Vol. 8: Shameless

Jun-ge came to vouch for the priest and has already submitted bail to the military station to take him out. Although there's no follow-up to Alfons's murder case, there's no evidence to prove Zhang Congfeng's involvement in this medical malpractice—if the case is to be overturned, then none of the doctors and nurses in the operating room will escape. This is clearly not the outcome the military station officials want to see.

The soldiers serving under Saladin all liked Doctor Maguire, after all, he was their savior who saved them from dire straits, and they didn't want to interfere with Maquire's work.

This is what Jiang Xueming and his fellow inmates said after regaining their freedom.

I'm leaving now.

Seeing that their only hope of rescue was about to disappear, Big B, with tears in his eyes, clung to the iron bars and kept trying to pull at Mr. Feng's clothes.

"No, no, Honey Badger! You can't do this! We're brothers in arms, we're even classmates, you have to find a way to help us!"

"You feel like the iron cage is restricting you?" Jiang Xueming turned around and gently patted Big B's hand. "No, that's not right. This iron cage is protecting you— Big B, think about it carefully, and be more careful."

With the jailers present, Xue Ming couldn't say too much. He had a vague feeling that the Religious order leader from the Hercules would not let the matter rest, and the ogres hiding in Saladin would continue to kill and take their flesh. These four brothers were "high-value targets" in the eyes of the ogres—they would definitely not let them go.

If the supply depot remains intact, by next spring these bandits will still have something to eat and will be able to go to court for trial.

If they were released, Saint Josh would immediately kill the four people in the know—after all, the guys already knew the cannibal's name, and who knows, one day they might come to their senses and try to atone for their crimes by dragging others down with them.

"Staying in the cage is the only way to survive." Xue Ming cautiously whispered in Big B's ear, "You guys were sold out by Saint Josh, and you're still thinking of running away? Do you really think the reputation of the Madness Butterfly Sect is just for show? In the eyes of these cannibals, the Bloodborne freaks of the War Gang are nothing more than sweet meat for food."

Big B panicked and suddenly released Dr. Feng, his body going limp as if he had walked down a dead end.

He'd surely die if he stayed here. As the leader of the Red Jack Circus, he'd never been to prison before. He and A Jie were still on the wanted list. Luckily, Saladin's godforsaken place didn't have a place for DNA testing, otherwise the two would have been executed on the spot according to the highest constitution of the Underground Railroad.

But what happens after we escape? Just like Brother Peacekeeper said—

--Is the nobleman of Hercules going to devour them? Is he going to eat all these "honest and hardworking" laborers?

"Hahaha." Big B didn't dare gamble. He couldn't see reality clearly. Compared to the priest's one-sided story, he preferred to believe Saint Josh Joris's nonsense. After all, the execution ground was too terrifying, and Saint Josh's words were too gentle. "You're bluffing me. Aren't you? You must be bluffing me, trying to make me betray you, trying to make me betray that person. Isn't that right?"

"I'm just trying to give you a friendly reminder," Jiang Xueming said, pulling out the cross as evidence. "And you don't need to be the one to do this. Just stay here and think it over—I'll help you get started."

Before Big B could even process what was happening...

--Zhang Congfeng did something extremely unethical, and Big B and his group no longer had the chance to negotiate with Saint Josh.

"Interrogator! Some of my memories have returned! Come here! Come on!"

A Black woman ran over from the other end of the office; she was the officer in charge of the robbery case.

Jiang Xueming made no attempt to hide it, tearing two pages from the Bible. He had previously taken a tooth from Andro's mouth, turning it into a simple writing tool to jot down some important information.

He explained the complex case in simple terms to the brothers in the Zhan Gang, led by Big B, fearing that these brilliant and talented individuals might not understand.

"These remnants of the War Gang, acting on the orders of Saint Josh Joris, robbed Saladin's infirmary. I heard their account from them in prison."

Upon hearing this, the woman burst into laughter, doubled over. "What nonsense are you spouting?! Mr. Joris is the kindest man in our town. Just a few days ago, Spuantong came to his house to steal honey, and he didn't have the heart to kill those unreasonable insects. He called a pest control company to handle it—and you're saying Doctor Jioris was the mastermind? That's utterly ridiculous! He's a loving and sentimental psychologist who treats his patients like children!"

"Oh! Now things are getting even more interesting." Jiang Xueming's heart sank. Judging from this reputation, this psychiatrist has many "followers," and he won't be able to tear off this facade anytime soon. "What if I said that Doctor Maguire is a murderer?"

"Hahahaha!~" This time, not only was the black woman overjoyed, but the jailers escorting the suspects on either side also began to sneer.

The woman's expression changed, her smile turning into a fierce glint in her eyes, "If you like spouting nonsense, I'll summon the quartermaster in my personal capacity to investigate you! I'll send you to the Prosecutor's Office on charges of falsely accusing an innocent person! Watch your words, Zhang Congfeng!"

