Fireworks and a Grand Adventure

Gurgle... gurgle... The sounds of greedy sucking seemed hair-raising in the dead silence. Scarlet blood vessels writhed, swelling rapidly without restraint. ...And just like that, clutching his so-called "ideals" and "righteousness," Adjutant Han drowned. —Drowned with Bai Zhou holding his head under. Bai Zhou respected everyone's life, and he had no intention of convincing Adjutant Han of anything. He simply wanted Adjutant Han dead. It was as simple as that—why waste so much breath? —Those who eat people deserve to be eaten! Bai Zhou turned to look at the Resting Cemetery. Every tombstone silently watched Adjutant Han's howling, agonizing torment. The man who had held his head high and spouted endless grand rhetoric just moments ago was gone. It seemed that no matter how eloquent someone was, when faced with life, death, and agony, they could only utter a few monotonous whimpers. They couldn't "convince themselves" that the pain was necessary on the path to their ideals, nor could they deliver a grand speech before the Legacy of Bloodthirst... With this, the first step of his vengeance—and the one thing that had to be done before leaving— was accomplished. His mind was completely clear. It was as if his spiritual state had undergone a sublimation, a faint spark of epiphany flickering just within reach. That was... the power of the "heart." Bai Zhou stroked the dark gold ring on his left hand, his gaze finally settling on Section Chief Liu's tombstone. "Big Brother, did you see that too?" ... Roll, roll, roll... On the battlefield. The gunsmoke gradually thinned. Four severed heads rolled across the ground, one coming to rest beside the Major's boot. Its wide, unclosed eyes were filled with sheer terror, as if they had witnessed something inconceivable and profoundly horrifying. A secret unit that had arrived late—the Major's direct personal elite—surrounded the perimeter, fully armed and on high alert. "Go fetch Adjutant Han." Standing before the ranks of officers, the sharply dressed Major put his dark sunglasses back on, then pointed to the headless corpses on the ground. "We can't let these materials go to waste." "Adjutant Han, he..." Behind the Major, an officer hesitated, starting to speak and then stopping. He eyed the Major cautiously, his mix of respect and dread even stronger than before. "Hmm?" The gaze behind the broad sunglasses shifted toward him, sending a chill through the officer's entire body. "We haven't been able to contact Adjutant Han for a while now." "Right now, he should be conducting the 'transaction' at the Resting Cemetery." The officer hurried to report, letting out a breath only after getting the words out all at once. Before today, he had assumed that as a department supervisor and an officer, since they all ate at the same "table," they were essentially partners. Only today did he understand... He was only able to sit at the table because the Major allowed him to. "You can't reach him?" At those words, the Major frowned. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong at the Resting Cemetery. Did the Blood Worship Cult have other motives? "Move!" With a broad wave of his hand, the Major issued a swift, decisive order: "Let's go take a look!" "Yes, Major!" With crisp snaps, the synchronized rhythm of military boots rang out immediately. The secret unit mobilized. This force was an elite cadre the Major had cultivated using his personal resources—they were not "outsiders." Whenever Adjutant Han requisitioned escorts for his transactions, he drew them from this very unit. Leading at the head of the detachment were five Tier 3 Extraordinaries, alongside the enigmatic Major. The air seemed to tremble. The five officers' heavy footsteps slammed against the concrete pavement like invisible warhammers crashing down. Their silhouettes stretched long in the light, each towering, burly frame radiating terrifying pressure. Every officer had pent-up drive burning inside. Their helplessness when facing the Blood Worship Cult elder made them desperate to prove themselves before the Major. Where one officer stepped, charred marks of high heat remained; another wore a heavy military greatcoat, his gaze carrying a chill as grim as frost. Each man's mechanical briefcase lightly knocked against his knees. No matter who they encountered at the Resting Cemetery, they would obliterate them into slag without hesitation. Six terrifying Extraordinaries, like six moving mountains, advanced toward the Resting Cemetery. The troops behind them carried the momentum of an unstoppable crushing force. If nothing went awry, they would arrive at the Resting Cemetery in half a minute— Just in time to see Bai Zhou pulling out the Legacy of Bloodthirst against Adjutant Han. Fortunately, Bai Zhou was not unprepared. Tap... Just as the troops passed an inconspicuous gray building, an abrupt change occurred. Whoosh—BOOM!!! As if welcoming the arrival of the Major and his men, the entire base suddenly shuddered without warning. It was as if the whole world were bursting into bloom... From every direction across the base—the sky above, the gutters below, and even the windows of buildings on both sides—deafening roars erupted simultaneously! —The base blew up. Countless sharp whistles soared