Fantasy Novel:Paradise

Hotel  16
[15] Father John Chen Defeats the Two Great Guardians

54

Friday the 13th was shrouded in gloom, and a bone-chilling cold seemed to seep into everyone’s heart.

Even at noon, the sky remained dark and overcast, while the heavy aura of darkness made the sunlight appear pale and powerless. Outside Paradise Hotel, the streetlamps cast a dim yellow glow through the mist, and there were few pedestrians. This was a gathering place for vampire banquets, and tonight, it was a gathering where demons and monsters would run wild.

Wilson stood at the entrance, with two waiters dressed in black suits standing straight behind him. Their wary eyes swept over every guest who approached. Hanging above the hotel entrance was a gilded sign, beneath which were the words written in English, French, German, Latin, and Chinese: “Private Party Tonight. Closed to the Public.”

Two travelers slowly approached, their shadows stretched long by the lights at the entrance.

“Hmm?” Guest A frowned. “You’re closed tonight?”

Wilson elegantly removed his top hat, bowed slightly, and gave them a professional smile. “Yes. We’re very sorry.”

Guest B looked around in confusion. “What about lodging? Can we still book a room?”

Wilson gently shook his head. “All the rooms in our hotel are fully booked tonight. The two of you may wish to choose another hotel nearby.”

Guest A sighed, looking rather disappointed. “What a shame. Our friends highly recommended this place. We came all this way because of its reputation.”

They turned and walked away. They had taken only a few steps when another pair of guests had already reached the stairs. Wilson’s eyes sharpened. These newcomers were familiar faces.

Ghost Soldier C narrowed his eyes and examined the decorations at the entrance. “Hey, has this place changed owners? I’ve never seen the person working the front desk before.”

Human-Ghost D lightly tapped the edge of the door, feeling the grain of the wood with his fingers. “I haven’t been here for only a few months, and even the entrance has been renovated.”

Wilson raised the corners of his mouth and made an inviting gesture. “The hotel has been renovated and now provides more complete, high-quality services. My fellow members of the supernatural world, please come in.”

The two human-ghosts exchanged glances, chuckled softly, and pushed open the door.

Inside the hotel lobby, candlelight flickered. Red velvet sofas were arranged throughout the room, along with antique carved oak tables. A faint scent of musk permeated the air. Sixty or seventy percent of the seats were already occupied. All the guests were elegantly dressed, yet each seemed to emanate an unusual presence.

Among these “guests,” only two were not vampires.

Father John Chen wore a gentleman’s suit, and his leather shoes were polished until they gleamed. He elegantly lifted a glass of red wine and pretended to savor it carefully, while in reality remaining constantly alert to everything happening around him. The scent of his cologne concealed his true scent, making him appear to be an ordinary art dealer.

Lin Xiaoyang, meanwhile, wore a neat waiter’s uniform and carried a tray as he moved through the crowd. His movements were efficient and composed as he steadily delivered tea and refreshments to each guest. To conceal his own scent, he had applied a special lotion to his skin, making himself undetectable to the vampires’ keen sense of smell.

At that moment, the main doors opened again. Wilson recognized the newcomers. It was Giorgio, the Phantom Hand. His cloak trembled slightly, while Attis stood silently beside him, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s.

Wilson immediately withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, bent forward, and adopted a welcoming posture. “Welcome to our hotel, gentlemen.”

Giorgio narrowed his eyes and looked Wilson up and down. “You are…?”

“I’m the new general manager, the nephew of the old innkeeper, Robert,” Wilson replied calmly and without servility.

Giorgio nodded slightly and asked no further questions. He entered the hotel lobby alongside Attis.

As soon as they sat down, Lin Xiaoyang quickly approached with a tray and respectfully handed them a menu. “Gentlemen, is there anything I can do for you?”

Giorgio was about to casually open the menu when his eyes swept over Lin Xiaoyang and suddenly stopped. “Hmm? You?”

Lin Xiaoyang was equally startled. He raised an eyebrow slightly. “You’re… the gentleman who was performing magic at the lakeside plaza yesterday?”

