Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Why the dead refuse to rest in peace
We left behind the rat alleys and returned to the bright streets of Uptown.The night is very dark, the neon lights are extremely bright, and we finally stepped into the familiar night city again.
In many ways, leaving Rat Alley feels like a rebirth, like announcing to the world that you are ready to conquer the world again.When I left there many years ago, I felt exactly the same way I do now.Because no one can really live in the mouse back alley, everyone is just there to maintain their own existence.I took a deep breath of fresh air and looked around.People were running the sidewalks as usual, busy with their dark secrets, and Walker's men were still watching us from a safe distance; Walker wasn't paying enough to follow us into rat back alley.I noticed that the number of stalkers seemed to be increasing, so I stopped to observe the situation in front of me carefully.I watched with great leisure, while my companions stood aside and waited patiently.Some of the watchers retreated into the shadows of the alley as soon as they caught my eye, but some of the newcomers stared at me calmly, with the hunger of a vulture discovering a dead body in their eyes. Thirst and greed.I point these ungrateful ones to Sinner and Beautiful Poison (the madman is back in his fantasy world).
"We have new friends again." I said. "And they are not the masters that you can see in a hurry. See those seven Orientals with chromosome patterns tattooed on their eyebrows? They are battle mages from the Scarf Claw Gang. Their appearance is equivalent to Walker declaring immunity to us." make up your mind."
"Are they dangerous?" asked the sinner.
"Very dangerous," I said.
"It's okay." Beautiful Poison said. "We're dangerous too."
"Nevertheless," said the sinner. "Battle Mage! It seems that Walker attaches great importance to this case, right... who are those two men in wolf fur and wolf claw necklaces?"
"Supernatural trackers. The top of the line. They can smell us in the skunkworks, even with teleportation spells. They have a way of tracking magic and teleporting."
"Is there no way to get rid of them?" Among the sinners.
I smiled: "Of course there is, as long as you go where they dare not follow."
"I don't like the looks of those three guys." Beautiful Poison said softly. "They stink holy."
I followed the direction of her finger and couldn't help but swear. "These guys are really in trouble. They're the Holy Trinity. A man, a woman, and a soul that just died. They're both Jesuit demonists and members of the Play Is Evil Club. Senior members. Contrary to tantric practice, they spend a lifetime of celibacy to enhance their mana. They have inexhaustible energy and have a very strong hatred of the world, especially Nightside. Normally, those in power They won't be allowed into the Nightside at all. Damn it! Walker is serious this time. We can no longer rely on Hellfire Teleportation, because the Holy Trinity can easily extinguish Hellfire with just a look."
"I can kill them," said Beautiful Poison.
"No, you can't." The sinner said. "If you want to be with me, you can't kill people indiscriminately."
"Certainly, my dear Sydney. But you must explain to me later what is the good of such a restricted conception."
The sinner suddenly looked at me with a look of suspicion in his eyes. "I thought you had maintained a good relationship with the Vatican since you helped them regain the Fallen Holy Grail?"
"That's a special mission privately entrusted by the Pope," I said. "It doesn't represent the Vatican. Besides, the church is originally under the authority of Walker, just like the government and the army, and everyone must respond to his call. It's just that I haven't seen such a big scene for a long time... also I never thought he would use so many resources for me."
"Then what should we do?" The madman said suddenly, which startled us all.It's all too easy to forget that he's listening to us too, and to forget his existence if we're not careful.
"I think... just let them follow." I said. "The Lair of the Wailers is not far from here. Once they find our destination, many people should leave on the spot. I don't blame them, and I will never go to the Wailers if it is not necessary. In fact , even if necessary, I will try to convince myself not to go."
"Shadows are the most troublesome place," said the madman. "It's that they follow you all the time, but you don't notice their eyes."
We all thought for a while. "Congratulations." The sinner said. "These words are really appropriate. It seems that you have cleared your mind a lot."
"No one takes me seriously," said the madman sadly.
The sinner seemed to have thought of something, turned to face me and said, "I have an idea." He said firmly. "I heard that Sandra Chance has an affair with the Wailer recently. Although no one is sure what kind of affair it is, maybe we can ask her to help us introduce? Or even ask her to help us lobby?"
"I doubt it," I said. "First of all, it was just a rumor. Second, she is not very happy with me now because I let the Chaos Butterfly go."
The sinner paused for a while, and after confirming that I had finished speaking, he sighed and said, "You have a problem with everyone, don't you?"
"It's not all holidays," I said. "There are always a few people in Night City who don't want to take my life at any time."
"I don't think so," said Beautiful Poison.
In this way, we led a group of watchmen and left the upper city on foot. The streets along the way became more and more dirty, and the neon lights on the roadside gradually dimmed.The buildings on the street look like they won't collapse for the time being, but pedestrians don't want to get too close to them.All the windows were closed and filled with iron bars; all the doors were locked and could only be opened by those who knew the correct combination.At this point we've come to "Kindness Land," a place for all kinky fanatics to have fun.This is by no means a place for sightseeing, and even the natives of the Nightside can't stand the filth of the Kookland.I once came here for a case and burned my shoes right afterward. Pedestrians on the road all walked with their heads down, and no one wanted to make contact with other people.Although it feels very peaceful and polite, the air is always filled with the breath of depravity and perversion.Those following us are starting to drop out.Originally, only one or two people slowed down, but after guessing our destination, most of them disappeared without a trace. Obviously, no matter how dedicated a person is, there is a limit.Even in a place like Night City, everyone still has their own limits.In the end, there were only a few of the most ruthless characters left behind us, but they only dared to look at us from a distance. I continued to walk down the narrow street, feeling more and more uneasy, as if I had to face an attack from unknown sources at any time.Quirklands is a place where normal people get the creeps.However, the beautiful poison beside him seemed to have walked into a happy paradise, with a smile of infinite joy on his face.The sinner seemed completely unaffected by his surroundings, which probably meant nothing to a man in love with a female demon.Madman is humming a happy tune to his own background music, Madonna's "Lust".It seems that there are really everyone in the world... At last we reached our destination, a smoky funeral home where the Wailers are currently living.He is constantly on the move, partly because there are so many people—and other creatures—trying to kill him, and partly because his very existence sucks all life out of his surroundings .The Lamenter, also known as the "God of Suicide", also known as the "Sage of Pain", and the "Tyrant of Tears".He has countless aliases, but only one essence.No one wants to be a believer in him, and you don't think of the Wailer until all faith and hope are gone. We stood before the dilapidated front door, which hung ajar from the dirty stone wall.The entire building has no windows at all.Above the so-called gate hangs a brass sign bearing the building's original name in Gothic Victorian script: "Maxwell's Mausoleum".It was two hundred years ago that the funeral home had been forcibly closed because of public outrage—before the Great Undertaker became the only funeral home in Nightside. The story about Maxwell's mausoleum is still widely circulated even after two hundred years.That's a very ugly story, even in a place like Nightside.The Maxwells worshiped human viscera—living and dead—in their darkened chambers and used them to perform unspeakably disgusting rituals.Later, when people finally discovered the evil deeds of the Maxwell family, they immediately arrested the whole family, hung