The street vendor stall was located in the rural outskirts of Donghai City. Infrastructure was lacking; street lamp flickering in and out, terrifying any children at night. The road was bumpy, riddled with deep potholes, too harsh for any automobile to traverse smoothly. Tourists avoided this place, mainly for safety reasons.

  It was only through mere chance that Ulrich had heard of this particular food stall from the older locals, so the seer decided to give it a try. The menu was cheap and affordable, with plenty of praise from those old locals. How could he not be tempted? Not to mention, he wasn’t afraid of safety concerns.

  Heh, wasn’t he a walking hazard? A personification of misfortune? Anyone who encountered him, like Zheng San, must have their days numbered, fated truly.

  In that moment, Ulrich blinked, hoping that it wasn’t just his imagination or the spices getting to his eyes. However, he was never defeated by spices! He knew what he saw, and it was no hallucination. So the truth was simple:

  Murder in broad daylight?

  No, it wasn’t daylight anymore; the sun had since fallen.

  He raised his hand, glancing at the time. 10:42. Just as he saw the time, the body torso hidden behind dark shades ‘moved’. More accurately, it was ‘pulled’ by an invisible force, perhaps someone around the corner. Had it been any other loop, he’d certainly make a move, follow the trail, and see what awaits the transmigrator.

  Not this time. It was vacation, and he intended to complete a complete vacation loop without having to meddle his hand in the affairs of others. Yet, in the back of his mind, his seer intuition irritated him to no end, like a child screaming and compelling him to go, to follow that body and see what it was all about.

  By this point, curiosity got the best of him. Hard as he tried, that feeling haunted him.

  ! Ulrich paid the bill and stormed off in the direction where he saw the body; his swift departure left the old vendor owner speechless.

  “Damn rascal! At least you didn’t dine and dash!”

  Ulrich ignored the raspy yelling brushing his ears, focusing his attention on the trail of blood. Fortunately, this road was unsuited for vehicles, with most traveling on foot. As he tracked the trails, Ulrich passed by many houses, made of bricks and concrete, all separated by shabby walls.

  The culprit didn’t seem to bother hiding their traces at all, as though they were not concerned with being caught. This left him even more baffled. Was it the work of an amateur? Or was this person a professional, someone who’s extremely confident in their killing method and ability to escape?

  What was more concerning in his head was why? Why kill the white-haired old man?

  As that thought crossed his mind, Ulrich stopped, his back leaning against the almost crumbled wall. The neighborhood was located next to a small river, and the trail led directly to the bank of the river.

  A river?

  Immediately, he realized. Where else would one dispose of a body in the stillness of the night? A river!

  “W—Who are you?”

  Ulrich peeked over the wall, trying his best to conceal his presence. The old man, surprisingly, was still alive. The seer had mistaken him for a corpse, but evidently, the corpse still had some life left.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  “You are meant to die in accordance with the set history.” A male voice, colder and threatening, replied.

  Ulrich glanced at the man. He was quite young, perhaps in his late twenties. In his hand was a sashimi knife, blood dripping from his elbow down toward the tip of the blade, staining the vibrant grass crimson.

  “I don’t understand! I have no debts with anyone, I didn’t anger anyone, I live in peace!”

  The old man cried; though his voice was weak, like a small breeze passing by. The culprit chuckled coldly, showing no emotion toward the plead and shook his head. He didn’t see the old man in front of him as a living person, more like a corpse. A moving corpse.

  “This is all for the sake of the greater good.”

  He said, raising the knife over the bright moon and swinging downward. In that moment, Ulrich stepped out, his steps deliberately heavy and stout, producing loud thuds. The killer's hand froze midair, his eyes narrowed at the newcomer. Despite the sudden appearance of another person, he did not seem affected or perturbed in the slightest.

  “Young man, if you know what’s good for you, turn around and go home.” The killer scowled.

  Ulrich mused, though it didn’t matter at all. The white light will arrive at midnight, and with that, wipe everything on earth.

  “Ahem.” The seer coughed, getting into character as he mimicked a wise and ancient tone of voice.

  “Young benefactor, I see you have malice in your heart. Why don’t you put down that weapon of destruction and accept righteousness in your heart?”

  His voice was pleasant and warm, resembling a living Buddha. In the past, he’d often imitate Buddha and sweep the city of Donghai of every criminal syndicate, trying to turn the bad good, flipping black and white. Good deeds and merit it was, but the point was entertainment.

  He’d forgotten how many loops that was ago, and how many times he had tried to turn the city into paradise in the span of twelve hours. A hundred? Two hundred? It was in the hundreds. In the end, it was hopeless, though he did learn quite a lot from those loops.

  “What?” The killer's hand jolted, finding Ulrich’s words extremely unpleasant to his ears.

  “I don’t like your voice.” He said blankly.

  Ulrich smiled, and he’d imagine a golden halo glowing behind his head as he said. “Benefactor, I am the living Buddha, and all demons fear me. I see that your hearts are clouded by demonic thoughts. Why not put down the violence and speak like virtuous people?”

  The young man's face twisted, hesitation growing on his face. For some reason, he finds the stranger’s voice very reasonable, to the point that he wanted to put down the sashimi knife and turn the leaf over. However, he shook his head, finding it ridiculous.

  “Buddha? You’re a fraud!”

  The Buddha sighed, finding the young man helpless beyond redemption. “I see you have doubts, young benefactor.”

  In that moment, Buddha crouched low, picking up a handful of pebbles the size of a thumb, then stood up to face the young benefactor.

  “In my journey, I have seen countless benefactors clouded by demonic thoughts. You are not the first, and will not be the last. As Buddha, I am obligated to guide you toward the path of righteousness.”

  The old man's vision blurred, his earring growing impaired. Yet, he can’t help but find Ulrich’s voice extremely soothing and pleasing, like throwing a warm blanket over one’s body on a freezing winter night.

  He thought as his vision welcomed the eternal darkness.

  Ulrich smiled widely, picking a particular pebble among many, and held it between his index finger and thumb. Then, with a swift motion, he threw it forward. The pebble whistled and cut through the wind, throwing the killer offguard. His body moved before his mind could, yet it was too late when the pebble arrived.

  The pebble struck precisely on the cephalic vein of the wrist, cracking the bone and leaving his hand numb with swelling pain. Immediately, the killer’s face twisted into agony, his knife dropping to the ground. Its sharp edge cut through the blade of grass, but it was no longer held by a human.

  Ulrich's voice came, steady and unchanging. “Benefactor, I see it now. You have finally agreed to speak like a civilized person.”

  The killer, still in agony and holding onto the purple, swelling wrist, screamed with injustice as he pointed at Ulrich's pacified face. “Bullshit! You just attacked me! I have never heard of Buddha attacking anyone in my life!”

  Buddha tilted his head, clearly confused. “You must be mistaken. Don’t be tempted by your inner demon. Come, let Buddha embrace you.”

  Saying so, Buddha leaped from where he stood, charging toward the disarmed young man with a beaming smile on his face.