The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 607 - 346: The Process of Elimination
Huo Mingzhu saw Situ Qing, and naturally also saw the beautiful Butterfly Demon he was holding, a sudden brightness appearing in her eyes.
Ru Ji shivered intensely. The look in Huo Mingzhu’s eyes, filled with interest, was actually more frightening than Situ Qing’s. But Situ Qing, upon entering the courtyard, turned and headed straight for the west wing without ever noticing this woman’s gaze. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
After he entered the west wing, he tossed Ru Ji onto the bed and snapped his fingers, igniting the incense placed beside the bed on its own. The courtesans of Shuize Garden only sold their artistic talents, so Ru Ji had few patrons in her chamber. He wasn’t foolish; Ru Ji’s eyes had always been tender and affectionate towards Miluo. Now that he was bringing her back, he didn’t know how long it would take to develop feelings before making a move. With the scent of this incense, it would be convenient to act and to circulate the cultivation techniques of the Yin Yang Sect.
He had no patience to wait.
Outside the room, Huo Mingzhu dismissed the maids, stood under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard, and concentrated on listening to the movements inside the west wing. Situ Qing didn’t set up a Barrier while he was working, so she could hear everything crystal clear. As the Right Protector of the Yin Yang Sect and a veteran among the romantic, Huo Mingzhu’s face grew redder as she listened, yet a cold smile hung on the corner of her mouth.
＝＝＝
Within the God Demon Prison.
She had already dispelled the chill of the Demon Transformation Spring, yet she suddenly couldn’t help but shiver again.
Changtian curiously asked, "What’s wrong with you?"
She angrily said, "Remembering the gaze of that Yin Yang Sect man, I feel utterly nauseated." She wanted to take a bath, to scrub her skin until it turned red, to see if she could scrub away that sticky and uncomfortable feeling.
Changtian wrapped his arms around hers and tightened his hold involuntarily, only to hear her continue, "Just one look from that man makes me sick to my stomach, but tonight Ru Ji will have to accompany him... Such a fragile beauty, Miluo really is willing to let her go."
"Great achievements are not bothered by trifles. That little Butterfly Demon is nothing more than a pawn in his hands, what’s there to treasure?" Changtian said in a low voice, "Miluo is a man with ruthless nature; you should beware of him in the future, keep your distance." Luckily, Tu Jin and Qi Zai were on the lookout outside, otherwise how could he rest assured letting Miluo get close to her?
She nodded slightly. The chill and pity in her heart were something that neither Changtian nor Miluo could understand. Having been Great Demons holding the power of life and death for so long, they could not empathize with the modern Human’s compassion and sense of injustice for the weak. She clearly saw affection for Miluo in Ru Ji’s eyes, yet she was forced to set a trap for Miluo; Miluo, fully aware of her feelings, was willing to hand her over to Yin Yang Sect’s Situ Qing in order to deal with the Plague Demon.
This world showed not the slightest sympathy for the weak. She couldn’t help but shudder again.
Changtian frowned and said, "Put down your worries for now, why don’t you use the Insight Heart Method? I will be the first to seek out Situ Qing’s bad luck to avenge you, how about that?" After speaking, he lightly nibbled on her snow-white neck, bringing the tickle of a feather’s touch, and gently kissed his way down.
She couldn’t help but straighten her back and protested weakly, "What are you doing?"
"Every place he glared at, I’ll kiss it all, then you won’t feel bad," he said vaguely with his mouth.
Amazingly, he managed to say it so confidently as if it was perfectly justified. She should have resisted with all her might, yet she felt too weak to muster any strength.
After a while, she suddenly screamed, "No, that’s wrong, let go! He hadn’t glared at this place, had he?"
"Had he not?" He feigned sudden realization, "It doesn’t matter, prevention comes first."
...
After a good while of fooling around, she finally lay limp in his arms. This impromptu tactic by that soulless fellow was actually effective; she truly didn’t feel uncomfortable anymore.
She played with the corner of his black robe, softly asking, "Do you think Miluo’s plan this time will succeed?"
"He has an 80% chance of success," Changtian said as he stroked her hair, which was as smooth as silk, "The difficulty lies in accurately identifying the Plague Demon, as no one has seen its true face before. If it can be correctly recognized, with the power Miluo has at hand, capturing it shouldn’t pose much of a problem. If the Plague Demon really has been sealed in that underground palace, its current strength should be much weaker than it was ten thousand years ago."
