Soon, the group arrived in the city. Under Xing Yuan's covert arrangements, Hu Bing and Yuan Li were tasked with investigating the social connections of the victims, while Su Yue and Xing Yuan headed to the places where the victims had died to search for clues.
According to the information, the deceased mostly enjoyed gambling or drinking. Su Yue first went to the most popular tavern nearby, famous for its fragrant and mellow wine. The first victim lived very close to this tavern, making it a primary suspect location.
Xing Yuan watched the wisp of soul she had collected tremble uncontrollably and soon realized a problem: could the killer they were looking for be this very soul?
Although Xing Yuan had a suspect in mind, she showed no outward reaction. She followed Su Yue like a devoted fan, preventing anyone from bumping into her. Su Yue, engrossed in analyzing the case, didn't notice Xing Yuan's subtle protective actions, or perhaps she noticed but didn't care.
After Su Yue identified herself, the tavern owner immediately came forward.
"Indeed, some of the people you mentioned were regulars at our tavern! But we didn't kill anyone," the tavern owner quickly proclaimed his innocence.
"Since this incident, our tavern's business has declined. Only regular customers are willing to come now! Even if we wanted to kill someone, we wouldn't do it in such a public place. The police have already asked us about this, and I really can't understand why they keep asking the same questions!" The owner sighed, feeling frustrated that everyone kept coming back to ask the same things.
"I know. I've also watched your tavern's surveillance footage, and there are no issues. I'm here mainly to understand the personalities of the victims," Su Yue said calmly.
"That! I'm not really sure about the specifics. I'm just a tavern owner, how can I inquire about my customers' private lives?" The owner chuckled and then pointed in a direction.
"However, those who come here are all drinking buddies. I remember... Old Wang, yes, Old Wang was quite familiar with him. I've seen them drinking together several times. You should go ask him for information."
"There, in that corner!" The tavern owner pointed to a small corner of the tavern.
"Alright, thank you for your cooperation! Please continue with your work!" Su Yue's gaze was steady. With that, she walked towards the Old Wang the owner had mentioned.
As Su Yue approached, she was hit by a pungent smell of alcohol. She frowned, wondering why men liked to drink such foul-smelling things.
Xing Yuan, always attentive to Su Yue's condition, noticed her frown and swiftly produced a mask, offering it to her.
Su Yue took the mask and put it on immediately. Once the smell of alcohol had lessened, she asked curiously, "How did you know I was going to put on a mask just now?"
Xing Yuan panicked, worried she had been found out. She quickly put on a mask herself, trying to salvage the situation. "Because I also dislike that smell, so I carry some with me! I was just getting a mask for myself and offered one to Captain Su. I thought I might have done something wrong!"
Su Yue nodded. She hadn't really noticed if Xing Yuan was getting a mask for herself or for her, so she might have misunderstood. She sighed, realizing she had been too sensitive lately.
Apologetically, she said, "It's alright. I just thought you were like a treasure chest, always having everything. I've never seen anyone so well-prepared!"
"Really? But it's always good to be prepared when you're out!" Xing Yuan smiled, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Su Yue.
"That's true!" Su Yue looked at Xing Yuan, her heart softening. She was just a pampered child, what bad intentions could she have?
Seeing the change in Su Yue's expression, Xing Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, realizing she had escaped this time. A hint of smugness entered her thoughts. Indeed, no matter which world it was, "Sister" would never refuse her when she acted cute, pretended to be pitiful, or played coy.
"Wang Yuan, cooperate!" Su Yue said coldly, looking at the drunken man.
"Why is there a beautiful woman standing in front of me? Of course, I'll cooperate! Do you want a kiss, beautiful?" Wang Yuan had a lecherous grin, clearly quite drunk.
Drunkards were impossible to communicate with. Xing Yuan looked at the abusive Wang Yuan and had already sentenced him to death in her heart.
She stepped forward and splashed a large bottle of balm on Wang Yuan's face. The pungent smell of the balm and the burning sensation on his skin instantly sobered him up significantly.
"Ah!" Wang Yuan cried out and rushed into the restroom to wash his face, but no matter how much he washed, the smell of the balm seemed to linger!
"You, you are oppressing the people! I'm going to report you!" Wang Yuan angrily rushed out and confronted the two.
Su Yue took out her identification, her voice icy. "We are from the Demon Extermination Division. We are here to gather information, and you were the one who spoke disrespectfully first! My teammate was merely defending herself. Even if you report us, this will be the outcome."
Upon seeing Su Yue's identification, Wang Yuan gradually calmed down. In this world, the people of the Demon Extermination Division held a status no less than that of millionaires, while he was merely a degenerate gambler living at the bottom of society. Let alone the fact that he had spoken out of turn, even if he hadn't, they could do as they pleased.
"Calmed down? Then let's find a quiet place to talk!" Su Yue observed Wang Yuan's changing expressions, which eventually settled into calmness. Realizing he had accepted reality, she spoke calmly.
Finally, the three sat down in a teahouse near the tavern.
"Tell us. What was his personality like? Who did he offend?" Su Yue asked questions, while Xing Yuan diligently took notes.
Wang Yuan fiddled with his fingers. "Who could we offend? He was like me, he liked to drink! If he had free time, he'd occasionally gamble a few rounds at the casino. Other than that, nothing else."
"If you want to talk about offending people, it would only be the casino. We are ordinary people with no savings. Sometimes, when things were good, we would borrow some money from the casino. After a while, we would end up with a mountain of debt!"
"Did you see his body?"
"No! Don't listen to their nonsense! I didn't have much of a relationship with him either! We just drank a little and gambled a few rounds. Who knew he would suddenly die?" Wang Yuan hastily distanced himself, fearing he would be implicated and unable to escape for the rest of his life.
"Was there anything unusual about him before the incident?" Su Yue asked as usual.
"No!" Wang Yuan replied immediately.
Su Yue looked at the agitated Wang Yuan and asked again, "Really nothing? Do you know what the crime is for obstructing the Demon Extermination Division's investigation?"
Wang Yuan subconsciously rubbed his fingers together. After a moment of hesitation, he gritted his teeth and said, "I'll tell you, but you must promise not to tell anyone that I was the one who revealed it."
"A while ago, he suddenly found a quick way to make money, though it was a bit shady. He wanted to sell his wife and children to get gambling money. I advised him against it, but he was very determined! He even said he had already found suitable buyers. Not long after, he died! But I heard his wife and children were not sold."