Chapter 23: Li Kui and Li Gui

The eerie black shadow did not linger in front of the inn but instead passed straight through the inn's main door as if the door did not exist. The black shadow floated and hovered in the air, like a ghost, and arrived at the door of Ye Qi and John's room.

Just as it had passed through the main door, the black shadow once again passed through the room's door. However, as soon as the black shadow entered the room, Ye Qi and John, who had been well-prepared, immediately took action.

John consecutively threw three vials of holy water at the black shadow, while Ye Qi unleashed the burning hand he had been preparing for a long time.

"Whoosh!"

The golden holy water and the conical flames struck the black shadow fiercely, instantly engulfing it. Under the burning flames, the cloak covering the black shadow quickly melted away, revealing the true form inside—a human-shaped shadow without a face.

"Screech, screech, screech!"

The human-shaped shadow emitted a series of bone-chilling screams under the flames and holy water. In no time, it turned into a pile of black powder, similar to coal dust.

"Damn! I finally understand why he's robbing graves; he's creating shadow warriors!" Looking at the pile of black powder on the ground, John's face was exceptionally grim, showing no trace of victory. Similarly, Ye Qi, standing beside him, had a face as dark as water.

Shadow warriors are created by using the corpses of the dead as bait to attract wandering spirits to possess them. After the spirits possess the corpses, they are engraved with magical runes and burned together. Once the corpses are reduced to ashes, the shadow warriors can be summoned through the magical runes. Shadow warriors not only have no physical form, allowing them to pass through walls and hover, but they can also directly harm souls, causing death, making them impossible to detect by ordinary scientific means. They are truly the perfect choice for assassins.

However, like their advantages, the disadvantages of shadow warriors are also very obvious: they fear sunlight and fire, and holy water with positive energy can also be effective. Therefore, most dark wizards do not use shadow warriors as offensive weapons but as servants. After all, shadow warriors, who can pass through walls and hover, are very adept at passing information. As for offensive weapons? A cheap skeleton warrior is definitely more cost-effective than a shadow warrior.

But despite these obvious disadvantages, Ye Qi and John still changed their expressions because of the numbers! According to the information, this unknown demon worshipper had already robbed at least thirty graves.

At least thirty shadow warriors—just thinking about it was a headache—too many ants can kill an elephant, which is an absolute truth! Moreover, the other party might have some uncertain means, which made Ye Qi and John's faces even more serious.

"We must find this guy by tomorrow morning; otherwise, if the shadow warriors are allowed to act freely at night, we'll be in big trouble!"

Ye Qi and John exchanged a glance and made a decision. Last night, it was likely that the other party had sent only one shadow warrior due to underestimation. But by tomorrow night, there would be no such luck. If they didn't want to be surrounded and beaten by over thirty shadow warriors, they had to resolve the battle by tomorrow morning!

The fire and screams in the room naturally did not go unnoticed. The innkeeper's family, who had been on edge due to the events in the town square, immediately called the police. Upon receiving the call, the police chief, upon learning that the incident involved Ye Qi and John's room, rushed over with a team of police. By the time Ye Qi used his authority to gloss over the matter and the police left, it was already dawn.

The police chief's visit in the middle of the night was not without its uses. At least it saved Ye Qi and John the trouble of going to the police station to inquire about the town's eccentric and reclusive residents. Therefore, as the police left, Ye Qi and John also took the opportunity to act.

After some screening, the two believed that the elderly man, Nock, and the widowed woman, Freyka, were the most likely suspects. Due to time constraints, they decided to investigate separately—Ye Qi would investigate Nock, and John would investigate Freyka. Regardless of what they discovered, they agreed to meet at the town's entrance for breakfast and then plan their next move.

However, just as the two were about to leave the inn, the police chief, who had just left, returned with a woman.

This woman had a head of dazzling blonde hair, rare gray eyes, and a slightly upturned mouth that exuded a rare toughness. Her black leather outfit clung to her body, making men feel their mouths go dry, truly tempting.

"Mr. Jack, this is your colleague, Miss Lilith, who just arrived this morning!"

"Colleague?! A Special Operations agent!"

Ye Qi, who had just been praising the police chief for being somewhat useful, immediately categorized the woman as someone who would cause more harm than good upon hearing the introduction.

Most demon hunters do not act by the book, and many dark creatures are ruthless. Therefore, the battles between demon hunters and dark creatures often affect ordinary people. Due to the bizarre and unpredictable nature of these battles, most of them are handled by the Special Operations.

The proud and powerful Special Operations meeting the free-spirited and rebellious demon hunters could only end badly. Although in recent years, the leaders of the Demon Hunters' Guild and the top officials of the government have reached some agreements to prevent them from fighting to the death upon meeting, the relationship is still far from good. Especially now, Ye Qi was impersonating a member of their organization. If he were exposed, while he might not face a death sentence, he would definitely face severe consequences—impersonating a government official is a serious crime, and impersonating a Special Operations agent is a crime of the highest degree. If Ye Qi were exposed, even with the protection of the Demon Hunters' Guild, he would have to undergo plastic surgery or hide in the guild for a few years to avoid trouble.

"Name! Team number!"

Ye Qi was satisfied with his appearance and had no intention of undergoing plastic surgery or hiding in the guild. Therefore, before the real Special Operations agent could speak, he preemptively asked the special question used by the Special Operations—knowing the special question was not difficult for demon hunters who often dealt with the Special Operations, as many demon hunters enjoy prying into others' secrets. Under John's guidance, Ye Qi was well-versed in the Special Operations' special question.

"Lilith, Team number: Gale!"

The blonde girl was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously reported her team number.

"Jack, Team number: Thunder!"

The demon hunter naturally played along, showing his credentials.

"Snap!"

"Lilith, reporting to the officer!"

Upon hearing the demon hunter's team number and checking the credentials, the blonde girl immediately straightened her face and saluted the demon hunter. John, who had been standing beside the demon hunter, discreetly gave him a thumbs up, indicating that he had done well, and then pointed at the blonde girl, signaling that it was up to him.

Afterward, John left as if he were just a passerby. The demon hunter looked at the blonde girl in front of him and could only silently watch John leave with a resentful gaze.