Transform into a human

Yue Lai returned to his apartment. Thanks to the theft of the Zhenhai Sword, the university town was in complete disarray. The history museum contained a large number of evil relics, which all had to be re-collected after the Qimen Dunjia formation was destroyed. For the time being, no one had time to look for a suspect in another case.

The mastermind hidden within the police force was probably preoccupied with these unexpected events and didn't come looking for trouble. Of course, it could also be thanks to that secret "protector."

He opened the broken security door and found the living room empty; the absence of one person made him feel slightly uneasy.

He seemed to see the policewoman looking at his alter ego with disdain, awkwardly asking him:

"You didn't do anything weird with my face on, did you?"

"How could that be?"

Yue answered on his own.

"Dude, who are you talking to?"

A person, a cat, and an elf walked out of the bedroom. Xia Du said sourly:

"Who else could it be but that policewoman I haven't known for very long?"

Yue Lai didn't dare to retort; Xia Du had truly helped him a great deal this time. He picked up the encrypted tablet on the table, and the moment he touched it, he felt an overwhelming sense of danger, as if countless eyes were hidden deep in the forest, watching him intently.

Xia Du also sensed the change in the atmosphere around him:

"Slova Scripture... This is one of the most primal forces in the universe. It's hard to imagine that the Divine Catcher's Path could have originated in a civilization that was still in the tribal stage."

"It's more accurate to say that it was the pristine environment there that made the gods favor Slova, and 'God Catcher' is a human name, not what the Slovans call it."

Do you even know its original name?

The true name of the Divine Catcher's Path seems to hold some incredible secret, and it has almost disappeared into the annals of history due to the Federation's deliberate actions.

"have no idea."

"..."

Yue Haobai was hopeful, thinking he might hear some secrets from this old monster.

Yue Lai waved the letter of appointment in his left hand. The two characters "Yue Lai" were clearly visible on it. Although he had paid a small price to get it—Huang Yuehua drooled a lot more.

"I'm about to get promoted."

He casually sat on the sofa, cut his left palm, and blood quickly soaked the ciphertext plate. The Slova ciphertext seemed to awaken from its silence, writhing its chaotic form.

The sense of crisis, of being surrounded by enemies, grew stronger and stronger, as if a wild beast would pounce out and bite off his neck at any moment. But Yue Lai kept his eyes tightly shut and suppressed his urge to get up.

Once a danger is detected, the encrypted tablet becomes useless.

This is a test of character. Perhaps some brave people can fight wild beasts with their eyes open, but if you force them to close their eyes, the continuous roars in the dark will break them down.

The unknown is the most terrifying thing.

Yue Lai tried to calm himself down and find a balance between "danger" and "composure" in order to achieve a certain subtle feeling before he could begin to sense the "upward" power.

This is precisely how the ancient Slovan warriors broke through their limitations. They would venture alone into the perilous forests, igniting a "life-or-death" impulse between life and death. Perhaps it was a precious memory, the concern of loved ones, or the courage deep within their hearts.

In short, we must do everything possible to promote the growth of this "upward" force. Once it reaches a certain scale, it will help them enter a new realm and become elite warriors in the tribe. Humans call this realm "Bashilang".

After the Divine Arresters' Path was separated from the Slovans, the Federation's extraordinary individuals naturally could not simply copy their "barbaric" model. Therefore, they simulated a sense of crisis and a promotion environment through cipherboards, and the "upward" force was the "expansion of desire"—promotion.

I forget which philosopher said it, but humans are creatures of desire. All kinds of desires, whether good or evil, constitute the reason for human beings to live, and the condition of "promotion" is just a hook that arouses a huge number of desires.

However, the two are not entirely without connection; the methods of advancement for humans and Slovas share at least one thing in common—danger. They either perish as beasts or become lost in the ciphertext, ultimately suffering spiritual death.

As time goes on, the sense of crisis will accumulate. If you try to tough it out, you will eventually become overwhelmed. Even if you are a little late, you may not be able to sense the "upward" force in time, and eventually suffer a mental breakdown. Many people fail at this stage and unexpectedly turn into madmen.

The upper limit of endurance determines the depth of one's cultivation after a breakthrough, so it can be said that those who fail are lost in their own desires.

Fortunately, Yue Lai could still deceive himself.

When the crisis accumulated to a point close to the red line, he began to clear his mind and use self-suggestion.

"Balance... I can find that feeling without fear of danger..."

"Found it!"

