Assassination Mission

Chu Hengkong lay sprawled in the passenger seat, letting out pained groans.

He had just finished today's training. Over the past few days, Ji Qiufeng's demands had risen step by step. Training time had surged from two hours after returning from Marsh to four, and aside from the daily sparring, it was brutal practice until his muscles cramped. He felt like he was becoming a human-shaped sponge, squeezed dry day after day until not a drop remained.

Fortunately, he had more or less learned it at last. Otherwise, if this kept up, he would have to take a week of personal leave.

"Brother Chu, how about taking the day off?" Lü Xing said cautiously from the driver's seat. "I don't think you're fit for work right now."

"Drive... I'm fine..." Chu Hengkong's voice was thin as a thread. Lü Xing clicked his tongue several times and pulled the SUV over by the roadside. Beneath the gloomy sky, the sixteen-story Bangxing Tower stood like a gray tombstone.

Chu Hengkong wiped his face with a hot towel, threw on his green overcoat, and got out. Lü Xing quickly killed the engine and followed him. Familiar with the route, they went to the familiar apartment door. After they knocked, hurried footsteps sounded from within. The middle-aged man who opened the door shook their hands in turn, his face brimming with gratitude.

"Inspector Chu! Officer Lü! Please, come in, come in!" Hain said excitedly.

The once utterly slovenly man was now neat in appearance and smartly dressed. Even his frame seemed a little sturdier. Compared with before, he had been completely transformed. His daughter's return from the lost had dealt Hain too great a shock, utterly changing the face of his life. Tina floated over obediently to greet them, still holding a storybook. Only the little dog shrank into the corner the moment it saw Chu Hengkong, clearly left with deep psychological scars from him.

"What are you hiding for? I won't hit you if you don't bite people." Chu Hengkong smiled. He noticed two dumbbells on the living room floor and asked, "Mr. Hain, have you been working out lately?"

"Yes, yes." Hain nodded repeatedly. "I feel that men still need... a bit of muscle! Then if anything happens, we can protect our families... though my daughter doesn't need my protection either..."

Tina giggled softly, and Chu Hengkong laughed too. "The thought is what matters." They sat on the sofa. Lü Xing took on the role of asking after their well-being for him, asking all sorts of trivial questions, while Hain answered each one with a touch of unease. How had he been feeling lately... Had there been any unusual sensations after two months of sealing... Were things all right with the neighbors...

It was like a routine questionnaire. On one hand, it confirmed that Tina's existence was causing no trouble for those around her. On the other, it reassured the father and daughter, showing that the inspector was always looking out for them and that they need not worry about being harassed by villains. After the last question, it was almost time to say goodbye. As usual, Lü Xing asked, "...Is there anything you need help with?"

"There is." Tina said. "There's something I want to tell the inspector."

Lü Xing froze and exchanged a glance with Chu Hengkong. "Then Uncle Lü will go outside for a smoke first." Once Lü Xing had left, Chu Hengkong gestured for them to relax. He noticed that Hain looked somewhat uneasy.

"Inspector Chu, I know our family truly has no right to trouble you again, but..." Hain stammered. "I feel you ought to know about this... it's just... out of selfishness..."

"Don't worry about that." Chu Hengkong encouraged them. "Go ahead."

Then, in her childish voice, Tina began to speak. She talked about a close playmate from a family downstairs, about how that playmate had a family much like hers: a father who worked hard but earned little, a mother who had been deceived into going to the club... Their child was very pretty, and her parents had always hoped she would grow up healthy and become a teacher or doctor someday... Then one day, the mother broke down sobbing in their home, because her child was about to be taken away—to a place from which she would never return.

Hain was deeply uneasy. He felt he was causing the inspector far too much trouble, yet that small shred of pitiful empathy made it impossible for him to stand by and watch. He stole a look at Chu Hengkong's expression and found that the inspector was listening quietly, as usual, showing no particular emotion. For some reason, Hain felt a chill creep over him.

"When did this happen?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"The morning before yesterday. The people coming to take her daughter haven't arrived yet," Tina said. "I didn't dare tell you directly. I thought if Dad came to find you on his own, they'd definitely notice."

"You did the right thing." Chu Hengkong placed a yellow crystal into Tina's hand. It was the Relic used for long-distance communication when they had gone to Marsh before. "Can you take this crystal downstairs?"

Tina nodded.

"After I leave, give it to the auntie downstairs. Tell her Inspector Chu knows about this, and tell her not to worry." Chu Hengkong crouched down, patted Tina's little head, and forced out a smile that looked far too innocent for him.

