Chapter 160: Something Has Happened

Soon, it was time for dinner, and Zi Yran had the manager bring over a variety of desserts from the café.

The group chatted, mostly revolving around topics related to the game.

Li Changqing and Hu Xiong could hardly get a word in, so they mostly just listened to the two women talk.

After sitting for about an hour, Li Changqing said, "Miss Yran, we have some matters to attend to, so we will take our leave."

After exchanging contact information, Li Changqing and Hu Xiong departed.

Looking somewhat gloomy, Hu Xiong muttered under his breath beside Li Changqing, "I spent so much money on all those in-game outfits, only for it to all benefit a kid like you."

Li Changqing gave him a side-long glance and chuckled, "What are you even thinking? Miss Yran comes from a well-off family, and she mentioned during our chat that she's just feeling a bit unwell and is taking a temporary leave from school, which is why she plays the game to make friends and pass the time."

"Come to think of it, there's something rather odd about her," Hu Xiong said, frowning. "Did you notice?"

Even so, Hu Xiong couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly felt amiss.

"That matter is secondary. Right now, we need to deal with Li Guangxu's problem," Li Changqing said.

Although Lan Qiqi's issue was temporarily resolved, Li Guangxu was still at large.

What if Li Guangxu leaked that information?

Walking beside him, Hu Xiong rubbed his chin and said, "Nanlin City is so huge. If Li Guangxu doesn't come out to kill or commit crimes and leaves no trace behind, how are we supposed to find him?"

"Let's change our perspective. If you were Li Guangxu, where would you be hiding right now?" Li Changqing asked.

Hu Xiong thought for a moment. "He has plenty of subordinate demons under his command. We could look for other local demons in Nanlin City and see if we can get any information out of them."

"I actually know the whereabouts of a local demon. Follow me."

Finding it a bit strange, Li Changqing wondered why Hu Xiong knew where a demon was yet hadn't taken action to punish it.

Hu Xiong drove, and the two soon arrived in front of a shop in downtown Nanlin City.

It was a small grocery store, no more than ten square meters in size. The owner was a middle-aged man wearing a white T-shirt, walking with a slight limp as he stocked the shelves.

However, Li Changqing sensed a faint aura of demonic energy emanating from the middle-aged man.

"Old Cheng," Hu Xiong greeted with a cheerful smile, raising a hand. Then he introduced, "This is Cheng Gang, an old acquaintance of mine."

Seeing Hu Xiong approach, Cheng Gang quickly set down his goods, pulled out a cigarette to hand to Hu Xiong, and asked, "What brings you here, Mr. Hu? How can I help you?"

"We're looking for a demon named Li Guangxu. Do you have any news about him?" Hu Xiong lit the cigarette and asked with a smile.

Cheng Gang frowned slightly and replied, "Li Guangxu? I'm not really familiar with that name. Would you like me to ask around for you?"

"Sure, let me know if you hear anything," Hu Xiong asked with a smile, "How's business lately?"

"Fair to middling," Cheng Gang said with a grin, reaching under the counter to pull out two cartons of cigarettes and handing them to Hu Xiong.

Hu Xiong frowned, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Mr. Hu likes to smoke, just a small token of my appreciation," Cheng Gang said, quickly pushing them into Hu Xiong's hands. "And thank you so much for your help with that matter last time."

Hu Xiong accepted the cigarettes and said, "Alright, but let this be the last time."

He added a reminder, "As soon as you get any news about Li Guangxu, let me know immediately."

With that, he led Li Changqing out of the shop.

"You associate with a demon?" Li Changqing glanced back at the grocery store.

Hu Xiong gave him a sideways look. "Aren't you a zombie yourself?"

"This Cheng Gang doesn't harbor any malicious intentions. Originally, he was the shoulder pole of a traveling peddler. As he traveled the length and breadth of the country with the peddler, he gradually gained spiritual awareness. Although he is a demon, he has no ill intent."

Li Changqing was somewhat surprised. "A shoulder pole can become a spirit?"

"Everything in the world possesses spiritual essence. Any inanimate object has the potential to transform into a demon, though animals are simply more prone to gaining spiritual awareness than other things," Hu Xiong said, biting down on his cigarette. "Alright, let's go find somewhere to eat. All we had at the café was desserts."

"Let's eat at my place. I'll call Xiaoyu and have her prepare something right away."

...

In the bustling streets of the Yinling Commercial District.

Holding two sticks of candied haws, Miao Yuyu smiled and said, "Yran, what do you think of that guy named Li Changqing just now? I thought he was quite handsome, too bad he already has a girlfriend."

Yran smiled lightly and murmured, "He just came here to make friends, you—cough, cough."

Yran broke into a fit of coughing, her complexion turning even paler.

"Are you alright?" Miao Yuyu asked with some concern. "Is that old ailment acting up again?"

"Mhm," Yran nodded slightly.

Miao Yuyu said, "Then I'll walk you home first, and we can hang out again later."

"No need," Yran shook her head gently. "I can go back by myself. Remember to call me when you get home so I know you're safe."

"Okay," Miao Yuyu nodded, waved goodbye, and hailed a taxi.

...

"Aiyo, Xiaoyu's complexion is looking better and better lately, and the food she cooks smells more and more delicious."

"Did you know I was coming? Why else would you prepare such a lavish spread?"

Seeing the table full of dishes, Hu Xiong's appetite was thoroughly piqued.

Tang Xiaoyu muttered under her breath: *It definitely wasn't prepared for you.*

As Li Changqing ate his meal, he pondered how to track down Li Guangxu.

Noticing his absent-minded expression, Hu Xiong smiled and said, "Stop overthinking it. Tomorrow we'll search properly again; worrying yourself sick right now won't do any good."

Just then, Hu Xiong's phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the screen and frowned.

After answering the call, he said with a furrowed brow, "Something's happened in Nanlin City."

Startled, Li Changqing asked, "Something happened? Where?"

"Near the Yinling Commercial District, a body was found in a trash can." Hu Xiong and Li Changqing quickly finished their meal and headed out to investigate.

At that moment, Tang Xiaoyu chimed in, "I'll go with you guys to take a look too."

Stuck brooding at home alone was no fun at all.

The three of them quickly drove to the scene.

The incident had occurred in a rather gloomy alley within the Yinling Commercial District.

Both ends of the alley had already been cordoned off by federal police, preventing ordinary citizens from getting close.

Li Changqing, Hu Xiong, and Tang Xiaoyu arrived, showed their credentials, and walked inside.

By then, Qin Shenggen had already arrived ahead of them and was squatting beside a corpse, examining the situation with a grim expression.

"What's the situation?" Hu Xiong walked up and took a look.

Qin Shenggen said, "The victim is female, looks to be around twenty-five or twenty-six. We've already checked the surveillance footage—she was dragged into this alley by a dark shadow."

Li Changqing looked down as well.

The victim was dressed in fairly expensive clothing and likely came from a well-off family. At that moment, her entire body was covered in frost, completely shriveled up, and all her blood had been drained dry.