Chapter 61

Chapter 4: Hank Circus

In the depths of night, the ancient streets of Shaker finally had a rare moment of tranquility. After a busy day, countless performers and tourists had fallen into a deep sleep. Only the investigators directly under the Demon Hunter Guild continued to secretly search for the sudden enemies of the night, quietly taking away anyone who looked suspicious, including those with wanted posters—there was no doubt about the Demon Hunter Guild's power in Shaker. Although Shaker was still nominally under the jurisdiction of the highest government, its true master was the Demon Hunter Guild. Even the mayor of Shaker, who was paid by the highest government, was once a high-ranking demon hunter.

After nodding and smiling to a few investigators he met on the road, Yang listened to the music and the occasional bursts of laughter from the crowd.

"Right, that's correct!" The small man nodded, slightly admiringly, "To hide a troll in the circus and transport it to Shaker, and to cover up the troll's stench with the smell of other animal droppings, it was a brilliant idea! Although it has already been exposed! We really have to thank Ava's animal friends!"

"This is Ye's credit!" The shy Ava didn't pretend in front of his companions, scratching his forehead and softly deflecting, "Without Ye's reminder, even my animal friends wouldn't have found this place!"

Ava came from the best hunting family in Hailin District. Although he was expelled from his family because he couldn't bear to kill his prey due to his ability to communicate with animals, his skills with bows, crossbows, and throwing knives were highly valued by the Demon Hunter Guild. Because of his shy and kind nature, he had almost no friends after joining the Demon Hunter Guild, until he met Ye Qi in Shaker when he was humiliated by Jagos...

"Ava, thank your animal friends for me!" After half a year of getting to know each other, Ye Qi was already accustomed to how to interact with the shy Ava, so he asked directly, "Do your animal friends bring us any other news?"

"No! Klara brought back nothing but endless sorrow and despair..." Ava reached out to comfort the trembling purple marten on his shoulder, his eyes filled with worry, "Many animals there have been so abused that they have lost all emotion, becoming like zombies, while the rest are in constant fear, waiting for their lives to end."

"Since this is related to tonight's attack, its future will no longer exist!" Ye Qi consoled Ava, then turned to the big man, "Darlain, are you familiar with this circus?"

"The Hank Circus is very popular in Shaker! I used to go with my parents to watch it!" The big man, being a local, immediately shared everything he knew, "The Hank Circus comes to Shaker three to five times a year, each time lasting about a week, and performs continuously day and night! It not only has traditional clowns, animal training, and acrobatics, but also a very novel magic act where a person is made to disappear along with a box..."

A novel magic act where a person is made to disappear along with a box?

Ye Qi's eyes narrowed. When the big man mentioned the novel magic act, he immediately thought of the apostle-level assassin who could make himself and others invisible. Although he couldn't be sure if the magician on stage was the same person, he was certain that the assassin was definitely connected to the Hank Circus.

"Datong, Ava, you two go to headquarters and get a search warrant!" Since it was already determined that the troll came from here and the apostle-level assassin was involved, Ye Qi naturally wanted to personally meet the circus's director! However, some necessary procedures were still required, even though the Demon Hunter Guild had absolute power in Shaker, they still had to go through the motions: "Darlain, come with us to check out the popular Hank Circus in Shaker!"

...

Demon Hunter Guild Headquarters, Central Castle.

"Have you found out, Nofa?" Jacob, sitting in his chair, asked Nofa, who had just walked in, "Who are they?"

"A blacksmith from the Ranger Camp sold information about the camp!" Nofa reported the investigation results truthfully, "I've already had the guards take him to Thorn Tower! As for the buyer, they were very careful, leaving no clues, and always covered their face when making contact. The money they paid was old bills!"

"Hmm!" Jacob nodded in approval, his unique raspy voice continuing, "We have some leads on the buyer! It's the Hank Circus. Ye Qi's investigation team has already found out that the troll was hiding there, and the apostle-level assassin is likely to be there as well! I want you and Ted to go support Ye Qi and his team, and be ready to act when necessary!"

"Yes, sir!"

...

"Sir, welcome! The Hank Circus brings joy and laughter to you!" The clown ticket seller at the entrance immediately shouted the Hank Circus slogan as Ye Qi and the big man approached, and quickly got to the business of selling tickets, "Adult ticket price..."

"I want to see your director!" Ye Qi interrupted the clown's sales pitch, taking out the search warrant he had just signed, "I think it's better if I talk to your director in person!"

"Of course!" Seeing the search warrant, the clown's heavily painted face froze for a moment, then he quickly led the way, "Sir, please follow me!"

The director of the circus, although the leader of the troupe and holding a high position in the circus, lived in a place similar to that of ordinary members—a trailer in other places, and a triangular tent in Shaker, where cars were not allowed.

Hank, the director of the Hank Circus, was dressed in a well-fitted suit, his hair neatly combed, and his lips tightly pressed, making his entire face look stiff. It was hard to associate the stern and serious Hank with the playful and joyful circus. Of course, he was also far from the image of a rumored assassin.

"Gentlemen, may I ask what I can do to help?" Hank spoke in a stiff and serious manner, following the rules, "But please let me see the search warrant first!"

"A group of thugs attacked Shaker's tourists tonight, causing many casualties!" Ye Qi handed over the search warrant, his face showing an unusually sad expression, "Director Hank, please cooperate with our investigation and gather all your troupe members. We need to check if any of the thugs are among them!"