All of East Street Looks at One Person

Just then, a commotion suddenly erupted at the entrance of the training grounds, accompanied by exclamations and the sound of hurried footsteps.

"Patrol Chief! Everyone, Patrol Chief! Something terrible has happened!"

A Trainee Patrolman came sprinting over, his face twisted in panic.

"What's the panic! Speak slowly!"

Qian Zhong barked.

The patrolman gasped for air, pointing behind him:

"Patrol Chief Zhang... Zhang Hui is back!

He was carried back! He's covered in blood!"

Yang Ning and the other two rose abruptly.

They saw several patrolmen rushing into the training grounds, carrying a bloody figure on a makeshift stretcher.

The man was none other than the tall, thin Patrol Chief Zhang Hui.

At this moment, his face was as pale as paper, his official uniform was shredded, and several wounds deep enough to reveal bone—though crudely bandaged—were still seeping blood, his breathing faint.

Qian Zhong lunged forward, grabbing the edge of the stretcher, and asked urgently:

"Brother Zhang! Hold on!

What about the patrolmen and trainees who went with you?"

Zhang Hui struggled to open his unfocused eyes, which still held traces of immense terror.

His lips trembled as he used his remaining strength to spit out broken, horrifying words:

"They... they are all dead...

Deep inside Duck Dung Alley...

There is, there is a Spirit Monster... eating people..."

As soon as he finished speaking, his head lolled to the side, and he fell completely unconscious.

"Patrol Chief Zhang!"

"A Spirit Monster?!"

A sudden uproar swept across the training grounds.

All the patrolmen who had been drilling stopped in their tracks; shock, fear, and anger spread through the crowd.

The expressions of Qian Zhong and Liu Qian turned incredibly grim in an instant.

A Spirit Monster running amok and devouring martial artists.

While such things had been heard of in the Outer City, this was the first time in years that one had been so rampant as to target the Patrol Bureau directly!

Yang Ning slowly walked down from the high platform, came to the stretcher, and crouched down to carefully examine Zhang Hui's injuries.

Indeed, these were lacerations that could never have been caused by ordinary beasts or martial artists; between the tooth marks and claw prints, there remained a faint, unsettling, and foul Demon Qi.

He stood up, his gaze sweeping over the uncertain and fearful crowd before finally looking toward the direction of Duck Alley, murmuring:

"It seems that just as my senior brother has gone into seclusion, some things hiding in the shadows...

have already become restless and want to come out to test the waters."

The return of Patrol Chief Zhang Hui was like a giant boulder thrown into the already turbulent waters of East Street, stirring up monstrous waves.

Within the Patrol Bureau, hearts were filled with anxiety.

The drills on the training grounds had long since ceased, and the patrolmen gathered in small groups, whispering in low voices, their faces filled with dread and unease.

The Patrol Bureau office, which usually symbolized dignity and safety, now seemed to be shrouded in a shadow.

Amidst the hushed whispers, worry and doubt quietly sprouted.

At this critical juncture when Gong Tian was away in seclusion, such a fierce Spirit Monster had suddenly appeared to cause chaos.

This was undoubtedly a severe test of Yang Ning's current authority.

Inside the Patrol Bureau's duty room, the atmosphere was heavy.

Zhang Hui had been rushed off for emergency treatment; his life was temporarily saved, but his injuries were grave, and he remained in a coma.

Yang Ning, Qian Zhong, and Liu Qian sat facing one another.

A detailed map of East Street was spread out on the table, with the Duck Dung Alley area heavily circled in red ink.

"This beast is extremely cunning."

Qian Zhong's face was livid as he pointed heavily at the location of Duck Alley:

"I just discovered in the files that its initial targets were lone wandering martial artists and rogue cultivators.

When Gong Si was here, it didn't dare to show its face so brazenly."

Only after the news of Gong Si going into seclusion spread did it reach out to target our people at the Patrol Bureau.

It is testing the waters, and it is also picking the softest persimmons to squeeze!

The usual smile was gone from Liu Qian's chubby face:

"Correct.

It doesn't touch the descendants of those great families or large gangs, nor does it bother those with backgrounds in the Inner City.

This beast has high intelligence; it knows how to size up its opponents and avoid the strong to strike the weak."

Yang Ning's gaze fell upon the map, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the lanes of Duck Alley and the slum districts:

"It is not only cunning, but it is also extremely familiar with East Street, or at least the area around Duck Alley.

At the same time, it can precisely ambush patrol squads, leaving them unable to even send out a distress signal.

This indicates that this Spirit Monster's cultivation is also very profound."

He looked at the two men opposite him:

"Before Patrol Chief Zhang fell into a coma, did he describe the appearance of the Spirit Monster?

Is it solitary, or does it live in groups?"

Qian Zhong shook his head:

"Brother Zhang only managed to say 'Spirit Monster' before passing out.

But to be able to wipe out a squad led by a Tendon Changing patrol chief, it is likely at least a Spirit Monster comparable to someone with Hidden Force.

But if they live in groups..."

His expression turned even uglier.

"Spirit Monsters that live in groups are more dangerous, but they are also easier to leave traces behind."