Giorgio chuckled. “That’s right. I didn’t expect you to be a waiter here.”

“Yes.”

Giorgio slowly extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you, young man.”

Lin Xiaoyang paused for a moment before politely shaking his hand. However, the instant Giorgio’s fingertips touched Xiaoyang’s pulse, his expression changed slightly, and his eyes became deep and cold.

“This man’s pulse… a pure-Yang constitution?!”

Although Giorgio still wore a smile on his face, tremendous turmoil erupted inside him. He calmly released Lin Xiaoyang’s hand, and a strange glimmer flashed in his eyes.

At that moment, a burst of lively applause erupted. In the center of the lobby, a man dressed as a clown was moving among the tables. As he served food, he demonstrated various bird, animal, and insect calls through his vocal mimicry, entertaining the vampires and making them laugh heartily.

Giorgio glanced at the clown and frowned. “Why does this guy look vaguely familiar?”

Adono noticed Giorgio watching him, yet continued his performance calmly, as though nothing unusual were happening.

However, this confrontation, hidden beneath the currents of the night, had only just begun…

Suddenly, the hotel doors were pushed open again, and a group of people filed inside.

At the front was a man wearing a long black cloak. His steps were steady, his eyes sharp as blades, and a faint cold smile played across his face. Wilson recognized him and immediately bowed.

“Welcome, my fellow members of the supernatural world.”

The newcomer was none other than Jack the Ripper.

Several subordinates followed behind him. Among them, the figure of a blonde Asian girl made Lin Xiaoyang’s heart suddenly clench.

“Huijun… no, Annie!”

He forcibly suppressed his excitement and did his best to keep his voice steady. “Welcome to our hotel, everyone.”

His gaze fell upon Annie. Yet when their eyes met, her face remained completely expressionless, as though she did not know him at all.

Lin Xiaoyang took a deep breath, desperately suppressing the emotions surging within him.

“Bring us cocktails first,” Jack said casually after glancing over the menu. “Give this girl a Bloody Mary.”

Lin Xiaoyang’s fingertips trembled slightly. He knew very well that tonight would be a silent contest.

55

Late at night, the lobby was brightly lit, and a masquerade ball was underway. More than a dozen couples danced gracefully on the dance floor. Nearly a hundred guests sat in the surrounding seats. Apart from Father John Chen and General Manager Wilson, hardly anyone realized that a battle between good and evil was about to begin.

Wilson exchanged a glance with the two waiters at the entrance. The two quietly closed the main doors and locked them with a steel bolt.

At that moment, the music suddenly stopped, and the ghosts were startled and confused. The Phantom Hand realized that they had fallen into a trap, and he gave Jack the Ripper a signal with his eyes.

Wilson walked to the center of the dance floor, removed his hat, and bowed.

“I am Wilson, the general manager of this hotel. My fellow members of the supernatural world, you have traveled a long way to come here. Ordinarily, we should extend our hospitality and entertain all of you. However, Princess Maria has issued an order: anyone belonging to Anderson’s faction may not leave this place tonight unless they are willing to abandon evil and return to the righteous path.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the ghosts exchanged glances. They then automatically separated into two groups, with the dividing line between them unmistakably clear.

Qiu Shenzhi said, “Wilson, we don’t belong to Anderson’s faction. We don’t want to be dragged into the conflict between your two sides. Can we leave?”

Wilson said, “Those who do not belong to Anderson’s faction only need to take the Dragon Blood Pill in my hand, and you will be able to leave later.”

Qiu Shenzhi was displeased and demanded loudly, “Why do we have to take that pill? Is Princess Maria trying to control us with medicine?”

Wilson smiled. “After taking the Dragon Blood Pill, you will no longer need to consume human blood. You will be able to obtain the energy needed to sustain your bodies from ordinary food, just like normal people.”

Qiu Shenzhi asked, “Are you saying that if we take this pill, we will no longer be vampires?”

Wilson said, “You misunderstand, Painter. After taking this pill, you will still be vampires, just like me. While the effects of the medicine remain active, you will no longer need to consume human blood, and you will be able to come out and move about during the daytime just like humans.”

