Chapter 42: Illness

The air in the room was thick with tension.

Gao Yang, Qingling, and Officer Huang sat across from Old Master Gu, their faces expressionless, but their hands were all in motion under the table.

Gao Yang discreetly pulled out a small dagger from his pocket, ready to activate the Blade God ability he'd borrowed from Qingling, aiming for Old Master Gu's heart.

Qingling quietly drew out her Tang Dao and hid it under the table, searching for an angle to strike.

Officer Huang reached for the gun at his waist, prepared to draw and shoot at any moment.

Wang Zikai and Pang Jun, who had been arguing near the table, suddenly realized the atmosphere had shifted.

Wang Zikai turned around, froze for a moment, and quickly opened his mouth, raising his fist. "Lizard—"

Gao Yang quickly stood up and covered Wang Zikai's mouth. Although Wang Zikai was impulsive, he understood what Gao Yang meant and looked at him with confusion.

"Wait..." Gao Yang whispered.

In the few seconds of confronting Old Master Gu, Gao Yang hadn't sensed any murderous intent. In fact, this was also why Officer Huang and Qingling hadn't acted yet.

Old Master Gu's behavior was bizarre.

The strange part was that he seemed so peaceful, just like any other human.

At that moment, something even stranger happened. Old Master Gu's half-beast form slowly began reverting back to human form. Throughout the entire process, he calmly sipped his tea. When he finally set his cup down and lifted his eyelids, he noticed everyone in the room staring at him, tense.

"Why is everyone so quiet?" Old Master Gu said innocently and confusedly. "What's going on? You guys... don't think I'm the murderer, do you?"

"Of course not." Officer Huang quickly broke the silence, his smile returning. "Heh, Old Master Gu, don't worry."

"That's good. I'm even more anxious than you guys to catch the real murderer." Old Master Gu sighed, a hint of regret in his voice. "Such a poor family... what kind of sin did they commit?"

"Old Master Gu, it's getting late. You should rest. We'll come back tomorrow." Officer Huang stood up.

Gao Yang and Qingling followed, with Pang Jun hastening to catch up, eager to get going.

Wang Zikai, still processing everything, mumbled, "Huh? We're leaving just like this? But he..."

"We're leaving." Gao Yang gave him a glance.

"Fine, take care. I won't walk you out." Old Master Gu slowly got up and watched them leave.

With nowhere else to go, the five of them returned to Hua Zi's house. This time, to avoid drawing attention, they kept the living room lights off and tightly closed the windows and doors. They took out flashlights, illuminating one area, and gathered around the light.

"He's a lizard-man! Why didn't we just kill him?" Wang Zikai was still upset, and his old habit of calling beasts lizard-men remained.

"Old Master Gu doesn't seem to have ill intentions," Gao Yang glanced at Wang Zikai with a hidden purpose. "Not all beasts are evil. There's a kind called the Lost One..." Gao Yang briefly explained the existence of the Lost Beast to Wang Zikai.

"Then why did he transform right in front of us?" Wang Zikai didn't understand. "Showing off his muscles?"

Officer Huang stroked his chin. "The Lost Ones are the most gentle and stable of beasts. Even if we tell them we're awakeners, they usually just ignore us unless they're triggered by something big. That's when they might transform or go berserk."

"What triggers them?" Wang Zikai asked.

"Like... us using our abilities to harm them," Pang Jun chipped in at the right moment.

"I've never seen such a bizarre transformation as Old Master Gu's, nor have I heard of it," Officer Huang looked at Gao Yang. "What do you think?"

Gao Yang had been thinking about what Bai Li Yi had said to him, and he boldly speculated, "I think... he might be sick."

"Sick?" Qingling frowned.

"Let's assume..." Gao Yang extended his left and right hands. "Beasts have a switch inside them, controlling their human and beast forms and personalities."

Gao Yang clenched his left hand. "Normally, they're in human form and personality."

He relaxed his left hand and clenched his right. "Once triggered in certain situations, the switch flips, and they immediately switch to their beast form and personality."

Officer Huang nodded, signaling for him to continue.

"Beasts, like us, are living beings. As living beings, they have lifespans, they grow old, and when they get old, their bodies weaken, they get sick, and face various problems."

Gao Yang spread his arms and brought his hands together. "Now, Old Master Gu's switch inside him is malfunctioning. So, the two forms are blending together, like a light bulb that flickers on and off. But because he's a Lost One, he doesn't even notice the change."

At this point, Gao Yang remembered the summer when he was four, when he saw his grandfather's arm through the crack in the door. Perhaps his grandfather was a "sick" beast too.

"In the past, I wouldn't have believed that beasts could get 'sick,' since I've encountered many elderly Lost Ones," Officer Huang clicked his tongue. "But now, I'm not so sure."

"Hah—" Wang Zikai yawned dramatically. "You guys analyzed a bunch, but it doesn't seem to help. If you ask me, since we can't find the real murderer, we should just wipe out the whole village. After all, they're all lizard-men. One sweep and it's over."

Gao Yang was secretly startled. Wang Zikai, you're also a beast, but you're too cruel toward your own kind.

"Brother Kai, that's typical game logic," Pang Jun licked his lips. "I think it's not that simple."

"Then what should we do? Wait here and die?" Wang Zikai retorted.

Pang Jun hesitated, saying nothing.

"I agree with Wang Zikai," Qingling, who had been silent, spoke up. "Anything's better than dying here."

"That's an option. If we take the initiative, maybe we can force the real murderer out," Officer Huang sighed. "But there's no turning back. The risks are very high. Not all the villagers are Lost Ones, but even a few Fiend Beasts would be enough trouble. Let alone the possibility that there are more powerful beasts hiding."

"What do we do?" Pang Jun was starting to panic again. "We can't go out, we can't fight, we're going to die anyway."

"Pathetic. Did you forget about me?" Wang Zikai pounded his chest. "I can take on ten of them, no problem!"

"That's still not enough!"

"You know nothing! First, take on ten, and who knows, maybe I'll unlock my infinite potential and explode again. Then we'll have it all covered!"

"Heh," Officer Huang chuckled at Wang Zikai's innocence and optimism. "This isn't a movie. Are you sure you'll explode when the time comes?"

Gao Yang rolled his eyes on the side. It's hard to say if his abilities will explode, but if this idiot suddenly experiences an intelligence explosion and realizes he's also a beast, then does a 180-degree turn—well, that's the end of it.

"Of course!" Wang Zikai became even more smug. "I'm the chosen one, right Gao Yang?"

"Yes..." Gao Yang's smile was more bitter than tears.

"Shall we vote then?" Officer Huang spoke. "Raise your hands if you agree to take the initiative."

Wang Zikai and Qingling raised their hands immediately. Officer Huang pondered for a moment before raising his own hand. Pang Jun hesitated before raising his hand as well. Only Gao Yang felt that it didn't matter whether he raised his hand or not.

"Good!" Officer Huang made his decision. "Then let's go for it."

"When?" Qingling asked.

"Immediately! What are we waiting for?" Wang Zikai was already ready to fight.

"Wait," Gao Yang disagreed. "Let's rest tonight. We'll investigate tomorrow. I still have some things to confirm. How about tomorrow night?"

"I have no objection." Officer Huang said.

Qingling nodded.

Pang Jun, having no opinion, also nodded.

"Such a slowpoke!" Wang Zikai was a bit disappointed but still agreed to go with the majority. "Fine, tomorrow night it is!"