Chapter 256: The Same Contact

Chapter 256: The Same Contact

As Lu Heng reviewed the case files, Chen Lianian attempted to ask, "Lu Heng, when you were in the capital, did you notice any conflicts involving Metahumans above level 30?"

Lu Heng had no intention of revealing the truth to Ironblood, as even within the organization, loyalties could be divided.

If the Creatrix Organization had the capability to invite a highly classified research academician and influence a nation's political situation, infiltrating the Ironblood Investigation Bureau was not out of the question.

It wasn't that Lu Heng distrusted Jian Qing and Chen Lianian, but this secret couldn't be shared with a fourth person.

In the presence of powerful psychic Metahumans, no one could keep a secret.

Lu Heng continued examining the case files, paying particular attention to Raven 013's autopsy report.

As he read the information on the report, his pupils imperceptibly dilated.

The report stated that 013's time of death was a week ago.

This meant a week before the time of the autopsy, not a week from the present.

However, from the time 013 was killed to when he was brought into the autopsy room, it couldn't have been more than three hours. How could he have died a week ago?

Lu Heng pointed at 013's autopsy report and asked, "Doesn't this report say that the body was still moving before it died that night? How can the time of death be a week ago?"

Chen Lianian explained, "That's the strange part. This body is unusual. It was still moving on the night of the incident, but the autopsy results show that the blood had coagulated some time ago. The forensic doctor couldn't give an exact time of death and could only estimate that it had been over a week."

In the past, this would have been a bizarre unsolved case, but in the Deep Abyss Era, it was entirely possible.

Jian Qing interjected, "We asked you here to help us determine what caused this body to remain active even after being dead for a week."

"There are many possibilities. A Soul Devourer could have done it," Lu Heng replied casually, continuing to review the files.

When a Soul Devourer controls a human, it consumes their "soul," effectively killing them, but the person will still move under the Soul Devourer's control and exhibit signs of life.

When Lu Heng saw the photo of 013's corpse, he pointed to the heart area and asked, "There's a hole in the heart. What weapon caused this?"

Chen Lianian had gone over this case file numerous times and had discussed it with the forensic doctor who performed the autopsy.

He shook his head and replied, "The forensic doctor couldn't identify the weapon, but it's certain that the heart is missing."

"The heart is missing?" Lu Heng continued flipping through the pages, searching for more information.

However, this autopsy report only stated that the heart was missing from the body; there was no further information.

Jian Qing suggested, "Could it be that something ate his heart on the night of the incident?"

In the Deep Abyss World, there were many demons that liked to eat hearts.

Such situations were quite common.

But Lu Heng was well aware that no heart-eating demons had appeared that night.

If a demon had dug out and eaten 013's heart, it would have been impossible not to notice.

Lu Heng pointed at 013's corpse photo and asked, "Can you confirm the identity of this body?"

If they could confirm the identity, the investigation would be much simpler.

Chen Lianian shook his head. "We couldn't find any identification, although we extracted DNA information. But we couldn't find a match in the gene database."

Lu Heng teased, "You managed to extract DNA information from a body that's charred like this. Your technology is quite impressive."

013 had been struck by Dragon Breath Slash and burned by Dragon Flame, leaving him charred black.

"We extracted DNA information from the bones, but without a matching gene, we can't confirm the identity," Chen Lianian explained helplessly.

Lu Heng continued flipping through the case files, searching for more information, and asked, "Are there any other suspicious details? Or did you find anything unusual at the scene?"

Chen Lianian replied, "There's another body, also burned by flames, but it's clear that the person died in werewolf form, so we can tentatively identify this body as Derek Wolfe. Do you know him?"

Lu Heng glanced at him, a faint smile on his face, and replied, "I'd say I know him."

There were over ten Metahumans who had returned from the Magma Plain, including Wang Zhehan, Zhao Liwan, and others who had seen Derek Wolfe in werewolf form.

Another responsibility of the Ironblood Investigation Bureau was to investigate information from the Deep Abyss Battlefield. Every time a Metahuman returned from the battlefield, they would be questioned.

Therefore, the Ironblood Bureau was likely to be aware of what had happened on the Magma Plain.

Denying knowledge of Derek Wolfe at this point would only raise suspicions.

The Ironblood Investigation Bureau had probably confirmed Derek Wolfe's identity before suspecting Lu Heng's involvement.

"Where did you meet him?" Chen Lianian continued questioning.

"On the Deep Abyss Battlefield, in the world of the Blackforge Dwarves," Lu Heng answered truthfully.

"What was your relationship with Derek Wolfe like?"

"Not much of a relationship, just acquaintances," Lu Heng shrugged.

"Do you know if Derek Wolfe had any enemies?" Chen Lianian asked further.

"Well, on the Deep Abyss Battlefield, he had conflicts with many Metahumans from our country," Lu Heng shrugged again.

When they were on the Magma Plain, Derek Wolfe had initially been with Charles Watt, and there had been conflicts with the Metahumans from Daxia.

If that was considered making enemies, then there were quite a few.

