Clean and Decisive

*He's looking for me...* Lee Austin instinctively touched the small of his back while standing up and stepping away from his seat, putting distance between them as he looked at the speaker. It was a young man with brilliant blond hair and sapphire-blue eyes—handsome, elegant, and indifferent. Standing in the filthy, chaotic bar, he was like a pure white rose blooming out of a swamp. How could such a dazzling man enter the bar without a single person noticing? Lee Austin stared at the young man clad in snow-white clothes. His pupils took on a granite-pale hue as he barked in a low voice, "Who are you?" As an experienced Toxic Chemist, he instinctively sensed danger. Asking questions was merely to buy time—he only needed two seconds. After two seconds, his petrification skill would activate. Regardless of whether this man in the white suit was friend or foe, pinning him down first was always the right move. "All right, I've had a look. You're Austin, no doubt about it." The blond man nodded slightly, then picked up a glass from the counter and hurled it casually. A loud crash echoed from the ceiling as the security camera shattered. Next, he raised his hand and seized Lee Austin by the throat. With a sharp snap, Lee Austin's neck twisted sideways at a broken angle. At the same time, Zhang Yuanqing, disguised as the handsome blond man, raised his left hand and flicked Austin's chest. *Pfft!* The force punched straight through the chest, and a jet of blood sprayed from his back, splattering over a nearby patron. Lee Austin's thick lips trembled as the pale hue in his pupils faded out. Just like that, a Level 3 Toxic Chemist was killed before he could even utter his last words. Behind the counter, the bartender kept wiping his glass as if nothing had happened, completely oblivious to the scene. The patron splattered with blood showed no reaction either, simply continuing to drink. Zhang Yuanqing drew the large-caliber handgun from Lee Austin's waist, aimed at the bartender's head, and fired twice. *Bang! Bang!* The bartender's head split open like a burst watermelon. His skull split apart, splattering red and white everywhere, and his body slumped heavily to the floor. Zhang Yuanqing took out his phone, recorded a quick video of Lee Austin's corpse, and then tucked it away. Dispersing his illusion, he aimed the muzzle toward the ceiling and pulled the trigger. The loud gunshot overpowered the raucous clamor. The bar's patrons and prostitutes were startled, immediately dropping to hold their heads or scurrying for cover with an ease that was almost heartbreaking. The thugs guarding the venue pulled out handguns, aiming dark muzzles toward the young man in the white suit. Suddenly, as if all hope had drained from their lives, the thugs blankly turned the muzzles toward their own temples and pulled the triggers. Amid successive gunshots, the thugs collapsed one after another. Just then, Zhang Yuanqing tilted his head slightly toward the back of the bar, sensing an intense malice and fury bearing down on him. An enemy at the Saint stage. *Too many ordinary people in here...* He immediately activated the Illusionist's emotional manipulation ability to sow panic, driving the patrons out of their wits. Shrieking in terror, they stampeded toward the exit and fled into the night. From the corridor leading to the interior of the bar, a dark shadow shot out like lightning. It was a half-man, half-beast monstrosity. It possessed a human torso, but atop its neck was the head of a hellhound. Its fierce, blood-red eyes overflowed with savage fury, and wisps of highly corrosive black smoke hissed from its fanged, bloody maw. An Aberrant! Information about Aberrants flashed across Zhang Yuanqing's mind. The core skill of an Aberrant was 'aberration' itself—a specific part of their body would mutate, granting them corresponding superhuman powers. This was similar to a Witch Doctor's Gu Transformation, but once an Aberrant mutated, they could never revert to ordinary human form. In the Middle Ages, most legends of demons originated from Aberrants. Beyond that, Aberrants had skills like 'Toxic Smoke' and 'Demon.' The former was a violently corrosive toxin, while the latter provided a physical boost. Their passive skill was 'Cold-Blooded,' keeping an Aberrant perpetually calm and ensuring they never felt pity or lost their reason. This passive countered an Illusionist's mental manipulation. Henry the "Demon Hound," bursting out of the corridor, swept his gaze across the bar. Ignoring the fleeing patrons, his eyes narrowed as they fixed on the corpses of the bartender and Lee Austin. He then locked onto the young man in the white suit before the counter. His throat swelled, and his jaws gaped wide, spewing a clump of thick, viscous black mist. Zhang Yuanqing dodged sideways. The black mist shot past, crashing onto the liquor-soaked floorboards. With continuous sizzling, it dissolved a deep pit into the wood. Henry's throat swelled once more. Just as he prepared to spit another round of mist, his target vanished from sight. The blond youth with sapphire-blue eyes was gone. The next second, a piercing agony tore through Henry's chest. Looking down, he saw a double-sided black-and-white blade protruding from his heart. He managed only a furious, unwilling roar before his body rapidly withered, his soul and vitality draining away. "A Level 4 Aberrant. Not much of a challenge..." Zhang Yuanqing muttered. