Chapter 35: The Hunter
No. 88 Lianhu Road.
Ren Ye hurriedly followed Huang Wei, glancing through the corridor window at the room where his sister Ren Qingning was staying. “When we transfer people later, the security here won’t be compromised, right?!”
“More than twenty reinforcements arrived today, including five second-tier players. Many have even abandoned their star gate missions just to keep watch here,” Huang Wei replied over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, nothing will go wrong.”
“Mm.” Ren Ye nodded without further comment.
...
Three minutes later.
Inside the compound, more than twenty Watchers of the Year gathered around Old Huang. Half of them were temporarily assigned from other districts, since only thirty-five Watchers were officially stationed in Qingfu District. Their star gate missions rarely synchronized; some would enter one gate, others another, making gathering difficult.
The small number was due to the Watchers’ strict selection criteria. Ability was secondary; character was paramount. This was one reason why Huang Wei and his comrades held such strong honor.
Once the group assembled, Huang Wei quickly briefed them: “Our target is Yin Hai, a plunderer-class player. Reliable intel suggests he’s harboring criminal players from University City. Yin Hai runs a chess and card parlor called ‘Blood Battle to the End’ on Tongren Road. His supernatural abilities are average, and his henchmen aren’t strong, but he’s a member of the roadside dog organization, protected by someone above—the boss is that crippled guy. So during the operation, avoid triggering a chain reaction on Tongren Road. Be swift and efficient. Upon arrival, split into two groups: Qingfu’s team will handle the capture directly, Huangjiang’s colleagues will provide perimeter support. Be ready to activate the Wordless Monument at any moment to prevent collateral damage during combat.”
“Understood!”
“Got it.”
“...!”
The group responded immediately and boarded their vehicles.
Ren Ye sat beside Huang Wei in a car, frowning. “According to the intel from Dandan, was Yin Hai involved in the University City incident?”
“No,” Huang Wei shook his head. “He only provides information and helps members of the Bell Association hide.”
“Oh.” Ren Ye nodded, staring out the window, mentally preparing for a fierce fight.
...
Tongren Road, Blood Battle to the End Chess Parlor, first floor.
The door and windows were slightly ajar; wind chimes tinkled beneath the canopy. The neighboring bar was hosting a large event tonight, so business in the parlor was slow. Old Yin and three like-minded henchmen were playing mahjong.
“The University City incident caused quite a stir. Has Mr. He left yet?” One henchman, smoking, discarded a tile: “A chicken!”
Hearing “chicken,” Old Yin felt inexplicably irritated. “The boss is dealing with him; the rest isn’t our concern.”
“Oh.”
The game resumed, circling around swiftly.
The smoking henchman threw down another tile: “Another chicken.”
Old Yin shot him a strange look, feeling targeted. Anger flickered in his eyes. “You’ve played a pair of chickens?!”
“Heh, I hate chickens—they’re useless.” The smoker grinned.
Old Yin endured, ignoring him as he drew and discarded tiles.
“Oh, what a coincidence, another chicken...!” The smoker laughed, reaching to throw again.
“Slap!”
Old Yin’s open palm smacked the young man’s head, spinning it halfway around. “Chicken, chicken, chicken—you damn chicken! Who are you insulting?!”
The smoker was stunned, cheek flushed and swollen, glaring angrily and feeling wronged. “Why hit me?! I was discarding spare tiles, isn’t that allowed?”
“You played three chickens in a row—are you mocking me?!”
“...I didn’t know about your dealings with Mr. He. What am I mocking?” The young man stood, somewhat blunt and oblivious.
“Say one more!” Old Yin’s eyes gleamed fiercely, radiating an unsettling obsession.
Players in chaotic factions often had quirks; their human flaws were magnified. This was why smart scammers avoided playing with them.
Across the table, a middle-aged man calmly lifted his teacup. “We play cards to win money; why argue?”
“This really causes quarrels? Crazy bunch, I’m out.” The last female player rolled her eyes, pulling out her phone to dial. “I’m running low on meds, send some over… alright, come to my place.”
Just as the friendly game was about to end, the wind chimes at the door suddenly rattled violently.
...
Four heads turned to see a figure cloaked entirely in black silently enter.
Judging by the silhouette, it was a woman. The voluminous hooded robe fully concealed her delicate form.
To ordinary eyes, she might look like a cosplay misplacement, but Old Yin immediately bowed and greeted, “Bao’er, what business? Upstairs for a talk?”
Tongren Road was crowded with players of all kinds and styles, so her black robe didn’t seem too unusual.
“No need, let’s talk here.” The black-robed woman stepped lightly to the mahjong table and slowly raised her head.
Under the light, her face appeared—but it was covered by an ancient bronze mask.
The mask was rustic and pitted with rust, sculpted as a beautiful ancient woman’s face. The features were exquisite and three-dimensional, smiling radiantly, evoking a warm spring breeze feeling.
