At least Teng Jun didn't renege on his debt because of this terrifying experience.
He paid the money quite readily, perhaps intimidated by Lin Yilin's "threat."
As dusk approached, Lin Yilin and Zheng Fan started their journey back.
"So, this commission is over," Zheng Fan said, his attention on an exhausted office worker who was just getting off work, because he noticed the man's fly might be down.
Of course, reminding the other person wouldn't help.
Lin Yilin walked on, passing Xiding Road directly: "The commission is over, but some things haven't ended yet."
"Huh? Although that Illusion ran away, it shouldn't be within your scope of work anymore. You're not someone who adds burdens to herself, are you?" Zheng Fan asked, puzzled.
"That's right, the remaining matters are not within my scope, but there's still some time before I get off work, so I might as well do something and hand it over to others."
The place Lin Yilin finally arrived at was the police station on Xixikeke Street.
...
On a damp night, a thin mist rose and swirled through the streets and alleys of Xixikeke.
Jiang Si was drinking a bottle of strawberry yogurt, dressed in a silver sports jacket paired with loose black shorts, exuding a sporty and casual vibe.
After walking for a while on an empty path, a swaying figure suddenly appeared before her.
Jiang Si slightly slowed her steps, gradually approaching the zombie-like figure.
Surrounded by mist, when Jiang Si faced the other party directly under the hazy streetlights...
She realized it was just a drunken man.
"Tch." With a bored sigh, Jiang Si brushed past the man.
She was about to continue walking when her shoulder was suddenly tapped.
Jiang Si quickly turned around and pulled out a red thread, but the next moment, her hands were bound together by several red threads.
"Yo, good evening." Zheng Fan greeted with a playful smile.
Jiang Si's eyes narrowed when she was tangled by the red threads: "This kind of prank isn't funny at all."
"It's fun for me, that's all that matters. You're really not very brave, yet you happen to be a night owl." Zheng Fan waved his hand, loosening the threads that bound her hands.
"Daytime might be scarier for me, and who says night means horror? Night is great, isn't it?" Jiang Si said, annoyed, as she rotated her wrists.
"A Killing demon saying that is surprisingly convincing, so have you found your target?" Zheng Fan asked.
Jiang Si shook her head: "I'm not the kind of Killing demon who's good at tracking."
"Then your prey must be relieved."
"But I'm good at stealth."
"Then you'd better suck that air back in. That sounds even scarier, it has movie potential."
"So, is Evil Mr. only here tonight to mock and joke around?"
"Why not?"
"Normally yes, but I'm in a hurry to find my target right now, so I can only give you a perfunctory response. Is that okay?" Jiang Si said earnestly.
"That depends on how you're perfunctory. For example, I have a clue about the Killing demon you're looking for. So, are you in or out?" Zheng Fan revealed a mischievous smile.
Immediately, Jiang Si reached out and unzipped her jacket, revealing a daring red swimsuit underneath.
..."What kind of outfit is that?"
"I'll wear whatever I want. Just tell me, is this 'perfunctory' powerful enough?" Jiang Si playfully threw a charm-less wink.
"Boring. I still prefer you in your black lace lingerie."
"A swimsuit isn't enough?!"
"While swimsuits and lingerie cover roughly the same area, there's an uncrossable chasm between the two." Zheng Fan looked up at the misty sky, his gaze deep.
Jiang Si zipped up her jacket speechlessly: "So much nonsense."
Zheng Fan returned to the topic: "Forget it, just follow me."
As they walked, Jiang Si curiously asked, "Why does Evil Mr. suddenly have information on that Feierqi?"
"Magic Woman/Miss was feeling generous and gave it to you," Zheng Fan replied.
"Wow, I snuck into her territory, and she's not retaliating but rewarding me instead?" Jiang Si covered her mouth, showing a surprised expression, though it was a bit exaggerated and looked a bit like a 'tea' act.
"You knew you might be retaliated against, yet you still dared to come."
"Well, I have Evil Mr. with me, don't I?"
"Clever girl. Anyway, we confirmed Feierqi's current situation through some connections, then went to the police to check recent crime records possibly caused by him, and finally combined it with our existing intelligence network to figure out his possible recent activity range. We just need to search this area a bit." Zheng Fan explained vaguely.
First, they relied on a subordinate from Banmu Office to find Qingye Heshi and inquire about the bald eccentric. That bald eccentric had partnered with a studio from Banmu Office to help search for the distribution of shoes scattered throughout Xixikeke.
In this collaboration, it was confirmed that the person's identity was indeed Feierqi.
This matter aligned with Lin Yilin's previous expectations. As for why Feierqi changed from having bright red hair to being bald, and why his appearance also changed somewhat, she had already guessed: it was clearly because he, as an excellent body, was taken by the Illusion.
After meeting Lu Chongming, this guess was even more confirmed. The Illusion could abandon Lu Chongming so decisively, not only because it was dissatisfied with Lu Chongming, but naturally because it found a better host.
Otherwise, a pure act of self-mutilation would not benefit the Illusion; it should have chosen to forcefully take over Lu Chongming before escaping.
If there was no next host, and it was unlucky enough to be unable to interact with reality, the Illusion's growth would regress until it disappeared.
Feierqi's significant change in appearance was very likely caused by the Illusion's alteration. As the most active individual after that Illusion set its bait, this situation was reasonable.
After confirming his identity, they directly checked recent criminal incidents at the police station based on his behavioral characteristics.
Robbing mysterious shoes, cutting off legs and killing people—these case characteristics were particularly prominent. The police in Dadu's Grey District don't handle cases, but they are absolutely reliable in intelligence work, as many police officers even rely on providing intelligence to offices to earn extra money.
Finally, by comparing the information Banmu had on Feierqi with the crime records from the police station, they could determine which locations he hadn't visited yet.
Lin Yilin directly provided the above information to the police. The police would likely report it to the Processing Bureau, and the Processing Bureau would send people to act as early as tonight. After all, Killing demons are very valuable; there's value in either killing or capturing them alive.
And Zheng Fan came to find Jiang Si, who was also keeping an eye on Feierqi, after Magic Woman/Miss got off work.
However, Zheng Fan's explanation to Jiang Si was vague and confusing. Jiang Si didn't understand, and in the end, could only say: "Anyway, knowing his approximate location is enough, right? Thanks, Evil Mr., you truly are the Evil among Evils!"
"Call me Lord Demon King!" Zheng Fan declared with a chuunibyou-like upward gaze.
"Alright, alright, Lord Demon King~." Jiang Si replied with a giggle.
...