Jiangcheng Paranormal Bureau, Medical Center.
By the time Lin Jin arrived, Su Qianxue was already waiting at the entrance.
She wore a Paranormal Bureau uniform, her face somewhat pale and clear fatigue in her eyes.
Seeing Lin Jin, she hurried over.
"Come with me."
They walked down the corridor and stopped outside an observation room.
Through the glass, four people could be seen lying side by side inside.
Chen Feng, Liu Yang, Li Tong, and Sun Hao.
All four were pale and wrapped in bandages. Although the monitors showed stable vital signs, they still looked weak.
Chen Feng was the only one awake. He lay propped up in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Su Qianxue pushed open the door and led Lin Jin inside.
When Chen Feng saw Lin Jin, a complicated flicker passed through his eyes: guilt, fear, and a trace of relief at having survived.
"Mr. Lin..." His voice was hoarse.
Lin Jin walked to the bedside, pulled over a chair, and sat down.
"Tell me what happened to you."
Chen Feng took a deep breath and began recalling the events.
"Our mission in Qingjiang City went smoothly that day. We wiped out the B-rank anomaly nest. On the way back, a little after nine that night, our car reached the stretch of highway on the border between Qingjiang and Jiangcheng..."
He closed his eyes, as though he had returned to that night.
"That man suddenly appeared in the middle of the road. He wore a black robe with a silver moon embroidered on his chest. He raised his hand and unleashed a mass of black mist. Before I could react, I was sent flying."
Chen Feng touched the bandages on his chest.
"When I woke up, I was already in the hospital. Liu Yang and the others said that after knocking me unconscious, he injured all of them too. Then... Zhou Yan was taken away."
After hearing him out, Lin Jin fell silent for a few seconds.
"How strong was he?"
Chen Feng shook his head.
"I don't know. All I know is that he was strong-so strong I didn't even have time to think about fighting back. That oppressive feeling... I've only ever felt it from the director."
The domain realm.
A cold glint flashed through Lin Jin's eyes.
"I left a Space Mark on Zhou Yan," Lin Jin said gravely. "But someone is using some means to block spatial perception. It was probably aimed specifically at me."
Hearing this, Chen Feng's expression grew even worse.
"Mr. Lin, I'm sorry. I was useless. As captain, I failed to protect Zhou Yan..."
Lin Jin glanced at him.
"This wasn't your fault."
Against someone in the domain realm, an awakening stage cultivator had no question of protecting anyone. They simply weren't on the same level.
He turned and walked out of the observation room.
Su Qianxue followed him out.
"What are you planning to do?"
Lin Jin stood in the corridor, looking at the sky outside the window.
"For now, all I can do is wait."
"Wait for what?"
"For them to come to me," Lin Jin said evenly. "Dark Moon didn't kill Zhou Yan, Chen Feng, and the others outright. Instead, they took Zhou Yan alone. They're probably after me. If that's the case, they'll contact me themselves."
Su Qianxue was silent for a second.
"What if they've used Zhou Yan to set a trap and are waiting for you to walk right in?"
Lin Jin turned to look at her, his expression calm.
"Against absolute strength, any schemes and tricks are futile."
Looking into his calm eyes, Su Qianxue suddenly felt a surge of complicated emotion.
This man was always like this.
No matter what he faced, he remained composed.
But he really did have the strength to say that.
"Do you want me to go with you?" she blurted out.
Lin Jin turned to glance at her.
"This is an old grudge between Dark Moon and me."
"Besides, the other party is a Silver Moon Rank member of Dark Moon, at least in the domain realm. This isn't something you can handle."
Just then, Lin Jin's phone rang.
An unfamiliar number.
Lin Jin gave Su Qianxue a discreet look and answered on speakerphone.
A deep, hoarse voice came from the other end, carrying a hint of mockery.
"Mr. Lin Jin?"
Lin Jin said nothing.
The person on the other end didn't mind and continued.
"Your brother is in our hands. Don't worry, he's alive. At least for now... he's still alive."
A trace of killing intent flashed through Lin Jin's eyes, but his voice remained calm.
