Spoiled by Eight Uncles (Lily)

The Jar of Souls spun around, occasionally spitting out black air, indicating that it was experiencing some indigestion.

The captured black energy remained lifeless and unresponsive.

Josh, poking around nervously, asked, “Is it solved? It won't come out again will it?” Lilly nodded and reassured him, “Yes, it's fine now. But if the black energy fills up the Jar of Souls, Michael, and the others won't have a way to return home.” The unlucky ghost immediately grew excited, exclaiming, “Yes! Let's take a three-day, two-night trip!” The harem spirit chimed in, “Well, that sounds good. I'm going to find cute guys.” The cowardly ghost, with a face full of exasperation, retorted, “Can you please take this more seriously?” The harem spirit blinked innocently and replied, “I am being serious! | am. I'm serious about finding cute guys.” All the ghosts exchanged baffled glances.

Josh asked, “Can't we just let the Jar of Souls consume the black energy? That way, the ghosts can go home.” The Jar of Souls had two functions, to “contain” ghosts and to “consume” them. The former created a small world for the ghosts, while the latter would permanently destroy, eat, and absorb them.

Whether it would consume the black energy depended on Lilly's decision. Currently, it was evident that the jar of souls had absorbed the black energy but had not “consumed” it, indicating that Lilly had no intention of extinguishing the black energy.

Lilly explained, “I haven't figured out what it is yet...and that girl's cry always gives people an unsettling feeling.” When the girl cried earlier, Lilly could not help but feel a tinge of pity.

Josh touched his heart and added, “Indeed, it truly sends shivers down your spine.” Well, it was quite unsettling.

Blake added, “And, as usual, your unreliable master is nowhere to be found at a time like this.” As soon as the words were spoken, Pablo’s voice echoed, “Who are you calling unreliable?” Blake immediately scooped up Lilly and retorted, “Come on, Lilly, if | don’t bring you back to Grandma, she’s gonna call me unreliable!” Pablo was speechless.

Blake carried Lilly and led the others into the car, and Josh hurriedly took his seat.

Even though the ghost had been captured, Josh still could not shake off the feeling of standing on that deserted street. It was as if another female ghost would appear ominously by the roadside at any moment.

However...

When they arrived, there were only a few people, but now the car was filled with ghosts.

As Josh glanced up, he caught sight of a female ghost in a red wedding dress standing next to him through the rearview mirror.

In sheer terror, he jolted out of his seat and pressed himself against the car window.

“You, you, you...” The female ghost in the wedding dress looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Hey there, little handsome guy, what's the matter with you?” She had recently learned the term “handsome guy” and thought it could be used for anyone. But why was Josh's expression turning ugly? “What's wrong with me?” The female ghost in the wedding dress touched her face. “Oh, did | scare you?” She covered her red veil with her hands.

Josh was silent.

That's scarier! Sometimes, he experiences glimpses of apparitions, as if he suddenly caught sight of the missing girl, and now he saw the ghostly figure in a wedding dress.

When he turned around, he noticed that the car was filled with ghosts. They sat in the back seats, clung to the windshield, and stuck themselves to the windows. He was incredibly scared! Unaware of Josh's peculiar behavior, Lilly asked, “Master, what is this dark energy?” Pablo assumes a grave expression and replies, “Do you remember what | told you before, that hell is empty and demons roam the world?” Lilly nods, saying, “So, this is also an evil spirit?” Pablo affirms, “Precisely, it's more accurately described as demonic energy. It can be understood as evil spirits stemming from one person's evil intentions, whereas demonic energy arises from the collective malevolence of many individuals.” “The girl's disappearance is an enigmatic case. Within it, a few individuals indulge in consuming human blood.” Pablo began to ask Lilly what happened, and that was when he became aware of the mystical energy contained in the jar of souls.

“While the majority of people are genuinely concerned about the girl's whereabouts, a small group of individuals view this heart- wrenching and grave matter as entertainment, exploiting it for their own gain.” “Especially on the live streaming platform, prior to today, people even came from all over the country to set up tents on the streets for live broadcasts, treating it as entertainment and engaging in gift exchanges to deceive and receive donations.” Not content with these actions, they began fabricating various “evidence” to confuse the public, using them as props to swindle more donations.

Although many people harbor doubts, there were still those who approach it with a voyeuristic mindset, providing an opportunity for influencers to exploit the situation.

Blake sneered contemptuously and whispered, “How ironic...” Undeniably, this matter was also intertwined with the ineffectiveness of the official investigation. If the case could be promptly solved, it would not have escalated to this extent. Unfortunately, countless cases around the world remain unsolved. A glimpse into the archives would reveal the staggering number of unsolved cases.

“But let's not dwell on that,” Pablo interjects. “Tomorrow, we’ll meet the missing girl's parents, and then you'll understand.” Lilly nodded.

On this particular occasion, they arrived home early and found Bettany seated at the desk, flipping through a couple of pages in a book. Overwhelmed with distress, she was unable to continue reading when suddenly she heard the sound of a car engine.

To her surprise, Blake's car returned.

Bettany wondered...

Why are they back so early today? It's only eleven o'clock! She promptly switched off the room’s light.

After a while, she was Lilly and the others discreetly sneaking out of the car and rushing inside.

Bettany listened intently, but could not hear the sound of them going up the stairs. Eventually, she faintly heard the door closing, indicating Lilly and the others returned to their respective rooms.

“They've made some progress, but it’s still late,” Bettany muttered to herself. “Still, it's better than coming back at four or five in the morning... don’t you think?” Hugh mumbled, “Huh... huh...” in his sleep.

Bettany tossed the book she was holding in frustration and exclaimed, “What good are you for?” Hugh turned over, unwilling to let Bettany him. Instead, he clung to the pillow, hugging it tightly in his arms.

He continued to sleep soundly.

Bettany stared at him, muttered a few words, and went to bed.

The following day, Blake continued his journey with Lilly and the others to Zoswil, the missing girl's hometown.

It seemed that Blake had become Lilly's full-time chauffeur and a dedicated father figure, bringing him one step closer to his dream of resigning.

They departed in the morning and arrived at Zoswil in the afternoon.

The missing girl's parents resided in the town. Since their daughter's disappearance, they spent their days sitting by the door, unable to concentrate on work. They could only gaze emptily at the door or wash their faces with tears every day.

Blake easily located the missing girl's home, and the sight that greeted him was miserable.

Upon spotting Blake and the others, the girl's mother glanced at them blankly but remained silent.

The girl's father reluctantly entertained them, gesturing toward a few scattered stools nearby and saying, “Please have a seat.” Before Blake and others could ask him, the girl's father mechanically spoke up.

“There is still no news about Tracy, and the police haven't made any significant progress.” “The coffee shop near the scene has been thoroughly investigated, and there are no doubts there.” “Tracy doesn’t engage in online dating, nor does she have any internet addiction or clinical depression...” Presumably, due to the overwhelming number of people who have come to ask them about it, the elderly couple has become numb toiit all...