Machete Girl: It's fine, as long as it can be put back. If it can be put back, I can use healing magic on him.
Lazy Kitten: Good heavens, is that how healing magic is supposed to be used?
Qi Luoli was utterly shocked, her entire feline self amazed, and at the same time, she admired Kotonoha's approach. Cut open someone's skull, check if there are any problems inside, and if not, put it back and use healing magic?
"This is brilliant! What a genius!" the little kitten couldn't help but exclaim.
"Do you think he's a genius?" Hearing her words, Li Yaran, not far away, looked towards the screen in the hall. "I think he's more like a scumbag."
The person shown on the screen was a man with a buzz cut and a lean build. He wore a special forces uniform and had a stern expression on his face.
This man was the spy discovered by the special forces, named Liu Chenghui.
From the information on the screen, it was evident that this guy's resume did have some shining moments. He graduated from Imperial Capital Platinum University at just seventeen, and became the deputy chief of the intelligence department at twenty-two.
But for the next five years, he was quite mediocre. He was even implicated in a brawl, which led to his demotion to a regular staff member.
Judging only by appearances, people might assume he turned traitor and became a spy for the cult due to immense psychological pressure. But in reality, after strict investigation and comparison, the special forces found that he had actually been a member of the Evil Spirit Cult since graduation.
This man named Liu Chenghui had been an insider planted in the special forces by the Evil Spirit Cult for ten years.
Not only that.
According to investigations and interviews conducted by Yang Xi in his hometown during this period, Liu Chenghui is likely closely connected to the "Snow Night Butcher" case from a few years ago.
He is very possibly an accomplice to the "Snow Night Butcher," one of the culprits responsible for the murder and dismemberment of over ten young girls.
Furthermore, Ye Rong also found two shattered corpses in the apartment he rented in South City.
Through analysis and evidence collection, the cause of death for these two corpses was exsanguination. Combined with the special altar in the basement of the apartment and the bloodstains on the ritual tools, it can be confirmed that the corpses were clearly used as sacrifices by Liu Chenghui when they were alive.
These actions are already horrific, right? But it doesn't end there!
According to DNA test results, the special forces members also discovered that the younger of the two corpses was Liu Chenghui's own daughter! And the older one was also a woman, currently confirmed to be the biological mother of Liu Chenghui's daughter.
Liu Chenghui's marital status on the household registration is unmarried, so this woman was not his wife.
But regardless, using his own daughter as a sacrifice, and personally draining her blood to death… this is absolutely not something a human would do.
It's no wonder that even Li Yaran, who usually remained calm, couldn't help but curse him as scum.
"He truly is scum, and the lowest of scum at that," Qi Luoli agreed, adding, "But it's been several days, and you still haven't found any trace of him?"
"No, his counter-surveillance methods are very strong," Li Yaran sighed helplessly. "We can't even confirm his general whereabouts."
"He must have joined forces with those people from the Evil Spirit Cult by now," predicted the blonde girl Yang Xi. "We probably won't find him unless we find the Evil Spirit Cult's location first."
"But finding the Evil Spirit Cult is just as difficult," Ye Rong sighed. "We don't know where they are hiding, nor do we know what they truly want to do. What is the appearance of that special type of mutated beast related to them?"
"Then let's stake out starting from District Nine," Li Yaran finally decided to use this old-fashioned method and gave the order. "Starting tomorrow, our team's office and living quarters will be designated in District Nine."
Good grief, this is like being on call twenty-four hours a day! More ridiculous and excessive than the 996 work schedule!
Qi Luoli complained wildly in her mind but didn't speak out against it. After all, she was also utterly disgusted by Liu Chenghui and the Evil Spirit Cult, wishing she could tear that scumbag to pieces with her own hands.
*Sigh.*
Slowly calming her mind, Qi Luoli turned her gaze to the group chat. She then realized that the group members were still engaged in a heated discussion about whether to open the skull.
Curly-haired Guy: In my current situation, the key is to first figure out what happened in that small town. This is the priority, and everything else can be ignored for this!
Wig Guy: You can ignore the lives of innocent people? Gintoki! When did you become like this?
Curly-haired Guy: I'll throw that back at you! When did you become like this? You weren't this much of a saint during the Joui War!
Wig Guy: It's not about being a saint, it's about humanity! I can't agree with destroying humanity for an uncertain answer!
Curly-haired Guy: Who told you we would destroy humanity, the Bodhisattva Guan Yin? Did she descend from heaven to speak with you? We didn't say we'd kill him directly, didn't we agree to use healing magic? What are you so worked up about?
Wig Guy: What if the treatment is ineffective? His death could implicate an entire Family! Think about his child and his aged mother, how could you bear it…
Doujin Artist: Wait, how do you know he has a child and an elderly mother?
Wig Guy: *Clears throat* This is a guess based on empathy.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Empathy? You're a lonely single person, and an orphan at that… Who are you empathizing with? I genuinely can't understand it, Katsura-san.
Wig Guy: It's not Katsura, it's Zura!
Katsura Kotonoha, who was crouching on the ground, stood up, shifting his gaze from the hotel owner's head back to the group chat. "I think I might understand the situation now."
Wig Guy: Really, really? Is the hotel owner still alive? Did the healing magic work? If he dies, please give him a proper burial. If he has a wife, please give me her address.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Address?
Doujin Artist: What the heckin' address! You're so eager to take care of someone else's wife, aren't you?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: As expected of you, Katsura! Truly, as expected of you!
Machete Girl: I didn't open his skull, but I can't be sure if this shop owner is considered alive. There's a hypothetical question here: if a person's head is pulled and penetrated by threads, and these threads even replace the function of their meridians and blood vessels, are they considered alive or dead?
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