Yue Lai imagined himself becoming the president of the preparatory club, deceiving his superiors and subordinates through swindling, and then seizing absolute power, holding the entire preparatory club in his hands. Those junior students who took the spies' route would have no choice but to obey his unreasonable demands in order to gain promotion opportunities...

The tiny seed of desire, carefully nurtured, began to grow strong. As boundless fantasies gradually grew into towering trees, the dangers lurking in the jungle seemed utterly insignificant under the drive of surging desire.

At the moment of the end, Yue Lai in the fantasy world had grown into the deputy director of the police headquarters.

In an instant, the sense of danger vanished.

No, to be precise, it didn't disappear. The Slovak script on the cipher tablet was already etched into his soul. That sense of crisis would accompany the divine constable for the rest of his life. To be more precise—

Yue Lai has already adapted.

He slowly opened his eyes. Xia Du was squatting in front of him, carefully examining him. The sudden opening of his eyes clearly startled her.

Xia Du stood up as if nothing had happened, but quickly realized there was no need to hide it, so he took a deep drag on his pipe in a very open manner:

"You got promoted?"

"I told you it would be a piece of cake."

"What the hell? Not a sound at all..."

Just then, a gust of wind slipped into the house from the balcony, ruffling Xia Du's hair. Yue Lai smiled slightly and appeared directly behind her in the next instant, as if he could smell the fragrance of gardenias.

They know the ropes and act quickly.

"The shampoo smells nice."

Perhaps because they were too close, Xia Du could even feel Yue Lai's hot breath, and her cheeks immediately flushed slightly. She quickly turned around.

"They move at the first sign of trouble, like slippery eels... they're as elusive as mudfish."

"What a terrible analogy."

"So, what's next? Are you going to start working on becoming a slacker?"

"The game has begun."

Speak like a human being!

"The procedure for a chess master to advance to a general is very simple: successfully execute a black and white checkmate once. The better the result, the deeper one's skill will be after the breakthrough."

"So, you mean we can use the connections of the thugs beforehand?"

"That's right, the Black and White Killing Game requires four pieces. You, Yue Hao, Li, and a new friend make up the four of us."

Yue Hao was furious:

"When did I become your pawn?!"

"It's just a description, a description..."

However, the summer capital focuses on another point:

"How come you have a new 'friend' again?!"

"Not familiar, not familiar..."

Mo was very dissatisfied:

"Why am I not included?!"

"Of course you'll be with me..."

The elf lady then turned her anger into joy.

Yue Hao said helplessly, "Although I really want to help you, I have a mission to complete. I still need to continue investigating the matter at the Federal University."

Xia Du tapped the edge of the table with his pipe: "I'm just a free man, what do I need to do?"

Yue Lai smiled mysteriously: "This is the mystery of the Black and White Killing Game. Once the pieces are selected, they will fall into their proper places on their own. Everything seems to be predestined and will naturally lead to the situation I want."

"So you can do whatever you want."

Yue Hao was shocked by this method: "This...this is too unreasonable! This is only the third method!"

"Of course, it's not without conditions," Yue Lai said quietly. "I have four chess pieces, and my opponent will also have four. In the end, the contest... is about chess skill."

……

……

University Town Branch.

When the appointed time arrived, Li finally left the bathroom where she had been for a long time. In order to make it easier for Yue Lai to act with her face, she had stayed in the stall for half a day!

"Why does this guy seem to have such a complicated relationship with toilets ever since I met him..."

But the policewoman was suddenly a little unaccustomed to being away from that guy. Although Yue Lai was always cheeky, his confident, arrogant, and self-important demeanor was still reassuring.

She, who has always been very opinionated, suddenly doesn't know what to do.

She suddenly remembered what Yue Lai had said during their last meeting:

"To do everything I want to do..."

"I need to go back to Starport. The murderer who killed Grandpa Ji is definitely a fraud. Even if we can't find the mastermind, we have to find him first!"

As she pondered this, she encountered Bryce hurrying past in the corridor.

Lai quickly saluted: "Chief Superintendent!"

Bryce paused and nodded slightly. "Wallace, you did a good job this time. Are you planning to end your vacation?"

"My colleagues are all so busy, I can't just stand by and watch," Li scratched his head. "The case of Superintendent Malfoy's murder is still under investigation, Chief Superintendent, may I request permission to return to Singapore to investigate?"

Bryce frowned:

"Based on information provided by Representative Warren, the suspect is now believed to be hiding in the university town."

"Mother?"

