The sky had already darkened.
Zhang Yuan's home was not in Qiming Residential District, but on an old street outside the neighborhood.
When he was young, Li Hao had loved going to the old street to play.
However, with the development of Silver City, part of the old street had been demolished, and the street vendors had scattered one by one. The old street had gradually fallen into disrepair, and by now it was desolate, visited by scarcely anyone.
Even the residents had mostly moved away, making it even more dead and deserted than Qiming Residential District.
Along the silent street, sporadic lights still flickered from a few old houses on either side, casting an eerie aura.
If time permitted, Li Hao should have waited patiently, drinking a little sword-steeped water each day to gradually strengthen himself before turning his mind to anything else.
Yet time did not allow him that luxury.
With every day he delayed, the danger grew one degree greater for Li Hao.
Though he might grow slightly stronger, the sword water only boosted his physical stamina; it was not enough to give him the power to confront the Red Shadow right now.
Li Hao had come to Zhang Yuan's house for a single purpose: he wanted to see if that stone saber was still there.
If the stone saber was still around, it would be quite good news for Li Hao.
If it was gone, then it had likely been taken by the Red Shadow and the faction behind it. That would mean Li Hao's own sword might have been exposed—or worse, that someone was already plotting to take it.
Black Panther trailed silently behind Li Hao. In the dark, the small black dog appeared utterly inconspicuous.
Faint footsteps echoed softly down the street.
Li Hao kept an even expression. Ahead stood an old house with official seal strips pasted across the door—that was Zhang Yuan's home.
By now, he could already see it.
He saw no one, nor did Black Panther give any warning.
Even so, Li Hao was not about to pin all his hopes on Black Panther.
When he was less than a hundred meters from the front gate of Zhang Yuan's home, Li Hao took out his communicator and dialed a number.
In the dark, the communicator emitted a faint glow, illuminating Li Hao's face.
*Beep... beep... beep...*
After a moment, a hearty, resonant voice rang out from the other end: "In the middle of the night—have you finally come to your senses? Can't cut it in the Inspectorate anymore and want to come back?"
It was extraordinarily loud!
Amplified through the communicator's speaker, it echoed clearly across the dark street.
Li Hao, who had felt a prickle of fear, suddenly felt much more at ease. Adopting a respectful tone, he said softly, "Teacher, I don't have that thought just yet."
"Then what the hell are you calling me for?!"
A somewhat annoyed voice came through the device.
"Teacher, I've been investigating Zhang Yuan's self-immolation case all year. I've found something different. Zhang Yuan... might not have died by accident!"
"Hmm?"
In the darkness, Li Hao's face was calm, though a hint of fierce intensity lurked beneath. "I looked into it. Over the years, Zhang Yuan wasn't the only one in Silver City who burned to death; there were several others. Although they seem unrelated on the surface, there's a subtle connection between them, though I haven't tracked down concrete leads yet."
The other end suddenly went quiet.
By now, Li Hao had walked up to the front door of Zhang Yuan's old house. Looking at the frayed paper seals, he said softly, "I'm at Zhang Yuan's old home right now. I want to search and see if there are other clues proving Zhang Yuan was murdered rather than dying in an accident."
"Li Hao!"
From the other end came the old man's solemn reprimand: "I know about Zhang Yuan. If what you say is true and it's murder, do not go rushing in carelessly! Watch out for danger!"
With that, he barked loudly, "Wait there for a moment! I'll notify the Inspectorate and the Ancient Academy. If you need help, someone will head over immediately!"
At this moment, Yuan Shuo on the other end seemed to have grasped something.
Li Hao didn't need to elaborate.
The moment Li Hao placed the call, told him Zhang Yuan's death wasn't an accident but likely a murder, and stated that he was standing right at Zhang Yuan's old house, Yuan Shuo instantly understood Li Hao's intent.
There might be danger!
Li Hao needed a force powerful enough to deter whatever crisis might be lurking in the shadows.
There was no need for Yuan Shuo to actually do or say anything concrete.
It was enough simply for Yuan Shuo to know that Li Hao was here right now, investigating Zhang Yuan's case.
For a heavyweight figure of the Silver City Ancient Academy, his mere attention was deterrence enough.
No one would dare make a reckless move.
Otherwise, if Li Hao died, it might draw out the wrath of this elder from the Ancient Academy, triggering far greater complications.
Rumors on the outside claimed that Li Hao and Yuan Shuo had had a falling-out.
As it turned out, they had not.
On this quiet night, Yuan Shuo's voice carried far down the empty street. If anyone had truly been watching this area, they would certainly have heard Yuan Shuo's words.
