East Street Mass Grave

East Fourth Street, in a deep alley far from the main thoroughfare.

The alley's crumbling earthen walls cast twisted shadows in the night, and an indescribably rank, fishy stench hung in the air.

In a nearly collapsed old house, a faint candle flame wavered in the draft blowing through the room.

"Crunch, crunch..."

In the darkest corner, a massive shadow sat on the ground, its body almost blending into the gloom.

All that could be made out was a filthy blanket spread before it, with a pile of unrecognizable shapes on top. It was clutching them in its hands and devouring them ravenously.

"Creak—"

The battered wooden door eased open. A figure wrapped in a wide black cloak slipped inside and quickly shut the door, cutting off the faint moonlight outside.

The shadow paused its chewing. Without turning its head, it spoke in a hoarse, strange voice, like grit scraping against stone:

"Heh... What's this? You remembered me today?"

The cloaked figure seemed ill at ease with the stench and the sight inside the house.

After steadying himself, he spoke in a low voice:

"Why did you ignore your agreement with our sect on the day the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out?"

"Agreement?"

The shadow let out a low, scoffing growl and kept gnawing.

"Help? What am I supposed to help with?

Risk my hide?"

It suddenly turned its head. At last, the candlelight weakly illuminated its profile.

Its face was covered in messy gray fur, with a protruding muzzle. Two eyes glimmered a ghostly green in the darkness.

"Gong Tian was there! Do you understand?

Crushing Wang Han would be no different for him than crushing me!

I can smell it. The 'Hidden Force' in his body is nearly undergoing a transformation. It might happen any day now!"

The cloaked figure's tone turned cold.

"Then why have you been striking again and again lately, and targeting the Patrol Bureau's patrolmen in particular?

Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble down on yourself and alerting Gong Tian?"

"What a joke!"

The shadow flung the bone in its hand aside. A stark white piece, shaped like a human thigh bone, rolled across the blanket.

It sprang to its feet in agitation, its gray fur bristling and its green eyes blazing with ferocity, fully revealing its hideous, half-man, half-dog form.

"I struck because I was hungry!

That idiot Wang Han got in over his head and dragged the whole Blood Ape Gang down with him!

He used to send me 'blood food' on a regular basis. Now? Nothing!"

It growled restlessly, drool dripping from the corner of its mouth.

"Ordinary people? I could eat a dozen of them and still not fill my belly. They're useless!

I want martial artists, full of vital blood!

One is worth more than a dozen! Do you understand?

And it's not just the Patrol Bureau. These past few days, my children and I have eaten every martial artist we've found alone out there!"

The cloaked figure spoke with restrained anger and a trace of helplessness.

"If you keep making so much noise, you might draw a force sent to wipe you out..."

"Wipe me out?"

The dog-headed Spirit Monster bared its mouthful of sharp teeth in a savage "smile."

"I've made inquiries. Gong Tian's in seclusion!

He's attempting Organ Refining. How's he supposed to have time to worry about what's happening outside?

The East Street Patrol Bureau is leaderless right now!

Even if someone really does come..."

Its green eyes fixed on the cloaked figure, full of cunning and menace.

"Don't you still have your people?

Don't forget, you're the ones who awakened me at the East Street Mass Grave back then, from that heap of starving corpses!

Now that I've grown strong, that won't hurt your plans, will it?"

The cloaked figure fell silent, his brow knitted beneath his mask.

Dealing with Spirit Monsters like this, half-awakened and untamed, was a real headache.

But for certain matters that could not see the light of day, the sect's plans did indeed need the cooperation of local "monsters" like this.

"Watch yourself."

The cloaked figure finally offered only a warning.

"Gong Tian may not be showing his face for now, but one of the new Patrol Chiefs under him is no pushover.

Keep a low profile. Don't cause a mess even we can't clean up."

"Got it."

The dog-headed Spirit Monster impatiently waved a paw, then sat back down in the shadows and licked its lips.

"Off with you. I got it. Don't keep me from digesting."

The cloaked figure said no more. As silently as he had come, he slipped back out the door and melted into the night.

The shadow settled back onto the ground.

"I've eaten pretty well these past few days. Too bad that big fellow with the decent force got away...

If I'd eaten him, he and my children would've had enough strength to build up.

I'll have to find more to eat. Otherwise, that Bone Forging bottleneck will be hard to break through."

Before long, the crunching sounds began again inside the house.

A month had passed since the events at the restaurant, slipping by in the blink of an eye.