"It seems Falken didn't tell you that the councilwoman believed that Superintendent Malfoy died from the evil relic 'Dark Age Kirin Staff' stolen from the history museum, which is why the branch mobilized a large number of people to work with their colleagues in the university town. They didn't expect to encounter such a major event as the theft of the Zhenhai Sword."

At this point, Bryce showed a relieved expression:

"I haven't had a chance to properly thank you yet. Chief Superintendent Deng Hongquan of the University City branch couldn't attend the banquet because of the aftermath, and he asked me to convey his heartfelt thanks on his behalf."

"Hehe," Li laughed sheepishly, "Even I don't know what happened back then..."

"Huh?" Bryce looked surprised. "Didn't you say yourself that you moved the Zhenhai Sword with your fearless spirit?"

"Yue Lai!" the policewoman roared inwardly, "I already had Donald warn him not to cause any trouble!"

She forced a smile, her face stiff: "Yes, yes, I even forgot myself."

"You have such a bad memory," Bryce smiled kindly. "If you insist on going to Starport, I'll have Falken lead the team."

Li saluted excitedly: "Thank you, Chief Superintendent!"

"You're welcome." Bryce waved his hand, then turned and walked towards the conference room.

After a long while, he suddenly opened the soundproof door of the conference room, quickly looked around the corridors on both sides, and only after confirming that no one was eavesdropping did he close the door again and return to the conference table.

The curtains were drawn, plunging the room into darkness. Bryce pulled a white dove from his pocket and crushed it.

A bloody magic circle appeared, and a familiar voice rang out:

"I heard there was a problem at the university town?"

"With the Zhenhai Sword stolen, too many eyes are watching, and I dare not act rashly."

"Don't make excuses for your incompetence!"

"……yes."

"Where is your ever-present shadow clone?"

"It was sent out, but it was swallowed by another person's clone. It will take time to regenerate. It should be the one who helped Casti cover up the traces when he was in Esfri. I... may not be a match for him."

The opponent's strength can be inferred from the fate of his clone. His clone was almost powerless to fight back. Of course, it cannot be ruled out that the opponent possessed a relic.

"I've also checked with headquarters during this period. There are a number of people in the police headquarters who have been visiting Esfri and the police headquarters in a short period of time."

It can be said that this scout who appeared out of nowhere was the biggest surprise.

After a long silence, the person on the other end finally spoke again:

"Did you lose them?"

"Under my surveillance." Bryce pointed to his finger, and a faint thread leading to a distant apartment building was visible.

"Since it's inconvenient for you to do it yourself, arrange for someone else to do it. Make sure he's killed!"

"Aside from the consumables, I will also send another flower-wearing lady over. She has a special identity and can only be used to restrict people hiding in the shadows."

The mysterious figure on the other side of the magic circle spoke at once, seemingly in a real hurry:

"Also, immediately apply to headquarters for the divine relics to be used in the Malfoy case."

"But this time the suspect is expected to be just a charlatan..."

The chief superintendent, a member of the "flower-adorned" gang, applying for a keepsake in order to arrest a martial arts performer would likely not be approved; the police headquarters' resources are not yet sufficient for that purpose.

"I'll figure out a solution for headquarters, you don't need to worry about it."

"yes!"

For some reason, after the other party said "I'll think of a way," Bryce suddenly felt a connection with four people, one of whom was from the other side of the magic circle!

Having extensive experience in the supernatural realm, he did not ignore this "feeling," nor did he panic. Instead, he truthfully told the other party what he had heard.

The mastermind behind the scenes was clearly taken aback. He knew very well that his trusted lieutenant wouldn't speak without reason, and he suddenly seemed to remember something:

"Has Hua Leisi ever been to Star Harbor?"

Which one are you referring to...?

"Royal Council Member, Love Warlace!"

"She has been here."

The mastermind gritted his teeth and said, "Now I know where that 'Flower-Haired Guest' came from. Be careful of that woman, she's got her eye on us!"

……

After the call ended, Bryce sat quietly for a long time, still unable to understand why such a big shot as Love Wares had set her sights on him. He had been deliberately avoiding Love Wares, otherwise he would have already taken direct action against Yue Lai.

Just as Bryce was racking his brains trying to figure it out, he heard footsteps in the corridor through the soundproof door, thanks to his keen sense of hearing.

So he got up, drew back the curtains, waved his hand to create a whirlwind, gathered the scattered feathers of the white dove into a ball, and threw it out the window. The knocking sounded almost at the same time.

"Please come in."

Qingyan entered the conference room:

"Chief Superintendent, suspect Yue has surrendered!"