Chapter 43: I am not here to alleviate poverty

I am not here to alleviate poverty.

Cheng Shi furrowed his brows as he sorted through the clues he had gathered. After a moment of contemplation, he ruled out the possibility that the murderer was a follower of 【Decay】.

【Decay】 and 【Prosperity】 are opposing faiths, but if His followers were to commit murder in a land under the protection of 【Prosperity】, they would certainly leave the corpses marked with traces of "having decayed."

Only in this way would it count as a provocation of faith, and only then could they manifest the might of their Benefactor.

Yet, the corpses were completely devoid of wounds; it was clear the murderer was crafting a specific atmosphere of terror.

To achieve such an effect, the murderer likely worshipped 【Filth and Depravity】 or 【Death】 itself.

The reason for considering the murderer's faith was not for any other purpose, but simply to crack the puzzle.

One must know that 【Death】 and 【Prosperity】 both reside within the 【Life】 path; although the wills they promote diverge slightly, they are not opposites.

This point can be seen from the phrase "Blooming only awaits withering."

What it protects are merely individual lives within the span of a normal lifespan, and when an individual reaches the end of their life, it allows them to die.

Because 【Prosperity】 strives for the maximum prosperity of the individual, not immortality.

After all, within the 【Life】 path, 【Death】 is the final movement.

Based on this, Cheng Shi could not help but begin to think.

The trial of 【Death】 ultimately requires sacrificing a certain offering to Him.

So this time, is it to sacrifice a follower of 【Filth and Depravity】 who deliberately manufactured slaughter and twisted the residents' original modes of death, or to continue the methods of the 【Death】 followers and kill a target that might be of great interest to Him?

One is to catch the murderer, the other is to help the murderer kill.

These two choices can be said to be poles apart.

Once the wrong choice is made, it is highly likely one will fall into a place of no return.

Just as Cheng Shi was deep in thought with his brows locked, not far from him, another player was also bowing their head in contemplation.

Wei Guan clearly also knew that the clue to cracking the puzzle lay in the Law Enforcement Bureau, so he was one step ahead of Cheng Shi and had already been lingering there for a while.

When he saw teammates arriving one after another, he let out a cold snort and left with disdain.

Seeing Wei Guan leave, Cheng Shi couldn't help but chuckle.

Followers of 【Foolishness】 consider themselves high and pure and never like to mingle with others; he left at this moment, not knowing if he had seen something or if he simply hated participating in a case with others.

After obtaining the relevant intelligence, Cheng Shi left the Law Enforcement Bureau and wandered around the town for a while.

It was not until the sun set, the people on the street grew fewer, and the residents' expressions became increasingly panicked, that he paced his way back to the inn.

At this time, the first floor of the inn was packed with people; the other four teammates were already seated at a wooden table, waiting for his return.

Cheng Shi greeted the group and took a seat among them.

His gaze swept inadvertently over the corner of the stairs, and he discovered that the ascetic monk was standing in the shadows, eyes staring straight at them, just happening to lock eyes with Cheng Shi.

Cheng Shi was startled, then smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

The other party's face showed neither joy nor sorrow, and his gaze did not shift.

What kind of person is this? Isn't he tired of standing every day?

Fang Jue saw that everyone had returned to their positions and began to preside over the situation.

"Let's share our intelligence. I will first summarize what I have seen and thought today, and everyone can fill in the gaps."

The Law-bringer is truly the most organized profession; basic intelligence regarding every aspect of Yongzhan Town was shared in an orderly fashion under his meticulous sorting.

The content was so detailed that it didn't look like something one person had inquired about in a single afternoon; it looked more like a report compiled by a large team after a month of background checks!

Cheng Shi was astonished in his heart, wondering if Fang Jue's ability was a bit too strong.

If some managers of fund companies could have this level of competence, before the 【Gods】 descended, he wouldn't have lost so miserably.

They are all just dogs who take money and don't do any work!

After Fang Jue finished speaking eloquently, the others nodded one after another, only Wei Guan snorted coldly and said with disgust:

"Utterly redundant."

Fang Jue didn't mind at all and spread his hands to signal it was their turn.

Du Xiguang, however, stood up for him and said:

"Then why don't you share your brilliant insights?"

Wei Guan glanced sideways at Du Xiguang and sneered:

"So eager to reap without sowing? A brain that never thinks will only grow more stupid. If you want to get answers from me, prove your value first."

"Pfft."

Cheng Shi really couldn't hold it in and laughed out loud.

His laughter attracted everyone's attention.

