Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 136 - 136 One hundred thirty-six

136: One hundred thirty-six.

Oil Thief 136: One hundred thirty-six.

Oil Thief The pig-headed chef pushed the squeaking cart away.

“Why won’t you eat?”

“Can you not give it to me instead?”

Two voices rose simultaneously from across the way, one sneering coldly and the other upset over the reduced portion of food.

“Don’t rush, I’ll solve both of your problems one by one,” Lu Li said, eyeing the two ghost creatures seated opposite him, his gaze flickering slightly as it landed on the young man: “First you.”

A burst of chill air exploded from his heart, gathering in his arms.

Lu Li suddenly reached out his hand, transforming it into a knife-hand strike like lightning, and tapped the young man’s neck.

Thump.

A muffled sound, a flash of confusion in the young man’s eyes, and his body slumped down, limp.

With warmth in his palm, Lu Li retracted the manual and cradled the young man’s head, leisurely placing it on the table to make him appear asleep, then he picked up the young man’s portion of food and placed it in front of the girl.

“And now you, your portion of food has increased by one.

Help me out later.”

“You’re such a good person!

I’ll help you!”

The girl cheered, plunging her head into the bowl, eating with such gusto that one might question the meaning of life.

She didn’t care in the slightest that Lu Li might have killed one of her kind.

“After eating, take him away.

What you do afterward is none of my concern.”

“Got it.”

A muffled shout came from the bowl.

Lu Li’s actions may have hidden from the cameras, but they didn’t escape the notice of several contestants nearby who were watching.

A person who looked like a contestant had dealt with another who looked like a contestant…

This caused a stir among them, making them want to distance themselves from the area.

Lu Li lifted his eyes and said calmly amidst the averted gazes, “Don’t worry, I’m also a contestant.”

Chomp chomp—

The only ghost creature, a girl at two dining tables, was oblivious to all this.

One contestant showed an awkward but insincere smile, while the others were skeptical, saying nothing.

“Haven’t you realized yet, we’re being boiled like frogs in warm water,” Lu Li explained, his voice only spreading between the two dining tables.

“There were initially 48 students, among whom 23 were contestants.

Now there are 30 students left, including 8 contestants.

We make up half, and they’re picking us off one by one.”

The contestants present had no effective means to deal with the ghost creatures, but they weren’t fools.

After Lu Li revealed the truth, their expressions changed, looking somewhat ugly.

So there were only so many of us left…

“Ah…

Shi…

You…

How can you be sure we’re the contestants?” a somewhat timid young man stammered and changed his phrasing three times, his voice as soft as a mosquito’s.

Generally, only the novice monks who had just started their training were so easy to bully.

Lu Li tapped the corner of his eyes with two fingers: “I am a Ghost Envoy with Yin Yang Eyes, I can see through deception and discern their true nature.”

A strange silence fell all around.

“You’re a Yin Yang person, hee hee hee hee…” A low voice muttered mockingly, and Lu Li quietly fixed his gaze on him for a moment, silently taking note.

“Whether you believe it or not isn’t important, I’m only teaching you how to survive.”

It didn’t matter to Lu Li that they didn’t believe him, nor did he expect anyone to believe him; he simply preferred not to lie.

The reason he said all this was simple: the fewer people left, the more the attention converged; in time, every word and action would be exposed to the scrutiny of those on the outside.

Of course, Lu Li didn’t believe in the pointless act of feigning weakness while possessing strength; he stayed low-profile because…

he was stealing manuals, an act that could not be exposed to those on the outside.

Ghost creatures belonged to Jinlongyu Taoist temple; they were their property.

Lu Li’s stealthy shepherding was akin to thievery.

“Aaahhhhh!!!”

A scream suddenly rose not far away; another contestant had been killed by a ghost creature.

Now only seven remained.

The contestants withdrew their gaze, and the shy young man, who had asked a question earlier and seemed a bit like a monk, whispered, “Um…

could you tell us who the remaining three contestants are, and how to hold out until the period of the day from 11 p.m.

to 1 a.m.?”

“Kong Yiji, Niu Hu, and Zhao Lianshan,” Lu Li said, naming the three people directly.

“Survival is simple, avoid arousing the suspicions of the Ghost Creatures; even if they suspect you, they can’t be sure.

If you come up with a reasonable explanation, they can’t make a move.

Like this.”

Lu Li stood up and walked to a table adjacent to the players.

A Ghost Creature was listlessly eating from its bowl, taking bites without any real interest.

Lu Li walked up to it and threw a punch.

He didn’t use any force or mystic arts; he just hit the Ghost Creature enough to confuse it.

“Why did you hit me?!”

It yelled out, attracting the attention of those nearby.

“Just borrowing some money to spend,” Lu Li said expressionlessly.

The Ghost Creature paused, its eerie aura erupting suddenly, “You…

you’re asking me…

for money?!”

“You better think carefully before you act,” Lu Li said, his expression unchanging, pointing behind him, “You’ve only got one, and I’ve got three behind me.

If you don’t want to be hit, hand over the money you have.”

The Ghost Creature paused again, its aura deflating like a balloon, reluctantly took out a few large-denomination bills of Joss Paper from the Bank of Heaven and Earth, and threw them on the table, sobbing as it ran off.

Before leaving, it didn’t forget to scoop up the remaining half bowl of its meal.

Lu Li didn’t bother with the fleeing Ghost Creature, picked up the crumpled Joss Paper on the table, and unfolded them.

Could such things really circulate in the Underworld?

Pocketing them for now, Lu Li returned to his seat and said to the stunned contestants, “See that?”

“Why is it different from the Ghost Creatures we’ve seen before…?” someone asked, baffled.

“The reason is simple because you are afraid of them, and I am not.”

As soon as he spoke, silence fell around them.

These contestants from various sects or ghost-hunting families in Lingling City were like toothless beasts, and the worst part was that they, with their intelligence but lack of experience, could not rely on their presence to scare off predators.

They were more concerned with preservation and evasion.

Perhaps there was a deeper meaning to this trial: With Ghost Creatures, avoidance and fear were useless; don’t be afraid, don’t shrink back, face them head-on.

It seemed that the remaining contestants as well as those eliminated would understand this lesson.

…

“This youngster is not bad, very smart indeed, he actually saw through our arrangement.

Which family does he belong to?

Does anyone claim him?

If not, my Qingshan Sect will take him.”

“Amitabha, this young man has the nature suited for our Buddhist order…”

“What’s wrong with eating meat for marriage?

Who wants to be vegetarian like you monks, and without any hair.”

In the outside world, amidst a chaotic conversation, Old Taoist Lu chuckled in a corner, not saying a word.

A Taoist from Jinlongyu Taoist temple, however, started murmuring quietly.

“I have a feeling something’s not right…

two Ghosts are missing now.”

…

Half an hour later, lunch was over.

The meals of two contestants were ultimately taken by Lu Li and given to the girl.

This too was part of the game; the pig-headed chef had only said that the food must be eaten, but didn’t specify by whom.

Afterward, it was time for a midday rest, and Lu Li reminded them not to disperse before he went into his room alone.

Besides him, two Ghost Creatures entered as well.

The two ghostly spirits were completely unguarded, which presented an excellent opportunity.

However, Lu Li could not take action; if he did, he would be the only one left in the dormitory, and it would be too obvious.

So, first, a moment of rest.

Lu Li sat down at the desk by the window, his eyes scanning over the three figures above and under the bed.