Devil's Eye Reborn - Shadow Angel Awakens - Chapter 92

Chapter 92: Chapter 90：The Corpse Handler of Egypt
 

I lifted the cheetah’s body onto my shoulder and said, “I’m going to find the person who stole my master’s body.”

“But you don’t even know who the enemy is. Where will you start?” Hayashi Junko, who had been silent, suddenly asked softly.

“Indeed, I have no clue about the enemy’s whereabouts,” I turned to face her and pointed to the cheetah on my shoulder. “But this cheetah fought with the enemy and can help us.”

“You want me to use the ‘Eye of Reminiscence’?” Zicheng asked.

“No, the ‘Eye of Reminiscence’ only works on human memories, not on animals,” I paused and smiled. “But I have a friend who can awaken this sleeping big cat.”

“Who?” everyone asked in unison.

“The Corpse Handler of Egypt,” I said with a smile, flicking the dry nose of the cheetah.

The corpse handler’s home is located in a small village near the valley, and we reached it quickly in the jeep. Due to its remote desert location, the so-called village was merely composed of about a hundred people and a few straw huts.

“You all wait here,” I said, parking the jeep far away from the village to avoid drawing attention. I carried the cheetah’s corpse, wrapped in burlap, and only took Zicheng into the village with me.

The villagers, except for the children, all wore black robes that covered their entire bodies, leaving only their eyes visible. They saw us but showed no surprise, merely nodding coldly before continuing their work.

“They’re very cold towards outsiders,” Zicheng whispered beside me.

“This tribe has lived in isolation in the depths of the desert for generations, almost cut off from the world. That’s why they are so cold towards outsiders,” I explained. Having visited this village several times, I wasn’t bothered. I smiled and greeted them before leading Zicheng to the largest straw hut at the end of the village.

The straw hut, made of yellow vines and wild grass, looked old and shabby, quite simple.

“Aimana, it’s me,” I knocked lightly on the door and called out in Arabic, “Bi yongnuo.”

“Come in,” a sharp, piercing voice came from inside.

I left Zicheng outside and entered, carrying the cheetah’s corpse. As soon as I opened the door, a strong fragrance hit my nose. I recognized it as the spice Aimana usually used to preserve corpses.

A few rays of sunlight sneaked through the gaps in the straw roof, illuminating the mummies and ancient artifacts scattered around, creating a strange atmosphere. In the center of the hut, a short man sat with his back to me, meticulously applying spices to a corpse on a wide wooden table.

“Mr. Muhammad, don’t you think you should put down your work when a friend visits?” I knocked on the straw door and smiled.

“Little Nuo, speak quickly and don’t interrupt my work,” Aimana said in his usual sarcastic tone, still with his back to me.

“Alright, alright, don’t be mad. I have an important request this time,” I said, knowing his temperament well and not getting angry. “My master’s body has been stolen.”

“What? Your master is dead?” Aimana finally stopped his work and turned to look at me.

Aimana had a long, thick beard and a fierce expression, his sharp features accentuated by his thin face.

“Yes, he passed away half a year ago,” I nodded. “After his death, we buried his body in the Valley of the Whales. But today, when I went to pay my respects, I found the tombstone knocked over and the body missing from the coffin.”

“Hey, do you think I’m the one who stole the body?” Aimana raised an eyebrow and sneered.

I shook my head and smiled. “Why would I think you stole my master’s body? He didn’t leave anything valuable worth your trouble.”

Aimana snorted and said coldly, “Then why are you here?”

“Actually, I don’t even know who took the body, so I’m here to ask for your help.”

“Hey, you want me to handle the corpse?” Aimana’s eyes suddenly lit up with excitement as he glanced at the burlap sack on my shoulder.

He cleared a space on the work table and said, “Put it here, gently! Be careful not to damage it!”

I placed the burlap sack on the table, smiling at his anxious expression.

“This… is a cheetah!” Aimana’s eyes seemed to blaze with fire as he slowly uncovered the cheetah’s corpse.

“This cheetah is a rare species. It fought with the body thief, and I hope you can use it to help me find the enemy’s location,” I said with a smile.

