Chapter 45: Countermeasures and the Peregrine Falcon

It was much like the "Source Energy Sensing" ability. When utilized as a Source Vessel, its effects were inevitably constrained. However, once "plundered" by Lin Lei, abilities that might have once been severely limited began to display far superior results. Furthermore, combining different abilities could achieve a synergy where the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Long Er had finally returned.

"Brother!"

Although Long Er’s clothes were somewhat disheveled, he bore no visible wounds, clearly having avoided any major danger. Before Lin Lei could even ask, Long Er spoke up first:

"Brother, did you go to the DC District today?"

Lin Lei raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?"

Long Er’s expression turned somber. "It’s like this... tonight, an expert from the Death Bird organization named 'Du Juan' died..."

"Du Juan was the one in charge of searching for 'that item.' It is said she carried a red thread, and tonight, while tracking it to find the person, she lost her life..."

Lin Lei frowned. "Did you see Du Juan's body?"

Long Er was taken aback, then shook his head.

Lin Lei narrowed his eyes. "Then why do you say she is already dead?"

If his guess was correct, Du Juan was the woman in the red dress he had killed. But he had devoured her corpse; how could the Death Bird organization be so certain she was dead?

Long Er shook his head again, offering a bitter smile. "I don’t know either."

"In truth, it was a guy from Death Bird named 'Crow' who called me over and told me..."

Lin Lei’s eyes flashed. "'Crow' sought you out? What did he say? What did he ask you to do?!"

Crow was a Fourth-Tier expert. Furthermore, since the organization was named "Death Bird," and he carried the name of the bird itself, he could never be considered a mere rank-and-file member. He was undoubtedly a core figure of the organization.

Long Er continued, "Actually, it wasn't just me; the gang leaders and others were called over too. He gave us a task... Crow seems to believe the person who killed Du Juan is a Second-Tier member of the Investigation Bureau. He said he would provide us with information on several targets over the next few days and had us use the 'red thread' to try and verify their identities..."

Lin Lei’s eyes sharpened. The number of investigators involved in this bureau operation was limited. By narrowing the scope to the Second Tier, it was much easier to identify the culprit. If Death Bird managed to uncover the intelligence on the investigators and conduct a process of elimination, they would easily determine his identity.

"If that’s the case, I don't have much time to react..."

While the Bureau would help conceal an investigator's identity, keeping it confidential from outsiders, it would pose little obstacle to a transcendent organization like Death Bird. Since he had killed Du Juan, Death Bird would certainly take the matter seriously and might even dispatch someone stronger—perhaps even a Fourth-Tier expert.

"With my current strength, dealing with a Fourth-Tier might be quite difficult."

There were two ways to resolve this. The first was to eradicate Death Bird and solve the problem at the root. But Death Bird was the premier civilian organization in Biyang City, backed by a Fifth-Tier master. Even if Lin Lei reached the Third Tier, he would be no match for such an expert.

"Then there is only the second method... use my shapeshifting and other abilities to confuse my identity, forcing Death Bird to stop looking at the investigators... but that carries its own risks."

Lin Lei’s mind raced. Thanks to "Gluttony," he had concealed the vast majority of his true abilities. With "Shapeshifting" paired with his hidden powers, he could easily disguise himself as someone else. By assuming another identity and manifesting the power of the "Sword Bone" in front of Death Bird, they would stop obsessing over whether an investigator had obtained the "Sword Hilt," and his true identity would remain safe. Of course, as long as Death Bird possessed the red thread, the risk of discovery remained, but he still had the identity of "Long Wentian" as a cover—at least in the Upper District, he wouldn't be easily exposed.

"Staying hidden forever isn't realistic. But as long as I can buy enough time, Death Bird will no longer be a threat."

Truth be told, Lin Lei’s attitude toward Death Bird was entirely different from his view of the Blood Sakura Society. The Blood Sakura Society deserved to die, but Death Bird was different. He was only standing against them due to the circumstances. Still, judging by Du Juan’s methods, Death Bird was no group of saints. Since he didn't want to die or be exposed, he had no choice but to fight them.

***

Three days later. Night fell.

In a remote industrial zone in the Upper District, a youth with sword-like eyebrows and star-bright eyes, dressed in black, frowned as he looked at the bald man before him.

"This is the place?"

The bald man was Long Er. He nodded solemnly. "My lord, rest assured, I haven't made a mistake. The red thread began to react in this vicinity. It took quite some effort to confirm the target's exact location."

"Don't call me 'my lord.' Just call me 'Peregrine'," the youth said, raising an eyebrow as he produced a red sword tassel.

The threads on the tassel swayed faintly; there was indeed a reaction.

The black-clad youth’s eyes flashed as he scanned the surroundings. "I heard the target is an investigator. Your movements haven't been noticed, have you? If it really is an investigator, the Bureau might get involved, which would be troublesome."

Long Er patted his chest decisively. "Rest assured, this factory has been shut down for months. No one comes here, and the surrounding surveillance has long been abandoned."

"But, sir, can you handle this alone? I heard a big shot from Death Bird died a few days ago..."

At the mention of his fallen partner, Peregrine sighed softly, then shook his head with a sharp gaze. "If I can't handle this, it would mean the target is a Fifth-Tier. If that were the case, he wouldn't need to resort to such petty schemes—there would be no way for Death Bird to recover the item anyway."

His tone was tinged with a quiet confidence.

Long Er’s eyes flickered. To speak with such confidence—could this Peregrine be a Fourth-Tier? He remained stoic on the surface, but inwardly, he was worried: could Brother Tian survive against a Fourth-Tier expert?

Peregrine looked at Long Er. "You should leave. For someone like you, a battle at this level is too dangerous. Be careful not to lose your life."

He wasn't a bloodthirsty or evil man. After the warning, he took the sword tassel and stepped forward, heading toward an abandoned factory building not far away.