The Law Enforcement Team began searching the old Zhang residence.
Naturally, the search yielded nothing; the Zhang house contained nothing of value.
Yet Liu Long understood that someone lurking in the dark and watching this place for so long couldn't possibly be doing so without reason—there had to be something important here. Or perhaps they were waiting for someone?
Waiting for who to come to the Zhang house?
And yet, with the Zhang family gone, who else would come here besides Li Hao, the only guy who still cared about the case?
Tall and burly, Liu Long walked aimlessly through the compound with his hands clasped behind his back.
Li Hao and the others followed behind him. As for Black Panther, he hadn't left either, but he dared not approach Liu Long at the moment, seemingly quite afraid of this captain of the Law Enforcement Team.
Soon, Liu Long approached the kitchen.
The kitchen door was already open, and men were currently searching inside as well—naturally without any success.
Li Hao avoided looking at the chimney. He had swapped out a stone there, restoring it as best he could, but the coat of whitewash originally brushed over the chimney's exterior had flaked away long ago, and there was no way to reapply it now.
In a kitchen fallen into disrepair after years of neglect, some falling lime seemed perfectly normal.
The others barely looked up, nor did they pay it any mind.
Liu Long's gaze, however, was exceptionally sharp. With a single sweep, the entire kitchen's layout registered in his mind. He hadn't expected to discover anything here, let alone imagined that with this place staked out for so long, some treasure was truly waiting for him to find.
Just as he prepared to look away, Liu Long's eyes paused slightly, lingering for a split second on the stone Li Hao had swapped in.
Quickly, Liu Long shifted his gaze.
Saying nothing of it, he turned and glanced down at Li Hao with a cold, aloof air. "Li Hao, when you arrived, did you discover anything?"
"No!"
Li Hao shook his head, then thought for a moment and added, "Or rather, not completely nothing. Based on my observations, the entire house has been tampered with. Even the old tree in the courtyard was dug up once."
"A stir of that scale went completely unnoticed—either their strength is formidable, or their ability to conceal their tracks is top-notch!"
Liu Long gave a slight nod.
Suddenly he asked, "Do you think the mastermind will show themselves if we tear down the Zhang house?"
"Probably not!"
Li Hao chose to speak the truth. "Even if the Zhang house is demolished, the Law Enforcement Team is here. However strong they may be, they wouldn't dare show themselves so easily. That wouldn't be working from the shadows anymore; it would be setting themselves against all of Silver City!"
"Then do you think there's still any need to demolish this old house? This is your good friend's ancestral home, after all."
Li Hao perked up with caution. Had Liu Long noticed something?
Was he suspecting Li Hao, or suspecting the Red Shadow's faction had taken something?
Most likely suspecting him!
For no other reason than the fact that the Red Shadow's faction was still posting sentries here to this day. If they had truly taken something, there would be no need for them to keep watching.
Which meant Liu Long really might suspect him.
'What a difficult guy to deal with!'
Why had such a difficult figure given Li Hao the impression of being somewhat incompetent over the past year?
The Law Enforcement Team had left far more than one or two cases unsolved; otherwise, Li Hao wouldn't have considered them incompetent merely over the spontaneous combustion cases.
Li Hao pondered for a moment, then replied with apparent hesitation, "If it can be preserved, that would be best. If not, so long as we catch the murderer and avenge Zhang Yuan, the house is just an inanimate object. Whether it's demolished or burned to the ground, I have no objection!"
"Well said!"
Liu Long nodded slightly. The next moment, he suddenly threw a punch, blasting a hole straight through the kitchen wall and making Li Hao's heart tremble.
Though the kitchen wall wasn't made of copper or iron, it was still built of solid brick.
With a single punch, Liu Long had shattered the bricks and punched a crater right through it. From this alone, Li Hao knew that if a blow like that hit him, he would be crippled if not killed outright.
The dilapidated kitchen shook violently from Liu Long's strike, sending bits of whitewash falling all across the walls.
