Then let them offer their loyalty!

Page 368

"But after I learned of His existence, I felt immense pressure. I felt that if I showed even the slightest weakness, I would be killed."

"I think this is something that ordinary cataclysmic beings or cataclysmic creatures could not do."

Upon hearing Guan Xiao's words, Qiu Tu leaned back in his chair, pondered for a moment, and then slowly nodded.

"Makes sense."

After speaking, he looked at Shen Lingshuang standing beside him and asked, "Lingshuang, what do you think?"

At this moment, Shen Lingshuang didn't seem to be fully in work mode yet. Ever since Guan Xiao started speaking, her big, watery eyes had been fixed on Miao Xiaoxiao.

It wasn't until Qiu Tu asked for her opinion that she suddenly raised her hand, pointed at Miao Xiaoxiao, her fair, oval face filled with shock, and she was completely flustered.

"Qiu Tu! Is your investigation department so...chaotic?!"

"She's not wearing any clothes! She's not wearing any clothes!"

After saying that, she looked at Miao Xiaoxiao, then at Guan Xiao, and finally at Qiu Tu sitting in the chair, showing her two little tiger teeth and saying with a look of self-doubt, "Can you even see her clothes?"

"Did I awaken the ability of X-ray vision?"

Qiu Tu: ....

Guan Xiao: ....

Miao Xiaoxiao: ?

Seeing Shen Lingshuang, Qiu Tu was almost dumbfounded. He coughed and winked at Guan Xiao.

Guan Xiao quickly took off her uniform and draped it over Miao Xiaoxiao.

Qiu Tu also explained, "The minor cataclysmic ability is transformation. Occasionally there will be times when you don't have clothes to wear. This is normal, so don't make a fuss about it."

"Let's have a good talk about the case."

Upon hearing Qiu Tu's words, Shen Ling Shuang was: ? ? ?

She looked at Miao Xiaoxiao.

The catgirl loli was wearing a uniform draped over her upper body, but the uniform was unbuttoned, revealing glimpses of what lay beneath.

Her lower body was uncovered, revealing two slender, fair legs.

And there's a black tail now attached to its rear end...?

This loli, with her face half-hidden behind a pipa and an added touch of beast girl charm, immediately put Shen Ling Shuang on her guard!

She bared her teeth, looking at the two women in front of her with a fierce yet endearing expression.

She had a feeling that the two women definitely had an inappropriate relationship with Qiu Tu!

This is her love rival!

Sure enough, coming to the Investigation Bureau was the right decision; I discovered two rivals as soon as I arrived!

Thinking this, Shen Lingshuang's competitive spirit was also aroused.

If these two rivals can help Qiu Tu with such a big case, then I can't fall behind!

This is a war that belongs to women!

With that thought in mind, her mind raced as she began to ponder the methods her father had taught her for identifying and dealing with the clones of evil gods!

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Two chapters, 10,000 words each. Please vote with monthly tickets!

Chapter 373 Elevator Showdown! (10,000 words, please vote!)

The Third Sanctuary was established earlier than the Eighth Sanctuary, so its technological level and experience in dealing with evil gods far surpassed those of the Eighth Sanctuary.

They even scientifically categorized the invasion of evil gods into four levels: summoning, possession, clone, and descent.

Being summoned is the most basic level and is also the way most evil gods communicate with the real world.

Generally speaking, after an evil god cultivates believers in the real world through various means, the believers hold a ritual and use "sacrifices" as "price" to summon the evil god.

This level of intrusion does not require the intervention of the Security Bureau and the Political Department.

Because evil gods summoned with "sacrifices" as "price" can often only communicate with the real world, or briefly use the power of a Tier 1 Cataclysm.

Not only is the power it can wield limited, but its existence is also very short-lived, and it will not have much impact on the real world.

Therefore, the sanctuary will pay attention, but will not intervene too much—at most, it will wipe out His followers once the evil god returns.

