When the doctor died, the spear was pulled back by an invisible force, retracing its trajectory.
Ji Xun cautiously retreated to the edge of the floor, thinking, "Have I become the mantis stalked by the oriole?"
Seeing the three figures not jumping down to fight, he didn't immediately leap into the abyss.
These three mysterious figures were probably not drawn by the explosion but had been following the doctor all along.
Moreover, they had heavily injured this ancient cultist with a single move and possessed a tier-three artifact, indicating a level of strength he couldn't comprehend.
This was not good news for Ji Xun.
Before he could speculate further, the burly figure holding the spear, whose features were obscured, seemed to fear Ji Xun jumping down. He didn't make any suspicious moves and even spoke first: "Friend, don't misunderstand. We mean you no harm."
He introduced himself: "We are investigators from the Federal X Bureau, chasing this Silver Moon cult member."
X Bureau?
Ji Xun had heard about it from Chu Jiu.
But to him, the authenticity of this identity was irrelevant.
He didn't jump because he was curious about the three's identities.
He wanted to see if there was still a chance to claim the spoils.
The man, seemingly perceptive, glanced at the body and then said calmly, "We originally intended to capture him alive, but since you killed him, we'll let it go."
Ancient cultists had the imprint of divine faith and weren't of much interrogation value.
This statement was merely to establish a proactive stance.
"..."
Ji Xun still didn't speak, understanding implicitly: Was that spear thrust meant to leave him alive?
Yet without making a move, he couldn't figure out the three's intentions.
The man didn't waste time and directly asked, "I want to ask, was the lead in the Redwood district provided by you?"
His tone was polite.
Hearing this, Ji Xun's expression changed slightly: What does this mean?
But after a moment of thought, he admitted, "Yes."
There was no point in hiding it.
The other party had tracked him here and had an artifact that countered healing, indicating they knew a lot.
Since they didn't immediately act, there was room for negotiation.
Hearing this, the man wasn't surprised and said, "How about a deal?"
Before Ji Xun could respond, he continued, "You give me all the information you have about the Silver Moon cult. In exchange, you get all the storage rings on the body."
Xie Guozhong and his team had followed primarily to gather intelligence on the Silver Moon cult.
Now, it seemed they had a better choice.
A person who had plotted the destruction of three Silver Moon hideouts!
...
Hearing this, Ji Xun's eyes narrowed slightly.
The man seemed very perceptive, realizing that Ji Xun hadn't fled immediately because he wanted the items on the body.
Hence, the offer.
If it were any other condition, Ji Xun might not have anything of equal value to offer.
But... information?
Ji Xun felt this was strange.
He guessed the man valued information over spoils.
Or perhaps they wanted both?
Ji Xun tested the waters by asking, "Deal?"
The man responded firmly, "Deal."
Knowing the advantage was not his, Ji Xun didn't waste words and said directly, "I discovered a four-pillar sacrificial ritual of the old god cult in a ruin. The moon appeared these days, and I knew there was a ritual point at 17 Tailor Street, so I inferred the other three hideouts..."
There was nothing to hide.
It was almost all in the report anyway.
Ji Xun detailed the four-pillar ritual but didn't provide more than the three expected.
After finishing, the man was clearly surprised, asking, "Is that all?"
Ji Xun: "That's all."
That was all he knew.
He had just learned the name "Silver Moon cult."
The man likely thought he provided detailed inside information.
This answer seemed to disappoint them.
Ji Xun expected the man to back out.
Unexpectedly, the man laughed heartily, as if mocking his miscalculation but showing no sign of reneging.
Ji Xun watched him closely, noting their body language and the surroundings.
He had said all he could. If they had other motives, now was the time to show them.
To his surprise, the man kept his word, saying firmly, "Alright! The body is yours."
Turning to leave, he added, "If you have any more information about ancient cults, avoid Jinxiang Security Company. Go to the Train Tavern and tell the bartender 'Old Xie' sent you. I'll pay for the information."
Just like this time.
Ji Xun responded, "Okay!"
With that, the three figures turned and disappeared.
Ji Xun watched, slightly taken aback.
Although these three casually wielded a tier-three artifact, indicating they were from the wealthiest echelons, they really left without a second glance?
...
The three walked away.
Xie Guozhong remarked, "Haha, we thought it was at least a tier-one spell card master, but it turned out to be an apprentice. Impressive! An apprentice nearly killed a tier-two 'Plague Doctor' Black Forest."
