Clue

The potentially enormous profits did not make Qin Ran lose his composure.

Instead, Qin Ran became even calmer.

He knew very well that truly obtaining enormous profits would never be simple.

Whether he joined the other side's faction or opposed it, it would require tremendous effort.

The former required missions to lay the groundwork and improve his relationship with the other party. Simply put, he had to raise their favorability high enough to obtain equipment, skills, and the like as gifts.

The latter was much simpler to carry out, but it required sufficient strength, manpower, and so on to take the other party out. In plain terms: loot equipment, skills, and the like.

As for Qin Ran, he was still far from either of those steps.

Because he first had to deal with the crisis before him before worrying about anything else—

Accompanied by a heavy gust of wind, the other man's fist was already right in front of Qin Ran.

Faced with a punch carrying such power, Qin Ran had no intention of taking it head-on and getting his bones and tendons shattered.

His proficiency-level [Dodge] and E- grade evasion made his footwork nimble. Like an agile cat, he lightly dodged the opponent's first strike.

"Eh!"

The other man was clearly surprised that Qin Ran had managed to dodge his punch.

Though surprised, his second punch followed immediately after.

Whoosh!

This punch was heavier and more powerful than the previous one.

It was faster as well.

It appeared before Qin Ran almost instantly, leaving him completely unable to dodge as he had before with nimble footwork and a light body.

Moreover, Qin Ran was certain that if this heavier punch landed solidly, it would not merely give him a concussion. His skull itself would be deformed by the blow.

And if his skull was deformed, he naturally could not survive.

Even a datafied body could not endure that.

After all, the head, heart, and other such locations had always been classified as vital points.

Without hesitation, Qin Ran exerted force through his waist and bent his entire upper body backward while keeping both feet firmly planted.

The fist grazed past Qin Ran's face, and the force of the wind it produced tousled his hair.

Qin Ran felt heat on his face, followed by the sensation of liquid running down it.

Combined with the stinging pain, it was obvious that the skin on his face had been scraped open by the force of the punch.

However, Qin Ran did not pay much attention to it.

Because the opponent's third strike had arrived!

The straight punch turned into a sinking elbow, stabbing toward Qin Ran's lower abdomen like an iron spike driven downward.

Maintaining the Iron Bridge stance and with nowhere to draw leverage from, Qin Ran was instantly thrown into an extremely dangerous situation.

Between life and death, Qin Ran raised a leg and "stomped."

Bang!

Qin Ran's foot, firmly planted on the ground, seemed fitted with a spring as it "stomped" onto the opponent's shin. Before the attack could touch his lower abdomen, he rapidly retreated.

However, this retreat was extremely undignified.

The instant Qin Ran raised his leg, his entire body lost its balance. Though he borrowed the force to retreat, it would have been more accurate to say he rolled backward.

The case containing [Viper-M1] fell to one side as well.

Qin Ran rolled backward, and the other man relentlessly pursued him.

Likewise, Qin Ran would not sit around and wait to die.

As he rolled, [M1905] and a dagger appeared in his hands.

"Stop!"

At that moment, Sister Mony finally recognized Qin Ran from a distance and stopped the two sides from continuing their fight.

The old man named Gonglansen, who had raised his leg to kick, and Qin Ran, who had raised his gun to fire, did not attack again at Sister Mony's shout.

However, both remained on guard as they watched each other.

"Detective Qin Ran, I need an explanation!"

Sister Mony frowned unconsciously as she looked at Qin Ran.

Yet her tone and gaze remained gentle.

Facing Sister Mony's question, which could not even be considered an interrogation, Qin Ran gave a bitter smile.

Her gentle questioning was far harder for Qin Ran to handle than a harsh rebuke.

"When I spoke with you earlier, Sister, I noticed that you were concealing something."

"So I pretended to leave, then snuck back in to investigate."

Still wearing that bitter smile, Qin Ran spoke truthfully.

"It was my oversight!"

"You are the best detective in this city. How could you fail to notice the holes in my words?"

"I'm sorry. Gonglansen believed you were someone else, which was why he attacked you!"

With a sigh, Sister Mony apologized to Qin Ran.

"Sister Mony, I'm the one who should apologize!"

The bitter smile on Qin Ran's face deepened.

He would rather fight Gonglansen beside Sister Mony again than face Sister Mony's gentle yet self-reproachful expression.

After all, the fault was not hers!

Her failure to tell him the full details was not a mistake.

Other than your parents, no one was obligated to tell you everything you wanted to know.

Qin Ran had understood that principle long ago.