“What will you give me in return?” Aimana asked, stroking the cheetah’s body, almost ignoring me.

“In addition to this one, there are two more cheetah corpses in my car, which will also be yours after this,” I said.

“And?” Aimana asked, still focused on the cheetah’s body. “You know these aren’t enough to make me risk my life for you.”

“Of course I know,” I smiled and called Zicheng inside. “Aimana, you once mentioned a pharaoh’s puzzle box containing a treasure map, right?”

“So what? That puzzle box is ingeniously designed, containing several chemicals. One mistake and it will explode, destroying the treasure map and the person opening it,” Aimana said coldly, finally turning to look at me and then at Zicheng. “Even Rahab, the old Egyptian demon, doesn’t know how to solve it. Do you think this kid can open it?”

“Yes,” I said, smiling at Zicheng. “He can.”

Aimana looked at me, sneering but saying nothing.

“His name is Zheng Zicheng, my friend, and also a demon,” I said, smiling at Aimana. “His ability is to read the memories of the dead.”

Aimana shuddered and said in shock, “What! He can read memories?”

“Yes,” I smiled.

Aimana stared at Zicheng for a long time, then said excitedly, “Alright! I’ll help you, but don’t you dare deceive me!”

“Aimana, have I ever deceived you in our previous deals?” I shook my head and smiled.

Aimana didn’t respond, just sneered and jumped off the table, quickly walking into the back room alone. Soon, the sound of rummaging came from inside.

At this moment, only Zicheng and I were left in the main room.

“Little Nuo, is this the corpse handler you mentioned?” Zicheng asked, having understood nothing of our conversation in Arabic.

“Yes, his name is Aimana. He’s the last descendant of Egypt’s corpse-handling clan and currently works as a tomb raider,” I smiled. “His family was the royal priests in ancient Egypt, and Rahab has dealt with his ancestors.”

“So, Rahab knows him too, no wonder he’s willing to help us,” Zicheng said.

“That’s not the main reason. I knew him before Rahab,” I smiled.

“You knew him before Rahab?” Zicheng asked.

“Yes, we met three years ago,” I nodded. “I was seventeen then, and had been a demon for just a year.”

“Due to the extensive use of my demonic power during training, my master sent me to a small town to hunt for human lives and gain experience. The town had about a hundred residents. I pretended to be a wanderer and stayed for a week, silently draining most of the townspeople’s life energy.”

Zicheng’s face showed discomfort, and I knew he was feeling uneasy. I continued with a smile, “The day before I left the town, I broke into the local gang’s hideout alone. I planned to drain the gang members’ life energy before leaving, but I unexpectedly encountered Aimana.”

“Was Aimana caught while failing to rob a tomb?” Zicheng suddenly asked.

“Ah, how did you know?” I asked, surprised.

“We’ve been police officers long enough to distinguish between good and bad people,” Zicheng said, looking at the door to the back room. “Despite his eccentric appearance, his eyes don’t seem like those of a criminal.”

“You’re right; he wasn’t part of the gang,” I clapped my hands. “Aimana had previously outwitted the gang, making them wary. Eventually, he was caught in a trap during a tomb raid. When I arrived, they were torturing him to reveal the location of the stolen treasures.”

“I was using the ‘Eye of Illusions’ to make the gang members kill each other. Aimana, covered in blood, saw me and, despite not understanding the situation, knew it was a chance to escape. He begged me for help,” I recalled. “Though he was near death, his eyes showed an intense will to live. He said, ‘Please… please save me… I can’t die yet!'”

“His will to live is strong,” Zicheng said, lowering his head. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Did you save him then?”

“I didn’t save him immediately because I’m a demon, not an angel. I don’t do good deeds for free,” I smiled. “I approached him to sense his remaining life energy. Though I couldn’t measure it precisely, it was so low that even if I saved him, he wouldn’t live for more than a year. I revealed my identity as a demon and told him this, asking if he would trade half of his remaining life for my help.”

“He agreed immediately?” Zicheng asked, frowning.

“Yes, without hesitation,” I said.