"This bottle of waste liquid I stole was originally from the operating room." Jiang Xueming remained calm, showing no fear in the face of the interrogator's threats. "It's still in the laboratory, right? If you get it, go to the hospital and check the surgical records, you'll find out that this bottle of poison was supposed to be used on the victim—the surgeon was Maquire Copenhagen."

"I saved Alfons's life, but not his; the victim still didn't survive Maquire's clutches."

"Later, I used this bottle of poison to save myself. Sister, think about it carefully."

"Is Doctor Maguire currently undergoing psychotherapy? Is he going to Saint Josh Joris's clinic and residence every day? Think about it carefully."

At this point, the woman in black began to sweat. The reasoning was meticulous; Doctor Maguire had ample time to commit the crime, but no clear motive.

According to his personnel file, Zhang Congfeng is also a psychologist with the ability to profile people. This is his first time in Saladin Town, so there is no need for him to immediately confront the two doctors in the town.

"Well said, but you have no evidence," Sister Hei said, clutching the case file, looking somewhat guilty.

Like Big B, she was also controlled by fear.

Saint Josh and Maquire had close ties with many of the hunters' companions. One treated physical injuries, and the other healed emotional wounds. She dared not antagonize these two doctors, either for personal or professional reasons. She couldn't even summon them in person. To get her to print a search warrant from their office, she had to consider finding a hapless person to do it for her—she absolutely did not want to offend these two.

Fear made her weak, and the result of that weakness was—

"--You have no evidence."

Sister Hei swallowed hard, unwilling to believe Jiang Xueming's one-sided story.

"The evidence is right here. Maquire Copenhagen delivered it to me." Jiang Xueming pulled out the crucifix. "This crucifix was supposed to be temporarily held in the evidence department. I know Maquire has a good relationship with your outpost; the soldiers respect doctors the most."

He turned the cross over to show the engraved inscriptions on it.

"I don't know how he got my jewelry, but the military post has surveillance cameras. During the time these robbers were being arrested and interrogated, he must have come to the post and gotten hold of my personal belongings—and left me this threatening message."

He looked at the black woman's identification and muttered the female interrogator's real name.

"Ms. Havana Michelle, Miss Havana, Commander Havana."

"I know this is a bizarre and complicated story. At the same time as the robbery at the hospital, a surgeon killed a patient on the operating table. He chased after the robber, appearing righteous and upright. But after the robber was caught, he immediately sent me this threatening letter in the form of a crucifix."

"Enough!" Mrs. Havana snapped. "You're rambling on and on! You're talking nonsense!"

The brass cross was personally handed to Maquire by Havana. Initially, the doctor came to the military post in a rage over his car, and then went to the evidence department to complain that the priest had stolen his car. He demanded compensation and wanted to take the cross as a token, planning to discuss the vehicle damage assessment later Zhang Congfeng was released on bail.

The suspect's personal belongings, which are temporarily held at the military post, must not fall into the hands of outsiders. This is the post's policy. If it is investigated, Havana will lose her job.

She couldn't admit she had made a mistake; she had to keep it to herself.

"Perhaps the process went wrong. This cross has always been on you, hasn't it? You used the blood-soaked freak's tooth as a chisel to carve some nonsensical phrase, and you think you can frame Mr. Maquire? Do you think I would believe such nonsense?"

Even so, Havana was already drenched in sweat.

She could feel the priest's gaze growing colder, which made her very uncomfortable, as if she were being judged by God —if this phrase was inscribed by Maquire Copenhagen, then the "story" told by Zhang Congfeng was very likely true.

But even if it were true, so what?! Havana! Wake up!

This is your last post in Saladin. You'll be transferred to the Red Stone Rock Band in the spring.

Once you've convicted these four Blood-giving Monsters, you can leave this remote town and maybe even find a job in a warband.

And this guy actually dared to slander Doctor Jioris!

In Havana's heart, it was a sacred and inviolable existence. Saint Josh Joris also treated her psychologically, and she tasted her own flesh.

Due to Saladin's unique geographical location, the area surrounding the Elf Holy Land is filled with abnormal spiritual pressure. The militia not only have to deal with the town's security issues, but also risk their lives to provide disaster relief and serve as the hunting party's rescue team.

These ordinary people without Inspiration often have to go deep into the canyon, and their mental state is very bad. Havana also went through this. The benefactor who helped her escape the torment of her inner demons was Saint Josh.

"You should leave." Havana's expression turned cold, then regained its composure. "You're not welcome here."

Jiang Xueming was not discouraged and calmly replied, "I understand. I roughly understand what happened."

The Hercules's Religious order not only showed no intention of retiring, but also planned to rebuild the Religious order under Saladin. These patients who had received "psychological treatment" were potential followers.

He can't openly use force now; it wouldn't be dignified for these little rascals to lie dead in the streets or die violently in their homes. Moreover, he doesn't know if this Saint Josh Joris possesses Soul Power. If he confronts special psychic energy head-on, the resulting psychic energy remnants won't escape the noses of lapis lazuli— Lapis Lazuli Guards like Jun can recognize the gunsmith's characteristics just by smelling the psychic energy tides at the battle scene, after all, the gunsmith and lapis lazuli have cooperated too many times.

