Forge a path to success.

Chapter 15 Demon Dog and Demon Child (Part 1)

~Confidential Files~
On August 7, 1999, a resident of No. 215 Zhongting Gushui Street reported having frequent nightmares, in which he was chased and beaten with a blunt object, experiencing intense pain, and claimed that a "vengeful spirit" was at work. The on-duty team went to the site to investigate and determined that the noise from the old and dilapidated building was causing the disturbance. After calming the resident down, the case was closed.

On November 20th, a resident of No. 215 Gushui Street reported frequent visual and auditory hallucinations and emotional instability. The on-duty team suspected that the disturbances were caused by the lost items, but after investigation yielded no results, they reported the incident according to procedure. Starting that night, team members were arranged to keep watch day and night to observe the situation.

On November 21st, it was confirmed that the hallucinations were real...

On December 30th, the team member on duty reported being emotionally unstable...

On February 4, 3000, the on-duty team member reported experiencing weakness, accompanied by frequent auditory and visual hallucinations and brain pain. Following orders from headquarters' Ji Huaisu, all residents were evacuated, and building number 215 Gushui Street was sealed off. Following orders from headquarters, a three-month special observation period began.

·
"Chu Hengkong, let me remind you, spirits have all sorts of tricks up their sleeves. Remember to clean up afterwards, don't leave any loose ends..."

It's May 3rd now, and the special observation period is one day away from ending. Chu Hengkong stands in front of No. 215 Gushui Street, recalling Jie An's earnest instructions before he left.

This was an old apartment building, its exterior staircase rusted and the windows still sporting old-fashioned metal security bars, making it look like a row of cramped cages from a distance. The team member leading Chu Hengkong was named Lü Xing, a seasoned veteran. He tore off the yellow seal on the apartment's iron gate, his hands trembling slightly as he handled countless criminals.

"There's something strange in this building, Brother Chu, please be careful," Lu Xing said in a low voice.

"Have you tried using his belongings?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"We can't get stabbed with knives or guns, and we don't have anything more advanced." Lu Xing shivered and handed over a bunch of keys. "If you ask me, we should just smash this building down and be done with it."

"Let's see how things go first." Chu Hengkong took the keys and went into the building alone.

Lu Xing felt a surge of respect for Detective Chu, thinking that he was indeed highly skilled and daring, daring to enter the house knowing there was something amiss. Little did he know that Chu Hengkong felt no sense of danger whatsoever. Firstly, three months of observation had essentially confirmed that there was no activity in the building during the day; secondly, he carried a talisman in his pocket…

[Amulet for Forgiving Ghosts]

[Rating: Level 2]

【Origin: Chenjun Palace, Longquan Township】

[Effect: The talisman strikes the ethereal spirit, binding spirits with a mass of 2 or less.]
The talisman, when attached to a physical object, can seal spirits with a particle level of 2 or lower; the object will then transform into a relic, the effects of which depend on the spirit's abilities.

[Thinking: The soul is devastated, the ghost’s heart is muddy. The soul is calmed and the soul is relieved.

—Ji Qiufeng

Just kidding, it's an exorcism talisman drawn by Huaisu's father himself! This thing is probably more reliable than his daughter doing it herself!
Holding a talisman and still afraid of ghosts? That's just asking for trouble. Looking at the talisman's effects, you'll understand what that mystical "three-month observation period" was all about; Jie An was waiting to fatten up the ghost to make it a spirit. Therefore, Chu Hengkong wasn't nervous at all; in fact, he was somewhat looking forward to the rewards of this mission. He walked step by step up the iron stairs outside the building, the rusty steps creaking.

There was no elevator in the old building, so he walked up to the sixth floor and used the key his team members had given him to open the door to the water distribution room. Most of the room was occupied by cylindrical equipment, and there was a small hole like a coin slot next to the main valve. Chu Hengkong took out ten water beads, inserted them one by one into the small hole, and pulled down the main valve.

Gudong.

Energy was restored, circuits were connected, and a sound like a floodgate being opened rang out as the lights in the stairwells flickered on. The old building had come back to life, powered by those tiny orbs worth 1000 each. Chu Hengkong had come to understand these past few days that there was no electricity in Huilong City, only "currents." The orbs that stored these currents were both currency and energy, supplying power through some incomprehensible mechanism that allowed the city to function.

I just don't know if vengeful spirits need water.

Chu Hengkong walked slowly down the corridor, the light revealing traces of dust concealing his movements. There were bullet craters of varying depths on the walls, indicating that more than one gunfight had taken place here; wood chips and pieces of iron lay hidden in the corners, the larger fragments still faintly revealing their original outlines, seemingly crushed and pulverized by some immense force… Judging from the marks, the force was not as great as his, but the person was very large…

Chu Hengkong tried to piece together the iron blocks he found; the wild cracks reminded him of wolves in the snowy mountains. But these iron blocks had once belonged to a large shield; how big must that wolf have been to bite through a shield as tall as two people in one go?