them to the nearest street lamp, and burned them alive.Their bodies were all stuffed into the same coffin, and various sealing rituals were performed before they were finally buried.And in the weeks after the burial, there was an endless stream of people queuing to pee in front of their graves. It was because of that terrible incident that those in power decided not to let the undertakers mess around, so they withdrew their right to operate freely, and handed over all the funeral services in Night City to the big funeral home to facilitate monitoring and management.The Maxwell Mausoleum has been lingering since then, and has been abandoned until the Weepers moved in; perhaps the Weepers moved in here because it made him feel like home. The surroundings suddenly became dead silent, and after a few seconds, I realized that it was because of the sudden stop of the madman's background music.He stood in front of the gate and carefully observed the door panel, but he never reached out to touch it. Then he frowned, as if he was listening to something that only he could hear. "Why won't the dead rest in peace?" he asked, but walked away before anyone could answer. I looked at the sinner and said, "Is my head broken, or is his words really becoming more and more reasonable?" "It should be that your head is broken," said the sinner. "So, what are we going to do? Knock loudly and give us your name?" "Oh, I think he already knows we're coming," I said. "The Wailers are beings with the power to dominate the gods. It is impossible for monsters like them not to feel our presence." I took a step forward and gave the door a light push.The wooden door slowly opened inward, making a loud noise.Wailers, like most ancient beings, prefer traditional dramatic effects.There is a very faint red light in the space behind the wooden door, and a very tense silence, but there is nothing else, it feels like opening a door to hell.We waited outside the door for a while, but no one came out to welcome us. "I didn't expect this door to be unlocked," said the sinner. "I mean, this is Nightside after all, and any property that isn't crucified on the ground is the same as having no owner." "Anyone foolish enough to invade the Lair of the Wailers is tired of living," I said. "No one ever goes in and comes out again, except with the permission of the Wailer." "Excuse me," said Beautiful Poison. "Are we going to go in, and still stand at the door to discuss strategies until the Wailers are so bored that they come out to find us?" I looked at the sinner and said, "Your girlfriend is very impatient." "You know," said the sinner. I strode in, with Sinner and Beautiful Poison at my side, and Madman at the rear.The wooden door closed automatically after we entered, but we were not surprised, ancient life likes drama. The interior of the funeral home is much larger than it appears from the outside.The office, which was originally divided into many rooms, is now opened up into a huge hall, with echoes and blood-red fog echoing inside.We couldn't see the scene at the other end of the hall. Judging from the super high circular ceiling, the other end of the hall might still be some distance away.We entered a very large space, and the echo of each step on the floor took a while to come back.Some say that space expands infinitely in response to evil beings, and Lair of the Wailers is likely to be such a place.This place is absolutely horrible, one of the scariest places in the whole world.We all feel it, in blood and bones and soul. "I like it here." Beautiful Poison said. "It feels like coming home." The air was cold, but stuffy.Although there is no air convection, the blood-red mist is still rolling and rolling, as if it has a self-awareness.The stone slabs under the feet were stained with soil from the cemetery, and the stained glass windows on one of the walls were sprinkled with light and shadow, projecting many different death methods of saints and martyrs on the ground, which looked particularly special under the rendering of the bloody mist weird.The blood in the mist comes from the dark red light source at the other end of the hall.This red light pulsed slowly, giving us the feeling of walking in a river of blood shed by a dying god.The smell of blood, carrion, and death came faintly from the mist. "Are we finally in hell?" asked the madman. "This is not hell." Beautiful Poison said. "But you can see hell from here." We walked on, the hall seemed endless, and I had no idea how far I had come inside the funeral home.Everyone began to shiver, even the lunatics, because the warmth in our bodies has been sucked out of our bodies by the low temperature around us. We walked close to each other.The dead people came out of the blood mist to meet the new visitors, men, women, and some even children. There were more than hundreds of them in total, and each of them was a corpse with a horrible appearance.They all have death wounds on their bodies, whether it is knife wounds or strangle marks, each of them is a mark of ending their own lives.They nonchalantly show us ugly wounds, dried blood, and broken necks.Their skin was completely bloodless, and even the wounds contained only pale carrion, their faces were expressionless, and the endless suffering they had endured could only be seen through their pitch-black eyes. An army of the dead walked forward with unconscious steps, their clothes torn like scarecrows.They all beckoned us with one arm outstretched, and made a way for us.I led everyone into the pile of dead people. The dead people in front kept giving way, and the dead people behind blocked the retreat immediately after we passed by.We can't go anywhere except where they want us to go.Some dead people reached out to pat me, like homeless people in a rat's back alley.They looked at me with lifeless eyes, moved their pale lips and made hollow sounds. Help us.Free us from the Weepers.We don't know, we don't know it's going to be like this.We want to lie down, we want to rest.Help us, save us, destroy us. But the only thing I can do is keep going. The Wailers are very ancient beings, older even than most historical figures in Night Side history.Suicide is his source of strength, suffering, despair and death his food.The corpses approached from all directions, showing us the rope marks on their necks, the bullet holes in their mouths, eyes, and the back of their heads. Throats were covered with bloody cuts, falling from heights, vehicles hitting... All the dead wrote their death methods on their bodies, not to warn others, but to witness the curse they had received. Finally, we are about to come to the Wailers.Hanging ropes hung from the ceiling like vines in a jungle, and we had to untangle them to move on.Behind the twisted ropes rose statues made entirely of assorted razors, and we traversed them cautiously.All of these are just decorations arranged by the weepers at home when they are bored.Walking here, the bloody mist gradually dissipated, and the disgusting smell hidden in the mist became thinner and thinner. What happened next was beyond my expectation.For different reasons, my companions were not affected by the deadly fog, but I was not.My head was spinning and my breathing was uncontrollable.My mind was in knots, the same thoughts were repeating over and over, and it felt like it was getting further and further away from me.Only then did I hear the warning sound of the unicorn brooch. "Poison mist, there is poison in the mist, you idiot! Protect yourself! Take out the celery and eat it!" I stretched out my paralyzed palm, took a piece of celery from my coat pocket, and chewed it in my mouth.In order to deal with any possible emergencies at any time, I always carry a lot of small props with me.Chewed celery has a bitter taste that instantly clears the mind.This is an old recipe, but still very effective.I learned it long ago from the traveling healer at the Eaglewind Charcoal Grill. The floor in front of us was full of guns and ammunition. We kicked them all aside, and then stepped on a rainbow of pills, rattling the pills all over the floor.The dead gathered around us, and I stared straight ahead without even looking at them. Now the dead people had already filled the entire hall, it was so dark that there was no end in sight under the mist.This is the first time I'm sure I didn't choose the wrong partner.Except for these three guys, anyone who faces this situation will want to turn around and run, just like I feel right now.The living should never be so close to death.The Wailer's servants include all those who have committed suicide in the Nightside, since ancient times, which means that he has the second largest Legion power in the Nightside, only slightly behind the power.Those in power will allow