Chapter 158: Investigation
Chapter 158: Investigation
After returning to the school dormitory, Chen Chuan called the police station and reported the incident with the crossbow arrow. After all, the other party had shot an arrow at him, which was quite impolite.
He washed up and went to bed.
The next day, after finishing his training, he called Cheng Zitong to discuss the matter of the Skullsplitter Demon. However, this conversation did not resolve his doubts; instead, it left him with even more questions.
Around nine o'clock that evening, the phone rang suddenly.
He picked up the receiver and heard Ren Shu's voice: "Expert Chen, the Bloodstain Gang has reported another incident. It seems another leader has had his brain taken by the Skullsplitter Demon. They hope we can come to the scene and take a look."
Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Where is it?"
"It's an underground arena run by the Bloodstain Gang, located at the border of the Safehold District and the Flatland District. It's not far from Wu Yi Academy."
Chen Chuan found it familiar and asked, "What's the name of the leader who died?"
"Fu Shouxin."
So it was him.
Chen Chuan nodded. He had actually met this person before. When he and Ren Xiaotian were on a mission to bring back a wealthy young woman, this man had been forced to hand her over after seeing Ren Xiaotian pull out a gun. He never thought this man would be targeted by the Skullsplitter Demon.
He thought for a moment and said, "I'll go and take a look." After hanging up, he considered for a bit and then called the Safehold District police station. He then took the Snow Lady Sword and left the school.
When he reached the gate, Xiao Wei was already waiting there. He got into the car, and they arrived at the underground arena in just over ten minutes.
Despite it being 9:30 PM, the venue was brightly lit, and the square was crowded with over a hundred cars. The area was filled with Bloodstain Gang members, all wearing clothes with five bloodstains on the chest and carrying various knives and weapons.
Xiao Wei was a bit nervous and turned back to ask, "Expert Chen?"
Chen Chuan remained calm and said, "It's fine, drive on."
Xiao Wei nodded and slowed down the car slightly as they approached the square. The Bloodstain Gang members saw them and quickly surrounded the car, but they were soon shouted back by a burly man with his chest exposed and his head shaved except for a tuft of hair on top.
Chen Chuan waited for the car to stop, then got out. The burly man walked up and scanned him from head to toe, then nodded, "Expert Chen?"
Chen Chuan replied, "It's me."
"My boss has been waiting for you. Follow me," the leader gestured and led the way into the venue.
Chen Chuan told Xiao Wei, "Driver Xiao, you can go back first. I'll call youwhen I'm done."
Xiao Wei didn't argue and said, "Alright, Expert Chen."
Chen Chuan walked forward, holding the Snow Lady Sword, and followed the leader into the venue. Inside, it was also filled with Bloodstain Gang members, but they seemed to be divided into two groups. One group was huddled in the corner, while the other group was guarding them, occasionally kicking one of the huddled members.
He asked, "Which one is your boss?"
The leader said, "Have you heard of the Five Claws of the Bloodstain Gang?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I have."
The Bloodstain Gang was a gang, though they ran a company, their reputation was based on violence. The Fiveclaws were the fivebest fighters, and some of them had even been teachers at Wu Yi Academy.
The leaderpointed upward with his thumb, "My boss is one of the Fiveclaws, Zorro."
Chen Chuan had only heard of the Fiveclaws but didn't know thespecific names, so he just nodded. The leaderseemed a bit dissatisfied with his indifference, muttered something, and quickened his pace to the upper level of the venue.
The leaderopened the door and called inside, "Boss, the man is here."
Inside, on a sofa to the left, sat a man in his thirties, leaning back with his elbow on the armrest, his hand supporting his nose.
He wore an unbuttoned shirt, revealing a muscular chest with five bloodstains. Hearing the call, he didn't turn his head but his gaze shifted to Chen Chuan, his eyes cold and dangerous.
After a moment, he said, "Since you're here, take a look first."
The leaderturned back and said, "Expert Chen, my boss wantsyouto take a look. Please."
Chen Chuan walked over and glanced at the corner where a few Bloodstain Gang members were huddled. He ignored them and walked forward. On a single sofa opposite, sat a man.
This man had his hands on the armrests, his head tilted back, and his mouth wide open. As he approached, he could clearly see that the upper part of his skull was split into two halves.
This was Fu Shouxin, whomhehad met before. He was still dressed in a well-tailored suit, his shoes polished to a shine, and his nails meticulously groomed.
He glanced at him for a moment, then walked to the back of the sofa. From there, hecould clearly see that the inside of the skull was empty, with no bloodstains, consistent with the photos hehad seen.
