Chapter 24 Charles: Why Did You Say My Name?

Facing Ni Hao's question, Zhou Quan simply shook his head gently: "That monster runs very fast; I couldn't catch it."

Ever since he began to see the death countdowns above his parents' heads, he had become hyper-sensitive to time. While reading the news about Weng Lin's murder, he had noted the time of her death—it was approximately five minutes after he had fallen asleep. The hotel where Weng Lin had been staying was a forty-minute drive from his home. This meant that the creature was terrifyingly fast, at least when it came to tracking people down. As for why this speed hadn't been evident when it committed the murders, he had yet to figure it out.

The three of them walked into the church. Father Charles was wiping down a candlestick when he looked up and recognized Zhou Quan, who was leading the group, at a glance.

"My child, you have returned." He greeted them with a smile.

At the same time, he calmly took a look at Ni Hao, who was standing beside Zhou Quan. He recognized her as well—not because he remembered her visiting before, but because he recognized her as a member of the Gray Night Society. He then shifted his gaze back to Zhou Quan.

When Zhou Quan had come to confess last time, he hadn't taken the young man seriously. He was an intelligence gatherer who knew the local extraordinary societies inside and out. However, he had accidentally overheard a phone call of Zhou Quan's. Although the Gray Night Society wasn't mentioned by name, he had recognized the voice of its leader. Curious as to why the society would be blackmailing Zhou Quan, he had prepared a "mind-reading worm" specifically for his next visit. He hadn't expected to get a chance to use it so soon.

"Father..." Zhou Quan paused. He had originally intended to tell Father Charles the whole truth, without reservation, because the priest was known to be tight-lipped—even the Evil God had once remarked that Father Charles would never leak a secret. But as the words reached his lips, he thought that ignorance was bliss; if he let the priest know a little later, Father Charles could enjoy a few more moments of peace. "I wish to confess," he said in a low voice.

Father Charles nodded slightly, offering a trustworthy smile. "Come with me."

Father Charles walked ahead to lead the way. He sighed inwardly. If Zhou Quan had come earlier, he would have been deeply intrigued—wondering why the Gray Night Society was blackmailing him, why one of their members was accompanying him, and what the society was plotting. But now...

A look of distress crossed Father Charles's face. The killer of Weng Lin and Luo Anni had yet to be found, and there wasn't a single lead. His superior had already laid down the law: find the killer and redeem himself, or return to the organization to face punishment. All he wanted now was to know who had killed them.

"Please, come in." He opened the door to the confessional and turned to smile at Zhou Quan. Since he was already here, he might as well read the boy's mind.

Zhou Quan stepped into the confessional. It was his second time in this room. He switched on the old-fashioned electric light on the wall himself and sat down in the chair. Father Charles sat opposite him. The dim, yellow light enveloped them, feeling like a soft, golden veil, or perhaps the holy light described in scripture.

"Are you confessing to me, or to God?" he asked with a smile.

Zhou Quan hesitated for a moment before replying softly, "To God."

Father Charles nodded. He placed a statue of God before Zhou Quan and made the sign of the cross over his chest. "May God forgive you."

Zhou Quan nodded. He folded his hands and closed his eyes. At the same time, Father Charles reached up to adjust his glasses. A purple centipede crawled out from his sleeve, slithered into his mouth, and disappeared down his throat. The priest’s Adam's apple bobbed.

A few seconds later, a subtle layer of red surfaced in the depths of Father Charles's eyes. He possessed an intense desire to pry into the secrets of others; every time he listened to a confession or eavesdropped on a secret, he felt an indescribable pleasure. He would even share the content of these confessions and what he had overheard at the organization's internal meetings. Because of this, he had been voted the most popular figure at the Gaius Region meetings for many years in a row.

Father Charles watched Zhou Quan, who sat with his eyes closed, and curled the corner of his lips. *Boy, let me hear what you are confessing. Try to stir my interest! Let's see if your story is worthy of the next meeting.*

He leaned in to listen. Subtle thoughts drifted into his mind.

*"I am a monster; I am lower than a pig or a dog. I am willing to go to hell after I die..."*

Zhou Quan’s eyes were closed and he remained silent, but his inner voice resonated within Father Charles’s mind. The priest raised an eyebrow. *Insulting himself so harshly—what on earth has this boy done?*

Then, he heard Zhou Quan's thoughts again: *"I shouldn't have killed them, but I had no choice."*

*Killed?* Father Charles couldn't help but feel disappointed. *So, it’s just murder? Boring.* His colleagues were all cold-blooded killers; if it was just murder, it wasn't worth sharing at the meeting. It lacked originality.

*"I have failed them."*

*Them?* Father Charles reluctantly regained some interest. *He killed several people? For an ordinary person to kill several people and then be blackmailed by an extraordinary society... hmm, this is starting to get interesting. Go on.*

*"The reason I killed them was to let my parents live."*

Father Charles blinked. *Killing to save his parents—a devoted son. A decent persona. And then?*

*"God, I do not expect your forgiveness."*

*"But please, let them rest in peace."*

*"They were exceptionally good people; they truly deserve to go to heaven and become your saints."*

Father Charles felt a prickle of anticipation. *Who were such good people?* He had a premonition that the identity of the victims might be the key to whether this story could make it into the meeting!

*"I have failed you all!"*

*"It was all my fault! It was all me!"*

*"I am nothing but scum!"*

Father Charles grew anxious internally. *Boy, stop insulting yourself, God doesn't want to hear that! Hurry up and say who you killed!*

*"I have failed you."*

*"Old Director."*

*What old director?* Father Charles looked puzzled.

*"I have failed you."*

*"Weng Lin."*

Father Charles froze for a brief second, then his eyes widened in shock. *Who did he say?!* He could not believe his ears.

*"I have failed you all!"*

*"I will open more orphanages and donate more money to finish the good deeds you didn't get to do."*

*"Rest in peace, Old Director."*

*"Rest in peace, Weng Lin."*

Boom!

At that moment, Father Charles felt as if his head had exploded. It was him! It was him! He was the one who had killed Annie and Weng Lin!

Father Charles looked at Zhou Quan before him, his expression one of utter disbelief. What did they call this? "Searching high and low for something, only to find it without any effort"? After asking around and failing to get even a single useful lead, the target had walked right to his door?

*Ha! I can finally report back to the organization!* Father Charles was filled with wild joy.

"Father Charles."

Suddenly, Father Charles heard his own name and was startled. *Wait, why is he saying my name?*