Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Exorcist
In the 1950s, deep in the mountains more than 40 kilometers from Yellow Rock Town, a church was built.
At that time, the Priest from the church often came to Yellow Rock Town to hire some townspeople to go into the mountains to deliver supplies for the Priests and Nuns at the church.
No one knew why there was a church in the deep mountains, or what purpose it served for being built there.
The church’s existence had no effect on Yellow Rock Town until one day in 1959, when townspeople rushed back from delivering supplies with shocking news.
The Priests and Nuns in the church had all died inexplicably and mysteriously, and the scene was very gruesome.
This incident caused a huge sensation in Yellow Rock Town at the time, and even after the police investigated, the townspeople continued discussing it during meals.
However, as years passed, the church gradually became abandoned, and the old events faded into history.
If it weren’t for Sun Yan suddenly asking about it, Curry might not have remembered this matter, as he hadn’t been born at that time and heard about it from elders.
"Do you know the location of that church? I need to go there personally; your daughter’s issue might be related to that church," asked Sun Yan.
Curry scratched his head: "Enter from the northern mountain pass of Yellow Rock Town, just follow the road; you’ll reach a logging site at the end. Inside, find an old man named Borgie; he’s an old fossil in our town and should know. Mr. Jack, I’ll go with you."
As a father, caring for his daughter is his priority. Curry has already lost one daughter and doesn’t want to lose another.
Sun Yan fully understood his concern, but the journey was extremely dangerous, and even Sun Yan himself wasn’t confident of being completely safe, let alone bringing Curry along.
Encountering any danger would require protecting Curry, which could easily affect Sun Yan’s ability.
"No need, just stay at home and watch over Betty. Her current situation is unclear, and she needs someone by her side; wait for my news," Sun Yan comforted Curry by patting his arm, not giving him a chance to argue, then he went downstairs with Sosia, drove a Ford pickup out of Yellow Rock Town, heading north.
As Curry had said, there truly was a road leading into the mountains from the northern pass of Yellow Rock Town, with clear wheel tracks like a signpost guiding Sun Yan’s direction.
About ten minutes later, an expansive logging site appeared before Sun Yan and Sosia.
"Wait here in the car; I’ll go find someone," Sun Yan instructed Sosia and walked toward the logging site. Before entering, he saw a tall, muscular white man with gray hair pulled into a ponytail walking out, wearing tight leather clothing and carrying a long box on his back.
The man was tall and sturdy, with well-toned muscles stretching the leather without a crease, seemingly young but with a face marked by time, and a striking claw scar spanned his right eye.
Following him was an elderly man with a whiskey in hand, a marked alcoholic by the strong smell he exuded.
"Excuse me, is Mr. Borgie here?" Sun Yan asked upon seeing the man.
The elderly man, who had passed by Sun Yan, stopped and pointed at his nose, saying, "That’s me; what do you need?"
"What a coincidence, Mr. Borgie, I’m here to ask if you know about a church in these mountains. If you know the location, I’d like to hire you as my guide," Sun Yan said.
When Sun Yan asked this, the gray-haired man’s eyes became sharp, scrutinizing Sun Yan without a word.
Borgie scratched his head in confusion, "You’re looking for that church too? Strange, it’s quite lively today. This gentleman is going there as well; join us."
In response to Sun Yan’s proposal, Borgie made a generous gesture: "I can show you the way, but I charge $500 U.S. Dollars because it’s far and cars can’t go there; we have to walk. I’ll only take you to the church; what happens after is not my concern."
"No problem," Sun Yan agreed readily, casting a cautious glance at the silent gray-haired man beside him.
Aside from himself, others were searching for the church too; without knowing the man’s background, Sun Yan felt wary.
"Let’s hurry; we should aim to reach by evening," the gray-haired man said, looking at the sky with calm eyes.
Though the church was a few dozen kilometers from Yellow Rock Town, the mountain roads were rugged, and since the church’s abandonment, the path had been overgrown with trees, making progress challenging.
Although Borgie knew the way, after walking with him for hours, Sun Yan realized he was just average, relying on memory, wasting time unknowingly.
As the sun set and the sky filled with clouds, the forest light dimmed.
Finally, they saw the silhouette of an ancient church, standing silently in the woods, overgrown with greenery and vines, long lost of its expected solemn appearance.
Sun Yan’s eyes narrowed, becoming alert as the vacant land around the church was filled with countless black crosses.
The black crosses surrounded the church like they encircled the long-abandoned building, resembling what Betty had drawn, suggesting the source of the issue was here.
"Thank you; you’re done here, head back," the gray-haired man took out $500 U.S. Dollars for Borgie sternly.
"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Geralt," Borgie said while taking the money, showing an excited smile.
The gray-haired man didn’t respond, stepping toward the church.
Sun Yan, seeing this, also gave Borgie the promised payment. The trek was exhausting even for a young man like Sun Yan, not to mention an elderly like Borgie, deserving the tough-earned pay.
"Looks like you’re staying tonight; if so, be very careful. This place is unlucky; the death of the Priest here was gruesome, not a simple murder case. Although many years have passed, I advise you not to be careless; there’s something wrong with this place," Borgie advised Sun Yan kindly, then turned to leave without hesitation.
Left in place were only Sun Yan and Sosia, watching the gray-haired man, who had reached the church door and entered. Sosia said, "This man is not simple; I sense the presence of Holy Water on him."
"Is Holy Water powerful?" Sun Yan had heard of Holy Water before; during White Sunday, Corpse Collector Bakar Moon used Holy Water as currency for trade.
But Sun Yan didn’t agree, so he didn’t know its use; if useless, it would be a loss.
Now hearing Sosia mention it, Sun Yan realized even the Wolf Girl knew about it.
"Powerful, Holy Water is the most commonly used exorcism Holy Object in churches. Priests use it in exorcisms to deal great damage to Evil Spirits and Demons, and Exorcists often trade Holy Water with churches to expel spirits. This man is likely an Exorcist," Sosia nodded, offering her view.
From the first encounter, Sun Yan knew the gray-haired man wasn’t ordinary; now, with Sosia’s analysis, Sun Yan realized the man’s background wasn’t simple.
"As long as he has no hostility, we don’t need to worry; we should carry out our task. Let’s explore the area and see if we can find any clues," Sun Yan said, pointing at the land lined with countless black crosses.
Without knowing the man’s identity, there’s no need to get close; since they both have purposes here, each should pursue their tasks.
In exorcism, Sun Yan was confident in his abilities.
With Sosia beside him for protection, covering Sun Yan’s weakness, if confronted by fierce foes, he could rely on Sosia.
Having witnessed Sosia’s powerful Werewolf transformation, it gave Sun Yan a strong sense of security.