Old John is the kindest and most honest person I've ever met

Old John is the kindest and most honest person I have ever met.

There is a certain sense of security that comes with having more people around.

Bi Wanhui tried her best to recount what she had experienced in a steady tone.

Tang Luo did not speak, instead looking toward Zhou Zhenguo.

Zhou Zhenguo said, "I intended to keep watching this guy, so I didn't follow them out."

The "guy" he referred to looked as if he had lost all will to live.

"As for Xiao Bi screaming, I didn't hear it either. I only realized something was wrong when I saw her being dragged in and everyone else in a panic."

Before Tang Luo and Xiao Chu returned.

Zhou Zhenguo had helped Bi Wanhui recall the events of that moment multiple times.

Every detail had been covered thoroughly.

"What about the body?"

Tang Luo asked.

"The body disappeared."

Zhou Zhenguo's brow furrowed into a deep frown.

When he came over from the next room, he hadn't paid much attention to the end of the corridor.

The hotel had electric lights, but they were far from the bright, modern ones people were used to.

Each one emitted only a dim, yellowish glow.

In the middle of the night, it was impossible for the hotel to keep all the lights in the hallway turned on.

Looking from outside the room toward the restroom at the end of the hall, it was just a patch of pitch-black darkness.

By the time Zhou Zhenguo went to check.

Forget the body; there wasn't even a trace of blood to be found.

Come to think of it, the situation was identical to when he discovered Li Liang had been murdered and called others to take a look.

The only difference was that Li Liang had been sleeping inside the restroom.

As for Chengcheng, she could not be found anywhere, neither at the crime scene in front of the restroom door nor inside the restroom itself.

It was as if she had evaporated into thin air.

Given the circumstances, it was impossible to make the suicidal decision to split up and search.

The current situation was that Chengcheng was missing, her life or death unknown, and before she disappeared, Bi Wanhui had seen her corpse.

Just as Zhou Zhenguo had seen Li Liang's corpse.

"Disemboweled?"

Xiao Chu asked.

"I don't know, I didn't see clearly," Bi Wanhui said. "I only know she was lying face down, and there was so much, so much blood. At the time, my body was also covered in a lot of blood."

"Did you see it?" Xiao Chu turned to look at the high school student, Xiao Zhou.

Xiao Zhou scratched his head. "It was too dark, I don't know if I saw it wrong, but there seemed to be bloodstains."

After Bi Wanhui fainted, Li Liang, whose body had been hollowed out, finally came over to help.

Together with Xiao Zhou, they placed her on the bed.

During this process, they had not seen, or rather, had not noticed any bloodstains on her.

It could also be said that by this time, there were no longer any bloodstains on Bi Wanhui.

Otherwise, they would have had some impression of it.

"I'm not lying!"

Bi Wanhui roared in a low voice, suddenly understanding how Zhou Zhenguo had felt at the time.

"Amitabha. Female benefactor, do not be angry; everyone believes you."

As a master, Tang Luo naturally had to step forward at such a critical moment to soothe emotions.

It was just that his gentleman's trench coat attire made him look even less like a monk than his initial sportswear.

The room fell quiet for a moment.

Everyone remained silent.

"Let me talk about what we discovered."

After a while, Xiao Chu broke the silence.

Compared to the bad news inside the hotel, his and Tang Luo's findings could certainly be considered good news.

"So, the conversation Sister Bi heard at the beginning—that cleaner might also be a member of the Ripper Organization! He's the one who killed them!"

After finishing his account of the night's experiences and his own deductions, Xiao Chu spoke with absolute certainty.

"How did the blood on the corpse disappear?" Zhou Zhenguo asked.

"This is the worst-case scenario I had speculated."

Xiao Chu pushed up his glasses and gave a bitter smile. "Jack the Ripper is not just a multi-person organization; there is one—no, it should be certain that there are multiple people with special abilities within it."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go! Isn't this a den of thieves?"

Li Liang, whose body had been hollowed out, finally felt a surge of excitement.

It was just a pity that he wanted to run away.

According to Xiao Chu's speculation, that janitor was a member of the Jack the Ripper organization and most likely possessed special abilities.

As God and Demon Walkers participating in their first mission with practically no combat power, weren't they just walking into a den of thieves and throwing themselves into a trap?

This was a shady establishment!

"With the Master here, it shouldn't be a problem."

Xiao Chu said, signaling for Li Liang to calm down.

He had witnessed Master Xuanzang's formidable combat power, turning a living person into a headless corpse in the blink of an eye.

He was even more ferocious than Captain America in the movies.

Plus, he had also awakened an ability (or so he believed).

He lacked neither courage nor confidence.

"If this place is truly a den of thieves, should danger arise, this poor monk can cover your retreat." Tang Luo held one hand vertically before his chest and nodded slightly.

"Master, it feels so strange seeing you do that gesture while wearing those clothes."

Xiao Chu smiled and said.

"Heh." Tang Luo was noncommittal.

It was clear he had made up his mind to maintain his image as a high-ranking monk throughout the God and Demon Game.

After all, he was a man who had been conferred the title of Buddha in his original life.

As for the reason?

Naturally, it was to make it easier to gain others' trust, help people, punish evil, promote good, and acquire more merit to heal his injuries.

Don't look at how a crowd of people might dismiss or even despise monks nowadays.

It was actually just like how some people curse at police officers or soldiers.

They might talk tough, but their hearts are honest—

If they truly encountered danger, everyone would still trust soldiers and police.

