Chapter Four: The Crimson Sakura Society

The dark street still carried the lingering scent of blood. Aside from some bullet marks on the ground, however, there were few traces left behind.

Lin Lei narrowed his eyes and sifted through the information in his mind. The new ability he had gained was called "Boiling Blood." It was a simple power: by consuming his own blood, he could amplify his strength. The exact degree of enhancement remained to be tested. While not weak, the ability came with significant side effects.

"Ordinarily, it's unnecessary, but in a critical moment, it might just save my life!"

Shaking his head, Lin Lei stepped forward to the spot where the so-called "Child of Flesh" had been devoured, and picked up the black handbag lying on the ground. It had been left behind by the woman. With "Gluttony," he confirmed there were no extraordinary items inside. Only then did he raise an eyebrow and open the bag.

Inside were just ordinary, everyday items. Among them, Lin Lei found a key card listing an address. He took out his phone and called Li Xueshu.

"That woman has been dealt with, but a bystander saw the 'Child of Flesh.' There were also three others who saw me shoot—two students managed to escape."

Li Xueshu replied, "No problem. Chen Ning is on standby nearby; I'll have him come to you. Hand over the witness who saw the 'Child of Flesh' to him. The Investigation Bureau will handle the follow-up."

"Understood," Lin Lei said, then added, "I found a key card in the backpack belonging to the 'Child of Flesh.' It's not far from here—likely the suspect’s hideout."

"Send me the address," Li Xueshu replied promptly. "I'll dispatch a team. Once you and Chen Ning meet up, you two should go investigate as well."

With a brief acknowledgment, Lin Lei ended the call. He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.

"Given Li Xueshu's grasp of intelligence, he wouldn't deliberately set me up. If he wants me to check this place, it shouldn't be too dangerous..."

...

Ten minutes later, having completed the handover, Lin Lei arrived at a small community near Park No. 7, standing before a detached apartment. This was the location indicated by the key card found in the woman's handbag.

The apartment had a yard and a lawn—almost a small villa. Its door was tightly shut, the lights were off, and there was no sign of anyone inside.

"Looks like I'm the first to arrive."

He hadn’t been far away, so it was only natural he got there quickly. Producing the key card, he opened the door.

The interior was simply decorated but tidy. It was two stories high, with an additional basement. Lin Lei conducted a quick search and soon discovered a locked secret room in the basement. Forcing the door open, he found a gruesome collection of bones, photographs, newspaper clippings, and a video camera.

The photographs showed mutilated corpses, both men and women.

The clippings documented the serial murders that had once plagued Biyang City, featuring news reports from various local media outlets. Lin Lei then checked the contents of the video camera. As he had expected, it contained footage of the obese woman’s brutal acts—disturbing in the extreme.

"She must have had some kind of antisocial personality disorder..." Even when facing the Child of Flesh, Lin Lei had felt little emotion, but watching these videos made his skin crawl.

Just then, a beeping sound came from outside—the electronic lock had been swiped open. Lin Lei’s expression turned grim. He immediately ended his call, drew his handgun, and moved toward the entrance.

At that moment, an aged voice called out, "Amei, you’re home so early today?"

Lin Lei burst from the basement, gun in hand. An elderly man with graying hair and a cane looked at him in shock, then immediately raised his hands. "Don’t shoot!"

"An ordinary civilian?" Lin Lei raised an eyebrow. One hand held his gun, the other produced his credentials as he approached. "Security Bureau. Who are you? And who is Amei?"

Though the old man appeared harmless, Lin Lei remained on guard.

Noticing Lin Lei’s identification, the old man relaxed slightly and replied in a trembling voice, "Amei is my daughter. This is our home..."

As they spoke, the two slowly drew closer until they stood face to face.

Lin Lei seemed convinced, lowering his handgun. In that instant, a sharp gleam flashed in the old man’s cloudy eyes.

But before the man could act, Lin Lei holstered his pistol and, with his other hand, reached back for the alloy longsword strapped to his back—striking down in one swift motion.

A crisp sound cut the air. The blade slashed forward, piercing the old man’s chest and shattering several ribs.

With a scream, the old man collapsed, a look of shock and confusion on his face. "Why...?"

Lin Lei stepped forward, sneering coldly.

"You really think I couldn’t see through you?"

Although Lin Lei hadn’t sensed any source energy fluctuations from the old man, nor detected any unusual traits, at such close range he could attempt to activate "Gluttony." The old man could be "devoured," which meant he was a source energy user.

Anyone living with such a murderous monster could hardly be innocent. The reason he hadn't used his gun was simple: he’d used up all his bullets against the woman earlier—his pistol was empty.

The old man glared up at Lin Lei, eyes full of venom.

"The Blood Sakura Society will not forgive you... Our master will not forgive you!"

Blood Sakura Society?

Lin Lei committed the name to memory, then took out his PDA to record the man’s image.

He was about to restrain the old man and wait for the Investigation Bureau to arrive, but the man died before long.

"Though he was a source energy user, he was simply too old—his body couldn't withstand the injury," Lin Lei mused. "Remarkably fragile, really."

If the obese woman had died because Lin Lei hadn’t held back, he hadn’t intended to kill the old man outright. Unfortunately, the man's constitution was too weak.

Shortly after his death, the old man’s flesh began to squirm and mutate.

"Could all members of the Blood Sakura Society be worshippers of the Mother of Flesh, doomed to this fate after death?"

Lin Lei raised an eyebrow, but this time he remained calm. He took out his PDA to record video, then produced his alloy blade and a lighter.

Compared to the previous Child of Flesh, this one was much weaker—barely able to resist. A few strikes and a bit of fire finished the job quickly.

Lin Lei stopped recording and activated "Plunder" once more.

A living being could be devoured directly, but it required ten times the energy of gluttony. After death, the cost dropped significantly.

The energy required to devour this old man was slightly less than that for the "Child of Flesh," but still exceeded twenty.

"Hmm, this ability..."

From the old man, Lin Lei gained a functional power called "Blood Mark." By leaving his blood on a person or object, he could sense its location for a certain distance and time.

"Essentially, a specialized tracker... Not bad at all."

Though it didn't directly enhance his strength, it was a useful auxiliary ability and could prove invaluable in specific situations.

No wonder the old man was so fragile—his power was support-oriented.

Shaking his head, Lin Lei picked up his phone and dialed Li Xueshu again.

"Team Leader, have you ever heard of the Blood Sakura Society?"