Chapter Summaries

Shen Heng parted from Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen before boarding a bus to the Supervision Bureau, where he suddenly opened his eyes. In an alley, Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen were ambushed by men using a staged ice-cream spill to extort them, and the attackers revealed they had come to target Shen Heng.

• Shen Heng said goodbye to Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen, boarded the Supervision Bureau bus, and resumed his breathing practice until he suddenly opened his eyes.
• A buzz-cut young man deliberately collided with Yan Sheng and blamed him and Kong Haochen for staining his expensive shirt.
• The buzz-cut young man demanded money, and four or five accomplices surrounded Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen when they refused to pay.
• The attackers beat Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen, and Kong Haochen guessed they had been sent by Gu Zexuan to get revenge on Shen Heng.
• The buzz-cut young man denied knowing Shen Heng, but ordered the beating to continue; Kong Haochen insisted he was not with Shen Heng, and the man kicked him harder.

Shen Heng confronted the six thugs who had beaten Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen, then agreed to fight them alone. He swiftly dodged the buzz-cut young man’s punch and kicked him backward, leaving the alley stunned.

• A buzz-cut young man and his companions beat Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen, then stopped when Shen Heng arrived.
• Shen Heng told Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen to come to him, and Kong Haochen fled while Yan Sheng stayed by Shen Heng’s side.
• The buzz-cut young man claimed Shen Heng owed him for damaged clothes, but Shen Heng challenged the group to fight him.
• The buzz-cut young man charged Shen Heng and threw a punch, but Shen Heng dodged and kicked him into two other thugs.
• Yan Sheng watched Shen Heng’s unexpected move in disbelief as the alley fell silent.

Shen Heng defeated the thugs who attacked him and Yan Sheng, then learned they had been hired to beat Yan Sheng and blind him. As Shen Heng and Yan Sheng left the alley, a bald man approached, claiming he had recorded the fight and called the police.

• The buzz-cut young man sent six thugs after Shen Heng, but Shen Heng swiftly knocked them down one by one.
• Shen Heng disarmed the buzz-cut young man and struck him with a wooden stick until he surrendered.
• Shen Heng questioned the buzz-cut young man, who said Brother Tou had sent them to beat Yan Sheng and blind Shen Heng on someone's orders.
• Shen Heng took the buzz-cut young man's phone number, then left the alley with Yan Sheng and said he would deal with Gu Zexuan himself.
• A bald man approached the alley, said he had recorded the fight, and announced that he had called the police.

Shen Heng waited for the police after a gang tried to frame him and Yan Sheng for assault. When officer Xu Kai recognized Shen Heng, he greeted him, leaving the bald thug uncertain about Shen Heng’s connections.

• The bald thug threatened Shen Heng and Yan Sheng with the police, then secretly told his companions to stay down and claim they had been attacked.
• Shen Heng reassured Yan Sheng and waited with him for the officers to arrive.
• The bald thug accused Shen Heng, Yan Sheng, and a third friend of starting a fight and beating his group.
• One officer doubted the bald thug’s story, but the other recognized Shen Heng and approached him.
• Xu Kai introduced himself to Shen Heng, who recalled meeting him beside a sewer.

Shen Heng explained that the thugs attacked him and Yan Sheng, while Xu Kai investigated whether they had been hired to target him. At the police station, the bald thug began confessing, and Wang Hai assured Shen Heng that the Supervision Bureau would handle the case by its rules.

• Shen Heng told Xu Kai that the thugs had attacked Yan Sheng and then tried to attack him, so he fought back.
• Xu Kai took Shen Heng and the thugs to the police station, where officers questioned them separately.
• The bald thug denied taking a job, but the interrogator revealed that Shen Heng was a public official and warned him about unlawfully assaulting one.
• The bald thug realized Shen Heng's status explained his strength and agreed to talk about who arranged the attack.
• Shen Heng learned that someone close to Gu Zexuan had approached the thugs and worried that the person might claim to have acted independently.
• Wang Hai told Shen Heng the matter would be handled by the rules and promised the Supervision Bureau would demand an answer even if the person denied Gu Zexuan's involvement.