And while his later infiltration could be justified emotionally, it could not be justified rationally.

In truth, the moment he chose to infiltrate, he was the one in the wrong.

Qin Ran understood this clearly and would not deny it.

That was why the current situation was so awkward for him.

"Detective Qin Ran, you are a kind person!"

"Tilly is Gonglansen's student. He should know more!"

"I had originally intended to tell you tomorrow, but it would be better for Gonglansen to tell you himself now!"

"Gonglansen, please tell Detective Qin Ran everything you know about Tilly—this is my request!"

Sister Mony looked gently at Qin Ran before turning her gaze to Gonglansen.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

Gonglansen touched the tip of his right middle finger to his heart and lowered his body along with his head.

It was an ancient gesture of respect.

And that honorific marked the beginning of that ancient etiquette.

Qin Ran watched Gonglansen and Sister Mony before him.

He subconsciously recalled how Sister Mony had addressed Gonglansen when she had been emotionally agitated earlier: my guardian Knight!

Now, Gonglansen formally addressed Sister Mony as Your Highness!

Qin Ran was not stupid.

From their forms of address alone, he could tell that neither of their identities was simple!

Gonglansen, however, did not care what Qin Ran was thinking.

After saluting Sister Mony, the tall, sturdy old man began telling Qin Ran everything he knew about Artilly Hunter.

"Tilly happened to discover the most secluded corner of this school! She possessed curiosity far beyond that of children her age. After finding this place, she kept exploring and eventually discovered my secret!"

"At the same time, I discovered that Tilly possessed considerable talent!"

"Going with the flow, I agreed to teach Tilly things that could not be learned at school, while she helped me keep my secret!"

As Gonglansen spoke, a smile appeared on his face.

It was the indulgent smile of an elder watching a younger generation play a prank.

"This instruction continued for four years. I taught her all the fundamentals and some advanced knowledge. Then, a week ago, she brought an injured man here. He should have been a stranger whom Tilly happened to save! He stayed here for one night before leaving! Tilly was worried and followed him!"

"Tilly's disappearance should be related to this stranger!"

"However, don't worry. Tilly will definitely be fine!"

Gonglansen appeared utterly confident.

He had confidence both in Artilly Hunter's abilities and in his own instruction.

"Accidents can happen at any time!"

"Gonglansen, tell Detective Qin Ran the characteristics of the injured stranger you know about!"

"Finding Tilly as soon as possible is what we should be doing!"

Sister Mony sighed softly.

The nun was full of concern for her student.

"That man had a knife scar on his face, running from between his eyebrows all the way to the left corner of his mouth. He is easy to recognize!"

"The knuckles on both hands were large, and he possessed considerable fighting skill!"

"He was wounded in the back. If he had not Dodged in time, his kidney would have been pierced through long ago—the person who attacked him was a veteran!"

Gonglansen described the injured stranger as he remembered him.

His words were organized and clear. Evidently, he still remembered what had happened a week ago vividly.

"Will those characteristics be enough?"

Sister Mony looked at Qin Ran.

"More than enough!"

Qin Ran nodded.

In fact, the first characteristic Gonglansen had mentioned was already enough for Qin Ran.

After all, someone with a scar on his face was bound to leave a deep impression on people.

There was even less need to mention the other two characteristics.

All he needed to do was ask Sheriff John for help, and Qin Ran was confident he could find the man in the shortest time possible.

"Then, I'll leave Tilly to you!"

Sister Mony inclined her body and expressed her gratitude to Qin Ran.

"I accepted Hunter's deposit. As a detective, this is my job!"

Qin Ran quickly stepped aside, then explained with a smile.

At this point, having obtained useful clues, Qin Ran should naturally have left.

However, Qin Ran had not forgotten that he needed to complete as many side mission objectives as possible.

And based on the information he had obtained earlier, Sister Mony before him definitely had a side mission.

More importantly, completing Sister Mony's side mission would definitely improve his relationship with Gonglansen nearby.

Qin Ran still vividly remembered the other man's strength.

Especially those rapid, continuous punches. They were definitely not merely the result of powerful physical attributes, but some special technique.

If possible, Qin Ran very much wanted to learn that technique from him.

Of course, Qin Ran was also more than willing to help someone as worthy of respect as Sister Mony.

Thus, after pausing for a moment, Qin Ran continued.

"Sister Mony, I overheard your earlier conversation with Captain Lidd—I'm very sorry, and I apologize for it!"

"You seem to be in some trouble. If you do not mind, I think I may be able to help!"

"Consider it compensation for my inappropriate behavior this time!"