Chapter 74 Scales

Shen Lian laughed and said, "Winning the championship in the 'New Talent Competition' this time is not my achievement alone. If it weren't for the help of Chen Yun and Lin Feng, I wouldn't have been able to surpass Chu Chunqiu and win first place in the 'Demon Hunting Trial'."

As a local prodigy of Qingzhou Prefecture, Chu Chunqiu possessed exceptional strength. Without joining forces, none of the contestants could rival him.

Standing to the side, Chen Biao said, "No matter what means you used, you defeated Chu Chunqiu and won the championship of the 'New Talent Competition'. This alone is enough to make the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division take you seriously."

Many of the Demon Suppression Envoys present looked at Shen Lian with envy, and many of them had entered the Demon Suppression Division with Shen Lian.

Now, Shen Lian has won the championship in the Qingzhou Prefecture "New Talent Competition" and has obtained the qualification to directly enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. Chen Yun and Lin Feng have also become candidates for the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's reserve camp, which is almost enough to put one foot in the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division.

In comparison, the gap between them and Shen Lian is undoubtedly huge.

"In a month, Brother Lian will be reporting to the Demon Suppression Division in Qingzhou, a place where geniuses gather." Li Hu grinned.

Shen Lian shrugged. Of course, he was extremely looking forward to entering the Qingzhou Demon Suppression Division, hoping to meet many outstanding talents and spar with them.

Zhao Shan, with his hands behind his back, asked, "Has anything happened in Qinghe County recently?"

Chen Biao's expression turned solemn as he said, "During the time the commander was away, Qinghe County was indeed a bit restless, with several disappearances. So far, we don't have any major leads, and the culprit has not yet been apprehended."

Previously, several cases occurred in Qinghe County: the Corpse-Eating Woman, the disappearance case, and the Heart-Digging Case. The Corpse-Eating Woman and the Heart-Digging Case were solved, but the disappearance case remained unresolved, and the murderer had not been caught. During the time Zhao Shan went to Qingzhou Prefecture, several more disappearance cases occurred in Qinghe County.

The people of Qinghe County are now in a state of great fear, and many rumors have spread.

Zhao Shan nodded and said, "It seems the killer in the missing person case is still active in Qinghe County. Has the victim's identity been confirmed?"

Sun Yan explained, "During this period, four missing persons cases have occurred in Qinghe County. The missing persons are all between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, and there are both men and women among them."

Shen Lian and the others were shocked. Qinghe County had seen four more disappearances recently, meaning four more people were missing and likely had met a violent end.

Li Hu clicked his tongue and said, "I never expected that something like this would happen during our participation in the 'Rookie Competition'."

Shen Lian frowned and said, "Perhaps the murderer knew that Commander Zhao was not in Qinghe County, which is why he dared to act this way and commit several cases."

"If that's the case, things are probably not that simple," Wang Lin couldn't help but say. "It's not normal for the killer to be able to obtain information."

Zhao Shan led a team to Qingzhou Prefecture to participate in the "New Talent Competition". The Demon Suppression Division was weakened due to the absence of Zhao Shan.

The killer was naturally more emboldened to act at this time.

Chen Biao then handed the case file to Zhao Shan.

Zhao Shan took the file and began to examine it.

The first missing person case involved Wang Dali, the 22-year-old son of a blacksmith in the west of the city. He disappeared late at night on his way home from a tavern, and wet footprints were found at the entrance of the alley.

The second case involved Cui Niang, a 17-year-old embroidery worker. She went to the well to fetch water in the evening but did not return. There was a slippery, sticky substance on the edge of the well.

The third case involved Zhou Wen, a 21-year-old private school student who went missing while studying at night, leaving behind half-dried water stains on his desk.

The fourth missing person was Li Erniu, a 19-year-old apprentice at the Chengnan Cloth Shop. He was on night duty in the warehouse that night and was discovered missing the next day. The warehouse doors and windows were intact, with only a line of water stains left on the floor.

Zhao Shan said in a deep voice, "All the disappearances occurred while I was leading the team to Qingzhou Prefecture. It is no coincidence that the murderer chose to commit the crimes at this time."

Sun Yan added, "My subordinates have investigated and found no obvious connection between the four missing persons. Wang Dali is the son of a blacksmith, Cui Niang is an embroidery worker, Zhou Wen is a scholar, and Li Erniu is an apprentice at a cloth shop. They live in different areas of the west and south of the city, are of ordinary means, and have no known grudges or disputes. However, they have one thing in common: traces of water were left at the scene of each of them. This is not a coincidence."

Chen Biao nodded and said, "At first we suspected it was the work of a water ghost, but we asked two coroners who knew exorcism to examine it, and they found no evil spirits."

Looking at the file, Zhao Shan asked, "Have samples of the mucus from the area where the embroidery worker Cui Niang disappeared been taken and tested?"

