Eyes (5)

After exiting the residential complex and turning a corner, Shen Xing carried the iron shovel to the spot where Lin Wanru's corpse had fallen.

The area had been cleaned, even the sewage washed away, so there was no overwhelming stench of garbage, though green dumpsters still sat in the corner.

He opened the three dumpsters pressed against the wall, enduring the stench rising from the alley, and rummaged through them one by one with his shovel.

However, after searching for a long time, he could not find the dead dog Old Man Wang had mentioned.

Recalling carefully, Old Man Wang had definitely pointed to this spot; there was no place nearby better suited for dumping a dead dog.

Ten minutes later, Shen Xing gave up, convinced the dead dog was gone.

He shoved the shovel into a dumpster, found a small ramen shop nearby, washed his hands in the kitchen, and ordered a large bowl of ramen with extra noodles and meat.

As he ate, he pondered: Old Man Wang wouldn't lie, so the dog must have been there and must have been tossed into the trash.

He felt a sudden shock—could some shameless person have snatched it up to stew it?

Whoever took it wouldn't be eating it themselves; they'd turn it into fragrant dog meat and sell it for profit.

With this thought, Shen Xing's expression shifted, and he couldn't help but ask the shop owner who happened to be walking by: "Sister Hui, your shop only serves beef, right? No dog meat?"

Sister Hui stopped and looked at him seriously: "Little Shen, it's this hot out—do you have any idea how inflammatory dog meat is?"

"Just asking." Shen Xing chuckled and lowered his head to focus on his noodles.

He didn't usually have a large appetite, but this extra-large bowl of beef ramen left his stomach round and full.

After leaving the ramen shop, Shen Xing didn't rush home, instead walking a few laps around the neighborhood to digest his meal.

As night fell, more people began to stroll the streets, and a small nearby square was crowded with middle-aged women dancing.

The old district's streets had many missing floor tiles that no one had repaired, forcing pedestrians to walk carefully.

After walking for half an hour, Shen Xing turned back toward Ivy Apartments.

While heading upstairs, he noticed the spot where the dead dog had been was now covered in a layer of fine, grayish ash, which would absorb moisture and prevent the stench from spreading.

It must have been Old Man Wang; the old man seemed hot-tempered, but he was actually kind-hearted and liked helping his neighbors.

Passing the third floor, Shen Xing noticed the area around Lin Wanru's apartment was still cordoned off with yellow police tape.

He glanced at it, and remembering the bizarre sight of Lin Wanru's corpse standing at the foot of his bed, he felt a chill. He hurried up to the fourth floor, pulled out his key, opened the door, and stepped inside.

He reached for the light switch, but nothing happened.

Shen Xing paused, pressed it twice more, still nothing. He looked at the water dispenser in the living room that was always plugged in; its steady green light was also dark.

The power must have gone out in the apartment.

Guided by the light from outside the window, he walked toward the bedroom to find a flashlight and check the circuit breaker.

Just as he reached the bedroom door, he remembered that the flashlight had been smashed during his struggle with Lin Wanru's corpse; it was currently lying quietly in the trash bin by the sofa.

Shen Xing turned around immediately, intending to go downstairs to buy a new one, when his gaze froze. He caught a glimpse of a foot wearing dark trousers quickly retreating into the kitchen.

Seeing this, Shen Xing held his breath.

There was someone in the house!

And the power had been cut!

He realized this likely wasn't a coincidence; it was probably the work of whoever had snuck inside.

At the same time, he felt a deep resentment toward the lock on his living room door.

That lock had to be replaced. The investigation team could get in, and now this intruder could get in too; the lock felt like nothing more than a decoration.

He couldn't stay in the house. He didn't know how long the person had been there; they might have already prepared a trap, just waiting for him to return.

Shen Xing didn't believe this was a thief; it was too coincidental. Whether it was Lin Wanru or a thief, they had been visiting him one after another these past two days.

When he had walked toward the bedroom, the person hiding in the kitchen had clearly intended to follow him, but they hadn't expected him to turn back around, which was how they were discovered.