Liu Long cast a cold glance around and said flatly, "Since we found nothing, let's not waste any more time. Tear the house down! Dig three feet deep and see what turns up. If there's still nothing, set it ablaze! And if nothing appears after burning it down, so be it!"
"Yes, sir!"
Around them, the Law Enforcement Team members shouted their agreement, and soon the roar of demolition began.
Liu Long turned back to Li Hao and said impassively, "Want to look around and keep a few items as mementos?"
Li Hao shook his head gently, sighed, and said dejectedly, "No need! It's meaningless! Taking the killer's head and bringing it before Zhang Yuan's grave would be worth far more!"
At a time like this, how could Li Hao draw fire onto himself?
If he took a few things and the rest of the Zhang home was reduced to rubble, leaving only what Li Hao had carried away, then when yellow mud fell into his pants, it would be taken for shit whether it was or not.
The Red Shadow's faction had never found the Zhang family saber. When that time came, they would suspect that the Zhang family saber was among the items Li Hao took.
And ironically, Li Hao really did have it!
Liu Long's words didn't necessarily come with good intentions.
It might be a test, or it might be borrowing a knife to kill someone. Either way, Li Hao refused to take the bait.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile surfaced in Liu Long's eyes. In the next breath, he barked loudly, "Don't smash and burn everything! Take a few items back to the Inspectorate as evidence!"
Li Hao said nothing.
Instead, he quickly weighed Liu Long's intentions. Was he trying to lure the Red Shadow's faction to take the bait?
From this moment on, he would never underestimate the Law Enforcement Team or Liu Long again, carefully analyzing the meaning behind every word he spoke.
"The rest of you, scatter and search around! Li Hao, come with me!"
Liu Long dismissed the team members around him and called Li Hao over.
Asking no questions, Li Hao obediently complied with the order and swiftly fell in behind Liu Long.
Saying nothing, Liu Long strode outside with large steps.
Li Hao kept pace immediately, having to alternate between a brisk walk and a jog just to keep up.
...
Outside the Zhang residence.
The entire street was packed with people—members of the Law Enforcement Team as well as old street residents who had been disturbed by the commotion. Though many had moved away, some still lived here.
Silent, Liu Long kept walking forward.
He continued until he reached a water tower in the center of the old street, where he finally stopped. Then he stepped inside and headed straight toward the top.
Li Hao followed once more.
He couldn't quite fathom what this man was thinking, nor why Liu Long had come here.
To gain a vantage point?
This was the tallest structure in the entire old street, offering a clear view of the surroundings. Had he come to spot where the enemy was?
Up the creaking wooden stairs, the two climbed, reaching the top of the tower a moment later.
Below them, the entire old street lay spread out in plain view.
Liu Long wore a black trench coat that fluttered in the wind, revealing an array of weapons nestled inside. To Li Hao's surprise, they were not firearms, but various cold weapons.
A short saber, an exquisite silver handaxe, and several throwing daggers with tiny hilts.
Liu Long looked up at the sky rather than down at the bustling street below, his voice indifferent. "Li Hao, you're an inspector in the Confidential Records Office. Let me ask you: after a year in the Inspectorate, what is your strongest impression of the Law Enforcement Team?"
"Competent!"
Li Hao replied without hesitation.
"Heh!"
A cold chuckle sounded, and a mocking expression appeared on Liu Long's face. "Hypocritical! You scholars are all the same!"
"..."
Li Hao was left speechless.
Liu Long said flatly, "Incompetent is the word! We're fine at cracking trivial, petty cases, but out of ten major cases, nine go unsolved!"
"But you must understand, the Inspectorate's Law Enforcement Team has only been incompetent in recent years. In years past, the Silver City Inspectorate was the bedrock of Silver City!"
"You're a Silver City native. You should know that when you were young, public security in Silver City was the safest among all the surrounding cities—safe enough that doors could be left unbolted at night!"
Li Hao thought about it and nodded.
True enough, Silver City really had seemed very safe when he was a child.
