Ouyang casually slipped his right hand behind his back, gripping the hilt of the dagger hidden at his waist.
The suitcase held not just his phone and ID, but also a compact pistol and a dagger for self-defense.
He could only sense two suspicious figures approaching from behind by their breath—like invisible phantoms lurking in the dark. Only their Blood Clan crimson eyes revealed their inhuman forms.
Ouyang seemed to perceive their body heat signatures—a small perk he appreciated about his current physique.
More than that, invisibility meant they weren’t human at all.
Ouyang spun around in a flash, his blade slicing white light through the air. Dark crimson blood splattered before him. Sensing trouble, the two figures instantly retreated five meters away.
“This kid… actually sees us.”
“Plan’s changed. He’s too tough to handle. We retreat now.”
Hearing and seeing everything, Ouyang tightened his grip on the dagger against his chest. He couldn’t let them escape. Just as he prepared to charge, an invisible force pinned the intruders down. No matter how they struggled, they couldn’t rise.
Who else had arrived? Ouyang tensed, spotting a towering man with curly black hair hidden in the shadows. Dressed in a black shirt, casual pants, and wooden slippers, his face radiated calm.
Ouyang recognized him instantly. Slightly surprised, he asked, “Brother Ma? What are you doing here?”
“Brother Long worried you’d run into trouble. Sent me to keep an eye on you,” Brother Ma replied with a thick nasal tone. His deep brown eyes curiously fixed on the invisible figures he’d trapped. He sighed leisurely, “Who sent you to spy? If you won’t talk now, we can chat elsewhere.”
As Brother Ma spoke, the pressure on the invisible figures intensified. Ouyang stared, frozen in awe. “Is this… your ability?”
The power suppressing them wasn’t Ouyang’s—it came from someone else entirely.
“A secret only Xiaomo’s officers know. Never revealed unless absolutely necessary.”
“Tch… Only Xiaomo would create such twisted tricks. Calling us monsters? You’re the real monsters!” the invisible figure snarled. Suddenly, another gravitational force repelled Brother Ma’s power, freeing the intruder.
Ouyang watched the forces cancel out. Then, the invisible man’s hands morphed into sharp scythes, lunging straight at Brother Ma.
There was more than one enemy.
Brother Ma had only pinned a shape-shifting Mosterian.
Ouyang had sensed the companion earlier. Scanning the area, he spotted a strange figure atop a lamppost.
To uncover the truth, they needed to capture a Mosterian for interrogation.
Ouyang stayed perfectly still, avoiding the lamppost figure’s notice while calculating his move.
“Seems the nine ghouls who infiltrated Xiaomo last time got our data. They’re studying how to counter us,” Brother Ma remarked calmly, staring at empty space ahead.
As the scythe swung down, slicing wind, Brother Ma unleashed gravity again. The forces clashed—then a gunshot shattered the night’s silence.
Ouyang locked onto the attacker, firing without hesitation. The invisible figure collapsed. The lamppost watcher vanished.
Brother Ma wiped a cut on his cheek, giving Ouyang a thumbs-up. “Great teamwork. Without you here, we’d both be cold corpses.”
Ouyang felt no joy at the backhanded praise.
A van with hazard lights flashed nearby, rolling slowly toward them to retrieve the intruder for Xiaomo Tower.
Alone with Brother Ma, Ouyang couldn’t stop thinking about that unnatural power. “Brother Ma, about earlier…”
“My ability?” Brother Ma scratched his head, chuckling awkwardly. “Brother Long will explain once we reach Xiaomo.”
After loading the Mosterian into the van, Ouyang returned to Xiaomo Tower. Entering Brother Long’s office, he was stunned to find several high-ranking figures inside.
Ram, Snake, Rat, and Claudia were present. Their grim expressions were unlike anything Ouyang had ever seen—a tension thick with crisis. At his arrival, the five officers subtly eased their frowns.
“Everyone’s here. Let’s begin,” Brother Long announced, his serious tone breaking the silence.
He activated a projector screen. Live footage showed Niu Wei, a Xiaomo officer, unconscious in a hospital bed at Xiaomo’s private facility.
“They targeted our strongest fighter first—Niu Wei, who can crush trucks. But they left him alive. This is a negotiation tactic.”
“No negotiations. Kill them,” snapped a petite figure. Her round face wore small black-rimmed glasses; a short black ponytail peeked from under her hat. Dressed in a black leather jacket and pants, the loli officer glared fiercely.
Snake, who governed the Northern District’s Tengshe Street, narrowed her dark eyes. “We all think the same. No need to spell it out.”
Ever since Niu Wei left Xiaomo that evening, the attack had happened.
“The enemy knows all twelve officers’ abilities. This will be a brutal fight,” Brother Long said, cutting off Snake’s impulse with a look. Their strong personalities made solo missions—or revenge trips to the Wei Family—too risky.
His gaze shifted to Claudia. “Claudia is overall commander. The other eight officers will guard the streets.”
Brother Long fixed his eyes on them, his voice heavy with warning: “Whether the mastermind is Mosterian or human, I only want victory.”
“Understood,” they chorused.
Standing among the leaders, Ouyang’s heart pounded with unease. Tonight’s attack confirmed the Wei Group’s hired disruptors weren’t human.
He wasn’t as strong as the twelve officers. Retaliating against the Wei Family meant direct confrontation.
Xiaomo controlled food supply routes. The Wei Group ruled Northern District’s power grid—a monopoly that could plunge the entire district into darkness if provoked.
After assigning tasks to three officers, Brother Long finally turned to Ouyang—and called Claudia over.
“This time, I’ll activate Yaomo. Take Ouyang with you.”
At the mention of Yaomo, Claudia’s expression flickered with excitement before settling. “Agreed. Since they know our officers’ powers, we need our own trump card.”
“We wait until they move,” Brother Long said grimly, certain Niu Wei was biding his time. “But we must prepare thoroughly.”