Hearing this, Assistant Ah Wen, feeling indignant, asked, "Captain, are we just leaving?"
Xie Guozhong nonchalantly replied, "What else?"
Ah Wen frowned, "I mean, that guy is also very suspicious..."
Xie Guozhong interrupted, "There are tens of thousands of suspicious people in Sin City, should we arrest them all?"
Ah Wen: "But he knows the Silver Moon cult's secrets, maybe more."
Xie Guozhong smiled, "Didn't he just tell us?"
Ah Wen wanted to argue, "But..."
Xie Guozhong asked three questions in a row.
"Is he our enemy?"
"No."
"Is he an ancient cultist?"
"Apparently not."
"Then why arrest him? We're the most authoritative law enforcement agency, not a gang or those corrupted by power. If we can't enforce the law fairly, what's the point of the law, and how do we maintain order?"
"..."
Though it made sense, hearing her captain's righteous words, the two assistants found it unbelievable.
Mushroom Head, wide-eyed, skeptically asked, "Captain, isn't your professional sequence 'Square-6-Outlaw'? You don't usually follow the rules..."
Otherwise, he wouldn't have bet the "evidence."
Xie Guozhong, used to this, seriously said, "Chaos is a kind of order. And we're acting according to the law. The Federal law... which article again?"
Mushroom Head filled in, "Federal Law Enforcement Code Article 177: 'Innocent until proven guilty. Law enforcers must not use excessive force without clear and conclusive evidence of the suspect's crime...'"
"Yes, that one."
Xie Guozhong nodded and said, "Moreover, that guy only knows so much. Why go through all this trouble?"
Mushroom Head had already figured it out—the captain just didn't want to bother.
Ah Wen was still not convinced. "But Captain, what if he's lying to us? I mean, what if he's deliberately hiding some information..."
"Some people, you can tell at a glance, disdain to lie. The more arrogant a person is, the more this is true."
Xie Guozhong shook his head and didn't explain further, striding ahead.
Ah Wen still looked puzzled but said nothing more.
At this moment, Mushroom Head also spoke up, "Captain, didn't you say that guy took something from the sacrificial site? Shouldn't we check it out?"
Xie Guozhong had a look of doing the least work possible. "There are plenty of treasures in the world. The headquarters' warehouse is full of ancient relics and cataclysmic items. Haven't you seen enough? If you need something, just file a report and get it. Since he's not an old believer, it doesn't matter what he took. And since he's daring enough to target it, he must be able to contain it. It saves us the trouble of finding something and writing a lengthy containment report explaining where it came from..."
Ancient relics and cataclysmic items that others would kill for were just tools to the X Bureau.
If you can use it, the Bureau will approve it with a report.
The two assistants listened in shock, finding it unbelievable: The ace old agent of the Bureau was actually passing on experience about slacking off?
Xie Guozhong added, "Besides, didn't I tell him 'a word is a bond'? Keeping one's word is part of one's own order. You'll understand in the future that order is one of the highest principles and it influences one's luck and mindset. If you can't even uphold this, you won't go far."
Ah Wen: "..."
Mushroom Head: "..."
It seemed they had heard something very important, though they didn't fully understand it.
"By the way, boss, the Tribunal is urging us to submit the investigation report on Cao Sihai's attack, but we don't have enough clues to draw an accurate conclusion..."
"Just write something."
"Ah... just write something?"
"What else? Do you think those sly old foxes in the council really want to find the truth? Haha... they just want a report to show outsiders. Besides, with a master planner involved, it's impossible to find out the truth."
"Oh."
"But speaking of which, it's really hard to say who the mastermind behind the Grand Cemetery Maze attack is. But the style does resemble the 'Thirteen Masked Riders' who thrive on chaos."
"..."
The three talked as they left the underground.
...
Ji Xun watched the three disappear, not rushing into action.
Instead, he stood in place for a while, observing.
After confirming the three had truly left, he cautiously moved forward.
The corpse had grown several tumors, a sign of early mutation.
The body collector was familiar with this.
If it continued, the uncontrolled supernatural traits would likely turn it into a monster.
But this was good news for Ji Xun.
After the corpse mutated, the supernatural traits would expand chaotically for a while, making them even stronger than when it was alive.
Unafraid of contamination, he approached and with a feast devoured, his attributes soared.
The Plague Doctor's body was full of toxins, so he dared not touch it recklessly.
While devouring, he used his mechanical arm to collect the spoils.
Most of the clothes were burned, making it easy to sort.
