NOVEL NEXT Chapter 15
Constellation Door
Author: Eagle Eat Chicks© Webnovel
Chapter 1: Inspection Office
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Silver City.
At the Inspection Office.
Young Li Hao was thin and had dark circles under his eyes as though he had stayed up all night.
In the attire of a Level 3 patrol officer, Li Hao entered the office. It had been only one and a half year since he had joined the Inspection Office, he didn’t have much experience yet. He usually made it a point to arrive a little early to proceed with some simple cleaning. He often put a kettle to boil and waited for his colleagues to arrive.
But today, Li Hao went a little later to his office than usual. Many people had already arrived.
“Little Hao, you are late today,” said a middle-aged woman in a uniform similar to Li Hao. She sat on her desk near the door. “You have dark circles under your eyes. Seems like you might have had a lot of fun last night!”
Li Hao directed a friendly smile towards her. He waved his hand. “Sister Yu, don’t you talk any nonsense now! I don’t even have a girlfriend yet and I am not likely to find one if this rumor gets out!”
The middle-aged woman chuckled. “Child, you have already been here for almost a year and a half now. And yet, you can’t even keep up with a bit of gossip.” She enjoyed teasing him. Li Hao laughed with her.
“Little Hao, I usually don’t have time to cook when I am by myself. The food outside isn’t very clean either. Why don’t you come to my house for dinner later tonight?”
Li Hao smiled. “Oh Sister Yu, I don’t really want to trouble you,” he politely refused her offer.
Before Sister Yu could respond, a middle-aged man from the next desk snorted. “Little Hao, did Sister Yu just invite you for dinner? She wants you to be her son-in-law, you little brat! Why don’t you accept it if you know what’s good for you?”
“Hahaha!” The office burst into laughter.
Sister Yu’s agenda was exposed. But she did not seem embarrassed. “I would be happy!” she said fiercely in good faith. “Little Hao is a good kid. He has a good character and he is intelligent. He looks good too! If he really becomes my son-in-law, I would wake up happy every day.”
Everyone laughed but some nodded in agreement. Many people had such high hopes for Li Hao.
The middle-aged man who had broached the subject didn’t much mind. “Little Hao is not bad. But it’s a pity!” said the man regretfully.
Li Hao didn’t know what was so pitiful about his decision. But he didn’t mind. He smiled amiably. “It was my choice, Brother Zhao. What’s there to regret?”
Zhou still felt that it was such a waste. “Don’t say that, Little Hao. The Inspection Division is not bad but you have been a regular here for a year and a half now. You are in your third rank. If you didn’t withdraw from the Silver City Ancient Academy and chose to complete your graduation, you will be granted a place as a Level 1 patrol officer. That is such an opportunity.”
The moment Zhao voiced this out, everyone wanted to join in with their opinion.
Behind Li Hao, Chen Na had just entered the office. “That’s right, Li Hao,” she pitched in. “Why did you drop out? Look at us, we don’t even have a chance to get into Silver City Ancient Academy! You are only two years away from your graduation. For us, we won’t have any chance of reaching the first rank from third unless we serve at least five years. It will be a privilege to be able to reach Level 1 and work for the rest of our lives!”
There was a hint of envy in her voice. She had always been a little jealous of those who got to graduate from the Silver City Ancient Academy. It was indeed a pity that Li Hao, who had only two years left to complete his graduation, dropped out of the academy and joined the Inspection Office.
When Li Hao had joined here, even the chief of the Silver City’s Inspection Division had personally asked him the reason. He had advised Li Hao to consider going back to the academy to complete his studies assuring him that he could always apply to the Inspection Division after graduation.
Unfortunately, Li Hao had politely refused. Although he was young, polite and amiable, he could be very stubborn especially considering the matter at hand. He refused to go back to the academy and continue with his studies.
Chen Na knew that Li Hao’s tutor at the Silver City Academy had tried to convince him to stay put and complete his graduation. He still had a bright future ahead of him.
Li Hao smiled and listened patiently to everyone. He then walked to the corner to boil a kettle of water. “Isn’t it good to start from the third rank anyway?” he said with a friendly smile. “If I were to graduate and join here, I would have two years less to get to know you all. Now, that would be a pity!”
Everyone laughed heartily. Those words were comforting to hear. Li Hao was a sweet talker. He had just turned twenty this year. He was the youngest Inspector in the Silver City Division. He had been a top student at the academy. Everyone liked listening to him as he flattered them enough.
The office was filled with laughter and good mood. They didn’t say anything more to Li Hao about his withdrawal from the academy. Li Hao did not seem to care very much about that. For them, the prospect of dropping out of such a prestigious university looked regretful.
As for Li Hao, only he knew the reason for his withdrawal. Nobody seemed to want to know why he took such a decision. He wanted to earn money. The academy’s tuition fees were too high and he had no money left to pay it.
But it was a thing to wonder if that was the only reason.
The laughter gradually died down as the leaders of the Inspection Division arrived.
The Silver City’s Inspection Office served as the headquarter for the Silver City’s law enforcement agency. Apart from the headquarter, the Inspection Division had four other offices in the Silver City.
The headquarter itself had many departments. The office where Li Hao worked was mainly in charge of sorting case files, reopening old cases, reviewing the present cases and recording meetings for further developments.
The department where he worked was not top-tier and rarely participated directly in law enforcement. But if the other departments and branches were short on workforce, Li Hao’s group would be temporarily transferred to the needful departments for help. In general, Li Hao’s department fulfilled a civilian’s job.
…
With the arrival of the leaders at the office, the day’s work began.
Li Hao didn’t have his own cabin. A Level 3 patrol officer who had only been in the office for a year and a half wasn’t given his own office. Sister Yu, Brother Zhou and the others who were Level 2 didn’t get a personal office either.
Li Hao’s desk was near the bathroom door. Thankfully, there was no strange smell wafting out but it could get pretty noisy when people continuously used the washroom. The people who had worked here for quite a while did not prefer this place.
Li Hao’s desk was across Chen Na’s. They faced each other while working. She had arrived only a year earlier than Li Hao so she was still treated like a newbie. Neither of them had much experience in office work.
The Inspection Office would soon recruit more newcomers. Hopefully, they could then get rid of the newbie status.
Li Hao was sorting through some documents when he heard a soft tap. He looked up to see Chen Na lightly leaning over and tapping his table. As he looked up at her, she smiled.
“Li Hao, there is an out-of-town mission at the Inspection Office that can last almost a month,” she whispered. “Do you want to apply for it? We could go together. The task is so easy. It will be fun.”
He was dazed at the offer. He considered it and then shook his head. “I don’t want to. Nothing good comes from going out of town these days. It might not be safe.”
“It’s very safe!” Chen Na insisted. She looked dismayed at his refusal. “I am just accompanying the Silver City Ancient Academy…”
She looked up at him as if she suddenly realized something else. “Oh… I almost forgot!” she said apologetically. “You might not want to see your former classmates and instructors. I think Professor Yuan Shuo is leading the team this time…”
Chen Na cursed herself inwardly. She had forgotten that Yuan Shuo had taught Li Hao at the academy. It was rumored that the professor had thought very highly of Li Hao and tried to advise him not to drop out but Li Hao had refused. Rumor also had it that he had tried to beat up Li Hao to make him see some sense. It had caused quite a stir in the Silver City Ancient Academy. Many students disliked Li Hao for refusing his teacher who favored him.
Yuan Shuo was one of the top lecturers in the academy. Many students yearned to be his disciple but he rarely chose any of them. No wonder everyone was jealous of Li Hao.
Li Hao smiled but didn’t refute. The rumors had been vastly exaggerated. Professor Yuan had felt sorry for his behavior. In fact, Li Hao had met him a few days ago and had dinner with him. The ‘beating up’ part had been blown out of proportion.
Some things weren’t given time to settle. The rumors spread like wildfire outside. The more people added their own version to it, the more troublesome it became.
‘Teacher Yuan is leading the team …,’ the thought stuck with him. Professor Yuan was one of the most talented and powerful staff of the academy. If he was leading the team, the security would be tight. Whether it was the Inspection Office or the academy itself, they would all take every necessary precaution.
He didn’t have to worry about anything if that was the case. Besides, the Inspection Office would just be there to accompany them. The ones really responsible for security would not be from here. They would be hired from the Night Patrollers.
The Night Patrollers were similar to law enforcement agencies, much like the Inspection Division.
However, unlike the Inspection Division which solved open cases, the Night Patrollers were given the charge of those cases which remained unsolved. The Inspector General usually handed over the more elusive and dangerous cases to the Night Patrollers.
Many outsiders were not privy to this information. Most in the Inspection Office didn’t know about it either. However, Li Hao was mainly in charge of filing away confidential cases and tracking down the pending ones. So, he put two and two together and understood the bigger picture.
‘Night Patrollers!’ he exclaimed in his heart. His decision to drop out of the academy to become a Level 3 patrol officer had a lot to do with Night Patrollers. His purpose was connected to them.
He had never told anyone about it. The organization was so mysterious and covert that he had never even heard anyone in the Inspection Office talk about them. The first to tell him about it was Yuan Shuo who had mentioned that ordinary people didn’t even know about the organization’s existence.
Before he dropped out of the academy, Li Hao had found out that the Inspection Office worked as a direct subordinate to the Night Patrollers. Li Hao had heard from Yuan that some people with potential were seldom recruited from the Inspection Office by them.
‘It has been a year and a half since I have worked here. I have the required background now. I wonder if I will have the opportunity to meet the Night Patrollers,’ thought Li Hao. He was getting a little anxious. He tried to remain calm and maintain a blank expression.
‘It should be soon!’
He knew that there were a lot of issues in the Silver City that the Inspection Office couldn’t handle or didn’t want to. He realized that he could only rely on the Night Patrollers for such things. He just needed an opportunity!
Chapter 2: The Red Shadow
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He will have to create the opportunity himself.
Li Hao had neatly made a pile of the folders he was sorting. He stood up, carried them and headed into the small cabin in the office. He knocked on the door.
“Come in,” said a voice from the inside.
Li Hao pushed open the door. “Chief.”
“Li Hao! Come on in,” said Wang Jie, smiling at him.
Wang Jie was a middle-aged man who liked Li Hao. Li Hao was always polite and willing to work. He had received higher education from Silver City Ancient Academy, after all. He had dropped out of school but he had a good record. It was not like he was expelled. He had made his own choice.
“Chief. I have something to report,” said Li Hao with a friendly smile.
