Sick

The air froze.

Gaoyang, Qingling, and Officer Huang sat across the table from Fourth Master Gu, their faces expressionless, but all three pairs of hands began moving beneath the table.

Gaoyang reached into his pocket for his small dagger, ready to activate the Blade God Talent he had borrowed from Qingling at any moment. His target was Fourth Master Gu's heart.

Qingling silently drew her Tang Dao as well, hiding it beneath the table as she looked for an angle to swing.

Officer Huang reached for the pistol at his waist, ready to draw and fire.

Wang Zikai and Pang Jun stood a short distance from the table, engrossed in their argument, when they suddenly realized something was wrong.

Wang Zikai turned around and froze for a moment. Then his mouth opened wide and he raised his fist. "Liz-"

Gaoyang quickly stood and covered Wang Zikai's mouth. Impulsive as Wang Zikai was, he understood Gaoyang's intention, though he looked at him in utter confusion.

"Wait..." Gaoyang whispered.

During those few seconds of confrontation with Fourth Master Gu, Gaoyang had not sensed even the slightest trace of killing intent. In fact, that was also why Officer Huang and Qingling had not struck first.

Fourth Master Gu's behavior was very strange.

What made it strange was how calm he was, no different from the human he had been before.

Then something strange happened again. Fourth Master Gu's half-beast body slowly reverted to human form. Throughout the entire process, he continued leisurely sipping his tea. Only when he set down his cup and lifted his eyes did he notice everyone in the room staring at him tensely.

"Why's everyone gone quiet?" Fourth Master Gu looked innocent and confused. "What are you all staring at me for? You... don't suspect me of being the murderer, do you?"

"Of course not." Officer Huang broke the deadlock first, a smile returning to his face. "Haha, don't overthink it, Fourth Master Gu."

"Good. I'm even more eager than you to catch the culprit." Fourth Master Gu sighed regretfully. "That poor family. What did they ever do to deserve this...?"

"Fourth Master Gu, it's getting late. Get some rest. We'll come back tomorrow." Officer Huang stood up.

Gaoyang and Qingling rose, and Pang Jun hurried after them, looking desperate to leave.

Wang Zikai was utterly bewildered. "Hey, we're just leaving? He was just..."

"Let's go." Gaoyang gave him a look.

"All right, take care. I won't see you out." Fourth Master Gu slowly stood and watched them leave.

With nowhere else to go, the five returned to Hua Zi's house. This time, afraid of attracting attention, they left the living room lights off and shut the doors and windows tightly. They took out a flashlight, illuminated a spot, and gathered around its light.

"He's a Lizard Person! Why didn't we kill him?" Wang Zikai was still hung up on it. He still habitually called beasts Lizard People.

"Fourth Master Gu didn't seem hostile." Gaoyang gave Wang Zikai a meaningful look. "Not all beasts are bad. There's a type called a Lost One..." Gaoyang briefly explained the existence of infatuation beasts to Wang Zikai.

"Then what was he trying to do, transforming right in front of us?" Wang Zikai couldn't understand. "Flex his muscles?"

Officer Huang rubbed his chin. "Lost Ones are the gentlest, most stable beasts. Even if we tell them to their faces that we're Awakened, they'll generally ignore it automatically. Only a massive shock might make them transform and go berserk."

"What kind of shock?" Wang Zikai asked.

"For example... if we use our Talents to hurt them." Pang Jun seized his chance to chime in.

"I've never seen or heard of a beast transforming for no apparent reason like Fourth Master Gu did." Officer Huang glanced at Gaoyang. "What do you think?"

Gaoyang had been thinking about what Baili Yi had told him. He ventured a bold guess. "I think he might be sick."

"Sick?" Qingling frowned.

"Let's assume..." Gaoyang held out his left and right hands. "There's a switch inside a beast that controls its two forms and personalities: beast and human."

Gaoyang clenched his left hand. "Normally, they have a human form and personality."

Gaoyang opened his left hand and clenched his right. "Once it's triggered under specific circumstances, the switch flips, and they immediately shift to their beast form and personality."

Officer Huang nodded, signaling for Gaoyang to continue.

"Beasts are living creatures, just like us humans. Anything alive has a lifespan and grows old. As they age, their bodies weaken. They get sick and develop all kinds of problems."

Gaoyang opened both hands and pressed his palms together. "Now, that switch inside Fourth Master Gu has malfunctioned, so the two forms are blending together, like a light bulb with a faulty connection, constantly flickering on and off. But because he's one of the gentlest Lost Ones, he can't even perceive the change."

At that, Gaoyang remembered the arm he had seen through the gap in the door the summer he was four. Perhaps his grandfather had also been a "sick" beast.

"In the past, I wouldn't have believed beasts could get 'sick.' After all, I've encountered plenty of elderly Lost Ones." Officer Huang smacked his lips. "But now, I'm not so sure."

"Haah..." Wang Zikai yawned, his eyes watering. "All that analysis doesn't seem very useful. If you ask me, since we can't find the killer behind this, we might as well slaughter the whole village. They're all just Lizard People anyway. That'll settle it once and for all."

Gaoyang was secretly alarmed. Wang Zikai, you're a beast yourself. Aren't you being a little too cruel to your own kind?

"Kai, that's classic video game logic." Pang Jun licked his lips. "I don't think it's that simple."

"Then what do you suggest? Sit here and wait to die?" Wang Zikai shot back.

Pang Jun stammered, then fell silent.

"I agree with Wang Zikai," Qingling said, breaking her silence. "Anything is fine, as long as we don't die here."

"It's an option. If we take the initiative, we might force the killer out of hiding." Officer Huang sighed. "But there's no turning back, and the risk is extremely high. This village can't be full of nothing but Lost Ones. Even a few wrath beasts would give us more than enough trouble, let alone any stronger beasts that might be hiding here."

"What are we supposed to do?" Pang Jun grew anxious again. "We can't get out, and we can't win a fight. We're dead either way."

"Quit being such cowards! Have you forgotten you've got me?" Wang Zikai thumped his chest. "I can take on ten at once now!"

"That still isn't enough!"

"What the hell do you know? I'll fight ten first, and that might unleash the unlimited potential inside me. Then I'll get another power boost, and we're all set!"

"Heh." Officer Huang laughed at Wang Zikai's innocence and optimism. "This isn't a movie. Can you guarantee you'll get a power boost when the time comes?"

Gaoyang rolled his eyes from the sidelines. Who knows whether his power will get a boost? But if his intelligence gets one and he finally realizes he's a beast too, then switches sides, we'll really be done for.

"Of course!" Wang Zikai looked even more pleased with himself. "I'm the chosen one. Right, Gaoyang?"

"Right..." Gaoyang's smile looked more pained than a grimace.

"Then shall we vote by a show of hands?" Officer Huang spoke up. "Raise your hand if you're in favor of taking the initiative."

Wang Zikai and Qingling raised their hands immediately. Officer Huang considered for a moment, then raised his too. Pang Jun hesitantly followed suit. Only Gaoyang remained. He felt it no longer mattered whether he raised his hand.

"All right!" Officer Huang made the decision. "Then we slaughter them."

"When?" Qingling asked.

"Right now! What are we waiting for?" Wang Zikai was already rubbing his hands together.

"Hold on," Gaoyang disagreed. "Let's rest tonight and spend another day investigating tomorrow. There are still a few things I want to confirm. How about tomorrow night?"

"No objections here," Officer Huang said.

Qingling nodded.

With no opinion of his own, Pang Jun nodded along.

"You're really dragging this out!" Wang Zikai was a little disappointed, but decided to go with the majority. "Fine. Tomorrow night it is!"