Stronger with Crimson Modifier-Chapter 77: Cemetery [5]

Hu Qi turned his head to glance at him, raising an eyebrow.

"What did you find?"

"The guy’s cover was excellent, but for a supposed chain-smoker, he actually choked on my Baishan cigarette smoke.

Those are some of the mildest cigarettes you can find, and what’s more..."

Here, Xie Fei habitually pushed up his glasses.

He raised his right hand, spreading his index and middle fingers. The skin there was slightly yellowed.

"Holding cigarettes for a long time can cause harmful substances in the smoke to stain your fingers yellow, especially the index and middle fingers, as well as the nails.

I observed his hands just now. Aside from some old calluses, there were no signs of long-term smoking. Of course, it’s possible he only recently picked it up."

"But that’s highly unlikely. In my opinion, the smell of smoke on him is more like a cover for something else."

Hu Qi’s expression flickered slightly.

He cast a somewhat surprised glance at his socially awkward teammate.

It couldn’t help but remind him of a report he had once read.

It said that while some introverts might not talk much in social situations...

...they listen and observe people’s expressions and surroundings intently, making them better at reading people and catching subtle details that extroverts might miss.

’It seems the Xie Fei before me is exactly that type of person.’

"It’s a waste you’re not a detective!"

Hearing this, Xie Fei smiled, a bit embarrassed.

"Not at all, I just like to read mystery novels when I’m bored."

As he said this, he was actually growing more and more curious about Hu Qi.

’Based on his earlier actions, he clearly noticed it long ago.’

He might be introverted, but he wasn’t stupid.

"There’s definitely something wrong with that guy, but we don’t have any evidence right now."

He frowned.

But as soon as the words left his mouth, he saw Hu Qi wave his hand dismissively.

"Evidence? Our suspicion is the most important evidence.

You go follow that old geezer. See where he lives and if there’s anything unusual."

Xie Fei froze, not yet processing what was said.

He then saw Hu Qi striding into the cemetery.

He couldn’t help but ask,

"Where are you going? Aren’t you coming with me?"

"I’m going to check the spots where the graves were robbed. We’ll be more efficient if we split up."

"How do you know where those graves are?"

"This work log has them recorded. They’re at 79, 169, 695..."

Hu Qi didn’t turn back, simply shaking the thick, gray-covered booklet in his hand.

Xie Fei was speechless. He watched Hu Qi’s retreating back.

After a moment’s thought, he turned and ran toward the main gate.

The setting sun slanted west, gradually disappearing from view.

Like an extinguished ember.

The rows of motionless, gray tombstones stood bathed in the slanting, crimson light of dusk.

They cast long, twisted shadows on the ground, like shadowy tentacles reaching up from beneath the earth, trying to drag people into the darkness.

The tombstones were packed densely together, stretching as far as the eye could see, devoid of any human presence.

Only black-and-white portraits were placed on them. Walking among them gave one the feeling of being watched.

It was as if the people in the photos had come to life, all staring with dead, empty eyes.

A gust of wind blew past. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

It rustled the cypress leaves and wild grass in the cemetery, creating a faint, whispering sound.

It was as if strange, invisible, and intangible figures were walking among them.

TAP... TAP... TAP...

Hu Qi picked up his pace, his expression unchanged.

He had cut down monsters like the Black Blood Species before; this was nothing to him.

Following the records in the log, he soon arrived at the location of the previously desecrated graves.

Every grave here had its own number, so they weren’t difficult to find.

Not to mention the soil over these graves was looser than the others.

Of course, inside these re-filled graves, the bodies of the original occupants were gone.

This much was obvious from the fact that the tombstones above them had become nameless.

Hu Qi went to each one, crouching down in front of the graves to inspect them carefully.

Afterwards, Hu Qi began to walk around the perimeter of the entire cemetery.

By the time the sky had grown completely dark, Hu Qi had returned to the security room at the main gate.

There, a figure was sitting. It was Xie Fei.

"How did it go?"

Hu Qi asked.

"I’ve confirmed his location. It’s not far, in a village about a kilometer from here. I didn’t see anyone else at his house, so he probably lives alone..."

Xie Fei said, his gaze turning to Hu Qi.

"What about you?"

"Nothing major. We’ll just wait. It won’t be long."

Hu Qi seemed to notice his partner’s confusion.

He added,

"In this heat, a corpse can’t be preserved for long. The most recent body went missing two days ago. Let’s wait one night and see what happens."

Xie Fei understood.

With the frequent disappearances of bodies from the cemetery, fewer and fewer people were coming here for burials.

Add in the hot weather, and a corpse would rot and stink in no time.

And a Black Blood Species couldn’t possibly go without feeding, or it would become extremely weak.

"Remember, keep a close eye on these few monitors."

Hu Qi pointed to three screens next to the main monitor in the security room.

Seeming to notice Xie Fei’s confused look, Hu Qi smiled.

"The cameras for these spots were a bit crooked, leaving some blind spots. I straightened them out just now."

At his words, Xie Fei was no fool.

He immediately understood Hu Qi’s meaning.

’Only a cemetery employee would have the opportunity to do something like that.’

...

After that, the two of them stayed in the security room.

They began to wait.

Both of them were Secret Martial Artists who had cultivated their Qi and Blood.

Their stamina far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Staying up all night wouldn’t make them particularly drowsy.

Time passed slowly.

The cemetery was backed by a mountain and located in a remote area.

Now that night had fallen, the outside world was shrouded in darkness, with only the lonely, gray-white headstones standing there, making it seem exceptionally quiet.

Even the chirping of cicadas and croaking of frogs were much scarcer.

During this time, Hu Qi tried to chat with Xie Fei, hoping to dig up more information about the Shexin Sect.

After all, the other man had joined earlier than him and should know a little more.

However, what left Hu Qi speechless was that the man was already in his third year with the Shexin Sect.

After his first year was up, he had applied to stay and study at the school.

He spent most of his time in his room doing his Cultivation.

He only came out for a breath of fresh air when he had to carry out a mission.

’He’s a true shut-in,’ Hu Qi mentally appraised him.

"You’ve been a member for so long, you must be close to breaking through to the Martial Arts Family, right?"

Hu Qi said with a smile.

"The Martial Arts Family isn’t that simple."

Xie Fei shook his head.

"Right now, I’ve only cultivated the Snake Form Posture to the Seventh Layer and have just initially completed the Third Transformation of Qi and Blood. I’m still a long way from the Martial Arts Family."