The surroundings were dead silent.
The night was pierced through by killing intent, yet it returned to stillness in an instant.
Li Hongye withdrew her long whip, her gaze sharp. "It's taken care of."
Gu Chang'an let out a turbid breath, wiped the blood from his saber, and was just about to speak when—
he suddenly heard footsteps coming from the end of the street—steady, hurried, and orderly.
Immediately, a figure stepped out from the darkness. Clad in black with gold patterns, a token at his waist, and a stern expression, it was none other than Lu Kai.
Several black-clad subordinates followed closely behind him, their gazes vigilant as they swept their surroundings.
Lu Kai glanced at the corpse of the fiend on the ground, his brow furrowing slightly as he walked up to the two of them and asked in a low voice:
"What is the meaning of this? What is this creature? Why did it attack you?"
Gu Chang'an wore a solemn expression and replied flatly:
"Head Constable Li and I were returning at night when we were suddenly attacked. The opponent was extremely fast and possessed a tyrannical physique, but it was clearly not a true fiend... It was more like some sort of human-beast hybrid."
Li Hongye chimed in as well: "It should be a fiend-man. Not a fiend, but no longer human."
Lu Kai's gaze was as sharp as a blade. He swept it over them, looked back down at the fiend-man on the ground, and his eyes darkened slightly, though his tone remained calm:
"Do either of you know where it came from? Has anyone issued a warning?"
Gu Chang'an shrugged. "It came too suddenly. We were forced to fight back and have no idea of its origin."
Lu Kai was silent for a