Liu Qian chimed in:

"The top priority is to immediately seal off the area around Duck Alley and send in elite reinforcements.

At the same time, we must thoroughly investigate all missing persons files from recent days, especially those from Duck Alley and the neighboring blocks.

We need to see if we can find any patterns in this beast's activities or clues to its lair."

Yang Ning nodded:

"Patrol Chief Liu is absolutely right.

Arrange the manpower immediately to set up a cordon with Duck Alley as the center, and completely seal off the inner perimeter.

No one is allowed in, only out, and strengthen patrols on the outer perimeter."

"Understood."

Qian Zhong stood up and went out to make arrangements with swift, decisive action.

"Patrol Chief Liu."

Yang Ning looked at Liu Qian:

"I must trouble you to personally go to the Archives to pull the files on missing persons and suspected wild animal attacks in East Street.

At the same time, send people to secretly search among the common folk near Duck Dung Alley to see if anyone has witnessed anything unusual.

Be careful with your methods; do not alert the enemy."

"Yes."

Liu Qian also stood up and withdrew.

With the two patrol chiefs having received their orders and departed, only Yang Ning remained in the office.

He cast his gaze back toward the map, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

The timing of this Spirit Monster's appearance was far too subtle.

His senior brother was in seclusion, and he himself had just been promoted, his footing not yet stable.

It had jumped out now, challenging the authority of the Patrol Bureau with such brutal methods.

However, for a newcomer like him, this was both a challenge and an opportunity.

Solving this would undoubtedly be a great chance to demonstrate his own capabilities.

Regarding the incident at the Patrol Bureau, the major powers of East Street received word almost simultaneously.

Inside the study of the Qin Mansion.

After listening to his confidant's report, Qin Yuwei set down the book in his hand and furrowed his brows:

"A Spirit Monster? It severely injured a patrol chief and devoured a squad of patrolmen?

What actions has Yang Ning taken?"

"Reporting to Young Master, Patrol Chief Yang has already ordered the area of Duck Alley to be sealed off, and the other two patrol chiefs are currently handling the security and the investigation respectively."

"It seems the response has been swift and orderly so far."

Qin Yuwei pondered for a moment:

"Understood.

Continue to keep watch, and report any new information immediately.

Additionally, have our people avoid the Duck Alley area for the time being; do not get involved."

He tapped his fingertips against the tabletop:

"I suspect this is a test for Yang Ning, so we shall observe for now."

In a villa owned by the Shen family of the Inner City located in the Outer City.

As Shen Lian listened to the servant's report, a look of gratification and mockery uncontrollably appeared on his face.

"A Spirit Monster? Could it be that one?

Good, very good! Truly, heaven is helping me!"

He nearly laughed out loud:

"Under the cultivation of those people, it has already reached the Hidden Force realm, hasn't it? With Gong Tian in seclusion, who in the Patrol Bureau can stop it?

And that Yang Ning? The First Patrol Chief?

Heh, I would love to see what heaven-defying methods you, a mere peasant, can come up with when facing such a Spirit Monster!

If you handle this poorly...

Hmph, that would truly be a joke."

He paced back and forth, feeling more delighted the more he thought about it:

"Pass the word down: spread the news of the East Street Patrol Bureau's predicament even further.

Also, pay close attention to that Patrol Chief Yang Ning, heh.

An arrogant genius of the Top Hundred Ranking, hahahaha..."

"Yes, Young Master."

The Yuan family stronghold in East Street, however, appeared much calmer.

Yuan Qi toyed with a jade talisman, lost in thought:

"Yang Ning's reaction was not slow.

The lockdown and the investigation are both standard responses.

It's just that...

This Spirit Monster does not seem easy to deal with. With Gong Tian in seclusion, this trouble has come at quite the time."

He looked toward an old man beside him:

"Uncle, what do you think?"

The old man addressed as Uncle spoke slowly:

"Spirit Monsters are ferocious and often possess strange methods.

Yang Ning is young, so the difficulty of handling this is not small.

Furthermore, look at the other families, especially the Shen family; I fear they will not just be watching.

This is not only a disaster caused by a Spirit Monster, but also a test of human nature.

Our Yuan family should simply wait and see how things develop."

Yuan Qi nodded slightly.

"Let's test Yang Ning's true colors; having Gong Tian as a backer and saying pretty words at a banquet is not enough to establish a foothold in East Street."

The Ning family, as well as other gangs and martial arts schools entrenched in East Street, mostly held similar attitudes at this moment.

They restrained their subordinates, keeping them far away from the place of trouble.

At the same time, they were also closely monitoring Yang Ning's response.

For a time, the eyes of all of East Street, whether openly or in the shadows, were cast toward Duck Dung Alley, and toward that young man who had only recently taken charge of the Patrol Bureau.

A storm was brewing, but Yang Ning, who stood at the center of the gale, walked to the window with unusual calm.

Gazing at the silhouettes of the streets in the distance, stained with the blood-colored halo of the setting sun, he pressed his hand onto the hilt of the blade at his waist.

A Spirit Monster? A probe or a test?

A curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Then let this matter be the beginning: I will punch my way to seizing the authority of East Street, one blow at a time!