As Lu Yangcheng had said, the eting ended quickly.
Everyone in the Intelligence Departnt dispersed, with so retreating back to their desks while others left the office in dribs and drabs.
Li Jing stood by the door with a milk tea in hand, waiting patiently.
The special envoy from the Capital Inspection Headquarters was still in the office.
Probably because Ren Jie had acquired the information regarding the Dark Alley years ago, she was the only one the special envoy asked to stay behind. They were engaged in a quiet conversation in front of the whiteboard.
After quite a while, their discussion ca to an end.
The special envoy then sought out another investigator from the Intelligence Departnt, while Ren Jie walked out of the office looking quite upset.
Seeing her displeasure, Li Jing handed her the milk tea and, glancing at the special envoy in the office, asked in a low voice.
"What were they saying? Was the conversation with the envoy from the Capital not that pleasant?"
"How could it be pleasant? So leader parachuting in out of nowhere, making arrangents without understanding the situation in North City."
Ren Jie puckered her lips, took the milk tea and sipped from it after sticking in a straw, then said.
"When the Chief went to the Capital, he left a power vacuum. In normal circumstances, we, at the North City Branch, wouldn’t let soone else ddle."
Li Jing’s brows furrowed at her words.
Initially, he hadn’t pondered much over it.
But after Ren Jie’s words, he realized that this special envoy might seem like a normal administrative replacent but was actually installed by soone who had issues with Chen Jing.
As Lu Yangcheng had explained before.
For every area confird of having activities related to the Demon Beast Union, a special envoy from the Capital would be assigned, which could potentially beco a golden opportunity for so.
Given Chen Jing’s absence in the Capital, it was indeed an opportunity too good to miss.
Glancing at the special envoy in the office, Li Jing quickly lost interest.
Even though he knew the guy was problematic, there was nothing he could do.
The man was currently just there to guide their work, and Li Jing could not very well walk in and tell him to shove off, could he?
Compared to fretting over this special envoy, it would be more productive to figure out how to quickly sniff out and eliminate the Demon Beast Union’s branch in Jianghai.
Once the Union was dealt with, the man would naturally leave.
Shifting his gaze back, Li Jing looked at Ren Jie, who was sipping her milk tea and pouting.
"We can’t talk properly here, can we step aside?"
Ren Jie glanced at him and nodded, then headed for a secluded corner around the corridor.
Seeing this, Li Jing quietly followed.
...
Soon enough, both of them ended up at the corner of the corridor.
Ren Jie turned to face him, and was the first to break the silence.
"I just asked Yang Cheng, you’ve been privately investigating the Demon Beast Union. Let make one thing clear first, the pawnshop in the Dark Alley was established by when I joined the Intelligence Departnt for information gathering. If you’re targeting it because of the Demon Beast Union, I can tell you that you’re on the wrong track."
Before Li Jing could even respond, she continued.
"Also, don’t expect to provide any useful information. I belong to the Intelligence Departnt. If I knew anything, I would’ve already turned it in for rewards."
Seeing that Ren Jie had set a firm stance right from the beginning, Li Jing’s brows furrowed slightly.
The information from the Dark Alley had been acquired by Ren Jie two years ago when the Demon Beast Union was active there.
As a Great Demon, she must’ve known then that it was the Demon Beast Union.
However, the Intelligence Departnt only deduced this conclusion after the Capital issued an instruction to strike against the Union, carrying out a series of verifications in the process.
There was little doubt that Ren Jie had withheld information.
She clearly had so reservations and did not dare to reveal what she knew casually.
Ren Jie definitely didn’t fear being exposed as a demon.
Even if soone suspects her, no one could do anything to her.
Even if Li Jing had openly asked her for confirmation, knowing that she was indeed a demon, he couldn’t do anything if she refused to admit.
How could he confirm it?
As a demon, she didn’t even have a Health Bar, so was he supposed to find another demon that recognized her to accuse her of being one?
Not to ntion whether any demon would be willing to reveal her, accusing an active investigator of being a demon also seed a bit far-fetched.
The only way to confirm her identity was to kill her outright and let her revert back to her original form with her death.
So...
How could he make Ren Jie confess?
After thinking it over for a bit, Li Jing said in a low voice:
"Inspector Ren, I also won’t hide from you. I found your pawnshop through a female demon, and I’m aware that you’re the Fifth Boundary Big Monster that’s been hiding in Dark Alley for over fifty years."
Ren Jie was taken aback at his words and then let out a laugh.
"You believe what a female demon says? Do you think I look like a demon?"
"Honestly, I’m a bit hesitant."
Li Jing shrugged while saying:
"Inspector Ren, you probably won’t believe , but I possess the ability to identify human-shaped demons among a crowd. Although, your disguise is so flawless that I can’t detect anything, at the very least, I can tell that the two girls at your pawn shop are young female demons who have recently transford."
Ren Jie’s face remained calm during the first half of his sentence.
But at the ntion of the two shop assistants, an unnatural look appeared on her face as she fell into silence.
