Arashi, who returned from playing cards, was surprised to find the blind master of Kashima sitting in the corridor of the shrine built by Lin Youde specially for them and his party.
The petite god master was wearing a gorgeous miko costume that was only worn during large-scale rituals. He was concentrating on using a tea brush to stir the matcha crumbs in the cup in his hand.
"What's wrong, you came out to play tea ceremony in the middle of the night?" Lan was very surprised. She was used to being so careless, even towards the most noble goddess and miko.
"I had already fallen asleep, but I woke up due to sudden anxiety. This feeling is very uncomfortable." As a rare goddess in the world with the ability to predict, if Kutsuhime wakes up because of anxiety, most of the people she follows may or
What changes will happen to things?
"So you came out to do divination?" Lan couldn't help but hold her forehead, "It's useless to divination at this time, even if you get the result."
This is the shortcoming of the goddesses with the ability to predict. Many times, they don't know what specific changes will happen. Even if they get the result after divination, they don't understand what the result is related to.
It can be said that the ability to predict is the most powerful but least useful ability among the abilities of the Goddess.
Jiujinji was unmoved. She followed the steps of the tea ceremony. After completing each step, she stared at the bright moon reflected in the tea bowl with her blind eyes. After a while, the girl's shoulders relaxed.
Lan guessed that she had gotten good results. She also took a look into the tea bowl and found that all the tea stems stood up.
**
Nikola Tesla let Lin Youde into the living room on the second floor of the mansion and motioned to sit down.
After Lin Youde sat down, he opened his mouth to ask a question when Tesla said: "e is equal to mass multiplied by the square of the speed of light, right? It's the formula for mass-energy conversion."
Lin Youde was startled. His expression was seen by Tesla.
"Last year, that child had already made a peculiar physics model. This mass-energy conversion formula was a by-product of that model. After she got the result, she lost interest in it, but now, after listening to you
After that, she might start thinking about how to use this powerful formula to make bombs."
Tesla looked at Lin Youde with a serious face and said word by word: "I know your words yesterday were not malicious, but you may have opened Pandora's box unintentionally."
Lin Youde was in a Spartan state of mind at this time. This is too perverted. Tesla, your daughter has now figured out the physical model of relativity. Are you asking Einstein to drink the northwest wind?
"That child has a terrifying learning ability," Tesla continued. "She will never forget a book she has read once. Teach her a theorem, and she will quickly be able to deduce subsequent theorems based on this theorem.
Come out. And she never needs to sleep. Even if she studies twenty-four hours a day, she will not face a loss of concentration. She..."
"Is she a goddess?" Lin Youde asked the natural questions in his heart.
Tesla shook his head.
"I also once suspected that she had the blood of a goddess. The abilities of a goddess are all kinds of strange, and nothing is surprising. If she is really a goddess, then all these abnormalities can be reasonably explained. But she is not a goddess."
"That……"
"This is a long story. Mr. Lin, you must think that I am just a lunatic obsessed with electromagnetism, but in fact my biggest hobby is anthropology."
Lin Youde was not surprised to find that he had begun to adapt to this unexpected development.
"I like to study various subspecies of humans, such as the long-eared Nordic people, the fur-growing Eskimos living in the cold zone, and the legendary mermaid, etc. I am deeply fascinated by them.
Things. The reason for my interest is probably the folklore of my hometown, Croatia.
"In our Balkan region, there are two well-known subraces, namely werewolves and vampires. Generally speaking, anthropology regards these two subraces as myths and legends or nonsense, but for us locals
It seems that these subspecies of people do exist. Although no one has actually seen them, strangely enough, everyone firmly believes that they live near us, somewhere in the Carpathian Mountains.
.
"This is strange, isn't it?
"Originally, I went to Paris to study anthropology and search for these legendary sub-human races. Who knew that I would accidentally start working with electricity and magnetism. But I never gave up this hobby that I started in childhood.
Twelve years ago, an Austrian friend of mine sent me a letter claiming that the Austro-Hungarian Empire had found a settlement of suspected vampires or werewolves in Wallachia on the Balkan Peninsula. So I packed my bags and went there excitedly.
Set off to the United States and embark on the road back home.
"But when I rushed to Wallachia, the army led by the Austro-Hungarian Empire happened to lower the purifying holy fire to that village. Because werewolves and vampires are heretics, whether it is Christianity or the Slavic Orthodox Church,
These heretics are not allowed to exist.
"When I arrived at the village, most of the fires set by the army had been extinguished. I walked in the ruined village to see if there were any lucky people who had been missed by the army. That's how I met the dying mother.
. She was hiding in a house that was still on fire. I don’t know how she survived such a fire. All her clothes were burned off, and her skin was all bloody.
, I thought she was probably hopeless. But the mother touched her big belly and stared at me tightly with her eyes, as if she wanted to say something.
