In the following days, Li Xin went to work and got off work on time. At Shadow Owl, he soaked in the archives. From Meng Po, he learned that Shadow Owl had been quite passive over these years due to "Little Flayer." Although they had solved many cases, they couldn’t make a comeback. Once the other party stopped committing crimes, it was like they disappeared into thin air, and despite Night Patrol’s efforts, they found nothing new. When Little Flayer reappeared, Shadow Owl’s life became difficult, causing chaos among the entire Night Patrol. On this case, other Night Patrol brigades would also cooperate with Shadow Owl, sharing both glory and loss.

The files contained information about the victims. Night Patrol wanted to find some clues or commonalities, but this was different from the situation with Hedan. The victims were of all types, not limited to Beijing people, but including Saxon people and even immigrants from other countries, men, women, the elderly, and children. The only commonality was that they were all Awakened. Some were disciples of the Hundred Martial Hall, some were connected with the Secret Organization, and others had no known affiliations or hadn’t revealed their hidden identities yet.

According to eyewitness reports and the few times Night Patrol glimpsed the figure from behind, there was one common factor: the perpetrator was just under 1.5 meters tall, quite stocky, extremely agile, and very skilled in flaying, able to complete it in a short time.

The sound of the rattle-drum was another inevitable presence. A few eyewitnesses were bystanders, entirely drawn to the scene by the strange sound of the rattle-drum, which was peculiar and carried a certain allure. Even when the Little Flayer case was exposed, people would still be attracted to this eerie and chilling sound, even overcoming their inner fear.

This implied that the rattle-drum must be a Secret Item.

In terms of both size and the rattle-drum, Night Patrol expended a lot of manpower and resources but achieved nothing, as a figure of this size should stand out, and even in populous Celestial Capital, it would be hard to remain unnoticed.

Li Xin instinctively thought of the clown from the circus, as the figure was somewhat similar, and the moves were very nimble. However, what he could think of, others in Night Patrol were not fools; they had already investigated it, with relevant files. Apart from the timeline not matching, there was an alibi, and besides, the killer wouldn’t be that stupid.

Regarding the short stature of the perpetrator, Li Xin used the dice to determine, but the dice spun without giving a clear judgment, suggesting insufficient information or other influences. Although it seemed there was no determination, it was a judgment in itself, raising doubts about the short stature, which aligned with Night Patrol’s internal assessment.

Li Xin’s train of thought was to first find the perpetrator’s motive. Unless they were entirely insane, there had to be a motive. Regarding "flaying human skin," Night Patrol’s judgment was "suit," belonging to a retro Mask Maker. These Mask Makers worshiped an Old God, the Masked King, a brutal Old God. It was said that anyone He fancied would be flayed by Him and then live under the skin as the victim for a period of time.

During Ragnarok, the Masked King fell, forcing the Awakened on the Mask Maker path to rely on the New God’s path, and simultaneously, they underwent changes, no longer depending on flaying human skin. Of course, since their path was severed, such Awakened found it very difficult to advance to Angel, basically becoming tools in the hidden world.

It’s a pity Dalivin isn’t here. His Mask Maker cultivation wasn’t low, and he should have a deeper understanding of this path. However, it’s fine, with Mr. Cancer here, there’s still hope.

Li Xin thought Night Patrol’s judgment was a thought direction. During this period, he used the dice to determine that the killer flayed to make suits.

The result was a six, implying it was related to suits, but the suits were clearly not the final purpose.

Regarding this, he could ask Sister Kathy over the weekend for her opinion on this case, possibly getting a different perspective.

Li Xin thought he could inquire about the rattle-drum through other channels, as it was a typical Beijing Secret Item. If extremely powerful and unique, the Moon God’s Court, as outsiders, might not be aware, so he should ask Mr. Cancer.

Another doubt without much basis was the Song of Hell. They have singers and apostles in every country. During Prince Oliver’s incident in Hedan, the Song of Hell likely made a great fortune. From the Dragon Mother, it seemed things weren’t that simple. From seizing the Hex Core in Celestial Capital to Hedan’s Artificial Humans, the layout was vast, with a long time axis, along with the Archbishop’s Original Embryo, the appearance of Fake Embryo, and that "creator." All these pieces made him feel Oliver was just an unlucky scapegoat.

Curiosity also drove Li Xin to use the dice to determine if there was any connection between Little Flayer and the Song of Hell. However, just as he was about to roll the dice, a strong sense of danger surged in, his chest felt as though pierced by needles, and Li Xin immediately halted the determination.

The consensus from Old Fang and Meng Po was not to directly predict those powerful beings. If oneself was weak, they might be overlooked, but if inherently strong, such prediction could lead to backlash and marking, with the accuracy of marking also gradually increasing with contact.

With the activation of the Life Star in the dice and the enhancement of Hidden Power, Li Xin became more mindful of this. The fact the dice was so vigilant suggested there was certainly a Deity behind the Song of Hell. Perhaps he had unconsciously attracted their attention, thus causing the dice to react so sensitively.

In the evening, at the right time, Li Xin packed up his things. Later on, Meng Po would return the files to the basement, and he could get off work. Just as he reached the hallway, he heard the enthusiastic voice of Lu Shuai. Lu Shuai and Tang Yinxiao walked side by side. Seeing Li Xin, Lu Shuai smiled, "Brother Li, you’re so dedicated, not off work yet. By the way, you need to go to the academy and show your face from time to time, the principal asked."

"I’ve been busy with the case these days. Could you deal with it for me?" Li Xin said. The files weren’t finished yet, and he’d need to work for a while, as running back and forth would be distracting.

"I’m busy too these days; handle this small matter yourself." Lu Shuai glanced at Tang Chendan and laughed.

Li Xin looked at Lu Shuai, who seemed like a husky, "You can’t forget your brothers just because you’re chasing a girl."

Originally just wanting to be a quiet observer, Tang Chendan immediately frowned and coldly said, "Li Yinxiao, Mr. Lu is merely fulfilling the obligation and responsibility of a North District councilor." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"Miss Tang, don’t listen to his nonsense. I’m not that familiar with him. Let’s go upstairs and review today’s investigation. I have some new ideas," Lu Shuai said, wisdom gleaming in his eyes.

Li Xin had no choice but to go downstairs. Meng Po was peacefully knitting at the door, and Tang Gao was quietly playing with blocks. Lu Shuai had been coming every day these days, going with Tang Chendan to investigate cases. Since the coal mine demonstrated the influence of the Grand Governor to the public, both Tang Chendan and Lu Shuai had undergone some changes. With Lu Shuai around, Tang Chendan found handling cases much easier, and Lu Shuai wasn’t a brainless playboy; he could offer suggestions and handle municipal personnel interactions smoothly, saving Tang Chendan a lot of trouble. Besides, with a beauty accompanying him, Lu Shuai was experiencing for the first time his own influence and charm.