Chapter Twelve

Something big had gone down in the tiny county of Guangyu County. Qi Ziguang, a disciple of the renowned Qingzhou-based Qi Shang Sect, had been attacked last night. Word on the street was he'd been beaten black and blue, stripped naked, and left in nothing but a tattered pair of boxers. They'd tied him up by the big well on Main Street, with "You Bastard" scrawled on the ground beside him. A turtle and an egg had been painted on his chest, and there was even a crude little bird drawn on his white shorts.

At first, nobody recognized him. Everyone had a good laugh at the spectacle before finally cutting him down.

In short, Qi Ziguang had been made a complete fool of. Members of the Qi Shang Sect had to carry him back in disgrace, and the incident became the talk of tiny Guangyu County for over half a month. From then on, Qi Ziguang had to wear a veil or a bamboo hat every time he went out.

Back at the inn, the seven of them had been busy all night and slept in until the sun was high the next day. By the time they woke up, the news had already spread throughout the small town, but Little Wu thought they hadn't gone far enough.

"You shouldn't have stopped me back then. We should've just taken his pants off completely." Little Wu was deep in his rebellious teenage years and tended to speak and act without thinking twice about the consequences.

A Xu patted him on the shoulder and chuckled, "Hey, leave some room for mercy. Besides, leaving him in his boxers was to spare everyone else's eyes from the horror. Man, Brother Haozi's Angry Bird drawing was absolutely epic!"

Little Wu wasn't entirely convinced, but he was still stoked about the whole thing. Xiao Ai, feeling especially vindicated, was in a great mood. Her newfound interest even extended to Su Heng's job as an Anomaly Catcher, and she pestered him to let her go with Xu Haoyue and the others.

Originally, Jing Yuan and Xu Haoyue had planned to take Le You and A Xu on the Anomaly Catcher mission, leaving the Fatty to watch Little Wu and Xiao Ai. But with Xiao Ai also clamoring to go, they had to revise the plan and split into two groups.

Jing Yuan, A Xu, Le You, and Xiao Ai were tasked with capturing a female anomaly named He Mei, while Xu Haoyue, the Fatty, and Little Wu were responsible for another anomaly called A Duo.

"But?" Xiao Ai had a question.

"But what, Xiao Ai? Spit it out, and don't try any funny business after we've set out," the Fatty said bluntly.

Xiao Ai shot the Fatty a glare and continued, "We don't even know what those two anomalies look like, or where they are. So where are we supposed to catch them?"

That was indeed a problem. Everyone's eyes turned to Jing Yuan and Xu Haoyue. After a pause, Jing Yuan suddenly remembered.

"Forgot to tell you. For this operation, we're not on our own. We're working with the county constables. They've already received intel and know where the two anomalies are hiding. We just need to follow their lead."

"Oh, I see. Then let's get going!" Le You exclaimed, suddenly eager. The others were even more excited, chattering nonstop all the way to the county yamen.

After they gathered at the yamen, the county magistrate himself came out to greet them. He was a short, plump middle-aged man with a wispy goatee. When he spoke, wagging his head, the little beard bobbed up and down. Little Wu and A Xu could barely resist the urge to reach out and give it a tug. Luckily, Le You was quick enough to slap their hands away.

Xiao Ai was quietly cracking up beside them, which earned her several dirty looks from a fuming A Xu. By the time Jing Yuan had finished his conversation with the magistrate, they were finally ready to head out.

The captain of the constables leading Xiao Ai's group was a middle-aged man in his forties named He, with a bit of stubble. Old He had a rugged build and decent strength and speed. The men under his command also appeared disciplined and orderly. Jing Yuan felt reassured following behind them with his group. After exiting the city gate, because the distance was considerable, they rode in a carriage for a stretch. The road wound through mountainous forests and was quite bumpy, jostling the four of them inside until their backs and waists ached.

Finally arriving at the location, they were hit by a foul stench the moment they stepped out of the carriage—the smell of dust mingled with the metallic tang of blood. Xiao Ai and Le You, covering their noses reluctantly, followed the others toward the small village.

The village was clearly long abandoned, devoid of any human presence. Thick dust settled everywhere, and spiders had grown so bold as to spin webs beneath the roof beams. Despite it being broad daylight, a sinister atmosphere pervaded the place. Though the sun hung high overhead, when everyone looked up, the sky appeared dull and gray.

A Xu, brimming with excitement, had rushed to the front and was now walking side by side with Old He. He couldn't help but pull his thin clothes tighter around himself. Glancing at the desolate surroundings, he nudged Old He with his elbow and whispered, "Are you sure your intel is accurate? This place doesn't look like anyone's here."

"Of course it's accurate. Can't you smell that strong blood odor? He Mei was personally tracked here using a secret technique by Mr. Jiayuan. There's no mistake. She must be hiding in one of these houses, waiting for us," Old He stated with a serious expression.

Following behind him, A Xu couldn't help but grow tense himself, swallowing hard several times. The group moved deeper into the village, backs to each other, holding their blades ready.

Le You and Xiao Ai stayed close behind Jing Yuan, their eyes scanning the area. Suddenly, they spotted a trickle of red liquid seeping down the wall of a dilapidated thatched hut deep in a narrow alley. Moreover, the closer they got, the heavier the stench became.

The two quickly waved to signal the others. Seeing this, everyone quietly gathered around the house, blades at the ready. Once at the door, to prevent the target from preparing an escape, A Xu and Xiao Ai caught it off guard by suddenly shoving the door open and charging inside.

Inside the dim room, the sight that met their eyes was a floor littered with shattered limbs and body parts. In one corner lay a pile of mutilated, partially decomposed corpses that had been left for some time. A woman in a semi-transparent pink dress sat beside the pile of bodies, gnawing on a pale, severed hand. Red and white bits of flesh spilled out. It turned out this village wasn't empty of people; rather, all its inhabitants had been devoured by the female anomaly now before them.

The woman looked up and gave Xiao Ai and A Xu a sinister grin. Her beautiful face was filled with nothing but cruelty. A cold breeze drifted through. A Xu and Xiao Ai shivered violently, their stomachs churning. With a retching sound, they vomited up every last bit of their meager breakfast.

Even those who entered afterward, mentally prepared, weren't faring much better. Le You and Xiao Ai were so terrified their legs went weak, unable to stand. They leaned on each other for support, faces pale. Le You tried to steady herself, her lips trembling uncontrollably. Half-closing her eyes, she stammered, "J-J-Jing Yuan, A Xu, y-y-you two hold her off first. I-I-I and Xiao Ai need a moment to recover."

Though Jing Yuan was putting on a brave face, his stomach was also churning uncomfortably. A Xu, having already thrown up once, felt slightly better. After all, the constables were more experienced. They remained much calmer, surrounding the doorway and shouting at He Mei, "He Mei! Now that you've fallen into our hands today, we won't let you bring any more harm to Guangyu County!"

"Oh, another group overestimating their abilities. But those two little girls look rather delicious. Since you're delivering yourselves to my doorstep, I certainly won't refuse." He Mei's voice was silky and seductive, yet everyone felt as if a bitingly cold wind had pierced their bones.