A fantastical journey across the heavens, beginning with the Witcher.

Li De carefully tucked the black mane into his waist pouch, then turned and strode quickly toward the Sal family's house.

Unexpectedly, just two blocks away, he tasted the bitter fruit of his previous frivolous probing—two fully armed guards blocked his way.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The guard gripped his spear tightly, his eyes warily scrutinizing the twin swords at his waist and the distinctive golden cat-eye eyes, his tone full of interrogation.

"During martial law, you are not allowed to move around freely. Come with us to the city garrison!"

Li De patiently explained, "I am a witcher commissioned by Sal Bronnish to investigate the monster's whereabouts. I just met with him this morning and also visited the academy and the scene of the massacre. Many of your colleagues have seen me."

"A Witcher? Do you have a warrant?"

The guards exchanged a glance, clearly not entirely convinced.

The boomerang hit him squarely between the eyebrows. Li De helplessly shrugged. "No, he found me a mentor named Elena. You should know her, right? Redhead, a professor at Bullburg Academy. If you really don't believe me, you can verify with Sal's butler; we've met."

The guards hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not dare to take Li De away rashly.

After all, Witchers have a fearsome reputation, and Cowburger really needs someone to deal with monsters right now.

But they didn't let him pass. Instead, they followed Li De on the left and right, "escorting" him all the way to Sal's door, insisting on seeing it with their own eyes before they would stop.

Fortunately, the old butler came to the rescue: "Gentlemen, these are the young master's distinguished guests. They are indeed here to help investigate the monster."

He bowed to the guard, then turned to Li De and apologized: "Mr. Witcher, I'm sorry you had to suffer this injustice."

When the old steward came forward to testify, the guards put away their weapons, gave him a few words of advice and left, saying "You must not go out at will."

Li De breathed a sigh of relief and followed the old butler into the house.

The fireplace in the living room was warm, and the food was already set on the mahogany dining table.

The earthenware plate holds roasted pork that is charred and fragrant, with a glistening skin and sprinkled with ground herbs and coarse salt. When you cut into it, you can see the tender pink meat inside, which also has a faint aroma of fruit and wood.

Next to it was a pot of tender vegetable soup, with carrots, potatoes and beans soaking up the savory flavor of the broth, and a thin layer of oil floating on the surface.

The croissants are baked to a crispy exterior and a soft interior, and served with a small jar of sweet and sour berry jam, which perfectly balances the richness of the meat.

Finally, there was a pot of warm fruit wine, its amber liquid clear and bright, exuding a sweet aroma of berries and honey.

Li De was starving after a long day of travel, so he didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up his knife and fork, cut off a piece of wild boar meat, and put it in his mouth. The meat was tender and juicy, and the aroma of herbs and meat intertwined on his tongue. He then took a sip of the rich soup, and the warmth slid down his throat into his stomach, dispelling the fatigue of his journey.

The last time I had such a lavish dinner was when I was driving away a horde of evil spirits from a plantation owner's fields, but that experience was not pleasant.

Before the monster was defeated, the other party addressed him as "Master" with utmost respect; but after the monster was eliminated, the "Master" turned into a "mutant monster," and the promised full payment was skimped on, with even blackened copper coins being used to disguise gold coins.

After being exposed, the manor owner even ordered his guards to forcibly drive him away.

Li De still can't understand the logic of being afraid of monsters but not of people who can solve them.

In the end, he chopped off the guard's right hand that was holding the sword with one sword, threatening him to either pay him or search the place himself. Only then did the bloated manor owner obediently hand over the full amount of payment.

As night deepened, Sarr returned from his patrol of the city.

He removed his heavy plate armor, his face etched with exhaustion, and as soon as he sat down, he eagerly asked, "Did you find anything in the square?"

"Yes, and it's a key discovery."

Li De got straight to the point, took the mane from his pouch, and handed it to Sal: "I found Blood Demon's mane at the scene."

"Blood Demon? What kind of monster is that?"

"A variant of high-level vampires, they are strong, fast, and can even use a lot of magic. They are a very dangerous monster."

Sal frowned: "Aren't vampires supposed to only be active at night? This monster comes out to attack humans during the day too."

Li De patiently explained, "The Blood Demon is different from the low-level vampires in storybooks. They just hate sunlight, they don't die from it. What's more troublesome is that this monster might be kept as a pet."

That was a lot of information. Thrall couldn't help but rub his temples: "Who would be so heartless as to raise a monster? What for? As a pet?"

"It might be used for experiments. Blood Demons are intelligent and understand the principle of not exhausting resources. The frenzied killings at the celebration were either revenge against humanity or simply the result of the experimenters' deliberate manipulation."

Are there any suspects?

"Yes, Bullburg College."

While giving his answer, Li De was also observing Sal's expression.

He was well aware of the importance of Newcastle College to Newcastle; one could say that the entire city prospered because of the college.

In terms of political status, the dean of the academy is equal to the mayor; in terms of public welfare, the dean of the academy is even higher. If the monster is indeed raised by the Bull Fort Academy, he needs to confirm whether the city guard captain in front of him was involved.

Sal jumped to his feet, his face filled with disbelief.

"The academy? Are you so sure?"

"The mane smells of formaldehyde; this preservative is only used by the Academy."

Sal's expression instantly turned serious, and he paced back and forth: "But the academy is full of scholars, how could anyone do something so crazy? And without evidence, we can't just search rashly, and it would be difficult to explain to Principal Philip."