People from the Ancient Academy and the Inspectorate might arrive at any moment.
...
Right as Li Hao was on the call, Black Panther, who had been completely quiet, suddenly tugged at Li Hao's trouser leg with its teeth.
Li Hao hadn't noticed anything amiss.
However, Black Panther was far sharper than he was. The hound had likely sensed something, or Yuan Shuo's words had caused someone to stir slightly, catching Black Panther's attention.
Someone really was watching this place.
Li Hao's heart stirred. This wasn't bad news; on the contrary, it was a good sign. If someone was watching, it meant the stone saber in Zhang Yuan's home might truly not have been taken yet.
On the call, Yuan Shuo continued speaking.
Li Hao quickly chuckled, however. "Teacher, it's not that serious. I only called to mention it briefly. The main thing isn't that—it's that I took on the security mission for the Ancient Academy's field expedition. In a few days, I might be assigned to protect you on the trip."
"You?"
Yuan Shuo sounded somewhat surprised, but he soon gave a hearty laugh. "Very well, I'll be waiting for you! As it happens, this expedition is quite complex. You studied under me for two years and learned a lot, but you never got practical experience. Li Hao, how about treating this as your practical course? If you perform well, I can consider granting you non-matriculated student status. The Ancient Academy has plenty of rules, but as long as you render meritorious service on this expedition, I can still get you graduated!
"You should know that with a graduation certificate, even if you want to remain in the Inspectorate, that diploma will bump you up two ranks! Becoming a First-Class Inspector would be guaranteed—far more promising than where you are now!"
Li Hao smiled. "Teacher, let's talk about that when we meet. I'll head inside first to see if there are any clues. Once Zhang Yuan's case is solved and the killer is caught, you won't even need to say a word—I'll find a way back to the Ancient Academy myself."
"Fine!"
Yuan Shuo urged him once more, "Contact me anytime if anything happens. There's no trouble that can't be resolved. If the Inspectorate and the Ancient Academy can't handle it, your teacher still has some face left. If push truly comes to shove, as long as you make me proud in the future, I'll go all out—it's not as if I can't call upon certain expert figures!"
Hearing this, Li Hao felt a tremor of unspoken warmth in his heart.
He understood what Teacher Yuan meant.
When the time truly came, those so-called "expert figures" were almost certainly the Night Watchers.
In the past, Li Hao had never shared much with his teacher.
He had feared expanding the trouble and dragging his teacher into it.
Yet with his teacher's keen intellect, upon hearing Li Hao say that Zhang Yuan's self-immolation might not be an accident, he would immediately suspect the involvement of supernatural elements.
That was why he had mentioned finding experts.
Still, even with Elder Yuan's prominent status, summoning the Night Watchers was no simple task. Li Hao's matter was personal, not official business; pulling strings like that would likely come at a tremendous cost.
"Understood. Thank you, Teacher!"
Li Hao hung up the communicator. With a casual motion, he tore through the paper seals and pushed open the front door of the old house, which had been sealed shut for a year.
...
As Li Hao stepped into the old house with Black Panther, the quiet street outside remained utterly silent for a long time.
In the darkness, a pair of faintly blue-glowing eyes flickered in and out of sight.
Under the shroud of night, a black figure seemed like an inseparable part of the dark itself, clad in black from head to toe. Only those eerie blue eyes unsettled the senses. A ferocious demonic mask concealed the person's face, revealing neither age nor gender.
"Li Hao. Zhang Yuan's classmate, close friend, and former Second-Year Student at Silver City Ancient Academy. Withdrew last year after Zhang Yuan's death to join the Inspectorate, relentlessly investigating Zhang Yuan's self-immolation. Today, reported to Wang Jie, Head of the Confidential Records Office, linking six self-immolation cases and requesting a consolidated investigation."
Information regarding Li Hao flashed through the shadowy figure's mind in an instant.
When Li Hao dropped out last year and entered the Inspectorate, he had already entered their sights.
What was more, Li Hao might even be a key figure. However, that fell outside the shadow's jurisdiction and remained unknown to them for now; someone had merely instructed that Li Hao should not be lightly touched, as he was useful alive.
*Indeed, he cannot be touched rashly,* the shadow mused.
Had Li Hao just been speaking to his teacher, Yuan Shuo?
Yuan Shuo—a top elder of Silver City Ancient Academy, Dean of the Ancient Civilization Exploration Department, who collaborated with the Night Watchers and was one of the very few heavyweights in all of Silver City who could speak to them directly.
