Lu Chen's gaze swept over the surroundings. He silently said to the system, Activate Trace Source. Enhance my perception of the lingering traces at the scene.
[Command confirmed. Consuming one year of Demon Devil Lifespan. Beginning analysis...]
A faint warmth spread from his mind, instantly merging with his senses.
In an instant, the whole world seemed different to him.
The chaotic, complex energy traces in the air peeled away layer by layer.
With the keen instinct of his mastered Demon Suppressing Saber Technique for sensing demonic auras, reinforced by the system, countless overlooked details now stood out clearly before him.
Beneath the thick dust, several nearly imperceptible footprints pointed toward the deep mountains northwest of the village. They were so faint that no one would have noticed them without looking carefully.
In the shadow of a long-collapsed corner wall, he spotted several patches of dark green moss, growing stubbornly.
The moss gave off a faint trace of Corpse Qi. It usually grew only in ancient tombs or mass graves—places that were extremely dark and damp, and had been nourished by Corpse Qi for years. It had no business growing in this village.
In the air, besides the strong Black Claw Heart Rot Sha, he caught a trace of something extremely subtle: a sickly-sweet, fishy smell like old burial soil deep inside a tomb.
At last, his gaze fell on the bloodstain splattered across the ground.
Its pattern was strange. Most of the blood had sprayed out in a fan, but at the starting point, there was a slight trailing mark.
That meant the victim had made a swift evasive move at the instant his heart was struck, but hadn't managed to dodge completely.
Though he had uncovered so many clues, Lu Chen's heart was ice-cold.
He knew all too well that he absolutely couldn't reveal everything.
Lu Chen bent down and casually picked up a scrap of ordinary stone stained with dark brown blood. Then he turned and walked back to Foreman Wang, respectfully offering him the stone.
"Foreman Wang, the Killing Intent at the scene is too strong. Most of the traces have been destroyed." His voice carried just the right touch of weariness and helplessness. "This subordinate only found a strange, fishy smell on this stone. It's different from the usual smell of blood. I don't know... I don't know if it's of any use."
Lu Chen deftly blamed the faint smell of burial soil he had detected on the inconspicuous stone.
As for the footprints leading toward the mountains and the strange moss, he said nothing.
"Useless! You searched all this time and all you found was a worthless rock!" Foreman Wang grumbled as he took the stone and sniffed it. He caught only a foul stench, so he quickly tossed it back to the ground, his face full of disappointment.
But just as he was about to order the team to withdraw, a sudden change struck!
A strange, chilling wind rose without warning from the center of the village, sending the dust and grass clippings on the ground swirling into the air!
The residual Killing Intent energy field, which had already fallen silent, was abruptly stirred by the wind—and surged violently!
"Gah—!"
One of the youngest-looking Imperial Guards in the group suddenly let out a shrill scream. He clutched his head, his eyes instantly bloodshot, his pupils unfocused.
Clearly, his mind had been invaded by the rampaging Killing Intent, filling him with a terrifying hallucination.
"Stay back! Monster! It's a monster!" He yanked the standard saber from his waist and, mad as a tiger, slashed viciously at the colleague closest to him!
"Watch out!"
The team erupted into chaos! Everyone cried out and scattered, dodging his wild, deadly swings while trying not to seriously injure their comrade.
Amid the confusion, the crazed Imperial Guard roared and swung at Lu Chen, who was nearby.
The strike was fast and fierce, its blade driving a gust of wind before it!
Lu Chen's pupils contracted.
The instant the blade was about to hit him, his minor-level Body Evasion Steps began moving almost instinctively.
His foot shifted lightly, and his body slipped aside like a boneless willow catkin, evading the strike with effortless ease at an exquisite, unbelievable angle.
But in the final instant, just as his perfect dodge was about to finish, a resolute glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes.
He forced his muscles to twist, breaking off the fluid movement. Then he made it look as if the sight had terrified him so badly that his legs went weak and his foot slipped!
"Ow!"
With a pitiful cry, Lu Chen crashed to the ground in a thoroughly clumsy, utterly ungainly sprawl.
The sharp blade whistled past, missing his nose by a hair and shearing off a lock of hair from his forehead.
He rolled across the ground, coating himself in mud and dust, looking utterly wretched.
"Useless! What a useless piece of trash! You can't even stay on your feet when you're scared!"
Foreman Wang's angry shout rang out at the same time as the clanging of blades.
Several battle-hardened Imperial Guards had already rushed in together. One used his scabbard to knock the madman's weapon aside.
The other two seized the chance to tackle him, pinning his arms and legs before chopping him cleanly on the back of the neck with a hand strike and knocking him unconscious.
The chaos quickly subsided.
Only then did Lu Chen scramble to his feet, still shaken. He brushed the dust off himself and panted, his face showing just the right mixture of lingering fear and shame.
Foreman Wang glared at him. Seeing how spineless he was, every last trace of the suspicion sparked by Lu Chen's autopsy report vanished.
That kid had only found those clues last time because he'd hit the mother lode of luck!
Once order was restored, Foreman Wang irritably ordered the team to rest where they were.
Several Imperial Guards hurriedly put a Calming Pill into their unconscious comrade's mouth. Then they took out wound medicine and bandaged the scrapes he'd caused himself while struggling madly.
Foreman Wang paced back and forth nearby, agitatedly cursing the wretched place.
Lu Chen watched all this, his mind racing.
The strange moss and the faint smell of burial soil both pointed in the same direction. He had to see for himself.
He walked over to Foreman Wang, head bowed, and asked in a somewhat timid voice, "F-Foreman Wang, this subordinate... this subordinate would like to look around nearby and see if there are any other... abnormalities."
In truth, he wanted to get away from the crowd for a while, ease the tension in his nerves, and use the opportunity to verify what he'd found.
Foreman Wang was already in a foul mood. Lu Chen's timid, yes-man manner only irritated him further. He waved impatiently. "Go look somewhere else! And don't you go causing me any more trouble!"