this to continue, simply because the Wailers have never been interested in power over Nightside.In a place where the time is forever at three in the morning and the dawn never comes, there is absolutely no shortage of misery and suicide. The blood mist suddenly floated to both sides, like opening the curtain of the stage, clearly showing us the cage where the weepers lived.This great and terrifying life lived in a cage made of rusty black metal, and this cage was hung on a metal pole nearly thirty feet high.On the outside of the cage, there are many black iron railings criss-crossing to form a fine pattern, and the ends of these iron railings are bent to the inside of the cage from different angles, and all of them are inserted on the curled body inside the cage.Because the Wailer's body is huddled in layers of cages, it is difficult to judge how huge his entity is.His flesh and blood were tense to the extreme under layers of curling.His skin was pale, and he was dripping with sweat. It was hard to see whether it was sweat of pain or joy... For some reason, a kind of mortal original form faintly emanated from this terrifying figure. Perhaps a long, long time ago, he was once a human being... Whether the cage was built around the Wailer, or whether the Wailer was in it in the first place, is completely unknown.The six sides of the cage have no exits at all.The Wailer's extra-long limbs circled around the periphery of his body, circle after circle, completely ignoring any anatomical rules, and were only held in place by the iron bars in the cage, and there was no place where the iron bars inserted into his body. Oozing blood.His chest was also full of railings, without any ups and downs, and there was no sign of breathing or heartbeat, but the thick body hair was slowly rotating, showing an impressive regular pattern.His face was squeezed between the railings, silently watching his visitor.The entire face became very flat under the pressure of the railing, and the skin of the face was almost torn, and a railing was inserted into one of the eye holes.His nose was rotten, perhaps bitten off by some monster; his ears were gone, too.His mouth was a festering wound, followed by a row of rotting metal teeth.Two dry and cracked horns protruded from the deformed forehead. Just one look at the Wailer is enough to hurt.His appearance is too scary, too... weird. He exudes a host of extreme emotions, including hatred, despair, thwarted need, and cornered sadness, all wrapped up in a strong, musky scent.Of course, all of these are not natural phenomena.The Wailer represents all fear, sudden death, unnecessary death, suicide, and wasted life, as well as the grief and suffering of others indirectly affected by these actions.To the Weepers, suffering means food and water. "Which fool said he was coming here?" whispered the sinner.It's a place where people can't help but keep their volume down. "You said it." I said. "Why do you listen to me?" the sinner said. The fog behind the cage was suddenly blown away by an imperceptible gust of wind, revealing a mass of dead bodies of the hive's wrathful sisters.Their corpses were thrown away randomly like garbage, piled up high, at least hundreds, or even thousands, enough to scare anyone.The shiny insect shell and all the slender limbs have begun to rot, and the demonic face is cold and lifeless, the huge compound eyes and complex mouthparts are lifeless.Sisters of Hive Rage, genetic terrorists, saviors of the insect world, predators of the subconscious mind, basically a race that all life in the world hates.Even so, I don't like to see them lying here in pieces, like a group of sacrifices to the wailers. The Wailer spoke.His voice sounded like someone pretending to be your friend, someone who lied to you when you were most vulnerable. "They're all here." His voice was the only voice in the hall now. "Not anymore. They came here not long ago, looking for you, John Taylor. They planned to ambush you here, put you on the dissecting table and cut you open, so as to dig out all the secrets in your heart, steal Take your inherited powers and keep them. They knew you were coming. They bought the news from some oracle, it's a pity they didn't ask any deeper. I won't let anyone bother me guests, or my intentions. So I lured them all to me with the lies they wanted to hear, and watched them kill each other under my influence until the last one fell. It seems that their cry before death is full of contentment. Now, they are all dead, and the hive will always be empty because of their death. This is my gift to you, John Taylor." "Thank you," I said. "You are...too polite." "Neither," said the Wailer. "I'm not being polite. What's your purpose here, John Taylor?" "I'm investigating the origins of Nightside," I said. "Come on behalf of the goddess of fate. My partners are madmen and sinners, and this female demon named Beautiful Poison. I have already gone to Merlin Satan Spoon and Hunter Hearn." I racked my brains for more Report some names, but in front of such a terrifying character as the Wailer, it is very rare for me to be able to speak normally.So I decided it would be better to just tell him straight up. "I want to ask you about the origin of Night City and the purpose for which it was created." "The Nightside is much older than I am," said the Wailer slyly. "Older than any life I've ever known. The only person who can tell you that... is your mother. God knows where she is." "You know about my mother?" I asked. "She vanished from the world, and now she comes again. How lucky we are. Babelon, Baberon. Hundreds of years ago we rallied the armies of light and darkness to drive her out of the world. Yet it only takes three foolish mortals to bring her back." "Three mortals." I said and thought. "My father, the collector, and... Walker, of course!" "Of course, who else would it be? The three of them are best friends with big dreams and unlimited ambitions..." He stopped here, disgusting pus dripping from the corner of his mouth, looking at me expectantly with his remaining eye.I think about it.The clues he provided were beyond my expectations, but then again, nothing happened all day today. "I have met the Primordial God before." I finally said. "Ancient demons from the beginning of the world. They possessed several corpses in the great funeral home. They mentioned my mother. They said she was the first of all and would be the worst in all possible worlds. One is the beginning again. Do you know what they mean when they say that?" "She's back," said the Wailer. "Everything in Night City will change. I still remember the early days of Night City. At that time, there was no authority to limit everyone's ambitions and desires. In that era, we were all free, whether it was light, darkness, or People who don't want to choose between the two; this is the spirit that the Nightside represents. It was an era where monsters and miracles coexisted, and people didn't have to hide their desires, whether it was a dream or a curse, they could proudly To pursue, everything is possible. Today we are all different from what we wanted to be. Night City has existed since the beginning of the world. From ancient times to the present, all the countries that have existed in the world, None of them have provided the unfettered and free realm like the original Nightside." "What's wrong with that Nightside...?" I asked. "We drove your mother away because we wanted to be free from her will. And yet without her, we were all lost. The potential of the Nightside collapsed under our... shadows. Today, all we have is a place of modest ambition and ulterior entertainment, all with a price tag.” "You know my mother?" I asked. "Perhaps. It was a long time ago. I can't remember. I have forgotten even my own past, let alone anyone else's. But I am sure that the Nightside was very young when I was young. It's an ancient place since then." "While you were human?" said the sinner suddenly. I was taken aback because I completely forgot that there were other people around me. "Human?" the Wailer said with disdain. "What a small existence. I am great, I am glorious. I have always existed here, and I will always exist." "Nonsense." Beautiful Poison said as she walked to the side of the cage, and looked carefully at the weeping man. "You are not like me. You are what you are made, not born. The whole world, or your own desires, made you what you are. There is no imprint of eternity in you, you are not from heaven, Not from hell either. You're just a mass of mortal flesh, with mortal desires and delusions of deceit." The wailer roared angrily and twisted crazily, the entire cage shook violently, and countless rusts fell from the railings. Obviously, it had been a long time since any life dared to