Shen Heng was released from the Public Security Bureau and told his colleagues how he had been attacked after confronting Gu Zexuan. Wang Hai and Director Chen Jiakang confirmed the attack had been commissioned by Wu Dechang, then Chen warned Gu Zexuan’s father that the Supervision Bureau was exceptionally powerful.

• Wang Hai let Shen Heng leave the Public Security Bureau while the investigation continued, and Shen returned to the Supervision Bureau.
• Han Ling and the others questioned Shen Heng about the fight, and Han praised him after he explained what had happened.
• A police officer reported that Wu Dechang had commissioned Feng Yufei and his subordinates to attack Shen Heng, and that the suspects had confessed.
• Wang Hai asked Chen Jiakang to help him contact Gu Zexuan, while Chen decided not to pursue the suspected connection further through ordinary investigation.
• Chen Jiakang called Gu Zexuan’s father and warned him that his son had hired people to blind a Supervision Bureau inspector, whose department held authority exceeding even the Military Department.

Huang Wenbin confronted Huang Shaohua over targeting Shen Heng and warned him to stay away, while Gu Zexuan was forced to take responsibility for the attack at the Supervision Bureau. As Gu Zexuan left with a broken leg, he accepted the consequences and wondered about the Bureau.

• Chen Jiakang warned Huang Wenbin to keep his men in line after reviewing the people in custody.
• Huang Wenbin slapped Huang Shaohua twice after learning he had encouraged Yellow Hair to break one of Shen Heng's bones, then barred him from the casino and told him to avoid Shen Heng.
• Gu Mingda brought Gu Zexuan to the Supervision Bureau to apologize for the attack and offered two million yuan in compensation.
• Wang Hai rejected the check and insisted that whoever was responsible take responsibility, and Gu Zexuan left with a broken leg.
• In the car, Gu Zexuan told Gu Mingda that he blamed himself for what happened and accepted that the strong devoured the weak, then looked out the window and thought about the Supervision Bureau.

After confronting the man who had attacked Shen Heng, Wang Hai explained why the Supervision Bureau was unlikely to face a complaint and tested Shen Heng’s saber skills. Shen Heng sparred with Yu Jingming, briefly gaining the advantage before being suppressed again, and ended the bout bruised but less exhausted than his opponent.

• Shen Heng asked Wang Hai whether punishing the man who had attacked him broke the rules, and Wang Hai said the man was unlikely to report them because reopening the investigation could expose his crime.
• Wang Hai asked about Shen Heng’s saber training, then brought him to the training room to assess his skills.
• Shen Heng charged at Wang Hai with a wooden saber, and the two began sparring.
• Yu Jingming attacked Shen Heng with fast, difficult strikes, landing repeated blows as Shen Heng adapted to his rhythm.
• Shen Heng counterattacked after Yu Jingming missed a powerful slash, briefly forcing him backward before Yu Jingming recovered and regained control.
• The spar ended with Shen Heng bruised and Yu Jingming exhausted, while Shen Heng reflected that his greater stamina had helped him endure the bout.

Shen Heng heard a strange commotion while practicing the Heavenly Cycle Breathing Technique in class and suspected a Calamity Beast might be involved. He rushed out toward the restroom to investigate, leaving Zhou Hong to resume the lesson.

• Yu Jingming asked Shen Heng if he could bring his younger sister Chunhe to visit the Supervision Bureau, and Shen Heng agreed.
• Yan Sheng shared sushi with Shen Heng at school, where they saw the injured Gu Zexuan arrive on crutches.
• Kong Haochen speculated that Gu Zexuan had broken his leg in a street-racing crash, while Shen Heng showed little interest.
• During class, Shen Heng heard people describing someone called Monkey groaning and turning green, and suspected a Calamity Beast might be nearby.
• Shen Heng abruptly ran toward the restroom despite Zhou Hong's reprimand, saying the matter was urgent.

Shen Heng discovered a Decaying Spore outbreak at Linhai No. 2 High School, killed an infected Spore Person, and identified another schoolmate beginning to transform. He alerted Wang Hai and waited until the transformation completed before shooting the former schoolmate.

