The North American Gourmet Demon Handbook

However, Enzo, who always doted on his little sister, had no time to pay attention to her expression. He just stood aside with a blank expression, his arms folded across his chest, as if all this had nothing to do with him.

Enzo just looked at Li Shanze and the crazy Asian old man with a playful look.

When the old Asian man heard the keyword "Japanese", he immediately jumped up and cursed: "You are Japanese, your whole family is Japanese!"

He pointed at Al's nose, spit almost flying out. That deep-rooted hatred seemed to be an instinctive reaction branded deep in his soul.

Li Shanze's eyes suddenly became interested.

The code was correct. This old man was most likely from the same hometown, a Chinese in this world.

This was the first time Li Shanze saw someone related to China after traveling through time, and he felt a little complicated.

He looked at the crazy, ragged old man in front of him, and an indescribable sense of intimacy surged into his heart like a tide.

It is a resonance deep in the blood, a thrill of suddenly hearing the accent of one's hometown in a foreign country.

The old man's words, "Your whole family is Japanese," spoken in a thick Chinese English accent, although vulgar, were like a bolt of lightning that instantly struck Li Shanze's heart.

He seemed to see the streets and alleys of his hometown, hear the familiar curses of the city, and smell the unique smell of fireworks in his memory.

Yet, this familiarity was tinged with an inexplicable strangeness. The old man before him, though speaking a familiar language and bearing familiar ethnic markings, his maddening demeanor and the strange world he inhabited made Li Shanze feel detached.

He once thought that he had completely integrated into this world and completely cut off all ties with the past, but at this moment, a crazy old man, with a curse in his hometown accent, easily tore through his inner defenses.

He felt an inexplicable bitterness, a longing for his homeland, and a sigh about his own fate.

He didn't know what this old man had been through, why he ended up here, and why he became so crazy.

He doesn't even know what is happening to "China" in this world, and where the giant ship is heading after history went off track in 1991.

Li Shanze's eyes became deep and complicated. He did not immediately respond to Al's joke, nor did he pay attention to Claudia's anxiety.

He just quietly watched the old man who was still jumping up and down and cursing, his eyes gleaming with a light that even he couldn't fully understand. There was curiosity, inquiry, nostalgia, and a subtle trace of pity for his fellow man.

He took a deep breath, suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart, and regained his usual calmness. But only he knew what kind of turbulent emotions were hidden under this calmness.

However, before talking to this fellow from another world, Li Shanze still had one thing to do.

"Let me talk to this old man alone." Li Shanze waved his hand, signaling the three Italian siblings to leave. His tone was calm, yet it carried an air of unquestionable authority.

These three siblings may not be able to listen to what I am going to talk about next.

After all, after the nine great wizards joined forces to release the spell of cognitive isolation, any white person would be mentally damaged as long as they heard words related to China - even wizards like Charlie were no exception.

This is a confinement deep in the soul, an invisible wall that completely separates "them" from "us".

On Christmas Day in 1991, when the so-called Messiah came and the red giant of Moscow fell, what happened after the arrival of the "Era of the Holy Spirit" was even only described in history as "expulsion".

What on earth did this old man in front of me go through to survive?

Li Shanze's eyes fell on the old man. The feeling of familiarity he had when he first met him was now replaced by a deeper compassion and grief.

He looked at the old man's cloudy but occasionally clear eyes, as if he saw the abyss of history and the silent cries and struggles in the forgotten corners.

Survivors.

"Claudia, close the door when you leave. Let Charlie watch the door. All of you stay away from this room. Knowing too much is not good for anyone."

Li Shanze said calmly.

Author's words: Thanks to book friend 8791495772 for the monthly ticket

Thanks to Qianxiao Anran, Xiaopingguo112633, and Shi Aji for their recommendations

287 Unsuccessful Conversation

Claudia bowed to Li Shanze and closed the door.

With a click, the room was isolated, forming an enclosed space.

Li Shanze and the crazed old man were the only ones left in the living room. An indescribable heaviness hung in the air, as if even the light had become sticky.

The old man who was originally shouting also fell silent. He stared at Li Shanze without saying a word.

