Chapter 14 - 9: Public Security Bureau
Once the homeroom teacher assigned the practical class its rat extermination mission and disappeared from the doorway, the school day was officially over.
Students began to leave the classroom in twos and threes, arms slung over one another’s shoulders.
Lin Yi was in the crowd, walking shoulder to shoulder with Luo Qian.
They were walking along a tree-lined path on campus.
Luo Qian suddenly stopped, turning to look at Lin Yi and ask:
"Lin, my old man just got a new set of top-tier cultivation equipment. Want to come over tomorrow and try it out? It’s way better than the basic training rooms at school!"
In response to Luo Qian’s invitation, Lin Yi shook his head, his voice tinged with resignation.
"Thanks, Luo! But tomorrow’s a no-go. I have to go to Uncle Zhou’s for my tutoring session. I don’t think I’ll have the time."
Luo Qian raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed by the excuse.
"Isn’t your tutoring session at night? The daytime is prime real estate. If you’re free, you’re free. It would be much better to come over and do some Cultivation."
Lin Yi shook his head again, his brow furrowing slightly as he pointed to himself.
"How could I be free during the day? Did you forget the practical assignment? I have to hunt three Martial Apprentice Level rat demons. That’s not some simple chore you can just knock out. It takes time to find and catch them."
Luo Qian snorted with laughter and gave him a look that said, ’You’re too by-the-book,’ waving his hand dismissively.
"Ha! I was wondering what you were so worried about. What’s so hard about that? All you have to do is bring the rat demon corpses to the Health Bureau to get a receipt and complete the assignment. Why would you need to get your own hands dirty? Just buy a few rat demon corpses and turn them in."
"As for the Health Bureau’s reward, it’s ten bucks for a regular rat. For a Martial Apprentice Level rat demon, you get a hundred at the low end, maybe up to three hundred! You can buy them directly from professional rat catchers. Offering triple the market price is a sure bet! And if you want to save a little, find a black market connection. It’s even cheaper!"
"Three thousand bucks for three corpses, you complete the assignment with zero effort, and you save two full days of precious Cultivation time. That’s the smart choice. It’s a total bargain!"
Lin Yi listened and then sighed deeply. "Sigh... People these days have no conscience!"
He wasn’t criticizing Luo Qian.
He was talking about the people selling rats on the black market.
In every era, there are always those who scheme and take shortcuts, people who disregard all morality.
In Yang City, plenty of unscrupulous people were depraved enough to set up underground breeding farms specifically to raise rats, all so they could profit from a national crisis when the government issued an extermination order.
Although Yang City’s Health Bureau and Public Security Bureau punished these illegal operations without mercy—jail time was inevitable upon discovery—the lure of money was like maggots on a corpse. There were always people willing to take the risk.
No matter how severe the penalties, as long as there was a profit to be made, these dirty dealings could never be truly stamped out.
"Forget it." Lin Yi shook his head, his tone firm. "Besides, I could use the combat practice to hone my skills. I’ll hunt the rat demons myself."
He politely declined Luo Qian’s well-intentioned offer.
’The real reason I’m going to hunt rats is to feed my Mosquito Avatar. I need to absorb their Qi and Blood to get stronger, faster.’
’What would I really gain from going to cultivate with Luo Qian?’
’It’s not like I can drain him dry.’
’No way I’m wasting my time on that.’
"I can never win with you. Suit yourself." Luo Qian shrugged helplessly and dropped the subject.
The two walked out of the school gate and parted ways on the sidewalk.
Luo Qian’s family’s luxury car slid silently to the curb. He opened the door, waved to Lin Yi, and the car quickly merged into traffic and disappeared from sight.
Now alone, Lin Yi gently rolled his slightly stiff neck and shoulders, then broke into a jog, heading for the tenement building where he lived.
The setting sun stretched his shadow ever longer.
He hadn’t even stepped through the old gate of the residential complex when an unusual wave of clamor hit him.
The complex, normally quiet at this time of day, was now filled with moving figures, and the atmosphere was tense and solemn.
Inside the complex, a group of Health Bureau staff in clean white coats carried heavy, canister-like sprayers on their backs, HISS HISS, spraying disinfectant everywhere. The acrid smell permeated the air.
Their movements were meticulous and swift. A white chemical mist shrouded building entrances, the areas around trash cans, and every nook and cranny.
But another group drew even more attention—
personnel from the Public Security Bureau, dressed in uniform black with grim expressions.
In small groups, they wielded compact yet sophisticated Demon Qi detectors, meticulously scanning and investigating every hallway entrance, patch of grass, and even damp corners like bloodhounds, their sharp eyes searching for any suspicious signs.
Lin Yi showed no surprise at the massive commotion unfolding before him.
He already knew what had happened in the complex.
After all, his Mosquito Avatar had been at home the whole time. How could anything happening in the complex possibly escape his notice?
The reason the Health Bureau and the Public Security Bureau had been called in was the death of the Tibetan Mastiff belonging to Granny Li on the fourth floor.
That morning, the neighbors had been terrified by the dog’s gruesome state—its body was completely shriveled. Fearing a highly infectious disease, they had immediately reported it to the Health Bureau.
The Health Bureau arrived swiftly and took the corpse for a preliminary examination, but the results only deepened their confusion. The cause of death was bizarre; it was clearly not a normal disease. It looked more like some kind of creature had drained all the blood from its body!
Based on this disturbing theory, the Health Bureau immediately reported the case to the Public Security Bureau.
The Martial Artists of the Public Security Bureau treated the matter with the gravity of facing a great enemy. Highly suspicious that a dangerous Demon Beast had infiltrated this densely populated civilian area, they didn’t dare to be complacent, bringing out their latest equipment to conduct a comprehensive sweep.
