037: Li Cha: Regarding the Evil God, I Shall Feed Off You for a Lifetime (Please vote for monthly tickets and keep reading!)

"Dr. Li Cha, hand over all your money!"

A strange man's voice rang out in Li Cha's ear.

Li Cha decisively took a deep breath, let out a dry laugh, and said, "Brother, let's talk this over. It’s just money; there's really no need for this."

"Cut the crap! Give me the money!"

Li Cha pointed ahead. "OK, OK. The money is upstairs, where I sleep. Let's go up together."

In that instant, the intruder’s attention was drawn toward the staircase.

Immediately following—

With a "bang," the man collapsed, dead on the spot.

In truth, Li Cha had sensed more than one set of breathing in the clinic the moment he opened the door. A few days ago, he would have chosen to retreat, sprinting toward the Old Shock Tavern. Although he had just survived a hellish version of recruit training and could easily outrun one or two thugs, he now had a gun.

It was an official sidearm issued by the Intelligence Bureau that Monday. It had a high capacity, significant power, and its own energy-charging slot, allowing him to imbue bullets with magical force. Furthermore, he had fifty armor-piercing rounds capable of ignoring most cloth, leather, and light armor on the market, dealing lethal damage to the human body.

And so, Li Cha had put a bullet into the man holding him hostage.

After the man fell, Li Cha, well-versed in the necessity of a follow-up, fired several more shots before turning on the crystal lamp. A glance confirmed that the man in the pool of blood was beyond dead. He pulled back the man’s face mask.

"Don't recognize him."

However—

*Ding-dong!*

System Notification: The trade list has been refreshed. Please check it in time.

...

Opening the system panel, a new entry appeared clearly: [Kachi's Corpse].

[Kachi's Corpse]: The body of the drifter Kachi. Kachi, level 8, profession: Drifter. Previously committed crimes including murder, rape, and human trafficking. Value: 2 silver coins.

...

Li Cha blew on the barrel of his gun. "The money for the bullets has been earned back, plus my emotional distress fee. A small profit."

He clicked "Sell."

The corpse on the ground vanished, along with the still-warm blood, the severed arm, and some colorful cerebral matter.

*Ding-dong!*

System Notification: Transaction complete. You have gained 2 silver coins, your mental power has slightly increased, and your experience points have increased by 10%!

...

Li Cha smiled. "Very good."

The system-branded recycler was clean and hygienic, leaving not even a trace of the stench of blood. It was an essential tool for home living, travel, and disposing of evidence.

"Come out."

Li Cha looked toward the examination room. "Miss Susan, do I need to invite you out?"

*Creeeak.*

The brand-new wooden door opened, and a blonde young woman stepped out, dressed in light blue adventurer’s gear with silver pauldrons. She also held a gun. She gripped it with both hands, aiming directly at Li Cha. Her weapon was merely a standard firearm, but it was more than enough to handle an unarmored Li Cha.

Yet, despite Susan holding the absolute upper hand, her forehead was beaded with sweat. Conversely, Li Cha looked perfectly relaxed, even finding the mood to pick his teeth with a toothpick.

"Don't move!" Susan gasped.

Li Cha nodded and froze.

Susan asked, "Are you a cultist of the Black Mist Church?"

Li Cha replied, "No."

Susan gritted her teeth. "Do you take me for a fool? I saw it! You sacrificed that corpse to an evil god!"

Li Cha: "What corpse? Where? I didn't see any corpse. And Miss Susan, it's so late—what is the explanation for you ambushing me in my examination room with a gun in your hand?"

Susan: "I don't know. I don't know why I felt I had to come see you, but now I'm sure—you're a cultist! You did something to me while I was sick... No, the reason I've been having these episodes is because you're behind it!"

*Clap, clap, clap.*

Dr. Li Cha applauded. "I have to admit, Miss Susan, your imagination is truly rich."

Susan: "Don't move!"

Li Cha: OK.

"What exactly did you do to me? Tell me!"

Li Cha was amused. There was a saying: if someone insists on knowing, one must be merciful enough to grant their wish.

[Susan's Memory], release.

It was just like every other night. Over the past three days, Li Cha would grind gathering quests upon returning home. Once finished, and the hour was late, he would let Susan's memories out for a stroll. When he woke the next day, he would reel them back in.

*Clang!*

It felt as if a great bell had tolled inside Susan's mind.

*Thump!*

She had spent every night of the past few days this way. On a day of adventuring, Susan had led a group to discover an underground cavern. Her subordinates had urged her to find more people before exploring, but Susan had argued that since it was not far from Saint Anne City, there couldn't be any major monsters, and that adventure was only interesting with a little danger.

As it turned out, they only encountered minor wild creatures, and the five skilled first-tier adventurers made steady progress without incident. That was until they opened the treasure chest at the end of the cave.

The accident happened then. The person who touched the wooden carving in the chest turned to ash on the spot.

As a noble, Susan had always stayed in the back. When she sensed the abnormality, she was the first to abandon her teammates and flee. Thus, she survived.

...

Charlie’s Clinic.

Susan stood there, dazed. She had thought her theories were nearly correct, but she had been wrong about everything!

It wasn't over. It wasn't over yet.

Susan remembered how she had abused her maid, killing her favorite, Elizabeth, and seducing a male slave, and so on, and so forth. Thankfully, the male slave had been frightened and reported the matter, or his fate would surely have been a miserable death.

*Thump.*

The young mistress of the Kevin family collapsed. This wasn't Li Cha playing tricks; she had clearly courted death herself by crossing paths with an evil god's offering. Dr. Li Cha had saved her, pulling her back from the chaos. And yet, the first thing Susan had thought to do was silence him. Even tonight, she was still thinking about murder!

"I... I was wrong..."

Susan remembered everything. She crawled to Li Cha’s feet, hugged his legs, and pleaded, "Doctor, I was wrong. Doctor, you are my savior. I will repay you; please forgive me!"

Li Cha: "What?"

Susan said, "My body... it's almost no longer my own!"

Li Cha: "Oh, you mean that, Miss Susan. Please don't worry. This is just a lingering symptom of being contaminated by the evil god's aura. In a few days, everything will be fine."

A lingering symptom?

Susan wiped away her tears and asked uncertainly, "Is that true?"

This time, Li Cha replied with three words: "I. Lied. To. You."

Li Cha counted on his fingers: "You, your father, your mother—none of you intended for me to leave the Kevin estate alive. So all of this is what you deserve, Miss Susan."

"!!!!!"

From the darkness before death to the dawn of victory, and then back into endless darkness. The drop was too great. Susan, whose mental state was already shattered, fainted directly.

When she woke again, over half an hour had passed. Li Cha had changed into his Intelligence Bureau second-lieutenant uniform and was sitting with one leg crossed. Seeing movement, he waved his credentials, stamped with the seal of the Redwood Empire, and said, "Miss Susan, please tell me the exact location of the evil god's wooden carving. This is your duty as a citizen, and it is for your own good. As long as you confess honestly, I guarantee you won't be harmed. Of course... regarding your connection to the evil god incident, I’ll have you under my thumb for the rest of your life."