Qiu Shenzhi asked again, “I understand. Then how long do the effects of the medicine last?”

Wilson said, “Four years. At this time four years from now, you must return here and undergo an evaluation. Those who pass the evaluation will receive another Dragon Blood Pill from me.”

Qiu Shenzhi asked uneasily, “What circumstances would cause someone to fail the evaluation, as you put it?”

Wilson remained calm. “If you join Anderson’s faction at any point during those four years, you will fail the evaluation. If you consume human blood, the Dragon Blood Pill inside your body will transform into a deadly poison and immediately kill you.”

Qiu Shenzhi asked, “And if we fail the evaluation and can no longer take the Dragon Blood Pill, what will happen?”

Wilson said, “Your body will age rapidly, then deteriorate and die.”

Qiu Shenzhi sneered disdainfully. “Heh-heh! When you put it that way, aren’t you simply trying to control us with medicine?”

Wilson said, “You don’t have to look at it only from the worst possible angle. The princess has made this requirement primarily to reduce conflicts between vampires and humans, so that both sides can coexist peacefully.”

Among the ghosts, Jack gave several cold laughs and said, “You certainly talk big. It remains to be seen whether you have the ability to back it up.”

In the dimly lit center of the dance floor, eerie blue ghost fire drifted and flickered, illuminating the faces of the spectators, some excited and others frightened. Suddenly, the sound of steady footsteps rang out, breaking the whispers among the ghosts.

“Bang!”

Father John Chen threw open his cloak. His mask fell to the ground, revealing a cold and resolute face. He slowly stepped onto the dance floor and reached inside his coat, pulling out a sinister cross made of human bones. Candlelight reflected off the ghostly remains, making the atmosphere throughout the entire room even more eerie.

He looked around and spoke in a deep but powerful voice. “This ghost brother makes a very practical point. I, John Chen, will let all of you see tonight what it means to subdue demons and vanquish ghosts.”

A wave of frightened whispers arose from the audience. Many ghost followers instinctively took a step backward, undisguised fear appearing on their faces.

“John Chen?”

“He’s the Ghostbane?”

Ghost Soldier A pointed tremblingly toward the priest. His lips had gone pale, and his voice trembled slightly. “The man rumored to have slain countless evil ghosts and terrified the entire ghost world?”

A contemptuous cold laugh came from the side. A man dressed in a long black robe stepped forward, his eyes sharp as blades and a playful smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

He was Giorgio, the Phantom Hand, a renowned master in the ghost world.

He slightly turned his head, his gaze as sharp as an eagle’s as he sized up the priest. “I’ve heard so much about you, Ghostbane. Now that I finally have the chance to meet you in person, let me test your abilities.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly flicked his sleeve. Several flashes of cold light shot out like a violent storm, heading straight for Father John Chen’s vital points. The sharp blades gleamed with a frigid light as they traced arcs of death through the air, like venomous snakes striking their prey.

However, Father John Chen remained completely calm. He sidestepped to evade the attack, then flipped his left hand and gently blocked with the human-bone cross. The flying swords seemed to be drawn by some invisible force, and with several crisp metallic clangs, they all became firmly attached to the cross, unable to move.

Giorgio’s pupils contracted sharply, and cold sweat appeared at his temples. He thought anxiously, “This man’s abilities really are unfathomably deep…”

The priest’s gaze was cold and stern. He slightly clenched his hand, and the cross emitted a deep humming sound.

“Giorgio, the Phantom Hand, you have harmed countless people. Tonight, it is time for you to atone for your sins.”

Giorgio said nothing. The next second, his figure suddenly changed, as though a reflection on water had split apart. In an instant, more than a dozen Giorgios appeared simultaneously around the dance floor. Each held a different weapon—knives, swords, sickles, and long whips flashed and crossed through the air. The phantoms shifted continuously, making it impossible to determine which one was the real Giorgio.

“Come on. Let me see what you can do.”

