The rain began to fall.

The cold wind poured into the narrow alley wrapped in a drizzle, and it even showed a bit of a sad appearance.

Yu Mei moved with the wind, quietly and silently falling on the bluestone slab with stagnant water and falling flowers. The slender and powerful waist is under the head, and the frost-white blade and the fiery red skirt are set off against each other.

She remained silent.

Only behind the ghost face, two cold eyes were cast.

There is a big explanation that is not correct, so it is the meaning of overturning yesterday's covenant, and at this moment, it is here, and it means to fight again.

Li Changan nailed the ghost under the sword.

There was a deep groan.

didn't rush to explain the reason for saving the ghost, but asked rhetorically.

"Miss Yu, can the demon plague in your mouth be cured?"

"No way. ”

"Have you tried?"

Yu Mei's answer was categorical, and Li Changan's rhetorical question was also blurted out.

However, when this sentence was asked, it was a mud cow entering the sea, and there was no response.

Li Changan frowned, and gradually understood in his heart.

What is the role of the Department of Pacification?

That is, he is in charge of the world's demons, monsters, witches, monks, and Taoist affairs, and inspects and suppresses all kinds of demonic disasters. As for the safety and misfortune of the common people, they are not within the scope of their duties, and they will not be taken to heart.

Therefore, this generation has many fierce deeds, and is often despised by the rivers and lakes and Shilin.

However, this is the true nature of eagle dogs!

Like Yan Xing Lielongtu, it is a few outliers who "put the cart before the horse".

"People can be infected with diseases and become demons, how can demons not be cured and turn back into humans?"

The Taoist priest asked unceremoniously.

"Have you tried to be cured, if not, how dare you kill innocents indiscriminately?!"

This.

Yu Mei finally responded.

"Murder and sucking blood, how can you be innocent?"

"This is the result of the demonic transformation, not its nature. ”

"Falling into the devil's path, it's hard to turn back. Yu Mei's voice was as cold as ice, "What if you save one person? As long as the culprit is still there, the demons will continue to change." It is only right to leave the minutiae behind and step up the time to pursue the culprit. ”

These "correct" words made Li Changan shake his head and laugh.

"So, one person is not enough to save?"

"Not enough. ”

The Taoist priest took a deep breath.

"Good, good, good. Even if this person swallows his wife and eats his children, it is not a pity to kill him. But what about the next time, if an innocent person is unfortunately infected with the epidemic?"

Yu Mei's answer was very simple.

"Kill it. ”

Li Changan was simply laughed at by her.

"One person is infected and killed, but what if ten people? What about a hundred people? What about thousands of people?

The Taoist priest sneered and bowed.

"If that's the case, you can ask Lord Yu to take care of it yourself. The poor road is greedy for life and afraid of death, but he doesn't want to be devoured by ten thousand demons, and only a little bone slag is left behind. ”

When these words came out, the atmosphere at both ends dropped to the freezing point.

In the narrow alley, the two sides are silent.

Only the rain and the wind wept, accompanied by the pain of the ghost, moaning intermittently.

It's half a ring.

Just when the Taoist priest thought that the other party couldn't bear to do it.

Yu Mei silently put away his sword and returned it to its sheath, which could be regarded as a signal of relief.

Li Changan also got off the donkey down the slope, put away his aggressive posture, and patiently persuaded:

"Besides, killing is only a symptom, and finding out the culprit is the root cause. ”

He pointed to the ghost at his feet.

"This guy retains the wisdom of being a human being, and can even disguise himself as a normal person during the day to deceive us, and maybe he will know some of the culprits behind the scenes......"

The words are not finished.

"The Taoist ......"

At the back door of Zhou's house outside the alley, a call came to an abrupt end, and then Bo Ziyu's voice recklessly sounded.

"Don't panic, I'm here to help you. ”

Help you big head.

Li Changan only said a word, and the red dress of Yu Mei on the opposite side was floating and wanted to avoid it.

He hurriedly stopped her:

"Wait. ”

Yu Mei glanced at the entrance of the alley and whispered:

"I can't reveal my identity [harmoniously] yet. ”

"I know. ”

Li Changan nodded.

This Yu Mei has always been disguised, and he is also secretive when he acts, and even attracts officials to encircle and suppress him. If her identity had been revealed early in the morning, where would there be a reward for the county government? However, she must have scruples and schemes in doing so.

The Taoist priest had long been aware of this, so he didn't tell anyone about the matter between the two. But for now, it's for ...... to stop her

"Poor Dao is not good at spells, there is no means to suppress demons, and I have to borrow the girl's spirit needle. ”

Dealing with another ghost before, as well as the last time Aunt Hu, Li Changan had a vague idea of capturing him alive, but he really didn't have a spell to help him, so he could only kill it hastily.

But right now, although I don't have it, Yu Mei has it.

