On River Embankment Road.
Over ten police cars were parked on the side of the road.
On the bank of the Star River.
A group from the Martial Arts Police Station had cordoned off the entire area.
At the scene, a body lay covered by a white sheet.
Several forensic examiners in white coats were gathered around the body, taking photos and collecting evidence.
Outside the police tape at the roadside.
A crowd of onlookers stood on their tiptoes, craning their necks to get a look.
But they were too far away to see anything clearly.
All they could make out was the body under the white sheet...
A black SUV came roaring up, screeching to a sudden halt.
SCREECH—
The sound of a harsh, sudden stop.
Once the SUV stopped, a man in his thirties with a stubbled face hopped out.
He wore a brown leather jacket, and his hair was a mess.
He looked like he had just woken up and rushed over without even having time to wash his face.
"Captain Tang!"
As he reached the police tape.
Several officers quickly greeted him.
His name was Tang Zhan, captain of the Martial Arts Police Station's major crimes unit.
He ducked under the tape and headed straight for the crime scene.
A few plainclothes officers immediately came over to meet him.
"Captain Tang, you're here!"
Tang Zhan nodded. "What's the case?"
"A girl, early twenties. She was assaulted before she died. Cause of death... her throat was bitten out!"
Once the plainclothes officer finished speaking,
Tang Zhan nodded and pulled a few steamed buns from his pocket.
He took a bite of one as he walked toward the body.
The members of the major crimes unit were all used to Tang Zhan's strange behavior.
Tang Zhan had hypoglycemia and needed to eat constantly.
And he'd been called out first thing in the morning.
Clearly, he hadn't had breakfast yet...
Still chewing on the bun, Tang Zhan approached the body, ignoring the stares of others.
He crouched down and lifted the white sheet.
A gruesome, bloody corpse was revealed before him.
His expression unfazed, he took another bite of his bun before covering the body again.
"Looks like the same demon is responsible. How many does this make?" Tang Zhan asked, glancing back.
Another plainclothes officer stepped forward. "The fifth. All of them were assaulted, then bitten to death."
"There are also numerous bite marks on the body. Bite mark analysis confirms it was a Dog Demon..."
Tang Zhan nodded, stuffing the last bun into his mouth.
After swallowing, he hurriedly patted his chest.
A team member immediately ran over and handed him a bottle of mineral water.
Tang Zhan twisted it open and took several large gulps.
Only after washing down the bun did he seem to recover.
"*Urp*... Looks like this Dog Demon is a real fucking degenerate. Assault first, then sadistic murder... Any surveillance cameras nearby? Or eyewitnesses?"
Everyone shook their heads. "Chief, this is River Embankment Road, an expressway. Even if there were cameras, they wouldn't be pointed toward the bank of the Star River. Forget about eyewitnesses."
Tang Zhan shot a glare at the person who had just spoken.
The man felt a chill run down his spine and immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.
"Once the survey is complete, take the body back."
"Looks like the department is going to be breathing down our necks again. Five cases like this in three months... it'd be a miracle if Old Sun doesn't lose his temper."
Tang Zhan shook his head with a bitter smile.
With that, he walked back toward the road.
The other team members exchanged a few words with the forensic examiners.
Then, several uniformed officers came forward and lifted the body.
Just as the body was lifted off the ground,
a pale arm fell limp.
"Captain Tang, we've got something..."
an officer shouted.
Tang Zhan quickly walked back.
He saw a forensic examiner had found a clump of fur clutched in the dangling hand.
Tang Zhan examined it closely for a moment. "Is this dog fur?"
"Eighty percent certain, but we'll need to run tests back at the lab to be sure," a forensic examiner nodded.
"No wonder she was mauled so badly. She must have hurt the Dog Demon when she pulled its fur out!"
"But it's useless. So what if we know it's dog fur?"
"There's no Dog Demon DNA in the database. We can't trace it at all!"
"Now we just have to wait for the Demon Hunters from the Demon Hunting Institute to find that Dog Demon!"
After they spoke, Tang Zhan took another long look at the body.
He turned and walked back toward the road again.
...
The tedious day of classes finally ended.
The morning was all academic subjects.
Only the afternoon was reserved for Martial Arts class.
Lin Yi walked out of the classroom with his schoolbag.
Wei Nan hurried to catch up. "What are you doing tonight?"
"Me? Going home to eat, then do my homework..." Lin Yi said casually.
"I really don't know how you do it, still living in a house with that kind of atmosphere. If it were me, I would've moved out and lived on my own long ago," Wei Nan said with a sigh.
'It's not like I haven't had the same thought. To get away from that house, away from Lin Zhixiong and Lin Yu. Maybe then I'd be in a better mood. But...'
"What about money? Doesn't renting a place cost money? Before, I was powerless, so I could only put up with them."
"But things are different now. Once I complete my first mission, the first thing I'll do is move out and rent a place."
Wei Nan gave him a long, deep look. "Hunting demons is dangerous. You're a rookie, and completing a mission like this on your own for the first time will be a challenge."
"As someone with experience, let me give you some advice."
"Find a weapon and bring it with you. I don't care if it's a kitchen knife or a club, as long as you can defend yourself with it."
"And cover your face as much as possible. Don't expose your identity. If you fail to kill it... it will definitely come after you for revenge."
After Wei Nan finished,
Lin Yi nodded. 'Covering my face isn't just to guard against demons. Humans can be just as terrifying. That's why Wei Nan and the others all wore masks yesterday—they were afraid of being recognized and targeted for retaliation. No one knows the motive for such attacks. For all we know, there could be demons hiding among those very people...'
"Yeah, I'll remember that. What's your mission?"
Lin Yi glanced at him, asking out of curiosity.
But Wei Nan shook his head. "Don't ask. Don't be curious."
"It's a rule for Demon Hunters. Finish your own business, go back and report the mission completion, and don't say a word about anything else."
"In short, just remember one thing: stay safe and complete the mission alive."
Wei Nan gave Lin Yi a look, his eyes deep and intense.
In that moment, Lin Yi saw a trace of gravity in Wei Nan's gaze.
It was an indescribable emotion.
Very repressed, and also very restless.
But since Wei Nan didn't say anything, Lin Yi wouldn't ask.
It was an unspoken understanding the two of them had developed over many years.
At the bus stop, the bus Lin Yi was waiting for arrived.
The two of them parted ways there.
The bus was pretty empty today.
Lin Yi walked to a seat near the door and sat down.
As the bus pulled away, Lin Yi glanced out the window.
His attention was suddenly caught by a person wearing a hoodie with the hood up.
Especially the entry floating above his head.
[Tearing Bite: Possesses astonishing bite force, capable of easily ripping away any piece of flesh...]