The three days of frantic preparations passed in the blink of an eye.
An air of suppressed unrest hung over East Street.
Though the Patrol Bureau had done its utmost to suppress the news and control public opinion,
rumors that "a man-eating Spirit Monster lurks in Duck Dung Alley" and "the Patrol Bureau's Patrol Chief was gravely wounded, and an entire squad wiped out" still spread quietly, fermenting like underground currents through teahouses, taverns, and every street and alley.
Fear and suspicion took root as the people grew increasingly alarmed.
The aftershocks of Gong Tian's seclusion only truly surfaced now.
At the main hall of the Patrol Bureau, the atmosphere was heavy.
Yang Ning sat upright in the seat of honor, his fingers unconsciously tapping the hardwood armrest in a steady rhythm.
He was waiting for reports from Qian Zhong and Liu Qian.
Outside the window, the sun sank gradually toward the west, stretching his straight-backed silhouette across the cold floor.
At last, footsteps sounded. Liu Qian's round figure entered first.
His usual smile had vanished, replaced by a rare seriousness and a trace of fatigue.
He carried several thin case files in his hands.
"Patrol Chief Yang," Liu Qian said, setting the files on the desk before Yang Ning, his voice a little hoarse. "Everything we could find is in here. I'm afraid it's... not much."
Yang Ning opened the files and skimmed them quickly. His brows drew together.
The information was fragmented and vague.
Over the past six months, seventeen cases of disappearances had been reported in Duck Alley and the surrounding area.
But only five were marked as "possibly caused by a Spirit Monster or a vicious beast," and even those descriptions were unclear.
"Strange howls heard at night; missing by morning." "Scattered remains, seemingly bearing marks of tearing by sharp teeth."
Most of the other disappearances were mixed in with records of "fights among refugees," "bandit raids," "flight from famine and separation," and other kinds of chaos, making them difficult to distinguish.
The world was in such turmoil that human lives were as worthless as grass. The authorities were stretched too thin, and order among the common folk had collapsed. Many tragedies were swallowed by the dust before anyone could even record them.
"We questioned a few elderly and infirm people still living on the outskirts of Duck Alley.
"Some had heard howling late at night, like dogs barking, but sharper and more bloodcurdling.
"Others had found bloody scraps of cloth and bones at the alley entrance in the morning.
"But they all thought it was wild dogs fighting over food and didn't dare investigate."
Liu Qian sighed.
"In these troubled times, the common folk can barely keep themselves alive. Who would dare find out what's lurking in the shadows?
"The brothers had to talk themselves hoarse just to learn this much."
Yang Ning fell silent.
He understood, of course, that this wasn't because the East Street Patrol Bureau had been negligent.
It was simply the limit of what a local Patrol Bureau could accomplish amid the tangled web of powerful clans, the strife between aristocratic houses, and the decline of imperial authority.
The basic order and efficiency they still maintained were the result of Gong Tian's years of work.
Things were probably even worse in other districts.
Before long, Qian Zhong also hurried back, covered in dust, his eyes bloodshot.
"We got a few of the Blood Ape Gang's remaining informants to talk."
Qian Zhong's voice was low.
"While Wang Han and his son were alive, they regularly delivered blood offerings to the depths of Duck Alley.
"At first, they used the corpses of vagrants no one claimed.
"Later... later, it seems some disobedient gang members and their enemies were mixed in too.
"They called whoever received the offerings 'Master Dog,' but none of them had ever gotten a good look at him.
"They made the handoffs in secluded places late at night, dropping off the goods and leaving at once. They didn't dare linger.
"After the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out, the offerings naturally stopped."
He paused, then continued.
"We can be certain the Spirit Monster's lair is deep in Duck Alley, but we know nothing about its exact location, what's inside, whether it lives alone, or whether it has set any traps...
"Our people can't venture far in. As soon as they get near the central area, they feel as if something is watching them from the shadows. It sends chills down their spines.
"The brothers who disappeared before were probably lost in there."
Listening to their reports, Yang Ning felt his heart sink.
The enemy was hidden while they were exposed; their intelligence was incomplete, the terrain complex and unknown, and their opponent was vicious, cunning, and seemingly favored by the lay of the land.
It was almost the worst possible situation.
He rubbed his brow, feeling the weight on his shoulders grow heavier.
