The Master in a Bad Mood

Having endured the sweltering heat of the Greater Heat, August arrived, promising that Wufeng City’s scorching weather would linger for quite some time.

“Xiaoli, have you caught up on the recent news?”

“News? I don’t bother with that sort of thing.”

“My computer is an old hand-me-down from my dad, and I mostly just lie in bed watching TV dramas.”

It was nearing midnight, and a young couple ambled down the street, sharing ice cream they had bought for each other.

“Watching TV dramas all day will rot your brain.”

“Mind your own business.”

“So, what’s this all about anyway?”

“Haven’t there been a lot of strange cases lately?”

“You must have heard about that, right?”

“Oh, that.”

Given that the elderly residents downstairs were all discussing it, it was hard for her to remain ignorant.

Besides, her colleagues at work had also mentioned it to her.

After the Wolf Fang Gang was eradicated, the citizens of Wufeng City had believed that better days were ahead.

However, their peaceful routine did not last long before a series of baffling cases began to unfold.

Murders, disappearances… several such incidents had occurred over the past week or two.

“Don’t you have any thoughts on it?” her boyfriend asked.

“What thoughts could I have?”

“I’m not the killer.”

She had always been a carefree girl, and even these events in her own city failed to stir much emotion in her.

Dealing with work alone was exhausting enough, leaving her little time to enjoy a rare outing with her boyfriend.

“Some people online are speculating that it’s the work of otherworldly demons.”

“Otherworldly demons? Are you serious?”

“Didn’t they say that since my dad’s generation, otherworldly demons barely appear in this city anymore?”

In terms of economic development, Wufeng City certainly wasn’t a top-tier metropolis.

However, when it came to urban safety, this city was a veritable paradise for those who suffered from the ravages of otherworldly demons.

Forget otherworldly demons; even if the sky were to fall, there were still Spirit Wielders to bear the burden.

It would never be her turn, a mere small fry, to step forward.

“Instead of believing in those conspiracy theories, why don’t you go buy me a bottle of cola?”

“Still drinking?”

“You’re going to get fat as a pig.”

“Are you trying to die?”

“Didn’t you say you liked plump thighs and a little belly fat?”

“Go get it, and tonight I’ll show you the fruits of my labor.”

“Received!”

After her boyfriend dashed into the shortcut alley leading to the nearest convenience store, she settled onto a nearby bench, idly scrolling through her phone.

Time ticked by, minute by minute.

When she finally came back to herself, she realized that the ‘deadbeat’ had been gone for over ten minutes.

‘He’s so slow.’

‘Could he have forgotten his money and been detained by the boss?’

Neither her messages nor calls were answered.

Growing anxious, she stood up and walked into the alley where she had last seen her boyfriend.

Perhaps it was the night’s stillness, or the occasional gust of wind, but the deeper she ventured, the more her heart pounded.

She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched by a pair of eyes from the shadows.

The path ahead was utterly dark.

If not for her frequent use of this shortcut with her boyfriend, she might have believed it to be endless.

‘That deadbeat!’

‘If he’s made me worry for nothing, he won’t be sleeping tonight.’

Just as she grumbled through gritted teeth, she suddenly noticed something hanging ahead.

“Whose clothes were blown down?”

She switched on her phone’s flashlight.

The moment its beam illuminated the scene, her face instantly drained of color.

It wasn’t clothes at all, but a corpse!

Blood streamed from the mangled limbs, forming grotesque, vivid flowers on the ground.

The agony of death had not yet fully stiffened the face, but those familiar eyes held no spark of life.

Her boyfriend had become a corpse, suspended in mid-air!

“Help, someone…”

Just as she scrambled to escape the horrifying place, the path she had taken to get there also plunged into darkness.

Within that darkness, a pair of crimson eyes silently opened, then lunged towards her with astonishing speed.

“Ahhhhh!”

Click!

As the patrol officer pressed the shutter, another crime scene photo was captured.

“From the end of last month until now, this is already the fourth case, and this time there are even two victims.”

“They’re getting bolder and bolder.”

“Do they really think Wufeng City has no one capable of dealing with them?”

Immediately after the incident, the Heaven’s Will Bureau quickly mobilized personnel to the scene.

Aside from the person who reported the crime, they found only two mutilated bodies hanging in the air.

Both victims’ expressions were etched with fear and agony, suggesting they had endured considerable inhuman torture before death.

This was also evident from their wounds; missing body parts had either been violently torn off or bitten away.

The patrol captain’s expression was grim as he surveyed the gruesome scene.

“What’s the status?”

“The analysis results are in.”

“The culprit isn’t even trying to hide it anymore this time; we found a large amount of demonic energy.”

“So, it truly is an otherworldly demon?”

The patrol captain stroked his slightly greying stubble, his voice tinged with a hint of lament.

In the previous cases, only a small amount of demonic energy had been detected at the scene, a result that could have been dismissed as false evidence left by the perpetrator.

However, this time, the demonic energy content at the scene was alarmingly high, virtually ruling out a Spirit Wielder as the culprit.

“Wufeng City has been without otherworldly demons for so long that I almost forgot their vicious nature.”

