Chapter 619: Chapter 512: Crazy Circus_4
"Was that considered acting bravely for a just cause or not? Who would’ve thought, a few days later the girl suddenly changed her story, saying the man was her boyfriend, and that they were just playing around at the time. Both their parents had already met, and the incident wasn’t at all like he had described it."
"Since it had been raining that day, there were no other witnesses, no surveillance cameras, and his intelligence wasn’t high enough; when he got anxious, his explanations became a complete mess. As a result, the nature of the incident changed. The man he had injured was badly hurt and even bit back, claiming the rescuer had ulterior motives toward his girlfriend and that he, the boyfriend, got injured while protecting her. Of course, the police didn’t believe such nonsense, but without evidence and the kid unable to clear himself, his act of valor didn’t hold up in court. Although he didn’t need to go to prison, he was ordered to pay a substantial amount of compensation."
"He couldn’t understand, because he remembered there were some tourists nearby; he hoped these people would come forward to speak the truth. However, the injured guy had a lot of local influence, and no one was willing to stir up trouble. On the contrary, several tourists came forward to identify him as chasing the man, describing the scenario as much worse than it actually was, saying he looked mad and terrifying, and even suggested to the amusement park to fire the kid because nobody dared to bring their children there with him around."
"In short, the more the incident escalated, the more it turned against this kid; the amusement park also faced great pressure. Eventually the management stepped in, hoping he would write a statement promising not to ’go crazy’ again, so they could keep him employed."
"Between the compensation and facing others’ disdain, the kid couldn’t make sense of it and ended up taking his own life," the old lady sighed. "But it just goes to show the old saying, ’Heaven sees what we do. It’s just a matter of time before justice is served.’ Not long after the kid died, the park received a report of a couple who went missing while playing at night. Upon verifying their identities... it was that very pair, the shameless couple. Later I heard that the girl’s family had taken money from someone; she was no good anyway, always trying to hook up with rich people. I also heard she had... attended some sort of training class."
"That was just the beginning; then several more tourists disappeared one after the other, all connected to that incident, either fabricating evidence or... muddying the waters. In any case, they all had harmed that kid, and privately everyone said it was him returning. "
"After that, the Crazy Circus closed down, and the construction in the nearby region all halted. I’m not even talking about at night, even in broad daylight, just looking at that area felt grim... as if something was lingering there."
Crossing her hands over her knees, the old lady slowly exhaled and turned to look out the window, concluding, "We should always do the right thing. If you’ve done something wrong, you’ll never be at peace for the rest of your life."
"The elderly woman is right," Yang Xiao nodded, putting on an enlightened expression, "Do you know the name of that clown... I mean, the person’s name?"
"I don’t know, I only know his last name is Chen, such a good kid..." the old lady said, then suddenly paused as if she remembered something, "That’s right, after his death, his father frequently visited the amusement park, claiming injustice for his son, looking for the witnesses from that time, hoping to vindicate his son. I saw Old Chen this afternoon."
"Where is his father?" Yang Xiao pressed, the ghost’s relative being a key clue.
Upon hearing this, the old lady looked puzzled for a moment and shook her head, "I don’t really know where he is now; he pushes a small cart around the park, running a mobile stall. Normally, that’s not allowed, but the park staff know about his son’s situation and sympathize with him, so no one interferes. Instead, they secretly support his business, helping where they can. An old father all alone, in poor health... it’s really quite pitiful. He has always believed his son was wronged."
Hearing this, an image suddenly flashed through Yang Xiao’s mind: an old man in simple clothes, tending to a small cart adorned with tourist photos and with snacks and cold beverages, whom they had encountered before in Area B. At that time, there had also been park management staff taking care of him, helping to pick up trash—the old man was the clown’s father!
"Young man, why don’t you call your wife and daughter in as well? It’s getting chilly outside with the night wind, don’t let the kids catch a cold..." The old lady, warm-hearted, walked towards the door intending to open it and help Yang Xiao find his wife and child.
Yang Xiao quickly made an excuse and slipped away; there was no wife outside, no child, just a robust Lu Chenzhou, built like an ox.
Seeing Yang Xiao come out, Lu Chenzhou, who had been anxiously waiting, was about to approach when Yang Xiao gestured for him to back off. They walked separately until Yang Xiao felt certain they were out of the old lady’s line of sight, then they reunited and shared the intelligence he had gathered. Lu Chenzhou was shocked too, he hadn’t realized that the old man pushing the cart was so significant, actually being the clown’s father.
The two of them immediately set off to find the vendor. This was an important clue. Based on past experiences, the breakthrough in this mission would definitely involve this old man.
If it really came down to the wire, they could try taking the old man hostage, giving the clown a dilemma.
This plan didn’t sound very reliable, but it was Lu Chenzhou’s reasoning that made sense. He believed that at least the clown wouldn’t kill someone in front of his father.
"He’s a good kid, he was when he was alive, and he still is now that he’s dead..."
The old man pushing the cart was difficult to track. Not long after, as the two searched along the road, suddenly, a drop of cold rain fell, landing on the back of Yang Xiao’s neck.
The rain was cool, icy to the bone.
"Here we go again..." Yang Xiao lifted his clothes and slowly pulled out the Human Bone Staff. As the curtain of rain fell, about 20 meters in front of them, beneath a glowing billboard, a blurry figure stood silently in the rain.
It was the clown, still wearing the same grotesque red and yellow clown suit, with a big red nose, a triangular Christmas hat, and a face painted with exaggeratedly garish makeup. At this moment, he was tilting his head and staring grimly at Yang Xiao and his companion.
With just a glance, Yang Xiao took a deep breath. The clown seemed entirely different than when he had last seen him in that short duration.
Moreover... as he stared intently at the clown, he felt that something was off, as though he was overlooking some crucial detail. But what it was, he didn’t know, and there was no time to think about it, because the clown had already lifted his pointy boots and was walking towards them.
Just like the last time, the rain here didn’t wet the tourists. They all walked through the rain undisturbed, each person seeming not to see the clown or the two of them. This unnoticed feeling was very eerie, and like a projection, the clown’s body moved unimpeded through the crowd, bringing with him a chilling negative emotion as he advanced on them.
"Get ready, we move on my signal!" Yang Xiao gripped the Human Bone Staff tightly, and at the same time, he quietly took out the Soul-Capturing Mirror. There was water on the ground, and in case of an emergency, he could use Instant Teleportation to escape. His first priority was to ensure his own survival.
