"There shouldn't be any more, right? If there were, Liu would have shouted just now."
"Heh, this is a Prince's Villa. To think a Demon Rat that huge was hiding here. I wonder what kind of face King Runan will make when he finds out."
"What kind of face could he make? This is the crime of harboring a Demon Fiend! For an ordinary person, it's enough to get your head chopped off!"
"Huh? It can't be that serious, can it?"
"Then you tell me, why would a Demon Rat just suddenly pop out of here for no reason?"
"..."
The term "Demon Fiend" was something Gu Zheng had only told them today.
Before this, no one would have believed such things actually existed.
A Demon Fiend appeared in King Runan's villa, escaped, and started harming and eating people. If the investigation isn't thorough, he won't be able to escape responsibility, even if he is a Prince!
「...」
「...」
"So this is the entrance it used?"
In a spacious bedroom at the back of the villa, Gu Zheng and five constables stood together, surrounding an open hole in the ground next to the bed. Their faces showed a mixture of horror, curiosity, and shock.
In the torchlight, the edge of the hole was covered in claw marks, and many broken stone tiles were scattered about.
Inside the hole, a set of cracked bluestone steps stretched down into the unknown depths, clearly visible in the flickering light.
"An underground tunnel?"
A burly, rough-faced man stared at the entrance and couldn't help but ask, "Is this a secret passage King Runan had someone build?"
"There's no doubt. It's a secret passage."
"So, the Demon Rat used this tunnel to get in from outside the city?"
"Since when were there monsters like Demon Rats outside the city?"
"..."
The men all started talking at once.
Gu Zheng frowned. After a moment of thought, he ordered, "Go outside and look for a large stone slab. Bring it in to cover the entrance for now. We'll go into the hole to investigate after daybreak."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing the order, the constables cupped their fists, then turned and left the bedroom, taking their torches to look for a slab.
Gu Zheng didn't move. He crouched down, using a torch to peer into the depths of the hole.
'This man-made tunnel has been here for at least thirty years.'
'I wonder where the other end leads.'
'But no matter which direction it goes, any village near the exit is surely in grave danger!'
'It's been snowing for the past few days, so not many people have come into the city, especially from the more distant villages. If a Demon Fiend was eating people out there, it's not impossible that an entire village could have been wiped out...'
Gu Zheng muttered to himself.
If not for the possibility of other Demon Rats in the tunnel, where there wouldn't be enough room to maneuver, Gu Zheng would have gone in to investigate right away.
「...」
The constables soon found a stone slab wide enough to cover the hole, carried it over, and sealed the entrance.
Gu Zheng then had his men find a few stone blocks, which they moved into the room and placed on top of the slab.
This was just a precaution.
If there really were other Demon Rats, the slab wouldn't be able to stop them.
The Demon Rat's strength and speed were outstanding, its defense was average, but its self-healing ability was ridiculously exaggerated.
Gu Zheng had some men go back first and bring a handcart. They placed the Demon Rat on it and transported it back to the Criminal Arrest Squad Room.
He took it into a dark room and lit the large tallow lamps.
After putting on protective clothing and dismissing everyone else, Gu Zheng personally began dissecting the Demon Rat, searching for Bloodshed.
And the result did not disappoint him.
[Demon Points +1]
[Demon Points +1]
[Demon Points +1]
Dissecting the Demon Rat, he found a total of three dark, viscous, blackish-red Blood Pearls.
One of them was just below the neck and chest, while the other two were in the abdominal cavity.
After absorbing these three drops of Bloodshed, the panel immediately changed.
[Gu Zheng]
[Realm: Unentered Realm]
[Strength: 10/10]
[Agility: 10/10]
[Constitution: 10/10]
[Spirit: 8/10]
[Divine Wondrous: 0]
[Demon Points: 3]
[Demon Techniques: Super-speed Self-healing (Disabled)]
Below that, in the ten light-blue slots that resembled a game's equipment bar, the Bloodshed had vanished.
The newly acquired Demon Technique, "Super-speed Self-healing," was clearly the Demon Rat's ability.
However, the ability was currently in a disabled state.
This was because activating the skill required "Divine Wondrous" energy.
And his "Divine Wondrous" was currently at zero. Gu Zheng had none of this power in his body.
But looking at the three Demon Points he had obtained, an idea struck him, and he added one point to Strength.
Instantly, a tremor ran through his entire body. His muscles, bones, tendons, and organs were baptized, scoured, and transformed by an invisible power in that single moment. A mighty tide of blood qi surged and roared like a river, sweeping through him and giving birth to a brand new power.
