American Exorcism Male God

Xu Yi sat in the interrogation chair, quietly observing the silhouette of a person in the light, while Dan was also sizing up Xu Yi with a look of interest in his eyes.

The bite guard on the straitjacket had been removed. Xu Yi didn't need such protection, and removing the bite guard facilitated better communication.

In the other's eyes, Xu Yi saw a desire for blood, regret over being captured, and a myriad of complex emotions, but there was a distinct absence of remorse.

"You seem quite pleased with yourself," Xu Yi broke the silence.

"Don't you think killing is a form of art?" Dan neither affirmed nor denied. "The blade slicing open the chest, the organs still throbbing inside, life heading towards eternal silence amidst the blood and screams!"

Xu Yi actually nodded, agreeing with the other's words, "You're right, killing is indeed an art form."

His tone suddenly shifted, "But that certainly doesn't include you. This was the first time you committed an act after acquiring that dagger, wasn't it? Caught on your first attempt, you are far too inferior compared to Jack the Ripper… In my opinion, you're no different from those foolish thieves who steal something their first time and then walk right into the police station."

The straps on the straitjacket instantly tensed as Dan lunged forward, staring at Xu Yi intensely, his eyes revealing a ferocity like that of a beast ready to devour its prey.

For psychopathic killers, having their level of killing skill questioned is more unbearable than death itself.

What Xu Yi said was not just rubbing salt into their wounds; he was practically pouring salt directly into them.

Xu Yi was unconcerned with Dan's threatening gaze, but his brow furrowed the moment he got a clear view of the other's pupils.

Blood-red spots appeared in Dan's pupils, like tiny, dense rashes, extremely unsettling.

Demonic thoughts! Those were demonic thoughts!

Xu Yi had once asked Ed how to tell if a murderer was under the influence of demonic thoughts. Ed told him that blood spots would appear in the killer's pupils when they were enraged.

He suddenly understood. The Ram Cult didn't randomly select hosts for the cursed items; were they intentionally searching for murderers influenced by demonic thoughts?

Was there something special about these murderers?

Xu Yi was unclear for the moment, but he had a premonition that demonic thoughts were certainly a crucial part of the Ram Cult's plans.

Although Dan was influenced by demonic thoughts and affected by the cursed item, the dagger of Jack the Ripper, it was what drove him to brutally kill his daughter.

But Xu Yi had no sympathy for Dan.

Demonic thoughts only influenced those filled with the desire to kill; Xu Yi had felt something was wrong with Dan the very first time he saw him.

The warped perception of Maria was the result of being oppressed by Dan over a long period.

"Let's talk about something lighter! I have two photos here; can you tell me which one you find more beautiful?"

Xu Yi took out two photographs and spread them out on the table, which he had asked the police chief to find.

Dan did not resist Xu Yi's little game. He was somewhat afraid of Xu Yi touching his sore spots, and besides, lying in a straitjacket got quite boring. It was nice to have something to do to pass the time.

After carefully examining them for a moment, he gave his answer, "The photo on my left hand side is better; it's filled with a sense of orderly beauty."

Outside the interrogation room, the others exchanged glances; they had also noticed something odd about Dan.

The two photos Xu Yi had prepared were of young women; the woman on Dan's right was seductive, and even the police chief felt his pulse quicken at the sight.

But the one on Dan's left, the police chief only wanted to look away after a single glance.

The woman in the photograph had been unfortunate to suffer burns to her face, leaving unsightly scars, yet Dan claimed she was filled with an "orderly" beauty?

Xu Yi was not surprised by Dan's choice; he had already had a vague suspicion, and now he was certain that there was a significant perceptual distortion present.

What was beautiful to ordinary people appeared ugly in his eyes.

That was why he treated Maria the way he did; in his eyes, Maria truly was a "freak," and this was also the root of Maria's self-esteem issues.

Whereas ordinary people would feel disgusted at the sight of bloody, mangled scenes, Dan saw them as great works, comparable to the Mona Lisa, bringing him extreme pleasure.

"Do you think you can create such magnificent works?" Xu Yi removed the normal photo, leaving only the one Dan liked, and pushed it towards him.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

Xu Yi's brain worked feverishly, mobilizing various fields of psychology. Every action, every word, was specially designed to offer psychological suggestions to the other party.

