Chapter Ten: Fury

Lin Lei scratched his head and cleared his throat. “That’s just my respect for the police!”

The officers couldn’t help but chuckle at his words, a mixture of amusement and exasperation flickering across their faces.

Captain Chen waved his hand. “Sorry about that, student. There have been a series of assaults and missing persons cases in the area recently—we haven’t slept well in days, so we’re a bit on edge…”

Lin Lei nodded at once, indicating his understanding.

But just then, a communication device in Captain Chen’s hand suddenly buzzed.

“Captain Chen, we’ve found a homeless man’s corpse in an alley off Fengxing Road. The body’s covered in wounds caused by sharp implements…”

Captain Chen’s expression grew stern. He wasted no more words, gathering his team and quickly piling into the police car.

A thought flashed through Lin Lei’s mind—Fengxing Road was exactly where he’d left the corpse of the homeless man.

“Could these attacks and disappearances the police are investigating be the work of the ghouls?” he wondered. It seemed possible, but he couldn’t be certain.

For ghouls to survive and establish nests in the city, it made sense they’d prey on the homeless or stray cats and dogs. They couldn’t afford to be too reckless, or they’d never have lasted this long.

Shaking his head, Lin Lei glanced at the dying husky lying in the large bag before him, his expression growing complicated.

When the police had found him, he’d quickly used “Gluttony” to consume the ghoul’s corpse—along with the Tang sword that had fought alongside him all night.

If these things fell into the hands of the police, it would be a disaster, especially the strange corpse of a ghoul…

Though he believed Li Xueshu’s influence could resolve any trouble, he himself would undoubtedly be dragged into it, and his actions would be exposed.

“It’s a pity. Consuming another ghoul only stores up a bit more Gluttony energy for me. If I could bring a ghoul’s corpse home and study it at leisure, I’d surely uncover more of their secrets…”

His predecessor had specialized in human anatomy, and his mind teemed with relevant knowledge.

If he could fully dissect and study a ghoul, he’d be far more confident in quickly understanding them.

Still, this was a small matter. He had more or less confirmed the ghoul nest was nearby—there would be plenty of chances in the future.

The pet hospital at the entrance of the complex was open twenty-four hours. After dropping off the husky and paying, Lin Lei didn’t go home but instead headed to the market to buy another sword similar to the one he’d lost.

…

On Fengxing Road, deep in a narrow alley.

Captain Chen, gloved and meticulous, examined the homeless man’s corpse.

Beside him, Officer Xiao Ru, her face pale, called out, “Captain, these wounds…”

Wounds inflicted by a ghoul’s claws looked as if they’d been cut by a series of sharp blades—utterly unlike anything caused by normal weapons.

Captain Chen’s gaze was grave as he nodded. “These wounds are very different from those in the assault cases we’ve been investigating. Clearly not the work of the same perpetrator—this must be a separate incident…”

His eyes glinted with a strange light as he spoke again. “Do you remember? We’ve seen victims like this before…”

Xiao Ru was momentarily stunned, then her expression turned complex. “You mean…the case that was taken over by the ‘Bureau of Investigation’?”

At the mention of the Bureau, the other officers’ faces clouded with complicated emotions.

Captain Chen nodded. “That’s right. This case is suspicious. Report it up the chain.”

…

As soon as Lin Lei swiped his card and entered the apartment building, his nostrils twitched—he caught the faint metallic scent of blood in the air.

He gripped his newly purchased “Tang sword” and ascended the stairs. When he reached his own door on the top floor, his expression turned odd.

There were clear marks where the security door had been kicked. Across the blue surface, a large, glaring stain of red told of blood spattered and smeared.

On the ground in front of the door lay a black cat—its body torn apart, blood and flesh exposed, savagely dismembered. Judging by the look of it, it had been dead for some time.

The stench of blood and decay in the stairwell came from this wretched animal.

After a night of fighting and a second act of predation, Lin Lei’s emotions were already fraying. The sight before him stoked the flames of anger in his chest once more.

He summoned the invisible maw of Gluttony and devoured both the cat’s corpse and the blood splattered on his door, erasing every trace.

There were no cameras in the stairwell, so he had no fear of his abilities being discovered.

The black cat must have been an ordinary animal, likely a stray from the neighborhood.

But who would stoop so low as to pull such a vile, childish prank?

Lin Lei unlocked his door and entered, confirming no one had broken in. He sat on the sofa, thoughts whirling, but soon a name crystallized in his mind—

Liu Ping.

He pulled out his phone and saw a string of missed calls and unread messages—every one of them from Liu Ping.

He tapped open the messages and read:

[You dare hang up on me? You’re dead! Call me back within five minutes.]

[Not calling?]

[I’m at your door. Open up!]

[You’re dead meat!]

A flush of blood-red rage flickered in Lin Lei’s eyes as he read Liu Ping’s messages. “It’s almost certainly that bastard.”

The turbulent emotions from his second predation surged anew. He picked up his phone and dialed Liu Ping’s number.

The call connected quickly. Amid the chaotic noise on the other end, Lin Lei could tell it was still only five in the morning; Liu Ping was unlikely to be up this early—he must have been out all night.

Liu Ping’s voice boomed through the speaker. “You finally picked up, you little shit?!”

Lin Lei’s voice was icy. “Did you come to my place last night?”

Liu Ping’s arrogant laughter rang out. “Did you see it? The gift we left you. That little thing looked a lot like you, didn’t it? All skinny and small. If you keep ignoring me, I’ll make sure you end up the same!”

The words were vicious, but he knew these punks didn’t have the guts to do worse.

Images of the black cat’s severed body flashed through Lin Lei’s mind, mingling with memories of how these thugs had tormented his predecessor. The anger that had been barely contained now boiled over.

He didn’t lose all reason as he had after his last predation, but his chest was flooded with violent rage.

As the saying goes, it’s better to vent than to bottle things up—rather than suppress his negative emotions, he might as well let them out.

“Where are you?” Lin Lei’s voice rasped.

Liu Ping sneered. “Scared now, are you? We’re at Fanfare KTV, private room 1503. Ming is here too. You’ve got half an hour—don’t forget your wallet!”

Fanfare was a small entertainment club where Liu Ping and his crew often hung out, with internet cafés, karaoke, and arcades all under one roof.

The “Ming” in question was Zhan Jianming, the ringleader of the gang that had bullied him.

Lin Lei, seething with fury, let out a cold laugh, then strode to the coffee table and picked up the ceramic fruit knife he had bought just yesterday.

Before heading to Fanfare, Lin Lei’s last thread of reason held him back. He pulled out his phone and sent Li Xueshu a message:

“If I want to teach someone a lesson, what’s the most I can get away with?”

He’d barely set his phone down when the screen lit up again.

He picked it up—Li Xueshu was calling.

“So soon?”

He answered, and Li Xueshu’s clear, elegant voice sounded in his ear:

“As long as you leave no trace and no evidence, you can go as far as you want.”