Chapter 204.2: I’m Afraid the New Year Firecrackers Will Be Too Loud Part 2

The Origin embodied the unification of order, not the unification of stupidity. Being a civil servant who followed the rules and being one who knew how to work around them were hardly mutually exclusive. It was just that Tong Shan’s methods were nowhere near as absurd as Ji Jue’s.

One always needed a backup plan. One didn’t have to achieve the best outcome, but one had to avoid the worst one at all costs.

The moment he realized the team had lost its escape route, he’d instinctively left a few markers on the fleeing enemies. At the time, all he’d hoped for was to follow their trail, see if there was a chance to lie low in Spring City, and perhaps uncover some clues about Madam Lou.

He admitted that Ji Jue’s plan involved a fair amount of gambling, but he genuinely loved it.

“So,” he asked again, “any interest in joining the Security Bureau? Part-time works, too. Third Division has more money in its yearly budget than it can spend, and the Federation will cover every bit of your expenses. I really do think highly of you.”

“So you really hate the head of the Third Division that much?” Ji Jue shot back.

Tong Shan choked on his own breath for a moment, then burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Just like that, the plan was settled.

***

Three hours later, on the outskirts of Spring City...

Within the swirling white mist, a dilapidated house, suspended somewhere between illusion and reality, was concealed in the darkness. Silence was broken only by a faint rustling that echoed through cracks in the walls, the roof, the sewer pipes, and every dark corner along the street.

Tiny insects, no larger than specks of black dust, crawled through every corner, spreading until they blanketed the entire street and the surrounding area. They were watching everything. From time to time, an insect would crawl through the doorway and disappear into the unnaturally noisy “darkness” beyond.

Beneath the flickering lights, a deck of playing cards lay scattered across the table, untouched, while empty beer bottles had been carelessly tossed all over the room. Ashtrays, disposable paper cups, and takeout bowls were piled high with cigarette butts, mixed together with leftover food and scraps. They gave off a pungent stench, which then blended with the smells of sweat, grease, and foot odor, like some unmanaged college dormitory drifting with an unforgettable “fragrance.”

Leaning back in his chair, a fat man puffed on his cigarette as he cursed without pause, “F■ck Yan Chong. F■ck Ling Zhi. F■ck Xu Ling. F■ck the Celestial Heart Society. These bastards slap themselves on the forehead and go, ’Hey, I’ve got an idea,’ and the next thing you know they’ve created a mess this fucking big.

“And that’s not even the worst of it. After nearly getting everyone killed, they still let the Security Bureau people get away! Can you believe that? Two against one and they still couldn’t win. What a fucking embarrassment! Then they actually had the nerve to come to me and say, ’You lot, go guard this place. Don’t let even a single fly get out.’ You mother■■■!

“We were doing just fine back in Huangzhou, and then they dragged us out to this godforsaken hole. Now we’re stuck here every day, waiting around like we’re serving prison time. Lu Changsheng’s been a High Priest for so long he’s fried his own brain. Who the hell knows what goes through that idiot’s head anymore?”

“Come on, Boss, things are different now,” one of his subordinates tried to soothe him. “We’re all working for the cult.”

“Working? Work my f■■ng ass[1]!”

The fat man swallowed an insect that had crawled into his palm, crunching noisily to extract the pheromones carrying its information.

“At this rate, the Heretic Cult’s going to fall apart because of him! The Dragonrite Society’s practically shitting all over us, and he still brought in that bunch of lunatics from the Depths. Now they’re trying to pull off something big with the Security Bureau breathing down their necks? They’re just trying to get everyone killed faster! And that other old bastard, what’s his name... Jian... Jian... what was it again? That old bastard Jian Yuan or whatever! Just thinking about him makes me—”

Halfway through his rant, his movements stopped abruptly. He grabbed another handful of insects and stuffed them into his mouth, their juices splattering as he crushed them between his teeth. Shocked, he stared at the door. “They’re really coming this way?”

“No way!” The subordinates looked at each other in surprise. Those lying down or slouching in their chairs immediately sprang to their feet.

“Signal the people in the rear! Hurry!” The insect-eating fat man grinned. Between the folds of fat on his face, one compound eye after another snapped open. “This time we’ve hit the jackpot! Everyone, get ready now!”

Under the observation and pursuit of countless insects, a battered vehicle, covered in welded seams and patched-up plates, rolled into the perimeter. It moved with extreme caution, making almost no sound. Although the road ahead was short, it took a winding, roundabout route, repeatedly checking to make sure no one was following behind.

Just as it was about to enter the encirclement, the driver seemed to sense something. Without warning, they slammed on the brakes. The vehicle shot backward at full speed and sped away.

“Stop it! Stop that car!” The fat man, sprawled across the rooftop, widened every eye covering his body. Countless translucent wings like those of dragonflies burst from his back, lifting him into the air as he gave chase.

Like prey driven into a corner, the battered vehicle fled under relentless pursuit. Surrounded on all sides by the cultists and battered by a barrage of attacks, it was eventually forced into a dead end. There was nowhere left to go.

Its heavy armor was covered in fresh gouges, and thick black smoke billowed from the vehicle, spreading into the air. One of the headlights broke free from its dangling wires, hit the ground with a clang, and flickered weakly before going dark.

Then everything fell silent.

“What the hell is this?”

The fat man frowned suspiciously from a distance. Raising a hand, he signaled all of his subordinates to stay on high alert. Then he glanced at the man standing in front and jerked his chin toward the vehicle.

The unfortunate subordinate froze. Under his boss’s insistent glare, he gulped nervously, holstered his weapon, and cautiously edged forward. Summoning every ounce of courage, he muttered a stream of profanities under his breath before finally reaching out and pulling open the door.

The door had long since reached its limit. The moment he tugged on it, it came loose with a metallic clang and clattered to the ground. Slowly, the corpse inside toppled out, and the thick, overpowering stench of blood hit him in the face.

“A corpse?” The scout stared blankly into the cargo compartment. Between stacks of crates lay a jumble of mangled, dismembered bodies piled on top of one another. The foul odor was overwhelming. “They’re all corpses!”

The fat man frowned. Shoving the subordinate out of the way, he strode over and tore open the vehicle’s armored plating with one hand. More bodies were revealed inside, some whole, others mutilated beyond recognition. The moment he grabbed one and tried to pull it out, he realized it had no weight to it at all.

His face darkened. Without warning, he ripped the “corpse’s” skin clean off. Instead of flesh, however, all he peeled away was a thin sheet of white paper. Scrawled across it was only one word: CORPSE.

The instant the Aether disguise was exposed, the thick stench of blood vanished, replaced by the sharp, choking odor of industrial chemicals.

“Motherfu—”

The fat man’s face drained of color. Without a second thought, he dropped the fake corpse and spun around to flee.

Unfortunately, it was too late. In the headlight’s final flicker, the engine let out one last sigh, satisfied and exhausted. This one last run... felt fucking amazing!

BOOM!!!

A torrent of raging flames erupted from the vehicle. Black smoke billowed skyward as the fire climbed into the heavens, painting the clouds above a blazing crimson. The thunderous blast rode the wild wind into the distance, merging with scattered explosions from other parts of Spring City that echoed from every direction without end.

“Whew.” Ji Jue let out a low whistle as he admired the fireworks. “That’s one hell of a bang.”

Consider it an early New Year’s greeting.

He wondered whether their friends from the Heretic Cult would enjoy this little surprise delivered right to their door.

1. Again, I’d like to mention that we generally don’t censor profanity here, but since this is the way the author wrote it, I decided to keep the black boxes here. ☜