Unity Society Had Gone Too Far

The night breeze was cool.

The lights around them had long since gone out.

Moonlight cast a faint glow over the road.

A group of Cleaners and other members of the Cleaning Association walked out through the gate. They found the gatekeeper fast asleep, his sonorous snores even audible.

All the nearby surveillance cameras had been turned off, too.

Not a soul was on the road.

No one noticed their arrival or departure.

Distant gunshots and the sound of police sirens drifted over from several blocks away.

Clearly, the Anomaly Bureau was rushing around in a futile attempt to keep up, being led in circles by the Shepherd.

As they felt the Shepherd's almost godlike skill and recalled the chilling yet awe-inspiring scene from earlier, a sense of pride rose in the hearts of the Cleaning Association members.

It was a feeling of standing above the world, controlling it all and looking down on the masses.

It was the illusion that came from attaching themselves to the powerful, as though they, too, possessed the same strength.

And they were even more reverent toward the mysterious Shepherd.

Their awe of the Shepherd surpassed even their fear of the Cleaning Association's president.

There was no other reason.

Everything that had happened tonight was simply too shocking, and the Shepherd was right there among them.

Lv Yalian turned to look toward the auditorium. She knew the Shepherd was still there.

She tried desperately to catch a glimpse of the Shepherd, but saw nothing, much to her regret.

I really wish I could stay by that person's side... even if it meant being a dog...

Only someone that powerful was worth her devotion, worth her wagging her tail and begging for scraps.

Alas, though she considered herself high-status among ordinary people, she was no more than a speck of dust before the mysterious Shepherd.

But perhaps things could change. As long as she persevered and devoted herself to the Cleaning Association and the Shepherd, perhaps one day she could get the Shepherd to spare her a glance?

After all, that bizarre supernatural world had already unfurled before her...

Song Zhonghai also turned to look toward the auditorium, his expression excited and his body trembling slightly.

Lv Feng and the others noticed something was off about Song Zhonghai and hurriedly asked:

"Elder Song, are you reluctant to leave the Shepherd? We'll see him again. After all, we've become his lambs."

Song Zhonghai shook his head slightly and spoke quietly to the three Cleaners beside him:

"It's not just that I'm reluctant to leave. I have a hunch about the Shepherd's identity. You haven't been with the Cleaning Association long, and you haven't had much exposure to the supernatural world. Do you know who Blood Pearl is?"

The three Cleaners quickly shook their heads and leaned closer.

Song Zhonghai was usually a secretive old fox. They hadn't even known he was a member of the Association until tonight. If he was willing to share a secret, they had to listen carefully.

"Blood Pearl ranks fifty-third on the wanted list of Awakened criminals. She once slaughtered a thousand-man guard unit belonging to a New Continent warlord single-handedly, planting an entire orchard. She also hunted down thirteen Awakened ones from the New Continent Soul Suppression Bureau who were supporting local warlords, causing a huge stir."

"The New Continent Soul Suppression Bureau joined forces with local warlords and sent thousands of people to hunt down Blood Pearl. She killed half of them, then disappeared."

"She went after that warlord for one reason alone: he had tortured and killed an entire young girl's family, and Blood Pearl happened to witness it as she passed by."

Lv Feng and the other two stared in stunned silence, as though they were listening to a tale from another world.

It was so outrageous that it sounded unreal, like an urban legend.

Just thinking about that smiling mask gave them the chills.

"Then isn't she basically a one-woman army?"

"Exactly." Song Zhonghai nodded. "And yet Blood Pearl now obeys the Shepherd to the letter, treating him with the utmost respect and even trembling in fear before him! I have a guess about the Shepherd's identity, too. It's mainly because of those two black briefcases... If he really is that person, the Cleaning Association might expand on a massive scale. Those of us who joined early will benefit greatly."

"Who? Who is the Shepherd really?"

"Elder Song, stop keeping us in suspense. Who is it?"

The people around him pressed him urgently.

Song Zhonghai hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"You can't reach someone of his stature yet. Just understand this: having him as our Shepherd is already an enormous blessing, the protection of the Lord of the Abyss."

Song Zhonghai's words left the group itching with curiosity. Their reverence for the Shepherd deepened, and they kept looking back as they walked. Only when they reached the street corner did they finally scatter.

