After arriving in the West District, Su Xiao didn't get out of the car right away. "Zhen Hu Xiao, do you know the specific information about the West District?"
Although there were ghouls eating each other in this area, there were also some ordinary people living nearby.
"Of course, after I was assigned to District 14, I learned all the details about this place."
Zhen Hu Xiao rummaged through some papers in the car and pulled out a file folder. "District 14: Nakano District. This area is known for cannibalism among ghouls. Most ghouls hide among ordinary people, and various factions of ghouls are present here. It's a social hub for ghouls, with many information brokers..."
Su Xiao lit a cigarette and quietly listened to Zhen Hu Xiao's description. He rolled down the window and exhaled a puff of smoke.
"Second-class investigator Bai Ye, please don’t smoke. Cigarettes contain over 4,000 chemicals, 60 of which are very harmful to the body, including nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide, and irritants... Plus, secondhand smoke affects my skin."
As the smoke curled around him, Su Xiao spoke up. "Can you find a bar called 'Helter Skelter'? It should be nearby."
Zhen Hu Xiao sighed helplessly. "No problem." She took out a small computer and began checking the nearby map. "Found it, it's right at..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Su Xiao suddenly straightened up and looked at a passerby on the street. "Ghoul."
Su Xiao's sharp gaze startled Zhen Hu Xiao. "What?"
Zhen Hu Xiao looked at Su Xiao in confusion, not believing he could identify a ghoul just by sight. Su Xiao got out of the car and slowly followed a middle-aged man.
The man looked tired, like an office worker who was struggling in his career, carrying a briefcase.
"Second-class investigator Bai Ye, wait for me."
Zhen Hu Xiao hurriedly followed Su Xiao, dragging her suitcase. "Can you tell me how you knew that man was a ghoul?"
"Intuition."
The middle-aged man turned and walked into a small alley, and Su Xiao quickly followed him.
"Intuition?"
Zhen Hu Xiao looked doubtful, watching Su Xiao's back and wondering if this second-class investigator was really okay.
In the dark, damp alley, the middle-aged man continued to walk slowly.
"Stop."
Su Xiao's cold voice echoed behind the man.
"Who are you?"
The middle-aged man looked confused, glancing around.
"Next time, don’t wrap human flesh in leather; the blood will seep out."
Su Xiao's words made the man's face change, and his eyes filled with panic.
"Mind your own business; you're asking for trouble."
The man's expression suddenly turned fierce, his eyes turning red as he charged at Su Xiao.
The ghoul in front of him wasn't strong, just around B-rank, so Su Xiao didn't even need to use his weapon, the Dragon Slayer Flash.
The man rushed up to Su Xiao and threw a punch at his head, but his movement was stiff and slow.
Su Xiao didn't even feel like dodging. He lifted his left leg and kicked the man in the stomach. The man doubled over in pain, his body bending into a V shape, and he spat out a mouthful of bile.
At that moment, the man's head was right in front of Su Xiao. Su Xiao took the opportunity to wrap his arm around the man's neck and tightened his grip.
"Let go of me, you...!"
Just as Su Xiao was tightening his hold, Zhen Hu Xiao rushed into the alley.
"Crack."
There was a sharp sound as the man's bones broke, and his body suddenly went limp. Su Xiao released his grip, and the man's body fell to the ground.
"Get someone to clean this up."
As Su Xiao walked past Zhen Hu Xiao, she looked in shock at the dead ghoul. This made her question if it was really possible to find ghouls just by intuition.
Back in the car, Su Xiao also wondered why he had felt that the middle-aged man was a ghoul the moment he saw him. At that time, the man's briefcase hadn’t shown any blood; that came later.
Su Xiao speculated that it might have something to do with his enhanced abilities. Along with the boost, he felt a significant change in his body. His physique hadn't changed, but his muscles were noticeably tighter and stronger.
Before entering the Reincarnation Paradise, Su Xiao practiced swordsmanship for long hours every day.
His unscientific training had caused some damage to his right wrist, which would hurt whenever it rained.
But now, his old wrist injury had mostly healed, and it wouldn't be long before it was completely better.
Zhen Hu Xiao returned to the car, and this time her gaze at Su Xiao was clearly different.
"Second-class investigator Bai Ye, where are we going?"
"To the Helter Skelter bar."
The car started, and five minutes later, they arrived in front of the Helter Skelter bar.
"Wait for me in the car."
Su Xiao got out, leaving Zhen Hu Xiao alone.
The Helter Skelter bar was run by a female ghoul named Yi Niao.
Although Su Xiao didn't know the exact location, he knew it was a small information hub.
He wasn't there to drive Yi Niao away but to gather information.
Yi Niao was an SS-class ghoul, and under normal circumstances, Su Xiao wouldn’t let her go, but she had a more important purpose.
An information broker who understood ghouls was worth much more than a treasure chest. Through Yi Niao, Su Xiao could obtain more treasure chests.
Walking into the bar, he found it empty since it was daytime.
The bar had a retro style, with dark yellow walls and no decorations. There were no windows, and only a lamp on the bar counter provided light, making the place dim.
"Welcome."
A somewhat lazy female voice came from behind the bar as Su Xiao sat down at the counter.
"What would you like to drink?"
Yi Niao stood behind the bar, her bright orange hair standing out in the dim light, the most vibrant color in the whole bar.
Though she appeared calm, she was actually very alert. As an information broker, she immediately recognized Su Xiao.
Noticing Yi Niao's gaze, Su Xiao knew things would be easier.
"Answer one question for me, and I won’t bother you."
Yi Niao stepped back a few paces, keeping a safe distance from Su Xiao.
"Third-class investigator Bai Ye, the monster-level human who fought with Ai Te."
The bar fell silent, and neither of them spoke.
Su Xiao was slightly surprised by Yi Niao's information-gathering ability. It was normal for her to know about Takatsuki Izumi, but she even knew he had joined the CCG.
"Go ahead, what’s your question?"
Yi Niao sighed and chose to back down.
"Where is the cannibalism area in District 14?"
"Right here, in the West District."
Yi Niao picked up a glass filled with dark red liquid, which looked like red wine but was actually human blood.
Ghouls have a different taste structure than humans; after eating human food, they find it overwhelmingly fishy.
Even drinks are hard for ghouls to consume; besides water and coffee, they can't eat any human food normally.
"The more specific the location in the West District, the better."
Su Xiao was starting to lose patience.
"Don't show such a terrifying expression.
Fine, fine, after 9 PM every night, the central area of the West District is where cannibalism is most severe."
Yi Niao didn’t hesitate much before revealing information about other ghouls.
After learning the specifics, Su Xiao left the bar, already thinking of a quick way to complete his task.
If things went smoothly, he could finish the main mission (2) in less than a week.
"What a 'wonderful' sight cannibalism must be."
Suddenly, he remembered that he still owed a chapter to the swordsman. If it gets published and includes the extra chapters from the leader and the steward, he might just die from the workload.
(End of Chapter)