Suppressing Restlessness, Lingering Affection

Three days of intense, frantic preparation passed in the blink of an eye.

The air in the East Street Patrol Bureau was thick with a stifling, restless tension.

Although the Patrol Bureau had done its best to seal off the news and control public opinion.

Rumors of a "man-eating monster in Duck Dung Alley" and the "Patrol Chief of the Patrol Bureau being severely injured with an entire squad wiped out" still spread like an underground current, quietly fermenting in teahouses, taverns, and street corners.

Fear and suspicion grew amidst the widespread panic.

The aftershocks of Gong Tian going into seclusion were only now truly manifesting.

When that pillar of stability temporarily vanished, the demons and monsters beneath the surface, along with the shifting hearts of men, could no longer be contained.

In the main hall of the Patrol Bureau, the atmosphere was heavy and stagnant.

Yang Ning sat upright in the main seat, his fingers tapping rhythmically and unconsciously against the hardwood armrest, producing a steady, light sound.

He was waiting for the reports from Qian Zhong and Liu Qian.

Outside the window, the sun gradually slanted westward, stretching his straight silhouette and casting it onto the cold floor.

Finally, footsteps echoed. Liu Qian's rotund figure was the first to step inside.

The habitual smile on his face had vanished, replaced by a rare solemnity and a trace of exhaustion.

He held a few thin case files in his hands.

"Patrol Chief Yang," Liu Qian placed the files on the desk before Yang Ning, his voice somewhat dry, "Everything we could find is here. It is truly... limited."

Yang Ning unfolded the files and scanned them quickly. His brows gradually knit together.

The information was fragmented and vague.

Over the past six months, there had been as many as seventeen reported missing persons cases in Duck Alley and the surrounding areas.

However, only five of these were marked as "suspected to be the work of monsters or wild beasts," and even those descriptions were imprecise.

"Heard strange noises at night, disappeared by morning," "scattered remains, seemingly with bite marks from sharp teeth."

Most of the other disappearances were mixed in with various chaotic records of "brawls between refugees," "bandit raids," and "families scattered while fleeing famine," making them difficult to distinguish.

The world was too chaotic, human life as cheap as grass, and the authorities lacked the power to intervene. With the collapse of order at the bottom, many tragedies were buried in the dust before they could even be recorded.

"We questioned the few remaining elderly and weak residents on the outskirts of Duck Alley.

Some had heard howls in the dead of night that sounded like barking but were sharper and more shrill.

Others had found blood-stained rags and bones at the alley entrance in the early morning.

But they all assumed it was just wild dogs fighting over food and dared not investigate further."

Liu Qian sighed:

"In these troubled times, it is hard enough for the common people just to survive; who would dare to probe what is hidden in the shadows?

Being able to ask this much was already the result of our brothers exhausting their efforts."

Yang Ning remained silent.

He understood, of course, that this was not due to the East Street Patrol Bureau being slack.

Rather, it was the limit of what a local patrol bureau could achieve in the cracks of a world filled with powerful clans, infighting among the elite, and a failing imperial authority.

This was the basic decency and efficiency that Gong Tian had managed to maintain through years of careful management.

In any other district, the situation would likely be even worse.

Not long after, Qian Zhong also returned in a hurry, covered in dust, his eyes bloodshot.

"The remaining secret contacts of the Blood Ape Gang have finally cracked."

Qian Zhong's voice was low:

"Wang Han and his son did indeed regularly 'offer' blood sacrifices to the depths of Duck Alley while they were alive.

At first, it was just the corpses of unclaimed refugees.

Later... later, it seems it also included some 'disobedient' gang members or enemies.

They referred to the one receiving the 'offerings' as Master Dog, but no one had ever truly seen its appearance.

The handovers always took place in secluded spots late at night; they would drop the items and leave, not daring to linger.

After the Blood Ape Gang was wiped out, the 'offerings' naturally ceased."

He paused, then continued:

"We can confirm that the monster's lair is in the depths of Duck Alley, but its specific location, the situation inside, whether it lives alone, or if there are traps set up...

We know nothing.

Our men simply cannot go deep inside; as soon as they approach the core area, they get a hair-raising feeling of being watched from the shadows.

The brothers who went missing before were likely lost in there."

Listening to their reports, Yang Ning's heart slowly sank.

The enemy is hidden while we are exposed, intelligence is lacking, the terrain is complex and unknown, and the opponent is vicious, cunning, and likely possesses the advantage of home turf.

This is almost the worst possible situation.