Besides two storage rings, a card slot, and a piece of amber the size of half a brick.
It was that small piece of medium.
Ji Xun picked up the medium and absorbed it on the spot.
This thing had to be thoroughly digested to eliminate trouble completely.
Other than the three who had left, no one else probably understood why the body collectors' team had exploded.
Even if they saw the big hole in the morgue, no one would bother to come down for a while.
But Ji Xun decided to change location.
Using his mechanical arm, he carried the body to an inconspicuous deep part of the underground.
Innocence City had no law enforcement agencies. Unless something major happened, no one would meddle.
Time passed quickly, a few hours went by.
This time, there were no surprises, and the digestion was completed smoothly.
...
7 AM.
Workers were already starting to switch shifts on the streets, and Innocence City was bustling.
On the rooftop of an abandoned building.
A figure lightly leaped over a gap of more than ten meters between buildings.
After confirming no one was following, Ji Xun found a secluded spot to stop.
He sat on a rusty iron tower, overlooking the city shrouded in darkness and smoke.
He began to count his spoils.
Ji Xun exhaled deeply.
He was in excellent condition now.
Before obtaining the second piece of [Secret Cause Medium], his strength was "4.9". Overnight, it had soared to "".
The 200 kg training weights now felt as light as wearing a shirt.
It wasn't just strength.
His constitution, resilience, and agility had all surpassed 8.
Single attributes breaking 8 was a level most eighth or ninth-level curse card apprentices could achieve.
But Ji Xun was strong in all dimensions.
His combat power had visibly skyrocketed again.
It wasn't just physical combat power; the spoils were also very rewarding.
Ji Xun thought of something, took out a card, and a sharp scalpel appeared in his hand.
It was the Level I ancient relic—[Plague Doctor's Scalpel].
The original owner of this scalpel was dead, and the mental imprint had disappeared, making it easy for him to claim it.
Infusing it with mental power, the air around the blade would vibrate slightly, and the scalpel would become exceptionally sharp.
With a light slash, it seemed to cut through the air, and a smooth cut appeared on the nearby iron column, exposing the steel beneath the rust.
Sharpness +9, the sharpest weapon he had seen.
The Frost Knight's greatsword only had Sharpness +3.
"Truly sharp..."
Ji Xun played with it, growing more fond of it.
Moreover, this scalpel had a "Magic Break +35%" supernatural attribute.
This was the most powerful part.
In other words.
This scalpel might just scratch heavy-armored warriors like the Frost Knight.
But it was extremely effective against magical defenses!
Regardless of a first or second-level curse card user, if he could get close, stabbing wildly would likely cause severe damage.
The only downside was that the scalpel was a long-range weapon for the doctor.
But in his hands, it was just a close-range knife.
Ji Xun had tried many times to control it with telekinesis, succeeding only once in ten tries to slightly alter its trajectory.
And the attack range was only a few meters.
Controlling the scalpel with telekinesis was impossible for now.
Firstly, due to proficiency, and secondly, mental power.
And this scalpel caused small wounds; without hitting a vital spot, it was hard to be lethal.
It couldn't be used as a regular weapon, only for ambushes.
But Ji Xun was very satisfied.
He now had a weapon that could truly threaten the life of a curse card user.
Coupled with shadow stealth and high agility, he felt he was almost a decent assassin.
The doctor's tactical card slots contained several one-time use skill cards like [Plague Miasma], [Acid Spray], and [Toxic Tentacles]... all magic cards of the second tier.
But Ji Xun didn't dare use them recklessly.
Although skill cards can be activated and used, without an understanding of the related incantations and a certain level of proficiency in card throwing, the higher the level of the card, the more dangerous it is.
For instance, knowing how much curse power to infuse into the card and how long to infuse it before throwing it to achieve the desired explosion time. Inexperience could result in the card exploding in hand or failing to activate after being thrown.
...
Ji Xun had previously attended some card courses at the Hunter's Guild.
He learned why the incantations of this world are sealed in cards.
The fundamental reason is that card users do not worship gods.
In ancient times, all the supernatural powers humans could wield came from gods.
Ancient believers would chant the name of a deity when casting spells. In response, the god would help the believer understand some elemental rules beyond their grasp and impart supernatural knowledge.
This is called "Divine Bestowal of Supernatural Powers."
Later, a great deity created the card system, using demonic power to allow humans to awaken supernatural abilities without worshipping any god.
Cards became the medium for casting spells.
That's the gist of the story.
But Ji Xun just listened to these myths out of curiosity.