"State your terms."
"Straight to the point." The voice laughed. "Midnight, three days from now. The abandoned chemical plant thirty li east of the city. Come alone."
"If you bring anyone else, or notify the Paranormal Bureau or the Demon Suppression Bureau..."
He paused, his voice turning icy.
"Then... all you'll see is your brother's corpse."
The call ended.
Lin Jin put away his phone and turned to Su Qianxue.
Su Qianxue's expression was grim.
"Are you really planning to go alone?"
Lin Jin nodded.
"This is obviously a trap. They're just waiting for you to walk into it."
"I know."
"Then you..."
Lin Jin turned and walked toward the Medical Center's exit.
"So what if it's a trap? Their fate was sealed the moment they went after Zhou Yan. They can only die!"
His voice was even, yet carried an unquestionable confidence.
After Lin Jin left the Medical Center, Su Qianxue stood in the corridor, her expression grave.
She took out her phone and dialed a number.
"Group Leader Wang, it's me, Su Qianxue."
Wang Zhenshan's steady voice came from the other end.
"Group Leader Su? What is it?"
"Dark Moon captured Lin Jin's friend Zhou Yan and told Lin Jin to go to the chemical plant east of the city in three days. I'm worried they've set an ambush."
Wang Zhenshan was silent for a second.
"An ambush is a certainty. Given how Dark Moon operates, if they dare to lure Lin Jin out, it means they're confident enough. Hold on. I'll check."
The sound of typing came from the other end.
A moment later, Wang Zhenshan spoke again, his voice graver than before.
"Group Leader Su, there's something you need to be aware of. According to intelligence from the Demon Suppression Bureau, Dark Moon Headquarters dispatched a Gold Moon Rank member toward Jiangcheng a week ago."
Su Qianxue's pupils contracted.
"Gold Moon Rank?"
"Yes." Wang Zhenshan's voice was low. "Within the Dark Moon Organization, Gold Moon Rank members rank below only the Moon Envoys and the Moon Lord. Every one of them is at the domain realm peak. There are even rumors that some veteran Gold Moon Rank members have touched the threshold of the transcendent stage realm."
He paused.
"And this Gold Moon Rank member's code name is 'Ghost Fox.' He's one of the core members of the Dark Moon Intelligence Department. He excels not only at combat, but also at laying schemes. His personal involvement means Dark Moon takes Lin Jin far more seriously than we estimated."
Su Qianxue tightened her grip on her phone.
"Are you saying that Silver Moon Rank member is just Dark Moon's visible bait?"
"It's more than that." Wang Zhenshan's tone was serious. "Given how Ghost Fox operates, if he's come in person, he certainly won't have brought just one Silver Moon Rank member. There are reportedly two early domain realm members active at the Dark Moon Base in Jiangcheng as well. But those two are probably just cannon fodder. The real danger is likely Ghost Fox himself and the traps he's laid."
He sighed.
"I thought sending a Silver Moon Rank member already meant Dark Moon was taking this seriously. I never expected them to deploy a Gold Moon Rank member outright. That means their assessment of Lin Jin's strength is even higher than we imagined."
Su Qianxue bit her lip.
"Then doesn't that mean Lin Jin..."
"Group Leader Su," Wang Zhenshan interrupted her. "Ghost Fox is very cunning. Since he told Lin Jin to come alone, he must have prepared for our interference. If we send people over, he might go straight after Lin Jin's friend."
Su Qianxue fell silent.
"Group Leader Su, there's something I need you to tell Lin Jin." Wang Zhenshan's voice became especially serious. "Ghost Fox has spent twenty years in Dark Moon's intelligence department, and reportedly has never failed. His traps have never been something brute force can break. Tell Lin Jin he must be careful."
The call ended.
Su Qianxue stood where she was, her face pale.
Gold Moon Rank, domain realm peak, half-step transcendent stage.
With a Silver Moon Rank member and two early domain realm members supporting him, plus meticulously laid traps...
This time, what Lin Jin faced wasn't a simple ambush, but a killing scheme painstakingly designed specifically for him.
Before you continue