Of course, that might also have had to do with his youth shielding him from such things; back then, he had simply believed Silver City was safe and free of danger.
Paying no heed to Li Hao's thoughts, Liu Long suddenly asked, "Do you know why I want you to join the Law Enforcement Team?"
"I don't know..."
"Because of Zhang Yuan!"
"..."
Li Hao frowned. What did that mean?
Liu Long's tone was calm. "I have been captain of the Law Enforcement Team for ten years, and I have feelings for it! Just as you do for Zhang Yuan, I share a bond of brotherhood with this team. I cannot bear to watch this brother wither away and die!"
"I tried to save it, only to find that those involved are blinded by their vantage point. I could no longer use reason to master my emotions! I know every single person well, but it is precisely because of that familiarity that I felt no one on the Law Enforcement Team could ever do anything to betray me!"
"I was unwilling to suspect anyone, unwilling to believe that the brothers who once bled and braved death with me would betray our original purpose today for money or worldly gains!"
"From the moment we joined the Inspectorate, the moment we joined the Law Enforcement Team, we took an oath together: enforce the law for justice! Enforce the law against injustice! Fear neither power nor sacrifice!"
"Justice shall endure, fearless and uncompromising!"
Liu Long spoke with solemn intensity, yet in the next breath, a touch of self-derision slipped onto his face. He scoffed, "That was our oath back then. And yet, it seems very few can stay true from beginning to end and keep it carved in their hearts!"
Li Hao listened in silence.
He wasn't close with Liu Long, and perhaps it was precisely because they weren't close that the man was willing to confide in him.
Liu Long did not dwell on it. A moment later, he changed the subject: "Zhang Yuan's case isn't simple! It likely involves supernaturals!"
Li Hao didn't play dumb and nodded. "I think so as well. After all, the six spontaneous combustion cases appeared completely spontaneous—I even witnessed one with my own eyes. A normal person could hardly accomplish that."
"And yet you still dare pursue it?" Liu Long suddenly chuckled—perhaps his first smile of the night, and a rather chilling one at that.
Li Hao didn't know if this man had ties to the Red Shadow, but at this point, he had no other choice.
"Zhang Yuan was my only friend!"
"Ready to take a blade in the ribs for a friend?"
Liu Long remarked casually, "When you're young, you have that hot-blooded impulse. When you get older, your perspective changes!"
With that, he continued, "That doesn't matter! You're in danger right now. First, you've entangled yourself in these spontaneous combustion cases. Second, you were the one who pulled back the curtain on them, bringing the cases to the Law Enforcement Team's attention. Third, coming here tonight has startled the snake in the grass, which is another source of your danger."
"Don't count on Professor Yuan to help you too much. A person can only rely on themselves; relying on others is never dependable!"
"Professor Yuan is just an ordinary mortal. The Night Watchers might show him respect, or they might not. Don't think that simply because supernaturals are involved, the Night Watchers will intervene."
"To the Night Watchers, what are six dead people?"
Liu Long shook his head. "It's not that they don't care about deaths, but the Night Watchers are few in number, scattered across various regions! In the Silver City area, there are very few Night Watchers, and each has their own duties. Unless massive casualties occur, the Night Watchers won't mobilize. Otherwise, when a few people die and supernaturals are involved, they might not bother."
This was the first time Li Hao had heard someone speak seriously about the Night Watchers organization. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he asked in a low voice, "Are the Night Watchers that scarce?"
"Yes!"
Liu Long nodded. "Their numbers are limited. In truth, public order is mostly maintained by ordinary people in the Inspectorate! The Night Watchers mobilize only as a last resort. What's more, not all supernaturals join the Night Watchers; they are merely one of the larger organizations within the supernatural sphere."
Li Hao considered this and asked again, "Captain, are supernaturals born with their powers, or do they acquire them later?"
"Both!"
Liu Long said with a playful tone, "You want to enter this realm too?"
"No."
"Liar!"