Otherwise, according to the nature of the Taoist priest, where would he talk crooked nonsense with her here for a long time?

Yu Mei didn't answer when he heard this, only when the figure disappeared over the wall.

A short needle burst through the air and sank into the back of the ghost's neck.

At this time, Bo Ziyu finally arrived by stepping on the stagnant water.

He drew his blade and made a random gesture, gasping for breath.

"Demon ...... Where's the witch?"

"Ran. ”

"Run?" he said, "Why don't you chase it?"

"How to chase?"

At the empty alley, Bo Ziyu was speechless, his eyes turned coldly, and he glimpsed the things that were not human, ghostly, and fish at Li Changan's feet.

"What is this?"

"Zhou Huai. ”

"Hiss~"

He choked on a mouthful of cold rain.

............

The main hall of the Zhou house.

Li Changan held the lamp and candle.

The candle flame is faint, illuminating the hall.

Bo Ziyu was sent out to dispose of the bodies of his colleagues. There are only Li Changan and Zhou Huai in the room, and there is only one person and one demon in the room, oh, there is also a person who listens to the corner.

The Taoist priest glanced at a place on a beam, where a corner of bright red faintly appeared.

"Poor Dao doesn't like to talk nonsense with people, I know you can hear and see it, so after I finish speaking, you can say it again. ”

Li Changan put Zhou Huai, who had been hit by the needle and seemed to be dead, on the Hu bed, pulled out a stool and sat down opposite, and got straight to the point.

"Do you recognize me?"

That's it.

The voice is smooth and eloquent.

"In the daytime, although you pretended to be foolish, you deceived us and others. In fact, the clue of 'cake' was deliberately revealed. Although this clue is hidden (harmonious) and obscure, as long as you have a heart, it is not difficult to detect, and it is easier to find this clue to find your father's whereabouts. ”

"After all, in this small Xiaoshui City, it is really eye-catching for a famous person like you, who appears in front of people in disheveled clothes, and buys a large basket of cakes with your own hands. ”

"Why did you betray your father?"

The Taoist priest asked and answered himself.

"I'm guessing your disguise only works during the day, and at night, you'll be back to being half-human, half-fish. So you need to look away so that you can get out of it. It's just that you never expected us to come back so quickly. ”

Li Changan paused.

"But the premise of all this is that you know that those people can threaten you, threaten a youkai. After all, ordinary servants will only be reduced to your food.

And in this Xiaoshui City, there are very few people who can really threaten you.

For example, the poor road.

For example, someone who is secretly cleaning up demons. ”

On the beams of the house, Yu Mei's breathing was a little short for a moment. Li Changan didn't pay attention, just leaned over and took off the short needle on the back of Zhou Huai's neck, and Shi Shiran asked:

"So, who's warning you?"

Is Li Changan's inference rigorous?

No.

It's just full of mistakes.

He just picked a decent one out of thousands of possibilities to bluff the other party. If you guess correctly, everyone is happy, but if you don't guess correctly...... It's a big deal to make up another one and continue to cheat. Anyway, everyone is in their own hands, and they are slowly concocting.

Sure enough.

After removing the needle, the ghost didn't say anything, just stared at the Taoist priest with a strange expression.

Guessed wrong?

Li Changan scratched his head.

Immeasurable Heavenly Venerable, we are really not the material for this business.

But what else can be done? If it is handed over to the government, I am afraid that it will first scare the officials and the old men half to death, and if it is handed over to Yu Mei, I am afraid that it will be difficult to survive afterwards.

In desperation, the Taoist priest had to change his strategy and persuade him gently.

"Be of good cheer, I don't mean to save your life. On the contrary, I will ask the mage to treat you, even if it cannot be cured for a while, it will only be temporarily detained, and when I find out the culprit behind the transformation of you into a monster, I will definitely be able to return you......"

"Poof. ”

A sneer in the empty and bright room was particularly harsh.

This laughter did not come from the bitter Li Changan, nor the Yu Mei on the roof tiles, nor the Bo Ziyu who was "humming" carrying the corpse outside.

The Taoist priest's eyes grew cold, and he looked at Zhou Huai with a mocking mouth.

"Original. ”

It says.

"You don't know anything. ”

A cold wind from nowhere slipped into the house.

Shake the candle flame.

The dark and messy candle shadow was reflected on the Taoist priest's face, and his expression became more and more indifferent.

"What do you mean?"

"You want to know?"

The corners of Zhou Huai's mouth opened more and more, revealing two rows of fine teeth.

"Fool, sleepworm, it doesn't hurt to tell you, this ......"

In the middle of the conversation, he suddenly stopped.

The remaining half was stuck in his throat, and only a "ho-ho" sound was made.

Li Changan frowned.

"What about you?"

It couldn't respond, and its body trembled violently, and fine beads of blood oozed from under its scales.

Its mouth was wide open, and it seemed to use all its strength to spit out four staccato words.

