Chapter Sixteen: Strange Habits

On the bar street, people who get drunk in the dead of night are the easiest targets for an attack.

Last night, Jin Yinghui was once again dressed like a wealthy man—a clear mark for any predator.

The more Zhou Peng thought about it, the more anxious he became, a trace of regret gnawing at him as he unconsciously quickened his pace.

Even through the crowd, he could already smell the metallic tang of blood thickening the air.

Had someone been killed?

He fought his way desperately through the throng and reached the cordoned-off area.

In the next moment, he caught sight of a figure at once unfamiliar and yet unmistakably familiar.

Ye Chen, dressed in the uniform of the Outer City Patrol Bureau, was squatting on the ground, examining a mutilated corpse.

The scene was so jarring that Zhou Peng froze, doubting his own senses.

The person he had assumed to be the victim was now the investigator at the scene.

His mind stalled for several seconds before catching up… Both his friends were unharmed; today was, after all, Ye Chen’s first day on duty.

He saw Ye Chen glance his way, mouthing the words: “I’ll talk to you later.”

After collecting his equipment, Ye Chen led Chen Bingfeng and Xu Fan without pause to the spot where he had been attacked the previous night.

Only now could they see clearly what had truly transpired in the alley.

In the deepest corner of the alley, on both the walls and ground, there were splashes of blood and scattered fragments of flesh everywhere.

After a night of cold wind, the blood had congealed, clinging to the wall and pavement, making the already dark and filthy alley resemble a corner of some bloody hell.

“Judging by the body type, the victim was male. The scene is indescribably brutal,”

Chen Bingfeng scrutinized the site with grave seriousness, stepping carefully to avoid the blood and flesh as he took notes:

“The abdomen was torn open, the internal organs almost entirely devoured, and the head was bitten through, the brain sucked dry.”

“This beast is quite particular, going straight for the organs,”

Xu Fan muttered through a hand pressed to his mouth, standing as far from the body as possible, nearly retreating out of the alley altogether.

Ye Chen, meanwhile, examined the bite marks closely, using his newly issued baton to probe the wounds.

He attempted to judge the type of mutated beast from the bite patterns, but the wounds were so mangled it was impossible to tell.

After a long while, he was still at a loss.

He got up and walked to the mouth of the alley, pulling Zhou Peng aside.

“When did this happen?” Zhou Peng asked, his expression grave.

“Just last night, on the way back with Lao Jin,” Ye Chen replied.

At this, Zhou Peng’s eyes widened in shock as he scrutinized Ye Chen up and down.

“Don’t worry, Lao Jin and I are fine—not a scratch on us,” Ye Chen paused, then asked, “What do you make of this? Or, did you hear anything unusual in the second half of the night?”

Zhou Peng shook his head.

Ye Chen realized as much—given how drunk he’d been, it was unrealistic to expect any useful information.

“Then help me ask around with the other shop owners, see if any of them noticed anything out of the ordinary.”

“All right.” Zhou Peng clapped Ye Chen heavily on the shoulder, his tone somber.

He understood full well: if this unknown creature wasn’t caught, it would affect business for the entire street.

After Zhou Peng left, Ye Chen stood in the depths of the opposite alley, gazing at the overturned trash bins and the marks the unknown creature had left on the wall, lost in thought.

The wall at the far end of the alley rose four meters high. In his memory, the unknown creature had leapt in place, used the wall for a single push, and vaulted cleanly over to the other side.

What astonishing power.

Ye Chen drew a deep breath, crouched low, fixed his gaze upward, and exploded into motion.

He, too, leapt from a standstill, gripped the edge of the wall, and with a surge, vaulted over with ease.

The movement was seamless.

He could not help but marvel at how the Breathing Technique had transformed his physical abilities so markedly.

This would have been impossible for him before.

But his control over his newfound strength was not yet precise.

Such maladaptation was inevitable when one’s strength grew overnight.

Knowing one’s limits and mastering the use of one’s body was essential for any warrior, or any wilderness hunter.

Physical improvement was reason to rejoice, but only by wielding that power as naturally as an extension of one’s own body did it become true combat ability.

Chen Bingfeng and Xu Fan, who had followed, exchanged a glance after witnessing Ye Chen’s feat.

Xu Fan couldn’t help but blurt out, “Holy shit!”

Chen Bingfeng was more contemplative… Hadn’t the team leader said Ye Chen’s awakened item was a blade? How was his physical prowess approaching that of a body-type awakener?

On the other side of the wall lay a stretch of open ground, where a few stunted shrubs and weeds clung to life amidst scattered refuse.

Ye Chen’s gaze swept the area; there was nowhere suitable to hide.

Turning around, he found similar marks left by the creature’s leap on the outer wall.

“This mutated beast must have returned after Lao Jin and I left, to continue feeding,” Ye Chen murmured, a chill in his heart.

Soon, Chen Bingfeng climbed over as well. “Any discoveries?” he asked.

Ye Chen pointed to the marks on the wall, voicing his thoughts:

“I’m considering something. Normally, a mutated beast in the wild drags its kill back to its lair to eat at leisure.”

He paced the open ground, analyzing as he went,

“But this creature is strange. It devours only the organs, discards the rest, and leaves.”

“I’ve never seen such peculiar feeding habits.”

“Maybe it was startled off by someone else later on?” Chen Bingfeng ventured.

“That’s possible. But from your night patrol experience, you know that after midnight, there are hardly any people on the streets.

“This creature could easily have attacked again—for instance, in my own case.”

At this, both men fell silent, troubled by the many contradictions.

After a long pause, Ye Chen seemed to recall something and turned to Chen Bingfeng:

“There was another case, wasn’t there? What was the condition of the body when it was found?”

Chen Bingfeng’s expression darkened as he recalled the briefing, “It was the same. The corpse hadn’t been dragged away, and the organs had been cleaned out.

“Would you say that’s enough to conclude it was the same creature?”

Ye Chen stroked his chin, pondering before answering, “Very likely. Let’s go check the house that was attacked before.”

Bang!

Just then, there was a thud from the corner of the wall.

“Ow, damn!” Xu Fan, who had landed heavily on his backside, sat on the ground, clutching his rear and grimacing in pain, his head ringing.

Then he looked up to see Ye Chen and Chen Bingfeng vault nimbly back over the wall.