The dozen or more figures simultaneously swung their weapons and attacked the priest from all directions. Their momentum was overwhelming, and murderous intent was unmistakable.

Father John Chen slowly closed his eyes. He raised the cross in his hand and silently recited a scripture. Then he suddenly opened his eyes, pushed off with his foot, and moved through the flashing blades and sword shadows like a sudden gust of wind.

With a series of ear-splitting cracking sounds, Giorgio’s phantoms disappeared one after another. His true body finally emerged, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Just as Giorgio was startled by what was happening, a fierce killing intent suddenly came from behind.

“Whoosh!”

A razor-sharp pair of steel shears swept through the air, flashing with cold light and heading straight for the back of the priest’s neck.

“Watch out!”

Lin Xiaoyang’s cry rang throughout the entire dance floor.

Father John Chen spun around and swiftly dodged to the side, simultaneously blocking with the cross and knocking away the incoming steel shears.

The attacker was none other than Jack the Ripper. He wielded blades in both hands, each move vicious and ruthless. In one hand, he held steel shears capable of severing a person’s head; the fingers of his other hand transformed into surgical blades and stabbed directly toward his opponent’s heart.

Giorgio and Jack joined forces, attacking from the left and right. Their ghostly figures crossed and shifted, every move filled with murderous intent.

At first, Father John Chen focused on defense while seeking opportunities to attack. As time passed, however, he gradually figured out the two ghosts’ attack patterns and began counterattacking. His cross moved like an arrow released from a bow, shifting from defense to offense, and every strike targeted his opponents’ weaknesses.

“Bang!”

Giorgio took a heavy kick to the chest. His entire body was sent rolling backward more than a dozen steps. His face turned pale, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“Boom!”

Jack was driven into a corner. The priest’s fists came down like a violent storm, and Jack was unable to block them. He was beaten until blood sprayed from his mouth, and he could barely remain standing.

Just then, a slender figure suddenly rushed into the battle!

“Don’t!”

Annie threw herself in front of Jack without regard for her own safety.

The priest abruptly pulled back his fist, but he was still a step too late. Annie was struck in the chest by the sacred weapon. Several of her ribs shattered instantly, blood gushing from her mouth as she staggered backward and finally collapsed into Jack’s arms, her breathing weak.

“Huijun—!”

Lin Xiaoyang rushed forward and, overcome with grief, lifted the dying Annie into his arms. Tears burst from his eyes. Gritting his teeth, he said in a trembling voice, “Why did you have to be so foolish… Huijun…”

The dance floor fell into complete silence.

The priest turned around and looked coldly at Giorgio and Jack.

“Now, taking your lives would be as easy as lifting my hand. Do you want to die, or do you want to live? The choice is yours.”

Jack was seriously wounded and could barely speak, but his eyes remained resolute.

“I cannot betray the Duke… Brother, I’ll go on ahead. I’ll wait for you in Hell…”

Before he finished speaking, he raised the steel shears and, without hesitation, severed the bones of his own neck.

“Crack!”

The head rolled to the floor, blood spraying everywhere, and all the demon followers around them turned pale with horror.

George remained silent for a long time. Finally, he slowly nodded. “I am willing to retire from the world…”

The priest’s gaze was sharp. “Disable your martial arts and dispel your magic.”

George let out a soft sigh, raised his hand, and severed his own meridians. Blood dripped onto the floor.

“Let’s go…” George said quietly to his follower, Attis.

Wilson stepped forward and handed him a pill. “The Dragon Blood Pill. You can leave only after taking it.”

George said nothing. He took the pill, swallowed it, and then left with Attis supporting him.

In the dance hall, Duke Anderson’s followers looked at one another. Then, one after another, they declared, “I am willing to pledge allegiance to the Princess…”

At this point, the tide of battle had turned, and the outcome was decided.

56

Lin Xiaoyang held Annie tightly as he staggered through the door of Room 504, his footsteps unsteady and his heart pounding like a drum. He gently laid her on the bed, his trembling fingertips softly caressing her pale face. Annie’s breathing was faint, like a dying candle flickering in the wind, as though it might go out at any moment.