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers with a sharp *clack*, dissolving into a dreamlike shower of starlight. *** The following day, eleven in the morning. Outside the restaurant in Queens, Zhang Yuanqing arrived alone. Disguised as an ordinary white youth, he stood on the sidewalk, gazing into the restaurant. He carefully sensed the emotions of Kevin, the elderly white man inside the private dining room. *Nervous, expectant, impatient. No anomalies.* Zhang Yuanqing gave a subtle nod and entered the restaurant. Now that he was operating as an independent, he had to be cautious in everything he did. He needed to guard against the possibility that last night's action at the bar had caught Heaven's Punishment's eye, leading their Enforcement Division to track Kevin down and turn today's meeting into an ambush. Or perhaps a trap set by the Biological Alchemy Society. Although the odds for both were slim, he couldn't afford to be careless. Upon entering, he stopped by the restroom first, reverting to his appearance as "Zhang Qingyang" before making his way familiarly toward the private room and pushing open the door. In the same small private room, in the exact same seat, Kevin sat anxious and tense. His gaze darted toward the door every few moments, and he was sipping his coffee with increasing frequency. He took another sip and instinctively looked toward the doorway. This time, he saw the door swing open as the foreign bounty hunter from yesterday walked in. Kevin's eyes lit up. He shifted restlessly in his seat, his gaze locked onto the hunter. Zhang Yuanqing swept his eyes across the room, lingering briefly on the two briefcases by Kevin's feet. Pulling out a chair, he sat down, placed his phone on the table, unlocked it, and pushed it across to Kevin. "Mission accomplished. Please verify." Kevin practically snatched the phone, his face taut as he clicked on the video. The video lasted only five seconds. Lee Austin's corpse lay on the floor, chest drenched in blood, and the person filming nudged the body with a foot to confirm its authenticity. Over the course of those brief five seconds, Kevin watched the clip more than a dozen times. After a long silence, Kevin put down the phone. With bloodshot eyes, he looked at the young bounty hunter and said, "I have my own channels. I'd like to verify this." "That's your prerogative." Zhang Yuanqing nodded, thinking to himself: *If Fear Heavenly King heard that, he'd be thrilled.* Kevin took out his phone and dialed the police captain's number. "Old friend, did your precinct catch that bastard Lee Austin?" "Oh, buddy, you don't need to look for Austin ever again. He was killed last night. You can finally get a good night's sleep." Kevin hung up in silence. He drew a deep breath, as if suppressing a surge of emotion. Gesturing for his bodyguard to place the two silver briefcases on the table, he said, "You are an exceptional bounty hunter. Take your reward. This is the most worthwhile deal I have ever made in my life. Thank you!" Zhang Yuanqing popped open the briefcases. Stacks of grass-green bills made for an intoxicating sight. "A pleasure doing business!" He snapped the cases shut without checking their authenticity, smiling faintly. "You're a smart businessman. You should know what happens if anyone tries giving me counterfeit bills." Kevin nodded, then shrugged with a wan smile. "I had the chef prepare lunch, but right now, I just want to be alone for a while." Sensing his genuine emotions, Zhang Yuanqing smiled. "Goodbye, then." Picking up the two briefcases, he walked out of the room with effortless poise. As the door clicked shut behind him, Kevin's upright posture collapsed completely. Leaning back against the chair, he dropped his head into his hands, his shoulders trembling violently. From between his fingers came the sound of hoarse, muffled weeping. *** New York Bank Headquarters Building, 104th floor, Minister's office. Dressed in a tailored blazer and a white blouse, Asano Ryo stood with a straight back and said, "Minister Winnie, I've forwarded the roster of Yuanshi Tianzun's guild members to your inbox. As for Yuanshi Tianzun's relics, I've looked into it thoroughly. On the eve of the trial, Fu Qingyang and Guan Ya visited him. All of Yuanshi Tianzun's relics were given to the two of them; no other guild member received anything." Pausing briefly, she added, "I wasn't able to find any information regarding a portable speaker. Furthermore, according to Guan Ya, Yuanshi Tianzun did not leave any of the Demon Lord's items with them. They must have returned to the Spirit Realm upon his death." *Already returned to the Spirit Realm...