Era of Magic and Martial Arts-Chapter 354 - 338: Rumors Are the Best Shield, the One Who Should Be Afraid Is...

Chapter 354: Chapter 338: Rumors Are the Best Shield, the One Who Should Be Afraid Is...

Dong Ping’s spitting curses held a wealth of information, provoking much thought. Several young people, brimming with curiosity, instinctively perked up their ears.

One in particular boldly asked directly, "Chief Constable, is there a dead body inside, and is ’Mask’ the code name for the killer?"

Dong Ping glared at the person angrily, his tone extremely rude, "Don’t ask about things you shouldn’t!"

After speaking, Dong Ping, seemingly not reassured, responsibly reminded the young people:

"You probably live around here, don’t you? Remember, try not to go out at night recently. Don’t wander around outside. If you hear or see anything suspicious, don’t rashly approach it. Curiosity can kill, understand?"

None of the young people took Dong Ping’s well-intentioned words to heart. At their age, fearlessness is common, and the more they’re told not to do something, the more they want to do it.

They all nodded perfunctorily, their eyes glancing past Dong Ping and peeking beyond the police line, looking as if they wished they could pluck out their eyeballs and throw them inside.

Sure enough, their efforts paid off. They faintly saw a constable not far away making a phone call, seemingly reporting the case to the station.

Amid the fragmented conversation, the young people vaguely caught some snippets.

"Yes, there’s a backpack with stationery at the scene, inside there’s a student’s ID, confirming the victim’s identity."

"The body has been confirmed, limbs twisted and fractured, facial skin missing, consistent with ’Mask’s’ method."

"This is the sixth case, I understand, I will definitely lead the brothers to expedite...."

These scattered sentences acted like puzzle pieces, helping the young people sketch out a terrible serial murder case in their minds.

Dong Ping watched the young people eagerly peeking over, their faces showing excitement, the corners of his mouth curling into a faint sneer.

minutes later.

Several slow-moving blue and white cars parked at the intersection, the red and blue lights on the bodies flashing in the night, reflecting the growing crowd outside the police line.

The crowd gathered outside the police line, whispers rising and falling.

Among them, a few young people who seemed to know something about the case were enthusiastically exaggerating and dramatizing the course of events, their tone full of exaggeration and embellishment, making it sound like they had witnessed the killer’s actions firsthand.

As time passed, finally, with the escort of several constables, a stretcher covered with a white sheet was carefully carried out from inside the police line.

Suddenly, a gust of night wind blew, lifting a corner of the covering white cloth.

Suddenly, a night wind passed, silently lifting a corner of the white cloth, instantly exposing a chillingly horrific scene to everyone’s eyes:

Limbs twisted like pretzels, stark white bones intertwined with blood-red flesh, and the face was even more horrifying, skin completely gone, leaving only a thin layer of flesh clinging to the facial bones, a pair of bulging eyes staring in death.

Every person who looked felt as if those venomous, fierce eyes were looking right at them, immediately feeling a chill surging from the soles to the spine, as if an invisible hand was tightly clutching their throats, leaving them dry.

However, amidst this infectious fear, two or three young people appeared, their voices although trembling with fear, expressed more a sense of complacent excitement.

"See, I was right, the skin of the deceased’s face was completely ripped off and taken by the killer, this is the signature trait of the serial killer ’Mask’."

"Indeed, the limbs were also brutally twisted, shh — it’s terrifying to even imagine."

"Hmm, this isn’t the first one. I’ll tell you secretly, someone in my family works at the Patrol Office, he told me that recently, ’Mask’ has committed six consecutive murders, and all the victims were students...."

Terrifying and suspenseful deaths induce fear, anger, sympathy, even tears, but ultimately, they become gossip for most during meals and tea, becoming stories bragged or gossiped about.

Inside the blue and white car.

Feng Ju looked through the window at the corpse exposed by the wind-lifted white cloth, then glanced at the distant crowd, before slowly withdrawing his gaze.

Bang—

The car door closed, and Dong Ping got into the car.

"All set?"

"Set, I reckon by tomorrow morning when the lights in Upper City switch on, word will have spread about a serial killer nicknamed ’Mask’ rampaging, peeling and killing."

"It’s good if it spreads, once it spreads, we can accelerate the verification process, rumors are our best shield."

Dong Ping showed a trace of worry and continued:

"It’s good, but if ’Mask’ continues, then our Patrol Office will again be cursed as useless."

Feng Ju smiled nonchalantly, responding:

"They’ll only curse us as incompetent, but won’t suspect us. The fiercer they curse, the more it shows they believe our Patrol Office is clean.

Let them curse, it’s no matter, anyway, we won’t lose a hair, as long as we’re not suspected, other pressures our special agents can block for us."

Dong Ping gently nodded, showing deep admiration for Feng Ju.

He secretly praised in his heart:

"Who would have thought, Li Shang dreaded troublesome things, yet Captain Feng can handle them so transparently and deftly, proving Captain Feng’s ability far exceeds Li Shang’s, the vacant position of Commissioner at the Patrol Office rightfully belongs to Captain Feng."

Dong Ping grinned, feeling extremely thrilled for having chosen the right captain, filling him with confidence and hope for the future, and said with a grin:

"At this rate, in less than a week, we’ll be able to verify everyone on the list one by one, and root out ’Mask’s’ true identity."

Feng Ju’s expression grew stern, and he solemnly instructed:

"Tell all the brothers, from now on, we must stay vigilant, and be twice as careful.

As the list narrows, I have a strong premonition that we will soon clash with the real ’Mask’, and remember, ’Mask’ won’t be as easily subdued as those foolish students."

Dong Ping’s passion seemed doused by a cold bucket, feeling a dull pain where his shoulder met his prosthetic arm, the pain reminding him of that night’s horror.

Feng Ju keenly sensed Dong Ping’s anxiety and unease, he gently raised his black hand, touching Dong Ping’s silver hand, black and silver meeting producing the unique hardness of metal sound.

"Don’t be afraid, this time, all the brothers are reborn, it’s ’Mask’ who should be afraid, I promise we’ll crush ’Mask’s’ bones one by one."

The cold, chilly voice echoed within the blue and white car....