13 is a number steeped in superstition in the West, criticized and avoided whether it is a date or just a number.
The Vanity Sect spoken of by Father Tony was based on 13 members, and each one wore a mask, a sight as bizarre as any.
It appeared this sect was in opposition to the Church.
It also seemed to lurk in the shadows, observing the world as outsiders.
Clearly, the Vanity Sect had its own agenda.
Du Wei couldn’t help but think to himself: Vanity is a longing—for knowledge, identity, status, money—maintaining self-esteem at a psychological level through falsehood to find fulfillment.
A mask is a rigid, false self.
The longer the mask of vanity is worn, the more reliant one becomes, and to remove it would mean deep pain.
The characteristic of the Vanity Sect’s people, then, was their masks…
And he himself had precisely two masks, one that covered only the eye area and the other that lacked facial features.“Could there be a connection?”
Du Wei silently asked himself.
Meanwhile, Tom nearby revealed a very strange smile.
He even couldn’t help but let out a laugh.
Seeing this, Du Wei and Father Tony couldn’t help but ask, “What are you laughing at?”
Tom chuckled and said, “Last time I was on duty in the Orlando Area, the ladies in the Red Light District liked to wear masks during their performances.”
“These people from the Vanity Sect also like to wear masks, tsk tsk, sounds pretty chaotic…”
Hearing this, Du Wei looked at Tom expressionlessly.
And Father Tony was flabbergasted, “Officer Tom, you sure do know a lot.”
Tom said proudly, “Don’t worry, when I get the chance, I will definitely show you around.”
Du Wei was speechless: “You can go on your own.”
He didn’t want to continue the topic of the Vanity Sect anymore.
After all, if the Church is relunctant to investigate further, it indicates that the Vanity Sect could cause significant trouble.
He had no motive to come into contact with them; it was better to stay out of it as much as possible.
…
8 p.m.
Du Wei drove back to the psychological consulting clinic.
Under the cover of night.
The entire clinic was enveloped in darkness, exuding a sinister presence that made one instinctively want to stay away.
Seeing this, Du Wei frowned. He was now carrying a bag on his back and holding a Black Umbrella in his left hand.
“Looks like none of you have run amok.”
More precisely, the Shadow and the Antique Clock hadn’t run amok; as for Annabelle, ever since losing a bet the last time, it hadn’t been able to leave the display cabinet on its own initiative.
After some thought.
Du Wei reached into his pocket and pulled out the original mask. Once he put on that mask, he could temporarily use some of the powers of his Evil Spirit Transformation—albeit a weakened version…
However, it should be enough to deal with the Shadow.
Creak…
The door was pushed open.
Within, darkness engulfed the space.
Due to the continuous rain in New York over the past few days, the air inside was muggy and the temperature had dropped quite a bit.
Therefore, he didn’t close the door, aiming instead to let some fresh air in.
Whoosh…
A cold breeze blew through.
Under the state of Spirit Vision, Du Wei scanned the area expressionlessly, his sight eventually stopping at the staircase.
There, a pair of bloodshot eyes quietly stared at him from the darkness.
Full of malice…
On the wall, the antique clock remained unchanged, yet for some reason, it gave off a much more oppressive feeling.
In the framed cabinet next to it, the Annabelle doll slowly turned its head and then fixed it in place, motionless.
However, Du Wei seemed not to hear, and after pressing the light switch, he walked to the sofa as if nothing was amiss, placing his backpack on the coffee table.
He unzipped the backpack.
A red balloon came into view, its red color striking, as if it was covered with a layer of fresh blood.
Within the balloon, faintly visible was the contour of a clown.
But it looked as if it had leaked some air, the whole balloon a size smaller than before.
“I wonder when you’ll return to your normal size,”
he said indifferently and then reached out his right hand to take it out.
The moment the balloon was exposed to the air…
Bang!
The door to the therapist’s office slammed shut, a profoundly oppressive and cold aura spreading instantly; the shadows in the corners seemed to come alive and began spreading wildly.
A dark shadow appeared behind the sofa.
Its eyes, filled with blood vessels, fixed intently on Du Wei; it seemed to sense an opportunity and reached out to grab Du Wei’s head.
According to the dark shadow’s habit of killing, if it got the head, it would twist it right off.
But suddenly,
a hand grabbed the shadow fiercely.
Turning his head, Du Wei slowly put on the mask, a spine-chilling presence quietly emerging.
The mask’s surface was full of cracks, yet it seemed very sturdy, not as if it might shatter at any moment as before.
In the eyes of the mask, dark pupils were cold and sharp, without the slightest fluctuation of emotion.
He rose from his seat with a graceful posture, looking down at the dark shadow, and spoke in an enigmatic tone, “Did you know? One of my creations, the Masked Evil Spirit, has been killed by another me.”
“The trump card representing the bet, the Joker Card, is being assimilated by another me, too.”
“I’ve lost two trump cards.”
“So I’m thinking of creating another Masked Evil Spirit.”
“I think you’d be a good fit.”
His voice was indifferent, giving off the impression that he was not human, more like the Evil Spirit Du Wei.
With the synchronization of memories and by donning the mask, borrowing the Evil Spirit Du Wei’s abilities, he had been influenced, to some extent.
Of course, the influence was mutual, and the Evil Spirit Du Wei couldn’t avoid it either.
And the dark shadow seemed to be frightened by Du Wei’s words, its eyes filled with blood vessels, trembling as it tried to break free.
But it was useless.
With his Evil Spirit Transformed right hand, he held it fast, and even though the resistance was strong, his grip remained firm.
The next second,
with his left hand, Du Wei waved, and another faceless mask creepily floated in the air, which he grabbed with one hand.
Beside it, a sharp dagger also appeared quietly.
“Let me give you a new face,” he said.
As soon as the words fell,
the shadow, sensing the approach of death, began to dissolve like melting water, tumbling downwards.
Du Wei narrowed his eyes, a mysterious wave flickering briefly.
And the shadow was frozen in place.
By this time, its entire body had dissolved, with most of it slipping onto the floor and melding into the shadows, while a part was gripped tightly by Du Wei, unable to escape.
This was one of Evil Spirit Du Wei’s abilities; no matter whether it was a human or a ghost, it could be frozen in place.
The shadow trembled.
With the other mask in hand, Du Wei slowly moved it over its face.
If he could successfully make the shadow wear the mask, he could cut off its face and fit it into the blank mask.
The newly created Masked Evil Spirit would be even more powerful.
Most importantly, it wouldn’t be annihilated by a mere glance from Evil Spirit Du Wei.
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