Although they deduced that the enemy should be the Hook Demon inherited by Jack the Ripper, the Aiwass family, two children and one child did not believe this conclusion and let down their guard.
Just in case, they still hid in this abandoned chemical plant, secretly observing the only entrance.
Aiwass could not reveal his ability to transcend the Tao, so he could not draw an anti-demon magic circle, nor could he explain the habits and weaknesses of the Iron Hook Demon.
Since there was nothing to do, he and Lulu simply found a seat upstairs and sat down to chat. They talked about music, poetry, philosophy, the non-existent "I have a friend", various secrets of the mainland, and the vulgar rumors that were only circulated among the lower classes, and time passed quickly.
They even had time to sing little Aiwass a lullaby to make sure he didn't panic when he woke up.
It was then that they realized that they, the couple, and Little Aiwass had not eaten breakfast. It was only a little after ten o'clock, and they were already feeling a little hungry.
Fortunately, little Aiwass is already four years old this year and has been weaned long ago. Otherwise, if he were still a baby and woke up from hunger and couldn't stop crying, Aiwass would probably have to politely give way.
For a four-year-old child, going hungry for two meals is not a big problem.
Aiwass himself said so. He said it was all right.
After all, according to the original history, little Aiwass would be sent to an orphanage in a few days. By then, going hungry would be a daily routine. According to the timeline of this fictional world, Julio and Annie obviously would not have to die, and little Aiwass should be able to grow up with his biological parents.
Of course, this future possibility only exists in their casual chat.
Although this dream world looks very real, with various touches and hunger, it is undoubtedly fabricated - it is full of various incongruities in the details, constantly reminding the participants of the ceremony that this is only a fictional temporary world.
It seems that if this is the case, people will regard the story that happened in this ceremony as unreal.
On the contrary, it is the inexperienced newcomer like Lulu who will seriously discuss with Aiwass the subsequent development of this world and speculate on the reasons why they encounter such problems.
She was still guessing that Aiwass Moriarty's biological parents should have been killed by the Hook Demon... But she couldn't figure out why little Aiwass survived. Then she began to discuss with Aiwas the possibility of their being attacked.
Sherlock mentioned once that "the stories in this world are not necessarily the same as those in the real world", but Lulu obviously didn't listen. He stopped talking and was too lazy to listen - so he simply turned around and went to explore the chemical plant to satisfy his curiosity and thirst for knowledge.
At least I did gain something.
Sherlock found two bottles of pure water and a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid in the abandoned laboratory. They could be used as materials for casting spells. After that, Sherlock began to look through the documents in the abandoned chemical plant, concentrating on the various remaining documents he had found.
Just like a detective invited to investigate an abandoned chemical plant, he is investigating the incident seriously.
As an adaptor of the path of wisdom, he must have a certain degree of reading addiction. Compared with chatting, this kind of reading is a more satisfying pastime for him.
"I think I understand why this chemical plant was abandoned..."
Sherlock returned contentedly, with a happy and satisfied smile. But just as he was about to tell Aiwass his reasoning, he saw the two people still chatting there - they started from art, went around and returned to art.
So the dusty newsboy raised his eyebrows and turned the bottle of sulfuric acid in his hand: "Are you guys still not done talking?"
"Chatting is about exchanging spiritual information."
Aiwass turned around with a smile and said: "How can we finish the conversation
“Family, life, dreams, what you read, what you do, what you think… Two different hearts, two souls that have not yet overlapped, are like two finely crafted gems. Overlapping them together, facing the sun, and slightly rotating them, they can reflect thousands of brilliances on the wall—these are the sparks of different thoughts. I call it chatting.
“And if it happens to rotate to a certain angle, it reflects a dazzling beauty that makes people's eyes shine and unforgettable for a lifetime - that is the focus of the soul. I call it love.”
"I originally thought that you might be from the port area and have connections with gangs."
Upon hearing this, Sherlock said coldly, "Now I am sure - you must be a playboy from a rich family. You are good at dealing with people, sweet-talking, and eloquent.
"Did you read so many books just to please girls?"
When he was reading the account book, he was also distracted by the sounds outside. Of course, he could also hear Aiwas's voice in this silent factory.
—This is indeed a man of insight and cultivation. He may not be as young as he looks, or he may have used a magic potion like "Basil" to maintain his youth... Maybe he is indeed a well-educated middle-aged man like the priest Julio he is playing at the moment.
But after hearing Aiwass's sophistry, Sherlock was convinced that the other party was a young man.
This sophistry reveals ostentation, childishness, frivolity, and a bit of arrogance - of course, he can be proud. At his age, he has such mature thinking and such erudition, which has surpassed his brainless peers by a lot.
"Fox" is indeed very powerful.
But, not as good as Edwards Moriarty.
Although Sherlock only met the real Aiwass once, the young man who suffered fundamental injuries that could not be cured by illumination magic and could only recuperate in a wheelchair was a truly smart, polite and humble person.
Sherlock thought highly of him. If he hadn't been busy advancing, he might have communicated with him more.
"Is wisdom that is shared with others no longer wisdom? Is truth that is shared with others no longer truth?"
