Chapter 651: Displaying the Conspiracy (Third update, begging for monthly votes)

"'A sufficiently long distance plus a 'Hypnotist'...' 'Xiso' repeated Lu Mian's words, as if thinking of something.

Lu Mian stood in front of him, looking down at him, and explained in a questioning manner:

"Do you think that besides 'Hunters' and Beyonders of higher sequences in the corresponding pathway, killing a demon mainly relies on encounter battles?"

"Xiso" looked at Lu Mian indifferently, without answering.

Lu Mian pulled over a chair and sat down, putting his right foot on his left knee, and said in a tone of casual chat:

"I have read a book about demons in mysticism, and it contains quite a few cases of hunting demons.

"It can be seen that for Beyonders of most pathways, wanting to kill a specific demon really relies on encounter battles. I thought so too at the time, until later, when I recalled the detailed description of 'Demon' abilities, I found a contradictory point.

"That mysticism book describes your danger premonition like this:

"Danger Intuition, also known as Malice Perception: If an enemy can inflict fatal harm on a Demon within a very short period and has taken action to put it into practice, the Demon can sense it in advance and grasp where and from whom the danger originates, thereby targeting, retaliating against, or escaping from it. However, it cannot know the specific details of the plan. Different Demons have different ranges for this intuition, varying from a few minutes to a day, and from a few kilometers to an entire metropolitan area."

"What is the contradiction between this and encounter battles?" "Xiso" sat upright, asking with a bit of curiosity amidst his indifference.

"According to this description, demons should definitely be able to predict encounter battles." Lu Mian laughed. "For example, although I only wanted to go for a cup of coffee today, I suddenly encountered a demon later and had to kill him. For that demon, interpreted from the literal meaning, he should have been able to predict in advance that my act of going to the coffee shop for coffee would cause him fatal danger and that I had put it into practice. But the fact is not like this."

Seeing "Xiso" show a thoughtful expression, Lu Mian clasped his hands together:

"This shows that demons' danger prediction does not come from the fate level. If it were a powerful Beyonder of the 'Monster' pathway, in that situation, they would likely suddenly feel that it is not suitable to drink coffee today, thereby avoiding danger. But you can't."

"Since demons' premonition of danger is not because they can predict fate, where does it come from?"

"A high-level devil once explained the concept of the Abyss to me. It believes that the Abyss has two meanings: one is material, with the entrance somewhere in the real world; one is spiritual, with the entrance in the depths of everyone's heart."

"Synthesizing the above analysis, I think demons' danger prediction needs to modify a premise."

"That is, 'the enemy has a relatively clear idea and can cause fatal harm to the demon in a very short period of time, and has taken actions to put it into practice.' Only in this way can the demon sense it in advance."

"Understand? A relatively clear idea or intention."

Lu Mian provoked "Xiso" in the tone of "Magician" and began to truly talk about his conspiracy:

"At the very beginning, I was just testing a little bit, investigating step by step, and when touching key information, I deliberately avoided it, so that I neither knew who I was dealing with nor had a rough plan to deal with the target."

"That is to say, I didn't have a clear idea and intention yet, and lacked an effective plan that could cause fatal harm to you in a very short period of time. Everything was blurry, chaotic, not yet started, and full of changes and accidents. Naturally, you couldn't sense danger."

"However, the position you were in made you alert in time when I was investigating the serial murder case four years ago, right? After that, you have been using the 'Wraith' ability and the few patrol team members you controlled to keep an eye on this matter, right?"

"Xiso" listened coldly, without the intention to answer.

Lu Mian smiled and continued:

"After roughly inferring that you were hiding in the patrol team as a 'Zombie' sequence Beyonder, I endured my impulses, tried my best not to think about this aspect, and after returning to the hotel, immediately 'teleported' to Trier."

"At this distance, you couldn't predict that I was formulating a plan and putting it into practice."

"After having a preliminary idea, I immediately went to find 'Sleeve Sword' and two other companions. We discussed a detailed plan. That was just past seven o'clock in the evening Trier time."

"Next was decomposing the task, each person responsible for a part, and accepting the 'Hypnotist's' 'hypnosis,' forgetting the real purpose, until you, this demon, appeared, would they remember the corresponding matter."

"My task was to pretend to leave by 'teleportation,' use shadow stealth to return quietly, and follow the patrol team member I traded with. My self-cognition purpose was to see if he had any problems."

"'Sleeve Sword's' task was to follow me, provide necessary vigilance and help. If I used the 'Bottle of Fiction' ability, she would put on the 'Ring of Discipline' in advance and ambush outside. As for why she ambushed, she didn't know. Once she saw you, she would suddenly wake up, and with her combat experience and wisdom, she naturally understood what to do next, without me teaching, without making detailed arrangements."

"The 'Hypnotist's' task was to wander nearby using 'Psychological Invisibility,' just wandering."

