The Eldritch Files

’Now *this* is a ruthless man...’

Previously, Han Su hadn’t quite understood. When Secretary Cui Qiao brought him to meet this Independent Investigator, she had made a point of mentioning his relationship with Zhang Chiguo. But now, he understood.

The Four Heavenly Kings of Qinggang were not powerhouses that the current system of the Disaster Management Bureau could ever produce.

Although they fought against the same thing, their philosophies were different, even contradictory.

No wonder Investigator Moses had expressed his dissatisfaction with the Disaster Management Bureau’s three main Sequences the moment they met. He was certainly qualified to do so, as he had come into contact with something far more advanced.

Furthermore, based on the power Li Moxi had just displayed, Han Su felt a vague sense of familiarity.

’Although it manifested in a completely different way, that cruelty, that bloodlust, that grim and heavy presence... why does it inexplicably remind me of the Pig-Headed Butcher from the Ancient Castle?’

”Let’s go!”

After that display, Li Moxi simply nodded, unfazed, and started walking ahead.

At the same time, seeing that the final threat at Bai Mansion had been neutralized, the members of his studio had already begun to move into the main building.

Han Su followed behind him, lost in thought.

’This powerful man seems obsessed with indoctrinating me with his theories. They’re certainly useful for the path I’m on, but what is his real goal?’

’It can’t just be because he values talent, can it?’

...

...

Bai Mansion. The Main Building. The Study.

The recent sensation, like an entire ocean of blood crashing down, had made everyone inside the building feel as if they’d lived through an earthquake.

Glass lay shattered everywhere. A fish that had fallen to the floor flopped desperately amidst the shards, as if trying to swim.

At the desk, Bai Senmang’s face was deathly Pale. He looked up with hollow eyes, as if he already knew what he was about to face.

He could only mutter to himself, ”A madman... why did a madman like him have to show up?”

Beside him stood a woman with a cold, indifferent expression.

She was Xu Wenhua, the head of the Black Rune Security Company and a student from Dingxiang Mansion.

Under the impact of that immense Spiritual Power, everyone in the sprawling Bai Mansion had passed out. In fact, if it weren’t for the presence of Qinggang’s most exceptional female bodyguard, Bai Senmang would have fainted as well, left at the mercy of others.

His confidence was completely shattered. Bai Senmang’s lips were pale and cracked, as if he hadn’t had water for three days.

He turned his dazed eyes to the female bodyguard. ”You... why aren’t you doing anything?”

The female bodyguard replied coolly, ”Even if I did, I’m no match for him.”

”Besides, my job is to ensure you don’t die.”

”...”

Bai Senmang nodded, his eyes still vacant. He didn’t press the issue. A bitter smile touched his lips. ”Even if you did, it would be pointless.”

”In truth, calling all these people here was pointless from the start. I’ve already been abandoned.”

”They didn’t come for me directly because they knew I’d understand. From the moment that little bastard fired that shot at me, I knew what I had to do.”

”...”

He looked down at the drawer before him. Inside lay a revolver, already loaded.

”This was always going to be the only way out...”

He muttered to himself, ”But who would turn down the chance to live just a little bit longer?”

’I just can’t accept it...’

’Why did my son have to be the one to fail? And why did I have to be the first one they threw away?’

He had countless questions he wanted to ask, but his long career as a politician had taught him that asking them would be pointless. Hearing the sound of quick, agile footsteps approaching in the hall, he suddenly took a deep breath.

”You should go!”

He suddenly grabbed the pistol and aimed it at his own jaw.

He told the female bodyguard, ”You’re the only one left. There’s no point in doing anything more. Your job is over.”

”Take the money in my safe. Consider it your payment for coming!”

After delivering this final instruction, he clenched his jaw. His hand trembled as he gripped the gun. He used his other hand to steady the first, then, mustering every last ounce of courage he possessed, he let out a shout and pulled the trigger.

”BANG!”

The shot rang out. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled the air. The recoil left his hands numb, and his jaw just ached as he started to drool.

But he wasn’t dead.

He looked up in disbelief at the female bodyguard beside him.

She had reached out and clamped her hand over the revolver’s muzzle, allowing the bullet to tear into her palm.

”You...”

Bai Senmang was stunned, finding the situation almost laughable. ”Your job is over. Don’t interfere...”

”You’ve misunderstood.”

The female bodyguard looked at him calmly and said, ”I told you, my job is to keep you from dying.”

”Whether you’re being murdered, committing suicide, or being ’suicided’!”

Bai Senmang’s eyes remained unfocused for a moment before he suddenly understood. ”You...”

At that very moment, the door was kicked open. Agile figures burst in through the windows, all pointing their guns at Bai Senmang. The female bodyguard instantly stepped back, holding the revolver, and raised both her hands to show she was holding the weapon.

She announced, ”I am a legally employed agent of a security company. I was just preventing my employer from committing suicide with an illegal firearm!”