Aiwass asked in return: "I read books in order to tell others - isn't this also a kind of dedication? There will always be people who can't read books, but they are not necessarily the abandoned children of great philosophers. It's just like the eyes of the blind, the legs of the lame, and the ears of the deaf. They lack the organs that allow them to read. Apart from that, they are still mature souls, qualified to pursue light and truth."
The black-haired, blue-eyed young monk narrowed his eyes, his mature and handsome face revealing a fox-like smile.
Sherlock raised his eyebrows and remained silent.
Although this still sounds like a sophistry... it sounds good.
But Sherlock soon realized that this was just Aiwass's way of saying something that would please him.
"As expected of a 'fox'."
Shylock said sarcastically, "I heard that in the Taichu Empire in the east of the desert, there was a saying called 'fox charm'. It was about a fox that was good at speaking and bewitched its monarch."
"Then I guess you don't know much. According to the Taichu Empire, foxes are called 'a thousand years old and connected to the heavens' in the wisdom path. In the astrology of the adaptation path, they represent the ninth star of the last constellation, which indicates many children and good fortune. In the authority path, it is said that 'the arrival of white foxes will benefit the nation; if they don't, the people will be arrogant'. In the love path, there is also the saying 'the king will appear if he is not obsessed with beauty', which means that if the king does not covet beauty and is diligent in governing the country... then foxes will appear."
Aiwass responded without pause using the same words: "Doesn't my presence prove that Avalon is now in its heyday?"
… Do you believe this yourself
Sherlock was choked by Aiwas's words and didn't know how to refute for a moment.
Especially when he knew that "Lulu" was Princess Isabel, he dared not say anything. Compared with Sherlock, Lulu obviously liked foxes more... If she went back and spread some words, he would be blamed for nothing.
—Sure enough, this “fox” also guessed who Lulu was.
That's why he said that. That's why he deliberately approached "Lulu"...
Sherlock originally wanted to stop the young princess from being seduced by the "fox", so he stepped forward to stop her. But the fox's erudition far exceeded his imagination... He had even read the original texts from another continent. In this case, the secrets he just talked about during the chat might not be all stories and lies...
Thinking of this, he actually felt a little admiration for the fox.
This is the path of wisdom. They seek mystery and truth, but not to leave a legacy or teach others.
Just learning is enough to make people happy, and exploring the truth itself is enough to become the meaning of life. From this perspective, if the fox walks on the path of wisdom, perhaps he can be regarded as his predecessor.
Sherlock raised his eyebrows, but his tone became gentler: "I was thinking, the third dual path person might be you
"Your knowledge and wisdom have surpassed many fools who try to pursue the path of wisdom. If not, are you interested in becoming a mage
"If you are willing, you can come to me. You know where I am... I can help you on the path to wisdom."
"Ah, that's not necessary."
Aiwass shook his head: "I read books for utilitarian purposes. If you want me to read books just for the sake of reading, I may not be able to bear it."
"It's really strange. People who devote themselves to the path of Taoism say they are utilitarian."
"This is not a conflict. My goal is to save all living beings."
At this point, he smiled and said, “You may not believe it now.
"But I will eventually save Avalon... and even the world from danger."
“… No, I believe it.”
Sherlock paused, but answered softly.
Because when the "fox" said this, the subtle smile on his face that said "he always looks like a bad guy" faded, and he became much more serious instead.
At that moment, Sherlock always felt that the "fox" was telling the truth.
Perhaps the cunning fox always lies without thinking... But perhaps, this is the only truth.
Seeing that the atmosphere between Aiwass and Sherlock suddenly became silent, Lulu on the side became a little flustered.
She was a little tired from holding little Aiwass, so she put the child's head on her lap and let him lie on the side of the chair with his head resting on her lap to sleep.
Lulu actually didn't quite understand what the two people were talking about—because she didn't understand the foreign language that Aiwass was speaking.
But she subconsciously felt that they might have had a quarrel, and it might have something to do with her.
Thinking that she might have done something wrong, Lulu's expression became nervous.
As soon as she got nervous, she stood up and spoke - because according to the etiquette Isabel had learned, as a protected person, she would appear formal and polite by doing so. As a result, as soon as she exerted her strength, she almost dropped the child who had forgotten everything on the ground. Fortunately, Sherlock was quick and rushed over to cushion the child with his hand, so that the back of the child's head did not hit the ground.
The three of them were in a panic for a while, but somehow they managed to avoid waking up little Aiwas.
“… You take good care of the children.”
Aiwass was somewhat helpless: "How about I do it?"
Sherlock sighed and said nothing.
And Lulu had already forgotten what she was going to say when she stood up.
She stretched out her hand to twiddle her hair at the temples with some embarrassment, and whispered: "Let me think about what I wanted to say just now..."
But at this moment, her expression suddenly changed.
"… Well!"
Lulu felt her abdomen churning and suddenly there was a sharp pain - as if the pain of menstruation was magnified three or four times. She immediately turned pale, her legs went weak, and her whole body trembled violently.
She stumbled forward two steps.
Just as Aiwas supported her, Lulu vomited a mouthful of dirty blood on the ground and then coughed violently.
The dark red blood was mixed with black clots that looked like jelly.