Chapter 39: The Baiyan Village Homecoming Squad
“Through surveillance footage, interviews, and on-site investigations… we can confirm that the woman using the alias ‘Huang Xiuqin’… is indeed an Awakened One, and most likely the true killer of the Bone Doctor.”
“The body of a homeless man was found where the target had been. There were no obvious external injuries, and the sanitation workers who found the body assumed it was a natural death. However, an autopsy revealed that his brain had been completely destroyed, likely by an Oneiric path ability.”
“Please note, the target’s strength is estimated to be Fourth-Order Awakened One or above. It is recommended that teams operate in groups of at least three and maintain contact as much as possible. Over.”
After several days of investigation, with Liu Songyi, a criminal investigator, leading the charge, they had made significant progress, utilizing official resources and methods.
Especially after the discovery of the homeless man’s body, Liu Songyi leveraged police resources to conduct a full-scale search, quickly narrowing down the most likely locations for “Huang Xiuqin.”
This time, besides Luo Ling and her team, who had taken on another commission, and Ji Shinian, who was bedridden, the entire Qingshan Patient Exchange Group was mobilized, heading towards these locations, preparing for a final confrontation with “Huang Xiuqin.”
Meanwhile, after three days of meticulous planning and painstaking efforts to get leave from school, An Yu immediately pulled Luo Ling and Elsa into a group chat, excitedly announcing their departure.
[Cyber Girl: To avoid disturbing the main team, us three small fries will chat here~ Oh wait, Big Boss Red Witch doesn’t count as a small fry…]
[Scarlet Witch: ′?`]
[White Witch: What’s with this group name?]
The group name: “Baiyan Village Homecoming Squad.”
[Cyber Girl: Aiya, don’t worry about it. Is everyone ready? Let’s meet at the bus stop in front of the hospital!]
[White Witch: No problem.]
[Scarlet Witch: (。・ω・。)ノ゛]
Luo Ling put away her phone. It was lunchtime, and her classmates were resting with their eyes closed.
She quietly slipped out of the classroom and told her homeroom teacher she needed to take sick leave for a hospital check-up.
Within ten minutes, Luo Ling had her leave slip.
If An Yu knew… she would be furious.
With the leave slip in hand, Luo Ling walked out of the school gates.
At that moment, she saw An Yu beside her, desperately trying to explain to the security guard that the leave slip in her hand was real.
“Pfft!”
Luo Ling couldn’t help but laugh.
Hearing the sound, An Yu looked up, her eyes lighting up.
“Eh, Senior? What a coincidence, we meet again!”
…This wasn’t a coincidence. She had asked for leave after seeing An Yu’s message.
However, Luo Ling wasn’t in her “Bai” form now, and An Yu had only met her transformed self once.
“Not skipping class this time?”
Luo Ling glanced at the security guard, who was making a phone call to verify the leave slip, and asked knowingly.
“Really not this time…”
An Yu wanted to cry, remembering the last incident, and quickly corrected herself, “Not last time either!”
“Heh.” Luo Ling smiled without saying anything.
“Is Senior taking sick leave again?” An Yu asked in surprise. “Oh my god, how did you manage to take sick leave twice in a row? Teach me!”
“Because I’m really sick.”
“Oh, right, normal people need to be actually sick to take sick leave.” An Yu scratched the back of her head. “But, this might be a good method. I’ll find a chance to get a medical certificate from the hospital…”
Luo Ling knew which hospital An Yu was referring to, but a certificate from Qingshan Psychiatric Hospital…
Might be a bit too effective.
Just then, the security guard returned, handing the leave slip back to An Yu and saying impatiently,
“Alright, alright, you can go. It’s real.”
“I told you it was real!”
An Yu said, hands on her hips, puffing out her chest.
“Last time you had a fake one, and I was docked two days’ pay,” the security guard glared back.
“Uh, ahem…”
An Yu awkwardly shrank back, her confidence deflating.
As if worried she would embarrass herself further in front of her senior, An Yu quickly slung her backpack over her shoulder and ran off, her clear voice echoing from afar.
“Senior! Fate! See you next time—”
See you later.
A smile played on Luo Ling’s lips, then she instinctively glanced at the security guard.
But the security guard just glanced at her and returned to his post.
Looking at his back, Luo Ling was reminded of the madman in the hospital who kept ranting about dandelions, and their target for this mission, the Seer.
“Dandelions, mushrooms, radishes… heh, am I really starting to think like a mental patient?”
Luo Ling shook her head and turned to leave.
…
When Luo Ling, transformed into Bai, arrived at the bus stop in front of Qingshan Hospital, An Yu, out of breath, was leaning back in her seat. Elsa, in her wheelchair, was anxiously waiting for something, and when she saw Luo Ling, she waved excitedly.
“Big Sister Bai, over here, over here!”
It wasn’t Elsa’s voice, but Bella’s.
Without her usual shrill screech, Bella’s voice sounded childish and cute, almost like a child’s. Her previously grating tone seemed to be deliberate.
Bella was looking at Luo Ling with an almost fawning expression. This unusual behavior surprised not only Elsa but also An Yu, who looked as if she had seen a ghost.
What was going on? The most annoying creature in the exchange group was actually… being so obsequious?
What kind of magic did Bai possess to make this thing drop its usual grumpy demeanor and act so subserviently?
“Bai, did you bring any weapons?” An Yu asked, rummaging through her backpack. “You’ve only just awakened, so you probably don’t have any good weapons. I…”
Before An Yu could finish, Luo Ling pulled a dagger from her inner pocket.
“…”
An Yu’s eyes widened, and she didn’t even dare take out the three bone blades she was holding.
“Where… where did you get this weapon?” An Yu’s hands trembled. She wanted to reach out and touch the dagger but was afraid of damaging it. “If I’m not mistaken, this is a Sacred Tool, isn’t it…?”
“…A friend lent it to me.”
Luo Ling looked at the dagger with a complex expression. A weapon of a High-Order Awakened One was indeed extraordinary.
“What kind of friend? Introduce me!”
An Yu rubbed her hands excitedly, her eyes shining as she looked at the dagger. “This is a Sacred Tool! Only Sacred Relics from Dangerous Grotesqueries or above can be used to create Sacred Tools! I’ve only ever seen the Group Leader with one, and he treasures it so much, he doesn’t even let us look at it.”
“Sorry, I can’t reveal that.”
Luo Ling sheathed the dagger, a thought crossing her mind.
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