”Please show me your identification. If your procedures are legal, I will not interfere.”

”...”

”Huh?”

Her words left even the Red Sea Studio members who had just burst in completely stunned. They exchanged bewildered glances.

Then someone did indeed show her his identification. ”Disaster Management Bureau. Our boss is the Independent Investigator, Mr. Moses.”

The female bodyguard immediately tossed the revolver to the floor and took another step back to make her position clear. At the same time, her gaze swept over to Bai Senmang.

”Then do as you please.”

The Red Sea Studio personnel seemed a bit conflicted.

’We’ve already killed so many people...’

”Don’t harm the law-abiding citizen.”

Li Moxi’s voice drifted in from outside. He and Han Su had been walking across the lawn. Then, he grabbed Han Su’s shoulder, and with a slight flicker, they were both inside the study. His gaze swept calmly over the female bodyguard, but he said nothing more.

When Han Su saw the female bodyguard, he understood what had happened. He gave her a slight nod before turning his gaze to Bai Senmang.

Bai Senmang’s face was now Pale, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

Looking at the figures in the windows and the Extraordinary Beings staring him down, he finally realized it was all over.

”Take him back!”

Li Moxi made no superfluous gestures, simply giving a quiet order. ”And seal off Bai Mansion. Dig up every document you can find.”

”Furthermore, issue a notice to all the security companies we engaged during this operation. Their people broke the law. They need to pay a fine to the Disaster Management Bureau and compensate us for our operational losses... like the cost of our bullets!”

”...”

”...”

’Secretary No. 2, Bai Senmang, was captured just like that?’

Everyone went about their tasks methodically, but Han Su found it all hard to believe.

’What in the world are the ”big shots” at the top of Qinggang thinking?’

’I had assumed this would just be another case of stalling and obstruction, another chance for someone to muddy the waters. But now, the case has been reopened, and even Bai Senmang has been captured, guaranteed to arrive at the Disaster Management Bureau alive. The situation was turning out far better than he could have imagined.’

’So, have the higher-ups really given up? Are they just going to let the Disaster Management Bureau dig up everything about that ten-year-old kidnapping case?’

He was so used to distrust that he found it hard to believe things were going this smoothly.

...

...

”Bai Senmang has been brought back. He will be interrogated overnight.”

As Han Su was still reeling in surprise, Li Moxi, sitting in the armored vehicle ahead, calmly made a call.

On the way back, they had taken separate vehicles. Han Su was in the same car as Bai Senmang, ostensibly to protect him.

Han Su was worried that even on the short trip back to the Disaster Management Bureau, Bai Senmang might suddenly ”fall ill” or have some sort of ”accident.”

Meanwhile, Li Moxi, now in the vehicle ahead, spoke into the phone with a serious expression. ”With his testimony, Song Chushi’s return to Qinggang is bound to be sooner than expected.”

”No matter what this man is planning, he knows very well that this is his only chance to find his sister.”

”So, it’s time to prepare the battlefield.”

”...”

The person on the other end of the line replied, ”Buddha and Fantian are ready to move into position at any time. However, they can’t enter Qinggang until Song Chushi appears. Qinggang City’s standard security protocol can only accommodate a maximum of three Independent Investigators, yourself and Zhang Chiguo included.”

Li Moxi replied lazily, ”I don’t care. I just want to get this mission over with.”

”Neither the ten-year-old kidnapping case nor this renegade, Song Chushi, are worth much of my time.”

”...”

”...”

”So, you’re the sole survivor of the kidnapping ten years ago?”

In the armored vehicle behind them, Bai Senmang had been staring into space, completely zoned out. It wasn’t until the vehicle had entered Qinggang City that he seemed to snap out of it, his gaze falling on Han Su.

Han Su looked calmly at Bai Senmang and said, ”Theoretically, your son and I are both considered survivors of the kidnapping.”

”He didn’t die during the kidnapping. He died at his own father’s hands, didn’t he?”

”...”

’I didn’t like Bai Shi, and I like this Bai Senmang even less. Sitting across from him, I just can’t figure out people like him.’

”He...”

Bai Senmang started to say something, but the words died on his lips. Han Su’s stare made him uncomfortable, or perhaps it was painful. His face twisted as he spat through gritted teeth, ”You should have just put a bullet in me. Why bother taking me back?”

”The only reason you could catch me is because *they* don’t care anymore! They’ve already decided to make their move, so it doesn’t matter what you know! They just don’t care...”

”After all, as *her* son, you were sacrificed to those mad things by *her* too, weren’t you?”

”You feel sorry for my son? I was just following your mother’s example! Hahaha...”

”...”

He enunciated every word, as if confessing everything he knew, but his laughter was venomous. His eyes, glinting with vengeful light, were fixed on Han Su.

He seemed to be savoring Han Su’s reaction to his words.