Chu Hengkong's nostrils flared slightly. He didn't smell the stench of wild animals, but rather a faint stench of garbage. The situation was more complicated than he had imagined. He got up to continue his investigation when he heard a soft sound behind him.

Lights went out.

From back to front, the lights went out one by one. Chu Hengkong gripped a piece of broken iron and slowly turned around. At the very back, near the stairwell entrance, a faint green emergency light remained. On the green wall illuminated by the light, a gaunt face stared coldly at him. The face was covered in blood and bruises, with two bloody gashes around the eyes from which dark blood gushed, flowing like foul-smelling pus.

It's not as scary as in the movie, but it's ugly.

Chu Hengkong took a step forward, a step that seemed to provoke the ghostly face in the wall. She vanished instantly, leaving only a small, childlike voice echoing on the rooftop: "No...don't...come any closer...!"

A sudden gust of wind swept through the corridor, and amidst the flying dust and wood chips, a black shadow as large as a car roared towards them!
Without a word, Chu Hengkong hurled the broken iron, a fist-sized piece striking the dark figure squarely in the head. Yet, it passed right through it, just as the pebble had pierced the body of the Imaginary Demon. Ordinary attacks were indeed ineffective; the dark figure swept through the corridor in the blink of an eye, opening its massive jaws to tear at the target. The distinctive stench of a beast wafted in with the powerful wind, so intense it was almost suffocating.

The shadowy figure missed its target; Chu Hengkong was prepared. He smashed the window with his elbow and leaped out of the apartment building. In mid-air, his tentacles curled upwards and hooked onto the protruding security bars.

Chu Hengkong dangled from the third-floor window, clinging to his tentacles, awaiting the vengeful spirit's next move. The ominous shadow on the rooftop dissipated, and he silently counted down the seconds in his mind.

1, 2, 3...

boom!
Dust billowed inside the building, the commotion so great that even the security windows were shaken. Three and a half seconds later, the mezzanine between the third and fourth floors suddenly collapsed, and the dark shadow smashed through three floors, falling from the rubble and crashing into the glass window. Chu Hengkong decisively let go and landed on the ground. The glass window was shattered as he landed, and the iron security window was also torn to pieces.

Chu Hengkong retreated a few steps, leaving the apartment building area. A low growl echoed from the dark interior, but no one pursued him. After a while, as if realizing he hadn't intended to enter, the beastly scent faded, but Chu Hengkong could still sense something's gaze. That thing was still watching him, ready to attack again the moment he entered the apartment.

Lu Xing, who was guarding outside, rushed over: "Brother Chu, are you alright?"

"It's pretty weird." Chu Hengkong stretched his arms. "Have the brothers keep their distance. That thing can move even during the day."

Lü Xing's voice trembled: "Shall we start smashing it?"

"No rush..." Chu Hengkong pondered.

This enemy is difficult to deal with. A single one immune to physical attacks wouldn't be so bad; a talisman could be used at the right moment. But when he was hanging outside the building, he clearly saw that the ghostly thing "crashed" through the roof and "bite" through the glass; it could cause physical damage itself. This evil spirit not only has a phantom body but also possesses superhuman strength. Without preparation, he might be in trouble. He should probe its strength first. Chu Hengkong recalled the girl's ghostly face and asked, "Have you investigated any missing children cases in the area?"

"We conducted a screening at the end of last year, and one company met the criteria..."

Lu Xing hesitated, then handed over a prepared briefing. Chu Hengkong glanced at it briefly, his brows furrowing: "Closed in just one week?"

"I didn't dare to investigate further," Lü Xing added in a low voice, "We've messed with them."

"Provoking the cat" is a slang term.

Where there are many stories, there are always local slang terms. In Huilong City, the most common terms are "gray sable," "white cat," and "crow." These seemingly harmless creatures actually refer to three powerful forces in the city that are not to be trifled with. The gray sable is the "Spirits' Guild," a cult in the swamp that, once encountered, will ruin one's future; the white cat refers to the "Club" in the central courtyard, the giant that reigns supreme over all gambling, luxury goods, and prostitution businesses in the city; and the crow is the black workshop in the sky, a brutal force of arms dealers who will kill you if you cross them.

During his three-week investigation, Chu Hengkong also learned about the three beasts in the city. He knew that the citizens were so afraid that they dared not call them by name, but he did not expect that even the members of the Resurrection Force would be so wary of them.

Chu Hengkong rolled up the file and tapped Lü Xing, laughing and scolding, "You're a cop now, why are you afraid of criminals?"

“I wasn’t afraid at first,” Lü Xing chuckled. “But after doing it for a while… I started to get scared.”

Chu Hengkong nodded, not making things difficult for him: "Take me to see that family."