*Even without orders, Li Hao shouldn't be touched...*
The black figure crept closer to the Zhang family's old house. He wanted to know: what had Li Hao gone inside for?
Clues?
Zhang Yuan had immolated himself and died at the Ancient Academy. What clues could possibly be in his house?
Or was he looking for something?
As for what that might be, the shadow had no idea. But his assignment was to watch anyone who entered or even approached the Zhang family's old residence.
...
"Whimper..."
A low whine escaped Black Panther's throat. Tugging at Li Hao's pant leg, it seemed anxious, as if trying to convey something.
Li Hao remained outwardly composed, though vigilance heightened within him.
Was someone approaching?
Had his call with his teacher not been enough to deter them?
Saying nothing, he gently stroked Black Panther's head to soothe it before turning his gaze upon the abandoned Zhang family residence.
It was a modest courtyard compound.
Directly ahead stood the main house.
On either flank, one side was Zhang Yuan's side bedroom and the other was the kitchen. Li Hao knew this place intimately. He had visited frequently as a child, and even as they grew older—before Li Hao's parents passed away, since Li Hao's home was small and ill-suited for hanging out—Li Hao had come here regularly.
This time, Li Hao's primary objective was the Zhang family's stone saber.
He cast his eyes around. The old house looked undisturbed, but someone had definitely been here. Even without looking closely, certain objects seemed normally placed to an outsider, yet Li Hao knew with absolute clarity that they had been moved.
Aside from Zhang Yuan himself, Li Hao was probably the person most familiar with this home.
In the yard, even the old tree showed signs of tampering; it had likely been uprooted and replanted afterward.
*If the stone saber is still in the Zhang residence, it's definitely not in the main house or the bedroom. Absolutely not!*
Li Hao had spent enough time here to know. If it had been in either of those rooms, he would have seen it long ago and remembered. In those days, he had rummaged through boxes and chests without reserve, treating the place like his own home.
*The last time I saw the stone saber was when Uncle Zhang beat Little Yuan. I remember Uncle Zhang threw it carelessly onto the ground—I just don't know if anyone ever picked it up later.*
Li Hao recalled the past. He faintly remembered that Zhang Yuan had dug the stone saber out of some forgotten corner back then.
Zhang Yuan's father probably hadn't even remembered where he had tossed it until his son dug it up, using the occasion as an excuse to give Zhang Yuan a thrashing. As for an ancestral heirloom, Zhang's father had likely never taken it seriously.
It was just a piece of junk stone!
What ancestral heirloom?
Even if it was, it wasn't worth anything, so why bother keeping track of it? If Zhang Yuan hadn't turned it up, Zhang's father might never have remembered in his entire life that a stone had been passed down in their family.
Following the hazy directions in his memory, Li Hao paced slowly toward a corner of the yard.
A pile of stones lay there, originally meant for repairing the wall.
Li Hao scanned them quickly, but the stone from his memory was not among them. He remembered it resembling a saber.
*Someone is watching me from the shadows, making it difficult to search openly.*
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Black Panther, quiet until now, suddenly gave a low, rasping growl.
"Whimper..."
It was not the growl of guarding food, but a whimper tinged with dread.
At that moment, Li Hao's scalp suddenly prickled with numbness!
Tracing Black Panther's line of sight, he looked toward the main house. His heart skipped a beat, then pounded violently against his ribs.
The door to the main house had originally been tightly shut, showing nothing.
Yet now, the door appeared to have cracked open slightly. And through that sliver of space, a faint trace of red could be seen.
*A blood shadow?*
Li Hao's heart thumped frantically. The blood shadow had emerged?
He had caught a glimpse of it before, but by his deduction, the blood shadow was supposed to strike on rainy nights. Why was it appearing now, and right here in the Zhang home?!
*Could it be... this blood shadow has been lingering in the Zhang residence all along, searching for the stone saber without ever leaving?*
A bead of cold sweat subtly seeped from Li Hao's brow.
This encounter had come far too soon!
Li Hao had not made adequate preparations. To run into the blood shadow here—if it attacked and set him ablaze, he would have virtually no means of fighting back.
*Why is it here?*
*Damn it, it appeared too soon! I haven't even met the Night Watchers yet...*
Li Hao's body stiffened slightly. A faint tremor ran through his limbs, and the urge to turn and flee surged within him.
Yet someone outside might also be watching him.
Right—ordinary people couldn't see the blood shadow.
He could not run!
If he ran, he would expose something—namely, the fact that he could see the blood shadow, which would invite immense trouble of its own.
If he couldn't see it, he had no reason to be afraid.
