Ranks

Police Station.

Jiang Xun was dozing off on a recliner.

He had been busy all day, and it seemed he had done quite a lot, but upon careful reflection, it felt as if he had gained nothing. The murderous thief hadn’t been found, the lead on the necklace was completely dead, the disappearance cases remained a mystery, and their colleagues in Jade Capital were clearly hiding something from them…

A mess of chaotic matters was twisted together. Although he had anticipated this trip wouldn’t be easy, the complexity of the situation still exceeded Jiang Xun’s expectations. Primarily because the other members of the team had their own business to attend to, he had only brought Old He and An Ye with him this time. They were severely understaffed; having to run every errand personally was both exhausting and troublesome.

“Sigh!”

Old He, sitting nearby, let out a sigh. He shifted his gaze from a mountain of documents to the man resting with his eyes closed. “Captain, what should we do next? Should we keep chasing the murderer who stole the necklace, or dig deeper into the Yuansheng Group?”

“I feel that company is very suspicious. That manager was lying! According to the files, that guy is a total lapdog for the Second Young Master Yu. The necklace was probably something Yu Yuan ordered him to buy!”

“When the professor refused to sell, they hired someone to steal it, but an accident occurred, and the conflict led to the professor’s death. It’s perfectly logical, isn’t it?”

Old He spoke with great conviction, but Jiang Xun didn’t even lift an eyelid. He merely replied lazily, “But do you have evidence? Even we can’t arrest people based on pure speculation. Besides, why would a playboy like him have such an obsession with that necklace? And where would he have even heard about it?”

“This…”

Old He scratched his bald head. For a moment, his scalp just felt itchy; he truly didn’t know how to explain it.

The office fell silent again. After a long while, the door was pushed open from the outside with a click.

“Captain, we have a new lead!”

An Ye, a short youth wearing glasses, entered with a folder. Although his face remained expressionless, his tone was slightly raised. Jiang Xun, eyes still closed, immediately realized he had obtained useful information.

The man opened his eyes, sat up on the recliner, snatched the report, and began flipping through it. While Jiang Xun read, Old He dropped what he was doing and watched expectantly. Since the Captain didn’t have time to explain yet, Old He turned his gaze toward An Ye.

The youth didn’t keep him in suspense. Pushing up his glasses, he explained, “It’s about the disappearance cases.”

“A breakthrough?”

“Yes. Colleagues from other teams just sent word. They suspect the mysterious disappearances in Jade Capital lately might be linked to a Demon Tamer.”

“A Demon Tamer?” Old He was startled.

A Demon Tamer, as the name suggested, referred to an existence that sought to harness the power of demons. Beneath the calm surface of this world, many individuals capable of using special powers were hidden, though their methods of obtaining such power varied.

• The first is Talent: Some are born with special abilities that grow stronger as they age. If paired with proper training, they can achieve impressive combat strength. However, these abilities are random and cannot be replicated. One might be born with Herculean strength, while another might only make their eyes glow—no amount of training will turn the latter into anything more than a brighter flashlight. The Bureau has the most “Talented” individuals, scouting them worldwide to train them for suitable roles.
• The second is Magic Potions: Short for “Demon Potions.” Demons are chaotic lifeforms from the Neighboring Realm that occasionally descend into this world—humanity’s greatest enemy. Through encounters, humans discovered that demonic power could be utilized, leading to the creation of potions. Made from demon remains or essence, these potions grant extreme power. The drawbacks are instability (linked to potion quality and personal constitution) and the inherent pollution or damage the demonic energy inflicts on the human body.
• The third is Demon Taming: Some seek power directly from demons through Contracts or Devouring—binding a demon or fusing demonic energy into themselves. This path isn’t necessarily stronger than potions, but it is far more dangerous and prone to “loss of control.” Those who gaze into the abyss are gazed back upon; direct contact with demons leads to a high rate of insanity.

The boundary between a Demon Tamer and a Fiend is very blurred. If you can control the contract or the demonic energy, you are a Demon Tamer. If you fail and become corrupted, you are a Fiend!

Beyond these, there is a special category: [Relics]. Most Relics come from past eras—remnants of fallen civilizations. Many possess bizarre, reality-defying abilities that appear no different from magic to modern humans. Their internal structures and principles remain a total mystery. Current science suggests these might hide deeper secrets.

“A Demon Tamer? What’s the rank?” Old He asked, his expression becoming serious.

An Ye shook his head; he had only skimmed the report.

Jiang Xun finally spoke: “No higher than C-Rank. The Bureau has him recorded under the codename [Eye Hunter]. He has a penchant for gouging out victims’ eyes to collect or eat—likely the price for using his demonic power. Known abilities include hypnosis, creating illusions, emotional manipulation, and commanding demons.”

C-Rank was part of the Bureau’s classification system: F, E, D, C, B, A, S. This wasn’t absolute, as the Bureau could only estimate based on known encounters.

“Supposedly, this man has immense physical stats and excels in close combat. He carries at least two dangerous Relics and likely some Potions,” Jiang Xun summarized. “He committed multiple crimes in Linhai City before being wounded by Bureau members and vanishing. Jade Capital colleagues bumped into him recently; he escaped, but they’ve linked him to the local disappearances.”

Old He scratched his head. “So the case is in our hands now?”

“Jade Capital colleagues have other important things to do. Besides, this falls under our jurisdiction… if the Eye Hunter is indeed the culprit.”

Jiang Xun didn’t seem to mind, but An Ye raised a question: “How do we find him?”

“Indeed…” The [Eye Hunter] was an expert at masking his tracks and possessed disguising abilities. Having been spooked recently, he would hide deeper in the urban jungle.

Jiang Xun’s expression remained unchanged. He let out a faint smile. “The report says he was significantly wounded in the last encounter and left quite a bit of blood at the scene.”

“Captain, what are you getting at?” Old He was confused. “Wouldn’t he hide even better if he’s hurt? Tracking hospitals and pharmacies would be too much work…”

Jiang Xun sighed. “I told you before—Jade Capital University houses several Relics. Did you not look into them?”

Old He didn’t see the connection, but An Ye’s eyes lit up. “The Harmless-Class Relic—[Kinship Finder]!”

“Exactly,” Jiang Xun nodded.

The [Kinship Finder] was a gold jade plaque with blood-red veins. By dripping one’s blood onto it, the plaque would glow and turn hot when a relative was within range. Conversely, if you had a stranger’s blood, it would react to the owner of that blood.

“Since we have the Eye Hunter’s blood, we can use the [Kinship Finder] to find him!” Jiang Xun said confidently. Driving around Jade Capital with it would reveal him.

The only problem was…

“There’s no way Jade Capital University will just lend that to us, right?” Old He worried. Relics held immense value; no one lent them out easily.

Jiang Xun stood up. “We’ll give it a try. If they say no, we’ll find another way.”