Chang Wei...

He was clearly a doctor with a handsome income.

Yet instead of buying a home in one of Small City's bustling neighborhoods, he insisted on living in the hospital's rundown dormitory.

That would have been one thing.

But after a fire destroyed most of the hospital and it was converted into a mental hospital,

he still refused to leave, staying on to give the hospital all he had.

What kind of spirit was that?

It was only because Small City didn't hold some kind of "Top Ten Outstanding XX" awards.

Otherwise, a doctor named Jack White would surely have made the list.

"Should we investigate now?" Zhou Zhenguo asked.

Night was approaching. If they sneaked into the mental hospital and ran into any delays, it would probably be dark by the time they were done.

Several "accidents" had occurred, and they had all happened at night.

"During the day, there are too many eyes around, making it hard to move. Besides, fortune favors the bold! We've already been targeted, so the longer we wait, the worse things will get."

Xiao Chu said earnestly, "We might as well take the initiative. I doubt Jack the Ripper would expect us to make our move tonight."

He paused, then looked at Tang Luo. "Master, what do you think?"

He was right.

But whether they should go deeper would ultimately depend on Xuanzang, their strongest fighter.

At least in Xiao Chu's eyes, Master Xuanzang was even tougher than Uncle Zhou.

Tsk. That was the face of a veteran God and Demon Walker.

"Very well. I'll do my best to keep you both safe," Tang Luo said.

A chance to earn merit was right in front of him. He couldn't pass it up.

It was fate.

As he spoke, Tang Luo spent some merit to place a protective blessing on each of them.

It would help them withstand danger and give Tang Luo more time to rescue them.

This merit had come from what happened the previous night.

As usual, Tang Luo had used some of it to heal his injuries. He spent the rest on the blessings, using it all up.

The mental hospital wasn't especially remote, but the area around it was rundown—so desolate it could almost be called barren.

The residents nearby had gradually moved away after the fire and the hospital's conversion into a mental hospital.

No one wanted to be woken in the middle of the night by patients wailing like ghosts.

Especially after patients had escaped and attacked people.

The hospital consisted of three main buildings arranged in a U shape, with one side left open.

A wall surrounded the grounds. After the hospital became a mental hospital,

the old wall, made of a curved stone base topped with iron railings, had been replaced by a stone wall three meters high, topped with over a meter of sharp barbed wire.

There were only two ways in and out: a heavy iron gate and a smaller iron door beside it.

From farther away, they could see the bare branches of a large tree inside the wall, twisting upward.

Outside the mental hospital, Tang Luo and the others couldn't hear any patients crying.

"Master, how do we get in?"

After circling the grounds and finding no way inside, they returned to the unoccupied area near the entrance. Xiao Chu looked at Tang Luo.

Zhou Zhenguo shook his head to show he had no idea, then looked at Tang Luo too.

"We'll go through the gate," Tang Luo said after a moment's thought.

"That'll make too much noise," Zhou Zhenguo said.

He didn't doubt Tang Luo could kick the small iron door open.

But it would make too much noise.

They were supposed to sneak in and investigate, not barge in and start a fight.

Master, please be reasonable.

"No problem. There's a way to do it quietly." Tang Luo walked up to the small iron door and pressed a hand against it.

At this hour, the hospital's doctors, nurses, orderlies, and other staff had all gone home.

Only a few people were on duty.

Both gates were locked.

There weren't even any guards.

A teeth-grating squeal of metal bending and a series of crisp cracks followed, but the sounds faded after traveling perhaps five or six meters.

They weren't even as loud as the occasional caw of a crow.

Tang Luo slowly pushed the small iron door open. It really was a quiet way in.

"All set," Tang Luo said. He withdrew his hand and walked through the doorway.

"Hiss..."

Zhou Zhenguo took a closer look at the iron door and sucked in a breath.

There was a handprint pressed deep into the metal. Tang Luo had left it by pressing his palm against the door.

On the other side, the sturdy lock and everything around it had been completely wrecked. They were useless now.

What terrifying strength.

Xuanzang, and you still claimed you weren't a veteran?

The hospital's three main buildings formed a U shape with one side open.

The open end faced the iron gate.

Of the buildings across from them, the one on the left had partly collapsed. Most of what remained was just a charred frame.

That was Hodge's "masterpiece."

The middle building had also been affected. The wall where it joined the burned building was covered in conspicuous scorch marks.

Some of the interior had probably burned as well.

But the building was still largely intact and remained in use.

According to the information Tang Luo and the others had obtained,

the hospital had taken in more than a hundred patients over the years.

Not one had ever been discharged.

There were more than thirty doctors and medical staff, with no more than ten on night duty.

The enormous hospital was silent except for the occasional crow. They couldn't even hear any patients crying.

Night was drawing near, but not a single light had come on.

The place had an eerie, terrifying atmosphere.

Xiao Chu was starting to regret this.

But once a man had given his word, how could he back down?

They were already here, so even if he was scared, he had to grit his teeth and press on.

