Chapter17

After downing a whole bowl, Jiang Che let out a hearty burp. He raised his now-empty bowl high: "Dad! Another bowl!"

The Butcher, who had been watching Jiang Che eat, was dumbfounded. At first, sure, he was only thinking about playing house.

The thrill of hunting and slaughter bored him now; he preferred more subtle torments.

But this person in front of him—this was different. He thought it'd be the same old human tricks, same human ways to survive, the usual acts and desperation.

But no, this one was different!

This child's eyes held no fear. When he called him "Dad" and got a response, he looked happier than anyone else had ever been. When he served him food, the kid's eyes went pink and he looked about ready to cry.

He was actually moved?!

Upon realizing what that emotion meant, the Butcher himself was spooked.

Evil spirits like him grew stronger by feeding on human fear—as long as there was a hint of fear in their vicinity, they could sense it instantly.

But this time, it was different. He didn't sense any familiar flavor coming from this human.

If other people's bloodshot eyes meant terror and fear,

Then this child's bloodshot eyes came from being moved, from happiness, from joy…

All these were emotions he, as an evil spirit, had never experienced before. For the first time, he could taste what happiness felt like.

It was a kind of emotion that did nothing for the growth of an evil spirit—but there was an unfamiliar fragrance in it, something the haunted world had never known.

He got up, taking the empty bowl from Jiang Che and heading for the kitchen. As he walked, he asked, "How did you get by all these years?"

The hand filling up soup paused just briefly, for the moment he asked about Jiang Che's past, he caught a whiff of sadness, suffering, and pain.