Little Kitten

"Mm, you guys should be careful too..."

After learning this clue, Chen Xia rode away.

He came out this time to investigate the cult, as he could gain many benefits from it.

First, there was Jiang Xinglan's mission, second, the evil technique, and third, he might even be able to achieve merit and get promoted. It was killing three birds with one stone.

With Chen Xia's current strength, ordinary people were no match for him. If he really encountered danger, he could just run.

Next, he browsed the mall for a while, then bought a disguise mask from a shop.

The disguise mask was a new type of technological facial covering. It wasn't expensive, only a few dozen yuan, and didn't require any advanced makeup skills. You just stick it on your face, and your appearance changes, making it convenient for operations.

After buying the item, he went to a public restroom and changed into everything in the bag he was holding.

When Chen Xia came out of the restroom, he had changed his attire, wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, and a pair of gray sneakers. He put on a black baseball cap over his blue hair, becoming completely incognito.

These were all prepared by Chen Xia in advance. He put the clothes he changed out of in a locker in the public area, and then a casually dressed young man walked out.

At night, Yijiang City was a sight to behold, with tall buildings all around, filled with colorful signs. The streetlights, the passing cars, and the pedestrians on the road presented a prosperous urban scene.

"Woo woo, boom boom, beep beep beep, bang bang..."

Chen Xia entered the streets of nightlife and the arcades of entertainment centers. His ears were filled with the sounds of gunshots like in shooting games, the roaring engines of racing games, and the clashing of fists and feet in fighting games. It was dazzling to watch. The mixed crowd inside gathered together, filling the air with a murky scent of sweat and pungent smoke.

Bored, Chen Xia also played a couple of games. When it was completely dark, he looked down at his electronic watch. The time had reached nine o'clock in the evening.

"It's getting late, I can go take a look!"

After playing his last game and KOing the enemy, Chen Xia got up and left. He lowered the black baseball cap on his head and headed towards the location of the Kelai Xianglou Restaurant at Lane 12, Xingou Street, as Zhang Feng had said.

He soon arrived.

This place was far from the bustling city center, and the crowds gradually thinned out, but there were still scattered people walking around, or people passing by after finishing their late shifts.

He saw that there was indeed an alley to the left of the restaurant. According to Zhang Feng, it was at this intersection that he saw a red figure appear inside.

"I wonder if I'll encounter it?"

Chen Xia felt that the possibility was slim. He glanced into the dark interior but didn't go in. Instead, he stood by a nearby bus stop and looked at his phone.

He had keen hearing. If anything unusual happened inside, he would be able to detect it immediately.

Chen Xia was also holding onto a sliver of hope.

After waiting for a while and not finding what Zhang Feng had mentioned, Chen Xia was about to go into the alley to observe. However, just then, he heard a sound and then saw a small black cat walk out of the alley.

A cat?

Chen Xia noticed it was a small stray cat from the city, looking dirty. It was a kitten, and he didn't pay much attention. The outskirts of South City were a large area of old towns with many low-rise houses. It was normal to have stray dogs and cats living in the alleys.

The stray cat walked to the intersection, meowing pitifully, and stopped there.

"Little kitten..."

At this moment, a young woman by the roadside, wearing high heels, a camisole dress, and a long down coat, saw the cat at the intersection.

The woman was heavily made up, carrying a brown Guyi brand handbag in her right hand. Her black hair fell down, obscuring both sides of her face. Seeing the cat, her face suddenly broke into a smile. She took out a bag of bread from her bag and opened it to feed the cat.

"Here, little kitten, you must be hungry..."

"Meow..." The little kitten seemed to understand, rubbing against the woman's clothes, looking very docile and cute, and then began to eat.

Chen Xia, seeing this scene, thought the woman was kind-hearted. Looking at her makeup and the fact that she was out late at night, he guessed she was likely working in a nightlife establishment, though this was just his guess.

Chen Xia was originally walking towards the alley, but before he could move, he noticed that at some point, the woman had picked up the little kitten and was walking into the alley with it.