Moreover, this person was wearing ordinary trousers, not the attire Lin Wanru's corpse had worn; this was likely a living person.

Shen Xing pulled his gaze away, pretending he hadn't seen the anomaly at the kitchen door, and muttered to himself: "Why did the power trip again?"

As he spoke, he walked toward the living room door and reached for the handle.

Just then, he caught a glimpse of the person in the kitchen losing their patience. A figure emerged, and a small, dark object flew toward him with incredible speed.

Shen Xing had just pulled the door open and hadn't yet stepped out. Sensing something flying at him, he ducked instinctively. With a thud, a kitchen knife embedded itself into the door frame above his head, sinking in a third of the way.

Because the old apartment hadn't replaced the doors with metal security doors, the wooden panel easily caught the blade.

Looking up, Shen Xing broke into a cold sweat, feeling a chill on his scalp.

Damn it, throwing a kitchen knife that accurately? Is he a circus performer?

Before he could even stand up, a tall male figure charged out from the kitchen doorway, slamming into him with a violent shoulder check.

Shen Xing hadn't regained his balance, and the hidden man was powerfully built; he was hit squarely and sent flying.

Their bodies slammed into the living room door, causing it to buckle and warp with a loud crack.

The tall man who had knocked Shen Xing down was fast; after steadying himself, he grabbed Shen Xing's arm, intent on dragging him back into the room.

Unexpectedly, Shen Xing's five fingers hooked into claws, exerting even greater force as they sank into the man's right arm muscle, forcibly dragging him back.

The tall man felt a sharp pain in his right arm and immediately grabbed the handle of the kitchen knife embedded in the door panel with his left hand, yanking it free before swinging it down toward Shen Xing's head.

This strike was ruthless and incredibly powerful, clearly intended to kill.

Though Shen Xing's head was still buzzing from the earlier impact, he knew the man was out for his life. Sensing the knife descending toward his forehead, he instantly released his grip on the man, shifted his body to the side, and tilted his head to the left.

The knife fell rapidly, striking the floor right beside Shen Xing's right cheek and sending a spray of sparks into the air.

As the blade grazed his face, Shen Xing felt a sharp, biting wind brush against his skin. He had narrowly avoided being struck, but his cheek burned, and his breath hitched in his throat.

He immediately seized the man's knife-wielding left hand, unleashing a strange, explosive power through his fingers. With a sickening crack, the man let out a muffled groan as his wrist snapped and the knife clattered to the ground.

The next second, the man threw a punch that landed squarely on Shen Xing's nose, causing blood to gush out instantly.

Although Shen Xing's strength had increased, he clearly lacked the combat experience of the tall man. Unable to dodge the blow, he was left dizzy and disoriented, his vision blurring.

Seizing the opportunity, the tall man drove his right knee hard into Shen Xing's stomach. He snatched the kitchen knife from the floor with his uninjured right hand and, aiming for the neck, brought it down in a vicious hack.

Numbed, Shen Xing desperately rolled to the side, barely evading the blade. The knife grazed his ear before sinking into his shoulder with a wet thud.

A wave of intense pain washed over him, and his entire left side went numb, as if it no longer belonged to him.

He immediately reached out with his right hand, clamped onto the tall man's kneecap, and channeled all his strange power into his fingers, which felt like iron.

With a sharp snap, the man let out a cry of agony. While the kneecap didn't shatter instantly, it was at least fractured.

The man had never expected that his ambush, which should have been a simple task, would go this way. He hadn't imagined that Shen Xing, who was smaller and thinner than him, would possess such absurd grip strength!

Although he had wounded his opponent and held the upper hand, it was only because he had seized the initiative through a sneak attack.

However, the tall man was also injured, with a broken left wrist and a fractured left kneecap.

Enduring the searing pain from both injuries, the man raised the kitchen knife once more, preparing to strike at Shen Xing's neck again.

Just then, a strange sound suddenly echoed from the corridor outside the door.

It sounded like teeth grinding, or perhaps a noise emanating from a throat—a fierce warning, like that of an animal about to attack.