"She didn't say it after all, but died unwillingly. But just when I leaned down and was about to close the mother's eyes, her stomach moved. Mr. Lin, you can never imagine that scene.
How... how frightening, just seeing that scene, I couldn't help but rush into the nearest church and pray to God for forgiveness.
"The baby in the mother's belly used frightening force to forcefully break open the mother's lower pelvis, squeeze it out, and slide to the ground along with a large amount of amniotic fluid. The fetus was covered in blood, and its stunted body was covered with
Pieces of mother's organs...oh, God."
Tesla seemed to remember the scene at that time again, and kept crossing himself on his chest.
"I don't know where a fetus can get such power. She never showed any signs of strange power. At that time, it must be because of the power of the devil that she was able to be born from the mother's body. But at that time, I was completely
If I don’t think so, I think it’s a miracle of life… So I saved the baby and decided to raise her as my own child.”
Tesla put his hands on the desk and pulled his hair hard.
"After returning from Wallachia, my career began to decline, but during that initial period, I still lived a very happy life. At that time, I never thought that my lovely daughter was a devil. When I found out
, everything is too late! The nightmare started from the day her eyes changed color. I don’t want to recall that time anymore. In short, I quit my job and took all my savings to come to this remote city. I want to live in seclusion from now on.
Here, bind this devil to this place."
"But you acquiesced in her doing such things to those black goddesses."
"That was her plan! When we first moved here, there were robbers hiding around here. The robbers came to rob me. At this time, she told the robbers that she had a way to help them rob the federal gold train! Then those robbers
Of course it succeeded, and then... Then I had no way to restrict her! She will still listen to me now, but one day, her true nature will be exposed. She is a devil! A monster! Or something else!
She is not human anyway! Mr. Lin, you have also experienced the creepy feeling when facing her!"
Tesla was a little hysterical for a while. After he calmed down, Lin Youde shook his head at him.
Lin Youde knew that Tesla's hysteria had severely touched a certain part of his heart.
Because of this, his tone became cold.
"Mr. Tesla, I wonder if you have seen Mrs. Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein"?"
Tesla shook his head in confusion.
"You should really read it. I think the most important theme to be expressed in that book is: it is the human heart that creates monsters. I cannot agree with what you did to her. I think it was precisely what you did to her.
The fear, hostility, and hysteria made her become like this."
"Perhaps," Tesla covered his face, "You are right. I gradually realized that it was my attitude that led to the birth of the devil. However, I have no chance to correct this mistake. Today, everything
It will all come to an end. I added arsenic that can poison an elephant to her food. Even a werewolf of blood cannot resist the poison. Now, she should have left this world forever."
Lin Youde was speechless. He stared at Tesla and said nothing for a long time.
Finally, he stood up.
"Then... where is Sophie's room?"
"Upstairs on the left."
Lin Youde said nothing. He turned around and met Ba's eyes. Although he had just witnessed that scene in the basement, Ba's face showed sadness at this time.
**
Lin Youde pushed open the old oak door of Sophie's room.
Then he saw the girl sitting on the chair, still looking at him with an evil smile on her face, and the food on the table was not moved at all.
"Nicholas has been worried a few days ago, so these days I only eat fruits picked from outside, and then throw away all the meals Nikolai prepared for me. He doesn't like the too direct and brutal approach.
, it is impossible to rush in with a gun and shoot through my heart, so the most likely thing is to poison me."
Seeing the arrogant look on the girl's face, Lin Youde couldn't help but smack his lips.
Lin Youde began to think seriously about how he should use it to convey to the girl the feelings he had accumulated while listening to Tesla talk about Sophie's life experience.
Finally, he decided to take the most direct and reckless approach - beating around the bush didn't suit his style.
So Lin Youde walked up to the girl in three steps and then started to pull the girl's cheek.
"You...what are you doing?"
"How about something more appropriate for a twelve-year-old?"
"It hurts...it hurts like hell!"
After pulling his cheeks, Lin Youde ignored the little girl's protests and lifted her directly over his head, letting her ride on his neck.
"In China, male elders always take their children out to play like this. How about sitting so high? Does it feel different from usual?"
As he said this, Lin Youde walked out the door, but Sophie who was riding on his neck made a clang and hit the door lintel head on.
Lin Youde thought that this was bad... he had done bad things with good intentions, so he quickly put the little girl on the ground.
"You...you are, technically speaking, you are playing tricks on me!" Sophie, who had a big red forehead, had watery eyes and a look of grievance on her face. But Lin Youde saw her expression at this time.
He breathed a sigh of relief.
Because the girl finally showed an expression consistent with that of a twelve-year-old girl.
Although she looked like she was about to cry, she was pitifully tight.
