Chapter 195: The True Identity of the Mastermind

Chapter 195: Chapter 195: The True Identity of the Mastermind

Liang He was actually quite amazed by the little monkey’s performance. However, on second thought, since she could communicate with the small animals and they could help her find clues, why couldn’t an animal poison the water?

"Blue Star used to have circuses," Liang He explained. "Many animals there would be trained day and night just to put on a spectacular performance for humans."

Therefore, it wasn’t impossible that someone had repeatedly conditioned an animal using specific scenarios, teaching it to crawl toward the water source without actually drinking.

"Perhaps the animal didn’t even know what it was doing. It’s just that the result of its actions poisoned the water and harmed the other animals," she concluded.

Hoder, who had initially been worried that Liang He might grow suspicious, secretly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard her say this. Her logic was perfectly self-consistent, which saved him the trouble of finding excuses to keep her in the dark.

Actually, Hoder felt there was no need for them to keep the truth about Beastmen a secret from Liang He forever.

"Uncle, are you really not considering telling Liang He the truth?" he messaged over the Light Brain.

In the very beginning, Huo An had chosen to hide the truth simply because he was worried that Liang He wouldn’t be able to accept the existence of Beastmen. He feared she would be terrified of them and choose to leave, which would plunge the Evolutionary Beastmen back into their previous dire situation, constantly at risk of danger. However, after spending so much time together, Hoder knew very well that Liang He wouldn’t mind at all, let alone be afraid. Instead, continuing to hide the truth would only make it hurt more when it was finally revealed.

"I understand everything you’re saying, and I will seriously consider it," Huo An replied.

Even if Hoder hadn’t brought it up, Huo An was gradually starting to regret his initial decision. Even though the choice hadn’t been wrong at the time, the only person it was unfair to was Liang He. However, his current focus was still on investigating the poisoner and finding an antidote. Once everything was resolved, he would find an opportunity to tell Liang He the truth.

"The pills Liang He made have been proven to slow down the onset of the toxin," Huo An’s message continued. "Ask her if she can continue making them."

The animals that had previously fallen into comas had started to suffer from worsening symptoms and even death. It was Liang He who had suggested seeking help from Hello Poison, successfully developing a pill to temporarily alleviate the toxin’s effects. Clinical trials had proven it to be effective, significantly reducing the mortality rate.

"I already asked about that," Hoder replied. "Liang He said she has limited materials on hand to make the pills. She’s already purchased more from Blue Star, and they should arrive today."

She meant that if the antidote hadn’t been developed by the time the materials arrived, she would continue making the pills. Liang He wasn’t a prophet; the medicinal ingredients she had prepared beforehand were only for emergencies, so the number of pills she could make was limited. Aside from treating the Iron-eating Beast, the rest had all been used to save the animals in critical condition. Fortunately, after realizing she didn’t have enough ingredients, she had troubled Hello Poison to directly purchase them for her and have them rushed to the reserve.

"Alright. Keep a close eye on things and don’t let Liang He overwork herself," Huo An instructed.

Liang He had originally just been a Breeder, but he had later appointed her as the stationmaster. Now, she even had to shoulder the responsibilities of a Veterinarian. Huo An felt he was asking too much of her. Once this situation was resolved, he absolutely had to apply to his superiors for a reward, give her a raise, and issue a bonus.

Ending his conversation with Hoder, Huo An looked at Kerry, who had come to report to him. After learning about the new developments from Hoder last night, Huo An had immediately contacted Kerry to investigate and identify any targets who might be Beastmen.

"How is the situation?" Huo An asked.

"Based on Hoder’s description and the video he sent, we did indeed find a beast acting exactly as the monkey demonstrated while reviewing the surveillance footage," Kerry reported.

Fearing his description might be inaccurate, Hoder had specifically asked Liang He to send him the video recorded on her Light Brain while on his way back. He had then forwarded it to Huo An.

"Look at this." Kerry clicked a video link on his Light Brain, playing a segment of the security footage.

The screen showed a black bear sneaking toward the water source. Just as the monkey had acted out, the bear laid flat by the river and pretended to drink. In reality, it was dissolving poison—which had been hung around its neck and concealed by its thick fur—into the water.

"Just like monkeys, black bears are also good at imitating humans. Making human-like movements wouldn’t attract any attention, so there was no need to worry about being exposed," Kerry explained.

It was exactly this subconscious assumption that had caused them to repeatedly overlook the black bear’s presence. If Liang He hadn’t found the little monkey to provide a clue, Kerry would never have imagined that the poisoner was actually a black bear.

"This black bear has a scar at the corner of its eye," Kerry continued. "We checked the Beastman Association’s database and found a previously defected Beastman named Xiong Yu. His Beast Form is a black bear, and he has a scar at the corner of his eye."

That scar had been sustained on the battlefield while protecting a comrade, an injury that had nearly blinded him. After learning about this Beastman’s past, Kerry couldn’t help but sigh. He simply couldn’t understand how someone who would unhesitatingly throw himself into danger to save a comrade, completely disregarding his own life, could be reduced to a lapdog for the Rebel Army.

"Investigate his life thoroughly, especially what happened right before and after his defection," Huo An ordered.

Like Kerry, Huo An also felt a sense of regret, but a mistake was a mistake, and one had to take responsibility for it. As for judgment, that was a matter for the judge.

"Also, track his movements to see if he has left the reserve," Huo An added. "If he hasn’t, make sure to apprehend him."

"Understood!"

Logically speaking, as the captain of the Law Enforcement Team—which operated independently from the reserve—Kerry didn’t have to take orders from Huo An. However, he personally admired Huo An very much. Furthermore, during their last joint operation to wipe out the Rebel Army stronghold stationed on Sky Shining Star, Huo An had essentially saved his life. This made him respect Huo An even more. As long as it didn’t violate his principles, Kerry felt there was no shame in following Huo An’s arrangements.

Unaware that they had already identified the mastermind behind the scenes, Liang He was currently in the medical room, concocting the pills to suppress the toxin.

"Yin Qi, be a good boy. You can’t touch these medicinal herbs, understand?" Liang He coaxed.

The medical room wasn’t exactly small. Since Yin Qi had just arrived and hadn’t yet interacted with the other furry friends, Liang He didn’t make him leave. She merely instructed him not to touch anything before beginning to craft the pills.

"ROAR~"

Yin Qi obediently retracted his restless paws and crouched a short distance away, craning his neck curiously to see what Liang He was doing.

Staying by Liang He’s side, his mental state had improved significantly, and his emotions were remarkably stable. Even his daily routine was slowly adjusting. Previously, he would only be awake for two or three hours a day, but now his sleep had lengthened to seventeen or eighteen hours. With three guaranteed meals a day as well, Silver Feather felt much more at ease.

"Liang He is truly amazing. It hasn’t even been that long, and Yin Qi has already been completely won over. He does whatever she says."

Standing outside the medical room, Silver Shuttle sighed in admiration. He had originally thought Yin Qi would be an exception and at least resist Liang He’s charm for a little while longer. Who would have thought that the moment they met, Yin Qi would show an intense interest in Liang He and an unprecedented level of closeness?

He could already picture the look of stunned disbelief on the High Priest’s face when Silver Li reported back.

"The Qilin Clan loves clean and pure souls. It’s completely normal for Yin Qi to treat Liang He as someone special," Silver Feather noted.