"It has been examined. The mucus is colorless and odorless, and it feels cold to the touch. The coroner was unable to determine what it is," Sun Yan explained.

"Where are the things?"

Zhao Shan glanced at Sun Yan.

Sun Yan quickly had someone bring over the sampled viscous fluid and handed it to Zhao Shan. Zhao Shan opened the porcelain bottle containing the viscous fluid, and a chilling aura wafted out.

Zhao Shan poured the viscous liquid from the porcelain bottle into his hand. The liquid was colorless and odorless, with only a cold touch. He examined it carefully, then shook his head: "It seems the culprit in the missing person case is much more troublesome than we expected."

"Commander, what do we do now?" Chen Biao asked, clenching his fist.

Zhao Shan snorted, "The opponent has already made their move, so naturally we must respond. From now on, the focus of the Demon Suppression Division will be entirely on the missing persons case. We will try our best to solve the case and bring the culprit to justice as soon as possible."

"yes!"

The demon-suppressing envoys present shouted in unison.

Now that such a thing has happened, as the Demon Suppression Envoys of the Demon Suppression Division, they have the responsibility to guard the area, so naturally they must investigate the case thoroughly.

Inside the government office.

Shen Lian and Li Hu lay on their beds, having not had a proper rest during the "Rookie Competition".

Li Hu asked, "Brother Lian, who do you think is responsible for the recent disappearances in Qinghe County?"

Shen Lian put his hands behind his head and said, "It's hard to say for now. We don't have many clues right now, so we can only investigate as much as possible. But we have to act quickly, otherwise someone else might be harmed."

Li Hu said, "It seems we're in for a busy time."

[Host]: Shen Lian

[Realm]: Body Tempering Realm (5/10)

[Combat Strength]: 50~64

[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Perfect) (5/10), Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Perfect) (3/10)

Skill Points: 0

Shen Lian checked his panel. Since the start of the "Newcomer Competition", he had made significant improvements in all aspects. First of all, he had cultivated the "Tiger Subduing Stake" and "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" to perfection. Now, his realm had broken through to the fifth level, and his combat power had reached a terrifying 50-64. Among all the Demon Suppressors, he was definitely top-notch.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed since Shen Lian and the others returned to the Demon Suppression Division in Qinghe County. The entire Demon Suppression Division was investigating the recent disappearances.

Zhao Shan dispatched his demon-suppressing envoys to conduct a round-the-clock search, but so far, no valuable clues have been found.

Shen Lian, Chen Yun, Wang Lin, Lin Feng, and Li Hu formed a group of five to investigate the scene of the missing persons case. Their first stop was the blacksmith shop in the west of the city.

Wang Dachui, the blacksmith at the blacksmith shop, was a robust man. He sat dejectedly at the shop entrance. His son, Wang Dali, had gone missing some time ago and his whereabouts were still unknown. It was unclear whether he had met with some misfortune.

Upon seeing Shen Lian and the others arrive, Wang Dachui suddenly stood up: "Demon Suppressor, I beg you, you must find Dali! My son is only twenty-two years old. He is honest and law-abiding and has never offended anyone."

Li Hu stepped forward to reassure you, "Don't worry, we will find out the truth as soon as possible, and we will notify you as soon as we have the results."

Wang Dachui nodded repeatedly: "Thank you, sir."

After questioning Wang Dachui about some things, Shen Lian and the others left the blacksmith shop and headed along the streets and alleys in the west of the city. Wang Dali had been missing for several days, and the clues Wang Dachui could provide were very limited and not of much help in investigating the case.

After the disappearance, the streets and alleys in the west of the city were sealed off, but nothing inside changed.

Shen Lian and his companions found some footprints on the ground. These footprints were about nine inches long and were intermittent, appearing only every ten feet or so.

Chen Yun paused to examine the details of the footprints. She found that there were tiny cracks on the edges of each footprint, which looked very abnormal.

"These don't seem to be ordinary footprints," Chen Yun said, frowning.

Lin Feng looked at the footprints on the ground, clenched his fist, and said, "Could it be a water monster?"

After reviewing the files he carried, Wang Lin said, "According to the records of the Demon Suppression Division, there was an incident in Qinghe County where a water demon injured people. Water demons usually leave behind a strong demonic aura, but there was only slime and water at this scene. I don't think the missing person case is very related to the water demon."

Shen Lian shook his head and said, "What if it's a powerful water demon?"

Chen Yun nodded slightly: "Senior Brother Shen is right. If a water demon is powerful enough, it can indeed conceal its demonic aura."

"Brother Lian!"

Just then, Li Hu suddenly shouted.

Shen Lian and the others immediately looked in the direction of Li Hu, only to see Li Hu squatting at the alley entrance, pointing to the corner of the wall: "There are traces of scales scraping here."

