Chapter 700: Danger Unveiled

Book – Chapter 700: Where is the Danger? (Update 3)

Zhou Lie had been staring for so long before he finally realized that the villa resembled a ‘demon.’ Lin

How did Xiao Yu notice something was wrong with this villa? Did he know it was demonic?

A statue!

When he observed something off about the statue in the villa’s courtyard—though it depicted a woman—it strangely resembled a ‘nose.’

He knew something was amiss.

If it really was a ‘nose,’ shouldn’t there also be a mouth, eyes, and a face? With that thought, he stepped out of the villa to investigate further.

At dawn, that ghastly face still wasn’t entirely evident.

After dark, when the villa’s two pillar lamps lit up,

a ‘demon’ with glaring red eyes appeared!

Both Xiao Yu and Zhou Lie stared at it, their expressions a mix of shock and uncertainty.

“Something’s still off.”

Xiao Yu murmured, “If it’s a psychological suggestion or a hypnotic device… there must be some additional inducements to lure someone into this hypnotic illusion.”

“And most importantly, the injuries on someone who passively falls into an illusion can’t be faked. How did you manage to get them hurt?”

“And also… what exactly is your objective?”

“Why kill thirty-six people and turn them into mummified corpses?”

“Why did I sense… danger when I was in the villa’s courtyard?”

“And what else threatens me?”

Possessing a ‘sense of danger’ wasn’t so much a superpower as an instinct honed by Xiao Yu through countless life-and-death encounters.

Like wild beasts and certain animals, he was born with the knack to sense peril.

When Xiao Yu activated the myriad skills granted by his system, they mirrored the natural abilities of animals.

In that state, you could say Xiao Yu was akin to a wild beast.

Thus, his perception of danger was even sharper.

The problem was, there were hardly any threats left in the world that could challenge him.

What could it be?

Xiao Yu walked back to the villa and stepped into the courtyard.

Falcon’s Eye, Python’s Sense, Night Bat Wave…

Under the scrutiny of visual, infrared, and sonic sweeps,

he combed through every inch of the courtyard.

Yet no anomalies were found… Xiao Yu was about to curse in frustration.

Where was the danger coming from?

Suddenly, Xiao Yu’s eyes lit up.

Wangdie’s Nose… activated!

In moments, a faint, pungent odor flooded his nostrils.

Damn, found it!

With his expression rapidly changing, Xiao Yu’s gaze dropped to the ground.

Something was off with the grass on the lawn!

He crouched down, fixating intently on the densely packed blades.

Ordinary mugwort?

Reaching out, Xiao Yu plucked one and examined it closely.

No… this wasn’t mugwort.

With his Botany Expert skill, Xiao Yu’s face changed instantly.

The name of a plant flashed through his mind: Verbena!

It resembled mugwort but every part of it was poisonous.

This plant was highly adaptable, growing in nearly any countryside soil with impressive reproductive abilities.

But it was extremely toxic!

If ingested, Verbena would cause nausea, dizziness, headaches, vomiting, and stomach pains.

Yet that wasn’t the main issue.

The key was that when exposed to sufficient heat, this plant would emit a gas.

The gas was colorless, odorless, and undetectable by human senses.

So, what was wrong with this gas?

It induced hallucinations!

Moreover, the herb had high medicinal value.

Abroad, it was even cultivated as a key ingredient in Du Pen.

However, extracting its medicinal compounds was complicated—typical traffickers wouldn’t even bother.

The extraction process was time-consuming, labor-intensive, and costly!

Verbena had another characteristic.

Its hallucinogenic effect did not physically harm the body.

It only temporarily numbed the nerves of the brain, inducing a brief hallucinatory state.

How much heat was needed to trigger the gas release?

Simple.

Just a dose of sunlight and temperatures above 35 degrees would do.

Isn’t that simple?

Xiao Yu looked up, a smirk playing on his face.

City N was in the south; by mid to late June, temperatures easily soared past 35 degrees.

With a little more sunlight…

Yet it still wasn’t enough… Xiao Yu shook his head.

Not enough of what?

Not enough to make someone actually see a ‘demon.’

The villa could imprint the image of a ‘demon’ in one’s memory.

And Verbena could trigger hallucinatory states.

But neither would cause physical harm!

…… Begging for flowers……

Recalling the bruise on Wang Dong’s lower abdomen, Xiao Yu frowned in deep thought.

That was the key evidence that convinced Wang Dong and the Team Two members that a demon was involved.

What could have caused such injuries?

As a Medical Expert, countless scenarios of how human bruises appeared raced through Xiao Yu’s mind.

Until a slow smile curved his lips.

Purpura!

What is purpura?

Purpura is the appearance of dark spots caused by blood under the skin and mucous membranes.

It involves skin damage, subcutaneous bleeding, with blood seeping into the surrounding connective tissue.

They can be as small as a bean or as large as a palm.

The symptoms closely mimic those of traumatic bruising.

Touching them is painful!

Without any external force, how could one trigger purpura?

……..

Drugs, toxic gas, and… mosquito coil liquid!

Are you kidding me? Can mosquito coil liquid cause purpura?

It certainly can.

A few years ago, news reported that a mosquito coil liquid manufacturer had issues with its ingredient formulas that went unnoticed.

After its release, nearly everyone who used that mosquito coil liquid developed some degree of purpura.

It nearly sparked a panic!

This incident was unforgettable because it coincided with the Kimchi Land humidifier event.

In Kimchi Land, the humidifier incident claimed over ten thousand lives.

Fortunately, the Dragon Kingdom’s mosquito coil liquid only triggered purpura!

It was that kind of mosquito coil liquid—one that induced purpura, or something similar… Xiao Yu’s gaze swept the villa’s courtyard once more.

Until his eyes fixed on a pavilion within the courtyard.

What was off about the pavilion?

Xiao Yu stepped forward and stood inside the pavilion, his eyes locked on the four eaves.

Under each eave hung an exquisitely decorated ceramic bottle.

Bending slightly, Xiao Yu mustered his strength and leaped instantly.

Smack.

Grasping the eave with his left hand, his body suspended mid-air, he stared intently at the ceramic bottle.

Reaching out with his right hand, he seized the bottle, brought it down, and gave it a gentle shake.

He could faintly hear the sound of water!

Releasing his grip, he let it drop to the ground, then held the bottle’s opening close to his nose and sniffed.

His expression changed in an instant.

This was it! (exclaims)

Wen

Xue