Chapter 12: Skull Crusher·Xuanzang

Leave this shantytown area.

Tang Luo and the others weren't in a hurry to go back to the hotel; they found a quiet café instead.

Xiao Chu asked the server for paper and pen, scribbled and drew, sorting out the situation.

Based on the current clues.

The general situation he presented is as follows:

Kaitangshou Jieke is a hidden organization, not just a single person.

Last night's Huoqi was an outer member the organization was about to absorb.

At the inn, one person or several were also members of the organization.

The organization possesses a special power similar to Zhou Zhen Guo's skill.

Most importantly, this group of them might have been targeted from the start.

The Huoqi that was drawn out was a coincidence.

But Li Liang from the first night and Cheng Cheng who disappeared directly last night are definitely not a coincidence.

After stating the situation he had analyzed and organized, Xiao Chu looked at Tang Luo and Zhou Zhen Guo and asked, 'Master Xuanzang, Uncle Zhou, what do you think?'

'That makes sense.' Zhou Zhen Guo nodded, indicating agreement.

Tang Luo then said, 'As a poor monk I'm not adept at this; I might as well follow Benefactor Chu's line of thought and finish the mission.'

Xiao Chu exhaled.

He felt rather elated, as if venting frustration.

One is a veteran, the other a highly capable martial monk; he's not bad either.

Having wisdom as a backing.

Moreover, compared to that, Xiao Chu prefers winning through wisdom.

The Five Tiger Generals are quite impressive.

But obviously Zhuge Kongming is even more formidable.

'Our breakthrough points are two: one is the inn, the other is the clue left by Huoqi.' Xiao Chu handed the letter he carried to Zhou Zhen Guo, saying, 'The situation at the inn is unclear; for now we shouldn't startle the snake, let's first check Huoqi's side.'

If it weren't for what happened at the inn.

Today's original plan was to investigate Huoqi-related matters.

Tang Luo and Zhou Zhen Guo had no objections.

The three packed up and headed straight to Gelan Chang.

How should we investigate Huoqi?

Naturally, by leveraging the local official forces.

Originally, one person bringing the documents would have been enough.

Xiao Chu, though pleased, didn't let it go to his head; he clearly realized that, although he had begun to lead the mission with wisdom,

but he remains a person with no strength to truss a chicken.

At most he has one 'Light Curtain Skill' he doesn't know how to use and hasn't used again since.

Compared to the formidable martial monk Xuanzang and the skilled Zhou Zhen Guo, he's just a weakling.

Splitting up to act is a suicidal move; he definitely won't do it.

He must definitely stick close to Zhou Zhen Guo or Tang Luo.

"Damn! Bastard! Trash!"

Upon arriving at Gelan Chang, Tang Luo heard a roar coming from the Chief Detective's office.

The structure of Gelan Chang is as follows:

At the top is the Detective Chief, below him the Deputy Detective Chief, then the Unit Commander, and below that the lower-level investigators.

Finally, the patrol officers.

That is the identity Tang Luo currently holds.

Except that regular patrol officers are long-term hires, while Tang Luo is a short-term worker brought in to solve the Kaitangshou Jieke case.

His direct superior has a fierce look, and the investigators also have no pleasant demeanor, forbidding liveliness; only……

Oh, there's no Kong Yiji.

Tang Luo inquired a bit and learned from the investigator who had sent him documents yesterday why the Detective Chief was angry.

Speaking of which, it's still related to him.

It's that Huoqi's headless corpse was discovered.

The Kaitangshou Jieke case remains unsolved, and now another 'headless case' has appeared; it would be strange if the Detective Chief didn't roar.

Moreover, the 'Decapitation Platform' that caused this headless case is countless times more brutal than Kaitangshou Jieke.

Kaitangshou Jieke at most merely disemboweled victims, at most missing a few organs.

The crime scene discovered in the early morning.

It hardly seems man-made.

The victim's head 'was scattered' into a pit.

It feels like a stone fell from the sky, crushing the victim's head while leaving a pit in the ground.

According to the investigators' speculation, the killer should be a burly big man wielding a large hammer.

Only then could such a scene be produced.

The Decapitation Platform is also called the 'Skull Crusher' and 'Hammer Bro'.

After hearing the investigators' description, Zhou Zhen Guo's eyes kept twitching.

He knows what Tang Luo and the others did last night.

But I didn't expect it to be this exaggerated.

Xiao Chu looked at Tang Luo expectantly, as if trying to find that strange, embarrassed expression on his face.

Unfortunately, Tang Luo remained calm, as if the guillotine and skull-crusher mentioned by the detective had nothing to do with him.

This qi-nurturing skill is truly worthy of the title 'master'.

"Coincidentally, I came for this matter as well." Tang Luo said, "The victim's identity is Huo Qi; we've already investigated it."

"What?"

The detective stared, then felt a surge of surprise.

The victim's head was gone, and wearing all-gray clothes was also quite common.

At Gelan Field, they really couldn't identify the identity for a while.

I didn't expect this out-of-town detective to actually find it; that document wasn't given for nothing!

The detective went to report, full of enthusiasm.

Tang Luo and the two others stayed behind.

It was nearly two in the afternoon before the three left Gelan Field.

All information about Huo Qi that could be obtained from Gelan Field has already been gathered.

Tang Luo and the others didn't tell Gelan Field about their speculations regarding the Ripper organization.

