Chapter 219 - 218: Mysterious tracks in the Dark Alley, the incurable Cat Monster

This was how the female inspector started the conversation, which left Li Jing slightly taken aback.

He had never heard of this so-called ’Flower of the North City Branch’ before.

But it was clear.

This "flower" referred to Chen Yuran.

Li Jing wasn’t going to go out of his way to clarify, though.

It was just a bit bothersome.

The label of Chen Yuran was firmly attached to him and it probably would not be easy to tear it off.

The female inspector had said that he and Chen Yuran had a past, not that they were currently together. This implied that they were no longer in that kind of relationship, but it was believed they had been.

Feeling a bit helpless, Li Jing kept his composure.

"May I have your name, please...?"

"Ren Jie."

Smiling, the female inspector introduced herself, then said,

"Inspector Li, you can carry on with your conversation with Yang Cheng. I have some matters to attend to and won’t disturb you."

With that, she nodded at Lu Yangcheng and turned to leave.

Seeing that Ren Jie tactfully excused herself, and not without gesturing to Lu Yangcheng before leaving, Li Jing watched her retreating figure and turned back to look at Lu Yangcheng in a meaningful manner.

Lu Yangcheng frowned at this and said.

"Don’t overthink it. Inspector Ren is my superior. When I first joined the Intelligence Department, she was the one who guided me during the first month. We are currently partners, in a superior-subordinate relationship."

Then, he looked at Li Jing with curiosity and added,

"And you seem to have been doing quite well lately, both inside and outside the office?"

"Just average, nothing special."

Li Jing dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Just as he was about to say something, Lu Yangcheng cut in.

"How can you call that average? In these two-plus months since joining the Intelligence Department, your name is the one I’ve heard most from the others. Rumors about you and Inspector Chen aside, you’ve solved so many major cases that you can be considered a star inspector in our North City Branch."

After saying this, his tone became somewhat sour.

"And don’t think I don’t know that you’ve quietly gotten a girlfriend and at least one extremely beautiful close female friend. Last month, I ran into Xu Jiayi in the Spiritual Objects Market, who never missed an opportunity to rub these facts in my face. She even compared me to you, telling me to learn from you."

"Ah, this..."

Li Jing froze.

He hadn’t expected Xu Jiayi to bring him up when talking to Lu Yangcheng.

But considering the relationship between the two of them, it probably shouldn’t be too surprising.

Looking at Lu Yangcheng’s sour expression, Li Jing thought for a moment and showed the ring on his left ring finger.

"You may not believe this, but I actually got married to my girlfriend half a month ago. Now, I’m a married man."

"..."

Lu Yangcheng.

This news from Li Jing was like a stab to the heart for him.

He had been rejected the first time he confessed his love, by his cousin Deng Ying.

Not only did he fail to get a girlfriend, he was also socially embarrassed.

In contrast, Li Jing seemed to have everything go too smoothly.

He was already married?

He had just turned twenty-two this year, barely reaching the legal age for marriage!

With a brother like this, who needs enemies!

He silently looked at Li Jing, who looked as though he wished he could stick the wedding ring on his face. Exhaling a long breath, Lu Yangcheng said,

"Congratulations."

He congratulated Li Jing casually and asked,

"So, when do you plan on holding a wedding banquet? I should definitely be on the guest list, right?"

"Sisi and I have no plans to hold a wedding banquet."

Li Jing shook his head and said,

"Maybe later we’ll invite a few friends out for a meal when we have time. If we make a plan, I’ll let you know."

When he heard that Li Jing did not plan to hold a wedding banquet, Lu Yangcheng was not surprised.

After all, a wedding banquet is just for show.

Many people choose low-profile weddings these days, but they are still able to live happily together, aren’t they?

Without a word, Lu Yangcheng pointed at the two stripes on his shoulder badge.

"A while ago, I stepped into the Third Realm, and Xiuzhu did so even earlier. We are both currently consolidating our realm and adapting to the power of the Third Realm. After a month or two, once we’ve learned some Third Realm magic skills, we’ll apply to transfer to the Major Crime Unit."

Lu Yangcheng had already upgraded his rank to level two, which Li Jing had noticed when he first arrived.

Upon learning that Yi Xiuzhu had also reached the Third Realm, and that the two were planning to apply for transfers in a month or two, Li Jing smiled and nodded.

"Sounds good. I’ll be waiting for you guys in the Major Crime Unit."

Then, he decided to get to the point.

"Yang Cheng, I came here today about the instructions given by the national capital for local patrol units to strike against the Demon Alliance. Do you guys in the Intelligence Department have any information yet?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yangcheng promptly replied,

"We do have a bit of information, but the instructions only came in yesterday and we haven’t had time to look deeply into it yet."

Then, he looked around and lowered his voice a bit.