“Of course! Take a seat.” Li Hao sat across from hm. “Go on.”
Wang Jie knew that the tasks in this office weren’t of high priority. The big matters were carried out by the law enforcement. The work here was usually of case filing and keeping a record. Simple and straightforward. As for Li Hao’s ‘report’, Wang Jie assumed that this kid wanted to get familiar with him for a promotion, most likely.
Wang Jie couldn’t do that even if he wanted to. This young man had dropped out of school and had been employed under him for only a year and a half. He could not promote him in such short duration.
Li Hao’s face turned serious. “Chief, as you already know I handle the confidential files. I am mainly in charge of organizing the unsolved cases. I have done that for more than a year now. A year and a half, to be specific. I have reorganized some classified files from the past ten years…”
Wang Jie nodded enthusiastically. “A top student is indeed a top student!” He directed Li Hao a brilliant smile. “In the past, the files were practically abandoned. They were old and dusty, some even eaten by worms! I asked several people to sort them out but no one was found near those files when needed. You have done a good job! You have organized it so well that any file can be found in an instant.”
“Chief, I’m not here to show off,” said Li Hao hurriedly.
Wang Jie laughed it off. He wondered what else Li Hao was here to report. He gestured for him to continue.
Li Hao shuffled through the files and handed one to Wang Jie. He opened one of the files in front of him.
Although Li Hao was young and inexperienced, his voice was steady. “1720, September 16th. A self-immolation case occurred in the residence district of Silver City. People reported seeing sparks coming out of the victim’s body and burning her to death.”
Wang Jie looked at the file in his hand. He then looked at Li Hao. It was a case from ten years ago. The case was declared closed. It wasn’t a murder, or a premediated crime. It was classified as an accident. Wang Jie wondered why Li Hao was bringing up a case that was closed ten years ago.
“1723, September 22nd. Silver City Trade Center. A saleswoman’s hair suddenly caught on fire,” continued Li Hao. “Soon, her entire body was engulfed by it. She burned to death in public.”
Wang Jie nodded. “I know about that. I was the one who filed it. I even went to the scene personally. It was an accident. The static electricity in the Trade Center was too strong.”
Li Hao ignored it and kept reading. “1725, August 18th. Silver City’s Mingshen Hotel. A guest checked into the hotel and was found dead a day later. He also burnt to death.”
In the past ten years, three self-immolation cases had occurred, but they were all filed as accidents. There were many cases to deal with in Silver City every day, so three self-immolation cases in ten years were not given much importance. Not many people seemed to care.
But to Li Hao, who had organized the files for so long, the similar cases did not come off as simple coincidences.
There were countless files in the computer room. Wang Jie had not paid much attention to those but now he had a gnawing feeling in his stomach. He looked at Li Hao and frowned.
“1727, February 16th. Silver City’s East Main Street. Another person was killed by self-immolation due to the appearance of a ball of lightning nearby,” continued Li Hao. “It was suspected that the ball of lightning induced the fire. A year and a half after the last incident.”
Wang Jie’s expression changed. There had been so many cases of self-immolation, one not so very long ago. All in the Silver City!
“1728, 12th of August. Silver City’s suburbs Inspection Office reported that a person went missing in the country. After that, a burnt corpse was found by the river. It was suspected to be caused by lightning during a thunderstorm. The case was closed as an accident.”
After another year and a half!
This was reported by a subordinate group. The Confidential Information Room was only in charge of organizing the files and did not participate directly in the case. Once the files were closed as accidents by the lower level, the higher-ups would need a strong reason to reopen the cases.
Wang Jie’s expression turned somber. He had not really cared to look at the files individually. There were thousands of such files in the Confidential Information Room. Many of the old files got destroyed too.
“A year and a half…,” he mumbled. He looked at Li Hao. “Two of those cases had a gap of one and a half year specifically. What about 1729? Were there any more self-immolation cases around August and September last year?”
Wang Jie thought for a moment, trying to recall if there had been any similar cases last year. If the time gap was a year and a half at most, it would mean that a total of six self-immolation cases might have occurred in the Silver City!
One self-immolation case every two years wouldn’t raise any eyebrows. Besides, the Silver City was huge, and cases were handled by multiple branches. If a branch received only one case in five years, nobody would even notice!
Li Hao nodded. “Another such incident did occur in 1729, which was last year. It happened in the Silver City Ancient Academy. The victim was my classmate who lived in the dorm next door. That is why I left the Silver City Ancient Academy. I witnessed everything and I was afraid to be there. It was very strange. I want to know what caused it!”
Li Hao’s face had turned grave. “That is part of the reason why I joined the Inspection Office. Outsiders couldn’t access these files, but now I can! I went through the cases of self-immolation that happened in the past ten years and realized that the cases might not be just coincidences.”
Wang Jie flipped through the files. He looked at Li Hao after a while. “Tell me your thoughts.”
“Ten years. There have been six cases in ten years. Actually, nine years to be exact. We haven’t received any such case file this year.”
“Chief, I take this matter very seriously because of my classmate’s demise,” explained Li Hao. “It’s already July. If these cases aren’t a coincidence, then similar case might come to pass very soon. The gap between each self-immolation keeps shortening. It is very likely that it will happen again.”
Wang Jie flipped through the files and went over the documents again. He had been a patrol officer himself. He was only transferred to the Confidential Information Room after he had worked for many years.
If Li Hao hadn’t sorted through the cases and put them together, nobody would have even noticed. However, when six self-immolation cases had happened at intervals throughout these ten years, anybody could sense that something was indeed wrong.
Wang Jie sighed. “Based on the current situation, we can’t be sure that these cases were premediated. However, there are just too many of them to be brushed off as mere coincidences.”
“I will inform the other departments, especially the law enforcement teams to keep an eye out. The Confidential Information Room isn’t directly involved in the cases but these frequent self-immolations need to be taken seriously,” said Wang Jie. “If it happens again…”
Wang Jie’s face turned solemn. “It will mean your judgement is correct. These might not be just simple accidents.”
He glanced up at Li Hao and his face relaxed. “Of course, there is no need to be worried!” he said with a smile. “Even this is a real murder case, we have been through much worse. But Li Hao, you did very well!”
Wang Jie’s grave demeanor had now disappeared. He had seen too much and heard too much in his own time. So, nothing made him uneasy anymore. He was pleased with Li Hao’s dedication and attention to detail regarding the cases. He also understood now why Li Hao had dropped out of the academy.
Classmate. Maybe close friends. Otherwise, Li Hao wouldn’t have dropped out of school for it.
…
Li Hao did not say much. A murder case Wang Jie had said. If it was just murder, Li Hao would not have dropped out of Silver City Ancient Academy to escape.
Perhaps it would have been better to see it as a simple murder. But the red blood shadow? Self-Immolations?
He could not just brush these things off as simple murder or accidents. The immolation was caused by the blood shadow, he was sure of it. But the students who had witnessed the self-immolation of his classmate had not seen the blood shadow that he had seen.
Were they lying? No, there had been no need for a lie.
Li Hao realized that he had been the only one who had seen the shadow. The others didn’t see it at all. Maybe they couldn’t see it.
He had felt it again recently. Something sinister just around the corner. He had even seen the blood shadow vaguely last night. Maybe it wasn’t just one shadow. Maybe there were more!
‘It’s fine if no one wants to admit it. Once the Inspector General notices it, and realizes that these cases weren’t just accidents, he will definitely report it to the Night Patrollers,’ thought Li Hao, trying to convince himself. ‘The Night Patrollers will solve it!’
Wang Jie stood up interrupting Li Hao’s thoughts. “Then I will take my leave now and discuss with the law enforcement team. I might need your help explaining the situation to them. After all, you were the one who compiled these case files and will have far more information to contribute.”
Li Hao heaved a sigh of relief and nodded. That was what he had wanted to hear. He had intended to get involved in this, if not directly, then as someone who had discovered a pattern. If the Night Patrollers got involved in this, Li Hao would likely be in contact with them.
Of course, it did not mean Li Hao would be allowed to contribute to the investigation. At least not directly. Li Hao would not dare to do that even if it was allowed. He had seen too many gruesome case files in the past year to even think about getting involved directly.
Some things in the files had to be read between the lines. He wasn’t the only one who could see the red shadow. Some case files of the Silver City reported something similar.
However, all those who had seen the shadow were either dead or missing. No one was spared!
Li Hao didn’t tell anyone about this because it was extremely dangerous. He did not dare mention that he could see the shadow. He could not trust anyone. Even the Night Patrollers might not be entirely reliable.
‘No matter what … I must use some normal channels to get in touch with this mysterious power!’ Li Hao took a deep breath and left the office.
His goal was not just to uncover the truth, he cared for his own safety as well. Those who had been able to see the red shadow either dead or missing.
‘I can’t put myself in danger. I didn’t leave the Silver City’s Ancient Academy to come to the inspection Office to disappear,’ Li Hao resolved. He sighed then put on a bright smile as he walked out of the office.
The best outcome would be for the Night Patrollers to solve this problem briskly. It wouldn’t hurt for him to be recognized for his efforts a little bit too. He hoped to join the Night Patrollers as a civilian staff, if possible.
As for the law enforcement team, Li Hao didn’t feel that he was competent enough. The job was fraught with danger. A few days ago, when he had gone to Professor Yuan’s place for dinner, he had dug around a bit to find that the Night Patrollers suffered many casualties as part of their job.
‘One step at a time,’ said Li Hao to himself and watched Wang Jie leave in a hurry. He had finally set this into motion.
‘The red shadow….’ The thought bugged Li Hao. ‘What exactly is it? Why am I the only one who can see it?’
Chapter 3: The Li Family’s Swordsmanship (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Hao returned to his seat in the office.
He glanced at the calendar on his table. 12th July, 1730.
“It’s been almost a year!” he muttered.
“What’s been almost a year?” asked Chen Na curiously.
Li Hao smiled. “Oh… I meant it’s almost another year of being here at the Inspection Office.”
“You have a good memory.” Chen Na didn’t pay much attention to him after that.
Li Hao didn’t add to his words. He remembered everything. He had joined the Inspection Office on 1st of August, 1729. He had dropped out of the academy on precisely 23rd of July. He couldn’t bear to be in the academy any longer.
On 22nd of July, 1729, another self-immolation had occurred. Zhang Yuan, a Grade Two student at the academy, had been the victim. He had burned to death outside his dormitory room.