“Captain, are otherworldly demons difficult to deal with?” one of the younger subordinates asked.

“That depends on the rank of the otherworldly demon you encounter.”

While standardizing the Spirit Wielder tiers, the Heaven’s Will Bureau had also established a classification system for otherworldly demons.

Based on their threat level, they were categorized from Rank One to Rank Four, from lowest to highest.

Most otherworldly demons encountered under normal circumstances were Rank One or Rank Two, well within the branch’s handling capabilities.

If a Rank Three otherworldly demon appeared, the entire Wufeng City would face the risk of destruction, necessitating the immediate activation of the Heavenly Thunder System.

As for Rank Four, the patrol captain had lived for so many years yet had never witnessed such a terrifying entity.

The entire Sacred Dynasty Nation hadn’t seen a Rank Four otherworldly demon in who knew how many years.

“Do Rank Four otherworldly demons really exist?”

“On the front lines overseas, there should be some, I suppose,” the patrol captain quipped.

“If you truly want to see one, you should enlist in the military, not retire here.”

“I’ll pass on that.”

“I’d still like to live to old age.”

After shooing away the slacking young man, the patrol captain’s expression grew solemn once more.

Whether it was a Rank One or a Rank Two, the reappearance of otherworldly demons in Wufeng City was an absolutely monumental event.

‘Are the days of peace truly coming to an end?’

“Achoo!”

The following day, as Xǔ Tiānlí stepped into the orphanage, he heard someone sneeze, which immediately made him pause.

If it had been one of those disobedient little rascals kicking off their blankets and catching a cold during the night, it wouldn’t have been unusual.

The crucial detail, however, was that the person who sneezed was Qín Yuè!

“So, even high-tier Spirit Wielders can be bothered by illness?”

“I heard that.”

“Are you talking bad about me?”

“No, no, Sister Qín, how could I dare?”

Glaring at him, Xǔ Tiānlí immediately flashed a fawning smile.

“I haven’t caught a cold in who knows how many years.”

“That was a side effect of a spell.”

“Huh? There’s a spell that powerful?”

Even his own master experienced side effects from using it.

Xǔ Tiānlí was genuinely curious to witness what such a spell entailed.

“You’re still too weak right now.”

“If you were to use that forbidden art, it wouldn’t be as simple as a sneeze; you’d self-destruct on the spot.”

“Then I’ll definitely pass.”

Seeing Xǔ Tiānlí recoil, Mù Qīngyǔ’s golden eyes also flickered with a hint of relief.

The so-called ‘forbidden art’ was actually the habit of kicking off her blanket in her sleep, a habit she simply couldn’t break.

Since the air conditioning had been a bit too high last night, Mù Qīngyǔ woke up feeling a little off.

‘Am I catching a cold?’

‘But why is there a dull ache in my lower abdomen?’

If it were a stomach issue, that would be troublesome.

In her previous life, Mù Qīngyǔ had suffered from chronic gastroenteritis due to her inability to control her diet, spending all day running to the bathroom until she was utterly exhausted.

However, she was only sixteen now and a Tier-2 Spirit Wielder.

She should be able to withstand more abuse than in her previous life.

How could she have a problem just from not covering herself one night?

Furthermore, she hadn’t eaten anything strange; she had been eating and drinking with Xǔ Tiānlí and the others at the orphanage.

It shouldn’t be only her who got sick.

The children in the room were watching television, but Mù Qīngyǔ was not in the mood, so she simply got up and went upstairs.

Xǔ Tiānlí noticed that his master’s expression was not particularly pleasant.

A tide of questions surged within him, yet he dared not ask directly.

He moved to where Mù Qīngyǔ had been sitting, his gaze drawn to the content playing on the television.

It was an urgent news flash.

Another murder had occurred last night, and when combined with previous cases, it was now confirmed to be the work of a serial killer.

The impeccably dressed newscaster was warning viewers on screen to avoid going out at night if possible and to call the police immediately if anything happened.

‘A serial murder case?’

‘Was Master watching this sort of thing just now?’

Xǔ Tiānlí suddenly understood.

‘So, this is why Master’s face looked so troubled.’

He believed he had gained some understanding of Qín Yuè, knowing her to be cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

She must have been concerned about the progress of the case, worried that more people would face danger.

Master was truly worthy of her title.

Even without any obligation to handle the cases, she would certainly do her part to assist the Heaven’s Will Bureau and the police in solving them.

It seemed the killer wouldn’t be at large for much longer.

Xǔ Tiānlí immediately realized he couldn’t just stand there idly.

The enemies he would encounter in the future would undoubtedly become more dangerous, and he couldn’t afford to hold his master back.

‘Once I truly grow stronger, Master will surely take me along, making me her reliable assistant.’

Just as Xǔ Tiānlí was making his solemn vow, a sneeze echoed from a room upstairs.

“Achoo!”

Mù Qīngyǔ sneezed again.

“Damn it, is this ever going to end?”

“Are they even going to let me live?”

‘I just want to be a lazy bum.’

‘Is it really that difficult?’

She rubbed her nose, the television images from earlier flashing through her mind, but she quickly dismissed them.

A serial murder case?

She wasn’t a police officer; why should she concern herself with such matters?