Strange Things Happen Frequently

Blue Star.

Pingjiang City.

Sunlight bathed the city. Citizens bustled about their daily lives, with pedestrians and vehicles moving in an orderly flow along the streets. It seemed as if nothing had changed, an ordinary street scene exactly like the days before the revival of spiritual energy.

The world seen through the eyes of ordinary people is rarely the truth. Constantly burdened by the need to make a living, they had little energy left to care about much else. Even if terrifying dangers lurked in the shadows, someone else would naturally deal with them. Over time, people had grown accustomed to this new way of life. Aside from needing to be extra cautious at night, the days were no different than before.

As for the terrifying beast tide that had besieged the outskirts of the city just days ago, hardly anyone knew about it.

All information had been swiftly suppressed by the Demon Hunter Department.

The perils and tragedies of this world were shouldered entirely by the Demon Hunter Department. Safeguarding the peaceful lives of the citizens was their absolute duty.

Like guardian deities, this mysterious organization silently protected the last remnants of peace in Pingjiang City.

However.

Nearly half a month had passed, and the Demon Hunter Department had made no further moves.

Despite the brilliant sunshine outside, the Bureau of Investigation headquarters in the East District was steeped in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere. Even the beautiful Captain Xu Rong lacked her usual crisp efficiency as she approached the door.

Thump, thump thump!

After hesitating several times, she finally knocked on the door to the Commander's office.

A deep voice answered from within.

Come in.

Xu Rong slowly pushed open the door and quietly stepped into the office.

Glancing up nervously, she saw the Commander standing by the window with his hands clasped behind his back. Through the glass, he was gazing out at the busy figures of his colleagues in the headquarters. His profile was exceedingly stern, as if he had already anticipated her report.

For a moment.

Xu Rong did not know how to begin, and silence stretched between them once more.

The Commander broke the silence, his tone perfectly calm.

How did it go?

Still no clues on that mysterious expert?

Xu Rong nodded, shame flashing in her eyes.

Yes...

Our squads have searched and investigated everywhere. There are absolutely no signs of human habitation outside the city, nor have we found a single additional clue. That master seems to have vanished into thin air, without a trace.

At this point, the guilt in Xu Rong's eyes became even more pronounced.

It was she who had originally bypassed protocol, barging into the Commander's office to report the footage of the expert she had witnessed that night, holding incredibly high hopes for the mysterious figure.

The Commander had also been thrilled by the news for quite some time, even ordering several squads to conduct simultaneous search operations.

Yet look at the result.

After all that reckless excitement and half a month of massive, exhausting search efforts, they had turned up absolutely nothing. For someone like Xu Rong, this was an entirely unacceptable failure.

Commander Hao seemed to understand everything.

Without turning around, he offered a reassuring smile and a comforting voice.

I understand.

Little Xu, you do not need to be so discouraged. A supreme expert of that caliber would naturally not be found by us so easily. No matter the cost, as long as we can enlist his help, the entire situation in Pingjiang City will be reversed. It will all be worth it!

You didn't come here today just to report another fruitless search, did you?

Hearing this, Xu Rong took a deep breath and finally relaxed a little.

When she spoke again, her expression had returned to its usual solemn and professional demeanor.

Reporting to the Commander.

Things have seemed quiet lately, but a series of major incidents have occurred under the cover of night. Including the Phantom Spirits' corpses discovered last night, several species of Phantom Spirits that had appeared near Pingjiang City have been completely eradicated.

It appears someone is systematically exterminating entire clans of Phantom Spirits!

Extermination?!

The Commander froze upon hearing this, a sharp glint reflecting off his glasses.

As he turned around.

The normally unshakable Commander could no longer maintain his composure. His brows furrowed deeply, as if he had just heard something utterly inconceivable.

Are you certain?

Phantom Spirits are extraordinarily vicious entities. Even if the entire Demon Hunter Department was mobilized, we could never achieve such a feat. Suspecting an entire clan extermination is no small matter. How could Pingjiang City possibly harbor such terrifying power?

Faced with his imposing questioning, Xu Rong's expression grew even more solemn.

Commander, it is absolutely true.

The previous incidents were reported by various squads, and several of us captains personally went to inspect the sites of the massacres. Not a single Phantom Spirit was left alive!