"I really didn't mean it..." After heaving a sigh of relief, Lin Youde remembered that he had to defend himself.
But the little girl obviously didn't intend to let him go like this: "You obviously did it on purpose! What if my genius brain is knocked stupid?"
"Then hit her again and make her smart again." After that, Lin Youde grabbed the little girl's shoulders and hit Sophie again with his head.
"Woo..."
She began to choke, but the little girl still pursed her lips stubbornly, holding back the tears.
At this time, Ba probably couldn't stand it anymore. She stepped forward and gently pushed Lin Youde, complaining: "What are you making a fuss about?"
Then the girl stepped forward and took the petite Sophie into her arms.
"Don't cry, be good..."
"Well, I don't think she understands Chinese..."
As soon as Lin Youde finished speaking, he was stared at. This was a completely new experience. Ba actually stared at Lin Youde. Should I say, is motherhood really scary?
Who knew that Ba's hug would cause Sophie to struggle fiercely. After breaking free from Ba's arms, the girl asked angrily: "Asshole, do you want to suffocate me to death with those two useless balls of fat?"
While Ba looked embarrassed, Lin Youde laughed happily.
"I have decided, Ba." After laughing, Lin Youde suddenly said absurd words in a serious tone, "We are going to kidnap this kid."
"Understood." Ba responded readily, then raised his hand and grabbed the little girl back into his arms. Sophie, who did not have the blood of the goddess, no matter how powerful she was, would never be able to escape Ba's palm. It seemed that
Realizing this fact, Sophie stopped struggling, puffed her cheeks angrily, and turned away...
In this way, Lin Youde took Sophie and prepared to leave Tesla's laboratory. When they opened the door on the first floor and came outside, Tesla appeared on the balcony on the second floor.
"Mr. Lin, you...you will regret it!"
Lin Youde stopped. He turned around and glanced at Tesla, who was looking down at him. He hesitated for a few seconds and decided to finish what he needed to say.
"Mr. Tesla, my life experience is actually a bit similar to Sophie's."
Of course, what Lin Youde was talking about was his life experience in the previous time and space. Lin Youde's mother passed away from stomach cancer when he was five years old. His father fostered him at his grandparents' house while he went to work outside. In the beginning, his father's
I'm not busy at work, so I often go back to my grandparents' house to see my son. I also have free time to make slingshots and fishing rods for my son, and then I take my son to hunt birds and fish like a big kid.
Later, Dad Lin got better and better, and the frequency of going home gradually became less and less. But there was always one day every month, Dad Lin would take beer and pineapple beer and lead the big woven bag that grandpa used to hold chess.
Breaking into Lin Youde's room. That day, the father and son would drink pineapple beer and the other would drink beer. They would smash the chessboard with grandpa's big chess piece that was said to be as old as two Lin Youde. But besides playing chess, Lin
Dad never asked about Lin Youde's current situation. Finally one day, Lin Youde couldn't bear it anymore and asked his father why he never cared about his current situation. Lin's father said: "Why do you ask? You are acting like a bear, you are not my son."
"
Lin Youde always believed that it was his father's words that made him never forget to get good grades no matter how hard he tried in school. In the end, he performed exceptionally well in the college entrance examination, which made his father look bad.
Now, Lin Youde changed this memory and told it to Tesla.
As he spoke, he clearly heard the sobbing coming from behind him getting louder and louder.
After telling this memory, Lin Youde said to Tesla word by word: "If parents give up, the children will only become bad children, right? Children always respond faithfully to their parents.
Before you denounce your child as a bad boy, parents should first examine their own disqualification! Sophie did make mistakes in the past, but I never agree with your actions."
Finally, the sobs behind Lin Youde turned into wails, and in the midst of the cries, one could still hear the gentle words of coaxing the little girl. Lin Youde continued to the accompaniment of the cries: "She returns to me from today.
It will turn her into a good child. I believe that she will use her own actions to make up for the mistakes she has made."
Tesla held the railing tightly with both hands, his knuckles turning white. For a moment, Lin Youde thought that the railing might be left with his fingerprints.
Finally, Tesla, the lightning geek, sighed.
"You are right. I was seized by fear. I have to pay at least half of the responsibility for this incident. I will surrender to the U.S. government and bear the charge of instigating bandits to kidnap the black goddess. I hope so.
, can offset my disqualification as a parent. My daughter... no, Sophie, I will leave it to you, Mr. Lin. I sincerely hope that she can learn the most precious things about being a human being from you.
Character.”
"Don't make it sound like we are about to part ways with each other," Lin Youde replied, "those goddesses are black and you are white. You can squat for a few years at most and then you will come out."
Tesla also laughed after hearing this, and he said in a rather mocking tone: "Yes, this is America. I don't know whether I should be grateful that this is America, or should I feel sad about it."