• Shen Heng followed voices to the administration building restroom and found a newly transformed Spore Person, which he shot dead.
• Shen Heng discovered another person transforming into a Spore Person and identified the outbreak as the work of a Decaying Spore.
• Shen Heng contacted Wang Hai, reported the Tier 3 Calamity Beast, and was ordered to help evacuate the school.
• Shen Heng recalled that a transforming victim could not be saved and waited for his former schoolmate to complete the transformation.
• Shen Heng shot the newly transformed Spore Person in the head.

Shen Heng forced Principal Luo Minlin to help him reach the school broadcasting station so he could evacuate the teachers and students. After Director Wu ordered Luo to cooperate, Luo began to suspect Shen Heng really worked for the Supervision Bureau.

• Shen Heng went to the principal's office and demanded the location of the broadcasting station and its teacher in charge.
• Luo Minlin recognized Shen Heng, rejected his Supervision Bureau credentials as forged, and ordered him to leave.
• Shen Heng fired his handgun in the office and made Luo call Teacher Lin to the broadcasting station.
• Luo told Shen Heng the station was in the arts building, and Shen made him come along in the elevator.
• Director Wu called Luo and ordered him to obey Shen Heng, warning that any casualties could cost Luo his job and send him to prison.
• Luo cautiously asked Shen whether he really worked for the Supervision Bureau.

Shen Heng and Principal Luo Minlin went to the broadcasting station to warn Linhai No. 2 High School about a dangerous Calamity Beast and evacuate the students. The evacuation began, though the creature remained unlocated.

• Shen Heng told Luo Minlin that a dangerous creature had entered the school and that they needed to evacuate everyone.
• Shen Heng kicked the broadcasting station’s iron door open after Teacher Lin could not find its key.
• Shen Heng instructed Teacher Lin to broadcast a false chemical-leak emergency and tell teachers to evacuate their students.
• Principal Luo Minlin ordered all teachers to evacuate students within ten minutes and cancel classes for the day.
• Zhou Hong hesitated to evacuate his class, then ordered the students to leave when he heard other classes moving out.

As students evacuated Linhai No. 2 High School, the Decaying Spore sealed the gates with a towering wall of thorny vines. Shen Heng realized the entity had trapped everyone inside, and the chapter ended with the thorn wall impaling a student who approached it.

• Shen Heng watched the students evacuate and wondered why the Decaying Spore had not sent its guards to stop them.
• Shen Heng spotted thorny vines spreading along the fence and converging at the school gates.
• The vines formed a high wall that sealed the entrance, and Shen Heng suspected the Decaying Spore had spent much of its Origin Power surrounding the school.
• A buzz-cut student approached the thorns, touched them, and assured the crowd that they were not dangerous.
• Black thorns pierced the student and left him hanging above the ground as blood fell onto the school grounds.

After a deadly barrier sealed the school gates, a broadcast warned students that a Calamity Beast’s spores could turn infected people into Spore People. Shen Shuning and Xiao Bai'er fled with the crowd toward the sports field as two students began transforming.

• Panic erupted at the school gates after a corpse appeared beside the thorn wall sealing the exits.
• Shen Shuning calmed Xiao Bai'er and looked to the teachers, but they were just as confused as the students.
• A young male voice over the broadcast explained the Decaying Spore, warned that infected people could become Spore People, and told everyone to watch for green skin and move together.
• Students spotted Huai Zhishang and Ren Zeyu beginning to turn dark green.
• A teacher ordered everyone to follow Teacher Jiang to the sports field, and Shen Shuning left with Xiao Bai'er and the crowd.

Shen Heng protected students at Linhai No. 2 High School while his ammunition dwindled and the Decaying Spore threatened to escalate the attack. With only three bullets left and help still ten minutes away, someone told him to find Le Gu Nan.

• Shen Heng checked Luo Minlin, Teacher Lin, and Gu Zexuan for spores, confirmed they were safe, and sent them to the broadcasting station.
• Shen Heng shot two spore people near the school gates, then rushed between buildings to kill more as students evacuated.
• Shen Heng reported that he had only three bullets left and warned Wang Hai and Han Ling that the Decaying Spore might send its Tier 2 guards.
• Someone on the earpiece told Shen Heng to find Le Gu Nan.