Last night, while patrolling the city outskirts, members of my squad stumbled upon a stretch of wasteland. It appeared to have been a gathering ground for Phantom Spirits, but it had been turned into a massive slaughterhouse. The Phantom Spirits suffered gruesome deaths; someone had wiped them all out in one fell swoop!

Hearing this rock-solid report, even the Commander lost his steady bearing.

He pushed up his glasses, his tone taking on a noticeable edge of urgency.

Where exactly is this location?!

Xu Rong answered immediately, providing precise details.

Fifteen miles outside the South District, at the foot of the barren mountain to the northeast. No one ever wanders out there, but to prevent any leaks that might cause unnecessary panic, my squad has already cordoned off the scene!

The Commander pondered for a brief moment before grabbing his coat and issuing an order.

Good. You handled it well.

Lead the way immediately. I am going to inspect the scene myself!

Xu Rong nodded in compliance, turning sideways to open the door and following closely behind him as they set off!

Barely ten minutes later.

Several vehicles drove out of the South District and pulled to a halt at the foot of the barren mountain.

The Commander's personal arrival startled the surrounding Demon Hunter Department operatives, making them noticeably tense.

Stepping past the police tape.

The Commander maintained a grim expression, sparing no time to acknowledge the other operatives. But the moment his eyes landed on the scattered corpses of the Phantom Spirits, their bodies marred by horrific wounds, he was completely stunned!

The gruesome nature of the wounds bordered on sheer madness. Even when dealing with Phantom Spirits, this level of brutality was excessively ruthless. A creature with ten lives could not have survived such an onslaught.

What was even more horrifying was...

When he leaned in for a closer inspection, he discovered that every single Phantom Spirit bore multiple fatal wounds. It defied all logic. It looked less like a battle and more like a sadistic massacre!

After inspecting the scene for a long while, the Commander's eyes began to tremble.

This...

If the goal was merely to eradicate the Phantom Spirits, a single fatal blow would suffice. There was absolutely no need to strike so many times. These wounds vary; some of them clearly look like they were inflicted after the creatures were already dead.

This slaughter is utterly terrifying. I cannot fathom what kind of entity possesses such power, let alone such viciousness, to deliberately inflict post-mortem strikes on every single Phantom Spirit...

This goes beyond ordinary slaughter. It looks more like an act of vengeance. Just who could have done this...

The Commander was suddenly gripped by a profound shock. Staring at the sea of corpses, a sense of panic began to well up inside him.

This horrific scene seemed to herald the existence of a terrifying entity whose allegiances were unknown. Their methods were absolutely chilling, striking an unprecedented wave of dread deep into the Commander's heart.

As for the other operatives of the Demon Hunter Department, they exchanged shocked, wide-eyed glances. For a long time, no one dared to make a sound. Staring fixedly at the remains scattered across the ground, they descended into absolute silence.

Only Xu Rong, murmuring the Commander's detailed analysis under her breath, gradually showed a flicker of astonished realization in her eyes.

A memory from half a month ago surfaced in her mind.

That night...

After surviving the terrifying beast tide, the operatives had inspected the monster carcasses outside the city. They had discovered that many of the beasts had been struck with deliberate finishing blows. At the time, they had been so shocked that they debated it for hours, a detail that remained deeply etched in her memory.

Now, here it was again. The exact same pattern of finishing strikes.

This coincidence was simply too bizarre, plunging Xu Rong into deep thought.

Upon closer thought.

She actually realized there was yet another overlapping detail!

The Phantom Spirit tribe that had been finished off that night seemed to be the exact same Phantom Spirit tribe that was recently exterminated.

This!

Xu Rong's eyes suddenly trembled as if she had grasped a hidden truth.

Once could be written off as a coincidence, but twice or even three times was absolutely no coincidence. There had to be an inevitable connection.

Just as a realization began to vaguely form in her mind, the sky gradually darkened.

Nighttime was the most perilous part of the day, a time when alien races often prowled. Lingering outside the city was definitely not a wise move. Furthermore, the Demon Hunting Department bore the heavy responsibility of protecting the citizens; they could not afford to stay here any longer.

The Chief Commander gazed at the corpses strewn across the ground, turned around, and issued an order in a deep voice.

"We return to the city first. This matter must be reported to the higher-ups. We will only deploy our forces after a thorough investigation. No one is allowed to leak a word of this!"

Hearing his voice, Xu Rong reined in her wandering thoughts and immediately acknowledged the command.

Several vehicles set off one after another, making their way back to Pingjiang City.