Silver City Ancient Academy had cared more for the school’s reputation than of the death. The Inspection Office had obliged and filed the case as a mere accident. The case had been closed and filed away. Very few people knew that a student of Silver City Ancient Academy had burned to death.
Zhang Yuan’s parents were both dead and he didn’t have any close relatives. It had been easy for the matter to be suppressed and forgotten.
Shortly after, Li Hao had dropped out. His mentor had guessed that it was connected to Zhang Yuan’s death. Li Hao and Zhang Yuan had been good friends.
‘Zhang Yuan.’ Li Hao could remember everything as though it had happened yesterday. The red shadow had seemed to grab Zhang Yuan’s soul. It looked as though the blood-red flames came from it. The others hadn’t been able to see it. But Li Hao could. He had seen the pain, the struggle and the collapse of his friend.
He had wanted to step forward and help. Zhang Yuan had opened and closed his mouth as if wanting to say something. But no sound had come out.
The others might have thought it was a cry for help. But Li Hao had known better.
“Run.”
He had told Li Hao to escape. He was telling him not to get too close. Zhang Yuan hadn’t died inside the dormitory. At that time, he was only wearing his underwear, preparing to go to sleep. He had got out of the bed and ran outside the dormitory room in extreme pain. He had been heading to Li Hao’s room.
Zhang Yuan hadn’t even been able to scream. He had smashed the tile on the wall with his might as he endured the pain and the burning. The commotion had woken them up. A few of the students, along with Li Hao, had rushed out of their rooms to check what was wrong.
Was Zhang Yuan asking for help? Li Hao didn’t think so.
He was very sure that Zhang Yuan had rushed out of his room and created a commotion to reach Li Hao. So, he could tell his friend to run.
’14 years,’ Li Hao lamented. They had known each other for fourteen years. They hadn’t just met in the academy as everyone assumed. They had been friends since childhood. They were the best of friends.
Both of them were of quiet disposition so they didn’t make a big deal of explaining their friendship to anyone at all. Zhang Yuan, just before his death, had gathered every ounce of will to find Li Hao one last time to give him a message: Run!
The case of Zhang Yuan’s self-immolation was brushed under the rug and forgotten. Li Hao was his only close friend and he was never questioned.
‘Zhang Yuan had told me to run. Was it just the fear of the moment or did Zhang Yuan know something? Was he warning me about the red shadow’s next target?’ These questions had always remained in Li Hao’s mind.
He couldn’t imagine how much pain Zhang Yuan had been in when he had tried to warn Li Hao. But Li Hao felt that everything was not so simple. What if he was the red shadow’s next target?
‘Six people, including me, maybe seven. What do we all have in common?’ wondered Li Hao. ‘Other than me and Zhang Yuan, there is nothing common connecting us to the previous victims. Are the targets chosen randomly or is there a pattern that I can’t see clearly?’
Li Hao rubbed his forehead and flipped through the documents in front of him. These were the files of the six people which included several clues that he had collected over the past year.
The first person had died ten years ago. Li Hao didn’t have a way to figure out whether there had been more deaths before that. It was not easy to look for details about cases from ten years ago and even before that.
‘Common ground… common ground… gender? Age? Profession? Identity?’ Li Hao flipped through the documents repeatedly. He did not find anything common at all. The people were completely unrelated in any sense.
‘Why did the blood shadow want to kill them? Were they a threat to it, or is there another motive?’ Endless questions filled his mind.
Li Hao was very invested in these cases not only because he felt he was in danger but also because he wanted to avenge his friend. No one cared about Zhang Yuan’s death, but he did!
That was why he wanted to get involved with the Nigh Patrollers. He could only find more clues if he could somehow contact them. Li Hao did not expect the Night Patrollers to fight and kill the red shadow. He didn’t even know if that was possible. But they were his only source of information about this thing. If not for that, Li Hao would have found a way to kill the red shadow himself!
“Li Hao, are you digging for information about those people again?” asked Chen Na. She noticed that he was still flipping through the same documents that he had with him every day.
Chapter 4: The Li family’s Swordsmanship (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
She had noticed Li Hao frequently reading the case files over the past year. The case files got thicker and thicker the more he put his time on it.
However, whenever she glanced over to have a look, Li Hao would quickly shut the files. She had gotten a glimpse of it once. It had the personal information about a few people.
Li Hao now raised his head to flash a bright smile at Chen Na. “I am only having a look at it.”
“Tsk! I know you have read it repeatedly over the past year, Li Hao.” Chen Na realized that as polite and innocent as he appeared, Li Hao was not entirely honest at times.
“You are always looking at those files, Li Hao. What do you want to find out so desperately? There are so many other old files around here, but I have never seen you putting so much energy into those. What is it that a newbie like you is looking for? Why don’t you ask me for help? Maybe I can give you some advice on it. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone if you do. Can you let me see it?” Chen Na was too curious now.
Li Hao never wanted anyone to know that he was investigating these confidential cases on his own. He didn’t want any unwanted attention. But he was at a dead end. He had reported the case to Wang Jie, so he thought it wouldn’t hurt to include Chen Na, too.
Li Hao considered it. “Okay then, take a look.” He pushed the files over to Chen Na. “But please don’t involve anyone else. I don’t want to bother anyone.” He did not want too many people knowing about this.
If others saw the case files, they would put two and two together and come to the conclusion that he was investigating the self-immolation cases.
He decided to share it with Chen Na because no matter how much he looked at it, he couldn’t find anything new. He was in need of fresh eyes to look at these cases. Maybe Chen Na would see something he couldn’t.
Li Hao didn’t really have much expectation about that either. But he was willing to give it a try.
“Don’t worry!” Chen Na smiled reassuringly. She was glad that she was finally able to see what engrossed Li Hao so much.
Afraid that Li Hao would change his mind, Chen Na hurriedly took the documents from Li Hao’s hands and flipped through them.
“Li Hao, what do you want to find from these files exactly?” asked Chen Na after a while. “I see here that you have recorded even the smallest things about these people. This looks more of a memoir than a case file. What exactly do you want to find here?”
Li Hao thought for a while. “I want to find a common connection between the six people.”
Chan Na looked through the files again. The six people belonged to different age group. They had different professions. They had completely different lives. Even their gender and social classes were different.
The earliest death was from ten years ago! The latest was a year ago. Chen Na looked at the file of the last person who had died: Zhang Yuan, a student at the Silver City Ancient Academy. Chen Na wondered whether Li Hao was interested in the case because of this particular death.
‘Zhang Yuan died on July 22nd, 1729. Li Hao dropped out of the academy around that time. Was this the reason he dropped out?’ wondered Chen Na.
She looked through the file carefully. A bright student who dropped out of the academy so suddenly… Chen Na felt that she might have some idea why Li Hao dropped out.
Chen Na’s face turned grave. Did Li Hao suspect Zhang Yuan’s death was his fault? Did he feel that all six deaths were somehow connected to him?
A series of similar cases…
…
Chen Na read the files carefully. Li Hao waited for her to respond but didn’t care about it too much. Instead, he focused on the next step he was going to take.
The case would be handed over to the law enforcement by the Inspection Office. Li Hao couldn’t do anything about it. Unless the Night Patroller intervened!
‘If I am right, then the red shadow will target me soon. Was it the same red shadow that I saw a few days ago? Is it looking for me now? Has it already found me but is waiting for the right time to strike?’ Endless questions filled Li Hao’s mind.
His self-immolation would not have caused significant concern if he was still an ordinary student at the academy. However, he was Level 3 Patrol Officer here at the Inspection Office. If one of their own died, it would be a cause for significant concern among the law enforcement agency.
‘According to the case files, the red shadow appears after a certain period of time. It cannot be said it will follow a strict time gap but…,’ thought Li Hao. ‘Nothing is certain!’ lamented Li Hao inwardly.
Li Hao had noticed something in the files. Whenever the people were attacked, the weather was always bad. Including the day Zhang Yuan died.
Thunderstorms, ball of lightning, rain…
It was not really a very remarkable find but Li Hao had focused on the weather when he couldn’t find anything else in the files. The night his friend burned to death; Li Hao remembered that it was drizzling lightly.
‘It only appear when it rains, or when the weather is bad,’ thought Li Hao and noted it down on a paper. He looked at it and then tore it up. He put down his pen and fell into a deep thought.
As he was engrossed in his thoughts, Chen Na exclaimed, “I found it!”
Li Hao raised his head, startled by her shout.
What had she discovered?
Chapter 5: The Li Family’s Swordsmanship (3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
How was that possible?
Li Hao had spent his time, months at end, looking at these files. And Chen Na had only been at it for a few minutes. He felt like she was lying about finding something.
Li Hao frowned but quickly put on a smile. “What did you find?”
Chen Na had seen Li Hao’s fleeting frown and felt a little embarrassed. She realized that he was very serious about this matter and did not take it lightly. “I… uh… I haven’t finished reading everything. There is just too much information here.”
Li Hao was calm. He had guessed right. He had not really expected anything from her.
“But… the cases do seem to be related. I am not entirely sure but…”
She raised the file she had been reading. “I have a habit of doodling when I read. When I was going through the documents, I realized I had jotted down some names involved.”
Li Hao glanced at the file and nodded, urging her on. He had already played around with the names of the people many times and had found nothing. None of them shared similar names or surnames. Some had two names, some three. There was nothing common in the names.
“Zhou Qing, Hong Jiao, Wang Haoming, Liu Yunsheng, Zhao Shihao, and Zhang Yuan are the names of these six people, right?” said Chen Na, reciting their names in chronological order.
Li Hao nodded. Chen Na looked at the names on the files and suddenly felt uncertain. If she told him what she thought about it, he might take her for a fool.
Feeling a little awkward, Chen Na pretended to clear her throat to gather her confidence. “Never mind. Forget I said anything. I will take a closer look. Something doesn’t seem right. I am still missing two more.”
“What?” asked Li Hao, puzzled. “Two more?”
Chen Na felt even more embarrassed. “Um… if there was one more person with the surname Zheng or Li, it would make more sense. But… there is no one like that here in the case files. I am just throwing ideas out. Don’t take me seriously. I know it sounds silly.”
Li Hao thought it wasn’t silly at all. In fact, he was shocked. His surname was Li!
Someone with the surname Zheng was still missing. Li Hao had managed to find cases from only ten years ago. The files from before that would have been destroyed. The cases that were closed were usually burned after ten years. The archives couldn’t keep all of them. There were just too many files.