Liu Long sneered. "Anyone who hears of the supernatural for the first time yearns for it, because they don't know the dangers or mysteries within—they only know that it's mysterious and omnipotent! Only by plunging into it can one understand the perils involved. Regrets might come later, but in the beginning, almost everyone yearns for it."
Li Hao could only nod in agreement.
Anyone who heard about it would yearn for it, and in truth, so did he.
"Yet you know nothing. Charging in blindly—putting aside how difficult it is—barging ahead without an inkling would leave you with a ninety-nine percent chance of death!"
"As it happens..."
Liu Long laughed again. "I know quite a bit about the Night Watchers. If you join the Law Enforcement Team, I might just give you some pointers."
Li Hao asked with a strange expression, "Did Captain say all this just to persuade me to join the Law Enforcement Team? I'm merely a Third-Class Inspector who entered the Inspectorate a year ago. I don't believe I have enough value to warrant Captain saying so much to me—even touching upon the supernatural domain—just to recruit me."
"Don't sell yourself short!"
Liu Long's eyes held deep meaning. "My wanting you to join naturally isn't that simple. You could even view it as borrowing a knife to kill someone! For instance, your teacher, Professor Yuan Shuo, makes an excellent patron! As for the Law Enforcement Team, its bad habits are deeply entrenched now; perhaps external force is required to break through these barriers."
"Your teacher, Yuan Shuo, is an ordinary mortal, yet not entirely one. Silver City's leadership, the Ancient Academy, and the Night Watchers all rely on him to some degree to help resolve certain problems."
Li Hao listened in silence without interrupting.
"That is the first reason. Second, the Law Enforcement Team truly needs fresh blood. Coming from the Ancient Academy, you're a fine choice!"
"Third, you're fiercely loyal, a quality I value immensely. At the very least, I can trust you with my back."
"Fourth, you have a brain and an eye for detail. With some grooming, you could become my capable right hand!"
Li Hao nodded again.
Liu Long smiled. "What do you think? Is that enough?"
Was it enough?
Not enough!
Li Hao felt that while these reasons sounded sufficient, they still weren't enough—at least not enough to make a figure like Liu Long fixate on him and have such an extensive private conversation just to recruit him.
He looked at Liu Long, but Liu Long was not looking back.
The tall captain kept staring up toward the sky. Perhaps sensing Li Hao's gaze, he suddenly smiled. "Little fellow, knowing too much isn't necessarily a good thing. I want to help you solve the case, and you come help me—isn't that enough? Why probe to the very bottom?"
Li Hao was silent for a moment before saying in a low voice, "I want revenge, but... I want to know what I'm truly doing. Knowing is better than not knowing! I can understand and accept everything Captain has said, but I must know the truth rather than becoming a pawn sacrificed in the dark!"
"Young people—always so impatient!"
Liu Long laughed. "Did you take something from the Zhang residence?"
"No. I don't understand what Captain means."
"Heh!"
Liu Long sneered. "That chimney looked like someone tampered with it. Li Hao, I've been an inspector for twenty years, and captain of the Law Enforcement Team for ten. You can think I'm incompetent, but don't think I'm blind! The traces were fresh—could someone else have done it?"
Li Hao's scalp prickled, but he stood his ground. "I don't know what Captain is talking about. I truly didn't tamper with anything."
"Doesn't matter!"
Liu Long suddenly grinned. "Even if you took some supernatural item, it doesn't matter in the least! I don't care!"
Hm?
Li Hao was startled. Liu Long was becoming increasingly incomprehensible and impossible to read.
What did this man really mean?
Even now, Li Hao was somewhat at a loss.
Liu Long smiled again. "Then let's lay our cards on the table. The reason I'm inviting you is because I can't easily force your transfer. You have a backer, so I can't strong-arm you. Otherwise... you'd be following me right now by command, not coaxed with kind words!"
Li Hao furrowed his brows.
Liu Long resumed his domineering, indifferent demeanor. "Your teacher has some standing, so I can't force anything on you! Saying all this was merely to tell you that you're in grave danger. You might very well be the next victim to burn to death!"
