Virus

As Han Dong and his group trudged deeper into the monastery, stepping over the corpses of failed Seeker of the Dao...

The Dragon City Squad, though a step behind, finally managed to advance the Main Plot.

Yu Wu used his "eyes" to find the weaknesses of countless puppets, which Huo Ziping then defeated one by one.

Without any external assistance... just like how he forcefully killed the Joker back then, it took Huo Ziping three days and three nights to kill all the puppets owned by [the Hidden Resident - Mary Shaw].

Huo Ziping's strength and domineering presence even instilled a sense of fear in Mary Shaw.

Staring at Huo Ziping, whose entire body was radiating True Qi, he held the sword blade, entwined with dragon shadows, in front of the last perfect puppet.

Mary Shaw stuck out her swollen and twisted tongue, exclaiming:

"You guys are really amazing... especially your strength, which is almost comparable to the [Ten Demons]! Perhaps you really can kill Pennywise."

Upon hearing the clown's name, Huo Ziping temporarily refrained from killing him.

Instead, they had Yu Wu use magic to temporarily bind Mary Shaw... and interrogate her on the spot.

"How much do you know about Pennywise?"

"Hehehe! You currently work for the women in the Town Hall, so naturally you should know about that clown."

This is a closely guarded secret that Derry Town is unwilling and unable to discuss... I do know some of it, and I've even had personal contact with Pennywise.

But why should I tell you?

Huo Ziping calmly replied, "None of your puppets are made by any of the Hidden Resident... They are all handmade wooden puppets with the souls of ordinary people imprisoned inside."

In other words, you did not kill any residents of Derry Town.

I suspect your becoming a fugitive might be related to the Joker.

"And we can kill him."

During the battle with Mary Shaw ... the puppet old woman repeatedly mentioned the clown's name with resentment, thus Huo Ziping made this conclusion as the key to the negotiation.

"Hahaha! Alright, I'll tell you some secrets."

Three years ago, when Pennywise was captured by the scribe at the Connection Point, he seemed to have already completed most of his plans in the outside world.

When the mayor noticed the clown's abnormality, he immediately carried out the most thorough execution.

The first step is to capture souls, harvesting them with the most terrifying scythe in Derry Town.

Imprint Dean Richard's Void Mark on its consciousness, and then annihilate its consciousness at the starlight level.

Finally, the most brutal butcher in Derry Town executed the clown, dismembering his body into five parts and placing them in five of the safest yet most dangerous areas of Derry Town, where they were guarded by the powerful Hidden Resident.

Even Though so...

Disaster still struck.

The area containing the five bodies has been ravaged by different kinds of terrifying disasters.

This resulted in the deaths of at least three Hidden Resident, caused severe mutations in many ordinary workers, and forced the Derry Town to cease operations for nearly a month.

And the list of the dead includes my beloved husband, who is also my most perfect doll.

I swore to kill this clown and find out that part of his body is buried in "Crystal Lake".

However, when I found his Left Leg, I couldn't destroy it Even Though what I tried.

I even saw a huge, bright red mouth growing out of the surface of its Left Leg... laughing madly at me and urging me to kill it.

Hehehe... Haha..."

When the story reaches this point...

The Puppet Demon Mary Shaw suddenly lowered her head and let out a snickering laugh.

The atmosphere changed.

A buzzing sound filled the tunnel. The light bulbs, which had been de-energized long ago, began to flicker, casting an eerie red glow.

A familiar Huo Ziping filled the air.

"Captain! Something's wrong. Kill her and get back to report!"

The tunnel illuminated by red lights gave Yu Wu a chilling feeling.

"Etc..."

Huo Ziping trusted the Dragon Pattern Sword in his hand. If the old woman showed any tendency to attack or run away, the blade would instantly slice through her head.

Huo Ziping was waiting.

Because there was one thing he didn't quite understand: why was Mary Shaw, who hadn't killed any of the Hidden Resident, being wanted by the Town Hall as Forbidden Command fugitive who had to be killed simply for touching the clown's body?

It seems like we'll get the answer soon.

Hahaha...

The old woman, with her head bowed, couldn't help but laugh.

The pitch and frequency continue to increase.

Oldest One as a snicker gradually escalated into a maniacal laugh... to the point that the old woman's body could hardly take it.

Smack! It made my trachea explode with laughter.

Because her trachea ruptured, her neck tilted back, and the old woman slowly raised her head.

Its loose, wrinkled face was covered with large patches of red dye, or perhaps red blood seeping from its pores, forming a bright red mouth like a clown's.

"Haha... Ugh..."

The laughter stopped, as if something was stuck in his throat.

Its mouth was wide open, and something was about to emerge from its throat... It looked like a red balloon, but with some small grasshopper legs growing around it.

Whoosh!

Having received the answer, Huo Ziping no longer hesitated.

A single stroke to decapitate.

"Fugitive: [Puppet Demon - Mary Shaw] has been slain. Main Plot one is complete. Please return to the Town Hall to claim your Main Plot rewards."

Consciousness dissipated.

Mary Shaw's final puppet Transform Into to a crudely made wooden doll, scattered all over the ground.

However, as the head was ripped open by the sword, a strange larval insect body fell out.

It resembles a combination of a balloon and an insect - the surface of the uninflated balloon has more than a dozen Grasshopper Legs.

If it hadn't been killed in time, this thing might have used the Puppet Demon's body and soul as nourishment to grow and take shape.

"No wonder Hidden Resident who have come into contact with the clown are wanted by the Town Hall... As expected, the difficulty of the 'Inner Chapter' has been increased across the board. The clown can spread the ' Mad Laughter Virus ' in a special way."

Even the strong Hidden Resident will be infected. Once they become weak and start thinking about the clown, the "Mad Laughter Virus" lurking in their bodies may be triggered and cause a full-blown attack.

It seems that only the [Ten Demons] are unaffected.

The clown, split into five parts, should also be buried in the territory guarded by the Ten Demons.

Achieving Perfect Ending is truly difficult...

Huo Ziping and Yu Wu, carrying the badly damaged puppet as evidence, drove back to Derry Town.

During the journey.

Exhausted from the long battle, Yu Wu was also unable to fall asleep because of the familiar laughter he had just heard... His mind was still preoccupied with the secret Mary Shaw had revealed.

Suddenly, Yu Wu discovered a problem.

"Captain... why is it five portions?"

If the body were truly disassembled, the hands and feet alone would make up four parts.

Given the Joker's bizarre and dangerous nature, his head and torso should also be separated.

That should make six portions, right?

"Hmm... let's go back and discuss it later."