In order to enhance the effect of the psychological suggestion, Xu Yi secretly employed the aroma of the Sleeping Flower, which, in small amounts, would not induce sleep but rather have a calming, soothing effect.

Dan's body relaxed, the crimson spots in his eyes also faded away. When not troubled by his condition, he was open to interacting with others.

"Of course! In my view, this piece is just mediocre. If a little blood were added, the photos would have more aesthetic appeal," Dan said softly.

"Perhaps the tones could be made a little darker," Xu Yi nodded in agreement.

People outside watched quietly through the one-way mirror into the interrogation room, exchanging looks of disbelief.

Xu Yi and Dan chatted animatedly, as if the setting was not a police interrogation room but some sort of art salon. Your journey continues at empire

"For an artist, the impression of their first piece is always unforgettable. In fact, it's often the first piece that leads them into the palace of art. I wonder what your first piece was?"

Xu Yi suddenly asked, his tone as casual as if he were merely chatting with a friend.

"Certainly! It was when I was delivering my wife's twins. When I extracted the first child from my wife's womb, I was stunned—it was a deformed baby! As a plastic surgeon, I feared ridicule from others, so I strangled the child..."

Dan became utterly engrossed in his own world, recounting as if no one else was present, "But you know, what father doesn't love his own child? After killing the child, I suddenly realized how perfect that child was!"

Dan sighed deeply, his eyes filled with nostalgia, "So, I buried the child in the backyard of our home, so I could always be with the child, always in mourning."

Silence fell on the onlookers outside the door, a chill running up their spines.

Dan's tone was so gentle, as if he were truly a loving father in mourning for his daughter. Yet the content of his words was chilling.

Xu Yi kept his head down and said nothing, as a sudden silence fell over the interrogation room. The abrupt quiet made Dan start, and he swiftly turned his gaze to Xu Yi, his eyes revealing a vicious glint, "Are you hypnotizing me?"

"It isn't exactly hypnotism, just psychological suggestion!" Xu Yi shrugged.

He possessed the synthetic pathway for hypnotism, requiring the fusion of psychology and scholarly Entries. Unexpectedly, with the aid of the Sleeping Flower's aroma, he had achieved a similar effect.

[Psychology Entries +8, Current Progress: 100/100]

System notifications suddenly popped up, and a flood of information poured into Xu Yi's mind. He slightly closed his eyes to feel and understand.

Previously, his understanding of psychology was superficial, knowing the 'what' but not the 'why'. But now, things were different; he grasped the principles underneath.

Indeed, practice is the sole criterion for testing truth. It was unexpected that Xu Yi's use of psychological knowledge to guide Dan would yield such extensive experience and finally max out the Psychology Entries!

At the same time, it resolved his own doubts—why were Dan's aesthetics so twisted? Why did Ailan harbor such hatred for him?

Ailan was actually Maria's twin sister, whose physical body had long since perished. For some unknown reason, her spirit latched onto Maria, growing up together with her.

For all these years, Ailan's spirit had never harmed Maria, because Maria was her younger sister.

"How did you come by Jack the Ripper's dagger?" Xu Yi pressed on.

Dan did not respond anymore, remaining silent no matter how much Xu Yi questioned him.

The interrogation reached an impasse at this point. Just then, someone knocked on the door of the interrogation room. The chief of police gave Xu Yi a meaningful look. Xu Yi nodded, understanding, and stood up to leave.

"We found out it was a newsboy who took money from a mysterious person to deliver a box into Dan's hands," the chief of police said in a low voice.

"So, this mysterious person is a heretic from the Church of the Ram?" Xu Yi speculated.

"Very likely! We have located them but did not make an immediate arrest, thinking of using the person to draw out more cult members."

They were playing a long game to catch bigger fish. Xu Yi nodded, realizing the strategy. "If there is any progress, please let me know."

It was uncertain whether by coincidence or design, but the Ram Cult had set its sights on Maria's father.

It was hard to say that they wouldn't directly target people close to Xu Yi. He preferred to take the initiative rather than being passively defensive.

But he still needed to wait for the right opportunity.