As soon as Lord Mei and Zhou Yu reached the entrance of Old Xu's house, they were met with the overpowering stench of blood.
Zhou Yu kicked the door open, and the metallic scent grew even more pungent.
The two Executioners flanking Lord Mei immediately stepped in front of him, their expressions sharp with vigilance.
“My Lord, Wang Hu is dead!”
Zhou Yu's voice was low and heavy. Lord Mei's brow furrowed so deeply it could have crushed a fly.
Then, Zhou Yu continued.
“Mr. Wei and the Constable are also dead.”
Boom!
A surge of spiritual pressure erupted from Lord Mei!
Wang Hu’s death was merely the loss of a personal guard; he could be replaced. But the deaths of Wei Baixiang and the Constable were far more problematic.
Both were official members of the administration—and specifically, they were officials from Mangyang City!
Engaging in cross-city law enforcement in private would become a sharp blade in the hands of his political rivals.
Ignoring everything else, Lord Mei strode into the house.
The floor was completely covered in blood. Because it had been sitting for some time, it felt tacky and viscous underfoot.
In the center of the living room, Wang Hu, Wei Baixiang, and the Constable were suspended from the ceiling.
A single incision ran from their necks down to their pubic bones; they had been skinned. However, unlike the previous skinning cases, there were no signs of chemical erosion on the wounds. The skeletons remained inside the human skin, but every ounce of flesh and fat had vanished.
It was as if someone had dressed the bare bones in a suit of human skin.
“Zhou Yu, could you have done this?”
Lord Mei stared at the fresh displays of skin and bone, turning to look at Zhou Yu.
Zhou Yu was currently examining the lines used to hang the corpses. Hearing the question, he nodded slowly.
“Mastering interrogation techniques is fundamental for an Executioner. Skinning and deboning is not difficult for us.”
“However, the opponents were a Constable, a Coroner, and Wang Hu. Even I couldn't have done this without making a single sound.”
Lord Mei nodded.
“Go ask the neighbors if anyone heard anything unusual!”
“Yes, sir!”
Several subordinates outside answered and began knocking on doors door-to-door.
“Three Sequence 8s dead in two days. Zhou Yu, do you think this is the work of a cult, or one of my ‘fellow graduates’?”
Zhou Yu thought for a moment before replying.
“I think the probability of a cult is low. After all, if it were a cult, their killings—whether of ordinary people or transcendents—would be purposeful, such as for a sacrifice or to feed something.”
“Regardless of the type, the scene should have left some traces. Yet this place is excessively clean.”
“Furthermore, as Coroner Wei said before, this is a copycat crime!”
Lord Mei nodded.
“If it was orchestrated by one of my rivals, then a report has likely already been sent up. It won't be long before the higher-ups send someone down.”
He regained his composure, his voice turning flat as if he were discussing someone else's business.
“Every contact leaves a trace.”
“Before I came here, the family gave me the Heart-Seeking Compass. I didn't want to expose it, but these people are forcing my hand.”
Upon hearing ‘Heart-Seeking Compass,’ Zhou Yu frowned.
“My Lord, that transcendent item has certain side effects that might affect your future promotion. If you trust me, I am willing to use it in your stead.”
Lord Mei shook his head decisively.
“Zhou Yu, it's not that I don't trust you, but the mental strength of the Executioner pathway is inferior to that of the Scholar pathway.”
“The backlash for you would only be greater than for me. I cannot let you take that risk.”
Zhou Yu fell silent, knowing Lord Mei was right.
The Heart-Seeking Compass could only be used by those at Sequence 7 or higher. In all of Wangduan City, the only Sequence 7s he could trust were the two of them.
“Take the bones and the blood back!”
Zhou Yu gave the order, and the two Executioners guarding Lord Mei began the collection.
When they were halfway through, the subordinates who had been knocking on doors returned.
“My Lord, the neighbors' accounts are very consistent. They all say they didn't hear a thing.”
“Moreover, after Coroner Xu's incident yesterday, some people have already moved out temporarily out of fear. They say they won't return until the Return Soul Night is over.”
This was within Lord Mei's expectations, so he wasn't too disappointed.
“My Lord, the bodies are packed. Shall we send them back to the mortuary?”
“No. Take the bodies back to the Command Center.”
“Yes, sir!”
The subordinates complied and carried the bodies downstairs. However, as soon as they reached the ground floor, they found several vehicles blocking the intersection.
When Lord Mei saw the emblems on the vehicles, his expression darkened further.
The Security Bureau!
“Oh? Two more dead? I heard they were helpers from Mangyang City?”
“Lord Mei, I have to say something about this. It's one thing if we don't have a Coroner, but why must we borrow a Constable from Mangyang City as well?”
“If the higher-ups find out, they might think our relationship is strained.”
A burly man stepped out from the shadows, his expression full of mockery.
“That is none of your concern, Mr. Guo!”
Lord Mei gave the Director of the Security Bureau a long look, suspecting that the man might have a hand in this. If that were true, he didn't have many options left.
...
After the group returned to the Command Center, Lord Mei had the three bodies placed in the main hall. He then led Zhou Yu to a safe and took out a golden casket.
“My Lord, once you use it, there's no turning back.”
Zhou Yu tried to dissuade him again, but Lord Mei shook his head.
“From the moment I took this post, there was already no turning back.”
As he spoke, he opened the golden casket and took out a compass.
The compass was only the size of a palm, and the twenty-four directions engraved on it were somewhat blurred.
Around the edges and the bottom of the compass were numerous black lines interwoven like a web.
The moment Lord Mei gripped the compass, the black lines quickly burrowed into his palm, drinking his blood.
As the black lines gradually turned red, the needle on the compass began to tremble.
Lord Mei's spiritual energy was rapidly drained. In just a few seconds, his lips turned pale.
“Who killed Wang Hu and the others?”
Following his question, the compass shuddered slightly, and the lines that had turned red began to spew a bloody mist into the air.
The mist gradually outlined a scene: a thin figure dressed in black was lying in wait in Old Xu's house, seizing the chance to launch a sneak attack.
First, a single blow crushed Wang Hu's throat, preventing him from calling out a warning.
Then, hiding behind Wang Hu, the figure raised a blade and cut down the Constable.
As Wei Baixiang attempted to flee, his form was seized by a shadow and dragged into the darkness.
The vision ended abruptly. Then, the bloody mist shifted into a map of Wangduan City, marking a specific location.
Lord Mei's face grew even paler; even his cheeks seemed slightly sunken.
Seeing this, Zhou Yu spoke urgently.
“My Lord, that's enough. Continuing will damage your foundation.”
However, Lord Mei asked hurriedly,
“Who is the killer behind the previous six skinning cases?”
The red mist shifted again. This time, the scene changed to a dim room where a tall figure was skinning someone.
But before Lord Mei could see clearly, the bloody mist instantly transformed into a hideous ghost face and lunged at him.
Zhou Yu cried out in alarm and instinctively blocked Lord Mei, activating the transcendent ability of the Imperial Guard.
But the ghost face passed right through his body and pounced directly onto Lord Mei.
Lord Mei let out a muffled groan, his body stiffening as he collapsed backward.
“My Lord!!!”
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