Chapter 15: Undercurrents Surging in the Shadows

In the castle within the blood clan’s forbidden domain.

“I’m so pissed—!”

A blood clan girl dressed in a gown was wildly throwing the decorations on the table in the room, hurling whatever she could at the wall.

She looked a bit taller than Serena, with similar white hair, but her eyes were purple, and there was a beauty mark at the corner of her eye.

“A heavily injured blood clan! How could they fail to catch her like this! What the hell are those guys doing!”

“And why did the live stream cut off!”

Soon, she had thrown everything in the room; with nothing left to throw, she targeted the furniture.

“I’m really pissed!!!”

She went to the TV, lifted it single-handedly, ready to smash it to vent her anger.

“Master, before you throw it, you should know…”

“This TV costs over ten thousand, and it’s a limited custom edition— there aren’t many like it.”

The maid standing at the door reminded her as she prepared to throw; then she saw her master pause in silence for a moment and slowly set the TV down.

Next, she eyed the sofa and approached it.

“This is also custom-made, Master— worth tens of thousands.”

Before she could act, the maid quoted the price again.

“…”

The girl clenched her fist.

“This can’t, that can’t! Are you trying to control me!”

“I’m merely quoting the price, Master. I have no intention of stopping you.”

“Then this chair! This little side table should be fine, right!?” The girl pointed at the two pieces of furniture.

“The chair and table were both made by top craftsmen, using wood from elite elves, Master.”

“…”

Why is everything expensive—!!!

“You’ve already thrown all the cheap stuff, Master; what’s left is these.”

The maid said calmly.

“…”

The girl suppressed her anger and sat on the sofa, crossing her legs as she looked at the maid.

“Send assassins over; relying on them, who knows when they’ll catch that guy.”

“Give them whatever they need— as long as they capture her at all costs.”

The girl ordered the maid, and she was one of those who had captured Serena for experiments.

“Yes, Master.”

The maid respectfully withdrew, leaving the girl in the room.

“…”

No, I still want to throw something!

“Yo, Judy, why the long face?”

At that moment, a male blood clan suddenly emerged from a portal, smiling broadly as he greeted the girl in front of him.

You’re it—!

Judy jumped up from the sofa, quickly approached him, grabbed his clothes, lifted him, and hurled him at the wall.

“Off you go—!”

“Waaahhh—!!!”

The man was thrown head over heels, crashing into the wall.

That felt good.

“What the hell are you doing!!!”

The man got up from the pile of debris on the ground, angrily asking Judy what that was for.

“Just venting anger; nothing to throw, and you happened to show up.”

Judy said nonchalantly, going to the fridge and grabbing a blood bag for him.

“Don’t you have anything else to throw!?”

“The rest is expensive; nothing left to throw.”

So I’m the cheapest thing here in your eyes!? Is that what you mean!?

The man inwardly retorted.

After taking a sip of blood to heal his wounds, the man approached Judy, who had sat back on the sofa.

“You’re throwing a fit because the capture failed, right?”

“Why even ask.” 

Judy rolled her eyes at him. “A bunch of trash— can’t even catch one person and dared to stream it; watching it spiked my blood pressure.”

“Looks like we all underestimated that experimental subject’s strength; this can serve as experimental data too.”

The man said optimistically, as if catching Serena or not didn’t matter.

“Why are you so optimistic?”

Judy looked at him puzzled; it was clearly bad news— how did it turn good?

“It was within expectations, I suppose; got some good data— I even have to thank Scarlet’s people.”

“Hope there are a few more times; let me properly analyze this experimental subject’s strength.”

So that’s why he and Judy showed different expressions.

“Then your hopes are dashed.”

Judy said abruptly.

“I’ve already decided to send assassins to capture that experimental subject; should have results soon.”

“You’re acting on your own without telling the others?”

The man tossed the empty blood bag into the nearby trash can, looking at Judy with some concern that her actions might be too rash.

“By the time I tell them and get approval, the opportunity might be gone; that guy might have recovered by then— better to strike first and explain later.”

That was Judy’s thinking.

“…I think you should still tell the others first; avoid… in case you fail, no one to clean up your mess.”

“Especially that big shot— she sacrificed the most this time.”

“You think I’ll fail?”

Judy looked at him disdainfully.

“Hard to say; looks like that experimental subject got some help— we have to be careful about that.”

The man said with a forced smile, then opened the portal and looked at Judy.

