没用心听我上次的简报！说真的，约翰，你从来都不认真听我说话……现在，渥克、渥克……啊，是了。他目前正在他的俱乐部里独自用餐。还有什么需要吗？你跟罪人还有疯子相处得怎么样？” “很……有趣。”我不希望她担心，于是不再多说什么，挂上了电话。