Compared to "calling," the next level, "possession," is much more serious.

"Possession" is when an evil god brings its consciousness and a portion of its power into the real world through a "sacrifice" or "medium".

To possess one's consciousness through a "sacrifice" or "medium." To use one's power at the cost of a "sacrifice" or "medium."

This level of evil god invasion is significant because it allows the evil god to utilize power around the second tier and enables the evil god to exist in the real world for a relatively long period of time.

Therefore, the Security Department and the Political Department must eliminate the culprit immediately upon discovery to prevent more serious consequences.

The previous Lariel was an invasion of this level.

Besides "summoning" and "possession", the third level of invasion is called "clone".

This level of intrusion is already very serious.

Because the "Boundless Sea of ​​the Heart" is a spiritual world, both "material" and "power" need to pay a "price" to enter the real world.

The stronger the power that descends, the higher the "price" that must be paid.

Therefore, if an evil god wants to invade, it must try to "save" the "cost" by using other methods.

Terms like "calling" and "possession" both involve using believers or things from the real world to "save" costs.

However, "cloning" and "descending" are completely unconstrained, directly forcibly paying the price to descend "part of oneself" or "all of oneself" into the real world.

The advantage of this level of intrusion is that it does not require an inside agent in the real world, and the strength may be reduced depending on the power carried, but the status remains the same as the original status.

Many common cataclysmic artifacts or cataclysmic forces are ineffective against it.

However, there are also many downsides.

First, it consumes a lot of resources; second, it's difficult to hide—after all, the power of an evil god is like a firefly in the dark in the real world, and it's very easy to attract the attention of the security department and the political department.

Therefore, many evil gods combine the second method of invasion, "possession," with "cloning."

First, it forcibly descends using a "clone," and then finds a suitable vessel to forcibly "possess."

As a result, because of their physical bodies in the real world, it is difficult for the Security Department and the Political Department to find any relevant clues—for example, no trace of the catastrophic power was found in Guan Xiao and Miao Xiaoxiao last night.

However, this method is not without leaving traces...

Shen Lingshuang's mind raced as she carefully recalled what her father had casually told her back then...

She remembered her father saying something like that.

The way in which an evil god "splits" invades is because the "evil god" is too powerful, so ordinary people cannot withstand such an existence attaching itself to their body and soul.

Therefore, perhaps to release this power, or perhaps influenced by the aura of an "evil god," they often exhibit certain traits!

For example... someone who has never been to school can recite dozens of poems.

For example... someone who is bad at math suddenly acquires very advanced mathematical knowledge overnight.

For example... a person who can't draw suddenly becomes able to draw extremely beautiful pictures.

Besides this external talent, people possessed by evil gods may also suddenly become obsessed with something and unable to extricate themselves, exhausting their mental energy every day.

This was also to vent the frustration caused to his soul by the evil god.

As for how to deal with the "clone" invasion... Shen Lingshuang remembered that there seemed to be two methods.

The first method is expulsion. This method is simple: gather experts to forcibly kill the person possessed by the evil god, and then eliminate the evil god's clone.

The second strategy is... to besiege the enemy's stronghold and attack their reinforcements.

Shen Lingshuang remembered that her father was very happy when he came home one time.

Because they had been plotting for half a year, they finally succeeded in killing an evil god.

So, Shen Lingshuang asked about the process out of curiosity.

Her father was probably happy, so he explained it to Shen Lingshuang.

It turns out that the "encirclement and suppression" tactic utilizes the fact that the evil god's clone is connected to the main body; and that the power descending from the boundless sea of ​​the heart requires paying a huge "price".

These experts deliberately depleted the power of the evil god's clone in the real world, and then gave the clone hope of escaping.

This allows the evil god's clones to continuously transmit power from the "Boundless Sea of ​​the Heart."

Because each time power is transmitted, a "cost" must be paid. Therefore, the more power He transmits, the more He consumes.

