Resentment

In the prison cell, Li Ji continued, "It was all my fault! All my fault! I loved gambling. I was the one who told Shopkeeper Liu the news. I owed the gambling den a huge sum of money. They said if I couldn't repay it, they'd feed me to the dogs. I had no choice but to tell Shopkeeper Liu. Shopkeeper Liu promised to help me pay off my gambling debts!"

Hearing this, Li Yuanfang's anger flared again, and he gave Li Ji another round of punches and kicks. Zhou Yi, standing nearby, suddenly asked, "Then what about Miss Liu?"

"I don't know, sir. After Shopkeeper Liu paid off my gambling debts, he gave me another sum of money. He told me I only needed to act out a scene with him."

"What scene?"

"Shopkeeper Liu said that when I was eating at the tavern, as long as I saw Master Gui come looking for him, I was to tell the story he had given me!"

"It seemed that after going around in circles, we had ended up back at Shopkeeper Liu," Zhou Yi muttered as he stood there in thought.

When he turned around, Li Ji had already been beaten by Yuanfang until he was taking in more breath than he let out.

Zhou Yi said to Li Yuanfang, "Stop hitting him. Let's make a trip to Liu Mansion."

Upon arriving at Liu Mansion, the gatekeeper tried to stop Zhou Yi. Without even stirring his blood and qi, Zhou Yi relied solely on his physical strength, knocking down the servants and guards with one punch each.

After barging into Liu Mansion, Zhou Yi saw Shopkeeper Liu seated in the main hall. Seeing that matters had come to this, Shopkeeper Liu made no attempt to flee and simply sat quietly in his chair.

Zhou Yi stopped and looked at Shopkeeper Liu. "Talk. How did your daughter die?"

Shopkeeper Liu replied calmly, "I killed her. I drowned her."

"Even a vicious tiger does not eat its cubs. Why did you kill her?"

This time, Shopkeeper Liu did not answer Zhou Yi's question. He merely sat there in silence.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi decided to take Shopkeeper Liu back to the yamen for further questioning. He had Li Yuanfang detain him, and Shopkeeper Liu submitted without resistance.

After returning to the yamen, Li Yuanfang brought the man into the prison and said to Zhou Yi, "Rest assured, sir. So long as someone falls into my hands, there's no mouth I can't pry open."

Zhou Yi sat outside the cell, listening to the sounds of torture within, along with the curses of several constables.

After dealing with the strange so many times, Zhou Yi's heart had grown colder and colder, becoming increasingly like this world. Listening to the screams coming from inside, not a trace of expression appeared on his face.

Two hours later, Li Yuanfang came before Zhou Yi with a frustrated look. "Sorry, sir. We tortured him until he fainted, yet he still wouldn't speak. He only kept muttering that he had drowned his own daughter."

Remembering the boast he had made before Zhou Yi, Li Yuanfang's expression grew even more awkward.

"It's fine. We've all been busy for the whole day. We'll continue the interrogation tomorrow," Zhou Yi consoled him.

Just as Zhou Yi was consoling Li Yuanfang, a constable ran in from outside, shouting as he ran, "Sir, something terrible has happened! Sir, something terrible has happened!"

Li Yuanfang glared at the constable. "I'm perfectly fine. Speak. What happened?"

The constable panted heavily. "Huff... Sir. Li... Li Ji is dead! There was also a puddle of water found beside him."

"What? Take me there at once."

Zhou Yi followed the two men to the cell where Li Ji had been held. Li Ji's eyes were wide open, and his lips were purple-blue, as though he had seen something utterly horrifying.

There was a hole torn open in Li Ji's chest, yet the heart inside was gone. Even stranger, both of Li Ji's hands were gripping the wound with all their strength, as though he had ripped open his own chest.

Seeing Li Ji's gruesome corpse, Li Yuanfang drew in a sharp breath. Despite having served for many years, he had never witnessed such a horrific sight. A chill rose from the soles of his feet.

Zhou Yi stepped forward to inspect Li Ji's corpse. The instant his hand touched it, the modifier's voice rang in his ear.

Yin Energy +1...

Zhou Yi checked the modifier list and found that the Yin Energy had increased by only one point.

It seemed to be merely residual Yin Energy, Zhou Yi thought silently.

Afterward, Zhou Yi had them carry Li Ji's corpse out and burn it.

With the clues now essentially severed, and Shopkeeper Liu—the only one who could still speak—refusing to open his mouth no matter what, Zhou Yi returned helplessly to Old Qin's residence.

After explaining the full course of events to Old Qin, Zhou Yi voiced the doubt in his heart. "Isn't the village protected by the Treasure Visage? Why can strange things still kill people in the village?"

Old Qin explained, "The Treasure Visage can only keep out strange things from outside. As for strange things born within the village, even the Treasure Visage is powerless. Most of the items in the storeroom I guard were dropped by strange things from within the village."

"Doesn't a corpse need to combine with Yin Energy before it can transform? This 'Thought' hasn't yet become Resentment. How can it kill people?" Zhou Yi continued asking.

"Yin Energy merely strengthens the abilities of strange things. 'Thoughts' are more unusual. When a 'Thought' kills, it follows certain rules."

"Rules?" Zhou Yi asked in confusion.

"That's right, rules. In the beginning, a 'Thought' possesses some intelligence. The people it kills are also connected to its own death. But once it begins killing, the 'Thought' becomes more and more muddied, until it finally turns into Resentment and begins bringing calamity upon ordinary people."

"As for what I told you before—that 'Thoughts' are not strong—that is only in comparison to martial artists. If ordinary people encounter one, it is still a dead end."

After speaking, Old Qin looked at the pensive Zhou Yi.

When Zhou Yi came back to himself, he asked, "Will Shopkeeper Liu die as well?"

Old Qin nodded, then said to Zhou Yi, "After Shopkeeper Liu dies, it will be your turn to clean up this mess."

"Then how do I find this strange thing?" Zhou Yi asked.

"It will return to find its own body and use it to absorb Yin Energy. You only need to guard the corpse."

"Alright!"

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