Li Hao was stunned but he managed to appear calm as always. He smiled at Chen Na again. “It’s not silly. You can say whatever is in your mind without hesitation. Why are you searching for two more names?”
Chen Na looked at Li Hao. “You aren’t originally from Silver City?” she asked.
“No.”
“Oh…,” she said thoughtfully. “Does your family have any elders?”
“My grandparents passed away early.” Li Hao was getting even more curious now. Why did she want to know about old people from his family?
Seeing Li Hao now attentive towards her, Chen Na was no longer embarrassed to share her findings.
“Elderly people like to speak in their own local dialect. My grandmother was the same. There was a local song that was very popular in Silver City. I remember only some words from the song.” Chen Na cleared her throat. “It goes something like this: Li clan’s sword, Zhang clan’s saber, Zhao clan’s fist, Liu clan’s leg, and Zheng clan’s young master is a burden…”
After singing a short stanza, Chen Na was self-conscious. She laughed awkwardly. “It doesn’t sound very nice in the standard language. My grandmother used to sing it in the native language of the Silver City. It is sometimes sung in the local opera. If you have never heard it before, it might sound a little old-fashioned.”
Li Hao’s eyes twinkled. The Li family’s sword, the Zhang family’s saber…
There were eight clans in this song! Li, Zhang, Zhao, Liu, Wang, Hong, Zhou, and Zheng!
He snatched the files from Chen Na and looked at the names on the files. Zhou Qing! That had been the very first death ten years ago. Then it was the saleswoman, Hong Jiao, and then Wang Haoming…
Li Hao wondered what if Zhou Qing was the second to die. What if there was someone else with the surname of Zheng who had died more than ten years ago?
In the Silver City’s folk song, the order of the eight clans were reversed. It matched the names of the people who had died! Which meant there was only one person left with the surname of Li…
Li Hao was frantic. “This song… when did it originate and when did it start spreading in the city?”
Chen Na was distressed by the look in his eyes. But she calmed herself. “I don’t know. Old and the elderly know of this song but I don’t think young people now know of it at all. If you are interested, we could find out more about it. Don’t worry.”
Li Hao took a deep breath and tried to suppress his excitement and anxiety. ‘I shouldn’t rush,’ he said to himself.
He had never imagined that Chen Na would provide him with the most important clue in the case. Li Hao had never heard the song and maybe most people hadn’t, too.
With the popularization of the official language, the local village dialects had faded along with their folk songs. Li Hao’s grandfather had died before he had known him, so he had never had anyone sing the song to him.
‘Stay calm!’ he said to himself. He had a clue, finally!
The most important thing for him to do now was to find out if the first person to die had the surname of Zheng.
Some of the files from before ten years had been destroyed, but there were still places where he could dig up the information. He didn’t need all the details. He only had to confirm whether any person from the Zheng family had died ten to fifteen years ago.
Li Hao felt thrilled at the discovery but also terrified of the future. If this was correct, the next target was him! Zhang Yuan must have known about it when he had told him to run.
‘The Li family’s sword …,’ thought Li Hao. His eyes widened. The Li family did have a sword!
Chapter 6: The Fog Gradually Dissipates (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Li Hao remembered!
Li family did have a sword… one sword.
He wasn’t sure if what he remembered could be called a sword because it didn’t look like one.
But Li Hao knew that was it! He felt surer than he had ever been in his life that this was the truth.
When he was young, Li Hao’s father had placed a sword-shaped jade pendant around his neck.
“This is the Starry Sky Sword,” his father had sternly said. “It has been passed down from generations in the Li family. Pass it to your child in the future. Don’t forget that this is a sword and not mere jade.”
His father had appeared very serious when talking about it.
Li Hao had looked very confused. His father had assured him. “That was what my grandfather told me, and what I must tell you now. These words were passed down from our ancestors. Just call it a sword, alright?”
Li Hao had grown up thinking of it as a sword. It was the sword-shaped pendant which Li Hao still wore around his neck.
If this jade pendant was the sword that the song mentioned… did the Zhang family really have a saber? Li Hao was confused.
Li Hao didn’t know much about the others who had died, but he knew Zhang Yuan very well. Zhang Yuan’s parents had died when he was very young. Li Hao had been his best friend from when they were children.
‘The Zhang family’s saber …,’ pondered Li Hao. Did the Zhang family own a saber?
His face changed slightly. The Zhang family might have had it. It was different from his jade pendant. Zhang Yuan had sneaked it in his room when Li Hao had gone to his place to play. They had been very young then. Zhang Yuan’s father had caught them. Zhang Yuan had received a good beating from his father that day.
That thing … was sort of a knife-shaped stone.
Li Hao’s memory was fuzzy but he thought he remembered Zhang Yuan’s father telling his son that this was something precious left behind by their ancestors. Even if it was only a broken stone, Zhang Yuan’s father had emphasized that it was something precious that needed to be respected.
Li Hao had later seen Zhang Yuan’s father toss the pendant aside so casually a little later. Li Hao had assumed that his friend’s father had only wanted an excuse to beat up Zhang Yuan that day. But now…
‘Could it have been the Zhang clan’s saber mentioned in the song?’ wondered Li Hao.
Li Hao had never seen that rock after that day. Both him and his friend had forgotten about it as they grew up. Li Hao became more certain that the song was real.
His hand unwittingly went to his chest. The jade pendant was cool and inert. There was nothing unusual.
This coolness of the pendant brought Li Hao back to reality. He looked at Chen Na. “Can I meet your grandmother?”
He wanted to know more about the song and what it meant. He wanted to know what more clues the song held.
Most importantly, he wanted to know how a folk song could be related to these cases of self-immolation. What was the red shadow? Why did it want to kill people sharing surnames from the eight families of the folk song?
“What?” asked Chen Na.
Li Hao didn’t seem to hear her. He quickly opened the file. ‘Hong Jiao’s parents were already dead. She wasn’t very old when she died. There was no one else in the Hong family after her,’ Li Hao thought to himself.
‘Zhou Qing’s wife is still alive, but they had no children.’
‘Zhang Yuan didn’t have anyone either.’ The Zhang family had an only child, Zhang Yuan.
‘Wang Haoming wasn’t married when he died. However, he wasn’t the only son. He had a younger brother …’
‘Liu Yunsheng was an old man. He wasn’t married, either.’
‘Zhao Shihao had a daughter. After his death, she left the Silver City with her mother. Their whereabouts are unknown.’
Li Hao looked through the files again. Some of them were married, some had children, others were alone.
Li Hao thought of himself. ‘My parents passed away three years ago in an accident. The car flipped over. But was it really an accident?’
Li Hao was doubtful. His parents had nothing to do with these cases but what if all this was related somehow?
The Zhang, Hong, Zhou, and Liu families’ bloodline had ended with these dead people. There were no more direct descendants.
Wang Haoming had a younger brother and Zhao Shihao had a daughter. If he was right and the Li family in the song was his then the Li family would end with his death.
‘This isn’t just about a few people’s death. The goal was to annihilate the entire clan!’ Li Hao was frightened and angry.
He felt that his parent’s accident wasn’t a coincidence, either. He wasn’t completely sure. Some people were still alive from the Wang and Zhao families, after all.
“Li Hao!” Chen Na called, bringing him back to the present. “Are you alright?”
He hadn’t responded for a while. She was worried about what was going on in his mind.
Chapter 7: The Fog Gradually Dissipates (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“I’m fine,” said Li Hao hurriedly.
Chen Na glanced at him. “You… you think these people are really related to the families in the song? But the songs are adapted from myths and legends. It’s just a silly song. It might just be a coincidence. Aren’t we still short of two names?”
Chen Na wanted to laugh but caught herself. She suddenly looked at Li Hao. His surname was Li! What if the cases were related to him?
She was an inspector, after all. She knew a pattern where she saw one. And the case did link to Li Hao through the song. Was that why Li Hao had been investigating all these people?
“Li Hao… you belong to the Li family…”
Li Hao smiled bitterly.
Chen Na frowned. “Tell me the truth. Is there something wrong with the deaths of these six people?”
She looked through the files again. She had no time to read everything in detail. They all were accidental deaths. They hadn’t happened in the same year either. How could they be related?
“Let’s talk about that later. Can I meet your grandmother?” asked Li Hao again.
Chen Na did not protest. “I already told you but you didn’t seem to hear me. My grandmother passed away a few years ago…”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright. My grandmother was already in her 90s when passed away. She lived a long, quiet life. We had a nice funeral for her.”
Chen Na did not think much on it. “But,” she said. “Many people from my grandmother’s hometown know about that song. At least, that was the case when I was young. I don’t know… I haven’t visited in years. I don’t know how many elderlies might still be alive.”
Li Hao’s eyes twinkled with interest. Chen Na noticed it.
“How about this?” she said. “If you really want to find out about it, we can visit my hometown together. We can do some on-site research. If we find some old people, we might be able to find out more.”
Li Hao thought about it for a moment and nodded his agreement. “We have no work the day after tomorrow. Are you free then?”
“Sure!”
Since the two of them had come to an agreement, Li Hao didn’t press the matter further. “You have more connections in the Inspection Office than me. Will it be too much to ask for your help with something?”
“Not at all. Tell me.”
Li Hao no longer tried to hide things from Chen Na. “Can you help me check the whereabouts of a few people? The first one is Wang Haoming’s younger brother. He’s not in the Silver City. He only had Wang Haoming as his family. He hasn’t returned to the city for a long time.”
“The second one is Zhao Shihao’s daughter. After Zhao Shihao’s death, his wife and daughter moved out of the Silver City. There has been no news about them at all.”
The Silver City’s Inspection Office only had jurisdiction over the Silver City. They had no prerogative over other areas. Thus, they didn’t have the authority to inquire about areas outside the Silver City.
He asked Chen Na because she knew more people in the office than he did.
Li Hao wasn’t familiar with the Inspection Offices in the outer city areas. But he did have classmates and friends who worked in those offices. Maybe he would be able to convince them to get the information he needed.
Chen Na’s eyes flashed. He wanted her to investigate the family members of the few people who were in the case files? She wondered why he wanted to find them so much.
“Do you think you can do it?” asked Li Hao.
Chen Na thought about it for a moment. She then nodded. “It would help if we had a general area name in mind. I can’t promise anything. Silver City is a big place and many of those places don’t give us the authority to enforce the law or search for information. If we ask someone about it, it would help if we had a fixed name of the people or the place.”
“Understood. I have some information on them. I’ll write it down for you later. Although I don’t know their exact location, I might know which city they are in.”
