Black Silk Female Police Detective Exorcist

Cheng Hai's reaction was a bit strange. This monk probably knew some inside information, but he seemed unwilling to talk about it or lie to Qin Huanyu.

So after hesitating for a while, Chenghai could only answer like this:

"I'm sorry, I can guess the general idea of ​​this matter, but it involves some matters of our sect, so I really can't reveal it directly... Officer Qin, you might as well ask Inspector Ling, she might be able to enlighten you on the intricacies of this matter."

"Ask Sister Zero... Okay, I'll give it a try."

Qin Huanyu saw through Cheng Hai's predicament and didn't press him.

During the time they trained together at Bai Ling's house, Qin Huanyu gained some understanding of this frivolous monk.

This monk is easy to talk to, but also very stubborn.

As long as it doesn't involve any bottom lines, Monk Hua is very straightforward and often willing to provide help free of charge.

But when it came to things that couldn't be compromised, the Flower Monk wouldn't budge an inch, no amount of negotiation would work, he was as stubborn and unyielding as a rock in a latrine.

Without a doubt, matters concerning the Shilin Temple, the sect's headquarters, are matters that the Flower Monk cannot compromise on, and Qin Huanyu's attempts to force him are futile.

However, the monk also pointed Qin Huanyu in a direction, telling her to ask Ling.

Since Zero parted ways with Squad 11 in South Lake City, he went to South Pacific to hunt savages. Nobody knows how he is doing now, and this kind of thing certainly won't be reported in the news.

So Qin Huanyu first sent a message to Ling:

[Sister Zero? Are you busy? I have some questions I'd like to ask.]

The message was quickly marked as read, but Zero didn't reply. Instead, he called directly, and it was a video call.

Qin Huanyu clicked the answer button and saw a picture appear on her phone. The first thing that caught her eye was, of course, a beautiful blonde nun with blue eyes, followed by the room behind her.

It was a wooden, Japanese-style house with classic sliding doors and a small wooden table, on which sat a pot of sake.

"Sister Ling, did you go to Sakura Prefecture again? Did you finish fighting the savages in Nanyang Prefecture? Did you encounter any trouble?" Qin Huanyu asked a few questions with curiosity and concern.

"Well, I came to Sakura Prefecture to meet a friend and take care of a relaxing case that's good enough for a vacation."

Zero first secured his phone to the table, then, while pouring himself a drink, laughed and said:

"As for the savages of Nanyang... Hmph, they're just a wandering ghost who managed to get worship from a savage tribe by tricking them. Now that they have some magic power, they want to cause trouble. I've already wiped out that wandering ghost and the few savage priests that he strengthened with evil magic. The savage settlement was also blasted flat by the local army with rockets. Although a very small number of savages have escaped into the mountains and forests to fight a guerrilla war, that's the local garrison's job. My mission is complete."

"Did it get haunted by a wild spirit worshipped by a primitive tribe...?"

Qin Huanyu immediately understood the meaning behind Ling's words and nodded thoughtfully.

Such cases are not uncommon in the Bureau of Investigation's files.

Those primitive tribes in the mountains are rather ignorant. When they see any extraordinary beings, they like to worship them as gods, making things that were originally harmless appear dangerous.

For this reason, there have been radicals within the Bureau of Investigation and the military who have proposed to carry out several large-scale clean-ups to wipe out all the primitive tribes in the mountains and eliminate the hidden dangers.

However, many patriotic politicians disagreed, especially foreign politicians, who said that it was too cruel, that savages are also human beings, and that they should not be discriminated against just because they are ignorant, and so on.

There are also many opponents in China, but they are mostly cultural researchers who believe that it is beneficial to civilization and culture to appropriately preserve the existence of some primitive tribes.

So this matter is still dragging on, and every year people are killed because of the ignorance of the savage tribe.

Chapter 86 Cracked

"Alright, stop thinking about those smelly savages~~"

Seeing that Qin Huanyu was clearly distracted, Ling smiled and called out to her, then took another sip of wine, her voice tinged with a hint of drunkenness and allure:

"Tell me, silly boy, what trouble have you run into this time? Do you need your big sister to teach you?"

"That's how it is... Zero-neechan~~"

Qin Huanyu didn't hide anything and quickly recounted the loss of the burial objects from the ancient tomb and the strange attitude of the investigation bureau.

"This matter..."

Zero clearly understood the situation immediately, appearing hesitant and conflicted. He even stopped drinking the wine that was already being offered to his lips, stood up and walked around the room several times, his high heels making a pleasant sound on the wooden floor.

