Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 579 - 579 Ninety-eight

579: Ninety-eight.

Fair Canyon 579: Ninety-eight.

Fair Canyon Lu Li reached out, using Ruth’s strength to stand up.

His body and hair were covered in gray dirt, and without intention to clean it off, Lu Li staggered toward a nearby demon, squatting down in front of it.

The Hungry Demon did not show any hostility as Lu Li approached but instead slightly bowed its body.

Lu Li’s gaze fell on the ankle of the Hungry Demon, where a tag that was nearly worn through was tied.

It usually appeared on the ankles and wristbands of corpses in morgues, signifying identity.

He took the tag, his thumb brushing over the stains, and a blurred name emerged.

[Whitely Serra]

Lu Li recognized the name Whitely, a woman he knew.

She was the unfortunate one who had been used by Richard for parasite experiments, with a foreign soul inserted into her, her body beginning to rot even while she was alive.

That evil man had already received his due punishment, but the innocent victims were still suffering the consequences.

“Do you remember who it is?”

Ruth’s voice came from behind him.

The Hungry Demon bared its teeth, releasing its first instinct at Ruth.

“Your benefactor killed me; how could you possibly expect me to be gentle to him?” Ruth scoffed at the Hungry Demon, and then shook her head, “I must be insane to be interacting with a mindless shell.”

“Why do you say she is about to starve to death?” Lu Li put down the only tag that could prove the Hungry Demon was once human, stood up, and turned to ask.

Lu Li’s reference to it had changed to her.

Out of respect.

“Hunger in Hell has no meaning; no matter how much meat you consume, it won’t lessen the hunger one bit,” Ruth lifted her shirt, revealing her stark ribs and sunken abdomen startlingly.

“Hell is constantly incinerating and eroding human souls, and only by replenishing souls can this hunger be satisfied.”

She let her shirt fall, her tone imbued with dejection, “If not replenished continuously, we will eventually turn into these lowest-level Hungry Demons.”

“You all?” Lu Li noticed the detail.

“Hell is hotter than you imagine— and I’m not talking about the environment,” Ruth said with a play on words.

“Aside from these unfortunate, witless low-level demons, the place is teeming with the forces of the devil, the territories of the demons, roaming advanced demons, and many souls like you and me who still retain their original form and have not yet become demons.”

“How do you protect yourself?”

Ruth didn’t hide this point, flipping open her coat to show the Flintlock Pistol in her holster, patting it she said, “Hunting those dim-witted demons.”

She wanted to take it out to scare Lu Li, but wasn’t sure if Lu Li’s guardian spirits would interpret it as hostility.

“May I see it?” Lu Li’s eyes fixed on it, wanting to know if that was the Spirit-Calling Gun.

Her fallen coat blocked his view, Ruth’s tone was unfriendly, “No.”

Without asking anything more, Lu Li looked at Ruth with eyes closed and turned to say, “I plan to leave this place.”

“Do you know how vast Hell is?

How many demons are in Hell?

How powerful are they?” Ruth’s retort seemed to mock Lu Li’s ignorance.

“Is that relevant?”

“These powerful beings can only stay in Hell and suffer; what makes you think you can leave?”

“Because I don’t belong here,” Lu Li said calmly.

That was indeed a reason, and Ruth shrugged, no longer trying to persuade Lu Li, “Then what do you want to do, Psychic?”

“Where do you all gather?” Lu Li asked.

“Fair Canyon.”

“Please take me there.”

“There’s no need to rush; in Hell, you need to get accustomed to slowing down,” Ruth tried to tamp down Lu Li’s urgency, “All our actions consume the soul, the slower you are, the slower your soul is consumed.”

Lu Li shook his head gently, he didn’t have much time, “The devil’s offspring are searching for me.

I have to find a way out before they do.”

Moreover, the longer he stayed in hell, the more likely something would happen to Anna.

Lu Li didn’t want to return and see Anna completely lose her humanity and turn into a vengeful spirit.

“Are you joking?”

The ease that had been present in Ruth’s expression gradually vanished as she registered Lu Li’s calm demeanor, realizing that he might not be joking…

Especially after Lu Li lifted his palm and displayed the inverted pentagram burn on the back of his hand.

She recoiled as though facing a natural predator, watching Lu Li warily, “I give up on helping you any further.

I thought you would be more subdued after using despicable tricks to kill me, but I never expected you’d dare attract a demon’s attention in hell…”

“Wait a minute.”

Lu Li stopped Ruth as she retreated, “Tell me how to get to Fair Canyon.”

Ruth, standing ten meters away, pointed behind Lu Li, “Follow along the base of the Black Rock Volcano, and you’ll come across an abandoned town.

The only working tavern there is the place.”

Lu Li turned to look into the distance, his view obstructed by the rim of the Meteorite Crater.

“Thank you.”

Lu Li nodded in gratitude to Ruth, ignoring her conflicted expression, and with Whitely following, made his way to the edge of the Meteorite Crater to climb up onto the ground.

After pulling the frail Whitely up, Lu Li surveyed the distant land.

The black earth crisscrossed with rivers of lava made it hard to spot any sign of a town, perhaps because it was too far away.

Without Whitely’s leave to interrupt, Lu Li, with her in tow, headed along the base of the mountain.

At a certain moment, Lu Li suddenly turned his head slightly.

Ruth, who had “parted ways” with him a few minutes before, was following a few dozen meters behind.

After continuing forward a few hundred more meters, with Ruth still behind him, Lu Li stopped and turned to look at her.

“I’m heading to the tavern,” Ruth said uneasily, “It just so happens to be on the way.”

Lu Li didn’t say anything and kept walking on the scorched land.

“Why is it called Fair Canyon?”

The question from Lu Li broke the silence.

Soon after, Ruth’s reply came from behind, “It’s the name given by the first spirit or demon to arrive here.

Because every soul that falls here is no different, there are no special treatments for nobles or royalty, everyone encounters the same fate.

Is there anything fairer than that?”

Her voice carried a mix of pity and schadenfreude as she continued.

“But you’re the exception, you’re the ‘lucky one’ targeted by a demon.”

“Tell me about the tavern.”

“I can do that.”

Following that, Ruth explained the tavern to Lu Li.

Exchange and trade are important among sentient beings, even in hell.

Chaos and sin are signatures of hell, with lies and deceit thriving here.

Even the craftiest demons can be deceived at times.

Thus, the tavern came into being.

The tavern is a place teeming with all sorts, with destitute souls, Demon Hunters, various Advanced Demons, irritable demons, and even the Demons themselves gathering there for exchange and trade.

There, a set of rules is observed by all those present: no one, no matter who, is allowed to start conflicts within the town’s limits.

Not even the Demons or High-Level Demons.

Whether this rule is effective or can constrain the top-tier entities of hell remains unknown.

But at least, for now, the tavern still stands.