Li Hao had investigated the cases for a long time. He had some understanding of the family members of the deceased.
“That’s good enough,” said Chen Na. “Leave it to me!”
Li Hao thanked her.
The two of them talked for a while. Chen Na suddenly whispered to him, “Li Hao, there are some things that you… I feel that this matter might not be so simple. Just… be careful.”
Chen Na was considering whether Li Hao could really be the one in the song. She wondered if he was in danger.
All these cases were closed as accidents. Li Hao nodded but didn’t say anything. He had to verify many things before he came to a conclusion.
He wanted to investigate the case from 10 years ago. How did the Zheng family members die?
If he had the time, he wanted to visit Zhang Yuan’s house. His house was empty after his death. Li Hao wanted to see if the Zhang family saber was still there.
He wondered about the Hong family’s hammer and the Zhou family’s spear. Did these weapons really exist? Was the red shadow targeting the clans for their weapons?
If each of these families had a family heirloom like the jade pendant of the Li family, maybe he would be able to find some clues. He needed to confirm what the red shadow was after so that he could understand it better if he ever had to confront it.
…
Li Hao did not head straight for the Zhang family residence that day. He did not even go home. He still had things to do at the Inspection Office.
In the Archives.
Aunt Zhao, who was in charge of the files, took out a pile of documents from a dusty shelf. A grey mist of dust rose from the file.
Chapter 8: The Fog Gradually Dissipates (3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
She handed him the yellowed file. “Little Hao, what do you need this for?” she asked out of curiosity. “From 1715 to 1719, there are many people with the name Zheng in the Silver City. Few hundreds in total, actually. Most of them have been dead for so long.”
Li Hao gave her an innocent smile. “Sister Zhao, there are some files in the Confidential Information Room that involves a person from here. But the files are all jumbled. I can’t file them away without the correction so I had to trouble you. When I am done with those, I will treat you to a meal.”
“That’s alright,” she said. “Little Hao… you are already twenty. You are an adult now. My daughter will turn twenty-two this year. Just two years older than you…”
Little Hao knew what was coming. He kept his sweet smile on. “Sister Zhao, I am still too young for that. Let’s talk later. I have to finish up with the work.”
He thanked her and quickly left the archives. The aunties at the Inspection Office were friendly and kind, much too friendly at times. That wasn’t good for him. They liked to introduce their daughters, or nieces, or some girl from some other family.
It was tiring and annoying. Sometimes he wondered why he had ever gone to the Silver City Ancient Academy. Even though he had dropped out of the academy, his popularity of being associated with the academy didn’t seem to diminish.
Li Hao flipped through the list of names. The list was several hundreds of names long. The cause of death was usually mentioned at the side of the names. Li Hao would have to eliminate a lot of names before he could find the Zheng family he was looking for.
Of course, it would be far easier if the cause of death was directly mentioned as self-immolation. But that was just wishful thinking.
The red shadow killed people who were the direct descendants of the eight families in the song. It would be a pain to find the name in this sea of names. Fortunately, Li Hao at least had some inkling of an idea about what he was looking for. Otherwise, it would be difficult for him to find just one person among these many.
‘There was a self-immolation case in 1720, followed by one in 1723, so the time before that should be equal or longer. The biggest possibility is that the death might have happened before 1717,’ speculated Li Hao.
Li Hao flipped through the lists. He had to confirm whether the Zheng family members were dead or not. If anyone from Zheng family had died, his guesses would be correct.
But if that wasn’t the case, then he could still try to contact someone from the Zheng family. They might be able to help Li Hao find more clues. They would know about the red shadow.
‘In the song, Zheng family’s young master is called a burden. It’s different from the other families. No weapons were mentioned. Maybe Zheng family is different…,’ thought Li Hao as he read through the names. As he turned the page, a name jumped out at him:
Zheng Yunqi, died on September 12, 1715. Cause of death: Gas explosion
Li Hao stared at it. ‘A gas explosion?’ he probed.
A gas explosion would mean the victim would be burned entirely. It was similar to self-immolation. It would be filed under ‘accident’ because it would not attract too much attention.
“Is this him?” mumbled Li Hao. A gas explosion would be massive, it would have killed several people. And, if it happened at the Zheng family residence, the entire Zheng family would be wiped out.
This name matched the situation from the song.
‘Maybe I can pay a visit…,’ thought Li Hao. The address was written in the file. It was an entirely different matter whether the house would still be there after fifteen years.
Chen Na’s song had indeed offered many clues! Li Hao felt that he was gradually beginning to understand the self-immolation cases.
If Zheng Yunqi was the Zheng family member Li Hao was looking for, then Li Hao would be the only one alive from the eight families.
‘What is the red shadow after?’ wondered Li Hao. ‘Revenge? Is the red shadow a man-made thing or some kind of special power? Or, is it just a smokescreen for something else?’
Li Hao touched his jade pendant. He wondered if this was just a jade family heirloom or if it had other uses…
‘The people from the seven families are all dead. Next will be me. How does the red shadow know where to find us?’ pondered Li Hao anxiously. He was scared that his death was slowly approaching.
Li Hao felt that a storm was coming. He checked the communicator on his hand. He wanted to know if there was any stormy or rainy day forecast in the near future. The red shadow would most likely appear then.
’18th of July, Cloudy!’ read the communicator.
Li Hao’s eyes widened. ‘Today is the 12th…’
The weather would be good for the next few days until the 18th and then there would be a period of rainy days.
‘The red shadow will appear in six days, or beyond…,’ Li Hao’s mind was filled with distress. He was sure that he was its next target.
‘Zhang Yuan hadn’t been wrong. He told me to run! Had he already guessed as he burned to death that I would be the next to be killed?’ thought Li Hao. ‘But then why did the red shadow wait? Why didn’t it kill me right then? Why did it wait for a year?’
‘Is there a limit to how many people it can kill at a time? Or, maybe the self-immolation can be used only once in a year…’
Li Hao sighed and tried to calm himself. The fear of the unknown had been greater than the immediate danger. At least now he knew something about the red shadow.
He had felt lost and scared before when he was unsure of the red shadow and what the deaths meant. He had come a long way. He had clues! And he now knew when the red shadow would strike. He didn’t feel as scared anymore.
He only felt anger and hatred towards this thing that had turned his life upside down. It had killed his friend and perhaps his parents!
This time it will be blood for blood.
He would go to the Night Patrollers and tell them all about the red shadow. If he could kill it, even his death would be worth it!
‘Just you wait Zhang Yuan. Mom and dad! I will avenge you all!’ vowed Li Hao. He clenched his fists in anger and his usually gentle face turned ferocious.
Chapter 9: One Hair Moves the Whole Body (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Six in the evening.
It was time for the Inspection Office to get off from work. Li Hao wasn’t a front-line law enforcement officer, so he usually got off work right on time.
Li Hao would have left long ago on other days. But today, he was not in a hurry.
In the office, Wang Jie glanced at Li Hao. “You want to have a look around Zhang Yuan’s house?”
“Yes.”
“You were classmates so it is not unusual for you to take an interest in this if it is a murder case. But… it is uncommon for a civilian staff working in the Confidential Information Room to apply for a gun.”
Li Hao had come to apply for a gun. He needed Wang Jie’s approval for it.
Although Li Hao realized that a gun might not be of much use against the red shadow, he wanted some form of protection. He didn’t know if he would be attacked. And, guns usually proved effective against people who meant him harm.
“Chief, I will only be using it for a case. I won’t even take it home with me.”
Wang Jie laughed. He thought that this kid was indeed a top student of Silver City Ancient Academy!
“I understand. But we aren’t in the law enforcement team. We only work in the Confidential Information Room. So….” Wang Jie shook his head.
Li Hao was dismayed. He hadn’t been able to come up with a way to counter the red shadow but he felt that he would feel more secure if he had a gun in his hand.
“Regarding Zhang Yuan’s case, I have brought it up with the law enforcement team. They have yet to file an official case. I really can’t give my approval for your application to own a gun based on this alone.”
Wang Jie thought for a moment. “There might be another way. The Silver City Ancient Academy will be leading a team to the outskirts. Inspection Office will send some people for their security. Maybe you can fill in the form and apply for the position. As a part of the security team, you will be allowed a gun.”
Li Hao was speechless for a moment. Then he felt crushing disappointment.
He had gone around in circles and ended up where he began. Chen Na had mentioned this to him and he had rejected her offer. And now…
‘The Silver City Ancient Academy team will be led by Professor Yuan. If I accept this mission, will I have to face him again?’ lamented Li Hao.
Wang Jie noticed his silence. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Afraid of facing Professor Yuan? I did hear rumors about what transpired between you and the professor. But, Little Hao, you are in the Inspection Office now. It will be different. Maybe you can find an opportunity to improve your relationship with him. He was your teacher, after all.”
“He is also a respected person,” continued Wang Jie. “If you have a good relationship with him, it would indeed help your position in the whole Inspection Division. But if people keep thinking that you had problems with Old Yuan, they will be wary of you. They don’t want to get on his bad side just because of a Level 3 Patrol Officer.”
Wang Jie had heard the rumors about the whole debacle of Li Hao dropping out of the academy and his scuffle with Professor Yuan. Of course, the Silver City Ancient Academy had no hand in the operation of the Inspection office but the Inspection Offices did look up to the old professor.
“If you really want a gun, this is best way for now,” said Wang Jie. “And you can improve your relationship with your professor as well. It’s like killing two birds with one stone.”
Wang Jie really wanted to help Li Hao. He wanted to try harder to convince him.
Li Hao nodded. “Alright.”
Wang Jie was surprised. He had heard that Li Hao was sweet and polite but he could also be very stubborn. He was surprised that Li Hao agreed so easily.
Li Hao smiled. “Chief, the rumors aren’t true. People just blew up a small incident and exaggerated it. We are still on good terms. Of course, he was disappointed when I decided to drop out. But we have met for dinner after that. Just a few days ago, he encouraged me to do a good job at my work.”
“That’s good! That’s great indeed!” Wang Jie knew that Li Hao was an honest person so he didn’t doubt him. “Then, fill the form and leave it on my desk. If it is approved, you will be a part of the security team to accompany the Silver City Ancient Academy group.”
Li Hao looked at the form. The expedition team of the academy was scheduled to leave at the end of the month. The destination was not mentioned.
This was to prevent any kind of leak of information. The academy had a lofty status, so it took precautions. The team would be led by his teacher so the expedition would not really be a simple one.
