Clues

Liu Chen's scalp prickled. He spun around and charged outside, not caring whether he smashed the battered door to pieces.

"Everyone, get over here!!!"

"Stop searching! Get your asses over here!!!"

His roar stunned the Demon-Suppression Guards scattered throughout the village.

In mere moments.

Zhao Hu and the others emerged from the earthen houses with sabers in hand, panting as they jogged over to Liu Chen.

"Boss, what's wrong?"

Liu Chen ignored their questions. "When you were searching just now... who was inside the houses?"

Zhao Hu thought back, and his expression turned a little odd. "The ones left inside were all useless old wrecks who couldn't move."

"Some were bedridden, some were blind, and some could do nothing but drool..."

"..."

A draft swept through the house, making the battered door groan.

Liu Chen's face turned deathly gray.

No children.

How was that possible?

If there were no children, how had this village kept its family lines alive?

It made no sense at all!

He drew a deep breath and abruptly turned toward the girl who had been leaning silently against the doorframe.

"Miss Jiang..."

Jiang Yuechu's expression remained indifferent. She looked past them toward the village entrance.

"Why not go ask?"

At the village entrance.

Beneath the Old Locust Tree.

The villagers had not dispersed. They remained gathered together, leaning on hoes and clubs, their eyes dark and venomous as they watched the group emerge from the village.

Seeing Liu Chen and the others approach with hostile expressions.

The toothless old man from earlier sneered and spat on the ground.

"Well? Have you officers finished searching?"

"Did you find that so-called demon?"

His face dark, Liu Chen strode beneath the Old Locust Tree.

He hurled the tiger-head shoe, caked with years of grime, hard into the toothless