The Hongcheng Criminal Justice Department wasn't housed in an extravagant building. From a distance, it looked like just a small white building. If not for the conspicuous insignia on it, passersby could easily mistake it for a residential building.
The black official car parked out front was also the very picture of discretion. If not for the two large characters on its rear side representing the Academy, no one would have given it a second glance on the road.
But it was precisely because of the two characters for "Zhengyi" that it turned heads.
Zhengyi Academy: one of the seventy-two great A Class academies of the Zhengguo Divine Continent, an inheritor of the Daoist School of the ancient Hundred Schools, a founder of Zhengguo's modern electrical and communication networks, and the academy in Hongzhou—and indeed, the entire nation—that had produced the most Saints.
At the entrance of the Criminal Justice Department stood a burly, balding man with a troubled expression. He was tall, close to six-foot-three, with eyes so fierce they could be called predatory. Even the slightest movement of his eyes looked like a glare. Several other people in police uniforms stood behind him.
The large man's name was Wang Zheng, the Deputy Director of the Hongcheng Criminal Justice Department and its Chief of Criminal Investigations. Contrary to his appearance, he had a calm and steady personality, more than capable of handling pressure. But now, with the case at a standstill, his expression was weary and grim. The moment he saw a middle-aged scholar in a dark cyan robe step out of the car, he put on a smile and went to greet him.
"Honored High-level..."
Wang Zheng offered a somewhat stiff but sincere smile and extended his hand. The scholar, who was clearly a full size smaller than him, smiled and did the same.
The scholar had a fair complexion and a long beard, giving him the air of an immortal sage, though he didn't look particularly strong. He shook Wang Zheng's hand with surprising force and great enthusiasm; it seemed the strength in his grip was no less than the larger man's.
Releasing the handshake, he stroked his beard and chuckled. "No need for such formality, gentlemen. My name is Zhang Fucheng. 'High-level Mage' is a rather archaic title, a thousand years out of date. These days, 'Professor' will do just fine."
"This way then, Professor Zhang."
Wang Zheng, who had been struggling with the ancient form of address, breathed a sigh of relief. Without further ado, he led the professor from Zhengyi Academy, who introduced himself as Zhang Fucheng, straight into the conference room.
Under normal circumstances, there would have been a welcoming ceremony or at least some time for pleasantries. But it was the middle of a workday, and both parties were simply operatives ordered by their respective superiors to cooperate. There was no need to waste time.
"Everyone, please watch—"
Before the assembled leaders of the Criminal Justice Department, Zhang Fucheng simply raised his hand. The five energies of his organs converged, materializing in his palm as a brilliant, spherical ball of lightning. Amidst the crackling static that filled the room and the blue-green glow of arcing electricity, he held up the ball lightning for all to see. He spoke bluntly, "You're all local leaders, or you've been briefed by your superiors. I imagine you already know some of the classified details, so I'll get straight to the point."
"I have been ordered by the Celestial Master and the Saints to work with you all to capture the Demon Fiends that have reawakened in the wake of the Opening the Heavens and Earth. A great era of change is upon us. Soon, professors from Pure Bright Academy, White Deer Grotto Academy, Yuzhang Academy, and Tantai Academy will be dispatched to defend various locations throughout the state. The contemporary Daoist Saint of the Celestial Master School will also patrol the Thirty-Four States with the other Saints to prevent unrest at ancient sites."
With that, Zhang Fucheng dissipated the Palm Thunder. The intense static charge that had filled the room gradually faded.
His face had grown a little pale. It seemed that even a simple demonstration consumed a great deal of energy. But it was a necessary act to quickly persuade them and dispel any lingering doubt or opposition.
Few humans can ignore a thunderbolt appearing right before their eyes.
"...Understood. We've all received our directives."
Though surprised, all the department leaders present had received prior directives and warnings from their superiors, so they were mentally prepared.
Even with a genuine Palm Thunder materializing before their eyes, they merely showed surprise and were inwardly shaken. At least on the surface, there was no great commotion. And even if they hadn't been warned, the veteran patrolmen present possessed the composure to avoid breaking down into panicked shouts.
Of course, either way, that last shred of doubt they harbored—'Does the Extraordinary truly exist?'—along with their reluctance to believe, was shattered by the undeniable truth before them.
Father Su, Su Beiluo, was also among the leadership. He, too, was one of the mildly surprised ones.
But perhaps because he had spent seventeen years raising a son who was obsessed with Kaidan and Anomalies, when the truly Extraordinary appeared before him, just as his superiors had hinted, the diligent, middle-aged man felt very little surprise.
'Sigh, if only I could tell that silly kid about this.'
That was Su Beiluo's only thought, tinged with a bit of happiness and regret. 'He'd be thrilled... Then again, that boy's always been over-the-top. Could it be he has a real Talent for this sort of thing?'
Setting aside a father's private musings, back in the conference room, a brief discussion quickly established their target. All signs indicated that the random murders occurring across Hongcheng that day were not the work of humans, but of Demon Fiends connected to the Spiritual Energy Revival.
"Conventional investigative methods are useless against Demon Fiends. They can turn invisible underwater, burrow through the earth, or fly through the sky. We have to approach this from an Extraordinary perspective."
Taking the lead in the discussion, Professor Zhang spoke with the confidence of someone experienced in hunting Demon Fiends. He was decisive. "First, take me to see the victims' bodies, then to the crime scenes. The sooner we catch the Demon Fiend, the safer the public will be, and the easier it will be to manage the narrative."
It was a reasonable request. So, a police car, carrying a very unusual passenger, went speeding toward a nearby hospital.
Meanwhile, the seventeen-year-old boy currently on his father's mind had his own plans.