Did they really have to use lives as stepping stones and force their way in to investigate?
That would be no good plan, and it was not what he wanted.
Just as he racked his brain, nearly at a loss for what to do, a slightly hurried report came from a reserve patrolman outside the hall:
"Reporting to the Patrol Chief!
"A carriage is waiting outside the bureau. The distinguished passenger inside requests an audience."
Yang Ning looked up. "Who?"
"They claim to be... from the Qin Family."
The Qin Family?
Yang Ning paused in surprise.
Had Qin Yuwei sent someone over at this hour?
Was it concern, a probe, or...
He rose at once.
"Please show them to the side hall. I'll be there right away."
"The other party said... they'd like Patrol Chief Yang to come outside and speak with them in the carriage."
Yang Ning's confusion deepened, but he kept moving, striding toward the Patrol Bureau's side gate.
A rather unassuming green-canopied carriage stood outside.
But the horses pulling it were fine-bred, and the driver's gaze was steady. Clearly, this was no ordinary household.
Yang Ning's eyes narrowed. He knew it was a carriage belonging to the Qin Family's direct line.
The curtain lifted at one corner, revealing a breathtakingly lovely face edged with nervousness—it was Qin Yurong herself!
"Patrol Chief Yang, please get in. I'd like to speak with you."
Qin Yurong's voice was low, and her gaze swept quickly over the surroundings.
Yang Ning hesitated briefly, then climbed aboard.
The carriage was cramped, filled with the faint fragrance of her.
Qin Yurong seemed a little ill at ease. Her cheeks were flushed, and she didn't dare meet Yang Ning's eyes.
She quickly pressed a long wooden box wrapped in brocade into his hands.
"Miss Yu Rong, what is this?"
Yang Ning was puzzled.
"You'll see."
Qin Yurong drew a deep breath and lifted her head, her gaze clear and resolute.
"I used some of the Qin Family's secret channels to urgently gather information over the past few days about the Spirit Monster in Duck Alley.
"And... information about its possible dealings with the Blood Ape Gang.
"Some of what's inside may be more detailed than what the Patrol Bureau has uncovered."
Yang Ning jolted and looked sharply at her.
The brocade-wrapped box was surprisingly heavy in his hands.
He immediately understood the value of this intelligence—and the risk Qin Yurong had taken, as well as the feelings behind her gesture.
Powerful families weighed every advantage and disadvantage in their dealings, and rarely got directly involved in this kind of quagmire.
To say nothing of secretly giving information gathered through their own channels to an official. It could easily give others something to use against her.
"Miss Qin, does... does your elder brother know?"
Yang Ning's voice was low.
Qin Yurong's lashes trembled. She shook her head, her cheeks growing even redder.
"My elder brother... my elder brother told the Qin Family to wait and see for now.
"But I... I thought you needed this."
She paused. Her voice grew softer, but every word rang clear.
"Yang Ning, you've only just taken on this responsibility, and everyone is watching. If this case is handled poorly, it could lead to great upheaval.
"I... I don't want you to be thrown into danger with no one to rely on.
"This was my own decision. It has nothing to do with the Qin Family."
Her final words were firm and decisive. Clearly, she meant to shoulder any risks herself.
Yang Ning held the wooden box, still warm from her palm, and a complicated warmth welled up inside him.
He looked at the young woman before him, at the tips of her ears flushed red and the eyes she tried so hard to keep composed, and lowered his head in silence.
In the end, all he could offer was a solemn promise.
"Yu Rong, I'll remember your kindness.
"I'll never forget what you've done for me."
Hearing him call her "Yu Rong," rather than the formal "Miss Qin" or the distant "Miss," Qin Yurong felt a faint sweetness stir in her heart.
She nodded shyly.
"You... you must be careful in everything.
"That Spirit Monster is vicious. Don't rush in recklessly."
It seemed she had a thousand things to say, but didn't know where to begin.
Time was short, and she couldn't stay long.
After a few more quiet words about the details of the case and her worries, Qin Yurong signaled the driver to set off.
The carriage rolled slowly away from the Patrol Bureau's side gate and disappeared into the streets and alleys.
Yang Ning stood before the gate, watching until the carriage vanished around the end of the street.
Only after a long while did he lower his eyes to the heavy wooden box in his hands, then turn and return to the bureau.
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