Chapter 5: Blood-Melting Hoodoo and Secret Letters

...

He looked even more uncomfortable, his ears turning red. I bit back a laugh.

Wow, after chasing me for so long, the cold and ruthless heir of Blackwater Lodge actually blushed. I almost wished I had a camera.

People from the bayou are all beautiful, every move full of unique charm. If it weren’t for this awkward situation, it’d be a rare sight. Too bad he’s my sworn enemy.

I coughed. “How about I find one to pay you back?” I tried to lighten the mood, but my voice was shaky.

...

He said, “It doesn’t…”

Before he finished, he started coughing violently, fresh blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His face was paper-white. So pitiful. My heart clenched.

I grabbed his hand. Carter instinctively tried to pull away, but finally gave up and let me hold his wrist. I followed his chaotic energy, searching for the source of his injury. A gentle, strong energy flowed into him. He was actually trembling? My touch must’ve surprised him.

Carter couldn’t stand, leaning toward me, his chest against my shoulder, heartbeat pounding. Looking up, I could see his red earlobes and white neck. Tsk, he’s really embarrassed. I tried to focus on helping, not staring.

Carter’s energy was scattered, rampaging like he’d gone mad, with nowhere to go. If this kept up, his organs would be badly damaged—not long to live. I bit my lip, worried.

But—

“Where’s your life bug?”

I frowned, looking up at him in confusion. His core was empty, like something was missing. I remembered Old Man Wyatt’s words: “All hoodoo masters raise a life bug…” It lives in the core, nourished by blood and flesh. My gut twisted.

Carter, hearing this, lowered his lashes, his pupils dark and clear. Suddenly, I didn’t dare look into his eyes. An unbelievable thought surfaced in my mind…

And Carter confirmed it. He said, “You ate it.”

I ate it. That plump, snow-white, nine-ringed Destiny Beetle. I ate it. Crispy and delicious. My stomach churned with guilt.

Turns out I’m the real villain!

Something called conscience was jumping in my chest, righteously accusing me of my crime. I winced, feeling the weight.

“...Then… what will you do?” My voice was small.

Without a life bug, for a hoodoo master, it’s like losing an arm or a leg. If Carter unleashes bugs on me, I won’t dodge. At worst, I’ll leave a will for Noah and have him bury some good whiskey with me. I tried to joke, but my hands shook.

Carter snorted, shook off my hand, and didn’t answer. He didn’t seem all that bitter or hateful—more like sulking. He walked off. I guessed he didn’t know where to go either, so I followed, keeping a safe distance.

I was trembling with fear. Who would’ve thought eating a fried bug could almost cost a life? My head spun.

But in the year he chased me, he didn’t seem injured. His energy was stable, his hoodoo skills top-notch. He chased me so fiercely. Why did he only fall ill a year later? The question nagged at me.

“Without your life bug, will you die…”

At that moment, I didn’t even wonder why the famous heir of Blackwater Lodge’s life bug was a harmless Destiny Beetle. Was he hoping to be a matchmaker? But before he even started, I ruined his fate. Figures.

“Not necessarily…”

He didn’t look back, voice gloomy. “If I die, don’t think you’ll live.”

Uh. I did think about atoning with my life, but not very seriously. Not my style.

I hurried after him, flustered. “What are you going to do now? Where are you going?” My voice was breathless.

...

“Back to the bayou to die.”

Still trying to scare me. I rolled my eyes.

“In your state, you probably can’t even make it back…”

I sped up and jumped in front of him. “How about I escort you? I know medicine, I can take care of you on the way. My parkour’s good—if we run into trouble, I can carry you and run.” I grinned, trying to tease him into a smile.

But Carter didn’t seem interested in making peace. He sneered, unmoved, trying to walk around me. Stubborn as ever.

I walked backward, blocking him. “If you really go mad or lose all your skills from losing your life bug, I can—support you!”

Though I’m broke. I shrugged, trying to make light of it.

When he heard that last part, Carter looked like he’d been teased again. He glared at me. But as soon as our eyes met, his gaze shifted past my shoulder, his face turning serious. Something was up.

What did he see?

I turned to look. A chest with its lid open lay on the ground, gleaming with cash. Several bills had fluttered out. My eyes widened.

What’s going on? Is fate telling me to support him? The thought made me snort.

Next to the chest, three piles of black-red clothes and shoes were scattered, vaguely human-shaped and still smoking. There was red liquid underneath. The smell was sharp and metallic.

Don’t tell me… those are the three traffickers? My stomach turned.

