V1: Chapter 27: The Strange Corpse

The church where the body was found was on the outskirts of Orlando. Liang Lin and Liang Di walked along the road, their shoes covered in damp mud and green grass.

The church's location was incredibly remote. Overgrown weeds stretched as far as the eye could see, giving it a desolate feel. The further they went, the colder and more gloomy the environment became. Liang Lin even wondered if they had remembered the address wrong.

"It's there."

Following Liang Di's pointing finger, Liang Lin saw the ancient church. The church was surrounded by lush green grass and towering trees, making this sacred place appear exceptionally solemn and dignified. Although some walls were dilapidated, the church's beauty lay in its mysterious and solemn atmosphere, its soaring spires, and its majestic appearance, inspiring reverence.

It was the weekend, and many worshippers were there. Stepping inside, the surroundings didn't feel so desolate anymore.

Liang Lin had never believed in these things, but Liang Di still pulled her to sit down. The worshippers were devoutly reciting the Bible along with the priest on the platform.

“Wait a minute, after they finish reading, let’s go ask the pastor.”

“Okay.”

After the worshippers finished reciting the Bible and dispersed in twos and threes, Liang Lin and Liang Di approached the priest one after the other. The priest was young, looking to be in his early thirties, probably not yet forty, with thick brown curly hair.

“Excuse me…”

Liang Di held out a hand, blocking Liang Lin's way, indicating that she should speak herself.

“Father, lately… things haven’t been peaceful, people are filled with anxiety.”

The priest nodded, then said in a gentle voice, “The Lord will protect us.”

He then made a series of gestures.

“Father, we’ve heard a little about this… we heard it’s… the girls’ bodies, drained of blood, dumped in the forest. There weren’t any major wounds, just small holes.”

The priest paused, his expression turning angry. He asked the nun nearby, “Laura, are you spreading rumors again? Don’t tell these lies anymore. I’ve said it before, you were just exhausted that day, and it was your first time seeing corpses, so you were a little confused and your eyes were playing tricks on you.”

The nun named Laura hurriedly waved her hands, looking aggrieved. “It wasn’t me, Father. After you said that about me last time, I haven’t told anyone else.”

But what Laura said was clearly the truth. The portrait, and the Knights’ investigation, matched Laura’s account perfectly. If… there was someone lying, it was the priest.

Liang Lin cast a suspicious glance at the priest, but Liang Di stepped forward to block her view. "So, what's the truth? My sister and I lost our parents when we were little, and we've lived alone together. It's just the two of us at home. Recently, so many girls have gone missing, it's really...it's terrifying. We're afraid that next, it'll be my sister...sob~"

Liang Lin: "?"

This woman, she's such a good actress. Wait, didn't she just curse her?

"Oh...no parents, what a pitiful pair of children." The priest drawled.

His tone sounded strange.

Before Liang Lin could think about it, she heard the priest continue, "Actually, it's not that exaggerated. Some of the missing girls just got lost and returned home quickly. The others... were killed by malicious people, not drained of their blood."

"Oh...I see. Then I'm relieved. Thank you, Father."

Liang Di pulled Liang Lin out of the church.

"Hey, that priest's acting really weird, isn't he? What's wrong with you? Why have you suddenly become so stupid? You used to be so smart!"

"He definitely won't tell the truth. Wait a minute, let's wait outside until the nun comes out."

So, Liang Lin and Liang Di pitifully squatted in the bushes for ages. The buzzing mosquitoes annoyed Liang Lin, making her want to rush into the church, beat up the priest, and then tie up the nun for questioning.

"Why go through all this trouble? Just state your identities! All fear stems from insufficient firepower. I already told you, my swordsmanship is still very good. If someone really wants to attack us..."

"Shh~" Liang Di covered Liang Lin's mouth, her brows furrowed. "Wait, don't say anything. The nun's coming out."

The nun was carrying a basin of water, probably coming out to pour water.

Yes, now!

Liang Lin rushed out, and to the nun's astonishment, covered her mouth, scooped her up, and dashed to Liang Di's side.

Liang Di: "..."

Silence filled the atmosphere between them.

"You..." she gritted her teeth, pointing at the nun who had fainted from fright in Liang Lin's arms, "Why couldn't you just call her over? Why did you have to kidnap her like this?"

"Huh? Is that how it's supposed to be?"

"...Why do you think so?"

"Uh..."

"Let's wake her up first, she's already rolling her eyes."

"Tsk," Liang Lin scratched her long hair in annoyance, still stubbornly refusing to admit her impulsiveness, "How can you be so easily frightened..."

Anyone who had seen a female corpse drained of blood would be terrified.

Liang Di answered in her mind.

"Uh..."

The nun lay on the grass, slowly opening her eyes. As soon as she opened them, she saw Liang Lin and Liang Di sitting obediently beside her.

"Miss! Just now! Just now!" The nun, her face filled with terror, scrambled to her feet, trembling, and squeezed between the two girls. "I just encountered a monster! It was incredibly fast! It just snatched me away! You, were you also abducted here by it?"

The monster—Liang Lin—was whistling nervously, trying to hide her guilty conscience.

"Are you called Laura? Laura, you probably just fainted from exhaustion. There was no monster, no abduction or anything like that. We saw you collapse on the ground and helped you here."

Liang Di's ability to lie was still impressive.

"Is that so?" Laura asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, if there really were monsters, would you still be able to wake up properly?"

Laura breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, patting her impressive chest.

"Phew~ I thought I was going to end up like that woman."

Liang Di caught the key phrase in that sentence—"that woman" probably referred to the drained corpse.

"By the way, Laura, so, were you the one who saw the corpse in the woods that day?"

Laura nodded.

"I wasn't in a good mood that day, so I just wandered around and saw… a woman with deathly pale skin. But, but, I guess I'm just remembering her face wrong. The priest said so, so it can't be wrong…"