[Gu Zheng]
[Realm: Alien Body · Xianfeng]
[Strength: 11/10]
[Agility: 10/10]
[Constitution: 10/10]
[Spirit: 8/10]
[Divine Wondrous: 0.5]
[Demon Points: 2]
[Demon Techniques: Super-speed Self-healing (Disabled)]
「...」
A Realm finally appeared!
'Alien Body · Xianfeng? So, the existence beyond Grandmaster is called Alien Body?'
Steam rose from Gu Zheng's body. His skin was flushed red and covered in sweat, and his bright eyes shone with intense joy.
'Whatever it's called, breaking the limit in any one of Strength, Agility, or Constitution allows one to advance to a new realm.'
The power one grasped after breaking the limit wasn't just the Physical Strength of before. It now included a new type of power called "Divine Wondrous."
'It's just that the amount is too small.'
'A Strength of 11 only gives 0.5 Divine Wondrous.'
Although he now had some Divine Wondrous, Gu Zheng wasn't in a hurry to activate the "Super-speed Self-healing" Demon Technique.
He had no use for it at the moment.
Instead, without hesitation, he decisively added the remaining two Demon Points to Spirit.
BUZZ!
It felt as if his brain had suddenly exploded.
For an instant, his mind went completely blank.
He didn't know how much time had passed, but when his consciousness returned, he discovered that his five senses had been enhanced.
[Gu Zheng]
[Realm: Alien Body · Xianfeng]
[Strength: 11/10]
[Agility: 10/10]
[Constitution: 10/10]
[Spirit: 10/10]
[Divine Wondrous: 0.5]
[Demon Points: 0]
[Demon Techniques: Super-speed Self-healing (Disabled)]
「...」
'A Spirit of 10... I've reached the limit.'
Gu Zheng closed his eyes to feel his new condition. His five senses were enhanced. He could hear farther and more clearly, and his perception was so sharp he could even sense the wall behind him.
Of course, it was a vague impression, but if a person were standing behind him, he would definitely be able to detect them.
As for everything else—his memory, his thought processes, his willpower—they had all changed significantly.
'Good, but not good enough.'
Opening his eyes, Gu Zheng clenched his fists.
'Demon Points. I need more Demon Points!'
'With Demon Fiends appearing in the world, just reaching the limit is nothing. Only by breaking through the limit and becoming stronger can I protect myself and the people around me.'
「...」
It was after midnight when he came out of the dark room.
Snowflakes were still drifting down from the sky.
Gu Zheng went straight to the bathroom in the squad room, took a cold shower, and changed back into clean clothes.
He then waited until dawn to find Tong Yuanshan, who hadn't slept all night.
"Is the Demon Fiend dealt with?"
In the main hall of the County Magistrate's Office, Tong Yuanshan, who had dark circles under his eyes and was holding a cucumber, was overjoyed after hearing Gu Zheng's report. He laughed heartily. "Hahaha, that's wonderful! You successfully killed the Demon Fiend! Gu Zheng, you really didn't disappoint me!"
As he spoke, he took a hard bite of the cucumber and began chewing loudly. CRUNCH, CRUNCH.
"Sir, we only killed one Demon Fiend last night. There may be more Demon Rats hiding in the underground tunnel."
Gu Zheng's expression was grave as he said seriously, "Just in case, I plan to make a trip into the underground tunnel later..."
"Won't that be a little too dangerous?" Tong Yuanshan paused, swallowed the cucumber in his mouth, and said nervously, "Let someone else go down and investigate, right? You're the Chief Constable, you don't have to handle everything personally."
"No one else is as strong as me."
Gu Zheng said calmly, "If I go down, even if I can't win, I can still escape."
This was the confidence that came from having all four stats at their limit, with his Strength having broken through it.
His perception alone would let him know if there was danger ahead.
A Martial Arts practitioner's intuition was already superior to that of an ordinary person.
Not to mention Gu Zheng, whose Spirit had reached its limit.
"This..."
Tong Yuanshan was at a loss for words. The cucumber in his hand suddenly seemed less appetizing.
The logic was sound.
But he wouldn't feel bad if other people died.
If something happened to Gu Zheng, where would he find another trustworthy Martial Arts expert to be his capable right-hand man?
Just as he was agonizing over it...
"Gu Zheng!"
Suddenly, a sharp shout came from outside the main hall.
Accompanied by heavy footsteps, a tall and burly figure strode in through the doorway.
"Gu Zheng, where is the body of the Demon Fiend you killed last night?"