from the earth, followed by an indescribable display of brilliance. Innumerable bursts of flame bloomed from hidden, unassuming corners, shooting straight into the sky as soaring fire and flying debris hurtled toward the light strips at the ceiling of the base. These blast points had deliberately avoided the Black Chamber, affecting only certain structures. Out on the frontlines, the personnel had just repelled the Blood Worship Cult's invasion and were all standing in the wide, open field of the battlefield, escaping harm. Yet the sudden wave of explosions sweeping across the entire base left their minds reeling, utterly baffled by what was happening now. ...On the other side, however, things were far from pleasant for the Major. They took the brunt of the explosions head-on. Enormous fireballs blossomed layer upon layer, submerging the entire street along with the officers and troops. An officer nearest the blast source collapsed severely wounded on the spot, and the secret unit fell into total disarray. "Maintain formation!" The Major bellowed with composure, his eyes flashing with grim murderous intent. The life or death of an officer was insignificant, but this sudden explosion was the ultimate provocation against him. For someone to pull off something like this right under his nose without him noticing in the slightest— This was practically jumping into his face to mock his incompetence! ...Yet in the very next instant, he had no room left for that thought. Because the ground beneath their feet suddenly vaulted upward, like a giant dragon flipping over. "...?" The Major and the officers wore expressions of bafflement simultaneously. "Not good!" Suddenly, someone's face twisted in horror, a dread that bordered on sheer despair: "The building that exploded next to us was the public restroom! Down below—that's the septic tank!" The next instant. BOOM! A foul, catastrophic eruption arrived. The concrete pavement beneath their feet gave way as fragile as a sheet of paper as terrifying biogas erupted violently. Many of the prized soldiers the Major had secretly cultivated were blown into the air by the massive detonation. A filthy liquid blending yellowish-brown and black, carrying countless unnamable chunks, soared straight from the ground before crashing down like a deluge. "NO—!" The Major's fury threatened to set the entire base ablaze. Yet in the next split second, he regretted ever opening his mouth... Filth, as if launched straight from the depths of hell, came showering down over his head and face, an unbearable stench fermented to the absolute extreme penetrating every pore. This haughty, domineering Major of noble birth, a man with severe germaphobia— Was the undisputed epicenter of this storm's baptism. "WHO WAS IT?! WHO WAS IT?!" The muffled roar was barely human; the Major had descended into a frenzied state of rage. No matter how poised and elegant he normally was, he could maintain his composure no longer. Or rather, what he was experiencing right now... Was, to him, the most horrifying fate conceivable, far worse than death itself! A sky full of brilliant flames bloomed overhead, exquisitely beautiful, yet down here lay a boundless, reeking hell of filth, forming a stark and grotesque contrast. Suppressing the violent urge to vomit, he gouged several words out through his clenched teeth, his voice tearing through the tainted air: "CATCH—HIM!" "Whoever he is, I'm going to strap him to a Federation Patriot rocket launcher and execute him by bombardment with my own hands!" The casualties and wails of his subordinates did not enter the Major's thoughts at all. What stood before him had inflicted the greatest true damage upon his arrogant, fastidious soul. He twisted his neck, but just as he prepared to move, he realized a mysterious, sticky fluid was drawing stringy threads between his fingers... —The Major successfully lost all reason. He could not even tolerate his own existence at this moment, feeling only that he was soiled... permanently beyond cleansing! "B-But, Major..." "We have to tend to our wounded immediately and organize men to salvage the base's facilities..." An officer stammered nervously to report. "Certain secrets cannot be exposed, especially the Black Chamber—the fire can't be allowed to spread there..." Before he could finish, he was cowed into silence by the Major's blazing glare. Yet that reminder forced the Major to regain a shred of self-control. Priorities mattered. Incidents had piled up one after another, and with such a massive commotion dragging on, superiors from above would likely arrive soon... Originally it would have been easy to spin—all living merits and combat achievements. But now, a cluster of buildings had been inexplicably destroyed. The Statute Hall might launch an investigation... He had to prepare in advance! "Right now, take your men immediately to find Adjutant Han and get to the bottom of what is going on here," the Major barked a new command to the officer before him. "Perhaps another faction of the Blood Worship Cult infiltrated the premises... I must head back and check." —And, of course, take a shower. Ten showers! The officer led his men away. Yet their marching efficiency had dropped to a third of what it was before. With this delay, what awaited them