On the outskirts of Fangyuan City.
The owner of Grape Manor had been delighted to welcome Su Ye, the probationary patrol officer.
But...
When he saw Su Ye's youthful face, and especially his Second High School uniform, the smile froze on his face.
Wasn't he still a student?
Could a student really be a patrol officer?
"Let's get straight to work."
Su Ye flicked his wrist, and a long blade appeared in his hand.
That gave the manor owner a little more confidence in him.
Storage Equipment.
Only patrol officers, especially senior ones, had access to that.
"Th-then this way, Patrol Officer Su."
Inside Grape Manor.
Su Ye soon saw the so-called Grape Leafhoppers.
They were much bigger than he had imagined.
Ordinary leafhoppers were tiny. You had to turn over grape leaves and look closely to find them.
But the leafhoppers in this vineyard were over ten centimeters long. They clung to the grape leaves and fed voraciously, turning a leaf pale and withered in the blink of an eye.
Then they flew off and landed on another grape leaf.
"You see them, Patrol Officer Su? At this rate, my vineyard will be ruined!"
"And I've used pesticides, but they haven't done a thing. Have these bugs mutated?"
Su Ye nodded.
"Of course they've mutated."
They had grown that much. What else could it be?
Ordinary pesticides were hardly going to work on mutated leafhoppers like these.
"Mm. Leave them to me."
Su Ye walked toward them, blade in hand.
The farm owner couldn't help calling out from behind him.
"Be careful, Patrol Officer Su! Those leafhoppers are fast—"
Su Ye's blade flashed.
Slash—
A leafhopper's corpse fell to the ground.
[Slaughter Value +3.1]
Only then did Su Ye turn back and look at the farm owner in puzzlement.
"What were you saying?"
The farm owner said, "...N-nothing."
He had meant to warn Su Ye how fast the leafhoppers were. He had hired a Martial Artist before, but the man couldn't keep up with them and had only provoked them into bringing others back to retaliate.
But now...
It seemed there was no need to say any of that.
"All right. I'll deal with the leafhoppers. You can head back."
Su Ye spoke with a serious expression.
"Don't come over unless I say so."
The farm owner swallowed and nodded repeatedly.
"Of course, of course. I-I won't disturb you, Patrol Officer Su."
For some reason, when Little Su had looked at him just now, a chill had run down the farm owner's back.
The farm owner fled.
Su Ye set about diligently exterminating the pests.
Each leafhopper gave him less Slaughter Value than a Field Mouse.
But this time, he had them all to himself.
[Slaughter Value +3.2] [Slaughter Value +2.7] [Slaughter Value +2.8]
Evening arrived.
Su Ye checked his panel.
Between his shifts at the Golden Moon Seafood Restaurant and the dozens of leafhoppers he had killed today...
[Slaughter Value]: 2034.2
He had enough to Add Points twenty times.
Enough to raise a Martial Skill beyond Perfection, to the level of mastery known as Transcendence.
Su Ye took a deep breath.
He found a spacious spot, took some food from his Storage Bracelet, and began to eat.
Perhaps it was because he had spent the whole day killing leafhoppers.
His presence felt a little unsteady now.
And then...
"Oh no, my phone's dead... I forgot to charge it fully this morning."
"The Patrol Bureau is strange, too. Even for a little job like this, they insist on keeping the camera on and recording the whole thing."
Su Ye tossed his phone aside, leaned back onto the grass, and watched the setting sun.
System, Add Points!
[Burning 100 Slaughter Value. Basic Blade Technique proficiency +1]
Su Ye lay there at ease, seemingly oblivious to the danger approaching.
In the shadows.
Zheng Wuxiang, who had rushed to the vineyard as soon as he heard Su Ye had left Fangyuan City, saw his chance.
He had thought that, as an expert at the peak of Second Heaven, killing a little nobody like Su Ye, who had not even reached the Transcendent Realm, would be easy. Then he could avenge his son.
But who would have thought...
Su Ye had kept his phone camera on throughout the job, uploading a recording of everything he did.
Zheng Wuxiang had ground his teeth in fury.
But he had not dared attack Su Ye under the Patrol Bureau's surveillance. He could only grit his teeth and wait.
Just when Zheng Wuxiang had begun to think he would not get a chance this time...
Su Ye's phone had died!
It had actually died!
He could not have asked for a better chance!
Zheng Wuxiang slowly stepped out of the shadows.
"Su Ye!"
Killing him with one slash would be far too easy on him.
Zheng Wuxiang wanted to carve Su Ye apart bit by bit. Only then would his son be avenged.
The last light of sunset faded.
Night began to cover the land.
Su Ye felt more power gradually welling up inside him and opened his eyes.
"Master Zheng, what are you doing here?"
Zheng Wuxiang gave a cold smile.
"I'm here to kill you, of course!"
"Kill me? Why?"
"To avenge my son, of course! Su Ye, you killed him. Today, you'll pay for Zheng Feng's life with your own!"
Su Ye looked even more puzzled.
"Master Zheng, haven't you misunderstood? When did I kill your son? I stayed behind alone to face that Murderous Fiend at Transcendent First Heaven so I could save Zheng Feng. I couldn't save him in the end, but you can't blame me for that."
"Hypocrite!"
Zheng Wuxiang roared.
"I found your blood on the clothing around my son's wound. That proves the blade driven into his chest had your blood on it! You're the one who killed my son."
So that was what gave me away.
Su Ye sighed inwardly.
He had wondered why Zheng Wuxiang still suspected him when he had thought he had covered his tracks perfectly.
He really lacked experience.
Next time, I must wipe the murder weapon clean.
And I can't leave any blood or hair at the scene.
He took the lesson to heart.
But Su Ye still looked utterly bewildered.
"When the Murderous Fiend was chasing me, he had already cut me with his blade. It would be perfectly normal for my blood to end up on Zheng Feng's clothes when he killed him, wouldn't it? Isn't it rash to decide I'm the murderer based on that alone, Master Zheng?"
Zheng Wuxiang froze.
That was indeed possible.
Had he really misunderstood Su Ye?!
No.
Even if Su Ye wasn't the killer, his incompetence had still cost my son his life!
The murderous fury returned to Zheng Wuxiang's eyes.
"Su Ye, you won't get away today! I'm going to kill you."
At that, Su Ye sighed.
"Director, you heard him, right? Zheng Wuxiang just said himself that he wants to kill me."
Zheng Wuxiang was shaken to his core.
He's bluffing!
Su Ye has to be bluffing!
But then...
Several figures emerged from behind the trees.
The man leading them was Zhang Baichuan, director of the Fangyuan City Patrol Bureau.
"I heard him. I told you to stall for a while, but you really dragged it out until night. You nearly put me to sleep!"
Zhang Baichuan sounded helpless.
Only he knew how long he had been crouching in the brush.
He had been bitten several times.
And it was all Zheng Wuxiang's fault!
Before you continue