"As for you, don't run around, and don't worry either," Chu Hengkong said. "This police uncle keeps his word. If I said I'd help you kill him, then I'll definitely do it."

Tina nodded hard and said brightly, "I believe in Inspector Chu!"

Chu Hengkong said goodbye to the two of them and went downstairs alone. Seeing him arrive, Lü Xing hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette, grinding the butt beneath his shoe several times. As they got into the car, he said under his breath, "Brother Chu, someone's keeping watch outside."

Chu Hengkong stared impassively out the window. He was considering whether to continue the planned patrol to avoid alerting the enemy, or seize the chance to catch a few tongues. At that moment, the car communicator flashed red, and a familiar voice came through the private channel.

"Hello, hello, Chu Hengkong, can you hear me?"

"I'm here. What is it?"

"Return to headquarters immediately." Ji Huaishu sounded tense. "There's an emergency meeting!"

"Wipe out Maiweia Club within twenty-four hours," Ji Qiufeng said.

That was the first thing Chu Hengkong heard after entering the room, and it was also the central subject of this emergency meeting. Ji Huaishu was especially excited, while Jie An had gone pale, but they were equally astonished. Chu Hengkong voiced what both of them were thinking. "That urgent?"

"Hold on, okay?" Ji Huaishu finally managed to recover. "I absolutely support Dad's operation, but isn't twenty-four hours way too rushed? Five minutes ago, I was still wondering what to eat for lunch. How did things turn into this?"

Ji Qiufeng placed a small bottle on the table. Ji Huaishu immediately fell silent, her expression turning grave as though she faced a great enemy.

It was a small object resembling a perfume bottle. Its surface had dozens of gleaming facets, each engraved with a different phase of the moon. Turn the bottle in a circle, and the lunar phases shifted from the full moon to the new moon. The liquid inside was a viscous black. Though clearly undisturbed by any external force, it rose and writhed like a living thing.

As he stared at the bottle, Chu Hengkong had an illusion. It was as if he were looking at something alive—the crystal bottle was its bones and flesh, while the black liquid was its blood. Instinctively, he wanted to look away, but he found himself staring blankly at the black blood in the bottle. Ripples spread through it, carrying a scent he knew well. The fragrance of white roses, the smoke of cigars, the gunpowder scent of bullets, and the bloody stench seeping through the night...

"Hengkong!" Ji Qiufeng barked, covering the bottle.

Chu Hengkong jolted awake as if from a dream. He closed his eyes before speaking. "What is that?"

"The blood of the New Moon Scion," Youyou said darkly. Its blue eyes narrowed like two slender blades. "It is an aberration unlike the Glowing Corpse. This sort of aberration is born with the ability to conduct rituals!"

The word ritual stirred Chu Hengkong's memories. He lifted his tentacle. "A summoning ritual?"

"Yes, but nothing as friendly as what you experienced." Youyou said, "The New Moon Scion... a twisted being connected to the moon... is an aberration that values 'family ties.' These aberrations see one another as blood relatives. When their 'family' grows to a certain extent, they gain the ability to summon their 'elders.'"

"Like humans summoning demons," Chu Hengkong guessed.

"But faster than that, and far more vicious," Ji Qiufeng said. "Among all aberrations, only the Scion lineage can use 'blood' to summon a superior far stronger than themselves. If their 'elder' truly answers the call... the situation will become very bad."

"Dad, what point do you think it'll be?" Ji Huaishu asked softly.

"Hard to say. Abyssal aberrations have no point classifications. But any 'elder' that can be called forth would have combat power of at least five..."

Chu Hengkong pressed his lips together. He felt tense as well. This really was a maddening place. A few minutes ago, he had been thinking about how to take down a gang. A few minutes later, the problem had escalated to the survival of the city. He was grateful that his heart was strong enough to withstand such a contrast, but the others lacked that same composure.

Jie An's mouth hung open, as if he had only just processed it. He collapsed onto the table and wailed in agony. "Give me a break! We finally got back from Marsh, why is it evil gods again?!"

"It could be aliens too," Chu Hengkong said. "I've read novels with alien evil gods that looked like octopuses."

"Can you catch those things with a Poké Ball?" Ji Huaishu asked.

Chu Hengkong tried to explain, "No, that isn't from the same work..."

"Fuck, fuck, can you guys shut up?!" Jie An wailed. "It's an evil god from the moon! Under normal circumstances, shouldn't we be holding hands, hugging, and writing our wills or something? Why are you all so calm?"

