Li Wei tightened his grip on his handgun and glanced toward the doorway. Officer Fletcher walked in with both hands raised, a short figure behind him—Doctor Dolittle, of course.
The doctor was holding a gun against Officer Fletcher's back. His face was flushed, and he stared at them with a fierce, grim expression.
Li Wei frowned without saying a word. Katie clearly had no idea how to deal with this unexpected turn of events, either.
"Drop your gun! Now!"
"And let you have this monster kill us? Do you think I'm an idiot?"
Inspector Lestrade pressed a hand over his wound, gritted his teeth, and glared at Doctor Dolittle. Clearly, he had no intention of surrendering meekly. Doctor Dolittle roared.
"Then I'll kill him!"
"Then do it!"
Inspector Lestrade was clearly not intimidated by Doctor Dolittle's bluff. He stared at the doctor, his eyes wide.
"We finally found this monster, and we are not letting her escape! You can kill him, but we'll kill this monster, too! At least the world will be safer that way! He's a policeman, too. He knows his duty!"
For a moment, Inspector Lestrade and Doctor Dolittle stared each other down in a deadlock. Clearly, any rash move could lead to unpredictable consequences. Katie clenched her small fists, looked at the monster, then at Doctor Dolittle, and ultimately stayed where she was, watching the monster warily.
Just then, Li Wei spoke.
"I hate to think it, but this monster... wouldn't happen to be Miss Amelia, would she?"
"Huh?"
Katie was shocked by Li Wei's words, while Doctor Dolittle's expression darkened.
"...How did you know?"
"I guessed."
Li Wei glanced at the monster, who was still wailing on the floor.
"When we examined the bodies earlier, we found that the cuts were very professional. They weren't the work of an amateur. I also heard that Amelia was a top student in the Royal Academy of Medicine's medical department, with an excellent grasp of human anatomy and dissection. And she just happened to die..."
As he spoke, Li Wei glanced at the monster again.
"Still, I certainly wasn't expecting her to look like this."
"This is only temporary!"
Doctor Dolittle gritted his teeth.
"Once the ritual is complete, Amelia will be fully resurrected!"
"So you killed those courtesans and took their organs?"
Li Wei raised an eyebrow and stared at Doctor Dolittle, who nodded.
"It seems you really do know quite a lot. Though that's hardly surprising..."
No kidding. With that creepy magic circle and those jars of organs on the operating table, anyone could figure it out. Having grown up in a society flooded with information, Li Wei had watched plenty of horror films. Wasn't this exactly what the cultists in them did?
"But why courtesans?"
Lestrade spoke up.
"If you wanted to kill people, there were plenty to choose from. Why did you kill those poor courtesans?"
"Because they were sinners."
This time, Doctor Dolittle answered very calmly.
"The Holy Lord granted them new lives. Those lives came into this world to redeem them. Yet these sinners killed them for their own selfish interests! Killing one's own kin is a grave sin! An unforgivable crime! They had to be punished!"
As he spoke, Doctor Dolittle began reciting in a low voice.
"The Holy Lord created all things in this world. Every living being is his miracle, and our brother or sister. Those who wantonly take lives shall face judgment!"
Then he raised his head again and stared at the two men.
"The blood of sinners can transform all things, and their flesh will bring new life! Once I collect enough marks of sin, I can resurrect Amelia...! Those courtesans deserved to die! They were foolish and depraved. They even disregarded God's teachings! They had to be punished!"
"You're insane..."
Inspector Lestrade gritted his teeth at Doctor Dolittle's answer.
"But I still don't understand."
Li Wei remained puzzled.
"There are so many courtesans. How could you make sure this monster killed the right ones every time? I mean, she doesn't seem particularly intelligent."
Li Wei glanced at the monster again. She was sprawled on the floor, glaring furiously at them.
Still, it was hard to say how intelligent the monster really was. Li Wei doubted she could go around tracking people down with their photographs like an assassin.
"And those little monsters-what are they?"
"Of course I had a way."
Doctor Dolittle sneered.
"I ground one of Amelia's finger bones into powder and mixed it into the medicine. That way, once those sinners took it, Amelia could sense them and kill them! As for those little monsters, they're none other than those courtesans' children! They weren't truly killed. I saved their abandoned lives!"
"What!?"
Katie cried out in shock. She looked uneasily at the little monsters' corpses scattered around them and instinctively took a step back.
Well, damn. Just... damn.
Li Wei could only sigh inwardly. He had thought this world was fairly scientific, but apparently, it wasn't quite so scientific after all.
Hmm? Wait. In that case, judging by this monster's movements... I've got it.
At that thought, inspiration suddenly struck Li Wei.
"Then why don't we both make a concession?"
He stared at Doctor Dolittle as he spoke.
"I can let this monster go, but you have to release Officer Fletcher, too."
