The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 525: The Ice Heart Demon

Jingle, jingle!

Lu Li stepped out of the tavern.

With him was a starving demon, one that all the others had pointedly ignored.

"For the next three hours, no one is to leave this tavern," the humanoid demon announced, his voice suppressing the greedy stares fixed on Lu Li. "With the exception of our blind huntress."

He glanced with interest at Ruth, who stood by the door. "If you don't hurry, he'll be gone."

"I told you, I have nothing to do with him," Ruth retorted coldly.

A faint smile touched the humanoid demon's lips. "This establishment has no place for you today. Will you be leaving?"

"You bastard..."

Ruth swore under her breath, then snorted in disgust and rose from her seat.

Her steps were a little unsteady as she pushed open the door and walked out.Jingle, jingle!

The wind chimes rang out clearly.

"You're protecting a human," growled one of the greater demons—the same one who had cast a greedy glance at Lu Li when his identity was revealed.

"It's just a deal. A fair one," the humanoid demon replied indifferently.

He retrieved a strange bottle of wine from under the counter, poured a glass, and gazed into the swirling liquid as if lost in memory.

...

The red flames wreathing the skeletal horse sensed Lu Li's approach and receded deep into its bones, concentrating into a dense, divine fire in the depths of its eye sockets.

Whitley, now in the deepest pits of Hell, trembled before the unique aura of the infernal creatures. If not for the instinct imprinted deep within her to follow Lu Li, she would have fled this town long ago.

Lu Li had no intention of taking Whitley any further, but he couldn't explain that it was time to part ways, as she was unable to communicate.

Just then, the faint jingle of wind chimes sounded from behind him. Ruth had emerged from the tavern.

"What do you need a mount for?" Ruth, her striking figure approaching with the sharp tap of her heels, kept a wary distance. She eyed the skeletal horse strangely. "It won't be able to carry you out of Hell."

"It will."

Ruth subconsciously wanted to scoff, but Lu Li's composure told her that this man might actually have a way back.

"How?" she asked.

Lu Li didn't hide anything and answered directly, "When I was in the world of the living, I heard there was an entrance to Hell in Sentry Post."

"And if that information is false?"

"Then I'll have to try forcing my way back again."

Lu Li looked calmly at Ruth and Whitley. "Thank you for your help, but you don't need to come with me any further. Ruth, I'm leaving Whitley with you for now. Don't let her follow me."

"What are you talking about?" The cloth covering Ruth's eyes furrowed along with her brows.

"You've already died once. If you die again, it might be for good."

"Why should someone who has already died fear death?" Ruth's characteristic sneer returned. "Instead of a meaningless end, I'd rather see the despair on your face when you fail."

"You can stay here," Lu Li said. "If the information is false, I'll come back."

"If the despair isn't fresh, it won't bring me any joy."

Surprisingly, Ruth, who had resisted Lu Li the entire journey, was now stubbornly determined to follow him, even if it meant walking into death's embrace.

"Without me as your guide, you'll die quickly in this dangerous Hell."

"The skeletal horse will help me handle most of the dangers."

"It can't tell you anything."

"You won't be able to return on your own."

"We can return together on the skeletal horse. And... are you feeling guilty?" Ruth scrutinized Lu Li. "In my opinion, there's no need. You could have just killed us before you left. You've done it once before, haven't you?"

Realizing that Ruth wouldn't stay behind, Lu Li didn't press the matter further.

He walked over to the skeletal horse, which lowered itself so Lu Li could mount.

It accepted Whitley and Ruth as companions as well. The tall, bony steed could easily bear their weight.

However, Lu Li and Ruth were not seated close together—Whitley was positioned between them.

Lu Li gripped the top of the skeletal horse's rib cage and said quietly, "Let's go."

The skeletal horse rose to its feet, distorted black flames erupting from its hooves. It took four strides and then bolted toward the Black Rock Volcano.

Wherever its hooves struck the ground, hoof-shaped flames sprang up, stretching into the distance behind the galloping steed.

"It seems your other old acquaintances didn't make it in time," Ruth's voice carried faintly over the rushing wind.

Those connected to Lu Li were either too far away to come or had long since vanished into the depths of Hell.

Perhaps Ruth and Whitley were the only acquaintances he had left...

...

The tavern grew lively once more.

The greater demons and lesser ones spoke in low tones. Though no trades were being made, they savored this moment of calm, a respite from battle.

Time passed, and at some point, the quiet conversations in the tavern suddenly began to fade.

As one, they all turned to look at the tavern door, as if waiting for something.

Scrape, scrape...

A faint, strange sound came from outside the door, growing steadily clearer.

A layer of white frost appeared on the door, spreading and creeping up the entire wall.

Every infernal being in the tavern felt a chill.

As creatures of Hell, they were accustomed to its searing heat. This new cold was unsettling, repulsive.

Crack...

The frost sealing the door and its frame shattered as the door was pushed open from the outside, striking the long-frozen, silent wind chimes.

An elegant aristocratic tailcoat, a slender figure, and pale, bluish skin gave him the appearance of a vampire. The demons watched this figure, who made no effort to conceal his aura. His arrogant, provocative demeanor marked him as an unwelcome guest.

"This is no place for you, Son of the Devil," the humanoid demon behind the counter said calmly, his voice low as he spoke the name.

"The Ice Heart Demon."

"You've grown old, demon."

The Ice Heart Demon approached the counter, frost spreading in his wake. "I've come to trade with the human."

The humanoid demon let out an indifferent chuckle. "Those words are better suited to your father."

"You are all the same. But I am different," the Son of the Devil's voice held no respect for his father. "Tell me where he went."

The skeletal horse's tracks would burn for more than ten hours; the Ice Heart Demon had arrived at the tavern a mere ten minutes after Lu Li.

And then there was the mark the Devil had left on Lu Li.

He already knew, of course, where Lu Li had gone.

"Unfortunately, you're a step too late. He and I have already made a deal. You'll have to stay here for a while."

The Ice Heart Demon glanced at the other demons, who were glaring at him with malice, and smiled faintly. "With you? A bunch of toothless rabble... Freeze, along with this place."

A piercing cold erupted, enveloping the entire tavern. The demons, their faces frozen in various expressions, were instantly transformed into living ice sculptures that shimmered with a beautiful blue light.

A minute later, the slender figure in the aristocratic tailcoat left the abandoned town, following the black, hoof-shaped prints.

Behind him, the tavern was left completely frozen in time.