He knelt beside the bed, tightly clasping her cold hand, his eyes filled with tears. “No… no, you can’t…” His voice trembled as tears slipped down his cheeks and fell onto her pale forehead. He desperately wished he could do something, anything—even trade his own life for the slightest chance of saving hers.

Suddenly, the mural on the wall began to tremble slightly, and a halo of light emerged from the canvas. As the scenery within the painting twisted and distorted, a figure slowly stepped out. The elderly painter Huang Lihua, dressed in a long robe and holding a paintbrush, appeared in the room like a figure from a dream.

“Xiaoyang.” Huang Lihua’s voice was deep, carrying the weight of the passing years. His gaze fell upon Annie lying on the bed, and his brows knitted tightly together. “This girl is far too badly injured.”

Lin Xiaoyang raised his head, tears still wet on his face, his voice choked with emotion. “Senior… you can save her, right?”

Huang Lihua slowly shook his head, his tone grave. “I’m sorry. I don’t have that ability. But, Xiaoyang, you must first tell me what relationship she has with you. Why are you so determined to save her?”

Lin Xiaoyang lowered his gaze, his tightly clenched fists turning white. “She… disappeared for two years. I’ve spent two years searching for her.” He took a deep breath, his throat tightening. “She is my girlfriend… How could I give up?”

A complicated emotion flashed through Huang Lihua’s eyes. He sighed. “Oh? What about my granddaughter Minhua? Are you planning to let her down?”

Lin Xiaoyang froze and closed his eyes in pain. He knew how Minhua felt about him, but now… “Senior, please forgive me. I can’t think about that right now…”

Huang Lihua silently watched him for a long while before finally speaking. “Why does love exist in this world… Xiaoyang, perhaps there is someone who can save her.”

Lin Xiaoyang suddenly raised his head, a faint glimmer of hope igniting in his eyes. “Who?”

“Princess Maria.”

“Take me to see her!” Lin Xiaoyang immediately stood up.

Huang Lihua raised his hand to stop him. “You don’t need to go. The Princess will save her. But she can only repair Annie’s body; she cannot break the curse placed upon her.”

“The curse?” Lin Xiaoyang frowned, uneasiness rising in his heart. “What will happen if the curse isn’t lifted?”

“She will not regain her memories.” Huang Lihua’s words struck Lin Xiaoyang’s heart like a heavy hammer.

Lin Xiaoyang murmured softly, “Then… does that mean I have to beg Duke Anderson?”

Huang Lihua gave a cold laugh, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes. “Do you really think the Duke will help you for no reason?”

Lin Xiaoyang took a deep breath, his gaze resolute. “Even if he wants my life in exchange, I am willing.”

Huang Lihua’s expression grew solemn. “My child, that is merely your wishful thinking. The Duke is an evil demon. Do you really think he will keep his promise?”

Lin Xiaoyang clenched his fists, his voice low. “Then what should I do? Is there any other way?”

Huang Lihua pondered for a moment before slowly speaking. “There is. If you can send the Duke back to Hell, her curse will disappear.”

“You mean… you want me to kill the Duke?”

“No.” Huang Lihua’s tone was firm, his eyes blazing with conviction. “No one can kill the Duke. Not even you or the Princess. But you can send him back to Hell and leave him in Satan’s custody.”

Lin Xiaoyang took a deep breath, his fists trembling slightly. “I understand… But can I really do it?”

Huang Lihua looked directly into his eyes and slowly nodded. “You can. You are the only one suited for this mission.”

Lin Xiaoyang closed his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again, determination burning in his gaze. “All right! To save Huijun, I am willing to fight the Duke.”

Huang Lihua said nothing more. He raised his paintbrush and gently waved it. Annie’s body on the bed slowly floated into the air and gradually drifted toward the mural.

“Remember, never, ever bargain with the devil.” His voice was deep and stern.

Lin Xiaoyang watched as Annie’s figure gradually merged into the mural until the last trace of her beautiful silhouette disappeared without a trace.

The room fell silent once again, leaving only the burning determination surging within his heart.