The old man's eyes were no longer as empty and distracted as before, but suddenly became clear, sometimes with a hint of madness.

Li Shanze took a deep breath and decided not to beat around the bush. He looked directly into the old man's unpredictable eyes. His voice was remarkably clear in the dead silence, yet it carried a hint of determination: "Are you... Chinese?"

Straight to the point.

The moment the words fell, there was a flash of lightning, not just an echo that reverberated through the walls. It was as if an invisible shock wave, centered around him, suddenly spread outward.

The originally sticky and heavy atmosphere in the room was torn open at this moment, revealing some taboo hidden underneath.

The old man's eyes, which were sometimes clear and sometimes crazy, suddenly contracted when he heard the word "Chinese", and an incredible, almost painful light burst out from the depths of his pupils.

His body trembled slightly, as if struck by an invisible force, and the look in his eyes, which was a mixture of madness and clarity, now only contained an extreme shock that was touched to the core.

The old man's eyes suddenly widened, and the depths of his pupils were instantly filled with endless fear and blood.

"No...no!" The old man's hunched body suddenly stood up straight, shaking violently as if he had been electrocuted.

His eyes were bloodshot and his eyeballs were bulging. He stared at a certain point in the void, as if a cruel scene was being played out there.

He opened his mouth and let out a hoarse, discordant scream, and a strange "ho ho" sound came from his throat, as if it was being strangled.

He waved his hands wildly, his nails digging deep into the air, as if trying to grab something, or as if trying to push away the ghosts that were haunting him.

Cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes, which were not enough to cover his body in this cold late winter. He gasped for breath, and every breath was a death struggle. He fell into complete madness and collapse.

"Run! Run! They're coming! Don't look back! Don't look back!"

He lunged forward, but was tripped by an invisible force and fell heavily to the ground, groaning in pain. But he ignored the pain and struggled with his hands and feet, trying to crawl towards an invisible exit.

"Blood...it's all blood! Don't touch me! Don't touch me! I'm not...I'm not..." His words became fragmented and incoherent, as if he was trying to convince some invisible person while trying his best to deny his identity.

"It's burned! Everything is burned! The house...the child...my child!" He hugged his head suddenly, his nails almost digging into his scalp, and let out a shrill wail, his voice full of despair and regret.

"Why...why!" He suddenly arched his body and coughed violently, as if he wanted to cough out his lungs, but only broken syllables and meaningless sobs came out of his mouth.

Two lines of turbid tears rolled down his old face.

He fell to his knees in vain, and burst into tears.

Li Shanze didn't know what nightmare this old man had seen thirty years ago - the question of "Chinese" could trigger his PTSD.

Maybe he's gone crazy since then.

However, his crying and wailing during the PTSD attack were in Chinese with a strong local accent, which answered Li Shanze's question.

But even if your family was destroyed and you went crazy, didn’t you ever think of resisting?

Li Shanze frowned, feeling sorry for his misfortune and angry at his lack of resistance.

What Li Shanze didn't know was that many of the older generation who immigrated abroad were timid and fearful, and had no courage to stand out. They were completely different from the younger generation who went abroad after China achieved certain development results in the new century.

But Li Shanze soon felt relieved.

If the most powerful country in the world uses its state machinery to persecute ethnic minorities, it will probably just end up dying in despair, and the outcome will not be changed in any way.

Moreover, if this old man had the courage to resist, he probably would not have survived until now.

Li Shanze looked at his painful struggle and realized that any communication was meaningless at this moment.

The old man's eyes were dazed and his words were fragmented. It was obvious that he was completely consumed by the nightmare of the past and was unable to respond to reality at all.

Li Shanze knew very well that in this state, forcing him to ask questions would only increase his pain and would not yield any valuable information.

Li Shanze sighed helplessly, feeling that he had underestimated the power of the three words "Chinese" on someone who had even managed to escape the "expulsion".

However, this somewhat reckless attempt was not completely fruitless.

Li Shanze looked at the old man who was crying so hard that he didn't even have the strength to speak, bent down, and picked up a handful of crystals from the ground.

Nine?

After counting the number, Li Shanze raised his eyebrows. This was the most crystals he had ever obtained.

