Suddenly, Li Xin had an idea. Could constantly releasing his Spiritual Ability be considered a method of elimination? 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The drunkard who left the archive room was still sighing, saying that the brothers had all misjudged. Although Li Yinxiao is young, he seems to be just as formidable as Tang Yinxiao. Suddenly, the drunkard's face changed, as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

The mark on Li Xin... suddenly faded, if it weren't for the close distance, it would have been almost undetectable.

In the archive room, Li Xin sensed a lingering strangeness on himself. It seemed that accelerating Spiritual Ability circulation had some effect, but it wasn't good enough. Of course, he figured this out by understanding how the ability worked and temporarily replicating it with dice. The murderer faced a much more difficult environment and reaction.

Could it be the Gourmet?

The Gourmet and the Mask Maker, what kind of combination is this?

Li Xin continued looking through the files. Investigating a case requires patience; you eat a meal bite by bite. Today's gains were already substantial.

The investigators involved in the case, each had their own thoughts due to different encounters. Some of this information was useless, while some were useful. Often, there was an element of chance and a reliance on intuition.

Placing Old Tuo at the end was intentional, not because he couldn't get up early, but because his contact with the victims gave him a different perspective than others, so he needed to be placed last.

By now, the drunkard had gone downstairs. His perception completely vanished, feeling like he had bragged too much.

Meng Po was knitting a sweater and saw the drunkard looking dejected, "Why do you have that look? You didn't try to outsmart Li Yinxiao again, did you? Didn't I tell you, our Silver Owl may be young but he's quite capable."

The drunkard smiled bitterly, "How could I dare? Our Li Yinxiao is extraordinary, truly extraordinary. My decades of skills have failed me."

"What happened?"

The drunkard waved his hand, "If Old Tuo comes, let him go up. Remind him to say whatever he knows. Li Yinxiao might actually solve the case."

Meng Po looked bewildered. She knew her colleagues well, all of them seasoned in the Night Patrol, smiling on the surface but with eyes set higher than the head.

In the afternoon, Tang Chendan came to the archive room to get some files and saw Li Xin reading the materials.

"Li Yinxiao, why don't you read these types of files at the base?" Tang Chendan asked coldly.

"I don't really like reading things underground; it feels like being buried alive. I'll return the files once I'm done," said Li Xin.

Tang Chendan nodded, "Confidential files must not leave the premises; that's the rule."

"I know, but the upstairs is also part of the premises."

Tang Chendan's cold phoenix eyes rose, "I'm reminding you to be mindful of data security. This time it's materials, next time it might be something else. Work can't be done based on personal preferences."

Li Xin rubbed his nose with a wry smile, "I understand. Ah, where's Old Lu..."

Tang Chendan left without closing the door, leaving a chill behind. Li Xin was speechless. Does Lu Shuai have a masochistic tendency? This is like looking for abuse while in love.

Continuing to look at the files, with the insights provided by the previous people, the view seemed different. Apart from the remaining files, Meng Po categorized those that Li Xin found questionable.

However, solving a case is not just about aimless pondering. The Gourmet Association can be a starting point for understanding, and then see if there's any way to find the Secret Organization related to the Mask Maker. Secret Organizations have strict regulations, and other organizations only know the surface.

Around four in the afternoon, Old Tuo arrived. As soon as he entered, a strange mixed aroma hit the nostrils... slightly fading, showing that Old Tuo still cared.

"Old Tuo, here, take a seat," Li Xin said with a smile.

Yan Tuo sat on the chair, quietly looking at Li Xin. Li Xin felt that the person sitting opposite wasn't a human at all, lacking any life force, with a pale, stiff complexion and very blurred eyes. If it weren't for appearing in the Night Patrol, it seemed more like a critically ill patient.

"Old Tuo, Meng Po told you, right? Mainly, I want to chat with everyone to facilitate the investigation later," Li Xin said.

"Li Yinxiao, ask away," Yan Tuo said, with a heavy accent.

"Old Tuo, you have interacted with the victims' bodies the most. The files say the victims were skinned alive in a short time. From your professional perspective, how could it be done quickly? What condition were the victims in, did they resist?" Li Xin asked.

Old Tuo's cloudy eyes showed a glimmer, "No resistance. To put it accurately, there was no fierce resistance. The body should have been in a paralyzed state, but perception was enhanced, so it was extremely painful to watch their skin being peeled off. The murderer started from the neck, going downward..."

Old Tuo gestured as he spoke, "Then pulled down, next are the limbs, followed by the head, finally a flip, completed in one go, the skin peeled off, and the victim wouldn't die immediately."

"Is this method from a vintage Mask Maker?" Li Xin felt a bit nauseous.

Old Tuo nodded, "Very professional."

"Were all the victims the same, were there any changes in the method, any particularly noteworthy situations?" Li Xin asked.

"The techniques aren't one hundred percent consistent, so it's uncertain if it's the same person, but they are all proficient Mask Makers."

"Is such a level high, are there many people with this skill?"

"There shouldn't be many. Vintage Mask Makers with such skills are rare," Yan Tuo said, and once the case was discussed, he became very focused, speaking more fluently.

"Any noteworthy points?" Li Xin, feeling the other party's good state, asked.

Yan Tuo was silent for a moment, "Most victims were skinned in extreme agony, while a few were in extreme euphoria."

Li Xin's pupils contracted, "You can distinguish that?"

Sensing Li Xin's disbelief, Yan Tuo's eyes darkened, "Although the body is dead, it can still express a lot of information, and the eyes are still present, making it easy to judge."

"How could the victims be in extreme joy in such a situation?" Li Xin asked.

"Hallucinations, Magic Potion, but no matter which, a considerable level is required," Yan Tuo said, after thinking, "especially when the victim is Awakened, Spiritual Ability would have a doubling effect."

Li Xin knew that ordinary Hidden Powers couldn't achieve this. Extreme pain would shatter illusions or directly cause death, but since this hadn't happened, it meant the murderer's choice was very selective. The Mask Maker must choose excellent skins, implying vigorous Life Force, as only thriving vitality yields good skin.

"Old Tuo, I want to see the bodies, are there any preserved, do we have any here?" Li Xin asked.

Yan Tuo was slightly taken aback, "Generally, any bodies related to this case are destroyed immediately after post-mortem and filing."

Li Xin was stunned, "Isn't that inappropriate?"