Seeing her reaction, Li Jing raised an eyebrow.
His intention was to let her know that he was aware of sothing, with no anticipation of getting her to confess.
Her current silence was as good as an indirect admission.
Because as soon as she admitted that the two girls were indeed demons...
It was obvious that Ren Jie was concerned for the safety of the two girls, due to him being a current investigator.
Seeing her waver so easily had caught Li Jing sowhat by surprise.
But he was able to confirm that Ren Jie was indeed a kind-hearted Big Monster, just as he assud she would be.
Just as he was about to speak, Ren Jie lifted her eyes coldly.
"What do you want?"
"I don’t want anything."
Li Jing shook his head while responding in a casual manner.
"Rest assured, I don’t plan on harming your shop assistants, nor do I have any issues with you. As for the female demon who provided with the information, I bought it off her with ten million after revealing that I am an investigator and addressing her true identity. I didn’t threaten or bully her in any way. She should be starting a new life sowhere else with her money by now. I didn’t ask for her na, since I don’t think you would be interested in finding out who she was."
Facing Li Jing’s candid explanation, Ren Jie blinked with a peculiar expression on her face.
She could understand Li Jing’s investigation into the Demon Beast Union.
She could also understand him being able to identify demons amongst crowds and yet choosing not to use this ability to harm them.
With such an ability, he could not possibly go around killing every demon he sees.
If he was too conspicuous and violent against demons, he would inevitably et an untily demise.
Don’t forget, what he’s threatening is not a single demon, but all demons living in human society.
When necessary, demons will band together too.
But what on earth was Li Jing’s investigation thod?
Plunking ten million on a female demon to purchase information related to her?
Even if she had no significant connection with the Demon Beast Union, and even if she did have so, so what?
If she didn’t want to talk or flatly refused to admit anything, wouldn’t Li Jing’s investnt be wasted?
And then again.
How much does Li Jing earn in a month as an investigator?
Setting aside this sum that seems like it’ll be thrown into the water, even if Ren Jie did provide valuable information, how much could he earn from the rewards?
There was a limit to spending money capriciously!
What was his motive?
Ren Jie was completely puzzled.
Just as she was in deep thought, Li Jing spoke.
"I have already said all there is to say. It’s difficult for to function, Inspector Ren, if you stay silent."
Saying this, he raised two fingers.
"Two hundred kilograms of Fifth Boundary Tiger Demon at, tell what you know."
"..."
Ren Jie.
Two hundred kilograms of Fifth Boundary Tiger Demon at?
Where did a third-rank Fourth Realm inspector like Li Jing get at from a Fifth Boundary Tiger Demon?
Had he killed a Great Demon?
No way?
Bought it?
That’s even more ridiculous!
Two hundred kilograms of Fifth Boundary Tiger Demon at, even at its cheapest, would cost tens of millions!
Regardless of the source of the Fifth Boundary Tiger Demon at, Li Jing’s proficiency was simply outrageous. It was clear that this was not his first ti using demon flesh and blood to bribe demons to work for him.
Ren Jie discovered that she really couldn’t understand Li Jing at all.
At the sa ti, she began to understand why he had been involved in various case investigations and even solved major cases repeatedly, though he was not yet an inspector.
In the Patrol System, most of the cases that Li Jing participated in involved demons.
He had the ability to recognize demons and could easily identify potential demons involved in a case, then generously spend money to gain their favor, resulting in natural leads.
In cases involving demons, they often provided lots of information, but due to the risk of exposing themselves, they were unwilling to step forward.
Seeing him waiting for her response with his lips puckered, Ren Jie said,
"Regarding the Demon Beast Union, I can’t provide you with any information. I never had direct contact with them and I would also like to know where they are now active in Jianghai, but unfortunately, I have no such information. As I said earlier, if I had relevant information, I would have cashed it in for a bounty long ago."
Seeing that Ren Jie finally spoke but didn’t give any substantial information, Li Jing began to speak patiently,
"Inspector Ren, since we’ve had this frank discussion, let’s be honest about our intentions. I didn’t co to you in hopes that you’d know where the Demon Beast Union is currently active. I know you are not an associate. What I want to understand is, why was the Demon Beast Union active in the dark alley two years ago?"
After speaking, he continued,
"The Dark Alley, a place full of fish and dragons, is not suitable for a demon group like the Demon Beast Union to lurk. They must have had other reasons for going to the dark alley. Inspector Ren, you must know sothing about this. I understand that you might have so reservations. I can assure you that I won’t submit any information you provide to high level officials. If you think my offer is not high enough, I can add another hundred kilograms..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Ren Jie made a "tsk" sound with her mouth.
"After all we’ve been through, can’t you leave alone?"
After saying this sowhat resentfully, she looked around and lowered her voice,
"There are so things I don’t say for a reason. I can see that you often use the power of the demons to solve cases. I won’t judge you for that. Your assurance that you won’t submit anything to the higher ups suggests that you intend to go solo on this investigation. I can accept that, but I don’t want you to get killed."
