Street Assassination

Someone was following him!

Qin Ran's footsteps did not halt, but his brow furrowed slightly.

He was entirely certain of this.

E+-rank Perception had long since allowed Qin Ran to surpass the stage of mere keen eyes and sharp ears, granting him a certain premonition of any danger. Especially when malicious gazes swept over him, Qin Ran's skin would involuntarily break out in goosebumps.

Coupled with Mastery-level Stealth, it had long since made Qin Ran well-versed in all kinds of techniques for silently approaching enemies.

Therefore, it was not difficult for Qin Ran to discern whether someone was quietly following behind him. In fact, based on the memories left behind from just walking past, Qin Ran could easily deduce where that pursuer was hiding.

However, Qin Ran, who was being followed, did not turn back to check.

He did not want to alert the enemy.

He still followed the original plan, walking toward a restaurant not far from his residence.

Only in his mind, Qin Ran's thoughts spun rapidly.

Who was following him?

Was it a fellow coveting the thousand-year treasure of the Dawn Church?

Or was it an enemy brought by this identity?

One must know that the reputation of the city's best detective was built upon the foundation of countless solved cases. According to the simple memories Qin Ran obtained, the guys who went to prison because of "him" numbered at least in the double digits, and there were no lack of those who wanted to wipe "him" out.

As for the former?

The possibility was even greater.

It was entirely possible that they dispatched some manpower to stake out and monitor around Saint Paul School.

After all, that was the accumulated wealth of an organization over a thousand years!

Just thinking about it was enough to be heart-moving.

Qin Ran was no exception.

When he heard about the thousand-year treasure of the Dawn Church, he was also quite moved.

It was just that Qin Ran still possessed rationality.

He knew very well that this fortune was not so easily obtained.

Not only would that last Knight, Gonglansen, not allow the thousand-year wealth of the Dawn Church to fall into the hands of someone else, but more people and more factions would inevitably be dragged into it.

There are no impenetrable walls in this world!

Since the first batch of people could find information regarding the thousand-year wealth of the Dawn Church, a second batch would follow.

Furthermore, who could guarantee that those fellows coveting the thousand-year wealth of the Dawn Church all kept their mouths shut?

Moreover, as time passed, the anomalies at Saint Paul School would surely draw the attention of others.

If this matter could not be resolved in a short time, in Qin Ran's view, a dangerous giant whirlpool would inevitably form around Saint Paul School, dragging all surrounding people and factions into it and churning them to pieces.

Sister Mony only had a foreboding.

While Gonglansen saw the terrifying nature within it.

Therefore, the other party persuaded Sister Mony to agree to his help, settling the disaster before it erupted and destroyed Saint Paul School as quickly as possible.

Otherwise, the other party would not have spoken so candidly about the thousand-year treasure of the Dawn Church.

And amidst it all, his identity, the police department's appointment letter, and his strength all added points.

According to Qin Ran's conjecture, the latter was the most crucial point. Even with the first two points, if he failed to withstand the other party's attack and hold out until Sister Mony spoke, this side quest would still go down the drain.

If it were other players, they undoubtedly would have been unable to receive this side quest.

Because this already exceeded the difficulty of a "first" instance.

According to the strength of players who normally completed the Beginner Instance, they absolutely would not even be able to withstand a single punch from Gonglansen.

They wouldn't even have the opportunity to meet Gonglansen.

Those School Guard Units seemed very weak to Qin Ran, but that was because Qin Ran had coincidentally obtained an extremely high starting point, which did not mean players who had just completed the Beginner Instance could also accomplish that.

Regarding this, Qin Ran knew it clearly.

Yet Qin Ran did not harbor the slightest complaint about the increased difficulty.

Because Qin Ran knew very well that the higher the difficulty of a quest, the higher the "remuneration and reward" after completion.

And this was precisely what he needed!

Since his time was insufficient, he could only rely on "quest quality" to make up for it.

Thinking about matters in his mind, Qin Ran's attention was nevertheless firmly locked onto the pursuer behind him.

However, the next moment, Qin Ran felt a chill run through his entire body.

An extremely malicious gaze swept over from the front.

Although it vanished in a flash, that bone-chilling sensation made Qin Ran feel as though he had been targeted by a viper!

Qin Ran was not unfamiliar with such a gaze.

That was a gaze permeated with killing intent!

In the Beginner Instance, those gun-toting thugs and rebel soldiers always carried such gazes every time they looked at him!

Qin Ran's gaze instantly swept forward, three figures imprinting themselves in his eyes.

One was walking in the same direction as him, obviously impossible to cast a gaze carrying killing intent toward him.