Thump, thump, thump!
Li Hao's heart suddenly pounded with violent intensity.
Shock rocked Li Hao's mind. Did Liu Long... have ties to the Red Shadow?
"Don't overthink it!"
Liu Long cut off his thoughts, saying flatly, "The spontaneous combustion cases are far from over! With supernaturals involved, logically speaking, even if they were murdering people, they should have left long ago. Yet the perpetrators have laid their plans in Silver City for ten years, perhaps even longer! This is neither accidental homicide nor a revenge killing; it is targeted, purposeful murder."
"Their mission—or his mission—isn't finished yet. They still have targets. Originally, I was wondering who the next victim would be. Now it seems it might just be you!"
Suppressing the turmoil within, Li Hao asked in a low voice, "Why me?"
"Why?"
Liu Long smiled. "There are plenty of people surnamed Li, but lately, the only one jumping around causing a stir seems to be you! Naturally, I have to bump your likelihood to the top of the list."
Li Hao froze once more. Liu Long... seemed to know that folk ballad as well!
"Those people watched the Zhang house, perhaps for the so-called Zhang family saber?"
This remark nearly made Li Hao lose his composure.
"The Zhang family saber, the Li family sword—are they both in your hands?"
Liu Long smiled once more, but Li Hao could smile no longer; a cold chill gripped his heart.
This man knew everything inside and out!
It seemed he knew everything. Of course, perhaps Liu Long had only deduced it after Li Hao reported the case, but for him to dig up so much in such a short time was utterly terrifying!
"Are they supernatural items?"
Liu Long muttered to himself, then quickly shook his head. "Doesn't matter, and it's of no consequence! Supernatural items are of little use to ordinary mortals. What looks like treasure in their eyes is practically worthless in ours! Whether you took them or not makes no difference."
"Quite the contrary—if you did take them, that's for the best!"
Liu Long chuckled. "If so, their next target will definitely be you! One hundred percent you! After scheming for so many years, there's no way they will give up. Even if they've attracted attention, they won't abandon it now! So joining the Law Enforcement Team isn't just helping me—it's saving yourself! Because you cannot fight supernaturals on your own."
Li Hao was reluctant to admit any of this, but at this moment his mind was in disarray. Stifling his anxiety, he whispered, "Captain, it seems the Law Enforcement Team also has their informants... After saying all this, Captain, could it be..."
"Heh!"
Liu Long scoffed. "You suspect me? It's only natural, but unnecessary. Everything I'm doing is beyond your comprehension—though perhaps you will understand in the future."
Li Hao said in a heavy voice, "Captain, speak plainly!"
Liu Long fell silent once more.
After a long time, he sighed softly, then quickly regained his composure. His tone was casual, yet the words that came out made Li Hao's hair stand on end!
"Supernaturals... just as you think, you want to step across that threshold and become someone extraordinary! And I... I want to as well! Not only do I want to, I once came within a hair's breadth of entering that realm. Unfortunately, in the end, I was turned back!"
"I refused to accept it! After catching a glimpse of that realm, to be forced back into the mortal world—how could I accept that?"
"Part of the chaos in the Law Enforcement Team is actually my doing. Years ago, I was content to put down roots here, so I was diligent and dutiful. But ever since I was turned away... I could no longer resign myself to being ordinary!"
"So I paid much less attention to the Law Enforcement Team, which led to it becoming the mixed bag it is today."
These revelations were not what truly frightened Li Hao.
What came next made Li Hao want to turn and flee.
"I refuse to sink into mediocrity, refuse to brush past the supernatural realm and let it slip away... So, I learned of a method that can allow me to step into the supernatural once more! And that is... killing supernaturals!"
Liu Long's eyes turned piercingly cold, an aura of baleful slaughter instantly boiling around him.
"Kill—kill a supernatural whose attribute or ability matches your own! Strip away their mysterious energy, draw it into your own body. If once isn't enough, then do it twice, until the mysterious energy ignites your own supernatural power—and then you become the next supernatural!"