"There is reliable evidence that the Demon Alliance had set up a base in North City’s Dark Alley two years ago and operated in the surrounding area for about three months. The Intelligence Department has known about this from the beginning, aware that a monster group was entrenched in the Dark Alley. However, before the instructions from the national capital came down, we did not know that it was the Demon Alliance. We only regarded it as a risk object for observation. After they disappeared from the Dark Alley, the relevant information was archived as outdated."

Hearing Lu Yangcheng’s words, Li Jing slightly furrowed his eyebrows.

The fact that the Demon Alliance had once used North City’s Dark Alley as a temporary base was a bit surprising.

The Dark Alley in North City was similar to the Old City in West City, falling into a gray zone.

Such places were indeed suitable for shady activities.

However, in a place riddled with a mixture of dragons and snakes, like the Earth Realm, it was hardly the ideal place for hiding.

Monsters would hardly choose such a place for bases without a good reason, the news would easily leak out.

Just take the Black Market that was once set up by two monsters in the Old City as an example.

The existence of the Black Market wasn’t widely known, but it had gained some recognition in a small area, known to a considerable number of people.

Because of this, the Great Monsters that considered West City their home thought that the Black Market might threaten the living environment of other monsters and tried to suppress it.

The fact that the Demon Alliance once operated in the Dark Alley for three months without any news leaking out needs to be explained. It must have had certain reasons for choosing the Dark Alley as a temporary base.

Yue Lingling had seen human "shareholders" in the Demon Alliance Branch in Jianghai. Although they were not locals, they could have had developments in Jianghai.

Compared to the Dark Alley which was suitable for mischief but not for hiding, even if the Demon Alliance couldn’t find a suitable place for a base, they could seek the assistance of shareholders. There was no reason to take shelter in the Dark Alley.

As he was pondering this, Lu Yangcheng seemed to find something strange.

"The preliminary investigation of the Demon Alliance apparently doesn’t require the involvement of the Major Crime Unit. Are you trying to meddle on your own by asking me for information?"

Upon hearing this, Li Jing clicked his tongue and said,

"There isn’t anything private or public about this. Once you guys in the Intelligence Department and the Special Action Team have clear information, won’t all the departments have to collaborate? We are all part of the patrol unit, there’s no need to divide it into public or private, is there?"

As he spoke, he added with a sheepish smile,

"I personally want to know a bit more about the situation, mainly because I find the Demon Alliance quite interesting."

Hearing Li Jing’s prevarication, Lu Yangcheng scoffed.

Anyone with a bit of sense could hear that the first part of Li Jing’s words were mere excuses, and the latter part was the key.

Lu Yangcheng could also understand this.

An organization composed of monsters was very dangerous.

But for a patrolman, those illegal monsters were all walking large-paycheque.

Killing one would be a windfall, worth several or even dozens of months’ salary.

Who wouldn’t want to get involved if they had the capacity?

Lu Yangcheng didn’t know that Li Jing had reached the Fifth Boundary, but he had known early on that someone due to being promoted to the Four Realm was transferred to the Major Crime Unit.

When the news first came out, it caused quite a stir in the North City Branch.

After all, Li Jing was quite young.

Entering the Four Realm at the age of twenty-two, his talent could be described as monstrous.

It was normal that Li Jing, having such strength and ambition, wanted to delve deeper.

Furthermore, in fact, if it weren’t for the high personal risk involved, and the relatively limited information that can be obtained, the door of the Intelligence Department would have been broken down by powerful inspectors from various departments a long time ago.

After a slight pause, Lu Yangcheng spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"There’s no further information I can provide you with for now, but I’ll inform you if there’s any progress in the department. If you are interested in the Dark Alley, you can contact Xiuzhu. Last night, the Special Action Team organized a group of people to infiltrate the Dark Alley as undercover agents to try and ferret out related information. Xiuzhu also took part in the operation, and he should be in the Dark Alley now."

Upon hearing this Li Jing raised his eyebrow and spoke.

"Alright, I’ll contact Xiuzhu later."

...

After bidding Lu Yangcheng goodbye and leaving the Intelligence Department, Li Jing left the North City Patrol Branch and drove his Spirit Soldier to Ji Qing’s hot pot restaurant.

Li Jing didn’t know how many monsters Ji Qing was acquainted with.

But through the useful information she provided him in many cases, it wasn’t hard to see that her connections with the monsters were excellent, she had a wide network, and her ability to gather information was extremely strong.

Li Jing had thought about contacting Ji Qing in the early morning, but he got distracted because Liu Sisi came down the stairs suddenly.

Right now, since he was out, he decided it would be better to visit her directly than to exchange Immortal Messages.

As he descended in front of the hot pot restaurant, Li Jing glanced inside.

As expected, Ji Qing was lying idly on the counter, engrossed in her mobile game.

It was a little time before noon and the hot pot restaurant had just opened, but there were no customers yet.

Aside from Ji Qing, there were only a few flamboyantly dressed female waitresses busying themselves, preparing for the lunchtime rush.

