Chapter 133: The Killer is a Demonic Entity

"Fuxuan, you know, I hate taking on jobs from you guys the most. The money is hard to earn, and it's dangerous!"

Jiang Litian stood beside Feng Fuxuan, speaking with a cold voice.

Hearing this, Feng Fuxuan showed not a trace of anger. Instead, he smiled, threw an arm around Jiang Litian's shoulders, and said playfully, "Come on, we're good brothers after all! Besides, aren't I bringing some business to your company? Litian, saying things like that really hurts our bond. What do you mean the money is hard to earn? When has your share ever fallen short? Stop being so aloof and come take a look at the corpse."

"Litian, something doesn't feel quite right here. Are we really going to take this job?"

Sima Yan'er, standing nearby, stared at the corpse with her delicate eyebrows tightly knit and an unpleasant expression on her face.

Upon receiving Feng Fuxuan's call, the two of them had rushed right over. Forensic examiners were currently inspecting the body. Hearing Sima Yan'er's words, Feng Fuxuan immediately let go of Jiang Litian, walked up to her with a mournful expression, and said, "Senior Sister, you're not actually going to sit by and do nothing about this, are you? Even if we're not taking the job as a paid commission, our Heavenly Dao Sect still has a duty to eliminate this murderous evil ghost."

"An evil ghost? Which of your eyes saw ghost Qi here? There's no ghost Qi at all. Instead, there's a faint trace of demonic Qi dissipating into the air. Demons are even more terrifying than ghosts. To be worthy of being called a demon, such entities have lived for a very long time and are not so easily provoked."

Sima Yan'er glanced at Jiang Litian. His expression remained icy, revealing no fluctuation in his inner thoughts. However, seeing him stand there indifferently, it seemed he intended to meddle in this affair after all. The thought made her frown deepen even further.

"Let's lie in ambush tonight and see how things develop. If the adversary turns out to be entirely too powerful, we will have no choice but to ask senior figures of higher status within the Heavenly Dao Sect to step in. If we can handle it, then we'll lend a hand with this favor."

Jiang Litian let out a light sigh.

At that moment, the police were driving away the surrounding onlookers amidst some arguments. While Feng Fuxuan and Sima Yan'er discussed how to coordinate their efforts, Jiang Litian received a text message from Ma Yuxu. After making several calls to him that resulted in the automated message stating the user was out of the service area, Jiang Litian immediately dialed Zhang Shouzhen's cell phone number.

...

By the afternoon, Bai Xuelian, Feng Fuxuan, Jiang Litian, and Sima Yan'er began searching the residential complex. Although they knew the chances of finding the killer were extremely slim, they still went through the apartments one by one to rule them out. Since the murderer had appeared in this neighborhood, they could not afford to miss a single trace.

Jiang Litian and Sima Yan'er arrived in front of a certain building, stepped inside, and instantly froze in their tracks.

"Litian, the Demon-Tracking Compass is reacting!"

Sima Yan'er held an antique compass in her hand with a look of joy on her face, pulling Jiang Litian forward. But before she could finish speaking, the antique compass in her hand abruptly shattered, exploding into countless pieces.

"It... it blew up!"

Jiang Litian stared dumbfounded at the fragments in Sima Yan'er's hands, entirely unable to react for a moment. After a brief pause, he finally spoke, "Yan'er, could this Demon-Tracking Compass have exploded simply because it hasn't been used in too long?"

Sima Yan'er shook her head, a trace of cold sweat beading on her forehead. "No. It's true this compass hasn't been used for many years, but it wouldn't just suddenly explode. The only possible explanation is that the demonic Qi here is too strong—so strong that it caused the compass to shatter. And this compass is meant for detecting spirits and monsters under a hundred years old. I'm afraid this demon has already lived for more than a century."

"Over a hundred years..."

A chill ran through Jiang Litian's entire body. He looked at the elevator not far away, hesitating and unsure whether he should step inside.

*Ding-dong!*

With a soft chime, the elevator doors opened, and a middle-aged man walked out accompanied by a young child. The man was tall and heavily built, especially his arms, which bulged with thick muscles. He had a full beard, and the small boy he held by the hand formed a stark contrast to his imposing figure.

"Excuse me, mister, I'd like to ask if you've seen any suspicious people around this building lately? Also, last night the police received calls from residents reporting that something haunted was going on here. Do you know anything about that, sir?"

Sima Yan'er clapped her hands, dusting off a few wood shavings from her palms, and walked up to the middle-aged man with a smile on her face.

The middle-aged man glanced at Sima Yan'er, then let out a strange chuckle and retorted, "Haunted? Do you people actually believe in that sort of nonsense?"

"Of course we don't. But you must know that a murder took place in the neighborhood, right? A police officer died, his chest torn open in a most cruel manner. We're here investigating the killer. If you've noticed anything unusual or out of the ordinary lately, you can let us know."

Sima Yan'er blinked, fixing her gaze on the middle-aged man with a wise and sharp glint in her eyes.

The little boy beside him clutched the middle-aged man's hand tightly, hiding behind him and poking his head out by half. His clear, watery eyes stared at Sima Yan'er with panic as a childish voice rang out, "Uncle Xiong, we still need to go to the hospital."

The middle-aged man immediately snapped back to reality. His brow furrowed into a fierce scowl as he glared at Sima Yan'er, his tone turning thoroughly unwelcoming. "All right, I have important business to attend to. If you have questions, go ask other residents. If you delay my nephew's medical treatment, you won't be able to bear the responsibility!"

With that, the middle-aged man pulled the sickly child away and left the building.

After they departed, Jiang Litian furrowed his brow and spoke up, "Yan'er, did you sense a faint aura of demonic Qi coming from that man?"

Sima Yan'er nodded. "Yes, I noticed it. Could he have been possessed by a spirit or monster?"

"It's possible. I just don't know where the demon's true body is, or perhaps it has completely abandoned its original physical form and seized this man's body to commit evil. But what's going on with that child beside him? He seems to be an ordinary person, and he's sick. What kind of relationship does he have with this demon?"

Jiang Litian felt thoroughly baffled, completely unable to figure out the demon's true purpose.

"Let's lock onto this target and see what they're up to. They'll have to come back eventually. As long as we keep an eye on them, we can wait here for them to return and hide nearby."

Watching the middle-aged man gradually walk away, Sima Yan'er offered a faint smile, her expression chilling.

"I'll go get the car first, please wait a moment."

The middle-aged man spoke with utmost respect to the child beside him. The boy wore a troubled expression, his brows slightly knitted as he silently nodded.

Before long, the car pulled up. The middle-aged man opened the door and gently helped the child inside.

"Xiong Kun, once I die, you should leave this place. I'm well aware of my condition now."

The little boy suddenly spoke in a weak and listless tone.

"No, I won't abandon you. If it weren't for you, how could I have survived until now? My true form was destroyed by those stinking Taoist priests, and my internal core was dug out to refine pills. Even my demonic soul was nearly scattered. If you hadn't stepped in to save my life, I would have perished completely. By the way, Lord Tianbao, was the pill I gave you of no use at all?"

Xiong Kun frowned and asked in a deep voice.