novelraw Chapter 566: Empress Chicken? Slipped Up, Didn't You? Time for a Hammer to the Head
Chapter 566: Empress Chicken? Slipped Up, Didn't You? Time for a Hammer to the Head
"We can use this information to carry out the killings."
"After killing them, we'll post the evil deeds of the demons we eliminated and make a public announcement."
"We won't explicitly say it, but this announcement will show that these demons were causing trouble after you took office, which is why you eliminated them."
"We create the impression that whatever you did before I arrived is none of my business, but if you commit evil after I'm here, then I have to deal with it."
"Killing this way will make other demons wary, but more importantly, it will make them overconfident."
"We're forcing them to confront their sunk costs in White Ridge and struggle with the dilemma that sunk costs shouldn't influence major decisions."
Lu Ding's eyes lit up.
He laughed and said, "You're quite cunning with those glasses."
Simply put:
If he killed randomly, without reason, or started by digging up old grievances, it would scare the other demons and monsters into fleeing.Because staying in this place would pose risks to them.
They wouldn't be able to see any pattern in Lu Ding's demon-slaying.
Everyone would fear they might be next.
This would cause other demons to flee before Lu Ding could kill many of them.
That would be a huge loss for Lu Ding.
But if Lu Ding's demon-slaying followed a pattern, and one that could be discerned by others, then these demons would feel much more at ease.
Although they would still feel anxious.
Smart people shouldn't stand under dangerous walls.
But they had all been in White Ridge for quite some time.
Whether it was time invested, the environment, or other factors, all these combined represented costs.
If the risk exceeded the cost, they would abandon their investment.
But if the risk didn't exceed the cost, many would instinctively gamble with the situation, and even if the risk made them uncomfortable, they wouldn't flee.
It's like when a recently released movie gets high ratings and everyone says it's good.
You get attracted too and spend forty-nine yuan on a ticket, only to sit down in the theater and find children making noise, people playing on their phones.
The person behind you keeps kicking your seatback from time to time, and the movie isn't as good as expected.
In such situations, most people would endure it and watch the movie, or some might stand up and argue with these people.
Rather than choosing to leave directly.
Because they've spent money and already suffered emotional and mental losses.
These are the costs.
Without considering whether arguments might lead to fights, injuries, or wasted time.
Other demons are the same—they can't bear to lose their investment while also clinging to the hope that if they lay low and stop doing evil, no one will report them, right?
Little do they know.
Whether someone reports them, or who reports them, these things simply don't matter.
If Lu Ding says someone reported it, then someone reported it.
Who reasons with demons?!
Outsiders might think Lu Ding shoots arrows at targets, but in reality, he shoots the arrow first, and after it lands, he draws the target around it.
To be fair, Fu Xinghe's move was indeed ruthless, showing a deep understanding of human nature.
Lu Ding's teasing sounded like praise to Fu Xinghe.
He smiled slightly: "I still need to learn more from Brother Lu."
Lu Ding: ........
He genuinely couldn't tell if Fu Xinghe's words were praising him or mocking him.
"So, has anyone reported anything yet?"
At the beginning, they still needed to be somewhat restrained, not too blatant.
After killing a few more, when the local demons got used to it, then they could gradually become more unrestrained—that was the correct process!
Selective killing!!
And they had to pick high-value targets!!
Fu Xinghe took out his phone and opened the backend interface of the reporting program.
"Yes, but not many."
Lu Ding took the phone.
Although White Ridge 749 lacked public credibility, it was the only hope for many suffering people.
Not to mention, the reporting program Fu Xinghe made was anonymous.
So, there would always be desperate people willing to give it a try.
Because aside from this method, they had no other options.
Sure enough.
The very first report was from someone at their wit's end.
They didn't even use anonymity.
[Official, official, save me, I beg you to save my son, please uphold justice for my whole family]
Well, without even looking further, Lu Ding knew this must be from someone outside, not a local citizen of Great Han—their speech hadn't shed the ancient language of their original country.
He continued reading.
[I am commoner Wang, living at 493 Half Mountain Slope Street, White Ridge District. A few days ago, during the Rooster Sun Temple festival on Half Mountain Slope, my son was chosen to carry the incense burner. Who knew that once he went, he never returned? My husband went to look for him]
[Only to be told that my son had caught the eye of the Rooster Sun Goddess in the temple, who wanted to select him to serve her closely. But everyone on Half Mountain Slope knows that boys chosen by Rooster Sun Goddess ultimately meet unavoidable deaths]
[My husband didn't dare refuse, but when he returned, he secretly went to report to 749 Bureau. That same day, the goddess's subordinates came to our door and beat him to death at home with hammers, even smashing his skull]
[I beg you, Official, to uphold justice for me. Otherwise, beat me to death too, so I can join my husband]
After reading, Lu Ding thought, Rooster Sun Goddess?
Wasn't this just Chicken Goddess?
Well then.
Forcibly seizing civilian men—you've really shown your chicken feet!
Coincidentally, Lu Ding's Twelve Zodiac Arts method still lacked the rooster.
Currently, he only had: snake, ox, dragon, tiger, rabbit.
He hoped this Chicken Goddess would drop a rooster zodiac art method for him.
Pointing at this report, Lu Ding asked, "Did this happen before we arrived or after?"
"After we arrived, and specifically after we dealt with the Luo Family matter."
"Did 749 accept the case?"
"They did, but the two investigators sent on the task, Wen Jiayou and Wen Boyuan, went there, accepted bribes, and came back. They even revealed that the husband of this family had reported the case."
Lu Ding nodded.
His eyes scanned around as he searched and said, "Beaten to death with hammers, right..."
As he spoke.
Lu Ding spotted the large ornamental rock standing nearby.
He raised his hand, and [Qi of the Ticket Wind] surged out, enveloping the large rock. As the ornamental rock shook continuously, a stone hammer was carved out.
[Qi of the Ticket Wind] carried the stone hammer over.
Lu Ding caught it, gripped it, and swung it once.
"Not bad."
Aside from being light, it felt quite handy.
He stepped forward: "Let's go find those two bastards. Later, I'm going to use this thing to smash their heads, one blow each!!!!"
Lu Ding believed he had been quite lenient with the standards for White Ridge 749 investigators.
After all, habits couldn't change overnight;
he understood the need for gradual progress.
But!
These two guys, after he had dealt with the Luo Family matter, still dared to do this!
Damn it!
Weren't they treating his words like fart?!
If these two had just taken money, gone through the motions without doing anything, Lu Ding could somewhat understand (though not forgive).
They wouldn't have to die.
But damn it, these two actually revealed the informant's information!
Resulting in the informant's death—that was something Lu Ding couldn't tolerate.
He absolutely had to give them a "hammer enlightenment," teaching them a lesson they'd only experience once in their lifetime!