In a room fitted with a one-way mirror, Chu Jun and Li Xiu were watching a person inside through the mirror.
Inside the prison-like room, the walls, table, chairs, bed, and even the sheets and cups were all black.
The person sat in a chair, staring at the teacup on the table, muttering quietly to himself, so softly that it was impossible to hear.
Li Xiu and Chu Jun had been watching for more than half an hour, and during that time, the person simply kept staring at the cup and muttering, never standing up, his body exhibiting a bizarre Parkinson’s-like tremor.
"Mr. Chu, he’s always , except when eating, drinking, and sleeping," a Red Sand City official accompanying Chu Jun said with a smile.
"Can we go in and talk to him?" Chu Jun asked.
"Of course, but he’s quite out of touch and doesn’t understand human speech, so communication might be difficult," the official said and led Li Xiu and Chu Jun to the locked door, opening it: "Please, come in."
Li Xiu and Chu Jun walked over, but the person ignored them and continued muttering at the table.
"Apa, you have visitors," the official called out to the man, but he still didn’t respond.
"Mr. Chu, I’m sorry, it’s just how he is. Ask him anything you want; if you’re lucky, he might say something crazy. If not, he won’t acknowledge you at all," the official remarked.
Li Xiu glanced at Chu Jun, then approached the man and studied his face.
Just a young guy in his twenties, handsome, but in his eyes, Li Xiu saw no vibrancy expected of youth, only hollowness, ash-gray, and deep fear.
Li Xiu did not ask him anything but crouched down to hear what he was muttering.
"189,647,764... 189,647,763..."
Upon hearing, Li Xiu realized he was counting, slowly and meticulously, taking over ten seconds for each number, with intervals lacking any pattern.
Obviously, the numbers he counted didn’t seem to be for timing purposes.
But if not timing, what could they signify? Just what was he counting?
Li Xiu followed his gaze to the cup, a purely black cup with no patterns, nothing to count.
"One... Two... Three... Four... Six..." Li Xiu did not ask anything and instead attempted counting beside him.
After a few counts, the man suddenly turned his head, smiled creepily, and said, "You counted wrong..."
"Where did I count wrong?" Li Xiu asked.
The man did not reply, turning back to continue counting seamlessly from the previous number.
Li Xiu continued counting his numbers, even louder, trying to overshadow the man’s voice.
But the man seemed unfazed, counting steadily as Li Xiu listened for a while, realizing his interference was futile and the man’s count was spot on.
"107... 109..." Li Xiu deliberately skipped a number.
"Wrong... You’re wrong..." The man turned again and grinned at Li Xiu, a spine-chilling smile.
"What happens if it’s wrong?" Li Xiu asked.
The man ignored him and resumed counting.
"Sir, you can try asking something else; perhaps he might reply," the official suggested with a smile.
"No need, let’s go," Li Xiu gazed at the man for a while, then rose and left the room.
"Sir, are you sure you don’t want to ask anything more?" the official asked puzzledly.
"No need, he’s so far gone, no point in asking," Li Xiu said and then asked the official, "Has he ever said anything else before?"
"All the records are handed to Mr. Chu, everything he said is documented; you can view them," the official replied.
"Alright, let’s go," Li Xiu and Chu Jun left this prison-like place together.
"Why not ask a few more questions?" Back at their lodgings, with no one around, Chu Jun asked curiously.
"If there was anything worth asking, the experts in Red Sand City would’ve found out. No matter how much I ask, I won’t be more professional than them," Li Xiu replied.
"What do you think? Should we still go to the Gate of Purgatory? After seeing that guy, I feel a bit creepy, quite uneasy," Chu Jun said.
"No, I want to go to the Gate of Purgatory and see for myself." After encountering this man, Li Xiu had already made up his mind, deciding to head to the Gate of Purgatory.
The trials of the Gate of Purgatory are unrelated to physical fitness but linked to the mind, favorable for Li Xiu.
Furthermore, he faintly felt that the trial at the Gate of Purgatory might be connected to the numbers the man was counting.
"If that’s the case, we’ll proceed as planned. Your trip to the Gate of Purgatory will be arranged for tomorrow, and our family will arrive at Red Sand City in three days for the transaction. If all goes well, you’ll be out by then," Chu Jun said and still uneasily added, "I just find that person odd, giving a feeling of unease."