speak to him in such a tone.I felt a burst of joy in my heart, and I almost stretched out my hands to applaud.All the railings twisted, but the cage itself showed no signs of crumbling.The Wailer's skin split open due to violent convulsions, but still no blood flowed out.All the corpses in the hall began to commotion, and the blood mist that filled the surroundings continued to roll.There is a powerful force in the air, and we can all feel it clearly.Beautiful Poison watched all this coldly, while the sinner and the lunatic hid behind me.In fact, I also want to hide.There is no obvious exit in front of him, it is not easy to leave the funeral home, and angering a monster with divine power will definitely not end well, just look at the beehive sisters everywhere.Finally, the wailer finally fell silent, and stared at me with terrifying eyes. "Want to know who your mother is?" He said coldly. "Even if I knew it, I have long since forgotten it. Maybe someone forced me to forget it, but they couldn't stop me from thinking and speculating. I believe her real identity is Morrigan, a character in Celtic mythology. The Goddess of War, wolf, raven, and raven are her incarnations. The ancient goddess of battle and carnage, whose clothing is the entrails of her followers, whose joyful laughter is the battle cry of assembled troops. To her, every The dead warriors are her sacrifices, and every tragic death represents joy. Some people say that she is the behind-the-scenes leader who hides everything under the twentieth century, and you are her only son, inheriting her blood , sowing death and destruction. You've sparked the Angel War that nearly destroyed Night City, so what are you going to do next, John Taylor?" "You don't know anything about my mother." I suddenly understood the truth of the matter from his words, and said in a very sure tone. "Everything is just speculation without factual basis. In order to survive in reality completely, you have to give up or lose your past memory. Only in this way can you enjoy the misery you stole. You How could you know my mother's true identity! You don't even remember your own origin, why are you talking about the origin of Night City!" "It doesn't matter." The voice of the wailer suddenly calmed down. "Your journey will end here. Let the past be the past. For me, the present is what matters. Maybe the old days are not as beautiful and free as I remember, but whatever, I Wouldn't let you threaten the life I have now. So much good misery, wonderful despair, and pleasant curses...you're going to take it all away. I don't think so. I won't let you Dig up any secrets that might affect the source of my strength." "You're afraid of my mother," I said. "But I'm not afraid of you, John Taber. Killing you, making you my servant, would close your mother's only way back to Nightside. We'll have peace again." I glanced at my companions to make sure they were still standing next to me, then raised my head with a confident expression.If you want to bluff, you should make it as big as possible. "You really think there's a way to get rid of all four of us at once? Do you know who we are?" "Whoever you are!" The wailer's voice became smaller and smaller, as if he had lost interest in us. "You are on my territory, under the influence of my power, I will let you see a horrible scene, so that you would rather end your life than continue to watch the image. Then you will return to the human world, Trapped in your own corpse, completely without self-awareness, to be my servants forever. You will suffer enough for me to last for centuries." After a period of silence, the lunatic suddenly laughed happily, breaking the atmosphere created by the weepers.The sinner couldn't help but shook his head. "What are you going to show us, freak in a cage? I am a sinner, a sinner who has seen endless suffering in hell." "I am the beautiful poison, the demon from purgatory." "I am crazy, I have seen the truth behind the world." "And me," I said. "It's John Taylor. The sights I've seen are beyond your imagination. Come! Lamenter, let us see what you can do." The Wailer shook the cage again and shouted in a very sharp voice, "Kill them! Kill them all!" Driven by his inhuman will, all the corpses emerged from the mist and moved towards us quickly.They have no weapons of any kind, and they surround us with brute force and superiority in numbers.With their pale arms outstretched, they poured out from all directions.The strange thing is that they seem to be completely invisible to the maniac. They move around the maniac, attacking the others mercilessly, while the maniac just stands there and looks at them with a sad face. At this moment, Beautiful Poison had already cut a bloody path. She moved at lightning speed among the corpses, laughing loudly, while tearing apart the corpses beside her and trampling the remnants under her feet.Under her joyful laughter, countless corpses were thrown into the air.As far as Beautiful Poison is concerned, no matter how many dead people there are, she doesn't pay attention to them.The sinner frowned at his lover's actions, but made no attempt to stop her.死人们扑到罪人身上，一爪一爪地击中他的身体，但是却完全无法在这个不被天堂与地狱所接纳的男人身上留下任何伤痕。 我从上衣内袋中取出一口布袋，在身旁的地板上洒了一圈盐巴。死人无法穿越盐圈的范围，于是只好在旁边游走，徒劳无功地挥爪试图将我抓出圈外。我的心跳加速，不停转动身体，随时保持着盐圈的完整。我的呼吸越来越快，几乎到了换气过度的地步。I do not like this.我的力量不足以对抗如此强大的死亡军团。我大声呼唤伙伴，但是他们都距离太远，根本没办法过来帮忙。我瞪视着周遭的死人，在它们的眼中看见无尽的苦难。攻击我们并非它们的本愿。它们是恸哭者的奴隶，所有行动都只是在执行主人的意念。它们曾经鼓起生命中最后的勇气了结自己的性命，希望能够藉此而自所有责任与痛楚之中解放出来，却没想到会被永永远远禁锢在一个更加凄惨的处境之中。死人在这里是得不到安息的，生命中的一念之差让它们全都落到这种下场。 我越想心里越怒，因为我非常明白痛不欲生的感觉，了解想要自杀的痛楚。当年如果稍微再钻一下牛角尖，今天我可能就跟这些可怜的灵魂站在一起了……连死人都得不到安息？我们究竟将夜城变成什么鬼地方了？我的怒火燃满全身，有如一道冰冷的烈焰一般，清醒了我的思绪，平静了我的心灵。我激发天赋，张开心眼，试图找出奴隶与主人之间的关键连结。我的思绪飞奔，瞬间看穿了所有亡者头上都有一条闪亮的银线与笼子里的恸哭者相连。借着这条银线，恸哭者操纵着他的傀儡，控制着他的死人。我以怒火燃放天赋，轻而易举地运用心灵力量同时剪断了每一条银线。 所有死人在那一刹那间停止动作，甚至有些还扑在半空中的也都静止不前。葬仪社里的气氛一变，似乎原本盘踞其中的沉闷气息突然全部消失。恸哭者尖声惨叫，那叫声有如锯开腐肉的电锯，在大厅中引发阵阵回音。死人们的灵魂有如熄灭的星光一般离体而去，身体一个接一个摔倒在地，终于成为自由之身。它们绽放出耀眼的光芒，照亮整个黑暗的厅堂，然后通通消失不见，奔往早该前去的归属之地。 我从不相信自杀者会下地狱的说法。上帝是不会如此残忍的。 在最后一道灵魂离开之后，我的视野终于回归正常。我看了看四周，发现血红色的迷雾已经荡然无存。罪人和美丽毒药，甚至连疯子都满脸疑惑地看着满地死尸。亡者们全部乖乖躺在地上，再也没有任何抽动的迹象。绝望恐惧的沉重气息完全自大厅之中散去，有如从噩梦中苏醒过来一般，因为这里再也没有任何事物可以令人心生恐惧。我们看向空虚大厅的底端，恸哭者所在的位置。黑铁笼子这时已经开始溃败，乌黑的铁锈自所有金属栏杆上剥落。笼子之中，栏杆之下，恸哭者丧失了所有力量，终于恢复原状，变成赤身裸体抱在一起的一对男女，脸上流着愤怒与痛苦交加的泪水。他们一分为二，不再是名强者，不再是人称恸哭者的古老神灵。不管他们对自己做了什么，或是受到了什么诅咒，一切都已经结束了。在如此长久的岁月之后再度成为凡人，对他们两人而言必定十分难受。我是有考虑杀了他们，不过实在想不出待他们如此宽容的理由。最后我转过身去，对同伴们点了点头。 “该走了。”我说。“我想我们来此的目的已经达到了。” “他们……怎么办？”罪人问。 “让消息传开吧。”我说。“让大家都知道恸哭者失去所有力量，再度成为凡人，到时候他们就会了解苦难的真义。夜城里有太多人想找他们算帐了，有太多人失去了挚爱，只能眼睁睁地看着心爱的人遭受奴役。” “你们不能把我们留在这里！”笼子之中传来一阵吼叫，分不出是男的还是女的所发。“你应该是夜城的英雄人物！你不能就这样放弃我们！” “看着吧。”我说。 我头也不回地离开大厅，同伴们也都没说什么就跟着我出来。由于扩展空间的魔力急速流失，此刻的大厅已经开始出现崩塌的迹象。过不了多久，古老的隔间将会再度占据此地，马克斯韦尔家族的记忆也会慢慢回归凝聚。到时候，在这里原先的死亡气息影响之下，或许曾经是恸哭者的那对男女终究会体会到没有出路的绝望，进而自行夺取自己的性命。想到这里，我忍不住面露微笑；如果结局真的是这样其实也不错。 为何亡灵不肯安息？因为夜城随时存在着想要奴役亡灵的强者与神灵。
我们离开了马克斯韦尔陵墓，畅快地呼吸着怪癖境地街道上的变态气息。过了一会儿，我注意到渥克派来监视我们的人似乎全部消失了，而街道上其他的人潮也都了无踪迹。整条街道空荡荡的，两旁所有建筑的大门通通紧闭，没有一扇窗户里透露出丝毫光芒。 “你皱眉头干什么？”罪人问。“你每次皱眉都没好事。疯子的背景音乐又为什么变得这么紧张？” “看来渥克撤走了所有人，并且封闭了整个区域。”我说。“除非他打算采取什么不愿意让任何人看到的举动，不然他不会这么做。既然他在众目睽睽之下干过的勾当已经令人发指了，我想连他都想要湮灭证据的动作，应该值得我们认真看待。” 我们靠在一起掩护彼此，连疯子也挤了过来，大家一起眼观六路、耳听八方。我才刚对付过恸哭者，实在需要好好休息一下。不过渥克就是这样，总是喜欢挑敌人最虚弱的时候下手。街上依然空旷，城市的喧闹自很远的地方隐隐传来。难道渥克已经知道恸哭者毁在我的手中了？难道就是因为这个原因，使他认定我已经变得太过危险，不能继续容许我的存在了？难道在这么多年之后，他终于准备好要杀了我吗？ 他知不知道我已经知道他和我母亲回归一事有密切的关系？ 或许是当权者让他没有选择的余地，命令他不惜一切代价也要阻止我查出可能危害他们地位的真相，他在伦狄尼姆俱乐部的时候就已经警告过我这种可能了。想到这里，我已经猜到此刻等待我们的危机为何。除了她不可能是别人。 街道另一端的阴影中传来的一阵昂贵高跟鞋踏在人行道上的脚步声。我们全部顺着声音转身看去，发现坏潘妮婀娜多姿地往我们摇摆而来。大胆前卫、目中无人、感官极限、穿着高跟鞋的死神，所有以美色作为杀人工具的杀手中最性感的一名。她身上依然穿着去伦狄尼姆俱乐部里的那件黑色小礼服，不过如今礼服的胸口已经染上了一道鲜血，更加突显出她手上的白色长手套。她在一段距离之外停下脚步，对我们所有人报以温暖的一笑。我注意到她手上拿着一根沾满鲜血的鹿角。 “哈啰，约翰。”她开口道，声音之中充满了所有会对人体健康带来危害的气息。“很多人的人生旅程都结束在遇上爱人的那一刻里，而你的旅程将会结束在这里。” “我们从来都不是爱人。”我坚决说道。“我不确定我们是什么关系，不过绝对不会是爱人。渥克终于允许你杀我了，是吗？” 她扬起眉毛：“你知道我是为渥克做事？你当然知道了。我差点忘了，你是约翰·泰勒。无所不知的约翰·泰勒。” “也不是无所不知。”我说。“你手上的鹿角是打哪来的，潘妮？” “这是我杀了猎人赫恩之后剥下来的。”坏潘妮轻轻说道。“渥克要拿赫恩杀一儆百，让大家知道回答你问题的下场。喔，不要那么伤心嘛，亲爱的！它是个很老的神了。它的时代早就过了。我最讨厌死赖着不走的家伙了。世间最大的原罪就是不肯跟上时代的潮流。” 她随手一丢，鹿角摔在地上，发出非常微小的声响。对一名曾经强大的神祇而言，这实在是个不怎么样的结局。 “我帮渥克带了个口信。”坏潘妮摆出一副挑衅的姿态说道。“当权者坚决要你放弃这个案子。现在就回头，不要继续查下去，忘掉你的报酬，不然……” “我猜你就是这个'不然'？”我说。 “一猜就中！我真希望你偶尔也能做一次明智的抉择，亲爱的。希望事物维持原状有什么不好吗？我一向很支持当权者们所拥有的地位，因为他们可以为我提供不少工作机会，杀人总是个非常赚钱的行业，而女生嘛，总得要赚点生活费。” “如果我拒绝放弃呢？”我问。 “我说过了，亲爱的。杀人总是个非常赚钱的行业。” “在我们那段感情之后，你依然下得了手？” “正是为了我们那段感情！没有男人可以把我甩掉的，甜心。” “看得出来你们两位也有一段过去。”罪人说。“你的人脉真广，是不是，约翰？” “闭嘴。”我说。 “你不帮我介绍一下你的新朋友的吗，约翰？”坏潘妮对着众人微笑说道。 我扬眉：“渥克没跟你提起吗？还是你已经一段时间没回报了？你就是不肯好好做功课。好吧，这一位是罪人，他女朋友美丽毒药，还有疯子。我们才刚把恸哭者给解决掉。” “喔，亲爱的，”坏潘妮说。“真是令人难过呀。你又跟坏朋友鬼混了。我该拿你怎么办呢，约翰？我知道！我现在就要把你杀了。为了方便起见，顺便把你的朋友也一并杀光好了。”她将脸上威力强大的笑容转向罪人，说道：“你不认同约翰的作为，对吧？真好心。或许你愿意为我扭断他的脖子？我很希望你能帮我这个忙。事实上，我希望你们能够在我面前自相残杀，直到通通死光了为止。” 就在这谈笑之间，她突然变成世界上最迷人的女人。她的性感魅力仿佛打开了火炉一样，四下辐射开来。她的存在盈满了整条街道，让人没有能力不去看她，没有能力拒绝她。只要看了她一眼，你就会想要她，就会需要她。为了她，就算放弃自己的性命也在所不惜。我有我的天赋，坏潘妮也有她的力量。她成为了所有人都愿意为她做任何事的梦中情人，包括杀人。她最大的武器永远都是她自己。只要展现了魅力，没有人能够抗拒她的身体。