At Linhai No. 2 High School, Le Gu Nan met Shen Heng at the gymnasium restroom after he called for help with his dwindling ammunition. She revealed that her A-rank ability was Reconstruction, but she warned him that she lacked combat skills and needed several minutes to analyze a Calamity Beast.

• Le Gu Nan received Shen Heng’s call and agreed to meet him at the gymnasium restroom.
• Teacher Chen questioned how Le Gu Nan had made a call, and she gave a false explanation before asking permission to use the restroom.
• Shen Heng reached the restroom and learned that Le Gu Nan had no bullets to offer him.
• Le Gu Nan explained that her A-rank Reconstruction ability could analyze and rebuild matter, including healing injuries.
• Le Gu Nan told Shen Heng she was Tier 2 but lacked combat ability and needed several minutes to analyze a Calamity Beast.

Shen Heng asked Le Gu Nan to forge him a saber from gym equipment so he could confront the Spore People without wasting bullets. He reached the main hall and charged the two creatures, while Yan Sheng turned back toward the hall after using the bathroom.

• Shen Heng asked Le Gu Nan to make him a straight saber, and they searched the gymnasium for iron.
• Shen Heng encountered Yan Sheng, checked that he had not been parasitized, and told him to go to the dormitory buildings instead of returning to the main hall.
• Le Gu Nan used her ability to reshape weight plates into a black saber in about two minutes.
• Shen Heng raced back to the main hall and confronted the two Spore People with the saber, saving his bullets for the Tier 2 guard.
• After using the bathroom, Yan Sheng stopped in the corridor and turned his gaze toward the main hall.

Shen Heng prepared to confront the Calamity Beast with Le Gu Nan, who made a long blade and practiced fighting a Spore Person. They headed toward the mountain after Shen Heng sensed three Tier 2 Decaying Spore Guards approaching.

• Shen Heng agreed to let Le Gu Nan accompany him as long as she ran if she could not fight.
• Le Gu Nan shaped a broken barbell into a long blade, and Shen Heng led her toward the dormitories.
• Shen Heng killed a Spore Person while Le Gu Nan successfully handled another one.
• Shen Heng sensed three Tier 2 Decaying Spore Guards descending from the mountain and took Le Gu Nan toward the mountain's foot.
• Yan Sheng found two corpses in the main hall and vomited at the sight of a mushroom-like severed head.

Shen Heng and Le Gu Nan ambushed two Decaying Spore guards in the teaching building, but were forced to leap from the third floor to escape their attacks. As they prepared to fight outside, panicked cries and fleeing people erupted nearby.

• Ding Mingyu left a card game in the research building to use the restroom and noticed the view outside beginning to sway.
• Shen Heng and Le Gu Nan waited in the third-floor corridor to ambush three Decaying Spore guards.
• Shen Heng shot one guard and severed another guard’s tentacle, but the remaining guards attacked and pursued them through the corridor.
• Shen Heng pulled Le Gu Nan down the corridor, then ordered her to jump as the guards’ tentacles shot toward them.
• Shen Heng and Le Gu Nan landed outside and prepared to face two guards, but Shen Heng turned toward nearby sounds of panic and fleeing people.

Shen Heng held off two Decaying Spore Guards so Le Gu Nan could reach the school parking lot, where Spore People had appeared. Meanwhile, Shen Shuning led a fleeing group that included Yan Sheng and Kong Haochen, but a Spore Person caught up with them and left Kong Haochen struggling at the rear.

• Shen Heng realized Spore People had appeared near the parking lot and warned Le Gu Nan that several people might die if she did not go there.
• Le Gu Nan ran toward the parking lot while Shen Heng stayed behind to keep the two Decaying Spore Guards from reaching the others.
• Yan Sheng followed Shen Shuning as she led a group of students, including Kong Haochen, and reassured them that someone at the school was handling the crisis.
• Xiao Bai'er warned the group that those caught might become Spore People, and Shen Shuning admitted she did not know why the creatures had returned.
• A Spore Person spotted Shen Shuning's group and pursued them, forcing everyone to run while Kong Haochen fell behind, exhausted.