Bab 2: Demon's Mark

A steady stream of water sprayed from the showerhead, cascading down Song Zhuyu's naked and perfectly sculpted form. With his head tilted back, he allowed the warm water to wash over him and cleanse away the invisible filth clinging to his porcelain skin. Only after his fingers began to turn pruney did he deign to step away, shutting off the shower with a twist.

Clad in nothing but a white towel wrapped snugly around his waist, Song Zhuyu stepped out of the shower cubicle, leaving a trail of water dripping from his body and crimson strands of his hair.

He paused in front of the sink and gazed at his reflection in the mirror, grimacing at his pallid complexion and bloodless lips. It made his crimson hair stand out even more vividly, as if his entire body was covered in thin webs of blood.

"Ugh, I can't believe this…" With a low groan, he propped his arms on the sink counter and reflected on the events that had unfolded earlier today.

C–level rescue mission. It was supposed to be a relatively harmless and simple mission – relatively, as the simple act of crossing over to Hell was already a danger on its own – yet something had gone terribly wrong. The wraithlings, which were normally passive creatures that wouldn't attack first unless someone attempted to breach the gate to the main city, had actually turned aggressively hostile and hunted him down as a whole colony.

And it was all triggered by that goddamn, forsaken voice calling out his name!

Song Zhuyu squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath. Even now, the shadow of that voice seemed to linger persistently on the shell of his earlobes, haunting his mind every single second of the day.

It wasn't the first time something like this had happened, nor would it likely be the last. He should have gotten used to it somewhat, but…

Opening his eyes, Song Zhuyu's gaze immediately dropped to his right hip where the area still tingled with numbness. There, partly hidden by the towel, was a mark that resembled a tattoo at first glance. It was around the width of an adult's hand, spanning over his hipbone and extending almost to his inner thigh.

Song Zhuyu had no idea how to describe the mark; it was both gruesomely beautiful yet thrillingly sinister, akin to a poisonous flower that exuded a sweet and irresistible charm.

The symbol had appeared without warning on his body a few months back— only a faint, almost imperceptible hue at first, but now it was getting clearer and clearer to the extent that he felt irritated just by looking at it, as it reminded him of all the trials he had endured.

It also marked the time when he started to hear that mysterious voice.

It wasn't that Song Zhuyu had not tried to get rid of it. Trust him, he had spared no effort and exhausted every conceivable method he could think of, starting from submerging himself in a tub of holy water for a whole day to nearly peeling off his own skin— yet his efforts remained futile. Soon after the flesh healed, the symbol surfaced again.

Just like an unbreakable curse.

And Song Zhuyu couldn't possibly tell this to another soul, for he knew all too well what kind of dire consequences he would have to face if the higher-ups caught wind of this.

He would be labeled as a traitor of God, the vessel of darkness, and a grave sinner.

For this mark belonged to none other than a demon.

A demon had, without him realizing, taken notice of him and placed their mark on him.

"Haa…" Song Zhuyu released a long-suffering sigh and rubbed his face roughly. "Fuck my life."

He was but an ordinary and down-to-earth priest who worked part-time as a small exorcist to cover the expensive fee of his wife's maintenance and modifications, so what had he done to deserve this shit?

***

After scrubbing himself clean from head to toe and donning a new black cassock, Song Zhuyu exited the resting lounge of the Special Department of the National Civil Security Bureau and walked down the immaculate hallway.

As the name implied, the National Civil Security Bureau was a government-related organization tasked to secure peace over the country. Comprised of renowned professors, engineers, scientists, investigators and other talented individuals, they gathered to analyze abnormal occurrences all around the country.

To the general populace, they were akin to elite law enforcement officers or some kind of FBI agents. Yet, unaware to them was the existence of the Special Department, which dealt with supernatural phenomena beyond the scope of science.

Including but not limited to exorcisms, purging dark energy from buildings that were constructed on top of mass graves, guiding lost souls to the afterlife, ensuring the balance of three realms, etc…

Song Zhuyu had grown up in this kind of environment, and thus it was only a matter of time until he took the path of an exorcist. However, the existence of the mark only exacerbated the situation and oh, how he wished he could have a vacation and leave everything behind.

When Fang Jia finally found him, he was slouched on the snack bar like a wilted mushroom while sucking on a strawberry lollipop.

She couldn't help but pause on the doorway, gazing at the man that seemed to have been plucked from an oil painting.

At the age of twenty five, Song Zhuyu was a sight to behold. Setting aside his gorgeously waist-length crimson curls, that face alone was enough to beat even the most famous A-list actors within the country.

If there was a single word that could describe Song Zhuyu perfectly, it would be— pretty.

Yes, Song Zhuyu was undeniably pretty. While that word might be unsuitable to be used on a broad-shouldered man with a height of 1.93 meters, it somehow fit Song Zhuyu perfectly. If one saw a close-up photo of him, it would be difficult to discern his gender due to his androgynous face, but fortunately – or not – any hint of ambiguity would immediately dissipate once they met him face-to-face. His tall figure loomed over average men, and the presence of those explosive, sinewy muscles that strained against the confines of his cassock only added to his aggressive and domineering aura.

Yet despite everything, Song Zhuyu was pretty. It was the kind of beauty that seemed unreal, as though he was a lifelike doll created by a magical artisan rather than a human with flesh and blood.

Especially when he was zoning out with his gaze slightly lowered like this. The two beauty moles beneath his right eye were akin to teardrops, making him look somewhat melancholic.

Song Zhuyu had only visited the Yacheng Branch once or twice a month at most, yet every single time, the company forum would be in utter frenzy from the female staff thirsting over him.

Fang Jia could feel her heart racing. Even though she already had a boyfriend, she couldn't deny Song Zhuyu's irresistible charm, which made other men look like squids in comparison. How lucky she was to have been transferred to the Special Department as a secretary, despite the unpleasant and terrifying rumors surrounding it.

Of course, she wasted no time to get herself acquaintanced with the famous 'red-haired beau' of the company. After this, she would show off her close interaction with Song Zhuyu in the forum and make everyone go insane with jealousy!

Suppressing her excitement, she entered the room and greeted in a cheerful tone, "Song-Ge, good work today!"

A/N: you can view the mark on Song Zhuyu's body on the comment section! ^^ what do you think of it?