At the East Street Patrol Bureau's Training Ground, dawn was just breaking.

Shouts, the thud of fists and feet, and the whistle of weapons through the air mingled together. The Patrol Bureau's training was in full swing.

The spot on the raised platform that had once belonged to Gong Tian stood empty. Three chairs now sat in a row.

Three men sat on the platform. They were three of the four Patrol Chiefs who now effectively managed the East Street Patrol Bureau.

The man in the middle wore a Patrol Chief's uniform. He calmly watched the training and sparring below. It was Yang Ning.

To his left sat a plump, fair-skinned, middle-aged Patrol Chief, smiling as he watched the trainees.

His name was Liu Qian. He cultivated the "Savage Pig Force." Though he looked pudgy, he was powerfully built and steady.

On the right sat Qian Zhong, his gaze sharp.

As Gong Tian's trusted aide, he cultivated his family's "Copper Coin Force." His force was rounded and excelled at defense. It was said that he also possessed a family heirloom, a Secret Artifact, making him a formidable fighter.

"Patrol Chief Yang."

Liu Qian turned his plump face toward him, grinning from ear to ear.

"Did you see the newly released Top Hundred Ranking from the Yuan Family yesterday? I haven't even congratulated you yet—you've climbed another huge stretch! You've brought great honor to our East Street Patrol Bureau!"

Since that battle, Yang Ning had beheaded Wang Han and killed Chen Qi with a single punch. His record was dazzling.

He had leaped from ninety-seventh to twentieth place, making a name for himself throughout the city.

Qian Zhong chimed in, his tone teasing and familiar.

"Fatty Liu, you're always so quick with the news, like you're presenting a treasure. Patrol Chief Yang is busy with official business these days, with all his attention on East Street. He's not like you, spending all day thinking about those empty honors on the ranking."

"Hey, Brother Qian, that's not fair."

Liu Qian rubbed his round belly, unbothered.

"I'm just happy! With Chief Gong in seclusion, the rest of us couldn't help feeling a little uncertain.

"Now Patrol Chief Yang has burst onto the scene with a fearsome reputation. He's just the man to steady things and keep those petty criminals from making trouble.

"But speaking of which... there've been a lot of people disappearing on East Street lately, both ordinary people and martial artists. It's strange."

Qian Zhong tapped his fingers together.

"It is rather unusual. The signs were already there while Chief Gong was still in office."

Liu Qian lowered his voice and asked tentatively:

"Patrol Chief Yang, is Chief Gong really sure to succeed this time?"

Yang Ning kept his eyes on the Training Ground and gave a slight nod.

"Chief Gong's foundations are deep. Attempting Organ Refining is only the natural next step. He's just putting on the final polish.

"Everyone in the city knows Chief Gong will reach Organ Refining. It's only a matter of whether it happens a few days earlier or later."

Liu Qian nodded repeatedly.

"Of course, of course!

"Chief Gong is mighty. He's sure to succeed!"

Qian Zhong also looked thoroughly convinced.

As far as they knew, Gong Tian was the second-strongest Bone Forging expert in Kuishan County. Everyone considered his breakthrough during seclusion a foregone conclusion.

After moving on from that subject, a trace of thought crossed Yang Ning's brow as he asked:

"Has Patrol Chief Zhang Hui still not returned from his investigation? Is it about the patrolmen who went missing before?"

At the mention of business, Qian Zhong's smile faded, and he answered seriously:

"That's right. Patrol Chief Zhang is still investigating.

"Before the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out, two prospective patrolmen lost contact while patrolling near East Fourth Street.

"We thought the Blood Ape Gang was behind it, but after they were eliminated, we sent four more people to investigate. In the end...

"They never came back either. Not a word."

"Oh?"

Yang Ning asked in confusion.

"Patrolmen went missing even after the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out?"

"Exactly. So after that, Patrol Chief Zhang led a team there himself. He's been gone for two days now.

"The four patrolmen last reported in near Duck Dung Alley."

"Four Body Tempering patrolmen went missing one after another..."

Yang Ning's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest without his noticing.

"Body Tempering experts can hold their own in the Outer City. For all four to be lost, one after another, without even getting a distress signal out—this is no simple matter.

"Has anything else unusual been reported around Duck Dung Alley lately?"

Liu Qian's smile vanished too, and his plump face turned grave.

"The men below reported that a few poor families deep in Duck Dung Alley have had children and elderly people living alone disappear here and there recently.

"At first, we thought they'd been taken by vagrants or kidnappers and didn't pay much attention. But now..."