What she most wanted to know tonight, in the Crystal Room, was how Miluo would accurately identify, from among the more than a million people in Chiming City, the individual responsible for unleashing the plague. This great city, where demons, cultivators, and mortals coexist, has spiritual energy and demon energy flying everywhere. Whoever that person is, taking refuge in Chiming City is a wise move.
They didn’t even know the other party’s appearance, age, or gender, so how could they go about the arrest?
To select the suspects from a population of a million, they would certainly use a process of elimination. The Plague Demon most likely arrived in Chiming City no more than a month ago, so Miluo pulled out the records of everyone who had passed through the city gates in that month.
"In the past month, the five city gates have admitted a total of 311 merchant teams, and including individual visitors, the total number of people who entered the city is 109,700."
Alright, the target group has suddenly narrowed from a million to just under 110,000 people, significantly reducing the scope. But the clever ones know that the further you go, the harder it is to find the exclusion criteria.
It’s worth mentioning that due to the complex identities of Chiming City’s residents, and in order to facilitate management, each of the five city gates is equipped with recording artifacts capable of documenting the appearance, aura, and cultivation level of everyone who enters. These are special magic artifacts procured at great expense from Artifact Refining Masters. Otherwise, how would order be maintained in the city once these Immortal Masters commit crimes and kill indiscriminately after entering the city? Those with Divine Skills might change their appearance, but the unique aura of each person cannot be changed.
"Of these 110,000 people, 72,200 were those who entered the city and then left within a month, such as merchants procuring goods. So by considering only those who stayed, the scope further narrows to 39,480 people."
"The information I have shows that the Plague Demon favors luxury and despises labor, and prefers a damp environment. Therefore, after entering the city and needing to stay for a considerable amount of time, it would not choose an inn."
Inns, being places where anyone can enter, have historically been the most restricted and regulated. Haven’t you seen that in Huaxia, whenever there’s a crackdown, hotels and guesthouses are the first to be inspected? Naturally, the Plague Demon wouldn’t want to be monitored and noticed either.
She nodded in understanding. These cunning creatures also have their particular temperaments and preferences, not as simple as humans might imagine.
"The most likely possibility is that it quickly purchased a residence after entering the city," Miluo paused, "or found an exceedingly comfortable place to stay."
She blinked, "What do you mean?"
"I mean, it either purchased a residence openly, or it sneaked into a wealthy family to hide. So, those who fit these two criteria come down to 2,100 people. The Plague Demon was known as a great despot during the Middle Ages, and as the saying goes, habitat shapes the spirit and lifestyle shapes the body. A person of such a realm has extremely high demands for their food, lodging, travel, and all other aspects of life, and would not debase themselves unless utterly desperate. The rest either stayed in inns or are ordinary people visiting relatives, whose living conditions can’t meet its standards. So, they are excluded."
She could comprehend that, as someone who, despite her lack of power and influence, was close to reaching the Mid Wanxiang Stage and had always ensured she was well-provided for in every aspect of her journey. And for a giant demon like Miluo, there are standards for every meal, and careful consideration goes into the entourage, mounts, and grandeur each time he goes out. Even if the Plague Demon wished to lie low, it’s absolutely impossible that it would debase itself by doing a commoner’s job.
Great, now the target is narrowed down to 2,100 people. What comes next?
"It’s a giant demon and wouldn’t likely stoop to doing odd jobs or gatekeeping for others, so among those who entered wealthy estates, we eliminate another 1,175 who sold themselves into servitude or were employed as laborers. Thus, the target range narrows even further to 925 people! Initially, we could have excluded pure mortals from here, but because the Plague Demon’s constitution is unknown, we still need to find other ways to eliminate options," Miluo said with a smile. "Now only 925 people are left. Among these, 216 bought properties on their own, most of whom are cultivators; 90 entered wealthy families through marriage; the rest returned to their family homes from afar."
The Plague Demon could have fled anywhere but chose to hide in Chiming City under Miluo’s rule – truly asking for misfortune. This person’s desire to control was too strong, wanting to have the entire city in his grasp and not miss any slight movement. "What method will we use to further narrow down the selection?"
"Do you remember what I said just now, that the Plague Demon enjoys a cold and damp environment?" Upon seeing her nod, "Chiming City is located in the Northwest, with long days and short nights, and the daytime is very hot. Many of the city’s wealthy enjoy using glaze, even constructing their rooftops directly out of it to let the sunlight directly stream inside, bright and clear. But such a living environment is definitely not to the Plague Demon’s liking, so we eliminate another 410 candidates."
"That leaves 514 people," she couldn’t help but say. Now, she didn’t know how to screen the remaining individuals. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
