Lan Yun

The fog in Yujing was getting thicker.

Back at the manor, the change wasn’t as palpable, but once they hit the main streets, it was obvious that visibility was dropping rapidly.

As the mist densened, the surrounding lights and shadows began to shift. The streetlamps flickered erratically, and in the darkness, shadowy figures seemed to wriggle, accompanied by faint, eerie sounds.

With the flowing blood mist, tonight’s Yujing looked exactly like the set of a high-budget horror film.

However, that atmosphere was quickly diluted by the presence of numerous armored vehicles. Their hardened shells, cold machine guns, and soldiers armed to the teeth exuded a murderous aura, instantly shifting the genre from horror to war.

For modern people, these steel beasts provided a significant sense of deterrence and security, but as for their actual effectiveness…

Su Mian could only say they looked cool.

It wasn’t that modern weapons were useless; it was simply that the current setting wasn’t suitable for most of them. This was a densely populated metropolis, not an open battlefield.

On a real battlefield, one could fire missiles and bombs without restraint. Here, that was impossible. The weapons that could be deployed in a city lacked the power to be decisive.

Otherwise, a single nuclear strike would vaporize the Truth Society, their ritual, and their summons in an instant.

But that was out of the question. Such an act would hurt the city and its residents far more than it would the Truth Society.

However…

“If Yujing is truly beyond saving, would your superiors authorize a nuclear strike? Or some other method to wipe a city off the map?”

A black van sped down the road. Su Mian was crouched on the roof, peering curiously through the sunroof at the people inside.

Silence was the only reply.

A full ten seconds passed before Zhen Zhu, the girl with the eyepatch sitting in the back, spoke up. “Between two evils, one chooses the lesser. If this city is truly lost, and to prevent the corruption from spreading to other regions, such a decision is possible.”

The interior of the van fell into another heavy silence.

Even Su Mian, perched on the roof, felt the weight of those words. This was her home; if it were destroyed, the impact on her would be catastrophic.

Regardless of the cost…

She could not let the Truth Society succeed!

The girl steeled her resolve. Perhaps spurred by her words, Jiang Xun pressed the accelerator to the floor. The modified van roared like a beast and surged forward.

White Bird Food Company was a local Yujing enterprise, primarily known for White Bird Soda. In truth, most locals had never heard of the brand, and it was nonexistent on a national level.

The company’s location was remote and unmarked on electronic maps. Without a guide, it would be nearly impossible to find.

Because it looked so ordinary and desolate on the surface, no one would suspect that this was the headquarters of the Yujing branch of the Administration.

Under normal circumstances, two combat squads, over a hundred logistics and intelligence personnel, numerous researchers, and sealed artifacts were stationed here.

Of course, that was before.

“Because of the traitor, many personnel and artifacts were secretly moved to avoid trouble. The place is currently in a semi-abandoned state.”

After getting out of the car, Zhi Yuan familiarly led the group over the perimeter wall and along a small path into the building.

True to what the girl with the bun had said, the interior was empty and in disarray—a cold, deserted shell of an office.

Zhi Yuan didn’t mind the mess. She led them into an elevator, but once everyone, including Su Mian, had stepped inside, she didn’t select a floor. Instead, she held down the “Open Door” button.

After five or six seconds, a click echoed. The doors closed automatically, and the elevator began to descend.

A few moments later…

They arrived.

As the doors slid open, a massive underground space appeared before them.

Su Mian scanned the environment with intense curiosity. She had always been fascinated by the mysterious Administration. To her disappointment, while the space was vast, it was just as empty as the floors above.

Clearly, almost everything had been moved out, leaving only a hollow skeleton.

Two people were already waiting for them outside the elevator. One was An Ye, the bespectacled youth from Jiang Xun’s team.

The other was a tall woman.

She looked to be no older than thirty, with sharp, heroic features and short hair that gave her a very capable air. She wore a leather jacket and pants with sunglasses, looking somewhat similar to Old He in style.

“Captain!”

Zhi Yuan and Zhen Zhu immediately greeted the woman. Her gaze lingered briefly on them before shifting to Jiang Xun’s group. A small smile played on her lips. “We finally meet, Captain Jiang.”

“I already know about the traitor and understand your difficulties, so let’s skip the small talk.”

Jiang Xun cut her off, speaking bluntly as he sensed she wanted to apologize. “I only want to know the specific situation in Yujing. Have the Truth Society’s hiding spots been found? And regarding the ritual, what can we do?”

“I will answer those questions one by one.”

The woman seemed satisfied with Jiang Xun’s attitude. She nodded, but instead of speaking further, she looked at Su Mian, who was the last to step out of the elevator.

“But before that…”

Behind her dark lenses, her eyes were scrutinizing. As she observed Su Mian, she remarked, “Your body seems a bit strange.”

The girl blinked, her crimson pupils veiled in a hazy glow. Through her demonic power, she sensed something was off about this squad captain’s body as well.

However, because she wasn’t yet skilled in using her powers, Su Mian couldn’t see it clearly.

In fact, she felt the same way about Jiang Xun. Although Captain Jiang’s body looked fine on the surface, something else seemed to be hidden within him.

Both captains had “issues”—was it a coincidence, or a tradition within the Administration?

Su Mian tilted her head, then withdrew her gaze. The short-haired woman paused, then offered a faint smile. “Perhaps it’s because I’ve died once already. Well, now is not the time for that. I am Lan Yun—’Lan’ as in blue sky, ‘Yun’ as in cloud. Might I ask how to address you, Miss Demon?”

“Su—”