at the Resting Cemetery would no longer be Bai Zhou. —Instead, it would be Adjutant Han's mummified corpse, and the rampant, frenzied Legacy of Bloodthirst! After a long while, the explosions from nowhere finally ceased. A pall of smoke slowly settled over the wrecked, devastated ruins. Amidst the foul air, a torn corner of a slogan originally pasted on the wall spun gently, drifting down at a leisurely pace. It glided gracefully through the curtain of falling filth, dodging the scorched air, and landed like a mocking snowflake beside the Major's muck-encrusted boot. The Major looked down, only to see the neat, printed characters on it: "No Random Urination or Defecation!" Major: "...?" ... Far away at the Resting Cemetery, before the forest of tombstones. "What beautiful fireworks!" Fireworks rising—should you watch them from below, or from the side? Standing at the entrance of the tomb's secret passage, about to go "underground," Bai Zhou had his face illuminated by the brilliant firelight. Bai Zhou grinned at the fireworks in the sky and gave a distant thumbs-up— "Nicely done!" Though he had no idea what had just unfolded over there, Bai Zhou had handed over the detonation authorization for the ritual to Crow ahead of time. If all went as expected, Crow had seized the right moment and successfully held back the Major or any reinforcements heading this way. These dazzling fireworks were the signal that Crow had successfully stirred up chaos and was on her way back. Then, Bai Zhou looked toward Adjutant Han, who now looked almost no different from a dried corpse. To prevent any unexpected turns, aside from his severed left arm, his other three limbs had been pinned down by bullets. —Carried out, naturally, with the Adjudicator-300 enchanted pistol left behind by Section Chief Liu. Gurgle, gurgle... The blood vessels had turned into a scarlet serpent over a meter long, coiling tightly around Adjutant Han, faintly glowing crimson in time with his breathing. Yet no matter how rampant its hunger grew, it did not dare approach Bai Zhou's vicinity. Especially whenever Bai Zhou waved his left hand, which bore the golden ring, the Legacy of Bloodthirst would act startled, practically snatching Adjutant Han in its mouth and scuttling off to the side. —Adjutant Han, who loved puppets, had now become the puppet of the Legacy of Bloodthirst. Yet Adjutant Han seemed to cling to some lingering hope, holding onto his last breath with his bulging eyes wide open. Until the fireworks bloomed. The tremors shaking the entire base made Adjutant Han understand what Bai Zhou had done. Though he couldn't fathom how the youth had pulled it off... To cause such a massive disturbance—was he trying to draw in outsiders? "Looks like the Major you're waiting for won't be making it anytime soon." Bai Zhou waved at Adjutant Han from a distance. A trembling hand lifted, pointing at Bai Zhou. The desiccated corpse wrapped in serpents seemed to want to say something. Yet in the end, that final breath failed to rise. His head tilted, and his hand dropped with a soft thud. —He couldn't even close his eyes in death! Those peach-blossom eyes he had been so proud of were now embedded in that dry bag of skin and bones, making him look like a toad. Just then, a familiar figure slowly emerged on the distant horizon. Crow had returned. Only, her expression held a strange nuance. "Why did you arrange the demolition ritual... in that sort of place?" "What sort of place?" Bai Zhou didn't catch her meaning. "They were just corners nobody pays attention to. What about it?" "No, nothing." Crow shook her head expressionlessly. "Let's move quickly. Someone will be catching up behind us soon." "Right..." Lifting the briefcase and standing at the passage entrance, Bai Zhou suddenly looked back. The familiar layout of the base was laid bare before him, while the tombstones standing tall behind him seemed to see him off in silence. At the edge of the horizon, faint, blurry silhouettes were already visible, though for some reason their steps were extraordinarily slow, trudging with great difficulty. Yet without question, pursuers were approaching. In the foreseeable near future, once the Major gathered his wits and freed up his hands, he would never let Bai Zhou off—not when Bai Zhou knew the secrets and had fled with the ledger. An endless stream of pursuers, whether from the base or from the financial consortium backing him... Would hunt Bai Zhou to the ends of the earth. Bai Zhou would pay the price for his actions today. Perhaps starting at dawn tomorrow, he would lead a suffocating life on the run. Those would undoubtedly be the most perilous days of his life. —Yet Bai Zhou was ready. He had no regrets. "...I will be back." Without fail! Finally, before the slowly descending door of the secret passage, Bai Zhou spoke to himself in his heart. ...There was one matter he had never been able to let go of. Since the Major was like this, and the entire base treated people as less than human... Back then, had the folks from Wancheng who were carried away really been sent to a hospital for proper treatment? Once he was out, aside from following the clues in the ledger to investigate the Major's supply chain in the outside world... The fate of the Wancheng folks was something