“Alright, let’s talk here.” Old Yin returned to the table. “Bao’er, what do you need?”
Though fully shrouded, the woman’s movements were delicate and frail. Her gloved right hand slipped into her left sleeve, producing two blood-stained bells. Her voice was ethereal and echoing: “I’m looking for the companions of these two bells.”
“Clang, clang...!”
The bells fell on the table.
She turned to Old Yin politely: “Boss, can you find them?”
Old Yin’s pupils suddenly contracted; a strange grin crept across his face. “Are you sure you’re in the right place?”
“The leader seems to be a performer. Can you find them? I’ll pay whatever you ask.” The woman’s tone was soft.
“Heh heh!” Old Yin scratched his head nervously. “Hmm, I feel like you’re here to accuse someone.”
“Am I?” The woman smiled faintly.
“Forget it, I’ll sell you out to the performer.” Old Yin shook his thinning hair, suddenly thrusting his neck forward, opening his mouth wide.
A howl, neither fully human nor beast, echoed inside.
Old Yin’s mouth instantly ballooned to the size of a basin, his head twisting and swelling rapidly. Toad-like pustules appeared on his cheeks, emitting a foul stench.
“Pfft!”
His gaping maw swallowed the black-robed woman’s upper body in one gulp. Thick saliva dripped as his teeth turned into long, sharp fangs, tearing fiercely.
The smoking youth reacted quickly. Closing his eyes, he emitted a strange sharp sound, alerting nearby comrades.
“Swish!”
The black-robed woman stepped back; her body passed through Old Yin’s mouth like a phantom, unharmed and unimpeded.
Landing softly, her bronze mask still bore that eerie smile. One sleeve was torn off, revealing a slender, pitch-black arm.
In the dim hall, on closer inspection, that arm seemed like a shadow.
Old Yin’s eyes bulged, glowing eerie green as he stared incredulously at the shadowy form beneath the robe. He muttered instinctively, “You’re the Hunter from the Shanghai Scam Guild?! We have no grudge, you’ve crossed the line.”
“Lights out!”
“Swish!”
A nearby woman shouted.
The middle-aged man, claiming to play cards to win money, glared. The chandelier shattered instantly.
Darkness engulfed both floors; without light, the shadow vanished. Even the four chaotic faction players, including Old Yin, revealed their supernatural powers.
“Wuwu...!”
A breeze blew through the open windows and door, rustling softly.
“You crossed the line. This means war.” Old Yin tried to flee but dared not approach the light. Mouth agape, he glanced around. “We and the Scam Guild...”
“Since you harbored the criminals from University City, we have a deadly grudge!” The woman’s voice echoed outside.
...
“Bang!”
“Crash!”
A normal-sized window shattered abruptly; a graceful figure burst inside.
“Don’t approach the light; buy time!” The woman’s sharp command rang out.
“Bang!”
“Crash!”
“...!”
Within the pitch-black room, the sounds of heavy objects dropping, items breaking, agonized screams, and blades piercing flesh erupted.
The chaos exploded suddenly, then swiftly subsided into silence.
The entire ordeal lasted less than a minute. Outside, a breeze swept by, carrying a heavy scent of blood onto the street.
Silence—absolute silence—then the glow of a phone screen lit the hall.
By the heavy mahjong table, a woman in a red dress, also wearing a bronze mask, sat down on the table, casually picking up Old Yin’s phone.
Her mask’s carved features matched the shadow’s mask, but her expression was different—serious, cold, not smiling warmly.
Sitting on the table, she scanned Old Yin’s face with the phone camera. “...Before your friends arrive, I could kill you a hundred times. What do you think?”
Old Yin, indistinct on the floor, answered without hesitation, “The boss took Mr. He. I don’t know where they are.”
“Hmm, then what value do you have?” The voice suggested the red-dressed woman was young.
“I really don’t know where Mr. He is, truly don’t! He’s no fool. After the University City incident yesterday, the Watchers nearly want to pulverize them... Do you think they’d tell me where they hide? I’m not lying; the boss took them away...” Old Yin’s voice trembled. “Please, let me go... I beg you.”
“Oh!”
“Pfft!”
A flash of cold steel, and Old Yin fell silent instantly.
“Slap!”
The red-dressed woman jumped down from the table and strode to the window.
Outside, moonlight was gentle. The shadow sat on the windowsill, body caught between darkness and faint light, playfully swinging tiny feet.
“Swish!”
The red-dressed woman stepped up to the sill, lightly tapping the shadow’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
“Whoosh!”
The shadow turned its head back, reclining. Its form thinned, flattening into a paper-thin shape, returning to the woman’s feet.
Her dress fluttered softly as she walked beneath the community’s greenery, dialing Mr. He’s number.
“Hello? I’m not available tonight...” Mr. He cut straight to the point, no small talk.
“Heh, let’s play a game. You hide, I find. But... the loser dies, okay?” The red-dressed woman sounded both playful and slightly unhinged.