Chapter 40 - Provocation from a New Rival
As Guo Gang had pointed out, with Landlord Lin dead, the most pressing concern was now the Grave People.
This was the problem that needed to be solved urgently.
Especially since today was the last day.
If they missed the ten-day deadline, although the Grave People would disappear on its own, the tavern keeper and others who had come into contact with him would also die.
"Sister Leng, is it possible that Landlord Lin already killed the Grave People He Qing Yu?"
Meng Xiao Tu offered a guess.
Leng Xinnan tried to stay calm and said, rubbing her forehead.
"If he's really dead, that would be good. But I'm afraid he's still alive."
Indeed, who could guarantee that Landlord Lin would kill the Grave People after returning home?
What if he died before he could do it?
"Big Brain, think of something!" Meng Xiao Tu pleaded, shaking the man's arm.
Faced with everyone's expectant gazes, Li Nan Ke said helplessly.
"I'm wondering, if it weren't for me, would you really be helpless? Would you just have to wait for the Grave People to disappear on his own?"
Leng Xinnan was a bit embarrassed and confessed frankly.
"Although the Night Patrol has been around for many years and has improved significantly in terms of overall strength and experience, we can't solve every case.
Even the Night Patrol in the capital is the same, especially when it comes to Grave People. A 50% success rate is already quite good. Our Vermilion Bird Division in Yun City has handled nineteen cases involving Grave People, and we only successfully resolved eight."
This was the sentiment shared by all members of the Night Patrol.
They weren't afraid of Demonic Creatures or Nightmares, but they dreaded the appearance of Grave People.
Humans were the most difficult to deal with.
Li Nan Ke was silent for a moment, then turned to the woman and asked, "Lord Leng, if a Grave People is killed, does their body remain?"
Leng Xinnan shook her head.
"No, once a Grave People dies, their body vanishes. But it leaves behind a unique sour smell that can't be eliminated and takes about seven days to dissipate."
Li Nan Ke didn't say anything more and walked straight to the master bedroom where Landlord Lin and Mei Xing Er used to live. He opened the familiar hidden tunnel entrance on the bed and sniffed.
"He should still be alive.”
Leng Xinnan looked surprised.
"The Grave People He Qing Yu is hidden here?"
Li Nan Ke shrugged.
"It seems like this is the only place in the Lin residence where someone could be hidden. Remember when I mentioned that there might be a tunnel in this room? Although Landlord Lin didn't hide anything, his reaction was a bit exaggerated.
Think back to his behavior at that time. He first opened the hidden door, and then, without waiting for us to check, he hurriedly jumped down himself.
Remember, he jumped directly, without using the ladder.
You could say that he was worried about his wife, but at that time, there was no guarantee that his wife was down there.
There's also another point. After Landlord Lin jumped down, the secret tunnel was actually very quiet. But when we went down, there was the sound of the waterwheel-powered fan. This is clearly suspicious."
Leng Xinnan's eyes sparkled.
"Landlord Lin was in such a hurry to go down not because of his wife, but because he wanted to hide something else!"
"That's right,"
Li Nan Ke nodded with a smile.
"There's one more thing. After Madam Lin was rescued, she said she vaguely heard her old lover calling for help. She thought she was hallucinating and didn't pay much attention to it. But the question is, was she really hallucinating?"
Leng Xinnan didn't hesitate any longer and led everyone into the tunnel.
As Li Nan Ke had said, this time, they didn't hear the fan when they entered the secret chamber.
But there were walls all around, with no place to hide.
"There must be another hidden door. Let's find—"
Before Li Nan Ke could finish speaking, Meng Xiao Tu swung her meteor hammers and smashed them against the wall. With a loud crash, a large hole appeared in the sturdy wall.
Through the opening, they saw a man tied to a chair.
The man was dressed in a moon-white robe, with delicate features and a pale face. He looked weak and sickly.
It was the resurrected Grave People, He Qing Yu!
Li Nan Ke gave Meng Xiao Tu a thumbs-up and couldn't help but admire.
"Indeed, being brainless has its advantages. Although a bit violent, it saved us a lot of time."
"Brainless? Why are you calling me brainless?" Meng Xiao Tu put her hands on her hips and pouted angrily.
Leng Xinnan looked at the man with sharp eyes.
"You already knew the Grave People He Qing Yu was locked up here. Why didn't you tell us?"
"I just wanted these two men to resolve their issues face to face.”
Li Nan Ke gave a reason that wasn't really a reason and then squeezed through the opening into the inner room, approaching the Grave People He Qing Yu.
He Qing Yu looked exhausted and weak.
Sensing someone approaching, he forced his eyes open.
"Allow me to introduce myself."
Li Nan Ke said, taking out his flintlock pistol and pointing it at He Qing Yu's forehead.
"My name is Li Nan Ke. Not only did I capture your wife, but I also killed your daughter. But I'm a good person. Could you introduce yourself?"
The Grave People He Qing Yu slowly closed his eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "I'm a dead man."
From these words, it was clear that Landlord Lin had told him everything.
"Congratulations, you're right."
Li Nan Ke pulled the trigger.
But strangely, there was no gunshot.
Even the Grave People He Qing Yu, who was waiting to die, opened his eyes in confusion.
"Go say your final goodbyes to Mei Xing Er," Li Nan Ke sighed and turned to Leng Xinnan.
"Do me a favor, will you?"
Leng Xinnan hesitated for a moment and finally nodded.
"Alright."
...
The blood-red setting sun slowly sank behind the scattered clouds.
The rosy twilight enveloped the Night Patrol's prison, casting a bloody hue over the gloomy place.