"Peel off...... Tummy ......"

Then, his eyes straightened, and a pair of pupils dilated and spread, like two deep holes, from which life and soul slipped quietly, leaving a shriveled body gradually cold and hard.

He's dead.

............

The red shadow flips.

Yu Mei couldn't hold back after all, jumped off the beam, and fell into the house.

Li Changan glanced at her, and she nodded silently, holding the sword in her hand.

The Taoist priest drew his sword and turned the corpse of the ghost around, and the tip of the sword pierced into the belly of the fish, picking off the flesh little by little.

However, it was only a foot-long opening that was opened.

All of a sudden.

As if he had come to life, his stomach swelled and fell.

Followed by.

A long shadow burst out of the mouth of the fish's belly, with a gust of fishy wind and strange smell, and hit the Taoist priest's face.

Yu Mei next to him has been waiting for a long time.

The sword light flashed one after another.

The thing was sent back and cut off several pieces.

The Taoist priest's face did not change, and he turned over the tip of the sword, and looked at it carefully.

The shadow turned out to be a slender worm.

The head resembles a lamprey, and the trunk is about the thickness of a goose egg, with milky white links. The link has fine antennae, like the roots of a plant. One can imagine how these "roots" burrow into the flesh and blood of the host when it hides in the belly of the ghost.

Yu Mei only cut off its head and a small part of its body, and half of Tai's body remained in the belly of the ghost, with slight convulsions, slowly sliding out of the fish's belly.

Yu Mei was wearing a mask, and her expression was unclear.

Anyway, Li Changan looked at this ghost thing, and his scalp was numb.

All right.

Now I probably understand who the jar of entrails was left for.

"Dao Chief. ”

Bo Ziyu's voice sounded outside the door.

Yu Mei was motionless and did not react at all. Li Changan hurriedly pushed her, and she seemed to come back to her senses, and jumped on the beam of the house with a little footstep.

"I heard movement, but what happened?"

As soon as Bo Ziyu pushed the door open, he broke in. But as soon as he saw the scene in the house, his face turned pale, he covered his mouth, and hid outside to retch.

Li Changan hurriedly pulled him back, and asked:

"Where are the bodies of the other two ghosts?"

............

Chengbei Yizhuang.

The guard was a rickety old man, perhaps who had been in the company of corpses for many years, and his complexion did not seem to be much better than that of corpses.

He pointed to the three corpses in the courtyard, as if to introduce the cabbage in his garden.

"The day before yesterday, the hairy mother-in-law said that it was filth, and she took firewood and oil and burned it early. It's this strange fish and the strange man who looks like a fish, and if you two are late, I'll burn them together. As for those who died before, including the women who ate their own babies, they had already been picked up by their relatives, and they didn't know where they were buried. Only this Qian Dazhi, because he was a merchant, waited for his fellow villagers to return the body by the way, so he still stayed in Zhuangzi. ”

After he finished slowly, Li Changan bowed.

"I'm sorry for the trouble. ”

The old man waved his hand.

"That's a big deal. This kid is also an old nephew, a little thing, if he can help, he will help. ”

After speaking, Xiao Hehe stepped aside, leaving Bo Ziyu standing in front of the corpse, carrying a knife, and looking at Li Changan tremblingly.

"Dao Chief?"

Li Changan nodded.

"Watch out for corpse gas. ”

Bo Ziyu's smile was worse than crying.

The Taoist priest had to say half comfortingly and half urging: "Don't worry, I will support you." ”

There is nothing to be done about the young catcher.

Whoever let himself follow up with his hard head, and his martial arts are low, and he can't do the work of support, so he has to be responsible for skinning the belly of the corpse.

He gritted his teeth and slashed the stomachs of the three corpses one by one.

But luckily, there were no more bugs coming out of it.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but saw that the Taoist priest's face was solemn.

"There are no intestines. ”

What the?

He turned his head to take a closer look, but saw that the three corpses had all the internal organs in their abdomen, but they had no intestines.

Where did the intestines go?

Or rather.

In the belly of the corpse, where is the place where the intestines are located?

......

The two thanked the guards and said goodbye to Yizhuang.

Outside the door, the night was as deep as iron.

Li Changan couldn't help but recall the Q&A between himself and Yu Mei at the top of the Dionysian Temple.

"Murder?"

"Seven out of thirty. ”

The Taoist priest exhaled a deep breath of turbidity.

Thirty-seven!

How many of these thirty-seven people have this kind of strange insect in their stomachs? Is this strange insect the source of the demon mutation? If so, have those escaped insects created more monsters and are lurking in Xiaoshui City?

"Dao Chief. Bo Ziyu was a little apprehensive. "What's next?"

Li Changan rubbed his temples a little tiredly.

I haven't had a good night's sleep in the past two days.

What can I do?

"Go back to sleep. ”