Human Hearts Are Treacherous

"Boss, why don't you just tell us where Old John lives?"

Tang Luo interrupted the Boss, saying, "We just want to understand the situation, no need to be nervous."

"..."

The Boss was clearly unwilling.

God knows what these outsiders would do to "understand the situation." What if they caused trouble?

"Since the Boss is unwilling, we'll just go to Scotland Yard," Tang Luo said. "We'll tell them we have a lead, but some people are refusing to cooperate, which makes them highly suspicious of being Jack the Ripper."

"Don't, don't, don't!"

The Boss's expression changed drastically.

Don't let the daily routine of eating, sleeping, and cursing Scotland Yard fool you.

With the recent atmosphere of panic, everyone knew Scotland Yard was "on a warpath."

If they really ran into the line of fire, got dragged back for a beating, and were eventually released, there would be nowhere to seek justice.

In that case, it was better for the friend to die than for himself to suffer.

The Boss provided Old John's address, then repeatedly insisted that even if there was something wrong with Old John, it had nothing to do with him or the inn.

He only saw that Old John was pitiful, gave him some work, and was helping out a lonely old man.

Old John wasn't even considered a member of the inn's staff.

Right, just a temp.

Do you understand what a temp is?

After Tang Luo and the others indicated they understood perfectly, the Boss finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In the morning.

Tang Luo, Zhou Zhenguo, and Xiao Chu headed straight for Old John's residence.

Li Liang and the other two switched to a different inn to rest.

Until they were certain this inn was safe, they wouldn't continue staying there.

Tang Luo didn't care that Li Liang and his group didn't intend to contribute, as long as they didn't hold them back.

In Zhou Zhenguo's words, God and Demon Walkers who choose to play it safe when faced with uncertainty aren't actually that troublesome.

The real trouble comes from those God and Demon Walkers who lack sufficient strength but choose to act recklessly, causing all sorts of chaos and ruining things in the end.

Among God and Demon Walkers, the cautious ones are the majority, but arrogant individuals are not unheard of.

Come to think of it, this was the last mission where Zhou Zhenguo would encounter newcomers.

According to the information he had obtained.

After five missions, one would no longer encounter newcomers in subsequent tasks.

Of course, it couldn't be said with one hundred percent certainty that it was absolutely impossible to encounter them again.

The God and Demon Game is not like some Main God Space where there is a big glowing orb you can consult from time to time.

"God and Demon" is just a title used by everyone.

All the rules have been inferred bit by bit by God and Demon Walkers through practice, and there is no guarantee they are absolutely correct.

Not to mention, some God and Demon Walkers might hold back information or intentionally release false details.

Old John's residence was about a half-hour walk from the inn.

It belonged to the city's slums, a shantytown.

Upon arriving, the three of them had to ask around several times before they found Old John's dilapidated, low-slung house—or rather, room.

Outside was a perimeter fence that was slightly better than a hedge.

The house inside was only slightly larger than a room at the inn.

When Tang Luo and the others arrived.

Old John was in the courtyard chopping firewood.

His work at the inn involved cleaning once at noon, once in the afternoon, and once in the evening.

The morning was considered Old John's personal time off.

Noticing someone outside, Old John looked up in surprise, staring at Tang Luo and the others.

Soon, he stood up, walked out of the small courtyard, and asked with a hunched back, "Gentlemen, are you looking for me?"

As the "only" guests at the inn during this period.

Old John recognized Tang Luo and the others.

"Yes."

Tang Luo did not immediately resort to threats or violence, appearing quite the gentleman. "We are detectives, and there are some matters we would like to inquire about."

As he spoke, he took out a document and unfolded it before him.

Old John was illiterate, but he recognized the Scotland Yard seal stamped at the bottom of the document.

He became so flustered he didn't even know where to put his hands.

"It really is you!"

Xiao Chu said immediately.

"Huh?"

Old John's look of confusion was incredibly authentic.

"No rush."

Tang Luo stopped Xiao Chu from pressing the issue, and the group walked into the small courtyard.

"Mr. John, I would like to know, what exactly were you doing while you were at the inn last night?" Zhou Zhenguo asked.

Old John's behavior did not seem like that of a member of the Jack the Ripper organization as they had speculated.

Or was this man's acting simply flawless?

"Just the usual cleaning." A look of distress appeared on Old John's face.

"What about the restroom at the end of the second-floor hallway? Did you go to clean that last night too?!"

Zhou Zhenguo suddenly stepped forward, looking down at Old John as he demanded an answer.

Old John was startled and instinctively replied, "No, no."

"No?" Zhou Zhenguo's tone softened.

"Oh no!"

Before Old John could say anything else, Xiao Chu's expression suddenly changed, and she said loudly.

"What is it?"

Tang Luo remained as calm as ever.

"Could we have made a mistake?" Xiao Chu's face was serious. "Sister Xiao Bi heard Chengcheng say outside, 'There is someone in the restroom, no need to clean.' She and the rest of us took it for granted that it was him; honestly, we never really paid attention to who was actually cleaning the inn, and we never memorized their faces."

"Chengcheng must be the same."

"The cleaner is the one who does the cleaning, but the person who appeared outside the restroom last night, preparing to clean, might not necessarily be the cleaner!"

After saying this in one breath, Xiao Chu caught her breath, her eyes burning as she stared at Old John.

"Did you really not go to clean the second-floor restroom last night?" Zhou Zhenguo asked.

Old John shook his head. "No. I checked it once in the evening and it was very clean, so I tidied it up a little, but I wasn't at the inn at all during the night."