He remembered the last words the man had spoken before they parted: "I never want to see you again."
Chen Chuan stood behind Fu Shouxin, examining the empty skull for a moment before asking, "When did you discover this?"
The gang leader, having regained his composure, roared at the Bloodstain Gang members crouching nearby, "When did you find him like this?"
One of the gang members replied, "Not long ago, boss. He's been here the whole time, never left."
The leader repeated to Chen Chuan, "Two hours ago."
Chen Chuan observed Fu Shouxin's body, confirming that it hadn't been long. He checked his Second Self, but there were no signs of dematerialization, which was unusual.
Every bizarre incident he had encountered so far carried a unique sense of violation, and most of them had caused dematerialization in his Second Self. Was the absence of this effect because the bizarre incident was no longer present?
Reflecting on the previous encounter, where he had only seen photographs, Chen Chuan now studied the scene up close and noticed something peculiar. The skull seemed to have been broken open from the inside rather than opened from the outside, as he had initially thought. It was as if the brain had escaped on its own, a phenomenon that resembled the bizarre incidents he had encountered. It was challenging to explain this with conventional logic.
Chen Chuan asked, "Where had he been before this?"
The gang leader shouted to the gang members below, "You tell me!"
"He's been here the whole time, boss. Didn't go anywhere," they replied.
Chen Chuan inquired further, "Have there been any visitors in the past month?"
Before the leader could respond, one of the gang members eagerly answered, "Yes, some gang leaders visited. They even drank and watched the match together."
Zorro, sitting on the sofa, suddenly spoke up, "Which ones?"
"Han, Tie, and Xiao. Oh, and Liu..." The gang members listed six or seven names with the help of their peers.
Chen Chuan asked more detailed questions and discovered that three of the visitors were Bloodstain Gang leaders who had previously been targeted by the Skullsplitter Demon. Was this a coincidence, or was there another reason? Did they encounter someone during their gathering? If so, were the surviving leaders next on the demon's list? Despite these thoughts, Chen Chuan refrained from voicing his concerns.
The situation was uncertain, and the Bloodstain Gang members might have already considered this possibility. Moreover, the gang members were all scoundrels; none of them were innocent.
Chen Chuan stared at the skull for a moment, unsure why, but he instinctively felt this wasn't a bizarre incident. He couldn't explain it logically, but the feeling persisted.
However, Chen Chuan had another method to verify his suspicions.
When dealing with bizarre incidents or objects involved in such incidents, if the time gap wasn't too long, one could use a remnant of another bizarre incident for verification.
Especially when dealing with powerful bizarre incidents, the remnants were more likely to react.
This method had been developed by those who dealt with bizarre incidents in the past. After all, they didn't have a Second Self and could only rely on this approach. While it wasn't 100% accurate, it had proven effective.
Chen Chuan had also brought an item for this purpose.
He took out a strand of hair from his pocket, a remnant left by the Flying Head Demon. He wrapped it around his finger a few times and extended his hand, touching the inside of Fu Shouxin's skull.
The gang leader, upon seeing this action, couldn't help but grin, and the gang members, witnessing this, widened their eyes in surprise, except for Zorro, who remained unmoved.
Chen Chuan waited for a moment, then withdrew his hand, observing no reaction.
Now, he could conclude that this incident had little to do with bizarre incidents, and finding the culprit using bizarre incident methods was nearly impossible.
Given this, the matter fell outside his scope of handling.
Chen Chuan quickly put away the strand of hair and said, "This isn't the work of a bizarre incident. If you want to find the culprit, consider if you've offended anyone recently."
After speaking, Chen Chuan sheathed the Snow Lady Sword and started walking out. The gang leader was at a loss, looking around and scratching his head, "You're leaving just like that?"
As Chen Chuan was about to exit, Zorro's voice called from behind, "Wait a moment."
Zorro rose from the sofa, and only upon standing did Chen Chuan realize they were of similar height. Zorro stood there and said, "Our brothers have waited this long, and you're leaving with just a few words? Are you not taking our Bloodstain Gang seriously?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I've given you the answer. This isn't the work of a bizarre incident."
Zorro waved his hand, and the gang leader beside him quickly handed over a cigarette, lighting it for him. Zorro took a puff and exhaled a long trail of smoke, "Whether it's the Skullsplitter Demon or something else, since you're the expert, find the culprit for us!"
Chen Chuan turned around, his voice calm, "You seem to have misunderstood. I'm not here to solve your problems or find your culprit. I'm only interested in the bizarre incident itself. As for your Bloodstain Gang's affairs, they have nothing to do with me."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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