He rubbed his brow, feeling the heavy pressure on his shoulders.

Could it be that he really has to use human lives to fill the gap and force an investigation?

That is by no means a good strategy, nor is it what he wishes.

Just as he was deep in thought, nearly at his wit's end, the slightly hurried report of a reserve Patrolman came from outside the hall:

"Reporting to the Patrol Chief!

A carriage has stopped outside the yamen, and the noble person inside requests an audience."

Yang Ning raised his eyes: "Who is it?"

"The other party claims to be... from the Qin Family."

The Qin Family?

Yang Ning was slightly stunned.

Qin Yuwei sent someone at this moment?

Is it out of concern, to probe, or...

He stood up immediately:

"Invite them to the side hall, I will be there at once."

"The other party said... they request Patrol Chief Yang to step outside to the carriage for a conversation."

Yang Ning's doubts deepened, but he did not stop, striding toward the side gate of the Patrol Bureau.

Parked outside the gate was an inconspicuous carriage with a green canopy.

However, the horse pulling the carriage was magnificent, and the coachman's gaze was steady; clearly, this was no ordinary household.

Yang Ning's eyes narrowed; he knew this was a carriage belonging to the direct line of the Qin Family.

The curtain lifted a corner, revealing a face that was peerlessly beautiful yet carried a hint of nervousness—it was Qin Yurong herself who had come!

"Patrol Chief Yang, please board the carriage for a talk."

Qin Yurong's voice was very low, her gaze sweeping quickly across the surroundings.

Yang Ning hesitated for a moment, but still followed her instructions and boarded the carriage.

The space inside the carriage was not large, and it was filled with her faint, delicate fragrance.

Qin Yurong seemed somewhat uneasy, her cheeks slightly flushed, and she dared not look Yang Ning in the eye.

She simply thrust a long, narrow wooden box wrapped in brocade quickly into his hands.

"Miss Yurong, what is this?"

Yang Ning was puzzled.

"You will know when you look."

Qin Yurong took a deep breath and looked up, her eyes clear and firm.

"This is information I gathered urgently over the past few days regarding the monster in Duck Alley, using some of the Qin Family's secret channels.

And... information that may involve dealings with the Blood Ape Gang.

Some of the content inside might be more detailed than what the Patrol Bureau has uncovered."

Yang Ning's entire body jolted, and he looked at her sharply.

The brocade box had quite a bit of weight in his hands.

He instantly understood the value of this intelligence, and even more so, the risks Qin Yurong had taken and the intentions behind her actions.

Great families act based on weighing pros and cons, rarely intervening directly in such murky waters.

Let alone privately handing over information obtained through their own intelligence channels to an official, which could easily provide others with leverage.

"Miss Qin, this... does your brother know?"

Yang Ning's voice was low.

Qin Yurong's eyelashes trembled, and she shook her head, her cheeks flushing even deeper:

"My brother... my brother ordered the Qin Family to wait and see for now.

But I... I feel that you need this."

She paused, her voice becoming softer, yet every word was clear.

"Yang Ning, you have taken on a heavy responsibility for the first time, and all eyes are upon you. If this case is handled improperly, I fear a great change will occur.

I... I do not wish to see you fall into danger without any support.

This matter is my own decision, and it has nothing to do with the Qin Family."

She said the last sentence with ironclad certainty, clearly intending to shoulder any potential risks entirely on her own.

Yang Ning gripped the wooden box that still held the lingering warmth of her palm, a complex surge of warmth welling up in his heart.

He looked at the woman before him, noting the tips of her ears flushed red and the composure she was forcing into her eyes, then lowered his head in silence.

In the end, it only transformed into a solemn, incomparable promise.

"Yurong, your profound kindness, Yang Ning will engrave upon his heart.

This sentiment and this grace, I shall never forget."

Qin Yurong felt a slight sweetness in her heart when she heard him call her "Yurong" instead of the polite "Miss Qin" or the distant "Miss Qin."

She nodded shyly:

"You... you must be careful in all things.

That spirit is ferocious; do not advance rashly."

It seemed she had a thousand words to say, yet she did not know where to begin.

Time was pressing, and it was not convenient to stay long.

After whispering a few more details about the case and her concerns, Qin Yurong signaled the coachman to depart.

The carriage slowly pulled away from the side gate of the Patrol Bureau, merging into the streets and alleys.

Yang Ning stood before the gate, watching until the carriage disappeared at the end of the street corner.

Only after a long while did he look down at the heavy wooden box in his hand and return to the office.