尽管罪人、疯子跟我都有各自的能力，但我们毕竟还是男人。不过美丽毒药和我们不同，她可是来自地狱的女恶魔。 “外行人。”她说。 就这样，魔法转瞬之间破解，坏潘妮的魅力消失，再度变成了原来那个美貌异常的普通女子；只不过体重有点过重就是了。她目瞪口呆地看着我们，完全吓得合不拢嘴。看来从来没有人能如此轻易地破解她的魔力。 “不错嘛，潘妮。不过我已经上过这张床，也谈过这段感情了。老实说，我绝不会重蹈覆辙的。” 她向后跌开一步，嘴里暗骂了几句脏话，然后戴着白手套的手里突然多了两把大枪。她在极近的距离对我开枪，枪声差点把我耳朵震聋，不过由于我熟知她的作风，所以早就先闪到一旁。而就在我向旁闪开的同时，她已经开始朝其他人开枪。我们通通都得死，她绝不能让自己的魔法轻易被破的事情流传出去。不过她这个举动是个致命的错误。如果她专心对付我的话，说不定还能把我打伤，不管我动作再迅速，把戏再多端，毕竟还是不能挡子弹。 子弹根本找不到疯子。他只是站在原地，神情严肃地眨着眼睛，心思完全放在别处，身后的墙上不断地传来子弹反弹的声响。我不确定子弹打在女恶魔身上会有什么效果，不过罪人显然一点也不想知道。他很快地跳到坏潘妮跟爱人之间，任由子弹贯穿自己的胸膛，不过却没有受到任何伤害。坏潘妮眨了眨眼，然后对准罪人的脑袋开了一枪。眼看这一枪也伤不了对方，坏潘妮突然一脚踢在罪人脚上将他绊倒，然后枪口转向美丽毒药。 我从后方扑上，一把抓起坏潘妮的手臂。她向前一弯，手臂一举又将我甩到一边。我重重地在地上一摔，立刻向旁滚开，闪过了接踵而来的一排子弹。罪人从地上爬起，对着坏潘妮又迎了上去。她将枪里的子弹全部射光，每一颗都打在罪人的要害上，但是罪人却一点也不痛不痒。就跟该隐一样，罪人的额头上隐藏了罪过的印记，这个世界上再也没有任何东西可以真正伤害到他。他在坏潘妮面前停下脚步，坏潘妮则将最后一发子弹射入他的左眼中。 “噢！”罪人冷冷地说，然后左眼在一瞬之间又恢复原状。他笑了笑，张开嘴巴将那颗子弹吐在手掌里，拿到坏潘妮面前。“我想这是你的东西。” 她怒吼一声，甩开双枪，又从不知什么地方拔出两把银匕首，当场插入罪人胸口，直没入柄。那是两把魔法匕首，经由古老的符文加持，一把上了诅咒，一把加了祝福。我曾经见过强大的神灵在这样的攻击下倒下，但是罪人却还是站在原地坦然受之，看得我忍不住都想要出手鼓掌。 坏潘妮两手在壮观的胸前交叉，噘嘴道：“真是太不公平了，亲爱的。” “退到后面去，席尼。”美丽毒药在罪人身后说道。“这已经是私人恩怨了。我要跟这女人把帐好好算一算。” “不行。”罪人说道。 “她想要杀你，亲爱的！我不能坐视这种事情，这有违我的本性。” “你离开地狱跟我一起，为的就是要远离你的本性，记得吗？” "Yes, but..." “嘘……”席尼道，于是女恶魔暂时不再多说什么。 坏潘妮对美丽毒药吐了吐舌头，然后满怀希望地看向罪人。“如果你不打算杀我的话，亲爱的，可不可以把匕首还给我呢？它们是传家之宝，如果搞丢了，爸爸会骂人的。” 罪人使劲儿拔出两把匕首，然后十分客气地将匕首交还给她。坏潘妮收下匕首，对我的方向看了看，盘算着是否还有机会干掉我。在发现绝不可能之后，她将匕首收了起来。我走到她身边。 “我们该拿你怎么办呢，潘妮？”我说。“我们不能放你走，不然你会带着更强大的武器继续跟来，另外再找机会暗算我们。你跟我一样，都不是会半途而废的人。” “我跟你才不一样呢，约翰·泰勒！我可是有个人风格的。” 在我们来得及反应之前，美丽毒药向前一冲，一把抓上坏潘妮的脖子，将她整个人向后折去。潘妮使劲挣扎，发出尖锐的尖叫声，但是始终无法挣脱女恶魔的掌握。美丽毒药的指间长出利爪，嘴中暴出尖牙，鲜红的双唇与潘妮的喉咙十分贴近，看起来一点也不像英国公立学校的女学生。她恢复了原形，成为一头不折不扣的地狱女恶魔。 “不要！”罪人说着向前冲出，不过在看到美丽毒药的牙齿贴上潘妮的喉咙之后，他就立刻停下了脚步。“拜托，不要杀她。” “她非死不可。”美丽毒药一边以嘴唇磨蹭着潘妮的喉咙，一边以十分理性的语气说道。“你也听到了，渥克命令她杀死任何敢跟我们交谈的人。要嘛就是我现在就咬断她的喉咙，不然这个案子就算完了。” “我绝不会为了办案而牺牲任何无辜的性命。”我说。 美丽毒药扬眉问道：“你认为这女人叫做无辜？” “或许整体而言不算，但是目前看来她是。杀了她，你就等于是永远与我为敌。” 美丽毒药微笑：“不要威胁恶魔，约翰·泰勒。我们的记忆很好的。”她看向罪人，又道：“再说，你不会让他伤害我的，对不对，席尼？” “不要把这两件事混为一谈。”罪人道。“重要的是，这个女人已经没有反抗能力了，你不能在这种情况下杀她。或许她真的该死，但是我们跟她不一样。我们不能让自己的道德标准降低到那种程度。放她走吧，就当是为了我。” 美丽毒药想了好一会儿，坏潘妮则是连大气也不敢喘一声，最后女恶魔突然放手将她摔在地上，然后不疾不徐地走回罪人身边。坏潘妮从地上爬起，以微微颤抖的嘴唇对我一笑。 “我就知道你不会让她杀了我的，约翰。你一直都是个心软的人。我会再来找你。到时候我一定会杀了你。” “你杀不了我的。”我冷冷地说。“我已经非常接近我母亲了，潘妮。你如果再敢阻扰我的话，一定会有人出面取你性命。” 坏潘妮露出一丝恐惧，然后转身离开。对一个穿着晚礼服和高跟鞋的人而言，她的动作非常迅速，很快就消失在街尾的阴影之后。我静静地看着她离开，脸上浮现浅浅的微笑。我没办法冷血无情地痛下杀手，不过倒是十分乐意吓一吓她，毕竟再心软的人也是有极限的。我不担心她会再度找上门来，因为这个案子已经快要结束了。我十分清楚接下来要往哪里去。 “接下来要往哪去？”疯子终于再度加入我们。“什么有趣的地方吗？” “可能不太有趣。”我说。“我认为我们必须去找荆棘大君。” 罪人瞪了我一眼。“如果我错了请纠正我，约翰。我们不是同意不到最后关头不要去找荆棘大君吗？我是说，不管是从野心、勇气或是任何方面来思考，毕竟保住性命才是最重要的，不是吗？荆棘大君……很可能是当今世上最古老的一股存在，同时也是最强大的一道实体。我在老鼠后巷提到他，纯粹是因为赫恩提过他的名字。我完全没有真的要去找他的意思。” “荆棘大君，”美丽毒药说。“我们在地狱都听过他的名号，有人说它认识基督，也有人说不论天使或恶魔都要在他的面前下跪。” “如果有人知道夜城的起源，当然就非他莫属了。”我说。“他在罗马人建立伦狄尼姆之前就已经存在于此了。再说，渥克和潘妮之所以要杀死赫恩，很可能就是怕他指引我们去找荆棘大君。” “真的不是一个好主意。”疯子说。我们全都回头听他讲话，不过他不肯再多说什么了。
In this way, we led a group of watchmen and left the upper city on foot. The streets along the way became more and more dirty, and the neon lights on the roadside gradually dimmed.The buildings on the street look like they won't collapse for the time being, but pedestrians don't want to get too close to them.All the windows were closed and filled with iron bars; all the doors were locked and could only be opened by those who knew the correct combination.At this point we've come to "Kindness Land," a place for all kinky fanatics to have fun.This is by no means a place for sightseeing, and even the natives of the Nightside can't stand the filth of the Kookland.I once came here for a case and burned my shoes right afterward. Pedestrians on the road all walked with their heads down, and no one wanted to make contact with other people.Although it feels very peaceful and polite, the air is always filled with the breath of depravity and perversion.Those following us are starting to drop out.Originally, only one or two people slowed down, but after guessing our destination, most of them disappeared without a trace. Obviously, no matter how dedicated a person is, there is a limit.Even in a place like Night City, everyone still has their own limits.In the end, there were only a few of the most ruthless characters left behind us, but they only dared to look at us from a distance. I continued to walk down the narrow street, feeling more and more uneasy, as if I had to face an attack from unknown sources at any time.Quirklands is a place where normal people get the creeps.However, the beautiful poison beside him seemed to have walked into a happy paradise, with a smile of infinite joy on his face.The sinner seemed completely unaffected by his surroundings, which probably meant nothing to a man in love with a female demon.Madman is humming a happy tune to his own background music, Madonna's "Lust".It seems that there are really everyone in the world... At last we reached our destination, a smoky funeral home where the Wailers are currently living.He is constantly on the move, partly because there are so many people—and other creatures—trying to kill him, and partly because his very existence sucks all life out of his surroundings .The Lamenter, also known as the "God of Suicide", also known as the "Sage of Pain", and the "Tyrant of Tears".He has countless aliases, but only one essence.No one wants to be a believer in him, and you don't think of the Wailer until all faith and hope are gone. We stood before the dilapidated front door, which hung ajar from the dirty stone wall.The entire building has no windows at all.Above the so-called gate hangs a brass sign bearing the building's original name in Gothic Victorian script: "Maxwell's Mausoleum".It was two hundred years ago that the funeral home had been forcibly closed because of public outrage—before the Great Undertaker became the only funeral home in Nightside. The story about Maxwell's mausoleum is still widely circulated even after two hundred years.That's a very ugly story, even in a place like Nightside.The Maxwells worshiped human viscera—living and dead—in their darkened chambers and used them to perform unspeakably disgusting rituals.Later, when people finally discovered the evil deeds of the Maxwell family, they immediately arrested the whole family, hung them to the nearest street lamp, and burned them alive.Their bodies were all stuffed into the same coffin, and various sealing rituals were performed before they were finally buried.And in the weeks after the burial, there was an endless stream of people queuing to pee in front of their graves. It was because of that terrible incident that those in power decided not to let the undertakers mess around, so they withdrew their right to operate freely, and handed over all the funeral services in Night City to the big funeral home to facilitate monitoring and management.The Maxwell Mausoleum has been lingering since then, and has been abandoned until the Weepers moved in; perhaps the Weepers moved in here because it made him feel like home. The surroundings suddenly became dead silent, and after a few seconds, I realized that it was because of the sudden stop of the madman's background music.He stood in front of the gate and carefully observed the door panel, but he never reached out to touch it. Then he frowned, as if he was listening to something that only he could hear. "Why won't the dead rest in peace?" he asked, but walked away before anyone could answer. I looked at the sinner and said, "Is my head broken, or is his words really becoming more and more reasonable?" "It should be that your head is broken," said the sinner. "So, what are we going to do? Knock loudly and give us your name?" "Oh, I think he already knows we're coming," I said. "The Wailers are beings with the power to dominate the gods. It is impossible for monsters like them not to feel our presence." I took a step forward and gave the door a light push.The wooden door slowly opened inward, making a loud noise.Wailers, like most ancient beings, prefer traditional dramatic effects.There is a very faint red light in the space behind the wooden door, and a very tense silence, but there is nothing else, it feels like opening a door to hell.We waited outside the door for a while, but no one came out to welcome us. "I didn't expect this door to be unlocked," said the sinner. "I mean, this is Nightside after all, and any property that isn't crucified on the ground is the same as having no owner." "Anyone foolish enough to invade the Lair of the Wailers is tired of living," I said. "No one ever goes in and comes out again, except with the permission of the Wailer." "Excuse me," said Beautiful Poison. "Are we going to go in, and still stand at the door to discuss strategies until the Wailers are so bored that they come out to find us?" I looked at the sinner and said, "Your girlfriend is very impatient." "You know," said the sinner. I strode in, with Sinner and Beautiful Poison at my side, and Madman at the rear.The wooden door