Starting as a prodigy wanting milk? A world-destroying deception in the opposite direction.

Soon, Shen Zhen and the new recruits returned to the Jingxie Division.

After this period of training and reflection, each of them has changed a lot.

Li Qingyan remained calm, his gaze was even more determined, and the fluctuations of his mental energy were much more solid than before;

Zhou Shi stood ramrod straight, his honest face now showing a sharper edge; he was no longer the brute who only knew how to act recklessly.

Qi Xuejian restrained her usual carefree attitude, her eyes filled with seriousness;

Wu Xian has shed his naivety; although he is still a little nervous, there is a hint of courage in his eyes.

The biggest changes were seen in Chen Xi and Zhao Huaijin.

Chen Xi wore a clean Jingxie Division uniform, her face no longer showing its usual fragility, her eyes calm and sharp. Lu Renjia's sacrifice had worn away her timidity, making her even more resilient.

Zhao Huaijin had toned down most of his arrogance, and the wound on his arm had already healed.

He no longer questioned Shen Zhen at every turn, but he still retained a competitive spirit, his eyes sharp, always ready to prove himself.

"Master, what's going on?" Shen Zhen walked into the hall.

Ling Buyu sat in the main seat, his expression solemn:

"Shen Zhen, there's a situation at Jubao Fang in the east of Shendu City. We originally wanted to send Han Yan or Lei Lie, but they haven't finished their cases yet, so we can only send your rookie team."

"Jubaofang?" Zhao Huaijin raised an eyebrow.

"Has a murder occurred, or is there some heresy causing trouble?"

"Neither is true, it's very strange," Ling Buyu said in a deep voice.

"It has been reported that a group of people who indulge in pleasure have gathered at Jubao Fang in recent days."

They gambled, drank, and indulged in pleasure day and night, behaving in extremely bizarre ways.

Some people self-harmed without batting an eye, some drank until they had stomach bleeding but still kept drinking, and some even openly engaged in intimate acts with women in the neighborhood, completely disregarding morality and shame.

"Self-harm? This fetish..." Wu Xian's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

"That's right." Ling Buyu nodded.

"What's even stranger is that those people seem to be unaware of pain or fatigue, only knowing how to enjoy themselves."

Those who tried to dissuade them were attacked instead.

"It sounds like it's being controlled by some kind of aberration," Chen Xi analyzed calmly.

"Could it be a memory of impurity, or a demonic illusion?"

"It's hard to say," Ling Buyu shook his head.

"Reportedly, the symptoms are somewhat different from those caused by memory obsession or the manipulation of ecstasy demons."

Shen Zhen's heart stirred, recalling the Food Demon she had encountered before.

Both involve manipulating human instincts; if the "food delusion" is about the desire for food, could this be a distorted version that manipulates the "desire for pleasure"?

"Your mission is to find out the cause of those people's abnormalities. If any are found to be mutants or heretics, suppress them immediately," Ling Buyu ordered.

"Remember, those people are behaving strangely, so be careful."

"Yes!" everyone responded in unison.

The group immediately set off for Jubaofang in the east of the city.

This area is bustling with shops and pedestrians. Cai Ji Steamed Bun Shop was located on this street, but it has now been shut down.

However, the closer one gets to Jubao Fang, the fewer pedestrians there are, and a strange fragrance wafts through the air.

Jubaofang was a large-scale entertainment venue that combined gambling dens, restaurants, and brothels.

Even before we got close, we could already hear the unique clamor that filled the air.

The rolling dice, shouts, and drinking games created a deafening cacophony that inexplicably irritated people.

Its doors were wide open.

Shen Zhen gestured for everyone to dismount and made a shushing gesture.

Chen Xi said in a low voice,

"This fragrance is strange; it contains a faint fluctuation of psychic energy."

Shen Zhen nodded; he had sensed it too.

The aroma has a captivating power, making people subconsciously want to go inside and immerse themselves in the lively atmosphere.

"Let's go inside, Chen Xi, light the calming incense."

The voice just fell.

"Snap!" A crisp sound.

As soon as they stepped into the gate of Jubaofang, Shen Zhen and the others' eyes were all fixed on the gambling table at the entrance.

A burly man dressed in coarse cloth had his index finger twisted at an odd angle, with blood dripping from between his fingers onto the ground.

But there was no sign of pain on his face; instead, he laughed heartily, slapping the table and shouting at the person opposite him:

"See? I told you betting big would win!"

That's some luck, there's no stopping it!

"One more round, I'm betting everything!"

Across from me sat a man with a mustache, holding dice in his hand, his eyes gleaming, yet he smiled.

"Brother Wang, you're so lucky!"

However, I advise you to bandage your wound first; the blood is dripping onto the dice.

"What are you wrapping up for?" The burly man waved his hand, casually tore off a corner of his clothes, and haphazardly wrapped it around his neck twice. Blood instantly soaked through the strip of cloth, but he didn't care at all.

"Gambling is the priority! What's a little injury?"

Years ago, when I was hunting in the mountains, I was bitten by a tiger, but I still managed to beat it so badly it couldn't get up!

As he spoke, he reached for the dice, the pain making his lips twitch, but he still smiled:

"Again! This time, bet big!"

Shen Zhen frowned slightly; the burly man's reaction was too abnormal.

The pain of a severed finger is unbearable for most people. Although he twitched for a moment, he remained immersed in the excitement of gambling, as if the pain was just a trivial matter.

Chen Xi leaned closer to Shen Zhen and whispered:

"It was as if something was affecting his judgment, but it didn't completely control his consciousness."

Zhao Huaijin chuckled and tightened his grip on the longsword:

"It's all just an act. I want to see how long he can keep up this act."

Shen Zhen shook his head:

"It's not an act. Look at his eyes, there's not a trace of pretense, the excitement is real, and so is his indifference to the pain."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a burst of laughter came from inside Jubao Fang.

Everyone turned to look and saw a middle-aged man in a brocade robe embracing two women and drinking wine. On the table was a wine jar labeled "Crane's Crest Red".

That is a highly poisonous substance; an ordinary person would die from just a drop.

The man picked up the wine jar, poured himself a bowl, and watched the scarlet liquid swirl in it, a contented smile on his face.

"This liquor is strong, really potent! My beauty, would you like another bowl with me?"

The woman on the left giggled, raised her glass, clinked it against his, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp. Her face showed no fear; instead, she licked her lips.

"Good wine! Another bowl, please!"

"Something's not right." Qi Xuejian held the compass; the needle spun wildly, pointing to the second floor.

Shen Zhen gestured for everyone to slow down and move slowly deeper into Jubao Fang.

Along the way, more and more strange things were seen:

A scholar in a blue cloth shirt is carving words on his wrist with a dagger.

The handwriting resembled the phrase "Fortune favors the bold," and though it was dripping with blood, he smiled as he carved, muttering to himself:

"Write it twice and you'll win. Write it twice and you'll win."

The two women kept applying rouge to their faces:

"Beautiful, so beautiful, may it always be this beautiful."

What's even stranger is that these people's conversations are almost identical, repeating the same few phrases over and over:

"We won! We won! We dominated tonight!"

"Let's go again, what's a little loss?"

"Enjoying life means having fun to the fullest!"

Their expressions and tone of voice were no different from those of normal people.

They felt excited and proud, but their behavior completely defied common sense, as if "enjoyment" had become the only criterion.

All other pain, danger, and notions of propriety and shame were cast aside.