"That's the point of this meeting. Our goal is to stop that thing from descending and keep this matter at the scale of a 'gang war,'" Ji Qiufeng said, flicking his fan and returning to his usual unserious manner. "Don't be too tense. The ritual needs lengthy preparations, and it will make a huge commotion when activated, so as long as we deal with Maiweia first, everything will be fine. Hengkong, you used to work as an assassin. As a professional, what do you suggest?"

"Assassination." Chu Hengkong answered without hesitation.

"Tell us your plan."

Chu Hengkong picked up a black marker and began gesturing at the whiteboard.

"The next time Maiweia hosts a banquet, I'll disguise myself as a waiter and infiltrate the place. Once I find the target, I'll cut it down with one slash, then go home..."

Ji Qiufeng's effortless composure cracked ever so slightly. Ji Huaishu slapped the table and shot to her feet. "Fuck, this is what you call assassination? Where exactly is the stealth?!"

"I'll disguise myself as a waiter," Chu Hengkong said seriously.

Jie An could not take it anymore. "No, bro, could you take a look at your left arm first?"

Chu Hengkong glanced at his tentacle and realized that this formerly foolproof plan would not be easy to carry out. He felt helpless too. "There's no better way. Maiweia doesn't leave his headquarters, and without a banquet, there's no way to infiltrate. We can't count on him walking out to his death himself."

"I knew assassination wouldn't work." Youyou sighed. "Can't we start with his 'children'? If we eradicate the filthy blood, then even with the family head, he cannot conduct the ritual."

"Maiweia's children live with him," Ji Qiufeng pointed out. "Fundamentally, it's the same problem. We have no chance to strike."

"Damn it, we let them develop to this point without noticing..." Youyou ground its teeth fiercely. "Prepare for a frontal assault."

"Not a gang war yet." Chu Hengkong frowned deeply. "Less than half the team has upgraded their equipment. We aren't ready."

"But the enemy won't leisurely wait for us to attack, boy." Youyou flicked its tongue. "For all we know, they're already preparing the ritual. We need to race against time."

The conference room fell into silence. This had come too suddenly, and everyone was thinking as fast as they could. Chu Hengkong opposed a frontal battle from the bottom of his heart. It would cause far too many casualties. Human-wave tactics were not so effective against Ascendants, and they did not have enough manpower either... Yet assassination offered no point of entry. Maiweia's banquet had ended two days ago, and the enemy leader would not leave his nest to court death...

Think. What would the enemy do now? They surely wanted to hold the ritual as soon as possible, so they would take additional action... such as gathering materials... or...

New "children"?

Tina's request flashed through Chu Hengkong's mind, and he recalled a suspicion from long ago. He tapped the tabletop.

"There may be an opportunity after all," he said. "I have an idea."

Two hours later, Yazi lay in bed, her heart a tangled mess. She had never expected her plea for help to actually have an effect. Tina had brought her that yellow crystal. Was it a protective charm sent by the inspector? Could it protect her daughter? She knew nothing, and precisely because of that, she grew more anxious by the moment.

"Can you hear me?" A man's voice came from the crystal.

Yazi sat bolt upright on reflex and said as quietly as she could, "Yes! I'm Yazi! I can hear you!"

"Senior Inspector Chu Hengkong of the Resurrection Corps," Chu Hengkong said. "I understand your situation. There is something I would like to ask your opinion on."

"Please, go ahead..."

Yazi listened in torment as the man's plan came through the crystal. The plan was simple, even crude, but it carried risks she could not ignore. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, struggling to give an answer.

"...The choice is yours," Chu Hengkong said. "Whether you take part in the operation or not, I will ensure your entire family's safety."

Yazi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her daughter's face, her husband's face, Whitebrow's face, the scenes she witnessed in the club every night—all of it flashed chaotically before her eyes.

"...You are a senior inspector. I trust you," the woman said softly but firmly. "I have no other path."

"Remember this. When you hear the signal, turn around and run home."

Chu Hengkong shut off the crystal and tucked it into his coat, then let out a long breath. Outside the car window, the light peeled away thread by thread, while streetlamps along the roadside lit up one after another.

Night was approaching.

Lü Xing rested a hand on the steering wheel and looked toward the brightly lit wealthy district in the distance. For some reason, he recalled the evening when the man beside him had walked alone into an abandoned building to slay monsters.

"Brother Chu, do you want a long gun?" he asked.

"Find me a knife," Chu Hengkong said.

A stick for beating dogs, a blade for killing men.

(This book goes premium tomorrow! So there will be three updates tomorrow—one at eight, then two more at eight-thirty!)