As for the remaining two, one was impeccably dressed with glasses resting on the bridge of his nose, resembling a clerical worker returning home from leaving work, walking in a hurried manner.

While the other was in tattered rags, swaying unsteadily as he walked, reeking heavily of alcohol, clearly a drunkard.

Such drunkards were numerous in this city, especially after Night Veil descended, bringing great trouble to patrollers.

Both individuals looked completely normal from their exterior appearances.

Yet Qin Ran could be certain that the gaze carrying killing intent previously had erupted from the eyes of one of these two.

Which one on earth was it?

Qin Ran sized them up without a trace, but was unable to arrive at an accurate judgment.

The other party was undoubtedly extremely adept at concealment; had it not been for the killing intent erupting in their eyes when looking at him earlier, he would not have discovered anything at all.

As for now?

Although Qin Ran was still unable to tell which one it was, the killing intent the other party had inadvertently revealed earlier left Qin Ran prepared.

Qin Ran's footsteps remained steady, the two men continued moving forward as well, and both sides drew increasingly closer.

Right when he was three steps away from the man walking in front who looked like a clerical worker leaving work, Qin Ran pulled a pipe out of his overcoat pocket as if his nicotine cravings had acted up, but carelessly dragged out a handful of loose change—the change from riding the carriage earlier.

"Damn it!"

Qin Ran muttered in a low voice like this, then bent down to pick up the money.

However, his peripheral vision closely watched the two approaching figures.

The slightly farther drunkard watched this scene, paused for a moment, and then continued onward unconcernedly.

As for the impeccably dressed clerk, he acted as if he saw nothing, still hurrying along.

As the other party drew close to Qin Ran, Qin Ran picked up the fallen change and straightened his torso.

Just as Qin Ran was about to stash the loose change into his pocket, that clerk brushed past Qin Ran's side, a delicate dagger appearing in the other party's right hand.

Twisting his body, raising his hand, a direct stab.

Smooth and flowing in one go.

Instantly, the dagger transformed into a cold flash, directly stabbing toward Qin Ran's waist.

However, Qin Ran was faster than the other party.

His right leg sprang up as if loaded with a spring, the toe pointing directly at the other party's wrist, and then, with a fierce retrospective snap, his heel smashed into the other party's face.

Slap!

Slap!

Following two crisp smacks, the other party's dagger slipped from his grip, and the whole person was kicked airborne off his feet by Qin Ran, spinning as he crashed to the ground. More than half the teeth in his mouth were gone, his entire facial features completely distorted and deformed, looking like he had more air going out than coming in.

Even so, however, the other party still glared with a pair of eyes, looking at Qin Ran in disbelief.

Obviously, the other party did not understand why Qin Ran had discovered him.

The other party considered his disguise to be sufficiently flawless!

"Your objective was far too clear, lacking even basic curiosity! At least a drunkard would know to glance at what I dropped!"

Qin Ran said indifferently.

Of course, Qin Ran would definitely not inform the other party of the real reason, even though the other party was already dead.

[Kick: deals 30 points of health damage to the opponent, opponent suffers joint dislocation...]

[Kick: critical strike to a vital point, deals 120 points of health damage (Hand-to-Hand Combat, Mastery of Leg Combat), opponent dies...]

The combat information clearly recorded the other party's death.

Having suffered a setback once in the Beginner Instance, Qin Ran had become even more cautious.

Qin Ran's gaze looked behind him, only to find that the person following him had long since lost their trace.

This caused Qin Ran's brow to furrow deeply.

Because he could not determine whether the person before him and the person trailing him were accomplices!

"150 health points, constitution exceeding ordinary people, speed and strength likewise, and skilled in disguise. They should be an assassin, killer, or the like!"

Qin Ran conjectured the identity of the person before him, hoping that through such speculation, it could help him unravel the puzzle.

If possible, Qin Ran naturally hoped to leave a living captive.

However, the other party appeared far too abruptly, and moreover, the exceptional disguise left Qin Ran with lingering fear.

Facing an opponent exceptionally skilled in disguise, Qin Ran did not believe he should show mercy, even if the other party's strength was inferior to his own. Once they escaped, it meant Qin Ran would constantly have to be on guard against a killer proficient in disguise.

Therefore, when striking, Qin Ran harbored a will to kill.

Naturally, this would bring him trouble, but it was far less than constantly guarding against a killer skilled in disguise.

"Murder!"

"Murder!"

After a moment of silence, the entire street instantly boiled over.

Several patrollers blew their whistles and swung their batons as they surrounded Qin Ran.

Qin Ran cooperatively raised his hands, his appointment letter still held in his right hand.

Never had Qin Ran rejoiced quite as much as now for having acquired this appointment letter.

"I am a police consultant, I want to see Detective John!"