Chapter 952

At this moment, Tarquin was with the police chief, feeling a mix of exhaustion and victory. He hadn't slept all night, following leads left by Keith Garcia, and with the help of the police, they had managed to dismantle over twenty hideouts of a mysterious syndicate. They also arrested a dozen high- ranking officials involved in the scandal. It was a significant blow to the syndicate's operations domestically, severing their limbs, so to speak. The mysterious group would no longer have an easy time conducting their nefarious activities on home soil. For Tarquin, it felt like a personal vindication, and his mood was considerably lighter.

He was puzzled to hear that Evan had gone out late at night on a ghost-hunting expedition. "He said that?" Tarquin asked, incredulous.

"Yeah, straight from Evan's mouth."

"...Where's he going ghost hunting?"

"He didn't say. You know Evan, always the athlete; we couldn't stop him or keep up. We've lost track of him now."

Tarquin fell silent for a few seconds, then said, "I understand."

After hanging up, he tried calling Evan, but got no response. So, he called Elliot instead. Elliot didn't mention anything about ashes; he just told Tarquin to focus on his tasks and not to worry about Evan, suggesting that Evan just needed to blow off some steam.

But Tarquin couldn't shake off the feeling that something was amiss. Evan was overly protective of his sister, Baby. Would he really leave her at home just because he was bored? And what ghosts could he possibly be after at this hour? Ghosts don't exist, after all.

Concerned for Evan's safety, Tarquin had Axel trace Evan's whereabouts, which led them to Thundara Mountain. Further digging unveiled the Sage Hall on the mountain's summit and its forbidden areas. They even stumbled upon legends surrounding Thundara Mountain and Sage Hall.

Although Tarquin was unclear about Evan's intentions, it was obvious that the kids were up to something secretive. Determined to ensure his son's safety, Tarquin excused himself from the police chief and drove toward Thundara Mountain.

Sage Hall was perched at the peak of Thundara Mountain. During the day, a cable car made the ascent and descent easy, but at night, when the mountain was closed off and the cable car service halted, the only way up was on foot.

Evan, having grown up in the wilderness, felt an affinity for such environments. Climbing the trees and leaping from one to another with White, his trusted companion, he moved with the ease and agility of a squirrel through the dense forest until they reached a tree overlooking Sage Hall's courtyard.

From his perch, Evan could see the entire courtyard. The clock had long struck nine, and the monks had retired for the night, leaving only the on-duty monks to kneel in front of the various temples, silently chanting their prayers. The only sources of light were the scattered street lamps and the candles inside the temples, leaving the complex mostly in darkness.

"Do you think there are really gods in this world?" Evan asked White, who flicked his red tongue out, unsure how to respond.

Evan murmured, "Mommy used to say, whether you believe or not, you should always keep a respectful fear of the gods. We should listen to Mommy. If there really are gods, they won't get mad at us for coming in uninvited. We're here to find Grandma, not to cause trouble. If anyone should be angry, it should be at Gideon! For daring to do such vile things right under their noses, he's the one who should be thrown into hell."

Thinking of Tarquin, Evan furrowed his brow, "If it's really Grandma's ashes in the forbidden area, Dad would be devastated, wouldn't he? Just thinking about Mommy getting older makes me miserable, let alone...

I used to be quite critical of him. No matter the reason, he ended up hurting Mommy! But now, the thought of him being in pain makes me feel sorry for him. I don't want him to be upset."