Huh? Chen Xia immediately sensed something was wrong.

Judging by the woman's walking trajectory, she had been walking straight. Although the woman had a kind heart, the cat was very dirty, and holding it would undoubtedly stain her clothes. Yet, she didn't seem to care and turned into the alley.

Glancing over, Chen Xia noticed that in the cat in the woman's arms, whether it was an illusion or not, a faint red glow flashed in the cat's pupils. The woman seemed to be in a daze, walking with a blank expression.

"I should follow and see, there's definitely something wrong..."

Chen Xia quickly followed, keeping a distance of more than ten meters behind the woman.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the alley was pitch black. Only dozens of meters away, an old-fashioned light bulb hung on the wall, emitting a faint yellow light that spilled onto the ground, as well as the scattered discarded cardboard boxes and garbage piles at his feet.

Chen Xia held his breath and followed closely behind the woman. As they walked deeper into the alley, he could clearly feel the air mixed with a bit more moisture than outside the street, and a rotting smell wafting towards him.

"Meow..." As if sensing Chen Xia behind her, the cat in the woman's arms suddenly stretched out from her shoulder, its glowing pupils staring at Chen Xia with a threat. Then, with a meow, its fur bristled, as if warning Chen Xia not to come closer.

But Chen Xia ignored the cat and continued to walk. After walking more than thirty meters, it became even darker around them. Only the sound of the woman's high heels echoed in the quiet path.

Swish!

Suddenly, the cat in the woman's arms lunged at him.

The cat moved like a phantom, incredibly fast, flying high and straight towards Chen Xia's face, as if to tear and bite.

Chen Xia dodged to the side. The cat continued its attack, but he finally grabbed it and threw it away. The cat seemed a bit dizzy. After getting up, it didn't attack again and instead ran off into another alley.

"This cat was clearly controlled by something. Is this... a cult's method?"

Chen Xia had never seen such a fierce cat before.

After the cat was dealt with, the woman slowly turned her head, revealing a pale face. She didn't speak and continued to walk forward.

She walked on, her face turned to the side, staring at Chen Xia, her strange posture not hindering her steady gait at all.

"They're here... no, it seems someone followed..." Suddenly, a low, hoarse voice came from the right at a fork in the alley.

"Kill him," another voice said.

As the woman walked further in, Chen Xia stopped moving. Two tall men suddenly emerged from the right.

They held gleaming long sabers, their faces fierce. As if annoyed by Chen Xia's meddling, they attacked with two swift slashes.

An ordinary person would likely be killed in such a situation, but Chen Xia was now skilled and bold. Moreover, as the captain of the Patrol Inspection Office, he felt an urge to challenge himself with matters that threatened public order.

This was different from the group that had intercepted him last time; these individuals might hold the key to the missing persons case.

Clang!

Chen Xia instantly withdrew his hands from his chest and drew a large saber, intercepting both blows simultaneously.

The opponents' sabers were knocked flying, clearly indicating they weren't even Grade 1 Martial Warriors, at most Ningyuan Eighth Stage. Such strength was no match for Chen Xia.

The two men's faces changed drastically. Shouting that they had encountered a tough opponent, they turned to flee. However, Chen Xia, moving at dozens of meters per second, instantly pursued. He kicked one man in the back, sending him flying four or five meters like a cannonball to smash against the wall, knocking him unconscious on the spot.

The other man was struck in the back of the heart by Chen Xia's mid-air punch, falling to the ground and spitting blood.

Chen Xia had experienced combat twice before. Although Yu Banshou hadn't died by his hand, Hu Biao had indeed been killed by Chen Xia.

Therefore, he was no longer a novice at fighting. Having dealt with them, he followed the woman ahead, curious about her intentions.

The woman walking in the alley ahead had stopped. A slight smile curved her lips. She maintained that strange posture, but compared to her earlier indifferent expression, a smile now graced her face as she stared at Chen Xia.