Mystery: Gray Walker

Chapter 12 The Prosperous Garden

"Be more natural..."

Greene reminded himself of this, and at the same time turned around nonchalantly, preparing to confirm the girl's location again.

But in that instant of turning around, the girl disappeared.

The spot where he had been standing was now empty, with only a few pedestrians hurrying past. It was as if everything that had just happened was merely a hallucination.

But Green, as an investigator, was absolutely certain that he couldn't have been wrong.

"Sir, what are you looking for?"

The old woman selling bread asked softly, wiping flour off her hands with her apron.

Green's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his previous casual demeanor as he pointed to the spot where the girl had been standing:

"Oh, it's nothing. I think I just saw someone I know... Did you see a young woman standing over there?"

The old woman squinted in the direction he pointed and shook her head.

"Sorry, there were too many people coming and going, I didn't notice any girl."

Green nodded, then turned and left.

There's a problem, that's his conclusion.

However, not far after he walked, a person suddenly emerged from an alley; it was the girl who had just disappeared.

Green paused slightly, and slowly reached his right hand towards his waist.

"Are you leaving already?" The girl's voice was clear and crisp, with a slightly playful tone.

"Who are you?" Green asked in a deep voice.

The girl seemed completely unconcerned by Green's obviously wary attitude, and instead took a light step forward, still smiling.

She chuckled softly, "Yes, I've been waiting for you. I've been wandering around this area for two days, and I've finally found you today."

Two days? Green's heart sank.

This means that the other party may have been monitoring the agency ever since he hid in the hotel. His whereabouts had already been exposed.

Why are you waiting for me? We don't seem to know each other.

"That's not important."

The girl tilted her head, her smile unchanged. "The important thing is... you seem to be in trouble."

"And don't you want to know what happened that night?"

Upon hearing this, Green's heart sank. He knew William's matter was related to him. But... it shouldn't be someone from the Crimson Order. Could it be someone sent by White Cat to find him?

The girl looked at Green's suddenly contracting pupils and chuckled again.

"Relax, Mr. Morris."

She waved her hand casually. "If I wanted to cause you trouble, I wouldn't have met you this way. On the contrary, I'm here to discuss a deal, and incidentally... to clear up some of your confusion."

Another transaction?

The girl's gaze swept meaningfully over the surrounding crowd, and she lowered her voice:

"However, with so many people coming and going here, it's really not convenient to discuss certain... 'special' topics. What do you think?"

"Okay," Green readily agreed. "You can come to my office."

"A firm?"

The girl shook her head, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "If I were you, Mr. Morris, I would stay away from your current 'safe house.' And..."

Her gaze fell on the warm, fragrant bread wrapped in oil paper in Green's hand. "You'd better not eat that 'breakfast' in your hand either."

Green was about to ask why, but before he could finish speaking, a chill ran through him.

That old woman who sells bread!

She was near the office, kind and natural... but the girl's appearance and disappearance were so strange, yet the old woman claimed she hadn't noticed.

Was it that they genuinely didn't see it, or... were they deliberately hiding it?

Without any hesitation, Green flicked his wrist and tossed the hot bread directly into the roadside trash can.

The girl gave him an approving look at his decisiveness, then turned around and walked briskly toward a narrow alleyway next to her, where clothes were hanging to dry.

"Come with me."

Green took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts, and followed closely behind.

The two walked silently through the alleyway, one in front of the other.

The girl seemed very familiar with the place, navigating the winding paths without the slightest hesitation.

A few minutes later, they stopped in front of a rather ordinary-looking coffee shop.

The dark wooden sign reads "Secret Door," a strange name. But through the brightly polished glass windows, you can see groups of customers sitting inside, talking in hushed tones, while waiters move about carrying trays.

Green stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing slightly.

There were quite a few people inside. Wouldn't discussing "special" topics in a place like this attract more attention than on the street?

"Here?" he couldn't help but ask in a low voice.

The girl seemed not to hear his doubts. Instead, she looked around the street to make sure there was nothing unusual, and then, under Green's surprised gaze, she did not head towards the main entrance of the café.

Instead, they walked straight to the side of the cafe, to the slightly mottled brick wall covered with ivy.

Then, something happened that made Green's pupils constrict.

The moment the girl's figure touched the wall, it spread out like a water droplet into a sponge, creating a barely perceptible ripple, and then she vanished abruptly.

Green stood there, stunned, thinking he was hallucinating.

Is it some kind of visual illusion? Or...?

Before he could figure it out, another hand suddenly reached out from the wall that had just "swallowed" the girl—a fair hand belonging to the girl.

Her hand moved quickly and accurately, grabbing his wrist.

Green had no time to react before he felt a powerful force come his way, and then his vision blurred and his body was suddenly thrown forward.

The expected pain of hitting the wall did not come; instead, I felt a strange sense of weightlessness and penetration.

The surrounding scenery instantly distorted and blurred.

When he came to his senses, Green was no longer on that street, but standing in a very deceptive place.

Above was not a ceiling, but a deep night sky, seemingly studded with fine stardust, radiating a tranquil glow that illuminated the scene below.

The grass underfoot was thick, and all sorts of strange and brightly colored flowers were blooming freely, filling the air with a sweet floral fragrance.

Not far away, around a long table naturally entwined with thick, dark vines, sat seven or eight people.

They were dressed in different ways, but without exception, they all wore ornaments made of a plant.

There are tender green vines that twine around the wrists, flowers that tremble slightly in the hair, or leaves that seem to be still breathing, pinned to the collar.

They seemed to be discussing something; their voices were not loud, but the way they exchanged glances gave off a strange feeling.

lure...

The only word Green could think of that was most fitting: Exuding charm and allure, regardless of gender.

Scattered on the table were not only scrolls and books, but also goblets filled with amber liquid, and several ambiguously shaped objects, resembling some kind of unique organ.

The moment Green appeared, all sound and movement stopped.

Those gazes were no longer simply scrutinizing, but rather a mixture of curiosity, assessment, and a kind of... playful appreciation as if admiring some interesting 'collection'.

A charming woman dressed in a silk robe with a low neckline even licked her red lips with the tip of her tongue, her eyes glazed over.

Just then, a girl's voice sounded beside him, but it seemed somewhat eerie in the current environment:

Welcome to the "Garden of Prosperity".

"A bustling garden? Hidden in the city?" he muttered to himself, his tone wary rather than admiring.

In Green's view, the "vitality" here was too vigorous, too...unrestrained, and instead exuded a corrupt and decadent atmosphere.

The garden may appear pristine on the surface, but inside it is likely a breeding ground for desires.

"The truth lies beneath the surface," the girl chuckled.

Her smile, under those amused gazes, seemed all the more meaningful. "Everything is welcome here... vibrant desires, Mr. Morris. Suppression is the desecration of the Mother Goddess's grace."

Mother Goddess?

Green hasn't yet broken free from the Crimson Cult that worships the "Father God," and now he's entangled with the "Flourishing Garden" that worships some bullshit Mother God.

They are all cults.

At the head of the long table, a plump woman with a gentle face, like a neighbor's aunt, spoke. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were icy:

"Lillian, bringing in new faces requires a good reason. You know, while the Mother Goddess's 'Garden' is tolerant, it also abhors... unnecessary weeds."

As she spoke, her fingers unconsciously stroked a slowly wriggling vine on the table.

Lillian appeared relaxed when questioned:

"Ms. Martha, Mr. Grin Morris is no weed. He personally ruined an important sowing of the Scarlet Order, and he himself exudes... an alluring fragrance. I think the Garden of Prosperity should be interested in such a seed. Besides, he is someone Clarice is interested in."