By the auditorium window, Li Fan wiped the back of his hand with a wet wipe as he watched the Association members reluctantly leave. He couldn't help feeling a chill.

What was wrong with these people?

Stockholm syndrome?

They seemed like a bunch of masochists.

Sure enough, hardly anyone in the Cleaning Association was normal.

Li Fan felt a little worried.

Auntie Zhang had shown far too much strength. He wondered whether summoning the Tiger Pillar God to possess him had aroused their suspicions.

After all, the Collector definitely couldn't do anything like that.

Soft footsteps sounded behind him. Auntie Zhang, his mother, and Old Chen the driver had arrived.

Their careful steps told him how anxious and nervous they were.

Li Fan felt slightly reassured.

If they were more afraid of him, that made things easier.

"Let's go." Li Fan took off his mask and spoke without the slightest emotion.

His mother and the other two let out a long breath.

The welcome ceremony had gone so badly tonight, and yet the Collector hadn't punished them for it. They felt as though they'd narrowly escaped death.

It seemed his temper had improved quite a bit.

They immediately followed Li Fan, stepping over the floor strewn with corpse fluids as they headed for the door.

Old Chen dashed outside and drove the car into the courtyard, stopping at the auditorium entrance with the doors open.

Li Fan paused briefly and looked inside the auditorium.

"Clean it up."

Then he got into the car and closed his eyes to rest.

Auntie Zhang and his mother exchanged glances and let out a long breath.

Was all she had to do was clean up and deal with the scene?

It was an unbelievably light punishment.

His mother took the front passenger seat. The luxury car started smoothly and glided away in silence, blending into the night.

Auntie Zhang turned back toward the auditorium, changed into a janitor's uniform, and began cleaning as she hummed a tune.

The corpse fluids would dry by tomorrow and leave almost no trace, but this was a public municipal facility, after all. They still had to be considerate of the community.

If they'd made a mess, they should clean it up.

The car drove steadily along the deserted nighttime roads. Old Chen drove even more carefully than usual today. Despite the air conditioning, beads of sweat still covered his forehead.

His mother weighed her words for a moment before finally speaking in a low voice:

"What happened tonight was due to our negligence. Please forgive us. I'll find out who was pulling the strings as soon as possible and make them pay."

Li Fan remained expressionless.

"It was the Unity Society."

He was quite satisfied with the Unity Society's work tonight.

They'd killed more than a dozen of his new members and Cleaners right off the bat, weakening his forces considerably.

And those he'd saved would probably develop a deep-seated fear of the Cleaning Association.

That meant that as soon as he'd taken office, the entire Southwest Pastoral District had fallen apart, leaving a complete mess.

The Cleaning Association headquarters would probably lose all confidence in the Collector's ability to govern. There'd be no more talk of promoting him.

He'd be lucky if they didn't fire him.

The Unity Society wasn't entirely useless, then.

His mother was taken aback when the Collector immediately named the culprit behind everything. Then she realized what had happened and said:

"Of course. That fusion technique... I hadn't even thought of it. I thought it was just an ordinary infection by a supernatural mental influence..."

Just as expected of the Collector.

"Please rest assured. We'll find those Unity Society scum and make them pay for their stupidity!" His mother narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

Li Fan waved a hand.

"The Unity Society is just a bunch of gutter rats. Focus on staying undercover and bringing the Southwest Pastoral District together."

His mother hurriedly nodded.

The car had reached home.

Li Fan stepped out and had just entered the house when his phone suddenly rang.

It was Wu Qian calling.

"Fan, get over here right away! We've got an emergency. It's overtime again, and it's another fusion-type anomaly infection!"

Things sounded hectic on Wu Qian's end. He continued:

"This one's even weirder. It's a real killer. But you've got experience now. Once you deal with this anomaly infection, I'll put in a word with the Bureau and get you a commendation. You might even get promoted again!"

At the words "commendation" and "promotion," Li Fan's expression darkened.

A fusion-type anomaly infection. The Unity Society again.

When would it end?

Promote, promote, promote—promote your own damn self.

He turned to his mother and said:

"Find the Unity Society's hidden backers. Do whatever it takes. Wipe them out!"

Die!

Brothers, don't forget to leave your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets! Also, a book's survival now depends on how many people keep up with it, so don't leave it to build up. You might really kill it that way!