Vicious Dogs Devouring Men

In a deep alleyway on East Fourth Street, far removed from the main thoroughfare.

The alley's dilapidated earthen walls cast twisted shadows in the night, and the air within was thick with an indescribable, pungent stench.

Inside a half-collapsed old shack, a faint candlelight flickered unsteadily in the draft.

"Crunch, crunch..."

In the dimmest corner of the room, a massive dark shape sat on the floor, its entire body nearly merging with the darkness.

One could only vaguely make out a filthy blanket spread before it, piled with unrecognizable objects that it was grabbing and devouring with gusto.

"Creeeak—"

The worn wooden door was pushed open gently, and a figure wrapped in a wide black robe slipped inside, quickly closing the door to shut out the faint moonlight from outside.

The dark shape paused its chewing, not turning its head, its voice hoarse and strange, like grinding stones:

"Heh... what is it? You finally thought to come find me today?"

The black-robed figure seemed uncomfortable with the smell and the scene inside the room.

Standing still for a moment, the figure said in a low voice:

"On the day the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out, why did you ignore the agreement you made with our sect?"

"Agreement?"

The dark shape let out a low, guttural sound like a sneer, continuing to gnaw:

"Help? What was I supposed to help with?

Was I supposed to risk my own dog life for it?"

It turned its head abruptly, and the candlelight finally managed to illuminate its profile:

It was a face covered in matted gray fur with a protruding snout, and a pair of eyes that glowed with a faint, eerie green light in the darkness.

"Gong Tian was there! Do you understand?

Him crushing Wang Han is no different from him crushing me!

I can smell it; the Hidden Force on his body is on the verge of a qualitative change, perhaps even right before our eyes!"

The black-robed figure's tone turned cold:

"Then why have you been striking repeatedly lately, specifically targeting the Patrolmen of the Patrol Bureau?

Are you not afraid of inviting disaster and alerting Gong Tian?"

"What a joke!"

The dark shape violently threw the remains in its hand aside, and a piece of stark white bone, shaped like a human leg, rolled off the blanket.

It stood up in agitation, its gray fur bristling and its green eyes flashing with ferocity, fully revealing a terrifying form that was half-human and half-dog:

"I strike because I'm hungry!

That idiot Wang Han played himself and lost the entire Blood Ape Gang!

He used to send me 'blood food' regularly, but now? It's gone!"

It growled impatiently, saliva dripping from the corners of its mouth:

"Those mortals, I can eat a dozen and still not be full; they're useless!

I need to eat martial artists with vigorous blood and qi!

One is worth a dozen! Do you understand?

It's not just the Patrol Bureau; these past few days, I and my children have been feasting on any lone martial artists we find outside!"

The black-robed figure's tone carried suppressed anger and a hint of helplessness:

"If you are this blatant, what if you invite a siege..."

"A siege?"

The dog-headed monster bared its sharp-toothed maw, revealing a hideous "smile":

"I've already inquired; Gong Tian is in seclusion!

He's attempting to reach Organ Refining; how could he have time to worry about what's happening outside?

Right now, the East Street Patrol Bureau is a group without a leader!

Even if someone really does come..."

Its green eyes stared fixedly at the black-robed figure, filled with cunning and threat:

"Don't I still have you lot?

Don't forget, I was the one you enlightened from those piles of starving corpses at the East Street Mass Grave back then!

Me becoming a force to be reckoned with shouldn't hurt your grand plans, right?"

The black-robed figure fell silent, brows furrowed beneath the mask.

Negotiating with such a half-sentient, wild, and untamable monster was truly a headache.

However, the sect's plans did indeed require these locally bred "monsters" to facilitate certain unsavory matters.

"Suit yourself."

The figure in the black robe ultimately offered only a warning:

"Although Gong Tian is not showing his face for the time being, the new Patrol Chief he promoted under his command is not someone to be trifled with.

Keep a low profile; don't stir up any trouble that neither of us can handle."

"Got it."

The dog-headed monster waved its paw impatiently, sat back down in the shadows, and licked the corners of its mouth:

"Get lost, get lost. I heard you, don't keep me from digesting."

The black-robed figure said no more, retreating out the door as silently as he had arrived, blending into the night.

The dark shadow sat back down on the floor.

"I've eaten my fill these past few days, but it's a pity about that big guy with the decent force; I let him get away...

If I had eaten him, it would have been enough for me and the little ones to build up some strength.

Still need to find something to eat, otherwise, the Bone Forging bottleneck will be hard to break."

Before long, the sound of chewing, "crunch, crunch," began to echo in the room once again.

After that day at the restaurant, a month passed in the blink of an eye.

At the East Street Patrol Bureau training grounds, the morning light was just beginning to glimmer.