Seeing the portal open, Judy asked puzzled, “Now?”

“Or what?”

Seeing he said that, Judy stood up.

“I’ll prepare first; you go ahead.”

***

Meanwhile— the perspective shifts to the unfinished building after the battle.

The Other Race Bureau people had arrived and set up cordons, moving the wailing blood clan out from inside.

“Park Bureau, we’ve roughly counted— about 50 blood clan; over a dozen are dead, the rest alive.”

A man with a balding head was receiving the Other Race Bureau’s report, and he was the bureau chief here.

Named—

“Park Guochang Bureau Chief, everyone inside has been moved out; the main figure has been captured.”

“…”

“You’re new?”

“Report, Bureau Chief! Yes!”

A recent recruit reported; the reason he could tell at a glance this was a newbie was mainly because he called him by full name.

Old Park, Park Bureau Chief— he could accept those; only calling his full name was unacceptable!

Reasons understood by those who know.

“Where is that person now?”

“Already passed out, Park Guochang Bureau Chief.”

“…”

Park Bureau Chief shoved the file to the newbie, then solemnly headed to the prisoner transport vehicle.

“You’re done for; the bureau chief’s gonna make your life hell.”

“The chief and vice both hate being called by full name— you know that? Your promotion’s gonna be tough.”

A veteran officer told him; they all knew the bureau chief’s rules— calling their full names was taboo.

Park Bureau Chief arrived at the prisoner transport, looking at the unconscious flashy blood clan; looked like he wouldn’t wake anytime soon.

“Notify me immediately when he wakes; guard him strictly— don’t let him die, understand?”

“Yes, Bureau Chief!”

The guarding officer saluted Park Bureau Chief, who then got out of the vehicle.

“About their injuries— any report?”

Next, Park Bureau Chief asked the analysts here about how the blood clan’s injuries were caused.

“Non-lethal weapon shots; should be rubber non-lethal rounds— shell casings left at the scene.”

The analyst showed him a bag of empty casings; all collected from the unfinished building.

“Hm… And the bodies?” He returned the casings, then continued asking.

“Still analyzing; wounds aren’t from sharp weapons— more like blunt force impact.”

“Though this sounds unrealistic, it might be true.”

“…What?”

The bureau chief asked seriously, telling him not to tease.

“Possibly, they were punched to death.”

“Punched to death?!”

The bureau chief was shocked by his words; what kind of force could punch someone to death!?

“Yes; preliminary looks that way— autopsy back at base will confirm if it really was a single punch.”

“…Then hurry up; try to get to the bottom of this quickly.”

Then Park Bureau Chief went to a black car, where a middle-aged man younger than him stood— the vice bureau chief.

“Bochang, give me a smoke.”

“Didn’t you say you’d quit? Why ask me now.”

“So much talk— hurry up.”

The vice bureau chief took one from the cigarette case and lit it for the bureau chief.

Amid puffs of white smoke and the burning cigarette, the bureau chief sighed deeply.

“Sigh…”

“Never thought there’d really be a time I’d be needed; back then I thought it was just a joke.”

“Who?”

The vice looked at him puzzled; who was he talking about?

The bureau chief rolled his eyes.

“Didn’t you meet her? That woman— helped us a lot; over twenty years ago, came with a baby, saying ‘if my daughter gets in trouble, you must help’— you forgot?”

His words quickly reminded the vice bureau chief.

“That woman; speaking of, haven’t seen her in ages— where’d she go?”

“Wuming said she’s on a world tour; but heard she’s coming back soon.”

Park Bureau Chief tossed the half-smoked cigarette and stomped it out.

“If that woman finds out her kid got into danger…”

“What can we do,” Park Bureau looked helpless. “It’s not like we dragged him into danger.”

“No wonder you called me to come with you; so that’s why.”

The vice had been about to doze off in his office when Park Guochang barged in and woke him.

“Ji Bochang! Wake up!”

Then dragged him here.

“But how did he get involved too? Didn’t he say he just wants a peaceful life?”

The vice drove yawning on the way back to the Other Race Bureau, asking Park Guochang beside him.

“Who knows; ask him when he comes.”

“You’re having him come to the bureau?”

“This incident’s too big; can’t explain without asking him— gotta have him come in.”

“Plus, it’s been a while since that psych counseling day; might as well do it this time.”

The night was still so long; the bureau chiefs thought this would be another sleepless night, interrogating these captured blood clan.