The real enemy

Emerging from the orphanage, Xǔ Tiānlí found himself momentarily disoriented by the bustling, traffic-laden streets.

Qín Yuè had tasked him with helping, yet she explicitly forbade him from accompanying her.

A question lingered: ‘So, where should I go now?’

The answer, however, was quite clear.

Qín Yuè was not the sole investigator delving into the serial murders within Wufeng City.

The Heaven’s Will Bureau had also dedicated considerable resources to the case, though their progress significantly lagged behind Qín Yuè’s.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t have sought her assistance so readily.

‘Could it be that Master’s refusal to let me follow her also carries the implicit meaning that I should find a solution on my own?’ As Xǔ Tiānlí made his way toward the Heaven’s Will Bureau, the more he pondered Qín Yuè’s intentions, the more he marvelled at the brilliance of her plan.

‘Indeed, I can’t rely on Master forever.’

‘After all, I am a man.’ Reflecting on the major events of the past month, Xǔ Tiānlí realized he had consistently depended on Qín Yuè to resolve matters.

It often made her seem less like his master and more like a caretaker cleaning up his messes.

This time, he vowed not to burden her any further.

The Heaven’s Will Bureau branch headquarters stood prominently in the very heart of Wufeng City.

Its doors remained open twenty-four hours a day, always welcoming visitors.

Bearing the esteemed title of an ‘official’ organization, many believed it wiser to entrust their troubles to the Bureau rather than to privately run agencies, finding a certain peace of mind in its authority.

Yet, most were unaware that, in essence, seeking assistance from the Heaven’s Will Bureau was not significantly different from consulting a private firm.

For minor incidents, the Bureau refrained from direct intervention, instead delegating them to their subordinate agencies.

This process often involved numerous bureaucratic steps, ultimately consuming more time than saved.

As for major events, there was no need to wait for a report; the Heaven’s Will Bureau’s daily operations closely resembled those of a police department.

They were typically the first to react whenever someone attempted to instigate significant trouble.

Xǔ Tiānlí hurried into the Heaven’s Will Bureau branch lobby and paused before the counter.

The server, her gaze fixed on her keyboard, inquired without lifting her head, “Is there anything I can help you with?”

Her voice carried a distinct weariness.

The recent spree of serial murders had forced even administrative staff like her into continuous overtime, leaving her with noticeably heavy dark circles under her eyes.

“I need to see your Branch Head.”

“Huh?”

“Tell him Qín Yuè sent me.”

“Are you… Xǔ Tiānlí, sir?”

“Yes, that’s me.”

The server moved her mouse, opening a file.

After matching the photo on screen to the young man standing before her, her expression instantly transformed.

Gone was her earlier lethargy, replaced by an almost fawning smile as she rose.

“I hadn’t realized it was Mr. Xǔ visiting.”

“Please wait a moment, I’ll contact the Branch Head immediately.”

“Ah, oh.”

Xǔ Tiānlí hadn’t anticipated that his name held such weight within this branch, though he knew it was primarily due to his master’s influence.

‘To think that even a good-for-nothing like me would have a day when I’m treated as an honored guest.’

He mused, ‘If my father, in the heavens, could see his son achieve even a small measure of success, I wonder if he would visit me in a dream, so we could celebrate together.’

While waiting, Xǔ Tiānlí experienced a brief moment of reverie, recalling the days he used to visit the Heaven’s Will Bureau branch with his father.

Due to his work, his father frequently had to come here to handle various procedures.

However, their movements were always restricted to the main lobby; they never ventured further inside.

As a child, Xǔ Tiānlí had been immensely curious about the towering branch headquarters, wondering what purpose lay in its upper floors.

In his young eyes, the Heaven’s Will Bureau always shimmered with an aura of legend and mystery, an object of profound longing.

His father would simply smile, pat his head, and tell him that if he truly wished to know the answer, he would have to work hard enough to take his old father up there himself.

Back then, Xǔ Tiānlí considered it an incredibly difficult dream to achieve, associating the Heaven’s Will Bureau with something ‘unreachable.’

Yet now, Xǔ Tiānlí felt that if he requested a tour of the base, no one would likely stand in his way.

His formidable childhood dream, he realized, was on the cusp of becoming reality far sooner than he ever imagined.

The only sorrow was that he no longer had anyone to share that tour with.

‘If Father hadn’t pushed himself so hard, if he had allowed himself more rest, perhaps he wouldn’t have…’ Xǔ Tiānlí quickly pulled his mind away from these sorrowful thoughts.

He knew his father wouldn’t want him to wallow in the past.

“My apologies for the wait, Mr. Xǔ.”

“Shall I lead the way?”

“No, thank you.”

“I know the way.”

“Very well.”

Xǔ Tiānlí desired a moment of solitude on the path; he would feel uncomfortable with someone accompanying him.

His last visit to the Branch Head’s office had been half a month ago.

At that time, the Heaven’s Will Bureau sought Qín Yuè, and he was merely an escort.

Now, he was alone, and to claim he wasn’t nervous would be a lie.

A persistent worry gnawed at him: what if he botched things up and disappointed his master again?

Pausing at the door, Xǔ Tiānlí instinctively reached to knock, only to discover the door wasn’t fully closed; a narrow gap remained.

