​​Hideout

Mù Qīngyǔ’s initial thought had been rather simple.

Since she had no idea where the culprit was truly hiding, she figured she would just point them to any random location.

‘What if they found nothing at that spot?’

‘That wouldn’t be my problem.’

‘They should reflect on whether their execution had gone awry.’

It was a classic move of ‘say nothing, act smart.’

As long as she wasn’t embarrassed, the awkwardness would fall squarely on everyone else.

That was how it was supposed to be.

But now, what in the world was happening?

“Miss Qiao, Master Qin, we’ve truly discovered something peculiar!”

The moment she heard those words, Mù Qīngyǔ’s heart lurched.

Qiao Yíng, on the other hand, was ecstatic, muttering, “I knew the Master wouldn’t lie to me,” as she rushed over with her people.

‘Are they deliberately messing with me?’

‘No, their reactions don’t seem like an act.’

Driven by curiosity, Mù Qīngyǔ decided to secretly follow behind, eager to see what earth-shattering discovery awaited them.

“Is something wrong here?” Arriving at the scene, Qiao Yíng saw only a small hill, nothing more.

“Miss Qiao, the mystery lies within this very spot.”

One of the patrol guards pointed to the small hill, his expression utterly secretive.

Qiao Yíng glanced at him, then at Mù Qīngyǔ.

Seeing the latter’s composed demeanor, she boldly approached the small hill.

No matter how she looked at it, it appeared to be an ordinary hill, devoid of anything noteworthy.

‘Could it be?’

Having traveled alone for two or three months, Qiao Yíng had gained considerable experience and now harbored some suspicions.

She reached out her hand, but the instant her palm was about to touch the mountain’s surface, her entire hand sank into it, encountering no solid resistance whatsoever.

“So it really is like this after all.”

Qiao Yíng murmured, then took a large stride and walked directly into the mountain, disappearing from everyone’s sight as if sinking into a lake.

The others followed closely, entering the illusory mountain body.

Inside, the light was dim, yet the space was incredibly vast.

More importantly, this place was clearly not a naturally formed cave; it bore distinct traces of artificial excavation!

“So this is where they’ve been hiding?”

“We’ve certainly had a difficult time finding it.”

Including Qiao Yíng, everyone from the Heaven’s Will Bureau seemed incredibly excited.

The case that had plagued them for so long had finally yielded a major breakthrough.

All of this was thanks to Master Qín Yuè’s assistance.

Had it not been for her guidance, Qiao Yíng and her subordinates would likely still be wandering aimlessly in the back mountain, their efforts fruitless.

Mù Qīngyǔ remained unmoved, not because she was trying to appear aloof, but because her mind was still processing.

‘This isn’t right, is it?’

‘I merely pointed to a random spot, so how could it be the exact right location?’

‘Last time, it could be called a coincidence, but two coincidences in a row?’

‘Isn’t that a bit too bizarre?’

Mù Qīngyǔ subconsciously touched her cherry lips.

Was her mouth blessed by an immortal, or was someone deliberately orchestrating things behind the scenes?

Despite the extreme coincidence, Mù Qīngyǔ secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least now she wouldn’t have to painstakingly explain her actions to Qiao Yíng and the others after their efforts proved futile.

“Well?”

“The results are in.”

“There’s a very strong demonic aura.”

“This place is indeed the lair where the otherworldly demon is entrenched.”

The Heaven’s Will Bureau patrol guards quickly organized their team and advanced deeper into the cave.

Mù Qīngyǔ pondered for a moment, thinking, ‘We have so many people, even if we encounter an otherworldly demon, we won’t be defenseless.’

So she followed at the back of the team.

Qiao Yíng looked back at her, unable to help but sigh inwardly, ‘The Master truly lives up to her name; she can stroll leisurely even in such a dangerous place.’

‘With Master Qin present, even if danger arises, we won’t be without the means to resist.’

The two parties thus reached a subtle understanding and continued to push deeper.

Although the demonic energy within the cave was high, it was eerily quiet.

Apart from the sounds of footsteps and breathing, there was no other movement.

It wasn’t until they passed through a long tunnel and reached the deepest part of the cave that everyone finally stopped.

“This place is a laboratory?”

Almost everyone had this thought upon seeing the true nature of the area.

This was undoubtedly someone’s meticulously crafted hiding spot.

Sleeping bags and other living essentials were piled in a corner.

Beyond that, most of the space was arranged like some kind of laboratory.

‘Someone lived, ate, and slept here.’

‘When they woke, they tinkered with experiments, and when tired, they’d collapse in the corner to sleep.’ Qiao Yíng’s mind conjured a vivid image.

They couldn’t proceed any further; this was the residence of the serial killer.

However, it seemed he wasn’t home at the moment.

The patrol guards immediately fanned out, investigating the secrets of this hiding spot.

Mù Qīngyǔ also wandered around, and no one tried to stop her.

‘What was this place used for researching?’

Mù Qīngyǔ looked at the various bottles and jars on the table, feeling a headache begin to throb.

In her previous life, she had been a complete math idiot, the kind who could get three different results when calculating her monthly exam scores in high school.

