Demons Beside You

“Blackie, are you sure you’ll take this pile of bones too?”

Chen Zhao looked at the hundreds of skeletons in the ditch. He was honestly speechless. Couldn’t they just move the essentials? How come everything had to be moved?

They could just leave unnecessary things behind. Why did the new home need these skeletons?

“I think I need to show off my status as the Grim Reaper.” After spending so much time with Chen Zhao, Blackie learned how to be playful too.

“Who can you show off to other than me? Didn’t you always emphasize that you’re the Soulbringer and not Grim Reaper?”

“After meeting you, I discovered that the Grim Reaper is cooler.”

“Fine, keep a skeleton.”

“I learned a dead soul spell. After taking the skeletons over, I can have them help me construct my new home. Oh, can you help find a designer for me to fix up my new home?”

“Are you serious?” Chen Zhao was speechless.

“Yes, I’m serious. How come you humans can have pretty homes but I can’t?”

When Chen Zhao came out of the basement, Ethan happened to be there. He didn’t think too much though. He just thought that Chen Zhao came to find something he’d forgotten.

Blackie was right beside Chen Zhao. Usually, Blackie would sit in the shotgun seat if Chen Zhao was driving and no one else was there.

“Hey, Chen. There’s a complicated client. Will you take it?”

“What client?” Chen Zhao asked.

“I don’t know the specifics of the condition, but I heard that two other doctors were traumatized and went to the mental hospital.”

“He’s not a psycho killer, right?”

“I wouldn’t introduce you to a psycho killer.”

“What price?”

“Two hundred thousand dollars.”

“That much?” Chen Zhao said, shocked.

“I was afraid you’d be in danger.” Ethan was genuine with this phrase.

He and Chen Zhao had only known each other for half a year, but Ethan had helped Chen Zhao. Chen Zhao had also helped him without holding back.

They often bickered, but when they really needed the other, they would help as much as possible. Ethan didn’t want anything to happen to Chen Zhao, so he would help Chen Zhao decide if the clients were problematic or not.

If the client was problematic, Ethan would warn Chen Zhao and ask for his opinion.

“Of course! Only an idiot will reject such a big client.”

“I hope I won’t see you at the mental hospital next.”

“Mental hospital? You’re the one who should go.”

…

It was a vintage red brick house surrounded by a wall. The plants were luscious inside. It looked like an ancient house hidden deep in the woods.

“Chen Zhao, the deathly aura is so heavy here.” Blackie floated above Chen Zhao’s head.

“Evil spirits?”

“Don’t feel any.” Blackie shook his head. “Maybe it’s something else.”

If there were evil spirits, Chen Zhao wouldn’t be afraid. Blackie was able to destroy an entire ghost ship alone. Evil spirits were nothing to be afraid of.

Blackie had said that regular evil souls were like lambs to him while evil spirits were mountain goats. Either way, they were all sheep. Before a tiger, the only difference between having horns or not was that there were more nutrients in the horns.

Chen Zhao rang the bell on the metal gate. The old house’s gate opened. A withered figure stood in the shadows and waved toward him.

Chen Zhao pushed the metal gate and walked in. He saw a hunched man wrapped tightly in clothing.

It was only January, but it wasn’t cold during the day. It could reach the seventies and make one feel hot and annoyed. Chen Zhao only wore a t-shirt and a simple jacket. He even took the jacket off at noon.

It was dark in the house. All the curtains were drawn and no lights were on, so Chen Zhao couldn’t see the client’s features clearly.

“Excuse me, are you the patient?”

“Yes.”

“What can I call you by?” Chen Zhao asked.

“Movich.”

“Can you tell me about your condition?”

“You didn’t hear about my condition before you came?”

“You mean, about how you sent two doctors to the mental hospital in fright?”

“I don’t want you to become the third. Do you know how annoying it is for me to call the ambulance?”

“I’m not ignorant,” Chen Zhao said. “I’ve seen all types of patients.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Chen Zhao nodded.

The man turned on the lights. Chen Zhao realized that he wasn’t old—at most 30 years old. Judging from his face, he didn’t seem sickly either.

“You don’t look sick,” Chen Zhao said straightforwardly.

“Prepare yourself,” the man said solemnly, looking at Chen Zhao. “Are you ready?”

“What are you taking your clothes off for?”

“So you can see my body.”

“I’m not gay.” The client’s expression turned colder. “Okay, I just wanted to lighten things up.”

The client started taking his clothes off, layer by layer. The jacket came off. The moment he took off his last shirt, a piercing scream came. The client had three twisted faces on his chest and stomach. They let out shrill screams.

Chen Zhao felt like his head was about to explode. He covered his ears but couldn’t block the sound.Read more chapter at vipnovel

“Go to sleep!” Chen Zhao cried. All he wanted was for these three faces to shut up.

The three faces instantly closed their eyes and mouths and went to sleep.

Chen Zhao touched his ears. He was bleeding! If the three things kept screaming, his head might actually explode. Thankfully, he used the Banshee’s Charm out of desperation. Otherwise, he might be sent to the mental hospital too.

The client looked at him in surprise. “You stopped them? You could stop them?”

“What are those things? Are you a mutant?” Chen Zhao’s ears were still ringing. It was too painful.

“Who the hell knows? It happened last month during Christmas. I just got these three faces on me… Get rid of them for me. It’s too painful.”

“Wait, let me calm down. Don’t talk. I can’t hear half of what you’re saying. My ears are ringing… And please put your clothes on.”

It took half an hour for Chen Zhao to recover.

“I’m Movich Tutas.”

“I’m Chen Zhao. You can call me Chen. Okay, tell me about your problem now.”

Movich recounted everything that had happened, but his words were disorganized and didn’t provide any information. He didn’t know where the three demons came from either. Before Chen Zhao came, he’d already sent two guys into the mental hospital. Chen Zhao almost became the third.

Just then, Chen Zhao’s phone rang. It was Ethan. “Chen, how are you? Did you see the patient?”

Ethan still cared for Chen Zhao. He called just to confirm his safety.

“I’m okay. I saw him. His condition is a bit complicated. Gotta go.”

“Great. With $200,000, I can get $40,000.”

“You don’t care about me? You only care about your money. We’re over…”