Chapter 663 Triggering the Main Quest

Zhang Yuanqing took the phone and carefully read the documents, including but not limited to autopsy reports, scene investigations, testimonies from the deceased's neighbors, road surveillance footage, and so on.

Time passed by, and Zhang Yuanqing concentrated on reading. Cao Qianxiu remained quiet.

Half an hour later, Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed, and his expression grew increasingly solemn.

Finally, he put down the phone and shook his head, "It seems that there are no Saint-stage scouts within your Anti-Black and White Alliance."

"How do you know..." Cao Qianxiu cleared her throat and said, "Just tell me your deduction."

Zhang Yuanqing said in a deep voice:

"The Anti-Black and White Alliance can provide this information, which means the higher-ups have paid attention to this serial murder case. Their analysis is that the killer is an Evening Wanderer at the extraordinary stage, no higher than level 3, killing for corpse refining? A Chinese American, who is very clear that the Heavenly Punishment organization doesn't care about what happens in Chinatown, so he specifically hunts down his compatriots.

"If I can deduce the time and district of the killer's next crime, then the task of capturing the killer will be handed over to us, right?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Cao Qianxiu's eyes, and then she nodded, revealing a look of appreciation, "You really are a scout. Your deduction is flawless."

Team leader "Zi Qiang Bu Xi" (Self-Improvement) had indeed handed over the task of apprehending the murderer to her. According to the analysis of the Anti-Black and White Alliance, the murderer's level should be level 2. So, a level 2 peak thunder mage (Cao Qianxiu) and a level 2 scout are fully capable of taking him down. To be conservative, at most, another level 2 wind mage would be sent to assist.

Therefore, as long as Zhang Qingyang deduced the approximate area where the murderer might strike again, the next task would be to kill the murderer.

Zhang Yuanqing chuckled and put down his phone. "The murderer is indeed an Evening Wanderer, but I'm afraid his level is a bit high, and his real goal is not corpse refining. He has other plans."

Other plans?! Cao Qianxiu said in astonishment, "What do you mean?"

Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to speak, the landlady came in with fruit. She glanced at the math textbooks spread out on the table and immediately smiled,

"Teaching math, huh? Xiao Zhang, let me tell you, this girl is mediocre in all her other subjects, but her math isn't even as good as her younger brother's. I, her mother, am as clever as they come, so how could I give birth to such a daughter? If she hadn't been cut out of my womb, I would have suspected that Lao Cao had a secret daughter behind my back."

As she spoke, the landlady habitually and roughly poked her daughter's forehead.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuanqing subconsciously thought of a dark joke: How do you know she came out of your womb? Maybe your husband used a skill to forcibly trade her.

Yes, Zhang Yuanqing had already determined Cao Qing's profession – Void Merchant.

Cao Qing's temperament perfectly matched that of a merchant. Each profession has its own exclusive temperament – the recklessness and irritability of a Fire Master, the steadfastness and seriousness of a Scout.

Of course, if it were just this, it would only increase the probability, and could not be used as evidence.

The real evidence that Zhang Yuanqing used to determine Cao Qing's identity was that three days ago, in the morning, he stood invisibly in front of his door, staring at Room 401, watching the Cao siblings leave for school, and watching the landlady leave to buy groceries, but he did not see Cao Qing leave.

But Cao Qing did go out to work that day.

Among the lawful professions in the First District, the only one who could do that was the Void profession – teleportation!

"Don't worry, Landlady, in a month at most, I'll raise her math scores to the top five in the class. You can test it yourself if you don't believe me. If I can't do it, I won't charge you." Zhang Yuanqing thumped his chest and guaranteed.

The landlady's eyes lit up. As a thrifty housewife, it was a good thing whether her daughter's grades improved or the cost of the tutor was waived.

"Then what if you do?" The landlady asked tentatively.

"Then you have to give me double the money." Zhang Yuanqing rubbed his hands.