"Only people within the academy have access to formaldehyde, magical control, and experimental equipment simultaneously. We need an inside man."

Li De's tone was certain.

"Elena!"

Sal almost immediately thought of a candidate.

"She is the most outstanding medical scholar in the college, knows every corner of the laboratory, and is honest and reliable. She is the perfect person to help."

Li De recalled the scene of Elena being driven away during the day: "She is trustworthy. I did a simple test during the day and can confirm that she has no connection with the Blood Demon, but investigations require composure and patience, and her personality..."

"Elena does have a fiery temper, but I really can't think of anyone else. We can't ask the principal, can we? If he makes a move, the whole school will know."

After some deliberation, Sal finally made his choice.

"Let's go with Elena. She's Principal Philip's granddaughter and has free access to all kinds of laboratories. I'll go with you tomorrow, ostensibly under the pretext of 'strengthening security,' but secretly to help you find clues. It's both safe and secure."

After discussing for a while, the two decided on the action plan for the next day, and then went to rest.

……

Meanwhile, in a secluded laboratory deep within the Bullburg College, Professor Gillen was whispering to himself in front of a mirror.

He wore gold-rimmed glasses, a hint of anxiety barely perceptible on his face: "A witcher has arrived at the academy; it might affect our upcoming plans..."

A hoarse voice came from the mirror: "What's the panic? He's just a witcher. The attack in the square happened a week ago. What can he possibly find out?"

"Then why did he come to the academy to find Elena? That woman went out for half a day and came back on her own. I went up to her to get information out of her, but her expression was strange, and she wouldn't say anything..."

"Then let's deliberately create chaos. Tomorrow, send one of the test subjects as bait to lure him into the city and kill him. Then, let the other test subjects attack the academy. As long as more people die, who will suspect the academy?"

"But the students are innocent..."

Gillen recalled the young people who had greeted him, and a hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes.

"Shortsighted! How can we clear our names if we don't do this? The experiment is almost finished; do you want to give up halfway?"

Seeing that Gillen was still hesitating, the voice in the mirror softened its tone, persuading her with a hint of seduction: "Think of your country, your people. Are you going to just let them be ravaged by the Nilfgaardians? The students are innocent, but aren't they innocent too?"

"All right."

Gillen closed his eyes, recalling the tragedy of his hometown being captured by Nilfgaard, and finally gritted his teeth and agreed.

……

The academy was shrouded in a light mist in the early morning as the two of them arrived together.

Sal first went into the principal's office alone, spoke for a while, and then let Li De into the room.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Principal Philip sitting behind his desk, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

The old man had gray hair, sharp eyes, and a pair of brass-rimmed glasses perched on his nose. His dark blue robe was embroidered with the college badge, giving him a composed and dignified air.

Elena was also in the office. When she saw Li De, her expression became somewhat complicated. First, a hint of offended embarrassment flashed across her face, her cheeks flushed slightly, but she quickly suppressed it.

Principal Philip put down his quill and looked at Li De with a calm yet scrutinizing gaze.

"Is this the Witcher you were talking about?"

"Yes, Headmaster." Sal stepped aside to introduce, "This is Reed, a skilled witcher. Reed, and this is Headmaster Philip, the head of Bullburg Academy."

Li De nodded in acknowledgment, without any further formalities.

It wasn't that he was deliberately feigning indifference; it was just that the red-haired beauty's gaze was too fierce. If her eyes had any penetrating power, he would have been riddled with hundreds of bloody holes long ago.

Moreover, he's not so shameless as to "flirt with his granddaughter yesterday and then chat and laugh with his grandfather today."

Principal Philip said gently, "Mr. Reed, Sal has already told me about your investigation results. The college is willing to fully cooperate with your actions. I have only one request: for the sake of the school's stability, please act as discreetly as possible and do not disturb the students and faculty."

Li De bluntly stated, "Don't worry, I won't act rashly without sufficient evidence. Right now, however, I need Miss Elena's help."

Upon hearing this, Elena asked in surprise, "Hasn't the scene already been investigated?"

"My coming to the academy isn't exactly a secret. Yesterday's investigation may have alerted the person behind it all. I'd like to ask if anyone has inquired about our investigation results? For example, the monster's whereabouts, or any clues we've discovered."

Elena was taken aback by what she heard. After thinking about it carefully for a moment, her expression gradually became serious.

"There really is! Professor Gillen came to me yesterday afternoon and asked if the Witcher had found any useful clues. I didn't think much of it at the time and just said that I hadn't found anything. He also 'kindly' reminded me to stay away from dangerous people like you."

"Gillen?"

Li De recognized the name, but it took him a moment to recall it.

"You told me before that the two victims' bodies should have been preserved intact, but Professor Gillen said the bodies were severely damaged, so only the vital organs were preserved. Was that him?"

"It's him."

Li De and Sal exchanged a glance. This professor was far too suspicious; it seemed the investigation would have to focus on him from now on.

"Or should we just arrest him?"

Elena's tone carried a hint of eagerness, as if she wanted to stir up trouble, and she made no attempt to defend her colleague.

"no."

Li De shook his head decisively: "It's not certain yet whether he's the murderer. Even if it is, we can't rule out the possibility that he has accomplices. If we act rashly, the trail will be lost."

"What should we do then?"

Elena was somewhat discouraged when her proposal was rejected.

"Let's investigate first."