He found a blue scale in the corner of the wall and handed it to Shen Lian.

Shen Lian took the blue scale and examined it carefully. The scale was about the size of a copper coin and had very sharp edges.

Wang Lin asked, "Can you tell what kind of scales they are?"

Shen Lian shook his head, frowning as he looked at the blue scale in his hand: "Let's go check out the situation at the moat first."

The moat is located three miles west of the city and is a defensive fortification built by the imperial court.

Shen Lian walked at the forefront, with his [Combat Power Detection] activated throughout, observing every move around him.

Soon, the group arrived at the moat. The banks were overgrown with weeds, the water was calm and deep, and the group split up to explore.

Shen Lian found several more footprints on the riverbank, all about nine inches in size, the same size as the footprints he had found before, pointing downstream towards the reed beds.

Shen Lian squatted down to examine the area: "The footprints disappear here, and there are drag marks on the riverbank, as if something was dragged into the water."

Lin Feng stepped forward and said, "Let me try using the 'Water Probing Talisman'."

He took out a yellow talisman, which was a "water-detecting talisman" specially made by the Demon Suppression Division, capable of detecting underwater conditions.

After silently reciting the incantation, Lin Feng threw out the "Water Probe Talisman." The talisman transformed into a streak of blue light and moved rapidly underwater.

But in the end, nothing was found.

"Let's go back to the Demon Suppression Division first and report today's situation," Shen Lian said.

Wang Lin, Chen Yun, and the others nodded and then returned to the Demon Suppression Division.

Upon returning to the Demon Suppression Bureau, Shen Lian immediately handed over the cyan scales to the Bureau's authentication workshop. The master craftsman in charge of authentication examined them for a moment, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper.

The master craftsman picked up the scale with tweezers and said, "These scales are exceptionally sharp; they are no ordinary things. They are probably the scales of some kind of demonic creature."

Shen Lian asked, "Can you tell me what kind of demon it is?"

The old master shook his head and said, "I have worked in the Demon Suppression Division for forty years and have seen 321 kinds of demon scale patterns, and none of them are a perfect match. This blue color... resembles the scales of a blue dragon, but these scales do not show any trace of demonic energy. It is truly strange."

Shen Lian was secretly alarmed. Even the master craftsman who knew about the scales of 321 kinds of demons couldn't identify which demon these scales belonged to.

Clearly, that monster was no ordinary creature.

Shen Lian did not linger in the authentication workshop for long.

"Senior Brother Shen, what did the Forensic Center say?" Chen Yun asked as she saw Shen Lian return.

Shen Lian shook his head: "Even the experienced masters at the appraisal workshop couldn't recognize it. They only said it looked like a blue dragon's scales, but it wasn't a perfect match, so they couldn't make an accurate judgment."

Li Hu exclaimed in surprise, "Even the experienced craftsmen at the appraisal workshop couldn't recognize it. I'm afraid this thing has quite a history."

Shen Lian said, "Right now, there are very few clues, and our investigation direction is also very limited. We can only wait and see if other groups have made any discoveries."

Shen Lian began to ponder. The recent disappearances were most likely the work of demons, but there were very few clues at the moment, making the investigation extremely difficult.

The Demon Suppression Division has been investigating the missing persons case in Qinghe County for quite some time, and so far, more than ten people have gone missing.

However, the Demon Suppression Division has not yet solved the case, causing unrest throughout Qinghe County, and many people have even begun to doubt the Demon Suppression Division's ability to solve cases.

After several days of investigation, very few clues were obtained.

For a time, Zhao Shan was also in a bit of a panic.

As the chief commander of the Demon Suppression Division, Zhao Shan is now under immense pressure.

The longer the case takes to solve, the less weight the Demon Suppression Division will carry in the hearts of the people of Qinghe County, which is certainly not the outcome Zhao Shan wants to see.

Inside the council hall of the Demon Suppression Division in Qinghe County, Zhao Shan placed the blue scales on the table.

Zhao Shan said, "The master craftsman at the appraisal workshop said that the origin of this scale is unknown, and they have not been able to determine what kind of monster it belongs to."

Sun Yan picked up the scale and examined it carefully: "The Azure Dragon's scales at least carry demonic energy, but these scales have no demonic energy at all."

"What are your thoughts?" Zhao Shan asked Sun Yan, Chen Biao, and the others.

Everyone began to think. The scales that Shen Lian handed over did look somewhat different and were very likely from a demon.

But most importantly, there is no demonic aura on the scales.

This makes it difficult for everyone to determine whether the scales belong to a demon.

"I have a guess," Shen Lian, who was sitting below, suddenly said.

"Oh?" Zhao Shan looked at Shen Lian curiously and smiled, "Tell us your thoughts first, and we'll discuss it together."

"I think these scales might not be from a demon at all."