The white mist dissipated, and the flight paths over Nanyun returned to normal operation. The six lanes of traffic that had been backed up at the highway entrances were finally cleared for passage.
The white mist departed as elegantly as it had arrived, leaving the Songhe Cemetery a complete mess as it welcomed its third wave of guests.
Crunch.
Fully armed official personnel entered the scene. Long military boots stepped onto the ruins of the cemetery, which looked as though it had been swept by a hurricane. The polished surfaces of their boots were immediately stained with a sticky, mysterious black liquid.
The first people to see the Yaksha's corpse couldn't help but freeze in their tracks. They looked up at a massive, four-meter-long humanoid scorched mark on the ground.
The entire cemetery had been nearly leveled. Countless tombstones and stone slabs were driven deep into the mud. Fragments of animal and human corpses, mixed with mysterious yellow and white granules, were scattered everywhere.
Researchers scrambled over the debris, flipping over shattered tombstones and broken branches as they worked hard to collect any research materials they could find.
The Yaksha was a brutal and tyrannical creature, extremely difficult to deal with. They had exerted every ounce of effort and used heavy firepower just to trap it within the cemetery, yet they still hadn't been certain they could destroy it.
That massive, eerie four-meter-tall ghost was unafraid of gunpowder, capable of hiding its presence, possessed infinite strength, and seemingly had no weaknesses.
And yet, after that white mist had lingered for only a brief moment, the thing was dead?
What unknown creature was inside that mist?
It was certainly something far more terrifying than a Yaksha.
The researchers couldn't help but shudder.
"Section Head Qin, I think you need to come take a look at this."
Zhao Daxian stood before a corpse that was no longer recognizable as male or female. His face was pale, and his stomach churned with wave after wave of nausea.
The "Xiangxi Monster Catfish" case had caused a massive stir, and the entire country had heard of it.
This time, as the Mountain Lord passed through, the Qianli City Special Investigation Section and the Nanyun authorities had conducted a joint operation, hoping to test the true nature of this Mountain Lord.
Li Dapeng was, naturally, the bait.
Since the anomalies began appearing within Great Xia, over a hundred thousand violent supernatural murder cases had occurred across the country.
Although Li Dapeng was still a minor in the eyes of the law, he had brutally murdered four victims and had even gone so far as to rip out their spines.
His methods were so bloody and cruel that even veteran police officers who had worked cases for years couldn't help but stare in horror.
However, much like Qin Yue, he had gained superhuman power. His jumping, running, and five senses had been greatly enhanced. During the pursuit, Li Dapeng had even attempted to steal a firearm, resulting in injuries to three officers.
Inducing Li Dapeng to enter the cemetery had actually been quite simple.
Li Dapeng's phone had a GPS tracker.
They only needed to send precise updates about the white mist to his phone and apply a few psychological suggestions to the web pages he browsed, making him believe there were treasures within the mist to achieve their goal.
Surprisingly, this plan had met with very little opposition.
And now, he was dead.
The corpse didn't look like it had been mauled to death by a wild beast. The skin was completely peeled off, and there was hardly any good meat left on the body. Only a few scattered scraps of flesh clung to the bones. The chest was wide open, with the stark white skeleton protruding from the meat.
Several large, green-headed flies were "buzzing" around the corpse.
His skin was gone.
In the eyes of everyone who saw the corpse, a massive, primal fear took root.
Humans are social animals. Even if Li Dapeng deserved to die, seeing such a bloody and horrific death still made their skin crawl, leaving them trembling and gagging uncontrollably.
This was a warning from the body, etched into their genes and bloodline when facing a dangerous, unknown creature.
Danger here!
Run!
Run!
You will die!
Could they really be sure that the humanoid white tiger harbored any goodwill toward humanity?
"Yes, the skin is gone... ugh... it doesn't look like... it doesn't look like a beast mauled him. It's more like... ugh... like something crushed the life out of him. Even his intestines... ugh..."
Zhao Daxian tremblingly opened his radio, took a deep breath, and continued:
"They are taking samples, yes... no trace of anyone else has been found for now... the Yaksha is as dead as can be."
The scene looked as if a Category 17 typhoon had swept through.
And that was only because the typhoon scale didn't go any higher.
Compared to this ferocious tiger, Ma Guniang—who had only met them once and yet was willing to give them a cultivation technique—was practically a saint, a kind-hearted bodhisattva filled with compassion!
He wondered why he had ever been so mouthy back then.
Zhao Daxian slapped himself in the mouth again.
The radio remained silent for a long time. After a while, a clear and steady female voice finally spoke:
【I'm afraid we were being too optimistic.】
【Compared to the various supernatural phenomena appearing elsewhere, this 'Mountain Lord' poses a much greater threat.】
【The Mountain Lord's range of activity seems to have remained within the Southwest region. We suspect it may be related to the Demon Suppression Division and its former jurisdictions.】
【Notify the other regions to abandon tracking. I will contact the local police in the Southwest districts to continue clearing the area and avoid unnecessary losses.】
【Do not make contact. I repeat, do not make contact.】
【Leave the cleanup work to them. You, get back here as quickly as possible. We need to have a meeting.】
...
...
The feeling of flying through the sky was actually quite wonderful.
Nan Zhi's arms were spread wide as she flew steadily, her feet supported by a whirlwind. A soft vortex of wind held her waist, making her feel as relaxed and comfortable as if she were lying on a beach.
"Honk!"
"Honk, honk!"
A flock of geese flapped their wings nearby. The lead goose had flown into the white mist and lost its way, honking anxiously.
Nan Zhi performed a graceful somersault and rode the wind to land beside it. She pointed a finger, and a small path appeared in the clouds. The flock immediately flew out toward the edge of the mist.
Golden light filtered through the clouds, refracting slowly. Great, soft clouds like tufts of cotton tumbled and changed shape in the wind. Even as large as the white tiger woman was, she appeared as small as a speck of dust before the vast clouds.
Free and unconstrained.
It felt as if nothing in heaven or earth could bind her.
Hu Ban'er, who was curled up in the tiger's tail, looked like he was about to faint.
Nan Zhi glanced at the trembling old fox, who didn't dare to speak. Her ears flicked contentedly twice before she finally landed with satisfaction atop a skyscraper.
She was already very close to Qianli City.
Looking down from the top of the building that pierced the clouds, the mist swirled around the bustling city. The crowded traffic and high-tech buildings were nothing more than various patches of color.
In this city of steel and concrete, skyscrapers rose from the earth like clock hands piercing the clouds. The scattered spots of green were squeezed for survival space, and countless ant-sized people scurried between the buildings like busy worker ants in a nest.
Nan Zhi flicked her tail. Beneath her was the city's landmark building—a massive clock tower. Sitting upon it, she could even hear the sound of the mechanical gears turning within the giant clock.
Rate on N.U.