‘Didn’t they say the case was related to an otherworldly demon?’

‘Since when did otherworldly demons engage in scientific research like humans?’

Based on a millennium of research into otherworldly demons, scholars were confident that no highly developed civilization, akin to human society, had formed within them.

They mostly followed their instincts, attacking humans and sowing panic.

Even if there were individuals among the higher-tier otherworldly demons more intelligent than humans, they wouldn’t be wearing lab coats, sitting down to research strange potions.

Otherworldly demons were such peculiar creatures: their origins unknown, their thoughts elusive.

Both lower and higher-tier individuals displayed an intense hatred for humanity.

While they would gather en masse to launch attacks, they had never developed anything resembling a modern society.

No one understood what they truly thought, and even researchers dared not delve too deeply, fearing they might become infected by demonic energy and go mad.

Thinking of this, Mù Qīngyǔ quickly put down the beaker containing an unknown liquid.

She was only a Tier-2.

If demonic energy entered her body, she would be finished.

Even if she could be saved, her true form would be revealed, and her identity as ‘Qín Yuè’ would be ruined.

After everyone had pondered for over half an hour, Qiao Yíng approached Mù Qīngyǔ and asked:

“Master, I have a question.”

“Are you asking about the whereabouts of the owner of this place?”

“More or less.”

“If the Master is willing to tell me that person’s objective, that would be enough.”

Qiao Yíng had already discussed it with the others.

Even if they couldn’t figure out the culprit’s intentions, by waiting here, they might still catch him.

‘Objective?’

‘How would I know what his objective is?’

Mù Qīngyǔ began to feel troubled again.

These people always brought her questions that made her rack her brain.

‘If I knew, would I keep it a secret?’

Facing Qiao Yíng’s expectant gaze, Mù Qīngyǔ could only maintain a stern face and speak coldly:

“What do you think this place is used for?”

“Hmm, a hiding place, and a laboratory?”

“Then which do you think is more important?”

Mù Qīngyǔ wanted to subtly suggest that since they had discovered such an important place, they should just set up an ambush.

She needed to quickly dismiss Qiao Yíng, then make her escape.

Every second spent in this eerie place felt like a day off her lifespan.

Qiao Yíng pinched her chin, falling into deep thought.

‘Which is more important, a hiding place or a laboratory?’

‘Why would the Master ask such a question?’

‘Could it be that the culprit deliberately established this place with another purpose in mind?’

Qiao Yíng felt as if she had discovered a blind spot.

To find a hiding place, one didn’t necessarily have to come to these remote mountains.

The key was the second part: the ‘laboratory’!

What was the culprit doing that required them to hide in such a place to evade the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s search?

What kind of experiment demanded such secrecy?

Recalling the demonic energy concentration her subordinate had just reported, Qiao Yíng suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

“He’s… researching otherworldly demons?”

“Ah?” Mù Qīngyǔ was stunned.

“That guy is actually conducting such dangerous research?”

Qiao Yíng paced in front of Mù Qīngyǔ, her self-talk entirely audible to the latter.

“He’s researching otherworldly demons, and to test his results, he deliberately releases them to attack passersby.”

“Because the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s detection of demonic energy is very strict, he found this place to serve as his base.”

The truth of the case was slowly unraveling.

“What does the culprit intend to do with the otherworldly demons?”

“Is it merely research?”

From the layout of this place, the culprit was clearly not raising otherworldly demons as pets.

He obviously had some specific goal.

‘No, something is still not right.’

Qiao Yíng suddenly realized that this place, deep in the back mountains, was the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s weakest point for detection.

Moreover, the culprit’s timing for his crimes was incredibly precise, always managing to leave the Heaven’s Will Bureau empty-handed.

The culprit understood the Heaven’s Will Bureau well, or rather, he understood this Wufeng City branch very well.

Seeing her expression, Mù Qīngyǔ also felt a cold sweat trickle down her back.

‘What are you talking about?’

‘I just meant you should set up an ambush if you’re going to, why has your train of thought veered off in such a different direction?’

‘The culprit and the otherworldly demon are both not home.’

‘Where did they go?’

‘Who is the next target?’

Qiao Yíng’s heart was pounding.

Just one more clue, and she could deduce the entire truth of the case.

“Miss Qiao, look at this!”

A patrol guard ran over, handing the final ‘key’ into her hands.

It was a thin notebook, filled with detailed personal information about citizens, including their daily habits and the times they left their homes.

These people were all victims of the case.

The culprit had investigated their backgrounds in advance before striking.

Turning to the last page with writing, Qiao Yíng’s breath almost hitched.

The next victim was actually…

Mù Qīngyǔ curiously craned her neck, her eyes widening at the sight of a familiar name.

“So that’s it.”

“I finally understand.”

Cold sweat streamed down Qiao Yíng’s face, her words coming out in gasps.

“Why the culprit always manages to evade the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s searches, why their crime times are so precise, and how they even obtained such detailed information on the victims.”

The subordinates didn’t understand what was happening and hastily asked her what was wrong.

“Leave some people here.”

“The rest of you, hurry back with me!”

Qiao Yíng threw the notebook back into his hand.

“The base is in danger!”