This was Purple Summersâ first official meeting with Hunter Dalton.
Although she didnât know, Hunter had actually seen her many times before. Purpleâs first impression of Hunter was that of a well-dressed handsome middle-aged man in his thirties or forties, with neatly groomed hair and sideburns, smiling eyes, and a businessmanâs slickness that somehow didnât make him unlikable.
However⦠he didnât seem like a mage at all.
Purple murmured in her heart, but she knew that the people Alexander Summers invited must have real skills, such as the hacker last timeâ¦
She took Hunter to the garden, where faint ghostly images could be seen not far away.
Purple pointed it out to Hunter, ââ¦I donât want to hurt her, but sheâs been following me. Itâs really making me uncomfortable⦠Is there any way you can send herback?â
Hunter agreed with a smile, then asked, âThere are many ways to send her back, how does Ms. Summers want to do it?â
Purple thought for a moment and said, âShe has a grandmother who might not be home in these few days. It would be best if you could send her back home safely and tell her not to run around, in case her grandmother comes back and canât find her.â
âI understand.â Hunter nodded, taking out a small palm-sized clay pot from the black leather bag he carried and walking straight toward the little girl.
Purple was a little nervous, feeling torn between wanting Hunter to take the little girl away and fearing that he might hurt her.
Thinking about how the little girl and the sorceress depended on each other made Purple inadvertently think of herself and her grandmother, and inevitably feel some empathy.
Hunter squatted down in front of the little girl, whispering something. Then Purple saw the little girl barely nod her head, her figure gradually fading until she disappeared.
âWhere did she go?â Purple hurried over to ask.
Hunter smiled and pointed to the clay pot, then sealed the pot with a wooden stopper.
âSheâs inside? What is this?â Purple was a bit uneasy. âIt wonât hurt her, will it?â
Hunter explained with a smile, âThis is a soul artifact. Sheâs inside it, and itâs as safe as can be.â
Purple was puzzled, âA soul artifact?â
âAny vessel that can hold a soul can be called a soul artifact, and the best soul artifact is the human body,â Hunter said, âThis clay pot in my hand is the lowest grade soul artifact, it only provides a place for the soul to reside.â Noticing Alexander not far away, Hunter slightly bowed and apologized with a smile, âIâve said too much, Ms. Summers must not be interested in these strange things.â
âNo, actually I find it quite interestingâ¦â Purple asked him curiously, âI saw you talking to her earlier. Can you communicate with ghosts? If I bring you to the scene of a murder, could you have the ghost identify the murderer?â Hunter was amused by Purpleâs imaginative idea, âMs. Summers, not every ghost has consciousness, and even those with consciousness might not know who caused their death. Souls only have obsession, not truth.â
Purple was moved by his words.
Indeedâ¦
Just like herself, dead for so long, and still unable to determine who the murderer wasâ¦
âIf someone died of sudden poisoning, could the ghost show why they were poisoned?â Purple asked tentatively, with a hint of curiosity.
She had heard that cases abroad sometimes used mediums to help solve crimes. At the time, she scoffed at the idea, but now she wondered if it might be true⦠Hunter said, âIt depends on the ghostâs state. When a person dies, their soul is like a newborn baby, confused and unable to speak or walk. They need to learn everything slowly. After seven days, the soul matures, growing like a child into an adult, gradually beginning to thinkâ¦â
At this point, he changed the subject and joked, âOf course, most babies wonât live long enough to grow up. They are very fragile.â
Purple felt an inexplicable chill and thought about how lucky she was to have survived so longâ¦