Seeing everyone looking at him, and Wei Guan's gaze filled with even more disgust, Cheng Shi quickly waved his hands and said:

"Sorry, I couldn't help it. It's my first time seeing someone justify freeloading so righteously; I've certainly learned something new."

His words were clearly mocking Wei Guan, but Wei Guan didn't react; instead, the others looked at Cheng Shi with much friendlier gazes.

Sure enough, everyone is friendly when you're around an idiot.

As long as you stay away from idiots, everyone can get along harmoniously.

Du Xiguang also smiled; not knowing if he really wanted to prove himself or if he didn't want to wait for Wei Guan's response, he directly stated his own thoughts.

It was the same as Cheng Shi's idea, nothing more than choosing one of two paths.

A very ordinary way to crack the puzzle, but also the safest.

Cheng Shi nodded in agreement repeatedly; the two looked at each other and immediately felt a sense of mutual appreciation.

Hilarious, never thought that one day I would actually stand on the side of a 【Memory】 follower.

Yun Ni did not add any other details; she simply shared what she had seen and heard during the autopsy.

"The Law Enforcement Bureau doesn't have anything like a morgue. The corpses of the four victims were just placed in the archives. I checked them from head to toe, and indeed, I didn't find any wounds."

"Compared to murder, this is more like casting a curse."

"A curse from the underworld?" Cheng Shi asked in surprise.

Yun Ni glanced at him sideways and nodded irritably:

"Yes, this method of killing usually comes from the underworld. It's probably 【Filth and Depravity】 spreading fear; creating fear and absorbing trembling is also a form of sinking into desire."

Yun Ni's guess was decisive, but it had some merit.

However, every player had their own judgment in their hearts; such a guess, which was too colored by subjectivity, was hard to gain everyone's common approval.

Next, it was Cheng Shi's turn. Cheng Shi didn't hold anything back; he briefly described the parts of his findings that others hadn't mentioned, and then, carefully examining the clues from each path, he thought about where the key to breaking the situation lay.

Fang Jue looked at Cheng Shi thoughtfully and teased:

"You really don't look like His follower."

Cheng Shi knew what he meant; it was that he displayed too much "orderly" nature.

Yet Cheng Shi suddenly laughed and replied to Fang Jue playfully:

"Don't you think that getting close to 【Order】 is, for me, also a kind of 【Chaos】?"

Fang Jue was somewhat amused by these words, but the gaze hidden beneath his smile clearly grew solemn.

Indeed.

Making a 【Chaos】 follower no longer chaotic is, in its essence, a kind of chaos, and the most profound chaos at that.

Originally, Fang Jue had felt that this person, Cheng Shi, didn't seem worth his excessive attention.

But now, a trace of killing intent had actually risen in his heart.

Discovering an opposing believer with high divine aptitude is not good news.

Cheng Shi didn't know what Fang Jue was thinking; after finishing his own insights, he threw the topic to Wei Guan.

This follower of 【Foolishness】, who wore an expression of "I'm not targeting anyone, I'm saying everyone here is trash," had listened all night and hadn't offered a single brilliant insight yet.

This was truly infuriating.

"Alright, the stupid players have contributed their ideas, now it's time for the smart player to comment."

Wei Guan sneered and turned to leave.

While walking, he mocked loudly:

"Your thinking is worthless; you are not worthy of knowing the answer."

This sentence made even the good-tempered Fang Jue somewhat angry; he slapped the table and stood up, saying seriously:

"Leaving here means you are giving up on cooperating with us."

Fang Jue's voice had unconsciously added some of a singer's skill effects, which had a very intimidating effect.

Many people in the inn heard it and turned their heads to watch.

But Wei Guan didn't slow his pace at all; the direction he left in was not toward the rooms on the second floor, but toward the inn's front door.

"For me, you don't even qualify for the word 'cooperation'. My time is limited; I am not here to alleviate poverty."

After speaking, he pushed open the inn's front door.

And just at this moment, the inn's bellboy grabbed his hem and reminded him in terror:

"This noble guest, even if you have had a quarrel with your partners, I still want to remind you:

The current night is not safe.

The Law Enforcement Bureau has already announced a curfew recommendation.

Staying inside the inn is the best choice; please be cautious!"

Wei Guan sneered and mocked:

"Cowardice and stupidity have always gone hand in hand.

I already know the answer, so naturally, I won't be afraid of any so-called murderer.

Furthermore, his methods, in my eyes, are equally foolish."

After speaking, he brushed off the bellboy's hand and walked straight out.

The moment the door was slammed shut, a shockingly unified low curse sounded from the players' table.

"Idiot." ===== CHAPTER 44 =====