Countless thoughts flashed by in an instant. The next moment, Li Hao snapped, "What are you whimpering for? Quiet down!"
After reprimanding Black Panther, Li Hao looked toward the main house and shouted, "Is someone in there? I'm an inspector from the Inspectorate! Who's inside?"
Li Hao raised his Vortex III, aimed it squarely at the main house, and bellowed again, "Is anyone there? Come out!"
Even though he clearly saw an edge of the blood shadow, he forced himself not to look at that crimson corner, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the doorway as he yelled.
Li Hao took step after step toward the main door.
Suddenly, lunging forward in a swift stride, he kicked out hard. With a loud crash, Li Hao kicked the main door wide open.
The thunderous bang also caught the attention of the few remaining households nearby.
Faint rustling sounds drifted through the air.
Ignoring them, Li Hao kicked open the door, stared into the pitch-black main house, and barked, "Is anyone there? I'm an inspector from the Inspectorate! If you don't come out, I'm shooting!"
In that moment, Li Hao's eyes remained fixed ahead, but sweat beaded across his forehead and his arms trembled faintly.
At his feet, Black Panther was already flattened against the ground, completely frozen in terror.
And with good reason!
In the corner of Li Hao's vision and through Black Panther's eyes, a crimson blood shadow was standing right beside Li Hao's left side. The shadowy red form was practically brushing against his cheek.
Yet Li Hao acted as if he saw nothing at all, offering no reaction whatsoever.
His gaze remained fixed entirely inside the main house.
"No one?"
Li Hao's voice shook slightly as he muttered curses under his breath. "Damn it! Good thing no colleagues are around, or they'd laugh themselves to death. Scared the hell out of me in the dark—I thought the killer was hiding in here!"
Letting out a long breath, Li Hao acted as though the blood shadow did not exist.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he looked down at Black Panther and reached out to smack it. "Stupid dog! What were you barking at nothing for? Scared me half to death!"
*Smack!*
Black Panther took the smack, looking both aggrieved and terrified.
*Didn't you see it?*
*This dog saw it!*
It didn't even dare lift its head now.
Because that blood shadow was floating right above its head.
Li Hao seemed utterly oblivious. When he had struck Black Panther a moment ago, his arm had even passed right through the blood shadow without meeting the slightest sensation, save for an invisible chill that seeped into his arm.
Yet he felt no resistance whatsoever from passing through an object.
*An intangible entity!*
Li Hao had audaciously tested the blood shadow to see if it truly couldn't be touched. Smacking Black Panther had been an excuse to make contact with it naturally.
And indeed... it couldn't be struck!
*Damn it, huge trouble. This means firearms are completely useless!*
Terror gripped Li Hao's heart, but through sheer willpower, he prevented himself from showing the slightest oddity.
In an outsider's eyes, he shouldn't be able to see the blood shadow.
So that strike just now had been completely natural.
Li Hao cursed the dog again, grumbling under his breath, "Damn fool dog! Bark like that again and I'll chop you up! You made me kick down Little Yuan's door. Scared me so bad I nearly called my teacher to have him bring people from the Inspectorate and the Ancient Academy!"
As if still venting his frustration, Li Hao kicked out again!
Once again, his leg passed straight through the blood shadow without making contact.
Li Hao's boldness was truly extraordinary.
The blood shadow hadn't attacked him on sight, seemingly observing something instead. Since that was the case, he had to keep playing dumb, acting as though he saw nothing.
Looking once more into the pitch-black old house, Li Hao let out a breath. "Creepy as hell in the middle of the night. No, maybe I should call Teacher after all... The guys in the Inspectorate feel unreliable, totally useless. They were the ones who closed Little Yuan's case without finding a single anomaly... If all else fails, I'll have Teacher get those men in black to step in."
The "men in black" were the Night Watchers. Li Hao had once seen them from afar, though of course he had had no contact with them.
Muttering to himself now was purely for intimidation.
If the blood shadow possessed awareness, it would understand who he meant by the "men in black"—the Night Watchers!
Li Hao also wanted to test whether the Night Watchers and this blood shadow were on the same side.
In this critical moment, Li Hao had actually grown calm.
Not only had he not fled, but he was also continuously testing the waters.
Running would have been the stupidest choice. If he ran, the fact that he could see the blood shadow would be exposed immediately, and he would be dead either way.
By Li Hao's analysis, even if he were to be killed by the blood shadow, it should happen on a rainy night, not now. There had to be a reason behind that pattern. In that case, he might as well gamble!
