Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1353 - 193: The Disappearance of Rift Valley Town
Lu Li walked out of the arena.
The scorching wind and sand blew across the street littered with demon corpses.
Ignoring any potentially surviving demons for the moment, Lu Li continued deeper into Rift Valley Town, heading for the mayor’s mansion.
Along the way, he did spot some demon figures, but they dared not approach. Arriving at the volcanic rock building that was better preserved than others in the town yet still resembled a slum.
The demons here somehow learned of Mayor Barto’s death and were looting the mansion for its wealth. However, they did not know that Barto had fallen to the soul before them. And when they dropped their loot to attack Lu Li, their tragic fate was sealed.
Crash—
The fallen demons dropped treasures all over the ground.
Lu Li glanced over the gold and silver utensils or sparkling gems, bending down to pick up a staff hidden among them.
It was not conspicuous among the heap of gold and jewels, but it was more striking than all treasures: an oak-crafted staff.
Picking up the staff, Lu Li confirmed it was indeed not a shoddy imitation from hell, but genuine oak wood that would evoke sadness from the Speaker of the Trees.
There are no plants in hell; was this staff brought from the surface?
Leaving behind a pile of corpses and gold and gems, Lu Li took only the staff and continued deeper into the mansion. The demons encountered there, whether attacking or fleeing, were dealt with by Lu Li—Barto’s legacy was his.
Two low-level demons hid greedily in the shadows, waiting for Lu Li to approach, but before they could ambush him, a surreal dream swept over their bodies, hundreds of souls surged in, and Lu Li realized they had found Barto’s soul stash.
Following the traces they left behind, Lu Li arrived at a dark staircase winding downwards into the earth.
Lu Li stepped in, maintaining his Dreamwalker state, but there were no blight nor demons on the staircase in this part of hell.
Descending the stairs led to a cave, where a magma pool with its churning viscous lava brightly illuminated the cave, but it had been ransacked, with the precious metals and gems gone, leaving only an Advanced Demon specimen hanging on the rock wall as a trophy.
A low-level demon, as thin as an Inferior Demon, was struggling to drag a treasure chest, then turned its attention from the unknown treasure to the true treasure as Lu Li arrived—
The corpse of the low-level demon tumbled out of the dream.
Lu Li approached the treasure chest, and a pair of slender, white, illusory arms appeared in the glow, gently breaking the chest lock and opening the chest—
The gold indeed shimmered under the light source.
The phantasmal arms gently fiddled with the chest at Lu Li’s will, confirming that it only contained these before disappearing.
Searching Barto’s legacy was a waste of time but indeed rewarding, though Lu Li was not adept at treasure hunting and almost got attacked—
After dealing with the demons in the cave, Lu Li, opting for frugality, withdrew from his Dreamwalker state. However, upon picking up a demon mask, a hideous phantom lunged at his face, only to collide with a life force formed by fifty portions of humanity, vanishing into oblivion.
It’s like a bonfire becoming a furnace, accumulating enough humanity to produce a domain-like change, but only in hell, limited to non-corporeal beings.
Unfolding his Dreamwalker state, Lu Li picked up the demon mask again, but after the unexplainable attack, the mask seemed to lose its power, becoming merely a decorative item.
After a final glance at the cave, Lu Li temporarily gave up on this potential treasure trove, turning his attention to the residents on the surface.
Floating above Rift Valley Town, Lu Li gazed down at the ruinous, shabby town, noticing a vague silhouette swaying at the distant tavern entrance.
When Lu Li descended, the demon he had previously encountered was dragging a corpulent demon corpse. Fearing, it dropped the corpse, attempting to flee, and when thwarted again, it crawled on its limbs, pressing its head to the ground in submission: "Sir, you are now our new mayor..."
This should’ve been expected. To demons in the chaos faction, they only submit to the strong, and the one who killed Mayor Barto would also be the new mayor. However, Lu Li’s soul was beguiling, humanity igniting their chaos.
"I’m not your mayor."
Shivering, the demon listened as Lu Li continued, "But I can take you to another town."
Its fear did not lessen, thinking it would be eaten as food by demons from other towns, until Lu Li mentioned he came from Agate Lake Town.
"I know that place... when Old Barto was still mayor!"
Coincidentally, the demon Lu Li captured was an adherent of Old Barto—more inclined towards order than chaos driven purely by power.
And the demon informed him it had six or seven companions.
"Take me to them."
This demon led Lu Li to visit its companions. Despite some misunderstandings, like thinking Lu Li was a gift or attacking for other reasons, the situation was resolved perfectly—after Lu Li temporarily left to fetch Barto’s corpse from the arena.
These adherents of order provided more information about other companions. Due to the demon proudly holding Barto’s head, over a dozen demons chose to submit.
A goat-bodied demon disclosed what it last knew about a companion: "At this time, it’s in the tavern!"
"No need then."
That unfortunate demon was among the first batch Lu Li had killed.
And knowing the tavern’s current state, the demon holding Barto’s head remained silent.
Having them stay put temporarily, Lu Li with Barto’s head, spent a few minutes thoroughly clearing Rift Valley Town of any demons that neither fled far nor submitted, bringing back seven demons.
Lu Li called upon the Yong Demons, having them spread out through Rift Valley Town, gathering all corpses and valuables at the town entrance, prioritizing high-value items, and returning along the Rift Valley’s original route.
...
Beauty Lake Town was unusually lively.
It was due to the decision to relocate back to the small town of Beauty Lake and also because Lu Li returned with twenty demons.
As for whether the new residents comprising a third of Beauty Lake Town’s population would adhere to order, that was for Mayor Ruby to sort out.
Twenty demons, hundreds of pounds of gold, silver, and jewels, and the body of the Extinction Demon Barto returned 7,700 souls. Not a small amount, but not much either.
After all, this was almost all the wealth Rift Valley Town had.
"These could sell for more souls in other towns," Mayor Ruby even lamented for Lu Li.
"With the time wasted bringing them, I could earn more souls," Lu Li reminded Mayor Ruby, "They have been in contact with Barto’s relics."
"Of course, if anyone tries to sell any treasures, I’ll return them to you," Mayor Ruby promised.
"No need," Lu Li gently shook his head, for he was already far from Beauty Lake Town by then.
Outside the window, the streets were bustling with the migration. If Lu Li had only completed the commission itself and not eradicated the Fire Demon cluster, they wouldn’t be relocating.
In some sense, Mayor Ruby only spent 500 souls to resolve the Fire Demon cluster.
Is this the cunning of devils?
However, on the eve of parting, Mayor Ruby additionally gifted Lu Li a present.
A detailed and accurate map covering towns and large nests within several thousand miles around.
The mad lineage of demons is the true heritage of this Mayor of Beauty Lake Town.