"The other 'Witch's' task was to keep an eye on the patrol team and immediately report to the police after discovering an unexpected situation. Before you appeared, she also didn't know why she wanted to do this, just thinking we were targeting the patrol team."

"Before the 'hypnosis' was automatically lifted, none of our intentions were to deal with you, and none of our actions taken separately could cause fatal harm to you. Naturally, you couldn't predict it."

"This was a premeditated encounter battle, an encounter battle that made you encounter multiple people."

After finishing this last sentence, Lu Mian suddenly heard a illusory shattering sound.

He felt that his "Conspirator" potion was completely digested.

He also felt that "Xiso's" seemingly indifferent expression had annoyance and regret growing and gnawing at his soul.

Lu Mian smiled even more brilliantly. He stood up, leaned forward, brought his head to the front of "Xiso," and looked at "Xiso's" flaxen eyes, which were highlighted with bloodshot veins, and said:

"Your biggest mistake was actually not escaping Pylos Harbor in advance and still staying in the patrol team."

"Why were you so confident that I couldn't find you?"

"Why did you know I liked drinking Fermo coffee without sugar?" "Xiso" asked instead of answering.

Lu Mian felt that his anger and killing intent had reached a quite intense level. He straightened his body and answered with a smile:

"My sister often says one sentence: 'Everything that has passed will leave traces,' and one of my companions is a trace expert."

"Hehe, Emperor Roselle should have also said similar words. You must know its meaning very well."

"Xiso's" palms suddenly gripped the armrests of the chair. He asked again:

"Why were you sure I would go to kill Kolobo?"

Lu Mian answered with both body and mind feeling comfortable:

"I wasn't sure."

"Didn't I tell you, I also have a 'Witch' companion monitoring the patrol team?"

"'Sleeve Sword' and 'I' both believed that if you finally chose to escape, you would definitely do something first to vent your inner desire to kill. Otherwise, you, as a 'Demon' plus 'Prisoner' pathway Beyonder, would very likely have problems. And since you wanted to kill, it was either the patrol team member I traded with or Camus who gave me information, either in the Matani shop or in the patrol team."

Speaking of this, Lu Mian guessed with a smile:

"You risked staying in Pylos Harbor, staying in the patrol team, an important reason was that you wanted to wait for an opportunity to kill me? Under the gaze of the 'Tarot Club' and the 'Curly-Haired Baboons Research Society,' find an opportunity, kill me, this young man with great potential, and then escape calmly, which can satisfy your twisted soul to the greatest extent?"

"Xiso" subconsciously licked his lips:

"I originally wanted to wait for a period of time, wait until you lost patience, wait until the opportunity appeared, and then take action. But now it seems, you didn't seem to request the help of those demigods, only found 'Madame Lady Lady Hai La'."

"I should have raided you last night."

"Xiso" no longer hid his annoyance.

Lu Mian didn't respond to this topic immediately, thought for a few seconds, and said:

"Still wanting to wait for an opportunity... You are very confident about hiding your identity, not afraid of investigations in the normal sense."

"Is the reason related to the patrol team's high-level allowing a 'Prisoner' pathway Sequence 6 to join the patrol team?"

"Xiso" closed his mouth, responding with silence.

"It seems this hides no small secret." Lu Mian suddenly smelled the aura of a conspiracy. "The action opportunity you were waiting for is also related to this secret?"

"Xiso" remained silent, but his eyes had a certain change, more bloodthirsty, full of the desire to kill.

"Not willing to speak." Lu Mian laughed. "It doesn't matter, let's talk about other things first."

He bent his waist and back again, looking at "Xiso":

"For this action, I did only find 'Madame Lady Lady Hai La.' One is to guard against the devil of the North family who established contact with you, and the other is to provide an environment for peaceful communication with you."

Hearing the devil of the North family, "Xiso's" eyes had a subtle change again:

"How did you know?"

Lu Mian didn't answer, his mouth curling up even more fiercely:

"I only found 'Madame Lady Lady Hai La' because I wanted to capture you alive by relying on myself and my companions."

"Our strength is not as good as yours, each of us is a target you think you can abuse and kill, but we formed a team, completed cooperation, and you are here now, about to fall into hell."

"Xiso" snapped and crushed the armrest of the chair, but couldn't launch any attack on Lu Mian.

Looking at his blood-stained eyes, Lu Mian took out a golden straw hat from the "Traveler's Bag," pressed it to his chest, and bowed.

"I'll leave for a moment." He said with a smile.

The next second, Lu Mian detached from the dream.

He quickly changed his state of sitting against the broken stone pillar, took out Gardner Martin's Beyonder characteristic, teeth, blood, and the venom of the Colored-Beard Lizard, hornbeam essential oil, and other things from the "Traveler's Bag."

He had just truly felt "Xiso's" fear, anger, and annoyance. Although this was produced in a dream, it was reflected in "Xiso's" brain and reflected on "Xiso's" body, real and intense.

He was going to concoct the "Reaper" potion.

PS: Third update, begging for base monthly votes~

(End of chapter)