With them around, one feels much more at ease.

Monks, to some extent, have a similar effect.

Of course, a pot-bellied, greasy-faced middle-aged monk certainly wouldn't cut it.

But a kind-faced old monk, or someone like Tang Luo—who could play the image of Wuhua just by changing clothes and tidying up a bit—was undoubtedly more likely to gain goodwill, trust, and a sense of security than the average person.

All in all, it still comes down to looks; yes, it comes down to looks.

"Let's wait for dawn."

Zhou Zhenguo said, "We'll search when it's light out, whether it's for Chengcheng or that janitor."

"By the way, does anyone know what that janitor looks like?"

Xiao Chu suddenly asked.

Come to think of it, everyone had only been staying at the inn for one day plus this night.

How would they know what the janitor looked like?

"Let's ask the Boss tomorrow during the day," Zhou Zhenguo said. "Even at night, they only dare to act sneakily; there shouldn't be any danger during the day when there are more people."

If there was danger.

He, Zhou Zhenguo, was no pushover.

Don't underestimate a player with only two skills just because they are God and Demon Walkers!

The night passed without incident, and everyone rested in their rooms fully clothed.

Early the next morning.

Except for Tang Luo, everyone's complexion looked poor, with a sense of exhaustion almost overflowing from them.

The two nights since entering the God and Demon Game had been anything but peaceful.

The newcomers had truly entered the rhythm of the game.

It was no longer the initial feeling of being an outsider, detached and unreal.

And everyone's reactions were different.

Li Liang had given up on himself, seeking only to survive by playing it safe and hiding away.

Bi Wanhui was equally terrified, hoping only that she wouldn't be the next victim, with no intention of completing the mission.

Xiao Chu, however, was extremely proactive.

The high school student, Xiao Zhou, was wavering; one moment he felt he should strive to complete the mission and reach the pinnacle of his life, and the next, he felt surrounded by danger, wishing he could return to his normal life the very next second.

He was so conflicted he felt like he was going to lose his mind.

The group washed up and left their rooms.

They descended the stairs to the first-floor lobby, which served as both the front desk and a partial dining area.

The Boss behind the counter immediately hurried over, smiling as he asked, "Gentlemen, would you like some breakfast?"

Due to the influence of Jack the Ripper, the number of travelers in Small City had plummeted.

The inn had practically no business at all.

Tang Luo, the detective from out of town, had booked his room for a full week, making him a major client during these difficult times.

"Sure."

Tang Luo nodded and headed toward the dining area.

The Boss rushed to the kitchen to instruct the cook, not even noticing that one guest was missing.

At a small square table.

Xiao Zhou, Li Liang, and Bi Wanhui sat together, staring at their breakfast with absolutely no appetite.

At a table nearby.

Tang Luo ate without a care, while Zhou Zhenguo and Xiao Chu hesitated.

They were hungry, but they were afraid the inn might be a trap, so they didn't dare to take a bite.

In reality, if one analyzed it rationally, the dinner delivered to their rooms hadn't been tampered with.

It was even less likely that they would tamper with breakfast, which was open to the public and served to non-guests as well.

One could say they were being "better safe than sorry," or perhaps they simply couldn't get past their own psychological barriers.

As for Tang Luo, sorry, but he could drink poison like water.

Not imitating him was the correct course of action.

"I don't see that cleaner; should we just go look for him?" Hungry, Xiao Chu intended to use the topic to distract himself.

"Let's ask the Boss. Boss, where is your inn's cleaner?"

Tang Luo called out, picking up the handbell on the table and ringing it before the others could stop him.

Even though Zhou Zhenguo had suggested asking the Boss, he hadn't intended to be so direct.

He had meant to ask in a roundabout way during casual conversation.

The Boss appeared quickly: "Is there something you need, sir?"

"Where is your inn's cleaner? I have something to discuss with him." Tang Luo was even more direct and reckless than everyone had imagined.

"Old John?"

The Boss paused, "He hasn't come in today; he should be at home."

"Is there something you need from him, sir?"

He didn't understand why these outsiders would suddenly ask about Old John.

"I am a detective." Tang Luo simply produced his authorization documents from Scotland Yard. "I have been invited by Scotland Yard to investigate the Jack the Ripper case."

"What could Old John possibly have to do with Jack the Ripper?"

The Boss lowered his voice, anxious.

If word got out that he was linked to Jack the Ripper...

His inn, which had already seen business plummet and was now relying on selling food to survive, would truly have to close its doors for good.

"It's nothing, there might just be some clues Old John can provide. It's not a big deal."

Tang Luo's calm tone made both Zhou Zhenguo and Xiao Chu secretly give him a thumbs up.

"Old John has worked here for ten years. He is the kindest, most honest man I have ever met; he absolutely cannot have any connection to the Ripper," the Boss vowed, explaining Old John's situation.

Old John.

He was in his early sixties, a lone wolf with no children.

He had a limp, which made movement difficult, and he was an honest man who spoke little and worked diligently.

Well—his wages were also quite low.

That was why he was so favored by the inn's Boss, who often praised him verbally and used him for publicity, calling on everyone to learn from him.

As for a raise? A raise was impossible.

What would an old bachelor need so much money for?

Thanks to Peak for the ten-thousand-point tip! Thanks to frrejhhb, Emperor Ying, Yuan Xinguang, and Brother Ting the World Destroyer for the tips!

You are all the best people at casting recommendation votes I have ever met.