American Exorcism Male God

"Thank goodness I had the foresight!" Xu Yi zoomed along on his stylish motorcycle, the pure black helmet reflecting the faint daylight.

Without a doubt, the roads were jammed.

Cars were completely gridlocked, only bicycles and motorcycles could make slow progress.

Xu Yi knew the layout of this area like the back of his hand, constantly taking detours on side streets; sometimes when the road ahead was cut off, he'd rev the throttle and surge forward, leaping over lawns and stairs.

This kind of motorcycle stunt skill was something he'd learned before his rebirth, for which he even apprenticed under a professional stunt rider whose specialty was being cool, never expecting that it would come in handy here.

Piercing horn sounds kept coming, with the drivers of the blocked cars becoming increasingly frantic.

New York was a city filled with magic, where countless people hoped to realize their dreams, but at that moment, all they wanted was to escape.

The sudden outbreak of the Fevered Soul disease had everyone afraid of becoming the next victim, and at some point, rumors started spreading that Fevered Soul was incurable.

Panic spread uncontrollably, and the city began to enter a state of collapse.

Xu Yi drove single-mindedly, fully aware that these people's thoughts of fleeing New York were doomed to be in vain.

At that moment, flights had already been grounded, train stations were closed, and soldiers were setting up roadblocks on the highways, making it extremely difficult for ordinary people to escape from New York.

Xu Yi looked at the chaotic streets and sighed.

The government's measures were meant to prevent the spread of the curse and to try to contain it within New York.

If the curse continued to spread outside, the outcome was unimaginable.

But such repression could only be maintained for a while; if the city remained locked down for a long time, it would be like a gas canister being continuously inflated – just a spark would be needed for it to "explode" with a bang!

When he passed by a supermarket, Xu Yi saw the last scene he wanted to witness.

The supermarket's doors were tightly shut, and a large group of people, wielding various tools, were fiercely smashing the supermarket's shutter doors, creating a thunderous noise.

Some genuinely needed the supermarket's supplies, but how many were muddying the waters, seizing the opportunity to loot?

Fortunately, he had anticipated this, and after coming back from City Hall, he had instructed Ailent to stock up on supplies in advance. Now their studio was packed with food, enough to last them a week or two.

If the curse couldn't be resolved by then, he would probably have to consider making a run for it, too.

"Master Xu, you've arrived!"

Xu Yi reached a secluded mansion in Chinatown, where someone was already waiting for him.

Chen Lin pushed open the mansion's gate, allowing Xu Yi to drive his motorcycle inside.

He dared not park the motorcycle outside; in such terrible conditions, it would be hard to ensure that no one had their eyes on the flashy bike.

After removing his helmet, Xu Yi took a moment to specifically observe Chen Lin, somewhat surprised.

The other man had lost weight and his dark circles had intensified, making him resemble an emaciated panda.

Before Xu Yi had left New York, Chen Lin had already contracted Fevered Soul disease, but even up to now, there were no signs of the illness manifesting in him – no persistent high fever, no unconsciousness, and he could still move around like a normal person.

Could it be that the other man possessed some special constitution? Xu Yi speculated.

"You didn't lie to me, did you?" Xu Yi stared into Chen Lin's eyes.

Yesterday on the phone, Chen Lin claimed he recalled something potentially related to the curse afflicting him.

According to the timeline, Chen Lin could have been one of the first people to be affected, possibly coming into contact with the source of the curse inadvertently, which was why Xu Yi came over first thing in the morning.

"How dare I deceive Master Xu?" Chen Lin closed the door and led Xu Yi inside. "Come take a look, Master Xu, and you'll understand."

The two arrived at a corner of the mansion, and Chen Lin pushed open the door to a room.

Xu Yi caught a clear view of the scene inside and was slightly startled.

There were three people lying inside, all from Xia Kingdom, their faces covered in dense veins, showing a sinister blackish-red color.