Only when something is impossible would they call on Gelan Field's armed forces on a large scale.

In the Gods and Demons Game, there is an uncertain saying.

Namely, how much effect one has in completing a mission affects the quality of the reward.

Although it has never been confirmed or affirmed.

But by common sense, those who put more effort into completing a mission should receive a greater 'reward' than those who put less.

External forces in the mission world are not unable to be utilized.

But if too much external help is used, it might affect the 'mission evaluation'.

Among Gods and Demons Walkers, this saying still has considerable market.

Walking down the road, Zhou Zhen'guo glanced at Tang Luo several times before asking, "Monk Xuanzang, you wouldn't be deceiving me, pretending to be a newcomer, would you?"

Stopping him and delivering a killing blow is nothing.

But a skull-crusher is hardly something a newcomer could pull off bare-handed.

Wielding a big hammer would still be acceptable.

The Gods and Demons Game has no fixed teams; each time you enter a mission, the people you meet are random.

Tang Luo and the others all seemed quite 'new,' so Zhou Zhen'guo regarded them as newcomers.

Veterans pretending to be newcomers, playing the pig to eat the tiger—Zhou Zhen'guo had never seen it, but he had heard of it.

Is this monk before us perhaps...?

"Monks don't tell lies." Tang Luo smiled, "This poor monk is indeed experiencing the Gods and Demons Game for the first time."

"Then why are you so strong?" Zhou Zhen'guo asked, "That's not normal."

"Training."

Tang Luo said.

"How do you train?"

"100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10-kilometer run every day." Tang Luo said solemnly, "And by defeating all sorts of demons and monsters while training the body, one can become as strong as this poor monk."

"Ah?"

Zhou Zhen'guo looked bewildered, "What the heck is this?"

"Pfft!"

Xiao Chu burst out laughing.

Zhou Zhen'guo looked at him, showing a questioning expression.

Xiao Chu looked at Tang Luo, seeing he had no objection, and laughed, "Master is referring to the training method from the comic."

"..."

Zhou Zhen'guo was speechless for a moment, also realizing he had been rash earlier and didn't continue to press for details.

Regardless of whether this Monk Xuanzang (martial monk?) is a newcomer.

So far, the kindness and strength he has shown are enough to prove he is a strong and reliable partner.

"Is it really impossible to form a team?"

Zhou Zhen'guo sighed inwardly.

As a man who has struggled in society for decades, he deeply knows how powerful organizational strength is.

Even in the Gods and Demons Game, where power belongs to oneself, this remains true.

With comparable strength, two extraordinary Gods and Demons Walkers are definitely stronger than one.

Unity is strength!

"Uncle Zhou, I think I awakened an ability last night." Xiao Chu's words interrupted Zhou Zhen'guo's train of thought.

"What?"

Zhou Zhen'guo frowned.

Xiao Chu then told Tang Luo and Zhou Zhen'guo what happened to him when Huo Qi ambushed him the previous night.

He had no choice.

Since that night, no matter how hard he tries, he cannot manifest that thin light barrier.

Even holding his breath until near death is the same; he can only seek help from Zhou Zhen'guo.

"I've never heard of such a thing." Zhou Zhengguo said.

"Uncle, you said that during a mission one can also gain benefits, rewards, so am I not in this situation?" Xiao Chu asked.

Zhou Zhengguo said: "The situation I mentioned is not the same as yours. Those benefits obtained, such as becoming stronger, are not like yours, which appear out of nowhere, suddenly born."

After thinking a moment and organizing his words, Zhou Zhengguo took out a dagger: "For example, this dagger is something I obtained in the mission world, and then I can bring it back. This is what distinguishes it from the reward after completing a mission—the benefits obtained, another path to becoming stronger."

"The mission world can be said to be a treasure trove; capable people can dig out more benefits besides the mission, allowing themselves to become stronger."

In short, it means the reward is not directly given by the "gods and demons"; one must obtain it oneself.

"Then what about my case?" Xiao Chu asked.

"I've never heard of such a situation." Zhou Zhengguo said.

"Could I be unique?" Xiao Chu thought to himself; since Zhou Zhengguo doesn't know, he can only figure it out on his own.

"I don't like this place; it gives a feeling of being gloomy."

In the evening, the sun set and night fell.

Xiao Chu looked at the building not far away and spoke.

It's not that he is timid.

Dare to dress as a woman to act as bait—Xiao Chu's courage is indeed not small.

However, normal people wouldn't like a mental hospital, especially a half-abandoned one.

Huo Qi, this former doctor, used to work here.

And the reason he is no longer a doctor is also related to this hospital.

A few years ago, Huo Qi, due to drunkenness, accidentally caused a fire.

Many parts of the hospital were burned down.

Huo Qi, who originally had promising prospects, lost his job and also lost a large sum of money; from then on he lived in poverty and decadence.

His parents had died early, and his former relatives and friends also stopped contacting him because of this.

Only a former colleague occasionally visits him.

Especially these past few days, many people have seen them drinking at a tavern.

That colleague is a doctor, considered middle-to-upper class in society, and relatively frail, which does not match the inference that the Gran Chang murderer is a burly man.

They only sent investigators to ask a couple of questions, and never considered him a suspect at all.

And in Xiao Chu's eyes, this person has over a ninety percent probability of being a member of Jack the Ripper's organization!