Chapter 365: Searching for Enemy Traces

"Yes, just give us one room." The youth answered crisply.

"Just one?"

"Yes." The woman in the green dress beside him said apologetically, "The kind that's more economical. It doesn't matter if it's a bit crowded."

"Oh~" The innkeeper scanned them, took out a key, and placed it on the table. "Room 301, 120 a night, is that okay?"

"That's fine."

The woman in the green dress counted the money in her hand earnestly. After confirming it was correct, she handed it to the boss, took the key, and led the others toward the stairs.

They walked for a while before realizing one person was missing, and turned back in confusion.

"Boss~" The youth was still standing in place, blinking curiously, his bright eyes sparkling like stars.

"What is it?"

"Your glasses are so pretty, where did you buy them?"

"These?" The boss pointed to the glasses on his nose and smiled. "I bought them from a merchant in Li Town, but he has already left."

"...Alright."

A look of disappointment appeared on the beautiful youth's face. After sighing, he followed the other three up the stairs.

Watching the four disappear up the stairs, the smile on the boss's face gradually faded. He calmly took off the glasses on his nose, and the next moment, he disappeared into the void...

His gaze looked outside the inn, as if waiting for something.

……

"Number 031, Lin Xi?"

A gentle breeze brushed through the dark willows. Under the moonlight, Lin Xi looked at the two figures who had arrived, dusty and tired, and nodded slightly:

"It's me."

"Sorry, we were delayed a bit on the road." One of them reached out a hand. "I am Number 030, you can call me Old Lu."

"It's fine. The 【Circle】 still has more than forty hours of duration, which should be enough for us to catch him."

Lin Xi said while shaking his hand, then looked at the other person.

"Number 029, Feng Gui."

The other person spoke faintly, without any intention of shaking hands.

These two were the 【Floating Life Painting】 members who had come to support Lin Xi. At this moment, nearly seven hours had passed since Lin Xi sent the distress signal, and the distant sky was already turning a fish-belly white. If he hadn't applied for the 【Circle】 descent in advance, Chen Ling would probably have run off to who knows where.

"We also came as soon as we received the distress message. What exactly is the situation now?" Old Lu asked in confusion.

Lin Xi's expression darkened, and he recounted the process of his fight with Chen Ling. Both of their brows furrowed simultaneously.

"You're saying the enemy is a suspected Play Divine Path user, but also possesses extremely strong close-combat ability... an unkillable cockroach?" Old Lu said with a strange expression.

"That's an accurate summary." Lin Xi nodded.

"That weird?"

"No matter how weird, he's still a Third-Order." Feng Gui snorted coldly. "With the three of us joining forces, plus being able to request targeted support at any time, he wouldn't be able to run even if he had three heads and six arms."

"That's true... Lin Xi, have you found where he is?"

"No." Lin Xi shook his head.

"However, he should have discovered the existence of the 【Circle】 by now and knows he can't escape Liu Town... Plus, having been hit head-on by the ink thunder, he should be seriously injured. If my guess is correct, he is likely hiding in some inn."

"That makes it easy. There are only a few inns in Liu Town, we can just check them one by one." Old Lu nodded in agreement. "As long as we ask if any strangers have checked in during this period, we can basically lock onto his location... Feng Gui, what do you think?"

"Let's do that for now." Feng Gui said faintly.

With their opinions unified, the three immediately began searching the inns in Liu Town. Following the normal logic of an enemy hiding, they started from the smallest and most hidden inns. After checking three in a row, they still found nothing.

Most of the people staying in these inns were men and women having affairs or private trysts, or merchants short on cash. In the last few hours, no suspicious people had checked in.

"Strange... could it be he's not in an inn?" Old Lu asked suspiciously.

"If he wanted to break into a private house to hide, he would inevitably have to deal with the residents. But he's injured, so doing that is a bit risky... If he makes any noise, I'll know soon enough." Lin Xi's train of thought was very clear.

"In any case, let's finish searching the inns. If that doesn't work, we'll search the private houses. Anyway, Liu Town is only this big, it won't take much time to turn it upside down."

"There's one more inn ahead, it's considered the largest in Liu Town. If he's not in this one, he's really not here."

The three said while walking into the inn.

It was dawn, and the inn was quiet. Most people were still in dreamland. The three walked to the inn's counter, where a figure was sitting and dozing off.

Seeming to hear the three approaching, the boss opened his sleepy eyes and stood up slowly.

"Are the three of you checking in?"

"No, we're here to ask for some information." Lin Xi took out a police ID from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Seeing the police ID, the boss's expression changed, and he asked somewhat nervously:

"...Ask what?"

"Within the last seven hours, has any new face checked in? Someone alone."

The boss's brows furrowed, as if he were thinking seriously... He took out the notebook from under the table, ran his finger over it one by one, and finally landed on a room number.

"Yes!"

Hearing this word, the eyes of the three lit up.

"What does he look like? Any features?" Lin Xi asked immediately.

"Looks about twenty, quite ordinary, no special features... Oh right, when he came, he seemed to be limping a bit? He was also listless when he spoke, feeling very tired." The boss recalled.

A sharp glint flashed in Lin Xi's eyes, and he said firmly: "That's him!"

"Oh my, what are you investigating?" The boss's heart skipped a beat. "Is there some dangerous person staying in my inn?"

"That's none of your concern." Old Lu waved his hand. "Which room is he in?"

“309。”

"Go."

The three immediately walked up the stairs.

"Didn't expect this guy to be so bold, staying here..." Old Lu snorted while walking.

"The most dangerous place is the safest place. There are many people staying here, which is sometimes a good cover." Sharp glints flashed in Lin Xi's eyes. "Looks like it won't take forty-plus hours to catch him..."

"Hit by the ink thunder, he'd be lucky to be alive, he must still be healing. Keep your footsteps light, don't startle him."

The three walked silently through the third-floor corridor. The dawn light shone through the window, draping a thin veil over the ground...

Finally, they stopped in front of a room door.