They took a shortcut to save time, passing through a market teeming with street vendors. The sky was a dark, oppressive black, with no light filtering through. Vendors used sticks to prop up small lamps for illumination. Smoke drifted in the dim light, and the vendors' shouts sounded faint, like routine. "Lost panacea," "Killing artifact," "Swamp treasure map," "The real secret panacea"... Behind the stalls selling fake medicines and fake artifacts, there were legitimate vendors selling seaweed and frozen chicken and duck. Old missing person posters and wanted notices were pasted on the walls, their faces blurred by the rain.

The missing person's family lived in the Bangxing Building, two blocks away. The building had 16 floors and an elevator, saving Chu Hengkong the trouble of climbing up and down the stairs. The door took a long time to open after knocking. The man was about to yell angrily, but froze when he saw Chu Hengkong's tentacles.

"Sir, are you Detective Chu?" the man asked hopefully.

"Chu Hengkong from the Resurrection Unit." Chu Hengkong nodded. "I'd like to know about your family's situation."

The man's expression immediately changed, like a drowning person seeing a piece of driftwood. He grabbed Chu Hengkong's hand: "Detective, I beg you, please help me! My daughter has been missing for half a year, we can't find her anywhere, I beg you..."

The man was on the verge of collapse when Chu Hengkong patted his hand and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

The man, named Hein Lue, 23, worked the night shift at a hotel four kilometers away. His daughter, Tina, took her mother's surname. His description was incoherent, mostly focusing on his daughter's appearance, but he couldn't pinpoint any specific features. He would then begin recounting how well-behaved and obedient she used to be, before starting to cry. He knew nothing about the details of the day she disappeared; he simply said she "didn't come home after school" and couldn't be found…

Emotional people are often like this; they don't provide much useful information, and you have to rely on your own judgment.

The house had clearly not been properly cleaned in a long time; several unsealed garbage bags were piled up by the door, and dog hair was hidden in the corners and sofa crevices. The daughter's bedroom door was tightly closed, while the man's bedroom door was open, and the wardrobe door was also not closed, with a gaudy purple dress inside covered in dust.

Chu Heng waited for Hai En to finish speaking before asking, "What does your wife do for a living?"

Hein paused for a moment: "...She's a housewife."

Chu Hengkong didn't speak, but looked into his eyes. Under the calm gaze, Hai En retreated. "My wife works as a hostess at the club... actually, it's just pouring drinks for the guests, it doesn't involve anything like that..." His voice was very soft, and any man would feel ashamed saying these words.

"Can I talk to your wife?"

“She passed away… She had an accident in the lower levels last year…” Hein turned his head, “and drowned in the swamp while walking at night.”

There was no reason for the hostesses in the central courtyard to walk the night path on the lower level, and Chu Hengkong knew that even Hai En himself didn't believe these words.

"Please accept my condolences." "..." "What did your pet look like before?" "A black dog...very small, my daughter could hold it..." "Please describe it in more detail." "It was very obedient...my daughter loved it and bought it a leash and a stone collar with her allowance..." "A stone collar?" "It's made of stone, but it's very light." "Where did the dog go?" "It disappeared along with my daughter..."

Chu Hengkong noted down the details: "Do you know about the haunting of Gushui Street?"

"Haunted?" Hein looked back blankly. "Never heard of it... I've never been there..."

What followed was a rather pointless conversation: Had he tried to look for his daughter after she went missing? ... He used his free time to go to Bize to look for his daughter... Because his wife had an accident in Bize, his daughter was probably there too... He would try his best to search, please wait for news... Chu Hengkong stood up.

“Mr. Hein, you know the truth in your heart,” he said before leaving, “He’s been missing for more than half a year, and the chances are slim.”

The rotten plank sank, and the man, devoid of hope, was swallowed by a tide of sorrow. He sat alone, his voice barely audible.

"At least... I want to bury her body with my own hands..."

"I will do my best." Chu Hengkong closed the door and said goodbye.

He walked out of the Bangxing Building, a 16-story building that was extremely cramped and even more humid than two weeks ago. The walls and floors were covered in water droplets, and even standing in the stairwell felt oppressive and suffocating. But the oppressive feeling persisted even after he stepped outside the building. Under the curtain of water, it was dark and gloomy, and the weapons in the sky seemed ready to fall at any moment and chop people into dust.

The sunshine when I first arrived was good luck; this is just the normalcy of Huilong City.

Chu Hengkong took a deep breath and looked up. The street was lined with narrow buildings like the Bangxing Building, crammed together like people bound by chains. Less than 100 meters behind the building was a commercial district filled with casinos and bars. The buildings there were spacious and bright, scantily clad women soliciting customers on the street, and wealthy people walking under colorful signs, creating a lively and decadent scene.

Standing in the narrow alley between the skyscrapers, you can see both the mottled old buildings and the colorful lights of the casinos. Separated by only one street, they seem like two different worlds.

Lu Xing, who was standing guard in front of the building, offered a pack of cigarettes, showing his keen eye: "Would you like one?"

"I've given it up." Chu Hengkong shook his head. "Could you bring me a long spear for exorcising spirits?"

(End of this chapter)