From a scientific perspective, the advantages of cards are obvious: instant casting, great power, and card combinations!
To create skill cards, card users must master the incantation.
But they rarely use incantations directly because their power would be much weaker and would require time to gather the spell.
Sealing the incantation in a card in advance, though costly in materials, allows card users to cast various spells instantly.
And with greater power.
It's like packing gunpowder into a shell; the explosion is more effective.
Another advantage is card combinations.
For example, combining [Fireball] with [Oil Spray], both first-tier cards, can create a composite spell that burns a wide area.
Normally, it's impossible for one person to cast two incantations simultaneously.
But using cards, it can be done easily.
Even triple cards, quadruple cards... composite incantations.
With enough proficiency and manageable curse power consumption, a curse card user can cast composite incantations much more powerful than their own level.
There are other advantages like easy carrying, long-range casting, and concealment.
The benefits are numerous.
This is also why the world is so opposed to old believers.
If supernatural powers can be self-mastered, why pray to any god?
Why kneel when you can stand?
...
The doctor's two storage rings were packed with items.
Various bottles and jars, some labeled, some not.
Ji Xun didn't open them randomly.
Besides the scalpel, he was also very curious about one thing: the self-healing secret technique the doctor had used.
One storage ring held various materials, poisons, and antidotes.
The other held surgical tools, medical books, and scrolls.
Ji Xun flipped through them, finding mostly content related to plagues and alchemy.
Books like "Extraction of Infectious Substances from Black Death Corpses," "Detailed Human Anatomy," and "Essential Medical Knowledge for Plague Doctors"...
These aligned with the profession of a plague doctor.
The books were worn, indicating the doctor's deep research.
Ji Xun was interested in these books but wasn't in a hurry to read them.
He found a metal box in the corner.
Opening it, he found what he was looking for.
It was a handwritten research notebook titled "Cellular Activation Boil."
"A handwritten notebook?"
Ji Xun was surprised.
Comparing the handwriting, he realized it was the doctor's own cultivation notes.
It detailed his experiences with this secret technique.
"Gasp... it's part of an ancient demonic forbidden technique."
Ji Xun skimmed the notebook, understanding its origin.
One entry read:
"Old man Duan always has some odd things. Recently, he went to the Old Continent, dug up an ancient tomb, and brought back many treasures. I traded for a piece of copper, supposedly related to plague doctors..."
"My piety was rewarded; the great Thousand-faced Moon granted me the ability to read ancient demonic script. But the content on the copper is too profound for my current understanding. I wrote down my understanding and summarized this secret technique..."
Researchers love taking notes, which was convenient for Ji Xun.
After reading the notebook's preface, he understood the technique's background.
He also found a fragment of ancient copper with densely inscribed, indecipherable runes.
Looking at the copper, he felt each character contained vast information, making him dizzy after a short while.
Curiously, with his photographic memory, he couldn't recall the runes after looking away.
"Beyond comprehension?"
Ji Xun realized these were ancient demonic runes.
The doctor had used divine insight to understand part of it.
The appraisal showed:
[Mysterious Copper Piece]
Description: Contains a fragment of an ancient demonic forbidden technique;
Looking again only made Ji Xun dizzy, with no memory of the runes.
He didn't dwell on it.
The item was in his possession; he'd study it eventually.
He focused on the doctor's notebook.
Skimming through, he summarized: "Learning this secret technique requires medical knowledge at Level 5 and wood element affinity at 45; practicing it grants the passive ability 'Resilient Growth,' providing high cellular activity and tissue regeneration; activating it consumes a lot of curse power and life essence, healing flesh wounds and providing immunity to some negative energy."
This was indeed the secret technique behind the doctor's near-immortality.
But the learning requirements were high.
The wood element affinity was manageable, currently at 21; more corpses would gradually increase it.
But "Medical Knowledge Lv5" was tough.
For an outsider with little medical knowledge, it might take years of study.
Ji Xun was optimistic.
High-level secret techniques should have high learning thresholds.
He had already wanted to learn medical knowledge, like surgical first aid.
He couldn't always rely on potions for injuries.
With his exceptional learning ability and photographic memory, he believed he could meet the requirements quickly.
The notebook described [Cellular Activation Boil] as a forbidden technique that uses curse power to activate the body's potential.
It's called a "forbidden technique" because it consumes life essence.
In simple terms, it shortens lifespan.
But the skill is meant for emergency survival.
Choosing between losing life essence or dying isn't hard.