Chapter Fourteen: A New Mission, the Blood Fox

After bidding farewell to Li Xueshu, Lin Lei bought a generous amount of snacks and, laden with bags, made his way home. Thirteen was sitting properly on the sofa watching television; the moment she heard the door open, she immediately scampered over with light, rapid steps.

“Brother.”

Ha-ha, wagging his tail, faithfully followed behind the little girl.

“It’s ‘brother’—” Lin Lei sighed helplessly, reaching out to pinch the little one’s cheek.

Thirteen nodded, “Yes, brother!”

Lin Lei ruffled her hair in resignation. “Call me whatever you like.”

The little one had never systematically learned language or conversation. Although her vocal cords and related organs had developed, she still struggled to speak clearly.

Such things can’t be mastered overnight.

Lin Lei took the little girl’s hand and led her back to the sofa, with Ha-ha obediently curling up at his feet.

They watched television for a while.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang, and Lin Lei noticed the little girl tensed, glancing nervously towards the door.

He gently patted her head, helped her put on her wig and the Concealment Mask, then rose to open the door.

“Yan!” he called out.

Standing outside was his neighbor, Qi Fangyan.

She wore simple home clothes, her long black hair casually draped down her back.

For a moment, Lin Lei’s gaze was drawn to a pair of black, jelly-like orbs, but with determined willpower, he forced his eyes away and looked up to meet her face.

“Is there something you need, Yan?” he asked. He hadn’t escorted Qi Fangyan lately, having been preoccupied with matters concerning Thirteen.

During this period, there had been no new disappearances in the upper city, and Zhou Haoran had become a complete social outcast. For now, Lin Lei wasn’t worried about anyone harassing Qi Fangyan.

With a gentle smile, Qi Fangyan said, “Lei Lei, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? Come over to my place later—I made braised prawns today…”

Lin Lei was about to refuse, but after a moment’s thought, he called Thirteen over.

“Yan, this is Lin Xiaoshi, my distant relative’s younger sister. Her family had some trouble… She’ll be staying with me from now on. Her school transfer isn’t sorted yet, so if I’m out for classes, could you keep an eye on her after work?”

If Thirteen was to integrate into society, she couldn’t remain hidden at home forever.

Even though Lin Lei had taken an extended leave from school with help from the Bureau, he still had to go out on assignments and hunt anomalies. Thirteen, though an awakened one, was too young and immature for him to feel comfortable leaving her alone.

“Oh!” Qi Fangyan was momentarily surprised. Once she got a good look at the little girl’s face, her eyes sparkled with delight. She bent down and affectionately patted Thirteen’s head.

“What an adorable child. How old is she?”

Thirteen did not reply, just turned her large, clear eyes toward Lin Lei.

Smiling, Lin Lei introduced her, “This is Sister Yan—say hello.”

Thirteen turned back and said, “Hello, sister.”

The little girl, with her delicate porcelain features and sweet looks, naturally won Qi Fangyan’s affection.

“Wonderful.” She pulled Thirteen into her arms, nuzzling her gently.

Lin Lei explained, “She just turned ten. She’s had a traumatic experience at home, so she might still be affected psychologically…”

In truth, Lin Lei had no idea how old Thirteen really was—nor did she herself—but a little fabrication wouldn’t hurt.

Qi Fangyan’s eyes filled with compassion. “Oh, the poor thing.”

Afterwards, Lin Lei brought Thirteen over to Qi Fangyan’s apartment and even lent a hand with the kitchen chores.

In the midst of their work, Qi Fangyan’s phone rang. She glanced at it and promptly hung up.

“Was it Zhou Haoran? Is he still bothering you?” Lin Lei asked, squinting.

“No, not him. Zhou Haoran already resigned and disappeared days ago!” Qi Fangyan shook her head. “It was a scam call, something about a loan company claiming I owed money… Impossible! I never borrow money.”

Lin Lei raised an eyebrow but didn’t dwell on it.

…

A couple of days later, Li Xueshu contacted Lin Lei once more.

More than a week had passed since the last Forbidden Zone mission, and Lin Lei was finally about to embark on his next assignment.

“This time, the mission is again connected to the Blood Sakura Society. The Bureau’s investigation into the social networks of the two cultists you killed revealed they were both members of a special mutual aid group.

“Through meticulous investigation, the Bureau suspects this mutual aid group is a covert cell used by the Blood Sakura Society to recruit new members. Apart from a few, most of the group vanished after the deaths of those two individuals…”

“In recent days, the Bureau has tracked down several members using special methods and plans to launch simultaneous raids. Because you eliminated two cultists last time and have experience dealing with the Children of Flesh, you’ve been chosen for this mission…”

“Your target is a Second-Tier Source Energy User. However, he is not a Blood Sakura fanatic, and his Gift is not particularly strong…”

Missions involving the elimination of cultists were extremely dangerous.

Naturally, those selected were powerful and experienced in combat.

Lin Lei had not only advanced to the second tier but also had the record of killing two Blood Sakura fanatics, making him an ideal candidate.

“Of course, since you only just completed the Forbidden Zone mission, you’re not obliged to participate in this operation—it’s entirely voluntary…”

Before Li Xueshu could finish, Lin Lei interrupted her decisively. “I’ll take the mission. When do we begin?”

Li Xueshu was unsurprised by his response. “Tonight. It’s an emergency operation. You can come to the Bureau first… For security reasons, the specific details can’t be disclosed until then.”

The Bureau was not a monolith.

With so many people involved, no one could be certain there were no spies.

Because of this, concrete intelligence was never released in advance for such operations.

Lin Lei agreed, entrusted the little girl to Qi Fangyan’s care, and immediately departed.

…

Night.

A truck sped along the highway.

Inside, Lin Lei sat with a subtle expression, facing a group of heavily armed, fully equipped operatives.

These were not logistical staff from the Bureau, but reserve members of the Operations Division—elite combatants, every one of them.

Among them were two old acquaintances of Lin Lei, Chen Ning and Hong Qiuqiao.

Both were reserve members of Unit Nine; it was common for them to participate in missions assigned to this unit.

Armed as they were, these reserves posed a significant threat to most first- and second-tier Source Energy Users.

Even a third-tier would not be able to ignore the firepower.

In addition to the reserve operatives, two other Source Energy Users from Unit Nine had joined Chen Fan—a young man and woman, both appearing to be in their twenties, perhaps slightly older than Lin Lei, but still under thirty.

Both were first-tier, but seasoned by practical experience.

For missions like this, inexperienced first-tiers were less useful than the reserves.

At that moment, Lin Lei’s phone lit up.

Only now did he finally receive the full briefing for this operation.

It included the target’s identity and additional information—

Codename: “Blood Fox.” Second-tier. A man in his forties. Not a follower of the Mother of Flesh, but an opportunist—cunning in the extreme.

After Lin Lei had eliminated the two cultists, this man sensed something amiss, immediately changed his appearance, and hid in the countryside. It was possible he had accomplices, hence the large-scale operation.

Taking the target alive was not mandatory, though it would be preferable.

However, since he was not a true believer, it was unlikely he possessed any core secrets of the Blood Sakura Society.

Studying the photograph and dossier on his phone, Lin Lei couldn’t help but marvel.

“The Bureau’s intelligence is remarkably thorough—even details about his disguise and rural hideout are known…”

Either the Bureau had infiltrators within the Blood Sakura Society, or they had used some special Source Artifact for intelligence gathering.