"Then where were you?" Zhou Zhenguo asked. "Don't tell me you were at home; that won't clear you of suspicion."

"What on earth is going on?"

Old John was anxious and uneasy. "I was drinking at the tavern last night, sat there for most of the night, and didn't get home until very late. The Boss of the tavern can vouch for me."

"One of our companions has gone missing, and we suspect Jack the Ripper is responsible."

Tang Luo said, "We are currently investigating, so I hope you can cooperate. Otherwise, it is very easy for people to suspect that you are an accomplice of Jack the Ripper, or perhaps even Jack the Ripper himself."

Old John's body trembled, and he nearly burst into tears.

Jack the Ripper?

That was a label that a poor person from the lower classes like him could absolutely not afford to wear.

Xiao Chu glanced at Tang Luo.

The Master is truly ruthless.

He just casually slapped the massive label of Jack the Ripper onto someone.

With this talent for labeling people, does the Master happen to have the surname Wang?

"I'm not! I'm really not!" Old John swore to the heavens.

"Whether you are or not, we'll know once we go to the tavern," Tang Luo said.

The tavern where Old John spent his money.

It was not open to the public in the morning, but it wasn't empty; the Boss and his wife were busy cleaning.

They were preparing for the afternoon and evening business, while also clearing away the trash left behind by overnight patrons.

There were also a few drinkers who hadn't left.

The appearance of Jack the Ripper had caused business at the inn to decline, but it had made business at the tavern better.

Some bachelors were afraid of becoming targets, so they simply spent the night at the tavern.

With more people around, they felt less panicked.

Just order a few more glasses of that watered-down swill or the kind of rotgut that tastes like industrial alcohol, and you'll be fine.

Old John, however, was short on cash and had originally intended to just have a quick drink before leaving.

As it turned out, he accidentally drank too much and passed out, and he wasn't exactly clear-headed even after he woke up.

Liquid courage got the better of his cowardice, and in a fit of heat, he headed home.

It wasn't just the Boss and his staff who remembered this clearly; several of the patrons remembered it just as well.

The patrons were regulars and local residents, and they were willing to testify for Old John.

The time Old John left the tavern was, in fact, before the incident occurred.

But it was no more than half an hour prior.

From the inn to Old John's residence, at the brisk pace Tang Luo and his companions traveled, it would take about half an hour.

The tavern was even further away; it would take additional time to get from Old John's home to the tavern.

Old John was a cripple and could not walk fast.

Just now, when Tang Luo and the others came to the tavern with Old John, he had already been walking as fast as he could.

And it still took them over ten minutes.

From the tavern to the inn, for someone like Old John, an hour was the bare minimum.

He did not have the time to commit the crime.

Unless Old John possessed some special ability.

"Sir, I told you, whatever happened has nothing to do with me." Old John's voice sounded much lighter.

"Let's go." The group left the tavern.

Old John hesitated for a moment before asking, "Sir, who went missing?"

The one who asked was Xiao Chu.

"None of your business, don't ask too much," Xiao Chu said with a cold face.

His hypothesis had been confirmed.

With Old John's suspicion cleared, the scope of suspects expanded to everyone at the inn.

Unfortunately, that was bad news.

"Oh, oh." Old John nodded repeatedly.

Just then, Zhou Zhenguo, who had been walking behind, suddenly stepped forward, reached out to grab Old John by the neck, and shoved him forward.

Old John had absolutely no defense.

He instantly lost his balance and was flipped to the ground by Zhou Zhenguo; before he could even react, a knee slammed into his back.

Old John lay with his face to the side, letting out a muffled grunt of pain.

Zhou Zhenguo pinned Old John down with one hand and one leg, his expression ferocious as he barked, "You might have fooled them, but did you think you could fool me?!"

As he spoke, the hand that had been holding a dagger—no one knew when he had drawn it—was already raised.

In the terrified periphery of Old John's vision, the blade plunged down toward his eye.

This uncle, who seemed so kind and easy to talk to, was truly a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Xiao Chu let out a cry of alarm.

He had not expected Zhou Zhenguo to suddenly lash out.

It was just like how he had treated Li Liang that day.

The dagger stopped less than three centimeters from Old John's eye.

Tang Luo withdrew his hand, and Zhou Zhenguo did the same, standing up smoothly and shaking his head. "It's not him."

"What do you mean, not him?"

Xiao Chu was stunned for a moment before he realized, "You were testing him?"

"Correct." Zhou Zhenguo reached out and pulled the shaken Old John to his feet.

The test had clearly yielded a result.

Old John was just an ordinary cripple with no hidden special abilities; otherwise, he would have used them during that life-or-death crisis just now.

"Are you crazy?!"

Old John finally reacted and cursed angrily.

After cursing, he feared retaliation from Tang Luo and the others, so he hurried away, limping as he went—his speed was truly not fast.

"When did you two plan this?" Xiao Chu asked.

Without Tang Luo's cooperation, this test could not have been completed.

"There was no plan," Tang Luo said. "Benefactor Zhou drew his dagger and gave this poor monk a look, and I understood."

"...Heh."

Xiao Chu let out a dry laugh.

Sinister "adults"!

I'm tired today, so I won't ask for recommendation votes, but I know everyone will definitely cast them for me voluntarily.

Thanks to One Hundred Years of Solitude 2, Chuuni World-Destroying Demon King, Li Family Speechless, ybq4zhu, Meat is Hungry, and Mist of Stigma for the tips!

There will be another update tonight.