closed automatically after we entered, but we were not surprised, ancient life likes drama. The interior of the funeral home is much larger than it appears from the outside.The office, which was originally divided into many rooms, is now opened up into a huge hall, with echoes and blood-red fog echoing inside.We couldn't see the scene at the other end of the hall. Judging from the super high circular ceiling, the other end of the hall might still be some distance away.We entered a very large space, and the echo of each step on the floor took a while to come back.Some say that space expands infinitely in response to evil beings, and Lair of the Wailers is likely to be such a place.This place is absolutely horrible, one of the scariest places in the whole world.We all feel it, in blood and bones and soul. "I like it here." Beautiful Poison said. "It feels like coming home." The air was cold, but stuffy.Although there is no air convection, the blood-red mist is still rolling and rolling, as if it has a self-awareness.The stone slabs under the feet were stained with soil from the cemetery, and the stained glass windows on one of the walls were sprinkled with light and shadow, projecting many different death methods of saints and martyrs on the ground, which looked particularly special under the rendering of the bloody mist weird.The blood in the mist comes from the dark red light source at the other end of the hall.This red light pulsed slowly, giving us the feeling of walking in a river of blood shed by a dying god.The smell of blood, carrion, and death came faintly from the mist. "Are we finally in hell?" asked the madman. "This is not hell." Beautiful Poison said. "But you can see hell from here." We walked on, the hall seemed endless, and I had no idea how far I had come inside the funeral home.Everyone began to shiver, even the lunatics, because the warmth in our bodies has been sucked out of our bodies by the low temperature around us. We walked close to each other.The dead people came out of the blood mist to meet the new visitors, men, women, and some even children. There were more than hundreds of them in total, and each of them was a corpse with a horrible appearance.They all have death wounds on their bodies, whether it is knife wounds or strangle marks, each of them is a mark of ending their own lives.They nonchalantly show us ugly wounds, dried blood, and broken necks.Their skin was completely bloodless, and even the wounds contained only pale carrion, their faces were expressionless, and the endless suffering they had endured could only be seen through their pitch-black eyes. An army of the dead walked forward with unconscious steps, their clothes torn like scarecrows.They all beckoned us with one arm outstretched, and made a way for us.I led everyone into the pile of dead people. The dead people in front kept giving way, and the dead people behind blocked the retreat immediately after we passed by.We can't go anywhere except where they want us to go.Some dead people reached out to pat me, like homeless people in a rat's back alley.They looked at me with lifeless eyes, moved their pale lips and made hollow sounds. Help us.Free us from the Weepers.We don't know, we don't know it's going to be like this.We want to lie down, we want to rest.Help us, save us, destroy us. But the only thing I can do is keep going. The Wailers are very ancient beings, older even than most historical figures in Night Side history.Suicide is his source of strength, suffering, despair and death his food.The corpses approached from all directions, showing us the rope marks on their necks, the bullet holes in their mouths, eyes, and the back of their heads. Throats were covered with bloody cuts, falling from heights, vehicles hitting... All the dead wrote their death methods on their bodies, not to warn others, but to witness the curse they had received. Finally, we are about to come to the Wailers.Hanging ropes hung from the ceiling like vines in a jungle, and we had to untangle them to move on.Behind the twisted ropes rose statues made entirely of assorted razors, and we traversed them cautiously.All of these are just decorations arranged by the weepers at home when they are bored.Walking here, the bloody mist gradually dissipated, and the disgusting smell hidden in the mist became thinner and thinner. What happened next was beyond my expectation.For different reasons, my companions were not affected by the deadly fog, but I was not.My head was spinning and my breathing was uncontrollable.My mind was in knots, the same thoughts were repeating over and over, and it felt like it was getting further and further away from me.Only then did I hear the warning sound of the unicorn brooch. "Poison mist, there is poison in the mist, you idiot! Protect yourself! Take out the celery and eat it!" I stretched out my paralyzed palm, took a piece of celery from my coat pocket, and chewed it in my mouth.In order to deal with any possible emergencies at any time, I always carry a lot of small props with me.Chewed celery has a bitter taste that instantly clears the mind.This is an old recipe, but still very effective.I learned it long ago from the traveling healer at the Eaglewind Charcoal Grill. The floor in front of us was full of guns and ammunition. We kicked them all aside, and then stepped on a rainbow of pills, rattling the pills all over the floor.The dead gathered around us, and I stared straight ahead without even looking at them. Now the dead people had already filled the entire hall, it was so dark that there was no end in sight under the mist.This is the first time I'm sure I didn't choose the wrong partner.Except for these three guys, anyone who faces this situation will want to turn around and run, just like I feel right now.The living should never be so close to death.The Wailer's servants include all those who have committed suicide in the Nightside, since ancient times, which means that he has the second largest Legion power in the Nightside, only slightly behind the power.Those in power will allow this to continue, simply because the Wailers have never been interested in power over Nightside.In a place where the time is forever at three in the morning and the dawn never comes, there is absolutely no shortage of misery and suicide. The blood mist suddenly floated to both sides, like opening the curtain of the stage, clearly showing us the cage where the weepers lived.This great and terrifying life lived in a cage made of rusty black metal, and this cage was hung on a metal pole nearly thirty feet high.On the outside of the cage, there are many black iron railings criss-crossing to form a fine pattern, and the ends of these iron railings are bent to the inside of the cage from different angles, and all of them are inserted on the curled body inside the cage.Because the Wailer's body is huddled in layers of cages, it is difficult to judge how huge his entity is.His flesh and blood were tense to the extreme under layers of curling.His skin was pale, and he was dripping with sweat. It was hard to see whether it was sweat of pain or joy... For some reason, a kind of mortal original form faintly emanated from this terrifying figure. Perhaps a long, long time ago, he was once a human being... Whether the cage was built around the Wailer, or whether the Wailer was in it in the first place, is completely unknown.The six sides of the cage have no exits at all.The Wailer's extra-long limbs circled around the periphery of his body, circle after circle, completely ignoring any anatomical rules, and were only held in place by the iron bars in the cage, and there was no place where the iron bars inserted into his body. Oozing blood.His chest was also full of railings, without any ups and downs, and there was no sign of breathing or heartbeat, but the thick body hair was slowly rotating, showing an impressive regular pattern.His face was squeezed between the railings, silently watching his visitor.The entire face became very flat under the pressure of the railing, and the skin of the face was almost torn, and a railing was inserted into one of the eye holes.His nose was rotten, perhaps bitten off by some monster; his ears were gone, too.His mouth was a festering wound, followed by a row of rotting metal teeth.Two dry and cracked horns protruded from the deformed forehead. Just one look at the Wailer is enough to hurt.His appearance is too scary, too... weird. He exudes a host of extreme emotions, including hatred, despair, thwarted need, and cornered sadness, all wrapped up in a strong, musky scent.Of course, all of these are not natural phenomena.The Wailer represents all fear, sudden death, unnecessary death, suicide, and wasted life, as well as the grief and suffering of others indirectly affected