Li Hao continued talking to himself, feigning hesitation. "Those men in black look pretty terrifying too. If Teacher goes looking for them, who knows if he can even bring them over... Whatever. The Inspectorate doesn't have a single clue; maybe we can only rely on them. I'm a coward with no real skills, totally helpless. Coming to take a look at night scared me half to death—I probably can't keep investigating this."
Looking disheartened, Li Hao pulled out his communicator and gritted his teeth. "I can only ask Teacher for help!"
The next moment, Li Hao began dialing Yuan Shuo's number.
Right at that moment, Li Hao felt a faint jolt in his heart. The blood shadow beside him suddenly began to ripple. Outside the courtyard wall, a faint red thread extended inward, connecting to the blood shadow's form.
As if receiving an order, the blood shadow drifted swiftly away the next instant, vanishing from the courtyard.
Not only that, but after a moment, Black Panther scrambled up and wagged its tail, growing lively again.
Its canine eyes looked at Li Hao, filled with a sense of relief.
"Woof, woof!"
It seemed to say: *It's fine now, the person left, and that ghostly shadow is gone too.*
Li Hao's expression, however, remained grave.
The blood shadow and the person outside the courtyard seemed to be in league. That was not surprising; he had long suspected that the blood shadow was not an isolated entity, but part of an organization.
The crucial point was that the person outside seemed able to see the blood shadow—and could even communicate with and command it to leave.
Li Hao's claim that he was going to call his teacher to summon the Night Watchers had likely worried the person outside, prompting them to leave.
The intimidation tactic had worked!
Yet Li Hao felt no joy at all. That spreading crimson thread resembled the starlight he had seen when drinking the water—the mysterious power.
*The person outside is a supernatural mystic!*
*Is their relationship with the blood shadow one of cooperation, or direct control? Were they using the blood shadow to test me?*
*I can't kill a blood shadow with a firearm... But... what if the one outside is human? If I catch them off guard and kill the human, what will happen to the blood shadow?*
In that instant, Li Hao felt as though he had seized upon something vital.
The blood shadow was terrifying, but as long as they were human... even a supernatural being was human, and no human was invulnerable.
"Blood shadow... mystic..."
Li Hao murmured silently. What was more, the moment he had passed through the blood shadow earlier, the jade sword that had lain dormant had seemed to stir slightly. Li Hao wondered: could the Starry Sky Sword actually harm a blood shadow?
*This time, even if I don't find the stone saber, I didn't come in vain!*
Li Hao suddenly felt a surge of excitement. Perhaps he really could deal with these people—provided they didn't take him seriously. Otherwise, the blood shadow alone could easily snuff out his life.
*Take the one outside by surprise and shoot them dead. If the Starry Sky Sword can harm the blood shadow... with proper planning, maybe I can take them both out!*
Li Hao's eyes instantly turned sharp and bright!
Fear came only from the unknown!
Now that the blood shadow and the forces behind it were gradually showing their hand, he no longer felt fear—only the burning urge for vengeance.
*Still... is the blood shadow that came tonight the same one I saw before? Is there really only one blood shadow? Could a lookout watching in the shadows here actually be someone important?*
At this thought, worry crept back into Li Hao's mind. Just how many blood shadows, how many people, and how many supernatural mystics were there in this blood shadow organization?
It definitely felt like more than one person!
"I'm just an ordinary person... It's really tough!"
With a sigh, knowing they had left and might not dare return right away for fear of encountering the Night Watchers, Li Hao seized the opportunity to search quickly and see if he could find the Zhang family's stone saber.
...
Meanwhile.
At the end of the street.
Beneath the demonic mask, the faint blue gaze held a trace of hesitation. *Just leave like this?*
*Yet... if that Li Hao really can summon the Night Watchers, it'll be trouble.*
*Once exposed, it would likely invite even greater complications.*
*Forget it, leave first just to be safe. That kid might not be able to summon the Night Watchers, and even Yuan Shuo can't just call them up at the drop of a hat. But it's best to stay clear for now.*
The demonic-masked figure chose to withdraw after all.
Not far behind, the crimson blood shadow followed like a shadow, departing silently alongside him.
The demonic-masked figure didn't care whether Li Hao found anything. They had searched for the object countless times, stopping just short of tearing the entire Zhang residence apart, yet found nothing. It had likely been lost long ago. If Li Hao could find it, that would be a joke.
At least one point was confirmed: when Li Hao left the Ancient Academy a year ago, it hadn't been because he saw anything. He simply couldn't accept his best friend's accidental death.
Had he actually seen anything, Li Hao probably would have pissed his pants tonight.
This encounter had at least ruled that out, providing an answer to report back.
Chapter 8