Clean-Up

A happy dream for a chubby shut-in.

Perhaps because his strength had improved and he felt more secure, he no longer had those bizarre dreams of running off to the Vienna Golden Hall to play "A Little Widow Visiting a Grave."

After waking up, Huai Shi practiced the piano in the garden for his usual two hours, then received a call from Ai Qing.

"Leave now. Wait at the entrance. Someone will pick you up," she said. "We found Wang Hai's trail."

They did not even need the full force of the state machine. Once the New Sea Special Affairs Department alone began operating, it swept through all of New Sea like an all-encompassing net.

With Ai Qing monitoring Ascenders through the Astronomical Society and the Special Affairs Department's channels among ordinary people, the two sides cooperated, turning all of New Sea into a glass fish tank.

Nothing escaped notice.

Under Wang Hai's almost insane provocation, in barely more than a day, nearly every outsider passing through had been thoroughly screened. After several local criminals with prior records were dragged out and beaten a few times, Wang Hai's whereabouts were finally uncovered through the omnipresent surveillance and inquiries.

In a barren mountain outside the city, within an estate abandoned for many years.

In short, it was ranked second on New Sea's haunted house list...

Huai Shi was so angry he nearly laughed when he heard.

What the hell were they after? Did they want to steal the top spot on his family's haunted house ranking?

After confirming traces of Wang Hai coming and going through surveillance, the Special Affairs Department immediately sprang into action. Countless burly men carrying all manner of firearms climbed into vehicles, ready to move out. Director Fu had clearly been thoroughly enraged by the bombing.

Once Huai Shi arrived, he was stuffed into Ai Qing's car and headed out of the city. Less than half an hour later, clad in a bulletproof vest and helmet, Huai Shi arrived at the foot of the barren mountain in a daze.

"The satellite reconnaissance is complete. There are signs of activity inside the estate."

The scouts on site returned with their report. "One target has a body shape with a very high match rate to Wang Hai, but we can't confirm it. Should we send in drones?"

"Drones would be too easy to spot."

Director Fu held his binoculars for a long while, then began comparing the estate map and discussing the assault plan with his subordinates. As an Astronomical Society member and their only Ascender combatant, Huai Shi was also shoved onto the first-wave entry list. He was still trembling.

"How do you use this thing? Where's the safety?"

He tried to pretend he did not recognize the automatic rifle in his hands, clinging to a faint hope of fleeing before the battle. Instead, the burly men tied him up and hauled him into a vehicle.

"Wait, I'm a victim too! Why do I have to take part in the assault...?"

He clung to the door and refused to get in, crying loudly. "If you need an Ascender, get Old Liu! Old Liu's ability is amazing! He just has to glare at someone, and nobody breathing will be left! I'm just a cellist. All I can do is summon an axe and embarrass myself. Please let me go... Fuck, don't hit people! Don't hit my face, hey... I've contributed to New Sea, I've bled for the Astronomical Society! I want to see Ai Qing! I want to see Ai Qing!"

"..."

Ai Qing, sitting in the car, expressionlessly looked away. She could not help wanting to sigh. "Forget it. Let him act with me."

Director Fu truly could not bear to watch any longer. He waved his hand, signaling his subordinates to stop pulling. If they pulled any harder, this brat would start shouting noble slogans like "The Special Affairs Department is beating people!"

Tch... What exactly were young people thinking these days?

Liu Dongli had been so much better. He went through wind and rain, willing to enter any deathtrap as long as it reduced his sentence. They should have arrested this guy and sentenced him to a few years too.

He sighed and looked down at the blueprints on the table.

The abandoned estate on the mountain had been there for quite some time. In truth, there were many such abandoned buildings around New Sea. Most had been built during New Sea's prosperous era more than ninety years ago. Later, as the economy worsened and there were fewer wealthy people, the nearby real estate industry declined along with it.

Countless unfinished buildings had become abandoned projects. There was still a Ryoma Building in the old district that had never been completed.

By the timeline, it had been built around the same period as Stone Marrow Hall.

The difference was that no unlucky bastard like Huai Shi had remained behind to guard this place. It had decayed in the wind and rain long ago. Only several gravekeepers from the cemetery behind the mountain had roughly repaired a few houses for lodging. Later, because of rumors that it was haunted, even the cemetery was left unattended, and the place fell completely into ruin.

According to satellite reconnaissance, several people were moving about inside the dilapidated estate. Besides Wang Hai, Ascenders could not be ruled out.

The Savior Society's last core members were probably hiding inside. There might even be reinforcements sent by the organization behind them. At the thought of some lunatic trying to stir up trouble in New Sea again, his head began to ache.

"Is everyone ready?"

After confirming everything repeatedly, Director Fu checked his weapons and bulletproof vest, then took the lead and climbed into the vehicle of the first assault team.

"We're starting just like that?"

Ai Qing seemed puzzled by this. Soon, she raised a hand to signal for a pause. "Wait a moment. I need to make a call."

At the same time, in the abandoned estate on the mountain, within the ruins on the fourth floor of the main building that had nearly collapsed completely, a shadow lay prone behind a broken wall, peering down the mountain through binoculars.

"Are you sure that Astronomical Society guy will take the bait?"