by these actions.To the Weepers, suffering means food and water. "Which fool said he was coming here?" whispered the sinner.It's a place where people can't help but keep their volume down. "You said it." I said. "Why do you listen to me?" the sinner said. The fog behind the cage was suddenly blown away by an imperceptible gust of wind, revealing a mass of dead bodies of the hive's wrathful sisters.Their corpses were thrown away randomly like garbage, piled up high, at least hundreds, or even thousands, enough to scare anyone.The shiny insect shell and all the slender limbs have begun to rot, and the demonic face is cold and lifeless, the huge compound eyes and complex mouthparts are lifeless.Sisters of Hive Rage, genetic terrorists, saviors of the insect world, predators of the subconscious mind, basically a race that all life in the world hates.Even so, I don't like to see them lying here in pieces, like a group of sacrifices to the wailers. The Wailer spoke.His voice sounded like someone pretending to be your friend, someone who lied to you when you were most vulnerable. "They're all here." His voice was the only voice in the hall now. "Not anymore. They came here not long ago, looking for you, John Taylor. They planned to ambush you here, put you on the dissecting table and cut you open, so as to dig out all the secrets in your heart, steal Take your inherited powers and keep them. They knew you were coming. They bought the news from some oracle, it's a pity they didn't ask any deeper. I won't let anyone bother me guests, or my intentions. So I lured them all to me with the lies they wanted to hear, and watched them kill each other under my influence until the last one fell. It seems that their cry before death is full of contentment. Now, they are all dead, and the hive will always be empty because of their death. This is my gift to you, John Taylor." "Thank you," I said. "You are...too polite." "Neither," said the Wailer. "I'm not being polite. What's your purpose here, John Taylor?" "I'm investigating the origins of Nightside," I said. "Come on behalf of the goddess of fate. My partners are madmen and sinners, and this female demon named Beautiful Poison. I have already gone to Merlin Satan Spoon and Hunter Hearn." I racked my brains for more Report some names, but in front of such a terrifying character as the Wailer, it is very rare for me to be able to speak normally.So I decided it would be better to just tell him straight up. "I want to ask you about the origin of Night City and the purpose for which it was created." "The Nightside is much older than I am," said the Wailer slyly. "Older than any life I've ever known. The only person who can tell you that... is your mother. God knows where she is." "You know about my mother?" I asked. "She vanished from the world, and now she comes again. How lucky we are. Babelon, Baberon. Hundreds of years ago we rallied the armies of light and darkness to drive her out of the world. Yet it only takes three foolish mortals to bring her back." "Three mortals." I said and thought. "My father, the collector, and... Walker, of course!" "Of course, who else would it be? The three of them are best friends with big dreams and unlimited ambitions..." He stopped here, disgusting pus dripping from the corner of his mouth, looking at me expectantly with his remaining eye.I think about it.The clues he provided were beyond my expectations, but then again, nothing happened all day today. "I have met the Primordial God before." I finally said. "Ancient demons from the beginning of the world. They possessed several corpses in the great funeral home. They mentioned my mother. They said she was the first of all and would be the worst in all possible worlds. One is the beginning again. Do you know what they mean when they say that?" "She's back," said the Wailer. "Everything in Night City will change. I still remember the early days of Night City. At that time, there was no authority to limit everyone's ambitions and desires. In that era, we were all free, whether it was light, darkness, or People who don't want to choose between the two; this is the spirit that the Nightside represents. It was an era where monsters and miracles coexisted, and people didn't have to hide their desires, whether it was a dream or a curse, they could proudly To pursue, everything is possible. Today we are all different from what we wanted to be. Night City has existed since the beginning of the world. From ancient times to the present, all the countries that have existed in the world, None of them have provided the unfettered and free realm like the original Nightside." "What's wrong with that Nightside...?" I asked. "We drove your mother away because we wanted to be free from her will. And yet without her, we were all lost. The potential of the Nightside collapsed under our... shadows. Today, all we have is a place of modest ambition and ulterior entertainment, all with a price tag.” "You know my mother?" I asked. "Perhaps. It was a long time ago. I can't remember. I have forgotten even my own past, let alone anyone else's. But I am sure that the Nightside was very young when I was young. It's an ancient place since then." "While you were human?" said the sinner suddenly. I was taken aback because I completely forgot that there were other people around me. "Human?" the Wailer said with disdain. "What a small existence. I am great, I am glorious. I have always existed here, and I will always exist." "Nonsense." Beautiful Poison said as she walked to the side of the cage, and looked carefully at the weeping man. "You are not like me. You are what you are made, not born. The whole world, or your own desires, made you what you are. There is no imprint of eternity in you, you are not from heaven, Not from hell either. You're just a mass of mortal flesh, with mortal desires and delusions of deceit." The wailer roared angrily and twisted crazily, the entire cage shook violently, and countless rusts fell from the railings. Obviously, it had been a long time since any life dared to speak to him in such a tone.I felt a burst of joy in my heart, and I almost stretched out my hands to applaud.All the railings twisted, but the cage itself showed no signs of crumbling.The Wailer's skin split open due to violent convulsions, but still no blood flowed out.All the corpses in the hall began to commotion, and the blood mist that filled the surroundings continued to roll.There is a powerful force in the air, and we can all feel it clearly.Beautiful Poison watched all this coldly, while the sinner and the lunatic hid behind me.In fact, I also want to hide.There is no obvious exit in front of him, it is not easy to leave the funeral home, and angering a monster with divine power will definitely not end well, just look at the beehive sisters everywhere.Finally, the wailer finally fell silent, and stared at me with terrifying eyes. "Want to know who your mother is?" He said coldly. "Even if I knew it, I have long since forgotten it. Maybe someone forced me to forget it, but they couldn't stop me from thinking and speculating. I believe her real identity is Morrigan, a character in Celtic mythology. The Goddess of War, wolf, raven, and raven are her incarnations. The ancient goddess of battle and carnage, whose clothing is the entrails of her followers, whose joyful laughter is the battle cry of assembled troops. To her, every The dead warriors are her sacrifices, and every tragic death represents joy. Some people say that she is the behind-the-scenes leader who hides everything under the twentieth century, and you are her only son, inheriting her blood , sowing death and destruction. You've sparked the Angel War that nearly destroyed Night City, so what are you going to do next, John Taylor?" "You don't know anything about my mother." I suddenly understood the truth of the matter from his words, and said in a very sure tone. "Everything is just speculation without factual basis. In order to survive in reality completely, you have to give up or lose your past memory. Only in this way can you enjoy the misery you stole. You How could you know my mother's true identity! You don't even remember your own origin, why are you talking about the origin of Night City!" "It doesn't matter." The voice of the wailer suddenly calmed down. "Your journey will end here. Let the past be the past. For me, the present is what matters. Maybe the old days are not as beautiful and free as I remember, but whatever, I Wouldn't let you threaten the life I have now. So much good misery, wonderful despair, and pleasant curses...you're going to take it all away. I don't think so. I won't let you Dig up any secrets that might affect the source of my strength." "You're afraid of my mother," I said. "But I'm not afraid