Demon hunter's Cooking Manual

It was apparent that the oldest of them was the Leader among the three.

After the office workers calmed down, he turned his head to look at Jason, Ryosuke, and Hui Lijing.

"We have no ill intentions."

"We are here just to temporarily trap you."

"Other than that..."

The middle-aged man seemed to want to say something else but eventually shook his head.

"The first round is over, the murderer has been found."

"Now, the second round begins."

"You have to catch me—the information is in the box behind the plaque."

After the female student finished speaking, the surrounding darkness enveloped the three of them.

Then, the three disappeared.

It wasn't until the three had vanished that Ryosuke and Hui Lijing were jolted into realization.

Only at this point did they remember this was not a regular murder scene but rather within a mysterious environment.

Almost instinctively, Ryosuke picked up the ladder again.

He needed to take down the box from behind the plaque.

"Do you need help?"

Hui Lijing asked, but Ryosuke declined.

Hui Lijing did not insist anymore and turned to look at Jason.

"How did you discover it, Jason?"

"Does an Exorcist also go through detective training?"

Hui Lijing inquired.

I have professional skills.

Jason silently answered in his mind, but aloud he repeated a phrase he often used—

"It's all quite obvious."

In the world intermingling with fantasy and reality where the female pastry chef was, Jason often used this phrase to muddle through everything, with the help of the female pastry chef's explanation, there was naturally no problem.

However, Hui Lijing in front of him didn't possess such quality.

She tilted her head and thought for a long time.

The curly hair that covered her forehead fell to one side, revealing her beautiful eyes.

It was a pity, though, that her eyes were full of confusion.

All quite obvious?

Why didn't I see it?

Did I miss many important clues?

Hui Lijing furrowed her brow and after a good four to five seconds, blurted out.

"So once the result is out, the process isn't important, right?"

She said, looking at Jason expectantly.

Jason fell silent for a second and then nodded.

Because he didn't know how else to explain.

Silently, he found himself missing the female pastry chef a bit.

"Take a look at this box."

Ryosuke, holding the box from behind the plaque with one hand, jumped down from the ladder directly.

The box was made of wood, roughly the size of an adult's palm, with no lock, so it could be opened directly.

Inside was a piece of paper, written on it with a brush were the words—

I line up in the east, without eyes.

I line up in the west, without ears.

I line up in the north, without arms.

I line up in the south, without legs.

...

Faced with these incomplete phrases, Ryosuke frowned while Hui Lijing looked even more confused.

After a moment, both of them looked up at Jason.

"Do you have any findings, Jason?"

Hui Lijing asked.

"It's written in the same handwriting as the message left for us previously."

Jason said.

"We know that!"

"Besides that?"

Hui Lijing pressed.

Then, right after she asked, she noticed that Jason was looking at her with a very strange expression.

Hui Lijing felt very awkward being stared at, and even thought the laces of her shoes came undone, involuntarily glanced down.

"Perhaps this isn't knowledge of the 'Mystical Side', but I hope you'll remember—"

"Never follow your enemy's steps."

Jason replied in this way.

While saying this, Jason walked towards the outside of the temple.

Up to this point, Jason still didn't know what was happening.

But one thing was certain, the hidden adversary that lured him here wasn't intending for a social tea party.

And as for the words of the office workers, the middle-aged clerk, and the female student?

Jason wouldn't believe a word.

Before he learned in 'Nightless City' not to follow the enemy's footsteps, he had already learned not to trust anyone's words, especially those of an enemy.

Perhaps these three people had no ill intentions.

Perhaps these three people did not lie.

But!

This does not mean that the hidden adversary behind the scenes had no ill intentions, no lies.

The opponent could easily deceive the three of them with lies.

Then, use the mouths of the three to lull them into complacency.

This would be a better way than direct lying.

Because... the office worker, the middle-aged clerk, the female student, they believe the other party.

Even if the other party was telling lies, the three would take them for the truth.

Then, the three would convey these 'truths' to them.

But who could possibly know what the real outcome would be?

Therefore, even though Jason could still sense the aura of death on the three and easily pinpoint their locations at this moment, he wouldn't go looking for them.

He could imagine that even if he did find the three,

There would inevitably be a third round, a fourth round,

And even more entanglements to follow.

In such entanglements, everything would become even more complicated and confusing.

Far better to strike directly at the most obvious point.

Once and for all!

That's always the best solution!

Following Jason, Hui Lijing and Ryosuke were also thinking.

"Is there any countermeasure?"

"Can we force the three murderers to show themselves?"

That's what Ryosuke was thinking.

And Hui Lijing's thought process was much simpler.

"Jason must have discovered the murderer and is pursuing them."

Clearly, this represents a limitation or habit of thought.

To give an example (a good example, but chestnuts aren't bad either) —

Hui Lijing was on the first level.

Ryosuke on the second level.

Jason, however, was standing on the fifth level.

...

Inside the courtyard, the 'startled deer' moved up and down, creating the distinctive sound of bamboo striking stone.

Within its crouched form, droplets fell, rippling the water's surface.

The handsome man holding a folding fan gently tapped his palm with the fan, a smile appearing on his fair cheek. He squinted his slender, fox-like eyes, watching the 'startled deer's' movements within the courtyard.

A servant stepped lightly and approached the handsome man from behind.

"Master, the three have completed the first phase."

"However..."

"They were almost immediately discovered by that Jason."

"Then, that Detective Ryosuke noticed something was amiss as well," the servant reported softly.

The handsome man showed no surprise.

Instead, he nodded as if it was expected.

"Of course."

"After all, he's an exorcist who has evaded dozens of assassinations."

"If he couldn't even detect this much, it would be truly disappointing."

"And what about that Detective Ryosuke?"

"If he weren't so hot-tempered and straightforward, with his record he would have been promoted to Superintendent by now, and since this case is his jurisdiction, such a discovery is only to be expected."

At this point, the handsome man paused.

"Otherwise, how could we move on to the second round?"

After saying this, the handsome man seemed to find something amusing, his expression growing even more delighted.

He waved his hand.

Immediately, the servant respectfully withdrew.

Then, the handsome man turned his gaze back to the courtyard.

There, an old monk appeared, clad in a gray, tattered robe, at some unknown time.

The old monk was filthy and disheveled, with a darkened face.

However, his eyes were bright.

At the moment, these bright eyes were fixed on the handsome man.

"Tongshou Temple monk, you've finally decided to show yourself."

The handsome man said with a smile.

The monk sighed, did not speak, and simply bent down and began to wash his hands in front of the 'crouched beast.'

This gesture brightened the handsome man's eyes.

He rose from a kneeling position.

The folding fan in his hand was gently opened.

With one hand, he formed several seals.

Woo!

A cold wind blew into the courtyard.

Dark clouds followed.

The stars were obscured.

The moon grew dim.

Several armored skeleton samurai appeared in the courtyard.

They drew their swords, surrounding the old monk.

The old monk calmly washed his hands and face, then shook out his monk's robe and looked at the handsome man.

In the face of the handsome man's anticipation and excitement, he knelt straight down and shouted in a high voice—

"Spare my life!"