"Scout a place where an Evil Demon might be, without any weapons? I'm not an idiot."
Su Zhou's reply to Yara's question was blunt and to the point.
The weapons he'd ordered hadn't arrived yet, and he had no intention of exploring a potential Evil Demon hotspot unprepared.
Otherwise, he'd be walking into a potential ambush by a completely unknown enemy without being fully prepared. A win would be a narrow escape, and a loss would be his own damn fault. It wasn't what any sane person would do.
That kind of scenario played out in all sorts of TV shows and novels. As a child of internet forums and message boards, a self-proclaimed titan of the web, Su Zhou knew exactly what a death flag was!
"Hmph. Smart kid. So what are you planning to do today, then?" Yara snorted in what sounded like approval. Dangling like an earring from Su Zhou's earlobe, it took a tiny sip of blood, satisfying its daily need. "Stay home, read a book, work out?"
"Nope."
Su Zhou clenched his fist and hopped to his feet. He already had a plan. "First, I'm heading to the gym to test my current physical condition."
"My workouts at home can't measure my current limits. Exercises that used to feel challenging now barely even count as a warm-up. I need to get a clear handle on my physical condition so I can unleash my full strength."
It was a little after eight o'clock. Most gyms opened at nine or ten, and the one Su Zhou planned to visit opened at nine, so it was the perfect time to head out.
Su Zhou went downstairs, got on his bicycle, and set off.
Rui'an Fitness Club
Rui'an Club was a fairly professional, nationwide fitness club. Rumor had it that its headquarters was formerly a famous martial arts hall in the Celestial Capital. It offered professional trainer certification, and its members had won numerous awards in bodybuilding and even combat sport competitions. It was considered one of the top membership-based fitness club chains in Zhengguo.
Street gossip claimed the club's owner had close ties to several of the major Academies and a military background. But that was just gossip—there was no proof, and no one was bored enough to go challenge the place and find out if it was true.
"The Spiritual Qi concentration has increased again."
Since the club was next to a rather remote development zone, Su Zhou could see the sign from a distance. There weren't many people around. He activated his Spiritual Vision and scanned the area, then couldn't help but remark, "Hey Yara, look. The Spiritual Light on that bee over there is really thick."
"Let me see..."
Su Zhou's words piqued Yara's interest. It focused its gaze and said with some surprise, "Oh? That mosquito has actually adapted to the Spiritual Qi environment and evolved? It's gotten so big. Looks like it's developed some cold resistance, and its reproductive rate has probably shot up, too..."
SCREECH!
Su Zhou slammed on his brakes. While still moving, he snatched a handful of dirt from the ground and hurled it like a shotgun blast in the mosquito's direction—getting any closer with his physique would have just scared it off. The dirt flew like bullets on a shrieking wind, instantly splattering the bee-sized mosquito and the leaves behind it into a pulpy mess.
The Spiritual Light faded, its soul returning to the great beyond.
"Another day, another world saved."
Wiping non-existent sweat from his brow, Su Zhou wore a benevolent expression and muttered to himself, "A good deed a day."
No one noticed his strange behavior. In any case, by the time Su Zhou, the mosquito slayer, arrived at the gym, it had just opened. A muscular, bald coach was standing at the front desk, frowning as he spoke with the young woman working there.
At first glance, the bald giant looked like a humanoid brown bear. He wore a black tank top and gray shorts. On the back of the tank top was a large, red-inked character for 'STRENGTH,' and on the front was one for 'LOVE.' Though he was just over six feet tall, his sheer muscle mass and expansive presence made you feel like he'd shatter the doorframe just by walking through it.
"Yo, Azhou!"
But the moment this brute, who looked like he could kill a bull with one punch, noticed Su Zhou walk in, his expression instantly changed from annoyed to delighted. He turned, jogged over, and held out his hand. "You haven't been here in over half a month! I was starting to think you'd gotten too good for our little place!"
"No way, Brother Qiang. Your place is basically the most professional gym in all of Hongcheng, maybe even all of Hongzhou. If I didn't come here, where would I go? The deep mountains to train in some remote forest?"
Su Zhou high-fived him and grinned. "Don't worry about me. I'll just do my own thing."
"Suit yourself. Just be careful; it's not like anyone here can coach you anyway." The bald coach, Brother Qiang, went back to the counter and tossed him a key for the locker room. "And remember, go easy on the equipment! It's not as tough as you are!"
"Got it."
Su Zhou had brought his own workout clothes. Since it was so early, he was the only member there.
In the locker room, he stripped off his clothes, revealing muscles as dense and defined as if carved from stone. His clothes had hidden them well enough, but once they were off, there was no concealing the layered, fluid lines of his musculature.
Su Zhou was seventeen, his body not even fully developed yet, but he was already 176 centimeters tall.
Though his height was average, he weighed an astonishing 95 kilograms—heavier than most shut-ins, and enough to qualify him for the heavyweight division in boxing.
This wasn't fat, of course. Su Zhou was born with a large frame and high muscle density. He likely wouldn't have gotten fat even without exercise, let alone with the consistent physical training he put himself through. Naturally, he was far beyond the average person.
After changing into a breathable set of workout clothes, Su Zhou ignored Yara's borderline-harassing commentary—'Ooh, nice bod, kid. Not bad at all, even before my bloodline enhancements'—and headed straight for the bench press.
He was already warmed up, so he didn't bother with a gradual build-up. Since no one else was around, Su Zhou loaded the barbell straight to 100 kilograms, roughly his own body weight.
He lay down, got into position, and started the lift.
—And promptly, he almost shot the barbell straight through the ceiling.