Cao Qianxiu rolled her eyes. Sometimes she couldn't understand this Zhang Qingyang. Sometimes the smoothness and sophistication he displayed didn't seem like a serious and rigid scout who adhered to the rules.

But if he wasn't a scout, he would still have the ability to read people's minds, because he could always easily cater to her parents, as well as her and her brother, at the most appropriate time.

Making everyone like him and feel like they were bathing in a spring breeze.

Even her hot-tempered mother had never lost her temper with Zhang Qingyang. You had to know, when her mother lost her temper, she didn't recognize anyone, and wouldn't hold back just because you were a guest.

"Deal!" The landlady thought for a moment and felt that it was not a loss, and left with a smile on her face.

After she left the bedroom and headed for the living room, Zhang Yuanqing inserted a piece of apple with a bamboo skewer and said while eating:

"According to the existing clues, this murderer is a level 2 initial stage Evening Wanderer who has just mastered the spirit talisman and is currently refining his own Yin corpse. He is a Chinese American and knows that the Heavenly Punishment organization will not interfere with Chinatown affairs, so he is attacking his own compatriots.

"Because he is not strong, he is very cautious. Each case is six days apart, and he has committed eleven crimes in two months... All of this is to create the illusion of a low-level Evening Wanderer."

Watching Cao Qianxiu's brows furrow even tighter, Zhang Yuanqing swallowed the apple and said:

"I'll tell you two points. First, if I were the murderer, why would I commit crimes in Chinatown? Aren't the homeless people in New York fragrant? Or aren't those who like to wander outside at night worthy of attacking?

"Although the Heavenly Punishment organization doesn't care about Chinatown, there are also Spirit Realm Walker organizations in Chinatown that maintain order, and their power is not small. Am I tired of living too long if I repeatedly kill and refine corpses in Chinatown? Homeless people are obviously more suitable as targets, because there will be no sequelae at all, and there are homeless people everywhere in New York."

Cao Qianxiu's expression became serious.

Zhang Yuanqing continued:

"The second point is that even if an Evening Wanderer who controls a spirit talisman has poor talent, after failing with three or five corpses, he should be able to fully control the refining process of a primary Yin corpse.

"So far, I have never heard of any Evening Wanderer who has continuously refined a dozen Yin corpses and still constantly fails, leaving behind semi-finished products.

"Of course, it's understandable that you didn't notice this, because there are too few Evening Wanderers. They are almost extinct in the First District. It's normal that you don't understand Evening Wanderers."

Cao Qianxiu opened her mouth, then closed it again, and thought for a long time:

"Are you sure? I'm talking about the second point."

Zhang Yuanqing shrugged: "Do I need to lie to you?"

Cao Qianxiu suddenly stood up and paced in the room: "If the murderer is a high-level Evening Wanderer, then what is his purpose in doing this? I can't think of a motive at all..."

She was still too inexperienced. After all, she was just a little girl! Zhang Yuanqing said bluntly: "Putting on a show!"

"Putting on a show?" Cao Qianxiu frowned.

"The murderer is looking for someone in Chinatown, and then killing them, but he can't determine who the target is, he only has a relatively broad range, so he committed the serial murders. Pretending to be a low-level Evening Wanderer is his way of putting on a show, showing it to the Chinatown Lawful organization. The purpose is not to be targeted by high-level Spirit Realm Walkers before killing the target. In fact, he did it, and successfully fooled your Anti-Black and White Alliance." Zhang Yuanqing ate another piece of apple and said as he chewed:

"As for who he is looking for, there is no way to deduce that, but you can feed the information back to the organization's higher-ups and let them investigate the identities and backgrounds of all the deceased to find commonalities. With commonalities, you can deduce who the murderer is looking for."

After hearing this, Cao Qianxiu couldn't sit still and immediately grabbed her phone: "I'll report to the team leader right now..."

