The monster that emerged was so hideous that Xu Hongjiao's heart nearly stopped.
But just then, her handbag suddenly lit up, and a dazzling blue amulet automatically flew out of the bag, positioning itself between Xu Hongjiao and the monster.
The bright, dazzling blue spiritual light transformed into a blue orb, enveloping Xu Hongjiao and pushing the monster away.
The monster's skinless body was scorched by the blue light, and it let out a terrifying silent roar at Xu Hongjiao.
Although silent, everyone in the vicinity of the residential building seemed to hear a strange sound.
Seeing the floating blue amulet, Xu Hongjiao realized that the young man she had met that day was a truly capable expert.
But she had missed out on the expert's help; if only she had listened to him and drunk more hot brown sugar water…
In truth, ordinary people should not be able to see this spiritual light. However, terrified by her daughter and the monster, an innate instinct hidden within the human body had been activated in her extreme fear, allowing her to see what was previously invisible.
This instinct would automatically fade after the crisis had passed.
This was why some people who claimed to have "seen ghosts" were often unable to see what they had once seen again.
Angered by the amulet, the monster extended several red tentacles, lashing them wildly throughout the room, completely destroying the small "community church."
After the monster had vented its rage, the amulet's light began to dim.
Xu Hongjiao was once again seized by the neck. This time, the amulet could not save her.
The amulet given by Lin Huan had already reached its limit in terms of its abilities.
Xu Hongjiao was suspended in mid-air for a full minute. Xu Cairou, standing at the doorway with a disfigured face, felt pity but could do nothing, as she too was a captive.
Ultimately, the monster did not kill Xu Hongjiao, as it still had use for the woman. With a slight tightening of its tentacles, it caused Xu Hongjiao to lose consciousness.
Then, dragging Xu Hongjiao, its body gradually became ethereal, and it vanished from the room.
After the monster left, a small figure, only seventy centimeters tall with pointed ears and a large nose, appeared out of thin air in the room.
The little figure carried a bamboo backpack containing various tools.
First, it took out a can of spray paint and drew all sorts of bizarre patterns and profane inscriptions on the wall.
Then, it took out three wallets, placed them on the table, and put a piece of paper on top of each wallet.
Finally, it took out a cloth bag, sprinkled its contents on the floor of the room, and then wiped the sweat from its brow before leaving contentedly.
…
The next noon, a black minivan stopped in front of Xu Hongjiao's building.
Lin Huan and two others got out of the car, all looking quite displeased.
A day had passed, and their wallets were still missing…
The Hunter Association had a strong presence in the area. If a local thief had stolen them, all the association had to do was issue a directive, and not only a wallet but even a car battery could be found within a day.
The fact that they still hadn't found them indicated that they hadn't been stolen by local thieves.
Consequently, the three who couldn't find their wallets had to apply for more operational funds from the foundation. They knew they would be ridiculed by their friends upon their return.
The missing wallets were a secondary concern. Their most important task now was to resolve the kidnapping case before them.
The scene had already been cordoned off by local assistants, and no one was allowed to approach or look at the interior.
Not only others, but even the local police and the Hunter Association's assistants were forbidden from looking.
The person who reported the anomaly had fainted at the doorway after making the call. The police officers who came to investigate had also fainted at the doorway just as they stepped inside. Later, assistants arrived and secured the main door, preventing anyone else from fainting.
Only after Lin Huan and the other two arrived was the mysterious anti-theft door opened.
As soon as he reached the doorway, Lin Huan's brow furrowed.
"Did you discover something?" Hu Yanbing asked.
Among the three, Hu Yanbing and Su Nuo were relative newcomers. Only Lin Huan had some experience, making him their small team leader.
Lin Huan said in a deep voice, "Some of the symbols in this room are Yuta script, and they carry a strong Abyssal style. In other words… demons."
Yuta script was considered the common language of "higher beings" in the hidden world. The script itself carried power, and each race wrote it with a different style.
The style of the spray paint at Xu Hongjiao's home clearly indicated a connection to demons.
Lin Huan cautiously stepped into the room, feeling slightly dizzy and stuffy, but it was still bearable.
The environment here had been corrupted by supernatural energy, much like a room filled with insecticide.
Ordinary people, like insects, would naturally react to approaching the room, while supernaturals would only experience slight discomfort.
However, while insecticides often had various fragrant scents, this place only had a pungent sulfurous odor.
This sulfurous smell came from the layer of sulfur spread on the floor, not from anything left behind by a monster.
Su Nuo asked curiously, "Sulfur, Abyssal-style Yuta script… are you saying the kidnapper is a demon?"
Most of the monsters he had encountered were undead from the Qingji Plateau. He had only seen demons from afar in the containment facility's cells.
Lin Huan was unsure, "If I say no, all signs point to demons."
"But if I say yes… it's too obvious. Yuta script with a demonic style, and sulfur spread all over the ground…"
"It's as if it's saying, 'This was done by your great demon lord, come and catch me.'"
Hu Yanbing pondered, "If this was done by a fervent worshipper of demons, it might explain it, like 'Eyes of the Devil' or something. Similar to a serial killer's copycat, they'd likely stage the scene as if a demon had been there." Su Dan Novel Network
Before their official deployment, the three had undergone professional training, and they were even more informed about secret organizations than ordinary demon hunters.
After all, Heng An had specifically targeted secret organizations when he first started, so the foundation had a lot of information and data on them.
The three began searching the room. Lin Huan and Hu Yanbing focused their search on the bedroom and the prayer room.
The bedroom was where Xu Hongjiao was taken, and the prayer room was where the graffiti was most severe.
Su Nuo searched elsewhere. From the ransacked state of the room, he inferred that the attacker was a monster that used tentacles.
After rummaging around, he went into the kitchen and froze at first glance. He immediately shouted, "Come here quickly, I've found something."
On the table, he saw three conspicuously placed wallets.
These were the ones they had lost!