He didn’t know if it would conflict with the red shadow. There was a high chance that the professor and his team would be followed by the Night Patrollers. If the red shadow made a move at that time, it might actually be a good thing with them around.
With these thoughts in mind, Li Hao filled in the form.
“Go to the equipment Warehouse to get your equipment.” Wang Jie kept the completed form.
Li Hao hesitated. “Chief, Zhang Yuan’s case… it is a little complicated. Do you think it involves some unusual forces? Can the Inspection Division really solve this?”
Wang Jie frowned. “What do you mean?”
Li Hao was a little flustered. “I… I am just worried that the law enforcement team might not be able to… the investigation might alert the enemy and there might be more accidents. I heard that… for strange cases… there is another organization?”
“Alright, that’s it!” said Wang Jie, sternly. “Watch what you say! I know you might have heard rumors but this isn’t something to be talked about openly. If it came to that, it would be an even greater problem! It’s always troublesome when they get involved.”
Chapter 10: One Hair Moves the Whole Body (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He didn’t want to say anything more.
The involvement of the Night Patrollers wasn’t seen as a good thing.
Once they got involved, it would indeed be very troublesome. Plus, their arrival and involvement would raise a lot of questions.
Therefore, Wang Jie didn’t want to have anything to do with Night Patrollers unless that was the last resort.
The law enforcement team didn’t want the Night Patrollers to get involved either. But if there was no other way, the Night Patrollers would naturally appear and it wouldn’t matter what the Inspector General wanted.
Li Hao nodded somberly. But he had one last thing to remind him. “Chief, I have observed a pattern in these cases. It always happens when the weather is bad, either it’s rainy or there is lightning. The Silver City will have rainy season soon. If this is a murder, it will most likely happen in that time.”
Wang Jie took note of this information. He had just taken over the case and he didn’t have much information, at least not as much as Li Hao.
Wang Jie was silent for a moment, then he nodded. “I’ll inform the law-enforcement team. You should also be careful when you go check on Zhang Yuan’s house. Do you need any help with it?”
“No need, Chief. I will be alright.” It wasn’t that he didn’t feel afraid. But not everyone saw the red shadow, anyway. So, it would be useless taking someone along.
Besides, if he didn’t encounter the red shadow then he would have a gun with him for other matters anyway.
Most of the people in his office were civilians. If there was really a danger, Li Hao didn’t think they would be able to fight, much less protect him. He would be only putting others in danger.
“Then be careful. Zhang Yuan’s been dead for year. I don’t think there will be many dangers there.”
Wang Jie waved his hand and gestured for Li Hao to leave.
…
Li Hao walked out of the office, relieved. He was comforted that Wang Jie still cared for him.
He strode towards the Equipment Warehouse after Wang Jie’s approval. He soon received a metallic black pistol.
The Third-generation Vortex had an effective range of 50 meters, competitive precision. Some big cities had started promoting the fourth
It was said that some big cities had begun to promote the fourth-generation Vortex because of its effective shooting range of up to 100 meters. Of course, Silver City was not considered very big, so the fourth-generation Vortex hadn’t been popularized yet.
Even the law enforcement team was used the Third-generation Vortex, specifically, Vortex Mk III. It had 18 rounds of ammunition, and each round held six shots. It could be fired continuously, so it was a rather powerful weapon.
Before Li Hao became a part of the Confidential Information Room in the Inspection Office, he had undergone a month of training. They had taught the newbies how to shoot. Fortunately, that would now come in handy.
After he became a part of the Confidential Information Room, he had not needed to use guns. He had not used it for a long time. But Li Hao anyhow felt more confident with a weapon on him.
He just didn’t know for sure whether it would be effective against the red shadow. Others couldn’t see it at all. If he shot at it, would it die?
“From the royal family’s opinion, the law enforcement team is probably not willing to inform the Night Patrollers to interfere. But time is of the essence. If the Night Patrollers don’t interfere, will the law enforcement team be able to deal with the red shadow?”
“If I say I can see the red shadow now …”
The conversation flashed through Li Hao’s mind. He couldn’t help thinking about the previous cases. Some people who had actually seen the red shadow were either dead or made to be silent.
What happened to the one who had seen the red shadow? The Night Patrollers had intervened. Were these people dead or had been absorbed within the Night Patrollers?
The uncertainty of it made Li Hao queasy. If the Night Patrollers were willing to get rid of the red shadow, then perhaps there was value in exposing himself. But could he trust them? If all the people who saw the shadow were either dead or missing, did it mean the Night Patrollers were in league with the red shadow?
If he exposed himself, will the Night Patrollers get rid of him or help him get rid of the red shadow?
‘Both the Night Patrollers and the red shadow were shrouded. Are friends or enemies?’ wondered Li Hao. He could not make up his mind. He did not have enough information regarding this to come to a conclusion.
If they were on the same sides, then anyone who sees the red shadow would be killed or made to disappear. That was where Li Hao had his doubts.
‘What a headache!’ Li Hao lamented. He was in a dilemma. On one hand, he wanted to reveal every information he had so that the Night Patrollers could help him get rid of the red shadow. However, he worried if he could really trust them. What if the Night Patrollers killed him for being able to see the red shadow?
‘I will wait a few more days,’ Li Hao decided.
Li Hao knew that he didn’t have much time. But he wanted to first see the outcome of the law enforcement team’s investigation and their attitude towards this case.
Right now, they would believe Li Hao had accidentally uncovered a pattern in the cases. But if they became seriously interested, they would find out about Li Hao’s relation to the case anyway.
If law enforcement team was smart, they would contact the Night Patrollers.
Li Hao had revealed his suspicion of another self-immolation to occur in a few days. He had done it to make sure the law enforcement team felt the urgency of the situation. If the law enforcement team failed to involve the Night Patrollers, then Li Hao would have to risk disclosing the fact that he could see the red shadow.
‘Professor Yuan is leading an expedition team too. In that case, the Night Patrollers will truly appear. Whether or not there are any Night Patrollers in the city right now, they will definitely arrive in the next few days,’ thought Li Hao.
After confirming it to be most likely that Night Patrollers would indeed show up, Li Hao temporarily put aside idea of exposing himself. Whether the other party was a friend or an enemy, he would find out soon enough.
If the Night Patrollers did not take the initiative to contact him before the rainy days, then he will go to them!
Chapter 11: One Hair Moves the Whole Body (3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He walked out of the inspection Office.
The scorching sun had already set, and the sky was red with evening glow.
There weren’t many people outside because the weather was hot and stuffy. Recent days had seen even hotter weather till eight or nine o’clock in the evening.
Li Hao’s house wasn’t very far from the inspection Office. It was only seven or eight kilometers away. Li Hao took got onto his bicycle. He always rode to work on it.
He first did it to train his body but realized that it would come in handy if he had to avoid danger. In a place with too many people, it was always tricky to pinpoint danger.
Li Hao had remained very cautious, especially after Zhang Yuan’s death.
Li Hao looked very casual riding on his bicycle but he always looked around to make sure he was safe. He looked as though he was admiring the place and the scenery, but in reality, he was making sure if anyone was following him.
He was strung tight especially today because he was very sure that he was the next target. Li Hao couldn’t help but wonder how the red shadow had located him.
According to what Li Hao knew so far, the red shadow wouldn’t appear for long. Every time it appeared; it disappeared that fast. It didn’t stay outside for too long. If that was the case, how was it able to locate him?
Did that mean that there were people observing him and informing the shadow?
That was not entirely impossible.
Although he was not in the law enforcement team, he still had basic anti-reconnaissance skills.
‘I haven’t found anything of importance yet. Could it be that the red shadow can directly locate its victims? Does it have anything to do with the Starry Sky Sword? Could the red shadow track the families through their heirlooms?’ wondered Li Hao.
The bicycle moved slowly. Li Hao had placed the Vortex Mk III in the inner pocket of his shirt. His outer shirt was unbuttoned as though he was getting some air but the truth was that it would be less of a hurdle if he had to get the gun urgently.
As usual, Li Hao didn’t encounter any problem. When he rode down a slope and his bicycle speeded up, his heart skipped a beat. As he rode down, Li Hao saw a black car from the corner of his eyes. The car drove towards him from the opposite lane. It looked very ordinary and seemed no different than the other cars in the vicinity.
‘Silver 7219.’ Li Ha was shocked. He had seen that car before. Although these kind of cars were all over the street, Li Hao remembered the number on the license plate.
Li Hao used to be a student of Silver City Ancient Academy. He had his own outstanding qualities, after all. Having a good memory was a must. If he didn’t have that, he wouldn’t have been chosen by Professor Yuan to be his student.
‘Something’s not right. The car was going in the same direction as me. It should have passed already passed me and left. But the car has been following me for about seven minutes now!’
The car had driven back towards Li Hao. He remained calm and composed. But he was curious. ‘Why is it following me?’ thought Li Hao.
Li Hao regretted not considering this possibility sooner. The case he reported to Wang Jie must have leaked somehow. ‘There is a mole at the Inspection Office!’ realized Li Hao. He also thought that it was someone probably in the law enforcement team.
Li Hao felt anxious. But he thought this wasn’t a coincidence for sure.
‘The head of the royal family must have gone to the law enforcement team to suppress the self-immolation cases. But if the law enforcement team knows I am digging the cases up again, they might already have their eyes on me! They could have just talked with me directly. They didn’t need to follow me around! On the surface, it only looks like I am giving special attention to this case because my friend’s death…’
‘People who did see the red shadow were discovered very quickly in the past… maybe my suspicions were right. There is a spy among the Inspection Division or the Night Patrollers!’
Li Hao had read the files. The people who saw the red shadow were either dead or missing. That was hard to notice if someone wasn’t paying special attention to it.
Many Patrol Officers would only give the files a perfunctory glance when they had to organize them. They would have just recorded and archived the files without sending much time on it. Because it didn’t matter. But to Li Hao, it did.
Someone from the whole Inspection Division would have paid special attention to the one digging up past cases. This kind of thing reached people’s ears too quickly.
‘How long have I been watched?’ thought Li Hao. ‘If it is to do with the cases, it could be considered an accidental finding on my part. I have never told a soul about the red shadow after Zhang Yuan’s death. They probably don’t know that I can see it.’
He was a Level 3 Patrol Officer. He had found a pattern in the cases while organizing them. Even if someone was in league with the red shadow, they wouldn’t outright target him just because he had found something in the office. That would be too risky. If they killed him then it would raise a lot of questions. It would prove that there was something wrong with the self-immolation cases. That would be troublesome to whoever was following him.
