Speaking for the God

"Sir, we have arrived at 375 Oak Street," the coachman reminded him.

"Wait right here," Chao ordered, pushing the door open to step out.

It was two in the afternoon, and Glorious Fortress was enjoying a rare sunny day. The slightly scorching sunlight filtered through the tree shade on both sides of the road, casting patches of flickering light on the ground. It should have been a perfect day for a stroll, yet few people were visible on the streets—the city seemed much quieter than it had been a week ago.

Further away, two cavalrymen in City Guard uniforms were patrolling the street.

Chao pulled his hat brim low and walked into 375.

This was a small two-story building and another one of Dane's secret hideouts. Judging by the decor on the first floor, it looked like a fruit shop currently in its off-season, with empty fruit racks still standing against the walls.

He had barely entered the foyer when Judy hurried over to greet him.

"You've come. Ever since I received your letter, I've been looking forward to this..." Her expression was quite jubilant, as if she were delighted to see the Detective again. "You said you needed help with something; as long as it's within our power, we will spare no effort!"

"Judy, is that Lord Chao?" Dane's voice drifted from the inner room.

Chao noticed that this time, he had elevated his form of address significantly.

"It is him!"

"Please, invite him into the parlor to talk."

Chao followed Judy into the parlor, where freshly brewed tea had already been placed on the low table. Dane sat stiffly beside the table, dark circles heavy under his eyes. Upon seeing Chao enter, he immediately stood up and bowed slightly.

Chao swept a glance at him, feeling rather surprised. In his impression, this reporter had dared to investigate the truth behind a serial murder case and hadn't lost his composure even when his life hung by a thread; his courage was certainly not small. Why had he become so respectful now?

"What is it? Didn't you sleep well?" He took off his hat and sat down opposite Dane.

The latter smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I'm afraid you're the only one who can sleep these days. You might not understand what it means to have the North City Police Station uprooted, not to mention the Grand Theater turning to ash overnight. Wherever people gather now, that is the only topic of conversation. Even the sales of the Jedi Brothers Newspaper have risen by fifty percent!"

"We thought you would wait for the heat to die down before coming. We didn't expect you to be so indifferent to the City Guard's search," Judy added. "Honestly, this is the biggest thing I've seen since coming to Glorious Fortress. Even the visit of the Second Prince's delegation didn't cause such a sensation!"

"So... is Kouqi really dead?" Dane asked in a low voice.

"Yes, I confirmed it with my own eyes." Chao nodded. Although using his true form had involved significant risk, the rewards were extremely generous. If he didn't squander the collected Wish Force, it would be enough to sustain him for half a year—a qualitative leap compared to the nine days of life he had before. "Although he wasn't the mastermind, he was the direct culprit behind this case. Only with his death will no one come chasing after you."

Judy's eyes brightened even further.

"I knew there had to be a reason why Lord Chao advised us not to leave the city overnight."

"Kouqi's death is one reason. Another is that I worry the true mastermind might be on the Old Continent, so fleeing Glorious Fortress might not necessarily be safe." Chao picked up his teacup and took a sip. He certainly wouldn't say that the main reason was that if these two left, he would have to rebuild his network all over again.

"Thank you," Dane said after a moment of silence. "Not just for saving me, but for the others who were rescued as well. I once doubted you, but it seems I was wrong. If I possessed Wish Force, I would gladly hand it all over to you..."

Chao interrupted him directly. "Wish Force must be based on a signed contract. Judy has already paid the reward; this matter is settled, no need to mention it again. You just said there were others rescued?"

"Yes, the City Guard discovered five more survivors in the manor's dungeon. I heard the Lord has already ordered a thorough investigation into the matter," Dane replied. "On the contrary, the backers of the North City Police Station have remained silent. All interview requests have been rejected, and people outside don't even know they were the true culprits behind the serial murders."

There was clear resentment in his eyes as he said this.

Chao had to remind him, "Since the Lord is investigating, the truth will come to light one day. There is no need for you to speak out now."

Otherwise, being targeted by the forces behind Kouqi would be more trouble than it was worth.

Dane slowly unclenched his fists. "You are right. Let's talk business. You said you needed our help—may I ask what exactly it is?"

Judy held her breath as well.

Chao was silent for a moment before speaking. "I need a few bodies."

"Bodies?" Dane was slightly stunned. "Could you be more specific..."

"Ah!" Judy was the one who blurted it out. "My Lord, are you referring to dead people?"

"Ahem... you could understand it that way." Chao remained calm, though he felt quite awkward inside—because this request sounded truly bizarre, almost like something a Cultist would ask. "They must be fresh, not decayed. And if there is a choice, I hope their measurements match these values."

After speaking, he handed over a note containing a dozen sets of data, including height, measurements, and weight.

After the last round of the game, Chao discovered that more than half of his Wish Force expenditure had been used to create bodies, which also severely limited the number of players who could enter Paradise. The solution was simple: use physical shells as vessels. He only needed to invest a little Wish Force during routine maintenance, and those that were severely damaged could be replaced directly.

However, while the method was simple, implementing it was not—in this unfamiliar world where he knew no one, where was he supposed to find a complete, fresh body?

Thus, turning to the locals became his only option.

He hoped that, for the sake of him being their savior, they wouldn't turn against him because of this.

"This..." Dane took the note, his expression showing extreme conflict.

"If there's no way, then forget it. I don't insist that you do this," Chao added quickly, fearing a misunderstanding. "As for using murder to obtain bodies, that is an even less desirable course of action."

He had originally thought the other party would let it go, but to his surprise, the reporter carefully folded the note and looked up at him. "Lord Chao, I would like to ask you a question first."

"Go ahead."

"May I ask... are you acting on behalf of some God?" Dane's tone was incredibly solemn.

Chao was stunned, but he quickly realized—so that was it! This was the reason the other party had been so reserved!

He had mistaken him for an emissary of some God!

But thinking about it, it made sense. Could an ordinary detective destroy the organizational power of the North City Police Station overnight and personally execute the chief?

Even if such a person existed, they would certainly not be a nobody.

Unless they had a more powerful force supporting them from behind.

It was reasonable for a reporter to make such a connection.

Of course... the Detective was not Chao's true self, or rather, any image he used to converse with others was a construct of his own making. So, in a sense, the truth was quite similar to what Dane had guessed; the only difference was that he was acting for himself.

And letting the reporter misunderstand didn't seem to have any downsides.

Thinking of this, Chao simply went along with it. "That is correct."