He was a vivid example of the saying, "I brought this on myself."

At first, Xiao Chu and Zhou Zhenguo crept around, constantly pressing themselves against walls and hiding in corners.

But after wandering through the building for a while, they grew bolder.

There was no other reason: fewer than ten people were on duty, which was nothing compared to the size of the hospital.

Each of the two buildings still in use had a full five stories.

After all, they had once been a regular hospital, and it had been quite large.

"Why does it feel like there are so few patients? Weren't there supposed to be over a hundred?" Xiao Chu whispered.

Zhou Zhenguo shook his head to show he didn't know either.

They hadn't seen any medical staff, and they'd seen very few patients too.

The entire way there, they'd only passed two patients fast asleep in locked rooms.

They hadn't seen another soul.

"Hey! You—"

Just then, a man in white appeared around the corner. He looked like a member of the medical staff.

Seeing three strangers, he was startled.

"Damn it!"

Zhou Zhenguo reacted quickly. He immediately fixed his gaze on the man, ready to use his ability.

But Tang Luo was even faster.

He covered the distance of nearly ten meters in a single stride and appeared in front of the man.

"Shhk!"

Tang Luo unfolded a document. "Don't panic. We're detectives. We're here to investigate."

"Huh?"

The man froze for a moment, then looked closely. It really was a document issued by Scotland Yard.

Zhou Zhenguo stopped preparing to use his skill.

They'd sneaked in, only for Tang Luo to turn their covert investigation into an official one in the blink of an eye.

Who knew you could do that?

Was "monks do not lie" supposed to be used like this?

"What are you investigating?" the man asked once he had confirmed their identities. His expression was guarded and cold.

The man was tall and broad-faced, with a mass of flesh covering his face.

He looked more like a thug than a medical worker.

But considering this was a mental hospital, where they had to restrain violent patients, a burly orderly didn't seem out of place.

"It's an important case from this morning. Is the person in charge here?" Tang Luo asked. "I mean Dr. Jack White."

"Mr. White is on duty at the hospital every night," the man said. "But Scotland Yard already bothered him once at noon. He's exhausted and has gone to bed. Come back tomorrow."

"I said it was an important case," Tang Luo said. "We're seeing Mr. White now."

"Hmph!"

The big man sneered. "Looks like I made it too complicated. Let me put it simply: get the hell out—ah!"

His last words turned into a scream.

The big man dropped to his knees in front of Tang Luo, one arm stretched upward.

He gripped it with his other hand, trying to resist but unable to do anything except cling to it helplessly.

Tang Luo held the man by the forearm and said, "Looks like I wasn't clear either. This is a demand, not a request. Understand?"

It felt as if the bones in his forearm had been crushed to pieces. The pain was so intense the big man couldn't even stand.

When Tang Luo let go, he crumpled to the floor.

Before he could struggle back to his feet, Zhou Zhenguo came over and crouched beside him, pressing a revolver to his head. "Show us the way."

The big man panted in pain, unable to hide his agony. He nodded repeatedly.

Xiao Chu stood behind them, dumbfounded.

These two—

They were way too savage!

Weren't they supposed to sneak in and investigate?

Thugs!

The big man led the way, with Zhou Zhenguo occasionally nudging his lower back with the revolver to remind him not to try anything.

Xiao Chu leaned toward Tang Luo and whispered, "Master, isn't this way too dangerous?"

This place was very likely Jack the Ripper's lair.

A mental hospital was exactly the sort of place a mysterious, evil organization would choose for its headquarters.

Sneaking in had already been a dangerous gamble.

The way Tang Luo was handling things, they might be walking straight into a trap.

"Maybe." Tang Luo smiled gently. "If we run into danger, you two go ahead. I'll cover your escape."

Treat your companions with the warmth of spring, and your enemies with the mercilessness of autumn leaves swept away by the wind.

As they walked, Zhou Zhenguo suddenly spoke up. "Hodge is dead, and the gift never arrived. You're panicking, aren't you?"

"What gift? What are you talking about?"

The big man didn't turn around. His voice was strained with pain, anger, and confusion.

"Heh."

Zhou Zhenguo chuckled, grabbed the man by the shoulder, and leaned close to his ear. "I said 'gift,' not 'offering,' like the letter said."

The big man's expression changed drastically. He realized that the pain and tension had made him let something slip.

"Looks like you know quite a bit." Zhou Zhenguo nodded in satisfaction.

After repeatedly testing his suspicions, he had finally gotten a hit this time.

He was as happy as an old man with a newborn son.

Xiao Chu was happy too.

But after that initial happiness, both of them grew serious again.

Because the mission was still incomplete.

Next, they would probably have to venture into a den of dragons and tigers to truly complete it.

Could the mission be to wipe out Jack the Ripper's entire organization?

Hopefully, it wouldn't be that difficult.

Thanks to Night Shadow Wanderer, Immortal Seal, Book Friend 150825, and No One No Words No Matters for the donations!