Shouts, the sound of fists and feet colliding, and the whistling of weapons through the air intertwined, making the bureau's drills quite lively.

On the high platform, the seat that once belonged to Gong Tian sat empty, with three chairs now arranged side by side.

The three people sitting on the platform were three of the four Patrol Chiefs who currently managed the actual affairs of the East Street Patrol Bureau.

In the center, wearing the official uniform of a Patrol Chief, sat Yang Ning, his gaze sweeping calmly over the drills and sparring below.

To his left sat a plump, fair-skinned middle-aged Patrol Chief, who was currently watching the scene below with a beaming smile.

This man was Liu Qian, who practiced the Savage Pig Force; he appeared bloated, but in reality, he was powerful and steady.

To the right was the sharp-eyed Qian Zhong.

As a trusted aide to Gong Tian, he practiced the family-transmitted Copper Coin Force, a style of force that was well-rounded and excellent at defense; it was said he also possessed an ancestral Secret Artifact, making him quite formidable.

"Patrol Chief Yang."

Liu Qian turned his fat face to the side, smiling until his eyes were mere slits.

"Did you see the fresh Top Hundred Ranking released by the Yuan Family yesterday?

I haven't congratulated you yet—you've jumped up quite a few spots!

It really brings honor to our East Street Patrol Bureau!"

Since that battle, where he had beheaded Wang Han and killed Chen Qi with his fists, Yang Ning's record had been illustrious.

He had leaped from ninety-seventh place all the way to twentieth, his name now famous throughout the city.

Qian Zhong chimed in from the side, his tone carrying a familiar, teasing quality:

"Fatty Liu, you're always the one with the news, like you're presenting a treasure.

Patrol Chief Yang is busy with official duties now, his mind focused on East Street; he's not like you, obsessing over those empty names on the list all day."

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

Liu Qian rubbed his round belly, unbothered.

"I, Old Liu, am just happy!

With Chief Gong in seclusion, we brothers have been feeling a bit uneasy.

Now that Patrol Chief Yang has emerged as a dark horse with such a prestigious reputation, it's perfect for holding down the fort and keeping those petty villains from acting recklessly.

But having said that... there have been a lot of disappearances in East Street lately, both commoners and martial artists. It's truly strange."

Qian Zhong tapped his hand and said:

"It is somewhat contrary to reason; there were signs of this even when Chief Gong was still in office."

The fat man lowered his voice slightly and asked tentatively:

"Patrol Chief Yang, is Chief Gong's breakthrough this time truly a sure thing?"

Yang Ning kept his gaze on the training grounds and nodded slightly at the question.

"Chief Gong has a deep foundation; breaking through to Organ Refining is merely a natural progression, just a matter of doing some final polishing.

Everyone in the city knows that Chief Gong will definitely enter the Organ Refining realm; it's just a matter of a few days sooner or later."

Liu Qian nodded repeatedly.

"That is true, that is true!

Patrol Chief Gong is mighty and martial; he will surely succeed the moment he strikes!"

Qian Zhong also wore an expression of deep agreement.

To them, Gong Tian was the second-ranked Bone Forging realm expert in Kuishan County on the surface.

In everyone's eyes, his seclusion to break through to the next realm was a certainty.

Skipping past this topic, a trace of contemplation flickered across Yang Ning's brows as he asked:

"Patrol Chief Zhang Hui has yet to return from his investigation?

Is it still that case regarding the missing patrolmen?"

Mentioning official business, Qian Zhong reined in his smile and said solemnly:

"Exactly. Patrol Chief Zhang is still investigating.

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

At the time, we assumed it was the work of the Blood Ape Gang, but after they were eliminated, we sent four more men to investigate, and as a result...

They also never returned, leaving no word behind."

"Oh?"

Yang Ning asked, puzzled.

"Even after the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out, patrolmen are still disappearing?"

"That is correct, so after that, Patrol Chief Zhang personally led a team to investigate; he has been gone for two days now.

The last location reported by those four patrolmen was near Duck Dung Alley."

"Four Body Tempering patrolmen missing in succession..."

Yang Ning's fingers tapped rhythmically and unconsciously against the armrest of his chair:

"The Body Tempering realm is enough to handle things independently in the outer city.

For four men to be lost one after another without even managing to send out a distress signal, this matter is definitely not simple.

Has there been any other unusual activity reported from Duck Dung Alley recently?"

Liu Qian also put away his playful expression, his chubby face turning grave:

"The men below reported that in the depths of Duck Dung Alley, children and elderly people living alone have been disappearing sporadically in recent days.

At first, we thought it was vagrants or kidnappers, so we didn't pay much attention. Now it seems..."