Once they had "squeezed dry" the evil god's clone, they split into two groups and killed the exhausted evil god's main body and clone.

It's incredibly efficient, requiring far less effort and cost than defeating a fourth-tier evil god in normal circumstances...

The only problem is... this requires our side to be strong enough, and the evil god has no allies and won't come to our aid, disrupting our plans.

With this in mind, Shen Lingshuang felt more confident.

She snapped out of her daze, looked at Qiu Tu, and then, in a charmingly innocent manner, recounted everything her father had taught her.

Shen Lingshuang was already quite young, and because she was small in stature, she looked like a child.

Therefore, Guan Xiao and Miao Xiaoxiao did not pay attention when Qiu Tu asked for their opinion.

He simply considered Shen Lingshuang as Qiu Tu's new woman. Qiu Tu had changed his tastes; he no longer liked eating big peaches, but preferred licking washboards.

However, after Shen Lingshuang recounted her experiences at the Third Shelter in a well-organized manner, Guan Xiao and Miao Xiaoxiao's expressions completely changed.

As workers on the secret front, they understood how much intelligence and manpower and resources were needed to verify a systematic account of an evil god.

But the girl in front of me recited it all as if it were her own treasure!

Thinking of this, Guan Xiao and Miao Xiaoxiao beside her exchanged a glance, both understanding the other's meaning from their eyes...

Guan Xiao: This girl's family background must be extraordinary!

Miao Xiaoxiao: Could she be an evil god?

Guan Xiao: Hmm.....

Hmm? Something seems off...

At this moment, after quietly listening to Shen Lingshuang's explanation, Qiu Tu pondered for a moment and made his own judgment without hesitation.

He looked at the three women and then slowly said, "This matter is of great importance. Once it is confirmed that Deputy Director Wu and his family members are incarnations of the evil god, then our New Territories City must nip this danger in the bud as soon as possible."

"Therefore, I have decided that the three of you will be in charge of confirming and finding out who Deputy Director Wu and his family are—the incarnations of an evil god!"

At this point, Qiu Tu looked at Guan Xiao, tapped the back of his chair lightly with his fingers, and said with a serious expression, "Minister Guan, you are the deputy minister of the Political Department, and you are fully responsible for this matter."

After saying that, he looked at the catgirl loli who was only wearing a uniform jacket, with her long, fair legs bare and her pubic hair faintly visible, and said, "Xiaoxiao, you will be Minister Guan's deputy."

Finally, Qiu Tu looked at Shen Lingshuang standing beside him and said, "Lingshuang, you've just joined the Investigation Bureau. This mission is for you to learn from Minister Guan and accumulate merit and experience."

Although the three women had close relationships with Qiu Tu, when it came to serious matters, they were not very sensible and all accepted the order.

And just like that, after the short meeting ended, Miao Xiaoxiao transformed back into her black cat form and jumped back into Guan Xiao's arms.

Shen Lingshuang left Qiu Tu's office with Guan Xiao.

The two women, one tall and one short, one stunningly beautiful and the other youthful and inexperienced, each possessed their own unique charm.

So when he came out, the section chiefs and department heads waiting in Qiu Tu's office were all slightly lost in thought.

After regaining their senses and watching the two leave, they became even more envious of Qiu Tu's good fortune with two women.

However, what they didn't know was that... inside the elevator, the two women were subtly at odds.

Guan Xiao's foxy eyes glanced down, giving Shen Lingshuang a quick once-over before she smiled and tentatively asked, "What's the relationship between Detective Shen and Director Qiu?"

"You two seem...to be quite close?"

Upon hearing Guan Xiao's words, Shen Lingshuang raised her head, her large, watery eyes looking at Guan Xiao. She didn't answer directly, but instead gave a very meaningful hint.

"Minister Guan, Director Qiu and I... um... live together."

As she spoke, Shen Lingshuang lowered her head shyly, as if she had revealed a secret.

Her ulterior motive was quite obvious: she was asserting her sovereignty.