A moment later, Zero sat back down and exhaled a breath of alcohol into the phone camera:

"Of course I know the inside story, but there are some things you don't have the authority to tell you in detail right now... I can only tell you what I can tell you, and the rest is up to you to guess. How much you guess is none of my business, understand?"

"This...is okay."

Qin Huanyu was actually a little dissatisfied, but saying something that made her guess was definitely better than saying nothing at all, so she could only pout and nod in agreement.

"Do not worry."

Seeing this, Zero found it somewhat amusing and offered a comforting remark:

"With your abilities and background, as long as you work hard and don't make mistakes, you'll definitely be promoted to the position of inspector in the future, and you might even become the deputy director. You'll know everything sooner or later... Besides, when I first became an investigator, I didn't have any caring older sister to give me this kind of information."

"Boom..."

Qin Huanyu's mood improved considerably, and she quickly put on a smile:

"Thank you so much, Sister Zero... So, what exactly is going on?"

Have you ever read martial arts novels or watched martial arts TV series before?

Zero, however, first asked a seemingly unrelated question.

Qin Huanyu was somewhat surprised, but still answered immediately:

"Seen."

"Then you should know that many martial arts novels have the so-called Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world), and each Jianghu has a group of so-called chivalrous people."

Zero resumed drinking, and continued meaningfully:

"These chivalrous individuals were actually loyal to the emperor and patriotic, and often upheld justice and punished evil in places where the government could not reach them. However, they were also mostly self-willed, lawless, and quite contemptuous of the government officials."

"Yes, this is a common setting in many martial arts works."

Qin Huanyu nodded, but her eyebrows gradually furrowed.

'What does Sister Zero mean by saying all this? Is she implying that those gangsters were the ones who stole the things? But the Investigation Bureau doesn't need to be afraid of those gangsters, does it?'

'Things are definitely not that simple!'

Qin Huanyu sat up straight and straightened her chest, and didn't say anything more, but showed that she was listening carefully and let Ling continue.

Zero wanted to drink more, but the wine jug was empty, so she could only hold the wine glass in her hand and twirl it around:

"You know our organization used to be called a photo studio, and it was restructured once before becoming the 404 Investigation Bureau we know today... Do you know why it was restructured? I can't say the reason, you don't have the authority, but you can guess."

“Think about the details. Before the photo studio became the Investigation Bureau, there were four First-Rank Demon Slayers. But now the Investigation Bureau only has three deputy directors, one of whom was promoted from Inspector.”

"The demon-slaying guards of the photo studio used to be all over the world, but now, even after two expansions, the Investigation Bureau only has 15 investigator teams."

"Can you... guess?"

"...Let me think about it!"

Combining Zero's initial somewhat inexplicable question with the later hints, Qin Huanyu's mind raced, and she quickly came up with a deduction.

After the photo studio was transformed into the Investigation Bureau, the number of staff decreased significantly, indicating that the restructuring was likely more than just a simple change; it may have resulted in a split.

Is it a clash of ideologies? Or is it due to different political factions they support?

Well, it's probably some kind of ideological conflict. The Demon Slayer Guard has never been involved in politics.

It was probably after the end of the Great Patriotic War that a difference in ideology arose within the photography studio, leading to it splitting into two major factions.

The conflict between the two factions eventually became irreconcilable, and they split apart. One faction remained as an official agency, which is now the 404 Investigation Bureau.

Another faction likely left the official ranks, operating like江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) figures in wuxia novels. While they have some ideological differences with the Bureau of Investigation, they still secretly handle supernatural incidents, much like during the Demon Slayer era. Many supernatural incidents that the Bureau of Investigation couldn't handle were likely resolved covertly by these individuals.

Not long after the two factions split, their core leadership consisted of the four former First-Rank Demon-Slaying Guards. They had fought side by side for many years in their youth, and even if they had differing ideologies, some affection must still remain. Therefore, there must be some kind of tacit understanding between the two sides.

Even the split organization received the support of the royal family, which is why the investigation bureau set up intelligence clearance for the organization's existence, something that ordinary investigators were unaware of.

This makes the Bureau of Investigation's strange attitude easier to understand, and also provides a new explanation for the thief's act of leaving a white lark mark at the scene.

The thief wasn't provoking the Bureau of Investigation; he was revealing his identity and asking them to stop investigating, reminding them that they were all part of the same team decades ago.

In other words, Qin Huanyu wasn't actually robbed this time, but rather her business was stolen by a competitor!

After carefully considering the whole matter from both sides, Qin Huanyu became increasingly convinced that her guess was correct. She then told Ling all her guesses and carefully observed Ling's expression to verify them.

