August 19th, 3657 of the New Calendar, Summer,
19:57.
Night fell, and the city lights began to glow.
He Li drove his car, breaking free from the congested traffic, and entered the slum area. The dim streetlights flickered erratically, and the uneven road was hardly a challenge for the rugged off-road vehicle.
He Li stopped his car because the alley ahead was too narrow for it to pass.
He Li had always been a meticulous person. Before getting out of the car, he checked his ammunition chain: twenty rounds, seven in the chamber, and four emergency spares clipped to the side of the gun, totaling thirty-one rounds. He then glanced at the cold-blooded lunatic beside him, who wore gold-rimmed glasses.
Instantly,
He felt a surge of security.
He turned off the engine, opened the door, stepped out, and closed it.
He Li walked into the slum area, searching for rental unit 133. This was once the old outer ring of Binjiang City decades ago.
Rows of single-story houses, some still occupied, with colorful steel sheds built outside the courtyards for rent.
With Xiao Yue around, finding unit 133 wasn't difficult.
In no time,
He Li stood outside the gate of a single-story house. To the left and right of the gate were two colorful steel sheds.
Colorful steel sheds were the epitome of cold in winter and hot in summer, their only advantage being "simple, convenient, time-saving, and cost-effective."
Standing outside the courtyard, He Li could clearly sense the presence of resentful demonic energy,
And,
Not just one source of demonic energy.
He peered into the courtyard. No one was living there; the owners likely resided in the city, using this place for rentals.
Xiao Yue scanned the surroundings and said, "In the house on the left, there are three Level 5 demonic creatures. They are the 'soul-type' demons you mentioned. They have no physical form but can inflict damage on physical beings.
Your gun, augmented with my abilities, can easily kill them.
However,
Besides their demonic energy, I also sense another special demonic energy, evil and bizarre."
"Another special demonic energy?" He Li asked. "Is it here too?"
Xiao Yue replied, "It's within the three demons, or rather, inside them. This demonic energy has corrupted them, turning them into demons."
"Can you track it?" He Li inquired.
"No, but I will remember this special demonic energy. When I encounter it again, I'll inform you immediately, adding to your achievements."
"Xiao Yue, that joke isn't very funny. Every time I go on a mission, I risk my life."
"Sorry, my dear He Li, I'm just trying to lighten the mood, because what's coming next will make you feel even worse."
He Li stepped forward, pressed the muzzle of his gun against the door of the colorful steel shed, tested it a couple of times, and pushed the door open, revealing the scene inside.
He Li's heart suddenly trembled. The room was very bare. On the right were three wardrobes assembled from aluminum pipes. On the left was a small window with curtains drawn, and below it were cooking pots, bowls, and chopsticks, three sets of them, along with several discarded instant noodle buckets.
On the floor, a messy power strip connected three power outlets to three steel-frame beds against the wall. The beds were covered with only disheveled bedding. There were no people.
Because,
The people were hanging from the ceiling beams.
Steel ceiling beams were wrapped with electrical wires, from which hung a dim yellow light bulb.
Besides the electrical wires, there were also three iron wires tied, and each wire was suspending a girl.
They were scantily clad, emaciated, with bulging eyes. Their bodies bore not only corpse spots but also marks of torture: burns, whip marks...
Perhaps because He Li opened the door, a breeze entered the room. The dim yellow light bulb swayed slightly, its flickering light illuminating the dead faces of the three girls. The shadows of the three corpses danced on the walls.
The air was thick with the pungent stench of decay mixed with bodily fluids from the deceased.
"Do you want to go in?" Xiao Yue asked, then added, "I can use my mental power to pull them out."
He Li stood at the doorway, his gaze fixed on everything inside.
The hanged bodies of the three girls moved, slowly turning. A harsh scraping sound emanated from the steel beams and iron wires.
The three bodies faced He Li.
He Li looked up at them.
The electric light stopped swaying, but the shadows of the three girls on the wall continued to move. They detached from the wall, flowing like water across the wall, and then returned to the corpses along the steel ceiling beams.
Suddenly,
Three ferocious dark figures slowly emerged from the three corpses.
Their bodies were as viscous as black water, with sharp claws. On them were the contorted, hateful faces of the three girls. It was such a strange and disgusting shape.
The lower halves of the three demons were still within the corpses, while their upper bodies spread their sharp claws, their ferocious eyes looking down at He Li.
Xiao Yue stood beside He Li, his eyes narrowed, then became playful.
"I was wrong. They aren't Level 5 demons, just nascent demons cowering around their bodies. However, for ordinary people, they are definitely nightmares. Demons without physical form, like ghosts."
He Li nodded. With such weak demonic power, it was no wonder Xiao Yue couldn't find them; he had to find them himself.
Then,
He sighed and said, "So it was these three who died."
He Li had seen Huang Chenglu's files. There were 22 videos and 41 files, and these three girls appeared in that collection of files.
He knew what kind of inhuman abuse these three girls had suffered.
"Ah! Kill you!"
"Kill you!"
The ferocious faces revealed ferocity, their fangs dripping blood as they let out sharp screams.
The three girls, transformed into demons, roared and lunged at He Li,
But they were blocked by Xiao Yue's mental power barrier. For nascent demons like these, which weren't even Level 5, Xiao Yue's mental power barrier was sufficient to resist them.
He Li calmly watched the three demons continuously attacking the mental power barrier. After a moment, he slowly raised his gun.
Click!
A bullet was chambered.
"He Li!"
Min Liang's voice came through the communication earpiece.
"I'm here," He Li replied, lowering his gun.
"Foreign ability user organizations illegally entered Binjiang City at precisely 8 PM, suspected to be hired by Feng Hui, the chairman of Zhaoye Group. Their purpose is unknown. The captain has requested the 'Emergency Situation Handling Plan' from the Northern Branch, which has been approved. Please proceed immediately to the Zhaoye Group Building. You are granted emergency situation handling authority."
He Li glanced at Xiao Yue and asked, "Emergency situation handling authority? Does that mean..."
Min Liang said in a low voice, "It means the standard for handling the situation... will be based on your standards."
"Received!"
He Li put away his gun, looked at Xiao Yue, and gestured towards the three demons still attacking the mental power barrier.
Xiao Yue understood. He raised his arm, opened his palm, and gently clenched it. The mental power barrier formed a large net, enveloping the three demons, and then was squeezed in his hand.
Xiao Yue smiled and said, "Let's go, my dear He Li."
"Xiao Yue, don't call me 'my dear,' it makes me a bit sick."
"Alright, my He Li."
"..."