“Come right in.”

The voice drifted from the crack in the door, sensing his presence.

Half a month later, Xǔ Tiānlí saw Branch Head Féng Yè again.

The Branch Head appeared even more haggard than before, likely a toll from the recent cases.

“Hello, Mr. Xǔ.”

Though Xǔ Tiānlí was his sole visitor, Féng Yè rose proactively and extended a hand for a handshake.

“I’m glad you sought me out on your own initiative.”

“You know I’m here for serious business?”

“Despite our brief acquaintance, I’ve come to understand your character.”

“You’re certainly not the type to drop by my office idly just to ‘play’.”

“Ah, haha…”

Even so, Xǔ Tiānlí felt a pang of shame for his earlier idle thought of touring the branch.

He could only cover his embarrassment with a laugh.

“Branch Head Féng, it sounds as if you’ve encountered such a person before… surely that’s not true?” Before he could finish, Xǔ Tiānlí understood the expression on Féng Yè’s face.

The Branch Head wasn’t speaking out of politeness; he was genuinely impressed by Xǔ Tiānlí’s maturity.

Xǔ Tiānlí then recalled a woman near his age named Qiao Yíng.

Féng Yè had mentioned she was a relative, so such experiences were not surprising.

“That girl is just like that—carefree and thoughtless.”

“I constantly have to clean up after her messes,” Féng Yè chuckled.

“But she’s not here now.”

“I’ve assigned her a task, which is far better than her coming here to cause trouble when she has nothing else to do.”

“Branch Head Féng’s methods are truly brilliant.”

The two men conversed as they settled down, Féng Yè even preparing hot water to brew tea for Xǔ Tiānlí.

The moment the steaming water poured into the teapot, the room filled with a rich, aromatic fragrance.

“Where is Master Qín?”

“Is she not here either?”

“My Master has her own matters to attend to.”

“Then you…”

“I’m here at the Heaven’s Will Bureau to assist, as per her instructions.”

“I see,” Féng Yè nodded lightly.

“Since Master Qín sent you, you are indeed an invaluable strategic partner.” Their casual conversation didn’t last long, quickly transitioning to the serious matter at hand: the case.

“Are you suggesting this case is the work of an otherworldly demon and a Spirit Wielder working together?”

“That is highly probable.”

Féng Yè then shared his insights with Xǔ Tiānlí.

When the first case occurred, they suspected a Spirit Wielder.

After multiple subsequent cases, their suspicions shifted to an otherworldly demon.

However, neither theory fully accounted for all the inconsistencies.

“If Master Qín hadn’t subtly hinted at it initially, we truly wouldn’t have connected the two,” Féng Yè admitted.

The perpetrator wasn’t necessarily a single individual; the combined efforts of a Spirit Wielder and an otherworldly demon could explain many perplexing aspects of the cases.

“Master actually did that?” Xǔ Tiānlí exclaimed, surprised.

“I never would have thought of it.”

“She truly is Master.”

“Master Qín’s actions always carry profound meaning; she is indeed a remarkable individual,” Féng Yè chuckled.

“If I had met such an excellent master in my youth, I might have become even stronger.”

“Xǔ Tiānlí, you are truly fortunate.”

“Just average, I suppose,” Xǔ Tiānlí murmured, scratching the back of his head.

Had his father not passed, and had he not endured the humiliation of a broken engagement, Xǔ Tiānlí would indeed consider himself fortunate.

Now, however, he simply perceived everything as a matter of equivalent exchange.

After showering Qín Yuè with praise, the two men steered their conversation back to the serious agenda.

“Since a Spirit Wielder is involved, the precisely timed nature of the crimes, a significant point of doubt, can now be explained.”

Low-level otherworldly demons possess limited intelligence; they certainly couldn’t devise such cunning methods of concealment.

Someone must be guiding them from behind the scenes.

To apprehend the otherworldly demon definitively, they first needed to expose the hidden Spirit Wielder.

“Is there any information yet?” Xǔ Tiānlí inquired.

“I’ve sent Qiao Yíng to investigate.”

“She should be bringing back some good news.”

No sooner had Féng Yè finished speaking than his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He pulled it out, glanced at the screen, and a slight smile curved his lips.

“Well, speak of the devil, here it is.”

He answered the call and put it on speaker, both men listening intently to the voice on the other end.

–”It’s bad, Uncle! Check the information I just sent you!”–

–”What happened?”–

–”I know why the culprit has always managed to evade our pursuit.”–

–”Why?”–

–”Because they’ve understood us from the very beginning.”

“They’re not the external intruder you thought, Uncle.”–

“An infiltrator?” Xǔ Tiānlí blurted out.

“No, wait.”

“You mean, the enemy is one of our own?”

At Xǔ Tiānlí’s words, Féng Yè froze for a moment.

He wasted no further breath on Qiao Yíng, hanging up the phone to immediately check the message she had sent him.

As he scrolled through the notes, his brow furrowing deeper with each line, Xǔ Tiānlí’s voice cut through the silence: “If the enemy is an insider, then aren’t we now…”

Before he could complete his sentence, a violent tremor shook the ground beneath their feet, as if the entire building was about to collapse.