Li Nan Ke leaned against the wall, staring at the setting sun, lost in thought.
Guo Gang and the others guarded the only exit of the prison, preventing the Grave People He Qing Yu from escaping.
"Sometimes I wonder why Grave People exist."
Leng Xinnan said, her slender fingers tracing the veins of a fallen leaf she had picked up, her eyes distant.
"Perhaps it's to give those who didn't have a chance to say goodbye to their deceased loved ones, friends, or family another opportunity to bid farewell.
But unfortunately, human emotions are always selfish. No one wants to die, no one wants to leave their loved ones forever.
Perhaps resurrection makes people cherish their lives more, cherish what they once ignored..."
Leng Xinnan sighed and looked at the man's handsome profile.
"What do you think?"
Li Nan Ke remained silent, gazing at the setting sun in the distance.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
"We're in trouble."
"What?" Leng Xinnan asked, startled, a sense of foreboding washing over her.
"Is it the Heavenly Dome Cult?"
"Yes," the man nodded, his expression graver than ever.
Leng Xinnan said, "I've already reported this matter. The Shadow Guard will handle it. Any cases related to the Heavenly Dome Cult are to be investigated by the Shadow Guard. We just assist."
"The murderer is provoking us, coming after us," Li Nan Ke said, stating his judgment.
"She deliberately left the mark on the painting and didn't erase any traces at the scene. She's provoking us. Trust me, something will happen soon."
"Then what should we do? Should we request reinforcements from Yun City and conduct a more thorough search?" Leng Xinnan suggested immediately.
Just as Li Nan Ke was about to speak, a young boy holding a candied hawthorn suddenly ran over, holding up an envelope in his small hand.
"Big brother, someone gave you a letter," he said in a childish voice.
A letter...
Li Nan Ke's eyes flickered as he took the envelope.
Leng Xinnan quickly asked the boy.
"Who gave you this letter! Where did they give it to you?"
"No need to ask, it was that mysterious woman," Li Nan Ke said, gesturing for the frightened boy to leave. He opened the envelope.
There were three letters inside.
They still carried a faint scent of rouge.
After reading the first letter, Li Nan Ke curled his lip and handed it to the woman.
"It's a letter from Landlord Lin, telling me the whereabouts of the Grave People He Qing Yu."
Leng Xinnan was surprised.
"Did the mysterious woman take the letter Landlord Lin wrote to you?"
"No, in that situation, Landlord Lin must have given it to the mysterious woman and asked her to pass it on to me," Li Nan Ke said, refuting Leng Xinnan's conjecture after a moment of thought.
This confirmed that Landlord Lin did know the mysterious woman.
And they were well-acquainted.
Leng Xinnan was confused.
"Are you sure? Then why did the mysterious woman wait until now to give it to you?"
Li Nan Ke shook his head and chuckled.
"She was observing from the shadows, seeing if I could find the Grave People He Qing Yu. If I couldn't, she would have given me the letter."
He then opened the second letter.
"She heard Landlord Lin praise me as a talented individual and recommended me to join the Heavenly Dome Cult. But before that, she wanted to test me to see if I was qualified."
"That's ridiculous," Leng Xinnan said, raising an eyebrow.
Li Nan Ke opened the third letter and said after reading it.
"She said that in five days, a major case will occur in Dongqi County, and she hopes that I will take the initiative to participate.
In addition, she will personally deliver a case to me tomorrow evening as a meeting gift. And she will meet with me."
Leng Xinnan took the letters from the man and carefully read them several times, her face growing colder.
Arrogant!
Too arrogant!
Leng Xinnan clenched her fists and said coldly.
"I'll immediately inform Yun City to send more experts over. I'd like to see how capable this woman is, daring to challenge the imperial court!"
Li Nan Ke put away the letters, his heart heavy.
He wasn't afraid of enemies hiding in the shadows, but he was wary of those who hid in the shadows yet openly provoked them.
At this moment, the Grave People He Qing Yu emerged from the prison.
Everyone quickly surrounded him.
Many people had come into contact with him now. If he escaped, they would all be in danger.
"Are you done with your goodbyes?" Li Nan Ke asked, walking up to the Grave People He Qing Yu.
A grateful expression appeared on He Qing Yu's pale face.
"Thank you, Mr. Li, for giving me the chance to make amends."
"Are you ready?" Li Nan Ke asked, picking up the flintlock pistol—this time, it was the one Caiyun had given him, the one that could fire.
"Let Guo Gang and the others do it," Leng Xinnan said, not wanting Li Nan Ke's hands to be stained with more blood.
However, the man shook his head resolutely.
"I'll do it."
Leng Xinnan could only give in.
The Grave People He Qing Yu took a deep breath. Facing the black muzzle, he showed no fear, only a calm smile.
"I'm ready."
"Any last words?"
"I've already said them to Xing Er.”
The Grave People He Qing Yu paused and looked at Li Nan Ke with a complex expression.
"It's a pity we didn't meet sooner. I would have liked to be friends with you."
"Thank you, but I'm not interested," Li Nan Ke said, preparing to shoot.
"No farewell words for me?" the Grave People He Qing Yu asked with a smile.
Li Nan Ke tilted his head and thought for a long time, but couldn't come up with any suitable farewell words. The scene of Lin Jiao Yue undressing on the cliff and negotiating with him suddenly flashed through his mind, and he said calmly.
"Your daughter has a nice figure."
Bang!
The gunshot rang out.
The person in front of him shattered like glass and then vanished into thin air.
At the same time, a white bead silently sank into Li Nan Ke's chest. No one noticed except him.