"Who do you think could have killed Derek Wolfe on this Deep Abyss Battlefield?" Chen Lianian continued his inquiry.

Lu Heng thought for a moment and pointed to himself. "Me. Or a joint effort with Wang Zhehan's team. Aside from that, there's also a psychic enchanter who calls himself Xie Shi En."

There was also a team of three led by Park Hyun-jin, who might have the combined strength to do it, but he's not from Daxia."

Chen Lianian maintained his composure and asked, "Would you kill him?"

Lu Heng didn't deny it outright, "If he provokes me."

Chen Lianian picked up a photo of Derek Wolfe's corpse and pointed at it, "The wound in this photo has a clean bone cross-section. The forensics determined it was severed by a sharp blade. Among the people you mentioned, who else could do this besides you?"

Lu Heng threw the case file back onto the table, his expression turning cold, "Are you interrogating me?"

Jian Qing quickly explained, "Don't overreact. If you had a conflict with Derek Wolfe, we would definitely help you. He's an unknown foreigner, and if he committed a crime in our country, killing him wouldn't be a big deal. We just want to understand the situation."

Lu Heng looked up at her and said coldly, "Captain Jian, I've always considered you a friend. Are you trying to deceive me with these words?"

So far, in the case file, there was not a single mention of Liu Lanying.

In other words, the case file was incomplete.

It was impossible for the Iron Blood Bureau to be unaware of Liu Lanying's situation at the nursing home.

Jian Qing sighed and replied, "Don't overthink it. Indeed, a portion of the case file is classified. Moreover, the higher-ups have taken this part away, and neither I nor Inspector Chen have seen it."

Hearing this, Lu Heng already guessed what had happened.

As Chen Xuesong's relative, Liu Lanying would undoubtedly receive state protection.

And since she encountered danger at the nursing home, all her information was taken away to ensure her safety.

...

After the case file was thrown back onto the table, a photo slid out, showing a charred bird's corpse.

Lu Heng picked up the photo, examined it closely, and asked, "Where did this photo come from?"

Chen Lianian explained, "This was found at the nursing home. It appears to be the remains of some kind of bird, and it fell near the unidentified body."

He pointed at the photo of 013's corpse as he finished speaking.

Lu Heng immediately recalled the situation at that time. He had used Dragon Breath Slash to take down all the birds and black crows in the sky.

He didn't care what kind of birds they were; as long as they were flying, he cut them down.

When 013's body fell, there was indeed a smaller bird's corpse nearby.

Lu Heng had noticed it at the time but thought it was just an ordinary bird.

After all, the nursing home had excellent greenery, and there were trees on both sides of the street outside, so it wasn't unusual to see a few birds.

But now, looking at the photo of the bird, he felt something was odd.

"What kind of bird is this?" Lu Heng asked, holding up the photo.

Chen Lianian shook his head, "I don't know. The forensics team examined it and said they've never seen such a bird before. They even consulted bird experts, but no one could identify it. It's probably severely burned, leaving only the bones, claws, and wings."

He paused and added, "Also, this bird's body showed energy reactions, suggesting it might be a mutated creature."

After the Abyssal Age, not only humans awakened, but wild animals could also undergo mutations.

When animals mutate, the changes can be diverse, even affecting their skeletal structure.

After reading through the case file, Lu Heng stood up, ready to take his leave.

Chen Lianian quickly stood up and asked, "Do you have any leads?"

Lu Heng thought for a moment and replied, "This Dark Wolfman seems to be a member of an organization. I think the case is related to this organization."

Regarding the Creatrix Organization, it was unlikely that the Daxia government had no information about them, but their understanding was probably limited.

Lu Heng didn't want the Iron Blood Bureau to waste time on him, so he brought up the Creatrix Organization to see if they could investigate further.

This would also put some pressure on the Creatrix Organization.

While the Creatrix Organization could influence Japan's political situation, they likely didn't have the same power in Daxia.

Engaging such a mysterious organization required the might of a nation.

...

After returning from the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau, Lu Heng continued his daily sword training at the Wuliqiao Training Ground.

With his recent cultivation, his swordsmanship had reached the halfway mark of the Intention Realm, and his progress was rapid.

That evening, as Lu Heng finished his training and prepared to return home, a crow's caw echoed in the sky.

Hearing this, Lu Heng's body stiffened, his mind racing, and his right hand poised to draw his sword.

A black crow descended, circling before him, and five meters away, it transformed into a human figure, cloaked in black feathers, concealing its face.

Raven 013! In that instant, Lu Heng's heart skipped a beat. His right-hand fingers twitched, ready to draw his sword and launch a thunderous strike.

However, after appearing, 013 didn't attack. Instead, he spoke, "028, I'm your contact, 013. There's something I need to verify."

What was going on?

Lu Heng's mind was momentarily bewildered, feeling that the situation differed from his expectations.

013 was someone he had personally eliminated. If 013 had powerful means of escape that night, his reappearance shouldn't be for questioning but to bring people to kill Lu Heng.

