Jiang Wu sending such an official letter should be a signal. He guessed it was the effect of two secret materials. He didn’t think too much about the matter; curing Tang Gao was worth all this effort. Heroes bleed so that their descendants won’t have to shed tears.

Typing letters felt even more motivated, after all, it’s a formal job; once busy, there might be no time for part-time work.

Xueyin, writing homework in the living room, pouted her lips, feeling a bit absent-minded. She was about to become an apprentice, so why should she still be doing homework?

In the next room, the clatter and clacking sounded, as if Ah Xin were typing like he was shelling beans. How could this produce anything?

Could it be that the Night Patrol didn’t want him anymore, and he’s just pretending at home?

Knock knock knock...

"What’s up?" Li Xin had to interrupt his thoughts, as the Night Owl still managed to disrupt his train of thought. He looked at Xueyin who peered around the door with a small head.

"Ah~ Xin~, I’m thirsty."

"Drink water, there’s some in the kitchen."

"I want something tasty, not just water."

"Speak properly. I still have things to do. Have some water for now..."

Five minutes later, Xueyin rode on Li Xin to go buy something nice to drink.

Somehow, they ended up wandering around the market, buying a bunch of random stuff.

The weather in Dragon Capital was getting colder.

Early Monday morning, Li Xin donned a clean, tidy Night Patrol uniform and headed to Shadow Owl. It was still early, so Li Xin stuck to his plan to strengthen his body.

The streets of Dragon Capital weren’t as clean as Hedan’s, but the chilly morning was bustling with people. The working individuals were already busy, and the clear voices of newsboys hawking their papers made the city lively.

"Paper for sale, paper for sale, today’s Citizen Daily has a bombshell, who will win the beauty pageant in Li Dragon, three per copy, five for two, don’t miss it!"

"Paper for sale, paper for sale, full participation from all major Canon Law Schools, Miss Isaiah currently leads!" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Paper for sale, paper for sale, get a glimpse of stunning beauties, rare opportunity..."

...

At the Isaiah family residence, Patir was up early, and the maids had arranged a sumptuous breakfast with a copy of the Hex City Daily on the table.

The maids knew the young lady’s temperament well, caring for every detail meticulously. But today, her mood was particularly good.

Patir finally couldn’t hold back and joined the beauty pageant over the weekend, resisting the urge to use her family’s influence. She just wanted to see her own strength; seeing her photo ranked first made her heart surge with excitement.

She was confident in her appearance but didn’t want to hear perfunctory compliments. She yearned for genuine acknowledgment — her talent and beauty coexisting were the theme of this beauty pageant.

"Let women stand in their own world and shine brightly."

Directly reaching Patir’s soul, she felt this competition was prepared for her; her desire and impulse even surpassed running for the Black Rose vice president. Since others weren’t participating, and considering the Celestial Principle School’s matter, she had to suppress it.

But seeing others enthusiastically participating, she couldn’t hold back ultimately. Now seeing her photo and introduction placed first, all those worries disappear.

Drinking coffee, a smile couldn’t help but appear on Patir’s lips. She loved it, under the sunshine, exuding the confident beauty of women. It’s a pity Hong Ban isn’t around, otherwise, he wouldn’t know how mesmerized he’d be.

The Citizen Daily gave Patir the top spot in its selections not only because she had the capability but also with the aim of increasing the quality of the beauty pageant by ensuring noble participation. Patir’s involvement was something even Lin Fei didn’t anticipate — it was like someone providing a pillow just as they wanted to sleep.

Li Xin didn’t buy a newspaper, not because it’s expensive, but because such things were relics discarded by the era in his past life.

Arriving at Shadow Owl, it was rare not to see Meng Po at the entrance, feeling a bit unaccustomed for a moment.

On the second floor, a unique perfume scent wafted in. The members of Shadow Owl were already in the meeting room. Jiang Wu saw Li Xin and waved, "You’re here. We’ve been waiting for you."

"Captain, I’m not late, right?" Li Xin calculated the time; he should have arrived ten minutes early.

"No, we were early." Jiang Wu laughed, "Have a seat. Let’s start the meeting now."

Li Xin sat in the empty seat to Jiang Wu’s right, opposite Tang Yinxiao. Tang Yinxiao maintained his aloof demeanor as if keeping people a thousand miles away, but nodded slightly upon making eye contact.

Meng Po, Uncle Tuo, Snake Skin, Broken Gong, and the Drunkard, the five Copper Owls, had also gathered, and for once weren’t their usual nonchalant selves.

"Li Yinxiao is here, today’s meeting officially begins. The first agenda item is the closure of case 785, which Li Yinxiao was responsible for. Lord Metropolitan gave high praise, and it’s considered our Shadow Owl’s best performance in recent times. Let’s applaud." Jiang Wu said, leading the applause as Meng Po and others followed suit.

Li Xin smiled and stood up, "Thanks to Sister Meng for providing materials that helped greatly. The case had already been largely investigated; I just caught the break."

"Good work is good work, no need to be so modest, it sounds insincere." Tang Yinxiao said indifferently, "We’re on the same team now, no need for formalities."

Li Xin was speechless, it seemed the Captain started the courtesy, why not retort him?

Li Xin sat down, and Jiang Wu’s expression became serious, "In Li Yinxiao’s files, his specialty is solving complex cases. Meng Po, introduce Li Yinxiao to the stressful case that’s been bothering us — Little Flayer."

When Jiang Wu mentioned Little Flayer, Li Xin clearly felt the room’s atmosphere grow somber, and Tang Yinxiao’s face turned even colder.

Meng Po caressed the half-knitted sweater in her hand, "Li Yinxiao, Little Flayer is one of the significant cases affecting Dragon Capital in the past decade. The earliest emergence was a decade ago, victims were Awakened, some even experts, and their entire skin was skinned alive. These appeared sporadically afterward, with over a hundred victims now. The murderer was never caught over these years. The turning point came six years ago when the case was reported in Hex Justice Daily, causing city-wide panic. Grand Governor Ye Shidao ordered a full investigation, demanding the killer be caught within a month. The Church Court, Night Patrol, Knight Order, and City Guard joined forces for a city-wide hunt. Fortunately, near the end of the month, the killer was caught, along with solving many other cases. Due to excessive rumors, the situation became so severe that citizens dared not venture out at night. The killer was publicly executed, and the city celebrated, but we rejoiced too early. Six months later, the killer struck again, sporadically until now. There have been eight cases this year, with the most recent occurring last month." Meng Po explained.

Li Xin listened intently, digesting the case’s details, while the others looked at Li Xin.

"Is there a connection between case 785 and Little Flayer?" Li Xin asked.