Saying this, she said seriously,
"You’re so young and already stepped into the Fourth Realm. It’s fair to say that you’re an exceptional talent. With such talent, you should value your life. The Demon Beast Union is no ordinary enemy, especially now that they know they are being targeted by the Hua Country Inspection Bureau. If you cross them, it’s a life or death situation. With your Fourth Realm power, it’s highly likely that you’ll lose your life if you delve into this alone."
Hearing Ren Jie’s words, Li Jing’s eyes lit up.
Ren Jie’s words were very considerate.
She was worried he knew certain things and would take risks alone and end up losing his life.
As a result...
This suggested that the part she knew was very explosive. Explosive enough to get in touch with the Demon Beast Union branch in Jianghai if one decided to look into it.
It turns out he had not picked the wrong person!
Coughing lightly, Li Jing said,
"From what I saw in the Dark Alley, I can infer that you, Inspector Ren, are very kind and will do your best to protect the weak. When I look at you now, it seems you truly are beautiful inside and out."
?
Ren Jie.
Being angrily kissed out of the blue left her a little dazed.
She was puzzled.
She was busy reasoning with Li Jing, why on earth did he jump in?
Before she could gather her thoughts, Li Jing spoke.
"Inspector Ren, you don’t need to worry about , I can tell you frankly, I was the one who single-handedly exposed the Demon Beast Union base in the capital. And the Six Realm Great Demon that was killed, I just put it for sale in the North City Spiritual Market yesterday."
???
Ren Jie.
This sudden shift in Li Jing’s discourse was too much information to digest.
Only a while ago, Li Jing had been to the Capital Inspection Headquarters for "training", which was only known to the director, Chen Jing.
But he had taken a long vacation and temporarily withdrawn from the Major Case Team Six, which was no secret in North City Patrol Branch.
As a powerful youth of the Four Realms, despite his low-key deanor, he inevitably attracted attention.
Not to ntion that he was getting along well with another rising power of the Four Realm from the North City Branch, and even rumors started to circulate about them.
If Li Jing had just said that he was responsible for the incident in the capital, Ren Jie might not have believed him.
Who doesn’t know how to brag?
Isn’t it just about boasting sothing big?
But the ntion of the Six Realm Demon for sale in the North City Spiritual Market, she had to believe that one.
Yesterday, after Li Jing took the Ox Demon to Xu Jiayi’s shop for appraisal and dissection, she used the materials of the Six Realm Big Monster for advertising imdiately, emphasizing that it was very "fresh".
As soon as the advertisent ca out, various dia forums exploded in the Jianghai region, and even seized the headlines of various local dia during the Hua Country Inspection Bureau’s crackdown on the Demon Beast Union in the capital.
Many speculated that the Six Realm Big Demon appearing in the North City Spiritual Market was the one that was killed in the capital.
A Six Realm Big Monster, it’s not sothing that could just be killed off.
Just after one was killed in the capital, a "fresh" one that had been dissected appeared for sale in the North City Spiritual Market thousands of miles away, what a strange coincidence!
But how exactly, no one knew.
Several dia outlets rushed to the North City Spiritual Market overnight to verify, but the rchants didn’t give a clear answer, causing a flurry of speculations online.
Just happens to be, the rchant who sold the Six Realm Big Demon was associated with Ren Jie’s partner, Lu Yangcheng.
This morning, Lu Yangcheng was telling her about it, saying that the shop selling the Six Realm Big Monster belonged to his uncle.
Who exactly put the thing up for sale, Lu Yangcheng didn’t know.
But in their conversations, he had ntioned that Li Jing was a regular custor at his uncle’s shop, often bringing in dead monsters from cases for appraisal and sale.
With what Li Jing just said now, things started to connect.
Looking at Li Jing in surprise and suspicion, Ren Jie cautiously stepped back half a step.
"You... you’re not just Four Realm?"
"Certainly more than the Four Realm, I can’t tell you the specifics."
Li Jing grinned sheepishly, saying.
"I’ve already spent ten million trying to find you, Inspector Ren. The trail ending here with you is not sothing I can accept, I need to at least make back my investnt. I hope Inspector Ren can understand."
"..."
Ren Jie.
The subtext in Li Jing’s words was clear enough, his investigation into the Demon Beast Union branch in Jianghai was not to respond to the capital’s call to crack down, but to raid the demon lair himself and make a big profit.
To put it simply, he wanted it all.
Cautiously glancing at the seemingly harmless man with big plans, Ren Jie hesitated, then whispered.
"If that’s what you want, I don’t mind telling you what you want to know, but afterwards, I don’t want you to disrupt my life," she said.
"Of course, after this is over, unless Inspector Ren volunteers, I won’t ask you for anything."
Li Jing responded decisively.
Seeing that he agreed quite readily, Ren Jie took a sip of her milk tea to calm her nerves, pondered for a mont, then looked up and spoke.
"And I have another request, you need to change the reward. I am a ButterflyMonster, I don’t eat at, the at of the Fifth Boundary Big Monster is of no use to , please change it to spirit plants like flowers or cash."
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