Yet, here he was, seemingly for a rendezvous rather than to accuse.

Lu Heng could only think of one possibility: the 013 before him wasn't the one who died that night.

Only this explanation could account for why 013 in front of him was reacting this way.

Lu Heng quickly analyzed the situation in his mind and determined how he should respond.

After a half-second of hesitation, Lu Heng's face showed confusion as he asked, "You... didn't you die?"

013, the Black Crow, asked calmly, "What I want to know is what happened that night outside the nursing home? Didn't you go on the mission to chase the defector?"

This question once again confirmed his earlier suspicion.

The 013 in front of him had no knowledge of what happened that night.

So, which of the two 013s was the real one?

Or, were both of them real, and the one who died was a clone?

Thinking about the dead 013's body, it was clearly problematic.

The missing heart and the mysterious time of death indicated that something was wrong with the body.

There was also the strange bird that had been burned to death.

And 013's transformation into... a Black Crow.

Lu Heng finally thought of a possibility, a very rare abyssal monster.

If it was that kind of abyssal monster, everything would make sense.

Because the "clones" of this abyssal monster do not have a psychic connection with each other, and they must communicate in person.

This means that the 013 who died would have been completely obliterated, along with all of his memories.

And the 013 in front of him would have no idea what the "clone" had experienced.

After thinking about the true identity of 013, Black Crow, Lu Heng did not show any expression, pretending to know nothing, and asked, "013 is already dead, how do you prove your identity?"

013, the Black Crow, replied coldly, "028, since I know your number, there's no need to prove my identity. Tell me, what happened that night?"

Lu Heng frowned and considered for a moment before answering, "I don't know why you don't remember, but that night, we were chasing 027.

"Later, we split up. You and the werewolf found 027 at the nursing home and engaged in a battle.

"When I arrived, you were already dead, and then the Iron Blood people came, so I had to leave quickly."

013, the Black Crow, fell silent for a moment and then asked, "027 could kill me?"

Lu Heng shrugged, "He had help, and I suspect he has official backing."

013, the Black Crow, fell silent again. If 027 had official backing, things would become very complicated.

The information Lu Heng provided was a mess, but it seemed genuine.

For example, the information that 027 had official backing seemed very plausible.

After all, Chen Xuesong's work was highly confidential, and it made sense that the person who took over 027's identity had official backing.

013, the Black Crow, thought for a moment and continued, "Have you found out 027's identity?"

Lu Heng had anticipated that the contact would ask this question, so he answered directly, "I found out it should be one of Chen Xuesong's students, but I don't know which one."

013, the Black Crow, thought quietly for a moment without asking more questions and began to issue orders, "Now I'm assigning your task. In addition to continuing to chase 027, you need to find a way to retrieve part of 031's blood tissue."

Lu Heng's eyes widened, and he asked, "Retrieve the werewolf's blood tissue?"

013, the Black Crow, confirmed, "Yes, retrieve Derek Wolfe's blood tissue."

Lu Heng's face showed confusion as he asked, "But the body was taken away by the Iron Blood Investigation Bureau. How am I supposed to retrieve it? And the body was burned black. Are you sure there's still any blood tissue left?"

013, the Black Crow, narrowed his eyes and demanded, "How do you know it was burned black?"

Lu Heng replied matter-of-factly, "I went to the Iron Blood Coastal Headquarters and even reviewed the case file."

013, the Black Crow, said firmly, "Since you can see the file, you can find a way to access the body and retrieve Derek Wolfe's blood tissue. That's an order."

A hint of displeasure flashed in Lu Heng's eyes as he responded, "We'll see. If there's an opportunity, we'll talk about it."

While speaking, Lu Heng was also thinking. Why did the Creatrix Guild want Derek Wolfe's blood tissue?

The werewolf was clearly dead, so what use could the blood tissue have?

It probably only had research value.

013 had mentioned that Derek Wolfe had the strongest regenerative ability at this stage.

So, his cells must contain the secret of this powerful regenerative ability.

The Creatrix Guild has always been very interested in biotechnology, so it's not surprising that they would study Derek Wolfe's regenerative ability.

After the conversation, Lu Heng took a step forward, getting closer to the 013 in front of him, and his eyes even showed a dangerous glint.

013, the Black Crow, immediately shouted, "What are you doing?"

"You were clearly dead, but now you've suddenly appeared. I need to confirm if you are a member of the organization," Lu Heng took another step forward.

013 snorted coldly, spread his wings, and transformed into a Black Crow, flying into the sky.

Lu Heng's hand moved slightly, but he ultimately didn't attack. This 013 didn't know what had happened that night, and killing him would make things even more complicated.

013, the Black Crow, flew into the sky and left a cold final word, "Due to your mistake, I lost a clone. You need to take responsibility for this. You'd better catch 027 as soon as possible. Otherwise, I can't guarantee how long the organization will tolerate you."

Lu Heng shot back, "If you're so capable, why don't you go catch him yourself? If you piss me off, I'll chop up this clone of yours."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end