Spring City is so big, where the hell is the Evil Cult hiding?

"Tong Shan, do you have any leads?"

Ji Jue looked towards Tong Shan, who was deep in contemplation.

And Tong Zhiwu, he just smiled faintly.

They understood each other, without needing to say a word.

"Figures..." Ji Jue sighed in relief.

Half the battle was already won.

After killing Ling Zhi and repelling Yan Chong, when Tong Shan was suspended in the sky, he wasn't just showing off.

Despite an unprecedentedly terrible situation of internal strife and external threats, he was still easily capable of crushing a few unlucky kids. And the reason he didn't stop those surviving lackeys from fleeing...

You guys were setting up shop here, huh?!

No, you crafty bastard, you probably planned this from the start, didn't you?!

"Are you really Tian Yuan?" Ji Jue wondered.

"Guaranteed genuine."

Tong Shan said, "Because I'm Tian Yuan, I must know the difference between regular hours, overtime, and time off."

He smiled with profound meaning, "When I'm not being Tong Zhiwu, I'm pretty good at adapting."

Tian Yuan represents the integration of order, not of fools. Civil servants stick to the rules, but it's not contradictory for them to find loopholes – it's just not as wild as Ji's ideas...

Always be prepared for the worst, aiming not for the best, but definitely to avoid the worst.

Initially, when he thought their squad had no way out, he instinctively marked a few of the escapees, hoping just to follow the vine to the melon, to see if there was a chance to hide in Spring City and find clues about Commander Lou.

He admitted that Ji Jue's plan had elements of gamble.

But he really liked it, from the bottom of his heart.

"Interested in joining the Security Bureau?"

He extended the invitation again, "Part-time is fine too. The budget of the third department is so big there's money left every year, all expenses are covered by the Federation, and I really have high hopes for you."

"Do you hate the head of the third department that much?" Ji Jue retorted.

Instantly, Tong Shan choked on his laughter and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

So, that settled the plan.

Three hours later, at the edge of Spring City.

Amidst the dancing mist, a dilapidated house that stood between illusion and reality silently hid in the shadows.

In the dead silence, only rustling sounds occasionally echoed through the crevices, rooftops, sewer pipes, and the hidden corners on the edges of the streets.

Tiny, inconspicuous bugs that looked like black dots crawled stealthily in the corners, spreading out, and faintly enveloping the entire street and nearby area.

Watching everything.

From time to time, bugs would crawl into the door frames and disappear into that overly chaotic 'darkness.'

Under the flickering lights, the scattered playing cards on the table remained unattended, beer bottles discard everywhere.

Ashtrays and disposable bowls overflowed with cigarette butts and leftover food, merging into a pungent smell, which mixed with the odor of sweat, grease, and stinky feet, like an unmanaged college dorm, wafting an 'aroma' that haunted the soul.

"Damn that bitch Yan Chong, damn that bitch Ling Zhi, damn that bitch Xu Ling, damn that bitch Tianxin Society..."

The chubby man leaning back in his chair cursed incessantly while smoking, "These shitheads get an idea, slap their foreheads, and then screw us over like this.

Screw-ups aside, we're almost dead, and they still let the Security Bureau guys escape! Can you believe it? They can't even win two against one, it's humiliating!

And then, they have the nerve to come to your dad and say: 'You guys, hold this place down, don't let a single fly out'... I really want to say, fuck you all!

We were doing fine in Huang Province, and then we got dragged to this godforsaken place, just waiting around every day like it's prison. Lu Changsheng has been the Sacrificial Master for too long, his brain's got holes, doesn't know what he's thinking!"

"Hey, boss, times have changed," his subordinate tried to console him. "We're all working for the cult, you know."

"Working? I'm fucking working my ass off!!!"

The fat man opened his mouth, swallowed the bug that crawled into his hand, chewed with a crunching sound to taste and read pheromones, all the while cursing, "I think the Evil Cult is doomed at his hands! Letting the Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony shit on their necks and bringing in those crazies from You Sui, what big moves are they making under the scrutiny of the Security Bureau now? I think they just want us all dead faster! And that guy, what's his name... what was it... Jian something? That old geezer Jian Yuan!

Mentioning this made him...

As he swore, his actions abruptly stopped, as if frozen in place.

He grabbed another handful of bugs and threw them into his mouth, juice splattering everywhere.

Incredulous.

He looked towards the door, "Are they really heading this way?"

"Really?" His men were surprised and doubtful; those lying down or sitting up suddenly all stood erect, looking at each other with confusion.

"Send a signal to the back! Quick!"

The bug-eating fat man grinned, and between the folds of his fat, one compound eye after another opened on his face: "This time we've hit the jackpot! Everyone, get ready..."

Under surveillance and chase from countless flying insects, a beat-up car covered in weld scars and patches drove stealthily into the alert perimeter, careful and soundless.

It was just a short detour, yet it took twists and turns, making sure there were no followers behind.

But just as it was about to enter the encirclement, as if sensing something, it braked without warning, then reversed direction and sped off in retreat.

"Block it! Block it for me!"

The fat man lying on the roof widened his eyes all over his body, wings like those of a dragonfly sprouted instantaneously from his back, and he took to the air in hot pursuit!

Like a cornered animal, the car with nowhere left to run was eventually forced into a dead end amidst the interception and attacks of many Believers, with no more paths to life.

Thick armor was covered in scratches, and dense smoke billowed and spread.

A headlight fell from severed cables onto the ground, flickering dimly.

Silence followed.

"What the hell is this?"

The fat man, suspicious, stood at a distance, raising his hand to signal all his subordinates to heighten their alert.

Then he looked at the one standing at the forefront, pursing his lips.

The blank-faced subordinate stiffened, hurried by his commanding gaze; he swallowed his saliva, put away his weapons, and cautiously made his way forward, cursing under his breath as he finally opened the car door.

But the door seemed to be already at its limit; with just a tug, it clattered to the ground. Then, a body slowly tumbled out, the thick, pungent smell of blood unbearable.

"A body?" The investigator, baffled, peered into the car, where amidst the haphazard pile of boxes, there were numerous dismembered corpses.

The stench was overwhelming.

"Nothing but bodies!"

The fat man frowned, pushed aside the subordinates in his way, and stepped forward. He tore open the car's side, and revealed the bodies within—some dismembered, some intact. However, when he reached out to lift one, he couldn't feel any weight.

His expression grew darker, and he suddenly ripped off the 'body's' outer layer, but what he tore off was a thin piece of white paper with two words on it.

[Body]!

As the disguise of Ether was punctured in an instant, the thick stench of blood turned into the acrid smell of chemical agents.

"Fuck you..." The fat man's face changed drastically, and without thinking, he threw away the burden and ran for his life.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

In the last flicker of the headlight, the engine gave a satisfied yet weary final sigh.

This last run...

It said, [Damn that felt good!]

——BOOM!!!!

Mad flames spread, thick smoke rose, fire shot into the sky, painting the overcast clouds above a burning red.

The explosion sounded from within the howling winds, mingling with the sporadic booms from other areas of Spring City, continuous and rising from everywhere.

"Phew~"

Ji Jue whistled, watching the fireworks' flashes: "They made quite the ruckus, huh."

Might as well call it an early New Year's greeting.

I wonder if our friends from the Evil Cult enjoy such a surprise delivered right to their doorstep.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.