* A flicker of disappointment and melancholy crossed Winnie Berent's lovely eyes. "I know of Fu Qingyang. Who is Guan Ya?" "She is Fu Qingyang's cousin, and was also Yuanshi Tianzun's girlfriend." Minister Winnie nodded slightly, dropping the subject of the Demon Lord and Yuanshi Tianzun. She changed the topic: "Head up to the 106th floor now, Conference Room 6. There's a meeting you need to attend." Offering no explanation, she lowered her head to read through her documents. Knowing her cue, Asano Ryo bowed and withdrew. Leaving the office, Asano Ryo called Emma, the minister's assistant, to inform her that she was heading to the 106th floor for the meeting. Emma said, "The conflict between the Bacchus Club and the Merchant Guild has grown fierce, and Heaven's Punishment is involved. We're short on hands right now. Your next assignment will be cooperating with the Enforcement Division to investigate cases and arrest criminals." Asano Ryo responded, "Understood!" Hanging up, she took the elevator to Conference Room 6 on the 106th floor. It was a small meeting room. A dozen enforcement officers were seated around a long conference table, while a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair stood before a projection screen, speaking in low tones. Noticing Asano Ryo enter, he glanced at the badge pinned to her chest, casually pointed to an empty seat for her to take, and continued: "The surveillance cameras at the scene were destroyed. However, based on witness testimonies, physical evidence, and the autopsy report, the person who killed Henry the Demon Hound and Lee Austin is proficient in illusion skills and emotion manipulation. He is suspected to be an Illusionist from the Second District. Yet, judging from his exceptional close-quarters combat prowess, he also resembles a Night Walker." *Lee Austin was killed? Yuanshi-kun moves fast...* Asano Ryo was startled. Habitually, she lowered her head to avoid any Scout's Insight, even though there were no Scouts present in the room. [Asano Ryo: Yuanshi-kun, Heaven's Punishment has already taken note of your actions from last night. They might investigate you, but after internal analysis, the Enforcement Division concluded you are not an enemy for now, so their pursuit won't be overly aggressive.] [Asano Ryo: I've already reported to Minister Winnie according to your instructions. As expected, she didn't probe any further.] [Sect Master Tongtian: Well done, Ryo-chan. Your next task is to get closer to Winnie and earn her trust. Assisting the Enforcement Division with arrests is an opportunity—a chance to rack up merits and earn a promotion. I'll help you.] [Asano Ryo: Understood! I won't let you down.] [Sect Master Tongtian: Ryo-chan, the organization happens to have a task for you. Access Heaven's Punishment's database and look up a person named Chen Shu. If there's any information, get back to me immediately.] [Asano Ryo: Understood.] *** In a small Chinatown eatery, Zhang Yuanqing set down his phone. Picking up a crystal shrimp dumpling with his chopsticks, he popped it into his mouth and chewed slowly. After polishing off the plate of dumplings, he ordered a bowl of wontons. As he ate, he opened the Bounty Hunter app and logged into the backend. The system showed that his assignment was marked as complete. Having passed the trial, he was now an official Bronze Hunter, eligible to accept bounties worth up to 10 points. Zhang Yuanqing returned to the main interface to browse available bounties. He discovered that overnight, numerous bounties targeting members of the Bacchus Club, the Merchant Guild, and Heaven's Punishment had sprung up. These were clearly bounties posted by the orderly and evil factions against one another. Such tasks were primarily meant to recruit rogue independents, which also indicated that the clash between the two camps was escalating. "Let's see what jobs I can take..." Zhang Yuanqing scrolled down to the bottom. Tasks below 10 points were numerous and varied: collecting debts, locating missing persons, theft, security gigs, and even contracts soliciting murder, rape, or bank robbery. Crossing legal and moral boundaries for a handful of points was definitely not worth it. Even members of evil classes were reluctant to take them, since the payouts were meager while Morality Points were precious. "Might as well start with low-level tasks like debt collection and finding people." Zhang Yuanqing casually accepted a debt-collection assignment, put down his phone, and slurped down a few mouthfuls of noodles. Just as he finished the bowl, Asano Ryo's reply arrived. [Asano Ryo: I found Chen Shu's file. There's quite a lot of material—I'll send the document over to you.]