Looking around, I felt it had something to do with hoodoo. So ruthless. I shivered, hugging myself.

I stared at Carter. Was it you? Is hoodoo really so terrifying, turning people into puddles of blood?

“Not me.” He denied it right away, frowning as he looked at the bloody remains, as if deep in thought. His jaw was tight.

After a while, he asked, “Do you know Jasper ‘Smoke’ Lane?”

Isn’t that a blues singer? It sounded familiar. I frowned, trying to place the name.

Carter continued, “He’s from the bayou, skilled in Blood-Melting Hoodoo. Those who die by his hand turn into pools of blood, white smoke rising from them. In the underground, he calls himself… Smoke.” He spoke low, like the words themselves were poison.

“So he’s in the capital?”

Carter frowned at the barely human-shaped corpses, looking grave. His eyes were dark, troubled.

“Can’t you beat him?” I asked, a little curious. The infamous heir of Blackwater Lodge, king of the bayou—is there someone he’s afraid of?

Suddenly, I thought of the handsome Second Boss from Scarlet Moon Club. Could it be him! My mind raced.

Carter glanced at me and snorted, “Before, I wouldn’t be afraid…” His voice was bitter.

I shut up politely. No sense poking the bear.

He picked up a branch and squatted to examine one of the puddles. The branch touched the blood and started to smoke. I wrinkled my nose.

I grabbed a branch too and poked the chest of cash. If I wasn’t afraid of poison, I’d have pocketed a bill already. My fingers itched.

Hmm? There seemed to be a hidden compartment under the chest, revealed when it tipped over—a corner of white paper showing. Looked like a letter? My curiosity piqued.

I nudged Carter, signaling him to take it. I didn’t want to turn into a puddle. No way was I touching that thing.

He glared at me. “Blood-Melting Hoodoo isn’t so hard to deal with. What makes Smoke so feared is the person by his side…” He trailed off, voice low.

He tore off a piece of his shirt, wrapped his hand, pushed aside the cash, and opened the hidden compartment. It really was a letter! With intricate gold patterns and a faint fragrance. No signature. The paper shimmered in the light.

Carter held the envelope, hesitating to open it. His hands shook just a little.

“Why would Smoke be in the capital? Why kill these three?” I whispered, my nerves jangling.

I stammered, “These three were probably the traffickers who kidnapped you.” My voice was thin.

...

“And Smoke seems to be the owner of Scarlet Moon Club. Your buyer.” I tried to sound casual, but my stomach twisted.

Sure enough, Carter’s face darkened. He clenched the envelope, loosened, then clenched it again. His jaw was set.

After a long time, he said bitterly, “Smoke always acts strangely. He has a confidante, also infamous. The two are inseparable—very troublesome.” His eyes narrowed.

I thought for a moment. If Smoke is the Second Boss of Scarlet Moon Club, then his confidante is probably the owner. The capital really is full of hidden sharks—even a small Scarlet Moon Club has two experts. I whistled low.

I was amazed. Then I realized, I didn’t seem like much of a good person myself. Maybe I fit in better than I thought.

Without thinking, I asked him, “Is this confidante called… Blue?”

Carter was stunned. “How do you know?” His eyes went wide.

How do I know? Maybe you should ask yourself why you don’t know. I smirked, feeling smug.

...

I pursed my lips, holding back a mysterious smile. Carter looked puzzled for a while, then I watched as his pale neck slowly turned pink, then his earlobes. His sickly face now tinged with thin anger. He looked about ready to explode.

Tsk, what a sight.

“You…”

I’m shameless. It’s not the first time. Someone whose clothes I’ve stripped should know that by now. I grinned, unrepentant.

“Come on, open it, open it.” I waved my knife handle, pointing at the letter in his hand. My curiosity was killing me.

Gotta change the topic quickly—who knows if he has something as nasty as Blood-Melting Hoodoo on him. I edged back, just in case.

Carter glared at me, face cold, snorted, and tore open the envelope. The paper crackled in his hands.

I leaned over, my chin almost on his left shoulder. I could smell the faint scent of his cologne.

“Don’t get so close.”

He moved half a step away.

“I can’t see.” I pouted, leaning closer, even reaching out my hand.

He took a deep breath, clenched his fist. His knuckles went white.

I pretended not to notice and started reading, eyes scanning the page.

Too bad—I couldn’t understand it. Not many words, but each one looked like a bug, twisted and crawling. I wrinkled my nose.

Boring.

I backed away, almost stepping in the blood. My stomach churned as I caught myself just in time.