He picked up one and swallowed it.

[Oath of Vengeance: After locking onto a killer or his accomplices, the user can manifest the victim's strongest resentment and unwillingness during his lifetime.

These resentments will turn into invisible shackles, weakening the target's strength, speed and will, causing them to move slowly, fall into self-doubt, suffer mental breakdown, and even make fatal mistakes at critical moments.

At the same time, the target will feel endless whispers from the victim from all directions, constantly questioning their crimes until their mental defenses completely collapse and they kneel down and beg for mercy.

The effect lasts for 15 minutes and is effective on a single target.

——Blood debt must be repaid with blood, justice is clear.

Side Effects: Each time the user uses this ability, they will randomly hear the victim's dying whispers or wails over the next 24 hours. These whispers will not affect their actions, but will bring about persistent, indescribable grief and anger, like a wake-up call from the depths of their soul.

This is the crystallization of the Avengers who harbor immense hatred in their hearts...

It’s not that the old man doesn’t hate, but he has been suppressing his hatred for many years, and it finally broke out, so the number of crystals precipitated at one time is extremely large.

Moreover, this crystal is a very rare one that is restricted to a specific target and can almost only be used on the murderer of the massacre.

Now that I have obtained this crystal, let me have the opportunity to avenge you.

Li Shanze thought.

He even suspected that these nine crystals were used to target the great wizards of the nine schools - especially those who could make people fall into self-doubt and even mental breakdown, and they were definitely targeting wizards.

Every injustice has its perpetrator, and every debt has its owner.

The crazy old man just yelled incoherently and then burst into tears.

It seemed like nothing was said, and it seemed that everything was said.

The number of crystals currently held: Internet celebrity crystals x2, female boxer crystals x1, reporter crystals x1, racist crystals x2, and avenger crystals x8.

The good news is that the effects of crystallization can coexist—at least the side effects can.

Li Shanze could not avoid the fate of eating white people's food.

The old man's roar gradually subsided, leaving only low whimpers and occasional twitches, and the whole room seemed to have been drained of all life.

In this air filled with dead silence and despair, a very subtle and soft "knock knock" sound, like raindrops hitting the window frame, rang out on the door panel.

The voice was so quiet that it was almost ignored, but it had a strange cuteness, as if it came from a fairy tale world.

Li Shanze opened the door, and then a petite figure the size of a palm, flapping its transparent, cicada-wing-like wings, lightly passed through the crack in the door.

She has silver hair like moonlight, and a pair of ruby-like eyes on her small face, sparkling with curiosity.

She is none other than the elf Ella.

Li Shanze almost forgot about the little elf that flew onto the RV and disappeared.

"Li Shanze, Lady Ella sensed a strange aura!"

Ella looked at Li Shanze with curiosity, and then her gaze turned to the old man who was helped to sit on the chair by Li Shanze and was in a daze.

"Oh, so that's where the strange feeling is!" Ella's tiny voice sounded as softly as a wind chime, with a hint of confusion and pity.

"There are… so many fragments here. Not sparkling, but… black, pointy fragments, like stars that have been stepped on, with all the light gone."

She circled around the old man's head.

"It's not like Li Shanze or Xia Li's, it's like a bright sun!"

"You mean to say that his soul is damaged?" Li Shanze frowned and tried to translate the elf's words into words that were easier to understand.

Ella's small hands gently covered her chest, as if she felt some kind of pain.

She nodded.

"The soul is crying, not crying loudly, but... crying without a sound, like the torn wings of a butterfly, unable to fly again."

"My soul is so cold, like ice in winter, without a single bit of warmth in it."

"The soul seemed to be captured by many terrible shadows. Those shadows were so fierce that they stole the soul's song, leaving only...only a whimpering, broken tune."

"Ella doesn't like this feeling." The elf looked sad and didn't even call himself "adult".

"But, even though his soul is so scattered, he can still hold on. It's amazing!" Ella expressed some sincere admiration.

It seems that the old man's soul is not simply damaged.

"Translated, Ella's words mean this old man's soul is shattered, right?"

Li Shanze asked, holding his chin.

Li Shanze felt that perhaps it was the obsession with revenge that kept him going until now.