The River Shoal Murderer.

A deranged transcendent wielding a sealed object.

A highly dangerous out-of-control individual.

These were the words Hu Danian had used to describe the man in front of him last night. But in fact, it was only upon meeting him face-to-face that the true impact of those words sank in. Tattered and smelly black clothes covered his entire body, and his exposed skin was dry and pallid. He looked like a corpse, like a specter drifting along the ground.

It was very fitting to describe him as a lost soul or a wandering ghost.

Walking down the street and seeing him would give people the feeling of ‘meeting a ghost in broad daylight’.

Hiding behind Gu Shen, Qu Shui was startled. Seeing the owner of the withered hand and his attire, she whispered softly, “Dr. Gu… I think I’ve seen this person before…”

“Relax. I’m here.” Gu Shen’s expression remained calm.

He glanced at the door and saw the hand pressing against it. It seemed this man was determined to enter.

Looking at his cold and decisive demeanor, even if he slammed the door shut, the hand probably wouldn’t let go.

Gu Shen decided not to close the door but instead opened it and made way for the hunchbacked man. “Come in.”

The hunchbacked man was stunned.

He stepped inside and sized up the surroundings vigilantly.

“Just a moment,” Gu Shen said casually. He brought Qu Shui to the left room. The girl had not slept all last night and looked tired and terrified.

Just as she was about to say something, she heard Gu Shen’s gentle voice. “Look at me.”

Qu Shui subconsciously looked up and saw Gu Shen’s eyes. The thin Blazing Fire swayed in her eyes…

The next moment, Gu Shen supported the girl’s warm and soft body and put her into a deep sleep.

Gu Shen walked out of the left room and brought the hunchbacked man to the other room. He drew the curtains closed, and the room instantly darkened, leaving only patches of  light passing through the gaps of the curtains.

“Closing the curtains makes the room darker. You should like it better,” Gu Shen said calmly. “After all, you haven’t slept for a long time… right?”

The man narrowed his eyes and stared at Gu Shen silently.

“The mass insomnia incident on Lipu Street… has caused quite a stir in Dadu. You should know that someone has been eyeing you for a while,” Gu Shen said. “But you’re still committing crimes and even came to my door. Clearly, you don’t care. You don’t care about being caught, nor do you care about dying.”

Hearing the words ‘don’t care’, the man smiled. “Gu Shen, you’re really… hiding a lot.”

He said my name. Gu Shen lowered his eyes.

“Since you can call my name, it means you’ve seen my files.” Gu Shen tapped the table gently and smiled. “It should be about the fire case?”

No response.

Gu Shen continued, “Actually, when I saw the file of this transcendental incident, I sensed something was amiss. On the night of the eighth, the first case of insomnia appeared in River Shoal. That was my first day in the capital. Since then, insomniacs have been appearing in River Shoal and Lipu Street one after another. It’s been nine consecutive days, but this range has never expanded. This doesn’t seem like the behavior of a deranged and out-of-control individual.”

On the plane, Cui Zhongcheng had told Gu Shen that his files had been sealed for this mission.

And only the ‘very few people’ mentioned by Mr. Cuir knew his itinerary. These people were the crux of the mission.

Gu Shen finally understood why Cui Zhongcheng had sent him to Lipu Street.

It wasn’t a simple acclimatization period.

In fact, from the very first day he landed in Dadu, the true mission had begun, but he didn’t know… At that time, someone had already been hunting in River Shoal with the stone statue, and the target was him!

“The person behind you… only knew that I had come to Dadu, around River Shoal and Lipu Street, but he didn’t know where I was staying.” Gu Shen chuckled softly. “He was too anxious and sent you. However, the Solemn Stone Sculpture isn’t a sealed object under your control, so the mass insomnia incident occurred in River Shoal and Lipu Street. In fact, you only wanted to find me. The appearance of those insomniacs wasn’t your intention.”

“…” The man fell silent. “What do you want to say?”

“What I want to say is actually very simple,” Gu Shen said. “Any attempt to use fanatical actions to stop the progress of the era is foolish and ignorant. The tides of the times will not stop because of the death of anyone.”

Veins bulged on the man’s forehead.

Gu Shen intertwined his fingers and stared at the men. His voice became even deeper, as though he were passing judgment on a criminal. “Despising life, killing the innocent, trampling on the law… If you believe that your actions symbolize  light and justice, then why is the Eternal Foundation hiding underground?”

The sharp rebuke resounded.

“Enough!” the man interrupted Gu Shen, his eyes burning with anger. Perhaps due to his extreme exhaustion, even his furious voice sounded weary and weak.

“Justice is the most grandiose excuse in the world. Those who stand under the  light are merely the victors. We hide underground only to reach a further destination!”

He looked at Gu Shen and asked coldly, “What do you think the Adjudication Bureau is?”

Gu Shen’s expression remained unchanged as he stared intently at the gaunt man. What he had said was a probe.

It was to anger him!

Sure enough, this man was a member of the Eternal Foundation!

After receiving this response, Gu Shen felt relieved, but at the same time, he felt more apprehensive.

What he was afraid of was not the Eternal Foundation but Cui Zhongcheng.

Many people were afraid of Mr. Cui.

Even Senior Sister Luo had said that Cui Zhongcheng was a cold-blooded and harsh person.

At this moment, Gu Shen finally felt how terrifying Cui Zhongcheng was. The previous pleasant conversations seemed like a facade. After coming to Dadu, he had unknowingly become a pawn in Cui Zhongcheng’s plan… On the plane, Cui Zhongcheng had said that his files were highly confidential and would only be disclosed to a select few.

Clearly, his files had only been disclosed to the suspects.

With the clues of the fire case cut off, this move ‘inviting into a trap’ made the undercover agent of the Eternal Foundation jump into the trap happily.

However, the cost was that… Gu Shen had to face the ensuing deadly situation alone.

“Since we’ve already met, it doesn’t matter if you know my identity.” The man chuckled. “Anyway, you and I are already as good as dead.”

Clang!

The man took out the small and exquisite stone sculpture and placed it heavily on the table. The surface of the stone sculpture had the face of a ferocious evil ghost, and even a glance from a normal person would cause a sharp pain in their head.

Class D sealed object, Solemn Stone Sculpture!

According to the records, if someone touched it or got too close, their mental power would be sucked away by the stone sculpture. In fact, the fundamental reason for depriving dreams was that there was a mind-devouring evil ghost dream engraved inside the sealed object.

Due to carrying the stone sculpture for a long time, this man had withered to the point of mere skin and bones, and his mind had long been devoured.

But at this moment, he was exceptionally excited.

After the man took out the stone sculpture, his actions didn’t stop there. He lifted his large, foul-smelling black coat, and under the coat was a bulging, heavy object. Gu Shen’s pupils constricted. It was a bundle of old-fashioned explosives strapped to his body.

“To hell with the new era!” The man suddenly stood up, and his deeply sunken eyes reflected a scorching blaze. He lunged at Gu Shen and shouted, “Long live the Eternal Foundation!”