Chapter 122 The Mystery of the Human Skin

"Quiet, quiet."

"Fellow townsfolk, listen to me. In extraordinary times, we must take extraordinary measures. Perhaps Squad Leader Chen had some unavoidable hidden reason last night... or perhaps he was investigating a case and ventured into danger. The intricacies of the matter are not for us outsiders to speculate upon."

His words appeared to be exonerating Chen Mu, yet every sentence confirmed the incident at the Peony Pavilion. Although he blurred it into an unavoidable necessity for the investigation, it only further stirred people's curiosity and suspicion.

"However, regardless of what happened last night, today Squad Leader Chen has stepped forward, willing to slay the demonic evil for the people of our Qinglin Town. This is a righteous act. How can minor flaws of the past obscure the gem of today?"

Xu Changze spoke with earnest words, his gaze slowly sweeping over the crowd.

"At a time when demonic infestation is rampant, we should discard our prejudices and work together to support Squad Leader Chen in slaying demons and eliminating evil, rather than discussing baseless rumors here, chilling the heart of a hero and draining the strength to eliminate demons."

These words not only highlighted his tolerance and consideration for the big picture as a local official but also nailed Chen Mu to the pillar of shame.

Once Chen Mu failed to find any leads, the people would not only blame him for his incompetence but would also suspect him of using his position for personal vendettas.

Qi Huan was trembling with rage, pointing at Xu Changze, his lips moving as he stepped forward, about to explode.

Suddenly, a steady and powerful hand pressed onto his shoulder.

Chen Mu's voice was calm and unruffled.

"Chief Qi, the important matter at hand comes first."

Qi Huan turned his head abruptly, looking into Chen Mu's eyes. There was no anger, no shame, and no emotion within them—only an icy coldness.

Chen Mu ignored the surrounding gazes and turned to Xu Changze, cupping his hands in a salute.

"Lord Xu, since you have entrusted this important task to me, please inform me of the detailed case facts so that I may go to the scene to investigate."

A flash of surprise crossed Xu Changze's eyes. He had not expected Chen Mu to remain so calm under such circumstances, and he couldn't help but weigh his options a bit more.

"Squad Leader Chen puts the big picture first; you are truly a model for us all. The scene is in the back alley of the villa. I will take you there."

At this moment, the crowd automatically parted to create a path, but those probing gazes followed them like shadows, and they could vaguely hear whispered discussions.

"He's pretending well. What a waste of a gentleman's face."

"Lord Xu has no choice either, being saddled with these two..."

Qi Huan gritted his teeth, refusing to listen or think, forcing himself to look straight ahead. But those words still drilled into his ears, infuriating him to the point of almost vomiting blood.

Liu Ziming stood in place, listening to the rumors among the people, deep in thought. Watching the backs of the three men, his expression suddenly turned sharp. He turned and shouted to the surrounding yamen runners.

"What are you all standing there for? Disperse the crowd and secure the scene!"

The yamen runners finally reacted and began to disperse the onlookers, but the townsfolk, fueled by curiosity, were not so easily driven away and remained gathered, discussing the matter incessantly.

Rounding the street corner, they arrived at a secluded alley behind the villa. It had already been cordoned off by yamen runners, and the air was thick with the scent of blood.

Xu Changze pointed to the depths of the alley.

"The two of you, it is right there. I have already made a preliminary inspection, and the situation is very strange."

Chen Mu and Qi Huan hurried forward. When they saw the scene clearly, they couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Lying scattered on the ground were several things.

They could no longer be called corpses; they looked more like skins that had been discarded after being hollowed out from the inside by something.

Human skins.

A thin layer, lying limp on the ground. The facial features were clearly distinguishable, but the flesh, bones, and internal organs inside had vanished without a trace, leaving only intact human skins.

The onlookers who had squeezed to the front could not help but let out gasps of shock, followed by uncontrollable retching.

Qi Huan also felt his stomach churning. Forcing back the nausea, he took a few steps forward and crouched down to examine them carefully.

The edges of the skins had fine, irregular tearing marks. It did not look like they had been cut by a sharp blade; it looked more like something had burst them from within, or they had been torn open by brute force from the outside.

Even though he was accustomed to crime scenes, encountering such a bizarre situation made his scalp tingle.

"This... what kind of method is this?"

Chen Mu also crouched down and carefully examined one of the human skins.

The human skin was exceptionally well-preserved. Even the fingerprints were clearly visible.

Chen Mu reached out and gently touched the surface of the skin; it was cold and slick, yet still carried a hint of warmth.

There was no Demonic Qi—at least not the kind he was familiar with, like the intense, evil Demonic Qi of the White Tiger Demon Beast or the Ghostly Creature at the Zhao residence.

"This was not done by ordinary demons."

Chen Mu stood up, his brows furrowed.

"The skins were peeled off completely, the inner flesh and blood are entirely gone, and there are almost no signs of struggle or blood splatter at the scene."

"Either the victims were subdued instantly and had no power to resist, or they had already lost the ability to move—or were perhaps even already dead—before they were skinned and stripped of their flesh."

Qi Huan forced back his nausea and checked the other human skins, his complexion turning increasingly ashen.

"These skins vary in size and build, both male and female, but the method is almost identical. What kind of thing could achieve this level? And... eat so cleanly?"

Eat.

The word surfaced in both of their minds simultaneously.

To remove the flesh and blood so thoroughly—if it wasn't eating, then what was it?

Chen Mu looked around the empty alley once more.

"Chief Qi, have you noticed a problem?"

"What?"

"From the case at Yiqing Courtyard to the disappearance of Clerk Hu, and now these human skins, all the cases have one thing in common."

Chen Mu's voice was very soft.

"The killer is very careful, very cautious, and one could even say... very timid."

Qi Huan was stunned upon hearing this, staring straight at Chen Mu.

"Timid?"

Chen Mu nodded, crossing his arms in thought.

"Yes. The case at Yiqing Courtyard happened in the middle of the night; the killer only killed one person and cleaned up very thoroughly. If the pimp hadn't gone to check the room, it might not have been discovered until noon today."

"The disappearance of Clerk Hu and his party is even stranger. So many people disappearing in such a short amount of time without leaving a single trace requires immense strength, or... a meticulous plan."

"And now, these human skins."

Chen Mu pointed to the ground.

"The killer chose the most secluded alley and the most concealed time, killed in the most bizarre way, and then left quickly without leaving a single trace."

"Do you think a powerful demon that dares to commit consecutive crimes in Qinglin Town would be so cautious? Would it be so afraid of being discovered?"

Qi Huan fell silent.

Indeed, according to common sense, a demon that dares to kill repeatedly in a town would either be powerful and unscrupulous, or have something to rely on with someone backing it.

But these cases before them had an indescribable strangeness to them.

The killer was both arrogant and cautious, both cruel and restrained. This did not fit the behavioral patterns of any known demons.

After thinking for a moment, Qi Huan proposed a new idea.

"Perhaps... it is not hiding, but provoking."

As the two were talking, a shrill cry suddenly erupted from the crowd.

An old woman with white hair stumbled, breaking through the blockade of the yamen runners, and threw herself before one of the human skins.

Her trembling hand caressed the barely recognizable face on the human skin, and tears gushed from her eyes.

"My son, my son!"

"You were fine yesterday morning! You said you were going to the west side of town to help with labor and would be back in the evening. How... how did you end up as just a skin!"