He could only use Zhang Congfeng's identity to do something; he absolutely could not summon Fragrant Dream and use the combat skills of ordinary Homo sapiens to solve the problem.

"Hey, you little rascal." Back at the entrance of the military post, Oscar, who had come to bail him out, grinned and said, "You just disappeared while we were having a meal? And you have a stomachache? Did your stomachache land you in jail? Was the restaurant's toilet not to your liking? Was the toilet too outdated? Next time, ask the owner to arrange a church-style Gothic toilet for you? Or did the uniforms at the military post tempt this priest of your heart?"

Xue Ming, abandoning his previous seriousness, replied with a smile, "You're so loose-lipped, no matter how you look at it, you're just shameless."

"Hey!" Oscar, without any hesitation, after learning the whole story, earnestly explained to Dr. Feng, "This town isn't safe. It's my fault for not explaining clearly—my fault, my fault—next time, Father, if you encounter something like this, you can push me out! A robbery! How novel!"

"Brother Jun, according to this, you're quite a fighter?" Jiang Xueming asked curiously.

Jun replied awkwardly, "I'm not that good at fighting. I could hold my own against the butcher who sells beef and mutton at the west end of town, but if I encountered two or three armed thugs, I definitely wouldn't have your ability to fight to the death. And you even dared to go up and exchange hostages, I don't know how you survived."

Jiang Xueming thought he had found the right knife; if trouble arose, he could just push this VIP out, but it turned out to be a paper tiger.

"Then what are you so smug about?"

"Because of my stubbornness!" Jun Ge said, opening the car door and leading the priest into the passenger seat, while boasting about his masculinity. "I'm a father now, my two little devils. They're still young, not very bright, not fully evolved. But they take after me."

"When faced with exams, the older and younger brothers said to each other, 'Promise me!'"

"For questions you don't know the answers to, be sure to hold the test paper up high, making sure everyone in the classroom can hear the sound of turning the pages. Don't show any nervousness or fear! Be assertive!"

"This is quite a show of force! Goodness, the proctor will have to keep an eye on the two brothers' seats. And when it comes to the math exam section, you absolutely must proudly write '[Solution],' don't leave it blank—the teacher's anger over your handwriting will earn you some points for neatness, right?"

"Hahahaha," Jiang Xueming found this VIP quite amusing—a good-for-nothing with a big appetite for conversation, a real character. "Let's not talk about my matter for now, Brother Oscar, where are you headed?"

"Where else can we go? It's pitch black." Oscar slapped the steering wheel, preparing to turn back and get some sleep. "We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Wait a minute." Jiang Xueming suddenly had an Inspiration; he seemed to have found an opportunity to attack. "Wait, wait a minute, wait a minute... Jun-ge, wait a minute."

He stared at the cross in his palm, seeing anger in the messy handwriting. It was hard to imagine the hatred and determination Maquire Copenhagen must have felt when he wrote those words; this state of mind didn't seem like an act.

"When teachers are grading papers, they might give some points for neatness just because of the anger that comes from such handwriting."

Xue Ming came up with a very simple idea: send Big B to Maquire's hands. Faced with the temptation of a human cannonball, Maquire might not dare to make a move, and naturally, he wouldn't be able to find any evidence. So, what about sending himself? Although he couldn't use his Soul Power, his skills should be more than enough to deal with Maquire. He shouldn't be caught off guard, right? The English letters on the cross were almost blurred out with Gaussian ink, showing how much emotion Maquire had when he wrote those words. He wanted nothing more than to tear Zhang Congfeng, skin him alive, and eat his flesh raw. This kind of murderous intent doesn't lie.

"Jun-ge, please take me to Maquire Copenhagen's doorstep."

Oscar had heard a little about the robbery. "What? You caused someone's car accident, and then you went and got yourself into this mess? Aren't you afraid he'll beat you up? For a man, a car is like a second wife!"

Xue Ming replied with a smile, "I brought some gifts to apologize in person."

"Alright, I'll go with you." Oscar didn't treat the priest like an outsider at all. "I'll be a peacemaker, tell you two about your heroic deeds when facing the robbers, have a little wine, and a couple of plates of roast lamb, so delicious!"

At this point, Oscar moved closer to Xue Ming, and a foul-smelling Hot Wind blew out of the Barry.

"There's something else, it's very important."

Xue Ming mistakenly thought that the lapis lazuli wolf had finally become serious.

"You say."

Oscar emphasized in a low, serious voice.

"Don't tell my wife. Of course! It's not that she forbids me from drinking, that's not it. Of course she listens to me, she never interferes in this kind of thing. You know what I mean."

Jiang Xueming: "Oh. You have a sore throat and need alcohol to disinfect it, right?"

Oscar winked at his good friend and grinned.

"Clever!"