Speaking of this, she glanced at Zhang Yuanqing.

Zhang Yuanqing tactfully got up: "You are a smart girl, you understand the problem-solving ideas I explained as soon as you hear them, so today's lesson will end here, ending early."

Listening to the sound of the tutor's footsteps moving away, hearing him praising her greatly in the living room, and finally bidding farewell and leaving, Cao Qianxiu immediately closed the bedroom door and opened the "Anti-Black and White Alliance Group 6" chat group.

She sent Zhang Yuanqing's analysis verbatim and without missing a word in the group, and @ team leader "Zi Qiang Bu Xi" (Self-Improvement).

[Medical Forest Expert: Hiss, not a low-level Evening Wanderer? The organization's analysis of the serial murders was wrong? Judge Cao, the scout you recruited is something else.]

[Snow White: Logical and well-founded, he convinced me. Is this what a scout is like? A born detective.]

[Little Cannon: So the essence of the event is more serious than a serial murder case, uh, aren't we evaluating him? It feels like he's evaluating us.]

[Zi Qiang Bu Xi: @Judge Cao, I've finished reading it, and I'll report the news to the Executive right away to see what the higher-ups' reaction is.]

[Judge Cao: Remember to notify us of the results.]

The group members analyzed and deduced with each other, while waiting for feedback from Zi Qiang Bu Xi.

As a result, it was not until 11 o'clock that Zi Qiang Bu Xi's feedback was late in coming:

[Zi Qiang Bu Xi: The organization's higher-ups held an online meeting overnight. The meeting is still in progress, and there is currently no feedback.]

Holding an online meeting overnight... The group members were taken aback. This showed that the organization's higher-ups recognized the scout's theory, but they did not expect to hold a meeting overnight.

The organization's higher-ups might know something. After listening to the scout's analysis, they immediately woke up. Only in this way would they hold a meeting overnight.

Things were bigger than they thought.

[Judge Cao: In that case, can my person directly join the organization?]

[Zi Qiang Bu Xi: He has made a great contribution. There should be no problem with him joining the organization. I'll report it first and wait for news tomorrow.]

[Snow White: Our organization also has a scout! Scouts are simply IQ geniuses.]

.........

At midnight, Zhang Yuanqing, who was in light sleep, suddenly woke up and looked towards the balcony.

In the darkness, a figure stood by the window, his back straight, like a vigorous green pine tree. He held a glass of red wine in his hand.

"Tsk tsk, a '90 Lafite, the taste is indeed good." The man sighed.

Hearing the voice, Zhang Yuanqing's tense expression relaxed slightly. He lifted the quilt, sat on the edge of the bed, and said:

"President, why are you here?"

The teleportation range of a Void profession demigod is global?

A little envious.

President asked, "What level hunter are you now?"

"Bronze!" Zhang Yuanqing said, "I should be able to be promoted to silver within a week."

"The progress is too slow." President took a sip of red wine and turned around, "I'm not very satisfied with your recent state, being casual and leisurely. With your ability, you can be promoted to a silver hunter in three days. The rules of the Hunter Guild are that you can only accept the next task after completing one task, but there is no limit to how many tasks you can accept in a day."

"There is no limit, but why should I work so hard to do tasks? I'm not a donkey on the production team." Zhang Yuanqing shrugged: "The identity of a bounty hunter is just to pass the time for me. I don't rely on it to level up, and I don't rely on it to make money, so why should I work myself to death?"

President sighed:

"That's why I'm here. It's time to reveal some information to you and clearly open the main quest for you."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately became interested and at the same time his expression became solemn: "Main quest?"

"That's right. Letting you join the bounty hunter is not just to train you, but also to have you find a way to contact the higher-ups of the bounty hunter. Because..." President's voice was low: "The information that Diana and I extracted from Pluto is that the big boss behind the Bounty Hunter Guild is the Free Alliance."

........

ps: Will correct typos first, then update.