He had seen this condition before, in videos broadcasted by City Hall, those who were first afflicted with Fevered Soul exhibited these symptoms.

"What's the deal with these three people? Why weren't they taken to the hospital?" Xu Yi asked curiously.

"Master Xu, as you know, some people have a special status, no identification, can't get into a regular hospital, so they choose some small clinics," Chen Lin replied softly.

Xu Yi glanced at Chen Lin, suspecting that the "small clinics" mentioned were probably those unlicensed ones where doctors don't even have medical practicing certificates.

"So, what exactly is the identity of these three people?" Xu Yi asked impatiently.

Unable to keep evading, Chen Lin quickly explained, "They're all tomb robbers, couldn't mix in with the crowd back home, thought to try their luck in America."

Xu Yi gave Chen Lin a look, signaling him to continue.

"These past few days, I've been thinking that the curse might have something to do with this group of people." Chen Lin's face was filled with misery, "Not long after meeting them, I started feeling unwell."

"What were you meeting them for?"

Chen Lin hesitated.

Xu Yi didn't say anything, only pointed at the three people on the hospital beds. Chen Lin, seeing their wretched state, felt a pang of empathy and dared not hide anything further.

"The three of them had just robbed a tomb and found quite a bit of burial items. They wanted my help to see if there were any valuables or antiques," Chen Lin answered in a low voice.

Xu Yi knew Chen Lin hadn't told the whole truth; Chen Lin might also be a middleman dealing with antiques.

But he wasn't particularly concerned, frowning slightly, "What kind of antiques?"

"Various sculptures, ancient coins, crowns, scepters, and the like."

Xu Yi's interest was instantly piqued. There might be an unexpected find this time. He quickly followed up, "Is there any item among the collection that made you feel special?"

Chen Lin frowned in recollection, "They all seemed quite special."

Xu Yi rolled his eyes; that statement was as good as saying nothing.

Looking at Chen Lin with his brows twisted, knowing he wouldn't get any more useful information, his gaze landed on the hospital beds.

Since they were tomb robbers, there was no need for him to be polite.

The Exorcism Lighter's flame rose, burning the little finger of one of the tomb robbers as Xu Yi watched the black aura rising from the man's body, his brow furrowed.

After being burned continuously for over ten minutes, the tomb robber came to with a groan.

Xu Yi knew he had to work fast, as the effects of the Ethereal Flame wouldn't last long.

"Master Xu! What are you doing?" Chen Lin got startled at Xu Yi's actions.

Xu Yi didn't bother with a response, pressing the Alchemy Revolver under the tomb robber's chin, "I ask, you answer! Otherwise, get ready to die!"

The tomb robber had just woken up, dazed, but the cold touch of the gun barrel brought him to his senses instantly.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Who are you? What do you want to know?" The tomb robber was calmer than expected.

"What tomb did you rob before? Did you find anything special inside?" Xu Yi asked urgently.

"Who knows what tomb it was; we saw a mausoleum, we went down," the tomb robber began with dismissive indifference, but as memory returned, he seemed to recall something, his expression turning into one of pure terror, "It's the statue! A Ratman statue!"

Suddenly, the tomb robber's demeanor shifted to manically crazy, "Rat Deity, don't come after me! I said not to take it; it's all the boss's fault! I know I was wrong, don't bury me in the pit of corpses! Hehe, Rat Deity, are you coming for me?"

Xu Yi sensed something was off, grabbed the frantic tomb robber, and pressed the Alchemy Revolver against his temple, "Tell me! Where is that Ratman statue?"

He had a strong premonition that the Ratman statue was likely the source of the curse.

"Gone!" The tomb robber regained a trace of lucidity.

"Why is it gone?" Xu Yi demanded sharply.

"I don't know; it just disappeared, woke up and suddenly couldn't find it anymore!"

The tomb robber began to claw at his own scalp frantically, scratching out streaks of blood as if trying to tear the skin off entirely.