But Ling, as expected of an experienced inspector, maintained her slightly seductive drunken demeanor, her emotions remaining completely unaffected. She merely rolled her eyes at Qin Huanyu once more.

"These are all just your own wild guesses, they have nothing to do with me... hiccup!"

So you're saying you're pretty close to the truth?

Qin Huanyu understood what Ling meant, and immediately smiled broadly, blowing a kiss to her phone:

"I understand, thank you, Sister Ling, love you! Then I won't disturb your vacation any longer~~"

"Okay, go ahead, go ahead~~"

Ling waved his hand, reminding Qin Huanyu again before she severed the connection:

"Actually, the best way to handle this matter is to pretend you know nothing, hand over the burial items to the people in Shendu two days later, and then whatever happens after that will be none of your business."

"Yeah, I know."

Qin Huanyu nodded again before hanging up the phone.

With Zero's hints, Qin Huanyu finally understood the thief's general background, but there was still one question she couldn't figure out, which made her even more puzzled.

That is, even if a thief wanted to steal, why would he steal two useless burial items?

Chapter 87 Treasure Pavilion

After rolling around in bed for a while, Qin Huanyu still felt that to figure out the thief's real motive, she needed to know about the ideological differences between the two factions in the photo studio.

However, this ideological difference should be kept under a certain level of confidentiality within the Investigation Bureau; at the very least, newly joined investigators like Qin Huanyu wouldn't have the authority to know about it.

But do all investigators lack the authority to know? That's definitely not the case; at least Cheng Hai, that philandering monk, knows a lot about the inside story.

But Monk Hua was also a new investigator. There was no reason why his intelligence authority should be higher than Qin Huanyu's and Bai Ling's, but he still learned about this inside story through his sect, and the Investigation Bureau didn't bother with him.

Is it possible that... this matter has a certain level of confidentiality, but the level of confidentiality is actually not that high?

The Bureau of Investigation will not proactively explain to investigators who are unaware of these matters, but if an investigator learns about them through some means, the Bureau of Investigation will not pursue the matter.

Zero must have been well aware of this, which is why she gave those hints. Otherwise, no matter how good their personal relationship was, she shouldn't have leaked confidential information so easily.

Once she understood this, Qin Huanyu's eyes lit up, and she sat up in bed.

She planned to exploit the information gap to deceive Cheng Hai again, hoping to uncover the truth.

Without hesitation, Qin Huanyu straightened her messy loungewear and stockings from rolling around on the bed, then sat up straight in a very ladylike manner and made a video call to Cheng Hai.

The phone rang for about half a minute before it was answered.

On the other side should be Cheng Hai's own meditation room, which is quite quiet and spacious, but the computer desk behind Cheng Hai doesn't quite match the overall atmosphere of the meditation room.

The familiar beer, fried chicken, and fries were still on the computer desk, and the computer screen was still showing the defeat animation of the little eroge, only it was paused... Cheng Hai probably didn't answer the phone immediately because of this.

"Oh, is that Flower Monk practicing his spiritual cultivation again?"

Qin Huanyu had witnessed this scene several times before, so she wasn't surprised as she was the first time. She greeted Cheng Hai naturally and then said with feigned smugness:

"I've heard everything from Sister Ling. It turns out the person who stole my things was one of our fellow gangsters... How interesting."

"Amitabha."

The honest monk, without suspecting anything, simply sighed:

"Yes... I didn't expect you to run into the Treasure Pavilion so soon. They have always had an understanding with our Investigation Bureau. The Investigation Bureau usually doesn't pursue such trivial matters."

"Oh, so they're called the Treasure Pavilion!"

Qin Huanyu clapped her hands while Cheng Hai stared in disbelief, deliberately using slow motion to feign sudden realization.

"You...you're bluffing me?"

Cheng Hai then realized he had been tricked and was clearly annoyed, but as a monk, he couldn't swear, so he could only clasp his hands together firmly in front of Qin Huanyu.

"The ancients said that the more beautiful a woman is, the less trustworthy she is. This saying is indeed very true... Officer Qin's beauty is unparalleled in the world."

"Where did I lie to you?"

Qin Huanyu, having gotten the better deal, feigned innocence, blinking her eyes innocently:

"Sister Zero really told me a lot of things. Otherwise, how would I know that the truth behind the transformation of the photo studio into the Investigation Bureau was that it was a split? I've known for a long time that that organization had gone into hiding decades ago, but I just didn't know its name."

"Goodness is goodness."

The Flower Monk clearly didn't want to waste any more words with Qin Huanyu, so he prepared to hang up the video call and continue playing his little erotic game of self-cultivation.