Without much thought, Li Jing pushed open the door.

As soon as the door opened, Ji Qing, still engrossed in her game, crinkled her adorable nose and looked up, her bright captivating eyes twinkling.

She was more than familiar with Li Jing’s scent.

Seeing that it was indeed him, she straightened up with a smile, then quickly pocketed her phone in a flurry.

"Just wait! I’ve got a team battle in my promotion match right now! Damn it! How did they start without me? Damn stupid teammates!"

Just as Li Jing approached the counter and was about to speak, he heard her curse, twitched the corner of his mouth, and silently chose to sit down.

The staff in the hot pot shop were already accustomed to their boss’s gaming addiction. They pretended not to see and went about their own business.

Among them, a girl who recognized Li Jing brought him a cup of lemon water and a beautifully presented fruit platter.

Li Jing had visited the hot pot shop numerous times and was familiar with many of the waitresses.

Receiving the lemon water and fruit platter, he smiled warmly and thanked her.

Looking at Ji Qing, who was completely absorbed in her game, Li Jing was inexplicably charmed by her more than ever before.

This...

Could it be because he had become a man in the physical sense?

Li Jing was a little bit puzzled.

Now that he had "lost his sexual innocence", he undoubtedly found himself experiencing thoughts that he wouldn’t have had previously.

However, this should only apply to Liu Sisi, and not extend to other women.

Just as he was puzzled, Ji Qing sighed, dropped her mobile phone in frustration.

Seeing this, Li Jing blinked.

"Did you lose?"

"What else?"

Ji Qing replied unhappily and grumbled.

"I don’t know what’s going on recently, but things aren’t going well, and I keep getting matched up with stupid teammates. I’ve played the master promotion tournament seven or eight times, and there’s always something going wrong in the crucial games. I think I’ve been matched with actors."

With that, Ji Qing put away her mobile phone and perked up with a playful smile.

"Didn’t Yuran say you went to the Capital? When did you come back? It’s rare for you to visit me; are you here to deliver food again?"

"..."

Li Jing was speechless.

It was nothing unusual for Chen Yuran to be in contact with Ji Qing.

But...

Why did she assume that his visit meant he was delivering food?

What did she take him for?

A slave?

Not paying attention earlier, Li Jing frowned strangely after glancing at Ji Qing’s health bar.

He had just returned, but Ji Qing’s health bar had just 4201 points.

At that time, he had given her more than two hundred kilograms of Third Realm Dog Demon meat and told her to share with Jing Ming.

If they split it evenly, each of them would have at least one hundred kilograms.

Jing Ming couldn’t have taken that much.

She was just short of reaching the Four Realm, consuming a couple of meals would have been enough to usher her into the Four Realm. After that, the flesh and blood of Third Realm monsters wouldn’t have any significant effects on her.

The vast majority of the Dog Demon meat should still be in Ji Qing’s hands.

However, after more than half a month, Ji Qing’s health points had only increased by 157, showing 4358 points.

In terms of pure numbers, it’s a considerable increase.

But you should know, that’s two whole Late-Stage Third Realm Dog Demons we’re talking about!

If we refer to the progress Ji Qing made after eating the first snake demon to the end, if she was more diligent, she could very well be in the Four Realm by now.

Looking at the staff in the restaurant, Li Jing asked in a low voice.

"Have you finished eating the Dog Demon meat I gave you last time?"

"Yep, all finished."

Ji Qing nodded, smacked her lips and chuckled.

"Jing Ming is about to step into the Four Realm, so she only needed ten kilograms. The rest was all eaten by me."

"..."

Li Jing stayed silent, then finally spoke.

"It seems like it will be pretty challenging to feed you up to the Four Realm."

Upon hearing these words, Ji Qing was slightly stunned. Then, coming to her senses, she laughed shamelessly.

"Of course it will be challenging. Are you suggesting that you really want to take me home and feed me until I’m at the Fifth Realm?"

"I do have that in mind."

Li Jing responded with a smile.

Caught off guard by his response, Ji Qing looked at him in surprise before smirking alluringly.

"If you really do have that in mind, then I’m going to have to raise my price. You’d have to realistically feed me until I reach the Fifth Realm."

Having said so, she quickly changed the topic with a snort.

"Don’t think of me as a lost cause. Though I don’t really like practicing, after consuming so much Dog Demon meat, I should have naturally ascended to the Four Realm. I’m still stuck in the Late Third Realm because I suddenly gained new talent, and all the nutrients from your Dog Demon meat went into enhancing the power of this talent. Now that you’re here, don’t you feel there is something different about me compared to before?"

"A new talent?"

Li Jing was taken aback; remembering his earlier feeling, he asked curiously.

"Is your new talent related to charm?"

"It’s not."

Ji Qing shook her head, gave a mysterious smile, and said.

"As for what it specifically is, let me keep it a secret for now."