"Supernaturals are rare and hard to kill; every attempt is a gamble with our lives! But I refuse to remain ordinary. In the past three years, we have hunted and slain several supernaturals. Unfortunately... we still haven't succeeded!"
'We?'
Li Hao's mind was reeling.
Killing supernaturals to become a new supernatural—he could neither believe nor imagine that someone from the Law Enforcement Team would be... so insanely audacious!
Cold sweat broke out on Li Hao's forehead.
He understood now why Liu Long wanted him to join, why Liu Long had brushed off his suspicious actions. Liu Long actually hoped Li Hao would draw the pursuit of supernaturals!
Gulp!
Li Hao swallowed hard. He had considered himself daring enough, but today he had encountered someone far more daring—and far crazier.
Liu Long let out an uninhibited laugh. "What is there to fear? That's why I'm reluctant to bring the Night Watchers into this. As for danger... wealth and glory are seized from peril! If you don't enter the supernatural, are you supposed to spend your entire life in dull mediocrity?"
"Li Hao, the same goes for you! If you want to enter the supernatural realm, even if you truly join the Night Watchers, you are still very likely to be turned back. The Night Watchers will only give you one chance to channel energy into your body! But mysterious energy is limited among the Night Watchers; fail once, and you don't get a second chance. Once you've witnessed the supernatural realm, only to be cast back into the mortal dust, would you accept that?"
"Is it... impossible for anyone to succeed on the first try?"
Li Hao asked. He thought of the water he had drunk—was that starry, brilliant energy the so-called mysterious energy?
He had drunk it several times, yet he hadn't become a supernatural. Could it be... he had been channeling energy into his body all along, only failing every time?
"There are!"
Liu Long nodded slightly, but soon scoffed at himself. "Every year, across major cities, the Night Watchers select at least ten thousand people to become test subjects! In the end, scarcely one percent succeed—barely a hundred people or so. All the rest fail! Li Hao, let alone the handful of candidate slots Silver City gets each year, even if you were selected, do you really think you'd be one of those hundred among ten thousand?"
Li Hao fell silent.
"So you can only rely on yourself!"
Liu Long said grimly, "Rely on yourself to kill! Use mortal means to fight and slaughter supernaturals! Kill them and strip their mysterious energy. So long as it matches your nature, if once doesn't work, then try two or three times—you will succeed eventually!"
Li Hao drew a deep breath. At this moment, looking at Liu Long was like looking at a madman.
An ordinary mortal who, in his obsession to become a supernatural, hovered constantly on the brink of death to hunt and slaughter supernaturals... this truly exceeded anything Li Hao had imagined.
He had thought having such ambitions himself was crazy enough.
Yet the man before him hadn't just entertained the thought—he had clearly already done it.
"Captain... thinks I can draw out a supernatural?"
"Undoubtedly!"
Liu Long spoke without holding anything back now. "Don't deny it. The first time I saw you, I faintly sensed some mysterious energy on you. You've definitely been in contact with a supernatural or a supernatural item recently. Someone like you... is inextricably tied to the supernatural realm!"
Li Hao didn't know whether this was due to the stone and jade sword or the water infused by the sword that he had drunk earlier. Clearly, this captain had seen through something long ago.
What a terrifying guy!
A being who, with a mortal body, dared to battle supernaturals to become one himself.
Li Hao didn't know exactly how powerful supernaturals were, but he knew they had to be formidable. The Red Shadow's methods of slaughter were terrifying, yet this man was truly... insane!
"Think it over. You're welcome to join anytime!"
Liu Long suddenly vaulted off the tower, his voice drifting faintly up from below: "Don't count on your teacher. He can't help you cross over, nor can he manage it himself. And the Night Watchers don't want your teacher or his students crossing over either, because... it doesn't align with their interests!"
Li Hao's heart stirred. 'Even Teacher... couldn't make it?'
Chapter 11