Lestrade froze for a moment beside him but said nothing. Katie opened her mouth to speak, then remained silent as well. Dr. Dolittle considered the offer before glancing at Lestrade.
"But the inspector seems to disagree."
"Human life is precious. Everyone only gets one."
Li Wei sighed.
"We want to ensure Officer Fletcher's safety, and you want to leave here with this monster. I can swear to the Holy Lord that I absolutely will not kill you."
For the people of this world, oaths carried considerable weight, especially those sworn by people of high status.
As he spoke, Li Wei lowered his revolver and tossed it onto the floor. Officer Fletcher was horrified at the sight.
"Mr. Li Wei, you can't do this! Inspector Lestrade is right! We have to destroy that monster! Don't worry about me...!"
"...And you, Inspector?"
"...Hmph."
Inspector Lestrade looked at Li Wei. Seeing him give a meaningful glance, he could only snort and remain silent. At this, Doctor Dolittle smiled.
"Very well. I accept. Indeed, the empire is so vast that staying here would be foolish. Now, step back!"
At Doctor Dolittle's words, Li Wei raised both hands and backed away. Keeping his gun pressed against Officer Fletcher, Doctor Dolittle cautiously approached the monster, then kicked Fletcher in the backside, sending him toward the others. All the while, he kept his gun trained on the officer.
Katie stood to one side, glaring furiously at him like a little dog baring her teeth. But with the gun in his hand, she did not make any rash moves, either.
"Well, then, we'll be taking our leave. I hope we never meet again."
"We certainly won't."
Li Wei nodded.
"But I have one last question."
"What is it?"
"The Holy Lord created all things in this world. Every living being is his miracle, and our brother or sister. Those who wantonly take lives shall face judgment."
Li Wei stared at Doctor Dolittle and repeated the passage he had just recited.
"Then aren't you a sinner, too, Doctor, for plotting the murders of those poor women? After all, according to the Holy Scripture, only the Holy Lord has the right to judge and punish. Humans have no right to mete out punishment in his name. Aren't you afraid that what you've done is blasphemy?"
"So what if I'm a sinner?"
Doctor Dolittle was clearly dismissive.
"All I want is for Amelia, my only daughter, to live... As long as she can survive, I don't care if I become a sinner..."
Squelch.
Before Doctor Dolittle could finish, a cold gleam flashed across his throat. Blood gushed out. His eyes widened, and he turned to see the monster staring coldly at him, without a trace of pity in her eyes.
Looking at the monster before him, Doctor Dolittle opened his mouth, trying to say something. Unfortunately, it was too late.
The next instant, the blade in the monster's hand plunged into Doctor Dolittle's body.
At the same time, Li Wei picked up the gun he had thrown onto the floor and aimed at the monster. It had already bent over Doctor Dolittle's body and begun cutting. Its thin, withered arms moved with the dexterity of a skilled surgeon.
Li Wei glanced at Doctor Dolittle. The doctor had already stopped breathing.
"I told you I absolutely wouldn't kill you."
Li Wei spoke quietly, then aimed at the monster before him and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!!!
This time, Li Wei emptied all six bullets into the monster's head in one go. She let out a wail, collapsed onto the floor, and never moved again.
Only then did the others recover their senses and stare at the scene in astonishment.
"Wh-what just happened?"
Katie blinked, looking puzzled.
"Why did the monster attack Doctor Dolittle?"
"Because he was a sinner."
Li Wei lowered his gun and looked at Doctor Dolittle's gutted body.
"He said this monster needed the flesh and blood of sinners to resurrect. So she would naturally attack sinners-or at least people he considered sinners."
"But if that's true, why didn't the monster attack him before?"
"Perhaps Doctor Dolittle hadn't thought of himself that way before. He might still have believed he was a righteous champion carrying out divine justice."
Li Wei chuckled.
"That's why I decided to try it and see whether the monster would attack him if he admitted he was a sinner... Well, it looks like I guessed right. I have to say, that really is... rather remarkable."
At Li Wei's explanation, Katie and Officer Fletcher looked utterly baffled. Neither had imagined there could be a solution like that.
"Wait."
Just then, a question occurred to Katie.
"What if your plan hadn't worked? Were you really going to stand there and watch them escape?"
"Of course not."
Li Wei silently glanced at Katie. Her normally fair little face was now grimy with dust and blood, leaving only her blue eyes blinking brightly. She looked rather cute.
"I would have shot the gun out of Doctor Dolittle's hand first and let you handle him, then taken the opportunity to kill the monster. With your abilities, I doubt dealing with an old man who has trouble walking would be a problem."
"Ugh... well, when you put it that way..."
Katie's expression was distinctly conflicted. Clearly, being able to fight grotesque, twisted monsters did not mean she enjoyed beating up defenseless old men.
"Anyway, it's all over now."
Li Wei looked away and surveyed the wreckage before him.
"We can leave the rest to the police."
Before you continue