Bai Zhou had resolved to uncover. —Therefore, he had to become stronger! Strong enough to get to the bottom of everything, and then return in a different guise. No longer a stray dog fleeing to the edges of the earth, but an executioner who would strike down those who deserved to die with his own hands! —Including exacting his final vengeance upon the Major! "Actually, there's a question I've been wanting to ask since the beginning." Crow's voice came from beside him. "What?" "That ring on your hand... where did it come from?" Crow looked at the dark gold ring on Bai Zhou's left hand with an odd expression. A circlet bearing twelve sharp thorns, its bramble shape wrapping tightly around Bai Zhou's left index finger. —It looked remarkably familiar. "Yes, that's right," Bai Zhou cleared his throat lightly. "It's exactly what you're thinking." "But that's a long story..." The voices of the two grew distant within the secret tunnel beneath the tombstones. This secret path was not rotting and dilapidated as one might imagine; rather, it was neat and clean, with faint yellow lights lining both sides. It seemed they used this tunnel even more frequently than Bai Zhou had anticipated. "Where do you plan to go next?" Crow asked casually, watching Bai Zhou pore over a map. "Do you have any plans?" Crow hadn't really expected an answer from Bai Zhou, however. Even this map of Tinghai City had been "scavenged" from the base in advance by Crow. What did Bai Zhou know about Tinghai City? Could he even name a few places there? At a time like this, he still had to rely on Lady Crow to guide the way... —Yet unexpectedly, Bai Zhou answered without the slightest hesitation: "Dongxing Road." Bai Zhou lifted a finger, pointing to a location on the map, and said to Crow: "Let's go here. This place looks pleasing to my eye." Dongxing Road. Yongning Life Care Center. —The Dead Sea Secret Scrolls! Now was no time for rest. Time waited for no one. Bai Zhou had to seize every opportunity that could make him stronger. He had missed it during his last trip to Tinghai City. This time, if possible... He wanted to go investigate tonight! "..." Amidst their conversation, the two reached the end of the secret passage. Climbing up a welded iron ladder, he pushed open a circular iron cover— Only then did Bai Zhou realize it was a sewer manhole cover. Whoosh... The noise of traffic outside immediately reached Bai Zhou's ears. Beyond the exit of the tunnel lay a dim alleyway. Yet unexpectedly, just outside this alley was a bustling commercial district. Even at one in the morning, traffic flowed like a weaving loom, crowds surged like waves, neon signs blazed in radiant colors, and brightly lit shopping malls turned the night into day. The aroma of street food drifted over, the lively atmosphere of the mortal world rushing straight at him, forming a stark contrast to everything Bai Zhou had just experienced underground. A gentle, cool night breeze brushed against his skin with a tingling touch, making the clamor by his ears seem to fade away with the wind, allowing his muscles to relax involuntarily. It was as if all the past experiences of "eating people" and "being eaten" in the base were nothing more than a non-existent nightmare... His gaze drifted upward involuntarily. At the city's skyline, the towering skyscraper that was both familiar and foreign to Bai Zhou caught his eye once more. Though he stood in a completely different location from last time, as long as he raised his head, that landmark sign remained unmistakably conspicuous. For the first time, it shone before Bai Zhou in its nighttime neon splendor. It read— "Tinghai Welcomes You!" "..." Standing at the mouth of the alley with his briefcase in hand, Bai Zhou was momentarily lost in a daze. "What are you staring at?" Crow's voice sounded by his ear. A pair of iridescent eyes met Bai Zhou's gaze, shining brighter than the stars in the sky. Like a young beast that had just broken free from its cage. She tilted her chin slightly, first gesturing meaningfully toward the deep darkness of the alley behind them, then pointing toward the deeper parts of the city where light and shadow intertwined into maze-like streets. Finally, her fair fingertip pointed toward the surging, unfamiliar crowd enjoying the nightlife nearby. "Are you ready?" Her words carried a deeper meaning. "Honestly," Bai Zhou blinked, "I'm surprisingly not that scared." Tension was inevitable. ...Yet a near synonym for tension could also be excitement! Since fate and darkness would always press closely behind him, he would simply flee to the ends of the earth. —At least he wasn't alone. Crow offered neither approval nor disagreement to Bai Zhou's answer. Then, she and Bai Zhou looked up together toward the neon landmark in the sky. Caw—! A raspy crow's cry swirled down from overhead. August 29, 2030, 1:02 AM. Tinghai City, a metropolis shrouded beneath the veil of daily life, opened its embrace to the wandering traveler returning home. Flap... A mysterious black three-legged crow traversed the dark night sky. It swept over the city, flying low over Bai Zhou's head, casting down a shadow of untamed freedom. The mystery hidden in the shadows was about to intertwine with the reality on the surface— A grand adventure was about to begin.