‘It’s getting more and more interesting!’ admitted Li Hao. He ignored the car and rode on pretending to be unaware. The car, he noticed, disappeared quickly from sight.
…
Silver 7219. In the car was a middle-aged male driver and an ordinary middle-aged woman in the front passenger seat. At a glance, they looked like regular middle-aged couple.
“I didn’t find anything,” said the woman in a low voice as the car drove away from Li Hao.
The driver didn’t seem to hear her.
He responded in a calm manner after a while. “It should have been brushed off as an accident. He is taking quite an interest in Zhang Yuan’s death. They used to be good friends, apparently.”
The woman nodded. The car returned to silence once more.
“We can’t rule anything out for now. Just keep watching them from a distance. Be careful. Those annoying people are coming to the Silver City soon,” said the driver.
“Understood!” The woman nodded. She knew who the driver meant. Those guys were indeed annoying.
The car fell completely silent once again.
Chapter 12: Black Panther (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
‘I am being watched!’ Li Hao stopped his bicycle in front of the gate of the neighborhood and slowly pushed it forward.
“Little Hao, you’re back!” greeted one of his neighbors.
“Patrol Officer Li, do you have time to come over for a drink tonight?” asked another.
The residents of the area who were outside enjoying the cool evening air always greeted him so enthusiastically.
A Level 3 Patrol Officer might be the lowest rank in the Inspection Office, but in the community, they were a symbol of security. They were thought of highly. Even though Li Hao didn’t look as strong as the other Patrol Officers, he was always treated respectfully because of his job.
“Hello,” he smiled at them.
Qiming District was an old district that had been around for many years. The district was a little dilapidated now but as far as Li Hao could remember, the Li family had always lived in the Qiming District
The neighborhood wasn’t very big, with a total of only six buildings. Li Hao lived in the innermost building, Block 6, in Room 302.
Li Hao did not ride his bicycle all the way to his block, instead he pushed it along the rundown road. The roads in Qiming District had not been repaired for a long time, so they were in ruins. It was very bumpy and his bicycle occasionally bounced as he pushed it.
Behind him, he could still hear the faint whispers of his neighbors.
“Little Hao is good and polite but without an elder to look after him, he worries me. I heard it is very difficult to get into the Silver City Ancient Academy, and he managed it! But it’s a pity he dropped out of school to be a Patrol Officer!”
“You can’t say that. The Inspection Office is good.”
“It’s true that the Inspection Office will provide him with a secure job but if he had graduated from the academy, he would have had a brighter future and would have been paid more.”
Li Hao was used to the discussion. Over the past year, he had heard it so many times. He ignored it. He did not explain his standing, nor did he care. There was no need. He was still processing the thing that had just come to pass. And wondering what he should do to deal with it. Although the gun provided him with a certain sense of security, he was not completely safe.
‘I still lack knowledge of the mysterious power. My combat ability is also limited. Without a gun, I’m just an ordinary person,’ thought Li Hao.
Li Hao had learnt some close-range combat techniques. This was taught not only in the training but also in his two years in the Silver City Ancient Academy.
His professor, Yuan Shuo, was not only a scholar but also a master of combat skills. Yuan Shuo did not intend to fight anybody for that matter. But he liked to keep in shape and maintain flexibility.
According to Professor Yuan, one could at least run faster in the face of danger, if nothing else. Every time a professor from the academy went out, danger followed.
Therefore, Li Hao had trained too. He wasn’t very proficient in it. But if he was to fight the ordinary gangsters in the area, he could do it. He wasn’t as good as the old Patrol Officers though.
‘The Chief Patrol Officer’s identity might not really seem very intimidating but he was always prepared for a fight, if need be,’ thought Li Hao as he walked to his block. Suddenly a black shadow flashed by his feet but was gone the next instant.
Li Hao’s mind and body was on high alert so much so that he wanted to act. But he restrained himself.
The black puppy in front of him stopped. It didn’t bark but looked at Li Hao with eager eyes, as if expecting something.
Li Hao let out a laugh. He parked his bicycle and beckoned to the puppy. “Black Panther! You certainly live up to your name.”
The puppy looked small and adorable, but Li Hao had still given him a formidable name. Black Panther didn’t belong to Li Hao. It was a stray that had appeared in the neighborhood one day.
Li Hao lived alone but it was a pity when he had to throw the leftover food. So, he fed the dog occasionally. After a few months, the dog had chosen to stay with Li Hao and stopped wandering around. In the day, it would always lie down at the entrance of Block 6 and wait for Li Hao to come home.
There were others in Block 6 who didn’t like the dog. But they knew Li Hao fed it, so they never chased it away. No one wanted to go against a Level 3 Patrol Officer.
Black Panther wasn’t noisy, and the neighbors had gotten used to it. Li Hao squatted down and patted its head.
Living alone could sometimes get very lonely especially when he had things weighing down on his heart constantly. Having a dog by his side was comforting.
Unfortunately, Li Hao was too busy to take care of it constantly. At most, Li Hao fed Black Panther at night only. Sometimes in the day, he left some dog food out in a container. But Black Panther usually found its own food during the day.
“Woof!” The little dog wagged its tail eagerly.
Li Hao smiled. “Come along then. I will give you some food.”
His smile was genuine and gentle with the dog than at the Inspection Office. He got up and started up the stairs.
The building was old and the stairs were worn. The rails were also rusty with the paint that had peeled off a long time ago. Half of the people in the six-storied building had already moved away.
There were only a few elderlies who lived here now. Li Hao didn’t move out. He didn’t have enough money to buy a house in the new neighborhood. He didn’t want to part from here. This was the place he had always lived in.
Black Panther ran upstairs with Li Hao.
Room 302 read the number on the door. Li Hao opened the door and entered. The room was dark because the curtains were closed. The house wasn’t very big.
Li Hao opened the door all the way through but Black Panther did not enter. It just lay at the threshold waiting for Li Hao to feed it. Li Hao wasn’t in the mood to cook today.
He found the dog food that was going to expire soon. He pulled out Black Panther’s container and poured a lot of dog food. He then placed it just outside his door.
“Woof!” Black Panther wagged its tail again and looked at Li Hao expectantly.
“I didn’t buy any groceries today. So that will have to do,” said Li Hao. He didn’t understand why Black Panther didn’t eat the food. Perhaps it was disgusted because the food was going to expire in a few days.
Chapter 13: Black Panther (2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
“It’s good. Try some. Don’t turn your nose up at it! In a few days, you might not have anyone to feed you. You should find some other way to feed yourself.”
Li Hao crouched down and patted the dog. He laughed as he saw the dog eat the food unwillingly.
He took out the Vortex Mk III from his pocket. After some hesitation, he took off the jade pendant from his neck. Li Hao fell into a deep thought.
Was this jade pendant related to a mysterious power? Could it be that the eight great families of the Silver City song were also involved in something supernatural?
He had never seen or felt anything out of the ordinary about his jade pendant. As for the blood ownership mentioned in the song, he didn’t know if being injured when young and his pendant getting stained counted as
“Starry Sky Sword!” mumbled Li Hao. Was this the red shadow’s target?
“Woof!” Black Panther suddenly stopped eating and barked at the jade pendant in Li Hao’s hands.
Li Hao looked at Black Panther.
The Black Panther faced the jade pendant, wagging its tail. It looked like it wanted to approach it but was scared to do so. It kept a safe distance and started at the pendant.
Li Hao raised his eyebrows. He playfully pretended to stab at Black Panther. The dog jumped away immediately and barked at Li Hao as if it was frightened.
Li hao was surprised. Was the dog afraid of this trinket? That was interesting. According to some folklores, white cats and black dogs could see things that normal human eyes couldn’t. Could it be that Black Panther could see something in the jade pendant that Li Hao couldn’t?
Li Hao knew that Black Panther was a smart dog. “Black Panther, come here,” said Li Hao.
The dog looked hesitant but slowly moved over to him, its eyes fixed on the jade pendant.
“Woof!” The dog still looked scared but eased a little near Li Hao.
Li Hao observed its strange reaction and frowned. Maybe the jade pendant was indeed special. Li Hao was lost in thought when he felt the jade pendant disappear from his hand. The dog had swallowed it!
“F * ck!” Li Hao was stunned for a moment. He grabbed Black Panther’s head and tried to gently pry its mouth open. “Spit it out! Damn it!”
He wondered why the dog was acting strange. Usually, it never snatched away the food when it was being fed. Black Panther always waited patiently until Li Hao told it to eat. What was this? Was the dog really scared?
Black panther clamped its teeth shut and refused to open its mouth. Little hao had to get the pendant back somehow. He pinched the dog’s mouth and grabbed its tail, not letting it escape or bite. “You ingrate! This is my only family heirloom. Do you have to have that too?”
“Spit it out!” Li Hao let go of the dog’s tail and grabbed its head. With his other hand, he tried to open its mouth.
Finally, Black Panther opened its mouth and the jade pendant slipped out. The Starry Sky Sword was of great importance. He couldn’t give it up even if it was dirty and slimy. He picked up the jade pendant and smacked Black Panther’s head lightly.
“To think I feed you when you don’t even listen to me!” Li Hao chastised it. The dog was usually very mellow. He hadn’t expected it to act like this all of a sudden. It was Li Hao’s own fault for being too low on his guard against it. It would have taken his pendant!
“They say that dogs that bite don’t bark. That really suits your personality, you know.” Li Hao looked at the slimy jade pendant in his hand with disdain.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Black Panther stared at the jade pendant as if reluctant to part with it. The fear it had earlier shown had long since disappeared.
It even stuck out its tongue as if it wanted to lick the sword again. However, Li Hao Playfully smacked it on its mouth and it retracted its tongue.
“Woof! Woof!” Black Panther looked at Li Hao sheepishly, fawning and pleading as if it wanted to lick the jade pendant again.
Li Hao frowned. He glanced at the dog. Black Panther usually wasn’t like this. It was always very mellow and obedient. Even when Li Hao brought it food, the dog would wag its tail eagerly but it had never ever snatched the food out of Li Hao’s hands.
“You want to… eat this?” Li Hao waved the jade pendant in front of the dog. Black Panther wagged its tail, its eyes full of desire. But it hesitated as if making sure of something. The dog, very lightly, shook its head.
“What?!” Li Hao was stunned. Did the dog just shake its head?
