It took another five to ten minutes fyuu Park to pletely stand up straight. His Qi started flowing normally again, and his muscles and boopped hurting. It took a while before he could walk without limping, and by the time he exited the docks area, he was finally able to hold his phone in his hand firmly without almost dropping it on the ground.
After a short moment of sideration, he decided to send a text to both Gloria and Sue, telling them that he o head back to his temple first: “Hey, I o head bay temple first. ’t e by because I got something dirty on my clothes. Let’s meet either tomorrow or some time after, I’ll o go up.”
“Uood, be careful on your way back.” Gloria responded.
Before he left, Gyuu Park threw down some red paper s ced with golden lines and burhem with his Qi. It was meant to be a sign of apologies for disturbing the peace, yet he had no idea if it would mean anything right now.
Time was still te at this hour, and he had no choice but to go ba foot. It was quite far away, he had to ast almost half the entire South Eastern District to get back to the temple. But he did not really have a choice right now, the only thing he could do was avoid traveling through areas that were too dense in terms of local residence.
In Gloria’s temporary hiding pce, with Gyuu Park not present, the two young women could finally have a bit of wiggle room iight space.
Detective Marcus Cai was indeed sleeping soundly with regur slow and soothing breathing patterns, and he occasionally mumbled something.
“So - what do you think happeo Gyuu Park, I mean.” Sue asked Gloria: “It’s kinda weird, right?”
“Yes. But he must have a reason…” Gloria shrugged: “Let’s ask him whe the detective outta here…” Before she could finish, Gloria’s phoarted ringing, and it was from her than Gyuu Park.
“Hey, what happened?” Gloria immediately answered.
“Okay, bring Sue over, find a quiet pce so we chat.” Gyuu Park, sounding like he was running, or at least walkiively fast.
Glestured to Sue and poi the door. They went out of the entrance of this whole apartment building and found a hidden er on the side between this building and some metal fences.
“Okay, go.” Gloria said as she put Gyuu Park on speaker.
“Okay, first thing - that detective in there seems legit. And I mean well-iioned legit.” Gyuu Park panted lightly, and sounded like he kicked away ay : “I tried something when I was in the docks earlier. That ‘Sitch’ guy? Looks like someone from around here a injured fr to save the man. I ask around who this is. But at least from now we sorta clude he’s a good dude, at least not a bad ooo bad, whoever that ‘Sitch’ guy was, he’s most likely dead. There are many bodies on the docks area, and the unity watd patrol team should get there shortly, hopefully ayway. ”
“Okay - we sort of uand that. And what else? Are you okay?” Gloria asked.
“I’m good. I looked a bit too hard and pissed some spirits off. I should’ve knower. My mistake.” Gyuu Park chuckled and sighed: “And - when I fought the spirits, I noticed that they too had some kind of s or tubes on their backs. I am still irely sure what it does, but I think I have sh idea - it’s that Qi - I mean that particur forbidden nono thialked about. I cut it open and some kind of foul liquid leaked out. This liquid triggered an acute rea from my blessed oil - so, be careful. When you’re dealing with them.”
“Thank you - I guess I uand now.” Gloria frowhen looked at the dire of the docks, “And - what else? Have you seen anything else?”
“Not much, aside from the fact that the docks are very dangerous.” Gyuu Park sighed: “But - don’t do anythi, I o che some old records to make sense of what I saw. So - ”
“I uand, don’t do anything rash, wait for you to get back to us. ” Gloria sighed, then snickered: “How long are you going to dive into the records this time? I am still waiting for you to get bae from st time.”
“I’ll try, I’ll try.” Gyuu Park let out a very long sigh: “And you stay out of trouble. Now I’m gono hang up - there’s no telling if omens and foul flow of Qiyun could flow through the telephone.”
“Alright, take care.” Gloria shook her head, then turned her eyes to the detective lying on her bed: “Sue, what do you think?”
“Well - things are plicated beyond belief now. I don’t know…” Sue sighed and adjusted her position on the desk: “I am beginning to think we should probably try the old ruins.”
“I - I’m not gonna lie, I am beginning to feel the same way…” Sue rubbed her temples, then checked her phone: “Anyway - it’s really te, do you wanna go back? You still have work tomorrht?”
“...yes. ” Sue sighed: “I’m sorry - but I want to help you with the - well with everything. But let me do something before I leave.”
“Oh, and what is that?” Sue her friend with a smile.
“Something I picked up when diving into old records with Turner.” Sue shook her head: “I don’t know if it will work, but I’ve experimented a little, and I think it could help.” Then she looked around: “Do you have anything sticky, like oi? And I borrow some of your medial alcohol?”
“Yeah. Here.” Gloria turned around and grabbed a ft, short metal jar with a lion on the lid, and a small tinted gss bottle: “Will you be drawing some kind of blessed symbol?”
“You saw right through me.” Sue smiled, “And, inal recipe Lion Balm! Good for you! It’s harder and harder to get these days.”
“What I say, I bruise a lot.” Gloria chuckled.
Sue scooped a small ball of oi from the metal jar, spshed a little medial alcohol on it, then took out a small pstic bag of yellow dust - shavings from inse sticks. She proceeded to mix the oi, medial oil and the inse shaving. The mix turned brown, like a blob of cy.
Then with caution and care, Sue drew two symbols on both sides of the door frame: on the left, the traditional character of “still”, and on the right, the traditional character of “steady”.
“Still and steady?” Gloria nodded: “What do these symbols do?”
“They should help you ward off the influence of bad Fengshui aive aura.” Sue shrugged: “I mean - I don't know if it will wainst EVERYTHING, but at least now you have something.”