The observer held the phone between his shoulder and ear, visibly restless. "We've been waiting here for two days already. Why haven't we seen even a damn hair?"

"Don't rush. It'll be soon."

Wang Hai's voice came through the phone. "I deliberately wandered around the city. If they still failed to notice, the Special Affairs Department might as well disband."

"This time, the Lord entrusted the last chance to you." The observer spoke unhappily. "Think carefully about how to redeem yourself. I don't see what use there is in catching an Oni."

As he spoke, he softly whistled twice, calming the shadows hidden in the upper ruins. Those beasts were growing restless, as though they had smelled fresh blood.

"You need hostages before you can negotiate, you idiot!"

Wang Hai's voice turned displeased over the phone. "If we're lucky, we might wipe out New Sea's Astronomical Society in one go. What plan couldn't work then? They're heading up the mountain, along with the Special Affairs Department's troops. Don't screw anything up."

"Four Ascenders, ten Shadow Beasts, and over ninety Retribution Demons. Even if the Special Affairs Department troops come, they won't get anything good out of it."

The observer revealed a bloodthirsty smile. "I'd like to see whether that face-selling gigolo and that crippled woman are really as extraordinary as you claim."

Click.

The phone hung up.

That strange shadow curled up in the darkness, concealing every trace of its presence like a hibernating snake. In an instant, the entire estate fell deathly silent, without another sound.

The calls of birds and insects rang out once more, making the ruins seem even more sinister.

The speeding convoy came to an abrupt halt halfway up the mountain. At the position below the mountain, someone brought out mortars and, following the designated coordinates, unleashed thunder.

Soon, shells fell from the sky, blasting the eastern side of the ruined estate to pieces. Amid the billowing dust, enormous craters lay exposed on the ground.

There was still no unusual movement. Only panicked shouts could vaguely be heard from within the estate.

"Continue?" Director Fu, holding binoculars in the front passenger seat, asked.

"Wait a little longer."

Ai Qing looked up toward the estate from inside the car. Expressionless, she raised her phone and said to the other end, "I need a longsword. For cleaning."

Three minutes later, a shrill howl rang out in the sky.

The black shadow of a steel bird burst through the clouds, sweeping over the earth amid a sonic boom. From beneath its wings, a pure white steel arrow traced an arc as it fell toward the ground.

At that moment, the figure lying prone on the top floor widened his eyes in shock.

What the hell was that?

With a boom.

It landed.

The next instant, violent roaring and fire surged up from the earth. The entire mountain trembled slightly. Amid the erupting flames and sweeping shockwave, the ruined estate groaned once more beneath savage devastation.

Within the terrifying explosion, the crushing shockwave flattened the entire estate into ruins, while countless steel fragments scattered death in every direction. Sharp cries continuously burst out from within.

A massive depression opened in the center of the estate. Soil melted into lava flowed across the scorched black ground, while foul gunpowder smoke and dust spread through the raging wind.

A missile!

Before anyone could react, a low howl erupted from the sky again.

The shadow of the steel bird returned.

After dropping something from the air, it flew toward the horizon. Only a dull, massive boom spread through the sky.

Then streaks of white smoke descended toward the earth along with something else.

Like an upside-down tree growing from the sky.

It was as though a cruel angel had lowered its wings from the clouds. Holy light and pure white mist covered the earth, bringing equal burning and destruction.

The moment those ghastly things struck the ground, terrifying heat erupted. Azure and crimson flames burst forth. Scorching firestorms covered every corner like a thin white veil, and everything beneath them was swallowed by terrible burning.

Flames danced madly in the soil, on the stones, across the ruins, and within flesh and blood. Heat capable of melting steel into liquid brought poisonous smoke and dense fumes that ruined the lungs.

In but an instant, the destruction brought by the white phosphorus incendiaries completely descended upon the ruins. Dancing phosphorus vapor and flames flowing like water seeped into every place without exception.

Burning, burning, burning.

First came the missile's terrifying impact. Then came the horrifying temperature of burning white phosphorus. Finally came the toxic smoke that utterly annihilated every living thing.

The entire mountaintop was shrouded in destruction.

Halfway up the mountain, everyone stared dumbfounded at the devastating scene. They watched dozens of ghastly things, each over several meters tall, scream as they escaped from the flames, struggling and rolling on the ground, scraping the turquoise fire from their white bones—only for vicious flames to reignite from within their marrow.

Until finally, they lay prone on the ground and moved no more. Only wreckage slowly turning to charcoal remained amid the flames, along with the sound of bones cracking as they burned.

"..."

The crowd stared blankly at the ruins before them. Director Fu turned to Ai Qing. "You don't want any prisoners alive? Aren't white phosphorus incendiaries banned?"

"Whoever survives is a prisoner." Ai Qing waved her hand calmly. "Anyone who talks about humanitarianism with terrorists has something wrong with their brain."

"..."

"All right, now we can go in."

Ai Qing gave the order, then cast one final look at Huai Shi. "Now we can go in. You're going, right?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Huai Shi nodded so hard his head bobbed like a pounding pestle. "I'm a brick of the Astronomical Society—move me wherever I'm needed! Someone, bring up my Fire Kirin AK!"

Ahahaha, now that my stockpile of drafts is completely gone, I feel so refreshed~