The air froze.
Gao Yang, Qing Ling, and Officer Huang sat across from Old Man Gu, their faces expressionless, but beneath the table, their hands were already moving.
Gao Yang slipped a small dagger from his pocket, ready to activate the Blademaster talent borrowed from Qing Ling—his target, Old Man Gu's heart.
Qing Ling silently unsheathed her tangdao, hidden under the table, calculating the perfect angle for a strike.
Officer Huang's fingers brushed the gun at his waist, poised to draw.
Prince Kai and Fat Jun stood a short distance away, mid-argument, when they suddenly sensed the shift in atmosphere.
Prince Kai turned, blinked, then gaped. He raised a fist. "Lizar—"
Gao Yang lunged, clamping a hand over Prince Kai's mouth. Though impulsive, Prince Kai caught on and settled for a bewildered stare.
"Wait..." Gao Yang whispered.
In those tense seconds facing Old Man Gu, Gao Yang detected zero killing intent. That was also why Officer Huang and Qing Ling hadn't struck first.
Old Man Gu's behavior was... bizarre.
The bizarre part? He was utterly calm, no different from when he'd been human.
Then, something even stranger happened. Old Man Gu's partially beastified body gradually reverted to human form. Throughout, he kept sipping his tea leisurely. Only when he set his cup down and looked up did he notice the room staring at him in tense silence.
"What's with the silence?" Old Man Gu blinked, innocent and confused. "Why're you all staring? You... don't actually suspect me, do you?"
"Of course not." Officer Huang broke the stalemate, his smile returning. "Haha, don't overthink it, Old Man Gu."
"Good. I'm even more eager to catch the killer than you are." The old man sighed mournfully. "Such a pitiful family... what sin did they commit..."
"Old Man Gu, it's getting late. Rest well. We'll visit again tomorrow." Officer Huang stood.
Gao Yang and Qing Ling followed. Fat Jun scrambled after them, visibly eager to leave.
Prince Kai was thoroughly lost. "Huh? We're just leaving? But he—"
"Let's go." Gao Yang shot him a look.
"Alright, take care. I won't see you out." Old Man Gu rose slowly, watching them depart.
With nowhere else to go, the five returned to Hua's house. This time, to avoid drawing attention, they kept the lights off and shut all windows and doors tightly. A flashlight provided the only illumination as they huddled around its glow.
"He's a lizard man! Why didn't we kill him?!" Prince Kai was still hung up on it—he stubbornly referred to all beasts as "lizard men."
"Old Man Gu didn't seem hostile." Gao Yang glanced pointedly at Prince Kai. "Not all beasts are evil. There's a type called Lost Ones..." He briefly explained deluded beasts.
"Then why did he transform in front of us? Showing off?" Prince Kai scoffed.
Officer Huang stroked his chin. "Lost Ones are the most docile and stable beasts. Even if we outright called ourselves awakened to their faces, they'd usually ignore it. They only beastify and rampage under extreme stress."
"Like what?"
"Say... if we used our talents to hurt them," Fat Jun interjected.
"But Old Man Gu's sudden beastification... I've never seen or heard of anything like it." Officer Huang turned to Gao Yang. "Thoughts?"
Gao Yang had been mulling over Baili Yi's words. He ventured a bold theory: "I think... he might be sick."
"Sick?" Qing Ling frowned.
"Suppose..." Gao Yang raised his left and right hands. "Beasts have a 'switch' inside them, controlling their human and beast forms and personalities."
He clenched his left fist. "Normally, they're in human form and mindset."
He released his left hand and clenched his right. "Under specific triggers, the switch flips, and they instantly shift to beast form and instincts."
Officer Huang nodded for him to continue.
"Beasts, like humans, are living creatures. All living things age, weaken, get sick. Problems arise."
Gao Yang pressed his palms together. "Right now, Old Man Gu's 'switch' is malfunctioning. The two forms are blending—like a flickering bulb with bad wiring. But because he's a Lost One, the gentlest type, he doesn't even notice the change."
As he spoke, Gao Yang recalled that summer when he was four, peeking through the door crack at his grandfather's arm. Maybe Grandpa had been a "sick" beast too.
"In the past, I wouldn't have believed beasts could 'get sick.' I've met elderly Lost Ones before." Officer Huang clicked his tongue. "But now... I'm not so sure."
"Yawn—" Prince Kai rubbed his teary eyes. "All this analysis feels useless. If we can't find the killer, let's just wipe out the whole village. They're all lizard men anyway. Clean and simple."
Gao Yang's stomach dropped. Prince Kai, you're a beast yourself. That's harsh even for your own kind.
"Kai-ge, that's such a gamer mindset," Fat Jun licked his lips. "I think it's more complicated."
"Oh yeah? Then what's your plan? Sit here and die?" Prince Kai shot back.
Fat Jun stammered into silence.
"I agree with Prince Kai." Qing Ling, quiet until now, spoke up. "Do something. Just don't die here."
"It's an option. Taking the offensive might force the real killer out." Officer Huang sighed. "But there's no turning back. The risks are huge. This village can't be all Lost Ones. Even a few Rage Beasts would ruin us, let alone stronger ones hiding here."
"Then what do we do?!" Fat Jun panicked. "Can't leave, can't fight—we're dead either way!"
"Useless! Have you forgotten about me?!" Prince Kai thumped his chest. "I can take on ten right now!"
"That's not enough!"
"Shut up! Beat ten first, then maybe my limitless potential awakens, and I power up again. Problem solved!"
Officer Huang chuckled at Prince Kai's naivety. "This isn't a movie. You really think you'll 'power up' on demand?"
Gao Yang rolled his eyes. Who knows if his powers will surge? But if his IQ does and he realizes he's a beast too, then switches sides... we're screwed.
"Of course!" Prince Kai puffed up. "I'm the chosen one, right, Gao Yang?"
"...Right." Gao Yang's smile was more of a grimace.
"Then let's vote." Officer Huang took charge. "Raise your hand if you're for attacking."
Prince Kai and Qing Ling raised theirs immediately. After a pause, Officer Huang did too. Fat Jun hesitated, then reluctantly followed. Only Gao Yang abstained—his vote wouldn't change the outcome.
"Then it's settled." Officer Huang declared. "We purge the village."
"When?" Qing Ling asked.
"Now! What's the wait?!" Prince Kai cracked his knuckles.
"Hold on." Gao Yang disagreed. "Rest tonight. Investigate more tomorrow. There are things I still want to check. How about tomorrow night?"
"Fine by me." Officer Huang said.
Qing Ling nodded.
Fat Jun, having no strong opinion, nodded too.
"So tedious!" Prince Kai sulked but yielded to majority rule. "Fine. Tomorrow night it is!"