Lin Yi looked up at the clear blue sky.
Deep in the sky, far beyond the reach of the naked eye, a minuscule black dot hovered. Though invisible, Lin Yi shared a profound and mysterious connection with it.
That was his Mosquito Avatar!
When the Health Bureau first arrived, Lin Yi, fearing complications, had his Mosquito Avatar leave the apartment and fly high into the sky to evade any search.
Although his Mosquito Avatar was currently safe and not at risk of being exposed, the sight of the panic and high alert below still weighed heavily on Lin Yi.
He realized he had underestimated the Public Security Bureau’s sensitivity to and the sheer force of their reaction against Demon Beast threats.
Just a single pet Tibetan Mastiff getting its blood drained had been enough to bring out the Public Security Bureau’s elite Martial Artists in full force, lock down the entire complex, and make such a massive scene.
’What if... what if a person had been drained dry?’
The thought sent a chill down his spine, and a wave of delayed fear washed over him.
He was secretly glad he hadn’t experimented on a person with his Mosquito Avatar.
’It looks like I need to find a way to conceal or resolve the Mosquito Avatar’s Demon Qi leakage, and fast.’ Alarm bells went off in Lin Yi’s mind, and a sense of urgency washed over him. ’Otherwise, as the avatar grows stronger and its Demon Qi more intense, the future restrictions will only become greater. I’ll be completely hamstrung.’
He took a deep breath, suppressed his jumbled thoughts, and quickened his pace toward his apartment building.
Just as he reached the entrance to his building, he was stopped by an officer standing by the police tape.
A Health Bureau official approached with a deadpan expression, held up a spray bottle, and spritzed Lin Yi’s clothes and shoes with disinfectant. SPST, SPST. A cool, slightly irritating chemical smell instantly enveloped him.
Next, a tall Public Security Bureau Martial Artist with eyes as sharp as a hawk’s walked over, holding a clipboard. He asked in a formulaic tone:
"Young man, last night or early this morning, did you notice any unusual activity? Strange noises, unidentified creatures, anything like that?"
Lin Yi’s heart rate quickened slightly, but on the surface, he maintained the perfect expression of confusion mixed with the normal nervousness of someone facing authority. He shook his head and replied calmly:
"No, it was quiet last night. I was just at home, doing some Cultivation and resting. I didn’t hear or see a thing."
He did his best to look innocent and sincere.
The Public Security Bureau Martial Artist stared at him for a few seconds, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce right through him.
Fortunately, his status as a student seemed to work in his favor. The man didn’t press the matter, simply making a note on his clipboard before nodding for him to enter.
Lin Yi breathed a silent sigh of relief, feeling as though he’d just crossed an invisible minefield. Having made it through the questioning unscathed, he quickly entered the dim hallway.
His taut nerves only began to relax once he was back inside his familiar, slightly shabby apartment.
As he opened the fridge to make a simple dinner, he quickly tapped his wrist-mounted communicator to life. His fingers flew across the screen as he ordered several items from an online store—equipment he would need for the upcoming rat demon hunt.
The store was incredibly efficient.
Before long, a faint buzzing came from outside. A small delivery drone was hovering precisely outside his window.
He scanned the code to open the window and retrieve his items.
The items he’d bought were highly practical.
A high-intensity, waterproof flashlight to illuminate the pitch-black sewers.
A carbon-fiber gas mask capable of blocking out odors.
A pair of waterproof boots.
A multi-tool folding knife, sharp and sturdy enough to butcher his prey.
And finally, a sturdy, waterproof backpack for carrying his spoils of war.
After a hasty dinner, all his preparations were complete.
However, Lin Yi didn’t move out immediately. He sat patiently by the window, his gaze fixed on the flashing police lights and scattered figures below.
He had to wait patiently for the Health Bureau and Public Security Bureau teams to withdraw completely.
’This was no time to take risks.’
Time ticked by. Outside, the dusky yellow light of dusk deepened into an inky blue.
Finally, around eight in the evening, the noise and lights downstairs began to thin out and recede.
The Health Bureau personnel finished their disinfection work and were the first to leave.
Soon after, the Public Security Bureau’s Martial Artists also packed up and left.
The official conclusion regarding the Tibetan Mastiff’s death was "attack by an unknown small-sized Demon Beast." With the investigation turning up nothing, the case was temporarily shelved as unsolved.
However, the moment the Public Security Bureau personnel left, an earth-shattering, heart-wrenching wail erupted from the fourth floor, piercing through the floorboards and drilling into his ears. It was Granny Li.
’She probably got hit with a hefty fine from the Health Bureau for keeping a dog in the hallway.’
After confirming there were no more official personnel downstairs, Lin Yi still refrained from summoning his Mosquito Avatar back home.
Before leaving, the Public Security Bureau had replaced the complex’s old Demon Qi detector with a state-of-the-art model.
If he summoned the Mosquito Avatar back now, its faint Demon Qi fluctuations would almost certainly be picked up by the new device.
His Mosquito Avatar was now effectively homeless.
Lin Yi hesitated no longer.
He shouldered the bulging waterproof backpack, clipped the high-powered flashlight to his belt, and tucked the multi-tool knife securely into his pocket.
He took a deep breath, opened the door, and headed downstairs. With steady steps, he walked out of the complex, his figure quickly vanishing into the shadows beyond the dim glow of the streetlights.
He expertly navigated a few familiar street corners, arriving at a secluded spot far from the main road, near the edge of an abandoned construction site.
Here sat a heavy, round manhole cover.
The area was silent and deserted, the only sound being the faint drone of distant traffic.