of you, John Taber. Killing you, making you my servant, would close your mother's only way back to Nightside. We'll have peace again." I glanced at my companions to make sure they were still standing next to me, then raised my head with a confident expression.If you want to bluff, you should make it as big as possible. "You really think there's a way to get rid of all four of us at once? Do you know who we are?" "Whoever you are!" The wailer's voice became smaller and smaller, as if he had lost interest in us. "You are on my territory, under the influence of my power, I will let you see a horrible scene, so that you would rather end your life than continue to watch the image. Then you will return to the human world, Trapped in your own corpse, completely without self-awareness, to be my servants forever. You will suffer enough for me to last for centuries." After a period of silence, the lunatic suddenly laughed happily, breaking the atmosphere created by the weepers.The sinner couldn't help but shook his head. "What are you going to show us, freak in a cage? I am a sinner, a sinner who has seen endless suffering in hell." "I am the beautiful poison, the demon from purgatory." "I am crazy, I have seen the truth behind the world." "And me," I said. "It's John Taylor. The sights I've seen are beyond your imagination. Come! Lamenter, let us see what you can do." The Wailer shook the cage again and shouted in a very sharp voice, "Kill them! Kill them all!" Driven by his inhuman will, all the corpses emerged from the mist and moved towards us quickly.They have no weapons of any kind, and they surround us with brute force and superiority in numbers.With their pale arms outstretched, they poured out from all directions.The strange thing is that they seem to be completely invisible to the maniac. They move around the maniac, attacking the others mercilessly, while the maniac just stands there and looks at them with a sad face. At this moment, Beautiful Poison had already cut a bloody path. She moved at lightning speed among the corpses, laughing loudly, while tearing apart the corpses beside her and trampling the remnants under her feet.Under her joyful laughter, countless corpses were thrown into the air.As far as Beautiful Poison is concerned, no matter how many dead people there are, she doesn't pay attention to them.The sinner frowned at his lover's actions, but made no attempt to stop her.死人们扑到罪人身上，一爪一爪地击中他的身体，但是却完全无法在这个不被天堂与地狱所接纳的男人身上留下任何伤痕。 我从上衣内袋中取出一口布袋，在身旁的地板上洒了一圈盐巴。死人无法穿越盐圈的范围，于是只好在旁边游走，徒劳无功地挥爪试图将我抓出圈外。我的心跳加速，不停转动身体，随时保持着盐圈的完整。我的呼吸越来越快，几乎到了换气过度的地步。I do not like this.我的力量不足以对抗如此强大的死亡军团。我大声呼唤伙伴，但是他们都距离太远，根本没办法过来帮忙。我瞪视着周遭的死人，在它们的眼中看见无尽的苦难。攻击我们并非它们的本愿。它们是恸哭者的奴隶，所有行动都只是在执行主人的意念。它们曾经鼓起生命中最后的勇气了结自己的性命，希望能够藉此而自所有责任与痛楚之中解放出来，却没想到会被永永远远禁锢在一个更加凄惨的处境之中。死人在这里是得不到安息的，生命中的一念之差让它们全都落到这种下场。 我越想心里越怒，因为我非常明白痛不欲生的感觉，了解想要自杀的痛楚。当年如果稍微再钻一下牛角尖，今天我可能就跟这些可怜的灵魂站在一起了……连死人都得不到安息？我们究竟将夜城变成什么鬼地方了？我的怒火燃满全身，有如一道冰冷的烈焰一般，清醒了我的思绪，平静了我的心灵。我激发天赋，张开心眼，试图找出奴隶与主人之间的关键连结。我的思绪飞奔，瞬间看穿了所有亡者头上都有一条闪亮的银线与笼子里的恸哭者相连。借着这条银线，恸哭者操纵着他的傀儡，控制着他的死人。我以怒火燃放天赋，轻而易举地运用心灵力量同时剪断了每一条银线。 所有死人在那一刹那间停止动作，甚至有些还扑在半空中的也都静止不前。葬仪社里的气氛一变，似乎原本盘踞其中的沉闷气息突然全部消失。恸哭者尖声惨叫，那叫声有如锯开腐肉的电锯，在大厅中引发阵阵回音。死人们的灵魂有如熄灭的星光一般离体而去，身体一个接一个摔倒在地，终于成为自由之身。它们绽放出耀眼的光芒，照亮整个黑暗的厅堂，然后通通消失不见，奔往早该前去的归属之地。 我从不相信自杀者会下地狱的说法。上帝是不会如此残忍的。 在最后一道灵魂离开之后，我的视野终于回归正常。我看了看四周，发现血红色的迷雾已经荡然无存。罪人和美丽毒药，甚至连疯子都满脸疑惑地看着满地死尸。亡者们全部乖乖躺在地上，再也没有任何抽动的迹象。绝望恐惧的沉重气息完全自大厅之中散去，有如从噩梦中苏醒过来一般，因为这里再也没有任何事物可以令人心生恐惧。我们看向空虚大厅的底端，恸哭者所在的位置。黑铁笼子这时已经开始溃败，乌黑的铁锈自所有金属栏杆上剥落。笼子之中，栏杆之下，恸哭者丧失了所有力量，终于恢复原状，变成赤身裸体抱在一起的一对男女，脸上流着愤怒与痛苦交加的泪水。他们一分为二，不再是名强者，不再是人称恸哭者的古老神灵。不管他们对自己做了什么，或是受到了什么诅咒，一切都已经结束了。在如此长久的岁月之后再度成为凡人，对他们两人而言必定十分难受。我是有考虑杀了他们，不过实在想不出待他们如此宽容的理由。最后我转过身去，对同伴们点了点头。 “该走了。”我说。“我想我们来此的目的已经达到了。” “他们……怎么办？”罪人问。 “让消息传开吧。”我说。“让大家都知道恸哭者失去所有力量，再度成为凡人，到时候他们就会了解苦难的真义。夜城里有太多人想找他们算帐了，有太多人失去了挚爱，只能眼睁睁地看着心爱的人遭受奴役。” “你们不能把我们留在这里！”笼子之中传来一阵吼叫，分不出是男的还是女的所发。“你应该是夜城的英雄人物！你不能就这样放弃我们！” “看着吧。”我说。 我头也不回地离开大厅，同伴们也都没说什么就跟着我出来。由于扩展空间的魔力急速流失，此刻的大厅已经开始出现崩塌的迹象。过不了多久，古老的隔间将会再度占据此地，马克斯韦尔家族的记忆也会慢慢回归凝聚。到时候，在这里原先的死亡气息影响之下，或许曾经是恸哭者的那对男女终究会体会到没有出路的绝望，进而自行夺取自己的性命。想到这里，我忍不住面露微笑；如果结局真的是这样其实也不错。 为何亡灵不肯安息？因为夜城随时存在着想要奴役亡灵的强者与神灵。
我们离开了马克斯韦尔陵墓，畅快地呼吸着怪癖境地街道上的变态气息。过了一会儿，我注意到渥克派来监视我们的人似乎全部消失了，而街道上其他的人潮也都了无踪迹。整条街道空荡荡的，两旁所有建筑的大门通通紧闭，没有一扇窗户里透露出丝毫光芒。 “你皱眉头干什么？”罪人问。“你每次皱眉都没好事。疯子的背景音乐又为什么变得这么紧张？” “看来渥克撤走了所有人，并且封闭了整个区域。”我说。“除非他打算采取什么不愿意让任何人看到的举动，不然他不会这么做。既然他在众目睽睽之下干过的勾当已经令人发指了，我想连他都想要湮灭证据的动作，应该值得我们认真看待。” 我们靠在一起掩护彼此，连疯子也挤了过来，大家一起眼观六路、耳听八方。我才刚对付过恸哭者，实在需要好好休息一下。不过渥克就是这样，总是喜欢挑敌人最虚弱的时候下手。街上依然空旷，城市的喧闹自很远的地方隐隐传来。难道渥克已经知道恸哭者毁在我的手中了？难道就是因为这个原因，使他认定我已经变得太过危险，不能继续容许我的存在了？难道在这么多年之后，他终于准备好要杀了我吗？ 他知不知道我已经知道他和我母亲回归一事有密切的关系？ 或许是当权者让他没有选择的余地，命令他不惜一切代价也要阻止我查出可能危害他们地位的真相，他在伦狄尼姆俱乐部的时候就已经警告过我这种可能了。想到这里，我已经猜到此刻等待我们的危机为何。除了她不可能是别人。 街道另一端的阴影中传来的一阵昂贵高跟鞋踏在人行道上的脚步声。我们全部顺着声音转身看去，发现坏潘妮婀娜多姿地往我们摇摆而来。大胆前卫、目中无人、感官极限、穿着高跟鞋的死神，所有以美色作为杀人工具的杀手中最性感的一名。她身上依然穿着去伦狄尼姆俱乐部里的那件黑色小礼服，不过如今礼服的胸口已经染上了一道鲜血，更加突显出她手上的白色长手套。她在一段距离之外停下脚步，对我们所有人报以温暖的一笑。我注意到她手上拿着一根沾满鲜血的鹿角。 “哈啰，约翰。”她开口道，声音之中充满了所有会对人体健康带来危害的气息。“很多人的人生旅程都结束在遇上爱人的那一刻里，而你的旅程将会结束在这里。” “我们从来都不是爱人。”我坚决说道。“我不确定我们是什么关系，不过绝对不会是爱人。渥克终于允许你杀我了，是吗？” 她扬起眉毛：“你知道我是为渥克做事？你当然知道了。我差点忘了，你是约翰·泰勒。无所不知的约翰·泰勒。” “也不是无所不知。”我说。“你手上的鹿角是打哪来的，潘妮？” “这是我杀了猎人赫恩之后剥下来的。”坏潘妮轻轻说道。“渥克要拿赫恩杀一儆百，让大家知道回答你问题的下场。喔，不要那么伤心嘛，亲爱的！它是个很老的神了。它的时代早就过了。我最讨厌死赖着不走的家伙了。世间最大的原罪就是不肯跟上时代的潮流。” 她随手一丢，鹿角摔在地上，发出非常微小的声响。对一名曾经强大的神祇而言，这实在是个不怎么样的结局。 “我帮渥克带了个口信。”坏潘妮摆出一副挑衅的姿态说道。“当权者坚决要你放弃这个案子。现在就回头，不要继续查下去，忘掉你的报酬，不然……” “我猜你就是这个'不然'？”我说。 “一猜就中！我真希望你偶尔也能做一次明智的抉择，亲爱的。希望事物维持原状有什么不好吗？我一向很支持当权者们所拥有的地位，因为他们可以为我提供不少工作机会，杀人总是个非常赚钱的行业，而女生嘛，总得要赚点生活费。” “如果我拒绝放弃呢？”我问。 “我说过了，亲爱的。杀人总是个非常赚钱的行业。” “在我们那段感情之后，你依然下得了手？” “正是为了我们那段感情！没有男人可以把我甩掉的，甜心。” “看得出来你们两位也有一段过去。”罪人说。“你的人脉真广，是不是，约翰？” “闭嘴。”我说。 “你不帮我介绍一下你的新朋友的吗，约翰？”坏潘妮对着众人微笑说道。 我扬眉：“渥克没跟你提起吗？还是你已经一段时间没回报了？你就是不肯好好做功课。好吧，这一位是罪人，他女朋友美丽毒药，还有疯子。我们才刚把恸哭者给解决掉。” “喔，亲爱的，”坏潘妮说。“真是令人难过呀。你又跟坏朋友鬼混了。我该拿你怎么办呢，约翰？我知道！我现在就要把你杀了。为了方便起见，顺便把你的朋友也一并杀光好了。”她将脸上威力强大的笑容转向罪人，说道：“你不认同约翰的作为，对吧？真好心。或许你愿意为我扭断他的脖子？我很希望你能帮我这个忙。事实上，我希望你们能够在我面前自相残杀，直到通通死光了为止。” 就在这谈笑之间，她突然变成世界上最迷人的女人。她的性感魅力仿佛打开了火炉一样，四下辐射开来。她的存在盈满了整条街道，让人没有能力不去看她，没有能力拒绝她。只要看了她一眼，你就会想要她，就会需要她。为了她，就算放弃自己的性命也在所不惜。我有我的天赋，坏潘妮也有她的力量。她成为了所有人都愿意为她做任何事的梦中情人，包括杀人。她最大的武器永远都是她自己。只要展现了魅力，没有人能够抗拒她的身体。尽管罪人、疯子跟我都有各自的能力，但我们毕竟还是男人。不过美丽毒药和我们不同，她可是来自地狱的女恶魔。 “外行人。”她说。 就这样，魔法转瞬之间破解，坏潘妮的魅力消失，再度变成了原来那个美貌异常的普通女子；只不过体重有点过重就是了。她目瞪口呆地看着我们，完全吓得合不拢嘴。看来从来没有人能如此轻易地破解她的魔力。 “不错嘛，潘妮。不过我已经上过这张床，也谈过这段感情了。老实说，我绝不会重蹈覆辙的。” 她向后跌开一步，嘴里暗骂了几句脏话，然后戴着白手套的手里突然多了两把大枪。她在极近的距离对我开枪，枪声差点把我耳朵震聋，不过由于我熟知她的作风，所以早就先闪到一旁。而就在我向旁闪开的同时，她已经开始朝其他人开枪。我们通通都得死，她绝不能让自己的魔法轻易被破的事情流传出去。不过她这个举动是个致命的错误。如果她专心对付我的话，说不定还能把我打伤，不管我动作再迅速，把戏再多端，毕竟还是不能挡子弹。 子弹根本找不到疯子。他只是站在原地，神情严肃地眨着眼睛，心思完全放在别处，身后的墙上不断地传来子弹反弹的声响。我不确定子弹打在女恶魔身上会有什么效果，不过罪人显然一点也不想知道。他很快地跳到坏潘妮跟爱人之间，任由子弹贯穿自己的胸膛，不过却没有受到任何伤害。坏潘妮眨了眨眼，然后对准罪人的脑袋开了一枪。眼看这一枪也伤不了对方，坏潘妮突然一脚踢在罪人脚上将他绊倒，然后枪口转向美丽毒药。 我从后方扑上，一把抓起坏潘妮的手臂。她向前一弯，手臂一举又将我甩到一边。我重重地在地上一摔，立刻向旁滚开，闪过了接踵而来的一排子弹。罪人从地上爬起，对着坏潘妮又迎了上去。她将枪里的子弹全部射光，每一颗都打在罪人的要害上，但是罪人却一点也不痛不痒。就跟该隐一样，罪人的额头上隐藏了罪过的印记，这个世界上再也没有任何东西可以真正伤害到他。他在坏潘妮面前停下脚步，坏潘妮则将最后一发子弹射入他的左眼中。 “噢！”罪人冷冷地说，然后左眼在一瞬之间又恢复原状。他笑了笑，张开嘴巴将那颗子弹吐在手掌里，拿到坏潘妮面前。“我想这是你的东西。” 她怒吼一声，甩开双枪，又从不知什么地方拔出两把银匕首，当场插入罪人胸口，直没入柄。那是两把魔法匕首，经由古老的符文加持，一把上了诅咒，一把加了祝福。我曾经见过强大的神灵在这样的攻击下倒下，但是罪人却还是站在原地坦然受之，看得我忍不住都想要出手鼓掌。 坏潘妮两手在壮观的胸前交叉，噘嘴道：“真是太不公平了，亲爱的。” “退到后面去，席尼。”美丽毒药在罪人身后说道。“这已经是私人恩怨了。我要跟这女人把帐好好算一算。” “不行。”罪人说道。 “她想要杀你，亲爱的！我不能坐视这种事情，这有违我的本性。” “你离开地狱跟我一起，为的就是要远离你的本性，记得吗？” "Yes, but..." “嘘……”席尼道，于是女恶魔暂时不再多说什么。 坏潘妮对美丽毒药吐了吐舌头，然后满怀希望地看向罪人。“如果你不打算杀我的话，亲爱的，可不可以把匕首还给我呢？它们是传家之宝，如果搞丢了，爸爸会骂人的。” 罪人使劲儿拔出两把匕首，然后十分客气地将匕首交还给她。坏潘妮收下匕首，对我的方向看了看，盘算着是否还有机会干掉我。在发现绝不可能之后，她将匕首收了起来。我走到她身边。 “我们该拿你怎么办呢，潘妮？”我说。“我们不能放你走，不然你会带着更强大的武器继续跟来，另外再找机会暗算我们。你跟我一样，都不是会半途而废的人。” “我跟你才不一样呢，约翰·泰勒！我可是有个人风格的。” 在我们来得及反应之前，美丽毒药向前一冲，一把抓上坏潘妮的脖子，将她整个人向后折去。潘妮使劲挣扎，发出尖锐的尖叫声，但是始终无法挣脱女恶魔的掌握。美丽毒药的指间长出利爪，嘴中暴出尖牙，鲜红的双唇与潘妮的喉咙十分贴近，看起来一点也不像英国公立学校的女学生。她恢复了原形，成为一头不折不扣的地狱女恶魔。 “不要！”罪人说着向前冲出，不过在看到美丽毒药的牙齿贴上潘妮的喉咙之后，他就立刻停下了脚步。“拜托，不要杀她。” “她非死不可。”美丽毒药一边以嘴唇磨蹭着潘妮的喉咙，一边以十分理性的语气说道。“你也听到了，渥克命令她杀死任何敢跟我们交谈的人。要嘛就是我现在就咬断她的喉咙，不然这个案子就算完了。” “我绝不会为了办案而牺牲任何无辜的性命。”我说。 美丽毒药扬眉问道：“你认为这女人叫做无辜？” “或许整体而言不算，但是目前看来她是。杀了她，你就等于是永远与我为敌。” 美丽毒药微笑：“不要威胁恶魔，约翰·泰勒。我们的记忆很好的。”她看向罪人，又道：“再说，你不会让他伤害我的，对不对，席尼？” “不要把这两件事混为一谈。”罪人道。“重要的是，这个女人已经没有反抗能力了，你不能在这种情况下杀她。或许她真的该死，但是我们跟她不一样。我们不能让自己的道德标准降低到那种程度。放她走吧，就当是为了我。” 美丽毒药想了好一会儿，坏潘妮则是连大气也不敢喘一声，最后女恶魔突然放手将她摔在地上，然后不疾不徐地走回罪人身边。坏潘妮从地上爬起，以微微颤抖的嘴唇对我一笑。 “我就知道你不会让她杀了我的，约翰。你一直都是个心软的人。我会再来找你。到时候我一定会杀了你。” “你杀不了我的。”我冷冷地说。“我已经非常接近我母亲了，潘妮。你如果再敢阻扰我的话，一定会有人出面取你性命。” 坏潘妮露出一丝恐惧，然后转身离开。对一个穿着晚礼服和高跟鞋的人而言，她的动作非常迅速，很快就消失在街尾的阴影之后。我静静地看着她离开，脸上浮现浅浅的微笑。我没办法冷血无情地痛下杀手，不过倒是十分乐意吓一吓她，毕竟再心软的人也是有极限的。我不担心她会再度找上门来，因为这个案子已经快要结束了。我十分清楚接下来要往哪里去。 “接下来要往哪去？”疯子终于再度加入我们。“什么有趣的地方吗？” “可能不太有趣。”我说。“我认为我们必须去找荆棘大君。” 罪人瞪了我一眼。“如果我错了请纠正我，约翰。我们不是同意不到最后关头不要去找荆棘大君吗？我是说，不管是从野心、勇气或是任何方面来思考，毕竟保住性命才是最重要的，不是吗？荆棘大君……很可能是当今世上最古老的一股存在，同时也是最强大的一道实体。我在老鼠后巷提到他，纯粹是因为赫恩提过他的名字。我完全没有真的要去找他的意思。” “荆棘大君，”美丽毒药说。“我们在地狱都听过他的名号，有人说它认识基督，也有人说不论天使或恶魔都要在他的面前下跪。” “如果有人知道夜城的起源，当然就非他莫属了。”我说。“他在罗马人建立伦狄尼姆之前就已经存在于此了。再说，渥克和潘妮之所以要杀死赫恩，很可能就是怕他指引我们去找荆棘大君。” “真的不是一个好主意。”疯子说。我们全都回头听他讲话，不过他不肯再多说什么了。