For the longest time Li Hao had assumed that dogs understand humans very well. But shaking its head…
Moreover, what did it mean? He didn’t want to eat it then? If the dog didn’t want to eat it, then why was it staring at the pendant so much?
“Strange,” murmured Li Hao. There must be something special about the Starry Sky Sword. He had, of course, considered it after he had heard the Silver City song. But why was it that Li Hao had not felt anything from it in so many years?
Chapter 14: Black Panther (3)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
He had a sudden impulse to check it carefully today. So, he had taken it off. He hadn’t known Black Panther would react this way.
If he hadn’t heard the Silver City song, Li Hao would have worn the jade pendant for the rest of his life without ever thinking about it. He would have never examined it.
And Black Panther wouldn’t have snatched it. “Black Panther really wants this. What’s so special about the Starry Sky Sword?”
Li Hao’s thoughts started to wander again. While he was distracted, Black Panther didn’t snatch the sword again but licked it. Li Hao’s hand was covered in saliva. He reached out and wiped his hand on Black Panther’s fur.
“If you ever snatch it away again, I will never give you food!”
“Woof! Woof! Woof!” Black Panther shook its head vigorously and wagged its tail as if to say he didn’t mean to snatch it away.
Li Hao felt that something was really wrong. He looked at the dog and then at the pendant. The pendant was so slimy now that he might have to wash it thoroughly later.
“You want to lick it again?” asked Li Hao.
Black Panther nodded! Li Hao was stunned. How was the dog able to understand everything he said?
Li Hao cautiously held the pendant out. Black Panther glanced at Li Hao and stuck out its tongue and licked the jade pendant. Its eyes filled with satisfaction.
“Is it that delicious?” asked Li Hao. That would be weird.
Li Hao remembered when he was young, he had licked the pendant too. He also recalled that he had never washed it! He had actually put this pendant in his mouth many times when he was a child. The heirloom was supposedly very old. Had it been licked by a dog before?
Even if it hadn’t, the pendant might be so very dirty now when he thought about it. Who knew how many people had worn it?
“I can’t think about it! It’s too disgusting!” Li Hao shook his head. ‘Just pretend not to know,’ said Li Hao to himself.
‘Black Panther is acting strange today. But it does show that the jade pendant is indeed special,’ speculated Li Hao.
Li Hao stood up. His hand and the pendant were covered in Black Panther’s saliva. He went to wash it.
…
Li washed his hand and the pendant. Then he poured a bowl of scalding hot water and placed the jade pendant in it to disinfect it. He had to take the pendant with him when he went to Zhang Yuan’s house.
He was afraid that if he left it anywhere else, it would be stolen. He wondered if the pendant was some kind of protective talisman. Perhaps it would be of some use if he had to face the red shadow. Li Hao didn’t dare leave it at home when he knew its significance from the Silver City song.
When Zhang Yuan died last year, the red shadow didn’t attack him. Li Hao wondered if it was because of the jade pendant. After a while, Li Hao took the pendant from the bowl and washed it under cold water.
Just when he was about to throw the water in the bowl, he felt something nudge at his feet.
“Woof woof!”
Black Panther had never entered his home before. Usually, Li Hao left food outside because he didn’t want it to shed fur in the house. But this time, Black Panther had followed him in!
Li Hao looked down at the dog to see it very eagerly watching the bowl in his hand. He had soaked the jade sword in it.
Li Hao’s heart skipped a beat. He put the bowl on the floor. Black Panther didn’t care about the temperature of the water. It stuck out its tongue and gave it a lick. It must be scalding hot and yet the dog kept lapping it up.
Li Hao didn’t know what to think about this. He had licked the pendant when he was a child but had never found anything special about it. Li Hao watched the dog in amazement. Black Panther’s usually messy and scruffy coat turned smooth and soft right before his eyes.
Black Panther’s tail wagged happily. ‘Could it be that the water soaked in the jade pendant had some kind of mysterious power?’ wondered Li Hao. ‘Strange… was that the use of the pendant? Soak it in water and then drink it?’
Li Hao leaned down and touched Black Panther. The dog indeed felt different to the touch. It was softer and shinier than before!
Li Hao looked at the jade pendant in his hand, feeling excited. If the jade pendant had some magical power, it had taken a dog to find out about it.
Li Hao had disinfected it in scalding hot water but he still felt queasy. He wasn’t planning to lick the pendant! Li Hao thought about it. Black Panther’s fur had turned smooth and soft. That was extraordinary.
It must have a mysterious power, after all. Li Hao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He was at a loss for words. The dog might have actually found a way to activate the Starry Sky Sword’s power.
He looked at the Black Panther. The dog was lying down on the ground, satisfied. When it saw Li Hao glancing at it, it wagged its tail even more eagerly. Li Hao thought he saw a hint of intelligence in the dog’s eyes that he had never seen before.
‘This dog… it really seems to understand humans… even more than normal.’ Li Hao was shocked.
Li Hao glanced at the jade pendant and felt curious. ‘Black Panther had drunk the water where the pendant was soaked and had benefited. What if I drink it? Would I be able to master the mysterious power that no one else had?’
If that was true, it would literally be life-saving for Li Hao. ‘What if I die? But that’s impossible! I licked it so many times when I was young. It didn’t kill Black Panther either.’
Li Hao couldn’t suppress his excitement anymore. He desired power. He wanted to avenge his family and Zhang Yuan. Many things flashed through his mind: Zhang Yuan Night Patrollers, the red shadow, being followed today by that car…
Everything seemed to crowd his mind. He had tried everything he could to get into the Inspection Office and to contact the Night Patrollers. He now wanted to tap into the mysterious power of his pendant. It was worth a shot.
‘I have to try. If I don’t, I might die without ever knowing. The red shadow will come after me anyway. The Night Patrollers might not be reliable. The internal affairs of the Inspection Office leaked. There is no one I can trust.’
Li Hao made up his mind. He patted Black Panther’s head. ‘If this is really effective, you are in for many treats in the future, Black Panther! You will live a good life with me.”
“Woof!”
Black Panther barked in anticipation. It seemed to understand him even more. He almost looked as if he couldn’t wait for the ‘good life’ that Li Hao had promised him.
Chapter 15: The Book of Five Beasts (1)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Was it really effective in the water?
Li Hao tried to recall his past. He had never taken the pendant off before. He had kept it on even when bathing. It didn’t seem to have any remarkable powers in the past. When he was young, he had even put it in his mouth.
But this time, it worked! At least it had worked on Black Panther.
In the kitchen, Li Hao took a big soup bowl and placed the pendant in it. He added boiling water to it. He wondered if it needed scalding hot water to work.
He naturally wouldn’t use boiling water to bathe in. Maybe right temperature was needed for the power to work. Maybe in the past, the right temperature was not met for the power to melt and imbue in the water.
There hadn’t been a significant change when Black Panther had licked it before anyway. It wasn’t until Li Hao had placed the pendant in the boiling water and Black Panther had drunk it that his fur had turned smooth and shiny.
‘If boiling water doesn’t work, then I will figure something else out,’ thought Li Hao. ‘What if only dogs can absorb the mysterious substance of the jade?’ Li Hao was at a war with himself.
His heart was in a tumult: hesitation, excitement, worry…
He desired to feel the power of the mystical realm! Perhaps now he would have a way to deal with the red shadow.
He needed such power if he was to face the red shadow. People had already started monitoring him. The red shadow would attack him any day now. The Night Patrollers themselves might be looking for those people who could see the shadow. And if there really was a mole in the Inspection Office…
As he thought about all this, his resolve became stronger. Even if this didn’t work, he wouldn’t give up.
The Starry Sky Sword had already soaked in the boiling water for a while now. There was no distinct change in the water yet. At his feet, Black Panther was drowsy. It was lying on the ground and looking up at the soup bowl lazily. It still looked like it wanted the water but the urgency and excitement from before was gone.
Li Hao sighed. He didn’t rush to drink it. He took the bowl and walked out of the kitchen. He locked the front door and drew the curtains close once again.
He wanted to make sure no one could see him. Li Hao carried the bowl to the sofa and sat down. He looked at the pendant in the bowl. It looked crystal clear.
‘The Li family sword… maybe there is something special about it if it was passed down from generation to generation,’ thought Li Hao.
Li Hao picked the bowl and gritted his teeth. He placed the gun beside him on the sofa at grabbing distance. He took a small sip. The water was still hot but not so much that it could burn his tongue.
He drank a mouthful. There was no reaction at first. He only felt the warmth left by the water in his mouth. Then, a warm current began to spread in his stomach.
The sensation quickly disappeared. Li Hao was confused. ‘Was it just my imagination?’ he thought.
Li Hao was sure that it was his mind playing tricks on him. ‘Well… as long as I don’t die,’ he thought and drank another mouthful. As he drank more and more, the sensation was more real.
There really was a warm current spreading in his stomach! He pulled up his shirt and looked at his stomach, there was a faint starlight flickering from within.
Li Hao was shocked. ‘Is this a mystical power?’ he wondered.
As he drank more of the water, the starlight seeped into the air. He could see it with his naked eyes. In the next moment, they faded from Li Hao.
Black Panther opened its eyes and walked towards Li Hao. It stuck out its tongue and licked the air around Li Hao but his tongue didn’t seem to touch anything at all.
“What is that?!” exclaimed Li Hao. He frowned. ‘Is that starlight supposed to be the mysterious power of the jade pendant?’ he wondered. ‘It was in my stomach, then it seeped out into the air. Was it because I am unable to hold that power?’
He knew nothing about what this was supposed to mean. He had practice combat with his professor. There were rules to follow when practicing.
If you exercise randomly, it will not help in strengthening your body and you will only end up wasting your energy. Professor Yuan had mentioned that once before.
Li Hao felt that it applied to the present situation. He didn’t know how to preserve the power so it flowed out of him. ‘Does it have some kind of rule that I need to follow?’
Li Hao glanced at Black Panther. The dog might not have known any rules but it had been able to hold the starlight within its body long enough for the benefits of the water.
Li Hao looked at the remaining water in the bowl. He had gathered some knowledge about it:
First, the jade pendant really had some kind of mysterious power which manifested in the form of starlight energy but it needed boiling water to activate it.
Second, the energy had some remarkable qualities and benefits but it could not be preserved.
Third, if Li Hao wanted to harness this energy and use it, he needed a secret manual or some kind of system which could help him absorb this energy.
Fourth?
Li Hao was just throwing ideas and conclusions around for now. He wondered if there were any requirements for the cultivation of the mysterious power, and if he could meet them.